Ok, so you guys rock! I'm glad that you all actually like the story. I've got a lot of ideas for it, so I hope you enjoy. R&R!

Chapter Three

Peyton scoffed as she watched Nathan inhale his 'smothered and covered' Waffle House hash browns. How could she have possibly dated him for so long. He so wasn't her type. He definitely wasn't like Lucas or Jake in any means possible.

"Real classy Miss America." She joked.

"What? I'm starving! I haven't eaten anything since before practice, and that was like ..." she watched as he counted on his fingers "... like twelve hours ago. That's like half a day Peyton."

Peyton rolled her eyes and just laughed. She focused her attention to Mouth, who was poking his fork at his ham and cheese omelet.

"Can you guys really believe this is even happening. " he said quietly. That was the most she had heard out of him since, "Yeah, I guess I could eat."

"Maybe it's for the best anyways." She said.

"How can this be for the best?" He had definitely lived up with that comment. Peyton hardly saw Mouth upset.

"Mouth, we'll all get to move on from this, finally. I, of all people, know what it's like to lose someone. It doesn't help that we're all hanging on to her."

"But we haven't lost her Peyton!"

"Ok, we all have to accept that in five, well four and a half days, Brooke will be dead. And we'll all get to move on. Especially Luke."

Hearing the word 'dead' really set Nathan off. It wasn't even put into more gentle words, like passing on, just dead. Cold and brutal. He could tell Mouth was really getting upset about this.

"And what do you think Peyton? That he will magically move on to you?" Nathan snapped.

"I never said that Nathan, so don't you ever put words in my mouth. He needs to move on ... with anybody. I have told you all so many times. I never meant for this to happen to Brooke, and I'm not being a bitch to get Lucas back. I don't know what I want. I love Lucas, but I love Jake. And as much as I want to call Jake and tell him that it's him I want, he has a point and I need to put a silence to that 'what if' inside my head. Maybe Lucas needs to do the same."

"Except there is no 'what if' in Lucas' mind. We all know what he wants." Mouth said slowly.

"Have you even talked to Jake in the last two years Peyton?" Nathan asked.

"No. He told me to figure everything out inside my head. He wouldn't allow himself to be second best. He said I didn't deserve that. Neither did he. He said if I realized that it hurt too bad when he was away, and that I had no feelings for Luke at all, he'd be waiting for me, and that we could talk then." She said sadly. She really did miss Jake, a lot.

"God, this has to be killing Lucas. I remember how badly he took Keith's death. I have a feeling this is going to be ten times worse." Mouth stated

"Try one hundred times worse, man." Nathan replied.

"I just wonder where he ran off to last night."

"I really hope Haley found him. I really hate the thought of her running around New York City trying to find him in the middle of the night."

"Well why didn't you go with her Prince Charming?" Peyton teased. 'Geez, Nathan can be way overprotective." she thought.

"Because I didn't Peyt. She said she needed to speak to Lucas, and out of all of us, she's definitely the person he needs right now. They've been through a lot together. I know she needed to be with him, alone. I respect that."

"Ok, Nathan. Whatever. Let's just finish up and I'll take you both home. It's almost 1 am, and I'm extremely tired."

- - - - -

Lucas didn't know what to do. He didn't know where to go. He knew he couldn't go home and sit there with only his thoughts. He found himself walking around the city like a lost puppy. He eventually went back to the basketball court he had been to earlier, and found a ball next to a nearby dumpster. This would defintiely calm him down. After several hours of shooting, or just standing there holding the ball, he looked at his phone to see what time it really was. He realized he had turned it off to avoid the phone calls. From his friends, and her parents. He didn't want to talk to any of them right now. He turned it on and realize it was five thirty in the morning. 'Wow, I don't even feel tired at all.'

Messages started popping in like crazy on his phone. He ignored them all. There was only one person he needed to speak to right now. He turned around, and headed back to the hospital.

- - - - -

Peyton had already dropped Mouth off, and was almost to Chateau de Naley. The tension from before had eased a bit, but all of them had ridden in silence since they left the restaurant.

"I don't want her to die Nate. I hope you don't believe that."

"I don't Peyt. I know you're better than that. I just think you're being a little selfish right now."

"We've all had our selfish points Nathan."

"Well right now is not the time to hit that point. Even if they pull the plug, he's not going to be ready to date for a long time. I hope you realize that."

"If? That's what I'm trying to say Nathan. You all are still believing there's a miracle in the works. But we both know there's not. I just want to be there for him right now Nate, to let me in, to share some of this burden."

"If he keeps thinking you're trying to get into his pants everytime you're around, he'll never let you in to help. You know that right?"

"Yeah, I know Nate. It's just sometimes I look at him, and I feel butterflies. Then other times there's nothing. Nada."

"Maybe the half of your heart that's holding on needs to accept what the other half already has. He's not the one for you Peyton. Let him go."

"It's not that easy Nate."

"Have Jake come visit us Peyton. I'm sure it'll be easier than you think."

By this point they had arrived at the apartment. Nathan gave her a half hug, and stepped out of the car. He smiled and said goodbye. And walked up to his apartment. He prayed that Haley had already found Lucas, and that they were both there, or at least she was.

He unlocked the front door and walked into a completley pitch black apartment.

'Guess she hasn't found him yet.'

He flipped on the kitched lights, grabbed a water, and sat at the counter. Haley had been here. There was a note on the counter.

Nathan,

I'm still trying to find him. I stopped by to grab a sweatshirt. I'm ok, and I'm going to go wait at the hospital for Lucas to arrive. I know at some point he'll be back to see her. He never goes too long without stopping by. If I don't come home tonight there's left over pizza in the fridge. Don't drink any alcohol tonight, you have practice early in the morning. I love you Nathan.

Always and forever,

Haley

Nathan smiled at her note. She definitely was a 'mother hen'. But every bit of him loved her for it.

- - - - -

Lucas was already forming a plan to convince her parents not to go through with it. He had already thought that he would arrange some sort of vigil. He knew that between him, Haley, Peyton, Mouth and Super Star Nathan, they could find enough people to stand outside for Brooke's cause. He also knew how happy it would make Brooke to hear about dozens to hundreds of people standing out all night with candles and flyers, all for her.

He walked down teh hall towards Brooke's room.

'Yeah,' he thought. 'That actually might show them how much she means to so many people.'

As he approached Brooke's room, he heard a soft voice, and stopped to listen. Maybe it was her witch of a mother apologizing for once again abandoning her. But as he got closer he realized he was wrong.

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise"

Lucas smiled at Haley singing to Brooke. Haley really did have a beautiful voice.

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment...
OH! GOD... uh Luke! Hi, I, uh.."

Her face turned incredibly red when she noticed him. He smiled at how she still got nervous in front of all of them. She had toured the country, played in front of hundreds of people. Heck, she played with The Wreckers, Gavin Degraw, and, well, Chris Keller.

"Hey Hales. I didn't mean to catch you offguard."

"No, it's ok. I was just singing to her. I always try to sing to her. I remember hearing people talk about playing music to children to help with brain activity and stuff like that. I figured maybe it would help her -"

Lucas interrupter her by taking her into his arms.

"Thank you." She could hear that he was already choking up."Thank you so much Haley." He started to sob and shake uncontrollably.

Haley knew that this was something that needed to happen. He needed to get everythign that was bottled up in his head out. So she held on to him as long as he needed her to. They stood there for almost ten minutes, until Lucas had calmed down again.

When he finally pulled away, Haley say goodbye to him, and quietly to Brooke. She wanted to allow Lucas his time alone with Brooke. After she left, Lucas pulled up the chair to the side of her bed. For a long time he sat there silently, holding her hand. Finally, he spoke up.

"Pretty girl, I need you to wake up now. You hear that? I need you, Brooke. I need you to be that fighter that all of us know you are. Stop being so stubborn, babe. Please wake up. For me, Brooke, please. I need you." he pleaded. "Just show me something. Move your pinky finger, or even your toe! Breath in really heavily, Brooke. Just let me know you're listening."

Brooke laid there as peaceful and quiet as ever, not moving or making a sound.

Lucas sighed. He still wasn't going to lose her.

- - - - -

Nathan and Haley sat on their couch in their apartment. Cuddled up closely beside him, Haley rested her head on his shoulder as they watched Full House reruns.

"I used to have the biggest crush on Uncle Jesse." she giggled.

"What? His hair is so weird. Especially in the first few seasons." He laughed.

"You are so jealous and you know it!" Haley joked. "Hey Nathan?"

"What's up, Babe?

Haley had had this thought for a long time now, but given what had happened in the past few days, she really felt it needed to be said.

"If anything ever happens-"

"Haley-"

"No Nathan, we really need to talk about this. If anything should happen to me, I would want my husband to know what I truly want." she kissed him softly. "Nathan as long as you have hope for me, and that I can make it and pull through, wait for me. If you have an undeniable feeling in you heart that even though my body may be lifeless, my soul is still in there, keep me there. But I don't want you to hold on if I'm not even really alive, Nathan. But otherwise, I want you to fight for me."

"Ok, Hales. You know, I feel the same way about it too." He hugged her even tighter, and they sat in silence holding each other for a few minutes.

"Hey Haley?"

"Yeah?"

"Brooke's going to be ok."

"I know Nathan, I feel it too."