Since it's been two years (almost three) since I have updated this fic, I decided to skip ahead to after the state championship, since I got my timelines effed up the first go-around of this chapter and don't remember where I was going with it in the first place.. I'm sorry I've been so inactive, there's been a lot going on in my life. But here it is, the new Chapter 19. I know it's quite a jump, but please bear with me.

"Oh, my God. No, okay, we'll be right there," Rose said into the phone, holding back tears. "Just stay calm, okay? We're on our way."

Rose hung up the phone and turned to Jake. "That was Nate. We have to go to the hospital."

"What happened? Who's in the hospital?"

"Haley and Lucas. I don't know, he couldn't seem to get it out. We'll find out when we get there." Rose took a sleeping Graycie out of her crib and tried her absolute best not to wake her. She was sure that if she woke up, Graycie would sense the tension and start squalling.

When they got to the hospital, Rose powerwalked up to the reception desk with Jake following "Rosaline Scott, I need to know what's going on with Lucas and Haley James Scott."

"I'm sorry, I can't give out that information." The receptionist shrugged.

"Did you not hear me? I'm the Mayor's daughter. These are my siblings! I have a feeling that if you don't-"

"Rose," she heard someone say from behind her and Jake. She turned around and it was Nathan.

"Oh!" Rose exclaimed and threw her arms around her brother. After a minute, she pulled away. "I'm so glad you're okay, at least. What happened?"

"This loan shark meant to run me over and Haley - she pushed me out of the way and...he ended up running him over and then Lucas came along and he had a heart attack... it's all my fault, Rose." Nathan said. He was trying to hold the tears back, but they were streaming down his face anyway.

"Don't say that, Nathan. These things happen a lot, to a lot of people. It's a tragic world, but don't think for a second that you caused any of this." Rose said.

"I'll explain it later, but I really did, Rose." Nathan said, and then saw a doctor that Rose guessed was working on Haley because he walked away without warning.

"He said something about a loan shark," Jake said, "know anything about that?"

"Loan shark? God, no. I mean, I know Nathan was struggling but I didn't know he was struggling that badly. I wish people would tell me things."

"I mean, you don't have the greatest track record of listening to people's problems without you judging them," Jake said before he could consider not saying it.

Rose's jaw dropped at the pure audacity of this man. She closed her mouth a few seconds later, gulped, and rose an eyebrow. "Is this where and when you wanna have this conversation?" she challenged. She never, ever took criticism well. Even if it was constructive.

"Wait, no, I just-"

Rose held her arms out for Graycie. "Give me my child and go home. Your home."

"Rose-"

"Give her to me."

Jake sighed resignedly and handed Graycie to Rose, then walked away. Only after he walked out of the hospital did Rose realize she was being ridiculous.

"Nice work, New York," she said to herself, using the nickname everyone gave her when she first moved to Tree Hill.

She knew she should be focusing on the well-being of her siblings but the only thing she was focused on was herself, as always. She couldn't stop that from happening. She didn't know how. She had only been looking out for number one since Steven died, maybe even since before then. She had always been a spoiled Upper East Side girl who only cared about other people whenever it benefitted her, whenever she felt like it. How was she supposed to correct that behaviour now?

She didn't know, but she had to find out.

Rose walked into Lucas' hospital room and stopped at his bedside. "Hey, big brother. You know, you look pretty good for someone who just had a heart attack. You know, it feels like we do this hospital thing way too much. That or we're all just magnets for trouble, and not the good kind." Rose tried to chuckle but it came out more like a whimper and her eyes filled with tears. "Look, Luke, I need you to pull through this. We all do. You have no idea how much we all need you. Especially Brooke. I don't think she would know how to operate without you. Just do this for us, okay?"

Haley had woken up before Rose had the chance to talk to her, and she decided to let Nathan have some time with her. She didn't yet want to swallow her pride and apologise to Jake for overreacting, so she decided to just go home and let the baby get some sleep.

Rose tried sleeping, too, when she got back home but too much had happened and too much was left unresolved. She was too worried about everything, so she couldn't sleep. She ended up going to school the next day with zero sleep, but still the same amount of pride, so she wasn't going to apologise to Jake yet.

Why not? she thought, alone in her hotel suite. She loved him. Or, at least, nearly did. She was close to it. Maybe she was afraid of loving someone again. Maybe that was the issue. Maybe she overreacted in order to rebuild a wall that she thought was crumbling down because of him. Maybe she could run through all these maybes for the rest of her life and avoid actually swallowing her pride and being decent to her boyfriend.

Or maybe not.

Rose knocked on the Jagielskis' front door. Mrs. Jagielski answered. "Hello, Rose. It's nice to see you."

"You too," Rose smiled politely. "Is Jake here?"

"Actually, no, he's at the River Court. Surprised you weren't there with him. Seems like you two have been inseparable since you met."

"You're right about that. Thanks for letting me know!"

...

Rose walked up to where Jake was sitting on the picnic table. "Hey Jagielski, mind if I join you in staring into space?"

"Not at all," Jake half-smiled. "Are you still mad at me?"

"No," Rose rolled her eyes, mostly at yourself, "You know I can't stay mad at you, Puppy Eyes."

"You gotta do something about that nickname."

"I have never called you that until now."

Jake grinned. "That's why I'm saying it now."

"Wow. How do you sleep at night knowing you ruin my fun?"

"Well, first I get into bed, and then I close my puppy eyes-"

Rose hit Jake's arm playfully, "Stop! Anyway, you were right. I judge too much when I should be listening to people and helping them with their problems."

"It's nothing you can't fix with a little bit of conscious effort, though. And everyone has their flaws."

"Not you," Rose said.

Jake looked at Rose and smiled. "Now who's got the puppy eyes?"

"Still you," Rose chuckled, laying her head on his shoulder. They both looked at the sky, in which the sun was starting to set.

It seemed like the sky looked different in North Carolina. More genuine, somehow. Everything felt more genuine. On the Upper East Side, Rose had felt so pressured to be someone she was supposed to be. She was going to be someone she could stand to be, eventually.

Not quite yet, but eventually.