Author's Note: Hey, all. I'm back with a new update. I've been incredibly depressed with the complete lack of Baley on the show currently since the writers are trying everything to make us hate Haley. I don't know about you guys, but there is nothing they could make Haley do that would get me to hate her, but that's just me. I hope all of you aren't falling into their trap. I think there is definitely something else going on in Tree Hill, there always is. Anyway, I'm hoping to wrap this up as quickly and painlessly as possible so I can get started on that prequel. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and please review to tell me what you think.
...WWHT…
"What do we do now?" Haley asked from her position snuggled against Brooke's side. This was honestly her favorite place in the whole entire world. Not Brooke's bedroom, Brooke's arms. There was nothing that could ever make her feel as safe as she did when Brooke was wrapped around her.
"I don't know," Brooke answered, tilting her head to the side so she could see the alarm clock that was resting on the nightstand at the top of her bed. She was surprised to see that it was only nine o'clock. "I'm sure that everyone is still staked out downstairs. We could always go back and make an appearance."
"I really don't want to see anyone," Haley mumbled back, flashing back to what happened not long ago in the dinning room. She knew that Brooke didn't mean anything by it and she certainly wasn't holding it against her girlfriend, she just didn't feel like facing anyone just yet. "Especially your mom."
"You're certainly not the first person to say that," Brooke commented, not in the mood to see her mother either. She would rather talk to Theresa at this point. Okay, actually, scratch that. Theresa was definitely worse that her mother. At least Angela never beat the crap out of Haley.
"That doesn't make me feel any better, you know?"
"I know," Brooke answered, silently apologizing for trying to lighten the mood. She knew that Haley had forgiven her for her little slip of the tongue in at dinner, but that didn't mean she was over it yet. What she said really hurt Haley and Brooke didn't blame her for being mad about it. She would have been too, though she new that Haley would never have been as stupid to say something so hurtful to her.
"How about we just stay up here?" Haley suggested, snuggling into Brooke's arms even further, throwing her arm over Brooke's exposed abdomen.
"Sounds good to me," Brooke agree with a bright smile on her face, surprised that Haley would even think that she wouldn't be okay with that idea. She didn't want to go back downstairs either. She was all for hanging out in her room with her girlfriend. "Do you have any ideas on what to do?"
"We could sleep," Haley suggested, knowing that for probably the first time since they started going out, Brooke wasn't making some kind of sexual innuendo with her comment. "I'm so uberly tired. You know, believe it or not, I didn't get much sleep in the hospital."
"You don't say?" Brooke teased, kissing Haley's hair before burying her face in it, inhaling the sweet scent. "Well, when I came to see you, you looked to be resting peacefully."
"I was until you crawled into bed with me," Haley answered; Brooke rolled her eyes, knowing that she was just kidding around. "Can't say that I got much sleep then."
"Hey," Brooke exclaimed, pretending to be offended by her comment. "I was a perfect gentleman. I didn't try anything." Haley laughed and nodded, indicating that she was right.
"Yeah, yeah," she teased. Haley twisted her body around so she was lying on her stomach, staring up at Brooke's adoring face. "So, you up for bedtime?" Brooke smiled, and glanced over at the clock to find that not much time had passed.
"We might as well," she agreed. The girls both begrudgingly got off the bed and started getting ready for bed. Brooke grabbed an extra pair of pajamas for Haley to sleep in and tossed them to her before grabbing her own. They changed, neither sneaking a peck out of respect, even though it was almost impossible to resist.
"Do you think we should let them know that we're not coming back down?"
"Nah," Brooke shook her head, pulling back the sheets on her bed and starting to slip in. Haley quickly followed suit. "I'm sure Pey will come up eventually to make sure that you didn't gut me or anything."
"Aw, I'd never gut you," Haley gushed, turning on her side so she was facing Brooke. She reached forward and placed a quick kiss on the tip of Brooke's nose. "You are way too cute to gut. I'd maim you, maybe ravish, but never gut."
"Aren't you a sweetie?" Brooke laughed back, enjoying the pillow talk. She could tell that Haley was already sleepy, even if she was trying to hide it. "Okay, sleepyhead. Let's get on with the sleeping, shall we?"
"Okay." Both girls simultaneously lean in and their lips met in a short, but sweet goodnight kiss. It was nothing compared to the intensity that passed between them not long ago, but both girls knew the love that was behind it, and that's all that mattered.
"Night, baby," Brooke whispered, her eyes already starting to drift shut. She couldn't believe how tired she actually was. She heard Haley grumble in response, but no words escaped. She could feel Haley shifting her position, turning around so her back was to her. Without even thinking about it, Brooke wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's stomach and pulled her closer so they were in their usual position. Within a few minutes, they were both asleep.
Not more than five minutes later, there was a soft knock at the door. After there was no answer from inside the room, Peyton slowly pushed open the door to make sure that everything was already, shielding her eyes encase there was something going on that she did not want to see.
"Guys?" she called out, a little bit louder than she would normally do it to make sure that they heard her if they were preoccupied. When they didn't say anything, she figured that it would be safe to uncover her eyes. "I'm gonna look now. You better not be naked."
She dropped her hand and looked around the room for her best friends. She wasn't surprised to see them on the bed, but she was surprised to see that they were sleeping already. She couldn't remember the last time Brooke had gone to bed early. Though, they had been through so much lately and she couldn't blame them for wanting to get a good night's sleep for once.
She smiled sweetly at the adorable couple snuggled up together and closed the door, leaving them alone. She walked back downstairs to join Karen, Taylor and the Davis' in the dining room. When she entered, she wasn't surprised to find that it was the exact same as it was when she left it; completely silent.
"Everything okay?" Taylor asked Peyton as she reentered the room and sat back down in her spot at the table. She was worried about her sister, afraid that she would be crying somewhere. What Brooke said was harsh, and if anyone else had said that to her baby sister, she would have kicked their ass, but she knew for a fact that Brooke didn't mean it at all, she had just go caught up in the moment is all.
"I'm thinking so," she commented with a smirk, sending it to Karen and Taylor, but making sure that Angela saw it as well. Deep inside, she couldn't really blame the woman for acting the way she was, she had just learned that her daughter was something completely different than she thought she was, but she was going about it all wrong. Peyton couldn't feel too sorry for her though, considering she knew what a horrible bitch she had been to Brooke throughout her entire life. "They were fast asleep."
"Already?" Karen asked, glancing at her watch to check the time. She knew it wasn't that late, it just felt like it. She imagined anything with Angela Davis usually felt longer than it really was. She really was a dreadful woman. "It's only eight."
"They've had a long week," Peyton responded. Both women knew that was more than true and nodded emphatically. She glanced at Brooke's mother. "We all have."
"I think you all should be going now," Angela stated, suddenly feeling three pairs of eyes on her. She hated the way things had gone with Brooke, and she didn't feel like entertaining guests at the moment. All she wanted to do was get a bottle of wine and drink her sorrows away.
"I'll go get the girls," Taylor began to say as she stood up from the table. She couldn't say that she was surprised that they were getting kicked out, nor could she say she was disappointed. She was more than happy to get the hell out here.
"It's alright," Angela stopped her, standing up as Peyton did as well. Mr. Davis still remained silence, eating his dinner as if there was nothing going on around him. "Just leave them, they can stay here tonight."
"Okay." Taylor and Peyton shared a look, trying to figure out what had just happened. They shrugged and started moving towards the hallway. Once they were out of the room, Karen pushed her chair back and stood up, her face stone cold.
"Look," she began, her voice a tone that matched her expression perfectly. She was pissed and she looked and sounded it. She wasn't the kind of person to get angry very often. They only time she ever yelled was when it came to Lucas and Haley; no one messed with her kids. "I understand that you are a close minded person, I'm not trying to change you. People are who they are and it would be wrong of me to judge you on your beliefs."
"But?"
"But that's your daughter," she continued, her voice cracking a little as she thought about how Brooke must feel every time her mother left her or threw money at her or told her what to do. "You may not agree with what she's doing with her life, but you're just going to have to accept that. She's in love, I know she is because I see the way they are together, and the way they look at each other … I've never seen two people more in love."
"But they're only sixteen…"
"Age ain't nothing but a number," Karen said in a singsong voice. She knew that Angela was starting to understand where she was coming from. She and Angela Davis may not be the same people, they may not have the same size house or the same bank account, but they were both mothers, and that's all Karen needed to know how to get to her. "You daughter is happy. Over the moon, on cloud nice, cotton candy and rainbows happy. What mother wouldn't want that for their child?"
"I do want her to be happy," Angela whispered, not believing that she was actually letting this woman that she had just meet get to her like this.
"Then just let her be with Haley," Karen advised her. She was happy to see that she was finally getting through to the other woman. "If you don't, you're going to lose her because if you make her choose between you and her, she's going to choose Haley without a second thought. I know she will."
"The sad thing is, I know she will too," Angela answered. Her eyes fluttered over to her husband and she was surprised to find that he was watching them, listening to their conversation. She could tell that he agreed with Karen. She was being double-teamed.
"Then I suggest that you make things right with her," Karen told her, backing away slightly, letting Angela know that she was starting to finish off. "If you want her in your life, even if it's just for your monthly breakfast together, then I recommend that you open up your eyes and see how happy Haley makes Brooke."
"It's harder than you think," Angela argued, lamely. "I want to be okay with it, I want to be closer with Brooke, but it's just too hard. I can take the drinking, I can take the sleeping around, but for her to completely go against everything that I ever taught her… God, I sound like a completely homophobe."
"No offence," Karen lied. "But aren't you one?"
"I don't necessarily agree with the lifestyle," she answered. "But you know what, people can do what they please in their bedrooms, but when that bedroom is in my house then it's my business and I don't want it here."
"I know what it's like to have a daughter," Karen began, sensing that Angela was starting to break. Karen would always tell when another mother was having troubles with their child; they'd get a lost and pained look that only a mother could have. "I consider Haley to be mine, so I understand what you're going through, I do. I know that the life she has chosen isn't going to be easy, but I also know that knowing I said was going to change her mind."
"Basically, you're saying I either accept Brooke's decision, even if I don't agree with it, or I'll lose her forever?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying." With one last nod and an uncomfortable smile, she walked in the same direction that Taylor and Peyton had just been walking in, patting Mr. Davis on the shoulder on her way passed. Angela stood there, watching Karen go, contemplating her words.
"You know she's right," Mr. Davis spoke, looking directly at his wife for the first time that evening. Angela's eyes met his and she nodded her head slowly, sadly, in defeat.
……….WWHT……….
"Night, Karen," Taylor called as she and Peyton drove away. Earlier that night, Taylor had driven the three teenage girls over to Karen's house and they had decided to head over to the Davis Mansion in Karen's car instead. After Karen got inside, Taylor and Peyton piled back into Taylor's car and started driving home.
"Well tonight was eventful," Peyton mused as she stared out the window, watching the familiar scenery of Tree Hill rush back her. It was dark out, but the glow from the streetlights was enough to help her see what was in front of her.
"Oh, yeah," Taylor wholeheartedly agreed.
"Always is at the Davis house though," Peyton continued. She glanced over at Taylor to find that the blonde had her eyes glued to the road. "I mean, I get that it sucks Brooke's mom is such a bitch and everything, but at the same time, I'm so jealous of the fact that she has one."
"But she's never there, right?" Taylor asked, glancing at Peyton quickly before looking back at the road. She knew where Peyton was coming from, Haley had told her about what happened to the blonde's mom when she was younger. Peyton shrugged.
"She's there sometimes," Peyton answered quietly. "Which is more than I can say for my dad." She loved her dad, she did, but a little web cam conversation every other week didn't really make up for his lack of presence in the house. "At least Brooke's mom cares enough to want to have breakfast with her every month. I can't ever remember the last time I had a conversation with my dad that didn't involve a computer screen."
"Your house must be pretty lonely, huh?" Taylor knew where she was coming from about absentee parents, her and Haley's were always gone as well, but at least they had each other. Brooke had the serving staff at her mansion, but Peyton didn't have anyone.
"It can be," Peyton answered. She couldn't believe that she was admitting this to someone, especially someone that wasn't even her best friend. She always played if off when Brooke or Haley brought it up, but for some reason she was willing to talk about it with Taylor. "Jake's always busy. He has work, and school, basketball and Jenny. I hardly see him anymore. I don't even know if we're still together. We might have broken up, I haven't checked my emails yet today."
"Well, you know you have Brooke and Haley," Taylor tried to make her feel better. She hated the loneliness she could hear in Peyton's voice. She glanced at Peyton when they got to a red light. "And you Karen, Lucas, me."
"Thanks, Tay," Peyton sighed, trying to ignore the red light that was right in front of her. Ever since she had gotten over her 'running red lights to see what will happen' phase, every time she saw one, she got incredibly nervous. Taylor smiled at her and stepped on the gas when the light turned green.
"Hey," Taylor began, an idea coming to her mind. "What do you say you leave that empty house for a night? You can crash with me, maybe sleep in Haley's room."
"Really?" Peyton didn't know why the idea sounded so good to her ears. Taylor nodded.
"Yeah," she assured her. "I know that it might seem weird without Haley being there and all, but we're friends, right?" Peyton nodded. "We can watch some lame ass chick flicks and make a slumber party out of it. What do you say?"
"I say it sounds like a great idea," Peyton concluded, sending Taylor a genuinely bright smile. "Just stop off at my house so I can get a change of clothes." Taylor agreed and they continued to talk, moving away from the depressive stuff and starting to plan out the rest of their evening.
...WWHT...
That's all for now. I know that there wasn't much Brooke/Haley stuff in there, but I really wanted to set this up for the next few chapters. I hoping to wrap this up soon so I can start the prequel and I think I know just how I want to end this. Please tell me what you thought of the chapter.
Important Question: There have been a few people asking me to put Taylor and Peyton together, so I thought I'd ask what you guys thought about it. I kinda set it up a little bit here, but if you don't like it, I can just make them friends. I don't plan on having Jake in this anytime soon, nor will he be in the sequel, so if you were holding out for some Jeyton action, I wouldn't count on it.