Hey everyone, and thanks for all the great reviews : ) I'm glad no-one seems to have been disappointed by Brooke's reaction last chapter – a few people said that an alternative version could have been to have Brooke getting really angry, and that was my other thought, but I thought that might mean I'd end up repeating the same arguments over and over. But anyway, on to chapter four…this one's a bit of a filler, but I wanted to post something this week. Not to worry though, the drama will pick up in chapters five and six!

Chapter Four

'Hush baby, we don't want to wake Mommy,' Nathan told his son as he tiptoed back inside the room he shared with his wife. It was still early, but Nathan had already been for his morning run, and had decided to pick up his son from Deb and Karen's cabin on the way back. Carefully, the young father eased himself into the comfy armchair by the bed, and, cradling the infant in his arms, tilted the bottle of warm milk at just the right angle, chuckling gently at the speed with which James latched onto the teat and began to suck greedily. 'Well, it looks like you got your mommy's appetite,' Nathan told his son with a smirk.

'Hey, I heard that!' Haley objected from the bed, opening her eyes and taking in the sight of her baby son cradled in his daddy's arms, 'but seeing as that's such an adorable sight to wake up to, I'll forgive you this once.' Yawning, the girl glanced at the clock on the bedside table and her nose wrinkled in confusion. 'Nate, umm, not that I don't love our son, but what's he doing here? Wasn't Deb going to bring him down to the beach with Karen and Lily later?'

Nathan shrugged, looking slightly bashful. 'Uh, well, I went for a jog, thought I'd pick him up on the way back,' he told his wife with feigned nonchalance.

She chuckled, knowing full well what had really happened. 'Aww, did you miss him Nate?' she teased, sliding out of bed and lifting the now happy baby into his arms. 'You've got Daddy whipped don'tcha little man,' she giggled, planting a kiss on his forehead.

The infant's father pouted, pulling Haley down onto his knee. 'Hey, you're supposed to be on my side,' he told the cooing baby, 'tell Mommy she's the one who's whipped!' James just gurgled, his big blue eyes smiling at both his parents who grinned at him in return.

'I think he agrees with Mommy,' Haley announced, kissing her husband in triumph. 'Hey, when you got up earlier, you didn't see if anyone else was up did you?' she continued, worry springing up inside her as she remembered the events of the night before.

'You mean Brooke?' Nathan asked, squeezing his wife's hand to reassure her.

Haley nodded distractedly. 'Mmmm, she was pretty upset last night, Lucas is such an ass sometimes.'

'Yeah, that wasn't one of his finer moments,' Nathan agreed. 'Look,' he continued, reading the concern in his wife's eyes, 'why don't you go see how she is? I'll get this little monster ready, and then get started on breakfast.'

Haley smiled at her husband, grateful that he hadn't dismissed her worries. 'Thanks baby,' she answered, passing James back to his daddy. 'Back soon angel,' she told the little boy, and slipped out of the room.

Minutes later, as Nathan fastened a clean diaper onto his son, she was back, concern etched deeper on her face. 'She okay?' Nathan asked concernedly.

'I dunno,' Haley replied uncertainly, 'I could hear voices so I didn't go in. She was talking to Peyton.'

Nathan pulled a face. 'Hmmm, wonder how that's gonna go,' he mused, snapping the last fastener on James's sleepsuit, before noticing just how worried his wife looked. 'Hales, don't worry,' he told her, carrying James over to where she stood and wrapping an arm around her. 'They'll work it out, they always do.' Haley nodded, and her husband smiled. 'Now, how about pancakes for breakfast?' he suggested, steering his wife towards the kitchen as she grinned and slipped her hand into his.

'Pancakes sound perfect.'

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'So,' Peyton began nervously, eyeing her friend, 'Lucas is an ass.'

The brunette grinned, and the blonde breathed a sigh of relief. 'Yup,' she agreed solemnly.

'Listen Brooke, I'm really sorry,' Peyton continued, 'he should never have said that to you.'

'Relax P. Sawyer,' Brooke reassured her friend, seeing the tense expression on Peyton's face, 'Lucas and I have said far worse things to each other, trust me. And besides, he's already apologised.'

'Okay,' Peyton nodded. 'So you guys are friends again now?'

Brooke pulled a face. 'I dunno, Blondie,' she answered honestly, 'he really hurt me, you know?' Catching sight of the pained expression on the other girl's face, she forced a smile and continued. 'But I guess I could forgive him, if only for the sake of my bestest friend in the world!'

Peyton laughed, relieved. 'Thanks Brooke,' she told her friend.

Brooke smiled back, glad to see her friend happy. 'No problem Goldilocks,' she grinned. 'Ho's over bro's, right?

'Right.' But Peyton's agreement did nothing to clear the tense atmosphere that remained in the room as the two girls considered Brooke's motto, and the ways in which they had both broken it. 'Okay, I'm gonna go get ready for the beach,' Peyton added, suddenly desperate to leave.

''Kay,' Brooke nodded, but before Peyton could leave the room she called her back: 'P. Sawyer?' Peyton turned and Brooke continued, 'I'm sorry too you know.' Peyton looked momentarily confused, so the brunette carried on, 'for what I said last night I mean. I didn't need to drag you into it, it was Lucas I was mad at, not you.'

Peyton nodded, finally understanding, and for a second the two girls held each other's gaze before the blonde girl broke the silence once again. 'It's never gonna be the same is it Brooke?' she asked sadly.

The brunette shrugged, not needing Peyton to explain her question. 'I dunno Pey,' she said at last. 'I hope so, but…' her words trailed off and the blonde nodded.

'Yeah,' she agreed, almost silently, and then slipped out of the room, closing it quietly behind her.

Brooke lay back on her bed, a sole tear trickling down her cheek. 'Yeah,' she echoed.

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'Ugh, you'd think I could find a hot guy somewhere on this beach to put sun tan lotion on my back,' Rachel whined. 'No offence Brooke, but you doing it isn't really turning me on.'

Haley rolled her eyes as Brooke laughed and continued rubbing the cream into her friend's back, scooting closer as she did so. 'Maybe this will help,' she purred, adopting a husky voice and whispering seductively into Rachel's ear, pushing her breasts against the redhead's back as she did so.

'Eww,' Rachel squealed, moving away from her friend in mock horror. 'Davis, I know you're desperate and I know I'm a whore, but even I wouldn't sleep with you!'

'Aww, dammit,' Brooke pouted, still speaking in as sexy a voice as she could manage, 'and there was me thinking sharing a room with the horniest girl in North Carolina would have some advantages…oww!' This last screamed in shock as the bottle of water Rachel had been holding flew over the small section of beach towel now separating the girls and emptied itself over Brooke's front. 'Oh, you are so dead Gattina,' she cried and launched herself on the other girl, tickling her mercilessly.

'Aaargh, get off me!' Rachel screamed as the water she had just soaked Brooke with dripped onto her. 'Fine, if you're that desperate I'll sleep with you! Just stop tickling me!'

'Okay, what have I missed?' Nathan asked his brother. 'When Mouth and I left to go get ice-creams everything was quiet, and now Rachel and Brooke are performing live sex shows?'

Lucas half-smiled, only semi-aware of his brother's presence as he watched the two girls wrestle. Or rather, watched one of them. Brooke had been overpowered by her taller friend and was now trapped beneath Rachel, giggling helplessly as the redhead threatened her with a bottle of sun tan lotion. Lucas shook his head sharply, trying to erase the desire to be in Rachel's position, and glanced back at his brother. 'Yeah,' he nodded quietly.

'Yeah what?' Nathan wondered, but received no response. Sighing, he passed Lucas an ice-cream cone and wandered towards the two girls, realising that his brother was in no mood to be disturbed. 'Here,' he offered, waving the ice-creams at them, 'think you can stop that long enough to eat these before they melt? Or,' he shrugged, ' you could always use them…'

'Nathan!' Haley interrupted her husband sharply, and he chuckled, making his way over to his wife and planting a kiss on her lips before handing her an ice cream.

'Yeah, Nathan, that's just…eww,' Brooke, now free from her position beneath Rachel wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Rachel laughed in disbelief. 'Davis, much though I hate to stick up for boy toy over there, after he rejected me and all, how can you possibly say eww to that? Come on, you were practically humping me there! Man, you need to get laid!'

'Hey!' Brooke objected, 'I do not! And anyway,' she added, lapping at her ice-cream cone as she spoke, 'getting laid isn't that great anymore. I mean, most guys? They just don't know what they're doing. It's less hassle just to do it myself.'

'Brooke!' Haley and Peyton let out twin squeals of disgust at the brunette's comment and she giggled loudly.

'Yeah, okay, that's enough Davis,' Rachel agreed with the other girls. 'TMI there, I've already seen you brooking yourself once remember? It's really not an image I want!'

'Oh shut up,' Brooke mumbled good-naturedly, grimacing at the reference to the embarrassing events of their trip to Rachel's cabin almost a year earlier. 'And that was your own fault anyway, bedrooms have doors for a reason.'

'It was the middle of the day, Brooke,' Rachel retorted. 'Who gets that horny that it can't wait for a more appropriate time?'

Brooke shrugged, blushing slightly. 'It wasn't my fault,' she whined, hoping the teasing would stop, 'it was…' her voice trailed off as her eyes met Lucas's, and Brooke's cheeks turned an even deeper scarlet as the two remembered exactly why Brooke had been so aroused that afternoon. 'Yeah, okay,' the brunette changed the subject rapidly, trying to regain her composure, 'so, P. Sawyer, did you bring a CD player out with you? I could really do with some of your wrist-slashing music right about now.' Laughing, the blonde girl nodded and flicked a switch, and a split second later the group was quiet as Dashboard Confessional's Ghost of a Good Thing filled the air.

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Always when we fight

I try to make you laugh

'Til everything's forgotten

I know you hate that

Brooke groaned silently as the familiar bars of The Wannadies's You and Me Song filled the air.

'Oh I love this song,' Haley squealed excitedly, 'turn it up Pey!'

Peyton happily obliged, and a second later her voice mingled with Haley's as the two ba-ba-ba'd along with the CD player.

'Come on Brooke,' Peyton poked her gently with an outstretched foot, 'you love this song.'

'Uh, yeah, it's great,' she mumbled, glad that her dark sunglasses hid the truth in her eyes. Sitting up slightly she caught Lucas watching her sadly, and she knew he was remembering all the times she had forced him to listen to this, claiming it was the only one of his CDs she could stand. So many times they had lain together, Brooke singing along to all the verses, Lucas joining in on the chorus, the two of them certain that the words fit them perfectly.

And it's always

You and me always, and forever

You and me always, and forever

Ba ba ba ba da ba ba, it was always

You and me, always

'So much for that,' Brooke muttered under her breath, kicking the sand moodily with one foot.

'Huh?' Peyton paused her singing for a second and glanced at her friend.

Brooke shook herself, forcing a smile for Peyton. 'Nothing Blondie, I just stubbed my toe,' she tried. 'Ooh,' she continued excitedly, catching sight of three familiar figures approaching from the other end of the beach and scampering to her feet, 'Karen and Deb are here with Lily!' and she ran off, desperate to escape the sound of The Wannadies who were still ba-ba-ing away.

'Lily!' Brooke cried, grabbing the infant out of her mother's arms, 'hello gorgeous,' she cooed excitedly, 'aren't you getting big?'

Karen laughed, as Deb wandered off in search of her grandson. 'Hi Brooke,' she told the younger girl, who looked up guiltily.

'Oops, sorry Karen,' she apologised, giving her a hug, 'don't mind me, I'm just stealing your daughter. She's so cute!'

The older woman smiled at Brooke's enthusiasm. 'Well she won't be soon,' she commented wryly, 'it's almost time for her feed, and she gets grouchy when she's hungry.'

'Ooh, can I feed her?' Brooke asked, eyes lighting up at the prospect.

'Sure,' Karen smiled, 'lets just take her over to those trees over there, it's too hot for her out in the sun.'

Happily, Brooke followed Karen to the aforementioned section of the beach and settled Lily into her lap to give her her bottle, chattering merrily to the little girl as she did so. 'Hey Lily,' she told the child, who paused her suckling for a second to lock her blue eyes with Brooke's green ones, 'aww, look at those eyes, you're gonna be a heartbreaker when you're big.'

'Just like her brother,' Karen noted, smiling as she watched the two.

'Yeah,' Brooke grimaced for a second, trying to hide the spark of recognition that came with Karen's statement, 'but at least you're not blonde,' she continued, fingering the baby's barely-there dark locks. 'And listen Lily-bub, no matter what anyone tells you, blondes don't have more fun, trust me,' she winked, causing Karen to laugh, half –amused, half-horrified.

'Uh, Brooke, no offence, but I'm not sure I want my daughter to have the type of fun you're talking about,' the older woman laughed.

'Hmmm, good point,' Brooke agreed. 'Well, okay, she can be me without the drinking and the sleeping around. Oh and the cheating, either on tests or with my best friend's boyfriend…yeah,' Brooke sighed, looking down at the innocent blue eyes that seemed to hang on every word. 'Oh, who am I kidding baby,' she whispered, 'don't be like me. You'll have Auntie Haley around to copy. And Auntie Peyton, well, maybe she'll be your sister-in-law by then,' a lump emerged in Brooke's throat and she swallowed hard before carrying on, 'they'll make much better role models.' Lily appeared to contemplate this for a second, before letting out a small burp.

Karen grinned, amused by her baby's apparent attempt to communicate with Brooke. 'Clearly she doesn't want Auntie Peyton as a sister-in-law,' she joked, noting the smirk that spread across Brooke's face at her words.

'Nope, guess not,' she chuckled, 'but can I be there when you tell Luke that Lily-bub?' Glancing up, she saw Lucas's familiar form jogging over to them. 'Maybe you could tell him now?' she suggested to the infant, who cooed delightedly. 'It would be a great time for your first words…'

'Hey Ma,' Lucas interrupted the trio, bending down to kiss his mother's cheek before turning to the girl currently cradling his sister. 'What are you teaching my sister?' he asked suspiciously.

Brooke smirked. 'Nothing,' she answered innocently, 'Lily and I were just checking out those surfers…I think they're pretty hot, but Lily prefers bikers.'

Karen laughed, amused by the pained expression on her son's face. 'Relax Lucas,' she told him, 'she's only joking.'

Lucas rolled his eyes, only half-believing his mother. 'Remind me never to let you anywhere near my kids,' he muttered to Brooke, settling himself on the sand next to her and reaching over to chuck his sister under the chin.

'Aww, and I remember not too long ago you wanted me to have your kids,' Brooke joked feebly, but not able to fully disguise the pain in her voice. For a second the two held each other's gaze, the tension between them clear to the watching Karen.

'Brooke…' Lucas tried, mentally kicking himself for his thoughtless words, but she just smiled sadly, passing Lily back to Karen and getting to her feet.

'Don't worry Luke,' she told him, forcing her bubbly persona back to the surface, 'we both know P. Sawyer will want me as godmother, so your kids won't miss out on Brooke Davis corruption.' The blond boy nodded, trying to match her fake enthusiasm but failing. The tension hung in the air between them for a second more, broken only by a shout from Rachel for Brooke to go and rejoin the group, which, with one final kiss on Lily's forehead, she did.

Karen watched her son as he gazed wistfully after the brunette and sighed. 'I dunno, Lily,' she whispered, 'what are we gonna do with them?' But the baby only gurgled in reply, not knowing the answer any more than Karen did.