If I Never See Your Face Again

Lucas spotted Brooke sitting off by herself at an empty table. He walked over to her and took a seat beside her.

"Brooke will you please talk to me?"

"Why is it that you want to talk with me so bad, huh?" Brooke asked as she sipped her drink. "When I have made it pretty clear that I don't want anything to do with you."

Lucas sighed. "If I could take it all back, you know I would. In a heartbeat."

"But you can't."

"I know I can't." Lucas said sadly. "And even though it's…hard to accept that I can't …I guess I'm going to have to try and live with that fact."

"You sure are."

"Brooke I---"

"You…you caused so much pain Lucas." Brooke said cutting him off. "And you destroyed my relationship with Peyton."

Lucas slowly nodded his head. "I know I did. And I've tried…so many times to talk to Peyton and tell her that everything was all my fault and to not…be upset with you because you did nothing wrong."

Brooke shook his head. "But I did. I believed in you. I believed in you when I never should have."

Lucas opened his mouth to respond, but Brooke interrupted.

"She waved to me earlier. Our eyes met and she gave me a small wave. But that's all. And that's all I'm ever going to get. The only person that has ever really been there for me…doesn't want to be that person anymore. Gosh…I was such an idiot for having faith in you and you were such a jackass."

Brooke downed the rest of her drink and got up from her seat. "And you probably still are."

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"What were you just thinking about?" Moore asked curiously, sensing that Brooke's mind had drifted off. "What's going on in that head of yours?

Brooke remained quiet and her mind continued to drift back…

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Brooke had been in the bathroom and was just about to exit it when she noticed a heated Lucas entering into the nearly empty hallway. She poked her head out the door and watched him storm over to Peyton, who was standing by a window, talking on her cell.

"Get off the phone." Lucas said angrily. "We weren't done talking."

Peyton sighed. "Julian, I'll call you later ok?"

She then hung up her cell and glared at Lucas. "I have nothing else to say to you."

"Well I still have plenty to say to you." Lucas said crossing his arms. "Like why would you do this? Why? It's wrong and unfair to me and you know it!"

Peyton rolled her eyes. "Would you stop being so damn melodramatic?!"

"I'm being melodramatic?!" Lucas asked laughing. "Keep telling yourself that lie if it makes you feel better Peyton!"

Lucas threw his arms up in the air. "I'm not letting you do this. I won't."

"I'm pretty sure you can't stop me."

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? I'm pretty sure that I can and I WILL!"

Peyton made a face at Lucas, who just brushed passed her and headed outside. Peyton began making her way back into the crowded reunion hall when Haley approached from seemingly out of nowhere.

"You seriously need to stop stalking me."

Haley sighed. "Peyton…I'm sorry, ok? It was a mistake and I'm sorry! How many times do you want me to say it?"

"You can say it until your blue in the face. It doesn't really matter because your "sorry's" aren't going to undue what you did!"

"Don't you think I know that!" Haley shouted out on the verge of tears. "If I…if I could take that day back---."

"But you can't." Peyton said interrupting. "My God Haley, why didn't you just stop?! Lucas he…he yelled at you to stop but you wouldn't listen! Why didn't you listen?!"

Haley shook her head. "I don't know! I thought…I thought that he---"

Peyton cut her off. "You…you shattered so many hearts that day Haley. And you caused so much damage…perhaps irreparable damage that I might never be able to completely fix! You…"

Peyton's voice trailed off as the tears began flooding down her face.

Haley reached her arms in an attempt to try and comfort Peyton, but the blonde stepped away.

"Just leave me alone Haley. Leave me alone. You'll end up regretting it if you don't."

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Moore pulled out a photo of Brooke and placed it in front of her. "Where is she now, huh? What happened to this cheery girl behind the red door?"

Moore's words caused Brooke to snap back to reality. She stared long and hard at the photograph before answering. "Life happened."

Moore nodded and got up from his seat. He began pacing around. "So tell me about it. Because I'm curious to now how a happy girl with a rising clothing company lost her way."

Brooke sighed. "It didn't happen over night. Things…things had started off really well for me and things continued to go well for a little while...for me and the others too. Well…at least most of us anyways…"

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Jan. 2009 – Los Angeles

L/P dining at a restaurant…

"I'm glad you decided to come out here to see me."

Lucas nodded as he took a sip of his wine. "I'm glad you invited me. I know it's only been like 3 months since the---"

"Horrible phone call that pretty much ended us?" Peyton asked interrupting. "It seems like so much longer."

Lucas sighed. "Peyton, I---"

Peyton dropped her fork on her plate and began rambling. "Lucas I was an idiot. I was such an idiot for putting my job…a job that a freaking monkey could do…over you. It…it was wrong and I'm so sorry. I…I miss you so much. I miss us and I really want for us to try again. Please giveus another chance. I promise that things aren't going to be like before. I…I quit my job and Brooke she's…she's lending me the money to start up my own independent label and since I'm going to be my own boss I'll make sure I give myself a real flexible work schedule that would never interfere with our relationship and I'll move…I'll move back to North Carolina. I just…I want to be with you wherever you are and---"

"Peyton, stop." Lucas said finally cutting her off. "Breathe and listen to what I have to say."

Peyton nodded. She closed her eyes, took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She then opened her eyes back up and looked at Lucas.

Lucas got up from his seat and walked over to Peyton. He bent down on one knee, reached his hand into his pocket, pulled out the ring box and slowly opened it up. "Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer will you marry me?"

Peyton's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "Oh my God?! I must be dreaming!"

Lucas chuckled slightly, but his face quickly turned much more serious. "You're not dreaming Peyton. I asked you to marry me. I was going to ask you that weekend, but umm…anyways…I had wanted to marry you then and guess what? I still want to marry you now because…because I am so crazy in love with you and you…you are the only one I want standing next to me when all of my dreams come true."

Tears began to well up in Peyton's eyes. "I am so speechless right now. I…I don't know what to say."

"SAY YES!"

Both Peyton and Lucas looked around and saw that the entire restaurant was watching them.

Peyton laughed and began nodding her head up and down. "This is all so crazy, but yes I'll marry you!"

Lucas smiled as he took the engagement ring out of the box and slipped it on to her finger. He then got up from off his knee, picked Peyton up and swung her around.

The other diner's in the restaurant clapped and cheered.

"I love you Lucas." Peyton said staring into his piercing blue eyes. "I'll always love you."

Lucas leaned in and gave her kiss. "And I'll always love you."

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March 2009 – NYC

Brooke put Peyton on speaker phone as she plopped down on her bed. "I want to hear the story again."

"Brooke, I've told you about it a billion times. So many that I'm starting to get sick of hearing about how Lucas proposed to me."

Brooke sighed. "Fine, fine."

"Ok…so since we're not going to talk about my love life, let's talk about yours. Have you really not been able to meet a nice New Yorker out there?"

"Oh I've met plently of them." Brooke said as she sifted through her magazine. "Just no decent ones. They're all only into either my hot bod or my money."

"I'm sorry Brooke. Try not to worry about it though, because I'm sure you're going to find a great guy out there soon…one who's into you for you and nothing else."

"I thin I have."

"But I thought you said that there was no---"

Brooke cut her off. "He's not a New Yorker. He's a…Tree Hillian named Chase."

"Chase is living in New York now?"

"Yup." Brooke said as she threw the magazine onto the floor. "We're actually meeting up for dinner tomorrow night. I'll let you know how it goes."

"Please do. You know…I think it's great that you and Chase are reconnecting. I mean, the only reason you guys broke up anyway was because of the whole distance thing. Now that your in the same city---"

"It might work." Brooke said interrupting. "It just might."

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"I had a nice time tonight." Chase said as he walked Brooke up to her front door. "I'd love to do this again sometime soon."

Brooke smiled. "Me too."

"Ok…I'll give you a call."

Chase gave Brooke a small kiss on the cheek and then headed back toward his car.

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May 2009 – North Carolina

"Toronto?"

Nathan shook his head. "Yeah, it looks like I'm going to be a second round draft pick and I'll be going to the Raptors! Isn't this great?!"

Haley sighed. "Nathan I'm happy for you. I am, but…Toronto?! That's in Canada! I really don't want to move there."

Nathan shook his head. "There's no need for you too. I'll only be living there during the season. And there's lots of breaks during it. I won't be away that much. Everything will be fine."

"No…I'll never see you. Jamie will never see you."

Nathan sighed. "Haley it's not going to be that bad."

"Not that bad?!" Haley asked raising her voice.

"Haley…not only is playing in the NBA my dream…it's going to help provide for our family. It might be a little rough in the beginning, but it'll get easier. Please let's make this work."

"Nathan…"

"You and Jamie are always going to be my number one priorities. That's not going to change, I promise."

Haley nodded. "Alright."

Nathan grinned and he picked Haley up and spun her around in his arms. "This is great! I can't believe I'm going to the Raptors!"

"Neither can I." Haley said feigning excitement. "Neither can I."

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"So I see Haley wasn't really too thrilled with the whole NBA thing?"

"Not really."

Moore nodded his head and sat back down in his chair. "Interesting. Now Brooke…let's move on from the past and talk about the present day. Why don't you start telling me about the night of the murder."

"What do you want to know?"

Moore eyed her curiously. "Did you do it?"

Brooke glared into his eyes. "I don't know, did I?"

Moore chuckled. "I see you like to play games."

"No." Brooke said as she got up from her seat. "It's just…I'm sure you already have it in your head who's guilty. I wouldn't have been your first suspect if you didn't think it was me, right?"

"Well is it?"

"If you think it's me, then you should take me into custody and officially charge me."

Moore got up from his seat and stared long and hard at the brunette. "You're free to go for now Ms. Davis, but don't go too far. I'll be in touch. You can count it."

Brooke nodded. "I'm sure you will be."

And with that, a guard was buzzed into the interrogation room and quickly guided Brooke out of it. Moore sat back down and pondered for a long while.

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Brooke stared aimlessly out of her taxi window and once again let her mind wander to the reunion…

Brooke had decided to head outside for some fresh air when she overheard Nathan and Haley arguing. She stood by the door and listened.

"And you've never been selfish?" Nathan asked raising an eyebrow. "Does the name Chase bring back any memories of your selfishness?"

Haley laughed. "Oh, you're going to throw the Chase thing in my face now?! I heard enough from Brooke over the years about that. I've tried apologizing a million times and I really don't need to be reminded of that by you every time I try to bring up OUR problems!"

Nathan just shook his head. "Enough with the yelling. I don't want to talk about our problems if that's all your going to do."

"How about we just not talk about them at all then?!" Haley shouted out.

Nathan threw up his hands. "Fine by me!"

"Good. And don't talk to me for the rest of the night. You'll be sorry if you do."

Haley then stormed off and headed back into the building. She nearly knocked into Brooke and the two stared at each other for a long while before Haley continued on passed her. Brooke then directed her attention back on to Nathan, who had remained outside. He was just about to make his way back in when he felt his cell vibrate in his pocket. He whipped it out and answered it.

"Hey Mike what's---yeah, yeah I'm still at this stupid fucking reunion. I don't know why I bothered coming. No it's that bad I mean…I don't really have a problem with Brooke, but we don't talk. Lucas is a jackass. Enough said. Peyton…well you already know all about the Peyton thing so I'm not even going to go there---oh yeah and Haley is reallygetting on my last nerves…seriously if I never see her face again, I won't mind. This night has been---"

All of a sudden Nathan tripped over his feet and fell down to the ground. He flipped his cell closed and placed it on the ground beside him.

"Shit." He said as he slowly extended his right leg out. He lifted up his pant's, making his transtibial prosthesis visible. Nathan carefully removed the leg and held it up to examine in it.

"Great, it's fucking broken!"

He then, with all his might, flung the artificial limb against the wall, shattering it to bits. It was at that moment that he noticed Brooke and the two stared at each other for a long while in silence.

Brooke's mind returned back to the present say as her taxi came to a screeching halt. "This has to work." She whispered to herself quietly. "It has to."

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Okay so…lot's of drama in this chapter! So in the first flashback scene we learned that Lucas somehow destroyed the Breyton friendship. How so? Well that remains unclear, but Brooke blames him and Lucas does acknowledge that it's his fault and his fault alone. In another flashback scene we see Lucas and Peyton fighting. Lucas is mad at Peyton for wanting to do something…though that something isn't made clear yet. Why was Lucas flipping out so much? I mean, it's not like they're together. So what's it matter what Peyton does? We also see Peyton and Haley get into. Apparently Haley did something that caused a lot of heartache and perhaps irreparable damage. It involves Lucas somehow, but we're not really sure how just yet. Also…in the Naley argument, we learned that Brooke has issues with Haley and it has something to do with Chase. And we also learned that Nathan…lost a leg!? When and how did that happen?! Do you think he holds one of the crew responsible for it? And in the past…Lucas and Peyton get engaged, but do they wed? Nathan made it to the NBA, but what becomes of his and Haley's relationship? And what became of Brooke and Chase? And what do you think of Brooke? Her answers to Moore's questions were very vague and pecuilar…why do you think that is? Who do you think will be suspect #2? And what do you make of all the threats? Lucas threatened Peyton, Peyton was threatening Haley, Haley was threatening Nathan, Brooke and Haley were glaring at each other…Nathan made it clear he pretty much hates them all. So many questions! I love hearing what you guys think so please review with your thoughts!! I greatly appreciate them!! – Jasmine

Next time…

2010 is a really rough year for some

Suspect#2 is revealed

Another reunion confessional is watched