A/N: Thank you to each and everyone of you who reviewed. It really means a lot to me. This story is very close to my heart and I hope you enjoy it. Also, I've decided that it will be Brucas and Naley, although not right away. So that should make (most) people happy. So leave me some love and until next time...OH! I am writing a new story that i haven't posted yet but it will be called Matters of Blood and Connection and it will be Naley...kinda. That's all I can really say. So look out for that. Enjoy!

Clean Breaks

Packing all her stuff was the easy part. It was carrying all the emotional excess baggage that was putting a kink in her spine. As Brooke skimmed her eyes over the room one last time she felt satisfied that she had gotten everything she needed. Closing her suitcase shut, she plopped down on the bed, running her fingers over the luxurious fabric. Purposely she had skipped over anything with any ties to Andy and their life together. Years of memories seemed to vanish before her very eyes as the fear of the future staged a coup d'état and took over.

Strangely enough, she didn't feel too terribly sad about the whole thing. It was more of a disappointment in him for not being the kind of person, the kind of man, to stand up in the face of adversity. And if that wasn't enough to make the emo in her show all their dark and depressing colors, well then she had the disappointment in herself to fall back on. Because she was the one who know all along and she was the one who remained despite it.

She caught sight of her reflection in the full length mirror that was positioned in the corner of the bedroom. Taking quiet and deliberate steps towards it, she stripped off the T-shirt that covered her torso. Unclasping the bra from the front, she let it slide off her shoulders to the floor at her feet. In all outward appearances, she was in the best shape of her life. She gave credit to Pilates for her washboard abdomen and her cute butt she had worked years for. The Californian sun had done wonders for her skin and she was sure her eyes never sparkled more. Her breasts; God given and gorgeous just seemed like they were simply there to torture her.

Haunt her.

Until their gone.

"Hey." Rachel called out to Brooke, breaking her out of her trance. Neither woman blushed at the brazen the brunette. "You ready to be taken over?"

Scoffing, her fingers ran the soft curve of her breast before sliding them do to her navel. Playing with her navel ring, she continued to stare at her naked chest. That seemingly simple question was anything but. It was loaded with answers she would never have. Shaking her head, she shimmied out of her jeans and tossed them to the side. Picking up a camera from her dresser she walked to Rachel, placing it in her hands. Wordlessly she walked to the floor to ceiling windows of her high rise penthouse and placed one hand above her head on the glass and looped her thumb of the other hand through her red lace panties.

"I am never going to feel as sexy as I do right now." She explained, nervously licking her lips. "And I just need to know that after I go through all of this, that I can look at these pictures and try my damndest to remember the fierce and confident woman staring back at me."

"Look I know…"

"No you don't know." Brooke snapped, her jaw clenching slightly. "Now will you just be my friend and take the damn pictures."

Rachel bit her tongue, choosing at that moment to be a friend rather than a doctor. Brooke wouldn't want to hear about how with a fantastic plastic surgeon nobody would be able to tell the difference. But she would; every time she undressed or anytime someone touched them she would know that they weren't truly hers. As Rachel finished the last of the pictures, her heart lurched watching the vibrant woman before her struggle to hold the tears prickling the back of her eyes.

Wrapping her arms around her body, Brooke watched as Rachel clicked the camera off and returned it to its spot on the dresser. She picked up Brooke's T-shirt, gently placing it her fingertips. Putting her hands on either side of Brooke's face, Rachel placed their foreheads together before letting go and engulfing Brooke completely in her arms. As Brooke broke down in Rachel's arms, neither felt awkward about the situation, just devastated it was happening at all.

"Okay." Rachel announced, thumbing away the tears that Brooke had shed as Brooke wiped away a few rogue tears of hers. She helped Brooke throw the T-shirt on before continuing. "We're not going to do this. I'm just not going to let you. If I have to completely drive you apeshit to make you yell at me then that's what I'll do."

Despite herself, Brooke laughed. "You're a crazy psychotic whore." She smiled. "But I love you anyways."

"Let's do this B. Davis." Rachel grinned taking Brooke's hand in her own. "You're going to kick ass."

X-x-X

Everything about hospitals wanted to make her retch. From the stale and positively deathly smell, right down to starkness of the white walls, she was sure it was the closest thing to hell on earth. In fact, she had convinced herself that if Death were ever in a physical form it was in the severity of the cancer ward. She tore here eyes from the sweeping skyline of Los Angeles to the bed behind her. The standard issues white hospital gown was strewn across, practically antagonizing her and to her it might as well been her very funeral dress.

Glancing at the clock, she knew it would only be a matter of time before they would be in to prep her for surgery. Turning her attention back out the window, she couldn't help but feel completely overwhelmed. The sunrise was absolutely gorgeous. She couldn't remember the last time she had watched the sun rise; or played in the snow, or hell even danced in the rain. Life seemed to be moving a millions miles a minute before and there never seemed to be enough hours in the day or days in the week. Everything changed now; she was completely on borrowed time.

"You're not even dressed yet?" Rachel implored coming into the hospital room. She wasn't due for another few hours but it wasn't like she had been able to sleep either. "They're going to need to prep you for surgery."

"I can't remember the last time I wore this T-shirt." Brooke giggled, completely ignoring Rachel's comments. "Haley, my best friend from high school, she practically dragged me to the Dashboard concert. I had no interest in it whatsoever. But of course she had to throw up in my face the time when we were fourteen and I made her go to see N'SYNC with me." She rolled her eyes at her immaturity. " I wore this cute little denim skirt and this low cut halter which Haley made fun of me about. Also, I was wearing heels and Haley conveniently left the part out where it was going to be outside in a field for Pete's sake. So we get there and I'm completely out of place. So I slipped off my shoes and bought this T-shirt. It was the most liberating I had ever felt up until that point."

"And with this surgery, you'll have plenty more opportunities Brooke." Rachel's voice cracked slightly and she squared her shoulders, shrugging off the feeling of helplessness. She was about to save this woman's life.

"I can't do this."

"What?" Rachel stopped mid stride from her walk to the bed to turn and look at her friend. It was something she had heard more times than she could ever even imagine counting but it was the tone in her friend's voice that caused her pause.

"I'm not." Brooke reinforced, the determination in her voice speaking volumes. "Not like this. Not yet."

Rachel pulled on the ends of her stethoscope that was hanging from her neck. "Brooke we talked about this. This is going to be the best course of treatment. The cancer hasn't spread past your breasts."

"I know that!" Brooke exploded, furious that Rachel was treating her as if she were dumb or if she were a child that had no conception of what was going on around her. "I'm going home."

"Home?" Rachel sneered, crossing her arms over her chest. "You have no home Brooke. Open your eyes. These are your options. It's the least painful and evasive course of treatment for this."

"Least painful?" Brooke parroted, incredulously. "It's not a big piece of your body, of your identity that's being taken away. Least evasive? Seriously? You're taking a big part of me that defines me as a woman. With chemo and radiation, I could lose weight and my hair might fall out. But those things come back. No matter what you do, it'll never make me feel whole again. I can't do that."

"Even with chemo and radiation, the cancer may not go away." Rachel explained, clenching her jaw shut and blowing her breath out of her nose. "It could spread to your lungs, kidney, or liver. You could end up with ovarian cancer Brooke. When that happens there's a whole other list of complications and problems. So instead of risking losing your breasts, you're willing to risk the possibility of losing your ability to have children? Furthermore, the risk of dying?" her voice rose she was sure an octave on the last word of her rant. Brooke's eyes widen slightly as if it was news to her that cancer could end her life. "Yes, you could die."

Brooke looked away from Rachel; her focus sifting back to the rising sun. Idly she played with the drawstrings of her sweatpants as her heart and her brain raged an internal battle over the right thing to do. It was obvious what she should do, but it was scaring the living daylights out of her. No, she couldn't do this just yet. She needed more time, to get used to the idea, to feel beautiful if only for a little while longer. Just a little more time for maybe even someone else to make her feel that way.

"A month." She murmured and Rachel had to strain her ears to understand. Brooke turned around sucking in her breath. "I need a month. It's only been days Rachel and it's not registering yet. I know it's important, I do. But I just need this time."

Rachel wanted to deny her. She really wanted to knock her out and strap her to the bed so that she could have the surgery. Brooke was speaking to her as a friend and a doctor at the same time; appealing and pleading more to her a friend above all. It was risky and everything medical in her screamed that it was the wrong thing. A month, hell even a day could cost Brooke her life. But in the end she knew that Brooke would do whatever the hell she wanted anyway.

"Where are you going to go?"

X-x-X

Dipping her sunglasses with a flick of her wrist from her hair to her nose, Brooke stepped her toes into the sizzling white sand. This was going to be one gorgeous day. Taking a glance down, she smirked in satisfaction at how amazing her breasts looked in the new bikini she had just purchased. Going in a different direction than her usual red, she had opted for a deep turquoise with an intricate pattern that reminded her of some of the sari fabric she had seen from India. Paired with her bronzed skin she had no doubt she would be turning heads.

She didn't want to swim or Jet Ski or ride on a sail boat. She simply wanted to sit and listen to the waves crash down. Walking down the slope to the edge of the water, she plopped down sinking her feet into wet sand as the water rushed in upon her. Laughing out loud at the sudden chill despite the scorching sun, she slid back, falling on her back and placed her hands behind her head. There wasn't a could in sight and it made her determined more than ever that she wasn't going to let this life sucking disease suck the life out of her.

Her head turned to her bag, her ringing cell phone jarring her thoughts. "Haley?" she answered breathlessly after searching for it her phone for a small eternity.

"I hadn't heard from you in a few days." Haley answered from the other end, her tired body stirring food in a hot pot. "Is everything okay?"

No. She thought instantly.

"Is it okay if I come out there for a short holiday?" Brooke answered instead, knowing at that very instant that Tree Hill, her home, with her best friend was exactly where she needed to be. "I was thinking a few weeks."

"A few weeks?" Haley slightly sputtered, nearly burning herself from the shock. "Can you do that?"

Brooke frowned. "Of course I can do that. Last time I checked I was an adult."

"Oh cookie, that's not what I meant." Haley sighed, pushing her bangs on top of her head. "I just didn't think you would be able to get away for that long. You've never had that much time before."

"Trust me, I still don't." Brooke muttered, standing up and dusting herself off. Pressing the phone between her cheek and collarbone, she wrapped her gold knitted sarong around her waist and picked up her back to walk back to the car. It wasn't that she didn't want to tell Haley, she just wanted to do it in person so that when she completely broke down, Haley's arms would be around her.

"What baby?" Brooke heard Haley questioning in the background, most likely to Rian. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes okay? Yeah, we can watch Nemo. You wanna talk to Auntie Brooke?"

"Haley-" Brooke tried to protest, knowing that her heart would just break at hearing her goddaughters voice. "Hey booger butt."

"Hiya Auntie Book." Rian giggled on the other end. "I miss you." She drawled out and Brooke heard the truth in her words.

"Aww, Sweets, I miss you too." Brooke cooed stopping once her feet hit the pavement of the sidewalk. "But guess what? I'm going to visit you real soon okay?"

"Otay." The little girl murmured, suddenly catching interest in something else and passing the phone to her mother.. "Wuvubye Auntie Book."

"Love you too baby." Brooke whispered into dead air before Haley clicked back on the line. "She sounds big."

"Huge." Haley confirmed as the ache in her heart returned at the realization that she may not get to watch her get any bigger. "So when you planning on coming?"

"Friday." Brooke decided almost instantly. That gave her three days to get everything packed and settled. She doubted she would be returning to LA to live; if at all. "Okay look, I'm going to let you…oh my GOD! Haley, I gotta call you back. Love you, miss you, bye."

Slamming her cell phone shut and shoving it into her bag she gave the man in front of her a flabbergasted look. Seconds earlier he had whizzed by her, on a skateboard no less, and nearly knocked her down. He stopped skating, kicking the board up and rested his hand on top as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her mouth dropped after a moment when not only did he offer up no apology, he was looking at her like she had done the near attempt on his life.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" she screeched throwing her hands up in fury. "You could've killed me!"

"Relax." He rolled his eyes at her dramatics. "A, you wouldn't have fallen. And B, maybe if you hadn't been yapping away on the cell phone, cooing at your boyfriend then you would've noticed me coming at you."

Her jaw dropped again. "A, this is a sidewalk. People are walking here!" her whole body convulsed in annoyance pointing down at the concrete. "And B, it was my goddaughter! A baby! You could've traumatized her!"

"By what?" he challenged giving her a pointed look. "Your ear piercing screams?"

Stomping up to him, she shoved his chest forcefully. "You are an ass!" he latched onto her wrist and looked down at her incredulously.

Okay, so maybe that wasn't the greatest idea…

"Well what did you expect me to do?" she heaved, jerking her arm away from his grasp and gaining some of her bearing.

"Chase."

"You want me to chase you?!" she beseeched, her brow furrowing in confusion. To her surprise and utter annoyance he snickered.

"My name is Chase." He clarified sticking his hand out to her. She crossed her arms once more and turned her nose at him. "Chase Adams, and I'm sorry."

Well he was kind of cute…

"Davis." She shook his extended hand. "Brooke Davis."