From Pain Springs Happiness

By: TracyCook

Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters belong to the creator of One Tree Hill.

Couple: Haley/Brooke

Rating: M

Chapter 2

Introductions

As Haley was enveloped in the arms of her friends a smile widened across her face, she immediately felt happier than she had in the last four months. In the last few years actually. She had given up a lot to be with Nathan, her dreams and the woman she had once considered a very close friend. Things were bearable, even enjoyable, up until the accident. Now things were completely horrible for her.

Honestly the shortest of the three felt a slight guilt weighing down on her shoulders as she enjoyed the contact of Brooke's perfect body against her own quite a lot more than the contact of Peyton's. She could not help but enjoy the way that it felt against her, it was strange how such a simple motion could rehash memories that she had tried to forget so vividly. The teacher could remember the way that the brunette's lips tasted and felt, the way her body looked, she secretly wondered if she was still as fit as in high school.

Trying her hardest to push the blush from her face Haley pulled away from her friends still wearing a large goofy grin on her lips as she looked at them. Staring into hazel eyes with large brown eyes, completely forgetting about her husband sitting behind them in his wheelchair.

Before anyone had a chance to say anything Jamie made his way down the stairs to the backyard. "Mommy, when are we having lunch?" He asked before noticing the strangers and growing extremely shy.

Hearing her son speak to her and seeing the way that the hazel eyes she had been staring into lit up, she knew that he was standing behind her and turned quickly to see him standing on the stairs awkwardly. The singer had still made Brooke the god mother despite the fact that they had never talked again after that night, and she knew that it tore the fashion designer apart not being a part of their lives. It would have simply been too hard, but seeing her now she knew that she had made a mistake running away.

"Hey you guys, there's someone I want to introduce you too. Come here Jamie." She said with a bright excited smile.

Jamie moved closer very hesitantly as his mother tried to call him over with her hands, he was obviously very nervous around the new people. "Come on Jamie, it's okay." Brown eyes shined which Brooke did notice as she watched the young mother she had missed and held feelings for, for some time. She was beautiful and her son was almost as beautiful as her.

The fashion designer watched as the young boy finally reached them and her dimpled smile grew across her face. It seemed that it had been so long since she had seen the both of them. Jamie was only a newborn baby when she last saw him and Haley was a blonde tutor who was just graduating high school. Now he was four years old and she was a beautiful brunette who undoubtedly made something great of her life.

"This is your aunt Brooke and your aunt Peyton." Haley said as she wrapped her arms protectively around her son moving behind him so that they were facing the strangers. Only as she said their names Jamie's eyes lit up with realization, she had told him a lot about his aunts.

"Hey there Jamie." Peyton said with a smile as she waved to him and turned to look at Nathan with a smile as she slapped his arm. Knowing that things had been hard on the young man. "You made a handsome boy."

He laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I made that."

Hearing the two of them joking around almost made the teacher scowl because of how long it had been since her husband were civil and sweet to her. Yet, she was completely distracted as she watched the beautiful brunette kneel down in front of her son with that perfect smile.

"Hello there beautiful boy." Brooke said her voice cracking as tears threatened her eyes; this was all overwhelming to her. Seeing Haley and her son after all this time apart. "You've gotten so big."

"I'm almost five!" He said with a toothy grin and sparkling blue eyes as he held up his hand showing five fingers to her.

"Oh is that so?" The brunette teased her smile widening even more as she glanced up catching brown eyes with her own, seeing the matching happiness on her ex-friend's face practically melted her heart.

"Yeah! I'll be driving soon." He laughed and Brooke joined in.

Haley did not share in their laughter as her eyes widened and fear flashed in front of them. Was she an overprotective mother? Probably, but she just worried so much about his safety and happiness. She would never let anyone hurt him and the thought of him already driving and having girls break his heart was all too much for her. "I don't think so little man!"

"Aw man!" Jamie groaned out in disappointment as his shoulders slumped and he pouted.

"You'll be driving in no time." Brooke said with a wink as she flashed him a dimpled smile. Standing to her feet she ran a hand through his hair messing it up as she did so. He pulled away from her laughing and running back into the house with some mention of Chester. She wondered who it was, but did not bother to ask just yet. Now standing up straight she looked into the frightened eyes of her friend and laughed a little. "Don't worry I won't be buying him a car and taking him out driving anytime soon."

Haley laughed as she heard the comment before squinting her eyes suspiciously at the brunette. "You better not, I've got my eye on you Brooke Davis."

"I bet you do." Brooke teased suggestively before winking at the teacher and smirking.

Glancing away a light blush covered the shorter woman's cheeks as she chewed on her bottom lip trying to ignore the flirtation. "Yeah…" She mumbled under her breath finding the edge of the pool suddenly very appealing.

"I was only joking." The fashion designer said softer than before as she moved closer to the other woman reaching up a hand to stroke the dark strands of hair from Haley's beautiful face. Now able to look into those brown eyes she adored as well as see the blush making its way down her neck. "Jamie is beautiful Hales…" Leaning forward she whispered softly "Almost as beautiful as his mother." The blush intensified and answered many questions hidden behind hazel eyes. 'I wonder if—probably not…'

Peyton's laughter shocked them both out of the trance they seemed to have fallen into, Brooke simply turned to see her friend while Haley jumped uncomfortably and tried to calm her heart and push away her blush as she looked to them curious as to what they could be talking about and why he talked to her that way.

o

"You have the perfect life Hales." Brooke said as she leant back into the cushioned couch. To her it looked as if the other woman really had everything that she wanted and more. She had come back in hopes to start a family and find love as well as happiness. Money she learnt did not buy happiness and Haley had both a decent home as well as a family.

"I guess." She said slightly sarcastically as she took a sip of her wine and leant back into the couch as well.

"You guess?" Hazel eyes widened and voice heightened in shock. "You have everything I wish that I had. A beautiful son that is amazing, a loving husband, a nice house with a pool, and you're a teacher and get to influence people's lives every day."

Thinking it over for a moment the young woman smiled a little, proud of the life that she had made. "I suppose when you put it that way." She laughed.

"Yeah, pretty awesome." Brooke laughed along with her nudging the teacher in the side, which only served to eliminate distance between the two. Now that they were touching the air around them grew silent and awkward as laughter died down. Such simple contact was almost unbearable for the both of them, but they did not break it. They both enjoyed it too much.

Haley sighed as a frown found its way onto her lips. "All of those things are true Brooke, except—" She paused and looked down at the red liquid in her glass swishing it around.

"Except?" She questioned quietly, almost hopefully.

"Except, I don't have a loving husband. I don't feel loved at all anymore and I feel that I gave up a lot of my dreams to be in this relationship." Letting out another breath she felt an arm circle around her shoulders and despite her mind telling her to ignore it, her body and heart needed the comfort of a friend. No matter how awkward. Leaning against Brooke she smiled softly and closed brown eyes finally feeling comfortable and safer than she had in so long. "I love my son Brooke. I love my house and I love Nathan. But, I'm not happy with him."

"I'm sorry…" She whispered not exactly sure what to say to the other woman as she held her close to herself and ran manicured nails through dark strands of hair. Smiling softly, enjoying the contact more than a friend should.

"Don't be." Haley mumbled against the exposed skin of her friend's neck. Brooke had no reason to apologize as far as she were concerned, she knew that she gave up her dreams as a singer and she had let go of the person she wanted. "It's all my fault."

"Oh, don't be silly teacher girl." She smiled genuinely and rested her head against the other woman's pressing her lips to the top of her head.

"I missed you." She said softly nuzzling against the perfect neck, wrapping her arms around the fashion designer's waist and pulling her closer to her body. She knew that her words may have given away a little too much, but at this point she did not care. Haley knew that she deserved to be happy. Everything was always about Nathan and his happiness, never hers.

"I missed you too." Brooke whispered hazel eyes watering.

o

End Chapter

Authors note: Hope that you guys like this chapter! Adding to the others tonight as well… Hopefully. Have a lot going on relationship-wise. Ex shit… :/ Please give me input and sorry if this chapter isn't all that great!

-Tracy Cook