Hey! Like I said it may be awhile but I really wanted to get this up. In the past week some of my friends have decided to develop alcohol problems, I have just narrowly missed being kicked out of my house, and two friends are now "with child", or at least one for sure... hum.... I'm normal, I swear! Lol. Anyhow. So in order to get these chaps up with this current drama I'm going to have to make the chaps a bit shorter, but don't fret. They are awfully detailed, for me at least. PLEASE REVIEW! Happy reading!

xoxo Jules

Chapter 14: "Can anyone see me down here?"

Larry Sawyer walked into his kitchen to find his daughter sitting at the table staring out of the window blankly with a mug of coffee in her hands, filled nearly to the brim.

"Hey peanut." He said joining her at the table.

Peyton broke out of her reverie to meet the worried eyes of her father.

"Hey dad." She said giving a small grin.

"Whatcha thinking about?" He asked scooting his chair closer to hers.

"Nothing." Peyton said rather unconvincingly.

"I know you better than that peanut." Larry said stroking his daughters blonde curly hair.

"I know you do daddy." Peyton said sitting her cup down on the table.

"I know it must be hard for you being back here and all… memories of your mother, of Jake and Brooke." Larry said to his daughter sympathetically.

"Yeah." Was all that Peyton could manage to squeek out. "It's just that I have so much in my head right now… I'm not sure if I'm ready for any other … issues. I just want to focus on getting Jenny and I on our feet." Peyton said looking at her father

"And someone else wants more?" He asked reading his daughter who was slowly nodding her head in the affirmative. "Then you've just got to tell him the truth honey."

"I know I know. I just don't want to lead him on anymore than I have already. I like him, I mean I really do. I have for a long time. I just don't think that I'm ready to be so seriously involved with someone right now." Peyton attempted to explain

"I understand." He said grabbing her hand and squeezing it lightly.

------ Lucas sat on the kitchen chairs watching the twins from where they slept on the sofa bed when his mother entered the room.

"Well you sure are up early." She said pouring him a cup of coffee and joining him at the table.

"Yeah." Lucas said running his hands over his spiked head.

He sighed deeply

"Peyton." His mother figured.

"Yeah." He leaned back in his chair. "How'd you know?"

"I saw the two of you talking at the café yesterday." Karen said with a small smile

"It wasn't supposed to be like this mom. Nathan and Haley were supposed to be happily married, and Jake should be with Jenny and Peyton… and Brooke, well she should be here with me…" Lucas said his eyes brimming with tears. "And I get that it's hard, I am just so lost mom." Lucas concluded as his mother pulled him into a tight hug. He cried like a small child into her shirt.

"It's going to be okay." She whispered in his ear.

"I just want to move on… I thought that Peyton did too… It's just that she's so hard to figure out mom, and the two people that who could explain her to me are both gone." He said saddening at the thought of Brooke and Jake

"Maybe that's the problem?" Karen said pulling away from her son.

"Maybe what's the problem?" Lucas asked confused.

"That the only people who really knew her are gone. Her mother, and then Jake and Brooke." Karen said wiping a tear from her sons eye.

"Well what should I do?" Lucas asked helpfully.

"Theres nothing that you can do right now besides be her friend. Know her how Jake and Brooke did. Just be there for her. You guys are going to need each other." Karen said reassuring her son.

------ Lucas rapped several times on Nathans door before there was an answer.

"Hey." He said when he finally saw Haley standing before him.

"Luke!" She said throwing her arms around his neck. "I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too Hales." Lucas said returning her hug. "You gotta minute?" He asked shoving his hands into the deepest parts of his pockets.

"Yeah." Haley said peeking her head into her apartment where Nathan and Caleb were reading a story. "What's up?" She asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"First of all are you and Nathan…" Lucas asked pointing to the door that Haley had just closed.

"No!" Haley said a little too quickly. "We're just trying to find common ground." She hesitated for a second "For Caleb."

Lucas nodded understanding.

"I was looking through my old room today," He began, "and I found that video tape that I took at the park that day."

"What video tape?" Haley asked raising her eyebrow. "I don't think that I remember."

Lucas sighed expecting that.

"It's not really important… I just asked people where we were going to be in four years." Lucas said looking away.

"So what's your point Luke?" Haley asked smiling

"We're not supposed to be like we are now… We're supposed to be happy Hales, and we're supposed to be together, as friends, because we have no idea if we will be here tomorrow…" Lucas said in almost one breath. "And I just missed you, and I missed us, and I missed this." Lucas said

Haley smiled up at the now man who had been a brother to her her entire life.

"Yeah Luke, so have I." She said as he enveloped her into a big hug.

------ Jenny and Larry were in the living room watching the Wizards game and Peyton was in the laundry room trying to get the grass stains out of Jennys pants when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." Peyton said hurrying to the door with a laundry basket under her arm. She swung the door open to find the last person that she expected to see. "Nikki…" She said her jaw ajar from the shock.

"Hey, it's been awhile hasn't it?" Nikki asked winking at her.

Cliffhanger... you better give me some incentive to update! Joking! Just review!

xoxo Jules