2014

Indianapolis, Indiana

Lucas Scott sat in the tiny cell of the county jail. Everything was a blur to him. He had no sense of time although he knew many days had passed since Nathan and Haley's party, since he and Nathan had gone on that fateful drive at night…

His eyes fluttered open as his head pounded. Lucas tried to move as every muscle in his tired body ached. He winced with pain looking for a sitting position but when he did, he found that his right arm wouldn't let him. Fearing it was broken, Lucas took another look. It was not broken. It was his wrist that had been pinched into tight cuffs that locked him to the bed. Peering outside, he saw a uniformed police officer pacing in front of the door. Based on the machines and tubes everywhere, it was safe to say he was in the hospital.

"You're awake", a small voice said.

Lucas turned his attention to his left. In a chair in the corner sat Haley.

"Hales…"

"How do you feel?"

"What…what happened?"

"There was an accident. Do you remember what happened?"

Lucas closed his eyes. He could see the party and all the lights from the big house. He remembered his brother getting in his rental car and the conversation that had taken place afterwards. Then he had lost control.

"Where's Nathan? Is he here? Where is he? What happened?"

"He's here in the hospital, over in the Intensive Care Unit."

"Intensive Care? What…"

"You had an accident. You were driving the car. You were scratched and bruised up pretty bad. You had a concussion and they were worried you might have fractured your pelvis but the X rays came back negative. They say you were lucky."

"And Nate?"

Haley looked away.

"He wasn't so lucky, Luke. There was severe injury to his spinal cord."

"Spinal cord? But he's gonna be alright…right?"

"He'll live."

"But…"

"The doctors say he is paralyzed from the waist down."

Lucas shook his head from side to side, tears falling.

"They can fix it, right?"

"No. No, they can't fix it, Lucas."

"No! No!"

"Do you have any idea how hard yesterday was for me? I had to sit in that room while the doctor told my 26 year husband that he will never be able to play basketball again, that he will never even be able to walk again…"

"Doctors don't know everything, Haley. That guy is wrong. We'll find someone else, get a second opinion. We'll send him to the best rehab facilities in the world…"

"Stop it, Luke. Just stop it."

"Haley…"

"It's over. Nothing can help him now."

Lucas wiped his eyes.

"How, how is he taking it?"

"How would you take it? How would anyone take that kind of news? He's devastated."

"I'm sorry…"

A tear fell down her angry face.

"Yeah, I just bet you are."

"Haley, of course I am. Look, we may have had our differences over the years but Nathan is still my brother. I love him. I never wanted any of this to happen to him. It's all my fault."

"Damn right it's your fault! You did this and you did it on purpose!"

Lucas was shocked. Sure, he had done some underhanded things over the years and as a result, a lot of people lost trust in him. But who could think he would purposely paralyze his younger brother?

"Haley, no! I didn't. How could you even think…"

"And how could you do this, you son of a bitch?"

"I didn't! I swear!"

"Save it. Nathan told me what you said in the car. You have been jealous of him all along. You always were. Damn you, it wasn't his fault! The money, the family…you could have had it all. And it wasn't his fault that you got Dan's HCM and not him. But you blamed him for that every single day since your diagnosis. You ruined what was left of your life and you couldn't let him or anyone else be happy!"

"That's not true!"

"Yes, it is. You couldn't let me be happy or Peyton and Jake and even your own wife for God's sake!"

"I made mistakes, Haley…"

"You son of a bitch! Look what you've done! This is permanent! My husband, your brother is gonna be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life! And it is all your fault! And why? Because you're an evil, pathetic, jealous excuse of a miserable human being! Damn you, Lucas!"

In a tearful and emotional rage, Haley picked up a nearby vase and threw it in the direction of Lucas' head as she continued to scream at him. Hospital security had to restrain her.

"Hales, I'm sorry", he cried. "It was an accident. Tell Nathan I didn't mean it…"

"Go to hell!" she sobbed as the cops pulled her away and out of his room. "I wish it were you!"

He would never forget those words as long as he lived or the look on Haley's distraught face when she said them. It was enough to flare up his HCM but after a few days of careful monitoring, the hospital released him. Minutes later, he was arrested on one count of reckless driving and one charge of malicious wounding with intent. Of course Karen and Keith had sent the cavalry of lawyers and a release was inevitable, Lucas had sat resigned in his tiny isolated cell. Nothing was right. Everyone hated him and Nathan was still paralyzed. Maybe it hadn't been intentional but Haley was still right…it was all his fault.

"Scott, you've got a visitor", the guard announced as he led Lucas to the visitation room.

Lucas rolled his eyes. The last thing he wanted was to talk to another attorney. But to his surprise, it wasn't. Nothing could have prepared him for who he saw waiting at the table for him.

"Brooke…"

"You look like shit", she observed.

He managed a small smile.

"You look beautiful. What…what are you doing here?"

She shrugged and sighed.

"I keep asking myself that same question."

"It's good to see you again."

"Look, Lucas…"

"I messed up, Brooke. I know that. I hurt you and Jake and a lot of other people."

"That doesn't matter now", she cleared her throat.

"Yes, it does. It's all that matters. I keep screwing up, each time worse than the one before it. I keep hurting innocent people I claim to love. The affairs, the debts, the gambling, the money laundering…all of it was wrong, Brooke. There are no words, no excuses for that. I fucked up…bad. I know sorry won't make up for that."

"No, it won't, Lucas."

"What I did with Peyton was wrong."

"But you still did it and now…now there is this child involved."

"I have done a lot of things, things I am ashamed of, things worse than Dan ever did. I don't know why. It's like I can't help it. One day I looked in the mirror and everything was out of control and I barely recognized the guy staring back at me. I became this monster that you and everybody else hated."

"Can you blame us?"

Lucas shook his head.

"No because there is no way any of you can hate me anymore than I already hate myself. I want to change, Brooke."

She rolled her eyes.

"I've heard that one before. And I was stupid enough to think it would actually happen. That's why I stuck around all these years."

"I love you."

"No, you don't. If you loved me, you never would have cheated on me or lied to me or stolen money from me."

"How do I say I'm sorry?"

"How do you? You can't. You went too far. The whole Peyton thing drives me insane but how could you do that to Jake? He is your best friend. He stood by you when no one else did. How could you betray him in that way?"

"I don't know. I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean to…"

"And not that I'm an advocate for Peyton Jagielski's feelings right now but after everything that has happened, you challenged her for custody? Why?"

"I want to see my daughter. I want to be a part of Minnie's life."

"So you can confuse her? Cause more strain for Jake and Peyton?"

"No, I…"

"Well, that's exactly what you're doing. See what I mean? All you do is destroy and hurt, even when you don't mean to. Me, Jake, Peyton, Minnie, Haley and now Nathan."

"Look at me, Brooke. You know me. You know me better than anyone. Look in my eyes. Do you honestly think I did that, the wreck, paralyzing Nathan on purpose?"

Brooke bit her lip. Lucas was a lot of things but no she couldn't believe that one.

"No", she whispered.

A lump formed in his throat. He touched her hand but she tried to pull away.

"I had everything and I lost everything. I know I've said it before but this time it's true. I have to change. I have to be better. This is rock bottom for me, Brooke."

"Do what you have to do, Lucas."

"I can't do it alone."

"You can't do it with me. We tried that for years, remember? It didn't work then and it won't work now."

"What if it could? What if somehow we got it all back? What if we could be Broody and Cheery again? What if the six of us could all be tight again?"

Brooke wiped away a tear.

"That will never happen."

"But what if it could?"

She shrugged.

"It would be great, too good to be true."

"The six of us have a bond that will never be broken. No matter what, we'll always stick together. That's what loyalty is. I know in my heart, even when I'm wrong or they wrong me, it doesn't matter. It's us against the world, Brooke. It always has been. No matter the crime, we protect each other at any cost. That's just the way it is."

"And you and me?"

"I know I've hurt you. I have been an unimaginable bastard and I don't deserve you. But remember our vows, Brooke. Remember what you told me that night we got married. For better or worse…marriage is forever."

"Yeah but that was before you showed me just how bad it could get."

"I know you still love me. If you didn't, you wouldn't be here. But you are. And I know you miss us and that you want it back but you're afraid. You're afraid to be vulnerable and get your heart broken again. You're afraid of me."

"Luke…"

"I love you, Brooke. I want my wife back. I want my friends back. Hell, I want my life back."

"It's too late."

"It's never too late. Somehow, I'm gonna get it all back. You'll see."

"You have a lot to prove to a lot of people. There is so much to be forgiven, too much."

He stroked her wrist.

"I'm gonna make it up to you. I don't know how, but I will. Just promise me one thing…you'll hold off on this divorce thing."

"Lucas…"

His bottom lip trembled as his voice began to quiver.

"Please. Please, Brooke. I'm begging you. I need you. I love you. I don't have anything else but you now. If you turn your back, then I truly have nothing."

"I, I have to go…"

"Brooke…"

"You made bail. And your attorney is pretty confident that all the charges will be dropped. So at least you'll be out of here soon."

"I want to come home. I want to go back to Dallas."

Brooke took a deep breath.

"I want that, too. More than anything but not now. It can't happen. I just can't let you back in."

"I'll do anything…"

She nodded as she stood to leave.

"Then prove it."

He knew he had to. He had a lot to prove to everyone he had hurt and let down. More than anything, he just wanted back to his old self. But with everything done, would they ever truly forgive him? Could Jake ever look at Minnie, then look him in the eye without hatred and contempt? Could Haley ever love him again? Could Nathan, his career and the use of his lower body taken away in a horrible instant, ever forgive? And Brooke. Perhaps he had hurt her most. And she had always been classy about it. She had never let anyone know the full story, the extent to which Lucas had hurt her. Even when others looked at her, or when it caused irreversible damage to Brooke's once loving and solid relationship with Karen, Brooke had kept her head high and handled her pain with dignity and grace. And now he was asking her for forgiveness. Could she? Would she? Would any of them? Lucas could only wait. He knew it could be a while but there was hope yet. The two of them were bonded by eternal wedding vows just as their group of six was bonded by the unspoken force of loyalty and deep, abiding love. No matter the crime, they would always be there to love each other, protect each other at any cost.