AN: Hello dear readers. Sorry again for the delay. I had an important exam and had to study a lot, additionally to the Christmas and Karneval ( a German tradition ) stress.

If you read the name of the new chapter you will realize it's not English. It's a German song and translated it means 'Something lingers/stays'.

I don't know how many of you have checked out my profile. I also have a Community called 'Twilight Quality Crossovers'. I am always looking for story ideas that fit in there. So if you know a good Twilight crossover tell me about it.

Thanks for everyone who has reviewed on chapter two : OTHGirl24, jamyj30, RJMoonSpell

Also thanks to everyone who added my story to alert and/or favorite.

Disclaimer: I don't own OTH. I belongs to Mark Schwahn.

Irgendetwas bleibt

by Silbermond

Peyton stood up from her seat. She needed to move a little bit, take a walk or something. This sudden tingle that had settled in since Lucas had locked her gaze had made her uneasy. This lingering feeling also evoked a force to distract herself.

It was a good feeling, there was no questioning that, but she also knew what this could lead to. By moving she hoped she hoped to clear her thoughts a little. She just couldn't allow herself to get all wrapped up in them, not now, not here.

So while carefully taking one step after another she headed away from her table, away from the gathering on the dance floor. She spotted the big white tent and went inside but what she saw was like a stab right in the center of her heart. There they all, the happy couples dancing, including Lucas and Brooke and she could not tear her eyes away even though every second was torture. When she finally manged to avert her gaze a picture formed in her mind: Lucas dancing right there with a partner, gazing down with love and desire. But the person that was so comfortable in his arms was not Brooke, it was herself and in this fantasy she felt happy, satisfied and all settled. It was as if she had finally found the place where she belonged.

But reality caught up with her and when she opened her eyes (she hadn't even realized she had closed them) she felt herself lean her back against something soft. Turning her head she found herself seated at a table at the margin of a dance floor again, unconsciously returning to her spectators spot.

Shaking her head she wondered when this had happened and why she always had the tendency to stumble into uncomfortable and unfortunate situations. But then again this always seemed to be her faith and there was always one person catching her.

Oh, don't turn around and say bye again
Yeah it crushes my head when you call me
Your friend and I'm not the same person
From back in the day in the back of the class
That you thought was gay
No I can't find the words cause I lost them
The minute they fell out of my mouth
And it's love and I'm in it, so give me your lips
And just let me kiss 'em
And let's get messed up and listen to probably...

Peyton was lying against the board, shaking. The pain in her leg was making all of her senses numb. She turned her head around every few seconds, someone might follow her, the shooter following her. The pain was exhausting her. She had no idea how long she had been here, but it felt like an eternity. It was so hard to keep awake and she let the numbness and the pain took over and her eyes got heavy when she heard steps a few meters behind her, barely audible if it wasn't for her already alarmed state.

The seconds ticked by like an eternity. They came nearer and nearer and the shaking increased. Then a wave of a common yet undetermined feeling touch her an when she turned her head again to the spot where the shelves were separated Lucas appeared with a baseball bat in his hands ready to attack. She cried out in relief and the fear broke out in a small whim.

His demeanor changed immediately to protective and he rushed to her side, his right hand touching her shoulder while his left hand went for her injured leg.

"Peyton, It's ok..." , he started but his hand had touched her leg and the pain spread anew

"Oh, my leg...", Peyton cried out while tears ran down her cheek. She was happy that he was here. This sense of safety she usually had around him calmed her a little but she had to cover her mouth nonetheless.

Her eyes met his and she whispered "I cut mine in glass. Lucas, I lost Brooke. I am sorry..."

He caught her worry and interrupted her softly "She's fine. She is fine." This information made her feel slightly better and also Lucas had taken to hold her hand. Being so close to him eased her pain and everything she had bottled up in the last ten minutes came rushing to the surface. The tears streamed down her face like they had waited to erupt.

"But you are not. I got to get you somewhere safe.", he added with haste in his voice. He then reached for her back with one hand while the other went underneath her leg. She immediately saw that he wanted to carry her out of the library. She was overtaken by fear of the shooter gain. She knew she needed medical attention but she did not want Lucas to get hurt, too.

"No I can't. I cannot walk. I tried.", she pleaded.

Lucas then raised his head looking over the shelf and his knees went up as if he wanted to go. "Don't leave me please."

Peyton held on to his hand even tighter, afraid he would leave her, afraid he would he would gt hurt and then no one knew would knew where she was. But also she was certain that Lucas even though Lucas had found her here that if he went no one would no where in the school building he was exactly. She could not bear risking his life as well. And she needed him here, by her side.

"I am just gonna block the entrance. We're just gonna hide. We're gonna wait it out.", he said and the way he said it coupled with the look in his blue eyes made her see that he meant it and she let go of his hand. He added before going: "Listen to me: I'm not leaving you Peyton. I won't."

He then turned around, disappeared behind the bookshelves and she could hear his soft yet rushed footsteps run along the floor. She pictured him with his head low, careful not to make any noise. She could hear him climb the stairs, close the door and had back the same way several seconds later.

Somehow picturing him while he did all this hawk-like moves to protect her made the time he was absent shorter and when she could feel his presence again all she did was turn her head in the direction he had gone and he was already back and sitting down next to her, careful not to brush her leg yet only so much that he could touch her any second.

His eyes examined her and they lingered on her leg, specifically on her wound.

"May I?", he asked her. She understood that he wanted to examine her wound and knowing he would be careful she nodded. She trusted him. He then pressed his fingertips to the edge of her wound, and after looking at her asking for permission lifted the bleeding skin a little. It made her squirm in pain and when she dared to look up at his face he looked worried, biting his lip. His expression told her that what he saw did nothing to ease the ever-present worry.

"You're bleeding pretty good. We're gonna have to put some pressure on it."

And she knew she had to tell him. Tell him what she didn't want to tell him because it would hurt him but she also felt that if their positions were reversed he would tell her, too.

"Luke, it was your friend. The one from the time capsule. He had the gun. But he didn't look evil or angry. He just looked scared.", and she saw that he believed her and his eyes told her that he had also discovered something else. The shooter was someone he knew. Someone he used to spent a lot of time with and if that still were the case he might have helped him. She also knew that he somehow must think that if he had known there might have been a way to prevent it.

But that expression also told her that even though guilt filled him he was primarily worried about her and he would always put her welfare first. This realization made her heart ache for him.

They just sat there in silence and all the pain and the emotions were taking their toll on her remaining strength and with his calming presence she let her eyelids drop and her head sunk to his shoulder resting there. It was as if it fit perfectly between his crook and his neck.

He gently touched her arm and she looked up at him and said: "I'm tired Luke." and he softly responded: "I know but you gotta stay awake."

After a moment of thought he added: "Talk to me. Tell me about a good day."

She told him about the snow day shortly after her mom's death in sixth grade and how Brooke had managed to cheer her up and they had hid from the adults and the psychiatrists. But as usual the hope and feeling of safety hadn't lasted very long. And this memory told her how her life would be after this tragedy and that she would have another hard time processing all of it. And denying these things never helped. They would always resurface.

While realizing this she remembered how earlier this morning she and Brooke had stood together my the glass door and the noise shortly before her leg gave in. It had been seconds before the glass had splattered and it told her that the material in her leg was not glass but something else.

"It's not glass, is it? In my leg?", she asked and she saw his swallowing that she was right. "No, it's a bullet.", he confirmed. "Now I may have to get you out of here. But nothing will happen to you, I promise." She had seen in his eyes that this was a promise he would keep. He had a fire in his eyes that told her nothing could stop him.

"You're always saving me." , she said and felt it. This was why only his presence made her keep her head straight right now. He was the only one who had that power.

"Someone's got to.", he said as if it was the most natural thing in the world. And she heard in his voice and saw it in his eyes that to him it indeed was that natural.

"If I say I love you right now, would you hold it against me because I have lost a lot of blood.", she said meeting his eyes but knowing that every word that had just passed her lips were as true as herself. She had no idea why it had taken her so long to see clear but now she was.

"Come here", she whispered and he leaned his ear in her direction awaiting her to say something else but she turned pressed her lips softly against his and he leaned it responding to her kiss and she thought 'Even if I don't survive I will always have this one perfect moment with him. And whatever may come later I can always look back and remember this kiss.'

"Just in case you can't keep your promise.", she whispered.

End of the flashback

But he had kept his promise. He had saved her and on the way lost Keith. But she knew the at he would never hold it against her. He was too good-minded for it and he had struggled a lot with his decisions from that day but never once with the decision to stay by her side.

This was another reason she loved him. No matter what happened to them they would stick together and regret would neither alter his mind any more than all the other bad stuff that happened to him, never. And this made her ache for him, daydreaming to be the woman in his arms.

I believe everything happens

for a reason. People change so

you can learn to let go.

Things go wrong, so that you

appreciate them when they're

right. You believe lies, so you

eventually learn to trust no

one but yourself, and sometimes

good things fall apart so

better things can fall together.

AN: So what do you think? Please give me a feedback preferably a review. They make me want to continue and maybe even work on FYCD again. So motivate me ;-)