Chapter Thirteen: Some of Us Deserve a Happy Ending
Author's note: FYI: Nathan is 36, Brooke is 34, Lucas is 32, Taylor is 28, Peyton is 27, Haley is 24 and Natalya is six months.
Brooke was over analyzing.
She was thinking about the baby. Natalya had her husband's eyes. She'd never seen something before that was so glaringly obvious.
Finding resolve, she called her husband's car to come pick her up. From the address book in her purse she managed to find the address of Haley James, who she knew lived with the mother of her husband's daughter.
"Hi," said Taylor uncertainly as she answered the door. She didn't recognize the brunette, Chanel clad woman that stood in front of her, but the woman seemed to know her. Taylor hoisted Natalya further onto her hip, and Brooke looked again at the baby.
"Are you sleeping with my husband?" she asked desperately. Taylor raised a perfectly arched eyebrow.
"Uh, why don't you come in?" she suggested.
It wasn't until Brooke was sitting down, a cup of tea before her, that Taylor suggested she explain.
"Who's your husband?" she asked. A ray of hope darted through Brooke.
"Nathan Scott," she said.
"Haley's boss. So why do you think we're having an affair? Because we're not," assured Taylor.
"Because that's your baby, and it's obviously his baby," said Brooke. Taylor stared at her for a moment.
"My..? This isn't my baby. Nati's Haley's daughter," she explained.
"Haley? This is Haley's daughter?" asked Brooke.
"Yeah. Does that answer your question?" asked Taylor.
"Yeah. Thanks for your time," she said, all but running out of the apartment.
Brooke silently entered her own home and looked around. It was beautiful. She'd miss it the next day, after she'd left her husband. It was so full of personal touches, of memories. For better or worse, they'd built a life there.
"Brooke?" called out Nathan. She steeled herself for the inevitable.
"Nate," she said softly. For a moment she stared at him. He was so tall, so handsome. A perfect man. A perfect man for a woman that wasn't her.
"What's wrong?" he asked. His eyes darted to her belly. She felt it was all he cared about any more. She had ceased to matter to him, they were only together for the zygote that wasn't even his.
"You're sleeping with Haley James?" she asked, suddenly tired of the whole thing. She didn't want to fight. She just wanted to go and be with the man she loved.
"Not anymore," he said. A tear trickled down her cheek, for what she'd lost.
"Oh."
"That's all you want to say? We broke up when you told me about the baby," he explained.
"You shouldn't have bothered. It's not your baby," she burst out. His fists clenched at his sides, but they were both so far beyond anger at each other.
"It's Lucas'?" asked Nathan. She nodded silently. "Believe it or not, I want you to be happy."
"I believe it. But that baby – Natalya- she's not Taylor's. She's Haley's. And she's yours," said Brooke.
"What?"
"I talked to Taylor. I think Haley said it was Taylor's baby in hopes of not breaking us up. It was a noble thing, I think. Do you love her?" asked Brooke. He wanted to look down, but her hazel eyes forced him to keep contact.
"More than anything," he said at last. Somehow they bridged the distance between each other and hugged gently.
"I was so mad at you on the way here, but then it kind of evaporated. So, want a divorce?" asked Brooke tearfully.
"You love him?" asked Nathan.
"I think on some level, I always have," she whispered. Nathan smiled cynically.
"This really isn't my day, is it?" he stated.
"Not your day? You're no longer obligated. You just found out that a child you already adore is your own daughter. You have a family you love, and I don't begrudge your particularly because I fairly bitchily slept with your own brother. This has all worked out pretty damn good," she said.
"Brooke, I did love you…" he began.
"Stop feeling guilty. We're both to blame. Go," she instructed.
"You're sure..?"
"Go get her, Tiger," she said. She lightly kissed his cheek and suddenly he was gone.
Brooke paused for about a moment before running out of the apartment and down to the street. It was only a matter of blocks to reach Lucas' high-rise, high-class building.
"Luke?" she called, into the seemingly empty space. He emerged from his bedroom, blinking rapidly, obviously having just come from sleep.
"Brooke?" he said in confusion. She threw herself on him. After a moment, he hugged her tightly and returned her kiss.
"It's over. We're through. I love you," she said.
"I love you too. But my girlf…" he began.
"Oh please. Haley's in love with Nathan and they have had an affair for two years and a baby. She won't be terribly put out. So, will you marry me?" she asked. He laughed.
"Whatever you want," he promised.
"Haley. HALEY!" called Taylor, as she came into the apartment.
"Tay? What's wrong?" asked Haley in confusion.
"I did bad. I'm sorry," she whispered.
Nathan ran down the many flights of stairs and hailed a cab, directing it in a rushed voice toward Haley's home.
He banged open the door of her apartment and rushed in, straining for the gurgling of his daughter and the laughter of her mother.
"Haley?" he called, waiting impatiently for her to come out so he could tell her how much he loved her. "Haley?"
He heard movement. He turned to see a blonde woman emerge from Haley's bedroom, but the wrong blonde woman. Not his blonde woman.
"Taylor?" he said in confusion. "What..?"
Taylor stared at him for a moment before speaking, overcome with her own grief and her guilt.
"I'm sorry Nathan," she said at last. "She's gone."
Nathan ran past her into Haley's bedroom. Nati's crib stood in the corner, but without Nati in it. Everything she owned seemed to be scattered across the floor, her closet door gaping open. On the floor, amongst her other belongings, was Lucas' necklace-it looked as though she'd taken his own.
Nathan dropped onto the bed. For the first time in his life, he felt like there was nothing worth living for anymore.