Peyton whimpered as she stirred. Shivering in the corner, she had fallen asleep again. It came in restless, radical spurts, always ending when her eyes popped open and once again she was faced with the terror of her new reality. She closed her eyes and a stream of tears fell. Peyton winced at the pain. She had been crying so much that her tear ducts literally ached every time water came from her eyes. But there was nothing else to do except cry. Cry and pray for someone, anyone to rescue her before it was too late.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him pacing. His bare feet trudged across the dirty floor, a determined look in his scary eyes. Why hadn't she seen it before? Had the warning signs been there all along? Derek was her friend, a good friend, and she had seen him as such. But beneath all the charm and jokes and good advice, had a monster been lurking there the whole time? The erratic young man before her was a person she didn't recognize. Maybe he wasn't evil but just sick. If he was and there was still a tiny strand of good left in his soul, maybe she would be able to reach him, plead with him to do the right thing before it went too far.

"Derek…" she almost whispered.

Her voice seemed to pull him out of his trance.

"Peyton!" he happily rushed over to her. "You're awake!"

He stroked her forehead and she cringed.

"Hey."

"Wait right here", he said before disappearing.

She bit her lip. Where the hell was she going to go, she thought? But he was back in less than a minute, hands full.

"What, what are you doing?" she asked. "What's all this?"

He gave her a rumpled bag and drink in a styrofoam cup.

"Here. Eat up. I bought this for you. I figured you'd be hungry. It's really good. It's a cheeseburger and fries and some of that egg salad you like on the side. I hope tea is okay to drink?"

Peyton nodded as she cried again. She was hungry and thirsty, although she hadn't realized it until that very moment when nourishment had been placed in front of her. Her hands trembled as she opened it up and began to devour the cold food and warm drink. But she cried because she knew where it had come from. It was takeout from Karen's Café.

"Thank you", she managed to say.

Derek smiled widely.

"You're welcome, baby. I knew you would like it. I know you, Peyton. I know all your favorites."

She nodded and continued to eat in silence. In truth, she was fearful of him. His touches repulsed her. Every time she heard him speak to her as if she were his lover there of her own free will, she wanted to scream and run away. But Peyton knew she couldn't do that. Derek had convinced himself that he was in love with her. Her only chance for survival, escape was to feed into that, approach his softer, saner side and perhaps what was left of his sanity.

"Derek, you…you're a nice guy."

"I'm the guy for you. I'll take care of you, Peyton."

She nodded.

"I know you want to. I, I know you don't want to hurt me."

"Hurt you? Hurt you? No! No, Peyton, sweetie, I would never do that. I love you, too much. I won't hurt you."

She tried to remain calm and search for the right words.

"This isn't right. None of this is right. You, you can't just keep me here. It's dirty and we don't have food and it's dark…"

"I know. This location sucks and it's only temporary until I can figure out our next move but I promise it won't be long, okay? Peyton, I know you're too good for this place. You deserve so much better and I swear I am going to give that to you soon. Just be patient, okay?"

"Derek, I want to go home", she pleaded in a little girl's voice.

"You only think you do."

"No. I know I want to."

He sucked in a sharp breath.

"Why? Why, Peyton? Why do you want to go home?"

Another tear fell.

"I'm safe there. My dad will be there. I…I don't have to be afraid."

"You don't have to be afraid now", he responded in an increasingly agitated tone. "I already told you. You are safe here, Peyton. You're with me."

"I want my daddy", she started to sob.

"Why?" Derek threw his hands in the air. "He was never there before! The guy is a fucking douche bag! He doesn't give a shit about you! If he did, he wouldn't leave you alone so much. Social Services should have stepped in a long time ago!"

"He's a good dad."

"Whatever", Derek rolled his eyes. "Just, just stop crying!"

"I'm sorry. I…I can't. I, I, I can't help it."

"Well, help it because it gets on my nerves! Jesus, Peyton, I can't think with you making all that noise!"

"Let me call him. Please. Just for a second. I just want to hear his voice. I know he is so worried about me."

"Not now, maybe later, if you're good. It's too soon. You keep crying and that'll only make it worse. Besides, you might tell him something bad."

"Bad? No, I won't. I won't say anything bad, Derek. I promise."

"I don't believe you, Peyton. You might tell him I kidnapped you or something. You might tell him you want to go home."

She couldn't believe her ears.

"Derek, you say you brought me here because you love me."

"I do. I love you so much. And you love me, too, you just don't realize it yet, Peyton."

"You want us to be together."

"Don't you see? It's fate. We're supposed to be together."

"Not like this. Look around, Derek. Look where we are and what you had to do to get us here. That's not right."

"I said I'm sorry but…"

"You're better than this. You don't have to do this. You know this is wrong. Let me go. Please let me go."

"No!"

"I won't tell anyone."

"Yes, you will. Do you think I'm stupid?"

Peyton ran her fingers through her hair.

"Derek, I can't be here! Please! I am dirty and I'm scared! You are scaring me! I don't want to be here, not with you, not like this! I want to go home, I want you to let me go! If you care about me, if you really do like you say you do, you wouldn't do this to me! What, you think this is gonna make me fall in love with you? You think I like this? Well, it won't and I don't!"

"You're a fool, Peyton. My sweet, naïve, precious little fool."

His voice softened as he approached her. She closed her eyes in fear and disgust as he kissed her face.

"Don't…"

"I did you a favor. They don't give a shit about you, none of them! Your dad was never there! Both your moms croaked. And Brooke? Um, I'm sorry to tell you but your so called best friend hates your guts. Do you think Nathan and Haley actually have time for you? They're married and all into each other. They're gonna have a kid in a few months and then they're gonna be all about that. Do you think you fit in there, that you actually have a place? Because you don't."

"There are people who do love me and I love them back and they don't have to kidnap me to make me love them", she replied defiantly.

Derek let out a sarcastic chuckle.

"Oh, I get it. You must be talking about the crown prince, the Wonderboy himself. I was waiting for him to come up."

"What?"

"Good old Lucas. You wish he was here, don't you?"

"Stop it, Derek", she looked away.

"It's okay. You can tell the truth. You want him, don't you? Nobody saves the day like Lucas Scott, the hero!"

"What is your fascination with Lucas?"

"What is your fascination with him? You're the one that's in love with him!"

Peyton didn't know what to do or say. She was unsure of her next angle. Obviously reason wasn't working. And as horrified as she was, that fear was manifesting itself into anger and pure rebellion. All her life it felt like Peyton Sawyer had been the victim and she was getting damned tired of it.

"That's right."

"What?"

"I said, that's right. You heard me, Derek. You're right. I do love Lucas. I am in love with him and I do wish he was here."

"Don't say that!"

"Why not? And let me tell you, if he was here and it was just the two of us, I wouldn't be afraid. I would be happy. And if we were here and you were here, I'd be really happy watching him kick your ass!"

"Yeah right. Like that would ever happen."

"Oh it wouldn't? Lucas is an athlete. Have you seen his body, how in shape he is? He's a man, a real man. In fact, he is my prince. He's always saving me. For years I have seen him be brave and stand up for people and what's right. And he actually has the sack to pick on people his own size, unlike you. What the hell are you? Oh yeah. Derek is the big man. Oooo, you can overpower a girl and lock her up in a shit hole and try to make her fall for you! Good deal!"

"Shut up! Just shut up!"

"I hate you, Derek! I swear to God I do and every second you keep me here, that just makes it worse!"

Derek was beginning to lose it. He walked over to Peyton and grabbed her.

"You don't know what you're doing. I forgive you. You don't know what you're saying."

"I know exactly what I'm doing and saying."

"No! No! You love me! It's gonna be okay. Just calm down, Peyton."

"No!"

"I really didn't want to have to do this but you're being a very bad girl and I see you won't rest until you force the issue. Now do I have to go get something to make you calm? Do I have to make you sleep for a few days?"

Peyton's heart pounded! Drugs, she knew he was talking about drugs. The burn on her face was still healing from the first time. Now he was threatening to force something else on her and this time Peyton wasn't having it.

"Fuck you!" she sneered.

She put up a gallant effort of punches, pushes and kicks but it didn't take long for the stronger Derek to easily subdue her.

"Now that's not very nice. If you don't want to take anything, just calm down and say so. No need to get violent about it."

"Go to hell!" she spat on him.

Derek smiled as he used his finger to remove the glob of spit. He closed his eyes as he put it in his mouth and savored the taste.

"I love it when you're feisty. It turns me on. Say my name, baby."

"You're an asshole!"

"Say it! Go ahead and get me all hard. I want to hear you. Whisper in my ear like you love me and say it. Say it over and over again. Come on. Derek, Derek, Derek, Derek…"

Peyton looked right at him, right into his twisted, disturbed eyes. She mustered all her strength and courage for a smile. Then she leaned in to his ear and gently nuzzled it. He moaned out loud and she knew it was turning him on. Then she went for it.

"Lucas", she said in a whisper at first before getting louder. "Lucas! Lucas! Lucas! Lucas!"

Fire flashed in Derek's eyes. How could she?

"You whore!" he screamed, raising an open hand and letting it land hard against the side of Peyton's head.

She screamed but it was of no use. He hit her again over and over with an open hand, then closed fists. He pounded on her face, head, arms and back until she fell. He continued hitting her so hard, her ears rang. He beat her in a frenzy until he finally calmed, standing over her sobbing and shaking battered body. He did love her and he almost felt sorry for her until he remembered what she had done to provoke his rage. Damn Lucas and damn her for even daring to mention him. Derek gave her one final kick to the midsection.

"Please", she begged, feeling her own blood drip everywhere.

He took a deep breath. Peyton would have to learn one way or the other and the sooner the better. She was going to have to learn to forget all about Lucas Scott and he knew the exact way to make that happen.