Author's Note: Here's Chapter Six for all of you :) I hope that you enjoy it. Now to get the legal mumbo jumbo out of the way, the song used in this chapter is Hold You In My Arms by Ray LaMontagne, I do not own the song, no Copyright Infringement intended :) Read on :) As Always Read/Enjoy/Review!

P.S A HUGE THANK YOU to MichaelJacksonFan227, jonasjacksonheart14, and Twilight's Abercrombie for all of your wonderful reviews. You guys make me smile :D

Chapter 6: Darkness Falls

" He who does not weep, does not see."-Les Miserables.

The week passed in a blur of emotions all of which I refused to show. Emotions did me no good. I had one good blow up and that was at Tatiana and Michael, both of whom I successfully kicked out of my life. For good. I lift my face to the mirror as I apply my eyeliner, stopping to take a breath when I see the way that my hand shakes.

" You can do this Brooke, you have too. You cant cry," I whisper to myself as I look back into the mirror, " You have to be strong. For Celia. For Blake."

" Brooke," a deep hushed voice calls from the doorway and I turn my head to see Caleb leaning against the door frame, " It's time to go." I nod my head once before turning to look back at the mirror. I'm a ghost of my former self, and it doesn't really matter if I ever feel better because at the end of the day Blake's still gone, and I'm, alone.

The limousine is quiet, eerily so as we pull through the gates of Forest Lawn, a procession of vehicles behind us. I shouldn't be so surprised that so many people came to pay their last respects, Blake was loved. By many, but none of them loved him the way I did. Do. Will, for the rest of my life. The limo stops, my heart beating roughly inside of my chest as I realize that I cant do this. The careful control I placed over myself and my emotions betrays me as I watch Celia, Caleb, and Olivia climb from the car before me.

" B," Olivia murmurs leaning down so that her face is swimming before my eyes.

" Liv, I cant," I whisper my voice strangled in my throat, " I cant do this. I cant say good bye."

" Brooke?" a questioning voice rings through the air and I lift flooding eyes to see my Mama standing where Olivia was.

" Mama," I choke out, " Oh Mama." I launch myself from the car into her arms, burying my face in her shoulder drawing from her silent strength as she holds me, her hands running over my hair as I sob.

" Shh honey, lets take a walk, get some air," she says cupping a hand under my elbow, " We'll be in, in just a few minutes."

Michael's POV

I straighten my tie in the mirror my hands shaking almost violently. ' I don't want you. I don't need you. I want you gone. I never want to see you again.' Brooke's tearful words sting as they echo in my head.

" Michael," Tatiana's voice comes from behind me and I lift sober eyes to hers noting that they are swollen and red rimmed, " I'm going with you."

" That isn't a good idea Tatiana," I say, brushing past her to pick up my suit jacket and freeze when she places her hand on my arm.

" Brooke needs us," she says quickly, letting out a deep breath, " She was right, when she said what she said to me. I should have never drug our problems into her home when she is dealing with something that I cant even imagine going through. I want to make things right with her Michael, I have to. She gave up so much for me and for Talia, the least I can do is offer a shoulder to lean on, even if she doesn't realize how much she needs it."

I stare at her in silent shock before inclining my head in understanding and walk from the room. Brooke is going to need everyone, whether she likes it or not, and I have a feeling that she's going to hate it.

Brooke's POV

My head lays pillowed on my Mama's shoulder staring out at the immense grounds of Forest Lawn.

" I didn't think you were going to make it Mama," I murmur finally breaking the tense air around us.

" My baby's hurtin' of course I was going to be here," she whispers pressing a kiss to my hair.

" I cant go in there Mama. I know I should, but I just cant. I'm not ready for this. This whole week I handled the arrangements and made the phone calls and after a while I just became numb, but now, now that I'm here and I know that this is the final step before having to say goodbye I cant bring myself to do it. I'm feeling too much, and I'm afraid that its just going to swallow me whole," I sob, " It's my fault Mama. Blake's dead because of me."

" What are you talking about?" she asks taking my face in her hands pulling my sunglasses off so that I'm forced to look in her eyes.

" He wrote in his journal that I saved him Mama, but I didn't," I choke out the guilt thickening my throat as much as the tears, " I couldn't save him Mama."

" Listen to me and listen to me good Brooke Elisabeth, it isn't your fault. You weren't there, you didn't pull the trigger. When Liv called me and told me," she stammers her own emotions swimming to the surface, " And told me that you were supposed to meet Blake that night, my heart all but stopped beating in my chest. If you had been there you could have been shot yourself. I don't know who did this to Blake, but I have faith that the truth will be found out, and when it is justice will be done, but that isn't what today is about. Today is about remembering Blake, the way he would want to be remembered, and I have to tell you sugar, you're the only one in there who will be able to share with all of us the best things about Blake. You have to forgive yourself Brooke because if you don't its going to swallow you right up. Let today be that day Brooke."

" I don't know how to Mama," I say my voice shaky as I wipe the back of my hand over my face, " I'm scared."

" That's why you have a Mama, and Liv and Caleb, and" she says and before she can continue I look up my heart stumbling in my chest.

" Michael," I murmur.

" Miss. Nichols," Michael says his voice light as he extends a hand to help my mother to her feet, " Celia is looking for, wants to meet the woman who raised Brooke."

" I should get in there then, Brooke, are you coming?" Mama asks looking down at me then back at Michael who stands, one hand in the pocket of his black slacks.

" I'll be there in a minute Mama, I need to collect myself," I say smiling softly when she bends down hugging me, her warm cheek pressed to mine. I stare after her, watching as she walks around the corner before turning swollen eyes to Michael.

" What are you doing here?" I ask getting to my feet ignoring the hand that he holds out to me.

Part of me knows that I shouldn't begrudge Michael. None of this is his fault. But its like Tatiana said, he's a husband and father, he shouldn't be worrying about me. I released him of that obligation when I walked out of that hotel room six months ago.

" I'm here to remember Blake," he answers softly, " And I'm here for you."

" I told you I don't need you Michael," I say brushing past him making my way into the service. I don't need him, I don't. I don't need anyone. I'm better off alone.

I stand at the podium frozen as I look at the faces that swim before me. I don't know how long I've been standing here trying to find the right words to say. Sure I wrote a speech and it lays before me but suddenly the words don't seem right. I take a steadying breath before crumbling the paper beneath my hand.

" I uh, I had written a speech, prepared myself for this moment the best that I could, but the truth is I'm not prepared," I say clearing the lump that rises in my throat, " How can anyone be prepared to say good bye to someone that they love? Blake was the best thing about me. He was single handedly the best decision I made in my life, but the truth is I didn't choose to love him. By now most of you have heard the whispered murmurs of truth. I was in love with someone else when I met Blake, but, but that wasn't real. Blake, he was real. The love that he had for me, and I for him caught me utterly and completely by surprise. I wasn't ready for it, and I think that's what makes this so hard. We had so many plans. Blake and I. None of that really matters anymore, because he's gone, and as hard and unbelievable as that is, I know that he wouldn't want me, or anyone who loved him to live in the past. He would want us to embrace our future. To live our lives to the fullest, unafraid of what may or may not happen." I knuckle away fresh tears as I try to continue. " For the last week I have been living in a haze, trying to understand why this happened. Why Blake, why now, and why like this, and the truth is that we may never know why. We may never get the answers that we seek, but at the end of the day the questions and the answers don't matter. What matters is that Blake lived, and by living he showed me, he showed me what real love was, what real love is. I will always love Blake, but I will spend the rest of my life living the way he would want me too, with a smile on my face and love in my heart."

I step down from the podium my heart thundering loudly in my ears as I take my seat between Celia and my mother, both of their hands seeking mine as I smile lightly, tears trailing down my face as the room swells with Blake's voice singing the first song he ever recorded, and people start filing past us shaking our hands, hugging us before passing before the coffin where Blake lies.

When you came to me with your bad dreams and your fears
It was easy to see you'd been crying
Seems like everywhere you turn catastrophe it reigns
But who really profits from the dying

I could hold you in my arms
I could hold you forever
I could hold you in my arms
I could hold you forever

When you kissed my lips with my mouth so full of questions
My worried mind that you quiet
Place your hands on my face
Close my eyes and say
That love is a poor man's food
Don't prophesize

I could hold you in my arms
I could hold you forever
And I could hold you in my arms
I could hold you forever

So now we see how it is
This fist begets the spear
Weapons of war
Symptoms of madness
Don't let your eyes refuse to see
Don't let your ears refuse to hear
Or you ain't never going to shake this sense of sadness

I could hold you in my arms
I could hold on forever
And I could hold you in my arms
I could hold on forever

I hunch my shoulders, curling into myself when the song ends, Blake's voice drifting away, he pain overwhelming as I realize that he truly is gone, and he took my heart with him.

" You guys should really go on home," I say hugging Caleb and Olivia before turning to my Mother and Celia, " I just, I need to be alone tonight."

" Brooke, I don't know if that's a good idea honey," Mama says cupping my face in her hands.

" Mama, I'll be all right," I say letting out a shaky breath, " I need to start somewhere."

" Okay baby, but I will be there first thing in the morning, I'm staying with Celia tonight, if you need anything you just call."

" I will Mama, I love you," I murmur hugging her firmly before watching her along with Caleb, Olivia, and Celia climb into their SUV and drive away. I exhale rubbing a hand nonchalantly over the ache in my chest turning to find Tatiana standing staring at me. I square my shoulders when she steps towards me.

" Brooke, I want to apologize for everything," Tatiana starts saying, her voice uneven, but I just shake my head holding a hand up cutting off what I'm sure was a very well rehearsed speech.

" Save it," I say brushing past her. I slip into the waiting limo, laying my head back to stare at the ceiling of the car. First Michael, then Tatiana, you would think I could get a break, I mean really whoever is working upstairs obviously doesn't get it. I need a break. One moment in life where people are butting in where they shouldn't be. I close my eyes on a sigh turning my head to the side dropping off into a restless sleep.

I walk slowly and carefully up the stairs leading to my apartment. This has been the longest day of my life and right now all I want is a hot bubble bath, a glass of wine and a solid eight hours of sleep. I rummage through my black clutch bag searching for my apartment key pulling them free. I lift the key to the lock, noticing slowly that the door to my apartment is ajar. My heart slams into my throat as everything inside of me tells me to back away, run, call the police, but curiosity gets the best of me when I push the door open my mouth falling open in shock when I see the disaster that is my apartment. My black high heels crunch over shattered glass and I drop my bag when I see that everything is ruined. Every picture ripped from the walls laying broken in a disheveled mess. I kneel down picking up the remains of a picture, the picture of Blake and I at the beach reading the words left in messy red paint.

' His blood's on your hands.' I drop the photo on a strangled scream looking up when I hear the crunching of broken glass signaling that I'm not alone.

" Hello Brooke," a cool voice calls to me and before I have the time to run, to fight, to react, darkness falls.