I awoke with a start, still lying on the couch.

Miraculously, I hadn't had a nightmare.

Annie was seated in her desk chair, her back to me.

I stared up at the ceiling, trying to make sure I was ready to talk.

"How long have I been asleep?" I asked.

She jumped a little when I spoke. "This time?"

She swiveled in her desk chair to face me. "About twenty minutes to half-an-hour."

I gave a shiver. "Is my mom still waiting for me?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I came out and told her what was going on the second time you fell asleep."

I winced. "You told her that I…that I…"

She shook her head. "I told her that the appointment was going to be longer than expected."

I let my breath out.

"Relax, Lucas. I told you, everything in this room is confidential."

I nodded and sat up. "I think I should probably get going."

"Take as long as you need, Lucas." She replied.

I wiped my eyes. "I'm sorry about that."

"About what?" She asked.

I shrugged. "The, um…"

"Break-down?" She asked, scratching something down on to her pad of paper. Her back was to me now.

"Yeah." I replied, feeling awkward.

She turned around. "Don't apologize for it, Lucas. This is all part of a healing process. It's normal to have break downs like the one that you had. I'd be worried if you weren't having those."

I nodded and stood up, stretching my arm muscles. "I need to get going. My girlfriend's waiting for me."

"Peyton, right?" She asked.

"Yeah…" I replied slowly. "How-"

"Your mom told me." She said.

"Oh." I replied. "Yeah, well I should get going."

Annie stood. "Same time tomorrow ok?"

I groaned inwardly, but nodded. "Yeah."

"You did really well today, Lucas." She gave me a smile. "You should be proud."

"Yeah, right. I can't stop having flashbacks or nightmares but one dream should make me proud." I replied sarcastically.

"Lucas. I know that your dream went black and I knew it before you told me it did. Because you fought back from the nightmare. And just so you know, you fought back for a lot longer than just a minute ok?" She replied. "So believe me when I say that you should be proud. Most people don't bounce back from something like this."

"No offense." I said. "But I don't really feel like I'm bouncing back from this. I feel like it's been taking me a lot longer than three weeks."

"Completely normal, Lucas. But you are getting better. It's slow but I can tell." She gave me another smile.

I opened the door and we walked out into the waiting room.

When my mom saw me she stood up and pulled me into a hug.

"Hey. Are you ok?" I asked her.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm all right."

"Sorry you had to wait." I mumbled. "Is Deb covering the late shift?"

She pulled away and shook her head. "No, Haley and Nathan are. And I don't mind waiting."

I swallowed and nodded.

"His next appointment is already set up for tomorrow so we're done here." Annie said.

My mom nodded. "Ok, thanks."

After we got into the car, I asked my mom if she would drop me by Peyton's.

My mom sighed. "I guess. Lucas, you're being careful right?"

I gave her a look. "What?"

"Like… the two of you are being careful right?"

"Mom, you got pregnant with me at 17, do we really need to have this conversation?" I asked.

"I haven't forgotten that pregnancy scare with Brooke." She said.

"Ouch." I replied. "Yeah, mom, we're being careful ok?"

She nodded. "You know I'm only asking because I want better for you, right?"

"Yeah, I know mom. Thanks." I told her.

When I got to Peyton's house, I called her on her cell phone before I rang the doorbell.

"I see you." She said as soon as she picked up the phone.

I laughed. "Open up."

A few minutes later, the door swung open and she leaned against the edge of the door, wearing a black dress that stopped just below her knees.

"Hello, Lucas Scott." She grinned.

"Wow." I replied.

She spun around. "What do you think?"

"I think I should have dressed up." I said.

"No. You're perfect." She laughed and pulled me through the door.

I kissed her back when she kissed me.

"Come on in, I made us dinner." She smiled.

I closed the front door with my foot. "What are we having?"

"Spaghetti."

"That sounds perfect." I smiled.

"Good." She pulled me by the hand into her dining room/kitchen.

"Sit." She told me and I obeyed. "I'll be right back."

She exited the room and I looked at the table.

The bowl of spaghetti and plates were stacked neatly at one end. In the center of the table, stood two candles.

She returned after a few seconds, and crossed the room to a CD player.

I watched her slowly put a CD in and press play.

Soft music drifted through the air as she stood by the CD player, giving me a sweet smile.

"Come here." I said.

Peyton walked back to her chair and sat down.

I leaned across the table and gave her a gentle kiss.

"Hey." She said as she pulled away. "Dinner first, dessert later."

I laughed. "If you insist."

"I do." She replied, smiling.

Peyton put spaghetti on both of our plates, and then poured some champagne into our glasses.

"I stole it from my dad's private stash. He'll never even know it's missing." She grinned.

I laughed. "Wow, you're rebellious."

She shrugged. "Comes with being me, I guess."

I took her hand in mine. "Peyton, I want to tell you something ok?"

She nodded and sat her fork down. "Ok."

I took both of her hands in mine. "I want you to know how thankful I am to have you in my life. Especially lately, I mean, you've been so good about…giving me space."

"I know you need it, Luke. I could never be the person that smothers you with questions and worries. That's Haley's job." She replied.

I laughed, even though she was right.

"What? It's true." She laughed.

I nodded. "I know it is, Peyton. That's why it's funny."

She smiled and I continued.

"I just want you to know that if I ever needed to talk, I would talk with you ok? Just don't think that I'm out there telling everybody else everything that's on my mind ok? I'm not even really talking with my mom outside of small talk. She knows about as much as you do ok?" I asked.

"And what about Haley?" She asked.

I hesitated.

"That was a trick question, Luke. I don't care that you tell Haley more. She's your best friend. Besides, you know that she won't judge you. You don't know that about me."

"Actually, I do." I said. "You're not the type of person to judge."

She shrugged. "Maybe not, Lucas. But I tell Brooke way more than you think I do. So I get it, ok? Best friends have to stick together. And as for the other part, of course I know that you'll talk to me if you need it ok? I love you, Lucas, but just relax ok?"

I nodded. "Ok, I will. Will you relax with me?"

She grinned. "Of course I will."

After dinner found the two of us upstairs on her bed, making out.

Some movie played in the background, but we weren't really watching it.

"I love you," She breathed.

I gave a nervous laugh as I kissed her again. "I love you too, Peyton. Always."

She wrapped her arms around me and I proceeded to kiss her neck.

Her lips found mine again.

"You'll always be with me." She said.

"You'll always be with me." Dan grinned. "You're never getting out, Lucas."

I groaned as he walked around behind me again, checking to make sure the rope was tight enough. "If you hadn't tried to escape, I wouldn't have to check on you so often."

I rolled my eyes and he slapped the back of my head. "Don't roll your eyes, Lucas."

I made a few noises that sounded like: "Foo dant reven ree te."

But what I actually said, before the duct-tape muffled it was: "You can't even see me."

Dan laughed and walked around in front of me. "Sorry, I didn't catch that."

I glared at him for as long as I could until I had to look away. I didn't know why he still had the power to do what he did.

He could still make me feel so, stupid and idiotic.

With just a few words and a simple look.

"Got something on your mind, Luke?" He asked.

I shook my head.

"Cat got your tongue?" He asked.

I closed my eyes.

"Lucas?" He called, sounding worried.

I felt hands on my chest, and heard soft music playing.

"Lucas?" He asked, his voice changing.

I opened my eyes and I was in Peyton's room.

"Hey." She said, worry clear in her eyes.

"Hey," I mumbled, feeling shaky and panicky. She was too close to me.

I rolled off her bed and stood up. "Sorry."

"What happened?" She asked.

I shrugged. "Nothing, I'm fine."

"Luke." She gave me a look.

I sighed. "I had a flashback. But, it's no big deal all right? I have them all the time."

"Are you ok?" She asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, of course."

"OK." She stood up and walked toward me.

When she reached me, she pulled me into an embrace and kissed my lips.

I kissed her back but a lot gentler than I was a few minutes ago.

When she pulled away and pulled me toward the bed, I pulled my hand from hers.

"Do you think we could just play a game or something?" I asked, feeling slightly self-conscious.

"You just want to play a board game?" She asked, eyebrow raised.

I nodded. "It's been known to happen before."

"Oh really?" She laughed.

I shrugged. "Please?"

She hesitated then stood up. "All right, let's go downstairs and find something."