*A/N: This could be an ending chapter but there's still some more Breyton scenes I want to put in there and it'd be good to tie up the Leyton drama but this could very well be the ending…Let me know what you all want. We'll take a vote. Another ending chapter everyone?*

Chapter 11(Sawyer)

"Alright Peyton, you ready for this?" Rick and I were standing by a large bonfire at the beach. Several people were passed out on the sand all around us. Mostly people were just drinking but a lot of people that were around Rick were doing drugs too. The music was really loud. It pounded in my ears, and helped sooth the fear of what I was about to do.

Rick grabbed my arm and tied the rubber tubing, right above my elbow. He tied it tight and then felt my vein with his finger.

"This is going to cost extra baby, because I mixed this up real special…just for you."

Fear chased down my spine. I managed to open my mouth, "What's in it, Rick?"

He let go of my arm and pulled out a needle. "Chill baby-doll, it's just a speedball." He leaned over to put the needle into my vein but I pulled away. He let out a snort of annoyance and tried to pull me back.

I resisted, "What's a speedball? If I'm paying for it, I want to know what it is."

He smiled like he understood now. "Oh, alright. It's a real nice taste. Cocaine mixed with heroine. It'll give you like twice the high you get with just snorting."

Some girl next to me that I had assumed was catatonic spoke up, "Rickie, how old is this chick?"

I turned to face her, "This 'chick' is seventeen. I'm fine."

She tugged on my sleeve; her movements were jerky and disjointed. "Be careful what you're taking…speedballs can OD you really easy."

Rick leaned over and shoved her, causing her to lie down in the sand. She didn't protest and she didn't get up. He looked me in the eyes, "Peyton…we doing this or not? I promised you a good time and this is the best time there is. Are you in or are you out? This is your shot kid."

He waved the needle at me meaningfully. I looked at it and nodded. He smiled and started to lean towards me again but my phone vibrated in my pocket, causing me to jump back.

"What the hell, Peyton!" He looked really angry this time.

I held up one of my fingers, telling him to wait and pulled my phone out. I put it up to my ear, "What?"

"P…Peyton?"

"Yeah…what? Who the hell is this?"

All I could hear on the other end was alternating sobs and sniffles.

Frustration curled inside my stomach, "Look I don't got time to play Guess Who."

"It's me."

That's when it dropped on me like a ton of bricks, "Brooke?" Panic seized up inside of me. "What's wrong? What's happened?"

She sniffled some more but choked out, "It's Felix. He hit me. Now he's out there and he's going to get me and I don't know what to do." She sounded like she was talking through a mouth full of cotton.

I got up off the sand and tore the tubing off my arm. Rick looked at me, confused but I just turned around and walked away. I could hear him calling after me but I ignored it, Brooke needed me, I was gone. No questions asked.

While walking towards my car, I asked, "Where are you?"

"At home, in the bathroom. He's outside. He's going to come in and he's…he's gonna…."

"Brooke, hold on, ok? I'll be right there."

"Ok…Peyton?"

"Yeah?"

"Please hurry."

"I will sweetie…don't worry. I won't let him hurt you." I unlocked my car and slid inside. I cranked the engine and slammed it into drive. "Brooke, I have to let you go so I can call the cops, ok? But I promise…everything is going to be ok"

"Ok" she sobbed and then hung up the phone.

I peeled out of the parking lot at the beach, driving faster than I ever had before. No one…and I mean no one was going to hurt my B. Davis.

I pulled up at Brooke's house, my heart pounding. The cops weren't there yet. But I was. What if I was too late? I flung open my door and raced across her lawn. I pushed open the front door. I could hear loud thuds coming from upstairs and I took the stairs two at a time, praying that I wouldn't walk in to a beaten Brooke.

I got to her room and saw that Felix was ramming her bathroom door with his shoulder, yelling like a wild person. He'd broken the door but Brooke had put something up against it and it was keeping him from pushing it all the way in. Smart girl.

"Felix."

I must have startled him by speaking because he looked wildly around for a second before his eyes settled on me.

"Get out of here. I called the cops. They're on their way. Leave Brooke alone."

He faced me panting, "Nothing is going to keep me from Brooke."

"You'll have to go through me."

He smiled, "Not a problem."

With a roar he rushed at me but I dove to one side. Years of cheerleading had taught me how to not get crushed by people falling on me. He smashed into the wall and I leapt on his back, wrapping my arms around his thick neck. For a second he walked around, frantically pulling at my arms that were choking him.

"Brooke!" I yelled, "Get out of here! Run!"

Felix turned his back to the wall and I knew what was coming. I gritted my teeth. Whomp! He slammed his back hard against Brooke's bedroom wall and I slid off his back like Jello. I slid to the floor, panting for breath. When he'd shoved me against the wall, it felt like my spine had cracked.

He smiled and leaned down, pulled me up by my hair. I screamed despite myself.

"Peyton!" I heard Brooke scream from inside the bathroom. I looked over Felix's shoulder and saw that she was moving the cabinet and was trying to get out of the bathroom to come help me.

"No, Brooke! Stay there!"

Felix wrapped one strong hand around my throat and pushed me against the wall. He leaned in close and I could feel his hot breath on my face, "That's right. Brooke, stay there, so when I'm done with Peyton, I can come for you too."

He tightened his grip and stars danced before my eyes as I started to black out. This was it. At least I got to die doing one last good thing. The police would get here before Felix got to Brooke and she'd be safe. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see Felix's angry face. I called up Brooke's face before my eyes and my mom's and Lucas', all the things in this life that mattered to me. I wanted those people to be the last that I saw, not Felix.

"No!" I heard Brooke's voice scream shrilly but it didn't matter now. I was already going.

Smash! Then suddenly Felix's hand let go of me and I fell to the floor. I struggled to get back from the blackness. I opened my eyes to see Felix turn on Brooke. The back of his head was dripping blood and I saw a smashed vase on the floor.

I summoned some strength I didn't know I had and leapt on Felix, grabbing him around the middle. We went down in a confused pile of limbs and blood. I balled my fist and brought it crashing into his face…once…twice but then he grabbed my hair and pulled me to the side. He rolled on top of me, lips and nose bleeding. His huge, tanned fist pounded into my face. I felt a crunch and blood started streaming down my face. I knew my nose was broken.

I saw Brooke pounding on Felix's back, trying to get him off me. He jerked back his elbow and caught her firmly in the face. I saw her eyes roll back in her head and she crumpled to the floor.

"Brooke!" I yelled. Infuriated that someone would dare touch my Brooke, I jabbed out two fingers (just like they'd taught us in self-defense) and stabbed Felix in the throat with them. He immediately let go of me and grabbed his own throat. Raspy, choking gasps filled the air and I shoved him hard off me. He laid back on the floor, struggling to breathe. I ran over to Brooke and gathered her inert form into my arms. She felt like a rag doll. I cradled her head against my shoulder, crying, "Brooke, wake up!"

I heard footsteps thundering up the stairs and saw uniformed officers rushing into the room. I saw policemen, grabbing Felix and slapping cuffs on him. But none of that mattered now. The only thing that mattered was the brunette in my arms. As if by magic, her eyes fluttered open. She focused immediately on me. Her arms wrapped around me tighter than I would have thought possible and I did the same. Brooke. I started crying again but this time from happiness. She pulled apart a little and brushed a tear from my cheek.

I looked into her soft, brown eyes and she looked right back at me. I was Peyton and she was Brooke and we were best friends again. Sisters again. Family again. Her eyes explored my face, taking in every cut, every bruise.

"You saved me," she whispered simply.

I hugged her close to me again, "You saved me too."