A Season in Purgatory
Chapter 36

Anna stared at herself in the mirror, pleased with the vision in white that stared back at her. The simple white dress was not quite a gown but still very bridal and girly. She turned toward the young couple that stood behind her in the bridal suite of the Tree Hill Hilton and smiled at them. Anna was happy that she'd found a way to incorporate most of Keith's family into their small ceremony. It felt good to have family around them on such a special day.

She walked over to where Lucas stood next to Brooke and smoothed out his tie. "My, don't you two look nice," she said, using her best teacher voice to soothe her soon to be nephew's nerves. It was obvious that the presence of Keith's parents was weighing heavily on Luke's mind, but he was putting on a brave front of disinterest. Anna didn't want to cause problems within the already troubled Scott Family but she wasn't sure that Karen and Dan were making good decisions regarding their son. Lucas was clearly upset the past few months and didn't appear to have any level of acceptance for his long absent father. But then again, she wasn't a parent and it wasn't her decision to make. All she and Keith could do was to support Lucas and listen to his frequent rants about his father and mother.

"That's a beautiful suit, Lucas. You look very mature in it," she commented, admiring his deep red tie. She gently ignored the boy's grimace at her words, knowing the suit was still a point of contention between Dan and Lucas.

Anna turned her attention toward her nephew's companion. "I love that dress, Brooke." The deep green strapy tea length dress accentuated the girl's lovely features and was so modernly cut that only a girl of Brooke's style could pull it off. Brooke smiled at the kind words, the discarded crimson dress immediately forgotten.

Lucas took in his tie and his girlfriend's last minute wardrobe change. "I thought you were wearing the red dress, Brooke. What happened to it?" he asked, wanting to show interest but was not sure what went on in a girl's closet. He and Anna watched as a frown crossed her pale features, before Brooke folded her arms across her slight body.

"It's no biggie, I just decided that this green dress was more appropriate for a wedding," she said, lying through her teeth. It's not like she could tell them she threw the dress away after her stepfather accosted her in it. There were some secrets you just couldn't share, no matter how hard you tried. A shiver coursed through her body, as Lucas wrapped an arm around her thin shoulders. The moment was interrupted as Dan hesitantly walked through the door of the Bridal suite.

"Anna, Keith finally tracked down your missing bridesmaid," he informed her. "She's stuck in Chicago because of some airline strike."

Anna sighed at the bad news. Yvonne was the only friend who could make it in time for the wedding and her only bridesmaid. "Is there any chance she'll get here today?" Anna asked, still hopeful that she'd have someone to stand up for her at her own wedding.

Dan ignored the nasty look his son was shooting his way and focused on his soon to be sister in law's question. "Not today. She suggested you go ahead with the wedding."
He watched as his son pulled Brooke closer to him, as if to protect her from the evil that inevitably followed him. Dan was saddened at this reaction, knowing he'd never intentionally hurt either of the teens. He looked up as Luke's voice floated over to him, the sharp tone ever present. "Always the bearer of bad news," he intoned.

Anna graciously moved in between the glaring father and son. "Thank you for bringing me an update, Dan. We'll go ahead with the ceremony as planned." She'd done so many events in her life alone, so she was prepared to get married by herself unless….

She turned toward Brooke with a small bouquet of lilies in her hand. "Would you mind filling in as a bridesmaid, Brooke? I'd hate to see such a pretty dress hidden in the crowd. Besides, that way you and Lucas can be together for the ceremony," she reasoned, seeing the immediate joy radiating from the girl. Anna could tell Brooke didn't receive enough positive attention and the teacher inside her wanted to remedy that.

"Are you serious?" Brooke asked disbelief in her voice. "I've never been a bridesmaid before, except in my mom's last wedding and that doesn't count," she quickly added, a dark look clouding her face. She didn't want to think about what happened to her that night.

Luke looked over at Dan and Anna in concern. Brooke looked distinctly upset about something; it was obvious from the look on her face. "Are you sure? I don't want to impose. I just want you to feel a part of the wedding," Anna said, gently touching the girl's shoulder.

Brooke smiled at the blonde woman. "It's sweet of you to think of me and I'm happy to stand up for you," she said, lifting the gloom of the small suite a bit. Brooke just needed to keep moving, keep her thoughts going to avoid getting lost in the black pit of emotions that threatened to consume her.

Dan waited out in the hallway of the hotel suite, considering his words carefully. He'd played this situation over and over in his head, trying to figure out the best way to carry out his plan. He stood up straight as Lucas exited the suite and moved down the hall. "Lucas," he called out, jogging slightly to catch up with the boy who showed no signs of slowing down.

Dan grabbed his son's arm and pulled him into the alcove off the hallway that hid the ice and coke machines. Lucas yanked his arm free of the older man. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" he angrily responded, taking backward steps until the coke machine prevented further withdrawal. It had scarcely been a day since Lucas had found out that Dan had saved his life in the accident, a fact that Lucas was very much uncomfortable with.

Lucas and Dan stared at one another awkwardly, as if the walls between them could somehow be morphed into a warm and loving home. Dan reached out, hesitantly and touched his son's arm, the gesture tender and so very cautious.

"Don't touch me," Lucas warned, venom dripping from his words. There were so very few things he could control regarding Dan but Luke could control who did and didn't touch him.

Dan was taken a back by the boy's vitriolic movements and words. He was used to hostility emanating from his son but he seemed particularly on edge today. "Lucas, I just wanted to introduce you to my parents," he slowly began before Lucas cut him off.

"I don't have time for this crap," Luke retorted, having hidden during most of the pre wedding events to avoid such a meeting. He didn't want to meet the people responsible for creating Dan.

Dan once again reached out to his oldest son. "But it would just take a minute and they really want to meet you before the ceremony," he explained, motioning toward the older couple standing down the long hallway, outside the bridal suite with Karen. Dan was apprehensive about this meeting. His son was belligerent and snarky at the best of times, today looked like a recipe for disaster on a grand scale. He wasn't worried about his father: Roy was just as stubborn and thick skulled as his son was. But Dan worried about his mother. May just wanted her family together and harmonious.

Staring down the hall, Lucas curiously took in the older couple that lingered outside the bridal suite with his mother. They looked normal enough, if a bit over dressed for an afternoon wedding in the park. Ignoring Dan, he watched as his mother casually conversed with the older couple, appearing completely at ease with them. Lucas frowned a bit, wondering how his mother could continue to be so calm around people who had caused her so much pain in her short life.

Looking back at his errant father, Lucas shrugged his shoulders, just like his so called grandparents had shrugged him off at his birth. He didn't feel like being coerced into another family relationship. He'd been forced to do so many things lately that it was driving him crazy.

Lucas was spared from yelling at Dan by a near frantic Keith, who appeared from the elevator they stood near. "Lucas, I've been looking all over for you. We need to get over to the park for the ceremony," Keith said, initially oblivious to the tension between his brother and nephew. After a few terse moments of silence, he gazed warily at the two men, silently warning them not to screw up his wedding day.

"Okay, it's my wedding day and I can't handle any hissy fits or brawls," Keith slowly said, making sure each word was enunciated slowly to his dense relatives.

Lucas immediately looked guilty. He was ruining his uncle's big day with his constant fighting with Dan. "I'm sorry Keith. Let's get going before I hit him," Lucas muttered, taking off before either man could stop him.

Keith gave Dan a sad, yet scathing look. "You can't force him to like you, Danny," he slowly explained to his younger, impatient brother. Dan had lived his life pushing the envelope and firmly believing that there was nothing he couldn't accomplish via will power. It was sad that he'd failed to realize Lucas had the same stubborn streak and wouldn't be steamrolled by anyone, especially Dan. "Give it time and don't pressure him or you'll run the risk of losing him forever."

Dan watched as Keith walked away, joining his oldest boy at the doors to the elevator. "That's time I just don't have, Keith," Dan softly said to himself, before walking off to join his parents and Karen at the other end of the hotel corridor.

Thanks for reading and replying. Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate. If there is interest, I can post another chapter during the holidays.

Next up: Nate bears witness to something interesting, and a wedding actually takes place.