A/N Sorry for the delay, the next chapter will be up soon. Thanks for the reviews and please keep it up

Nathan drummed his fingers against the steering wheel impatiently as he waited for the lights to change; he looked down at his watch and sighed. They were so late, the film had already started and he knew Lucas would be pissed. This was supposed to be for Peyton. He could hear Haley impatiently sighing next to him.

"Come on Nathan, we're so late." She said glancing in the rear view mirror at the traffic and then at her watch. He turned to her, eyebrow raised.

"Well whose fault is that? I can't help that you find me so irresistible Haley, I can't help the fact that you had to have me back in the bed again before we left." He said wearing a smug grin. Haley flushed and hit him playfully on the arm.

"Shut up…Uh…Nathan where exactly are you going? The cinema was like five blocks back." She said as he continued to drive further and further from the cinema. Nathan sighed.

"I know. If you see a space let me know because I sure can't find any." He said sarcastically as he turned the corner, both of them sitting there in silence and scanning the streets for spaces as the radio played. Suddenly Haley sat up and patted Nathan on the arm.

"Hey look there's a parking lot over there." She said and Nathan let out an exhausted sigh of relief as he reversed and turned into the parking lot. He pulled into a space easily and peered around the dark empty parking lot.

"At last." Haley said as she sighed and reached into her bag, pulling out her cell.

"Do you think we should try calling them again?" She asked holding up her phone as Nathan turned around.

"Um yeah if you think they would have turned them on, they probably had them off because the movie had started." He said, the radio was still playing some annoying pop song.

Haley shut her phone with a sigh.

"Yup, their phones are off." She said putting it back in her purse. Nathan shut off the humming engine and unbuckled his seatbelt.

"Well we better hurry up, you've got a long way to walk in those heels Hales." He said with a grin causing her to glare.

"And whose fault is that?" She challenged.

"I thought we already discussed this." He said playfully causing her to grin.

"I hate you." She said, pouting causing Nathan to laugh.

"You can't hate me, I'm too lovable."

Haley laughed and kissed him lightly on the lips and she was about to respond when a noise stopped her, she drew back and sat up.

"Did you hear that?" She said looking around. Nathan frowned, straining his ears.

"HELP"

They could hear the cry clearly now, it was a woman. Haley felt her heart beating faster as she looked across at Nathan. He had already opened the door.

"I'm going to see what's going on, I want you to stay here okay?" He said quietly as she swallowed, she didn't want him going out there alone, what if something happened? She didn't want to be left alone in the car either…but she knew he was right. She sighed shakily, her heart racing as she looked into his blue eyes.

"Okay but…be careful okay?" She said softly. He nodded before turning away, closing the door softly and peering around the side of the car; all he could hear now was soft sniffling and the occasional sob. He really had a bad feeling about this…he thought as he walked quietly alongside the car before standing in the middle of the empty parking lot, it was so dark he could barely see a thing.

As he walked forward he stopped suddenly, squinting through the dark his gaze rested on a blonde, on her knees leaning over a crumpled figure on the floor. His heart hammering hard in his chest he edged forward, his eyes adjusting to the light as he looked closer at the blonde…then he drew in a sharp intake of breath.

"…P…Peyton?" He stammered incredulously as the sobbing blonde turned around startled. Her panicked gaze locked with his, tears streaming down her face.

Nathan slowly looked down at the figure on the floor, the blood on Peyton's hands and on the floor…

His whole stomach felt like ice.

It couldn't be…but…shit.

He could barely process thoughts as he walked forward unsteadily, it felt like his heart had leapt into his throat as he stared down at the still figure lying on the floor…

"Lucas?" He whispered.

A small sob from Peyton caused him to look up, pulling him out of his stunned reverie. He quickly knelt down next to Peyton, still not able to keep his eyes away from his brother's prone bloody form.

"What happened?" He asked shakily, marking the chalky pale complexion on his brother's face, unable to draw his eyes away from the blood covering his torso. His eyes were closed and he wasn't moving…

Peyton sniffed and looked up at Nathan, still pressing down on Lucas' stomach with what appeared to be a sodden jacket…what the hell had happened here?

"I…Lucas was p…putting money in the meter and…this man, he came up to me, he tried to take my purse…L…Lucas saw and he came over and pulled the guy off me…they started fighting and the guy pulled a gun…he…took all our stuff, our phones and wallets and…he shot him Nate, he shot Luke twice and…he took the car…I couldn't get help, I couldn't leave him but there's so much blood…I don't know what to do and now he wont wake up." She cried tears still rolling down her pale cheeks.

Nathan swallowed, stunned and his heart was beating at what felt like 100mph…his brother had been shot, twice. Now he was lying there, not moving, barely breathing and slowly bleeding to death. How could this be happening, about an hour and a half ago he had been talking to him on the phone, joking around and now he was bleeding to death.

"I…Is he breathing?" He asked quietly, his voice trembling…as Peyton swallowed and looked up at him.

"I…I think so…yeah." She stammered.

Looking away from Lucas, his stomach churning he stood up.

"Peyton, Haley's in the car. I'm gonna get her to get some help okay? Then I'll be right back. Lucas is gonna be okay, we're gonna get him out of here." He said trying to reassure himself as well as Peyton…they didn't have much time.

Peyton nodded tearfully as she watched Nathan run off to the car and she turned back to Lucas, taking his cold hand in hers and kissing it softly.

"Hang on Luke…it's gonna be okay." She whispered, his ragged shallow breaths were his only reply.

Nathan sprinted to the car and skidded to a halt, his heart racing as he pulled open the door swiftly. Haley flinched; startled by his erratic behavior but as soon as she saw the expression on his face she began to panic…something was wrong, really wrong.

"Haley, call 911." He said breathlessly as she rummaged in her bag and pulled out her cell, her heart hammering she looked up at Nathan.

"What's happened?" She asked holding her breath, not sure whether she wanted to hear the answer. She knew it was something bad. Nathan swallowed, his hands shaking as he gripped the doorframe, glancing briefly back at Peyton and Lucas…How was he going to tell her?

"Hales…It's Lucas…he's hurt, he's hurt bad and I just need you to call an ambulance and then I'll explain okay?" He said.

Haley felt like the breath had been knocked out of her as she stared at him stunned…Luke was hurt?

"Just tell me how Nate…what happened to him?" She asked shakily,her voice cracking. Nathan frowned, looking down at the floor before meeting her terrified gaze.

"He's been shot." He said quietly.

She sat there stunned, barely able to comprehend what she had just heard…Forcing her fingers to move she numbly dialed 911 and pressed the phone to her ear whilst Nathan shot her a reassuring glance before disappearing again.

"911 Emergency department, please state your emergency." A clipped voice said as Haley struggled to calm down.

"I…I uh need an ambulance, my friend is hurt…He was shot." She said feeling nauseous even as she said the words, how could someone have shot him? She could hear rapid typing in the background

"Okay and what is your location?"

Haley frowned, trying to think but it felt like her brain had been replaced with cotton wool.

"Um…the parking lot on…Wilson's Avenue." She said hesitating…

"Is the assailant still there?" She asked and Haley shook her head before realising she was on the phone and the woman couldn't see her.

"No…" She thought anyway.

"Okay, an ambulance and the police will be dispatched shortly. Don't move your friend and make sure their airway is clear."

Haley nodded, her eyes blurring…

"O..Okay." She stammered. She flipped her cell shut and leant back against the seat, closing her eyes and breathing heavily through her nose and then out of her mouth, trying to calm herself down.

Her best friend needed her help, she needed to calm down…

Nathan dropped down to his knees again, staring down at his brother's pale, sweat-soaked face. He couldn't believe this was happening. He knew they didn't have a lot of time left.

Glancing across at Peyton he watched her for a few seconds, she was breathing deeply with her eyes closed…obviously trying to collect herself. He couldn't imagine how she was feeling right now, having lost her father and now having to watch this happen to her boyfriend…

Hurriedly, he shrugged off his jacket and looked down at Lucas' blood-soaked torso…Peyton was pressing on his stomach so where was the other wound? There was so much blood he couldn't even tell…Remembering Peyton had said something about his shoulder he pressed down there, a wave of nausea passing over him as he looked at all the blood…he needed help.

He couldn't lose him…

"Luke…Luke buddy can you hear me?" He said hoping to at least illicit some response from the unconscious teen.

Nothing

He clenched his fists in frustration. Why was this happening? He thought angrily, why to Lucas? He was such a decent guy, he had been there for Peyton since her Dad had died, he was there for everyone and now some asshole had shot him.

He swallowed hard and glanced up at Peyton, she was still pressing down on Lucas' stomach, tears rolling slowly down her cheeks…her eyes never leaving Luke's face. He didn't know how she was holding this together, to have to watch your boyfriend get shot? Watch him slowly bleeding to death just weeks after her dad had died…

Come on, he thought to himself. Just wake up Luke…where was the ambulance?

Haley shut the car door behind her and walked slowly forward, her legs feeling like jelly beneath her as she drew unsteadily forward. She could see Peyton kneeling on the floor a few feet away, Nathan in the same position on the opposite…and the she saw him. He was lying between them, his head in Peyton's lap. She could see he was laying still, his eyes closed.

He wasn't moving

Blood

So much blood

She felt her stomach churning violently.

This was real. It wasn't just some horrible nightmare…this was really happening.

Seeing him lying there seemed to spur her on, her friend needed her. Picking up the pace she broke into a jog until she drew level with Nathan and Peyton, her heart thudding in her ears. She stopped, standing over them…

She felt tears welling in her eyes…pouring down her cheeks. He looked so weak. How could this be happening…what if he wasn't going to make it, what if he wasn't okay? What would she do without her best friend?

As she looked at him images of all their childhood memories flashed through her mind…She just hoped that help would come soon.

Peyton held Lucas' hand firmly in hers, refusing to let go. She wasn't losing him, she couldn't. She knew he would be okay because he promised…he promised he would never leave her. He wouldn't break that promise would he?

Her hands and clothes were soaked with blood. His blood. She let another tear fall from her eyes. She just needed him to wake up so she could apologise, so she could tell him how much she loved him, how grateful she was that he had been there for her, even when she pushed him away.

She was barely aware of Nathan and Haley around her, all she could focus on was Lucas. She watched each labored breath, praying they continued…

As she squeezed his hand gently she could hear sirens wailing in the distance, her heart swelled with hope as the three of them looked up…

She could see an Ambulance drawing closer, the wailing growing louder as the blue and red lights flashed…lights of salvation.

She turned back to Lucas and kissed his hand softly.

"It's gonna be okay…I promise." She whispered.

A/N Sorry it was kind of a filler chapter, lots more happening in the next chapter! Please review and tell me what you think!