A/N: First of all, I want to thank the people that left a review with their messages and keeping my brother and his friends in their prayers. It meant a lot. The fundraiser they held for Andrew was incredibly successful.

Second, thank you to all my readers that have stuck by me throughout this story. You guys are awesome! And thanks for all your reviews. Morgan, thank you too for all your help!

Third, and last, I am so sad to say this, but we're only a few chapters away from the end. By a few chapters, I mean literally like four chapters and an epilogue and it's done! I'm really not wanting it to end. I hope everyone likes this chapter!!

Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or its characters!

"I can't believe they didn't show up. Brooke's been dreaming of this day since we were ten!" Tim whispered to Peyton and Lucas in the row in front of him. It was graduation. Everyone was there. Well, everyone except Brooke and Nathan.

"And for our two missing graduates, your valedictorian, Haley James, will be accepting their diplomas on their behalf. Haley," Principal Turner said, giving her the podium to speak.

"I know I already made a speech and I'm sure you're all ready to leave and go party. But I have one more thing to say. Brooke Davis and Nathan Scott were, unfortunately, not able to make it today. And for them, I would like to accept their diplomas for them and say a few words about them. I'm sure you all know that this year was not the easiest year for my friends and me, especially Brooke and Nathan. We all went through many emotions; happiness, betrayal, sadness, heartache, and tragedy. But Brooke and Nathan went through the worst tragedy I can think of.

"As a mother myself, I understand the love a parent has for their child. I can't envision two people more ready and willing to be parents than Brooke and Nathan were. Sadly, their child was taken from them before anyone was ready. And Molly Erin Scott, if you're up there watching us, I want you to know that you will always be loved by your parents. And for everyone here, please do me one favor as you get ready to embark on the next journey of your life. Look at your loved ones; whether that may be your mother, father, brother, sister, grandparents, girlfriend, boyfriend, best friend, or just someone you hung out with in class; and tell them how much they mean to you. Don't let them walk away from you without knowing you love them. Make the most of your life and theirs. Thank you so much."

As Haley finished her speech, everyone was on their feet applauding. There were several people with tears streaming down their faces; mainly Lucas, Haley, Peyton, Tim, Karen, and Dan. The words Haley used to talk about Brooke and Nathan were so true and she wanted everyone to know it.

"You did great Hales," Peyton said, giving her a hug.

"Thanks. Okay, you guys ready to go? We've got a lot to do in one night!" she reminded them. Everyone loaded up in the cars and headed for Karen's Café.

The Next Morning:

"Brooke! Wake up!" Nathan shouted, shaking her by the shoulders. She popped up, barely missing hitting his chin with her head.

"Nathan!" she cried, throwing herself at him and burying her face in his chest.

"Shh, it's okay baby. It was just a dream," he replied, rubbing her back. These nightmares were getting a little out of hand. Nathan's were starting to go away. He had maybe two nightmares in the last three nights. As long as Brooke was curled up against him, he was getting better. Brooke, on the other hand, was getting worse. She refused to even try to sleep. Of course, her body wouldn't let her stay awake. She had gotten maybe four hours of sleep the last week.

"Come on; let's get you something to eat. Pancakes always make you feel better!" Nathan said with a slight laugh as Brooke started to calm down. She nodded her head, tugged on one of his large hoodies, and followed him down the stairs. Stepping off the last step, she ran right into Nathan's back.

"Ugh, Nathan. Move!" She mumbled, trying to push him out of the way.

"What's going on?" she heard him ask. She peered around him to see everyone standing in the kitchen like they were waiting for them.

"Nathan, Brooke, please have a seat. We need to talk to you," Dan said in the calmest voice Nathan had ever heard him use.

"No, I asked you what's going on dad. You know Brooke and I don't want to see anyone right now."

"I think that's part of the problem son. Just please, try to be reasonable and have a seat. We can all explain what's going on easier if you cooperate," Dan replied. Brooke and Nathan took a seat at the breakfast bar that faced everyone, Brooke huddling close to Nathan.

"Brooke, Nathan, first of all, we need you to know that we all love you," Karen said, standing next to Dan as Lucas, Haley, Peyton, and Tim sat at the kitchen table behind them. "Second, we're all very worried about you. Dan has told us about waking up to one or both of you screaming, and the incident with the bat. And the kids have told Dan and I about the few incidents in class where Brooke has woken up screaming and that you are very isolated from everyone."

"We just lost our daughter Karen. What do you expect from us? All rays of fucking sunshine?" Nathan asked, getting angry at the idea of being ambushed by their so-called friends.

"Nate, please don't get angry. We're just trying to help," Tim said, standing from the table but not letting go of Peyton's hand.

"Help? You call this help? Bombarding us with your so-called worry? This isn't help. Help would be letting us deal with this on our own terms, like we asked you to do!" Nathan shouted, standing from his chair so fast, it fell backwards. He looked from the group to Brooke, seeing the frightened look on her face.

"Nathan, try to understand where we're coming from. We're worried about you guys!" Peyton cried, tightening her grip on Tim's hand.

"No, you try to understand where we're coming from! Out of everyone, I expected you and Tim to understand the best. You're our best friends! And yet, you went along with this? Whatever, I'm done. Let's go Brooke!" Nathan said, reaching for Brooke's hand from his spot behind her. She just sat there, not moving, her gaze locked with Peyton's.

"Brooke, come on," Nathan growled. Anyone in the room could feel the tension between the two. Hardly sleeping was really taking a toll on them.

"B. Davis, please don't go," Peyton whispered, standing from her seat, letting go of Tim's hand, and walking towards her.

Brooke tore her gaze from Peyton to look back at Nathan.

What are you doing?" Nathan whispered. Brooke looked from Nathan to Peyton and back to Nathan again.

"Nate, maybe they're right. Maybe we can't do this on our own. Maybe we do need help," she whispered to him, getting up from her seat at the breakfast bar and approaching Nathan. Everyone stood still and silent waiting.

"B, you were the one that said you didn't want anyone else's help."

"I know that Nate, and I thought I didn't. But maybe I was wrong," Brooke took his hands in hers, staring up into his eyes full of tears. "Maybe they can help."

"Brooke, I don't know. I mean, what can they really do for us that we haven't tried ourselves?" he whispered in her ear.

"I don't know. But I do know that I can't keep going on like this. Just trust me okay?" Nathan nodded his agreement and let Brooke lead him around the breakfast bar towards their friends and family.

"I missed you B. Davis," Peyton whispered, wrapping her arms around Brooke in a much needed hug. Brooke, with her free hand, tugged Nathan into the hug. He came forward with a sad smile on his face, wrapping his arms around the girls as Tim rushed forward and joined in.

"We missed you too P. Sawyer," Brooke whispered back, hanging on for dear life.

Two Days Later:

"So, Brooke, Nathan, Dan has given me the short story of why you're here. Would you like to give me the full story?" Dr. Reed asked, sitting across from them. Dan and Karen had researched and found one of the best counselors in Tree Hill for Brooke and Nathan to talk to. Dr. Vivian Reed specialized in areas like theirs. Brooke was sitting on the white leather couch, legs crossed, in her "I'm too tired to dress up jeans," and a plain grey t-shirt. Nathan was next to her, one arm around her shoulders, tense as all get out, in basketball shorts and a red polo shirt.

"I don't really know what to say," Brooke whispered, looking at Nathan from the corner of her eye.

"How about this; why don't I start and tell you what I do know and then you can join in and elaborate at any time?" Dr. Reed suggested. Nathan and Brooke nodded their heads as Dr. Reed started.

"Okay, when Dan contacted me, I have to admit I wasn't very surprised. My sister-in-law was your doctor. She comes to talk to me when something like this happens so I had already heard about your daughter. Dan filled in a few more blanks for me such as the isolation, hardly eating, the anger before the funeral, not sleeping very well, and hearing one or both of you waking up screaming. Is that the gist of it?"

"Pretty much," Nathan answered. Dr. Reed could tell that they weren't going to get very far with this first meeting.

"Nathan, would you mind giving Brooke and me a moment to ourselves? Perhaps you could go find the vending machine and get Brooke a soda?" Dr. Reed asked, wanting to get Brooke alone and see if she would open up.

"No way, I'm not leaving her alone!"

"Nate, it's okay. Just go, I'll be fine!" Brooke said, forcing a smile.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Besides, I am kind of thirsty!" she chuckled. Nathan gave up, sighing in defeat as he left the room and headed to the first floor of the building in search of the vending machines.

"He's very protective of you. I can see how much he loves you," Dr. Reed commented.

"Yes, he does. We've been best friends since we were little kids and we've been together for a while now. It's hard not to love someone that you've been with, in one way or another, your whole life," Brooke replied.

"That's great. That bond is something that the two of you are really going to have to depend on in the future to make it through this. And you will, you know that, right Brooke?"

"No, but I hope we do Dr. Reed," Brooke said, a sad smile coming to her face.

"Please, call me Vivian. And you will, with my help. Now, do you think you can talk about your daughter yet?"

"I can try," Brooke said quietly. Vivian just nodded in reply, setting a box of tissues on the end table next to Brooke in case she needed them.

"Nathan and I weren't together for very long when I got pregnant. It actually happened the first time we had sex. Our friend Haley, Nathan's ex, was already pregnant by my ex, Lucas. By that time, all the anger Nathan and I had towards them was already gone. They were together and happy and in love and pregnant. Nathan and I were finally together and in love and happy.

"When I found out I was pregnant, I was terrified. But I knew I had to stay strong for that baby inside of me. I didn't have the best childhood and neither did Nathan so I was determined to give my child the best I could. Nathan was, well, he was very upset. All he knew were his dreams of the NBA and my dreams of my own fashion line were gone the minute we found out I was pregnant. We argued a lot. We broke up. He demanded I get an abortion. I said no. At my first doctor appointment, Lucas was with me. And then Nathan barged into the room, apologizing for being late. After the appointment, he apologized to me for the way he acted and said it didn't matter about out dreams because the only dream he had now was the life he was going to have with me and our child.

"So we got back together. And everything was amazing. Haley was a little further ahead in her pregnancy so it was nice having someone to go to about my symptoms. We had picked out baby names one night for a boy and a girl since we wanted to be surprised. And then came that day. The baby was always very active. It didn't matter what time of day it was, the baby was always moving. So when I stopped feeling any movement, I started to worry but decided to give it another day. If only I had told someone, she might be alive. So two days later, I finally told Haley and she took me to my doctor immediately.

"I could tell Dr. Thomas was worried but she didn't say anything until the ultrasound. When she told me the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby's neck, I thought they could fix it. Then she said the baby was already gone and I would either have to deliver it or wait for labor to come naturally. As much as I didn't want to deliver my dead child, I couldn't stand the thought of it staying inside of me for another week or so. So I said I would do it but it had to be that day.

"When Nathan got there, I lost it. He had just gotten excited about the baby not long before this happened. He had given up his dreams of the NBA for the dream of a family with me. And I couldn't give it to him.

"The labor was rough. I didn't know it would be that difficult. Nathan was great though, stood by my side the whole time holding my hand. When the baby came out and they told us it was a girl, for a moment I was happy. I always wanted a baby girl. But then I didn't hear her cry and remembered that she was dead. Those thirty minutes alone with her before they took her away were the hardest thirty minutes of my life. I don't even know what color eyes she had," Brooke cried. She couldn't believe she was able to get that much out.

"You did great Brooke. I know it doesn't seem like it now, but talking about it is really going to help in the long run. Can you tell me what it was like after you went home from the hospital?" Vivian asked, thankful that Nathan hadn't figured out there weren't any vending machines in the building and hadn't returned yet. They were really getting somewhere now.

"I was angry. And sad. And confused. I didn't know what to do with myself. I would just lie in bed for days at a time. I didn't sleep, I hardly ate. And even then it was only when Nathan's begging me to eat got so annoying that the only way to shut him up was to eat. Any little thing could set me off. Nathan could just look at me a different way and I would be angry. I slapped and hit Nathan more times after we lost Molly than I ever remember hitting someone. I don't know what came over me, but losing Molly just made me so mad.

"My friends didn't know how to be around me. Not that I wanted them around. Nathan and Dan wouldn't let anyone in to see me until the funeral. And even at the funeral, I didn't speak to anyone. I sat in the church and at the cemetery in silence, not looking at anyone. I was afraid that I would lose it if I spoke. So I kept quiet, not wanting to make a scene. But after the funeral, back at Nathan's house, I ended up making a scene. Haley went into labor that day and I don't know why, but it made me so angry. I took it out on her. I yelled at her for going into labor the day of Molly's funeral, like it was her fault, like she meant to just to spite me. It was like I blamed her for being able to still have a baby when I lost mine.

"And then I made up my mind. I couldn't stay here any longer while everyone tried to get me to talk about it. It was like they couldn't understand that it was too hard for me to talk about it. So I found Nathan at the cemetery that night at Molly's grave. I told him I was leaving and he told me I couldn't. He gave me this long speech about how much he loved me and needed me and how much he knew I needed him even if I didn't know it. And in that moment, I knew he was right. I didn't just lose a daughter, we lost a daughter. So I stayed. We moved into his dad's house officially. And then our routine began. And the nightmares began.

"At first, I thought it was normal to have these kinds of nightmares after something like this happens. We would try to sleep at first but the nightmares kept waking us up. Normally I would wake up first screaming, and that would wake up Nate. One night, Dan ran in the room with a baseball bat, thinking we were getting hurt or something, I'm not sure. So finally, we decided to stop sleeping. We started taking turns. One of us would stay awake and if the other person started dreaming, we would wake them up before it got too late.

"And at school, we stayed away from everyone. None of our friends even tried to talk to us. I thought it was kind of weird for them to stay away, but I guess they figured we needed the time alone. Nathan and I had almost every class together. So we would also take turns sleeping in class. The one class we didn't have together is when I had psychology and he had math. A few times I fell asleep in that class and woke up screaming. People kind of shied away from me after that, thinking I was a freak or something. I thought maybe with time it would get better, but it's not. I know I told Nathan that I originally didn't want help.

"But seeing all our friends and family standing in that kitchen asking us to get help, something clicked inside my head. I realized that Nathan and I can't handle this on our own. That most adults can't handle something like this on their own. And as much as we try to act like it, we're not adults yet. We're still, essentially, kids. And I saw how worried they all were over us. I hate to make them worry. So I thought maybe this would be good for us," Brooke explained, amazed at how much better she felt already.

"I think this will be good for you too. Our time is almost up now. I know we didn't really get Nathan to talk and that's okay. I can already tell that this is harder for him than it is for you. It's understandable. A lot of times, the father has a harder time talking about it than the mother. I'm not entirely sure why, that's just how it seems to happen," Vivian said with a slight laugh. "But maybe next week, we can get him to open up. Maybe I can have you go look for vending machines that don't actually exist in this building!"

"Are you serious?" Brooke asked, a smile on her lips, eyes wide in disbelief. Vivian just nodded her head and Brooke started to giggle.

"There are no vending machines in this entire damn building!" Nathan growled, bursting into the room at that moment.

"What's so funny?" he asked at seeing Brooke laughing.

"Nothing Nate. Don't worry about it," Brooke replied. "Our time is up. Let's go home."

"I'll see you two next week, same time?"

"Yeah, that sounds good Dr. Reed. Thanks!" Brooke said, shaking her hand before walking out of the room.

"Is she okay?" Nathan asked in concern for Brooke.

"She's okay right now Nathan. Doesn't mean that everything she talked about might hit her full force later tonight. She did well though. Just try to be there for her tonight, she needs your support just as much as you need hers. And I expect to hear from you next week!" Dr. Reed said brightly, walking him to the door.

"I…uh…I'll….um…I mean, I don't know if…I have to go," Nathan stammered. Dr. Reed just chuckled as he left in search of Brooke. She had seen this kind of case before. She knew it was going to be hard for Nathan to talk about it. But Brooke did extremely well on her first day of counseling. She was able to open up and really start to give Dr. Reed the insight she needed to help her.

A/N: So? Like it? Hate it? Let me know!!