With a sigh, Peyton stood by the front door, waiting for the rest of her kids to get downstairs. "Come on, guys, we were supposed to leave to meet your father five minutes ago. It's time to get in the van," she called through the house, once again. The twins, Madison and Kerri, were already downstairs, along with Jessalyn, Ainsley and Ryan. Martin, Marissa and Seth, however, were nowhere to be seen. Martin and Seth came slowly down the stairs, overnight bags slung over their shoulders, but the last sextuplet was still MIA.

Just as Peyton was about to go find her youngest daughter, Marissa came into view, chatting incessantly on her cell phone to her latest boyfriend. She sent everyone a 'Well, what are we waiting for?' look as they all stared at her in disbelief. Peyton sighed again, but just ushered her kids outside. She didn't have time to deal with this, and she knew Marissa didn't want to go see her dad anyway. There was nothing she could do about it, though. The kids were required to visit him until they were 18, those were the custody rules.

All eight kids piled into the van, and Peyton climbed into the driver's seat. Kerri was in the passenger seat next to her. The twins usually switched off, because they were two years older than the sextuplets. Peyton allowed Kerri to switch the radio to a rock station, only because Marissa was still on the phone, and couldn't complain. She wasn't looking forward to seeing her soon-to-be ex-husband this weekend, not after such a crappy week, but it was his weekend, and she had to trade cars with him, because he didn't have a car big enough to fit all eight kids.

When she got to the park where they met every other weekend, to trade kids, she spotted his car, and parked a few spaces away from it in the parking lot. Peyton unbuckled her seatbelt and turned in her seat. "I guess I'll see you in a couple of days. I love you guys," she said, resisting the urge to look over at her soon-to-be ex, who she knew was now approaching the van. She knew what was coming when she looked at him. The kids all chorused their goodbye's as Peyton heard the driver's side door open, which meant she could avoid it no longer.

Taking in a deep breath, Peyton turned toward the front again, looking over at her husband. She felt that familiar flutter of her heart as her breath caught in her throat, and she had to remind herself that he was going to be her ex, just as soon as the divorce papers were filed. They were still in the process of getting that started, and sometimes, mostly whenever she saw him, she wished that they didn't have to get divorce papers. Then she would remember what he did, how he had ruined their marriage, and she would get that sick feeling in her stomach, which allowed her to take her gaze off of him.

Biting back the sarcastic remark that wanted to slip off her tongue, Peyton managed to keep her expression apathetic. She didn't want him to know that a part of her died every weekend that they had to trade the kids. That she hated sleeping in their bed alone, and had taken to sleeping in the guest bedroom until she could afford a new bed. That she hated going to those stupid meetings with their lawyers to discuss the division of their things. She didn't want him to know that all she wanted was to be held in his arms again, and if she let him know that all this was affecting her, he would know all of those things, because, as he'd told her repeatedly while they had been a happy couple, he'd always known her.

With a last goodbye to her kids, ignoring her estranged husband entirely, she grabbed her purse, and anything else she would need out of the van and slid out. It would have been the perfect way to make an exit, since she had to brush right past him. There was only one problem. As her feet hit the ground, her ankle twisted underneath her, because of the new heels she hadn't quite gotten used to walking in yet, and she nearly fell to the ground. The only thing that stopped her from being seriously injured was the arms that gripped her waist.

Her eyes had closed during the fall, and as he gently set her on her feet, she slowly opened them, a bit surprised at the fact that she hadn't hit pavement, but no matter what she tried to tell herself, that wasn't the reason why she was breathless. She didn't want him to let go of her, but she knew he had to. She was frozen, though, so no matter what he did, all she could do was stare into his deep blue eyes. The eyes that had graced her dreams for eighteen years of marriage, and now they haunted her dreams during the breaking of that marriage.

With that thought, she took a deep breath, pulling out of his grip. "Thank you, Lucas," she said her apathetic expression back on her face. It didn't matter how much she wanted to be back in his arms. That could never happen again. She took the keys to the car he had bought when she had kicked him out, told him the van keys were in the ignition and turned, her heels clicking against the pavement as she walked to the vintage Mustang. She had to admit, it was a nice car, almost an exact replica of the car he'd had in high school. She didn't look back at him as she walked away, though she felt his gaze on her the whole time.

Lucas hadn't even gotten into the van by the time Peyton had pulled out of the parking lot. Her phone beeped, and she pulled it out of her purse, which she had slung onto the passenger seat. She opened the text message, which was from Ainsley. It read: 'I wish you would just let Madi or Kerri drive the van. Then you wouldn't have to see him. It's bad enough we have to put up with him. You shouldn't have to.' Peyton was glad to have her children's support, but they really didn't understand. Half of them hated their dad for what he did. The other half wished things would go back to normal.

None of this was what she wanted. When she had gone back to him after he left her in that hotel room, she had really believed they were meant to be together forever, or she wouldn't have risked her pride. How did she get here, 37 and getting a divorce, with eight kids and a husband who had given up? Yeah, she had known things were hard, but she didn't expect him to just throw in the towel. Neither of them had really gotten their dream. His book had never gotten published, even though he met with that editor in New York. He had chosen to coach the Ravens and live in Tree Hill instead. She worked as an art teacher at the high school, but she wanted more, and she was pretty sure he did too. She just didn't think he'd actually look for more, instead of talking to her.

She had her kids, though, and a big family, and that was what she had always wanted. Especially since her family was so messed up, and his was too. Neither of them grew up in a two parent home, and she had wanted to give her kids that, if she didn't give them anything else. She had been pretty sure that she had done that, and that made her happy. She had thought that made him happy too. He had told her that was all he wanted, and, silly her, she had believed him. Just like that, she was taken back to that day.

FLASHBACK

It was a week after Lucas had left her alone in that hotel room, and Peyton realized something. This just wasn't working. He had taken her answer the wrong way, but she just couldn't allow him to walk out of her life. She had spent the past week at work doing nothing but crying, and she didn't want to be there anymore. She wanted to take a chance, and she wanted to do that with the man who had wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, just a week ago. Suddenly all of her arguements seemed stupid, if they meant she couldn't be with the love of her life.

So she quit her job, packed up her apartment, and hopped on a plane to Tree Hill, where her family and her home was. Not to mention the man of her dreams. When she landed, she was happy to be back in Tree Hill. It had been a year, and far too long since she had been home, and she felt the familiar feeling wash over her as she drove through the streets in her rental car. She had wanted to call Brooke, to see if her brunette best friend wanted to venture home with her as well, but she knew that Brooke was making it big in New York, which had always been her dream.

Peyton just drove through town for a while, reliving memories in a town she hadn't been in for more than a year. Her first stop was the Rivercourt. She wanted to go straight to Lucas's house, but she had no idea what she was going to say. So she decided to sit on that blacktop and wait for the words to come with her. She figured it would do her some good to remember the person she was a year ago. Looking back, LA hadn't been as good to her as she tried to make Lucas believe. She just didn't know if she'd be able to make it in music here, like Lucas had told her.

As she sat down, next to their signatures, she trailed her fingers over the letters of his name. She had been so happy, and in love the last time she was here. She was still in love, but LA had taken away some of her happiness. She honestly missed seeing Lucas every day, being with him. She only wished he would take her back. They were both different people, but she was sure they were still meant for each other. She hoped that he still believed in that too. She could picture them, years down the road, with a bunch of blonde, broody teenagers, and smiled at the vision. They would give them hell, but she wanted that.

Before Peyton could do anything else, Peyton heard her name being said. She hadn't heard the car pull up, but she would know that voice anywhere. She turned, since her back was toward him, and looked up at the man who had been occupying her thoughts. "Lucas," she replied, hurridely getting to her feet. She stayed where she was, looking into his eyes and trying to decipher the emotions in them. It looked like confusion, surprise, and happiness. Or maybe that's just what she wanted to see. Just in case, she didn't move, deciding to let him make the next move.

Running his hand through his hair, Lucas swallowed hard. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, then opened them again, but she was still there, standing in front of him, nervously biting her lip as she waited for him to do something. He honestly couldn't believe she was in Tree Hill, not when just a week before she had told him that LA was her new home. "What are you doing here?" he managed to ask around the lump that had formed in his throat. There were many questions he could have asked, but that seemed to be the best.

Still unable to tell if he wanted her there or not, Peyton sighed, taking her gaze away from his blue eyes. This was it, what she had come here for. Quitting her job, hopping on a plane to Tree Hill, it all meant nothing if she couldn't gather some courage for this moment right here. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at him again, more confident this time. "I made a mistake, Luke. I guess I didn't know that saying someday meant never. I should have said yes, and if marrying you is what it takes to keep you, I'll do it, because I can't live without you, Lucas. You're my dream, and you're all I need," she said.

There was a moment of silence as Lucas stood there with shock lining his every feature and Peyton closed her eyes, turning away. "I guess I'm too late. Sorry," she said, holding back tears as she turned away, planning to get into the rental car and drive back to the airport, getting on a plane to anywhere, as long as it was out of Tree Hill. She was stopped by a hand on her arm, though, and she turned, expecting just about anything except what happened. She couldn't say anything else, though, because Lucas's lips were on hers.

When she regained her grip on reality, she pulled back enough so she could look in his eyes, letting him know that he couldn't kiss his way out of this. He had to give her some kind of answer. "I've always wanted that, Peyton. I want everything with you, and I think that's been true since we were sixteen. It's taken us a long time to get here, and I don't care if I never sell my novel, and the best job I can get is working here for the Ravens. You're all I need, Peyton, and I want you to be my wife," he said, getting down on one knee as he spoke.

This time when he pulled the ring box out of his pocket, Peyton didn't force him to keep it closed. She was still scared of it's contents, but her fear didn't matter, as long as she had Lucas. "I don't know why I'm still carrying this on me. Maybe it was fate. All I know is, I want you to be Peyton Scott. What do you say?" he flipped open the ring box and held it out toward her, looking up at her with a boyish grin as he waited for the answer she had just given him. "Keep in mind, you did just say you wanted to marry me," he couldn't help but add.

Nodding furiously, and wiping at the happy tears that were now trailing down her cheeks, Peyton launched herself into his arms, kissing him and knocking him backwards onto the blacktop behind them. She nearly knocked the air out of him, but considering the fact that she was laying on top of him, not to mention making out with him, he didn't complain. His hands just held her waist, keeping her close to him, and kissing her back with just as much passion. Peyton's hands were braced on the ground on either side of his head, so she could at least keep some of her weight off of him, not that she weighed that much.

When she forced herself to pull back, she smiled at him sheepishly, getting to her feet and helping him get to his. "Does that mean you say yes?" he asked, teasing her. Instead of dignifying that with a response, Peyton grabbed the ring box from where it had fallen on the ground and plucked the ring out of it. He took it out of her hand before she could slip it on the ring finger of her left hand, and she glared at him, looking like she was about to smack him. "For someone who didn't want to look at the ring a week ago, you sure are anxious to wear it now," he teased again, taking her left hand and slipping the engagement ring on her finger.

Before she could respond, he brought her hand up to his lips, and kissed the ring, before holding her hand in both of his. "There, it's right where it should be," he said, looking down at the ring on her finger fondly. She looked down at it with a smile, but she couldn't help but feel the slightest sense of unease, as if they really were moving too fast. She quickly shoved the feeling aside. She knew she wanted to marry Lucas, what did it matter if it happened a little sooner than she had planned? As long as she got to be with him, that was what mattered, right? She'd rather have him as her husband than not have him at all.

END FLASHBACK

Obviously, the timing was everything. Or, maybe they just weren't as meant to be as everyone thought. As she had thought. That night, they conceived their twin girls. Lucas had turned down the book offer when they found out, because he wanted to stay home and help Peyton with the pregnancy. It was a complicated pregnancy, and after, doctors told her she wouldn't be able to get pregnant on her own again. So less than two years later, when they wanted just one more, they went to the fertility doctor and she got pregnant again, with six more. She hadn't planned to be a mother of eight before she was twenty-four, but she wouldn't trade her kids for anything.

Things hadn't been perfect all the time, of course. It was hard taking care of eight children on the low income that they were getting, but they always managed to put food on the table. Sometimes the kids had wanted for things, and so had they, but they were only material things. All the necessities were usually taken care of. Lately, since they had gotten jobs, things got easier, because once they started working Peyton and Lucas refused to pay for anything that wasn't a necessity. That had helped on the money front, but, obviously, things had gotten more strained on their marriage, recently.

The thing was, Peyton hadn't really seen it coming. Sure, things had been strained, especially since he started working on getting that book published. She didn't expect it to come to an abrubt halt, though. She hadn't expected the events of the summer. They had tried. She had tried. She knew it was no good, though. The only reason she was drawing out the divorce process was because she didn't want to let go. She was still so in love with Lucas it hurt, but it was obvious he didn't feel the same way anymore. This year, she made a prediction for what would happen in the coming year, like he'd done with Haley every school year. Hers said: Peyton Scott will become Peyton Sawyer. She didn't want to believe it, but she had to.

When she reached her house-her big, empty house-she went straight to her bedroom. She didn't pause to listen to the silence, like she used to on those odd days when she got the house to herself, back when things were good. In those days, she'd live for the times when all the kids were out of the house at once. Now the silence was deafening, because she wanted anything but to be in that big empty house. She just wanted her life to be back to normal. It wasn't, though. Sp whenever she returned from dropping all the kids off, she retreated to her room for the weekend, turned the music up to fill the silence, and just cried.

A/N: Another new idea I got. I've been meaning to do a story with this the Leyton divorce secenerio for a while, and lately I've been watching a lot of Jon and Kate plus 8. I kind of like the idea of eight children, all close to the same age, and all the different personalities they would have. I dunno. Anyway, so I decided to kind of combine the two ideas. What do you think? Should I continue, or is it not very good? If I continue, you should find out what Lucas did within the next couple chapters, if not the next one. Anyway, leave a review, let me here what y'all think.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill, or Jon and Kate plus 8, just the ideas they inspire in my head.