Life After Death

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I greatly appreciate them all. Here's another short update. – Jasmine

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"Jake…what am I doing here?!" Peyton asked as she pulled the covers up around her. "What…what did we do last night?!"

Jake sighed heavily and took a seat down in a chair beside the bed. "We didn't do anything. After you passed out at the Ruby Slippers I brought you back here. You slept in my bed, while I slept out on the couch in the living room."

"Well then why am I lying here naked?!" Peyton asked as she ran a hand through her messy blonde locks.

Jake shook his head and shrugged. "I have no idea. You were fully clothed when I laid you down here. You must've stripped down at some point after I left the room."

A severely hung over and ashamed Peyton just sighed and shook her head.

"Peyton you know me. You know I would never take advantage of you. After you passed out at the club last night I had planned on taking you back to your dad's, but I didn't know where he lived and your cell was dead so I couldn't call him and find out. So I decided to bring you back here to the apartment."

"Jake's been nothing but a gentleman!" Jake's friend John shouted from outside of the room.

"That's John. Don't pay him any attention."

Peyton shook her head. "No, he's right. I…I know you would never try to sleep with me. You were just being a good friend. Even after I acted like a complete ass to you."

"Yeah well, you needed help." Jake said as he took in a deep breath. "And there was no way I would have left you there."

Peyton nodded her head slowly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

The room filled with silence for a long while before Jake finally spoke up. "You're really lucky that it was me who took you home instead of some random sleazy club guy."

Jake sighed before continuing. "You know I'll always be here for you Peyton. No matter what you say or do…but you…going out and getting trashed the way you did last night? That's not you Peyton. You're better than that."

"I know." Peyton said sighing. "I know."

"Alright well I leave and let you get dressed. Then I'll give you a ride back to your dad's."

"Ok."

Jake began to head out the room, but stopped and looked back at Peyton. "I know that deep down you're still the same girl I fell in love with all of those years ago. The girl that a part of me will always love. Find that girl Peyton…and be her."

Peyton stared into Jake's eyes and nodded her head slowly as Jake exited the room

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Peyton slowly opened the door of her dad's home and entered into the living room, shocked to find not her angry father waiting for her on the couch, but instead her very angry best friend.

"Brooke…what are you doing here? How's the baby?"

"Anna's fine, she's sleeping. Where the hell have you been Peyton?!" a furious Brooke asked. "I come here to see how you're doing and find your dad in a state of panic wondering where the hell you are! He's out on the streets now looking for you!"

Peyton sighed as she plopped down on the sofa. "I was…I was with Jake."

Brooke got up from the sofa and eyed Peyton curiously. "Jake as in…Jake Jagielski?"

Peyton nodded her head.

"He lives here in San Francisco?"

"No…well kinda…part time---"

Brooke cut her off. "Whatever, it doesn't matter. What were you doing with him ALL NIGHT LONG!? Tell me you didn't go out, get wasted and sleep with him."

Peyton shook her head. "I didn't sleep with him. I swear."

"Then what happened to you?"

Peyton took in a deep breath. "I…I had a rough day yesterday, ok? I was upset so when I went to this club to watch Jake perform last night, I ended up drowning my sorrows in alcohol. I got completely trashed and Jake…he brought me to his house and took care of me. That's all. He was the one who dropped me off."

"And why didn't he call your dad and bring you back here last night?"

"My phone died! And he didn't know where I was staying!"

Brooke sighed and began pacing the room. "Peyton, what are you doing? I thought you were coming out here to work on yourself, but instead of doing that you're spending your time going out and getting trashed?!"

"No, it was one time---"

"I've been defending you back in Tree Hill while you're here in San Fran not making any effort---"

Peyton got up from off the couch and interrupted Brooke. "I AM trying Brooke! But you…you don't understand how hard this all is for me!"

"You're right I don't." Brooke said staring into Peyton's eyes. "I couldn't even begin to understand how you're feeling. But you have responsibilities Peyton. Anna…she needs you. And not this half-assed version."

Peyton plopped back down on the couch and began to cry. "So you think I'm a bad mother?"

Brooke sighed and took a seat next to Peyton. "I didn't say that."

"But it's what you're thinking. And you know what? You're right. I'm a horrible mother! I mean…what kind of mother leaves her daughter to go out and get wasted?!"

"A depressed one."

"I'm a terrible mother." Peyton said, ignoring Brooke's words. "A good mother…a good mother never would have done what I did last night. And a good mother never would've let her child die."

"Peyton what are you talking about?" asked a concerned and slightly confused Brooke. "You didn't let him die."

"But I did." Peyton said in between sobs. "By not being there for him. If I…if I had been awake…maybe I could have done something…something to save him. It's my fault he's dead."

A now teary-eyed Brooke began shaking her head. "Peyton, don't blame yourself. There was nothing you could have done."

"How can you be sure?" Peyton asked, staring into her friend's eyes.

"Because you didn't see him Peyton. You didn't see him hooked up to all of those tubes and wires. He looked so helpless…like he was in so much pain and you know why? It's because he was. His body was shutting down and Luke…he did the only thing he could and that was to let him go. He let him die so he wouldn't have to suffer anymore because there was nothing that could've been done to save him. You…you wouldn't have been able to save him Peyton."

Peyton didn't respond to Brooke's words. Instead she continued to shake her head and to sob softly.

"Alright Peyton, there's something I need you to do and you know what? A part of you might really hate me for making you do this, but it really needs to be done."

Peyton remained silent, but focused all of her attention on Brooke.

Brooke placed her hands on Peyton's shoulders and looked into her eyes. "I want you to repeat after me: there was nothing I could have done."

Peyton shook her head and attempted to get off the couch, but Brooke forcefully stopped her from doing so. "Peyton, I am not letting you leave this room until you repeat what I say…there was nothing I could have done."

Peyton took in a deep breath and stuttered out the words. "There—there w—was nothing I could have done."

"There was nothing anyone could have done."

"There was nothing anyone could have done." Peyton repeated, sniffling.

"Because my son was going to die."

Peyton began to violently shake her head and once again tried to get up. "No, no I won't say it."

Brooke gently forced her back onto the couch. "Say it."

Peyton's puffed up eyes glared into Brooke's. "You're right. I hate you for this."

Brooke shook her head up and down. "That's fine. But it still doesn't change the fact that I'm not letting you leave this room until you say it: my son was going to die."

"M—my s—son…he was…g—going to…d—d—die." Peyton whispered.

"Say it again and say it loud."

Peyton was now crying uncontrollably.

"Peyton---"

"MY SON WAS GOING TO DIE!" Peyton yelled out to Brooke. "HE WAS GOING TO DIE!"

Brooke instantly let go of Peyton's shoulders and hugged her tightly, letting Peyton cry in her arms.

"I know that was hard for you to say." Brooke said as she held Peyton and stroked her hair. "But you needed to say it. And I hope now that you've said it aloud…you'll start believing that none of this was your fault. Or Lucas's…or the doctors. It wasn't anyone's fault."

Peyton lifted up her head and looked at Brooke. "I wish I could have been there for him. To hold him…to let him know that everything was going to be okay…so I could tell him how much I loved him and wanted him."

"I'm sure he knew all of that Peyton." Brooke told her friend. "And you don't have to worry about him. Your mom, Ellie and Keith…they'll take care of him for you until the day comes when the two of you will be reunited. And in the meantime, you need to take care of yourself…and Lucas and Anna because they're not dead. Lucas is here. Anna is here…and they both need you. And you need them. I know it's hard to imagine moving forward after losing your son, but there's life after death Peyton and you have to live it."

Peyton nodded her head slowly as she stared into Brooke's eyes. "And I will."

Peyton then rested her head on Brooke's shoulder, while Brooke absent mindedly continued to stroke her best friend's hair. "You're going to be okay P. Sawyer. You're going to be ok."

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Okay…so I hope you guys didn't really think I'd have Jake and Peyton sleep together did you? That'd be so un-Jake like for him to do something such as that! Anyways…Brooke was kind of tough with Peyton, but it's really what she needed. Brooke forced her to be honest and to confront her emotions. Alright…I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please review…I greatly appreciate them! :)