The Scott apartment Monday morning was greatly unreachable. Before the sun had even rose above the city skyscrapers, Lucas Scott had disconnected all the landlines and had started screening all calls on his cell. He didn't want to spend the day listening to the abuse of his family and friends as the stories of his suspected infidelity started to circulate the gossip pages.
It was mid afternoon before he got the one phone call he had been waiting for; he had just about given up hope but as he saw her name flash on the small LCD screen his heart gave a jump.
"Brooke?" He greeted sounding both anxious and relived.
"Luke." Her voice responded tiredly; exhausted.
"Brooke, please, you need to come home now." He sounded repetitious and he knew it; he hated repeating this same plea.
"Not right now."
"Do you love me?" He detested that he was undermining everything as he asked the question he already knew the answer to.
"Of course I do." Her voice was hoarse with the tears she'd cried over the past two days; she sounded offended that he had to even ask.
"Then you need to come home before this can get any worse."
The only answer he received was the dial tone as Brooke hung up on him again before she could break down over the phone.
As he stared at the small silver phone in his hands, he thought seriously about the bottle of alcohol that he knew was in the back of the kitchen pantry; however before he could make a move the phone, which still lay in his hand, started to ring again.
Thinking it was Brooke he answered without looking at the ID, and instantly regretted it.
"Brooke."
"No Lucas." The cold voice of Dan Scott was enough to send a shiver down his youngest son's spine.
"What do you want Dan?" Today was not a day for niceties.
"I have just got off the phone with Franklin Hollander." The name of the top divorce lawyer in America stopped Luke dead in his tracks. "He said that it could be difficult with the child, but this should all be handled quickly and quietly." For a minute, Luke was confused; what on Earth was he talking about?
"Brooke has not left me." He hissed hanging up the phone before it could end in an explosive argument.
He didn't think twice as he grabbed his keys and stormed out the apartment; if Brooke wasn't at Nathan and Haley's house there was only one place she could be. He had given her a weekend; he needed to bring her back now.

.:.:.:.:.

In North Carolina, Savannah Scott was sitting in her playpen completely oblivious to what was happening around her as she contentedly stacked the pastel coloured building blocks.
"This is ridiculous." Brooke hissed at the man sitting on the couch opposite of her. "I don't know what you expected to happen when you came here today; but it's not happening." Her ex-boyfriend, Felix Tagarro, was sitting on her couch.
"Brooke, moving back home after a marriage breakup has to be tough. I'm just here to show you my support."
Brooke was tired of hearing that sentence; all of her friends had taken turns visiting and offering their condolences over her failed marriage. She pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes and gathering herself before she gave him the same reply she had given the others.
"I have not left my husband Felix, you can leave now."
"Brooke…" He was trying to apologise. She stood up and headed to the front door.
"Leave."

After Brooke had locked the door behind Felix, she went back to Savannah and lifted her up into a cuddle. Her father had also been around that morning – to talk custody fights and child support. It was enough to have her question her sanity, what part of coming back to North Carolina, to get away ever sounded like a good idea? She couldn't even get a hold of Luke to tell him about the rumours, since he was no longer answering her calls. She was now coming to realise that she had made a big mistake leaving the city the way she had.

Savannah wailed in Brooke's arms as she paced back and forth trying unsuccessfully to calm her. The unseasonable storm that raged outside had taken out the power lines all over city and Brooke was kicking herself over the latest repercussion of her bad decision that left her and her twelve month old daughter alone in a storm with no power.
"Oh, come on honey. Mama's here, mama's keeping you safe." Ever since they'd left New York two days ago the little girl who was the spitting image of her father had been upset and irritable; 'a complete daddy's girl, she resents me from taking her away' Brooke thought on the edge of tears herself.
In an effort to calm her down she took the quilt out of the master bedroom and rugged up with Savannah on the couch; Savannah continued to cry but it toned down to a whimper.
"What do you want baby girl?" Brooke rocked her daughter back and forth, "Do you want to hear a story?" She asked cheerfully as she racked her mind with any story possible. "Do you want mama to tell you a story about daddy?"

It went on like that for most of the night, but no matter what happy story she told Savannah the baby girl refused to close her eyes and go to sleep.
"When mama first found out she was going to have you, I wasn't sure whether your daddy really loved me…" She was thankful at that point that she wasn't at the inquisitive stage where she could ask questions about love and how you could have a baby when you weren't in love. "Anyway, mama kept it a secret for a little while but when daddy found out he was furious I hadn't told him. Trust me baby girl, you're the best thing that has ever happened to your daddy; and to your mama."
The little blue eyes that had been staring intently at her finally beginning to droop until all Brooke could see was her pale lavender eyelids and her dark eyelashes.

Not wanting to risk waking Savannah up, or having her wake up alone during the storm, Brooke stretched out on the couch and closed her own eyes, listening to the sounds of the raging storm outside.
"Savannah's not the only great thing that has happened in my life." Luke's voice hoarse with fatigue broke through the sounds of the wild nature. Brooke's eyes flung open startled and she had to stifle a scream, she hadn't heard the door open. Luke crossed the room quickly and Brooke sat up so Luke could sit down so Brooke's back was resting on his side.
"How long were you listening?" Brooke asked quietly as she closed her eyes again.
"Long enough; you need to know I've loved you since our wedding night." His hand took her left hand bringing it to his lips where he pressed firmly on the skin just above her wedding ring.
"I love you too Luke." Was her quiet reply. "So much."
"Then why did you leave?" He cut straight to the chase, he was hoping now that they were face to face she couldn't keep avoiding the question like she'd done over the phone.
"Everything was too much Luke, the city gets to people. Finding Chelsea in our home was the last straw."
"You are coming back with me though, aren't you?" The fear showed on his face, even though she couldn't see it in the dark, as the thought suddenly occurred to him that she was never coming back.
"Of course I am." A small giggle escaped her soft lips. "I wouldn't dream of leaving you."
"Good, 'cause we need to go on damage control. My father has already called Franklin Hollander."
They sat there in the silence after that listening to the storm that continued outside and the steady breaths of Savannah who dreamt peacefully oblivious to the outside world, until they both fell asleep in their uncomfortable positions.

Thank you to everybody that read and reviewed the last chapter and for Broodygirl (again) for beta-ing this chapter.
Don't forget to review; Hope you all had a great Christmas and have a Happy New Year
~ Casey xXx