Haley was stunned. She couldn't believe what Brooke just asked her. It was the last thing she expected her to ask after the way she left Brooke after high school.

"Hales?" Brooke said shaking her from her thoughts.

"Hmm?" Haley replied.

"Will you?"

"I dunno, Brooke. Are you sure you want someone who turned their back on you for four and a half years to be the maid of honor in your wedding? What I did certainly doesn't show honor."

"Haley, please. I agree with some of that but you're still my best friend and I still want you to be the maid of honor in my wedding."

"What about Peyton?"

"Haley. If I wanted Peyton to be the maid of honor in my wedding I wouldn't be asking you."

"Why don't you?" Haley had made up her mind but now she was stalling just to bug Brooke.

"Hales, you're killing me here!" Brooke was going crazy. It really seemed to her like Haley was about to say no she wouldn't the maid of honor in her and Nathan's wedding.

"Of course I will Brooke."

"Thank you Hales!" Brooke was ecstatic but at the same time she wanted to smack Haley for dragging out her response.

"You're so impatient sometimes," Haley laughed.

"Well it was a big question. I really thought you were gonna say no," Brooke shot back.

"I know you did. But it was fun to watch you squirm."

"Your mommy's evil," Brooke said with a smile as she looked down at the twins, who had fallen asleep.

"I think they got bored listening to our conversation."

"Not likely."

Haley laughed at Brooke. It had been a really great afternoon for them so far. She was glad that she agreed to spend that particular day with Brooke. They both needed this. And so far nobody had screamed or shed a tear. Well not an angry tear.

"Mommy! Bella spitted at me!" Jenny screamed as she came running over to the table.

"Isabella!" Haley yelled. The little girl sulked over to the table. "Did you spit at your sister?"

"Yes ma'am," Bella said not looking up from the floor.

"Apologize and then I want you both to get your shoes. We're going home."

"Sorry Jenny," Bella said.

"Ok," Jenny accepted. The two walked over to the shoe rack and grabbed their shoes before sitting on the floor to put them on.

"You ready?" Haley asked them when they came back to the table. They just nodded. Haley and Brooke stood up and cleared their trash before leaving the restaurant. When they got back to the house, all four of the kids were asleep.

"Hales, I think I'm gonna head back to my house. I'm getting kinda tired and I'm sure you'll want to enjoy the peace and quiet while they're all napping," Brooke said as she got out of the car.

"You sure? You could stay here and take a nap. I wouldn't mind," Haley responded.

"Thanks for the offer but I think I'm gonna head back. I'll see you later."

Haley walked around to Brooke's side of the car and wrapped her into a hug. Brooke returned the hug and smiled as she realized everything was gonna be fine between them.

"Bye Brooke."

"Bye Hales."

Brooke released her grip on Haley and walked to her car. She waited til Haley had all the kids in the house before pulling out of their driveway. She was listening to the radio when suddenly the deejay said something about Chris Keller. Instinctively, Brooke turned the radio up out of curiosity.

"Tragedy struck again in Hollywood. Front man, Chris Keller, of the North Carolina based rock band, Keller Instinct, was killed in a plane crash earlier yesterday morning. The plane was traveling to Georgia from Newark, NJ when it exploded mid air. There is no word if any other members of the band were also on that plane at this time."

"Oh my god," Brooke whispered. Instinctively she grabbed her cell phone and called Haley.

"Hey Brooke didn't I just see you?" Haley laughed as she answered the phone.

"Chris is dead," Brooke answered.

"What? Are you sure?"

"I just heard it on the radio. He died in a plane crash."

"Oh god. Bella's gonna be crushed."

"I'm sorry Hales. I thought you should know."

"It's not your fault."

"I know. Well I should go. I'm home now and I really wanna take a nap."

"Ok. Thanks for letting me know."

"You're welcome. Bye Hales."

"Bye Brooke."

Brooke closed her phone as she shut off her car and walked up to the front door. There was a package between the storm door and the door that went into the house. Brooke carefully bent down to pick it up. She checked to see who it was for and she got nervous when she saw the name on the return address was Dan Scott.

"What the hell could he be sending Nathan?" Brooke wondered aloud as she walked into the house.

Instead of worrying about it, Brooke set the package on Nathan's recliner and went upstairs to the bedroom. She hadn't been gone that long but suddenly she felt very tired. As soon as Brooke was in the bedroom she kicked her shoes off and changed into sweat pants and a tank top before climbing under the covers. Her eyes were closed as soon as her head hit the pillow and she didn't wake up til she heard the front door open, telling her Nathan was home.

"Brooke!" Nathan called as he walked through the door. No answer.

He walked into the living room and saw a package on his chair. His stomach dropped when he saw that it was from Dan. Nathan didn't want to open it. He knew that whatever was inside would upset Brooke and it was obvious she had seen the package otherwise it would have still been in the door when he got home and not on his chair. His fingers shook as he cut into the tape with his keys and pulled the box open. Inside it was a stack of papers. Nathan's palms were sweating as he lifted them out and saw that underneath was a smaller box.

"Son of a bitch," Nathan whispered as he read the papers. Dan was cutting Nathan off financially and threatening to tell Brooke about some crap about Nathan getting Peyton pregnant in high school and then forcing her to have the baby aborted. Nathan knew he couldn't let Brooke see these papers even though he knew that it was a lie. He had never slept with Peyton and if he had, he wouldn't have forced to her to have an abortion. That wasn't Nathan's style. After reading the papers he didn't want to know what was in the box. Nervously, Nathan lifted the smaller box out of the larger box and opened it. He had to hold back his screams as he found himself staring at a mound of gray ashes. Dan had gone too far. He sent Nathan half of Keith's ashes.

"How the hell did he get a hold of these?" Nathan wondered as he closed the box back up. Dan was a sick bastard and Nathan figured this was his way of getting back at him for not telling him that Brooke was pregnant with twins. Nathan didn't want Dan and Deb to know because it was just like he had told Brooke, he didn't want them to be involved in their children's lives in anyway.

"Luke," Nathan said as he flipped his cell open to call his brother.

"What's wrong Nate?" Lucas replied when he heard the nerves in Nathan's voice.

"Dan's hit an all time low."

"What did he do now?"

"Sent me a box with half of Keith's ashes along with papers to tell me that he's cutting me off financially and threatening to tell Brooke about some abortion I supposedly paid Peyton to have in high school. Luke I never even slept with her! This is so messed up. Why can't he leave me alone now?"

"Shit I'm sorry man. How the hell did Dan get his hands on Keith's ashes? Mom had them in her house."

"I don't know. But it says on the inside flap "all that's left of your loser uncle. – Dad". Luke, something's really messed up here. Why does he have to pull shit like this?"

"Nate I have no idea. You're gonna have to go to Tree Hill and confront him."

"No way I can go to Tree Hill. I'll fuck up the rest of my life and Brooke's life and the lives of my unborn sons because if I go down there, I'll kill the bastard with my bare hands and end up in jail for the rest of my life."

"Don't go now. Go once you've cooled off some. Take Brooke with you."

"Luke I wouldn't let her fly out to California to see her dad. There's no way I'm gonna have her fly to Tree Hill with me so I can chew Dan out and tell him what a low life prick he is. That'll be way too much stress on her and the babies and I can't risk that."

"Nathan what's wrong?" Brooke asked when she came down the stairs into the living room.

"Luke I gotta go. Brooke just walked in. I need to talk to her about this."

"All right later man."

Nathan hung up the phone and looked at Brooke. He knew she could see the nerves in his eyes.

"Baby? Are you all right?" Brooke asked worriedly.

"No. Dan's trying to destroy my life. Again but he's taken a new approach," Nathan explained.

"What did he do?"

"Well he cut me off financially first of all which I could careless about. But this, this is the problem. He's threatening to tell you some lie about me getting Peyton pregnant and paying her off to get rid of the kid and have an abortion in high school. That is such crap. I never even had sex with Peyton in high school. And if I had, I wouldn't have made her get an abortion if she turned up pregnant. Oh and you see that little box. Don't open it. It's got half of what's left of Keith in it. Dan didn't have them in his house. Karen had them so it worries me that he claims that those are Keith's ashes. For the first time in my life, I feel completely powerless to stop Dan and I'm hundreds of miles away!"

Nathan was angry he had no idea that he was crying. Brooke watched Nathan fall apart and she felt her heart break for him. She knew that he and Peyton never had sex in high school so there was no way she would have believed Dan if he did say anything to her about that. She really hated what Dan was doing to Nathan. The only other time she could remember seeing him cry was at Keith's funeral. And even then he tried to hold it in.

"Baby, I'm so sorry. Come here," Brooke said as she held her hands out to Nathan.

He reached out to her and she pulled him in. Nathan held onto Brooke and just cried. He couldn't remember a time in his life he felt so weak. Brooke held Nathan while he cried and whispered in his ear that she wasn't going anywhere no matter what Dan did to try and break them up. They were a team and they were always gonna be together.

"Nathan listen to me. Dan can't screw this up for us. I love you and nothing he can do or say can change that. You're it for me. I'm not gonna bail on you ever," Brooke said after Nathan had calmed down.

"I love you too Brooke. I just wish Dan would leave me alone," Nathan replied trying to keep the anger out of his tone.

"Oh he will when I'm done with him." Brooke saw Nathan's cell phone sitting on the table next to his chair. She grabbed it and opened it to call Dan. She was beyond pissed at the man who dared to call himself a father to her fiancé.

"Brooke what are you doing?"

"Just gonna have a little chat with Dan."

"Brooke, no. Please don't."

"Nathan, it's all right. I can hold my own against him."

Nathan shrugged. Brooke had made up her mind. There was no stopping her now. He only hoped that Dan didn't say anything to make her cry or he was gonna have to go to Tree Hill and risk his future.

"Hello Dan," Brooke spat when he answered the phone.

"Brooke, well this is a pleasant surprise," Dan replied with false enthusiasm in his voice.

"Cut the bullshit you sick fuck! You must really hate the fact that Nathan found real love to stoop to the level you hit. Sending him a box with half of his dead uncle and papers filled with lies. What the hell kind of joke is that?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

"Like hell you don't know what I'm talking about. You sent the damn package. There are papers in there telling Nathan you will no longer support him financially. Well that's just fine. Nathan and I don't need your money you filthy pig. We can earn our money. We don't need you to bail us out. And what the hell were you thinking telling Nathan you're gonna tell me some bullshit lie about Peyton being pregnant with Nathan's child and him paying for her to have the child aborted in high school? They never even slept together you moron! You might want to check on things like that before you pull another fucked up stunt like this one. I told Nathan we should invite you and Deb to the wedding but you can now consider yourselves officially uninvited. Leave my fiancé alone."

"What if I don't?"

"You will."

"How can you be sure?"

"You will leave Nathan alone or I will blow the cover on your scandalous deeds at the dealership and everyone will know what really happened to Keith."

Dan was speechless. That never happened to him. Most people didn't know how to face Dan and here he was, speechless after his son's fiancé had screamed at him and threatened him.

"That's what I thought," Brooke said satisfied.

"Let me talk to my son," Dan seethed.

"Here, he's all yours." Brooke smirked as she handed the phone to Nathan.

"What the fuck is wrong with you man? Do you think I care that you're cutting me off financially? I've been waiting for that day. Brooke's right. We don't need your money. And if we did, I don't want it. This is the biggest load of shit you've pulled on me in my life. You're just pissed because you found out from Karen that Brooke's having twins. Well guess what, you will not be a part of their lives because as soon as we're done here I'm never speaking to you again," Nathan barked into the phone.

"What is wrong with me? You disrespect me and you have the balls to ask what is wrong with me? That's real swift Nathan," Dan yelled back.

"I disrespected you? How? By going to college in another state? Get over it man. Or was it the fact that I didn't get drafted number? You know what? I'm glad I didn't get drafted number. I don't want that on my conscious. It's bad enough I have to live with the Scott name hanging over my head. That's more shit then I need. Grow up man! You're ridiculous."

"I'll tell you what's ridiculous. The fact that you don't seem the least bit thankful for all I did to help you get to the NBA in the first place."

"All you did? Damn it you didn't do shit to help me! All you did was push me and force me to spend all my spare time working out. That's not what kids are supposed to be doing for fun. But that didn't matter to you because you didn't care about fun. You just wanted to make sure I knew that you had control over my life. Well not anymore. Not since I was 18. Deal with it."

"You ungrateful little prick."

"You're kidding me right? What should I be grateful to you about? The fact that you gave me life? That's about the only thing I can think of and even that makes me physically sick. Everyday I hope and pray that my sons never hate me. I hope they'll always love me and that we don't have a relationship like what I had with you."

"You still have a relationship with me son."

"Screw you! I have nothing with you. I don't need you or your bullshit antics anymore. We're through. Get your head out of your ass and if you think Brooke was kidding about you and Mom no longer being invited to our wedding let me reassure you. She's not kidding. If I see either of you at the ceremony I'll kill you both."

Nathan was beyond furious now. He wanted to jump through the phone and choke the life out of Dan. It was moments like these that he wished he could without screwing up other people's lives in the process but Nathan had to think about Brooke and the twins. Life wasn't just about him anymore and it never would be again. Everything he did affected them now too and he had to be conscientious about that.

"Nathan, slow down baby," Brooke whispered in his ear.

"Nathan, slow down baby," Dan mimicked sinisterly.

"Fuck you man!" Nathan yelled into the phone. Brooke jumped back at the sound of Nathan's voice. She hated when things got like this but knew enough to know it was Dan he was screaming at, and not her. When Nathan did yell at her it was never that fierce though.

"I'm touched Nathan, really," Dan laughed.

"Don't be cute. This is not amusing. At all."

"No? I'm entertained."

"You would be. I'm not even gonna ask how you got Uncle Keith's ashes."

"I didn't."

"What the?"

"Scared you didn't I."

"You hated Uncle Keith. Why would you screw around with his ashes?"

"That bitch doesn't deserve to have sole possession of those ashes."

"I don't want them! I don't need a box full of his remains to be reminded that he's gone. I think about it all the time. I'm sending them back to Karen and if Lucas calls to tell me you did the same to him I'll kill you!"

"You wouldn't dare."

"Don't try me. I'm so pissed at you that I could probably do it with one hand behind my back."

"Nathan please," Brooke pleaded. She was worried about him. He never got this intense in his fights with Dan.

"Listen to your bitch," Dan said.

"That's it. I've had enough. We're done. And don't you ever say that about my fiancé again." Nathan slammed his phone shut and screamed angrily.

"Do I dare ask what he said about me?" Brooke questioned.

"No," Nathan replied.

They were silent for a few minutes before Nathan said something again.

"How do you know what happened to Keith?" he asked.

"I saw Dan do it," Brooke answered.

"What do you mean you saw Dan do it? Brooke, Keith was killed at the high school. Dan wasn't there."

"Yes he was. Nathan, Dan shot Keith. I'm sorry but that's the truth."

"Asshole!" Nathan dropped down into the recliner and buried his head in his hands. This was turning out to be a shitty night. He wanted it to just stop. He wasn't sure he'd have the strength to hold himself together if it got any worse.

Brooke watched as Nathan crumbled for the second time in about an hour. She felt helplessly horrible. There wasn't anything she could say to Nathan to take away the anger or the pain. She grabbed onto his hand and held it tightly. They had a long night ahead of them and this time the roles were reversed. Brooke was gonna have to be Nathan's shoulder to cry on but she didn't mind at all.

"I love you baby and I'm not going anywhere," she whispered as she slid herself onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his shaking frame.

"I love you too," Nathan choked out.

Brooke leaned her head on his shoulder and they just sat in the recliner silently. The only sound in the entire house was Nathan's crying. It stayed that way until he was all cried out and had fallen asleep. Brooke had fallen asleep shortly after and stayed with Nathan. She meant every word she said. She wasn't going anywhere.