AN: Thanks for all the replies. Ahhh Thanksgiving Break produced two wonderful chapters. This is just the first chapter, so how about seven reviews and I'll post that chapter. Oh and just to let you know Brooke and Lucas were married the same year that Ashlyn ran away. Okay, so like I said 7 reviews and you get the chapter…….
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Brooke wheeled down the hallway as fast as she could. The wheelchair came to a screeching stop when they heard Lucas' voice.
"Take care of Brooke and Sawyer." Lucas' shaky voice stung both girls' hearts.
"What the hell is he doing?" Brooke asked starting to tear up.
Ashlyn started to get nervous. "He is making a big mistake. Go Brooke! Wheel me in there," Ashlyn ordered freaking out. "Hurry!"
When they came face to face with the actions, Ashlyn's tears were falling. Chairs, desks and tables were knocked over, people were behind them crying. In front of the room stood Nathan, Lucas and a very upset Dan pointing a gun at Lucas.
"Have it your way." Dan leaned back and loaded the gun, he lowered the gun so it was aim for Lucas' mid- torso. He took a deep breathe…
"Pease… don't." Ashlyn cried out. "Don't shoot him." She begged crying. She shook her head nervously, "You don't want him, you want me." Her brothers head snapped in her direction, once again she had saved a life.
Nathan rushed to her side, not caring that Dan was following close behind aiming the gun at Ashlyn. Nathan wrapped his arms around her and squeezed as hard as he could. "What are you doing?" He asked in her ear.
"You've saved me everyday of my life," She said holding on tightly. "Its my turn."
Nathan kissed her forehead. "Don't say a word to him, got it?" He sent her a glare and Ashlyn just nodded and took his hand as he faced Dan.
"You decided to join us? How sweet! Now the party can really begin!" Dan said like a toy doll that is ran off batteries.
In her blue hospital gown she rubbed her eyes. She smiled up at Dan, it was a teasing smile, one that she gave her brothers when they were fighting.
"Yea. Something like that. So I was hit by a car!? Imagine that. So Dan, know anything about that?" Ashlyn asked in a chipper tone.
Dan chuckled.
"Oh I figured you would know something!" She said back to him. "I guess I am wondering how much you paid him, that's all."
"Shut your mouth." Dan snapped.
"I'll shut my mouth, the same day you burn in hell." Ashlyn fired back.
"I'd watch it if I were you." He warned.
"I guess I'll have too, I really don't want to get hit by a car again." Ashlyn joked and started to push Dan's buttons. She knew this game, and she was damn good at it.
Dan shook the gun and teased her back. "I could blow you brains out."
"You could, but you won't." Ashlyn stated. "If you were going to shoot someone, you would have already done it." She smiled as she finished. "Sucks don't it Dan? I was right, you don't have…"
Dan stared at Nathan, "If you love her, you'd shut her up."
Nathan turned to her. "Shut up." He sent her a pleading look. "Just please, don't say another word."
Ashlyn grinned at him. Her smile was bright and he then knew, she was asking for his forgiveness. He didn't' smile back, but he nodded. Both Nathan and Lucas couldn't let this happen, but their sister was now in the game meaning, anything goes.
Lucas stepped into the playing field, with a smug grin on his face. He wiped the sweat away from his forehead and ran a hand through his blonde hair. Sighing he looked to his sister in her wheelchair. Her face was drained of color, but her eyes have a little spark, a little fight in them. Her hair was sticking to her face, matted down like wet dog in the summer. Her stitches were dark compared to her white face. Black and blue surrounded every cut and every slash on her body. She sat in the wheel chair holding onto her I-V cart for dear life, waiting for the perfect time to finally put Dan Scott in his place.
Finally Lucas walked over to Ashlyn. "How are you feeling? You really had us worried." Lucas placed a sweet kiss on her forehead, he did his best to be gentle not wanting to touch her bruised and damaged skin.
Ashlyn shut her eyes. "I'd be a hell of a lot better if you didn't just say you'd die for me. Other than that, I am good."
When she opened her eyes, Lucas was holding her hand, he gave her a light smile. "You should have stayed in your room."
"So you could die?" Ashlyn scuffed.
Dan cleared his throat getting everyone's attention. "As cute as that was, I need to talk to Ashlyn. Alone."
Nathan laughed. "You've got balls, I'll give you that one." Nathan stood his ground with his arms over his chest. "Do you honestly think that I would let you be alone with her?"
"If you knew what was good for you, you would." Dan retorted.
"That's funny." Lucas said. When Dan didn't move nor say word, Lucas spoke again. "If you two need to talk, then fine, but do it here."
"You don't get it? Me and her, we have unfinished business." Dan said trying to make the boys understand.
"If you wouldn't have pointed a gun at my face, maybe I would have considered letting her talk to you." Lucas said calmly. "You pointed a gun at me, and you would point a gun at her." Lucas looked at Nathan and began again. "I know that you have lived your whole life without her, but I don't think I would be able to live my life without her."
In one swift move Dan grabbed Lucas by the collar of his shirt, he tugged him against his body and held the gun to his head.
Ashlyn screamed in fear, Brooke started crying, and Nathan started to panic. Ashlyn tried to stand up, but fell immediately. Nathan helped her in her chair. "You okay?" He questioned.
"Make… him… put down… the… gun." Ashlyn cried to Nathan.
Lucas struggled in Dan's grasp. "Not Mr. Tough Guy now, are we?"
"I never… was," Lucas chocked out.
Brooke crawled to safety under a table next to Haley. She couldn't watch and she was breaking down.
"Dan lets just talk about this," Nathan reasoned calmly.
"Now you want to talk!?" Dan boomed. "I think it's a little to late for that one, don't you?"
Ashlyn shook her head. "No! No it's not too late! I'll talk to you. Just let him go." Ashlyn said folding into the pressure.
Dan tightened his grip on Lucas. "You wish I was that forgiving. Follow me!" He ordered. When Ashlyn didn't move he turned around. "I said, Follow me!"
Ashlyn shot him a glare. "I know what you said! In case you forgot, I have a broken arm, and I have to take this I-V with me, oh and don't' forget the leg." Ashlyn rolled her eyes. "So, I need some help." Dan started walking towards the chair. "I don't want help from you!"
Dan shoved Lucas towards her. "Push her!" He said. "No sudden moves, or Nathan will be an only child."
They walked down the hall and into the hospital's break room. Dan slammed the door shut. "You. Over there." Dan shoved Lucas towards the couch. "Don't you move." He turned to Ashlyn with fire in his eyes. "We are going to get this figured out."
"How?" Ashlyn asked.
"Young lady," Dan's said. "I have had it with your games; just tell me where my stuff is!" His angry voice was filled with anger.
Ashlyn laughed, "You want your stuff!? That's too bad, because I am not getting you anything."
Lucas sat straight up. "Ashlyn, just give Dan what he needs." It wasn't an order, it was more of a needy cry for help.
"No." She shook her head. "You don't know anything, Luc. I wish you did, but it would kill you. I can't give in, because, this involves everyone, you, Nate, Haley, Brooke, even my mom." She looked at the floor as she spoke. "I am sorry, but I need you to leave."
"No."
"Please, just do it."
Dan sat back and watched the fight go on.
"I am not leaving." Lucas said firmly.
"Yea, yea you are." Ashlyn took a deep breathe. She ripped the IV tube out of her arm, she cringed at the pain it caused. She pushed the cart aside. With all the strength she had, she pushed herself up using her arms. Her legs were shaking from the pain and she couldn't get her balance.
Lucas was at her side, giving her the balance that she needed. Ashlyn held onto his forearm as she tried to get her balance. Lucas smiled down at his sister, she was standing, even though there were hot tears streaming down her rosy cheeks, this is what she wanted. It was her way out, her only way out.
Lucas nodded. "I can't leave you." She was about to protest, when he guided her back into her chair. "Easy." He gripped her arms and lifted her into the same position she was in before she got out of the chair. "Okay?"
She nodded. "Yea." She shifted her body until she was right where she wanted to be.
He smiled in satisfaction. He bent down a kissed her on the forehead. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"Luc?" Ashlyn was confused with his actions. She trembled underneath his touch. His warm palms were burning holes through her cheeks. The tears were streaming down. For once Ashlyn wasn't at all sure that she was making the right choice. She covered his hands as their foreheads met. "Luc?" she whispered again.
"Nate is going to kill me." He placed his hand on her shoulder and gave it a shake. "For once in your life, please, please just remember how much this hurts us, okay?" He took her hand and covered his heart. "Nothing stupid. I am going to be outside that door, I am not leaving you."
She smiled and shut her eyes. She pictured herself at her last basketball game in the park, before she moved. Her smile just grew more and more. When she opened her eyes she looked at Lucas, "I'll be fine."
"I know." With that he let go of her shoulder and walked towards the door, he paused and turned around. "I swear to god, if anything happens to her…I'll kill you." It was a fierce fiery comment that left Dan shocked and Ashlyn smiling.
As soon as the door was shut, Dan walked over to her. "Where is it?" She stayed quiet as his voice got louder. "I know you have it! Just tell me where it is!"
Flashback:
"Hurry!" Lucas shouted at his younger sister and his younger brother. "We have to go now!" Lucas motioned for them to hurry up, he opened the car door and started the engine.
Nathan rushed out the door with papers in his hand, he clenched them tighter not wanting them to fly away. He jumped in the car on the passenger side as they watched there younger sister finish the job.
Ashlyn was sorting papers as fast as she could. Her rough thumb was flipping faster and faster every paper. "Damn." She cursed. Finally she found it, she smiled like a devilish child. She set the paper on top on the filing cabinet and kept going. She stumbled along a legal document, she started reading it, and she covered her mouth in utter shock. Dan was trying to pursue legal custody of her. He was going to fight her brothers in court. She crumpled it up and shoved it into her pocket.
Instead of wasting more time, Ashlyn took the whole file, she held it tight against her chest as she sprinted to the car. She pulled the hood over her head as she passed the door. She hopped into the car and they drove away.
"Did you get it?" Nathan asked.
"Yeah," She handed Nathan the paper that they had originally came for.
He carefully inspected it. Reading it word for word, it was his and Haley's divorce papers. He smiled in satisfaction. "Thanks."
Before anyone said a word, Nathan started shredding the paper. He ripped the paper into long shreds, then slowly the pieces got smaller and smaller.
Lucas looked at him as if he had grown three heads. "You just made me sneak into my father's business, just so you could get your divorce papers, and then you rip them to pieces!" Lucas was trying not to loose his cool. "Are you nuts?"
Ashlyn stuck her head between the two seats, "Actually I got something too."
"What!" Both exclaimed. Lucas swerved and they stopped at the side of the road. Both boys turned around and looked at her.
"Please tell me you didn't," Nathan said with compassion. He started to laugh, "Who am I kidding? Of course you took something!"
"Let's try to stay calm." Lucas said. He turned his attention to Ashlyn. "What did you take?"
Ashlyn sighed. "Promise you won't freak out?" When Lucas nodded she waited for Nathan. "Nate?"
"Fine."
From out behind her she took a folder, she proudly showed it to them.
Nathan's jaw dropped. "Alright, that's it! Lucas turn this car around, we are putting it back. C'mon lets go."
"No!" Ashlyn demanded. "No. We will not go back. I am keeping these. Its my mom's stuff, okay? I am keeping this." She explained putting her foot down. "You got to keep your papers, I am keeping mine."
"Honey…" Lucas started.
"NO! Don't honey me!" She started yelling. The tears were on the verge of falling. This was her last hope, her face was bright red and she wad mad.
"Fine! Lets take them back… is that what you want, huh? If I take these papers back, you loose me!" She confessed. "Do you want me to go and live with that devil, huh? Fine. Then let's take the papers back, no big deal, it's only me!"
Lucas started the engine and pulled out onto the main road. He didn't make any motion to turn the car around, he drove straight home. His eyes were fixed on the road, he would sometimes be caught checking on Ashlyn in the backseat, but other than that, there was nothing said, nor, done.
Lucas got out of the car, as so did Nathan and Ashlyn. They all slammed their doors shut, at the same time.
Once they were in the house Lucas sighed. "Can I see the paper?" They all stopped moving.
Sure enough Ashlyn dug into the folder and pulled out a sheet, she handed it to Lucas. "I'll be in my room." With those being her last words she turned on her heels and walked up the stairs.
A loud pounding noise was heard from the kitchen the next morning. Lucas groggily walked to his front door and unlocked it. The door swung open and there stood a very angry Dan.
"Is little miss Ashlyn here?" He asked.
Lucas shook his head. "She said she had something to do. She won't be back for a while."
"I'll wait." Dan said trying to step in.
"No, you'll leave." Lucas retorted standing in his way. "You'll leave now."
"You know, don't you?" Dan asked. "You probably were there next to her, weren't you? God Damn you Lucas! You're going to kill that girl."
"What are you talking about?" Lucas asked worried that he knew.
"Don't play stupid boy! Her HCM, you let her go without her pills."
Lucas felt a rush of relief Dan had no idea. "Yeah," He ran a hand through his hair. "It's for a test. God, Dan just go home."
"Just tell me where I can find her," Dan ordered. "Then I'll leave you alone."
"How about this: you go back to your office and we'll stop by later?" Lucas said yawing.
Dan snickered. "Because we both know you won't."
Lucas smiled at him, "Yeah," He said. "I won't." With that he slammed the door, he slammed in his face. Dan stood on the other side, his mouth open in shock, and in one hand he held out the watch, he had three hours.
She stayed quiet, she had worn her flip flops, and they were making to much noise, so she slowly leaned against the door and pulled them off. Then she continued down the hallway to his office. She stood outside his door, she knocked softly, then without any answer she just walked in.
His office was an olive green, with a big oak desk in the middle. With book shelves around the room covering the walls, barely any books though, lots and lot of trophies and pictures. In the middle of the three rows was a big picture framed and placed on the wall. The picture was taken when Lucas and Nathan took Ashlyn down to Florida. They were all in their bathing suits, Nathan on one side of Ashlyn and Lucas on the other. Dan wasn't there, so how does he have that?
"Dan," She said in a soft tone. "I need to talk to you. It can't wait."
Slowly the black chiar turned around and there with both hands on his lap sat a smiling Dan Scott. "Good," He said. "I have to talk to you too. Please shut the door, and take a seat." He commanded as he smiled at the young girl.
She shut the big door very slowly, thinking if she wanted to run, she'd better do it now, because once that door is shut… there's no going back. She then turned around with her flip flops in her hand, and she sat down in the big blue chair in front of the desk.
"So," He spoke calmly. "You can go first."
She smiled sweetly, and then reached down into her bag, she pulled out a packet of information and smiled as she dropped it onto the desk. "Remember this?" She asked.
"How? How did you get that?" He asked choking on his words.
"You'd like to know, wouldn't you." She said. She opened the folder and she took out the first piece of paper, "Lets see, oh yes here it is." She pointed to the last line and showed Dan, "Does that say your name? Because I, I just couldn't think that you thought it would happen."
Dan nodded proudly. "Yes, that's my name. This is what I call a work in progress."
"No, not anymore. This was your copy, and now it is mine." Ashlyn gloated. "See and you can go pull I am the mayor to the cops, but by then I'll be long gone. You thought you could get payback – that's to damn bad, because this was my mom's money. You only want me to be a part of your life for the money that I come with." Ashlyn chuckled. "But see that's where I outsmarted you, that was for me, not you. My mother had it set aside because I think deep down she knew she was going to die. So, this is my life, and you think that by legally making you my father that you get that, well screw you. But like I said, try all you want, but I'll be long gone."
With that, she picked up her shoes, the folder of the desk and she snatched her bag and opened the door and in moments she was out of the Town Hall, in minutes she was out of town, once and for all.
Once on the train, she called Lucas and she knew he'd be out looking for her, so she prayed she get the answering machine, and she did. "Hey its Lucas, leave me a message."
"Big Brother, its me, Ashlyn, I am gone, long gone, but everything you need is one the dresser in the spare bedroom. The key will open the safe, which holds the papers we took, and the gold key will open the time capsule… but I can't tell you where that is. I love you, just remember that okay, wherever you go and whatever you do, please, please just remember me, okay?" She was starting to cry and she said her final goodbye. "You tell Nathan that I love him. You don't have to understand why I have to start over, you don't even have to forgive me, but you sure as hell better not forget to love me. I will always love both of you. Be safe, and Good Luck. Bye."
End Of Flashback.
Dan looked at her is disbelief, "Where is my money?"
Ashlyn looked to the floor, "I can't tell you that. That money was set-aside for me to go to college wherever I want, the rest for my house and my family. None of it was for you."
"You don't get it, do you?" He chuckled. "That money was mine the whole time. I wrote the checks to her, because if I wrote them to you, it'd look, complicated. So I wrote them to your mother and she put them in a savings account for you." Dan told her. "All that money, everything that she left you, it was a lie, it was mine the whole time, and now I just want it back," He said. "Your mother was a slut, she had nothing, the only thing she ever owned, I gave it to her."
Ashlyn covered her mouth, to hide the sobs that were escaping her mouth. It all made sense, why her mom never talked about it, why she never said his name, why she tired to have so much control when she way dying. Her mom let Dan Scott walk all over her, and that is where Ashlyn and her mom were different, Ashlyn would not let that happen, not from him, she was strong.
Dan stroked her cheek, but she shoved it away in anger. "Don't touch me," She growled out through clenched teeth.
"Lighten up," He laughed. "Did you really think mommy had all that cash laying around?" Dan teased.
"I don't know what I think anymore."