Story 3: Fix You

Summary: People called it the tragedy of the decade. People called it a series of unfortunate events. People called it a shame; depressing; a disaster; calamity; heartbreaking.... A nightmare. But, for Nathan Scott and Brooke Scott, it was the nightmare they couldn't wake up from. [Warning: Character Death. Season 6 & 7 AU; not canon..]

Chapter One: Breathe

And we know it's never simple, never easy
Never a clean break, no one here to save me
You're the only thing I know like the back of my hand
And I can't breathe without you, but I have to
Breathe without you, but I have to

"Breathe" - Taylor Swift.

Brooke smiled as Millicent told her about her and Mouths holiday in Spain. It had been romantic and exotic, Millicent had gushed. Brooke, admittedly, wasn't paying full attention though. She had a store opening in three weeks with her Mother and didn't really want to go; the new shop was all the way in New York. Which, in Brooke's opinion, was much too far from her family.

Her little family of three was all Brooke needed in life; Lucas, Elle and Brooke were a tight family that spent all of their time together. Rachelle was only five, but was the light of both Brooke and Lucas' life from the moment she was born.

Brooke and Lucas were married four years now, after Lucas and Peyton failed their own marriage and divorced -- luckily, no children were product of such marriage. It had taken Brooke a year to agree to date Lucas, and then Elle came along just months after they were dating again. Six months, to be exact.

She was unplanned and had bad timing, but that didn't make anyone love her any less.

Peyton had been surprisingly accepting, admitting that she had crossed paths with Jake whilst she was travelling. She had taken time off to travel, but it was later found that she had actually enrolled in the Arts school in Savannah.

Brooke had been delighted for Peyton and had stood next to her at the altar. Peyton and Jake married three years ago, and with Jenny, were also a happy family of three. Peyton now owned a range of establishments; Tric, Sawyer Art Gallery and Redroom records. Of course, the last one didn't count for an establishment, but it was owned by Peyton.

Peyton the businesswoman and Jake the lawyer, they were some of Brooke's best friends. It shocked her every time she thought about it; that after everything Peyton and Brooke had been through, they were still friends.

"Brooke?" Millicent waved a hand in front of Brooke's face, "You're not even listening, Brooke!" She moaned.

"Sorry, I was just thinking.. I'm sure you and Mouth had a wild time, though." She winked then went on, "Next time you can bring Mollie and Leon with you. They're a handful, especially when Elle and Leon are left in a room together." Brooke laughed.

"I'm sure they are, but at least they get along well." Millicent glanced at her watch, "Aren't you supposed to be leaving now?"

Brooke looked at the clock and cursed herself, "Dammit, yes. Thanks, Millie. I'll call you later! Don't forget to lock up.." Her voice faded as the door slammed shut behind her.

Millicent would lock up the store at six and go home to her family that consisted of Mouth, Millicent and their two children Mollie and Leon. Brooke joked how Leon was the outcast, being the only one without the letter 'M' in his first name.

Millicent and Brooke looked after the Tree Hill 'Clos over Bros' store, with Rachel working on Saturdays and Sundays. Rachel took care of most of Brooke's meetings, as she had a lot of free time during the day.

Brooke ran to her car, jumping in and fastening her seatbelt. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw there was no traffic, and glided along the roads with ease. The restaurant was just outside Tree Hill. She, Lucas, Nathan, Haley, Peyton and Jake met there every week. Only this week Peyton and Jake couldn't meet it, due to Jenny feeling ill. Neither wanted to leave their daughter, and Brooke completely understood that. Her own daughter would be with Karen for the afternoon once she got home from school.

She tapped her fingers against the steering wheel to the beat of the song, singing the words occasionally. Whistling the tune of the song, Brooke pulled into the car park where she saw Haley, Lucas and Nathan waiting. She briefly wondered why they didn't go in without her, but soon saw they were arguing.

"Oh, Nathan, tell me you didn't forget to buy it -- you know he's wanted it all week." Haley complained.

Nathan rolled his eyes, "Stop making such a big deal, I'll get it now. You can walk to the restaurant from here and I'll be there in a minute."

Brooke sidled up to Nathan, "What's happening?"

Haley jumped at the new voice, Lucas smiled and Nathan sent her an exasperated glance. "It's nothing! I just forgot to buy the magazine Jamie's been nagging me to get all week.."

"Pfft. Of course it's nothing, it's not for you!" Haley blew up.

Lucas came around to Brooke, sliding an arm around her shoulders as he pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead, "Hey pretty girl, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She leaned against him, "We better get Naley together if we're going to make those reservations." Brooke sighed and stood between the two, "Look, I'll go with Nate to get the mag, I've to get one myself. You two can go along to make sure our reservation is kept. We'll be after you in two minutes."

Haley nodded reluctantly, "Fine. Just don't be too long.." Her gaze lingered on Nathan before she smiled at Brooke. "How're you doing anyway, Tigger?"

Brooke laughed, "Took you long enough to ask. We'll talk at lunch, though."

The two couples parted ways, Lucas slinging an arm around Haley's shoulders as he teasingly reprimanded her for starting a fight in the parking lot. Brooke heard Nathan curse softly under his breath before turning around, "Haley?-- Don't glare at me, I was only going to say I love you."

Brooke could see that she was smiling, even with the distance. "I love you too, Nathan." He beamed and turned around, Brooke lacing her arm through his. "I'll say it once, and I'll say it again Scott -- you're whipped."

He snorted, "Please. And Lucas wouldn't come running if you clicked your fingers."

Brooke frowned, "You say that like it's a bad thing."

He laughed, "It is when it's you, Davis." She nudged him mockingly and they both laughed again.

After picking up Jamie's basketball magazine, and Brooke's gossip one, the two began to walk back towards the restaurant. To anyone outside their close circle of friends, it would seem that Nathan and Brooke weren't good friends at all, but they were both in each others earliest memories. They had been best friends right up until High School where they began to part ways. Their friendship was rekindled once more though as they begun to find themselves sitting beside each other at dinners, lunches, birthdays, anniversaries and weddings. It hadn't taken much.

"So, you're telling me, that if you had to name your daughter Peyton or Brooke you'd pick Peyton?" Brooke asked. "I know my name's not popular, but … Peyton?"

"I'd pick neither.. Jake or Nathan?"

"Oh that ones easy," Nathan smiled smugly as Brooke continued, "I'd pick Jake."

His smile fell, "Nathan sounds way better than Jake, and you know it. You're just bitter because I picked Peyton."

She sighed dramatically, "Fine! I'd pick Nathan. You happy, hotshot?"

"Oh yeah, delirious." Nathan's attention was then drawn away from the brunette beside him to a crowd ahead. From what he could see, there was an ambulance, police car and fire brigade. Puzzled, he turned to Brooke, "Look up there. What do you think's going on?"

She shrugged, "I don't know.. But it looks bad. Come on, let's go see."

The two raced towards the scene, pushing through the crowds as they struggled to see the casualty. It became clear by the car lying to the side that there had been a collision. The car was red, with the front window smashed in. Judging by the skid marks, Nathan reckoned it had been going fast and had swerved to the side to avoid a crash.

Brooke was in front of him, fiercely pushing her way through the hordes of people as she dragged Nathan by the hand behind her.

She suddenly froze and Nathan rammed into her back. Stumbling, Nathan exclaimed, "What for, Davis?! Come on.." He then noticed she was shaking, and standing at the front with a clear view.

"No.. No, it-it can't be him!" She exclaimed suddenly, seeming to never have heard him. She ran forward, and Nathan now saw why she was shaking.

Lucas' body was lying on the ground and as his eyes roamed the scene he noticed that Haley's was not two feet away.

His stomach dropped and he felt the air being kicked out of him. He felt dizzy and tried to steady himself, swallowing thickly and staring dumbly at her. "It's not her.." Nathan denied, shaking his head vehemently, "It can't be. She wouldn't… Couldn't.."

~*~*~*~*~

Brooke clutched at Lucas' clothes, her tears threatening to overpower her words, "P-please, don't do this Luke! You can make it, you can't leave me. You promised you'd never, ever leave again!" Her hands were shaking uncontrollably and she felt her heart was about to burst out of her chest any minute. Sobs racked her small frame as she cradled Lucas' hands in hers. The paramedics were reaching for him now, attempted to resuscitate him as Brooke's sobs rang through the area.

"Miss, can you please step back? Are you of kin to the victim?"

She nodded unsteadily, not trusting her voice to speak again. The young-looking paramedic pulled her to the side as two others worked on her husband. He held her back from returning to Lucas, holding her arms tightly. "Are you a close relative, Miss? We need to--"

"Yes!" She cried, "I'm his fucking wife, and unless you let me go I'm going to kill you. Let me go, now." The mans eyes widened, and he took a large step backwards as Brooke fled.

"He's-He's going to be alright, isn't he?" She asked the paramedic, who looked at her uncertainly, but didn't answer her question. He and the other doctor pumped and blew into Lucas' body, but it seemed to evoke no reaction.

The former paramedic stood, shaking his head sadly, and saying something Brooke couldn't hear to another paramedic. "Sorry, but we need to get him to --" Brooke pushed him away, not wanting to hear anymore of what he wanted to say. She instead rushed forward to Lucas, pulling his head into her lap. "You're okay, aren't you, Broody? You'll be fine. I know--I know you'll be fine.. You're my Broody. You're the Broody to my Cheery! Come on, Luke. O-open those beautiful blues…" She hiccupped here, running her hands over Lucas' face as panic took over once more. "You're--you're not leaving me. I won't let you, you're not allowed to. What about Rachelle, Lucas? What about me? What will we--"

"Ma'am, we're going to have to ask you to sta--"

"Don't you dare tell me you move, you prick." She snapped, losing all capability of thinking rationally.

She then found herself being held back by two men as her husband was carried into the ambulance, and she let out a sigh of relief. He wasn't dead. Hope sprang in Brooke's heart as she climbed in after them, only being able to hold Lucas' hand from a short distance as people worked on him on the way to the hospital. It was only then that Brooke thought of Nathan and Haley, and then the devestation and panic overcame her again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That's the first chapter of the third story :) so what do you think? I have three more stories that I will upload tomorrow, and then it's voting time. It's a good idea though, right? lol I mean, how often do you get to vote on what the author writes? ;)

Hope you like them so far, anyway! Any questions on any of the stories, don't hesitate to send me a PM or leave it in a review.

Cheers,

CheeryRae x