A/N: You're the best readers ever, and I ask for two things from you: reviews and patience. I always map out my stories because my biggest fear is that I'll write myself into a rut. Believe me when I say: the best is yet to come, and yes, that definitely includes Lucas/Peyton interaction. I hope it'll be worth the wait. I'm excited about this chapter, though, I feel that it provides some good movement in the storyline.

Just a reminder: Everything up until the season three finale goes, but no further. Which of course means: no Psycho Derek, no Real Derek, no Dan/Karen dating, no Clean Teens, no sex tape scandal, and Lucas and Peyton have never had sex.

Forgive my babbling, but here it is: Life is catching up with me, invading my blissful little bubble of summer, and that means that my insanely fast updates are going to end. This is going to sound melodramatic, but I really do have some intense family drama going on. On top of that, my senior year of high school starts in a week and my senior year at my dance program the week after that. And on top of all of that, my grandfather just got sick. So, there are my excuses...I think they're pretty valid. I'm not about to abandon this story - I'm deeply invested in it - but my updates will not be as often, especially because I hold myself to a 4000 word minimum per chapter. What I'm trying to say here is that I'll be back...it just might be a week or two. Thanks for reading and as always...review please. If anything will encourage fast updates, that's it.

Verismo: a musical term generally applied to a certain type of 19th century opera; the literal meaning of the word is "realism"

Peyton sat down on the asphalt of the river court for a few minutes, pulling her knees up to her chest. She would go home soon. Jenny was okay. She just needed to breathe for a moment.

She took in her surroundings, trying to calm her uneven breaths. She could remember the first time she'd ever been here, for that stupid one-on-one game Lucas and Nathan had gotten into in junior year, the built-up tension between the brothers coming to its climax. She remembered when Nathan elbowed him sharply, unfairly, and she remembered the unexpected fury she felt against her boyfriend and the even more unexpected worry she felt so deeply for a boy she didn't even know.

She could remember the second time she'd ever been there, to apologize to Lucas for what Nathan had done to his preferred practice space, his home, in a way. And to thank him for believing in her, and in her art. The question that left his lips surprised her. Why do you stay with him? Because sometimes it was good, and sometimes there was no one else. She could remember the answer that lurked in her mind, unspoken: because I'm scared of what I feel for you, and he's a jerk, but he's safe because he doesn't have the power to hurt my heart the way you could.

Her third time there was after open-mic night at the café. She'd been hurting, her heart irreversibly tied to Lucas even though he'd chosen someone else. She'd felt horrible for how much she cared about her best friend's boy. But it'd also been the night she first ever spoke to Jake. And the way he looked at her made her blush and filled her with hope. He and Jenny seemed to offer some sort of opening in their family, as though they were waiting for her, and it made it seem like things weren't that horrible. Jake gave her hope. Always had, always did.

The fourth time she'd been there was right after Lucas' accident, and her heart had been so full. She felt so guilty for betraying Brooke, and though she wanted to deny it, she was head-over-heels for the boy lying unconscious in a hospital bed. As she drew on the pavement with sure strokes of her chalk, she wished that her need alone would be enough to wake him up. Other than her mother, he was the only other person that she'd ever wanted to see open his eyes so badly. There'd been a moment when she sat back, dropping her chalk, and resisted the urge to scream. She was in love with him, and she hated herself for it and the universe for threatening to take him away.

"Peyton?" a soft voice asked, and she looked up, hastily wiping at her eyes, to find Chris Keller staring at her worriedly.

"Hi," she whispered vulnerably.

He crouched down next to her, studying her face. "What's up?" he asked, an all-encompassing question.

She chose to answer only the important part: "Jenny's fine. She went home with Haley."

"Okay," he replied softly, reaching out to touch her shoulder lightly. The comfort of the gesture made her crumble. She was just so tired and scared. She needed someone on her side. "It's gonna be okay," he said.

"I wish it were," she said mournfully, appreciating the kind light in his eyes.

"Have a little faith."

She chuckled sadly. "That's what Haley said."

"Smart woman."

"Yeah…I guess. It's just hard."

"I know," he said comfortingly, and then stood, stretching his legs. He gently hooked the hand that was on her shoulder under her arm and pulled her up with him. She was shaking. "Let's get you home. Okay?" Carefully, as though he thought she would either freak or flip out at him, he slipped his arm around her shoulders.

There was a time in her life when she would have slapped Chris Keller if he'd come within five feet of her. He'd managed to ruin the relationships of her two very best friends, and Peyton wasn't a forgive-and-forget kind of girl. But as she leaned into him gratefully, all she could think of was how happy she was that he was there.

Brooke was sitting the couch, both feet on the floor, tapping her toes irritably. Her frown had become a pretty permanent fixture on her face. The clock was mocking her mercilessly. The second hand was moving every three minutes, she was sure of it.

At last, finally, she heard the front door open and the soft, melodic murmur of Haley's voice. She shot up from the couch, casting one last glance at her daughter to make sure she was soundly asleep, and took off for the entryway of the house.

"There you are!" she cried huffily, making sure to keep her tone moderately soft.

Haley looked up to meet her eyes and Brooke stopped short. Next to Haley, toeing off a pair of flats, was the blonde teenager from the pictures. She looked up too, through red-rimmed eyes, looking at Brooke quizzically.

Haley placed a comforting hand on Jenny's back. "Sweetie, go get ready for bed, okay? Put on some new PJs and wash your face. I'll come talk to you in a minute, alright?"

Jenny nodded slowly, still eyeing Brooke. "Who're you?" she asked, her voice raw from excessive crying.

"Not now, honey," Haley told Jenny in her ultra-sweet, comforting voice. "Go lie down. I'll be there soon." She nudged Jenny toward the stairs, shooting Brooke a warning look so that she wouldn't launch into the offended tirade she usually spouted off when someone failed to properly recognize her. She had a clothing line and a magazine. She felt she deserved a little fame.

Brooke's heart went out to Jenny. She didn't know the younger girl, but she was clearly in rough shape. None of this was her fault, after all. She found it hard to believe that the miserable fourteen-year-old standing in front of her was the same as the impossibly adorable little baby she'd once played with at the river court.

When Jenny was safely out of earshot, Haley stated the obvious: "Jenny. Jake's girl."

Brooke arched her eyebrows. "I'm not stupid, tutor girl. I knew that." She gave in at Haley's don't-mess-with-me-right-now look. "I snooped," she confessed, wincing.

Haley offered her a weak smile. "Why does that not surprise me?" she muttered.

"Haley," Brooke said gently. "What's going on?"

Haley's eyelids closed, her lashes fluttering. "Just let me call Nathan first, okay? He needs to know that she's okay."

She tried not to show her impatience as she nodded and watched as Haley fished her cell out of her purse and pressed a couple buttons. Haley ran a hand through her hair as she waited for Nathan to pick up. "Hey," she said, relief filling her voice when her husband answered, that tone that indicated how grateful she was to hear the voice of the person she could truly count on taking over her voice. "Jenny's okay. Peyton and I found her at the river court. I brought her back here." She paused. "Peyton? Um…I don't know, you can check on her if you want. I did just kind of abandon her at the river court. I think she'll be okay, Nathan…I really just want you home. Is that selfish of me?" She smiled softly. "Thank you. I'll see you soon."

"He's coming home right away?"

"Yeah." She nodded toward the living room. "You want to go sit down?"

"Mira's asleep in there."

"Oh. Okay." Haley contemplated the situation for a moment, then folded her legs under her and plunked down on the floor. She patted the space beside her. "C'mon, princess, the floor won't kill you."

Brooke made a face and sat next to her. She crossed her arms and lifted her eyebrows. "How long have they been here?"

"They just got here yesterday. Jenny's the kid I'm mentoring, and Chris wouldn't tell me her name…and then I get to the airport and she's like, hey, I'm Jenny Jagielski. I thought I was going to lose it; I never thought I'd see her again…I just wanted to hug her, but I knew it would freak her out. And then…she says that her mom insisted on coming with her, and I turn around expecting to see Nicki…and Peyton's standing there," she shrugged.

"Wow. Haley…why didn't you call me?"

"It was such a shock…I wasn't thinking, and then when I finally did…it's just so much history, Brooke. I don't know what happened with you two, but I know you fought, and of course, Peyton and…"

"Lucas," Brooke filled in, her lips twisting into a bitter smile.

"I didn't want to hide it from you, it was just that…she's back, Brooke. I've missed her like hell and I never thought I was going to see her again! Now she's met my kids, and she's around and…this is already so hard on Jenny that I just didn't want to bring anymore drama to the whole situation."

"You couldn't hide her all summer!" she exclaimed.

"That wasn't my plan!" Haley protested.

"Well then, what was?"

She shook her head. "I didn't have one," she admitted quietly, a tough confession for the smartest person in their group.

"Haley…where's Jake?"

Her friend shrugged helplessly. "She came over for dinner tonight, and the first thing she said to us when she walked through the door was that we shouldn't talk about Jake. For Jenny's sake, but I could tell that she couldn't handle it either."

Brooke bit her bottom lip uneasily. "Do you think he's…?"

Haley looked so sad. "I don't know. The way she talked about him…it was like he left her, but I can't see him doing that. Jake loved Peyton so much."

Brooke let the breath she'd been holding in. "What happened tonight? With Nathan and all the drama?"

Haley reached up to scratch the back of her neck, a typical nervous habit. "Um…it turns out that Peyton never told Jenny that she adopted her. All these years, she's believed that Peyton's actually her mom, which isn't ridiculous…I mean, look at her. But Nathan and I didn't know, and he accidentally revealed it to her. It's going to be a rough summer for that girl."

"Well, if Peyton hadn't lied to her…"

"Brooke," Haley scolded her lightly, clearly disappointed. "Don't do this."

She didn't know what the say to the mixture of shame and sadness of Haley's face, but Nathan saved her by walking through the door. "Hey," he said, a small, confused smile touching his lips when he saw them sitting on the floor.

"Miranda's asleep in the living room," Haley offered by way of explanation, scrambling to her feet to hug him, melting into his arms.

Nathan frowned as he squeezed her back. "Why didn't Luke come pick her up?"

"I thought she could sleep in the guest room," Brooke said pointedly as she pushed herself up and brushed off her sleek black, wide-leg pants. "But that was already occupied."

"Okay, and so after you realized that, you didn't call Luke because…?"

She pouted at him, not wanting to admit her reasons.

"Oh, Brooke," Haley sighed. "You're seriously not going to tell him?" She released her husband and took Brooke by the shoulders, meeting her eyes seriously. "Peyton is not a threat to your marriage. Let it go," she advised kindly.

"Easy for you to say," Brooke scoffed, looking at her with a dare in her eyes. "She didn't used to screw your husband."

Nathan grimaced. "Uh…" He shifted his weight from one foot to another, looking uncomfortable.

Haley shot him a quick glare. "Actually, she did," she said, lifting her chin. "Mine, not yours. She's not here for Lucas, she's here for her daughter. Luke loves you, Brooke. He picked you."

She smiled faintly, remembering the day he'd chosen her, told her that he wanted her to be his. "He did," she agreed reluctantly.

"Okay. And he has you. So tell him she's back."

She felt a sense of mounting panic. "No. Not yet."

"Brooke," Nathan sighed.

"No, it's just…" She searched her mind for an excuse and found a pretty good one. "He's leaving for New York in couple days anyway. I'll just wait until he gets back," she reasoned, pasting on a pretty smile.

Haley heaved a heavy sigh. "Nathan, go make sure the boys are asleep, okay?"

He rolled his eyes. "Subtle dismissal, Hales. Do you want me to check on Jenny?"

The look on her face was comically incredulous. "Do you remember what happened the last time I asked that of you?"

"Right," he said, smiling guiltily as he backed away. "I'm gone."

Haley turned back to Brooke. "Listen, Tigger, Lucas loves you. I know you both well enough to know that that fact is set in stone, and that he has nothing but confidence in your relationship. But if you hide this from him, when you find out that he did, he's going to know that you did it for a reason. Won't it hurt him to realize that you don't have that same confidence in your relationship?"

Sometimes it really irked Brooke that Haley James Scott managed to be right about nearly everything, especially when it came to Brooke's life and her relationships. "I hear you, tutor mom," she said through her teeth.

Haley threw up her hands in exasperation. "But…?" she asked pointedly.

"But he's my husband. It's my decision."

"You're not hearing me, then. That's my point. This isn't about your marriage, Brooke. Your marriage is safe."

"The safety of my marriage is mine to judge," she argued stubbornly. "And I'll talk to Luke once I talk to Peyton."

"God, Brooke…she's going through a lot right now. You can't just pick a fight with her."

"My prerogative," Brooke countered childishly.

"Okay. Fine. I'm done. But if you don't tell Lucas when he gets back, I will," she said, pointing her finger directly in Brooke's face.

"Hey!" Brooke cried, pulling away from Haley's threatening index finger. "Please, Haley…let me make the choices here, okay?"

Haley moved her hand, reaching out lovingly instead of angrily as she placed her hand lightly onto Brooke's shoulder. "Can you be honest with me?"

"Yeah," Brooke whispered, awaiting her question.

"Are you and Lucas having problems?"

Fear clutched at Brooke's heart. "Did he say something?"

"No!" Haley cried. "No, no. Honey, I didn't mean to scare you, it's just that you seem a little…"

"Don't back off now," she challenged.

"Insecure," Haley sighed.

She set her lips in a straight line, upset that Haley had called her on it. "I'm just being stupid, okay? I love Luke, and I know that he loves me. I, um…I was actually going to save this for another time, but…"

"What?" Haley asked, sensing that it was juicy news.

"We're actually going to try for another baby," Brooke admitted excitedly, a grin lighting up her face.

"That's amazing," Haley told her earnestly. "Are you hoping…for a boy?"

"Actually…" Brooke stuck out her tongue for a second, still smiling widely. "I want another girl."

Her friend's entire face lit up. "Oh! Good! Now we can hope together. I understand that Luke might want a son, but we need another little girl around. Besides, my boys are as good as your kids. You guys can take them off our hands whenever you want," she joked, and they laughed contentedly together.

"Yeah…it's just that, especially with my parents so absent from my life, I always wanted a sister. We'll always be in here life, but I want that for Mira, too. I want her to experience that relationship, you know? Like what I had with…"

"Peyton," Haley filled in quietly, seriously. She pushed a hand through her hair, shaking her head. "I swear to god…this is the most surreal evening I've had in years."

Brooke cracked a speculative smile. "Try ever."

Peyton shook her head slightly, drops of water flying from her curly blonde stands of hair. It had started to rain just before she and Chris reached Tric, and they'd had to run the last block. Even then, they were both soaked. "Thanks for walking me home," she said with an awkward laugh. Her jeans were drenched and her silky shirt was glued to her skin, clinging to her curves. She didn't feel like she belonged in the moment. It felt like a scene from a movie, or at the very least, an instance in the saga of Naley. And yet, there she was, soaking wet, her eyes searching Chris Keller's for a clue as to where they were supposed to go next.

"Yeah, no problem," he shrugged nonchalantly, wringing the water out of his shirt. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she said, looking down at the floor as a blush rose to her cheeks. She wasn't good at handling herself after someone saw her at her most vulnerable. She shivered, suddenly aware of the chilly air in the open space as the rain violently assaulted the windows.

Chris reached out as if on instinct, rubbing her bare arms to bring some warmth to her body. She bit down on her lower lip shyly, stealing glances at his face. As he touched her, there was something vulnerable in his own appearance that made her melt just a little bit. She never would have guessed that there was a sweet guy buried under Chris' self-absorption. Before she could even think, her feet carried her a couple steps, steering her forward and closer to him. Her whole body felt a lot warmer as she just looked at him, confused in the strangest way. The unexpectedness of the situation brought her the slightest amount of peace.

She just looked at him, eyes flying, trying to take in every single emotion she could detect in his face, as slowly, his hands moved. They moved from her forearms, where they'd rested, up to her elbows, brushing softly against the swell of her breasts as they edged further upward. His hands floated across her shoulders toward her neck, his thumbs brushing gently against her collarbone as his palms crept up her neck, until at last, he was cupping her face in his steady hands, looking seriously into her waiting green eyes.

Her breaths grew shallower when their eyes locked and his thumbs brushed over the tender skin under her tired eyes. The last protesting part of her faded with the concern in that gesture. She lifted her own arms and rested her hands on his, her slender fingers wrapping lightly around his wrists.

"Peyton," he said, his voice a breathy, passionate whisper.

And then he kissed her.

"Hey, kiddo," Haley cooed as she slipped into Jenny's room, closing the door behind her to guarantee their privacy. "I brought you hot chocolate."

Jenny smiled weakly. "With marshmallows," she noted, accepting the warm cup gratefully.

"Of course. They're the best part," Haley said with her best smile.

"Thank you for…everything," Jenny said softly, hesitantly.

Haley reached out to tip up her chin so that they were eye to eye. "I'm your aunt, Jenny. It's what I'm here for."

She blushed but nodded.

Haley rubbed the younger girl's calf, which ensconced in a pair of dancing-panda-bear flannel pyjama pants. "You wanna talk? I'm a pretty good listener."

Jenny shrugged. "I don't really have that much to say. I feel kind of stupid. Blowing up at my mom like I did."

"You were hurt," Haley said simply, also shrugging. "It's okay. Peyton understands, she's not exactly a stranger to teenage angst."

Jenny stared down into her hot chocolate contemplatively. "Is…is it true, the things…Peyton said, about my real mom?"

Haley crossed her legs, settling in comfortably atop the bed. "Well, baby girl, what'd she say?" she asked gently.

"That she…abandoned me. Didn't want anything to do with me…used me as pawn when she was playing with my dad's emotions and stuff. She said it with such…I don't know, certainty." Her eyes were pained when she locked them with Haley's sympathetic orbs. "It's true, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is. But you know what, Jenny? That never mattered, because you had so many other people that loved you. Jake alone loved you enough to make up for Nicki's leaving. And Peyton…"

"Nathan said that she fell in love with my dad when she dealing with someone else, or something," Jenny interrupted. "What does that mean?"

Haley winced at the reference to Lucas. "She was getting out of another relationship, a very complicated one, but…she threw herself into that relationship fully, put her whole heart into it. She'd never done that before, so when things got really tricky and started to fall apart, it was really hard on her. She wasn't used to letting people in, and she thought it was a mistake.

"But then she met your dad…and you, and in the two of you she found what she was…truly looking for." She sighed. "Peyton lacked a family in the time she probably could have used it most, and you and Jake were like the family she'd always wanted, and she fit in more perfectly than she ever could have hoped. She loves you, Jenny. She would have given her life for you, and I know that she still would. She made sacrifices in friendship and relationships for you. Jake gave her everything she'd always needed, and he made her strong, but she was willing to let that go for you. Twice."

Jenny gulped down a sip of the hot beverage she held. "That's a lot of love," she whispered.

Haley unfolded her legs, standing to go, knowing that Jenny could probably stand to sleep for quite a while. She gave Jenny's leg another pat. "You're worth it, chickadee."

Since Jake had left her life, Peyton made pretty much mastered the whole meaningless sex thing. It worked better when you were drunk, but alcohol wasn't necessary if you were already bummed about something or particularly horny.

She'd become very good at being mysterious. Her eyes, haunted by painful memories, gave her a perfect start. Enthrallingly curled hair, charming smiles, and coy introductions with no last names. She knew exactly how to get a guy for one night only. She was always careful – STDs weren't something she'd ever risk, particularly because Jenny depended on both her money and wellbeing, and she took every possible step to prevent pregnancy because it would be hard, hurtful both physically and emotionally, and it would bond her to the guy for life, something she most certainly didn't want. She knew how to slip out from under a heavy, muscled arm moments after the guy fell asleep and dress quickly and quietly before slipping away. Jenny teased her about never dating, never bringing guys home, but she felt that they were safer that way.

Peyton knew, deep in her heart, as Chris backed her into the wall of Tric, that it needed to end right away. She knew that, but it didn't stop her from hooking her thumbs through his belt loops and pulling him to her so that their hips matched, it didn't stop her from letting go so that he could gently pull her shirt over her head, and it didn't stop her from letting his tongue delve deeply into her mouth. When his lips left hers, she went to speak, but he then attacked a particularly sensitive point on her neck and her protest turned to a gasp, a pleased mewl escaping her lips as her eyes fluttered closed. Desperate to get her bearings, she murmured, "Chris…" but it was much more of a plea than any sort of firm statement.

It was hot, she couldn't deny that. Sex in an empty bar with a rock star. Her body ached for the release and denying it was becoming wickedly difficult.

When his eyes found hers just before his lips sought hers out again, and through her heady gaze she discovered the intensity of his orbs, her resolve weakened almost to the point of no return. It truly got there when he whispered, "God, Peyton, you are…" and trailed off as if he could find no words to describe her beauty or how she made him feel.

A tear slipped down her cheek when his fingers expertly undid the single button on her hip-hugging jeans, his fingers grazing private, sensitive skin. It was like Lucas used to say to her when their making out got particularly intimate. He would pause in the intensity of the moment, his breathing heavy with lust. It was so romantic and sincere that her heart would flip over and she'd think that she could love this boy forever.

God, Peyton, you are…I feel more for you than there are words.

A/N: I love reviews more than there are words. :)