The day of Haley and Nathan's funeral, Brooke approached the podium nervously, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Hi," she said in her hoarse whisper. "I'm Brooke Davis, and Haley and Nathan were my best friends. When Hales and I first started hanging out, people were shocked. She was the nerdy tutor and I was the head cheerleader, but it worked. I needed someone like her. Haley was so bright. And I don't mean just intellectually." She looked up, laughing a little through her tears. "See, Hales, look at the big words you taught me? Haley had a bright, sunny glow around her that anyone who was fortunate enough to know her was touched by. She was so kind and helpful, so loving and honest and loyal. There isn't a person in the world that can match up to Haley James Scott in my book. And Nathan….oh, Nathan. We were a more well suited match for friendship, him being the star of the basketball team and all. But he was more than that. If it wasn't for Haley, no one would have known it. Nathan was funny, charming, and strong. He was a rock for all of us. He was the kind of guy you knew you could really count on. Haley and Nathan were the golden couple, the kind of couple you look at and you can't even feel jealous because they were that beautiful. You had to just be happy for them." She looked back up at the sky again, addressing her lost friends. "I love you guys, so much. You changed my life. I know wherever you are, you're together and I know that that's what's important. James will always be loved, I'll make sure of it. Always and forever."

With that, Brooke dissolved into sobs and collapsed next to Karen, who held her tightly, whispering words of comfort into her brown hair. The next to get up was Haley's sister Quinn, who stood at the podium sobbing for nearly thirty seconds before her boyfriend slowly led her back to the pews. Peyton watched worriedly as Lucas suddenly slipped out from under her arm and went up.

Lucas stood and took a trembling breath, his eyes locking onto his girlfriend and then drifting to where his mom was comforting Brooke.

"Haley was my best friend," he choked out. "And Nathan was my brother. I think I knew them as well as anyone really could, and they were amazing people to their core. A wise person once told me that those we love never really leave us. I didn't realize at the time that she was quoting Harry Potter, but I think that no matter where they come from, those words are true. I loved Nathan and Haley, and I know everyone here did, too. And they loved us back. They're never really gone, and they'll live on not only in their son, but in all of our hearts and souls."

He locked eyes with Brooke and was surprised to see her offer him a small smile. He flashed back to the moment he had referred to in his speech as he made his way back to his seat.

"He's gone, Brooke," Lucas sobbed, collapsing half in her lap as they sat on the floor in front of Keith's grave.

"Hey now," Brooke said gently, stroking his hair and holding him to her chest. "Those who love us never really leave us. Keith will always be with you, Lucas. He'll even be with me, because I loved him, and I will carry a piece of that love with me forever."

Lucas's breaths calmed as he thought about what Brooke had said. He snuggled deeper into her and released several cleansing breaths. He wasn't sure what he would do without her.

James had begun to cry in Peyton's lap, and Brooke abruptly stood, sweeping him up in her arms and fleeing from the chapel. Several people turned to stare at her, and when Lucas went to stand back up to follow her, Peyton placed a soft hand on his leg.

"Leave her," Peyton suggested. "You know how Brooke is. She prefers to be alone when she's upset."

Lucas felt a need to correct her, to tell her that she was wrong about her best friend, but he supposed that Peyton probably knew better than he did. After all, he hadn't been close with Brooke in over a year. By the end of the service, Lucas was completely emotionally exhausted. A numbness had overcome him, but it was shattered when he saw Brooke lingering at the graves, James clutched tightly to her chest as she cried.

"Brooke," Lucas said softly, approaching her slowly. "Let me take Jamie, you need a break."

She looked up at him, her eyes burning him. "You don't even want him."

"Brooke, you know I do," Lucas pleaded. "We just can't. We can't care for him. When we signed those papers, we were in emotional shock!"

"I knew exactly what I was doing," Brooke sniffed through her tears. "Just sign your rights to him over to me all ready and get it over with."

"You can't raise him alone," Lucas protested.

"I'd rather raise him alone than with someone who doesn't want him," Brooke argued, holding the baby closer to her. "We need to go to the wake. Now is not the time or place for this."

Lucas sighed to himself as he watched her walk away across the cemetery grass, shoulders squared and a baby on her hip.

"It's going to be okay," Peyton's soft voice said suddenly, her arms wrapping around his waist. "She'll come around, she always does. This is just really hard for her."

Lucas groaned, dropping his head to rest on the blonde's. "I just wish she would see that this isn't the best thing for him, or for either of us."

Peyton nodded. "Brooke can be stubborn. She just wants him to have people in his life that care about him because she never did. It's understandable."

"We can still be in his life though," Lucas said weakly.

"I know that," Peyton insisted. "But I'm not sure Brooke does. Maybe you should give it a chance, maybe you're the one who's being stubborn."

"Whose side are you on?" Lucas asked, whirling on her. She put her hands up in surrender.

"I'm not on anyone's side. I love you both, and I think you both have good points. But you'll never know if you don't try."

Lucas sighed and nodded in resignation, letting his girlfriend take his hand and lead him in the direction from which Brooke had just come.

Brooke&Lucas

"Hi there," a smooth voice said from behind Brooke as she stood near the bar at the wake. Karen had insisted on taking Jamie off of her hands despite having her own hands full with Lily, but Brooke had been too upset to protest. She turned and found herself looking at a tall, handsome guy around her own age, maybe a couple of years older.

"Hi, do I know you?" she mumbled.

"I'm Jackson Harris," the man introduced. "I played with Nathan at Duke."

"I'm Brooke."

"Yeah, I know," he smiled kindly. "I just wanted to let you know that Haley never stopped going on about you. She really loved you a lot."

"What would she say?" Brooke asked, hungry for any information about her friend.

"She was always saying that there wasn't anyone that she could ever think was as great as you. That you're smart, funny, loyal, selfless; all in all, she just went on and on about what an incredible person you are."

"Well thank you for telling me," Brooke said, smiling with tears swimming in her eyes. "That means a lot to me."

"Why don't you let me take you out for dinner so I can see for myself what all the rage was about?"

Brooke stumbled back a bit, surprised. "Oh, I'm sorry. Now's really not a good time for me to be dating, with taking care of Jamie and everything."

"I understand," he nodded, but he handed her a napkin with his name and number. "Should a better time come up, give me a call."

"Did that guy really just hit on you at a funeral?" Peyton asked incredulously. Brooke nodded feebly.

"Yeah, he did."

"Only you could get asked out at a wake," Peyton joked, pulling Brooke into her side. "You're pretty great, Brooke Davis."

"Thanks, P. Sawyer."

"You know, my ego was almost wounded by all the Baley gushing."

Brooke rolled her eyes but managed to crack a smile. "I'm better at couple names than you are, Goldilocks."

"Oh yes, the nickname champion," the blonde teased. Brooke was grateful to have her, despite their rough patches and ups and downs. She wasn't sure that she'd be able to make it through this without her. "About Lucas-"

"I don't want to discuss Lucas."

"Brooke, please. I think I convinced him to give it a chance. He's just scared, I think. I understand why you want to follow Haley's wishes, and I think in time he'll see that she obviously had a reason for wanting things this way."

"I'm sorry if this is weird for you," Brooke said suddenly. "Me and Lucas, raising a baby together."

Peyton heaved a sigh. "It is a little weird. It wasn't that long ago that he was telling the world that he was the guy for you."

Brooke looked at her best friend with sympathy, knowing full well how she was feeling. "Peyton, it's always been the two of you. He never meant those things with me."

Peyton forced a weak smile. "I hope you're right."

Brooke ignored the stab at her heart, knowing that Peyton didn't intentionally mean to cut her with those words. "I know so."

Lucas approached and greeted Brooke awkwardly. She offered him a half smile of forgiveness, which he gratefully returned with one of his own.

"So I go back to L.A. tomorrow," Peyton said. "I thought I could pack up your stuff and ship it for you so that you don't have to go through the trouble of flying back with Jamie."

"Thank you so much, Peyton," Brooke said. "I'd really appreciate it."

"It's really no problem. Do you know where you're gonna be staying?"

Brooke opened her mouth to answer, but Lucas cut her off.

"Her and Jamie will stay with me," Lucas said as if it was apparent. Both girls looked at him with raised eyebrows. "That's how Haley wanted it."

He shared a glance with Brooke, and it was understood that he was going to give it a try. The smile that lit up her face for the first time in the week following Nathan and Haley's death was worth it to him. He had thought he'd never see her smile like that again.

"I think that's a good idea," Peyton managed to say, despite the uncomfortable feeling that was growing in the pit of her stomach. She admonished herself for feeling territorial. Brooke had given Lucas up for her, and the brunette had just assured her that it had always been Peyton that was meant for Lucas. So why did she feel so cold at the thought of them living in the same house?

It can be really hard to be fair to Peyton in Brucas stories. I really don't think she's a bad person, and so I'm trying to make her as understanding as possible, but there will be some serious issues that lead to a Leyton breakup soon enough! I have some really good ideas for this story and I'm very excited about it, so keep reading and reviewing!