A/N: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese!
Disclaimer: Only own Maddie
Chapter Ten
The Wrath of Brooke
Brooke stared at the ceiling as she tried to get to sleep. However, she had too much on her mind and finally decided to give up. She pushed the covers off herself and climbed out of the bed. She then quietly opened the door and walked out into the hall. There was silence from downstairs, indicating that both Lucas and Maddie were obviously asleep in their bedrooms. She then quietly walked down the stairs before heading into the kitchen.
She turned on the light before she checked the clock on the wall. She then saw that it was nearly one o'clock. She opened the fridge and pulled out the water pitcher and placed it onto the counter before pulling out a glass from the cupboard.
She was about to pour the water when she heard a familiar voice. "You couldn't sleep either?" Lucas asked her, causing her to jump and almost drop the pitcher. She turned around to face him as she caught her breath. Lucas looked at her apologetically as he said, "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I was just in the basement and saw the light on. I couldn't help but wonder who was here."
Brooke let a huge sigh. "I can't stop thinking about Peyton," she replied. "I can't believe that I never made the connection between your family and her."
"Well, I didn't know that she was the same woman that you were talking about either," Lucas said.
"When did you find out that she was?" Brooke asked him curious.
Lucas gave her a smile as he said, "It was right after I punched Julian. She came out to help him and that's when I saw her."
Brooke smiled in return. "Don't tell anybody I told you this, but Julian deserved that punch. His attitude drives me crazy sometimes."
Lucas couldn't argue with that. "Yeah, I can see why." He then changed the subject. "Listen, I don't have very many rules here. But one of them is no swearing around my daughter. I know your hormones are out of whack, but that's no excuse."
Brooke nodded understandingly. "I promise that I will keep the swearing to a minimum. But you won't kick me out if I forget, will you?" she joked.
"Well, I'll let you off with a warning for the first time. But you might have to beg if you are caught a third time," Lucas joked back.
"Don't worry. I'm pretty good at keeping those words to myself," Brooke said as she smiled again. "Is there anything else you don't want me to do around Maddie?" Before he could answer, Brooke went on. "I don't smoke or do drugs. And I don't drink alcohol much anymore. Of course, it doesn't matter since I'm pregnant. But if I do, I will make sure that I'm not the one driving myself or Maddie anywhere."
"I appreciate that," Lucas replied. He then got serious. "There is actually one thing I won't tolerate in my house." Brooke looked at him, ready to listen. "I want you to promise me that you will never abuse Maddie, Jamie or even Jenny in any way."
"I promise," Brooke told him sincerely and he could tell that she meant it. She then changed the subject. "I don't mean to pry, but what have you been doing to your office? I couldn't help but notice that you've been moving boxes out of there."
Lucas wanted to lie, but he knew that it was the best time to tell her the truth. "It's a surprise for you," he replied. Brooke looked at him surprised, but touched. "But I'm not going to tell you what it is. You're just going to have to wait until it's completed."
"Can't you give me a hint?" Brooke asked him.
Lucas laughed. "No, but I'm sure that you are going to love it."
"What about a peek?" Brooke asked.
"I would, but then the surprise will be spoiled," Lucas replied. Brooke was disappointed. "Besides, Maddie wants to be there when we do show it to you. So you're just going to have to wait and see what it is. My surprise should be done in a couple of days."
"I can't wait to find out what your surprise is," Brooke said as she suddenly felt a pain in her stomach. She groaned as she grabbed her abdomen.
"Are you alright?" Lucas asked her concerned.
Brooke nodded as she rubbed her belly. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just have a stomach cramp."
Lucas frowned, not entirely convinced by her reply. "Are you sure?" he asked her. Brooke nodded. "I would like to take you to the hospital, just to be safe. I'll get Nathan or Haley over here to watch Maddie." Brooke was about to protest, but Lucas didn't let her get a word in. "I'll be right back."
Brooke then stopped him. "Lucas, you don't have to do that. It's probably just too much dessert from the celebration earlier. I'm sure my stomach will settle down after I go to the bathroom." Lucas still wasn't convinced. She gave him a reassuring smile as she said, "I'm ok. I promise."
Lucas sighed. He knew that she wasn't backing down and he finally gave in. "Well, I'll be upstairs if you need me." Brooke nodded gratefully as she headed towards the bathroom. His gut told him that there was something wrong. However, he ignored the feeling as he headed upstairs to bed.
The next morning, Lucas was busy making breakfast for him and Maddie when they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Lucas and Maddie exchanged good mornings with Brooke as she came into the room. "How are you feeling this morning?" Lucas asked her with concern in his voice.
Brooke gave him a small smile. "I'm feeling a little bit better. Thank you," she replied.
"Can I make you anything?" Lucas offered.
Brooke shook her head. "No, I'm actually going to grab a banana and head to the shower. I have a few errands to run. And I want to start right away."
"Can I come?" Maddie asked eagerly.
Brooke gave her a gentle smile. "Not this time," she replied. She could see that Maddie was disappointed and she knew exactly how to cheer her up. "But once I get back, we'll spend the whole day together."
"Promise?" Maddie asked as she smiled widely.
Brooke nodded. "I promise," she replied before Maddie embraced her in a tight hug.
After eating breakfast, Brooke took a quick shower before saying good-bye to Lucas and Maddie. She then walked out of the house before heading to her car. She let out a sigh. She hated lying to Lucas and Maddie, but it was necessary for the time being.
After she ran her first errand, she drove to the Tree Hill Café. She knew that it was open since Karen's Café wasn't. She found a parking space in front of the café before she climbed out of the car. She then marched in and looked around for Peyton. However, she didn't see her, so she walked over to a waitress and gave her a fake smile. "Hi, may I speak to Ms. Sawyer?" she asked.
"I'm sorry, but Ms. Sawyer is out for the day," the waitress told her.
"Can you give her a message for me?" Brooke asked. She was still pretending to be all happy and smiley, when inside she was full of anger and hurt. The waitress nodded. "Great." Brooke then walked past her and picked up the muffins from the counter. She threw them on the floor. "Bitch!" she exclaimed angrily as she dropped the nice fake act. She continued throwing the food down on the floor as the waitress and customers looked on in shock. She then threw some of the food against the wall, wishing that Peyton was there so that she could throw something at her.
She didn't even notice the stares as she walked back out of the café and to her car. She felt better since she had let her anger out. However, she knew that it wasn't over between her and Peyton, as she still had to talk to her face-to-face. And she knew that the conversation wasn't going to be pretty.
"Daddy, when is Brooke coming back?" Maddie asked Lucas anxiously as she looked up from coloring a picture.
Lucas gave her a gentle smile. "Don't worry. She'll come back soon. She just had to run a few errands."
"How come I couldn't come with her? I always run errands with you," Maddie asked him as she pouted slightly.
"Well, sometimes a mommy or daddy wants some alone time by themselves," Lucas replied. "And running errands is a way to do that. But there will be plenty of other times that you will be able to go with her." They then heard a knock at the front door. Lucas frowned. "I wonder who that could be."
Maddie ran for the door with Lucas right behind her. She pulled the door open to see Victoria standing there. Lucas looked at her surprised as Victoria gave him a smile. They exchanged greetings before he spoke again. "Victoria, I didn't expect to see you today."
"Well, we have a few more things to discuss before I leave this evening," Victoria replied. "May I come in?"
Maddie gave her a smile. "Yes, you may," she replied.
Victoria returned the smile. "Thank you, Madelyn," she said as she walked into the foyer.
"Maddie, why don't you go and see if Jamie or Jenny could play?" Lucas asked Maddie. She nodded before heading out the front door and going next door. He then turned back to Victoria. "Can I get you anything to eat or drink?" he asked her.
"No, thank you. I'm fine," she replied as she followed him towards the kitchen. "You have a lovely home."
"Thank you," Lucas replied as he gestured her to sit down. After they both did, he turned to her. "So what do we need to discuss?"
"Well, yesterday was all about learning about you and your relationship with Ms. Sawyer. Today is all about the actual case," Victoria replied. "Forgive me, but I'm so used to working New York cases that I didn't remember that North Carolina has different rules until after our meeting."
"What do you mean?" Lucas asked.
"Well, it looks like I can't take your case right away. You and Ms. Sawyer have to go to mediation first," Victoria replied. Lucas gave her a confused look. "It's where you two try and figure out a custody arrangement. And if that doesn't work, then you will be able to fight your case in court."
"It won't work. Trust me. I'm not going to let Peyton back into my life when she didn't want to be in it in the first place," Lucas replied in a frustrated tone. "And she doesn't deserve to know Maddie." Before Victoria could reply, the back door opened to reveal Brooke. She froze as she saw her mother. At first, neither knew what to say. Lucas decided to speak up first. "Victoria just came over to discuss the case."
Brooke nodded understandingly. Yet, she didn't have a chance to say anything as they heard someone pounding at the front door. "That must be Peyton."
Lucas frowned. "Why Peyton would be knocking on my door like she wants to break it down?" he asked her as the pounding continued. He didn't let her answer as he went to the front door and answered it.
Peyton glared at him as she stormed into the foyer. "Where the hell is she?" she demanded angrily. "Where the hell is that little tramp? I want to give her a piece of my mind before I decide whether or not I'm pressing charges for trashing my café."
Brooke came into the foyer, glaring right back at her. She scoffed at her. "You have some nerve calling me a tramp after what you did to me and Lucas."
Peyton raised her eyebrows at her. "Well, it's not like I'm the only one who had an affair. Look at you. You and Julian have only just separated and already you're sleeping with another man and having a baby, by my ex-husband no less."
"You just want to believe that so you don't have to worry about being an evil stepmother to my child," Brooke replied angrily. "Of course, you're already an expert at being a terrible mother. So this should have been easy as pie for you."
Lucas knew that the conversation would go too far if it continued. Victoria had the same feeling. She came into the foyer and walked over to Peyton. "Hello, I don't believe we've met. I'm Victoria Davis, Brooke's mother and Lucas's lawyer." She then corrected herself. "Well, I will be if the custody case has to go to court."
Peyton just smirked nastily at Lucas. "Well, I'm glad you caught onto the game."
Lucas raised his eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"
"I've also hired a close friend to help me win the case," Peyton replied. There was a short pause for dramatic effect. "So when mediation fails, Dan Scott will be my lawyer."
Brooke gaped at her. Lucas looked at her shocked as he glared at her. He couldn't believe his ears. He finally spoke. "With a lawyer like him, you'll never win."
"How would you know? You haven't talked to him in years," Peyton pointed out. She was about to leave when she turned around for a second. "By the way, I'm pressing charges for destruction of property and vandalism," she told them before she walked out the door.
Lucas was about to protest when Brooke spoke up. "Let that little leech do it. I don't care. I'm leaving anyway." Lucas looked at her surprised. He was about to respond when she headed up the stairs. He quickly followed her into her room.
"What do you mean you're leaving?" Lucas asked her in a shocked tone. He wondered how many more surprises he would be getting in the same day.
Brooke went to the closet and pulled out her suitcase. She put it onto her bed before going over to the dresser. She started taking out her clothes as she spoke. "I'm starting over in a new state, away from New York and North Carolina. There are too many memories from both places that I don't think I can live in either one."
Lucas gave her a confused look. "But why? I don't understand."
Brooke sighed. "Lucas, I appreciate you looking after me and my baby especially when you have Maddie to take care of. But I can't handle it anymore."
There was suddenly a knock at the open door. "Lucas, may I speak with Brooke alone for a few moments?" she asked. Lucas nodded as he left the bedroom. She then shut the door before she turned to her daughter. "Brooke Penelope Davis, what do you think you are doing?"
Brooke gave her a look. "Don't give me a lecture, Mother. I'm not in the mood for one."
"I wasn't going to," Victoria replied. "I'm just trying to understand the reason why my daughter is running away from her problems again."
"What makes you think I have problems?" Brooke asked her. "Maybe I just want to get away from my estranged husband and his girlfriend."
"Because you wouldn't be packing up your clothes if you weren't," Victoria replied. Brooke hated to admit it, but she was right. She didn't say anything as Victoria continued on. "Look, I'm sorry that I pushed you so hard. I really did just want what was best for you."
Brooke raised her eyebrows as she asked, "Best for me or best for the Davis reputation?"
"To tell you the truth, I wasn't the one who cared about the Davis reputation. Your father was," Victoria replied. "After all, it is his good name, not mine. I may have been married to him, but I certainly wasn't happy about it. I only married him because my parents wanted me to." There was a short pause as she added, "All I wanted was for you to be happy."
"If that was true, then why did you try to stop me from marrying Julian?" Brooke asked her.
"Because I didn't think that you would be happy with him," Victoria replied honestly. "I didn't trust him. But I knew that I had to let you find out for yourself. After all, you were eighteen. I couldn't tell you what to do anymore, just like I can't do it now. You're old enough to make decisions for yourself and your baby." Brooke remained quiet as her mother continued. "And if you want to leave Tree Hill, that's your decision. Just make sure that you're doing it for the right reasons."
She was about to leave when she heard her name. She turned around and looked at Brooke. "Both Lucas and Maddie told me that I should give you a second chance. I didn't want to, but I promised Maddie that I would. So I'm going to do it. Please don't let me down."
Victoria gave her daughter a smile. "I promise that I won't."
By the time lunchtime came, Victoria had left and Maddie had returned from playing with Jenny. After lunch, Brooke was preoccupied with playing with Maddie. Lucas was relieved since he wasn't in the mood to talk to her right then. Yet, he was glad that she didn't leave right away.
The afternoon flew by fast and it was soon dinnertime. After the three ate their supper together, Maddie went to watch cartoons in the other room. Lucas turned on the faucet over the kitchen sink and started rinsing the dirty dishes as Brooke brought them to him. There was silence for a few moments before Brooke finally spoke. "Lucas, I'm sorry that I surprised you like that, but I have to leave."
"Why? Because of Peyton and Julian?" Lucas asked her. "I have issues with them too, but you don't see me running. You can't run away from your problems, Brooke. Otherwise, they will never get resolved."
Brooke sighed. "I know, but it's more complicated than that."
"What is more complicated than relationships?" Lucas asked.
Before Brooke could answer, they heard someone knocking on the door. Maddie ran to answer it. Brooke and Lucas were right behind her. Maddie pulled the door open to reveal a police officer. Brooke knew she was in trouble even before the officer started speaking. "Brooke Davis, you're under arrest for destruction of property and vandalism."