Disclaimer: In Chapter 1 – These characters may be OCC, but hey I'm only human and I am doing the best I can…

Chapter 2: Emerald Eyes

It was late Saturday night when Haley, Nathan, and Lucas arrived to their home away from home. Nathan and Haley went right upstairs to their room and turned in as Lucas grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge and walked into his room. The rain was still coming down as it had earlier for the game of a lifetime, Syracuse versus Norte Dame. "That was a joke. Notre Dame was supposed to be a big match up. Syracuse crushed Norte Dame like they were just another any other typical school who wasn't in the Big East. It was absolutely magnificent how between Nate, Gerry, Hakim, and Forth, we kicked ass. Pace and the rest of our crew was right behind us the whole way. We played almost every minute, and yet we still have an incredible sense of where each other is on the court, whose free, and all that... good stuff. God, I am exhausted. Playing at the River Court with Skills, Jake, and Nate hadn't kept me in shape over break. Then add in today's game, breaking curfew by a couple of hours and celebrating our win, it's a wonder I can still think." Lucas thought as he stepped out of the shower and climbed into bed falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Barely three hours later something made Lucas come awake; he slowly opened his eyes and tried to figure out what was going on. "Doorbell…. Pounding of fists….Doorbell." Lucas thought. He just shook his head it was too early, right? He rolled over and looked at his clock three thirty in the morning. He started to get angry someone had interrupted a really good Peyton dream. "Someone better have a damn good reason for waking me up this early, like the house is on fire." Lucas muttered as he got out of bed and threw on his warm-ups and headed out to the front of the house.

He had just reached the entryway, when he looked up and saw Haley creeping down the stairs in one of Nate's old t-shirts and a baseball bat. Nathan was walking behind her in a pair of warm-ups. Lucas did a quick look down and saw he had grabbed the identically same warm-ups as Nathan. He just started to laugh. As the years went by both boys matured, and you could definitely tell they were brothers. They shared many of the same characteristics, idiosyncrasies, speech, manners, and a whole lot more the Haley had nicknamed them "Twins".

Lucas snapped back to the present when the door bell went off for the thousand time, it seemed. Haley and Nathan were both in the foyer arguing about the bat, when Lucas lost it. A Scott short on sleep is never a good thing.

Lucas unlocked the door and ripped it open yelling, "Enough already!"

That was all it took for the scared and totally wet person in the doorway to turn around and start back down the stairs. It took Lucas a minute; he'd recognize those emerald eyes anywhere.

"Peyton?" Lucas called as he moved out on to the porch.

Now Haley and Nathan hearing this moved out on to the porch, just in time to see Peyton crying her eyes out standing in the rain which was once again turning to snow.

"Peyton, what are you doing here?" Nathan asked concerned for his friend.

"Yeah, P. Sawyer. I thought we saw you off to Connecticut. What's wrong?" Haley asked adopting Brooke's nickname for her friend.

Peyton had a hollowed look to her eyes, her face was pale as tears continued to fall. "Never again", was all she could muster as her knees wobbled.

Lucas calmly and slowly walked off the porch and took Peyton into his arms, when the tears, the real ones she'd been holding back let loose. These stood for her crashed dreams and the never ending ache in her chest. Lucas rubbed her back and caught her as her legs gave way.

"Why don't we go inside? Hales, you want to start some coffee or sumthin?" Lucas asked as he tried to take control of the situation; while his mind was racing.

Haley nodded as she watched her best friend carry Peyton in, Nate grabbed the two bags and walked into the house. Lucas carried Peyton into the "guest room". It was a furnished bedroom when they thought Tim was going to live with them. That never happened so they kept it in case they had a guest. Haley was on his heels taking over charge, as she grabbed extra blankets, towels, and clean sheets from the linen closet. Peyton lay on the bed shivering in Lucas' arms.

"Alright, out boys. You can make the coffee, tea, and some snacks. We ladies will be out in a bit." And with that said she shooed the boys out of the room and shut the door.

Nathan and Lucas stood at the door looking puzzled. Nathan came out of the reverie and pulled his brother into the kitchen. Lucas had a dazed look on his face, Peyton; the girl of my dreams is here. The one I love, my soul mate.

"Hello, earth to Lucas! Are you even listening to me?" Nathan asked pulling Lucas from his thoughts.

"What? Sorry man, I zoned out there for a minute. What were you saying?" Lucas asked as he started to make coffee.

"Man, finishing making the coffee and tea, I'll handle snacks. I was saying that something must have really scared Peyton. She would never be as impulse to hop down and visit us; especially in the shape she was in." Nathan said as he began to raid the fridge.

"I know. I mean we all saw her and Jake off barely a week ago and everything was fine. She and Jake seemed happy in Tree Hill over break, right? I mean I am her friend, I would have noticed." Lucas replied as he tried to think back.

"What could go so wrong that in one week, she'd take planes, trains, and automobiles just to get here? In the dead of winter, especially with this new storm front coming in." Nathan threw in as he began taking stuff out of the fridge.

"This isn't like Peyton. Something really serious must have happened Nate. I'm really worried." Lucas said as he began to fill the teapot.

"Yeah, should we call Jake and ask him what he knows?" Nate asked as he popped stuff in to the microwave.

"No. We need to wait for Peyton to tell us what happened. I never would think Jake would do something to hurt her. He would have to know if he did I… we would kick his ass. I just hope she comes out of this okay." Lucas said as he put the kettle on to boil.

Nathan just nodded as the microwave began to beep. Man oh man, does my brother have it bad for Peyton. I knew it, and here Haley didn't think I picked up on this stuff. My brother's in love with Peyton. This is going to be one interesting night.

Meanwhile In the Guestroom….

Haley started Peyton a hot shower in the bathroom that connected the guest room to Lucas' room. She put the towels on the sink, and got out some of her own extra shower stuff for Peyton. Nathan was forever yelling that he had no room in their bathroom upstairs, so Haley kept her extras in Lucas's bathroom. Haley walked out of the bathroom a few minutes later and saw Peyton digging in her bag.

"Peyton, umm… I don't know what happened. I also don't know how to ask you this but I have to. Is there any reason you shouldn't take a shower? I mean… um… do you and I need to make a run for the door and kind of take a small trip?" Haley asked as gently as she could.

"No, Hales. Jake and I were taking things slow. There hasn't been anyone since Lucas…." Peyton trailed off.

"Alright, P. Sawyer. There's a hot shower running in the bathroom for you along with towels. I didn't know what you brought for shower stuff so, I opened my reserves and there's shampoo, shower gel, and all that other stuff. I figured you wouldn't want to use Lucas'." Haley said as she chuckled.

"Lucas'? What do you mean?" Peyton asked confused.

"Oh, sorry didn't mean to confuse you. Lucas' room and yours connect through a bathroom. I know its soo 90210, Brandon/Brenda. Okay, hop in your shower, after your done go through Lucas' room and you will see the kitchen. We'll be right their waiting for you. The guys will want to know what happened tonight as soon as they can. Yet, all you have to do is say you want to go to bed, and I'll fend them off. See you in a few." Hales said as she went out through Lucas' room and shut the door.

"Hales…" Peyton called.

"Yeah..." Haley called coming back in.

"Thanks… for everything." Peyton said.

"It's nothing sweetie for family, and that's what you are. Anything else?" Hales asked.

"Nope… thanks." Peyton said as she watched Hales shut the door.

Peyton quickly undressed and stepped into the shower. The heat felt soo good on her back and arms. The water kept coming down harder and harder it seemed, as for the first time in a week Peyton breathed a sigh of relief. I'm going to be okay. Really okay, I feel safe for the first time in so long. I'm really going to be okay, now that I know Lucas is near by to protect me. She breathed in the steam and continued on with her shower.

Meanwhile In The Kitchen…

Haley walked in and saw Lucas at the counter pouring mugs of coffee for Nate and himself. She waited till Nathan sat down from putting something in the microwave, to pull out a chair sit down and put her feet up on Nate's lap. She let out a small sigh and Lucas turned around.

"Hales, she's going to be okay right?" Lucas asked pouring a mug of tea for Hales.

"Yeah, I think she'll be just fine now that she's here. Something has seriously scared her; therefore, I don't want you guys to jump down her back if she says she doesn't want to talk tonight. If she decides to talk to us at all, she will be given the option to stop whenever she wants, regardless to what you think. She's definitely been through enough the past twenty-four hours, so if she says leave it alone. I'll talk to you in the morning you'll say?" Haley prepped them.

"Yes, Peyton. We'll talk in the morning." Lucas and Nathan responded at the same time.

"I knew you guys were trainable! Now, how about a foot massage?" Haley asked.

"Don't push your luck! I was the one whose feet pounded the court all night, and I don't get one so you don't get one!" Nathan jokingly responded back.

The three continued on with small talk as they drank their coffee and tea respectively. Lucas stopped laughing and got a broody look on his face as Peyton walked through the door.