Chapter Four- The Truth part one

The door opened and Rachel stood there looking at the boy that was obviously Adam's father.

"Can I help you?" he asked pleasantly.

"I'm Rachel DeWitt," she said sticking out her hand.

Realization dawned on Matt that this was Brooke's adoptive mother and he put on a smile and ushered her in.

"You're Brooke's mom."

She nodded. "I was wondering if you by chance knew where my daughter was. She ran off because we got into a fight…"

Matt was silent for a minute as he rolled over that this strange women was calling his niece their daughter.

"Oh…I think she went with Adam into town for a CD or something. Would you like to sit down and wait? I'm not sure how long they'll be but…"

"Umm…sure…" she said hesitantly. She knew that this was Brooke's uncle, she wasn't stupid. She just felt a little…strange 'hanging out' with him. Sitting gingerly on the couch she looked up at the mantle and saw a picture of a girl with golden hair with a big smile on her face sitting next to a boy with a mop full of curls. That was them. Those were Brooke's parents. She knew without a doubt in her mind…hell her daughter looked exactly like them!

Matt noticed her gaze and smiled briefly. "That's Liz. She died…"

"She's Brooke's biological mother," Rachel added softly.

Matt just nodded silently.

"Well I think we have to do something here. They're family, they can't be going out with each other," she said randomly.

He looked at her for a minute before realizing what she was talking about. "Yeah my best friend and wife said the same thing. But how do we tell two teenagers not to see each other. You know as well as I do that that'll only make them want to see each other more," he laughed a little bit.

"I know. I tried to tell her last night but she just blew up at me. And now she's run off," she sighed.

"Well if she's anything like Liz, she'll come back and act like nothing happened."

An uncomfortable silence followed until the door opened and Rachel could hear two women chattering happily.

"Matt?"

"In here!" he called back.

Two women, one Latina with long black hair and one with short blonde hair entered the room.

"Miranda, Mel, this is Rachel DeWitt. Brooke's mom," he said delicately.

Miranda caught her breath and tried to smile at the women but it instead came across as a close to grimace.

"I hate to go…but I have stuff to do at home…" she said lamely as she started for the door.

The couple just nodded as Miranda nodded her head at Rachel. "Nice to meet you," she said as she closed the door. Rachel looked back at the two and sighed inwardly. This wasn't going to be easy…and it sure as hell wasn't going to get more comfortable.

"Honey we've looked everywhere! It's not here!" Brooke said exasperated.

"Brooke, they said that they'd have it. So it has to be here," Adam said as she started to rifle through the same collection of CD's for the fourth time.

"Look here's a bright idea. How about asking the guy behind the counter. Wow, what a concept!" she said sarcastically as he waved her off.

"Can I help you?" the guy asked as the girl approached.

"Yeah my boyfriend is dead set on the fact that you guys have the Rob Thomas CD and until he either finds it or gets a handwritten note saying that it's not here, I get the feeling we'll be here all night."

The guy just laughed. "Yeah we should have it," he said looking up at the girl for the first time. His grew wide and he almost choked on the gum he was chewing but he recovered quickly and looked down to type some things on the keyboard.

"Yeah it's right over there. Tell him to go three rows over," he said head still down.

Brooke just looked at the guy like he had three heads. Why was everyone staring at her like she was their dead relative or something? "Thanks…" she said hesitantly and walked back to him.

"Well?" he demanded.

"Three rows over," she commented as she absent mindedly started to fiddle with the ring that Andrew gave her for her birthday two months ago.

He nodded and started to walk over but stopped when he realized that Brooke was still standing there.

"Earth to Brooke! You coming or do you like that particular spot?"

She sneered at him and tugged gently on his hair as she found the CD before he did.

"Oh…" he said a little deflated that she found it before him.

"Now that…didn't take me three hours either," she said rubbing it in.

He made a face and went to the cashier. The man hung up the phone and went over to them, carefully only looking at the boy and not the girl. Brooke noticed this and started to look at him suspiciously. Before she knew it, Adam had her hand and dragged her out of the store.

"What was that about?" he asked as he started the car.

"What?"

"You were like dazed just staring that cashier…" he said.

"Well when I went up there the first time he did the same thing your mom and aunt did and like almost choked on his gum! And then he refused to look at me…."

"Ok…" he said not really following her train of her thought.

"I think there's something going on here," she put it bluntly.

He just smiled. "I think you're delusional," he said jokingly as he grabbed her hand.

"Adam! I'm serious!"

He sighed. "Look I don't know Brooke ok? Apparently you look like someone that they all happen to know or whatever."
Brooke stayed silent and just looked out the window for a minute before giving in. "I guess," she said softly squeezing her boyfriends hand.

"I saw here," he said breathlessly over the phone.

"Gordo?" Matt asked confused.

"They were here at my shop…"

"Who?" he asked trying to follow him.

"Brooke! And some guy…" he said waving his hand.

Matt sighed and looked at Melina and Rachel who was still there, just a little uncomfortably.

"Gordo saw Brooke and Adam."

Melina just rolled her eyes and sighed. "This should be good."

Rachel looked at them confused but neither one of them said anything.

"Look, can I…"

"You want to come over so you can see for yourself," Matt said filling in the blanks. Gordo stayed silent and he took that for a yes.

Melina shook her head no but Matt ignored her. "I guess…." He said shrugging. Melina threw her hands in the air.

"I hope you know what you're doing!" she hissed at him before walking away.

Matt hung up the phone and turned to Rachel.

"Sorry, old friend," he lied.

"Umm…well when they get back could you just tell her to come home please?" she asked as she started to leave.

Matt nodded his head silently, almost thanking God that she was leaving. He didn't want her to be here when Gordo got here. That would just be a trip.

"Will do," he said attempting to be pleasant.

She opened the door and stepped outside as the kids pulled up.

"Great…" Brooke muttered in the car.

Adam looked at her. "What happened anyway between you two? I thought y'all got along great or something."

She sighed. "We do. Did. I don't know. She just started saying weird stuff like how she's not sure you're the one that I should be dating and stuff like that. I just don't know why she doesn't like you!" she said twirling her hair. She had picked that habit up when she got nervous, anxious or exasperated.

Adam cocked his head. "I never knew that…"

"Well what did you think she was gonna do? Come right out and say "hi Adam, you seem swell but stay the hell away from my daughter?' "?

He snorted. "Your mother hardly seems like the type to say something like that."

She just gave him a look and opened the door.

"Brooke! Where have-"

"Out," she said as she started to walk into the McGuire's house.

"Brooke Michelle DeWitt! Will you stop and talk to me?" her mother yelled.

Brooke froze and turned. "What?" she asked icily.

"I get that you're mad at me ok? But I am your mother and you treat me with respect! I had no idea where you were or what you were doing…."

"Well here I am. I'm fine. And I'm sorry but I don't feel like coming home right now!"

"You don't feel like coming home!" her mother repeated.

Matt opened the door to see the two women arguing and Adam just looking at them a little uncomfortable. To get to the door he would have to walk through the war zone and he was just fine where he was. The two women just stared at each other, each one pissed off. Matt gingerly stepped off his doorstep and approached them.

"I know this might not be the best time but Brooke is welcome to stay here for a couple of hours until you want her to come home…"

Rachel snapped her head up at him. Of course he'd be willing to take her…she was family after all right? Brooke just smiled triumphantly and smirked at her mother. Rachel squared her jaw and sighed.

"Fine," she said through clenched teeth and she turned on her heel.

Brooke sighed and looked at him. "Thanks Mr. McGuire."

He just smiled and nodded. Adam came up and took her hand and they walked towards the house.

Suddenly a car pulled up and a man stepped out with dark curly hair and he kind of had the whole grunge/skater look going on.

"Oh my God!" Brooke said.

"What!" Adam turned to her.

"It' the guy from the music store!"

"What?" Adam turned to look and he then turned back to Brooke.

"Ok so you might have been right about before…"

She smiled. "Told you."

Matt pushed past the two and started talking to the man in hushed tones before stepping forward a few minutes later.

"Adam, Brooke. This is Gordo. He was one of your aunts best friends and he's going to stay for dinner. I think it'd be best if-"

"Let me guess, we went out?" Adam put in.

"Actually I was going to say if you stayed but if you want to go out…" he said looking at Gordo.

Adam was taken aback. Usually when friends of his parents came they told him he could do what he wanted that night just be home before two. They actually asked him to stay this time…to him that was just a little weird.

"Alright," he said hesitantly before turning to Brooke. "Let me guess, Brooke needs to go though?" he asked trying to figure out what his dad was up to.

"No," Gordo spoke up.

The two teens looked at him like he had three heads and he tried to cover his mess up. "I mean it would be good if you had someone your age to hang out with. I'm not sure how exciting this is going to be…." He failed miserably.

Adam just rolled his eyes. "If Dad wants me to stay then something good is probably going to happen," he said as he started to follow the two men inside, Brooke straggling behind him.