''Hey Hales,'' Lucas greeted as he slowly walked into his best friend's bedroom. He was relieved to see that she was dressed, and showered. Peyton had finally allowed him to go and see her, because they had figured Nathan would have left or they would have talked about what's going on with her.

Haley smiled at the sight of Lucas. She was so relieved that he was okay. She hadn't seen him much because she was with Nathan most of the time, while he was with Peyton. But she couldn't help but smile at the sight of him here, alive. ''Hey Luke.'' she said softly, watching at he placed his cane near the bed and lay down next to her, leaning his back against her headboard, just like she was.

''I'm sorry for not being around much. How are you coping with all of this?''

Haley nudged him lightly. ''You've just been shot, the question is how are you coping with all of this?''

''God, Haley.'' Lucas mock gasped in a girly tone. ''That was, like, so four weeks ago. Get with the programme.''

Haley effectively laughed, something she's not done ever since the shooting. ''I know, sorry. I was, like, getting my nails done. I totally broke one yesterday and it was, like, all I could think about.'' she said in the same tone as Lucas.

''Are you happy, Haley?'' Lucas asked, stopping all of the joking. He had to see if what Julian said was right, if this was affecting her more than any of them could understand.

''Of course I'm not happy about it, Luke. I don't ever feel happy, I don't even feel sad any more. I just... don't feel anything.''

Lucas looked at her in concern. ''What do you mean?''

''I don't feel happy. And when I try to change it, when I try to remember what being happy felt like, I can't. I don't feel joy. I don't feel inspired. I feel numb.'' she told him softly, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

''What makes you happy? Nathan?''

Haley shook her head. ''Being with Nathan won't fix everything. God, I just feel so... disconnected.''

''Why?''

And that's when she snapped. ''It all just seems so fake. This idea that good things happen to good people and there's magic in the world, and that the meek and righteous will inherit it. There are too many good people who suffer for something like that to be true. There are too many prayers that get unanswered. Every day we ignore how completely broken this world is, and we tell ourselves it's all going to be okay. You're gonna be okay. But it's not okay. And once you know that, there's no going back. There's no magic in the world.'' she broke down, and the tears rolled down her eyes. It felt kinda good to get all that off her chest, but it didn't stop the pain.

Lucas pulled her into his arms, holding her as she cried. ''Don't hit me, but it is gonna be okay. Because I'm gonna get you through this. I'm so sorry.''

''I just don't know why this happened to us,'' she cried. ''I tutored him. You were never cruel to him, you didn't deserve this.''

These are all feelings that she never expressed to Nathan. She didn't want him to see her as a complete mess, she didn't want to dump all of the problems on him. Even though she does cry every night when she has a nightmare. Now they're all being released to Lucas, her best friend.

He is determined to help her somehow.

Just like his brother.


''That was a good lovin'.'' Julian said, breaking their silence as they lay in bed together. They had gone to Brooke's house, and then... well we all know what happened then.

Brooke giggled. ''Did you just quote Scrubs?''

Julian shrugged. ''Maybe.''

''I thought you were the movie quoter?''

''I've decided to branch out into TV shows too. And besides, I used like two words from it, that doesn't even count as actually quoting.'' he said with that grin. ''You have to say in back.''

Brooke mock-sighed. ''Fine, it was a good lovin'.''

''Ha!'' Julian exclaimed, pointing his finger at her. ''You just quoted it too.''

''Damn, I wish we hadn't watched it last night now.'' she said with a frown, she was kidding, it was a good episode.

Julian rolled his eyes. ''Just so you know, you're the Elliot to my J.D.'' he said softly, taking her hand and intertwining their fingers. ''Even though you're hotter than Elliot.'' he added, kissing her hand softly.

Brooke smiled as the butterflies irrupted in her stomach. ''Well, Zach Braff is kinda hot...''

''Watch it,'' he mock-glared at her. ''I've got my cast off now, I can tickle you whenever I want.''

''Okay,'' she said, accompanied with a fake pout. ''You're hotter than Zach Braff.''

Oh, there he goes with that grin again.

He leans into kiss her when he notices something hanging off her desk. ''Is that a letterman jacket?'' he asked, now looking over her head, oblivious to Brooke's newly formed pout.

Brooke glanced over her shoulder. ''Oh yeah, it's Nathan's. Long story.''

Julian looked at her expectedly, he wanted to know the story. He didn't want to get wrong ideas in his head as to why Nathan Scott's letterman jacket is in his girlfriends' bedroom.

''I was at Haley's house, and he had left it there. We saw a spider, ran out screaming. Haley had grabbed it quickly because it was cold outside. We didn't want to go back in because spiders are super scary. So Haley wore that when we walked to my house, which isn't that far from hers. Even though it was double her size. Then she had stayed for a while, told me to keep it here because she hates it, so she could just tell him that she lost it.'' she explained with a giggle.

''Why does she hate it?''

Brooke laughed again. ''Because he looks like a tool when he wears it.''

''I've never saw him wear it.'' Julian commented.

''Yeah, that's because it's been here most of the summer.'' she said lightly.

Julian suddenly jumped out of the bed and towards her desk. He picked up the jacket and stared at it for a moment. This was one thing he was always curious about, he always wanted to wear a letterman jacket. It was one of those things that could never be explained, he was just curious. Maybe he wanted to know what it was like to at least look like a popular person. So he slid the jacket on and turned back around to face his girlfriend who had an amused expression on her face.

''So, what do you think?'' he asked with that grin, spinning around quickly.

Brooke burst into a fit of laughter, she was laughing so hard she had to clutch onto her stomach to control it. Wow, her boyfriend was so random sometimes. And of course, it made her fall in love with him a little bit more. Which still confused her, because she loved him with all of her heart, what else was there?

''You're so strange,'' she said breathlessly, then shrugged. ''At least you don't look as bad as Lucas. He looks the worst in them, but at least he actually knows it.''

''But you love me in it?''

''You got that right, my sexy jock/mathlete.'' Brooke said in a teasing tone. ''Wait, they should have mathlete clothing.''

Julian frowned. ''They do. It's like a big grey jumper it says my surname on the back and mathlete in tiny letters in the front with a picture of a plus sign. It's shoved in the bottom of my wardrobe before my Mom could see it and get a picture of me in it. Knowing her she would put it on the fire place.'' he said with a cringe. It's definitely his least favourite item of clothing.

''Well, that killed the mood.'' Brooke muttered, then looked at him in a grin. ''I don't care what it looks like, I know you'll look hot in it. Hotter than Zach Braff.''

''Nice save.'' he chuckled.

Brooke smirked at him. ''Why are you still standing there?''

Well, he didn't need to be asked twice. So he pounced on her (not removing the jacket) and started trailing hot kisses down her neck and across her jaw.

Until the door opened.

''Eww!'' a voice exclaimed. ''What the hell? There's a lock on this door, Brooke. Oh god, my eyes. Wait, is that my letterman jacket? What the fuck? Is this some weird sex game? With my jacket. That's disgusting. It was you that stole it weren't it! God, I feel sick.''

Julian rolled off Brooke with a groan as he landed on his side of the bed.

Brooke was grateful that she at least still had her bra on, that would just make everything awkward if she didn't. She grabbed her tank top and slid it over her head quickly as she sat up, glaring at her intruder.

''Nathan, what are you doing here? I thought you were with Haley.''

Nathan rubbed the back of his neck as he stood awkwardly in the doorway. ''Ahh, yeah. Um. Do you still have that gun?''

Julian's eyes went wide as he turned to his girlfriend. ''You have or had a gun?''

Brooke nodded and looked at Julian. ''I got burgled last year and my parents weren't home. I was the only one in the house when it happened and I was convinced that they were gonna come back. So I convinced my Mom to get me a gun, she agreed as long as I didn't kill myself.''

Was that supposed to ease his panic? Now he was just mad at the guys who robbed his girlfriend. Anything could have happened to her, they could have hurt her, and they could have even killed her. Now she felt the need to have a gun. It also freaked him out because he could just accidentally find it and pull the trigger. Even though that was pretty unlikely.

So he just continued to look at the two best friends with wide eyes.

''So, B. Do you still have it?'' Nathan asked, leaning against the doorway impatiently.

''Um, yeah.'' she said. ''But why should I give it to you? You're not going to hurt anyone are you? The permit is under my Mom's name, not that I care or anything, but she'll get into trouble. Then they'll probably cut me off. So I need to know why you need it.''

''Wait, where is it?'' Julian asked in slight panic, glancing around the bedroom to try and find it.

Nathan sighed, ignoring Julian's question. ''It's for Haley, okay?''

Julian looked at Nathan in confusion. ''Haley? No offence, but we got held hostage under a month ago by a kid with a gun. You said earlier that she was scared, wouldn't a gun just scare her even more?''

''It's for protection,'' Nathan said in annoyance. ''She thinks he's gonna come back for her. We all know he can't, but at least with the gun she'll feel protected. It's not like you need it anymore, right B?''

Brooke didn't know whether to say yes or no. Guns are dangerous, especially in the wrong hands. If she lets Haley have it, and if Haley's not in the right frame of mind then she doesn't know what could happen.

''Do you think she'll use it? Like aim it at someone if she hears a noise outside or anything?''

Worry overcome Nathan's features. ''I don't think so.''

''How about you get her a fake one? I don't think she will know the difference. Just say it's your Mom's old one or something.'' Brooke suggested. ''That way she won't hurt anyone, and feel protected.''

Nathan grinned. ''Great. Thanks guys.'' And with that, he ran out of the room.

''You need to start locking your door,'' Julian muttered. ''Imagine if that was your Mom or something.''

''Not likely,'' Brooke quipped, lying back down. ''She probably won't even notice. I mean, she didn't even care that I moved into your house. Neither did my Dad. Dads are supposed to care, right? Larry does, he never liked Jake. And Jimmy's gotten really wary about Nathan now that he's dating Haley. But nope, not my Dad.''

Julian wrapped his arm around her shoulders and allowed her to snuggle into his chest. ''You've got me, you'll always have me.''

''I know,''

Suddenly Nathan appeared back in the room.

Brooke sat up again and glared at her most annoying friend. ''What do you want now? Did you get lost or something?''

''Can I have my letterman jacket back? I've missed that thing.''


AN: There you go, a slightly longer chapter. If anyone doesn't watch Scrubs then it's a medical comedy, well it used to be, it's been cancelled:(. Elliot is a girl played by Sarah Chalke. And JD is played by Zach Braff, which explains the reference. I've been really into Scrubs FF and Scrubs vids lately, so that's why I wrote it in.

And the whole letterman jacket thing was just me letting out my frustration of how stupid I think Nathan looks in one. Especially when he walked into the record store where Haley and Lucas are in S1. Just NO. And Lucas does too, in that dream episode. It looked way too big for him. So yeah, by far Julian looks the best in one:)

SHAUN - Thanks for your review, I'm glad you found it funny:)

C - Glad you liked the Brulian and Naley. Thanks for your review!

Tisha b - I'm really glad you're reading this:) So happy that you like it. Thanks for your review!

Please Review! And here's a question, who do you think is hotter? Austin Nichols or Zach Braff?