Ok guys, this is the last chapter for "season 1". Hope you enjoy.
Two weeks passed and it was soon time for Keith to be moving to Charlotte. The two weeks had been hectic to say the least between a pregnancy scare for Brooke and Lucas, Karen finding out about Keith's new job offer and his plans to move, and Dan taking over as the Coach for the Ravens while Whitet had surgery, everyone was reaching their wits end.
Cassie and Kyle were growing closer and closer as time seemed to fly by, he was helping her get through everything. She was now able to go without crutches, much to her relief and her ribs had healed almost completely as well. Nathan and Haley's relationship was as strong as ever and it seemed Peyton and Brooke were back to being friends as it should be. Everyone was happy except for Lucas who had taken to sleeping with bar sluts as a means of getting over his problems. When Cassie had found out what her brother had done and with who, she had been furious. It had been at Nathan and Haley's party and it was supposed to be a fun time out with new friends, but it sooned turned into a disaster when a then vengeful Brooke had shown up at the party with Jake's ex and the father of his daughter, Jenny, Niki in tow. Niki had immediately informed everyone of Lucas' mistake. Haley and Cassie went three days without even looking at Luke, who finally made them realize it was just a mistake...a stupid mistake.
It was now Tuesday night, three days before Keith moved. Lucas, Cassie and Haley were walking around town just hanging out together, just the three of them for the first time in a long time.
"Hey guys, lets take a shortcut." Lucas suggested.
Cassie looked at her brother strangely. "Luke the only shortcut from here back to our house is through the graveyard."
"So, come on, it'll be fun." Lucas said.
Haley stared at him wide-eyed. "Are you kidding me? Luke you know cemetary's freak me out. What about all the creepy ghosts and stuff."
Lucas laughed at the two girls in front of him. "You've gotta be kidding me, you two still don't believe in that stuff do you?"
Haley and Cassie looked at eachother then turned their attention back to him, nodding vigorously.
He rolled his eyes. "Well if it'll help, I'll protect you." He said as he put an arm around both of them and dragged them into the entrance of the graveyard.
"Luke, I should so kick your ass for this." Cassie yelled at her brother but turned around to find just Haley. "Where'd he go?" Cassie asked.
Haley shrugged. "He was right here two seconds ago and then he just disappeared."
"Great, all alone in a creepy cemetary." Cassie sighed.
"Lucas." Both girls shouted at the top of their long. "Luke!"
"Lucas Scott." Haley screamed so loud a flock of birds flew out of the trees above. "This is so not funny, come out right now."
"Boogey-bah." Lucas said as he jumped out from behind one of the gravestones. Haley and Cassie both jumped and screamed at the same time.
Haley reached over, as if on instinct and slugged him in his shoulder.
"Ow, damn it Haley." Lucas cried as he grabbed his sore arm. "You trying to kill me?" He asked.
"You deserve it dumbass." Haley said without any sympathy.
"Geez, would you two relax." Lucas laughed.
Cassie shook her head. "No, I want to get out of here before all the creepy ghoulies come out to play. Lets go." She pointed towards the exit.
Lucas laughed at his sister. "Guys, these people are dead." He said a little to loudly.
"Lucas, would you keep it down." Haley whispered loudly. "I don't want all the stinkin zombies to hear you." By this point for Haley and Cassie were rushing ahead trying to get out of there.
"Would you slow down? I've gotta tell you something." Lucas said. "It's part of the reason I wanted it to be just the three of us hanging out tonight."
Haley and Cassie both stopped at the urgency in his voice and turned around. "Fine Luke, what is so important that we have to stay here any longer." Cassie asked.
"You both know that Keith is planning on moving right?" Lucas asked.
Cassie nodded. "No need to remind me."
"What is this really about?" Haley asked growing impatient with her friend.
"Well, I'm planning on going with him." Lucas said. "For awhile."
"Great, now that your done telling us that your going to help Keith get moved in for a few days, can we go?" Haley asked.
Lucas sighed. "That's not it. I'm not just planning on going for a couple days, I'm moving there."
Cassie's jaw dropped. "Your what?" She shrieked.
Haley tossed her a look that said to keep it down.
Cassie quieted. "Sorry, but your moving?" She looked at her brother for answers and he nodded. "But why? Does Mom know?" She stopped herself, thinking. "No she can't know, because if she did she would never allow it."
"She knows Cass, I already told her my plans and she very reluctantly agreed." Lucas said putting emphasis on very.
"And she's letting you go?" Cassie asked and he nodded. "I can't believe this."
"Neither can I." Haley piped in. "You bring us out here in the middle of the night to the creepiest cemetary in town and tell us your leaving Tree Hill for good. Who's going to go thrift store shopping with me, or pick out really cheesy cds at the store or go to the lost and found and claim dumb stuff." Haley rambled causing Lucas to break out in a smile.
"Hales, Cassie will still be here, she'll do all those things with you, right sis?" Lucas asked Cassie who nodded. "And Nathan can too, and me when I visit. Now, come here." He motioned for both his twin sister and best friend to come into his arms. "You alright?"
Haley shook her head. "No, I'm scared again." Haley said.
The next two days flew by it seemed in the blink of an eye. Cassie walked into her brother's room to find him almost packed.
"Your really doing this." Cassie said taking in the empty room.
Lucas nodded. "I really am Cass."
"Well I wanted to give you something." She pulled out a very worn looking blanket. "Remember this?" She asked.
Lucas smiled when he saw what she was talking about. "How could I forget."
She sat down on the bed in front of him. "You gave this to me when we were 7 and I was in the hospital getting my tonsils out."
"I remember, you were terrified of getting put to sleep." Lucas laughed at the memory. "I gave it to you as reassurance. That blanket used to help me when I was scared of the monsters in my closet."
Cassie nodded. "Well I wanted to give this back to you. I know this is totally cheesy but this blanket does mean a lot to me and I want you to have it in case you need to chase any more monsters away." Cassie said with a laugh and then sad smile.
"Cass, you should keep it." Lucas said. "You might still need it."
Cassie shook her head. "No, you take it." She gave it to him. "It's kind of symbollic."
Lucas nodded. "Thanks Cass, hey I left a few things for you in your room."
Cassie smiled. "I got them, thanks for the cds."
As Lucas threw the last of his things in his bag, Karen appeared at the door. "Almost done?"
Lucas smiled up at his mom and nodded. "Yeah, Cass and I were just talking."
"Well I need to talk to you for a minute." Karen said as she sat down next to her daughter and directed her attention to Lucas. "Come here a minute." She patted the seat beside her.
Cassie took this time to get up and head for the door; however, Karen stopped her. "Cass, I want you to hear this too."
Cassie turned back and sat back down.
"Luke, I know your searching for things and I hope with all my heart that you find the answers to your questions and the things your looking for, but the answers are closer then you think. There in your heart and in the hearts of those who love you." Karen said with a small gesture to her and Cassie. "And that is right here, at home." She moved closer to her son. "There is only One Tree Hill, and its your home." She smiled at him with her arm around him and Lucas nodded. "I love you my boy." Karen finished as she broke down in tears. Lucas smiled, tears in his own eyes, as he pulled his mother and sister in for a hug.
"I love you both." He said.
A knock on the door interrupted the moment. They all turned to face Keith. Keith smiled at the three people he loved more then anything. "You ready to hit the road kid?" He asked Luke who nodded as he wiped tears from his eyes.
"I don't know about Mom though." Lucas joked glancing at his mother who smiled slightly.
"Well, I'll give you two some alone time, I need to borrow Cassie for a minute, if thats alright." Keith said as everyone nodded and Cassie stood up and walked out of the room with her Uncle.
"Let me guess, its time to say goodbye." Cassie said with a sad smile on her face. "It seems like I've said a lot of those lately."
"Cassie, honey don't do this. Hey, look at me." He said as he lifted her chin with his hand. "I'm not saying goodbye. Ok...remember what I always told you..."
"You hate goodbyes." Cassie finished his sentence for him. "Well so do I, I must get that from you." She joked.
Keith smiled. "I do hate goodbyes, but this is not what that is. Were not saying goodbye because I'm not leaving you...not really anyways."
"Keith your moving to a place 3 hours away, its not like your going to be just around the corner when I need you now." Cassie started rambling, something she often did when she got upset.
"Would you stop talking for a little longer then a few seconds so I can get a couple of words in." Keith laughed. Cassie shut up immediately.
"Ok, what I meant to say is that while I may not be 'just around the corner' anymore, I am just a phone call away. If you ever need anything, anything at all, I'm just a phone call away. I may not be around as much, but I am still your Uncle. I always will be. And you have to know, I would never leave you for good Baby-girl." He said as he pulled her into his arms. "I love you too much."
"I love you too Uncle Keith." Cassie said through her tears. "I love you too." She said as she hugged him tightly.
She pulled away and he looked into her eyes and wiped away her tears like he did when she was a little girl. "I need you to do something for me."
Cassie nodded. "Anything."
"I need you to look after your Mom while I'm gone, these next few weeks are going to be really hard on her. I want you to help her out at the cafe...just with whatever she needs ok. Go easy on her, no trouble." Keith said.
Cassie again nodded. "I promise."
"Good, now I have something for you." He said.
"What?" Cassie asked eagerly.
"What I'm about to give you means a lot to me Cassie, I want you to look after it like its your most prized possession." Keith said.
"Of course." Cassie assured him.
"Ok, well this is something my mother gave me after my grandmother died. It's a family heirloom, its been handed down from one generation to the next. It's usually passed down from mother to daughter, but seeing as my Mom had two sons, she gave it to me in the hopes that I would someday pass it on to my daughter." Keith explained as he pulled out a diamond necklace.
Cassie's eyes widened, never had she seen anything so beautiful. "My god, its gorgeous." She said as he handed it to her.
"I'm giving you this because in my heart, you are my daughter. I couldn't love you or your brother more if you were my own and I need for you to know that." Keith said.
Cassie blinked back the tears as she put the necklace on. "I'll guard it with my life." She assured him. "And what you said about me being your daughter in your heart, well it goes both ways. I feel like your my dad, actually thats what I used to tell people all the time." Cassie said with a laugh. "At the time it was because it was just easier to say that then to explain my real story. But I've always felt that way, you are my dad, I don't care what biology says."
Tears sprung to Keith's eyes now as he looked at the young girl in front of him. He hadn't cried in nearly 18 years, but he was crying now. He pulled Cassie into his arms again. "Kid, you have no idea what it means for me to hear you say that."
Cassie laughed and hugged her Uncle tightly.
Keith let go and looked at her and kissed her forehead. "I love you Cass, but its time to go."
Cassie nodded. "Ok.Thanks for the necklace, I'll never let it out of my sight."
Karen stood at the doorway of Luke's bedroom with tears in her eyes after witnessing the scene between Uncle and niece. She was worried about how Cassie was going to take Keith's leaving town and now with her brother leaving on top of that, it was going to be a hard thing to adjust too.
Four hours later Lucas and Keith were long gone and probably almost in Charlotte by now. Cassie and Karen had headed to the cafe soon after they left to get ready for the supper rush.
Haley and Nathan walked in laughing about something. Cassie smiled, Haley looked happier then she had ever been.
"Hey guys." Cassie said as they sat down in front of her. "Haley your not scheduled to work today."
Haley nodded. "I know, but I wanted to tell you the big news before it gets out."
"What news?" Cassie asked, not sure she could take anymore life-changing events.
Haley held out her hand, showing off her diamond ring.
Cassie's eyes widened. "Your engaged?" She asked.
Haley shook her head.
"Is that what I think it is?" Cassie asked. "You got married?"
Haley nodded. "Were married." She giggled repeating what Cassie had just said.
Cassie's jaw dropped.
Nathan looked at his sister worriedly. "Cassie say something." He said.
"I...I don't believe this. Wow...I just never imagined...congratulations." She said finally managing to get the only words she could out. She ran around the counter to hug the two.
"Thank god, you took the news better then Luke did." Haley said.
"You told Luke?" Cassie asked.
Nathan nodded. "He kinda walked in on us and found out."
"Oh..wow. Well I'm sorry that he didn't take the news well, but can you blame him, I mean this is major. Are you sure your ready for this?" Cassie asked directed more or less at her best friend.
Haley nodded. "I've never been more ready, Cass." She assured her. "I love him and he loves me. I'm just really sorry you couldn't be there, I really wanted you to be my maid of honor, but I figured you would probably be spending the day with Luke and Keith."
Cassie nodded. "I was, it was one of the hardest days of my life, never mind for me but for my Mom."
"Where is she?" Haley asked out of concern.
"In the back, making up a new lunch menu."
"Oh, god I can't imagine how hard this must have been for Karen. I wanted to tell her my news, but I think now maybe it should wait." Haley said.
Cassie nodded. "I think she's had about all she can take for one day, maybe come back tomorrow."
Haley nodded. "So tell me how are things with you and Kyle?"
"Yeah, do I have to kick his ass yet or what?" Nathan asked. Haley and Cassie both shot a look at him. "What?" He asked innocently. "Since Lucas isn't around, I have to take on the role as big brother protector."
Cassie laughed. "Well if you both must know, things are going incredibly well. I really like him and he likes me. He's helped me through so much these last few weeks, I think were getting closer and closer. So Nate, no need to kick his ass at least for now."
Nathan laughed. "Well if you'll excuse us, me and my girl here have to go deliver the news to my mom, she is not going to be pleased."
"Good luck with that, bro." Cassie said as she hugged him and then did the same with Haley. "Welcome to the fam, sister-in-law."