A/N: I just want to apologize for not updating in so long and for that I'm terribly sorry. Who would have thought life could have been so hectic? Well I want to know what YOU ALL have been doing since I've been gone. I hope some of you are still intrigued with my story and I will be apologizing profusely for my lack of updates these past 2 months. Yes I said it 2 months. Whoa I feel so bad, guys! I suck. I really suck for not writing these faster.

So for those of you who are worried about this chapter because it is a school shooting one I just want to say that one outcome will remain the same and everything else will be different.

Chapter Twenty-Six: I'd Come For You

Surprisingly enough it had been a sunny day when school resumed for the second half of the year, but since the month was still in the beginning of a wintery January that meant that the sun might have been out but the wind was blowing ferociously; messing up hairstyles and puffing away hoodies and caps off of the heads of students.

"Okay did you forget to tell me that you dropped out of a rigorous expensive private school?" Peyton asked getting out of the passenger seat of her Comet and zipping up the black sweater before pulling the messenger bag over her shoulder. She had arrived in Tree Hill the night before school was back to resume; the recent long vacation and extra long flight would usually wore any person out, but in Peyton's case it hadn't. She had been too anxious for far too long. "Wait let me rephrase that. Did you get kicked out of Cate School."

"Don't be ridiculous." Fin replied his fingers drumming against the antique car not noticing that he had just parked into a handicap spot. "This will be the last time we see each other for another four months since yeh suddenly decided to stay in this hillbilly town with no explanation on why."

"Some people aren't quitters."

"This coming from the lass who was ready to come back to civilization less than a month ago."

"Hey." Peyton protested pulling her hair into her hands so that it would stop smacking her face. "It's not so bad. It's a safe little town. What could possibly go wrong?"

"Right." Fin nodded unable to fathom the idea of Tree Hill being as great as the sunshine in California. "Listen I have to get back to the airport before my dear ol' pop has me sent orf to the most expensive and brutal military school in the country."

***

Lucas sat in the backseat of his brother's SUV twiddling his fingers across the knee of his jeans. He wasn't sure how to feel; excited that he'd finally get to see Peyton and they can try and get back to where they were or should he feel nervous and antsy seeing as she hadn't returned any of the numerous of calls he had made, the text messages that left unanswered, and the emails that he's sure were left unread.

"Will you stop doing that?" Brooke groaned glaring at Lucas through the mirror as she finished applying the last of her lip gloss. "It's getting annoying."

"Sorry." Lucas sheepishly replied. Nathan had pointed out to him earlier that morning that he was acting like a total girl. "Just nervous."

"Yeah you better be." Brooke spoke nonchalantly before blowing a kiss at herself through the mirror and muttering 'I'm gorgeous.' "Peyton's a total hottie and I'm a girl saying this can you imagine if it was some hormonal boy. You're lucky if she didn't find some nice looking surfer dude to call her boyfriend."

"Not helping." Nathan took his eyes off the road for a second, looked at his girlfriend, and gave her the look.

"Kidding." She said in self defense.

"No you're right, Cheery. I was a total-"

"Doucebag?"

"Ass?"

Nathan and Brooke offered.

"Yeah."

Finding an a parking space seemed to be easy considering they were just fifteen minutes shy of classes beginning. Stepping out of the black car there were suddenly the faint sounds of what seemed to be fire crackers crackling from inside of the school. Thinking nothing of it the trio made their way onto the sidewalk.

"She has to be here." He whispered to himself jamming his hands into his pockets. It was a new trait that no one had witnessed from the ever so suave Scott; and both the dark haired teens caught on.

"She will be." His brother comforted.

Suddenly a rush of students came rushing out of the building alarmed like angry swarming bees as they dropped their belongings, shoved people out of the way in worry of just their own safety, and screamed in pure shock unable to comprehend what just happened and how it could be happening in their school.

"Bevin, what's going on?" Brooke stopped one of her fellow cheerleaders. But the only response she seemed to get was the glossy eyes of the confused girl who covered her mouth with the palm of her hand unyielding the scream from coming out before she ran again. "Okay? What the hell?"

They had become surrounded by the moving bodies jamming into whoever was in front of them trying to escape whatever horror it was that had been committed on school property; a sea of heads rushing faster than the blowing wind itself.

"Hey? Hey!" Nathan shouted, if it was anyone that could get their attention it would surely be the schools star athlete. "What the hell is going on?" But it was as if he was a mute his words running of deaf ears.

"PEYTON? PEYTON!" Finally somebody had said something.

Looking over his shoulder Lucas spots someone he wasn't quite excited to see, seeing as he was on said man's so called "hit list" that involved a pretty bad ass kicking, but as the crowd begin to dwindle and he somehow managed to lose sight of his brother and his brother's girlfriend he had heard someone murmur 'He has a gun'.

"Where's Peyton?" So he found himself grabbing onto Fin's shoulder with such force that he could probably dislocate it.

"She's in there-" He pointed to the closing entrance doors. "-where some psycho has just shot up the school. I need to go find her and make sure she's safe."

"I'll go in. You'll stay put."

"I will do no such-"

"Will you just shut up and listen?" Lucas spoke with venom at the guy who was wasting his time. "I know this school like the back of my hand. I could get to Peyton faster without you slowing me down." Lucas grabbed a hold of one of the football players and gave him strict instructions on getting Fin to the gym safely.

"Let go of me yeh bumbling fool. I need to get in there. Peyton might need me." Fin called for the blonde haired basketball player. "Lucas! Lucas you better tell this wazzock to let go of me." No response. "Lucas get yehr arse back here."

But he had already made it through the double doors stepping over dropped book bags, and occasionally sliding across on binder paper that was thrown casually across the linoleum floor.

Lucas looked around for a sign, any sign at all. Something that would tell him if Peyton was there or if she was safe outside that's when his eyes caught hold of the blood stains near the broken glass. He hoped that it wasn't her, but he couldn't just leave knowing that if she or someone else had been hurt.

Following the beads down the silent hall he moved on light feet and kept an open ear to any sort of sound just in case someone might be trying to sneak up on him. He had no objects to defend himself, just his hands and he was willing to use them if he had to fight for his life.

The blood had stopped in front of the library doors the handles smeared with the red bodily fluid. Not thinking twice he twisted the handles open the slight squeaking echoed through the hall causing Lucas to cringe hoping that no one had heard. Entering the room it was quite, but he knew someone had to be using it as a safe haven as the droplets of staining red blood began to formulate once again.

He moved down the steps with ease looking over the smaller bookshelves hoping to find the person in need, but as the pools got bigger and the reds got darker he knew he was coming close and he counted till three before he turned the corner leaping ahead spooking the person who sat in the corner thinking she'd be safe in between the large book cases unable to run if this situation had happened. She screamed in shock burying her face into her knees afraid that it might be the gunman and her life would be over.

"Peyton." He rushed to her side kneeling down beside her. "Peyt?"

"Luke?" She looked up quickly wrapping her arms around him and wincing in the process. "Ouch."

"You're bleeding." Lucas noted feeling the warm liquid seeping through his long sleeved t shirt. "I need to get you out of here. I'm going to get you out of here." He tried to get her to stand, but failed when she pulled away warning him that she had already tried, but the pain had become overbearing for her.

Peyton looked down; it must have been the shock from the whole ordeal because she hadn't noticed until now that her shirt had been drenched in the red sticky matter. The adrenaline pumping through her veins had caused an extra excess of blood to gush through her open wound.

"Oh." She finally felt the pain that coursed through her body the feeling of dizziness. "It was Jimmy. He shot the gun."

"Who?"

"Jimmy, Luke, it was Jimmy." When Lucas just shook her head she wanted to groan. After all of this it was as if the loner boy was invisible. "The guy on the time capsule who spoke after me."

"The one that was angry?" Lucas questioned.

"He was just lonely and scared, Luke."

"No, he wouldn't have done this if he wasn't angry." He tried to make her understand that no sane person no matter how lonely would do such a thing.

Not wanting to start a fight she just nodded the sleepiness becoming more powerful over her cause her to fluttered her eyes open and close.

"Hey, you have to stay awake." He ran ideas through his mind trying to think of a way to keep her awake. "Tell me about a good day."

"My mom…" She began but stopped when the throbbing became excruciating.

"What about your mom?" It was the only thing Lucas could do in hopes that she wouldn't dwell too much on the pain.

"Mom was always famous for her birthday blowouts. All the kids wanted to be there." Peyton smiled weakly remembering fondly at the many memories she had.

"Oh yeah? What was the best one?"

"My eight birthday. That was a good one." She laughed momentarily the whole heartily laugh before it abruptly stops the pain in her abdomen winning over. "The cops shut us down."

"The cops shut down an eight year olds birthday party?" At Peyton's nod Lucas laughed in disbelief.

"And arrested the clown."

"What? No."

"Yeah. My mom freaked out when she realized that the white powder on his nose wasn't from the donuts on the snack table. "

***

Lucas' blue orbs stared holes onto the clock the minutes turning into an hour and the hour turning into hours. He watched the shadows begin to form as the sun moved from across the horizon. He heard her hum a song from the band he disliked, but wouldn't admit it because she seemed to adore them.

"I'm tired, Luke? Are you tired?"

"Yeah, but we can't fall asleep okay. Just keep talking to me." He watched as the minute turned to the next.

"If I say-" she whispered. "-I love you right now-" This statement caught him off guard as he shot his head down to her side to look at her. "-will you hold it against me cause I've lost a lot of blood."

He didn't understand. She couldn't be saying this to him as a 'just in case I don't make it' scenario.

"Come here." Peyton mumbled even though he was sitting next to him already he moved his face closer to her thinking she was going to tell him something, but was caught by surprise when he felt her lips graze his. "Just in case you can't keep your promise."

And he was right. This was all in a 'just in case' situation. He wouldn't have any of it. "I'm going to get you out of here. And when I do than you can tell me and mean it."

Time seemed to stand still and when Lucas felt Peyton's head slump on his shoulder he realized it was now or never. He needed to get her out otherwise if he waited another minute than those would be her famous last words.

She felt light in his arms almost weightless while he carried her up the stairs the door slamming behind him and he regretfully closed his eyes. He could tell that had been a major mistake when he heard the yelling echo of someone screaming "The school is on lockdown!" The vibration bouncing off the walls wasn't too far away.

Lucas had made it, so he thought through the last door before it led him to the exit.

"Where do you think you're going?"

A gun being pointed at your face isn't a thing you want to go through and Lucas wouldn't wish it upon his worst enemy who at the moment happened to be the one with the pistol doing the aiming.

"Jimmy, right?"

"I'm shocked." Jimmy laughed sarcastically. "I had no idea you knew who I was. Every one of your jock friends calls me lard man, but you actually know my name. Or is it that you finally know my name when I have this in my hand." His hand began to shake nervously.

"And I'm sorry for that. I am, but right now this girl in my arms is bleeding and if I don't get her out of here there's a chance she might die."

Jimmy looked perplexed unable to grasp the idea that this was happening or the fact that he had shot the only person who had tried to make friends with him before the tape was released.

"Hi." Peyton walked into her math class sitting in the only open seat available. "I said hi?"

"What?" Looking up Jimmy looked up from his text book. Someone was actually speaking to him, someone who happened to be part of the 'it' crowd. "You're talking to me?"

"Yeah you are the only person I'll be sitting next to. Is it just me or are all these other girls blind an open seat next to a good looking dude. Boy it must be my lucky day?" She took a seat winking at him causing him to blush.

"Okay I'm not in the mood for any jokes today."

"I'm not trying to mess with your head. I swear." A friendly smile graced her lips making him believe her. "I'm Peyton."

"I'm Jimmy."

"Well Jimmy it's nice to meet you." Extending her hand out he took it without hesitation.

"Yeah you too."

"She was the only one nice to me. She wanted to be my friend. "Jimmy's voice began to waver. "I- I didn't mean to hurt her." He whimpered. "She wanted to be my friend."

And she still wanted to be his friend after the time capsule was leaked.

"Hey there lard man. You think I'm a loser, huh, you're the one with no friends. And you think my girlfriends going to get fat? Have you looked in the mirror lately?" One of the jocks began to taunt throwing Jimmy's book onto the ground.

"What's your problem?" Peyton came from behind punching the said jock in the arm. "Why don't you go learn how to read and throw the steroids away?" She went to retrieve the books as names began to be thrown her way. "Hey are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Please just go away."

"Jimmy, its me, Peyton."

"Yeah I know who you are. You're just like the rest of them. Liars."

"Look Jimmy if anything you shouldn't be trying to push me away. We're in the same boat here. I reveled something on that tape too that ruined my relationship and friendship. Hell if it makes you feel any better it ruined the stupid popularity status that they unwillingly bestowed upon me."

"You can't say we're the same because we're not." Jimmy replied taking the books away from Peyton.

"Yeah you know what you're right. We're not in the same situation because you said they were all losers and I only said that they sucked." Peyton smiled watching Jimmy turn around and face her as he returned the contagious smile. "Come on what do you say we can go study for Mr. Andrew's final. I heard it's going to be killer." He hesitated. "Come on I'll even add in popcorn."

"I would never hurt her."

"I know you wouldn't. So please just let us go."

"I didn't mean it." He kept telling Lucas or maybe he was trying to tell Peyton who seemed dead to the world the blood drained from her face. "I- I just wanted them to leave me alone." He pounded the gun to his chest his voice breaking as he knelt to the ground. "It hurts. It just hurts. It always hurts." With his free hand he banged his fist above his heart. "I just wanted them to like me." He began crying.

"I like you." The voice sounded vibrant compared to his. Looking up he found that it had been Peyton who had said the three words that he had waited to hear for so long. "You're a good friend Jimmy Edwards."

"Please." Lucas pleaded feeling Peyton go limp once again.

"Go." Jimmy said softly, but when Lucas hesitated he said it with authority. "Save her!"

This time Lucas didn't delay as he ran out as carefully and as fast as his feet would carry him. He'd made it five steps out the door when he heard one last final gun shot, but he couldn't think twice about it now that Peyton was being taken out of his hands and into an ambulance and he was forced onto the ground by a swat team.

Once on his feet Lucas looked around. The armored cars blocking the town's people's view. He could barely catch a glimpse of his mother, father, and Uncle Keith; all waiting for any kind of news. That's when he realized Peyton's chilling words were true. They're going to come now, all of them. The reporters, the psychologists, the analysts, and the so called experts and they're going to try and make sense of this, but they're not going to be able to. And yet with all the help that they're going to get us it will all be useless because the victims are always going to carry this tragedy with them. We will always carry this day with us. It will never be the same.

And that's what all of this was a terrible tragedy.

A/N: So there you have it. Long awaited and again I'm so sorry for that. I had so much trouble just writing this chapter because it is a sore subject and I didn't want to mess it up, but I just wanted to say that it was really nothing like 3x16. The scenarios are different. Remember Dan was in Lucas' life as a father so he had no reason in being jealous of Keith so he never let Keith into that school or killed him. Just wanted to point that out.

Name of Title is a song by Nickelback