Lucas couldn't believe that she had gotten a tattoo. Well actually he could. She had asked him, and of course he said no, so Ashlyn went to his weakness, Brooke. Brooke said that she thought it was okay, Lucas still said no, Brooke gave up, or so he thought.
Lucas got up from his chair and smiled at Nathan who had finally fallen asleep. Lucas opened the door and walked into the hallway. He sat down on a bench and pulled out his cell phone.
"Hello."
Ah her voice sounded so sweet. "Hey Baby. How are things at home?"
"Lucas!" She squealed. "We miss you! Things are great here. I can't wait to see Ashlyn again, when are you guys heading home?" Brooke asked.
Lucas sighed. He had to tell her. He wouldn't be a coward, he was going to tell her. "Brooke, something bad has happened."
Brooke gasped. "How Bad?"
"Ashlyn was hit by a drunk driver. Nathan and I have been sitting around waiting all day…"
"Waiting for what?' Brooke asked worried. When Lucas didn't say anything she spoke again. "Lucas please just tell me."
"She is in a coma. They don't think she will be okay." Lucas spoke very soft, he spoke very calm, but most of all Lucas spoke with pain.
"Oh God!" Brooke cried. "They don't know if she'll be okay? How can't they know! Huh? They are doctors, this is their life!" Brooke was yelling at the wrong person, but she couldn't handle any more disappointment. This was all her fault, nobody but Brooke and Ashlyn knew that. But his whole mess was her fault. "I'm coming. I'll pack a bag for myself and Sawyer. Hell, Haley is coming too."
"Maybe, you should stay at home," Lucas offered.
"When I want your opinion Lucas Scott I will ask!" Brooke snapped. "I am a big girl and I am coming to see Ashlyn."
Lucas was defeated. "Fine. I will talk to you when you get in." Lucas noticed Nathan peaking his head out of the door. Lucas signaled at him. "I love you."
"Take care of our baby. I love you. Bye." Our baby? Which one, the one that's in a coma, or the one that you have? Because I've failed at both.
Nathan sat down next to Lucas. "Brooke?" He asked referring to the phone conversation.
Lucas nodded. "Yea. She is coming down here. I think Haley might too." Nathan nodded and put his head in hands and sighed. "Hey, what's up?" Lucas asked him.
Nathan shook his head. "It's just, what if she doesn't wake up?" Nathan sighed in frustration. "What if the last thing she ever says to us is that we shouldn't love her! That's fucking cruel, but what if its all we get?" Nathan shook his head. "I would never forgive myself."
Dan Scott sat in the lobby of "Holiday Inn". He sat in the corner chair; his brief case was on the floor in front of him. Dan kept a slick smile on his face, he was waiting, any other man would be nervous, would be worried about what he was about to do. But for Dan Scott this was just another day in the big leagues.
As the may approached him, Dan sat up straight, he motioned for the man to follow. Dan got up and turned to walk away, allowing the other man to pick up the brief case and turn to leave the building as quickly as he entered.
Out side a block away the man opened the brief case. 50 grand was there along with the note.
Nice Job!
Here's the money, all should be accounted for.
Thank you,
Dan Scott.
At least someone understands that if I can't have her no one can!
Lucas watched out the window as the rain fell. The small drops were forming on the window and then they would slowly trickle down. He looked over his shoulder, there was still no change. He smiled sweetly, Ashlyn loved the rain.
Flashback:
She has just buried her mother, she had just put apart of herself in the ground. Ashlyn was sitting on the deck of Karen and Keith's. She still had her black dress on; her hair was slowly turning into small little curls as the rain hit it. Her make-up was smearing down her cheeks, you couldn't tell the difference between the tears and the rain. It all looked the same.
Lucas sat down next to her; he rested his head on his knees and looked over at her sad face. It killed Lucas to see her hurt. "How are you feeling?" Ashlyn looked down into his eyes and simply shrugged like she had no care in the world. Lucas chuckled lightly, "Now how about the truth?"
"I don't know." Ashlyn looked at him. She pulled her knees into her chest. "I mean I honestly don't know how I am feeling. I mean I know I am sad, but everything else… its something I've never felt before."
Lucas patted her back. "Well what about this rain?"
"She's in heaven." Ashlyn smiled. A real smile. "Before she died she said that she's send me a sign, saying she's okay." Ashlyn held out her hands and let the rain hit her skin. "She's in heaven Luc." Tears were rolling down her cheeks. "My mom is in heaven Luc. It's raining." Ashlyn wiped her cheeks causing her make-up to go every which direction. "Its over, my mom is heaven. No more smiles, no more jokes…"
Lucas stopped her. "I love the rain."
She looked at Lucas in a daze. She was rambling and there he just cut in, he made her think about what to say next. "Me too." Ashlyn stood up and walked onto the sidewalk, she started turning in circles, she tilted her head up to the sky. Lucas soon joined her. "I love the rain!" She announced. "I feel so…"
"Alive. Free." Lucas threw out those words but she shook her head.
"I feel at home. I feel loved." Lucas stopped moving and watched his sister move freely about. She felt like she belonged someplace, she felt like she belonged in the rain. Lucas will never forget that, every time it rained, no matter what, Ashlyn had to be there.
Lucas smiled remembering that spark that she had. He loved that spark, and now as he stares down at this motion less body, he would do anything to get that spark back.
Nathan came walking into the room, he was soaking wet. He walked over to the window, he pulled down on the bar, and the sound of the rain hitting the pavement filled the room. Lucas smiled at his younger brother.
"What? She loved the rain."
"I know." Nathan stood next Lucas as the both watched their sister, they took in her beauty. Lucas sighed, "She's has to wake up."
"I know." Nathan replied with no emotion at all.
--------------------
Jon had brought by everything that he thought she might want, he had packed everything up in nice neat boxes. He had left out a note book, and a guitar, everything else was packed up neatly.
Nathan was strumming his fingers over the strings on the guitar. "Here Comes a Regular." Lucas looked over at him confused. "Her favorite song was, 'Here Comes a Regular.' Peyton took her one day and she came back and loved that song."
Lucas nodded. "I remember." Lucas was reading her notebook. It was so deep, it was so real, it was Ashlyn. But this one stuck out, it was a speech. Not the one that she gave 3 days ago, this on was different.
I have found some strength, here at this school. I have found some simple place that needs me, not just to win a simple basketball game, I have found a place that needs me to be strong. It needs me to be a hero. I can do that, I can be a hero.
I have many heroes, some are more than others. Some just simply are true heroes, they get up everyday with the energy to fight back. The strength to carry on when no one else can, they keep their heads held high, not just in front of the media, in front of me.
My heroes are simple human beings. My heroes are my brothers, Lucas and Nathan. Don't tell me I can only have one hero, don't tell me that I can't have two. If you asked me whose side I am on between those two, I would look you in the eyes, then turn around and run. I wouldn't be able to choose, I know, crazy, right?
When someone reaches in and touches you life, you find that they will always have a certain spot in your heart. When two people reach in and touch your life, you start to appreciate it a little more.
My heroes, are my legends, my guilt, my strength, my heroes are my brothers. Nathan and Lucas Scott.
------------
Brooke stormed through the Scott household trying to find her credit card. "Where the hell is it?" she exclaimed. Brooke went through the papers on the counter, "Ugh!" She cried in frustration. She went to grab the phone when she heard Sawyer let out a needy cry.
Brooke picked up Sawyer and soothed him as her started to whimper. "Shh, mommy is here." She looked down at his cute angelic face, "Hi. Hey you!" A smile spread across his face. "Daddy is going to be thrilled to see you! You're getting so big, so big!" Brooke teased. "Yes, yes you are!"
Haley helped Brooke get her bags packed in the back of the car. They both hoped in and were on their way. Haley sighed. "What were we thinking?"
Brooke sank into her seat and shut her eyes. "I keep telling myself that it was for the best."
"She's in the hospital…"
"I know where she is!" Brooke snapped. "She needed the freedom. She needed to start over."
Haley nodded. "But she really needed to found again. She needed to be rescued. We knew that, right? I mean we weren't completely stupid when we let her go, were we?"
Brooke shook her head. "She's in the hospital Haley." It had finally hit Brooke. "She's there because we let her follow her dreams."
------------
Dreams. Dreams, can either make you jump for joy or leave you lying on the hospital bed, on life support. Most people will encourage you to follow your dreams, don't let up until you have reached them. But when you're at the top, or when you have finally met your dream, if you're the president of a club, or maybe its as simple as speaking to your dad after he left you. No matter what your dream is, it really sucks when you reach it and you are all alone.
Nathan and Lucas have sat in this room for over one day. Lucas has not fallen asleep once, but he sits there and encourages Nathan to get some rest.
Haley and Brooke are an hour away. Haley called ten minutes ago to let them know they were almost to the city. Brooke hasn't said one word the whole ride, she is wrestling with the fact that Ashlyn is on life support because of her stupid mistake.
"I'm going to tell him," Haley said.
"You can't." Brooke smiled sweetly. "You can't break this promise. It's killing me Haley, but look at how much she trusts us…"
Haley laughed bitterly. "I love her to death to death, I really do. I put her before I even think about me or Nathan. We have to tell. It's the right thing."
"No." Brooke slammed her hand on the dashboard. Haley turned and looked at her with an expression that couldn't be read. " Think about it, no one stopped you from going after your dreams. We all know we should have stopped you, but we didn't."
"So, now we are going to compare her to me." Haley was getting angry. "I guess you're right. Maybe I should lie some more, hell we are so good at it!" Haley says sarcastically.
Brooke didn't look at Haley. "That's not what I meant. Let them get back to where they need to be, then, I guess, then, I'll let you rip away that happiness. Just let them have that, just for a while."
------------
Nathan stood up and started stretching. He hated hospitals, one because they smelled funny, and two, his sister was always the one lying on that bed. Lucas just flipped through the notebook, he smiled at the words, at the art work. Just as he shut the notebook, something fell out.
Nathan picked up the CD that landed right next to his feet. "What's this?" He asked Lucas.
"I don't know. What does the label say?" Lucas asked him back with a cocky grin.
"There isn't one." Nathan said also smirking. "We would be really bad brothers if we listened to it…" Nathan hinted.
"Oh we'd be hated." Lucas grabbed the CD player that was sitting next to him. He plugged it in and then he grabbed the CD from Nathan. "We are so going to hell."
"We already knew that." Nathan joked. "Now play the damn thing."
------------
Brooke opened the door to the Hospital and Haley walked in behind her carrying Sawyer in her arms. Haley took the lead as she headed to the front desk.
"Hi, my name is Haley and this is Brooke. We were wondering if you could point us in the direction on Ashlyn Scott's room, please." Haley smiled and waited for the girl to give them the directions that they needed.
The little old lady, crinkled up her nose, she started typing on her computer. "Its says here, Ashlyn Scott, just released from the ICU. Lets see, um room 233 on floor 6." She looked up at them and smiled. "Have a nice day!"
Haley was walking down the hallway, counting the numbers as she walked passed them. Brooke was hot on her trail, speed walking was not getting them there fast enough. Haley suddenly stopped, causing Brooke to run into her.
"Haley! Would you at least…" Brooke whined.
"Do you hear that? Listen." Haley hushed her. They heard music coming form inside her room. Haley knew without a doubt, it was Ashlyn. Her mother wrote that song along time ago, it was Ashlyn's favorite and she always sang it.
Inside sat two amazed brothers. That was there sister on that tape, her voice made both boys smile, it made everything seem like it was all going to be okay, maybe it will be okay. Nathan was holding her hand as he listened to her sing, Lucas just sat there completely amazed, that was his baby sister.
"I don't think that passenger seat
Has ever looked this good to me
He tells me about his night
I count the colors in his eyes
Don't ever fall in love
He swears, as he runs his fingers through his hair
I'm laughing 'cause I hope he's wrong
And I don't think it ever crossed his mind
He tells a joke, I fake a smile
But I know all his favorite songs
And I could tell you
His favorite color's green
He loves to argue
Born on the seventeenth
His sister's beautiful
He has his father's eyes
And if you ask me if I love him..
I'd lie
He looks around the room
Innocently overlooks the truth
Shouldn't I like your walk
Doesn't he know that I've had it memorized for so long
He sees everything in black and white
Never let nobody see him cry
I don't let nobody see me wishing he was mine
I could tell you
His favorite color's green
He loves to argue
Born on the seventeenth
His sister's beautiful
He has his father's eyes
And if you ask me if I love him..
I'd lie
He stands there, then walks away
My God, if I could only say
I'm holding every breath for you
He'd never tell you, but he can play guitar
I think he can see through everything but my heart
First thought when I wake up is
My God, he's beautiful
So I put on my make-up and pray for a miracle"
There was a muffled sound from the bed. Nathan thought she was going to say something. They waited, with their mouths open, but nothing came. Nothing at all. So they went to the music, they went back to the only thing that they had.
"Yes I could tell you
His favorite color's green
He loves to argue
Oh, and it kills me
His sister's beautiful
He has his father's eyes
And if you ask me if I love him..
If you ask me if I love him..
I'd lie"
Neither of the boys knew what to say, Nathan smiled for the first time all day. "That was…"
"Wonderful." Lucas finished for him.
"You were right." Nathan said. "We are so going to hell."
The door swung open and there stood a tear stained Brooke with a hand on her hip. Haley came into the room next, she was smiling through her tears. Haley walks right over to Nathan who wrapped his arms around her and the tiny infant that was she was still holding.
"I missed you." Nathan kissed her sweetly on the lips. He took Sawyer from Haley. "Hey Superstar! How are you today?" Nathan started tickling his stomach getting Sawyer to giggle a little.
"Give me him!" Lucas took Sawyer into his arms. "Daddy, missed you." Sawyer took Lucas' fingers like he normally did. He could sit for hours and still be amazed my Lucas' hands. "I want you to meet someone." He took Sawyer over to the edge of Ashlyn's bed. He put Sawyer in front of her limp body, "This is Ashlyn. She is going to be your aunt."
Thanks for the wonderful reviews. I don't think that I will be able to update for a good week, I have term finals, and I really need to study….so hang in there, please. How about if I get at lest five reviews, I will write extra hard and maybe by next Sunday, you'll have a fresh chapter. So hit that review button.
Also, here's a nice preview:
"No, we did nothing." Lucas said. "You taught that girl rejection, you made her cry, not me; not one tear has rolled down her cheek from me." Lucas took a step forward, not in anger, but he stepped forward in confidence. "Don't tell me that I taught her lies. I taught her the truth, and god damn it if you don't leave, I'll teach you a few things!"