This is the first part of my chapter 4. I hope, you`ll like it. Thanks Biddy429 for making conversation between Brooke and Rachel not so rough. I made redhead too bitchy and it wasn`t good :)

robinscorpiofan, I`ll keep Rachel in the story. She`s awesome, and she`s the part of Brooke`s world.

alysef, Peyton isn`t in Tree Hill. But she`ll be in the story later. That`s all I can say for now (no spoilers!), sorry.


Chapter 4

Part 1

But then You Drop that Bomb


The flight from New York had taken around an hour. Brooke sat in her seat staring blankly out of the cabin window, a million thoughts going through her mind. She argued with herself over and over about whether or not she was doing the right thing, maybe Rachel was right, maybe she shouldn't get involved, maybe this was all a huge mistake but then again maybe it was the right thing to do. No matter what, she was confused.

Haley sounded so broken and upset, as if she had been through more than enough and couldn't cope with any more. She couldn't blame her for reaching out for help but she also couldn't help think of all the years she had tried to leave Tree Hill before and couldn't do it. Now she was going back and she didn't have a clue how she was going to cope with it all, would she be strong enough this time, she hoped she was.

Life was cruel in a lot of ways, in particular life for Brooke had always been cruel when she was a teen, sure she had made a lot of mistakes, sometimes she thought her life was just one big mistake but she managed to pull through it all and come out the other end a better and stronger person but sadly it was not with any help from anyone in Tree Hill, not in the slightest. The only way she managed to get through her trauma of being young was to finally get herself together and leave Tree Hill and she did it, she had finally achieved her dream. Now she in danger of letting it slip away from her but she was determined not to let that happen, not this time, definitely not this time. She was a strong independent woman and she was about to let everyone know that!

She sat back and recalled some of her last conversation with Rachel just before she left. Rachel had looked at her and simply shrugged her shoulders and said that experiencing adversity is much more complicated if you ever come to know the taste of true happiness. Maybe somewhere along the way her friend had always been right and she couldn't see it, maybe Rachel was the one who had managed to find true happiness, who knows because Brooke certainly didn't.

Yes Brooke was a healthy and beautiful woman, on the outside anyway because on the inside she had scars but no matter how well the wounds healed they would always leave scars and some of those scars sneaked out onto the surface at times and she knew that this was potentially one of those times was fast approaching.

Her body had suffered so much emotional pain in her young life and it was only through her work and business that she had managed to find some sort of balance, whether it was the right balance or not, it was a balance all the same. She gave herself completely to her work, she gave everything she had and at the expense of any relationship or true friendship, for she was terrified of feeling the pain of rejection or disloyalty from those she cared about.

Brooke had money, lots of money, she could buy her heart's desire if she wanted but money didn't bring happiness, and she found that out the hard way. Some people say that God demands from us only what everyone will be able to survive with but sometimes Brooke felt that she was on this earth simply to be the Lord's own guinea pig.

The flight landed and Brooke was no more settled about her reasons for coming to Tree Hill, she made her way to the taxi rank and jumped into the first cab, it took only around twenty minutes to reach her destination. Whilst she sat in the back of the cab she saw so many familiar places flash before her, each one stirring another emotion deep within her.

She remembered her house, she was always "the girl behind the red door" and she found herself wondering whose life was now hidden behind that door, were they happy because she certainly hadn't been.

She passed the River court and instantly recalled memories of the warm muggy nights she had spent there with her best friend Peyton and then other nights with Lucas, she even recalled a couple of innocent nights with Chase. She smiled fondly at the memory of Chase, was a sweet guy he was but then he too was instrumental in damaging her already fragile heart although he had no idea that he had and as far as she was concerned, he never would know.

Haley had insisted that she stay with her and Nathan during her stay in Tree Hill, despite her protestations that she would rather not put them out and stay in a hotel. She didn't want to stay in anyone's home, she didn't want to feel as though she belonged here, she didn't want her emotions tied to this place again but how could she refuse.

She arrived at the Scott household and she paid the taxi driver who then dutifully unloaded her luggage from the trunk of the car. She stood back and looked at the beautiful house before her. Yes she thought Haley and Nathan had done well for themselves and they deserved it too.

This placed looked so much like a home, even though it was the size of a mansion, it was a home. Home to Nathan, Haley and little Jamie Scott, a place of tranquility and safety, something that Brooke Davis would never have, not here in this town anyway. She had her own home, her town house in New York, her business, her work, her mother, Millie and Rachel. They were all the "family" she would ever need now.

She tentatively knocked on the door and stepped back waiting for an answer. Within a few seconds the heavy door flew open and her eyes met with a pair of familiar blue eyes. It was Nathan but on closer inspection she realized that his eyes were clouded with pain, not the happy contented man she was expecting. It must be worse than she had imagined.

"Brookie, thank God your here" he sighed, pulling the brunette into a tight hug.

"Natie," Brooke wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him back, "It's good to see you".

"Same here Brooke" he said as he released her from the embrace. "We have all missed you, come on in, I'll get your bags"

"Thanks Nate" was all Brooke said in reply and walked into the house.

Nathan lifted her bags easily and brought them into the hallway, he set them down near the door and turned to Brooke once again saying "Haley prepared a room for you, she drove me half-crazy trying to make sure it was all ready for you, so I hope you like it.

"She didn't have to do that Nate, I could have stayed in a hotel, but thank you anyway" said Brooke with a smile.

"Hey we couldn't have you staying in some crummy hotel now could we, I mean your almost family" explained Nathan.

Brooke smiled again, it was just like Nathan and Haley, always wanting to welcome everyone into their lives, having no expectations over anyone, just wanting to be happy and have everyone around them happy too. It's a pity it's only a dream!

She stood and looked at her surroundings, she took in the beautiful furniture, prints and décor, and she could also smell the delicate scent of lavender and apples in the air. This was a scent that tugged at her senses and her heart strings, this could be a house she could lose her soul in but it wasn't her house, it was Haley's house and Brooke Davis didn't deserve a home like this, she didn't think so anyway.

This made her feel even more determined that she shouldn't stay here, so she began to speak hesitantly.

"Em, I could stay at the hotel..."

"Brooke..."

She wasn't going to win this one so she immediately gave in.

"Okay okay, I get it, I'm staying, it's okay, and I wouldn't dare do anything otherwise" she laughed.

"Darling, who's there?" Shivers ran down her back when she heard a female voice chime from upstairs, a moment later Brooke saw a young woman appear in front of her with short black hair. She was the same beautiful and charming girl she had left behind all those years ago, but somewhere along the way life's ups and downs had left their mark on Haley because she looked tired and exhausted, as though life was just too hard just now.

Haley stopped right in front of her and stuttered "Oh God" Haley took in Brooke's appearance, it was as though she couldn't believe her eyes, couldn't believe she was there standing there in front of her, then she all but jumped in the air and dived towards Brooke before she could react and grabbed her shouting "Tigger!" Haley enveloped Brooke in a bear hug and didn't even give her a chance to react.

"Tutor Girl" said Brooke as she quietly hugged her old friend and murmured in her ear. "I missed you."

"Okay you two, you need to talk. I'll put your bags into your room Brooke" said Nathan as Brooke smiled at him in gratitude. Nathan disappeared upstairs and left the girls alone.

Haley pulled back out of their embrace and looked into Brooke's eyes saying with tears in her eyes "Brookie, I can't believe you are home"

"God Hales, it's been so long" they looked at one another for a moment and then they hugged once again, this time their emotions got the better of them and they pulled each other into a tighter embrace where they each sobbed to one another over all the pain each had endured. They cried for all the friendships they had let fall by the wayside, the loves they had lost and for their own hearts which were breaking in two.

Brooke could hardly believe that Haley was in so much pain, she thought that he pain was unimaginable but Haley's seemed so intense that it frightened her. She muttered to the other girl to console her saying "I'm here Haley, I'm home, it's going to be okay, no matter what's happening, I'm here for you, it's going to be fine, you're going to be fine, don't worry, Brookie is here"


Every morning she wakes up to the sound of the deafening alarm clock, it sounds more like a pneumatic drill than a clock. This morning seems just like all the others only this time there is no Rachel to run in and grab the clock and turn it off, there is no alarm clock making a horrendously loud noise, there is no Rachel to grab her duvet and throw it on the floor, demanding that she get her butt out of bed. There is no Rachel to run downstairs and grab her a steamy hot coffee, no Rachel to go fetch her a hot croissant from the nearby deli! There is no Rachel because Rachel is far away in New York City and Brooke is back home in Tree Hill! Wait; did she just say "back home in Tree Hill"? Surely not!

She had gotten so used to Rachel in her life that she wondered if she could ever do without her again, she wasn't sure if she could. Rachel wasn't everyone's cup of tea, heck she didn't think Rachel had a friend in the world, apart from Brooke, but she was good for Brooke, she was a friend to Brooke and she depended on her for so much.

Today however was different, there was no need for any of the above because time slowed down so much in Tree Hill, there was no need for the hustle and bustle of the business world, no need to jump out of bed into a shower and rush to work for the early morning Board Meeting.

Brooke quietly slipped out of the warm cozy bed she had lain in all night; it was a peaceful morning, the sun danced into the room bringing with it a light airy feeling. Somehow Brooke felt more content this morning than she had done in the last few years, it was a strange feeling but it was a good feeling. Everything around her felt perfect and it made her wary of leaving the bedroom in case it was just all a dream.

She was so relaxed this morning, she made her way at a leisurely pace to the shower and got ready for the day ahead. Despite her contentment she was not looking forward to the day ahead as she was going to be having a long conversation with Haley and Nathan about everything that was wrong and the reason why she was here.

As she showered her thoughts turned to the evening before, the family dinner that Haley had prepared. She had sat at the table feeling part of a family for the first time in years, sitting beside little Jamie who was such an amazing and delightful little boy she found it hard to tear her eyes from him for most of the evening.

Brooke finished her shower and dried herself off with a huge fluffy and luxurious towel. Once done she wrapped it around herself and preceded to towel dry her hair before blasting it with the hair dryer. She then headed into towards the wardrobe which she had unpacked the majority of her clothes into the evening before and selected her outfit for today which consisted of a pair of skinny jeans and a white t-shirt. She dug out her underwear and proceeded to dress herself.

Once done Brooke sat at the dressing table and plugged in her hair straighteners and put on her make up. She finished off her routing with a spray of her favorite perfume and sat back to inspect her reflection in the mirror. She was quite happy with the face staring back at her and she saw a contentment there that she hadn't seen for such a long time. Yes, she was ready to face Tree Hill now and all the drama that it brought with it!

Brooke noticed a folded piece of notepaper sitting on the bedside cabinet and immediately recognized Haley's perfect handwriting.

She opened it up and read it, her lips spreading into a smile.

"Good morning, Tigger!

I hope you slept well, I didn't want to wake you because I thought you looked to peaceful. There is no one in the house this morning but don't worry because Nathan is at training and will be back late afternoon, I'm at work and only have five classes today so as soon as I pick Jamie up from Kindergarten I will be home. I've left a set of keys for you on the kitchen table in case you decide to go out.

I don't know if you have any plans for dinner but I was thinking we could go out somewhere?

Have a nice day friend,

Hales

Xoxo"

Yes maybe it would be good to go revisit some old haunts in Tree Hill before they came home and maybe if she found out some things on her own she may not need to ask Haley and Nathan too many leading questions. She really didn't want to cause them any more discomfort than they were already feeling.

Just as she was ready to head downstairs she remembered that she hadn't been called to check in at the office, Rachel will be thinking she has forgotten about them. So she quickly grabbed her tote bag and dug out her cellphone. She dialed the office number and smiled to herself when the voice at the other end said "Hello Clothes Over Bros, can I help you?". The voice sounded extremely exasperated and then she heard the rabble in the background and the voice shouting "Damn it girls, can you move your asses please, were on a time limit here and we need to move as quickly as we can! You know what time limit is, huh? Uh, oh, sorry its Rachel Gatina here" the voice said into the phone.

Brooke couldn't help but laugh at the girl's reaction and replied "So that's how things are when I'm out of the office!"

"Oh my god Brooke, I'm so sorry, very unprofessional of me but then you know me" said Rachel not giving a hoot.

"Don't worry about it Rachel, but I thought you would have realised it was me, or were you that distracted?"

"Distracted? Nope, Brooke baby, distracted doesn't even come close. I do have murderous tendencies however, and my target today is definitely Bichtoria! I swear if she comes near me again..."

"Whoa there Rachel, that's my mother you're talking about" exclaimed Brooke in a laughing voice.

"Yes I know Brooke, and you may be an orphan by the end of the day"

"Oh it's that bad then?" asked Brooke.

"Yes it's that bad" replied Rachel

"Well please don't let your murderous tendencies come into play until well after the show please?"

"Yes Brooke that's very funny so it is! So, what can I do for you then, how is Tree Hill so far, is it still on the map?"

"So many questions there Rachel, you need to give me a minute or two to think about the answers" goaded Brooke

"Really Brooke, so are you saying it's a hive of activity now, it's not the boring one horse town it always was?" asked Rachel

"Rach I never thought it was that, I just had to leave for a lot of reasons, you know that."

"Yeah honey I know, so how is the old place anyway"

"Well, Haley and Nathan aren't all that great, don't get me wrong they are still in love and little Jamie is an angel but there is something really wrong here and I haven't got a clue what it is yet, all I know is that it is something to do with Lucas and it has really upset both Haley and Nathan, whatever it is, it's serious"

"Well I did think it was serious Brooke otherwise you wouldn't be there but you still don't know what it is?"

"Nope and I won't find out till this evening, both of them are at work so I've got to be patient till they come home but I am going to go out for a while, you never know what you find out when you bump into a couple of locals"

"Sounds very interesting my dear, very interesting, mind and keep me up to date?"

"I sure will! Well, how are things at your end, I take it that Victoria and Millie are doing their best?"

"Of course they are, and so am I, we are right on track but if you were to ask Victoria it would be a different story altogether! She never gives anyone praise only criticism"

"Look Rachel, you know what you're doing and so do I, I trust you and believe it or not Victoria knows that to so stop worrying, it will be alright on the night"

"I hope so Brooke, I hope so"

"Okay now Haley and Nathans house is lovely, you need to come out soon and spend some time here, it was part of your youth too you know" said Brooke.

"What, me come to Tree Hill, no way, you know it isn`t my place, so don`t even ask about it. You said that as if you are staying there for a long time, so when are you planning on returning to New York?"

"Honestly, Rach, I don`t know"

"What do you mean Brooke, you have a home here and a business to run, you can't stay there indefinitely"

"I know Rachel, I know. But I have you. And you`ll take care of everything. Please, don't make me feel bad about it, and you know what I am like, I'm a sucker for helping folk and Haley and Nathan need my help right now, so it will take as long as it takes. I do care about my company, but family will be always on the top."

"You`re not a martyr, Brooke. If you care about someone, it doesn`t mean that you suppose to make a huge sacrifice like that. Scotts always involve you in their crap and don`t even think about how you will handle it. I don`t wanna to cure you again, Brooke. I mean, I`ll do that again, ya know me, but I`m not sure that you will be able to survive another time. It`ll eat you alive. I have a good relationship with Haley because of you, but I swear that I`ll kick her ass if something happen."

"Rach…"

"Ok, I may have overreacted."

"It`s fine. I understand. Thanks for caring about me."

"Hey that's what friends are for aren't they?" replied Rachel.

Rachel didn't let Brooke speak but continued herself "Listen Brooke, do me a favour will you? Please be careful, I worry about you and whilst I know you want to help everyone sometimes it can be too hard and it ends up with the wrong people getting hurt. I don't want you to get hurt again and I have a feeling that getting involved with the Scott's again only spells more trouble for you, especially if it's anything to do with Lucas. Hey, is he not with Peyton Sawyer anyway now?"

"Rach..."

"Look, I'm not preaching or anything, I'm just telling you to be careful or I will come to Tree Hill and kick some ass, okay?"

Brooke laughed again and said "Okay Rachel Gatina, I'm listening to you, I've not to get hurt, it's a deal"

"You bet your ass it's a deal" said Rachel with conviction.


Next Chapter!

Chapter 4 (Part 2) won`t be soon. I`m goin to see my friend out of the city, and I`ll have Internet connection, if we find any cafe with Wi-Fi in the town.

But you`ll see Brooke and Lucas` meeting in Part 2! And it will be not so good...