'Peyton-'

'You lied!' She screeches. 'I'll never forgive you!'

'Honey-'

'No! You've sent him down for something he hasn't done Keith!' She's trembling. Her eyes are glazed over and she blinks furiously. Her tears are unwelcome. She's come here to say what she has to say and she doesn't want to start crying, wants to concentrate on the rage.

'He made us promise sweetie' Karen intervenes, her voice the soothing drawl that it always is despite her daughter-in-law's uncharacteristic outburst.

'I don't fucking care! He's your son! Your son! And you've thrown him under the bus! My children have lost their father because of you!' Peyton startles then. Catches eye of the nine year old lurking in the doorway. 'Sawyer' She breathes out her daughter's name, cringes at the undeniable anxiety filling the child's blue eyes. She swallows thickly, wonders how much of her riled speech her daughter has heard. 'Lil do you think you can take Sawyer o-outside please?' She mutters to her sister-in-law. The loitering twenty one year old springs up from the kitchen table, only too happy to oblige and escape the tension between her parents and the fired up blonde before her. Peyton watches them disappear into the garden. Watches Lily naturally make a fuss of her niece but Sawyer's stare keeps fluttering back to the house. 'Fuck'

'She's alright' Karen hums.

'Her Mother's a royal screw up. What chance does she have of being alright?'

'You're not a fucking screw up' Peyton's head jerks away from the window then, Karen's cussing garnering her attention. 'Honey I know you're mad and devastated right now but you've been through so much. This was the right call-'

'They would've been more lenient with me! They would've. I had motive, I had-'

'You're pregnant. You need to be taking it easy. Your kids need you. You know why Luke asked Keith to do this. It breaks my heart, of course it does' Karen warily saddles up to the tense blonde. 'But I also know it was the best choice and we'll follow his wishes and do our utmost to keep you and his children safe. No matter what. You know that'

'It should be me'

'No it shouldn't' Keith gruffly disagrees. She shoots daggers at the man that she's looked up to her whole adult life. The man that has been the closest thing to a father figure since her own father's passing. But he's not that right now. He's the enemy. Her husband is in prison. Her whole world is falling apart and she needs someone to blame. 'I know you're angry' He acknowledges. 'But your children need you more than they need him right now'

'That's not true. Ollie can't bear to be in the same room as me. He's been staying here for three weeks now and I've not seen him once'

'You need to talk to him. He thinks you don't want him at home. He thinks you don't want anything to do with him'

'...I said unforgivable things' Peyton admits hoarsely.

'Sweetheart anything you said can be fixed. I'm sure some of what you said he needed to hear'

'I'm so worried about him'

'He's going to be ok. We'll all make sure of it'

A sob passes her lips then. She can't keep it at bay any longer. 'I can't d-do this with-witho-out L-Luke'

'He's going to be back beside you in no time. He is baby, you have to trust in that. Brooke is getting him the best lawyer. He's going to have the very best'

Her tears spill down her cheeks. 'It's a-all my fault'

Keith gives up trying to keep a healthy distance from her then. 'Don't you dare say that' He pulls her into his arms. She fights to get free but he holds steady. 'None of it's your fault kid. None of it' She tires then, her tense limbs relent, because his words remind her of her husband. Keith Scott has taught her husband to be the man he is today and she can't hate him, as much as she wants to right now, she can't. She'll forever be grateful to him. Her fingers grapple onto his shirt as she cries into his shoulder.

'You're not by yourself in this anymore honey' Karen hums. 'You've been carrying this all on your shoulders for too long- let us take care of everything now' Her hand soothes over her daughter-in-law's head and for a moment Peyton thinks she should feel embarrassed because she feels like a small child, not the thirty four year old she is but she can't find it in her to care. She needs this. She needs them. 'We love you Peyton. It's going to be okay'