SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS
Long Live BRUCAS: Thanks, I wanted to give all of the characters their own perspectives on things. Yeah, I thought it'd be a nice little humor moment. Well, it makes sense with what he's lived through, and yeah, he's that comfortable at least.
Dianehermans: Thanks, I'm glad you liked that part.
DISCLAIMER
Oh, for heaven's sake! This chapter took longer than I expected! I completely apologize; you all must think I abandoned this fic! I think there's only one or two more chapters left till I'm finished. One Tree Hill belongs to Mark Schwahn and the CW. I'm adding plotlines from Seasons 3 and 4, but the rest of the plot and characters you don't recognize are mine.
The next morning, Lucas was awakened by contemporary rock coming out of his radio. He moaned and shut off his alarm. Then, he got dressed and headed downstairs, where Deb was making breakfast.
"How'd you sleep, Honey?" she questioned.
"Fine, Mom," he answered. Then, "Oh, I never asked you. What'd you decide about that guy's offer?"
"Turned him down. It didn't feel right." Lucas nodded. That made sense. Mom and Dad were always telling him, Nathan, and Haley that they should trust their instincts.
"Well, I'm sorry it didn't feel right, but honestly, I think the whole feel of the place would've been lost if it had been turned into a franchise," he stated.
"I completely agree," Dan commented and Deb chuckled softly. When breakfast was finally ready, they all sat down. Deb and Dan watched as Lucas ate and then shared a smile. When breakfast was done, they all did their dishes and went on their way. At school, Lucas, Brooke, Nathan, Haley, Jake, Peyton, and Mouth gravitated towards one another.
"Hey, what's up? Any good gossip?" Brooke asked.
"Not yet," Peyton responded.
"Well, it's still morning," Mouth quipped. They all laughed.
"So, um, how did your-" Peyton's question trailed off as she saw Glenda approach them.
"Glenda!" the girl laughed as Peyton quickly wrapped her into a crushing hug.
"I think somebody missed me," she quipped, trying to squirm free.
"Well, of course. Our group wasn't complete," Peyton responded, releasing her friend.
"So then, Peyt, what were you asking?" Nathan asked.
"Oh, I just wanted to know how Brooke and Lucas' meeting with Rachel went," Peyton replied.
"You met up with her?" Glenda asked in surprise. What'd I miss while I was gone? she wondered.
"Yeah, well, you know my big heart," Brooke responded. "Besides, she apologized, and we decided to give her another chance," she continued.
"Man, I'm gone from school three days and I miss everything," Glenda griped. "So, what happened?" With that, Lucas proceeded to tell her everything. Glenda's eyes widened when she learned that the girl had been in an accident. Sure, she had been annoyed with the girl for flirting with one of her best friend's boyfriends and had punched her out, but that was in defense of her friend, but that didn't mean she wanted her to be seriously hurt.
"I still can't believe you guys went to see her," Peyton commented with a shake of her head. She really is too trusting sometimes. What if Rachel's just playing them? she wondered with a frown. Well, if that was the case, she'd help Glenda kick her butt. But…if Brooke and Lucas were willing to give her a chance, she'd control herself. After all, Lucas didn't trust very easily, and if he was willing to give Rachel another chance, how could she not do the same? As if sensing her inner struggle, Lucas looked at her and smiled softly.
"I know. And thank you," he said. Then, they fell into an awkward silence.
"So, uh, does anyone know when Rachel's getting out of the hospital?" Nathan wondered.
"Well, when we visited her, she didn't seem to have any major injuries…that we could see anyways, so I'd assume she'd be out pretty soon. But then again, I'm not sure. She could've been more injured than we saw," Brooke answered.
"That makes sense," the others said. Then, they all went to their classes before the warning bell rang. In class, Brooke let her mind wander just a little. Had she really made the right decision? What if Rachel was just playing them? I don't know if I could take it if Lucas' trust got broken, she thought to herself. From the few talks they had had about his past before the Mallones, she knew that her boyfriend had been through a lot. And if she could, she'd like to protect him getting hurt again. While the other kids of Tree Hill were going about their day at school, Rachel's parents were talking to the doctors.
"She's made a good recovery so far, but she's not out of the woods yet. Her accident was really bad. Truthfully, with the extent of the damage that the car sustained, your daughter's lucky to be alive," the doctor stated.
"Is there anything that we can do?" Christina asked.
"Well, we'll have to continue watching her to make sure that there are no complications from the surgery," the doctor stated, causing Christina to turn to her husband in alarm. Complications? She hadn't even thought of that.
"Of course," Peter agreed, patting his wife's wrist soothingly.
"This is just routine of course," the doctor assured, seeing the action. Afterwards, they went back to Rachel's room.
"What's going on? Can I go home now?" the girl asked.
"Sorry, honey. Not yet," Peter told her.
"But I hate it here. I want to go home," Rachel replied with a slight whine.
"I don't blame you," Christina stated. Then, "So, you want to tell us what made you so upset that you were speeding?" Rachel hesitated. How could she explain to them that she had nearly done something really stupid and dangerous? They would kill her! "Honey?" her mother asked. The girl looked at her parents and then made a decision. With a sigh, she told them everything that had happened leading up to the accident.
"I know it was stupid acting that way with a guy-I mean, I know better. You taught me better. I couldn't believe I was acting so stupid," she finished.
"We'll discuss your punishment later. Right now, you just continue getting well," Peter told her.
"Yes, Daddy," Rachel nodded. "I really am sorry," she added.
"I know you are, but it doesn't excuse your behavior."
"I know." Rachel looked down and fiddled with the blankets. I am so grounded, she thought. But it was better than the alternative. She could've died in that crash. Never again. I'm going to stop this foolishness and start being myself again, she determined. She smiled a soft smile. The real Rachel was back. Jackson would be so proud.
