I started writing this a while ago. I wanted to write a CPL fic for such a long time, but then as I did I just had to involve Brooke in too. It's my love for the Brooke&Chris pairing coming out. Any comments are appreciated, my writing is far from perfect I am very much aware of that, but I love doing it and I hope you enjoy reading.

Claire xx

This is set pretty much at the start of season two. The main change in the story is that LP never cheated on Brooke. Brooke and Lucas are still together. NH still got married. Any other questions please just ask.

COUPLES: Lucas&Peyton, Chris&Peyton, Brooke&Lucas, Brooke&Chris, someNathan&Haley

Chapter One

Peyton threw her bag over her shoulder, quickly looking at herself in the mirror, just as she was about to run through the door, she stopped and really looked at herself. She looked a mess and like she hadn't slept in a week. She moved closer to the mirror, running her fingers through her hair, pulling it back off her face, and up into a ponytail. "That will do" she thought as she glanced over at her clock, realising that she was already running late. She grabbed her bag off the floor that she had thrown down to get a better look at herself and ran downstairs and out the door, she jumped in her car and started the engine, the sound of the stereo immediately filling the air...

I'm looking to the sky to save me, looking for a sign of life, looking for something help me burn out bright

She hadn't really had much of a chance to take in everything that had happened over the last month. Of all the things she thought she would hear, Nathan Scott getting married would not have been one of them. She couldn't believe how much things could change in so little time, she never thought that Nathan could ever be someone she could be proud of, or even call a friend. He had changed so much, but maybe that's what love will do for you, when you meet the person that you know you are meant to be with, you become a better version of yourself. But she knew that it was Haley's influence that changed him.

She couldn't imagine her life without Haley now either, both of them two of her closest friends, she laughed out loud as the thought went through her mind, it was definitely something she never thought she would be able to say.

She tried to think back to the time where it had all began, but it seemed like someone else's life and someone else's memories. She had been different then. In some ways she was a better person then, in other ways she missed a lot of things about the person she used to be. Not many people had seen the change in her, in fact hardly anyone had. Everything had just progressed and then carried on, is if this was the person she had always been. All except one.

The funny thing was, it was the last person she ever expected it be. Lucas Scott. The one person she had fought against letting in again and again, he had finally broken through her exterior. The night of the college party that Brooke had dragged her too, changedeverything. She had always felt like she was searching, desperately looking for something it was what had always driven her to the next thing, what made her walk in that room that night, what had made her so vulnerable.

Lucas was another person Peyton never thought she would ever be this close too, ever since they came crashing into each others life, literally, for Peyton nothing had ever been the same. For her it had been easy to live behind a stereotype, letting people look at from the outside, just judging her for what they saw. But when she looked around her life, it was just easier to go along with it. She in a way was comfortable with being seen as the girlfriend of star of the basketball team, best friends with the head cheerleader. And the truth was she just wasn't brave enough to break free of it. That was enough, at least that way it wasn't on her, she was just the add on, the thing that was second best. And as long as she had that, she could keep her walls up that she had taken so long to build.

But then one person, all it took was one person to make them come crashing down again. She had no idea how he had managed to do it, or even why she found herself wanting to open up to him, to let him into her life, but she did – she wanted that more than anything. But as soon as she felt him pulling closer to her, she instinctively pulled away, the Peyton Sawyer speciality. She figured if she kept pushing him away, eventually like everyone else that had tried he would give up. But not this boy, even after she rejected him and walked away from, he still came back saving her. And she didn't know why. She didn't even feel like she was worth saving herself, so why could anyone else possibly see anything worth saving? Even that night after the party she had gone to with Brooke, she didn't understand, but she saw the look in he's eyes as he sat over her as she lay in bed, so much worry and concern in them, she could see that from that moment he would always be there to protect her, she felt herself actually wanting to let him in, she found herself apologising. For everything. All the pushing away she had done, for everything. It had never been him, it was all her. And she had needed him and wanted him more than anything.

But some things always come to late. And that was another speciality of hers.

She knew she was too late. Brooke flirting with Lucas wasn't something that was unusual. She had watched it happen time and time again with a pain in her heart and a sickness rising, always unable to admit to herself why. And as she watched them after that night, she knew why. Because she wanted to be the person who could make Lucas smile like that, who could make him laugh. Because it wasn't Brooke she saw the change in, it was him. He was different with Brooke, a side of him that she hadn't seen with anyone else.

Almost instinctively she pushed any feeling she had aside. The anger at herself rising again, pushing him and Brooke away. Always thinking what if? Always wondering about what could have been if she hadn't been so scared.

Both of them saw it. They saw her pulling away. And both of them tried to fight their way back. Neither of them willing to let go. Because that's just who they were. Brooke was her best friend, and she always would be, there are some things that are futile in trying to fight. And Lucas with his determination to always make sure she was okay, to protect her. She was wasting energy in trying to fight it. And eventually gave in, putting on a smile that she had perfected, insisting she was okay, hoping that one day she would be.

It wasn't as hard as she had expected it to be. There were things that came with feeling how she did. She knew that time would pass, and feelings would fade and eventually she may have even forgiven herself for letting go of something that she knew could have been amazing. But things like Brooke and how she changed made it worth it. Peyton had always seen something in Brooke that others seemed to miss, but now, it was as if Brooke had been walking around in the dark her whole life and someone had finally turned the lights on, and she could see everything and how there was so much more than the little world she lived in.

And Lucas. The connection and friendship they shared only growing stronger as time passed by. They shared the same passion for music and art and he some how inspired her to be more brave when it came to both those things. To have faith in something that you love that much. And she wanted that. She believed in that. And for a long time those two things provided her with something, a release. A way of saying everything she felt without even having to vocalise it.

That's why when things changed this time. It had hit her harder than ever before.

Things were good. Really good. She had a group of friends like she had never had before, in fact she would even go as far to say that she felt happy. The happiest she felt in a while. It was so strong that for some reason she didn't trust it. She found herself constantly questioning why. What had she done to deserve such comfort? Who was she to deserve to feel like this? The self pitying was something Brooke often picked up on in Peyton and would immediately remind her that everyone deserved to be happy, and most people would find comfort in that.

Maybe that was Peyton's fault. She wasn't just anybody. And happiness always seemed to come with a fall. Something waiting around the corner to knock you down. But it hadn't happened. She almost found herself giving over to the feeling. Ignoring the little voice in her head that was telling her to be cautious and to not lose herself in it. Even when they had all sat down at Lucas' Mum's cafe, like they did most Friday nights, and Karen had approached Peyton for some advice about opening an all ages club in town. Peyton was taken aback by the question and even more so by Lucas and Brooke's smiling faces from across the table. She was even more shocked when Karen asked her to go look at the place she had in mind for the club and get her opinion, and after that when Karen had decided she was defienetly going ahead with the idea as long as she had Peyton's help, even through all those things, those things that she had only ever dreamed of being a part of, she still didn't cave and let the feeling win. She was still waiting. Waiting for thing to knock her down.

And she had a small idea what it might be. They were now 2 weeks from opening the club. And they were nowhere near ready. Peyton had been put in charge of two things. One was

any art work. Karen had the idea to have one of the main walls at the side of the stage painted by one Peyton Sawyer. Her art on display for everyone to see, on a huge scale, hers to do with whatever she wanted. And she had nothing. A sketch book full of scribbled out ideas, and screwed up paper on her bedroom floor.

But worse much more worse than that. They had no band. Peyton remembered clearly the conversation she had with Karen about the importance of a really great band, especially on their opening night. And she had nothing. She had been sitting outside the only music store in Tree Hill for the last ten minutes, completely lost her thoughts and unbelievably scared of going inside. She knew she could go inside and ask Max if he knew anyone locally who could perform, the guy knew the local scene and he would no doubt have the answer. But she almost felt like she was cheating. Like she wasn't doing it herself.

She looked down to the flyer she held in hand. It was lame. Auditions. How many bands were going to want to come and play in an all ages club for practically nothing? She sighed heavily and got out the car slamming the door shut behind her. All he could do was laugh in her face and not much worse than that.

Peyton could hear the music playing from outside the store. The sign still said closed but she took her chances pushing it open to walk in. It was empty, the only thing filling the room was the sound from the stereo. The music was unfamiliar to her, it wasn't the usual 80's metal that Max would listen too. She walked through the door of the music store and looked around, there was no one in sight, she sighed heavily, the truth was she hadn't been here in a really long time. She didn't know when it happened but the passion that she had for music, the feeling it gave her – was fading away. It was the main reason Peyton had agreed to helping Karen with TRIC, she thought that maybe it would help her feel inspired by music again, the way she used to be. The way she used to feel when she heard a song for the first time, a feeling that she couldn't describe, she loved that feeling it made her feel safe, and she missed it.

She heard a noise near the counter at the end of the shop and she slowly made her way towards it, when she got there she leaned far over the counter looking around for Max. Suddenly someone jumped up from under the counter.

"GOD! What the hell are you doing? You scared the life out of me" Peyton clutched her hand to her chest and looked at the stranger in front of her. She hadn't seen him in here before, but then she hadn't been around to notice. He was tall with mousy brown hair, he almost looked out of place with his unconventional dress sense and more than that there was an air about him, a kind of arrogance.

"I scared you? Lady you're the one leaning over the counter" Who the hell was this guy? He had only spoke one sentence to her and already she was pissed off. He wasn't even looking at her as he spoke, moving back under the counter moving things around.

"I heard a noise. I thought maybe someone broke in or something... seeing as no one was around..."

He was back standing up again. This time looking at her "Wow. That's an interesting story" His voice was heavy in sarcasm "But I'm looking for something and I actually have things to do. So if you don't mind" And he was gone again, sorting through a mess of CD's under the counter.

"Well what are you looking for?"

"You're kinda nosy" His face appeared above the counter this time.

"Yeah well you're kinda rude"

He looked away and picked up a box of CD's before moving around to the front of the counter. As he reached her he smiled widely "Thanks"

Peyton couldn't seem to move from the spot, her face she knew was looking in complete and utter shock. Even as he moved away from her and started to put out the CD's onto the racks, she found herself unable to move, still holding her dumb flyers in her hand.

"Is there anything in particular you want? Or do you just like to come into music stores and harass the staff?"

Peyton turned slowly to look at him, again he was still carrying on working, barely registering her presence. She breathed in deeply. Trying to ignore the fact that she had just met the biggest ass on the planet and hoping Max was hiding around here somewhere.

"Is Max here?"

He finally turned to look at her again and held his hands up "Does it look like it?"

Peyton scoffed, as whoever this jerk was smiled smugly at her before returning back to he's "work"

"Whats that you got there?"

He gestured towards the leaflets Peyton had hold of, he managed to gesture whilst not looking away from what he was doing and also seemed uninterested all at once. She was pretty sure that this guy had to be the rudest person she had ever met. Resigned to the fact that Max wasn't here, she stepped closer to him.

"Thisis what I want to talk to Max about..."

"Yeah well, as we established blondie he's not here"

Peyton opened her mouth to respond but her words seemed to fail her. She could feel the anger rising up and she was torn between storming out or punching this guy in the face.

"Any idea when he'll be back?"

"Probably about a couple of months at a guess"

Peyton went to nod her head after his response, but it sunk in exactly what he had said. "Wait... what?"

"Guess. Couple. Of. Months. Are you following or am I talking to fast for you?"

Peyton had made her decision. She most defienetly wanted to punch him "Wow. Well thanks. You have been real helpful" She started to move towards the door, mumbling "jackass" as she went, hoping she said it just loud enough so he could hear.

"Look, he went travelling, something about going to see the world and find himself and a lot of crap like that. He didn't say for how long. So if that's something you need to talk to someone about whose in charge, then I'm your guy. And you got five minutes. Starting now"

Peyton saw him step closer towards her, the same smug smile from before etched across his face. The urge to punch him only seemed to be growing stronger.

"Oh and the names Chris. Keller. And you got 4 minutes 27 seconds left"