Here is Chapter 4. I hope y'all enjoy it!

A/N: I own nothing but Silas.


Chapter 4: By Your Side


'Cause I'll be by your side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Brooke felt content as she sat at the breakfast bar rereading the syllabi from her classes while her mom cooked dinner around her. There was something so safe about her mom that wrapped around Brooke like a warm blanket—whenever she had the longest day, full of sadness and stress, the smell of her mom's perfume instantly relaxed her muscles like getting into a warm bath.

There was no better medicine in her opinion. Except possibly a hug from her dad. Her dad gives the best hugs. His arms wrap around her and he tightens his hold once they are clasped behind her back. His growing belly from getting older much more comforting then the hard skin and abs from his younger policeman days—the smell of coffee and burnt wood wafting around her. He always smelled like he just came in from his workshop where he was crafting some new piece of furniture.

Her parents were her two favorite people in the world, Silas following close behind. They made her feel at home even when the world seemed to be crumbling around her. When at times she felt like giving up, the thought of her mom or her dad gave her enough strength to get through the day.

It is why she dreaded the conversation of telling them she was pregnant. She had learned three weeks ago about the baby. What she thought was just exhaustion from stress and sadness from Lucas turned out to be something much more permanent.

Silas was the first person she told. She flung herself on his bed as she began to cry—terrified of the thought of telling their parents. Silas gave her a lecture of safe sex before realizing it was too late then to try to tell her the importance of contraceptives. So then he held her, allowing her to cry for a good thirty minutes before leading her downstairs to tell their parents.

Though her mother would never do anything of the sort, there was a split second that Brooke was afraid she would be thrown out. Technically, Victoria was just her step mother even if she had been around since Brooke was four and Brooke didn't know any other mom than her. There was still an innate fear that Victoria would just decide – not my daughter, not my problem. She didn't of course. She yelled, told her she should have been more careful and then to discuss her options.

Telling her father was the hardest. His silent treatment lasted three days before he told her it would be okay, that she needed to make a decision and stick with it. He told her that though they would never kick her out, Brooke couldn't expect them to raise the baby.

It was everything Brooke expected them to say, but it didn't make it any easier. It was reassuring to know that her parents believed in her even when she had let them down in such a huge way. Brooke lived to make her parents proud, and when she didn't—it churned her insides.

"What time is your appointment tomorrow?" Her mom asked pulling her out of her spinning thoughts.

She pulled out her sketchbook deciding to get a head start in her fashion class (her first sketch wasn't due until the following week) as she responded.

"4:30. I didn't want to miss class and Lassie doesn't have practice tomorrow with it being Friday."

It was a weird thing in her town—starting school on a Thursday. She never really understood it. Maybe since the first two days is not really class anyway. It is usually filled with going over the syllabus and having an introduction into the class.

She was thankful for it this year. It made making an appointment so much easier.

"I am sorry I can't be there." Victoria sighed.

She had her own appointment with a patient at 4:15.

"It is okay. You'll be in the hospital." Brooke grinned.

"So, how did it go?" Victoria had been baiting her time—waiting for the right time to bring up Lucas.

"It went. I told him if he showed up to the appointment, then great. If not, that's okay. I am not going to force him into this. It wouldn't be fair to the baby."

Brooke didn't remember her real mother, she had left only a year after Silas was born, but there were still times when Brooke felt unwanted. It is hard to think anything but. Even when Victoria was her mom in every sense of the word—when Brooke was at her lowest, a prickling and sobering voice always reminded her she wasn't good enough for her real mother.

She never wanted her child to feel not good enough because their father left when it got too hard or he had something better to do. She would just rather raise this child as a Davis and if Lucas doesn't want to be a part of it, then the baby will never know he or she is half Scott.

"You don't give Lucas Scott enough credit."

"I think I give him too much," Brooke sighed, her lip trembled as he pencil did feather like strokes across the sketch paper.

Brooke and Lucas bonded over having a step parent who stepped up when they didn't have to. She tutored him in math while he occasionally would look over her English papers. They both believed to have nothing in common, but were pleasantly surprised to see they had a fondness for black and white films and cooking. They had a similar taste in music. The main thing they differed on was what they did to relax from a long week.

Where Brooke danced away her problems at a local dance studio where she also taught ballet to young girls, Lucas smoked a few joints, a few snorts, and whatever else he could get his hands on.

Was he addict? Far from it, he used it to take the edge off. He didn't need it, she was sure if tomorrow he wanted to no longer to use the white powder, he would never use it again. It wasn't uncommon for the popular students to dabble in the party drug and many others.

Brooke didn't even understand half the words and she definitely didn't understand the point of using them. They had multiple arguments of him leaving to go to a party and her asking him not to.

She would never change him in the sense of what he wore or his hobbies or his personality. The only thing she asked of him was don't do it.

He didn't understand the big deal.

She didn't understand why he kept doing it.

So she left him.

"Lucas is not your sister."

"My sister wasn't my sister." Brooke whispered, Victoria knowing exactly what she meant.

Alex wasn't an addict, she didn't crave drugs. She just liked to party. She was a bartender at Tric and she just got into partying and harder than she ever should have. One night of fun turned into an eternity of sleep.

One night. One night killed her step sister.

And she did it for fun too.

"Why didn't you just tell him about Alex?" Victoria asked leaning her elbow on the counter, her hands clasped.

"I wanted him to stop for me. Not out of pity because of Alex." Brooke didn't look up from her sketch book.

"He is going to be around for a long time. Maybe it might just be time for him to know." Victoria patted Brooke's hand.

"If he shows up."

"He will." A male voice entered her ears and she was rather shocked by the comment.

"I thought you assumed the worst of Lucas at all times. You almost got into a fight today." Victoria raised an eyebrow her son already having a conversation with him on his anger.

Silas plopped down next to Brooke. His long hair wet from his post practice shower. Drops splattered lightly onto Brooke's paper from his impact on the seat, making her send him a glare.

"Look, am I pissed at the dude? Yes, I don't know why y'all broke up, but I am going on a limb saying it is his fault. But he and I were friends once. I do know him and what I know is his kid is never going to feel like Luke did."

"And the fight today?" Brooke asked.

"He just needed to remember what it felt like and to know if he does do it wrong then to leave you alone."

Brooke sighed. "You need to leave him alone."

"And I will—now."

Brooke smiled at his as he nudged his shoulder into her own and just like how it always happened, her problems began to melt away the more her family talking around her and by the time her dad came home that evening—her anxiety had ebbed and her skin no longer tingled with nerves.


"How could you not be more careful?" Keith was pacing in front of him, anger evident from his furrowed eyebrows and blanched face.

I don't know was a terrible response, but it was the only one he had. Sometimes you forget—it only takes one time to forget about the condom in the drawer. But how do you tell your uncle turned stepdad that? The argument would be monumental.

So he stayed silent. He took the disappointed words and looks his faux dad gave because he earned them. He did something stupid—more stupid than anything he has ever done.

And after the long winded spill on contraceptives and repeating history, Keith dropped into the seat across from Lucas and sighed.

"Is she keeping the baby?"

Baby. He hadn't heard the word baby yet. He only had heard Brooke was pregnant. Of course, he knew what that entailed but to hear Keith say baby broke through his prideful and selfish stupor and he felt like the wind had thoroughly flown into his gapping mouth, pushing through all of his veins until a cold chill had settled over him.

"Uh—yeah. Yeah, I think so." He sputtered. "She didn't tell me much, but from her words of not wanting anything from me—well I took that as she was keeping it."

"And do you want to be part of it?" Keith asked.

An hour ago, Lucas probably would have said no. She gave him an out—he wanted to take it. He was eighteen, he didn't want a baby. He was scared and definitely not as strong as Brooke to do this.

But this was his baby. Could he really just be so selfish to drop his own child? He would truly be his father then. Something he had worked so hard to stay away from. God was cruelly giving him his test and now he just needed to pass.

It had such an easy answer. Say yes, you dumbass. Of course you want to be part of it. This is your child. Half you and half the girl you swear you loved—oh who are we kidding—you still love her. Just show up to that appointment and prove to her, prove to her you want this baby.

It is such an easy answer, so why could he not say yes?


The next day, Lucas avoided her. When he saw her in class, they found reasons to be put in opposite groups. He acted like she didn't exist because he couldn't look at her and talk to her when he still wasn't even sure what his decision was.

He was absolutely terrified to show up to the appointment that afternoon. What if he screwed up? What if he ruined his kid by being a father? Brooke could do a lot better without him.

So at four o' clock, when he sat by himself at the River court, he still didn't know what he was going to do.

And just like she always had done in times of trouble, his mom walked up. She climbed onto the bench next to him and Lucas gave a sad look.

"Dad tell you?" He had taken to calling Keith dad only after Keith had officially adopted him five years ago. Before that, he was always nervous Keith didn't want that pressure. Of course, he welcomed it with open arms.

"He did."

"How disappointed are you?"

"I would be quite the hypocrite if I was disappointed in you. In the situation? Of course. I wish this wasn't happening to you and Brooke because I know how hard it is. But in you? No, I understand how these things happen. What does being disappointed change? I must say, I thought being a teen pregnancy yourself would cause you to be more careful." Karen sighed.

"I don't know what to do, Ma. I couldn't even be a boyfriend to her. How am I supposed to be a parent to our child?"

Karen smiled. "It is more than you and Brooke now. She understands that and now you should too. Just because you two failed at a relationship does not mean you will fail as parents. It is hard. I will not lie and say it isn't, but you two are both determined and Brooke never does anything halfway. Surely you know that by now."

"I don't want to be a bad parent."

"Age doesn't decide if you are a good father and I am going to let you in on a secret—" she leaned close before continuing. "It takes more effort to be a bad parent than to be a good one. I promise you that."

Lucas thought of Keith—a man who had no reason to raise Nathan and Lucas as his own, but did it with such ease, you would think they were his. He thought the same of Victoria. Or how his own mom had taken Nathan in when Deb's addiction was more important than her own child.

They did it with such grace to children that weren't even theirs. He could be a good parent. He just needed to grow up.

"I'm terrified."

"Good. You should be. It shows you care, my boy." She wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

He needed to be at that appointment. He wanted to be at that appointment. When he pushed the fear away, the answer came to him with no obstacles.

"I need to go."


Brooke sat beside Silas telling herself not to pick at her skin. Her eczema was a constant struggle in her life—causing her to be body conscious and afraid if people making fun. It wouldn't be the first time someone muttered obscene thoughts under their breath when they walked by.

It is why if she did feel brave enough to wear a short sleeve shirt or dress, she usually kept her arms crossed tight over chest, hands cupped around the crook of her elbow where the red blotches were the worst.

"Don't scratch." Silas mumbled not even looking up from his phone.

Brooke grumbled as she pulled her hand away from the dry patch and focused on the clock. Her appointment was supposed to be five minutes ago and Lucas was nowhere to be seen. Even though she told him it was okay, she felt her hands began to shake and the heart beat rapidly.

He wasn't coming. She shouldn't be surprised. He avoided her like the plague today.

When they called her name to come back, Brooke almost begged the nurse to wait just a few more minutes to see if he showed up, but that would lead to feeling even more pathetic and a pissed off nurse.

So she sighed, told Silas wish her luck and stepped into the back.

Brooke settled onto the bed feeling like she was on showcase for the whole office even though she sat in the room by herself. She was holding back tears every time she heard footsteps that didn't stop at her door.

A rather large part of her wanted him here.

Scratch that, every fiber in her being wanted him here and each minute that passed and he wasn't, broke her a little more.

She shouldn't expect anything of him. She knew that.

A knock on the door made her hopes soar, but the doctor walked in, and Brooke let out a longing sigh.

"Miss. Davis. How are you today?" The older man grinned at her as he looked through her file. She gave a light shrug, thankful her mom's doctor was willing to take a new patient. She didn't want to be looked at by a total stranger.

"Nervous."

"You can ask your mom. I have been doing this a very long time. Nothing to be nervous about."

One thing she had loved about Dr. Milford was the fact he treated her like any other patient. Not a teenage girl who got knocked up, but an expecting mother. He treated her with respect and never once did he judge her for ill-advised decisions.

Brooke nodded even as she felt a thumping in her heart and the feeling of blood rushing around in her veins with no abandon.

Don't cry.

And before he could even set up to listen to the heartbeat, there was a knock on the door.

Brooke told herself it was just a nurse.

"Come in." Dr. Milford didn't look up from his notes as he spoke the command.

"Sorry I am late."

Brooke was pretty sure she forgot how to breathe when he stepped through. She had never been happier to see him in her whole life. He showed up. Silas was right. He showed up. Maybe not because he was willing to change things for themselves, but for at least their child.

She wasn't doing this alone.

Don't cry.

"You're right on time." Dr. Milford grinned at Lucas who had taken his spot beside Brooke's head.

They didn't speak, she just gave a light smile. Brooke lost all feeling in her body, she was too afraid she was dreaming. She didn't want to move.

And then she heard a thumping—and it wasn't hers.

"That's your baby's heartbeat." Brooke's eyes snapped to the screen in utter shock.

If you asked, she had no idea where on the screen the baby was, but she could his or hers heartbeat, and the screen was the most beautiful thing in the world.

She then cried. It wasn't silent, but she couldn't help it. That was her baby. She grabbed Lucas' hand. The first physical contact they had in a month and squeezed.

"That's our baby."

Lucas couldn't breathe and he felt like he might throw up. That was kid. How could he ever question if he should be here?

If he could just keep this beautiful smile on Brooke's face than maybe he could do this. He had never seen her look so overjoyed—she was all but giddy. She wasn't thinking about the fact they were way too young or had no plans.

Like his mom said, age doesn't decide when you are a parent and Brooke's emotions proved that.

Lucas couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. He could do this. Just as long as that look on her face never disappeared.

Why are you striving these days
Why are you trying to earn grace
Why are you crying
Let me lift up your face
Just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love
Why are you still searching
As if I'm not enough
To where will you go child
Tell me where will you run
To where will you run

'Cause I'll be by your side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Look at these hands at my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life
I want to give you life

And I'll be by your side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Here at my side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

'Cause I, I love you
I want you to know
That I, yeah I'll love you
I'll never let you go, no, no

And I'll be by your side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Here at my side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
Here at my side, my hands are holding you
Ohhh...

By: Tenth Avenue North

As you can see, I changed a few aspects of the family tree. Hopefully that doesn't bother anyone.

Review please. I love having feedback!