"10…9…8…7…" everyone was in Brooke's living room, counting down to the New Year. It was the loudest thing Brooke had heard in weeks; usually everything was dead silent for her mother. To her utter and complete surprise, her mother had begun to sit up, and was strong enough that the doctors said they could start the chemotherapy immediately.
"6…5…4…3…2…1…HAPPY NEW YEAR!" everyone yelled. Lucas grabbed Brooke and pulled her into a passionate kiss, Haley and Nathan and Karen and Andy did the same. Peyton contented herself with being kissed by Brooke's fluffy prissy little dog, Snowflake, and Rachel kissed a picture of Jude Law.
"Happy New Year, best friend" Brooke said to Peyton, hugging her tightly. They had spent 6 long hours the other day, getting everything out in the open. Plenty of tears were shed, sorries said, promises made, and things repaired. Peyton and Brooke had both agreed that it was gonna take serious work to patch up their friendship, but they both knew their 10 year old friendship was too precious to lose.
"It's 2007!" Haley yelled. "My baby boy is gonna be born in 2007"
"Well, what did you think? He'd randomly pop out 2 seconds before?" Brooke teased.
"No, but wow…2007" Haley said. "Another year gone, a new one before us"
"You sound like Shakespeare" Rachel said. "Eww"
"Come on, who wants some coke?" Brooke said.
"Like the drug?" Haley asked, confused.
"I fear for tutor baby"
"Can we please not call him tutor baby?"
"Well, if we knew what his real name is going to be, we could call him that" Brooke bargained.
"Fine, fine…" Haley said, smiling up at Nathan. "It's the best name ever"
"It encompasses our entire family and remembers someone very special" Nathan said.
"It is…?" Brooke asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet, eager.
"Cooper James Scott"
"AWW, tutor wife! That's a perfect name!" Brooke squealed, hugging Haley. "It's absolutely amazing!"
"That is good" Rachel admitted.
"Beautiful" Karen nodded.
"I'm still mad he's not Lucas" Lucas said.
"He should've been Peyton" Peyton said. Everyone looked at her oddly. "What? Peyton can be a guy name"
"It can…" Brooke said.
"Anyway, Cooper James is beautiful" Karen said. "Congratulations, Haley. A perfect name is a very special thing"
"I know" Haley glowed with happiness.
"When are you due, exactly?" Rachel asked.
"March 17th" Haley said. "I'm super excited"
"I have to come help decorate his room!" Brooke said. "It has to be blue and yellow"
"I don't want my son to be a priss" Nathan complained.
"He's not gonna be a priss you go egotistical little boy" Brooke said, smacking Nathan. "He's gonna be in touch with his feminine side"
"No way!" Nathan, Lucas, and Andy protested.
"I think boys should be in touch with their feminine side" Brooke said.
"I agree completely" Haley said.
"No" Rachel and Peyton protested. "We like manly men"
"Yeah" the boys nodded vigorously.
"Personally, a sensitive guy is way sexier…" Haley said, kissing Nathan.
"See, when she does that…" Nathan said. "Then I can't help but be sensitive"
"You are so whipped, man" Lucas said.
"Look whose talking" Nathan retorted.
"This is true" Lucas admitted.
"I've got Lucas wrapped around my finger" Brooke giggled, rummaging through the pantry for snacks.
"Well, we should go" Karen said, yawning. "I'm exhausted and I really wanna hit the sack"
"I'll stay here" Lucas said.
"Yeah I need to clean up the hotel room and start packing stuff back up" Peyton said. Lucas's eyes flicked to Brooke, whose face immediately darkened.
"Yeah, that's a good idea…we'll go sight seeing tomorrow" Brooke said, and bid everyone farewell.
"Happy New Year" Lucas said, hugging Brooke from behind and kissing her cheek.
"Yeah" Brooke said.
"Cheery?"
"Yeah?"
"What's bothering you?"
"Nothing" Brooke said. "I'm happy, see? It's New Years!" her voice trembled and she was on the verge of tears.
"Brooke…" Lucas said, sitting down and pulling her into his lap. He brushed her hair out of her eyes gently and held her hand. "Are you feeling ok?"
"I'm fine…" Brooke said.
"Then why are you crying?"
"Lucas! Don't you see?"
"See what?"
"You're leaving, soon! Lucas, I can't deal with you leaving me already"
"Baby, where is this coming from?" Lucas asked, genuinely confused.
"Peyton's already packing her things up! We just patched up our friendship…and you're leaving me. Lucas, I won't see you till June"
"You know I'm a phone call away" Lucas said, hugging her tightly.
"You can't go, Lucas, you can't go! Do you know what will happen to me if you go? I'll return to be being the boring Brooke Davis I've been since I've come to this godforsaken state! You light a fire in me, you make me happy, you make my world a happier place…I can't have you for a week and then see you go!" Brooke sobbed.
"Pretty girl, you're gonna make me cry too" Lucas said softly. "I don't know what to say, Brooke"
"Make it all ok, Lucas…make it all ok" she sobbed, burying her face in his chest.
"I will" Lucas promised her, whispering into her hair. "God as my witness, I will make it all ok"
"Nathan…there's a spider on the wall" Haley poked Nathan.
"Hales, it's 2 am…the spider isn't gonna eat you"
"Nathan!" Haley shrieked.
"Ok baby I'll kill the spider" Nathan said. "Hales. It's barely visible"
"Besides the point! Nathaniel Scott…!"
"Oh god, the full name…I'll get my shoe" in one swift motion, Nathan killed the spider.
"Nathan, don't ever tease me like that" Haley whined.
"I didn't know you were so terrified of spiders"
"I am, believe me" Haley said. "And cockroaches and wasps…"
"And hot boys like me?" Nathan whispered.
"And hot boys like you" Haley kissed him.
"Are we really going to have sex at 2 AM when Andy and Karen are in the next room?" Nathan asked. "Not that I'm objecting"
"Why not…?"
"Feisty…"
"Bring it on, Nathan Scott, bring it on" Haley giggled, kissing him again.
Meanwhile…
"Brooke, sweetheart…please try to fall asleep" Lucas whispered into her hair.
"I can't" Brooke said. Tears were still glistening on her face.
"Brooke…look at me…listen to me" Lucas said.
"What?"
"I love you. I have loved you since the day you showed up naked in my car. I will love you till your dying day, till we're both old and wrinkled and decrepit. Nothing will change that. We are meant to be, Brooke, don't you see? We are meant to be. Nothing will keep us apart. Distance is merely a superficial thing. Our love for each other, what we feel in our hearts when we see each other- nothing can tear that down. Not 3000 miles, not one night stands, not parents or fights or ANYTHING. This being apart- this is gonna last 6 months. And then we'll be together, forever. I will save you, Brooke Davis. I promise I will make everything ok" he said, kissing her. "I love you, Cheery Davis. I love you."
"I love you too" Brooke sobbed into his chest. "I want this to be over. I want my mom to be ok. I want my dad to be rich again, I know that sounds superficial but I do. I want you to be with me, day and night. I want everything to be ok"
"Remember what my mom said. If God brings you to it, he'll bring you through it" Lucas comforted. "A few more months, and its you, me, UNC, and a whole new life ahead of us. For better or for worse, I will never let you go, Brooke. Never."
"What did I do to deserve you?" Brooke asked.
"The better question is what did I do to deserve YOU?"
"Eh, you were kinda cute"
"Not to mention irresistibly sexy"
"Yeah, that too…" Brooke laughed. Lucas gently wiped her tears and kissed her on the forehead.
"Now get some sleep, Cheery. I don't want a groggy tour guide"
A/N: Review, please!!