Brooke arrived at the store early; she'd told Millicent to take the morning off after all her hard work. The real reason was Brooke needed time to think about Peyton. It had been two days since their kiss. She hadn't seen Peyton since but every day when they arrived at the store a delivery from the local coffee shop arrived accompanied by a note. She couldn't deny it was sweet, like something out of a chick flick, and she knew it was Peyton's attempt at slow but she was sure it would take more than her favourite muffins to erase her fears. She opened up the store; it was ready for opening apart from the lack of stock. Victoria had finally telephone, demanding she returned to New York. Brooke had refused and that had ended the conversation. She wasn't sure what that meant but it wasn't going to stop her. She'd rand the branch in Charlotte and they were sending her what she needed. Victoria would just have to deal with it.

Brooke headed into the back where she'd set up her own studio. Working was the best way to deal with her feelings. She'd been working on her new line for about half an hour, when she realised her breakfast hadn't arrived. She silently wished she hadn't noticed but she had. She walked out to the front and checked if the door was open and if the bell was working. There was no delivery; she tried not to be too disappointed as she checked outside to see if there was any sign of Peyton's car. She returned to her studio slightly deflated and began to work again. When she heard the bell ring about two hours later, she dashed out, expecting to see Peyton. To her dismay her mother stood in the centre of the floor.

"What, no hug?"

"It's a bit late to get all maternal." Brooke said striding out confidently. "What are you doing here?"

"Funny I was going to ask you the same thing." They stood face to face, almost like to animals before a fight, waiting for the other to make their move. Brooke only had one thought, she was not giving up this store. "I got a call this morning from charlotte. I can't believe you're going through with this. A store in this town, it is suicide."

"Your opinion. But this is my company."

"Wrong. You're the puppet Brooke, I'm the one pulling the strings." Victoria snapped. "I want you to come home."

"This is home."

"No this place will ruin you. You don't realise it but I'm doing this for you. I don't want to see your talent go to waste." Victoria stepped towards her, softening her voice "Brooke I only want what is best for you."

"Then let me do this." Brooke watched as she thought about this.

"Brooke, I just don't see why. This small town. Pretty things die in Tree Hill, my dear. I don't want that for my daughter" Brooke smirked at Victoria's words. It had been her suggestion to make their relationship all business, for the good of the company. The word mother apparently undermined them and that name had been the first thing to go. "What could you possibly get from staying here?"

As if in on cue, Peyton came through the door. She stopped dead in her tracks, taking in the scene before her. Brooke watched her brow furrow in her confusion. When Victoria turned to face her, Peyton's face became cold; Brooke hadn't seen it like that in a long time. It was almost fear and anger. It was the anger that scared Brooke. Peyton was saying and doing all the right things but no matter how hard she tried to forget Brooke could always remember the look of hatred that she had oncwe seen in Peyton.

"Brooke, I thought I'd bring you lunch." She placed the package on the floor and turned and left. "Maybe tomorrow."

"Well, now it makes sense." Victoria turned back to Brooke. "Brooke, please tell me she hasn't wormed her way back in to your pants."

"No...wait...what goes on between Peyton and I has nothing to do with you."

"When it brings you back here it does. It affects the company."

"My company." Brooke walked away at that stage, slamming the door of her studio behind her. Moment later her mother walked in.

"Brooke. I know it's your company. I'm here to help you and if you want this store then I'll help you. But as your mother I'm warning you not to get involved with that girl. You have everything to lose."

"Maybe what you consider everything, I consider nothing."

Peyton drove to her office at Tric, annoyed her lunch for Brooke had been spoiled by her Mother. She'd bought enough for two when she'd noticed only Brooke was at the store. She figured they could have it together. She was probably sharing it with her mother. Peyton laughed at the thought of Victoria eating Peanut butter sandwiches. She sat in the car for a moment before getting out and heading up to her office.

"I thought you had a date." Mia was sitting in her office, when Peyton walked in.

"It's wasn't a date."

"Obviously not, they usually take longer. Then again with all that sexual tension, you two might have managed it in a few minutes!"

"Mia!"

"What? You know you want her." Mia smirked; sometimes Peyton really did hate her. "So what happened?"

"Her Mom was there."

"Could see that killing your buzz." Peyton scrunched up a piece of paper and tossed it at Mia. "Don't blame me because your big plans were ruined."

"There was no big plan. I just want to show Brooke I can be..." Peyton searched for the word. "...normal. That we could work."

"Told you, you wanted her." Mia laughed before gesturing towards the door. "And evidently she wants you too. "

"Hi." Peyton turned to see Brooke standing in the doorway, holding Peyton's bag of lunch. "I thought we could do lunch seeing as you left these."

"I'll leave you too it." Mia winked before leaving.

"I am so upping your rent." Peyton said as Mia walked out. She turned to Brooke. "Sit down. I thought you were busy with-"

"She just arrived, thinks I'm putting the company at risk by opening a new store. Wants me to go back to New York with her" Peyton swallowed the lump that immediately formed in her throat.

"Are you?" She asked, trying to be casual but failing miserably.

"It's my company and I want to open a store. I'm staying. Besides I'm enjoying being back around you guys." Peyton couldn't help but smile when Brooke said that. She knew Brooke meant all her friends but she'd included Peyton in that. Although, Peyton wanted to be more than a friend. But the inclusion- That had to be a good thing, she thought to herself. "So what did you get me for lunch?"

"I made sandwiches." She watched as Brooke took them out.

"Not exactly gourmet." Brooke laughed, handing one to Peyton and unwrapping her own. "Peanut butter, you remembered?"

"Peanut butter, no margarine." Peyton nodded. "And there's a packet of Oreo's in there somewhere. There should be unless Mia robbed them."

"There here."

"Good. She was snooping earlier." Peyton said before taking a bite of her sandwich. "Can't trust her when it comes to food. So you're defiantly staying...to open the store?"

"I am. Now that Victoria's here, and reluctantly on board it'll probably be open soon. I was thinking of having a launch party. We usually only do them for the big stores but it's my hometown so I figured I should you know." Peyton just nodded glad that Brooke was talking so freely to her. "Nothing too fancy. You should come. If you're not busy."

"Are you sure?" Peyton asked, inside she was doing cartwheels.

"Yes of course. I want all my friends there." There was that friend's word. It wouldn't spoil her delight but surely Brooke knew that she was more than a friend to Peyton. "You should bring Mia I'd love to get to know her."

"I'd love to go." Peyton replied, wondering if she could just forget to ask Mia. She abandoned the idea quickly; lying always bit her in the ass. Lying to Brooke was not an option even if it was a little white lie. "I'll ask Mia. See if she wants to come."

"Good." They finished their sandwiches, talking about the launch, Tric and the last time Peyton had seen Karen. When conversation lagged Peyton found herself just staring at Brooke, watching all her little quirks. Brooke had caught her a couple of times but hadn't said anything so Peyton continued until she found herself wanting to kiss Brooke. Then she tried to distract herself. It didn't work Brooke was like a magnet and she was helpless. Eventually Brooke stood, and Peyton noted they'd had a two hour lunch. It had flown. "I'm glad we could do this Peyton. Be friends you know? It was nice talking to you."

"Yeah." Peyton sighed at hearing the friend word again. She knew she couldn't push Brooke, she had to prove herself and she would.

"We should do it again sometime."

"There's a great place down on the river front. It's new. We could have diner" She wasn't doing to push but she could still offer. She watched as Brooke thought about it and took in a deep breath "…. As Friends"

"Un…okay….diner as friends." Peyton smiled, she could be just friends with Brooke. "Me, Haley and Lindsay were going to go out tomorrow. We could go then?"

"There not really my friends. You should spend time with them; I'd only get in the way." Peyton said, cursing Brooke for making this so hard.

"No you wouldn't."

"Thanks but I would. I can pick you up about 7 on Thursday, if that's okay." Brooke nodded and Peyton resisted the urge to say: great, it's a date. Brooke was obviously serious about the friends' thing. "It should be good. "

I know that chapter was a bit of a filler but I didn't want to just explode into drama. I've just wrote the final update for this so now I know exactly what's going to happen. I just have to write the in between updates of which there are quite a few. Anyway Victoria's going to get more into it. I've got work due in college and should really be working on that. I just get so caught up writing these things. Last night I'm walking to the train station and I get this story in my head. Now it just won't go away. I'm not going to publish brand new stories for a while but this one is going to be epic. I can feel it. Okay back to this story hope that chapter was okay. Review's are welcome.

PS. I love Skills. Sometimes the thing he comes out with. Pure legend. I know he's not a main character in this but I love writing him because he can say things that no one else can. Season 4; what up, home wrecker? ...That was to Peyton. Season 5; now that what I'm talking about!.... Peytons dream speech. Most of that episode actually. There's so many more. Love the guy.

Okay I know this is a long note but I just have to talk about that last episode and the memory box thing. So sad. Please don't kill Peyton. If enough people think it I'm praying it doesn't happen. To anyone who questioned the breyton friendship (I doubt your reading this story but that's besides the point), that episode said a lot for me. Peyton could easily have told Brooke about her condition but she realised if she did Brooke would stay and give up her chance of happiness with Julian. I was so proud of her when she told Brooke she was fine and that she wanted Brooke to be happy. Just wanted to say that. Get it out there you know. Hopefully now she'll tell Brooke. Okay enough recapping. I'm just addicted.