"Brooke, I know you must be pissed. And I know you might not understand why I'm doing this but I have to. I know I can't fix this but he's my little brother and it's getting bad, babe. Maybe I can't do anything but I can be there for him. And he needs me now. He's hurting."

Brooke sighed, looking out the window as the interstate passed her by at 70 miles per hour. She had been quiet for most of the ride from Philadelphia. In fact, she had been speechless ever since Nathan had called them and told them the shocking, awful truth. As she and Lucas had rung in the New Year with an impromptu trip to Vegas, his brother and sister and law had split up amidst a nasty confrontation where secrets and lies had been revealed that would change all of their lives forever.

Nathan was stunned, finding sanctuary at Dan and Deb's beach house. It was a both a relief and a burden to have everything out in the open. The truth had set him free but he was still hurting. Megan was devastated and not speaking to him. Regardless of everything that had happened, a part of him still loved her very much and she was pregnant with his baby.

"Brooke, I can't stand you being so quiet. Baby, please. Talk to me. Say something. Anything", Lucas begged.

"Take me to Charlotte."

"What?"

Her voice had barely been above a whisper and he wanted to make sure he had heard her right.

"You heard me. This is something that was bound to happen, Luke. No matter how much we hoped and prayed and pretended everything was perfect, we knew eventually Nathan would crack and Megan would find out. I know he's your brother and you love him. You should be there for him. But Megan's hurting, too. Granted she's been annoying and psychotic and somewhat of an idiot during all this but she's still a human being. And she loves Nathan. She's pregnant and who else is she going to turn to right now? Her crazy ass parents? She has no one…so she should have me."

"Brooke…"

"We're the sacrificial lambs, Broody. It's just part of the job. You comfort him and I'll try to be there for her."

Lucas didn't speak as he diverted their vehicle towards a pit stop in Charlotte. There were no words. Instead he just squeezed her hand. Those moments were the ones when he really loved Brooke Davis the most. What a remarkable he had been blessed with.

A few hours later, they found themselves in front of the house. It was the somehow but somehow it just looked different. There seemed to be an imaginary black cloud looming over it, casting a dark and painful shadow. Brooke was almost afraid to go inside.

"You'll be okay?" Lucas asked in a worried tone.

"I'm fine", she managed to smile. "I'll call you, okay?"

He nodded.

"Love you."

"Love you, too", she kissed him as she got out.

She used the spare key Nathan had given Lucas when he first moved there. The house was quiet and dreary. It was also in shambles. Brooke was surprised, considering the neurotic housekeeper Megan was known for being. The remnants of the argument from a few days before were still shattered all over the plush carpet. Brooke walked over to the fireplace. In the ashes, she saw what was left of Megan and Nathan's wedding photo. Just like the marriage, the picture had gone up in smoke.

"What are you doing here?"

Brooke jumped. It was like a bad horror movie. Then the figure emerged from the shadows to reveal a disheveled Megan.

"Meg…hi, um, oh my God. I…"

"What? Sorry if I don't exactly look like Miss America right now."

"No. No, you're fine. I was just worried. I wanted to see if you were okay."

Megan smiled bitterly.

"What's your verdict?"

Brooke's heart went out to her. Any ill feelings or lingering animosity had long ago disappeared. Walking straight towards the shaking, pregnant blonde, Brooke wrapped her arms around her.

"I'm sorry, Meg."

Megan hugged her back, letting her sad and tired blue eyes squeeze out all the pain.

"Yeah…me, too."

The two women sat down.

"You want to talk about it?"

"What is there to say?" Megan shrugged, wiping at her nose. "I've been a fool and you all know that. I wouldn't let myself see what was really there. I was too busy protecting my own heart."

"What happened?"

"I found his box."

"What box?"

"The one he kept hidden in that closet over there. It had Haley's CD's and pictures and that damned Cracker Jack bracelet."

"Oh my God…"

"Yeah. As you can see, what's left of it is all over the floor."

Brooke chuckled.

"What did you do, break it open with a sledgehammer?"

"Yeah", Megan shrugged matter of factly pointing to the weapon, which lay exactly where she had dropped it.

"Damn", Brooke made a face. "You were waiting to exhale, huh? Talk about your cathartic moments."

"I caught him with it and I asked him to open it and he refused. So I opened it for him and that's what I found. I asked him if he still loved her and he said yes. I asked him if he had sex with her in Santa Domingo."

"What did he say?"

"He admitted it."

"Oh my God. Meg, I don't know what to say. I…I am so sorry."

"I know. You're sorry, I'm sorry…so is Lucas and even Nate but uh, the funny thing is, sorry is just a word. It doesn't make it any better."

"What are you going to do?"

"I have no idea. You know, Brooke, I've always been in control. Or at least I like to think I was. I always had a plan. This perfect, happy time lined little vision of what my life was supposed to be like. Everything was all mapped out and I knew exactly what I was doing and where I was going. But I don't have that anymore. It's all gone. My path is bumpy and uncertain and I don't see a light at the end of my tunnel."

"You gonna divorce him?"

"I don't see any other way. It'll put us both out of our misery."

"Meg…"

"This is all my fault."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is. God, I was so stupid. I should have known. I guess I did know. I was just seeing what my heart wanted to. I never should have married him. He loves her. That's just the way it is. He will always love her."

"In his own way, he does love you."

"Not the way he loves Haley. And that's not good enough anymore. I want more, Brooke. Is that so wrong?"

The brunette shook her head.

"No, it's not."

Meg looked away.

"I can't believe this happened to me…to us."

"Have you talked to him?"

"No. I can't. I don't want to. I'm just not ready yet. I'm still trying to deal with it. I'm just so damned angry and it hurts too. I'm mad at him and at Haley…and mostly at myself. People do to you what you allow them to and I let Nathan and Dan and Royal and my parents get away with murder."

"You have to start thinking of yourself now. Take care of you, Megan."

"I know. You're exactly right. I mean, who else is gonna? I had to learn that lesson the hard way. Take a long look, Brookie. This is what happens when you give a man everything and lose yourself loving someone else. I gave Nathan everything I thought he needed so he would give me what I needed. It doesn't work that way, does it?"

"No, I guess it doesn't but you're gonna get through this…somehow. It might not seem like it but you will. You both will. All of us will."

"I guess I just need more time to think and rest before I figure out how I'm gonna handle it all."

"Okay. Why don't you go upstairs and lie down? I'll make tea for you and try to clean this disaster up."

Megan smiled for the first time.

"Brooke Davis making tea? Cleaning?"

Brooke smirked and shrugged.

"I have no idea how to go about doing any of thee above but leave that to me. I'll take care of everything. I just want you to try to relax."

"Thanks."

"Let me help you upstairs."

Megan stood and Brooke guided her. Midway, Megan buckled and grabbed the railing for support.

"Damn!"

"Meg, you okay?"

"I…I'm fine."

They continued walking but she doubled over and gasped.

"Megan, what the hell is going on?"

Meg whimpered.

"Ouch! It hurts…"

"Where?"

"Here", she pointed to her stomach, "and here", she pointed at her heart.

Brooke closed her eyes.

"Should I call someone?"

Meg didn't answer. Instead, she dropped to the ground.

"Oh God!"

"Meg! Megan, talk to me!"

"Brooke, something is wrong!"

Brooke was in sheer panic.

"Don't do this to me, Megan! Please…"

"Something is wrong with the baby. My stomach. I'm hurting. I…I've been having contractions all day."

"Contractions? Meg, you're almost seven months pregnant. It's not time. You can't be having this baby yet."

"Help me", Megan cried.

Brooke took a deep breath. She found a coat and some shoes and helped Megan slip them on.

"It's okay, Diva. I've got you. You're gonna be fine. I'm gonna get you to the hospital."

Megan began to wail.

"Why, Brooke? Why me? Why did this have to happen to me? I just wanted to be with Nathan and have my baby."

Brooke held her tight.

"You're gonna be fine. You're not having this baby today. Everything is fine."

She was trying to convince Megan of that…and herself.