His Mother's Last Wish

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay on this story. I've been trying to balance them all out. Anyway, I hope you like where it's going. I figure I'm always making Peyton the one who needs to be saved and needing so much help. Well, time to turn the tables, make Lucas the one who needs the help here.

Chapter 3: Some Things Left Unsaid

They were both suddenly standing just outside of Haley and Nathan's front door, neither quite sure if the plan was going to work, maybe it was just a waste of time.

"So…I just wanted to thank you for doing this…" he stammered, looking for the words.

"Eh, because I've got so many other things to do with my life right now," he chuckled at her cynicism, looking skeptically at the front door again.

"You ready?" he saw her shrug from the corner of his eye, taking that as a yes he pushed through the door.

"Hales?" his voice bellowed through the house, upon hearing him she went bounding down the stairs, finding Lucas standing with Peyton next to him.

"Hey, Peyton!" she grabbed the blonde, pulling her into a breathtaking hug. She hadn't seen the girl in years, they had only been in contact by phone and e-mails.

"Hey, Haley, you look good after those two kids," Peyton's comment made Haley smile, and as she let go she took a minute to digest the differences in her old friend. Peyton Sawyer had barely aged, still looking like a radiant seventeen year old. A few more wrinkles around her eyes were noticeable, she looked a little more tired and stressed out, her hair had darkened slightly over the years, but she was still the same girl Haley remembered.

"You look…the same," Peyton laughed, nodding and taking that as a compliment. "But…what're you doing here?"

"Oh, uh…well, see this thing –" Lucas watched her squirm for a few seconds, smiling when she slowly nudged into him looking for him to back her up.

"Uh, that's kind of why we're here, Hales. We're kinda together again," Haley gave them both a doubtful look before she started laughing.

"What?" she squealed through her laughter, as they both made the effort to keep straight faces.

"We're together again. I went over to the hotel room and we worked some things out, and it turns out we weren't ready to be finished yet," he said happily, Peyton watched him in awe of how quickly he pulled the story off the top of his head. She also took in his words as they made her nostalgic, she would've killed for him to say that to her years ago, now they were nothing more than a story.

"So…you're serious?"

"Yeah, we're serious," the confirmation from Peyton made Haley nod her head at the pair. It seemed strange, something seemed wrong about it. Like it had happened too quickly, something wasn't clicking exactly the way it used to, but she didn't mention anything only hugged them and wished them both the best.

"There's some movies on if you guys wanna use the living room," she suggested, walking back toward her kitchen to retrieve a glass for herself.

"Well, actually…" Peyton trailed off, looking at her old friend. "I was wondering if you'd wanna come back to the hotel with me, you know take a break from the kids and we can catch up," as if on cue her two children came running through the house begging their mother for ice cream.

"I'm so in!" Haley retreated back up the steps to inform Nathan, leaving the kids with their ice cream, and Lucas and Peyton to their own devices.

"So…I don't get to spend the night with you?" he joked, sticking his tongue out at the girl giving him a disgusted look.

"Yeah, like I'd be spending the night with you," she bit back, smiling at his shocked reaction.

"I see you've gotten better with the comebacks," she nodded proudly, "You know…that was one thing…we never did that," he stuttered out awkwardly, watching the blush creep up her cheeks slowly.

"Lucas!" she whacked his arm, he got great enjoyment out of seeing her squirm.

"What? I'm just saying…for as close as we were, and what a big epic romance thing we were…we never actually got there, it's just weird with the way we all were in high school…"

"Well, if we didn't do it then, it's never going to happen," she waved at her face with her hands, intending to push away the red color. "And since when were we a big epic romance?"

"Oh, come on. You know everyone wanted to have what we had," he teased her, grabbing himself a pepsi from the refrigerator. He threw one to her, watching her catch it with the same precision she'd had in high school.

"What did we have, Lucas? I mean, really, we were never actually together at all. Not like you and Brooke were, or Nathan and Haley, or Jake and I or Ryan and I. I mean, out of everyone how do you call us the big epic romance?" she watched his reactions, it didn't take him long to explain his reasoning to her.

"Because…we were the star-crossed lovers who's timing always sucked, you know? But I mean c'mon it's been ten years and our history is still here. Look how awkward it makes things, it makes you blush, you still didn't want to talk to me after ten years. I mean, Brooke and I haven't talked, but things between us have never been like they are with us. Nathan and Haley stayed married, they don't count. As far as you and Jake or you and Ryan, have you talked to either of them, have you ever felt for them what you did for me?"

"That's prying…"

"It's not…it's the truth, and you know it. We had the kind of love Nathan and Haley have, we were just the people who wasted it, they were the people who knew what to do with it," he stood with his back pressed against the counter, watching her think about what he was saying. He didn't want to make things weird between them, and he didn't want to be with her anymore, but there were some things that had always been left unsaid.

"We didn't have what Nathan and Haley have," she waved her hand, blowing his idea off.

"Yes, we did, Peyton. We were just too young and naïve to realize it, we had that," he nodded over to where Nathan and Haley were whispering in each other's ears, his hands ran along the small of her back where her tattoo sat, he kissed her now and then as she giggled under him.

"No…"

"Yes, it was there. It's always gonna be there…just we're different now, so it's worthless. You only get that once in a lifetime."

"Don't say that," she looked at him seriously. "How do you know I didn't –"

"You and Jake were nothing compared to us, you know it."

"What makes you so conceited?"

"I'm not…believe me I'm not trying to be. Do I look cocky or conceited to you? Maybe I was, but look at how I live now, I don't have a damn thing to be cocky about. I'm telling you the honest truth, we had something people get once in a lifetime, Peyton, but I think it was probably just too much for us to deal with at seventeen so we let it go. And it sucks, but we've both moved on…I guess it's just something for you to think about while you're with me," he winked, walking into the other room to clear his throat.

His noises made the two brunettes jump apart, Haley blushed profusely, giggling while Nathan ran his hands along her sides.

"I've gotta go, Nathan," she turned back to him, letting his lips brush hers quickly.

"You better be back tomorrow, Luke and I are not babysitters here," he flashed his brother a smirk, watching him agree.

"No way, Hales. You get back here tomorrow, and bring her back with ya," he nodded off to Peyton who stood looking lost in thought.

"Peyton!" the blonde perked her head up, looking at the other three who were staring.

"Huh?"

She received a laugh from each of them for her state of mind, she shook her head a few times, heading for the door. She waved Haley along, as they walked out, they both smiled at the boys.

"So, you and Peyton again?"

"Me and Peyton again," he confirmed.

"This is real…like you're really –"

"Yeah, we're really back together. Why is it so weird?"

"I dunno. I guess after the way you left her, and everything she went through after that…I just find it weird that she'd be giving her heart back to you so quickly," Nathan commented, walking back to his living room where the TV sat.

"What? Wait, what do you mean all she went through?"

"You never heard about everything after you left?" Nathan rose his eyebrows at his brother, figuring it was common knowledge to him by now. "Wow, I don't believe your mom didn't say anything…she was a big part in helping Peyton."

"What?"

"Hey, Karen…where's Luke?" Peyton strolled through the small café, looking at the woman who was like a mother to her, even after she and Lucas were no longer near together.

"Peyton…" Karen trailed off quietly, she was shocked the young girl didn't know yet. "You don't know?"

"Know what?" Peyton was obviously confused, she remembered being with Lucas the night before, she remembered kissing him in the back of her car…but she couldn't remember anything past that.

"You might wanna take a seat," Peyton did as she was told, the older woman approached her, sitting on the bench seat across from her. "Peyton, Lucas left this morning…"

"Left?"

"He's gone off to college early, he left a few hours ago."

"Well he'll be back for Christmas and stuff right?" she worriedly watched Karen's reactions, knowing it wasn't as good as she wanted it to be.

"He's gone, he's not going to come back," Karen grabbed Peyton's hands in her own, watching the young girl's expressions carefully. She knew how close Lucas and Peyton had been, whether they were together or not, he had been a huge support in her life.

"No, that's not right. We were supposed to hang out today!" Peyton was shaking her head, denying everything she was being told. It didn't make sense, he had become like a best friend to her over the summer, he had become the one person who never left. And he was gone?

"I'm really sorry…he said he told you last night?"

"No, no he didn't. He wasn't supposed to leave me, Karen. He was the one person who was never supposed to leave me! He has to come back!" the blonde was obviously very unstable Karen noticed, standing to meet her in the middle of the café.

"Come here," Lucas's mother pulled his ex-girlfriend to her, holding her tightly, letting her breathe. Peyton's eyes filled with tears, but she didn't let them fall, she wouldn't cry over him this time.

"I'll be fine, don't worry about me," Peyton whispered, trying to keep her voice level.

"I always worry…you've been like another daughter to me, Peyton…I'll always worry," it broke Peyton's heart to hear her talking like that. She hadn't had a mother figure since she was nine, it was a nice change.

"Thank you," Peyton pulled away, leaving the café in a hurry, her tears falling down her cheeks, making it much colder in the thirty degree weather. "Damn it!" she wasn't supposed to cry over him, she told herself that, she promised herself she wouldn't.

"Peyton?" Haley noticed her tears, watching her storm past them. Haley, Brooke, Nathan, and Jake and been out for the day. Jake had returned for the end of senior year, but Peyton had been with Ryan by that time, and he willingly gave her up this time around. He had only wanted to see her happy.

"What happened?" Brooke looked at Haley confused, and then suddenly they both knew.

"Lucas," they stated together, sending each other worried looks. Nathan and Jake stood back confused, they both knew, but it didn't click that he was the reason she was so upset. "C'mon," Haley grabbed Brooke's arms as they both took off running.

"Peyton!" Brooke called after her best friend who ended her run at the River Court. Thy watched the blonde pick up the orange basketball, throwing it with all her might out at the river.

"What's wrong with me?" she cried, pleading with the sky for an answer.

"This is bad," Haley said to herself, looking over at Brooke. The brunette nodded, both of them stepping out to her.

"Peyton," Brooke called out softly, watching how fragile her best friend had become.

"Go away," she said through tears, "no one else has a problem with it."

"We're not leaving," Haley inserted forcefully. "You're our best friend, we're not leaving you…I'm sorry everyone else did."

"Just go, Haley. Don't try to make me any false promises," the blonde's voice was ice cold, she was angry, hurt and betrayed. He had made promises to her, promises of never going anywhere but he was gone now.

"I'm not. It's the truth."

"No, it's not. You all leave, people always leave," she tucked her head down to her knees, her sobs loud enough for them both to hear clearly.

"Come on," Brooke grabbed the girl against her will holding her. Her best friend from when they were nine, but even Brooke had left her in the dust in that period of the Lucas/Peyton/Brooke triangle.

"Can't you just let me do this?"

"No, you can't do it by yourself…you'll fall apart if you try," Haley said strongly. She rubbed Peyton's back a few times, though Peyton just wanted to be alone.

"I think I need help…" they both looked at her agreeing, but the blonde shook her head vehemently. "I mean, real help, you guys. Look at me…no seventeen year old should feel this broken…I think I need like counseling with all of this. I don't think you can fix it this time…"

"Is that what you want?" Brooke questioned her friend, the sudden turn around shocked them all.

"No, but it's what I need."

"Peyton…she went to a shrink?" Lucas was astounded at the information. It was very unlike her. But thinking about it now, she was so different to him from when she was in high school, she seemed happier to be alive.

"Yeah, for a few years, through college and everything. It helped her a lot, I mean look at her now…that's not the girl we grew up with. I mean, she's still got a lot to deal with, she's still really hurt, but she's dealing with it better. A lot better. So…don't hurt her, Lucas. I'm serious, if you do I'll be forced to come after you…you may be my brother, but she's been through too much and I won't watch you do it to her again," Nathan warned his older brother of the consequences, Lucas could do nothing but nod.

"I won't…I'll take care of her."

"I'm not kidding around, Lucas. You weren't there, that was just the beginning of it all, of everything. It all came out over the rest of the summer and the next few years, everything. Between stuff with her mom, everything with you her and Brooke, the trust and commitment issues she had, her issues with people leaving, the issues she had with Jake…all it was out there, and she was really broken for a long time. It took her years to get where she's at, and she's doing really good. She smiles more, I talk to her on the phone a lot, you can hear how much her spirits have lifted. Don't hurt her, or I will kick your ass."

"I know –"

"You don't. You're a huge part of why she went through a lot of that…you're a lot of why she had those commitment and trust issues…every time she put it out there for you, you did nothing but throw it all away. Don't do it again…she needs people who genuinely care about her," Nathan said everything with a slight edge to his words. Lucas had to know he couldn't tear her heart into pieces the way he had before.

"I know, I know. We'll be okay."

Eh, I don't now, not my best work. But I had to put it out there for you, I know this was a little slow moving, but I've gotta work some back story into it so you'll get where everything's coming from. Anywho, REVIEW!