Chapter 2:
Those Were Days Dark as Ebony Nights:

---

September 16th 2005:

"Mom?" Nathan called around his house.

"Mom!" He tried louder this time, but still no response. He remembered thinking this was odd considering she was usually home at this time.

But when he passed by the living room he saw a half empty bottle of something prescribed lying on the floor, what remained of it's contents were sprawled across the living room floor. Hovering up the orange bottle he saw his mother's limp hand, attached to her equally limp body "Mom" He rushed to her side, dropping to his knees.

"Oh god…" he breathed out, checking her wrist for a pulse, "Mom" He whispered, concentrating really hard on finding a pulse, there was one a light one.

He felt light headed; he didn't know what to do "Mom! Wake up!" He yelled, shaking her shoulders, but she remained flaccid, completely unmoving.

He snatched the bottle off the floor and placed it on the table, with out thinking about anything else he dialed the police and told them his emergency. Hi 911, my name is Nathan Scott and my mother legitimately overdosed on painkillers…

---

Nathan sat with his head in his hands as he waited for the doctors to run tests on his mother. He had known for a while that she had been acting differently, that she wasn't herself. But he could have never guessed that it was because she was on prescription drugs, because she had an addiction. It wasn't something he'd ever be able to picture his mother having. And now she lying an inch away from death because of it.

"Hey, I came as soon as you called" His best friend's voice seemed distant.

Slowly he took his head out of his hands and looked up at her "Is Peyton with you?" He asked hoarsely, looking around the brunette to find his girlfriend.

Brooke bit her lip and looked away, "She…no" She answered quietly.

Nathan had expected as much, leave it to Peyton to expect everyone to drop what they were doing and rush to her side but the second someone else might need her to do the same, she can't. "Sit" He motioned to the seat beside him.

She complied, placing her hands in her lap, "What's going on?" She asked him.

He didn't wanna tell her, he really didn't but she knew him well enough to know when he was lying so he didn't waste his breath trying. "She OD'd" He didn't mean to sound so cold, but it was the truth.

He saw the look of shock on her face and then sadness "She's gonna be okay though right?" Her voice was trembling and he knew why. Deb was more of a mother to Brooke then her own had ever been. And while Brooke had also noticed the change in her behavior, she just thought it was an overload of work or something. Now faced with the possibility of losing Deb, Brooke couldn't hold back her emotions.

Nathan hadn't wanted this, this was exactly why he didn't wanna tell her, he wanted to protect her, "I think so" He wasn't sure if it was the truth or not, and he wasn't even sure if he believed it but it's what she needed to hear.

She let a few tears slip down her cheeks, Nathan was the only person in the world she allowed herself to cry in front of, "I hope so" She mumbled, letting Nathan wrap his arm around her shoulders.

"Just remember you're always gonna have me Davis" He murmured into her hair fondly.

She placed her head on his chest, "Ditto" She said immediately.

---

Nathan woke up in an uncomfortable plastic chair in an extremely uncomfortable position and a horrible kink in his neck. It took him a minute to realize where he was and why Brooke's legs were on his lap. Then reality came crashing down and he figured out why he was in the hospital again. His mother had over dosed on pain killers…right.

Brooke had spent the night in the waiting room with him, even though he had spent two hours trying to convince her to go home. And Peyton hadn't shown up once, even though she knew damn well that his mother was lying in the hospital right now.

Carefully he got up and placed Brooke's legs on the chair he had just been sleeping on. She looked so innocent when she was sleeping, like the girl she used to be, the girl he knew. The Brooke Davis that the world knew was the complete opposite, but then again the Nathan Scott that the world knew, was the complete opposite as well.

He stretched out his arms and back and stared up at the clock. It was eight A.M on a Wednesday, if he was in school he'd be in homeroom right now, probably making out with Peyton.

Nathan looked back at Brooke and made sure she was still sound asleep before leaving the waiting room, he figured he might as well get some coffee out of the staff lounge and Danish from the vending machine while he waited. But he had only made it a step out of the room when he bumped into his least favorite person. Next to Lucas.

"Dad" Nathan acknowledged coldly.

Dan looked angry and annoyed, "Son" Was his response, "So she's finally done it huh?" he looked mildly amused. It sickened Nathan to see a small smirk on his father's face.

Nathan held back the urge to punch him, "Done what?" He narrowed his cobalt eyes up at his father.

He smirk only got bigger, "You know, and I was wondering when she would…at the rate she was going" He scoffed.

Nathan felt his anger boiling over, "Why are you here?" He asked, fire in his eyes.

Dan gave a chuckle, "Not for the reasons you'd think" He was setting him up, Nathan could feel it, "But if you must know, it's for this" He handed Nathan a brochure.

Al Pine's Rehabilitation Center: If we can't get you better, we'll find someone who can!

"You're gonna check her into Rehab?!" Nathan asked incredulously. He had been thinking the same thing, but gradually not the second she got out of the hospital.

Dan nodded, "It's about time she got some help" He muttered, taking the brochure out of Nathan's hands.

Nathan was completely disgusted by the sight of his father, "You can't do that to her, if you really cared—

"No" Dan interrupted him, "I don't care, not anymore she's become more of a…liability now" His voice dripping with malice.

He couldn't say anything else, he didn't know how he could even respond to something as grotesque as what he had just said. He brushed past him in an angry daze looking to go anywhere far away from that maniac he had the misfortune of calling a father.

---

When Nathan came back he saw Brooke was awake, "Where were you?" She asked edgily.

Nathan threw her the pop tarts he'd bought for her, "Getting you breakfast" he grunted, handing her his barely drunk coffee.

Brooke gave a curt nod, "Dan's here" She said, taking a sip of his coffee, "Ewh…its cold" She mentioned, setting it on the table.

Nathan shrugged a shoulder, "Yeah…but what do you expect" He sighed, sitting across from her.

"So the doctor says she's like stable and awake" Brooke informed him.

Nathan's eye brows shot up, "Like fully awake?" He asked. Then a horrible thought occurred to him, "Wait, but don't tell me he's in there now?!" Nathan said fearfully, his mom didn't need that right now.

Brooke looked up at him confusedly, "That's her husband…they couldn't stop him" She said, "Nathan…what's going on?" She asked.

Nathan shot up from his seat, "Brooke…I –

"Tell me Nathan" Her voice sounded desperate.

He shook his head slowly, "He wants to check her into rehab" He said in a low voice.

Brooke frowned, "Isn't that kind of what she needs though?" She asked softly.

Nathan nodded, "Yeah…yeah I know but Brooke, now? Like I mean the second she opens her eyes he tells her she's going away!?" Nathan cried frustratedly.

Brooke knew what he meant, Dan did everything on his terms "He won't listen…" Brooke said helplessly.

Nathan knew it was true too, "With her gone, there's no buffer between me and him" He said mostly to himself, his mother was the only thing that kept them from being at each other's throats every day. Now he was sending her away to some rehab facility in South Carolina for God knows how long.

Brooke felt like she was going to break but she needed to be strong for Nathan. For once, she had to be there for him like he'd been there for her so many times before. "And Peyton still hasn't shown up…" He trailed off.

Brooke bit her lip and looked away but regretted it the second she had done, now he knew she was hiding something from him, "What is it Davis?" He asked tiredly.

Brooke shook her head, "What do you mean?" She asked, she needed to put it off as long as possible.

But Nathan wasn't in the mood for her games, "Tell me…now" He demanded, staring into her hazel eyes.

She knew she couldn't keep this from him, they didn't keep secrets from each other. "I went by Peyton's house, after I had heard, like after you called me and—

She broke off and turned her gaze to the floor, "And?" Nathan urged her to continue.

Brooke took a deep breath, "She was with Lucas Nathan…they were, they were kissing" She couldn't look at him, she knew how low of a blow this was. It wasn't that Peyton was just the love of his life, because she wasn't. In fact she wasn't even close to it, but she did what he never expected her to do. Cheat on him, with his brother none the less.

She saw anger flash over his face, his jaw clenched, his eyes hardened "I wish I didn't have to—

Nathan shook his head signaling her to stop talking, "She didn't mean anything" He lied. Peyton meant more then nothing to him, she didn't mean everything either but she still meant something.

Brooke opened her mouth to speak but then closed it. She knew better then anyone what it was like to hide your emotions. She knew how bad it must have hurt Nathan to hear about Peyton and Lucas being together. But what hurt her was the fact that he'd never know how badly it had broken her to see them together, it was another blow to her insecurity. He'd never accept her feelings for his half brother, and his half brother might never return them. And she wasn't willing to risk the only thing she had in her life, for someone who didn't give a shit about her.

She got up slowly and put her small hand in his large one, "You'll always have me…no matter what" She said, repeating the words he had said to her the previous night.

The corners of his mouth twitched upwards as he pulled her into his embrace, "I know Davis, I know" He kissed the top of her head.

---

Three months exactly and my mom is still in rehab. Why? Because Dan said so. And when is she going to get out? When Dan says so. Meanwhile, he hasn't visited her once in those three months but he still decides when she gets to leave.

"I got music!" Brooke came bouncing into my room, "This is gonna be a kick ass road trip" She winked.

She was trying to make this easier for me, she did it every time. She always called it a "road trip" when ever we go to visit my mom and this will be our third visit. She thinks that if she pretends that this is a good thing or doesn't acknowledge its bad, it'll make me feel better some how. But that's just not how it works. I'm not five and I know what rehab is, so no amount of cajoling can make me feel better about it.

What kills me though, is the fact that she really is getting better. But he won't let her out.

"As long as it's not some Britney Spears shit" I mutter.

She gets a guilty look on her face, "Okay, we'll skip tracks five and eleven" She says, making me laugh.

I grab my keys and cell phone off the table, "Ready?" I ask her.

She nods, "What? Don't I look ready?" She scowls playfully.

I don't respond to that, she's used to it, "You sure you wanna go…last time—

"Hey! Last time a meth addict tried to feel me up!" She interrupts immediately, putting a hand up "Doesn't count" She puts her hands on her hips defensively.

I chuckle, "Yeah, but I punched the shit outta him didn't I?" I remind her, ushering her out the door.

She nods, "True, you did…so then what are you complaining about?" She asks, rolling her eyes.

I just shrug a shoulder, "Oh Bevin called while you were in the shower" Unfortunately I had been near the phone when she did, I had to talk to her for what felt like ever, she never stops.

Brooke waited until I was in the car to ask, "Why?" She seemed surprised.

How the hell am I supposed to know, right? I mean I can barely understand what she's saying, what she's thinking is a whole other mess, "I dunno" I say simply.

Brooke shoots me dirty look, "Well thanks for taking a message" She says with an attitude.

See this is what gets me pissed off at her. She's so ungrateful, "You're lucky I even answered your damn phone—

"Yeah? And who asked you to?" She retorts angrily.

I swear I'm going to strangle her, "You're a bitch" I shake my head.

She shrugs a shoulder carelessly, "And you're an ass" She shoots back.

She pops her C.D into my C.D changer and deliberately plays the Britney Spears shit that I hate. But I'm not going to give the satisfaction of letting her know that it got to me, it's just not gonna happen. So I ignore it and wait this thing out. We always fight over the most meaningless things and we always have. Eventually one of us (usually her) gives in and says something to break the ice. And then it's business as usual.

I glance over at her, she's staring out of the window with her face turned away from me. I don't even know what we're fighting over this time, but I'm sure as hell not giving in. Because I know for a fact that it isn't my fault. Not this time anyway. If it was I'd probably apologize.

That's another thing you should know about Brooke and me. She's the only person that I'd ever even think about apologizing too, and I've never said "I'm sorry" to anyone but her. She's the only one who deserves it, the only one who's always been there. I know it's the same way for her because she's stubborn as hell. So when she does apologize to me, I know she means it.

---

An hour into the drive, she caves "How much longer?" She asks, I tell her every time that it takes just about two hours but she just loves to complain.

But I answer her anyway because truthfully I'm glad we're speaking again, "About another hour"

She makes a weird whiney sound and slumps back into her seat, "You know, Myrtle Beach would be so much fun…if we like went there for fun" She says, looking through a pamphlet she had picked up the last time we had gone down. She stuck it in my dashboard, where she put all her other useless crap. Like her spare mascara and her barely used house keys.

"You hungry?" I ask, coz I'm starving, neither of us ate breakfast and it's nearly one o clock.

"Hell fuckin' yeah, god I was wondering when you ask" She responds.

"Why didn't you just say so?" I ask, but I know why…she didn't want to be the first to give in.

She looks at me sheepishly, "Coz I didn't wanna be the first to talk…you know end the fight or whatever" She mumbles.

See, I know her so well it's scary, "All right cookie, where do you wanna eat?" I refrain from pointing out that she was the one who ended the fight.

Her eyes light up, "Uh, hello McDonalds" It's her fast food restaurant of choice.

I nod, "All right keep an eye out for the rest area signs then" I tell her, even though I know she won't.

"Hopefully we'll find one soon, coz I gotta pee" She says, fidgeting in her seat.

She always does this whenever we go anywhere far. She always forgets to go before we leave "So if I did this…" I reach over and press underneath her stomach, where I think her bladder is supposed to be.

"Nathan!" She screeches, smacking my hand away from her, "I'll pee all over the velour is what's gonna happen" She says almost threateningly.

I just laugh, she's adorable sometimes…but seriously one sometimes like the some times I can tolerate her, "I'm takin' the next exit, just keep your pants on till then" I smirk.

She rolls her eyes, "Watch the next time you gotta go, I'm not letting you in the bathroom" She narrows her eyes at me.

I chuckle, "All right, all right" I say finally spotting a McDonalds.

I see her face brighten, "Yes, Yes, yes!" She exclaims happily, god is she easy to please.

"Since you gotta go in anyway, just put your order and bring the stuff out, I'll just wait in the car" I tell her, "You know what to get me" I add as an after thought.

"Yeah, yeah you get the same thing every time" She waives a hand dismissively.

It's true I do, "And be quick, okay?" I request, parking in a close enough parking spot.

She nods, "Oh and here" I pull out my wallet and hand her a twenty, "Seriously Davis, as fast as you can" I repeat.

"I heard you Nathan" She says exasperatedly, giving me a fleeting glance before stepping out of the car.

---

"That took so long" Brooke whined, stretching on the sidewalk.

I swear she just annoys me to no end sometimes, "Yeah, maybe because you had to fucking pee every five minutes" I point out a little roughly, as we enter the facility.

She rolls her eyes, "Yeah well, it wasn't every five minutes!" She defended feebly, crossing her arms over her chest childishly.

I know I'm being unfair with her, this is why she says I love fighting with her. But it's honestly not true. It's just being here puts me a little on edge and in truth makes me a little nervous. Like what if we walk in on my mom popping pills again when no one's looking? I'd be humiliated and be forced to recognize that Dan might just be right.

"Stop" A tall bouncer looking security guard, held his arms out in front of us. Great, I had nearly forgot about this part.

"You first little miss" The way his eyes passed over Brooke's body made me want to punch him out.

He ran a metal detector over her slowly, slower then he needed to in my opinion, "You done yet?!" I snap at him.

He let her arm go, "Come back for a frisking" I hear him whisper.

"Ay!" I can't hold back anymore, especially seeing the uncomfortable look on Brooke's face, "Don't make me punch you" I growl in his face, holding my arms out vertically, so he could metal detect me.

He smirked, "Watch yourself little boy, we can have your visiting privileges taken away" He said gruffly, baring his chipped teeth. He's truly a pathetic excuse for a human being and I'd pity him if he wasn't so disgusting.

I opened my mouth to say something but Brooke shook her head at me, "its okay" She said softly, waiting for me to get to her.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders protectively, "Sorry about that" I murmur into her hair.

She lays her head on my chest, "Yeah, well its just coz your BFF's a hottie" She winks, and I can tell she's just trying to make light of the situation for my sake. I can always tell.

We finally make it to the elevator, after being thoroughly frisked, (I made sure Brooke got the woman, even though I think the guy that did me was gay) and had our pockets completely emptied. Boy they're no joke here, no one could sneak anything into here. Which I will admit, does comfort me a little, knowing that my mom really wouldn't have any temptations.

"You ready?" Brooke turns to me, as the elevators thuds to a stop.

I hesitate for a moment, because in truth I don't think I'd ever be ready but I say "Yeah" because what else can I say?

She stares at me for a moment before stepping out, probably trying to figure out if I was lying or not "C'mon Davis" I give her a small grin, stepping out in front of her.

We walk down the semi familiar hallway, it's all white and kind of gleams. It reminds me of Tree Hill General, except with out all the art and words of encouragement plastered on the walls.

"Nathan and Brooke!" The on call nurse knows our names, even though we've only been here twice. Why? I have no idea. I guess we made an impression. Especially Brooke, the first time we came here Brooke started talking about how her mother takes her Percocet's with alcohol religiously.

Brooke smiles, "Hey Darcy" She skips over to the old lady, "You got any new gossip?" She asks in a hushed tone.

"Oh honey, you don't have the time" She replies, "Your mom's expecting you Nathan" She says.

I nod, "Thanks Darc, hey Brooke, you comin'?" I ask.

"You go ahead, I'll be there" She gestures towards the open door, "I gotta catch up on what's going on here" She laughs.

I go on with out her because I know she's trying to give me time with my mom. She always does that, makes up an excuse to stay behind so that it can be just me and her for a little while. Her babbling gets more and more distant, as I shut the door behind me.

I see the back of my mom's familiar blonde head gazing out from the balcony, "Mom" I clear my throat loudly.

She turns around and she looks really happy to see me, "Nathan!" She exclaims, immediately walking towards me.

I envelop her in a hug, she clings to me tightly as if I'm going to leave right his second, "I've missed you" She says quietly.

I take her to sit on the couch, "Yeah me too" I say honestly, because I have missed her, being at home with Dan has been hell with out her.

She reaches up and touches my face, "But this has really helped me" She admits, "I think it's the first thing your father has ever done for me that has" She says, she sounds bitter and I completely agree with her. Dan's that thorn that you can never remove.

"You're feeling better though?" I ask her carefully.

She's quick to nod, "Oh loads, I mean I think I'm about ready to leave" She hints and I think she is too.

"Yeah…" I trail off.

She looks hurt for a minute, maybe what I said came out wrong, but then she shakes her head and says "Once I get out Nathan, it'll just be me and you" She vows.

I don't really believe her though because I've heard it too many times. She always promises that we'd get away from him, we'd escape but it never does happen. Because Dan always has the upper hand, and I've come to accept that he probably always will. "I know we will mom" I lie as I always do.

She looks at me for a second longer, "Where's Brooke?" she asks, looking around the room.

I'm glad for the subject change, "Catching up on all the gossip" I answer.

She smiles, "Darcy is such a rumor mill" She shakes her head, "And little miss cookie just can't get enough" My mom says fondly. She's always loved Brooke like her own daughter, in fact Brooke would always tease me when we were younger by saying that my mom liked her more then she liked me.

"You want me to go get her?" I ask.

She shakes her head swiftly, "No, you know what I will" She says decisively.

I don't argue, getting out of this room as often as possible is probably good for her. It looks really boring, there isn't even a T.v, how do they expect to cure any one when the decoration (or lack there of) is so morbid.

"Deb!" I hear Brooke shriek in the hallway. She never did learn how to use her "inside voice"

I know what's going to happen next. Not because I'm a clairvoyant or a mind reader but because it's the same thing that happens every time. It's repetitive and redundant. After about five minutes, Brooke's going to bring my mom back in here, we're going to have a few meaningless conversations about the weather, my basketball, her cheerleading and usually a brief sentence or two about my relationship with Peyton. Except this time, it'll just be "Mom, Peyton and I broke up" and she'll acknowledge that with a nod as if to say happens every week and we'll move on.

There'll be a bout of silence, when all three of us want to talk about what really matters, like when she's getting out but neither of us is going to say anything. Why? Because neither one of us can do anything about it. So why waste your breath?

Brooke will most probably break the silence with a funny anecdote about the way up here, usually something she makes up to make Deb laugh, she'll glance over at me and I'll add something in here and there. She'll then smoothly tell Deb and me about what she'd heard from Darcy and half way through a "He cheated on her" story, we'll be asked to leave.

Because we can only visit for an hour.

Before we leave, I always end up thinking about how ironic it is that it takes two hours to come down here and two hours to drive back but I can only spend an hour with my mother. Brooke's gonna look up at me with her broken hazel eyes and put her arms around me. Because she can't bear to be here any more then I can, and I'll hold her until she lets go, coz it's what she needs.

"Thanks for being my best friend Nathan" She murmur softly.

I'll kiss her forehead, "Thanks for being mine" I'll reply and we'd leave, a little more broken then when we came.

But even when I feel like everything might be taken away from me at a moment's notice, I know for a fact that I'll always have Brooke. That no one could take her away from me and that's something I'll probably have to hold on to, for the rest of my life.

---

A/N: Hope you liked it :], I'm trying to take this slow and FWI, it's going to be a Brucas, eventually.

Just bear with me :D, I'm also really concentrating on the Brathan friendship because it's a major part of the story.

Read, review, Enjoy!