There will be flashbacks in this chapter in italics.

"I still can't believe she hasn't woken up."

"It's not your fault, Nathan," Haley said knowingly, reading the guilty expression on her husband's face.

"Yes, it is. If I had stopped her from egging him on..." he trailed off.

Haley placed a comforting hand on Nathan's shoulder. "I don't think Rose wants you to blame yourself. She knew what he was going to do, and she didn't do anything to stop it."

"They said she was close to recovery," he said. "Yet it's been three days and now they say she hasn't progressed."

Haley sighed and glanced at Rose on her hospital bed. "She'll get through this. She's a Scott. Scotts survive fires and car accidents."

"But not gunshot wounds."

...

It looked like a dreamland version of Manhattan when she opened her eyes. She looked down at herself and noticed her clothes were white.

"I always thought white looked good on you," someone said from behind her. She turned around and saw someone she never imagined she'd see again.

"Steven?"

"That'd be my name," Steven stepped closer. "I know it's been two years, sweetheart, but I didn't think you'd forget my name."

Rose sighed. "What am I doing here, Steven?"

"Classic Rosie, hasty to get to the point, Okay," Steven paused. "You're dying."

"And why are you here?"

"Well, because I am the only one who can talk any sense into you," Steven explained. "You don't seem too shocked about dying."

"Well," Rose sighed. "I kinda figured it was a possibility."

"You're giving up, aren't you, Rose?"

"Why would you ask me that?"

"Because you seem like it, which is totally selfish, by the way," Steven added.

"Selfish?" Rose looked indignant.

"Yeah, selfish. I didn't get the choice, but I can tell you're just giving up, and that's selfish."

"Yeah, whatever," Rose said dismissively.

"Your uncle died, Rose, your uncle Keith, and that's already been so hard on your brothers, imagine if they lost you, too. They love you, Rose. You actually have someone there for you now, not going off on business trips overseas."

Rose sighed.

...

Brooke, Peyton, Haley, Lucas, Nathan, Rose sat in a circle on Rose's hotel room floor. Jake, who had been invited, showed up late.

"What are we doing, exactly? The invitation said a party, but it looks more like witchcraft being practiced," Jake joked as he sat between Rose and Lucas.

Rose smiled and smacked him on the arm playfully. "Shut up. We're playing truth or dare. I'll start. Brooke, truth or dare?"

"Truth," Brooke decided, having been the victim of a Rose Gallagher dare before. The last dare was for her to flirt with a hobo, and the hobo had turned out to be a girl.

"Is it true that you were naked in the back of Luke's car once upon a time?" Rose asked, sparking a snicker from Lucas.

Jaw dropped in a smile, Brooke turned to Lucas. "You told her?" Lucas shook his head, slightly embarrassed.

"No, Peyton did, but at least now I know it's true," Rose laughed.

"Okay," Brooke smiled deviously. "Payback time. Rose, truth or dare?"

Rose smirked at her friend. "Dare."

"I dare you to kiss Jake," Brooke said, also smirking.

"What? No!"

"Come on, Rose," Peyton said, "It's not like you don't want to."

Rose widened her eyes at Peyton.

"Come on," Brooke urged in sing-song.

Rose caved. "On the cheek?"

"The lips."

"Fine," Rose turned to Jake and kissed him.

Even though the kiss was short, they both felt something. They both knew something was about to happen between them, something good. In the moment she pulled away, Rose thought that maybe, just maybe, she could find love again.

It was the best Jake felt in a long time.

It was the worst Jake felt in a long time.

He hadn't slept very well for three days, spending most of that time checking his phone for any calls or messages about Rose and visiting her in the hospital.

Two Scotts had been shot that day, he realized. One was now dead, and everyone thought Rose was heading in that direction, too. But who were they to judge that? She couldn't die. She was Rose. She had the most fight in her than anyone Jake had ever known. He wouldn't believe that she would die. She had so much potential in her, so much left. So much life left.

Jake made up his mind that her day had not come, nor was it on its way.

...

"I don't want to go back, Steven, is that so wrong?"

"Like I said before, it's selfish."

"Selfish? I'm dying anyways," Rose muttered.

"What was that?" Steven cupped his ear with his hand. "Is that giving up I hear?"

"You're starting to piss me off, Steven."

"Oh, just like old times, then. You know, when I knew I was dying, I thought about you," Steven started.

"That's morbid, but sweet," Rose commented.

"And," Steven continued, "I thought about how I hoped you could move on. Then, I faded."

"Your point?"

"My point is, I know there's someone special for you down there who is losing sleep and skipping meals because now that he's met you, he can't imagine life without you. I can relate to that," Steven half-smiled. "Don't let him go through what you did, Rose. Get back to him."

"Can't he just move on like I did?"

"He shouldn't have to."

...

Peyton sat, drawing. Her latest masterpiece was a black rose, bleeding red. Next to the rose, the words "Can they save her?"

She heard a knock on her open door. She looked up.

"Brooke, you live here. You don't have to knock," Peyton said, slightly amused.

"I know," Brooke shrugged. She walked over to Peyton and looked at her work. "Is that about Rose?"

"Yeah. I really hope she's going to be okay," Peyton said, sighing after.

Brooke nodded. "Me, too."

"You remember that time she met Chris Keller at that music festival?" Peyton asked randomly.

Brooke giggled. "Who could forget?"

Brooke, Peyton, and Rose were at the music festival.

Chris spotted Rose with Peyton and Brooke and figured she'd be an easy lay.

"Hey gorgeous," he said from behind her.

Rose turned around, apprehensive. "Who are you supposed to be?"

"I'm Chris Keller."

"Oh, are you?" Rose asked. "Okay."

Rose slapped Chris hard. "That's for Nathan and Haley."

Rose strided away, with Peyton and Brooke following, leaving behind a very confused Chris.

Brooke and Peyton laughed at the memory. "She is something else," Peyton sighed.

Brooke nodded in agreement.

...

"So now you have a choice, sweetheart. Are you going to cause pain for everyone who loves you, or are you going to go back to them?"

Rose sighed. "I...I don't know."

"You have to know," Steven said.

"Fine. I'll go back."

...

"You guys want me to play basketball with you?" Rose asked incredulously.

"Yeah," Lucas said. "What? You scared?"

"No," Rose took the ball and shot the ball into the hoop.

"Nice jump shot, Granny," Nathan said, catching the rebound and dunking it.

"Show-off," Rose muttered good-naturedly.

The Scott siblings had grown closer, with Rose coming to dinner every once in a while with Karen, Keith, and Lucas, and helping Karen and Deb out with Tric and Karen's café.

She'd met Deb one day at Karen's café, recognizing her from the picture the agency had given her.

"Deb Scott?" she'd asked, attempting to hide the fact that she was nervous.

"Actually, it's Deb L-" Deb was rendered speechless when she turned around to see her long-lost daughter.

"I'm Rose...I'm your daughter," Rose said.

"Is it okay if I hug you?"

"Yeah, sure," Rose said.

Rose's relationship hadn't gotten any better with Dan. If anything, it'd gotten a lot worse, even to the point of Nathan and Lucas defending her, and each time they did that, their bond grew stronger.

That hadn't changed. That was clear now, as Lucas and Nathan stayed at Rose's bedside.

"Have we lost hope yet?" Karen asked, walking in with Deb.

Both tired, the boys only shook their heads.

"Good," Deb said.

Rose's eyes opened slowly, then closed again because of the bright light.

"Did her eyes just open?" Nathan asked, looking closer at his sister.

Rose found her voice, but it was hoarse. "Yeah."

Haley started crying out of relief.

Rose smiled weakly. Steven had been right. She did have someone there for her now.

She had everyone.