THANK YOU, MOM

DISCLAIMER/AUTHOR'S NOTE

This is an alternate universe story based on the video "I Love You Mom" by Fanaticfan84 who has graciously let me use the video's plot and has even let me tweak it a bit. Characters belong to Mark Schwahn and the CW. Fanacticfan84 owns the plot. I only own characters not recognized from the show. I can almost guarantee that there'll be some confusion because each chapter will alternate between the trial and flashbacks of the events that led up to the trial, but I'll try to be as clear as possible. The best way to understand it is that the flashbacks will be from the perspective of the person who last gave a testimony. I'm not good with court proceedings, so please bear with me.

PRESENT DAY

Eighteen-year old Lucas Scott walked into the courtroom followed by his siblings---seventeen-year old Nathan and the triplets, Peyton, Brooke, and Haley who were all sixteen--- and their mother, Karen. Haley grabbed Brooke and Peyton's hands and they gave her a reassuring squeeze. Lucas could feel their father glaring at him, but he ignored it. They had come this far. They could do this.

"It'll be okay, man. He can't hurt us again," Nathan whispered as Lucas' girlfriend, Rachel Gatina came up to meet them.

"I'm right here, Boyfriend. I'm not going anywhere," Rachel stated, giving him a hug, before returning to her seat. Lucas smiled briefly. He had needed that. From his seat, Dan Scott glared at his family. He couldn't believe they were actually going through with this. Especially Lucas. They had had an arrangement. The woman and kids went to sit down. Dan reached out and grabbed Lucas' wrist.

"Lucas, you don't want to do this," he hissed.

"Don't touch me, Dan," the oldest Scott sibling hissed back, jerking out of his grasp and they continued to the front row. Lucas was the first to take the stand. He was sworn in and then he sat down.

"Please state your name," the prosecutor, Myles Jenkins, requested.

"Lucas Eugene Scott," Lucas responded.

"And what is your relationship with the defendant?"

"He's my father," Lucas responded coolly. The man looked at the transcripts in his hand.

"It says here that your mother recently divorced your father. Can you tell the court why?" he requested. Lucas hesitated as his mind went back. Dan struck Karen across the face.

"Mr. Scott, would you like me to repeat the question?" Myles requested.

"No. She divorced him because he was abusive," Lucas responded.

"Liar," their father said.

"Did you ever witness this abuse?" Myles questioned.

"Yes," Lucas admitted. Lucas hid behind one of the walls of the house and watched as his father struck his mother repeatedly. He then went on to describe some of the instances. As he did so, Dan's eyes continued to darken until they were almost a smokey black. Throughout all this, Lucas just kept his eyes on the prosecutor. He couldn't let his father get to him. When Myles was done, his father's attorney, Grant Reynolds walked up.

"Lucas, according to you, your father abused your mother, yet she never went to the police. Can you tell us why that is?" the man requested.

"Objection. Asking the witness to speculate on the actions of another," Myles interjected.

"No, it's fine. I'll answer the question," Lucas responded. "She never went to the police because the one time that she threatened to, he said he'd kill her," he continued. There was some murmuring and Dan's eyes darkened even more, if that were possible.

"If your mother was abused, how come you never tried to protect her?" Grant wondered.

"I did. But I'm still just half his size and he's still stronger," Lucas answered. Grant hesitated, as if trying to regroup. "Lucas, is it possible that your father isn't the one who's lying, but you and your mother?" he asked.

"No," Lucas replied shortly.

"Could it be that you two cooked up this scheme and roped the rest of your family into siding with you to hide the fact that you and your mother have a less than familial relationship?" Grant questioned.

"Objection! Argumentative and badgering the witness!" Myles exclaimed

"No," Lucas snapped at the same time.

"Hey, you better back off!" Peyton cried with the two.

"It's okay, Peyt. It's okay," Lucas assured her. The judge, Ronald Dresden, banged his gavel until everyone had settled down.

"Ms. Scott, another outburst like that and you'll be removed my courtroom. Is that understood?" Judge Dresden queried.

"Yes, Sir. I'm sorry," the girl said softly. Finally, the boy was dismissed and he walked back to the rest of his family and his girlfriend. He had just started to pass his father and his lawyer when he felt a hand grip his arm tightly. He tensed as the man pulled him down.

"Lucas!" Peyton exclaimed, and quickly ran to her brother with the others at her heels. Brooke and Peyton managed to yank their brother away from their father as Judge Dresden once again tried to restore order.

"You little liar. You think they're all going to believe you?" the man asked.

"They'll listen to us," Brooke stated.

"Lucas, you remember our deal, don't you?" the man warned. Lucas stiffened and his siblings except for Peyton, looked at him in confusion.

"Luke, what's he talking about?" Haley wondered.

"Deal's off, Dan. I'm ending everything," Lucas spat out. With that, he turned around and he and his family sat back down.