Chapter Twenty Four

I Do Believe You

Haley decided she'd kept Lucas awake too long and that he needed to rest. She told him she would be back later with Nathan and left his room. It was getting late and she needed to get Nathan's car back to him. She was dying to tell someone Lucas was awake. She stood by the elevator and was about to push the down button when it opened and to her surprise she saw Brooke walk out.

"Oh, hey Haley. I didn't think I'd see you here right now."

"Yeah, I could say the same to you. What are you doing here?"

"Coming to see Lucas. What else would I be doing at the hospital?"asked Brooke with a smile.

"Nothing I guess. It's just that earlier when we talked you were pretty adamant about not coming and now your here and your smiling."

"Well I changed my mind. I do that sometimes."

"What made you change your mind? I practically begged you to come see him and that didn't work."

"I'm sorry. I should have listened to you. I was being selfish by not wanting to come. I was worried about how I would feel when I saw him and not about him needing his friends."

"Again I ask, what changed your mind?"

"His mom."

"What?"

"Karen came by to see me earlier. We had a good talk and she helped me realize a few things."

"What did she say?"

"Just that no matter what happened with me and Lucas, he needed all his friends right now. That I need to push all the anger and bitterness aside and help him. She also said she can tell he loves me and that I love him."

"So she basically told you everything I already had?"

Brooke laughed."Yeah, I guess. Maybe hearing it from somebody who isn't around us all the time is what I needed."

"I don't care who was the one to change your mind, I'm just glad you came. Lucas is going to be so happy when he sees you. You do know that he woke up today, right?"

"Yeah, his mom told me. I couldn't be more happy about that."

"You and me both."

"Well I'm going to go see him now. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Wait. Brooke, before you go see him, you should know a couple of things."

"What do I need to know? He is okay right? Karen didn't say anything about things I need to know."she started to panic.

"Whoa, Brooke calm down. Lucas is fine."

"Then what are you talking about?"

"Well Lucas is fine, meaning he's okay and we're not going to lose him, but in all other aspects he's far from okay."

"Come on Haley quit stalling and tell me what is going on so I can go see him. I've already waited too long."

"I just want to prepare you. Lucas is pretty banged up. He was hit on the passenger side of the car, thank god, but his head hit the windshield. He has a huge bump on his forehead. The left side of his face is cut and bruised and his left arm is broken."

"Okay, but all of that will heal."

"Yes, it will, but after his arm heals he may not be able to play basketball again."

"Ever?"asked Brooke a little shocked.

"Yeah and I can tell it's eating him up inside. You know how important basketball is to him."

"I do, wow he must be completely devastated over this."

"That among other things."

"What other things?"

"He hates himself for hurting you again."Brooke looked down."He thinks he lost you for good because of what happened on Friday, although he has no idea what exactly happened."

"He doesn't remember? Is it because of the accident or because he was drunk?"

"Neither."Brooke's eyes narrowed."It's because he was drugged."

"What? Drugged? Okay, you totally lost me Haley."

"Well somehow the drug Xanax got into his system. The doctor seems to think he took it to get high..."she was cut off.

"Well that's absurd. Lucas wouldn't touch drugs."

"I know that, but they were in his system, so he did take them. We think it might have been slipped into his drink."

"Who would do something like that to him?"

"I don't know if they were even meant for him, but you need to know that everything he did on Friday, it wasn't him. It was the drugs. You shouldn't hold what happened in that room against him. It wasn't him, but it was Peyton. She knew everything that was happening."

"Of course she did. She admitted that it was all a set up for me..."she stopped."You don't think she put that stuff in Lucas' drink, do you? No, she couldn't have."she said as she shook her head. Peyton was a lot of things, but this wasn't one of them.

"No, I don't think she did it, but I do think she isn't above getting Lucas drunk and up to that room to make you think something happened. She did give him the alcohol in the first place."

"Does he remember what happened with her?"

"No, he doesn't. He has no clue as to what happened after the second time you tried to talk to him. He has no idea if he slept with Peyton or not, which brings me to you. What exactly did you see when you walked into that room? Maybe you can help us figure out what really happened."

Brooke sighed as she thought back to that night. She hated having to think about it."All I saw was Lucas and Peyton and she had her arms around him and his shirt was off."

"So you didn't see anything else?"

"No."

"Then there's a good chance nothing happened."said Haley."Lucas is going to be thrilled when he hears this. That was the last thing he wanted to have happened."

"Me too. I think that the only way we are going to find out what did or did not happen in that room is to ask Peyton, although I wouldn't put it past her to lie about it to keep me from wanting to talk to him."

"That's true."said Haley nodding.

"Well is there anything else I should know before I go see him?"

"No, I just hope you realize that everything that happened Friday night was basically out of his control. He was drugged and Peyton had a plan. So please don't hold Friday against him. You were going to forgive him before you found him so please remember that."

"I will. I guess I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah, I'll be back later with Nathan, hopefully you'll still be here."

"I might be. I'll see you later."

"Hey Brooke?"

"Yeah?"

"He's in room 208."

"Thanks."

Brooke made her way to Lucas' room and the closer she got the faster her heart began to beat and the slower her feet moved until she stood in front of his closed door. Her heart pounded so fast and so loud that she was surprised nobody else could hear it. There was no knowing what was waiting for her on the other side of that door. Haley made him seem so broken and she didn't know what to expect. She didn't know if she'd be able to help him, she didn't know if he'd even want her help, and she didn't know what she was supposed to do when she saw him. Not knowing all of those things made her want to turn around and run in the opposite direction, away from him and everything that had happened, but she didn't, she couldn't. After hearing everything from Haley, she knew Lucas needed her and even if she was afraid of everything unknown behind that door, there was no way she'd turn her back on Lucas, not again. She loved him and that's all that needed to be known.

Brooke slowly raised her hand and knocked on the door, not wanting to barge in if he was with his doctor. One last deep breath was taken when she heard him say to come in. She turned the knob and slowly walked into the room. She stood in the doorway and took in everything she saw. Even with Haley telling her how Lucas looked, it was still shocking. She had never seen him look like this. Nobody should ever have to see the person they loved like this.

Lucas lied in this bed with his eyes closed trying to get some rest. He had never been this tired before. He wasn't expecting anyone, so when he heard a knock on his door, he had no clue who it was. To say he was completely shocked when he saw her walk into his room would be an understatement. He honestly thought that he would go his whole hospital stay without her coming to see him, but he was wrong and glad to be. She now stood in front of him. He watched as she stood by the door looking like she wanted to turn around and leave, but then the expression on her face changed. She went from shocked and uncertain to scared and worried. It looked as if she didn't know what to do, should she stay by the door, or go completely in? He didn't see her making a decision anytime soon. She was too engrossed in looking at him to do anything else so he waved her in.

She stood there looking at his bruised and cut face wondering if he was really okay. She probably would have stayed right where she was, clutching the door knob in her hand all day if she hadn't seen him motion her in. She continued to look at him for a second before finally letting go of the door and rushing to him. Without thinking she threw her arms around him and held him as tight as she could. She never wanted to let him go in fear that she might lose him and this time for good. As she held onto him she couldn't stop the tears that fell. The last thing she wanted to do was cry in front of him. She didn't want him to feel like he needed to take care of her, when she should be the one doing the taking care of.

Brooke began to pull away, but stopped when felt his arm, that limply rested around her pull her into him tighter. It was as if he felt that if she left his embrace she'd disappear and he'd be left alone again and that was the last thing he wanted.

As he held her he felt like all his problems melted away. The one thing he wanted the most, he now had in his arms and to him she was the answer to everything. He wanted to stay like this with her forever, well minus her crying. When he felt her try to pull away, he had to stop her. He wrapped his arm around her more firmly and pulled her further into him, relishing in the feel of her warmth. Even as he held her tight he felt like she still wasn't close enough. He tried to bring her closer into him, but stopped as he let out a loud groan. He pressed her body into his broken arm and it caused a shooting pain to surge throughout him.

Brooke quickly pulled out of his grasp when she heard his painful groan. She looked into his piercing blue eyes, her own red and puffy."Oh my god, Lucas are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

Even though her eyes were red from crying, she had no make up on, and her face was covered in tears, she was still the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He raised his good arm and placed it on her cheek and used his thumb to try and wipe away her tears."Don't worry about me Brooke. I'm fine, hell I'm better than fine, your here and in my arms and that's all that I need."

Brooke closed her eyes and smiled as she leaned into his hand. Tears continued to fall."You scared the hell out of me Lucas."said Brooke as she stood up.

"I'm sorry. That was the last thing I wanted to do."

"Just don't do it again."she said with a smile as she wiped away her tears.

"Don't worry. I don't plan to."he patted the empty space on the bed next to him. She wasn't far, but he still wanted her closer.

She looked up at him for a second before taking a seat next to him.

He rested his hand on hers."Thank you for coming Brooke."

She shook her head."You don't have to thank me Lucas. I just wish I hadn't waited this long to see you. I'm sorry for that."

It was his turn to shake his head."Don't you dare apologize to me. You have no reason to. I'm the one who should be apologizing."he squeezed her hand."Brooke I am sorry for everything. I am sorry for all the times I hurt you. You may not believe me and I don't blame you, but I do love you."he raised his hand to stop her when he saw her about to speak."No please let me finish."she nodded."I look back to everything I put you through and I can't believe that you are here with me now. Which brings me to what an amazing person you are. I don't know anybody else with a heart like yours, well except Haley."he said with a laugh and she smiled back at him."Being without you has been hell for me and it made me realize you were the best thing I had and I hate that I messed it up. Doing what I did was the stupidest thing ever. All I can do now is tell you that I love you and that I am very sorry for everything I put you through. Hopefully one day you will give me the chance to show you just how much I truly love you. If given the chance I will never do anything to make you doubt me or us again. If given the chance it's going to be you and me forever. There's no way I'd let you go, your it for me Brooke. Please believe that."he looked up at her through watery eyes needing to see her reaction, hoping he would see a hint of belief.

She looked down at him going over everything he just said again in her head. It all sounded sincere and real. She had two options. She could continue to dwell on everything that happened and stay away from him, making both herself and him miserably, or she could do what they both desperately wanted and forgive him and give him a second chance. She did believe everything he said, every word of it. She no longer could or wanted to deny that he loved her and she loved him too. People make mistakes, she knew that, hell she'd made many herself and there were times she'd wanted a second chance, but was never given one. So yes, she had two options, but there was only one she was willing to do.

"Brooke?"

She was knocked out of her thoughts by Lucas who continued to look at her, but by now all the hope she'd seen in his eyes after his confession and apology was now gone."I'm sorry. I was just thinking about everything you said and everything I'm feeling. You need to know that I do believe you Lucas. I know you love me and I know your sorry for everything and I know you wouldn't do it again. In fact I don't think you'd do anything to hurt me again."

"I wouldn't. You mean everything to me Brooke."

"Well that's good to hear because you mean everything to me too Lucas. When you told me about you and Peyton, you have to know that it hurt. I had never felt pain like that before. Everything I had and hoped for was taken away from me in that moment. I couldn't believe that somebody who claimed to love me would do that."

"Brooke I did love you, even then."

"Okay, but it's my turn now, so let me finish please."said Brooke with a slight smile.

"Sorry."

"It's okay."she took a deep breath and continued."After knowing what you did I needed to believe that you never loved me and that you were nothing but a liar because I still loved you and I felt stupid for that. But that plan didn't work for me. I still love you to this day. You've done nothing, but try to prove to me that you love me and all I've done is act like a complete bitch to you, not that you didn't deserve some of it. You could have given up, but you didn't. Thank you for that Lucas. Thank you for letting me get all my bitchiness out. You being in this accident scared me. It made me realize that I could lose you forever. I love you way to much to let that happen. All this time without you has been hell for me too and I no longer want to live in this hell."she said with a smile."So if you still want me, you can have me."

Lucas sat up and pulled her into a hug. He couldn't believe this was happening, she was giving him a second chance. Her hair fell onto his face and he couldn't help but breathe in that intoxicating scent, her scent. The scent that he had missed and could never get enough of. She moved away slightly and a lock of her hair feel onto her tear stained face. He used his good hand to pull it behind her ear. He also wiped away the few tears that had newly formed in her eyes."I do want you Brooke, so much. Your the only one I want. Your the only one I'll ever want. Like I said, your it for me."

"I feel the same way Lucas. I love you."she leaned in and captured his lips with hers.

This had to be the happiest moment of his life. He was with Brooke again and there was no secrets between them and they loved each other. He continued to kiss her tracing her bottom lip with his tongue, begging to be let in. She gave it to him and he slowly slid his tongue into her mouth and massaged it with her own. He moved his hand and placed it on the back of her neck, bringing her further into him. Her being there in his arms made him forget every bad thing that happened. He liked this feeling and there was no way he'd give her up again willingly.

A/N:Thank you guys for all the reviews. I really appreciate every single one of them. Now I have to say that this chapter was a real hard one for me to write. I wrote it and then threw it away and wrote it again and threw it away. I did that a couple of times actually. I wanted this chapter to be perfect and believable. I don't know if it ended up perfect, but this was the best one out of every one I wrote. So please let me know what you thought about this chapter. I really hope you all enjoyed it. I know everybody has been wanting them to get back together and now they are. YAY! So again please let me know what you thought of this chapter, read and review. Thanks.

Coming Up:

Brooke and Lucas have a couple of serious talks.

Karen and Keith have some news for Lucas.

Jake visits Lucas.