This chapter finishes off the current storyline and sets up another big one – so don't fear, there's still quite a bit to go!.

Chapter Thirty One: Seven Hours And Fifteen Days

Brooke gasped as the cool wind hit her face as she stumbled out of the club. There was a thin layer of sweat forming on her skin, but she made no attempt to wipe it as she struggled to keep her balance.

The loud music from inside the club was still audible and it was beginning to give Brooke a headache. She groaned as somebody grabbed her arm.

"Hey, baby. Where are you going?" the guy's breath stank of booze and Brooke felt as if she was going to hurl. She pushed his face away from hers.

"Away from you," she replied as she tried to get out of his tightening grip.

"You don't really want that, do you?" he asked, "We could go somewhere private…" he began.

"Hey!" Brooke's head snapped up as she heard a familiar voice nearby.

Crap, she thought.

"Leave her alone."

"And who are you, buddy?" the guy holding Brooke asked.

"Someone who could kick your ass if you don't let go of her right now," he replied as he approached the two.

"Do you know this punk?" the guy asked Brooke.

"I think…" Brooke began before a hand covered her mouth, "I think I'm going to throw up!" she announced as she rushed to the curb and emptied the contents of her stomach.

The guy who'd previously been all over Brooke winced and shook his head, "She's all yours," he muttered before returning to the club.

It didn't take long for a pair of hands to sweep Brooke's hair away from her face and help steady her, rubbing her back soothingly as she continued to retch at the curb.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, shuddering slightly, even though she felt warm. "Shouldn't you be at the game?"

"Shouldn't you?" he challenged as he wiped her forehead of the sweat, "The team is short one cheerleader."

"Well, I haven't been feeling particularly cheery these past two weeks," Brooke shot back.

"What are you doing to yourself?" he asked somewhat sadly.

"This is the third time this week that you've followed me. Are you my stalker now, or are you just trying to kill my buzz?" she snapped.

"Your 'buzz' is killing you. Brooke, you've got to stop this."

Brooke straightened up, having the nausea finally pass, and she looked him in the eye.

"And why should I listen to you?" she questioned.

"Because I'm worried about you. We're all worried about you." Brooke began to walk away, but was still feeling some of the effects from the alcohol. She stumbled again, but he caught her in time.

"I'm taking you home," he announced in a tone that told her that there was no room for discussion.

"No!" she protested as she tried to get out of his grip.

"Brooke!"

"Nathan!" she yelled, "Why can't you just leave me alone? I'm trying to go on with my life without you, or Lucas, or anybody who lied or cheated on me; but I can't do that when you're freakin' following me!"

"Is everything okay?" a passing couple asked as they saw the two teens. The question was mainly directed at Brooke.

"We're fine," Nathan said, "I'm a friend." The couple didn't seem so convinced so looked at Brooke for confirmation.

"Is this true?"

"Yeah," she said running a hand through her hair, "Although he's a pretty sucky one," she muttered.

They nodded, and left.

"We're worried about you, Brooke," Nathan said as the couple entered the club.

"Well, you should have thought about that before you all lied," she told him.

"How many times do we need to apologize to you before you start believing it? If you want someone to blame, blame me."

Brooke looked at him confused, "What did you do? Make Lucas sleep with that Sarah girl?"

"No, I told… I told him to lie to you. I thought it'd be better if you didn't know because none of us wanted to hurt you, and he wanted to be with you."

Brooke looked at Nathan for a new moments as she tried to let the news sink in. He seemed to be telling the truth, the guilty look in his eyes seemed to be a testament to that.

"It doesn't matter anymore," Brooke shook her head, "Everyone still lied and he still slept with her. Cheating's cheating."

"Brooke, it's not just you who's hurting. The Ravens are playing without Lucas because he's been benched. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that he's going to ruin any chances he has of getting a basketball scholarship if he doesn't focus on his game."

"And how is that my problem?"

"Because everybody makes mistakes, Brooke! And everybody lies. I'm sorry about what happened, I really am but you have got to stop thinking about yourself. Look around you! None of us know what to do. I have to see two people I care about either sink into depression or drink themselves to death and I don't want that," Nathan told her. "Please stop pushing us away, please let us help you and be there for you because we're all sorry. We wish it never happened but none of us can take it back."

Brooke listened intently to Nathan's plea.

"Lucas needs you. I know you hate him, and for good reason but you have to think past that. He could ruin his life if he lets this opportunity pass him; and you could ruin yours if you don't let anyone in."

"I can't…" Brooke said tearfully, "I can't forgive him. I can't be with him anymore."

"I'm not asking you to forgive him or get back together. All I'm asking for is for you to understand that there are bigger things at stake here. He broke your heart, and you broke his; and I know that you need time and space. But a smile, or a hello, or just something to show him that not everything is lost. He made one mistake and lost everything. Everything. I don't want to stand by and let him lose his future either."

Nathan stood in front of Brooke, baring everything he had been burning to tell her. Finally, he had her listening. It was just getting her to understand and accept what he was trying to tell her.

"He's my brother, and I hurt him by marrying Haley and leaving him with my Dad. You know how hard he pushes him. And I feel guilty everyday for choosing Haley over him, but it's something I had to do. You made him smile, you made him laugh; and you brought something to his life that he'd never had. You brought what Haley brought to me. I'm sorry things got so screwed up."

"Nathan," Brooke said, speaking for the first time in a while, "I do understand where you're coming from. But maybe…"

"I know this should be coming from him, but I hope you can accept it from me. Lucas just needs a sign, anything, to show him that he hasn't lost everything. Please?"

Brooke had never heard or seen Nathan beg like this before, and it both surprised and touched her. But there was still so much anger inside of her that needed to be addressed and she knew it wasn't going to come so easily.

"I need to think about all this," she told him, suddenly feeling light-headed from the revelations and the alcohol. "I don't even know if I'll remember this in the morning."

"I'll take you home," Nathan said, "The game doesn't finish for another half-hour."

Brooke just nodded and followed Nathan to his car that was parked nearby.

"I'll drive your car back to yours," he promised. Brooke just nodded again.

The car journey was silent. Brooke was trying to come to terms with Nathan's words, and Nathan was busy hoping that he'd done the right thing by appealing to Brooke.

When they pulled up to the Scott mansion, Nathan turned to Brooke.

"Do you need me to help you in?" she shook her head, "I'll see you, okay?" Brooke nodded and opened the car door.

Before she got out, she turned around to Nathan, "Thank you," she told him, "You're a good friend."

She gave him a small smile, and Nathan knew that he'd managed to get through to her. Even if it was just a little. He gave a nod of his head and watched her walk up the driveway and into the house that not so long ago, used to be his.

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Brooke was awake and staring at the ceiling when the Scott family arrived home from the game. She could sense that it hadn't gone too well and waited for Dan's rant to Lucas to finish before making her presence known.

Dan huffed off into his room to sulk, and Karen followed soon afterwards. Lucas slowly made his way to his room, and turned when he heard Brooke's door opening.

He winced, expecting to get either a murderous look or a disgusted groan when she saw him, but instead, she looked timid and even slightly sheepish. She'd changed into her pajamas and her hair was in a messy bun. She had taken a quick shower when Nathan had dropped her home, and that seemed to sober her up and take the nausea away.

He could smell some hint on alcohol on her, but dismissed it as soon as she began to speak.

"I heard you lost," she said. He nodded, still surprised to have her talking to him, "Sorry I couldn't be there to cheer you on."

"It's okay. I spent most of it on the bench," he said. She gave a slight nod.

"Well, maybe next game, okay?" He nodded.

"Brooke…" she held a hand up.

"Lucas," she interrupted, "I really don't want to hear anymore apologies. I can't deal with it. I just want you to know that… I'm going to move on. We can't be together, but I'd like it if we could try and be-"

"Friends?" Lucas gave a hopeful guess. She slowly shook her head, and his heart sank.

"How does 'acquaintances' sound? I'm not quite at the friends-level because I haven't quite figured out how to forgive you or be around you. I gave you my heart, Lucas, and even if you didn't mean to, you crushed it. It'll be a while yet before I can look at you without wanting to punch you."

He nodded in comprehension.

"But I'm trying, Lucas. I'm trying to move on. I just can't see you in the main picture quite yet."

"That's okay," he told her. "Take your time. Just as long as you get there in the end."

She nodded.

"Yeah, well… it'll take a lot of time. Just don't get your hopes up," she said before disappearing back into her room.

Lucas wasn't sure how to take it. On one hand, he was just ecstatic to hear her talk to him again; but on the other, he knew that time was not on their side. Not with college barely a few months away.

But it was something.

-------------------

Brooke sighed deeply as she picked up the phone and dialed a number that she hadn't needed to dial for a few weeks.

It didn't take long to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Peyton? It's me," Brooke said. She half expected Peyton to hang up on her, god knows she deserved it after the way she'd treated her friends over the last two weeks.

"Brooke!" Peyton sounded both surprised and ecstatic.

"Get Haley and the 'crisis kit'," Brooke instructed, "I'm heading to your house soon."

"Sure," Peyton was already heading towards her freezer to make sure they had ice cream in there.

"Thanks," Brooke said, not knowing what else to say to her friend. Fortunately, Peyton did.

"Oh, Brooke?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really glad you called. And I'm really sorry," she apologized.

"No more apologies, Peyton. I'll see you in a few minutes."

"Okay, see you." Peyton hung up and treated herself to a little dance before dialing in Haley's number.

"Hello?" Haley said.

"Haley, get your ass down to my house now. Brooke's on her way here," Peyton could almost see the smile spread across the auburn haired girl's face as she said it.

"I'll be right there!" Haley said as she hung up. She squealed happily and threw her hands into the air.

"What's going on?" Nathan asked as he saw his wife emerge from the bedroom with a grin. He was lying on the couch helping himself to a tub of ice cream.

"I'm going to Peyton's," Haley announced as she grabbed her jacket, "Brooke called."

"Really?" Nathan seemed satisfied. Haley nodded.

She quickly gave Nathan a kiss and headed out of the door, only to return moments later to grab the ice cream tub from Nathan and take it with her.

Nathan frowned, "But that was strawberry cheesecake flavor!" he yelled to the closed door.

-------------------

"I've been really stupid. Pushing you all away and pretending I was fine. The way I handled things was so wrong; getting drunk and making out with guys I barely knew. I swore I'd never do it again. That was the New York version of me and I was never happy like that. When I came here, I made a promise that I'd never sink that low again; that whatever happened, nothing or nobody was worth it."

"I'm so glad you're okay," Peyton said as she hugged Brooke for what seemed like the thirtieth time that day. The three friends were huddled on Peyton's bed and listening to Brooke talk and vent while they helped themselves to tubs of different flavored ice creams, and sugary foods.

"Yeah, we were all worried about you," Haley rubbed Brooke's knee.

"You can thank your husband for me," Brooke told Haley, who looked at her in confusion.

"Why? What did Nathan do?"

Brooke shrugged, "Let's just say he brought me to my senses. He's a good guy," she said.

Haley nodded proudly, "Yeah, I know."

"So, do you both think you could ever forgive me for being such a bitch?" Brooke asked anxiously.

Peyton and Haley looked at one another.

"We already did."

-------------------

"So who was that guy I saw Brooke with last night?" Tim asked Lucas about a week later.

Tim Smith wasn't the most tactful guy on the planet; or the most observant since he didn't understand why both Scott brothers were giving him a look.

"What?" he asked, "It was just a question."

"I don't know," Lucas replied trying to act cool, but Nathan could easily see through it.

"How do you feel about it?" Nathan asked his brother. Brooke Davis had gotten herself back into the dating game and had already been on two dates with a guy from one of her classes.

"Mixed, I guess. On one hand, I'm glad she's moving on and forgetting she's pissed at me; but on the other… I just want her with me. I couldn't take her dating before we dated, and it's killing me to see her dating after I've lost her. But I screwed up – I know that. And if it takes some other guy to make her laugh and enjoy life again, then I guess I'll just have to learn to accept it."

"That's very mature," Nathan commented.

Lucas gave a small smile, "I guess I'm growing."

"You know what you need?" Tim piped up.

"Sex?" both Lucas and Nathan said together. They loved Tim Smith, but he always seemed to have a one-track mind.

"Well, yeah, but I was thinking that since Brooke's moving on, you should too."

"I don't want to date yet, Tim," Lucas told him, fearing that his friend might try and set him up on some blind date or something.

"Who said anything about dating? You can just do what you did before Brooke showed up. Hook up with a girl every other night. I'm having a party on-"

"I am not going to one of your parties ever again, Tim! I think one screwed me over enough," Lucas said.

"Whatever. The old Lucas Scott would listen to me. You're free, man. You don't have Brooke stopping you from having a good time."

"Do you want me to kill him for you?" Nathan asked his brother. Lucas chuckled.

"It's a good idea, Tim," Lucas said, "But I'm not the old Lucas Scott anymore."

"I just think that since Brooke is so focused on moving on; you need to focus on something," Tim replied.

Lucas looked down at the basketball in his hands. He bounced it once or twice and attempted to take a shot at the basket. It barely missed.

"Well, there are college scouts coming soon. And I'm still on the bench," Lucas said.

Nathan threw Lucas another ball and Lucas tried shooting again. This time the basket just made it.

"That's good," Nathan said. Lucas shrugged.

"What are you talking about? That was a terrible basket."

"No, I meant what you're doing is good. Just don't push yourself too hard, okay?"

Lucas nodded, and began to ease into sinking more and more baskets. If he kept this up, then in a matter of days, he would be back to his usual standard – if not better. And they had a game in five days.

Nathan and Tim encouraged him, but after three hours at the Rivercourt, both boys left to go grab something to eat, leaving Lucas to practice on his own.

By evening, Nathan went back to the Rivercourt to pick up the sweatshirt he left there, and was stunned to find Lucas still on the court.

"Lucas?" he asked. "It's almost seven. What are you still doing here?"

"Practicing," he said. "I'm getting better."

"Yeah, I can see. Have you eaten?"

"Nope."

"Well, have you had anything to drink?"

"Nope."

"Lucas…"

"Nathan, I'll go home, I promise. I just want to work on my jump shot before I go," Lucas told his brother. Nathan nodded uncertainly.

"Okay, but remember; don't push yourself too hard."

"Yeah, yeah," Lucas said as his brother reluctantly left to go home to his wife.

It was almost eleven by the time Lucas finally gave in, and went home.

To Be Continued…