Where'd You Go?

A/N: Okay so here are some minor things ya'll will need to know. Like on the show, Lucas, Nathan and Haley all go to the same college. In my story, they are still in North Carolina, but hours away from Tree Hill. Nathan and Haley obviously live together. Lucas has his own apartment not too far away from them. Peyton and Brooke go to California together, but Brooke doesn't stay long and ends up leaving for NYC. Ok…I think that's it. I hope you guys like the chapter! - Jasmine

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Los Angeles 2009…

"Hey stranger."

"Oh I'm a stranger now, huh?" Peyton asked, as she placed her cell on her desk and put Lucas on speaker phone. "All because we haven't spoken in a day or so?"

"A day or so? Peyton, it's been a week since we last talked. I've tried---"

Peyton sighed. "I know you have. It's me who hasn't and I'm sorry. I've just been so busy here at work."

"I know and it's okay. Believe me, I understand."

Peyton smiled. "I love you, you know that?"

"I know. And I love you too. And I can't wait to see you this weekend. I have got an amazing couple of days planned for us. What time are you going to want me to pick you up at the airport Friday?"

Peyton remained silent.

"Peyt? Did you hear me?"

"Yeah…"

"So…what time?"

"Lucas, I know you had this…elaborate weekend planned for us…for weeks now, but…I…"

Lucas sighed. "You what Peyton?"

"I…I can't go. I…I promised my boss I'd go to San Diego this weekend to help with---"

"But why would you make a promise like that when you knew we had plans?!"

Peyton once again went quiet.

"It's because you forgot." Lucas said answering his own question. "It had completely slipped your mind until I had mentioned am I right?"

Peyton was about to respond to his words when she heard her office phone ringing. She glanced over at the I.D. "Lucas…I gotta go. The phone's ringing and---"

"Then go and answer it." Lucas said interrupting.

"I'll call--"

Peyton's voice trailed off as she noticed that Lucas had hung up. She shook her head, placed her cell on the desk and picked up the office phone.

Back in North Carolina, Lucas threw his cell on his bed and sighed. He then walked over to his nightstand and opened it up. He pulled out a ring box. He opened it, took out the ring and held it up.

"So much for proposing this weekend."

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North Carolina…

Haley sighs as she places a sleeping Jamie in his crib. "Nathan, I have a ton of homework to do. Two papers to write, a 400 page book to read and a test to study for. You said you'd stay here with Jamie while I went to the library."

"Why can't you just do your work here at the apartment?" Nathan asked as he followed his wife out into the kitchen.

Haley glared at her husband. "Because I need to go to the library! If I didn't have to, I wouldn't be going."

"Well…" Nathan thought aloud. "Why don't we call up Lucas? I'm sure he'd watch Jamie."

Haley shook her head. "Not an option considering the fact that he's M.I.A at the moment. He must've had an argument with Peyton or something. It's the only time he ignores everybody and shuts out the world."

"Ok…then we'll call and get a babysitter."

Haley laughed. "And pay her with what? Monopoly money?"

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Haley I'd stay with him, but---"

"But nothing. You said that you would."

Nathan shook his head. "I have to go to this party Haley. It's important. A whole bunch of Division I college scouts are going to be there…not to mention a couple of NBA scouts. And their expecting to see me. I have to go. Just…please stay here with Jamie tonight. I promise the next time you want to---"

"Don't." Haley said interrupting. "Don't make promises you have no intention to keep. I'm sure next week you'll have to go and meet with this assistant coach and the following week you'll have an invitation to meet up with another team's coach or athletic director. It never ends!"

Nathan was about to respond, but Haley continued on.

"Go Nathan!" Haley said. "I'll stay here with our son. I'll fail my test, turn two crappy papers in late, if at all, and I'll walk into my literature class tomorrow unprepared to lead my discussion."

"Haley don't---"

"Leave Nathan. Just leave."

"I won't be out too late." Nathan said as he stared into his wife's eyes for a long while before eventually leaving the kitchen and exiting out their front door.

"Sure you won't." Haley said to herself sarcastically.

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New York…

"They really liked my designs?" Brooke asked excitedly.

Victoria slowly nodded her head.

"This is so great!" Brooke said grinning as she whipped out her cell. "I haven't spoken with Peyton in weeks. I need to call and tell her about what's been going on…she's so going to flip!"

Victoria took the phone from Brooke's hand. "There's no time for that. We have packing to do and a flight to catch."

"But we just got back to the city from Sydney less than 48 hours ago! Where are we going now?"

"Prague for the weekend. Then we're off to London for a week."

Brooke sighed. "Do we really need to go---"

"Yes!" Victoria interrupted.

"But is it really necessary for---"

"Look…YOU were the one who wanted to take Clothes Over Bro's to the next level. Is that still what you want?"

Brooke made a face at her mother, but shook her head yes.

Victoria nodded. "Ok then. If that's what you want, then all of these trips and meetings I've planned are necessary. "

Victoria then glanced down at her watch. "Now...start packing." She tossed Brooke her cell and exited her daughter's bedroom.

Brooke quickly flipped open her phone and began dialing Peyton's number, but at the last second, decided against calling. She instead turned off her cell and threw it on a near by chair.

"Are you packing in there?" Victoria shouted out to her daughter from the bathroom.

Brooke rolled her eyes as she pulled out a suitcase from underneath her bed. "Yes Victoria!"

"Good."

Brooke sighed as she walked to her closet and began looking for outfits to take for her trips.

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Peyton sighed. "So there you have it. 2008. An…interesting year to say the least. It was the year that Brooke set out to turn her small fashion company into an empire. It was the year that Nathan decided to do all he could to pursue his basketball dreams…seemingly no matter what the cost. It…was the year I was determined to try and make it in the music biz and…it was the year that…Lucas was going to propose to me. Though I didn't know about that until later on. If I said that 2008 was the year we all began breaking away from each other for good, I'd be lying. There were…some pleasant moments we shared in the years following. But still…it was an important year because we had started to drift a bit…and if it only took us a year to drift apart because of a busy…perhaps slightly stressful time in our lives that it'd be inevitable that when real, painful hardships struck us…we WOULD break away from each other entirely…some of us perhaps without hesitation…without thinking twice about it and without wanting to look back. I—I---I---I---I---I---I---I----I---"

"How wonderful!" Detective Moore yelled out.

It was at that moment Officer Riley entered into his room. "Hey boss…"

Riley's voice trailed off as he stared. "Were you watching one of the---"

"Reunion reflection confessionals?" Moore asked sighing. "I was watching Sawyer's…until the stupid dvd froze up."

Moore got up from his seat, headed to the television set and turned off the tv and dvd player.

"Do you want me to have Margaret call down to the school and have them send over another copy?"

Moore nodded. "Yeah. Those reflection confessional dvd's that the alumni were asked to make at the Tree Hill Reunion are so important because they're going to provide insight into the psyches of the core five and will be crucial to solving this case."

"Is there any particular reason you were watching hers first?"

"Maybe." Moore said slowly as he stroked his chin.

Riley nodded. "I see. Now…is there is a reason you're anxiously awaiting for suspect #1 to arrive?"

"You bet."

"Well I have good news for you sir. She's finally here."

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Moore opened the door of the interrogation room and then gently closed it behind him. He walked up to the table, pulled out his chair, took a seat and stared long and hard at the woman sitting before him.

"Very fashionably late of you Ms. Davis."

Brooke stared into Moore's eyes, but remained quiet.

The two sat together for a long while in silence. Not a pin drop could be heard.

Moore finally spoke up. "So…are you going to say something or are we just going to sit here all day long?"

Brooke said nothing.

Moore sighed. "What's underneath all the clothes Brooke Davis? Is there a good, kind-hearted young woman who was just caught at the wrong place at the wrong time? Or is there a murderer?"

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So…I hope you all liked the chapter! Ok…lots of things going on. First of all Peyton…is not suspect #1. Detective Moore was just watching a confessional dvd she made at the Tree Hill reunion; a confessional that all the attendees…including Brooke, Lucas, Haley and Nathan…had to make and did make. Now, what is that we know? Well we now know for a fact that since Brooke is actually suspect #1…she can't be the victim. We also know that for some reason…Moore is very interested in talking with Brooke. And through Peyton's reflection of 2008 in her confessional we learned that she and Lucas seemed to be drifting apart a bit due to her job and the distance. Is that what caused Leyton to split? Or did they somehow survive this hiccup and split sometime later on? We also saw that Nathan is determined to further his basketball career, much to the dismay of Haley, who seemed to be growing tired of his not being around. Okay so that's all. Please review with your thoughts/predictions. I greatly appreciate them! Here are some previews for next time…

Brooke reflects on 2009

Lucas/Brooke reunion flashbacks