Gah! You guys just keep getting better and better and we love you guys! The reviews are awesome and some even made us laugh. So, thanks for reading and reviewing.

By the way, did anyone else feel slightly bad for Carrie in the last episode? I mean I know she's a crazy but we still felt slightly bad for her. Then we saw next week's preview and we were back to hating her.

Enjoy the chapter!

We know we stole the title for one of the episodes but it's no copyright intended. :D

Bridge Over Troubled Water

When she looked out the window in her kitchen she did not expect to find her two best friends kissing. No, she expected talking or yelling but kissing? She had honestly not thought about them doing that.

She sighed when she realized that she was making it into something it wasn't. It was a kiss. A long one but it was just a kiss. They were both grown adults and they could make their own choices; even if those choices were completely wrong sometimes.

She turned away from the scene in her backyard and made sure to watch for anyone who would catch them in their position. Peyton had gone home so at least she wouldn't catch them. Should she do something? No. It wasn't her place.

She looked up and forgot her thoughts when she noticed Nathan and Jamie playing together in the living room. She smiled at her husband and son before she remembered that she needed to talk to her said husband.

"Nathan?" He looked up from the game he was playing and nodded, showing her that he was listening. "I need to talk to you."

In Nathan's head, he knew exactly what that 'talk' was going to be about. He had been hoping that she brought the subject to him and not the other way around. But, now that she was asking about it, he was more afraid than anything.

Well, not afraid but nervous. It wasn't by any means horrible if they had another child but it made him nervous. He felt like he was back in high school for a moment and it made him laugh.

"Nathan?"

His laughter disappeared when he realized that she was waiting for an answer. "We'll talk when he goes to bed." Then another thought struck him. "Where's Lucas?"

"He left," she said, a little too quickly for his liking. She looked nervous and bent up about something but he would get it out of her later. For now, he would concentrate on his son.

It was times like this that would have made her happy back in high school. Back then, she would have been ecstatic if things turned out like the way they had just now. But this wasn't high school; it was no where near it.

Yet, she found herself clinging to him tighter and pulling him closer to her. It was if she had been holding this back for years and nothing was stopping her now. Except one thing. That said thing being her best friend who was currently upset with her.

With her friend in mind, she pulled away from Lucas and took a few uneasy steps back. She looked up and met his eyes. They were full of desire and she had to restrain herself from running back into his arms. This was so wrong.

"Brooke, why..."

She cut him off. "Lucas, you're getting married to my best friend. This feels like high school all over again." Only you're the backstabbing, two-faced bitch this time.

"It's not and that was nice."

She couldn't help it when a tiny smile appeared on her face. His compliments still made her blush but she quickly wiped it off her face and replaced it with anger. She thought of everything that he had done that hurt her; she had to stop these feelings somehow.

"It wasn't nice. It was so wrong."

"No, I don't think it was." He stepped closer and she stepped back. "Brooke, why are running from me?"

"I'm not running Luke."

His voice lowered. "Brooke, I'm not sorry that we shared that."

She turned sideways and he noticed the hand-shaped bruise on her arm. That was odd. So, now stairs gave people bite marks and hand-shaped bruises? Did she take him for an idiot?

"Luke..."

"Stop." She looked over and glared at him for interrupting her. She could tell that he was looking at something on her body. The hand-print! She turned her body the other way but Lucas had already gotten to her and forced her to turn back to face him.

He moved her so that he could see her arm. It was a hand-print. He was sure of that. "Who did this to you Brooke?" He now noticed all the tiny bruises that were peppered across her arm.

"No one did anything to me," she told him before she yanked her arm out of his grip. The pain that shot through her arm made her whimper and Lucas instantly pulled her into a comforting hug.

"Brooke, you can tell me what happened. You don't have to hide anymore." With those words, she seriously contemplated telling him right then and there but it would just complicate things more.

Then she wondered why she couldn't tell him. She knew why though. Telling him would somehow make them seem closer and she didn't want that.

"Lucas, I'm fine. Their just bruises." He pushed her back a little but his hands didn't leave her shoulders.

"Those bruises are hand-prints! God, Brooke I know something is going on. You're always locked up in your room and you wear clothes that cover up your body. You never used to do that."

He noticed what I wore? "Maybe I want to try something new."

"Like what? Sporting bruises isn't exactly a fashion statement." She pushed his hands off of her and she glared at him.

"What about you huh? Was running off to Vegas with Peyton everything you dreamed of and more?" She knew her voice was full of sarcasm and hurt but she didn't care. She had to get this out. "Was it what you always wanted since high school?"

"Brooke it wasn't-"

"Wasn't what Luke? You don't have to give an excuse as to why you want to marry the one you love. I just wonder how Lindsey feels."

"Lindsey has nothing to with this," he nearly yelled, his anger finally shining through.

"Lindsey has a lot to do with this. How do you think she feels after you just go off with Peyton? She still loves you."

"Brooke, keep her out of this." Brooke just stared into his eyes. His voice did nothing to waver her.

She didn't know if it was the hurt or the anger that compelled her to say the next words she did but either way she felt bad the minute they slipped out.

"Why? It's exactly the same thing that happened in high school. Only this time it's Lindsey who's playing me." The hurt flashed across his face before she even finished her sentence. She shouldn't have brought up the past.

He didn't say anything for a few minutes. Brooke just stood there, waiting for something from him.

"I'm sorry," he said and Brooke was shocked. "I'm sorry for what I did in high school. You didn't deserve that but neither did Peyton."

"What did Peyton get out of it though? I know you guys broke up but you tell me the difference between Peyton and I. She didn't get anything because it was me who got all of it," she yelled, almost in tears. She couldn't understand why he had said that. What had Peyton done that she hadn't back in high school?

"She didn't do anything and neither did you. I was stupid back then and I wasn't thinking."

"So, what? What are you telling me?"

"I don't know." That wasn't the answer that she wanted to hear. It wasn't the answer that she needed. "This isn't high school anymore though Brooke."

That one stung her too and she couldn't be there anymore. She breathed in deeply before she backed up and prayed that her tears wouldn't fall yet.

"You're right. It's not high school and that's why this is done. You were meant to be with Peyton and I was meant to be... alone." She turned and left the backyard as fast as she could. Lucas just stood by the bench not knowing what to do.

He didn't mean to upset her but she had brought up the past. She wasn't meant to be alone and he didn't want her to be alone. He would fix this somehow. The only problem was that he had to figure out how to fix it.

"Lucas?" His thoughts were cut off when he turned to look at Haley. "I saw everything. I'm sorry."

"It's alright Haley. I just wished she would tell me everything." Haley was now torn between a few things. She wanted to tell Lucas about Brooke but she didn't know if it was the right thing. The other thing was the kiss.

"Why did you kiss her?" Well, at least she got it out. Albeit bluntly.

"We were...fighting and it felt like the right thing to do."

Haley took a seat on the bench and sighed. "Lucas, do you remember when I told you to not hide your heart?"

Lucas nodded and took a seat next to her. "Did you not take my advice?"

"I did."

"Then why?" She asked. "Why are you messing around with Brooke while you're engaged to Peyton?"

"I don't know."

She threw an arm around his shoulder. "I just wish you would figure everything out. You can only have one and I won't let you hurt them. This can't continue Luke. I love you but you need to figure out your feelings."

"I know Hales but it's hard."

She stood up then and turned to face him. "It's not hard Luke. You either love Brooke or you love Peyton."

"It's confusing."

"Well, you need to make a choice. And when you do, you can't change it. Their not gifts that you can just return when you don't want them." With that, she left him.

He honestly was confused but he would try for Brooke and Peyton's sake. He had to or this would end up just like high school had.

"I can't believe he..." Brooke stopped her ranting when she stepped into the house and saw Peyton sitting on one of the barstools. She was looking at a few pictures but Brooke couldn't see which one's.

"Hey," she said quietly. There was something different about her.

"Hi. What are you looking at?"

She held up a picture of a young girl. "It's Jenny." That was it. She missed the little girl that she had loved so much in high school.

"It still hurts huh?" Peyton looked up, surprised. Brooke knew that it was because she was being nice.

"Just a little."

Brooke snorted. "Not just a little P. Sawyer. A lot." Peyton nodded and Brooke went to stand by her before she placed her head on Peyton's shoulder.

"What are you doing here anyway?"

Peyton sighed. "I wanted to see if you were alright. Your door wasn't locked and I knew that Lucas wasn't going to be home so I came here. I feel more at home here anyway."

Brooke smiled sadly before she dug through her purse and pulled out Peyton's house key. She set it next the pictures.

"Brooke..."

"Keep it. I shouldn't have taken my mother troubles out on you. It wasn't fair." Peyton smiled before she pulled Brooke into a hug. Brooke hugged back but the guilt was killing her.

And as Peyton pulled back and returned to looking at the pictures, Brooke felt like she was on a bridge over troubled water.

The only difference was that she felt like she was falling off the bridge rather than staying on it. And she couldn't get out of the water that she was slowly drowning in.

Eh or nah? You know what to do. :D

So, how did you like the Brucas fight? C'mon, we had to have at least one between them. It was pretty awesome though, huh? Anyways, did you like the little bit of Naley we put in there? Rose is Naley believer so we had to add something and there will be more. Poor Brooke and Lucas.

Whatever It Takes by Lifehouse is so a Brucas song. Rose just laughed when I told her that but who agrees?

Guess what? We're having another game.

Game: Try and figure out what term was most used in this chapter. Hint: It's in Lucas' and Brooke's convo a lot.