Title: Anna's Story

Author: Majandra

Email: maybe_its_me719@hotmail.com

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: Brooke and Sam, duh! That's, like, all I can write at the moment, and I'm not even doing that well!

Disclaimer: Not mine, blah blah woof woof.

Author's Note: I was at work today, working with a girl who I am hopelessly in love with, and she's not supposed to know it, but I think, owing to me over helpful friends, she does. Anyway, a lot of the events (ie the ripples/nipples thing, not sure if there even are Eta Ripples in the US) come straight from the shift I worked today. So this is for Anna.

Brooke, Carmen and Mary Cherry sat at a table in the cafeteria, listening to April Tuna wax poetic about the latest Glamazon routines. Carmen and Mary Cherry's thoughts were along the lines of "Oh, dear God, what have we got ourselves into...", but Brooke was distracted by the scene that was playing out a couple of tables away.

Sam and George were talking, or so it seemed. Actually, Sam was doing most of the talking by the look of things, and she looked like she was trying to calm George down or something. But George was getting angrier, and angrier, until finally he banged his fists down on the table, hard, and stormed away. Sam jumped up from the table and ran from the room in tears.

Brooke immediately got up and strode over to where Sam's friends were sitting, and zeroed in on Lily. "What just happened there?"

"It's really not my story to tell," Lily hedged. "She's in the Novak, why don't you go and ask her?"

When Brooke entered the Novak, it was to find Sam curled up in a little ball under the sinks, sobbing. Brooke ran to her and gathered her in her arms.

"Sammy, what on earth just happened?" she asked, concerned. Sam sniffled and sank into Brooke's arms.

"Shortened version?" she asked, miserably.

"For now, yes. Later I'm going to need the full story," Brooke agreed. Sam took a deep breath and began.

"I broke up with George. It was because I'm in love with someone else, and I didn't feel it was fair to him to string him along like that, even though I know I don't have a chance in hell with this other person. So he got a little angry, and then I told him who it was, and he got a lot angry, and then I asked him if we could still be friends, and that's when he banged the table and left."

"But who was it?" Brooke asked her, not understanding fully. Sam sighed.

"I'll try to explain a little better. The reason George was angry... apart from the obvious betrayal feelings he was bound to have... is because I dumped him for another girl. He, uh, said he didn't want to be associated with a lesbian, so he not so politely asked me to stay away from him."

"So who is she?" Brooke asked again, wanting to be there for Sam. Sam started to cry again.

"She? I can't tell you that, Brooke. I can never tell you."

Brooke patted her back gently, and comforted her until she felt ready to face the world again.

(A/N this is where it begins to be for Anna)

When school was over, Brooke headed out to the car park to find that Sam had already started walking home. She drove back to the Palace and met her there, but Sam wouldn't talk about what had happened that day. On the surface, she was fine, but it was the incessant chattering about inane things that gave away her true feelings. Brooke could see she was terrified.

Days passed, and school went on as per usual. The only thing that was different, apart from Sam and George no longer being joined at the hip, was the fact that Sam was avoiding Brooke as much as she could. The only thing Brooke could think of to do was go and talk to Lily.

"So she wouldn't tell me who she loves, and now she won't even talk to me. What am I going to do?" Brooke moaned. Lily sighed sadly.

"Brooke, I'm going to tell you something I don't think Sam would want me to tell you, but I think you deserve to know. For the last month, if not more, she's been going around singing your praises like there's no tomorrow. It's Brooke this, and Brooke that, and what shampoo do you think Brooke uses for her hair to be so beautiful, and hasn't Brooke got the sort of smile that makes you want to smile, and doesn't Brooke smell nice?" Lily paused to draw breath after her long speech, but Brooke had gotten the point. "I won't insult your intelligence, or mine, Brooke. It's painfully obvious who she loves."

"But... how can she love me?" Brooke wondered. "What did I do?"

"You're just you," Lily said, a tad bitterly.

About a week later, Sam and Brooke were working on some hideous project assigned by the Claw. The conversation hadn't strayed from the safe, but Brooke was working up the courage to bring it up.

"So, shopping list," Brooke said, getting sick of work and wanting some eats. "I'm thinking chips, soda and pretzels, what do you think?"

"Let's go to that market where they sell those Eta Ripples," Sam requested. Brooke grinned, and wrote down "ripples" on her list. Sam looked over her shoulder. Brooke had written the word quickly, and the 'r' and the 'i' had accidently joined. "I'm sorry, does that say 'ripples' or 'nipples'?" Sam joked, cracking up laughing. Brooke turned red, but laughed.

"Are you hassling my nipples?" she asked, mock seriously, before turning even redder and Sam busted out laughing. "Oh, that SO came out wrong."

As they walked to the car, Sam brought up the botched word again, and by the time they were buckled in they were in tears of helpless laughter.

Suddenly Brooke couldn't take it anymore. Totally aware of her actions, she leaned over to the passenger side, cupped Sam's face and kissed her sweetly on the lips. Sam stiffened, but didn't pull away. Brooke ended the kiss and sat back, looking to see her reaction.

"Now we've got that out of the way, shall we go?" Brooke suggested, a little shakily.

"What was that for?" Sam asked, a little bewildered, but thankful just the same.

"I know you're in love with me, and this is my way of saying, I think I'm on the way to feeling the same way," Brooke replied, before leaning in to kiss her again.

~fin~