A/N: Ok so here is a story I have had in my head for a while. I know it's not the One Tree Hill you're used to but I hope you like it. More will be explained as the story goes on.

Chapter 1

Mylee POV- January 2010

"What about blue?" Leah asked, passing me the magazine.

I looked at the assortment of blue flowers on the page and handed the book back to her.

"It's pretty but let's keep our options open," I said and she folded down the edge of the page.

"Do we really have to do all this wedding stuff now?" Sam whined and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm sorry baby, are you feeling neglected?" Leah asked, sitting against his chest.

"Yep," he said wrapping his arms around her waist. He leaned down to kiss her, but Leah winked and pulled away at the last second, his kiss landed against her glossy brown hair.

"Too bad, we have to do this now," Leah said and I giggled at the dejected look on my brother's face.

"The wedding is like months away," Paul said from his spot on the sand with his head in my lap. "How long does it take to plan a wedding anyway?"

"Well once my best friend abandons me and moves half way across the country, wedding planning is going to be a bit more difficult," Leah said.

"It's not like we're never going to see each other again or not have any contact," Sam said. "I for one am planning to visit all the time to make sure she doesn't get into too much trouble."

"Ha ha, very funny," I said, "but I'm a big girl—I'm twenty years old, I can take care of myself."

"I'm your big brother, it's my job to worry," he said.

"I'll be joining her in a few months after graduation, so we know she'll be ok with me there to protect her," Paul said.

"Yeah that doesn't really reassure me," Sam joked, and Paul threw a grape in his direction, which ended up hitting Leah, who consequently whacked Paul on the leg.

"Do you have to go?" Leah whined for the tenth time that day.

"Guys, I'll be back before you know it. The internship's only for a year," I told them all.

It had always been my plan. Go to college, and then get an internship at a newspaper. The only way to do that was to move from La Push, at least for a little while. I couldn't really get very far with my journalism career in this tiny little town where Leah's Dad, Harry was in the paper last week for managing to catch a big fish and it was classed as 'big news'.

It was only now that 'the plan' was actually unfolding. I'd graduate early in a few weeks, then make the big move out to Chicago for a year where I'd already been accepted into an internship at The Times. Of course all of this would be a no go if I didn't have Paul there with me. After graduation he'd come out to be with me and get a job where we'd stay for a year, before coming home.

"I know, but we'll miss you," Leah said sticking out her bottom lip.

"What about me?" Paul pointed out, "I'm going too, but everyone just seems to be going on about how much they'll miss Mylee!"

"That's because Mylee's my little sister, and she's Leah's best friend. You're just the extra that comes along with her," Sam said, even though we all knew that was far from the truth. The four of us had been best friends since grade school, and had kept our friendship strong through college, despite Sam being a year older than Paul and Leah and me being a year younger than the two of them. It had just worked out that somehow along the way we'd each found our soul mates close by.

"I'm started to feel like I'm not loved," Paul pouted, and I ran my fingers through his short hair. I knew he loved it when I did that, but I'm sure it relaxed me more than it relaxed him.

"I can't believe I'm saying this though but I think I'm actually going to miss Paul," Leah said watching the two of us.

"Are you feeling alright Lee-Lee?" Sam asked her, feeling her forehead. "Maybe the sun's gotten to her."

She pushed his hand off and rolled her eyes.

"Leah just said a nice thing about me. There must be something wrong with her," Paul said.

"Seriously guys! Whether we want it to or not, everything is going to change once you're both gone," she said sounding sad.

"Nothing's going to change," Sam said kissing Leah on the forehead, and threading his fingers through hers.

"It will! Paul and Myles with be gone, it will all be different. I don't think we've ever gone a day without seeing each other."

"The year will fly past, and we'll be back before you know it. And then you'll go back to complaining about how you see Paul too much," I said, joking at the end.

"I'm going to miss this; the four of us," Leah said.

"Hey! I'm not going anywhere you know," Sam reminded her.

"Thank god for that. I don't know what I'd ever do if you left me," she said.

"Well you don't ever have to worry because I'm not going anywhere," Sam said kissing her on the lips.

This is how it was always meant to be. I don't think I could ever be happier. As much as I couldn't wait to go to Chicago and start my career, I also wished I could stay here on La Push beach with my three favourite people forever.

"Nothing will change, you'll see," I said smiling softly.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mylee POV- April 2014- Present day

Welcome to La Push

That was what the sign said. I don't think my eyes had ever scanned over three words which had ever resulted in such an automatic feeling of nausea.

Four years ago the sign had read 'You are now leaving La Push', and when I drove over the invisible barrier, I never had any intention of coming back.

I drove the rental car through La Push toward my old house on auto-pilot, my mind instantly remembering the streets I'd grown up on for the first twenty years of my life as if I'd never left.

I closed the map and put it on the passenger seat beside me, as I took in my surroundings. It seemed like I'd just been gone a few days because everything looked exactly the same, as if the whole town had been on pause in my absence and it had suddenly restarted as I crossed the border.

As I drove past the streets I'd walked down a million times, each and every memory I'd had on then flashed through my mind, from the endless days I'd spent in 'The Diner' to the edge of the forest which I used to know like the back of my hand because of all the 'exploring' we'd done as kids.

"Are we there yet?" I heard, pulling me out of my trip down memory lane. I smiled in the rear view mirror at my four year old son, and nodded thankful that this time I could actually answer him honestly because we weren't that far away.

"Nearly."

I pulled out a juice box from the bag on the floor and passed it back to him.

"Is this where you used to live?" he asked looking out the window and taking a long sip.

"Yep," I said, part of me still not believing that I was bringing him here after swearing I wouldn't be back. Sure I missed La Push and there was times that I felt like I never should have left my home but every day when I looked into my son's eyes I knew I'd made the right choice as I was reminded of my reason for leaving.

"Are we there yet?" he asked again, and I cracked a smile.

"Actually yes," I told him, pulling into the driveway of the house that I'd grown up in.

I turned off the engine and stared at the brown cottage with white trimming. If I thought La Push hadn't changed, then that idea was doubly true for my house. I could still see the line-up of cuddly toys I had on my bedroom windowsill, in the corner bedroom. Considering Mom hadn't moved the toys, I doubted she'd moved anything else out of my old room either.

Like the many times I had come accustomed to seeing the sight before me, I could see Mom's gardening equipment laid out on the lawn. I had told her countless times that she couldn't just leave it out when she was in the house, but she always ignored me and told me nothing bad ever happens in La Push.

"Are we going inside?" Josh asked, confused to why we had parked but not moved.

"Yes we are," I said getting out the car, and stretching my legs.

Before I could make a move to take any bags out, the front door flew open and my eyes watered as soon as I saw Mom rush out, and pull me into a hug.

"Oh my baby," she said, not letting go.

I hugged her back, and as soon as I smelt that 'mom' smell, I knew I was doing the right thing in coming here. As soon as Mom had called to tell me her cancer was back I knew I had to get the first flight out. There was no way I was leaving her by herself through all of this.

By the time I'd arrived at the airport I had a plan in motion. Convince Mom to come back to Atlanta with me, then pack up her stuff and go back before anyone had a chance to know I was back.

"Oh sweetheart," Mom said stroking my hair, "It's so good to see you."

"It's good to see you too," I said, wiping away my tears.

"Where's my favourite grandson?" she asked animatedly.

"I'm here," I heard Josh yell from inside the car. Mom opened the back door and unbuckled him from his seat before setting him down.

"No, you're not my Joshie," she said. "You're too big! My Joshie was a baby!"

"It's me Gramma! I grew!" he assured her.

"Yes you did!" she said picking him up, and walking toward the house.

"Mom! You shouldn't be lifting him!" I called to her.

"Nonsense, I'll be fine!" she called back to me.

I sighed and took the bags out the car. She always thought she was capable of doing way more than she could handle. I took the two bags out the car, as well as my shoulder bag from the passenger seat and went into the house behind them, closing the door behind me.

I dropped the bags in the hallway and took my time, walking through the house to the kitchen where I could hear their voices.

I took in all the details I never took the time to savour before I left in a hurry years ago; like the wonky photo frames, and the piece of missing wallpaper that had been torn off as a result of me and Sam just being kids. I eventually went into the kitchen when I heard Mom say 'where'd your Mommy get to?' to Josh.

Mom put a plate of homemade cookies in front of Josh who helped himself as she poured three glasses of lemonade from the jug.

"Mom, you shouldn't have gone to such an effort," I told her. "Sit down you should be resting."

"It's not an effort!" she said, and I knew making things like cookies which was disastrous for me was like second nature to her.

I followed her over to the breakfast bar, and leaving Josh to his cookies on the dining table.

"So was work ok with your resignation?" she asked handing me a glass.

"Actually I didn't quit," I told her.

"You didn't?" she asked.

"No, I just took a few weeks off," I told her.

"But…I don't understand," she said.

"I wanted to talk to you about coming back to Atlanta with us," I said and watched her expression fall.

"I can't move," she said. "I've lived here all my life."

"Mom, I have my job there, and Josh has school, and if you moved I would be able to take care of you. You don't have to sell the house, you can just come and be with me for a while."

"I don't know," she said.

"I miss you Mom. Josh misses you. I know I was the one who left but we both need you," I admitted, "and there is no way I'm leaving you to go through all this alone."

I reached out and squeezed her hand.

"Honey, you don't need to take care of me," she said.

"Yes I do," I said thinking back to what she went through the first time the cancer was there. It was hard enough with only me there, there was no way she could do this on her own and I didn't want her to.

"Mylee, we need to talk," she said.

"Why? What's wrong? Are you ok?" I asked, instantly panicking at her words. I had a terrible feeling she was going to tell me something like she wasn't going to get treatment. She couldn't do that! I know she had been through a lot but she was strong enough to get through this.

"It's ok, don't worry, I'm fine," she reassured me, seeing the panic on my face.

"Ok then what is it?" I asked her.

"You have to remember I love you," she said.

How could it not be bad if she started like that? Worry hit me again, as I waited for her to explain. I felt like I did when I was a little kid and I came home from school one day and she sat me and Sam down to tell us our Puppy had died.

"Oh god," I said.

"The truth is, I'm fine."

"Mom—"

"No really, I'm fine."

"I don't understand," I said.

"The cancer isn't back," she said.

I just stared at her blankly, trying to process what she had just said.

"Excuse me?" I asked in shock.

"I said the cancer isn't—"

"I heard what you said," I said, leaning against the counter for support. "So you just lied?"

"Well technically yes," she said shifting between her feet.

"There's no technically Mom! Why would someone lie about having cancer? That's not even funny! You don't joke about something like that!" I said, my voice getting louder.

"I'm sorry honey, I am but it was the only way I could get you to come home," she said, and instantly felt bad that my own mother had to lie about having a life threatening illness just to get me to visit.

"Mom…"

"I know it was a horrible thing to do, but I get to see you once a year in person, and even then it's because I've come to see you, not because you've come home. Mylee I miss you and Josh, I can't be away from you anymore like this."

"I'm sorry Mom. I can fly you out more often," I told her. I don't think I could possibly feel worse.

"I don't want you to have to fly me out Mylee, I want you to be in my life, not a contact on my Skype page!" she said sitting down.

"Mom, I can't move back here," I said.

"I know you don't want to talk to P-A-U-L but Josh needs a F-A-T-H-E-R in his life," she said, glancing over at Josh who was too preoccupied to notice.

"So that's why you called me here? To play matchmaker?" I asked, getting irritated. She didn't know the little details of what happened, but that didn't give her position to try and interfere in something that was right the way it was.

"Not only that," she admitted.

"Mom I can't move back here. It just isn't my life anymore," I said truthfully. As bad as I felt I couldn't move back to La Push.

"But it is your life," she said. "Have you even spoken to Sam lately?"

"Mom," I warned getting up. She knew this was the one subject I refused to talk about during our daily Skype sessions.

"Honey I know you don't want to hear it but he's your brother," she said, "You can't just not talk to him!"

"Mom, I know this is difficult for you to understand, but me and Sam just don't have a relationship anymore, and I didn't come here to fix that."

"I really wish you would," she said.

"Oh really? When was the last time you saw your son?" I asked her.

"I saw him a few weeks ago," she admitted, "but he's busy Mylee."

"Mom! He lives less than five minutes away and you barely see him! I'm sorry but there's something very wrong with that. I'm all the way across the country and I still manage to talk to you every day!"

"You and Sam used to be so close," she said.

"Well things change," I told her.

"Mylee, he's your brother," she reasoned.

"Yeah well he made it pretty clear where his loyalties lie when he moved in with Emily."

A/N: I know it's a bit confusing but you know I like revealing as I go along! Let me know what you think so far!