Distant Dreamer
Chapter 1: Gives You Hell
Disclaimer: all characters are the property of the cw and schwahn
The next three months seemed to have past by in a whirlwind of activity for Brooke. Between last minute preparations for Peyton and Lucas' wedding, the country's fluctuating economic situation, her and Rachel's engagement and ultimately public outing, Brooke feels as though she hasn't been able to sit still for more than a minute.
Tilting her head to the side, she taps a finger to her chin mentally calculating how much further she can cinch the corset of Peyton's wedding dress in an effort to make her breast more prominent. Walking a circle around the blond perched on the step stool in the middle of her office, Brooke tiredly rubs the knot forming on the back of her neck and sends a grateful smile to Karen who is double checking the guest list and seating charts.
"Hey! Go easy there Brooke," Peyton yelps, as Brooke readjusts the laces "there's nothing sexy about a bride asphyxiating on her wedding day."
"Beauty is pain Sawyer, P.E. so suck it up."
"I'll remember that little tidbit of wisdom when it's your turn to strut down the aisle Davis, B.P." Peyton grumbles
"Speaking of which," Karen interjects from her comfortable seat on the couch, "have you decided on the venue Brooke?"
Sighing dejectedly, Brooke shakes her head no.
"It's been difficult considering the current laws, North Carolina is definitely out as are the majority of the southern states. Connecticut is really beautiful in the fall, Sam and Rachel scoped out this gorgeous spot in Old Greenwich and a few more in Hartford and Farmington but…I don't know, it just kinda sucks that I was born and raised in this state but am not legally able to be married here."
"I'm sorry sweetie but I wouldn't give up hope, these things have a way of working themselves out and in the end all that matters is that you're spending your life with someone you love." Karen gives her a brief hug.
"I really shouldn't complain, I mean things could have been a whole lot worst when Rachel and I finally went public with our relationship."
"Yeah compared to most other celebrities you guys really dodged a bullet."
"It helped that I had a great support team," Brooke squeezes Peyton's hand, grateful to have her on Team Brachel, "there was a slight decrease in sales but really with these types of revelations one has to expect some form of backlash. The worst was having those annoying TMZ reporters practically camped out on our front lawn."
"How did you manage to get rid of them by the way?" Peyton frowns, remembering the three ring circus that surround the Riverhouse for nearly a month after the Big Reveal.
"Sam set off fireworks, they scattered like cockroaches." Brooke laughs "But Davis Enterprises bounced back faster than I imagined, once we opened up the store in Providence Town, Massachusetts, apparently C/B is the super new lesbian chic. Not to mention that sales skyrocketed when Portia and Ellen wore my designs at both the GLAAD and Oscar's."
"That's amazing Brooke," Peyton commends, tugging at the uncomfortable corset, "so all that's left is world domination."
"Rachel has plans to open another store in Tokyo and Sydney, C/B should be global by the end of summer."
"Hey Momma D, you text'd me?" Sam asks, walking into Brooke's office. Her mother is busy putting the final touches on Peyton's wedding gown as a older brunette woman looks on fondly.
"Yes I believe I did," Brooke says, rounding her desk she lifts up a newspaper and points to an article, "care to explain this, Samantha?" Sam skims the heading and with a shrug replies
"Well it's a newspaper, see back in the 1800's there was this invention called the printing press and it…"
"I meant explain to me why my daughter is now a published writer and I had to hear second hand about this amazing article, smartass." rolling her eyes, Brooke kinks her eyebrow at the exasperating teen.
"It's just the school newspaper, hardly the Wall Street Journal." Sam says quietly with deceptive coolness
"Sam this is incredible, we are so proud of you and Rachel already sent a copy down to the art department to have it blown up and framed." Brooke squeals, wrapping the teenager up in a bear hug.
"What your poor employees must go through here." Sam grumbles, pretending to be embarrassed by her mothers display but secretly preening under the unabashed praise.
"Shush," playfully swatting the other girl, Brooke suddenly spins Sam around to face the strange woman grinning at Brooke's antics, "Oh I almost forgot, Karen Roe meet my daughter Sam the next big thing to hit the publishing world."
"Hi Sam, it's nice to finally meet you, Brooke's been singing your praises all morning." Karen greets her warmly
"So she's been regaling you with tales of my dastardly behavior and your still smiling, I must be losing my edge?" Sam smirks when Brooke sighs and shakes her head
"Trust me Sam, with some of the misadventures Brooke had at your age, there's not much that could shock me." Karen laughs at the disconcerting look on Brooke's face
"And on that note, I believe someone needs to get back to school before she get's yet another detention." Brooke ushers Sam towards the door.
"I should get going, my friend Eugenia is waiting for me at the diner to grab a quick lunch before we head back to class."
"Okay, drive safe and don't forget to…"
"Yeah yeah, always wear my helmet, obey all traffic rules, To Serve Man is a cookbook, I know the drill." Sam drones.
"Whatever smartass, dinner is at 7."
"It was nice to meet you Ms. Roe, later Peyt, bye mom." and the sincerity in which Sam always says the title mom, never ceases to bring a smile to Brooke's face.
The greasy spoon that Sam frequently patronages was in no means because of it's fine cuisine, in fact about the only thing remotely edible was the coffee but it was still a step up from the bland school lunches and thus the only reason she was able to entice Eugenia into coming here day after day.
While her friend complains about her soggy fries Sam scans the small diner in search of a familiar face. Nearly a year ago Sam had managed to track her birth mother down, Maureen Walker worked as a waitress at this very diner and Sam would come in here at least four times a week trying to muster up the courage to introduce herself. For years she had dreamed of being reunited with the woman who gave her up or at the very least finally get the answers as to why her mother abandoned her, but since being adopted by Rachel and Brooke she felt that need slowly begin to fade.
Now she comes to the diner mainly out of habit instead of the pressing urge to reconnect with her birth mother. Sneaking a glance at the woman behind the counter, Sam furrows her brow at the unfamiliar face.
"I'm gonna get a refill," she says, lifting her half empty coffee mug up and nodding towards the counter, "do you want anything else?"
Eugenia throws down the undercooked fry in disgust and reaches for her strawberry milkshake to wash the taste out of her mouth, "Nah, we should be heading back to campus soon anyway, just grab the check, I gotta use the bathroom."
Sam leans on her elbows along the edge of the counter and waits patiently for the young woman to notice her.
"Can I get you anything else?" the girl asks, coffeepot poised over Sam's mug
"The check and maybe answer a question?" she asks uncertainly, the girl pulls her order pad from her apron, ripping off the correct bill and nods her head in agreement. "There's a woman who works here, I think her name is Maureen she's around your height, brown hair…"
"Yeah, I know her but she doesn't work here anymore." the girl, Sarah her nametag reads, gives a little noise of discontent. Leaning forward she beckons Sam closer as she whispers, "She was fired about a week ago, boss caught her stealing food, even threatened to have her arrested, can't say that I don't blame her the pay here sucks."
"Do you…you wouldn't happen to know where she lives do you?" at the suspicious look Sarah gives her Sam quickly adds, "She's family, we lost touch and I don't know how else to reach her."
Sarah seems to roll that request over in her mind for a minute, then shrugs as if she considers Sam harmless.
"I gave her a ride home once, she lives in a trailer park just outside of town, Belleview Gardens." and with that she collects Sam's money, makes change and goes off to help the next customer.
"Why is it that bathroom is always out of paper towels? I had to dry my hands with toilet paper." Eugenia whines, picking the wet pieces of tissue off of her hands, "Ready to go?"
"Think you can walk the two blocks back to school, I'm not feeling well?"
"Told you not to eat that pie, I don't care what the menu says blueberries don't look like that." Eugenia snorts, "You gonna be okay?"
"Yeah, it's just a stomach ache," not entirely caused by the faux blueberry pie, but Sam decides to run with the excuse, "I'll call you later."
As they exit the diner, Sam waits until Eugenia turns the corner before cranking the engine on her Vestpa and heading towards the main road leading out of Tree Hill. Ten minutes later she pulls to a stop at the unkempt plot of land known as Belleview Gardens. A survey of the mailboxes leads her to Walker, M trailer that's rapidly being overgrown by weeds and grass in desperate need of mowing. Unbuckling her helmet strap and sliding off the scooter, Sam cautiously approaches the door.
She pauses with her hand poised to knock, 'What exactly did she plan to say? Would her birth mother even want to see her?' It's obvious that Maureen doesn't recognize her own daughter, even when Sam sat across from the woman as she poured the girl a cup of coffee. Sam is just rethinking plowing into this situation without a plan, when the distressing sounds of a child crying filters through the thin metal door. The child sounds as though it may be seriously hurt, so against her better judgment she knocks and waits. And waits, three minutes and the kid is still screaming it's lungs out. She casts a look around the deserted trailer park, then reaches for the doorknob, not sure whether to be grateful or scared that it's unlocked. Pushing the door open just a crack, Sam takes a deep breath to call out to anyone but the smell that hits her nostrils causes her to instantly gag. She covers her mouth in an attempt not to retch all over the dirty orange carpet yet as she catches a glance at the scene huddled in the far left corner of the filthy trailer, Sam loses the battle with her stomach.
"Holy Shhh…"
a/n: Cruel to end it there but I love a good cliffhanger. So this is the next part of the series, the title is from the song by Duffy and now that their relationship is public knowledge things will be moving along for the Brachel fam. Let me know what you think and if you have any questions, feel free to email me.