A/N: So, I was requested to post this when I had more chapters written and now that I finally have I guess here is the newest addition to Complications of the Heart. Also, the next few chapters are around 3,000 words. I can't promise you that all my chapters will be like that, but for the next few they will be.
Would you prefer longer chapters or shorter ones?
Chapter Six: Suspicions
In her 24 years of life, Brooke Davis could only count on one thing and that was herself. Sure, growing up, she had her friends, but she's was popular. How many could she say were really her friends?
At the age of six, Brooke had many friends. Her kindergarten glass loved her. She had a bubbly personality that anyone could see. Her parents never cared though. Even when her teacher, Mrs. Anderson had called and asked them to come in so they could talk about Brooke's lack of concentration, they still never came.
Brooke knew from an early age that her friends mattered to her. And that she couldn't count on her parents for anything.
When Brooke was eight, she met Peyton Sawyer. Her nanny had taken her to the local park and she was running around the sandbox in a pink little skirt. Her eyes were trained to the ground so she never spotted the curly haired blonde running straight at her. That was the first time Brooke Davis had met Peyton Sawyer and from then on everything just got a whole lot more complicated.
It was the beginning of their junior year of high school when Brooke and Peyton had started a relationship, if that's what people wanted to call it. At first it started off as just sex. No one told Brooke that sex can't be just sex. It never works out that way, especially when you're having sex with your best friend.
It didn't take long before the feelings started to happen and when it did, both girls were scared shitless. They had made a pact that day. The pact stated that no matter what they would always be friends, but even though they were in love they couldn't date openly. They needed boyfriends and everything would be okay. Only it wasn't.
Brooke's relationship with Lucas was a tough one to follow. One minute things were great and the next it got confusing. At one point Brooke felt bad that she actually felt something for Lucas when her heart lied with Peyton. Peyton had explained that it was okay as long as they still saw each other. And it was, for awhile.
Their nights were spent together. They shared the same bed, borrowed each other's clothes, shared showers and said I love you every chance they got.
When Lucas had kissed Peyton behind Brooke's back, Peyton had felt guilty about it. The first thing she did was go straight to Brooke.
"I kissed Lucas."
Brooke looks up from the computer and frowns.
"Why would you do that?"
"I don't know," Peyton confesses as she sits down on Brooke's bed. "Well technically Lucas kissed me and then he started talking to me about how we are perfect with each other and stuff and I was getting kind of weirded out."
"Is this how we are going to play it, you and Lucas becoming cheaters?"
Peyton shrugs her shoulders.
"I don't know. I mean aren't we already the cheaters. I distinctly remember what we did on this bed last night," Peyton says with a Cheshire grin.
Brooke blushes and rolls her chair closer to Peyton.
"As long as we are still an us then I think that you and Lucas should play this out and when I find out things are just going to hit the fan."
"Is my baby going to try her acting skills on everybody?"
"Yes she is," Brooke reiterates before closing her mouth on Peyton's.
Brooke's acting skills were put to good use to. She had everybody fooled. Lucas's apologies were annoyed, but eventually Brooke had forgiven him. From then on it had just gotten worse.
During her senior year, Brooke had broken it off with Lucas, but still had her relationship with Peyton. She met Chase Adams and decided that since Peyton had a boyfriend, she would get one as well. Haley had gotten pregnant with Jamie. Haley had found out about their relationship.
Graduation was hard for Brooke and Peyton. That was when they had decided that it was time to end things when neither of them wanted to. Four years were spent apart as Brooke made her career known. Peyton had Lucas and Brooke had no one.
Moving back to Tree Hill was a personal thing for Brooke and she was glad she did otherwise she would have never met Samantha Walker. She wouldn't admit it, but she felt as though Sam had saved her life. Now all Brooke wanted to do was save hers.
"Sam we are going to have to file a police report, you know that don't you?" Brooke questions softly as she looks up from her place in the kitchen.
She and Sam had arrived at Brooke's about an hour ago. Peyton needed to be with Sawyer and deal with Lucas for whatever reason, Brooke didn't really care. So far Sam hadn't really said a word.
"Why can't I just forget about it?"
"Samantha, every time you look in a mirror you'll remember at least with a police report Rebecca will go to jail."
"She would only be out in a few years anyway, what's the point?"
Brooke walks around the counter and sits down next to Sam.
"The point is that this way. I can regain guardianship of you and finally push through the adoption. WE would get a restraining order on Rebecca if need be, but I'm not letting you out of my sight again. Never again, Sam."
Sam looked at Brooke in concern. She knew if Brooke had found out about everything that somehow Brooke would start blaming herself and in this case she already did.
"It's not your fault. She put up a front. She tricked all of us. It's just another reason why I shouldn't trust people so easily."
"You trusted Aria pretty damn quick, any particular reason why?"
Brooke spotted the small smile on Sam's face.
"It was her eyes."
"What about her eyes?"
"They were caring and full of love I think. I knew the moment that I looked into her eyes that I could trust her. I'm just angry with myself that I'm hurting her is all."
"Honey, how are you hurting her?"
"She likes me," Sam looks at Brooke's face to gain a reaction, but one never came. "But I'm so messed up right now that I'd just be bringing her down and I don't want to do that. Maybe we'll have our chance, but not for awhile. I can't handle that right now. It's too much."
"Sam, it seems to me that you're in love."
Brooke was surprised to hear those words from Sam. She had always known that Sam was good with the written word, but never once had she heard Sam talk like this. It gave her hope.
"Maybe I am. I don't know if I've ever felt in love before. It's all kind of new. Have you ever been in love?"
Brooke's thoughts automatically went to Peyton. She smiled softly before kissing Sam on the forehead.
"Just once."
-Complications of the Heart-
"What was so important that you had to call me, little sister?" Quinn asks as she places herself on the couch next to Haley. "I was in the middle of a photo shoot and you kind of interrupted."
Haley looks at her sister with wide eyes.
"Oh my god, Quinn, I'm so sorry about that. I didn't really think. I just needed someone to talk to. Nathan's kind of angry right now and I don't want to speak to Lucas at the moment."
"Wait, Lucas is in town?" Quinn questions.
"Yeah, but it's a long story. I just need some advice or more like guidance right now."
"Alright, lay it on me little sis."
"One of my students wasn't in school today and I think something is seriously wrong and I don't know what I should do."
Quinn looks at the concern written in her sister's eyes.
"Haley, if you sense something is wrong, aren't you obligated to tell somebody?"
"The whole situation is complicated to tell you the truth."
"Let me in Hales," Quinn pleads as she leans further back into the couch.
"This student was Brooke's foster daughter."
"Sam," Quinn states with assurance.
"You know about Sam?"
Quinn nods her head as she pushes her hair behind her ears.
"Yeah, when I sat down and talked with Brooke she told me all about her. I just felt bad for Brooke. My heart went out to her. She never got what she wanted."
"I don't think Sam did either. It sucks because I have a personal interest in Sam's life, but I don't want to invade her privacy or anything. I just don't know what to do."
"Haley, just do what you think is right, whether or not it's wrong. Sure, I mean someone would get mad that you butted in where you don't belong, but if it saves lives then I say go for it."
Haley smiles at Quinn's words. She always knew Quinn would give her advice.
"Thanks Quinn."
"Not a problem Haley."
-Complications of the Heart-
"Daddy, are you mad at Uncle Lucas?" Jamie questions as Nathan passes the basketball to his son.
"Yes I am Jamie."
"How come?"
"Your Uncle Lucas did something bad Jamie and in the process he hurt a lot of people."
Jamie passes the ball back to his dad and frowns.
"Did he do what grandpa Dan did?"
"No James, he didn't, but it was still pretty bad."
Jamie watches as his dad misses a basket. It was the fifth one tonight.
"Did he not clean his room because you and mommy get mad at me when I don't clean my room?"
Nathan chuckles at his son's innocence.
"Nope, nothing like that, but when you're older you'll understand a little bit better."
"I'm always too young," Jamie pouts.
Nathan rolls his eyes and picks his son up from the concrete and onto his shoulders.
"Don't be in such a rush to grow up. Being an adult is hard."
"Then I want to stay a kid forever."
"I would like that too James," Nathan says sincerely.
-Complications of the Heart-
"I thought we sold the house," Peyton comments as she enters the Scott house with Sawyer in her arms.
"I lied," Lucas says nonchalantly as he brings in the bags from the porch.
"Obviously," Peyton looks down at Sawyer who is beginning to fall asleep. "Sawy, honey, I need you to stay awake for mama, can you do that?"
"Yeah," Sawyer says quietly as she yawns. "Where's daddy?" she asks as she looks around.
"Right here Sawyer," Lucas walks up to Sawyer with a smile. Peyton puts Sawyer done and watches as she walks off without a care in the world. Peyton noticed Lucas hurt expression. "She hates me."
"I don't blame her."
Lucas lets out a sigh and follows Peyton into the bedroom. The house was still fully furnished so their bed was still there.
"Can we not fight right now?" Lucas asks nicely.
Peyton sits down on the bed and just looks at him. Lucas looks back and eventually rolls his eyes.
"Fine, if you want to be childish then that's your prerogative. I'll be back later."
"Where are you going?"
"Does it matter?" Lucas asks before leaving the bedroom.
Peyton sighs and falls back on the bed. She wondered why her life turned out like this. She was completely miserable. The only good thing she had gotten from Lucas was Sawyer and everything else was just sad. There was a time where she did love Lucas, but it never compared to the love she had for Brooke and that love was huge.
Peyton had always pictured a future with Brooke. A lot of things would be the same as they were now. Brooke would still be that popular fashion designer. She would still be running Red Bedroom Records and they would be having a family together. Their marriage would be fairly new and their friends would be happy for them. And not once was Lucas ever pictured in it.
Sawyer walks into her mother's room with a frown. She was young, but she knew when her mommy was sad.
"Mama, why are you sad?" the little girl asked as she climbed onto her mother's bed. Peyton gathered Sawyer in her arms and gave her kisses all over her face causing the laugh that Peyton wanted to hear the most.
"I love you baby."
"I know," Sawyer snuggles into her mother's side. "But why are you sad?"
Peyton smiles slightly. Sawyer was a smart young girl. She was very proud of her daughter.
"I'm sad because your daddy and I are fighting and I don't want to do that anymore, but do you want to know what makes me really happy?" Peyton questions as she runs her fingers through her daughter's hair.
"What?"
"You."
-Complications of the Heart-
Rebecca Dennis never liked her life. The day she gave up her daughter was by far the worst day of her life even though it was the smartest thing she had ever done. At fifteen Rebecca knew she couldn't provide for anyone so Sam was given up. Her life after that fell apart.
She managed to skate by high school with minuscule grades. She applied for college, but her test scores weren't high enough and her grades sucked so she ended up at Tree Hill Community College with an associate's degree.
At eighteen, Rebecca had gotten her first job, a waitress at the Dixie Grill, the job she still has today. Her abuse towards alcohol had started after giving Sam up, but it wasn't as bad as she thought. A couple of sips here and there and everything was fine. After high school, a few sips turned into a few more sips and after that she was gone. She managed to hide her alcoholism from everybody, from her coworkers and friends, even Sam herself.
She remembered when she had written that letter to Sam. She had searched for her for a few years and ended up finding her on a whim. She managed to write the letter during one of her sober days which were only a few times a month. She sent the letter and a few weeks later she saw Sam for the first time.
Her jealousy came out when all Sam could really talk about was Brooke and her friends. It was like Sam didn't even care that she was speaking to her mom. Then the idea hit. The idea hit even more when Sam said that Brooke had asked to adopt her.
Her plan was simple. Get Sam to live with her. And it worked.
But with most plans, sometimes they fail and they had failed big time. Rebecca was getting to learn that as soon as she opened her front door and spotted the two police men standing outside of it.
"Can I help you officers?" Rebecca asks sweetly.
"We're sorry to bother you ma'am, but we had gotten a call about child abuse coming from this home."
Rebecca acted shocked in front of the officers.
"That's absurd. Who would do such a thing?"
"We can't name names ma'am, but is it alright if we come in and speak to your daughter."
Rebecca was glad that she had called someone to clean up earlier in the day. She opened the door and the officers stepped inside.
"Samantha isn't here. She's staying at a friend's house."
The taller officer raised an eyebrow.
"On a school night?" he questions. He had two kids himself.
"Do I question you about your parenting?" Rebecca responds hotly. "What is your name any way?"
"O'Malley, ma'am."
"We are sorry to have bothered you, but we will be on our way. Come on O'Malley."
Rebecca leads the two officers out of her house and shuts the door.
Yeah, plans backfire all the time.
-Complications of the Heart-
"Did you get a vibe from her?" Aria asks as Officer O'Malley and Callahan enter her apartment.
"Everyone has a vibe Aria, but there was nothing in her house that suggested child abuse."
"Uncle Justin, Rebecca beats on her child. Why won't you do anything about it?"
Justin O'Malley loved his niece to death, but sometimes she was a little headstrong.
"I don't stand for it Aria. I didn't stand for it when I found out what my brother did to you and I won't stand for it now, but Honey, Sam hasn't come to the police and until an eyewitness comes forward or Sam herself comes forward there isn't anything we can do."
"It's so unfair," Aria complains. "It isn't right and I just want to help her."
"Then be there for her and encourage her to go to the police. I'm not going to do anything now. You said that Brooke Davis has taken care of Sam before and that she's safe right?" Aria nods her head. "Okay, then for now I'll keep my eye out and hopefully something comes up soon. Are you still planning to come over for Sunday night dinner at the house?"
Aria smiles and nods her head.
"Of course I am. I miss my cousins. Tell Aunt Holly I'll see her Sunday and that I love her."
"Will do, let's go partner," Justin says as he starts walking to the front door.
"I'm invited to dinner too aren't I?"
"I'll ask the wife."
Aria closes her front door and sighs loudly. She wasn't sure if bringing her Uncle into this mess was the right thing to do, but she promised Sam she would help and she promised herself and even bigger promise, that no matter what happens, she was going to keep Sam safe. And that was exactly what she was going to do.