"Daddy" Alex called out as she roamed the house that night. She had discovered throughout the day that it was easy for her to get lost and she usually wound out going around in circles before Lucas found her.

"In the kitchen" Lucas responded as he stood from the table and walked over to the door. He stuck his head around the corner and smiled as the small blonde walked towards him. "What you got there" he pointed to the manila folder gripped in the child's fingers.

"My mommy said these were really important and I should give them to Aunt Haley, but I think if I'm not staying with Aunt Haley I'm supposed to give them to you." She handed the folder to her dad. Alex wasn't sure if that was right but she figured if she was only supposed to give them to Haley then Lucas would make sure she got them.

Lucas flipped through the folder only to find a birth certificate and medical records. Peyton handing all these things over to Haley meant that the little girl was going to be staying with them for a while. Lucas flipped back to the birth certificate and the name Scott quickly grabbed his attention. Neatly printed in the center was the name Alexandra Megan Scott. Under that it read 'mother' Peyton Anna Sawyer and although he expected to find the adjacent space empty it read 'father' Lucas Eugene Scott. Alex was legally his daughter and the thought made him smile.

"So your birthday is in three weeks" Lucas commented as he continued to glance over the paper.

"Uh huh, I'm gunna be 4" Alex replied happily. Lucas felt a hint of anger surge through him. How could Peyton abandon her daughter, especially right before her birthday. Even if he had imagined Peyton doing the worst he never would have thought about something like this. This was one action he couldn't comprehend. Dan had abandoned him but Dan was just an evil person all around, Peyton wasn't. None of this was making any sense to him, but he wasn't going to spend forever trying to figure it out.

"We are definitely going to have to do something special for you then." Lucas closed the folder and set it down on counter beside him. "So you had dinner, you are all cleaned up and you are dressed for bed" Lucas lifted the small girl into his arms as she nodded her head. Earlier that evening Lucas had instructed Alex to get ready for a bath. She went and got her clothes only to return to the kitchen door. That was when she conveniently told her father she didn't know how. Peyton had always given her bath and Alex expected her dad to do the same. The event ending in Lucas having to change his soaked clothes before setting Alex up to brush her teeth.

"Can you read me a story" She questioned as they retreated to her room, her head rested on Luke's shoulder as she yawned.

"I don't have any books you would like." Lucas admitted as they entered the room. Alex pointed to her small book bag that was sitting on the floor. Lucas set his daughter under the covers before grabbing her bag and shuffling through it. Near the bottom of the bag he found a decent sized book. "Your mommy's reading you A Little Princess." Lucas commented, a bit surprised that a three year old would understand everything in the book, but Alex had already proved herself to be smarter then the average child. He went to close the bag but stopped when his eyes caught sight of the last thing in the bag.

Flashback

"See now I have a little bit of a dilemma." He whispered into her ear before trialing his lips gently along her neck. "I promised this girl that I would take her to the movies tonight, but there's this other girl, who smell really good and had extremely soft skin. The first girl is very beautiful she only wears a little bit of makeup and it looks perfect on her. But this second girl, she is looking gorgeous in a pair or sweat pants and a plain black camisole. No make up and she is stealing my breath away. The thought of staying in with the second girl is sounding better and better every second. Now in your opinion, what should do?" He continued to trail his lips along her neck as she bent her head back onto his shoulder.

"I'm beginning to think that it's much better to stay in." she responded with a small smile playing on her lips.

"I was hoping you would pick that option." She spun the chair around and immediately captured his lips with hers. "I have something for you" he stated breathlessly between kisses. He lifted his hand between them as he pulled away. She looked down to see a small teddy bear holding a heart in its hands. "I love you" was written in white letters across the heart. Her eyes lit up as she took the stuffed animal from him.

"You'll always be in my heart. Don't know where I'd be without you Pey, Love Lucas." She read out loud before closing the card attached to the bear's ear. She looked into his clear blue eyes and smiled.

"I love you Peyton" he had wanted to say that to her for so long now and finally he had.

"I love you too Lucas" Something felt different saying those words to Lucas, but it was a good different, something she liked.

End Flashback

That moment in her room had happened about a month before she left Tree Hill. He slowly pulled the small white bear out of Alex's bag as he fought back tears. He hated when he thought about those moments between them, they always made him miss her. The tag was still attached to the ear but after 5 years the paper was beginning to ware. He shook the memory away as he moved backwards the bed, bear and book in hand. He sat on the edge of the bed and handed Alex the bear which she happily took.

"Thank you" she said calmly as she pulled the bear under the covers with her. Watching the little girl replaced his longing with anger and disbelief. How could he miss someone who could leave their child behind.

"Your welcome" he responded with a smile as he leaned back against the headboard. Keith had helped him move his old bed out of his mom's house and into Alex's room. It was pretty much all there was in the small room, but that would change in the next few days. They were going furniture shopping tomorrow and if necessary the next day too. Lucas opened the book to where the bookmark had been placed and began reading. "Of course the greatest power Sara possessed and the one which gained her even more followers than her luxuries and the fact that she was "the show pupil," the power that Lavinia and certain other girls were most envious of, and at the same time most fascinated by in spite of themselves, was her power of telling stories and of making everything she talked about seem like a story, whether it was one or not…" As he continued to read, Alex's head slowly fell onto his chest. He wrapped his arm around her as he went on until he eyes finally closed. He set the bookmark in place and closed the book, setting it on the nightstand, it too previously belonged to him. He tucked Alex under the covers and leaned down, kissing her lightly on the forehead.