An: Wow, you guys are amazing! I wasn't expecting that many reviews so it means a lot that you all like this story. I know it's a bit different and I can assure you there will be no breaking up or cheating between Brooke/Lucas :) I'm not going to really focus on NH that much but there will be plenty of BH as always, heh. Here's chapter 2 and please tell me what you think!
--
"Lucas!" Brooke yelled at the top of her lungs, tossing shirt after shirt out of the drawers and onto the bed. "Lucas Eugene Scott! I swear to god if you don't get your ass up in here .2 seconds we will never-"
"What?" Lucas ran into the room out of breath, raising his eyebrows at all the clothes strewn out across the room. Brooke stood half-naked in front of him, hands on her bare hips as a pout formed on her face. "Sweetie, you can't go to work naked."
"I don't have anything to wear!" she whined, rummaging through her closet to find the perfect pair of shoes to go with her skirt. "I need to make an impression! These little kids are mine for the next nine months and if they think I have a horrible fashion sense then there's no point of me going back tomorrow."
Lucas chuckled and pulled the white blouse off the bed, dangling it in front of her face like he found something she was searching for all her life. Brooke took it into consideration and slipped it on, admiring it in the mirror.
"Sometimes I love having a metro sexual husband," Brooke giggled, leaning up to give Lucas a peck on the cheek. "How's this look?"
"Very nice," Lucas said with a nod, a scowl forming on his face when he finally let Brooke's first comment sink in. "Now it doesn't bother me that you've left the shirt unbuttoned, totally fine by me, but I don't think the school board allows you to show up to school like that."
"Oh, be quiet," Brooke rolled her eyes, quickly buttoning the blouse. She smoothed out the creases and made sure her bra wasn't visible like it used to be back in her high school days. "Do I look like a teacher? I mean, should I wear my fake glasses? Wear my hair in a tight bun and carry a ruler around?"
"You look fine, Brooke," Lucas assured her, the pad of his thumb brushing her left cheek gently. He grimaced when he got blush on it and wiped it on the side of his pants in typical male fashion. "The kids are going to love you. If not, I can get a police buddy of mine to threaten them until they do."
"I'll pass, thanks," Brooke scrunched up her nose, holding up two perfume bottles that she retrieved from her dresser. "Okay, choose; Burberry London or the ever classy and surprisingly not trashy, Curious by Britney Spears?"
"She makes perfume?" Lucas wondered in surprise, taking the funky looking shaped bottle and smelling it. "Nah, I don't like this one. Who knows, one of these kids could have a K-Fed like dad and the last thing I need is to compete with a white trash gold digger."
"Maybe I should stop asking you these questions," Brooke stated slowly, grabbing the bottle out of Lucas' hands and putting it back on the dresser. Lucas nodded with a laugh and checked his reflection in the mirror, frowning when his tie came undone. "Can't you be like normal guys and just buy a clip-on? It's so much easier, dear."
"Because, dear," Lucas mocked, fiddling with the red tie until it was to his liking. "My mother raised me right and she'd beat me if I ever went against 25 years of arguing and fighting 'til the death until I gave in and wore a real tie."
"…okay," Brooke sighed playfully, wrapping her arms around his waist and taking in the signature scent that brought such comfort. "I don't think I wanna go," she stuck her bottom lip out, burying her head into Lucas' chest. "Don't make me go."
"You'll be fine," Lucas stressed, kissing the top of her head while running a comforting hand up and down her back. "The kids are going to love you and I bet I'm going to have to put up a fight with each and every one of them to get you home on time."
Brooke laughed slightly and groaned when her time at home was running out. "I have to go soon. Supposedly I'm supposed to be there before the kids and blah, blah, blah."
"I've got ten minutes," Lucas pointed out suggestively, his hands already undoing the buttons on her blouse. Brooke tried to protest but it got lost and came out as an incoherent mumble when her lips came in contact with her husband's.
--
With a confident grin on her perfectly made up face, a nostalgic feeling formed in the pit of Brooke's stomach as she slowly walked down the halls of the pre-school wing at Tree Hill Elementary, remembering her first day of school perfectly. Her mother allowed her to dress herself and Brooke wished she had stopped her when she pulled on her pink tutu and a tiara, completing her outfit with a fairy wand.
When she got to class and realized she was the odd one out, her mother received a phone call from the teacher saying she removed all her clothes and refused to put them back on because the other kids thought she was a freak. Peyton kindly offered up her jacket while Haley shyly gave Brooke her extra pair of pants she had incase of an emergency.
"Brooke Davis, I thought I got rid of you for good the day you graduated," a familiar voice said from behind, startling her out of her pre-school days. "And I certainly never thought I'd see the day where anyone would allow you to get a teaching license."
"Actually, It's Brooke Scott now," Brooke giggled, turning around to face her old high school principal. "Turner, what the hell are you doing here? I told you you'd never be able to get rid of me! Now we're gonna be co-workers!"
"I had enough of high school kids," Turner gestured to his gray hair, shaking his head when Brooke couldn't hold back her giggle.
"So you've decided to run an elementary school? You'll have no hair left by the time this year is over," Brooke pointed out smugly, shifting her bag to her other shoulder. "For once in all the years you've known me, you won't be able to pin this on me!"
"Just get to class, Miss Davis."
"Mrs. Scott," Brooke corrected, flashing her wedding ring in his face. "So, I was looking at the class list and there's a Gracie Turner on there. I'm assuming that's your granddaughter so I'll be sure to give her an A and not tell anyone."
Principal Turner shook his head and finally let a laugh out. "Just like I won't tell the other kids that you're Jenny Jagielski's godmother."
"Deal," Brooke nodded, shaking the nerves out of her system when she finally reached her classroom she had been assigned to. It was right across from the bathroom so she could keep an eye on both the class and the kids who needed a bathroom break at the same time. "Okay, I can do this…"
With a deep breath, Brooke pushed the classroom door open and took in what was going to be her workplace for the next nine months. The previous teacher had left her a whole bunch of decorations and over the summer, Peyton helped her set up. The book shelf was overflowing with children's books, there was plenty of play dough and toys to play with and they even had a pet bunny named Floppy.
She took a seat at the desk and placed her stuff down, anxiously drumming her fingers on her attendance book as she waited for the kids to pile in. There was still a few minutes left to practice what she was going to say but jumped out of her seat when Peyton and Jenny emerged through the door.
"Nervous?"
"No!" Brooke laughed, breathing heavily when Peyton looked at her skeptically. "Oh my god, they're gonna hate me! Please save me!" Jenny giggled as her mother nearly fell over when Brooke came barreling into her arms. "I don't wanna do this."
"Aw, you'll be fine, Brookie," Peyton told her, peeling Brooke's fingers off her one by one. Jenny gave her aunt a tight hug around the middle and patted her back when Brooke continued to whimper softly. "They're a bunch of little kids; they're not going to know if you screw up or not."
"I will," Jenny smiled, hiding behind Peyton when Brooke stomped her foot. "You'll be great, Auntie Brooke! We'll have lots and lots of fun today! Mommy said we get to play Barbie's all day and we, we even have a bunny!"
Brooke forced a tiny smile as other parent's and their kids began to file in, stumbling to greet them as Peyton pushed her forward. Peyton bent down and engulfed Jenny in a tight hug, not letting go when she tried to break free.
"Okay, baby, I'm gonna go," the curly blonde sighed, shaking Jenny back and forth a little until the girl grunted. "Daddy will pick you up at 2:30, okay? You have a good day and I'll see you after school. Make sure Auntie Brooke doesn't let you all run loose."
"Bye, mommy," Jenny smiled, waving shyly as Peyton planted a big kiss on her cheek. She skipped over to the bunny in the cage and looked back to make sure her mother was on her way out the door.
"Good luck," Peyton sang, patting Brooke's head when she looked like she was about to faint. The brunette thanked her quietly and went to go talk to another parent while Peyton took one last look at Jenny before leaving the classroom.
"Excuse me, excuse me," a small voice pulled at her arm, her eyes welling up with tears when Peyton peered down at her. "I'm lost, miss."
Peyton knelt down and flinched when the little girl turned away. "Aw, it's okay. Do you know what class you're supposed to be in?"
"Pre-school," she whispered, taking a chance and looking up at Peyton. "My mommy had to go to work and she didn't have any time to walk me in but I can't read and…"
"It's just this door right here," Peyton stood up, stepping aside when a few parents came out of the classroom. "The teacher just happens to be my best friend so just tell her Peyton said it was okay to go in late."
"Thank you," the girl said quietly, slipping into the door when it opened again. Peyton peered in to make sure she got settled and sent one last wave to Brooke, biting her lip at how anxious she looked.
"H-hi," Brooke stuttered nervously as the kids got settled, fiddling with her hands when they all looked up at her expectantly. "Okay, so, my name is Mrs. Scott but that makes me feel really, really old. To help remind me of my youthful age, you guys can call me Miss Brooke, Brooke, Brookie, whatever you want, as long as it's not Mrs. Scott."
The 15 kids giggled and nodded their head in understanding. Brooke let out a low groan when she sat on the carpet and surveyed all the kids while they seemed to be transfixed by all the things in the room. The mural Peyton painted on one of the walls seemed to catch their attention and Brooke took the time to survey the kids she was going to be teaching for the next nine months.
There were more girls than boys and Brooke tried to mentally decide if the little blonde girl and boy sitting next to each other were twins. They both had the same gestures and expressions and wished she had made name tags so she could decipher who was who. The smallest girl in the class, a girl who looked oddly familiar, caught her eye instantly. The little brunette girl was sitting directly across from her, hands neatly folded in her lap while she gazed at the different swirls in the carpet. Her uneven pony tails made Brooke's heart drop and she couldn't help but notice her shirt was all stretched out and there were two large holes in the knees of her jeans.
"Do you want to go around the room and say your name and something about you?" Brooke finally got out after minutes of silence, hoping the kids would go for this. "Do you want to start?"
"Okay," the boy next to her grinned, springing to his feet. "My name is Kyle and, and my favorite food is pizza with macaroni and cheese on top!" Brooke smiled tightly, the combination making her sick to her stomach. "You're also very pretty, Miss Brooke," he smiled shyly, sitting back down and turning the other way.
"Aw, thank you," Brooke giggled, motioning for the next boy to go.
"I'm Austin," he stated somewhat proudly, his blue eyes twinkling in the light. "I gots an annoying twin sister named Ally who smells and an even more annoying baby sister named Kara."
"She's not annoying," the little girl next to him hissed, Brooke assuming she was Ally. "I love her more than you! She's cute and doesn't pinch me and yell when I don't want to play."
"Cause she doesn't understand English!"
"Does too!"
"Alright," Brooke cut in, shaking her head when the two twins pouted. "Ally, would you like to tell the class something about you too?"
Ally nodded and ran a hand through her hair. "I like to play house with my baby sister and, and I like to play outside with my brother." Brooke nodded with a smile and was eager to hear what the other kids had to say. She held in her laugh when Turner's granddaughter announced her grandpa was the principal, and nearly had a heart attack when Alex said his uncle was Matt Damon. Much to Brooke's dismay, he quickly added in that it was Matt Damon the drycleaner.
"My name's Jenny," the little blonde whispered softly, gazing up at Brooke with a sense of fear in her eyes. Brooke wished she was closer so she could give her a comforting hug but held herself back as Jenny pushed on. "And I just, I just really miss my mommy."
Brooke frowned as Jenny crawled towards her, instantly getting into her lap before she had time to reposition herself. Jenny didn't care that the class was looking at her and felt a little relieved when another little girl crawled beside her.
"I miss my mommy too," Maddy cried, leaning her head into Brooke's free shoulder.
"It's okay," Brooke sympathized with them, squeezing their small bodies before using all her might to stand up. Pretty soon, a few more kids came over with teary eyes and hugged her free legs. Her worst fear was coming true and a tiny whimper escaped her lips when Gracie hugged the front of her waist and Alex hugged the back. "I know you all miss your parents, I did too when I went to school, but we're going to have fun!"
"How?"
"Well, if, if you all let me go," she began nicely, breathing a sigh of relief when she was able to place Maddy and Jenny down on their feet. "We can read a story, or we can play with some of the toys. Tears won't make the day go by faster and I can't guarantee it'll make you stop missing your parents, but can we try?"
Thankfully, the kids all agreed and began to run around the room to the toys. Brooke breathed a sigh of relief when Jenny hugged her around the middle and looked up at her with a smile.
"Thank you Miss Brooke," Jenny giggled with a slight sniffle, wrapping her arms around Brooke's neck when she bent down to get eye level with her. Her eyes traveled to the little girl sitting on the rug all alone and turned Brooke's head to the side. "How come she's all alone? Auntie Brooke, she looks scared."
"Let's go cheer her up," Brooke suggested, grabbing Jenny's hand and looking down at her when Jenny didn't seem to budge. "Sweetie, if you don't come with me I'll be sure to tell this whole class about the cute little birthmark on your butt."
"Mommy was mean for letting you give me a bath," Jenny pouted, dragging behind Brooke as she made her way over to the girl. "Hi," she choked out when Brooke pushed her forward, pulling Brooke's blouse when the small brunette merely looked up.
"Sorry you didn't get to introduce yourself," Brooke whispered with a small smile, kneeling down to sit next to the girl. "What's your name?"
"Maybe she can't hear," Jenny mused, sitting on the opposite side of the girl. "Didn't mommy tell you to stop doing that whisper thingy with your voice? What's your name?" she practically yelled, tapping the girl on the shoulder.
After what seemed forever, the girl looked back and forth between Brooke and Jenny, biting her lip shyly. "I'm, I'm A-Abby."
"Hi, A-Abby," Jenny smiled, making a face when Brooke looked at her sternly. "How come you're whispering?"
"I'm shy," Abby's tone was a bit higher, graciously accepting the Barbie doll Jenny offered her. Brooke tried to suppress her sigh and was glad Jenny seemed like she wanted to play despite her appearance. "Plus, my mommy always yells at me when I talk too loud because it gives her a headache."
"You can talk as loud as you want, there's no need to whisper all the time," Brooke told her sweetly, giving Abby's shoulder a gentle squeeze. She immediately pulled it back when the small girl whimpered, huddling her knees up against her chest. "I'm, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
"Wanna be Skipper?" Jenny intervened, gently placing the plastic doll in Abby's trembling hands. She smiled when Brooke kissed the top of her head and did her best to get the smaller girl to open up. "You don't need to be scared. Brooke's really nice."
"She, she won't hurt me?"
"Of course she won't!" Jenny exclaimed, dropping the doll in surprise. "My Auntie Brooke's the nicest lady on the planet! In my 4 years on this earth, I've never ever seen her yell at anyone besides my Auntie Haley when she's having a breakdown."
Abby looked up at Jenny with a shrug, a small smile forming on her face. "Okay."
--
"Mr. Scott, you have a visitor."
Nathan groaned, throwing the manila envelope down. "Tell them I'm not here."
"It's your brother," Nathan's secretary smiled, stepping aside to let Lucas in. Nathan rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair, watching Lucas take the seat in front of him.
"Shouldn't you be at work?"
"I'm on break," Lucas corrected matter-of-factly, dropping his briefcase down on the leather seat next to him. "Look, dude, I've left you like five messages."
"Ten if you count Brooke's too," Nathan muttered, staring his brother down. He knew why he was here and there was no way out this time. "Look, dude," he mocked, ignoring the glare Lucas had on his face. "My marriage is none of your business."
"Okay, fine, you put yourself in my shoes," Lucas began, holding up his hand when Nathan went to protest. "Imagine Brooke coming over to your house every Saturday morning when I don't come home. Imagine, imagine your wife leaving the minute she gets a phone call from her best friend saying she can't find her husband and imagine-"
"Alright, I get it."
"No, I don't think you do," Lucas snapped, leaning forward to look his brother straight in the eye. "God, Nathan, what is your problem? What are you so wrapped up in that you don't even have the decency to call your wife and let her know you're going to be late? Brooke has stayed up with Haley so many nights because she can't find you and your cell phone is frigging turned off!"
"Why don't you mind your own damn business?" Nathan yelled back, pounding his fists down on his mahogany desk angrily. "I've been fucking busy! You know how tough scouting season is! Especially the guy you've been after all summer is thinking of signing with UNC instead of Duke. Why don't you run along and go save another kid from being smacked in the head by their deadbeat parents?"
Lucas scoffed, grabbing his briefcase and springing to his feet. "So, now you're mocking what I do? That's classy, Nathan, really classy. Let me tell you something," his voice dropped to a low whisper, leaning across the desk. "No matter how many high school kids you sign to the basketball team will never measure up to how many kids I rescue."
"I'm sorry, man," Nathan tried to apologize, standing up as he started to pace. "If this kid signs with UNC then I'll be screwed and I could lose my job. Haley trusts me to take care of her and if I get fired, we'll be in a lot of deep shit."
"Just next time you're gonna be late, could you at least call her?" Lucas relented, releasing the tight grip he had on his briefcase. "You know, just in case you've forgotten how nasty Brooke can be when it comes to her Baby Haley getting hurt."
"Yeah, man," Nathan sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I'm getting out early so I'll be sure to stop by and give my precious little sister-in-law an earful about not killing any kids today."
Lucas chuckled, warning him that he wasn't going to stop Brooke when she came at him.
--
"So, remember we'll have show and tell on Friday!" Brooke called out to the kids as they all anxiously ran out the door to meet their parents. She was still left with Jenny and Abby but knew Jake was probably stuck in traffic coming from Charlotte. "Hey, so girls, did, did you guys have fun today?"
"You were great, Auntie Brooke!" Jenny told her with a smile, jumping into Brooke's arms when she walked towards her. "You're definitely the best teacher ever! And mommy's gonna be so happy that Auntie Haley owes her twenty bucks!"
"What?" Brooke exclaimed, shaking Jenny from side to side when she didn't talk. "Did they bet on how I was going to do today?"
"Maybe," Jenny sang, pinching Brooke's cheeks when she didn't look amused. "Okay, okay! Auntie Haley bet mommy that by the end of your first day working, you'd either lose a kid or they'd run out the door and never come back."
"Ha," Brooke stuck her tongue out, giving Jenny's sides a tickle before she placed her back down on her feet. "You wait till I see mommy and Auntie Haley later on. I'm just gonna say a little birdie told me what they bet on."
"No!" Jenny squealed, stomping her feet when Brooke nodded. "Then mommy's gonna yell at me for telling you! I promised I wouldn't tell, you can't say anything!"
Abby slowly made her way over to Brooke and yanked on her arm. "Miss Brooke you can't let Jenny's mommy hurt her! It, it won't be nice," she whimpered, turning back around to face Jenny. "I don't want her to get hurt."
"Sweetie, her mom's not gonna hurt her," Brooke assured the little girl, smoothing the hair out of her face. Her lopsided pigtails had fallen apart at lunch but Brooke was too afraid to fix them for her. "I won't say anything, I promise."
"Okay," Abby sniffled, going back to peer out the window for her mother.
Jenny looked up at Brooke in confusion but was cut off when Jake came through the door in a huff. "Sorry, I'm late," he apologized, catching Jenny in his arms when she ran towards him in excitement. "Traffic was a nightmare and hey, baby, how was your first day of school?"
"I survived, didn't I?" Jenny giggled, tilting her head back to send a sweet smile Brooke's way. Jake snorted and helped Jenny gather her stuff, slipping her coat on after she was all settled. "Daddy, Auntie Brooke's a really great teacher!"
"Surprise, surprise," Jake teased, patting Brooke's head when she scowled. "Well, Brookie, you survived the first day, how does it feel?"
"Pretty good if I do say so myself," Brooke couldn't help but brag, shooting Jake a smug look when he shook his head in amusement. "You take your little tattle tale home and tell your wife I have a bone to pick with her later."
"Will do," Jake laughed, watching as Jenny ran to the brunette girl near the window. "At least she made a friend, huh? Peyton was worried and I spent my lunch break trying to convince her not to come down here and tell all the kids Jenny's a great girl."
"That woman is not allowed in this classroom anymore," Brooke finalized, crossing her arms when Jake couldn't think of any excuses for his wife. "The faster you get out of here, the faster I can leave and go home to my husband!"
"Bye, Abby," Jenny tapped the girl on the shoulder, raising her eyebrows in confusion when her new friend flinched before turning around. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Okay, bye," Abby whispered, giving the blonde a shy wave before climbing the chair again to look out the window. "Thanks for playing with me today, Jenny." The taller girl smiled and skipped back over to Jake, leaving Abby alone with Brooke.
"Do you think your mommy's going to be here soon, Abby?" Brooke asked in concern, taking careful steps to her shyest student. She smiled faintly when Abby just shrugged her shoulders and didn't meet her gaze. "Should we try calling her?"
"I don't know her number," Abby told her quietly, steadying herself in the chair before she turned around to face Brooke. "I'm sorry, Miss Brooke."
"Oh, honey, it's no problem," Brooke said, looking out the window to see if there was any sign of Abby's mother anywhere. "Did you like your first day of school?"
"Thank you for having Jenny play with me, I really like her," Abby smiled, fingering with the hem of her stretched out shirt. She looked up at Brooke and let out a tiny laugh when she noticed her dimples. "How come you have holes in your cheeks?"
Brooke laughed and leaned up against the window sill, keeping her hands out just incase the chair gave out and the girl fell off of it. "They're called dimples, silly. It's actually a deformity but you probably don't even know what that word means."
"No, sorry," Abby apologized, pulling at her messy hair. "Miss Brooke? Will you fix my pigtails, please? This morning my mommy was in a rush and they came out bad."
"Sure, sweetie," Brooke smiled, carefully pulling the elastic's out of her hair. Once she was finished, she carried Abby over to the mirror near the dress-up bin to get a look at her new hair. "How's that look?"
"It's perfect, thank you," Abby said with a smile, snuggling into Brooke's arms after she gave her back a gentle pat. "Jenny's lucky to have a fun aunt like you. I just have my mommy and my nana sometimes too."
"Yeah, she's alright," Brooke joked, pushing the girl up on her hip when she didn't seem to want to get down. "You know, I think you're the only person today who didn't cry because they missed their mom."
Abby smiled and shyly stuck her thumb in her mouth. "I never miss my mommy."
"Oh," Brooke whispered, a bit taken aback at how confident she sounded. "I never really missed my mom either when I went to school. What's your mom like?"
"Scawy," Abby's voice was muffled by her thumb while she buried her face into the crook of Brooke's neck. Brooke swallowed past the lump in her throat and coughed when Abby's grip around her neck tightened. "I, I like you a lot Miss Brooke."
Brooke felt a horrible feeling form in the pit of her stomach and snapped out of her daze when a loud beep came from outside. Abby slid down her body and ran to the window, rushing over to where her backpack hung on the hook.
"Is your mom here?"
"A-huh," Abby nodded, quickly throwing her coat on her tiny body. She was halfway out the door and stopped short, walking back over to Brooke. "My, my mommy didn't mean to yell at me, she didn't mean to hurt me."
Brooke turned around in confusion, her heart pounding against the chest. "What?"
"In, in the store," Abby's voice dropped back to her usual whisper, glancing down at the ground when Brooke remembered the incident at Target. "And, and I knew you weren't going to hurt me."
"Oh-" Brooke began to say, stopping when Abby quickly hugged her legs and dashed out the door before she could respond.
--
Brooke did her best to suppress the yawn rising in her throat as she made her way up the walkway, her feet shuffling from beneath her. She wanted nothing more than to change into her pajamas and crawl into bed for the rest of the afternoon. Her feet ached from being on them all day and groaned when she saw the living room full of people.
"Get out of my house."
"How did your first day go?" Haley asked happily, shuffling closer to Brooke when she plopped down on the couch. "Lose any kids? Any of them runaway?" She shrunk back in her seat when Brooke rolled her head to the side and glared at her angrily.
"They didn't say anything on the news," Nathan teased, ignoring the looks Lucas was giving him from across the room. "But it was the mid-day news; we'll wait until 6 for the official word whether or not there are any children missing."
"I didn't lose any kids," Brooke snapped, the tone of her voice startling everyone in the room. She propped her elbow up on the arm of the couch and rested her head on it to avoid her husband and two friends. "Look, I appreciate you coming over but I really don't feel like having company."
"Is everything okay?" Lucas asked in caution, leaning against the arm when Brooke shook her head like a petulant child. Haley patted her arm in comfort while Nathan cursed and took his ringing phone into the other room. "What happened, honey?"
Brooke sighed and stood up to her feet, locking eyes with her concerned husband. "That girl…that little girl from Target's in my class. She told me that her mother didn't mean to yell at her and that she knew I would never hurt her."
"Oh, Brooke," Haley whispered, leaning over the couch to give Brooke a side hug. Lucas did the same and could feel his wife's tears against his neck. "I'm sorry."
"It's just every time I look at her I'm going to remember that day and she's just shy and tiny and she just, she just flinches every time you try to touch her," Brooke explained, her voice muffled by Lucas' shoulder. "Her eyes, her eyes are so full of fear when you try to talk to her and her voice is barely a whisper."
Nathan walked back into the room and felt awkward as he stood of to the side. "Brooke, I'm sorry but I have to get back to work. Um, congratulations on your first day and I'll see you later."
"Thanks, Nathan," Brooke laughed, wiping her eyes with the back of her sleeves before giving him a tight hug. "Take your wife with you, she'll just, she doesn't need you walking out on her again."
"Alright," Nathan promised, pulling back before lifting his petite wife off the couch. "I have to get back to work for a few hours but later on we'll go grab dinner, okay? We'll talk and I'll see if I can cut back my hours."
"Okay," Haley smiled, closing her eyes when Nathan pressed a kiss against her temple.
Brooke and Lucas breathed an inaudible sigh of relief and were relieved that once again Nathan and Haley were able to work out their problems. "I'll meet you out in the car."
"Bye," Nathan waved, slipping out the door to escape another lecture.
Haley went over to Brooke and pushed Lucas' hand off her shoulder before standing on her tip toes to wrap her best friend in a tight hug. "First, thanks for talking to Nathan and second, if you need anything, call me."
"Thanks, Hales," Brooke sniffled into her blonde hair, holding Haley tighter when she tried to break free. "And I also know about that little bet with Peyton you brat."
"Sorry," Haley giggled, slapping Brooke's cheek lightly. "Just because you asked so nicely, I won't give Peyton her money anymore as long as you protect me from her when she comes running after me."
"Promise," Brooke laughed, giving Haley one last hug before letting her go. "I won't let her go near you, Baby Haley, I swear. Lucas will give her a good beat down."
"No, no," Lucas shook his head in defense. "I take no part in the Peyton beat down. Would you be able to live with yourselves when I go to jail? They'd deem me the woman beater and I'd probably get killed."
"I'll speak at your funeral," Brooke teased, kissing his lips when he didn't look happy. Haley hit his shoulder lightly when she walked past, rolling her eyes when Nathan honked the horn impatiently. "I survived my first day, aren't you proud?"
"Very," Lucas smiled, engulfing her in a huge hug. Brooke laughed against his shoulder and smiled contently when Lucas ran his fingers through her hair. "I am so proud that I am gonna make you a nice dinner and then we can…"
"Why don't we just have sex right now?" Brooke suggested huskily, her tongue begging for entrance into her husband's mouth. Lucas tried to resist, moving away when she began to unbutton his shirt. "Luke! You're being a tease."
Lucas laughed and kissed her forehead in response. "I, uh, hold that thought, okay?" Brooke grunted as he escaped into the kitchen when his phone rang, stomping her feet before plopping down on the couch. "Dude, can this wait? I'm in the middle of a very important, a very important meeting."
"I'm sorry, Lucas," his co-worker, Pete sighed, glancing over the file sitting on his desk again. "We need you on this case right away, man. There's a little 4-year old girl being neglected by her drug addicted mother. The grandmother gave us a call, she's practically on her death bed and she wants to rest in peace knowing her granddaughter in good hands."
"Alright, alright, I'll be right down," Lucas gave in, re-buttoning his shirt as Brooke continued to cough loudly from the kitchen. "What's the name?" He quickly scribbled down the name and address and stuffed it into his pocket.
"We don't have enough evidence of neglect so we're gonna have to do some investigating before we jump to conclusions. The grandmother sounded a little whacked out anyway."
"So, she's 4?"
"Yes and she just started school today. I believe she's-"
"Shit," Lucas cursed, biting his lip when Brooke's footsteps could be heard. "I'll be right down, Pete, thanks for calling."
"What's up?" Brooke asked casually, frowning when Lucas' shirt was buttoned. "I took my bra off like three minutes ago and you still haven't come in!"
"I have to go to work," Lucas told her quickly, grabbing his briefcase off the kitchen table as Brooke tried to stop him to get an explanation. "You keep that bra off and I swear when I get home we'll have all the sex in any position you want."
"Lucas, you're, you're kind of scaring me," Brooke whispered, slinging her arms around his neck to get him to stop moving. "Is everything okay? You're all frantic and you don't usually get like this unless it's something serious."
"I can't talk to you about this, Brooke," he responded softly, kissing her cheek before he reluctantly pulled back. "You relax from your long day and you can tell me all about it when I get back, sound good? I want to hear about all the kids and what they're like."
Brooke smiled and gave him a small nod, finding it sweet Lucas wanted to know about the kids. He didn't have the heart to tell her it was for completely different reasons and that a young girl's life in her class was at stake if they didn't act fast.
