AN: So I am glad that you were pleased with the confrontation. Brooke needed it, and Haley needed to see Brooke's strength so she could gather her own.
Brooke let out a squeal, not in anger, but something new, excitement, relief. And it was not relief that she was simply breathing, it was relief that she was really alive and no longer would she be poisoned by Victoria Davis. "I feel good, so good. Don't you feel good?" picking up Jamie, swirling him around in her joy. She didn't really give him a chance to answer, "I feel good. I want a cheeseburger, no, I want two. And French fries. You hungry, Jamie? I hope so, because I am. And I don't care where it ends up. I just don't care. I don't care," she said as it was for the first time. In fact it was.
But it was too much, it was just too heavy of a load – especially with the body in which was carrying it. She put Jamie down. "Aunt Brooke, are you okay?" he didn't quite understand her sporadic behavior or her pale complexion that just plastered her face.
Haley had caught up with the duo, placing a hand on Brooke's arm, "Yeah, Brooke, are you okay?" The concern could not go away, not yet. It was so much to take in, and Haley wasn't sure if Brooke was ready for it all. Certainly not the immensity of it all.
"Haley, I have never felt this way in my entire life," and it was true, but not to the same effect as she wished. She suddenly became extremely light-headed, and everything came crashing done – herself included. Haley's support was not enough to stabilize her, and Brooke ended up on the ground. This did not quell any of Haley's fears, it just solidified them.
"Brooke!" she was on the floor almost as quick as Brooke had fallen.
Brooke could not speak; she looked up into eyes that held such concern. All she could do was cry. It was realization of what she had just done. She gave away everything. She gave away everything to a woman that had caused so much pain in Brooke's life. It appeared as if Victoria was now satisfied, but what about Brooke? What was she supposed to do? The tears that glistened on her face were due to the overwhelming feeling she was experiencing, and simply because she didn't know what else to do.
Haley held on, she held onto Brooke for dear life. She was not going to let go, not until she was ready. There had been too many people to let go of Brooke's life, and that led her on an unstable pathway to now. Now was where she was, and Brooke was not happy, she was not okay. Haley didn't know what to do either, so she accompanied her friend, and allowed her own tears to fall. She wanted Brooke to know that she was not alone. After all, Brooke hypothesized this would happen. But her tears would not make her weak, just simply alive. And regardless of her stability, Brooke knew she was still kicking, she was alive. It was the first time that tears had fallen and she had this sentiment. It was the first step, the first of many.
Millicent had come to the scene. It was in the middle of the hall. Everyone could see, but at the same time it felt as if Haley and Brooke were the only ones there. Millicent knew that the girls felt that way. She put her hand to her mouth. There was so much realness in the scene, so much realness that Millicent had never seen before. Brooke was so much more than the person that had appeared before her. She was glad that it was finally revealed. It sure took long enough, Brooke Davis. Millicent looked down to see a little boy attached to her leg. She was positive that Jamie Scott would be the best company.
It was too much for the boy to take in, but he couldn't let it be known. He had to be strong. He was the hero. Heroes do not crumble. Especially over spilt tears. But it was hard to watch two people that he loved and admired in so much pain. He knew his life had been short, but it had been eventful. It really conditioned him, and matured him into the person he was. He knew not to break the tears, so he found comfort in Millicent. He liked Millie. Jamie was genuinely grateful for the new people entering his life. He needed this, his mother needed it, and he was sure that in the long run so did his father. He wondered what would have happened if this had happened earlier. But there was no time left to wonder, not even for a five year old. It was the present, and there was still plenty more tears to be shed. He would take the initiative to catch them all. After all he was Lucas Scott' nephew and predecessor.
Brooke had been wrong about one thing. The words she said to Victoria in the boardroom would not be her last. The devil herself had emerged from the room and found her former daughter sprawled on the floor. How could she possibly pass up an opportunity to rub it all in? "A little early to be drinking, dear, don't you think?"
Any attempt at getting to her feet was unsuccessful. Truth be told she was just too weak. It was all too much, and she was physically too weak. She was going to have to work on her strength. That was next on the list. Well after erasing every ounce of Victoria from her life. "No, Victoria, I haven't had a drink in six months. Wouldn't want it end up anywhere unsightly." She could lie to Victoria now, but the truth to Haley would have to come out eventually.
"I was just trying to help you out. The camera adds ten pounds, and well you already added ten yourself."
Brooke may not have been strong enough to come to her feet, but Haley was. The anger attributed. "It is not okay what you do, what you did. There was nothing wrong with her appearance, but you made her believe that she had to be perfect. No one is perfect, Victoria."
"How do you know? You weren't there." She laughs that evil laugh, "Oh that is right, Brooke didn't want you around."
"It was your delusion that I fell for so stupidly. I admit my fault. But how dare you pluck everyone away from Brooke. All this shows is that you were insecure, and you had to make Brooke appear worst off than you."
"Oh is that true, did you uncover my master plan? Brooke's best interest was always on the forth front. I made sure that the success of the company was in full swing."
"So it really wasn't Brooke's interest you were pursuing, it was the company. And you really didn't care if Brooke was harmed in the process, did you?"
"She was never harmed. Brooke led a life that anyone of her age would have dreamed of living. And it was her paradise. I gave it to her."
"You gave it to her?" Haley had to laugh out, but not in the pure evilness as Victoria, but in disbelief. "Everything that Brooke had she earned herself. I do not care if you brought in more customers and more expensive materials. No one would buy anything without Brooke's designs. You were unnecessary."
"So that is the reason she called me begging me to help her out."
"You were her mother," making sure she used the past tense, "she hoped that you would be willing to help her out, it was not out of desperation. It was out of admiration. Now we can see it was mistaken."
"No one else could have done what I did for her," now speaking as if Brooke wasn't collapsed onto the floor.
"Maybe that is true. But she would have been a lot better off if you hadn't returned. And your reason was not motherly; it was with the hope of a prospering company, never a happy daughter. How selfish could you possibly be?"
"You know nothing about me or my life. So don't you dare speak to me like you do. I guided her in the right direction."
"And how do you classify it as right? Was it the right direction for her to be practically starving herself hoping to create a better persona? The persona was for you, no one else was demanding it. But she complied, and you know why? Because she thought that if she did everything that you wanted her to do, that maybe, just maybe, you would love her. It is clear that you would only be satisfied if you were burying her. And that is not something you will be doing in this lifetime."
"Overdramatic much. Obviously, you know nothing about this industry. Image is extremely vital. I pushed her in the right direction."
"No you pushed her into an eating disorder."
"She looks fine, really good actually," eyeing Brooke on the ground. She was thin, really thin. Maybe she needed that extra ten pounds the camera added.
"Oh, the first compliment you ever gave her. And you are the kind of people that she is trying to satisfy. You are the kind of person in which would not be content until the girl can no longer stand on her feet due to the exhaustion of it all. Well you got your wish, Brooke is on the floor. Are you happy now?"
"It was never my intention for this result."
"There you go again, placing yourself in the main picture. You think it is all about you, your actions and your demands. It is not about you, it never has been. But you don't see that, and Brooke has been extracted from a place where she belongs. You took it away, you took everything away."
"No, actually, she just gave it to me. So if you will excuse me, Ms. James, I have a company to run," she would never buy anything that Haley was speaking. It may have been founded in truth, but Victoria was stubborn, and she would never admit someone else was right. Even if it was her own daughter. Well her former daughter, she no longer held the responsibility.
"I hope you are happy," Brooke stopped Victoria's forward progress. She had asked Haley for a hand to help her up. She needed Haley's support to keep her upright.
"I haven't been this happy since before I knew of your existence," she said facing Brooke. She would never speak with her back to Brooke. Victoria wanted the whole effect, hoping that her facing presence would win Brooke over. It always had before.
"I am glad that I could grant you your wish. Please just answer me one question though, and I promise you it will be the last I ever ask of you. Why? Why couldn't you just love me? I would have given away all the expensive clothes, my car, the house, every single thing if you would just have asked me about my day. Why didn't you love me?"
"You cannot be loved, Brooke."
Even though her physicality failed her, she was still strong enough, the adrenaline still rushing through her veins. "You are wrong. And I know you will deny it. In my opinion I think you blame me for every misstep in your life. Go ahead, by all means. But at the end of the day, you are all alone. The difference between you and me is that that is how I used to spend my nights, but that is how you always will. Have fun being a lonely bitch."
"I don't need anyone."
"Yeah, I tried that, and it did not go over so well for me. No one can do it alone. Not even you, Victoria. So you can try, but when you fail, I will not be here. No, I won't be here. I will be in Tree Hill, North Carolina with my family. Something you will never know anything about. So, goodbye, Victoria, have fun alone."
The bitch was finally silenced. She went off on her high horses with her head in the air trying to discard everything that Brooke had just spoken. Regardless, she knew that Brooke was right. She would just never be caught accepting it.
The victory was short-lived. The weight of the world was still falling down among Brooke. And even with the support of Haley, Brooke could not sustain it. The duo collapsed to the floor together. "I am so sorry," Brooke said tearfully into Haley's eyes. Brooke really felt as if she had failed Haley. She just couldn't do it anymore, the façade, it was gone. This was the real Brooke, and the real Brooke couldn't pretend to be someone that she was not. Not anymore.
Haley put both hands around Brooke's face, "I never want you to apologize, never, Brooke. I am so proud of what you did today. You have nothing to apologize for, do you hear me? The strongest person in the world could not have endured what you just endured. No one else is Brooke Davis. I am so proud of her. I am so proud of you," gently kissing Brooke's forehead, before pulling the girl into embrace.
Millicent and Jamie were the unfortunate audience of the last several minutes. And it was not pretty. They got a little closer to the scene, but did not want to break the barriers. They were sacred barriers that the viewers could not intrude on. But there was still something that could be done. "Jamie, New York City has the best food in the world. How about we got get some? Well that is in case it is okay with your Mom?" quickly eyeing Haley for her approval. She was unsure that Haley would be willing to let a girl that met her son only this morning to take him away.
"I think it is exactly what we need," Haley said giving Millicent the approval nod. Truthfully, Haley never wanted Jamie out of her sight again, but times called for his safety. It was something that she had excelled at in the last several months. It was time for his security, and Millicent would be the perfect person to abide by it.
Nonetheless, before the outsiders could depart, Jamie had to break through some barriers. He had many caps, but right now he was just a curious and concerned five year old, "What's wrong Aunt Brooke?" placing a hand on her shoulder. He didn't understand. He knew pain. His father was in pain. He knew anger. His father was angry. He knew sadness. His mother was sad. But Brooke's combination was a new ball game to him. It appeared that she was physically not well. It appeared as if she was breaking. Before this moment he thought that only dolls could break. Why was his godmother doing the same?
Haley didn't know if she should answer her son, or let Brooke respond. She left room for pondering. And in return, Brooke had the words for Jamie. "I have the chicken pox," she said sadly knowing that Jamie would understand. He was Haley's smart boy after all.
"But you are going to get better, right?"
"Did your chicken pox go away?"
"Of course, I don't have it anymore."
"Well then soon I hope that I can say the same."
"Me too," giving her a gentle hug. He gave his mom one as well, and then turned to grab Millicent's hand.
"You come back now, you hear?" Haley called out. She was not losing him.
"I will always come back. Even when I am old."
"Good, because I will always be here."
As Jamie turned back around, an extremely confused Millicent asked the question on her mind, "Does Brooke really have the chicken pox? I didn't see any pox."
The boy laughed at Millicent, "Not the itchy kind of chicken pox. Like my daddy has chicken pox right now because he is angry, and my momma has them because she is sad. I am not sure what exactly kind Aunt Brooke has. But they are all going to get better. Chicken pox doesn't last forever, you know?"
"Actually, I don't. I never got it."
Again the boy could smile, "Well, take my word for it. It goes away, it all goes away," life summed up by a five year old.
"What are you thinking, Brooke?" Haley asked once Millicent and Jamie were out of sight. She looked into those hazel eyes, and there was still so much sadness, so much distance from the finish line. Haley knew the experience would not paint happiness into Brooke's eyes right away. But she was a dreamer, and that is what she wanted for her best friend.
"I am thinking that I gave away my company to a woman that never loved me," she saw Haley's pursed lips just dying to interrupt. But Brooke continued, "But I am also thinking how free I feel," and Haley relaxed her lips slightly in relief of Brooke's revelation. "I am free of the wrath that has been caging me in. I finally know what I want and I can reach it. It has never been reachable before. I am free."
"Brooke, your strength inspires me. It inspires me to turn around my world, and this path I am on. I am not happy, my family is not happy. And because what you did today, I am going to change it. I am going to change the course that we have been on. It is because of you."
"You got me to this point."
"No way, Brooke, you got yourself here. I just rode the plane with you."
"Haley, I came to Tree Hill so I could escape it. Escape everything that has been tearing me down here. My intentions were selfishly motivated. But I came home to peril; it was not what I expected. And I never expected to put my emotions on the forefront. It was going to be a cover up for the rest of my life if I had to. And at the unfortunate rate I was going, it could not have been long. The second you reentered my life my life expectancy increased. I would still be in the dark if you had not pulled me out."
"I would be there too if your so called selfish trip hadn't happened. Whatever your motive for coming home was, I am grateful. I am grateful that I can have my friend back in my life. You ignited a fire in me that I thought was extinct in my life. I know my battle is not over, but because of you, it has begun."
"I am not a very religious person; the only time I even have faith in anything is when I am asking God for something. This is the first time that I believe in His existence, and that we were brought together."
"Somebody has got to save us, save us from ourselves actually."
"At the rate it is going it looks like your son is turning into his uncle."
"He does have some savior qualities that little boy. Always trying to save us. I hope he has some gusto left in him though, I think I am still going to need it."
"You have a remarkable little boy, and as long as people need saving, he will be around."
"So what's next, Brooke? Where do you go from here?"
"We, it is us now, there is no more me. I have spent too many years wrapped up in me. What we are going to do next is to sit here and wait for Millicent to bring back some of the Big Apple's finest. And we eat, and on the floor because there is no way that I getting up without some nourishment. Then we finish Jamie's magazine, pack up my office, say my goodbyes and we are off. Off to Central Park so you can ice skate with your son. We can take him anywhere he wants, and when he tires we board the plane. We will go back to Luke's, and we will sleep until Jamie wakes us up. And then, Haley, you have to tell me what is next. Because that is where your story begins."
"Do I have to tell you now because the task still seems enormously harrowing to me."
"The time is yours, it is the only thing that we really always have. When your heart is ready we will go. And if your heart isn't, we will wait. I have nothing to do but wait with you. Nothing in this world is more pertinent."
And the girls did wait, and they waited, and waited until the food duo returned. Then they ate, and with some support Brooke got to her feet. She felt as if she was standing on stable ground again. It took a long time to get to this point, but the journey was worth the unstability. Jamie and Haley, they were worth it all. Victoria extracted so much out of her life, but without her, her family would not consist of the Scotts. So maybe she was grateful for more than just her life. In a way Victoria provided the opportunity for Brooke to have another life. Could it possibly been Victoria's plan along? The lady's nickname was Bitchtoria, there is no way in hell that she could have ever had Brooke's interest at heart. Regardless, Brooke was now surrounded by three of her favorite people in the world. Thank you Victoria for the results of her world. That was the last gratitude.
Brooke's plan went as she had imagined. Food. Magazine. Goodbyes. Now it was time for ice skating. She had to admit that she was no Michelle Kwan, but she would give it a try. What was the worst that could happen? She could fall. She had fallen many times before in life, and never until today did she have someone to help her up. She wouldn't mind falling today.
AN: So I hope that you are not disappointed that the victory was short-lived. I just felt as this chapter would be the actual aftermath. She was physically weak before the meeting, and she had enough adrenaline to survive it. But she could only pretend so long, and her body failed her. I know this story appears kind of like a downer, but I ensure you that the end result will be worthy. Well at least I hope you think so. Don't worry though, there is still time. I like the time, and I want the time, in respect for Haley and Brooke. I hope that you respect it as well. Thanks for letting me know what you think, it helps me a lot. So please continue! Peace.