Chapter 9- The One

A/N: I am so sorry I haven't updated in so long, because honestly I haven't been feeling the Naley love since Season 5 started…the nanny is driving me crazy and her scenes with Nathan are almost unbearable to watch. Sorry about that rant, anyway I have been watching earlier seasons on DVD and I am now feeling the Naley love again! hope you enjoy this extra long update! ReviewsLove!!!

"I think I'd better go" Jake said

"Ok, maybe next time you are here, it won't end up in a fight" Brooke suggested

"I think that could be arranged" he said

"Well, I'll tell Luke to call you"

"Thanks again Brooke" Jake said, hugging her.

"No problem"

Brooke walked Jake out to the foyer, past a pacing Haley, and the rest of the guests who were talking quietly

"Could you tell Nathan and Peyton to look over the documents I left in the study, and call me when they want to sign them?" Jake asked before he walked out the door.

"Sure, Jake, say hello to Jen for me too"

"Will do" before waving goodbye and descended down the driveway.

Brooke took a deep breath and walked towards the lounge room once more. Haley was still pacing the foyer, but Brooke had more pressing issues to deal with than Haley's neurosis.

"Where's Peyton?" she asked the room

"I think she went upstairs after she listened to you and Jake in the kitchen" Bevin said.

Rachel whacked her on the arm.

"What did I say?"

Rachel rolled her eyes, and turned towards Brooke.

"Sounded like she went into your bedroom"

"Ok"

Brooke moved up the stairs slowly, the pregnancy taking its toll on her petite frame.

"Peyton?" she called, walking into the master bedroom

"Brooke?" she said weakly

"Are you ok?" she said joining Peyton on the bed

"Not really. Is he still here?"

"No"

"I heard what you said, that was really nice"

"It's the truth, Peyton" Brooke said, hugging her awkwardly

"Even after what happened with Nathan?" Peyton asked surprised

"Even after that. I just want you and Nathan to be happy" Brooke said sincerely

"You've definitely changed your tune" Peyton said

"Look I'm not going to even begin to understand what happened the last 5 years, and why you stayed together this long, it just made the divorce that much harder to go through" Brooke said bluntly

Peyton remained silent. Secretly she was just glad that Brooke wasn't treating her like some sort of leper since she turned up for the baby shower. Maybe it was just time to clear the air, or at least let Brooke get everything off her chest. Out of all the lives turned up side down from the marriage, it was the loss of the friendship that she once had with Brooke that suffered the most. Over 15 years of friendship was washed down the drain because of one stupid mistake. A mistake that cost her the last 5 years of her life.

"Look Peyton everyone is hurting right now. Nathan, Haley, you, Jake. Now, I don't know how much you heard between Jake and me, but he loves you, he always loved you"

"I got that when he told the whole neighbourhood, after he fought Nathan" Peyton said, half angry at the display of masculinity, and the other half scared of her own feelings for Jake.

"For your honour" Brooke reminded her.

"And I have no idea why"

"Are you kidding me, Peyton?" Brooke said, annoyed at her former best friend.

"I dunno"

"Do you remember the names I wrote on your bedroom, at the start of senior year?"

"Yeah and I could really see Dave Grohl walking in at any minute" she said sarcastically.

"Yeah but the point is Jake was the first person on that list"

"So?"

"So when your dad told you to follow your heart, you didn't go to the totally cute rocker, you went to Savannah to see Jake"

"Does this pep talk have a point Brooke?" Peyton said warily

"Yes it has a point" Brooke snapped "Look Peyton, you can't help who you love. I can a test to that. Just maybe, you need to realise the person you are meant to be with has been waiting in the wings all this time"

"Thanks Brooke"

"That's ok, Peyton. Just for the sake of everyone, go be happy." She said before waddling out of the room

"What the hell happened in that room, Nate?" Lucas asked as they drank beer.

"Nothing, just a misunderstanding" he said gruffly

"That was a hell of a misunderstanding; you almost demolished the lounge room" Lucas said shaking his head

"Whoops"

"Yeah you are lucky Brooke didn't kick your ass then and there"

"True" Nathan laughed

"The coast should be clear now"

"Do you think Haley is mad?" Nathan asked

"I'm not sure, but I bet you will find out soon"

"I guess"

"What's up with you two anyway?" Lucas asked, as they watched basketball from the corner of the bar.

"Nothing really"

"Nothing really? Out with it"

"She doesn't want anything to happen until the divorce is final" Nathan said moodily

"Oh"

"Oh is about right" Nathan said, sculling the rest of his beer.

"Let's get back and face the Wrath of Brooke"

"Well this party is going smashingly" Rachel said filling her glass with champagne

"Hey babe, I'm going to get some more beer, we're out" Cooper said, emerging from the rumpus room with Keith

"Ok, see you soon, k" Rachel said kissing Cooper

"How it is that Rachel has the most functional relationship here?" Brooke asked

"Tell me about it" she said, adjusting her engagement ring.

"How did you know he was the one Rach?" Bevin asked

"I guess after all we went through with the age mix up, and him almost drowning, it was easier to give in to our feelings then move on and be unhappy with someone closer to our age"

"How did you know Cooper wasn't just a notch on your very extensive belt?" Brooke asked cheekily

"I think you calling the kettle black, you slut!" Rachel called out

"Seriously, ho. Cooper is head of heels with you, how'd that happen?"

"After the whole "I'm only 17" drama, Cooper left town. I spent months pining after him, trying to replace him with any prick with a dick that came along. So I was in LA at this Sports Illustrated party-"

"Of course you were" Brooke said rolling her eyes

"So I was talking to some guy, totally cute by the way, kind of Joshua Jacksonesque…"

"Shouldn't you be over the whole Joshua Jackson thing by now Rach? Dawson's Creek was like forever ago"

Rachel glared at Brooke briefly before continuing

"All of a sudden this fist came out of nowhere and punched him squarely in the nose" Rachel laughed deeply "Then Cooper picked me up, threw me over his shoulder and all he said was 'hey Rach, how've you been?', before we got busy...being busy!"

"That would be right, you little skank!" Brooke said

"How did you know it was worth it?"

"Because the alternative was too painful to even comprehend. Anyway, what bout Brookie, here, how is the horny pregnant sex"

"Hey! Well …it's pretty awesome!"

"What about you Haley, you and Nathan seem to have some serious sexual tension going on there"

Haley looked at Peyton who was sitting on the edge of the couch. Haley already felt uncomfortable having this Sex and the City-esque conversation, particularly when Nathan's current wife was in the room.

"It's ok, Haley, Nathan I were over a long time ago"

"Not according to your marriage certificate" Haley muttered

"I'm not trying to play the bitch card Haley; there are just things that are between Nathan and I that you know nothing about" Peyton said gruffly

Brooke watched the interchange like she was at a tennis match. She had hoped that everyone would be on their best behaviour for her party, but deep down she knew otherwise. It doesn't matter if it was in Tree Hill, New York or even the North Pole, all parties that revolved around the same people end all the same way, in some way or another, some drama always seemed to unfold. Even 8 years after they finished high school Brooke felt like they were in this time loop of never ending drama and backstabbing.

"You know you can't help who you love, Haley. God knows look at my track record. If things had turned out differently I could be married to Dan. Thank god I came to my senses and realised Keith was more of a man Dan was ever going to be" Karen said setting down a platter of food.

The occupants in the room had a collective shudder at the thought.

"How did you know, Karen? That Keith was the one and not Dan?" Peyton asked

Karen got a whimsical look on her face.

"It was 4 months after he left from that disastrous almost wedding with Jules...

"I always hated her you know" Brooke said boldly
"Anyway, he walked in to the café, like no time had past. That's when I knew that he was the one; I wouldn't have been so relieved and scared to see him at the same time."

"Awww"

"That kinda like me and Skills" Bevin said softly

"What's that Bev?" Brooke said, staring at her friend.

"Skills and I almost broke up freshman year of college"

"What? You never told me that!" Brooke screeched

"He was in Boston, I was in Miami, and it was hard doing the long distance thing. One night during freshman year, I went to this party, and got really drunk. I hooked up with this random guy, but I couldn't go through with it. All I could see was Skills' face. So I sobered up and got on the next plane to Boston. The rest is well, history" Bevin said waving her 18 carat diamond engagement ring around.

"Geez Bev blind us with the bling, would ya?" Rachel said

"So what's your story Brooke, please don't tell it is one of those sappy I love you speeches Luke is always doing" Rachel said playfully

"No, you pain in the ass…I was doing the final fashion show at NYU. Luke said it couldn't come, some lame ass excuse about going over some game plays with Whitey. So I was really disappointed you know, this was a big deal, fashion show and all. It was a complete nightmare, a model had just dropped out, and so I had to model one of the dresses myself."

"A complete disaster, I'm sure" Rachel said rolling her eyes dramatically

"Oh shut up. So I was wearing this fabulous red dress, if I say so myself"

"Well considering you made it"

"I was back stage, the MC calling each fashion line, and I was last. As I walked on stage, Lucas was standing on stage, dressed in a tux, a bunch of roses in hand" Brooke said blissfully

"Wow… Luke never told me this" Haley said softly

"Anyway so there he was roses in hand. I was never glad to see him in my life. I guess through all the hoopla I just wanted him there"

"Aww that's beautiful Brooke" Peyton said

"And later that night, when it was lightly snowing, and in the middle of Rockefeller Square, Lucas proposed to me" she concluded

"You never told me that story Tigger" Haley said

"I guess I didn't want to destroy this beautiful memory, and I felt if I shared it would jinx us or something" she said shrugging her shoulders

"Well I think the baby growing inside of you is a good omen" Peyton said

"I guess so"

Peyton sat on the couch, listening to Brooke's story. She was amazed at the love that Brooke and Lucas clearly shared. Not that she disputed it, but she didn't know how deeply they loved each other. Until now. She was familiar with the feeling that Brooke had, needing someone so much that it hurt, of missing him when he wasn't around. And for the first time in a long time, Peyton wasn't angry at Nathan for loving someone else, and most importantly at herself for letting her one true love go many moons ago.

"I proposed" Peyton blurted out

"Whatcha talking about Willis?" Brooke said, leaning towards Peyton

"In Savannah, during sophomore year of college, to Jake" she continued

"Peyt-"

"Jenny called me Mama, I proposed to Jake but I ruined it"

"How's that?" Brooke said

"I said I love you Lucas in my sleep"

"Oh" Brooke said, looking downcast for a moment

"And he left me go, that's when I truly knew I loved him… If he hadn't let me go, I wouldn't have realised it"

"You should tell him, Peyton, we all need to tell the truth more often" Haley said, looking directly at Peyton for the first time tonight.

"Even you?" Peyton said looking suspiciously at Haley

"Even me"

"So tell us your story" Peyton said

"Come on, Grammy Girl we've all read the tabloids over the years. John Mayer, Adam Levine, Ben Lee yum!" Brooke said giggling

"Ok, ok, settle down Tigger, I'll tell you a story about a man I met." Haley said mysteriously

"Ohh juicy, come on, who is it? It was Chris Evans wasn't it? He's such a fox!" Brooke screeched

"I'm not telling who it was…but it was the middle of winter and freezing cold. And we were holding hands; it seemed like the only way to keep warm. We walked past this faded old antique shop. I looked in the window, and there was this necklace in the window. It was exactly like the one my grandmother had given me but I had lost it years before. No one really knew how close I was to my grandmother except him. My grandmother, she was this wonderful lady that looked after my Pa for over 50 years, and taught me I could succeed at anything, she was the one person in my family who truly believed in me. She left me this family heirloom, but I lost it when I moved from Tree Hill. Anyway I told him about the necklace, before we continued walking down the city street. Then years later, he turned up at this concert I was playing at, with the necklace in that store window. That's when I realised he was the one"

"Wow, Haley. Sounds like he was a keeper" Bevin said

"No we just went our separate ways, all that. He got married" she said, trying to act nonchalant

"Oh too bad"

"Yeah I guess" she said, distracted for a moment,

Brooke watched her friend as she told her story. Brooke knew exactly who Haley was talking about, and she doubted anyone else in the room had a clue that the identity of Haley's knight in shining armour was. However, Brooke was almost right. There was one other person in the room that knew about Nathan's act of generosity. As soon as Haley started speaking of this sacred necklace Peyton knew Haley's one true love.

Peyton walked into the master bedroom, looking for her oil paints. She had turned their apartment upside down looking for them. She moved from her side of the room to his, searching the bedside table drawers. Inside the bottom draw was a blue velvet box. She hadn't seen it before, and Nathan wasn't exactly the jewellery giving type. Intrigued, Peyton picked up the box, feeling the soft velvet texture again her hand. She carefully opened the box, revealing necklace. Not exactly her, but beautiful none the less. Peyton slightly smiled before closing the box and placing it back in the drawer.

Five years of Birthdays, Christmases and Anniversaries and Peyton had not seen the necklace. But it was strange. Peyton didn't feel anything when she saw the piece of jewellery around Haley's neck. No jealousy, anger, anything. All Peyton could feel was regret for the time she lost with Jake, and denying Haley and Nathan the chance to live happily ever after.