The next morning, Brooke coaxed an unwilling Lucas into attending at least half of his classes. And that is how she found herself quite alone and bored, listening to the beeping of her heart monitor as she fruitlessly attempted to work on the homework packet that had been delivered to her for the week. She groaned, running her hands over her face. How did she get here? How was she dying? And why, oh why, did she even care about homework anymore?

"Brooklyn," a sudden voice broke her out of her thoughts. Brooke looked up and nearly screamed.

"Mom," she said breathlessly. "What are you doing here?"

Victoria Davis wrinkled her nose and shook her perfectly coiffed hair. "Your doctor called me and insisted that I come. He's a prominent member of the club, of course I couldn't tell him that I wanted to stay on holiday."

Brooke rolled her eyes to mask her hurt. "Oh, but of course not."

"So," Victoria said uncomfortably, after a minute of silence. "You're really sick, then."

"Yes, mom," Brooke stated sharply through gritted teeth. "I am."

Her mother suddenly took a seat beside her bed. "Brooklyn, I know I haven't been-"

"Please, mom, call me Brooke," Brooke pleaded. "I've gone by Brooke since kindergarten."

"It's so very common."

"I like being common," Brooke deadpanned. "Because nothing else about me is."

Her mother seemed to consider this before resuming her previous speech. "I know that I haven't been what many would consider a good mother." Brooke snorted derisively at this, and Victoria shot her a look. "But...Brooke, you must understand. I never planned this life for myself."

Brooke stared at her. "Yes, mom, you did. You were raised to want to marry rich and live a high society life. Same way you raised me."

Victoria gave her a smile, a small one, one of the few Brooke had ever seen in her life. "Yes, I was raised that way. But when I was seventeen, I met a boy. His name was Steven, and he was the same side of town as your...Lucas, is it?" Brooke nodded. "He was very smart, very bright, very handsome; but because of his family and where he came from, I was forbidden by my father to see him. He set me up with your father at a country club dinner and from then on out, I never spoke to Steven again."

Brooke blinked. "Have you ever loved Dad?"

Victoria sighed, a long suffering sigh, and it occurred to Brooke that this was the most real her mother had ever appeared. "No, I'm afraid not. When you became friends with Peyton, I pretended to disapprove, but I was thrilled. I knew Anna Sawyer, and I knew she would help guide you in a way that I was incapable of."

"You could have guided me and mothered me yourself," Brooke argued.

Victoria shook her head. "I never wanted children, Brooke. I don't say that to hurt you, I simply say it as fact. I don't have a maternal bone in my body, I am the first person to admit that. But I am sorry that you were born to two parents who should never have been allowed to have a child."

Brooke took in this information and nodded curtly. "I appreciate the apology, mom."

Victoria nodded and gave Brooke an awkward kiss on the forehead. "I've rented you somewhere to live." Brooke began to protest, and Victoria held up a hand. "I've hired you a caretaker, a very nice young man, and I've rented you a small home."

"I'm staying with Karen and Lucas."

"Brooke, I know they love you and care for you and I am very grateful for that. There's plenty of room for them to visit, and Lucas can live with you if you'd like. It's a four bedroom just a few streets away. It's closer to the hospital."

Brooke weighed these options before finally conceding with a curt nod. "Fine. But I don't need a caretaker."

"Brooke," her mother sighed.

"Mom, I don't want one!"

"I'm doing what I know how to do," her mother said, resigned. "And that is to hire the best help and facilities. Please, let me do the little bit of mothering that I'm capable of."

Brooke sighed and leaned back against her pillows, closing her tired eyes. "Fine."

She heard her mother's heels clicking toward the door. "Brooke? Just because I've never loved your father, and because I never wanted children, doesn't mean I've never loved you, or that I've regretted you for a second."

Victoria Davis then exited, and Brooke cried, for she realized that it was the first time in her life that she had ever felt loved by her mother.

Lucas returned a few hours later, practically force feeding her chicken broth. When he was done with his task, she took a deep breath and told him about what had happened with her mother.

"No, no, no," Lucas said adamantly. "Brooke, you're staying with me and my mom."

"Luke, this is the only good thing my mom has ever done for me," Brooke argued. "You can come stay with me. It could be nice. Like having our own place."

"With a caretaker," Lucas said with distaste. "And who would stay with my mom?"

Brooke sighed. "I'll be fine, Luke. Like you said, I'll have a caretaker. It's not like I'll be alone."

"Who is this woman anyway, this caretaker?"

Brooke looked away uncomfortablly. "My mom actually mentioned something about the caretaker being a um...a him?"

"Absolutely not!" Lucas exclaimed.

"Be reasonable, Lucas Eugene Scott!" Brooke snapped, having enough. "I am not your property and I will not be treated like it."

Lucas sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I know, pretty girl. I just get a little jealous is all."

Brooke giggled at the pouty expression on his face and pulled his face to hers for a gentle kiss. "There's nothing to be jealous of, Broody."

He smiled and rubbed his nose against hers. "I love you, Brooke. And if you think this is what's best for you, then I'll support you. Just know you can always come home."

Brooke beamed. "I love you too Lucas. Thank you."

Haley came through the door, her hair askew and mascara down her face. "Brooke, I know this isn't a good time but I need my Tig. I told him and he didn't react well and OH my God, Lucas, hi."

She placed a hand over her mouth, and with that, Haley James Scott was in tears. Brooke reached out to her from her immobile place on the bed, scooting over to make a small sliver of room where she could sit. She drew her into a hug and silenced Lucas with a look over Haley's shoulder.

"It's okay, Hales," Brooke soothed. "I'm sure he's just in shock. He just needs some time to process. He loves you so much, you two are always and forever."

This seemed to only make Haley sob harder, and Brooke winced. "He-he-he he stormed out and I-I-I don't know where he-he went!"

"He'll be home tonight," Brooke assured firmly. "I know he will. He would never risk losing you, Tutor Wife. Never. I've known Nathan for a long, long time. And if it wasn't for you, I don't know who he'd be. You saved him and you made him the man he is today. He knows that. You know that."

Haley sniffled and nodded into Brooke's shoulder. "I don't want to lose him but I can't lose my baby."

Lucas's eyes became the size of saucers as Brooke narrowed hers to slits in order to keep him quiet. He held his hands up in silent surrender. "You won't have to lose either of them. You're not going to lose anyone."

"Not even you?" Haley cried.

Brooke heaved a sigh. "Hales, you know I can't promise you that."

"I need you to promise me that!" Haley exclaimed, becoming hysterical. "I need you to promise me that you're not going anywhere! That it's going to be like before. That even if everyone else has turned their back on me that you're still going to be there with ice cream and soap operas and a one bedroom apartment."

Brooke pulled Haley off of her shoulder and wiped the tears from her friend's face. "Haley, I can't promise you that. But I can promise you that I will try my damn hardest, okay? And that no matter what happens, you will be okay. Even if everyone turns their back, you'll have this baby. Who will love you more than anything, because you are going to be the most kick ass mom this world has ever seen. God knows you've practically mothered me into commission. I love you, Haley, and you're going to be okay. It's going to be okay, but you've got to pull yourself together because right now, you're not helping anyone. Not yourself, not the baby, and not Nathan."

Haley nodded, wiping away the remainder of her tears with a deep breath. She turned to Lucas with a quaking smile. "Surprise?"

Lucas got up and came around Brooke's bed to take his best friend into his arms. "It's gonna be okay, Hales. I wish you had told me sooner, but it's gonna be all right. I can't believe I'm gonna be an uncle."

"Brooke, I need-oh," a deep voice came from the door. All three occupants of the room looked up to find Nathan standing there, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck. Haley stood quickly, hastily trying to fix her appearance. Lucas felt the urge to punch his brother for making his best friend hysterical, but could understand his fears, and Brooke simply leaned her head back onto her pillows with a huff of frustration.

"Can't a girl with cancer get a bit of a break?"

All three of them looked at her and opened their mouths to apologize. "Oh stop, I'm kidding. Hales, Luke, could you give me and Nate a minute?"

Haley bit her lip but nodded and Lucas led her from the room with a furtive look at his brother, who approached Brooke's bed.

"Talk to me, best friend."

"I'm scared, Brookie," he said, and his voice cracked. It reminded Brooke of their first sleepover in preschool, when he had spent the night in her massive room and there was a lightning storm. Shadows were everywhere, her parents were nowhere to be found, and the only adult was a slightly drunk nanny downstairs who paid no attention to their cries for help. She patted her bed and he sat down where Haley had been just minutes before.

"Nate, you promised Haley always and forever. And when you say always, it means no matter what, all the time. She's having your baby, Nathan, like it or not."

"I don't want to be my father."

"You won't be," Brooke said gently, squeezing his hand. "You will be the greatest father. Who plays basketball with his kid, or who learns to love whatever it is he or she is passionate about. You won't pressure them, you won't make them feel unwanted or unloved. Unlike you and I, your kid will be coming from love, Nate. That's the difference. This baby, this baby is physical proof of your love with Haley."

"I'm not gonna be able to afford this kid."

"You'll make it work. I know you will. And I can help you."

"Brooke-"

"Nate, my mom is on a huge guilt kick. She's renting me a freaking four bedroom house, hired me a caretaker, and has all ready upped my monthly allowance to an amount that I can't even manage to spend."

Nathan swallowed and took in the girl before him before giving her a huge hug. "I need to go talk to Haley and make this right."

"Damn straight you do."

"Thank you, Brooke. I don't know what I'd do without you."

As he jogged out of the room, the implications of what he said set in. While Brooke finally felt that her friends did need her, it was no longer comforting. It was scary. Here she was, confined to a hospital bed, burning up with a fever and coughing up blood. What if she did die? What would become of her friends? She couldn't bear the thought of how Haley would react, how bad it would be for her child, how it could tear apart her and Nathan's marriage. Peyton had already lost two mothers and had barely come out functioning, could she really survive losing a best friend? And Lucas; oh God, Lucas. He had just lost the only man who had ever been like a father to him. How could she then let him lose the only girl he'd ever loved? The girl he saw his future with?

BoxUpAllTheButterFlies

Four days later, Brooke was released and left the hospital with Peyton and Jake, who would be driving her to her new house. Lucas would be meeting them there with Karen, and Haley and Nathan would be stopping by at some point as well. All Brooke wanted was to collapse in bed and go to sleep. Sleep was really all she wanted these days, after all.

When they pulled up, Brooke felt a huge grin spread over her exhausted face. She heard Peyton sigh in relief beside her.

"A red door," Brooke giggled.

"Lucas insisted," Peyton smirked, leading the way up the pathway to the beautiful, cottage-esque cream colored house. "It's really cute, I have to say."

"And there will always be room for my ."

Peyton smiled and threw an arm around her. "Thanks, ."

"Hoes over Caretakers. I'll boot his ass if he has a problem."

Peyton chuckled. "Well, that's a new one."

Brooke excitedly entered the house with the key that her mother had dropped off two days before; the two had had a curt conversation, and that had been that. Victoria was back to Europe and back to her unhappy marriage. She walked in to find it fully furnished and decorated in a way that was purely...Brooke. Brooke turned to Peyton with wide, confused eyes.

"I couldn't let Lucas do the decorating," she said in her slow drawl. "He knows you pretty well, but he wanted to paint your living room dark green."

Brooke crinkled her nose and stared at the burgundy living room with its brown and cream furniture. It was perfect. "I can't wait to see what you did to the rest of the place. Thank you, Peyton. I seriously...it's beautiful. You know me well."

"You bet I do," Peyton said with a light bump of her hip. "We've been trying to get rid of each other for years, Davis."

Brooke laughed at the truth in the statement before wandering up the stairs and down the hall. The first door was a red bedroom, a guest room that Peyton was obviously claiming for herself based off of the records on the wall and the color. Another guest room was a pretty sage green, and Brooke automatically mentally labeled it the Naley Cave. She came to what she presumed was the caretaker's room, and was grateful that Peyton had still decorated it, with simple beiges and blues. And lastly was her own room, with bright coral walls and creamy, puffy bedding. Brooke squealed and hopped on it with a childlike grin.

"I have a pretty new ro-om, I have a pretty new ro-om," Brooke sing-songed. Peyton laughed and dragged her off the bed.

"Come into your fancy kitchen, we have snacks and I believe that's where your caretaker is."

Brooke followed eagerly, bouncing into the kitchen, where she was met with a tan young man with dark hair who looked to be about twenty. He shot her a handsome grin before looking at Peyton with wide, disk-like eyes.

"You son of a bitch," Peyton suddenly hissed, but this time, she was not the one who moved first. Jake had to be restrained by Peyton and a weak and confused Brooke as he attempted to launch himself over the round wooden table.

"What on Earth is going on in here?" came the soft, scolding voice of Karen Roe. Lucas stood with her, rushing over to relieve Brooke and Peyton.

"Jake, what the hell?" he panted, pushing him back into the cabinets.

"That," Jake huffed, chest heaving as he pointed at the man in the kitchen, "is the bastard from that party."

Brooke's hands flew to her mouth, Peyton was grinding her teeth, and Karen remained oblivious. Lucas turned slowly, his jaw set, as he took in the man before him.

"What is going on here?" Karen once again demanded.

"Ma, I'm sorry for this," Lucas said, his voice radiating restrained rage. He did not take his eyes off of the man before launching himself at him, dragging him out of the house. Karen screamed and chased her son while Brooke simply sunk into a chair, Peyton comforting her.

Lucas threw him onto the lawn outside, climbing on top of him as he repeatedly hit him in the face.

"LUCAS!" his mother screamed. "THAT IS ENOUGH."

Had Lucas not worn himself out with his efforts, his mother never would have been able to pull him off the other man, whose face was now a bloody mess. Karen glared at her son fiercely before helping up the groaning man and apologizing profusely.

"Ma, this guy drugged and tried to rape Brooke," Lucas panted, still furious.

Karen looked at her son with raised eyebrows before calmly turning and slapping the man across the face.

"Get away from here, right now," she seethed. "If I ever find you near Brooke Davis again I will not stop what will happen to you."

The man ran off and Karen placed a hand on Lucas's face. "You're a good boy, Lucas."

Lucas grinned a little. "Only you would say that in this situation, Ma."

"A man should always protect the woman he loves," Karen said. "And I'm proud of you for doing that."

Lucas smiled softly and followed his mother into Brooke's new house, where Peyton was all ready on the phone with Victoria to tell her that the caretaker would no longer be employed.

Author's Note: This chapter was massively drama packed, but I wanted to tie up some loose ends! I know it's improbable that he, of all people, would end up being hired by Victoria, but let's face it, a lot of things in Tree Hill are improbable. (Like Brooke and Lucas not ending up together. I mean, really?)