A/N: I know that it's been a very long time since I've updated this story and I'm sorry... R/L got in the way and then my muse went on a Harry Potter kick and would hardly let me work on anything else... Then my other laptop crashed and I lost everything that was on it and didn't have it backed up on the stories I had all typed out... I lost all the notebooks my OTH stories were in but I have finally located them and they are all now rubber banned together and in the stand behind my chair... I hope you all like this chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own OTH!

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Nathan decided to wait on going in to see Peyton and motioned for Larry and Karen to go. He sat down beside Lucas and kept his hand on his shoulder. "Talk to me, Lucas."

Lucas sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "She looks so damn pale laying there. She looks pale and lifeless and it hit me that if I lost her I would lose any reason I have to live, Nathan. Peyton is literally my life and I do not think that I would be able to go on without her. I love her with my whole heart and it hurts me knowing that I am part of the reason she was hurt and is now laying in a hospital bed close to death. I don't know if I can ever forgive myself for what happened to her."

Nathan shook his head. "I was wrong to blame you, Lucas. What happened to Peyton isn't anyone's fault other than the bastard who did this to her. You need to be strong because she is going to need you when she finally wakes up. I know Peyton, Lucas, and I know that she loves you with every single beat of her heart. It was always you she loved even when her and I were together. There is never going to be another boy or man for her because you are her one true match, Lucas. You and Peyton together are like ying and yang together it just fits and it will always fit. Now dry your eyes and stop crying and think about what it is you truly want once Peyton wakes up. You have more than just yourself and Peyton to think about now, Luke. You have a child on the way and if I know anything it is this. Any child that is the product of you and Peyton mixed together is going to be a hellion. It will take all of us to make sure that he or she stays out of trouble. Your girl and your kids needs you, Lucas, and they need for you to be strong and to fight for them. That is all you can do right now."

Lucas took in a deep breath and let it out as he wiped the tears off of his face. He sat up straighter and looked at Nathan and smiled. "Thank you, Nate. You helped put everything into perspective for me. As for what I want it is the same thing I have always wanted. I want Peyton and I to live together, get married, grow old, and have a lot of children as we grow old together. I want our family and friends to be by our side and share in everything that happens in our lives. When Peyton wakes up I will explain what happened to her and make it up to her. I still can't believe Brooke did what she did. She stood there talking to me for forever before she tried to kiss me. Thinking about it now makes me wonder if she wasn't waiting until Peyton showed up to do what she did just to cause hell and to make Peyton doubt how I feel about her. I don't understand how Brooke could do that and wanted to do that to Peyton. What in the hell did Peyton ever do to Brooke?"

Nathan sighed and shook his head. "I don't know, man, but what I do know is that from now on Brooke doesn't get anywhere near Peyton. I have never understood the obsession Brooke seems to have about having anything and everything that Peyton has or wants. I don't get why she would willingly hurt the girl she calls her best friend. However what I do know is that it stops now. There is no way I am going to allow her to cause anymore problems for you and Peyton. You both deserve to be together and love each other like you do. Peyton is going to need you now more than ever, Lucas. She's going to need you to be her rock when she wakes up. She's going to need you to hold her, love her, comfort her, and help her through this. We will all be right here to help you both but you are going to be the main person that she is going to need through all this. Can you do that, Lucas? Can you hold your anger in check and only let them out when you are not with Peyton? We all are going to have to hold our anger in at what happened to her because she doesn't need to see it."

Lucas nodded. "I'll do whatever it takes to help her through this. I will not leave her to deal with any of this on her own. I will not leave her to work through her anger, fear, sadness, and any other emotion she feels by herself. If I have my way about it once she wakes up she won't be out of my line of sight except to go to the bathroom. I want one of us with her at all times until the bastard that did this to her is caught. I will not have her getting hurt again."

Nathan smiled slightly. "We'll set up shifts so she isn't alone. We'll always have 1 guy and 1 girl with her at all times. We will not leave her on her own at all. Now how are you feeling that you talked things through instead of holding it all in?"

Lucas shook his head and smiled slightly. "Actually I do feel better, Nate. Thank you."

Nathan shook his head and stood up. "I'm glad that I was able to help you even some what. I am going to go and see Peyton for a few minutes and then I'll be back."

Lucas nodded and leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes before snapping them open again. He couldn't stand to have his eyes closed because all he saw was Peyton broken and bleeding. He shook his head to clear it and then stood up and started pacing. He could feel everyone's eyes on him but ignored them in favor of thinking about the things he wanted to say to Peyton once she woke up. After five minutes of pacing he walked over to his mom and Larry. "How are you two holding up?"

Larry shook his head. "I freaked out when I first entered Peyton's hospital room. It took Karen a minute or so to get me calm enough that I could walk over and let Peyton know that I was here and that I loved her. She looks so different then what I am use to her looking that it just broke my heart. How are you holding up, Lucas?"

Lucas sighed and ran a hand down his face. "I'm doing better now that I talked to Nathan."

Larry nodded and clapped a hand on Lucas' shoulder. "Peyton will get through this, Lucas. Not only is she a strong girl but she has all of us but most importantly you fighting for her. You just have to believe, son."

Lucas nodded and smiled. He gave a quick hug to Larry and then hugged him mom and kissed her cheek before he resumed his pacing as he waited on Nathan to come back from seeing Peyton.

A/N 2: *grins* Yay I got this one updated! Click the button and let me know what you think!