A/N: 3 DAYS AND I WILL BE FREE! my stupid dissertation is ha, kind of done and then finally i can get back to just writing LP fluff. i am beyond excited. in fact, if i could insert a gif it would be that one of Misha's face on that swiss guy dancing on a bus at a festival- i'm sure any MC minions know what i'm talking about... i'm not crazy. but I AM EXCITED. also, advance warning, the next chapter (and kind of this one, will have some angst but um, more fluff. i can't help it.)

Disclaimer: i don't even own that gif. i don't own anything mkay.

"Hey blondie- you in?"

Peyton glanced in the direction of her window and smirked, "no, I'm not home right now, I guess you'll have to climb back down."

"Ha ha."

Lucas had begun to use her window as his own personal front door. It wasn't that she minded at all, she just wondered whether he had realised her dad still knew every time he came to the house.

"Boy thinks just because he parks that car of his further up the road I don't see it or something?!" Larry had said chuckling over breakfast one morning.

Peyton had rolled her eyes, "leave it dad- you said he was allowed to stay."

"It'd be polite of him to knock every once and a while! He remembers who I am right?"

"Dad, last time he was over you sat in the living room cleaning weapons- I think he's pretty clear on that."

"I'm just saying." And he was. He wasn't threatening Lucas, or their relationship. These days her dad was remarkably laid back; she suspected it had something to do with that day. Now it appeared Lucas could roll up with a motorbike, smoking a joint and waving around a bottle of Jack's and her dad would probably merrily wave them off to a rave.

Ok maybe not.

But still. It was kinda cool that he had mellowed just a smidge.

She closed her book as Lucas dropped onto the floor and rolled over to grin at her from his position underneath the window, "hey there Peyton Elizabeth."

She lifted an eyebrow, "cheery greeting, wide smile... who are you and what have you done with my boyfriend? He kinda looks like you, just you know, broods a whole lot more."

He chuckled and made his way over to the bed, leaning down to kiss her before sitting beside her, "you're funny." He did a double take, "wait I brood?"

"Better than anyone else I know."

"Naw, really? Come on! I don't brood as much as Nathan!"

"Uh huh- way more; he's all cheery at the moment cos you guys are playing awesome and Hales decided that you know, she kinda loves him- despite the fact he's a doofus," she added fondly. "So you win hands down..." He pouted and she smirked, "if it helps, I've never had a problem with the whole dark and broody thing, you realise who you're talking to right?"

He laughed, "that is true. And I'm glad to hear it."

"Anyway, not that I'm complaining but why the swing by?"

He flopped back onto her pillow and beamed, "my mom's getting married!"

"Luke, that's so great!"

"Yeah I know," he rolled over slightly to look at her, "she and my Uncle Keith have been doing this crazy dance for so long- I'm glad they've finally seen sense."

"Sounds familiar," she mused.

He laughed and twined their fingers together, "yeah except I was completely irresistible so it took you like, fifteen minutes to decide I was awesome, rather than like, fifteen years."

"Oh I think you're awesome do I?"

"Yup," he slid over to kiss her, "it's undeniable."

"I think the words you're actually looking for-" she said between kisses, "are egotistical... arrogant..."

"Peyton," Larry burst into the room, barely looking at Lucas, "Christ son use the door for once-" Peyton sat up, practically pushing Lucas off the bed.

"Dad, knock much?!"

"It's Ellie," Larry said quickly.

"What's happened?"

Larry was already disappearing back down the stairs, "get your coat- we've gotta get to the hospital!"

"Oh god Luke-" she slipped off the bed, looking around and Lucas passed her the jacket she'd started looking for.

"You want me to come?"

"I- yeah, yes please, if that's ok?" She fixed her eyes on him and he nodded firmly.

"Of course," he grabbed her hand, "come on, let's go."

"I'm fine!" Ellie attempted to push back the covers Peyton had already pulled up twice, "honestly I don't know why you're all worrying so much!"

"You collapsed Ellie- on the street," Peyton bit her lip, "what if you'd been alone?"

"I was a little dehydrated- it was probably too much coffee and not enough water for a few days," the older woman tried to give her daughter a reassuring smile and squeezed her hand, "really I feel fine."

"You don't look fine.

"Well thank you very much!"

"That's not what I meant!"

Ellie chuckled and then her smile faded as Larry reappeared looking stern with a doctor by his side, "you haven't been taking your meds Ellie?"

"I-"

Peyton blinked at her father and then turned to Ellie incredulously, "what were you thinking?!"

"I was thinking that the drugs make me woozy and tired all the time and I just needed a break. It's not a big deal."

"You're not a teenager anymore," Larry said crossly, "you can't do stupid ass impulsive things like that!"

"Look," Ellie rubbed the bridge of her nose, "I appreciate your concern, really. But this is my life. I can't spend it trapped in hospitals and in a body that's not working anymore."

Peyton stared at her, "excuse me?!"

"I didn't mean-"

"No, hell no!" She stood up from the chair she'd been perched on next to the bed, glaring at Ellie, "you came looking for me Ellie! You got involved in my life and now you're telling me what? That you're gonna be disappearing from it again? And not just temporarily but permanently?! God, screw you!"

"Peyton Sawyer!" Her father stepped fully into the room just as the doctor backed out of it wordlessly and both Ellie and Peyton fell silent, looking at him apprehensively. "Both of you keep quiet until I say otherwise. Now, it is not good for you to be standing Peyton-"

"Dad-"

"Do not interrupt me! And you Ellie-"

"Larry really-"

"What did I just say?! It isn't good for you to be stressing out Ellie and Peyton you should know better than to yell at someone older than you- let alone someone you respect and care about. Now sit down and be quiet!"

Peyton sat obediently and Lucas arrived in the room with a tray of drinks and his eyes wide, "was there a fire? I could hear yelling from down the hall!"

Larry rolled his eyes and scrubbed a hand over his face, "nope, just our girls getting a bit over emotional-"

"Over emotional?!"

"I am not over emotional!"

"What did I say?"

They both fell silent again and Larry sat down with a satisfied nod, taking one of the coffees and smiling gratefully at Lucas. "So you do know how to use a door on occasion then kid?"

Lucas felt his face heat up and he looked at the linoleum floor in embarrassment, "uh- yeah."

Ellie chuckled, "leave the kid be Larry, at least he doesn't have tattoos."

Peyton let out a sharp laugh and shot Lucas a look, "yeah," she tilted her head to one side, "he's totally a good boy right? Absolutely no tattoos."

"Shut up," he said grinning despite himself.

She shook her head, blonde curls falling in her face before she stood up and stretched, "I'm just gonna go outside for a second."

"Peyton-"

"I'm fine, really dad." She tried to smile at him reassuringly, "Ellie you won't go anywhere will you?" She tried to keep her tone light but her eyes were almost fearful as she looked at her mother, holy shit, her mother, lying in a hospital bed looking painfully thin and like a parallel Peyton just didn't want to think about right now. She couldn't be here. She just... couldn't.

Larry nodded finally, his eyes assessing, "sure. Don't go far."

She rolled her eyes, "you drove us here dad; where d'you think I'm gonna go?"

"Knowing you, you'd find a way. Hitch a lift to somewhere like, oh I don't know, Mexico," he said darkly before turning to Ellie, "did I tell you about that?"

"No!" Ellie's eyes widened with glee, "Mexico Peyton?"

"That's funny," Lucas said drily, "she never mentioned Mexico to me either."

Peyton grabbed his hand, pointing at her father, "that was a long time ago and be quiet!"

"But I wanna hear about Mexico!" Lucas complained as she dragged him down the corridor.

They stopped outside and she took a few deep breaths, bending her knees and dropping to the nearest bench. Lucas placed a gentle hand on her back, rubbing soothing circles across it and she leant into the touch.

"Oh god," she whispered, "this was so not the plan for today."

"Tell me about it," he said grinning mischievously.

She smirked, "you realise that you're making sex jokes outside a hospital right? That's all kinds of wrong Lucas Scott."

He paled, "oh crap. I am a seriously bad person!"

"Oh my god I was kidding!" She sat up and twisted towards him; and he pulled her legs over his own, careful of her still fresh scar and ran a hand up her calf. "It makes me feel better to know I'm not the only one," she said finally.

"You're the opposite of a bad person Peyton," he said softly.

"But I don't want to be here," she admitted quietly, "I don't want to do this again Luke. I already-" she stopped, her breathing suddenly ragged again, "I can't do it again."

"Peyton," he breathed, taking her hand and twinning their fingers together in his habitual way, "this is different. Ellie's not going anywhere right now."

"Yeah now," she shifted uncomfortably, as if she wanted to pull away from him- run somewhere maybe- and his grip on her hand tightened. "But you should have heard her Luke. She was talking about feeling trapped and how much she hated her body letting her down-" she broke away from him suddenly and stood up, "she sounded like she was starting to make peace with something and I am not at peace with that!"

"You don't have to be- hell I'd think it was weird if you were ok with it all."

"Then what do I do Luke?! I can't force her to stick around just for me!"

"Why not? Peyton, you're her daughter-"

"That didn't keep her around last time," she blurted out suddenly.

He paused, looking at her silently as the spring sun lit up her face making her look so beautiful and so fragile... Slowly he got up and wrapped his arms around her, "she wasn't the woman she is now back then Peyton. She was just a screwed up kid and now, now she's here and she loves you. She's not the same. If you ask her to fight, I know she will."

She pulled away to look him in the eye, biting her lip and for a moment they stood, looking at one another. Finally she nodded, "ok."

"Ok?"

"Ok yes, I'll- I don't know- tell her I don't want her to go anywhere."

"That works both ways you know?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean you can't go anywhere either. No running off to Mexico or pushing us away when you freak out."

"Us?"

He scowled, "are you being purposefully slow?"

"Slow?" She smirked, "what is slow?"

"You are beyond frustrating!"

"But you want me to stick around huh?"

"You'd have thought you'd got that by now, considering the whole, me being in love with you thing."

"Eh," she shrugged, "hearing it kind of never gets old."

He draped an arm around her shoulder as they walked back into the building, "so you're not gonna chicken out on me are you?"

"Course not! I would never-"

"Yeah save it baby, you haven't got much of a leg to stand on with your track record."

"Hey! I've stuck around recently," she gave him a meaningful look, "besides I'm not the only one who's good at running, I just do it physically so it seems more obvious."

He nodded slowly, feeling guilty suddenly, "you're right, that wasn't entirely fair. Sorry."

"S'ok," she said easily, "you're actually the most amazing person I've ever met so I'm ok with you being wrong once in a while." She made her way towards the elevator leaving him standing stock still in surprise.

He hurried to catch up with her and followed her into the busy elevator. He decided he didn't care if anyone else heard their conversation and turned to her, "did you seriously mean that?"

"Does it really surprise you that much?" She was examining a fingernail and he snatched her hand away from her face, he didn't get how she could be nonchalant. She never said that kind of thing ever. She smiled sweetly up at him and he stared down, lost in her eyes and feeling confused as hell.

"Peyton-"

"Lucas."

"You're crazy you know that?"

She laughed, "I've been told."

The doors opened and a worried looking Rachel was standing outside them, "I'm at the hospital please come?!" She screeched making Lucas worry for his ears and for everyone else standing around them.

Peyton pulled an apologetic face, "um, yes?"

"PEYTON!" Rachel wrapped a well manicured hand around her friend's wrist and tugged her semi-gently out of the elevator and down the hall, muttering the entire time, "seriously! Seriously. Who sends stupid garbled text messages like that to their best friends in the middle of the day and then gets busy having moments with their boyfriend in elevators?! Christ we're actually a soap opera."

"Ok, is this your way of saying you're kind of mad?"

"You couldn't have been more specific? I was in the middle of a bikini wax!"

Lucas winced; as did the nurse who was passing and Rachel's face flamed up briefly before she recovered, "you scared the crap out of me!"

"I'm sorry! Really, I didn't know how bad it was until we got here."

"And Ellie is fine- I saw her myself, she told me an interesting story involving you, Mexico and a guy called Christian which ended with a brawl in a cafeteria, but still! That's not the point!"

Peyton really did look remorseful for a moment and then smiled, "it's nice that you came though, nice that you were concerned."

"Oh no- don't you even go there turning the sappy emotions on me blondie! Of course I was concerned, the last time we were all here I didn't sleep for a freaking week I was so worried! That fills my worry quota for a year- not to mention the damage you are doing to my skin with all these damn wrinkles and mini heart attacks you're giving me."

"Get in line," Lucas muttered. Peyton shot him a look and he smirked and held up a hand, "I'm just saying, it's true, we worry."

As if on cue a harassed looking Nathan appeared from the stair well, breathing hard and wearing his gym gear, "what's happened?!" He dived towards them, clutching Peyton's arm, "is everyone ok? What's going on?"

She looked really apologetic now, "oh god guys, I'm sorry, I didn't realise the message sounded so bad."

Nathan looked his friends up and down and then let out a sigh, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes briefly, "you all look like you still have four limbs and heads, why am I here?"

"I umm- thought I was gonna need you," Peyton said feeling mortified at having to admit it again.

Rachel rolled her eyes, "well now that we're all here and Peyton has admitted she actually has a heart, if not a brain-"

"Hey!"

"Are you staying with Ellie or do you wanna come get a drink? I feel like I need at least five to get over the trauma of having to run out of the damn clinic in very few clothes."

Nathan's eyes widened, "jesus Rach what were you doing when you got the text?!"

"Oh for god's sake, nothing like that," she snapped, "keep your brain out of the gutter."

He chuckled, "you make it hard sometimes."

"And you make it real easy looking all gross and sweaty and ugh- you need to shower Nate."

Nathan scowled, "I was at the river court- I ran here."

"Well-"

"Alright stop," Peyton stepped between them and gestured down the hall, "I'm gonna go speak to Ellie and then we'll get out of here ok? Don't kill each other while I'm gone- Lucas you're in charge."

"Wow, you must almost never hear that sentence," Rachel said grinning evilly at Lucas who gave her a dark look. Nathan let out a shout of laughter and Peyton shook her head, honestly.

"Hey," she said suddenly and all three of them looked up at her, she smiled almost shyly, "I am really glad you guys are here. Seriously."

"Did you hit your head or something?" Rachel peered at her, "I don't see a bruise but it could be hidden beneath your ridiculous bangs."

"Oh bite me red, I'm trying to have a moment!"

"You keep throwing us off with those," Lucas said plaintively, "one a month is confusing enough!" This time all three of them laughed.

"You all suck! I liked you better when you all hated each other!"

"Liar!"

She headed back into Ellie's room, suddenly feeling nervous and sat down beside her on the bed. Ellie grimaced, "so, I think I said the wrong thing earlier."

"Yeah," Peyton said slowly, "I think you did too." She arched an eyebrow, "you wanna re-do it?"

Ellie reached for her hand and Peyton let her, "I don't want to die Peyton."

"Oh god actually-" she began to pull her hand away, they were seriously gonna talk about death?!

"Peyton," Ellie caught her arm firmly, "stay for a minute. I need to say this to you." She acquiesced and stilled before looking up at her mother hesitantly. "What I mean is that I really don't want to give up. I don't want you to have to go through anymore pain and I don't want to leave you. But if the time comes and-"

"Ellie-"

"Peyton please let me finish! Look, no-one knows how long they've got and hell I could leave the hospital and get hit by a bus-"

"Oh for god's sake-"

"But, what I meant was, I'm getting tired. It's getting harder to fight and I don't want to give up but I need you to come to terms with the fact that maybe my body will."

Peyton could actually feel tears beginning to sting her eyes and she bit her lip, hard, "Ellie- you can't die ok? You just, you can't! You're supposed to be like my dad and he knows he's not allowed to go anywhere until he's like, a million years old so please! I know it's stupid and I know it's unreasonable but-"

"It's not unreasonable Peyton; it's actually very lovely to hear- always reassuring that the people around you don't want you to die."

"You know what I mean."

"I do," Ellie squeezed her hand, "I promise I will try ok? But, I need to do things my way. I still need to go and live life and of course I'll be here for you, I just- I can't stay in a hospital bed every time something puts me down."

Peyton nodded, "ok," she whispered.

"Ok? You're not gonna freak out on me or on your dad later?"

"Maybe," she said, trying to smile, "but not about this bit."

Ellie reached up suddenly and stroked her hair back, Peyton felt surprised but she didn't pull away.

"You're a brave one Peyton Elizabeth," she said softly.

Peyton snorted, "guess I take after you then."

Ellie laughed and pushed her gently off the bed, "you have friends waiting for you go on- get. And I like that Rachel by the way, she seemed very concerned," Ellie wiggled her eyebrows, "and she had some good stories about you."

Peyton groaned, "oh god, I'm gonna kill her." She pulled on her jacket and looked back at her mother, "don't go anywhere ok? I'll come back later."

"No Peyton, you go have some fun with your friends, I'll be here tomorrow I promise."

She looked dubious and then shrugged, "I'll be in early."

"And I'll be up!"

"Fine!"

"Alright then."

Peyton couldn't help but huff out a laugh as she headed for the door, "you just won't let me have the last word will you?"

"I'm your mother Peyton, it comes with the territory."

"Doesn't seem fair," she said lightly as she moved outside.

"Do not drink too much- I don't want you in here again unless it's on your own two feet!" Ellie called after her. Peyton chuckled and waved her agreement before making her way to where Lucas was leaning against the wall waiting for her.