Hurricane
Six months later…..
Nathan and Haley are sitting inside the garage waiting impatiently for Lucas to arrive.
"Do you really think he's going to show up." Hayley asks wrapping her arms around Nathan's waist.
Nathan pulls Hayley into his chest. "I just hope this time when he comes home he stays."
"You know I talked to Brooke earlier and just spending time with her just made me think about us and how lucky we are. But it also made me feel bad about all that time I spent away from you."
"Hayley it's just as much my fault as it was yours. I should have never made you choose between me and your music."
"I'm never leaving you again." Hayley says placing a kiss to Nathan's lips.
Their moment is interrupted when Lucas enters the garage.
"Hey, it's good to see that I'm not missed." Lucas smiles entering the garage.
"Hey man tell me that you are staying here this time." Nathan said giving Lucas a hug.
"I don't think I'm going to have to leave again any time soon."
Lucas hugs Hayley.
Chris walks into the garage behind Lucas.
"I think it's about time that we put all of this to bed." Chris Keller says wiping his eyes.
"What made you change your mind?" Nathan asked.
"Jimmy, changed my mind. He was ready for more before he died. He wanted me to be a real couple with him."
Hayley hugged Chris. "Well this is your chance to show him how much you cared about him."
Lucas walks over to Nathan. "I need to get home to my girl and my son."
"Then let's make sure Chris tells Mrs. Edwards his story."
Cut to…
It has been six months since Lucas packed his bags and disappeared into the night. Brooke had put her personal feeling aside and decided to take Dan up on his offer to stay in the beach house. Karen had not really spoken to Dan since Lucas's fake funeral. The rain was hitting the roof of the beach house and the sound of the waves were crashing against the rocks. Dan was relaxing in his bed when he heard the sound of the front door swinging open.
Dan jumps up out of bed and goes into the hallway. He makes his way down the stairs carrying a baseball bat. His breath is low and upon reaching the foot of the stairs he sees Karen. She is drenched in rain.
Dan drops the bat. "Karen what the hell are you doing here?"
Karen slams the door shut and steps into the living room. "I came to check on Brooke."
Dan isn't buying it. "You drove all the way out here in the storm to check on Brooke."
Karen strips her long coat. "Why else would I be here?"
Yeah why else would she be here? Dan thought to himself.
Karen walked away from Dan and headed upstairs to Brooke's room.
Cut To Brooke's Bedroom.
Brooke is sitting on her bed folding baby clothes. Karen enters still drenched from the pouring rain outside.
"Hey can I come in?" Karen asks wrapping her arms around Brooke.
"Karen, I'm so glad you're here." Brooke whispers.
"Brooke I'm so sorry Lucas isn't here for you." Karen says grabbing one of the baby outfits. "I don't remember seeing this before."
"I made It actually."
"You made these! These are amazing!" Karen said looking at Brooke.
"He's going to come home Karen." Brooke says taking Karen's hand in hers.
"Brooke, maybe it's time you move on. Lucas is never going to come home as long as you and the baby are in danger."
"I'm never giving up on Lucas. He is coming home. Maybe not today but he will always come home to me and this baby boy. I'm applying to NYU for fashion. I'm going to start a clothing line for babies that is affordable and adorable."
"How is that going to work with the baby?" Karen asks growing concerned.
"Probably the same way that a single mom opened a successful café." Brooke smiled.
Karen gets up from the bed. "Maybe you're right to not give up on Lucas. When you really love somebody, you always believe in them."
"Maybe you should take your advice. Dan still loves you. He always has. And you clearly still love him." Brooke says rising from the bed.
"What if you're wrong?" Karen asks.
"Karen, a storm is coming. No just any storm but a hurricane. The more love we surround ourselves with the better chance we have of surviving this."
"What about Lucas?"
"Lucas loves you. All He wants is for you to be happy."
Karen wipes her eyes and leaves the room.
Brooke's cellphone rings.
"Brooke, it's Hayley. Nathan and I are with Lucas at Keith's old garage." Hayley says in a barely audible tone.
"I'll meet you there." Brooke says grabbing her keys.
"Brooke this storm is starting to get really ugly outside. Just stay at Dan's until we get there."
"He's going back isn't he? He's going to leave tonight and not come back. Were you even going to tell me?"
"Brooke, don't come here. Stay at Dan's." Hayley pleads.
"I'm not letting him leave us again." Brooke says hanging up and grabbing her keys.
Cut to …
Beach House Porch…
Dan sits alone on the deck as the rain pours. The shooting had put his life into focus. He now understood what and who he wanted. The only thing he didn't know was how he was going to get her back. He had made so many mistakes. He hurt her so bad but now all he wanted to do was hold her and finally tell her.
Dan looks down at a prom photograph of himself with Karen. "I should just let it go. Let her be happy. She deserves to be happy." I had my chance now she needs to have hers."
Karen startles Dan as she approaches out of the house. Let go of what Dan? Who deserves to be happy?
She is drenched in water from the rain storm. He can't help but imagine what his life would have been like if he had never left Tree Hill all those years ago.
"Look I have to tell you something. Its really important and I need you to hear me out." Karen said getting drenched in the process.
"Say what you have to say." Dan said coldly.
"IT's about why I chose to break off my relationship with Keith." Karen said looking away from his face afraid of his expression.
"Why does it matter, Karen?" Dan asks trying not to smile at her revelation.
Karen hastily tries to leave the porch. "I never should have come here. I knew you wouldn't understand."
Karen turns to leave but Dan rises and grabs her arm.
Dan tries without his might to resist the temptation to kiss her. "Why did you really come here?"
Karen pulls away from Dan equally trying to resist the same temptation that she feels for him.
Karen's frustration turns to anger. "I told you."
Dan grows frustrated with Karen. "Oh my god Karen just say it."
Karen grows flustered and digs her heels in. "No"
Dan pulls Karen in close and whispers seductively in her ear. "Oh come on you know you want to."
Karen looks into his gorgeous eyes. "I"
Dan pulls her into his arms and she responds by wrapping her legs around his waist.
Dan leads her into the house. Once inside he backs off and sets her back on the floor.
Karen stammers back. "What's the matter Dan?"
Dan kisses her neck. "Nothing, I just want you to be sure that this is what you want. That I am what you want. I want you to be with me because you love me."
Karen wraps her arms around his neck. "I want to be with you and only you."
Dan smirks through the kiss. "Of course you want me."
Karen playfully retorts. "Well you don't have to get that stupid smirk on your face."
Dan kisses Karen. She pulls away at first but soon pursues the kiss herself. He pulls away but takes her hand. He leads her to the bedroom of his house.
The two fall onto the bed and continue the kiss this time. A few hours later Karen awakes and believes she has made the biggest mistake of her life. She imagines him waking up and laughing in her face. She couldn't take that. So she got up and got dressed to leave. She realized her keys were right beside him and she reached to get them and he woke.
He called for her but she continued to run. He got out of bed quickly pulled on his sweat pants.
Dan(wraps his arms around a sobbing Karen) "Hey what is it? Why are you leaving? You said you wanted this."
Karen turns to face Dan." I am in love with you Dan. I have tried to fight it but I can't. I wanted you so bad when you came back all those years ago and I wanted you even more tonight. I just thought I would leave so I would never have to feel what I felt the night you left for college. I woke up alone and I just wanted to feel your arms around me."
Dan wraps his arms around Karen. "You mean like this. Karen I never would have brought you up here if I hadn't wanted you here."
Dan leads Karen over to the bed where they set. They are still locked in each other's embrace.
Karen wiping her eyes. "What do you mean? You told me that you never loved me that I was just some one to have sex with?"
Dan takes her hands in his. "I said that because I was mad at myself for letting you go and I thought you found love with Keith. "
Karen turns to Dan still unsure and a little afraid. "I want to believe you. I want to be with you."
Dan gets up and grabs the box from the closet. He begins to lay out the contents. There were baby pictures of Lucas. Prom invitations from his Karen's senior prom. Photographs from their first date. Then he showed her a small box. A speechless Karen took the box and opened it.
Inside is an antique diamond ring.
Dan hands Karen the diamond ring. "It's been in the family for decades and I had always planned to give it to the woman I was going to marry."
Karen admires the ring in confusion. "So why didn't you give it to Deb?"
Dan smiles at her. "Because she wasn't you."
Karen smiles. "You were the love of my life. You still are."
Dan kisses her forehead. "I will never love anyone the way I love you."
Karen places her hand in his. "I want you and I to try to be a family. The way we should have been before."
"Then let's do everything we can to bring our son home." Dan says kissing Karen as she falls back into his arms.
Cut To…
Deserted coastal road.
Brooke sneaks out of the beach house. She is driving along in the pouring rain looking for Lucas. She is driving along slowly when her cellphone rings.
"Brooke don't come here. Go home." Nathan's voice can be heard through the phone.
Lucas grabs the phone from Nathan. "Brooke please don't come here. I'll see you soon."
"No, you're here to get your stuff and leave for good. It's been six months since we were in the same room together don't you dare take
"He's not leaving me and this baby again." Brooke states firmly throwing her phone in the passenger seat.
Moments later bright headlights blind her and moments later her car is thrown off of the bridge into the river.
Brooke's car is fully submerged in the river. Brooke is unconscious in the car. Meanwhile the other car is on the bridge looking down at her. Instead of calling 911 they simply get back in their car and drive away.
Cut to Dan's Beach House
The winds pick up outside as Dan and Karen lie in each other's arms in bed. The two lovers are lost in eachother when their thoughts are interrupted by Dan's phone ringing.
"Dad it's me Nathan. Is it Brooke with you?" Nathan is panicking.
"Nathan, what's wrong?" Dan gets out of bed starting to grow concerned.
"Brooke snuck out of the house to come and see Lucas."
Karen gets out of bed and runs to Brooke's room to find it empty.
"She's not here , Dan."
"Nathan, Karen just checked the house Brooke is not here."
"We will go out and look for her. Where's Lucas?"
"He just left with Chris to end this whole thing."
"You and Hayley just come here to the house. We will find Brooke and call your brother tell him to get his ass back to the house now."
Dan hangs up the phone. "We have to go find Brooke. She snuck out because she found out that Lucas was back in town."
Dan gets dressed quickly and hands Karen her coat. "You mean you're not going to try and stop me from going out in this storm." Karen replies
"I know better than to tell you what not to do." Dans says taking her hand and leading her out of the room.
Dan and Karen continue their drive for a few minutes until they approach the bridge. Upon arrival they see red and blue lights. Fire fighters and paramedics have filled the bridge along with several police officers.
Dan pulls the car over and turns off the engine.
"You don't think that it's Brooke?" Karen asks looking for reassurance.
"I don't know what to think." Dan says getting out of the car.
Dan and Karen approach the bridge hand and hand but nothing could have prepared them for what was coming next.
"Excuse me you two can't be here this is a crime scene." A police officer says approaching them.
"It could be our daughter in law and grandchild in that car." Dan says firmly.
"We didn't find a baby in the car."
"She's pregnant."
"No mam you don't understand. We didn't find anyone in that car. There was blood all over the seats and we found a young woman unconscious on the river bank but…"
"But what?"
"The baby was gone."
