Thank you for all of the awesome reviews. I have a feeling most won't like this chapter, but some things are worth waiting for.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything OTH related

Chapter 9

It was Haley's day to manage the cafe, allowing Lucas to have the day off. Peyton, who had nothing better to do, arrived at Lucas's house to hang out. Neither of them felt like doing anything that day, so they stayed in to sketch and read. But neither of them got much accomplished as they were each lost in their own thoughts.

Lucas was confused by his thoughts and feelings that re-emerged when Haley asked him that question the night before. He hadn't felt this way in a long time - something inside him was becoming alive again.

It was a feeling that he had tried to forget when she pushed him out of her life, he didn't put up a fight. only because he thought he was doing the right thing by giving her what she thought she wanted. He let her slip away and it was mistake that he would always regret.

Lucas had no choice but to bury the feelings he had for her, especially when Jake came back. His heart ached every time he saw her with him. It was too painful to know that she was had moved on and was with someone else. But all he wanted was for her to be happy. And knowing that she wasn't alone anymore and that Jake would never hurt her like he did, Lucas sacrificed his own happiness and desperately tried to move on. That was how much he loved her. But now, Jake was gone and his feelings were still there...waiting to surface.

He stared at her intensely as she seemed to be concentrating on her drawing. Peyton bit on her bottom lip as her thoughts clouded her mind. Her thoughts were far from considering a relationship with Lucas - with any boy for that matter. At this time in her life, a relationship just didn't seem important to her. She felt like a child lost in a crowd of people, trying to find her mother and that was exactly what she had drawn.

"Peyton..."

"Lucas..."

They called each other's names at the same time. Lucas smiled and politely allowed Peyton to continue.

"I want to see Elizabeth," Peyton said quickly before she had a chance to change her mind. "Will you come with me?"

Peyton bit her thumb nail as she waited nervously for the door to open. She felt Lucas's hand gently pull her hand away from her mouth and held it. He gave her a reassuring smile - she wasn't doing this on her own anymore.

The door slowly opened and there she was, Peyton's biological mother, Elizabeth.

"Peyton," she smiled with a wonderful surprise, "I was hoping that you would come,"

The teen was frozen. Her body felt tense and like Jell-O at the same time. Ever since she learned about Elizabeth's true identity, Peyton wanted nothing to do with her. As far as she was concerned, Anna was and always will be her mother. Elizabeth was nothing more than just a stranger.

Peyton felt a squeeze on her hand, encouraging her to speak up. She cleared her throat and softly began, "I'm just here because I want to know more about my mother,"

Elizabeth smiled happily, but it quickly faded when she realized that Peyton wasn't talking about her. Nonetheless, Peyton had come to see her. The older woman stepped aside, allowing Peyton and Lucas to enter.

Peyton listened intently about her mother's life. But the more she heard, the more she realized that she wasn't like her at all. Anna loved cheerleading. She had been the captain of her squad and even won the State Championships her senior year. Anna was also on student's council and was active in various community projects. Hearing all this made Peyton wonder...if Anna was watching over her, then she wouldn't be very proud of her at all.

"Peyton," Liz suddenly said, "There's something I want you to know...about why I left,"

Lucas looked at Peyton, who was quietly staring at the carpet. She didn't say anything, allowing Liz to go on.

"Before I met your father, I experimented with drugs. I'm not proud of it and wish I never did it. I know it's not an excuse, but I was young and naive. I hung out at a bar called 'Slander'...every weekend they had live bands playing...I wasn't actually allowed in because I was underage, but I got to know one of the managers. And the next thing I knew, he offered me cocaine. It would have been so easy to walk away, but I didn't. I thought..." Liz's eyes began to water as she remembered the first line she ever hit, "I thought that if I don't do it, he won't let me come back...I was so stupid,"

Peyton's body shivered. She couldn't believe what she was hearing - how similar the story was.

"After I was hooked, I met your father. I was so ashamed of it, I never told him, but he found out. I was pregnant...and I was about to do a line, when he walked in..."

Lucas looked away disgusted. It was one thing to mess up your own life with drugs, but it was another thing when another innocent life was involved.

Peyton, on the other hand, didn't look away. She looked on horrified and angry at Liz. Her life could have ended before it even had a chance to start. Suddenly Peyton couldn't take it anymore, but she didn't say anything. Instead she abruptly stood up and bolted out of the room.

Both Lucas and Liz stood up to go after her. Lucas got to the door first, "Don't...you'll just make things worse,"

"I never did it. I swear to you and Peyton," she said desperately, "I never did a line while I was pregnant with her. I was completely sober...a bitch, but sober..." Liz continued, "Larry helped me stay strong. But after Peyton was born, I couldn't take it anymore,"

Lucas stood at the doorway, listening to Liz. She looked away from him and remembered the first time she held Peyton in her arms, "She was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen...so innocent and healthy. And I was ashamed that I almost ruined that for her. I felt that I didn't deserve her...that she deserved a better mother...a mother who could love her and take care of her in ways I couldn't...I'm so sorry,"

"Don't be sorry," he said quietly, "You gave Peyton and Anna each other,"

Liz looked down and wiped her eyes. She had made the right decision 16 years ago. She couldn't be the mother Peyton deserved - the kind of mother that Anna had been.

Lucas was about to leave when Anna called him back, "Lucas," Liz went over to her bedside table and picked up a pile of papers and envelopes. She handed them to Lucas. "Please...give these to Peyton,"

Lucas found Peyton in the parking lot, pacing beside her car. She hadn't noticed Lucas standing there until she nearly walked into him. When she did, she flung her arms around him and choked out, "I don't know who I am any more, Lucas," He carefully wrapped his arms around her, careful not to drop any of the papers. "The more and more I hear about my mother, the more I realize that I'm nothing like her,"

All her life, Peyton had tried to be like her mother. And for the longest time she didn't know why she just wasn't interested in the same things. But now she knew...she wasn't like Anna, because she was more like Liz.

Lucas pulled back to look at her. With his free hand, he gently wiped her tears, "Peyton, it doesn't matter who carried you for nine months or who raised you for nine years...that doesn't define who you are,"

A part of Lucas knew how Peyton was feeling. Lucas too wasn't raised by his biological father. He saw his Uncle Keith as his father. Sure there were some traits that Lucas inherited from his biological father, but Lucas was nothing like him.

"I mean it doesn't matter who you got your hair colour from or why you bite your thumbnail when you get nervous...what defines you are the decisions you make in your life...including who you are...and you...you're Peyton Sawyer - the least cheery person I know,"

He made her laugh.

"But seriously, Peyt. Beneath that...I see the real you...you're this talented artist, this strong, independent girl...You're an amazing person with the most beautiful, generous heart that I know... And that's the person she wanted you to be...she's proud of you Peyton,"

His words were unexpected, but were from his heart. A part of her blushed and the other part of her was thankful for the friend that he was. A small smile released from her lips as they parted, "Thank you, Lucas," She leaned towards him and placed a kiss on his cheek. "You're a great friend,"

Lucas let out a disappointing breath as he watched Peyton climb into the car. A friend...that's how she thought of him now - nothing more, nothing less. He could feel his heart sink back down to where it was once hiding - where it was once protected from the pain the exact pain he was feeling now.