Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill in any form or fashion

The following morning Chris awoke, and reached for the girl laying next to him. Only to find the sheets had gone cold, the spot was empty. With a groan he opened his eyes only to find a sheet of paper, laying where Peyton was meant to be.

'Chris,

I'm sorry. But I had to go. My dad is driving us back to Tree Hill. I insisted we leave early. I'm sorry I didn't wake to say bye. Or that I didn't tell you I was going. I couldn't stay here. My place is truly in Tree Hill. And after spending time with you and Alex and Tristan, I've realized that this is where you're meant to be right now. You had to have known that this day would come. Honestly, who would have thought we'd last forever. You and Me. We were pretending it would last. I had to go back home. I had to call this thing to an end. Losing Elie hurt, and it made me realize some things about my life. Thank you for all your help, for helping me get through this, and for being there for me. For giving me some thing I didn't think I could find again after Jake. Thank you for making me once more feel alive. Please forgive me for living like this. I'm truly sorry. Thank you for everything.

My heart,

Peyton'

With a look mixed of frustration and confusion, he threw back the covers, and hurried to the kitchen, in only his boxers. He found Alex and Tristan sitting at the table, with their coffee.

They both looked up quickly when he entered.

"Yes, sweets. She really left. They all did. Around six this morning. I'm sorry we didn't wake you, but she asked us not to." Alex said, knowing what her brother was thinking.

"Yeah, but I'm your brother Alex. Shouldn't your loyalty lay with me not her!"

"Christopher James, don't raise your voice at me! Little brother. I knew you wouldbe upset about her leaving, but she asked me to promise to not wake you. At least till she had left here. She had a determined air about her. There wasn't going to be any talking her out of this. I figured waking you and letting you two have it out wouldn't be a good idea. I'm sorry, but she was set on leaving, and she did."

"You could have at least woken me." He huffed flopping in the nearest chair, and took Alex's coffee.

Peyton sat in the back of her car. Her dad was driving. She had started out in the middle of the front seat next to Brook. Who had fallen asleep deciding to use Peyton as her pillow. So at the last rest stop, Peyton had climbed over Brook, excepting Nathan's hand to help her out without bodily harming Brook. She had pleaded with Lucas, when they got back to the car. Insisting that Brook was his girlfriend, so he should be her pillow. Lucas grinned as he watched Peyton trying to convince him to let her set in the back with Nathan and Hayley. Nathan who was amused by Lucas slight teasing of Peyton, insisting that Brook was her best friend so she should be the pillow, wrapped his arm tighter around his wife. Hayley grinned up at Nathan, then turned back to Lucas and Peyton, seeing Mr. Sawyer approaching over Lucas' shoulder.

"Lucas, shut up! Peyton get back here with us." Hayley said with a slight laugh, as Lucas mock pouted, and Peyton grinned with triumph.

Lucas, lifted Brook slightly slid her to the middle, settled in beside her, and placed her head on his chest. Peyton climbed over the side of the car, and settled in beside Hayley. Hayley offered her a reassuring smile, and Peyton offered a weak one in return. Hayley lovingly reached over and took Peyton's hand, and laced her fingers with her best friend's. Nathan however, lifted his hand from Hayley's shoulder and ruffled Peyton's hair.

So, here they all sat, Brook finally awake. They had stopped playing the radio game, deciding it too boring. Nathan feeling mean, moved his arm from around Hayley, leaned forward and flicked Lucas in the back of the head. Then quickly moved in to kiss Hayley's neck as if to say, that's what he had been doing all along. In which implying that Peyton had flicked him. It wasn't believed. Lucas deciding to be as childish as his brother, turned and stuck out his tongue. Then twisted Brook and himself, so that he was slightly facing the back, he could at least see everything Nathan was doing. Hayley, in turn he couldn't see, so she in favor of her husband, reach up and flicked the back of Lucas' head. Then quickly returned to french braiding Peyton's hair.

Peyton lay awake in bed, early on the morning of her first day back to Tree Hill High. She rolled onto her right side, and placed her hand on the empty sheets next to her. She had gotten use to having Chris laying on the left side of the bed. She found herself longing for his body warmth under the covers. His gentle hold on her during the night. The way he touched her. The way he pulled her tighter to him when he woke, and then he would kiss her neck. Oh that's one of the things she missed the most, his lips. The way the kissed her, the way he talked to her. On man, how she just missed him in general.

Chris truly found that he no longer liked sleeping. Well, at least not in his bed. That's where he slept with her, where he had her. The last place she had been his. He couldn't sleep in the guest room, cause that was her actual appointed room, for her stay there. So, that room as well reminded him of her, cause she had actually laid on that bed a few times. So, since she left, he had found himself sleeping on the couch. He was cold there, yet he was cold any and everywhere. Nothing felt right, and nothing was right. Not without her. He needed her. She made him want to be better. She made him need to be better, so he would feel like he deserved her. Though he guessed in fact he didn't, since she had left him. He needed her and she was gone, he felt so empty, and lost. He missed her, all of her, everything about her. Oh, what he'd give only for the chance to hold her again. If only once more. If only he could at least tell her how much he had fallen in love with her. It was no longer a possibility. He had lost her.

Peyton sat at one of the tables outside of school. Brook and Lucas was on her right, acting all ushy-gushy in love. And Nathan and Hayley were on her left. Nathan teasing her about how he had missed her morning hair, while they were apart. They were officially back together, and Hayley had moved into the Scott's house with him. At Nathan's teasing Hayley blushed, and playfully shoved him, in which he caught her wrist and pulled her against him, placing a quick kiss on her lips. All her friends were happy, and so much in love with there other. It made her feel a little sad, and strangely remorse.

"How did you know?" She asked suddenly, drawling all eyes to her.

"How did who know what?" Nathan asked with a puzzled look that matched the others.

"How did you know Hayley was the one, how did you know Nathan was the one, and that it was right for you two to get married. How did you figure out the Brook was the one for you, your only one. And what made you change your mind, and realize that Lucas was the guy for you?"

"Hayley made me better. Made me want to be better. Come on you knew me before Hayley, can you honestly say I'm not a better person now, because of her? She gave me a friendship with my brother. She gave me a feeling of pride, just by the fact that she let me any where near her really. She's my girl always and forever. Marriage well that just popped into my head, one day and I couldn't get rid of the idea of getting to wake up next to her every morning, and laying down next to her every night. Or the fact I could kiss her in front of other guys, and tell by the look on their faces how much they wanted to be able to do that, but could never touch her."

"Nathan's my muse. That's how I know. Music was a closeted secret fantasy of mine. And being with Nathan, made me pull it out into the open, and let other people see who I was, through my music. He made me be strong and open. Marriage just seemed like the right thing. It was a burning inside of me, telling me to spend the rest of my life with him. Yeah we had a big rocky spot that I'm not proud of the fact I let it get there. But we're okay now, and I know that we always well be. Besides he brought me into a friendship with you and Brook."

"I woke up every morning and all, I could think about was Brook. From the moment I woke to the minute I went to sleep, all I thought about was Brook, and how much I needed her, and loved her. Okay, so I don't have as much to say as Nathan, or Hayley. But mine is just as good and heart felt, as every thing they said. Brook made me, well different. But in a well, bad way, then better way. I just know with every fiber of my being that I need to be with her."

"I love Lucas. He's the Dawson to my Joey. (A/n: sorry I couldn't stop myself from the dawson's creek reference.) Or, would he be the Pacey to my Joey, since she ended up with him in the end. I don't know, but I love him, and it's just so right for me to be with him. And he is everything I need, and have to have to live. What is this all about Peyton?"

"You, guys all love me right? I mean, you all want me to be happy no matter what."

"Yes, of course. Where is this all coming from?" Lucas asked. Nathan, Brook and Lucas were all confused. Hayley however, had a quite good idea what she was talking about.

"Ya, know Lucas didn't like me being with Nathan at first. Cause, well let's all face it, he was a really big jerk. One of the biggest to be exact. Sorry, baby. But look how much he changed in such a short time, and just so he could be with me. He's a good guy now, and deep down he always was, even when he was being a jerk, he just needed someone to help him be the good guy he really was. And now Lucas approves of our relationship. I think. But, it's okay cause we're together, and we're meant to be."

"Yes, I approve of your relationship. How could I not, when I see how happy he makes you. How happy you make each other. But what does that have to do with what Peyton's getting at."

"It has to do with Chris. Am I right?" Hayley asked looking at her friend.

"Yeah, it has to do with Chris."

"What about him?" Lucas asked.

"She wants to be with him. And wants to know that we approve of it." Hayley informed them.

"I thought you broke up with him before we left." Nathan said looking at Peyton.

"I did, it's just..."

"Peyton, Chris is a good guy. I mean look at everything he's done for you since you went down there to find Elie. You've been living with him, and found comfort with him. I mean, come on the guy did leave the hospital, to go get you tooth paste, a tooth brush, something to drink, and eat. While you were locked in the bathroom. He called us cause he was worried about you. Remember how you freaked, cause you was worried that he might have left the hospital. Come on Peyton, the guy carried you out of the hospital our last day there. He really cares about you. You can see it in the way he looks at you. And you care about him too." Hayley said reassuringly.

"Yes, but would you guys approve if I was with him? I mean, Nate, you haven't liked him since the beginning. Heck I wasn't fond of him at first either. I thought he was a bit of a jerk. And Lucas, after that whole thing, yeah you and Brook really haven't liked him. And well, Hayley. I'm not sure how you feel about him, but I know it's near disgusted. How can I ever ask you guys to agree with my being with him?"

"Peyton, we'll all get over how much we distaste him, and all that is him. Everyone changes. Look how much Nathan changed, and Brook changed. Come on look at us. Two years ago, none of us were friends. In fact we were the furthest thing from friends, save for me and Hayley, and then you three were friends. But now, now we're like inseparable. What little time we just spent with Chris, well I saw a change in him. I think we all did. I saw how much he cares about you. And how much you care for him."

"Yea, Peyton. I haven't seen you that way with a guy since Jake left. Only I think you might have been happier with Chris then with Jake. No, no hear me out first. With Jake, I know you loved him, and he loved you. It's just that, with Jake you were mostly going through the whole thing with Jenny, and Nikki. Which was hard, but with Chris, you were going through your thing, not the guy's thing, and Chris was there for you every step of the way. Good and bad. I know how much you miss Jake, and loved him. But, honey look at you and Chris. He is the least likely person we expected you to fall for, but you did. And you're happy, so happy. Come on Peyton, you love Chris, he makes you different better, just like you made him better."

"If he is truly the one you want, then he is the one you're meant to be with. And you should be with him. We'll stand behind you. Every step of the way. Just know if he in anyway hurts you, at all then me and Luke, will thoroughly pound him."

"Man, guys. Thanks. But it doesn't matter anyway. I mean after the way I left it."

'How did you leave it? I mean did you guys, have a big nasty fight, about it? You never did tell us. I just know I didn't see him at all the morning before he left." Brook said.

"Well, that's the thing. I didn't exactly tell him. I kinda wrote him a note, and left it on his pillow next to him. That's why you guys didn't see him, cause he was still a sleep. I broke up with my boyfriend, in a letter before I come back to Tree Hill."

"Peyton!" Brook exclaimed shoving her friend.

"Yeah, and there is no way Nathan would forgive me, for leaving him to go on the tour." Hayley mocked, then leaned back against Nathan. "No, wait I think maybe he did forgive me"

With a smile, Nathan kissed the side of Hayley's neck, and grinned up at his friends.

At that moment Peyton had what felt like at that moment was going to be the greatest epiphany of her life. With, a sudden smile, Peyton jumped from her seat, grabbed her things and ran out to her car. Finally realizing what it was she had to do. What needs to be done to keep her life on track, and to stay happy. She had to love and be loved, and not just by her father, or her four best friends she had just left sitting at the lunch table.