So sorry about the lack of updates! It was a weird kind of finished, but not finished story for me. I've been so disappointed with the new season's path for Brooke and Julian... there was so much potential and it was just really difficult to get inspired.

Chapter 14:

Brooke's bedroom door closed softly behind Julian and he reluctantly looked up to meet four angry pairs of eyes. The furious four didn't have the opportunity to stop him earlier when he dashed through the kitchen on his way to his bag upstairs. However, his slow walk of resignation and shame gave them ample time to pounce. He just wasn't sure who would be the first to strike.

Jamie... not Jamie. Julian groaned as he watched the solemn six year old stride towards him with determination. Without a word, Jamie forcefully kicked Julian in the shin and then simply turned and walked out of the room. Julian tried to bite back the pain, but couldn't help to give a loud yelp of pain from the impact. Through watery eyes he watched Haley and Nathan warily. Millie cleared her throat loudly and Julian turned his head slightly to bring her into his gaze. She started to nod her head in appreciation for his acknowledgement of her, but quickly scowled and crossed her arms across her chest. Millie loudly hissed, "W-T-F Julian?!"

Julian couldn't help but smirk a little at her expression and he was relieved he wasn't the only one as Nathan and Haley grinned and looked at Millie. "W-T-F Millie?" Haley inquired amusedly. Millie huffed in her frustration and shrugged towards the door Jamie had just exited. "Excuse me for thinking about Jamie. I didn't want to teach him WHAT THE FUCK Julian!" Millie directed all of her attention to Julian, but Nathan laughed and couldn't help but to add "Skillz taught him that one when he was three by accident."

Haley chuckled at the mortifying memory, but quickly scowled and turned on Nathan. "Don't provide comic relief for horn-dog Julian! This is a serious situation and we were all supposed to be a united-kick-ass front." She narrowed her eyes and glared at Julian. "Rachel?! You-need-to-be-tested-ho-bag Rachel?! Seriously, Julian!"

Taking a deep sigh, Julian sank into the closest bar stool. He began to confess to Brooke's friends the truth of his encounter with Rachel. Julian wanted to stay detached, but he couldn't help but think about Brooke reading his letters. Numerous times during his explanation he would pause for several minutes, lost in his imaginary production of Brooke's reaction. He didn't look at the Tree Hill inquisition throughout his entire account. Julian kept his eyes on Brooke's door, waiting and hoping for some sort of indication that he could reenter.

After a few minutes of silence, Haley and Millie exchanged nervous glances. Millie mouthed "Was that it?" Haley shrugged and her face wrinkled in confusion and genuine sadness for the broken hearted man in front of her. She turned her watery eyes to Nathan, searching for a solution or way to proceed. However, Nathan rolled his eyes and loudly said, "Oh, hell no!"

Nathan felt a surge of protective anger rise within him. He repeated his earlier exclamation, "Hell no!" He forcefully pushed a bar stool out from his path and then shoved Julian from the stool. "You may have suckered my wife and Mille just now, but I'll be damned if you're going to manipulate Brooke into forgiving you." Haley and Millie shrieked in surprise, and Haley attempted to pull Nathan away from Julian. Haley quickly backed off when she saw the glint in Nathan's eye and heard the steel in his voice as he cautioned her with a low, "Haley."

For his part, Julian was completely caught off guard by Nathan's reaction. His first immediate response was to fight Nathan, but fortunately his calmer and rational side won. He didn't want to fight Nathan, he wanted to fight himself, but fighting was not going to make Brooke's door and heart open back up to him. If the situation was different, he'd shake Nathan's hand and thank him for his loyalty to Brooke. But the situation was this, and instead he silently heeded the commands to get out of Nathan's house.

With only a sad glance back to Haley and Millie, Julian grabbed his bag and shuffled to the front door. The only thing he could think to say was, "I love her and what I want more than anything right now is for her to open that door." All eyes nervously and anxiously moved in the direction of Brooke's closed door. After an awkward minute of silence, Julian sighed deeply and shook his head as he walked out the front door.

As soon as the door closed behind Julian, Haley turned incredulously towards her husband and smacked him softly on the bicep. "Don't you think you were a little harsh?" Nathan threw his head back and groaned at Haley's soft-hearted response to Julian. "Seriously, Nate... he was really upset. Of all people, you know how Rachel can be."

Nathan's head quickly spun in Haley's direction. "Whoa! That is completely different and unfair!" He could feel his cheeks warm from his embarrassment and the impending doom he felt by being cornered by his wife.

"You're right Nathan. It is actually much more similar to the time you were kissed by Nanny Carrie." Haley reached out and stroked her hand a little roughly up and down Nathan's arm while she nodded her head in an exaggerated sign of sarcastic understanding. Nathan groaned and knew he was in trouble when Haley's eyes rounded in mocking insight. "Actually, you know it is more like the time you were accused in the tabloidsof getting a whore pregnant." With the last words, Haley's rough stroking of Nathan's arm turned into sharp little slaps across his arm and shoulder.

"Haley! How did this get turned on me?! Remember Julian is the bad guy here, not me." Nathan raised his arms in defense. He grabbed his keys from the counter and called out to Jamie. "Go focus on Brooke, I'm going to do the smart thing and get out of here for a little while."

Locking the front door behind them, Jamie and Nathan walked slowly towards the car a few minutes later. Nathan was a little surprised to see Julian simply sitting in his car, staring blankly in front of him, both hands on his steering wheel. Nathan looked down at Jamie, but Jamie was already heading back towards the house. Before he could call after his departing son, Jamie turned and smiled. Continuing to walk backwards he reassured his father that he understood, "I'm going to call Uncle Lucas, you go talk to Julian. He's too nice and I'm too young to deal with another scary stalker."

Nathan laughed at Jamie's thinly veiled reference to his psychotic Nanny Carrie and he gently rapped his knuckles across Julian's window. He did feel a little guilty and questioned his harsh tone when Julian's eyes met him. The distraught and tear filled eyes of Julian reminded Nathan of their time together in the hospital waiting for Brooke's recovery.

Julian opened the door to his car and cautiously stepped out to face the much calmer Nathan. Nathan sighed and motioned for Julian to follow him through the yard. The two men made their way to the beach and sat on the sand for a few minutes in a strained silence, neither wanting to speak first. Nathan cleared his threat and awkwardly offered an apology to Julian, "Look man, I totally shouldn't have judged or said anything to you earlier. Believe me, I know how clueless and baseless the accusations of the tabloids can be."

Julian nodded his head and knew that Nathan definitely had perhaps the best and most helpful perspective on the situation. "So, you've been here... what do I do now?" Julian waited for Nathan's advice, hoping for a light at the end of this nightmare.

"Shit, Julian. I honestly don't know... Yeah, I had crap thrown at me, but I didn't have to fight explicit pictures AND an accusation, you know?" Julian's breath quickly left his lungs and didn't know why he felt so disappointed by Nathan's answer. It wasn't like he expected Nathan to have all the answers, but he respected him and valued his opinion. "The good news? You don't have to worry about this hurting your career. But with Brooke... I don't know what you should do, but I know what I would do."

Nathan paused until Julian looked up with hopeful, but cautious eyes. "If this was me and Haley, I'd fucking fight man. Just like I've always fought where Haley's concerned. If you love her, you make sure she knows that. So get your ass off the beach and go to Brooke."

Smiling with optimism, Julian nodded at Nathan and helped him to his feet. "You make it sound a little too simple, and I'm a little afraid of what your wife could do to me if I go back inside your house."

Nathan laughed and was relieved to see Julian's trademark grin back on his face. Rolling his eyes, Nathan slapped Julian's back and gave him a little shove in the direction of his house. "Don't worry, Haley will just write a song about you. I'd be more worried about Millie, she's got crazy eyes, man."

"Knock, knock..." Haley and Millie cautiously knocked and opened the door to Brooke's room unsure of what they would find. Neither expected to see a furious Brooke practically screaming into her cell phone.

"Look, Gigi, I don't know where or how or who gave you their information, but they are wrong. If you plan on going through with your little story, you can anticipate a crippling legal battle that will drain your tabloid ass." Brooke scowled at the ceiling and was about to throw the phone across the room, but thought better of it and placed it next to her on the bed.

Before Millie or Haley could ask, Brooke was barking orders like the CEO that she was. "Millie get me Charles from the PR department and Frank from legal. Haley be on the look out for Rachel, she should be here in a few minutes. Oh and Millie, Paul from advertising is on his way from New York make sure we have someone meet him at the air port."

Millie looked at Brooke and Haley with confused and slightly frightened eyes. She had never seen this particular range of emotions from Brooke and was more than unsure of what she should do. Haley sat on the edge of Brooke's bed, "Honey, do you want to talk about everything that is going on? It has been a crazy morning and it is perfectly okay if you're upset and sad about..."

Brooke rolled her eyes at Haley and shushed her, "Tutor mom, I appreciate this little Dr. Phil moment here. But, I have only a few hours to prevent this from blowing up. Once I've got this under control, then I can afford the feeling part... but until then, I have to fix it, and this is the only way I know how."