Author's note: I own nothing, forgot to mention that before, oops. Here is part three, so thinking it will be a four part story. Flashbacks are in italics. Reviews are appreciated. The very first part of the story was a dream sequence and I didn't realize I didn't separate it, so sorry for the confusion…it was meant to be a three part dream Brooke was having, kind of like Lucas' dream at the airport in season five. I have one more part for certain to finish this up but may have to end up doing it as two to get everything in. You will recognize a lot of this chapter from the show, however I reworked things to fit this story. I hope you like it…I know everyone has their idea of who Brooke is marrying, all I can say is that I am still not one hundred percent sure which way I am going….reviews are appreciated.


Brooke stood in the kitchen of her best friend's home, smile plastered on her face as she sipped from her coffee mug. Today was her wedding day, and who could possibly love weddings more than Brooke Davis, "morning sunshine," she smiled as a very pregnant Haley made her way in the kitchen.

"Good morning," Haley said grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, "somebody's happy today."

"I am," Brooke said confidently.

"That's good, Brooke," Haley smiled as Brooke handed her a small black box, "what's this?"

"Your maid of honor gift," Brooke smiled as Haley opened it, "you've done so much for me Haley and I wanted to give you something special."

"It's beautiful Brooke," Haley smiled as she held the small silver locket.

"I know it's not complete now," she smiled at her friend, "but it will be soon enough," she said as Haley looked at the photo of Jamie that was on one side.

"Thank you Brooke," Haley said as she hugged her best friend, "this is beautiful, I love it."

"Well, I love you tutor girl," Brooke giggled as Haley wiped her eyes.

"I love you too," Haley said, "so are you excited for the big day?"

"I am," she said with a yawn.

"Did you get any sleep last night," Haley smiled, "or were you too excited?"

"I slept some," she said taking a sip of her coffee, "I just keep thinking about everything, you know, how I got here, how we got here."

"Well, the important thing is that we're here."

"We are," Brooke smiled, she was so thankful to have Haley here with her too. Haley had become her best friend and there was truly no one else she wanted with her on her wedding day. "What time is Quinn coming over this morning?"

"Should be around ten," Haley said watching as happiness exuded from her best friend, "Millie too, and I think Peyton said she'd bring Sawyer around noon."

"What would I do without you," Brooke said as she hugged Haley.

"I'm pretty sure you don't have to think about that," Haley smiled, "so you need to get in the shower so we can get started on your wedding make up Brooke Davis."

"My wedding make up," Brooke said softly with a pure and genuine smile, "I'm getting married Haley James Scott."

"You are," Haley smiled, "now go so we can get started," she watched her best friend walk away towards the guest room and Haley couldn't help but think about this journey, about how they had come so far.

"Brooke," Haley said as she sat beside her, "honey you should get some sleep."

"I can't," she said softly, "I can't," she squeezed Haley's hand gently as she stood up. She walked towards the windows of the waiting room, as Julian joined her Nathan sat beside Haley.

"She's hurting," Haley whispered as Nathan wrapped his arms around her.

"We all are," he said honestly. He held his wife as he looked around the hospital waiting room at their friends, their family, and all they could do was wait.

"I'm trying not to be angry. I'm trying to be sympathetic to whatever sickness or disease would possess someone to do something like this, but I think I'm losing that battle," Haley said as she leaned against Nathan.

"I am not strong enough for this. My whole life I willed myself to face things, anything that was bigger than me, anything that defeated me. I just kept going until I beat it. Not this. This is too big. I never really understood what you faced when you lost your mom until today. I'm not strong enough, Haley," he said saddened.

"Yes you are," she said holding his hand, "and when you're not you have me Nathan, you have all of us," she said softly.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you," she said, "I love the person you are, and your strength."

"Where do you think I learned it," he asked kissing the top of her head, "you. Haley James Scott you taught me about strength and hope and love."

"You taught me too," she smiled as she watched their friends sit in silence, such an eerie stillness, "after the accident, after the State Championship, Nathan the man you were for me and for us."

"I didn't want to lose what we had, I also didn't want to lose what we'd have," he said as they watched Brooke sit back down alone, "the rest of our lives together, our family, our someday."

"That's all she wants," Haley said wiping her eyes, "is someday, they deserve that."

"Everyone deserves that," Nathan said.

Haley wiped her eyes thinking back to that night, to nearly losing someone she loved so dearly, watching her best friend fall to pieces, it broke her heart. But here they were, seven months later. The last seven months had been an incredible journey and Haley was glad she had been a part of it, that she had gotten to witness a love like this.

"Hey," Brooks said as she saw Haley wiping her eyes, "you ok?"

"Yeah," Haley smiled, "I am, I was just thinking."

"Well today is not a sad day, Haley," Brooke said sitting on the couch beside her maid of honor.

"It's not sad actually," she smiled, "I was thinking about the shooting, about how we all came together that night, and how we all got here today."

"I haven't thought about that day in a while," Brooke said sadly, "I came close to losing it all that night."

"But you didn't," Haley smiled, "you didn't lose it, in fact if anything Mouth was right Brooke, look at you now."

"I talked to Karen," Haley said as she stood beside Brooke, "she's on her way, and Deb has Jamie, so we're here Brooke."

"We all are," Nathan said as he wrapped his arms around the two brunettes he loved so much.

"Quinn is on her way," Haley said, "Luke is…"

"It's not ok," Brooke said sadly, wiping her eyes as she sat beside Nathan, "it's not ok. None of this is ok."

"You're right," Mouth said, "it's not ok Brooke, it's not fair, but life isn't fair sometimes. Sometimes our stories are just not fair. Most great stories are stories of will, of determination, and courage in the face of great adversity. Most great movies whether sports films or other will remind us of why we're here, of how precious and precarious our lives are, and of how lucky we are to have each other."

"He's right," Nathan said holding her close, "Brooke, and we are all here, we're here together, ok, we're all here."

"Sometimes I feel like the luckiest girl in the world," Brooke smiled, "having all of you guys, having this amazing family, this amazing life. Sure things have been hard, but we're here."

"We are," Haley smiled, "now let's get you ready for your wedding Brooke Davis."

"My wedding," she smiled as they hugged.


Brooke stood in the church, make up done, and re done, she smiled as she stood there. She was peeking through the window watching out in the courtyard where her friends were all gathered. She couldn't help but smile as she watched them. This was what she had wished for.

"It's good to see you like this," Quinn said as she stood beside Brooke looking out the window.

"It's really good to be like this," Brooke smiled at the photographer, "thank you Quinn, for being here, for being a part of all of this."

"You're welcome," she said, "he looks pretty happy huh?"

"I think so," Brooke said, "and what about you, missy, that rock on your hand?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty happy too," Quinn smiled.

"I'm glad, you deserve it," Brooke said. Quinn James had become such an important part of her life over the last year and a half.

"Ok, crisis avoided," Haley smiled as she joined her sister and best friend, "the dress will arrive shortly."

"How did the two of you manage to forget the dress," Quinn asked as she snapped a picture of the two.

"You were there too my friend," Brooke smiled, "maybe it's a sign, maybe some force in the universe is trying to tell me this is a bad idea," Brooke laughed.

"Really," Haley asked.

"I'm not one to listen," Brooke chuckled.

"No, no you're not," Quinn laughed, "well I am going to get some pictures of the boys while you two finish getting ready. I'll see you out there," she smiled as she hugged Brooke.

"He loves you," Haley smiled as they watched Nathan and Jamie in the courtyard, Lucas, Clay, Julian, Mouth all joining them, Skills standing guard ensuring no uninvited guests entered.

"Is this heaven," he smiled at her from the bed.

"No," she said as she sat beside him, "just my version of it."

"I love you Brooke Davis."

"I love you too," she said wiping her tears.

"No tears," he said wiping her cheek, "I'm here."

"I know," she said sadly, "I was just so scared of losing you, of having to live without you. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You don't have to worry about that," he smiled brushing her hair from her face, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Good," she said softly, "how are you feeling?"

"Happy."

"You know that's not what I meant," she said sadly, "you were shot," she said, "you almost died."

"But, I didn't," he said, "so when you ask me how I am, I'm happy Brooke Davis."

"Me too," she said with a smile.

"People get lost when they think of happiness as a destination. We're always thinking that someday we'll be happy. We will get that car or that job or that person in our lives that will fix everything. But happiness is a mood. And it's a condition not a destination. It's like being tired or hungry. It's not permanent. It comes and goes and that's okay. And I feel like if people thought of it that way, they'd find happiness more often," he smiled at her.

"Then you should be happy," she said kissing his cheek, "because I am happy. I am so happy you're here, that we're here. I thought I was going to lose you, but I didn't."

"You didn't," he said softly, "I'm not going anywhere Brooke, I promise."

"Good," she said.

"I feel like I've been given this second chance, you know. This opportunity to do something, to live," he smiled, "and everyone says that the next thing I do, the next choice I make is going to define me, my career, my life. Well," he said holding her hand, "the next thing I want to do is ask you to be my wife and tell you how much I love you and how nothing else matters. When I look into your eyes, Brooke, I see the rest of my life. And I see it with you."

"I love him," Brooke said with a smile.


"Hey handsome," Haley said as she stood beside her husband in the courtyard of the church.

"You look amazing," he smiled as he held her hand.

"You look pretty decent yourself," she smiled as they watched Jamie and the guys with a basketball, "she's going to have a fit if they get dirty before the ceremony starts."

"How's she doing," Nathan asked.

"Good, no nerves yet," she smiled as they sat together.

"You remember our wedding day," he asked with a chuckle, "Luke walked you down the aisle."

"Yeah, it was perfect," she said, "he's always been my best friend, so it was perfect having him there. You know Brooke's dad isn't coming."

"I thought he was," Nathan said saddened.

"Victoria just came in and told her he's not, but she's got on her brave face like always. I know she wanted him here," Haley smiled.

"Well he's the one missing out."

"Hey guys," Millicent said, "it's time to get started."

"Ok," Haley said as she stood, "that's our queue. I'll see you up there, I'll be the one next to the bride."

"I'll keep my eye out," he said as he kissed her, he made his way towards the guys.

"Nervous," Haley asked as she and Millicent joined Brooke inside the church.

"I've been waiting for this my whole life," Brooke smiled.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Haley said, "your dress is something new, your something old and blue," she said as she handed Brooke a sapphire broach, "it was my mom's, I had it on my bouquet when Nathan and I got married, so I thought we could clip it on your bouquet, for luck."

"It's beautiful Haley," Brooke said as her maid of honor clipped the broach on her bouquet of white lilies, "thank you."

"No crying, we don't want to ruin your makeup," Haley smiled as Quinn snapped a few pictures of them.

"Something borrowed," Millicent said looking at Haley confused.

"That's my queue," Karen smiled as she walked towards the girls, "Brooke you look stunning."

"Thank you," she said hugging the woman she always thought of as a mother.

"Well, I thought I would let you borrow this," she said holding out a ring.

"Karen," Brooke nearly whispered recognizing the ring immediately.

"It's the ring Keith gave me," she said, "and I thought maybe you'd where it today for your something borrowed. This ring meant a lot to Keith, and so did you Brooke."

"Thank you," she said wiping her eyes, she slipped the ring on her right hand, "it's so beautiful, Karen, it's perfect."

"I'm going to get to my seat," Karen smiled at the younger brunette, leaving the girls alone.

"Are you ready," Haley asked with a smile.

"Yeah," Brooke smiled.

"Brooke," Nathan smiled as he walked towards them.

"Nathan," she said confused, "what, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he smiled, "it's just that I heard your dad wasn't here," he said, "and I just thought maybe you'd allow me to walk you down the aisle?"

"That's our queue," Millicent said as the music started.

"Brooke, the thing is, you and I have been down similar roads. We were in the same cliques first. We both felt the same pressures, same expectations. Our parents were like children. And we both grew into kind of bad versions of ourselves way too fast. So I think you know I get you," he smiled, "I get what it's like to have to do things on our own, to have to be grown up when they weren't, but this, this is something you shouldn't have to do alone. So, if you'll have me," he said holding his hand out, "I'd be honored to walk you down the aisle, even though I couldn't really give you away."

"Thank you," she smiled up at him.

"Are we ready," Haley asked with a smile.

"Yeah, everything is perfect now," Brooke smiled as she watched Millicent make her way to the altar followed by Haley. As she and Nathan stood together at one end of the aisle, Brooke saw her future, her life, standing at the other end smiling back at her. She took a deep breath as they watched Jamie and Sawyer walk down the aisle together.

"You ok," Nathan whispered.

"I am," she smiled as they started towards the altar, towards her future, "I've been waiting for this forever."