Background Story: Peyton is the biological child of Larry and Anna Sawyer. When Peyton was ten Larry died in a boating accident, overcome with grief Anna packed up everything, sold the house and left Tree Hill. They moved to Seattle, there Anna met charming and respectable lawyer Andrew Larson. The two were soon married and when Peyton was twelve, they welcomed a daughter Emily. To their family and friends, they're simply picture perfect. However, things aren't always what they seem.
Summary: Peyton's life with her mother, stepfather, and half sister is far from perfect. Even with all the fancy materialistic items and big smiles thrown their family and friends' way, it doesn't change the fact that behind closed doors, life's a living nightmare, Alternate Universe. Previously titled Breakaway
Disclaimer: I don't own the show One Tree Hill or its character except Andrew and Emily, those two are mine.
Chapter One: What Doesn't Kill Us, Makes Us Stronger
Nightmare – 1: an evil spirit formerly thought to oppress people during sleep. 2: a frightening dream that usually awakens the sleeper. 3: something (as an experience, situation, or object) having the monstrous character of a nightmare or producing a feeling of anxiety or terror.
Was it the first one that applied to her? No, and big one at that. What about the second? Wrong, again of course. Okay, I guess third is the winner then. It was weird how one definition in the dictionary held so much meaning to her life, practically summing it to a t. This wasn't the way her life was supposed to be. But you know the saying. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. It was as simple as that and just as unfair.
She resided on the bed, her head to the head board, and knees to her chest. With five year old Emily next to her they waited wanting it all to end; the fighting, the arguing, and breaking of objects. Which when the next day came would be replaced; with that would come the continuation of their loving family saga. A loving family, Peyton wasn't sure what meant anymore and Emily had never known anything different than their perpetual hell.
"Peyton" the girl whispered, tears filling up in her little brown eyes while her bottom lip trembled. "I'm scared" her words were muffled and spoken softer than before as she sniffled. Removing the hold she had on her knees, Peyton allowed the child to climb on her lap.
"I'm here Emily, always" she rubbed her back soothingly as the cries became whimpers. Humming a nursery rhyme she stared straight a head, her green eyes emotionless, not even one tear had shed. She wasn't going to cry because the truth was; it wasn't going to change anything. Crying wasn't going to stop Andrew from hurting them, it wasn't going to convince her mother to take them away from here, and it certainly wasn't to get them back all the years of torment and tears that had been shed. She learned that the hard way. There was only one thing to do, bottle it up.
Laying a sleeping Emily down and placing her under the covers, she stroked the girl brown hair. Peyton eyed the clock the big red numbers letting her know that it was 10:45. The commotion downstairs had finally ceased. It was time to view the damage.
Anna Larson sat in the kitchen in a chair while spots of blood obscured various places on her white dress. Her pearl necklace laid broken on the kitchen floor along with shards of broken glass.
"Mom" she called and the woman's head snapped. Peyton was met with the sight of bruises on her mother's body. She walked closer to her, wary of the floor. "We can't keep living like this. It's not fair to me it's fair to Emily," she whispered her teeth clenched.
"Peyton please don't start this again" Anna said annoyed, wiping the blood from her busted lip.
She stared at her in disbelief. This woman wasn't the mother she knew, and she hadn't been for a long time. "How can you say that to me? Andrew is hurting all three us of you act as if he's done nothing wrong! What if one day he does something worse?" She shuddered at the thought. "What the hell are you going to do then?"
Anna grabbed an ice pack from the freezer shaking her head. "You're being ridiculous, your father would never do anything like that," she murmured trying to convince her of the notion.
She flinched; not believing that her mother had the audacity to call that monster her father. "Why not he's already beating us"? She lifted up the sleeve of her pajama shirt. "Do you see these bruises? What about this freaking cast that I have to wear on my wrist, and then there's Emily. She has a broken arm!"
Anna pulled out a cigarette, shaking as she lit it. "He didn't mean it; you know how he gets angry sometimes. We have to try harder to keep him happy".
Her eyes widened, and she looked at her mother with disgust. "Are you kidding me? We shouldn't have to try to do anything! He shouldn't be hitting us! Ugh damn it, when are you going to admit that your so called husband is nothing but a sorry son of a-."
She was cut off by her mother's slap. Her mother had never hit her before until now.
Anna covered her mouth with hand when she had realized what she had done. "Peyton, baby I'm so sorry" she cried reaching out to hug her.
Peyton pulled away bewildered. "Don't you dare touch me," she hissed holding her throbbing, cheek. She looked around the ransacked kitchen one last time. "I'm going to bed".
"It going to better sweetie, I promise… we just have to try to keep him happy okay" Anna cried.
Getting ready to stalk out of the room; Peyton stop for a moment, turning around to face her mother one last time. "No I'm not going to try anymore, I am done! I'm done with your promises, which have been nothing but lies; all of them! For the past seven years, my life has been hell and what about Emily this is all she knows, and you haven't done anything to stop that! And I have cried and begged for you to take us and leave, but you're still holding to him and this fake life, while all three of us pay the price for that decision. Because of that I hate you," she spat out venomously.
Anna gasped softly and her face crumbled slightly.
"I hate you Anna!" Her mother looked confused by the use of her first name. "That's right, you don't deserve to be called mom anymore because as far as I'm concerned you haven't been that in a long time."
Peyton inhaled sharply and walked away trying to stop her legs from shaking, as she walked up the stairs. She quietly entered her room, careful not to disturb Emily. After locking the bedroom door, she slid to the floor. "I'm not going to cry, I'm not going to cry" she whispered forcefully into night, no more tears.