Hey everyone! First off, I wanted to thank you all for the kind responses for the story. I'm glad you're enjoying this story cos I really like writing it. Just one small thing I forgot to say in the beginning of the story: I don't like Dan, nor do I want to write for him. So, let's just say… Dan died, and no one cared. Good? Great! :) I hope you all enjoy the next chapter.

The following morning, Haley prepared a feast fit for a King and his court. The breakfast table was lined with an assortment of treats. There were pancakes, bacon, sausage, eggs, croissants, toast and other store purchased pastries for the guests to enjoy. The table was set for seven, and the young mother double-checked to make sure everyone had the appropriate set of utensils. Once Haley was sure everything was in place, she clapped her hands together and waited for their guests to arrive.

As if on cue, the doorbell rang and she rushed to answer it. "Dean," she greeted her brother warmly before taking him in her arms. "You may be a pain in the ass big brother, but God it's so good to see you." She pulled out of his embrace and cradled his face in her hands. "I missed you so much."

Dean covered one of her hands with his own before releasing her from his grip. He walked ahead of her into the house and sniffed the air in satisfaction. "Haley James, you always were the talented one," he said in appreciation. He rubbed his stomach and smiled at his baby sister. "And I missed you, too."

She smiled at the admission and folded her arms over her chest. She knew Dean wasn't big on emotion, so when he bestowed her with any sort of affection, she made sure to cherish the moment. "So, we haven't had time to talk about why you're back in Tree Hill," she started off hesitantly.

As she'd suspected, the light left his eyes as he shifted his gaze around the room smoothly. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, a move he'd always made when his guard was up. "I wanted to come home," he said promptly, as if he'd rehearsed this conversation many times before.

"Home? Since when was Tree Hill your home?" she asked perplexed. "From what I remember, mom and John agreed you'd stay with us for the summer and the important holidays. I'd think Charlotte would be your home."

Dean shook his head sadly, refraining from looking at his kid sister. With a rough voice, he said, "Charlotte was never my home. Home was always with the family." It took a lot of strength, but he met Haley's gaze head-on. "My dad was my family, and so were you."

Her heart broke a little at her brother's declaration. Wordlessly, she closed the distance between them and took him in her arms once more. She tightened their embrace when Dean moved to separate from her sibling comfort. "I'm always your family. Remember?"

Dean grinned briefly at the reminder. He pulled away from her and shook his head, the smirk refusing to leave his lips. "I really did miss you, Haley. I know I suck at keeping in touch, and I've never been the affectionate one in the family, but… I did miss you."

The smile on her face brightened as she socked her brother in the arm. "Ow! What was that for? I do my one good deed for the year, and you turn around and hit me? What the hell?"

"Oh, that was one big punch for all the milestones you've missed in my life, Brother D. You know, like… 

my wedding, my graduation, the birth of my son—that sort of thing."

He rubbed the spot she'd hit and scowled at her, looking very much like a wounded six year-old kid. "Well, don't sweat it sis—I'll make sure that I'm around when you hit menopause."

Dean was prepared for the swat she tried landing on the same arm and managed to maneuver his body so he was just out of reach. "Ass," she chided while shaking her head.

"Bitch," came the easy retort.

Haley stuck out her tongue. Dean playfully pushed her head away. Pretty soon, the two were laughing at their childish interaction. That was when Nathan walked into the room. "What's so funny?" Nathan asked as he walked towards the refrigerator.

"Eh, sibling love," Haley replied easily. "You wouldn't know anything about it," she poked fun at him.

"Hey, I resent that," Nathan responded. He poured himself a glass of orange juice and motioned to his brother-in-law, wordlessly asking him if he'd like a cup.

Dean shook his head and walked over to the counter. "What's the deal—are you an only child or something?"

"Actually, he isn't," Haley answered for her husband. Her eyes brightened as the realization hit her. "Dean, you wouldn't believe who his brother—"

Before she could drop the bomb, the doorbell interrupted them once more. Haley took a quick peek out the window, her smile growing at the sight of her friends on the doorstep. She quickly turned to her brother and failed miserably in hiding her excitement. "Why don't you get that?"

Dean frowned at her but made his way to the front of the house regardless. "Rude, much?" he asked bluntly, his back towards his baby sister. She didn't have time to respond because he was reaching for the handle to allow the guests into the house. "Holy shit, look what the cat dragged in," Dean easily drawled with a grin on his face.

"Dean?" For a moment, Lucas wasn't sure if he was looking at a ghost or the real thing. Once Dean's smug smile checked into place, the younger man matched the expression and shook hands with his old friend, pulling him into a brotherly hug. "Man, is it good to see you," he exclaimed sincerely. "How long has it been?"

Dean pulled apart from Luke's hold and shook his head once more. "Too long," he replied. The two had played ball together every summer he was in town. He didn't know it, but had it not been for Dean, Luke would never have loved basketball as much as he did. Dean taught him everything he knew. He turned his attention to the curiously silent blonde girl beside him and let out a low whistle. "I approve," he said proudly, giving Peyton the once over.

"Ha ha," Luke said sarcastically as he pulled Peyton to his side. "Dean Winchester, this is my fiancé, Peyton Sawyer. Peyton, this is Haley's brother."

"Half-brother!" Haley screamed from the kitchen.

"The better half," Dean corrected as he shook the woman's hand.

Peyton looked every bit as much as Nathan and Brooke did yesterday in the hospital. "Half brother?" she asked surprised. "I didn't know she had a brother. I thought she only had sisters."

"Hey, at least you did better than Brooke," Nathan said coming into the living room to welcome everyone. "She thought it was just Haley and Taylor."

The small group smiled at the comment. After greeting Nathan, Peyton pulled apart from their hug and looked at her ex-boyfriend. "Speaking of Brooke, how's she doing?"

"Last time I checked, she was up. Haley helped her get ready this morning, and from what I know, she's just finishing up," Nate answered.

Peyton nodded her head and looked towards her fiancé. "I'm gonna go up and see her," she told him before making her way to the staircase. She easily found the spare room her best friend was staying in and made her way towards the door. Brooke had the speakers on a little too loud, and she hoped the brunette hadn't woken her godson up.

She quietly opened the door and smiled at the sight that greeted her. Brooke sat on the bed facing the opposite direction from the door as Jamie stood behind her, combing her damp hair carefully. The two didn't hear her as she stepped into the room and leaned against the doorframe. Instead, they carried on with their conversation as Leona Lewis played in the background.

"Don't worry, Aunt Brooke. I'll go tell my dad you need help getting down the stairs," he reassured his godmother, brushing from the nape of her neck to the tips. The little boy walked into her room that morning, watching her struggle to do the simple task. He'd offered his help, and she'd embarrassingly accepted.

"No, Jamie, that's okay. I just have a hard time lifting my arms up, that's all," Brooke told him. Bruised ribs had a way of doing that to you, apparently. She shook the thought from her mind instantly, not wanting the little boy to worry about her assault anymore than he already had. She took a breath and prepared herself for the difficult conversation she'd been putting off since stepping foot into this house. "So, you must've been scared when your parents told you about my accident."

The comb paused right before it reached the ends of her tips. Brooke knew her godson was at a loss for words, so she turned around to face him and pulled him on top of the bed with her. He sat before her but his eyes remained glued to the brush he held in between his tiny hands. "I guess I don't understand."

Brooke nodded her head sadly and began to stroke his back with an open palm. She ducked her head down to catch his gaze and was saddened when he averted his eyes. "I know. I don't really understand it either, baby boy. It's very hard to believe that there are people in this world who like hurting other people, Jamie. But unfortunately, they do exist," she explained to him.

He raised his head and finally looked at her. "Can what happened to you also happen to me? Or my mom and dad?"

Her heart jumped in her throat as the question caught her off guard. She didn't know how to explain the dangers of the real world to a kid who'd just turned five and was shielded from the violence outside of his home. Thankfully, she didn't have to. She looked up as Peyton made her way into the room, taking a seat behind Jamie as she ruffled his hair.

"Jamie, what happened to Brooke shouldn't have happened at all. But when someone causes harm to other people, the cops and police do all that they can to make sure that they catch these bad guys so that they can't hurt anyone else. Do you understand that?"

Jamie nodded his head, the expression on his face softening as he thought Peyton's answer over. He turned away from Peyton and directed his next question at his godmother. "So the police are going to lock up the bad guy that did this to you?"

Brooke tried to answer his question but found that she couldn't. The lump in her throat was still too strong for the words to come out. Instead, she nodded her head and gave her godson a closed-lip smile, running a hand from the top of his head to the nape of his neck.

"Then, that means Uncle Dean's gonna save you!" he exclaimed happily. A confused yet amused look settled onto Peyton's face when she brought her attention to her best friend. She noticed the slight brush that began at Brooke's neck and took the notion into account.

"What?" Brooke sputtered surprised. She let out a shaky laugh and sat straighter, pulling her body away from the small child.

"Uncle Dean," he stressed the name slowly, as if he were talking to a baby. "He's a policeman, isn't he?" Brooke nodded while Peyton placed her hand over her mouth to hide the smile that appeared out of nowhere. "Then he's gonna save you!" he repeated again. "He's gonna find the bad guy that hurt you and put him in jail. The bad guy won't ever hurt you again."

Tears sprang to Brooke's eyes, and she groaned at their presence. She hadn't been able to get through a solid five hours without these damn tears invading her vision. When she didn't trust herself to speak, Peyton picked up the conversation by removing the boy from the bed. "You're right, little man. Uncle Dean will come through for your Aunt Brooke. I'm sure of it," she said with a smirk, looking pointedly at her best friend. She in turn rolled her eyes.

"Jamie, why don't you head downstairs? Your mom made breakfast, and both your Uncle's are here to see you!" she exclaimed, slapping the boy on the butt as he ran towards the door. Once she knew he was out of earshot, she looked back at Brooke and frowned at her bruises. "I could kill the asshole that did this to you," she whispered fiercely before pulling Brooke into a tender hug. "Where does it hurt?"

Brooke pulled away and wiped at the tears that had yet to fall. "Everywhere," she answered honestly. There was no point lying to the girl who knew her better than she knew herself. "Cut on the head, bruised ribs and purple and blue marks all over the body."

"Oh, Brooke," Peyton replied, taking her hand between hers. "I'm so sorry. I should've been here for you—"

"Stop it," Brooke cut in reassuringly. "We've already been through this, P. Sawyer. There was nothing you could do to prevent this. Nothing, okay? It happened, it's done… I just want to get through this, and get on with my life."

"I know, I'm sorry—"

"And I can't get on with it if everyone keeps babying me," she gave her friend a pointed look. "I'm a big girl, Peyton. I can take care of myself. I've been doing it since freshman year of high school."

The blonde woman frowned and shook her head, stopping herself from offering another pointless apology. "All right, we'll move forward."

"Thank you."

"Forward as in, holy crap I didn't know Haley had a hot older brother!" Peyton said with wide eyes and a matching smile. "Did you see the guy?"

Brooke rolled her eyes but couldn't keep the grin that spread across her face. "He's actually the cop that's handling my case. Go figure," she said with a shrug.

"Brooke, the guy is hot. So hot he should make your teeth sweat. Don't tell me you haven't noticed?"

The woman in question averted her eyes and fidgeted with the necklace that hung low to her chest. "He's Haley's brother, Peyton."

"Yeah, and Lucas is Nathan's brother. What's your point?" Realization dawned upon the blonde friend as her eyes widened once more. "Oh my God—I think someone's crushing on Detective Dean," she teased.

Brooke managed to look caught off guard, but deep down, she knew it would be a matter of time before someone called her on her feelings for the new guy in town. Problem is, she wasn't planning on doing anything with those feelings. Was she attracted to Dean Winchester? Sure—she'd be dead not to. But she'd tried her hand so many times with love only to be disappointed in the long run. Lucas had left her for Peyton. Her relationship with Nick Chavez had fallen apart not only because he was her teacher but because he didn't know how to keep his pants zipped. Chase left when Clothes over Bros began to get bigger than their relationship. And Owen didn't want to date a girl with a baby—even if Brooke had to give the baby back after a month.

So after their night of easy banter and stolen glances, Brooke went to sleep having made the decision that she would stay away from Dean Winchester. She didn't need that kind of trouble, no matter how good it looked in a pair of jeans.

A few moments later, Peyton helped Brooke down the stairs and into the living room where everyone was waiting for the two of them. "I got her," Luke said to his fiancé, taking a firm grip on Brooke's opposite arm. Judging by the slight scowl on her face, he knew she didn't need nor want anyone's help. Because of that, he chose not to ask her how she was feeling. "I hope you're hungry," he said instead, "cos Haley has outdone herself this morning with breakfast."

"Is that so?" she asked half-heartedly, offering the mother a small smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"What?" she asked bewildered as the group made their way to the dining table. "It's a special occasion! Brooke's okay, my brother is home, and you two are engaged," she pronounced, looking towards the happy couple.

"What about us?" Nathan asked, clearly insulted as he brought his son to his side. "We're not special enough to get the royal treatment every morning?"

The group laughed and Luke whistled as he helped Brooke into her chair, taking note of the fact that Dean helped him on the opposite side. He moved forward with telling Haley what he meant to say before being distracted. "You walked right into that one, Hales."

"Don't be silly," Haley began. "Every day with my favorite boys is a special occasion."

"Good save, mama," Jamie nodded his head in approval. He seated himself directly in front of the chocolate muffins, his eyes twinkling as he waited for everyone to be seated.

"And what are we?" Dean asked, his eyes darting towards Luke. "Chopped liver?"

Haley waited a beat before nodding her head precisely. "Yeah, pretty much."

Luke groaned as he took a seat between his nephew and Peyton. "Shot through the heart."

"All right, enough talking. Let's start eating," Peyton addressed every person at the table. "Cos I know I'm not the only one who's starving."

Everyone nodded their heads and began digging into the food. There were lots of grunts of appreciation and moans of satisfaction as they devoured the feast Haley prepared. "Hey, so we never got to hear about the two of you getting back together," Nathan said, directing his question to his brother.

"Or better yet, how the two of you getting back together automatically turned into an engagement," Haley added after her husband.

The two stared at one another, not knowing what to say or who should be the one to talk. "Why don't you tell them all about it, Shakespeare?" Peyton told her fiancé, putting him on the spot.

Luke looked over towards Haley and explained the events of the night before last. "To make a long story short, I got some good advice from a great friend who told me that I needed to stop hiding my heart and to go after who it was that I wanted." He purposefully left out the three choices his best friend urged him to choose from and pressed on. "Obviously, I took her advice seriously cos the next thing I knew, I was at the airport with two tickets to Vegas in one hand and my cell phone in the other, asking Peyton if she wanted to get married that night."

"Dude, that's gotta be the lamest proposal I've ever heard," Dean said with a serious face, causing the table to erupt with laughter.

"That's what I said!" Peyton agreed, grinning like a fool in love towards Luke. She turned to Brooke who was sitting to her right, her smile faltering when she noticed her best friend was more quiet than usual. She stopped herself from asking if everything was okay, remembering her promise from earlier to stop treating Brooke like a child.

"Whatever, man. At least I have a fiancé," Luke retorted back jokingly to his long time friend.

"Hah," the older man scoffed. "Tie me down with a ball and chain? No thanks. I'd rather listen to Jesse McCartney for the rest of my life, or whatever it is his name is." He darted a glance at Brooke, his timing impeccable as she raised her head to meet his stare. She mockingly glared at him, the smirk on her face ruining the illusion that she was insulted. He grinned back.

"So, D—" Luke caught Dean's attention once more. "Where are you staying?"

Dean made a show of sighing and looking every bit the role of a forlorn man. "For now, I'm staying at the old motel down by the Rivercourt until I find an apartment."

"The old Roosevelt Motel?" Nathan asked. "Isn't that place a little…"

"Run down?" Haley finished his question. "Dean, you can't stay at a place like that."

"Why not? It's only temporary until I find a place of my own."

"Because!" his sister explained. "The Roosevelt can barely manage to hold itself up. You couldn't possibly live in that rat infested hell hole."

"Mama said a bad word," Jamie mumbled in between bites from his chocolate muffin.

"Sorry, baby," she apologized, but her eyes remained locked on her brother. "I'm still right."

"Well, what do you suggest?" he asked her as he speared a hunk of scrambled egg onto his fork. "I move in here with you and your family?" He shook his head and lifted the fork to his mouth. "I don't think so."

She seemed truly insulted by his refusal to stay with them, even though she hadn't offered him a room. "And why not? What's so bad about staying here temporarily?"

"Oh come on, Hales. You've got a family of your own to take care of. I'm not gonna be that brother that leeches off of his kid sister. No thanks," he said around the eggs in his mouth. He swallowed the food and continued. "Besides, I could barely stand living with you when we were younger. I doubt it'd be any better now that we're adults," he winked at his own joke.

"Fine. Whatever," she gave up easily. "You can stay with Luke."

"What?" Luke asked as he held a piece of toast mid-air.

Dean laughed at the man's expression. "Nice one," he said to his sister. "You might want to run that 

idea by your best friend before you start offering his house for the homeless."

Haley shook her head and stifled a laugh. "You be quiet," she said. She looked at Luke and pleaded with her eyes. "He can stay with you, can't he?"

"I..uh…"

"Exactly," Dean pointed out. He smirked at Haley and explained the reasons why moving in with Luke wouldn't be a good idea. "The guy just got engaged, and he's moving the bride to be into his place. I'm sure they're both going to be all over the place—" he paused when Jamie looked up at him. "…They're, uh, gonna be practicing the married life," he finished with a nod of his head, hoping the adults would understand him. Luke let out a laugh while Peyton blushed at the comment.

Brooke sharply turned her head towards her best friend, shocked at the news that her roommate was leaving her. Peyton brought her attention to Brooke and opened her mouth to speak. However, the explanation failed to come out.

Jamie sat still with a confused expression settled on his face. "How do you practice being married, Uncle Dean?"

"Yeah, how do you practice the married life, Uncle Dean?" Brooke spoke up for the first time, averting her gaze from one friend to the next. An amused look momentarily replaced the somberness on her face.

"Oh, you know… simple things," he began, a sparkle of mischief lighting his eyes. "Settling in, rearranging furniture, replacing the furniture they break… that kind of stuff."

The blush deepened on Peyton's face as Luke repeatedly shook his head from side to side, his grin widening with each turn. Nathan hid a laugh behind his hand while Haley mouthed the words, you're sick, to her brother. Brooke put her head down, hiding a smirk that would surely confuse her godson.

"But why would they break the furniture?" Jamie asked earnestly.

Dean couldn't help himself and laughed this time. He stared at his nephew from across the table. He was beginning to warm up to the boy. "That, I'm gonna have to explain to you when you're a little older."

Jamie still looked confused but shrugged it off when Brooke placed another muffin on his plate. She raised her shoulders innocently when Haley glared at her from across the table. She'd given him the chocolate treat in hopes of silencing his twenty-one questions. Unfortunately for her, it didn't work.

"So if Uncle Dean can't live here, and Uncle Luke and Aunt Peyton are moving furniture around, then why can't he stay with you?" he asked innocently, staring up into Brooke's surprised eyes.

"What?" she asked momentarily dazed. To say she was caught off guard would be the understatement of a lifetime.

Nathan couldn't help but chuckle. When Haley shot him a look, he shrugged and taunted her. "He's just like his mother."

"Well, it's not a bad idea," Haley said, getting used to the thought in her head. "In fact, that would solve all our problems."

"Problems?" Brooke looked around, feeling ambushed. "What problems?"

"Dean could have a place to stay while he looks for an apartment, and you can have someone with you at the house," she explained. "With Peyton moving out, your home won't be so lonely," she continued on. "It's perfect!"

Brooke remained silent, a cloud of unease falling over her as they all turned to face her, waiting for an answer. In the end, it was Dean who would come to her rescue. "Absolutely not," he said bluntly. All eyes snapped back to look at the man, including Brooke.

"Why not?" Haley questioned, clearly exasperated at this point.

"I think it's too soon for us to be moving in together, don't you agree sweetheart?" he directed his question to Brooke. He winked at the shocked expression on her face, attempting to calm her nerves with the weight of his words. "I mean, come on. At least let us get in a first date or two before we start playing house."

Brooke remained speechless while the rest of the guests paid them no mind, chuckling at Dean's odd sense of humor. Once she was able to catch his gaze once more, she mouthed a small thank you to him, a small grin appearing once he nodded his head at her. She turned her attention to the boy sitting beside her and shook her head in wonder. The kid was right. Uncle Dean's gonna save you!

Jamie licked the chocolate off his fingertips and gave Brooke a toothy smile. "Well, maybe Uncle Dean can move in later," he said loudly, attracting everyone's attention once more.

"What are you talking about, buddy?" Nathan asked from the opposite end of the table.

"Uncle Dean and Aunt Brooke," he spoke to his father condescendingly, as if he were speaking to a child. He turned to his uncle and smiled brightly. "After you stop dating, you can get engaged, move in together and start breaking furniture!"

"Hi Jane," Haley said into the phone. She'd stepped out on the front porch to take a call and was surprised when she found Brooke sitting by herself. "What?" she asked into the phone, momentarily forgetting her surroundings. "Oh, I completely forgot. When is the last day to sign him up? Tomorrow? I have class… but I'm sure my husband can take him. It'll be fine. Yeah, thanks for reminding me, Jane. You're a lifesaver." She waited a beat and chuckled into the line. "Yeah, Jamie's really excited, too. Listen, I have company over, but I'll make sure Nathan brings him tomorrow. Thanks again! Okay, talk to you later. Bye."

"What was that about?" Brooke asked distractedly.

Haley shook her head and took a seat in the rocking chair beside her. "Jane Andrews. Her son is in Jamie's class, and she told me about an afterschool basketball program she was enrolling her boy in. Jamie asked if he could go, too, and Nate thought it would be a good idea. She was just calling to remind me that the last day to sign him up is tomorrow."

"That was nice of her," Brooke commented.

"Why don't you tell me what's really on your mind, Davis?" Haley asked.

She threw the girl a sickeningly sweet smile and said, "Oh, I don't know—how bout, I'm going to kill your son?"

Haley placed a hand over her chest and laughed whole-heartedly. The action made her lean forward in the wooden chair, and she took the opportunity to take a good look at her friend. Brooke sat in the rocking chair to her right and let her body sway with the force of the wind. Though she was joking, a slight frown remained glued to her face. "I never knew my son would be playing matchmaker for my brother… much less you."

She didn't hesitate to glare at her, which caused Haley to erupt in another fit of giggles. "I'm sorry," she apologized when her laughter began to dwindle. "He's just so cute, I can't help it."

Loud cheers emerged from behind the house, interrupting their conversation. They could hear congratulatory cheers directed towards Jamie and Nathan while Dean and Luke shrugged off the point made against them. Peyton was also at the back of the house, cheering the men on as if she was back in high school.

"What's goin' on in that head of yours, Tigger?"

Brooke brought her eyes to her friend and gave her first genuine smile of the morning. "You haven't called me that in a long time."

Haley shrugged her shoulders and rested her head against the back of her seat. "It happens when you go so long without seeing one another."

"Yeah," Brooke agreed silently. She broke contact with her and stared out into the street. She knew Haley only wanted to help, but how could you tell one of your best friend's that you'd never felt so alone in your life? Nathan had tried reassuring her that this wasn't the case, but Brooke couldn't wrap her head around his words. She was alone in every sense that mattered. Had it not been for the support of her best friends, who knew where or who she'd be at this very moment? "I've just got a lot of things on my mind, Tutor Mom."

Haley nodded her head. "Anything you want to share?" When Brooke shook her head no, she sighed and sat up. "You know we're all here for you, right? You're not alone in this."

Brooke closed her eyes at the ten-thousandth reminder of how everyone would be there for her. To be honest, she was sick of it. If one more person told her that she could cry on their shoulder or lean on them for support, she was going to scream. But she didn't say that to her best friend. Instead, she smiled and said, "I know."

More cheers emerged from the back of the house, and Brooke could tell Haley really wanted to be back there to root for the men in her life. "Go," she said softly. She brought her attention to Haley and repeated herself once more. "Go on. I'll be fine."

"Brooke—"

"I'd really like to be alone, Hales. Really," she reinforced her statement with a nod of her head. "Go."

Haley frowned but did as she was told. She rose from her seat and patted her friend on the shoulder. "Come join us when you're ready," she said before leaving.

Finally, she thought to herself. She finally had a moment of peace and quiet. There was no one getting on her case about her emotions or badgering her to take it easy. At first, the idea of staying with Nathan and Haley seemed like such a good one. She'd be able to rest and recuperate outside of the hospital and have her friends on hand to assist her in her needs. Had she known that it meant having four inquisitive friends watching her every move, hovering over her just to talk, she would've gladly stayed in the hospital—no matter how much she hated the place.

Brooke was already struggling in accepting the fact that she was the third/fifth wheel in their group. What she didn't anticipate was how hard everyone would try convincing her otherwise. If she was honest with herself, she'd admit that Haley's comment earlier had hit a little too close to home. Though she knew her friend's intentions weren't spiteful in the least, Brooke couldn't help but feel a little resentment towards the young mother.

"Dean could have a place to stay while he looks for an apartment, and you can have someone with you at the house," she explained. "With Peyton moving out, your home won't be so lonely."

She was amazed no one had felt her flinch at Haley's declaration of how perfect everyone's lives would be if Dean had moved in with her. It would solve everyone's problem. Did she mean that everyone was worried about the fact that Brooke couldn't hold down a normal, stable relationship? Did her friends see her as a successful business woman who couldn't hold down a man? And why was her being alone a problem?

"Careful there, you might hurt yourself with all that thinking."

Brooke blinked and found herself face to face with Dean. She must've been thinking too hard cos she hadn't heard him approach her, nor take the seat that Haley just vacated. "Dean," she uttered.

He'd be lying if he said he didn't like the way his name rolled off her tongue. He shook the thought away and began to rock the chair. "Must've been lost in your thoughts."

"How long have you been here?"

He shrugged as his eyes found a tall oak tree to focus on. "Couple of minutes. I'd ask you if you want to talk about it, but seeing as everyone's already asked you that question two times over, I figure I'd better keep my mouth shut."

She was astonished he'd been paying attention. She blinked once more and woke herself out of her thoughts. Brooke gave the man her full attention as she sat straighter in her rocking chair. "Listen, about earlier—"

"Don't," he effectively cut her off. "I'm not too keen on displays of gratitude," he lightly brushed her off. "You looked cornered, and I just came in to save you in time." He swung his gaze over to her and raised his eyebrows. "It's my job to do that, you know."

His gaze was so intent, it made her blush and turn away instantly. "I know, but still… thank you for doing it anyway. You didn't have to, and I appreciate it." He nodded his head, content with sitting beside her and enjoying the quiet Sunday afternoon.

She didn't know what possessed her to say what she said next. "I appreciate it so much that… I'm considering Jamie's idea."

He quirked his eyebrows together in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Well," she started. "You need a place to live, and I need someone to live with. So why not?"

Dean raised his eyebrows in shock. Clearly, he wasn't expecting the offer to be laid on the table.

They were so caught up in their own conversation that they missed Luke coming around from the back of the house. He stopped dead in his tracks when he heard Brooke's proposal to the man who taught him to play ball. Clearly, he wasn't expecting the offer to be laid on the table, either.