Haley sat down to a chorus of applause. Her valedictorian speech had gone well. In the second row, Brooke sat with her usual fake smile spread across her lips. Then she watched, without much enthusiasm, as her classmates proceeded across the stage. Her own name was called. With a clack of high heel on lacquered wood, Brooke walked up to the woman handing out the diploma holders and then over to Principal Turner. Her body kept up the façade of happiness. Once you fake something for extended periods of time the body takes over and the actions become involuntary. As she flipped her pointless tassel to the other side of her hat, Brooke looked out at the sea of faces. Nathan, Lucas, and Peyton sat in the midst of the mass of blue polyester, smiling up at her. A few rows back, Deb bounced a happy Brooklyn up and down on her knee. Karen sat beside her clasping Keith's hand over her own protruding stomach. Brooke's own parents couldn't be bothered enough to be at this event in their only daughter's life, just as they had not been there for her when she lost her child. Brooke's hand reached for her stomach, but instead of the comfort of a live being squirming around inside, she felt a void. She smiled once to the camera that Larry held. Brooke was sure Peyton had told him to take lots of pictures to guilt trip the Davis elders with later. Then, as another name, was called Brooke slumped back into her seat.

Finally she could breathe. The moment they were allowed to, Brooke had pulled off the stifling layer of fabric. She then fled from the confines of the classroom where she would be forced to smile and give people false "have a good lifes". With a sigh, Brooke realized that her plan to be falsely elated had worked all to well. People didn't seem to notice a change in Brooke so they were careless with their words around her. Throwing around things like "baby" and "pregnant" sometimes as the butt of jokes. Words that to them meant nothing, but to Brooke were like knives.

"Hey Brooke." Brooke winced a bit before turning. Haley stood before her, a smile plastered across her face. Peyton was standing beside her, equally happy. And then Brooke saw something that made her heart break in two. Haley balanced a small Brooklyn on her hip. Peyton clasped the small hand of Jenny. Brooke closed her eyes, trying to force the tears back in. She wasn't much of a role model for little Brooklyn. Hell she couldn't even be within five feet of Brooklyn for extended periods of time without the waterworks turning on. And Brooke hated herself for this.

"Hey guys," Brooke said. Was that a crack in her voice? She tried to play it off.

"Can you believe we're finally graduated?" Haley asked, bubbling over with excitement. As she shook her head no, Brooke took a good look at Haley. What did she have that Brooke didn't? How could she move past losing a child while it ate at Brooke every day? Then Brooke looked at the child in Haley's arms. The child with her namesake. That's how Haley did it, she had a replacement child. Brooke could never replace her child and it seemed heartless that Haley could do that. Brooke smacked herself internally. Haley was a good mother, she hadn't replaced James she had just given a child who needed a family a family. And then Brooke realized that Haley was a better woman than she would ever be. While Haley too had lost a child, she had found it in her heart to open up to love again. Even to another child. Brooke had done the opposite, closing her heart off to everyone. She glanced across the courtyard where her boyfriend stood. Lucas deserved more.

"Brooke?" Brooke was pulled back to the two mothers in front of her. It seemed that they had asked her a question and were now waiting for a response.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that. Graduation bliss you know?" She smiled. The two seemed to buy it as the concerned looks faded from their faces. "What were you saying?"

"I just wanted to know if you were going to that huge graduation party at Bevin's later?" Peyton asked. Brooke looked at the blonde. Peyton had always been there for Brooke, even when Brooke didn't want her to be. Peyton was the one that never gave up on their friendship, even when Brooke had thought it was impossible to repair. Almost daily, Peyton had called to check up on Brooke. She had yelled at Brooke, tried to force her to get over it. Most would call it cruel, but that's the way that Peyton functioned. It was tough love from her. And that was what Brooke needed. Though she would never admit it, Peyton had been a major factor in Brooke getting back out in the world. Yet she never let Peyton in. And Peyton knew why, there was a drawing hanging in her room that stated why. A red light with a simple phrase on the bottom. 'People always leave.'

"Sorry guys, I don't think so. I've got a lot of packing to do." Brooke had everyone convinced that she was going out to LA to go to college when in reality she was going there to get away. Because it was on the opposite coast, far away from her past.

"Do you need any help," Haley asked as she switched Brooklyn to the other hip. Brooke shook her head.

"I've got to start learning to do things on my own." The concerned look reappeared on the two women's faces. "You know, since you all are staying on this side of the US," Brooke clarified. Haley and Peyton looked like they didn't quite believe her, but they let it go. "Well don't move. I've got something to give to you. Peyton do you think you could help me?" Peyton nodded.

"Jenny sweetie, stay here with auntie Brooke ok?" Peyton smiled at the child who nodded. She planted a kiss on the small child's blonde head.

"Could you hold her for me?' Haley asked, holding Brooklyn out to Brooke. Though her mind screamed at her that it would destroy her if she took the child, Brooke's motherly instincts took over and she reached her arms out to take the baby. Brooklyn's brown eyes gleamed up at Brooke as Brooke pulled her towards her, cradling her in her arms. She rocked Brooklyn back and forth gently.

"Hi sweetheart," she cooed. She sat down on the cold pavement. Soon a warm body pressed itself into her side. She looked down to see Jenny smiling her toothy grin. Brooke shifted Brooklyn to one arm and put the other around Jenny. Her stomach churned. This is what it would have felt if her baby had lived. First she would have held the baby as she was holding Brooklyn. Then she would have a child like Jenny. Brooke closed her eyes and wished for a moment that these two little girls were her own.

"Brooke?" Reluctantly, Brooke opened her eyes.

"Mommy!" Jenny squealed and ran into Peyton's legs. Brooke's wish was shattered. These two little girls had mothers. Her two best friends.

Haley gently took Brooklyn into her arms and then spoke. "We couldn't let you go off to LA without anything from us, so here." Packages were shoved into Brooke's arms.

"Guys you shouldn't have. I mean I didn't get you anything." Peyton held up a hand.

"Just promise us that when you make yourself famous you'll remember us little people." Brooke smiled and then ripped open the presents. One was a box filled with various fabrics. It was so filled that she could barely lift it. The other was a ribbon board on which Peyton had painted 'Inspiration' across the top. Blinking back the tears, Brooke looked at the picture that had been placed in the center. Six faces smiled up at her. Peyton grinned from the left side of the picture. Jake's arm was snaked around her waist. In the same pose, Nathan and Haley were standing on the right side of the picture. There in the middle was Lucas and on his back was Brooke. Her own face was contorted into an expression of pure joy that Brooke didn't recognize. This picture was taken before the pregnancy.

"Thank you," Brooke croaked past her tears.

"Your designs are amazing. We know you're going to be a hotshot fashion designer someday and we thought we could help you get started," Haley informed her.

"You were always telling us that the designs were inspired, so we figured you could use someplace to put things that inspire you," Peyton explained the board. Brooke looked up at her two best friends. She didn't deserve them. All she had done was push them away and yet here they were. Acting as if nothing had changed between them. As if she was still the warm hearted person she had been before the baby. Brooke stood up and wrapped her arms around Peyton and then Haley, careful not to squish the baby in her arms. And then in a move that not even Brooke saw coming, she kissed Brooklyn's forehead and then her tiny fist. Then she bent down and wrapped her arms around Jenny.

"Get Lucas to help you with that box," a stunned Haley spoke. "It's heavy."

"You rang," Lucas smiled.

"Take this box to the car for her," Peyton told him.

"Are you going home already?" Lucas looked to Brooke. She nodded.

"Packing to do." With a shrug, Lucas bent down and picked up the box. Brooke tucked the ribbon board under her arm, but before following Lucas to the car, she turned to her entire female support system. She didn't know when she would ever see the four of them again. "Love you guys."

"We all love you too," Haley spoke in a cracking voice. The three elder females had tears in their eyes.

"You two take care of them," Brooke called to the group.

"We will," Peyton assured her.

"I was talking to Brooklyn and Jenny." With one last group hug and tears all around, Brooke walked to her car. Lucas had already miraculously fit the box in her tiny trunk. Brooke slid the board into her back seat. Lucas reached for the handle of the passenger door, but Brooke stopped him. "I think you should stay here."

"No. You leave in the morning. I want to spend our last day together, well together. I can watch you pack." Lucas wrapped his arms around her. Brooke allowed herself a moment of ecstasy before pulling away.

"I can't do this."

"What?" Lucas looked confused.

"You deserve better than me," Brooke told him.

"That's not possible. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me." He reached out to grab her hand. Why was he making this so hard?

Brooke pulled back. "No I'm not! I mean you've spent these past few months in love with someone who can't love you back!"

"You mean you don't love me?" Lucas looked as if she had just slapped him. Brooke inhaled deeply.

And though she didn't mean them, she then spoke the words that she knew would make him let her go. "No Lucas, I don't love you."

"Oh."

"Lucas, I'm sorry."

"Save it. I gave you my heart. For some reason I thought I had yours. But I guess I was wrong. Have a good life Brooke Davis." And then Lucas turned his back on her and walked out of her life. Brooke's heart was screaming at her to tell him that he was wrong. That she loved him more than she could explain, but her head told her to just let him go. And so Brooke watched the best thing that had ever happened to her walk away from her forever.

Brooke pulled the strap of her bag a bit higher up on her shoulder. Her ticket in hand, she was standing at the gate to her plane. No one had come to see her off. Brooke had made sure of that. She had successfully pushed everyone she cared about out of her life. She handed her ticket to the man at the gate. Before walking down that long hall to face her destiny, she took a last look at the airport. And then she turned around, walking on, leaving her old life and everyone in it behind. She was getting a new life, one she hoped was better than this one.