Summary: It's hard imagining what life would be like without the one person that keeps the family together. This was their world without him.

Disclaimer: I do not own the song Wind Beneath My Wings by Bette Midler nor do I own OTH or any of it's character because if I did then we could see A LOT MORE OF the Scott brothers together, acting as if…I don't know…THEY WERE BROTHERS. LOL This story has a little a few pairings in it. Naley, Brucas (Mainly flashbacks) and Kan

THE WIND BENEATH MY WINGS

It must have been cold there in my shadow,
To never have sunlight on your face.
You were content to let me shine, that's your way.
You always walked a step behind.

You were never a show off like me. I was loud, bossy, aggressive and full of anger in my younger days. I was cocky and full of garbage back then and I took refuge in my popularity and being the chosen one of Tree Hill High. It was a nice ride, I'll admit but it was also a difficult mask to ware and a heavy burden to carry. I was evil to some and a God to others. I never let anyone in, I didn't have to. People were there to worship me and I felt worthy of their praise, that was all of course before I met you. I always knew you were out there, I always knew that there was a part of me that was missing but I was too consumed with my life and how great I thought I was to ever give it a second thought. Although I never really knew what true greatness was until I met you, my other half, my better half. You were content to walk in my shadow, in his shadow and to the naked eye it would seem as though I was more then willing to let you stay there. But that assumption was wrong. I always wondered about you and the day that you crossed the line and made yourself known to my world was one day that I will never forget.

So I was the one with all the glory,
While you were the one with all the strain.
A beautiful face without a name for so long.
A beautiful smile to hide the pain.

For a while there I made your life a living hell. Taunting you, telling you that you didn't belong in my world and getting others to come along for the ride. If only you knew that it wasn't hate I was feeling. In fact I already cared about you and wondered about you since I knew of your existence and everything that I did to you; everything that I said was just my way of having some sort of attention from you. And each and every time you would handle it with more grace then I could even imagine myself having.

You always found a way to smile through the pain that I would cause you. Whether it was with one of the girls or one of the other guys you always managed to pull through, to show me that I may have been the one with all the glory, but you were the one with all the grace. Yeah I know it seems kind of stupid and childish now but that was the only way I could get you to notice me. I had dreamt of meeting you a thousand times before and every night in my dream world we were close. You would stop me from saying and doing dumb things and getting myself into situations that my arrogance had created. When I was much younger you would protect me from the monsters under my bed, save me from bullies (something I was in the real world) you were my hero.

Did you ever know that you're my hero,
And everything Ii would like to be?
I can fly higher than an eagle,
For you are the wind beneath my wings.

As time went on my dreams finally turned into a reality. We became close, best of friends even and damn if it didn't feel good. I had been waiting my whole life for these precious moments and when they came I never wanted to let them go. Your friends became mine and mine became yours our world was now perfectly blended. The past became just that, the past and we both agreed to give our new relationship a try and it worked out better then we both could have ever imagined. I have tears in my eyes now just thinking about it. You know its funny how someone can live in the same place as you for so long and you never once came into contact with one another. Never knew what life was like for the other but when destiny finally leads you to one another it's hard imagining what life would be like without your new and improved half. That's exactly what it was like for us, you and me to the end.

It might have appeared to go unnoticed,
But I've got it all here in my heart.
I want you to know I know the truth, of course I know it.
I would be nothing without you

My own ego would have destroyed me if it weren't for you. I would have become some arrogant (even more so then I already was) bastard that hurt everyone I came in contact with but I had you to kick my ass and make me realize that there was more to life then what I saw, then what I thought I was meant to be. You saved me on more then one occasions and brought me the one person that I love almost as much as I love you. I'm a different person now and I have you to thank for that.

Did you ever know that you're my hero?

You're everything I wish I could be.
I could fly higher than an eagle,
For you are the wind beneath my wings

When you called me that morning a few years ago and told me the news of your illness I nearly went insane. In fact if it weren't for her, for them I definitely would have. I didn't understand how my hero, how my best friend could be so sick. You were superman in my eyes and I never wanted that image of you to fade. I didn't want to see what I knew you would become. I broke down as you tried to comfort me, telling me that everything was going to be okay. That you were going to make it through this and that you were going to be stronger then ever. You even laughed saying that if something happened to you then who the hell would be there to pull me back from the many ledges that I always found myself on. I think that was the first time that you ever lied to me.

Did I ever tell you you're my hero?
You're everything, everything I wish I could be.
Oh, and I, I could fly higher than an eagle,
For you are the wind beneath my wings,
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings

I watched as the cancer ate at you. On the many visits that followed you grew paler and thinner then usual and were becoming less and less of the person I knew and loved with my whole heart and soul. I watched as my protected and best friend faded away but never once did you let any of us see the pain that you were in. You fought a good fight and held on to the very end, giving us all you had. Your last words to me were take care of them and be strong. Also (you whispered) never forget how much I love you little brother. I remember crying and begging you to stay but you just smiled at me, grabbed onto my hand and took your final breath.

Oh, the wind beneath my wings.
You, you, you, you are the wind beneath my wings.
Fly, fly, fly away. you let me fly so high.
Oh, you, you, you, the wind beneath my wings.
Oh, you, you, you, the wind beneath my wings.

I sat in my bedroom crying for days after that. I didn't eat, I didn't sleep, and I didn't even acknowledge Haley or the boys during this time. I was a complete wreck. I didn't know what to do without my big brother. Thirty three was too young to die. You still had so much to do in life; we had too much left to say to each other. I cursed myself so many times for not getting to know you sooner. I shouldn't have wasted any of it hating you or trying to please others I should have been there for you Luke, like you had been there for me. Its two years later now and I still haven't recovered from losing you but I know that we'll see each other again someday and until that day comes I will be that person that you always said I could be. But I will forever miss you until then. My brother, my hero, the wind beneath my wings.

Fly, fly, fly high against the sky,
So high I almost touch the sky.
Thank you, thank you,
Thank god for you, the wind beneath my wings