Authors note: Here you go. I'm sorry it took so long if you are a member of the 911 board then you know what I did this summer. But that's not the only reason, I needed this to be right and I think this is it. There are a million people who helped me, who talked me through it and who basically didn't kill me (Cathy, Maggie, Sam, Emily and more). You all know who you are, but this chapter is dedicated to one person in particular and that's to Amanda who believed in me and told me so that I would get it. And to Melissa aka Photoboothromance, my beta who gave me the kick in the pants I needed to get this done. Review you all know I'm a review whore….

Beautiful Disaster: Chapter One

She could feel rays of sunlight as they streamed in through her bed room window and onto her face; she opened her eyes. Once again she had woken with the sunrise. Lying flat on her back Brooke Davis pulled the pink satin covers up to her chin before stretching her arms into the air, she was exhausted, and despite that, she knew she wouldn't be able to fall back to sleep. Staring at the ceiling she went through a mental list of all of the things that she had to do that day: a breakfast meeting with her wedding planners to go over the final details of her wedding, a quick trip to the beach house to make sure everything was perfect just like she had instructed her decorator, lunch with her best friend and maid of honor, followed by her final fitting for her wedding gown, then an intimate dinner with her fiancée at their favorite restaurant. Turning on her side she glanced at the picture in the sterling silver frame on her night stand and smiled. God he was handsome. It had been take a year earlier at her twenty second birthday party, the night they had announced their engagement. She could still remember every detail of that night, Nathan in his tux, her in her pink dress, the two of them dancing, and finally Mae getting on stage to announce their engagement—that their families would become one. She had been so happy as he had slipped the ring on her finger, as she felt as she was floating on air. Deciding against any attempt to sleep, Brooke threw the covers off her, slipped into her favorite silk robe and her slippers, and threw open the windows letting in the warm summer breeze.

Walking onto her balcony she could hear her mother giving out instructions to the dozens of workers who had assembled on the south lawn to set up tents for the reception. Brooke could barely contain her laughter as she heard her mother bellowing out orders to them about the specific areas the tents had to be place in, and God help them she thought if they didn't follow her exact orders. Her mother never ceased to amaze her; she had, despite hiring the best wedding planner in the state of North Carolina, overseen every last detail of the wedding, herself. Nothing had been too small, everything from the napkin holders, china, and exotic flowers being flown in from Fiji, even the two hundred invitations had been hand-picked by Mary. Brooke had been involved in as much as the planning she had wanted, deciding early on to let her mother handle it, and instead had concentrating on renovations to the Scott family beach house, where she and Nathan would be living after their nuptials. The house was Mae's wedding gift to the newlyweds. Actually it was her wedding gift to Brooke, since she would be signing over the deed to her that afternoon.

As she slipped off her nightgown and stepped into the shower, she couldn't help but smile as she thought of Nathan's reaction to the beach house. She couldn't wait to show it to him; she knew he would love it just as she did. From the beginning she had one goal and it was to make the beach house a haven for them; she had told him so. She wanted it to be a home which set people at ease from the moment they entered. Working along side an architect, she had transformed the beach house into her and Nathan's dream home. Every room had been redone, walls had been torn down, and new bedrooms as well as bathrooms had been added to accommodate what Brooke hoped to be a growing family. For months she had spent hours pouring over paint samples, fabric swatches, and pieces of furniture to fill their first home and of course she had enjoyed every minute of it. It was her future. After stepping out of the shower she couldn't help but start humming the Wedding March, wrapped in her terrycloth robe, everything was falling into place: the house was done, the wedding was less than a week a way and she was blissfully happy knowing she was going to spend the rest of her life with the man she loved.

"Miss Davis," she heard a voice say as she walked into her bedroom.

"Good morning Lily," she said to the new maid who was setting down her breakfast tray.

"Morning Miss. Your mother wanted me to bring this to you and to remind you your fitting was moved to two p.m., oh and Mr. Scott called…"

"He did?" Brooke asked her as she poured herself a cup of black, steaming coffee. "That's odd I wonder why he didn't call my cell? What did he say?"

"That he was sorry he can't make it to dinner. He will be out all day and said he would call you tonight after having dinner with his client. Oh Miss, I forgot, Mrs. Scott dropped off some paperwork for you," Lily finished as she made her way out the door. "If you need anything else, do let me know."

Brooke didn't take notice as Lily left the room; the feeling of disappointment she was experiencing was overwhelming. She had been so looking forward to spending time alone with Nathan. It seemed lately the two of them kept missing each other, something always came up, whether it was the wedding, work, trips, family—the last few weeks were the worst. As the wedding got closer and closer they barely found a minute to be alone. Her mother had told her it was normal, especially the last few weeks, but her words hadn't offered her much comfort. She knew that it wasn't easy for Nathan, being a member of the Scott family was not easy, especially since he had been promoted to Vice President of his family's corporation. A lot was expected of him, and he had some big shoes to fill. That didn't stop Brooke from believing that once they were married it would be okay—things would fall into place as they were supposed to and they would be as happy as they'd ever been and ever could be.

The Scott family was known as one of the most prestigious, and there were endless responsibilities which went with the last name, as well as a strong sense of duty. Brooke understood it. She, like Nathan, had been born into a Southern family of old money, one which was prestigious and even wealthier than the Scott family. She understood. They were reflections of their families, and she knew at times it was a difficult thing to deal with, after all, being the daughter of the governor was not easy, neither was being a heiress, but in a few days they could face the world, their troubles and fears, as one. Deciding she had enough with sitting on her bed and feeling sorry, she grabbed her cell phone and pressed two.

"Hello." She heard a groggy voice.

"Get up." She said, "I'm taking you to breakfast."

Later that Day

"How could you? I mean this has to be the most horrendous, the meanest, and the most horrible thing you have ever done to me. I mean, to utter those words in front of that woman, oh God, do you have any idea the can of worms that you have now opened? Don't answer that, of course you do or you wouldn't have done it, and to think you're supposed to be my best friend! My sister! Oh god, the betrayal. I don't think I can forgive you for this Brooke. Best friend or not, I think our friendship may be over after today. God help you if my mother tells Jake, I don't want to imagine what could happen if she does that."

Brooke could not help herself, and began to laugh at her best friend who was standing in front of her with her hands on her hips, an angry expression on her face. The thought of the girl not forgiving her was funny. She knew Peyton could never stay mad at her for long. The two girls had, like their mothers before them, been friends since birth. There was not one period in either girl's life which the other wasn't apart of, and no matter how many fights they had they always forgave each other. Their friendship was important, as was the balance each girl bought to it. They were closer than friends, they were sisters, but she had also known the minute the words had left her mouth she had made a big mistake. One of the biggest fears her best friend had, was marriage, and by saying that

Peyton would be the next one to walk down the aisle she had brought forward an issue she avoided like the plague.

"I can't believe you laughed, I mean yeah you said it which was really bad but the fact that you laughed afterwards makes it worse, and did you just have to say in front of my mother?" the blonde shook her head, her curls bobbing, before she walked over to the pink satin bed in the middle of the room and laid down. "If she starts buying wedding magazines there will be nowhere on this earth you can hide in. I will hunt you down and kill you."

"Peyton," Brooke said as she crawled onto her bed next to Peyton and sank back against her pink satin pillows. "Its not that bad, and I'm sorry. Besides, your mother knows how you feel about the whole wedding, marriage, babies deal. She won't start on you." Brooke was hoping Peyton would let it go, despite knowing full well she wouldn't. She had see her aunt's face after having said it, it had been filled with newfound hope that maybe, just maybe, her only daughter would walk down the aisle dressed in white, to marry her long time beau, but Brooke knew that would never happen. Peyton would rather walk through hot coals than get married, even to Jake Jagielski, the man she had been in love with since childhood, whom she had been living with for the last two years.

"Oh yeah! Real sorry I bet. I don't believe in marriage. It's not that hard to comprehend. I don't do satin, lace, vows; it's not me. I love Jake, there is no one other than him that I want in my life. I plan to be with him forever, but I don't need some ceremony to make it official. The sooner people realize that the happier I'll be." Peyton answered as she rolled her eyes, and watched as Brooke reached for her cell phone on her nightstand and flipped it open, only to snap it shut after a few seconds

"And by the way," she continued to say as she wondered why Brooke kept picking up the phone, "I know you well enough to know you're not sorry. I saw your face when you were uttering those words. You had that look, Brooke Davis soon-to-be Scott! The "how bad I can freak Peyton out" look, and I know you Brooke. I know you better than anyone just like you know me, and I know you did it on purpose. I'm even willing to bet my brand, new Jimmy Choos on that!"

"No need to bet the Jimmies I already have them in three different colors!" Brooke quipped, "And okay, fine, maybe I did do it on purpose, but in my defense I totally stand by my words. I truly think you will be happily married to Jake someday in the not so distant future. Your commitment-phobia will go away at some point; after all, you two have been together for almost three years. At some point you'll have to take the plunge." she said hoping Peyton didn't kill her for pushing the issue.

"Stop!" Peyton screamed before she grabbed a pink satin pillow and put it on her face. "Just stop! I can't handle anymore of it and if you say it again I don't know what I'll do! Once was enough. If you say it again I might break out in that rash again. I need a drink."

"Oh, quit being such a drama queen. I swear on the life of your first child," Brooke continued as her hazel eyes sparkled, "I am so going to say I told you so and I plan to enjoy every minute of it, but until then I'm staying out if it."

"Staying out of it my ass," Peyton continued, "not everyone thinks the next step is marriage."

Deciding that it was better to drop the subject then beat a dead horse with a stick, Brooke replied, "can you stop being mad at me? You're supposed to be helping me pack. You've been here for the last hour and we haven't even started. My mother's going to kill me. She's been at me for the last week to get this done, and I have no idea what to take. I don't even know what she ordered. I've been so busy with the beach house. I haven't had any time to do any shopping; my mother has handled it all."

"Mama's girl!" Peyton screamed as she watched Brooke get up from her bed and walked into her walk in closet. Coming out a few seconds later with two large Louis Vuitton suitcases, she placed them on her bed. "I so hope Aunt Mary give you hell, the kind of hell I'm going to be experiencing because you just had to say Peyton will be next."

Brooke walked back into her closet and came back a few second later with an armful of dresses which she dropped next to the suitcases. "Let it go already, I swear you have to be one of the most stubborn people I have ever known."

"Whatever!" she told the brunette as she got up and walked over the bookshelf and picked up a purple frame that held a picture of the two of them in their cheerleading outfits. She recalled the day it had been taken. It had been at the state championship where Nathan had scored the winning shot. The two girls had been captain and co-captain of the cheerleading squad. As she looked around Brooke's room, she felt her heart drop into her stomach. Her best friend was getting married and everything was changing.

Peyton picked up another picture of them together with Nathan and Jake. It was more recent, it had been taken at Mae's Scott New Years Gala and Peyton couldn't help but smile as she remembered Jake pulling her into a long kiss at midnight. "I always knew you and Nathan would tie the knot."

Brooke put a pink dress up to herself and stared at her reflection in the mirror. "Nathan and I always planned to be married the minute we finished college. If a big wedding hadn't been so important to my mother, I would have done it the day after he slipped the ring on my finger."

"What the hell is this?" Peyton exclaimed.

"What?"

"This thing." Peyton said, unable to disguise the disgust in her voice as she held up a floral dress. "It looks like a flower garden, actually, no, it looks like the curtains my mother has in one of the guest rooms."

"Shut up!" Brooke said to her as she grabbed the sundress out of Peyton's hands. "It's a Carolina Herrara and Nathan loves it. Now are you going to help me or not? Maybe I should call our mothers in, you know they're both downstairs discussing the seating arrangement for the hundredth time. Maybe they'd like to help me pack, talk about the wedding…"

"Okay I'll help." Peyton threw her hands up in protest. "I can't believe you. First you announce you're leaving me and now you're blackmailing me. "

"The same reason I put up with you."

"But it's your honeymoon Brooke, you're supposed to be wearing lingerie, or better yet wearing nothing at all, which leads me to my next question, why are you honeymooning on a boat when you get sea sick? I thought you wanted to go to France instead of Greece?"

"One of Mae's investors offered it to us and it would have been rude to say no."

Peyton stared at her in disbelief. "Wait!" she said as she walked towards Brooke. "I get it now. You're going on your honeymoon and you're going to go to some business functions, on your honeymoon?"

Brooke answered her as looked down at her shoes.

God doesn't Mae ever let up?"

"This has nothing to do with Mae okay. There might be some functions that some investors might throw for us and I want to be prepared, this whole thing hasn't been easy on Nate and if I can help him I want to."

"How many are there Brookie?"

"Peyton…"

"How many?"

"Three, maybe four?" she answers unable to once again meet Peyton's eyes. "And before you say anything this is important to him therefore it's important to me."

"Okay I guess I get it, after all it can't be easy stepping into the shoes that were suppose to be filled by Lucas."

A scowl spread through Brooke's face the minute Peyton said the name Lucas. "Don't talk about him."

"He still hasn't sent his RSVP, huh?"

"And he isn't going to do it. I know everyone is holding out hope that the great Lucas Scott will actually come his brother's wedding, but he is going to be a no show just like he has been a no show at every family event. What else can you expect from someone who hasn't bothered to have any contact with his own brother for two years? He's a no good, selfish bastard. I can't believe he and Nathan are even related. Thank god he lives in Spain and we don't have to deal with him."

"Whoa there Brookie, everyone knows that Lucas was the golden boy, the boy wonder. When he went awol it broke Mae's cold heart…but he was a hottie, and I wonder who whose better in bed the older or the younger."

"Peyton" Brooke scolded as she flipped open her cell phone again, "that's so crude!"

"It's the truth, and you know it just like I know that once upon a time you lusted after Lucas just like the rest of us."

"Oh please!" Brooke answered as she started laughing. "I would never, ever look at Lucas Scott, where do you get this stuff?"

Peyton smiled as she walked to Brooke's closet. "I'll have you know, I have a very good memory and I remember you drooling as we sat with Nathan at the end of his driveway watching Luke and his friends play basketball when we were younger. You know, Jake talks to him and he told me he is doing real well." Peyton finished before she disappeared into Brooke's closet and emerge a few minutes later with a huge, wicked grin on her face.

"You little sneak," she said as she walked towards Brooke, "all these years and I can now happily say I've rubbed off on you. Who would have thought you would buy this?"

"What are you talking about now Pey...oh god!" Brooke said, her cheeks turning red when she saw what Peyton was holding.

"Erica sent it to me." Brooke said softly hoping Peyton would put the sexy lingerie back in her closet.

"Please Peyt? Put it away!"

"Oh hell no! Wow I can't get over this, too bad Erica isn't coming to the wedding or the end-of-freedom party I'm throwing you"

"I already told you I don't want a party. I'm not going out drinking with you and Glamma the night before my wedding" Brooke added before flipping her phone open again.

"Okay, that's it! What the hell is going on? You've been flipping open that cell phone every thirty seconds, and it's driving me nuts."

"I'm waiting for Nathan to call, he said he would call but he hasn't yet."

"He'll call Brooke he's swamped. I know better than anyone how busy it is working for Scott Corp. Jake has been traveling all over since he started working there..."

"But I really wanted to show him the house. I was kind of hoping that he would finish up early so I could show it to him. I signed the deeds today and I just cant wait to move into it. You think he'll like it? "

"Of course he'll like it, its great, you poured your heart and soul into it."

"What do you think of this dress?" Brooke asked, changing the subject as she held up a purple chiffon dress that had been in the back of her closet.

"I love that dress, it was one of my favorites before you stole it," Peyton grinned. I'll be right back. I'm going to run downstairs.

Brooke waited for Peyton to walk out the room before she flipped open her cell phone hoping to catch him, but instead she got his voicemail.

"Hi honey, it's me again, um… I'm sorry to bother you but I was hoping that if you finish up early you can come by and we can go and see the house. Call me, okay? I love you Nathan!"

She put the phone down and smiled. "Four more days," she said out loud before she once again began to hum the Wedding March before hearing the door reopen.

"Peyton I was just thinking about the time you …" she trailed off, seeing her mother, followed by Peyton in the doorway. Peyton, who was crying was followed by her Aunt Ann. Brooke froze, a cashmere scarf dangling from her hand.

"Sweetheart." She heard her mother say as she took her into her arms, letting the scarf fall onto the bed, "I don't know how to say this…"

"Mom, oh no, Glamma, I knew it, why did she have to go to Argentina..."

"It's not Olivia," Mary Davis interrupted, "Brooke you need to be strong; darling…there was an accident. We just got the call"

A tear formed in the corner of Brooke's eye.

"It's Nathan" her mother confirmed her worst fears.

Brooke sat down before jumping up to search for her keys. "What did I do with them! Peyton you're going to have to drive me!" she became frantic.

"Brooke ." Peyton whispered, grabbing her hand which was trembling. "He's dead."