Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, or One Tree Hill
Author's Note: Hey, okay, I finally discovered a love for writing one shots, but I don't think I'm any good at it. You guys can decide. Let me know what you think about this, its my first one shot so go easy.
Anything For Them
Brooke was rummaging through her two bedroom apartment, looking for her scissors. She had just bought a new shirt and planned on wearing it out to dinner, but had to cut off the tags. As she looked through the various drawers in her kitchen, the phone began ringing.
"Hold on, hold on," she muttered. "Hello?" Her good mood quickly escalated into tears as the person on the other line told her the news. The news that would forever change her. The news that would affect her life from that day on. The news that broke her.
She rushed into the emergency room, frantically looking for anyone who could be of help. She was a mess of tears, and she demanded to the receptionist, "I need to see Haley Scott. Right now." Her voice was shaking, and she could barely get out her words.
The woman hesitated, and said, "Let me get the doctor. Please have a seat."
"The doctor! Dammit, let me see her! Please. Or Nathan..." She was sobbing uncontrollably. "Please, you have to..." Desperation was evident in her voice.
The woman placed a hand over Brooke's, trying to calm her. "Maam, please wait for a few minutes. He'll be right with you."
Brooke, shaking, tried wiping the fresh tears off her face, but it was to no avail. She had dissolved into a puddle of tears the minute Jake had told her there had been an accident. It was a miracle she had arrived in one piece.
She stood there, in hysterics, until someone came up and led her by the arm to a couch, and handed her a tissue. Looking up, she said "Thank you," as she saw her face. "Peyton..." Peyton pulled her friend into a hug, and Brooke then absolutely fell apart. "They won't tell me anything. At all. The bitch told me the doctor would talk to me."
Peyton herself was in tears, but tried holding herself together for Brooke. Nathan and Haley were everything to Brooke, and Peyton knew this was devastating for her. Brooke was closer to the married couple moreso than anyone else. Hell, she and Haley never went a day without talking at least twice. And Nathan was like a big brother to Brooke, always there in her time of need.
All Peyton knew to this point was that they were hit by a drunk driver, and she had a sinking feeling Nathan had not made it. The look in the receptionist's eyes said it all. As for Haley, she had no idea. All she could do was pray.
The pair sat there for a good thirty minutes, Brooke's tears never letting up. Slowly, their other friends and family trickled in. First it was Peyton's dad, then Skills, Mouth, and Tim. News spread fast in Tree Hill, that much was evident. Deb and Dan also rushed in, but were whisked back to the rooms. Haley's sister also showed up, along with Karen.
Finally, Deb appeared after what seemed like eternity. Brooke stood, and the two women stared at each other, and Deb dissolved into tears, and whispered, "They're gone." She barely got the words out before Karen rushed up to her, pulling her into a supportive embrace.
This was all it took for Brooke to just lose it. She fell into Tim's arms, and he held her up as she cried, soaking his shirt. He wet hers as well, and for a long time they simply held onto each other. There wasn't a dry eye in the waiting room as they all took in this tragic news.
Days later, Brooke sat with Peyton in Jake and Peyton's house. Peyton had not left Brooke's side since they left the hospital, and they were about to leave for Nathan's funeral. Haley's had been the day before, and it had been hell for everyone.
Peyton was concerned for Brooke, being in her state of health. It couldn't be good for her at all. But Brooke was strong, and she would be alright. Peyton just wished she wouldn't feel so guilty about everything that had happened. Brooke blamed herself, and no one would talk her out of it.
"Brooke, you ready?"
She nodded, and stood up, smoothing the silky black material of her dress. "Yeah." She grabbed her purse and followed her friends out to the car. On the way over, a thought occurred to her. Where was Lucas Scott? He and Nathan were close, even though Lucas lived in California. From what Haley had told Brooke, he had just recently graduated and was looking for a job in which he could use his business degree. But he should have been there, and it angered Brooke that he wasn't. No matter what their history was, and no matter the fact that she hadn't seen him in a year, he had a loyalty to his brother he should carry out. A loyalty to his family.
Brooke sat behind Nathan's family with Peyton and Jake. The service would be starting in five minutes, and the place was packed. It amazed her at all the people she never thought she would see again that she had seen during the last two days.
"Brooke," Peyton nudged her. Brooke looked up and saw Lucas taking a seat next to Deb, and she gasped. He was definitely the last person she had expected to see.
Her surprise quickly turned into pleasantness. She was glad he had come. She had missed him, and would have disliked him if he had not shown at all. He, like Nathan and Haley, meant so much to her. The four of them shared such an important history, so many memories cherished.
After the funeral, Brooke was standing with Bevin outside the church. She was a complete mess. She hadn't bothered with makeup that morning, and her hair was thrown into a ponytail. The dress was all she had going for her, and for once she couldn't have cared less. The services for both Nathan and Haley were beautiful, but Brooke didn't see it like that. She saw this as goodbye. Goodbye to her best friends, her mentors, her family. Family. They were all she had, and now they were gone. Peyton would be there, but she had Jake and Jenny. Brooke no longer had someone to call in the middle of the night if she was having problems with boys. She no longer had a shopping buddy who would drop everything to take a drive to Charlotte. She no longer had anyone to beat in basketball, even though she knew Nathan let her win, though he always denied it. She no longer had her Naley.
"Brooke," a voice filled with anguish and grief said.
Brooke whirled around and saw a distraught Lucas standing behind her. A sob slipped out from her mouth, and tears freely flowed again. He smiled weakly, and she let him engulf her in his arms. It felt so good to hold him again, and she let herself calm down in his arms. He always had that soothing affect on her. Slowly resting her head on his shoulder, she whispered, "Its really good to see you."
"Do you think we could go somewhere and talk? I know my mom is having everyone over for food and stuff, but right now..." She knew what he was feeling, because she was feeling the same thing. Neither were in the mood to hear stories of how great Nathan and Haley were, because they already knew that. Brooke and Lucas knew that more than anyone.
"Anywhere," she said automatically. She didn't need to be near these people right now. They would just remind her of her unique situation and everything that was going on. She was stressed enough as it was.
He pulled her by the hand towards his car, and they drove to the Rivercourt.
Sitting on a nearby bench, her tears finally dried, she said, "I'm glad you came. I didn't think you would."
"I didn't think I was going to make it. I had interviews, and because of thunderstorms my plane was delayed. That's why I wasn't at Haley's yesterday." His face was tight and full of regret. "I tried so hard..." His voice broke, and this made her heart ache. She knew he had done everything he could.
"Its okay. It was a beautiful service, just what Haley would have wanted."
He nodded. "That's what my mom said. Maybe it's a good thing, though. I don't know if I could have sat through it without breaking down."
"I know I didn't," Brooke murmured quietly.
"It sucks, you know? Neither of them got to do much of what they wanted. They were twenty two. Twenty two! Its not fair," he shook his head angrily. "The bastard who hit him better get locked up for a long time."
"It's not his fault," Brooke whispered painfully, refusing to meet his eyes.
He looked at her in surprise. "What are you talking about? Of course it is. He was drunk, and he crossed the yellow line. It's no one's fault but his."
"No, its mine. They were coming to pick me up. We were going to go to dinner. I had suggested the dinner, so it's my fault." She was beating herself up over this, but had never said that to anyone until just then. Peyton suspected Brooke was thinking this, but Brooke didn't say it out loud.
It broke his heart to see her this upset. "You can't blame yourself. You had no idea this would happen."
Her tears started flowing again, and her voice kept breaking up. She said, "No, but if I had just agreed to meet them at the restaurant, Nathan and Haley wouldn't be dead! I may not have hit them with a car, but I hold the blame just as much as the driver does."
"Brooke..." Lucas eyes became wet at the site of her Brooke so shaken, and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her close. He whispered softly in her ear, "This is not your fault" over and over again. He comforted her, in only the way Lucas could ever comfort Brooke.
After a few minutes, she lifted her head and looked at him. "What did you mean when you said neither of them got to do what they wanted?"
He shrugged. "I just meant, they wanted kids. Badly wanted children, Haley mentioned it in her last email to me. She said something about how they were trying. I haven't gotten an email from her in over two months, though, because we both have had so much going on."
Brooke stared at him. He didn't know. He was clueless. "Lucas, I'm pregnant," she said slowly.
He looked at her in shock. "What?"
"Yeah. Pregnant, me. More than threemonths." She couldn't believe he wasn't aware of this. Did he ever talk to his brother?
He looked at her, confused. "I didn't know..."
She smiled. "Its okay. Not many people do. I know you are probably wondering why I brought this up at a time like this, but... the baby isn't mine. Its Haley and Nathan's. They had been trying, and found out Haley can't have children. So I am a surrogate for them."
She couldn't help but be amused at his completely stunned reaction. "You're... pregnant?" He was, of course, surprised, and actually relieved when he learned that some random guy hadn't knocked her up.
She nodded, and spoke as though she were speaking to a two year old. "Yes, I am going to have Nathan and Haley's baby."
"But..." He was cut off by his phone ringing. "Excuse me," he apologized, almost grateful for the disruption. He needed a few minutes to think about this revelation.
A few minutes later, he returned. "Um, is it okay if I take you back to my mom's now? That was an offer for an interview at this huge firm, I have to get back to California, and a plane is leaving in less than an hour."
She nodded, and allowed him to drive her back, a small part of her disappointed that he had to leave so soon.
A week and a half later, she had received a call from Haley and Nathan's lawyer, and was asked to head downtown for a meeting. She wasn't feeling up to it, but was nervous at the same time. What could they possibly want from her?
She was seated in the waiting room, and then was finally called in. She shook hands with the lawyer, James Campbell. "Good morning, Mr Campbell."
"Hello, Ms. Davis. Have a seat. We are just waiting for..." Before he finished, the door opened and in walked Lucas.
Shocked, Brooke looked at him in confusion. He looked just as surprise to see her. "Hey, how are you?"
"Fine. I thought you were in California." It was a stupid statement, but she didn't really care. She wanted to know what the hell he was doing there.
He explained, "I was, but they asked me to be here, so I flew in about an hour ago. What's this about?"
She shrugged. "I'm as clueless as you are."
Mr Campbell cleared his throat, and said, "I know you two are wondering what I called you here for. This is about Mr and Mrs Scott's will."
Alarm and panic ran through Brooke. Will? No one had mentioned this. In fact, she had spent the last two weeks grieving and going through their house with Deb. So much stuff. They had bought a few things for the baby already, and Brooke wanted to cry when she walked into the nursery. It wasn't much, but Nathan had put together a crib, and Haley had wallpaper samplings spread out. The scene was heartbreaking, personally, for Brooke.
Lucas shot a glance at Brooke, who looked worried. He wasn't as worried as he was curious. Nathan was wealthy, sure, but it wasn't like he had left him anything. Lucas was doing fine on his own. His brother's house was going to be put up for sale, and his parents were dividing their belongings amongst family and friends. So why had it been so crucial for both Brooke and Lucas to be at this meeting in person?
"Brooke, Nathan and Haley updated their will a few weeks ago. As his lawyer, I recommended him to do so since he found out about the pregnancy."
Brooke nodded. She vaguely remembered Haley mentioning it, but never thought twice about it. Now, though, she saw the tragedy in it and it made her heart break thinking about it. "Alright, but I still don't understand."
"Once you have this baby, it has to be taken under someone's custody. Technically, it is an orphan."
Brooke nodded. She knew this. She knew biologically this child was not hers, and this had been lingering in the back of her head since the night Nathan and Haley died. "I know," she said quietly, looking down at her hands, her face displaying no emotion.
Lucas watched her face. This was obviously a sensitive subject for Brooke, because she was already upset. She may not make it visible to others, but he knew she was hurting. He wanted to grab her hand, and give it a squeeze in support, but he withheld. Instead, he asked the logical question. "So what happens to the baby?"
The lawyer took a deep breath, and said, "This is where the will comes in. Obviously, since you two seem surprised about all of this, Nathan and Haley didn't tell you about it. They have already stated in writing who they want their child to go to if something happened to them. Sadly, something did happen, and while we don't have to make a decision right away, we do need to confirm or disclaim matters."
Brooke said, "What are you talking about?"
"Ms Davis, Mr Scott, Nathan and Haley have you two down as the legal guardians of their unborn child. You have joint custody."
Brooke's mouth ran dry. She hadn't been expecting this, for two reasons. One, she thought if anyone got the baby, it would have been Deb or Haley's parents. Not that she was complaining. Secondly, her and Lucas took custody? It was like, even from Heaven, Haley was trying to put them back together again. She always supported 'BL', as Haley frequently referred to them as, and had been upset when Brooke and Lucas had parted ways a couple years ago.
Lucas, on the other hand, was having different thoughts racing through his head. "Are you sure? Because neither of them ever said anything." He didn't talk to his brother or friend on a regular basis, but thought surely they would have mentioned this.
"Lucas, their deaths were so unexpected, neither of them thought anything of it. It didn't even cross their minds, I doubt. They just put your names down. I'm sure they would have said something later on, but unfortunately that didn't happen. Now, you do not have to accept this responsibility. It is completely your choice. I know you two are not a couple, and Brooke I know this is a lot to handle. But there are stipulations that we will go over if you decide to accept the guardianship. You do not have to decide today, in fact you can wait a few weeks if you would like time to debilitate. This is completely up to you. However, if you decide not to do this, then Mr Scott will assume the choice of responsibility and guardianship."
Lucas's head snapped up at the mention of his name. "And if I don't?"
Quietly, Mr Campbell said, "Because the child is legally an orphan, he or she will be in the hands of the state and go into foster care right after birth." He did not get the chance to say that the child would only be in foster care long enough for family of Nathan and Haley to claim him or her.
At this declaration, tears entered Brooke's eyes. Foster care? This was too much for her to handle right now. She abruptly stood up, and said, "I'll call you," to the lawyer before rushing out of the room towards the bathroom to throw up.
Lucas quickly shook the man's hand and followed her. He saw her disappear into the ladies room, and leaned against the wall to wait on her.
Inside, Brooke stared at her reflection after she vomited. She was a mess, which was nothing new. A baby? Brooke Davis, mother. It sounded wrong, and mistaken, as though someone got the mother's name wrong. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. This was supposed to be Nathan and Haley's child, not hers. It felt wrong to assume responsibility. Then again, it felt wrong to decline; it would be like she was neglecting the baby. How could she let some stranger care for the baby? And even if it wasn't a stranger, she couldn't see Deb raising this child.
'Dammit.' Brooke thought sadly to herself. She looked upwards, and whispered, 'I miss you, Haley.'
She walked out of the restroom, and jumped when she saw Lucas standing next to it. "Luke, you scared me."
"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I just want to make sure you are alright."
She nodded. "I will be. Thanks."
"So, um, do you want to go take a walk or something?" He really wanted to talk to her about the meeting, but he was hesitant to ask her. He wasn't sure where she stood right now.
"You don't have to fly back to California," she teased.
He chuckled. He had sort of left her high and dry last week. "No, I don't have any meetings or anything planned. Come on."
Soon they were seated at a local coffee shop. Lucas said gently, "I know that meeting was a surprise for you."
"Not really. I mean, yeah, I was shocked to see you there, no offense, and yes I was surprised to hear what he had to say. The thing that surprised me was when he said that stuff about the baby being in foster care."
"Brooke, this baby will never be in foster care," he said firmly.
She looked at him. "What?"
He took a deep breath. "If you decide you can't handle parenthood right now, I will. Be the legal guardian, I mean. This child is my niece or nephew, I will care for it."
Her eyes widened, and she said, "I never said I didn't want it. But thank you," she said sincerely. He always had a way to make her feel better. She stayed quiet for a few minutes. "I never thought I would have to go through something like this alone."
At this, he grabbed her hand. "You aren't alone. I will be here for you and for the baby, every step of the way."
She looked at him, touched. "You don't have to. And its kind of impossible, don't you think? You live in California. Your life is there."
He shook his head. "See, that's where you are wrong. My life is here, in Tree Hill. I have nothing in California, no job, no friends. All my friends from college went off to New York or Chicago. Here I have my mom, my friends, and there are job opportunities calling my name. Most of all, I have you." He knew this was a lot for Brooke, especially with everything that had been going on.
"Luke, we aren't together. We haven't been in two years." She wasn't saying she didn't want to be with him, because she did. And she knew he wanted to be with her. The reason for their breakup was distance. But they would have to rebuild their relationship, and that takes time.
He nodded, and said softly, "I know. Let's just take things slow, alright? I will move back to Tree Hill, get a place of my own. I was planning on it before all this happened, but this just gives me more reason to." He was speaking the truth. He had mentioned it to Karen right after he graduated that he wanted to move back home. He just needed the right time and reason, and now he had been given both.
"Don't move because of me," she protested.
"Don't give yourself that much credit," he joked. "I am moving because of the baby. He or she needs a father in their life. And even if you and I aren't together, we will have joint custody. As for you and me, if something happens, it happens. I love you Brooke, but I am not stupid. We have a rocky history, and it has taken me so long to get over you. Not that I wouldn't move for you, that's not what I'm saying," he rambled on.
"Lucas," she silenced him with her hand. Smiling, she said lightly, "Its not a 'he or she'."
"What?" He was confused, he had no clue what she was talking about.
"The baby. It's a girl." Butterflies entered her stomach as she said it. He was the first person she had told, and the news excited her.
He grinned, and it felt so good doing so. "Really? When did you find out?"
"Yesterday. I went to my appointment and they did an ultra sound. I have the tape at my apartment."
"Brooke, that's great." His sincerity resulted in a smile from her, a genuine smile. One he hadn't seen since they had broken up years ago. "Its nice, you know." She looked at him quizzically. "You smiling, you should do it more often."
Her smile disappeared and she said softly, "Its hard to smile when nothing is going right."
Lucas knew what she was talking about, and gave her hand a squeeze. "I know. But they would want you to be happy. Haley was always happy. Nathan, well, he was Nathan. But they wouldn't want you to be sad."
She nodded, her dimples starting to show. "Look at you, comforting me when I should probably be the one comforting you."
He shrugged modestly. "I do what I can."
She rolled her eyes. "Right." Her facial expression turned serious. "Thank you. For moving here to help and all. I don't think I would be able to pick up my life just like that. I'm too selfish."
"Its for the baby, so of course I will do it," he lied. It wasn't for the baby. It was for her. But that could come later. Right now, he was happy that she was happy, if only for a little while. "And you aren't selfish, you are the complete opposite of that, if anything. You just agreed to become a parent to a baby you were carrying for your friends. That's not selfish, Brooke. In fact, that's two completely selfless acts wrapped up in one generous heart."
She smiled warmly at the compliments. "So. We are really going to do this, huh? Be parents."
He nodded. "Yeah, we are. Scared?"
"Terrified," she admitted. "But the kid is the offspring of an athlete and a genius. This kid's gonna have it all."
"And her uncle is the best person in the world, so of course she'll get his genes as well," he said, getting a laugh out of her.
"You are so full of yourself. If anything, she will have the best fashion in the world because I will be the one dressing her."
As they joked with each other, Brooke knew she would be alright. No one said life was easy, that much was had been proven. But with Lucas there to help her, she would make it. The little things would work themselves out. And Nathan and Haley would always be with her, through their child. She was so blessed to be able to be their daughter's guardian, and maybe one day adopt her. And Lucas? Yeah, she was pretty lucky to have him too.
Who was she kidding? He was her rock, without him she may have let Deb and Dan have custody. But at long as Lucas was there she would be fine. She, the baby, and Lucas would always have each other. Like a family. Two weeks ago, she lost the only family she had ever known, and now it seemed like she could hope again, if only just a little.
There ya have it, now please review!