A/N: Here's a little background!!

Peyton and Lucas never got together in Season 4. He and Brooke still broke up. Peyton never went to see Jake at the end of Season 3, and never had feelings for Lucas again. Most other Season 4 events took place (Psycho Derek, real Derek, Honey Grove, Jamie and Lily were born). They are all friends. Peyton went to college in Tree Hill, then moved to Chicago.

Lucas is a coach and author. Haley teaches at Tree Hill. Nathan had his accident, and now is Lucas' assistant coach. They have Jamie, and a one year old son, Matthew. Brooke lived in New York, but just moved back to Tree Hill.

Any flashbacks will be in italics.

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Peyton hadn't seen this coming. She'd had a lot of things happen to her in her life, and most of them had been out of her control. This, however, she felt like she could have stopped.

Couldn't she have tried harder? Held on tighter? Done more?

She never would have pictured herself 27 and divorced, living in a city so far away from where she grew up. She woke up every morning in the bed they'd shared for three years. She'd walk to the closet to find half of it empty - his clothing long since removed. She would go to her kitchen and make breakfast for one. There were no longer photos of them together on her walls or mantle.

Everything was empty. She was empty.

They'd met shortly after she moved to Chicago, and became fast friends. Joshua Phillips was his name, and he was captivating. He had dark hair and hazel eyes and a crooked smile that she was drawn to immediately. He had grown up in Colorado and moved to Chicago after high school for no other reason than he wanted to. He was a craftsman. He made custom furniture and owned his own shop and dressed in jeans and flip flops and plain tee shirts. He'd quote Galileo and Proust and he seemed to know a little bit about everything. They bonded immediately over their small town upbringings and love of art.

One night, after two years of friendship and a lot of shots of whiskey sitting on her living room floor listening to Willie Nelson, his favourite, he leaned in and kissed her. She felt a spark she'd only felt once before. They were inseparable after that. He moved in to her condo, and 6 months later they were engaged. Another 4 and they were married.

She'd wanted to keep the ceremony small, and she didn't expect all her friends from Tree Hill to attend, but they had. Lucas, Nathan, Haley, and Jamie flew in the day before and Brooke came in from New York.

Lucas chuckled when she asked him to be a 'brides man', but he agreed and stood next to Haley and Brooke as they watched their best friend get married.

Lucas and Joshua got along quite well. They'd met several time when Luke would visit, though he felt a pang of jealousy over the new man in his best friend's life. He felt like he had when Haley and Nathan had married - like somehow his importance in her life would dwindle. Peyton noticed almost immediately, and had promised him that he'd always be her best friend, as long as he never repeated that to Brooke.

She was happy. Truly happy. There was no underlying tension or secret or weight on her shoulders. She had an amazing job at a major record label, a gorgeous husband, and a great apartment. She thought she had it all.

Until one day, out of the blue - at least to her - he told her he was leaving. He explained that he wasn't cut out for marriage and he was feeling suffocated in Chicago. He told her he had to travel and find out who he was. She was stunned. She begged him for answers. Was there someone else? Was she that hard to live with? Was there anything she could do to help him?

There wasn't.

He was moved out that same week. The divorce was finalized a month later. He hadn't called or stopped by to see how she was, he'd just sent the papers with his signature and a red tab where she was to place hers.

That's where she was now. Sitting in an empty condo in a blue satin nightgown with her robe hanging open, looking out her window at the city she'd called home. She watched from the 10th story as families walked along the sidewalks and mothers pushed their infants in strollers. It was a life she was once so close to, but now had never felt more out of reach.

It was a Friday and the city was alive with activity. She closed her blinds to block it out. She wanted the solace of thinking everyone else was as miserable as she was. If she couldn't see their faces, she could imagine they were all unhappy.

She walked to her record player and turned on a long-forgotten album before picking up the framed photograph that sat on the shelf next to her record collection. She couldn't even remember when it was taken, though she knew it was during their senior year judging by the awful length of Lucas' hair and a very pregnant Haley. It was their entire group of friends, including Skills and Mouth, caught in a candid moment in Karen's Café. They were laughing and there were coffee cups and empty plates scattered in front of them. Simpler times, she thought. Then she saw how happy she looked in the photograph. Sitting next to Lucas and pointing across the table at Brooke. She wondered if she'd ever be that happy again.

There was a knock at the door and she closed her robe and tied it before she swung the door open. There was a UPS man in front of her, asking her to sign for a package. She scribbled on the digital pad and took the rectangular box from him.

Once inside, she tore the box open and pulled out a note with Brooke's unmistakable handwriting.

Peyton, Just because the divorce is finalized and the marriage is over, doesn't mean it didn't leave you with some great memories. Love you, Brooke.

She sifted through bubble wrap and pulled out an 8x10 photograph from her wedding day. It was a black and white of her, Brooke, and Haley sitting in front of a mirror, fully made up and coiffed, wearing street clothes and laughing after having spent the entire day together for the first time in ages. Lucas had taken the photo and when questioned, he had simply said, "This is a moment to remember."

Peyton smiled to herself as she ran her hands over the smiling faces of her best friends beneath the glass.

She was going to find that happiness again.

She sent Brooke a quick email to say thank you, and placed the new photograph on her mantle. It was time to replace old memories. Any place that had held a photo of her and Joshua, was now going to hold a photo of her with her friends.

She made her way to the hall closet, and pulled a photo box from the top shelf. She began sifting through the contents and remembering the times captured in the photos. Her, Lucas, and Brooke in front of her old car. Her dancing with Cooper, laughing with her head thrown back at Nathan and Haley's reception. Countless basketball games and cheerleading competitions. The five of them - the core five, as Brooke would say - from years ago, all happy and young. Before jobs and marriages. Before novels and coaching. Before clothing labels and adoptions. Before life-changing accidents and children and careers put on hold.

She was holding a photo of Lucas trying to plant a kiss on her cheek, lips puckered foolishly and eyes closed, and her head turned and pushing him away with her hands. Her phone rang and she reached for it, having forgotten there was a world outside her trip down memory lane.

"Hello?" she asked deadpan. She really didn't want to answer.

"Well, don't sound so excited," Lucas' voice rang out.

"Luke! Hi!" she said.

"That's more like it," he laughed. "How are you?"

"Oh God. You know, just because the divorce is final, doesn't mean I'm going to fall apart!"

"So what are you doing home at 10:30 in the morning on a Friday?" he asked. He didn't get an answer. "You forget how well I know you, Peyton."

"Yeah, yeah," she said. "I'm fine, though."

The truth was, she hadn't cried. Not one single tear. She didn't know if it was that she had willed herself not to or...what. But she had yet to cry, and she didn't expect that to change.

"You sure? Because since it's summer break, I can get away whenever. If you want company for a few days or something..." He was interrupted by a knock at her door.

"I love you for worrying, Lucas, but I'm fine," she said, walking to the door. "I don't need a babysitter."

She pulled the door open to find him standing on the other side with a cheeky smile on his face.

"Luke!" she said loudly. She threw her arms around him and heard him inhale as he reciprocated.

"Thought you might need a friend," he explained, stepping into her apartment after they'd pulled away.

"You really didn't have to do this," she said.

"Please," he said, tilting his head. "I wanted to come."

His eyes moved over her, still in her pajamas and her hair in a messy knot on the top of her head. She noticed him looking and glanced down at herself.

"Oh, God," she said, blushing. "I'm going to have a quick shower. I'll be out in a bit."

He just laughed at her as she made her way into her bedroom. He walked further into the living room and noticed the contents of the box scattered over the floor. He poured over the countless photographs while Led Zeppelin played in the background. He found a photo he didn't even know existed. It was a Polaroid of he and Peyton sitting on the grass on the quad at school. She was hunched over her sketch book and her legs were rested over top of his, and he was reading The Scarlet Letter. Looking at the photo, he remembered that she had forced him to read it, saying it was an epic love story. He'd later tease her that of course she'd pic a tragic tale over a traditional one, and how ironic it was, given their actions when he was with Brooke. That had earned him a glare and a playful swat.

"Hey," Peyton's voice sounded as she sat next to him, her eyes casting over the photo in his hand. "Ooo, that's a good one."

"Yeah," he agreed. "Look at you in your little plaid skirt. I swear you were trying to kill me."

"What?" she asked with a chuckle.

"You know I used to watch you?" he asked.

"What?" she asked, confused. "When!?"

"Oh, Freshman year, Sophomore year...uh...both summers actually," he said, grinning.

"Stop it," she insisted, then turned to him. "What did you watch, exactly?"

He glanced back at the photo and held it out to her. "Your legs, mostly."

"What?!" she shouted, smiling still.

"I'm serious!" he said, raising his hands and shaking his head. "You know, from up close, they're a little chicken-y..."

"Shut up!" she interrupted, hitting his arm.

"But from where I was hiding, they were pretty awesome," he chuckled.

"OK, perv. Stop it," she laughed. "How come you never told me that before?"

"Oh, come on! I didn't want you to know how much of a geeky stalker I used to be," he explained.

"Right," she said with a nod. "It was better that I thought of you simply as a geek."

"Thanks," he said, hanging his head.

"So how's Kate," Peyton asked after a few moments.

Lucas had been dating Kate for about two years. She was originally from Charlotte, and they met by accident when he was in town scouting a player. She worked at the student's former school as a guidance counselor. They did the long distance thing for a year, then she moved in with him and got a job at Tree Hill High. She and Haley got along well, and Lucas loved her. She was beautiful and intelligent, and had an amazing soul.

"Fine, I think," he said, looking back to the pile of photos in front of them.

"You think? Still going for boyfriend of the year award, huh?" She playfully nudged his shoulder with her own.

"We um...we broke up," he said quietly.

"What? Lucas, I'm sorry," she said sincerely. She grabbed his hand in hers and placed it on her knee.

"Lucas, if you're that worried about her, I'll make it really easy for you to get to her," she said angrily, throwing her things into a bag.

"Kate!" he shouted, trying to stop her.

"No, Luke. I'm not going to stand in your way. This isn't working any more," she explained, halting her actions and looking at him. "Go help your friend. I just...I can't do this any more."

"Kate, will you please stay?" he pleaded. "We can talk about this."

"I don't want to talk about it, Lucas. I'm going back to Charlotte. I've already gotten my old job back."

"What?" he asked, dumbfounded. "How long have you been planning this?"

"Since you've been more worried about your divorced friend than you have ever been about me," she said calmly. "We had a good run, Lucas. But we both know this relationship just isn't it for either of us."

He looked at her again and he knew she was right. He said the only thing that came to mind.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she said, walking towards him. "It's just life."

She kissed him gently for the last time, and walked out of his room without another word.

She'd left him two weeks prior, but he hadn't wanted to say anything to Peyton and add to her feelings of abandonment, whether it was for her or for someone else.

"Yeah. I guess it's been a tough year on hearts," he added with a chuckle.

"You've said that to me before. How sad is that?" she asked.

"Can we not be two depressed people for the weekend?" he said, standing up and reaching for her hand. He pulled her to her feet.

"Sounds perfect. What do you want to be, then?" she asked.

"Let's go for a walk," he said, pulling her towards the door. She just had enough time to grab her keys off the counter before the were out the door.