So, I am very sorry for this very long delay. I've actually started this a long time ago but I didn't know how to end it. I won't give you any excuses just know that I'm really sorry. At least it's here now right? Anyway... I won't keep you waiting any longer.

Just a short recap of what happened in the past chapters so that you don't have to go back to the last chapters:

Lucas and Peyton were still together. At the day of graduation, Brooke tells Lucas that she's leaving for California and she's not coming back. She wants to move on, and she believes that this is the only way to do so. She needs to leave Tree Hill so that she can be free of this never ending cycle between the two of them. Lucas lets her go, thinking that this was for the best for all of them. Peyton confronts him about Brooke's departure. She tells him to go after her because she loves her friend and she believes that Brooke and Lucas love each other more than they think. Peyton then tells Jake that the reason she let Lucas go was because she realized how selfish she had been and that everyone deserves to be happy; she tells him that she wants to be happy which is why she is with him, not Lucas. When Lucas got home to get something to give to Brooke, he came across Chase who was apparently waiting for him. They chat about Brooke and how she loves him. He asks Lucas if he still loved him and at that moment Lucas knew that he did, he truly did. He goes to Rachel's house and finds Brooke who seemed to have been crying incessantly in the bathroom. He tells her that she shouldn't leave and that they should be together. They fight and all things left unspoken came out. Brooke tells Lucas that if he really loved him, then he should let her go; so he did. He goes home and tries to sleep but to no avail. He just can't shake her from his thoughts. He then finds a new found courage and strength that caused him to run more than 10 blocks just to reach her in time. When he got to her room, it was already empty except for a distraught Peyton. When he gets home after that heartbreaking moment, he finds her in his room impatiently waiting for him. Apparently, Peyton was a better friend than they both thought because it was actually a late-night call from her that sealed the deal. He then tells him that since it was his fault that she had no place to stay, he would have the privilege to take care of her. She tells him that she's not afraid of the future anymore. Whether they end up together or not, she just wants to spend today like this and enjoy it while it lasts. Whatever tomorrow would bring, they're going to go through it together.

Wow, that was long. Even I honestly forgot some of the stuff in this story because of the long delay. I apologize again. So anyway, here is the FINAL chapter of the story. Thank you to everyone who's read and reviewed!

"Please settle down everyone, we are about to start the program in a few minutes," a thirty something woman on the podium announced. After her announcement, everyone started returning to their seats and got ready. Once the crowd had already settled down, the woman decided to carry on with the program.

"Good evening to all of you. I'm pretty sure that all of you are aware of the reason why we are all gathered here today. We are here to commemorate the retirement of our very own Coach Lucas Scott. He has been with us for more than 5 decades, mourned for our losses, and cheered for our gains. He truly has been a big part of Tree Hill High. He, like our old beloved coach, the late Whitey Durham will continue to be one of our school's prides. Aside from this, he is also a good friend, husband, and father," she says then glances at someone from the audience then returns to her speech. "Tonight marks the end of his career as a coach, but is this the end of everything he has achieved? The answer my friends, is no. What he has partaken with us will forever be instilled within our minds and our soul. Tonight is only the beginning of a legend, a legend that we will refer to in the future as The Great Lucas Scott!" the woman was applauded by the crowd accompanied by a few cheers and hollers from the younger people.

"So without further ado, I present to you, your coach, and my father, the one and only Lucas Scott!" the woman announced. Right on cue, an old man, probably around the age of 70 or above, came into sight. The crowd cheered and some even whistled distinctly. Lucas took the woman in his arms and the woman didn't even hesitate on hugging back. She whispered in his ear, "Go get 'em, Dad!" gave him a small smile that projected her gorgeous dimples that never failed to warm his heart, those that mirrored the ones of someone who has forever inscribed her name in his heart. He then pulled back and watched as his youngest daughter took a seat in the audience while he made his way towards the podium.

"So, I see that all of you are here to see me off. Finally, that old sleazebag retires! No more suicides!" he joked which earned a few chuckle from his audience. "You know, I remember many years ago, I was the one in the audience watching my coach announcing his retirement, and as much as I wanted to rejoice, I couldn't. You see that old guy was a pain in the ass, definitely…" he said, and the people laughed again and some of the elders in the room seemed to agree with him. "But I couldn't deny that I owe him everything. That guy changed my life you know? Gave me direction, and I honestly believe that if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be standing here in front of you giving you this dreadfully long speech. I didn't want him to leave, not just for me, but for himself as well. The Ravens was his life, and to see it being taken away from him was torture, but now that I'm in the same position he was, I've come to realize that it isn't that bad. Because in truth, the things that I love aren't being taken away from me, they'll always be there…" he trailed off as his eyes scanned the crowd.

Right in front of him sat the people he had called his family before he actually had one of his own. It was the old gang, with the addition of some new faces, but all in all, they were all there. There they were, Haley, Nathan, Mouth, Rachel, Skillz, Bevin, Jake, Peyton… complete… well almost.

"I won't be losing them. Basketball, well basketball will always be basketball and no matter what happens it will always remain a big part of my life and even if I won't be your coach anymore does not mean that I can't enjoy the game anymore. Right? True it won't be the same but that's the way life works right? Everything passes, and we each have our time, and I guess I had mine." He said slightly choking on his last words as tears started forming in his eyes. Unbeknownst to him, his audience was tearing up as well.

"Throughout my life, I've learned a lot of things… been through a lot. I was the illegitimate son of one of the most influential men in this town and grew up with a single mom. My half brother hated me and made sure that I spent everyday of life in misery the minute I stepped on his court as he called it. He was pretty much an ass," he stated.

"Hey! I resent that!" Nathan protested from the audience which earned a laugh from everyone in the room.

"Yeah, but later on we were able to get past because he married this girl, who just so happened to be my best friend. And though I was against their relationship at the start, what can I say… they grew on me. I mean who could resist Naley right? They're supposed to be this couple who had this epic romance that we only wished we could have." He paused for a minute then glanced at Haley and Nathan holding each other and smiling sweetly at him.

"And for a time, I had to admit, even I was jealous of them. That was of course until I realized that I had what they had all along and I didn't even notice until it almost slipped away from me. She was beautiful, God was she beautiful. She looked like a goddess and I wondered why she ever stuck with me. Needless to say I made a lot of mistakes in my life and not appreciating her as much as she deserved was one them. I broke her heart a handful of times, but she never gave up on me. Her pure love never ended, though mind you, I had to move heaven and earth to make things right every time I screwed up, but it was more than worth it. I was her Broody, and she was my Cheery. We didn't have much in common, except for our unending love for each other. There were times when I wanted to just hold her for hours but there were also times when I just wanted to wring her neck. If you knew her, you'd know exactly what I'm talking about. It was a miracle that we were able to survive almost 50 years together, almost 45 of those we spent as husband and wife. It would have been much longer if only… if only…" he trailed off slightly choking on his tears. He had to pause for a while and take out his hanky and dried his tears away before he continued.

"As you all might know, my beloved wife passed away exactly 2 years ago, and I remember it exactly like it was just yesterday. She wasn't sick or anything, she just told me that she was ready, and then with one final I love you, her beautiful hazel brown eyes closed never to open ever again." He said tears flowing from his eyes and this time the whole audience was in tears as well.

He transferred his gaze towards the table that was position right beside the old gang's table. This time, the people who were sitting there was indeed his family. His children and grandchildren all listened intently to his speech, tears glistening in their eyes as they replay their mother/grandmother's last moments with them.

"My Brooke might not be here anymore, but I know that she's there somewhere, watching over us. She'll never be gone, and these people sitting in front of me are proof." He stated as he motion towards his children who were smiling gratefully at him.

"We were blessed with three children, two boys and a girl… just as Brooke always wanted. We were never the perfect family, but we were as close as it could get. We all loved each other, and despite all the scream fests, arguments, talks, and all those family stuff, at the end of the day, we were still a family. A family who loved each other. Brooke loved our children; she always put them first before herself. She always doubted she'd be a good mother, but I never did. I knew she'd be the best mother especially for my children, and she was and even more. I can't imagine spending the rest of my life with except her. We had our ups and downs, but I would never trade her anyone in the world. She's the one for me. And even now that she's not here anymore, we all still carry a piece of her in our hearts and with that alone I know she'd never be truly gone," he said then wiped the tears that had fallen on his face.

"So what's the point of me yapping about my life to you guys? Bottom line is, even if I leave these halls today, we will all carry a part of each other never to be lost, even with time. Don't feel bad for me because I'm content with my life. I understand that I've had my time, and I am simply moving on. Moving on to what, you may ask. I honestly don't know, all I know is that it's going to take me one step closer to my beloved Brooke. Someday when you youngsters grow up, and you'll be the ones up here making a complete fool of yourself, you'll what it feels like. But don't think too ahead of yourselves though. Enjoy your youth; take things one day at a time. Share it with the ones you love and make sure that you spend every waking day you have telling them so, because you might regret it someday if you don't. So what do you say I wrap up this overly long speech and let you on with your lives? Just to let you know, this isn't a 'goodbye' my friends… it's only a 'see you later'. Thank you and have a wonderful evening and a wonderful life," he wished them as he concluded his speech.

He was applauded by everyone and they even gave him a standing ovation. As he scanned the people in front of him, his eyes landed on an empty spot. Among his friends table, there was an empty seat that should have been filled by wonderful woman that was full of love and cheeriness and now, he could only see in his dreams. He didn't know if it was the champagne or the tears in his eyes that was clouding his vision, but all of a sudden there she was, smiling at him mouthing a soft 'I love you'. It seemed like they were 18 again, happy and more in love than anyone could imagine.

He could feel the tears burning in his eyes again as he mouthed an 'I love you too' back. She waved at him then with a blink of an eye, her image vanished, but she knew that in some ways, she will never be gone. After two painful and lonely years that he's lived without her, he doesn't know how long he can take. But he knows that soon enough, they're going to be together again. There is no doubt that no matter what happens, they'll be back in each other's embrace because as the old saying goes… "People who are meant to be always find their way in the end." And there was no doubt in his mind that they were meant to be… it was only that 'the end' that he so desperately waited for. He was even sure that she'd meet him half way. It was only a matter of time.

He smiled and looked up towards the sky then slowly closed his eyes, savoring the moment like it was his last. He softly whispered, "I'm coming Pretty Girl."

At that moment, he knew, he was ready.

-The End-

So there it was. I hope it didn't disappoint you guys. And like I said I'm really sorry for the major delay. Please review!

Thanks to everyone who's read my story. I hope that you read my other story that is still on going right now, "The Sweetest Mistake I've Ever Made." It's quite an improvement for me actually! Anyways. With that I end this story :)