Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill, nor do I own these characters.

Hi guys! So, this my attempt an AU LP fan fic. Hope you guys enjoy it. Please let me know what you think. Please.
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Chapter One

The alarm clocked rang. "Not again" Peyton groaned as she looked at the clock. 10: 22 am. That's two hours too late, she usually prided herself of starting her day at 8:00 am , but she hardly got enough sleep anymore. Even when she overslept, and it still wouldn't have been enough.

With a sigh she threw back the comforter and staggered out of bed, trying to push her problems to the back of her mind as she did so. Crossing the bedroom she entered the bathroom. Stripping off her flannel pajamas, she passed in front of the long mirror over the white marble vanity, not a vain person by nature she spared only a cursory glance at her refection, she felt as drained as she looked.

Turning from the mirror she stepped into the shower, promising herself to catch up on sleep as she soon as she got home, as opposed to drowning herself in extra paper work that she had taken upon herself in order to keep busy. Not today, she had an assistant for that, she'd let her handle it.

She drenched herself in cold water to help herself wake up, adjusting the water to standard temperature after a few minutes.

An abrupt knock on the Plexiglas startled her, she jerked around the sponge falling from her hand. Through the frosted glass she saw the image of a man.

"Peyton." The knock came again. Brisker and more demanding.

"Can I speak with you?"

She hesitated, then cut off the water. Stepping to one side she slowly cracked the shower door open, and stuck her head out.

David. Handsome enough to stall any woman's breath stood a few feet away. In all the 10 years she had known him, and considering all the things that had changed he never cease to look less than his best.

"I didn't know you were back", she said then thought of how peculiar those words were.

David flashed her a smile. "I got in last night and didn't want to disturb you."

Peyton nodded, thinking how far they had drifted apart and resenting how effortlessly David exuded his boyish charm when he wanted something from her.

"I just wanted to make sure you were still coming with me to the ceremony tonight."

Her hand tightened on the door. "I told you I would be there."

He opened his mouth as if to say something, and then closed it. Rough hands slipped into the pockets of his painters wear. In anyone else this gesture may have indicated uneasiness or uncertainty, but David had never shown as much as a hint of either.

"A car is going to be here to pick us up around seven," he told her.

"I'll be ready, her reply."

David crossed the floor until he was standing within a foot of her, eyes narrowed. "This is important to me."

"I know." She said as she brushed the water running from her hair out of her eyes.

He made a motion as if to step closer, but when she jerked her head back he thought better of it, his mouth thinned. Whirling, he walked away.

Peyton closed the shower door and turned the water back on. There had once been a time when just his nearest would have caused her heart to race, and her body to want. A time when if he had found her in the shower he would have come inside and come into her. Once they had so much , they were so in love. Once, not anymore. They spoke to each other only if they needed to. For a woman who had always dreamed of a loving marriage the real cause of her sleepless was all too clear.

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Peyton hesitated, but the light squeeze of his hand on her delicate fingers had her moving again. They walked into the entrance and were met with an assault of flashes from cameras. And all she could think was keep smiling. They were the perfect couple and it was show time. And she wanted to scream.

"Smile you two." Peyton leaned into David. "Congratulations David on your grand opening, your work is amazing. It's about time you really showcased that gift of yours, and what better place to do it then your own art gallery. How about another one? Peyton and David leaned into one another again, Peyton wishing desperately to return to the night's cold air. Yet again she told herself to keep smiling.

She felt she were a performing seal; more recently she would turn up on her husbands arm, smile brightly, make appropriately bland conversation with whoever David wished to favor with his attention, sip warm white wine and try to pretend that she was fascinated. This occasion would likely to prove to be no different.

"This one is for tomorrows paper Mr. and Mrs. Evans, came the voice of another photographer. "You two look great. You are great. 1, 2- smile!"

Peyton sighed inwardly. The last thing she wanted to be told was that she and David's relationship was great. They were far from that, and she was so far from the person she used to be. All the progress in her life, all that she had changed, and all that she had grown into seemed to have mattered a little less now, when on the inside she was only a few cries away from a breakdown.

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"You okay?" A voice called to her from behind. She turned slightly and smiled at the familiarity. Lucas Scott- Her husband's long time best friend of 14 years.

"You should be so lucky, Scott. You're the first person that I haven't felt the urge to escape from since we arrived."

He smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Lucky me, how about a drink?" he asked before he ushered her through the crowd and off to the bar, his hand gently resting on the small of her back.

"Bartender" she heard him call out. "The lady will have a cranberry daiquiri and I'll have a gin and tonic."

Peyton looked at him, both surprised and amused. "You remembered my preferred drink of choice?".

"No. You just look like the kind of girl who drinks cranberry daiquiris."

"It's been a long time since I've seen you in a suit, I must say you clean up nice Lucas."

"Well being in the presence of people who matter will do that for you."

Peyton gasped, feigning shock and hurt at his statement. "So I -we get bummy Lucas, and the rest of the world gets this?"

There it was- that grin of his, it was sure to light up even the darkest of rooms. She had grown to love that about him and she couldn't help but to return a smile.

"You look amazing, uh great, you look great Peyton." She blushed as he stumbled over his words. "Thanks."

"So, um, if I haven't said before, I'm really proud of you Peyton. You and David. I know with everything that has went on these past couple of years, its easy to lose sight of the things that made you happy. And by the way you didn't really answer my question the first time, so I'm asking again. You okay?"

Peyton was grateful for his approval, she knew how much it meant to David, she also smiled at his tenacity. He didn't miss a thing. She thought she had cleverly evaded his question or that he was willing to ignore it, not wanting to put a damper on what was to be a celebration of his best friend's success. Yet she looked up at him sensing his sincerity and wanted to cry, she needed so badly a friend to confide in, but trusting people had seemed to have gotten her nowhere lately - she was no stranger to disappointment.

"It's complicated", was her overdue reply, after having been snapped back from her reverie at the sight of the placement of their drinks in front of them.

"It doesn't' have to"--

"Why if it isn't my two favorite people. Why wasn't I made aware that the VIP section was going to be the bar?" David slurred as he pushed his way up to the counter top.

Lucas and Peyton shared an awkward glance, Peyton more thankful for the interruption more than anything or so she thought as she took in her husband's disheveled appearance.

"David, we've hardly been here for two hours and you're already drunk", she stated rather than asked.

"Well, drinking's the only source of pleasure I get now and days" he replied with no attempt at being subtle in his accusation his eyes on Peyton and every other part of her.

"Hey man, you may want to pull yourself together, don't make a fool of yourself, you have a reputation to withhold, Lucas interjected while offering a brief apologetic glance in Peyton's direction.

"Get him cleaned up for me Luke, I'll go work the floor."

Lucas looked at her hesitantly.

"I'll be fine, go" she replied. We'll be fine. It's okay. I'm okay. How long would it be before her words actually started sounding convincing to her own ears, better yet how long would it before she made an attempt to see that she'd be fine?

"Okay, oh and Peyton-"

She turned around.

"Of course I remembered your favorite drink, its what you ordered when David first introduced us", he informed her with a wink and a smile.

"Oh yeah, I remember that day!" David replied, before tripping over his own feet.

Peyton, just shook her head and bit back a laugh..