Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to OTH, or the song Picture by Sheryl Crow & Kid Rock.
Backround Information: Nathan/Haley never got married, they broke up junior year and then Brooke and Nathan got together in the summer before senior year. At the end of their senior year Nathan found out Brooke was pregnant with his child, he left her. Now 2 years later they find themselves in two different states of mind remembering each other when they find a picture from the past.
I called you last night in the hotel.
Everyone knows but they won't tell.
But their half-hearted smiles tell me.
Somethin' just ain't right,
Brooke called the hotel where she last knew he was, they said that he had checked out six months ago, he always did this. He never stayed in one place for very long, all the time they were together Nathan talked about traveling and how he wanted to get out of this small town. She wished she could leave at least for a little while but being a mother to a one and a half-year-old daughter who never knew a real father didn't give her time to travel. She was another single mother, like Karen, only Karen had support from her parents, her parents disowned her. At least like Karen had Keith, she had Lucas. Lucas was around but he was just helping Brooke out after all he did to her in the past. She had always had feeling that Lucas might know where Nathan is, he seemed a lot different lately...more quiet, he never was good at lying. She knew something wasn't right, something is going on and she wanted to know what.
I been waitin' on you for a long time.
Fuelin' up on heartaches and cheap wine.
I ain't heard from you in 3 damn nights.
I put your picture away.
She waited for two years for him to come back, to walk through her front door, sweep her off her feet and have her happy ending. Her happy ending hasn't come yet and now she thought it may never come. During her pregnancy she went through high and low emotions, her parents had finally given up all hope with her, they left her with the house, and moved to Maui or Tahiti...somewhere exotic. Her own parents didn't even want her, how unlovable was she? They still paid for all the bills of course, until Brooke was able to get a job herself, even then she still needed help. She needed to pay Natalie's babysitter, she needed to pay for Natalie's food and for Natalie's toys. She could never say no to those big brown doe eyes, even though she was only a year and a half. Her parents thought money solved everything. One night she was organizing one of her drawers after Natalie had threw out all of the clothes, when she came across a picture of them together, they looked happy, something Brooke never thought she'd ever feel again. She was wearing her Raven's cheerleading uniform, that he always loved on her, and he had on his jersey with the number twenty-three, her favorite number, his hand entangled with hers. That night the Raven's won the championship and everyone was going wild, she made the biggest announcement that she'd ever make in her life that night. She told him that she was pregnant, they fought about the baby, their future together. Neither of them liked how it ended, Brooke could feel all the feelings rushing back to her, the feelings she felt the day she found out he left. He was just like his father. Her eyes grew glassy, her cheeks dampened as she stared at his face wondering what it looked like now.
I wonder where you been.
I can't look at you while I'm lyin' next to him.
I put your picture away,
I wonder where you been.
Lucas stirred from her bed, she quickly wiped her tears away, Lucas and her weren't really together, they were friends...but they acted like they were together for Natalie's sake. Lucas was fine with helping Brooke out with Natalie, she meant everything to Brooke, and Lucas would do anything to see Brooke to be happy or even smile again. The day Nathan left was the day those dimples and pearly white teeth disappeared, wet cheeks and puffy eyes were her newest look. She was depressed for a few months after Natalie was born, her parents left her, Nathan left her, Brooke was just waiting for the day when Lucas would leave her and get fed up with the constant burden of pretending to have a daughter. Every minute of everyday she wondered what city or even state he was in, he was probably out screwing some blonde bitch who would give it up to anyone, she bit her lip thinking those things led her to depression, she had almost hit rock bottom but Lucas saved her. He picked up the pieces but they never really stayed together...she didn't think they ever would.
I can't look at you while I'm lyin' next to him.
"Brooke what are you doing?" Lucas sat from his sleep, it was two a.m. in the morning, Brooke was never up that late without a good reason and he knew that.
"Just...reminiscing." Brooke stood up and put the picture in a rubber maid tub that was located in her closet, it was safe there, no one was allowed in there except her. She lay down next to Lucas in her bed, he kissed the top of her head like he did every night, and they had a routine. They would tuck Natalie in, watch TV together, brush their teeth, get changed, go to sleep and then make breakfast for Natalie together in the morning. She loved Lucas for what he did, it was only a friend's love and it was a mutual feeling among them. Brooke closed her eyes that night, it was the last time that she'd ever feel alone again or so she was hoping. Every night she hoped and prayed that something great would happen to her, she didn't expect that night that prayer would be answered.
.Spoilers.
Brooke sees Nathan back in Tree Hill while out with Natalie.
Nathan meets his daughter for the first time.
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