Backstory: When Lucas came to LA and proposed to Peyton, they slept together, only for him to leave without saying goodbye; Peyton finds out she's pregnant before the book signing, and plans on going there to tell Lucas, but she sees Lindsey kissing him and leaves. Peyton then calls Brooke, who suggests they both finish out their semester and move back to Tree Hill. While Brooke and Peyton move back to Tree Hill, Lucas is living in New York and going to book-signings across the country. When Lucas comes back, it's been almost three years after Peyton and Brooke came back and everything has changed.
Minor Changes: Brooke already opened a Tree Hill Clothes Over Bro's and Peyton already started Red Bedroom Records, Karen and Lily are living in Tree Hill, Bevin and Skills are together, I might bring back Chase and/or Rachel, but I haven't decided yet. (I'll explain any other changes as they become relevant in the story.)
AN: Hi everyone! I've been working on this story for so long and I'm so excited about it being posted. I love One Tree Hill (see my profile) and I especially love Peyton Sawyer and the ship Leyton. I don't know if this story is considered AU, so you guys can decide whatever you want. Please let me know what you think and I'll update as soon as I see ten reviews! :)
...
Are you not the slightest bit confused?
Just the truth
The speed at which we move blends so well
It's too soon
...
Peyton:
Peyton sighed, rereading the email until the words were too fuzzy to make out. She didn't have time for this; she had an almost three-year-old to take care of, a birthday party to plan, and a record label to run. Now, on top of that, she had to worry about Lucas Scott coming back to town; the same Lucas Scott that broke her heart time and time again. Not this time, she told herself, you have Allison to consider.
The only problem with that, was that Lucas had Allison to consider too – he just didn't know it yet. Up until thirty-minutes ago, she didn't plan on telling Lucas that; but Allison knew who Lucas was – thanks to Brooke, who made the mistake of showing Allison Peyton's old artwork. Brooke ended up making laminated copies for Allison, who decorated her bedroom walls with them.
Then, there was Haley, who gave Allison actual pictures of Lucas and told her stories about their friendship, about the love triangle between Peyton, Lucas, and Brooke, and about how much they loved each other – how much she loved her… how much he would love her.
It wasn't that Peyton didn't want Allison to know about Lucas, but she didn't want to give Allison a preconceived notion of who her father was, when the truth was – she didn't know who Lucas was anymore. Because the Lucas she knew, would never have left her alone in a hotel room or have had an affair with his editor.
...
Separate yourself from what compels you to relinquish us
Push your way on to me, entirely
Stay away from me, stay away from me now
Less you gonna see, less you gonna see me out
...
Brooke:
Allison twirled before the mirror, admiring the Raven's cheerleader uniform Brooke made her as an early birthday present; she wanted to be a Raven's cheerleader ever since Haley gave her pictures from the State Championship. She wanted to look just like Peyton, begging Brooke to style her blonde baby curls into a bun and painting a sparkly Raven's 'R' on her cheek.
"Do I look like my momma?"
Brooke smiled, "You sure do. Should we go show aunt Haley?"
"Yes!" Allison squealed, raising her arms in her standard 'hold me' signal. "I wish my daddy could see me."
"I know, baby. I know." Brooke whispered, squeezing Allison's tiny hand. "Someday."
"Maybe my birthday?" Allison asked; her birthday was four days from now and unbeknownst to Allison and Brooke, Lucas' arrival was only two days from now.
It didn't take them long at all to get to Haley's.
"Aunt Hailey!" Allison shouted, running into the awaiting arms of her favorite aunt –Brooke was her favorite godmother – who caught her and adjusted her in her arms so she could see Brooke fake pouting at the sight. "I've been replaced."
Hailey laughed, "Don't worry, I'll be left in the dust when she sees Nathan."
Allison loved staying with her aunt Haley and uncle Nathan and her cousin Jamie. She liked to pretend Nathan was her dad too (and called him such on occasion) and for all intents and purposes, he was. He was the closest thing to a male parental figure in her life; Brooke liked to say, "He's her Keith."
The environment at Nathan and Haley's house was different from Peyton and Brooke's. It was more structured, more disciplined, and the almost three-year-old found comfort in the predictability of a routine.
Allison squirmed until Haley put her down. "Can I go play now?" she asked, looking at Brooke expectantly.
"Give me a hug first." Brooke ordered, and Allison threw herself into Brooke's arms, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I love you. Bye now."
"I love you too; I'll come get you tomorrow morning. Be good for aunt Haley and uncle Nathan."
Allison nodded excitedly, "It's a sleepover!" she shouted, not yet realizing that she wouldn't have her pajamas, purple monkey, and pictures to help her sleep.
"Yes. Go play."
Brooke turned to Haley, "Thanks for watching her, I need to talk to Peyton about Allison's Lucas obsession."
"Oh. Peyton didn't tell you?" Haley asked, surprised that Peyton kept such a pivotal piece of information to herself. "Lucas is moving back to Tree Hill... he gets here tomorrow. I have to pick him up from the airport at noon."
"What?"
...
No, I can't dance less it's slow or sad
To a song that's far less obvious
You using me, do it slowly
Make it last until I have to go
...
Haley:
Allison happily followed Haley through the airport, their hands tightly entwined. "Do you see him, aunt Haley?"
"No, not yet." Haley replied, gazing down at her excited niece – who was, again, dressed as a Raven's cheerleader, courtesy of Brooke. She looked just like Peyton, with her blonde baby curls styled into a bun and like Brooke, with a sparkly 'R' painted on her cheek. Haley knew what inspired the outfit – the picture from the night of the State Championship; it was Allison's favorite.
She loved pictures.
She loved looking at Peyton's old artwork.
She loved—
"Lucas!" Allison squealed, dropping Haley's hand and leaping into a confused Lucas's arms. Despite being beyond confused, Lucas nonetheless caught the excited little girl. "Uh. Hello."
Allison was delighted by the physical-contact, snuggling close to Lucas's chest. He didn't know why, but something about the little girl in his arms made him realize something had been missing in his life until that point. Not something, he thought, someone.
Her.
"Allison Brooke!" Haley scolded, quickly taking Allison from Lucas. She knelt down, holding both of Allison's hands. "You know not to run in the airport." Allison had plenty of experience in airports, another courtesy of Brooke.
Allison looked from Haley to Lucas then back to Haley. "I know, I just wanted to see—"
"I know," Haley cut her off, knowing how much meeting Lucas meant to Allison. "I know. We'll talk about it later, go introduce yourself."
Allison smiled, throwing her arms around Haley's neck. "Thanks aunt Haley!"
"Yeah, yeah. You're welcome." Haley playfully grumbled, swatting Allison towards Lucas.
He watched the interaction curiously. Haley obviously spent a lot of time with the child, so much that she called her 'aunt Haley'.
"I'm Allison Brooke Sawyer," she introduced herself, and Lucas stilled. She looked exactly like Peyton; blonde curly hair, skinny body, dimpled grin, tiny hands...
He could go on forever, but there was one distinguishing feature; their eyes. Peyton's eyes were emerald green, whereas Allison's eyes were ocean blue. To Lucas, looking into Allison's eyes was like looking into a mirror.
"Uh." He cleared his throat. "I'm Lucas Scott. It's nice to meet you, Allison Brooke Sawyer."
"I know," Allison said, giving Lucas the impression she spent a lot of time with Brooke. "Like a dream come true, huh?"
Haley mentally groaned, waiting to intervene if Allison took things too far. "Allison likes looking at pictures and Peyton's old artwork."
"Yes! Lucas, look at my outfit," Allison squealed. "Don't I look like my mommy and my aunt Brooke?"
"Yeah, just like your mommy." He whispered, his heartstrings tightening at the thought of Peyton.
"And my aunt Brooke, right?"
"Yes, like her too" He agreed, noticing the 'R'.
"Do you 'member them?" Allison asked innocently, grabbing his big hand and lacing it with her smaller one. "I know they 'member you."
"I—" Haley chose that moment to interrupt, "Alright Al, you got him long enough. I want a turn."
Lucas laughed, pulling Haley into a tight hug. "I missed you too, Hales."
Haley wiped a tear from her eye, turning to Allison. "Ready to go, Allie?"
Allison nodded, raising her arms at Lucas expectantly; her way of saying 'hold me' without saying anything. He instantly obliged, lifting Allison into his arms and feeling her head drop on his shoulder.
"I think it's nap time," He whispered, smirking at Haley.
She laughed, seeing Allison's eyelids fluttering shut. "Don't let her hear you say that."
"I'm parked right this way," Haley said, leading them out of the airport and towards the parking lot; by the time they reached her parked car, Allison was sound asleep in Lucas's arms. "Make sure she's buckled into her car-seat."
Lucas nodded, "I got it."
"Good. Let's go home."
...
Trust me when I say just a few more weeks
Don't move
Resist temptation
Or do you see fit, just choose
...
Peyton:
"I can't believe you talked me into this." Peyton muttered, glaring at Brooke.
"Yeah? Well, I can't believe you didn't tell me Lucas was coming back to town, so—" Brooke started, but was interrupted. "Mommy!" Allison shrieked, throwing herself into Peyton's awaiting arms.
"Hi baby," Peyton cheerfully greeted, her previous anger at Brooke forgotten. "Did you have fun with aunt Haley?"
"Yeah!" Allison exclaimed, then leaned in closer to whisper in Peyton's ear, "I met daddy."
Peyton sighed, "Remember Al, you can't call him that... yet."
"I know," Allison grumbled, squirming until Peyton put her down. "Can I go play now?"
"Go ahead," Peyton whispered, watching Allison skip off towards Jamie and Lily.
Brooke grasped Peyton's hand. "Ready for this, P. Sawyer?"
Peyton nodded, "As I'll ever be."
...
Separate yourself from what compels you to relinquish us
Push your way on to me, entirely
Stay away from me, stay away from me now
Less you gonna see, less you gonna see me out
...
Nathan:
Nathan was trying to fill Lucas in on – almost – everything that happened in the past two years, but Lucas was only half-listening, his mind elsewhere. He was distracted, consumed by the sight of his beautiful ex-girlfriend and her adorable daughter. Peyton's looks had changed since they'd been apart, she looked more grown-up now, more mature; her slim figure slightly curved from pregnancy, blonde hair longer and styled in waves, and her skin radiant from the pregnancy glow that should have long since went away. She looked beautiful.
"I can't believe Peyton has a daughter." He said suddenly, changing the subject.
Nathan sighed, forgoing his attempts to avoid that particular topic. "Yeah, Allie's amazing. She's everything to Peyton, I swear I've never seen Peyton happier than the day Allie was born."
"Do you, uh, do you know anything about her father?" Lucas asked, repulsed by the idea of Peyton having someone else's children. Maybe she didn't, his subconscious whispered, Allison could be yours.
"Luke..."
"Nate, come on," Lucas pleaded, desperate for answers. "I just want to know if you know him."
Nathan sighed, but reluctantly admitted, "Yeah, I know him."
"Oh." Lucas nodded. "She looks just like her."
"Yeah," Nathan agreed, then added vaguely, "But she looks like her dad too."
He was screwed; on one hand, his brother was finally home and they could all be a family again, but on the other hand, one of his dearest friends and her daughter's life were about to change forever. Lucas already held Peyton's broken heart in his hands; broken because of him, and – thanks to Brooke and Haley – Lucas held a piece Allison's fragile heart too. It was one thing, for Lucas to hurt Peyton; but for Lucas to hurt a two-year-old little girl... that was crossing a line.
"I wish I could meet him." Lucas whispered, bringing Nathan back to reality.
"You will. Someday."
...
No, I can't dance less it's slow or sad
To a song that's far less obvious
You using me, do it slowly
Make it last until I have to go
...
Allison:
Allison ran over to Nathan, throwing her arms around his legs. "Uncle Nathan!"
Nathan smiled, lifting her into his arms, "Hey Al, I like your outfit. Did aunt Brooke make it for you?"
"Yeah!" Allison happily exclaimed. "I wanted to look like mommy at the basketball game."
"Well, you definitely look like her." He agreed, noticing Lucas still standing beside them, watching their interaction with – what looked like – jealousy.
"Thanks." Allison giggled, squirming to be put down. She noticed Lucas standing beside Nathan. "Hi Lucas. I look pretty, huh?" she asked, right as Nathan left, giving them time to bond privately.
Lucas smiled fondly, "You look beautiful."
Allison smiled happily, raising her arms expectantly. "Pick me up." He instantly obliged, the feeling of completeness from the airport returning. "I wish mommy and aunt Brook liked you, cause then I could see you more."
He hid the hurt on his face, hating the thought of Peyton being mad at him. You deserve it Jackass, his subconscious reminded him. "Why, uh, why is your mommy mad at me?" He asked, despite already knowing the answer.
"Because you hurt her too much," Allison stated, her eyes colored with sincerity, she then added, "I said my aunt Brooke too doesn't like you either, and that's cause you make mommy sad."
"Oh." Lucas awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "I'm sorry."
"You have to say it to them, silly."
"I will," Lucas managed to say, guilt consuming his every thought.
Allison smiled, then squirmed to be put down. "I want to show you something," she explained, lacing their hands together like she'd done at the airport.
She all but dragged him to Peyton's beloved car, "Open the door please." He did, and Allison climbed inside, her hands reaching under the seat to grab something. "I got it!" she cheered, pulling the scrapbook onto her lap.
"What's this?" He asked, sliding Allison over and sitting down on the worn leather interior. "I've never seen this before."
"It's mine," Allison said, opening the book to display a picture of Peyton, Brooke, and Jake's daughter Jenny at the River Court. "This is the first picture, it's mommy and aunt Brooke."
He smiled fondly, "I remember that night."
"Yeah," Allison mused, as if she'd been there at the time. "I wasn't born yet, but I still like the picture."
"Yeah, me too."
"I like this page the best," Allison informed him, turning the page to reveal a collage of the night of the State Championship. "I like this picture because it's my entire family; there's mommy, aunt Brooke, aunt Haley, uncle Nathan, uncle Skills, and that's you," she said, pointing to a seventeen-year-old Lucas standing in-between Peyton and Haley.
Lucas was completely captivated; his mind flashing with images of that night.
"This is my favorite picture ever," Allison interrupted his thoughts, pointing to a picture of Peyton and Lucas.
They were gazing passionately at each other; Peyton's green eyes were sparkling and her blonde curls were sprinkled with confetti. His hand was touching her cheek lovingly. "Wow," He breathed out. "That was a really special night."
"I think so too. It was a dream come true, huh?"
"Yeah," He smiled sadly, reminiscing. "Yeah, it was." He was surprised when Allison moved to closer to him, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck. "Everything 's gonna be alright," she assured him.
The heartfelt moment was soon interrupted, "Al, it's time to go!" Peyton called, searching the yard for her blonde daughter. "Allison Brooke!"
Allison broke the hug, "Uh-oh."
...
No, I can't dance less it's slow or sad
To a song that's far less obvious
You using me, do it slowly
Make it last until I have to go
...
Lucas:
They – somehow – managed to get out of the Comet and back to the yard without Peyton noticing.
"Come on," Allison demanded, dragging Lucas along. "You can see her too."
"No. Allison, I—"
He didn't get to finished, interrupted by Allison's sweet voice. "Hi momma," she greeted Peyton, silently asking to be picked up.
Peyton quickly took Allison in her arms, letting out a breath of relief. "Hi princess," she greeted back, pressing a kiss to her daughter's forehead. "I was looking for you."
Allison shrugged, laying her head on Peyton's shoulder. "I was fine; I was talking to Lucas. See?"
It wasn't until that moment, that Peyton even acknowledged Lucas's presence. "Oh."
"I showed him my picture-book and my favorite page. He thinks it's a dream come true too, momma."
Peyton swallowed the knot in her throat, forcing a smile onto her face for Allison's sake. "I'm glad you had fun, baby. Let's go say goodbye, then we'll go home."
"Okay," Allison agreed, waiting patiently to be on her feet again. "Can we watch a movie?"
"Maybe." Peyton set Allison down, lacing their hands together. "Let's go."
Lucas was caught off guard by Peyton's behavior; she completely disregarded him. "Hey, Peyton! Wait!"
Peyton sighed, kneeling down to Allison's level. "Go inside and find your aunt Brooke, okay? I'll be right in."
Allison's face fell. "I want to be with you."
"You will be. Mommy just needed to talk to Lucas. I'll be right there, okay?"
Lucas felt tugging on his heartstrings, witnessing the mother-daughter bond between Peyton and Allison. Peyton waited for Allison to get safely inside, then turned to him. "What?"
"I just wanted to talk to you... it's uh, it's been a while." He stammered, unsure of what to say or do in Peyton's presence.
"Almost three years." Peyton whispered, giving him a tight-lipped smile, her eyes devoid of emotion. "Alright, we talked," she said, starting to walk off.
He caught her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. "Peyton, I—"
She tried to get out of his grasp. "Let go of me, Lucas."
"Peyton! Damn it, I just... I need to know, is Allison mine?" He asked, trying to hide the hopefulness in his voice.
Peyton – using her other hand – slapped his cheek fiercely. "No, she's mine."
He was in shock, bringing his hand to his stinging cheek. "Ow," He muttered, watching Peyton disappear into the house.
Well, that went well, his subconscious muttered.
...
No, I can't dance less it's slow or sad
To a song that's far less obvious
You using me, do it slowly
Make it last until I have to go
...