Five days after the shooting and his heart attack, Lucas was busy trying to keep his mother's café alive. Karen had emotionally died along with Keith leaving her to have no interest in keeping up her business. She cried herself to sleep every night and she stayed in bed as the days passed. She knew her son was hurting just as much but she could not bring herself to look passed her own pain.

Lucas rose out of bed before the sun would and headed over to the café. He was determined to bury his grief away in his work. None of his fellow coworkers or customers knew of his heart attack, just that he was a boy who was hurting. He would stay there open to close without giving himself much of a break. Even on the day of Keith's funeral, the boy furiously worked.

None of Lucas's friends knew where he was. They all knew he would be hurting really badly and wanted to be there for him but they searched for him with no luck. He kept his phone off making it harder to find him.

Lucas found it quite easy to forget the grief as he plugged away at the café. Hours would roll by without him noticing being he was so busy helping out the customers. The thing that would remind him of what had happened the week before was every once in awhile; customers would ask how his mother was doing. He would tell him she was okay, meaning she would be…hopefully. Selfishly, he wished someone would ask him how he was doing. Outside he could paste the happy smile on his face but inside he was losing it. He was screaming for someone, anyone to let him cry but he could not do that. He was supposed to be there for people never the other way around. He needed to be strong, his mother needed him, and everyone needed him to be there for them.

Lucas felt overwhelmed. How in the world was he supposed to be strong for everybody else when he himself felt like shutting down? Memories of Keith plagued him everywhere he went. He even thought he saw him a few times which tortured him greatly. His heart ached immensely when it would happen. He would be standing there wiping down a table when the bell would ring signaling someone walking in the shop. He'd look up and seeing a dark haired man standing there with a dark tan corduroy jacket on. Lucas would take a double take but every time it would lead to a serious letdown.

Lucas had informed everyone that the store would be closed at noon for Keith's funeral. Just as the clock turned 12 and the last customer paid, Lucas heard the door ring again. He had a tub of dishes resting on his hip. He carried it to the back.

"Sorry we're closed." he called behind him.

He placed the tub on the ledge of the sink and balanced it with his body for a moment as he grabbed his chest. His heart was pounding like it had been over the last few days. He took some quick shallow breathes to even his heart rythnm.

"Lucas Scott!" Haley replied with anger.

Her voice made Lucas jump as he was putting the tub dishes in the sink. He let go of the large container and it came down and crashed at his feet. All the plates broke shattered around him. The pieces were much like his heart, much like his life…everything was breaking around him. Lucas stood over the broken pieces and stared at them.

Haley came over to the kitchen. She was wearing a black blouse and a knee length black skirt. Her bright blonde hair was wrapped tightly in a bun. She looked over at her best friend. His grey shirt was covered in food stains, his shoes were untied, his blonde hair was greasy, his eyes screamed exhaustion and pain, and his brow was filled with sweet. Lucas had bent over to pick up the pieces. Haley bent down with him and helped him.

"What are you doing here, Lucas? Shouldn't you be getting ready for the funeral?" Haley said.

"I need to help my mom keep this business alive. Keith would have wanted it." Lucas spoke as he rose and threw some of the glass away.

After throwing some glass away, Haley grabbed Lucas wrists before he bend down again and spoke with complete love, "He would have wanted you to get help too, Luke. You just lost your uncle and you had a heart attack. You are allowed to take time for yourself, you know that don't you?"

"I will, Hales." Lucas responded not so convincingly. He pushed past her as he took of his apron, "I gotta get home and change."

"Let us drive you there." Haley pleaded trying to find one way to help her best friend.

"I'm fine, Hales, I can just walk home." Lucas replied looking down as he went to walk out of the café.

When he looked up to open the door, Lucas was surprised to see his younger brother standing there.

"Watch out," Lucas tried to push him aside to get to the door. Nathan stood firmly planted with his arms crossed. "Get out of the way, Nate!"

"We have tried to call you Lucas for the last few days. We know how much you are hurting." Nathan began

Lucas shook his head and breathed a short humorless laugh, "You have no idea, Nathan. None of you do."

He tried to get passed Nathan again, but Nathan this time held his arms. "Let us inside, big brother. We want to help you but we can't when you are constantly shutting us out."

Lucas rolled his eyes and gave a heavy sigh, his tough facade crumbling as this minutes passed. Haley came up behind him and touched his shoulder. The touch jolted through his body and went to his broken heart. Lucas fought the urge to fall apart right then and there.

"It's okay Luke," she spoke quietly. "Let it out."

That was what he needed to hear, it was okay to cry. His knew his mother had a right to cry, she had just lost the only man she had ever loved but for some reason, he felt he needed permission to let his tears flow. Even at night time, he would not let himself cry. He just would let his eyes stare up at the ceiling and wondered why he was once again fatherless. It was painful enough to be abandoned at his conception but now, why did he have to lose another father. The first one was nothing to Lucas being Lucas was nothing to him. This one, Lucas was his whole world, his pride and joy.

The depth of his heartbreak in losing Keith was immeasurable. He prayed no one would ever have to feel the pain of losing someone that close. Even more so, Lucas faced the daunting nightmares when his body let him sleep of hearing the gun shot and seeing his father's lifeless body.

Lucas turned around to see Haley's compassionate eyes. They triggered some more emotion is his heart and finally with their mighty power, brought out his tears.

"I miss him so much, Hales." the broken boy choked.

Haley opened up her arms and he fell into them without any hesitation. Lucas let the worlds weight in tears out of him. He sobbed and sobbed. He tried to talk, tried to apologize for making Haley take care of him.

"I miss him…I'm sorry…I don't know if I can do this...I'm sorry, I was hiding…I am just so lost." his thoughts came out in a series of blubbering.

"There's no more hiding Lucas, we found you."

I know that this is kinda corny and probably not realistic. I know he probably wouldn't be doing dishes or anything after a heart attack, its fiction, would you play along with me? Thank you so much for your beautiful reviews. I think you can expect a lot of reviews next week, I dont work more than once next week. : )