Brooke Davis' heart pounded inside her chest. She could hear the murmurs of the thousands of voices whispering on the other side of that curtain. It unnerved her but at the same time it was the excitement and energy that fueled her adrenaline. In a few seconds, she would be blessed with the opportunity to show off her amazing abilities on her craft's biggest stage. It was what she had worked for, it was what she lived for. But she still couldn't soothe the butterflies churning in the pit of her belly.

"You okay, love?"

She looked up at her professional partner, Ivan Zaslavsky. He gave her a smile as he rubbed her shoulders. A Russian immigrant, he was one of the most renowned professional dancers in the world. For years she had been acquainted with his work but the two had never met. Her luck had changed just a month prior when Brooke had been invited to perform at the Blackpool Dance Festival in England. It was the world's first and most famous ballroom dancing competition. Although Brooke would not be amongst the competitors, it had been a thrilling and surprising honor that her presence was requested and that she would be paired with someone of Ivan's stature.

"Everything's great, Partner," she flashed that gorgeous dimpled smile to him.

On the outside, everything indeed appeared great. Brooke looked nothing short of remarkable. Her long, dark hair had been curled meticulously, each spiral carefully pinned to create an elegant updo. Her make up had been applied using earth tones, which gave a stunning effect to her already flawless skin. She was dressed in modern and sexy attire, typically worn by the female Latino ballroom dancers. A beaded piece hung from her neck, connected to the front of the dress with barely there spaghetti straps. The silky brown material clung to her every womanly curve, the sides cut out to accentuate the backless number. Her legs, oiled and bronzed, seemed to go on for days, ending in a pair of expensive, high heeled shoes.

On the inside was a contradictory story. Brooke always appeared beautiful and confident but beneath the near perfect exterior, was a frightened insecure woman. She looked in the mirror and wondered constantly if she was enough. Pretty enough, talented enough, smart enough…good enough. It was a battle that never ended, one that had plagued her since adolescence. Those teenage years seemed so long ago but in truth, their reality was never far away.

She had been born Brooke Penelope Davis, the only child of Franklin and Carol Davis, a successful entrepreneur and socialite, respectively, in the small city of Tree Hill, located on the magnificent and picturesque Carolina coast. She had grown up in a wealthy neighborhood in a dazzling home in an upper class neighborhood. Born attractive, Brooke had spent her early years as a child beauty queen. Later she had done what was expected of her…she became a cheerleader and ran with the popular crowd.

Her sidekick, had been Peyton Sawyer, a pretty blonde with a personality split that was prone to the dark side of goth and punk and the sunnier side of cheerleading and shopping. The girls had been best friends since the sandbox and the friendship had carried them into high school. But their junior year at Tree Hill High School had changed everything. Frank Davis had unexpectedly lost his job and times had been hard for the family as they struggled to regroup. An answer to their prayers had come in the form of a lucrative job opportunity that would lead the Davis family from the East Coast, all the way across country to California. Leaving her friends and the only life she had ever known behind, Brooke had had to start all over the summer before her senior year.

The decision to go had been the hardest she'd ever made but she hadn't been left with much of a choice. For years her parents had been oblivious to their only daughter's needs and lifestyle. She had gone where she wanted and pretty much done what she wanted, without them so much blinking an eye. She had been one of the least supervised and most financially endowed teenagers in the town and that had been fine by Brooke. Initially she had been thrilled to hear of her father's new opportunity but the relocation aspect had been too much. The last thing she wanted to do was leave.

There were other options, or at least Brooke had thought so. She could have stayed with the Maskey family. They were just as well to do as the Davis' and all had spent years running in the same social circles. And she and their daughter, Bevin, had been lifelong friends as well. But Brooke had overestimated what the parents thought of her. Apparently one teenager was enough and Mr. and Mrs. Maskey had not been interested in taking on another responsibility. Neither had any of the other parents of the cheerleaders. Disappointed but determined, Brooke turned to her last resort but first choice. When one was in need of a friend, P. Sawyer never let anyone down.

Peyton had been a lonely but good girl and she and Brooke had stuck together through thick and thin. Peyton had lost her beloved mother, Anna, at the age of nine in a tragic car accident and through the years her father, Larry, had worked hard and often times abroad at his dredging company. Often Peyton had been left alone and for Brooke, it was the perfect opportunity. Senior year would be the best ever but her parents had put a major dent in her plans. Peyton Sawyer was a bad influence, or at least that's what they'd had the nerve to say. It would not be "wise" or "responsible" to leave their daughter unsupervised at the Sawyer home.

Losing the battle and ultimately the war, Brooke had fought hard just to finish out the last few months of junior year with her friends. After days of relentless begging, bargaining and pouting, they had agreed to let her stay at the home of Karen Roe. For Brooke there had been mixed emotions as well. Karen was a wonderful woman but she was also the mother of Brooke's former boyfriend, Lucas Scott. With Lucas moving back in from his father's mansion, surely the sexual and flirty tension, awkward as it was, would be rampant.

He had been her first love and who the hell could blame her? At first it was just sex, just another hot conquest to go bragging about. He was the brooding, mysterious loner from the River Court, the rumored illegitimate son of businessman, Dan Scott, older brother to basketball jock, Nathan Scott. Then he had joined the Ravens and the whole world had changed. At first he had been into Peyton and in the midst of her own brooding and ever present drama with her then boyfriend, Nathan, she had refused to admit the obvious, even to herself, that she too had feelings for him.

While Peyton had decided to keep a low profile, Brooke had taken just the opposite stand. She had thrown herself half naked at times even, to Lucas Scott. Eventually it had won him over just like she knew it would but after a short while, it was clear there was more than just the physical. Lucas was an amazing guy. Intelligent, loyal, sincere, honest, caring and respectful. Brooke had never been treated like that before. She had never been challenged like that before. In time, she had fallen completely head over heels in love and Lucas had reiterated that he felt the same way.

It had been a great relationship. They'd let loose and had fun in every way. From late night talks about hopes, dreams and fears that lasted for hours to equally long marathons of mind blowing sex. From vegging out and watching television to reading mind stimulating English literature to getting drunk, shooting pool and getting tattoos. The two had made a formidable and loving duo and for a time, Brooke's world had been complete.

She wasn't stupid. She knew Peyton too well. She could look right in those green eyes of her best friend and know exactly what she was thinking. Brooke knew Peyton had feelings for Lucas the whole time. She also had an inkling that maybe Lucas wasn't over Peyton as well. But over and over they had assured her it was fine. Doing her best to turn a blind eye and trust the two people she loved most in the world, Brooke continued to enjoy being in love. And life was wonderful…until the accident.

He and his uncle Keith had been on their way to the airport to pick up Lucas' mom, Karen, who had been enrolled in cooking school in Italy. There had been an accident and Lucas had been seriously injured. Brooke had remained by his side every waking moment and when he came to safe and out of harm's way, she thought it had been a blessing. But their romance would be short lived. He broke up with her and soon after Brooke saw him and Peyton on Peyton's web cam. Then the real truth broke out.

When an accident had happened and Peyton's father had been presumed dead, a tearful Brooke had waited behind at the house and encouraged Lucas to accompany Peyton to identify the body. Then the call had come in that Larry was alive and safe and a joyous Brooke had delivered the news. Soon the two would be on their way back to Tree Hill and once again all would be right with the world. Both returned acting strangely but Brooke attested it to the long night and potentially catastrophic event. But it was something else that had happened. In a moment of pure weakness, Lucas and Peyton had given in. They had stopped short of actually consummating the deed but still there had been touching and kissing and an intent to go farther. Cheating was cheating and betrayal was betrayal. And Brooke was done with both of them.

Time heals all wounds, or so they say and in time, Brooke had given them both a second chance at friendship. By the latter part of junior year, she and Peyton were back to being inseparable and another funny thing had happened along the way. Brooke had felt it for a while and her denial, even to self, had been nothing short of powerful. But the feelings for Lucas were coming back and she had the thought that he felt the same way. Then came the news of having to move and Brooke had realized it was inevitable. She was going to have to go to California and that was final. But before she left, Lucas Scott, the jack of all trades, had one other surprise. He confessed that he loved her.

Brooke would never forget it. She'd never forget where she was or what they were both wearing that fateful day. And she'd never forget how she felt. Happiness was on the backburner. Why? What could she even do about it? Were they supposed to carry on a long distance relationship? If so, how would that work? She couldn't even trust him under her nose right in Tree Hill. It had hurt Brooke and it made her angry. It wasn't right and it wasn't fair. She had left for California and never looked back.

She had moved to a sprawling beach home in Dana Point, California and tried to assume some sort of normalcy with her parents. An unexplained change had overtaken Brooke Davis and she embarked on a search for something more. Enrolling in an all girls private school, she had spent the last year of high school focusing on academics and throwing herself into the performing arts. Once groomed to look pretty and marry well, Brooke Davis surprised everyone, including herself, by being applying and being accepted to the University of California, Berkeley campus. She thrived for four years and majored in the department's Dance and Performance Studies as an undergraduate.

Life after college had been one non stop whirlwind for Brooke. She had spent her first year as a cheerleader for the professional basketball team, Los Angeles Lakers. It had been fun but not particularly challenging so Brooke had moved on to bigger and better things. She had tried her hand at performance theatre in L.A. which eventually led her to the celebrated and legendary Chicago Ballet. After a few years, she had competed professionally overseas as a ballroom dancer, returning to the United States just a year earlier. But through life experiences and traveling the world, she had never forgotten that place by the river she once called home.

Settling back down in a condo in Santa Monica, Brooke had been approached to be the cover subject for a well known dance magazine. She had been interviewed and photographed in her home and on the beach. But it was something else that had caught Brooke's eye or rather someone else. His name was Cameron Drake and it had been love at first sight. He wasn't Brooke's usual type. Over the years she had found herself more attracted to Latin men, particularly older, more sophisticated ones. She had been in several serious romantic relationships, most fulfilling but Brooke had always put her career first. She wasn't even sure that true love existed anymore and if it did, she wasn't on the hunt for it just yet. But the moment she had first laid eyes on him, everything changed in an instant.

He was tall, tanned, well over six feet, lanky on the outside, which was a nice cover up for those toned muscles and sculpted abs underneath his clothes. His hair was brown and while short in the back, the sides and front could have stood a date with a pair of scissors. His eyes were a beautiful chocolate brown and a rugged goatee partially covered his chin and the area above those sexy, oh so kissable lips. Her usual type, he wasn't. Not one trace of Latin heritage or sophistication for that matter. Cameron Drake didn't even own a suit and he preferred beer over wine any day and his idea of a good time was hiking or rock climbing, getting the best out of a sunny day with his Boxer dog, named Alamo. They were complete opposites with nothing in common. For Brooke, it was a perfect match.

He had grown up on a farm in rural Oklahoma and he had the accent to prove it. He was a hard working man, good with his hands and ever the perfect gentleman. Born with a love of photography, he had spent many a day growing up climbing trees and taking pictures of the livestock with his disposable cameras. His passion and his talent had taken him all the way to Hollywood where his professional work had landed him several gigs for prominent magazines. He had taken a job with the dance publication at the last minute to fill in for someone else. He didn't even want to go but the moment he had arrived and seen her, he knew it, she, was his destiny.

They had talked well after the shoot and gotten along so well, agreed to meet for drinks the following evening. From then on, they had been a couple, beautiful, happy and loving. For Cameron, Brooke was a welcome breath of fresh air…funny, good looking, interesting and sweet. For Brooke, Cameron was the man little girls dreamed about. A real life knight in shining armor, strong and loving, always knowing the right thing to say and do, always making her feel safe no matter what. Her life was just beginning to feel complete, still something was missing.

Brooke had never forgotten about Tree Hill but she had lost touch with most that lived there. So many things had changed after she left and an unspeakable and shocking tragedy had rocked her friends and the entire town to its very core. The only person she talked to had been Haley James. E-mail and the occasional telephone call had kept open the lines of communication. They had talked through college and beyond and it had been Haley who had joked that one day Brooke would return to Tree Hill. The brunette had dismissed the thought but it had remained in the back of her mind. She and Cameron had visited Haley and her fiancé, Nathan, once and just being back at the old high school and the River Court and the Market Street docks had brought back so many memories. An idea had come to her that kept growing and becoming more detailed by the minute. What if she came back to Tree Hill, just for a little while, to open up a dance academy? She could teach all forms of dance to everyone from three year olds to adults. It would be good for the town and once she found someone to run it, she could return out west.

It had been a dream close to her heart and when she shared it with Cameron, he hadn't laughed or balked. Like always, he had supported her all the way. Helping her with the plans and showing moral support, he had given up his life in L.A. and made the cross country move with her. Together they had settled into one of the historic Victorian homes near downtown Tree Hill. They had built the school from the ground up and registration, slow at first, had picked up. It was a successful business venture and more important, Brooke was happy. Although neither Peyton and Lucas no longer lived in town, the ghosts of her past were still there as tangible reminders.

Brooke had been in the middle of teaching the Cha Cha to a room full of elderly couples when the call had come in that she would be invited to perform with Ivan Zaslavsky at the Blackpool Dance Festival in England. The couple would have two weeks in London prior to the eight day event to practice and prepare. Almost immediately, Cameron and Brooke were on a flight and her dutiful boyfriend had been there every second of the way, just like always. Feeling Ivan's fingers tighten around her exposed flesh, Brooke took a deep breath. She was nervous. It had been a long time since she had performed in front of a crowd like that. She was looking forward to it but the insecurities of the past were never far from her mind. Do I still have it? Can I do this? Am I good enough? Then she glanced over to her right and there was Cameron. One smile and nod from him and she knew everything was going to be okay. Brooke felt like she could do anything.

"…Ladies and gentlemen, coming to the stage to dance the Merengue, from the United States of America, the beautiful, talented and distinguished, Brooke Davis and her professional partner, representing Russia, the brilliant and illustrious Ivan Zaslavsky!"

The crowd roared with enthusiasm and anticipation as the curtain opened and the music began. The loud, frantic sound of the beats was enough to get the blood circulating. A mesmerized audience watched the at times erotic and suggestive dance as the two partners held each other close, turning and twisting, putting on quite the show with each and every step. Dancing was what she was born to do and she was wonderful at it, better than most, making fools of all who dared to scoff that she'd never be able to make a living dancing legitimately. Brooke maintained her confident but sexy grin as her eyes always found their way back to Ivan's. The chemistry combined with talent was undeniable as two of the world's best captivated all who watched them. It ended with a difficult lift and spin, the final position coming in time with the last beat as Brooke's right leg extended in a perfect line to Ivan's shoulder, her head nearly parallel with her butt. The spotlight dimmed and they bowed and curtsied to a standing ovation and calls for an encore that lasted nearly ten minutes.

"Miss Davis, it was a pleasure to dance with you," Ivan tenderly kissed her hand backstage. "I only hope that we can do it again."

"The pleasure was mine," her eyes twinkled as he left.

Brooke wanted to jump up and down. She had done it. Once again, she had wowed them all.

"Okay, who is the best dancer, best kisser and all around best looking girl in the whole world?"

Brooke turned around and smiled. There was a grinning and proud Cameron approaching her with a dozen red roses.

"I don't mean to brag but…" she quipped.

"Come here," he picked her up in his arms. "Baby, you were great out there."

"Really?"

"Yeah and you know it. I mean it. Every time I watch you…it's just amazing. You're something else, you know that?"

"So are you," she sniffed her bouquet. "These are beautiful, babe. Thank you."

"It's the least I could do. I'm just so damned proud of you."

Brooke looked around. She was living out her dream doing what she loved. And she was surrounded by a wonderful man she loved more than anything. How much better could it get? Brooke Davis hadn't felt happiness like that in a long time. She was proud of herself and what a grand life it had turned out to be. Often she felt like she had perhaps bitten off more than she could chew at times but in the end, it had all worked out. Besides, it had been a great mouthful.