Chapter 11

Brooke shook her head in defeat as she trudged in through Lucas's door the next night. Nathan had been missing for a full twenty-four hours.

"When's daddy coming back?" Jamie's innocent voice inquired, coming up on the three adults standing in the hallway.

"Soon, honey. Why don't we go get you some dinner?" Peyton smiled, grabbing his hand.

"Can I have a piggy back ride Aunt Peyton?" Jamie asked.

Peyton threw a look at Brooke who widened her eyes with warning. "Not today sweetie. But how about if I promise to make you a big huge ice cream sundae?"

"Ya!" Jamie cheered, skipping to the kitchen with Peyton being dragged along behind him.

"I'm worried about Nathan." Lucas said, the dark circles under his eyes growing more prominent by the hour. "He's never just disappeared before."

"Well it's hard on everyone." Brooke sighed.

"Ya, I know." Lucas said, hanging his head. "I just wish I could do something. I was thinking maybe I could check the bars or call Haley and ask her-" His voice choked off as he buried his face in his hands. "I don't know what I'm saying anymore."

"You haven't slept for 27 hours. Don't blame yourself. Just go lay down." Brooke whispered, rubbing his back.

Lucas trudged off to the bedroom and Brooke shut the door behind him.

"Please don't come out until you've at least had 8 solid hours of sleep." Brooke said through the doorway.

"Aunt Peyton?" she heard Jaime call. "Aunt Peyton are you okay?"

"What's going on?" Lucas asked, voice lined with anxiety.

"Nothing Lucas. Don't worry. I'll check it out. Go to bed. I mean it." Brooke was surprised how controlled she kept her voice cause on the inside she was screaming as she sprinted down the hall to the kitchen.

"Jamie? Where's Peyton?" Brooke demanded, grabbing him by the shoulders.

"I don't know. I looked down for a second and when I looked back up she wasn't here." Jamie frowned.

Brooke took a deep breath as she peered around the counter. She held in a scream as she saw her friend lying there.

"Jamie, honey." Brooke's shaky voice whispered. "Go play in Lily's old room please."

He didn't argue as he bounded up the stairs.

"Peyton, honey? Please wake up." Brooke whispered, kneeling next to her.

She shook her and tapped her face, hoping to get a reaction. "Wh-what happened?" Peyton groaned as she came to.

"Oh thank god!" Brooke exclaimed, throwing her arms around her and starting to cry. "You scared the hell out of me P. Sawyer!"

"Did I faint?" Peyton guessed as she sat up, still hugging Brooke.

"Ya." Brooke nodded, pulling away. "If this kid is going to do this to you, then why would you put yourself through that?"

"You wouldn't understand." Peyton frowned, picking herself up off the floor. Brooke joined.

"Try me."

"This kid is mine. And any kid that is Peyton Sawyer's is going to have a fighting chance whether it kills me or not."

"That's the stupidest thing I have ever heard. There will be other chances to get pregnant Peyton. I'm not asking you to get a hysterectomy." Brooke argued.

"You can't be sure."

"I know that it'd be better than letting you do this to yourself. It's practically suicide."

"You're like a broken record. Repeating the same damn things." Peyton scoffed. "I'm tired of arguing. This is my choice to make. And if you aren't okay with that, then leave."

"You need me here more than you think you do." Brooke said through gritted teeth. "The only reason I'm putting up with this is because of the recent tragedy that has permanently scarred each and every one of us."

"What tragedy Aunt Brooke?" Jamie's small voice came from behind her.

"Uh," Brooke flickered her eyes to Peyton nervously before picking Jamie up in her arms. "We have something to tell you."

"Is it about Momma? Cause I miss her. When is she coming home?"

"She isn't buddy." Brooke sighed, setting him in a chair. "Something really bad happened to your mommy."

"What?"

"Well, she got hurt and the doctors couldn't help her. She…um…" Brooke looked at Peyton for help.

"She's in a better place now bud." Peyton offered with a half-smile.

"Why did she leave?"

"She didn't want to leave. She had to leave. You see…uh…" Peyton looked back at Brooke for help.

"She passed on. She can't come back. And everyone is incredibly sad about it. And it's okay if you're sad too." Brooke whispered, rubbing his back.

"She died?" his innocent voice inquired as tears started to form in his eyes.

"Yes, honey. I'm so sorry."

Jamie jumped down and ran down the hall to Lucas's door. He pounded on it really hard before Lucas answered. "Jamie?"

"Momma isn't dead, is she?" Jamie sobbed.

Lucas's bottom lip quivered at the sight of young Jamie. "Ya, Jamie. I'm so sorry." He whispered.

"No! No! No!" Jamie wailed, sinking to the floor.

Brooke had to turn her head away from it, because it was making her sob.

"Come here." Lucas cried, picking Jamie up in his arms. "It's gonna be okay."

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"I feel terrible." Brooke grumbled, resting her head on her arms at the kitchen table.

"So do I, but Jamie had a right to know." Peyton sighed. "He hasn't come out of Lucas's room for almost a day now. Should I go in there?"

"Nah, leave him alone. He'll come out when he's ready." Brooke said softly. "Lucas isn't back from looking?"

"No. He said he was going to the police station to so hopefully that'll go well." Peyton pushed the newspaper at Brooke and pointed to the obituaries. "You did well."

Brooke only nodded before turning the paper over. "I can't believe the funeral is tomorrow."

"Me either. I'm not ready to say goodbye to her."

"I don't think anyone is." Brooke whispered.

The kitchen door opened and Lucas trudged in. "I've got nothing, and I need help moving flowers."

"Flowers?" Brooke and Peyton said at the same time.

"Ya, the things that are blocking the front door." Lucas sighed. "I went over to Nathan's and it's worse over there. We should get them moved to the funeral home."

"You don't have to worry about it Luke. Brooke and I will do it. Just take care of Jamie. He still hasn't come out of your room." Peyton said, kissing him quickly on the lips and moving past him out the back door. Brooke followed.

"Holy cow." Brooke exclaimed at the sight of the mass amounts of colored flowers that cluttered the whole front porch of their house. "This is going to take all day."

"Well we better get to it." Peyton laughed, starting to pick up potted plants.

Brooke unlocked the back of her car so they could put the flowers inside.

After a couple hours, the flowers were successfully stored on every inch of Brooke's car.

"To the funeral home?" Brooke asked, jumping in the driver's side.

"Ya, then we'll hit Nathan's." Peyton nodded, jumping in the passenger's seat.