Chapter re-edited and updated january 10th, 2015.


Author's note: Inspired by xMusicGurlx's fic "Stockholm Syndrome", but as that one was never continued, I just had to make my own story.

Disclaimer: I do not anything but the writing. The characters and everything that comes with One Tree Hill belongs to its respectful owners.

The title "A Dangerous Mind" comes from the song by Within Temptation. That song just really fits that whole Peyton/Psycho Derek storyline, you should check it out.

A Dangerous Mind

Peyton shuddered in fear as Derek closed up on her with the taser ready in his hand, electrifying sparks threateningly shooting through it. She stumbled as she turned around, a scream fighting its way out of her throat. The fear was overwhelming, she couldn't think clearly, and as she ran into her closet, she realized there was no where else to turn. She was trapped; his big, threatening body approaching, blocking her way out. Her mind was numb from fear, and she grabbed anything she could find to throw at him, sending some music records flying in his direction. She realized how useless it was, as he just knocked them out of the way, and then he was close enough to reach her. She had stumbled all the way into the corner, and he grabbed Peyton's arm violently, throwing her up against the wall. The air was knocked out of her and she struggled to catch her breath. Her green eyes widely stared at him, tears starting to gather as he slowly pulled his arms around her waist and pulled her body closer to his.

"Are you ready to come with me, Peyton?" he whispered, and those blue eyes looked so feverishly into her own, as if he was some wild animal. Peyton struggled hard and violently to get free from him, kicking and flailing her arms, but he strongly held onto her, refusing to let go. Eventually she managed to kick him in the groin though. His grip on her loosened and he growled in pain, bending down, where she then took the opportunity to shove herself away from his chest, her feet struggling to find the ground properly. She saw the open bedroom door, inviting her to safety, and her feet stumbled into a running rhythm as fast as she could.

She could see the top of the stairs now, her heavy breath ringing in her ears, and she was hopeful she'd actually make it. Only half a second later did she feel a ripping pain as she was yanked backwards by her hair. A horrified yelp came out of her, and then he shoved her hard into the wall again, growling angrily. His face was only a few inches away from her own, his forehead laced with sweat, and his heavy breath hit her face. She struggled futilely, her arms pushing at his chest, but he was so strong. His body trapped hers, he pressed himself against her, pushing her into the wall, and she really had no way of escaping him.

"Please, please, please! Don't do this, don't!" she whimpered desperately. She didn't know what his intentions were, but she'd rather not find out either. All sorts of terrible possibilities were running through her head, and tears began running down her cheeks. Derek smiled slightly, tilting his head to the side. "It's ok. Just relax and you'll be okay." He said it so calmly it was sickening.

His hand stroked up her exposed leg, her cheerleading uniform not being much for protection, and Peyton suffocated a terrified sob. She glanced down, seeing his other hand with the taser raising, and she took a shuddering breath, closing her eyes tightly. "Please…"

But before she even knew what was happening next, an intense pain filled her body. She screamed loudly, her body trying to put up a final fight, but all control seemed to painfully disappear from her limbs.

And then everything was dark.

X

Lucas was lying on the bed in his room, staring up at the roof, his mind elsewhere. He was thinking about Peyton, poor Peyton… He tried not to listen to the ticking clock, telling him that time was moving, precious time where she could be slipping farther and farther away from him. Precious time where she could go from being alive to… No. Don't think it.

His hands came to rest at his forehead, and then he was pulling at his hair, a hopeless sigh falling from his lips. He could still see the clear, terrifying images in his mind from the night before, when he had arrived at her house.

Lucas stopped, catching his breath for a second. He had just reached Peyton's house after running faster than he could ever remember. He saw the front door hanging wide open, while one of the glass windows next to the door were broken. Her purse was also lying on the front porch. His panicked thoughts drove him forward in an insane speed. As he got inside, worry clutching in his stomach, he heard no sound inside the house. No voices, no screams… not a sound. The worst possibilities imaginable went through his head as he ran up the stairs, heading for her room. Was he about to find her body in there, molested and broken? Would she even be alive? As he almost threw himself into Peyton's room, the first thing that hit him was pure shock.

He blinked several times, taking the disturbing image of her room in. Hundreds upon hundreds of pictures of Peyton's face were looking back at Lucas, from every angle. He couldn't even see the walls behind all the pictures, it was completely unrecognizable. There were pictures of Peyton doing the most random things; on some she was talking on the phone, looking out her window, or simply walking down the street. There were pictures of her eating lunch, driving her car, and even hanging out with Lucas. Some of the pictures seemed to be from more than a year ago.

After feeling completely stunned for a moment, having taken in the sick appearance of the room, Lucas looked around in a hurry. Any sign for Peyton, anywhere… He could not see her at all. He looked behind the bed, in her closet, the bathroom… there was no one there.

"PEYTON!" Lucas screamed, feeling his fear growing. It didn't seem like Peyton nor Derek were there, but he couldn't give up yet. "PEYTON!" He left her room, searching the rest of the house, but with each new room he entered, his hopes got smaller. "No, no, no…"

Lucas suddenly heard a knock on the door. He sat up on the bed in a hurry, wiping his eyes just before whoever had knocked came in.

"Hey", Brooke said in a hoarse voice and managed a smile. Lucas noticed that the skin around her eyes looked slightly red, and he figured she had been crying.

"Brooke, hey…" he answered. She closed the door and sat down on the bed with him.

They just looked at each other for a moment, without saying anything. Lucas could see Brooke's eyes filling up with tears, and he quickly looked away, so he wouldn't lose it, too.

"So, uh.. Larry called. He's on his way home," Brooke suddenly said in an attempted casual tone.

"Oh." Lucas didn't really know how to respond.

Then, without any warning, Brooke burst into tears.

"It's all my fault, Luke! It's all my fault! Just because I was m-mad at Peyton over some stupid thing, I wasn't there! I could have stopped it, I could have seen through him before he- and now I might never see her again… If I had been there-" her voice broke. "How will I ever forgive myself for this? It's all my fault, it's all my fault…" she cried, tears streaming down her face. Her voice sounded so pitiful and broken.

Lucas took her hand and squeezed. "And why would it be your fault, Brooke? There was nothing you could have done, you didn't know, none of us had any idea what would happen… He fooled us all…" Lucas could feel his own voice shaking, as he knew exactly how Brooke was feeling. Peyton kept saying he was always saving her, yet he hadn't managed to save her from this. He let Peyton go to her house alone that night, and now she was gone, lost... possibly forever… If only he had been there minutes earlier, he might have made it in time. He couldn't bare the thought of it.

"I was her best friend! I-I am her best friend! And I left h-her when she needed me most! I d-don't even understand why I was so mad at her in the first place, and now- …I might never get to see her again, to apologize to her. She thinks I hate her…" Brooke sobbed and fell into Lucas' arms, shaking with tears.

Normally Lucas would have reacted about the fact that he and Brooke shared a moment like this, especially now that they were broken up, but now… He couldn't feel anything. This was different. So very different.

"Of course she doesn't think you hate her, Brooke," he said. "A friendship that has lasted for as long as yours can't be ruined like that. I'm sure she knows you love her. It was just a stupid fight; you'll work it out. Because we will see her again, we can't give up already. It's only been one day; I'm sure she'll be back with us any moment. And she'll be… she'll be fine." Lucas tried his best not to only convince Brooke of this, but also himself, as he felt the crushing feeling of doubt overpowering him.