He repeats it again after she is still silent, "How am I going to tell him that his parents are dead? How is that fair? What is he going to..."

She moves so she can pull him more closely, allowing him to rest his head on her shoulder, "You tell him that someone else needed them, but that he has people around him that love him and are going to be there for him, always. You tell him that his parents loved him, and that we are never going to let him forget them, and that they'll always be watching over him." she says confidently.

"And then?"

"You let him be angry, you let him cry, and you love him... and then later, it'll get a little easier."

"When do I tell him?"

"When he asks...and he will soon. It'll be okay Luke, he has so many people around him right now... he'll be okay."

"What do I tell myself?" he asks, turning to her again with that same broken look from before.

"You tell yourself the same thing... that you have people around you that love you, and that you aren't going to forget Haley and Nathan..."

Wiping his eyes, that had started to shed a few more tears as he was listening to her speak, he stood up, walking over to the window to watch his mom and Andy look after Jamie.

–

When she had gotten the call, she was distraught, knowing that Peyton didn't deal with these things well, and has had to deal with these things way too often in her life, she grabbed her key and went straight to the apartment.

Getting Peyton's things was easy, knowing her friend well, and knowing what she would want or need pretty much "to a T". But packing for Lucas was a bit harder for her.

She settled on getting a few outfits for him for the week, including a suit that she found and sadly knew that he needed in the coming days. When she got to the necessities she was a bit hesitant. It was her best friend's boyfriend, who had really become a good friend to her, and she was sifting through his underwear... not something that she did ever, but it worked.

"Suitcases... Suitcases..." she mutters to herself, moving around the apartment in search of something to put all these things in.

She remembered that he had just gotten back from his book tour, and found his suitcases by the door, and Peyton's in the hall closet. Going to work she packed all the clothes up for the couple and then went towards the bathroom to get everything else they might need.

Once she did, she opened up the front pocket of Lucas' suitcase, not surprised to find that there were some things in there. However, as she emptied out the front pocket, what she did find was surprising.

"Holy Crap!" she says, picking up the small box that had landed on the bed.

Opening it, she found what she assumed was an engagement ring, a silver band with diamonds adorning it. It screamed Peyton, which made her wonder if her friend already knew about what she held in her hand at the moment. She was happy for her, and she loved Lucas, and she knew that it was heading to this, so she gladly placed the ring back in the pocket, as if she never saw it, and finished packing everything that she thought they might need.

–

Around ten o'clock that morning the doctor came in to check on Jamie again, commenting that he was doing quite well, but saying that he still wanted to keep him overnight since he had obviously hit his head a few times.

When Jamie heard these words, he was confused again, "Where's Mama? Are the doctors still trying to fix them?"

Karen, who had been sitting by Jamie's side, looked up to Lucas and Peyton, not knowing exactly what to say in that moment, and not knowing how to say it.

While not wanting to overstep her boundaries, but still knowing that Lucas wasn't in the right place to talk about it yet, Peyton stepped forward as Karen moved out of the way. With a look to Lucas, who had moved to stand behind her, she talked in hushed whispers to the small boy, "Jamie, you know how much we love you, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, we have to talk to you about something, and we want you to remember that we love you and that we are going to be here for you as much as we can, and you are going to be okay."

"Are you guys leaving?" he asks, confused by what she was saying.

"No, but something happened with your mom and dad, and they had to leave."

"When are they coming back?"

"They can't come back, buddy. They're up in heaven now." Lucas adds, finally gaining the strength to say something to his nephew.

"Why can't they come back?" he asks, with his lip quivering like the small child he was.

"You remember when Quentin died? We were all really sad for a while, but we could always remember the fun things that we used to do with him and how great of a friend he was to us?"

"Is that what happened to mama and daddy?" he asks, his eyes then taking on a silent sadness that the adults could barely stand to watch.

"Yeah, buddy, that's what happened to your mom and dad."

He doesn't say anything for a little while, just looking at his Uncle and Peyton, sometimes glancing over at Karen, almost waiting for them to explain everything.

Finally, he broke the silence, "I'm sleepy again... can I take a nap?"

"Sure, Jamie... Do you want us to stay until you fall asleep?"

"No, I'm okay..." he says, shaking his head and turning to rest on the pillow.

They were taking turns for the next hour after he had fallen asleep. Karen went back, taking Lucas with her to shower, leaving Peyton with Jamie at the hospital until they came back and she took a break.

It was during this time that he woke up again, a bit of fear in his bright eyes, "Where's mama?"

"Jamie, your mom isn't here... do you remember what we talked about?" she says quietly, in soothing tones.

"She and daddy are up in heaven with Quentin..."

"That's right... but you don't have to worry, because we are here and we aren't going anywhere." she explains, while putting a reassuring hand on his.

"Peyton?"

"Yeah, Jamie?"

"Is is okay to be sad?"

"Can I tell you a story, Jamie?" she asks, and at his nodding, continues, "When I was just a few years older than you, my mom died. She died in the hospital after she was in a car accident just like your mom and dad... and I still miss her, especially when things are really really hard. But you know what?"

"What?"

"I have so many great people around me, like Brooke and my dad, and your Uncle Lucas, and I know that they will always be there for me and take care of me."

"But you still miss her?"

"I do, sometimes, but... my dad could tell me stories about my mom and whenever I was upset, he would tell me a story about her that would make me happy... Now you... my little friend are so lucky, because your Uncle Lucas has been best friends with your mom for a long time and he is your dad's brother, so I bet that he has tons of stories that he can tell you if you are missing them."

"Yeah..."

"It gets better though, Jamie, I promise. And if you ever need anything, you just ask us, and we will help you as much as we can."

"Peyton?" he asks, and she gestures for him to continue, "Do you have any stories about mama?"

"As a matter of fact James Lucas Scott, I do..."

As she started to tell Jamie a story from when they were in New York, Lucas pulled the hospital door shut, not wanting her to know that he had heard the whole thing. She was right though, he was lucky to be able to share with Jamie how great his parents were. He would do his best to make sure that he would always have the stories to tell his nephew.

Not wanting to interrupt Jamie and Peyton, he took a seat in the very seat that had broken him just a few hours earlier and rested his head in his hands.

"Lucas?"

"Brooke?" he says, recognizing her voice and looking up to see her standing in front of him.

"Luke, I'm so sorry about what happened..." she says, bending down to give him a hug.

"Thank you... but what are you doing here?"

"Peyton called me earlier, asking me to get some clothes and stuff for you guys to stay here in Tree Hill for a while..."

"She did?" he asks, looking towards the door and smiling a sad smile in wonderment at the woman he had fallen in love with.

"If I forgot anything, just let me know and I'll go out and get some stuff for you guys, but I think I got everything."

"Thank you, Brooke, you didn't have to."

"I did, Luke. Peyton is my best friend, and since I know where you two are headed and I love you too, I wouldn't have had it any other way..."

Picking up on her subtle hint at their future, he had to ask, "She told you?"

"She didn't tell me anything... but I found the ring..."

"She doesn't know about the ring..." he says, and her eyebrows raise, "What?"

"I thought that she had picked it out... it's perfect for her."

"It was my mom's when she got engaged to my Uncle Keith."

"Lucas, that's beautiful..."

"I haven't asked her yet, I was waiting for the right time to do it. Now doesn't seem the right time, but soon."

"I have no doubt in my mind as to what her answer will be."

He nods, just a slight motion to his head, "She's in there telling Jamie some Haley stories. She's so good with him, and she's so good with this whole thing."

"She gets it Luke, she's been through it before."

"I know that."

"Just don't let her cop out of talking to you about how she's feeling. Peyton is great at burying her feelings when she's hurting the most, and I know how she feels about your family... especially Haley."

"I'm going to go in there and relieve her for a bit... she was going to go get a shower at the house and take a little nap, can you take her?"

"Anything you need, I'm here."

"Thanks Brooke." he says, giving her a small hug before walking over to Jamie's room to get Peyton.

When Peyton came out and saw Brooke, the tears just fell, long and hard, finally letting her break again after having to comfort the little boy sitting in that room. "Brooke...he... God this was so hard!"

"I know... I know..." she says, comforting her best friend, not knowing anything else to say.

After a few minutes, Peyton straightened up, looking at Brooke with red, teary eyes, "I should really go get some sleep. And I think that Andy and Karen will be back in a little bit... Jamie has to stay the night, so we're trying to make sure that he doesn't have to be alone for any of it."

"Okay, well, let's get you a nap and a shower, and then you'll be ready to come back in no time."

With a nod, they both start towards the exit, Peyton glancing in to Jamie's room one last time, seeing Luke talking to his nephew.

"He's good with him..." Brooke says with a hand on Peyton's shoulder, looking through the small window herself.

"Yeah, he is. He's going to be good for Jamie to have around..."

"And whoever else might come along the way..." she replies, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Looking to Brooke and then back at Lucas again, she too allowed herself to smile for the first time in the past twenty-four hours.

–

Okay, this one needed to be a short one, and then next one may be shorter as well... hopefully you are okay with that!!! Hmm.... Yeah... I know that some of you hate me right now, but I promise that all will be well in the end... and I had another idea for this fic that will keep it going strong for at least a bit longer... I hope that you'll like it though... we shall see. But for right now, I hope you're liking it!!

I'm loving the reviews as well, liking all the comments and questions. Right now, I just finished chapter 14 for this fic... and I'm thinking about writing some more for my other fics as well... so enjoy... cause I'm in it for the long haul...

Here's a question too... once it gets up past these tenish chapters, should I split it into a new story, or should I just keep it going strong as one story... let me know your thoughts!