Thanks for the awesome reviews and inputs! This is purely and Leyton chapter...it's kinda long, maybe a bit redundant...but a lot had happened between them over the year and it had to be brought up...anyways enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything OTH related

Chapter 13

If there was something wrong with Lucas, she was going to find out. He had been there all summer for her and now it was her turn to return the favour. Peyton was going to let him deal with whatever he was dealing with alone.

She found him in the same place where he found her the night her world came crashing down. Lucas sat there alone on the beach, watching the waves roll in. His mind was elsewhere and didn't hear her coming from behind him.

"Hey,"

He looked up at her surprised to see her there, "Hey,"

Peyton sat down in the soft sand beside him, "So..." she didn't know what to say or how to begin but she didn't have to.

"You know, I lost myself last year," as he spoke, he couldn't look at her. Lucas kept his focus on the water. He wanted to tell her and he was going to do it, "I got wrapped up in this...this whole other person and lost everything that mattered to me. Do you remember when I came to your room, the day before I left for Charleston?"

"Yeah,"

"I told you that I was going to be making some changes...I thought that leaving Tree Hill and everything behind would let me start over and just make me be a good guy. But the truth is, no matter how far away I was, I could never be him again because what makes me want to be a better guy has been right here all along. And I have to be honest with myself...I don't want to run anymore, Peyton,"

Completely oblivious to what he was saying, Peyton agreed, "Yeah, I know what you mean...I mean after you and I...well broke up, I just didn't want to feel anymore cause it hurt so much and it scared me. I felt so alone - I lost you and Brooke at the same time, my dad wasn't home and Nathan and Haley had each other... But then you asked Jake to come home and he did. He was there for me and he opened my heart again. I'm not afraid anymore,"

When he didn't think it was possible for his heart to sink any lower, it did. Hearing Peyton talk about Jake and her heart pained him. The pain he felt was indescribable. It ached his entire being.

"Peyton," he said softly.

She didn't hear him call her name, "Jake is a great guy,"

"Peyton!" he snapped, startling her. Lucas saw confusion and fear in her eyes, making him look away. He didn't want to be upset with her, he wanted to be happy for her, "I'm sorry...I have to go,"

Lucas quickly got up and left, leaving Peyton wondering what the hell just happened.

He was too angry and heart broken to go home: angry with himself for not being able to tell her and heart broken because she was with Jake. Alone he walked around Tree Hill, the place where he spent his entire summer with her. Everywhere he went, reminded him of her. It reminded him of how much he wanted to be with her and how much he loved her.

But there was one place that was his: the Rivercourt. All summer long Peyton refused to go the court with him. She always complained of how hot it was or how many mosquitoes there were at night. So whenever he wanted to go, she would cover his shift at the café or hang out with Haley.

Along the water's edge he stood, throwing rocks into the river. It seemed to calm his frustrations but it wasn't enough. He stood there alone in the dark, letting his tears fall freely for the girl who loved someone else. His cell phone rang. Her name lit up the display. Lucas sighed and put the phone back into his pocket.

She had waited for an hour for him to come home. When he didn't, she started to drive around town looking for him. One would think that she would have given up on him, but not her. Her stubbornness wouldn't let her give up on him.

"Hey,"

Lucas turned around and saw her. He turned away quickly. "What are you doing here?"

"Being bitten alive," Peyton joked as she swatted at a mosquito.

He wasn't particularly in a joking mood and she could sense it. Peyton stepped forward and stood beside him, watching the current.

"What's going on Luke?"

"Nothing,"

"Ok...well would you at least mind telling me why you're in such a hurry to leave every time we're in the same room?"

Lucas shrugged, "Not really,"

"Lucas..."

"Just leave me alone, Peyton,"

Peyton was taken aback by his attitude. She didn't know why but tears started to form in her eyes, "Fine," she started to walk way but suddenly turned around, "You know I thought you needed a friend..."

Lucas was beginning to hate that word. He spun around angrily, "Well, you thought wrong. I don't need another friend,"

"What the hell's gotten into you Luke? You know, aside from all this drama, I thought we were having a pretty good summer together. It meant a lot to me that you were there for me and that we were close again, but I guess it didn't mean anything to you,"

"What the hell do you know what it meant to me, huh? You don't have the slightest clue what it meant to me," Lucas looked at her one last time before walking away.

"You're such a hypocrite," she called after him, "earlier you said that you were tired of running...but there you go again,"

He stopped in his tracks.

"Lucas, what are you running from?" she tried one last time.

His emotions inside him were overflowing and were desperately trying to escape. He couldn't hold it in any longer. He spun to face her, "You! I'm running from you, alright?"

Peyton froze.

Lucas began to clam down. There was no going back now. She was going to know the truth, "Don't you see? All this time it's been you, Peyton," he took a deep breath, "you have been the only one in my heart. Peyt, you're the reason why I ran and you're the reason why I want to be a better person,"

"Lucas..."

As he spoke he slowly walked back towards his love, "Just give me the chance to prove to you that I am the guy you wanted me to be. I want to be with you...I want us..." He was now standing in front of her. If he lost her this time, it wasn't going to be because he didn't try.

Before she could answer, his lips crashed down on to hers. It was a soft gentle kiss but was enough to stir her slumbering heart. She felt her stomach flutter and her knees fell weak. She was about to pull away when she felt his mouth grow tighter around his. He wasn't ready to let her go yet.

When they finally broke apart, they were breathless. His forehead rested on hers. They remained quiet; enjoying the moment they had just shared.

Peyton's quietness scared Lucas. She knew how he felt, but he didn't know how she felt.

She knew in her heart that she loved him. Jake may have been the one who opened up her heart again, but Lucas was the one who always had it. Peyton was truly happy for a moment, before reality started to set in. Her eyes looked into his and started to water. She took a step back from him, "I'm sorry...we can't do this,"

He ignored the pain in his gut, "What? Peyton...please...look...I know you're with Jake, but I can't..."

"I'm not with Jake,"

"Wha...then what is it?"

The tears in her eyes glistened in the moon light. She wanted to be with Lucas but there was one thing that was standing in way and it wasn't Jake. It was the one thing that had always been standing in their way, "Brooke,"

"What?"

"I want to be with you. I really do, but what's going to happen when Brooke comes home? Brooke still loves you and I can't do this to her again," she took a couple of breaths, collecting her thoughts. The more she thought and remembered about the past, the more upset she became,

"I know, but she's not the one I want to be with,"

Peyton glared at him, "Then why did you kiss her before she left? Lucas, you begged her to stay. You told her you wanted to be with her, Luke. You chose Brooke. How can you stand there and tell me that you want to be with me after you tell her all that?" she yelled at him through her tears. "You told her that what you and I had was a mistake,"

Lucas shut his eyes tight. He knew Peyton was referring to the infamous Peyton box he kept in his room.

"Do you know how much it hurt me when Brooke told me what you said? Yeah, maybe what we did was wrong, but everything that we were, everything that we shared, I never thought of it as a mistake," Her emotions were running high and she needed to get a way. Her legs pushed her forward and away from him.

"We weren't...Peyton, I kept all those things because I couldn't let go of you...or us,"

She whipped around to face him, "If it meant so damn much to you, then why did you say it?"

"Because I couldn't be with you!" he yelled, "It killed me inside knowing that I disappointed you and that I couldn't be with you. And seeing you with Jake...seeing you so happy with him...knowing that I wasn't the one you wanted" the thought of her with Jake tore his heart up, "I just couldn't take it anymore. I tried to move on. I tried so hard to love Anna and Brooke the way I love you...but I couldn't. I can't,"

He slowly walked towards her. She stood there, unable to move. "I made my share of mistakes, but they're all in the past now. I promise that things will be different this time...I'm not going to run this time. You know how I feel and I think I know how you feel too, but if you need time, then I'll wait forever if I have to,"

He placed a kiss on her forehead. His eyes looked at her one last time before he started to walk away. Lucas didn't get very far when he felt her hand on his. He smiled as he looked back at her.

"I think we waited long enough," Peyton gently pulled him back towards her and wrapped her arms around his neck. Standing on her toes, she kissed him passionately.

For months they were lost as they ran from their heartaches, from themselves and from each other. But it was over now. They didn't need to run anymore because time had healed their broken hearts and helped them find their way home.

A/N: I kinda smushed two chapters into one with this...I had one fight about thier feelings/Jake and then the other about Brooke/Peyton questioning Lucas's motives and what not, but then I decided that L/P were apart long enough...just let them deal with it all at once...hope it made sense and hope you guys are happy with the result! L/P rocks.

As for the other couples, they will be resolved (but I don't think their scenes will be long b/c for some reason it's hard to write for other ships other than L/P)... cabot007, I'm leaning towards a N/B pairing...I thought about the J/H pairing but at the same time I don't want to stick them together just cause their the only single ones in the group...but we shall see ;)