Disclaimer: I do not own OTH or any of it characters places or such. I am simply borrowing them.
AN/ Here is the next chapter. This is the first of the good-byes for the friends. This chapter really got to me. Especially writing the end. I have been in the same position that Lucas was in, when my own fiancée left late last year, taking the love of your life to the airport and not knowing when you will see them again. I based Brooke and Lucas's last good-bye on our own with some differences. But it is still the same difficult time. Thanks for reading and please leave some reviews!
At 10 am the next morning, Karen emerged from her bedroom fully dressed. Meredith was still asleep in the bed, as they had been awake till well past 3am watching the little mermaid for the hundredth time. Karen started down the hall towards the kitchen. She stopped at the living room and smiled at the scene before her. Trent was asleep on the couch, Chris in the recliner. Peyton and Jake, Skills and Theresa, and Mouth and Erica coupled together, but lined up on the floor space between the far window and the couch. She had an idea of where the rest of them were, but walked back down the hallway to confirm it.
She opened the door to Meredith's bedroom and saw only one figure curled up in the covers. It was Sam. She closed the door and continued down the hallway. She approached Lucas's door next slowly turning the knob to open it and peek inside. Lucas and Brooke were laying under the covers with their backs to her and Lucas's arm around Brooke waist. She smiled before backing out of the room slowly. She next walked to Nathan's room; she again turned the knob slowly and opened the door. As she peeked around the door, she was met with blue eyes looking back at her. Nathan was lying on his back with Haley's head resting against his chest and his right arm around her. He looked towards his mom and smiled. He motioned for her to walk towards him with his hand.
"How are you feeling?" Karen whispered trying not to wake Haley
"Great" Nathan answered with the same tone of voice
"How did you get in here last night?" Karen asked concerned
"Lucas and Jake. It was actually pretty easy and I was getting tired of sitting in that chair"
"Any pain?"
"Nope, not at all. Anyone else up?"
"Nope not yet. Do you want me to see if I can find Scott and John to get you out of bed?"
"No, I am fine right now. I don't want to wake Haley" Nathan said as he smiled towards her.
"Okay. Call me when you are ready" Karen said as she quietly walked back towards the door.
"I will, mom" Nathan replied before the door softly closed
Karen walked back down the hallway towards the kitchen once more. Her children were all here and safe. At least until Brooke left early that afternoon.
Lucas opened his eyes a short time later and took in the sight of the brown eyes looking back him
"Hi" he mumbled
"Hi" Came Brooke's soft reply
"How long have you been awake?"
"A few minutes. I was enjoying watching you sleep"
"Was I talking in my sleep again?" Lucas asked with a slight laugh
"No, I was just trying to preserve the memory. It will be awhile before I wake up next to you again."
"I know, but it won't be too long. We will see each other all the time"
"Are you sure, Luke? I mean, I am going to be in San Diego and you are in Charlotte. We are on only totally different sides of the country."
"Hey, we will make this work. I am not letting you go ever again. If it means that I need to quit basketball or try to get traded to a team out west, I will do it. No matter what even if we are apart, I am always with you, Brooke. I am only a phone call away if you need me."
"I know. And I don't want you to quit basketball. It is what you love"
"It is, but I love you more"
"It is just going to be so hard getting on the plane and not knowing when I will see you again"
"You will see me again before you know it. I love you Brooke"
"I love you too Lucas" Brooke said as the two shared a passionate kiss. When they pulled away, Brooke looked towards the clock sitting on the side table. It read 10:47.
"I guess we need to get up. I have to be at the airport by noon." Brooke said not wanting to move from her place in Lucas's arms.
"Don't worry. We will be together again very soon," Lucas said as he pulled Brooke in for another kiss before they both moved from the bed.
Across the hall, Haley was starting to wake on Nathan's chest. She opened her eyes and smiled. It had not been a dream, Nathan was okay and she was lying there with him. She moved her head to look towards him and found him smiling back at her.
"Morning" Nathan said
"Morning" Haley said as she moved from Nathan's chest and stretched. Nathan instantly felt the void.
"Did you sleep well?" Nathan asked
"I slept great. How about you? Any pain?"
"No, pain whatsoever. I slept great probably because you were with me."
"I know exactly what you mean"
"Of course there was this odd talking during the night," Nathan said as he smiled at Haley.
"I don't talk in my sleep" Haley protested
"Yes, you do, but it is so cute" Nathan said as he laughed.
"Are you ready to get out of this bed?" Haley asked
"Yea, can you go see if you can find some of the guys? I think I might be able to move a little bit, but I am going to need some help" Nathan replied
"Yea, let me get dressed and I will go see who I can find" Haley replied as she got out of the bed and quickly dressed. She walked around to Nathan's side of the bed towards the door, but paused to lean down and kiss him.
Haley opened the door and left it open as she walked down the hallway. She could hear laughter from the living room and smell pancakes from the kitchen. Nothing like a home cooked pancake breakfast. Her stomach was growling as she walked into the living room. It seemed that she and Nathan were the last ones to make their appearance that morning. Everyone else was in the kitchen and Lucas, Brooke, Chris and Sam were sitting in the living room talking.
"Morning guys" Haley said to make her presence known
"Morning Hales" Lucas replied from his spot on the couch.
"Nathan needs help" Haley said
"I go help him," Lucas said as he stood from the couch, "Chris, want to give me a hand?"
"Yea" Chris said getting up from the older reclining chair that had been his bed the night before.
Haley smiled at the two brothers as they walked past her and went to sit between Brooke and Sam on the couch.
"Sam, when are you guys leaving today?"
"Later this afternoon. We are going to wait until Lucas gets back from the airport and spend a little time with him and Nate before we head home"
"I guess you will get to see a lot of Lucas since he lives in the same place you do" Brooke said
"Yea, you know I didn't think about that" Sam said smiling, "It will be nice to go to one of the games and actually be cheering on my brother"
"I know he would like it" Haley replied
The girls turned their heads as the three Scott brothers came laughing up the hallway. Lucas was pushing Nathan's wheelchair trying not to fall over from laughter; Chris walking beside them was having the same difficulty. Nathan was just laughing. He didn't have any worry of falling over.
"What is so funny?" Brooke asked as the three of them came into the living room
"Nothing" Lucas answered.
"Uh-huh"
"It is a brother thing" Chris replied
"You two think you can help me into the chair without dropping me" Nathan said after the laughter had died down
"Yea" Lucas replied, "Chris, don't drop him"
Chris started laughing and leaned against the wheelchair to hold him up
"Chris." Nathan said
"Okay, I am good. Come on let's get him in the chair before I get another laughing spell" Chris said as he and Lucas moved to help Nathan into the recliner
Once Nathan was sitting down once more. He moved himself back in the chair and pushed the button to bring his feet up. "Oh man my side hurts from laughing so hard"
"Do you want something to eat so you can take some medicine?" Haley asked as she got up from the couch
"Yea, thanks Hales"
Haley nodded before walking out of the living room and towards the kitchen. Lucas sat back down in his spot between his sister and girlfriend and Chris took a spot on the floor near Sam.
Brooke looked over at Lucas; "We need to go soon. I still need to go by my parents and grab my bags"
"Okay. Why don't you start saying good bye to everyone? By the time, you do that it will be time to get out of here" Lucas replied
Brooke stood and walked toward the kitchen slowly passing Haley as she went. She stood in the doorway and watched as her friends laughed with each other. She hated leaving them. She even more hated being the first to leave; it was always the hardest. It had been decided that Lucas would take Brooke to the airport alone, so she would be saying all of her good byes now. She sighed as she walked into the kitchen and towards Meredith.
"Hey Mere" Brooke said kneeling beside the young girl at the counter
"Hey Brooke. Are you leaving?"
"Yea, I am leaving"
"When are you coming back?"
"I am not sure yet, but I will be back soon"
"I am going to miss you"
"I am going to miss you too," Brooke said as the young girl throws herself at her in a tight hug. Brooke wiped at the tears in her eyes as Meredith broke the hug and backed away
"Bye Mere" Brooke said as she stood and walked towards her friends sitting and standing around the kitchen table.
"Well, guys. I guess this is it" Brooke said
"Oh, Brooke. I can't believe you are leaving already," Theresa said as she moved to hug Brooke.
"I will be back soon. I have a baby shower to plan and another wedding if Skills decides to get his act together" Brooke said smiling towards Skills over Theresa shoulder.
"Yea, Yea" Skills replied as Brooke moved from Theresa and went to hug him. Skills silently whispered in her ear, "I will, promise" Brooke could only laugh as more tears fell down her face. She let go of Skills and look towards her left where Mouth and Erica were standing.
"It was so good to see you again Erica. Don't be a stranger" Brooke said as the two girls hugged.
"I won't." Erica replied back, "Take care of yourself"
"Thanks for everything this week, Mouth" Brooke said as she moved to hug him, "The graduation video was a nice way to end the week"
"Thanks Brooke. Be careful in San Diego. I'll miss you" Mouth said as they moved to break their hug
"I will miss you too, Mouth"
"So, I guess I need to figure out a wedding date, huh?" Peyton said as Brooke walked towards her and Jake
"Yes, you do. We have a lot of planning to do" Brooke said smiling
"As soon as we know, you will know" Jake replied
"I know" Brooke said as moved to hug Jake and then Peyton. "Bye you guys. Take care of that baby"
"Don't worry we will" Jake replied
"Trent, it was nice meeting you" Brooke said as she stopped next to the man standing by the kitchen doorway
"It was nice meeting you too, Brooke. I am sure we will see each other again soon"
"I am sure we will" Brooke said as she walked out of the kitchen in search of Karen.
She found her standing in the dining room area between the kitchen and the living room. Karen turned to look at Brooke as she approached.
"I can't believe you guys are leaving again," Karen said
"I know, but we will back soon" Brooke said
"Oh, I know" Karen said as she moved to pull Brooke into a hug, "Call me when you get to San Diego."
"I will"
"Be careful"
"I will" Brooke said as she moved from the hug and smiled at Karen. Karen smiled back at her. "I will call you when I need some advice on a show"
"You better" Karen replied laughing. Brooke laughed also before turning towards the living room to say her last good byes.
Brooke walked into the living room and towards Sam and Chris.
"Bye you guys. It was great meeting you"
"It was great meeting you too, Brooke" Chris said as he stood and pulled Brooke into a hug. "We will see you sometime soon."
"Yea, maybe at one of those basketball games your brother plays" Brooke said as she laughed and pulled Sam into a hug.
"Yea, hopefully soon" Sam replied
"I am sure it will be" Brooke said as she moved to the recliner where Haley and Nathan sat.
"Well, here we go again saying good bye once more" Brooke said
"Oh Brooke" Haley said as she stood and pulled her friend into a hug, "We will see each other soon. Maybe I will make a weekend trip to San Diego and you can torture me with some more shopping" Haley said as she and Brooke laughed
"Thanks Haley" Brooke said before pulling away and moving to Nathan.
"No more getting shot, Nate" Brooke said
"I promise I won't. Don't work to hard out there, PR lady" Nathan said laughing
"I won't" Brooke said as she leaned down and hugged Nathan. "Have a speedy and safe recovery"
" I will. You be safe"
"I will" Brooke said as she stood
"Are you ready?" Lucas asked as he watched his girlfriend wiped at tears falling from her face
"Yes" Brooke answered before walking towards the living room entrance and yelling, "Guys, I am leaving"
The group from the kitchen emerged and all hugged Brooke one last time. "Bye Guys" Brooke said as she and Lucas walked toward the front door. Brooke looked around at her friends and family one last time before she and Lucas opened the door and walked out.
Brooke and Lucas had stopped by Brooke's parent's house and picked up her bags. After a few minutes and a goodbye to her parents they had headed towards the airport. The ride was quiet. Now as they stood in line at the check in counter, they finally found the courage to speak.
"I am going to miss you, Brooke" Lucas said
"I am going to miss you too" Brooke replied as Lucas took her hand in his and walked forward as the line moved.
They stood there in silence. Brooke walked to the check in counter when it was her turn and checked in her bags. Lucas stood silently beside her holding her one carry on.
"You are all set, Miss. Davis. Enjoy your flight"
"Thank you" Brooke replied politely as they moved from the counter and towards the escalators that would take them to the flight gates. This was going to be anything but an enjoyable flight.
When they reached the section where Brooke's gate was they had to say their good-byes. Airport security would not allow anyone past that point who was not traveling. Lucas sat Brooke's carry on bag on one of the chairs and pulled Brooke into a hug.
"I love you Cherry"
"I love you too Broody"
Lucas and Brooke stood there in their silent embrace until Brooke had to go. As Brooke moved away from his embrace, she leaned in to give him a last kiss before grabbing her carry on and turning away. If she didn't then she would not have the strength to leave. She turned around a few steps later and looked towards the love of her life.
"I love you, Lucas"
"I love you, Brooke" Lucas said as Brooke turned and walked through the gate and out of Tree Hill.