first off, i just wanted to thank everyone that has read/reviewed or added me/any of the 3 fics to their alerts/faves lists!!!
i REALLY hope this last part of the three does the other two justice!! i had a hard time writing this one... so PLEASE let me know what you thought of it... this is the last one... so PLEASE if you havent let me know what yall thought of this!!!!!
xoxo
-manda
She had it all, Lizzie Scott, the big house, the fancy car, the fantastic father and the perfect mother… what more could a 17 year old ask for…
Yeah right! "It all" was the furthest thing from 17 year old Lizzie's life.
She opened the front door to her small three bedroom house she shared with her father and closed it with a slam.
"Lizzie, where's Andrea?"
Lizzie rolled her eyes at the voice coming from the kitchen and continued to her room.
"Lizzie?" The woman asked coming out of the kitchen and into the hallway. "…Andrea?"
"No one said I had to get her today," Lizzie replied.
"It's Tuesday, you get her every Tuesday…"
"It's not Tuesday," Lizzie told the blonde woman.
Alex rolled her eyes, "It is Lizzie, come on, pitch in a little bit,"
Lizzie turned around and glared at the woman, "Are you serious?" she asked more than upset. "Pitch in? Have you met me?! I do everything I can around here!"
"Well then go get your sister from school,"
"Why can't you do it?" Lizzie asked with an attitude. "You don't work," she said and walked into her room shutting the door.
"Elizabeth Brittany Scott! Get back here!" Alex yelled.
Lizzie collapsed onto her bed, yeah, she sure had it all. It didn't take her five minutes to feel guilty about leaving her little sister at school and she grabbed her purse and stormed back out of the house. She threw her bag down in the passenger seat and grabbed her phone as she pulled out of the driveway.
"Hello?"
"Daddy," Lizzie cried into the phone.
"Liz, what's wrong Pretty Girl?" Lucas asked concerned.
"I miss her," Lizzie barely got out.
"Oh… Lizzie, I miss her too baby,"
"No you don't!" Lizzie yelled into the phone. "You wouldn't have married Alex if you still missed her, dad!"
"Liz- -"
"I've gotta go. I'm at Andrea's school,"
Lucas nodded, "Okay, we'll talk when I get home tonight, deal?"
Lizzie nodded and without saying goodbye, hung up.
"Lizzie!" Andrea yelled running into her sister's arms.
Lizzie scooped the tiny three year old up, "Hi honey," she said and placed a kiss on her cheek as she signed Andrea out.
"Are you sad sissy?" the young girl asked.
Lizzie shook her head. "No… I just miss somebody, that's all." She said as she buckled the dirty blonde into her car seat that stayed in the teen's car.
"Oh, who do you miss?"
Lizzie looked at her sister through the rear view mirror, "You wouldn't get it Andy,"
Andrea crinkled her face, "Yes I would!"
Lizzie took a left at the light she usually goes straight through.
"Where are you going sissy?"
"You wanna know who I miss?" Lizzie asked, knowing she would get hell for this later tonight.
Andrea nodded wildly.
Lizzie put the car in park and opened the door for her sister. Andrea immediately grabbed Lizzie's hand, the place giving her the shivers. "Where is this?" Andrea asked clinging to her sister like her life depended on it.
Lizzie picked the three year old up as she made her way to the all too familiar gravestone. She sat down Indian style pulling Andrea into her lap. "This is who I miss, Andy…"
Andy looked at the grey rock studying it carefully. "That's my name!" she said excited turning to her sister, her little finger pointing to the "Brooke" engraved on the stone.
Tears filled Lizzie's eyes.
Everything happened too fast. Lizzie was barely a teenager, her mom had been dead for ten years and then her dad remarried… it broke Lizzie's heart and she wasn't sure she could forgive him for that… Before she even got used to that idea, Lucas and Alex informed her that they were having a baby.
"Lucas, maybe she should go see someone," Alex suggested.
Lucas looked at his new wife like she was crazy. "No, she's okay…"
"Lucas, it's been seven months since we told her… how many times has she talked to me since then… how many times has she talked to YOU? You're her dad…look at her, she's lost weight, all she does is come home and cry. Luke, you can't tell me that's normal,"
Lucas put his head in his hands. "Alex, we picked her up from the house she's known her whole life, and moved…"
"People move all the time, Lucas,"
"That was her house with her mom Alex, you don't understand,"
"Well I'm sorry I wouldn't stay in the house that MY husband lived in with his EX wife that KILLED HERSELF in it!"
Lucas clenched his jaw.
Lizzie heard her dad and Alex yell and all she wanted to do was hit the end button. She tried to control her breathing, she tried to close her eyes and be in a different place, she tried everything she could think of, but all that was happening was what she was trying to avoid, the walls seemed as if they were closing in on her, her chest felt like it was shrinking by the second and her heart, oh God, her heart ACHED. She missed her mom so much, and she used to think her dad did too… until Alex happened. And now Alex had stepped over the line and Lizzie needed to get out of there. The next thing she heard was Alex scream and not two seconds later her dad was yelling at her to get into the car. Lizzie refused to move.
"Elizabeth Brittany Scott, get in the car!" Lucas yelled barging into Lizzie's room.
Lizzie stared at her dad, not going to back down.
"Lizzie, we have to go! Alex is having the baby!"
Lizzie simply crossed her arms as she narrowed her eyes.
"Okay, I'm sorry you're upset with me, Liz, but we have to go… now!" he said pulling her up off her bed.
The two of them made their way to the car, Lizzie of course taking her time.
"Lucas Scott, I swear to God if I have this baby in this damn car I will hurt someone, can we go?!" Alex yelled.
"Come on Alex, push!" Lucas coached her on.
Alex screamed loudly and pushed as hard as she could and finally when she felt the pressure of her child bearing down release she collapsed into the bed.
Lucas was in awe when he saw the little baby being place on Alex's chest. "You did it Pretty Girl," he said without thinking.
Lizzie looked up at her dad shocked. "Daddy…" she whimpered.
Lucas knew what he did immediately after he did it, he bent down to Lizzie's level, "I'm sorry Liz," he apologized genuinely.
Lizzie looked at her dad with tears in her eyes.
"Lucas, come look," Alex said stealing the attention.
Lucas turned to his wife and new baby girl.
"What should we name her?" Alex asked.
"You pick her first name," Lucas insisted.
Alex looked down at the sleeping baby, "Andrea," she decided. "Middle name," she said to Lucas.
Lucas looked down at Lizzie who was still a bit upset and all he saw was Brooke. "Brooke," he whispered.
Lizzie looked up at her dad hopeful.
"No," Alex said shaking her head. "I won't have her named after her Lucas," she said in a cruel tone.
"Andrea Brooke Scott," Lucas said out loud.
"I love it!" Lizzie finally spoke. She wrapped her arms around her dad, "That's mom's name," she whispered a slight smile on her face.
"That way she'll always be here," Lucas whispered back giving Lizzie a polar bear kiss.
"Who is this?" Andy asked looking up at her big sister.
"Andy… this is my mom," Lizzie whispered.
Andy looked at Lizzie confused, "Huh? I thought mommy was at home…"
"Well, she is, but, I have a different mommy than you do,"
"Ooooh… well how come I never see her?"
"Because she died buddy,"
Andrea's eyes widened along with her mouth, "Buddy," she repeated.
Lizzie tried to smile at her sister, but there were too many tears in her eyes.
Andy wrapped her arms around Lizzie tight, "I love you sister!" she said holding on to Lizzie.
"I love you too Andrea," Lizzie whispered hugging her back.
"I'm sorry you miss your mommy…"
Lizzie nodded, "Me too,"
Andy turned back around and the two sat in front of Brooke's gravestone for some time, neither saying a word, just staring forward at the grey rock.
"Mommy," Andrea said that night before she went to bed.
"Yeah?" Alex asked.
"Did you know I have Lizzie's mommy's name in my name?" she asked excited.
Alex looked down at her daughter. "… yes… how do you know that?"
"Well Lizzie showed me where her mommy was today." Andy said like it was the most casual thing, and to her it was. "Aww, isn't sad mommy? Isn't it sad that Lizzie's mommy died," Andrea asked laying her head on her mother's leg frowning dramatically.
"Andy, it's way past your bedtime… you head on to your room, okay?"
Andrea nodded and got up and marched her little self to her bedroom, "Night Lizzie!" she yelled as she walked past her big sister's room.
"Night short stuff!" Lizzie yelled back.
Lizzie opened the door to the small house hoping to come home and sleep for a little bit, but she was unexpectedly met by none other than Alex. Lizzie sighed and rolled her eyes. "What do you want Alex?" she asked.
"She is MY daughter Lizzie, not yours, not Brooke's, do you understand that?! You cannot just take her places without us knowing! And you sure as hell won't be taking MY daughter to the cemetery to see YOUR dead mother's grave, got it?! She told me that's where you two went yesterday after you picked her up from school. I am her mother, understand? You don't' get to tell MY daughter about your "mother"" Alex yelled furious at the teenager for taking her three year old to the cemetery the previous day.
"I am more of a mother to Andy than you have EVER been!" Lizzie yelled at her stepmother tears flooding her eyes.
"Oh Lizzie, you are sadly mistaken child, you have no idea what you are talking about." Alex said in such a calm tone it drove Lizzie even further up the wall.
"Ugh! Alex! You're a horrible mother!! Who does she come to when she doesn't feel good, or when she's scared?!"
"And you would know what any kind of mother is like, how…?"
That was the last straw, Lizzie couldn't take it anymore, her whole body was shaking she was so upset. "You make me want to kill myself Alex!" she yelled crying. "Okay! Would that be better for you? Would that make you happy?!" she screamed, she was getting light-headed she was screaming so loud.
"Go ahead, Lizzie, be just like your mother!" Alex said as if she had no heart.
Lizzie looked at the horrible person standing in front of her and clenched her jaw tightly then quickly stormed off towards the bathroom.
Lucas walked in the front door, Andy on his hip. He smiled at his wife, but his face changed as soon as he saw the anger written all over her face. "What happened?" he asked knowing Lizzie was home.
"We got into a fight," Alex said rolling her eyes.
Lucas stood Andy on her own feet, "Where is she?" he asked Alex.
"I don't know, she went that way," Alex said pointing down the hallway to which Lizzie had retreated.
Lucas ran down the hallway and into Lizzie's room, but she wasn't there. "Lizzie?" he asked but got no response.
"Lizzie?" Andy tried following her father's cue when he couldn't find her sister.
Lizzie's heart ached as she heard Andy call her name, she loved that little girl so much, but she couldn't do this anymore, not with Alex. As much as she wanted to call out to Andy, she just couldn't…
Lucas walked into his and Alex's bedroom and again repeated, "Lizzie?" he still got no answer and he opened the bathroom door and he swore his heart stopped beating when he saw his daughter half laying on the bathroom floor. "Lizzie!!" he said panicked and placed her in his lap. He glanced around the room and saw her pill bottle sitting out, she had hurt her shoulder during cheer practice last month and the doctors gave her Vicodin but Lucas would be damned if he let her keep it, so he left it in his bathroom. "God, Liz, what did you do?" he asked crying holding onto her clenched hand.
"She said I was just like mom… she said I never had a mom and didn't know what it was like to have one, she said to just kill myself like mom did," Lizzie cried beginning to lose her feelings of everything around her.
Lucas' heart broke for her, "Lizzie, you know she didn't mean it,"
Lizzie looked up at her dad, "You know she did, daddy," she whimpered then closed her eyes.
"Lizzie!" Lucas yelled feeling her body get heavier on his.
Lizzie's hand dropped and her fingers released from the tight grip they were in and a bottle of the same anti-depressant Brooke mixed with Vicodin when she killed herself fell from Lizzie's delicate fingers.
Lucas felt his heart ache in such a different way than he ever remembered it aching, 'not again, not Lizzie' he said to himself. He stood up, still holding his daughter's limp body in his strong arms.
"Andy! Get in the car!" He yelled walking past the little girl's room carrying her big sister in his arms.
"K!" Andy said excited and quickly ran out of her room.
"Where are you going?" Alex asked.
"Alex, get the hell out of my way," Lucas said beyond pissed.
Andy looked up at her mom confused, but followed her dad's lead and went to the car. "Daddy!" she said terrified when she finally saw Lizzie. "What happened to Lizzie?" she asked scared.
"Shh," Lucas said buckling his younger daughter into her car seat.
Within the hour Lucas, Andy, Peyton, Jake, Jenny, Haley, Nathan, and Karen were all at the hospital. Andy sat in Peyton's lap playing with the bracelet the blonde had on.
"Aunt Peyton," The three year old said pronouncing the T very predominantly.
Peyton looked down at the little girl, "Yeah?"
"Did you see Lizzie?" she asked.
Peyton shook her head, "No baby, I didn't," Peyton said frowning a little. She loved this little girl so much even though she was Alex's daughter and not Brooke's like everyone had expected it to be ten years ago. The crazy part was Andy looked just like Lucas, nothing like Alex and acted just like Brooke… much more than Lizzie ever did.
"Well I did, this is what she looked like," Andy said, "Hold me, okay?" she asked and after receiving a nod from her aunt took the position in her arms like she had seen her sister in over two hours ago. "Daddy!" she said from upside down in Peyton's arms.
Peyton's heart dropped, not again, God, please not again.
Lucas walked over to where everyone was sitting.
"Can we go see Lizzie now?" Andrea asked hopeful.
Lucas had tears in his eyes as he looked at his little girl. "Andy," he started then cleared his throat.
Peyton's eyes were full of tears and she held onto the little girl in her lap so tight, this was all too familiar.
"Your sister got really sick…"
Andy nodded, "I know! I saw her, like this!" she said and mimicked Lizzie's position again in Peyton's arms, being sure to dramatize it by hanging her tongue out of her mouth.
Peyton cleared her throat so she could talk, "Andy, sit up baby," she said rubbing the little girl's stomach.
Andy looked up at Peyton who had tears in her eyes, then she looked at her dad again who too was crying, "Grandma?" she asked seeing Karen crying, and Jenny, and Jake, and Nathan and Haley. Tears immediately filled the little girl's eyes, "Daddy," she whimpered. "What's wrong?"
Lucas shook his head, "Your sister, she…" he tried to find the right words.
Andy's heart was racing, her sister what?! Why was everybody crying! What was wrong with Lizzie! She pulled out of Peyton's arms and darted down the hallway her dad had just come from. "Lizzie!" she yelled running down the big corridor. "Lizzie! Lizzie!!" she continued to yell as she ran trying to find her sister, tears pouring down her face.
Lucas chased Andy down the hall, "Shh, Andy," he tried to soothe her as he picked the little girl up in his arms.
Andy cried flailing her arms and legs against her dad's strong body. "I want my Lizzie!" the three year old cried.
Lucas carried Andy back to the waiting room with the rest of the family and handed her to Jenny. (Jenny is one year older than Lizzie and mimicked Jake in not only looks but personality and musical talents as well.)
Jenny held her cousin close to her rocking her back and forth gently trying to calm her down.
Peyton had her elbows resting on her knees, her head buried in her hands, "Luke," she whispered. She looked up at him. "Did she - - is she okay…?" she asked her voice breaking. Peyton had such a strong relationship with Lizzie since Brooke died. Lizzie was the only part of Brooke left and she acted just like Brooke did when she was 17… minus the extremes, and Peyton and Lizzie just had a connection. Peyton was her second mom.
Lucas shook his head, "No, Peyton, she's not okay." He broke down. "She's not okay and it's my fault!" he yelled slamming his fists against the wall.
Peyton felt the breath taken right out of her.
"Lucas, this is NOT your fault," Haley assured him, trying to be strong here.
He turned to her, "It is Haley," he cried collapsing into her arms. "I shouldn't have married Alex," he sobbed.
Jenny looked down at the little girl in her arms, she was out, thank God, she did not need to hear any conversation that happened right now involving her mother. Jenny and Lizzie were close, and Jenny knew how much Alex hated Lizzie, Alex had this perfect life… and Lizzie was not a part of that, and she did everything to remind the brunette of that.
"What does Alex have to do with this?" Haley tried.
"They got into a fight, and Alex told Liz she was just like Brooke, to go ahead and kill herself," Lucas said shaking his head. "I'm leaving her… I… I can't be around her anymore, not after this," he whispered. "And, I won't make Lizzie have to be either,"
Peyton looked up, "Wait, what?"
"When Lizzie comes home, Alex won't be there, ever."
"I thought you said she wasn't - -"
Lucas shook his head, "She's not okay, Peyton. She isn't…"
"But she's alive?" Peyton asked when everyone else was thinking it.
Lucas nodded. "Yeah… they don't know how." He said honestly, "She had taken more of the two things that killed her mother when Brooke did this… and she - - it didn't kill her," Lucas cried hard.
"Lizzie, what were you thinking?" Brooke asked.
Lizzie looked at her mom tears in both their eyes. "I couldn't do it anymore mommy…" she whimpered.
"Baby, yes you can,"
Lizzie shook her head, "I don't want to. I miss you! It hurts too much not having a mom," she cried.
Brooke wrapped her arms around her daughter, "Oh Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie,"
"Mom," Lizzie cried. "Why did you do it?" she asked. "Why would you leave me?! I was THREE! I NEEDED you!"
Brooke's heart broke, "Lizzie… I - - I know I shouldn't have… I know it was selfish, okay. Baby, you need to know if I could take it back, I would… now you have that chance. Lizzie, you have to go back,"
"Why?!" Lizzie bawled. "Daddy will be okay! I need you more!"
Brooke looked at her daughter and smiled sweetly, "Andy,"
Lizzie looked away shaking her head at the mention of her sister's name.
"Baby, why do you think your dad and Alex got married? You need Andy, and she needs you,"
Lizzie cried hard into her mother's chest.
"You gotta go back, Liz," Brooke whispered cradling her daughter's head in her arms.
"I love you mom," Lizzie cried.
"I love you too baby girl, I love you too…"
Lizzie opened her eyes slowly, blinking to adjust to the light. She looked around the room she was in and saw all different people in her family, everyone appeared to be asleep. She exhaled heavily.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Peyton whisper-yelled at her niece.
Lizzie jumped startled, not realizing her Aunt was awake. She looked over at the curly blonde.
"Lizzie… why would you do that…?" Peyton asked shaking her head confused.
"I couldn't handle it anymore Aunt Peyton… I needed mom," Lizzie said breaking down.
Peyton hugged Lizzie tight, "Lizzie… you can't just… you can't try to kill yourself. You know how hard something like that is on people first hand…"
Lizzie nodded, "I know, okay. I'm sorry," she whimpered.
"Your dad is leaving Alex,"
Lizzie looked down, "Is it horrible for me to say good…?" she asked.
Peyton shook her head, "No, if it wasn't for Andy, I would have said she was a complete waste of time and space." Peyton replied honestly.
Lizzie scanned the room for her sister, "Where is she?"
"Jenny took her to our house for the night,"
"Is she okay?"
"She's terrified, Lizzie,"
Lizzie looked down, "I'm sorry, okay?" she whispered.
Peyton shook her head, "Lizzie, this isn't okay," she told her niece truthfully.
"What am I supposed to do?" Lizzie asked. She shrugged, "I just… I don't how I can keep this up,"
"Liz, Alex is leaving, you won't have to deal with her anymore,"
"But it's not just that…" Lizzie said her vulnerability pouring from her eyes. "I miss her so much,"
Peyton nodded listening to the teenager.
"There's something I need to do…" she whispered.
Lizzie spent the next week in the hospital, Andy was allowed up there, but Lizzie didn't want her to see her big sister like this so she begged her dad to keep Andy at home. Now she was coming home, this is the part that hadn't been done before. Lizzie had to get back into the real world again, she didn't get the out that her mom did, the one she was trying to get.
"Lizzie!!" Andy yelled as her sister walked through the front door.
Lizzie smiled down at her little sister, "Hey Andy," she said and picked her up hugging her tightly.
"Lizzie I missed you!" Andrea said holding onto her sister like her life depended on it.
Lizzie exhaled shaky, "I missed you too, so much,"
"Are you all better now?" Andy asked.
Lizzie paused for a minute. "Almost,"
"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Jenny asked pulling up to the house.
Lizzie looked at her cousin, "Yeah, I think I have to…"
"Okay, you want me to go in with you…?"
Lizzie shook her head and stepped out of the car, "I've got to do this on my own." She said and made her way to the door. She rang the doorbell and waited patiently for it to be answered.
The woman swung the door open and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the teenager standing in front of her. "Can I help you…?"
Lizzie looked right into the woman's eyes.
"I'm sorry, and you are…"
"You know who I am Victoria…" Lizzie whispered staring still at the woman.
"I'm sure I don't," Victoria lied.
"I look just like her. You know who I am…"
Victoria opened the door to let Lizzie in.
Jenny jumped startled when her phone started ringing. "Hello?" she asked still watching the scene play out in front of her.
"Jenny!" Lucas said upset.
"Uh-oh…" Jenny whispered. "Yeah…?"
"Where are you?"
"In my car," Jenny answered vaguely.
"Where's Lizzie?"
"Outside," Jenny again dodged the bullet.
"Jennifer Katelyn Jagalski, where are you?" Lucas demanded.
"Just outside the city…"
Lucas's heart stopped, he knew what was out there, who rather, and it was someone he did not want his daughter to have anything to do with. "Jenny, you two get back her right now!" Lucas demanded.
"Uncle Luke…" Jenny tried to protest. "She needs this,"
Lucas slammed his car door shut, "I'm on my way,"
Lizzie shook her head, "I don't want to come in,"
Victoria crossed her arms over her chest, "Then what is that you want,"
"I wanted you to see me…" Lizzie said then shook her head holding back her tears. "You killed her," she said so truthfully it hurt. "You may have wanted to kill yourself when since she was two, but she actually did when I was three, because of YOU!" Lizzie cried. "And I almost did too…" she took in a shaky breath. "I just wanted you to know that I have always known who you are, and I hate you." Lizzie continued tears steadily flowing from her eyes.
"You don't know what you are talking about," Victoria said. "You couldn't possibly remember who I am, you were merely three."
Lizzie shook her head, "My mom died, she killed herself because of something you said to her… how do you think I don't remember who you are?"
Victoria glared at her granddaughter. "Why didn't you go through with it?"
"I did," Lizzie told her. "it just didn't kill me like it did mom… she wouldn't let it,"
"Lizzie!" Lucas yelled getting out of his car.
Lizzie turned around quickly and saw her father carrying her little sister up to the house.
"Hi Lizzie!" Andy said not knowing the severity of the conversation.
Lizzie wiped away her tears and smiled at the blonde and took her in her arms.
"And who is this?" Victoria asked coldly.
"Andy Brooke Scott," Andrea said proudly.
Just hearing the name 'Brooke Scott' pierced through Victoria's ears and echoed in her head and not in a good way.
"Let's go Lizzie," Lucas said giving Victoria a death glare and wrapping his arm around his teenage daughter.
"Lizzie…" Andy said looking up at her big sister.
"Yeah?"
"I'm glad you're my sister," She said smiling.
Lizzie smiled back, "I'm glad you're MY sister,"
"And I'm glad your okay now… right?" she asked just to make sure.
Tears filled Lizzie's eyes and she nodded, "I think so Andy, thanks," she said hugging her sister like her life depended on it… and it did. Lizzie needed Andy.
She had it all, Lizzie Scott, the big house, the fancy car, the fantastic father and the perfect little sister…
Lizzie Scott still has it all.
alright exhales that's all she worte! lol
okay, so i really enjoyed writing this, but i really do want to know wut u guys thought!!!
xoxo
-manda
