Breakfast started later than planned and Peyton had her doubts about the morning meeting scheduled in the private dining area of the ritzy hotel. Jake had arrived late back to their suite the night before and when she groggily asked him how it all went, he had just given her a look and shook his head. Something told her the drama had been in full force, therefore creating the opportunity for it to spill over to the next day. The last thing she wanted to see was a catty confrontation and was relieved when Jenny had been too tired to join her. Peyton would have to deal with the theatrics of her friends but the least she could do was spare her daughter.

Deb managed a small smile when the younger blonde finally made it to the otherwise empty room.

"Where is everyone?" Peyton asked.

"Looks like we're it. I'm glad you made it."

"Brooke didn't call?"

"Not yet."

Peyton sighed.

"I take it things went that bad last night, huh?"

Deb shrugged.

"I honestly don't even want to think about it. Dan came back to the room smelling like cheap liquor and even cheaper perfume."

"I'm sure it was okay, Deb. Lucas and Jake wouldn't let anything too crazy happen."

"I hope not. I'm not worried about Dan, though. It's my son that has me up in arms", the mother said worriedly.

"I'm sure Nathan is okay."

"I don't know, Peyton. Nathan hasn't been okay for a very long time."

"He's been through a lot. He's just trying to deal with it all, Deb. It must be so hard for him. Nathan is…"

"Nathan is what?"

Peyton and Deb's attention turned towards the door where a five months pregnant Megan had just entered.

"Megan…hello", Deb said startled.

"Brooke didn't come?"

"Uh, she will. She's probably just running a little late."

The three women stood and exchanged hugs.

"Deb and I were just talking about Nathan's game last night", Peyton fibbed.

"Oh that", Megan sighed. "I heard."

"He was pretty upset?" Deb questioned.

"Oh no. I mean, I heard where I normally hear all the news about my husband. I heard it on TV. I haven't talked to Nathan. As of ten minutes ago, he was still passed out in our hotel bed, clothes and shoes still on."

"Sorry", Peyton mumbled.

"It's okay. I'm kind of used to it by now."

"But I thought things were getting better?" Deb asked hopefully.

"They were. Things were going great until a couple of weeks ago. It's funny. Nathan can be this really wonderful, amazing, loving, fun human being and then the smallest thing can set him off and all of a sudden it's like, what the hell happened to my husband? Where did he go? He just becomes this cold, distant, dark, angry monster of a stranger."

"What happened?"

"I was cleaning the house and his side of the master closet was a mess. He has this box full of crap and I had been begging him since we moved in the house to get rid of it. So I went through it and most of it looked like trash and I never see him use anything in there anyway so I tossed most of it. When he came home, I told him and he was fine with it until he looked in the garbage and saw this bracelet I had thrown out."

"Bracelet?"

"Yeah. If you could even call it that. It was this cheap, plastic thing that at best maybe came from gum ball machine…"

"Or a Cracker Jack box…" Peyton whispered absently.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing."

Meg's eyes narrowed.

"I think it is something. Peyton, what do you know?"

"Nothing. It's nothing."

"Peyton…"

"Megan, I'm sorry. Alright? I just honestly don't want to be involved in all this anymore. Maybe you should talk about this with Nathan…"

"Why?" she threw her hands up. "Does it really matter? It's not like he's gonna talk back. He'll either fly off the handle and start yelling or he'll shut down completely. Either way, I'm still kept in the dark. So I have to look past my own pain and frustration and like the dutiful Southern Catholic wife, wait until his episode is over so our lives can return to normal. Then things are perfect for a while all in the back of my mind, I'm terrified knowing the ridiculous cycle is just going to repeat itself all over again at any given moment."

"Sweetie, I'm sorry", Deb whispered.

"Megan…"

"No. Don't look at me like that. With your pity. 'Poor Meg. Poor, stupid Meg'."

"No, honey", Deb shook her head. "No one thinks that about you."

"Yes you do", she laughed bitterly. "You all do. Well, you know what? I'm not as dumb or naïve as you all think I am. I know that bracelet is Haley James'. Or it at least has something to do with her. Tell me I'm wrong, Peyton."

Peyton just hung her head.

"Meg…"

"You won't because you can't. Know how I know? Because no matter what happens or where it goes, it all keeps coming back to Haley James. It always does."

Megan wiped away at tears as her friend and mother in law, bewildered, had no words of comfort or advice. Deep in their hearts, they knew she was right.

"Okay, where are the pancakes, scrambled eggs, grits and oatmeal? Because it's winter and I can splurge a little bit but no one in this freaking room better spill to Broody because I bet him a hundred bucks I could stick to a breakfast diet of a grapefruit, plain bagel and glass of unsweetened cranberry juice."

All eyes turned their attentions to a fashionably late and fabulously dressed Brooke Davis. Peyton sighed. Why couldn't her brunette best friend ever just make a quiet, discreet entrance like every other normal person? No. It would have been more subtle if she'd had armored knights announce her presence with bugles.

"Hello, Brooke", Deb looked away.

Brooke rolled her eyes.

"You three look like a fun bunch."

There was already underlying tension from Brooke and Megan's last encounter and the dark haired woman had been apprehensive about their next meeting.

"Brooke", Megan nodded.

So much for Nathan's promised apology, Brooke thought.

"Hello all", she said cheerily. "Now what are we gossiping about? I am absolutely starved!"

"Um, we were just…we were…"

Peyton couldn't even come up with a good enough distraction.

"We were just talking about my husband's latest escapade and my farce of a marriage and the fact that we all have Haley James to thank for that."

"Haley?" Brooke asked. "What does she have to do with this?"

"Everything", Megan laughed sarcastically. "This time? Apparently the resurrection of her stupid toy bracelet and my subsequent throwing it away, has now sent my husband once again into a depressed drinking binge."

"You mean the Cracker Jack bracelet?" Brooke frowned. "He still has that?"

"Brooke!" Peyton kicked her under the table.

"Ow! What?"

"Just great", Megan muttered. "When will it end? What will it take? What do I have to do to get that conniving little bitch to stay out of our lives?"

"Megan…" Peyton sighed.

"No. Don't defend her. I know she's your friend but please don't sit there and pretend like she's Little Miss Innocent. Before Haley came back, my life was great. Nathan was great. It was her fault the initial annulment didn't go through and her fault they ended up almost killed in Santa Domingo. She crashed my wedding reception and humiliated me and just when my life is coming back together and I'm enjoying my pregnancy, she has to dramatically announce hers! God, I can't even have one thing! It's always something and now it's a goddamned bracelet!"

"Meg…"

"I hate her! I absolutely hate her! She is evil and she's a troublemaker! You know, Dan was right. She pulls this shit on purpose. She intentionally stirs up all this drama and she keeps playing this sick little game in that twisted imagination of hers where her idea of fun is to see how far she can tug on Nathan's puppet strings. She did it seven years ago and she's doing it now. Just when he's happy and okay, she tries to reel him back in. No one else can see that because in your eyes she's still the innocent, sweet, high school tutor. Bullshit! And I'm not buying it anymore! I'm tired! She's not going to do it again! She won't ruin my life or my child's! This is done! That no good, no class having, shit for brains, piece of trash whore…"

"Megan, I know you're upset but calm down", Peyton begged.

Brooke shook her head. She couldn't take anymore.

"Meg, you're sick of Haley? Well, I am just about sick of you. You are seriously on my last nerve. Come off it with the pity party, why don't you? Wah, wah! I don't feel sorry for you just like I didn't feel sorry for Haley. She made her choices, just like you make yours. You're both responsible for your own misery and everybody's else's while we're on the subject. Know who I really feel sorry for? Nathan! First of all he had to put up with Dan's bullshit, then his wife left him, then she came back and now he's stuck in the middle of two crazy bitches! I'm done with it all! I'll watch General Hospital if I want this much drama. I mean, really. Hell, the days of our real life lives have more production than Days Of Our Lives! Megan, the real problem isn't with Haley and I think you know that. Open your eyes and smell the Starbucks, kiddo! The problem is with you and Nathan. And if he keeps treating you like crap and it feels like he doesn't love you, then maybe it's time to rethink a few things and get out now while you still can before you bring an innocent child into all this bullshit and royally fuck him or her up, too. Haley might be an easy scapegoat but at least she's moving on with Chris and her kid. More power to her, to all of them! But don't talk shit about her to make yourself feel better because your own life is going down the crapper. Haley James is a lot of things but you don't know any of them because you don't know her! You never did so you have no right! So what, I think she was a bitch for leaving Nathan and everybody behind, including me, but I can say that because I'm her friend and I love her. But you can't. So next time you want to piss and moan at the world because your life isn't so perfect, remember you knew what you were getting into when you married Nathan. Blaming Haley for everything obviously isn't working and neither is hoping and praying that having a kid might miraculously save your sinking ship of a marriage so you might want to move on to Plan B, if you have one and if not? You better think one up quick."

Deb and Peyton, jaws dropped to the floor, stood there dumbfounded. Megan could barely breathe. If looks could kill, Brooke would have been a dead woman. Meg was angrier than she'd ever been but she was hurt, too. Brooke's words, once again, had devastated her and torn her whole world upside down. She stared daggers at the woman she had once considered a friend. No more. Now Brooke Davis was one of them. A Haley supporter, a liar, an imposter, a heartless winch…an enemy.

Without a second thought, Megan grabbed the beverage dispenser and dumped a gallon of orange juice all over Brooke and her cream cashmere sweater.

"You're a bitch", she whispered coldly, before walking away.

Out of reflex, Brooke started after her, then stopped after regaining what was left of her composure.

"No. You're the bitch, Nathan's stupid bitch, if you want to get technical about it. And you're lucky you're pregnant because that baby is the only thing that saved my foot from connecting with your ass."

"I feel sorry for Lucas", she mumbled as she exited.

"Yeah? Well, I feel sorry for Nathan and your kid!"

Brooke grabbed a napkin and began dabbing at her clothes.

"You okay?" Peyton finally asked.

"I am. Wish I could say the same for my sweater. Nathan is so going to get a bill for this."

"You were a little harsh…"

"No. I was a little truthful. Besides, she started it and she was way out of her line…and out of her league."

Deb put her head in her hands.

"I…I can't just leave her. I have to go after her."

"Deb…"

"That's my grandchild in there."

They looked in her eyes and nodded, understanding.

"So I guess that ruins breakfast", Peyton sighed.

"Not for me…oooh bacon", Brooke grabbed at a plate.

Peyton shook her head.

"You really meant all that?"

"Yeah I did. I don't hate Megan but she has to take control of her own destiny and quit with the selfishness and wishful thinking. Despite the fact that I was about to go all Muhammad Ali on her ass, I do care about her and what happens to her baby. And I care about Nathan, too."

"What about Haley?" Peyton asked softly. "You care about her too?"

"Yeah", Brooke nodded. "I do."

Peyton smiled.

"Brooke, Brooke, Brooke. Dude, what am I gonna do with you?"

"What?" the brunette smiled innocently.

"My sweet, heart of gold having, shopaholic, narcissistic, debutante, cheerleader best friend. You've been kicking ass and taking names since the sandbox", she laughed.

"It's the shoes", Brooke grinned, showing off her new boots. "It's got to be the shoes."

"I wish I had your balls."

Brooke smiled whimsically as she bit into a huge piece of cheese toast.

"One day, P. Sawyer. One day."