I really didn't want to skip over State, but I didn't really have a choice because I suck at writing basketball scenes (haha). I hope you all enjoy this chapter regardless Also, there's now a trailer up on YouTube for this story, and an improved trailer will be coming soon, so check it out! The username is the same as my name on here!

"I'm nervous," Chance whispered to Brooke as they waited in pre-op. Lucas was in the bed beside her, and he gave her an encouraging smile.

"It's all gonna be okay," he soothed. "Before you know it, this will all be over."

"Is this gonna make me better?"

Before Lucas could cut in with his usual optimism, Brooke cut him off. "We hope so, baby."

Lucas shot Brooke a look, which she returned with a challenging raised eyebrow. She knew Lucas and the way he would do anything to make Chance feel better; including lying and saying that she would be one hundred percent better when she woke up. Brooke knew this wasn't true, seeing as she was facing the same operation herself in just one week's time, and she didn't want to give the all ready fragile little girl any kind of false hope.

"Okay you two," Dr. Grant said as he entered the room. "You ready?"

Lucas nodded while Chance squared her little shoulders with a determined glint in her eyes. "I was born ready."

Brooke giggled and dropped a kiss to her forehead. "That's my girl."

"It's gonna be like sleeping, right?" Chance asked nervously. Brooke nodded and squeezed her small hand with an encouraging grin.

"You won't feel a thing, Chance."

"Promise?"

"Promise," Brooke said softly. "And I'll be waiting right here when you wake up, okay?"

"Okay," Chance agreed. She looked up at Dr. Grant. "Let's get this show on the road!"

Lucas laughed and laid back as nurses began to push he and Chance toward the operating room. Brooke gave him a kiss, placing a hand on his cheek.

"You're an amazing guy, Lucas Scott."

"And you're an amazing girl, Brooke soon-to-be-Scott."

She blushed faintly and kissed him again when she was interrupted by Chance's small voice.

"Are you getting married?" she shrieked.

"Yes," Brooke replied, chuckling. "We are. And we need to get you better fast because you're going to be the flower girl, princess."

Chance's smile was so radiant that Brooke was nearly taken aback. It suddenly occurred to her how much her and Lucas's happiness really meant to the small brunette. In the absence of her parents, Brooke and Lucas had somehow become the parental figures in her life. Charlotte, for all of her good qualities, was simply too detached from Chance, which Brooke understood. Unlike her own mother, Charlotte still made sure that Chance realized she cared. She had been there earlier, but had to meet Mrs. Heatherly for lunch to discuss Chance's possible recovery.

"Bye, guys!" Brooke called after the stretchers as they were wheeled away from her.

She could see Lucas's larger hand and Chance's tiny one both raise up in acknowledgement before Chance's little hand reached out to hold Lucas's large one. Without warning, Brooke's heart swelled and constricted in her chest, causing tears to flood her eyes. It was a precious, unforgettable sight, their two hands interlocked as they disappeared into the operating room, where hopefully, Lucas would be able to give Chance another shot at her childhood.

When Brooke entered the waiting room, Peyton was waiting for her with open arms.

"Jake, Haley, and Nathan are coming by as soon as they can," the blonde said as she hugged Brooke. "But I thought you could use a friend."

"Thanks, P. Sawyer," Brooke said with a watery smile. "You thought right. I know that Lucas will be fine, it's really just an outpatient procedure on his end, but Chance…she's so small…"

"Small but mighty," Peyton said, nudging her with her shoulder as the girls sat down. "A lot like someone else I know."

Brooke smiled gratefully. "You always make everything better for me."

"I try," Peyton said wryly. "Ya know, when I'm not ruining your life on my off days."

Brooke giggled, glad that the two could joke about their tumultuous history. "Did you ever think we'd be here?"

"God no," Peyton laughed. "Haley and Nathan married with a baby on the way? You and Lucas engaged? Us waiting for him to donate bone marrow to a dying little girl? You shaving all your hair off for said little girl? Jake moving back to Tree Hill? If someone had told me all this even two months ago I wouldn't have believed them."

"I wouldn't have, either," Brooke agreed. "But somehow, this has all been a beautiful, crazy ride, ya know? Even with all the fear and the drama and the problems…I feel closer to all of you than I ever have before."

"I know what you mean," Peyton agreed. "Let's just hope it doesn't take cancer to bring us all closer next time, huh?"

"Agreed," Brooke laughed, leaning her head on her best friend's shoulder and beginning the wait.

Lucas was out in about an hour, but he was still asleep as the two girls sat beside him. They were soon joined by Haley and Nathan, Jake following close behind.

"Hey pretty girl," he said groggily as he opened his eyes. "How's Chance?"

"She's not out yet," Brooke said softly, gently tilting water into his mouth. "She should be out in another hour or so."

"How are you feeling?" Nathan asked.

"Good," Lucas crooned. "Like water."

Brooke giggled. "Really, Broody? Like water?"

"Sh," he hushed, leaning back with his eyes shut. "The movie is starting."

"What the hell did they give him?" Peyton laughed, tucked under Jake's arm. "He is way out of it."

Brooke's brow crinkled with worry. "Do you think he's okay? Did something go wrong?"

"No, Brooke," Jake said assuringly. "It's just from the anesthesia, I'm sure he's just fine."

"Okay," Brooke sighed, "good."

The five friends continued to sit around Lucas's bed as he talked nonsense, occasionally making things uncomfortable.

"Peyton!" he slurred at one point. "Remember that time that you and I almost had sex? That was funny."

"Yeah, Luke," Peyton drawled. "Funny."

Jake had shifted, removing his arm from her shoulder and reaching out with his other hand to rub Brooke's leg comfortingly. Peyton's shoulders drooped, obviously upset, and Lucas pouted.

"Get your hand off my girlfriend."

"Shut up, Luke," Brooke snapped, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair. She stood suddenly. "I'm going to check on Chance."

"What's her problem?" Lucas asked the group.

Haley pegged him with a stare. "You'll figure it out when you come down off the meds, bud."

He closed his eyes and began to drift off into sleep before being startled to consciousness by a sobbing Brooke, who was being led by a panicked looking Dr. Grant.

"Something went wrong with Chance's surgery," he explained to the group. "It appears that our anesthesiologist made a mistake."

"A mistake?" Peyton snapped, standing up to put an arm around Brooke. "What kind of mistake?"

Dr. Grant sighed, obviously stressed and even upset. "He gave both Chance and Lucas too much anesthesia. Lucas was able to handle it better, obviously. But Chance, with her size and her immune system-"

"She might not wake up," Brooke sobbed.

Suddenly Lucas couldn't feel the drugs anymore. All of the numbness he had been feeling was suddenly overwhelmed by an unbearable pain at the thought of Chance not surviving. He had resigned himself to her maybe dying of cancer; he had never thought that this procedure would actually kill her.

"How the hell do you overdose a five year old?" Jake growled. As a father, he was perplexed and furious. "Is he not a pediatric doctor?"

"He is," Dr. Grant explained calmly. "However, he seems to have come into work…inebriated."

"So some drunk asshole's mistake could cost Chance her life?" Lucas burst out.

Brooke began to sob harder and Lucas took in a deep, shaky breath to calm himself down. He didn't want to upset the fragile brunette any further.

"You better not even think about letting that guy anywhere near Brooke next week," Lucas growled.

"I assure you that he will no longer be working in the medical field," Dr. Grant assured, bidding them goodbye and leaving.

All that was left to do was wait, and while Haley, Nathan, Peyton, and Jake all left to get some rest, Brooke and Lucas stayed despite him having been discharged and advised to go home and rest. They sat in the waiting room with baited breath, waiting for news on the little girl who had become like their own.

Well here it is! I hope you enjoyed! I should be getting in a few more updates very soon as well! In the next few chapters:

-News on Chance

-Brooke's surgery

-The Brucas wedding!