I'm back!! Sorry for the long drawn out wait guys. Real life can be a real bitch sometimes, ya know? So here's a new chapter. Please review and let me know if you're still interested and such. For those of you awaiting the final chapter of Hate You Enough, please keep waiting. I'm trying to get the final chapter of that just right for you guys but it'll be up soonish.

"Daddy look it." Excited blue eyes looked up at Nathan until they were sure they had his undivided attention then glanced back at the hoop before releasing the basketball landing a perfect shot from the free throw line.

A proud smile spread across his face as he ran and picked up the five year old child and twirled her around in circles. "Good job princess."

"I did good." Charlie said smiling at her father.

"You did great," he answered back hugging her a little bit tighter and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"You're proud of me?" The tiny girl asked looking pleadingly in her father's eyes.

The look in her eyes broke Nathan's heart. A look that no five year old should already have. The desperate need for approval from their father. "I'll always be proud of you, princess." He said his voice cracking a little bit. "Always."

Nathan looked away from the picture on his desk. Shame and regret filling his entire body as he realized that his daughter had long stopped trying to win his approval thinking that she had never had it and never would.

He looked up to find Peyton watching him a sad smile on her face. "She hates me."

Peyton shook her head to the contrary. "She loves you, Nathan. She still needs you more than either of you know. You're her daddy...even if both of you have seemed to forget that over the past few years." Peyton looked at him for a few seconds before taking a deep breath. "I really think that it's not too late to fix it with her Nathan. You just have to try. You have to show her that you're still the man that promised to always be proud of her no matter what."

"How? How do I fix it?" His gaze went back to the picture of Charlie and him from when she was five.

"That's really something only you can figure out, Nate. But you can start by being there." Peyton gave him a reassuring smile before turning and leaving.

SoOF

"So you two really aren't back together?" Lexi took a bite of her chicken sandwich as she watched the blonde and awaited the answer. The two girls sat under their normal lunch time tree.

"Nope," sadness was evident in the shorter girl's voice. "We talked about it last night and she seemed like that was what she wanted, ya know? But then this morning on the way to school it was like she had done a total 180." Jess released a defeated sigh and moved her salad around on her plate. She finally looked Lexi in the eyes and decided to take advantage of Charlie being at a make up test. "How was she really after I left?"

The dark headed soccer player took a deep breath before answering. "Honestly, Jess, she was a mess. You leaving like that really hurt her, ya know? I mean I know she missed you like crazy and she was more than happy when I told her you were back...but I guess maybe she's just scared to go there with you again."

Jessica nodded that she understood. "So there's no one else?"

Lexi thought for a few minutes trying to recall if there had been anyone that Charlie had mentioned. "Not that I know of."

"Great. So at least I know there's no one to get in the way but me. I shouldn't have left like that." Jessica sighed again a new determination to get her girl back. "I won't hurt her again, Lex."

"Like hell you won't. If you do I'll personally dismember you." She smiled back at her short friend before adding some last minute advice before the bell sounded signaling the end of lunch. "Just let her set the pace Jess. It has to be her choice. It has to be in her control this time. Let her know you're there and interested but let her call the shots. You owe her that much.

SoOF

"Knock, knock."

Brooke looked up from her latest design and smiled. "Hey P.S. What's up?"

"Nothing really." Peyton answered walking into Brooke's office and taking her normal spot across from Brooke at her desk. "Unless you call Nathan realizing he's been a sucky husband for the better part of a year and Danny Jr to Charlie for longer than that, something."

"He what?" Brooke asked shock written across her face. Peyton nodded to assure her long time friend that she wasn't kidding. "Wow they must have pulled out parkas in hell." Brooke added with a smirk as she leaned back in her oversized office chair to let the new information sink in.

"Tell me about it," Peyton laughed a little bit at how crazy the whole thing seemed now. "Last night he came up to my studio all dressed up. He planned this dinner for the two of us in the back yard. He even hired a violinist to play for us. It was beautiful, Brooke, I couldn't believe it. He said he couldn't begin to make things right with Charlie until he made our marriage right."

"That's amazing. I had hoped that he'd come out of his funk."

"He's trying." Peyton said with a genuine smile, something Brooke hadn't seen on the artist's face when it came to her husband in longer than she could remember. "So how's Rachel and Heather." Peyton relaxed a little in her chair.

"Pretty good I suppose. Rach got Richard to give her the gym for practice which obviously pissed Lucas off...thus making her day." Brooke shook her head and smiled as she thought about the childish rivalry that still went on between the two. "And well Heather is great. I really couldn't ask for a better teenager. My only complaint really is her choice in boyfriend." Brooke shuddered dramatically as she thought about Logan and her baby girl.

"You sound like Charlie where Logan is concerned." Brooke's only response was to smile innocently and shrug causing Peyton to roll her eyes. "So how's your plan to get Heather with someone better?"

Brooke shrugged again. "I've dropped it." Peyton raised her eyebrow obviously not buying it. "Don't looked so shocked you were right. If I keep trying to pull her away from him it will just make her cling to him more. And I sure as hell don't want her to end up marrying him. So I'm backing off." Brooke finished with a determined nod.

Peyton smiled at her best friend then grabbed her sketch pad that she kept in Brooke's office and started drawing. The long time friends sat drawing in silence for several minutes something they did often. Brooke working on new clothing designs Peyton working on graphics for said designs.

"When we were in high school did you ever think our lives would be like this?" Peyton asked never taking her eyes off of her drawing.

Brooke thought for a few minutes before answering. "Maybe sometimes. But honestly I could have never imagined either of us being as happy as we are right at this moment."

"It does seem like a miracle at times." Brooke nodded in agreement and the women turned their attention back to their respective drawings. Peyton looked at her sketch pad then back at Brooke then back at her sketch pad, repeating the cycle several times. "How long did it take Victoria to figure out about you and Rachel?" Peyton asked obviously catching her friend by surprise.

Brooke looked up from her design and could tell that something was up. "Awhile I guess. It didn't really fully hit her until after Heather was born, though."

"Really? Why do you think it took that long?" Peyton asked flashes of Charlie and Jess floating in and out of her head.

"Probably because she wasn't around, I guess." Brooke studied her friend for a few moments. "What's going on Peyton?"

"Nothing." Peyton said looking back down at her sketch pad. She sighed and looked up to find Brooke still studying her. "Do you think you'd know if Heather were gay. Or do you think it's just something that takes moms a little bit to notice?"

Brooke sighed. This was a conversation she didn't want to have with her best friend. Normally she didn't back down from any conversation with the blonde artist but how could she have this one without betraying Charlie or her oldest friend. "I don't know Pey. I think Rachel would know before I would. She's around more than me. But what's this really about."

"I don't know." Peyton shook her head feeling stupid for even trying to beat around the bush with her best friend. She didn't care if Charlie was gay, straight, bi, whatever as long as her baby was happy. There was just something inside of her that wanted to know...that needed to know. "I'm around. I'm always around. I would know, right? I knew about you and Rach before you guys knew about you. I would know if..." Peyton sighed and rubbed her hand through her hair. She felt like mess. Why couldn't she just finish the sentence. Brooke wouldn't care. Brooke wouldn't judge Charlie.

Brooke couldn't help but feel bad for her friend. "You wouldn't know unless Charlie wanted you to know P. She's just like you. She's great at hiding things. I wouldn't worry about it. She'll talk to you if or when there's something to talk about."

Ok so I know it was short and it might even seem to have ended suddenly but I'm sorry. I've been out of this writing thing for a few months as some of you know so I'm just trying to kinda get back in the swing of things. At any rate let me know what you think and what you'd like to see happen.