AN: Thank you for the kind reviews. Just one comment. Grown ups don't just follow their momentary feelings and their hormones. They choose. For whatever reason, Lucas is choosing to pursue Brooke. But he is male, heterosexual and he has a big, somewhat sluttish heart. Of course he's attracted to Taylor. I don't own anything relating to OTH.
Chapter 10
The drizzle fits perfectly with their mood when they take Angie to the airport. To make things a little worse, Angie herself wakes up in a playful mood, all cooing and smiles to both Brooke and Lucas. It's only when they get to the airport that the baby catches up with their mood and starts fussing. The fussing turns into bawling, when the social worker comes to take her away, and Brooke melts down, sobbing with her face buried in Lucas chest. Despite her undone state, Brooke notices a few tears coming from above, joining hers.
They come back to her home and plop on the sofa, Brooke still glued to Lucas, looking like a wet rag. Lucas just looks pensive and lost. They are both exhausted from the emotional storm and fall asleep, despite the early hour. It's mid-afternoon when Lucas' stomach rumblings wake her up.
"Lucas."
He opens his eyes and looks at the top of her head. "Brooke?" The fog on his mind dissipates a bit. "What time is it?"
His stomach complains again and she laughs. "Time to get something to eat, I guess."
"You hungry?" He asks to the top of her head, pulling her closer. His legs seem to be asleep, and his neck hurts. Still, he is unwilling to let go of the woman lying half on top of him.
She's in no hurry to leave either. After a couple of minutes listening to his heartbeat, she replies. "No, but I'd have a bite."
They get up, stretch and wash up, meeting back at the kitchen. Brooke examines Lucas. "You look like warmed up shit, Broody."
"I never thought I'd say this, but you don't look so good yourself." She pouts. "Sorry."
Some of her heartbreak shows itself on her face. She presses her lips together in a thin line. "We're entitled..." She breathes deeply a couple of times, trying to center herself a bit. She opens the fridge. "There's salad and leftover chinese."
"We can split both."
They sit to eat. "Do you want to take care of her stuff today?"
Brooke thinks about it for a second. "Yes, that would probably be best."
"I'll go out and buy a few boxes. We can arrange the stuff at the entrance hall downstairs, and I'll call the people from First Baptist to pick it up tomorrow morning."
"You don't need to do any of that, honey."
Lucas frowns. She had never called him that before. She doesn't seem to notice, still looking a little lost. "It's for the best, Pretty Girl."
She blinks a few time. "It will be like she's never been here."
"You might want to keep a few things. Some of her bedding, or some toys..."
They work quietly. Actually, Lucas works. Brooke grabs a plush purple monkey, one of Angie's favorites and follows Lucas around holding it tight to her chest. She chooses to keep a few items. A teething ring, a rattle, a set of nesting plastic cups, a kitten print comforter. Among a few others.
During the afternoon, Nathan, Haley and Jamie show up to check on Brooke. Neither Lucas nor Brooke is up to much conversation, so with hugs and smiles, they leave.
Around ten at night, they finish the job. They sit down to watch a sitcom and nibble on some pizza. Brooke, still hanging onto the purple monkey, cuddles up against Lucas chest, while Lucas holds her with an arm around her shoulders. Peyton and Nora show up, clearly a little drunk, and quickly hide themselves in Peyton's room. Soon, faint noises of laughter and lovemaking come from upstairs.
"I like seeing her happy."
"Not even a little jealous?" Brooke asks, doubtful.
Lucas thinks hard, trying to articulate an answer, and finally giving it up. "A little." A smug look on Brooke's face prompt him to add. "Not in the way you think."
Brooke's voice turns sharp. "In which way then, Lucas?"
"Well... she's having sex."
Brooke nods. "And we are not." She giggles. "I guess I'm a little jealous too." They both knew a simple answer was easily in hand. Neither had the gumption to suggest it.
Lucas changed into clean sweats and pants and lied down in Brooke's guest bedroom with a new William Gibson for company. Soon, however, Brooke comes in, quiet tears in her eyes and wearing well-behaved black silk pajamas. She still had the plush monkey in her hand. She places it on top of the dresser.
"This is for you, Lucas."
"You sure?" She nods. "Thanks."
She lifts the sheets, slides in and scoots until she is lying right against Lucas. He sets the book aside, turns off his bed light and wraps his arms around her. He closes his eyes, and finds sleep holding her, thinking of a healthy baby girl happily rejoined with her family.
Brooke wakes up without Lucas and with her mother glaring at her from the bedroom door. She squints, trying to figure out if Victoria's presence is real, or some stupid nightmare. Brooke grabs the other pillow on the bed, sticks her face in it and inhales deeply. Male sweat, citric aftershave, a hint of coconut from his usual shampoo. Better. She looks at the dresser and sees that Lucas took the purple monkey.
Victoria is following her every move. "What are you doing, child?"
"Hoping you'd just disappear." Brooke scowls."And by 'child' you mean boss, don't you?"
"You're a willful, stupid child who is about to lose control of your company. Soon you'll be nobody's boss."
Brooke sighs and sets both her anger and her grief to a back burner. "What are you doing here, mother?"
"I came to see the sketches for the Spring collection. The board meets in a week and these sketches are essential. And call me Victoria."
Brooke smirks. "Get out of here. Wait for me downstairs." She shakes her head. "Better yet, go to Hell."
"I'm not leaving without seeing the sketches."
Brooke laughs. "You'll see my sketches when I present them to the board at the meeting. Not a second sooner."
Victoria turns around and leaves, slamming the door and muttering. "Obnoxious little tramp."
Half an hour later, Brooke comes down to the kitchen to fix herself some breakfast. Coffee, greek yogurt, granola, strawberries, blueberries and a small glass of orange juice. Victoria is still around.
"Go pack and grab the sketches. We're going back to New York."
Brooke calmly eats her breakfast. She doesn't have her usual willingness for slogging it out with Victoria. Her experience with Angie is turning Victoria's horrible ways from painful to something entirely alien. "I finally get why you don't want me call you 'mother'. You aren't one." The line was delivered with a tired, sad voice.
"And what would you know about being a mother?"
Grief. A single tear runs down Brooke's face. "More than you... much more." Brooke replies in a whisper.
The older woman is taken aback by Brooke's words and demeanor. Victoria's usual scowl turns into dismay. "I'll be in New York." She turns around and walks out.
Brooke's voice sounds as hollow as she feels. "I'l be around soon, Victoria." Her mother's name is spat out, not with anger, but with contempt.
=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=
The bike is ready. Lucas stretches and walks around it, checking the custom paint job, the shining chromes, new tires... it's a rough-looking beauty and it will fit her new owner very well. He washes his hands, first with kerosene and then with plenty of soap and water. A nice soaking at home should help with his sore muscles. He'll do some final checking tomorrow. He dials Brooke's store from the shop's phone. Brooke answers after a few rings.
"Clothes over Bros, how may I help you?" Her voice is like melting chocolate.
"Hi, Pretty Girl. I'm done here. Can I beg for a ride home?" The store is just a half dozen blocks from the shop.
"Well... let me think. How about we grab some chinese and eat it at your place?" Brooke is not in the mood to be alone in her house.
Taylor is at work, so it's just the two of them. Dinner. His old home. Him and Brooke, by themselves, after a long day at work... the mere idea takes Lucas to some rather nice places. He shakes his head. He knows they are not ready to start something new... not so soon after Angie's departure. But they both seem reluctant to let the other slip away. "Sure. I'll call in the order. Veggie chow mein?"
She laughs. "You know it. Add some dumplings. Do you have beer?"
"Of course." Lucas laughs to himself. "Might be the only thing in the fridge, though."
"And what kind of outfit are you and Taylor running there, Broody?" She mock scolds. "Karen would be ashamed."
"We'll mend our errant ways. No need to invoke higher powers."
She giggles. The sound warms his heart. "Right. See you in a bit?"
"I'll be there in fifteen."
"Bye." She hangs up.
After calling in the order, Lucas talks briefly with the shop's manager and leaves, walking fast. It's fully dark outside, but the street lights keep the path well-illuminated. Lucas walks staring down at his path. A couple of blocks away from the store, he sees someone dressed in black opening the store's door and walking in. It's too far to see details, but something in the person's movement rings an alarm in Lucas' mind. He takes off running, stepping into the store no more than fifteen seconds after.
The store is dark. It takes a second for his vision to adjust, but his eyes are immediately drawn to Brooke's soft moaning from the floor. A man, dressed all in black and wearing a ski mask, was kneeling on top of Brooke when Lucas came in. Fast as a snake, he stands up to confront the new arrival. Lucas is seeing red in fury, and is about to throw himself at the assailant, but his instincts and Taylor's harsh training kick in. Lucas stops, gets himself loose on a strong base, raises his arms for attacking or blocking and studies the other man.
The man in the mask is experienced in violence. He sees Lucas youth, large size and unafraid stance and he knows he could be in trouble. Running is the best option, but, unfortunately, the blonde man is standing right on the path to the door. The man pulls a bit of insurance from a side pocket. A knife, black double edged blade, about four inches long. He swipes the blade from left to right, in a threatening gesture calculated to scare his opponent and make him step aside. "Get out of the way and nobody gets hurt." The voice is soft and nasal, full of a sick menace.
A momentary impasse. Brooke sees the knife and the her fear for Lucas makes her forget her pain and fear for herself. It's that fucking basement all over again. She screams. "Do what he says, Broody! Just get out of the way."
Lucas thinks fast. The guy seems dangerous, but the stiff legs and clumsy waving of the knife suggest untrained. With the mask, and having no idea why this guy is attacking Brooke, Lucas is not happy with letting him go. Lucas knows that hidden enemies with unknown intentions are... not good. It may be a big risk, but he's going to take it.
As Lucas plants himself, steel resolve written in his eyes. Lucas recalls Gandalf to the Balrog. "You shall not pass."
Brooke screams, as the masked man steps forward and swings his knife again. Lucas steps back but misjudges his reach, and feels a thin line of fire across his chest. The next swing is aimed at his neck, and Lucas dodges by arching back.
The miss unbalances the man. Fast reflexes and a little training take over. Lucas shuffles forward, invading the man's guard, pivoting and holding the man's right arm away from himself with an open palm to the forearm. At the same time, he continues the pivoting motion, adding to the motion with his torso, shoulders and arm, driving his left elbow from high to low into the side man's masked face. The guy never saw it coming.
It's a devastating hit. Lucas feels bones crunching and the man goes down like a bag of rocks. Between Brooke's scream and the end, no more than three seconds had elapsed. Brooke is standing there, eyes wide open in shock. Lucas tries to sound firm. "Call the police, Brooke." She stands there for a second. Lucas kicks the knife from the guy's hand and raises his voice. "Call now!" Brooke snaps out of it, finds her phone and calls.
Lucas kneels down, a knee to the guy's lower back and does a quick search. He finds a wallet, but nothing else. Lucas peels off the guy's mask. His mouth is bloody, his jaw clearly dislocated, and he's probably lost some teeth. Lucas smiles. He knows such injuries are truly excruciating. This guy is not moving by himself tonight. Brooke turns on the lights and he is able to look at the guy's face. Unknown and nondescript. The driver's license in the wallet has the name Xavier Daniels, and a picture of the same turd, just younger.
Lucas stands up and looks at Brooke. One side of her face is swollen, the eye in that side partially shut. She looks at him and her eyes widen in fear. "You're hurt."
Lucas lifts his shirt and looks in a mirror. A shallow diagonal cut, six or seven inches long, between his chest and abdomen. Plenty of blood. With the adrenalin still around, he feels nothing. "This is gonna need stitches."
Brooke explodes. She gets next to him, beats him with a closed fist to his chest. She screams "You are an insane, irresponsible, suicidal moron!" Before Lucas could react, she grabs his head by the hair and pulls him down, mashing her lips against his. Lucas is paralyzed by surprise for a second. Then he wraps his arms around her, and kisses right back. A siren sounds in the distance, but neither one hears it.
