Disclaimer: I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

AN: So I completely deviated from what my original plans for this chapter were. But after speaking to my Lelina friend, I realized that there were some issues with which I had to deal before I moved on to what I had planned. In a chapter or two, I should be using Bert's and Shannon's ideas – so keep a look out for that!

Thanks to everyone who has been reading, from the people who have been reading since the first update, to the people who just started a week or two ago! I really appreciate all the extended support – you all mean so much to me; there would be no story without you. There are two girls to whom I want to dedicate this chapter; you girls mean the world to me.

:~Dedications~:

*Lelina*

*Tiffizzle*

********************************************************

Chapter 21: Collide

"Brooke lost the baby..."

Haley sat completely still, her heart pounding painfully against her ribcage as she attempted to fake smiles and laughter for Peyton's sake. She observed the overly joyful giggles as the girls cooed over the dozens of baby dresses and toys, and she found herself wondering idly why the bottle blond had yet to ask the real reason behind her supposed best friend's absence. She ran her fingers through her hair, exhaling a shaky breath. She stands, her eyes meeting Peyton's as she gestures toward the kitchen. The blond smiled genially as the young mother hurried from the room, her fake smile still in place.

Haley looked around the room, searching for either Nathan or Lucas as her false smile slid from her face and was replaced with a grim look, but they both seemed to have disappeared. She sat down on one of the stools as she fought to keep herself grounded; tears prickled behind her eyes and she inhaled deeply, the air burning in her lungs as a sob escaped her lips. She covered her mouth as she tried to hold her emotions back. She lowered her head and covered her face with her hands as the tears began falling full force down her cheeks.

She couldn't escape the words that Jake had uttered in that one short phone call; no matter how hard she tried to forget them, her heart wouldn't let her. She was stuck in a loop of repetitive words and endless tears. She bit down hard on her lip as the tears continued to fall down her flushed cheeks. Her heart was breaking in a way it had never been broken before because she knew that even though Jake hadn't said the words aloud, the finality in his statement let her know that Brooke's future would be forever altered. And Haley knew from the way he'd gasped for breath when he said the words, that "she lost the baby" also meant, "she'll never have one."

She wiped at her tears as she sat up straighter, her eyes landing on a picture of Brooke holding Jamie when he was just a baby. Haley smiled at the sight of her son's big blue eyes staring up at his god mother in awe as she coddled him, her dimpled grin intoxicating to even a baby. Brooke's hair was still extremely long then, and it fell in waves down her back framing her face in a way that reminded Haley of an angel; pure innocence shining in the teenage girl's smile as she held the baby.

Haley bit her lip and choked back tears as realization hit her: Brooke would never hold her own baby like that. She would never know the joy and intimacy of carrying a child or that feeling of relief when the sound of his or her first cries pierces the air. Her child would never share her features: big dimples, contagious grin, or hauntingly beautiful hazel eyes.

Haley sighed quietly, running her fingers through her wavy hair as she gazed at the picture again. She reached across the counter and grabbed her house phone, glancing toward the living room for a moment before she began dialing the familiar number. She taped her nails repetitively against the counter as she listened to the unhurried rings, debating just scrapping this idea and hanging up.

She sighed and reached for the 'end' button as the familiar voice suddenly picked up, "Hello?"

Her pulse quickened slightly and she glanced toward the living room again, "I need someone to talk to…Meet me at the studio in ten?"

She heard the hesitant sigh, and she felt like she could almost see him shaking his head, a grin plastered on his face, "Sure, Hales. Ten minutes."

The phone went dead, and she stood, writing a quick note for anyone who would need to reach her. She grabbed her purse and headed out the back door so as to avoid Peyton's gaze, guilt marring her brow as she hops into her car and drives away.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Lucas groaned as he tossed the ball toward the net, his technique not changing from the hundred or so other times he'd done it before. He threw his hands up in frustration when he missed, the ball bouncing off the backboard and landing a few feet away from him; he picked the ball back up and chucked it as hard as he could, with eye closed, to his left, not noticing the figure standing there.

"Whoa, man. Way to try and take my head off."

The blond turned, his eyes meeting those of his brother, who was now holding the basketball, "What do you want, Nathan?"

Nathan shrugged and tossed the ball back to his brother, "You left the house so quickly that I was half convinced there'd been some sort of emergency." He glances around, his blue eyes shining in the sunlight, "But here you are…sucking at basketball." He raises an eyebrow at his brother, "So, do I have to guess what's bothering you or are you going to tell me?"

"Love. Love is bothering me."

Nathan smirked and rolled his eyes, "What, being caught between the hearts of two different women isn't your dream?"

"I'm not…"

"Don't lie to me…or yourself for that matter."

Luke groaned and aimed for the basket before letting the ball roll off his fingers. He held his breath as he muttered the words, "Peyton Sawyer's the one for me."

The ball completely missed the basket, landing only a few inches away from Nathan. The younger brother smiled sympathetically, "Or not?"

"Do you remember the night of the fantasy boy draft?"

Nate nodded, laughing quietly, "Haley and I were still not back together, but we had a double date with Brooke and Chris Keller. And you were with Rachel that night."

The blond nodded, gazing up at the basket, "Rachel and I came here that night…"

XxXxXxXxXxX

The redhead looked annoyed at his constant flow of words about Brooke. She sighed, "Okay, take your shirt off."

He glanced at her, hesitant and uncomfortable, "Rachel…"

She rolled her eyes, "I'm not gonna touch you, you sissy virgin boy. I'm trying to make a point." She gave him a look, letting him know he had no choice, "Take your shirt off."

He laughed with a roll of his eyes and did as she ordered, handing the blue t-shirt over to her, looking both amused and confused by her actions.

She raised her eyebrow and grinned, "All right. You say Brooke's the one, your soul mate. Well, if that's the case," She threw her arms around him from behind, looking at him flirtatiously, "call upon destiny or providence or whatever forces are gonna bring you two together," he laughed at her and shook his head, "and make the shot…blindfolded."

She tied the shirt around his eyes, listening to him laugh. He shook his head, "This is ridiculous."

She walked a few feet away from him, "Come on. It's your destiny; you can't miss. Okay, can you see me?"

She started dancing goofily in front of him, looking for any sort of reaction. When there was none, she was forced to believe him, "Okay, I trust you. Now follow my voice. Brooke's the one. Make the shot."

And he did. The ball flew from his hands and the sight was almost poetic; the ball gliding through the air and landing perfectly in the net.

He quickly untied the shirt and looked around, "What happened?!"

"It went in." He took the blindfold off to see a shirtless Rachel holding the ball, "Nice shot."

XxXxXxXxXxX

Luke sighed and sat on the bleachers, staring at the basket, "I haven't even made one basket since I've been here…I don't understand any of this. I love Peyton; we're having a baby. Why do I feel like this now?"

The younger man sat down on the bleachers next to his brother, "There's a reason you came to this place." He gestures down to the bottom rung of the bleachers, his gaze soft. Sitting there amongst the overgrown weeds lay the picture of Brooke and Lucas, their arms wrapped tightly around each other as they danced at Nathan and Haley's wedding. "There's a reason why you can't let her go…the same reason this picture didn't float away with the rest. And it's the same reason you can't make the shot…figure it out, man, before you lose her."

Nathan stood and headed for his car, giving his brother a quick nod before driving away, feeling the need to speak to his wife.

Luke stood as well, taking the ball in his hands. He glanced at the hoop and smiled softly, "Brooke Davis is the one."

He closed his eyes and let the fall roll off his fingers, silence consuming him. He opened his blue eyes just in time to see the ball hit the ground.

"It went in…Nice shot."

His jaw dropped in shock at the sight of the redhead, "Rachel…what are you doing here?"

She frowned, "I'm not staying. I just…Brooke's birthday just passed and I wanted to…Will you give her this?"

She handed him an ornately covered box, and he quickly nodded, not really sure how he felt about her being back, even if it was just for a quick visit. She turned to walk away but turned back slowly, "She would have given you anything, Lucas. Don't let her down…not like I did."

XxXxXxXxXxX

Peyton laughed as she and Mia started picking up the boxes and bags filled with baby clothes and toys, not having noticed how much stuff she actually received. She glanced around the mostly empty room, having just realized that Brooke never showed up and Haley never came back from the kitchen. She sighed and entered the kitchen, finding it, too, empty. And she exited the room, she completely missed the note sitting on the table, written in Haley's script, "Had a work emergency – be home soon."

She shook her head and walked back into the living room, confused as to where her two best friends were. A smile suddenly spread across her face when she glanced at the love seat, her eyes falling on the jacket there. She shook her head with a grin and picked it up, vowing to return it to Julian before she headed home that evening.

She sat with the beige jacket in her lap, her smile unfading as she thought of him. If someone had told her a few months ago, when he first arrived in Tree Hill, that they would go from lovers to enemies to confidants, she would have laughed in his or her face. She ran her finger along the stitching of the jacket, her mind thinking of just how much he'd been there for her these last few weeks. And she'd done her best to be there for him too, helping him deal with Brooke's mood swings and all the fights caused by them.

She leaned back into the softness of the seat as she thought of what he'd said about Brooke and Jake spending so much time together. Part of her was jealous that he wanted to spend so much time with the bubbly brunette, but another, bigger, part of her was aware that 'someday' was never going to happen for them. She closed her eyes for a moment, thinking of the kiss she and Jake had shared, the guilt sparking within her again as she realized that, had someone other than Brooke been aware of what they'd done, her relationship with Lucas may have ended.

She smiled and waved at Mia innocently when the small Italian girl gave her a scorching glare for not helping her move boxes. She pouted at the girl like a child and winked, "I'm pregnant…"

Mia glared but conceded, grabbing another box on her way out. Peyton's smile faded when she noticed the doll house Sam and Brooke had picked out. She glared at it, her eyes filled with hate as they narrowed on the little red door. She thought of Lucas's new book and stood, glaring down at the toy house. She shook her head and grabbed a box, rushing out of the house, leaving the toy behind.

She gave Mia a fake smile, "Come on, Catalano. You get to help me sort this stuff."

Mia groaned and rolled her eyes, following the older woman out to the car, "I should be getting paid for this!"

Both girls looked up when a car pulled into the driveway and Nathan stepped out. He smiled pleasantly at both girls, "Hey, is Hales in there cleaning up?"

The two girls exchanged a look before Peyton spoke up, "Uh, no. She left a little bit ago."

Nathan frowned and headed for the door, "Okay, thanks…"

XxXxXxXxXxX

Haley sat there nervously at the piano, chewing on her thumb nail. She heard a chuckle behind her and she spun around quickly, her eyes meeting those of the man she'd called.

"You still bite your nails when you're nervous. You haven't changed at all."

She smiled, "Ah, Chris Keller, it's been too long." She stood and pulled him into a hug, feeling completely comfortable all of a sudden, all guilt ebbing away to nothingness.

Chris smiled and squeezed her tightly before stepping back, holding her at arms length. He took in the complete sight of her, grinning appreciatively, "You look beautiful, Hales."

She blushed for the first time in a long time, not really sure why she felt so nervous all of a sudden, "Thanks."

An awkward silence took over the room and she bit her lip, feeling guilty again for calling him. He raised his eyebrow at her, "Does your husband know you wanted to rendezvous with Chris Keller?"

Haley rolled her eyes, though he was correct in his assumptions that Nathan had no idea, "Shut up, Chris."

He chuckled and sat at the piano, his fingers playing a calming rhythm as he spoke, "So, what does the infamous Haley James want with little old me?"

"Scott." He smirked at the automatic correction of her last name, nostalgia biting at him as he remembered just how often he'd said her name incorrectly for the simple pleasure of being able to fight with her about it afterward, "And I called you because of Brooke."

His face suddenly became serious, starling her slightly, "Why? What happened? Is she okay?"

She shook her head, her eyes sad and filled with tears, "I don't know if she's going to be okay. Losing a child is…"

Chris's eyes went wide, "What? Brooke was pregnant?"

She frowned, "I thought…I thought you knew. I wouldn't have called if I…"

She noticed his far away expression, the sadness in his indigo eyes eating away at her. He glanced up at her and their eyes met, fire burning in his, "How long?"

"Almost a month…"

His gaze dropped again, "Why didn't she say anything? I would have…would have done something to help."

"Chris…" His eyes met hers again and she sighed sadly, resting her hand on his shoulder comfortingly, "She's gonna need us now more than ever…"

He nodded, his eyes downcast as Haley pulled him into another hug, and he rested his head on her shoulder, "I've missed you, Hales."

"Me too."

XxXxXxXxXxX

Jake lay next to her, his fingers brushing through her hair slowly, neither really moving much. She had stopped crying over an hour ago, but he hadn't left her side once, knowing that she could start up again at any moment.

They both smiled slightly at the sound of her stomach growling, and he sat up, "You want something to eat?" He starts to stand, "I can make you something? Eggs? Spaghetti?"

Brooke grabs his arm before he can go too far, and he turns toward her, "Yeah, what do you…"

His eyes widened when her lips were suddenly on his. He fell into the kiss for a moment before he pulled back, his hands gripping her arms tightly, "Brooke! What are you doing?"

She was breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling rapidly with each ragged breath, "I want you."

"Brooke…"

"I need to forget, Jake…I need you to want me. Just for tonight."

She tilted her head and placed a soft kiss on his lips as his grip on her arms lessened. His right hand tangled in her hair as he deepened the kiss, all thoughts of anything bad or hard disappearing from both of their minds. She gripped his shoulders tightly, her nails biting into his skin through his shirt.

She lowered her hands, trying to unbutton his shirt as he kissed lazily down her neck. She quickly shoved the shirt from his shoulders, running her hands over the smooth flesh of his chest, gently scratching him with her nails. He grinned and pulled her in for another kiss, his fingers traveling underneath her shirt, barely grazing her flat stomach. She grabbed his hand and placed it on her chest and she pulled her shirt over her head, smiling at him seductively.

He paused for a moment to catch his breath, his heart beating rapidly in his chest, "You're so beautiful…" She bit his bottom lip gently, touching every exposed part of his body.

She smiled down at him, her eyes mischievous but lost, "Touch me."

TBC…