Haley and Nathan ran into the hospital when they heard about Brooke the next day. They could not believe that someone had attacked their friend merciless. Both of them were shocked seeing her like this. She looked like a little kid in her gown. Her face was in bruises and her lip was stitched. They could tell that she had been crying but now she was holding Julian's hand and smiling a little at her friends. Haley could not believe that Brooke could smile while looking like a war victim.

"Oh honey, I am so sorry." Haley had to suppress her own tears and went over to Brooke. Brooke faked a smile again and reluctantly received their hugs.

"So, how are you?", Nathan asked her very concerned and squeezed her hand a little. He remembered the time when Peyton and Brooke had been attacked by Derek and how she had handled it. She had been a mess and had not been able to sleep alone for a long time.

"Well, I feel like crap. Like somebody just beat the shit out of me.", she tried to joke but added promptly, "nothing is broken except of my nose but I will look a long time like this. Blue and green", she smiled but when the others didn't smile back, she began to cry.

"I don't know where I would be now if it wasn't for the other woman. I just hope that she is okay." Brooke thought about the woman. She did not know in what condition this woman was. All she knew was that he had beaten her up pretty badly as well and that this woman had saved her life. She did not know whether the attacker would have killed her but she knew that he would have raped her. Only the thought of it made her want to puke.

Their hearts were broken seeing her that way. She looked so lost and they did not know how to help her. The attacker was still somewhere out there. Julian wished to get him and hit the shit out of him as well. He felt so helpless at the moment. All he could do was being there for his wife.

xxxxxx

Brooke could leave the hospital the next day. "I have to go to the store", she whispered.
"But honey, we could get someone to clean it all and...", Julian did not believe that it was a good idea to go to the store that fast again.

"No, I have to.", there was no way Brooke would not go.

Julian wanted to protest again but something told him not to do. When they arrived at the store, they were shocked. There was so much blood in the corner where Brooke was beaten up but also on other places. Brooke knew that this was not only her own blood.

Brooke was very brave and did not cry while Julian took her hand in his; she was happy that she had Julian.

All her clothes were lying on the floor. "I want them all to be burnt."

"What?" Julian asked softly.

"I don't want these clothes any more." With that she took them and threw them on one spot. Julian helped her but was surprised when he found short jeans on the floor. He didn't want to ask Brooke but she saw his face.

"What is this?", she asked.

"I don't know. I guess a Jeans you designed".

"I don't design kids' stuff yet. Let me see this.", she took the jeans and suddenly remembered the robbery and took her hand in front of her mouth, "Julian. I think...I think the woman was not a woman...maybe..it was...was...a girl", she cried and went into his arms. Her whole world of happiness seemed to vanish.

xxxx

"Good morning everyone!"

"Good morning Mrs. James Scott." the pupils answered. They always liked having her as their teacher.

Haley looked around the room. "Can anybody tell me where Phoebe is?" She looked at Joshua but he shook his head. "Well, I think this looks like detention again.", she whispered to herself. The day went by fine and after school she visited her best friend in the store. It broke her heart seeing her so unhappy. It was like the old Brooke Davis was gone. The store looked just like before. No blood but also no clothes.

"Hey Brooke", Haley said and hugged her, "How are you doing?" Brooke looked into Haley's eyes and smiled weakly: "Like crap".

"Honey don't you want to call the police? I mean, you must." Haley tried to get a reason but Brooke just shook her head:" No, it's just what my mom wants me to do. The press would get involved and it shows how awful I am as a boss."

"No, you're not but..."

"Haley, stop it ok. Not now. I had this argument with Julian and...at the moment I am more concerned whom this belonged to." Brooke showed the small jeans.

"What is this?", Haley asked and widened her eyes seeing some blood on it.

"I think that this belongs to the woman or girl that saved me. And it makes me crazy to imagine what happened to her. I mean, I know that she ran away and...but where is she? I need to know that she's okay. What if the attacker went after her or…it's driving me crazy."

Haley took the jeans and gasped. "Oh no!"

"What, what is it?", Brooke asked full of concern.

"I think this belongs to Phoebe."

"What?", Brooke asked shocked. She hoped that this was not true.

"She wasn't at school today and..." with that Haley took Brooke's hand and they stormed out of the shop right into the car. Of course it hurt Brooke to run like that but right now she did not care. She could only think of Phoebe and hoped that she was okay. She must be.

xxxxx

Phoebe was lying on the floor still in her underpants and her bloody shirt. Everything hurt like hell. Blood was on her face and her nose was swollen. But she was happy that she could not feel her arm any more. It was totally numb. She tried to walk into the kitchen, leaving blood marks on the floor and bandaged her wounds very slowly. She felt very dizzy and coughed the whole time. "I hate Tree Hill, dad. But I am not going to cry.", she whispered and lay her head on the table and closed her eyes. It didn't take long that she fell asleep. She couldn't bare her pain any more.

xxxxx

Brooke and Haley knocked at the door, rang the bell but nobody opened. "Look Haley", Brooke pointed at the doorknob. "It's blood".

"We have to get in there", Haley said and looked through the window. It was then she saw a little figure lying with the head on the table. "Oh my god.", they went through the garden to the veranda and knocked at the window. But Phoebe did not react at all. When Haley saw a big stone, she just threw it through the window and cracked it.

"Wow", Brooke looked stunned. Phoebe screamed immediately when she heard the crack and fell to the floor and looked stunned at the two women standing in front of her. Was she dreaming?

She fell right on her broken arm and suddenly the pain went back "Owwww…", she cried in pain and bit her lip, "What...what...are you doing?", she asked through tears of pain. Haley and Brooke immediately ran to her and went to their knees, "We need to get you to the hospital, honey", Haley said and took Phoebe into her arms without hesitation. She was surprised how light Phoebe was.

Phoebe could not protest and rested her head on her teacher's shoulder. Then she looked into Brooke's eyes and saw that she was crying and holding herself tightly. Brooke couldn't look at the small creature. She felt so guilty and when she saw her only in her underpants she imagined the worst. "Everything will be ok." Phoebe said to Brooke and smiled but suddenly a hard cough made her spit up blood.

"Haley", Brooke whispered. "She spits blood".

"Phoebe?", Brooke saw how Phoebe's eyes suddenly twisted around. "Phoebe!", she asked again but Phoebe did not react. "Shit.", Haley widened her eyes in shock and carried her out of the house right into the arms of the doctor that had arrived.

"Thanks. I got her." Immediately they drove away with her and left a confused Brooke and Haley standing in the rain. Haley hugged her friend: "Everything will be ok.", she whispered to the crying Brooke. But in reality Haley did not know whether everything would be okay.

xxxxx

Of course Brooke and Haley drove to the hospital and waited for Phoebe for hours. A woman in her fifties came to them a little later, "Hello, my name is Mrs. Hurley. You can leave now. I'll take it from here."

Haley and Brooke looked a little confused up at her, "Who are you?"

"I am a social worker and I will find a home for Miss Ferguson."

"A home?", Brooke asked astonished. Phoebe had a home, why should anyone find a new one for her?

"We were looking for her for a long time. Her mother left when she was little and her father died four years ago. She lived in a foster home but ran away and since then nobody could find her. Which is 3 years ago. Must be a very smart kid."

Brooke and Haley's eyes were wide like a balloon. "Well, the doctor said that she is going to be the old one. She has some cracked ribs and a broken nose and arm and some bruises but other than this everything is fine and she can leave soon. And luckily there is an orphanage for her not far away."

Brooke was shocked how cold a woman could be. She talked like she was talking only about a case. "Can we see her?", she asked shortly. "Yes, but close the door behind you, she fooled us all and will probably try to run away again." With that the woman went away and Haley and Brooke entered Phoebe's room. Phoebe was still sleeping. "What do we do with you little kid?", Haley whispered. Brooke looked down at the little one. She was looking worse than she did and she knew that she had to help her. Phoebe had saved her life. She would never forget that.