Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.
Author's Note: Wow. I didn't think I still had the power to amaze you guys. I mean, after all of the really awful things I have put these characters through, I thought I had become predictable. Guess not.
Author's Note 2: Thanks to all of you for the reviews. This chapter isn't my best one ever, but I like it. So... it's staying. And it's the last one. And there's not going to be an author's note, cause frankly, I think this chapter says it all. And there might be a sequel. Maybe. In the far future.
Reviews are welcome but unnecessary.
Broken Hearts and Healing Minds
Chapter 48
Nathan probably shouldn't have signed himself AMA. He probably shouldn't have left the hospital. He probably shouldn't have avoided seeing Haley and Brooke or hearing about Stephen's miraculous, but totally expected recovery. He probably shouldn't have gotten in that damn car with Haley or gone to that damn bar with Lucas.
But he did. And now, he was fighting back the pain in his shoulder while simultaneously using said shoulder to break down a locked door trying to get to his idiotic brother and best friend who managed to find themselves once more in a dire situation and needed rescuing.
Life was so unfair sometimes. Most times. Ninety-nine percent of the time. Okay, all of the time. But this was more than unfair. This was downright cruel.
Nathan had no sooner broken open the damn door to the rundown piece of shit that Michael had chosen as his final stand when the ominous sound of a gun firing could be heard. Twice.
"LUCAS!" he shouted.
The ceremony was about to begin. Nathan felt an overwhelming urge to cry, throw up, and leave. This shouldn't have been happening. Not without the one person who had deserved this the most. The one person who should have been sitting next to Nathan, making snide comments about Stephen's god-awful tie or telling Peyton for the six billionth time that she was beautiful. Even with the dark circles underneath of her eyes and the mascara stains on her face.
The principal said some hollow supposedly inspiring words about facing the future and looking at each day as a gift to be alive. Nathan would have paid good money for Mr. Turner to just shut the hell up. He didn't want to hear about how the world was full of opportunities, just waiting for the graduates to stumble upon. He didn't want to hear about how high school was only a stepping stone in the journey that was life.
He didn't want to see Peyton's quiet tears or Haley's injured form a few rows ahead of him. He had no desire to look at Stephen and see Lucas for the millionth time that day. And he really did not want to look at Brooke and see the heart breaking self-hatred and guilt that had been haunting her every day for the past two and a half weeks.
He wanted to hear Lucas's voice. He wanted to see his brother's face just one last time.
But then again, America wanted world peace and for Korea to stop developing and harboring nuclear war heads. When exactly was that going to happen?
Peyton felt her breath catch in her throat as she heard Nathan's shout far above her. What was he doing here? Wasn't he supposed to be gravely injured in a car accident or something?
"NATHAN?" she yelled back. She didn't dare believe it.
There were heavy footsteps overhead, followed by a light shining down a hole ten feet above Peyton's head.
"How the hell do you get yourself into these situations, Sawyer?" Nathan asked, peering through the hole. "Is Lucas okay?"
Peyton shook her head violently.
"No," she said, desperately blinking back tears. She couldn't afford to break down. Not now. "He can barely breathe. I think he was shot."
"Shit," Nathan muttered. "Have you called 911?"
"I did before I came here," Peyton said. "But they're not here yet. It's been too long."
"It's been a busy night," Nathan said. "Hold on. I'm going to find some rope. Stay right where you are."
Peyton heard the final words of Mr. Turner's speech die away. Her heart caught as he began announcing Tree Hill High's graduates. It hit her then just how much she had been counting on this being a dream. That she would wake up and nothing over the past two weeks would have happened. Stephen wouldn't have gotten shot. Haley and Nathan wouldn't have gotten into a car accident. Lucas wouldn't have-.
"Stephen Burns."
Peyton was thankful for the interruption in her thoughts. She clapped alongside of Nathan, Brooke, and Haley for Stephen. She even let herself smile as she watched her friend walk across the stage.
A door in the back of the gym opened. Peyton craned her neck to see who the latecomer was, along with everyone else who was gathered. She only caught a glimpse of a white shirt before she was forced to turn her attention back to the ceremony at hand.
She hated herself for thinking that it could have been Lucas.
She knew it wasn't.
Nathan found some rope a few feet away from the rather large hole in the floor. He shuddered to think of why there was blood on it and prayed that Peyton didn't inspect it too closely.
Ignoring the collection of injuries he had earned over the past few hours, Nathan forced himself to walk back to the hole in the floor.
"Tie this around Lucas," he instructed. "I'll pull him up first."
"I don't want to move him," came Peyton's small voice. "He's in really bad shape."
"If we don't move him then he's going to die," Nathan said. "We don't have much of a choice!"
"Okay," Peyton said unsteadily. "Throw down the rope. And be careful when you pull him up."
Nathan winced as he once again shifted his weight. He knew he shouldn't have signed himself out of the hospital AMA for a second time, especially not after the two hour long surgery he had to undergo for re-injuring his shoulder, but he couldn't just abandon Peyton. And he wanted the chance to talk to Haley. And Brooke. And tell Stephen that he was sorry about everything.
He sighed as Mr. Turner continued on with the Cs. Nathan really hated long drawn out ceremonies. And as much as he told Peyton otherwise, Nathan really did not want to be sitting through graduation right now, pretending to be happy.
Nathan swore rather creatively as he gently eased Lucas up and over the side of the huge gaping hole in the middle of the floor. Blood coated Lucas's face and matted his dirty blonde hair. Debris and rubble clung to his torn t-shirt. His jeans were coated in dust and other substances that Nathan didn't even want to think about. Lucas's left leg was at an odd angle and blood seeped through a rip in the leg of his jeans. His wrists were red, raw, and swollen with burn marks that looked like rope. He had a cut above his eye and an ugly gash stretching from his shoulder down to his hand. But the worst was the wet, sticky patch that surrounded a hole near the base of his black t-shirt.
"Lucas," Nathan said helplessly as he army-crawled over to his brother. The floor shuddered violently beneath him, causing him to have severe flashbacks to that day in the apartment building.
Lucas's breathing was ragged and shallow. It was a miracle that he was still breathing at all. Nathan put a hand on his brother's forehead, alarmed to find it burning up.
"Nathan?"
Peyton's frightened voice made Nathan start. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he had completely forgotten about her in his alarm for Lucas.
"Hold on," he called. "I've got to get Lucas clear."
"Is he…?"
She trailed off, but Nathan knew what her question was.
"For now," he replied grimly. "Here's the rope."
Brooke felt as though she shouldn't be as happy and as relieved as she as when her name was called for her to walk across the stage. It wasn't fair to Peyton or Nathan or Haley or anyone else that she was happy right now. But she was. And it wasn't because she was graduating from high school or because Stephen was alive or because Michael was dead. Though those did have some small role to play.
She was happy because she had been right all along. Even if no one else believed her at the moment, they would soon. And for that, she was happy.
Peyton heard Nathan swearing as he pulled her up to the main floor of the house. She understood why—he had injured his shoulder earlier that day. But she couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of relief as she finally set her shaking legs onto the hardwood floor.
"Easy, you're okay," Nathan said softly, wrapping his arms around her and gently pulling her away from the edge. "It's okay. We're going to be okay."
Peyton had hardly been aware that she was shaking violently until that moment. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, before looking over at Lucas. Tears streamed down her face as she stumbled over to him and took his cold hand in hers.
"He's still alive," Nathan said from behind her. "Barely. But it's enough. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Peyton whispered. "We need to get him to a hospital."
"Yeah," Nathan said. "I didn't get my cell before I left. Where's yours?"
"There's no time for an ambulance," Peyton said, trembling as she stood up again. "My car's parked outside. Help me get him there."
Nathan looked hesitant for a brief second as he glanced at Lucas. Something in the older Scott's injured face must have convinced him.
"Let's go," Nathan said.
They had reached the Hs. Haley knew that it was only a matter of time before her name was called.
It was weird. She had been waiting for this day all of her life, but now that it had come, she no longer wanted it to be happening. She no longer wanted to be the valedictorian or have a full ride to Stanford or move on with her life.
And it was all because of Lucas. Lucas, the kid who had stood up to the mean bullies in third grade for her and been her best friend ever since. Lucas, the young man who stood up to his abusive father and became emancipated. Lucas, the one person Haley wanted to see more than anything, wanted by her side at this very moment, the one person who wasn't there, was the reason why she didn't want to graduate.
Because if she walked across that stage now, then that would be admitting that Lucas was gone. And she didn't want to admit it.
"Haley James."
"Drive faster, Peyton!"
Nathan's frantic voice from the backseat made Peyton start in alarm before doing exactly what he had asked. She was already driving well over the speed limit, which, given current weather conditions probably wasn't the best idea ever. But she couldn't slow down either. Because if she did, then that would mean Lucas would die.
So she pressed her foot harder on the accelerator, urging her faithful car to go a few miles faster so that they could outrun pain. Outrun death.
They pulled up into the parking lot of the hospital a few minutes later. Peyton prayed to whoever was listening that she had gotten there in time. That Lucas would survive.
They were closing in on the Ss now. Stephen realized then that Lucas wasn't going to be there. That if he was, he wouldn't have kept them all waiting.
For as much as the guy liked a spectacular entrance, Lucas wasn't one to make Peyton wait like this. If he was going to be here, then he would be here already.
"Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer."
In that moment, Stephen knew that Lucas was dead.
Peyton bit back a quiet sob as she got to her feet and walked across the stage. She put on some cheery, fake smile that never reached her eyes and freaked out the woman with the diplomas. She flipped her tassel because that's what she was supposed to do. She acted like she was okay, when really, she was dead on the inside.
She hadn't realized just how much she had been hoping that Lucas would come in and be there when she needed him at that moment. It was only after she had sat back down and the next name (Drew Saxon) did she fully begin to accept that Lucas was dead.
"Lucas Eugene Scott."
Silence greeted the words. Not a single person dared to breathe.
Nathan wished that Mr. Turner would move on to his own name already. Because the silence was suffocating. The complete and utter lack of his brother being there was heart breaking.
Lucas wasn't quite sure how he survived the events with Michael. He didn't know how he had gone from being in that house to waking up two and a half weeks later, completely surrounded by doctors who were telling him that he should have been dead. He didn't know how he had gotten from the hospital to the school without opposition.
But what he did know was that he wouldn't give anything in the world for the shocked, overjoyed, loving expression on Peyton's face at that very moment as he walked across the stage.
Nathan felt as though he had been sucker punched as he jumped out of his seat. He didn't care how stupid he looked as he practically ran to the stage, tripping over his gown. He had to get up there to believe it. His brother. Alive.
He was barely aware that Peyton was right on his heels and Brooke, Haley, and Stephen were already on the stage.
"Lucas?"
"Hi."
It was all the older Scott could get out before he was tackled by Nathan in a huge bear hug.
"You're a right bastard, you know that?" he whispered into his brother's ear. "You were pronounced dead."
"I know," Lucas said, wincing slightly as Nathan pulled away. "And I don't know how I'm here. But I am."
"God damn it," Nathan said, refusing to admit that he was about to start crying.
"Luke?"
Peyton's entire world seemed to slow down as Nathan looked over at her and backed out of the way. In his place stood the one person Peyton had been hoping to see since this entire disaster of a graduation had started.
"Peyton," Lucas breathed.
And before either one of them really knew what was happening, they were in each other's arms, never wanting to let go.
The ceremony was beginning to come to a close. Haley had just finished with her speech when Lucas let go of Peyton's hand.
"I have something I need to do," he whispered to her with an impish grin on his face.
Peyton watched him go, not daring to blink incase this was all some sort of sick dream. She never wanted to wake up if it was.
Lucas walked onto the stage for the second time that day.
"May I?" he asked, gesturing toward the microphone in Mr. Turner's hand.
Mr. Turner looked bewildered as he handed the microphone to Lucas.
"I, uh, I'm not very good at this whole speech thing," Lucas began. "But, well, some things just need a speech.
"When I was fourteen years old, my mother was killed in a tragic car accident. I survived. At the time, I didn't know why or how and I didn't really care. All I knew was that everything that I had was gone. I was uprooted from my home, from my friends, and sent to live with a family that I knew absolutely nothing about.
"I hated my new life. I had everything that I had ever wanted, but I hated it. My mother was gone. I blamed myself. I didn't want to keep living after that."
The entire audience was staring at Lucas, an expression of confusion and shock on all of their faces. For the majority of them, this was the first time they had ever heard his story.
For Haley, Brooke, Stephen, Nathan, and Peyton, they were trying to figure out what the hell the not actually dead Lucas was doing.
"But time wore on and I met someone. Someone very special. And it's because of her, that I'm still here today. We've had our rough spots and times were we both thought that we weren't going to make it, but we did," Lucas continued. "And not two weeks ago, it was the worst it has ever been.
"As you all know, Michael Greenberg tried to kill me and nearly succeeded. By all rights, I shouldn't even be here. But I am. And I owe it all to one person. If it hadn't been for her, then I probably never would have had the strength to hold on. If it hadn't been for her, I probably would have given up long ago.
"But I didn't. And because of her, I am here today. So, would you, Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer, come here?"
Peyton stared at Lucas in shock as her feet moved on their own accord to the stage. Everyone was whispering and staring, obviously trying to figure out what was going to happen.
Lucas's expression was unreadable as she approached him. She raised an eyebrow questioningly. He merely smiled serenely in response.
She walked up the steps and over to him warily. She had never seen this side of him before.
"Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer," Lucas said again, dropping the microphone for a moment. He pulled something out of his pocket. Peyton's eyes widened as he dropped down on one knee.
"Will you marry me?"
Peyton stared at him in shock as around her the audience went completely silent with anticipation.
"Say something!" someone who she distinctly knew was Nathan shouted.
Peyton opened her mouth, trying to think of something. Anything. And she really wished she had found something better than her sarcastic response.
"Do you even have to ask?"
Lucas looked bewildered as Peyton held up her hand.
"I love you," she said. "You walked into my life when I was fourteen years old and never left. I have loved you since and I will always love you. So yes, Lucas Eugene Scott, I will marry you."
The crowd went wild. Lucas gave her a big dopey smile as he slid the beautiful ring onto her finger and took her hand in his.
"I love you too," he whispered.
Heheehehehehehehe, did you honestly think that I would kill Lucas? After all the times I've told you guys I wouldn't?
I hope you all enjoyed the ride! It is finally over (after what... 3 years now?). So thank you for reading and reviewing and for just being awesome people.
