Hi everybody! I hope that all of you aren't too mad with me for taking forever with this update. I was away for a while and then I kind of got stuck with translating what I had in my head into writing. However, several people here encouraged me so much to keep writing and let me know that they were still waiting for this, so I'd like to thank all of you for showing me that you were still interested in this story and motivating me to keep writing. I really hope you will all think that it was worth the wait! ;-)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the OTH characters.

Chapter 38

Lucas' gentle fingers soothingly glided through Brooke's soft hair as she laid down in her bed and dozed off, unable to remain alert with the tranquilizing effect the medication had on her. Bob had just left, eager to investigate the lead that Brooke had given him, and even though Brooke had managed to keep it together, it was evident that the meeting with him had taken its toll on her. That, combined with the exhaustion she had already felt prior to Bob's arrival, was enough to make Brooke quietly ask Lucas to help her upstairs, as she wanted to take a nap.

Sitting at her bedside and watching the sleeping beauty before him as she succumbed to her exhaustion, Lucas couldn't help but sigh. It seemed like she had too much on her plate to be able to function in a healthy manner at the moment, and the current uncertainty regarding the true identity of the person behind her attacks was concerning him so much, that he simply couldn't imagine what it must be doing to Brooke in her frail state. Sure, Bob had promised them that he would question Peyton immediately and would make sure that both she and Victoria would not be able to get anywhere near Brooke, but Lucas knew that concern about physical safety was not the only thing that had hit Brooke hard with this entire ordeal. He knew that the understanding that she now had to be aware of the possibility that she could trust neither her mother nor her childhood best friend was what was weighting heavy on Brooke's sensitive soul, and his heart simply broke for her and for the feeling of betrayal he knew she was consumed with.

"Lucas…" as a sleepy mumble caught his attention, Lucas' focus was averted from his thoughts and over to the tired girl he was trying to lull into sleep. He was glad to see that her eyes were closed, but the troubled expression on her face made him realize that something was bothering her rest.

"What is it, babe?" he gently questioned as he looked at her intently and caringly stroked her hair.

"I have to go to therapy again tomorrow…" she muttered in her sleep and then sighed, turning around and facing away from him to bury her face in her pillow, making him realize that she was talking in her sleep. A soft smile graced his face as he noted how childlike and adorable she seemed just then, but as he understood that what she had just said meant that even in her sleep- she was struggling with all the upsetting things she had been through during the past day- he was quick to reassure her.

"I know, baby girl" he softly murmured, "I'll take you there and wait right out that office for you, O.K.? Don't worry about it…" he soothed, kissing her shoulder gently in an attempt to ensure that she would draw comfort from his touch, even if she wasn't conscious enough to be comforted by his words.

"I'm so tired, Lucas…" Brooke weakly whispered, causing Lucas' eyes to fill with tears. She was certainly not awake at the moment, so he knew that she was not talking about the kind of exhaustion an insomniac would suffer from. She was breaking down, and with sleep unleashing her subconscious feelings from the guards she would keep up upon being awake- she couldn't help but admit that.

Pressing two more gentle kisses to her shoulder, Lucas quietly said, "Get some rest, pretty girl. I'm right here with you and I'm not going anywhere" he promised, hoping that this would soothe Brooke's agitated mind.

"Luke" when a tortured whimper escaped Brooke's lips, Lucas closed his eyes and wiped the single tear that managed to escape his eyes. His heart was breaking. No matter what the relationship between the two of them was currently labeled- in his heart, Brooke was his baby, and witnessing her suffering so much was killing him from inside. He still had no idea what exactly Victoria had said or done to her, and he knew better than to press Brooke for answers in her fragile condition, yet it was so evident that Victoria had managed to knock Brooke out of balance that Lucas felt his emotions getting the better of him at how unfair this whole situation was.

"I'm right here, Brooke, it's alright" Lucas said, trying to be useful despite how tough it was for him to maintain a strong front as he faced Brooke's heartbreaking state. Putting his large palm on her back for comfort, Lucas could finally slightly smile when he felt Brooke relaxing slightly into his touch upon instinct.

"Can you lay with me?" Brooke suddenly pleaded, flinching in her sleep and sounding so troubled that several more tears rolled down Lucas' cheek as his heart ached for her poor, tortured soul.

"Sure I can, baby girl. Come here…" he softly gathered her into his arms and spooned his body around her smaller, gentler frame, holding onto her tightly to make her feel safe. He felt relieved to no extent when her tensed-up body finally softened into his embrace as she sighed contently and seemed to finally drift into a calm slumber.

As Brooke's deep, even breaths began soothing Lucas into sleep as well, he pulled her sleeping form closer to him and nuzzled his face into her neck. Had he not known what turmoil was consuming her, he would have gone to sleep completely content having the girl he loved with all his heart tucked safely in his arms. With the way things were, however, the thought that was lingering in his mind as he gave into his own exhaustion and fell asleep was that he was going to stick by Brooke's side no matter what and make sure that her distressed soul would be at ease again…

They had been getting much deserved sleep for five hours when a knock on Brooke's bedroom door startled both Lucas and Brooke from their slumber and finally woke the duo up. Sitting up and attempting to regain orientation of her surroundings, Brooke seemed to be slightly surprised when she grew aware of the fact that Lucas was lying beside her and holding onto her, yet she didn't say a word and simply slipped away from his arms and went up to her bedroom door as he sat up and rubbed the sleep off of his face. She still didn't know how to feel around him due to the confusing mixture of pain and feeling of safety she would be consumed with all at once when they were together ever since she had found out about his proposal to Peyton, but she admitted to herself that at the moment- she simply needed him and would be foolish to push him away when he was so helpful in making her feel like she was standing on solid ground, despite everything she had been dealing with.

"Hi Rae, what's up?" Brooke hoarsely greeted her friend upon opening the door and finding her standing there, her face wearing an expression Brooke couldn't really decipher.

"Well, I…" she began, abruptly halting her speech as hesitance took over her, "How are you feeling, Brooke? Are you alright?" she asked instead of continuing, putting a confused expression on Brooke's face.

"I'm fine, Rachel. What's going on?" she asked, sounding completely calm, yet unable to erase the concerned expression off of Rachel's face.

"George is downstairs…" Rachel finally gave in and cautiously revealed, looking at Brooke closely to see how this revelation affected her, as she knew that the last few times Brooke had seen the head of the board of Clothes over Bros' had been quite emotional for her.

Rachel was half-expecting yet another intense reaction from Brooke's part, yet the brunette simply turned around quietly and started looking for her shoes in complete silence. As Brooke wordlessly tried to make herself presentable for the guest waiting for her downstairs, Rachel continued watching her intently, not knowing how to respond to her friend's eerily calm behavior, yet trying to bite her tongue. When Brooke finally seemed to have finished and was about to leave the room, however, Rachel could no longer remain silent, "Brooke, hold on…" she said, gently grabbing onto her friend's arm and making her look at her questioningly, "Look, I have no idea what he wants to say to you, but I don't want you to get yourself all worked up, so if you need me to find out what this is all about before you talk to him, I can-"

Rachel's worried ramble was cut off when Brooke suddenly wrapped her arms around her and gave her a gentle hug. "I love you for caring about me so much, Rachel, but I'll be fine" Brooke softly reassured her friend, pulling away from her to look her in the eye and give her a reassuring nod. Brooke's disturbingly frail appearance did not help quiet down the concern that Rachel had for her, but she kept her mouth shut and followed Brooke downstairs, along with Lucas, anxious to find out what George wanted to say to her friend.

"Hi George, how are you?" Brooke politely greeted the older man as she saw him, leading him to the living room so they could sit down.

"I'm quite alright, Brooke" he replied with a kind smile, afterwards covering Brooke's small palm with his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze before asking, "More importantly though- how are you doing?" he sincerely questioned, looking at Brooke with such seriousness that she had to avert her eyes before she responded.

"I'm fine" she mumbled quietly, forcing herself to restrain her growing urge to start fidgeting nervously. Truth be told, Brooke was barely holding on. The extreme serenity she had been filled with due to her medication was quickly evaporating as she faced George and became consumed with thoughts about what he may have come to talk to her about. She was concerned that whatever George had come to tell her was bad news, as she knew that this would officially break her, but she was desperately trying to remain optimistic so she could keep it together.

"I heard about what Victoria did yesterday, Brooke" George softly told her, causing Brooke to close her eyes in defeat. She was certain that this was it, that George was about to tell her that he couldn't risk handing the company back to her after how traumatized she must be, but she still managed to clear her throat and wearily speak.

"How did you find out?" she questioned, her eyes planted deep in her lap, as she was too ashamed to look up at him and see the look of pity she was sure she would have found on his face.

"Victoria told me" he simply said, causing Brooke's face to shoot up in surprise.

"What?" she exclaimed, staring at George with a dumbfounded expression. Sharing her immense surprise, both Lucas and Rachel came to sit down by Brooke's side, too eager to hear what George had to say to be able to help themselves and give Brooke and George space.

"I was her one phone-call from jail last night" he revealed, causing Brooke's eyes to widen even more, "She told me everything and vowed that if I would use the company's credit card to bail her out, she would leave you alone for good, if that's what you wanted…" he elaborated, causing Rachel's eyes to fill with rage.

"And you believed her?" she incredulously asked, staring at him as though he was completely insane, "Brooke gets attacked twice, probably by her, and now she kidnaps her and you actually believe a word that comes out of her mouth? Unbelievable!" Rachel angrily cried out, concerned about her friend's wellbeing now that Victoria was on the loose again.

"At first I didn't" George admitted, putting an inquisitive expression on Rachel's face, "but then she gave me this"' he added, pulling out an envelope out of his pocket and handing it to Brooke, who stared at it suspiciously before hesitantly taking it from him and opening it up.

As she quietly read the letter to herself, Brooke's expression quickly softened and a hint of a confused smile appeared on her lips. "What does it say, Brooke?" Rachel almost immediately questioned as she stared at Brooke intently, unable to withhold her curiosity.

Ignoring her friend, Brooke raised a pair of hazel eyes and looked at George, seeming afraid to be hopeful, but unable to refrain from being so at the same time, and asked, "Does this mean what I think it means?" she questioned, pleading with him to assure her and to legitimize the happiness that she wanted to feel, yet was suppressing so she won't be hurt if she had misinterpreted the letter. In response to the tentative and unsure look on Brooke's face, George smiled and nodded, causing a small, yet dimpled smile to brighten Brooke's face for the first time since she had learned about Lucas and Peyton's short-lived engagement. The sight of the clear hint of Brooke's happiness brought a smile to both of her friends' faces, yet the two still remained confused, and therefore Lucas now interrupted the conversation and spoke up.

"Brooke, what's going on?" he inquisitively looked at her and asked, his smile widening even more as he watched Brooke's soulful eyes filling with life as she reread the letter.

"In exchange for bailing her out, Victoria gave up any involvement in the company. Clothes over Bros' is mine again!" she replied, sounding so moved that Rachel immediately pulled her in for a hug, realizing how emotional this must make her friend.

"Congratulations, Brooke! You definitely deserve this!" Lucas happily exclaimed as he watched the two girls embracing. He knew that Brooke would have probably been bouncing all around the room with joy at this news had she not been numbed by her medications, yet even as he watched her bury herself inside Rachel's arms, he assumed that her battered soul was just trying to take in the good news it needed to hear so badly. Therefore, when Rachel suddenly shot him a worried glance and began rubbing circles around Brooke's back, his face filled with worry and surprise all at once.

"Brooke- what's wrong?" Rachel gently asked her friend as her shoulders began trembling, making it evident to all those present that she was now crying.

"I'm sorry…" Brooke apologized in an embarrassed, raspy voice as she pulled away from Rachel and quickly wiped the tears off of her cheeks, "I'm such a mess…" she shamefully said, as more tears flooded her face, despite her attempts to regain her composure.

"It's alright, Brooke" George gently told her, looking at her with compassion as she bit onto her lower lip in an attempt to hold back her sobs. "Why are you crying, dear?" he caringly asked, once again proving to her that he truly had her personal wellbeing at interest, and not only the financial success of her business, which he was supposed to look after by definition of his job.

Sniffling slightly and attempting to put up a smile for him, yet miserably failing, Brooke finally let out a strangled cry before she explained, "This is what I wanted, George, and it really does make me so happy" Brooke started off by making the matter clear, pausing to wipe her eyes and sniffle slightly, so she could speak without choking up, yet feeling the lump rising in her throat nonetheless, "but so many people's lives and jobs depend on this company, and right now I don't know if I can take responsibility for that when my stress level is so out of balance" Brooke clarified the reason for the mixture of emotions she was flooded with, causing all of those present to look at her with understanding. "I would love to be able to step into the office with you right now and start talking business, George, but I want to do that the best I can, and right now I can't be at my best" she quietly, honestly said, tears now rapidly flowing down her face, "I just had a breakdown yesterday, I've started therapy sessions today, I have no idea who really wants to hurt me- and judging by what a sobbing mess I am right now- I'm sure you can tell that I'm not taking any of this all too well" Brooke further explained, letting out an involuntary whimper as she realized just how messed up her life had become as of late. She was certain that after her explicit display of emotion, George was bound to agree with her that she was not fit to direct the company, but much to her shock, he slid closer to her on the sofa instead and carefully pulled her into his arms, for a fatherly supportive hug.

"Life hasn't been kind to you lately, Brooke, but I can see that you are dealing with everything that has been thrown your way as best as you can and better than how many people would, so I certainly don't see a mess when I look at you, alright?" George comfortingly said, pulling away from Brooke and putting a hand on her shoulder, so he could look her in the eye, "Now- as for the company- I honestly believe that Clothes over Bros' shouldn't be run by anyone other than you, Brooke. You are the founder and true spirit behind our clothing empire, and the mere fact that you managed to design almost an entire men's collection while you were away, and that right now you showed me that you still had the best interest of the workers at heart, even though it would be understandable if you wouldn't have been able to focus on anyone other than yourself, has proven to me beyond doubt that the board was tragically wrong to have ever let you go" George sincerely said, squeezing Brooke's shoulder as she struggled with her tears.

"George…" she uncomfortably addressed him, "I really want to, but I don't know if I can…" she admitted, yet the older man gave her a calming smile and continued speaking before she could say anything more.

"Listen to me, Brooke. You are twenty-three years old, so you could have been my daughter. Even without everything that happened to you, I would still think that you are too young to handle a huge and growing company like Clothes over Bros' on your own. Don't get me wrong- you will have complete creative control and last say when you come back, but I will personally be much more hands-on, and we have so many wonderful workers that I will help you build a strong team that will aid you in leading the new line and the entire company back to success" George promised. When he noticed that Brooke's stream of tears finally ceased, yet that an uncertain expression was still plastered over her face, George smiled and added, "And I realize that yesterday was a pretty traumatic day, so I want you to give me a copy of your sketches and to go on vacation for a week or two. All I want you to do during this time is get away and rest, and we will come up with marketing concepts for the launching campaign of the line while you are gone. Then, meet me in the company's headquarters in New York, and we will show you our progress and take it from there. How does that sound?" George calmingly asked, his structured, reasonable plan putting a relieved smile on Rachel and Lucas' faces, as they both realized that George's idea would give Brooke time to recuperate from everything, but also something to look forward for as she tried to get her life back on track. They all expectantly looked at Brooke as she wiped her tears and tried to compose herself, waiting to hear her response to George's plan.

"It sounds too good to be true" she finally admitted, giving up her attempts to stop her tears and looking up at George with wet trails running down her cheeks, "Thank you, George" she cried out, the tears running freely down her face and choking her up as she spoke, "for understanding that I can't do this now, but for still keeping faith in me. I'll do everything I can to be worthy of your trust as soon as I can" she said, her body trembling with her tears, as she was deeply moved by the chance that George was willing to take with her. Right then she felt grateful to no extent that the understanding, caring man before her was the one to whom she had entrusted her company, as she knew that most people in this position would have looked at this situation from a business perspective and would have told her that in her condition- she would need to resign. George, however, simply gave her palm a soft squeeze and smiled at her kindly.

"You're welcome. Now get some rest, dear, and I'll be in touch in a few days to see how you're doing" he said, seeing how emotional she was getting and knowing that it must not be good for her to get so worked up in her condition.

Glancing at Brooke's trembling form, Lucas eyed the living room clock and realized that it was over an hour past the time in which Brooke should have taken her medication. Knowing that Brooke needed to keep her stress level under control if she didn't want to experience yet another breakdown, Lucas cleared his throat and quietly suggested, "Rachel, how about you help George with copies of the sketches he asked for while I help Brooke get settled down upstairs". Gazing at Brooke and taking in the way her form quivered, Rachel quickly understood Lucas' intentions and nodded.

Taking a momentary step back, Lucas watched as Brooke bid George goodbye before he did so himself and then put his hand on the small of Brooke's back as he guided her upstairs. He said nothing as he watched her furiously wiping her face, failing in her attempts to rid herself of her tears, and only gently stroked her back, wanting to convey his comfort. He also stayed quiet as he gave Brooke her medication and watched the tears streaming down her face as she drank the water he had given her so she could swallow the pill. However, when Brooke finally gave up her attempts to stifle her cries and buried her face into her hands as she sobbingly muttered, "God, I'm such a mess…", Lucas could no longer remain silent.

"Brooke, you are not a mess…" he soothingly said, coming to her side and putting his hand on her knee as she sat down on her bed and sniffled, repeatedly brushing the falling tears off of her face. "I know that everything that happened lately must be overwhelming, but I promise we'll get you through this" he added once observing how upset Brooke still seemed to be, "We'll take a step back and get away for a week or two and I'm sure you'll feel much better after that…" he tried to convince Brooke supportively, yet only caused her to shake her head as she sniffled.

"I can't just leave, Luke…" she protested, sounding so lost and emotional that Lucas immediately began rubbing his thumb across her knee in an attempt to soothe her, as he knew that he couldn't afford letting her get too worked up so soon after her breakdown. However, despite his attempts, she only continued speaking in an upset and perplexed tone, "I have therapy tomorrow and-"

"Hey, hey, shh…" Lucas soothingly hushed her, taking her in his arms and holding her so she could settle down from her emotional state, "I know you have to see Dr. Frank tomorrow and you will, O.K.?" he calmingly promised, "When you go tomorrow, we can talk to her about the idea of going on vacation and see what she thinks, alright?" he suggested, rubbing up and down her trembling back in the hopes of helping her calm down. When Brooke finally nodded, Lucas heaved a sigh of relief, thinking he had finally helped her relax somewhat, yet as she drew away from his body and helplessly tried to dry her face from her tears, that simply wouldn't stop falling, he couldn't help but frown worriedly.

"I'm sorry…" Brooke quietly whimpered, looking up at Lucas with swollen, vulnerable hazel orbs as she apologized, "I don't know what's wrong with me, I just can't stop crying…" she miserably tried to explain, breaking Lucas' heart yet once more as he realized just how badly she had been affected by everything she had been through.

"Don't apologize, baby…. Come here" he gently pulled her into his arms once again, carefully laying them both down on the bed so Brooke's exhausted body could relax properly. As he felt the small brunette in his arms tightening her grip on him as she silently cried, Lucas undoubtedly understood that the new emotional wounds that her mother and best friend had scarred her with were still so raw that Brooke still had no control over them, that her heart was still bleeding. Realizing that the emotionally-arousing news she had received regarding her company had been too stressful for Brooke to deal with in her unbalanced state, Lucas knew that he would need to soothe her quickly if he didn't want her to experience yet another breakdown. Therefore, stroking her hair gently with one hand as he tightly held onto her with the other, Lucas almost begged, "Please don't cry, pretty girl, this isn't good for you…"

When he felt more tears wetting his shirt, despite watching how Brooke bit onto her lower lip in an attempt to fulfill his plea, Lucas strengthened his protective grip on Brooke's form and spoke once again, "I promise I will fix this… I promise I will fix you, baby girl, but please don't cry…" he pleaded, kissing the top of Brooke's head and rubbing circles on her back until he felt her body beginning to sag into his form as exhaustion caught onto her and as the medication she had taken finally began to take effect. Sighing in relief, Lucas then stilled his motions and just held her and watched her as she completely drifted into sleep, vowing to himself that no matter what- he would keep his promise, that no matter what- he would save Brooke from all of it…

Brooke quietly sat on her bed and wordlessly watched Rachel as she scurried through her bedroom, packing clothes and essentials for the both of them in a suitcase. A day had passed since she had met up with George and she had just gotten back from her therapy session with Dr. Frank, which- once again- left her feeling physically and emotionally drained. Surprisingly, once Brooke had hesitantly told her about George's proposal- Dr. Frank immediately approved and told Brooke that it seemed like a very wise idea for her to get away for a while with her friends and to start trying to gradually get more involved with her company afterwards, if she felt any better. She had given Brooke her number and encouraged her to call her if she needed anything while she was away, afterwards telling her that she would like to see her in person again once she got back home, as they had yet to complete their therapy process. Leaving Dr. Frank's office, Brooke had still felt uncertain about getting away and distancing herself from her therapist's assisting presence, yet Lucas, Rachel and even Owen had been so excited about the idea of taking her on a relaxing vacation that she had given in, even if it was only so she would please her friends after everything they had done for her.

As Brooke tiredly gazed at her redhead friend, who was running about the room restlessly, she let out a soft sigh. She felt bad about how much she had been leaning on Rachel ever since they had returned to Tree Hill together, especially considering the fact that Rachel had only been released from rehab shortly before that, yet Brooke knew in her heart that she would have never been able to get through those past couple of months without her fierce, fearless friend. The redhead had been so supportive and protective that Brooke mentally kicked herself for ever considering Peyton to be her best friend, when Rachel had been showing her such a higher and truer level of friendship than Peyton ever could.

As thoughts about the traitorous blonde she used to be so loyal to invaded Brooke's thoughts, she slightly shuddered. Peyton had actually had the nerve to call her earlier that morning. She had stupidly picked up the phone without checking the identity of the caller, only to be yelled at by Peyton Sawyer for falsely accusing her and putting her through investigation and for wrecking her beloved car. Brooke had gotten so worked up at the blonde's audacity that Rachel had immediately understood who she was talking to, and hung up the call, not before yelling profanities at Peyton and warning her that she would be severely hurt if she upset Brooke again. Brooke slightly smiled at the fresh memory- it was yet another proof of how much Rachel cared for her and truly had her back.

"I love you, Rae, you know that?" Brooke couldn't help but softly say as the redhead finally finished packing and worked on zipping the suitcase up, causing her friend to halt her actions and lift two surprised eyes to meet her thankful gaze.

"Yeah, me too, Brooke" she replied, smiling, yet still sounding slightly confused, "Is everything O.K.?" she asked, wanting to make sure that the emotional sentence didn't mean that something was upsetting her friend.

"Yeah… I was just thinking about everything you've done for me since the attack…" Brooke replied, putting a serious expression on Rachel's face, as she worried about where her friend's thoughts were leading her.

"Brooke-"

"No, it's fine…" Brooke was quick to cut her friend off in an attempt to erase the concerned expression off of her face, "I just wanted you to know how much it means for me that you've been here for me all this time… You're a great friend, Rachel" she expressed her appreciation, putting a smile back on Rachel's face.

"So are you, Brooke" she managed to reply with a wink before Nathan suddenly stepped into the room, putting an end to the private friendly moment the two girls shared.

"Hi, Nate- what's up?" Brooke greeted her friend with a smile, gingerly rising to her feet and walking towards him to give him a hug, despite the intense state of fatigue her medication was putting her in. She had yet to tell him or Haley about everything that had happened two days earlier as she was simply too stressed and overwhelmed to be able to talk about everything that had happened to her to anyone other than Dr. Frank, even if it was only Haley and Nathan. Therefore, not wanting to betray what was really going on inside her troubled mind, Brooke tried to appear as composed as she could, yet Nathan could certainly tell that something was going on and therefore gave her a funny look as he advanced towards her.

"Are you going somewhere, Brooke?" Nathan asked in confusion as he embraced his friend and observed the suitcase that was resting on her bed. He had come to give Brooke a pep-talk about the presentation she was supposed to hold for her board and to ask her what time she would need him to be there, but now he was beginning to think that Brooke got cold feet and was about to flee.

"Well, yeah…" she quietly replied with a slight smile as she drew away from him, realizing that the suitcase in her room had given her away and that she would be forced to tell Nathan something, despite how much she didn't want to get into it.

"Brooke- you do realize that you're supposed to present your new line to your board tomorrow?" Nathan looked at Brooke pointedly, trying to read her thoughts through her eyes. He could understand Brooke for struggling with insecurities, but he certainly wasn't intending to let her back down from getting her company back after how hard he saw her working on getting better and rebuilding herself as a person and a designer. He continued to eye Brooke intently as she exchanged looks with Rachel, and crossed his hands over his chest as Rachel left the room according to Brooke's wordless plea, forcing Brooke to face him again.

"About that… In the end we're not going to present the line tomorrow…" she uncomfortably told him, immediately apologizing, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, it's just that-"

"Yes you are, Brooke" Nathan shook his head and cut into her speech, unwilling to let her back down after all of her hard work, "You need to go there and prove to your board that this company belongs to you. I'm not letting you allow Victoria to win this, Brooke" he determinedly told her, causing Brooke to sigh.

"I'm not, Nate. Look, I appreciate the fact that you're trying to help with this, but-"

"No, Brooke- stop trying to back down from this, because I won't let you, O.K.?" Nathan assertively said, pulling a cut-out article from the news-paper out of his pocket and handing it to Brooke before she had a chance to explain herself to him, "That Ted Smith tool thinks he can bash your company and I've personally had enough of his crap!" Nathan stated as Brooke unfolded the piece of paper and gazed at the picture of the arrogant male fashion icon and at the dismissive words he once again had to share with the world about her company. Her medication-induced state of tranquility was quickly evaporating as tears filled her eyes and as she trembled with rage, furious that this man was once again badmouthing her baby.

"He's such a jerk…" she quietly mumbled as she read the way he was praising Tiffany's Closet, his own company, while repeatedly claiming that Clothes over Bros' was a sunken ship. She had met the man quite a few times in fashion events and red carpets, and had always known that he was a pompous man, but she had never thought that he would go as far as taking advantage of the period of decline that her company had to bash her at every chance he had.

"Damn right he is, Brooke, and I'm not gonna let you allow him to get away with this!" Nathan heatedly said, angry that this man had the nerve to talk so disrespectfully about his friend, "You need to prove this ass wrong and you need to do it tomorrow, like you planned. I'm not letting you run from this!" Nathan strictly told her, only having her best interest at heart.

With angry tears still brimming in her eyes, Brooke was about to tell Nathan that she wasn't giving up, but that the company was already hers again so the presentation wasn't necessary and that she was simply taking a short vacation, yet before she managed to open her mouth, Lucas suddenly brushed past her and positioned himself between her and Nathan, looking at his brother with an extremely displeased expression.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Lucas demanded to know, staring at his brother with an angry expression. All the way from downstairs, he had heard how harshly his brother was speaking to Brooke and he therefore rushed up to stop him, knowing that he couldn't risk having him stress Brooke.

"I'm talking sense to my friend, Lucas, so back off" Nathan warned Lucas with a sincere expression, still angry with his brother for the way he had once again managed to send a crying Brooke Davis to his doorstep earlier that week over the same old love triangle that had hurt her so badly back in high school.

"You're the one who needs to back off, Nate, you don't know what you're talking about!" Lucas tried to tell him, aware that his brother didn't know how harmful the tension he was inflicting upon Brooke could be for her. He was about to explain everything that had happened during the past two days, yet Nathan's furious tone roared throughout the room before he could say anything.

"You don't even deserve to be in this house, Lucas! After the way you hurt Brooke again I'm not gonna sit here and listen to anything you say!" Nathan angrily yelled, the intensity of his tone causing Brooke to slightly flinch. Upon observing her involuntary sign of discomfort, Lucas had had enough.

"Yes you will, Nate. I won't have you upsetting Brooke like this" he strictly stated, causing Nathan to see red.

"Oh, this is rich coming from you, Lucas…" Nathan drily snickered as he stared at Lucas incredulously, "You're the one you lied to Brooke and broke her heart yet again earlier this week, remember? If anyone's upsetting Brooke, it's you… I don't even know what you're doing here right now!" Nathan raised his voice at his brother even more, the rage in his eyes escalading so quickly that Brooke immediately slid past Lucas, blocking him from Nathan's blaring gaze, wanting to keep the two brothers from engaging in a physical fight.

"Guys, please stop" she begged, finally silencing both Scott boys duo to her weary, upset tone. Turning to face the younger Scott, Brooke grabbed onto his shoulders and looked him straight in the eye as she finally explained, "Nate, I was trying to tell you that there will be no presentation tomorrow because the company is already mine again…" she said, causing Nathan's blue eyes to widen in sheer surprise.

"What? How did that happen?" he confusedly asked, knowing that Victoria Davis was not one to back down when she wanted something, just like his own father.

"Two days ago my mom showed up here, got into my car and drove off…" Brooke started explained, pausing to lick her lips as she felt herself shiver due to the memory of the tough emotional experience she had endured during that drive, yet causing Nathan's curiosity to peak.

"So?" he confusedly asked, impatient to hear what that had to do with anything.

"I was in the car" Brooke quietly added, averting her eyes to the ground when Nathan's soulful orbs suddenly turned icy blue as intense anger filled them completely.

"What?" he asked through gritted teeth, feeling himself tense over with rage at the thought of Brooke's mother once again messing with her head. When Brooke kept staring at the floor silently and seemed to tremble slightly, concern seeped into Nathan's eyes and made him soften his tone as he once again addressed Brooke, "Did she hurt you?" he softly questioned, forcefully restraining the rage that was building up inside of him so he wouldn't frighten Brooke in any way.

Shaking her head, Brooke softly replied, "She just talked to me and Lucas crashed into the car and stopped her before anything could happen, but I got a little overwhelmed by all of it…" she said, causing Nathan's frown to deepen.

"Meaning?" Nathan pointedly questioned, staring intently at Brooke as he already didn't like the sound of things. When Brooke shifted from foot to foot and failed to reply, Nathan averted his gaze to his brother in search of an answer.

"Brooke had an emotional breakdown. That's why we're all going to take a week and a half off and get away" Lucas explained, his blue eyes sharing a look of sorrow with his brother's identical orbs as Nathan finally understood why he was being so protective of Brooke.

"Oh my god, Brooke… I'm so sorry" Nathan put his hand on her shoulder and said, in shock that his friend had gone through such a dramatic ordeal while he was completely oblivious of what was happening in her life.

"It's O.K." she quietly replied with a shrug, raising her eyes to meet Nathan's gaze and attempting to give him a reassuring look, "The bright side is that Victoria got arrested and in exchange for her bail, she signed the company back to me and promised to keep away… I am going to run the company again, Nate, I just need a few days to straighten my thoughts…" she apologetically added, forcing herself to stay strong in front of him, despite the emotional toll that this conversation was having on her.

"Of course, Brooke" Nathan replied with complete understanding, suddenly feeling mortified with himself for the way he had stressed Brooke over Ted Smith's unimportant words, "God, I'm such an idiot for acting like I knew better than you…" he muttered regretfully, causing Brooke to shrug forgivingly.

"It's O.K., Nate, I know you had what's best for me in heart" she said, causing him to smile slightly. Even when she was evidently distraught, Brooke Davis still somehow managed to make sure that he didn't feel bad about himself.

Realizing that he had also mistreated his brother, Nathan turned to the blond man and apologetically said, "Luke, man, I'm sorry for being such an ass to you" he expressed his regret, causing Lucas to nod with understanding.

"It's alright, bro, you didn't know" he replied, knowing that Nathan had only been looking after Brooke.

"No, it's not alright… I should have been there for you, Brooke. I should have realized that something was going on…" Nathan beat himself up for not realizing that Brooke's stream of calls had stopped for the past two days for a reason.

"Nate…" Brooke protested, not wanting him to feel guilty, as she had needed and sought her space since she returned from the hospital.

"No…" he stopped her, feeling extremely bad for being too caught up in his own life to check up on her, "You know what" he said, an idea suddenly popping into his head, "I'm going to go get Haley and Jamie, pack up and come with you" he said, wanting to make sure that his family would be by Brooke's side during the next few days, as she struggled through her emotions and disturbed thoughts.

"You don't have to do that, Nate…" Brooke replied, feeling as though her friends had already given her enough of their time and energy lately. Nathan, however, shook his head and took Brooke's hand in his palm, giving it a soft squeeze.

"Yes, I do, Brooke. Families are there for one another in times like this" he said, causing Brooke's eyes to fill with tears at his caring words. "Come here" he gently pulled her into his arms and gave her a hug, looking at Lucas over her shoulder and receiving a look of approval from the blond for the way he cared for the brunette that was so dear to both of them. "It's all gonna be O.K., Brooke, I promise" Nathan told the trembling girl in his arms, causing Lucas to nod at him agreeably as the two of them maintained their gaze, wordlessly vowing to one another that this promise would be kept no matter what. Wordlessly vowing to themselves that they would do whatever it would take to make sure that Brooke would be safe and happy from now on…

AN: I know that this was somewhat of a filler chapter, but I'm hoping that you enjoyed watching Brooke find out that her company was hers again and seeing her friends caring for her, and I promise that the drama is still boiling underneath the surface... Please share your thoughts with me regarding this chapter! ;-)