Authors note: The alerts are finally starting to work at least close to normally. (YEY!)
And I have to start by giving out some thanks.

McNaughty, Dolcegrazia, TrueLoveDoesNotAlter, Becki,dalostloraliegilmore and goober396: Thanks so much for the great reviews you guys! I really appreciate them.
Jeytonbrucasnaley: I'm so glad that you like the Laley in chapter 14. It was my first Laley-moment so I didn't know if I would make them justice. :)
Typokween, Brucas3, B.Davis and eemah: I'm happy that you like my decision to make Brooke's mother the nicer one of the parents. Even though we can agree that none of Brooke's parents will be the loving grown-up she needs.
Cyn: Glad you like the Lucas-character and I'll be sure to explore the Dan-thing.
Daneel: Thanks! And I'm waiting to read a story of yours. I'll bet you're just as good. ;)
Wishinonastar: Hey you little Sherlock H… ;) Lucas kind of was a little heroish… wasn't he?
Brucas46Forever: That was some review dude! I really see what you mean and it's exactly those little 'clues' that I've been looking for… like when her parents doesn't let her live with Peyton because of the lack of parental supervision. Anyways, I loved it! More long reviews like that one. Lol
Photoboothromance: Seriously? I didn't know that. Hopefully he's a nicer person. :)
Soundinmymouth3: Don't die please. LoL. I promise to update 'Gamble Everything For Love' before Friday.
And last, pOoLbEeRtAtToOs: Hey loser! LOL Those personal reviews for chap 14 & 15 were amazing!!!! And so long! I'm so glad that you like how I write Brooke and Lucas together. The Brachel will keep coming (cause I just love them together) and I'll keep throwing in bits of Peyton.

Thanks ya'll!!!! This chapter is mostly thoughts from Lucas and Brooke and it's not as long as usual... The chapter-title is after a song by Tegan & Sara

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CHAPTER 16 – Where Does The Good Go

Lucas watches Brooke sleep in the semi-darkness of his bedroom. He sits on her bedside and holds her hand, her fingers still laced together with his. She looks relaxed and peaceful now but he knows that in a stronger light the signs of crying for hours would be evident. Her eyes are still puffy and her cheeks red from all the tears. "But at least she's finally sleeping…" he thinks. As for himself, it feels like he hasn't slept in months.

The bright digits on the alarm-clock tells him that it's not that late. Only a little after ten. And even though he wants to crawl into bed with her, he kisses her cheek before loosening her fingers grip and stands up. The bed squeeks a little and for a second he thinks that she'll wake up, but she just sighs softly and turns to find a new sleeping-position. She looks so innocent. Walking out into the hallway he leaves the door a little ajar so that a small shiver of light finds its way into the room. He does it almost unconsciously. Brooke hates the darkness.

His socked feet is silent on the wooden floor and when he steps into the kitchen none of the two women sitting by the table notices him. They're talking silently, each nursing a cup of coffee, and at first he stands in the doorway and just listens to the conversation. Not eavesdropping really, more feeling the moment. He's curious to hear if there's anything the two women have in common.

"This is probably weird for my mother" he thinks. "She dislikes Brooke's parents almost as much as I do..."

He wonders how old Brooke's mother is. Probably a little over forty but she doesn't look a day older than thirty-five. He clears his throat to draw attention to himself. His mother is the first to look up and she smiles and stretches out a hand towards him.

"Luke… come sit down. Is Brooke asleep?"

"Yeah… finally…"

"It's been a long day for all us… especially for Brooke. Do you want some coffee?"

He shakes his head but pulls up a chair, secretly steeling glances of Brooke's mother who now looks up as well. Mary Davis. He knows her first name now. And even though she still seems stiff to him he tries to see her in a new light, giving her the benefit of a doubt. She had never the less tried to stand up for her daughter and that should serve her some credit.

Lucas hears a voice behind him.

"I second that. Get the hell out of here Charles. I think we've had enough of your over-inflated ego for today…"

He turns and sees Brooke's mother standing just a few feet away. Further back, up on the doorstep, he sees his girlfriend with her arms wrapped around herself in the chilly evening-air. His mom is beside her and he's grateful for that but he doesn't want Brooke to be anywhere near her father.

Charles Davis stops dead in his tracks, looking puzzled, and Lucas figures that this, being told off by his wife, was something the man disliked immensely.

"Mary…" Mr. Davis says coldly while frowning. "What did you just say?"

"Go back to the hotel. The boy is right; your priority should be keeping Brooke safe, not picking fights with someone less than half your age."

By now the frown on the older man's face deepens. "So what are you saying? We should just let the little slut run amok here in Tree Hill, embarrassing her self?"

Lucas' fists tighten again by the sound of his words but Mary Davis steps in between them.

"That's ENOUGH! You have to stop blaming Brooke for something I did!"
She's yelling and Mr. Davis' eyes darken. But she stands her ground. "Go Charles… just leave. We'll talk about this at the Hilton later."

Lucas can see Mr. Davis eyes travel over to rest on Brooke for a second and then, after looking at his wife a while longer, Charles Davis gets into the big black Navigator.

"You'll regret this" he says before he closes the door and drives off.

Lucas is still not sure to whom that last sentence had been directed. He just has to wonder if there was ever something good in that man. If there was, then Maybe Mr. Davis had even been talking to himself. And looking at Mary Davis he can't say that he is surprised of the woman's sudden strength. She looked like an older version of his girlfriend, minus the dimples, and Brooke had shown him examples of her tough exterior many times. It's just that Mrs. Davis doesn't seem to share any of Brooke's compassion and heart and he's just curious to know what it was that suddenly made her decide to step up to the plate. According to what he had seen in his room earlier, Mrs. Davis allowed her husband to do most of the talking.

"Thanks for taking care of my daughter…" she suddenly says looking at him and a little softness sneaks into the hazel colored eyes. "Karen has told me about Brooke's hospital-stay and how you've been caring for her since then."

He shrugs. "She has done the same for me. And as I said before, I love Brooke… so it wasn't really that big of a sacrifice. I need to be around her…"

In the corner of his eye he sees his mom smile and he turns towards her.

"I've talked to Mary" she says and strokes his arm. "…and Brooke stays here until you two get a place of your own. We both agreed that she's been through enough stress lately."

And he defiantly agrees with the last part. Just a little while earlier, when comforting the crying and tired Brooke in his room, he had questioned what the hell she could have done to deserve the last couple of weeks. Or Months.

"But what about Mr. Davis?"

Brooke's mother sighs. "I'm going to try and talk to him."

Not having to worry about facing her father again any time soon would at least take some of the weight off Brooke's shoulders and maybe everything could finally calm down a little. At least enough to let Brooke get back to health completely and maybe even enough to let them have some time to enjoy being back together.

"Good" he just answers simply, feeling his eyelids growing heavier by the minute and Mrs. Davis finally smiles towards him.

"Your mother and I will sort out the rest… and hopefully you and Brooke can come visit us when the baby is here and her father has calmed down a little... he isn't as bad as he seemed tonight."

When she smiles the resemblance with Brooke gets even more evident. "It was a pleasure to see you again Lucas" she says and extends her hand. "But I can see that you're tired now. Go back to my daughter…"

He takes the hand and finds himself unconsciously smile back. Yet he'll be happy tomorrow when he wakes up to a house without any of Brooke's parents.

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Brooke awakes by the sound of her own voice. It's not a scream really, more just a loud noise that escapes her lips, and she realizes that she's sitting up in bed. Her heart pounds hard and fast inside her chest and the t-shirt she wore to bed is now damp with sweat.

"What's wrong baby?"

Lucas must have woken up by the sound as well and he strokes her back.

"Just a bad dream…" she whispers, embarrassed to have woken him up. He feels her t-shirt looking worried.

"Are you okay Brooke? You're soaked."

She nods silently and pulls the sticky material over her head, feeling his lips kiss her naked shoulder softly before he pulls her close to him. His strong arms around her instantly give her back the safeness she needs and the nightmare slowly starts to fade.

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

His voice is sleepy but the sound of it so close to her ear reassures her, his breath on her neck calms her speeding heart. She sighs.

"I'm scared Luke…" she whispers. "I keep dreaming that I'll lose the baby… and tonight dad was there… and he laughed at me… he said it was my own fault…"

His grip around her tightens and his body forms itself after hers so that she's all curled up in his arms. "Brooke… nothing will happen to our child. Nothing…" The sleepy voice is like music in her ears, almost like if he's singing her to sleep. "And you won't have to see you father again for months… I promise you that…"

"But what if he's right Luke. What if I'm just embarrassing myself… Maybe I'm not cut out to be a mom. Haley is the motherly type… I'm just a cheer-slut with a bad attitude… You heard what he said about me…"

A fear even greater than the one lingering from the bad dream grabs a hold of her. What if Lucas started listening to what her father had said? What if he already thought of her as stupid, slutty and immature… She knows that he did in the beginning.

"Shh…" Lucas hushes her and turns her around so she forced to look at him. It's dark but the moonlight still allows her to see his features clearly. And even though there's not enough light to actually see his eyecolor, she still feels his blue eyes piercing into hers.

"I love you…" he whispers as if it would be the final answer to all of the universe's questions. "You're the only girl that I could ever imagine to be the mother of my child."

He kisses her softly. "If this is about you coming back to school on monday, then relax. If you don't feel ready, you don't have to go…"

She kisses him back and forces herself to calm down. Reassures herself that the anxiety she's feeling is just the aftermath of the nightmare and the last week's crazyness. She shouldn't worry, right? Tomorrow is Sunday and she and Lucas could spend the entire day in bed together, just talking. And Lucas would probably let her rant on and on about the ordeal with her parents, he's good like that nowadays. But on the other hand, when waking up tomorrow she wont act this insecure. She'll feel much better in the daylight.

She knows that her mom has left already and even tough it disappoints her a little that she didn't say goodbye, it would have been weird if she had stayed. The last years distance between herself and her mother couldn't be built up by just one talk. But in a strange way she still feels like her mother is on her side now. At least more than before.

Brooke is sitting on the bed and her mother is sitting in front of her. The tears have dried and they're actually having something that resembles of a real mother and daughter conversation. It isn't like talking to Karen, Brooke thinks, but it's better than nothing. And this was probably the longest talk they ever shared.

"Your father didn't mean all those things he said Brookie… He's just not himself right now… he's angry with me more than with you..."

"Why?"

"Because we're having some problems. And he blames me for most of it. But you shouldn't worry. I'll talk to him and he'll calm down, you'll see…"

Her mother fiddles with the bedspread and Brooke can't help but to think that her mother suddenly wants to be somewhere else. So she changes the subject.

"I don't want to go back with you mom…" she says silently. "I just want to stay here."

"I know Brooke… I'll talk to Ms. Roe and we'll figure something out. But I'm sad that it has come to this… When you chose to stay here earlier this year I thought it was just a phase." She smiles. "Maybe it's better this way though…"

Sudden loud voices from outside causes them both to look up and through the window Brooke sees Lucas and her father by her parents' car. Her mother stands up and to Brooke surprise she walks out through Lucas's backdoor and steps in between the to men out on the lawn.

Sleep is slowly coming back in over her. Lucas' breathing is getting slower as well and she knows he will soon be back in dreamland. Monday is approaching and she's finally getting of bed-rest. At least if the doctor clears her at the appointment Monday morning. She will get to go with him to school and get to hang out with Haley and Rachel and the others. To have some good and normal things back…

"I love you too…" she whispers and closes her eyes. "Thanks for being so amazing."

He mumbles something back. He is amazing, and lying here with him feels safe and good. But still she can't kick the feeling that the craziness isn't over in some way. She turns again in his arms and then intertwines her fingers with his before moving the hands up to rest over her belly.

"But what more could there be?" she thinks. "After all that has happened lately, don't they deserve some peace and quiet?"

Sunday morning arrives with grey skies and it's the thumping sound of raindrops on the roof that wakes Lucas up. He smiles and stretches his arms up over his head. The sound reminds him of their baby's heartbeat.

Brooke is not beside him in bed but he can hear her laughter from the livingroom accompanied with the sound from the TV. "Friends re-run on channel 5", he thinks and flops his feet down on the floor, "then it can't be later than 11 am".

Brooke's phone vibrates on the nightstand and he leans over and checks the caller-id. It's Rachel. He picks it up.

"Hi Rach…"

"You know you shouldn't answer your girlfriend's phone, right? That could lose you bed-privileges with that brunette girl of yours…"

He laughs. "As of now I don't have any anyway, doctors orders… And you're lucky I did answer since she's busy with Ross, Joey and Chandler. Do you want to talk to her?"

"Not really. Just tell her that I'll come by later to pick her up."

Rachel's voice has that bored and nonchalant tone but he knows her well enough by now to ignore it. He knows it's just an act. Although he does wonder what she's getting at. Brooke is still on bed-rest and he has hoped to just hang around the house with her today and check up on how she is coping after the fight with her dad.

"Why? Where are you going?" he asks suspiciously.

"Just down to the mall. There's this huge sale so I'm taking Brooke to get some new clothes. That baby-fat is seriously starting to get the best of her…"

"I don't know Rachel…"

She lets out an annoyed sigh on the other end. "Come on Luke! You're not her father. You know she needs to get out of the house…"

No, he's definitely not Brooke's father. Which is a good thing seeing that the man is a complete ass. And thinking that his girlfriend probably needs herself a little 'pick-her-up' after the confrontation with him, he gives in to Rachel.

"Okay… If she feels alright. But not more than an hour."

Rachel laughs. "Broody? Isn't that what she calls you? Well, Broody… If you're that worried then come with us. We'll need someone to carry the bags. …Anyways, tell her I'll be there at one."

"Whatever" he says smiling and hangs up.

He pulls on a pair of sweatpants but doesn't bother to find a t-shirt. Then he walks out to find Brooke with her phone still in his hand. And just as he thought she's curled up on the couch with the biggest bowl of cheerios he's ever seen.

"Good morning beautiful…" he says softly and slumps over the back of the couch so that his head is close to hers.

"Morning boyfriend"

She reaches out for him but her eyes don't leave the television-screen. And when he leans in to kiss her she suddenly laughs out loud.

"I just LOVE Chandler!" she exclaims and shoves a spoonful of the milk-drenched cereal into his still halfopen surprised mouth. "Here baby, have some breakfast…"

He chews the sugary pieces and ruffles her hair, then watches her, taking in her whole appearance. Her hair is tied back in a messy ponytail, her face flushed a spectacular shade of rose.
Every night before falling asleep beside her he thinks that he couldn't possibly love her any more than right then, and still, next morning when he wakes up he finds himself a little more in love with his girlfriend.

"Rachel's coming to pick you up later to take you to the mall… That is if you feel up to it…"

This finally gets Brooke to tear her eyes away from her 'Friends' and she gets a wide-eyed look. "Really? I can go? And you're coming with us, right?" She claps her hands in excitement and the change from her scared face last night makes him happy.

And then she pulls him down next to her on the couch. Brooke's contagious enthusiasm is so hard to resist and he has to laugh as she kisses him all over his still naked upper body.

"Oh Luke, come on…" she says, smiling flirtatiously and once again he gives in. And he thinks that she must probably know what kind of power she holds over him, since she keeps manipulating him like the true expert.

"Sure pretty girl" he laughs "but remind me I have to get better with telling girls 'no'."

Her lips find his in a deep kiss and he pulls her closer. "You wanna take a bath with me before we go?" she asks with a husky voice and he picks her up, thinking that the doctor better have good news for them tomorrow because this bed-rest-celibacy is driving him completely crazy.

As he carries her into the bathroom, the forgotten phone rings on the couch. Brooke looks back but he keeps going.

"Forget it" he says. "Who ever that is, they'll have to call back. You're mine for the next hour…"

It couldn't be her parents since they are sitting on an airplane somewere halfway back to California and it could hardly be anymore shocking news.
However, he doesn't know how wrong he is.

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How was that? Please tell me because i'd love to hear your honest opinion. And before you shop my head of for writing a chapter that's completely missing an actual intrigue, please remember what i told you before about 'fillers'... ;)

/Lynn