AN: Hello there. So I posted this story somewhere else, so its already written. I was really happy with how this turned out, so I decided to post it here. I really hope you guys like it and reviews are always appreciated.

Claire xoxox

When You Come Back

Summary: Basically set from the start of season 3 ish. A few differences, Haley never came back, Brooke and Lucas are together "exclusively". And thats pretty much all you need to know. Any questions - ask.

Couples: Nathan & Peyton, Lucas & Peyton, Brooke & Lucas, Nathan & Haley.

Nathan waited until she had fallen asleep, watching from the chair in the corner of her room, he decided to leave now, her being pissed off in the morning would be something he would deal with then. He slowly got up out of the chair trying to remain quiet. The chair creaking slightly as he stood, he had almost got out the door...

"Are you leaving"

Startled Nathan turned around "Your gonna have to be on your own sometime P."

"I know."

Nathan moved back closer to the bed "Besides I think my Mum's starting to worry that I've joined some kind of cult."

" Okay." He saw the disappoint in her eyes, even through her slight smile "If you hear anything, if you even get slightly worried you call me alright?"

"I will." she nodded, still smiling

"I'll see you tomorrow, be here at 8."

"See you Nate."

"Night Peyton."

Walking out of Peyton's house he turned and looked up at her window, and he saw her bedside lamp go on, and he knew that Peyton wouldn't be sleeping tonight, and most likely neither would he.

He hadn't slept hardly slept since Haley left, it had got better since he left their apartment which was now homing Brooke. He hadn't been back since the day he left there, he barely remembers the day he did, all he knows are Brooke's stories of how messed up he had left the place.

He started the walk back to he's house, which was now back with he's Mum, and strangely enough he's Dad, after a fire at the dealership Dan needed care and he didn't really have many options having not exactly been the nicest guy, and Nathan noticed that he's Mum seemed to want to help him. He didn't question it, he's parents confused him enough he wasn't sure he really needed any kind of explanation, he let them get on with, he let it fall under his radar as he did most things, Nathan had become a different person since she had gone. First was the rage, the anger against what she had done, and now the realisation that she wasn't coming back had set in, she had been gone for 8 months...

8 months without Haley. He wished he could feel some kind of sense of getting over it, but the truth was he didn't think he ever would be, it would be one of those things that you would just deal with, he would move on with he's life, but always in the back of he's head she'd be there, the one thing he could never forget.

As he got home he found the house in darkness, which was not unusual since Peyton had been receiving strange emails, and her supposedly "mother" had turned up, Peyton had been uneasy and she had been a good friend to Nathan throughout the Haley situation he was there for her, and he stayed there when she wanted him to, he waited till she was asleep and then would leave, some nights she had caught him trying to leave and begged him to stay. Tonight was the one night she had accepted him leaving.

Nathan quietly entered he's house and walked up to he's room, he turned on the light noticing a brown A4 envelop on he's bed, there was no questioning to Nathan what it was, he knew.

He ripped open the envelope and pulled out the papers fast: Divorce.

Nathan shook he's head angrily and threw the papers across the room.

Peyton heard the door shut as Nathan left, she turned over in her bed and switched on her bedside light, she crawled out of bed and went over to her desk, she opened her sketch book and started looking through. She stopped suddenly at the picture of her and Lucas by the car "You don't know me" read the words, she wished she could go back to a time when that was true, when he didn't know her. When he didn't get to her the way he did now.

Maybe her wish was coming true, they hadn't spoke in months, not since that night. She had no idea what he was doing what he was feeling, and he knew nothing about what had happened in her life over the past few weeks.

When Brooke returned after summer and had rekindled her relationship with Lucas, she had questions for everybody, I think she had expected to come back and everything would have been magically sorted out, and she noticed it straight away, that Peyton and Lucas weren't talking, all Peyton got was question after question was why they were not talking and Peyton made a choice one day after endless questions to be honest. A decision that she was starting to regret.

Flashback

"Peyton talk to me please... I've tried asking Lucas, but he says you both have just been busy and haven't had time to talk, but I know that's bull, you and Lucas are friends, and I see you avoiding each other everyday..."

"Its been a really difficult few months Brooke okay?" Peyton sighed she had wanted to avoid this conversation, she knew she couldn't forever, as Brooke sat by her sighed grabbing hold of her hands she knew this could be the moment she lost her best friend forever.

"I know it has."

" Do you?" Peyton saw the anger in Brooke, and she knew why, Peyton had been pushing Brooke away. "Well talk to me and maybe I will Peyton!"

"Oh okay you wanna talk? Sure, how about some woman turns up on my doorstep and says she's my mum, how about I keep getting creepy emails..." She hoped that if she lashed out if she tried to make it not about the question she could put it off longer.

"How about the fact that your avoiding questions your best friend is asking you?" Peyton sighed heavily "Look it doesn't matter."

"It matters to me."

This was it. Right now the moment that it would all change.

"Fine. You wanna know? After you left, I told Lucas I was in love with him."

Silence filled the room, Peyton looked away, not wanting to see the look she knew she would see in Brooke's eyes, all she heard was her speak quietly. "What?"

"That's right, I'm in love with him. Happy now? Still my wanna be my BEST friend?" The tears had started and she couldn't stop them, all the times she had dreaded this moment, but now it was out there she felt free of it. Brooke opened her mouth to speak again "But..." "But he doesn't love me? Yeah I know, I figured that out when I told him and looked at me like I was nothing and walked out that door and hasn't spoken to me since, and you know what the most pathetic thing is? He does THAT, and I still love him. But I think that pretty much sums me up. Peyton Sawyer Pathetic."

End of Flashback

Peyton slammed her sketch book shut and threw it across the room, all her sketches scattering across her bed. She wasn't even angry, or sad, or really feeling any kind of emotion she had become numb by it all.

She looked over to her clock and it struck 2.30am, she wondered if anyone else was doing what she was, sitting alone in the dark wondering, hoping that there was more to life than this.

Nathan thought the same thing.

Nathan walked up to the usually unlocked door and called up to Peyton's window. "P, its me!" This had become their morning ritual, as she appeared at the window, she smiled throwing the keys down to him. He made he's way into the house and quickly up the stairs. As he entered the room, he saw her rubbing her eyes.

"So did you sleep at all last night?" She sighed heavily, he knew she could never lie to him. "The two hours you were here. You?" Nathan shook he's head slowly "Not really." He looked up deep into her eyes, until she broke the connection trying to lighten the mood. "I'm glad to see that both of us plumiting into depression is rebuilding our friendship." he smiled, he didn't want her thinking thats the only reason that he was here "It's more than our depression..." she nodded still smiling "Your right, anger, bitterness..."

Nathan broke from her gaze and began pacing across the room. "I'm kinda sick of feeling that way though." He reached into he's bag and pulls out the envelope from last night and hands it to Peyton, she takes out the papers. "They came yesterday in the mail." He could see from her face that she was surprised "I'm sorry Nathan." He finally sat down on the bed, he's back facing her, he didn't want her to see the pain in he's eyes, although the break in he's voice gave it away. "No need to be, I knew this was coming. No phone calls in over 4 months, nothing, this was fairly predictable wouldn't you say?" He turned to face her, her head leaning to the side sympathetically "No. I really thought the two of you..." He stood up abruptly stopping her before she had a chance to finish speaking "Don't... don't finish that sentence. Let's just go to school."

She nodded picking up her bag and walked out the room. "Just another day." He heard her say.

When they arrived at school the cheerleading team were rehearsing outside of the school, Brooke smiled and laughed as she showed the other girls new moves, Peyton dragged Nathan pulling him the opposite way. "Did you ever actually tell her that you quit the squad?"

Peyton slumped on a nearby bench pulling Nathan down opposite her "Technically I never quit, cos I never actually left, I just stopped showing up." Nathan laughed slightly shaking her head at her "But you loved it P, you weren't doing it for Brooke, you were doing it for your Mum."

Peyton looked away over towards Brooke, Nathan was right, she hadn't just being doing it Brooke, she had been doing it for her Mum, and at somewhere along the line she actually began to love it. "And she turned out to be a liar." Nathan grabbed hold of her hand squeezing it slightly "You don't know that. Did you call your Dad?"

Peyton nodded "After about half an hour of silence he said that he was coming back next weekend and we would discuss it then." She could tell by he's face that he was just as shocked as she had been on the phone. "What so no explanation nothing?" She just shook her head, and then looked back over at her ex best friend and sighed heavily.

"You should talk to her." Peyton almost laughed at the suggestion "I can't, she made it pretty clear what I was to do Nate. Let me see if I can remember the exact quote... " Stay away from me, stay away from my boyfriend because neither of us want anything to do with you, do you understand?" I think thats making it clear how you feel huh?" Again she had surprised him, the truth was they had never really spoken to much about it, they both knew the pain was there under the surface, but they just never addressed it. "I just don't believe that Lucas would feel that way."

And with that name. That one name she was up out of her chair and across the quad quicker than she could say goodbye to him. Nathan looked over to the brunette again, who was still happily smiling away. How could she be like this to her friend? So heartless, she needed her best friend and she had completely cut her out. He got up from the bench and made he's way over to where she was, grabbing her lightly by the arm he pulled her away from everyone.

"Nathan! What the... what do you want?"

"To talk you too Brooke."

She smiled at him quickly about to move away " I wanna talk to you about Peyton." Brooke looked him directly in the eye "Not interested." Nathan shook he's head he still couldn't believe this is how Brooke was acting "Brooke she's going through some stuff right now she needs you, she's your best friend." Again Brooke laughed in he's face

"My best friend you say? Is that the best friend who is in love with MY boyfriend? Is that the best friend who fooled around with MY boyfriend..."

She tried to walk away, but Nathan pulled her, looking down at her trying to see if there was any feelings for her friend somewhere "You know if I remember it took two people to do that..."

"The difference is I gave them both a second chance, Lucas proved to me that he deserves it, but her? No way..."

He didn't know what else to do, he was being there the way he could for Peyton, but the truth was he was barely coping himself, and he didn't even know if he really was helping her at all, Peyton needed Brooke, even if she would never admit it.

"Please Brooke, I'm serious there's major stuff going on with her, if you..." He grabbed hold of her arm, but she pulled away angrily "Did you not here me? I said NO." Nathan backed away nodding he's head, just as he looked up to see Lucas moving quickly towards them.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Nathan laughed as Lucas out he's arm around Brooke, he picked up the bag that he had placed on the floor in talking to Brooke. "I'm trying to help out a friend." Lucas didn't respond he just shook he's head at Nathan "Come on Brooke, lets go..."

Nathan didn't know why, bu something snapped he hated the fact that they were both treating Peyton like this, she didn't deserve it "You are unbelievable man...How can you? How can either of you live with yourselves, your friend, OUR friend is going through so much right now and all you care about is yourselves that you won't even go and ask her if she's okay." Lucas moved away from Brooke, moving closer to Nathan. "I think your last person to be handing out advice Nathan." And he turned to move away "What's that supposed to mean?" Lucas carried on walking back to Brooke, but without even turning back to look at Nathan he spoke again "I dunno called your wife lately?"

And with that Nathan really snapped, who the hell was he to be judging him, something took over him as he lunged towards hes brother, grabbing he's shirt from the back and throwing him against the nearest wall, he moved standing opposite him, pinning him against it.

"You get one go at saying anything like that to me Lucas. ONE GO. Don't push it."

He shoved him into the wall again and made he's way out of sight of them, as soon as he knew he couldn't be seen he leaned up against the nearest wall, he shut he's eyes, and breathed in deeply. Things had to get better soon, the pain had to fall away soon, these were the things Nathan had got good at repeatedly saying to himself, all he had to do now was believe them.