Brooke began to panic as Tad reached over for her hand, holding it
down on the arm rest.
"Easy," he said. "Easy, Brooke. Brooke, look at me." He took his hand and lightly turned her cheek so that her eyes met with his. "Look at me. It's just a little turbulence. Brooke." He was beginning to lose her attention. "Brooke. Don't make me have to call Laurel Hill once we get home. That is the last thing on the face of this earth that I would want to go through." Brooke squeezed his hand tightly. "Just sit back and take a deep breath. It'll be over in a minute. Everything's under control, OK?" Brooke leaned back, taking a long, deep breath. "Good, good," Tad said. " Alright." The plane began to steady. "Better?" Brooke sighed in relief. "You're not going to go and pass out on me now, are you?"
Brooke took a few more deep breaths, resting her head back. "No, I don't think so."
"OK," he said. "Alight just... calm down. You're heart is racing. And I don't want to have to give you mouth to mouth." Tad paused, a smirk on his face. "Well..." Brooke slapped his arm. "Oww," Tad laughed. "What?" Brooke just shook her head, rolling her eyes.
"You're unbelievable," she said.
Tad grinned. "I thought you might like that element of surprise," he laughed.
"Maybe some other time," Brooke said. "Maybe I should call Jamie and tell him we're almost home."
"I called him from New York and told him we were coming home early." Tad said. "I told him that he could bring his things home and then go on over to JR's."
"JR's?" Brooke asked.
"We can talk about this once we get off the plane. We're going to be landing soon anyway." Brooke squinted her eyes a bit, looking at him, clearly trying to read him. Tad looked back at her, smiling slightly.
She shook her head with a laugh. "I don't think I'll ever get you," she said.
Brooke and Tad stood in the waiting room at Pine Valley Hospital as Edmund went to Maddie's room.
"I can't believe she didn't come," Brooke said. "If not for Edmund, at least for her daughter."
"Maybe Maria's on her way, who knows." Tad turned and began towards the elevator.
"Where are you going?"
"To get something to eat," he said.
"Here?"
"I'm starving."
"You're desperate."
Tad laughed, walking back towards Brooke and wrapping his arms around her. "How about a cup of coffee then?" he asked her. Brooke was reluctant. "Come on, I'm paying."
"I guess the coffee can't be that bad." she said as she puled away from Tad and walked to the elevator. Tad stepped on behind her and they started down to the cafeteria.
The elevator was empty aside from Tad and Brooke. Tad reached out and pressed the emergency stop button. The elevator came to a halt.
Brooke looked over at Tad. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked.
"Stopping the elevator." Tad smiled.
"yeah, I kind of figured that," Brooke said. "Why?"
"Well," Tad said, leaning his back against one of the walls. "I said we would talk."
"I wasn't planning on it being on an elevator, stuck somewhere between the first and second floor."
"Yeah, well. There's nobody else around and I wanted to talk to you alone." Tad paused.
"What?" Brooke asked, watching his expression.
"We've been taking this slow." Tad said. "And don't get me wrong, Brooke, that was a good idea. We were both coming off of really rocky periods, but..."
"But?" Brooke said nervously. She shook her head. "Oh, Tad..."
"No," Tad took her hands. "No, no, no. I was going to say... Brooke. I haven't been this happy in a long time. In... I can't remember how long."
Brooke looked up at him. "Since Dixie."
Tad bit his bottom lip. "Yeah," he said. "I haven't really been able to do much of anything since Dixie died."
"She's only been gone for a year, Tad. there's been a lot going on. Especially since Christmas... and everything with Jake." She paused, her head falling slightly. "I understand."
"understand? Brooke, you're jumping to conclusions here. You're a journalist, you should know better than that." He paused, cupping her cheek. "I love you, Brooke. I do." He paused. again. "I want us to be the family that Jamie dreams about. I love spending time with him. I love spending time with you." Brooke nodded. A slight smile started to form on her face. "I want to do this right."
"You're doing a good job so far." Brooke smiled.
"Come to dinner with me."
"Excuse me?" she said off guard.
"Come to dinner with me." Tad said again. "Tonight. Anywhere you want to go. Anything from... chicken fingers to prime rib."
"That's not all, is it?"
Tad shook his head. "Then... after dinner. We can head back to my place."
"What about Jamie?"
"He's staying with JR," Tad said. "remember?" Brooke nodded. "So... we could go back to my place, open up a bottle of wine." Brooke raised her eyebrows. "Orsini, '94. Good year."
"I bet."
"And then..." Tad continued. "Who knows. We'll see where the night takes us." He looked at her. "Too much?"
"No, no." she said. "Not at all."
"I don't want you to feel rushed to..."
"What?" she said. "Give my heart away to you?" she paused with a smile. "I already have, Tad. A long time ago."
"We're on the same page then." Tad smiled.
"Yeah," Brooke replied. She paused. "Tad..." she said. "I'm really glad you came to New York. Thank You."
"Hey, don't mention it," Tad said. "Anytime. I was glad to go. It was... an experience."
"Oh, you had a great time. Don't lie. " Brooke laughed.
"I did," he said. "I did. Aside from the broken hand." he added sarcastically. "I'm going to have to get Jake to take a look at it."
"Very funny, Tad." Brooke said.
Tad shrugged, grinning innocently. Brooke put her arms around his waist. "I was thinking," he said. "I might have jumped the gun a little... back on Halloween."
"Halloween?" Brooke said. "That was months ago."
"I know," he said. "But it just came to mind. Jamie'll be out of school soon, for the summer. And I was thinking that maybe you'd reconsider my offer... St. Barts." Brooke was silent. "I've got some vacation time coming up. A few weeks in the Caribbean. Brooke." He paused. "I'm doing it again. right?"
"What?"
"Scaring you away. Just like on Halloween."
"Oh come on, Tad," Brooke said. "You can't scare me away. Not with this." Brooke paused. "I was thinking of taking some time off anyway."
"Then you'll come?" Tad's eyes widened in anticipation.
"A trip to the Caribbean," she said. "I couldn't turn that down. Not if I'm going to get to spend a few weeks with my two favorite guys."
"Two, huh?" Tad grinned. "Jamie and..."
"Funny, Martin," Brooke smiled.
"I know, I know," Tad laughed. "but where would the world be without my infectious charm?"
"So that's what you're calling it now?"
"If it fits," He laughed. Tad leaned down and kissed Brooke's forehead. "Do you remember?" he began. " When we were talking... back at the beginning of this whole thing?.. You wanted to know what my heart wanted." he paused. "I know what my heart wants, Brooke. She's the one who's standing in this elevator with me right now. And the heart doesn't lie."
Brooke smiled. Her eyes started to water as Tad pushed a loose strand of hair away from her face. He brought his head down, kissing her. She brought her hands up to his face, melting into him.
They slowly pulled away, still gazing deeply into eachother's eyes. "I love you." Brooke said.
Tad smiled at her words. this was going to work. Their relationship would last. He felt it in his heart and he knew that she felt it too. And as they stood together in the elevator, they just knew that this was only the beginning.
"Easy," he said. "Easy, Brooke. Brooke, look at me." He took his hand and lightly turned her cheek so that her eyes met with his. "Look at me. It's just a little turbulence. Brooke." He was beginning to lose her attention. "Brooke. Don't make me have to call Laurel Hill once we get home. That is the last thing on the face of this earth that I would want to go through." Brooke squeezed his hand tightly. "Just sit back and take a deep breath. It'll be over in a minute. Everything's under control, OK?" Brooke leaned back, taking a long, deep breath. "Good, good," Tad said. " Alright." The plane began to steady. "Better?" Brooke sighed in relief. "You're not going to go and pass out on me now, are you?"
Brooke took a few more deep breaths, resting her head back. "No, I don't think so."
"OK," he said. "Alight just... calm down. You're heart is racing. And I don't want to have to give you mouth to mouth." Tad paused, a smirk on his face. "Well..." Brooke slapped his arm. "Oww," Tad laughed. "What?" Brooke just shook her head, rolling her eyes.
"You're unbelievable," she said.
Tad grinned. "I thought you might like that element of surprise," he laughed.
"Maybe some other time," Brooke said. "Maybe I should call Jamie and tell him we're almost home."
"I called him from New York and told him we were coming home early." Tad said. "I told him that he could bring his things home and then go on over to JR's."
"JR's?" Brooke asked.
"We can talk about this once we get off the plane. We're going to be landing soon anyway." Brooke squinted her eyes a bit, looking at him, clearly trying to read him. Tad looked back at her, smiling slightly.
She shook her head with a laugh. "I don't think I'll ever get you," she said.
Brooke and Tad stood in the waiting room at Pine Valley Hospital as Edmund went to Maddie's room.
"I can't believe she didn't come," Brooke said. "If not for Edmund, at least for her daughter."
"Maybe Maria's on her way, who knows." Tad turned and began towards the elevator.
"Where are you going?"
"To get something to eat," he said.
"Here?"
"I'm starving."
"You're desperate."
Tad laughed, walking back towards Brooke and wrapping his arms around her. "How about a cup of coffee then?" he asked her. Brooke was reluctant. "Come on, I'm paying."
"I guess the coffee can't be that bad." she said as she puled away from Tad and walked to the elevator. Tad stepped on behind her and they started down to the cafeteria.
The elevator was empty aside from Tad and Brooke. Tad reached out and pressed the emergency stop button. The elevator came to a halt.
Brooke looked over at Tad. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked.
"Stopping the elevator." Tad smiled.
"yeah, I kind of figured that," Brooke said. "Why?"
"Well," Tad said, leaning his back against one of the walls. "I said we would talk."
"I wasn't planning on it being on an elevator, stuck somewhere between the first and second floor."
"Yeah, well. There's nobody else around and I wanted to talk to you alone." Tad paused.
"What?" Brooke asked, watching his expression.
"We've been taking this slow." Tad said. "And don't get me wrong, Brooke, that was a good idea. We were both coming off of really rocky periods, but..."
"But?" Brooke said nervously. She shook her head. "Oh, Tad..."
"No," Tad took her hands. "No, no, no. I was going to say... Brooke. I haven't been this happy in a long time. In... I can't remember how long."
Brooke looked up at him. "Since Dixie."
Tad bit his bottom lip. "Yeah," he said. "I haven't really been able to do much of anything since Dixie died."
"She's only been gone for a year, Tad. there's been a lot going on. Especially since Christmas... and everything with Jake." She paused, her head falling slightly. "I understand."
"understand? Brooke, you're jumping to conclusions here. You're a journalist, you should know better than that." He paused, cupping her cheek. "I love you, Brooke. I do." He paused. again. "I want us to be the family that Jamie dreams about. I love spending time with him. I love spending time with you." Brooke nodded. A slight smile started to form on her face. "I want to do this right."
"You're doing a good job so far." Brooke smiled.
"Come to dinner with me."
"Excuse me?" she said off guard.
"Come to dinner with me." Tad said again. "Tonight. Anywhere you want to go. Anything from... chicken fingers to prime rib."
"That's not all, is it?"
Tad shook his head. "Then... after dinner. We can head back to my place."
"What about Jamie?"
"He's staying with JR," Tad said. "remember?" Brooke nodded. "So... we could go back to my place, open up a bottle of wine." Brooke raised her eyebrows. "Orsini, '94. Good year."
"I bet."
"And then..." Tad continued. "Who knows. We'll see where the night takes us." He looked at her. "Too much?"
"No, no." she said. "Not at all."
"I don't want you to feel rushed to..."
"What?" she said. "Give my heart away to you?" she paused with a smile. "I already have, Tad. A long time ago."
"We're on the same page then." Tad smiled.
"Yeah," Brooke replied. She paused. "Tad..." she said. "I'm really glad you came to New York. Thank You."
"Hey, don't mention it," Tad said. "Anytime. I was glad to go. It was... an experience."
"Oh, you had a great time. Don't lie. " Brooke laughed.
"I did," he said. "I did. Aside from the broken hand." he added sarcastically. "I'm going to have to get Jake to take a look at it."
"Very funny, Tad." Brooke said.
Tad shrugged, grinning innocently. Brooke put her arms around his waist. "I was thinking," he said. "I might have jumped the gun a little... back on Halloween."
"Halloween?" Brooke said. "That was months ago."
"I know," he said. "But it just came to mind. Jamie'll be out of school soon, for the summer. And I was thinking that maybe you'd reconsider my offer... St. Barts." Brooke was silent. "I've got some vacation time coming up. A few weeks in the Caribbean. Brooke." He paused. "I'm doing it again. right?"
"What?"
"Scaring you away. Just like on Halloween."
"Oh come on, Tad," Brooke said. "You can't scare me away. Not with this." Brooke paused. "I was thinking of taking some time off anyway."
"Then you'll come?" Tad's eyes widened in anticipation.
"A trip to the Caribbean," she said. "I couldn't turn that down. Not if I'm going to get to spend a few weeks with my two favorite guys."
"Two, huh?" Tad grinned. "Jamie and..."
"Funny, Martin," Brooke smiled.
"I know, I know," Tad laughed. "but where would the world be without my infectious charm?"
"So that's what you're calling it now?"
"If it fits," He laughed. Tad leaned down and kissed Brooke's forehead. "Do you remember?" he began. " When we were talking... back at the beginning of this whole thing?.. You wanted to know what my heart wanted." he paused. "I know what my heart wants, Brooke. She's the one who's standing in this elevator with me right now. And the heart doesn't lie."
Brooke smiled. Her eyes started to water as Tad pushed a loose strand of hair away from her face. He brought his head down, kissing her. She brought her hands up to his face, melting into him.
They slowly pulled away, still gazing deeply into eachother's eyes. "I love you." Brooke said.
Tad smiled at her words. this was going to work. Their relationship would last. He felt it in his heart and he knew that she felt it too. And as they stood together in the elevator, they just knew that this was only the beginning.