A/N: Thank you for all the reviews guys- i'm so glad the story is still being liked!
Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill or anything by Ingrid Michaelson- more's the pity because she is AMAZING.
What if our baby comes home after nine?
What if your eyes close before mine?
What if you lose yourself sometimes? Then i'll be the one to find you.
Safe in my heart.
Lucas had taken a lot longer than he'd expected to get across to the hospital, his legs were breaking, he was completely out of breath and he thought he was going to have a heart attack. He collapsed into Haley's room and looked around.
"Wow de ja vu" came a soft voice from the bed.
"Hales," he flew over to the bed, "how are you?"
"I'm ok, i've been sleeping, where have you been?"
"I'm sorry, I was at the river court- how are the babies?"
"They're ok, Peyton and Brooke are watching them downstairs."
"Oh Hales, i'm so happy for you. Nathan?"
"Brooke got through to him, I told her to tell him to do the meeting and get his butt back here," she smiled sadly, "I can't believe he missed it Luke."
"I know Hales and i'm so sorry I wasn't here either."
"That's ok- you didn't know, besides it was good bonding for me and the girlies." Luke snorted and took her hands.
"Ahh Hales, ever the optimist."
"Damn right," she said smiling, he bent his head and touched their foreheads briefly.
"What have you got then?"
"Two girls, beautiful little girls Luke and Peyton's gonna be godmother."
"You thought of any names?"
"Yeah but I want everyone here first," she said teasingly.
"Oh come one! I'm your best friend, i'm their Uncle! It's only fair your tell me first."
"Ok, fine! But if Brooke gets mad i'm blaming you as the bad influence."
"Deal."
"Well, the older twin is gonna be Eva- Rose Elizabeth after her very beautiful godmother and the younger is gonna be Virginia Hazel."
"They're great names Hales- very sophisticated- like their mother."
"Oh why thank you, I wanted something a bit different."
"And they are, good choices, how much did Nathan have a say in those discussions?"
"Hmm, I know he liked them, definitely wanted the Elizabeth, but I think he agreed as I was the one giving birth," she raised her eyebrows, "kinda my choice you know?" He chuckled and laced his hands with hers and stared at the duvet for a while, Haley watched him thoughtfully, "so Luke-"
"Haley?"
"You gonna talk to Peyton?"
"Does everyone in Tree Hill know we had a fight and want to help fix us or something?!"
"Lucas, don't be an idiot, are you gonna swallow your pride? I know it's Chris and I know your history with him, but Peyton was in a very dark place back then- you know that." He stared at the duvet, she thought he might set it on fire with the intensity of his gaze.
"How could she sleep with Chris Keller Haley?"
"Hey- you cheated on her Lucas, she had every right to do what she wanted."
"But, I regretted it, every day I regretted it and I tried to tell her, all the time how sorry I was."
"I know Lucas, but words aren't enough sometimes, your actions since she came back have been speaking volumes- good volumes, you just gotta think before you speak sometimes- she didn't plan it to hurt you."
"Why didn't she tell me though?"
"I don't know Luke- maybe a thousand different reasons, the first being she knew exactly how you'd react?"
"I dunno Hales, I want to fix this, but I don't know how many times I can hurt her before she snaps and stops loving me."
"Luke, Nathan drives me mad sometimes, he says the wrong thing, leaves his shoes around the house, he can't drive well at all and for months he was a stranger to me, but I didn't stop loving him, I couldn't ever do that, and I think Peyton is the same." She squeezed his hands, "you never stopped loving her right?"
"Right," he met her eyes, "never" he said firmly, "but-"
"Hey newmomma," Brooke leant round the door, "we were just gonna go get changed- " her eyes fell on an emotional looking Lucas, "Luke, hii," she straightened up, "how was LA?"
"Oh, amazing thanks," he stood up and tried to smile at her, "you leaving?"
"Yeah we've been watching the twins learn how to flutter their eyelashes which is so amazing but I don't think Peyton's had a shower for about 24 hours so we're gonna go home for a bit," she came over to hug Haley, "but we'll be back as soon as possible ok sweetie?"
"Brooke don't worry, I could kind of do with a few minutes peace, besides they'll be bringing the girls up soon."
"Ok momma Scott, i'll see you later, Luke."
"Hey Brooke, can I walk down with you?"
"Sure," Brooke turned and winked at Haley and then followed Lucas out the door. 10 seconds later Peyton peeked round into Haley's room;
"Hey there Mrs Scott, how you doin?"
"Hey, you just missed Lucas." Peyton came and sat down on the bed and sighed.
"Yeah I know, I was waiting for him to go."
"What?! You are a wimp! I just gave birth you should be able to say hello to the guy you're half with slash half mad at."
"I know I know, i'm a bad example to my godchildren!"
"No you're not, you're just, in love and scared, what happened, really?"
"Everything was great in LA, wonderful even, and when we were coming home he asked me to move in with him and I said yes-"
"Peyton that's great! But-?"
"Well you know we ran into Chris and everything changed," she sighed and rested her head on Haley's legs, "it feels like he's pushing me away Hales."
"He's not Peyton, he loves you, he's just a bit tender where Keller's concerned."
"I know," she wiped her eyes quickly, "so can I tell you about the gig?"
"Yes please!" Haley touched her friend's cheek quickly to let her know she was there for her and then shifted to sit up, "I am so excited by it, when is it gonna be and who is gonna star?"
"Well actually, there is something I wanted to ask you, I noticed you've been writing again- and I was wondering how you'd feel about maybe performing?"
"Oh my god are you kidding? I'd be honoured! How long do I have to prepare, please remember that I have a five year old and newly born girlies to look after in between writing here."
"Owen has a date in mind actually, the week before Christmas, how's the 18th December? That's three weeks from now... Enough time?"
"Hell yes!"
Peyton decided to stop off at Tric before heading home and walked across the floorboards feeling seventeen again. She felt like she was finally becoming the Peyton she had missed for almost four years. She was so proud of what was going to happen here, she was calling some sponsors tomorrow and every one of her performers had confirmed yes. She smiled, staring out of the window and up at the stars, it had been an amazing day. The fairy lights around Tric looked so pretty, she loved it here in the dark, no-one but her- there was a crash suddenly behind her and she span round terrified, Lucas stood sheepishly by the bar.
"Hi. Sorry."
"What are you doing here?"
"I went home with Brooke and waited for you there, and when you didn't show I guessed here or the river court- and I- I checked there. You always used to come here to think, I remember." He pushed the box he'd knocked over away with his foot- hiding the evidence from Owen who would undoubtedly find it later and be mad.
"That's how you got here not why you are here," she said stubbornly.
"I wanted to talk to you ok?" She stared at the floor and he glanced down at her poster for the gig- one she'd drawn up earlier and left on the counter to copy later.
"This looks great Peyton, you got all the acts sorted?"
"Yeah I called in a few favours," she said stalking towards her bag and picking it up, "slept with a few band members, screwed a few managers- just to secure them coming you know?" She marched towards the exist and he kicked the box across the floor;
"Dammit Peyton stop!" She turned, shocked at the outburst and clutched her bag.
"Don't shout at me Lucas," she said through gritted teeth, trying to keep her voice steady. She didn't want to cry in front of him.
"I'm sorry," he took a step forward, "i'm sorry about what I said it's just that, it was Chris Keller Peyt. I reacted badly, I know that. I mean when it happened with Brooke I was so broken up and now," he looked at her, "I love you more than anything and I just hate that the thing I love most- you know-" he struggled for the words, "I felt like the whole time I was with Lindsey it was ok because, because I knew it wasn't real, but you being with someone else- that feels like it was real."
"It was real Luke- we were broken up, what was I supposed to do- sit around and wait for you to have an epiphany that you were an ass and didn't deserve to be with anyone? You know the night Chris and I slept together? I got a phone call, a whiny ass sad sounding phone call from you- completely unable to let me move on and yet you were allowed to- how is that fair Luke?"
"It wasn't, it isn't, i'm sorry. But you hurt me too Peyton- you said you didn't want to marry me, you broke my heart too Peyton and god I could say i'm sorry a THOUSAND times, but I don't think it would ever be good enough, would it?" She couldn't look at him, he strode over to her and shook her suddenly, "would it?" He dropped his arms, "I wasn't good enough for you back then and i'm still not right?"
"Yep," she threw her arms in the air, "that's exactly it Luke, i'm so full of myself that you being an amazing, inspiring writer, a great godfather, brother, brother in law, all that mixed in with the smartest, most dignified kind of hot guy- that's just not good enough for me."
"You can make all the sarcastic comments in the world Peyton but you still said no to me."
"I didn't say no Lucas, you were just way too obsessed with this idea that you were losing me and you ended up pushing me away- I mean what was I supposed to say to you? I was nineteen and I wasn't ready to be someone's wife! Hell my own family isn't a conventional one why would you expect me to want a conventional life?"
"But it was with me! Didn't you want to be together?"
"Yes but-"
"So you didn't want me?"
"God Lucas of course! Why don't you ever listen to me?! I said I love you, I said someday, I didn't say go off and make out with the next tramp you see!" She threw her bag on the floor, "and you wanna know something else? I thought moving in together was a step forward, but you completely freaked out on me and used a two year old one night stand against me!"
"I did not!" Suddenly, her saying she did love him, she did want him, it kind of lightened his mood.
"You did too!"
"Peyton I didn't."
"You did!"
"Why are you being so stubborn?"
"I am not being stubborn, you're the one who called me a whore!"
"Fine fine we're both stubborn, i'm the whore, i'm the idiot, are you happy?"
"Maybe... I mean no! I hate this!" She faltered, "and I hate you." He tried not to laugh, she could NOT lie.
"No you don't, you love me."
"Shut up!"
"Make me."
"What?! What the hell are you smiling for?"
"I'm not smiling."
"You are too! This is serious Luke."
"No I know," he put a serious voice on, "this is all very serious."
"Lucas!" She tried not to laugh.
"So serious, maybe we should discuss the seriousness of this situation."
"You're an idiot."
"Ahh," he moved towards her, "but i'm kind of your idiot right?"
"Hmmm," she let him slide his arms round her waist, "I don't know, do I get a minute to think it over? You know it's kind of a serious matter."
"Hmmm," he smiled at her, his blue eyes twinkling at her, "I think we've done enough thinking for three lifetimes Peyton Elizabeth."
"You might be right." She said smiling back at him.
"Might?"
"Ooook, this time!" She pulled away for a second, "hey can we do something?"
"We can do anything you want," he said smiling at her mischievously.
"I didn't mean like that you dirt child!"
"Hehe, ok, sorry, was too good to resist, what's up?"
"Can we promise that if in like 5 days or 5 months or 5 years one of us gets mad, we won't use any of this old crap against each other. Like today is the last day I mention the skeeze and today is the last day you ever talk about me sleeping with Chris Keller- cos honestly, I don't even remember that much-"
"I really don't need you to remember, trust me."
"Exactly, so can we pinkie swear? No more rehashing the past- it's gone, just you, me and the future?"
"Uh huh sounds good to me," he said softly before bending and kissing her at last. Finally, they had got rid of the old ghosts and were starting afresh. She threw her arms around his neck and they leant back against the bar counter.
"Hey," he pulled away gently, "I have an idea-"
There's a corner of your heart just for me,
There's a corner of your heart just for me,
I will pack my bags just to stay in the corner of your heart,
Just to stay in the corner of your heart.