SORRY FOR THE DELAY I HAD SOME FAMILY PROBLEMS AND AFTER THAT IT WAS HOT AS HELL WHERE I LIVE SO NOTEBOOK WITHOUT A COMPUTER DESK IT´S NOT A GOOD IDEA. PLUS THIS CHAPTER IS A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN I USUALLY DO.
BY THE WAY THE PEOPLE WHO ASKED FOR SOME BROOKE/KAREN MOMENT AND SOME BRUCAS INTERACTION YOU WILL FIND IT IN THIS CHAPTER. I THOUGHT TO MYSELF WHAT A HECK YOU HAVE BEING SO GOOD TO ME SO YOU DESERVE IT.
ALSO I LET YOU KNOW THAT THE NEXT UPDATE WILL TAKE BETWEEN A MONTH OR TWO BECAUSE SOME FAMILY ARE COMING TO TOWN AND THEY WILL STAY UNTIL THE END OF MONTH SO THAT MEANS NO WRITTING TIME PLUS IN MARCH I START THE UNIVERSITY AGAIN SO I WILL NOT HAVE MUCH TIME TO WRITE.
I WANT TO THANK ALL THE PEOPLE THAT GAVE ME REVIEWS, ALERT MY STORY, ME AS AN AUTHOR AND OF COURSE PLACED THIS PROJECT AS FAVORITE, ALSO MY ANONYMOUS READERS. SO THANK YOU: LOVE ME SOME JULIAN, LINDA19, JULIALEIN, SWEETESTGIRL123, OTH-BRUCAS-LOVE, BDAVISRULZ, GOSAL11444, ABBEYROADGIRL13, ARUBAGIRL0926, BDAVISLSCOTT23, I LOVE SARAH SOPHIA, DIANEHERMANS, ARTEMI, BJQ, LEYTONANDSAWYER, CHIPMUNK87, BANDLFOREVER, SQUEALING LIT FAN, TODDSTER, APRIL, HEARNOEVIL, KALEL HAMMER.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK TO THE PEOPLE WHO JUST JOIN IN AND REVIEWED THE FIRST CHAPTER: MY GOOD FRIEND B, MY OTHER GOOD FRIEND TIM MACHINE AND JASMINE
I WISH TO THANKS MY WONDERFUL BETA / TRANSFORMER CASEY FOR THIS GREAT CHAPTER
DISCLAIMER: I DON´T OWN ANYTHING ABOUT OTH. IT ALL BELONGS TO MARK SCHWAHNN, THE CW, WARNER AND TOLLINS - ROBBINS.
I DON´T EVEN OWN THE SONG THAT BELONGS TO NICK LACHEY, AND HIS RECORD COMPANY.
HERE IT IS.... ENJOY AND PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW, THAT IS THE BEST GIFT YOU CAN GIVE ME.
What's Left Of Me
Chapter Four
Karen had treated Nathan and Haley to a home cooked meal that night, which meant the teenaged married couple didn't get back to their apartment building to after midnight. Managing to find the lock against the dim glow of the streetlamps, the small brunette went to turn on the lights; only to be greeted by just more darkness.
"Did you pay the electricity bill?" She didn't want to sound judgemental or accusatory.
"No." Nathan moved past her into the apartment, his answer so blunt.
"Did you forget?" She failed to conceal the anger that was bubbling over in her voice.
"It was either the electricity or the rent Hales, they were both due."
"The rent." Haley's voice was breathless, "With the wedding, and the baby, and school; I completely forgot about the rent."
"That's what I'm here for." Nathan wrapped his wife up in a comforting hug, kissing the top of her head softly.
"That's why I love you." Haley looked up to smile back at him.
Moving away from the embrace, Haley moved into the small kitchen to make herself a cup of tea before bed. When she went to go light the gas top stove, an already burning match in her hand, she realised that was what was missing…the gas.
"What happened to the gas Nathan?" Haley was getting frustrated, how many other utilities had been shut down in their apartment.
"Well, that's another story." Nathan called out from the bedroom; where he was getting ready for bed. Blowing out the match, Haley followed the trail of his voice.
"I'm waiting to hear it." Haley almost snapped, standing in the bedroom doorway with her hands on her hips, just able to make out Nathan in the dark.
"The landlord increased the rent; there wasn't enough to pay both bills."
"Couldn't you tell him that we needed, like a month's notice?"
"I told him that, and he didn't care very much. He told me to pay, or we could leave. I had no other choice, I had to pay."
Haley gave a deep sigh, moving into the bedroom, collapsing onto the bed.
"You're right." She conceded, "I'm just going to go to bed." She didn't want to discover anything else that night.
While Haley readied herself for bed, using a lit candle she had found in her bedside drawer as a source of light; Nathan headed into the bathroom to finish getting ready. It was as he was walking back into the bedroom that he heard the quiet sobs of his wife.
"What's wrong Hales?" Nathan collapsed onto the bed, next to the sobbing form of Haley.
"Nothing's wrong," The pregnant teen sniffed, lying horribly.
"You're crying." Nathan stroked her brunette hair softly, "Something's wrong."
"How are we supposed to bring a child into this world if we don't have the money to give him or her proper care?" Haley turned to look up at Nathan.
"Don't worry about that." Nathan tried to comfort her fears; everything would be fine by the time that their baby was born. Hopefully.
"How can I not worry, Nate? We have no power, or gas because we don't have enough money to pay a couple of bills. If we don't have enough money for the bills, we won't have enough money for a baby."
"Don't worry," Nathan repeated, "I will make sure that you and our baby have everything you need. I'll figure something out."
"I don't think you've thought about how much a baby is going to cost." Haley smirked up at her husband, they were still in high school; their wages weren't going to cover what a baby needed, or what she was going to need during the pregnancy.
"I have Hales," Nathan comforted. "We will have the money we need. From now on everything will be fine, for the three of us." He brushed his hand over her stomach, Haley's eyes already drooping with fatigue.
"I love you Hales; I promise everything will be fine."
"I love you too." Haley whispered, already drifting off to sleep.
---- ----
Rachel found her roommate stretched out across her bed, sketchpad and coloured pencils spread out in front of her as she focused on the white piece of paper. The fiery redhead knew that she needed to say something to Brooke about the two declarations of Luke's love that had been ignored by Brooke.
"We need to talk." Rachel sank down on to the bed next to Brooke, her eyes casting a quick glance over the sketch, far from finished.
"What about?" Brooke didn't even look up from the piece of paper as Rachel sat down; she wasn't in the mood for talking. "What's wrong?" She looked up, suspiciously.
"What's wrong?" Rachel looked at her friend. "What's wrong is that even after Luke destroyed my living room trying to show you how much he loves you still, you still haven't done anything."
"I don't want to talk about that." Brooke looked back down at her book, trying to block Rachel from her attention.
"Oh no, missy, we're talking about this, no matter what you want. That boy is still clearly head over heels for you, and he's trying to show it and you just do…nothing."
"Leave me alone Rach, you know the reasons why I'm not with him anymore."
"Don't use freaking Peyton as your excuse; you can't keep using her as your bloody excuse. She's not worth your happiness, your future. Do you know how much all those flowers would have cost?"
"I know they're not cheap." Brooke conceded, fiddling with the pencil in her hand, drawing random doodles on the page.
"He probably spent everything on those flowers, and don't even get me started on that letter."
Brooke sat up so quickly that she sent the sketchpad and pencils flying off the bed. "Did you read my letter?" She asked accusatorily.
"How can I not, when you leave it lying wide open like that on the bed in the room we share, after you cried yourself asleep again?"
"I do not cry myself to sleep." Brooke defended herself, getting a glare from Rachel.
"The room's not that large Brooke, I can hear you. Give the poor guy another chance, let him show you what you mean to him."
"Let's say, hypothetically, that I was to give him another chance, but in like a month Peyton is still everywhere; and he decides that shewas the one after all. The baby and I would be alone again. I can't take that sort of heartbreak again, not when there are two of us I have to think about." Rachel realised that Brooke must have thought about a second chance at least.
"If nothing's happened yet, I doubt he will leave you when you're together."
"He's done it before." Brooke reached out to get her stuff off the floor again.
"Oh my God, Brookie I love you but you're so bloody stubborn. I'm leaving before I slap you. Just know that if you keep going with this attitude, you're going to lose him beyond repair." She close to begged her friend. "Remember, you have the baby to think about. Please, just think about it."
---- ----
Standing on the front porch, her closed fist hovering over the wooden front door; Haley was pretty sure that what she was doing was wrong; she had never gone behind Nathan's back before. She need a solution to their problems though, and fast, even if it was just for the sake of their future unborn child.
"Does my son know you're here?" Dan's cold voice asked her after a brief greeting and an invitation inside.
"No." Haley held her bag close to her as she entered the large house of her father-in-law.
Dan led her into the living room, and they took seats on opposite arm chairs. Once they were settled, and a glass of Scotch in his hand; Dan continued. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"I thought you should know that I'm pregnant."
"Congratulations, you've made me a young grandpa." The fake smile plastered on his face was enough to make Haley shiver. The man had always given her the creeps. "But I'm guessing you didn't come all the way here to tell me that, the life of the mayor is always a busy one." He gave her a 'hurry up' gesture with his hands.
"We're having some problems." Haley spoke after a moment's hesitation. "We need your help."
"What sort of problems?" His bushy eyebrows raised in interest.
"Financial problems." Haley was still hesitant to tell Dan their problems. "I was sort of hoping that you could give us a loan; there are just a couple of bills that my wage can't cover at the moment."
"No." Dan said after a moment of thought. "Nathan is not an investment I'm willing to make at the moment." He spoke like it was a real estate offer.
"He's your son…" Haley tried to get through to the man that had to be hiding in Dan, somewhere.
Dan shrugged; he couldn't care at that moment.
"Can you do it for your grandchild?"
"When Nathan got emancipated and married, he knew that he had to take on all the responsibilities of being an adult." So the answer was still no.
"I don't know why I bothered." Haley stood up to leave, "It's obvious that you don't have the capacity to care, even for your own family."
"Oh, I care." Dan spoke as Haley walked through the doorway; he hadn't even stood up to see her out. "They're just not a wise financial investment."
Haley scoffed in response as she walked out the front door.
---- ----
The afternoon sun was already high in the cloudless blue sky by the time Rachel's car pulled up into the local doctor's office's car park. The redhead was officially there for moral support while Brooke went for her first ultra sound, but unofficially she was just as excited as Brooke to see the growing baby.
"Good afternoon Miss Davis." Her doctor, Doctor Meyer, greeted Brooke at the entrance of his office; half an hour after she had entered the waiting room. "Come in." He gestured to the two available chairs at his desk.
"This is Rachel Gatina, my roommate and friend." Brooke introduced them as they sat down; the doctor opening up the patient file.
"Might I add future Godmother," Rachel shot Brooke a playful smile, "Are you single?"
"Married, two children." The doctor gave Rachel a quick smile, like he was asked that question a lot.
Brooke slapped Rachel on the leg, and shot her a look that clearly said to stop hitting on the doctor. Rachel gave Brooke an apologetic smile in response.
"Okay," Dr. Meyer continued, ignoring the two teenage girls bantering. "You're just entering your twelfth week. How have you been feeling since your last appointment?"
"So-So, a little morning sickness, but of course it isn't restrained to just morning. I've felt faint once or twice, and so far absolutely no loss of appetite."
"Don't be alarmed about the nausea; some women get it right through the whole pregnancy. The light-headness is a cause for a little concern though. Be careful, don't do anything too strenuous, and Miss Gatina if it gets any worse please bring her in immediately."
Rachel nodded in agreement, listening very intently to the doctor.
"Other than that, all sounds normal so far. You're undergoing a great hormonal change, and your body is still adapting to the change."
"I can't wait to hear its heartbeat…" Brooke couldn't hide her excitement anymore.
"Let's go then," The doctor smiled, standing up to lead them into the other room.
With the cold gel spread over Brooke's bare skin, the doctor focused on finding the heartbeat. When the faint sound could be heard through the ultrasound, Brooke's hormones got the best of her; and she couldn't stop the couple of tears that escaped down her cheek.
"The rhythm of the heart beat is good, the baby is about two and a half inches long, and weighs about point three to point five ounces."
"It's so tiny." Brooke was in awe.
"I promise you it will grow, and it will grow quickly." A small chuckle escaped the doctor's lips. They finished the ultra-sound quickly after that. "I'll give you some privacy to clean up, and I'll see you back in the office. There are still some facts we have to go over."
"Since you're only a first time mother, and so young, it might take a while for you to start showing."
Brooke nodded, hoping silently that it better. She wasn't being self-conscious about her body image; she just needed to work out what to tell people, what to do in the long run.
"The brain is still developing, and tiny fingernails and toenails are starting to form. Vocal cords are beginning to form this week as well, and you're officially at the end of your first trimester."
"We could have the next Backstreet Boy or Spice Girl on our hands Brookie." Rachel nudged her friend.
"Shut up Rach." Brooke hissed; she needed to listen to the doctor.
"The kidney's are functioning, as well as the liver. The thyroid glands and pancreas are also complete and, finally, your prescription for the prenatal vitamins." He handed over her prescription, which Brooke thankfully accepted.
"Thank you, for everything Doctor." Brooke stood up, shaking hands with the doctor.
"I'll see you at your next appointment, Miss Davis."
"See you then Doctor McHottie." Rachel flashed a flirtatious smile as Brooke dragged her out the room.
---- ----
By the time Haley returned home from working the afternoon shift at Karen's Café she was completely exhausted, and wanted nothing more to curl up in bed next to her husband. The sight that greeted her as well was just as welcoming, Nathan was curled up on the couch watching SportCenter. The sight was just so familiar.
It took a couple of seconds from when Nathan turned to welcome her home for Haley to notice the difference. "The electricity is back on." She squealed excitedly, quickly crossing to the kitchen, and the stove. "So is the gas."
"I got a loan from Luke," Nathan admitted. "I promised him that it would all be paid back…with interest." He didn't like having to take money from his brother.
"Remind me to thank him the next time I see him." Haley kissed Nathan lightly, as she joined him on the couch.
"Explain something to me Hales," After a couple of minutes of comfortable silence, while the sports program played on the telly, Nathan broke the silence during the commercial break.
"I'll try." Haley smiled towards her husband, if it was something about the show; she would be screwed.
"Why did you go to Dan and ask for a loan, after I specifically told you that I wanted nothing do with him."
Oh. "How did you find out about that?" Haley asked with a small voice.
"He graced the Rivercourt with his presence, just to tell me that."
"Sorry." Haley apologised weakly, she should have known that Dan would have gone straight to Nathan.
"Sorry isn't going to fix anything Hales, I'm mad that you went behind my back to someone like Dan. I told you I was going to fix it."
"I'm sorry Nathan, I am. I thought the news of him becoming a Grandfather would soften him."
"Obviously it didn't." Nathan snapped back, he wasn't really mad at Haley; but more at their situation. "What did he tell you, or was it just a flat no?"
"He said you were an investment he wasn't willing to make." Haley responded after a pause and quiet sigh, this was something that no son should have to hear. "No matter how much you fight with each other, you are his son and I thought he would see that."
"Me being his son means nothing, Luke's his son as well and Dan's done jack all for him. He's angry at me because I refuse to follow the path and dreams he laid out for me, and I married you, and just when everything was starting to pick up, he finds out I'm becoming a father."
"Are you angry about becoming a father?" It was probably just hormones and paranoia that was playing on Haley's fears, but there was still some hurt in her eyes when she asked the question and Nathan could see it as he looked at her.
"No, you know I'm ecstatic about becoming a father; but when we first got married, he told me that you were going to trap me with a baby and I could wave good-bye to all my dreams. But they were his dreams, you and this baby is my dream."
Nathan wrapped his wife up in a hug and gave her a tender kiss, "I don't want to be trapped under my father's will for the rest of my life because we have some financial obligation to him, that's why I refuse to go to him for money. Promise me that you'll never do that again."
"I promise," Haley whispered, resting her head on Nathan's chest. "What are we going to do though, we have to pay Luke back and there's going to be more bills."
"We'll figure something out." Nathan repeated for what felt like the millionth time in the last couple of days.
---- ----
Brooke stood on the sidewalk outside of Karen's Café, working up the courage to go inside and talk to the grandmother of her unborn child casually, like there wasn't something life changing going on in her life.
Rachel's car had just taken off down the road, her friend unable to hang around the small café while the pregnant brunette filled her appetite; when the car had turned the corner and was out of sight, Brooke finally pulled the glass door open, setting off the bell above the door.
"What can I get ya Brookie?" Karen appeared on the other side of the counter, just as Brooke hoisted herself up on the stool.
"Turkey sandwich, with all the fillings, and fries. Lots of fries." Karen chuckled slightly as she took down the order, the teenager was definitely hungry.
"Anything to drink?"
"Iced tea?" Brooke smiled, thinking of the sweet drink that she was suddenly craving.
"Coming right up." Karen promised, moving back to the kitchen to hand off the order to the cook, and to return with the drink.
While Brooke devoured her meal, she could feel Karen's eyes casually glancing over every couple of minutes, studying the girl. When Brooke pulled her purse out of her bag when the last of the sandwich and fries had been devoured Karen started waving her off.
"On the house." Karen smiled, "It looked like you enjoyed it. Can you stay a bit longer though; I want to talk to you?"
Brooke nodded, grabbing a discarded magazine of the countertop while she waited for Karen to close up for the evening.
"How are you?" Once the red closed sign was hanging from the door, and the kitchen shut down for the night, Brooke and Karen took a seat at a more comfortable booth nursing an iced tea and coffee.
"I'm fine," Brooke smiled brightly. "Great, in fact."
Karen nodded, taking comfort in that the young teenager was looking after herself when she had no real parental figure to look out for her constantly.
"I wanted to talk about Lucas, I don't want to interfere with what's going on between you two; if it's meant to be then it's meant to be, but I have honestly never seen him love someone as much as he's loved you."
Brooke should have known where the conversation with her ex's mother was going to go, and now she couldn't stop it.
"Luke's my only son, and you're the daughter I never had. I just want to see the two of you happy. I miss having you around the house all the time." She added.
"Thanks Karen, that means a lot. You never know though, your new addition could be a little girl."
"It could be a girl, but that will never change how I feel about you and I want you to know that you can count on me for anything."
"You were definitely a better mother to me than my own mother ever was." Brooke admitted, sipping at her drink.
"Since I'm like your mother then, I'm going to give you some advice. Luke would go to the end of the world for you to show you how much he loves you, don't let anything or any doubts you may have in here steal the love and happiness you share with each other." She touched Brooke's head to emphasise her point.
"Let this make the decision," She moved her hand to Brooke's heart, "I know how much you love him, and how stubborn you can get. You could have a beautiful future with each other if you let your guard down."
"But…" It wasn't as simple as that to Brooke.
"No buts, just promise me that you'll think about it." Brooke nodded, unable to speak anymore; untrusting of what she might blurt out to the woman who had always been so open to her.
Karen smiled, pleased with at least the promise of a thought. "Come on, I can't let you walk back home when it's getting dark. I'll drive."
---- ----
Rachel had almost been ready for her date when Brooke arrived home via Karen, and by the time there was a knock on the door Rachel was completely ready.
"You're not my date." Rachel said flatly when she discovered Luke and a huge present for Brooke. "Thanks though, for your last gift; wilting petals take forever and a day to clean by the way."
"You're welcome," He was only paying half attention to the girl talking to him. "Brooke here?"
Rachel pointed up the stairs, just as she spotted her date's car coming up the driveway.
"Brookie, mailman's here for you. I'm leaving, see you tomorrow – don't wait up.' She called up the stairs before disappearing out the house, not wanting to hang around and see her friend's reaction. She could already tell she wouldn't be impressed.
"You're not the mailman." Brooke deadpanned as she appeared at the top of the staircase. "What are you doing here Luke?"
Luke presented the jumbo sized teddy to her, the red heart in the toy's hands scribed with the words I Love You.
Brooke secretly melted; her guard and stubbornness were slowly breaking away. These corny, completely sweet acts were beginning to work.
"So…?" Luke asked, hoping this time his actions would appeal to her.
"Luke, we talked about this." Brooke grabbed the top of the stair rail to steady herself, a small action that didn't go unmissed by the blond at the bottom of the stairs.
"You talked about this, Brooke, not us."
"You agreed with me."
"I only apologised Brooke, I agreed with nothing. You never asked me how I felt, I still love you."
"Please stop Luke," Brooke begged close to tears. "It's isn't going to serve anything."
"Brooke I want us again, that has to mean something to you."
"Luke, please, I love the gift, but you have to go." She was struggling to keep her façade strong now.
"I'll go for now, but I'm not going to stop because someone once said that actions speak louder than words." He turned around just as he heard Brooke's raspy voice begging him to leave again.
"I will fight for…" He couldn't leave it like that, but he couldn't finish the sentence that he'd just started because as he turned around again he noticed that Brooke was no longer standing at the top of the stairs, but rather crumpled in an unconscious heap.
"Brooke, pretty girl, Brookie, wake up, talk to me." Luke took the stairs two at a time and was at Brooke's side in a matter of seconds, slapping her cheek to try and get her conscious again.
Lifting Brooke effortlessly up in his arms, cradling her close to his chest he carried her to her bed, using caution as he lowered her down into the mattress. Leaving her alone for a second while he raced to the adjoining bathroom; he dampened a face cloth for her face and found smelling salts in the medicinal cabinet.
"Come on pretty girl, please breathe this; please wake up." He begged, waving the salts underneath her nose.
He was seriously considering taking her to the ER when she wasn't responding, pausing only because she was clearly still breathing fine, when she finally came around; Luke let out a huge breath that he hadn't been aware that he was holding.
"What are you still doing here Luke?" He couldn't believe that they were the first words she managed.
"You collapsed Brooke; I wasn't going to leave you alone. What happened?"
"Low blood pressure probably." Brooke lied the best that she could.
"How are you feeling now?" Luke was peering closely into her emerald eyes, trying to determine if he needed to get her to the ER or not.
"I'll be fine after a glass of water." She watched as Luke bolted off the bed and down the stairs again to the kitchen. It was kind of sweet the attention he was giving her.
By the time he returned with the ice cold liquid which Brooke thankfully accepted, she was sitting up propped up by the number of pillows that cushioned her bed.
"There's no need for you to stay anymore, I'm fine now." Her emotional guard was back up as she placed the half-empty glass on the nightstand table.
"Don't be so stubborn Brooke, you just collapsed. I'm not going anywhere." Luke got himself comfortable on the bed next to Brooke, being careful not to cross any lines.
He could see when he slid his eyes to the girl next to him that she was preparing for an argument, he comprised.
"I'll stay until Rachel gets back. Just to make sure that nothing happens to you."
Brooke, too exhausted, to argue any further gave in; settling down in the bed to fall asleep for the night, being careful to not physically touch her ex-boyfriend.
Rachel didn't return until late night, or early the next morning, her watch claiming it was three am as she left her date with a lingering good night kiss in his car. Entering her house, making sure the door was locked securely behind her, the first thing she noticed was the giant teddy bear had been abandoned on the floor by the staircase.
She grabbed it by the paw, pulling it up the staircase with her, ready to berate Brooke for her stubbornness. The presents needed to stop piling up at her house, and she had to get her friend to see just how perfect Luke was for her.
She was stopped dead in her tracks though when she entered her bedroom and found her roommate and Lucas fast asleep on the bed together; Luke's hand resting on top of Brooke's still-flat abdomen.
Rachel considered breaking up the picture-perfect Kodak moment, knowing that the brunette would be ready for murder when she woke up and found the blond; but this was her chance to get Brooke to see the other side of him.
Putting the teddy bear at the foot of Brooke's bed, Rachel collapsed into her own bed, hoping that Brooke's morning sickness wouldn't betray her heavily-protected secret in the morning.
When Brooke woke up the following morning, the nausea surprisingly absent from her waking moments, she felt the most rested she had in weeks, and she was grateful that she had managed a full night sleep.
She was about to drift off again, hoping to get some more, when she noticed that something was touching her stomach. When she looked down, she noticed the hand that was draped over her stomach protectively; she could've recognised that hand anywhere.
"Lucas." Brooke shouted, pushing her ex away, "Lucas, wake up!"
The high school basketball star groaned his eyelids firmly shut as he resisted the morning.
"Five more minutes mum, dreaming, Brooke." Luke rolled over, and Brooke resisted the temptation to push him off the bed altogether.
"Perve, it's not your mother. It's Brooke."
Luke's eyes flung open, and he smiled sweetly up at the anger that was looking down on him. "Oh, morning pretty girl."
"What are you doing here; you promised me you would leave when Rachel got home." Brooke crossed her arms over her chest.
"I fell asleep; you can't expect me to stay up all night."
"Shut up the two of you." Rachel's croaky voice entered the conversation, it felt like that she had only drifted off to sleep; and the alcohol she had consumed last night on her date was enough to give her a headache. "It's too early in the morning for your petty bickering."
"Why didn't you wake him up, and make him leave Rachel?" Brooke was trying to cool her frustration down; stress was not going to do her any good at the moment.
"You two just looked so cute, cuddling and all." Rachel gave her infamous sly smile. "I thought it would be better to let you both sleep."
Brooke narrowed her eyes at her friend, who simply rolled over again and promptly fell back asleep. When Brooke realised it was futile arguing with Rachel, she turned her attention back to Lucas.
"It's morning, you're awake and I'm fine. So I think it's time for you to go."
"If that's what you want." He kissed Brooke's forehead as he rolled out of bed. Just because he was leaving now, did not mean he was giving up the fight.
---- ----
Brooke was enjoying the relative peace that surrounded her at the courtyard of Tree Hill High School during her lunch break, enjoying the healthy salad wrap that she had made that morning while everyone joked and laughed around her.
Rachel was…somewhere; Brooke preferred not to think about it, when her second best friend, Haley James-Scott slid into the seat next to her.
"Where you this morning Tutor Girl?" Brooke greeted her friend, having missed her in their morning Lit class together. "There was no one to talk to during English."
"I was at the doctors," Haley smiled joyfully, "Getting the all clear on your future godchild." Brooke stifled a squeal. "He or she wants you to have this." Haley dug into her bag and produced a black and white ultrasound pic.
"It's so tiny." Brooke awed, it was something she hadn't been able to comprehend during the hours she had stared at her own picture; how something so powerful could be so tiny.
"I know it's still surreal." Haley admitted, "It's still so strange to be pregnant during our senior year."
"No stranger that getting married during your junior year." Brooke laughed at her friend.
"Touché."
"I bet you cried when you saw this on the screen." Brooke pocketed the picture once Haley assured her she had plenty more.
"Of course I did." Haley laughed, "So did Nathan. Enough about me thought; it feels like we haven't talked in ages. What's going on with you?"
"School, sketching, Rachel." Brooke summed it up in three words. Being pregnant, vomiting every morning, my nasty habit of fainting. She really needed to watch her eating and drinking habits if she was going to stop that anytime soon.
She was so caught up in her health, that she didn't hear Haley calling out her name.
"I spaced for a second." Brooke apologised when Haley questioned her. "Some sketches that I need to get finished sometime this week."
"Luke told me that you two spent the night together last night." Haley continued the conversation once it was clear the Brooke wasn't bringing it up. "He also said you collapsed, what's wrong Tigger?"
"Nothing too serious, my blood pressure's been low lately; but I'm fixing it. And nothing happened last night. He just slept next to me, refusing to leave."
"Does this change anything?" Haley asked, and Brooke shook her head firmly. She had made up her mind and she needed to stick with it. Haley was going to further the conversation until she caught a glimpse of the time.
"Shit, I'm meant to meet some in the library for tutoring." She was already grabbing her bags. "I'll talk to you later though." She called out, racing across the courtyard.
"There's nothing to talk about." Brooke called back, unsure if her friend had heard her over the noise or not.
---- ----
Lucas was meant to be studying, but when his mind kept drifting back to Brooke and the night that he had spent at Rachel's house, he was finding it increasingly difficult to focus on anything else.
Giving up on the textbooks when his mind drifted for the fifth time in the last ten minutes, he grabbed a blank piece of paper to pen a letter. He had found a song that conveyed his thoughts perfectly earlier on that week, completely by accident, when he had been flicking through radio stations.
It wasn't his type of music, it wasn't even Brooke's type of music; but he was more concerned about the message behind it.
Dear Pretty Girl, he wrote.
You don't know how much I miss you and how much I love you.
Being away from you is torturing me, you are the first thing I think about when I wake up, during the day, and you even occupy my dreams at night. Even now, when I'm meant to be studying I can think of nothing else.
You are everything to me, you are like what I once told you; you are the biggest part of my world.
I love you; I never thought I could possibly love a person as much as I love you. I had never considered before that this kind of love existed, but you were the one who showed me that it was real.
I never meant to hurt you, and now I realise that I was hurting myself too in the process and I swear to God that if I could take it all back, I would in a heartbeat.
I want us again now, and in the future, because strangely enough you are it for me, like I told you a few months ago; you are everything I never knew I wanted in a girl and the one person that makes me feel whole.
You once told me that you wanted me to fight for you, well I'm doing that now, so please give me a chance and come back to me because I would rather be alone than without you.
Last, but not least, I'm sending you a gift with this letter. Please, take the time to listen to it. The song that I accidently heard on the radio, says everything that I feel for you Brooke, and everything you made me feel.
I love you Pretty Girl, I will always wait for you.
Lucas.
He grabbed an envelope from the drawer, sliding the burnt disc containing the song inside along with the letter. Scribbling a small note on the back he pushed back from the desk, ready to post it.
I Love You. Please don't burn it.
He made the entire walk to the Gatina house, hoping as he deposited the letter in the mailbox, that this would be what it takes to get a positive reaction from Brooke.
A/N: I WANT TO HEAR YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE POSIBILITY OF NALEY HAVING A GIRL OR TWINS. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OR FEEL IN BOTH SITUATIONS? GOOD OR BAD .
SEE ON YOU ON THE NEXT UPDATE.