"You better leave right now, or I swear I'll-"

"You'll do what?" Brooke asks casually, a smirk rising on her face.

She pushes me inside, despite my fighting to get her out.

"Get out, now!" I demand.

"Or what? What are you actually gonna do?" she asks.

We arrive into the living room, where Michael is.

"Michael!" I cry, trying to pull Brooke into the next room, or, preferably, out of the house.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Michael asks as he sees her.

"I missed you, Mikey. It's been a long time," Brooke smiles, walking over to Michael and hugging him tightly.

"Don't," he says abruptly.

"Don't what? Look, I know what happened last time was.. yeah, let's not mention that. I'm here to make ammends."

"I don't think I believe you," Michael says.

"Please do, I have a lot to tell you."

"Like?" I push her for an answer.

"Sit down," she demands quietly.

I sit with Michael on the sofa, and we look up at Brooke.

"Ok, first off, the only reason I've been finding you guys is cos I know your friend Kieran, right?"

"Yes," Michael says quietly.

"That's because I used to be a member of The Jax, before either of you went to Montclair Prep. I knew everyone you guys knew; Rachel Scarlettson, Janine and Cam MoHickey, Sammy Otfreid, Wayne Simms, Miles Hathaway.. Daniel Waters.. I knew them all. I know every single one of their stories. I know that Janine, Rachel and Daniel are all dead, and all of them were killed, or killed themselves, in front of you guys. You've witnessed a lotta deaths in your time, aintcha? Jeesh! But, coming back onto the point, I went to Montclair before you guys did, but I met Michael at a separate college. As you know, we became an item rather early on, and Michael proposed to me, and I said no. Why? I was in love with someone else-"

"You never told me who. Who is it?" Michael demands, anger rising slightly.

"It doesn't matter now. Look, I-"

"No! Brooke, you broke my heart back in college, you seriously expect never to tell me who you were in love with, that was better than me? Cos that hurts, Brooke, that hurts me! This is why I'm glad we separated, you're too secretive, I wouldn't have lasted with you, anyway!"

"Well, that's a little rude," Brooke gasps, placing her hand on her chest dramatically. "And to think I coulda said yes to your marriage proposal!"

"Well, I'm glad you didn't!" Michael hisses. "What is the point in all of this? You said you were here to make ammends!"

"And I am," Brooke says. "I'm here to make ammends with you guys."

"Funny way of showing it," I growl.

"Let me finish!" Brooke commands. "But after I'd been through my first marriage, I realised I was still in love with Michael. It was only by chance that we met each other again in the dress shop a few years back, but, it made me realise that I love him, hence the reason why I'm here today. We had that phonecall a few years back, but then you must have blocked my number, cos I couldn't call you, Michael. It hurt, knowing you didn't care for me.. and I know you have Becky and your children, but, I wanna at least know you'll be friends with me.."

"I don't think it's possible after all that's happened between us, Brooke," Michael replies calmly. "You've nearly ended my relationship a buncha times, and I can't forgive that."

"So you're holding a grudge on me?" Brooke asks. "Well, that's too bad, isn't it?"

"Yes. Now, if you could just leave-"

"Oh, I'm not done yet, Mike. Becky's parents died in the late 70s, am I correct?" Brooke asks.

"Yes.. but how would you know that?" I ask.

"I know things, Becky. I just know things."

"No.. there's gotta be a reason or an explanation as to how you know," I assert.

"Does there, now? Hmm.. my mother told me, then."

"Your mother?" Michael sits up, his eyes wide.

"How would your mother know?" I ask.

"Michael.. when we were dating.. what did I tell you about my mother? Where is she now?"

Michael's eyes widen. "Your mother's.. dead, Brooke."

"Exactly," Brooke says softly, looking down.

"And what's your point here?!" I ask.

"When my mother was in hospital, dying, she said to me, "Brooke, sweetheart, I've done a terrible thing, and now I'm gonna pay for it." so I asked her what she'd done.. and what did she say?" Brooke asks rhetorically.

I nod, indicating for her to continue.

"She said, "I've killed Becky Costello's parents in a car crash.. cos I was drink-driving"."

"What?!" I scream, leaping up from the sofa. "Your mother killed my parents?!"

I take her by the collar and pull her close to me. "And when were you gonna tell me this?!"

"I was gonna! I.. I was gonna!" Brooke has tears in her eyes. "But I was all over the place from my mom's death! I know what it's like, Becky! I know!"

"But how did she know my parents?" I ask, more calmly.

"I asked her the same thing.. and she said.. "Because we went to school together, and we were in a group called The Jax"."

"The Jax?" I ask, almost in disbelief. "But that's still going today!"

"It sure is," Brooke says. "It's been going for generations and generations.. that's how I joined, cos mom was in that gang."

"And apparently, so were my parents," I add.

"And.. mine," Michael mutters.

My parents were in The Jax when they were in college?

That's incredible.

It's like fate that I joined.. cos I didn't know they were in it.

"But.. but how come it's been going so long?" I ask.

"Because the parents have kids who take over the gang each generation.. my parents knew yours, Michael's, Daniel's, Rachel's, Janine and Cam's, and all the other boys' parents.. cos they were in The Jax, too. Now, all the Jax boys' kids are going to be the gang members, cos we've all grown up. Well, most likely.. everyone's children.. but yours."

"I never realised it was still going today," I say quietly, sitting back down on the sofa.

"Well, it is. I'm sure Janine's kids woulda been in it, and Daniel's, and Rachel's, had they been alive to have kids," Brooke says.

"But why was it created if no one's actually bad in it?" Michael asks.

"Because, it was an opportunity for the members to look bad, even if they weren't," Brooke explains.

"And how do you know all this?" I ask. "You're just an ex-member, like all of us. How come you know all this and we don't?"

"Cos my parents only joined to avoid getting hurt by the members," Brooke says. "And that's what they told me."

"That's what I did," I say.

"And me," Michael adds.

"Well, isn't this just so nice," Brooke smiles. "How we're all connected by The Jax."

"But there were some members that really were bad," I say. "Like Rachel and Daniel, from our generation."

"True, true," Brooke reasons, sitting by us on the sofa. "Mom's last words to me.. I still remember them to this day."

"What were they?" I ask softly.

I'm kinda forgiving her for all that she's done.

How, I'm not sure.

"Her last words were, "Brooke, if you ever remember one thing in life, let it be this; you're a strong, tough girl, but if anyone tries to hurt you, don't fight back. That's the worst thing you can possibly do. I love you, so very much, but God is calling me now, cos I've done a bad thing. This is what you get from being bad. Being bad gets you nowhere." and I'll remember that forever," Brooke says.

"My parents never told me they were in The Jax," I whisper, acknowledging Brooke's previous words. "Maybe cos they didn't ever think I'd go to Montclair Prep."

"But you did, and that's just fate," Michael smiles. "Cos I met you there."

"Yes," I breathe. "If I hadn't have gone there, I wouldn't be where I am today."

"None of us would be," Brooke says.

I nod in agreement, and lean my head on Michael's shoulder.

*Narrator's POV*

Becky, Michael and Brooke sit on the sofa, having just heard confessions, life stories and secrets.

Becky looks up to Michael, unsure on how to react to everything that she has just heard.

"My parents were in The Jax," she mutters to herself. "My parents were in the gang I ended up joining.."

"Yes," Brooke hears her words. "Crazy isn't it?"

Becky nods in response, and Brooke stands up, feeling the need to speak once again.

"Becky, Michael.. I think I owe it to you, to apologise for everything. Michael, for breaking your heart in college, and Becky, for the kiss me and Michael shared a few years back. It was a mistake, a terrible mistake, and I came here today to make ammends with you. I hope I've done that."

Becky sighs, knowing that she can only forgive Brooke.

"It's ok," she says, and Michael nods, indicating his response is the same.

"But I wanna know one thing," Michael says finally. "Who is it that you fell in love with, that made you decline my marriage proposal?"

"I suppose I owe it to you to tell you," Brooke says softly.

"You do," Michael says.

"It was this guy called Mark Asher, who was in The Jax long after I'd left Montclair. He's about 3 years older than me, I think."

"Mark Asher?" Becky asks. "That's my best friend's husband!"

"Emma Asher?" Brooke asks in clarification.

"My best friend," Becky says.

"Yes, I know. I was in love with him, but he didn't really care for me back. He dated Emma, then moved on to Rachel, then back to Emma after Daniel had died, back in.. '88, I believe."

"Yeah, he did," Michael replies.

"I tried to catch his attention, but he never looked at me," Brooke explains sadly. "But now he's married with kids, I'm over him.. that's why Michael came back into my heart. Cos Mark didn't want me, my divorce happened, I was single-"

"Who did you end up marrying, actually?" Becky asks.

"Oh, you won't know him. It was just some guy I met at work. His name's Tyson Andrews. That's all."

"Yeah, I don't recognise the name," Michael chuckles.

"Neither do I," Becky says.

"I didn't think you would," Brooke replies.

The three sit in silence for a while after that, trying to get their heads around what they've witnessed in the past half an hour.

"So, we're all good now?" Brooke asks, breaking the silence between them.

Becky and Michael nod, and Brooke smiles.

"It's nice to know we all finally understand each other," she says. "And how much we're really all connected."

One chapter to go guys! And then the epilogue. Time flies, doesn't it? Oh, and by the way... I have a new book, titled Behind The Scenes. I'd love it if you went and had a look.. I wrote it to make up for You Ain't Bad ending.. :)