This is a story that explores how Peyton and Lucas became a couple. The story mostly follows the events of the show, up to the beginning of the second season—but Keith still owns his show and Lucas still works there. Also, Jake returned a few months after leaving and he and Peyton have been dating ever since. I think everything else is pretty well explained, but if there is any confusion, let me know. Hope everyone enjoys! Please let me know if it is worth continuing. Thanks!

Unlocking Doors, Opening Windows

Chapter 1 – I Walk a Lonely Road

The North Carolina sun was still high in the hazy blue sky when Lucas left work at the garage for the last time, well hopefully the last time, in his young life. He drove down the street, making a mental list of the things he still needed to pack before his train left in two short days. Most of the larger items had been shipped ahead to his university-provided apartment, but there were still clothes and books to be sorted through and packed into the last remaining suitcases. Thanks to both academic and athletic scholarships, Lucas was looking at a completely free ride at one of the best schools in the country; Columbia. His tuition, books, and a one-bedroom apartment were all covered under scholarships while state grants would help a great deal with living expenses.

Although he would miss his mother a great deal, Lucas didn't feel that he was leaving much else behind. Haley and Nathan had both been offered considerably generous scholarships to Columbia; she for academics and he for basketball. The coach wouldn't consider turning down the chance to have both Scott brothers on his same team. Peyton was also going to be in New York studying in Columbia's well-respected art program. While Lucas was ticking through his mental list of shirts and other belongings he wanted to be sure to take, he failed to notice that a black car had just blown the red light at the intersection and was headed straight for him. He swerved just in time, and noticed that it was Peyton's car, with a very frazzled and frightened Peyton in the front seat.

Following her closely until she pulled over in a nearby park, Lucas jumped out of the truck and stormed toward her. Fortunately for her, his anger dissipated when he noticed that his friend was almost in tears and her hands, which were gripped tightly on the wheel, trembled wildly. He called her name but she didn't even turn her head in acknowledgement. Reaching in through the open window, he unlocked her door and opened it so that he could turn off her engine and pull her from the car.

"What are you doing? I thought we were passed this stage where you tried to kill yourself."

"I wasn't—" Peyton answered shakily, leaning against the car for support. Tears threatened the corners of her currently brown eyes so she shut them in an attempt to stop the onslaught. "All the times I tried—and this wasn't on purpose. I didn't see the light. I'm so sorry—"

"It's okay now. I'm fine, you're fine." His voice was gentle and his intentions fueled by genuine concern as his arms tried to circle her in a hug. She turned away, wiping harshly at the tears that had finally escaped.

"Please don't be nice. I can't deal with that right now—"

"Peyton, what's going on?" Lucas hadn't seen her in such a state since the last anniversary of her mother's death; but at least on that occasion he had understood the source. Peyton shook her head, walking away from him and wandering somewhat aimlessly into the children's playground, where luckily no children were currently attempting to play. Lucas was about to follow her but was distracted when her cell phone began to ring from her purse, the contents of which were scattered across her backseat. He picked up the call immediately when he saw Haley's name on the screen.

"Hales?"

"Hey Luke. Are you with Peyton? Or did I dial the wrong number again? I'm losing it—"

"Haley. It's Peyton's phone. What's going on?"

"I was about to ask her the same thing. She was supposed to be here forty-five minutes ago. Brooke's here, and I don't know how much longer I can hold her off. We were supposed to go shopping." Brooke felt that if she could not be with her two best friends in New York, she could at least impart some last bits of fashion sense before they left later that week.

"I don't think she's in a shopping mood," Lucas answered as he watched Peyton pace around the merry-go-round, her hair blowing wildly in the late summer wind. If Lucas knew anything about that type of wind, he guessed that they were in for a heavy storm later that night. Haley wasn't talking to him anymore, she was focused on the scene in her living room, where Brooke was currently screaming at a newly-arrived Jake and attempting to hit him with one of Nathan's signed baseball bats that usually sat in the hall closet. Haley dropped the phone in an attempt to grab Brooke as the short brunette ran past. Lucas listened with intent, wondering what in the world was going on. A minute or so later, Haley returned to the phone but Lucas could still hear Brooke screeching in the background.

"Luke?"

"Still here Hales."

"Jake just came in."

"Why's Brooke yelling?"

"It seems that Jake broke up with Peyton less than an hour ago. He came here because he couldn't get a hold of anyone and he wanted to make sure she got home alright."

"And suddenly everything makes sense," Lucas said as his eyes fell again to the troubled blond, who was now twisting back and forth on a wooden swing on the other side of the playground. She obviously had no intention of bothering Lucas to give back her car keys. And that was a good thing because he had no intention of returning them to the moody Peyton; she was dangerous when operating machinery.

"Take care of her Luke," Haley pleaded softly. "We'll wait back at her house."

"We'll be there as soon as we can," Luke agreed. "Get over there soon. It looks like this weather is going to get ugly." Black clouds were rolling in as they spoke.

"It's not supposed to rain," Haley argued as she moved to her kitchen window. Sure enough, storm clouds were on their way in. "I guess I misread the weather. Be careful. I'll see you soon." Lucas hung up the cell phone and tossed it back into the car; carefully pocketing her keys before crossing the playground to the antiquated swing set. The scent of rain in the thick air was accented with a bit of vanilla, and what he would later recognize as ginger, as he stood next to her swing.

"I know you probably don't want to talk about it—"

"He's leaving me," Peyton answered softly, her voice barely audible over the noise caused by the wind blowing leaves through the grass.

"Or maybe you do," Lucas thought to himself. He remained outwardly silent, waiting to see if she was going to follow that revelation up with any sort of thought or feeling. She remained quiet, staring at nothing in particular as the swing continued to sway gently in the breeze that was now seriously becoming more of a wind.

"We need to get inside," Lucas said. Peyton made absolutely no move to react to his statement, so he took her hand in his and forcibly pulled her to the car, where he pushed her into the passenger side. "The hell you're driving," he snapped when she looked at him in surprise.

"Your truck—"

"It's more durable than this thing," he answered as he pulled out of the park and turned toward her house. They both remained silent for the rest of the ride; she surprisingly had nothing to say when he switched on the radio and let it play, regardless of what her choice might have been. Pulling up as close to the porch as possible, Lucas noted that Brooke's little blue car was already parked next to the house. Although the rain had just begun, the two blonds were thoroughly soaked in the two minutes it took him to drag her from the car and run to the front porch. Haley, intuitive as usually, was waiting with towels and coffee. Brooke clucked and cooed as she shepherded Peyton into the house and up to her room, ignoring Lucas completely.

He and Haley, sitting in the kitchen with a pot of coffee and a plate of cookies, heard the bath water running a few minutes later. Brooke joined them several minutes later, gaining a strange look from Haley. "What? She can be alone for two minutes." Brooke said as she poured a cup of coffee. "Its only Jake. It's not like she's going to drown herself in the tub over Jake." Haley didn't look so convinced.

Despite the attempts of Haley and Brooke, Lucas refused to leave that night. He sat in the living room, listening to the rain pound against the windows as he stared for hours at the same page of Tom Jones. The look on Peyton's face when she had run the red light and later when she had told him about Jake had left quite the impression on Lucas. He was haunted; he wouldn't be able to sleep until he was sure she was all right. Haley awarded his stubbornness with a pillow and blanket but informed him that he wasn't going to see Peyton that night. She didn't want to see him and she was too distraught to be argued with. Despite the fact that Peyton desperately wanted to rid herself of loneliness and fear, she didn't quite know how to let anyone in; she had spent too much time facing her fears and her troubles alone.

The title for the first chapter comes from the Green Day Song "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" –

"I walk a lonely road
The only one I that have ever known
Don't know were it goes
But its home and I walk alone"