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Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty-Two





After a while when AJ had managed to calm Brooke down she looked up at him sniffling and he placed his finger to her cheek and wiped away her tears as he gazed into her watery eyes.



"I don't deserve you," She sniffled. "I don't deserve you at all…" AJ shook his head in disagreement.



"You know I don't believe that nonsense one bit Brookie…I already told you that you deserve to have anything you want." Brooke placed her hand to AJ's bright red cheek where she had smacked him at and another teardrop fell from her eyes as she realized just how hard she hit him.



"I'm sorry…"



"Don't apologize…you were upset, and scared, and I'm not mad at you at all."



"You should be...why did you stay Alex? I wouldn't have…"



"I told you I would be here for you with open arms when you changed your mind…I would have stood outside this door all night long if I had to…" Brooke couldn't help but laugh a little bit and this made him smile with satisfaction. "I love you. I will always love you no matter how many times you push me away and pull me back again…there is nothing you can do to make me stop loving you."



"Do you really believe that I should have anything I want Alex?"



"Anything and everything honey."




"What if what I want more than anything is for you to stay here another day or two?"




"How about another day? And I'll convince your brother to agree to let us spend the entire day alone together tomorrow — I'll make our last day together worth while and then it won't be long until I meet you back at the Orphanage…I promise Brookie, it won't be long at all." Brooke smiled up at him through tears.



"You can really talk Jai into letting us spend the day alone together?"



"I will try my very hardest."



"Just the two of us? Or with Laila too?"




"Whatever your heart desires. I'm sure Peyton will be excited to baby sit her if you want it to be just the two of us."



"No…lets bring Laila with us. I want it to be just the three of us…"




"That sounds perfect. You can show me around your mall," he told her with a grin on his face and Brooke laughed a little.



"You and your shopping…" AJ just smirked and hugged her closer and he rested his forehead against hers as he wiped the remaining tears from both her cheeks. After a few moments he spoke up again.




"Come here," he told her softly and he opened the door and brought her into the house. When they got in there Peyton and Jaime looked at them.



"Is everything okay now?" Peyton asked protectively. Brooke nodded and rested her head against AJ's chest as she pulled him closer to him — if at all possible.



"Alex is staying for another day," she announced and Peyton smiled happily.



"That's great! We enjoy having you here Aje." AJ smiled a little.



"Thanks Pey… I enjoy being here too."



"AJ I want to talk to you," Jaime suddenly spoke up for the first time, as he was sitting on the couch watching Brooke, AJ, and Peyton talk. They all turned their heads and looked at him to see him staring at AJ seriously.




"Jai…don't. It was my fault…"




"Still…I want to talk to him." Brooke looked up at AJ hesitantly and he smiled down at her lovingly as he caressed her cheek.



"It's alright…I don't mind talking to him. I'll meet you upstairs in my room okay?" Brooke nodded and looked to her sister.



"Peyton will you go in the kitchen and make an ice pack for AJ? And then meet me upstairs? I hit him pretty hard…I don't want his face to bruise up."



"Yeah sure, but take Laila okay?"




"Gladly…" Brooke replied, and she gently took the baby from Peyton and she grabbed up AJ's backpack and Laila's stroller from the floor and she headed up the stairs as she cuddled Laila close to her and placed soft kisses on her forehead. She knows AJ won't leave without Laila. Peyton went into the kitchen to get an ice pack like Brooke had instructed and AJ went over and sat down on the couch.




"What's up?" He asked Jaime, knowing full well what is coming.




"Why did Brooke almost send you away?" Jaime interrogated, and AJ began to explain what went on upstairs. They talked for ten minutes and when he finished he got up and went upstairs to the guestroom that he is staying in. When he walked in he found Brooke already unpacking his stuff for him and putting it all in the drawers and stuff — almost as if she was trying to make it seem more real that he is staying another night. Peyton was sitting on the bed watching her and Laila was sitting on the floor playing with some of Brooke's old toys that she had brought in from the tree house. When Brooke saw AJ walk in she stopped what she was doing and looked at him. He smiled at her and went over and took her hands to stop her from doing anymore unpacking.




"I'll take care of this later…come sit with me."




"But…"




"Brookie I'm not going anywhere I promise," AJ reassured, and he looked into her eyes so she could see how serious he was. When she did, she finally gave in and allowed herself to be brought over to the bed. He set her down and sat down next to her. She reached over and got the bag of ice that Peyton had got for him and Brooke placed her hand to one cheek and placed the ice pack to the other where she had hit him.



"How badly did Jaime interrogate you?" Peyton suddenly spoke up.




"It wasn't bad at all…I was ready for it."


"He shouldn't have…I told him it was all my fault."




"Well it doesn't matter sweetheart because it gave me a chance to talk to him about what we had planned."




"Did he give you permission? If he didn't I can go down there and knock some sense into him if you want me to," Peyton insisted, as she already knows about the plan. Brooke had told her. While AJ explained the whole story to Jaime downstairs, Brooke filled her sister in on it too.



"That won't be necessary Pey, because yes, he gave us permission." Brooke smiled happily at this, causing AJ to smile too.



"We'll get ready to leave the first thing in the morning when we've woken up — I'll even take you out for breakfast." He told her and he placed his hand to the ice pack before bringing hers down and squeezing it gently. She leaned into him and rested her head against his shoulder. Peyton smiled a little bit and then started to get up from the bed to leave but Brooke grabbed her hand and pulled her back down.



"No stay," she told her, and she pulled back from AJ and hugged her legs to her chest. "Tomorrow night after AJ leaves do you want to go and get our nails done? I don't want to feel lonely when he leaves." AJ reached over and lightly rubbed his finger up and down her arm.



"Of course! I am going to keep you very busy big sis, so busy that time will fly by really fast!" Peyton told her, suddenly going into her perky mode and she moved over and flung her arms about her and hugged her tight. Brooke made an "oomph" sound as she did.



"Is that so?"



"Mhm!" Brooke couldn't help but laugh a little and hug her sister back.



"I love you Peyton…you are exactly what I need right now." Peyton beamed.


"Well I try."




~*~*~*~*~



Meanwhile in Florida, when Doctor Johnson finished fixing Hannah's knee he brought her back to the Orphanage wing where he found his brother sitting in a chair reading a book in the lobby. Doctor Johnson set Hannah down and she ran on out to the playground again with her sucker in hand. He went over and sat next to Brandon and Brandon looked up from his book.



"I need a break…why don't we go for some coffee outside of the orphanage? I told Hannah to go outside and tell Jenn to take over for me for awhile and nobody needs me in the hospital wing for now."



"Sounds good," Brandon agreed, as he noticed something seemed to be troubling him — he must have checked on the woman who is in a coma or something because Brandon notices that's been a huge tug on his emotions lately. He got up and led his older brother outside to his car. They got in, Brandon in the driver's seat and Doctor Johnson in the passenger's and Brandon drove off to the nearest Starbucks.



"So…Steve…" Brandon started, as he concentrated on the road. Doctor Johnson raised his eyebrow and he looked over at Brandon.



"Brandon?"



"Why haven't you asked Jennifer out yet?"



"Why would I do something like that?" Doctor Johnson asked innocently.



"Because you like her…duh."



"She is a very good friend and co-worker, yes." Doctor Johnson nodded.


"Oh don't play dumb with me. I know you are attracted to her."



"I am not…"



"Oh yeah? Then how come everytime you are in the same room with her you are smiling like you are on drugs or something?"



"I don't, I —"



"- And how come you are smiling like that right now just at the mere mention of her name?"



"I am not smiling!" Doctor Johnson insisted, and he tried his very hardest to make a straight face, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't.



"You were frowning and in a bad mood until I brought her up," Brandon stated in a matter of fact tone. Doctor Johnson rolled his eyes.



"Okay, so I am a little attracted to her…will that get you to get off my case?"



"No not quite," Brandon smirked. "You still never answered my question. Why haven't you asked her out?"



"Um…maybe because I work with her? It's not exactly a good idea to mix work with pleasure Bran. And anyhow, I don't have the time."



"Doesn't Riley and Brian work together? Didn't you tell me that they were dating too?"




"Well yeah, but that's different."



"How so?"



"They were meant to be together from the beginning."



"What if you and Jennifer are meant to be?"



"Very unlikely," Doctor Johnson insisted and Brandon rolled his eyes and remained quiet for the rest of the ride to Starbucks. When they got there they got out of the car and went inside and they both ordered coffee. Brandon got a Caramel Macchiato and Doctor Johnson got a Cinnamon Dolce. When they finished ordering their drinks they went and sat down at a table and Brandon began his attack again.



"Why don't you try just one date and see if it goes from there?" Doctor Johnson rolled his eyes.



"I already told you…I don't have the time." Brandon rolled his eyes.



"Come on Steve…even super Doctor needs a life of his own once in awhile…"



"I also have the Orphanage to run if you've forgotten."



"I can watch it for you." Doctor Johnson looked at him like he is crazy.



"Are you kidding me? You don't exactly have experience in the kids department…"



"Just because I don't spend much time around children it does not mean I can't handle them." Doctor Johnson narrowed his eyes at him.



"Brooke would never —"



"I bet she would if she knew what the reason was for. She's met me before, she knows me. It's not like you will be leaving it in the hands of a complete stranger."



"Brandon I don't know…"



"Oh come on…please? You need this. When is the last time you've been on a date?"



"Since Cyndi…for one, I never really got over getting my heartbroken, and two my job is very demanding if you haven't noticed."



"What better way for you to get over a broken heart with Jennifer? She's beautiful, she's nice, and she's totally into you if you haven't noticed." Doctor Johnson didn't answer right away. He looked down at his coffee as he considered what his brother was suggesting. It has been a very long time since he's had a girlfriend. Three years to be exact. After Cyndi cheated on him and left him for another man he threw himself into his work. Is he really ready to move on?



"Okay…but only on one condition."



"And what's that?" Brandon asked, becoming excited that his matchmaking is working.



"You have to get over Deanna too."



"I don't think that's possible," Brandon insisted, as he suddenly looked down at his coffee, and he suddenly became very interested in stirring it with his straw and a depressed look formed on his face.



"Come on Bran…you deserve better. She obviously wasn't the one for you…"



"So how do you suggest I get over her then?" Brandon asked softly. He knows he has to do it if he wants his older brother to be happy again.



"Same way you suggested I get over Cyndi. Find another girl and go out with her. If you do that…and only when you do that…I will go out with Jennifer."



"Alright, done." Brandon agreed.



"But before I go out on any date, you and I will need to call Brooke and make sure it's okay for me to leave the Orphanage in your hands - and I want to see you helping out with the kids. You need to prove to me that you are capable."



"I am your brother, you should know I am." Brandon replied, pretending to be offended at how protective he is.



"Doesn't matter," Doctor Johnson replied while shaking his head. "The safety of these kids are very important. I know you are one of the safest guys ever, but we've had troubles in the past with caregivers…Brooke says we need to be extra careful in who we trust — whether you are family or not."



"I'll go through any test you throw at me as long as you go on that date with Jennifer." Doctor Johnson rolled his eyes and looked down at his coffee and he began to subconsciously turn his straw in the cup. As Brandon sat there watching him he noticed that same smile from earlier form on his face. Brandon wonders if he even knows he's doing it or not.