-A few hours after the incident, as Peyton referred to it, the three of them were watching tv with Larry. After they had returned from the reception it had taken them awhile to convince Anna that what had happened wasn't her fault and that she didn't need to worry about them, that they were fine. Then they had had to explain everything again to Larry after he had witnessed their troubled state coming back. So, let's just say that after the day they had spent, a little peace and quiet was more than welcome.

-Suddenly, they were distracted from the tv by the sound of the doorbell. Larry looked at the young couple who were snuggling comfortably on the couch.

-"I'll get it, you guys just relax." And with that he started toward the door.

-"Grandpa", he turned around to see his granddaughter running toward him, "I'm coming too." He smiled gathering her into his arms as he walked to the door.

-When he opened the door he was taken aback by who he saw standing there, but recovered quickly.

-"What are you doing here?" He asked the boy. He hadn't seen him in years and after Peyton had told him why they were staying away from their friends, he hadn't wanted to.

-"I want to talk to them, apologize. Please mister Sawyer."

-"I don't know Nathan." The boy seemed sincere but he still hesitated. Finally, after looking at the pleading young man once again, he made up his mind.

-"Anna sweetie, could you go get your parents please." He asked the child as he set her down on her feet.

-Anna looked over at Nathan and then at her grandpa, who smiled reassuringly at her and then she nodded and ran back into the house.

-"thanks." Nathan said grateful.

-"Don't thank me yet, it doesn't mean that they'll listen to you." He said sternly.

-After a few moments, he was joined on the porch by his daughter and her husband, and from the way that they were eyeing Nathan, it was easy to see that they really didn't want him there.

-Peyton looked at Larry. "Dad, could you leave us for a few minutes please." Whatever was going to happen, she knew that it was between Nathan and them. Larry nodded.

-"Sure thing. If you guys need me I'll be inside with my granddaughter." With that he left the three young adults between themselves.

-Once he was gone, the three of them were left staring at each other until Nathan finally broke the silence and spoke.

-"Hey!" He said nervously.

-"Cut the crap Nathan. What do you want?" Lucas asked irritably.

-"I want to make things right, I want to apologize." He said sadly.

-"Well, I don't know if I want to hear it." Was Lucas' stubborn answer.

-"Please, just two minutes. If you want me to leave after, I'll leave I promise."

-"Fine." It was Peyton who had spoken and Lucas gave her a curious look before agreeing with her and nodding his approval.

-"Thanks. So, I don't really know how to start other than by saying I'm sorry, for everything. I never meant…"

-"To not say anything while my mother and my best friend tried to make me walk away from the best thing that ever happened to me." Lucas interrupted him, anger flaring through his tone.

-"I was shocked okay, I didn't expect it." He took a deep breath before continuing.

-"Look, when you told us, you really did not cut us at the best time. I was an eighteen year old college student with a wife and a baby to support. And even though I had help from my mom and yours, as well as from our friends, it was still really hard okay. Haley and I, we loved each other, we still do, but with everything else going on, James, as much as I love him didn't make things easier. We barely had time for each other anymore and it hurt our relationship gradually."

-"The little recap is nice, but what does this has to do with you turning your back on me?" Lucas said impatient to know where this was going.

-"When I heard you say that Peyton was pregnant, I realised that everything that I had went through and was still going through, you would have to deal with too. I didn't say anything because at the time I underestimated you, the both of you." He looked up at them.

-"What do you mean?" Peyton asked curious.

-"I thought about how hard it was for Haley and I, and then I thought about you guys. I made a mistake okay. I figured that you guys weren't going to make it, that it could destroy your relationship, and hurt your child a lot in the process. And then, then I heard what your mom and Haley were proposing and for a little while, I thought that maybe it could work, that maybe that way one of you could have the chance to realise his dreams. I was wrong okay, about everything and I'm sorry about that. I should have known that you guys could make it work, that your relationship was strong enough, but I didn't and because of that I lost the both of you, and my niece, and I'm really sorry about that too." He finished sad at the thought of how much he had missed from their life, all of their lives.

-Lucas and Peyton looked at each other assimilating what Nathan had just said. For so long they had wondered why and now they finally knew, well at least they knew why one of them had did it. Sure, it didn't make things easier, but it was a start.

-"Why?" Lucas finally asked. He needed to know before he could make a decision about what to do next.

-"I just… Haley and I, we were married, we were already fully committed to being together forever. We had already made that choice, so a baby, as sudden as it was, it wasn't that much off course you know, it was just a little early. But even with all of that going for us, being parents, being responsible for another life, after awhile, it started to drive us apart, we slowly became strangers and it took us a long time and a separation for us to get it back." He paused looking at the couple.

-"But you two, you weren't even that far in your relationship at the time. You were living on different sides of the country, each chasing after your own dreams. I didn't think you were ready to sacrifice them, or your relationship for a baby. I mean, you guys had done nothing but sacrifice what you wanted most for so long, and you were finally doing what you each wanted to do, I thought you wouldn't want to go back to sacrificing so much when you had barely started to live without having to. I figured if Haley and I were barely making it, then there was almost no chance that you guys would. I thought that it would make you both unhappy, which would have made Anna unhappy, and I didn't want any of that to happen. Obviously, I was wrong about that too. I realized it when I saw how great you seemed to be doing. So, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I underestimated you and for everything else. I hope that at some point you can forgive me, give me another chance, so I can make this right, but I can understand if you don't or can't. I just wanted to explain."

-It was silence between them and Nathan thought it meant he had his answer. He started going down the stairs when a voice stopped him.

-"I get it."

-Nathan turned around, surprised at Peyton who had just spoken. Seeing the interrogation on his face, she elaborated.

-"I can understand where you came from. To tell you the truth, I was pretty freaked out about whether or not I could be a good mom given my history as well. But you should have told us that, if you would have told us that five years ago maybe things would not have been so screwed up now. You guys hurt us a lot you know." She explained saddened. They had been carrying that around for so long.

-"I know, I'm sorry." He didn't know what else to say. He didn't know what could fix this.

-"I believe you, I truly do and I think that I can forgive you, try to get passed it you know." She continued.

-"Really?" To say that he was surprised was the understatement of the century. He had pretty much expected to have the door slammed in his face, so to hear her say that she could forgive him, he couldn't believe it.

-Peyton smiled at the boyish expression on his face. "Yeah, I've missed you."

-"Me too." Nathan smiled back, but it faded quickly when he looked at his brother.

-Lucas had a perplexed expression on his face and he kept looking between Peyton and his brother. He too hadn't expected her to forgive him that easily. Peyton seemed to sense it because she looked up, locking their eyes together.

-"I just think it's time Luke, we've been carrying that on our shoulders for too long. Beside, he really seems to mean it, and even though I don't really like what he did, his motives kind of make sense." Peyton told him calmly. She knew better than anyone how much Lucas had been hurt by all of this and she didn't want to push him into something that he wasn't ready for.

-He considered it for a few seconds and then his expression softened gradually. When he finally spoke, the anger was gone, all that was left was uncertainty.

-"Did you really think I was like him, that I could have just left and not look behind?" He asked fear evident in his voice. It had always been one of his worst fears, to end up like Dan.

-Nathan shook his head firmly. "Of course not, I never thought you were like him. I know you're nothing like him, I just… I made a mistake."

-Lucas nodded slowly and then he looked from Peyton to his brother and then to the closed door.

-"Do you want to meet your niece?"

-Nathan almost choked, this was defiantly the last thing that he had expected. Lucas was obviously very protective of his daughter, that much he knew from their brief encounter at the reception. He could understand, he was of his son, so for him to ask him that, it meant a lot. Realizing that his brother expected an answer he came back to his senses.

-"Are you sure? I mean I could understand if you weren't ready or if…" He babbled but Lucas interrupted him.

-"Peyton's right, it's been too long already, it's time to move on. I believe you when you say that you're sorry and I don't want to be the kind of man who holds grudges, it's not the example I want to give to my daughter. So, yeah I'm sure, but Nathan," He paused. "If you screw this up, if you hurt my family again."

-The threat was clear, Lucas didn't even have to finish his sentence. Nathan knew that if he screwed up again, there would be no words to describe what his brother was going to do to him, and beside, he didn't really want to know, he didn't plan on screwing this up. He really wanted to be part of their life, all three of their lives.

-"I won't." Nathan said, meaning it.

-"Good. So, you want to come in?" Lucas asked his expression serious, but with the anger in his eyes gone.

-"Yeah!" And with that he followed the two of them inside to meet his niece for the first time, well officially anyway.