A/N - Hey people, you guys are really, really great at leaving the reviews, and I will always appriciate you all for that. This chapter is like a filler, to move things along story wise, but I still hope you enjoy it, it is baley after all, what's not to enjoy about that? So read and review.
Disclaimer - Bah! I know what I want for Christmas, other than the first Season of One Tree Hill on dvd, the contracts saying I own the rights to OTH! And of course Bethany in my stocking! But alas, I don't see any of that happening, so I guess that Mark is one lucky guy!
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Chapter 6 - Open Eyes, Open Heart, Open Up and Be All You Are.
Waking up groggily, was so much better than waking up in unbelievable pain, or so Haley had found out. 'Man, these painkillers, sure have a kick to them,' was her lackadaisical thought. It almost felt like she was floating, it really was kinda neat. Her mind felt like a gigantic, fluffy, cotton wool ball, and her mouth was as dry as the Sahara. She really needed a drink. Finally remembering how, Haley opened her eyes, then wondered how she could only see out of one of them. Then like a switch that had been flipped on, all of last night came flooding back to her. Nathan beating her, Brooke saving her, Taylor showing up. It really was amazing what could actually happen in the space of twenty-four hours.
Yawning slightly, Haley winced a little as her cut lip stretched, threatening to open up again. 'Oh it sure is great being me!' was her self deprecating thought. Squinting slightly she looked around the room, Taylor's bedroom. Speaking of, she saw her sister asleep in the chair next to her, yet Brooke was nowhere in sight. Haley was pretty sure that Brooke was here when she fell asleep last night, 'So where is she now?' Turning to her right, she noticed Taylor stir and open her eyes, only to shut them as the sun from outside, shone in through the window. Moving her head away from the direction the sun, Taylor reopened her eyes and saw Haley looking at her.
"Hey sweetie, how are you feeling?" she asked, glad to see that Haley didn't seem to be in any pain.
"I'm ok, a little spacey, but not of the bad kind." Haley told her. "Do you know where Brooke is?" she asked curiously.
"Brooke had an errand to run, she didn't tell me what, but she was hoping to be back before you woke up." Taylor explained Brooke's whereabouts. "Told me to watch over you, since she couldn't. Seems like a nice girl."
"She is." Haley agreed.
"So when did you know?"
"Know what Tay?"
"Know that you liked her." Taylor elaborated with a smirk.
"She kinda grows on you, then it's like impossible not to like her." Haley replied, misunderstanding the question.
"Hales," Taylor dawdled out. "Come on tell me the truth! When did you look at her and go, 'Wow, that Brooke, is one nice piece of ass!'" she finished with a devilish smirk.
"Tay!" Haley exclaimed, shocked. "That is crude! Do not talk about Brooke that way!"
"Why? Are you jealous?" Taylor goaded.
"No! I do not look at Brooke Davis like that! Jees Tay, what made you even think of that?"
"Yesterday, gave me a pretty good head's up. I mean I walk in and you two were so close, not body to body close, lips to lips close! If I hadn't walked in on you guys, you two so would have kissed. I'm kinda sorry that I interrupted something..."
"You did not interrupt anything Taylor, it was nothing but the heat of the moment I guess, my emotions were all over the place, Brooke was there, you know how things happen." Haley explained, denying it.
"Bull Haley-Bub, bull! I've seen the way you guys act around each other. Brooke is way protective of you, she was with me at the hospital from the moment you were brought in, till you were aloud home. When the doctor said we could see you, she jumped at the chance and couldn't get there fast enough. And you, god Haley I saw the way you guys were last night, all snuggled up and dead to the world. I came to check up on you, and you were both just the picture of cuteness." Taylor explained, pointing out the obvious.
"Taylor stop it, don't ok, just don't." Haley told her.
"But Haley..."
"No Tay, me and Brooke are friends. Friends. Nothing more. Deal with that, ok?"
"Fine." Taylor begrudgingly agreed, while silently thinking. 'No, not ok lil sis, I want you to be happy and if Brooke is the one to do that, then I'll do anything to make sure you guys get together.' "Can I get you anything?"
xxxx
It had been almost an hour since she had woken up and Brooke, still wasn't back yet. She didn't want to admit it but she missed her. Sighing, she tried to forget what Taylor had said earlier, but it just kept circling her brain no matter how much she tried to make it disappear. She admitted to herself, that she liked Brooke maybe more than she was supposed to, but couldn't that just be put down to a hero complex? People usually developed a crush on there saviour. It wasn't uncommon, that was it, it had to be that. She couldn't have a thing for Lucas's ex.
But she did, no matter how much she tried to deny it, the little nagging voice in the back of her mind wouldn't give up until it was heard. As much as she had denied it to Taylor, she was close to kissing Brooke and both times were not in the heat of the moment, she had wanted them, but to actually admit that to someone, to her sister no less, that was moving a little to fast. She didn't even know how Brooke felt, it had looked like she had wanted it to, but how could she be sure. It wasn't like she could just come out and say something like, 'So yeah that almost kiss, what's your thoughts on that then?' She did know she liked Brooke, it was more than like, but to actually define it with a word, that eluded her, and seemed impossible.
"I love you, Tutor Girl."
"Huh?" Haley wondered, surprised that anyone else was in the room. "You love me?" she continued, with a confused expression.
Laughing lightly, Brooke sat down on the bed and answered. "Had to get your attention somehow right? I've been calling your name for the past couple of minutes Hales, but you just ignored me. I don't know whether to be insulted or what," Brooke carried on with a mock pout. "It's not everyday that I get blanked by such a cutie. I just don't know what the world's coming to!" she finished with an exaggerated sigh.
"Cut it out Tigger, really you talk a lot for someone who hasn't got much to say and has it end with nothing but nonsense." Haley told her with a laugh of her own, Brooke had that kind of effect on her.
"I'm outraged Roo, outraged! I mean really, I only speak the truth!" Brooke told her with a happy smile.
"So I'm a cutie then huh?" Haley asked skeptically.
"Oh yeah, out of a scale of 1 to 10 on my cuteness factor, you totally get an 11." Brooke told her.
"Well now I'm just privileged."
"I should think so to, nobody's ever gotten an 11 before, but your just special."
"Only cause I'm hurt huh?" Haley wondered.
"Oh no, not because you're hurt, I mean I decided this way before you got hurt. People can only wish to have your cuteness, it's cuteness that's envied." Brooke explained.
"You're more crazy that I thought!"
"Again you insult me Roo!" Brooke exaggerated.
"Baby!"
"So how are you?" Brooke asked Haley, changing the subject.
"These drugs are woah! It's like all the pain is in this teeny, tiny, itsy, bitsy, little box that can be crushed in my hand. I always want to feel like this Tigger, it's like heaven." Haley explained lazily.
"So no pain?"
"None, not yet anyway."
"Well color me glad. I don't like it when you hurt. I can't do anything to stop it and I so want to. I felt so helpless yesterday and I hate that." Brooke told her.
"Tigger, I'll get better, it'll take time but I'm gonna get better and then you can stop with the worrying." Haley said with a smile, thankful that Brooke made her feel better. "Where were you this morning?" she wondered.
"Home." Brooke lied, she didn't want to, but she didn't need to upset Haley. "I needed to get a change of clothes."
"I'm glad you came back."
"Where else would I want to be?" Brooke asked, looking at Haley like she was mad for even thinking she'd go someplace else.
"I hear Disneyland is a fun place to be." Haley joked.
"Oh sweetie, Disneyland has nothing on you, absolutely nothing." Brooke responded as she moved up the bed, till she was lying next to Haley. "Don't even get me started on The Magic Kingdom, it really doesn't compare to the wonders that is you."
"Thanks Brooke." Haley told her.
"For what?" Brooke wondered.
"For everything."
"I don't need thanks for that. But since we are talking about everything and nothing, can I get you anything?"
"I could go for some water, my mouth feels like a desert, yet again."
"I can get that for you." Brooke told her with a smile, as she got up off of the bed. "Be right back." she told Haley as she walked out of Taylor's bedroom and headed downstairs to the kitchen.
As she descended the stairs and walked through the James's living-room, she smiled at Taylor who was sitting on the sofa.
"Whatcha up to?" Taylor asked her, getting up off of the sofa and following her.
"I'm getting Haley a drink, she's thirsty."
"Hmm, ok." Taylor told her with a smile, and continued to just look at her.
"What?"
"Oh, nothing."
"No it's something, tell me." Brooke asked, putting a glass under the running tap, filling it with water.
"You and Haley just amuse me." Taylor remarked.
"And how pray tell do we manage that?" Brooke wondered, while turning the tap off and setting Haley drink on top of the kitchen counter.
"Cuteness factor of 11." Taylor repeated Brooke's earlier words. "You really don't see it do you?"
"See what?"
"If you don't see it now, you will soon, I mean you can't deny it, it's there."
"Taylor you're not making much sense."
"I am. Maybe not to you or even my sister, but I see it and I think it's cute."
"Ok," Brooke sounded out, frowning in Taylor's direction, wondering if she to had taken Haley's painkillers and it had the reverse affect on her. "I'm gonna go, give this to Haley." she continued, picking up Haley's glass of water and heading towards the staircase.
"Open your eyes Brooke, see what's in front of you, cause it's something wonderful." Was Taylor's last words to Brooke as she disappeared from sight.
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Walking into the bedroom, Brooke saw Haley, just lying there, her eyes closed and looking like an angel. This girl would be the death of her yet, if she kept on looking so adorable in every situation. Not my girls could pull off the adorable look, with the amount of bruises Haley had, but she had. That was the only word floating through Brooke's head as she saw her, adorable, so damn adorable. She'd admit it to herself, and only to herself. Though from what Taylor had been saying, it seemed she wasn't the only one to know about her thing for Haley. Taylor's words still confused her, did she mean that Haley was that something wonderful in front of her, cause she already knew that, it really wasn't that hard to see. She just didn't know if she was that something wonderful to Haley. Who would have thought, that she, Brooke Davis, would be afraid to let someone know how she felt about them, it was ironic really, she'd never really had this problem before. She guessed it was just Haley, and the way she made her feel, like she had invaded all of her and knocked down her inner walls, which was way more than Lucas had ever done, in there brief romance, that they called a relationship, as his girlfriend.
If someone had told her six months ago, hell even a month ago, that she would be in the James's residence, worrying about Haley, caring about her and feeling what she felt for her, she probably would have laughed in their face, and then slapped them at the absurdity, of what they were telling her, but now it was true, and she didn't want to do anything to stop it.
"Well, are you just gonna stand there all day, or are you gonna come closer?" Haley's voice interrupted, her inner musings.
"Sorry Tutor Girl, thoughts." Brooke told her, all the while walking closer to the bed. Handing Haley her glass of water she took a seat next to her. "You look tired." she stated, after Haley had sat the glass down, on her bedside table.
"I am," Haley told her with a sigh. "I just woke up though, I shouldn't be, I wish I wasn't."
"Roo, after what you've been through you need all the sleep you can get. Sleep, I'll be here when you wake up." Brooke told her.
"Promise?"
"I promise."
"Can you tell me a story?" Haley asked shyly.
"Of course I can." Brooke replied with a smile. "Which one?" she wondered, as she moved up the bed, until she was leaning against the headboard.
"Make one up." Haley said, moving closer to Brooke, snuggling up to her, and wrapping an arm over her stomach.
"Ok," Brooke agreed, lifting her hand as she brushed away a few strands of Haley's hair that covered her face, and then started to gently run her finger's through it, almost soothingly. "There once was this Princess, and her name was Haley," Brooke began, causing Haley to giggle at the Princesses name. "And throughout the land, of Tree Hill, Princess Haley was beloved by almost everyone who she came across. Little children loved her, other Princesses could only wish to have her beauty. And what a beauty she had, it was blinding, she could make grown men fall to their knees in awe. Now you'd think, because she had all this so called power over almost everyone, that she'd use it to get everything she wanted. But no, not Princess Haley, she was the kindest of soul's, she wouldn't hurt a fly. That was part of the reason why everyone loved her, worshipped her almost."
"She sounds nice." Haley told Brooke, sounding sleepy.
"Oh she is, like you wouldn't believe. So one day the Princess, was happily walking around the outskirts of the castle, taking in the scenery, basking in the greenery, when suddenly out of nowhere, this vile, ugly, rank ogre, who we'll call Nate, jumped out at the Princess and roared at her, frightening her. She backed away from him in fright, but he advanced towards her, getting closer and closer. Then he lifted his grubby, dirty hand intent on touching her, when out of nowhere a rock hit his head, sending him sprawling to the ground below him."
"Looking up, the fair Princess looked at her saviour, and couldn't help but smile as she saw her best friend ever. Princess Brooke. Who rushed up to Princess Haley, and made sure she was all right, once she was sure that she was, Princess Brooke turned her attention to the vile ogre, who looked at her fearfully, and once the ogre saw the Princesses glare, he stumbled to his feet and scurried away." Brooke continued, looking down at Haley. She was asleep. Smiling to herself she carried on with the story.
"Turning back to what was important to her, Princess Brooke walked to Princess Haley, and found herself engulfed in a thankful hug. Pulling back they looked at each other, and Princess Brooke was mesmerised, with her best friend in front of her, leaning forward she grazed her own lips with that of Princess Haley's and heaven was found, and they lived happily ever after." she finished, wistfully.
'We dishonour ourselves by not telling the truth. The truth about what we feel, what we think and what we want.' Brooke didn't know where that thought came from or where the hell she remembered it from, but it rang true to her in that moment, she wanted Haley, she wanted everything with Haley, the up's and the down's, the good and the bad, everything. She just had to figure out if Haley wanted that too, and how she was gonna go about getting what she wanted.
Little did she know that a certain sister was pondering something along those same lines. Taylor had been walking back from the bathroom and heard Haley ask for a story, and she had felt inclined to listen. Now she knew Brooke felt something for Haley, and all she had to do was find away to get Haley to admit that she liked Brooke, like Brooke liked her and all would be peachy.
Leaving the two girls alone in the inner sanctum that was her room, snuggled together and looking like the picture of perfect happiness, Taylor headed downstairs, putting together a plan of action, to get them together.
End of Chapter 6
So yeah, this chapter wasn't as long as the 7,0 plus words I wrote of the last chapter, but I thought I'd give you dear readers, a little rest on those eyes of yours...but FLUFF, you have to have that every now and then, so this is my now, then...go review I urge you to do so...let me know what you think. Thanks.
