Author's Note: I love that everyone got so worked up over who's at the door, lol. Well, you won't find out until the middle of this chapter, so keep on reading. I really appreciate all the feedback, guys, it means the world to me. Sorry it's taken me so long to get updates on here, it's taken a while to find a place where I could use my jump drive properly. Keep the reviews coming, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's kind of angst-ridden. Happy reading!

Our Recognition

Chapter 8

"I love you, and I've loved you all along
I miss you, been far away for far too long
Keep dreamin' you'll be with me and you'll never go
Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore…"

-Nickelback, "Far Away"

"There you are," Haley said as Nathan walked through the door. She was standing in the kitchen making dinner, an apron tied around her waist and water boiling on the stove. "I was about to send a search party for you."

"Yeah, I went to the Rivercourt with Lucas," he told her. "He wanted advice on what to do about Peyton."

Haley giggled. "That's funny, he asked me about that today at break."

"Did you know he bought her a plane ticket to go see Jake?" Nathan asked, still confused by the whole thing. He thought his history with Haley was complicated.

Haley stopped mid-cut on the cucumber she was putting in a salad. "No, he failed to mention that. Why?"

Nathan shrugged. "Got me. He said it was before he knew how she felt. It still makes no sense to me, though. But when I brought up the fact that Peyton still might go, he looked all panicky and left without saying anything else."

She dumped the slices of cucumber into a bowl full of lettuce and other salad toppings. "Wow. I hope they work it all out."

"Yeah, me too. Hey, did you send in your financial aid forms yet for Stanford?"

Haley started to mix up the salad, and looked over at him. "Yeah, I sent them in a few days ago. Why?"

"I was just wondering when the deadline is. My mom left to find Cooper, and no one's really sure when she'll be back. Or if she'll be back."

"Oh, Nathan, I'm so sorry," Haley said sympathetically. "What about your basketball scholarship?"

"It's not enough to get me through the whole year," he explained. "And we all know my dad doesn't need to have more reasons to control my life, so financial aid is my only option."

"Well, the deadline's not until the end of May, so you've got plenty of time to send it in." Placing a bowl of salad in front of herself and Nathan, she took a bite and asked, "What's Dan doing now, anyway? I mean, he hasn't wreaked much havoc lately, and that usually can't mean anything good."

"I guess he's been helping Karen through her pregnancy, which must be kind of weird for Lucas."

Haley stuck her fork out in realization. "So that's why he's been spending so much time with Peyton."

He nodded. "Among other reasons, probably. Dan's been trying to track down my mom, too, but I don't know why. It's like he wants her back here out of revenge or something. Which makes no sense, since the divorce was mutual."

"Well, he is Dan, right?"

"Unfortunately."

She came around the counter and placed a hand on his cheek, sitting in his lap for a moment. "Soon we'll be far away from the mess that is Tree Hill," she told him comfortingly. "And it will be you and me against the world." She kissed him deeply. "Just you and me. Always."

Nathan kissed her back sweetly, smiling as he answered, "And forever."

----------

Checking her watch, Peyton's brow furrowed. She walked down the stairs with bag in hand, and looked through the curtain. Her furrow deepened when she saw who it was.

Opening the door, she said in a confused tone, "Lucas, what are you…?"

Lucas's gaze went directly to the bag, and he cut her off. "Peyton, you can't go."

"What? Go where?"

"To see him. You can't."

Glancing down at the bag, she suddenly knew what he was talking about. But she couldn't understand his sudden desperation. To find out, she decided to play along. "Why can't I?" Her voice had an element of challenge to it.

"Because it would be a mistake. You don't love him."

Peyton narrowed her eyes, annoyed by his presumptuous remarks. "How would you know anything about it? And where is this even coming from? You're the one who bought me the stupid ticket!"

Lucas stepped inside. "You mean you want to go?"

His intense expression was unnerving as he stared at her, but she kept her attitude. "Maybe I do," she lied. "Why do you even care?"

"Why wouldn't I care? Peyton, I know you. I knew just from the look on your face when you saw the ticket that you didn't feel the same way you used to. Tell me why, just tell me why you want to go."

Peyton started to back away, her eyes filling with tears. She felt like his words were pressing upon her, nearly forcing her to tell the truth. but she stood her ground. "It's none of your business, okay? Leave it alone!"

"It is my business!" he countered, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Tell me."

She shook her head vigorously. "No!"

"Tell me!"

"I'm not going!" Peyton finally burst, wetness on her cheeks. "Is that what you wanted to hear? I'm not going to see Jake!"

Lucas let go of her slowly. "You're…not?"

She wiped furiously at her cheeks. "No."

"Then what is the bag for?"

"My dad needed more clothes on his trip," she explained in a quieter, but still stiff voice. "He didn't pack enough, and he's on a local job. I thought you were him, coming to pick it up."

Lucas let the words digest, then said to confirm, "So…you're not going to see Jake."

"No."

"Why aren't you?"

Peyton laughed in a hollow fashion. "What, you're going to get mad at me for not going now?"

He shook his head. "I'm not mad, Peyton. I just…I need to know."

"Why? Why the hell is this so important? God, Lucas, you just-you just barge in here demanding to know all these things, and I don't know what…"

Her words were cut short by the shocking wave of emotion that coursed through her when Lucas kissed her.

It wasn't a kiss like the one they'd shared in the library. This kiss brought back memories of every kiss they'd ever shared before. Except this one was even better. It held a fiery passion she'd yearned to feel since the end of their relationship last year. A burning, aching passion that had never died within either one of them. The same passion that had been her poison for so very long.

When he pulled away, Peyton was trembling. She could hardly breathe. Emotions were striking through her at a rate she couldn't control, and she could tell Lucas was feeling the same way. Finally, she found words.

"Okay," she breathed, "what was that?"

"I love you, Peyton," he said, the words coming as easily as if he'd said them every day for the past seventeen years. "I always have. It just took me way too long to realize it."

They were the words she'd been waiting to hear for months. Fresh tears of joy filled her eyes, and she closed them to simply let the words ring forever in her ears and heart. It was a wonderful feeling. One she'd been missing for so long. But it wasn't that easy.

She shook her head, opening her eyes. "You can't just say something like that, Lucas."

Lucas deflated. "Why not? It's the truth."

"Because it's not that simple! Do you know how long I've waited to hear you say that? How many days I watched you with Brooke, when all I wanted was you." She stepped closer to him in emphasis, tears still forming in her eyes. The words she'd been holding onto for so long were now falling out of her mouth faster than she could control them.

"You know, you rescued me from the shooting, and you helped me after Ellie died, and you spent the summer with me so I wouldn't be alone. And all that time, I covered up how I felt for the sake of you and Brooke. I looked to Pete for distraction, and God, I asked Jake to marry me, but I couldn't run far enough to escape our memories. I never could."

Lucas's eyes widened. "Whoa, whoa, wait. You asked Jake to marry you?" He was far past confusion now.

Peyton was tired of hiding the truth. If she was telling him all of it, she might as well tell him all of it. "Yeah, I asked him to marry me. And you know what? He said yes."

"So you're engaged? Peyton, why didn't you…?"

"No, I'm not. You know why?"

Lucas was trying to quell a welling feeling of jealousy when he replied, "Obviously not."

"That same night, I said…" She stumbled for a moment. "I said, 'I love you,' in my sleep." She pushed him back. "To you. But you were still with Brooke. And now that she broke up with you, now you want me? Now? I don't want to be the next one in line, Lucas! I won't be the last resort!"

This was spiraling out of control, and Lucas didn't like the way Peyton was perceiving his confusion. "Peyton, you misunderstood me. I didn't tell you because you were next in line, it's not like th…"

Peyton didn't want to hear any more. "Just go, Lucas."

"I never imagined you still felt that way about me, Peyton."

"Just go!"

"I thought your heart was still with Jake," he rushed, "and when Brooke told me you were still in love with me…"

Peyton stopped, in shock. "B-Brooke told you?" she stammered.

Lucas nodded solemnly in response. "A couple days ago. It was really unexpected, and I wasn't sure what to do with it. But when I realized you still might go to Jake, I…I suddenly knew."

That was entirely unexpected for Peyton. She never would've expected Brooke to be the one who told Lucas the truth, unless she was using it as emotional blackmail. But if she wasn't…did that mean she'd let him go for good?

He gingerly stepped closer, taking her by the shoulders and touching his forehead to hers. "We've been through so much together, Peyton. You're one of my best friends. You're the only one I want. You understand me better than anyone else." His voice dropped to a whisper. "I want to be close to you, just like this. Forever."

Peyton's chest was ready to burst. This was too much; it was too sudden. She didn't know what to do. She was in the same situation now as she had been the night of Dan Scott's annual basketball team party. Lucas had said the same sorts of things then; that he'd been wanting to be with her for so long, and how he wanted to be in her heart, how he only wanted it to be the two of them. Forever.

At the time, Peyton had walked out on him. she'd been overwhelmed by the weight of his words, by the sudden idea of such intense commitment. And now that he was saying it again, she somehow felt…

Complete.