Brooke was sitting in front of the Roes' door and cried into her hands. It was just too much. So much had happened in such a short time and now Lucas and Karen weren't here but somewhere else, without her. She had no clue where they were and did not know what to do. She had no mobile, so she could not phone any one. She decided to walk to Nathan and Haley to see whether they were there. Her tears were falling down her cheek the whole time although she tried to stop crying.
"Brooke? Is that you?", a voice asked behind her. Brooke immediately wiped away some tears and turned around. She was still wearing a baseball cap and a sunglass to hide her bruises but of course she was not able to hide them all.

"Hi.", she said softly. "Oh my god. Honey, what happened?", Deb looked shocked at the broken figure in front of her and hugged her. Brooke flinched a little, her stomach hurt from the punches her father had added.

"I am not crying. I am not crying.", Brooke whispered to Deb but it was more for herself.

"C'mon.", Deb took her hand and they walked to her house. Dan was inside the house as well. Although he was not the nicest man and they definitely had some marriage problems, he was not a bad man either and in some wicked way he cared for some people and Brooke was one of them. He knew Brooke for a long time; in fact Nathan and Brooke had had many sleepovers as kids.

"Holy shit.", Dan jumped up in surprise when he saw Brooke Davis coming into the living room with a big bruise on her face and hands. Brooke immediately flinched and held up her hand as if she wanted to protect herself. She looked fearfully up at him.

"Who did this to you Brooke?", Dan asked a little too hard. Brooke shrugged her shoulders "I fell down the stairs.", she lied.

He took her hand in hers "No one falls down the stairs and has hands that look like this or", he took off her base cap and sunglass "bruises like this." He pulled her into the living room and did not stop asking, "Do you have more bruises?" Brooke looked at him for a moment without saying anything.

"You were always bad at lying. Lift up you shirt." Brooke looked helplessly at him and wished that Deb would come back but she was looking for some painkillers for Brooke.

"Now Brooke!", Brooke lifted up her shirt slowly and showed the bruises to him. He gasped and then yelled "Who was the asshole that did this to you Brooke?" Of course Brooke knew that Dan was just a little protective but she feared this man right now. "It…I….", she started to stutter. "Dan. Leave her alone.", Deb finally came back into the living room and pushed Dan back a bit. "I will when she….oh god. Don't tell me it was Richard.", but Brooke's face told him everything. He knew Richard for a long time and they had been golfing a lot together in the past.

Brooke immediately started sobbing when Dan did not stop screaming "This asshole. How dare he touch his own daughter."

"Dan. Get out. Now!", Deb pointed at him when she saw how exhausted Brooke was. Dan stopped yelling and looked at the small figure "I am sorry Brookie.", he used her nickname and went through her hair and then got out to run a little. His anger was too much right now and he knew that he could not stop himself sometimes when he got to angry.

xxxxx

Meanwhile the others were in the plane and could not wait to see Brooke. "I hope she is okay.", Lucas told his mom who was reading a fashion magazine. "Since when are you reading fashion magazines?", he laughed at her.

Karen looked up and smiled "Well, Brooke loves them and I want to know why. But I really don't get it.", she took it into her bag again and nodded "Yeah, I hope that she is doing well. I am worried though and I hope we can take her back with us."

Lucas took his arm around his mother "I miss her too, mom."

A little later all of them were outside and looked for a cab to drive to the house were Brooke was living. No one knew that she was not there any more and missed them in Tree Hill.

Veronica and Adam were at the house and wondered that no one was there. There was a small letter that told that Brooke was back in Tree Hill. Nothing more. Of course they were happy for Brooke but when the doorbell rang they knew that her friends did not know this little detail at all. Veronica opened the door with a big smile and saw the nice people smiling at her. "Come in.", she said nicely and all of them entered the big but empty house.

"What? She was locked in?", Karen was walking up and down in the living room. She could not believe what she was hearing. That they had taken away her mobile and that they had locked her in the whole time and actually hit her. Veronica did not know what had happened and why she was gone now but she feared that Brooke's body was showing another bruise.

"Thank you so much for taking care of her.", Karen had the urge to hug Adam and Veronica and went forward and slung her arms around them. She was glad that at least some people cared for Brooke in New York. "We have to go back.", she said to the others who were equally shocked at the news and nodded.

xxxxx

Meanwhile Brooke was lying in Deb's arms and sobbing. "Oh honey. It will get better." Brooke nodded and felt very tired. She had not slept well in the last time. Either she was afraid that her father would come in and yell at her or she had heard her parents yell at each other's.

Dan came inside again totally sweaty from the running and gave a tennis racket to Brooke. Brooke looked confused up at him. "Are you still that clumsy with any sport that has to do with balls?", he smiled down at her. Sometimes you could not get Dan. He could be a real asshole and then he could be a real sweetheart in a weird way.
"Dan, she does not want to play tennis now."

"Are you or not?", Dan asked again without listening to his wife. Brooke smiled a little "Um…I guess yes."

"Well, then take this racket and come to my car. No need to wait and cry here till they are in Tree Hill again.", he went outside and got into his car. But Brooke did not move at all. She was not in the mood to play tennis now.

She jumped up when he started yelling "Brooke Penelope Davis. Get your ass outside." Brooke rolled her eyes and remembered the old times with the Scotts. She took the racket and went outside and into his car "I am not in the mood to play now.", she crossed her arms in front of her and looked madly at Dan.

"You never were but in the end you liked it."

"I am not ten any more.", Brooke whined and looked to the backseat "What is this?", she asked confused when she saw all the balls. There was a football, a baseball, a basketball and a soccer ball. "Well, we will find out in what sports you are good in."

"I am good in gymnastic and cheering.", Brooke complained and he laughed at her and squeezed her hand for a moment "That is not sport." Brooke rolled her eyes and leaned back.

"Don't hit the ball that hard.", Brooke stomped with her feet when Dan had hit the ball that hard that it landed on her back. "Brooke, you are supposed to get the ball and not run away from it.", Dan laughed at her and teased her.

"I would, if you did not hit it that hard. Jeez.", Brooke threw the ball into the air and wanted to get it with her racket but it landed on her head. Dan immediately started laughing and she threw the racket to the ground like a little kid and crossed her arms and sat down besides the field.

"I hate it.", she kicked the racket while Dan came over to her. "Oh no little miss. You don't get to sit down now. Stand up and try it again.", he took her arm and pulled her to the field again.

"But I am not good at it.", Brooke complained and remembered the times Nathan had complained how strict his father was with him when it came to basketball.

She tried to throw the ball again and actually managed it.

"I am proud of you Brooke.", Dan gave her a water bottle and went through her hair. Brooke smiled a little but was totally sweaty and exhausted. "Now basketball.", he threw the ball into her hand and she whined "Ouch. My nail." Dan rolled his eyes and pulled her to the basket.

"Try making a point.", she looked up and rolled her eyes again "That's too high and the basket is too small." Dan threw the ball and made a point "See, it is not."

"Well, you are bigger than I am."

"Just throw the ball Brooke.", she threw but actually only made an air ball. "Okay, try it like this.", he lifted her up and she threw the ball into the basket. "Yeah, I scored.", she yelled up there. It was a bit weird to have this situation with Dan again. Although he had been a fatherly figure in the past, they had been growing apart when she was older and sometimes she hated how he treated other people but right now it felt good.

"Next step. Baseball.", he gave her a baseball bat and positioned her. He threw the ball but Brooke jumped to the side. "Are you crazy?", she screamed. He laughed. It was good to see the old Brooke that protested about everything.

"Don't run away from the ball Brooke.", he yelled at her and made her jump up. "Don't yell at me and don't throw the ball that fast. I could get hurt." He threw it again but a little harder than before and it actually hit her helmet. She fell backwards and took the helmet off and threw it to the ground "Are you going to kill me or what?"

"Stop complaining and play.", he took her hand and put the helmet on her head again and threw the ball. After some missed shots she got everyone. He was impressed and it looked like she was letting out her fury.

"Wow.", he said and went over to her. "You should consider playing baseball." "Yeah right. I hate dirty sport.", she said back and gave him the helmet "and my hair looks like shit now."

He went through it and pinned her head under his arm and tumbled her hair. Brooke tried to get free but he held her tight "Stoooooooop."

He laughed at her shocked face "I am not a boy.", she complained again and he raised his eyebrow "Really?"

"Don't.", she pointed at him when he took a water bottle. She remembered what he had done to Nathan all the time. "What?", he asked sheepily but then chased after her. "Stoooop it.", Brooke screamed and ran around on the field. Of course he was faster and held her tight and emptied the water on her head.

"You are so mean.", Brooke laughed and fell to the ground with him. Dan nodded "I know.", he went through her hair again and took his arm around her "Oh come here.", she took her hands around his chest and they stayed like this for a moment.

"I am sorry your father hit you.", Dan finally whispered. He had never told any one that he always wished for a daughter and that Brooke actually revealed those feelings every time he saw her. "No big deal."

Dan jumped up in fury "It is a big deal Brooke. A father must not hit their daughter. It is wrong and nothing is your fault. Do you understand me?"

Brooke looked a little shocked at him but nodded "Okay."

"C'mon.", he helped her up and went to the car and took out some boxing gloves and put them over Brooke's hands. Brooke looked confused at them and then at him "and now?"

"Well, hit me.", Dan said but Brooke just stood still "I won't.", she said and wanted to take the gloves off.

"Why? Because you are a softy and let your father hit you?", Dan knew what he was playing and smiled at Brooke's shocked face.

"I did not let him.", Brooke said back and tried to get them off but Dan pushed her backwards so that she fell to the ground. "Stop that.", she complained but he shook his head.

"Why? You let him hit you, so you can let me hit you too." Brooke shook her head "I know your stupid games Dan. Leave me alone.", she stood up but he pushed her again. "Stop that.", she yelled at him but there was no way out. He pushed her to the ground again and again until she hid her face in the gloves and started crying.

Of course he felt pity but he wanted her to let out her fury. "Crying won't help. You're not a baby."

Brooke looked up madly at him "Leave me alone.", she stood up again and walked over to the car furiously and wanted to get in. But Dan pushed her again, but this time it was enough. She started yelling at him and hit him back with all her force. "Leave me alone you fucking bastard.", she cried all the time while she yelled and hit him. But it felt good. Dan did not fight back and took every hit until she fell into his arms and cried hard.

He went through her hair and caressed it "It's okay Brookie."

"I hate you.", Brooke sobbed into his chest and he smiled "Many do."

Finally they were in the car again and drove to somewhere. "Where are we driving to?", Brooke asked through the silence. "A place you loved.", Dan answered. "But I look like this."

"Well and I look like this because of you.", Brooke laughed, he looked dirty as well because she had hit him in the face, chest with her dirty gloves. "Okay, that's a point."

"Oh my god. I haven't been there in like ages.", Brooke looked at the empty hall.

"Well, because I am the mayor I got some connections and we have it for us today.", he went into another room and took out some rollerblades.

"Wait a minute. I turn on the music.", he said and suddenly the lights and music was on. "That's great.", Brooke took the rollerblades and started rollerblading happily. She felt free and went faster. "Aren't you coming?", she went over to Dan who looked a little helpless.

"You know I cannot blade.", Dan said but tried it and fell backwards. Brooke had not laughed like this for a long time. She had to hold her stomach and fell to the floor as well. "Very funny.", Dan tried to get up but only managed with the help of Brooke. "I have never seen anyone rollerblading that bad.", almost all of his weight was on Brooke. "Ouch.", Brooke whined, "you are so heavy."

"Thank you very much.", Dan smiled and tried it alone. He managed it for a while but soon landed on the floor again.

xxxx

When they came back home Deb was shocked "Where have you been? It's dark and I tried to call you like a million times.", she yelled at Dan but then saw Brooke's happy and dirty face.

"What have you done to her?", she went over to Brooke and between them to protect Brooke.

"Nothing Deb. Calm down.", Dan defended himself and took a scotch. "Are you okay?", Deb asked Brooke and she nodded immediately "Yeah, I am. But could I take a shower? I smell like a boy."

Of course Deb nodded and looked confused at Dan when Brooke went upstairs and showered. "Why do you always assume I did something bad?", Dan asked a little hurt. "Because I can count too many bad things that happened because of you.", Deb said angrily and went into the living room to watch TV.

A little later Brooke came downstairs and sat down between her. "Um…could I maybe sleep here tonight? I don't have..."

"Of course you can. I already made your bed.", Deb said smiling "they could not take a plane tonight but tomorrow morning.", Brooke nodded and went upstairs into the room. She was so exhausted that she fell asleep immediately without changing into her PJ's.