Reunion

A/N: So…I'm pretty upset and sometimes when I get upset I get inspired and it looks like I did because here's a new story! I swear this is the last new one I'll post because I seriously must finish the other billion I started. This fic will be dark, dramatic and suspenseful, because well…that's the kind of writer I am. Ok…have any of you ever heard of the fox show Reunion? Too bad if you didn't, it was brilliant…even though it was cancelled early. Anyways…this story is inspired partly by the show. The year is 2017 and the Tree Hill class of 2007 is returning for their ten year reunion. The core five left Tree Hill after their senior year to pursue their endeavors, but vowed to stay best friends forever. That, however, didn't happen. Ten years later it's clear almost all are at each others throats and that their relationships with one another are either completely shattered or on the verge of becoming as much. So does it seem shocking that when one of the five is found shot to death, the only suspects are the remaining four? Sure they hate each other, but come on…none would take it that far, right? But…what if they were all caught at the scene of the crime, the only ones…and all were found surrounding the dead body...and all of their prints were the only ones found all over the gun? Hmm. So…who was murdered? Was it Brooke, Nathan, Peyton, Lucas or Haley? Who pulled the trigger and why? Read and find out! – Jasmine

Oh and FYI everything from season 1-4 counts, but that's all. I'll take some things from season 5, but not everything. And lastly, the s4 finale…the final scene when everyone is at the Rivercourt…pretend it was just the core five ok? Ok.

High School Reunion

June 2007

"Look in a few years we're going to be right back here. You know…done with college or…wherever we go. Right?!" Lucas asked around, seeking confirmation.

Nathan, Peyton, Brooke and Haley all nodded their heads in agreement. "Yeah!"

"So…we're not gonna do this." Brooke said putting on a smiley face. "We're not gonna get sad. Nothing's going to change now. We'll all be friends forever. I know it."

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June 2017

"Peyton Sawyer is that you!?"

Peyton turned around and came face to face with Mouth. She engulfed him in a huge bear hug. "Mouth! It's so good to see you! It's been…WAY too long! How are you?"

"Really good." Mouth said smiling. "Man, I'm so glad you came! I wasn't entirely sure if you'd be coming or not. I know events like these aren't really your thing."

"I almost didn't." Peyton admitted.

Mouth nodded. "Well…I'm really happy you ended up changing your mind. So…anyways…how are you?"

"Good…I'm good." Peyton said, though she quickly changed the subject. "I…I caught you on sportscenter the other day! Your dream…it finally came true. I bet you're so stoked right now!"

"I am." Mouth replied beaming. "I couldn't be happier. But I don't want to talk about me. How is everything with you? Judging by the size of that rock on your hand I'd say things are going pretty good. Who's the lucky guy?"

Peyton looked down at her engagement ring and smiled softly. "His name's Julian. And things are well. We're getting married next fall."

"That's great." Mouth said nodding. "Well…I'd like to stay and chat with you some more but I see someone waiting to talk to you so um…I'll let you go. We'll catch up more later."

Mouth nodded over at the figure behind Peyton and walked off. Peyton turned around to see who exactly he had been talking about and her cheery grin instantly left her face as she noticed Lucas approaching her.

"Peyton…"

"Lucas…"

They stared into each other's eyes for a long while before Lucas finally spoke. "You're not staying?"

Peyton eyed him curiously. "Why would you think---"

"You're still wearing your coat." Lucas said cutting her off.

"Oh…" Peyton said, pausing momentarily to clear her throat. "No, I'm not leaving. I haven't even been here all that long. I'm just…a little cold is all."

Lucas nodded. "Oh."

There was a couple of minutes of awkward silence. Lucas scanned Peyton from head to toe. He then stared long and hard at the engagement ring on her finger before finally speaking. "Nice ring."

Peyton sighed. "Thanks."

Lucas was about to say something else when he was interrupted by a voice calling out to Peyton.

"Peyton!"

Lucas turned to his right, and Peyton to her left and the two came face to face with Haley. Peyton's eyes turned angry and her face bright red. She grabbed a drink from a nearby server and walked away.

Haley sighed. "I don't even know why I bothered…"

"I don't know why either." Lucas said as he ran a hand through his sandy blonde hair. "Because you and I both know…you're just wasting your time. Really…just give it up Haley. Just give it up."

Lucas shook his head and sauntered off. He began fiddling with a loose button on his shirt and inadvertently smacked into a woman reentering the crowded hall from the bathroom.

"Oh, I'm sorry Ms. I didn't see you...wait, Brooke?"

The beautiful brunette stared long and hard at the blue-eyed guy standing in front of her before clearing her throat and speaking. "Drop dead Lucas."

Brooke then trotted off in the opposite direction. She headed over to the punch table and filled up a cup. Brooke took a sip of her drink; her brown eyes began to scan the room but stopped when they came into contact with a familiar set of green ones. Peyton and Brooke gazed at each other for a long while before Peyton finally gave Brooke a small little wave. Brooke gave her a quick half-hearted smile and watched as Peyton walked off to another part of the hall.

Peyton sat down in an empty chair, covered her face with her hands and just shook her head. She then suddenly felt someone tap her on the shoulder.

"You're in my seat."

She turned around and saw that it was Nathan. "Oh, I didn't know. Do you want me to---"

"Get up?" asked an irritated Nathan. "Yeah…I do."

Peyton slowly nodded her head and got up from the chair and wandered off. Nathan sat down in the seat vacated by Peyton and put his beer on the table next to him. He whipped out his phone and began texting. After a long while, he finally finished and he went to place his phone back in his pocket and took a sip of his drink. He then stretched and got up from his spot at the table. He made his way outside, toward the hall's empty back parking lot to get some fresh air and noticed Haley standing, all by herself. She was leaning up against the wall, absentmindedly playing around with her wedding band.

"I guess you needed to come out and get some air too, huh?"

A somewhat startled Haley turned to her right and faced Nathan. She nodded, but remained quiet.

Nathan started to say something but he was interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone.

Haley rolled her eyes. "You should get that."

She then brushed passed Nathan and made her way back into the hall. Nathan picked up his phone and answered it. He talked into his cell for a good while before finally hanging up. Just as he started to make his way back into the building, Brooke and Mouth were heading out.

Brooke and Nathan both stopped and stared at each other for a minute. He smiled at Mouth, gave Brooke a small nod, and then continued on his way.

Brooke then made her way toward the side of the building and leaned her head on the brick wall. Mouth joined her and leaned his head against the bricks as well.

She looked up and stared into the night sky. "We're not gonna get sad. Nothing's going to change now. We'll all be friends forever. I know it."

Brooke turned and faced Mouth. "I said those words the last night Peyton, Lucas, Haley, Nathan and I were in Tree Hill before…you know…before we left to go start the beginning of the rest of our lives. Boy did I predict wrong."

"I know high school friendships normally don't last forever, but never did I think that the 'fab five' would cease to exist." Mouth said sighing. "Not until I got here and witnessed all the hostility and awkwardness between Peyton and Haley…you and Lucas…and so on and so forth. What …what really happened to you guys Brooke? What could've POSSIBLY happened to cause you all to fall apart and break away from each other?"

"A lot of things." Brooke stated honestly. "Lies, betrayal…heartbreak…and so much more."

"But you all decided to come to the ten year reunion…knowing that there was a chance you might run into each other." Mouth pointed out. "I'm sure you all wouldn't have decided to come if you didn't at least hope there might be some chance of reconciliation between at least some of you guys."

"Perhaps that's what some might secretly be hoping for." Brooke said, slowly nodding her head. "Or perhaps there's another reason."

Mouth raised an eyebrow. "Like what? Revenge?"

Brooke remained eerily quiet for a long while before responding cryptically. "Perhaps."

She then leaned in and gave Mouth a kiss on the cheek and reentered into the hall.

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Four days later…

Detective Moore sighed as he plopped down at his office desk. He looked up at Officer Riley and motioned for him to enter into the room and to close the door behind him. "I still can't believe it."

Riley shook his head. "Neither can I. Shot to death in the stomach…in cold blood---"

"Most likely by a ---at least at one time---close, close friend." Moore said interrupting. "It's such a shame."

"You really positive it was one of the four though? I mean…when we first saw them…they all seemed so sad."

Moore nodded. "It has to be! They were the only ones found at the scene of the crime. All four of their prints were found on the gun and theirs were the only ones. Plus from what I've heard through several sources…those four…maybe some of them a bit more than others but…they all had a reason for perhaps wanting our victim dead. One of them was shedding crocodile tears…I know it. I just gotta figure out which one and why exactly no one has come right out and implicated one of the others to try and save their ass. Maybe it's because...I don't know...while only one might've actually pulled the trigger...they were all somehow involved in the plotting and execution of the murder."

Riley slowly nodded his head. "I see."

"It still baffles me how those four managed to get out on bail!" Moore yelled out angrily. He then glanced down at his watch. "I seriously need to start talking to them ASAP so this investigation can really get underway. And damn…suspect #1 is now officially late."

"That's actually why I came in here to talk to you." Riley said as he readjusted the pen in his left shirt pocket. "The front desk wanted me to tell you that suspect #1 called and is coming over now and should be here very shortly."

Moore nodded. "Good. Page me down to the interrogation room when she's here."

"Will do sir."

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A teary-eyed Peyton began fumbling with her engagement ring. She looked up and sighed.

"I'm not…entirely sure how this works or how I…should start so umm…"

She paused, momentarily, to wipe away her tears and then continued. "I'm sorry…it's just. This is all…really hard to talk about. But umm…so I…I guess I'll just start by explaining why I came back to Tree Hill for the reunion. I thought that…I suppose I thought that coming back would...heal a part of my soul that hasn't been right in a …really long time now but…seeing everyone…it hurt a lot more than I thought it would and coming back…was obviously a mistake."

Peyton sniffed and blinked back some more tears.

"That night on the Rivercourt…back in 2007…before everyone went off to college, work or what not…we all vowed to stay friends for ever. Never did I think for a second that me and my four best friends wouldn't stay best friends. Never. But the next day…when we all left to follow the paths we felt necessary to take…was the day things started to change. I wouldn't say that 2008 was the year my relationships with Brooke, Lucas, Nathan and Haley completely hit the fan but a lot of things happened that year that…I don't know. I guess in retrospect I…I now realize that 08 was in many ways the beginning of the end…"

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PLEASE READ (sorry it's so long)

Okay so there it is! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. So…at the Tree Hill High's Class of 2007's ten year reunion, it looked like there was some awkwardness and tension between Lucas and Peyton. They were together and happy ten years ago but clearly…things changed and Peyton moved on. But what happened? While Peyton was definitely not thrilled to see Lucas, she was down right furious when she came face to face with Haley. And Lucas doesn't seem all that fond of Haley either…but didn't get AS upset as Peyton did when she saw her. As for Naley…it looks like they're still married, at least technically anyways…but there's definitely something not quite right there either. Haley seemed agitated with Nathan, but who knows why. And it looks like Nathan might have a problem with Peyton. And for some reason Brooke can't stand Lucas. As for Brooke/Peyton…well while the two didn't display any hatred toward each other, they didn't try and talk to each other either so it doesn't like their BFF's anymore. Brooke/Nathan? Again no signs of hostility were displayed, yet…they weren't jumping for joy to see each other. As for where Lucas/Nathan and Brooke/Haley stand? That hasn't been made clear yet. So…each chapter…maybe two…will focus on a past year and each year will be seen through a different character perspective. Also thrown in between the past reflections will be the present day. Through out the stories, shocking reveals will be made. Gradually you'll learn who's all alive. One by one the four remaining members of the core five will be revealed. So...my question for you all…who do you think is the murder victim and why was this person killed and by whom? What were the core five doing together the night of the murder? Do you think the shooting could've been accidental or was it intentional? Please review with your thoughts/comments! – Jasmine

Next time…

Peyton tells us about 2008