Brooke turned on the shower, the water was steaming, she was ready. She stepped in and her unfinished tears fell down her eyes with the scalding water. And she cried. No one could see her tears again; the shower was her only sanctuary. When she was done releasing her pains, she stepped out of the shower. She realized that it had burned her skin, it was completely red. Brooke looked at herself in the mirror. She was thin, thinner than before. Her eyes were empty but longing for something. Her face illustrated her unhappiness. She spoke of missing Haley's former identity, yet her own invisibility was even more vibrant than before. Where did she go?

She quickly covered herself up and put on her face. It was part of the routine. Another deep sigh to ensure she was still breathing. She was just barely holding on. Brooke was beginning to wonder how long she could just hold on. It was something she could put off until tomorrow. She just hoped she didn't run out of tomorrows.

Brooke emerged from the bathroom ready to face whatever was next. Whether it was Lindsey, Haley, or even Nathan, she was ready.

The ice cream trio had returned, she heard laughter in the kitchen. She wished that she could laugh. She wished that her happiness had not been taken away. Another sigh and she went towards the laughter. If only she could laugh.

"Aunt Brooke!" Jamie shouted with glee. "I didn't lose your card, and I did everything you told me to do."

"How many scoops did you try tonight, Jamie?" she sincerely wanted to know, she had missed too much of his year, so if it was his favorite color or his ice cream consumption she wanted to know. She wanted to know everything.

"Momma said I could only have two, but Uncle Lucas let me finish his," his smile radiated throughout the room.

"And Haley, was ice cream the medicine you needed? Was Dr. Jamie right with his diagnosis?"

"I think the young doctor was right on, I am feeling so much better," she grabbed onto Jamie, "thank you, Doctor."

"So you are better? You aren't going to be sad anymore?" If only it was this easy.

"I could never be sad when I am with you, Jamie."

Unfortunately, this five year old was smarter than your average child; he knew that it was not the entire story, "What happens when I am not around?"

"Then I will think of you, and everything will make me happy."

"Even when you are with Daddy?" Boy did this child cover all the possibilities.

"I love your daddy very much, Jamie."

"But he is the reason you are sad all of the time."

"This is what we are working on, Jamie," Brooke put in. She wasn't sure how far Jamie was going to go with his incessant questioning or if Haley was going to be able to keep replying.

"Okay, Aunt Brooke. What do I do now?"

"Well, Little Man, I think you are going to have to give me a hug."

"Is that going to help, Momma?"

"It will help me, and if you help me, I can help your mom."

That bought Jamie over, and he embraced his needing godmother.

"That has got to be the best hug I have ever had."

Until now Lucas and Lindsey were bystanders to the conversation. "Hey J. Luke, I was thinking about a little basketball before bed, what do you think?"

He looked to his mom; he needed some reassurance that it was okay to leave her, "Can I, Momma?"

"Of course you can, just take it easy on your Uncle, he is tired," it was the understatement of the day. Who wouldn't be tired during this day? Lucas had to deal with a missing nephew when Brooke took him to his home. He had to deal with his uncharacteristic anger with Brooke. Two hours with Nathan had drained him, and then he had to extract his best friend from her house. All in less than 12 hours. She looked over at her oldest friend and silently passed her gratitude.

As the testosterone left the kitchen, three girls remained. Imagine silence once more. So much had already been said throughout the duration of the day, what possible merited enough power for this day?

Brooke and Haley had not spoken, actually spoken since when they were in the car. Haley had no idea about Brooke's rendezvous with Nathan. She wasn't sure if it was time for a confession. When would be a good time to tell your best friend that your alcoholic husband made a pass at you? Especially since that would mean Nathan did not speak in anger, but in wanting. It was all that Haley pushed for and Brooke got it. How could she break more into Haley's fragility? She couldn't. It would hurt too much, and today Haley didn't need it. She never really needed it.

After a few minutes of unbearable silence, Haley spoke, "What a day."

'What a day?' both Lindsey and Brooke repeated the statement in their heads. It was like Haley was referring to a long day at an amusement park. It was close with the amount of rollercoasters ridden, but it was no Six Flags. Neither knew a proper or appropriate response – they were baffled.

"So what did you have for dinner?" no one was contributing to erasing the silence, so she spoke on her assumption that they must have eaten in her absence.

The thought of food alerted Brooke's stomach to the fact she had not had food – other than a few spoons of Jamie's ice cream – since stepping foot in Tree Hill. She was immune though. Immune to hunger. Victoria had made her immune. Damn Victoria. It had been 6 months since Victoria had reminded her of the spotlight placed on such a young and successful designer. And those shining the light liked to highlight every single imperfection. Brooke Davis' baby bump on the cover of National Inquiry did not bode well with Victoria. Brooke was sure her next cover would be focusing on her shrinking body. She was sure Victoria would enjoy that one more. After all it was all about Victoria. Damn Victoria.

Lindsey had forgotten as well, but her hunger had diminished with her conversation with Brooke. "Actually, we hadn't gotten to that yet. You hungry, Brooke? I can make you whatever you want."

She shook her head. Nothing new.

Lindsey felt she should have pried deeper. But not now, not today. Their conversation was filling enough.

"Brooke, have you eaten at all today?" Haley wondered aloud. She may be broken but she could still be concerned. It was in her character. It was who she was. It was all she had left.

"Haley, I am not hungry."

"That didn't answer my question."

"Haley, there were more pertinent events today that needed to be addressed."

"You are too thin, do you ever eat?"

"People who don't eat are called corpses. I'm sure I'm still above ground."

"Barely," she wasn't sure if she purposely slipped it out, but she would not apologize for being concerned.

Where was this coming from? She knew she was thin. Too thin. But her daily life paid a heavy toll on her and her body. She accepted it. Why couldn't Haley do the same? "I'm not hungry, let's just drop it."

"Haley, she just lost her appetite, that is all," Brooke gratefully accepted Lindsey's defense. She wasn't sure she would get it elsewhere, so she would gladly take what she could get. "It was a long, draining day."

"I still think you are too thin, it is not healthy, Brooke," Haley looked her friend over again. Her Brooke was always slim, but she now was Peyton-thin, and she did not have Peyton's body type. She cared about Brooke, and she was saddened that she had been absent; all she wanted now was to know why and how she had gotten to this point.

"Coming from the tiniest of all of us," she pushed it aside again, attention averted.

"You know my reason, what is yours?" Damn she was good. It silenced Brooke. Over the course of the past day it had become unmistakable that silence was sometimes more painful than words. This silence hurt.

Brooke's phone rang. She tried to momentarily forget about the other world. But it always seemed to bring her back. The noise startled the girls, it was not welcomed. She looked down, it was Millicent. All Brooke wanted to do was ignore, ignore her other life waiting on hold. But she couldn't. And it was Millie, and it was for the fifth time today. It would not be fair; Millicent had no fault, so she answered the phone. "Millie, I am so sorry."

It wasn't Millicent. Brooke realized the second the person on the other line said, "Oh, you are sorry?"

Brooke had begun to leave the room, not wanting to intrude anymore on Lindsey and Haley's silence. It would be unfair. But she was not stable enough to leave the room. The force of power Victoria held on her – even hundreds of miles away – was radiantly palpable. It was radiantly palpable to the people at the table that she was about to break.

She did not have enough strength to hang up, close her phone, or end the call. She was using all of strength left to hold on – to her phone as well.

"Where's Millicent?"

"What do you think I did? Kill her, just so I could use her phone? Well, I'm not done with her yet, we will see what happens next," she laughed at the idea of the ridiculous ploy. But Brooke wasn't laughing. She knew what Victoria was capable of. She just hoped Millicent could handle it. Because she no longer could.

"Where is Millicent," it was her attempt at a demand.

"She is standing right next to me, Brookie; do you want to talk to her?"

"Yes, I don't believe you."

"Why would I lie to you, daughter dearest?"

"Let me talk to Millicent," her voice was barely audible.

Victoria handed the phone to Millicent, she knew how to play the game, unfortunately the two girls were unaware of the deeper demise she had in mind. "Brooke? Brooke, I am so sorry, I don't even know how she got my phone. Brooke, I didn't tell her where you were. I promise."

"Millie, Millie, slow down," she had to calm down her assistant. "Are you okay?" She didn't believe a word Victoria said anymore, she wasn't so sure Millicent was untouched.

"Well Victoria fired me, but other than that I am fine. I am worried about you though."

"First off, you are not fired, and secondly I am fine, stop your premature worrying."

With that statement Haley looked from Brooke to Lindsey, pleading with the latter to try and do something. Lindsey was thinking the same thing, but she was running out of ideas on how to save Brooke, she kept knocking them down.

"Brooke, when are you coming home?"

Brooke heard the phone being snapped from Millicent's hand, "Your pathetic excuse for an assistant made her first valid point, when are you coming home, Dear?"

"I am home," she trembled with each word.

"Stop the nonsense, Brooke. I don't know what you were thinking leaving without alerting anyone. Or why in God's name you would you escape to Tree Hill, North Carolina? I was billed for the flight; you sure picked a great one in Millicent, especially if you wanted to remain anonymous. So you need to start using some of the little sense you have and board the next flight. Just drive to the airport your flight will be taken care of."

Brooke had no idea that the volume on her phone was loud enough for Lindsey and Haley to hear every single word that Victoria spoke to her. Brooke's picture was slowly being painted. When Victoria inavertedly removed Haley from Brooke's life, she took Brooke's own with her. That is where Brooke went.

"No," it was the only word she could get out.

"What did you just say?"

"I said no."

"I didn't even know that word was in your vocabulary. Nice try, Brooke. I will see you in a few hours."

"No," Brooke said again.

"If you know what is best for you, I will see you in the office tonight."

"No," it was all she say.

"It was always evident why you never went to college, your vocabulary range is slim, my dear. If you want to play games like the child you are, I can too. Tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. there will be a meeting regarding your stability as CEO of Clothes ova Bros. If you are not present, it will be evident to the board that your spastic adventure to Tree Hill was unwarranted. Prime evidence of unstable behavior."

"It is my company."

"And it still will be unless you decide that you rather remain in Tree Hill."

"It is my company."

"Dear, you really have got to try different words; it is not helping your image at all. You know that I always inform your best interest. Just listen, board the plane, I will see you in the morning, Brooke."

"Put Millie back on the phone," she looked up into concerned and pleading eyes, two pairs. She looked down because she couldn't bear to see them.

"So demanding. Fine, I don't know what you see in her, but here she is," Brooke heard Victoria summon Millicent. She was getting a raise when she remembered; this stepped over the boundaries of her job description.

"Brooke, what time do you want me to book your flight?" she was in her speedy assistant mode already. Victoria was looking at her with watchful eyes giving a nodding approval, and then she walked out of Brooke's office.

"Millicent I want you to book a flight, but not for me. As soon as you are ready I want you to come to Tree Hill."

"Brooke, you must come back, you will lose everything."

"I already have," the words slipped emotionless from her mouth. "You can come to me, or you can move on with your life. Thank you for putting up with me for these past four years."

"Brooke, I will be there as soon as I can."

"Millie?"

"What is it, Brooke?"

"Thank you."

"Brooke, are you okay?"

"Honestly, Millie, I am starting to realize that I am not okay," the statement was the affirmation that Haley and Lindsey thought they wanted. But watching Brooke's phone slip from her hand as the hidden pain escaped into the room, this was not the way they wanted it. Not like this, not for Brooke.

Brooke looked up at the girls again when she realized she had lost control, she knew that her tears were going to be released with her heartache. She vowed in the shower that no one would see her tears. She had to leave the room. She covered her mouth. She got up from her seat. But her feet were not on the same track as her mind, and she stumbled. She stumbled to the ground as she stumbled in life.

Lindsey got there first. Damn déjà vu. Haley got to her feet, but the sight of her best friend brought her back down. She vowed at that moment to gather more strength, not for herself, not even for Jamie now, but for Brooke. Brooke needed her, and at the current moment she could not help. She sat in her chair, and she watched Lindsey comfort Brooke – something she should be doing. But she couldn't. So she watched.

Brooke didn't want to be comforted. She wanted to be alone. She knew how to be alone. She did not know reassurance. Lindsey had her arms around Brooke, but she broke away. She got to the refrigerator, the surface supporting her – the only thing she had left – and her arms around her knees. Lindsey was pushed back in disarray. All she could do was watch the starlet's demise, all she could do was watch. If a photographer took a picture of the scene in the kitchen, people would confuse the travesty with a national disaster. If someone walked in on the scene the devastation would run through their blood. One would not want to be that person.

Jamie ran through the house with a smile on his face, he beat his Uncle Lucas in basketball and he had to tell his momma. "Momma, Momma," he shouted towards the kitchen. He didn't understand why Haley didn't reply, but as soon as he stepped into the kitchen he knew the reason for her silence. He was the unfortunate recipient of the devastating scene. His eyes went from his mom, to Lindsey, to Brooke. He personally knew sadness, but the adults' were way worse than he had experienced. How do you pick the one who needs you most? He was just a little boy, but he knew the three were in desperate need. He helped his mom earlier, so it was between Brooke and Lindsey. Jamie knew Lucas was close behind and would comfort his fiancée – he went for Brooke.

She saw the little boy walk into the room and quickly scan the scene. She realized he was coming towards her, why was he picking her? It was more affirmation that she was in need. Haley was in need, and though she had not discovered it yet, she was sure Lindsey had her own story. But Jamie picked her, was she the worst? Unfortunately, she was.

"Aunt Brooke, why are you so sad?"

She cracked, she couldn't reply to the question, but she knew the answer. She knew why she was so sad. Her name was Victoria. Damn Victoria.

He put his arms around Brooke, and she let him. And she let her delayed tears fall. Lucas walked in on this scene. He did the same double take as Jamie did, but his eyes were first fixated on his nephew and his first true love. His current love and his best friend had tears in their eyes to accompany Brooke's own. He extended his hand to Lindsey to help her up, and she embraced him as if he was rescuing her. In a way he was. Lucas waited for Lindsey's release and helped her to a seat. Lindsey reached out her hand to Haley. With tearful eyes Haley looked to Lindsey, and without words told her of her new vow. It was not to Nathan, but it was to Brooke.

Lucas felt he was the most stable person in the room, but he had to sit down too. It was too much. It was all just too much.

The scene remained; no one had enough power to alter it. So it remained. It remained until Brooke's tears stopped flowing. It took awhile, but it was necessary. Lucas and Lindsey both gathered mutual vigor and decided it was past Jamie's bedtime. They got up, and Lindsey put a hand on Jamie's shoulder blade, "Jamie, I think it is time for bed."

"I can't leave Aunt Brooke."

"I am okay now, Jamie, you helped me. Go to sleep, Buddy."

"That is what my momma told me, and she was not okay. Someone needs to stay."

"I am going to stay with your Aunt Brooke," Haley said composing herself enough to stand and walk over to the refrigerator. Lucas put an arm around Haley in a way to praise her for getting out of her seat. It was the first step, and it was the first step necessary. For Brooke, and for Haley. She bent down to put her son in her arms, "There is no one I love more in this world than you, Jamie. I hope you always know that," she gave him a kiss on the top of his head.

"You ready, Buddy?" Lucas asked his nephew.

"Can I have one more second?"

"You can have as many seconds as you need," he had to smile at the fact that Jamie was trying to be the hero. That used to be his job.

Jamie turned to face Brooke again. Her makeup stained her face from her tears, her hair was disheveled. She was not the picture on the cover of B. Davis magazine. For that image on the cover was manufactured, the real Brooke Davis appeared before the little boy. He was okay with this version, and even though he was young, he knew that the girl behind the makeup was real. "I don't know why you are sad, but I know why my momma is. My daddy made her sad. She is going to get better with or without my daddy, you will do the same," he was definitely Lucas' nephew with his well-spoken words, and definitely Haley's son with his intelligence. "I love you."

She got her love. It took less than 24 hours. She was waiting for 22 years for her mother's. At the rate she was going, she was going to have to wait another 22. It was not worth it. Not anymore. Not since she returned to Tree Hill. Her life aspiration dissolved the moment she stepped off the plane. She just wished she didn't wait so long.

Lucas picked Jamie up and the trio left the room. Haley carefully slid down to join Brooke on the ground. Brooke immediately put her head on Haley's shoulder. And they sat there, they simply remained. It was all they could do. It was all they could do for now.