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 23

"Life is like a beautiful melody, only the lyrics are messed up." - Anon.

Lucas stifled a yawn as the wedding planner walked them through the area where their reception would be held. Not that planning his wedding wasn't interesting, it was just that he felt like this was something he would pay the money for and Brooke would run wild with, leaving him to his own devices—like work. Brooke had insisted on his presence though, saying that she wouldn't have a marriage where he threw money at her and she did what she wanted. They would do everything together, even miniscule things like deciding whether to use dining room A or dining room B for the reception.

"Okay then!" Jenny, the wedding planner chattered on happily. "We'll be using dining room B for the reception then?" She asked.

Brooke nodded. "Dining room B has larger windows and it'd be perfect for lighting."

"I agree!" The woman squealed. "Ms. Davis you have SUCH good taste! Mr. Scott you are lucky to have grabbed this one!"

He flashed her a weak smile. "I know, I'm constantly reminded."

"Alright, so I'm going to go clear this with the hotel manager and then I'll be right with you!" She exclaimed. "Why don't you look over the menus I gave you and we can tackle food!"

Lucas rolled his eyes and Brooke grinned. "We'll do that Jenny."

Lucas watched her walk off before turning to his fiancée. "What possessed us to hire that perky of a person to be a wedding planner?" He asked irritated. "Her voice sounds like fingernails on chalkboard."

Brooke snorted. "This is probably the first time you've been in a room with her for more than five minutes."

"And for good reason too, the woman would drive me nuts! How do you put up with her?"

"I put up with her because she's damn good at what she does and I'm going to have my wedding perfect." Brooke said.

He smiled. "Of course we're going to have the perfect wedding, you'll be there."

She rolled her eyes but still smiled at him. "I thought it'd never happen, but it seems like compliment wielding Lucas has returned!"

"You know it." He replied cheekily. "My beautiful bride brings out the best in me."

She giggled. "Menus, Mr. Scott. I saw you glancing at your watch the whole time Jenny was talking and you can just get it out of your mind that you'll be leaving here before we get at least half of this stuff done."

"Brooooke!" He whined. "I have to get back to the office and finish with my client calls or I'll be stuck there until god knows when."

"I guess you'll just be working late tonight." Brooke said. "Now, for the appetizer which looks better?"

He groaned. "They all look great, why don't you just pick one?"

"Lucas Scott!" Brooke scolded. "You are going to act like you're somewhat interested in what is going on with this wedding or you'll be sleeping on the couch until we're married!"

He sighed. "Brooke, I'm no good at this stuff, you're a whole lot better at it than I am. I don't even know why I have to be here. Even if I do pick something you immediately say it doesn't match and pick something else."

"That's not true!" She protested.

He raised an eyebrow and started listing examples. "You chose this hotel when I suggested one downtown, you chose this wedding planner although Nancy had already found one, and you've been picking everything since then."

"Okay so maybe that's true but I still want you here for moral support."

He smirked. "You have all the support you need, the support of my credit card."

"Lucas Scott! You're making me sound like a gold digger!"

"If the shoe fits…"

She launched one of the menus she was holding at his head. "You're an idiot."

"But you still love me." He said arrogantly.

She rolled her eyes. "Unfortunately." She flipped through some more menu options before sighing. "If you want to leave Luke you can, I can handle this."

"You want me to stay so I'll stay."

"I don't want to keep you here if this isn't important to you."

He watched her carefully noting how closed off her face looked. "Brooke, I'm not saying that this isn't important to me. Of course this wedding is important to me because you're the one I'm marrying. I have never been the one for patience or color coordinating or dealing with annoying wedding planners who act like their high on helium."

She giggled.

"I love you and I want this to be the wedding of your dreams. I'll agree to anything as long as you're walking down the aisle and saying 'I Do' in the end."

The wedding planner chose to make an appearance at this point. "So how are we doing? Are the menus turning out to be something you want?"

Brooke smiled. "Yes, I love the options on menu number 2, is there anyway we'll be able to taste test these?"

Jenny nodded. "I'll set up a date and time when you can do that." Jenny flipped through her notes. "Well, the hotel has you booked for August 6th and I've called the church to confirm that date as well."

"Thank you!" Brooke said beaming. Everything was falling into place.

"Have you found what dress you're going to be wearing?" She asked eagerly.

Brooke shook her head. "I'm going dress shopping this afternoon, but I might end up getting one made."

"Well, how about I write down some good stores I know here in New York?" She offered.

"That'd be wonderful."

Lucas watched Jenny flip through an address book and then jot down addresses and phone numbers for the better part of five minutes before he got bored. "So are we finished here?" He asked.

Jenny smiled. "We're done! I call you when I figure out a date for the taste testing."

Brooke smacked him in the arm. "Thank you Jenny, you've been wonderful."

"So have you Miss Davis, I'll see you soon Mr. Scott!"

Lucas snorted and waved. "What exactly has her so happy?" He grumbled.

Brooke giggled again. "Probably all the money we're paying her."

Nathan and his lawyer sat across from Haley and her lawyer in a conference room overlooking the New York streets. They had just arrived for their second meeting of negotiating. Nathan had a feeling Haley was dragging along the proceedings because he hadn't argued with any pf her demands, but there was nothing he could do about it if she continued to demand more and more things.

"I think that Mr. Scott has been very fair to you Mrs. Scott." His lawyer started. "We have already agreed to give you the current apartment you're staying in as well as the vacation home in California. You're going to receive a sizeable alimony and when the child is born a sizeable child support. May I ask why it that we've been called here again?"

"Mrs. Scott wants to discuss what will happen when the baby arrives. Her due date is in less than two months."

"What do you mean 'what will happen?'" Nathan asked. "I'm going to be apart of my child's life from the hospital room to his first day of college and every day in between."

"If you're not too busy with Elizabeth that is." Haley growled.

He rolled his eyes and looked at his lawyer. "Do you seriously want to discuss visitation before the baby is even born?" the lawyer asked.

"No better time than the present." Haley's lawyer quipped.

"I want full visitation." Nathan said. "I don't plan on moving from New York and I seriously doubt Haley does either so it's not like he'll have to travel some large distance just to see either of us."

"I think that's the best method of action." Nathan's lawyer chimed in. "Any other requests would be unreasonable, Mr. Scott has not shown any behaviors that would jeopardize this child's life."

"Are you kidding me?" Haley asked laughing. "Don't you see his pictures plastered all over the magazines almost every day? Nathan here is the party boy of New York and everyone knows it."

"So you're not agreeing to grant full visitation?" Nathan's lawyer confirmed.

"He'll have to take me to court if he wants that." Haley said.

Nathan stared at her as if she was a totally different person. He figured whoever said a woman scorned wasn't the best thing to have after you had been absolutely right. Haley wasn't acting like her usual level-headed self. She was acting vindictive and down right bitchy—for lack of a better word.

He shrugged. "Hales, I don't know what's gotten into you but if that's what you want then so be it. I'll see you in court."

He got up and said goodbye to his lawyer with a promise to call him later before going down to his car and sitting it. Shaking his head slowly he pulled out his cell phone and punched in the now familiar number.

"Hello, this is Elizabeth Davis." She answered briskly.

"Hey, it's me."

"How did the meeting go?" She asked.

"Like I expected it to." He said sighing. "She wants to take me to court over custody issues, but everything else has been settled."

"So you're officially divorced?"

"Not yet, the divorce papers are going to be sent to us and once they're processed I'm a free man."

"We'll have to go out to celebrate." Elizabeth said slyly. "I know this great place in Manhattan."

He nodded. "We can do that." He started his car now that he felt calmer than he did before. "So do you feel up to eating dinner with Brooke and Lucas?"

"Is this one of those Friday dinners you guys like to have?" She asked.

"Yeah"

"Then I'll decline. I'm pretty sure I've heard Brooke say that it's usually you, Haley, Lucas, Brooke, and Nancy that attend them so I'm not going to go in Haley's place. I'm not comfortable enough to do that."

He sighed. "I always knew if Haley and I every broke up things would be awkward."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah me too."

"I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Alright, bye Eliza."

Nathan sighed, staring at his phone and then dialed his brother's number. He smiled as his usually soft spoken brother cursed and answered with a breathless "Hello."

"Did I interrupt something?" Nathan asked amused.

"Left my phone in the car and I was going back to get it when it started ringing. I'm expecting a call from some big shot lawyer." Lucas answered. "So what's up?"

"Haley wants to take me to court for custody of Lucas." Nathan said.

His brother gave a low whistle. "You want me to talk to her?"

"Please, anything that will stop this from going on." He sighed. "She's taking this badly."

"Of course she is you asshole, you're divorcing her." Lucas said chuckling. "I'm sure it's a shock to her system to go from power couple to a pair of bitter, angry ex-lovers. Give her some time, and I'll talk to her as well. You two will get past this."

"I'm hoping so, but I don't think she'll ever like Elizabeth."

"You plan on staying with her that long?"

Nathan smiled. "Yeah man, its crazy you know. A couple months ago I was fine with Haley but Eliza just blew me away. I'm going to try my hardest to make this long term."

"Then good luck to you bro. I'll see you tonight though, my call just came in."

Brooke sat in Peyton's apartment watching her friend pack an overnight bag for Jenny. Jake was nowhere to be found and Peyton had called her over for moral support.

"You know I shouldn't be this emotional about it." Peyton rationalized. "You're my best friend and I trust your judgment but I can't get over the fact that it's Nikki. The witch I've been hearing about ever since I met Jake."

"Jake made her seem as if she was the devil incarnate Peyt, she's not like that. I may not have known her for long but Luke has and even he's said that she's made a drastic change."

Peyton nodded. "Of course, I know that I'm just acting silly."

"Maybe you should suggest that all three of you go somewhere before Nikki takes her. Just so you can see for yourself that she's not the devil dressed in prada." Brooke said. "It'll help settle your nerves and you won't be such a mess every time it's time for Jenny to go with her."

"That's a great idea, why did I think of that?"

"Because you're too busy panicking." Brooke said giving her friend a lopsided smile. "Where is Jenny anyway? She's usually attacking me by now."

"Taking a nap." She replied distracted. "So how's the wedding coming along?"

A genuine smile spread across Brooke's face. "Wonderful, absolutely wonderful. Luke hates our wedding planner but she's an expert at what she does." Brooke suddenly looked doubtful. "I know Jake isn't too happy with Lucas right now for testifying but is he still going to come to the wedding? They have two months to make up…but you know men they won't come to terms with anything."

"We're coming Brooke." Peyton said firmly. "Jake owes you too much not to come, and I'll make sure he acts decent."

"In that case, can I ask you a question?" Brooke asked.

"You already did but go ahead."

"Would you like to be my maiden of honor?" She asked.

Peyton's jaw dropped and her eyes filled with tears. "Of course! I wouldn't have it any other way." She brushed away the tears and looked at her best friend. "I'm so glad everything is working out for you Brooke."

"Me too Peyt, I think it's about time I got my life on the right track."

TBC

A/N: I'm back! Review please!