AN: Back with another update! I had it all planned out in my mind but it didn't go quite as I wanted it to. Oh, well. Just to clear some things up, Brooke and Julian's history is not the same as it is on the show. Some elements of the show are incorporated but not all of them. I hope that makes sense.

--

When Julian first met Victoria Davis, he was intimidated. She was everything Brooke made her out to be; bold, brash, and judgmental. Their first meeting, ten years ago, was in some hole in the wall coffee shop in New York City. His future wife had caught his eye there. Almost like a scene out of a movie. From then on, he was smitten. Victoria rushed in like she owned the place, clad head to toe in designer duds. She eyed him suspiciously, refusing to shake his outstretched hand until he answered her question.

"How much money do you make?"

Brooke cringed. Julian laughed. Victoria glared.

He told Victoria he wanted to be a producer. Then, it was Victoria's turn to laugh. Despite her negativity, Julian wasn't going to give up on Brooke. They both bonded on parental issues, trying to one up each other and claim the title of whose father was worse. Brooke's father decided he didn't want to be a father anymore when she was barely thirteen, leaving Victoria and a staff of twelve to care for the teenager. Julian's father didn't appreciate him. His mother-God rest her soul-traveled down a tumultuous path that ultimately led to her untimely demise. He did everything in his power to save her. But, she didn't want to be saved. She wanted to let go.

Now, on the brink of thirty, Julian watched his mother-in-law pace around the room, her high heels clacking against the wooden floor. Her Prada dress was steamed to perfection, not a wrinkle in sight. Over the years Victoria had eased up on him. He did well for himself and took care of Brooke. However, she was still scary as hell sometimes.

"I don't care if you have a source. You issue a retraction tomorrow or I'll make sure you have to speak into a computer to write another article!"

Julian bit down on his bottom lip to keep from laughing. When Victoria hung up the phone, she tossed it on the couch, a breathless sigh escaping her lips. "Well?"

"They're not budging," she mumbled, almost in defeat. She picked up the magazine and stared at it in interest. "At least they used a good picture."

Though Julian did not condone cheating in any way possible, he was slightly grateful for Sandra Bullock's marital woes. Brooke was in the corner of the cover, a pixilated picture of her from an event last year with some cheesy caption across it.

Fashionista's Cancer Ordeal.

He sighed and tossed the magazine aside. Victoria had bought all the copies at the grocery store while he tried to clear out the ones in the mall. That's where most of Brooke's followers lurked.

"What are we going to do?" Julian asked quietly. He kept thinking about his wife and how frightened she looked when she finally returned last night. She was up before the alarm clock again, making up some excuse that she needed to be at the store for something. He knew it was her way of dealing but she was going to break down soon and it was not going to be a pretty sight. "We can't just give up, Victoria."

"Julian," Victoria eyed her only son-in-law. "Brooke should be doing this. There's only so much yelling I can do before my voice goes hoarse."

"She doesn't want to do anything."

"That's because she's stubborn," Victoria rolled her eyes. "You can thank her father for that."

Non-existent father, Julian thought bitterly.

"I just don't understand how it got out," Julian sighed. "Everyone around here loves Brooke. I can't see any of them leaking it out."

"You'd be surprised," Victoria laughed at Julian's naivety. "Offer someone 100,000 dollars and they'll sing like a canary."

"Well, I'm not just going to sit here," Julian snapped in defense, getting to his feet. "I have the kids to worry about. I don't want them finding out from this trash."

Victoria raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow. "They don't know?"

"No," he shook his head. Victoria shrugged a shoulder, almost surprised. "We both agreed it's not the right time to tell them. We're still waiting for the results from the last doctor's visit. Then, we'll tell them. So, I'd appreciate it if you kept your mouth shut."

"I won't say a thing," Victoria raised her hands. "Scout's honor."

Julian tried to ignore the sarcasm dripping from the elder Davis' voice and made his way over to the door. Victoria followed behind him, hot on his heels.

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know," Julian admitted in frustration. "I came over here because I thought you could fix all of this but since you can't, I'll have to do it myself."

Victoria made a face. "What do you think you can do, Julian?"

"Something."

"You can't do anything," she told him defiantly. "Who cares? The important thing is that you get Brooke all the help she needs. Take her to New York."

"She doesn't want to go to New York," Julian bit out in frustration. If Victoria wanted to argue, he'd argue right back. To this day, Victoria could belittle Brooke one minute and then turn around and kiss her ass the next. "I can't force her to do something she doesn't want to do, Victoria."

"Then she's just wasting her time here. These doctor's don't know what they're talking about."

"Brooke told me that no matter where she goes, they're going to tell her the lump in her breast is cancerous. Trust me. We've heard it so many times already. You should see the look on her face," Julian began softly, watching the worry lines on Victoria's forehead make an appearance. "She doesn't cry but her eyes tear up. It's heartbreaking. She just sits there and stares into space. It's like she's in a trance. I don't want to keep seeing her like that."

Victoria swallowed, showing some sigh of emotion as Julian opened the front door. He looked at her, almost pitifully, waiting for the tears to fall.

When they didn't, he shook his head.

"She needs all the support she can get. Maybe you should stop telling her what to do and just be there for her. Be there for your grandchildren."

And with that, he left. Unaware that Victoria finally broke.

--

Millicent sighed as she looked at the paparazzi camped outside the boutique, pushing and shoving at one another when they got too close. Brooke had been holed up in her office all morning, showing no signs of coming out. She didn't seem to be too affected by the magazine article. She even joked about it. But Millie knew better. Brooke was putting up her brick wall again. When the front door opened, she turned around to see the brave soul who risked their life to swim through the sea of paparazzi desperate to stick a camera in Brooke's broken face and blind her with flashing lights. All so they could get paid and continue to make her life a living hell.

When she saw it was Haley, Millie couldn't help but sigh.

"It's like a zoo out there," Haley commented dryly, clutching her purse and peering inside to make sure nothing was stolen.

"Yeah, they've been there all morning," Millie forced a smile. Haley looked so tired and lost. "Are you here for Brooke?" she asked stupidly. "Sorry, of course you are."

"How is she?"

"Okay," Millie shrugged. "I'll go get her for you."

Haley nodded and sat down on the couch, watching Millicent's figure disappear into the back. She took a deep breath and rapped on the door, pushing it open slightly when Brooke told her to come in. The brunette was slumped over on her desk, a pen scribbling furiously over the copy of Us Weekly.

"Haley's here," Mille said softly. Brooke looked up, her eyes all bloodshot and puffy.

"Oh," Brooke whispered hoarsely. "You can, you can send her in."

"Are you sure? I can tell her you must have slipped out the back and left."

"No, no," Brooke shook her head. "I need to talk to her about this."

When Millie turned on her heel, Brooke spoke again. "Millie?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry for keeping this from you. I should have told you…I should have told Haley. I was just…in shock."

"It's okay, Brooke," Millie replied quietly, walking over to give Brooke a tight hug. "I'm sure Haley will understand."

Brooke scoffed and straightened herself up in the plush leather office chair when she heard Haley's tiny footsteps. Her stomach dropped down to her feet when she locked eyes with her best friend, the rapid beating of her heart the only sound audible. Haley took two steps in, lingering in the doorway shyly.

"You can come in," Brooke smiled. "I don't bite."

Haley didn't respond. Instead, she reached in her purse and grabbed the magazine and slammed it on Brooke's desk. "Is there something you'd like to tell me?"

"Haley," Brooke began, reaching for Haley's hand. When she pulled away, tears immediately pooled in her hazel eyes. She was so sick of crying. "I was going to tell you, I swear."

"When?" Haley yelled, throwing her arms up in frustration. "When were you going to tell me Brooke? When you…when you were dead?"

Brooke winced and bit down on her bottom lip. She wasn't going to die. The cancer wasn't going to beat her. "No, Haley. I was just in shock."

"I bet you were."

"Please," Brooke pleaded, standing to her feet. Haley backed away; desperate to create enough distance so she wouldn't breakdown. "I was so scared and just in shock…I didn't want to tell anyone until I knew for sure. I swear, Hales, I was going to tell you."

"But you didn't," Haley's voice broke. "I had to find out from the damn internet! I, I had to read in the mail this morning my best friend has cancer."

"I know and I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was going to leak."

"Well, if it didn't, when were you going to tell me?"

"Soon…"

"Soon?" Haley's tone raised an octave higher. "How soon is soon, Brooke?"

"Soon," Brooke repeated helplessly. "I was waiting for the right time and I got so caught up with things…I'm sorry," she repeated for the umpteenth time. "Don't hate me."

"I don't hate you," Haley sighed. "I'm just, I'm just…why didn't you tell me?"

Brooke saw the hurt in Haley's eyes and hated herself all over again. Haley was the one person she didn't want to cause any more pain. That worked out well. "Because you just lost your mom and, and you had enough on your plate. I didn't want to burden you."

"Is that what you think?" Haley let out a tiny gasp. "That you'd burden me?"

"Yeah," Brooke nodded tearfully, hanging her head in shame. "I didn't want you to think you needed to be strong. I know how hard it was with your mom…"

Haley visibly winced and let out a small laugh. "Oh, I see."

"No, no," Brooke was quick to defend herself when she realized what she said. "I didn't mean it like that, Haley. I just meant it would be too much for you to handle."

"Too much?"

Brooke kept digging the hole deeper. "Haley, please. I'm sorry, okay? What more do you want?"

"For you to be okay," Haley sniffled. "Are you starting chemo?"

"I don't know what I'm doing," Brooke admitted truthfully. "I haven't heard back from the doctor yet. I'm taking it day by day."

"Brooke you have to fight!" Haley yelled. "You, you have to do everything you can to beat this. You can't just sit around and do nothing!"

"I'm not doing nothing!" Brooke yelled back, her eyes widening. "Haley, I have three kids to think about. I have to do what's best for them."

"Sure," Haley replied sarcastically. "So this is it then? You tell me that you have cancer and then in two weeks you're going to die, right?"

"Haley, stop," Brooke snapped, glaring at her best friend as she broke down. "Don't you dare say things like that! I'm going to do everything in my power to fight." Haley didn't respond. She backed herself into the corner and brushed away her tears, too afraid to look up at Brooke's reaction. "I'm not your mother, Haley."

Brooke knew things were about to explode.

"What?"

"You heard me," Brooke shook her head angrily.

"Brooke," Haley swallowed. "Don't do this."

"Don't do what?" the brunette feigned innocence. "Don't come barging into my office yelling at me! I was trying to protect you, Haley. But, fine. I'm a bitch for keeping this from you, aren't I?"

"Brooke, stop."

"No, Hales," Brooke bit back her tears. "I'm not the one you're really mad it."

"Shut up," Haley tried to fight back, but it was no use, "You don't know what you're talking about, Brooke. I am mad at you."

"Fine," Brooke shrugged. "At least I'm going to fight."

She had no idea what came over her. The lack of sleep and utter annoyance and irritation from the media had finally gotten to her. And of course, she took it out on the wrong person. Haley's tears pooled down her face but she remained calm. She was far too upset to fight back and tear Brooke down for all the pain her mother caused her.

"Good luck," Haley finally said after a long silence. "I hope you beat this."

Brooke slammed her hand on the desk and cursed as loudly as possible when Haley left. She glanced at the picture of her three kids near the computer. How was she going to tell them? She then grabbed the picture of her and Haley and threw it in her desk drawer, too angry to even look at it. She knew she had gone way too far but she couldn't help it. Haley couldn't see that she was trying to protect her, trying to keep the pain from her.

Hell, she needed Haley more than anything right now. But since that wasn't possible, she was just going to have to depend on Julian. He was her rock.

"Brooke?" Millicent asked quietly as she appeared in the doorway.

"What?" Brooke snapped at her assistant. "What do you want?"

"The school called," Millicent cleared her throat, trying to hide the tremor in her voice. Brooke could be deathly frightening when she was angry. "Max is hurt."

--

Julian held Brooke tight as they met in the hallway, smoothing down her hair when he felt her wet tears against his shoulder.

"He's okay, Brooke," he promised, wiping the tears away with the pad of his thumb. "He just got into a little scuffle with a fourth grader."

"A fourth grader?" Brooke's mouth dropped open in shock. "Why is a nine-year-old picking on my baby?"

"I don't know," Julian sighed, trying to calm his wife down. She looked so tired that it was practically killing him. Her eyes were no longer vibrant. They were lost and dull, no spark whatsoever. It was almost painful to look at her. "Just relax, babe. Take a deep breath."

Brooke did as she was told, breathing in Julian's comforting scent. "I'm sorry. I've had a horrible day and this is just icing on the cake."

"But he's okay," Julian reiterated, kissing the top of Brooke's head. "Are you okay?"

"No, Julian, I'm not," Brooke huffed in annoyance. "This isn't the time or place to get into it," she sighed, heading to the door to the Principal's office. "What did they fight about?"

"I don't know," Julian shrugged, opening the door for Brooke.

Brooke nearly burst into tears when she saw Max sitting on one of the chairs, his little feet dangling above the floor, an icepack pressed firmly to his right eye.

"Oh, baby, what happened?" Brooke dropped to her knees, grabbing Max's hand. "Did one of the mean older kids hurt you?"

Max scowled in embarrassment as his mother tried to examine his bruise. "I'm fine, momma."

"You are certainly not fine," Brooke almost burst into tears, lifting Max into her arms. "I don't understand why someone would want to fight you! What happened?"

"Stuff," Max sighed against her shoulder. "He was being mean to Livvie, momma."

"What?" Brooke asked, wondering if she heard right. She shifted Max to her hip, watching as Julian checked in with the old secretary. "He was being mean to Livvie?"

"Yeah," Max nodded in confirmation. "Daddy says that I'm still her big brother even though we're only five minutes apart. Lily wasn't doing anything so, so I just said to leave her alone!"

Brooke still couldn't understand how someone would want to hurt her sweet, innocent, little boy. Max was too shy for his own good sometimes and wouldn't harm a fly.

"Then I pushed him when he laughed at me," Max finished quietly. "But then he hit me."

"Oh, baby, I'm sorry," Brooke kissed his temple again, patting his back. "I'm proud of you, buddy. For sticking up for Olivia."

Max tilted his head to the side. "Really? So you're not mad?"

"No," Brooke smiled. "I don't think daddy will be either."

She sat Max back down on the chair and ruffled his hair, reaching for Julian's outstretched hand when he called her over. Max settled back down on the chair and held the ice pack against his eye all the while trying to stop the tears.

He hated lying to his mother.

"How about you go in and talk to the Principal," Brooke said. "I don't want to leave him."

Julian glanced back at his son, then back at his wife. "Alright, fine. Only because the last time we were in her office you told her to fuck off."

"She deserved it," Brooke mumbled matter-of-factly, kissing Julian's cheek. "We'll be out in the hall waiting for you." She giggled as Julian mock saluted, disappearing into the corner office when they called his name. Brooke went back over to Max and lifted him off the chair, clasping his tiny hand in her own. "Come on, little man."

"Where are we going?" Max asked curiously as he followed his mother out of the spacious office and into the deserted hallway. "Is daddy coming with us?"

"He is," Brooke nodded. "But sitting in the Principal's office gives me the creeps. It reminds me too much of high school."

Max smiled and tugged on his mother's hand, studying her face when she looked down at him. "Momma?" he questioned softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

"What, baby?" Brooke asked, a tinge of concern in her voice when Max looked away frantically when they locked eyes again. "You okay?"

"Are you sick?" Max finally asked after a long pause.

Brooke tried to keep her composure but couldn't help but sigh. "Sick with that?"

"I dunno," Max whimpered as Brooke bent down to his level. "Cancer."

"Why, why would you ask that?" Brooke's voice broke, brushing the hair out of Max's eyes when he looked down at his feet. "Maxie, what happened?"

"Ethan said you had cancer," Max said, swiping at his tears. "I, I didn't push him 'cause he was being mean to Livvie. I pushed him because he said you were going to die!"

"No, no, no," Brooke was quick to correct her son, lifting him up and holding him tight. Max sobbed against her shoulder and it broke her heart in two. "Where did he hear that?"

"It was in a magazine," the little boy continued to cry. "He's lying! Right? Right, momma?"

This day kept getting worse and worse.

"I'm not going anywhere," Brooke promised, kissing Max's forehead. "Okay?" She wasn't really lying per say. "Okay?" she pressed on when he didn't respond.

"So, the magazine lied?"

"Yeah, buddy. The magazine lied," Brooke finally gave in. Even when she looked into Max's sparkling blue eyes she just couldn't break his heart. Not now, not ever.

"Why?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "To make money."

"I'm sorry they were mean to you," Max whispered against her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, too."

Max looked up at his mother in confusion. "Why are you sorry, momma?"

Brooke looked down at him with a watery smile. "For things you don't understand."

And for all the pain she was about to cause him.