AN: Update! I tried my hardest to get this chapter up sooner than the previous one and I think I succeeded, right? lol It's a pretty long one considering the length of the other chapters, but there was just so much I wanted to tell in this chapter and well, it's just a tiny bit longer than the other ones (: You don't really mind now, do you?

Anyways, once again thank you for the reviews/alerts, I'm all *happy dance* when I get one (yeah, that's the dork in me, I guess lol) I appreciate it so much!

Oh, just this little thing I thought of; the story is LP, of course it is ;p, yet you'll get a lot more P. Saywer than Luke... Not that I don't love him, I do, the story is just a whole lot more Peyton-centric for some reason. Just thought I should let you know this *that is if anyone actually reads this of course* because I don't want you to go all wondering where the heck Lucas is sometimes!

I guess I should now stop talking and let you read, right? Enjoy (:


Chapter 4. Hometown Glory

"So P. Sawyer, what's your plan?"

It was just a simple question, something you know to be expected after you move back to the town you left six years ago. Yet, Peyton had a fairly hard time answering it.

Because, hell, what was her plan?

In all honesty, she didn't quite know.

Moving back home was a decision made somewhat in a haze. She had been thinking about it for quite a while before she actually did so, but time and time again she found herself a reason to stay in Savannah. When she finally did decide to move, she simply packed her things, called her boss and Brooke and left without much further thought.

Unfortunately, leaving so quickly left her now with only one thing to be really sure of.

Tree Hill.

And the fact that that simply was home and always would be.

However, that simple fact still didn't get her a plan.

"Actually, I don't really know. I just… I want to stay here. In Tree Hill, I mean. I'm not leaving again." Peyton answered Brooke's question at last.

"Good." Brooke smiled and took a sip of her tea. "I won't let you go anyway." She continued matter-of-factly, making Peyton let out a soft chuckle. "But what do you want to do here? I mean, you loved your job in Savannah, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I did." Peyton nodded with a small smile.

She had in fact loved her job in Savannah for years. It was just a small gallery in a quiet small street, but she had never seen anyone as passionate about art as the people there. However, Savannah wasn't the same as Tree Hill and she knew how she wouldn't find such thing in their hometown. Still, she also knew that didn't mean she couldn't do anything at all involving art either.

"Peyton?" Brooke asked when the blonde didn't continue but instead just stared into space.

"Sorry. Lost in thought, I guess." She said. "It's just… You know, sometimes I thought about my own art gallery back in Savannah. It seemed like a good idea, but I don't really know anymore now."

"Why not?" Brooke answered, giving her an encouraging smile that let Peyton know she was already on board with the idea. "I think you'd be able to do so. You're passionate, you know the business. You'd be great."

"You're my best friend, aren't these just the standard answers?"

"Maybe so." She said and they both had to let out a light laugh. "Not in your case though. I really do think you'd be able to open your own gallery." She nodded her head slightly as if emphasizing her words. "Just think about it, Peyton."

"I will." Peyton said, nodding as well. "Anyway, we better get going now. Nathan and Haley, remember?"

"Right. Leave it to Naley to gather the whole town for a barbeque." She grumbled while getting up from her spot on the couch.

"You're just jealous you didn't think of organizing one yourself." Peyton laughed, receiving a playful glare from her best friend before they made their way out of the house.


"Aunt Peyton!" Jamie yelled excitedly when he saw his two aunts walking into the backyard. Not much later she caught him into her arms as he ran towards them.

"Hey Baby James." She greeted her 'nephew' although the six year old was far from a baby these days.

It had become her nickname for him from the moment he was born and she still called him that from time to time, more often than not resulting in an annoyed look from Jamie himself. However, secretly he couldn't help but love that his aunt still called him that every now and then.

It still surprised her sometimes just how much that boy seemed to like her, love even. She had left their hometown before he was even born, yet she had always made it a priority for herself not to miss that much from the boy's life. For her, moving away to be with Jake certainly didn't mean missing out on her friends lives and she had always tried her best to keep in touch with them through the years.

"I'm happy you're home now." He stated when Peyton put him back onto his feet. "You know Uncle Lucas is back as well? Now I don't have to miss any of you anymore."

"I'm happy too, Jamie." She said, smiling gently at the boy and ruffling his hair a bit before he ran off to say hello to Brooke as well.

Looking around, she saw another Scott making his way towards her and simply couldn't help but smile brightly at him.

"Sawyer, hey!" Nathan said and wrapped her up in a hug, even lifting her a bit from the ground. "How are you?" He asked with a smile as he let her go. "Haley's going to be so happy to see you, by the way. She's been talking about you needing to come home ever since you and Jake, you know…"

"I know." Peyton nodded softly and gave him a small smile. "What about you, Hotshot? Happy I'm back as well?" She said then teasingly and trying, not so subtle, to get away from the Jake subject.

"What'd you think?" He simply asked while shooting her a wink before guiding her into the backyard and house.

It was the first time she ever stepped into the Scott household, but somehow it was exactly the way she expected it to be. It was nice and welcoming and just warm. She could easily picture Nathan and Haley living there with Jamie and being perfectly happy. It was big too, but she knew all too well how both Nathan and Haley had worked really hard to earn it. It simply felt like them and somehow Peyton felt oddly proud of them for having succeeded in the things they wanted to and earning the life they led right then.

Being completely honest, she might have felt just a bit jealous of them too. She couldn't deny how it was in fact hard for her to be there. It wasn't like she didn't want to be there, of course she did, it was just a bit though seeing all her friends so completely happy. The kind of happy she had been as well before. She knew it had only been a year since their divorce, which was actually not that long in comparison to the years they had spent together, but she somehow felt like maybe she shouldn't feel this broken and lost and utterly sorrowful anymore. Yet, it hadn't been until she had arrived here that she really realized just how much she had lost. She witnessed Brooke and Julian happily married and awaiting their baby, she saw Nathan and Haley as happy as they had ever been and she couldn't help but want for herself all the same things. However, she knew far too well how it was in fact her own fault her life had come to this.

"Peyton Sawyer." A female voice broke her from her thoughts.

She hadn't realized until she heard that voice just how long, maybe a bit too long, she had just been standing there in Nathan and Haley's living room. Turning around, she was met with a smiling Haley.

"Haley James Scott." Peyton said, mimicking her a little and smiling as well. "I missed you." She said then and walked closer. Hugging each other, it felt like a lot more than just a couple months since they had last seen each other. "How are you?"

"I'm great. Really happy you're here by the way." Haley answered, that smile not leaving her face. "How are you doing, girly?"

"I'm okay." She told Haley with a strong nod of her head although she knew very well how Haley was one of those persons who could easily look through her tough front. She was proven right when she noticed the knowing look Haley sent her, but quickly brushed it away with a smile.

"Good." Haley said with a small nod as well and maybe a little sigh too. "What about some food, huh? I was just about to bring Nathan the meat for the barbeque." She continued and jerked her head a bit towards the kitchen.

"That sounds about great. I'll help you." Peyton smiled once again and followed Haley into the kitchen.


"You know, I really think this is how it's supposed to be." Brooke mused, breaking the silence between the three women. "Not that I didn't love being here with only you, Tutor Mom, but I'm quite happy P. Sawyer's back as well."

Haley laughed lightly and could only nod in agreement. "I know what you mean. Tree Hill is happy to have you back, Peyton." She said and got up from her chair to fill their glasses once again.

"You guys, sun, wine –or apple juice for our pregnant girl. I agree, this is how it's supposed to be." Peyton said with a smile as she leaned back in her chair.

After they had all eaten and some others had left, it was only Brooke and Julian, Lucas and Lily and Peyton left at Nathan and Haley's. Julian, Lucas and Nathan were playing in the garden with the children, leaving the three women alone at the table.

"It surprises me Jamie and Lily are out there playing with them." Haley smiled, nodding at the two children. "I don't think I've ever seen Jamie that happy to see you."

"That boy certainly loves his Aunt Peyton." Brooke agreed and made them all let out a soft chuckle. It wasn't hard to notice how both Jamie and Lily had been more than happy to have Peyton there all day. "Then again, we all do, don't we? I know this one will do so as well." She finished with a smile as her hand traveled down to her slightly visible baby bump.

"How's that going, by the way? Do you know already if it's a boy or a girl?" Haley asked excitedly, sitting up a bit straighter in her chair.

Both Brooke and Peyton couldn't help but laugh just a tiny tad at their friend. She sounded so excited, almost as if it was she herself expecting the baby. "Actually yes, we do. They told us on our latest appointment." She answered, smiling a little wider.

"And?" Haley asked, sort of beaming a bit.

"And I won't tell you." Brooke said laughingly as she got up from her chair, heading towards the door leading to the living room to get another drink.

"Why not? We're your friends, right?"

"We won't tell, Haley. You'll all have to wait." Julian laughed as well as he reached his wife by the door, pressing a kiss to her temple, before making his way over to the table where the other men and children were already sat.

Again, Peyton couldn't hold back laughter at Haley's face and soon the others gave in to laughter as well. Only Haley stayed put with quite a pout on her face, although Peyton could see a smile forming as well. "Stop pouting, Haley. It's their good right, you know." She said, still just a bit laughingly, while picking up Jamie from the ground and putting him onto her lap.

"Yeah Mama, Aunt Peyton's right, stop pouting." Jamie said, flashing her a sweet and playful smile causing Haley to let herself smile as well.

"Fine." She grumbled playfully. "You're not off the hook though!" She called out to Brooke once again and got up herself to follow the brunette into the house.

For a while, Peyton just sat there, watching her friends with a smile. Lucas, Nathan and Julian were engaged in some sort of sports conversation even though chances were high Julian had no idea what the other two were talking about. She knew sports weren't quite his forte. She could also hear Brooke and Haley inside, swapping pregnancy stories and talking about how great it'd be to have another baby in the 'family'. Then there were Jamie and Lily, both sitting on her lap. It wasn't the most comfortable position to sit in, but when Lily had asked her oh-so sweetly if she could sit with her as well, she hadn't been able to say no to the girl.

"Aunt Peyton?" Jamie then asked after some good moments. He had been talking to Lily about one thing or another but had now shifted his attention towards Peyton.

"Yeah buddy?"

"Would you like to play with us on the swings?"

"Sure, little man." She said with a smile, getting up as well after Jamie and Lily had done so. Watching them running of towards the swings, her smile only grew wider.


"Then there were two." A voice she would recognize anywhere and anytime sounded somewhere behind her. Jamie and Lily had gone back to the house, but she had chosen to stay at the swings for just a little while longer. She kinda liked the quiet this part of the garden held and didn't want to head back to the house just yet.

She turned a bit so she was facing him and showed him a small yet somehow –and he could certainly tell so– sad smile. He took a seat on one of the other swings and silently swayed a little, simply not feeling the need to fill the air with conversation.

He couldn't recall the last time they just sat in silence next to one another, letting their selves just be. They didn't need to talk to each other. Not in that moment, anyway. Right then, they could both just sit there and enjoy each other's company without having to talk about all the things they in fact had to talk about at some point. Because as much as they both wished it would be like that, they simply weren't those two seventeen year old teenagers who once spent a summer together anymore. They both had changed and so had their relationship.

However, in that moment it just wasn't needed to bring up that subject quite yet and they both certainly knew so.

"They love you, you know. Lily and Jamie, I mean." He spoke at last and startled her maybe just a bit. "I haven't seen her that excited in quite a while. Or Jamie for that matter." He said, not able not to smile at the thought of his little sister and nephew.

It was indeed the truth. It somehow had surprised her just how much time both kids had wanted to spend with her that afternoon and evening. She couldn't say she didn't love it though.

"Yeah, they had fun, right?"

"Of course they had." Lucas nodded with a smile. She nodded as well and silence settled between them again for a while. "What about you? You had fun too?"

"Yeah, yeah, I had." She said. However, that lone tear she tried to wipe away quickly didn't go unnoticed by Lucas and the faint smile she gave him when she saw he had noticed didn't get him any less worried either.

"Peyton, hey. You okay?" He asked rather worriedly and moved a bit closer. Not that that changed much seeing as they were both sitting on separate swings.

"She reminds me of Jenny, you know. Lily. It's just… hard, I guess." She said, wiping away yet another tear.

She had no idea why she was opening up to him in that moment, especially considering their past, yet it felt nothing short than right. She could only guess it had simply always been that way between them. As much as things had in fact changed, the fact that he could still get her to open up just by being there for her hadn't.

"You miss her."

"Yeah, it's been a while since I last saw her."

"Jake didn't let you see her?" He asked, watching her as she got up from the swing.

"Oh, no, no. He did." She quickly said with a strong nod of her head. "Just not that much anymore, you know? I mean, it just wasn't, isn't, like it used to be." Peyton finished, shrugging a shoulder and twisting her lips in some sort of attempt to smile.

Lucas only nodded and sat with her in silence for a little while longer. In all those years they had known each other, most of the time he knew exactly when she needed him to talk and when she simply didn't want him to, when she just wanted him to be quiet next to her. But now, as he sat there with her, he really couldn't decipher whether he should speak or not. Whether she wanted him to or not. Fearing that the silence between them might become a tad too uncomfortable, he decided to just speak already.

"What about now? You're even further away from her now than you were there." He pointed out softly, not to rub it in even more, but simply because he had the feeling she might just needed to really talk about it.

"I know." She nodded just as softly. "I actually called her yesterday. She sounded happy, but… sad too, you know?" She continued and it didn't go unnoticed by him how her voice broke just a little at the end and she had to wipe away another few tears rolling down her cheek. He didn't hesitate one bit to get up from the swing as well and pulling her wordlessly into his arms, not even thinking about how she could react to that simple action of him.

Peyton on her turn didn't fight his hold either and just let herself be in his arms for a while. And although she did a fairly good attempt at ignoring it, she couldn't help to actually think how good it felt being there. However, she soon realized just who was holding her and pulled away from him, looking down at the ground.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I…" She said, brushing away the last of her tears and then gesturing between the two of them. "I'm sorry." She said once again as she already backed away from him a little. "I should head back to the house now, I guess. I, um… I'll be seeing you, right?" Peyton finished, but had already disappeared before he could answer.

She left him standing there by the swings, wondering if it would always be like this between them from now on.


"So…" Nathan drawled out as he sat himself next to her on the back porch. "How is it to be back?"

"Good, it's been a really good day." Peyton answered smilingly. "You have one amazing son by the way." She said and wasn't that surprised when she saw him beam with proud just a little.

"He's a real Scott boy." He nodded a bit matter-of-factly as if that explained her previous statement. "What about the other Scott?"

"You? You shouldn't be fishing for compliments like that, Nate." She said jokingly, nudging his side.

"You know I meant Lucas."

She did. She just didn't know how to answer his question. At the moment, she simply didn't know about the other Scott. It had been quite a weird day between the two of them and although she could've expected that, it still felt rather odd to admit how they stood even further away from each other's lives as they did a couple years ago.

They had barely talked to the other, expect for their little conversation on the swings just a while ago, but all day long there still had been that tension and she doubted she was the only one who had noticed.

"Did you have an affair?" Nathan then asked bluntly after some good moments of silence. He didn't mean to be so straightforward, yet he still felt like if he wasn't right now, she wouldn't be telling him much either.

"I, we… Did we what?" Peyton brought out, clearly taken aback by his question. She knew her friend could be quite direct, but she hadn't exactly expected him to be that bluntly either. She also had no idea how he could've know –or at least have an idea of it– what had happened between them. On the other hand, he was Haley's husband who on her turn was Lucas' best friend. And it wasn't like she hadn't told Brooke anything either. Still, she simply hadn't thought of Lucas telling anyone as well.

"Sorry, it's probably none of my business, but it's just… You have all this tension between you, you know. And not the good kind if you ask me. Doesn't seem quite healthy actually, Sawyer." He said and nudged her side lightly with his elbow. "And you know, I'm not the prying kind, I'm not, it's just that I know Haley knows something, so does Brooke and I'm just sitting there watching all this tension between the two of you and I just wondered." He finished, shrugging one of his shoulders.

"I mean, there has to be something, right? You both got divorced at the same time too." Nathan started again when she didn't answer immediately. "You don't have to talk to me, you know, but maybe it'll do you some good. You never know, right?"

"You just feel a bit left out, Nate, it's no big deal admitting that." She answered teasingly, letting out a soft chuckle which Nathan had no problem matching. However, she soon sobered as she thought of his words again. "We… We saw each other a couple of times in New York. It, it was stupid. It brought us only more pain and sorrow and… Maybe it just shouldn't have happened." Peyton said quietly and closed her eyes shortly. "Anyway, it's in the past now, you know." She said then, looking up at Nathan and nodding her head a bit.

"Yeah." Nathan answered, nodding as well. "What about now though? You're both back now, doesn't it feel a bit like the past is coming back too to haunt you?" He asked seriously and she couldn't help but smile at the way he seemed to care.

"I've been thinking the exact same thing since Brooke told me he was coming home too." She agreed. "But I don't know, maybe we really can leave it behind us. Be friends, you know." She said, shrugging her shoulders.

"You need to talk first to be friends, Sawyer." He pointed out with a slightly raised eyebrow. "And seeing the way you two look at each other it seems to me you have a lot to talk about."

"I don't know, feels like everything we needed to say about it has already been said two years ago." Peyton answered and shrugged her shoulders again. She knew, however, that her words weren't exactly true.

"You really think that?"

"Maybe." She said as she once again looked up to meet his eyes. "I knew it wasn't going to be easy, you know, moving back home. Especially when I heard he was coming too. But I didn't think it'd be this complicated or weird between us either." She finished quietly, looking down again.

Nathan moved closer and puller her into his side. "You just need some time. And some good friends by your side." He reassured her as he stroked her arm a little.

"Good luck I have both then, right?" Peyton said with a small smile as she leaned a bit into his side as well.

"Yeah, don't you ever forget we'll always have your back, okay?"

"Okay." She answered softly, still smiling.

They stayed sitting there for quite a while after that, both lost in thought and not really caring it might be getting a bit later and Brooke or Haley might be wondering where they are.

She's thinking that even though she got divorced and that still hurts and she misses Jenny like hell and although things are fairly complicated between her and Lucas and she has no idea what her life is going to be like from now on, she still feels better than she has in a long time. She's also thinking that might have a whole lot to do with the fact that she has her best friends right there, right next to her.

She had missed that feeling of having them there.

She couldn't help but smile at that thought, simply because she doesn't have to miss it anymore.

They're right next to her, right now, and that's all that really matters anyway.


AN: ... Like it, love it, hate it? Please let me know your thoughts (:

Thank you for reading!