A/N: Alright well I've kind of changed my thought process a tad. Sooo my previews aren't exactly accurate, but nothing major has changed, I promise ;) - Jasmine
Echoes From the Past
Lucas entered his home and began shouting, "Mom! Where are you?"
He ran into the kitchen and found Brooke sitting at the table snacking on a brownie. "Brooke, is my mother here?"
She shook her head no. "You just missed her. She went to pick up some lunch."
Lucas nodded. "Is Lizzie with her?"
"No, she's upstairs taking a nap. Luke, you seem flustered. Are you ok? Is Peyton alright?"
Lucas took a seat at the table, adjacent to Brooke. "She was blinking. Peyton was blinking. And not just once or twice, but a lot. Her eyes were flickering like crazy."
Brooke's eyes opened wide in astonishment. "Luke, that's great! Does that mean she's coming around?"
"The doctor thinks it could just be a reflex, but I don't think that's it. Peyton…she's trying to wake up. I know she is. And I feel as though she's so close to doing so, but I think there's something she still needs in order to do that. Something I'm missing."
Brooke nodded her head. "Ok, well what were you doing right before her eyes started flickering?"
"Nothing, I was just sitting there." Lucas paused for a minute before continuing. "I talked to her like I have been doing. Then I gave her Lizzie's alligator and---"
"Lizzie." Brooke said quietly interrupting.
"Lizzie?" Lucas asked confused.
"It was the alligator. She was responding to her alligator. Lucas, I know you don't want to force Lizzie to go and see her mother at the hospital, but maybe you should try and encourage her a bit. I think it might be good for both of them. I really think that Peyton needs her."
Lucas nodded his head. "I think you might be right. Peyton needs to be with her daughter. I'm gonna talk to Lizzie about it when she wakes up."
Lucas got up from his seat and grabbed a brownie from the pan on the counter. "Did she like the brownies?"
Brooke nodded as Lucas took a small bite. "These are good Brooke. I didn't know you could bake like this."
"I can't." Brooke said shaking her head. "And your mom didn't make them."
Luke finished off the last little bit of his brownie and then walked back over to his chair and sat back down. "Then who did?"
"Haley."
Lucas sighed heavily. "Haley?"
"Yeah, she had the same idea I had. When I went over to her house to get the cookbook, she was already in the middle of making brownies for Lizzie. I stayed and helped a little, but you know I can't really bake. Those brownies are pretty much all Haley."
Lucas just sat quietly, staring off into the space, not saying a word.
Brooke spoke up again. "Look Lucas, I know you are still really mad at her, but Haley…she really wants to be there for you and Lizzie. And her and Nathan…well they're pretty much on the outs right now and she just feels so bad and so torn about this situation."
Lucas sighed again and nodded his head in understanding. "I know she does. I know."
Brooke was about to say something, when the two were suddenly interrupted by Elizabeth, who had woken up and came downstairs.
Elizabeth walked over to her father. "Hi Daddy."
"Hey Lizzie." Lucas said as he picked up his daughter and sat her down on his lap. "I thought you were upstairs taking your nap."
Elizabeth shook her head. "I'm not tired. Could you read me a story instead?"
Lucas smiled softly. "I sure can munchkin."
Brooke smiled softly as well at the sight of Lucas and Elizabeth, when she suddenly felt her phone begin to vibrate in her pants pocket. She took it out and noticed that it was a text from Nathan:
"I need to see you. It's important. I'm at my mom's. Stop by ASAP. – Nate."
"I wonder what this is about." Brooke said to herself quietly.
"What did you say Brooke?" Lucas asked as he got up from his chair with Elizabeth protectively in his arms.
"Oh nothing, but I—I need to go." Brooke said as she walked over to Elizabeth and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I'll see ya later Lizzie, ok?"
"Bye Aunt Brooke."
Brooke put her hand on Lucas's shoulder. "I'll call you later Luke."
Lucas nodded as Brooke then exited the kitchen and headed for the door.
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Lucas carried Elizabeth up the stairs and into her room. As soon as they entered, she hopped out of his arms and headed to her book shelf while Lucas took a seat in the rocking chair.
Elizabeth sifted through her books, before grabbing two and then running over to Lucas and climbing on his lap. "So what you got there munchkin?"
Elizabeth handed one of the books over to Lucas. "Can you read this one?"
"The Wizard of Oz?" Lucas asked. "Lizzie, I read this to you all the time. How about another one?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "No, I want you to read it. Please, it's my favorite!"
"I know it's your favorite. Why do you think I call you munchkin?" Lucas sighed. "I know you love it, but it's kind of long. How about we read something else?"
Elizabeth nodded as she handed another book over to Lucas.
"Aahh, Grimm's Fairy Tales. Now this is an excellent choice. Where did we leave off?" Lucas asked, smiling softly as he sifted through the book.
Elizabeth's demeanor turned extremely somber. "Sleeping Beauty. But, Mommy was supposed to read that one to me."
Lucas's own small smile faded as he stared into his daughter's eyes. "Ok, well how about I read a different one?"
Elizabeth shook her head, grabbed the book from Lucas' hands and with all her might threw it across the room. "No! I don't want you to read to me anymore!" She then hopped off Lucas's lap and ran to her bed and buried her face into her pillows.
Lucas remained in the rocking chair for a few minutes, stunned by his daughter's uncharacteristic outburst, before getting up. He walked over to Elizabeth's bed and lied down beside her.
Luke shook Elizabeth gently. "Lizzie. Lizzie."
Elizabeth didn't respond, but Lucas was persistent. "Honey, please. Look at me."
Finally Elizabeth looked up and wiggled herself over to Lucas and snuggled next to him. "I'm sorry I threw the book Daddy."
Lucas stroked Elizabeth's long, wavy blonde hair softly. "It's ok Lizzie."
"I just really miss Mommy."
"I know you do. I know." Lucas said tenderly. "And I know Mommy misses you too."
"You think so?" Elizabeth asked, looking up at Lucas.
"I know so. And because Mommy misses you so much, I think that she would really like it if you came to the hospital to see her."
"But Mommy's sleeping. She won't know that I'm there."
Lucas shook his head. "She will know you're there. And though she can't talk to you, she can still hear you. You can say whatever you want and she'll hear you."
"Really?" Elizabeth asked hopefully.
Lucas nodded his head. "Really."
Elizabeth sat quietly for a few moments, contemplating before speaking. "I want to go see her."
"You sure?" Lucas asked, really wanting to make sure that his daughter was certain.
Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, I'm sure."
Lucas smiled softly and he kissed Elizabeth on the forehead. "Ok, we'll go tomorrow."
Lucas and Elizabeth continued to lay down together in silence before Elizabeth sat up, jumped off her bed and walked over to where she threw the book. She picked it up, jumped back on her bed and snuggled back up next to Lucas.
"Daddy, will you read to me?"
Lucas nodded his head. "Of course I will. And I have the perfect story for you." Lucas said taking the book from Elizabeth and sifting through the pages. "One you've never heard before."
"What?" Elizabeth asked curiously.
"King Grisly-Beard. It's one of my favorite Grimm's Tales and I think you'll like it a lot."
"If you like it, then I know I'll like it too."
Lucas smiled at his daughter and began to read. "A great king of a land far away in the East had a daughter who was very beautiful, but so proud, that none of the princes who came to ask for her hand in marriage were good enough for her and she only made fun of them..."
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Before Brooke could even ring Deb's doorbell, Nathan opened the door and ushered her inside.
"Nathan, what's with the cryptic text message?" Brooke asked as she tossed her bag and jacket down on a near by chair. "What's going on?"
"I went to see Dan today." Nathan said as he plopped down on the couch.
Brooke walked over to the couch and took a seat next to him. "What for?"
"It didn't make any sense to me…how Dan happened to be at the right place at the right time. The whole thing seemed too coincidental to me."
Brooke looked at Nathan with concern. "You think Dan might have had something to do with your accident?"
Nathan shook his head no. "No. I did think that for a minute, but not anymore."
"So now you think it was a coincidence?"
Nathan shook his head no again. "No, it definitely wasn't. He admitted that much to me. The night of the accident, Dan was following my car."
Brooke's eyes opened wide in astonishment. "Oh my god. Why the heck was he following you?"
"I asked the same thing." Nathan said as he got up from the couch and began pacing the living room. "But then he told me that I wasn't the one he was trying to follow."
Brooke looked confused. "Ok, then who is he…" Her voice had trailed off as she suddenly came to realize who Dan was talking about. "Peyton. He was following Peyton?"
Nathan nodded his head. "Yeah."
"But why?"
"He was trying to imply that she's up to something shady…that she can't be trusted."
Brooke shook her head. "No, that's a lie. Dan…he's just trying to start drama."
Nathan half heartedly nodded his head in agreement as he walked over to a near by stand and picked up the manila envelope. "Yeah, that's what I think too, but I don't know. These photos that Dan has…they could suggest otherwise."
Brooke got up from her chair and over to Nathan. "What are they?"
Nate took the photographs from out of the manila envelope. "These photos of Peyton were taken last week in Charlotte."
Brooke took the photos and began to examine the first couple. "What was Dan trying to imply? That Peyton's having an affair? So what she's sitting down with some guy at a coffee shop. Big deal. These photos don't mean anything. She went to Charlotte last week to meet with a new artist. That's probably him."
"I figured that's what was going on too, but there's more. I don't think Dan was implying that she's sleeping around. Keep looking through them."
Brooke began to sift through the pictures. There were a couple more of Peyton and the mystery man sitting at the café, then a few more of them getting up and walking off together.
"Where are they walking off to?"
"Keep looking."
Brooke continued to sift through the photos and then suddenly came to a screeching halt. "Wait a minute, what is this? Why did Peyton and this guy walk off to this shady little alley? And it looks like she's giving him money! Is she giving him money?"
Nathan nodded. "Yeah. It looks like a shit load of cash."
"And what is he handing off to her?" Brooke asked carefully examining one of the photos. "I can't make it out."
Nathan shook his head. "I couldn't tell either."
Brooke continued to examine the photos. "How in the world did Dan get these?"
"Who knows, it's Dan. If the guy can get out of prison for murder after 4 years, he can do anything."
"I can't believe these photos. I mean, what is Peyton doing in Charlotte…handing off some serious cash to this guy in some random alley? This…this whole thing is crazy!"
"Yeah." Nathan said quietly. He then paused for a few moments before speaking again. "You know Dan thinks that Peyton might have been—"
"Buying drugs?" Brooke asked interrupting.
Nathan nodded. "Yeah. But that's ridiculous. I mean, I'm sure they ran tests on her."
"Yeah, but the doctors...they jumped on you so fast. Who knows how extensive the tests they ran on her were."
Nathan just shook his head. "I know these photos look suspicious, but there's got to be a logical explanation for them…"
"I really hope there is one. For everyone's sake."
"There has to be. I mean, Peyton's never done drugs. She would never do drugs."
Brooke took her gaze off the photos and looked up at Nathan. "Actually, she has."
"What?" a shocked Nathan asked.
Brooke began to ramble. "Back during junior year of high school, way after the two of you had broken up and you were with Haley, Peyton…she was in a really bad place. It was when she was into Jake and he had fled with Jenny. She felt so alone and…she dabbled with cocaine. She struggled with the urge to do it, but I'm pretty sure she only tried it once. And as soon as Jake came back she was good again. It never was an issue ever again."
"Does Lucas know Peyton's tried coke?"
Brooke shook her head. "No, just me, Jake, and Haley."
"Haley knows?" Nathan asked surprised.
Brooke nodded her head. "She knew before I did. She found accidentally. Look Peyton was an idiot for trying coke. And she realized that. And yeah, it was a big deal, but it was such a long time ago and we all agreed to just keep the whole thing to ourselves and leave it in the past."
Brooke walked back over to the couch and Nathan joined her. "Nate, what should we do?"
"I'm not sure. I don't think Lucas needs to know about these pictures. Not now. Not with everything that is going on. Besides, there could still be a rational explanation for them and I don't plan on unjustly slandering Peyton's rep to cover my own butt. I'm not gonna jump to conclusions about her the way others have about me."
Brooke nodded in agreement. "Yeah I think that it's best we just keep this between the two of us for now. Hopefully Peyton can wake up soon and we can figure this whole thing out."
"Yeah I do too. I just really hope that her past doesn't somehow come back to bite me in the ass in the mean time."
Ok sooo there you go! I can't believe I managed to write a chapter during finals week! I really don't think it's my best, but I hope you all liked it anyway. So what do you guys think is going on? Was Peyton caught buying drugs? Or perhaps the photos can be explained? I guess only time will tell. And is Peyton going to wake up soon? Probably...and if she does, she's going to have a lot of explaining to do, right? Hmmm....hopefully she has no health problems that would prevent her from doing so. But seriously, how likely is it that she would just wake up from a coma and be 100% a-okay? Please review with your comments/guesses. I appreciate all of them and they inspire me. Anyways, here are some previews...
Next time...
Lucas vists Haley at Peyton's music studio
Lucas and Elizabeth go to the hospital to see Peyton
Brooke comes face to face with Julian
