Summary: Every action has a consequence. The aftermath of the sex tape.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill.. I promise.

Author's Note: Takes place after 4.14. I may use some stuff from the show, but it is mostly my version of events. This will eventually be a Brooke/Nathan pairing, but all couples are included. Enjoy! And please.. don't forget to review! It only takes a second to let me know you're reading.. Reviews are my fuel and, most of the time, my only motivation to continue.

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Brooke raced into the house with Nathan in tow. Both were dripping wet with smiles on their faces.

"Oh my God, is that Nathan?!"

"What's all the commotion?" Brooke wondered aloud.

"I don't know," Nathan replied. "but I am going to kill Skillz."

The duo pushed their way through the crowd along with Peyton, whose screams could be heard throughout the house. "Turn it off! Turn it off!"

It was obviously a sex tape, and Brooke was horrified when she saw her face and heard her voice.

"Hold on, I can't believe I'm doing this. I would die if anybody ever saw this, Nathan."

"Don't worry." he replied. "No one will ever know."

To the dissapointment of the crowd, Nathan abruptly turned off the television and ordered everyone to leave at once. Brooke didn't hesitate to follow this command. That is, until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and was greeted with Peyton's fist. She stumbled backward. She felt a trickle of warm blood and stopped it with the sleeve of her jacket. Nathan moved to help her, but Haley's cold glance stopped him in his tracks. Her eyes cast downward as the tears threatened to spill. Everyone was now gone with the exception of her, Nathan, Haley, Lucas, and Peyton.

"You bitch!" Peyton screamed. "You hypocrite! You put on this innocent act for so long .. you watch me beg for your forgiveness .. when all this time you were the cheating whore?!"

Brooke glanced up at her former friend and couldn't help but notice her attire.. her disheveled hair.. Were Peyton and Lucas just having sex? Despite the current events, it all hurt just the same. What hurt worse was her friends, if they were still willing to accept that role, seeing her in this vulnerable state. She couldn't just stand by.. with her tears and her bloody nose.. as Peyton bitched her out. She couldn't do it.

"Oh come on, Peyton." she began, her voice filled with attitude and annoyance. "You can step down from your high horse. Everyone knows that you and Nathan were a train wreck."

The blow that followed left her face down on the carpet. From that point on, she had a hard time comprehending what others were saying. Goldilocks may not look that tough, but she sure as hell knew how the throw a punch. It was Nathan who helped her to her feet and left the room in search of an ice pack. She watched for a moment as Lucas tried to console Peyton. The sight sickened her, and for a brief moment, she regretted ever laying eyes on Lucas Scott. Her glance then shifted to her new and improved best friend.

"Haley.." she started, but was immediantly silenced by her friend's death glare.

"I can't even look at you right now."

That hurt worse than all of Peyton's blows combined. Despite her dizziness, she abruptly left the house just as Nathan walked in with an ice pack.

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Rachel was looking through old photos when Brooke walked in wet, bloody and with early signs of a black eye. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Ask Nathan." Brooke replied, her voice breaking. "He has the entire thing on tape."

"So.. Nathan stood there with a video camera as some thug beat the shit out of you?"

Brooke sighed. She could see that her friend was utterly confused. She spent the next few minutes recapping the night's events.

Rachel smiled at the scandal. "You never told me you slept with Nathan, you whore! Now.. there has been a lot of speculation, but it looks like you can finally clear some things up. Who's really the big brother?" she smiled and nudged her friend suggestively.

Brooke groaned. "Excuse me for thinking you were capable of having a mature conversation. Will you please get me an ice pack?"

"Fine." Rachel replied and headed for the doorway. "But don't think you're dismissed from this conversation." She turned to leave the room and found herself face-to-face with.. Chase. "Clean Teens.." she scoffed before finally leaving the room.

"Hey." Brooke stood to greet her boyfriend. "I was hoping you'd stop by. Look, about tonight.."

"I just came to see if you were okay."

For the first time since the sex tape scandal, Brooke smiled. It was a faint smile, but a smile nonetheless. She looked up at Chase- his face sketched with worry.. his hands shyly tucked away in the pockets of his jeans- and realized for the first time that she just may be in love with him. "Yeah.." she said softly. "I think I am. I mean, with the exception of severe humiliation."

"I'm glad you're okay." he said. "That makes this a lot easier.."

"What?" Brooke asked, confused. And then.. realization dawned on her.

"I don't think we should see each other anymore."

She bit her bottem lip and nodded. Could she honestly blame him? She willed herself not to cry.. not to let it get to her. This proved to be an impossible task. He cautiously approached her.. to comfort her. She turned away.

"Um.." he went on, clearly not knowing how to console her. "About prom.. we can still go if you want to. I know it means a lot to you."

"No." she said assertively, despite her tears. "I'd rather go alone than with someone who doesn't want to be with me."

"I'm sorry." he said before silently leaving the room.

Brooke clasped her hand over her mouth as the tears cascaded down her face. She felt a hand on her shoulder and, assuming it was Chase, immediantly stiffened. She slowly turned to see that it was Rachel.

"Chase broke up with me."

"Brooke, I'm sorry." Rachel said sincerely, putting an arm around her.

And then she handed her the ice pack.

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"I can't believe Brooke is such a backstabbing whore!" Peyton paced the length of her bedroom lividly. "Actually, no. What I can't believe is that I spent so much time and energy trying to patch up our friendship. What a waste!"

Lucas was stretched across Peyton's bed.. wordlessly listening to her rant. "You know," he spoke up for the first time. "You and Nathan were broken up."

Peyton turned toward him furiously- her hands planted on her hips. "Do you want me and you to be broken up?"

"Point taken." Lucas said and went back to staring at the ceiling.

"Clean Teens." Peyton said mockingly. "I wonder how long that will last."

"Well," he began, cautiously this time. "Maybe you shouldn't focus so much on the person Brooke was.. but more on the person she's trying to be."

Peyton stopped pacing and turned her attention to her boyfriend. "What are you, her attorney? Maybe you shouldn't focus so much on Brooke.. but more on your girlfriend. Get the hell out of my room."

"Peyton-" he started, but was immediantly cut off.

"I mean it, Luke. Get out."

He sighed and held his hands up in the air, signaling surrender, and left.

Peyton finally sat down and found herself wishing that, for once, Lucas would consider her feelings the way he considered Brooke's.

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"Haley.." Nathan looked into his wife's eyes. He saw no visible trace of emotion. "You've got to understand.. I forgot that tape even existed. That happened a long time ago.. I'm not proud of it.. of the person I used to be." he paused before quickly adding an "I love you" to the apology. That always helped.

"Nathan." Haley stated, taking hold of his hands and blinking away any tears that threatened to spill. After all, she was pregnant and emotional. "As much as I wish I did, I really don't have a right to be angry."

"You don't?" he replied, confused.

"No, silly." she said with a smile. "What happened between you and Brooke happened before I worked my magic on you."

Nathan smiled. "Wow. And I thought I was going to spend my night apologizing to the bedroom door.."

Haley laughed. "Well, I guess you could do that if you wanted to.. but what I had planned kind of requires you to be inside the bedroom."

"That's tempting, Hales.." he started. "But I have a round of apologies to make. You were first on that list."

"It's nothing that can't wait until tomorrow, right?"

Nathan easily caved. "Right." He took her hand and led her to the bedroom.

Needless to say, he was not looking forward to tomorrow.

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