Author's Notes: This should've been up sooner but who knew 10th grade could be so hard? Anyway, thank you dianehermans for giving me the kick in the ass I needed. Thank you to all who reviewed, you're ten kinds of amazing.

Summary: Stupid mistakes, lies, and betrayal can make it hard to remember the ones you loved, fought for. Under cover of darkness, was where their love lay. It'd take years to peel back the layers and find it again – but who said they were above trying?

Disclaimer: I really own nothing except my toothbrush…which is kinda pathetic.

Under Cover Of Darkness

..

Chapter Three: Cheer Up You Miserable Fuck

Brooke walks into her room towel drying her hair and finds Haley sitting cross legged on the bed. In her shock, the towel drops from her head and her long auburn locks fall out.

"H-Hi." she stutters.

Haley doesn't respond. She just looks at her. Takes in what's changed over the years and what's stayed the same. She knows Brooke hates awkward silences and that she's creating one right now and it makes her feels slightly giddy as she watches Brooke squirm in her spot at the door, looking for a distraction. She gets a whiff of the faint smell of strawberry scented shampoo. She sees Brooke's clothing strewn all around the room as if she's been living here all her life when, in fact, she had only been here two days.

She hasn't changed. Not as much as the boys make it seem she has.

Having come back from a gruesome two nights in her car, Haley wouldn't have been in the mood to talk to Brooke, much less see her if she had supposedly become as coldhearted as Lucas stated.

But what does catch her attention is how skinny the brunette looks. Her once curvy friend now looked all skin and bones. A sight that reminds Haley much of another friend with unruly, curly blonde hair. One that packed her bags at the very first sight of an out and never looked back.

Her gaze lands on Brooke's stomach and she briefly imagines the baby bump that she heard of, but never got to see. She'd always wondered how Brooke Davis – resident cheerleader – would look as a fat, pregnant girl. And the one time she actually was, Haley never got to see.

Her legs uncross and she stretches them. "They said your hair was black."

Brooke picks up the towel and sets it on a nearby chair. "It was. I just washed it out now." She hesitantly takes a seat next to Haley on the bed. "Nate said you just went shopping."

"Yeah well turns out he's not a very good whisperer. I heard him talking on the phone to Lucas about your arrival and I kind of panicked." Haley lets out a small laugh. "I was nervous about what would happen, seeing you for the first time so… I slept in my car."

"For two days?"

"For two days." Haley nods. "Pretty cowardice, I know but – I just didn't know what to say…"

"I'm pretty sure I was more nervous than you." Brooke admits. "They're freezing me out here and I just kept thinking that if Haley hated me too, I wouldn't know what to do." she finishes with a watery smile, confirming to the blonde that things here hadn't been easy and she needed someone in her corner right now.

Someone who will be on her side. And Haley makes a silent promise to herself to be that someone. Brooke hasn't changed. And neither has she, herself. At first she thought it would be hard for her and Brooke to get back to the place they were five years ago but now she knows it won't be. She can see clearly that Brooke regretted her actions all those years ago and was silently seeking redemption and forgiveness in all her friends but the thing was – she didn't need it.

Because the brunette had done the right thing all those years ago. She just needed to hear it in words.

Brooke gets up from the bed, assuming the short conversation to be over. Haley snaps out of her reverie and stands up too. Her voice stops the brunette right before she reaches the door.

"Why would I hate you too? I'm the one who told you to make that call in the first place, right?" Brooke turns around and Haley takes a step forward. "If the guys want to blame you they can blame me too. But we both know you did what you had to do for your child. Because when you get pregnant, it stops being about what you want or what anybody else wants and starts being about what's best for the child." she stresses, pleading with Brooke to not let Lucas and Nathan's underdeveloped minds influence her. Brooke catches a familiar regretful tone in her friend but doesn't comment on it, knowing that it wasn't the time to bring up Haley's issues as well as her own.

"You got that, Brooke! You understood that. Nathan and Lucas never will because they were never in your position and they never will be. It takes courage to do what you did – protect someone you barely know over someone you've known your whole life but you did it because it was the right thing. Trust me when I say that this is not your fault."

Brooke grits her teeth and turns around to face the door. The tears are coming and she wants to stop them before one makes it onto her face because she's already cried herself to sleep for the past two nights she was here and she feels like a weakling.

Haley's hand on her shoulder gently turns her back around and the blonde smiles softly. "You know I've seen you cry before, right?"

Brooke nods and it takes her a minute to speak. "I'm just really happy you're here."

Haley pulls her into a bone-crushing hug. "I'll always be here, Brooke. Especially for you Tigger."

The old nickname warms Brooke's heart and a drop of water finally makes it past her eyes but she doesn't care anymore. She's got Haley back in her life and it's the most complete she's felt in days…years.

She takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry I left without telling you–"

Haley pulls back. "Hey. That's all in the past." she states firmly and waits for Brooke to nod. "What matters is you're here now, I'm here, we'll get your mini-me pretty soon and thennnnnn… you and the moody, misunderstood blonde down there can get back to doing what you do best."

Brooke frowns.

"Which is what, exactly?"

Haley smirks. "Being stupidly and hopelessly in love and going at it like two hot, unbelievably horny rabbits." she teases and revels in the glare Brooke gives her. "It's been what, five years since you had someone all up in your grill?"

Brooke's eyes narrow and she pulls out of the embrace. "Sleep with one eye open tonight, James." She warns as she stalks out of the room.

Haley laughs and calls out, "Oh come on, you know I'm right! Don't fight it!"

...

"Where's Lucas?"

Brooke and Haley descend the steps expecting to find both Scott brothers – Lucas with a permanent scowl on his face and Nathan looking moody and blasé. They only find Nathan who surprisingly can't even manage to look excited even with the basketball game playing on the TV.

"Nathan. Where'd Lucas go?" Haley repeats firmly.

"Out." is all he responds.

"Out where?" Brooke inquires and a thought suddenly comes to her that makes a chill run up her spine. Part of her knows he wouldn't do it without her there. But he didn't exactly promise he'd take her along, and she can't say she even really knows him anymore.

Nathan shrugs. "Out."

"Okay." Haley pipes up. "Out to do what?"

"Prepare."

"Prepare for what?" Brooke lets out but Nathan just turns his head and smirks.

"Don't act dumb Davis, you're not a blonde."

"Hey!" Haley exclaims. "I'm a blonde."

Nathan looks her over for a second and then turns back to the game. "I liked you better as a brunette."

Haley scoffs. "And I liked you better when you weren't an asshole." she retorts.

"Nathan, why didn't he tell me?" Brooke cuts in.

He shrugs again. "Why would he tell you?"

"Because we were supposed to do this together, because I'm a part of this too." Brooke stresses. "He…he has to include me." she adds quietly.

Nathan says nothing, just keeps looking at the basketball game. Brooke stops expecting to get any kind of reaction out of him. She sits on a nearby chair and runs a hand through her hair in frustration.

Haley scowls at Nathan's lack of response. "When did you get a heart of steel?"

His eyes narrow as he continues looking at the TV. "Jake says hi." he says.

Brooke swore Nathan died right there with the death glare Haley was sporting. "Haley you wanna help me make some breakfast?" she says grabbing her before she can respond.

"Nathan's an ass." She adds once they're alone in the kitchen.

Haley kinks an eyebrow. "So is Lucas."

Brooke laughs. "Then I guess we're both in trouble with our men."

"One, Nathan's not my man," Haley says with a certain sass to her tone that Brooke realizes she's missed. "and two, are you admitting Lucas is yours?"

Brooke rolls her eyes. "It was a joke Haley. Remember we used to do that, back before shit was just school." she says dryly.

"So you can joke about your relationship with Lucas but I can't?"

"What relationship?"

"Fine." Haley relents. "Your old relationship."

Brooke sighs. "Haley what's the point in even talking about this."

"Aren't you the one who brought it up?"

"No."

"Yes you did. Correct me if I'm wrong – which I know I'm not – but you said something like 'then I guess we're both in trouble with our men'" Haley mocks in an annoyingly high voice.

"You know my voice is not that high!" Brooke protests.

"Subject change, huh? Classic Brooke Davis."

"Haley I…" Brooke sighs and lifts a shoulder. "I just don't see the point in talking about something that's never going to happen."

"You're sure about that?"

Brooke shakes her head. "I don't think we could ever go back to the way we were."

"Do you want to?" Haley can't help asking.

The brunette opens her mouth to say something, then hesitates. "Want is the wrong word." she murmurs as she leaves the kitchen.

Haley's about to ask her what she means by that but the answer comes to her as quickly as the question did. "We crave what we can't have." she whispers thoughtfully.

...

"I managed to get together some of your old clothes that you left behind." Haley smiles at Brooke as they attempt to find more space in their shared room for the brunette's suitcase of clothes. "I brought 'em here when we moved in…just for the memories."

She holds up a ratty old sweatshirt. "Remember this?"

"Oh my god, where did you find that?" Brooke exclaims as she grabs for it.

"Back of your old closet." Haley states. "I figured I'd see you again one day and you'd want it for, warmth or whatever."

Brooke kinks an eyebrow. "How'd you manage to hide this from the warden?"

Haley laughs. "Lucas doesn't come in here too often – says it's too girly." She watches Brooke run her finger over the Keith's Body Shop logo. "Nathan's seen it though. He always told me I should burn it."

Brooke folds it up and places it in a drawer. "Glad you didn't listen."

Both girls are startled by a noise at the door and they turn to see Lucas standing there.

There's a momentary silence.

"I'm gonna go somewhere else other than this weirdly sexual tension filled room." Haley declares and walks out, tossing them both a wink in the process. "Look at her hair!" she whispers to Lucas as she passes. He shoots her an annoyed look and she hold her hands up in defense. "I'll just be on my way. You two take however long you want!" she calls out from the steps.

Brooke lets out an awkward laugh but Lucas doesn't seem amused. She turns away from his stare and continues folding up her clothes. "Something you need?"

"A picture." He states simply.

"What picture?"

"A picture," he clarifies. "any fucking picture. You had to have kept one. I don't know what he looks like since I haven't seen him in five years and I'd like to at least know his face before I go get him."

Brooke swallows. "Get him…" she repeats. "So you've already found him?"

Lucas shrugs. "I told you I prepared."

Brooke abandons the clothes and folds her arms over her chest. "So when exactly are you going?"

"Couple days."

"You need to be way more specific than that." Brooke snaps. "I am his mother."

Lucas' eyes narrow. "You say that like it means something."

"It does!"

"Not to me." He takes a step into the room. "You kept him away from me for five years. You didn't even have the audacity to tell me you were pregnant."

"I was going t–"

"That's a load of shit Brooke and you know it." Lucas interrupts. "I had to find out from Haley that you were pregnant so to me, you being his mom doesn't really mean much."

Brooke tries her best to cover up the hurt she's feeling. "So when you get him, you're not even going to bring me?"

"We went over this – no."

Brooke turns away from him and resumes her task of folding up clothes. "Get your own fucking picture."

She hears him leave a minute later and finally lets the tears fall. She covers her mouth with one hand to try and stifle the sobs because she doesn't want anyone – him – to hear her. She can't let him do this without her.

He's too important to be put in danger and that's the last thing she'd ever do to him.

She reaches under the bed and pulls out a bag she put there three days ago when she first arrived. Untying the carefully placed knot, she pulls out a disposable cell phone and dials a number. It rings once.

"Move him." She instructs then snaps it shut.

She walks to the door and closes it, locking it quietly. She then flings the cell phone into the wall, watching it smash to pieces. The way the phone broke into nothing resembles the way she feels. She studies them for a while in slight admiration then sweeps the particles under the bed.

She goes to the dresser and flings all the drawers out of it, finally knocking the whole thing down to the floor. The doorknob rattles but she doesn't stop. She snatches out all the clothes from her suitcase then the ones from the closet.

Every single one.

"Brooke?" she hears Haley say from outside. She still doesn't stop.

She breaks the hangers. Cracks them and throws them all over. Various items land everywhere around the room. The lamp on the nightstand is smashed against the door and she hears Haley scream.

She still doesn't stop.

"Brooke!" Haley calls out to no avail. "Brooke what is going on?" The doorknob rattles some more.

The mattress is ripped up from the bed and flops to the floor. She destroys every single item she can see – throwing it, smashing it, kicking it.

Brooke runs a shaky hand through her hair. With her back to the door, she slides down into a sitting position.

All she can do now is cry.

...