Chapter Four

"I hope that you don't think that taking us shopping is gonna solve all our problems because it's not." Vaughn pointed out as she, Laney, and Brooke strolled through the mall.

Brooke sighed and rolled her eyes. The entire day had been a mess. Family breakfast did not go well, again, for the second day in a row. Vaughn had been against the shopping trip from the start, but after a lot of convincing and maybe a threat or two, Brooke had gotten her to agree. Laney hadn't wanted to go either, but she caved when Vaughn did. Then when the time came to leave, Saylor suddenly developed a case of attachment issues and refused to let Brooke leave her side. Nathan stepped in and told her they were going to go play basketball while Brooke went shopping, but Saylor had been adamant that mommy could not leave her side. It was an extra half hour later that they finally convinced her mommy was coming back and it would all be ok.

The ride to the mall was deathly quiet. No one spoke until they arrived and Brooke asked the girls where they wanted to go first. Neither had an opinion so they went to the first department store Brooke spotted only then Vaughn complained that she wouldn't be caught dead wearing anything they sold so they left that department store and here they were. Strolling while Vaughn complained and Laney sulked. Brooke was tempted to turn around and go right back home.

"You guys need bathing suits for the summer? It's coming up quickly."

Laney shrugged. Vaughn grunted.

"Some input would be appreciated girls. Come on. A little effort is not going to kill you."

"I need a formal dress." Laney finally admitted, "There's an end of the school year dance coming up. I have a date. I need a dress."

"A dress?" Brooke grinned, "Formal dresses I'm good at. Come on, I know just the place."

Laney and Vaughn allowed themselves to be drug quickly to a formal shop across the mall where Brooke immediately began asking questions.

"What color would you like?"

"Um… Blue I guess." Laney looked at Vaughn who rolled her eyes.

"Vaughn, are you going?"

"Fat chance." Vaughn retorted, "I wouldn't go out with a guy that goes to that school if he were the last man on the earth."

"It's just a dance though Vaughn. It's not a life commitment." Brooke laughed.

"Nothing is a life commitment anymore, apparently, not even marriage." Vaughn retorted and Brooke immediately found herself saying nothing at all.

"How about this one Laney? You'll look like a princess." Brooke held up a very formal Cinderella style gown in light blue but Laney crinkled her nose.

"It's too fluffy."

Brooke looked over the dress and nodded. There was a lot of taffeta.

"Not too fluffy. Noted. Moving on."

Brooke continued to look around and was parted from the girls while they too looked. She thought she heard them laugh momentarily but she couldn't see them and all laughing ceased. Her heart hoped it was them laughing. She really wanted this shopping trip to help and it was going good, for the most part.

"I like this one." Laney held up a baby blue satin gown that flowed all the way to the floor even as Laney held it up. The top was strapless and form fitting while the skirt wasn't too 'fluffy' but had some flounce. There was even a rhinestone accented belt to highlight the waistline.

"Wow." Brooke managed to get out a single word and she sighed, "That's gorgeous baby doll. A little grown up for my fifteen year old daughter to wear to her first dance but… if you like it. Try it on."

Laney smiled momentarily and jogged toward the dressing room with the gown in her hands.

"Mom, are you gonna come wait outside so I can show you?"

"Absolutely." Brooke dragged Vaughn with her to sit by the dressing rooms.

Brooke was ecstatic that Laney was actually going to a dance. Even more ecstatic that they found a dress that she liked.

"Aren't you excited for your sister? That dress is gorgeous!" Brooke tried to engage Vaughn in the activity.

"Elated mom really. My face doesn't show it?" Vaughn replied monotonously, her face definitely not showing any signs of elation, "Really sorry, but I just can't seem to bring myself to be happy about a stupid dance and a stupid dress."

"Did a boy ask you?" Brooke ignored her daughters sarcastic comments and smiled, "Or are you bitter because a boy didn't ask?"

"I'm bitter because my gay father abandoned us. Do you really want to get into this here?" Vaughn snapped.

"Look." Laney came out of the dressing room grinning and gorgeous in the dress that fit her perfectly. It was long, too long, but that could be fixed with a little hemming and some stiletto heels.

"Wow, Lane… you look amazing?" Brooke gasped.

"Yeah?" Laney twirled for emphasis, "I really, really like it mom. Can I get it?"

"Absolutely. Take it off so we can pay."

"You're not even gonna ask her how much it costs?" Vaughn questioned as she and her mother stood back up.

"No, because it's perfect and I don't care how much it costs." Brooke began to search through her purse for an imaginary object, hoping that if she looked busy, her daughter would cease talking.

"What if it's a $400 dress and she only wears it once?"

"Then I'll save it for Saylor or… we'll find something else for her to wear it to."

"Like what? Dad's coming out party?"

"You really like those gay jokes don't you?" Brooke rolled her eyes and continued to search through her purse for the thing she didn't really need.

"I kinda do. It helps make it seem less real but that's beside the point. Dad just left so we obviously don't have his money to take care of us anymore. And you don't have a job, and we're not exactly rich, so how can you justify spending any amount of money on a dress she doesn't really need?"

"Credit cards Vaughn!" Brooke pulled her wallet out of her purse with a flurry and stared her daughter straight in the eye, "I'll pay for it with a credit card and then the $400 can come out of the money I don't have a little at a time. Vaughn, is that why you won't go to this dance? Because you don't think we have the money now that dad's gone?"

"I…" Vaughn was finally at a loss for words.

"We have the money Vaughn. We're not poor, we just don't flaunt the money like some do. If you want to go to this dance, please, pick a dress."

"I don't need to go." Vaughn mumbled.

"Do you WANT to go?" Brooke retorted, "I think you do."

"You don't know anything about me so don't assume you do!" Vaughn yelled suddenly and Brooke jumped, "Forget it. I don't want to go."

"Vaughn, listen to me." Brooke took her daughter's face between her hands and made her look directly into her eyes, "I'm not assuming anything. I understand that you're having a hard time right now and I only know that because I am too. I will not assume I know anything about you until you actually talk to me, but until that time, I will understand. Now if you want to go to the dance, pick out a dress and you will go. If you do not want to go, then don't. Either way, it's fine with me."

There was a moment of silence that passed between them before either of them spoke.

"I saw a pink one I liked." Vaughn uttered very quietly.

Brooke grinned and kissed her daughter's forehead very gently.

"Go get it and I'll wait by the dressing room while you try it on."

Hours later Brooke, Laney, and Vaughn burst into their house laughing and talking about the dance. The girls rushed in and went to hang their dresses up while Brooke set her purse down on the counter, still grinning from ear to ear at how their shopping trip had changed things.

"If I'm not mistaken, those were happy voices coming through here just minutes ago and… I think that's a smile on your face." Nathan teased Brooke as he entered the kitchen from the living room, "I think that I deserve a 'thank you Nate for suggesting shopping', don't you?"

"Thank you Nate for suggesting shopping." Brooke mocked him as she tried to repress her smile.

It wouldn't be repressed though and she continued to grin.

"It was… great. At first, they weren't happy but then Laney mentioned a dance that she wanted to go to so I took them formal dress shopping and Vaughn was of course being difficult. She made a bit of a scene but we settled it and I even convinced her to buy a dress too so that she can go to the dance. From then on, it was good. We bought necklaces to match their dresses. Shoes, and I set up hair and nail appointments for them while we ate lunch at my favorite restaurant. It was nice. I felt like I had my girls back."

"I'm really glad Brooke. And I don't wanna bring you down but uh… Lucas called while you were gone. He asked for you to call him back."

Brooke's smile fell and she sighed.

"Can you do me a favor and take the kids out to dinner then? I'd really rather them not be here while I talk to Lucas, just in case they overhear anything."

"I can do that." Nathan kissed her forehead like he always did and then returned to the living room while Brooke continued to hang her keys up and finish up her usual coming home routine.

"Hi mommy." Tavian strolled into the kitchen and hopped up into one of the kitchen table chairs, "You have fun?"

"Yes I did." Brooke turned and smiled at him, "Did you?"

"Yeah. We beat Uncle Nate twice. Saylor hurt her knee but Uncle Nate fixed it and then we came back here and Uncle Nate made us lunch and gave us ice cream."

"Ice Cream huh?" Brooke raised her eyebrows, "I guess just this once that's ok. Next time you know better. No ice cream 'til after dinner."

"I told Uncle Nate that, but he said it'd be ok and if it wasn't, he'd convince you."

"Oh really?" Brooke laughed and moved to scoop her son into her arms, "Let's go talk to Uncle Nate about that one."

"Uh oh!" Tavian giggled all the way to the living room, "Uncle Nate! You're in trouble!"

"What am I in trouble for?" Nathan asked from his seat on the couch.

Saylor was laying on his lap, watching a movie on the TV.

"You gave us ice cream."

"It was yummy." Saylor added without looking away from the screen.

"You gave them yummy ice cream before dinner. And just what do you have to say for yourself mister?" Brooke smiled as Nathan feigned innocence.

"I have no clue what you're talking about. These… children are delusional."

"What's delusional?" Tavian asked.

"Crazy." Brooke kissed his cheek, "Are you crazy?"

"No!" Tavian objected, "Uncle Nate! I am not crazy! You gave us ice cream!"

"I did no such thing."

"Lying is bad for your carmex." Tavian stated and both Brooke and Nathan were now staring at him like he was crazy.

"My what?" Nathan asked.

"Carmex. I don't know. Laney told me."

"Karma." Laney sighed as she entered the living room and sat down in a chair, Vaughn following and sitting on her lap, "It's bad for your Karma Tavian. Not your Carmex. Carmex is chapstick."

"Oh." Tavian blushed and buried his head in his mom's side.

"I did give them ice cream." Nathan finally admitted "But… since I am taking them out to dinner, that's my problem."

"True enough." Brooke smiled and reached down to play with Tavian's hair, "You're all ok with that? Uncle Nathan taking you out to dinner?"

"What are you gonna do?" Vaughn asked.

"I… need to call your dad." Brooke admitted. She didn't want to lie to them and that was what she'd be doing.

"Tell him he sucks for me." Vaughn rolled her eyes and stood, "I'll be in my room. Call me when we're leaving."

"Yeah, give him my hatred too." Laney added and then followed her sister.

Brooke and Nathan exchanged looks that said it all and they sighed simultaneously.

"Why do Laney and Vaughn hate daddy?" Saylor asked, prying her eyes away from the TV screen finally.

"Because daddy left." Brooke said simply.

"But he's comin' back right?" Saylor frowned as she waited for her answer.

Brooke wasn't sure what to say to that. In her heart of hearts, she knew Lucas had no intention of returning. But she couldn't say that to Saylor, because that would break Saylor's heart.

"Say… Daddy loves you more than anything in the world baby, but right now he can't live here with us and maybe he might not be able to ever."

"Why can't he live here with us?" Tavian questioned.

Suddenly Brooke was being faced with both of her younger children's questions and she had no clue what to say.

Nathan watched Brooke grappling for answers and he knew she wasn't coming up with anything. He saw the panic in her eyes and without thinking, he began to talk for her.

"Sometimes, when mommy's or daddy's feel… differently then they did before, they have to leave the people they love the most to figure out what they need. And right now, your daddy needs to figure out what he needs. And although he loves you and wants to be with you, he just can't right now."

Brooke mouthed a silent thank you at him and hugged Tavian close to her chest.

"And until you can see your daddy again, mommy and Uncle Nate will always be here for you ok?"

Nathan pulled Saylor up into his arms and hugged her like Brooke was Tavian.

Both young children sighed but accepted the explanation they'd been given.

"Uncle Nate? Can we have more ice cream after dinner?" Tavian asked, breaking the silence after their intense conversation.

Brooke laughed while Nathan just rolled his eyes.

"Don't tell your mom but I was planning on giving you cake instead. How does that sound?"

Tavian and Saylor started giggling happily as Brooke's mouth dropped open.

"Nathan!" She shrieked, "No cake!"

"Pudding?" Nathan asked innocently.

"No."

"Cookies?"

"No."

"What about candy?"

"Nathan Scott, if you give my children any more sweets, you are so staying the night so that you can deal with them jumping off the walls all night long."

"Stay Uncle Nate!" Tavian yelled, "Then we can have candy!"

Nathan began to laugh.

"Stay. Stay. Stay. Stay." Tavian and Saylor chanted.

"Ok, ok." Nathan caved easily, "I'll stay on one condition."

"Anything." Tavian readily agreed.

"We all have to stay up late and watch movies together."

"They can't. They have a bed time Nate." Brooke argued.

"Then they'll go to bed and you and I will stay up late. Movie night? You have to admit it sounds good."

"It won't after I talk to Lucas." Brooke mumbled but thankfully no one picked up on her actual words.

"Please mommy!" Tavian begged.

"Fine whatever, but then you guys need to go to dinner now so that I can call daddy and be done by the time you come home so we can watch movies."

Nathan tickled Saylor in celebration and Tavian jumped up off the couch, desperately trying to pull his uncle and sister off the couch with him.

"Come on let's go. Hurry."

Brooke laughed at them the entire time they were getting ready as Nathan was being a complete goofball, which even made Vaughn and Laney laugh when they came out from their rooms. The house being full of laughter and smiles made the silence that followed that much more deafening. Just in an effort to get the ball rolling, she immediately picked up the phone.