CHAPTER 12: Coming Home...

When Brooke and Lucas finally got back to the room, Haley looked at them, and smacked Lucas on the arm. "Where have you been! Why the hell are you out of your bed? Lucas, you just woke up from being in a coma for two weeks, you had surgery, and you had a head injury! Are you crazy? You-"

"Hales...Hales, I think he gets the picture. Luke, I would strongly advise getting in bed and pretending to be asleep before she strangles you," Nathan suggested jokingly. Lucas nodded, and obediently climbed into the hospital bed. Peyton hugged Brooke tightly, giving her best friend any support that she might need at that moment.

Karen walked over to him, and smiled down at him. "How are you feeling, sweetie?"

"Tired. I'm sorry I scared you Hales, but after I remembered everything, I just felt liek I had to go find Brooke. And it's a good thing I did, too." Lucas looked over at Brooke, and reached out for her hand. She took it, and bent down to kiss his.

"Why, what happened?" Nathan questioned, looking at Brooke. He had a feeling he knew what was going on, but he didn't want to assume.

Brooke rolled her eyes at the memory. "Tyler was harassing me...but Lucas came, just like the hero he is for me, got him off of me and punched Tyler. Of course, then I had to keep him from losing his balance when he became dizzy, and had to help him back here." She looked lovingly at Lucas, and stroked his hand and wrist gently. "But now, Luke, you look so tired and pale...get some rest. I love you."

"I love you too. And I love you too, mom, Hales...oh I love you all!" he said as loudly as he could, which seemed like almost a whisper to the others in the room. Brooke squeezed his hand, then leaned down to place a tender kiss on his lips. He intertwined his fingers with hers, not wanting the moment to end. He'd missed the feeling he got then they kissed...the sense of complete connection to her, like everything else vanished and that they understood each other perfectly.

"Okay, I thought he was supposed to be going to sleep?"

Brooke and Lucas both reluctantly drew away, and Brooke backed away in order to keep herself from feeling the need to kiss him again. She couldn't help it...she was so hapyp that he was awake and that he remembered...it was hard to stop herself from wanting to be near him.

Karen kissed her son's forehead tenderly, and told him that they'd be back soon. Brooke looked at her confused when she heard that, and Karen chuckled. "If we're in here, he'll never get any sleep. We're going to go get some lunch, and we'll be back in a few hours," she explained. Brooke nodded in understanding.

"Bye, baby...I'll be back soon," Brooke murmured, and was the first out of the room, knowing that if she waited, she'd never be able to go. She heard Nate, Haley, Peyton, Jake, Andy and his mother say their goodbyes as well, and they joined her a few seconds later. "I have a question...how'd you get him to remember?"

Her friends all looked at each other, and shrugged simultaniously. It was Jake who spoke: "We were talking to him...and Haley said 'we were wishing you were awake' when he got a confused look on his face. It was right after that when he told us that he remembered everything."

"They say sometimes it's a random word or phrase that can trigger their memories again," Andy explained. Brooke smiled.

"The phrase was 'wishing you were somehow here again'. That's the one that must have triggered his memory...I had been singing that to him. So...Karen...what are we doing right now?" she questioned softly, unable to wipe the giddy smile from her face.

"We are going to go eat lunch first," Karen stated simply. Brooke giggled, and Nathan looked at her like she was nuts.

"Sorry...I can't help it. I'm just so happy right now." She gasped when an idea hit her. "Oh! What if we go and decorate the house with welcome home stuff? He'd love that...oh...we could-"

Nathan glanced over at Haley, a bemused look on his face. "It's love," they stated at the same time. The others started to laugh...while Brooke was off in her own little world, rattling off things she wanted to put in the decorations.

"It's about damn time, too," Jake sighed. Peyton squeezed his hand as she laughed, and the seven of them made their way to Karen's to start planning. Brooke had to step back for a moment and just smile while Jake, Nathan and Andy were putting up a banner that Peyton had drawn from ideas everyone had. Everything was going to be perfect.

-

It took about three days for Lucas to be ready to go home. He had been specifically ordered to stay in bed or sitting down...he was to be on his feet as little as possible for another week or so until he was completely recuperated. Brooke and Nathan helped him walk while the others carried the gifts Lucas had recieved over the previous three weeks.

When they reached the house, Lucas could tell something was up. Everyone was glancing between one another, and Brooke seemed anxious. He simply figured it was her being excited that he was able to go home.

"SURPRISE!" a few scattered voices yelled as soon as the front door opened. Lucas grinned, and shook his head. Mouth, Skills, Anna, and Tim were standing in the foyer, underneath a banner that said "Welcome home, Luke" and had pictures scattered over it.

Brooke turned to him, and kissed him tenderly. "Welcome home, baby. I'm so glad you're better."

He took his turns hugging everyone in the room, before Brooke and Nathan helped him to the couch to relax. Brooke sat next to him, and he leaned against her with his fingers intertwined with hers. His friends and parents sat around them, and the group talked for hours.

"Hey, everyone...is it okay if I have a few mintues with Brooke? I need to talk to her alone," Lucas requested politely.

Haley was the first to respond, and jumped up immediately. "Of course...come on guys, lets get some food."

In a few moments, Lucas and Brooke were sitting alone. Lucas was just looking at Brooke and smiling, though she felt more like he was looking into her soul, rather than just at her. "Is everything okay, Lucas?" she asked softly.

His response wasn't verbal. He lifted her chin with one finger, and kissed her very lightly. Brooke's breath escaped her, and her heart started to pound. The moment just felt so perfect that it almost made her heart ache. She leaned forward a little, kissing him back.

When they pulled away from each other, their eyes locked and nothing was said for a long time. They were both staring at the other, and seeing the love reflecting back at them. They felt like nothing else mattered in the world...they could do anything if they could go through what they'd been through in the past month.

"Thank you," Lucas finally murmured. Brooke smiled.

"For what?"

"For bringing me back. For Loving me...for being you. For everything."

Tears filled Brooke's eyes, and she threw her arms around his neck, careful not to hit him with her cast, and sobbed into his shoulder. "Just promise me you'll never scare me like that again?"

Lucas stroked her hair comfortingly. "I promise. I'll always be here."