Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill

Note: Sorry that this is taking so long- I've been traveling all summer and I'm only home for a couple days right now before I leave again. I will try and update whenever I can. Please stick with me! Also- I know that some things in the story may be unrealistic and I apologize about that. I have had no personal experience with this kind of issue so I didn't know that exact protocol- I just did what fit with the story. From now on I will be doing my research. If something is a little off it is probably just because I needed it to work for the story! Thanks for understanding! Now on to the next chapter…

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"Lucas Scott!" Haley's voice rang through the house, "What is so important that I had to come over immediately-" Haley's voice dropped suddenly as the scene in the living room came into focus.

Brooke and Lucas were sitting on the couch together, looking over what looked to be a history textbook. The actual situation was actually very normal- it was just the people in it.

"Are you guys back together?" She blurted out before she could think to stop herself. She couldn't imagine after the way things had been going between the two that they had managed to see beyond their differences.

"No!" They both said a little too loudly and Haley took a step back.

"Sorry!" She held up her hands in mock defense, "It's just a little weird to see you two in the same room without the usual death threats and name-calling."

Lucas and Brooke didn't respond to this. Instead, Brooke began playing with the fringe on her blanket and Lucas averted his gaze away from Haley. Neither knew what to say.

"So what did you need?" Haley had promised to meet Nathan for a movie and she feeling more and more uncomfortable by the second.

Brooke bit her lip; she knew that there was no easy way of saying what she needed to say.

"Haley-" She finally said as she shifted onto her knees, "I'm pregnant." There, she had done it. She let out the breath of air she had been holding.

"It's not mine." Haley immediately threw her hand over her mouth. "Brooke, I'm so sorry! That was so inappropriate, I, I just don't handle news like this well..."

"Haley-it's okay." Brooke almost rolled her eyes at Haley's reaction. Classic tutor-girl.

"Look," Lucas finally found his voice, "I know that this is a lot to handle, trust me, but me and Brooke are trying to work it out. And, well…" Lucas looked to Brooke again who was trying to find the right words to say what she felt.

"I just need someone to talk to who is not a back-stabbing best-friend or a cheating boyfriend." Okay- she probably could have found some better words, but she couldn't help it. Whenever she felt like she was becoming vulnerable Bitchy Brooke broke loose. Reaching out to Haley was a big risk and she didn't want to risk damaging her already broken heart.

Lucas shifted uncomfortably as Brooke bit her lip again, "Sorry- I just need some girl talk." She shrugged her shoulders and gave a little half-smile.

Haley unconsciously pinched herself as Brooke waited for her answer. This really was unreal. Brooke was pregnant? With Lucas' baby? Wow, things really had changed.

"Um, yeah…Sure Brooke." Haley looked to Lucas who figured that he should probably get out of their way

"Well I think that I am just going to head over to the river court and then crash at Skills'. I'll be back tomorrow for the appointment?"

"Thank you Lucas." He nodded as if to say "no problem" and headed out the door. But not before turning back around and adding, "I have my cell phone so if you need anything…"

Once again Brooke thanked him and he left.

And then there were two. Well, three…

"So…" Haley mentally congratulated herself on her conversational skills as she spoke.

"Okay this is it," Brooke thought to herself, "You can do this. You need to do this. You need to talk to someone."

Taking in a deep breath she sat down and motioned for Haley to do the same.

"I know that this is a lot to take in and I know that we aren't exactly friends. I just…I really just need a girl my age to talk to, and I thought that since you saw something in Nathan that maybe you could see something in me too and just give me a chance. Please…" Brooke's voice was becoming a little shaky. She didn't know if it was because of her hormones or because she felt so weak and vulnerable.

Haley's had never seen Brooke so broken. She couldn't stand seeing her like this-she couldn't even begin to imagine what Brooke was feeling.

"Brooke, of course I will be here for you! I don't know how much I advice I can give you but I will listen to anything you have to say." Taking a risk, she reached out and placed her hand on Brooke's shoulder.

"Thanks Tutor Girl." Brooke managed to give a tiny smirk and Haley smiled.

"There's the Brooke I know." Brooke didn't know what it was about Haley but she really was just genuinely nice and that was comforting- it made her feel bad for the way she had treated her before. Haley didn't have to help Brooke, but her she was.

"I'm scared Haley." Brooke finally said it. Scared. The emotion that summed up everything else she was feeling.

"I know. But everything is going to be okay. Karen is going to take care of you. I'm going to be here the whole time. And Lucas, well I know that you have your doubts about him right now and I would too if I were you. But Brooke, he is a really good guy; he has just been making some bad choices. I know that he is going to be there too. And whenever you decide to tell everyone else, I know that your true friends are going to support you. Like Nathan and…" Haley honestly didn't know who Brooke's true friends were. If you would have asked her a month ago she would have named all the cheerleaders, well, actually she probably would have named most of the popular girls at school, and of course Peyton. However, looking at her now, she realized that Brooke was alone.

"You can't think of anyone can you?" Brooke wanted to cry so bad as she said this but she was so tired of crying that nothing came.

"Brooke, that doesn't matter now. You have me, and Lucas, and Karen, and I'm positive that you have Nathan."

Right on cue, Haley's cell phone rang. Cursing herself for not turning it off, she pulled it out of her bag.

"You can answer it. Karen got some brownie mix and I'm craving…" Just like that, her smile was back. Haley wondered how she did that, Brooke knew that it came from years of practice.

"Hello? Hey Nathan…I'm at Lucas'…Oh you did…Well, I'm um, just waiting for him to get back…Oh, no he didn't tell me that…No! I'm really at Lucas'…Can you hold on for a second…" Haley pressed her palm over the speaker and ran into the kitchen.

"Brooke! I need your help! Nathan called and I told him I was at Lucas' and he said that he just left Lucas at the River Court and now he thinks that I'm lying-what do I say?" Brooke watched amusedly as Haley tried to calm herself down.

"Well, just tell him to come over." Brooke shrugged as she turned back around to add the eggs to her mix. She was very calm and collected on the outside but on the inside she was screaming, "What are you doing!"

"Are you sure Brooke-I mean it's soon, are you sure that you are ready?" Haley could feel her palm vibrating from Nathan trying to speak on the other line.

"Nothing stays secret in Tree Hill long and I want Nathan to find out that he is an uncle straight from the source."

Haley wasn't sure if Brooke was ready, but if that's what Brooke was claiming that she wanted…

"Hey, sorry- I was watching something on the news…" Brooke rolled her eyes once again at Haley's attempt to make herself more convincing. "You want to come meet me at Lucas'? Okay…I'm ugh, with Karen. Yeah, okay. See you soon." Haley collapsed at the kitchen table after hanging up the phone.

"Now I know why I hate lying. I suck at it." Brooke laughed, "Well you managed to keep the who tutoring Nathan thing from Lucas…"

Haley couldn't help but smile at Brooke, she could actually see them being friends. "That's true."

"Do you want to call Lucas back over for me?" Brooke asked quietly with her back turned towards Haley. She figured that she shouldn't tell Nathan without Lucas being there.

"Haley! What is going on! I just saw Karen at the café! Why are you lying?" Nathan's voice rang through the house.

Brooke bit her lip-woops.

Haley looked a little panicked but then remembered that he was about to find out the truth.

Nathan walked into the kitchen and was about to begin his interrogation of Haley when he saw Brooke.

"Brooke?" Brooke giggled as she licked some chocolate of the end of her spoon, "You look just like Haley did when she got here earlier.

"What's going on?" Nathan's even sounded confused as he took a seat next to Haley.

Just at that moment Lucas walked in, just as surprised to see Nathan as Nathan was to see Brooke.

"Nathan? What are you doing here?" He asked as he dropped his bag on the floor.

Nathan shrugged his shoulders, "I have no clue."

Lucas looked to Brooke who had her back to everyone once again. He walked over to her and unconsciously place his hand on her back.

"Are you sure?" She nodded in response. She wasn't able to focus on words with Lucas' hand on her back.

Finally turning around she looked at Nathan. Biting her lip she began fiddling with the mixing spoon in her hand. She thought that maybe it would get easier, telling people, but it wasn't.

"I'm pregnant."

The room was silent. Nathan shook his head, this was a lot to take in. "With Lucas'-"

Brooke threw her hands up, "Yes! Is that so hard to believe? He was the one who cheated on me and I'm going to be called a slut…" Wow, she could really turn it on and off.

"I didn't mean that Brooke, I just wanted to check…" Nathan knew that he had dug himself a whole.

"It's okay Nathan, I just…I'm just…I don't even know." Brooke turned back around and picked up the brownie batter and began pouring it into the pan.

No one knew what to say and everyone was feeling uncomfortable with the silence.

"Who knows?" Nathan finally managed to mutter, hoping that Brooke wouldn't be upset with that question.

"Just us and Karen. I don't really want to tell anyone else for a while."

They all nodded, as if signing a contract of confidentiality.

Not wanting to lapse into silence again, Lucas turned on the TV and suggested that until the brownies were ready that they could all watch TV.

Brooke told them that she was going to stay in the kitchen, she needed some time to digest the day.

Standing over the stove, the TV on in the background, Brooke let herself drop a few tears. This wasn't going to be easy she knew, but it was so draining. One second she was laughing and the next she was crying, it was like PMS on steroids.

After letting the brownies cool for a few minutes, Brooke cut them up and placed them all on a platter. Smiling, a reaction that was much more welcomed than tears, she imagined herself doing this for her child. Quietly she walked into the living room. Nathan had his arm around Haley and instead of watching TV they were both in a conversation with Lucas about a new movie that was out in theatres. Watching the scene before her she finally began to let herself believe that yes, things were going to be okay.