Warring Emotions

By: Sari

Disclaimer: One Tree Hill is not mine. If I had enough money I'd probably buy it just so I could get rid of half the characters on the show.

Summary: "Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up." - James Baldwin. The sequel to This Time Around.

9: Everytime

Notice me, take my hand

Why are we strangers when

Our love is strong

Why carry on without me

"Brooke." Lucas said without even looking up.

"Hello Lucas, had a nice night?" Brooke asked.

"I couldn't say it was very nice. Kali was on my case all last night and this morning about what happened between us."

"I'm still not too sure about that myself." Brooke admitted. "I freaked out."

"Among other things." He said wryly.

She blushed. "I had a lot of time to think last night about my response to Madison. I was way out of line to suggest anything was going on between the two of you."

"Why don't you trust me?" Lucas asked refusing to meet her eyes.

"I do trust you." Brooke protested. "It's just something about her…"

He looked up doubtfully. "Brooke you haven't fully trusted me since what happened with Peyton." He said matter-of-factly.

"It was a big deal." She said quietly. "It took a lot for me to look past that."

"Except every time a girl comes around you revisit it and throw it back in my face." He said gazing hard at her. "I can't keep watching my step hoping I don't aggravate you by talking to a girl Brooke."

"It's not every girl…I haven't said anything about any of our friends in Boston." She objected.

"So what is it about Madison?" He asked curiously. "She isn't any different from our friends in Boston."

"She's just like Haley." Brooke divulged softly. "And I feel threatened by that."

"What?" He asked incredulously. "What are you talking about?"

She made a helpless gesture. "You and Haley have like this super bond that even distance and time couldn't break. As soon as you came here you and her like reconnected and it was as if you never left each other and were never pissed at each other. Having a friendship like that…it's special and it's precious. Luckily you and Haley never ruined it by liking the other…"

"I'm not getting…"

She held up a hand. "Madison is like Haley because the minute you two started talking to each other you automatically found something in the other that you could just relate to and I'm scare of that Luke! It's not like you have to watch out for some precarious friendship or some undeniable history with the other you can just enjoy being with her. The fact that you can do that scares me because she seems so perfect for you…why would you stay with someone like me when you can have someone like her?" She finished weakly.

She looked into Lucas's surprised gaze and smiled hesitantly. "That sounds pretty stupid doesn't it?"

"God…no Brooke!" Lucas insisted getting up to sit by her and taking her hands in his. "You have nothing to worry about, nothing you hear me?" He said seriously. "Brooke I have wanted to be with you for so long…from the first time I saw you in the hallways I knew you were somebody different, someone I could truly connect with."

He smiled faintly, remembering the various ordeals they had been through. "The Peyton fiasco made me realize how much I need you near me, how much your laughter had become a part of my life. I would never…never jeopardize something as precious as our relationship."

Brooke smiled through her tears at him. "Luke…"

He rubbed small circles on her hand. "If I wanted someone like Haley…I would have dated Haley. Madison is a friend at most and that's all she'll ever be. If you want me to stop seeing her…" He trailed off uncertainly.

"No!" She exclaimed cutting him off. "I'm being a jealous, possessive prick." She said laughing self-deprecatingly. "I trust you Luke, I do…you and Madison are just friends. I believe you."

"Thank you." He said.

She grinned. "No…thank you for putting up with me."

He kissed her delicately. "I love you Brooke…always."

Everytime I try to fly, I fall

Without my wings, I feel so small

I guess I need you, baby

And everytime I see you in my dreams

I see your face, it's haunting me

I guess I need you, baby

Haley watched Nathan pace curiously. Ever since he had returned from wherever he had went he had been agitated. Barely looking at her and randomly cursing Haley was about sick of worrying that something was about to blow up in her face.

"For Christ's sake Nate, what the hell is going on?" She asked exasperated.

He stopped pacing abruptly and looked at her as if had just had an epiphany. "You're his best friend." He said suddenly.

She raised an eyebrow. "I thought everything was settled with Lucas."

"Me too until Kali called me telling me that Lucas was with Madison Wednesday and Brooke and Lucas had a fight about that as well."

"Madison…? You're Madison?" Haley asked surprised. "They did seem to hit it off at the breakfast on Tuesday. There's nothing to worry about though, Lucas is dedicated to Brooke he has been since the Peyton mishap."

"Lucas may be dedicated to Brooke, but Madison likes him and that's enough to make me nervous." Nathan said. "Madison is if anything ambitious and manipulative. She'll twist any situation to fit her needs."

Haley shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Lucas won't fall for it. He's gotten pretty good at looking through the games girls play. I mean he has two female best friends."

"I keep trying to tell myself that but I'm still worried. I know Madison better than anyone here…you may think she's harmless because Lucas has like stellar willpower but she's persistent."

Haley hugged him. "It's sweet that you're this worried about it. I'm sure they'll be fine."

"I feel sort of responsible for her, it's my fault she's here." He said sighing.

"You didn't push her into going after Lucas." Haley reminded him. "So this has nothing to do with you."

He nodded. "I'm trying to keep thinking that."

"How about we take your mind off it?" Haley suggested. "Let's talk about what's going to happen on Monday."

He winced. "I don't think that topics any better."

"I don't want what we have to end Nate." Haley said smiling. "I don't think I could go back to being without you."

He entwined his fingers in hers. "I know Hales, but my life is in Florida. I have a good thing going there."

She stared at their joined hands. "What if I moved down to Florida?" She asked.

"You would do that?" He asked. "I don't want you to move and then we don't work out…"

"Why wouldn't we?"

"It's all good to say that we want to be together Hales but when it comes to being with each other full time we might realize that this wasn't what we wanted." He said quietly. "I don't want to railroad you into doing something that you might later regret."

"You're not railroading me." Haley insisted. "I'm doing this because I want to."

"I just want to be sure…let's wait until we make anything final okay?" He said. "I'll stay a little bit longer here and we can go from there."

She looked at him strangely. "Okay…"

I make believe that you are here

It's the only way I see clear

What have I done?

You seem to move on easy

Kali found herself in front of Madison's apartment when she had left her own leaving Lucas and Brooke to themselves. Kali figured it was a sign that she ended up here. It had been so long since she had been able to help Lucas and now that she had the chance she wasn't going to pass it up. Boldly she knocked on Madison's door waiting for a response.

The Asian girl opened the door warily. "Kali right?" She asked widening the entrance. "Let me guess, you're here to chew me out about Lucas."

"Perceptive aren't you." Kali said stepping in the doorway and closing it behind her.

"Like I told Nathan, it's none of your business. Lucas is a big boy." She said bored.

"I just want to throw a theory at you." Kali said nonchalantly looking around the bare hotel room. "I think it's awfully funny that you weren't even sad that you broke up with Nathan and the next hour hooked up with Lucas."

Madison quirked an eyebrow. "You think I planned this?"

Kali shrugged. "I'm just throwing out a theory."

Madison snorted. "You're more paranoid than Nathan and Brooke put together. I just met Lucas and we hit it off. If Brooke is so threatened by it tell her to go find some more things in common with him and stop looking to me as the cause of the problem."

"But you see, you are the problem Madison. Because obviously you just can't see that Lucas is taken. Taken as in he doesn't want or need you. Taken as in go back to Florida, you aren't wanted here." Kali said rudely.

Madison laughed. "What are you his bodyguard?"

"I'm his best friend." Kali said. "And I think I know Lucas more than you. Stop acting like some desperate slut and go find a boy who's unattached. Lucas, thankfully, is."

"I'm so sick of this self-absorbed group." Madison said. "I'm not acting like anything, I'm not throwing myself at him, I am not degrading myself in any way, and I am not putting myself out there. We are friends. Get that through your thick head."

"I would believe you but then I wouldn't be following my instincts and for some reason my instincts are always right. You're up to something and I really don't care what it is, just stop it right now because it isn't going to work."

"So what if I am up to something?" Madison said cockily. "Obviously it must be working if all of you are so damn worried about me."

Kali just grinned. "I'm only worried that I might do something I'll regret if you fuck with my friends again. I'm not above sinking to high school behavior if it means saving my friends relationship."

Madison laughed and pointed towards the door. "Alright then Kali." She said smugly sizing her up. "Game, set, and match."

Kali shook her head as she walked to the door. "You have no idea who you're playing with."

"I have an idea." Madison said. "And it's enough to tell me that I have nothing to worry about. Goodbye. See you at the show tomorrow."

Kali smiled sweetly. "Break a leg—literally."

I may have made it rain

Please forgive me

My weakness caused you pain

And this song's my sorry

Peyton arrived late to the get together that Kali had planned late that night. She had been walking aimlessly ever since her conversation with Jake, and silently she was berating herself for giving in so easily and consenting to waiting for him again. For the third time in his life Jake held her happiness in his hands and it was making her sick that he held that power of her.

She pasted on a smile and made her way to the back of the club where Kali had reserved an area for them. "Hey everyone!" She exclaimed. "Sorry I'm so late, I got lost getting here."

Kali waved away her apology. "Its fine Peyt, pull up a chair, and I'll send Jake off to get you a drink!"

Peyton watched jealously as Kali flirted and joked with Jake with ease before sending him off to get another round of drinks. If there was one constant Peyton could count on in her life, it would be her jealousy of Kali. The girl was just so poised and always ready to do battle with someone.

She sat down next to Brooke noticing the protective way Lucas was holding onto her even though he was engaged in conversation with Haley. "So you two are back together then?"

Brooke nodded grinning. "We talked, we had make-up sex, then we talked some more." She clarified. "We're better."

Peyton looked up as Jake set a tray of drinks down on the table. Grabbing one she sighed. "I broke my promise today." She informed Brooke.

"Which one was that?"

"Jake invited me to lunch today and asked me to wait for him." Peyton said. "I said yes like the love sick idiot I am."

"Peyt…! Wait, he wants you to wait for him? Does that mean he's not sure about Kali?" Brooke asked.

Peyton shrugged and Brooke sputtered. "What a jackass!"

"Nothing I can do about it right? Except wait for him to choose." She said sullenly.

"Oh yes there is something you can do!" Brooke said. Peyton watched her friend get up and march over to the other side of the table where Jake and Kali were sitting.

"Brooke…!" Peyton called. "Don't!"

Brooke just smiled evilly, took her Sex on the Beach (A/N: It's a drink name), and poured it on Jake's head.

Everyone at the table stopped and looked at the scene in front of them. "Brooke what the hell?" Jake shouted grabbing a couple napkins and trying hurriedly to get the drink out of his clothes.

"You're an asshole." She said clearly pissed off. "I don't see why Peyton or Kali even want to be with you. You're an indecisive dick who can't figure out which girl he wants to be with."

Jake glared at her. "Brooke you don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh but I do." She said smiling. "Kali, if I was you I would dump him as soon as possible, and Peyton I don't know why you're waiting around for him."

"Brooke what are you on about?" Kali asked an uncomfortable smile on her face.

Brooke shrugged. "I'm just looking out for my friends."

At night I pray

That soon your face will fade away

And everytime I try to fly, I fall

Without my wings, I feel so small

I guess I need you, baby

And everytime I see you in my dreams

I see your face, you're haunting me

I guess I need you, baby

TBC

Music Credits: Britney Spears - Everytime