The Beautiful Dance

A/N: I have no idea where I am taking this story anymore, so just go with it!

Chapter 9

After a few moths together Peyton had begun to slowly forget what her life had been like before Lucas. Not since before her mom had died had she felt this happy all the time. It was as if the dark cloud that had been hanging over her head for so long had finally lifted.

Peyton wasn't the only one whose disposition had changed over the months. Haley was constantly teasing him about the giant smile that seemed to always be plastered across his face whenever Peyton was around.

It was no surprise to them when news of their new relationship quickly became the new topic of choice in the Tree Hill High School rumor mill. The star basketball player and the cheerleader were likely to draw more interest than a regular couple. But just because it was expected didn't mean it wasn't a nuisance. Students they didn't know and had never spoken to thought they knew what was happening in Peyton and Lucas' relationship, every week there was a new rumor about them breaking up or cheating on each other.

The excitement eventually faded after a few months and Peyton and Lucas went back to being a normal high school couple. They studied together after school, watched movies on the weekend and kissed for what seemed like hours in the backseat of her car.

It was a healthy teenage relationship for the most part, there wasn't a lot of ridiculous drama going on. They rarely fought and any fight was usually solved soon after it began. They just liked being with each other to them it wasn't complicated.

It wasn't unusual for Peyton and Lucas to spend any amount of free time they had together. They had become virtually inseparable. So when Lucas fell ill on the night of a big party at one of the Tree Hill basketball player's houses, Peyton decided to skip it and spend the night with her sick boyfriend. But Lucas wanted her to go out and enjoy herself.

"I don't really want to go to that party anyway." Peyton tried to protest against a night out without him.

"You don't want to stay with me Peyton, I'm taking some cough medicine and going to bed. Go to the party with Haley and Nathan, I'll be fine." He'd left school before the lunch hour and was already in bed and in pajamas by the time Peyton came by after school.

"So you're telling me that you would rather me go to this party without you then stay here and keep you company."

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying." Lucas laughed gently. "Go Peyton, have fun. And then while you're out just don't forget to miss me terribly."

"Fine, I'll go but I will not miss you." She kissed him on the cheek.

"Call my cell when you get home tonight, I might still be up later tonight." He said as she walked to the door.

"I will, bye." She waved before leaving.

Lucas had always been a light sleeper, but thanks to a few sleepless nights and a large dose of cough syrup, he didn't hear his cell phone ring the first three times. It wasn't until Karen came in and gently woke him that he realized it was almost 2:00 in the morning and his cell phone was flashing four missed calls from Nathan's cell.

He realized then that he hadn't gotten a call from Peyton yet. Lucas dialed his brother's phone first to find out what had been so urgent.

"Nathan, what's going on? It's almost two in the morning." His voice was gruff from sleep as he talked to his brother.

"Sorry to wake you up, I know you're sick but we're at Haley's and I think you should come and pick up Peyton."

"Is she ok?"

"Something may have happened at the party, a couple of guys from the Kennedy High basketball team crashed the party and one of the guys was hitting on Peyton. She seems upset, and won't talk to me and Haley had a little too much to drink so she's no help. She just wants you to come and pick her up."

"Ok, tell her I'm on my way." He hung up the phone and didn't bother to change out of his flannel pajama bottoms as he grabbed a sweatshirt and his car keys and headed out the door.

He knocked lightly on Haley's front door, ten minutes later, hoping not to wake her parents. Nathan answered the door.

"Where's Peyton?" Lucas asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

"I'm right here." He looked across the living room and watched Peyton rise slowly from the couch.

"Are you ok? Nathan told me something happened at the party, what happened?" Peyton didn't respond to his interrogation only walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him.

"Are you ok Peyton?" he asked again gently, his arms firmly wrapped around her.

"I'm fine Lucas, I just want to go home."

"Well that's why I'm here, I'll take you home." He broke away gently and grabbed her hand. Nathan opened the door for them and Lucas and Peyton both thanked him for his help.

They didn't talk on the way to her house, she seemed to just want some quiet for the time being. And he didn't want to pry just yet. He pulled up into her driveway and turned off the engine. They didn't get out of he car right away, Lucas used the opportunity to try and talk to Peyton.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" he asked gently, hoping not to upset her in any way.

"No." was her short reply.

"Nathan said that a few basketball players from Kennedy showed up and one of them was hitting on you, is that what this is about?"

"Partially."

"Did he try something with you?"

"Yeah."

"Peyton I'm really going to need longer answers than this. What did he do?" Lucas needed to know what happened.

"Do you want to know what he did, I'll tell you. He came in with his buddies and was being a loud asshole trying to crash the party, he had a few more beers and for some reason set his sights on me. I was minding my own business talking to a girl I knew and he came up to me and kept asking me what my name was, I tried to brush him off but he was really persistent. I tried finding Haley and Nathan but I couldn't. The more he drank the more he followed me around. And then he must have gotten tired of me ignoring him so he caught me coming out of the bathroom. He had his hands all over me." He could hear her voice breaking.

"Then what?" he prodded softly.

"And then I tried to push him away but he wouldn't listen so I slammed my knee into his groin and he dropped onto the floor in front of me. I finally found Nathan and Haley and told them we had to leave without going into any detail. And that's it. I don't know why I was so upset about it, I think I was just more scared than anything."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there with you Peyton, I shouldn't have made you go to that party. This whole thing is my fault." His voice was so full of regret.

"Don't say that, it's not your fault. It's that drunk assholes fault."

"I'm sorry Peyton."

"I know."

"Just tell me one thing, what was his name?" the look in his eyes told Peyton that Lucas wanted revenge.

"I'm not going to tell you who it was Lucas just so you can find him and beat him up. I'm ok, the situation is over. Let's just forget about this."

"I'm not going to do anything, I just want to know his name."

Peyton sighed and realized it wasn't worth an argument. "I think his name was Bobby Doyle. Promise me you aren't going to do anything Lucas."

"I'm not going to do anything. Do you want me to stay with you tonight, you might get sick just to warn you."

"I don't mind." She smiled.

Once Lucas had Peyton tucked into bed and he was sure she was asleep, he snuck out of her room and called Nathan.

"Hey Nathan, did I wake you up?"

"No, I just got done holding Haley's hair back over the toilet. How's Peyton?"

"She's ok. The guys who crashed the party play basketball for Kennedy, do you know a guy named Bobby Doyle?"

"Yeah he's their captain, he was there tonight. Why do you ask?"

"I'm just curious. Do we play them this season?"

"Yeah, home game next week."

"Good, listen don't tell Peyton about any of this alright."

"I won't Lucas, but are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"I'll explain everything later." He assured his younger brother, before hanging up. That Bobby kid wasn't going to get away with how he treated Peyton, Lucas was sure of that.

A/N: Next up, Lucas seeks revenge.