I have been TERRIBLE at updating this story, and I'm so sorry to those (very few, I have to admit) readers who read chapter 1 only for me to leave it in the lurch. More regular updates will be coming, and all the little pieces of the story will make sense. Sorry again, and thanks to those who've emailed with interest - the story is back! COMMENTS ARE LOVE!

Lifeline; Beyond the pain
An LP fan-fiction

Chapter 2; Wonderwall

Waking to early morning sunshine streaming through the undrawn blinds, Lucas realized that once again he'd fallen asleep on the couch. Stumbling as he stood, he kicked a glass and cursed out loud as he then stood on it. Hopping to the kitchen, he was very surprised to find a familiar brunette standing in his kitchen, working her way through the dirty dishes, cups and plates that littered the counter.

"What are you doing here?" Lucas did nothing to hide the roughness of his voice, nor his annoyance at being taken care of.

Brooke Davis turned to look at him, and shook her head as she took in his stubble, red eyes and wrinkled clothes that had seen better days. "Lucas Scott, my favourite mourning widow. Still sleeping on the couch I see?"

She smiled, hoping to entice some emotion from Lucas, but his grey eyes just looked blank, as though he had no feelings left.

"Brooke, what are you doing here? I told you yesterday, I don't need you looking after me, I'm fine." He sighed loudly, before rubbing his eyes and heading for the fridge. Grabbing the milk carton and swigging half of it, he left it on the table and headed for the shower.

"Don't forget to shave! You look like crap Lucas Scott," Brooke called after him, as she continued her cleaning to the sound of the shower running.

Hearing Lucas shut the bathroom door; she dropped the dishes into the sink and then tiptoed to the closed door and listened to make sure he was in there. When she was certain, she grabbed a wrapped parcel from her bag, left it on the (now clean) table, and left. Shutting the door behind her, she crept silently away from her old friend, and hoped the present she'd left him would help him heal. She took a deep breath, and tried to hold her sadness at bay as she thought of her best friend.

Sliding into her car she turned on the stereo and smiled as she remembered she'd put on one of Peyton's CDs. As 'Friday I'm In Love' filled her car she smiled through her tears, and drove away, hoping something would help heal Lucas' heart.

- - - -

As the hot water cascaded over his shoulders and down his back, Lucas sighed deeply as his body finally relaxed, weeks of tension pouring out of him as he gave up fighting how he was feeling.

He missed her, he ached for her, and more than anything he just wanted to hold her, kiss her. Did he tell her he loved her, that last morning together? He couldn't remember, their last minutes together short as he was running late for work and she was getting Anna ready to go to Brooke's while she went to work too, both so preoccupied, so busy.

She'd kissed him, soft, quick - they both thought they'd have forever, that they'd spend a lifetime kissing, that they had tomorrow and all the days after that. Then she was gone, CD's and papers in one arm, Anna on her hip, the roar of her car fading as she drove off.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd told her loved her. Did she know that he did, how much?

Lucas shook his head, as though to dislodge all his thoughts about what could have & should have been. He reached for the shower gel, and flinched as its coconut scent instantly reminded him of Peyton, how she smelt in the morning after a shower, how after they'd take a shower together Haley would later tease him for smelling like a girl.

It was too much.

The bottle fell from his wet hands, and hit the corner of the shower. As the bottle cracked, and the gel seeped out, the smell became stronger and Lucas became weaker. His knees gave out, and he slid onto the floor of the shower, his wet, aching body heaving with sobs that tried to release some of his grief, as the water continued to fall, and the memories assault his mind.

"Wake up sleepy," she whispered, kissing the spot below his ear that he knew he liked.

Lucas opened his eyes to beautiful early morning light, and yawned as he turned over and came face to face with Peyton, looking wide awake and smiling.

Laying on her side too, she leaned to him, and kissed him gently, her hands on his hips, pulling him closer. As his hands brushed her thigh, before moving to her waist, Lucas deepened the kiss, his tongue pushing against hers as he moved across her till he was above her, their hips pressed together.

Peyton broke the kiss, holding him a distance with a hand on his chest. Sitting slightly, she leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "I need a shower, are you coming?" Before sliding out from underneath him and heading towards the bathroom, her shorts & vest discarded on the way.

He didn't need telling twice. Throwing his t-shirt & pants aside, his tanned naked form followed hers into the shower, pushing her against the wall as he turned up the temperature of the water.

They were pressed together, as though one, under the stream, as steam swirled around them and their tongues fought together, any pretence at earlier gentleness vanished. His hands were in her hair, hers were around his torso, trying to pull him even closer as she felt the rock hard length of him, and suddenly the pain of wanting him became too much.

As if he knew, his hands went from her waist to her legs, and he lifted one, wrapping it around his waist, before balancing his weight and doing the same with the other. Breaking the kiss, she took a minute to catch her breath, the heat of the shower & the kiss making her head spin.

Feeling his body tense, she gripped his shoulders for support. Feeling him press against her, their skin touching everywhere, his grey eyes bored into hers as-

"LUCAS!"

His eyes flew open as the sound of Haley's voice pulled him out of his memory, and back to the now cold shower, where the smell of coconut was overpowering.

"LUCAS!" he heard her shout again, louder this time, as though she was nearer the bathroom. Shutting the water off, he opened the shower door and was able to breathe deeply as the air was cooler. Grabbing a towel, he wrapped it around his hips & opened the door, looking for where his friend was calling from.

"Haley, I'm fine," he called. "I was in the shower, no need to yell."

Walking into the living room, he found her sitting on the couch, her hands full of pictures and drawings. She didn't turn around as she heard him coming, simply sighed before she spoke.

"You took them down." It wasn't a question, and he didn't reply.

She turned to face him now. "You took them down! You chose the frames together, you decorated TOGETHER, and you've taken them down! She drew this for you Lucas…" Haley's voice trailed off, as did her anger, as she passed him the drawing.

"Its you. The one I want next to me when my dreams come true, its you. Its you, Peyton."

The words he'd spoken, the ones she'd drawn, jumped out at him as he looked at a snapshot of his former life. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath before he spoke.

"Why do you care? It's just a picture, it doesn't matter." He threw the drawing away, watching as it landed on the coffee table, avoiding Haley's gaze.

"Lucas, it does matter," she said, picking it up again.

"Nothing matters," he said quietly, before turning and walking to his room, leaving his best friend sitting alone, surrounded by snapshots of love story that was too short.