DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters of One Tree Hill...sadly.

PAIRINGS: Nathan/Haley, Brooke/Chase, Lucas/Peyton. Possible pairings: Nathan/Peyton, Haley/Chris, Brooke/Lucas, Brooke/Nathan

Summary: Season Five of One Tree Hill. Starts mid August. Flashbacks are in italics.

Marcus Aurelius once said: Remember that no man loses any other life than this which he now lives, nor lives any other than this which he now loses.

"This is the life, P.Sawyer, this is the life." Brooke Davis giggled to her best friend who was laying next to her on the beach. She pushed her shiny, chocolatey brown hair out of her face, sat up and took off her sunglasses, staring into the gorgeous blue water. Peyton Sawyer smiled in agreement, even though she knew Brooke wasn't looking. She had to agree with Brooke, Los Angeles was pretty amazing. She was certain that there hadn't been one day of bad weather since they had arrived, and her internship was going awesome. There was one thing L.A was missing though, which, in her opinion, was the most important thing of all. Lucas Scott, her boyfriend from back home in Tree Hill, was not spending the summer with her. She knew she couldn't whine about it though, Brooke's boyfriend, Chase, was home in Tree Hill too. Peyton sat up next to Brooke and shook her curly blonde hair out of her eyes and surveyed the beach. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted someone worth noticing. Tall, muscular, broad shoulders, hard as rock abs. Even though Lucas was a hottie himself, she still looked at other guys. Where was the harm in that? She took a closer look at the guy who was walking in her direction, her mouth gaping in shock, realizing who this guy was. She stood up abrubtly.

"Peyton, what are you doing?" Brooke asked, taking off her sunglasses to get a better look.

"Nathan?!" Peyton yelled excitedly. She pulled up the very short denim shorts she was wearing, decided not to even worry about her black bikini top and started running towards him with so much enthusiasm, she knocked him down when she leapt over to hug him.

"Hi, Peyt...you wanna, um, get off me now?" Nathan Scott laughed, hugging her back. Peyton got up, and looked at him even more closely. His billabong boardshorts were hanging just low enough so that it gave a hint of what was underneath. Not that she didn't already know, Nathan was her ex-boyfriend. He smiled at her and ran his rough, calloused, basketball playing hands over his short dark brown hair. She looked gorgeous, he always thought so, but especially since he hadn't seen her in almost two months. He looked past her at the cute brunette sitting down by their stuff.

"Brooke Davis" he said bluntly. Brooke smiled at him, giving him her most jokingly seductive look.

"Nathan Scott" she said huskily, before breaking into a fit of giggles and getting up to hug the gorgeous, God-like boy standing dangerously close to her best friend. Nathan and Peyton, in her opinion, had been the perfect couple. Of course, she knew they weren't, but they always appeared perfect, and even though Brooke knew that wasn't important, it never made her change her mind about the couple. Of course, Nathan was married now, to Haley-James Scott and had a baby boy back in Tree Hill, but Brooke was always nostalgic about Nathan and Peyton.

"Nathan, what are you doing here? Where's Haley?" Peyton asked.

"Haley is in Tree Hill. She..she doesn't exactly..know I'm here.." Nathan stuttered.

Meanwhile in Tree Hill

"Deb, have you seen Nathan?" Haley James-Scott asked her mother in law who was making lunch in the Scott mansion. Deb turned around and took a good look at her glowing daughter in law. Haley was gorgeous, in that natural, glowing, adorable way.

"He told me he was going out for the day..he didn't say where though. He didn't mention it to you?" Deb asked, feeling bad lying to Haley. She knew Nathan went out to California, but he had told her to keep quiet about it, he wasn't sure exactly why he was going and knew Haley wouldn't be too please if he just up and left. Haley frowned. Where was her husband?

Los Angeles

"What do you mean, 'she doesn't know you're here'"? Peyton asked, feeling very overprotective of her friend.

"I just..I didn't want her to know I left, I knew she wouldn't understand my reasoning for coming.." Nathan started. Peyton looked at him, not exactly following.

"What is your reasoning for coming, Nate?" Brooke asked from behind Peyton. Nathan forgot that she was there and didn't feel comfortable explaining in front of Brooke. Not that she wasn't a good person, or his friend, but she still had a big mouth. He just looked at her. Brooke nodded silently, taking the hint. She smiled mischieviously at Nathan and raised her eyebrows at the concept of a Nathan and Peyton reuinion. She picked up her stuff by her beach towel.

"Peyt, I'm gonna head back to my parents place..call me later?"

Peyton nodded and smiled at her best friend. She wasn't sure why Brooke was leaving, but she was glad to have some time with Nathan to catch up. She sat down on her beach towel and patted the empty towel next to her. Nathan sat down in silence, not exactly sure where to begin.

"Listen Peyton. I'm just going to say this. I came here because..because..life in Tree Hill is overwhelming right now. Don't get me wrong, I love Haley. I do. I love my son. I just feel like...there is more for me out there...like, I missed out on some big secret and I'm only beginning to see what it is. I guess that's why they say you shouldn't marry your high school sweetheart..I still love her, I just..I want more." Nathan explained. Peyton took a deep breath and took it all in, unsure of what to say.

"Nate.." she started

"Theres..there is another reason I came..I, I think I have feelings for you Peyton. I miss you. I miss us. I miss the way you make me feel."

Peyton opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. All of a sudden she wasn't feeling so good.

"Peyton? You home?" Peyton heard Nathan's voice over her music. She turned to her doorway and Nathan walked in.

"Where were you today?" Peyton asked angrily.

"Listen, I'm sorry I missed our lunch date, I really am..it's just, the guys were all.."

Peyton cut him off.

"The guys? It feels like you're dating the team, not me, Nate. I'm so sick of you blowing me off. If you don't want to be with me then don't be" Peyton said forcefully, though she wasnt sure she actually believed what she was saying. Did she actually want to break up with him?

"You want to break up? Fine. We're done." Nathan yelled before turning around and walking out of Peyton's room.

Peyton remembered the first time they had broken up. It had only lasted two days before they ended up getting back together. That was the way it had been with them. They weren't happy together, but they couldn't be without eachother.

"Are you..going to say something?" Nathan asked quietly. Peyton opened her mouth again, but couldn't find the words. What did he want her to say?

Lucas Scott smiled to himself as he gripped the steering wheel of Peyton's car. How surprised would she be when he showed up in California?He missed Peyton more than anything, and hopefully, she missed him just as much.