A/N: Thank you for the reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese!

Disclaimer: Don't own OTH


Chapter Nineteen

After telling Haley about the plan, she and Brooke immediately packed their belongings into a couple of suitcases. Since they didn't know how long they would stay, they packed enough for a couple of weeks. Both hoped that it wouldn't take that long to find and arrest the person who was after them. Then again, it had taken six months to arrest Dan. So who knew how long it would take to find this other person?

Since Agent Hargrove wanted them at the beach house right away, Brooke and Haley didn't have much time to say good-bye to Lucas, Nathan or Deb. Agent Hargrove also assigned Agent Johnson, who wanted them to call her by her alias name Rachel, to look after Brooke and Haley.

Brooke was just relaxing on the couch when she heard someone knocking on the door. She got up from the couch and walked over to the door. She was surprised, but pleased when she saw that it was Lucas. They exchanged smiles as she gestured him to come in. "What are you doing here?" she asked him as he walked into the foyer and she closed the front door.

"Well, I thought we could spend your last night together," Lucas replied. "And I think we need to talk." Brooke frowned, but let him continue. "I lied to you when I told you that I agree with you about the miscarriage. I would have loved to have that baby."

"How could we have raised the baby?" Brooke asked him. "Especially since I was on the run?" she asked. "Why do you think that I didn't want to start a relationship with you? I didn't want you to get hurt when the truth came out." All of her fears about the baby poured out. "And even if I had known about the baby ahead of time, I'm sure Dan would have kept me alive just long enough to have it. Then he probably would have sold our child and you would have lost me and our baby. So I thought that the miscarriage solved everything." Brooke couldn't hold her tears in any longer. She started to cry as Lucas brought her closer to him. He held her in his arms as she let her emotions out. "But it only made me feel even guiltier about lying to you."

Lucas shushed her. "Everything's going to be ok. I promise," he said as he gave her a comforting smile.

After Brooke calmed down, they cuddled on the couch and watched television for a little while before turning it off. They then just lay there, wrapped in each other's arms as Brooke started the conversation. "I wish that I didn't have to go," she said. "We just got back together. I don't want to lose you again."

Lucas nodded understandingly. "I know, but it's the best place for you right now. I wish that I could go with you, but I want to help find that bastard."

"How are you going to do that if you still aren't talking to Nathan?" Brooke asked.

Lucas sighed. "I don't know. I guess we'll call a truce until we catch the culprit. I just hope that we can last that long."

"I don't blame him for keeping that secret," Brooke said. "I know he was just trying to protect Haley from getting hurt." There was a short pause before she continued. "You know that he knew who I was before everyone else did, but he didn't turn me in to Cooper or Dan. Instead, he quit working for Dan. Nathan knew that he couldn't do that to me or you." Lucas turned to her curious. "He didn't want you to get hurt. And he knew that would have happened if he told Cooper where I was." Lucas was amazed by his brother's actions. "Promise me that you'll talk to him and try to make up. After all, me and Haley need you and Nathan the most right now."

Lucas let out a sigh before he spoke. "Alright, I'll talk to him while you girls are gone."

Brooke smiled gratefully. "Thank you."

The next morning, Lucas drove Brooke to Haley's house, where they were going to meet and then set off. Deb and Nathan came to say good-bye to them as well. The two brothers helped load the trunk of Rachel's car before everyone started to say their good-byes. Lucas and Brooke held in a long embrace before they finally pulled away. "Be careful, ok?" Brooke asked him.

Lucas nodded. "I will."

A voice suddenly spoke up. "We should get going," Rachel said. "We have a long drive ahead of us."

"Promise us that you'll take good care of them," Lucas told her as Haley and Brooke climbed into the car. "All three of them."

Rachel nodded. "I promise."

Lucas still wasn't sure if he could trust Rachel. But she had helped rescue Brooke from the warehouse. So that was enough for him to believe that she would keep his girlfriend, sister-in-law and unborn niece or nephew safe. He watched with a heavy heart as Rachel drove off with Brooke and Haley, hoping that he had done the right thing.

When the three women arrived at the beach house several hours later, Brooke fell in love with it at once instantly. Haley gave them the grand tour before they went back to the car and unpacked the trunk. Brooke and Haley then sat down on the back patio and watched the people on the beach.

"I hate to ask, but did you talk to Nathan yet?" Brooke asked. She wanted to ask her earlier, but she didn't want to in front of Rachel.

Haley sighed. "Yeah, he came to the house last night. I didn't want to talk to him, but Deb encouraged me to do it. We started yelling at each other before we realized that it wasn't the right thing to do. So we lowered our voices and tried to listen to each other."

"Did it work?" Brooke asked hopefully.

"Well, we're not getting a divorce if that's what you're thinking, but we are going to continue our separation," Haley replied with a sigh. "And see where we are once this person is captured."

"I hope you two work things out. I would hate for you two to go through a divorce," Brooke said.

Haley didn't say anything. Instead, she changed the subject. "No offense, but Nathan thinks your friend Carrie can't be trusted," she told her.

Brooke just shrugged. "Carrie gets that all the time." She then turned to her friend. "Wait a minute, you think she is the one who is after us, don't you?"

"I'm only repeating what Nathan said," Haley defended. "But they can't rule out anybody."

"Including Lucas and Nathan?" Brooke asked. "You and I both know Lucas would never do anything to hurt me. He's nothing like Dan."

"I know, but it never hurts to be cautious," Haley replied gently.

Brooke knew that she had a point, but that didn't mean she had to like it. "Do you like Carrie?" she asked.

Haley nodded. "Yeah, she seems nice," she replied. "I don't know what Nathan is so worried about."

"I think he's just looking after you and your child," Brooke said. "Of course, I don't blame him. I don't know who to trust either at this point."

"You can trust me," Haley assured her.

Brooke gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks Haley. You can trust me too."

The next morning, Brooke was making coffee when she heard her roommate come downstairs. They exchanged smiles as Haley came into the kitchen. She groaned as she saw the coffee. "That smells so good. I wish that I could have some, but there's no caffeine allowed for the pregnant lady," she told Brooke in a disappointed tone. "And there won't be until the baby comes out."

Brooke turned red. "I'm sorry, Haley. I completely forgot," she said, apologizing. "I've had a lot on my mind lately."

Haley nodded understandingly. "I know you do. And it's ok. It's no big deal. I'll just have water," she replied gently as she went to the fridge and pulled out the water pitcher. She looked at Brooke and could tell that something wasn't right with her. "Hey, are you ok?" she asked her as she pulled out a glass out of the cupboard. "You don't look so hot. Are you still worried about Dan's men are coming after us? You don't have to. Agent Hargrove, Lucas and Nathan are on the case."

Brooke shook her head. There was a short pause before she answered. "No, I think that there's something wrong with me."

Haley frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked as she stopped pouring water in her glass.

"While I was at home, I started to have these weird symptoms," Brooke told her. "I've been more tired lately, eating and drinking more and have been taking frequent bathroom breaks. From what I gather, I could have diabetes."

Haley stopped her right there. "Are you sure? Have you consulted a doctor about this yet?" she asked anxiously.

Brooke shook her head. "I don't want it to be true. I have enough to worry about without this on my shoulders too."

Haley gave her a look. "If you're sick, you need to talk to the doctor. You can't just let it go on. Otherwise, it will get worse. What if it's more serious than diabetes?" She didn't even let her friend protest. "We're going to the doctor right now. No excuses."

Brooke sighed in defeat. "Fine, but I'm driving."

"No, I am. Otherwise, you'll probably take the long route," Haley replied as she grabbed the keys from the counter. Brooke made a face as she did. "You'll thank me later."

"Just promise me that you won't tell anybody until after we find out the results," Brooke pleaded. "I don't want my parents or Lucas to worry."

Haley nodded. "I promise."

"Where are you two going with my keys?" Rachel asked them as she came into the kitchen.

Haley had completely forgotten that they had taken Rachel's car, not hers. "I have to drive Brooke to the hospital. She's not feeling well," she replied.

"Why didn't you say so? I'll come along," Rachel said. "I'll just take my gun out of my glove compartment and be right back."

Brooke and Haley exchanged looks before turning back to her. "Gun? What gun?" Haley demanded.

"You have a gun?" Brooke added.

Rachel nodded. "Yes, I carry it around with me all the time. You never know when you might need it."

Haley gave her a look. "There will be no guns in my beach house," she ordered. "Or anywhere near me for that matter."

"How about I leave it in my glove compartment?" Rachel asked.

Haley was tired of arguing. "Fine. Let's just go." She grabbed her purse from the kitchen table and followed Brooke and Rachel outside.

As Rachel drove them to the hospital, a million thoughts came into Brooke's mind. She had no idea what she had, but she hoped that it wasn't too serious. She would hate to deal with that without Lucas.

When they arrived at the hospital, Brooke was disappointed to see that there wasn't anybody waiting in line to see the doctor. That made her even more nervous than before. She was relieved that Haley was willing to go in with her. She needed a friend right now. She took a deep breath before following the doctor to the examining room.


Lucas knocked on the door and waited impatiently for the owner to answer. Finally, the door opened and Peyton appeared. She let out a sigh before speaking. "I was wondering when you were going to show up. Come on in," she said as Lucas walked into the apartment.

"Someone's still after Brooke and possibly Haley. And I need to make sure that it isn't you," Lucas told her. He had his trademark brooding expression as he spoke.

Peyton suddenly became worried for Brooke and Haley. "I'm not after Brooke or Haley," she assured him.

Lucas wasn't convinced. "How can I believe that?"

"All I know is what Julian told me about Brooke." She then corrected herself. "Or the truth about her. And it wasn't much," Peyton replied.

"What did he tell you?" Lucas asked anxiously.

"When he first came to me, he told me that her name was really Beth Roe and he needed my help," Peyton told him. "He claimed that she was dangerous and needed to be taken down. I knew him and I knew that he was lying about that. But then he offered me money. I wanted to refuse until I thought about my wedding. So I accepted his offer."

"What happened next?" Lucas asked as he tried to keep his anger under control.

"He was then asking me about her personal business. He was really interested in her relationship with you." There was a short pause before she spoke again. "Look, I'm ashamed about what I did to Brooke, you and your family. I'm so sorry. I wish that I could take it all back, but I can't." Lucas didn't say anything as she disappeared into another room. She then reappeared with a bundle of cash in her hand. She handed it to Lucas. "I wanted to give you and Brooke this before, but I didn't have the chance. I don't want it. I don't deserve it, just like I don't deserve your forgiveness. Or trust."

Lucas knew that she had a point. "Yeah, that's true. But you did help save Brooke. If it wasn't for you, we probably wouldn't have found her when we did. So thank you for that." There was a short pause before he asked, "Would you have kept Haley hidden from us?"

Peyton instantly shook her head. "No, I wouldn't. In fact, I was about ready to call you when Julian pulled up," she admitted.

Lucas could tell by her voice that she was telling the truth. "I think you just got my trust back."

"Thank you, Lucas," Peyton said gratefully. "I'll call you if I hear or see anything suspicious," she promised.

Lucas nodded in acknowledgement. "Bye Peyton," he said before he headed out the door. As he was heading across the parking lot, he heard his cell-phone ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw the caller ID. He immediately picked it up when he saw that it was Brooke. "Brooke, is everything ok?" he asked worriedly.

"Well, it depends on whether you still want a baby or not," Brooke replied.

Lucas frowned in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Apparently, the doctor made a mistake when I was examined a couple of weeks ago," Brooke replied.

"You didn't have a miscarriage?" Lucas asked hopefully.

"No, I still had a miscarriage," Brooke said. Lucas was disappointed. There was a short pause before she spoke again. "But it was just with one baby. The other baby is fine."

Lucas was speechless for a few moments as his brain just processed what she just said. He was then able to speak. "Does this mean what I think it means?"

"Yes, I'm still pregnant. We are going to have a baby," Brooke told him with a happy sigh.

Lucas was surprised at his girlfriend's reaction. "Are you sure that this is what you want?" he asked, remembering the conversation that they had just two days before. He wanted the baby, but he didn't want to pressure Brooke into keeping it. "We don't have to have this baby if you don't want to."

"I know what I said, but I've had a change of heart," Brooke replied. "I want this baby, Lucas. After all, this is our baby. And I don't want anyone else to keep the baby except us, no matter how complicated our lives are."

Lucas laughed. "Our lives aren't that complicated," he said as he suddenly knew what he was going to do with Peyton's money. "I love you, Pretty Girl."

"I love you too, Broody," Brooke replied.