Disclaimer: I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

AN: Hope this isn't too horrible!

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Chapter 13: Wake Up Call

Brooke sighed as she, Jenny, and Sam stepped through her front door, the day wearing on them heavily. She smiled softly at Jake who was lying on the couch; she walked over to him, his face buried beneath one of the throw pillows, and shook him.

"Wake up sleepyhead. We're home."

Jake groaned and rolled over, knocking the pillow to the floor. Brooke's eyes went wide and she gasped, "Oh my gosh, Jake, what happened to your face?"

Jake sighed and sat up, thankful that Jenny was in her makeshift bedroom and couldn't see his new black eye, "Your boyfriend happened to my face…"

"What? Why would he do that?"

Jake tilted his head back and pointed toward the kitchen where he'd laid the flowers he'd found in the trash, "I found those this morning after you left, then he showed up and the rest is history." Brooke was seething; she stood up, clenching her fists, "Brooke, wait…"

She turned, "What? I can't just sit around while he acts like a jackass; he had no right to do that to you."

Jake looked at her like she was a child, his eyes slightly condescending, "He had every right to hit me, Brooke." She looked over at him like he was an idiot, "I think he saw us together last night…"

She frowned, her forehead creasing slightly, "But nothing happened!"

"It doesn't matter. I'm sure it didn't look like nothing."

She sighed, sitting down heavily on the couch, "I'm really sorry about your eye."

He shrugged with a small smile, "Eh, a black eye's nothing. I'm more worried about him…" He looked down sadly, "A broken heart hurts worse."

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Lucas smiled down at his nephew, watching the way he ran with an unstoppable amount of energy; he couldn't wait for his own little girl or boy to be born so he could spend afternoons out like this, "So, what do you want to do today, J. Luke?"

Jamie smiled deviously, "I just want to go for a walk today." The older blonde nodded, "Hey, Uncle Luke, can I ask you a few questions?"

He smiles down at the little boy, "Sure thing, buddy. What do you wanna know?"

Jamie's straight to the point, "Why did you and Aunt Brooke break up?"

Luke's eyes went wide, "What? How do you…huh?"

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Brooke sighed as she stared at the door to his hotel room; she'd spent the last hour and a half trying to decide whether her first course of action was going to be yelling at him or apologizing. She groaned slightly and knocked on the door; she could hear him walking around inside, things being kicked around on the floor.

The door opened slowly, "Brooke…"

Brooke's fist shot out and caught Julian's right eye.

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Haley frowned, "I don't see why you don't just call and apologize to her? I mean, you say you don't want to fight anymore, but here you are, avoiding her."

Peyton frowned, sitting in front of Haley and Nathan with a groan, "I was going to…but when Luke and I showed up at her house, Jake was there. How could she have not told me he was back in town?" She shook her head angrily, "And he's staying with her?! Since when are they even friends?"

Nathan frowned, "From the sound of things last night, they've been talking for the last three years or so."

Haley glared at her husband, stamping on his foot when she saw the slightly distraught look on her blonde friend's face, "But they are just friends…and I'm sure the only reason she didn't tell you was because she didn't want you to get hurt." She frowns at Peyton, "He's not the same guy he was before he left, Peyton. There's a certain sadness in his eyes now, and I think Brooke was scared to take away that image you had of him, you know?"

Peyton sighed, looking down with tears in her eyes, "I didn't know what to think; the door opened and suddenly I was face to face with my first love, and I completely froze. I don't think I even told him I was happy to see him…and I didn't even ask how Jenny was."

Haley smiled slightly, "Jenny's great. She's gotten so big…"

The blonde frowned, "You've seen her?"

Nathan nodded, "They came for dinner last night with Brooke and Julian…It was the most awkward meal I've ever had..."

Peyton shook her head, her gaze broken and lost. Haley lowered her voice as if there were people around that she was trying to keep a secret from, "Peyton, you don't still…love him do you?"

Peyton's gaze shot up, her eyes staring straight into Haley's, "Hales, I…"

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Julian reeled back, holding his eye, and suddenly Brooke felt horrible for hitting him. She sighed, "I'm sorry…I was just so mad at you for hitting Jake when he did nothing wrong…"

"How can you even say that to me, Brooke, that he did nothing wrong? After he kissed you?"

"I didn't kiss Jake…We were just lying together; it's not a big deal."

"It's not a big deal? Really? Would it be a big deal if it was me and Peyton?"

Brooke glared, "Jake and I are just friends! Nothing more."

He rolled his eyes, "Now! You are just friends now! You can't honestly tell me that there was never anything between you guys…"

She hesitated, "It was a long time ago, Julian. I love you…"

He shook his head, his eyes sad, "That's not good enough, Brooke. I won't be someone's second choice – not again."

"You're not! Please, just give me a chance to explain." Julian looked down, then nodded slightly. She sighed, "When I was in New York, my mother made me feel like I was inferior, and sometimes I couldn't handle it. I remember there was one night where she'd made some horrible comment about me being talentless, and, for whatever reason, that comment hit me hard. I went back to my apartment, laid down on my bed, and cried."

Julian nodded sadly at her, "What does that have to do with Jake?"

She exhaled sharply, "That night I couldn't calm myself down; Victoria had hurt me so much…and I remember feeling the weight shift on the bed next to me. And there was Jake – we just laid there, sometimes he hugged me, and other times he stayed on the complete opposite side of the bed." She looked down, "I know it must have hurt you to see us together like that, but I swear, nothing happened. There was no kiss; and I swear to you, there was never going to be a kiss. I love you."

He nodded his head toward the door, his eyes hauntingly sad, "Leave."

Brooke's eyes widened and tears sprang behind her eyes, "What?"

"Just go, Brooke…I can't do this right now."

The flood of tears released and she ran from the room, her sobs becoming increasingly louder. Julian stood in front of his still open door and one tear fell down his cheek, "What have I done…?"

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Peyton knocked on Brooke's door for the second time in two days; her mind a torrent of thoughts. Her mind ran in circles, thinking of Haley's question, and she shook her head in anger, hoping that Nathan didn't mention the conversation to Lucas. She definitely did not need to have another conversation with her fiancé like the one they'd had the other day about exes; that was pure Hell.

Jake answered the door a few seconds later wearing an apron, "Peyton, hey." He smiled.

Peyton frowned at his black eye and apron, but quickly threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you how happy I am that you're back…I really missed you, Jake."

He pulled back, a small smile gracing his lips, "I missed you too, Peyt."

"Tell me all about Jenny! I've missed that little girl."

"She's great. She's gotten so…"

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Tears continued to course down her face as she stared at the river; her mind a mess of why's and how's. From behind her, she could hear footsteps quickly approaching; she turned, hoping to see Julian.

"I knew I'd find you here…"

Her face fell even more and she fell to her knees. Within seconds she was in his arms, "Shh…it'll be okay."

She shook her head against his chest, gripping his shoulders tightly, "I think Julian broke up with me…"

He frowned and held her tighter, carrying her over to the benches near the court, "It'll all be okay, Brookie. No one can resist your charm…"

He smiled, trying to lighten the mood, but she wasn't having it, "You're so right," sarcasm, "the only people who have been able to 'resist my charm' were Lucas, Peyton, MY MOTHER, and the people at the adoption agency…But you're so right."

She gripped him tighter, unable to hold herself together, "I'm sorry, Brookie." She nodded against his chest, "Well, you know that I'll always love you, right? You're my best friend."

She smiled slightly, "Yeah, I do know that…Chris. And I love you too."

TBC…

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AN: Read and review! Next chapter takes place a week later. Jamie's plan finally happens! And Jake/Peyton talk some more.