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New Years Eve came and went. The Scott's and The Davis's had spent a quiet night at the Davis mansion. The adults spent most of the night together, leaving the younger ones to have a relaxed evening without their parents. Lucas and Nathan had gone to their new base a few days after New Year. It had been another tearful departure for the girls. Only this time it had been in front of the Scott house instead of the airport, as they were driving there. Brooke and Haley headed back to school a few days later. They were walking side by side as they headed down the school hallway towards their lockers.
"Brooke!" Haley said in an urgent hiss. "Peyton's at three o clock."
"What?" Brooke asked as she moved her head to the right. Her eyes fell on the blonde as she scuttled past them. "Well, well. It looks like the blonde bimbo doesn't want to be noticed."
"Do you think Principal Turner will suspend me if I go over there and slap her?" Haley asked as she glared at Peyton as she stopped at her locker.
"I'm sure he'll be joining in when he finds out that it was that bitch that almost killed us," Brooke said as she stomped over to Peyton. Peyton had just opened her locker door and Brooke slammed it closed. "Well hello there Peyton."
"Watch it Bitch!" Peyton snarled at her. "You almost trapped my hand then."
"Oh what a shame!" Brooke replied in an angry tone. "You're lucky that I didn't shove your head in there before I slammed the door. Not after what you did you psycho!"
"God! You're still going on about that little accident?" Peyton asked as she rolled her eyes. "Get over it already!"
"You did not just say that to me!" Brooke told her as her anger level rose. "You almost killed us by deliberately running a red light! What sort of idiot does that?"
"Yeah what sort of idiot does do that?" Haley asked from the other side of Peyton. Peyton turned and saw Haley glaring at her with hate clear to see in her eyes.
"I wondered how long it would be before the pregnant ho joined in." Peyton sneered.
"The only ho here is you!" Haley spat back as a crowd began to gather in the hallway.
"Sure it is!" Peyton said as she rolled her eyes again. "Like it's me who's pregnant."
"I'd pity any kid that you had!" Brooke said as she folded her arms in front of her. "You're forgetting that Haley's baby has a father who is pissed at you too. And did we mention that it's a big muscle army guy? Oh and I can't forget that my fiancé is pissed at you too!"
"Whatever!" Peyton replied. She was trying to act cool, but was starting to feel a little worried. "Like Lucas would propose to a bitchy slut like you."
"I am not a slut! And I am only a bitch when the need calls for it. And that seems to be permanently where you're concerned," Brooke told her. She then held her left hand up to show the ring Lucas had got her. Peyton's eyes went wide as she saw it. Brooke then leaned closer to Peyton and said. "See he did propose! You better watch your back Peyton. You'll get what you deserve when you least expect it!"
"Yeah you better!" Haley added before she and Brooke turned to leave. Brooke saw the gathered crowd.
"Shows over folks!" she called as she and Haley pushed their way through.
~X~
"Can you believe that bitch?" Brooke asked Haley a little later that day. They were sat at a table together at lunch. "Going to Turner and saying that I slammed her hand in her locker!"
"She had to have done that herself," Haley replied. "And it's a good thing we had that crowd gathered so they could all back you up and say her hand was in perfect condition when you walked away."
"I'm so glad he gave her detention," Brooke said as she managed a smile. "We should go and let her tires down while she's otherwise detained."
"I can't believe she still has that car!" Haley replied with a frown. "I thought it would have been totaled like yours."
"I can't wait to get a new car," Brooke replied longingly. "I miss having my own wheels."
"Have you decided what you want to get yet?" Haley asked curious.
"Yeah, my dad showed me some different car brochures last night," Brooke told her. "I'm getting a shiny black GMC Yukon Denali. My dad's going to treat me as an early birthday present."
"Wow you're lucky," Haley told her in an impressed tone. "I'm actually going to see if my parents will get me a car. I mean I'm going to need one soon with all the baby stuff I'm going to have to carry around."
"That's a good idea Hales," Brooke told her. She grinned as she said. "There's no way you'll be trashing my new Denali!"
"I'd be too scared of driving your new car!" Haley told her with a laugh. "I'm gonna let my dad and Nathan pick me a nice car that is suitable for me to drive. I can manage my mom's car easily so I might just get a newer model of that."
"Aww you and Nathan will be so sweet in your family car with my niece!" Brooke told her in a dreamy tone. Haley laughed loudly in response.
"What would you do if it turned out I was going to have a boy?" Haley asked her.
"I would turn round and tell you and Nathan to get back in the bedroom until you made my niece!" Brooke told her playfully. Haley looked at her in shock.
"I'm sure that my parents would love that!" Haley told her as she shook her head.
"Nathan would love it!" Brooke said as she giggled. "Speaking of Nathan, how are you two getting on with your little web cam dating?"
"Just fine," Haley replied as she blushed slightly. "How about you and Lucas?"
"Awesome as always," Brooke replied. "I'm glad I got him that new phone for Christmas. We can video chat on those instead of just on the computers."
"Please do not tell me any more," Haley told her as she pulled a disturbed face. "Otherwise I won't be responsible for my stomach's reaction. After all I am eating."
"I wasn't going to tell you any more about that," Brooke replied. "So please don't hurl!"
"I miss waking up with Nathan every day." Haley said with a sigh.
"I miss waking up with Lucas too," Brooke agreed. "I wonder when they'll be able to come home again."
"Same here," Haley replied. She then decided to change the subject. "We're still heading to the mall after school right? So I can get some maternity clothes in the sale."
"Of course," Brooke assured her. "And if you want I will even make you some. I have a lot more time on my hands now your hot brother isn't dragging me to bed at every chance that he gets."
"You're lowering the tone of the conversation again there Brooke." Haley told her.
"I can't help it," Brooke almost whined. "Lucas has that affect on me. You should know that by now anyway."
"Well before you get too carried away in the land of Lucas, just remember where you are," Haley told her with a smile. "The way you get carried away with your dreams of Lucas it wouldn't be good for you to daydream about him; you'd probably end up Brooke-ing yourself in class or something."
"God I hope not!" Brooke said as her eyes widened in horror at the thought. "If you ever see any danger of anything like that happening you stop me okay!"
"Don't worry I will," Haley said as she laughed at the look on her friends face. "Why do you think I stop you so early besides the fact that you would scar me for life?"
"Thank you," Brooke told her as she laughed. "It's good to know that there is someone out there who is willing to save me from ever publicly humiliating myself."
"That's what friends are for right?" Haley replied as the bell rang to signal the end of lunch.
"Shit we're gonna be late for class," Brooke mumbled. "I've not even finished my food."
"That's because you've been too busy on about Lucas," Haley told her. "As usual."
"Do you want to cut afternoon classes?" Brooke asked as the thought entered her head. "We could head straight to the mall now. Our parents will never know. And if they do find out, I'll just say I was upset about the run in with Peyton."
"I don't know Brooke." Haley replied in a hesitant tone.
"Oh come on," Brooke pleaded. "We've done it before and had our parents' permission. Hello road trip to Luke's graduation and my amazing birthday gift from him."
"I suppose one time won't hurt right?" Haley replied not sounding convinced.
"That's the spirit!" Brooke told her. "Now we just have to get out of here without Turner catching us!"
~X~
"How are you feeling?" Lucas asked Nathan as they drove past the sign that said Welcome to Tree Hill.
"Honestly? I feel sick," Nathan admitted as he kept his gaze on the road. "I know we were supposed to be prepared for this happening, but when it actually does it just throws you."
"I know what you mean," Lucas replied. His brooding expression was prominent as he looked out of the passenger window. "I thought we would have had a little more time before we got this."
"Me too," Nathan agreed. "But they'd probably say it'll be good experience for us."
"I have no idea how I'm going to tell Brooke," Lucas said with a sigh. "It's going to be harder telling her than my parents I think."
"I'm sort of glad that I only have to tell Haley," Nathan said with a frown. "I just hate that I'm going to miss the birth of our baby. You know since we got told, I can't help but wonder if I'll ever get to see or hold him or her."
"Don't talk like that," Lucas told him as his brooding look became even more prominent. "You will okay."
"How do you know that for sure?" Nathan asked as he glanced over at Lucas looked him in the eye. "You can't Luke. Once we get over there, nobody can guarantee us anything."
"You're right," Lucas said quietly as he sighed and Nathan returned his eyes to the road. "I'm gonna call Brooke and tell her that we'll meet her and Hales at the school."
"Good idea." Nathan agreed as Lucas pulled his new cell phone out and quickly dialed Brooke's number.
"Well hello there sexy." Brooke purred as she picked up almost immediately.
"How come you answered so fast?" he asked in a puzzled tone. "Shouldn't you be in Math right now?"
"I should be," Brooke replied. "But I'm not. There was this whole situation with Peyton and I needed some cheering up so Haley and I are on our way to the mall."
"You're cutting class?" Lucas asked as he grinned slightly.
"She has been hanging out way too much with you Lucas." Nathan mumbled to himself; however Lucas heard it and shook his head.
"It's either cut class or kill that blonde bitch!" Brooke told him.
"Are you using your mom's car?" he asked her as he wondered how she and Haley were getting to the mall.
"No we're on a bus." Brooke replied with a sigh.
"Seriously, Brooke Davis is on public transport?" Lucas asked with a chuckle.
"I know it's disgraceful!" Brooke said in a tone that let him know she was pouting in disgust. "I'm just glad that we'll be there in a few minutes. And that my dad is getting me an awesome new car. Anyway why are you calling me if you thought that I was in Math?"
"I just needed to hear your voice," he replied. It wasn't a lie because he did. "Even voicemail would have done."
"Aww you're so sweet," she told him in response. "Are you having a bad day too?"
"You could say that," Lucas replied. "Brooke I gotta go. I'll call you again later okay?"
"Okay Broody," she replied. She could tell that something was bothering him. "I love you."
"I love you too Pretty Girl." Lucas told her before he quickly hung up.
"Wow I think that has to be the quickest that you ever got off the phone to her," Nathan said in a surprised tone. He then frowned as he asked. "I thought you were going to tell her we were meeting them?"
"I was but they're already cutting classes," Lucas told him. "They're about to arrive at the mall on a bus."
"A bus?" Nathan asked in a shocked voice. "I can't imagine Brooke on a bus."
"Me neither," Lucas said with a smile. "We go past the mall in a few minutes. I say we track them down in there and surprise them. It sounds like they already had a bad day."
"It does?" Nathan asked with a frown. "What happened?"
"Brooke said that there was a situation involving Peyton." Lucas told him in an annoyed tone.
"That doesn't surprise me," Nathan said angrily. "She's the stupid ho that caused the crash ain't she?"
"The one and only," Lucas confirmed. "So I suggest that we let the girls have a little retail therapy before we tell them what we came back here for."
"Remind me to have Haley's doctor's number on speed dial before we do," Nathan told him in a serious tone. "Because I don't want to take any chances with her or our baby."
~X~
"What's so funny?" Brooke asked Haley as they walked into the mall.
"I can't believe that you actually took a bus that wasn't supplied by school!" Haley said as she chuckled to herself. "You should see your face."
"Well you didn't have the crazy drunk guy leering at you!" Brooke told her with a frown. "I feel like I need to fumigate myself or something. I feel gross and icky and totally not in the mood for shopping now."
"You do realize that we have to get the bus back right?" Haley asked in an amused voice.
"We're getting a cab!" Brooke told her firmly. "I don't care how much it costs. We should have got a cab here. I really can't wait to get my car."
"It's too bad that Lucas took his with him," Haley said. "We could have used that."
"Yeah it is," Brooke agreed. "That way I wouldn't have had someone invading my personal space. I don't know how people can travel on that all the time."
"Some people don't have a choice Brooke," Haley told her. "It's their only way of getting around."
"I need coffee," Brooke said suddenly. "I need to sit and relax for a little while to get over my bus trauma."
"Coffee makes you relaxed?" Haley asked her with a confused frown.
"No the sitting will make me relax a little," Brooke told her. "I just want to drink my coffee. That might perk me up for the shopping that I suddenly lost interest in."
"Wow the bus ride really put a dampener on your mood huh?" Haley asked as they headed in the direction of their usual coffee pit stop.
"Yeah. And then there was that whole Peyton issue," Brooke replied. "And Luke sounded like there was something bothering him."
"He did?" Haley asked in response.
"Yeah," Brooke confirmed. "When I asked him why he called me if he thought that I was in Math, he said that he just needed to hear my voice."
"Aww that's kinda cute." Haley told her.
"That's what I said," Brooke replied with a slight smile. "But I think there's something that he's not telling me."
"Why don't you call him and ask?" Haley suggested.
"I will later," Brooke told her. "He told me he had to go. So I'm guessing that he was making a sneaky call and was almost busted."
"Did you hear Nathan in the background?" Haley asked hopefully. Brooke laughed at the look on her face.
"Why don't you call him and see if he answers?" Brooke suggested. "And to answer your question no I didn't hear him."
"I will later," Haley replied. "He's probably off with Lucas being busy and doing whatever it is that they do at the base."
"You know, I think I'm going to have a big fat piece of chocolate cake while we're here," Brooke told her. "Seeing as though I didn't get to finish my lunch."
"I think I'm going to have one too," Haley told her. "Junior here likes the sound of that."
"Well let's get a move on then," Brooke told her playfully. "I know what you're like when you don't get your craving straight away."
~X~
"So where shall we start looking for them?" Nathan asked with a frown.
"Well I just sent Brooke a text asking her what she was doing," Lucas told her. "So when she replies we'll head to where they are."
"So if she replied with something vague like I'm buying make up, that means that we have to go around every place that sells it." Nathan pointed out.
"Well I'll ask her to be more specific if that's the case," Lucas told him as Brooke replied to his text. Lucas quickly read it. "She and Haley are at having something to eat. So they'll be at that little coffee shop place that Brooke loves and has to go to every time she comes here."
"How do you know that?" Nathan asked as they set off in the direction that they needed to go.
"Because I pay attention to what she says." Lucas told him as he put his phone back into his pocket.
~X~
"Oh my god I think I'm going to have to have my third piece of that cake." Haley told Brooke.
"I think I might get another piece as well actually," Brooke told her. "And my fourth coffee."
"You're going to be bouncing off the walls after all that caffeine!" Haley told her with a laugh.
"Well I need a pick me up," Brooke told her with a smile. "You stay there and keep our table. I'll go and order the food. Do you want another milkshake?"
"I sure do," Haley told her. "And make it another large one."
"Coming right up!" Brooke said as she lifted the tray with their empty plates, cups and glasses to take back to the counter. She then headed over to the now clear counter to place their order.
"Are these seats taken?" A voice asked Haley. She frowned as she realized she knew the voice and turned round in her seat to find Nathan stood behind her.
"Oh my God!" she said happily as she stood and hugged him. "What was with the dodgy accent?"
"I wanted to make you wonder who it was." Nathan told her as he sat down in a spare chair.
"Where's Brooke?" Lucas asked her with a frown.
"Getting us some more food and drink." Haley told him as she pointed to the counter. Lucas looked over.
"Nathan do you want a coffee?" Lucas asked.
"Sure," Nathan replied. "I'll let you buy me one."
"You're buying the next ones," Lucas told him before he headed over to the counter. Brooke still had her back to him and jumped when his arms went around her waist. "Can you add two coffee's to your order Pretty Girl?"
"I sure can, seeing as though it's you that asked," she replied as she turned her head to look at him. She kissed his cheek before she asked. "So what are you doing here army guy?"
"I came to see you," Lucas told her as he smiled at her. "I missed you."
"Oh you did huh?" she asked as the server came back to the counter. "Can I get two more coffees to go with my order please?"
The server nodded in response and quickly added two coffees to the tray. Lucas untangled himself from Brooke and picked the tray up while she paid. They then headed back over to the table side by side.
~X~
"Are you sure mom and dad won't go crazy with me and Brooke not being in school?" Haley asked in a worried tone as she saw her parents' cars. Lucas pulled into the driveway behind Karen and Keith's cars, outside the Scott house as she did. The girls had decided against shopping once the guys had shown up, so once they had finished their food they had headed back to Tree Hill.
"She'll be fine Hales," Lucas told her as he and Nathan shared a glance. Brooke and Haley saw it and they looked at each other in concern. "I'll just tell her that I dragged you out of school."
"Why would you do that?" Haley asked with a frown.
"Come on Hales, let's get inside," Nathan told her. "It's warmer in there."
Brooke and Haley shared another worried look as they climbed out of the car. Both were beginning to realize that there was something about this visit from Lucas and Nathan that they didn't know; especially for Karen and Keith's cars to be in the driveway at this time of day. They stayed silent as they walked from the car and into the house. They went through the front door and headed into the lounge. Karen and Keith were sat on a sofa and looked surprised when they saw Brooke and Haley. Brooke and Haley shared another glance and both got a sinking feeling in their stomachs as they sat on the other sofa. Nathan and Lucas remained standing.
"Why are Brooke and Haley out of school?" Karen asked Lucas as she frowned.
"Because that way you all get to hear what we have to tell you at the same time." Lucas replied in a serious tone.
"Oh my God!" Brooke said as her face paled. She had a feeling that she knew exactly what Lucas and Nathan were about to tell them. Lucas looked over at her and swallowed hard. Brooke instantly knew that her gut feeling was right. "Where?"
"Brooke-" Lucas began trying to delay having to tell her, but she cut him off.
"Lucas please, just tell us," she asked him in almost a whisper. "Where are they sending you?"
"Iraq." Nathan answered after a few moments of Lucas moving his mouth and having no sound come out.
"Iraq?" Haley asked in shocked voice. "Already? Isn't that a little soon? You just finished your training! They can't send you there already!"
"They can Hales." Nathan told her softly as he watched her stand from the sofa and begin to pace. He went over to her and gathered her into his arms.
"When?" Karen asked them. Lucas managed to tear his gaze away from Brooke and look over at his parents. They both looked in a similar state to Brooke.
"In four weeks." Lucas told them softly.
"Four weeks?" Keith asked unable to believe what he was hearing.
"That's not enough time," Brooke said as her eyes filled with tears. "That's just not enough time!"
"Don't cry Pretty Girl," Lucas told her as he hurried over to her. He knelt in front of her and pulled her into his arms. "Please don't cry."
"How can I not cry Lucas?" she asked in a muffled voice as she buried her face into his chest. "You're being sent to one of the most dangerous and hostile places in the world."
"I'll come back. I promise." he assured her.
"But how Lucas?" she asked as she moved her head and looked into his eyes. "I can't lose you."
Lucas had no reply for her as he knew that he couldn't make her any false promises. He felt his own tears threatening to fall at the look on Brooke's face so he placed his hand on the back of her head and lowered it to how it had been before. He didn't want her to see him cry, not right then anyway. He was torn between finally getting to do something that he had wanted to do for as long as he could remember and leaving Brooke behind. His arms tightened around her and he got lost in her familiar, comforting scent. He wanted to make sure that he remembered every tiny detail, so it would help him get through whatever was going to have to face.