Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters- I wish I did. Nor do I own the song. I actually own little so don't sue!

Spoilers: Whole of series one- Fic is set straight after the final episode.

Pairing: Jeyton- Peyton Sawyer and Jake Jagelski,
Brucas- Lucas Scott and Brooke Davis
Naley- Nathan Scott and Haley James

CHAPTER ONE

"I believe there is a,

Distance I have wandered,

To touch upon the years."

Elsewhere- Bethany Joy Lenz/Sarah McLachlan

'Always the way with words.' Haley said as she finished reading the letter Peyton and Brooke had taken round to Nathan's apartment. The three girls were sat lounging on the sofa. Brooke nodded smiling slightly to herself.

'Would you?' Haley asked quietly watching the brunette stare gamely into space.

'Would I what?' she asked snapping back the distinctly Lucas-less reality.

'Take Luke back.' Haley watched Brooke apprehensively. The cheerleading incident had at least stopped the 'Tutor girl' comments… for the most part. But Brooke doesn't usually seem this friendly with her. She was lounging gently across the furniture and laughing joking around as if they were good if not best friends. 'Sorry… I didn't mean to be nosy…' Haley faltered and Nathan leaned out of the bathroom. Ready to protect Haley from Brooke's sharper side.

'It doesn't matter. I guess… you love him don't you?' Brooke looked up and her eyes swam with sudden tears. Peyton hugged her friend fiercely. Brooke didn't usually show emotions… not in front of other people at least. It was clear how much this must mean. Nathan leant back into the bathroom.

'Yes. Luke and I have been friends since we were little.' Brooke nodded. 'I've only seen him since he joined the team… what does that say about me?'

'Nothing Brooke. I didn't know him until then either…' Peyton said still holding her friend.

'What was he like… when he was little?' Brooke asked suddenly. Nathan slid back into his living room.

'He was… Mischievous. Always in trouble. But polite. Always so polite. Got him out of all the trouble… and smart. Smart enough to get out of trouble… always the teachers favourite.' Haley's voice was shaky. She hadn't meant to upset Brooke. In fact… her reaction was a shock. This wasn't normal Brooke behaviour at all.

'Sounds like me. Well without the smarts…' Nathan said sitting on the chair arm. His arm around his wife. Brooke laughed and wiped her damp eyes. It was then she caught sight of the wedding band on Haley's finger. She quickly found the matching one on Nathan's finger.

'Tutor girl… Don't tell me you've managed to peg down Nathan Scott!' she grabbed Haley's hand and showed it to Peyton. Who looked up at Nathan now shocked. He smiled ruefully at her and shook his head slightly. Peyton recognised what it meant. 'No games.' Nodding in reply Peyton hugged Haley and then Nathan.

'Congratulations!!' she said. Suddenly feeling a dull ache at the happiness she saw in front of her. Not for the first time she regretting letting Jake leave…

Brooke was busy hugging and congratulating the happy couple herself. Peyton wandered towards the apartment window blonde curls bouncing gently as she moved. She smiled as she heard Brooke's outrage at a lack of engagement ring. Staring out of the window Peyton was suddenly swept back a few years.

She saw a small blonde girl her curls not yet tamed or properly maintained and her green/blue eyes not yet shadowed… that little girl ran to play with a brown haired boy. Pulling her down into a rough and tumble game. Slowly the memories faded…

Lucas' cell was ringing. He ignored it for a little while until Keith looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

'You going to answer that?' Luke nodded and dug the cell out of his bag.

'Hey mom.'

'Hey Lucas. You have to come home!' Karen Roe sounded tired and panicky. Luke's brow wrinkled automatically.

'Mom. Slow down. What's going on?'

'It's Dan, Luke. He had a heart attack.'

'What? Is he going to be ok?'

'We don't know Lucas. Please come home.' Karen hung up the phone. She was too concerned to concentrate. She felt a turmoil of emotions she didn't love Dan. In honesty she didn't like the man but she had loved him once. She had been in Deb's position and imagining how it would have felt… she sank into a chair near the phone and closed her eyes.

'What is it Lucas?' Keith asked. Turning slightly. Lucas was pale and his eyes were shining in confusion. He too was suffering with a mixture of emotions.

'It's Dan…'

Jake leant against the window seat in his cousin's house. Jenny resting against his chest. His thoughts wandered back to Tree Hill and a certain blonde…

He'd known Peyton since before her mother had died. He remembered being there at the funeral… seeing Peyton's dad crying… for a kid an adult crying is more upsetting than the funeral.

He remembers Peyton dressed only in black looking pale and as if she'd been crying for weeks. But she wasn't crying there. She was just staring stonily into space. Holding her dad's hand. He hadn't realised it then but Peyton was trying as hard as she could not to cry in front of other people.

He sighed. She was too strong for her own good. He knew it was only because of Lucas that she wasn't letting her dad take a job that meant she wouldn't see him. He also knew that she would have never said a word to him herself. Jake had watched Peyton since they'd been small. They'd grown apart and he regretted it…

But now he was glad they had a friendship again. Even if he'd run from anything more. Still watching his memories from the window Jake remembered the words he'd almost said to her when he left. Almost asked her come with him… knowing she couldn't. he missed her.

He missed her voice, the way she was with jenny. The way she made him smile and the way she made him feel…

Lucas met Debs and Nathan at the hospital. Keith hung back slightly with the girls.

'This is scary isn't it. I mean he's been there our whole lives…' Brooke whispered. Peyton nodded.

It seemed like everything that had been there for years was changing.