Lucas stopped thinking. He stopped worrying about everything else. He didn't think about the fact that Ian Banks might show up any second. His mind had stopped working. He no longer reacted to everything surrounding him. He couldn't breathe, he could barely stand. He just stood there, taking in every inch of her, completely paralyzed.

Peyton hadn't reacted to anyone coming in, and was still lying with her back turned to him, all curled up. She was wearing a small, black dress that barely went down to her knees. That definitely didn't seem like something she would wear on a normal day, but then again… he knew she wasn't here by choice. Her hair was wild and curly, just as he remembered… but the dark bruises on her arms and legs hadn't been there before, and his stomach turned in horror at the sight. Lucas let out a shuddering breath as he stood there. He couldn't get out a single word. All he could do was take in the sight of her, how she really was there, right in front of him.

There came movement from her, and Peyton slowly turned around. Her mind was far away on daydreaming, when her eyes fell on the guy standing in the doorway. She froze for a moment, before blinking hard. Then she let out a hopeless sigh, as if she was disappointed. Lucas was surprised by her despairing stare; that wasn't the reaction he had been expecting.

What he didn't know though, was the fact that she had dreamt about this moment so many times that she thought this was just another dream. And she hated these dreams, the way they mocked her… made her believe she was saved, only to have her wake up, back in the same terrifying reality as before. She'd tried to come to terms with the fact that no one would come for her, that she would never leave this place, but these dreams made it so much harder.

She stared at him with a frown on her face. She wanted him to disappear, she couldn't stand seeing him over and over.

"Peyton…" Lucas breathed out in a choked voice, breaking out of his trance. It was when he started walking towards her in small steps, his eyes wide, that she realized not everything was as it seemed. She sat up, eyeing him suspiciously without a word. She didn't trust her own mind anymore, and didn't believe that he was actually here.

"Oh my God… it-it's really you… Peyton…" he said emotionally. Peyton's breath caught in her throat for a second and her eyes widened. That was definitely Lucas' vivid voice. A voice she hadn't heard in so long, she was sure she had forgotten what it sounded like. But it couldn't be…

His arm reached out for her, and his palm landed on her clammy cheek. Peyton flinched and let out a shocked whimper, her green eyes staring. She felt it. She felt his touch, and it felt real. Her whole body froze, her eyes locked on the figure in front of her. Lucas dropped to his knees, still staring at her with big eyes, and slowly, gently, he pulled her into a hug, sniffling loudly.

"Oh my God. I can't believe it's actually you… I can't believe I found you," he mumbled, inhaling her scent, his hands stroking her hair. He squeezed her tightly.

Peyton was still frozen, her eyes staring widely straight ahead, as she felt him hold her. She didn't know how to respond. This couldn't actually be real, could it? It was just a very vivid dream… it had to be.

The next thing she took in was his smell. She recognized it. It reminded her of comfort, of home. That was when she started to realize… this was no dream. This was the most real thing she had felt in months. It really was Lucas, he was here. But how?

Her eyes suddenly burned, and she blinked out the tears that were blinding her vision. Her arms slowly pulled themselves around him, finally starting to respond. A small, strangled sob came out of her.

"Lucas?" she whispered with a trembling voice. "Y-you found me?" She couldn't believe it. How was this possible?

He pulled out of the embrace and looked into her teary, green eyes. God, how he'd missed those eyes…

"Of course I did… of course." His warm, worried gaze gave her chills, and another tear escaped her eye. She hadn't realized just how much she had missed that look. His hand stroked her cheek caringly, affectionately, but she automatically shuddered slightly from the touch. Another sob escaped her lips. "You're… you're not real… you c-can't be…"

Lucas' brows furrowed. "Of course I'm real! I've been looking for you for months now, and it's been so hard… But I'm here now, and I'm sorry I couldn't get to you before… I'm so sorry." His eyes were filled with regret as he looked at her, and he pulled her into his embrace again, closing his eyes. He wanted to savor this moment forever. Peyton wasn't dead… she was alive, and she was right here in his arms, right now. Peyton couldn't stop herself, she broke down; a stream of painful sobs escaped her and her body shook. It felt like she couldn't breathe. "You're… here… h-he… Oh my Go-od…"

"Shhhhh… I'm here now… I'm here," he whispered, as he felt his own tears threatening to fall. He blinked hard, refusing to break down. It was an indescribable moment, as he felt her body shiver against his. Peyton tried to regain her composure again after a moment. She pulled out of his embrace, taking deep breaths, and he dried her cheek with his thumb. Her lip continued to tremble violently.

He noticed how thin she looked… She hadn't been this skinny the last time he saw her. It looked very unhealthy now, and he suddenly felt sick.

"God, we-we have to get you out of here," he said, glimpsing around the room.

Peyton still couldn't quite believe that this was actually happening, but her eyes widened in horror. "But- Derek! Where is he? He-he could come! You have to go, you can't be here!" She was becoming terrified at the thought of Derek appearing any second. The thought of what he could do if he found Lucas here scared her immensely.

"No, I'm not leaving without you." He shook his head. He didn't know when Ian might appear, and knew they had to hurry, but he wouldn't leave her. Never again.

"But y-you don't know what he's like… he's dangerous, he'll kill you! Please, you have to go!"

Lucas heard her, but as he looked at her fragile form, the black and blue bruises and scratches covering her pale skin, and even a bite mark at the top of her shoulder, he shuddered and knew he wouldn't be able to let her stay here alone for another second. He wasn't going to let that monster bring any more harm to her.

"He can try…" Lucas mumbled. He wouldn't mind getting to show Ian a thing or two himself, but right now the most important thing was to get Peyton safely away from here. He frantically pulled his phone from his pocket and tried dialing Brooke. Peyton's eyes widened. She noticed Brooke's name, and it felt strange. Freedom suddenly seemed closer; the world was still out there, but she wouldn't allow herself to hope for anything. She'd learned from her time here that nothing good ever happened... not without a price. She couldn't let herself hope, nothing good would come of it.

Lucas sighed. There was no reception. Of course it was never going to be that easy.

He grabbed her hand. "Come on, let's go."

She sat still, not moving. "I can't."

"What?"

She lifted her leg, putting it in front of him, and he could clearly see a tight chain locked around her ankle, linked to the foot of the bed. He felt his stomach drop. Peyton pulled at the chain. "He-he keeps me locked up. I can't get it loose, I've tried…" She hopelessly stared at him with tears in her eyes.

"Oh… OK," Lucas nodded, biting his lip. He couldn't risk going to get the police now, because if Ian found out, he could try to escape and take Peyton with him, or even worse, he could kill her.

"Where's the key then? I'll go get it."

"I-I don't know… He used to wear it around his neck, but after I tried to- to escape, he put it somewhere else. I don't know where… it's hopeless…" she muttered, staring at her lap.

"It's okay," he said reassuringly. "We'll get you free from it. I'll just… I'll go and look for it, and then I'll be right back. Okay?"

Peyton panicked slightly as Lucas stood up, and she tried to grab him. "No, y-you can't risk it! What if he sees you? Don't leave, please…"

In an instant, Lucas was taken back to the day of the school shooting, where Peyton was crying and pleading for him not to leave her. He took a deep breath as he felt a shiver run through him.

"Don't worry, Peyton… I will never leave you again, okay?" He stared at her with soothing eyes, and she really wanted to believe him.

Lucas turned around, quietly walking towards the doorway while trying to calm his nerves. Her voice travelled to him.

"Lucas."

He turned to look at her.

"Be careful…" she whispered with terrified eyes.

He nodded, taking in the sight of her one last time, before turning around. He glimpsed outside the door. There was no sign of anyone. He didn't know where Ian had went, but he had to take his chance now, and fast.

He silently hurried into the hall, and closed the door to Peyton's room carefully. He thought he could hear a frail breath leave her right before it closed.

He walked back into the living room, his ears still wide open for any sound, and hastily started to look for the secret hiding place of the key to Peyton's chain. He silently opened drawers, looked beneath pillows, checked on the shelves, but it was nowhere to be found. As he opened one of the drawers in the kitchen area, his eyes fell on a couple of carving knives. Lucas grabbed one; thinking protection was definitely needed in this situation. As he carefully continued clearing the room of what could be secret hiding-places, he just felt like he could suddenly breathe again… for the first time in five months. He knew that they weren't completely out of the mud yet, and he couldn't feel completely safe until he'd gotten Peyton out of here, but just the fact that she was alive… and that he'd just seen her with his own eyes, made him want to scream out in relief.

That thought only lasted one moment though, because the next thing he felt was a sickening, harsh pain to his head; there came a loud BAM! and the next thing he knew, he was grunting in pain and falling to the ground, then passing out cold. Blackness surrounded him.

Ian watched with fiery eyes as the other blonde fell to the floor. He held a bat in his hands, and his face widened into a wicked smile once his rival was unconscious on the floor. He saw the knife in Lucas' hand, and carelessly kicked it out of his grasp. It clattered across the floor, out of Lucas' reach.

"You're such a fool, Scott…" he whispered, leaning down next to Lucas' unconscious body. There came a small stream of blood from the back of his head where the bat had went, and Ian thought pleasurably that it must have hurt badly. "Such a fool."

Lucas was a fool, for thinking that he could outsmart him. Ian had been well aware of Lucas following him to this place, and he had been angry at first… but then he'd figured out that he could use this to his own advantage. He'd always wanted to get his revenge on Lucas, for ever daring to touch his Peyton… for ever daring to love her. And for meddling with things that were none of his business. And now, Ian would show him what happened to people who tried to get in his way. He would prove to Lucas who Peyton really belonged to, and he'd prove to her how far he could go to show his love.

They'll all know… she's mine, Ian thought with a vicious smirk.

A/N: Chapter title taken from the song by Dévics.