ALL GOOD THINGS

Flames to Dust, Lovers to Friends. Why do all Good things come to an End?

Summary: Nathan and Brooke, they were happy, once upon a time. Until their cheating hearts caught up with them and the betrayal tore them apart, soon enough years passed and they also left the past behind.

Now nine years later both are successful, bitter, lonely and brokenhearted, their lives collide, yet again.

Brooke returns to Tree Hill, after finishing with her cheating fiancé of a year. And when she leaves New York behind, for the tranquility of Tree Hill, she runs into former flame, Nathan Scott. Who still happens to be trying to get over the death of his wife Haley. Brooke wants to help, she knows she's the only one who can fix his broken soul. But also healing from her fiancé's revelation, she craves for the same help. Due to the same loneliness they both feel, they turn to one another knowing they can numb each others pain. They know it's not right and that it isn't going to solve anything, but neither succumbs to the temptation.

Maybe for the first time, in a long time…it won't come to an end or maybe- that's just the way it's supposed to be. Maybe all good things are destined to come to an end.

1.

Taking a trip down memory lane

Brooke Davis, reached her hand underneath her bed and pulled out the small, vivid red suit-case, she kept there, incase of emergencies and this to her was definitely an emergency.

"Brooke..." A mans voice pleaded with her, from the doorway. "Honey?" He tried.

Brooke continued to ignore him as she pulled open the door to her walk-in closet, she emerged carrying a handful of clothing and then she started to shove them into the bag. She pushed her hair back out of her eyes angrily as she opened a drawer and stuffed half the contents of it into her suit-case.

"Baby, I know you're mad. But just let me explain, it's not what you think, I assure you." The man behind her said, obviously trying to sound as calm as possible.

"Mad?" Brooke asked quietly, as she faced him. "Mad!?" She shouted. "Mad is an understatement, Lucas. And it's not what it looks like? 'Cause to me, it just looked a lot like me walking in on you with another woman in our bed!" She screamed at him angrily.

"Please." He told her, as he touched her shoulder, gently. "You lying bastard. I cannot believe I left Nathan for you! For you!?" She asked in wonder, pushing him away. "I was a complete idiot, but not this time. It's over and I mean that." She warned, through gritted teeth. "So don't you dare try finding me."

"Nathan?" Lucas asked, walking back as though completely shocked. "Why are you bringing him into this?"

Brooke shook her head, in mock amusement. "It amazes me how you can be so self-absorbed at this moment and I'm bringing him into this, just to let you know how much better your brother is then you, to tell myself that I was a complete fool for leaving him for you."

"Don't you dare bring him into this." Lucas threatened.

"Fuck you." Brooke mumbled as she turned around and tried to zip up her bag.

"Brooke..." Lucas said as he tried to block the doorway with his body,

"Get out of the way!" Brooke screamed, willing herself not to cry. "Lucas move right now." She glared at him.

"Please, I'm begging you." Lucas pleaded, once again. "I'm so sorry, I'll do anything, just don't leave like this."

"You'll do anything? Okay then. Move out of my fucking way." Brooke ordered.

"I love you." Lucas whispered, through his un-fallen tears.

Brooke laughed bitterly. "You love me? That's great, really it is. It just obviously means something totally different to you, than it does to me. You see, to me love is about being loyal and faithful to someone not about betraying them and still showing absolutely no sincere remorse, whatsoever when they catch you, betraying them." She responded, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat. "For the last time Lucas, please just do something I want and get out of my way." She said, emotion lacing her voice.

Lucas looked at her for a few seconds before giving in and moving from his place in the doorway.

Brooke started to walk out, her red bag in one hand and a coat in the other. Avoiding all eye contact with Lucas.

"Brooke." Lucas called from behind her.

Despite something telling her not to, Brooke turned around.

"I really am sorry." He simply said.

Brooke nodded and then walked out of the door, knowing it was over for good. It was time to move on.

As she climbed into a cab, she lay her head back onto the seat and looked out of the window. Not even sure if she would be coming back, New York City was her home now, it had been since college. But there was something in her that told her she had to go back, to her real home. Her real family and her real friends lived there, the people who she could really trust and count on. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she thought about what her life had amounted to. She was alone and bitter at the age of twenty seven, with no real future ahead of her. Since high school her and Lucas had been a couple, it had been nine years and she actually let her self believe that he was the one…she'd be with for the rest of her life. How fate had deceived her. Brooke rooted in her bag for her cell-phone and once she had found it, she looked at the pictures she had saved on it.

Another tear rolled down her cheek as she came across a picture of her, Lucas, Nathan and his wife Haley- from when everything was much simpler, and everybody seemed content.

Haley. Brooke thought to herself, Haley had always been that someone she could count on, it never mattered to either of them that Brooke was Nathan's ex girlfriend, they had a strong and solid friendship that had formed over the years, both knew it was a bond that would never be broken. And even though Haley was gone now, Brooke always held a special place for her in her heart, she had been one of her best friends and nothing was ever going to change that.

All four of them, Brooke, Haley, Nathan and Lucas…they're lives had been shared with one another for as long as Brooke could remember. And then one day, something terrible had happened, something that no-one had ever expected.

Brooke and Lucas had gone back home to Tree Hill for Christmas. They were going to spend it with their family and friends, just the way it was when they were younger. She could still remember the day, like it was just yesterday. Her and Lucas had just arrived and were settling into Nathan and Haley's home. Nathan told them that Haley was at work, and she would be back soon enough. So all three if them sat and waited. Taking a trip down memory lane. Time passed, and there was still no sign of Haley and then exactly at eleven thirty the phone rang. All of them quickly went to pick it up. And just the look on Nathan's face when he answered it was enough to tell Brooke that something was wrong.

Haley had been in a car accident. The driver had been drunk and it was a hit and run. All three of them had quickly driven over to the hospital, they said there was a possibility that she would survive. Of-course, like always they were wrong. They waited and waited, for what seemed like an eternity. Neither could talk nor move. All three just sat in the hospital waiting room, whilst the doctors performed the necessary operation. And then exactly at two twenty-three, the main doctor came out. Brooke could remember the exact minute in which he had told them the awful news, she could still taste the moldy hospital smell and the way the walls looked like they were caving in, trapping them. She could remember holding her breath and chanting over and over in her mind, hoping that Haley would live. But the answer was easy; anyone who had ever lost someone in such a terrible way would recognize the look of sympathy on his face. 'I'm sorry' was what he had said to them.

All Brooke could remember feeling was a type of falling; she didn't want to let her self believe that she was there in that moment, everything around her had disappeared. Haley was gone. Her rock. The one person who knew her better than anyone else. She was gone. And then she had looked at the two brothers, who she knew would be lost without Haley. Lucas was one of Haley's best friends from way before Nathan and Brooke had gotten involved with them. It had just been them for years. Brooke could still remember the look on his face, and he still held that same look, today. Lucas was broken and for some odd reason Brooke didn't blame him for all the mistakes he made. Like cheating on her, she knew it was wrong and that she had to leave him, but she knew that one of the small reasons was because he was still aching inside. He wasn't the sweet and considerate Lucas that he had been back when they were teenagers; he wasn't the same sweet and considerate Lucas that he had been just last year. He wasn't the same since Haley had left them. She could still remember how Lucas had just sunk into a chair, his face in his hands, shutting himself off from the world, that wasn't just that day either. All the days since Haley's death had been that way with Lucas.

And then, she turned her attention to Nathan. The person whose life would be affected the most by this. Nathan just stood there, and then she remembered the way he had looked at the doctor once again and smiled slightly, it was a hopeful smile. A hopeful smile from a person in obvious denial. And then he had uttered those words that had broken Brooke's heart all over again. 'No.' He had said, 'Haley would never leave me'

A few tears rolled down Brooke's cheek as she remembered his reaction. Just the look on his face had crushed her. From that day forward he hadn't been the Nathan Scott that they all had grown to love. He had become lost, and bitter.

Brooke had tried going over to him, she tried to hold him and comfort him but Nathan had shrugged her off. 'It happens.' He told her. Brooke tried to convince him that it would all be okay, but Nathan had just shaken his head. 'Haley would never leave me.' He simply said, reassurance lacing his voice. And than he walked away from them, he didn't cry. He never cried. Even when she and Nathan had been a couple for four years in high school, there was never a time when she had seen him cry. It was like he never allowed it; she knew he had with Haley though. And that was what had killed her even more, knowing that he was able to share everything with Haley but she had been taken away from him. It wasn't fair. He never deserved it. He didn't even cry at the funeral. He had just stood there, the rain coming down in heavy droplets, the mud splashing around them but Nathan stood there without an umbrella, letting the rain soak him from head to toe. And when everybody came over to him, to offer their condolences he had just nodded politely and then continued to stare at the grave, standing there alone.

From then on, Brooke had never really had a real conversation with him. It had been Christmas Eve; it was supposed to be a joyous time. A time for celebration and instead for all the years she had to come, it would just mark the anniversary of her friends death. There was nothing joyous about that. After that day, Nathan and Lucas also grew apart, for some odd reason Nathan ignored Lucas and Lucas blamed Nathan for the death of his best friend. Brooke never really understood why either.

But now, maybe all would change. There was a nagging voice in her head, one that she had chosen to ignore for a long time. She had to go back home to Tree Hill.

Tell me what you think…be gentle ; and yep, I crave constructive criticism, doesn't mean be an ass though. Oh and I've never written anything but Naley, except well I did write a Brathan one-shot once, but that beside the point heh, so maybe that's why it's not up to par.

xox

41