A/N: Here's number three! I realized that I've really only been writing Brooke centered fics, so I tried to do one with Peyton but somehow it still spiraled away into focusing on brooke....hmmmm.... I guess I need to work on that.
"Go ahead, take it. It'll make all your problems disappear, I promise."
Looking uncertainly at the outstretched hand in front of her, Peyton hesitated before finally reaching out and taking the packet of cocaine being offered to her. Trying not to let herself think about what she was doing, she quickly snorted the drugs.
"All right, welcome to the club, chica. You're officially one of us now." Starting to feel the effects of the drugs, Peyton stumbled to a couch, trying not to puke. A few moments later, though, she felt better than she had in her entire life. Well, except for maybe when I'm with her...
Squashing the thought before it could get any farther, she relaxed back into the couch cushions. When a guy sat down next to her she didn't think anything of it, too lost in her own high to care. When he climbed over and sat on top of her, however, she made a half-hearted attempt to push him off. "Go away..." she mumbled, trying to ignore him. Instead of getting off the guy just leaned closer and whispered, "My name's Rick," before flicking his tongue out to touch her earlobe.
Deciding that was about enough, Peyton slid out from under him, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. Kissing her forcefully, he said, "Come on now, don't be like that blondie." Had he called her anything else, she might not have cared enough to keep trying to stop him, but that nickname triggered something in her.
Brooke is going to hate me. That thought was first and foremost in her mind, pushing past even the drug-induced stupor. Jerking away, she grabbed the first cell phone she saw lying on the table and locked herself into the bathroom. Taking a deep breath, she dialed the number that was ingrained into her mind from years of late-night calls. "Hello?" The brunette sounded a little wary, and Peyton was quick to say, "It's Peyton, Brooke."
"What do you want?" The abrupt answer made the blonde close her eyes for a second. She had forgotten the reason she had come here in the first place- fighting with Brooke a few months ago, screaming at her for being clueless, for not knowing, and then storming out. They hadn't spoken since- as Peyton thought about it briefly, she realized she had barely seen the brunette at all. Trying to keep her mind from wandering, she said, "Brooke, please, I did something really stupid, and I need you to come get me." Something in Peyton's voice told Brooke this wasn't something to brush off, and she asked, "Where are you?"
Peyton gave her the address and was about to hang up when Brooke spoke again, a different note in her voice. "Stay on the line, Peyton. Just talk to me so I know you're ok." Talking to the brunette about nothing for the ten minutes it took for her to drive seemed like an eternity, but all too soon Peyton heard a group of the guys in the room wolf whistle and cat call as a door was opened without knocking, and not long after there was a quiet knock on the bathroom door.
"Peyton, are you in there?" Reaching up and unlocking the door, Peyton waited for the inevitable lecture and screaming about how stupid she was, but it never came. Instead, she heard someone fall to their knees and the next thing she knew she was wrapped in slender arms that held her tightly. A face was buried in her hair, and Peyton was surprised to feel tears falling down and hitting her shoulder. "Peyton, I was so worried that he would do something to you, are you ok?"
The reaction was completely the opposite of what Peyton had been expecting, and she turned to look at the brunette. A loose curl was brushed back from her face before she was enveloped into another embrace. Deciding to just go with it, Peyton let herself be held and relaxed into the brunette's arms. Finally, Brooke pulled back and said, "Can you make it out?" Peyton nodded, and Brooke helped pull her into a standing position. Wrapping an arm around Peyton, Brooke led her out of the bathroom and towards the back door.
Someone called out, "Found yourself another coke whore, huh Brookie?" The brunette stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face the speaker, hiding the flicker of fear that had raced across her face at the voice.
"You stay away from her Rick."
The man smirked before saying, "Why? Is she a better lay than the redhead?" Glaring, Brooke said, "I wouldn't know. Either way, you touch her again and I swear I'll go to the cops." This time it was Rick who glared. Standing menacingly, he growled, "Oh no. There's no way you would ever do that." Smirking, Brooke said, "Actually, I would do that if you so much as look at her the wrong way again. I don't care if you're trying to sell or if you're trying to get yourself laid, you don't do it with her."
Glancing between Brooke and Peyton, he sighed and said, "Fine. You win. There's plenty of other blondes out there that are better looking anyways." Turning to Peyton he leaned in to whisper, "She's good, but if you ever get bored with her, you know where to find me." Shuddering and not stopping to consider what he was implying, Peyton leaned in closer to Brooke as she turned them away and headed for the door.
The drive home was spent in silence, but Brooke didn't once let go of Peyton's hand. When they pulled up outside Rachel's, Peyton looked at Brooke in confusion. Not looking Peyton in the eye, Brooke said, "I've been staying with Rachel for a while now." Shock was evident on Peyton's face as she mentally calculated.
We started fighting a couple months ago...she had come over to see me...she said she needed to talk to me, but then I started freaking out on her because I thought she just wanted to fight. Shit. What did I do? "Brooke I-"
Brooke cut her off with a sad smile. "It's ok, Peyton." Opening the front door, the two girls were greeted almost immediately by the sight of Rachel running up to them. "Is she-" Rachel stopped when she saw Peyton coming in after Brooke. Glancing at Peyton, Brooke said, "She met Rick." Rachel paled the tiniest bit and stepped closer to Brooke, reaching out and taking her hand. "Are you ok? He didn't do anything?"
The concern was clear in Rachel's tone, and Peyton wondered why she was so worried about it. Brooke nodded tiredly, saying, "It's fine, Rachel. He didn't try anything." Peyton was further astonished when Rachel hugged Brooke fiercely, saying, "Don't go back there again. Please, Brooke. I don't care if it's the queen of the world stuck there, promise me you won't go back."
Rachel waited for Brooke to nod again before finally acknowledging Peyton. "You guys can take the room, I'm good out here." Brooke looked like she was about to protest, but Rachel held up a finger to shush her. "Nope. Plus, I might be heading out later." Winking, she hesitated before reaching and giving the brunette another quick hug. "I'm glad you're ok," she murmured before flopping onto the couch and turning on the tv. Brooke tugged Peyton's hand and walked back into the bedroom.
There were two beds and Peyton fairly collapsed onto one the second she saw it. She felt the bed sink as Brooke sat down on the edge, and rolled over on her side to look at the brunette. Everything that had happened was so hazy that Peyton wasn't entirely sure how to make sense of it, but when Brooke stood to leave Peyton pulled her back. "Stay," Peyton whispered, scooting over on the bed to make room for Brooke.
Laying down, Brooke was surprised when Peyton snuggled close to her under the covers. It had been so long since she had even seen the blonde, let alone been this close to her, that Brooke wanted to hold her close and never let her go. Listening to Peyton's breathing slow and deepen into sleep, Brooke was unable to stop the tears from flowing. Standing up, she made her way out to the livingroom, where she saw Rachel still sitting with the tv on.
Looking over as Brooke came down the hallway, Rachel instantly moved so Brooke could sit next to her, and once she was on the couch the redhead pulled her into a tight, reassuring hug. "What is it, Brooke? What's wrong?" Brooke shook her head, whispering, "I was so scared when she gave me the address, Rach. I thought he might have done something to her, that I would get there and be too late to save her."
Stroking the other girl's hair, Rachel said softly, "You did save her, though. Just like you saved me." Brooke looked up to meet the redhead's gaze and shivered as flashes of that night flew through her mind.
Answering a call to an address, a friend asking for help. An unconscious girl with flaming red hair lying on the floor. The man standing over her, ready to rape her. Pleading with him, and convincing him to sleep with her instead. Biting pain. Bruises. Screams. A lamp flying into his head, Rachel standing in the doorway like an avenging angel. Trying to run and barely being able to move. Rachel carrying her out to the car, taking her to the hospital, staying with her night and day until she was released a week later.
"Brooke?" The questioning voice drew the brunette from her memories, and she smiled weakly at Rachel. "Sorry," she said, trying to shake off the vivid images still flashing through her mind. Looking at her understandingly, Rachel squeezed her hand tightly.
"Don't apologize, Brooke." Frowning at the still visibly tense girl, she gently rolled her over and straddled her so she could knead her back. "You're a goddess, Rach. What would I do without you?"
The frown grew as the redhead seriously thought about the answer. "Without me, you wouldn't have let yourself be raped. You would never have met Rick. You wouldn't have scars from what he did to you. What I would do without you is a better question." Flipping herself while still underneath the other girl, Brooke looked up at her. "Rachel..." The redhead refused to meet the brunette's eyes, but suddenly found herself being pulled down by gentle hands.
"Rachel, we've been over this. I made my choices, I live with the consequences." Sighing at the soft touch as a tear was wiped from her cheek, Rachel whispered, "I know, I just wish you would make different choices sometimes." Reaching up to pull the girl the rest of the way down, Brooke kissed her tenderly, trying to tell her she was sorry without using any words.
Unknown to either of them, Peyton stood at the end of the hallway, tears forming in her eyes at what she was seeing. Turning and going back down the hall as quietly as possible, she wondered how she could have missed it. She had woken up and Brooke was gone, and the next thing she knew she was walking in on Brooke and Rachel kissing. Going into the bathroom, she sat down and cried, wondering why Brooke would choose Rachel over her. Back in the livingroom, Rachel broke away from the kiss, rested her forehead on Brooke's and sighed. "What did I do to deserve a friend like you?" Brooke shrugged. "Probably whatever I did to luck into a friend like you?"
Smiling, Rachel said, "Ok. Go to Peyton, she's going to need you. You know where to find me if you ever need me. I don't care what it is, you better come to me, got it?" Smiling back at the redhead, Brooke nodded. "Thanks."
"For what, slut?" Grinning outright at the name, Brooke hopped off the couch and called over her shoulder, "Oh nothing...bitch." She made it back to the room and was instantly concerned when she saw the empty bed. Seeing the light under the bathroom door, she padded over and called softly, "Peyt?" When she didn't get a response, she opened the door cautiously, not sure what to expect. Seeing Peyton crying on the floor of the bathroom, however, was not what she had wanted to see.
Rushing to Peyton's side, she tried to comfort her and was surprised and hurt when Peyton pushed her away. "What's wrong, Peyton? Please, talk to me." Looking up at Brooke with red rimmed eyes, the blonde said, "I heard you and Rachel talking."
Fear flashed across Brooke's face. She hadn't wanted Peyton to find out about her and Rick like that, if at all. Mistaking the fear for something else, Peyton scoffed. "Why didn't you just tell me, Brooke? It's not like I was going to care, I already knew you were a slut." Mouth open, Brooke could only stare at Peyton, unable to believe she would be so cruel about this. Tears formed in her eyes as she tried to say something but couldn't. Peyton continued on, not even watching Brooke for her reaction. "I guess I should have known. You always did like to sleep around."
Unable to take hearing Peyton say anything else, Brooke ran for the front door. Rachel caught her on the way out, trying to stop her. "Brooke, what's going on? What happened?" Brooke could only shake her head through the tears, not wanting to even think about what had just happened. Spinning free of Rachel's grip, she ran out the front door. Staring open-mouthed after the brunette, Rachel paused for only a second before heading for the bedroom, knowing only one person could possibly upset Brooke that much.
Going into the bathroom, she saw the blonde sitting on the floor and instantly knew whatever had just happened was bad. "Peyton, what the hell did you say to Brooke?" Glaring up at Rachel, Peyton spat, "Just the truth. If she's sleeping with you, then I don't want anything to do with her right now." Disbelief was etched across the redhead's features as she stared at Peyton. "What? Why would think that?"
"I saw you in the livingroom. You and Brooke, huh?"
Anger flared, and Rachel said, "Peyton you have no idea what you're talking about. We were together for a while, but she only ever really wanted you. We broke it off so that she could tell you, Peyton! She was so scared you wouldn't feel the same way, that you would hate her for it, but she had made up her mind to try anyways." Confusion spread across the blonde's features. "Why wouldn't she just tell me that then?"
About to say something, Rachel thought for a second about what she and Brooke had been talking about in the beginning of their conversation. "Fuck. What did you hear earlier, Peyton?" "There really wasn't a lot of talking," Peyton said sarcastically. "Something about making choices and consequences."
"Now tell me, word for word, what you said to her." When she had heard the main part of what Peyton had said to Brooke, all Rachel could do was rest her head in her hands and try not to cry.
"What? What is it, Rachel?" Looking at Peyton, Rachel said quietly, "She never told you about what happened with Rick?" When Peyton shook her head no, Rachel closed her eyes but was unsuccessful at keeping the tears hidden.
"About two months ago, I was at Rick's for drugs. I called Brooke, like you did, but by the time she got there I was completely passed out. She said Rick was standing over me, ready to rape me. She didn't let him, though. She talked him into raping her instead, and he did. I woke up to her screams, Peyton, screams. I hit him on the head with a lamp, and we managed to get away, but she couldn't even walk. I had to carry her to the car and she was in the hospital for a week, but I can tell you the nightmares lasted a lot longer than that. Before you heard us, she had been talking about him. She got caught up in a memory, and I basically outlined what had happened. Peyton, she sacrificed herself to save me, she has the scars to prove it, and I don't know what possessed her to go get you when she knew that Rick would be there. Now put the bit of our conversation about Rick together with what you said..."
Peyton went dead white as she realized what Brooke had thought she was saying. "But I would never-" Shaking her head frantically, she stood and said, "I have to find her." Catching Peyton's arm on the way out, Rachel looked at her for a moment and said, "You might want to try under the bridge. I found her there a lot after..." She trailed off, but Peyton knew what the end of the sentence would have been. Surprising both herself and Rachel, she hugged the other girl quickly before running out the door and jogging in the direction of the bridge.
Once she got there, she paused, looking around, and saw Brooke's car parked not too far away. Not sure whether to be thankful or jealous that Rachel knew Brooke better, Peyton walked slowly down to where the side of the bridge dropped off and half walked half slid down the embankment. "Rachel?" The voice sounded small and defeated, and Peyton hated herself for making it like that in the first place.
As Peyton stepped into the moonlight, Brooke shrank back a bit more, a look that bordered on fear in her eyes. Starting to say something, the brunette was cut off as Peyton dove forward and hugged her as tightly as possible. Gasping for breath, she started to pull back, but the second she did she was met with Peyton's lips on her own. Not sure what exactly was happening, Brooke tried to process what was going on, and finally had to pull away to breathe.
"What the hell, Peyton? One second you're screaming at me, the next you're kissing me?" Bringing the brunette close to her again, Peyton whispered, "I'm so sorry, Brooke. I'm sorry for being a bitch, I'm sorry for making you go back to face Rick just because I was being selfish, I'm so sorry I let a stupid little argument keep me from saving you and being there for you when you needed me, I'm sorry for everything."
Not quite able to believe that she was hearing things right, Brooke looked up at Peyton. "You know about Rick?" Tears formed in the blonde's eyes as she nodded. "Rachel told me everything that happened, how you saved her. How you saved me tonight." Letting her head fall against Peyton's shoulder Brooke sighed heavily. "I'm sorry too, Peyton. I didn't want you to know that had happened, but earlier, when you were saying those things, I thought that was what you were talking about."
Wincing at the reminder of what she had said earlier, Peyton stroked Brooke's hair tenderly and said softly, "I could never think less of you for something like that, Brooke. What you did was insanity, but you did it to save someone you loved. I just wish there was some way for me to make it so that you had never had to go through that in the first place." Sighing, Brooke nodded. "Me too, Pey, me too."
Hugging Peyton, the brunette nestled her head into the crook of the blonde's neck and sighed. The feeling caused Peyton to shiver slightly, and Brooke looked up curiously. "So, what was the whole kissing me thing about?" Peyton looked down at Brooke, trying to think of words that would do justice to what she was trying to explain. "I love you, Brooke. I've wanted to tell you that for so long, I just never knew how and it always seemed like a bad time."
Thinking for a second, Brooke's eyes suddenly widened and she asked, "Is that why you were so mad at me the last day I went to see you? Were you mad at me for not noticing, for not figuring it out?" Shrugging, Peyton said, "That was part of it. Mostly I think I was just so scared that you would never feel the same way so I yelled at you and blamed everything on you instead." Reaching up and cupping the blonde's face, Brooke whispered, "I love you too, Peyton," before bringing their lips together. The feeling was indescribable, and when they finally broke apart, Brooke couldn't stop the grin that spread across her face.
Twining her fingers with Peyton's, she smiled and said, "Let's head back to the apartment, Rachel's going to be worried." When Peyton raised a questioning eyebrow, Brooke shrugged and said, "Well there's beds there too." Grinning, Peyton let herself be pulled to the car. Only a minute or two later, they were opening the front door.
Instantly Rachel was tackling Brooke into a bear hug. "Don't you dare ever scare me like that again, you here me?" Once Brooke choked out a yes, Rachel rounded on Peyton. "And you, blondie, if you ever hurt her again, so help me god I swear I'll kill you." Smiling, Peyton nodded, and Rachel went back to the couch and collapsed onto it. "Ok, you two, go have fun," she said, a mischievous glint in her eye.
Once they were in the bedroom, Peyton wasted no time in laying Brooke back on the bed and kissing her deeply. Pulling back, she looked down at the flushed form beneath her and a sudden thought flashed through her mind. "Brooke..." she started slowly, "Rachel said that you had the scars to prove that you survived Rick." Brooke nodded, unsure where Peyton was going with it.
"Can I see them?"
The question startled Brooke, but when she looked up at Peyton, she saw that she was deadly serious. Sitting up slowly, she let Peyton pull her shirt off, leaving the brunette clad only in her bra. Green eyes took in the sight before them: a perfect body, marred only by several prominent scars. One stretched across the ribcage- another from the top of the breastbone, running for a good three inches. Leaning in closer, Peyton felt like throwing up as rings of tooth marks became visible. She counted five in all, finally letting her eyes drift back to Brooke's face.
Her eyes were closed, and Peyton gently reached out to trace the line of one of the scars. Hazel eyes flew open at the touch, and saw the blonde sliding a finger over each scar. Kissing the teeth marks lightly, Peyton brought her hand to Brooke's face and let it linger there.
"How could you go back there, after this?" Brooke didn't even pause before answering, "You were there, and I couldn't let him hurt you, Peyton, I couldn't."
Staring wonderingly at the girl in front of her, Peyton shivered as she remembered what Rick had said, his words taking on new meaning. Marveling at the strength the brunette possessed, she pressed her length along the other girl's body. "Brooke, you're the most selfless person I know, and I love you for it, but you can't keep doing things like that," she murmured.
"Well if everyone would stop doing stupid things, I wouldn't have to," she whispered, kissing Peyton lightly. Smiling slightly, Peyton cuddled close to Brooke as they both drifted off to sleep.
Tee hee. I threw in some brachel, just for fun.
It started out as peyton-centric, but somewhere along the way I got lost in one of my stray storylines for brooke....and voila! No longer a Peyton fic.
Please review, I'm sorry if my apparent inability to write something that makes Brooke seem less than perfect grates on your nerves. If you have suggestions for a Peyton fic that might prevent me from getting TOO off track, please pm me!