Hope and Brooke
Hopes fingers flashed over the keyboard of her laptop as she sat in her hospital bed working on her project. One and a half days ago her father had dropped into Brookes the night of the big storm, after it had eventually blown itself out. He had managed to get a change of clothes, a couple of nightgowns and some basic toiletries for her from a clearly reluctant Brooke, best of all, he'd even managed to get a hold of her laptop by citing she needed to keep herself busy to take her mind off of her pain.
Initially, as expected, Brooke and Eric had refused him entry to the house, and had also denied him access to any of her belongings, but after he told them that she had requested he get them, and if they refused to give her belongings to her it would only anger her more, Brooke had finally, very grudgingly, relented. Even then she hadn't allowed Deacon in Hopes room, instead she had been the one to rifle through her belongings and bring them down to him, and only after Deacon had promised he'd talk to Hope on her behalf.
Deacon had done one better; he had recorded the whole conversation on his phone and had played it to her. Hope applauded her father's ingenuity, now she new exactly what had transpired and her mother's attitude towards her getting her father to retrieve her things. After finding that out, she had contacted Brooke's gardener and -for a quick one hundred cash - had organised for him to ring her when both Eric and Brooke left the house so that either she, or her father, could come and get her belongings while they were gone.
Hope paused in thought as she looked over what she had just written, she adjusted a sentence slightly before nodding to herself. She vaguely heard her door open and looked up, half expecting to see her dad again, despite her insisting he go back to work, he had a tendency to drop in unexpectedly and fuss over her.
Her eyes narrowed in annoyance as instead of her father, she saw Brooke standing there looking at her beseechingly.
"Honey, please, we need talk. I have to explain to you what happened."
Hope looked down and set her laptop to record before she looked up and stared at her mother again, not saying a word.
Brooke, thinking that she was at last willing to listen continued.
"Oh honey, I swear to you, it wasn't how it seemed. No-one let me explain, I was in so much pain. I had been drinking again, I know I shouldn't have, but I did. I was just so incredibly distressed. First it was Taylor and her gloating over me, telling me that you lost your court case against Steffy, but worse, I went to see Ridge, he was so cruel Hope, he said the most horrible things to me. I begged him honey, I begged him to come back to me, but he said we were over for good. Hope, he just threw me out as if I didn't matter, as if I meant nothing to him. I was utterly broken." She cried, as a single tear ran down her face.
Hope still sat there staring at her, not saying a word. Brooke was slowly starting to worry about her daughters continued silence, and the flat stare she was giving her, but she continued regardless, she was positive that she could convince her that what happened wasn't her fault – not really.
She took a step towards her daughter and grabbed the foot of the bed as she continued. "When I got home, I was so upset. what with everything that has happened lately, and then the horrible things Taylor said to me, followed by Ridges cruel rejection, well I, . . . I just gave up. I saw the bottle there and thought, why not? Nobody cares about me, nobody loves me! It's all over. After I had been drinking for a while Liam arrived, he was horrified that I was drinking, he was so kind and caring, and in a stupid drunken moment I reached out in an inappropriate way. I don't know why I did it, I think I just wanted to feel like someone, anyone, cared for me. I wanted to forget all the hurt and pain I was in, if only for a little while. Honey, if you had any idea of how utterly ashamed I am for what I did. I know in my heart of hearts that I would have stopped myself before anything happened, but before I could Katie, Donna, and Bridget walked in, and then you arrived."
She sniffed loudly, "They never let me explain, they just went ballistic, and worse than that, they told you what happened in the worst possible way, and painted me in the worst possible light. Since that horrible day I've been racking my brain for some way, to try to make it up to you. I wanted to prove to you just how sorry I am, and finally, I thought of a way to prove to you just how much I love you, and how very, very, sorry I am."
Brooke took a deep breath and announced, "I sold all of my jewellery, every single piece I owned, even my rings from Ridge, and I paid all of your bills, everything you owed, to both yours, and Steffy's lawyers, you're now debt free sweetheart," she said, her lip quivering as she looked at her still silent daughter hopefully.
Hope continued her silent vigil, she continued to just stare at her mother.
"Hope? Honey? Please, say something."
Hope turned her head to the side, a look of curiosity on her face as she continued to study her mother.
Finally, almost gently, she said, "It must be so hard for you."
Another tear slipped down Brooke's face as she nodded. "Oh honey, thank God, you understand.
A faint somewhat pitying smile curled across Hopes face as she said softly,
"The great sex queen, Brooke Logan, finally turned down by a man, and a drunk one at that. It must be devastating to someone like you, someone that has invested everything they are in their sexuality and their ability to attract and satisfy men."
Brooke gasped, her hand flying to her throat as the import of Hopes cutting words slowly sunk in.
"To think, you're only now realising that your power is finally over. That your now to old, to used up, to past your use-by date to get a younger man . . . wow," Hope continued as she shook her head ruefully, "this really must be utterly devastating for you. Your ego must be totally shattered, after all, we all know that seducing men is how you obtain your self-esteem, and now, to be rejected so blatantly, and by a drunk!"
Hope smiled widely, "Tell me mother, how does it feel?"
Brooke staggered backwards as each and every word that her daughter uttered seeped into her soul, she backed towards the door in utter horror, but not before Hope had her final dig.
"Don't worry mother, you still might be able to attract some old reptile like Eric, he might still be desperate enough to have you if you're lucky."
With that final cruel taunt Brooke turned and fled, as the echo of her daughters' amused laughter followed her down the Hospitals corridor.
Hope leant back against her pillows as the door closed behind her fleeing mother, her laughter slowly fading away.
"Don't worry mum, I have a lot more to tell you before this is over." She whispered to herself bitterly. She opened her computer again and after saving what she had just recorded, she once again set to work.
