Hi there! Thank you again for waiting! I'm terrible, I know! Hopefully you will enjoy as I tried to listen to everyone in their reviews…we'll see!

And a big thank you to Jan for assuring me with the chapter and checking some things over for me, I really appreciate it :)

Haley relished the feeling of slipping her heels from her feet and easing her aching soles into her comfortable white pumps. Her ankle still hurt a little from the attack and she supposed that wearing heels on her first day back hadn't exactly been the best idea on her part. The thought of her awaiting couch and a cup of cocoa kept her mind from the dull pain though, she was just grateful to finally be going home.

Her first day back had been a long one. It hadn't been particularly strenuous and none of her students had been difficult but the clock seemed to move at a snail's pace all day.

Wrapping her light scarf around her neck, she took one last glance around the classroom before shutting off the light and striding towards the main door leading to the quad and her freedom. She nodded to the janitor who was holding the door for her and took in the scent of fall as it hit her.

It was her favourite time of year. She liked to see the leaves change from green to yellow, red, orange and brown before they fell like snowflakes from the trees onto the streets and sidewalks.

'Hey, Miss James.'

Haley tore her mind from her memories of running through piles of autumn leaves as a kid and turned to the familiar voice that sounded too mature to belong to a student.

'Nathan?' Her eyes popped at seeing him leant against the school gates. A ripple ran through her, she felt like a schoolgirl, excited that a boy was waiting for her.

'Hi.' He threw her a confident half-smirk and her legs almost went to jelly. It wasn't just a boy waiting for her, it was an NBA superstar.

'What are you doing here?' She spluttered quickly, sounding far more accusing than she'd planned to be, 'I mean, I wasn't expecting to see you.'

'It's a surprise.' He revealed, his sapphire eyes twinkling, 'I'm taking you out.'

Her mouth formed a tiny 'o'. 'You are?'

He laughed and a warmth ran though her at hearing the sound, 'Yeah, I am, come on.'

His arm moved around her shoulders and she let him guide her towards the road where he could hail a cab.

'Wait,' Haley cried out as a yellow taxi pulled up.

Nathan paused and turned to her, frowning, 'What's the matter?'

'Nothing.' She shook her head and bit down on her lip, 'It's just that this seems so out of the blue. It's not that I'm not happy to see you or anything it's just, well, why are you taking me out?'

He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck as they ducked into the awaiting car, 'Kind of like a date.'

'Kind of like a date?' She repeated and then saw how awkward he looked, 'Let me guess, Brooke?'

'Not exactly.' He leaned forwards and whispered something to the driver and then turned back to Haley when they set off, 'More like Peyton threatened me.'

'Oh.' Haley deflated slightly and leaned back in her seat.

Nathan noticed her shrink and realised that he'd said something wrong. He wrung his hands in his lap and a blush rose in his cheeks, 'I'm glad she did, because I've been trying to work up the courage to ask you out for like a week now.'

Haley's heart fluttered and she couldn't help from curving her lips into a smile, 'Really?'

'Really.' He said firmly, finally meeting her eyes with hers to show deep pools of sincerity.

Brooke, who really should have been focussing on the sales figures in front of her, felt a thrill run through her reading the latest text message from Julian. Although she was supposed to be working he kept stealing her mind away and back to him.

Her eyes darted quickly from the figures on her desk and then to her assistant who was busy scribbling notes, 'Um, Millie, I'm going to, um, go and look over the stock for figures and that.'

She set off quickly, clicking away in her heels before Millie had the chance to tell her that a full count had been performed that morning.

By the time she reached the stockroom, she realised that she was flustered and nervous. She paused to check her appearance in her compact before entering the room, as though she was about to walk on stage.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door and entered the vast warehouse.

'Hey.' Julian peeked his head around one of the rails, his cheeky smirk caused all of her butterflies to disappear.

'Hey, you.' She smiled and then laughed as he stumbled out through a curtain of dresses. 'Nice hiding spot.'

He quirked a brow, 'Well I figured I better be stealth, considering that we're sneaking about and all.'

'No offence or anything but that wasn't very stealthy.' Brooke quirked an eyebrow as she folded into his embrace and he kissed her nose.

'I was hide-and-go-seek champion in middle school.' He returned before tilting his head and wincing, 'Although that probably had something to do with the fact that the other boys used to torture the Mathletes if we dared play on the quad.'

Brooke offered a sympathetic smile. If someone had asked her about her dream boy back when she was at middle school, the last on her list would have been a Mathlete.

Julian hung his head, 'I'm being a dork. Just tell me to shut up.'

'You're being you.' Brooke said softly, 'And I would never tell you to shut up.'

In response he leaned down to kiss her. She would have been the girl at the top of his list back in middle school and today.

Brooke squealed when he took her in his arms, carried her bridal style to the back of the room and laid her down softly on the couch she'd forgotten was there. And not once did his lips leave hers.

There was nothing dorkish about that.

'Where are we going?' Haley asked, relaxing a little.

'It's a surprise.' Nathan reminded her but he kind of liked her constant questioning. She was a girl that liked explanations and logic and answers, he didn't think he'd ever really known a girl like that before.

Her expectant brown orbs fell heavily on him, 'Can I have a clue?'

He rolled his shoulders, 'I'm not very good at clues, I'll give it away.'

'Please?'

'Okay.' His wall of resistance had already crumbled and she'd only been pestering for a moment. 'Well, we're leaving Manhattan.'

She looked surprised and her lips went to form another question almost immediately, 'What are we doing?'

'That's it.' He told her, 'That's all you're getting.'

He could see her trying to work out where he was taking her and what he had lined up. It made him smile to see her do that even though he wanted to keep it a surprise.

'I guess I'm going to have to wait.' She sighed but there was a soft kind of melodic laughter to her voice that calmed Nathan somewhat.

He nodded and tried to think about something else, anything to distract him from his circling nerves.

'Since this is our first date,' Haley flushed as she spoke, 'I figure I should at least be wearing this.'

Reaching to her purse she pulled out a rainbow coloured bracelet. It had taken them a good few hours and a couple of hundred Crackerjack boxes but eventually they'd found a replacement for Haley's birthday gift that had snapped during the mugging.

She slipped it over her wrist and he smiled, 'The most expensive free bracelet ever.'

Julian pouted as he watched Brooke grab for her dress and pull it over her hips, 'Don't go.'

'I have to.' She said for the tenth time, emphasising the fact that she really had to leave him. He'd already managed to stall her for half an hour but he got the feeling that she was actually going to go this time. 'Where did my other shoe go?'

'I've hidden it.' Julian told her, 'You can't go anywhere with one shoe, that would be ludicrous.'

She tried to give him a stern look but couldn't help from smiling as he winked suggestively at her, 'Juliaaan.'

He sighed and propped himself up on one elbow, 'I haven't got it, I didn't hide it, promise.'

'Okay.' Brooke said before leaning down to check under the couch. 'Damn it!'

As much as he quite liked to watch her getting frustrated; the crease in her brow, the hand on her hip and the way she balanced unsteadily on one foot; Julian felt that he should help her out.

He found it almost instantly, causing Brooke to narrow her eyes suspiciously, 'You did hide it.'

'No, I swear.' He help his hands up in a surrender motion.

'Hmm,' Brooke slipped the found article onto her foot and reached her arms around Julian's neck, 'Well, thank you then.'

'My pleasure.' He grinned and kissed her.

'And today, it was,' Brooke flicked her eyes over the couch and to the man before her as she searched for the words.

'Incredible, fantastic, amazing.' Julian listed for her.

She shook her head, 'More than that.'

'More than that?' He questioned, eyebrows arched.

'Mmm-hmm.' Brooke smiled her wide, dimpled smile that he loved, 'More than that.'

'You say the sexiest things, Brooke Davis.' He said before leaning her back in his embrace and kissing her passionately.

They both closed their eyes and got lost in the kiss, the moment and the feeling.

'I need to go.' Brooke whispered eventually after pulling away slowly.

He nodded, 'I know.'

'Sorry.' She winced.

'Never be sorry, Brooke.' He told her, 'Go, I'll head out and grab some coffee. How does that sound?'

'Absolutely perfect.' She gave his hand one last squeeze before she walked away, 'Where have you been all my life?'

He sighed and watched her go. Her words rang out in his ears, because he'd spent the past few years only fantasizing of being with Brooke. If he hadn't listened to Peyton, he could have had the girl of his dreams all this time.

Lucas, sat in the window of a bustling coffee place, watched as the passers-by went about their daily business. He'd always been a people-watcher. He liked to assess people first; get a shape and a feel for them rather than rush in, that's why he enjoyed watching. It gave him a talent for reading and understanding people. It also didn't hurt when shaping characters in his books; he'd studied strangers all his life and noted quirks and mannerisms that served as his inspirations.

He sipped his black coffee and looked to the line snaking from the counter to the door. It was mostly career types, on a break or between clients. There was the odd young mother, wrestling with a stroller or an aggravated toddler. He noticed students too, recognisable by their books and folders, their protest pins and their headphones.

He was distracted when the door flew open and another customer entered. He did a double take, recognising the newest face in the crowd. Her green eyes were wide and searching; she looked distracted, in deep thought as though she was weighing something up in her mind. Lucas also noticed her long, glossy curls; her endless legs; and her fingers tapping in time to a beat he couldn't hear. But it was her eyes he went back to.

Having such a talent for reading people, meant that Lucas was rarely wrong in his assumptions and he presumed that she had something troubling her. Something in him wanted to approach her, ask her if everything was alright, but he stayed glued to his chair in fear of embarrassing himself.

An odd part of him wished that Nathan was there, because he knew Peyton better and was more outgoing. He would have rushed straight over and said hello. Lucas wasn't sure that Nathan would see the agitation in her eyes but he'd break the ice all the same.

Sighing at his own indecisiveness, Lucas decided to just go and talk to her. He supposed that at worse she'd say hi and go back to her business.

He folded his newspaper under his arm and strode towards the beautiful blonde, 'Peyton, Hey.'

She turned on her heel and to his relief, smiled when she registered his voice, 'Lucas! Hey, how are you?'

'Great, great, I'm good thanks.' He scrambled in his mind for something to say, 'I'm just people-watching; looking for character ideas.'

'Oh, that's right, Nathan said you were writing again.' She smiled genuinely and her eyes danced a little, 'I guess that dream of yours is moving again.'

'I guess I found a little inspiration from somewhere.' He said lightly, 'How about you? Have you managed to do any drawing?'

He was referring to the conversation they'd had about dreams. He wanted so desperately for her to achieve that feeling she was yearning after; for her to draw something that meant something.

She bit down on her lip, 'Not yet, but I will be making the time. I'm not letting my fire go out.'

Lucas smirked, finding it incredibly sexy to have her quote Altas Shrugged back to him, 'Good to hear.'

She smiled once more and it sent a warmth through him. He may have been being optimistic but his talent for reading people told him that she was enjoying the conversation for the same reasons.

Her mouth parted as though she was about to say something but she paused before narrowing her eyes in the direction of the counter. Lucas turned to follow her gaze but didn't notice anything to capture his attention.

'Excuse me.' Peyton said suddenly, her distracted look was back.

'Peyton?' Lucas questioned.

She turned back to him, 'Sorry, I just have to go and murder someone.'

Something about the venom in her eyes and the sharpness in her voice told him that she might just be serious about the killing part.

He watched as she stalked to the counter and tapped a guy on the shoulder. Curiosity got the better of him and he couldn't help from moving to a stand offering condiments, pretending that he wanted some sugar for his lukewarm drink. He was close enough to be in earshot but wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

'Julian.' Peyton greeted the man frostily, her arms folded across her chest.

The guy "Julian" who Lucas vaguely placed in his mind as Peyton's boss looked startled to see her there, 'Peyton.'

She peered to the two cups in his hands and raised her eyebrows, 'Latte, extra foam?'

'I, erm, I, er,' He stuttered nervously and looked to his feet.

'Anything you want to tell me?' Peyton questioned, her eyes no longer distracted but angry.

He winced, 'Pey,'

Peyton smacked her hand on the counter in an action that even made Lucas jump, 'You've done the one thing I asked - no, pleaded - for you not to do!'

'Peyton, please!' He begged, his face growing redder by the second. 'We were going to tell you but you can hardly blame me for being a bit scared to admit it! I knew you'd be like this.'

She looked to the ceiling despairingly, 'I'm not mad because you didn't tell me, I'm mad because you're sleeping with Brooke.'

Lucas raised his brow at the brash statement in the middle of the busy coffee house.

Julian put his hand to his face, 'Can't you let me explain?'

'What's there to explain?' Peyton asked, 'You two live in a fantasy world where dreams come true everyday, everything's a fairytale and people live in castles. The reality is that you live in Los Angeles, she lives in New York and when you go home it'll be my shoulder she'll be crying on.'

'Would it kill you to hear me out?' Julian asked, 'It's not as bleak and doomed as your pessimistic mind is making out.'

She tutted loudly, 'So you don't live in L.A?'

'Lots of people have long distance relationships!' He retaliated.

'That won't work for Brooke!' Peyton argued, 'This past weekend all she did was mope around, she was completely miserable, and now I've realised that was because you went back home.'

Julian looked pleasantly surprised which really hadn't been the angle that Peyton was going for.

'Don't you get it?' Peyton questioned, 'Brooke deserves a guy that will always be there for her and will dedicate everything to her. She should never be put second and especially not to movies, writing or deadlines.'

'I agree.' Julian nodded. 'Peyton, I care about her, I really care about her. I never want anything to hurt her. I know that the situation's not ideal at the moment but I'll move across the country if I need to. She's more important than making movies.'

'But you love your work.' Peyton interjected, her eyes wide in disbelief.

He nodded, 'Yes, I love my work but I'd give it up in a second for her.'

Peyton rolled her eyes, 'Okay, back to the real world for a second. You don't really know Brooke and she doesn't know you all that well, but you're already getting caught up in it. If you start saying things like that to her and then skip out, then…well it'd crush her. I don't want Brooke's dreams and hopes to come crashing down because you haven't thought things through properly.'

Julian arched his brow, 'Wow, extra cynical, even for you.'

'Yeah, well, I'm worried about Brooke.' Peyton shrugged.

'I know you are.' He assured her in an earnest voice, 'But I'm not here to hurt her.'

'That doesn't mean you won't.' She disputed.

'I guess.' He sighed, 'But if we all spend our time worrying about if there's a chance we might possibly hurt someone, I don't think any of us would fall in love.'

'Love.' Peyton said the word under her breath, 'Don't tell me you're in love with her.'

Julian turned away, 'I've never been in love before but this could be what it feels like.'

'Jeez.' Peyton was less than impressed. 'And I thought that Brooke was the one with her head in the clouds.'

'I want you to see something.' Julian said in a low uncertain voice.

She scowled, 'If you pull out an engagement ring I will throttle you with my bare hands.'

'Don't be ridiculous.' He answered, 'That's not until next week.'

Her well practised daggers flew in his direction.

He gave her a show of surrender by throwing his arms up in the air, 'No more jokes. Just watch this, okay?'

Julian then passed a DVD to her.

'And I'm really sticking my neck on the line here by even letting you touch this.' Julian added causing both Peyton and a nearby Lucas to frown at the disc, 'It's the new movie.'

Peyton turned it over in her hands, 'And you're giving me this very important, not to be leaked movie when I'm mad at you? I could do anything with this.'

'I trust you.' Julian said, although he had paled a fair few shades, 'Just watch it and return it to me in one piece, alright?'

'I don't understand.' Peyton told him. One minute they'd been arguing about him and Brooke, and the next he was forcing his movie on her.

He picked his coffees up from the side and nodded, 'You'll see.'

Then he left the store leaving Peyton more confused than ever and Lucas wondering what the hell was going on.

She put her head in her hands and sighed turning to the blond who was staring, 'I'm sorry you saw that, Lucas.'

'That was pretty intense.' He commented, having already assumed that this was the thing that had been bugging her.

'Yeah, I guess.' Her frown was deep and she seemed to be somewhere else, 'I've got to go.'

He studied her carefully as she meandered through the tables, stumbling slightly in her rush.

Once outside, Peyton took a deep breath, she had so much going on in her head. She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about her best friend and her pseudo-brother dating, or falling in love or whatever.

She'd spent so long being against the idea that she'd never properly entertained the thought of Brooke and Julian. She tried, she really tried to imagine it but it was a hard image to form in her head without shuddering.

She knew that Brooke was happy; that much was obvious. And Julian seemed happy too but she knew his history, his whole life was his work. It was beginning to make her head hurt, trying to muddle through all of her mixed up emotions. She didn't even know where to begin, who to talk to first; Brooke, Julian, Haley, Nathan, or maybe just watch Julian's dumb soppy movie.

She felt that she should have seen this coming sooner, she should have taken notice of all the signs rather than ignoring them. Now she didn't know what to do. All she'd managed so far was to have an argument with Julian in front of a crowd at Starbucks. That would solve nothing and she knew it. She assumed that he would relay everything to Brooke too and so no doubt she'd also be upset. It was such a mess.

A car horn blared loudly causing her to jump out of her skin. Before she had a second to take note of what was happening, a pair of strong arms hauled her backwards. She collapsed onto the sidewalk, panting heavily.

After a second or two she realised that the sidewalk felt rather soft and she saw that it was in fact a body she'd fallen onto.

'Are you okay?' It was Lucas. He was the one that she was crushing in plain sight of everyone around them. He was the one who pulled her out of the road when her mind was daydreaming.

'Are you alright?' He repeated urgently, 'Peyton?'

'Y-yes.' She didn't mean to stutter, but the way that her body had begun to shake caused her to.

He looked over every inch of her with his deep blue eyes, 'You don't look okay.'

She shook her head, 'Really, I am, I just wasn't paying attention. I've got a lot on my mind.'

'Yeah.' He rubbed the stubble on his chin a gave her a concerned stare, 'Do you want to talk about it? You know, to an unbiased ear.'

She didn't think he could have spoken a more perfect sentence at that moment, 'That would be pretty great actually. I don't suppose you also want to watch a total barf-fest movie too?'

He arched his eyebrows, 'When you put it like that, how can I refuse?'

'It's gorgeous.' Haley remarked, failing to hide her shy smile. She twirled the ivory rose in her hands and fingered the petals lightly.

Nathan chortled slightly at how complimentary she was of that one flower, 'Turn around.'

She looked into his eyes curiously before following his instruction and spinning around. Her gasp made all the butterflies in Nathan's stomach flutter furiously again. He'd never done the mushy date thing before, not really. He'd tried his hand at being romantic but that had only stretched as far as ordering champagne or playing soft music, he'd never really bought into the idea before. Now though, he could see the appeal. Hearing the rush of excitement in her voice and seeing the dazzle in her eyes sparked something in him, like a sudden rush for him to make her that surprised and thrilled again as soon as possible.

She may not have been a diamonds girl, but apparently she was a private dinner on the boardwalk surrounded by flowers, music and lights girl.

'You did this for me?' Haley asked, as though she thought it was some kind of hoax.

He laughed, 'Of course I did it for you.'

He extended his hand to lead her to her seat at the table but she was too distracted by all of the little details. 'These are the same flowers you got me last week, the violet blossoms and purple drops.'

'Yeah, I mean I thought you liked them so I just went with them.' He said uneasily.

'They're perfect.' She complimented, 'And this music is gorgeous.'

'Well, I can't claim credit for that.' He admitted, 'Peyton just told me to play it.'

Haley nodded in understanding and finally noticed his awaiting hand. She placed her smaller one in his and he closed his fingers softly over her smooth skin before leading her up a few steps to the awaiting table.

'Oh my God.'

Nathan grinned, he could happily spend the rest of his life creating gestures just to see that look in her eyes.

The table was set on a secluded area of the boardwalk with only the Manhattan skyline and the East river for company. The sun was sinking on the horizon and the city was bathed in an orange hue. Lights were beginning to spark in the buildings across the water, creating a reflection of sparkles in the river and the illusion of something mystical and magical happening in front of their eyes.

'How did -? This is – I mean, just, wow.' She gushed.

'I'm glad you like it.' He said, relieved by her reaction.

'It's insane!' She cooed, her eyes bulging as a waiter appeared with champagne and strawberries.

'Cheers.' Nathan held up his glass and she tapped hers against it, creating a satisfying clink. He took a sip even though he hated the stuff. He didn't need alcohol though, he was getting drunk just from the smile that wasn't leaving Haley's lips.

'She knows?' Brooke paced the floor of her office and Julian was sure that she was going to wear a hole in the carpet.

He settled his hands on her shoulders, 'Hey, don't panic, she'll come around.'

'So she's mad then?' Brooke picked up from his sentence.

'At me, not you.' He rushed to assure her.

She frowned, 'I don't get it.'

Sighing, he realised that he'd have to explain himself, 'Peyton has always told me that I'm not allowed to go after you.'

'What?' Brooke cried out, throwing her arms up to show how outrageous she thought it was.

'She was looking out for you.' Julian heaved another sigh, he wasn't doing a very good job of explaining, 'I don't have a great track record with girlfriends.'

Her glassy eyes snapped to him but she didn't say a word. Maybe girlfriend hadn't been the best choice of word. He should have said he didn't have a great track record with girls not girlfriends. That implied that he and Brooke were together and they hadn't really gotten around to discussing that.

'And I'm in L.A whilst you're all the way across the country, she always said that you deserved better than a long distance relationship.' Julian continued, 'Which you do, of course.'

Brooke stopped pacing and flopped into a chair, 'Wow.'

'Wow?' Julian echoed, he didn't know what to make of that one word.

'Yeah, wow.' She repeated unhelpfully.

'Talk to me.' Julian pleaded, 'Tell me what you're thinking.'

She took a deep breath, 'I'm thinking that I wish Peyton and Haley were here to discuss this with. I wish I'd just told them that we've been, doing whatever this is.'

'Why?' Julian probed.

Brooke pulled her hands through her hair, 'Because we always talk about stuff like this, always. And it feels like I've been hiding this big ugly thing – not that this is ugly – the fact that we hid it feels ugly. And they're like my angel and devil, keeping me on track and looking out for me. We never go into things without having each other on side, ready to have our backs, you know?'

'So what if Peyton's dead against us? What happens then?' Julian asked, put out.

Hazel eyes flicked to him, 'You said she'd come around.'

'She will.' He said quickly and firmly, 'But what if she didn't? Would that change what we have? How we feel?'

Tears formed in Brooke's eyes and instantly Julian felt like a monster, 'I don't know.'

'Sorry,' Julian said hurriedly, 'I'm sorry, I'm just so caught up in this and us that I haven't thought of anything outside of that in days.'

'Me either.' Brooke revealed.

Julian pulled Brooke out of the chair and wrapped his arms around her, 'You do what you gotta do, okay? I'll wait.'

She nodded into his chest, 'I just need to talk to them, explain. If I'm happy, they'll be happy.'

'I hope so.' Julian muttered.

'They will.' Brooke said confidently. They were her best friends, her family, and she knew them better than anyone.

'It wasn't that bad.' Lucas offered as the credits rolled.

Peyton just stared blankly at the screen, letting the tub of popcorn in her lap tip slightly causing pieces to fall onto her littered floor.

'Peyton?' He questioned.

She sniffed loudly and blushed, 'Sorry, totally gross.'

He frowned, not expecting her to be teary, 'Tissue?'

'Thanks.' She blew her nose and then rolled her eyes at how much of a girl she was being, and in front of Lucas of all people, although she wasn't sure why that mattered really.

'Are you okay?' He questioned in a kind voice.

'I'm fine, really.' She nodded, 'Am I being pathetic?'

'No.' He returned hurriedly, 'It was a sad movie.'

'Right?' She managed through a weak laugh, 'How is he going to smash box office records by making the most depressing movie in history?'

Lucas took a moment to answer, 'I don't think he made it to break any records.'

Peyton tilted her head in a questioning manner.

He took a deep breath before letting the story teller in him break free, 'Okay so I don't know much about this Julian and Brooke thing but I do know a lot about expressing your feelings through your art. And I know that you're like an expert in this field so see if you agree with me.'

'Alright.' Peyton nodded slowly.

'So in the movie I think that the leads; Will and Sarah represent Julian and Brooke.' Lucas began.

Peyton's face twisted but she didn't say anything, she just turned to face Lucas, curling her long legs beneath her.

'And Will's sister Caroline is you.' Lucas continued. 'At the beginning you can see that Will and Sarah are falling for one another but Carrie warns Will away, right?'

Peyton only nodded, her face pale.

'It's understandable though; Carrie doesn't want Will or Sarah to get hurt, he's about to head off to war and her philosophy is that you'll only miss something if you had something there in the first place to miss.' Lucas watched as Peyton's frown deepened but still she didn't speak.

'Will can see her point and he understands, because Carrie lost her fiancé and it tore her apart. He doesn't want to do that to Sarah, he doesn't want her to fall in love with him in case he doesn't make it through the war. He wants to protect her heart.' Lucas said in his even tone.

Peyton's eyes filled up again and she tried to shake the tears away, 'Sorry, it's just that the actress who plays Sarah, her eyes are Brooke's, I swear. Every time she looked sad it was like Brooke was falling apart in front of me.'

Lucas offered more tissues and a kind smile.

'But by the time Will came home, Sarah was married to another guy because she thought he didn't love her.' Peyton continued the story in a dull tone.

'It's a story of hope though.' Lucas said in an urgent tone.

'It is?' Peyton asked.

He nodded, 'At Sarah's funeral, when he sees all of the mourners, all the people who loved her and her beautiful children, he at least has the assurance that she lived a good life.'

Peyton snorted unconvinced.

Lucas smiled, 'But that final scene when he's flipping the coin over and over, they were a young man's hands. It wasn't Will after the funeral, it was Will before he went to war, when he was deciding whether or not to go after Sarah. The movie only shows what could have happened, I think that it's just his thought process. He believes that with or without him she'll have an extraordinary life but he covers the coin with his hand at the end and brushes it onto the carpet, he never looks at the outcome.'

Peyton's eyes widened, 'So he goes after Sarah?'

'Yes.' Lucas nodded. 'The message is about pursuing happiness and dreams, not holding back.'

'He made it for her, didn't he? The movie's for Brooke.' Peyton said in small voice, 'He doesn't want to break box office records, he wants to pursue his dream.'

'I think so.' Lucas agreed.

'Trust Julian.' Peyton tutted, 'He couldn't just tell us what he feels, he has to make this damn soppy movie and put in hidden messages and make me cry.'

'Sometimes it's easy to show your feelings through your art, don't you think?' Lucas asked in his pensive way.

Peyton of all people understood, of course.

'Do you think that Carrie girl was a bitch?' Peyton asked suddenly, clearly wondering if it was a reflection of her.

Lucas looked taken aback, he knew that Carrie was Peyton in some way or other and he doesn't see Peyton as a bitch at all. 'No. She was trying to protect everyone. She had her heart broken once and she knew how much it hurt, she didn't want that for everyone else. I think she just forgot how good it felt as well; to be in love.'

When he glanced up again at Peyton he was shocked to see her crying, really crying.

'Hey,' He reached out and hugged because she looked like she needed to be held, 'Carrie isn't you and she wasn't the bad guy.'

'She is me.' Peyton sniffed, 'I told him not to go after Brooke, but I was just trying to look out for everyone.'

Lucas stroked a curl behind Peyton's ear and looked into her watery green eyes, 'I think Julian knows that, he captured that in Carrie.'

'I didn't know Julian knew me that well.' She said, 'I always look on the bad side, all the time. I'm just scared of people getting hurt, you know? I've been there and it's painful and sometimes hard to get back, I never want Brooke or Haley to go to the dark places I went to.'

Lucas knew it was a big admission from the fragile looking blonde. He felt as though he'd been allowed into a closed off part of her that she'd never revealed to anyone before. It was like he'd found the key or the password to a secret she'd expected to keep buried forever.

He just pulled her into his chest and let her cry a little longer and he made a vow to himself there and then that he would do everything he could to make her see the good side again.

Haley stood in Nathan's arms as the bright lights of Manhattan shone down on them from across the water.

'Are you cold?' Nathan asked.

She shook her head, 'I'm fine. Better than fine.'

'Good.' He whispered into her hair as the sounds of Gavin DeGraw drifted into the night.

'Thank you, for this crazy night that surpassed all of my expectations and wildest dreams of first dates.'

She turned to face him and reached onto her tiptoes. They were so close that they could taste the vanilla cookie dough of each other's breath and see the glistening of their irises.

'Make this night perfect.' Haley requested under her breath but of course he heard.

He swept his lips across hers and took her petite frame in his arms as she crept her fingers up his chest. They kissed, soft and sweet under the blanket of the starry sky, for the whole of New York behind them to witness.

Droplets of the first fall rain began to descend but it didn't break their moment apart, they just laughed onto each other's lips as the drops began to fall heavier and faster, soaking them slowly.

At Brooke's request, Julian booked himself a hotel for the night. She didn't mean to push him away, none of this was his fault but she needed a night with her best friends. She needed to talk the Julian thing out and she needed to do it as soon as possible.

Julian had left her after a long heartfelt kiss, telling her to call if she needed anything at all to which she'd nodded gratefully.

Then she'd pulled out her cell and sent an SOS text to Haley and Peyton.

A long time ago they'd promised each other that no matter what, they'd be there for one another; no matter the time, no matter the reason and no matter the cost. Brooke was pulling on that promise, hoping that her friends would come through. She knew it wasn't a real emergency but she needed them.

Thankfully, neither Haley nor Peyton had forgotten their pledge because not a minute after she sent the text, Brooke received two messages stating that her friends were on their way.

The pace seemed to really pick up in this chapter but it just felt right. Let me know your thoughts. I love hearing anything you guys have to say, it all gets noted. Thanks for reading, Alex :)