"Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

"You mean am I nervous about seeing all of our friends and family and explaining what happened to us in the last year after we left without saying goodbye to any of them? Yeah, Luke, I'm a little nervous..." Peyton says, turning to face him in bed.

"What do you think is going to happen?"

"Luke, we... God, I know that it hurt them when we left... and part of me thinks that they're going to be happy for us just in knowing that we are okay, but do you know how many questions we are going to have to answer when we get back in town tomorrow?"

"Well, for one thing, I hope that we get settled before anyone realizes that we're back. We've been gone for over a year, so I'm pretty sure they aren't expecting us to show up at the doorstep." he says, making a joke, and then watching the concern cross her features. "What?"

"How exactly are we going to do this? I mean, we are just going to show up on their doorstep..."

"We could wait for a few more weeks, and start contacting them now to prepare them for us coming back?"

"No, it's gotta be like a band-aid, cause I'm going to wuss out if it isn't." she says, allowing her nervousness to show as she wrung her hands.

He placed his hands over hers, trying to calm her fears. "You know why we want to go back, and I couldn't agree with you more. I think they'll be okay... they'll get over it, and everything will go back to normal."

She nods, and then moves to put her head on his chest as he hugs her close. Neither was going to sleep that night, playing back what happened a little over a year ago in both of their heads.

–

A year ago...

–

He knew that Haley was right, and that he needed to stop running, but he couldn't face it here anymore. He thought that he was going to have everything figured out by now, but it was too hard. Seeing Peyton in her office was the last thing that he should have done, but he couldn't help it. After all these years she still had that power over him...drawing him to her time after time. Maybe that was for a reason. When she told him her dream, he knew... he knew that what happened with Lindsay was the best thing that could have happened. He knew that Peyton was it for him, and everyone else was saying the same thing. Yet, he still found himself running.

By now, Haley and Nathan had probably put Jamie to sleep and were halfway there themselves, so it was too late to knock on the door to say goodbye. Instead, he left a note stuck to the front door, hoping they would find it and accept that he needed his space.

I know that this is going to piss you guys off, but I've got to get out of here. I know you told me to stop running Hales, but I can't be here. I can't be here with my past here... Lindsay, Peyton, Keith, everything that has caused so many different emotions in me. The house will be taken care of, and I don't know when I'll be back. I'm going to be fine, and know that I will call if I run into any issues. Haley, I know that the mom in you is going to freak out, and I know the best friend in you is going to be hurt, but I'm going to be fine. Take good care of my nephew, and tell him I love him.

Lucas

With that, he got in his car and headed for the airport, ready to hop a plane to anywhere that sounded appealing. His second novel was done, and hopefully the money from that would have him be set for a while, and he could figure everything out when he got to wherever it was that he was going.

Once at the airport, that was the problem...knowing where he was going. As he sat, contemplating everything from the day, he glanced at his phone. He knew the only thing that would point him in the right direction, and he went for it...

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me. I can't be here anymore. I want to start over, and I want to do it away from all the bad memories."

"Luke..."

"I want you to be with me..." he said into the phone, and before she could respond, he continued, "I know that this sounds crazy, and I know that there is so much that we need to work out, but I want this with you. If you don't want to come, then that is fine, but--"

"Fifteen minutes...how long are we going to be gone?"

"What?"

"I need fifteen minutes to pack, and I want to know how long we are going to be gone."

"I don't know...however long it takes to get it right again."

"I'll pack for a month, and we'll see how it goes..."

"Peyton..."

"Fifteen minutes..."

She hung up the phone on her end, and she was absolutely reeling. Part of her contemplated the idea that she was actually still asleep until she ran into something in the closet and felt a sharp pain in her side.

When she finally got enough stuff together, she sat on her bed for a moment, really taking the time to think about what she was about to do. She loved him, and that was never a question in her mind. Now he was taking this risk with her, which showed... what exactly? That was the part she was hung up on. Was she his second choice? Did he really still love her? If she didn't go, would she regret it?

The idea of regretting not going forced her out of her bedroom that night, and in her hurry to get out of the house, she didn't dare wake up her housemate for fear of the questioning that would surround her actions. Instead she wrote a quick, but thoughtful note saying her goodbyes.

I know you are going to freak when you read this, but I'm leaving town for a while. I don't exactly know how it is going to pan out, but know that I'm going to be okay, so don't worry about me. You are the best friend in the world for how much you have helped me out these past few months with all the drama, but I've got to figure all this out for myself now. I love you B. Davis...

P.

And with that, she left, not knowing that the next time she set foot in this house was going to be very different.

–

Present Day

–

"Hey, we're here babe." he says, shaking her shoulder a bit to wake her.

"Already?"

"You were tired...I even think you started snoring."

She turns in her seat to hit him in that moment, "I did not, shut up!"

They exchange laughs and looks, and then find themselves sitting in the driveway, seemingly pondering the meaning of life.

"Looks like I never left."

"So this is home now?"

"If you want it to be, it is."

"There is no better place for us, so I guess it is home."

He nods in agreement, and pushes open his door, stepping out into the fresh air.

After a quick unpacking of the car, they parked it in the garage and set out to relax for a little while. A little while turned into a long while as the two fell asleep for a few hours and woke up to a dark house.

"When did we fall asleep?" she asks, trying to wipe the sleepiness out of her eyes.

"Probably right after we sat down. It was a long day." he says, getting up from his spot on the sofa to turn on a few lights in the house while she stayed in her spot. "Do you mind if I grab a quick shower before we go grab some food?"

"Not at all, but hurry up, cause I am starving!" she says, pushing him towards the bathroom.

It was a few minutes into the shower that there is a knock at the door, and not thinking anything of it, she walks to the front of the house to answer it.

"Hello?" she says, opening the door, and coming face to face with none other than Nathan Scott.

His eyes widen as he takes in the site in front of him, scanning over her body twice to ensure that who he thought he was seeing was in fact who he was seeing. "Peyton?"

"Nathan!" she says, excited, but biting her lip at the same time.

"You're here...why are you here? Is Lucas here? Do you know where Luke is?" he asks, having not had any contact with either since they left, and not knowing for sure if they were even together.

"He's in the shower... we actually just got in a few hours ago."

"Oh..." he says, not being able to meet her eyes, and focusing on every other part of her but her face.

"Nathan, it's really good to see you... Lucas is going to be so happy when he sees that you're here."

"Does Brooke know you're back?" he asks, causing a moment of panic in Peyton's eyes.

"No... nobody knows that we're here..." she says, and then realizes that he somehow knew that they were there, so what was stopping everyone from the grand inquisition "...so how did you know that we were here."

"I drive by almost every night to make sure everything is good with the house, and tonight I saw lights on. I thought that Karen and Andy might be here, so I figured that I would stop by."

"No, just me and Luke."

"Yeah..." he says, getting uncomfortable. "Listen, why don't you tell Luke that I was here, and we'll see you guys around."

"Why don't you just--"

"No, that's okay, I might see him another day." he says, turning to walk away, still not willing to keep any eye contact with her until the last moment when he turns around, "You should really tell Brooke you're home... even if you're just visiting."

She watched him drive away and thought about the whole meeting, wondering if this was the reaction they were to expect from everyone. Nathan seemed almost cold, making sure that he kept his distance, not wanting her to see any kind of reaction to them being home. Then there was the look in his eyes when he mentioned Brooke. She didn't even try to decipher what that look shared, but knew that she was in for a ride when she told Brooke that she was back.

"Peyton? Did I hear you talking to someone?"

"Nathan."

"Nathan's here?" he says, lighting up with the mention of his brother.

"He left... he said that he might see you around sometime..."

"What was that supposed to mean?"

"Luke, I don't think this was such a good idea..."

–

A year ago

–

When the couple woke up that morning, all seemed well. Breakfast was made and Jamie was already out and ready to jump in the pool. With his fear of the water finally conquered, you couldn't get him out of the water, and he claims that the only thing that was slowing him down was that he couldn't keep his swimsuit on when he was sleeping.

It wasn't until a few hours later that the letter was found.

"I'm going to call him."

"Hales, maybe we need to just let this one go... let him have his moments, you know?"

"I'm his best friend Nathan, I need to be there for him."

"Haley, he says that he's going to be fine, just let him be."

"Maybe you're right..."

The phone chose to right right at that moment.

"Hello? Luke?"

"Hey, no it's Brooke... Peyton is gone."

"So is Lucas..."

"Did you get a note?"

"Yeah, what do you think?"

"Well, maybe they finally got it together..."

"Maybe they did."

"I give them a week...then they'll be back and as Leytony as ever."

"Brooke, you have got to stop with the couple names."

"Why? It's so cute!" she says, continuing the conversation, and letting go of the fact that her best friend left, and fully anticipating that she would see her again in just a week or two.

It wasn't a week though... it was too many moments to count... it was Brooke being attacked and having no one to lean on... it was Jamie in the hospital without his Uncle close by... it was depression... it was gaining a foster child... it was losing a child... it was all these moments without the people that mattered most to them.

–

Present Day

–

"We don't sell the maternity line here, but you can get it online at Bdavis dot com." the sales girl said from behind the counter.

"I was actually looking for the owner, is she--"

Overhearing the conversation, Brooke Davis strutted around to the counter coming face to face with the last person she would have expected. "Peyton..."

–

Okay, so I know that I haven't updated my other one in a while, but I promise that it is coming. In the meantime, what do y'all think of this one?? Came up with it from a really weird dream... I mean you know that you watch too much One Tree Hill when your dreams involve plotlines with the charaters... I'm such a dork!

Anyways, review review!!