Author's Note: Okay, so this story is coming to a close. Only a few more chapters left and since Manda has brought it to my attention I suck, you should thank her. (lol, just kidding. Love ya Manda!)

Chapter Six:
Jesus, take the wheel

"Hey Peyt, are you ready to go?" Lucas said as he entered Peyton's house. He was surprised to see her standing in the door way, her cell phone and purse in her hands. "Wow, you're actually on time," he smiled. The look on Peyton's face went unnoticed and he shook his head. "Let's go."

Peyton shook her head and stared at him. Tears fell freely from her face and she fell into him. "Oh my God Luke, you don't know." Peyton whispered as Lucas pulled away from her. He raised an eyebrow, but Peyton cut him off. "Brooke was in an accident about a half an hour ago. Apparently, they called Haley. They've been trying to get a hold of her parents but couldn't."

"Is she okay?"

Peyton shrugged her shoulders. "They won't say anything to us, we're not family. Haley and Nathan are on their way to the hospital. Haley said she tried to get a hold of you but you were ignoring your cell," Peyton explained. Guilt washed through him, as he realized not only had he not been taking phone calls but it had been him that had caused Brooke to drive off angrily. He didn't even wait for Peyton to say anything before heading towards the door.

"I'll go with you," Peyton said.

Lucas turned to look at her and thought briefly about saying no. Their relationship had been part of the problem and he didn't want to hurt Brooke anymore than what had already happened. But he also knew that Peyton wanted to be there for her best friend. He shook his head finally and called over his shoulder. "Lets go."

……

Haley paced the waiting room for the hundredth time as Nathan made his way back into the room. He had a cup of coffee in his hands and a muffin as he walked towards her. "Here babe," he said as he handed her the coffee. She took a sip and then continued to pace.

"Maybe you should sit down," he offered.

A doctor had come out of the room and Haley walked towards him. "Doctor," she said politely. "Can you tell me anything about Brooke Davis?" She asked. The doctor shook his head no and turned towards the waiting room. He knew that there was no one for Brooke besides the teenager and the girls husband. They had been there for the last half an hour and even though they had tried to track down the girls parents, there had been no response.

"I told you. Unfortunately, the only people I can release any information to are relatives," he explained yet again. Tears entered Haley's eyes and she was about to scream until her husband joined her side. He wrapped his arm around her in comfort and tried to reason with the doctor.

"Brooke's parents live in California. This is her roommate and I'm Haley's husband. If you won't tell us anything, is there any way we can see her?" He asked.

The doctor looked at his watch and sighed. "Sure, I guess it's okay. But you should know… she's really banged up," the doctor explained. Haley looked down at the floor and Nathan wrapped his arm around her. He watched as they pointed towards Brooke's room and he mouthed a thank you towards the doctor.

"I'll go with you," Nathan said to Haley as she nodded her head. The couple walked towards the door and knocked gently on it. They heard Brooke shuffle in her bed and Haley hesitantly opened the door. She gave a sad smile towards Nathan before walking into the hospital room.

Neither of them had been expecting what they had come to see. Brooke was sitting up in her bed, a bandage wrapped across her forehead and bruises up and down her body. Brooke faked a smile and patted the bed beside her. "Black and blue really are my colors, huh tutor wife?" She asked.

The smile fell from Haley's face as tears entered her eyes. She walked towards her friend and threw her arms around her. Nathan watched the two girls and couldn't help but notice the tears in Brooke's eyes as well. "I'm okay Haley, I promise."

"I know. It's the Davis in you," Haley said with a small smile.

Brooke shrugged her shoulders. "It's the Tigger in me," she whispered. She tried to wink, but the swelling on the right side of her face caused her to much pain. Brooke winced, but quickly pretended it was nothing.

"What happened?" Haley asked after a few minutes.

Brooke sighed. She knew that the questions would start and she didn't want to tell anyone the truth. What had happened? When she had gotten into the car at Lucas's, she hadn't been thinking. She was hurt and angry and needed to get away from him as fast as possible. She hadn't seen the car coming and the last thing she could remember was a flashlight in her eyes.

"I was driving home from dinner at Karen's… this driver pulled out and hit me," Brooke said simply. There was no need to tell anyone about the fight with Lucas. It was something that she had to deal with and she knew that Haley would be angry with Lucas. She didn't want anymore problems between the six of them.

Haley sighed. "I'm so glad nothing else happened to you."

Brooke smiled at Haley's concern and turned towards Nathan. "Thanks for bringing her Nate," she said with a small smile. "Where's Peyton?" It was only a second later that both Peyton and Lucas entered the room. It hadn't gone unnoticed by anyone that the two had arrived together. Wherever they had been, whatever they had been doing… they were doing it together.

This angered both Nathan and Haley. "Luke, how about we go get Brooke something to eat?" Nathan asked as he turned towards his older brother. Lucas looked towards Brooke, who avoided his gaze. He shook his head and followed his brother out of the room.

"Are you okay?" Peyton asked quietly.

Brooke nodded her head but looked down at the blanket the nurses had given her. She didn't know what to say to Peyton and wasn't sure she wanted her in the room. Haley turned towards Brooke and knew that her friend was going through too much pain. She turned towards Peyton and smiled slightly. "Why don't we give Brooke a few minutes? Maybe we could go get her some magazines or something from the gift shop."

Peyton nodded her head. "I'll be right back okay Brooke?" She asked. Brooke nodded her head but still didn't look up from the bed. There was no way she could look at Peyton. Not after everything that had been going on. Why wasn't Peyton telling her the truth? The blonde had promised to never endanger their friendship again and Brooke couldn't help but feel the omission was endangering it.

"I'll be back in a minute," Haley whispered as she followed Peyton out of the room. Brooke called out to her and Haley turned around to face her brunette friend. "Yeah Brooke?" She asked.

Brooke looked at Haley and smiled slightly. "Thanks for being such a good friend." Haley nodded her head and shut the door behind her, smiling at Brooke's words.

……

"What the hell are you thinking man?" Nathan asked after a few minutes. The two brothers were walking down the familiar halls of the Tree Hill hospital. Lucas looked at him, not sure what he meant by his question.

"What are you talking about?"

Nathan shook his head. "She was in a car accident Lucas. This isn't a game okay? Brooke got hurt tonight and you show up with Peyton? What are you trying to do to Brooke?"

"I'm not trying to do anything to her," Lucas answered honestly. He hadn't been trying to hurt her. Granted she had hurt him by leaving and he had spent most of the summer angry at her… but when she had shown up at the café that afternoon and he had seen her- the anger had lessened. All he had wanted was to make her understand. To let her see that she did this to them. It was her fault their relationship had fallen apart.

Not him.

Not Peyton.

He thought briefly of Peyton and wondered what exactly her declaration of feelings had truly meant. She had told him she loved him but her eyes had told him something different. Peyton was running from the truth and avoiding the real person she loved. He had come to terms with that and wondered when she would. Lucas just hoped it was before she told Brooke her feelings.

"I was picking up Peyton because we were going to the movies. She told me about Brooke and before I knew it she was in the car with me. We're both worried about her Nathan."

Nathan nodded his head. He knew that the two of them were worried about Brooke. But neither had seen her the past couple of nights. Neither knew that it was him and Haley that had spent hours trying to cheer Brooke up. That all the ice cream and all the movies in the world hadn't done the trick. That the brunette that was lying in that hospital room, cried herself to sleep when she thought that Haley and him couldn't hear.

"Look man…" Nathan turned towards his brother. "If something is going on between you and Peyton- the two of you need to tell Brooke right away. Don't let what happened the last time happen again."

Lucas laughed. "Nothing is going on between me and Peyton," he yelled. He was sick of everyone accusing him of making a move on his ex girlfriends best friend. Nathan coughed, causing Lucas to look up. He shook his head in amazement and watched as Peyton walked off in a hurry. Nathan and Haley looked at each other and then towards Lucas.

"Peyton- wait up," he called after her. She turned back for a moment and shook her head before heading through the exit doors. Lucas turned back towards Haley and Nathan and shook his head. "Now what the hell do I do?" He asked.

Nathan shrugged his shoulders. "Go talk to Peyton."

Lucas was about to say something when Haley cut him off. "I'll be damned," she said angrily. Nathan tried to calm his wife down but Haley walked towards Lucas. "You're my best friend Luke, you know that. But I am sick of this bull shit. If you go to Peyton, I'm telling Brooke. I won't let the two of you hurt her again and sit around on the sidelines watching. Too much has changed."

Lucas was shocked at his friends words but knew the truth in her statement. Too much had changed, including his feelings for Brooke. He loved her now, it was different then it had been. "I'm not leaving Brooke," Lucas said finally. Haley nodded her head and turned towards the exit door.

"I'll go find her," Haley said simply.

Nathan watched as his wife walked towards the door and turned towards Lucas. "I'll wait. Just go talk to Brooke," Nathan said. Lucas nodded his head and sighed. He knew he needed to talk to her. There were things that needed to be resolved and they needed to come from him.

He walked back towards her room and felt his heart beat increase rapidly. There was too much going on in his head. He wasn't sure where to start. Lucas stared at the door and knocked on it gently before pushing it open with his hands.

'Here goes nothing,' he said to himself.

……

"Lucas…"

Peyton turned around but noticed that it wasn't Lucas standing behind her. It was Haley. She frowned and turned around in the bench. "What Haley? Go ahead and say it."

Haley took a seat next to her friend and sighed. There was so much that she wanted to say to Peyton but couldn't find the words. There were all these questions repeating over and over in her head and she wasn't sure were to begin. "What is going on with you and Lucas?"

Peyton laughed. "Nothing, didn't you hear?"

Haley took a deep breath and kicked her feet against the pavement. "I know what Lucas said Peyton. But we've always been able to tell each other the truth. What's going on?"

"Haley, things change."

Haley nodded her head. Things had been changing in Tree Hill for longer than she cared to remember. First with the tour and coming home to find Lucas in love with Brooke, not Peyton. Then the group had started senior year together and Nathan and her had found their way back to each other. But then the shooting had happened and Keith had died.

"Not everything Peyton. I'm still your friend."

Peyton smirked. "Really? So it wasn't you giving me the cold shoulder in the café a few days ago?" She asked. Haley tried to say something but looked down at the ground. She had ignored Peyton and had silently felt horrible about doing it. But she had seen how much pain Brooke was in and didn't want her to have to go through it again. "I know where your loyalty is Haley and I don't blame you."

"Don't make this about loyalty Peyton. I love all three of you," Haley said simply. She turned towards Peyton. "Brooke and I have gotten a lot closer in the last year but that doesn't take away the fact that we were friends first."

Peyton sighed. "I know Haley. It's just hard. All of this is just hard," Peyton explained. Haley knew she was talking about the hospital and the accident with Brooke. She was sure that Peyton meant Lucas as well.

"It's okay to talk about it Peyton."

Peyton nodded her head gently. "I just don't understand him," she whispered.

"Who Lucas?" Haley questioned.

Peyton shook her head no and sighed. "I don't understand Jake."

TBC.
You know the deal. R&R please!