A/N: Sorry about the long wait everyone, I'm working on a few stories at the moment so the updates have been a little delayed, however I will be wrapping the stories up pretty soon so the updates should be more frequent. I hope everyone likes this chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 7, Some Things Never Change

'Luke'

'Mmmm'

'Luke' She purred his name into his face and he opened his eyes.

'Yeah' He groaned, it had all been a dream, they had just been about to make love and it had felt so real.

'I think maybe we should take this slow, how about you spend some time with your daughter today?'

'Really?' he could barely contain his excitement, a day with his girls sounded just about perfect.

'Yeah, I have a feeling that she's wanted to meet you for a long time now' Peyton kissed him lightly on the lips and he couldn't help himself, he pulled her closer and delved his tongue into her mouth. He retraced a path he had travelled a thousand times before and he grinned inwardly. She was still the best kisser and he was glad that this talent of hers had only gotten better over the years.

'Ok, wait, stop God Luke' She pulled back and he lightly nipped her lips with his teeth. She groaned.

'We need to take a shower and then go pick up our daughter' He smirked at her.

'Sounds like a great idea Peyt' He pulled her up and placed an arm around her middle.

'Ew no perv, not like that, mama needs her own shower' She swatted his chest at the wounded look on his face. She kissed it off and he just stood there grinning like a fool at her.

Peyton turned the shower on and sat thinking on the bathroom counter, her legs were dangling off the edge and she was lost in thought. Luke opened the door quietly and stood in front of her, he tipped her chin up with his hand and kissed her gently on the lips.

'Hey, I said we should shower separately' She smirked at him and then saw he had brought her something.

'I know, but I also remember how cranky you are in the mornings, here's your coffee Peyt' He kissed the top of her head and she wrapped her arms around his neck, her hands played with the blonde hairs at the back of his head. He sighed into her embrace, he had missed this, and all these simple things they used to do together. Quiet moments where it was just the two of them, no one else was around and they could just be intimate and hold each other.

'I've missed this' he breathed the words into her ear and felt her shiver beside him.

'Yeah?' she looked into his eyes and saw his sincerity.

'Always' he smiled and kissed her once more.

'Hey Luke'

'Yeah?'

'Thanks' She took a quick sip of her coffee and watched as his lips curved into a smile.

'No problem' he would do anything for this woman, he wished the past could be erased so that he could go back and talk to his younger self and shake some sense into him. He had missed out on three years of this with her and he felt that ache in his chest. He rubbed his hand over it and the pain just got a little worse.

'Luke, Luke are you okay?' he took a deep breath and waited for it to pass, he sometimes felt this way when he thought about all his mistakes and he knew it wasn't a heart attack but it always felt like something bad was going to happen. So far he had been lucky.

He held his hand out in front of him motioning for her to stop; she stood in front of him worry creasing her features.

'I'm ok, I just sometimes get an ache in my chest, don't worry this too shall pass' he smiled at her to reassure her and she just timidly took a step closer.

'If this is your way of getting to have a shower with me, I gotta say it's pretty genius' She coyly looked up at him through her curtain of curls.

'Wait, what? I would never..' he stumbled over his words as he saw her lips curve into a cheeky smile.

'Relax honey, if you really can't stand showering alone I guess I could give you a free pass this time. However the rules are as follows, no sex, just kissing and we need to be quick I want to spend all day with our daughter' He grinned at her and tipped her chin up with his hand.

'I kinda like you-you know that?' he smirked at her as he saw the blush creep over her cheeks. He kinda liked that he could still affect her even with the most simple of words or touches. It made it easier for him to imagine a life with her, if she still felt the same way he did then them being together was just inevitable. This time around he wasn't in any rush to get her to agree, he knew she was halfway there-Sawyer would be the other half and then finally they could all be a family.

'Yeah? I guess that's a good thing considering you're my baby daddy and all' She smirked as she saw the surprise and love glow in his eyes.

'Yeah, I guess it is-come on blondie good water is a wasting' she chuckled at him and threw her tank top at him over her shoulder. He just stood there looking at her naked back and then he made the mistake of looking at her legs.

'Oh my god' the words came out in a strangled hiss and his breathing became erratic.

'What?' she turned around and he put a hand over his eyes desperately trying to block out the image of her naked body in front of him.

'Lucas Scott are you blushing and covering your eyes, I have to say that is a surprise. Come on Luke, it's not like you haven't seen me naked a thousand times before-you didn't think I was going to shower with my pyjamas on did you?' She smirked at him and pulled his hand gently away from his eyes.

'Peyt, you can't say stuff like that and stand there like that and expect me not to react in some way. Are you trying to give me a heart attack' He turned around and took his shirt off and then slid his sweatpants down, he turned to face her and he was completely naked.

'Ummm…I could say the same for you Mister, you can't just stand there all hot and Oh god, we're going to hell' he chuckled and lifted her up in his arms. She felt the warm water hit her back and then his lips were on hers as he eagerly pushed his tongue inside her mouth and gently massaged hers, she moaned into his mouth and he came a little undone.

'Peyt, you need to turn around and start soaping yourself otherwise I can't be held responsible for what happens next' she kissed him lightly on the lips and passed the soap to him, she put some shampoo in her hair and lathered up. He turned around and washed himself.

They managed to mostly keep their hands to themselves and both were able to adequately wash their own bodies.

'Ok, I can't take it anymore, I gotta get outta here before you need another shower' she giggled as she watched him step out of the shower, his muscles rippled as he reached for a towel and she felt so turned on she had to wonder where the hell she got her self control from.

She swallowed and then turned the shower off, he was holding a towel out to her and his eyes were defiantly staying locked on a spot to the left of her face. She thought teasing him a little could be fun, she grabbed the towel threw it over her shoulder and casually breezed past him and into the bedroom.

She heard his intake of breath as her skin lightly grazed his on her way out and she smirked to herself, there was something infinitely satisfying about torturing Luke.

'Put some clothes on you big tease' she heard him grumble from inside the bathroom. She heard the lock click as he eased his back down the wall and sat there trying to calm down, he could have made love to her a thousand times and it would still feel like the first time.

He was so in love with her that it always felt special and wonderful whenever they were together, she kissed him unlike anyone he had ever known. It was like she was tracing a path to his soul, he could have told her not to bother she was already splintered through his in every way that mattered.

He kinda like that she put this feeling out there and infused every touch from her with it, it was one of many reasons why he could never really love someone the way he loved her. She was a one of a kind and he had known it since the first time they ever talked.

She had been a bitch to him, but she was his bitch and he loved her-potty mouth and all.

'Luke are you ready to go?' She was dressed casually and putting in some earrings when he opened the door and smiled at her.

'I think so' She grasped his hand and pulled him out of the door.

'Why the hesitation Luke?' He was standing at the driver's side door contemplating seeing his daughter as his daughter for the first time. It was a huge moment and he felt a mixture of anxiety and excitement at the prospect.

'I guess now it's really happening, I'm a little nervous. I mean what if she doesn't like me? What if she can't stand the thought of someone new coming into her life? What if she hates me like I hated Dan?' Luke exhaled and tried to quell the rising panic.

'Ok, slow down there, first off she will like you, secondly she will love having you in her life and I'm not even going to answer the last question. Luke, you need to calm down and relax, I know this is scary but it will be fine-you have nothing to worry about' She kissed him lightly on the lips and gripped the collar of his button down shirt as she pulled him closer.

She could feel him relaxing in her embrace and she slowly eased back from him, they locked eyes and she could tell that he was going to be ok. He smiled at her and she patted his chest and climbed into the car.

Brooke bustled around the kitchen making coffee and pouring orange juice, she settled herself at the breakfast bar and munched on some toast. She watched as Julian walked over to her and placed a soft kiss to the side of her head, he grabbed a mug and poured himself a coffee and then took a seat opposite her.

'Hey you' he smiled at his wife.

'Hey yourself, so what do you want to do today?' She cast her eyes around the room and they settled on his suitcase and workbag. It looked like he would be here for good. Brooke was relieved she always hated the waiting; she accepted it because she had a really demanding job as well but she missed him whenever he had to leave to go on location.

'Well, I think we should get dressed and go see some of those places you've been telling me about for years. I want to see where the real Brooke Davis came from, in fact I think it would be a great idea to go to the River court' He smirked at her.

'Oh you do, do you? Huh… well I guess we could make a pit stop there, but I think afterwards you should really meet Hales, Nate and Luke. I mean that's if you want to babe' she smiled at him knowing that he had wanted to meet these people for years.

'Sounds perfect babe' he got up and placed a kiss to the side of her head as he gently linked their hands together.

'Come on, let's pick up where we left off earlier' She hopped up and all but dragged him into the bathroom, laughing that husky laugh of hers as she slowly teased him with that sexy body of hers.

Meanwhile over at Haley and Nate's….

'Hey, did Luke or Peyt call and give any indication of what time they would be coming by?' Haley looked at Nate and watched as he shrugged his shoulders.

Jamie and Sawyer had set up the Wii and were concentrating on playing Guitar Hero; it had been an uneventful evening for the most part. Sawyer had taken to her cousin almost immediately and they played so well together-you almost wouldn't know they had only known each other a few days.

Haley knew that a storm was coming, Sawyer she had a feeling had been waiting for this day for a very long time, but that didn't mean that it wouldn't take time for everyone to find their own rhythm. She sat deep in thought mulling over everything, Peyton and Brooke being back was a wonderful blessing but it didn't come without its usual amount of drama. She still hadn't really spoken to Lucas about Peyton and Sawyer and she was a little worried that things would be awkward.

'Hales can you get the door?' Haley looked up and shook her head; she had been a million miles away.

'I'm on it' Nate smiled and went back to playing with Jamie and Sawyer.

'Well, well look what the cat dragged in?' She smiled as she saw Luke and Peyt standing together on her porch with smiles so big it was ridiculous.

'Come on in, do you guys want some coffee?'

'That sounds great Hales' Luke took a deep breath and tried to control his breathing, he watched his best friend disappear into her kitchen to get them some drinks and he felt like this was one of those moments that's really huge and important. He could feel Peyton gently rubbing circles on the inside of his wrist and then she turned to him.

'Hey, the hard part is over, let's go see our daughter' She smiled at him and inclined her head towards the den where they could hear excited voices and Nate singing along to Abba.

Luke chuckled and felt the tension ease a little, she was right, the hard part was over sort of, and he would deal with all that other stuff later. He knew he needed to focus on meeting his baby girl as his baby girl for the first time.

Sawyer knew her mom was in the room, she could sense a small shift in the air around her, she had been happy all morning and having a lot of fun with her cousin but having her mom with her made everything ten times better.

She turned around and saw Mom and Uncle Luke standing in the doorway with big smiles on their faces, she grinned at them both and then rushed over to her mom.

'Mommy!' Sawyer launched her little body into her mother's lithe frame and wrapped her small arms around her mother's legs.

'Hi baby, did you have fun with Uncle Nate, Aunt Haley and J-Luke?' Peyton brushed a few stray curls from Sawyer's forehead and saw the happiness radiating off her.

'Yeah mom I did, its been really fun, we had pizza, watched a movie and then I played Guitar Hero' Sawyer rushed all the words out barely pausing to take a breath and Luke couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm.

She was so unlike how he had pictured her, she was a really happy kid and he knew that part of that was due to having Brooke around-she was always upbeat and optimistic-that's how he remembered her and it seemed that despite his absence in his daughter's life she had more than thrived.

Sawyer was the kind of person that people would always be drawn to and she really didn't have to do a thing, it was just her loving and playful nature.

Sawyer stepped back from her mother's embrace and looked up into the eyes of her father, she knew it was him-it had to be him. She had heard her mom sometimes at night, she would be talking to Brooke and there would be the soft sounds of her sobbing, Sawyer never told her mother of her eavesdropping, but she had grown to love the image her mother painted of her father.

'Hi Sawyer' Luke smiled at her and watched her face change from joy to apprehension. He had seen the same look a thousand times in Peyton's eyes. He reached for her instinctively and wrapped his arms around her, she relaxed in his embrace and he felt his heart beat just that little bit faster.

She reacted the same way her mother did when he hugged her, she sank into him and pressed herself closer.

Peyton stood looking at the two people she loved more than anything and she bit back the sob that threatened to escape by chewing on the inside of her lip. Nate glanced over his shoulder at his brother and niece and smirked that little smirk of his; today was going to be a big day. He got up quietly and went to find Haley, she had everything set up on the kitchen table and she smiled when she saw him walk in.

'Hey' Haley wrapped her arms around her husband and felt his smile as he pressed a light kiss to her cheek.

'So…do you think we should call them in here? Or leave them be?' Haley didn't know whether to take the lead on this or just let everyone kinda do his or her thing.

'I think we should leave them to it, they'll come out here when they're ready' he kissed her gently on the lips and then took a seat at the kitchen table.

Peyton watched as Luke and Sawyer fell into easy conversation together, they were talking about music and what she wanted to do that day. It felt simple and easy, Peyton had thought that this would all be difficult and filled with anxiety but she had worried needlessly. They were getting on just fine.

'Hey, so what do you guys want to do today?' Sawyer looked up at mom and her brow furrowed in concentration.

'I want to go to the River Court and then can we go see your studio?' Sawyer smiled at her mother and looked at with hopeful eyes.

'Sure baby, do you want J-Luke and the others to spend some time with us?' Peyton wanted some alone time with just the three of them but she also wanted Sawyer to have options. She didn't want to force it on her.

'Can we spend today with just Luke mom?'

'Sure we can' Luke grinned at Peyton and held his hand out for Sawyer; she put her tiny hand inside his and squeezed it a little in excitement.

She was finally going to spend some time with her dad, it was like a dream come true, she pulled him towards the front door and Luke chuckled at her excitement.

'Hey, how about you two go get settled in the car and I'll tell Hales and Nate what the plan is for today' Luke nodded his head and watched as Sawyer ran off to stand by the front door where she anxiously hopped from one foot to the other desperate to get out the door and spend some time with her parents one on one.

Peyton chuckled to herself as she made her way to the kitchen; things were finally starting to feel like they maybe should have felt all along. If only her and Luke hadn't been so stubborn, they could have had this all along. She shook her head of the "what ifs" and decided to focus on what they had now.

She spoke to Hales and Nate and said she would see them later; they were going to hang out with Sawyer and have some family time. Haley nodded, smiled and told her to have some fun. Nate lightly punched her shoulder and told her that she deserved all the happiness she could get, he gave her a quick hug before it all got too mushy and she stepped out of the kitchen feeling lighter than she had in years.