Chapter 7: Beaulieu Manor
It was New Year's Day, another beginning, a birth, a chance to start a new. Brooke Davis walked into the Family Dining Room of the East Wing of Beaulieu Manor and rolled her eyes. Something will never seem to change. She thought about what people always said about New Year's and how you should make resolutions and rolled her eyes, again. She was personally tired of this New Year, New Me crap. She was in her early fifties now, the head of a multi-million-dollar business empire, and had five grown children, and one in high school, if people didn't like who she was now, then fuck them.
The kitchens at Beaulieu always had excellent chefs and kitchen brigades, the Executive Chef saw to it. So, the smell of the New Year's Day breakfast filled her nostrils and made her mouth water, and her mind wandered to wonder if they made boxty potatoes, one of her new favorites in the morning. Finally, she looked over to the table and her eyes rolled again.
Brooke's youngest child and youngest daughter were sitting at the table. She was wearing short shorts, long socks, and a retro X-Files T-shirt that said, "The Truth is Out There.", the fifteen-year-old girl's hair was worn in a messy bun if it could be described as such. Brooke took a pause and counted to ten. Kendall, her baby, was just that a child and Brooke was more pissed that all this great, well prepared, and expensive food, they had, Kendall was lounging about, one knee was drawn up, foot on a chair, and she was eating a bowl of corn flakes. The moments that try you, Brooke, she thought, and then shook her head, reminding her that these were very much first world problems.
"Morning Mom," Kendall Stafford said, some milk dribbling down her chin. Brooke nodded, and sighed, she always used her maiden name, and now all her children had different names, with the marriage of her two oldest, but there were only three different last names initially. Kendall's had her Dad's, of all things Brooke was traditional like that.
"Morning, Keni, I see you dressed for breakfast," Brooke said, holding back her frustration. She walked to the buffet and looked over the warming trays. She caught her reflection in the shining metal and nodded in approval. She did age well and didn't need to have work done, yet. But there were some marks of age, crow's feet around the eyes, and streaks of gray in her dark hair. Often, she would comment on whose name was on the new gray hair, and Kendall's wasn't on as many as one would think. It was Tucker, her only son.
"Why waste clean clothes, all I'm going to do is hang around the house and watch videos," Kendall said.
"You know, Keni, there is a world outside these walls," Brooke said.
"There are also The Men in Black," Kendall said.
"Yes, their names are Will Smith and Josh Brolin," Brooke said.
Kendall laughed, "Right, the movie," she said.
Brooke made her plate and went to the table. She sat across from Kendall and started to poke at her breakfast. Finally, Brooke got fed up and went for a cup of coffee, another New Year's Resolution defeated, this time it lasted less than a half of the day. She had been trying to give up coffee for years now. Some battles need to be fought, and coffee was one where she would surrender as soon as she could.
Brooke took her seat again and stirred her coffee. Slowly she studied her daughter. Kendall was not her sisters that's clear. There was too much of her Dad in her, unlike her older sisters who looked very much like Brooke herself. Kendall was slender if not petite and not quite as tall as two of her sisters. Kendall, Brooke thought, reminded her of her stepdaughter Fallon, Kendall's sister on her Dad's side. Where it seemed Kendall different the most was her attitude.
"Why don't you help Sassy out today? She's watching Nomi and Ellis for me today, I might even take them over to Tree Hill Hall," Brooke said.
"So, instead of being surround by one niece and nephew, I'll be surrounded by multiple, no thanks, Mom," Kendall said.
"How can you not like them? Remember when you were little, your sisters always made time for you," Brooke said.
"Yeah, right, Chase was gone, most of the time. Izzy was an emotional wreck, and Trin couldn't even be bothered. So, half the time it was Fallon that kept me company, oh and by the way, Fallon is in New York," Kendall said, pointing her spoon at Brooke.
"How can you say that? They love you," Brooke said, "And don't point your spoon at me."
Kendall snorted, "When was the last time you saw Izzy?" she asked.
"She was here not that long ago," Brooke said.
"Yeah, glad-handing people and traveling around the district," Kendall said.
"It's her job," Brooke said.
"So, she leaves Nomi and Ellis here," Kendall said.
"That's only because Keith is away," Brooke said.
"Funny how, my niece and nephew see me more than their parents in the last year," Kendall said.
"When did you become so angry?" Brooke asked.
"When I became the forgotten child," Kendall said.
"You were never forgotten," Brooke said.
"Sure, feels that way, with all the grandchildren," Kendall said.
"I'm sorry that you were four when they came around, I never wanted that for you," Brooke said, "It could have been worse."
"How is Adam worse?" Kendall asked, "Also let's not talk ill of the dead."
"At least you have some morals," Brooke said.
"Not funny, Mom," Kendall said.
"Why do you dress so sloppy?" Brooke asked.
"I'm comfortable, and I just woke up," Kendall said.
"I wasn't referring to now," Brooke said.
Kendall sighed. Brooke knew that sigh, it was the same sigh she heard all her other daughters do when she talked to them. It was the same sigh that Brooke would use on her own mom. So, Kendall did get something from her, Brooke thought, my snarky sigh. "Mom, I dress comfortably, so I'm not a fashion plate like my sisters, but again Chase dresses comfortably," Kendall said.
"Chase also runs a Rock Club, and she doesn't look like she just rolled out of bed. There's comfortable and there's comfortable," Brooke said.
Kendall pointed her spoon at Brooke, "I listened and stopped wearing Pajama pants to school," she said.
"Small wonders," Brooke said, with an exasperated sigh, "And again spot pointing your spoon at me."
Before Kendall could say something there was a rush of air through the room. All Brooke saw was a streak of yellow, and then there was this force of nature standing at the breakfast buffet. Brooke noted the new person in the room and couldn't help but compare her to Kendall. Sawyer Scott, her best friend's youngest daughter, was a few months older than Kendall, and they were pretty much raised as family. Where Kendall was dark, Sawyer was light, blonde hair and green eyes, to Kendall's raven hair and deep brown eyes. There was also something different in how Sawyer carried herself compared to Kendall.
The young blonde turned to the table and smiled a large bright smile, "Morning, I didn't see Y'all there," Sawyer said, in a mild and sweetly toned voice. Brooke often though Sawyer's voice always sounded like flowers and butterflies, Kendall tended to have a harsher tone in her voice.
"Morning Sawyer," Kendall said, wiping her chin with the back of her hand.
"Morning Sassy," Brooke said, using Sawyer's old nickname.
"Aunt Brooke, please, I think, I've outgrown being called, Sassy," Sawyer said and turned back to making breakfast.
Brooke looked at Sawyer and for some reason with the babies of the family, she would compare them. The next four that were close in her little circle of family and friends was Sawyer's sisters, Kay and Ellie, which were fraternal twins, Sawyer's cousin Brian, who made Brooke's eyes roll, and Kendall's sister Trin. She never compared them, as each one to this day is a quite different person. For whatever reason, Brooke noted, she couldn't help but compare Sawyer, Kendall, and Sawyer's cousin LK, but they were also vastly different people.
Brooke studied Sawyer, who was also dressed like she just rolled out of bed. Sawyer also wore lounge shorts, a t-shirt, with a line drawing of a tank on it with a dog hanging out of a hatch, and socks. Her hair was held back in a ponytail, which Brooke noted was done quickly, but still neater than Kendall's. Sawyer also wore a simple gold chain with a heart-shaped pendant on it.
Sawyer bounded over to the table and took a seat next to Kendall. Brooke watched as she tore into her plate. There was energy to everything that Sawyer did, and it seemed like she was always all-in on everything she did.
"Did you sleep well last night?" Brooke asked.
"Like a log, the New Year's stream was a success," Sawyer said.
"Did you play that game all night?" Brooke asked.
"No, not at all, I came down to your party too, Aunt Brooke," Sawyer said.
"We live-streamed a bit of it," Kendall said, under her breath.
"But I did help raise money for some important charities," Sawyer said.
"Did you talk to Keith last night?" Brooke asked.
"Yeah, Nomi, Ellis, and I were on a three-way conversation with Keith and Izzy. There were a lot of tears shed too," Sawyer said a matter-of-factly. Brooke nodded, knowing a few were Sawyer's.
"I have time today; do you want me to take Y'all over to Tree Hill Hall?" Brooke asked.
"Thanks, but I was hoping my Dad could do it. He's been in the dumps lately, well since the doctors," Sawyer said.
"What's he going to do about it?" Brooke asked.
"Last I talked with him about it, he was going to call Candi and discuss it with her," Sawyer said.
Brooke nodded; Sawyer's sister Candace was a cardiology resident living in California.
"It sounds like he has it all in hand," Brooke said.
"One would think, now we have to get him to actually call," Sawyer said and shook her head, "I wish Keith was home so he could help with this."
"Hell, I wish Keith was home, so Nomi and Ellis would be living with him," Kendall said.
"Keni, they're your niece and nephew and you love them," Brooke said, "Normally."
"Normally, they go home," Kendall said, "Ellis deleted my file on Chem-trails."
"Sorry about that, Keni, he wanted to play against me in Tanks," Sawyer said, "I think I made sure your computer is backed up on the Cloud."
Kendall sighed, "I'll check later," she said.
"So, Kendall I was thinking of getting Ellie to take us to the New York Ren Fair when we visit this summer, what do you think? It would be soo cool!" Sawyer said.
Kendall nodded, "Okay, do I get to choose who I'm playing as?" she asked.
"Well, I was thinking you could be Anne Boleyn," Sawyer said.
"You want me to get my head hacked off with a sword?" Kendall asked.
"No, never, Keni, but you would be perfect for her, you are both dark-haired and dark-eyed," Sawyer said.
"Yes, but her husband had her beheaded," Kendall said.
"No one's perfect," Sawyer said.
"So, if I'm Anne Boleyn then who would you be?" Kendall asked.
"Jane Seymour," Sawyer said.
"Doctor Quinn?" Brooke asked.
"No, Aunt Brooke, Queen Jane Seymour," Sawyer said.
"Great, the one that replaced me after my beheading," Kendall said and poked at her cereal.
"What?" Brooke asked.
"Watch the Tudors, Aunt Brooke," Sawyer said.
Brooke rubbed her forehead, "I'm at a complete loss here," she said.
"It's about King Henry the Eighth of England, and his six wives, we're talking about wife two and three," Kendall said.
"What was this about beheading?" Brooke asked.
"It was the fate of the six wives, they were in order, Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived," Sawyer said.
"Wow, he was pretty brutal," Brooke said, "Now if I could have done some of that too…"
"Mom!" Kendall said.
"Sorry," Brooke said.
"Anyways," Sawyer said, "I chose Jane Seymour because I'm fair complexed and haired like her."
Kendall shook her head, "Sawyer, why couldn't you watch normal TV shows?" she asked.
"At least I don't believe in Big Foot," Sawyer said.
Kendall laughed, "I don't believe in Big Foot," she said.
"Young Ladies, why do we do this all the time?" Brooke asked, with a sigh.
Sawyer and Kendall looked at each other and shrugged. "We just love each other," they said to Brooke. Brooke sighed and started eating her breakfast. Shaking her head, she wondered where they came from because they were not like her or Sawyer was not like her Mom either. Hell, Sawyer wasn't even like her Dad.
"Grammy Brooke!" A young boy yelled and came running into the room. He was about six years old and had raven dark hair. He came over and hugged her. Ellis Scott kissed Brooke on the cheek and looked over the table. "Hi Sawyer, Keni," he said and walked over to the buffet table.
Brooke smiled at her grandson. Ellis was her daughter Izzy's son, with her husband Keith Scott. His parents were away for work, so they were staying with her. Ellis wasn't her oldest grandson but one she tended to see more often, then not. For some reason, she tended to have girls in her family. But she did have other grandsons, Adam Scott, Ellis' deceased older brother, Wyatt Scott, her daughter Trin's son, and Colin Burke, her daughter Chase's son.
"Hi Ellis," Kendall said.
"Ellis," Sawyer said.
For some reason, even the nine years difference between Ellis and Sawyer and Kendall, he never called them Aunt. Brooke wondered about that, but it didn't matter, as Brett Pierce-Burke, Brooke's step-granddaughter was older than Kendall, and never referred to Kendall as Aunt Kendall either. Such a twisted family she had.
Ellis made himself a bowl of cereal and walked over to a table. He took up a seat and started to eat his breakfast. Brooke watched him and just nodded. There was something about Ellis that Brooke always admired; he was a beautiful young boy.
Another person walked into the room and walked over to Brooke and kissed her cheek. "Morning Grammy Brooke," the ten-year-old Naomi "Nomi," Scott said and walked over to the buffet. "Morning, Sawyer, Keni," she said as she went to the buffet.
Brooke sighed and studied Ellis' sister Nomi. Naomi, Izzy's daughter also kept the tradition of having a nickname. She was built like a Scott, tall and lean, but like her brother, she inherited the dark Davis Hair, but they both had Keith's blue eyes. Nomi really admired her aunt, Sawyer. Brooke often wondered why both of Izzy's kids were closer to Sawyer then Kendall. Was it Kendall's personality? Brooke knew their Dad, Keith, was very close to his baby sister, and they would spend time together, so that was where it could have come from.
"Morning Nomi," Kendall said and poked at her cereal. Brooke shook her head, as she saw the milk dripping off her chin.
"Morning Nomi," Sawyer said.
Nomi made up her plate and walked over to the table and predictably sat next to Sawyer. Brooke looked down the table and smiled at them. One thing she could thank god for being Ellis and Nomi were wearing pajamas. In a few years, she didn't doubt that Nomi would start trying to dress like Kendall or Sawyer.
"Are you streaming today?" Nomi asked Sawyer.
Sawyer nodded, "I think I have one scheduled, probably going to be grinding some Tier Sixes," she said, "But you know they want to see the tens."
"Can I Platoon with you?" Nomi asked.
"Ask Grammy Brooke," Sawyer said, "You do have the stuff to do if I remember."
"Wow, Sawyer Scott is being a responsible aunt," Kendall said.
"Funny, Keni, you know my Dad would kill me if I told Nomi she could blow things off. Also, Keith would give me hell," Sawyer said.
"Also, you're really scared of Izzy," Kendall said.
"Damn straight," Sawyer said.
"Watch your language," Brooke said.
"Sorry Aunt Brooke," Sawyer said.
"Grammy Brooke, can I stream with Sawyer?" Nomi asked.
"Are all your chores done, Nomi?" Brooke asked.
"Not all of them," Nomi said.
"Only if you finish your chores first," Brooke said.
"Okay," Nomi said, a little downcast, then brightened right up, "Thank You, Grammy Brooke."
"You're welcome, Nomi, and I mean it," Brooke said.
"Yes, Grammy Brooke," Nomi said.
Sawyer looked across the table at Ellis who was poking at his cereal. Ellis took it hard when he moved here. He didn't want to leave the house he grew up in, but his Dad was away on a long-term business trip. His Mom was also away on business, but that was fairly normal, it was just Keith being away. Keith was away with his second job, not his main job, which made it even worse.
Sawyer looked over to see Brooke had opened up the morning paper and was reading it. Sighing, Sawyer looked over the front page, funny how some people still read the newspaper. She herself usually would get her news on various websites, but there was something nice about getting newspapers, and Sawyer admitted she did enjoy seeing her pictures in the sports section of the paper.
What pissed Sawyer off was reading the headline about a massive cold front moving in. Sawyer grunted that meant the teasing emails, from Ellie, Kay, Trin, and Fallon. Also, Sawyer, who like to remind herself she was born and bred southern girl and liked it warm.
Sawyer finished her breakfast and stood up. She slowly started to walk away from the table.
"Where are you off to?" Brooke asked.
"I was going to get dressed and get ready for my streaming," Sawyer said.
"Remember that you are keeping an eye on Nomi and Ellis for me this morning," Brooke said.
Sawyer sighed, "I did say that. Where is my Dad?" she asked.
"He's busy today," Brooke said.
"God, it sucks being the only child left in town," Sawyer said, "Okay."
"Thank you, Sawyer," Brooke said.
"You're Welcome Aunt Brooke," Sawyer said and walked out.
Brooke turned to look at Kendall. Sawyer seemed to have a voracious appetite and always ate quickly. That was why she finished her plate before Kendall finished her bowl of cereal. Finally, Kendall finished and started to get up.
"Hold one-minute Missy," Brooke said.
Kendall froze in her tracks. When her Mom would refer to her, Sawyer, or any of the girls in the family by Missy that meant it was serious. Kendall turned and looked at Brooke.
"Yes Mom," Kendall said.
"I know you and Sawyer have this whole YouTube, Twitcher, tweety bird thing going on, but you spend too much time on YouTube," Brooke said.
"That would be Twitch and you Tweet too," Kendall said.
"Not the point," Brooke said, "You need to give the Conspiracies a rest for a bit. I admire how you question things, Keni, I really do, but I need you to help Sawyer this morning and please do something other than games and videos today."
Kendall sighed.
"One, don't give me that sigh. Two, your sisters did it better. Three, I invented that sigh," Brooke said.
"Yes Mom," Kendall said.
"Go get dressed," Brooke said.
Kendall nodded and left the room.
"Grammy Brooke?" Ellis asked.
"Yes, Ellis?" Brooke asked.
"Why do they not want to spend time with us?" Ellis asked.
Brooke sighed, "They're teenagers," she said.
"What does that mean?" Ellis asked.
"I wish I could tell you," Brooke asked.
Ellis nodded and turned back to his bowl of cereal.
"Grammy Brooke, I'm almost a teenager, would I turn out that way?" Nomi asked.
"I wish I knew," Brooke said.
"Why are they like that?" Nomi asked.
Brooke sighed, "I was a teenager once and I don't even know," she said.
"That doesn't make sense, Grammy Brooke," Nomi said.
"I wish life made sense Nomi," Brooke said.
Nomi nodded, "Things get better," she said.
"Eventually, but it's been a while," Brooke replied.
Nomi nodded, "I know," she said.
"Anyways, I was thinking we head over and visit Auntie Chase later," Brooke said.
Nomi nodded, "Okay," she said, "But it's too cold," she said.
"Too cold for what?" Brooke asked.
"Auntie Chase likes to take us for walks in the woods, with Auntie Kelly's kids," Nomi said.
"I think we'll figure it out, we always do," Brooke said.
"Okay," Nomi said.
Brooke sighed and looked down at the paper. She wished, she believed that even after a few years from their Annus horribilis. Yet the scars and pain from that year have yet to fade, and in some cases, it just seems to have gotten worse.
"Finish your breakfast kids, it's a new day and a New Year," Brooke said and turned back to her newspaper.
