She knew she needed to get out of the house, especially since she was leaving in a couple of days. She just couldn't stop thinking about Ian. He had fooled her once. What if he wasn't really in jail? Lucas told her he had seen Ian behind bars, but she knew she wouldn't truly believe it until he was locked up for good, and she saw it for herself. She just wan't ready to face that yet. Lucas entering the room brought her out of her thoughts, but she didn't acknowledge his presence, choosing to instead keep her eyes on the birds nest outside her window.
Lucas slipped into the room and he knew she knew he was there. He took the time as he approached her to study her, though. Her bruises had faded and the cuts had healed, but he knew she hadn't healed on the inside. He had spent a lot of time with her in the past three weeks, mainly in this bedroom, and she had mostly been silent. He could understand that, though. He still remembered what the doctor had told him on that fateful day.
FLASHBACK
At the sound of Peyton's name, both Grace and Lucas stood and walked over to the doctor. The doctor eyed Lucas warily before looking at Grace, but Grace just waved a hand for him to go on. She knew that Lucas wouldn't leave until he heard about Peyton's condition, and it would save her from explaining it to him later. The doctor cleared his throat and glanced down at the clipboard in his hands before speaking. "Well, first let me say it was very lucky that she got here when she did. She had lost a lot of blood, and if the transfusion had been put off any longer we could have lost her," he said.
Grace stood looking stoic and Lucas suddenly understood why Peyton never let her emotions show. She had learned it from her grandmother. "She should be able to make a full recovery, though. The stab wound was a couple inches long, but only three inches deep. It missed all her vital organs. So, she'll just have to be bandaged up for a while," he paused, looking over his clipboard. It was clear he was avoiding telling them something.
Lucas couldn't handle the suspense anymore. "Would you just stop beating around the bush," he snapped impatiently. "Please," he added as an afterthought, trying to soften his voice. The doctor looked at him sternly and Grace sent him an admonishing glance before turning back to the doctor, gesturing for him to continue. Lucas didn't understand how she could be so calm. All he wanted to do right now was see Peyton.
The doctor returned his gaze to Grace and consulted the clipboard again. "She's got some major bruising and while her jaw isn't broke, it'll be sore for at least a few weeks. She seems to have bit her tongue pretty badly when she was being hit, but that should heal without stitches. I'd recomend that she doesn't participate in any physical activity while she heals," he threw a glance at Lucas, who looked down at his feet, immediately understanding his meaning, "and she should probably eat only soft foods for a while," he paused, finally coming to the hardest part.
The doctor adjusted his glasses before continuing. "The wounds and buises should heal up fine, although there might be some scarring. It's not that that worries me, however. I am more worried about her psyche. It seems she has been through this before," he paused, somewhat uncomfortable. "While she was being examined it came to our attention that, not this time, but the last time, she was raped." Grace couldn't hide the gasp, and Lucas closed his eyes, hoping she wouldn't look at him. "So, it's really more of her psyche we'e worried about. She might not be herself for a while. We're hoping that eventually she'll be able to come to terms with what happened, and get back to normal, but if that doesn't happen, I suggest sending her to a therapist," he said.
Grace couldn't speak for a moment, and when she did, she only asked to see Peyton. The doctor nodded and led them back to Peyton's room, before he was called away to his other duties. Grace carefully opened the door, and Lucas had to brace himself before following her in. He froze in his tracks at the sight of her. She looked so beat down, so broken. She looked small in the bed, especially with all the moniters and tubes attatched to her. As he stepped closer, he could see the bruises and cuts more clearly, but he almost wished he couldn't. It tore at his heart to see her like that, and he wished he had come to save her sooner.
END FLASHBACK
Lucas rested a hand on her shoulder when he reached her. Peyton didn't react to his touch, or move as he started tenderly brushing out her curls with his fingers. Peyton hadn't showered in days and she hadn't brushed her hair in the same amount of time. She was slowly letting herself go. Lucas turned her chair, forcing her to look at her, her empty green eyes meeting his concerned blue ones. He backed up until he reached the bed, then climbed onto it, motioning for her to follow him.
Peyton stood, leaning against the wall beside her for support as she made her way to the bed. She may have been losing her way, but there was one thing that made her feel as if everything would be all right. That thing was being in Lucas's arms. They spent more time just lying in her bed, trying to heal her, in the past three weeks than anything else. So Lucas scooted to the far side of the bed and she crawled in next to him underneath the blankets, letting him pull her close.
Lucas loved having her in his arms. It gave him hope. There were periods of time when she would look up at him, and he would see the old Peyton in those green eyes, and he knew everything would be okay. There was a slight problem, though. He didn't know where they stood, relationship-wise. He never pressured her to do anything, of course, and he hadn't talked about the two of them since it happened. He didn't want to push her over the edge. He had to know, though. She was leaving soon, and he had to know before she left.
After lying together for a while, Lucas decided it was time to breach the subject. "Peyton, I don't want to pressure you in any way, but I need to know where we stand? Are we together or just friends?" he asked softly, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. He just wanted to know one way or the other, and he hoped she realized that he wasn't trying to push her into doing something she wasn't ready for.
Peyton pushed away and sat up, her back facing him. "I-I don't know," she said honestly. She wasn't sure how she would be able to move on from this. She could have died. She almost did die. In a way, Ian really had taken away her life, and she was letting him. She didn't know how to act normal anymore, though. She could barely remember what normal was. "I just wish things would go back to the way they used to be, back to normal," she said in a broken whisper.
Lucas sat up, getting frustrated because she kept shutting him out. She wouldn't let herself heal. "Peyton, he's locked up now. He can't hurt you anymore. You're letting him take your life away. You're letting him win. You want normal? You have to take it back, or make a new normal. You can't keep going on like this, though. Do you honestly think your mom would want you to be like this? Peyton, I'll love you, and I'll wait for you forever, but this shell of a person isn't you. The Peyton I know and love is strong, and would be able to beat this. Go face your fears and see him if you need to," he paused, trying to compose himself when he saw she was flinching at his harsh words. "Just, let me know when the real Peyton is back, or at least when you're trying to get her back," he added in a softer tone before turning and leaving the bedroom.
Peyton watched the door slam and broke down, for the first time since she had been attacked. She cried on her bed for hours, knowing that everything he said was perfectly true. She couldn't allow fear to rule her. She knew Lucas hadn't saved her just so she would throw her life away. She hadn't died for a reason. She wanted to fix things, but she felt so ashamed with her actions. She needed to take her life back.
Eventually she decided she had to start with small steps. She knew she would have to visit Ian in prison before she left, but first she had to take a shower. After she was clean and dressed, she went into the kitchen, to find Grace cooking, with her back to Peyton. With a smile, Peyton came into the kitchen, startling Grace. "Whatcha cooking?" she asked as she hopped up onto the counter.
Grace studied her granddaughter for a moment. She could tell something was different, but it was a good different, so she decided it was not the time to comment. She did grin, though, before declaring that she would make all of Peyton's favorites for dinner. Peyton grinned back at her grandmother, and realized how good it felt, although it felt a little foreign after weeks of not smiling.
Grace went back to cooking, taking the ingredients out. Peyton waited for a moment before dropping her bomb. "I'm going to go see Ian at the prison tomorrow," she said. Before Grace could say anything, she continued. "I really need to do this. I need to take my life back, and to do that, I need to know his reasons. I need to know why he picked me. I need to know so many things," she paused. "First, though, I need to get Lucas back. I can't lose him. I need him," her resolve firmed and she hopped off the counter, practically running out of the house.
She had been comtemplating her feelings for Lucas, trying to decide what she felt, and she finally realized. She just hoped it wasn't too late. She grabbed her keys from the key bowl, where they hadn't been touched for weeks, and then closed the front door behind herself as she left. Grace stared off in the direction her granddaughter had taken off. "Thank God for Lucas. He brought my baby back," she mumbled before turning back to the food she was cooking.
Peyton jumped into her Comet, enjoying the feel as she started the car before pulling out of the driveway. She paused, realizing she wasn't sure where he was, but then went the first place she could thinking of, hoping she was right. Peyton guessed right on the first try, and when she parked the car she shut it off before getting out, and running towards him.
Lucas heard the car pull up, but didn't expect it to be her. She let out his name in a strangled cry as she ran, though, and he turned, dropping the ball in surprise before she jumped into his arms. Lucas was in shock. He hadn't expected her to change so soon, but looking into her green eyes, he saw her spark of life in there again. Those green eyes were no longer desolate and empty. He had barely wrapped his arms around her before she crashed her lips into his. Lucas immediately responded to the kiss, wrapping his arms tighter around her, pulling her closer.
When they broke apart, both breathing heavily, Peyton rested her forehead against his, her fingers tangled in his hair. "I love you, Lucas Scott. I'm in love with you and I want to be with you. I've been living in fear so long, I just can't do it anymore. You make me feel whole again, and I need you in my life. I know it'll be hard, with us at different schools, in different towns for the next year, but I'll face anything with you. You're it for me," she said.
Lucas grinned. He had been waiting so long for her to say those words. He had often told her that he loved her over the three weeks, but it was often whispered while they were just laying on her bed, and she never responded. "I love you too, Peyton Sawyer. I'll love you forever. We'll make it through anything. We'll be together again in college, and you'll come visit me during the school year, and I'll visit you. We'll make it. We can make it," he said, reassuredly.
Peyton nodded, and, tired of the talking already, pulled his lips to hers once more. They kissed for a little while longer, before Peyton pulled away from him, picking up the basketball he had dropped. "I say we play a little one on one," she said, looking at him playfully. Then, without any other warning, she headed for the hoop, dribbling as she went. She had just been about to throw the ball when Lucas stole it from her, making a shot.
Lucas made three more shots without Peyton making a basket. The next time he got control of the ball, she jumped on his back, blowing in his ear, just trying to distract him. Lucas groaned, not because of her weight, but because of her hot breath in his ear. He tried to make the shot, but missed horribly, the ball ending up in the river. Peyton jumped off of his back and he turned to face her noticing her triumphant smile. "You lost the ball. You forfeit. I win," she said simply, sticking her tongue out at him playfully.
Lucas didn't try to deny it. He just watched her. It was great seeing the real Peyton back. He noticed she was staring at him, waiting for his next move. He smirked at her for a minute before jumping at her, his fingers immediately finding her stomach. Peyton collapsed in laughter as his fingers danced over her stomach. She tried to push his hands away, but failed miserably. "I give, I give," she managed to scream out between peals of laughter.
When the movement of Lucas's fingers stopped, Peyton was lying on the hard concrete, Lucas almost on top of her, their faces inches from each others. Peyton wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing her lips to his in a searing kiss. She flipped so she was on top of him, straddling his hips, still kissing him passionately. She broke the kiss, trying to catch her breath, and reached for the buckle of his jeans.
Lucas's eyes widened and he reached for her hands, stilling them. She glanced up into his eyes, the lust evident in her green eyes. "Peyton are you absolutely sure about this?" he asked. As much as he wanted to be with her, he didn't want to force her into anything. He knew she was just beginning to heal, and didn't want to do anything that would cause a setback.
Peyton's eyes softened and she knew he was only worried for her. She nodded adamantly, though. She needed to do this. "I have never been more sure of anything in my life. I realize this isn't the best place, but I want this. I want you, Lucas, now," she said firmly, before continuing to un button his pants. She leaned down to kiss him once more, and despite the fact that they were lying in the middle of a basketball court, where anyone could see them, their two bodies became one.
OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH
Peyton entered her grandmother's house, pulling Lucas along behind her, their hands connected. They had been lying on the ground after doing the deed when Peyton realized she was going to be late for dinner. She invited him to go with her, and he had accepted. Now they were rushing into the house, hoping they weren't late, neither of them wanting to face Grace's wrath.
Grace was just sitting down to eat when Peyton and Lucas entered the kitchen. She raised her eyebrow at the couple, but decided not to say anything. "Oh, Lucas, you're here. Nice of you to join us. Peyton, will you set another place at the table, and then kindly sit down for dinner," she spoke calmly and both Peyton and Lucas were relieved that she wasn't mad.
Peyton went into the kitchen, grabbing the place settings before returning to the dining room. She set them down on the table, next to her place, and then sat down, Lucas taking the seat next to her. After they prayed over their food, Peyton took Lucas's hand, looking over at Grace. She cleared her throat. "Grandma, I-we kind of have some news," Grace looked up at Peyton, waiting for her to continue. "Lucas and I are a couple," she said, tossing a glance and a smile at Lucas, who returned the smile, giving her hand a squeeze.
Grace smiled. She had definately been pulling for the couple. There had been a time after Peyton's attack when she hadn't been sure that the two would make it, but she was glad that they had. "That's good dear," she said, really meaning it. She knew the year apart would be hard for them, and she was glad that they were willing to try. Peyton nodded and the three of them started eating, continuing with the light conversation.
A/N: I skipped most of her recovery because I really didn't want t waste that much time on a mopey Peyton. We really do see that too much. I won't write about her visit to Ian either, because I don't feel that it's going to be that important. So I'm basically going to skip to the first day of school and go from there. I know I've been focusing on Leyton and not a lot of Naley, but the Naley wedding will be sometime during the school year. Naley will mainly be a sid part in this fic, though, just added in for a bit of fluffiness. I personally love Naley fluff. Anyway, I would love to hear what you all think, whether it's good or bad.
Disclaimer: I don't own it, but I want to.