Ok, this chapter was going to be a lot longer, but I've just been told I'm going away for a few days, and I wont have an internet connection, so I'm posting this now because the reviews for the last chapter were very nice.

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Once Jake and Jenny had left the house, Peyton looked at Lucas again.

"Well, that was maybe the most awkward moment of my life and I don't even know why," Lucas said, half joking and half desperate for some sort of explanation as to what really happened between Jake and Peyton.

Peyton put her arms around him, and he held her tight. He knew that seeing Jake again was hard for her, as much as she'd pretended it was great when he arrived.

"I'm sorry, Lucas," she muttered.

"What for?"

"For never telling you what happened when I went to see Jake." She let go of him and stood face to face.

"It doesn't matter…"

"No, it does matter. I asked him to marry me. He said yes."

Lucas breathed in deeply, looked around the kitchen awkwardly, then moved towards the stairs. "I have to go get my book," he told her.

"Lucas, we have to talk about this." She ran after him.

He stopped suddenly, and turned to face her. "You and Jake had something so special," he said, running his fingers through his own hair in agitation, "Why did you come back here?"

"Because it was a mistake. We both realised I loved you. I was there because I was alone and thought Jake and Jenny could take that away, like they had before. When I was there Jenny called me 'mommy' and I wanted to be that for her. You and Brooke were together, Nathan and Haley were so happy together, and when I was in Tree Hill I missed my mum and my dad and Jake and it hurt seeing you with Brooke every day, but when I was with Jake, all I missed was you."

Peyton's voice was changing pitch and her eyes were filled with tears again. "Come here," Lucas whispered, and hugged her again. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you as much as I should have been. And if you want a family, I can give you that family. I'll marry you if that's what you want Peyton."

"No, no, that's not what I want. I have you, that's enough. It's just that when Jenny called me 'mommy' I didn't want to take that away from her. She should have a mother who's always there for her…"

Lucas smiled, and held Peyton by the shoulders. "Don't cry, Peyt."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have sprung this on you. Especially not tonight…"

He wiped a tear away from her cheek with his thumb, and stroked her hair.

"It's ok. Jenny will know her mother, and she will know family, and she will know us, and she has Jake who cares for her so much. You don't need to worry about her "

Peyton nodded. "Ok." He kissed her forehead. "We'd better catch the others up, they'll be waiting for us at the café. Do you need to get your book?"

"Can I come back and get it later?"

Peyton smiled. "Sure."

He put his arm around her and they left the house, locking the door behind them.

They sat in silence in the car, listening to nofx and enjoying being in each other's company before they had to deal with Scott family and co. They arrived at the café and walked in the door.

"Oh, they're here!" Karen exclaimed when the bell rang signifying the café door opening.

Dan nodded to his oldest son. They'd reached an understanding not to discuss the events of the shooting until after Christmas. "Peyton," Dan said, nodding in her direction as well.

"Your father says he'll be here in a bit ," Karen told Peyton.

Lucas squeezed Peyton's hand as he saw Jake and Brooke come over to them.