missmara13

So... I think this is only my second strictly OTH fic ever... (the first was a kinda of horrible Lucas/Haley one shot I wrote after the pilot first aired 8 years ago)... post 8x11 (the ep that aired on Dec 7th), so there's major spoilers, so unless you've either seen it or don't care if your spoiled, you probably shouldn't read this.

Hero

"Hey," Haley said when she walked into the living room after being let in by Julian. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Brooke replied.

"I hear coming back from the dead does that to a person," Haley replied, sitting down on the floor in front of the couch Brooke was laying on. "Thank you so much, Brooke," she continued, tears filling her eyes. "You saved Jamie..."

"No, Julian saved..." Brooke began.

"No, Brooke," Haley said. "Julian told us, about how he'd been focused on you, but you made him get Jamie out first. And Jamie told us how you'd been trying to get him out and that you weren't scared..."

"I was terrified," Brooke argued. "I was so scared that he was hurt and I just couldn't see it and he couldn't feel it... I was scared that moving him was a bad thing, or that Lauren would crash while she was trying to get help..."

"But you didn't show it," Haley said. "You were so brave."

"He needed me to be," Brooke said.

"Yeah, he did," Haley said. "You're his hero now. Forget his dad being a basketball star and hotshot agent, he's going to be telling everyone about his awesome Aunt Brooke who almost died to save him."

Brooke laughed. "He's really okay?"

"Yeah, honey, he is," Haley said. "And you know what?"

"What?"

"You have always been so strong for the people you love, and you've always done what was right in the end, and you, Brooke Davis, are Nathan and I's hero, too," Haley said. "You saved our son, and we will never forget that."

"I love him, Hales," Brooke said. "That's my godson, I'd do anything for him."

"I know, that's why we picked you, and... you proved us right," Haley said, leaning forward to hug Brooke. "We love you, so much, Brooke, and we are so happy that you're going to be okay, too."

"I love you, too, Hales," Brooke said.

Haley pulled back, clasping Brooke's hands in her own, and smiled. "And when it happens, however it happens, you are going to be an awesome mom."

Brooke smiled. "Yeah, well, I had a good role model," she added, squeezing Haley's hands tightly.

"So, I thought maybe we could talk wedding stuff and what I can do to help."

"Sounds good," Brooke said.

The End