Karen snickered at Peyton as she hobbled away. She continued to shake her head in disgust, but Karen had one more thing to say. She stormed up to Peyton, catching up without any problem. She took Peyton's by the arm and stood closely behind her. And in Peyton's ear, Karen stated boldly, "'Sorry' fixes nothing!"

Luke swallowed hard, watching two of the people he cared most for in the world, fighting each other. Well, Peyton wasn't doing much fighting, but his mom was kicking Peyton while she was already down. And even though most everyone understood that it was Karen's grief taking a wrong turn, it had gone too far.

Shaking his head disappointedly, Jake finally managed to look up at the players in the scene. He caught a glimpse of Peyton bolting out of the café door, and called out, "Peyton!" Jake stood instantly and grabbed his jacket off of the back of his chair, throwing some cash out onto his table as well. He was in a hurry to catch up with her, but he took a moment to throw an evil glare in Lucas' direction. Even though Luke wasn't his favorite person at the moment, he still wanted to hear Lucas defend Peyton the way she deserved.

As Jake made his way out of the café, Karen turned back away from the door. She started closer to her son, almost as if their previous conversation never even happened. It was scary the way her moods were able to switch back and forth, and so dramatically nonetheless. It was all the pain within her that made her act so illogically, and in return, it killed everyone else to see her that way.

His jaw clenched, and taking deep breaths, Lucas looked his mom dead in the eye as she approached. He was having a hard time getting through to her, and he knew that she was hurting too much to care at this point. So no matter what she had to say, he had to make his point. "She is worth it."

Her rage returning, Karen let the tub of dishes fall down on the table hard. She started, "Lucas—"

"No!" Lucas interjected. He repeatedly shook his head, mentally kicking himself for letting her talk about Peyton like that. Even if she was just dealing with the pain the only way she knew how, it wasn't good enough for him. He couldn't imagine anyone being so cruel to that girl. "Mom, you have no idea what you're talking about, okay?" he said, hoping that she'd take the time out to listen to him.

When he could see he was getting nowhere, and fast, he turned his back to his mother. He took a deep breath before taking steps towards the door, and out of the café. He wanted to be understanding to his mother's needs, but there was a part of him that wanted to lash out and tell her she's wrong. He wanted to show her tough love, or something of that sort to make her realize the faults in this entire dilemma.

Karen huffed as she grabbed her son's wrist. She held on to him tight and yanked on his arm slightly, trying to make him turn enough to make eye contact. "Don't you dare go after that girl, Lucas Scott," she hollered in the angriest tone she could produce.

Lucas shook his head and did his best to turn away from Karen's penetrating eyes. He had never felt so distant from his mom, but he had pull away. She was in the wrong this time, and between the two women that lived in his heart, he had to go with the other. He remarked in a whisper, "I have to."

Less than a block away, Peyton had enough of her run out of Tree Hill. She was exhausted and her legs were starting to cramp. All she wanted to do was be able to walk like normal, and maybe even let out some tears. But instead of letting herself cry, she made herself angry and yelled, "Stupid crutches!"

"Hey," Jake cooed as he approached Peyton. He placed his hand on her shoulder and commented, "Take it easy." He let his hand fall down her shoulder and to her back, stroking it slightly. Jake did his best to calm her as they took a few more steps down the deserted sidewalk. "Sit down," he insisted as they approached a bench.

Peyton sat down and breathed heavily. She had worked herself up so much, and the pace she was at on her crutches as pretty speedy. "She blames me," she finally managed to say, obviously exhausted. She sniffled back the tears that were screaming to escape, adding quietly, "And she's right."

Jake sat down beside her, leaning forwards so he could see her face. "She's not right," he said surely.

"Yes she is!" Peyton quickly bit back. The tears broke out and streamed down her cheeks effortlessly. She threw her hands into the air in somewhat of a frustrated manner and emphasized, "Lucas just keeps on saving me over and over again."

Nodding, Jake knew that was the truth. He knew that Lucas Scott was the one taking care of the girl Jake left behind, and that killed him. Jake wanted to be able to care for this girl, but someone else was doing it. "He cares about you," Jake explained, almost bitter about that.

Peyton shook her head and let the last of her tears slip. "Well he shouldn't," she stated. Brushing her hands over her face, Peyton dried her face, but she still looked like a girl that had been crying. "All I do is hurt and then get other people hurt worse," she elaborated, tired of the cycle of her story.

Watching her, Jake could tell that she was serious. He couldn't believe that such an amazing woman would say words like that. He knew her history, and that she took a lot of things to heart, but he also knew that so much good came from her as well. "That's not true."

Shrugging, Peyton rolled her eyes. "Then why did I lose two moms and still manage to kill off another parent?" She glanced over at Jake, raising an eyebrow along with her question. She knew that he meant well, but she wasn't buying into his words. She felt like she was the reason for so much bad, for most of the bad in Tree Hill, and the death of her mothers was only one example.

Jake shook his head at Peyton. Looking into her eyes, he could tell that she was angry. And with her stubborn state, she wasn't going to let him win this conversation so easily. He started, "Peyton—."

"Lucas is just too good of a guy," Peyton stated, completely ignoring the fact that Jake was trying to make her feel better. Her head was still spinning around the idea of all this being her fault. She continued, "He comes to the rescue of a girl that'd be better off gone."

"No," Jake stated boldly. He couldn't stand to hear Peyton talking so negatively. She could say and feel all she wanted about anything else, but not herself. He shifted his weight slightly so he could face her better. "We need you here and he knows it," he stated, watching her closely, even though she wouldn't return the gaze.

Peyton shook her head, staring at her folded hands in her lap. "And his mom's being put through hell for that," Peyton reminded Jake, her voice cracking slightly as the last words slipped her mouth. She was exhausted, and all the fighting and thinking had worn her down. She was finally calm, but only due to her lack of energy. Quietly, she threw in, "It doesn't add up."

Reaching for Peyton's hand, Jake cradled it softly in his own. He stopped his efforts to meet her eyes and focused down on her delicate skin. "Don't think you're not worth it, Peyton," he finally cooed. He raised her hand up to his face and kissed the top of it gently. "Because you are."

His hard work finally got through to Peyton. Yet it was hard to except for some reason. Her heart didn't beat the same way that it used to when he'd hold her hand, but one thing was for sure; it felt nice. Shaking the thoughts out of her head, Peyton said, "I just can't—"

"Let me take care of you now," he interjected with a grin on his face. It all seemed so simple to Jake after blurting out those words.

Peyton furrowed her brow and gazed up at Jake with a confused look on her face. "What?" she inquired.

Taking a deep breath, Jake was able to look her in the eye now. He hadn't been able to look at her nearly the entire morning, and now she was finally giving him the opportunity. "I'll save you," he offered, ready to take on a new, more important role in her life.

A little shocked, and taken in by that longing look on Jake's face, Peyton stared at him for a moment. She was speechless, but thoughts were running through her head a million miles per minute. "Why would you want to do that?" she was finally able to mutter.

Jake smiled to himself, touched that he could make her nervous. It took a lot to get under Peyton Sawyer's skin, and he knew it. He had felt weird with her since he got back, even if they didn't spend so much time together, but it was starting to feel like normal again. He started to feel like he was winning back a spot in her heart. He responded wholeheartedly, "Because I don't want to know life without you."

Peyton turned her head rapidly, breaking their connection, but that wasn't enough for Jake. He raised his free hand up to Peyton's face and redirected her to his eyes. He kept his hand under her chin, making sure that she wouldn't turn away again. Jake brushed his thumb softly over her lip, leaning in closer with all focus on that perfect pout.

"She's the reason your father's dead!" Karen exclaimed, throwing her dirty rag on top of the dishes in the tub.

Lucas' heart skipped a beat. Those words stung worse than any other, but he couldn't believe that was the flat out truth. "Maybe," he remarked timidly. He reached his hand around to the back of his head and scratched it with frustration. "But he's the reason she's alive," he finally blurted. It was so hard for Lucas to expose his feelings, but he needed his mom to understand. He needed her to know that what Lucas did was out of much more than she realized. "Keith taught me so many things, and both you and him taught me the most important lesson. You guys taught me how to love."

Karen's face dropped and her anger disappeared. It was as if she realized how cruel she was in that instance, but she wasn't apologetic. "Don't—" she started, just as if she didn't want to hear anything more.

"Keith went into the school for me, the same reason why I went back in for Peyton," he stated effortlessly. He stared his mother kindly in the eye, not really putting up a fight, just telling her the truth.

Her heart breaking, Karen knew exactly where Luke's words were heading. Her son wasn't an idiot, and if anything, he had the same heart as Keith. "Lucas…" she stated softly, almost not wanting him to continue. It was nice to know that Keith's legacy would live on, but it hurt too much to see how they were so similar.

"I love her," Lucas remarked with a small grin on his face. With a peaceful look in his eyes, he added, "Plain and simple."

Karen sniffled back, her heart aching with the memory of her dead fiancé. "What about—"

Lucas shook his head at Karen. "It doesn't matter," he commented in a reassuring manner. He didn't know where this sudden burst of confidence came from, especially when it comes to Peyton, but he knew it felt right. The only thing he could think of to say in explanation was, "Life's too short, Mom."

Turning away, Lucas started after Peyton. Only a few minutes had passed since Peyton had left the café, but he couldn't believe how long he waited to go after her. He couldn't really believe that he ever left her side. Peyton has always been the one for him, whether he was too stupid or too scared to admit it.

Watching her son make a bold move, both against herself and for another woman, Karen could see the mold Keith had left for him. "Lucas!" she called out, hoping that she hadn't damaged anything too much. She simple stood there with her hands folded and waited for her son to turn around. And as he faced her, she was touched that her little boy was turning into a man. He was turning into a good man as well. "I love you."

"I love you too," he stated with his smile a little wider. He was glad he could make her understand, and also get her approval in the same case. It was just like another step closer to coming to terms with what everyone had been put through. Even though it would take much more time for the healing to be complete, it was still good to know that they would be able to deal with it sooner or later.

Lucas turned the knob and escaped from the café. He stepped out in a hurry and rushed down the sidewalk, heading back towards Peyton's house. It wasn't long before he saw Peyton and Jake sitting on a sidewalk bench, looking cozy. An uneasy feeling settled in his stomach, and Luke's heart cracked down the middle. He didn't know what was going on, or what could've possibly happened in those few minutes he hesitated with his mom. All he really did know, was that if he let her slip through his fingers yet again, he'd never forgive himself.