A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I hope this chapter turned out for you guys and that I don't confuse you. Keep in mind that this fic is lossely based on A Christmas Carol. The 'flashbacks' are in italics. Let me know how what you think!

Dislaimer; I don't own anything OTH related.

Chapter 2

Sleep was troubling to find for Peyton Sawyer. Not only was she in an unfamiliar bed but her temperature was also at 100 degrees and seemed to be climbing. Her body tossed and turned until she at least found a comfortable spot. With her eyes gently shut, she finally gave up and let sleep take over her overheated and exhausted body…that was until she heard someone eating rather loudly on something crunchy.

Her eyes flew open and she looked up. "What did I do now?" groaned Peyton.

Through a mouthful of a gingerbread man cookie, the girl replied, "Oh, I think we both know that you know,"

Although they still conversed nightly in her head, she hadn't seen her alter ego since she had made peace with Ellie months earlier. Since then, Peyton's life seemed to get easier; she brooded less and had a better relationship with her father and more importantly stopped pushing people away, or so she thought.

Peyton propped herself up on her elbow on the bed to converse with her 'ghost of Christmas Goth', "I'm sick," she complained, "Can't you spread a little Yule tide cheer here and let me rest?"

She dusted off the fallen cookie crumbs off of her as she spoke, "Oh, I could…but that wouldn't be any fun, now would it? Besides, are you really sick?"

Peyton thought for a second. Mysteriously, she did feel fine now. Her temperature was gone and she no longer felt nauseous. "Why are you here? It's almost Christmas and I have been so good lately,"

The black and silver haired angel smirked before she broke out in an over dramatic and over cheery song and dance, "Oh, Santa can you hear me? I have been so good this year. And all I want is one thing: Tell me my true love…"

"OK, Stop. You are seriously starting to annoy me,"

"No, keep going. I like that song," another voice cheerily said.

Peyton's mouth dropped as she looked across the other side of the room. There by the window was another version herself. Only this one was dressed in a white angel outfit and had shoulder length curly blonde hair.

"Oh, look it's the ghost of Christmas Goody Two Shoes," the black angel sarcastically introduced her.

"OK, I am clearly going insane," remarked the real Peyton.

"Relax, she's the good part of you," explained the gothic angel. "Didn't think you had one now did you?" She added with a smart-ass smirk.

Peyton looked back at the white angel, who was smiling happily. "Hi," she waved excitedly. Her smile was big and never seemed to leave her face.

Peyton raised her eyebrows, slightly taken aback by the cheeriness. She then thanked herself for suppressing that part of herself.

"No wonder you don't let her out too often," the black angel agreed, "Well, anyways, that's my cue to leave,"

"Wait," Peyton wondered what was going on.

"Oh, don't worry," winked the black angel, "I have a feeling I'll be back," she said before she disappeared.

Peyton's eyes shifted to the white angel, who held her hand out.

"No, no, no…seeing you is…. more then I can handle right now. I am not leaving this bed,"

"That's ok. You don't have to leave your bed, yet,"

Peyton watched as her good conscience walked over to the television stand across the room. From her pocket she pulled out a circular disc, opened up the DVD player and placed the disc in. After closing the slot, she picked up the television remote that was resting on the stand and sat down on the bed, careful not to bend her wings. Peyton eyed the girl who was now sitting beside her in disbelief.

"So…we're just gonna sit her an watch a movie?" Peyton asked.

"Something like that," she responded with a giggle.

Peyton rolled her eyes. She let out a frustrated sigh as she leaned against the headboard. "Why couldn't my dad just send me to a shrink?" she thought. It was strange enough that she saw her dark conscience but now she was sitting right beside her good conscience.

"Now, pay close attention,"

Peyton raised an eyebrow, "What exactly are we watching?"

"Just watch, it's good," she whispered excitedly.

Reluctantly Peyton stared at the screen. The black screen began to flicker to life. A black and white count down suddenly appeared as if it was signaling for a movie to begin.

A kitchen suddenly appeared on the screen. There was something familiar about the kitchen that made Peyton wonder. It looked liked the kitchen in Karen's Café. She shrugged it off and figured it must be some coincidence that the show they were watching had the same exact tiles, the same colours and even the same oven. Peyton's eyes suddenly grew wider when she spotted the girl standing against the refrigerator.

Peyton leaned forward, trying to get a better look. The girl was dressed casually in a pair of dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt with a red circle printed on the front. Within the red circle read 'Dashboard Confessional'. The hair on the girl had curly blonde locks that fell just past her shoulders.

"Wait a second…th…that's me.?" Peyton exclaimed, "What the hell is going on?" Peyton demanded to know as she was beginning to freak out.

"We're revisiting the past…our past," her good conscience said sweetly.

"What do you mean we're revisiting the past…and exactly how am I on TV?"

"You know that story by Charles Dickens…A Christmas Carol?"

"Yeah," Peyton said slowly. "Scrooge gets visited by three ghosts and they show him his past, present and future…"

"Well…that's what we're going to do…only we're not ghosts…" she smiled happily.

"No," she shook her head in disbelief, "This is not happening. I don't need…"

"Shhh…watch," the angel interrupted as she turned her attention back to the TV. "You can't miss this," she said excitedly.

Peyton smiled when Lucas entered the kitchen. With a smile of his own he made his way over to the fridge.

"The last customer has left the building…" Lucas announced.

Her arms reached out and wrapped themselves around his neck, "We have the whole place to ourselves…what are we going to do?"

Lucas shrugged his shoulders, pretending to think, "Well…I guess we could clean up the kitchen for my mom…"

She gently pushed him away and playfully agreed, "That sounds like a good idea,"

"Or," Lucas quickly grabbed her around the waist before she could get away, "we could dance,"

"Dance?" Peyton was surprised, "Lucas Scott knows how to dance?"

Lucas smiled and stepped back. He pressed play on the kitchen stereo and the CD began to whirl. Then, standing in front of her he put one hand behind his back and held his other hand for her. He bowed, like a gentleman courting a fair lady, while keeping his eyes fixed on hers, "Care to dance?"

Peyton blushed as she accepted. She placed her hand in his extended hand. Lucas stood up straight and wrapped his arms around her slender waist, holding her close. Her arms embraced him around his neck. She looked up into his eyes as they swayed gently along with the beat of the music.

As Peyton watched herself and Lucas dance on the screen, she noticed how content both of them were. They were both relaxed and were completely in a pure bliss. She continued to watch her past self rest her head against his shoulder while Lucas closed his eyes and placed a kiss on her head before resting his against her head. Simultaneously, they both let a small content smile form on their lips.

"Aww…we were so happy there," the white angel sighed.

"We were also sneaking around," Peyton reminded herself.

Peyton had remembered exactly what had happened before she and Lucas spent the evening hidden away in the kitchen of the café. It happened last year and they were in the kitchen because at the time, Lucas was dating Brooke for the first time. He was supposed to take Brooke out that night, but Lucas didn't want to spend time with Brooke. He wanted to spend time with Peyton.

So Lucas called Brooke and told her that he had to close up the café that night for his mom. Brooke pouted for a bit, but then asked him if he would meet her at a party afterwards. Although he had agreed, he never made it. He spent the entire night dancing with Peyton.

"Yeah…that was unfortunate…for Brooke but don't you remember exactly how it felt to be with him…the way he looked at us…"

Peyton shook her head, refusing to admit that she remembered those feelings. It had been a long time ago. Those feelings didn't exist anymore. Lucas is with Brooke and Brooke is happy now. Bringing up her past feelings for Lucas wasn't going to help anyone.

"No, I'm not going to do this anymore. Lucas and I are over. There's nothing there anymore. We're just friends,"

For the first time that night, the happy angel gave Peyton a sad look. "Are you sure about that?" She looked back at the TV and pressed the fast forward button on the remote.

The screen showed a lone car traveling down a dark and empty stretch of highway. It was nighttime as the dark sky was littered with twinkling stars. As the TV began to focus on the car, Peyton recognized her black Mercury Comet Caliente. Inside the car, were two people: she was behind the wheel and Lucas was buckled in the passenger seat.

She wasn't sure which memory this was, after all, she and Lucas had gone on many road trips that summer. It wasn't until Peyton heard the first few beats of that classic depressing song from the 80s did she remember that it had happened a few months ago.

Peyton waited for Lucas to turn up the volume, like he did when he recognized the song.

Lucas leaned over and turned up the volume.

The curly blonde behind the wheel watched him in surprise. She became even more surprised when Lucas starting singing softly along with Concrete Blonde.

Joey, baby - don't get crazy
Detours, fences - I get defensive

After letting out a laugh, Peyton composed herself and started sing along as well.

And when you said I scared you
Well I guess you scared me too
But we got lucky once before
And I don't want to close the door

A huge smile formed on Lucas's face. His voice became louder and more off key. Peyton followed suit and for a while the two voices dueled until they were both singing at the top of their lungs.

"I loved this moment," the white angel sighed, "The two of you were so happy and the lyrics…"

Peyton herself smiled as she remembered the exact feeling she felt that night. They were both happy. For about four minutes and three seconds, nothing else in the world mattered – not Ellie, not Dan, not Brooke and not Jake. It was only the two of them, Lucas and Peyton, in her car going on a journey together that entire summer.

Having Lucas by her side meant the world to Peyton. She never felt alone, especially when he came back into her life. When she needed someone to talk to, he'd come over to listen. When she just needed some company, he'd be right there beside her. He had been there for her just as she was there for him. Whenever they needed each other, they were always there for each other that summer.

"See...we're just friends. What's the point in all this anyways?" Peyton asked with a bit of annoyance and attitude in her voice.

"To remember," the angel replied simply.

"Remember what exactly?"

"To remember what it feels like to be happy,"

"To be happy?" Peyton said disbelievingly.

The angel nodded, "Yep. Those were just some the memories where we were truly happy. And I think we both know they mostly involve Lucas,"

Peyton thought for a moment. She twisted her thumb ring around. "But I never forgot about those moments…" she admitted, "I remember these feelings everyday," Peyton felt that pang of hurt in her heart again. It began to anger her, "and you know what? I don't want to feel them anymore. I wish they would just go away,"

"And why's that?" she asked gently, trying to push Peyton to free her feelings.

She took a deep breath, "Because…because every time I remember these stupid moments or…even see him…see him with Brooke…it hurts so damn much," her voice cracked. "I thought I had moved on…that I was over him, but I'm not. I can't let him go,"

"Why don't you tell him?"

Peyton let out a bitter laugh, "Oh yeah, that's what I'm going to do,"

"Well, why not?"

"Umm…because of Brooke...because of what happened last time," her voice became a sad whisper when she said, "Because he loves Brooke,"

"Oh boo hoo, so he loves her," the familiar voice didn't belong to her good conscience. Peyton looked up to see that her dark side had returned, "But that doesn't mean he's in love with her,"

The dark angel looked at the white angel, "You had your turn…now it's my turn to get rid of our self doubt,"

The white angel smiled at Peyton. As she began to disappear, she whispered a quote, "You can close your eyes to the things you don't want to see but you cannot close your heart to things you don't want to feel,"

A/N: I don't remember where I found the last quote I used, but when I find out who said it, I'll put it up.