Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill.

Chapter 10

The Next Day

Brooke was ironing Sebastian's clothes while he was in the bathroom brushing his teeth. Haley called earlier that morning and asked if Sebastian could hang out with Jamie for the day. Brooke knew she was being selfish lately by keeping Sebastian all to herself. And she knew that he missed them, so she agreed. She had to work today anyway and she knew Sebastian wouldn't want to be stuck at the store if he could be playing with Jamie instead.

After she finished ironing, she told him to get dressed while she headed to the kitchen to make breakfast. Just as she finished breakfast, Sebastian ran into the kitchen.

"I'm ready mommy." He smiled at her.

Brooke returned the smile and then she laughed. "Sweetie, your shirt is supposed to be tucked inside your pants, not tucked inside your underwear." She began fixing his clothes while he ate French toast. When she cuffed his pants leg, she noticed he didn't have on shoes. "When you finish breakfast, go put your shoes on." Then Brooke went to get ready for work.

After she was dressed, she went to Sebastian's room. He was sitting on his bean bag chair playing his video game. Brooke looked down to see if he had his shoes on. When she saw his shoes, she rolled her eyes in disgust. They were filthy. There were scuffs and scratches everywhere.

"What happened to your shoes?" She asked.

Sebastian just shrugged his shoulders and continued to play his game.

"Sebastian Keith Scott Davis!"

When his mom said his full name, he looked up from his game. He knew she was serious. "I was playing basketball with J and my shoes got messed up."

Brooke shook her head. "You have to learn how to take care of your things."

"Sorry." Sebastian said softly.

Brooke sighed. "It's okay. Take those shoes off and put your dress shoes on. I'll buy you some new shoes today."

Sebastian went to his closet to find his shoes that he usually wears with his suit.

"You have to hurry up. Aunt Haley will be here any minute."

After Haley picked up Sebastian, Brooke headed to work. Before she left the house, her phone rang.

"Hello?" Brooke answered.

"Hello, may I speak to Brooke Davis?" The secretary asked.

"This is she."

"Ms. Davis, I'm calling from the Financial Advisory Board for Clothes Over Bros. The board members have requested a meeting with you."

"A meeting? Why?" Brooke asked, confused.

"I'm not sure. I am just doing my job."

"If you're just doing your job, then you can tell me what this meeting is about." Brooke said agitated.

"I'm sorry ma'am. All I know is that there are discrepancies regarding the new line. That's all I can tell you."

"I will call back later." Brooke said, and then she ended the call. "Discrepancies my ass! This is all Victoria's fault!" She grabbed her purse and slammed the door.

…

"Oh my god, I am so pissed off right now!" Brooke said as she rushed through doors of Clothes Over Bros.

"Why? What's wrong?" Millie asked.

"Oh, Victoria's DNA apparently. She is like a science experiment gone wrong, Franken-mom! She shows up at my house last night. And she informs me that she is taking my company from me! Then, this morning I get a call from the board members, telling me that we need to have a meeting."

"Can she do that? You know, take the company away from you?"

"Legally yes, but it is so not gonna happen! Where are my designs?"

"In the cabinet."

"Okay, I want you to lock it." She says as she hands Millie the keys. "Change the passwords on the computer again. Bitch-toria is not getting anywhere near the new line! And when I show it to the board and explain to them that I am the one who closed the deal on Macy's, her little reign of terror is going to be over, my friend!"

Millie stood there with a scared expression on her face.

"I'm sorry. We're going to fight her Millie. Me and you together, we're going to fight her." Brooke said taking a deep breath. She looked behind Millie and saw a girl stuffing clothes in her backpack.

"Not today." She said as she made her way over to the shoplifter.

"Hi, can I help you with something?" Brooke asked in her most polite voice.

"Uh, no thanks." The girl said as she continued to look around.

"I have to be honest with you. I really don't think that's your best color."

"What?"

"The top you just stole from me."

"Okay, I don't know what you're talking about." The young girl said as she began to walk away.

"Oh really?" Brooke said as she grabbed the shirt out of the girl's bag.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

"Shoplift much?" Brooke held the shirt in front of her.

"Look, I didn't…I didn't mean to."

"You didn't mean to? Okay, you're going to need to come with me." Brooke grabbed her wrist.

"Get off me bitch!" The girl pushed Brooke and ran out of the store.

"Brooke, are you okay?" Millie said as she ran over to her.

"It is just not my frigging day!" She scowled.

…

Brooke went out to run a few errands and she left Millie in charge. Millie was dressing one of the mannequins when she heard the door open.

"Welcome to Clothes Over Br-" She paused when she saw Victoria standing there.

"Well, well…the Slavic bag lady." Victoria insulted her.

"Can I help you?" Millie asked.

"As a matter of fact, you can. I need to see the sketches for the new line."

"Okay, I'll just call Brooke." Millie said as she walked to counter.

"I'm an equal partner in this company, and as such, have equal rights to those sketches." Victoria explained.

"Actually, that's not true. Or maybe it is, but, well the thing is, Brooke doesn't want you to see the line. And Brooke's my boss, so I'm afraid I can't help you."

"Can't or won't?" Victoria said, getting in her face.

"Won't."

"You don't like me, do you?"

"No."

"Because you feel I've mistreated you."

"No. Because you're an evil bitch." Millie said, trying to assert herself.

"You're gonna pay for that." Victoria said, and then she left.

Millie began to panic.

…

Brooke was at the store, shopping for Sebastian's shoes. She was pushing her cart down an aisle when her phone chimed, alerting that she had a new message. When she looked down at her phone to check the message, her cart collided with another shopping cart.

"I am so sorry I-" She stopped in mid-sentence when she saw who she accidentally bumped in to. "This town is too small." Brooke said as she rolled her eyes.

"Hey Brooke, that was totally my fault. I wasn't watching where I was going."

"It's fine Peyton." Brooke said and then she began to walk away. Peyton stopped her.

"Can we talk?"

"We don't have anything to talk about." Brooke responded.

"We have lots to talk about. It's been four years."

"I don't have anything to say." She said as she started pushing her cart again.

"Is this how it's going to be? Are you going to avoid me for the rest of our lives?"

Brooke just rolled her eyes and kept walking. Peyton was trying to get a reaction out of her. She figured that if she could engage Brooke into an argument or any type of confrontation, then things would go back to the way that it used to be, when they were friends.

"You are being really selfish." Peyton told her.

Brooke stopped and turned around, anger flashing in her eyes. "I'm being selfish?!" She asked indignantly. "Are you fucking serious? If anyone is selfish, it's you!" Brooke was in her face now.

Peyton gulped. She knew Brooke would react this way, but she didn't mean to make her this angry.

"Look Brooke, I know I made a mistake, but-"

"A mistake? You intentionally took him away from me!" She shouted.

Peyton just stood there, not knowing what to say.

Brooke sighed deeply. "I can't do this. Goodbye Peyton." She walked away and Peyton stood there dumbfounded.

As Brooke got to the cash register, she mentally kicked herself for letting Peyton upset her. She had practiced for when she would see Peyton again. She promised that she was going to be calm and emotionless. But as soon as Peyton called her selfish, calm went out the window. She knew Peyton was trying to get a reaction out of her, and she tried so hard not give her the satisfaction. But Peyton was her best friend once upon a time and she knew what buttons to push. And Brooke was always the people pleaser, so she gave Peyton what she wanted, an argument.

…

When Brooke walked back into her store, she saw Millie pacing back and forth.

"Millie, what's wr-?"

"I am so fired aren't I?" Mille cut her off.

"What?" Brooke asked, confused.

"I'm so so so sorry. She just came in and asked for the sketches and…"

"Wait, Victoria was here?"

"Yes."

"Please tell me you didn't give her the sketches?"

"No."

Brooke sighed in relief.

"You're going to fire me aren't you?"

"For what?"

"I called your mom an evil bitch."

Brooke looked at Millie for a second, and then she started laughing hysterically. Millie gave her a confused look and then apologized again.

"I am so sorry." She said.

"Ha! I'm sorry I missed it. What did her face look like? Her botox probably got stuck because she was in shock." Brooke laughed again. This made her temporarily forget about what happened with Peyton.

"Brooke it's not funny. Victoria is even more determined to take the company away now."

Brooke's laugh calmed a little. "Don't worry; she's not going to do anything."

"Mommy!"

"Aunt Brooke!"

Sebastian and Jamie came running through the doors with Haley following behind them.

"Hey guys!" Brooke said as she hugged them.

"Hey Brooke." Haley said, sounding exhausted. She lazily hugged her friend.

"I see they wore you out." Brooke laughed sympathetically.

"They are just filled with so much energy." She looked over at the boys as they were playing with a ball.

"Hey, I have a question for you." Brooke told Haley. She showed her the video footage of the thief stealing from her. "Do you know her? She had a Tree Hill backpack, so I figured you might have seen her around the school; unless she stole the backpack too."

Haley sighed. "I know her. She is one of my students. She's a little rough around the edges. I'm sorry she stole from you."

"It's okay. I'm over it. Just keep that twerp away from the store." Brooke told her.

"Deal." Haley agreed. "Well, we should be going. Come on Jamie."

"Bye Aunt Brooke." Jamie hugged her. He and Sebastian did their own handshake. Brooke, Haley, and Millie smiled at them.

A few hours later, it was almost time to close the store. Millie was at the cash register ringing up the last customer and Brooke was on the phone ordering Chinese food.

"I can go get the food." Millie offered.

"That would be great, thanks." Brooke said.

"Can I go?" Sebastian asked.

"If it's okay with your mom." Millie told him.

"Sure. I have to finish up here, so I'll just meet you back at the house."

"Okay." Then Millie and Sebastian left.

…

Lucas sat at the table, reading a book, waiting patiently on his food order. He wanted today to be special. Today is the day he is going to tell Peyton about Brooke and Sebastian. His flashbacks of Brooke made him realize how much he really missed her. He couldn't go on any longer without having her and their son in his life. So, he planned a special night. He was going to bring home some Chinese food and he and his fiancé were going to have a romantic candlelight dinner, wine, and nice music. Then he planned on telling her everything.

Lucas reading was interrupted when he heard someone sit on the opposite side of the table. When he looked up from his book, his heart stopped. He couldn't believe his son was sitting right across from him!

"I read that book. It's really good." Sebastian said, as he stared intently at the book.

Lucas stared at him a little while longer and then he finally said something. "It is a good book. I've read it before. Sometimes I like to read it again." Then Lucas started to wonder how Sebastian could read a book far beyond his years. He definitely was his son.

"Can I show you my favorite part?" Sebastian asked.

Before Lucas could answer, Sebastian was already standing next to him. He rested his little hands on Lucas hands and began turning the pages. He tried not to freak out. He was actually having some sort of contact with his son. Lucas smiled as Sebastian wildly turned the pages, trying to find his favorite part.

Sebastian was almost to the page when he heard his aunt call his name.

"Sebastian! Leave that nice man alone!" Millie said as she approached the table carrying the dinner in her arms. "I'm really sorry sir; he doesn't usually do this…" She paused when she saw who the man was. She pointed at him. "You're-"

"Lucas, Lucas Scott." He said as he extended his hand for her to shake. Millie sat the food on the table and shook his hand.

"I'm Millicent, Millicent Huxtable." She stumbled over her words. She was nervous because number one, she was talking to Sebastian's father. And she was sure that Brooke was going to kill her. And number two, Lucas was extremely good-looking.

"Nice to meet you again Millicent." Lucas said.

"You can call me Millie." She told him.

Lucas smiled at her. Before she became mesmerized with his smile, Millie grabbed the food from the table and told Lucas that she had to go.

"Goodbye Millie. Goodbye Sebastian." He said as they walked away. Sebastian turned around and waved at him.

"Come on Seb. What did your mom and I tell you about talking to strangers?" Millie scolded him as they left the Chinese restaurant.

Lucas felt an ache in his chest at Millie's words. He was a stranger to his own son.

"Number 7, your order is ready." The cashier said.

Lucas sat at the table thinking about what he was going to do. He couldn't go on like this.

"Number 7?"

His son just walked away from him, not even knowing who he was. That was tearing him up inside. When Lucas felt tears starting to form, he snapped out of it.

"Number 7!"

He wiped his eyes, got himself together, and went to pick up his order. Then he headed home.

…

Brooke stood at the cash register, looking at her sketches for the new line. A feeling of pride and determination came over her. She was proud of her new line and she was determined to fight for it; if she had too. She pulled out her cell phone and called Victoria; it went to voicemail.

"It's me. I've been thinking about our little partnership and I've come to a decision. I am this company! I am the reason it is successful! You understand me? So if you want a fight, you got it!" And then she hung up.

Brooke put the sketches in the drawer and locked it. She grabbed her purse and keys, then headed for the door. When she reached the door, she turned off the lights. Before she could walk out of the door, a man wearing a black ski mask and dressed in all black rushed through the door and pushed Brooke to the floor. Then he began to punch and beat her viciously.

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