"Hey guys," Brooke greeted them tiredly. Nicole and Lily spared her weary smiles.

"Hi B, what’s up?" Nic asked as they entered the Palace. She saw Sam asleep on the couch and smiled sympathetically. "How’s she doing?" Brooke sighed.

"More asleep than awake, unfortunately," Brooke told her, flopping back into her chair at Sam’s side. Nicole and Lily sat down across from her.

"She needs the rest, Brooke. She took a hard hit to the head," Lily said. "It’ll do her good to just rest."

"I know," Brooke agreed never taking her eyes from Sam. "How are you doing, Lil?" Lily let out a heavy sigh.

"Peachy if you overlook the fact that my mother thinks I’m some sort of twisted, depraved sicko who is a horrible disappointment to her; my arm hurts like hell and I’m probably going to have a scar the size of a jacket zipper across my forehead," she said forlornly. Nicole leaned over and placed a gentle kiss over the bandage still adorning Lily’s forehead.

"I still love you," Nicole whispered making Lily smile.

"And that’s about all that keeps me going," she admitted. Nicole hugged her knowing that right now Lily needed all the support she could offer. Her mother’s reaction had been extremely hurtful to Lily so Nicole was determined to do all she could to make her feel better. Brooke looked up from her Sam study.

"I’m sorry things are going so badly, Lily," she offered. Lily shrugged.

"I am too but I’m glad I don’t have to hide anymore. It’s frustrating and hurtful and yet freeing," Lily told her. Brooke nodded.

"Not that I’d know," she sighed. Nicole and Lily looked at her quizzically.

"Something up, Brooke?" Nic asked. Brooke shook her head.

"I almost lost her, Nic. And that scared me. We had this stupid argument before the accident about being outed and I told her I wasn’t ready for it. I was worried about my image," Brooke explained. Lily winced.

"Ouch, bet Sam didn’t take that well," she groaned.

"No, she didn’t," Brooke agreed. "I hurt her and didn’t mean to. Because I let my fears run my life, like I always do and I’m tired of it."