Chapter Four: More Than Words

Lucas walked back up the graveled walkway. He had been gone, maybe an hour. He hoped that Peyton had taken his words to heart. That she for one, was napping. For two, that she didn't break out of the cabin. The thought alone, sent a chill up and down his spine. He remembered a time when his father had left both, Lucas and Nathan out at the cabin. He had told them that all little boys needed to know how to survive in the wilderness. He had told them what to watch out for, and showed them how to shoot the gun he had left behind. He left them enough food for two days, and told them that they'd have to kill their food for the remaining three days. Before walking out of the cabin and leaving them there for five days without supervision, he promised he'd be back in five days.

Lucas opened the door to the cabin, and found it eerily quiet. He sat the bag in his arm down, and took off for the bedroom that he left Peyton in. He prayed that she was just a really good sound sleeper. He flung the bedroom door open, and saw that bed was still made, and the window just above it was opened.

"Son of a bitch!" he yelled.

Peyton trekked a little further down the trail she had found and started to follow. She stopped suddenly when a pain coursed the full length of her arm. She gripped it tightly in her hand, as she let her eyes trail down to see what was causing her such pain. She gasped at the large open gash on her forearm. It had gotten much worse, since her arm had been cut open by a long, grangley tree branch that hung out way too far. She winced again, as another pain shot up her arm. Tears formed in her eyes, as she hugged her arm to her chest.

"PEYTON!" Lucas screamed as he began to scream her name.

He had found a small puddle of blood just outside the window that she had crawled out of. He had immediately thought the worse, as he took off down the path that he knew she had taken. He started to follow the small trail of blood that weaved around the trail a bit.

Peyton froze instantly, the last remaining tears sliding down her cheek, as she her leaves rustling from the bushes in front of her. She bit her lip, and waited for whatever was standing in the bushes to come out and get her. Her eyes widened, as the noises came closer.

Lucas fired his gun into the air, and listened as the rustling ended.

"I told you not to do this," he said, fear apparent in his voice.

"I had to Lucas, I mean god!" Peyton said, before wincing once again.

"Let me see it," Lucas said, as he reached out his hand, and grabbed her arm. "It's pretty bad, you're gonna need stitches."

"Oh great, are you gonna do them?" Peyton asked, really hoping he'd say no.

"No, I'm just gonna have to bandage it for now...Let's get back," he said, as he lead the way back to the cabin.

"Have a seat," Lucas pointed to the chair, as he grabbed the first aid kit from the cabinet.

"Why are you doing this?" Peyton asked suddenly.

"Doing what? Bandaging your arm, or taking you out here in the first place?" Lucas asked her, his eyes staring straight into hers.

"The second one I suppose," Peyton answered, before wincing as Lucas rubbed some alcohol on her wound.

"First off, I gotta get this off my chest. I wasn't lying when I said I didn't want to hurt. That was never my plan. I know I said I would, but I wouldn't have. Second of all, it's kind of a long story...but here goes.." Lucas let his sentence trail off, so he could finish bandaging her arm, before continuing his story.

"I had gotten picked up for a robbery that I did not commit. I had promised myself that I was going to straighten myself out, that I needed to be the man my dad thought that I was. Apparently a few of the guys that I had pulled a couple of jobs with. They weren't happy with my sudden decision to give up my 'life of crime', to become a law abiding citizen. They decided to do the job that we had been talking about before I decided I wanted out. They planted evidence, to make it look like I was the one that had done the job. The cops had been after me for a while for a few other break-ins I had done. Long story short, I got arrested for that robbery..."

"Why didn't you tell them you didn't do it?" Peyton asked, as she pulled her injured arm in toward her chest, hoping the throbbing would cease.

"You don't think I tried? Hell Peyton, I've been picked up on so many breaking and entering charges. Not to mention my numerous grand theft autos, among other charges I've had in my lifetime. They weren't going to believe a lowlife like me. They'd pin it on me themselves, just to get me off the streets. I did try to explain to them what had happened, but they told me to save it. They said I was going away for a long time, and there was nothing that I could do about it. So I did the only thing I could, I called Nathan..." Lucas paused as his fingers massaged his temples.

"Nate came as soon as I called. We've always had a pretty strong bond, even if he didn't want anyone to know. When he got there I told him what happened, and he said that he knew I didn't do it. That Junk and Fergie had told Skills, who was trying to get out of doing jobs too. He immediately went to Nathan with it, said that he needed to help his 'Scrawny white boy brother' out of the heap of shit he had gotten into. What Nathan said next though Peyt...it's how you came into the picture..." Lucas let his sentence trail off as he set up a tape recorder on the table and pressed the play button.

"Look Luke, I know you didn't do this. I can get you out of this, and have your name cleared...well for this robbery at least, but your gonna have to do something for me," Nathan said, his voice was stern and unyielding as he spoke.

"What's that?" Lucas's voice broke over the tape recorder. His voice was raspy and harsh sounding, as if he had yelled and screamed for hours.

"I want you...to get rid...of my wife," Nathan's voice held no emotions as he spoke to Lucas.

"You want me to what?" Lucas asked.

"I want you to kill her you moron," Nathan said a little louder.

"I can't...I won't," Lucas's voice now held a defiate tone.

"You will, unless you wanna get put away for ten years...or more," Nathan said, his voice threatening.

Peyton gasped, as she heard the remaining details of her 'kidnapping'. This man did not sound like the man she married. The man she married was a gentle soul, one that would never think of harming another soul. Peyton shook her head at herself. Nathan hadn't been the kind, gentle man she married for a long time now. No, Nathan was a horrible human being. One that didn't deserve to walk around, to breathe the air that he breathe.

"I just...why?" was all Peyton could ask.

"I don't know, he never did tell me, but..." Lucas sighed before continuing. "Right before he gave me the gun, I saw him with Haley..."

"You mean, Tree Hill's own rock princess, Haley James?" Peyton asked.

She had, for a while, suspected that Nathan was cheating on her. So it came to no surprise that he actually was.

"Yeah, that Haley...I mean, I only know her as the bookworm...the tutor-girl," Lucas let his head hang before he continued. "Then again, she hasn't been that Haley James in a long time...This one...I don't' know her, and I really don't' care too."

Peyton went to say something, she felt she needed to, but Lucas simply waved his hand at her.

"Here, take this, Nathan needs to pay for what he wanted me to do. Take it to the police, they'll take care of you. Here is the car keys, just follow the main road back into town. I just...I'm so sorry Peyton, but please believe me, I never intended on hurting you. I sure as hell never intended on killing you...I could never do such a thing, I've been in love with you since high school, I could never hurt someone I love," Lucas admitted, unable to met her eyes.

"What..what about you?" Peyton asked, as she reached a weary hand out, and laid it gently on Lucas's trembling shoulder.

"I've gotta prove my innocence. Even if only this one," Lucas said, his head coming up a bit, but his eyes still not meeting hers.

"Then, I'll stay," Peyton said, her fingers touching his cheek lightly.

The sudden contact to his face jolted him a bit. He hadn't been expecting this. He wasn't dumb, he had just been holding a gun to her head, and being positively horrible to her.

"No, you should go, get everything sorted out. Peyton, as soon as he figures out that I didn't it, he'll send someone who will. I won't have that!" Lucas said firmly.

"Then I guess you'll have to protect me until then," Peyton smiled softly at him.

She couldn't believe how she could go from hating him with a passion, and then feeling like he was the one person missing from her life.

"Peyt.." Lucas started, but got cut off by Peyton's lips brushing against his softly.

"Just...Ssssh," Peyton said, before wrapping her arms around his neck, and pressing her lips harder against his.