Part 71
Debbie was busy making dinner when she heard a commotion out in the hallway and paused to go investigate. What she found was three teenagers rushing into her house looking like drowned rats.
"Oh my god!" Haley complained as she pulled off her rain soaked jacket and wiped the excess water from her face, and that was just from the journey to the house from the car. "Who ordered the hurricane?"
Deb chuckled as she watched her son and Brooke take off their own wet jackets. "Let me get you guys some towels to dry off."
"Thanks!" Brooke called after the older woman as she pushed the wet hair stuck to her face back out of the way.
"I thought the storm was meant to be over with?" Nathan commented as he went over to his wife and rubbed at her arms.
"Yeah, well I guess this is the last of it." Haley replied.
Brooke nodded. "Yeah, it's already cleared over Georgia and most of South Carolina. Should be gone by Monday if not before." Probably just in time for the arrival of Papa Sawyer. Not that Brooke wanted to dwell on that little bit of information for long.
Nathan frowned wondering why Brooke would know so much about the storm but his mom came back just then and handed out a fresh towel to each of them.
"Here you go." Deb said with a smile.
"Thank you." Brooke replied as she took the offered item and used it to dry her face and rub at her wet hair. It was better than nothing at this stage. A change of clothes and even a warm bath would have been just as welcome.
"No problem." Debbie said as she turned to get back to the cooking. "You and Peyton staying for dinner?" She called back from the far end of the hallway.
Brooke glanced quickly at Nathan and Haley who were too caught up in drying themselves to pay attention. She looked back at the older woman and shrugged. "If that's okay?"
Debbie chuckled. "Of course." She said before heading into the kitchen. "Peyton's already up stairs." She continued to inform Brooke.
Torn momentarily between politeness and wanting to see her girlfriend, Brooke let her feet carry her towards the staircase and up to the second floor while her friends seemed too preoccupied to notice.
She quietly walked down the hallway to the nursery eager to see what Peyton had done so far to decorate the walls. And while that was reason enough to be up here Brooke had the ulterior motive of just wanting a quiet few minutes alone with her girlfriend. She hadn't seen Peyton since that morning at school when they'd parted ways for different exams.
It had been a strange day, while they weren't officially done with high school until graduate, they were no more classes or exams, if fact there was nothing to stop them from leaving Tree Hill altogether now. There was nothing to hold them to the town except each other and the fact that their friend was about to give birth.
Beyond that they were all free for the summer, when most of the group had college places to take up around the state. Everyone except Brooke. Even Peyton had made plans of her own for the summer.
Brooke knew she and the blonde had to sit down and talk about what they were going to do next now that they were supposed to be responsible adults. And Larry was sure to ask about Peyton's plans if he knew about the internship.
"Stupid Lucas." Brooke bit out angrily as she reached the closed door Peyton was behind. They'd talk but hopefully not until after this weekend away. Because if Brooke could persuade the blonde to leave tonight she didn't plan on being back until late on Monday before Larry was due into town to see Peyton.
She dismissed worrying about Peyton's dad until after this weekend and smiled to herself as she slowly opened the door to the nursery. "Wow." She muttered as the smile quickly dropped from her face by the sight that greeted her. "Umm…"
Peyton was lying on the floor in the middle of the room, dust sheets stretched around the base of the walls to keep the most of the paint from ruining the floor. The blonde had her eyes closed and her earbuds in listening to something or other as she hummed to herself, her legs crossed at the ankles and her hands clasped over her stomach.
It was a more than welcome sight for Brooke, or it would have been if it wasn't for the paint job Peyton seemed so obviously proud of herself for.
The room was painted floor to ceiling in black paint.
Brooke shook her head in disbelief then closed the door behind herself as she made her way over to Peyton and kneeled down beside her. She poked her girlfriend in the gut then, when Peyton opened her eyes and lifted her hands to pull the earbuds out, she laid her head down and stared over at Peyton. "Haley is going to kill you." She warned as she snuggled down.
Peyton grinned back at Brooke and ran her hand lightly through damp hair. "I always wanted to paint my room black but my dad would never let me." She admitted softly.
Brooke snorted and rolled her eyes. "Well I might do a lot for you but I am not going to be any help to you when Haley sees this." She told Peyton making the blonde chuckle. "You are on your own babe, it was nice knowing you."
Peyton glanced around at the black walls, even the back of the door hadn't escaped. She'd done a good job, hadn't gone over the skirting or anything, and there was no patches…
"What happened to the underwater Nemo theme?" Brooke had to ask, she'd seen all the amazing sketches Peyton had done for the room and wondered why none of that had actually made it onto the walls.
Peyton stuck an earbud back in and closed her eyes with a chuckle. "Bottom corner." She said and lifted a hand up to point to the section she meant. She giggled to herself as she felt Brooke get up and waited for it, her ear perked at attention.
"Oh my god!"
Now she let out a laugh.
"You killed Nemo!" Brooke said accusingly from across the room. She was staring at the little patch of colour that was Nemo's upturned body floating in a sea of tiny little jellyfish.
"He got fried, it's was over with quickly." Peyton supplied from her spot on the ground.
Brooke shook her head then crawled back over to cuddle up to her girlfriend who opened her arm for her. "Maybe if we sneak out now we can be out of the state in a couple of hours."
Peyton hugged Brooke to her body an amused grin still on her face. She wasn't worried about Haley's reaction.
"Just think about it Peyt, even if we have to run past her, with Junior on board we'll still make it." Brooke continued. She wanted to ask Peyton why the room was painted black but as she rested her head on her girlfriends shoulder she worked it out. She fished around for the other ear bud then tucked her head closer to Peyton. "Things not go okay with Lucas?" She asked quietly.
Peyton smirked and shifted to press her lips to Brooke's head and tightened her hold carefully. "I renamed Nemo over there Dickhead Luke."
Brooke snorted but felt the guilt knot her stomach. "What'd he say?"
Peyton huffed and shook her head. She wasn't going to repeat what her ex had said, especially the part about Brooke using her. "I told him about us, and predictably he threw a fit and some of the dishes in the café." She'd looked back into the café in time to see him do that, it hadn't even been a shock. Lately Lucas was always letting his temper get the better of him.
Brooke shifted away from Peyton to stare at her. "He didn't hurt you did he?" She asked quickly.
"No. No, he just acted like it's still all about him." Peyton replied trying to reassure her girlfriend. "He shouted a bit and acted like a brat but no he didn't touch me, I swear."
Brooke scowled and searched Peyton's face for any hint of a lie but there wasn't. "Well good, because I'd kill him if he laid a hand on you."
Peyton grinned despite the seriousness of that comment and tugged Brooke back down onto her. "And I'd help bury the body."
Brooke was angry at Lucas for throwing his anger around, especially at Peyton knowing Ian Banks was out there still. But going on past performance it shouldn't have shocked her, the only person Lucas ever really cared about was Lucas.
It didn't make her feel any better about the situation but at least he knew about them now and hopefully that meant he'd stop trying to get Peyton back. She didn't really trust him but she didn't plan on spending much time with the older Scott brother so maybe it was better that they got this over with now.
Lucas had been the one person she hadn't wanted to tell, she might not admit it but his likeness to Ian Banks still caught her off guard when she saw him. From behind especially it freaked her out, and lately the look in his eyes that told her she was in his way. It gave her chills just thinking about how similar that look had been when directed at her by a serial killer.
Peyton frowned when she felt Brooke's body shiver against her. She rubbed Brooke's back and hugged her closer. "You cold?"
Brooke screwed her eyes closed and tried to calm her racing heartbeat. She didn't want to panic Peyton so she nodded. "A bit."
Busy thinking over how to fix the problem Peyton hadn't been paying much attention to her surroundings until she felt Brooke's whole body tense up in her arms.
She lifted her head to ask what was wrong when the answer came from behind her.
"Oh my god!" Haley cried out as her hand covered her mouth as she stood in the doorway and looked at the room. "What…why?" She asked as her eyes scanned from one black wall to the next.
Wide eyed Brooke scrambled to her feet. "I think that's our cue." She hurriedly told Peyton as the blonde stood up with her. Brooke saw Haley step further into the room and took advantage and pulled Peyton out of the room with her.
"But I wanted to watch." Peyton protested as she was dragged along the hallway reluctantly.
Brooke stood and glared at her girlfriend. "Are you insane?"
Peyton shrugged sheepishly. She really did want to stick around to see Haley's reaction properly.
Rolling her eyes Brooke turned back around and with a firmer hold on Peyton she forced her down the staircase. "No."
Peyton sighed but didn't resist.
"Hey." Nathan greeted them at the bottom of the staircase with a smile, having changed out of his wet clothes. "Mom says dinner shouldn't be too much longer, you guys are staying right?"
Peyton wrapped Brooke back up into her arms from behind and smiled back at her friend as she waited to see how Brooke handled this.
"Uh, see…well-"
"Peyton!"
Nathan's eyebrows hiked up at his wife yell. Then he noticed Peyton's smirk and couldn't help but grin a little. "What did you do?"
"I think it works best as a show and tell." Brooke quickly cut in as she saw Debbie come out from the kitchen. She tugged at Peyton again as Nathan hurried up to his wife taking the stairs two at a time.
"We really appreciate the offer Mrs Scott but, um, we're going to get home before the weather gets any worse." Brooke said as she released Peyton so they could both get their jackets on. "Some other time okay."
Debbie nodded as she walked towards them, Haley's shout making her a little curious as to what was going on but she'd leave it to the kids to sort out whatever it was between the four of them. "No problem."
Brooke yelped as she heard Nathan let out a booming laugh. "Okay bye." She said quickly then turned for the door.
Peyton was only just zipping up her jacket when Brooke started to pull on her again. She caught Debbie watching them with an amused look and she rolled her eyes at the older woman.
"Tell Haley that I'll finish it when me and Brooke get back." She said and gestured up to the second floor of the house.
"Will do." Debbie replied easily before seeing the pair off, ignoring the rain to watch as they both got into Peyton's car and turned out of the driveway.
Just as she was locking up the door she felt the floor shudder a little and turned to see her stepdaughter making her way down the staircase with Nathan trailing close behind her.
Debbie held in the need to tell Haley to be more careful on the steps given the extra weight she was carrying could easily make her overbalance.
The girl already looked ready to kill.
"Where is she?" Haley demanded as she glanced around, listening for her two friends, wondering where they were hiding and how long it was going to take her to find them. She wasn't going to let Peyton get away with this.
"Who?" Debbie asked carefully even as Nathan visibly winced from behind his wife.
"Peyton!" Haley bit out again as she threw her hands up in the air. "And you've been here with her the whole time, why didn't you stop her?" She continued to vent.
Debbie just smiled and refused to say anything until Haley calmed down a touch, when she did she patted the girl on the shoulder as she walked by. "Peyton and Brooke had to leave, but Peyton said she'd finish it when they got back."
Haley scowled again and turned to Debbie but Nathan's mom was already back in the kitchen. But that didn't stop her from shouting towards her. "Get back? Get back from where?"
xxxxx
Peyton grinned at the sound of Brooke's laughter filling the car. The rain and wind had both picked up so she kept her eyes on the road but it was nice to hear Brooke enjoying herself after haven't dealt with Lucas earlier.
"Man, I bet Haley is freaking out right now." Brooke said with a giggle as she remembered the pregnant girls astonished face as she took in the nursery. She wondered how Haley would react to seeing Nemo but it had been the better option to escape while they could. Still, she would have loved to have seen how that went down.
"You think she'll make Nate paint over it tonight?" She asked Peyton as she leant her head on the blonde's shoulder. They'd be back at the apartment soon.
Peyton snorted. "Poor Nate, maybe we should have took him with us."
Brooke eye Peyton for a second as the car pulled into their spot by the apartment complex. "I think the whole marriage deal mean he's supposed to be the one sticking around when everyone else is running for their lives." She commented before offering Peyton a shrug as the blonde turned the car off and shifted around in her seat to look at her.
Peyton nodded. Nathan's fate wasn't high on her list of concerns right now anyway, besides he was used to just agreeing to do everything Haley wanted the closer she got to giving birth.
"So, I was thinking," She started as she reached over and slipped her hand into Brooke's. "What do you think of leaving now instead of tomorrow?" She asked tentatively. "I mean, I know this is what you wanted to start with anyway, so why don't we just pack up some stuff and just go tonight?"
Brooke half smiled and half frowned at the same time. "I thought you wanted to get the nursery finished for Haley and Nate first?" She asked confused by the sudden change in attitude. Peyton had really been looking forward to having the whole room to play with.
"I know, but I just…" She did want to get the place ready for their friends but she also knew that Brooke had wanted to get out of Tree Hill for a bit and this weekend was the first chance for them to do that. She'd been the one to put it off by agreeing to paint Nathan and Haley nursery, but she could finish that between when they got back and graduation. Haley was due to give birth the week after that so they still had plenty of time to sort it out well before the room was needed.
But Brooke was her girlfriend. And after the last few weeks, after going through what she had, and the stress of knowing Ian Banks was still out there. Didn't Brooke deserve to get away from that, even if just for a few days?
Brooke squeezed Peyton's hand. "You know I was kidding earlier right, I'll knock that bitch down if she comes after you, pregnant or not." She told her girlfriend with a grin.
Peyton giggled a little at the thought of Brooke and Haley getting into a fight right now with Haley so heavily pregnant.
"I can take her." Brooke added.
"I'm sure you can." Peyton quickly replied, although the thought was ridiculous it was also kinda sweet. "My hero."
Brooke scoffed and gave her girlfriend a look. "So what's really up?"
Peyton sighed a little. "I just thought, with my dad coming back next week and then graduation. Maybe getting away for a bit now, while we can, isn't such a terrible idea."
"Thanks." Brooke replied sarcastically. There was no need for Peyton to make it sound like a few days alone with her was such a trial for the blonde.
"You know I didn't mean it like that."
"Hm."
Peyton bit her lip as she stared at Brooke for a long moment as the rain continued to batter against the car. They were still holding hands which she was grateful for even if Brooke was a little mad at her right now. She wasn't explaining herself very well and now she was afraid of making it worse.
"Peyton what is going on with you?" Brooke asked softly. "I know you said Lucas was an ass about us, but is there something else wrong?" She asked. Things had seemed okay when they'd parted at school and this morning at the apartment had definitely gone well between them, unless she had the wrong idea of the stupid grin covering her girlfriends face most of the time.
So other than talking to Lucas about their relationship what else had Peyton spooked.
And she didn't think it was Haley.
Peyton turned her head to eye the rain soaked windscreen. "You ever just want things to stop. For the world to just stand still for a moment and give you a chance to breathe again?"
Brooke nodded even though Peyton probably couldn't see her.
Swallowing hard Peyton was surprised to feel tears sting her eyes. She blinked them back and eyed Brooke again. "I need for things to just stop right now." It wasn't just how Lucas had reacted to hearing about her change in relationship with Brooke, it was everything. School, worrying about what came after school, her dad coming home and not knowing what she was going to say to him, or how he'd react. Even the thought of having to deal with Victoria again was making her feel sick.
And then there was Ian Banks.
Brooke had been raped and beaten and stabbed only two weeks ago. She still had the fading bruises and Peyton only had to look down at the hand on her own to see the visible scars he'd left behind. And that didn't touch on the mental ones he'd left Brooke with.
Peyton felt a tear break free and roll down her cheek, she sniffed and wiped it away quickly. Brooke had been the one to have gone through hell and here she was crying in front of her like her feelings were more important.
"Peyt." Brooke whispered and tightened her grip on the blonde's hand.
"No." Peyton shook her head and wiped at her face again with her free hand. She had to say this now and get it over with before Brooke tried to make her feel better. "This past couple of weeks, since prom," She said hesitantly. "We've all just tried to keep things normal, right? Study for finals, see our friends, just carry on and get through it you know? But it hasn't been normal has it?" It wasn't normal to have cops following you around for days at a time or having a parking lot full of reporters swarming around for every bit of gossip they could get their hands on about the two of them.
Between all of that, and everything else, Peyton was just tired of it. She was sick of feeling like she was being pushed and pulled in twenty different directions all at the one time. And never really knowing the right one to pick, just crossing her fingers and hoping for the best.
Even knowing the cops were out there hunting Ian Banks down wasn't making it much better, because even if they caught him it wouldn't be the end. Dealing with Lucas seemed like such a petty trivial detail in the chaos that felt like her life right now that it barely registered with her even if it had upset Brooke.
Peyton needed to get a handle on her own life, and to try and figure out what the future was going to look like with Brooke. She needed them to have those conversations, however hard, and discuss what they were going to do now that school was over.
And that wasn't something she felt they could get through here in Tree Hill. Not when her dad was due, and Lucas was no doubt going to have something to say to them about their relationship, and having their friends, however well meaning, try and constantly keep track of them.
It was all just too much.
"So we're not just running away from Haley, right, because that'd just be embarrassing." Brooke asked with a touch of humour.
Peyton laughed. "No. It's not just Haley."
Brooke grinned and winked at Peyton. "Well good. Then okay, let's do it, let's go pack and just go."
"Yeah?" Peyton asked as she sat up straighter in her seat hoping Brooke was serious.
Brooke nodded. There was nothing forcing them to stay if they didn't want to. And Peyton was right, it was exhausting dealing with everyone trying to make sure she was okay. "Haley and Nate will understand, and our finals are over, so yeah, a few days away sounds like heaven."
Peyton leant over and pressed a quick kiss to Brooke's lips.
They shared a smile then eyed the rain outside before looking at each other again. A moment later and they were both hurrying from the car to the apartment, Brooke a little slower because of her leg but just was just in time to get into the apartment as Peyton unlocked the door before they both rested against the closed door with wet clothes. A second later and they both started laughing.
Peyton put her arm over Brooke's shoulder and laid a kiss to her forehead. "Let me go pack a few things and we can hit the road." She said and started for their bedroom.
Brooke watched her go then shook off some of the rain drops from her and went to sit on the couch. She wasn't sure if either of them had decided on where exactly they were going but right now she didn't much care.
If they were gone even just for the one night it would help more than sticking around. The memories this apartment held won't let her escape thoughts of Lucas and Peyton in the bedroom or finding Peyton in tears on the floor out here thinking that she'd left town without even saying goodbye.
She was still worried about Peyton's emotional state and had been even before her attack at the prom.
Brooke took her cell phone out of her pocket and stared at it. She'd had it off most of the day and didn't feel the need to switch it back on, instead she sat it down on the coffee table. Wherever she and Peyton ended up tonight she wasn't taking it with her.
Dropping of the radar for a day or so didn't sound so bad.
Peyton came out and put the holdall she'd packed down next to Brooke and wandered into the kitchen to grab something to eat and drink on the journey. "I stuck all of your meds in there just in case." She said as she opened the fridge and pulled out some bottled water. She then picked up a packet of biscuits, a bag of chips and two apples from the fruit bowl. She then dumped the armful onto the couch a grinned when Brooke laughed at her.
"That's it unless you want to bring anything else?" Peyton said as she watched Brooke add their snack stash into the bag. Her eyes caught Brooke's phone on the table and when Brooke stood and moved back towards the front door again she frowned.
"What?" Brooke asked as she noticed Peyton watching her.
"You leaving that?"
Brooke glanced at the cell phone then shrugged. "You want to get away, then let's get away."
Peyton bit her lip and considered what to do with her own phone as she pulled it out of her own pocket. Not a lot of people had the numbers but it was good to have it in case of emergencies more than anything else. She'd already packed their charges and her laptop.
Brooke saw the indecision and rolled her eyes. "Just keep it switched off unless you want to deal with Haley shouting at you all weekend." She told her girlfriend and watched her put the device back into her pocket. "Can we go now?" She whined a little as the blonde came over to her with the bag in her hand.
Peyton let her body invade Brooke's personal space and rubbed her nose against Brooke's slightly. "Are you sure this isn't a little too Thelma and Louisey?"
Brooke snorted, her hand going to the top of Peyton's jeans and tugging. "I know your driving's bad but I don't think we're planning on finding a canyon to drive into."
Peyton grinned. "Not too Bonnie and Clyde?"
"Are we planning on robbing a bank now?"
Peyton shook her head slowly.
Brooke sighed heavily and pulled on Peyton's jacket to kiss her on the lips. "You're so lucky I put up with you being such a weirdo."
Laughing Peyton leaned in for another kiss before pulling back and reaching for the door handle. "I don't know, sneaking out of town under the cover of a storm should be more exciting than just to hang out in a hotel room."
Brooke pinched Peyton on the side making her yelp. "Keep it up blondie and you'll have all the excitement of staying in your own room away from me."
Peyton snorted but wisely said nothing, just smirking at Brooke as she opened the door for her girlfriend.
"That's what I thought." Brooke said smugly before pressing her lips to Peyton's one last time then stepped out into the storm again.
Peyton glanced around then locked the apartment up and chased after Brooke, surprised to find her next to the Comet. When they both got in she gave her girlfriend a questioning look after she tucked their bag behind her seat.
"I figured you'd be doing most of the driving so we might as well just take your car, that way when you drive it off the road I'll still have mine to come back to." Brooke told her.
Peyton rolled her eyes and started the car. A few moments later and Brooke was leaning against her. She wondered if Brooke would be able to get some sleep while she drove. Carefully she turned on some music but kept it low just so she had something to keep herself alert if she was going to be driving for a while.
"Do we know where we're going?" She asked softly as she took the turnpike that would lead them out of town and onto the highway.
Brooke snuggled a little closer. "Don't care, just as long as we're together."
Peyton nodded and picked a lane and not long after they were passing the outer limits of Tree Hill.
They were only leaving for a few days, but as she thought about it, Peyton released that it didn't feel like Tree Hill was home any more.
And whatever decisions they made in the days ahead it was unlikely that they'd ever call this town home again.
But Brooke was right, wherever the night took them, as long as they had each other they'd be okay.
xxxxx
AN/
Okay, to address the couple of comments on Brooke's seemingly quick recovery. I'm not writing an angst fic here, I do mention that Brooke still has trouble with the leg wound and that she pretty much can't sleep without Peyton. I haven't gone too deep into her dealing with how the rape is affecting her emotionally, because to be honest she won't talk about it much because Peyton's the one she would have spoken to if her rape hadn't been at the hands of someone that had been after Peyton in the first place. She's not ready to talk to anyone else about it yet either, but she eventually will, because everyone's right, there is no magical fix for dealing with a rape, especially at the hands of a serial killer. I'm sorry if people want more of the details, and have more of Brooke's emotional trauma showing up. I'm not sure it will.
As for the physical injuries, if you do not know anyone who has suffered stab wounds, you'd be surprised by just how little time medical staff give these types of injuries when they aren't a threat to life. I live in a fairly high knife crime city and the A&E (ER) basically stitch you up and send you home if they don't need to fix anything vital. They won't even given you strong pain medication just to tell you to take some regular painkillers and to see your GP or nurse to have the stitches removed 7-10 days later.
But all that aside, thanks for reading!