A week of bliss followed Brooke and Lucas's reunion. Their joy was not shared only between them; Haley and Nathan were glad to have their home to themselves again, though they would never say it out loud. Peyton and Jake were enjoying their time together, rebuilding their relationship and spending time with Jenny, who had reached up, tugged on Peyton's curls, and babbled "mama". Jake had shifted uncomfortably, opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water. Peyton's eyes had filled with tears and she had nearly crushed the baby in her embrace, causing Jake to cry as well. Brooke had walked in on the scene and in true Brooke fashion, teased them before hugging all three of them and getting a bit teary herself. The boys had played a basketball game that Friday, and the girls had cheered; even Brooke. Lucas had hardly kept his eyes on the game, watching his girlfriend like a hawk instead. He begged Whitey to allow him to watch the halftime show, but was denied, and spent most of the team meeting wringing his hands in worry, knowing that his girlfriend was most likely over exerting herself.
He had been right. When they arrived home that night, Brooke was clammier and more exhausted than ever, collapsing into bed in pain. He had given her a massage despite her exhausted protests that he must be more tired than her and held her hair back at four in the morning when she lost the contents of her stomach into the trashcan next to the bed.
It was a week after reuniting with Lucas that Brooke found herself at chemo with Peyton by her side. She was playing music out of her iPod, some poetic, angsty music that months ago, Brooke never would have allowed to play in her presence. But somehow, she had come to enjoy the soothing tones. This thrilled Peyton, who made it a personal mission to make her a mix tape nearly every day.
"So I have a brother," Peyton said suddenly as she flipped through a magazine. Brooke's eyes snapped open.
"You're kidding me. Peyton, that's amazing!"
"Yeah," Peyton said with her usual half-cynical smile. "He's Ellie's son."
"What's his name?"
"Derek," Peyton replied. "We've exchanged some e-mails and a couple of phonecalls. I think he's going to come out here to meet me. I'd really like it if you were there."
"Why?" Brooke asked, curious.
Peyton shrugged. "You're really the closest thing to family I have. He might be family by blood, but I need my real family there for this one."
Brooke grinned and reached out her arm that wasn't attached to the IV, grabbing Peyton's hand.
"Peyton, I want to tell you something."
"What's up, ?" Peyton asked, her eyes concerned.
"I've forgiven you. Completely. For everything. And I hope that you can forgive me for being so ridiculous in the way I responded to things."
"Brooke, you were completely right."
"No," Brooke insisted, shaking her head. "I never should have let something like that affect us so much. I'm just so glad that we're us. That we're able to put these things behind us in a matter of weeks. That we're so invincible."
"Remember when we made that comic book in fourth grade?" Peyton giggled. "Penelope and Elizabeth, the crime-fighting cheerleaders?"
Brooke dissolved into giggles as well. "Oh God, I had forgotten about that. We made several issues. With our loyal sidekick Royal, who threw flaming basketballs at the evil villains."
Peyton laughed, shaking her blonde curls. "We've got to find those."
"Yes, we do," Brooke chuckled, squeezing her friend's hand. "I don't know where I'd be without you, Peyton. And when it comes down to it, I'm glad that you and Lucas have been the way you've been."
Peyton's eyes widened at this. "What?"
"I don't think I'd feel right, if the girl I love and the boy I love didn't love each other," Brooke said with a small shrug. "Not that I want you two to be in love with each other or anything. Just...it's important to me that you love each other. You might need each other one day."
"Brooke!"
"Just please take care of him," Brooke said, her cheery demeanor gone. "I need you to promise me that you will take care of him, and that you will not let him follow me. That you'll make sure he finishes his novel and he gets it published, and he finds some beautiful girl to marry. And you make sure she loves him okay? You make sure she loves him more than anything, that she loves every bit of his flawed heart."
"Brooke, that's not going to be an issue," Peyton argued. "You're going to be that girl. You always have been and you always will be."
Brooke shook her head. "You can't let him love a ghost, Peyt."
"He won't have to, Brooke!"
"Just promise me."
Peyton swallowed before finally conceding. "I promise, Brooke."
"Thank you," Brooke whispered. They were interuppted by the arrival of Nathan, who dropped a kiss on Brooke's head and gave Peyton's shoulder a little squeeze. Brooke rolled her eyes.
"Honestly, do none of you people attend class?"
"Your boyfriend said that you would kill him if he skipped English again, and I had study hall so I came down," Nathan said by way of explanation. Brooke rolled her eyes again. "You're going to get them stuck that way, Davis."
"Shove it, Scott," she said with a smirk before suddenly paling and shutting her eyes tightly. "Oh, God."
"Brooke," Peyton said in concern, leaning forward. "Should I grab someone?"
"Just a bucket," Brooke choked out. Peyton hurriedly grabbed a plastic container and handed it to her friend, who wretched into it violently, coughing and spluttering. Nathan winced and Peyton glared at him.
"Nate, go get her doctor."
Nathan jogged down the hall while Peyton continued to rub her back soothingly, holding her breath to avoid the rank smell. Dr. Grant entered the room briskly with Nathan tailing behind him. He peered at Brooke with concern, looking at her monitors. He hit a button on her bed, calling in a nurse as he picked up her chart. He scanned it and furrowed his brow. Peyton could feel her heart begin to pound in her chest. She hated hospitals, but she had braved it for Brooke today.
"Brooke, this doesn't look good," the doctor noted solemnly. She nodded as she continued to vomit. A nurse was taking her temperature with a thermometer in her ear, seeing as Brooke's mouth was quite occupied.
"One hundred and three," the nurse said in a clipped tone. Peyton grabbed Nate's arm and squeezed, terrified.
Brooke moaned and leaned back, and blood was visible, dripping from the corner of her mouth.
"Brooke!" Nathan exclaimed, his voice strained and weak. She opened her eyes weakly.
"Call Lucas," Brooke mumbled. "And Karen."
Peyton nodded and dashed out of the room, eager for some respite from the painful image of her best friend. Her hands were shaking as she dialed the familiar number that was no longer on her speed dial. It went to voicemail after a couple of rings; she figured he had hit ignore, seeing as he was in class. She tried twice more before finally receiving a slightly frustrated answer.
"Peyton, I'm in English," Lucas huffed. "And you should be in...History, right?"
"Yes, right," Peyton snapped. "But I went to chemo with Brooke and she's bad Luke, really, really bad."
"What do you mean?" Lucas practically yelled.
"She's got a hundred and three degree fever and she was throwing up for so long...and blood was coming out of her mouth."
"I'll be there, tell her I love her and I'll be there soon," Lucas said hurriedly. The line clicked off, and Peyton slid down the wall of the hospital hallway, scrolling through her contacts for Karen's name.
"Hi, Karen, this is Peyton," she said shakily when the woman answered. "I'm here at the hospital with Brooke and she's doing really poorly. She asked me to call you and let you know."
"I'll be right down there," Karen said softly. "Thank you for calling, Peyton."
"See you soon."
Peyton then sent a text message to both Haley and Jake with an update, her fingers trembling as she struggled to regain her composure. Brooke had always been strong for her. Now was her time to be strong for Brooke. She stood, shoving her shaking hands in her back pockets and going back into Brooke's room with a deep breath and fingers crossed.
The doctor was playing with the machines around her, altering medicines and barking orders at a nurse. Nathan sat next to Brooke, running his hands up and down the inside of her arm. She had always been comforted by that, since they were children.
It was only about fifteen minutes before the doctors left just as Lucas came flying into the room, immediately kissing Brooke's forehead and leaning his own against it as he collapsed onto the bed next to her. He was slowly shaking his head back and forth, whispering something inaudible. Peyton signalled to Nathan and the two of them silently withdrew from room 536.
"I love you, pretty girl," Lucas whispered. "I love you. I love you. I love you."
"I know," Brooke groaned weakly. "I love you, too, boyfriend."
Brooke felt a hot tear on her face, but her own eyes were dry. She pushed Lucas back a little and looked him in the eyes, finding them spilling over with silent tears.
"I can't imagine my life without you in it, Brooke," Lucas said, his voice strangled. "Don't leave me, Brooke. Don't ever leave me."
Brooke felt her heart break. He looked just like the scared little boy he had appeared to be at Keith's funeral.
"I'm trying not to, Luke," Brooke whispered, raising a weak hand to his cheek. He grasped at it desperately. "I promise you that."
"I know," he said. "I'm sorry. This isn't about me, or even us. This is about you. And getting you better."
Brooke bit her lip and sighed. "They're going to keep me overnight, at least."
Lucas nodded. "Good. I'll have Haley bring me some clothes and your favorite pillow."
"I'll be fine by myself," Brooke attempted to argue. She immediately silenced herself at the intense look in his eyes. "But it would be nice to have company."
He finally smiled and gave her a tender kiss, despite the obvious stench of vomit in the room.
"Oh, Broody," Brooke laughed weakly, coughing a bit. "You know it's love when you'll kiss a girl who vomited blood just minutes ago."
Lucas managed a half-hearted laugh. She was still his Brooke; cheery as ever.