*A/N: This is a sequel to a previous story I wrote Broken Hearts and Broken Noses. If you haven't read that one it might be a good idea to do so before reading this one. But I suppose if you really don't want to I'll break it down for you. Brooke and Peyton fought over Lucas, like in the 1st season. Then Brooke goes with Felix, who hits her. Peyton turns to drugs because she can't take missing her best friend. Felix goes too far and Brooke calls Peyton for help. Together they kick Felix's….*cough* butt and are friends again. Now Peyton is with Lucas and has asked Brooke to move in with her.*

Cold Bullets and Colder Hearts

Chapter 1(Brooke)

My Typical Angel

"Hey Blondie!"

Peyton turned around, smiling at me, "Hey…let me just tell Lucas bye and then we can head home."

I smiled at the word 'home'. I'd basically been grinning all day actually since my P. Sawyer had asked me to move in with her. Growing up at my house hadn't been easy so I'd spent a lot of time at the Sawyer's house anyways. However, now it was actually going to be my home. I was actually going to have a home. With a proper family. Ok…actually it was a weird family. My best friend and her dad who was never there, but it was going to be a family because they were people I loved and who loved me in return.

"Brooke?" Peyton waved a hand in my face. "Earth to B. Davis?"

I came back to this earth…i.e. the smelly gym at Tree Hill High. "Peyton, don't worry about rushing things with Broody. I'll catch a ride home with Haley and go ahead and start sorting some of my stuff. You can swing by later to help with the heavy lifting."

Peyton looked a little skeptical, "You sure you want to go back there alone?"

I shivered at the implications. I'd have to go into my bedroom. The same one Felix attacked Peyton and me in a week ago. She still bore the physical scars of that horrible night. The bruises on her neck were just beginning to fade to a sickly yellow but she still had a broken nose and bruises on her arms and legs. Peyton must have seen the pain on my face because she reached out and pulled me into a warm hug.

I sighed into her arms and let her stroke my hair like the mother/sister/best friend she'd always been to me.

"Brooke, I think you should wait until I can go with you." Peyton whispered in my ear.

I pulled away from the hug and pulled myself together. I smiled at Peyton, "No, I think this is something that I need to do for myself."

P. Sawyer's eyes were still filled with an 'I worry about you' look. I nodded my head and reached out to touch her arm.

"Peyton, I promise, I can do this. I just need to do it alone." I did need to do it alone. Having Peyton to protect me from my bad thoughts and memories had been great this entire week but I felt like on some level I needed to pull it together and start protecting myself. I knew Peyton would always be there to put me back together but I had to stop falling to pieces every time I thought of Felix and what he'd done to me. I felt the need to become stronger. Facing my fears with the reassurance that Peyton would be there in a little while wouldn't be so bad.

Peyton placed both of her hands on my cheeks and made me stare into her eyes, "Brooke Penelope Davis, you will call me if you need me at all."

It wasn't a question but I nodded anyway.

She continued, "I will be over there as soon as Lucas gets done with practice. I promise, okay?"

I nodded again and pulled her into another hug. This was going to be the first time in a whole week we'd been apart. It was time to find out if I could make it on my own.

After leaving Peyton to wait on Lucas, I went directly to the Tutor Lab. I poked my head in to find Haley tutoring none other than Nathan Scott. They were so cute, sitting there like they were actually studying; undressing one another with their eyes was more like it.

"Hey you two lovebirds…any chance a girl could get a ride home with one of you?"

Haley and Nathan jumped apart like they'd been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. I shook my head and rolled my eyes. Everyone knew they were dating, it wasn't a big secret.

Haley cleared her throat, "Umm…sure Brooke. I can give you a ride. I think we're done tutoring for the day, right Nate? Your algebra is improving a lot, I must say."

Nathan smiled the classic 'Scott' smile. "That's one of the advantages of dating your tutor." He slowly rose to his feet and pulled Haley into a hug, "We still on for tonight?"

Tutor Girl nodded and she started to blush underneath his gaze.

Nathan nodded, "Ok…I'll call you later." He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips and Haley turned two different shades of scarlet.

Nathan brushed by me in the doorway with a, "See ya, Brooke. I'm really glad to see you and Peyton are ok."

Haley watched him go with a sappy smile plastered all over her face.

I walked over and grabbed her hand, practically hauling her out of the Tutoring Center. "Haley! Come on, I need you to drive me home."

While Tutor Girl drove me back to my parent's house (as I had now made up my mind to call it), I blabbered on and on about how much fun it was going to be living with my best friend. Then when it was her turn, Haley, blabbered on and on about how much she liked Nathan. Basically, we talked each others ears off the whole drive.

When we pulled up in front of the large white house that used to be mine, Haley gave me a concerned glance. "You sure you're up for this Brooke? It's only been a week, that place has to hold some bad memories for you."

I smiled back at her, "Don't worry, Tutor Girl. I'll be fine." I got out of the car and shut the door with a "See you tomorrow".

I walked up to the red front door, still aware that Haley was sitting in her car watching me; I unlocked the door and pushed it open like there was nothing wrong at all. I even stepped inside without any fear showing.

Trying to keep up the façade I slowly climbed the stairs. When I reached my room I let out one shaky breath.

Peyton's screams echoing in my head as Felix pulled her up by her hair. I began frantically trying to get out of the bathroom, praying I wouldn't be too late. Felix snarling as he wrapped his hand around her throat and started to choke the life out of her. Peyton's eyes rolling back in her head as her life ebbed away. "Peyton! No!" I screamed.

The memories washed over me and tears came to my eyes. That had been the worst moment of my life. Through all the fights with boys, parents who had ignored me….the worst moment of my life was when I saw Peyton Sawyer dying and I'd been unable to do anything about it. Worse, that she'd been there because of me.

"Hey, pretty girl."

Shock and horror traced through every part of my body….It wasn't real…his voice wasn't real…it was just the past haunting me.

I turned and there he was.

No, it couldn't be…he was there. Sitting on my bed. Disbelief consumed me. I knew I should run but for some reason I couldn't make my shaking limbs move.

Felix got up and slunk towards me. He looked horrible. I couldn't believe I'd ever been attracted to him. His dark eyes were sunk into his face and shone with a hint of madness. His sneer managed to twist his face into something that looked dark and unholy. His hands clenched into fists that had almost killed my best friend.

When he finally reached me, one of his hands snaked out and touched my hair. "I've been waiting here for a whole day…Just for you."

"But….but you were arrested." I sputtered. "You should be in jail."

He chuckled, "Well my trial is in a few days, and my parents bailed me out. You know, my dad being a senator, rich, and all. He had a lot of pull. Really all I did was smack my girlfriend around a little. Her friend assaulted me, you know? Her friend hit me, so it was self defense."

"That's a lie." I spit out. Peyton had only hit him to protect me.

He chucked me roughly under the chin with one of his knuckles, "The truth is what I say it is. I say that Peyton, after I tell my side in the trial, is the one who might go to jail for assault." The look on his face suddenly changed to one of hurt and he made as if he were addressing a courtroom. "Your Honor, yes, Brooke and I were arguing. She slapped me and to my greatest regret I hit her back. Once I realized the error of my ways I attempted to apologize to her but she wouldn't hear me out. I was in the midst of apologizing when Miss Sawyer, leapt on me and started hitting me. I'm grateful the police arrived when they did. Because when they did arrive I was suffering from a blow to the throat which could have easily killed me. I believe that Miss Sawyer is a danger to herself and others. I even have testimony from a man named Rick that on the evening in question, Miss Sawyer was under the influence of drugs."

"Peyton wasn't on drugs that night!"

Felix leaned in towards me and I leaned away, his breath hot on my face, "Oh really? Well Rick, her dealer, says she was. Your Honor if you would simply order a drug test for Miss Sawyer." He leaned close to me like he was whispering a secret, "You know they have ones now that can tell from your hair? Yeah, they can tell if you've taken drugs in the last ninety days. How long has it been since Peyton's taken drugs?"

I gritted my teeth, "You're insane."

He smiled at me, "Am I? Let's find out, together." With that he grabbed my arm and started to pull me down the hallway towards the stairs.

"No!" I screamed and started pulling away from him. I wasn't going down without a fight this time.

When we reached the top of the stairs Felix gave me a hard shove and unable to keep my balance I fell. Each jarring crash shook my teeth and my world was spinning by the time I reached the bottom. I started to get up but cried out when I realized my wrist was broken. Felix smiled coldly at the top of the stairs and started descending them calmly.

"You see, Brooke. I've realized something. This relationship means a lot to me. You mean a lot to me. When you tried to leave me for Lucas and Peyton, sure, I lost my temper but I've come to understand that you are the one for me." He paused halfway down as if weighing his words, "Don't you think so?"

What the hell? "No!" I screamed, "I hate you, fucking psycho! I'd rather die than be with you!"

Then Felix reached behind his back and pulled something from his waistline. A gun. He smiled down at me, "Well, isn't that convenient?" The pistol shone brightly in the sun as he raised it. Its black muzzle smiled at me and promised a quick end to a life that was too short to begin with.

Then the front door behind me crashed open. "Brooke!" Oh my god, it was Peyton. She first noticed me at the bottom of the stairs and then she saw Felix.

I felt shock course through her body as she took in the situation. Felix and the gun. I felt her weight shift as she prepared to either run or fight. Keeping her eyes on Felix and his mad smile, Peyton reached down and grabbed my arm, helping me up.

"Don't you touch her!" Felix roared and I saw him cock the gun. Peyton and I both froze.

"Felix…" I began but he interrupted me.

"Brooke, don't you see? She'll only hurt you again. She can't have you. No one can."

After that moment, with the mad gleam in Felix's eyes spilling down his cheeks, with Peyton clutching my arm, with me frozen, time slowed.

I saw Felix's finger tighten on the trigger. I knew my life was about to end. I felt regret that I should die so young. I felt anger that I would never experience having the family I'd always dreamed of. I'd never get the chance to love my daughter the way I'd wanted to be loved. I would never be able to articulate to Peyton how much she actually meant to me, it was because of her that my life had been worth living so far. I'd never be able to tell her she was the family I'd never have. I felt regret for every harsh word I'd ever said to her. I felt forgiveness for every time she hadn't lived up to who I wanted her to be.

I felt her push me to the side. I felt her throw her body in the way. I felt her body convulse as the bullet slammed home.

Bang.