"Well", Deb sighed as she stared out of the darkened Den, now empty except for Nathan, Haley and Lucas. "This has certainly been a night to remember. I'd say we could all use some coffee."

"Coffee?" Haley scoffed. "I say bring on the Scotch."

Deb shrugged as she rummaged behind the bar and poured shots for everyone, including herself.

"I still can't believe it", Nathan shook his head.

Deb took a deep breath.

"We still don't know the whole story."

"You mean, you're not mad?" Haley asked. "You and Lucas were almost arrested."

"It's not her fault, honey."

"The hell it isn't", Nathan muttered.

"Don't be like that, Nate. Sweetie, I raised you better than that. Now it's unfair for all of us to judge Brooke without knowing everything. I don't know what's going on. I just think she was a lonely, confused young girl who got caught up in an unfortunate situation, made some not so wise choices and now the consequences are catching up with her."

Lucas poured himself another shot.

"I won't believe it", he vowed.

"I'm sorry, bro, but you saw those pictures just like we did", Nathan reminded him.

"I don't give a damn about any pictures. I need to hear it from Brooke."

"I guess all of you do", came a soft voice from the shadows. "I owe you that much."

Four heads popped up to see a tired, red eyed Brooke at the front. She looked smaller than usual, frail and stressed, heavy bags looming under tear stained cheeks.

"Brooke…" Deb called out.

The two women embraced.

"Oh Deb. I am so sorry."

"It's okay, honey. You don't have to apologize."

"You have been so good to me. You were a mother and a friend and gave me this job and a place to live. I am so grateful and I care for you so much. I'm sorry I hurt you and I didn't mean to lie to you."

"It's okay", Deb kept repeating.

Brooke turned to Nathan and Haley.

"I'm sorry, you guys", she whispered. "I can't say that enough. There were so many time I just wanted to tell you everything."

"But you didn't", Nathan quickly cut her off.

"No, I didn't. In your eyes that might make me some kind of coward but the Brooke that I am now…the kinder, unselfish, happier person I've become…well, I don't regret that at all and I owe it to all of you."

"Brooke, I don't know what to say", Haley began. "Yeah, I wish you would have handled things differently but people make mistakes. Lord knows every one of us here has and we're in no position to throw stones from glass houses. We haven't walked a mile in your shoes. All I know, all we know is what we see. You're a good person. As far as I'm concerned, you're still the same Brooke you were two weeks ago before any of this happened."

They hugged and then Brooke turned to face Lucas.

"Nathan, Haley…let's give them a minute", Deb ushered everyone out, leaving Lucas and Brooke alone for the first time since all the events had unfolded.

The tension at the Den was tangible.

"Hi", she instinctively hugged him, tears pouring from her eyes.

Lucas flinched.

"What's going on, Brooke?"

"I am so sorry about what happened earlier to you and Deb. I had no idea…"

"Is it true? Is that guy really who he says he is? Is he your fiancé?"

Brooke hung her head.

"Yes. Um, we were engaged."

"Were or are?"

"I don't know."

Lucas shook his head.

"Do you know how bad that sounds?"

"Yes but…"

"But nothing. Look, I'm tired of this. Brooke, you've got to tell me the truth. This morning everything was normal. I woke up, we had breakfast together, made plans for the concert and I gave you a kiss. All damned day I looked forward to seeing you and being with you. Then while I'm waiting for you, two of Tree Hill's finest, with some private investigator Inspector Gadget jackoff plus some arrogant, rich prick who looks like he stepped out of an Abercrombie and Fitch ad, claiming to be your fiancé! I thought it was a prank or a mistake, then while Deb and me are in handcuffs, you prance in and basically confirm everything."

"Lucas…"

"It's not right, Brooke. I don't want to hear you're not ready to talk about your past. That's horse shit. I want to hear the truth, the whole sordid truth and I want to hear it from you right now."

Brooke took a deep breath.

"My name is Brooke Penelope Davis. I lived in New York and I worked there as a writer. And I…I also had a fiancé named Killian Morris."

"So you just walked away from all that?"

"Yes, Lucas. I was miserable there. I had this seemingly perfect life but I hated everything about it. I hated who I was on the inside."

"Who was that, Brooke?"

"A self centered, shallow, compulsive, materialistic, spoiled, out of touch with reality, stuck up, rich bitch. I was a pampered princess born with a silver spoon in my mouth. My parents gave me everything. I always lived in the nicest house and had the best clothes and drove the fanciest cars and went to the finest schools. My whole world was country clubs and society events. It's sad really. I was a clone and I didn't even know it. I didn't care about anything except for myself and my extravagant lifestyle. Sure I thought writing a huge check or boxing up old clothes or buying a Barbie doll for some needy kid at Christmas was enough. I was so out of touch with real life itself that it was ridiculous. I was uninterested in anything having to do with the plights of poverty or wars or the environment. As long as it didn't affect my appointment with my masseuse or my new Gucci boots, then I didn't give a damn. Then one day I met this older lady at work. She was just a temp. Her name was Ella. We just started talking and I really liked her. We were different as night and day. I swear we didn't have one thing in common but she was so cool to talk to. It's funny because I had never taken the time to associate with someone like her before. She was a working mom just struggling to pay the bills and survive. Ella didn't know Prada from Versace and she didn't care. She cared about other things, important things. She helped people and she did it not for show or because charity is the 'in' thing to do but she did it from her heart. Ella reminds me a lot of Deb. Anyway, that friendship really made me rethink some things and one day I just woke up. I mean really woke up. I realized just how empty my life was. Brooke Davis' existence was pointless. Even though I loved my friends and family, they were a source of the problem because they were apart of that very world I was trying to escape. And even though I loved Killian, I started to question if I'd be happy or fulfilled being married to him for the rest of my life. Then I realized I didn't want to keep living that way and go on to being some rich man's trophy wife and having and raising a couple of equally bratty, out of touch kids. That would only make things worse. So I thought about running away. It was just a silly fantasy at first. I'd sit at my desk and daydream about leaving everything behind and becoming someone else. Then the dreams became more and more frequent. I'd think about it constantly but every time I was going to put the plan in action, I'd chicken out at the last minute. I wasn't really strong enough. But the unhappiness didn't go away on its own. Sometimes things were so bad I thought I might die. One night at a restaurant I looked over and saw this miserable girl with her fiancé and family and it was like looking in a mirror, Luke. I couldn't take it anymore so I went home, packed up some clothes, took a little cash and left. The whole time I felt like I was watching a movie of someone else taking the steps to leave. But I got on a bus, got off at a random stop and the minute I got here in Tree Hill, I knew there was no turning back. After a few days, I was running out of money and Deb offered me a job and a place to live. You know the rest."

"Brooke…"

"My whole life changed, Lucas and I liked it. I knew everybody back home was probably looking for me and crazy with worry but I couldn't call them up. It wasn't that simple. I'd have to explain and no matter what they say now, never in a million years would they have understood my feelings and my choices. They would have pressured me to come back and I probably would have cracked. I panicked so it was just easier to stay here."

Lucas just sat there. It was a lot to take in.

"And you thought you could lead two lives forever?"

"No. I knew I had to do something, I just wasn't sure what. My mind was always trying to figure out a solution but until then, it was better to keep on living in Tree Hill pretending."

He laughed bitterly.

"So that's what this is? Were you pretending with me, Brooke?"

"No! No", she cried. "That's not what I meant. This is real, Lucas. You know how I feel about you. And you know that I care about Nathan and Haley and Deb and Skills and Christina and everybody and everything about Tree Hill."

"So now what?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know?"

"Everything is so messed up and it happened so fast…"

Lucas slammed his fist on the counter.

"Dammitt, Brooke! You tell me all this and I get why you left but damn, there is another man in the mix and not just any man but a fiancé, a fiancé you've had the whole time you've been here in Tree Hill sleeping with me!"

"I know. Luke, I know this looks really bad but…"

"But what?"

Brooke began to sob uncontrollably.

"I don't know…"

"You are two different people with two separate lives. And you can't do both anymore. You have to choose, Brooke."

"I understand that but it's not that simple…"

"Yes, it is!"

"No, it isn't."

"You can tell tour family and friends that you're happy here and eventually they'll accept it. You're a grown woman, they can't physically make you go back. And you can tell Killian to take his smug ass back wherever the hell he came from. That's a choice, Brooke. The only other choice is to go back to New York with him, back to your old life, the one you claim made you so miserable. So what's it gonna be?"

Brooke sighed.

"It has been a long day. I am so exhausted and so upset that I can't even think straight. I just wanted to come here and explain everything to everybody. I know this isn't over but for tonight, or what's left of it, I just need to be alone to think and God willing, maybe get a little bit of sleep. Please. Can we just deal with this tomorrow?"

Lucas rubbed his tired eyes. He was beat…physically, emotionally and mentally.

"Fine. Whatever."

"Thank you", she mouthed.

"Look, we'll go home, try to get some sleep and figure stuff out in the morning."

He reached for her arm but she quickly pulled away.

"I can't."

"What?'

"I'm sorry. I…I'm not going back to Deb's house, not tonight."

"What?"

"I think it's best I stay in a hotel."

Lucas' jaw tightened.

"Is he still in town?"

"Yes", she answered meekly.

"Great! Just fucking perfect! Why not? You were in my bed last night so tonight you get to go to him."

"No. No, Lucas. It's so not like that. I am not sleeping with Killian. I'm not even staying in the same hotel."

Lucas nodded.

"But you can't be with me?"

"I can't be with anybody. Not right now. Tonight I just need some time to sort a bunch of things out."

"How much time?"

Brooke shrugged tearfully.

"That I can't tell you."

"Brooke…"

"Lucas, please. I just…can we please talk about this tomorrow? I am so sorry. Right now I just can't."

He was silent for a moment.

"Okay", he finally spoke.

"Do you understand?"

Lucas looked right at her.

"Does it matter? Because it looks like I don't have much of a choice, now, do I?"

He went for his keys and stood.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Home. I want to sleep too but I doubt that will happen."

"Lucas…"

He put on his jacket and walked right past her.

"You're not the only one dealing with this, Brooke. I guess I've got a lot to think about as well."

With that he left and once alone, she crumpled in tears. Brooke collapsed on a barstool and wept, torn between the wonderful new life she had created for herself and the so called life she had left behind.