Lucas waited patiently outside the door to the gym. The semi-formal had ended on a high that weekend and he was looking forward to seeing Brooke again. He'd left her with a promise to be friends the morning after the dance and he was looking forward to seeing it through. Especially after everything they had been through the last few months.

Though his interest in them wasn't romantic, he had been hoping to make amends with Brooke and Peyton for some time and it had started to look up. His friendship with Peyton had been relatively easy to rebuild, especially as she seemed to have something more important on her mind that being mad at him. However, Brooke had been more difficult. After all, she had been the one who had been most hurt.

News of Brooke and Peyton's redefined friendship had pleased Lucas, but he knew the wrath of both was too much to bear. Though bridges had started being built after Lucas returned from Charleston and requested their help in throwing Nathan and Haley a party, he knew that the area was still tentative for them all.

That night, at the formal, he had been surprised to see Brooke alone on the beach. He'd be hesitant to approach her at first, but seeing no sign of Felix, and the loneliness that had marred her face, made him think otherwise.

To his surprise, she had opened up to him for the first time in months. At breakfast, she told him about Felix, Mouth and how tired she was of having nothing. Lucas listened intently, unaware of how she'd been feeling all this time. Brooke seemed genuinely grateful for his company, and when he'd dropped her off at her house, she'd promised him the notion of friends (without the benefits). And Lucas was hoping she wouldn't go back on her word.

He stood up straight when he heard the cheer squad's voices echoing down the corridor. He waited the brief half -minute until the doors opened and they flooded out, gossiping and idly chatting away.

Lucas scanned the crowd for their leader, but couldn't see her anywhere. Peyton noticed him standing there and came up to him.

"Waiting for someone? Or do you just like perving at all the cheerleaders?" she teased.

"Hey Peyton. I was actually looking for Brooke. Is she here?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah. She was being her usual Cheer-Nazi self. I'm guessing Felix must have pissed her off at the formal or something. Speaking of which, I heard you broke up with Anna." Peyton crossed her arms over her chest and looked at her former-boyfriend quizzically.

"We didn't break up. We just… well, I just want to take things slower than she does." Lucas explained. Peyton wasn't wholly convinced but accepted his explanation.

"Okay, well, she was kind of upset so you might want to talk to her about that."

"Thanks Peyton. I'll go look for Brooke," Lucas excused himself, "she's in the gym, right?"

"She should be."

"I'll see you later." Lucas said as he entered the Whitey Durham Building on his search for Brooke. Peyton watched him leave, wondering why he was so anxious to speak to Brooke.

Lucas walked into the gym, spying Brooke in the far corner packing up her stuff.

"Hey Brooke!" he called. She jumped at the greeting holding her hand to her chest.

"Jeez, Broody. You scared me," she said, "Sorry, you just missed the cheerleaders."

"Actually, you're the one I was looking for." Lucas told her as she came nearer to Brooke.

"Me? Why?" she asked, not looking at him.

"I just… after the formal, you said that we should be friends, and I wasn't sure-"

"You want to know if I meant it?" Brooke questioned. Lucas nodded slowly. "Of course I mean it. I wouldn't have said it otherwise." Lucas grinned.

"In that case, can I take you out for a meal or something? Just as friends?" he asked. He noted the obvious hesitation in her face. "Unless you don't want to"

"Oh no, I do. Lucas, I do. I just have plans with Felix and I'm not sure he'll appreciate me going out with my ex."

"It's just as friends, Brooke. He should understand that."

"I know – but things between Felix and me are kind of… y'know? We had that fight at the formal and it took me forever to forgive him for lying to me."

"So, you're back together?"

"We're dating. Kind of..." Brooke admitted.

"Oh, well, does he want to tag along? It's only a meal. Maybe we could go out to the mall?" Lucas suggested.

"Lucas, I know you don't like Felix. And he doesn't like you and I'd rather not be stuck in the middle of all that. Maybe tomorrow?" Brooke promised

"Sure." Lucas agreed. Brooke nodded, grabbing her bag and putting it on her shoulder. She winced in pain. "You alright?" Lucas asked in concern

"I'm fine." She snapped back. Lucas looked at her, knowing full well that she wasn't.

"Let me check out your shoulder."

"Lucas…don't worry about it. It's just a bruise." He ignored her protests and lifted up the sleeve of her shirt, exposing a large purple-tinted bruise.

"Whoa, Brooke. How did you get that?" he asked her. She pulled down her sleeve quickly.

"Cheerleading. We were practicing the pyramid; one of the girls must have eaten way too many donuts this month." Brooke told him, looking at the floor.

"Aren't you usually at the top of the pyramid?" Lucas questioned, his eyes narrowing. Brooke looked at him with equally narrow eyes.

"Leave it." She warned him.

"Brooke, what's-"

"Brooke!" a voice startled them both. Felix stood with his arms across his chest, looking less than pleased. "Are you ready?" he asked, eying the two. Brooke picked up her bag and uncomfortably shifted her gaze from Lucas to the floor. Lucas looked at Felix; angry at how he'd come in and interrupted their conversation. More than that Lucas was angry at how Brooke could just let him talk to her like that.

No-one spoke as Brooke waked past Lucas and followed her boyfriend out of the gym, leaving Lucas alone in the gym knowing that any friendship between them was next to impossible.

Lucas spent the next day looking for Brooke to try and talk to her. He wanted to make sure that she was happy, as what he'd seen in the gym didn't seem to show that. By lunch, he hadn't been able to find her and no-one he'd asked had seen her either.

He decided to go down to the river court and practise during lunch. Upon arrival, he noticed Brooke's sky blue Beetle near the court. When he went to inspect the car for any signs of Brooke, he was disappointed to find it empty. Lucas was about to go back to the court when he noticed a figure out of the corner of his eye sitting under a tree.

"Brooke?" he questioned as he approached her. Brooke looked up at him and hastily wiped away the tears that had been flowing down her cheeks. It was then when Lucas noticed the bruise on her eye. "What's the matter? What happened to your eye?" he crouched down next to her.

"Nothing Lucas. Just… just leave me alone"

"Brooke? Who hit you?" Lucas asked, indicating that he wasn't going to heave her alone.

"Lucas, please…" she pleaded.

"Was it Felix?" Brooke refused to answer. "I'll take that as a yes. He's hitting you."

"Lucas, leave it!" she told him.

"I can't believe this! How dare he… when did this happen?"

"I don't know… about an hour ago? It's no big deal really." Brooke wiped away more tears.

"That bruise yesterday. The one on your shoulder. They weren't from cheerleading, were they?" it wasn't a question. Lucas already knew the answer. "He's hit you before. How long as this been going on?"

"It's none of your business, Lucas!" Brooke almost yelled. She was tired, sore and just wanted to go to sleep. "It was just a couple of times, he really didn't mean it."

I don't believe this, Brooke. You just let him hit you and get away with it? Are you still together?"

"He didn't mean it. He apolo-"

"Oh, come on, Brooke! He's going to keep hitting you if you don't walk away from it. You know what? You don't even have to do anything, I'm going to go over her myself…" Lucas stood up and began to walk away. Brooke grabbed his arm.

"No, Lucas. Don't make things worse." She begged him.

"Why are you even with him? Do you love him?" Brooke stayed silent. "Okay, so what is it? The sex? He's using you as a punching bag. You don't have to stand for it. You can have any guy!"

"You have no idea-"

"This isn't the Brooke Davis I know. The Brooke Davis that I know would beat up anybody who even tried to lay a hand on her."

"You don't know me, Lucas. Not anymore." She snapped.

"How can you just sit there and let him do this to you?" Lucas asked, lowering his voice.

"Just stop it, Lucas! Please! I can't leave him. I can't... I don't want to make a big deal out of this."

"It is a big deal. You deserve better than this!"

"Who? You? Last time I trusted you - I got my heart broken." She didn't want to bring up Lucas' betrayal, but she was angry and Lucas wasn't helping her.

"So this is how you're punishing me?" Lucas questioned. Brooke turned to face him, pointing her finger at him.

"Punishing you? This has nothing to do with you. This is me and Felix and our problems. I don't want you involved or butting in!"

"It's too late. I'm already involved and I am not standing by and watching you get hurt."

"It's a black eye, Lucas! It'll heal."

"Okay, fine. A black eye today. What's next? A broken rib tomorrow? How about a head injury next week? Maybe next month you'll end up in the hospital! This is how these things go, Brooke. Open your eyes." He told her. She looked away.

"He'll stop." She said quietly.

"Hell he will," Lucas said. Brooke started walking away from him, "Where are you going?"

"Home. The Mall. Anywhere away from you." She shot back taking out her car keys.

"You are not going back to him."

"Lucas..."

"I'm serious, Brooke. You're coming with me and you're going to stay there until we can get him locked up."

"Stop it, Lucas. He won't do it again and if he does, then I'll deal with it myself. If you want to be a concerned friend, then leave me alone and just let me make my own decisions, okay?" Brooke didn't let him reply but instead she got into her car and drove off.

"Hey, Brooke… it's Lucas again. I just wanted to apologise for this afternoon. Um… call me when you get this message, okay?" Lucas hung up the phone and waited a few seconds, before dialling another number. It picked up on its fourth ring.

"Peyton?"

"Hey Lucas, what's up?" Peyton asked on the other end.

"I was looking for Brooke. Is she with you?"

"Uh… no. She wasn't in school today. What's wrong?" she asked.

"It's just something I need to sort out with her. Do you know where she could be?"

"Well, if she's happy, she'd be at the Mall. If she's angry, she'd be at the mall. If she's sad, then the Mall and if she's just bored… I'd go with the Mall." Peyton chuckled.

"Thanks Peyton. I'm going to head out there now."

"If Brooke calls, I'll let her know you called." Peyton promised. Lucas thanked her again and hung up.

He was just about to get his coat when the doorbell rang. Lucas opened the door, thinking it was his mom or Keith, he was surprised to see Brooke standing on his porch, soaking wet from the rain. Her mascara was running from a mix of tears and the rain and she was shivering.

"Brooke-" he began, not knowing what to say.

"You were right. He did it again," she told him as she burst into another bout of tears.

"You're not going back there, are you?" Lucas asked worried that she'd ignore him again. She shook her head emphatically.

"No. Can I stay with you tonight?" she bit her lip, hoping Lucas wasn't still angry with her after this afternoon.

"Of course," Lucas realised that she was still out in the rain. "Come on in. I'll... I'll just get you some dry clothes and then you can tell me what happened?" she nodded and watched as he walked into his room. Brooke looked around the house.

"Is your mom here?" she asked as she waiting for Lucas to return.

"No, she's still at the cafe. Did you want to talk to her?" Lucas handed her some sweatpants and a sweatshirt.

"Oh no. I just wondered. I don't want anyone to know," she told him, hoping he'd kept it a secret.

"Well that bleeding lip might give it away." He told her. She immediately went to touch it and winced in pain.

"Yeah, well I can't help that," she said quietly, "Do you have anywhere I can change?""You can change in the bathroom. I'll put all the wet stuff in the dryer." Brooke nodded as she walked slowly in the direction of the bathroom.

"Thanks Lucas." She told him as she stood on the threshold of the bathroom. He gave her a nod.

"No problem."

Five minutes later, Brooke emerged from the bathroom. She handed Lucas the pile of wet clothes and watched as he put them in the dryer. After he switched it on, he led Brooke to the couch.

"What happened?" he began, knowing that if he could get Brooke to talk, then they'd be able to sort out her problem. Brooke sighed.

"Um... well, I went to the Mall and he got mad because, apparently, he'd already made reservations at some restaurant, which we missed because I was buying a pair of shoes. Which, by the way, got ruined in the rain" she pointed at the muddy shoes that lay near the coat rack.

"He's an idiot, Brooke."

"Yeah well, I just figured that one out. More fool me, huh?" he gave him a tight smile before sighing again.

"It's not your fault." Lucas reassured the brunette. She didn't seem convinced.

"It doesn't seem that way. It's always me who pisses him off enough to just explode," she examined her nails. "I bet he doesn't treat Anna like this."

"Maybe we should get the police to-" Lucas suggested. Brooke looked up and shook her head.

"No, Lucas. I don't want anyone else involved."

"He needs to be locked up."

"Not yet, alright? Soon" she told him. Brooke was scared of what Felix could do to her or Lucas or anyone if he got in trouble.

"Where is he?"

"At his house probably. He knows I'm here, Lucas. I just left but I'm sure he can figure it out. If he-" Lucas cut her off of lifting her chin up with his finger and forcing her to look at him.

"We'll work it out when the time comes, and I'll keep you safe," he promised. "Have you got your phone with you?" she nodded and fished it out of her bag.

"Yeah. He keeps calling but I reject his calls. There is no way in hell I'm going to talk to him."

"Good girl." He gave her a wry smile.

The was a brief pause before Brooke began talking again, "Lucas... I'm sorry for before. When I told you that you didn't know me and that it was your fault and I wouldn't listen-"

"Brooke, forget it. You're here now. You're safe. That's all that matters."

"I'm so stupid."

"No, you're not. You're a good person who just got into trouble because of some jerk. What you did, by coming here, that was brave. Not many people can walk away easily."

"That's because I have good friends, Lucas." She teasingly gave him a friendly punch in the arm and her recoiled in mock pain.

Just then, they were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and Karen's voice echoing through the hall.

"Lucas, what have I told you about leaving the door- Brooke." She stopped short when she saw the brunette accompanying her son on the couch in his clothes.

"Hi, Karen." She gave an unusually shy wave as she tried smiling at Miss Roe, but her cut lip made it difficult to do so. Karen found it hard not to stare at the usually flawless Brooke.

"What happened to your-" she began before noticing Lucas shaking his head behind Brooke. "You know, what, it's none of my business. I'm just going to put these groceries away. Lucas, will you help me?" she said moving into the kitchen.

"Sure," Brooke looked at Lucas and he gave her a small smile. "Be right back," he told her as he followed his mother.

"Hey, mom. Sorry about that," he apologised as he began unloading the groceries. Karen

"What happened to Brooke?" she asked, keeping her voice low. Lucas sighed. He never kept anything major from his mother and he knew that whatever he told her would be kept secret. Plus, he figured that Brooke could talk to Karen if there was anything she needed to talk to a woman about.

"Felix hit her over the weekend. She turned up about thirty minutes ago after he did it again." He explained.

"Poor Brooke." Karen said sympathetically. Though only a woman of thirty-five, she'd seen a lot in her life but never would have thought things like this went on in Tree Hill – especially to a teenage girl. Lucas eyed his mother and hesitated before asking,

"Is it okay if she stays the night? She doesn't want to go home because Felix lives next door an-" he hastily explained. Karen nodded almost as soon as her son suggested it.

"Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way. Her parents?"

"They don't know. They're away again. Also, she doesn't want anyone else to know so if you could-" Karen nodded again.

"My lips are sealed. Make sure you tell her that if she needs to talk to a woman, I'm here, okay?" she tenderly touched her son's arm reassuringly. "I'm proud of you, Luke," she told him.

"Yeah. Thanks mom." He gave her a smile as he put the milk in the fridge.

"No problem. Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes, make sure you tell her that" She gave her son a kiss on his cheek and he immediately began wiping it off as he went back to Brooke in the living room.

"Hey. Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes." Lucas said to Brooke, who was looking through the photos on the mantelpiece. She looked up at him.

"Okay. So, I guess your mom knows?" she raised an eyebrow at him. He looked down at the ground sheepishly, stuffing his hands inside the pocket of his jeans.

"Uh, yeah, I had to tell her."

"That's fine. I like her." Brooke reassured him as she went to sit down on the couch.

"She also told me to tell you that if you ever wanted to talk to her, about anything, then she's always here," Lucas sat down next to Brooke and watched as she nodded slowly.

"Thanks," she sighed. "Can we… I don't know, watch TV or something? I'm not entirely comfortable just sitting here. Let's do something friends would do and start forgetting this whole mess." She asked. Lucas smiled and passed her the remote control.

"Whatever you want to do, friend. The TV is all yours," Brooke smiled slightly as she flicked through channels.

Lucas found he spent less time watching the latest fashion news, and more time staring at Brooke. He watched as she would sometimes lick her lip or gently touch her shoulder before wincing in pain. He couldn't believe someone would do this to her, or anybody for that matter. And worst of all, Brooke had done nothing to deserve it.

Out of the corner of her eye, Brooke could feel Lucas' gaze on her. It reminded her of the days when they were dating and he'd spend most of the time just staring at her. Sometimes it felt creepy and uncomfortable, but at other times, it'd make her happy that she was so interesting to him. This time, she didn't know what it felt like. She wasn't sure if he was staring at her injuries, which self-consciously made her lick her unhealed lip. She hated the taste of blood and the coppery taste made her want to gag. But there was also a part of her who was glad he was looking at her like he used to. Though Lucas had hurt her badly, he was the only one who she'd go to or want to be with at a time like this. Lucas was rational, calm and genuinely cared about her. Even after the way she'd treated him.

Brooke met his gaze and struggled to give him one of her patented broad grins. Instead, she gave him a small one. He returned it and she felt comfortable enough to rest her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Lucas." She told him once again.

"No problem," he whispered back, kissing the top of her head.

Although they were both pleased to be in each other's company, the circumstances they were in told them that the battle for their friendship was far from over.

To Be Continued…