Thanks guys for the reviews! I'm glad to see you're all so interested! :o) This one focuses more on what's happening rather than Naley's background - which I think we need to break up the story. Enjoy! x

Peyton

Its been fifteen days. Four hours. Fifty-nine minutes. Now five hours into the fifteenth day that I haven't heard his voice. The only voice he has is the life support machine that beeps a steady rhythm. I always fear I'll hear that loud, flat, echoing song. The music of his death.

"I'm sorry I haven't been to see you sooner Haley. Lucas has just been…and I haven't really had a chance. I know I've kind of destroyed our pact - never put a boy in front of your best friend. But imagine if it was Nathan. Deep down I know you'll forgive me, but I just had to say that."

I took a deep breath. Talking to an unconscious person wasn't easy, even after days of practice, you still waited on a response.

"Uh, so, Mia is running the studio for us, she's doing great. I'm sure she'll pop in one day, but she's hoping that when she does she'll find you awake".

I took another deep breath. You are my best friend. You should be helping me get through the Lucas situation. You should be crying with me. You shouldn't be here too. I cant do this without you Haley. I watched my mom lie in a hospital bed after her accident, that was enough. Why do I have to see it happen to Lucas too?

"I'm sorry Haley, I cant do this."

I selfishly ran out of the room and out of the hospital, collapsing against the bricked wall. "This isn't fair!" I sobbed and looked up to the sky, not caring if the sun light blinded me. "Don't take them away from me! Haven't you took enough?!" I began to feel slightly dizzy. "This wasn't Lucas' fault. He was being the hero!" I continued to scream at the open air. My fists clenching beside me as his name came into my head. "You should take Dan." I said rather calmly. "He's the one who shot him."

The police had told me it was an accident. But I knew it wasn't. You never think that working as a school basketball coach will cause your husband any harm. If he was a police officer or worked for the fire service, this kind of accident would be acceptable. But these 'accidents' didn't happen to school coaches. School shootings only happen in movies right? That's what I thought. I came home from working in the studio with you to find a police man waiting on the porch. A disturbed kid had ran into the school with a gun. He had aimed it at the bullies; the popular kids; the jocks. They were in practice with Lucas. The kids fled and then it was just Lucas, Jimmy and Dan. Dan had been giving Luke a hard time the day before. He told him that Lucas wasn't doing the job well enough and as the mayor Dan could get him fired. Lucas had fought back. And then they were there. In the school gym. And the rest is a mystery.

"Dan is a witness." The police man said. "He saw the kid drop the gun once he shot himself and it fired another shot, which hit Lucas."

I scoffed at that. Bullshit! Obviously these cops will believe the mayor. He's like the friking king to them!

You, Nathan and Jamie came to see me once you heard the news. "Oh God Peyton." You cried as you hugged me. "He'll make it." Brooke was in tears as well. We were all a team, when one person falls, we all do. And you were the next to stumble.

"Peyton?" I heard a voice ask as someone helped me to my feet. "Peyton?" They gave me a slight shake and then I knew who it was.

"How's Haley?" I asked your husband.

"She's not any different." He sighed. "But the doctor says its looking good."

I smile at this. "She's gonna wake up Nathan."

"I know." He smiled gently. "She's a fighter. I'm just worried that…"

"What?"

"Well the doctor said the side effect of her condition is memory loss. What if she doesn't remember us Peyton?"

"She will." I said firmly, making myself believe it.

"But what if she forgets our past, what will happen to Jamie?"

"Nathan!" I grabbed his shoulders. "Listen to me. What you and Haley have is too strong to forget." That was true. Sometimes I even got jealous of you two. Brooke and I just sat and watched you talking one time at her birthday party. It was her idea but we couldn't pretend to ignore the love radiating off you both. You had a permanent smile fixed on your face. I was talking to you in the kitchen when all of a sudden a drunken Nathan came up to you and enclosed you in his embrace. You blushed a colour I had never seen on you before when he whispered something in your ear. I raised my eyebrow at you when he started nibbling on your ear and you tried to push him back. "I'm sorry." You said. "He's drunk, I'd better take him home."

"Uh huh." I smirked. "I think he wants to go anyway…"

Its hard to believe that party was little under a year ago. Now look at us. Nathan's a mess. You're in a coma. Lucas is barely alive. Brooke doesn't know where to put herself. But fate's a bitch right? We had so many good times, you and Nathan were made for each other, this was bound to happen. But sometimes I think that the world keeps throwing this pain at me to make me stronger and maybe I'll get something out of it in the end. Like you would.

Nathan is so scared for you, for his family. I get that, I feel the same about Luke. Our hearts ache so bad it feels as though someone is tugging it and it makes us feel sick. The thought of losing you makes him tremble, its unimaginable to him. You're all he thinks about, well or sick, he'll love you forever and you know that. But he doesn't know if he'll get the chance to tell you again.

Half an hour after convincing Nathan you would be fine I came back to see you. I found Nathan asleep, his head resting on your stomach, your hand in his. "Hi Haley." I smiled weakly and took a seat opposite Nathan. "I'm sorry to leave you like that." I imagined you smiling at me. "So…I really need you to wake up Hales. If only you could see Nathan, see us, see her." I said as I stood up. "You need to take care of them." I carefully placed the small, sleeping baby on your chest. "She's beautiful." I smiled, tears welling up in my eyes. "But I know the sacrifice you have to make to claim such beauty."

Important chapter huh? Anyone a little shocked? Excited? I hope so. You'll find out what that last line means to the story in the next chapter. Please review!! I need them to keep me going!