Hello everybody... First of all a shout out to all of you who reviewed this story (amutatedpigeon, naley23alwaysforever, aschly, britt, brucas lileen, takemewhenyougo, thibbs65, sandygirl, lanae96, breathbookslove, dianehermans and the guest reviewer)... It means a lot to me (and Diane) when you respond to my writings. Just a reminder this story is only going to be 5 CHAPTERS. Diane sent me an outline for an idea she had and I paused for a minute to write it out. The entire story (save for a few edits) is finished. So it isn't going to affect any of my other stories. Speaking of my other stories, I noticed a few of you were asking about updates, I am happy to say that all of my outstanding brucas stories will be getting an update today (New York State of Mind, Ghosts That We Knew, Thinking of You and Take Me To Church). When I have a story concept I like to write out an outline, write out the first chapter and post it to get feedback from all of you. So I'm sorry if having several outstanding stories is bothering any of you, that has never been my intention. Two of them are nearing completion, further information on those will be on their updates at the beginning of the next posted chapter. So keep your eyes peeled.

Thank you all again!

Krystal

Chapter 2:

Brooke woke when the sun came up. She had a cool cloth on her head, she stood up. "Brooke, sit down." Joseph said sternly as he walked towards her.

"Where is Lucas?" Brooke put her arms out to balance herself.

"You should sit down," Joseph said with a frown.

"No," Brooke clutched her chest, "Is he dead?"

"No, his left arm is really beat up though. He had a piece of the airplane in his shoulder, that same shoulder was dislocated in the crash. He's having difficulty moving his fingers. If he can't move his fingers soon, it could be a problem," Joseph reported while he wiped his glistening brow, "While you were out I started an inventory list. We had three doctors and a nurse on board. A surgeon, a podiatrist and a trauma nurse."

"You said there was three doctors." Brooke smiled, willing herself to not think about what Joseph had just said about Lucas's fingers.

"I did, I am the third doctor, I am an obstetrician." Joseph grabbed her wrist and began to count her pulse, "How's the head feeling? Sean thinks the contusion caused a concussion, we would still like to monitor you for the next few days."

"It hurts, throbs to be accurate," Brooke pouted, "And I still feel a little foggy. Is that normal?"

"Yes, I would really like you to take it easy for a few days. If you want to help with the inventory that's fine, but that's it." Joseph pushed some hair from her face to get a better look at the gash, "That looks deeper than it did last night, it isn't bleeding anymore. We can stitch it if you want?"

Brooke shook her head, "If it starts bleeding again I will let you close it up, if not I would rather leave it. It's going to scar either way right, no reason to look like Frankenstein's monster."

Joseph couldn't help but laugh at that last remark, "Alright, you can go check on Lucas now."

Brooke nodded, "Where is he?"

Joseph pointed into the wooded area, "We have him propped against a tree a few yards that way. I'll come check on you two shortly. Your boyfriend is one lucky man."

"He isn't my boyfriend," Brooke shook her head again, "He's my ex husband actually. I didn't even know he was on the plane until AFTER the crash."

"Interesting," Joseph paused, "I never would have guessed he was an ex, the way you reacted to him being hurt."

Brooke shrugged, "Well he's my ex, there's a lot of history there and he has a son. I was worried about him because of August."

Joseph nodded, "Brooke fate decides who comes into your life, but your heart... your heart decides who gets to stay."

Brooke smiled into the sun, she brought her hand to her face, "I will keep that in mind, thanks."

Haley came running into the bedroom and turned on the news, "Nathan wake up."

Nathan stirred and rolled over, "It's too early Hales, five more minutes babe then I'll get up..." He yawned, "I swear."

"It's Lucas," Haley choked.

Nathan sat straight up and glanced at the television, "Flight 7729 to London Heathrow Airport last called into air traffic control over an hour ago requesting an emergency landing due to engine failure. The FAA is currently trying to triangulate the last pinged location in their efforts to search for possible survivors and to retrieve the aircraft's black box." The news anchor said, "Please continue to watch us as we bring to you all the information we get as it comes in."

Nathan looked over on his nightstand and picked up his phone, he looked at the last text message he got from his brother: We are now boarding, I'll call you when I get to London. Last part of my book tour, woo-hoo! Love you baby bro. Haley has my flight information. -Luke Nathan hadn't noticed when it started, but he was crying, the hot tears were stinging his dry tired eyes, "Was that flight my brother's flight Hales?"

Haley nodded, "I already called the hotline," Haley blinked back a few tears, "Lucas was on the flight manifest." She reached for Nathan's hand, "They are searching for him at the airport..." Haley trailed off. She wasn't sure what to say, she couldn't think of how any of these next few conversations could go anything but bad.

Nathan dialed Lucas's number, "Hi, you have reached Lucas Scott, leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible." Nathan hung up the phone, "Is that a good thing or a bad thing." He searched Haley's face for the answer, she appeared to have aged a decade since they had gone to bed the night before, "Is there something else you aren't telling me Haley?"

Haley nodded again but replied, "No."

"What is it Hales?" Nathan rubbed his head, "How could things be any worse than they are right now?"

"It's Brooke..." Haley struggled to catch her breath, "Brooke was also on Flight 7729." Haley couldn't hold back any longer and she started to sob.

Nathan reached out and hugged his wife, "Why was Brooke going to London, I thought she was flying back to LA?"

"Julian, her boyfriend, is shooting a movie there right now." Haley sucked in a short breath, "She changed her flight to surprise him, she told me and Peyton she was going to do it so she could see him. I confirmed with Rachel this morning before I called the hotline." Haley cried louder, "What are we going to tell Jamie and Lydia?"

Nathan continued to comfort his seemingly inconsolable wife, "Let's wait a while, the news said they were looking for survivors right?" Haley nodded into his chest, "So let's try and remain calm." Nathan couldn't help himself, a smile slowly crept across his face, "Let's look on the bright side, wherever Brooke and Luke are, at least they are there together."

Lucas stared at his arm, willing his fingers to cooperate, "Please work," he said aloud. He looked up when he heard someone walking towards him, it was Brooke. Lucas couldn't help but think that she looked like an angel, her hair was wavy from the water and the high humidity. Her clothes were the cleanest of anyone he had seen so far, "It's like you just stepped out of Heaven." he called out as she headed his way, he didn't care how cheesy he sounded.

"You aren't healthy enough to make jokes right now." Brooke kinked her eyebrow, "How's your arm? Sorry I fainted, Joseph says I have a concussion."

"Concussions can be a big deal," Lucas sighed, "Is someone watching you? Making sure that you are alright?"

Brooke laughed, "You're fingers are purple and you're worried about me?" Brooke touched his bad arm, "Can you feel that?"

Lucas gulped, this was the most they had interacted in ten years, "I can feel it, it's just dull. The pain isn't that bad really, the worst part was when they put my shoulder back into place. The sound..." Lucas shuttered, "One of the doctors was concerned about the shrapnel, he thinks it might have severed a nerve, that's why he wants me to be moving my fingers." He looked down at his hand again, "But they aren't listening at the moment."

Brooke picked up Lucas's limp hand and brought it to her heart, "Can you feel that Lucas?"

"Yes," Lucas moaned.

"Concentrate on my heart beat," Brooke started rubbing his fingers, "Does that hurt?" Lucas shook his head rapidly, "Wiggle your fingers Lucas."

Lucas looked into Brooke's hazel eyes and noticed they seemed brighter than they had been at Peyton's wedding 18 hours before. "I'm trying." Lucas huffed in frustration, "What's going to happen if we aren't rescued soon? Will they have to cut off my arm with a couple of coconuts and a rock?" Brooke laughed, she choked back whatever tears she could but it was a loosing battle. A few moments later she started to whimper. "Hey pretty girl, there's no reason for that." Lucas motioned for her to come closer, Brooke buried her head into his chest and continued to weep, "What are the odds that we were on the same flight? I thought you were going back to Los Angeles after the wedding?"

Brooke moved some hair out of her face, that was when Lucas noticed the gash above her eyebrow and the bruise that splintered from it, "I changed my flight at the last second, I decided to fly to London to see my boyfriend. He's making a movie there right now, his first actually. Some surprise that turned out to be huh?"

Lucas frowned at the mention of the boyfriend, he knew Brooke was seeing someone but he hadn't realized it was serious. "Well I'm happy you were on board. So how long do you think we're going to be here?"

"Not sure, I know that no one is getting a cell signal," Brooke stood up, "And I can't see anything but ocean around us. I'm guessing a week or two. I'm going to go see if there's anything I can help with, I'll come check on you in a little while alright?" Lucas nodded as she turned towards the water, she looked back one more time and beamed in the sunlight.

Brooke looked at the pile of belongings she had just spent two hours cataloging. "Joseph," Brooke called out.

"Yes," Joseph called out from inside the plane.

"Is this everything we have?" Brooke asked.

"We haven't searched the front of the plane yet," Joseph replied, "That's where most of the food is stored, why do you ask?"

Brooke looked at the sheet of paper she was holding, "There are fourteen survivors, three of whom are injured. This isn't enough food to last us more than a few days, a week at most if we eat sparsely. Not to mention the lack of drinkable water, we have enough water for only two days, three at the most." She took a deep breath, "Is anyone getting a signal yet?"

"Not since we all powered on and tried to make a call over an hour ago." Joseph came out of the plane, "I was talking to two of the other men, we need to figure out what we're doing with the bodies soon. This heat isn't doing us any favors, they are starting to smell."

Brooke looked around, "Does anyone have any idea where we are?" The weather felt warmer than she expected it to be, "Why would we have been flying south?"

"Maybe they were looking for a place to land?" Joseph ventured. "About the bodies, Benji and I think we should bury them."

"What about storing them in the cockpit until we get rescued?" Brooke reasoned, the idea of moving several dead bodies made her want to be sick.

"Elliott was a helicopter mechanic in the marines, he thinks he might be able to get the communications system working again, so we need the cockpit to be emptied." Joseph squinted into the sun, "Look we don't really want to move them, it seems wrong, but the smell is only going to get worse and who knows how long we're going to be here before the FAA find us."

At the mention of the bodies a second time, Brooke's nose was immediately accosted with the scent of decay, "You don't think we are going to get rescued soon?" Brooke whispered.

"No," said a loud voice behind her, "Atlas," the man extended his hand, "There is no way they're going to be looking for us in the right place."

Brooke looked at the tall wiry framed man in front of her with a head of deep red hair, "Brooke."

"The designer right?" Atlas said, "My girl home in Ireland loves the clothes from that show you work on. She couldn't stop talking about how excited she was that you were going to open your own store soon."

Brooke nodded, 'of course he's Irish, explains the red hair and the accent,' "What makes you think they won't be looking for us here?"

"Because if I had to take a guess I would say we're about 1,000 kilometers off course." Atlas grimaced, "This weather is clearly tropical, based on the time of year, there's no place north that would have this type of weather. I've made the trip from the east coast to Heathrow at least a hundred times, we must have lost our navigation system before the engine failed."

"What about the black box?" Brooke offered, "Doesn't those have a signal they can track... Like a beacon?"

"They could," another man headed their direction, "Benji, I'm a student at Cambridge, an engineering student to be specific. We found the box, it is malfunctioning, it must have been damaged in the crash, we're trying to bring it back to life, so far we have had no luck."

Brooke shook his hand, 'another tall man', she thought to herself, Benji had dark black hair, bright green eyes and olive skin. "Alright, well I think you guys have this all figured out. You weren't waiting for my approval right?"

"No," Joseph answered for the group, "We haven't exactly established a leader we just thought you would like to know. A few people are still in shock, we didn't want to alarm anyone when we started digging a mass grave. Your opinion is welcomed, but if this whole thing makes you uncomfortable it isn't necessary."

Brooke placed her hands on her hips, "If you think it's best to bury the dead I think you should bury them. I don't really want to get too settled here, I would like to believe we're going to get rescued soon, but I agree that the smell is only going to get worse and it might start to upset the others. So you all have my blessing."

"Great," Joseph smiled, "How is Lucas doing? Are his fingers moving yet?"

"No," Brooke huffed, "He even made a joke about having to have his arm amputated with a rock and a coconut. I know he's worried they aren't moving again yet."

Joseph put down the shovel, "I'll go check on him in a few hours, try to keep him from getting discouraged. Sean and I won't be concerned until it's been at least 72 hours, and if his fingers are still discolored. He just has to relax, make him relax Brooke, it will take him longer to heal if he's fixated on his fingers not working."

"Yes Karen, I've been watching the news for updates." Haley said as she paced her backyard.

"Isobel has been calling me all morning, she wants to drop Auggie off at my house." Karen sighed, "She said she's too distraught right now to be concerned with him." Karen loved having her grandson over, it was his mother that she wasn't particularly fond of.

"I need to call Peyton and Rachel," Haley cried, "I'll talk to you later Karen."

Karen nodded, "They're going to find them Haley. I would feel it if Lucas were gone, I know it."

Haley hung up the phone and three way called Peyton and Rachel, "Have you heard anything Haley? I called the hotline and they said there wasn't currently any updates. I figured because Nathan is Lucas's brother they would have given him more information." Rachel said through tears.

Peyton was next to speak, "Jake thinks we should cancel our honeymoon, at the very least postpone it till they find Brooke and Lucas."

Haley rubbed her swollen eyes, "Neither of them would want you to do that Peyton. Go on your honeymoon, they're going to find the plane and survivors soon." She closed her eyes, "We can't stand still waiting for them to be rescued. I can hear Brooke now going berserk that you cancelled your honeymoon because of a little plane crash." All the girls laughed, "Nathan said something earlier that made me happy to think about, no matter where they are at least they have each other."

"When did Nathan Scott become Yoda?" Rachel smiled, "I didn't even know they were on the same flight, Brooke didn't mention it when I talked to her last night."

"Yeah, how is that for a coincidence," Peyton commented, "I thought Lucas's next book tour dates were in Canada?"

"They pushed those dates, his publicist thought it would be better to do one extended Canada tour." Haley shook her head, "So when his next book is released at the end of the summer he was going to go on a cross country tour. I only know because he was thinking about taking Auggie with him, Lucas wanted my opinion on a few tutors he was interviewing."

"How is Auggie doing? Do we know?" Peyton asked.

Haley sat down in one of the patio chairs, "He will be at Karen's tonight. Isobel's sister is dropping him off."

"Where is Isobel going?" Rachel wondered, "Wouldn't she want to be Auggie right now?"

Haley shrugged, "Karen just said she was distraught over the news of the crash and needed Auggie to be with her for a few days."

"That's convenient." Peyton said with a snarky tone to her voice, "I have to go finish packing. Call me if either of you hear anything."

Brooke made her way back through the clearing to where Lucas was resting, "Hey broody are you hungry?"

"I feel like I should be doing something." Lucas whined, "Is there anything I can help with?"

"Not in your current state... No" Brooke smiled, "Let's get you better first. I brought food and clean bandages. I'm not sure how long we're going to be here, I don't want your arm getting infected."

Lucas moved a little so Brooke could sit beside him, "I thought you said earlier that you didn't think we would be here long. What changed since then?"

You did always have the memory of an elephant" Brooke groaned, "I said that didn't I?" She tucked a few hairs behind her ear, "I was talking to a few of the other survivors and the black box isn't sending out a signal, as if that wasn't bad enough Atlas thinks the plane lost navigation before our emergency landing, he's guessing we're about 1,000 kilometers south of where they would be searching. So it might be a while, which is fine with me, I don't exactly have anything to go home to."

"What about your boyfriend?" Lucas winced as Brooke cleaned the wound on his shoulder.

"It isn't serious Luke, we've been considering the next step, but I cannot make that commitment I suppose." Brooke marked the red ring around the wound, "Joseph said to start marking where the redness ends, if it gets bigger than the marker could mean infection." Brooke looked into Lucas's deep blue eyes, "So let's pray we get rescued before that happens or pray for me to be a suitable nurse. If I'm not I'll have to let Atlas take over, he's a trauma nurse."

Lucas kissed her hand, "I think you're doing great, if I recall correctly you used to give the best sponge baths." Lucas winked and smiled a devilish grin, "When can I expect one of those?"

"So I had the chance to meet August while I was in Tree Hill," Brooke said, changing the subject, "He seems like one special kid."

The grin left Lucas's face at the mention of his son, "Auggie is a great kid, he's more and more like me everyday. Thank God for small miracles right, he doesn't seem to be anything like Isobel."

"That's a bit harsh, she is your wife Lucas," Brooke taped down the new dressing and reached for Lucas's hand, "Any luck moving those fingers yet?"

"You want to put my hand on your chest again, I won't complain," He laughed at the look on Brooke's face, "And as far as my wife, Isobel and I have an agreement. We stay out of each others way, she can do whatever she wants. I have wanted to file for divorce so many times, but she threatens me with custody of Auggie. The last time she told me she would run away with my son and I would never see him again. Fingers crossed she'll think I'm dead and just leave."

"I'm sorry to hear that Lucas," Brooke averted his eyes, "I didn't know."

"It's alright, I got Auggie out of the sham marriage so I'm not complaining much." Lucas leaned his head back against the tree, "Brooke what if I never see my son again?"

"Lucas, you shouldn't think that way," Brooke squeezed his healthy hand, "You said before that if she thinks you're dead she'll just leave. That seems far worse than being stuck on this island forever."

Lucas laughed, "No SHE would leave. She would take Auggie to my mom's or Nathan and Haley's. Isobel hates being a mother, she has said more than once that she must be missing the mom gene." Lucas rubbed his forehead at the thought of his mother, "My mom must be going ballistic right about now, I hope her and Lilly are alright."

"I know what you mean, I keep thinking of the girls. I spoke to Rachel right before I got on the plane, she told me to call the second I landed." Brooke put her palm to Lucas's forehead and frowned, afterwards she handed him a container of food and a small bottle of water, "Here, eat this please, you seem a bit warm, you might have a fever. I should go get Joseph or I think the surgeon guy's name is Sean, I was out of it when they took care of you before."

Lucas grabbed her wrist, "No, not yet. Please stay with me."

Brooke looked down at her wrist and smiled, "You're moving your fingers Luke."

"What?" Lucas looked at which arm had reached for Brooke, "Yes! That's good right?" Brooke nodded, "Now you have to stay with me for at least an hour. I have earned it."

Brooke sat back down and Lucas put his arm around her, she wanted to protest but she was so tired, it wasn't a battle she wanted to fight today, "I'm only staying with you if you eat something."

"If that's all it takes to get you to agree to stay with me, I will eat whatever you give me pretty girl." Lucas leaned in and kissed her cheek, he felt her tense at his touch but he decided that as long as she was going to allow it, he was going to show her just how much he's missed her.

So... Thoughts? Comments? Concerns? Hit the button and tell me what you're thinking. :)

Thanks!

Krystal