Brooke raced through the doors of Deb's Den running smack dab into Skills.

"Whoa there, Pretty Girl!" he laughed. "Why are you in such a hurry? You came running in here like you had 5.0 on your or something."

"At this rate, they probably are", Brooke muttered under her breath.

"What?"

"Nothing, Skills. Look, please tell me that Lucas is here. I have been looking for him all over."

"He's in the back", Skills pointed.

She quickly thanked him and rushed off to Deb's office where her boyfriend was.

"Lucas, thank God", she practically fell into his arms.

He chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

"Appropriate response, Girlfriend. It's nice to see you, too."

She buried her face in his chest.

"I'm just so glad you're here…"

"Is everything okay, Brooke?"

She looked deep in his worried blue eyes.

"No", she sighed. "No, babe, it isn't."

"What's the matter? Brooke, talk to me."

She looked at him and noticed for the first time he had his keys and wallet in hand.

"I'm sorry. Were you going somewhere?"

"Just to meet Tim but it's no big deal. I can be a few minutes late. What's going on with you?"

"I, um, I…I have this problem."

"Okay…"

"I don't know what to do."

Lucas closed his eyes.

"Brooke, I think I know what this is about."

"You do?" she frowned.

"Yeah. You're upset, you're nervous, you need to talk to me…look, I'm not that dense."

"You're not?"

"No. You think you're pregnant, aren't you?"

"What?"

He inhaled a deep breath.

"Okay. It's okay."

"Lucas…"

"Don't worry about it. We'll get through this together."

"But…"

"Look, I'll call Tim up and cancel and you and I can talk about this. I don't want you to panic. We're gonna be just fine, Brooke. Really. Whatever you decide, whatever you want, I'm behind you."

Brooke almost wanted to laugh. Of course she wasn't pregnant but that seemed an easier plight than the one they were actually dealing with. But he was being so sweet and calm about it even though tiny beads of sweat had broken out across his forehead.

"Luke, listen, it's not that. I am not pregnant, I swear."

"You're not?"

"No."

He breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"Thank God! I mean…you know. Anyway, what's going on?"

She looked at him and opened her mouth but the words refused to come out. How in the world could she tell him the whole truth.

"It's uh…it isn't me. See, I have this friend…"

"Anybody from here?"

"No. I don't think you know her."

"Okay."

"Well, she's having some problems and I just feel bad because I can't really help her. It seems like she's in a little bit of trouble now and she came to me for advice but I don't know what to tell her."

Lucas shrugged.

"I don't know this person or what she did but if she's a friend of yours, then it can't be all bad. I'm sure she's a good person just stuck in a really bad situation."

"She is. You know how you've made mistakes and you worked so hard to change because you didn't want them to haunt you for the rest of your life?"

"Yeah. I mean, we're all human, Brooke. Mistakes are a part of life. I don't think the bad things we did in the past should have to follow us around for the rest of our lives. Whatever it is, your friend just needs to be honest with herself first and foremost. That's the hardest part. After that, everything else will just fall into place. Does that make any sense?"

She tried to smile.

"Yes. Um, thanks, Luke. That really does help."

"Are you going to be okay now?"

"I am. Um, you should go. Tim is waiting and I don't want to keep you. I'll figure stuff out."

Lucas kissed her lips.

"If you're sure you're okay…"

"I'm fine."

"Alright", he smiled. "I hope everything works out with your friend."

"Me too."

"You're a good person, Brooke and a good friend. You're honest and you're loyal and you stick up for the people you care about no matter what it costs you. I admire that."

He winked and waved as he left and she waved back, feeling like a real heel. So much for honestly and loyalty. Brooke cursed herself for being a coward. Gaining her composure, she walked out the door and yelped when she felt someone yank her arm and drag her out behind the dumpsters where employees of Deb's Den took their smoke breaks.

"You didn't tell him, did you?"

Brooke put her hand over her heart, thankful that the "abductors" were just Nathan and Haley.

"Okay, guys my nerves are like way too shaky for that."

"Sorry", Haley apologized. "Brooke, what is going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean someone named Peyton was in here looking for you. She says you guys are old friends. And she gave me this", Haley said, handing over the "missing" poster.

"Oh my God…"

"Brooke, what the hell is all this?" Nathan asked.

She took a deep breath. It was time to come clean. The game was over.

"Peyton Sawyer was my best friend. We grew up together in Rhode Island and we both ended up moving to New York. I was a writer, Peyton is a museum director. And we had these Sex In The City type lives…lots of friends, interesting careers, families. I, um, I also had a fiancé. And one day I made a choice to just walk away from it all. I was very unhappy and I needed something different so I got on a bus and somehow I ended up here. I just started over."

"But you didn't keep in touch with anyone back home? They thought you had been kidnapped", Haley said frantically.

Brooke sheepishly shrugged and twiddled her fingers.

"Uh yeah…that."

"Brooke!"

"I know. Okay? I know how bad this looks and I was gonna tell you guys everything…eventually. I never meant for it to turn out this way."

Nathan couldn't get his head around the latest turn of events.

"You, you have a fiancé?"

Brooke hung her head in shame.

"Yes", she whispered.

"A fiancé you never bothered to break up with before you came here?"

"That's right."

Nathan bit his lip.

"Did he hurt you?"

"No."

"Is he an asshole?"

"No."

"He cheated on you?"

"No."

"He's a serial killer?"

"No. He's none of that. Killian is a decent man. He really has his life together and he takes care of me. Very kind and charming, tall, dark and handsome…the whole nine yards."

"What about my brother?"

"Lucas is great. We're happy together and…"

"How can you say that when you just finished talking about your wonderful Prince Charming of a fiancé less than five seconds ago? Brooke, you have this whole other secret life and secret fiancé."

"Babe, don't yell at her", Haley said softly, grabbing Nathan's arm as she tried to calm him down.

"I'm not, Hales. Damn, I'm just trying to get some answers."

"I don't have any answers, guy. I'm sorry. Everything is a big screwed up mess and it's all my fault. I don't know what to do, okay? I left home for a good reason, my reason, but I was too afraid and too ashamed to contact my family and friends after the fact to tell them what I had done. I could only imagine what they were thinking and sometimes, as bad and selfish as it sounds, it was easier for me here to let them assume the worst. I know they missed me…I missed them, too. But I was wrong. And I especially should have dealt with the whole Killian/Lucas situation a lot differently. In fact, I should have been more upfront with all of you. I am so sorry. I know I keep saying it but it's true. Now my past has caught up with me and I don't know what to do."

Nathan was beside himself.

"Well, you better figure out something quick."

"I know, Nathan, I know."

"You have to face this", Haley spoke up. "And you have to tell Lucas before he finds out some other way."

"What's he gonna say?" Brooke wondered aloud.

"He's going to be shocked to say the least. And confused and hurt…"

"Mad", Nathan added.

Haley sighed. That was a given.

"Knowing Lucas, yes, but Brooke it's going to be a hundred times worse if he doesn't hear the whole truth from you."

Haley was right and so was Nathan. Brooke desperately needed to get it together. Her actual leaving hadn't been wrong. She was a grown woman and had the right to happiness and to be able to move wherever she pleased. But it was wrong to keep her family and friends in torturous emotional limbo. And it was wrong to get with Lucas when she still had a fiancé tucked away back home. It wasn't fair to anyone, especially Lucas and Killian. Both men deserved more.

"What am I gonna do?" Brooke sobbed.

Haley was in shock but she couldn't bring herself to turn her back on her friend. Nathan didn't want to be angry with her. He could understand and even sympathize that Brooke's actions hadn't been malicious and intentional. She was still the same Brooke, still the same sweet girl he'd had fun hanging out with, the one who had diligently and enthusiastically helped him with his big race. In all those long, late night and early morning heart to heart talks where many secrets and personal revelations had been shared, he just wished she had revealed the most important thing of all.

"It's okay, Brooke", he finally said after what felt like an eternity.

"I am so sorry."

"We're here for you", Haley sighed, pulling her in for a hug. "Whatever happens, we're here."