Keep Hope Alive

Author's Notes: Thanks soooo much for all reviews! Chapter title credit- White Flag by Dido.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is One Tree Hill or its characters.

Chapter Five: White Flag

Brooke continued silently crying as Nathan held her. Right in front of them, Theresa lied dead on the floor. Blood was spewed all over the floor from her chest, and she wasn't breathing.

"Brooke." Nathan said calmly, hoping not to alarm her. They couldn't stand in the middle of the hallway, near a deceased girl, crying.

Brooke ignored him, continuing with quiet sobs. Once she let it out, she just couldn't stop.

Nathan held her for a few more minutes, until he heard a slight yell. He looked around, worriedly, and back at Brooke.

"Brooke." He slowly lifted her head. "Brooke, we have to keep going." She gave a small nod as he wiped a few of her tears, and they continued to the way of the yell.

Nathan heard it once again, coming from a nearby classroom. As they reached the door, he looked down at Brooke. His hand slowly grasped the doorknob. He quickly grabbed her arm to pull her behind him.

Nathan drew in a deep breath, then opened the door.

Brooke stepped through the doorway of the classroom. Right in front of her eyes was Lucas, Haley, and Mouth. Three very important people in her life, and they were alive.

"Lucas." She said softly as she looked directly at him. Her eyes met with his, and everything felt better to her. Standing on opposite sides of the room, just looking at each other, and Brooke gained the most reassurance she had had all day.

"Lucas!" She now yelled, completely overcome with joy.

She didn't seem to notice the troubled teen a few feet away from her…holding a gun to her.

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Peyton stood by Karen and Keith as police and other authorities talked. Parents whose kids weren't with them, the kids inside, stood near. The two adults hadn't talked much throughout the time they had been there, both in fear of what was going on inside.

She heard a faint voice calling her name from behind her. She gave a sigh, assuming it was some fake cheerleader ready to gossip. As she turned around, she saw none other than Larry Sawyer running towards her.

A smile quickly came across her face as she ran to her father. The two hadn't been around each other a lot lately, especially after Ellie's death. This was the first time, in what seemed like forever, that Peyton felt safe in her father's arms.

"I got your messages. I came as fast as I could." He said quickly. She gave a nod as she pulled him into a tight hug once more.

After greeting each other, Peyton led her father back over to Karen, where the two also greeted each other. Still standing next to the couple and her father, she tightly grasped her arms around him, never wanting to let go.

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Lucas stared at the two brunettes standing in the doorway. The girl he was completely in love with was so much closer to him, and he was very thankful for that.

"Brooke." Lucas managed to say, before running in her direction. However, Lucas stopped dead in his tracks only a mere tenth of a second later.

Jimmy was now raising the gun, at Brooke.

Brooke looked over in the direction that Lucas was now facing, and there he was. The guy she knew from the time capsule was standing only a few feet away from her, pointing a gun at her chest.

"Don't come an inch closer Lucas. You wouldn't want to lose her." Jimmy stated in a very threatening tone.

"Jimmy. We're not leaving. We're not going anywhere. It's just Brooke." Lucas reassured, and slowly started inching forward.

"Don't!" The boy yelled. Jimmy pointed the gun, to the top of Brooke's head, strengthening his grip. He stepped closer to Brooke, mere inches away from her.

Standing to the side of the two, Nathan looked from Brooke, to Lucas, to Haley, and back to Brooke. He could take Jimmy. Yes, Jimmy had a gun in his hand, but Nathan had the element of surprise.

Haley seemed to read Nathan's mind, knowing his plan. She shook her head strongly as she looked at him. Was he freakin' crazy? Nathan couldn't fight him off, he had a gun.

"Jim. Please. Don't." Lucas begged slowly, as he watched the scene in front of him.

Brooke could now feel the cold metal on the side of her forehead. "Go!" Jimmy stated, pushing her away from the door, towards the middle of the classroom.

He looked in Nathan's direction. "You too, Scott!" He yelled angrily. Nathan slowly moved towards the area where everyone was standing. He was so close to Haley, only a few feet away from him. He quickly grabbed her, pulling his dear wife into his arms.

Lucas carefully kept his gaze on Brooke, and the gun aimed at her head. Would he really do it? Would he really shoot Brooke? Part of Lucas was saying 'no.' He remembered the guy that Jimmy was when they were friends, and that Jim would never do something like this.

The other part of Lucas was telling him that Jimmy would. He wasn't the same kid that Lucas once knew. He was a hurting, angry, disturbed kid, who would shoot Lucas' beloved girlfriend.

"Please, Jim. Just put the gun done. No one knows. They didn't tell anyone, we're not going anywhere."

Jimmy scratched his head, very confused. He knew he had shot someone in that hallway, and that person could be dead. He also knew that Brooke or Nathan could have alerted anyone outside, someone such as the police.

"No. No, I can't risk it!" Jimmy exclaimed loudly. He held the gun in his hand, tighter, as it stayed on Brooke's skin.

Lucas looked back at Brooke, his Brooke. Staring straight into her eyes, he could see everything. The fear, the worry, the defeat. She now had slow tears coming out onto her face.

He wanted to hold her in his arms, and wipe the tears away. It was killing him, seeing Brooke only a few feet away from him, in complete and utter danger, and he couldn't do a thing.

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Well, I hope you liked this chapter! I tried to make it more exciting. Please review!