Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.

A/N: Hey guys. I know, late again. I'm sorry. I'm not going to promise quick updates anymore as it seems I keep failing at that lately, however, I do promise to try harder from now till the end. Thanks for understanding and for sticking to this story despite the long waits lately. Thank you also to everyone who reviewed and I apologize for not answering individually, but I figured you've been waiting long enough for an update. And now onto the chapter.

…..

"How is she today?" Ellie asked as she sat beside Larry on the front porch.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Well, she's not throwing up anymore so that's a good thing," Larry answered. "Besides that, she's the same empty shell she's been for weeks," he added sadly. "I really thought once the shock wore off that she'd start getting better or at least get on the road to recovery, but that's not happening. I wish she'd talk to someone. She can't go on living in silence."

"Yeah," Ellie had to agree.

"You see this?" he asked next, showing her the morning paper.

She nodded, having read the entire story earlier. The front page headline was a large picture of Nathan Scott and in big, bold writing was written, "Like Mother, Like Son". It went on to discuss his failed suicide attempt, comparing it to his mother's just a few months back. Ellie wrinkled her nose in disgust at the lack of privacy in this town. "I did," she replied. "Explains his absence, I suppose."

Now Larry nodded in response. "Also reinforces my opinion that his absence is more than welcome."

"You think so?" Ellie questioned. "I mean, he's obviously troubled."

"Exactly, and that's the last thing Peyton needs right now. She's got enough to deal with."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"It was bad enough when he was just the arrogant punk who constantly broke her heart, but suicide? Is that how that family handles tough situations? By trying to kill themselves? That's definitely a lesson I don't want my daughter learning."

Again Ellie nodded her head in agreement. As sympathetic as she could feel toward Nathan, Larry was right. Peyton had enough on her plate. "It's better she doesn't see this then," she said, referring to the paper.

"That's what I told Brooke earlier," he replied.

"She was here?" Ellie asked, though she wasn't surprised. Brooke came to see Peyton every single day.

"Yeah, this morning. She doesn't agree that we should keep this from Peyton. She seems to think we should be open with her about everything, including this and the rape," he told Ellie, recalling his conversation with his daughter's best friend.

"You told her about the rape?"

"No, she just knew. I'm not quite sure how."

"So she's going to tell her?"

"No, I finally managed to convince her, not that it was best for Peyton—she still disagrees with that—but that, as her father and having lived much longer than she has, that I may know best. She's not going to say anything. I made her swear."

"Think she'll keep that promise?"

"For Peyton's sake, I sure as hell hope so," Larry returned. "The thing is, she thinks Peyton would want to help Nathan through this."

"She's probably right."

"I have no doubt she is, but where is he when the table's turned? When she needs help?"

"Well, that's not really fair, Larry," Ellie returned gently. "He's obviously not dealing any better than she is."

"Fair or no, what Peyton needs right now is to help herself, not be worrying about him," he said before a comfortable silence fell between them.

…..

"Doesn't he get it?" Brooke huffed as she and Chase strolled down the streets of Tree Hill. "Doesn't he understand that half of Peyton's strength comes from helping Nathan? Going to him now would make her stronger than sitting around staring at her living room wall all day. Besides, it's Tree Hill. She's going to find out eventually, and then what? She'll be pissed that we all kept it from her."

"D'you tell him that?"

"I tried, but he doesn't want to hear it. He refused to believe that Nathan is the key to her healing. That without him, she'll never get better. He doesn't even want her to know what's going on with Nate."

"Then you tell her if you feel so strongly about it."

"I can't," Brooke replied with a defeated sigh. "He made me promise not to. And I get his point, I really do. He just wants to protect her, but…"

"He doesn't get yours," Chase finished knowingly.

"Exactly. And, sorry to say, he doesn't know her like I do."

"You really think it's best that she knows about the suicide attempt? Wouldn't that upset her even more?"

"Of course, but yes, I really think she should know. Then again, Nate swears it wasn't a suicide attempt, but no, yes, she should know. Because I'm not sure he's being honest with me. In fact, I'm pretty sure he's not."

Chase nodded, the wheels in his head spinning, but he didn't respond. "You heading back over to Peyton's soon?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I said I would," she answered with something akin to dread in her tone. She loved Peyton to death but this shell she'd become was really starting to get to Brooke. Visiting with her as she sat in silence was beginning to feel more like a chore than anything else.

"You know, you don't have to go as often as you do."

"Yeah I do." As much as she hated what had become of both her best friends, she had to be there. She just had to.

She smiled gratefully when Chase nodded in understanding and offered to go with her. "That would be nice," she said. "Wish you could have been there last night when I had to tell his parents about the noose in his closet. That's probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do."

"It's better that you did that alone," Chase said. "They trust you and you wouldn't want them feeling ambushed on top of the shock and turmoil they've already got to be going through."

"Yeah, they were definitely upset," she said, recalling their reactions. Deb had burst into tears on the spot, and even Dan had gotten a little misty eyed. "It was the right thing to do, right?" she wondered aloud. "Telling them?"

"Of course it was. Brooke, they needed to know."

"Yeah, I know," she nodded agreeably. "I just feel like such a backstabber. Nathan's one of my two best friends, and he literally begged me not to tell them."

"Yeah well, he's not in the right frame of mind to make that decision, so you had to do it for him," Chase told her. "You did the right thing, Brooke. It's better they know now than after it's too late."

"But he said he didn't try to kill himself," Brooke said. "He was thinking about it, but…"

"Thinking about it suggests a problem in itself," Chase returned reasonably. "And we both know he went beyond just thinking about it."

"That's what I said too," Brooke said. "I told him straight out I wasn't keeping this from them."

"And yet you still feel like you betrayed him."

"I can't help it," she said with a shrug.

"You didn't," he told her. "Brooke, you did what any best friend would have done, or should have done, with what you knew. This isn't some silly little secret that he asked you to keep. It's serious, and you could have very well saved his life. Again."

She smiled once more. "How do you always make me feel better?" she asked, leaning into his side.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in closer. "That's what I'm here for. Shall we go?"

"Umm, yeah, I just have to stop at Karen's Café first. See how much progress Lucas has made with Haley. If any."

"Okay, let's go."

"Thanks, boyfriend."

"Don't mention it. I'm actually hungry anyway."

….

"I can't get her to budge," Lucas stated regretfully as he sat across Brooke and Chase in a booth at his mom's café. "All I've managed to do is upset her even more."

"Keep trying?" Brooke requested. "This is so important for everyone."

Lucas looked at the pretty brunette whom, until a few days ago, had never spoken to him. "I can try, but don't expect too much. She still feels like she can't face him."

Brooke nodded in understanding. "I know, but if she'd talk to him, she'd see that he doesn't hold her responsible for any of it. He blames himself more than her."

"Which is the only reason I'll keep pushing her to talk to him," Lucas replied.

Again Brooke nodded. "Well, I hope you can convince her before his 72 hour watch is up because once he's released from there, there's no telling what he might do."

"As long as he's in there, he's safe," Luke reasoned.

"Yeah, it's after he gets out that I'm worried about. There's only 48 hours left. That's two days."

"I'll do my best," Lucas told her.

"Thank you."

Lucas shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, I'm worried about him too," he said, drawing an appreciative smile from the brunette. "How's Peyton?" he went on, his features marked with genuine concern.

"Not so good," Brooke answered. "I'll tell ya, Damien better rot in prison for all the shit he's caused."

Lucas nodded in agreement, but before he could respond Karen was upon them. "What can I get you kids?"

…..

"Not with Lucas today?" Taylor James asked her younger sister as they lounged around the bedroom they shared.

Haley sighed deeply. She must have been asked that same question twenty times since she'd come home by her parents and the rest of her siblings. Did it look like she was with Lucas? "Nope," she answered simply.

"Trouble in paradise?" her sister teased.

"What makes you say that?"

"Oh, only the fact that you two have been practically joined at the hip ever since he had his heart attack, but today you're clearly avoiding him."

"That's not true," Haley denied.

"Which part?"

"The…" Haley began, flustered. "I am not avoiding him."

"No? You've been dodging his calls all day. I thought the weekends were your extra special time with him."

"I haven't been…" Haley started before noticing the knowing look Taylor shot her. "Ok, maybe a little. But why can't we spend a weekend apart? We don't have to be each other's shadow constantly."

"Alright, Haley Bob," Taylor said, noting her sister's defensive tone. "Talk to me. What did he do?"

"Nothing."

"It has to be something."

Haley shot her older sibling a dirty look for knowing her too well, despite the fact they rarely got along. "He didn't exactly do anything," she told her. "It's more like he's pushing me to do something I'm not prepared to do," she said, eliciting a smirk from the older James' sister.

"You're still keeping him waiting?" Taylor chuckled. "You know, there comes a time in every teenage boy's life…"

"Of course your mind went there," Haley returned snarkily. "For your information, Lucas is a perfect gentleman who respects my choice to refrain from sex until marriage."

"Okay, if you say so," Taylor replied. "So, what are we talking about then?"

"What do you mean, if I say so?" Haley questioned, ignoring Taylor's own question.

"Just, I know guys, and just because they say they're okay to wait, doesn't mean they are."

"And what would you know about making a guy wait?" Haley asked nastily.

Putting her hands up, Taylor replied, "Hey, I'm just trying to help. No need to be a bitch."

"Better a bitch than a slut."

"What is your problem?"

"Were you ever going to tell me that you've slept with both Nathan and Damien?"

Taken aback, Taylor's brows shot up in surprise. "You know about that?"

"Umm, yeah," Haley returned dryly. "Damien was raving on about it in the boiler room, saying how you were the first in the long list of girls Nathan had stolen away from him, yadda, yadda. You can imagine my surprise when I heard that," she continued. "You'd think, at some point during, I don't know, the rape trial maybe, you might have mentioned it."

"Why?" Taylor asked. "Would having hooked up with Nathan one time have changed the fact that he raped you? Or so we thought at the time? Or would have hooking up with Damien have changed the fact that he drugged you and wanted to rape you himself like he's done to half a dozen other girls? No," she answered for Haley. "So no, it really wasn't worth mentioning since it was completely and utterly unrelated to what happened to you and made absolutely no difference whatsoever. You would have just wigged out so it was better not to say anything."

Haley sat silently, knowing what her sister said was true. It would not have affected the case at all.

"Just like you're wigging out now about whatever is going on with you and Lucas, but are taking it out on me."

"Lucas and I are fine," Haley said.

"Right. Explains avoiding him like the plague," Taylor replied. "Come on, Haley, talk to me."

Sighing in resignation, Haley glanced at her sister and came out with it. "Apparently Nathan's not been doing well with everything, and Lucas and a few of Nathan's friends think it's a great idea if I talked to him and let him know I don't blame him for anything."

"And you don't want to," Taylor guessed.

"Right. I mean, I don't blame him, but what possible good could talking to him do? I'm quite positive that I'm the last person he'd want to hear from. The girl who accused him of rape? One of the worst crimes on earth? Come on."

"I don't believe it," Taylor said, stunned. "You feel guilty."

"Of course I feel guilty. Wouldn't you?"

"No. Sis, you know it's not your fault, don't you? None of it."

"I know, I know," Haley acknowledged in frustration as she ran her fingers through her brown locks. "But knowing that and facing Nathan are two entirely different things."

"Haley, if you don't want to talk to him, then just don't. It's not like you two were even friends before all this."

"True," Haley replied. "But then I disappoint everyone. I mean, would it kill me to do it? But again, like I said, I'm probably the last person he wants to talk to."

"I was thinking more like you're the last person who needs to be worrying about making him feel better," Taylor countered. "Seriously, Haley Bob, you're the biggest victim here, if you ask me. And Lucas, of all people, shouldn't be pressuring you like that.

Finally a small smile spread across the younger sister's face, and she nodded agreeably. "You're right," she said. "Why should I be the one to do it? And why should I feel guilty for not wanting to?"

"You shouldn't," Taylor said. "And don't let anyone, including Lucas, make you feel like you should."

Dabbing at the tears that had fallen during the conversation, Haley smiled a little. "Thanks, Taylor."

"Anytime, baby sis."

"You still could have told me you'd slept with them both," Haley insisted, but in a teasing manner this time.

She felt much better now that someone was on her side—believing that it wasn't up to her to fix things this time. Taylor understood.

Why didn't Lucas?

…..

It wasn't long before Brooke and Chase left the café and were sitting with Peyton, silence encompassing the entire living room.

No surprise there.

The blonde still wasn't interested in making any sort of conversation with anyone, no matter who they were. Or how hard they tried.

Larry and Ellie sat a few feet away, both disheartened that their daughter still refused to even acknowledge her friends and family, despite how much they clearly cared.

Brooke stole a glance at her boyfriend, wondering how uncomfortable he was with this complete quiet. He sent her a sympathetic and understanding smile. She was glad for that. She'd definitely hit the jackpot with Chase and she was so happy that they'd managed to work things out. That he'd forgiven her for the bet she and Nathan had made.

She, not to mention Larry and Ellie, were nothing short of shocked when he faced Peyton and posed a question none of them near expected.

"So how's Nathan? Still on suicide watch or did his dad get him out of that psyche ward?"

Brooke opened her mouth to rebuke him, but stopped herself when Peyton, who beforehand had been sitting there wishing for the billionth time in weeks that everyone just leave her alone, snapped her head up to stare at Chase intently. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

The transformation was incredible to all in the room. Her eyes were alive—with worry, but alive nonetheless—and those five words were the most she'd said in weeks.

"Oh, you don't know?" Chase returned, feigning contriteness. Not that he was happy to deliver the news, but if Brooke thought she should know, then she would. She may be sworn to secrecy, but he wasn't. "It's all over the news," he added. "I thought everyone had heard."

"Heard what?" Peyton questioned with alarm, her heart in her throat.

Chase hesitated now. Sure she should know what's going on, but the news would undoubtedly hurt her.

Peyton noticed his hesitation and pushed him to answer. He couldn't just drop a bomb like that and then expect her not to ask questions.

When he did tell her, her jaw nearly hit the floor. "Are you sure about this?" she asked in disbelief. Cutting himself? That was not her Nathan. She glanced from Chase to Brooke, who now appeared to be perfectly content to keep quiet, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with her boyfriend's statement. She faced her parents, who also remained quiet. So she turned back to Chase once more.

He nodded solemnly. "He's in the hospital," he said softly.

She waited for Brooke to deny his claim, but when she still didn't respond, she knew it had to be true.

And that Brooke knew about it.

"You weren't gonna tell me?" she gasped.

"P, I'm sorry…" Brooke began.

Before she could say anymore, Peyton was up on her crutches. "I have to go to him," the blonde said sternly, her decision instantly made.

"They're not allowing visitors for another 48 hours," Brooke informed her. "I stopped in this morning to bring his stuff and they said they'd make sure he got it. Even his parents can't go in."

"Yeah, well, they're gonna have to make an exception for his fiancé."

….

A/N: I know, no NP and you guys want to shoot me, but the story's coming together and hope you'll all hang in there for the good stuff.