Hey guys! Sorry about the delay in this chapter. I went on vacation to San Diego for a week and didn't do anything with the chapter until just now. I'm SOOO sorry, but here it is. This chapter was written by Michelle (brucas188). Read and enjoy!

Chapter 13 (2018)

Lucas ran outside when he heard the screech of tires on pavement followed by a crash. He stopped in his tracks. There, laying on its side was the limo that he and Brooke would have been riding in a few hours from now. He froze praying to God that Brooke, his Pretty Girl, wasn't in that limo. Sirens could be heard in the distance and soon they were at a stop right beside the scene of the crash. The moment that they pulled Brooke from the wreckage was the moment that Lucas Scott fell to the ground.

Haley walking into the hospital room and awakened Lucas.

"How is she doing?" Haley asked sitting next to Lucas. Lucas sighed, looking at Brooke with all the wires and monitors attached to her small fragile body, before glancing at her stomach rounded by eight month of pregnancy. "She's the same. She's always the same."

"Who's here for Brooke Davis?" The doctor asked coming out of surgery. Lucas stood up. "And you are?"

"Her husband."

"There is no easy way to say this but your wife, while we've managed to stabilize her, she is currently in a coma. Fortunately no harm was done to the baby—"

"Baby? Brooke was pregnant?" Lucas asked, mostly to himself.

"Yes she is. But the thing is sir, we don't think that your wife will be waking up. At all. She's currently on life-support, right now that is the only thing keeping her and your child alive." Lucas was in shock. His wife, his world, may never wake up again, but yet there was still a tiny life growing inside of her. "…We can leave the life support on so that you can have a healthy child in another five months." The doctor finished.

"Can I see her?"

"Yes you may." The doctor told Lucas, leaving them alone to digest it all. Peyton came up behind Lucas and put her hand on his back, her high long gone. Lucas pushed her hand away.

"Don't touch me. This is your fault, if you hadn't pulled that stunt, then Brooke and I wouldn't have been fighting, and she would never have stormed off with Nathan. Don't come near me, or her ever again. Do you understand me?"

"But Lucas I—"

"No Peyton. Its over. Our friendship is done. And so is yours and Brooke's. I know once she finds out what really happened she'll never want to deal with you again either. Just go."

Haley placed a hand on Lucas's arm. She didn't say anything—what was there to say? Lucas placed his hand over her's, knowing what it meant - that she was there for him no matter what.

Peyton awoke from a drunken slumber. Since Brooke and Nathan's accident things had gotten steadily worse with her. Things were now so bad that her agent had dropped her last month and the only time she ventured out of her apartment was to replenish her alcohol or drug stash. Chris came from time to time and they still carried on with their little rendezvous if you will, each one leaving her feeling emptier then the last. It seemed that Haley agreed that this accident was her fault, and honestly she wasn't surprised that the petite blond hadn't called, since she and Brooke were closer then she'd ever felt to anyone in their "circle". Naturally once she heard Lucas's story, she decided to cut Peyton from her life as well.

Peyton staggered over to the kitchen table, cursing when she realized her bottle of tequila was gone. She looked up and saw her reflection in a little mirror she had hung on the wall. Her face was pale, her cheeks hollow, and her eyes sunken, deep dark circles underneath. Her lips were dry and cracked, they looked too red to be real, and her eyes, once so pretty and bright, were dull and empty - like she was dead on the inside. And in a way that's how she felt. Like she was dead.

And if she was completely honest with herself that was how she liked to feel. Because when she felt dead it was like she was numb inside. Being numb was preferable to the pain she would feel if she wasn't. The pain from losing her son, her precious baby boy, and the pain of losing her friends. She couldn't remember the last time she had received a phone call from Lucas, Nathan, Haley or Jake. Not that she could blame them. When she was numb she didn't have to feel the pain that she felt whenever she thought about her three dead parents—which in the past few years was quite often. And she never had to feel how painful it was to be alone—because that's what she was, alone.

"Lucas you'd better go home to the twins. I'm sure that they're missing you. I'll stay here until Jake comes." Haley finally broke the silence that had lay between them.

"Hales…"Lucas trailed off, looking at Brooke who was so lifeless and alone.

"Lucas, go. Even if she's not here her kids still need you." Haley said giving him a little nudge. Lucas knew that Haley was right so he stood, planting a kiss on Brooke's forehead, brushing some hair out of her face.

"I love you, Pretty Girl." he whispered. "I'll see you in a bit Haley." Haley stood, hugging him.

"Be careful okay?"

"I will. And thanks, Haley."

"For what?"

"Everything." Haley flashed Lucas a half smile.

"Anytime buddy. You know I'm here if you need anything."

"I know."

"Jenny! Dinner!" Jake called up the stairs where Jenny was sulking in her room. Since the accident things had begun to change between Jake and Jenny. Jenny still hated Liv with a passion but slowly during the past six months Jenny and Jake got closer. It started slowly, starting with Jenny not telling him to go away when he knocked on her door to say good night. Then she started asking for his help with her math homework and then finally she started sitting with them at dinnertime. She spoke only to Jake, or the twins when they were there, but then the twins would not be ignored. Jake took each day one at a time, thankful that Jenny at least came to sit and eat with them now.

"Daddy! Jack stole my CD!" Emma announced walking into the dining room. Jake groaned. He knew that they were trying to behave for him and Lucas. He also knew that they needed to be typical ten-year-old kids, even if the doctors didn't expect their mother to ever wake up.

"Jack give your sister her CD back. You should know better." Jake's tone was scolding as Jack followed Liv into the dining room carrying dinner.

"I just wanted to see it," Jack mumbled as Jenny walked into the dining room.

"Hey, Dad?" Emma asked, emphasizing the word dad just to piss Jenny off.

"Yeah?"

"Is Lucas coming to take us home tonight?" she continued shooting a look at Jenny. Sure her mother was very sick and she and her brother bounced back and forth between their father's and mother's since no one wanted to leave Brooke alone, but at least she had parents and she never missed an opportunity to throw this in Jenny's face.

"Yes he is. He should be here soon so eat quickly." Jake instructed sitting down.

"Jake, can you pass the potatoes please?" Jenny asked. Jake complied even though they were seated across from one another. "Thanks."

"Jen, you want to come with me to the hospital tonight? Just for a little while. I could use some company." Jenny shrugged her shoulders. Truth was she liked spending time with Jake, and Brooke didn't annoy her as much as everyone else. And she did feel bad for her. That and she felt guilty since Nathan had been swerving to avoid her. She felt like if she had never come back then this whole thing would never have happened. But she never mentioned this to anyone. She was used to keeping things to herself—it was what she had done all those years with her mother.

Plus she already knew what Jake would say to her. He'd tell her that it wasn't her fault and that there was nothing that could have been done to prevent it. She didn't want that comfort, she didn't deserve that comfort. So she forced herself to live with the guilt.

Haley looked up as Jake and Jenny walked into the hospital room.

"Hey Haley." Jake smiled.

"Hey you too. Take care of her, I have to get home so I can bring Lynn to dance class." Haley smiled. "Take care Tigger. Um Jake can I talk to you for a second?"

"Uh, yeah. Jenny I'll be right back." Jake replied following Haley out into the hall. "What's up Hales?"

"Well, I've been checking out the financial records and it seems like $15,000 of the company's money has gone missing. Now I'm not blaming you or anything, but if you could look into it and see what you can find out I'd greatly appreciate it." Jake froze. He didn't think that Haley would ever find out. Between her worrying about Nathan, then after the accident and Nathan coming to his senses and getting therapy, he just didn't think that Haley would have the time to worry about it. "Jake are you okay?"

"Umm yeah I'm fine. Sorry, I'm just tired with everything, ya know?"

"Yeah I know. So listen, can you check that out for me?"

"Uh yeah, I'll see what I find out."

"Thanks. Take care Jake." Haley said, hugging him.

"You too Hales." He headed back into the hospital room where Jenny was waiting.

"Umm Jake, I'm going to go get some coffee do you want some?" Jenny asked.

"No thanks I'm fine Jen thanks." Jenny smiled a weak smile before going out the door. Exhaling, Jake took Brooke's hand into his.

"So I know you don't need this right now but I'm officially in some serious shit Brooke. You were right, I shouldn't of taken that $15, 000. Now I have no idea how I'm going to replace it without Haley finding out. I wish that you were here, you always knew what to do."

Jenny stood outside the door of the hospital room, listening to what Jake was saying. She knew that Jake didn't have $15,000, but she knew how she could help him get it.

Nathan checked his watch. If he was going to do this he had to do it soon because Haley would be arriving home any minute. Exhaling as he picked up the phone, he dialed Peyton's number in Arizona and waited for her to pick up. He got the machine.

He'd felt terrible ever since the accident as he liked to call it. Here was Brooke, who had so much going for her, who tried so hard to make sure the people around her were well and happy, laying comatose in a hospital bed - probably never going to wake up again. She had so much life in her - it just wasn't fair. Then there was him, who at the time would have loved to switch places with her, because she deserved to live and the truth was, with all the shit he's pulled in his life - he didn't. He was just waiting for Haley to realize that and leave him alone, again.

"Hey Peyton, its Nathan. Listen they'll be doing the C-Section on Brooke next Monday and then they'll be umm… I guess they'll be pulling the plug on her life support. So, yeah. If you can get out here it would be…something. Bye." Haley walked into the door.

"How is she?" Nathan asked wiping the guilty look off of his face.

"She's the same." Haley's eyes were sad as she came to him.

"Of course she is. "

The next morning Lucas walked into the hospital room to find Jake was sleeping in a chair. The four of them had devised a schedule so that neither Brooke or the kids were ever alone. Hearing Lucas enter Jake woke up.

"Anything change?" Lucas asked hopefully. He was always hopeful when he asked. Hope was all he had left.

Jake sighed. "Does anything ever change?"

"No. The twins are at school. Haley said she'd pick them up if you want to come back again later."

"Thanks, umm, I'll see you in a bit." Jake said, patting Lucas's back. Once Jake left, Lucas sought out a nurse to set up a VCR in Brooke's room. Last night after picking up the twins he'd arrived home to find a package from Mouth on his doorstep. It turned out to be a tape from their wedding and then clips of them from through out the years. He decided that Brooke needed to see, or at least hear this, before they pulled the plug on her on Monday.

Placing the tape in the VCR he took his seat next to her, holding her hand and watched.

"So Haley, tell Lucas and Brooke your thoughts on their wedding." Mouth said from behind the camera.

"First of all its about damn time you two got your act together. But I hope you guys are happy, the happiest you've ever been. We've always known you two were meant for each other. We just had to wait for you to figure it out. Seriously though, I love you both, and I wish you all the love and happiness in the world."

"Jake got any words for the newly weds?"

"Well, first off, congrats guys! I'm happy for you. Second, Luke, its always been you that she's wanted, and Brooke, he's always wanted you. Don't forget that guys. Things will probably get tough periodically, but remember that you two have waited so long for this, you deserve this. So when things do get tough, or even when things are happy, hold on to each other and never take things for granted, especially your love for each other."

The tape went on to interview various guests at the wedding, all wishing them best of luck and congratulations then at the end, the very end, there was a picture of them at the cabin, standing on the porch, his arms around her waist, looking at each other, just so in love, and absorbed in each other. It was like no one else existed.

Stopping the video, Lucas looked over at Brooke, his Brooke, and started to cry.

"Brooke you have to hold on, you have to wake up. I love you so much and I don't think that I will be able to do this without you."

Jenny knocked on Jake's office door. "I didn't hear you come in last night."

"That's because I didn't. Where did you go last night anyway?"

"That's not important. I heard you talking to Brooke."

"You did?" Jake asked panic rising inside of him.

"Relax…dad, here I got the money for you."

"How did you manage that?"

"That's not important either, put it back before Haley puts two and two together. I've got to get to school."

Peyton walked the halls of the hospital Brooke was in. When she'd heard Nathan's message, she had left a quick message on Chris's phone and taken the first flight out to Chicago. Pausing behind the closed door of room 241, she took a deep breath and knocked on the door before entering. There, with his head on his wife's rounded belly was a crying Lucas. He wiped his eyes as he looked up.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded, anger pulling his features taunt.

"Please Lucas, I just wanted to see her before they pulled the plug."

" No, you don't get to see her. This whole thing was your fault. My wife, the mother of my child is laying in that hospital bed because of your fucking stupidity! You do not get to ease your conscience about this one Peyton! Get out of here, I don't ever want to see you again! Do you hear me?"

Shocked at Lucas's outburst, Peyton slowly walked out of the hospital room, shooting one last look at Brooke, lying in that bed so lifeless. Brooke Davis, well Brooke Scott technically, looking lifeless. It was almost ironic.

She drove back to her hotel and opened a mini bottle of liquor to drown out the pain of seeing Brooke, knowing it was her fault. She emptied bottle after bottle before stumbling into the bathroom and picking up a razor. If they never wanted to see her again, she'd make damn sure that they never would - ever. This would take care of everything—her dependencies on drugs and alcohol, her loneliness and pain - just everything. She slashed the razor across her wrist, feeling the pain wash over her. This was it. She would finally be free of the hell that she lived every day. Blood streaming down her arm, she cut the wrist again before moving to the other. She welcomed the blackness as she slid to the floor.

Lucas glanced up at the clock, in five minutes they would be performing a C-section on Brooke. Within an hour he was going to be a father, and within 48 hours, he might be a widower. 'Please, Brooke. Please wake up. I need you, the twins need you and this baby needs you.' Lucas silently prayed. Nathan, Haley, and Jake were all in the waiting room awaiting any news. The doctor waved Lucas into the operating room, and he stood at Brooke's head holding her hand. The doctors performed the surgery and pulled out a baby, a healthy crying baby.

"Congratulations Mr. Scott, it's a boy." Lucas smiled at the baby before the nurses swept away. He was happy, but at the same time he was terribly sad too. His son might never get to know his mother.

Lucas walked out into the waiting room where Haley, Nathan and Jake all stood as soon as they saw him.

"Well?" Haley asked.

"It's a boy." Lucas replied.

"How is she?" Jake asked.

"The same, no response to anything." Lucas explained.

"What's…what's his name?" Haley asked softly.

"Davis Keith Scott. After the two people I loved most in this world."

"What's going on?" Peyton asked groggily.

"You've lost a lot of blood miss." Theparamedic explained. Inside her head Peyton cursed, so she'd failed at this too. Why wasn't she surprised? That was when she noticed someone else standing by the gurney.

"Chris?" She whispered.

"I'm right here Peyton. And I'm here for you." He replied.

Peyton managed a weak smile. As the world began to go black again she realized that she wasn't as alone as she'd thought she was.

Seconds seemed to tick by like hours to Lucas, Haley, Nathan, and Jake as they each said their goodbyes to Brooke. The twins had been brought in a day earlier, after Jake explained that she might not be waking up after all. They'd said a tearful goodbye to their mother and then went home where they had been up all night crying, while Jake held one in each arm. Nathan, Haley, and Jake had each already said their goodbyes and now they waited tearfully in the waiting room while Lucas said his. Then the doctor would come and pull the plug on the life support machines that had kept her alive all of these months.

Little Davis had been brought in so he could meet his mother and Brooke could meet him. Deep down Lucas was hoping that the baby would magically help wake Brooke, but it hadn't worked. Now he was faced with the task of saying goodbye to the woman he had loved for most of his teenage and all of his adult life.

"God, Brooke. I don't want this to be some long drawn out thing. But know this Pretty Girl, I love you, and I have always loved you. Even if it didn't really show at times. You will always be the girl for me Brooke Scott. I could never love anyone else as much as I have loved you. You're my world, and I will always remember you. I love you." He turned and headed out the door. He waved the others in and shortly after Dr. Evans walked in. Taking a deep breath he prepared to pull the plug. This was never an easy thing to do and in this case it seemed harder since the patient was so young.

Nathan had his arms securely around Haley and Lucas was holding Brooke's hand in his own. The doctor pulled the plug and Brooke's heart continued to beat for a few moments with steady "beeps" every second. Then the monitor flat lined with one long beep.