A/N; thank you to everybody who has reviewed, smc-27, lalez, juzzy88, maygen lauren, annie-escape, lukenpeyton4ever, XmissmoiX, leytonfan3223, mthrone13, leyton4ever35, and marybethothfan. You guys ROCK. So this chapter is for you (:

And as always, I don't own One Tree Hill or any of the characters, I just like to play with them.

"Wh-what happened?" Brooke asked, as she took Julian's hand and intertwined their fingers.

"I don't know exactly what happened. I'm not even sure if Lucas knows. Peyton was at the river court, and she was driving home, and a drunk driver ran a red light and slammed into the side of her" Haley said, trying not to get choked up as she saw her friends face fall. "And what is worst, the other driver walked away, without a scratch… and Peyton is in there, and who knows if she'll wake up…"

As all the different scenarios played out in Brooke's head, she tried to muster out anything she could. She felt like her world was spinning madly out of control. So she did the only thing she could. She collapsed into Julian's ever so waiting arms, and just cried. Julian whispered, "It's okay… shhhh, it's okay… she'll be okay" into Brooke's ear as he continued to rub his fiancé's back.

"Okay Brooke, why don't we sit down?" Julian offered as he ushered Brooke to the chairs that were surrounded by Haley and Lucas' items.

"Where's Luke?" Brooke finally said.

"He's in the room with Peyton." Haley said. "At first he didn't want to go in, but he did. He has been in there for a while now." As Haley finished speaking, she saw Lucas walking down the hallway leading to the waiting room.

As they all stood up to greet him, he spoke. "She's stable enough now to be moved to the ICU where they can monitor her better. But, no one is allowed to stay it her, you can only see her during pre-set visiting hours" Lucas said, as his face fell. Both Brooke and Haley hugged him as he continued, "If you want to see her Brooke, you can go in right quick. They're still setting up her room in the ICU so it'll be a few minutes."

Brooke wasn't sure what do. Of course she wanted to see her best friend, but she wasn't sure if she could handle it. As she looked to Julian for comfort, he nodded her on. "Okay… I'll be back in a few minutes, guys."

As she walked away, Lucas said "I'm going to go get some coffee.. I need to get away from here. I'm just going to run to the cafeteria… I have my phone in case something happens." Lucas said, leaving Haley and Julian in the waiting room.

As Lucas walked down the long, white, sterile hallways, he saw his long time friend, obviously lost. "Uhm, skills, what are you doing here?" Lucas said, as he walked up to him.

"Yo Luke, man, I've been trying to find the waiting room for the past hour. You know how I don't do directions… or help for that matter. How's Sawyer doing?" skills said, as Lucas walked up.

"She's… stable. For now anyway.. Haley and Julian are in the waiting room, and Brooke just went back to see her. Haley will tell you what's going on… I don't think I can right now. I needed to get away for a minute. Just go down here past the nurses' station, and then turn right. You'll see the waiting room at the other end of the hallway." Lucas replied.

"iight dawg; I'll see ya in a few" skills said as he slapped Lucas on the back, as they both continued to their destinations.

As Lucas waits in line at the cafeteria to get his coffee, his phone rang. As he looked down at his caller ID and saw "Haley cell" flashing on the screen of iPhone, his pulse quickened.

"What's wrong?" he said, as he answered the phone.

"Nothing, it's okay, settle down Luke" Haley said. "The doctor just came and told us that she was moved to the ICU, on the 7th floor. She's all set up there."

Lucas released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

"Oh okay, great. I'll be up there in a minute; I'm still in line to get coffee" Lucas replied.

"Okay, see ya in a minute. Bye!" Haley responds.

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As Lucas stepped off the elevator onto the 7th floor, he saw all of his friends and family, sitting in the uncomfortable chairs just to be with him. Skills, Bevin, Nathan, Haley, Brooke, Julian, Mouth, Karen and Keith, all there to support and comfort him. His heart was suddenly swollen with love and appreciation for all the people that have meant so much to him during the past. He walked into the room and took a seat beside his mother.

"Oh honey, it'll be okay, I know it" Karen said, trying to comfort her son.

"Thanks ma" Lucas replied, with no emotion at all. She could tell that the life had been taken right out of him. Ever since the summer she spent in LA, they spent every waking moment together. They both admitted that the summer she was in LA was the hardest thing they had ever done. He flew out to LA twice, and she surprised him on his birthday by flying home for the day. It took every bit of will-power Peyton had not to tell him she was coming home, but she wanted to see the surprise on his face. So she left LA at 3:30 in the morning, and thanks to oh-so-lovely 6 hour flight, and time difference, she still didn't arrive at his house till 12. With some help from Nathan and Haley, she made sure that Lucas was out of the house when she got there, and she as lying on his bed when he opened the door. Peyton didn't even have time to blink before he jumped clear across the room and landed beside her. They spent the day at the beach, under the covers, and went out to eat that night. As Lucas took her back to the airport for her 'red eye' back to LA, it was like the beginning over summer all over again. Standing at the airport. Saying "I love yous" and kisses and putting off goodbye. They stayed there as long as they could, but when Peyton's flight was called, she had to go.

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5 days later

Peyton had been moved from the ICU to a regular room 3 days ago. The medicine that had been keeping her in the coma had been reduced completely, and she had been off of it for 2 days now. The doctors had expected her to have woken up by now. But she hadn't and it was driving Lucas crazy. He had left only twice since arriving at the hospital 5 days ago, only to rush home, take a shower, and get a change of clothes. And that was only with Haley making him leave, and even at that, he was only gone for 30 minutes max. Her room was filled with flowers, from friends, family, and clients. But as the days rolled on with no improvement, the guests came less and less. There is only so much you can do with a unconscious person, and a restless fiancé. But still, everybody tried to come by at least once a day, and Nathan came by when he as in town.

"Mr. Scott?" The doctor asked Lucas, as he saw him walking down the hall.

"Yes doctor?" Lucas replied. "Is something wrong? Is Peyton okay?" Lucas inquired, becoming more and more concerned.

"No, nothing is 'exactly' wrong, it's just, during surgery…we found something." The doctor said.

"Something? Like what? A tumor? Does Peyton have cancer?" Lucas responded, suddenly seeing his and Peyton's life flash before his eyes, at the thought of cancer.

"No, that's not what we found. Actually, we found…"

Lucas was pulled from his flashback reliving the momentsfrom 4 days ago, as Brooke walked in..

"Hey Luke. Any changes?" Brooke inquired as she walked through the door.

"Nope, none, nada, zilch" Lucas responded.

"Oh, okay." Brooke said, feeling quite sad that her best friend still hadn't made any improvements.

"Hey Luke, can I have a sec?" Brooke asked.

"Sure thing. I'll be right ou-" Lucas was cut off as Brooke continued,

"Outside incase anything happens. I know Luke" Lucas just smirked back.

As Brooke pulled up a chair and sat down, she grabbed her best friends hand and started talking.

"Hey buddy. So. It's about time you wake up. I need help! I mean, I can't decide on champagne or gold lust for the border around the invitations, and Julian is just NO help at all. And I mean, I have GOT to let the printer know by the end of the week and how am I supposed to decide? I want classic, elegance, but I don't want to be all old fashioney, but ARGH! I need my best friend. And Sawyer soon-to-be-Scott, Mr. Broody here is about to go crazy. Last time you saw him he had blonde hair, but by the time you wake up, I'm sure it will all be grey. But. Did you like the scalloped edge or the diamond edge on the save-the-dates? I have to decide on those too. Ohhhh man. and I thought it was hard enough to plan YOUR wedding! Ahhh. What was Julian thinking proposing to me while I was still planning your wedding?" as Brooke said that, she thought back to when she called Peyton to tell her that she was engaged.

It was 2:30 am. Way too early for anybody to be calling her, and too early for Luke to be awake on the east coast. She had to fly to LA for the week for meetings with some of her investors, and to scope out a couple new bands she had her eyes, or rather ears, on. She moaned, "What do you want." Peyton said as she answered her phone.

"P. SAWYER! I'm ENGAGED!" Brooke cheered from the other side of the phone line.

"Wait. What? You're engaged? To whom?" Peyton asked, still not fully woken up.

"YES! And you know very well who I'm engaged to!" Brooke screeched, fully awakening Peyton.

"Well, as your best friend, I have to ask. How'd he do it?" Peyton replied, sarcastically.

"WELL," Brooke replied, not fazed by Peyton's sarcasm, "We were walking along the Vegas strip, as the sun was setting. Then, he swings his arm out to pull me in front of him. So I do. Then, all of a sudden, he gets on one knee, looks me in the eye, and asks, "Brooke Penelope Davis, what are you doing for the rest of your life" and he is all choking up and I'm just choking up over the fact that HE'S choking up, let alone the fact that I'm getting proposed too and OH that was just like the scene from the movie once-"

"Brooke!" Peyton interrupted. "I don't fucking care what movie it's from! What else happened?"

"Oh, sorry. ANYWAY. So. I grab both his hands, and I look him in the eye and say "Well, Julian Andrew Baker, I'm planning on spending it with you." And then before I can finish my sentence, he jumps up and like ATTACKS me, not that I'm complaining, and lemme tell ya P. sawyer, we BARELY made it back to that hotel room!" Brooke says, with way to much enthusiasm for it to be in the middle of the night.

"So let me get this straight. This happened at SUNSET, which is around 7pm, and you're JUST now calling me? Some best friend" Peyton responds, very sleepily.

"Oh sorry buddy, it's just, we, we were uhm, busy." Brooke says, fully knowing that Peyton knows what she's talking about.

"Alright miss soon to be Baker, you continue being 'busy' and I'm going to SLEEP. Love ya girl" Peyton says while trying to stifle a yawn.

"Kay, love you too chica!" Brooke says, as she hangs up the phone.

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Meanwhile, Lucas was outside the hospital room when his phone rang. He saw the caller ID and mumbled, "Crap, I was suppose to email her my last chapter 5 days ago"

"Hey Lindsay, I know I KNOW I was supposed to email it the last chapter to you 5 days ago but something happ-" Lucas said, before getting cut off by Lindsay.

"Damn it Lucas, you better have a good butt excuse for why I haven't gotten this. I mean somebody better on their death bed!" Lindsay snaped back at Lucas, the venom dripping off her tounge.

"Well Lindsay," Lucas responded, appalled by Lindsay's tone of voice, "Peyton IS in fact. Once I got home from meeting with you and William, Ryden and Kyle, I was at the house when two policemen came and told me there was an accident. She's been unconscious ever since." Lucas responded, trying to keep his emotions in check.

"Oh, I- I'm sorry Luke. I didn't know. Well, you have til midnight to send it to me, or this book is canceled." Lindsay responded, quite snappily, while closing the phone.

"What the hell?" Lucas thought of Lindsay's last comment. "Screw the book, I'm NOT leaving Peyton, book or no book. I'd never leave her, not just to email a chapter. No, I'm NOT leaving. So what if they cancel my book, I'll stay here by her side forever." Lucas was interrupted from his thoughts as Brooke walked out of her room, wiping tears from her eyes.

"It's going to be okay, right Luke?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah, it is, Brooke." Lucas responded, while pulling her in for a hug.

"Okay well I have to get back to clothes over bro's, before momzilla burns it down," Brooke said while rolling her eyes, "But you know the drill. If anything, ANYTHING happens, you let me know, okay broody?"

"Yes Brooke, I know. If she even losses a strand of hair, I must text and call you. We go through this every time you leave." And Brooke just rolled her eyes.

"Okay, okay, so maybe I'm a controlling best friend. Whatever. Bye Lucas." Brooke replied while starting to walk away.

"bye Brooke!" Lucas called after her.

As Lucas walked back into Peyton's room, he saw the reason his book might get canceled. His Peyton, the one he surprised with The Cure tickets, the mother of future children, his fiancé, the love of his life. As much as he loved writing, and the attention he got, and the adorable fan girls that would run up and ask for his autograph at various places, he knew he would give it all up for her. In a second. No second thoughts. Lucas pulled up a chair and sat beside her, as he always did. His mind continued to flash back to the short conversation with Lindsay. She had been his editor for the previous 4 books, and he was working on magic number 5 now. Peyton had met her at the release party for his 2nd book. Peyton had never been too thrilled with her; she swore she was too friendly to him. And he also noticed how Peyton became a lot clingier to him when Lindsay was near. But hey, he wasn't complaining. He loved clingy, jealous Peyton. no matter how many times he convinced her that he only had eyes for her, Peyton still wasn't 'best friends' with' Lindsay. But he had noticed that Lindsay wasn't as 'friendly' to him since he and Peyton had gotten engaged. So maybe Peyton was right, after all. "she's not worth my thoughts anyway, not after what she just said" Lucas reasoned to himself, pushing his book and Lindsay from his mind. He got her iPod, put one of the ear pieces in her ear, and the other side in his ear. As he grabbed her hand, he started rubbing his thumb against her hand in rhythm with the music. He continued doing this for quite some while, and just as he was starting to drift off, he felt her move. He immediately snapped back, and his blue orbs searched over her body.

"Peyton, baby, come on. Wake up." Lucas begged, the lump in his throat becoming bigger and bigger with each word that he said.

And then he heard it. The voice he hadn't heard in over 5 days. The voice he had longed to hear. The one word that made his heart stop. The voice that could melt away the stress of the day. The voice that held his heart. His fiancé.

"Luke?"

A/N 2. OKAY. how a-fricken-mazing was Monday nights episode? AHHHHH! I loved it. It was the perfect ending.. I just wish it WOULD have been the ending. Anyway.. loved the whole 2 minutes of LP, but anyway. Who else is going to die now that we don't have leyton? Ahhhh. PM me & we'll rant together.

&please review, it makes me update(: