Here's another story to add to my 'to do' list. Just an idea that popped in my head. It's an OTH and the O.C. crossover and it picks up about three months where the O.C. left us this summer. In OTH it picks up a little over a year after Brooke finds out that Lucas has been cheating on her. It is the end of summer before school starts up again.
The house was even bigger than Brooke remembered, all white and rich looking, not like the houses back home in Tree Hill. It meant the people had everything and nothing at the same time. She rang the doorbell and was able to hear it echo through the over-sized house. No one came. No butler, no servant, no owner, no one.
"Can I help you?" A blonde boy about her age appeared in the driveway.
"I'm looking for the Cooper's." Brooke studied the boy. He didn't look like he belonged here.
"Which one?" The boy stepped closer.
"What do you mean which one?" Brooke snapped, "The Coopers that live here."
"No Cooper's live here anymore so you'll have to be specific." The boy kept his cool.
"Julie Cooper." Brooke responded, wondering what was going on.
"Then you're going my way." The boy motioned her to follow him down the driveway, "I can take you up to her."
"Are you, like, her employee or just some kid looking to get lucky." Like Brooke would actually get in the care with this stranger. Well the old Brooke would've but she had responsibilities now so she changed her ways.
"Neither." He said flatly and walked to the end of the driveway where his car was waiting.
"Wait!" Brooke called stepping beside her own car, "I'll follow you."
"Sure." The boy got into his Range Rover and waited while Brooke back out of the driveway.
Brooke followed the boy over the winding roads that led them to a castle. The boy stopped his car and got out. Brooke had thought the first house was huge but compared to this one it looked shack-like.
"Let's go sweet heart." Brooke unbuckled the baby in the back seat.
"I'm Ryan by the way." The boy shut the car door for her.
"Brooke." Brooke held out her free hand to shake his.
"Who's this?" Ryan referred to the baby in her arms.
"Adam," Brooke pushed some hair out of her son's face.
"So what's your reason to be visiting Julie Cooper?" Ryan asked leading her up the driveway.
"She's my aunt." Brooke said sifting Adam to her other shoulder.
"Lucky you." Ryan said leading her up to the front door.
"God what does she do for a living?" Brooke asked admiring the house and it's surrounding gardens.
"Married Caleb Nichol." Ryan almost laughed at the fact that Brooke thought Julie would work.
"Oh," Brooke was a little embarrassed. This was her aunt yet she knew nothing about her.
"Well here we are." Ryan said ringing the doorbell. This doorbell echoed just like the previous one but the shuffling of feet could be heard from the other side.
"Oh it's just you." An annoyed voice opened the door wider so Ryan could enter, "I though you went back to Chino."
"I did but now I'm back." Ryan pushed passed her, "It's nice to see you too."
"Brooke?" Julie's eyes fell on her, "What are you doing here?"
"I need a place to stay." Brooke hated asking for help.
"Who's that?" Julie referred to the Adam.
"Adam," Brooke held him so Julie could see his vibrant face, "My son."
"Wow." Julie paused, soaking it all in, "Come in."
Their footsteps echoed through the larger castle-like house until they came to what looked like a lived in living room.
"I know this is a lot to ask but I have no place else to go." Brooke said sitting down.
"The thing is we have a bit of a financial trouble." Julie felt uncomfortable revealing her difficulties, especially to family.
"I can pay rent." Brooke offered.
"It's not that simple, Brooke." Julie tried to say it without really saying it.
"Aunt Julie, I have maxed out my funds getting here. You can't turn me away. I have nothing!" Brooke was on the verge of tears.
"I have even less than nothing!" Julie yelled, her echo resounding through the house.
"This is how you treat you're family?" Marissa stood in the doorway with Ryan behind her. Brooke didn't know what else to do but run, so that's what she did. She darted towards the door, holding Adam tightly. She heard footstep behind her. No one had ever run after her before in her life. She stopped dead focusing all her energy on fighting back her tears.
"You need a place to stay?" Ryan leaned up against his car to catch his breath.
"I'm not looking for charity." Brooke began strapping Adam in his seat.
"And I have nothing to give." Ryan's breathing was normal again, "I know a family who'll give you a place to stay, free of rent."
"Sounds like charity to me." Brooke shut the back door.
"Just come and check them out." Ryan knew this family all too well, "Where else are you going to go?"
"Point taken." Brooke got in her car and waited for Ryan to do the same. Before they pulled away Marissa opened Brooke's passenger side door and hopped in.
"Hey cuz," Marissa smiled at Brooke.
"Hey back." Brooke started her car and followed Ryan.
"So fill me in." Marissa finally broke the awkward silence.
"On what?" Brooke had never been really close with Marissa but she did need someone.
"You and the kid." Marissa pointed to the backseat.
"Well, his name's Adam Lucas and he's all mine." Brooke didn't want to go into details yet. It still hurt her to think about him.
"And the father?" Marissa felt bad for her cousin. Brooke seemed so hurt and broken.
"Out of the picture." Brooke offered even less details. She was trying very hard to forget about Lucas right now and Marissa wasn't helping.
"Okay." Marissa's attempt at conversation failed miserably and she accepted the silence.
Ryan pulled into the driveway which happened to be next door to the former Cooper residence.
"Can I hold him?" Marissa asked as Brooke opened the back door.
"Uh, sure." Brooke passed her baby to Marissa. She was always hesitant to let other people hold her baby.
The trio followed Ryan around back and through the back door of yet another huge house.
"Uh, Ryan, Marissa, is there something you should've told mom and dad?" A curly haired boy around Ryan and Marissa's age said eating a bowl of cereal.
"Very funny." Ryan smacked him in the back of the head.
"This," Brooke lifted Adam out of Marissa's arms, "Belongs to me."
"Is there something you all should be telling me because I'm a little lost?" The boy threw his spoon into his bowl.
"This is my cousin Brooke." Marissa explained, "Brooke, this is Seth Cohen."
"And that make's him," Seth pointed to Adam, "Ryan's?"
"What's Ryan's?" An older version of Seth walked into the kitchen.
"Nothing." Ryan covered quickly.
"Hello," the man said noticing Brooke, "Sandy Cohen."
"Brooke Davis." Brooke felt her face get hot.
"Sandy," Ryan cleared his throat, "She needs a place to stay."
"Well you've come to the right place." Sandy sat next to Seth.
"Do you do this often?" Brooke couldn't believe that this guy was just offering her a place to stay. He didn't even know her.
"Just once," Sandy paused and smiled, "And we can't seem to get rid of him."
"Thanks Sandy." Ryan went in the fridge to get a soda and held one up for Marissa.
"Don't mention it." Sandy beamed.
"This is my cousin." Marissa stepped in leaning against the counter sipping her soda, "My mom turned her away so Ryan brought her here."
"Julie Cooper strikes again." Sandy laughed, "You're more than welcome to stay here."
"I'll pay rent and everything." Brooke let out a sigh of relief. At least she knew she had a roof over their heads.
"Nonsense!" Sandy cried, "The second Ryan pays rent you'll pay rent."
"But-" Brooke started to refute.
"No buts. You will live here rent free," He paused, "How old are you?"
"Sixteen, almost seventeen." Brooke responded.
"Well until you're out of school you'll live here rent free." Sandy stood up and motioned for her to follow, "I'll take you to meet Kirsten."
"School?" Brooke questioned.
"You know the place of knowledge." Sandy joked.
"I wasn't planning on going back. I need a job more that school." Brooke fiddled with Adam's tiny outstretches hand.
"That's the condition on living here. You must go to school." Sandy said seriously, "Ask Ryan."
"You're very demanding you know." She smiled. This was the first time any father like figure cared about what she did with her life, let alone her child's.
"I get that a lot." Sandy knocked on a door that led to a small office, "Kirsten, I want you to meet Brooke. She's going to be living with us."
"Huh?" Kirsten looked up from her papers, "What's going on?"
"This is Brooke, Julie Cooper's niece. She needed a place to stay and Julie turned her down so Ryan, of course, brought her here to us." Sandy explained. Brooke didn't really understand how this family worked.
"Hi Brooke I'm Kirsten, Seth and Ryan's mom." She held out her hand for Brooke to shake, "And who's this cutie?"
"His name's Adam Lucas." Brooke explained giving Adam a kiss on the forehead.
"Aw, how old is he?" Kirsten played with his tiny hand.
"Almost six months." Brooke was always flattered when people wanted to talk about Adam. That was one subject she wasn't ashamed about.
"God the last time there was a baby in this house was sixteen years ago." Kirsten held her arms out signaling to Brooke that she wanted to hold him.
"No, it was the last time Hailey was here." Sandy laughed but Kirsten gave him a death glare, "Just kidding."
"That's what I thought." Kirsten then returned her attention to Adam and Brooke, "Well let's go get you situated."
"I can't thank you guys enough." Brooke followed Kirsten out of the room with Sandy following her.
"It's nothing really." Kirsten said over her shoulder, "Plus it'd be good to have another girl around here."
"We still out number you." Sandy mocked a little kid, "It's four to two."
"Oh grow up Sandy." Kirsten replied defeated.
Please review and leave suggestions and comments about my story if you want me to continue.