'Dad what're you doing here?' Peyton sighs. She's stressed out. 'I'm kind of crammed- did we say we'd do lunch or something? Can I rain check?' She rambles as she rifles through the papers on her desk.

'I dropped by the house earlier...Jake told me about Jen- why didn't you call me?'

She huffs, giving up on her search and looking up at her father. 'I'm sorry. I've kind of been a little distracted'

'I see that kid like one of my grandchildren'

'I know, I know' She nods. 'I'm sorry Dad. I should've called. I just, I've been processing it myself and well, talking about it makes it real doesn't it?' She confides.

'Come're' He moves toward her to embrace her but her arms flap and she hastily marches away. She can't do this right now and hugs and soothing words are just going to break her tough facade.

'I can't do this right now Dad. I'm meant to be in the studio. I'm just looking for-' Her frowning face is quick to morph into jubilation. 'Got ya' She grabs an abandoned diary sitting on top of a pile of records.

'It's beyond me how you're a 21st century kid and you still put everything down on paper- your life would be so much easier if you just wrote stuff on your macbook'

'Eurgh. Pen and paper worked just fine for Shakespeare father'

He follows her as she vacates her office.

'Is there anything I can do to help? I can imagine this has caused chaos here'

'I think me and Julian are on top of everything, thanks though' She dismisses, her tone a little haughty as it always is when it comes to her father trying to assist her in anyway.

She pushes open the door to the recording studio booth. Diary found. Now where did she leave her phone?

'What's he doing here?'

Peyton startles, her head jerking up to see who the older man is referring to.

Lucas Scott is sat on the other side of the glass window, guitar in hand.

'Of course he's on time for the first time in his life' Her grumble contradicts the smile and welcoming wave she offers him. She reaches out and presses a red button on the console before them, summoning a red light to come on. 'Hey Luke. I'll be two secs'

'Sure, no hurry. Hey Mick'

She glances to her father and quickly releases the button before he responds in what she's sure will be a snarky answer to Lucas' greeting.

'Why's he here?' Mick grunts again.

Her eyes flit back to the distinguished light on the system before her, double checking Lucas can no longer hear their conversation.

'Dad' She sighs because defending Lucas Scott is like a full time job. 'Why can't you just force a smile and say hi? Can you please just be civil'

'Civil? To the man that nearly killed you' Mick shakes his head. 'I don't think so'

'He didn't nearly kill me'

Mick glares through the clear window prompting Lucas to wave back with an overly friendly smile that has Peyton despairingly looking away because now he's merely provoking the already riled man beside her. She knows Lucas isn't stupid, knows that not being able to hear them doesn't mean he can't figure out what the subject of their conversation is.

'If you're thinking of signing him it's not happening' Mick growls, wildly spinning away from the window and back to his daughter.

'Not that you have a say father but Luke will always be welcome at this label. But he's never been interested in signing as a solo artist'

'No because that would mean he couldn't keep stalking you wouldn't it?'

'You're going to have to learn to be nice because we're doing some work together'

'Is he ever going to tire of leeching off of you?'

'Leeching? Leeching is what I'd describe as your sweet girlfriend; somebody who has zero aspirations. Someone who is happy to let her boyfriend finance her lavish style without lifting a single finger. That's not Lucas' She scathingly remarks.

'Be nice sweetheart, Bevin is a doll'

'Yes a complete airhead' Peyton mutters under her breath.

'What is this oh so important work that only Lucas Scott is capable of fulfilling?'

'Like you assumed' She tersely begins 'Jenny being in rehab has caused some issues. Its been decided I'm going to tour...with Luke'

'What?'

'You heard'

'Peyton-'

'Dad I'm a big girl and quite frankly your aversion to Lucas is nothing but hypocritical. Your dislike for him is purely because of his relationship with drink and you're not exactly one to judge when it comes to that are you?'

'You think I wanted you to end up with a man like me Peyton? It's because of my problems that I tried to steer you away from him. I didn't want for you what I put your mother through! But you didn't listen to me!-'

'No? I'm married to Jake aren't I? Lucas and I haven't been romantically involved for the last thirteen years so you can cut the protective father bullshit. We're friends and we're working together. End of'

'I can't let go of the fact that I nearly had to attend your funeral! Because of him!'

'You're being ridiculous'

'I don't think I am. Imagine Sawyer coming home with a black eye, how would you feel about the man responsible?'

She cringes as she imagines any harm coming to her baby. Knows she'd find it hard to forgive anyone that ever hurt a hair on her child's head. But this is different. This is completely different because they're talking about Lucas and Lucas never hurt her. Not on purpose.

'Lucas never hurt me. I'm not having this argument with you. I'm sorry that you don't like us working together. I appreciate that you don't approve but this is what's best for the label and I'd really appreciate it if you could be professional and put your feelings to one side and if you can't do that, perhaps just avoid dropping by here and come to the house instead' She suggests.

'Peyton-'

'No Dad! I love that you care, really I do but this, this performance-'

'Performance?!' He cuts in. 'Peyton you're my daughter- this isn't an act. I care about your well being!'

She takes a shaky breath and nods. 'I...I know. I know but it feels like a performance to me! I can't help it! You weren't fucking there when I had sleazy music producers touching me up at seventeen and now that I'm an adult and can look after myself you decide to step up' She admits the reasoning behind her difficulty to accept his paternal nature that developed a little later than the average father. 'It's too late! I can take care of myself and Lucas is the last person I need your protection from! He saved me long before you ever tried so just, just please. Thank you but...but no thank you'

'What're you talking about?' Mick grinds out.

She's quick to realise her mistake. She's divulged more than she meant to in her babbled speech. 'Nothing. Forget it'

'Who?!' He barks.

She jumps. 'It doesn't matter. I didn't mean to tell you that. I just, I need you to understand that I don't need you telling me what's best for me Dad. Not anymore'

'I heard' He nods but his murderous expression doesn't elevate her unease. 'Who. Touched. You?'

'It was forever ago. It doesn't-'

'It matters. Tell me'

'Nothing happened. Luke stopped it if you really must know. He stopped it all. So, so next time you want to start telling me that he's no good think about the fact that he saved your daughter from going through that ordeal' She bleakly advises. 'I've got a lot of work to be doing. Maybe we can have dinner at the weekend? The girls always like it when you come for Sunday lunch' She paints on a smile and changes the conversation, trying her hardest to block out her father's dismayed expression. 'It'd be a good distraction for them- they're cut up about Jenny too'

He swallows audibly. Pauses. 'O-okay then' He nods eventually. 'Okay. Yes. That'll be nice. I, I'll do that'

She opens and closes her mouth. Her feet do a dance. Step forward. Step back. Affection when it comes to the man before her isn't something that comes naturally to her. She'd spent her whole youth wanting his undivided attention and now that she has it she finds it hard to accept.

He reaches for something on the ledge of the window and extends it to her. 'I feel like you might have been looking for this?' He's located her phone and she somehow both loves and hates that he knows she was looking for the irritating item without her saying so.

'Yeah. Thank you'

She follows him out of the small room with her found possessions.

'I'll see you later then?' He pauses before the adjacent door he knows she's about to head through.

'Yeah' She forces a tight smile that is quick to fade when he opens the door for her, peering his head into the studio.

'If you so much as step a foot out of line'

She rolls her eyes at his warning to Lucas, who doesn't have time to answer because her father kisses her cheek and is gone in all of an instant.

She walks further into the studio and shuts the door.

'Well, Mr Wolf is as delightful as ever I see' Lucas drones.

'Mm, you know Daddy'

'He's never all that pleased to see me is he?'

'You don't help yourself do you?'

'I thought I was perfectly pleasant'

'Mm. Maybe tone it down a bit in future' She smiles insincerely in imitation of his earlier grinning in hello to her father.

'Noted...I didn't think all this would cause this much of a stir...' She doesn't answer. He watches her flap about with deciding where she's going to sit. Notes how some things don't change; she never was any good at making decisions about the simplest of things. But the big things, things like marriage, she said "yes" in all of a heart beat. 'Julian issued me with my very own manual on "Acceptable behaviour around Peyton Wolf" today. Anyone would think we'd had an affair or something' He murmurs, the smirk on his face is one she's eager to slap away.

She knows its only a matter of time before there are headlines about them collaborating again, with many not so subtle suggestions that their relationship is more than just work. It's inevitable given their history. But him adding fuel to the fire isn't welcome.

'Hey, I'm only teasing. What's wrong?'

'Nothing' She finally sits down.

'Nothing? Come on Peyt. I know when you're upset'

'Do you?' She glares at him because she's sure if he knew that he'd work a little harder at not being so cantankerous around her or her father so she didn't get upset in the first place.

'Yes' He answers steadily. 'And I'm thinking it's me' He hazards a guess. At least he wasn't completely clueless. 'What have I done? I smiled too much at your Dad- if that's it, I'm really sorry. I'll endeavour to be less happy' He nods his head affirmatively, a bemused smile on his lips. She's not amused. 'Seriously, what is it?'

'Nothing!' She exclaims. 'Nothing' She repeats a little more evenly. 'Everyone, everyone is just driving me crazy, telling me us working together is the worst idea' She admits the true reason behind her stress.

He swallows thickly.

'So please...please don't try and make my life ten times more difficult that it already is right now Luke' She begs. 'Jake's pissed about this. My kids are pissed about this. Brooke is more pissed about this than anyone. And as you just saw Daddy dearest isn't over the moon either' She rants. 'So the last thing I need is for you to work your ass off to make it even harder. Just please. Can we rehearse this shit and work out what we're doing. Please'

He nods. Is stunned into silence.

She taps her pencil as she reads over the song list before her.

'What have I done to upset Sawyer and Indie?' He murmurs eventually, his voice hurt.

She sighs and looks at him. 'You haven't' She wearily expels. 'You haven't. It's just me going away touring isn't something they're keen on. When I did it a couple of years ago it was too much. I didn't see them enough and I promised them never again'

'It's not going to be like that this time'

'I know. They'll be ok, they just need a little while to warm up to the idea...so what shall we end the set with?' She attempts to focus them on the task at hand.

'Muffled silence' He answers easily.

'No...' She wants to avoid that one at all costs.

'Come on, you know that's the right choice'

'No, no it's too slow' She declines.

'You're being ridiculous. And Julian gave me the patronising talking to about being professional! How're we going to do this if you're not going to be prepared to sing any of the damn songs'

'I don't care about any of the others jackass. Just that one. You know why'

'No. I don't. It's a fucking good song. I still mean every word of it. I know you don't but you managed to fake it back then so why is that so hard now?' He grumbles.

Her chair screeches as she pushes it back. 'I never faked anything with you Luke! Don't you dare fucking accuse me of that!' She hisses, her hand jabbing through the air wildly.

He jumps notably, taken aback by her outburst because he knows her. Knows that it usually takes a lot more for her to completely loose her rag.

He blinks, watches her indecisively twirl around before him as she tries to control her emotions. But her resilience falters. She feels like she's been criticised and quarrelling with every important person in her life for the last few days and this is seemingly the last straw.

The last thing she wants to do is cry in front of him but her tears are determined.

'Peyton-'

She shakes her head, enraged further by her inability to keep it together 'For god sake' she mutters.

'I'm-'

'I need a min..' she trails off, she knows trying to finish her sentence is going to result in a sob passing her lips and that isn't an option. He watches her storm out and he thinks he's screwed this up before it's even began because they've only been in the room alone together for twenty minutes and she's running away. Perhaps he should be use to her fleeing by now. After all, there'd been more than a few times that she'd left him. To tour. In rehab. For Jake. Her previous departures make little difference though; it still stings as much in this very moment as it had that first time.