Chapter 188: The Village
Tuesday, January 17th, Morning
The doorbell rang, and she picked an app on her smartphone. Looking at the image on the screen and smiled. Putting the smartphone down, she went down to the front door on the parlor floor (second floor).
Slowly, she opened the inner set of double doors. Looking through the windows of the outer doors, Fallon Stafford smiled at Brooke standing out there. Fallon opened the door and let Brooke into her townhouse.
"Morning Fallon," Brooke said.
"Morning, Brooke, how's your visit going?" Fallon asked.
"It's going well," Brooke said, and walked past Fallon, finding a place to sit in the living room.
Fallon nodded and took a seat across from Brooke. "So, you've intervened on our wayward…" Fallon paused and swished her hand, trying to finish the sentence.
"Yes, I finally put my foot down with Ellie," Brooke said.
"I was the one Trin sent to get Ellie's stuff and clean out her kitchen," Fallon said.
"Yeah, we've been keeping her at Trin's place, and she'll be heading back with me, it needed to be down," Brooke said.
"Yeah, but Brooke, you're not Ellie's Mom," Fallon said.
"Someone needed to get her to straighten her act up," Brooke said.
"Brooke," Fallon said.
"Fallon," Brooke said.
"I'm just saying, Brooke," Fallon said.
Brooke looked around the living room. Finally, she looked at Fallon. "I remember when you bought this place," Brooke said.
"Winter break, my freshman year," Fallon said, "I was sick of student housing."
"The first of my girls to have their own establishments," Brooke said.
"Have you been watching Downton Abbey again?" Fallon asked.
"It's a good show, and no one is better than Violet," Brooke said.
Fallon shook her head and chuckled a little, "Of course, you would identify with the Dowager," Fallon said.
"Of course, a Queen always identifies with a Queen," Brooke said, "Anyway, she wants what's best for her family."
"That she did," Fallon said, "Nice swerve, Brooke, trying to avoid an uncomfortable subject."
"What subject is that?" Brooke asked.
"How you strong-armed Ellie to return to Tree Hill," Fallon said.
Brooke laughed, "I left Bruno and Tony back in Tree Hill. Anyway, I didn't strong-arm her," she said.
"Then what do you call it?" Fallon asked.
"I made her an offer she couldn't refuse," Brooke said.
"Always the queen," Fallon said, "Do I have to kiss the ring?"
Brooke laughed again, "No, I left it in Tree Hill," she said.
Fallon chuckled, "Okay, but when did you become a gangster?" she asked.
"I've always been a gangster, Fallon," Brooke said, and laughed, "She needs to get back to her roots to re-center herself."
"Well, I think she needs to figure it out herself," Fallon said.
Brooke shrugged, "What she needed is be slapped to her senses," she said.
"It's not our place," Fallon said.
"Maybe, not yours," Brooke said.
"Okay," Fallon said.
"So, are you coming to Tree Hill?" Brooke asked.
"Why would I?" Fallon asked.
"There's a thing they're doing for one of the championship basketball teams," Brooke said.
"So? I didn't play basketball," Fallon said.
"But it's Lucas' first championship, you were a junior and on the sidelines cheerleading for that team," Brooke said.
"Are you trying to get the band back together?" Fallon asked.
"I just think it would be nice, with your relationship with Lucas," Brooke said.
"Okay," Fallon said.
"You could come and stay at Beaulieu," Brooke said.
"I could," Fallon said.
Brooke looked out the front windows and took in the West Village. Finally, she looked at Fallon.
"Anyway, I heard Trin wanted you to walk for us," Brooke said.
"She did," Fallon said.
"Did you say yes?" Brooke asked.
"No, I'm five foot three, way too short for that," Fallon said.
"It never stopped me before; women come in all shapes and sizes," Brooke said.
"So?" Fallon asked.
"Well, I don't think you'd be a good fit," Brooke said.
"Neither do I," Fallon said.
"I heard you've got a new man in your life?" Brooke said.
Fallon shrugged, "I'm not sure I'd say a man in my life," she said.
"You've been on a date or two," Brooke said.
"Yeah, but I don't know how serious we are," Fallon said.
"Well, it doesn't matter, its good you're out socializing," Brooke said.
"What does that mean?" Fallon asked.
"Just you put work before everything else," Brooke said, "Not that you need a man, or a woman, just need people."
"I have Ellie, Trin, and Wyatt," Fallon said.
Brooke shrugged, "It's also good to meet new people, too," she said.
"It is," Fallon said, "I would guess."
"What's his name?" Brooke asked.
Fallon nodded, "Yeah, his name is Grant," she said.
"So, is it Fallon Stafford or Fallon Adams seeing him?" Brooke asked.
"What? Where did you hear that?" Fallon asked.
"Trin and Ellie," Brooke said.
"Well, Fallon Stafford is seeing under the name of Fallon Adams," Fallon said.
Brooke closed her eyes and shook her head. After she opened her eyes, she looked at Fallon, "Why are you doing this, Fallon?" Brooke asked.
"Because, Brooke, I want what Chase and Izzy have, someone who's with them for them. Since I was sixteen, I've never had that option; they see Fallon Imogene Stafford, the billionaire, and what money they have access to," Fallon said.
Brooke shook her head, "Fallon, you can't find a relationship built on a lie, especially something that big," she said.
Fallon nodded. Brooke knew she would think about it, and unlike Ellie, Fallon isn't easy to strong-arm. Other issues were more important.
"So Brooke, when did you become the Mom of Tree Hill?" Fallon asked.
"After the annus horribilies," Brooke said.
"Still calling it what Haley calls it?" Fallon asked.
Brooke nodded, "What else would you call it?" she asked.
"I don't know," Fallon said.
"Me either," Brooke said.
Fallon nodded, "Yeah," she said, and both women nodded.