Equal But Opposite Reaction

By: Sari

Disclaimer: No, I don't own OTH. If I did Brooke and Lucas would be back together and Felix would be in a ditch somewhere. Haley wouldn't be going insane and she and Nathan would be back together.

Summary: AU Brucas. Successful bachelor Lucas Scott meets hard to get, feminist Brooke Davis and a rollercoaster ride occurs as both begin to fall in love.

Part 17

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." – Buddha

"Whoa…it makes me wonder why you haven't snatched him up for good." Elizabeth said in awe looking around her new office at Promotex Sports. "He actually gave me an office so I can play around on the computer?"

Brooke grinned, happy that her sister was enjoying her new office. Lucas had flown out of town again and had entrusted her with the mission of getting Elizabeth settled into her new job as graphics and web designer of Promotex. "This isn't all fun and games Eliza, he told me to tell you that he needs a prototype up and running by the end of next week." Brooke warned her.

Elizabeth snorted ignoring Brooke's warning choosing instead to unpack the items she had brought to personalize her new office space. "Brooke give me a break, I'm a professional as much as it pains you to admit it. I'll have his prototype done way before that."

"I know, but it doesn't hurt to warn you little sister." Brooke said smiling.

"Oh this is great!" A new voice sneered from the door. "I've known the man longer than both of you, and worked with him longer than one of you and I don't even get my own office? That's favoritism I tell you. When Mr. Scott gets back to the office I'll be having a word with him about this! Just because he's sleeping with the new partner doesn't mean he has to cater to her sister!"

Brooke whirled around in surprise ready to attack one of Lucas's employers. "Wait who the hell…" She trailed off seeing Nancy's grinning face looking back at her.

"That was classic!" Nancy said howling with laughter. "You two looked like you were ready to jump me!"

"Nancy, don't you have better things to do with your time? Like…oh I don't know—your job?" Brooke questioned angrily.

"Actually I don't. Haley has Nathan on a short string, something big happened apparently so he hasn't made any trouble that I have to fix except for me canceling all of his publicity events. So I'm all yours for the next couple of days." Nancy said happily. "So Elizabeth, how do you like it here at Promotex?"

The girl in question shrugged still setting up her various trinkets on the polished black lacquer desk. "Brooke just showed me my office today so I haven't had any time to interact with anyone."

Nancy pouted. "And why did Luke leave you to show her around Promotex and not someone who actually worked here? I know someone that name starts with an N and ends with a Y"

"Maybe because Brooke's my sister and you actually have work to do while my sister, who happens to OWN her company, can call her own shots?" Elizabeth responded helpfully.

Nancy thought about that for awhile. "Well I guess you're right."

Brooke glanced over at Nancy. "You're here for some reason other than bothering us I hope."

She glared at her. "Oh Brookie, you wound me. I actually have very important news that has to deal with two of our mutual friends but if you want to be so rude to me then of course I'll just be on my merry way. What does it matter that your lovely boyfriend got back into town early this morning JUST so he could hear the very news that you will also hear if you would just be polite to me…"

Brooke growled inwardly and raised her hand to stop Nancy's tirade. "Alright I got it. I'm sorry, what is it that you're supposed to be telling me and why exactly is Lucas back in town? He was supposed to be gone for a week."

"Well…" Nancy started and then paused for dramatic effect. "Haley and Nathan have some very big news to tell us and I'm here to invite you to dinner on their behalf."

"What's the news?" Brooke asked intrigued.

Nancy rolled her eyes. "I don't know Brookie, otherwise I would have cut to the chase and just told you the news instead of inviting you to dinner!"

The conversation was interrupted by Lucas's secretary. "I'm sorry about interrupting but there are some visitors in Mr. Scott's conference room waiting for you Miss Davis." She said softly.

Brooke's eyebrows shot up in surprise as did Nancy's and Elizabeth's. "Wow sis, I was under the impression you had a job across the city, not here." Elizabeth said.

Brooke shot her sister a dirty look before turning to the secretary again. "Who are the visitors Angela?"

Angela looked down at her notepad where she must have jotted down their names. "A Peyton Sawyer and Jake Jagielski? They said that Mr. Scott told them that you would be here."

Brooke groaned loudly. "Just wonderful…I'm going to KILL Lucas." She muttered darkly. "Angela can you tell them I'll be there in just a few minutes."

Angela nodded and made her way back to the conference room. "Who wants to take bets that they're here to yell at me some more?" Brooke asked reaching for her purse that was discarded earlier on Elizabeth's desk chair.

Both Elizabeth and Nancy raised their hands and Brooke growled at both of them. "That was rhetorical, and Nancy don't think you're going to stay here while I get yelled at you're coming with me." She commanded. "Have fun in your new office Eliza, I'll catch up with you later."

Elizabeth nodded and waved goodbye. Brooke and Nancy made quick work of walking to the conference room although it was on a different floor and across the building. Brooke just wanted to get the confrontation over and done with. There was no use hiding anything anymore when it came to those two. She didn't agree with their decisions and she wasn't going to play spineless supporter while they kept Jenny away from her biological mother.

"To whom do I owe the pleasure of this highly unexpected visit?" Brooke asked sarcastically upon entering Lucas's private conference room. "I was under the impression that I was blacklisted from the Peyton and Jake worshipping society."

Peyton's mouth fell open. "Brooke, we didn't come here to argue with you…"

"Save it Peyton, the last time you spoke to me you made it very clear that we were no longer friends and my opinion meant absolutely nothing to you so unless you are here to grovel at my feet for being so amazingly dumb I don't even want to hear it." Brooke said not bothering to sit down, she didn't think this conversation would last long enough for her to get comfortable.

Jake eyed Nancy wearily. "So is she here for backup in case one of us 'attacks' you?" He asked sarcastically.

Nancy smiled, always happy to jump into an argument. "You would be correct Mr. Jagielski. Lucas was always good with foresight; he could tell when someone was going to be an asshole."

Jake eyes grew dark with anger but he didn't respond, instead focusing his attention on Brooke. "We came here to tell you that Nikki is taking us to court and we hoped that you would be a character witness for both of us but I guess that won't be the case."

Brooke quickly masked her look of surprise. "I didn't know that she was going to actually take you to court." She said softly.

"Which if I recall" Nancy put in. "Could have been avoided if you had allowed her to visit her daughter?"

Peyton glared at Nancy. "Not that it's any of your business." She looked at Brooke. "Brooke we've been friends for years, I'm sorry that I was such a bitch to you in Florida but I was angry and all I was thinking about was Nikki taking away the girl that I've come to know as my daughter. If you were to testify about my character in court…and Jake's as well…it would mean the world to me…" Peyton pleaded.

"So you still won't admit that you were wrong?" Brooke asked in disbelief. "Not going to admit that Nikki isn't going to be the death of your relationship with Jenny?"

Nancy smirked. "What is she trying to get anyway? Visitation or some type of custody?"

Jake gritted his teeth and Brooke smothered a laugh. She could tell that Nancy was getting on Jake's nerves. "Joint custody."

Nancy started laughing and not the polite laughter. She literally dropped to the floor and started crying she thought it was so funny. Once she was able to contain her amusement she looked back into the angry faces of Jake and Peyton. "Look what happens when you start playing God with people's lives." She said mockingly. "It comes back and bites you in the ass."

Brooke gave Nancy a warning look. "You both brought this on yourself, if you had listened to reason instead of running scared you wouldn't be having a court date now. I'm not going to help you keep Jenny away from Nikki so go find someone else that is willing to do it."

"But Brooke!" Peyton protested.

Brooke smiled sadly. "I'm not going to compromise what I believe is right for you Peyt, you knew that before you stepped into this room and expected it of me."

Jake stood up angrily. "Brooke if you want to be such a self righteous bitch go ahead." He growled before storming out the door. Nancy watched him with an amused smile on her face.

"Shouldn't you be running after him?" Nancy asked Peyton who was still locked in a staring contest with Brooke.

Peyton shook her head. "Brooke, I'm sorry and I admit that I was being stupid and irrational about Nikki's presence. Does that make you feel better?"

"It would only make me feel better if you actually believed the words that were coming out of your mouth Peyt. Goodbye." Brooke said. "I think this conversation ended the night you refused to listen to me. It was worthless of you to even come here today."

With tears leaking out of her eyes Peyton made her way out of the room.

Brooke smiled happily as she entered Lucas's penthouse. Throwing her keys on the side table and making her way towards Lucas's home office where she knew he'd be. She had driven around for awhile after leaving Nancy at the office. She had to think about what she had just done. In not so many words she had basically told her friends to go screw themselves and she knew that would bode well with them and there would be an encore performance.

Making her way into his office she leaned over his office chair and gave him a soft kiss. "Hello Mr. Scott…" She moaned playfully starting a trail of kisses down the side of his face. "I missed you when you were gone…"

He grinned at her pulling her small body into his lap. "I was gone a total of a day and a couple of hours. You couldn't have missed me that much."

She sighed leaning her head on his chest. "You're such a bastard." She complained totally dispelling the calm, romantic mood she had just set.

He raised an eyebrow. "You just came in here and was all 'LUCAS SCOTT YOU'RE SUCH A SEX GOD' and NOW I'm a BASTARD?"

She giggled but quickly sobered up. "First you left me to deal with my mother for ANOTHER agonizing breakfast and lunch, then you order me to go help my sister with her office, and last—oh and this is the clincher—you send my lovely best friends who are mad at me for some inane reason to come and 'convince' me to testify for them. You're a bastard Lucas Scott!"

He kissed the side of her mouth tenderly. "I'm sorry…were Peyton and Jake really that bad?"

"I just made it worse. I was pissed off that they had the nerve to come and ask me to testify for them when they were such idiots so I used every opportunity to make jabs at them, and Nancy certainly didn't help…"

"You let Nancy actually stay there and listen?" He asked surprised.

"I asked her to."

"Nancy is what I like to call an aggravated empath. She picks up on your aggravation and makes sure the other party knows it." Lucas said.

"Yeah, she almost had Jake ready to attack her." Brooke said chuckling. She sighed softly and started tracing patterns on his arm. "I'm not going to testify for them…does that make me a bad person?"

"No, it makes you the exact opposite." He assured her. "Brooke, you love Peyton and Jake, but you're strong enough to realize that what they are doing is eventually going to hurt Jenny and both of them as well. Even if they don't see that you're trying to help them they will someday and you have to get by knowing that it will happen. Probably not today or tomorrow, but someday soon."

Brooke smiled her eyes filling with tears. In the past couple of months she had been with Lucas she had begun to notice just how much he helped her and made her a better person. If it hadn't been for him she would have still been a bitter girl thinking that all men were the same: awful, evil, and lying creatures that used women, and even if he had hurt her all it did was reaffirm that she loved him.

She entwined her fingers with his and hummed softly for a second. "Thank you…" She finally said.

"I only speak what I know." Lucas said brushing off her thanks. "I love you…"

She smiled. "I love you too."

Brooke laughed as Lucas looked at her in complete and total surprise. "When…"

She put a finger to his lips to silence him. "As a child I always thought that when you finally figured out that you loved someone there would be this whole big event. Fireworks would go off, lightening would strike, confetti would fly…" She giggled. "I don't really know what I wanted to happen but I thought something would. When I met Tim…that didn't happen but I got engaged to him anyway, and when I met you…it didn't happen but it didn't have to. I knew without any of the bells and whistles that you were the one that was right for me…that having you with me and beside me always is what completed me. I ignored it that day I was told you were in the hospital, I realized it when you cheated on me with Serena, and I embraced it when you continuously gave me a reason to trust you." She paused looking into his eyes that were as wet as she knew hers were. "I love you Lucas Eugene Scott…only you and always you."

He smiled wiping away the few tears that had escaped. "That was…it was…" He trailed off at a loss for words.

She kissed him again, making sure she piled into that kiss all the passion and love she felt for him. "You don't have to respond with some big speech like I did Luke, you already did it for me once, and you were patient enough to wait until I was ready to say it back."

He nodded. "I love you Brooke Davis…only you and always you." He said repeating her words.

She grinned jumping off of his lap and pulling on his tie lazily so she could engage in another hot, smoldering, and definitely erotic kiss. "I know…so why don't you show me how much?" She asked suggestively pressing her body into his.

He groaned. "With pleasure Miss Davis…with pleasure…"

Lucas and Brooke arrived at the ritzy Wolfgang Puck restaurant in Manhattan early but were relieved to see Nancy, Haley, and Nathan already sitting down waiting for them. They made their way over to the table and seated themselves in the last two empty seats.

"We're not late are we?" Brooke asked looking worriedly at her watch. "I could have sworn that Nancy said seven…"

"No you're fine." Nathan said. "We just wanted to get seats. Wolfgang Puck is pretty popular of Friday nights."

"So what's up with you two?" Haley asked suspiciously. "You two are glowing!"

A pink tinge immediately appeared on Lucas's face while Brooke stayed silent hoping Haley would drop the subject. "Nothing is going on Hales."

Nancy surveyed Lucas for a long time before breaking out into a grin. "You slept with him? That's nothing new."

Brooke reached across the table and smacked Nancy hard on the arm. "NANCE! That isn't any of your business!"

"But I'm right of course." Nancy said. "You two have that happy 'everything is right in the world' look and I know for a fact that Lucas only gets that if he gets laid or some girl fulfills his every…" She broke up and sized him up again then gasped. "OH MY GOD! Brookie did you finally find the nerve to tell Lucas how you felt about him?"

Brooke blushed but nodded. No use keeping it a secret now that Nancy was on the quiz Lucas and Brooke bandwagon. Nathan clapped Lucas on the back and Haley gave the two approving smiles. "I'm glad you two finally got it worked out!" Haley said happily.

"Enough about us!" Brooke said. "I'm tired of being kept in suspense! What did you and Nathan feel was important enough to drag all of us to dinner?"

Haley grinned and reached for Nathan's hand who held it tightly. "Well…"

Nancy groaned. "Oh COME ON! Spit it out already Hales!"

"We're having a baby." Nathan announced.

The table was dead silent for a couple of moments while the news sunk in. Party boy Nathan and Workaholic Haley actually having a kid? That didn't seem like such a smart idea.

Lucas was the first to speak up. "Are you guys…sure about this? I mean no offense but you two aren't exactly…"

"As of two days ago I gave back my partying card bro." Nathan said.

"And I'm canceling my next tour." Haley added.

Nancy, Lucas, and Brooke started at them again. "Well then…congratulations!" Nancy finally said hugging both Haley and Nathan. "You guys will make wonderful parents."

Brooke and Lucas echoed her sentiments each giving the expecting couple hugs and kisses.

"That's not all…" Haley said when the noise died down. "Luke, you've been my friend for as long as I can remember and I know I always told you that if ever had a kid I'd want him to be named after you…"

Lucas's eyes widened. "You're naming your kid after me?" He asked in disbelief.

Nathan smiled at his brother. "We were given the option of knowing the sex of our child and once finding out it was a boy it seemed only fair that we named him after you. Luke, you've been an integral part of both of our lives and we wouldn't be where we are today without you." Nathan said truthfully.

Lucas eyes filled with tears for the second time that night. "Thanks you guys…it's an honor…"

"I'm still not done." Haley said.

Brooke laughed. "Tonight is just full of surprises…I just hope it's nothing else about Luke I don't think he could handle it."

"Actually…" Nathan said. "Nance, I have to give you credit for sticking by me so long and it's because of you that my life isn't fair game for the media and Haley knows what's fact and what's fiction. So I want to ask you if you would be my child's godmother."

Nancy's mouth dropped open and she gave a loud squeal. "HOLY SHIT I WOULD LOVE TO!"

"And I know you're already going to be his uncle but you're more than that in my eyes…so Lucas will you be his god father?" She asked.

Lucas blinked. "Of course…"

And that is what you call for the most part, a successful day.

TBC

A/N: Ooohh! I loved this chapter. The Brucas scene was fun to write. So question: Would guys want me to elaborate more on the whole Nikki situation or are you fine not seeing her? This is primarily a Brucas story so I'd find some way to incorporate them...I just want to know what you guys think.