A/N: Seriously, you guys are so awesome. The support is amazing, and I'm loving every minute of it. The reviews were spectacular, no surprise there. I am so happy that people enjoy this story. I have so much fun whenever I start writing. I wanted to give my readers a chapter before I had to leave for vacation. I'm going to try as hard as I can to try and update while I'm there, but I won't make any promises that I'm not sure I'll be able to keep. Once again, thank you so much for all you guys have done for me. It's been so great. I hope you enjoy this chapter even though it's kind of short. I promise the next one will be longer. Please review when you're finished reading. I love getting the reviews!

Chapter 11- Changes

It wasn't the same anymore. None of it was. For the past week, things were awkward and silent most of the time with occasional sentences spoken. They hadn't had a meaningful conversation since the night they had slept together. Lucas was aching to hear her voice the way he used to. He wanted to see her laugh or smile, but she refused to show any type of emotion in front of him.

Peyton wanted to avoid this as much as possible. What Lucas didn't know was that this was killing her just as much as it was hurting him. Lucas was everything that Peyton could have ever wanted. He showed her compassion and a knew way of life. Lucas gave meaning to the little things that used to seem pointless to her. But she couldn't have that mainly because of her job. It was also because when she got what she wanted, it scared her. She never knew that someone like Lucas was really out there.

He sat on the cherry colored chair playing with the food that rested on his plate. The last thing he wanted to do right now was eat. Lucas was so frustrated with everything that was happening. All of it just kept crumbling down into smaller and smaller pieces making it even harder to try and fix everything. Joe Silver hadn't called in what seemed like forever, Peyton barely spoke a word to him in the past week, and life just seemed to be getting worse and worse.

Lucas spun his fork around in circles out of boredom, praying that this wouldn't be the best it ever got for him. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Peyton emerge from her bedroom. He'd missed her so much when it was time to go to bed. Lucas longed to hold her in his arms and have her tell him that everything was going to be all right. He didn't need to have sex with her. A simple conversation would even suit with him.

She walked into the kitchen ever so slowly, fearing that Lucas would suddenly lash out on her. Lucas turned his head in her direction and formed a small, weak smile over his lips. "Hi," he said slightly surprised to see her. Peyton would remain locked in her room for majority of the day occasionally coming out to check on him. When Lucas had basketball practice, she would watch him from a distance that consisted of at least twenty feet away. Peyton knew that it was a childish and a completely selfish way to act, but she also knew that if she didn't then she wouldn't be able to control herself around him.

"Hi," she responded quietly averting her eyes to the floor. "You ready for practice?" she asked meekly.

He shook his head. "There's no practice. At least, not until Wednesday. The school's on winter break. So I guess I have to abide by the rules they gave me." He paused for a moment. "I mean that's usually what people do when they're assigned regulations." Peyton knew that Lucas was directing his words to her. She wasn't blind or stupid. The sadness and humiliation was obvious in his voice.

Peyton nodded her head. "I guess so," she said choosing to ignore his statement. Peyton began to walk back toward her room when she started to feel uncomfortable with his intense staring. "Peyton!" he yelled louder than he intended. She stopped dead in her tracks and hesitantly turned her body toward him. "Can we please not do this?" He paused for a moment. "I miss you."

She sighed loudly. "I'm still here, Luke. There isn't a reason for you to miss me."

"Yes, there is. We used to spend every second of every day together. Now, you completely disregard my presence and act as if I have some sort of disease." He got up from his chair and stood. "Why can't you just let yourself be happy?" he asked clearly frustrated.

A deep exhale escaped her mouth. "It's not that simple. It's... it's just really complicated." He began to take a step toward her causing her to shuffle her feet back. "Lucas, please. Don't," she begged.

Lucas looked at her strangely. "Don't what? Don't come near you," he said taking a few more steps closer to her. "Does it really bother you that much?" Peyton continued to move backward away from Lucas. "Why are you being this way? It's like you're a completely different person." He stopped when he noticed her back hit the bathroom door. Lucas watched her swallow thickly, her eyes filled with the same desire the night they were together.

The moment seemed to happen in slow motion. She turned her head away from his, praying that he would step away from her. "Lucas, please. We really can't do this." He ignored her true, overused statement and cupped her face bringing her eyes back to meet his. Peyton's heart pounded loudly as she stared up at the man that made it so impossible to choose what was right and what was wrong. Her sense of rationality became buried deep into the ground when she felt his thumb brush the side of her face. Instinctively, she leaned into his warm touch.

Was it possible for someone to have such a hold over her? Was it possible for someone to affect her thoughts so dramatically? Was it possible to want the person that felt as though he controlled her next move? It had to be because it was all happening at the exact same time.

Hesitantly, he leaned his head toward hers ever so slowly. Lucas' forehead pressed gently against hers while his lips grazed against her responsive mouth. Their lips barely touched, but it was enough contact to complete both with the fulfillment they needed.

Pushing his lips harder against hers caused Peyton to withdrawl quickly. "Lucas, we can't do this." She slid past him gently tugging his hands away from her face. "We can't do this," she repeated firmly looking back at him.

Lucas lowered his head and shook it from side to side. "Peyton, why do you have to be like that? And don't you dare use the excuse of your job. I know what the rules say, but that's not something that should stop you from giving in to your feelings." He smiled as he pushed a stray hair behind her ear. "You said it yourself. You want me just as much as I want you. Let yourself be happy."

She licked her dry lips and fixed her eyes on the wooden floor."I can't! Why can't you just leave it alone? I want my job," she pressed.

He shook his head fiercely. "We-" His sentence was interrupted by the ringing of the phone. Both their eyes jolted to the loud object that rested on the counter top. Lucas stared in Peyton's direction and then back at the phone. "I'll get it," he announced in a low voice. He reached for the telephone and answered it in a harsh tone. "Hello?"

"Hello. I'm with the Witness Protection Program. Am I speaking to Lucas Scott?" the voice asked.

Lucas nodded his head. "Yes, this is him. Who is this?" he questioned.

"I am Nick Walker. It appears that Mr. Joe Silver will be out of town for a while, so I will be taking his place for now." Nick had a loud voice, just like Joe's. But there was a difference in the tone of voice they both used. Joe's was softer, more gentle. Nick's was loud, slightly harsh. "I was told to call you if there was any news regarding your situation."

His head jolted up toward Peyton who was now standing next to him trying to hear the sentences that were being spoken. "And?" Lucas pushed, trying to keep the man talking. The sound of knowing some information felt good right now. It was something that he really needed.

Nick's voice was slightly hesitant before he began to speak. "I'm afraid that I have some bad news for you, Mr. Scott."

There was no way he could have seen that coming. Joe always gave him the information, but never told him if it was bad or not. Nick's statement began to make Lucas incredibly anxious and fearful. Peyton heard the words that were spoken and suddenly everything that she was trying not to do vanished. She placed her hand on the top of Lucas' shoulder as they both awaited for his sentence to be continued.

Peyton's heart shattered when she saw the horror in Lucas' eyes. Bad news mean that he would have to go through the pain of more heartache. That was something that she wouldn't wish upon any one. Not even her worst enemy.

Lucas swallowed hard. "And?" he said, his voice cracking.

Nick exhaled. "I'm afraid that one of the men has gotten to your family. It's Haley, Mr. Scott. She's in the hospital."

He felt his heart rip out from his chest at the sound of the words. "How did you let this happen?" he yelled into the phone. "I thought they were supposed to be watched every second of the day?" He was angry and began pacing the house with the phone still pressed against his ear.

"One of the guards must have not seen the men. They got into the house through one of the windows while she was home alone. They-" He stopped abruptly. "I'll spare you the details," he said hoping to ease Lucas.

"What did they do to her?!" he yelled into the phone. Peyton jumped slightly from the harshness of his tone. Peyton had seen him in a lot of different states, but none of them had this type of hatred, fear, and sadness all mixed in one.

Lucas could hear Nick swallow hard on the other side of the phone. "She... Haley was stabbed three times in the stomach before she was beaten. It wasn't until later that Nathan came home and found her like that. I would say that she's quite lucky to still be alive."

"Lucky? You call her getting beaten and stabbed lucky?" Lucas asked in pure disgust.

Peyton rubbed his back trying to relax some of the tension and fire that was running rapidly through his veins. "Luke, come on. Calm down. It's going to be okay," she whispered gently. If there was one thing Peyton knew, it was not to try and tell him what to do, but right now she didn't want to see him like this.

Lucas turned his head in her direction and almost automatically his behavior relaxed. He took a deep breath. "So she'll be okay?"

"Well, she's in critical condition right now, but that-"

His sentence was interrupted by a screaming Lucas again. "What?"

"Mr. Scott, I'm sure your sister-in-law will be fine," Nick said, not sounding too convincing.

The way Nick was trying to be so calm about this situation was making Lucas even more angry than what he already was. Frustration was wrapped in his body while hatred for these men shot through his blood stream. "When is the earliest I can get home to see her?" he asked, this time slightly calmer.

"I'm afraid you'll have to stay where you are. We might have underestimated these men. With them making such rash decisions, it's not safe for you to be in Tree Hill. I'm sorry. That is all I can-"

Whatever Nick had to say after that would remain unknown. Lucas whipped the phone at the wall watching it break into little pieces. Peyton watched as he closed his eyes falling to his knees. Her heart broke at the depressing sight. She followed him to the ground and embraced him in her arms. Lucas didn't deserve this.

Salty tears coursed down his cheeks leaving their wet stains behind. She pulled his body closer to hers as he instinctively wrapped his arms around her small figure. Peyton ran her hands up and down his back trying to relax his distraught state. "Every thing's going to be okay. Haley is going to be fine. Don't worry."

He shook his head. "Not this time, Peyton. Haley's going to die, and it's my fault," he pushed out, his words slightly muffled by Peyton's shoulder.

She pulled back from Lucas for a short moment, looking into his eyes that held more pain than she thought could even exist. Peyton brought her hands up to Lucas face and kissed away the tears that continued to fall. Lucas needed her more than anything right now. "No, she's not, Lucas." She ran her hands through his hair. "Haley is going to be okay. You need to believe that."

"I can't. I..I need to..." His sentence trailed off. Lucas got up from the floor and hastily walked to the apartment door. Peyton followed him slightly confused as she watched him throw on his jacket.

"Where are you going?" she asked bewildered.

"I'm going to Tree Hill. Are you coming with me or not?" he asked holding out her coat.

Peyton accepted the coat, but grabbed Lucas' arm before he could go to the door. "Luke, I know that you're upset right now, but we can't go back there. It's too dangerous for you," she stated. "Just, please, let's go sit down and talk about this. Don't make any rash decisions."

He closed his eyes in frustration as he attempted to remove her hand from the handle. "Peyton, this is my family. I can't just keep sitting here hiding out when the people that I love are getting hurt. It's not who I am." He paused. "I don't want to be a coward. Please, Peyton. I'm begging you."

She reached forward placing both her hands on the side of his face. Her lips smashed down onto his before she began to put the jacket on once again. Lucas smiled, grateful for her. "Alright, we can go, but only if you promise to never leave my sight. I don't want anything to happen to you."

Lucas nodded his head. "Fine, let's just get going."

Peyton reached for his hand entwining their fingers together. She didn't care about the rules anymore. This is what she wanted more than anything in the entire world, and right now, he needed her the most. If it meant that rules would have to be broken, then so be it.

The two took a taxi cab to the airport, frequently telling the driver to speed up due to their emergency. It was obvious that he was becoming frustrated but Peyton nor Lucas cared. Their hands remained together causing Lucas to become slightly more at ease when she would rub the back of his hand with her thumb.

When they arrived at the airport, they ran straight to the counter where tickets could be sold. "Hi," the woman said. "What can I do for you two?"

"We need two plane tickets back to Tree Hill, North Carolina. It's a huge emergency so we'll take the first flight that you have out of here," Lucas said, rushing the words out of his mouth. He began to tap his foot as the woman began to move too slowly for his liking. Peyton squeezed his hand, urging him to stop his rude behavior.

"Let's see what we can do," she said typing information into the computer. The woman scanned the page several times. "The next flight stops boarding in two minutes. I'm not sure if you'll be able to make it to that one. Should I check for another-"

The woman was interrupted by Peyton. "No! It's fine. Just print the tickets, and we'll be on our way. We can make it."

She nodded her head, feeling slightly uncomfortable. "I'll just need some identification and a credit card or cash, please," the woman added, fearing that the two would pounce on her again. Lucas impatiently pulled out his wallet and handed the items that she needed. She accepted them and typed quickly across the keyboard. Soon enough, the tickets were in their hands. "Have a great flight."

Peyton and Lucas began to sprint through JFK International Airport, pushing through people that blocked their way. There must have been a billion eyes on them from every direction, watching them act as if they were running a marathon. Peyton jerked Lucas' hand as he started to turn the wrong way. "Luke, come on! It's this way."

They slammed into people several times, but it only made them quicken their pace. 'Watch where you're going' and 'Slow down' were just two of the many phrases that were spoken from several lips.

The two were stopped when they had to go through the line for Security. Cutting in front of the people, Peyton and Lucas made their way to the front, tossing any metal object in a gray bin. Thankfully, the metal detectors hadn't beeped so they were free to continue on with their run.

Finally, they had made it to the gate labeled L4. Lucas sped up a little jolting Peyton's hand as if she were a child who had just gotten in trouble. They started to close the door that led to boarding the plane. "Wait!" the two called in unison.

The dark-haired woman smiled. "Just in time," she smiled. "I'll just need your tickets."

Quickly, Lucas pulled out their boarding passes, handing it to the woman who let them finally get on the plane. They made thier way to the seats they were assigned and sighed before they sat down. "We made it," she said looking toward Lucas who had his head rested against the back of the seat. Peyton could tell that he was afraid once again. She took his hand in hers and kissed the back of it. "Luke, everything is going to turn out fine."

He nodded his head. "I hope you're right."

She smiled. "Of course, I am. They're going to catch the guys, and Haley is going to be better than okay. We just need patience and faith."

Lucas grinned. "Thank you, Peyton. For everything you've ever done for me." He stopped a moment. "What happened to the Peyton this morning that didn't even want to look at me? I'm guessing she had a sudden change of heart," he stated with a smile.

"That Peyton got sick of always following the rules. She decided that it was better to give into your hearts needs and be there for the person that you want the most," Peyton said, a smirk tugging at her lips. "I'm sorry for the way I acted and treated you. It was-"

He put his hand up, dismissing her previous actions. "Don't worry about it. You're here with me now." He lifted her hand up to his lips, placing a kiss on her fingers. "What would I do with out you?" he asked quietly, repeating the words that Peyton had previously said once before.

She grinned. "You'd be fine."

The flight to Tree Hill was filled with nothing but tension and worry. Lucas needed to see Haley and know that she would be okay. She was his sister-in-law, his best friend. If something were to happen to her, he didn't think that he could ever truly forgive himself.

What he desperately ached for was revenge, the bloody, cold, and an intimate invasion of getting even. Whoever did this to Haley was sure to be sorry, and he didn't give a damn about what would be the consequences.

After getting off the plane, they didn't need to go to the baggage claim. Before they left, both of them were too invested in getting back to Tree Hill to remember that they needed clothing. They walked outside of the airport and waved their hands for a cab. One immediately stopped in front of them. "Where to?" the driver asked as they stepped inside.

"Tree Hill Hospital," Lucas stated.

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