Author's Note: Yep, I'm back. I have the vibe… the mojo... the whatever you want to call it. So glad to see some of my regulars still here and so happy to meet some new readers. Anyway, enjoy the latest fic to be updated. I have to admit, this one is so fun to write because it's so weird.

Plus – who doesn't love Derek in this? He's probably my favourite one to write.

- Chrissy

A River Runs Through It

"Visions are worth fighting for. Why spend your life making someone else's dreams?"

Tim Burton

Chapter 7: Fighting for a Dream

Huffed breaths expelled from vanilla-glossed lips as emerald orbs glanced over the same page they had been trying to absorb for the past half hour without any luck. Frustrated, she crossed her dainty legs and sent her pen across the mahogany desk before her and leaned backwards into the leather chair that embraced her tired, anxious body. She smoothed her ridiculously over-priced skirt down onto her svelte legs and closed her eyes, wishing herself away to any memory that was infinitely more exciting than the budgeting reports that lay before her. As if sensing her need for a reprieve, Haley James darted into her boss' office and smiled; a quick glance down at the strewn papers on the desk giving her all the information she needed.

Brooke Davis was tired. Brooke Davis was annoyed. And a tired and annoyed Brooke Davis was a recipe for disaster!

Scooping up the papers in her hands, Haley watched as Brooke's eyes slowly opened with an ominous moan to follow. Yet it was the unusual demeanour of her friend before her that caught Brooke slightly off guard. Sitting upright in her chair, she titled her head to the side and studied the awkward stance of her friend and sent her a confused expression. As if challenging her look, Haley sent one right back and the two of them engaged in a silent war of I wonder what is up with you? Brooke spoke first, her patience already thin and in no mood to be trifled with.

"What is it?"

Haley shook her head and scoffed slightly, trying desperately to get Brooke to believe that she was imagining whatever look she thought she had seen and that everything was fine. Unfort8uanely, she couldn't quite muster the words to lament her point which only fuelled the fashionista's belief that something was indeed off with Haley.

"Haley Jaaaaaames…" she elongated Haley's surname, a sure sign that she wouldn't be letting this go anytime soon. "Speak now or-"

"Forever hold my peace?" came the hopeful reply, Brooke standing to her feet and crossing her creamy arms in front of her, a sure fire signal that Haley's reply was not an option. A long, drawn out sigh escaped her lips and she closed her eyes momentarily, wishing the thoughts in her brain to cease with their agonising spiral of swirls and settle into one coherent thought she could express. It was too hard to tell Brooke the whole story for she had concealed it for so long. Too hard to begin to explain her history with Nathan and his history with Lucas. How loving Brooke and loving Nathan meant sacrificing the only boy she had ever really cared.

The only boy she had ever loved.

Walking to the window, Haley glanced down at the beach below, thankful in that moment that their view from the office was so serene. She could see the teenagers that had finished school for the day sprawled out across the white sand, their cheers and carefree laughs eating away at Haley's inside as she felt the pang of longing and jealousy. What she would give to feel that again. She tilted her head as she observed them, so young, so naïve. She felt herself unable to look away from them, remembering a time when she'd been so lost in the moment, a time when she felt as if she would never be so consumed with love for any single person ever again. Not the way she had felt for him. Not the way he had completely had her. It was a time where Haley James knew true love. A time of heartbreak… of unlimited desire.

Beautifully painted eyelids shielded her from Brooke's prying eyes for a moment, but the images splashing behind those thin slits of flesh sent her heart into a tailspin, internally bleeding away all happiness. She should never have gone to see him. Now all she could do was agonise over the memories that flooded every spare inch of her mind. All sound evaporated but for the rapid beat of her damaged heart, the gentle bubump bubump drowning out the meaningless laughter from the streets below, lifeless seagulls calling across the baby blue sky. Her breathing quickened, senses suddenly on overload as images danced behind her deep hazels, visions of heartbreak impossible to escape.

Visions of Nathan Scott that still controlled every fibre of her being, even after all these years.

First love was such a bitch!

"Peyton and Julian have said that they do not endorse the idea of opening a store here in Tree Hill," Haley announced, knowing that the only thing that could drive Brooke's attention away from the look on her face was a bitter sense of inequity when it came to Peyton and Julian. She knew it was a low blow and she knew it would make the brunette's blood boil, but the idea that Brooke could discover what really happened all those years ago was too hard to begin to tackle, let alone sort out.

"What would you like us to do?"

"Fashion show," Brooke replied, pursed lips moving into a thin red line as she contemplated the situation. "Naturally."

"Without the funds?" Haley countered, breathing out quickly as she turned away from the scene of the beach and focussed her attention solely on Brooke. "How can we possibly begin to do this?"

"Fundraise?" Brooke replied, scrunching her own nose at her suggestion for its complete absurdity. "I know, I know…"

She waved her hands in the air and came out from behind her desk, sitting on the front edge and ushering Haley to take a place next to her.

"This is where I need you, Tutor Girl. You're the one with the exceptional brain and I'm the one with the exceptional talent."

"Ha!" Haley exclaimed, shaking her head as she felt Brooke nudge her. "And exactly how do you expect me to come up with the funding for an entire fashion show?"

"Well I already have the collection," Brooke announced, a small smile covering her lips as if to self-congratulate herself. Haley had always loved Brooke's optimism. "What else do we need?"

"Uh," Haley began, bringing her fingers and stroking them one at a time as she listed off the other variables that were required for such an event. "We need invites-"

"-Use your amazing computer skills and design something," Brooke shrugged, waiting for the next to-do on the list.

"We need models," Haley replied, raising her eyebrows as if to dare Brooke to come up with a solution. "You can't have a fashion show without models, Tigger."

"I already have a solution for that!" squealed Brooke excitedly, clapping her hands together as if to self-congratulate the idea already. "I run a competition and find some models. Like a Tree Hill's Next Top Model, or something like that. The reward? Starring in an official Clothes Over Bro's runway project. Naturally Rach will work for free. We've paid that bitch enough already."

"Brooke-"

"-Kidding," Brooke replied, rolling her eyes at Haley before continuing. "You know I love Rach which is why I know she will say yes to helping me out. Especially if it means she becomes my final walker and wears the showstopper. You know how much she loves to have things be all about her."

Haley nodded her head in appreciation, Brooke smiling as she did so. For whatever reason, Brooke had always found a comfort in Haley's approval. She was so logical and so clever that whenever she appreciated one of the brunette's ideas, it felt extra-special.

"That still leaves the venue, the wait staff, the food… Brooke, there's so much to consider and if you can't get the funds through the company-"

"-I know," Brooke replied, taking a long, deep breath before biting her lower lip anxiously. "But I need to figure out a way to do this. I must. I can't have Peyton Slutty Sawyer dictating what I can and can't do in my own company-"

"Brooke," Haley admonished her fearless leader, a disapproving look flittering across her features at Brooke's choice of words. She never understood how the two girls could go from thick as thieves to distant and nasty. She would often query Brooke and Peyton about it but neither was prepared to give up what exactly had come between them, and Haley felt obliged to keep the peace between the two wherever possible. After all, they all had to work together and some days it was like they were on opposing sides in a war no one else was fighting. Before Brooke could answer, the phone rang through to the office, Brooke motioning to Haley to grab as she stood and began pacing the room, willing the answers to her fashion show conundrum to enter her mind.

"Clothes Over Bro's, this is Haley, how may I… oh, hey there Peyton."

Brooke stopped mid-step and turned to face the phone, her eyes flickering in anticipation.

"Where are you? Oh you and Julian are here?" Brooke swallowed hard and made a beeline for her handbag, Haley looking at her with a mixture of confusion and annoyance as Brooke began to pack her bag and reached for the designer sunglasses that lay on the desk before her. Before Haley had even gotten off the phone, Brooke was out the door, electing to take the fire escape stairs than deal with the confrontation of both Peyton and Julian in the elevator. She didn't even stop for Haley's cries which echoed down the stairwell, the urge to flee so overpowering it somehow gave her enough speed to exit the building and dart across the carpark to her convertible. The alarm sound in two quick beeps as she yanked the driver's side open, the engine roaring to life, tires screeching as she slammed her foot on the accelerator and made her way out onto the sun-soaked street. Without a second's hesitation she was dialling a number, Siri directing her call as her heart thumped beneath her chest.

"Pick up, pick up," she willed the other end of the line, sniffling slightly as she tried desperately to hold back her emotions. The other end clicked and she immediately relaxed, the effect of his voice more powerful than a Xanax.

"Brooke?"

"Lucas," she announced his name breathlessly, thankful that he had been there when she needed it. "I need your help realising a dream."

"Come by the Tric nightclub," Lucas replied, a loud bang echoing out behind him that made Brooke jump slightly in her seat. "I've got exactly what you need."

"See you in ten, Broody."

The dial clicked over and she pushed her foot harder on the accelerator, leaving behind the mess that was Peyton and Julian and driving towards the clarity known as Lucas Scott.

x~X~x

"Coming here? Now? Dude! Are you out of your freakin' mind?"

Panicked, a shirtless Derek jumped down from the half-constructed metal tower that haphazardly housed some strange lighting that the blonde lothario had somehow managed to scrounge from god-knows where with a thud! Brushing erratically at his pants, he tried in vain to remove the dark splotches that adorned his creamy cargos and shoved Lucas in the shoulder as the budding writer chuckled over Derek's reaction.

"Derek, slow down."

"Slow down?" Derek replied to him, looking at Lucas like the words that spilled from his lips were the highest form of blasphemy. "Take a look around, Luke-ass! This place looks like a disaster zone and the D-Man looks like a corpse from Night of the Living Dead. Fuck man, what if she's bringing that banging red-head with her?"

"Then you keep your shirt off?" Lucas replied, shrugging his shoulders as he tried desperately to stifle his laugh. "Blow her socks off with your masculinity?"

"I do how rather overpowering masculinity," Derek nodded, swallowing hard as he digested his friend's suggestion. "And let's face it; you could go counties without seeing pecs like these babies."

Holding his arms up to show off his muscles, Derek stretched and flexed his body in all different contortions, Lucas gazing over his shoulder as Nathan trudged across the floor with a look of disdain mixed with disgust.

"What the hell is he doing?"

"Showcasing his masculinity," Lucas replied, Derek turning and sending Nathan a beaming smile as the raven-haired boy glared at him in confusion.

"What you think, younger Scott?" Derek showed Nathan his bulging beauties, clearly impressed by his own stature.

"I think you should put a shirt on before you make me throw up my lunch," Nathan replied, dropping the pile of wood that lay in his hands and bypassing Derek to lay his eyes firmly on his older brother. Derek laughed and gave Nathan a quick salute from his brow, racing over in the direction of the bar as Lucas turned his attention to Nathan.

"What's up?"

"I've fixed the electrical circuits so we should be able to bypass the majority of the current to the upstairs of this place," Nathan began, looking around at the large loft that surrounded them. "Plus the bar is good to go, I just needed to reinstall the electrics that powered the fridges. You had a few loose wires because the place hasn't been used in so long."

"Not since my Mom was here," Lucas answered, gazing off at the space that used to be a raging nightclub. These days, it was more a run-down has-been that lay dormant above his mother's café. "But I think it can be great again."

"It's got promise," Nathan replied, gazing around and nodding his head. "But it still needs a hell of a lot of work."

"I know," Lucas nodded, gazing up at his brother in appreciation. "I don't know what I would have done without your help, man."

"Like I said," Nathan coughed, bringing a drink bottle from his tool belt and chugging down a long drink. "If you think she's worth it, then we'll do it-"

"-Oh my god!"

Stunned by the sound of a gentle voice cutting through their conversation, Lucas and Nathan turned on their heels and gazed towards the entrance, heels clicking against the hardened floor as Brooke gazed at the sight before her. Bits of timber lay strewn across the floor, metal towers housing wires and lights flickering in different colours glaring down at her. To the right she saw a beautiful Oakwood bar, the fluoro neon sign flickering in the background and lighting up the glass bottles of liquor that sat behind it.

"Luke, what…?"

Shuffling on his feet, Lucas jogged over towards the surprised designer, urging her with his eyes to see beyond the pile of mess and debris and to envision everything that the place could be.

"Okay, just hear me out," he began, tentatively sliding his hand behind her and gently urging her forward with the slight push to her shoulder blades. He pointed towards the bar, Brooke's gaze following his direction as he began to speak.

"So, imagine cocktails and champagne as guests arrive," Lucas began, his baby blues widening as the image of what he hoped to achieved played throughout his mind with such clarity he only hoped his verbal explanation could do it justice. "And waiters serving canapes and mingling throughout the crowd," he continued, urging her towards beyond the bar and towards a large, makeshift stage, or at least, what was beginning to take the shape of a stage. "And here, the beginning of your runway," he continued, signalling to the right of the stage where a podium now sat. "And your announcer there," he turned her then, pointing towards the long trail of masking tape that appeared to outline a trail. "And here, your catwalk to show off all those amazing designs…"

"And the lighting, arranged by yours truly," Derek jumped in then, pearly whites beaming as he gave Brooke a wink before glancing conspicuously over her shoulder. "Come alone, did we?"

Brooke gazed at him in confusion and Lucas shooed him away, Derek's lips turning into a slight pout as Lucas continued.

"And here is where we will have tables, chairs, dance floor, donations booths, you name it. Whatever you need, we can do this. What do you think?"

Brooke gazed around the space in amazement. For a full two minutes she couldn't even begin to form the words to describe exactly what she thought. Here she was, standing in a space that was being created by people who barely knew her just so she could show the people who ought to have known her, exactly why she wanted to begin a boutique in Tree Hill. She bit her bottom lip and took it all in, remembering that these were the kinds of people that came from the quaint, creek-side town. These were the people that would go above and beyond to see one of their own succeed. They helped. They encouraged. They believed. They weren't jaded by the bustling metropolis of cities beyond or exposed to the greed and selfishness that seemed to have engulfed the people she held so dear the day she left this town to begin her clothing empire. Minus Haley, of course.

At this moment in time, she wished she had never left.

Or that she had met Lucas Scott sooner.

"I love this," Brooke breathed, Lucas coming beside her so that he could hear her more clearly. "I can't believe you did this for me."

"Uh, we did," Derek replied, throwing another mischievous glance in Brooke's direction and sidling up beside his best friend. "He needed some help, you know."

"It's still got a lot of work to go," came a lower, more gruff voice from behind them, Brooke turning to see a raven-haired Adonis standing in jeans, a t-shirt and steel-cap boots. "But I think we can get this done for you."

Brooke glanced between all three of the boys before her, completely lost for words. A tear sprang to her eye, Derek and Nathan both glancing at each other uncomfortably as Lucas stepped forward and grabbed her hand.

"Hey, are you okay?"

She nodded her head, their eyes falling onto one another as Nathan grabbed Derek by the arm and began to drag him away from the scene.

"Hey, Nate what the he-"

"Move it, Derek," Nathan growled, realisation hitting Derek's face as he saluted Brooke and Lucas and allowed Nathan to drag him into the area around back, Lucas breathing nervously as he turned to face Brooke.

"I can't believe you did all of this for me."

A small smile crept to the corners of her lips, flaxen lashes batting slightly as Lucas smiled down at her, all gentleness and kindness that he nearly took her breath away. She couldn't remember the last time a man had looked at her the way Lucas Scott did just ow.

In fact, she doubted a man ever had. Not like this.

Not in such a way that her stomach did backflips and her mind clouded over in a bubble of confusion and awkwardness.

"I'd do anything for you, Brooke."

She smiled at his words, biting her lower lip as their eyes met and held one-another's gaze. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, certain that he would have been able to hear the steady rhythm from his close proximity. He reached put a tucked a loosed chocolate tendril behind her eyes, Brooke's eyes closing at his touch as Lucas leaned in and parted his lips-

"The redhead," came a bellowed call from out back, Lucas and Brooke darting apart as the moment was invaded by Derek's booming voice. "Ask about the redhead, per favor!"

Lucas closed his eyes in embarrassment, Brooke looking upon him and breaking out into a giggle, the brooding blonde following her example and chuckling himself.

"The redhead?" she questioned, arms folded as she looked upon Lucas for an answer.

"Uh, yeah," he breathed, nodding his head and sliding his hand behind her shoulder blades once more as he led her back towards the bar. "I kinda need to talk to you about that..."

x~X~x

YAY – another update. PS – I LOVE reviews and I'm not sure how many people are reading this, so if you did – please review for me. All thoughts, ideas, questions are welcomed – they help shape my story!

Chrissy xo