Watching

Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. The CW and their affiliates solely hold the rights to this little world that we call "One Tree Hill".

Spoilers: Right up to 6X24, the season finale. Touches of Julian, kind of spans the whole Brooke/ Peyton friendship dynamic and has mentions of

Lucas/ Peyton/ Brooke- and the birth of Sawyer. Quasi based off of the Death Cab for Cutie song "What Sarah Said". I highly recommend that you

listen to it- it's quite lovely.

Timeline: 3 years after the finale. Sawyer is three and a half-ish.

Synopsis: "Love is watching someone die."... So the question is who's going to watch you, Brooke Davis?

It's been three years since you left the town that you've called home your whole life and set out in to the great unknown with your husband andyour beautiful child. Three years since you threw caution to the wind (although, if you're honest with yourself, that's never been too uncommon foryou), and took your child away to explore and live and just be. Your burgeoning little family, escaping the town that held both heartache andtremendous joy. You've been all across the country, every which way, and have finally settled into a suburb of Tucson, just so your little girl canfinally have some place to call home, so you can put down some roots for once and just live your lives like you've wanted to for so long. You husbandis off on another book tour. He calls every night, spending an hour on the phone with you and if she's still awake, another undetermined amount of time on the phone with his little girl, just listening to her babble, helping him to drown the loneliness that comes from being on the road.

You have been back to Tree Hill a couple of times- once for your best friend's wedding to- ironically- one of your ex-boyfriend's, and another handfulfor reunion- type events. You told yourself whenever you left that your child would not grow up not knowing the people that loved her- and you-most. And true to her words, Brooke spoiled the child rotten and always stole her away when she had the chance.

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Brooke hadn't been her first word, no, but it was a close second, and when the word had come out of Sawyer's mouth on a Sunday afternoon whilethey had been visiting, the look of joy that had come upon her surrogate aunt's face was something that you still to this day hold as one of your favorite moments with your best friend. It was then, while holding your little girl in her arms, that she had announced she was pregnant. She neverlooked you in the eyes when she said it, just kept staring at your child, stroking ashy blonde hair, until you whispered her name joyfully. The lookshe gave you then would go down as your favorite look that the brunette had ever offered you. Tears were gathered in her eyes, the rasp in hervoice thick, and her smile illuminated the room. It was quiet until you squealed, jumped out of the seat you were crouched in, and enveloped her in abone-crushing hug. Your little girl started squealing as well as she became wedged in between two energized bodies, and you pulled away quickly,taking her in your arms and shushing as she cried. You chuckled to yourself, sneaking another glance at the girl you'd relied on, for, well, forever,and met her eyes. You smile again, the words still resounding in your head, and felt something begin to build in your chest. Pride, you'd decided, andoverwhelmingly, love. You tell her you love her, grab her hand and squeeze. Tears still thick in her eyes, she does the same, until she lets go of your hand to reach both of them out to take the still-crying child into her arms. She looks at you, and you smile warmly.

"I've gotten all I've ever wanted," you'd said, repeating the words you'd said to her three years earlier, "What about you, Brooke Davis? What aboutyour dreams?"

You watched as the first tear fell, the smile still touching her lips as she spoke.

"I've gotten all I've ever wanted, P. Sawyer. I have the dream." She shrugged her shoulders playfully, " Who would've thought that your leftovers would've made me so happy?"

You'd laughed outright at that, remembering back to years ago when the brunette had walked up to you with a Styrofoam container and thrusted it into your confused hands..

You shook your head, had let out another bark of laughter, and then met her eyes.

"Remind me to bring you a take-out box next time, kay, Davis? Repay the favor?"

She'd nodded affectionately, clutched the baby to her chest, and simply reveled as the cries had died down to occasional whimpers as she fell to sleep in the other girl's arms.

"You're going to be an amazing mother, Brooke Davis." You'd said, pride coloring every aspect of your tone.

She'd met your eyes again, simply nodding and clutching your hand once again, in thanks at your kind and sincere words.

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When your cell phone rings just after mid-day, as you're barreling down the six-lane freeway, you don't even look at the caller I.D. to see who it is,just simply pick it up, assuming it to be work-related or your still-traveling husband. You glance in the rearview to look at your daughter, babblinghappily in her car seat, playing with her dolls, and echo your greeting when the person on the other end fails to speak. Your ears perk when youhear heavy breathing on the other end, a shuddering breath. When the man speaks, it takes you a second to realize that it's Julian before you hearhis sentence come out in a blur of words. The words 'Brooke' and 'hospital' reach your ears and you're already pulling the car into a u-turn on thehighway, heading for the airport. You barely hear his shaky voice explain what's going on, your mind already focused on the task at hand- getting a plane to North Carolina as quickly as possible- and without meaning to, snap that you'll be there within the evening before you end the phone call.

Shock has already settled upon you as you dial your husband to tell him what is going on, calmly. He asks you if you're okay to drive right now andyou cut the bitter laughter short, and simply answer in affirmation. He tells you he'll meet you in your childhood home and though you're completelyfocused on rushing to your best friend's side, you shakily tell him thank you and let him tell you he loves you before you shut off the phone completely so you can make it to the airport without breaking down completely.

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And that's part one, ladies and gents. It's going to be a multi chap--- I already have a couple more written that will be published shortly. Please leave feedback- this is my first OTH story and I'd definitely like to know what you think of it. Thanks!