Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill or anything else you might recognize.
AN: This has been a long time coming. Inspired by something NathanPeytonFirstLove sent me.
Peyton lounged on the chair in the living room of the house she shared with Brooke. Or would share for another day at least. Her wedding was only forty-eight hours away and she needed to call everyone involved and double check that everything was going to go smoothly. As she went through all the agreements she had signed, she caught sight of something that stood out as odd.
Reaching for her phone, she dialed the number at the top of the invoice and waited for someone to answer.
"Hi, I need to speak to Edward, I believe."
"Well hello, Edward, my name is Peyton Sawyer. I am calling to cancel to cancel the doves scheduled to be released at my wedding. The Sawyer-Scott wedding on Saturday."
"Yes I know that's what it says on your order form, I have a copy right here. But I can assure you that I would not order doves for my wedding."
"I am cancelling forty eight hours before the event, so I don't see why this is an issue."
"No I'm not cancelling the entire wedding. Just the doves."
"Forget it, bring the doves, or don't. I don't care anymore."
"Have a good day sir."
Peyton sighed as she tossed her phone onto the coffee table. As much as she loved her best friend, she was really taking this wedding a little too far. Peyton loved the concept of a simple service on the river court. But after Brooke got involved, the simple service turned into a huge event, still at the river court. But with tents and tables and caterers and hired wait staff and doves! She also didn't know who Brooke invited to get the guest list near a hundred people. It did not help that Brooke insisted that some guests remain a surprise.
Frustration building inside of her, she picked up a pillow and screamed into it.
There were times when she sincerely wished she had never agreed to marry Lucas. For several reasons, the least of all being the absurdity of the size of the wedding, and the most glaring being the fact that it was mere weeks since his last wedding blew up in his face. But once everyone heard the news they were all so happy and Peyton couldn't stand to ruin everything again. She knew she had some sort of feelings for Lucas, but the closer the wedding came, the more she began to question just what those feelings meant.
As she set the pillow back in place and picked up the stack of invoices again, her best friend strode in carrying a bag of take out. She smiled at Peyton and said, "Well it's nice to see you made it out of bed, and shockingly before noon!"
Peyton made a face, then recalling her very recent conversation with the dove man, she said, "Doves. Really Brooke? You ordered doves for my wedding?"
Brooke rolled her eyes as she continued to busy herself in the kitchen. "Doves are cute…"
"How on earth you managed to pull this all together I will never know but when I said you could help, I was envisioning us decorating a few trees or stringing up some lights. Not planning and paying for such an expensive wedding…" Peyton said as she held up the invoices.
Brooke held her hands up and said, "Stop right there P. Sawyer-soon-to-be-Scott. I love you, and I don't care how much it costs. I just want you to have an amazing wedding, something so great it will make every other memory pale in comparison."
Peyton looked at her friend and her excitement, and all the fight left her. "Alright, you win. In two days, I will be at the center of this magnificent wedding you've so generously put together. And I promise you that I will never forget it."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I know we kind of lost touch for a while, but this is important to me. To help you with the wedding, any way I can."
"I know that Brooke. And I appreciate it, really I do."
"And it's not like you aren't contributing," Brooke said quickly and returned to organizing the takeout she had brought home. "The doves were supposed to be a surprise."
Peyton raised a questioning eyebrow and then asked, "What other kind of surprises can I look forward to?"
"That's for me to know, and for you to be surprised about," Brooke said as she handed Peyton a plate and sat down beside her on the couch. "Leave the invoices to me. I already confirmed everything yesterday, and I can assure you that there will be no kinks on your wedding day."
"Alright Brooke Davis, alright," Peyton said as she set her plate on the coffee table and gathered the invoices and placed them on the farther end of the table. Picking her plate up, she paused, "But can we talk about just one thing?"
Brooke rolled her eyes, but nodded.
"How did you get a hundred guests? On a month's notice?"
"I don't think you realize it, but you know a lot of people P. Sawyer. And despite Lucas' previous wedding fiasco, plenty of people he knew were still interested in coming to see him wed the girl from Ravens," Brooke said, a smirk making its way upon her lips as she spoke the title of the book.
Peyton rolled her eyes, and said, "I can't believe you told people I was the girl from Ravens. It's completely unfair to call me the girl, because, have you read the book? You're in it too."
"But the end is what matters, and he said now and forever."
"And then almost married someone else," Peyton said argumentatively.
Brooke froze and then slowly turned to face her friend. "Peyton, are you getting cold feet?"
"What? No… Of course not!" Peyton said quickly, in a manner that caused Brooke's eyebrows to rise skyward and her food to be placed on the table.
"Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer, you are not a convincing liar right now," Brooke said seriously. "Tell me exactly what you're thinking, and exactly when it started."
"I'm not thinking anything. I promise," Peyton said as she shifted ever so slightly away from Brooke.
"Ah ha! You did that move away thing! You're lying! Spill!" Brooke said as she pointed accusingly at Peyton.
Peyton set her food down again and ran her hands nervously across her thighs. "Maybe it kind of feels like this all happened a little fast. Maybe Lucas is just jumping into another marriage a little too fast. Maybe I was a little to hell bent on seeing this through."
"All of these feelings just appeared, today?" Brooke said, raising a disbelieving eyebrow.
"Maybe it slowly built up to this point?" Peyton said, drawing the words out.
"Maybe Peyton Sawyer should have talked to Brooke Davis about this sooner, before Brooke Davis invited one hundred people to watch a once in a lifetime, storybook wedding unfold before their eyes."
"Maybe Brooke Davis should stop talking like Chris Keller, and not judge her best friend," Peyton replied, standing and beginning to pace. "Maybe it is just cold feet. It is a big commitment. I'm sure it will be fine. It's not like we just met."
"Hold on Peyton. Let's just slow down and take a step back. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to judge you, or sound like Chris Keller. And don't discount your feelings. You guys did kind of just meet again and you're right he was about to marry someone else. What you're feeling is perfectly acceptable. Just sit down and we'll decide what to do," Brooke said as she patted the couch.
Peyton stopped and then fell into the couch. "It's the right thing to do, to marry Luke, isn't it Brooke?"
Brooke opened her mouth to speak but closed it soon after. After a pause, she said, "Peyton, honey, no one is forcing you to marry him. If you're having second thoughts, say so now. No one is going to be angry."
"But everyone is so happy, and my dad is coming, and Karen and Andy and Lily, and whoever else you invited. And Derek! He took special leave to come here. And all the work you've put into this. I can't just make that all for nothing because I'm a little scared."
"What's there to be scared of Peyton? You've never been in love with anyone else the way you are with Lucas. That's got to mean something."
Peyton shifted uncomfortably and then said, "You're right. This is silly, it will all turn out fine."
Brooke eyed Peyton, and then said, "Is there something you're not telling me?"
Peyton met her best friend's questioning gaze, and then sighed. "Well, maybe I was in love with someone else before we came back."
Brooke's mouth fell open slightly, and her eyes widened with shock. Sputtering she asked, "Who? When? Where? How…?"
Before Peyton could answer, there was a quick knock on the front door followed by Lucas poking his head in. "Is lunch already ready? I guess I am running later than I thought."
Peyton's eyes implored Brooke to not say anything as Lucas sat down on the couch and made himself comfortable. Brooke stood quickly and said, "Let me get you a plate. I got take out. It was on my way home."
"I'm the one who is running late," Peyton said as she got up and gave Lucas a quick kiss. "I have to get dressed. You have lunch and I'll be right out."
"Take your time, I don't think we have all that much to do today," Lucas said.
Peyton smiled at him just before she disappeared into her room. "I'll be quick anyway."
Brooke returned with a plate for Lucas and sat down once more. With a smile, she asked, "So Luke, how are you feeling now that the big day is only two days away? Nervous? Excited?"
Lucas gave Brooke an odd look, but answered, "Happy. Very happy."
"You don't have any reservations about Lindsey? Not to press the point, but you did say 'I do' to her a few weeks ago."
"But she didn't. And when everything settled down, I realized everyone was right, I was still in love with Peyton. And it wouldn't have been fair to marry Lindsey under those circumstances," Lucas said after swallowing his food. "Why are you bringing this up now? Is Peyton having second thoughts?"
"No, no… I'm just curious, that's all."
"Because I don't want to rush her, if she needs time, then I can wait. It's not too late to cancel things is it?"
"It's never too late to cancel," Brooke said as she pushed the food on her plate around. Finding Luke's eyes on her, she sighed. "What makes you so certain Luke?"
"She's Peyton," he answered.
Brooke looked at him, and found no words to combat that statement. She's sure if she said it, people would understand too. Because there really wasn't any other way to say it, quite simply, she was Peyton and nothing else really mattered when you had her.
"Okay," Brooke said.
"Alright guys, I'm ready," Peyton said, emerging from her room fully dressed, wearing jeans and black t-shirt, her blonde hair tied up in a messy ponytail.
Brooke jumped up off the couch and said, "Let's get moving then! Lucas has to get to his final fitting, and we have get to that shop before two."
Peyton groaned, "We're really going to drive for an hour just to buy a cake knife and server?"
"Don't complain," Brooke said as she pushed Peyton out the door, Lucas following right behind them
Brooke dead bolted the door and unlocked her vehicle. Walking briskly she said, "Chop chop, blondies, we really have to get moving."
Lucas and Peyton followed her and sat in the backseat and passenger's seat respectively, they buckled their seatbelts and Brooke pulled out of the driveway.
"Luke, Nate, Skills and Mouth will meet you at the tailor. Nate claims you've agreed to a basketball game? So you'll be leaving with them while Miss Sawyer and I head out for the cake knife and server," Brooke said as they drove along.
"This is starting to feel suspicious," Peyton said as she shared a look with Lucas. He shrugged and Peyton looked at Brooke. "We're not really going to get the cake knife thing are we?"
"Of course we are," Brooke said, rolling her eyes for added effect.
"But why did Luke have to come to the house? Couldn't he have just gone to the shop?" Peyton said as she wracked her mind for any other clues.
"I thought you wanted to have lunch with him, and we've been doing things together all week," Brooke said as she turned down the street where the tailor was located.
Peyton eyed her best friend, but stopped pressing the point.
Brooke stopped and said, "Alright Broody, we'll see you back at the house after your game?"
"Of course," Lucas said as he let himself out of the vehicle. He waved as they pulled away from the curb and back onto the street.
"Spill," Brooke said as soon as he was out of sight.
"Spill about what?" Peyton asked unconvincingly.
"The other guy you were in love with. Is he why you came home? Were you running away from a broken heart? Oh my god, it is! That's why everyone thought you were broken hearted about Lucas!" Brooke exclaimed as all the idea formed in her mind. "All this time there was someone else… And you did even mention him until now!"
"He broke my heart. We broke up and he went to Sundance without me, and hooked up with some starlet. So I knew we were done," Peyton said as she again shifted away from Brooke.
"Do not shut me out now Peyt. Why did you break up?"
"He found a copy of Ravens in my bag."
"And that was it?"
"He said he couldn't love me with the ghost of Lucas lurking, or something like that. But then you and I decided to come home, and now it's all worked out. I'm marrying Lucas and we're going to be happy."
"That's not an entirely convincing argument," Brooke said as she pulled off the road and onto the shoulder. "Peyton, are you honestly over this guy, or are you just running back to Luke for comfort?"
"You know how I feel about Lucas," Peyton said as she tugged at the seatbelt running across her chest.
"No, I knew how you felt about Lucas, and I am starting to see that there is a lot more going on with you than you let on," Brooke said, her voice growing softer and more concerned. "You're supposed to share things like this with me, we're supposed to be best friends."
Peyton's eyes turned cold as she glared at Brooke, she opened her mouth but hesitated.
"Peyton, talk to me."
"What do you want me to say?"
"Tell me you're completely over the guy from California and you're going to happy with Lucas."
"I'm over him, and I'm going to happy with Lucas," Peyton parroted.
"God Peyt, that is so not convincing. I wish you had talked about this sooner."
"I didn't say anything because I thought I was over him. And I thought I would be happy with Luke."
"You thought? What's suddenly changed that you no longer think that you're over him and can be happy with Lucas."
"Nothing?"
Brooke gave her a stern look. "Now is not the time to play games."
"I don't know Brooke, I woke up this morning and realized that I was going to be committing myself to Lucas, for the rest of our lives, in two days. It's been this thing that will happen someday. But when that someday is less than forty-eight hours away, it changes things. I guess I'm scared. What if it's not meant to be Lucas and me? He almost married Lindsay, if she had said yes they would've been married now and there wouldn't have been wedding for me. And there were times after we got back where I kind of thought that the two of you were reconnecting."
"So, ignoring that comment about me, because, really, the Luke and I ship sailed a long time ago, you honestly believe that Lucas isn't ready to marry you, despite the fact that the reason his previous wedding was called off was because he was still so obviously in love with you that his bride couldn't bring herself to say yes."
"I don't think either of us is ready to commit to each other. Weeks between weddings doesn't exactly send the best message, does it?"
"It might seem a little desperate to anyone who doesn't know the epic love story," Brooke conceded. "But everyone knows the story because everyone read the book. You've read the book, and you're still reading the book. I think you are scared, and I think you have every right to feel scared, but it doesn't mean that he doesn't love you and you don't love him. I think what you're feeling is normal."
"Really?" Peyton asked, voice tiny and hopeful.
"Really. If you still want to cancel, we can call it off right now, and it will be fine. Lucas even said he didn't want to rush you, if you need more time, he can wait."
"He said that?"
"He did, and I know he meant it."
Peyton sat back thoughtfully, after several minutes she said, "You're right. I'm nervous, and when I'm nervous I have the urge to run. So let's go get that server and cake knife, I'm getting married in two days!"
Brooke released a huge sigh of relief. "Peyton Sawyer you're my best friend, and I love you, but sometimes you are kind of crazy."
Peyton smiled at this and said, "But it's why you love me."
Brooke laughed and then said, "If that's what you want to believe."
"Ha ha," Peyton said sarcastically.
Brooke pulled back onto the road and they travelled the rest of the way chatting about less serious things. Their destination was a shop where Brooke had called earlier in the day to insure the special cake knife and server she had found were ready for pick up. Brooke was insistent that the wedding required this special touch. Another in a long list she'd added to the wedding, despite Peyton's protests over costs and extravagance. Brooke had held her ground on this set though and when the saleswoman finally brought it out for them to inspect Peyton finally understood why.
"How did you find this Brooke?" Peyton asked as she looked at the set before her.
"I called a few places," Brooke said with a shrug.
"This was my great-grandmother's," Peyton said quietly as she picked up the server and turned it over in her hands, the weight familiar despite all the years since she'd last seen it.
"I remember," Brooke said.
"But it was sold after my mom died," Peyton said, her emotions getting the better of her. She remembered Anna serving her birthday cake with the special pieces and telling her about how it had been used in all of the weddings and special occasions since her great grandmother's, and how maybe someday Peyton would use it at her own wedding. Her father had sold it to make ends meet before he'd gotten into dredging.
"And I tracked it down, because it was special to you," Brooke said.
The saleswoman who had brought the pieces out glanced between the two women at a loss of words. Brooke handed the woman her credit card. The woman left without speaking, obviously grateful to have an out.
"Thank you Brooke," Peyton said as she hugged her best friend. "I don't know how you did it, but thank you."
Brooke hugged her back and said, "You're welcome."
The woman returned and boxed the set up and then placed the box in a bag. Brooke signed the receipt and accepted the bag and the best friends left the shop. Peyton was silent and reflective once more, and Brooke did not press the issue. Instead she turned up the radio.
However, as they approached Tree Hill once again, Brooke seemed to have grown tired of Peyton's quietness. She turned down the radio and did not mince word as she asked, "So you're absolutely sure right?"
"Right," Peyton said with more confidence than any of her earlier statements.
Brooke glanced at her best friend. She must have approved of her expression, because she then said, "Good, because we're headed to your bachelorette party, and I did not skimp on the 'entertainment' so if you're going to run off with the first hot guy you see, we'd have a huge problem."
Peyton's mouth fell open and her eyes went wide before she slapped Brooke's arm and said, "You did not just say that to me."
"But I did," Brooke said cheekily.
"Brooke Davis!"
"Peyton Sawyer!"
Peyton rolled her eyes and turned away, mumbling about the nerve of her best friend.
Brooke laughed and said, "I invited Haley, Mia, Milli, and Bevin. I didn't know who else to invite because, a, you don't have very many female friends here in Tree Hill, and b, you don't have that many female friends in general."
"Thanks Brooke," Peyton said. Her best friend had put quite a bit of effort into this celebration and she was beyond grateful. She added, "For everything."
"While I appreciate your appreciation, don't mention it. You are my sister, and we've been through too much for it to be any other way," Brooke said as they approached a hotel near the riverfront. "Now let's join the others."
Brooke parked the car and the girls walked toward the lobby of the hotel. Brooke glanced at Peyton several times during the short walk, obviously still concerned about the fears Peyton had expressed during their car ride.
Just before they reached the doors, Brooke put her hand on Peyton's arm and said, "Peyton, I've known you for most of my life. And I want you to be happy, and I believe you when you say you think you'll be happy with Lucas."
"Then stop worrying," Peyton said as she put her hands on Brooke's shoulders. "I will put a stop to this if anything changes. I'm not trying to sabotage my own happiness Brooke."
Brooke's expression visibly lightened and she said, "Alright."
They entered the lobby, and glanced around. Their friends were nowhere to be seen. The lobby was empty, save for the staff at the desk.
"They might still be in the room. Let me call Haley," Brooke said as she walked back outside to place the call.
Peyton sat down in one of the plush chairs arranged casually near the front desk, in the chair facing away from the staff. She'd often wondered why hotels had these, but realized now how convenient it was to wait for someone there. She reached for her phone, but realized she had left it at home.
She sighed as she drummed her fingers on the arm of the chair. She sensed there was a problem with Brooke's plan or Brooke would have returned by now. The door opened, but it was not Brooke who entered. Peyton froze.
He did not see her, and had made a beeline for the front desk appearing to be in a rush. Peyton's heart thudded heavily in her chest as she willed herself to become invisible and scrunched down in the chair. She heard him speaking to the staff but could not understand anything, her mind was racing with thoughts of how to escape and what on earth was he doing here.
She nearly jumped out of her skin when someone touched her arm. Brooke was looking down at her, eyebrows raised higher than any time before and a concerned look splayed across her features. Peyton focused intently on her best friend's lips as she spoke.
"Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost, which is funny because our plans include going on the ghost tour later," Brooke said.
Peyton nodded, and then peered around the chair, noting he had disappeared somewhere during her panic attack. "I'm fine. And the ghost tour sounds like fun. Where are the others?"
Brooke rolled her eyes and said, "They got a flat tire and the guys are changing it out for them. So they're delayed a little while. Do you want to wait in the suite? I think our plans are delayed by an hour."
Peyton again nodded, and said, "That sounds great."
Brooke extended her hand to Peyton and pulled her up off the chair. They approached the elevator bay and hit the 'up' button. Despite the relative quietness of the lobby, it seemed all four of their elevators were in use.
"You're going to love tonight," Brooke said as they waited.
"Should I change? I mean jeans and a t-shirt seems a little too dressed down for a Brooke Davis event," Peyton said.
Brooke smiled and said, "But this isn't about Brooke Davis, it's about Peyton Sawyer. So you can wear whatever you want."
An elevator arrived and out came a cleaning woman and her cart of cleaning supplies. Peyton then reasoned that other cleaning people were probably using the elevators for the exact same reason and thus the business of the elevators.
Unexpectedly, another person exited the elevator, just as Peyton stepped to enter. They collided and Peyton immediately began to apologize. As she looked up, she stopped. Of course it would be him, given her luck. She stumbled back and Brooke's expression went concerned again.
"I'm sorry," he said as he too stepped back, but then walked out of the elevator before the doors closed.
Peyton nodded but did not speak and was again struck with the desire to fade into nothingness.
Brooke looked between them and asked, "What am I missing here?"
He also looked confused and concerned, but did not speak.
Peyton finally compelled herself into action. She cleared her throat and said, "Brooke this is, uh, Julian Baker. He's the one with who made that movie, the one that did so well at Sundance. And Julian this is my best friend Brooke Davis, of Clothes Over Bros."
Brooke's expression went from concern to surprise and then confused anger. She turned on him and asked him, "What are you doing here?"
"Brooke," Peyton tried to stop her friend from terrorizing her ex-boyfriend.
"I have a meeting with a production company here in town," he said, looking at Peyton as he spoke.
"And it just so happened to coincide with Peyton's wedding date?" Brooke asked, now worked up.
"Wedding?" Julian asked, his expression giving away just how much of a surprise it was to him.
"Oh," Brooke said quietly, anger disappearing. They stood together in tense silence, no one making any move as they tried to gauge what the protocol is for such an awkward run in.
Another elevator opened and a family gave them odd looks at the parents shepherded their children away.
Julian then cleared his throat and hardened his expression and began to tentatively back away from them. He said, "It was nice to finally meet you Brooke, I heard so many good things. And it was wonderful to see you again Peyton. But I have to get to this meeting."
"Yeah," Peyton said. Unsure of herself she added, "It was, nice, to see you too."
"Right, nice," Brooke said as he walked around the corner and out of their line of sight.
Another elevator arrived and a couple walked out. This time Brooke held the elevator and Peyton followed her on.
"That happened right?" Peyton asked as they rode up. "I'm not just living out my worst fears in my mind. My ex-boyfriend was in the lobby?"
"It happened," Brooke assured her. Adding quietly, "Of all the gin joints."
AN: Thanks for reading. This is far from over, and there's more to come. Please read and review.