Only Hope Chapter 2, an one tree hill fanfic

"Peyton… I don't know if you can hear me… but I'm sorry." A tiny brunette girl sat clutching the blonde girl's hand. Her black mascara was bleeding down her cheeks running into her drawn out crimson lips. "I'm sorry," she continued, "for allowing things to be like this. I knew since about forever that you loved Lucas. I'm not gonna lie and say that I didn't love him too, but I should have let you two be together a long time ago. You two are the only ones who keep each other from falling apart… and I think I was jealous of that. I loved how he helped you and just as equally I loved how you helped him. I guess after a while I thought that if I stayed in between the two of you that you both would hold me together, but I was wrong." The tears streamed from Brooke's eyes and fell gently onto Peyton's hand. There was a knock on the door and a dismayed Lucas entered.

"Is she doing any better?"

"No change… but I am… Lucas I've wanted to be okay for a long time and now I realize that the way I will be okay is for my two best friends to be okay. I want you and Peyton to be together. I'm sorry for keeping you from her for so long. But just so we're clear neither of you will ever be rid of me." The two shared a slight laugh and then Brooke, with a final squeeze of her best friend's hand, left.

Lucas took the now vacant seat next to Peyton. "Peyton…umm… wow… now I know how you felt when I was in the car accident with Keith. Listen I can't help but feel responsible for this. I told you I loved you and then you get into a car accident. And yet I don't regret it…I know you're gonna wake up… but if you don't…" he stopped to wipe the tears from his eyes and catch his breath, " if you don't… then I'm glad the last thing I told you was that I love you… because I do… and nothing… nothing will ever change that. But please Peyton wake up… because we have so many things left in this world to try… and I don't want to try any of them without you."

The machine attached to Peyton's heart started to whimper and trailed off into a flat line.

"What is it… what's happening?" Lucas cried to anyone who would listen. No one did though they simply escorted him from the room and the last thing he saw was Peyton's frail body being jolted off the bed by the defibrillator.

The rain was sloshing around carrying the blonde haired girl away from her car. No matter what she couldn't hold on. She felt as though she was being sucked away. She could swear she heard Brooke telling her she was sorry and giving her her blessing to be with Lucas. And she heard Lucas telling her he didn't regret that he loved her. Then she began to hear a song start… Mad World by Michael Andrews. She fell into the sky and saw the faces of Brooke and Lucas next to her…

All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places – worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere – going nowhere
Their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression – no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow – no tomorrow

She felt a jolt go through her and couldn't catch her breath… and yet Lucas' face still watched her and she felt peace…

And I find it kinda funny, I find it kinda sad
The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take
When people run in circles it's a very very
mad world mad world

Her life began to flash before her eyes and she saw her mother and father… the birthdays they shared … and even her first day of school when she clutched her mother's hand and smelled the lilac breeze coming from her mother's hair and she bent to hug her…

Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy birthday – happy birthday
Made to feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen – sit and listen
Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me – no one knew me
Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson
Look right through me – look right through me

The scene went dark and she cried out in fear. Tears were falling from her eyes and she saw a figure walking towards her. It was Lucas. He told her to hold on…to have hope and then he handed her a sketch she had drawn. It was of the two of them looking into each others eyes, but she looked at Lucas and confessed that she hadn't drawn that. Lucas looked deep into her eyes and said… "Not yet… but you will. All you have to do is wake up… just wake up Peyton." He took her into his arms and kissed her. She took in a deep breath and felt alive.

Peyton's eyes opened and she saw Lucas sitting by her side clutching her hand. She didn't dare say a word yet because nothing needed to be said. Peyton knew that she had found what she was missing… in her mad world Lucas Scott was … and always would be… her only hope…