A/N: This was actually a lot harder to write then I realized, but I managed. This also is the last chapter that is actually planned out so I have to get some ideas rolling in my head, but um I hope you enjoy this chapter even though the ending sad.

With the rain pouring down outside strongly, eight people were busy coming up with decisions in their life.

Lucas runs inside Brooke's apartment trying to not get as wet as possible. When he enters he sees his daughter sitting on the floor watching something on TV. Brooke was in the kitchen cooking, or at least trying to.

"Hey pretty girl," Lucas says with a smile.

Brooke turns away from the stove and smiles.

"Hi boyfriend, I'm almost finished here so um, go talk to your daughter. She missed her daddy."

Lucas takes off his jacket and shoes and enters the living room and sits down on the floor. Instantly Sophia is in his lap and she snuggles close to his chest. A few minutes later he hears her sniffle.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?"

"Scared."

Lucas kisses the top of his daughter's head.

"Thunderstorms are loud huh?"

"Yeah."

"Well mommy and I will protect you Sophia. I promise you that."

Sophia looks up at her daddy and smiles.

"Okay."

From the kitchen Brooke smiles brightly.

"Alright you two, dinner time."

~~~/~~~/~~~/~~~/~~~

Peyton enters her bedroom and sees Ellie with her bag all packed.

"Are you leaving?"

Ellie turns with small tears forming in her eyes.

"The CD's done. It's time for me to go."

"But I don't want you to."

Ellie sets her bag down and sits on the bed.

"Peyton, you can't always sit out of your life."

"I don't have anybody. I only have you."

Ellie shakes her head.

"I don't believe that Peyton. You are an outstanding person. Anyone would be lucky to know you as a friend or have you as a daughter. I know I do."

Peyton sighs and sits down next to Ellie.

"Look, the roads are bad so at least stay until the rain let's up, please?" Peyton asks in a whisper.

"What are you so afraid of Peyton?" Ellie says as she places the bag on the floor and let's Peyton lean against her shoulder.

"Life."

"Every song has a coda, a final movement. Whether it fades out or crashes away. Every song ends. Is that any way not to enjoy the music? The truth is there is nothing to be afraid of. It's just life."

~~~/~~~/~~~/~~~/~~~

"One month to go," Keith says as he enters his and Karen's bedroom. "Are you excited?"

Karen smiles and nods her head.

"Yeah, I mean we have everything finished. The nursery is done and we have the cribs and the clothes. We have the names picked out and everything. I get to handle babies again. Honestly, I thought I would be rusty, but with Brooke having Sophia and me help taking care of her when the kids needed to go to school, it helped me a lot."

Keith settles in bed next to Karen.

"I was there for Lucas and I think of him as a son, but this is the first time that I actually get to be a real father, not that I wasn't before, you know?"

Karen smiles at that. She knew Keith didn't want it to sound wrong. "I know what you mean Keith. I think it's funny though. I am having your babies and they are Luke's half siblings and cousin all in one and Nathan will be there cousin as well."

"I never really thought about that. So, where is Lucas tonight?"

Karen leans her head against Keith's chest.

"He's with Brooke and Sophia and I told him that if the weather is still bad just to stay put. I don't want him in this weather."

"You're like every teenage boy's dream mom," Keith says with a chuckle.

"I trust him Keith. There's not much he can do now. He's already a father and a good one at that so nothing is going to change that."

"I know. I trust him too."

~~~/~~~/~~~/~~~/~~~

"What are we going to do with our future Nathan?" Haley asks as they lie in front of the fire blaring in their apartment.

"I don't know Hales. Basically your dream school is Stanford and mine is Duke. They are kind of far away from each other."

"I think I should go to Duke."

"You can't because I want to go to Stanford."

"Maybe we should just apply to both a see what happens and when those acceptance letters come like I know they will then we will decide."

Haley sits up and Nathan does as well.

"I think whatever school is going to offer you a full basketball scholarship is the school that we should go to."

Nathan leans forward and kisses his wife's lips.

"Apply to both and then we will see."

~~~/~~~/~~~/~~~/~~~

"Sophia, your mommy and me are just going to be out in the living room okay? So if you get scared you can come see what we are doing. Goodnight sweetheart."

"Goodnight daddy," Sophia says as she closes her eyes.

Lucas leans down and kisses her daughter's forehead. Brooke leans down as well.

"Don't let the bed bugs bite, baby."

"I won't mommy."

Brooke shuts off the light in her daughter's room and follows Lucas out the door. They enter the living room and sit back down on the couch.

"Is it alright if I borrow your phone? I want to make sure Peyton's alright…I don't know if Ellie still around and I don't want her to be alone."

Brooke frowns. Her insecurities were making a show and Lucas couldn't even tell.

"Lucas, do you love me?"

"Of course I love you Brooke. What's making you ask that?"

"You bring up Peyton all the time and I can't help, but think that you love her or are still in love her. I feel like you are settling for me and Sophia."

"The truth is I love Peyton, but I'm in love you."

"What's the difference?"

"The difference? The difference is I love you Brooke. I wanna be with you not Peyton."

"But why? I need to know why."

"Because, you kink you're eyebrow when you're trying to be cute. Because you quote Camus even though I've never actually seen you read. Because you miss your parents, but you'll never ever admit that. And because I've given exactly two of these embarrassing speeches in my life and they've all be about you. I mean that's gotta mean something right? If you need to hear why I love you, I can go on all night."

Brooke smiles and she scoots closer to Lucas.

"You did pretty good," Brooke says before kissing Lucas softly.

~~~/~~~/~~~/~~~/~~~

It didn't take long for the rain to die down. Peyton had said her goodbye's to Ellie with promise that she would drive out to see her when the CD was done. What Peyton didn't expect to see when the CD was done was the body of her dead mother. And that's exactly what she saw, Ellie's cancer had finally taken over and Peyton was left lonely…again.