A/N: Been awhile. I decided it was time to get back in the saddle so to speak. Probably not one of my best chapters. I guess I need to find the rhythm of the story again, but I am working on it and I am back so there will be more updates to come. Sorry it's not very long.There are flashbacks in this chapter as shown in Italics. So without further ado…

Chapter 4: In good times and bad.

"What do you think we'll be like in twenty years?"

"I don't know, I pretty much always assumed you would be the same."

"Why is that?"

"I just can't picture you being any different when you're so perfect the way you are."

"Charmer."

It was hard to think that day had only been a few weeks ago. That she had been awake and smiling, joking around with him. He liked to think about the good times when things were looking bad and today was looking pretty bad. The doctors weren't hopeful, here parents were still M.I.A. and he didn't know how much longer he would be able to go on without her. He didn't know who was taking it worse him or Peyton. In the end it didn't really matter. That was a trivial matter when you really thought about it. It didn't matter how missed her and how much what mattered is that they were all suffering, all four of them fearing the loss of their friend.

"Do you think that we'll always be friends?"

"Well Hales and I have been friends forever and so have you and Peyton and Nathan is my brother so; yeah I'd say there is a pretty good chance."

"Unless we all have some kind of falling out."

"Way to look on the bright side Hales."

"That's my girl always the optimist."

"Well Nate your sarcasm and Haley's pessimism are a perfect match."

"That's what I always tell him."

"See we have to be friends forever, the five of us are the only people who understand each other."

"You are so right P. Swayer!"

It was strange to think that they could have all been wrong. Maybe they wouldn't be friends forever after all. It wouldn't be the same with Brooke missing. Haley and Nathan weren't as directly attached to her as he and Peyton were but her death would still shake them. He could see them all drifting apart without her there. She was the one who always had the crazy plans that got you into trouble but you would always end up better friends for it. Without her they would lose that spark that made their group of friends special. There was no one in the world like Brooke, no one could replace her and he knew for a fact that none of them would try.

"I wish we could just stay like this forever."

"Eventually we're going to have to get up and go inside."

"Give me one good reason why."

"Well for one thing we have school."

"You would come up with school as a reason. Try again you're not going to win me over with that argument."

"I don't think my mom really wants us living in her backyard."

"At least she would always know where you were. Try again."

"Eventually it's going to get dark and cold."

"You can keep me warm."

"If we stay out here you're going to have to sleep on the dirty ground."

"You make a good point but I'm already laying on the ground so it really doesn't matter now."

"If we never leave the backyard you wont ever be able to go shopping again."

"Well then what are you waiting for we cant sit out here all day."

"I thought that might persuade you."

He never thought he'd miss the idea of shopping with her. Spending hours in the mall was never his idea of fun. She made it bearable but it still wouldn't be his first choice for an afternoon. Now he would give anything to go to the mall with her. If that's what it would take to make her wake up. If he could promise her a trip to the mall every weekend, if he promised to carry all the bags and even let her pick out things for him to try on, if that's what it took then he was more than willing. He would live at the mall if that were what she wanted. He'd give up all his days at the Rivercourt and his evenings with Steinbeck just for a day at the mall with her right now. Sometimes he wished he was naive enough to believe that promising Brooke a shopping trip would actually make her wake up. It would be better than knowing the reality of the situation, better than knowing that all he could do was sit and watch her slip away. She could pull through, he tells himself that's a lie. She will pull through, he wouldn't be able to go on if she didn't. There is no other option. She'll get better and they'll have more days together. That's just how it has to be, that's what he tells himself as he sits at her side watching her.

The four of them sit there all lost in their own thoughts, thinking of her; of days past and days still to come. None of them want to think about a life without her. It doesn't seem possible. A world without Brooke Davis is not a world any of them want to be a part of. The all know that no matter what, they won't leave her side as long as she is still there. Their friendship is like a marriage and the five of them have pledged to be there in good times and bad. This is one of those bad times, but they know once they get through it there will be plenty of good days to come. Days filled with her laughter and smiles when the five of them will be together again. It won't happen because they all want it to, it will happen because that's what is meant to be. They're meant to be friends forever and forever isn't over yet.

A/N 2: I realise that in the flashbacks the dialogue doesn't identify who the speaker is. I tried to put clues in to show which character is speaking. I just didn't think adding things like "said Peyton" etc. would fit the chapter. It flows better without that so I left it out. I have already started the next chapter so it should be up soon. It's going to be mainly a flashback focusing on Lucas and Brooke. This story needs some happy times.