AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Sorry it's been so long since I updated this story!

For my other story, Liars Like You and Me, I have made a promo vid, and soon enough - there will be one for this. To find it, either search by my user, "rippingwinggs" - or keywords "liars like you and me fanfic"; "brooke/dean liars." It's shitty and glitch-y but eeeehhh.

Enjoy!

They sat in the car parked across from her house, munching on some donuts and fries as their eyes watched the expensive home intently. Dean crumbled up the wax paper from his donut and threw it in the back, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel and humming loudly.

Sam switched his gaze from the laptop and rolled his eyes, sighing at his brother. "Dean, one of us is trying to do some research, you know."

Dean grumbled under his breath. "Party-pooper," he said and glanced at the screen. "What did you find out about her?"

"Well, she owns a multi-million dollar fashion line, Clothes Over Bro's. No record of siblings; parents are Victoria and Richard Davis. Her mother works at her company," Sam skimmed through the paragraphs. "Wait, it says her she was attacked at her store a few months back.."

Raising an eyebrow, Dean met his brother's eyes. "What does it say?"

"'Brooke Davis, 23 and a very successful fashion designer was reportedly attacked at her Tree Hill boutique last Sunday evening. No witnesses were around and Miss Davis has not made any comments about her attacker yet. Her mother and former CEO, Victoria Davis - has said that she and her daughter are doing fine and no further comments shall be made. Nothing was stolen from the store; Davis was just attacked and the store was a mess.'"

As he listened, the older Winchester furrowed his eyebrows and pursed his lips. "Think it could be linking to the attacks? Maybe a demon went after but she escaped, and now it's attacking the girls that look like her?"

Sam shrugged. "I'm not sure, but maybe."

Dean nodded and he looked back to the house. Only one light was on; the second story and he could see the silhouette of the brunette through the curtains. She seemed to be standing with her back faced, pulling her hair up into a bun. She then moved away from the window and walked over to where the lamp seemed to be; flicking it off. Dean chewed his lip and sighed, laying back in his seat but keeping an eye on her.

He didn't know what, but something intrigued him about this Brooke Davis girl. First of all; she was damn beautiful. Second of all... she seemed vulnerable and independent. Attacked at her store; a young and successful CEO of her own company, and now two other girls showing up dead; looking very similar to her.

Dean felt a connection to this pretty brunette, but he didn't know exactly how. All he knew was, he would protect her... yes, it was his job, but for some reason.. that urging feeling felt stronger than it usually did.

Brooke woke up earlier the next morning, around 7am. She sighed as she stood up from her comfortable bed, stretching for a few seconds before opening the curtains. Oddly enough, she didn't notice the familiar, parked Impala from the night before; still across the street.

Yawning, she made her way downstairs and into the kitchen. Her mind was still racing with thoughts that she had the night before. She kept recalling the conversation at the diner.

Two girls that looked like her... very similar, murdered?

Brooke couldn't help but think it was her attacker from back in July. To her, it was the only logical reason; that two girls from close by, look-a-likes to her, and both roughly the same age were murdered, and the fact that two detectives would question her about them. What did he want from her? She knew that he didn't want her money or sketches... he didn't touch a thing in her store. He just beat her, almost to near death. Luckily, she lived.

Did he come back and kill those girls to warn her... that he was soon enough going to finish the job?

Her palms were slightly sweaty as the brunette reached for a water bottle. Brooke still got terrified thinking about the attack. It had weakened her and sometimes she was scared to set foot in her house alone. And to know that he could still be out there, just wanting for to chance to strike out and finish her off.. it scared Brooke. It did.

Brooke Davis, the tough one. The brave and confident and motherly and fierce Brooke Davis everyone loved. When the attack happened, all her friends flooded to her side and worried about her. But Brooke shrugged them off and smiled. She convinced them she was fine, she didn't need to be babied or looked after. She told them she could handle it herself. Soon enough; they all left her alone like she asked. But truth was, that brave and beautiful and tough Brooke Davis they all loved was scared and lonely and vulnerable and shaken up. All she wanted to do was curl up and sleep. She didn't want to move or go out with P. Sawyer or her godson or go see fashion shows. It wasn't that she lost the love for her best friend or Jamie... She just felt numb inside and Brooke wanted her revenge, but she was too afraid to actually use the gun she had and find the bastard that did that to her.

The attack had changed her and like most terrible things that happen to people; it didn't make her stronger. It made her weaker.

Pitiful.

With a small sigh, Brooke sat down at the kitchen table and unscrewed the cap on the water. The cool liquid felt soothing down her dry throat and it relaxed her nerves, ever-so-slightly. She bit her lip as she thought about what she had planned for today. Brooke first had to stop by COB and finish the last piece for her new line, check up on Millicent and Rachel, and then she needed to head by Nathan and Haley's to say a quick 'hi' to Jamie. The rest of her day, she had nothing to do. Of course, either Peyton or Rachel would call her up; either for P. Sawyer to talk about her latest fight with Lucas or to hang out or Rachel to talk about her latest hook-up or to also hang out. It happened basically everyday and Brooke was pretty used to it.

If she was feeling okay, she'd listen like the good friend she was and offer a bit of advice. And if it was to hang out, she'd just go along with it. If she was feeling shitty, she'd just listen and mumble 'mhm, yeah' and include empathy if needed, or deny the invitation and say she had lots of work to do. Ever since the attack, she kept herself buried in work and distant from her group of friends. No one really noticed because she was good at hiding things. It wasn't because they were bad things; Brooke just put up her guarded walls and forced smile. Problem solved, everyone could move on with their own lives. As long as her friends were happy, that was all that mattered to Brooke.

She slowly got up from the table after finishing her water, heading back up the stairs. She paused at the guest room, where Peyton and eventually Rachel both used to sleep - and Brooke felt another wave of loneliness and vulnerability. Drawing her lips into a thin line, Brooke turned away and walked into her bedroom - over to her closet. She ran her hand along the fabric of the clothes and decided on a red camisole and waist-high, gray pencil skirt. Slipping on a pair of black peep-toe flats, Brooke paused at the mirror and looked back at herself. She didn't bother with any make-up as she quickly ran a brush through her hair and headed downstairs again and out the front door.

Sam had to shake Dean awake as Brooke unlocked her car, the brother mumbling in his sleep before jolting up with quite a confused expression. He followed Sam's gaze, though and it changed as he watched the brunette climb into her car and start it. "Should we follow her?"

Sam nodded. "Make it subtle. She might have seen us but paid no attention."

Dean agreed and he waited a few moments after she had pulled out, then he put his own baby in start and followed her. Of course, Dean Winchester never drove without some classic rock and he put on some AC/DC - his head bobbing along and hands tapping. It annoyed Sam and that was the fun of it.

As he sang along, he kept his eyes following Brooke's car carefully and remained like a stalking cat - unseen to it's prey. He had to laugh a little as that thought came to mind, followed by a much dirtier one - causing Sam to look at him like he was crazy. Shaking his head, Dean focused on following the stunning brunette.

He waited as she pulled up on the side of the street, to her boutique. Brooke went inside the store and was greeted by a redheaded girl - someone Dean recognized from Maxim... she was on the cover a few years back, if he recalled. Dean watched as she headed into the back and then he parked the car further from the store, climbing out with Sam and making his way into the store. They both flashed quick smiles as Brooke saw them, greeting them in her friendly way - beautiful dimpled smile included.

"Detectives, can I help you?" she asked.

Dean looked around before back at her, letting another smile grace his lips. "Just checking up on you. Nice store you have here."

The store was small, but it was bright and filled with clothes. As he looked around, he saw sketches for what looked like men's clothing - and Dean also saw she was very talented, and some of the clothes he would consider buying. The walls were a light lilac and the clothes on the racks were colorful; popping out at you.

Brooke clasped her hands together as she smiled, taking a step towards them. "Mm, what can I say? I have a bit of a talent for designing."

Dean chuckled and met her eyes, seeing kindness in her hazel irises but also seeing clouded emotions; walls. He searched them for a moment, pausing - before he shook his head at himself and smiled to her. "We're just here, to.. you know, ask if everything's alright. Nothing suspicious?"

The brunette nodded with a tiny shrug. "Yeah, everything's been fine."

The older Winchester gave his own nod as he glanced around again; before flickering his gaze back to her. "Miss Davis, if you wouldn't mind... we'd like to ask you a few questions..?"

Brooke smiled, a little warily. "Sure, and you can call me Brooke."

"Brooke, we know that you were attacked a few months back, in July. Can you tell us a bit about that?" Sam asked cautiously, looking across the table at the brunette - who seemed a little quieter and timid since they'd brought her in the back to ask their questions.

Brooke bit her lip and shifted in her seat. Dean took notice that she was uneasy, jittery about the topic. He encouraged her with a small smile and she took a breath. "Uhm... well, I was closing up the store.. it was around 10. When I went to shut the lights off, the door opened and a man jumped out at me... he... he, knocked me into the sofa and started taking punches.."

Dean watched as she stumbled over her words and he heard a slight crack in her voice. "It's okay, you can take your time.. but is there anything different about the attack or the attacker? Anything at all?"

"As you probably know... he didn't steal anything, at all. And he didn't flinch or make a sound of pain when I tried to fight back... I may have not been assaulted before.. but I know that my kicks can hurt, from pushing off horny guys... and he... the only thing I can really remember about his physical appearance.. was his eyes... were black. Pitch black. It could've been the lighting or the fact it was night.. but.."