Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or its characters...I own nothing but this story's plot!!

Chapter 9:

You Belong with Me

Lucas stood in between the two girls, two girls that had both been such a big part of his life. And once again, he didn't know which one to turn to. He looked at the blonde, but ultimately turned to the brunette, knowing Brooke had always been straight with him in the past. That's just the kind of person she was.

"Brooke, what's she talking about?" He calmly asked the brunette, walking over to her and the little girl. And he bent down so he was staring into her hazel eyes—looking into them he knew there was more to the story than what he had heard. And from the looks of it, it was something that had caused the broken look in her eyes.

Brooke quickly looked away from his piercing blue eyes, even though they were so inviting and natural—much like her own daughter's. "Lucas, you should ask Peyton," she said, standing with Olivia in her arms. "She's your fiancée." In typical Brooke Davis fashion she was putting the feelings of others in front of her own.

"Brooke, please," he pleaded. "Don't walk away. We all need to talk about this," he said, looking from her to the blonde who was now facing him with a disgusted look plastered across her face.

"Not now, Luke," She said, shaking her head from side to side as she cradled a now very confused and upset Olivia close to her chest. "My daughter is now visibly shaken and I need to be with her. And this is a little boy's birthday party. A little boy we all love very much. This never should have happened here," she said, walking up the stairs with Olivia in her arms.

Lucas turned to Peyton. He knew what was going on, he had caught enough of the conversation to pretty much be able to put the pieces together—Peyton's weirdness about Brooke being here, her anger towards a little girl she'd never even met, and now this out of control altercation. "How could you not tell me this?" He asked, "All this time, you knew?" He asked her, his voice filled with disappointment.

"Lucas," she started, running over to him. "I'm sorry. I did what I thought was best for us," she tried to explain, not knowing what else to say as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

They were arms that he quickly pushed away. "No Peyton, you did what was best for you," he corrected her. "How could keeping this from me be what was best for me?" He asked her, not really expecting an answer. "God, I don't even know you," he said, looking her in the eyes one last time before he headed for the front door.

Once Brooke was safe inside her room with Olivia, she locked the door. She didn't want anyone else coming in uninvited or frightening her daughter any more than she already was.

"That swirly witchy is mean, Mommy," Olivia decided, as Brooke pulled off her bathing suit and pulled a nightgown over her head.

"Yes she is, baby," Brooke agreed, not wanting her daughter to think anyone was a witch. But what else could she say? That was the side Peyton had pretty much showed Olivia.

"And I saved you," Olivia proudly stated, giving her mother a hug once she was dressed in her Pajamas.

"You sure did. You were a big hero," she laughed, trying to be happy around the little girl. Even though it was hard for her to stay sad around Olivia, tonight she was finding it especially hard to cheer back up.

"I know," Olivia nodded her little head with confidence. "Because I also showed Lukie that she was mean. Just like the sea witch on Ariel," she explained to her mother as she climbed up in the big bed.

"What?" Brooke laughed as she tucked her daughter in, snuggling the blankets tightly around her.

"Auntie Rachie said she was mean like Ursula and she tricked Lukie like Prince Eric," she told her, sitting up from where Brooke had just tucked her in as she spoke.

Brooke had to admire the irony in Rachel's choice of descriptions. Who would have guessed that would be the way it would all turn out? And she loved how Rachel was suddenly becoming this expert at relating to small children. "Oh really, Livvie-Love?" She asked, tucking the little girl in once more and kissing her head.

"Yep," she said, lying down this time, unable to hide the dimpled smile from her sweet face.

"Well sounds like you have had a big day, and it's time for you to lie down," Brooke told the little girl, bopping her lightly on the nose.

Olivia giggled, seeing your mother so upset was emotionally draining, even for a little girl. "Mommy," she called once Brooke was headed away from the bed, causing her to turn back around. "Will you lay down with me?" She asked her, flashing her pouty eyes and mouth.

"Of course I will," Brooke said, smiling at her daughter and sending her a wink. After all she was exhausted too, and she had no intention of leaving Olivia any time soon. "Just let me get changed. I can't sleep in my bathing suit."

That comment caused Olivia to laugh as she entered the closet. It was a sound she relished, and it made her feel a little lighter…though most of the emotions she was processing were pretty heavy. But maybe after a good night's sleep, things would be clearer in the morning.

Brooke was awoken by a pounding on her bedroom door. She wasn't exactly sure what time it was, but she could tell by looking out her window that it was still dark outside.

She opened the door and was greeted by the face of a smiling Rachel.

"Did I wake you up?" Rachel asked, confused. It wasn't even that late and she never would have guessed Brooke was asleep.

"Nah," Brooke told her. "Liv is asleep, but I was just resting." She moved back into the room and took a seat on the bed.

Rachel followed her, curling her legs under her at the bed's foot. "So, you left the party early tonight," she commented, looking her friend in the face. "You are never going to believe what happened to me," she said, excitement seeping from basically every one of the girl's pores.

"What?" Brooke asked, trying to share in an ounce of the excitement her friend had. Unable to muster the joy in her voice, she plastered a big, fake dimpled smile on her face and hoped Rachel wouldn't notice.

"Wipe that fake-ass smile off you face," Rachel told her, with a wave of her hand. "Obviously something is going on with you. And don't worry, we will definitely get to it, but right now is about me," the girl instructed her brunette friend.

At this Brooke actually laughed, a real smile spreading across her features. "Okay, so what was it?" She asked once more.

"You're never going to believe it," Rachel began, trying to regain some of the momentum she had built up before having to get on to Brooke. "What did I say I was going to do at Jamie's party?" She asked with a jumbo smile.

"Ummm," Brooke scratched her head as she tried to remember. "Eat a piece of cake?" She totally guessed.

"No," Rachel answered, slapping her friend's knee. "Meet a hot guy," she reminded her. "And guess what? I totally did!" She screamed unable to control herself.

"Really?" Brooke asked, surprised. She had scoped out the scene while she was down stairs and she hadn't really noticed anyone. But then again, the scene she had mainly been forced to keep her eyes on was the kiddy one, so…

"Yes," Rachel promptly answered. "His name is Dean and he is one of the new guys on Nathan's team. He just got transferred down here from some school in Kansas. He said since he was new, Nathan invited him to a party at his house this weekend. The only catch was he didn't tell him it was for a four year old. So he showed up with two cases of beer," the red head laughed.

Brooke had to admit the story was pretty classic. The picture she envisioned in her mind elicited a smile. "So what does he look like?" She asked, sending her friend a wink.

"Well gorgeous of course. But that's pretty much a given seeing as how any guy I've ever dated has been," Rachel joked in that cocky tone of voice she had perfectly mastered. "He's got blondish-brown hair and deep green eyes that you can get lost in. Oh and not to mention a rocking bod. He had on one of those muscle shirts, and yeah, let me just say everything was looking good."

Brooke smiled once more. She was glad to see her friend was happily and that hopefully she had found a distraction for the rest of the time that they were in Tree Hill.

"So," Rachel started, turning the attention to her friend. "What's your drama?" She asked, and then began talking again before Brooke had a chance to answer. "O-M-G! I forgot to tell you! You totally missed Peyton storming out of the party like the total bitch that she is. I mean, I would have missed it too if she hadn't of had to come outside and retrieve her phone. And I didn't see Lucas for the rest of the night so I am guessing it had something to do with him," the girl said, and then stared at Brooke intently to await a response.

"I kind of figured as much," Brooke admitted, looking up from her hands to her friend's face.

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked. "You were up here. Unless… Ahhhh!" Rachel gasped with a big breath of air.

Brooke nodded her head; she knew what her friend was going to ask before she even opened her mouth.

"No?" Rachel asked, still in shock from her friend's prior admission. "Okay it's time to spill. What went down earlier?" She questioned some more.

Brooke looked from Olivia to Rachel, and back to Olivia. "I really don't want to rehash this whole thing in front of Liv again. And I don't want to wake her up. She's been through enough tonight," she told her friend.

Rachel wasn't buying her excuses. "You don't say anything about me cussing and practically yelling in front of her. But when it comes to your story she might wake up?" She said, not letting the excuses slide. "B, you are going to have to come up with some better excuses because frankly, those suck," she added, rolling her eyes.

"Rach, can we please talk about this later?" Brooke asked, her eyes seemingly pleading with her though her tone remained even. "It's late and I'm actually pretty tired," Brooke admitted.

"Fine," Rachel said, backing off and giving into her friend. It wasn't something she did often, but she could sense Brooke needed it. "But tomorrow, this conversation is going to happen."

Brooke nodded and smiled as Rachel rose from the bed. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you," she said with a wink.

And as Rachel left she let her body fall back into the position it was once in. It was the position in which she had been trying desperately to grab a few moments of sleep in. And she hoped this time it wouldn't totally elude her.

Lucas woke up to a cool breeze blowing against his face. He wasn't quite sure why it was so breezy in his bedroom until he opened his eyes to find that was exactly where he wasn't.

He pushed himself off of the warm dirt in which he had been laying and dusted his shirt off. "I can't believe you let me fall asleep here," he said, turning to the headstone with a chuckle.

But then again he wouldn't put anything past Keith Scott, not even from beyond the grave. And he was probably getting a kick out of the flood of emotions that were washing over the blonde.

After everything last night, he felt like his brain was on overload. And his heart, well, it was ready to be ripped into the million little pieces it was staring to break into. He never thought he could feel so much love, and so much anger all in one breath. But he did, it was unreal.

He didn't know what to do next. He wanted answers, but who should he turn to. It seemed the only two girls he had ever really cared about had both betrayed him. An even though he was engaged to Peyton, he wasn't sure he knew which girl had hurt him the most.

He was just so confused. He wanted to run and scream at both of them. And he wanted to know everything, like what had happened all those years ago to put them where they were this very minute. Last night everyone was too worked up to get any effective communication done. But maybe today, after the realization that this information was out in the open had time to set in, maybe they would be able to talk rationally.

But until then, Lucas knew there was one person he could actually talk to, not Keith where it was full of one-sided venting. No, an actual person. So he stood from the grave, bidding his uncle farewell and headed for his car. Because if there was one person he could always be honest with, it was Haley Scott.

"Mommy, Mommy," Olivia pounced on her mother's stomach, bouncing up and down as she tried to wake her up. "It's Sunny, time to wakey."

Brooke opened her eyes slowly and rolled onto her side, causing Olivia to slide off onto the bed beside her. "And what are you doing up so early, Missy?" She asked, opening her eyes all the way so she could fully see the little blonde.

Olivia shrugged her shoulders. "It not early. See, look," she said, pointing her little hand towards the curtain she had pulled back. "Jamie outside playing, look," she told her mom as she spotted the little boy in the backyard.

Brooke looked where her daughter was gesturing and saw the little boy playing on his swing set with his father. "Well Liv, they just like to get up when it is way too early—they're like…the sun," she said, tickling the little girl in the side for a moment.

"I wanna go play too, Mommy," Olivia told her, poking gout her lip. "Please, I even picked clothes," she said, rolling off the bed and picking up the seersucker shorts and white tank she had pulled out of her suitcase.

Brooke sat up in the bed. "Fine, bring them over here and I'll get you dressed," she said, pushing her body up so that she was sitting up tall in the bed. "But go get the brush too so I can try and tame your hair," she instructed.

The little girl turned and made a face at her. "Mom—my," she whined. "I no like brushing," she complained, letting her head hang low.

"Well guess what? If we don't brush your hair we are going to have to cut it all off because it will be way to tangled," Brooke explained, not letting up on this request.

Olivia just turned towards the bathroom and slowly walked to retrieve her brush. She had learned when it came to her mom there were only so many battles she was going to win.

Lucas made record time to his brother's and best friend's house. Once in the driveway he hoped that Haley was here and actually awake, it was only 10:45. But knowing Haley she had been up since seven-something, probably working on that final project for her summer school class.

He killed his car engine and slowly exited his vehicle. He didn't know why he was so apprehensive about talking to his friend. Maybe it was the thought that sharing what he knew with someone else would somehow make it more real.

Well news flash: No matter who knows, it's pretty real already.

He knocked on the door and was surprised when Rachel was behind the door as it swung open.

"What do you want?" She asked, as if she was annoyed with him. And being Brooke's best friend he guessed she had every right to be.

"Ummm, is Haley here?" He asked, taken aback by the girl at the door and her attitude. He had totally forgotten Brooke and Rachel were staying here.

"Sure, I'll get here," Rachel snapped and slammed the door in his face. He could hear her through the wood saying something to someone and then slowly to door reopened.

"Hey Luke," Haley smiled, moving aside and gesturing for him to walk in. "Sorry about that, I don't know what her deal is," she added, trying to apologize for her houseguest while not upsetting her oldest friend.

"I bet I can take a guess," he mumbled, slumping down onto the brown leather sofa.

"What did you do?" She immediately asked him, coming to sit beside him on the couch. She knew Lucas all too well, and right now she could tell he was definitely feeling guilty about something.

"I don't really know," he said, looking up to meet his friend with confusion clouding his blue eyes. "But I'm sure it has something to do with the fight between Brooke and Peyton that I walked in on last night," he said slowly.

"Whoa, what?" Haley asked him. "Brooke and Peyton were fighting? I guess that is why everyone disappeared last night," she said, placing the pieces together. "What were they fighting about?" She asked, curious to know what had started the dispute, even though the look on Luke's face was telling her she didn't really need to ask.

"Well I don't really know. What I heard wasn't so much of a fight as an attack on Brooke," he admitted. "I've never seen Peyton like that before, so angry and malicious, or Brooke so hurt and vulnerable. And the things she said, neither one of them denied any of it," he continued to speak. "I just wonder what would have happened if I hadn't of come in a heard. Would I ever know?" He asked, more to himself that Haley.

Haley looked at her friend, soaking in every word. She knew whatever was going on was big from the way he was speaking. But through his vague language and lack of details, she had become utterly confused. "What were they saying, Lucas?" She asked him, her voice was calm, trying to soothe her friend because he seemed pretty rattled.

"They said…that Olivia was my daughter," he said, looking from his lap into Haley's eyes, eyes that were immediately filled with shock.

"Olivia, Brooke's Olivia?" She asked him, unable to comprehend what he had just said. "But how, you haven't seen Brooke since before she left," she said, her head still reeling.

"I don't know," he said in disbelief. "But I cannot believe it. I cannot believe that they both knew and didn't say anything. You didn't know, did you?" He asked her, almost afraid to hear the answer. He had already been let down by two of the most important women in his life and he didn't need to add another to the list.

"No, I had no idea," Haley reassured him, shaking her head from side to side. "But Lucas, are you sure?" She asked him. "I mean what exactly did you hear?" She couldn't believe two of her friends could keep this information hidden either.

"Well Olivia got halfway through opening presents and said she wanted to show me a witch or something. I was intrigued, especially since she had torn herself away from the gift opening frenzy to tell me this. So she walked to the back door, a few feet from where we were, and pointed into the kitchen. There I saw Peyton, and Hales, her face was all twisted and covered in pure evil, and she didn't even look like the girl I knew. She was obviously yelling at Brooke about something, and I could tell by Brooke's expression listening to whatever Peyton was saying was total agony for her. I guess Olivia realize this too, because she flung open the kitchen doors and stared for a moment. It was like the voices had paralyzed her. Then when Peyton finished talking, and Brooke started sobbing, she charged her. Then Peyton threw her to the floor like she was a ragdoll or something," he said, pausing to take a breath.

As he did, Haley interjected. "Wow that sounds intense. And I know Peyton's not a kid-person but I cannot believe she would shove Olivia. So what did you do?" She asked, encouraging him to finish the story.

"Well I was frozen, I didn't know what to do, who to turn to and question first. I tried to ask Brooke, but she blew me off, telling me to ask Peyton while she rushed out of the room with Olivia. So I asked Peyton and she said she did it for us. I don't even know what she did," he admitted. "I was too pissed to stick around and find out. So I pushed her away and I left. I'm such an idiot," he told her, mentally kicking himself as he let his head fall into his hands.

"Well Luke, I hate to tell you this, but from your story it doesn't sound like you know very much," Haley admitted to him, rubbing his back soothingly. "I mean, you need to talk to them—both of them. Don't just go get one side of the story. And how do you even know they were talking about Olivia?" She asked him pointedly.

Lucas looked up into her eyes. "I guess, technically, I don't know," he told her. "But how can you explain away this extremely convincing gut feeling that is overtaking me? Or, I know this sounds crazy, but the first time I met her I could see a little of myself in her?" He asked, looking for answers.

Haley just smiled at him, trying to be optimistic. "Luke, I can't answer those questions for you," she plainly said. "But I know someone who might. And if you promise to be nice and not accusatory, I will let you come back over here tonight and talk to her," she told her friend. She knew this info was a lot to process and she knew Lucas wanted answers. But before he bombarded her friend, she was going to prepare her, and see if there was any truth to Lucas's beliefs.

Lucas just nodded his head, and stood from the couch. "Thanks Hales," he tried to smile at her, not really succeeding.

"You're welcome," she said, pulling him into a hug. "Now I suggest you go talk to Peyton. You two are getting married in less than a week you know," she said as they pulled away.

Lucas just gave a disinterested nod and headed towards the door. "Tell Jamie I'm sorry I had to leave without saying goodbye last night," he called and he walked out the door, letting it close softly behind him.

After Lucas left, Haley walked into the backyard where Brooke and Nathan were watching Olivia and Jamie play on the swing set.

Haley walked up to the Adirondack chair Brooke was sitting in a placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Brooke, can we talk for a minute?" She asked her friend in an even tone.

Brooke looked up at Haley and smiled. She knew, per Rachel, that Lucas had just left. And with any luck he had told Haley everything she needed to hate her for the rest of eternity. "Sure," she quickly answered, standing from her chair.

"Nathan, watch the kids for a minute, alright," Haley told him as she led Brooke over to the picnic table on the patio.

Once the girls were seated Haley began to speak. "So is it true?" She asked, trying not to sound angry but it was hard.

Brooke bit her lip. She wanted to ask her what she was talking about but she was pretty sure Haley would just think she was being a smart ass. "Yes," she admitted. "But what exactly did Lucas tell you?" She asked, "Because I don't want you hating me."

Haley just looked at her friend, sure she was slightly hurt and angry at her for not confiding in her all those years ago, but hate her. She could never hate her. "He said that he thought he was Olivia's father," she said slowly. "But Brooke, why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell him?" She questioned, leaning forward on the table.

"Why didn't I tell him?" She counter-questioned, her tone now full of anger. "Is that the story he's pedaling?" She asked. "I told him Haley, the only way I could, through a letter. And you want to know what I got back from him?" She asked, and in her pause Haley nodded her head slowly. "I got a letter that said I was the worst mistake of his life. That he wanted no part of this baby and that he was with Peyton, so I should leave the two of them alone," Brooke admitted, trying to keep the emotion out of her throat.

"Oh, Brooke, I had no idea," Haley spoke. "I'm sorry, but I don't think—"

Brooke cut her off, still unable to think about anything but her rant. "And according to Peyton, last night they joke about the whole thing, about me and Olivia, like we are some gigantic cosmic punch line. But you want to know the worst part? It was the realization that I had last night, thinking back on the argument and the way Lucas looked at me with such hurt and questioning. That maybe, just maybe, when I got that letter back all those years ago it wasn't from him after all," she added, hanging her head.

"What are you saying?" Haley asked her, tenderly taking one of the girl's hands in her own for support.

"I'm saying that I don't think Lucas wrote to me. And I don't think he ever knew. So I've spent all this time unjustly hating the father of my little girl and keeping them from each other. What kind of monster does that make me?" She asked, raising her head to see exactly how much Haley hated her right now.

"Oh Brooke, it's not your fault. You didn't know," she tried to convince her she was not in the wrong. "You did what you thought was best. You were young and scared and alone, anyone would have done the same thing."

"Really?" Brooke asked, wiping the tears out from under her eyes. "But all that time, I can't give it back to them," she said, shaking her head from side to side.

"Yeah, but you can make up for it now," she encouraged. "And I know you are right in your thinking now. Lucas didn't write you that letter. He said after you left Peyton was pleading with him and telling him and she did it all for them," Haley told her, hoping to ease some of her friend's anxieties.

Brooke looked up to meet her gaze with wide eyes. "Peyton?" She asked, to which Haley nodded her head. "I cannot believe it. But I guess after everything she said last night it fits. I just don't understand why. How could anyone keep a parent from their child?" She asked, "Well I guess I shouldn't be judging because I did the same thing."

"But it wasn't the same, Brooke. You closed Lucas out because you thought that was what he wanted. Peyton did it without Lucas's knowledge. She made you keep Olivia away, all for her own selfish reasons," Haley said.

"I just can't believe it. I guess I never really knew Peyton after all. I mean I thought we were friends, but I had no idea what she was capable of," Brooke said, taking slow breaths to try to calm herself.

"I don't think any of us did," Haley agreed. "She's not the girl we all thought we knew. Now, I know you might not want to do this, but I think you need to talk to Lucas later. Tell him what you just told me, he needs to know," she pleaded with her friend.

"I will," Brooke said with a nod. And she meant it. She had come home to stop running and face the issues in her life, and that was precisely what she planned to do.

Here it is for you all!! Sorry there wasn't too much drama this chapter...mostly just trying to deal with feelings and sort things out. More fallout next chapter though! Hope you all liked this part, and I'm sorry it took me so long to get this up for you all. I was going to get it up sooner because you guys are awaesome reviewers, but I had an insanely busy weekend and this week is even crazier what with my overly demading school work! But I managed a minute to get this posted for you all. Let me know what you thought of it!! :) This title came from Taylor Swift!

Audra