Laneta C, masamor99 and drown in fate thanks for the reviews. Its nice to see others are reading the story. Anyone else who wants please review good or bad. All welcome.

It was so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop, the two blondes stood motionless. Lucas' eyes were fixed on Peyton, realising this her eyes were directed in every other direction than Lucas. "So this Rick guy…….that's where you got the drugs" his calm tone took her be surprise and his observation. "Wait how did you know about that?" she quizzed. "Does it matter?" he replied. "It matters to me. It matters when people I thought I could trust betray me" Peyton snapped back which came as a surprise to Lucas. "Betray you? God Peyton open your eyes please. These people you thought you could trust, they are your friends. They care about you, I care about you. You can trust them, you can trust me."

His voice and his approach towards her, subsided all her present thoughts. His calmness comforted her as she was sure he wouldn't take it the best that she had done drugs, that he would be disappointed in her. "You know, you're only human. We all make mistakes Peyt, trust me I know but its how we deal with these mistakes that make us who we are. And you wanna know something?" "What?" she was full of anticipation as to what he was going to say. "I kinda like who you are." A smile crept from one side of her mouth to the other. "See there is the Peyton we all know and love, a happy Peyton." He pulled her into a hug, she didn't try to stop him. Actually being in his arms made her feel safe, protected from all the bad in her world that continually pulls her down.

"So I have an idea." The broke the hug and she looked at him until he spoke again. "How about we spend the rest of this night here, just to talk. You can tell me everything that has been going on in your life and I'll do the same for you, you know since we weren't really friends anymore" he put a jokingly emphasis on the last sentence. His hope was crushed when he observed the concerned look that Peyton now wore. "I don't think that's a good idea Luke" "Why not?" he replied. "I just think it's better not to open that can of worms yet" Peyton answered. "And the walls go back up" Lucas said obnoxiously. "And what is that supposed to mean Luke?" "Take the walls down Peyton. Let me in, talk to me" he was practically pleading with Peyton now. "Well I took them down before and let you in, and that worked out real nice didn't it" the words wounded Lucas. Peyton realised that it came out dryly and cold but that's exactly the way she wanted it to come out.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he wanted to hear the explanation, maybe it could give him some of the answers he needed to patch things up with Peyton. "Nothing" she said almost inaudible. "No, come on you meant something, tell me!" Lucas' voiced was now slightly raised but he didn't care, he wanted a response. "It doesn't matter" she replied. "It matters to me. TELL ME!" he was practically shouting now. "YOU LEFT, OKAY! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANTED TO HEAR? IS IT?" he was taken aback by her statement. Before he could reply she began to speak again in a slightly lower tone. "You slept with Nikki and you hurt me. But instead of sorting out your problems you ran away." Tears were streaming down her flushed cheeks and she was shaking.

"I didn't run away" he tried to reason with Peyton. "Well when you pick up and leave without telling people that's what I would call running away. You didn't even try to fix it" she snapped bitterly. ""I did try to fix it, I left didn't I?" he replied. "Yeah you ran away" he didn't know why her words were getting to him as much as they should but they were. "I LEFT FOR YOU! YOU HAPPY?" he regretted the words leaving his mouth but at the same time he was a little relieved that he had finally opened up and share it with Peyton. "You said you were going to be making some changes, how is that about me?" Peyton stared into her eyes. "I left because I needed to become a better person…for you and I couldn't do that if I kept hurting the people I love." She stood in silence watching this boy declare his feelings, she had never seen him look so vulnerable. "Lucas I …." She was cut off when they heard a voice just entering the room. "Peyton you okay I heard shouting……..Lucas." "Hey Jake everything is okay, I'm just gonna go." Lucas walked past Jake and made his way to the door.

"Lucas, wait I'm sorry" he ignored Peyton's pleas and kept walking, right on out the front door.

Jake: Rough night?

Peyton: You have no idea.

Jake: Wanna talk about it?

Peyton: Kinda tired of talking.

Jake: Okay I'll leave you to it.

Peyton: No wait, will you stay with me at least until I fall asleep I don't want to be alone right now.

Jake: Sure

With that Peyton got into her bed and Jake sat himself in a chair that was close to the bed, she smiled and said goodnight to Jake and drifted off to sleep.

The night was calm and clear, he loved it when it was like this. He could go to his favourite place in the world were he could just think, no one would bother him. However just because the setting was right, didn't mean that his timing was. He was close by the Rivercourt and he heard the voices in the distance. He arrived to find Nathan, Skills, Fergie, and Junk playing a game of two on two, with Mouth taking his usual role as commentator.

Mouth: And Lucas Scott joins me now as the game heats up.

Junk: He sucks!

Lucas: Thanks Junk, What's up Mouth, Guys?

Fergie: Sup Luke.

Skills: How's my dawg?

Lucas: I'm good.

Skills: Let's try that again.

Lucas: Okay so I'm not good, and I kinda need to borrow Nate but we'll catch you guys later. Okay?

Skills: Yeah see ya.

"See ya guys" Nate said as he took the ball from Junk. "So which one of the lovely ladies did you piss of this time? You better not have pissed off Haley, she's mad enough at me as it is for letting you play." Lucas shook his head. "Ahhh the one that got away, huh bro?" "Funny Nate" Lucas replied. "So I take it things went well?" Nate said. "I get the feeling that things might be better if I had stayed in Charleston" Lucas responded. "Better for whom? One thing I do know is that we would have all been miserable if you'd have stayed there. Me, Haley, your mom, Peyton, Brooke and the guys. The only person it would have been better for is you, because you wouldn't have had to face your mistakes." Lucas got a feeling in the pit of his stomach because he knew that Nathan was right and so was Peyton. In his mind he wanted to believed that he left Tree Hill to save people from the hurt he had caused but he also knew that he was running away, he just didn't want to admit it.

"So I was wondering?" Lucas looked to his half brother as he asked. "Wondering what?" Nathan replied. "Well you know how when I joined the team, you asked me why I wanted your life so much. I wanna ask you the same thing now." Nathan slightly puzzled by his brother's remark responded "What do you mean?" "I mean you've got Haley, you are at odds with Dan, you're no longer the jackass you were last year and now you're taking the court and the guys. I'll tell you one thing though, stay away from sordid best friend love triangles" Nathan laughed at the comment and thought about the last sentence before replying "Any best friend love triangle I could possibly get involved with would involve you or Tim and that is sick on a couple of different levels." They both thought about it and then erupted into a fit of laughter. "Yeah you better stay away from the best friend love triangle then" Lucas said. "I have to go to the dealership, I left my watch at work two days ago and Haley has been nagging me about it. Do you mind if we stop there on the way to the apartment?" Nathan asked his older brother. "Yeah sure" Lucas replied and with that the two boys were on their way.

Anna knocked on Brooke's bedroom door. She had dragged her brother over so that they could apologise for the fight with Lucas and the misunderstanding. "Come in" the brunette said and they entered to the sight of Brooke lying on her bed reading a magazine. Brooke looked at the two with a hint of disappointment on her face. "We are here to apologize" Anna said almost pleading with Brooke. "Fine, I'm busy so could we do this quickly." Brooke replied dryly. "It's not Anna's fault. It's mine I'm sorry I just a get a little jealous at times" Felix finally spoke. "Well there was nothing to be jealous of. It wasn't me Lucas was talking about, it was Peyton. But of course you wouldn't know that because you didn't think to ask, you just go around punching people" Brooke snapped back. Felix and Anna stood in shock. "I'm sorry" they both uttered in unison. "I accept but only on the condition that Lucas accepts your apologises" Brooke replied. Anna nodded her head in agreement, however Felix didn't like the idea of apologising to Lucas because he didn't like Lucas.

"Not going to happen, I'm sorry Brooke."

"I'm sorry too Felix" Brooke replied.

"What for?" Felix was puzzled.

"For breaking up with you. You either apologise to Lucas or we're done."

It was as simple as that. An ultimatum to do what Brooke wanted or to lose his girlfriend.

Roe Household

Deb knocked at the backdoor and was greeted by Karen sporting an angry face. "May I help you?" Karen asked bitterly. "I'm sorry I lied to you Karen. I just want forgiveness" Deb replied.

Karen: And why should I forgive you?

Deb: I'm sorry I lied to you but I thought it would be better if you didn't find out.

Karen: Better for you and Keith?

Deb: Better for you and me. I don't have many real friends and I do treasure our friendship. I don't want to lose it.

Karen: Well I like our friendship too and in the interest of the partnership I am going to forgive you but I don't expect my friends to lie to me.

Deb: It will never happen again.

Karen: Good.

Deb: Good.

He sat in his office as he did many of nights by himself going over different plays and tactics for the team. "Good to be back huh?" His eyes left the playbook and were then set upon Keith who was standing in his doorway. "Well well well Mr Vice President, it has been a while." "I guess news travels fast in this town, how you doing Whitey?" "I'm not senile yet if that's what you're asking?" Keith chuckled. "What about you Mr Scott, how's life treating you now that the Devil's back at work?" Whitey and Dan haven't seen eye to eye in years, so it wasn't unusual for Whitey to refer to him with nicknames. Keith sat down opposite the older man and replied "Life is as good as it has been in a long time, I'm doing what I always wanted to do and I have a woman in my life that I love very much." "Well Keith, these things couldn't happen to a better guy, although one thing I've learned is that good things don't always last for good people." Keith paid attention to the comment from Whitey, he trusted the older man.

"Can I ask you a question Whitey?" "You can ask me another one" he said with a smirk. "When and how did you know you wanted to spend the rest of your life with Camilla?" Whitey Durham spent most of his days thinking about his wife that had passed and he only opened up to a few people regarding Camilla, Keith being one of the few. "Well Keith I had found someone that made me wake up every morning wanting to make myself a better person so that I could be good enough for her. That's what every man must realise, it's all about the girl. If you love her, you take the risks and you do what it takes to be with her."

"It's just I can picture myself marrying Jules, and I didn't think that was possible to get back there after what happened with Karen."

"Keith only your heart can tell you what to do." Keith knew Whitey was right.

Lucas and Nathan arrived at the dealership shortly after they had set out from the Rivercourt.

"So where did you leave you watch?" Lucas asked his brother.

"I think it is in Keith's office." Nathan replied.

The two made their way toward Keith's office, but heard voices coming from Dan's office so the moved to the door to see what the could hear.

"Well done Jules, its all going to plan" Dan said laughing.

With this the two boys moved away from the office and straight back out the door. Both in shock as to what Jules was doing there.

Naley's Apartment

Haley heard the knock at the door but she had just gotten out of the shower so she had to put some clothes on. There was another knock at the door. "I'm coming" she shouted as she rushed to get the clothes on. Again there was a knock at the door and again she shouted "I'm coming." She made her way to the door struggling to pull on a sweater. He opened the door mid sentence "I'm sorry it took me so long……"

"What no hello married girl?"

"Chris."

The chapter title is a lyric from Tyler Hilton's song Glad and I thought it as appropriate as I brought Chris back.