Keep Hope Alive

Author's Notes: Thank you for every single review! You might think that a simple, five word review does nothing, but you're wrong. Every single review that I get makes me feel better about it, and I thank you for taking the short amount of time to let me know what you think about my story.

Okay, so here's the deal. At first I was planning on making this two parts, and ending the story on a chapter ten. But then I decided not to, and thought it would be best to have this as one long sad chapter. So as sad as this is to say, this is the end. There is a lot of Naley in here, but that is to be expected. I hope nobody likes the chapter any less because of this.

This chapter will have a song in it, as you can tell, and it will be in italics. I strongly suggest that you listen to this song if you haven't yet heard it. It's called There You'll Be by Faith Hill. In case anyone was wandering why it might sound familiar, it was the main soundtrack song for the movie Pearl Harbor and I think it fits perfectly with this story, this ending, and this sadness. So I really suggest listening to it!

Well here it is. I tried not to make it too sad, but not to dull and emotionless, just somewhere in the middle. I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is One Tree Hill, the quotes that will be placed in here from past episodes, or its characters.

Chapter Nine: There You'll Be

Four teens sat in the ugly pink and green colored chairs, the one's that resembled death. Nobody knew exactly how many people had sat in those nasty, uncomfortable, chairs to await the news. How many people had sat in those very same chairs of that very same waiting room, and were told their loved one was gone forever?

On to a more important matter…why? Why had Jimmy felt as dark as he did? Why had he brought that gun to the school? Why had he just given up on his life, and taken other's in the process? Even if she hadn't psychically taken lives, they were taken emotionally.

Every single person had felt, or was feeling, the effects of those horrible hours. Sure, the one's in the school had been rescued, but that doesn't mean it was over. That doesn't mean they didn't feel it. Every single one of them. Skillz, Bevin, Tim, Rachel, Mouth, Lucas, Brooke, Nathan, and even the ones that had been outside the school, like Peyton, Karen, and Keith.

Brooke sat in the first chair, with Lucas next to her. Her hand was tightly held in Lucas', as was her body in his arms. Brooke felt guilty in her own way. She felt as though Nathan had pulled her out of the mess in the hallway, instead of getting to Haley sooner. Although somewhere deep down she knew it wasn't her fault, and that it would have happened anyways, she couldn't help but feel guilty.

Lucas had some part of guilt in him, thinking that he could have taken better care of her than he had. But he wasn't wrapped up in his guilt or sadness to much. He was more worried about being there for his brother.

Next to Lucas, sat Nathan. Nathan was definitely feeling the worst of the situation. He couldn't do anything. All he could do was sit in those chairs, and wait, as they helplessly worked on his wife, his forever.

Next to Nathan, was Peyton. She had her hand holding his, and her arm around Nathan slightly, knowing he needed someone to hold him about then. She could remember back to that horrible day when she had been in the hospital, awaiting the same news. The day she had been told her mother was gone forever. Yes, her father had been there with her, but he was so distant. She had needed someone to hold her, like Nathan did now.

Keith was talking to a few of the police officers that had been questioning everyone. Karen had decided that she would call Haley's parents. She knew it would be hard to get a hold of them, because they never settled anywhere, but she had to try. She, too, was feeling helpless and needed to do something. Larry had insisted on staying with Peyton, since he now refused to leave her side, but he knew she needed time with her friends.

Nathan hadn't said a word since they had arrived at the hospital. All he could think about was his time with Haley, and how he could have made it better. He could have been there more for her, and he was starting to feel extremely guilty about it. He couldn't imagine life without Haley, and now he was forced to face that.

He remembered back to the very beginning of their relationship. She had just been a joke to him. He had gone to her in the beginning, just to hurt Lucas. But he had never thought they would become so much, so real.

He remembered to that morning, that she was first tutoring him. They were down at the docks, on that beautiful day. He remembered how beautiful she had looked, with the sun illuminating her face. Sure, she didn't look like most of the girls he knew, or had been with. But she was beautiful, and special in her own way.

He remembered that small crackerjack bracelet that he had given her. Although it was a small piece of plastic, had had resembled a lot in their relationship.

Don't say I never gave you anything.

His next thought was of another big moment in their relationship. He was being very pressured, to the point of taking drugs. He had passed out on the court during the middle of the game, and was rushed to the hospital. Finally, after laying in the hospital, he had got up, and left. He arrived at Haley's and there was his first confession to her, of exactly how much she had meant to him.

When I fell to the floor tonight, I was so scared, I was so terrified. Then I saw you, and I promised myself that if I could just get up, I'd walk over to you... I'd tell you how much I need you and how much I want you... and how nothing else matters.

The next one he remembered, was the day the had decided to get married. She was hesitant at first, but they we're so much in love, and he knew they always would be. Eventually, they had decided they both wanted that. So there they stood, on the beach, in a tux and a dress, promised their never ending love for each other, and got married.

Someday, this beach might wash away... the oceans may dry, the sun could dim, but on that day I'll still be loving you. Always and forever. I promise you, Haley.

Yes, their marriage had been a rocky road, but in the end they had found each other again. Things had gotten in the way and pulled them apart. But Haley had come back to him. And now he was feeling regret for it. He had kept her away from him for awhile, when he could have spent those days loving her, and for that, he felt more regret than any man should feel.

You know for most of my life I would've gone through all of this alone, but then I met you and I finally found someone I can depend on when life got like this.

And then he had had asked her to stay with him, and the two we're back together. How could a relationship go through and survive so much, only to be shattered by one pull of a trigger?

A minute later, Nathan was back to reality as he saw three heads staring at him. Then it hit him. Why they had been looking at him so worriedly, so sad. Hot tears were running down his cheeks, eventually falling to his and Peyton's hands.

Nathan had never been one to cry, especially in front of people, but at this point, he didn't care. He wouldn't hold it back, and why should he have to? Haley deserved a lot more than tears.

As the three friends went to comfort Nathan, the thing they had been dreading most had came. The man stood a few feet away from them, wearing his white coat symbolizing that he was a doctor. He even carried a red blood spot on the light blue shirt and tie he had under it. There it was, Haley's blood.

Before he even said a word, they all knew. They all saw the sadness in the eyes of the man who was about to tell him they had lost her. And immediately after looking at the man, Nathan began crying harder than he ever had in his life, and tears began flowing from three other sets of eyes.

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"Brooke…" Lucas stated softly as he walked out of her bathroom, and took a look around for her. He stepped across the hall, and saw her sitting on the floor near Haley's side of the room. Her knees were pulled to her head, and she seemed to be holding something. He stepped over to her and took a seat next to her.

She turned as she felt the presence of him and immediately pulled him to her. Closer to her than he'd ever been before. She had told him about the thoughts she had been having. One night when they were laying next to each other on her bed, he had asked her how she was feeling about everything. And she had told him.

She told him about what had happened from the minute to gun went off up until her and Nathan had got to the tutor center. He told her about how she knew it wasn't her fault, but she had felt guilty because it had been Haley and not her.

And being the knight in shining armor that he was, he had comforted her, told her the truth…that is wasn't her fault, and helped her get through it. He knew how close he was to Haley, and he knew how close she had become to Haley. It was just as hard for her as it was for him, so he helped her with it.

Slowly he took the silky clothing, that seemed to be some form of lingerie. Although he didn't know it, it was the exact thing she had gotten at the bachlorette party Brooke and Peyton had thrown for her.

Brooke and Peyton knew it would be awhile, but eventually the two would stop feeling guilty. They will stop living their lives they way the had…hiding.

Of course they would miss their best friend, but they would continue to live on. And they would help the two most important men in Haley's life to live on, too.

He pulled her hands to him and slowly helped her stand up. His arm wrapped around hers as they headed out of the apartment. Brooke and Haley's apartment.

Any other day he would have just sat with her, and let her continue to cry, for hours even. But today, they couldn't. Haley's funeral was waiting, and neither one of them would allow themselves to miss a single second of it.

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When I think back on these times
And the dreams we left behind
I'll be glad 'cause I was blessed
To get to have you in my life
When I look back on these days
I'll look and see your face
You were right there for me

There he was, still standing at he casket. Still seeing the picture, still seeing the memories, still seeing her face. Although nothing had prepared him to be able to do this, he knew he had to. He leaned down at planted a small kiss on her cold forehead, allowing those few tears to fall on her.

"Goodbye Haley." Lucas said as he touched his best friend's hand.

"I love you."

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Well you showed me how to feel
Feel the sky was in my reach
And I always will remember all the strength you gave to me

Your love made me make it through
Oh, I owe so much to you
You were right there for me

Nathan stepped up to the casket, for his own turn at saying goodbye. He had put it off for as long as he could, and now he knew that it was now or never. He placed his hand, with his finger still holding his wedding ring, into her own hand, feeling her ring, too.

Although he would never want to, he knew that one day that ring would have to come off. Just like the beach, the oceans, and the sun, the ring would be gone. But the love wouldn't. His love for her would never go away, and that was what pained him inside. He would love her every single day of his life, but he would never get to be with her again.

She would be in his heart, in his mind, in his dreams, in his soul, and even in his life, forever. But she would never been in his arms again. It brought pain to his heart. The thought of his not being able to hold her, not being able to touch her, and not being able to see the beautiful smile that she carried.

He had felt more emotions in the last few days than could be counted. He cried more tears that he ever had in his life. He knew he couldn't sit back and regret everything he had done. No, he was going to fix it. He was going to be a better man for Haley. The man he should have always been, instead of losing that precious time he could have had with her.

"Hales. I love you. I will love you. I told you one day that I could love you forever, that I would never stop. And that wasn't a lie. I won't ever stop loving you. Always and forever."

Always and Forever.

In my heart there will always be a place for you
For all my life I'll keep a part of you with me
And everywhere I am, there you'll be

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Well, there's the end. It might not be what some people had wanted, but I, myself, felt good about it. I hope you also liked it. And I hope it was a good ending to this sad story. I had considered making it longer by having some more chapters, showing the aftermath of the whole thing. But in the end, I felt it was better to just end it here. And I will feel better that I can concentrate on just my upcoming story. Please let me know what you thought about this chapter, the ending, and just the story in general. Thanks so much everyone who took the time and read this story!