Author's Note: Alright, so the good news is that OTH is back! Finally! I'm not going to comment on anything in particular here in case some of you weren't able to watch or are staying away from spoilers, but what did you guys think of the premier? Love it? Hate it?

As always, I do appreciate every single review. So thank you to those who took the time to do so. It means a lot. Keep 'em coming! –findy0urself

#4.

"Mr. Lee passed away a few minutes ago. We did everything we could. I'm sorry." Dr. Bentze spoke in monotone. His entire "speech" seemed rehearsed and emotionally detached. He had obviously given it many times before.

"Have you talked to Deb Scott?" Lucas asked, silently praying that they weren't the first ones to know about this. Selfishly, he didn't want to carry this revelation around with him. "Cooper is…was…her brother." Lucas fumbled with his words, shocked by the news.

"Yes, she has been notified of his passing." The doctor answered hastily.

"What about Rachel? Is she okay?" Brooke started to panic. As much as she hated to admit it, she had become friends with Rachel and in some bizarre way, worried about her well-being.

"Mrs. Gattina is resting comfortably. She should be just fine" He paused, looking down at his chart. "If you'd like to go see her, she's in room 221." He stated, and then walked away, leaving them alone to mentally deal with the news.

"Thank God." Brooke breathed a sign of relief.

"Wow, your hormones must really be out of whack. Thanking your lucky stars that your sworn enemy is alive? I feel like I'm in the twilight zone." Lucas scratched his head, wondering where his girlfriend had gone.

"You really do get some kind of sick pleasure from making fun of me, don't you?" Brooke laughed.

"You have no idea." Was all he said.

"Hey, speak of the devil; I think I'm going to go see her real quick. You know, just see how she's feeling. With Cooper and all, I figure she could use someone to talk to. Do you mind?" Brooke asked.

She was genuinely concerned about Rachel. Unknowingly, she had just lost someone she cared deeply about, and as much as Brooke didn't want to be the barer of bad news, she somehow felt obligated to. If she didn't, who would? Dr. Bentze? He was too cold, too harsh. When it came to matters of the heart, Brooke knew a lot more than some stuffy doctor.

"No, that's fine." Lucas lied. He really wanted her to stay with him. He wanted to talk. About them. About the possibility of a baby. About anything and everything. He just wanted to be around her, but he let her go. He let her walk away. Again. "I should go see how Nate is feeling anyway." Lucas added quickly.

"Okay. I'll meet you back here in a few." Brooke turned her back and headed towards the ICU.

Lucas could feel her slowly slipping away. "Hey, Brooke!" Lucas yelled after her, unable to shake the feeling that he should keep her with him; keep her safe.

"Yeah?" She questioned, turning around to face him.

"We really do need to finish that conversation." Lucas didn't want her to think he was putting their relationship on the back burner. Quite the opposite actually, it was the only thing he was thinking about. He had to make sure she knew how strongly she felt about this. About them.

"Don't worry, Luke, you're not getting off the hook that easily." And with that, she was gone.

"I wouldn't think of it." Lucas whispered to himself as he watched her walk away.


Reaching room 221, Brooke took a deep breath and suddenly wondered why she felt the need to be buddy-buddy with Rachel. Why am I here? This girl made my life hell for many, many weeks. She tried to steal my position in the squad, my friends, and my boyfriend! I must be loosing my edge. Brooke shook her head, and turned to leave. Unfortunately, before she got the chance to walk away, a nurse burst through the door, nearly crashing into Brooke.

"Oh my God, I'm sorry!" Brooke said flustered as she attempted to help pick up a few odds and ends that had fallen to the floor.

"Just don't let it happen again," the nurse snapped and walked away.

"It's true what they say. It's hard to find good help these days." Brooke didn't attempt to lower her voice. She spoke loudly, hoping that she was heard.

Here goes nothing, Brooke thought as she proceeded through the door and into the airless hospital room. Quietly walking to her bedside, Brooke scrutinized Rachel's appearance. Her eyes were closed and she appeared to be sleeping. Considering that she was in an accident, she looked pretty damn good. Not as good as her, of course, but good just the same.

"Didn't expect to see you here." A raspy voice startled Brooke.

"You're not the only one. Just call this a moment of pure insanity." Brooke answered, sitting down on the edge of her bed.

"The psych ward is down the hall and to the right." Rachel stated, keeping a straight face. She loved to push Brooke's buttons.

"And you would know, wouldn't you?" Brooke sneered.

As soon as they started in with their normal back-and-forth banter, Brooke was fully aware of the fact that Rachel had no idea that Cooper had died. Honestly, she didn't think she was the right person to be breaking this kind of news to her. They were hardly what you'd call best friends, but then again, it didn't really matter. She just needed to know the truth. Even she deserved that much. It happened, and no matter who broke the news to her, she was going to be devastated. Nothing was going to bring Cooper back. Nothing.

"How are you?" She asked sincerely.

"I could be better. I've got one hell of a hangover. But you've got to admit, I make this hospital gown sexy." Rachel laughed, glancing down at the drab piece of material that covered her body.

"What kind of meds are they giving you? You're obviously delusional. That thing is uglier than sin. Even I couldn't make that gown look hot." Brooke teased.

"Understatement of the century." Rachel attempted to provoke Brooke even further. It didn't work. Not this time.

Pausing for a moment to collect her thoughts, Brooke attempted to figure out just how she was going to tell Rachel that Cooper had died. She quickly came to the conclusion that there was no easy way around it. The quicker, the better. She thought. Why prolong the inevitable?

"What is it? No quick come back?" At that moment, Rachel knew something was wrong. This is what they did. They argued. They insulted each other. It was an unspoken game between the two, and neither of them ever gave up without a fight. When Brooke suddenly turned serious on her, she knew the news couldn't be good.

"Look, there's something I have to tell you." Brooke cleared her throat. She was suddenly at a loss for words. Luckily, she didn't have to find the words. Her facial expressions said it all.

"What is it? Brooke, tell me!" Rachel paused, searching Brooke's face for answers that she already possessed. "Is Cooper okay? Tell me that he's okay. He has to be okay…"

"I'm so sorry. The doctor said they did everything they could." Brooke squeezed Rachel's hand awkwardly. For the thousandth time, Brooke wondered why she volunteered to do this. "He died a few minutes ago."

At first, Rachel appeared somewhat unaffected by the news and seemed frighteningly detached, but Brooke could see that her eyes were swelling up with tears. She wasn't fooling anyone. The emotional barrier that she put up was rapidly crumbling.

"Cooper's dead, and it's all my fault! I'll never forgive myself…" Rachel rambled incoherently, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Shh…it's okay…it's not your fault. None of this is your fault. It just happened. There wasn't anything you could've done." Brooke attempted to comfort Rachel.

"No! You don't understand." Rachel shot back.

"What are you talking about?" Brooke questioned.

"I did this! We were arguing and everything got out of hand. I told him I loved him, but he kept rejecting me. I couldn't stand being in that limo with him anymore! I couldn't take it." Rachel looked Brooke in the eyes as she continued, "I tried to get him to pull over and let me out, but he wouldn't. In heat of the moment, I pulled on the wheel. I caused us to crash. It was my fault." Rachel spoke so quickly that her sentences ran together. Brooke barely had time to register what was being said. "I never wanted to hurt him. I only wanted him to give us a chance. I needed a chance." Rachel finished with a heavy sigh. "I told him that I was pregnant," she added, "and he still didn't want me."

"Are you?" Why does it seem like birth control isn't as effective in Tree Hill? Brooke thought to herself. The irony in all of this was almost laughable. Almost.

"No! I only said that so he'd listen to me. You've got to understand the circumstances, Brooke! He wouldn't listen to a word I had to say! I was desperate. I never meant to hurt him…" Rachel's voice trailed off.

Brooke didn't need, or want, to know anything more about the accident. That's exactly what it was. An accident. A mistake. Something that couldn't be changed or taken back. She knew all that she needed to know.

"It's amazing, you know? The things we'll do for love." Brooke stated plainly.

Rachel simply nodded.

Two broken hearts. Two souls attempting to mend. Two people questioning fate and its uncanny ability to throw one curve ball after another. Two people simply trying to figure out life. For once, the two rivals were on the same page, and it felt like a new chapter was about to begin.


"Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to grace us with her presence!" Lucas laughed as he saw Brooke approaching.

"Ha ha. Very funny. You're just full of comic relief today, aren't you?" Brooke had never seen him like this. It was a completely different side to him. Honestly, she wasn't sure what to think.

"Would you prefer I did that broody thing you love so much?" He grinned.

"YES!" Brooke almost screamed. "Come back to me, oh broody one." Begging and pleading, she fell to her knees and pretended to pray at his feet.

"Okay, okay." Lucas laughed. "But only if you do me a favor first," he continued.

"Oh yeah? And what is that." Brooke asked curiously, slinking her body up next to his.

"I think you know…" Lucas hinted, hoping his subtle clues would get her talking about their relationship. It didn't work.

"Luke! I'm all about kinky sex, but a hosp---" Her NC17-rated thought was interrupted by a sudden case of extreme dizziness. Her body swayed a bit. Attempting to reach for something, anything, to steady her, she almost fell. Luckily, Lucas caught her just in time.

"Brooke? Are you okay?" Lucas asked worriedly once he had gotten her safely to a nearby bench.

"Yeah…yeah…I'm, I'm just fine." Brooke rubbed her eyes, trying to erase the fog that clouded her vision. From the hesitant sound of her voice, it almost seemed like she was trying to convince herself that everything was okay. She knew she wasn't. She was far from okay.

"You're really pale all of the sudden," Lucas noted. "Maybe we should get a doctor to take a look at you. Just to be sure."

"No, no. I'm okay. Really. I promise!" Brooke didn't want to see a doctor. She didn't need a diagnosis. She already knew what was wrong with her. She was 17 and pregnant. That's what was wrong. "I just need some food. I haven't eaten much of anything lately." It was technically not a lie. She was hungry, but Brooke could tell by the look on Lucas' face that he wasn't buying it. He wanted to know what was really going on with her.

"Okay. C'mon. Let's go get you some food." Lucas gave in.

Extending his hand, Lucas pulled Brooke to a standing position. Steadying her with his hands, Lucas took a closer look at her. She looked completely exhausted. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked again.

"Luke, for the sixteenth time. I just need some food. I'm starving." Brooke stated plainly. That was all she needed, right? Don't worry, baby. I'm going to get you some food, she thought, silently cursing herself for not telling Lucas the truth. But it just didn't feel right yet.

"Okay, let's go. But just take it slow." Lucas answered as he put an arm around her, attempting to keep her safe. He still couldn't shake the feeling that there was something, or someone, she wasn't telling him about. Why won't she be honest with me? What is she so afraid of? Lucas asked himself.

As they headed to the cafeteria, he attempted to push any negative thoughts that surrounded their relationship from his head. At this point, he just wanted to make sure that she was okay. There were plenty of time for question and answer sessions later. For now, all he cared about was her wellbeing.


"Do you think you could be any louder if you tried?" Lucas mocked as Brooke slurped loudly on her straw, attempting to get every last drop of the liquid into her greedy mouth.

"What? I love milkshakes! You can bite me!" Brooke laughed, and continued to swallow gulp after gulp of strawberry heaven. Something as simple as a milkshake had never tasted so good in all her life.

"You didn't enjoy that meal much, did you?" Lucas asked sarcastically. He knew Brooke loved to eat, but she had never consumed so much food so quickly.

"What? I didn't eat that much." Brooke stated, defending herself. "What are you saying, anyway? That I'm getting fat?" She pretended to act hurt, looking down at her stomach. Am I getting fat? Brooke questioned herself, suddenly feeling self-conscious. Thanks a lot baby Scott. Or Davis. Whatever.

"Far from it. I'm just impressed, that's all. The guys will be surprised that my 110 pound girlfriend was able to take on an entire burger, fries, and strawberry milkshake within a matter of minutes."

"106, thank you very much." Brooke scoffed, as she got up from the table to throw her trash away.

"Not after that meal!" He yelled after her. She heard him. Her only response was sticking out her tongue playfully.

Lucas could only laugh as he watched her walk away. A small, quiet grin settled permanently on his face as he got lost in her beauty. The way she carried herself. The way her long, shiny hair swung from side to side when she walked. The smile that took his breath away. All of it. All of her. He wanted it all.

"Whoa, earth to Lucas!" A familiar voice pulled him unwillingly from his trace.

"Peyton. Hi. What are you doing here?" Lucas questioned. He was happy to see her, but couldn't get rid of the feeling in the pit of his stomach. The feeling that this, their whole friendship, was somehow wrong. He hated the fact that he was betraying Brooke by even speaking to Peyton. He hated feeling like he had to choose. There was no choice to be made. He loved Brooke, but no matter what he did, it was wrong.

"I came as soon as I heard. How is everyone?" Peyton asked genuinely.

"Everyone is just fine." Brooke answered harshly. "Now would you mind stepping away from my boyfriend." She asked, but Peyton knew it wasn't a question. It was a statement. She was being told to stay away.

"Brooke, calm down." Lucas answered instinctively. Once the words came out of his mouth, he knew he had said the wrong thing. You just blew it. Way to go, jackass. Lucas thought.

"Luke. Don't. Don't you DARE defend her right now." Brooke was getting more and more angry by the second. She could hardly see straight. She was beyond upset. All she could feel was her heart beating heavily in her chest, and an overwhelming desire to get the hell out of there.

"Brooke…I---" Lucas attempted to apologize. He didn't mean to defend Peyton. He didn't mean to hurt Brooke. Yet somehow, no matter how hard he tried to make things better, he failed miserably. Over and over again.

"Just shut up. I don't even want to hear it. I don't want to hear any more meaningless excuses." Brooke spat fiercely, as she headed for the door. She could think of hundreds of places she'd rather be than here. Anywhere but here, she thought as she ran from the two people in the world that used to mean the world to her. But now? They were the two people that always seemed to cause her the most pain, and no matter how she tried, she couldn't forgive and forget. She just couldn't keep doing this.

"Brooke, wait!" Peyton shouted after her former best friend as she ran after her with Lucas trailing close behind. "C'mon! Brooke! Would you just wait a minute?" Peyton continued to yell. She thought that she'd never catch up to her, until she realized Brooke had abruptly slowed down to almost a walking pace.

Brooke suddenly stopped, over come by dizziness and extreme exhaustion. Stopping dead in her tracks, she bent over and began gasping for air. "Luke…" Brooke whispered as everything around her became dark and fuzzy. She suddenly felt like she was in a tunnel, and it was slowly closing in on her. Until finally, everything went black.