Hey everyone and thanks again for the reviews : ) This chapter's a little on the pointless side – I just wanted a bit of group interaction before the drama starts up, so I'm afraid nothing much actually happens in this one! Well, not until the very end anyway! But don't be put off though, chapter ten will be up in a few days, and that's hopefully going to be much better! Enjoy!
Chapter Nine
"Hey guys," Deb called as she entered the cabin, Karen following closely behind with Lily in her arms.
"Hey Deb, hey Karen," a small voice came from the sofa and the two women turned to see a fragile looking brunette curled up on the couch, encased in a large grey hoodie and clutching the remote as Dawson's Creek re-runs played on the television in front of her.
Noticing the girl's red-rimmed eyes, Deb carefully lifted Lily out of her mother's arms. "Shall we go look for your…ummm… half-brother's half-brother's son?" she asked the little girl, smirking as she described the complex relationship between the two infants.
Brooke managed a feeble smile. "He's outside, Nate's giving him basketball lessons," she told the older women who rolled her eyes in mock-exasperation as she crossed the room and exited through the sliding glass doors in search of her son and grandson.
"So where's everyone else?" Karen questioned, settling herself on the sofa next to Brooke.
"Getting changed for dinner," she replied.
"Right," Karen nodded. "Well I can see you've already made the effort," she noted, glancing pointedly at Brooke's oversized hoodie and tiny shorts.
Grinning, the girl shrugged. "I'll go in a minute," she told Karen. "There's no room for me in my room at the minute, Rachel and her ego take up too much space. Besides, I like this episode," she added, gesturing to the television.
Karen smiled, before relocating her gaze to the screen. "Which one is this?" she asked.
"It's the prom episode from season three," Brooke responded immediately, elaborating as she saw Karen's brow furrow in an attempt to remember. "Dawson guilt trips Joey into going with him, even though he knows she's in love with Pacey. But then Pacey and Joey dance and it's like the cutest thing ever."
Karen smiled at the enthusiasm that crept into Brooke's eyes as she talked. "I remember," she agreed, and for a moment the two watched in companionable silence before the older woman commented again. "Dawson's such an ass," she sighed, and Brooke let out a small giggle.
"Don't tell Peyton that," she chuckled, explaining herself as Karen looked confused. "Lucas was watching this with me earlier," she elaborated, "and he decided that if we translated our whole little love-triangle-thing into Dawson's Creek then he would be Joey, Peyton would be Dawson, and I would be Pacey."
Karen laughed, shaking her head at the bizarre comments her son was so prone to. "Does he know who Joey ended up with?" she wondered, her expression becoming more serious as Brooke nodded.
"He does now," the young girl answered. "I don't think he was too impressed," she added, forcing a laugh that was entirely devoid of any humour.
The older woman smiled sadly. "And am I right in assuming that my son is the reason for your red eyes?" she questioned, knowing the answer as a blush crept across Brooke's cheeks.
"It's just hay-fever," she tried, sighing as she felt Karen's disbelieving gaze. "I dunno," she admitted finally, "it's just, we keep having these…these moments."
"Moments?" The bewilderment was evident in the older woman's voice and Brooke shifted slightly in her seat, trying to avoid Karen's questioning eyes as she continued.
"Like this morning, we were playing chicken and Rachel pushed us in the sea and I landed on my ass so Lucas picked me up and there was all this chemistry between us," she clarified breathlessly, her words running into one another as she spoke, "and it felt right, y'know? And then Peyton appeared and things went all weird again," she finished, her speech slowing as she mumbled the last words.
Karen sighed. "Can I tell you a secret Brooke?" she asked finally, carrying on as the fragile girl looked up at her and nodded, curiosity obviously piqued. "Peyton isn't right for Lucas," she announced.
"But –" Brooke protested, but Karen interrupted her, speaking in a tone of supreme authority.
"It's nothing against Peyton," she hastily stated, "but I know my son, and she isn't what he needs. He needs his Pacey," she smiled, remembering their conversation of a few moments ago.
Tears sprang to Brooke's eyes at the kind words of someone she had come to consider as a second, far more useful, mother. "But Joey loved Dawson," she pointed out plaintively, her use of the character's names doing nothing to suggest any level of detachment from the situation that was really being discussed.
Karen nodded, keeping to the fictional identities in order to prevent Brooke from becoming any more upset. "She did," she agreed solemnly, "but eventually they realised they were better off as friends, and Joey was free to go after the one she had always really loved."
A small sob emitted from the fragile girl as she considered the implications of Karen's words, and the older woman pulled her towards her, wrapping her arms tightly around the crying girl and rocking her gently. "It'll be okay," she whispered soothingly.
"Hey Ma, where's Lily?" Brooke froze in Karen's arms at the sound of Lucas's voice and she quickly brushed at her eyes with the sleeve of her hoodie, doing little to disguise the evidence of her tears.
Karen sighed as she felt the girl in her arms stiffen and she looked up to see her son staring down at the pair, concern evident in her eyes. "Deb took her outside to see James and Nathan," she answered, silently ordering Lucas to go and see his sister and leave her alone with Brooke.
Lucas nodded. "Is she okay?" he mouthed silently, breathing a sigh of relief when is mother nodded in response. He stood for a moment, ignoring Karen's glare and gazing at the broken girl in her arms, wishing he could do something to make her better.
"Go," the older woman's voice was almost inaudible, but the tone was unmistakably one that could not be argued with. With a last backward glance at the back of Brooke's head, Lucas sighed and retreated outside.
"Thanks Karen," Brooke whispered seconds later, pulling her head away from the comforting hug once she was satisfied that Lucas had indeed left.
Karen smiled gently, placing a kiss on Brooke's forehead before standing up. "I think it's time I got started with dinner. Why don't you go take a shower? I think I heard Rachel go into Mouth's room so you've probably got a bit of privacy."
Brooke nodded, getting to her feet and stretching. "Okay," she murmured, giving Karen one last sad smile before slipping out of the room.
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"Rachel, for the last time, Nathan is not interested in you!" Haley shouted exasperatedly some twenty minutes later as the group stood in the living room whilst Karen worked on dinner and Deb watched the two babies.
Rachel smirked. "Maybe we should ask him that?" she suggested, her sarcastic smile growing wider as Haley growled in annoyance. "Hey Nate," she began to call in a mock-seductive tone, but was cut off by the younger Scott brother who was bickering with his older sibling.
"Right, because of course you're perfect aren't you?" he yelled in annoyance. "Never messed up, never hurt anyone? Hmmm, I think Brooke might have something to say about that!"
"Brooke broke up with me!" Lucas retorted, his voice increasing in volume to match his brother's.
"Because you kissed Peyton!" Nathan argued vehemently, ignoring Mouth who was attempting to separate the two boys.
"Brooke's hardly innocent herself," Peyton pointed out, coming to the defence of her boyfriend.
"Oh, and you are?" Brooke joined in, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "You stole my boyfriend, twice!"
"Oh God, don't start that again," Mouth muttered, but his protest went unnoticed.
"See?" Nathan taunted his brother. "Looks like the great Lucas Scott isn't so perfect after all."
"Hmmm," Rachel remarked snidely, turning away from her bickering friends and glancing wickedly at Haley, "maybe it's not me you have to worry about. Nathan seems awfully protective of Brooke…"
"I swear to God Rachel," Haley warned, launching herself towards the girl and screaming in anger, but the rest of her sentence was interrupted as a shrill whistle cut through the air, followed by a deafening silence as the seven teenagers turned to look at Karen, who was standing on a chair in the kitchen and glaring at them all fiercely.
"Oh crap," Lucas muttered, recognising the expression on his mother's face, before shutting his mouth more firmly when her gaze centred on him.
"Thank you," Karen exclaimed sarcastically. "Right, let me sum up the arguments as I've heard them so far: Rachel tried to hit on Nathan and failed, but Haley lets herself get wound up about it far too easily; Peyton was a bitch to Brooke, Brooke was a bitch to Peyton, and Lucas is an ass to them both; Nathan can't help but interfere, when really he should be backing up his wife; and Mouth…" Karen's glare softened as she smiled at the boy, "well Mouth's just trying to help you all. Is that a fair assessment?" she questioned sternly, nodding in satisfaction as she saw seven heads bob up and down obediently.
"Okay then," the older woman continued, "well, seeing as you're all supposed to be friends, I suggest you overlook each other's character flaws, because if you wake up those babies then I assure you I will be leaving Lily here tonight, and then you'll have two tired infants to add to your problems, got it?"
"Sorry Karen," Brooke mumbled, looking shame-facedly at the woman who had been so kind to her only a short while before, and the others murmured their assent.
"It's okay Brooke," Karen smiled at the girl, climbing down from the chair. "But," she continued, "in the spirit of continuing this peaceful environment, I could use some help in here, okay?" Seeing their nods, Karen continued. "Brooke, Haley, could you peel some potatoes?" she began, but interrupted herself on seeing the panicked look on the young brunette's face. "Let me rephrase that," she countered. "Haley, you show Brooke how to peel potatoes, Lucas and Rachel make a salad, and Mouth and Nathan, the table needs setting."
"What about me?" Peyton queried, half-raising her arm.
"Music," Karen announced cheerfully. "We need something cheesy to sing along to while we cook."
Brooke laughed. "Pey's not so good with the cheery music," she told Karen, moving over to stand behind Haley, potato peeler in hand.
"Ah, well that's where you're wrong B. Davis," the blonde countered, opening her CD case and pulling out a disc. "Remember this?" she asked her friend, waving the CD in front of Brooke who squealed excitedly.
"Ho's Over Bro's Remix, 1998," she read, pausing as confusion clouded her features. "Wasn't this on a cassette that we dropped over the side of my dad's boat?" she questioned.
"Yup," Peyton confirmed, grinning. "I found the piece of paper with the track list on it a few months ago and burned them."
"Oh you are awesome P. Sawyer," Brooke gushed, throwing the potato peeler back in Haley's direction and grabbing the CD out of Peyton's hand before dashing over to the CD player and putting it in. Within seconds the unmistakable bars of Britney Spears's Baby One More Time filled the room and the kitchen was filled with singing and dancing girls.
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"Wine?" Karen offered the group a few minutes later as they sat down to eat, peace finally restored.
"Eww, no thanks Karen," Brooke shuddered slightly, grabbing a jug of water and filling her glass with it instead.
"Heavy night last night?" the older woman chuckled, glancing at her son who had also declined her offer, making a similar face to Brooke.
"Only for these two," Rachel answered, a smirk on her face. "You see, we were playing 'I Never,'" she told Deb and Karen, "and, well, there don't appear to be many things that Brooke and Lucas haven't done."
"'I Never?'" Deb questioned, a frown appearing on her face as she wondered what the game involved.
"It's a drinking game," Rachel explained cheerfully. "Basically, someone says, I Never…I dunno, failed a Math test, and if someone did, they have to take a shot."
"So Brooke and Lucas failed a lot of Math tests did they?" Deb smirked, her use of Rachel's analogy doing nothing to disguise the knowing tone in her voice as she looked at the blushing teens.
"Yup," the redhead confirmed, before pausing to reflect on her statement. "Well, actually, Brooke really did fail a lot of Math tests," she amended, "but that's not the point. Together, they failed a lot of Math tests, in some very…unique places."
"Rachel," Brooke hissed, glaring at her friend, who merely smiled serenely, helping herself to some more salad.
"I really don't want to hear about this," Karen groaned, taking a gulp of wine as Deb and Rachel chuckled.
"No, you probably don't," the redhead agreed amicably. "Although," she paused for a second and Brooke tensed herself, knowing she wasn't going to like Rachel's next words, "you do disinfect your kitchen counters regularly don't you?"
"Rachel!" Brooke yelped, nearly dropping her water into her food as her friends began to giggle and Lucas groaned.
"Yes, why?" Karen began, before realisation kicked in. "Lucas Eugene Scott!" she exclaimed in outrage, causing the others to laugh more loudly, even Peyton seeing the funny side.
"It was her fault!" Lucas whined, pointing at Brooke.
"Oh yeah, because I was the one with keys to the Café, was I?" the brunette retorted, letting out a small giggle as Lucas dropped his head into his hands in a gesture of defeat.
"I'm sorry Ma," he whispered finally, looking up at his mother who was trying desperately not to laugh at the horrified expression on her son's face.
"Okay, time to change the subject," Haley tried in an attempt to ease her friend's discomfort, but she was interrupted by Karen.
"Haley, you have keys to the Café don't you?" the older woman asked, and the laughter around the table increased as the others realised where Karen's question was headed.
"I wouldn't do that!" Haley protested hotly, blushing furiously.
Karen chuckled, enjoying teasing the girl. "Well, I had to ask," she shrugged. "I know what Scott men are like," she added, glancing pointedly at Nathan who just grinned.
"Yeah, actually, I think all the women here know what Scott men are like," Haley agreed, before fixing a mocking gaze on Rachel. "Oh no, well that's apart from Rachel of course. She just knows what it's like to be rejected by Scott men, don't you Rach?"
"Okay, this is bizarre," the redhead laughed, dismissing Haley's comment with a roll of her eyes. "So Karen's slept with Dan and Keith, Deb with Dan, Haley with Nathan, and Brooke and Peyton with Lucas and Nathan. Wow," she finished, gesturing to Karen and Peyton, "I already knew Brooke was a slut, but you two are just as bad!"
"Hey!" Karen objected, "there were seventeen years between me sleeping with Dan and sleeping with Keith!"
"Yeah, and actually, I slept with Keith too," Deb admitted, causing a gale of laughter to whip round the table as it was Nathan's turn to groan.
"Oh my God," Rachel exclaimed, still laughing and pointing to Brooke and Peyton, "this is going to be you two in twenty years time!"
"Well, whichever one of you becomes me," Deb told the two girls conspiratorially, "I'll leave you my gun!"
"Gun?" Peyton questioned uncertainly, glancing at Haley and Nathan who just rolled their eyes. "Are we supposed to, like, kill Lucas or something?"
The table exploded in hysterical laughter at the look of panic that crossed Lucas's face at his girlfriend's words. "Not funny," he muttered as the noise died down.
"Hold on a second," interrupted Karen, who had been pondering Rachel's earlier comment. "When did you sleep with Nathan?" she asked, fixing Brooke with a curious gaze.
"Ummm," the brunette blushed, looking down at the table. "The beginning of junior year," she admitted. "But I was really really drunk," she added hastily
"But wasn't Nathan dating Peyton then?" Karen questioned, ignoring the warning looks from Lucas and Haley.
"We were broken up at the time," Peyton told the older woman, receiving a grateful smile from Brooke.
Deb chuckled. "You say Karen and I are bad," she told Rachel, "but until recently we'd both only slept with one Scott boy. These two have managed two before they even finished high school!"
"Mom!" Nathan groaned in embarrassment, but Rachel cut off his complaints.
"You know, I've always meant to ask you two this," she gestured to Brooke and Peyton, waving her fork at them for emphasis, "but which one's better in bed?"
"You can't ask that!" Lucas protested violently.
"Yeah, I don't want to hear this," Karen agreed, frowning at the thought. "I'm gonna go get the dessert," she added, standing up, Deb following her.
"Well I do," Mouth opined, grinning as six pairs of eyes turned to look at him. "Not because I want to sleep with either of you," he hastily clarified, "just so I know who to go to for sex tips."
"It's gotta be me Mouth," Nathan told his friend, smirking at his brother. "I mean, Luke doesn't want them to answer the question, so it's obvious he's scared."
The older Scott brother glared at his sibling, knowing he had allowed himself to be tricked into this. "Fine," he acquiesced sulkily, fixing his eyes on the girls opposite him, "you can answer."
"Yay," Rachel squealed excitedly as the others chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Okay, Brooke first," she directed, sticking her tongue out when Brooke groaned.
"Alright," Brooke shrugged. "Lucas."
"Yes!" the blond boy cheered triumphantly, whilst Nathan looked at Brooke in fake horror.
"Sorry," she shrugged, "but seeing as I don't remember sleeping with you, it can't have been that good."
"Ouch," Lucas taunted his brother as the others laughed, before turning to Peyton who bit her lip in discomfort, knowing what her honest answer would be but uncertain of whether to give it.
"Nathan," she admitted finally, ignoring the gasp of surprise coming from Brooke and focusing on Lucas who was looking at her in shock. "Sorry babe," she told her boyfriend, unable to stifle a small giggle at the hurt on his face.
"I knew I liked you Pey," Nathan applauded her decision, clapping his brother on the back in mock compassion.
"Hmmm, looks like it's a tie," Rachel observed. "Ah well, guess tutor-bitch will just have to sleep with Luke to give us a deciding vote."
"Eww!" Lucas and Haley gave twin cries of disgust as their friends giggled.
"So who won?" Deb asked, returning to the table with four bowls of chocolate fudge cake in her arms and setting them down as Karen set the remaining four at the opposite end of the table.
"It was a tie," Rachel answered, spooning the dessert into her mouth. "Mmmm, Karen, this is amazing," she exclaimed.
Karen smiled, pleased at the compliment. "Thanks," she accepted graciously, before continuing, "now shut up and eat it, all of you! I really don't want to know any more about my son's sex life!" A small chuckle ran round the table, but a moment later there was silence, and the only sound to be heard in the cabin was the clank of spoons hitting dishes.
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"Hmmm, let me think about that, no!" Haley glared at her husband and he sighed in defeat, tossing the NBA Highlights DVD behind him. Karen, Deb, and Lily had left, and the seven teens were trying to decide on a film to watch before they headed to bed.
"Lord of the Rings?" Lucas suggested.
"Too long, too boring, and Orlando Bloom looks ridiculous as an elf," Brooke opined without even looking at Lucas who rolled his eyes and resumed flicking through the DVDs that the group had brought with them.
"Pirates of the Caribbean?" Nathan tried again.
"Mmmm, Johnny Depp," all four girls sighed at once as Mouth and Lucas glared fiercely at Nathan.
"Okay, maybe not," the younger Scott conceded, hiding the DVD underneath a cushion out of sight of the girls.
"Ooh, The Notebook," Brooke squealed excitedly, unearthing the film from Haley's collection and gazing beseechingly at the males in the room.
"No!" they exclaimed in unison.
"Please?" she wheedled, fixing them with puppy-dog eyes and pouting desperately.
"No, Brooke, we are not watching The Notebook," Nathan remained firm, although a glance to either side told him that both Lucas and Mouth were in danger of succumbing to the pleading look on the pretty brunette's face. "We've got to find something we all like."
"I don't think there is anything we all like Nate," Peyton observed, throwing the last pile of DVDs onto the floor in exasperation.
"Hey, there's no video player on this machine," Rachel complained from the corner of the room where she was examining the television.
"Okay, I know you have an IQ smaller than your bra size," Haley pointed out, "but we don't need a video player to play these, we need a DVD player, and we've got one of those."
"I know," Rachel shrugged, "but I was hoping we could watch the infamous sex tape, seeing as you'd kicked me out of the party before the last showing." The redhead smirked, an evil glint in her eye as she continued. "I've always wondered what Nathan looks like naked."
"Yeah, well, keep wondering," Haley bit back sharply, as Brooke threw a pillow across the room at Rachel, who yelped in surprise. "Nathan's body is for my eyes only," she told the girl who only laughed dismissively before turning back to the others, her taunting of Haley over for now.
"So have we found anything to watch yet?" she questioned.
"No," Peyton shook her head, before thinking of something. Quickly she piled all the DVDs into one large stack before glancing back to Rachel. "Pick a number," she told the girl.
"Okay," Rachel smiled, seeing what Peyton was doing. "Ummm…lets see, how about 23?" she suggested, giving Haley another teasing smirk and chuckling as the other girl clenched her fists in suppressed annoyance.
"23 it is," Peyton agreed, counting down from the top of the pile. "And that's," she paused in an attempt to create dramatic tension before pulling the chosen film out of the pile, "Grease," she finished unexcitedly.
"Yay!" Brooke and Haley squealed in excitement, the former grabbing the box from Peyton and launching herself towards the DVD player as the boys shook their heads in disbelief.
"Great," Nathan muttered, getting to his feet and plopping down on a sofa, smiling slightly when his wife sat down next to him, and wrapping his arm around her. Rachel and Mouth sprawled out on the floor, whilst Brooke pressed play before joining Peyton and Lucas on the other sofa.
"I'd keep an eye on him Pey," Rachel joked, seeing that Lucas was placed in between the two girls. "God, no-one's got a sense of humour," she muttered, turning back to the screen as three equally un-amused glares hit her.
Several minutes later the group were engrossed by the movie, Brooke and Haley singing along enthusiastically to every song whilst Rachel, Mouth, and occasionally Peyton joined in with the better-known sections.
Ding-dong. The doorbell interrupted as Brooke and Haley dueted loudly to Summer Nights and the group glanced at one another in confusion.
"Who's that?" Brooke asked, annoyed that her singing had been interrupted.
"I don't know, but I'm grateful they're here," Lucas muttered, receiving an elbow in the ribs and a glare from the brunette. "You're nearest Peyt," he continued, nudging his girlfriend who got up, sighing.
"I'll pause it," Rachel offered, hitting the button on the remote, and silence encompassed the group as they waited for Peyton's return. Listening carefully, the six teenagers in the living room heard the blonde's footsteps approach the door, the key turning as she unlocked it, and finally her gasp as she saw who was standing before her.
"Jake?"