Disclaimer: Still don't own One Tree Hill. Damn.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! They really are motivating. Seeing how it's a long weekend in Canada (courtesy of Victoria Day!), I have been writing all day in bed. I also don't have a Beta so I'm sorry if there are any grammar mistakes!

"I'm not the most eloquent speaker, so I thought I would borrow a few words from Shakespeare. Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds. When life gets hard, when things change; true love remains the same. I look at Nathan and Haley and somehow, I feel safer. I don't know if I can explain that but they give me hope. And I'm afraid to say it out loud because maybe if life finds out, it'll try to beat it out of them and that would be a shame because we all could use a little hope sometimes, you know. That feeling that everything is going to be okay and that there's going to be someone there to make sure of that. So - here's to Nathan and Haley, here's to hope and here is to a love which will not alter."

Everything changes. Whether in a decade, a year, a day or even an hour – change is always there. Change is always inevitable.

For Lucas, one hour ago he had been listening to his pretty girl toasting the wedding reception on Nathan and Haley's love. He had watched Nathan hug Haley to him happily and had felt the kind of hope that Brooke had talked about in her speech. And in that moment, he had vowed to be there for Brooke always so that she would know that everything would be okay. In that moment – love triangles and all that drama surrounding Peyton seemed insignificant. As Peyton caught his eye from across the room, he knew that he loved her purely as a friend - nothing more, nothing less. His love for her had altered so significantly over the past two years; ever since the day that he had saw the real Brooke Davis for the first time. And as time had gone by, despite all the growth and change that Brooke had underwent, Lucas's love for her had never altered. Brooke was the girl for him, just like he was the guy for her.

But here he was, an hour later, sitting alone in the corner with his head in his hands, just trying to hold in his tears. He was praying for not three lives now – but four. Brooke, Nathan, Cooper and Rachel each were fighting to keep breathing and there was nothing he could do about it. There was nothing he could say that could make sense of this tragedy – it reminded him of that fateful day in the school when Jimmy Edwards brought in a gun. He couldn't lose Brooke; he wouldn't be able to make it without his Cheery around. He couldn't lose her, not after losing Keith just a couple months ago. And so, Lucas just sat there wrapped up in his thoughts and prayers. He sat there while everything else kept moving, changing and altering around him. He heard cries of relief from Haley when news was brought out about Nathan being okay. But he couldn't look up – he couldn't rejoice – until he knew if his Pretty girl would be okay.

*

Peyton sat there numbly observing everything going on around her. There was Lucas, sitting in the corner away from everyone with his head in his hands just rocking back and forwards, waiting for news on his girlfriend – her best friend, or ex-best friend as their relationship might pertain, especially after her recent confession.

"You see, I had this horrible dream last night that my best friend told me she had feelings for my boyfriend. Oh, but that wasn't a dream, was it?"

Brooke grabbed her suitcase angrily and began stuffing her clothes into it as Peyton stared tearfully at her. "Brooke."

"Why now Peyton? Why would you tell me you have feelings for Lucas, now? When I have so much going on in my life – stuff you don't even know about-"

"-Well so do I, okay? Trust me. I didn't wish for this, I wished for Jake."

"Oh right, you wished for Jake. After you wished for Pete and then Lucas. I can't believe this is happening again." Brooke whispered quietly to herself.

"It's not, okay, it's not. It's just, okay, the last time-"

"-the last time? Do you hear yourself right now? The last time you tried to steal my boyfriend? He's on the door, Peyton. He's on the damn door under me."

"I don't want to steal him, okay?"

"But you like him." Peyton could only breathe raggedly at that, while Brooke stared furiously at her.

"Brooke, I'm not going to do anything about it okay? I'll just bury it-"

"-you can't. Okay, it's out. It's like the time capsule. And you could've buried it and not said anything to me so what is that about?"

"I don't know, alright. I wanted to be honest to you, alright. I didn't want to make the same mistake I did last time and you know what, you even said last night at Tric that you didn't even miss him."

At the last words that came out of Peyton's mouth, she knew that she had gone too far – she had pushed Brooke too far. Sure enough, there was a resounding slap and she felt the left side of her face burn from the impact of Brooke's hand.

"Don't you dare, don't you dare twist my words around to make yourself feel like you are not a backstabbing two faced bitch, Peyton, because you are and you know it."

With those final words, Brooke grabbed her bag and stormed out of Peyton's house and out of her life. As Peyton watched her leave, she knew. She knew that this was a moment where everything had changed. And somehow, as Brooke's car squealed angrily out of the driveway, she knew it wasn't for the better.

It's funny, about ten minutes ago - Peyton was sitting by Lucas about to confess her feelings for him. Ten minutes ago, Peyton had been imagining telling Lucas that she loved him only for him to smile upon her and say that he loved her as well. However, Lucas had ran away from her mid-way through her confession towards a paramedic who had confirmed with the help of the wallet, that it was indeed Brooke Penelope Davis who had been in a car crash and who now is fighting for her life.

And now, Peyton is only sitting there – reflecting on Brooke's words to her. Maybe she was a back stabbing two faced bitch.

At that moment, another doctor walked out and Lucas's tear stained face snapped up expectantly.

"I just wanted to inform you that Cooper Lee has woken up." The doctor informed to group and Lucas's head sunk back down, sadly.

Peyton sighed. She loved Brooke but deep down she knew that she had already made a decision in her mind. When it came down to it, she would always choose Lucas over Brooke's friendship.