Authors Note: thanks for the reviews guys! hope you like this chapter! and i was mean to peyton...but she had it coming! lol

Lucas asks if he could borrow Keith's car. He tells his parents that Brooke wants to go see Peyton, and that he was going to take her to get her car from the school afterwards.

"Lucas, I don't want Brooke to be alone tonight. She's staying with us until I feel more secure about everything," Karen tells him, as Keith fishes out his car keys.

Hearing this, Lucas smiles on the inside, but he chooses to answer his mother with: "Yes, Ma. We'll go get her a few things from her house after everything else."

Lucas walks back into his bedroom with a smile on his face, Brooke is sitting at the foot of his bed. "What are you smiling about, Boyfriend?"

"I'm under strict orders from my mother, that you are not allowed to go home tonight. You're to be staying with us until she says otherwise."

A large smile appears on her face, "Really?"

"Yeah."

She leaps up and into his arms, she knows what it's like to live with Karen. To actually feel the love of a mother, and she's more than happy to abide by Karen's rules. She's just really happy that Karen has taken her into her home, and her life. She wishes that her mother could be half the mother that Karen is.

"This is so great, Lucas. I can feel safe tonight. I'll be here with you and Karen and Keith. You guys are my family now," Brooke says, leaning up and giving him a peck on the lips.

"You're my world, Brooke."

She smiles, "You're my everything. Come on, lets go see Peyton."

He nods, and takes her hand and they walk out of his side entrance and to Keith's car. Lucas opens the passenger door for Brooke and makes sure she is in the car before he closes the door and gets in the drivers side. He starts the car, and heads in the direction of the hospital.

Somewhere along the way, Brooke grabbed his hand and laced their fingers. She won't admit it, but she's scared to face Peyton. But she knows what she's going to do. Lucas is the only boy she has ever been in love with, and he's the only one who understands her, and he's the only one she wants, for the rest of her life. It may sound crazy; they're only seventeen, but she knows she's in love with him and she knows that she wants him to be the father of her future children. She's not going to let Peyton get in the way. Not again, not ever.

She doesn't even notice when the car stops, she's to lost in thought.

"You ready to do this, Pretty Girl?" Lucas asks softly, squeezing her hand.

She looks over at him and nods her head. "Lets get this over with."

Once they enter the hospital, Lucas takes her hand in his. They walk up to the desk and Lucas asks, "We're looking for Peyton Sawyer, she was a victim of the school shooting today."

The woman nods, looks up Peyton's name and tells them a number and the floor she is on. Lucas thanks the woman and he leads Brooke to the elevators. When the doors open they step inside and push the button for the floor Peyton is on.

"You okay, babe?" Lucas asks, looking down at Brooke who hasn't said more than two words since they got in the car.

She nods, "Yeah. I'm just a little scared. The last time she and I were here was when you were in the car accident, and I caught her holding your hand."

"Brooke…"

"No, Luke. I know that it is in the past, but I lost you that time, and I can't lose you again. I'm starting to feel insecure because of her, and-"

He cuts her off by placing his lips on hers. They kiss until the elevator dings and the doors open. They step off, and he pins her against the wall.

"Listen to me, Brooke. Last time, I was stupid and selfish. But when I realized that you are the one that I want, you were the one I fought for. It's you Brooke. You're my everything. I'm not going to hurt you again. If I have to prove it to you for the rest of our lives, I will. Just, please believe me and trust me when I tell you that you have my heart, and you always will."

She wipes at the tears that have started to fall from her eyes. "I believe you, Luke. I'm sorry, I'm just being silly. I meant what I said, Lucas. I'm not going to let her destroy us this time."

"Neither am I," he says, leaning in and giving her a sweet kiss.

"Lets go, Broody."

They wonder down the hall and find Peyton's room. The door is open and when they walk in they can hear the beeping of the machines hey have monitoring her heart rate and blood pressure. Brooke takes in the sight of her best friend. She's laying motionless in the stiff hospital bed, she's never seen Peyton look so small before. It's too much for her, and she turns and buries her face in Lucas's chest.

Once she calms down, she walks over and sits on Peyton's bedside. She brushes the blonde's hair out of her face, and takes one of her hands. "Peyton, if you can hear me, squeeze my hand, or open your eyes." The grip on Brooke's hand tightens. "Good, now open your eyes, P. I need to talk to you."

She doesn't open her eyes, the pain killers are still swimming through her body. It is another two hours before Peyton wakes up. She turns her head and sees Brooke sitting in a chair at her bed side.

"Hey, B. Davis," Peyton says softly, still groggy from the medicine.

Brooke looks up from her magazine and smiles slightly at Peyton. "Welcome back, P. Sawyer."

"Thanks. What happened? I don't remember much." Lie. She remembers telling Lucas that she loves him and then she kissed him. She wants him to feel the same, she needs him to feel the same.

She better just get this over with.

"You mean besides you kissing my boyfriend?" Brooke asks, watching Peyton's reaction. "Yeah, Lucas told me. He was honest with me. You're not going to take him from me, Peyton. Not again."

"Brooke, I-"

"NO! No 'Brooke, I'm sorry' or 'Brooke, it was a mistake' or 'Brooke, I won't do it again.' I gave you a second chance, Peyton. And you blew it."

At that moment, Lucas walks in. He sees his girlfriend and the girl he thought he loved, until he met Brooke, staring each other down. Brooke turns and smiles at Lucas, she walks over to him and puts her arm around his waste.

"We're stronger after today, Peyton. I hope one day, you can find someone who makes you as happy and loved as Lucas makes me. I already know you have found that person, you just have to go get him. Until you do get him, and realize what I already know about you two, stay away from me. I can't trust you right now, and it kills me to say that, because you are my best friend. But I've given you every chance in the world, and you keep blowing it. I love you, Peyt, but I can't be near you right now."

Peyton looks down only to look back up to find Brooke has left. Now it's just her and Lucas.

"Lucas-"

He shakes his head. "No, she's right. Peyton, Brooke is the best part of my world. I am so in love with her that it kills me when we're apart. I went in and saved you because she was worried about you. She was crying because she lost you. Why can't you be as good of a friend to her as she is to you? I'm with Brooke, Peyton. You're not going to change that. So, go find Jake. That boy is in love with you, and I know you love him too. I'm glad you're okay, Peyton. But stay away from me and from Brooke, until you know how to be a friend."

It was in that moment when Lucas walked out to join Brooke, that Peyton realized she needed the one boy who always made her feel whole. She is going to get better and then she's going to go bring Jake and Jenny home.