(Lucas's POV)

I'm flying, literally flying. Well, I guess technically, Peyton's running, but I'm on her back, and this isn't a normal, human run. We left her car a while ago, parked in a empty lot just outside of town. I told my mom some of the truth, that I was going out of town, with Peyton, to visit her family. I didn't tell her we'd be sleeping in the same bed because I knew Peyton didn't actually sleep, which technically means it's not a lie. Nothing was going to happen anyway, because Peyton wouldn't allow it, so what my mom didn't know wouldn't hurt me.

It's an amazing feeling, and not just the air rushing past us. This is the first time Peyton's let me have my arms wrapped around her for an unlimited amount of time. Although I can only get a side view of her face, I could tell she loves running, too. She just lets go, not of her self-control, but she lets go of all the inhibitions, Aside from when she's drawing, it's the only time I've seen her actually look free. She's not worried about who she is, or why she is, like I know she often does. I'm really glad she shared this with me, even if it's only for a little while.

When she stops, I set my feet back on the ground, but stumble. She reaches out and grabs my arm to steady me as she turns to face me. "So, are you ready for this?" she asksm and she's already got her guard back up. She's cocking an eyebrow at me as she studies my face, trying, as she often does, to read my thoughts. I know it's a constant thorn in her side that she can't read my thoughts, and I'm actually glad about it. I know she's pretty good at reading the emotions on my face, but I wouldn't like it if she could hear what I'm thinking all the time.

Taking a deep breath, I nodded, my resolve firming. I reached out, taking her hand, and finally looking at the house we were at. It was nice. No immediate neighbors because it was on the corner, and there was a big yard separating the pristine white house we were in front of from the one next door. It was huge, which didn't really help me feel better about this. In fact, it really brought back all my nerves about meeting her family. I noticed the apprehension that was barely visible in her bright green eyes, and nodded again. "Of course I'm ready," I half-lied, forcing an easy smile.

Of course, she saw right through me. She squeezed my hand lightly, and offered up a reassuring smile. "You have nothing to be nervous about," she assured me. We turned and started walking toward the house, our hands linked. "You're just meeting a house full of eight vampires, one half-vampire/half-human, and one werewolf. Nothing to be worried about at all," she added under her breath, so I could barely hear her. Then she laughed, soft and lilting, and that was what lifted my nerves, more than anything else she could have done.

At least, until the door opened, and a bouncy, pixie-like girl came out of the house. "Yay, you're here," she said as she walked out of the house, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she did so. She pulled Peyton into a hug as we reached her at the top of the steps, then she turned to me, hugging me as well. I was surprised to say the least, and I threw Peyton a look. With a sly smile, which she tried to hide, Peyton pulled Alice off me. "He does smell good," she said to Peyton as Peyton pushed her toward the house. My ears were burning red as Peyton took my hand again, and we walked the last few steps.

Right outside the entry hall, she pulled me to a stop, looking into my eyes again. "We can leave if you want. Turn right back around and go back home. Do you want to do that?" she asked, in a volume I had to strain to hear. I briefly considered it, but then shook my head. Hopefully Alice was as scary as it got, but I knew it would probably get worse. I had to face her family sometime, though, right? With a smile she nodded, clearly glad that I still wanted to do this. "Besides, they can all hear me anyway, and they know we're here. There was really no getting out of it," she added, just as quietly as she turned and pulled me into the living room.

The living room furniture was all light, neutral colors. For a house of mythical creatures, their house was very bright, and open, and very homely. There was a piano in the corner, where Edward was sitting, playing, while Bella sat on the bench next to him, her head leaning on his shoulder. Emmett and Jacob were sitting on the floor in front of the TV, playing video games. Rosalie, Renesmee and Esme were sitting on the couch, talking. Carlisle was sitting at a desk in another corner, looking over some paperwork. Jasper was sitting in a recliner chair, and Alice had already sat down on his lap.

Every set of eyes landed on me as Peyton and I stood in the doorway of the room. "Everyone, this is Lucas. Lucas, this is everyone," she introduced, then proceeded to point out every individual person, which I'd been able to tell, because of her avid descriptions of them. It was easy to tell she loved her family when she talked about them, which she'd done while we'd been in the car this morning, basically giving me a debriefing about all of them. Everyone casually greeted me, then went back to what they were doing. I had a feeling that Peyton was relieved by this.

She announced that she was going to show me her room, then pulled me away from everyone, up the stairs. She led me up to the third floor, and we entered the room at the end of the hallway. It was nice, quite a bit bigger than my room at home, and there was a huge, king-sized bed in the middle of one wall, with the headboard against the wall, and the foot of the bed in the middle of the room. Three walls were covered in shelves and shelves of records, and there was also a record player in the room. The wall which the bed was up against was covered in sketches, which were clearly done by Peyton herself.

The room was so Peyton. I liked it. Turning to her, I saw her staring at the bed in disbelief. I cocked an eyebrow at her, and she seemed to remember I was there. "My room had a couch. There was no bed in sight, since I don't sleep. I didn't tell them we were coming," she mused, pausing for a minute, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Alice works fast," she finally added, moving further into the room, tossing my bag on the bed. Then she turned to me, trying to gauge my reaction. "Well, what do you think? This is my space, my room," she looked around the room. "It's been a while since I've been in here," she added, taking it in just as much as I was.

While she looked thoughtfully around the room, she began to walk towards her records. Right as she was passing her bed, I stepped forward, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards me. I knew I hadn't caught her by surprise, because I'd learned that it was pretty much impossible to catch Peyton by surprise, whether she was hearing my thoughts or not, but she allowed me to pull her into a kiss anyway. I was the one who was surprised, when she let me push her back onto the bed, continuing to deepen the kiss as I snaked my arms around her waist.

Normally, Peyton would have stopped us by now, but instead, she linked her fingers at the nape of my neck. I tightened my grip around her, trying to keep her in my arms, because I knew she was going to stop soon. Surprisingly, at the point when she would usually stop, she just pulled me even closer, moving her fingers to lace them in my hair as she hitched one leg up, wrapping it around my hip. I wrapped my arms tighter around her waist, holding her with all my strength as our tongues danced together, and I could feel her cold hard lips molding around mine.

A few moments later, as if reacting to some secret memo, that I never got, Peyton pulled away, easily removing herself from my grasp. I doubt she even realized I was using all my strength. She sat up, pushing herself to the other side of the bed faster than I could even dream of moving. She stared at me for a moment, and I met her gaze evenly, letting my breathing even out. If I thought about it, I would realized that the whole house could hear my ridiculously loud breathing, but right then, I didn't really care. "I won't apologize for that," I informed Peyton, referring to the fact that I really wished she hadn't pulled away.

After a moment of silence, she slowly nodded her head, sighing deeply. "Yeah, I figured," she said, and there wasn't really a reply to that, so I stayed silent. With a low chuckle, she moved to the end of the bed, pulling her sketchbook out of my bag. Then she got up, searching her walls of records for some music to put on. I watched her carefully consider all of her records before picking the right one, and I knew she was going to start drawing when she finally settled back on the bed, so I pulled my bag over and started digging through it for a book I could read while she drew.

At the sound of her laugh, I looked up, startled to find her right next to me, the record she picked seconds ago already playing. "You don't need a book," she said, moving my bag out of my grasp. For a second, I thought we were going to pick up where we'd left off moments ago, but then she was pushing me towards the door, and I saw Alice leading Bella, Renesmee, Rosalie and Esme into the room. I cocked an eyebrow at her as she shoved me towards the stairs. With a small sigh she reached up, placing a chaste kiss on my cheek. "You're going downstairs to bond with the guys, while Alice grills me about you," she said. And just like that, she fed me to the dogs, not quite literally, but pretty much.

(Peyton's POV)

Listening to Lucas's steady heartbeat got me through many nights since I'd moved to Tree Hill, and it was perfect lying next to him and listening to his heartbeat. Sitting in the kitchen with my whole family sitting silently, although we all knew they wanted to start talking about Lucas really made me wish I was upstairs in the room with him. If I could blush, I definately would have been blushing redder than an apple. I heard Edward chuckle and my gaze instantly locked with his as I realized I hadn't been thinking privately. I just sent him a glare. "I really hate you sometimes," I said, which confused everyone, considering they didn't know what had made him chuckle.

The tension was broken, though, and Alice immediately began babbling about the future she could see for us, and the guys began comparing the afternoon they had spent threatening Lucas. Part of me was pleased that they cared enough to give him threats that probably scared him away from me for life, considering they could kill him in an instant, if they so chose, but I was really worried about the fact that they could have scared him away from me for life. I liked to believe that he was in it for the long haul, but I was still waiting for him to turn tail and run for his life.

Between all the girl talk, and then hunting, because I really needed it, and then cooking Lucas dinner, which had also been deemed a guy-free event, the only time I'd gotten to spend with him was right before he went to bed, and, due to his afternoon with the guys, he fell to sleep nearly the instant his head hit the pillow. After his breathing had evened out, I waited a few minutes, to make sure he wouldn't awaken if I left. Well, there were other reasons for staying upstairs as well. For example, I didn't want to har whether or not the approved of Lucas, because I was kind of afraid that they wouldn't.

The moment I heard Renesmee at the bottom of the stairs, though, I heard her thoughts, and I knew she was coming to bring me downstairs. I didn't want to wake Lucas up, so I was down the stairs before she could set a foot on the bottom stair. Then we had gone into the kitchen, where everyone was sitting at the table, intervention-style, and no one had said a word, until just a moment ago. "Just tell me what you think about him," I demanded, lifting my head. I wasn't listening to their thoughts, becuase I wanted to hear what they told me.

As I waited for someone besides Alice to speak up-though it was quite hard, considering Alice's fast-paced, non-stop talking-I counted Lucas's heartbeats, and bit on my lip to keep myself from saying anything more. "He's in love with you," Jasper spoke up first, assuredly. "Completely and totally in love with you," his face was still expressionless, much like everyone else's. Then he smiled and I felt my worry melt away, so I knew that he approved. Everyone else had a similar reaction, and I was glad that they all approved, because I think I might have actually broken up with him if they didn't. I'm glad I don't have to test that.

I knew that they were being honest because I started listening to their thoughts. I let myself smile in relief, and not just because Jasper was squelching my worry. The only one who had anything bad to say about him was Emmett, and I know he was at least half-joking. He said, "Well, he won't be nearly as fun to have around as Bella was, but that just means you don't have to bring him around for our entertainment." That comment resulted in Rosalie smacking him in the back of the head and rolling her eyes before telling me to just ignore him.

There was a lull in conversation, and I was counting Lucas's heartbeats again, when Bella brought it up. "So," she said slowly, to draw my attention. My gaze met hers, but my mind was still focused on the steady beat of his heart. "When are you going to change him?" she asked, and that was so far from the question I had been expecting, that I lost count of Lucas's heartbeats. If my own heart was still beating, it would have stopped. Regardless, I felt it drop into my stomach, and then jump into my throat at the same time. I was utterly speechless.

The rest of the room fell silent, too. Bella had been the first one to think of this, and no one knew what to say. My face was frozen, apathetic in a mask I'd spent years perfecting, but my thoughts were a mess. Before I could organize them, after a too long silence, Bella felt the need to explain. "I mean, you love him. He loves you. You already know you can't live without him. It's only natural that you change him, right?" she cocked an eyebrow at me and tilted her head just a fraction of an inch to the side. I knew Jasper could feel my emotions, but even I had no idea what they were in that moment. I had my mind barrier firmly in place so I could privately examine my thoughts.

The first emotion that hit me was anger, but I felt it roll away immediately, like it had been a wave crashing on the shore, and then retreating, back out to sea. I knew that was Jaspers doing, but I couldn't even glare at him, because I couldn't be angry. So I decided to just answer her question. "I'm not," the words rolled off my tongue, the most obvious answer in the world, to me anyway. Everyone else was confused. I suppose I could see why. I had worked so hard for this, and he knew my secrets and he wasn't running away. On the other hand, they knew nothing. It hurt me to be around him, but I could take it. I wouldn't take his life away.

Inhaling deeply, I let out the breath slowly, shaking my head. "I can't do that to him. I won't. End of story," I stood, pushing the chair away from the table. It would have fallen over, if I hadn't caught it and set it upright again. Then I turned and strode out of the house, venting my frustration into a run when I was far enough away from Jasper to feel my own emotions again. They didn't understand. Bella had willingly given up her life. The others hadn't had a choice. I wasn't going to give that choice to Lucas. I wouldn't do that to him, wouldn't turn him into a monster for me, wouldn't allow him to be turned into a monster for me.

It was a long time later that I finally back to the house, and I just sat on the porch steps. I assumed Lucas was still asleep, and I didn't really want to talk to anyone yet. Bella had other ideas, though. Within moments, she had sat down next to me on the porch steps, but she stayed silent, waiting for me to speak up. "You don't understand. I'd rather spend every day of the rest of his life looking into his blue eyes, instead of taking that away. I don't want to take anything away from him, and that includes his life. I don't care if that means I'll have to live without him when he's gone. I'll just deal with that when the time comes," I said firmly, my tone leaving no room for discussion.

Unfortunately, Bella has always been stubborn. "No, Peyton, you don't understand. I know what it's like to be in Lucas's position. I know what it's like to be in love with a vampire and want nothing more than to be a vampire too, because you just want to spend the rest of eternity with that vamoire. So it's not fair that you're taking that decision away from him. If you don't want to change him, I will, if that's what he wants, because I know the feeling of having the love of your life ripped away from you, and I don't want you to feel that, and he shouldn't have to feel it either," she said passionately.

Not even pausing to really consider her words, I waved my hand. I didn't want to start a fight, so I'd shove the conversation under the rug, and hope that everyone would give up, because I was not backing down. "Listen, it's not even an issue yet. He's never expressed any desire to talk about the future, and I don't have the desire to bring it up, so don't be like that. Maybe, one day, I'll consider it, but, for now, I just want to be happy. We're both happy, and I just want some time being happy," I stressed the happy point, even though her words had strugk a cord in my mind.

No matter how much I tried to ignore them, I realized they were partially right. This issue wasn't going away. I wasn't sure he would actually decide to be a vampire, but some part of me-the insanely selfish, horrible part-kind of wished that I could change him. I did want to be together for the rest of our existences. If only it were that easy. I really really wished that it could be. It just wasn't, though. This wasn't an Edward/Bella love. Not that that was simple. This was just way more complicated. Maybe I would give Lucas the option, though, just to see what he said.

I couldn't focus on that for long though, because the front door opened behind us, and I knew it was Lucas before I looked, because of the thirst that burned in my throat at his smell, and the sound of his heartbeat. Bella stood and sent him a smile before she went into the house and he took the seat next to me. Without thinking about it, I leaned over and rested my head on his shoulder, and he rested his chin on top of my head, after placing a kiss amidst my curls. I really wanted to believe that this would last forever, but I didn't want to fool myself.

Instead of saying anything that was on my mind, I just bit my lip, sitting in silence with him for a moment. I just wanted to soak it in, in case it was one of the last silent moments. I couldn't allow myself to think that way either, though, so I pulled back, just enough so I could look up at his face. "So, you didn't run away from me in the middle of the night. Not that you could really outrun me. I take it that's a good sign, though," I cocked my eyebrow at him, and half-smiled just enough to let him know I was joking, but I still wanted to hear what he thought.

With a smirk, he took my hand, rubbing my palm with his thumb. "I didn't want to get murdered, so you're kind of stuck with me now. Your family is scary. Especially Edward," he noted and I knew that I would never hear the end of it from Edward, considering everyone was still in the house. I also knew Emmett was a bit upset at Lucas's statement, but I just laughed. I heard Bella tell Edward not to get too cocky. Lucas didn't hear any of this, though, so he continued. "Seriously, though, it's easy to tell that they just want what's best for you, and I want that, too. I love you, Peyton," he leaned over and left a soft, lingering kiss on my lips.

My eyes remained closed for a minute, until the door opened, and we were pulled into spending more time with everyone. Well, minus Carlisle, because he had to work. We hung out for a couple of hours before I was able to convince everyone that I had to leave so I could get Lucas home today. We said our goodbyes, and then left, and I purposefully had stayed close to Lucas the whole time, because I didn't want to be forced to respond to any of the thoughts going through anyone's mind. It was late in the afternoon when I dropped him off at his house, and I promised that I would come back as soon as his mom was asleep.

The next few hours I spent sprawled out on the bed in my guest bedroom, just laying there, perfectly still, as I tried to sort through my thoughts. Graduation was coming up in a few weeks, and I knew that Lucas wanted to be an author, and he had gotten a scholarship to play basketball at Duke, which was where Nathan and, incidently, Haley was going. I had also applied, because Haley had begged me to when I said I wasn't sure where I wanted to go, and I had been accepted of course, but was this really the best plan of action. A better question was, if Lucas wanted to be changed, would it be a good idea if he went to Duke? I really didn't know.

A/N: Okay, so someone asked me if he was going to be changed or not, and, right now, Peyton is against it. She really hates herself, and how could she ever accept the fact that she's responsible for turning Lucas into something she hates? Sorry the update took so long. I'm not sure where I'm going with the next chapter, but I think there will be a few chapters left. What do y'all think should happen? Oh, and sorry if the interactions with the vampires weren't that great, but I really couldn't figure out the perfect things for them to say to intimidate Lucas, so that was how it ended up writing itself. Thanks for the reviews and support I have been getting for this fic, it means a lot.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or One Tree Hill, I just wish I did.