A/N: Hello everyone, I wanted to apologize for the late update. I know it's been a while. I have been busy with my last year of university. I had anticipated getting this chapter up in early November but my life has been so hectic lately. so I haven't had time to write/post the chapters for you guys as anticipated.

This chapter is very Leyton centric, the reason for this is because we are slowly seeing Peyton's re-emerging feelings for Lucas. The downfall of her relationship with the girls. Brooke and Lucas's relationship coming to an end. Brooke does not find out about this for a while because she trusts Lucas and obviously the drama that goes down at the JEYTON wedding!

"It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend."
―William Blake

Chapter 19

February 19, 2007

When Peyton woke up in the middle of the afternoon Brooke's ass was in her face, Haley had stolen the bottom of her blanket to warm her own feet and Rachel was snoring.

She laughed at the irony. She had missed this yesterday, but right now her feet were cold, she moved away from her friend's behind, and wished she could throw a pillow at the girl two bodies' down.

She knew it was wrong to think about him, but she couldn't help it. He consumed her every thought as of late. For a moment she thought it could have all been a dream. Seeing him, being in the same room with him, hearing her nickname pour from his lips. She shivered at the sound of his voice or the memory of his voice, at least. For a while, though it was like she forgot it. She once read that voice is the first thing you lose from your memory when "forgetting" someone.

She was torn from her thoughts by a phone ringing. Brooke's phone, of course. All these years later and Brooke was still the "popular" one of the group.

The brunette rolled, effectively putting her ass in Peyton's face again, causing her to groan. "Yeah?" she answered the phone. "Peyton's. I don't know, maybe," all the girls listened in on the one-sided conversation. "Well, maybe you should have thought about that when- oh yes you did! She needs all of us right now, Lucas. I think you can deal on your own for one more night."

Peyton hated that she was causing problems for the two. She loved them both and they shouldn't be in the middle of her drama, but knew Brooke wouldn't have that. She would insert herself in it if need be, especially for her friends.

"Me neither," Brooke continued. "Yes. I said yes, didn't I? The can opener is in the drawer with- no, the one next to the sink. The other side of the sink, Luke! Yes. I'll call you later. Love you too." She groaned as she hung up. "We've lived together for months and he still doesn't know where shit is."

"Neither does Rachel," Haley spoke up.

"What? I do too!" the snorer cut in.

"How you feeling, girl?" Brooke asked, turning over to face her.

"Better if you would keep your private parts out of my face," she answered honestly. "All night it's your ass, in the morning it's your boobs. We should just call this a three-way relationship and let Lucas know I am part of the deal," she joked and all the girls laughed.

"You love it!" Brooke stated, pushing her breasts in Peyton's face. "But I always thought it would be Rachel to do that," she teased with a wink sent the girl's way.

"Oh, I'm in on it," the girl replied, lunging over Haley to attack the other two.

Haley laughed and groaned at the same time. "Now I have Rachel's vagina in my face!"

"Better tell Luke it's a fivesome," Rachel stated, moving to lay her head on Brooke's side and her legs on Haley.

Peyton smiled at her friends. "Who are we kidding, we're the foursome and he's the oddball out." All the girls nodded and laughed.

Convinced that it would make Peyton feel better after an all-day "bonding sesh" Brooke suggested they go out for an impromptu bachelorette party. Peyton surprisingly agreed. She wanted to have fun with her friends, it was their first full weekend together in forever and she could think about Jake later. In fact, she was sure she would think about Jake later, so why not try and get her mind off of it now?

She changed her mind when Brooke chose Tric—the new bar/latest place to be in town. They had come to a deal if Peyton spent an hour and a half without complaining at Tric they could go to Karen's Café afterwards and get coffee and just hang out since it was open way late on Saturdays.

It felt like college all over again. Although usually, Brooke could get Jake on her side and they would go out and she would have a great time. The only thing she was looking forward to was the alcohol. She wasn't one to drink all the time, but with her week and especially her yesterday she couldn't wait to get a few drinks in.

"This dress is horrible," Peyton insisted as they walked up to their destination.

"Was that a complaint?" Brooke questioned, turning on her.

"No!" Peyton said with wide eyes. "It's a comment because you put me in YOUR dress." Brooke disappeared for over an hour earlier in the night and came back with a gray, shimmery, faux leather dress that she insisted would look "perfect" on Peyton and she just had to try it on.

She had to admit, it did look good on her, it just wasn't something she was feeling to wear that night. The dress went mid-thigh, ruffled out in a few layers over her breasts before turning into the faux leather to go down her stomach. She left her hair down in loose curls with light, smoky makeup and gray heels.

The brunette nodded. "A dress that is too tight on me and fits you like a glove. You look amazing so shut up!"

Haley nodded. "She is right," she agreed. "I mean, you look hot."

Peyton groaned and followed her friends with a frown on her face. She didn't smile until they reached the bar and she stayed there for over half an hour before her friends decided that was not the place for her anymore.

"You sit here and we will order you a soda or something," Rachel suggested, helping Peyton up onto the high chair. "Nice job, B," she grumbled a moment later.

"What? She's happy, isn't she?" Brooke responded with a grin.

"She's three drinks away from puking all over your shoes," Haley corrected. "She's almost more of a lightweight than me."

"Almost," Peyton agreed and took another sip of her mixed drink.

"Give me that," Haley said and took the drink from her.

Peyton frowned. "Haley!" She reached for it, but Haley held it away from her.

"Geez, what is this? Straight vodka?" Haley asked after taking a whiff. Peyton shrugged with a sheepish grin. "When she is yakking tonight, you're the one taking care of her," she informed Brooke who scoffed.

"Peyton?" she heard next to her and so she turned, although much slower than usual. "Peyton, hey," the man greeted.

She smiled. "Jack! Guys, its Jack!" Peyton greeted and grabbed his arm to look through hers. "Jack, these are my guys, Brooke and Haley... there is another one, Rachel, but she went to get me something non-alcoholic to drink," she introduced.

"Jack, nice to meet you," Brooke said with a knowing smile. "I've heard a LOT about you," she insisted.

Jack turned pink and Peyton laughed. "I have too, about you, I mean. I heard about you and your boyfriend in Peyton's cabin," he joked back, fully aware of Brooke's subtle teasing

Never one to embarrass Brooke just smiled with a nod. "One of my finer moments, eh Peyton?" she asked with a wink.

Peyton grinned. "Do you wanna go get a drink with me J?" she asked, hopping down off the chair and tripped slightly, causing Jack to catch her. "My friend took mine away and hasn't come back yet."

"I- yes, sure," he answered.

She ignored Haley's tug of her other arm and went with Jack towards the bar. She didn't spot Rachel anywhere and with no one around to stop her, she ordered another mixed drink that was more alcohol than non.

"It's funny running into you here. I didn't think this was your scene," Jack mentioned once they ordered.

Peyton exaggeratedly nodded. "Yeah, my friends decided to take me out. I'm having fun though, aren't you?" she attempted to flirt.

"Yeah, yeah, I am just out with a few friends, getting a few beers, you know," he answered.

Peyton tilted her head up at him. He was about as tall as Jake but more bulky with blue-green eyes. His chin wasn't as defined and he had zero chin dimple.

He must have thought she was staring in more than just a drunken analyzation because all of a sudden his lips were on her and she gasped a little. He took it as a good thing and continued to kiss her. Peyton's eyes widened as his tongue entered her mouth and she pulled away after another moment.

She busied herself by taking a sip of her drink that had appeared while they were kissing, she assumed.

"I, um," Jack started, embarrassed.

Peyton shook her head. "No, you're fine," she assured him but wasn't sure if she was. Was she only going to ever kiss Jack when she was drinking? And each time was it just going to remind her of how Jake used to make her feel because she didn't feel it with him?

Jack awkwardly took a swig of his own drink.

Peyton looked across the bar and finally spotted Rachel, but she wasn't alone. She was with Lucas... and Nathan. She looked like she was fighting with them, more so Lucas than Nathan and that confused her. Why was she more mad at Lucas? Shouldn't Nathan be the one she was mad at?

All of a sudden Lucas backed up with his hands in surrender and went to exit the bar. "I, uh, I will be right back," Peyton excused herself and took off across the bar, moving faster than she should have been if she was past tipsy.

She also had no idea what she was doing. Why was she following Lucas? Yesterday- hell, earlier today all she wanted to do was forget him and wish she hadn't seen him the night before.

"What are you doing here?" she questioned loudly, ignoring the slight chill in the early spring air. Lucas froze mid-step. "Yes, it is me talking to you. What are you doing here?" she asked and he turned around. She focused on the ground and only spoke again when his shoes came into her vision.

It was then she let herself look at him. He was only in a black t-shirt and blue jeans, but somehow his blue eyes shone through the darkness. They were in the back alley of the bar with no one around. He was staring right back at her and she felt herself shiver.

"Don't make me ask you again," she stated.

"Go back inside, Peyton," he simply answered.

She shook her head. "Not until I get my answer. What are you doing here? Is it about that business Brooke said you were starting?"

"I'm not going to do this with you right now. Please go back inside. Why are you so upset with me?" he insisted.

"You-you're not going to do this with me right now? Really?" she continued, her anger flaring. "Well, when will I be worth your time, Luke? When I run into you on the street, maybe at the grocery store? Just let me know when I can finally get some fucking answers around here," she said, the alcohol fueling her anger.

"Peyton, not now, okay? You've been drinking, just go back inside and let your friends take care of you," he pleaded, stepping closer.

"No!" she exclaimed. "You can't just come here like this like it's no big deal, you're not allowed," she insisted. "So tell me, why are you here?"

Lucas looked like he would have laughed if she wasn't trying to pick a fight with him. "What? No. Peyton, please just go back in-"

"Stop telling me what to do!" she exploded, pushing his chest, causing him to stumble back a little. "You don't get to come back and try to take care of me or-or pawn me off on someone else so they can do it. I have been taking care of myself for the past two damn years and I've been doing just fine," she told him.

Lucas's jaw clenched. "Fine, you can take care of yourself, just go back in and do whatever you want so I can leave."

"I kissed another guy tonight," Peyton found herself admitting.

His hands turned into fists. "Peyton what about J-"

"And it wasn't the first time either. I did the other night too, in my apartment, on the couch," she went on. "He's a good guy, you know. Someone my parents would approve of, a lawyer with nice, church-going parents."

"What about Jake why don't you go back inside and be with him?" he asked, trying not to let his anger get the best of him. He couldn't do this, not here, not like this.

"Because he isn't you!" she just about yelled. "It's been two fucking years and all that I can do is think about you and it's not fair," she went on, pushing on his chest again. "It's not fair to Jake, and it's not fair to Brooke, but I can't help it and then you just come here and look like you and you still-" she stopped herself and turned around to hide her tears from him.

She felt him behind her. "Peyton, please, just go inside, okay? We- we'll talk later," he pleaded softly.

Peyton wiped her eyes and turned only to find him right behind her. Another inch and they would've been touching. "How can you come back and make me feel like you did before like nothing ever happened?" she asked quietly, looking up into his eyes. Lucas just pursed his lips and looked down at her. "I-I kissed Jake and I felt nothing. I've made out with him and just felt guilty. And- and you just come back and stand close to me and I feel more than I have in years," she whispered. "Why?"

"I don't know, Peyton, but we can't-"

She stopped him by tugging on his neck and brought his lips down to hers.

It was the alcohol flowing through her system and she knew it. Sober she probably wouldn't have even gone near him, at least not any time soon. But being drunk and with him so close all she wanted to do was touch him. Her lips moved with his with a sense of familiarity.

Peyton felt every dull nerve ending in her body ignite with passion for the first time in over two years. It amazed her how he could still bring this side out of her, even after all he had done, after all, they had been through, after all the time that had passed.

Then all of a sudden Lucas had her against the brick of the building and his hands quickly went underneath her bum to lift her up a little so they could kiss easier. Her fingers threaded through his hair, feeling the soft, silky strands and pulling on it a little too. She had missed it. She missed everything. Her fingers combed through his hair probably more than a brush did while they were together.

He bit her lip and she moaned and it was like Lucas snapped back to reality. He put her down and left her heaving against the wall as he turned away and shook his head.

"Peyton, we can't..." he trailed off, hands rubbing his face.

She grabbed his elbow and pulled him back to her. "I know it's wrong but kiss me, Luke," she murmured, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. She loved the feeling of his body against hers. It was like her addiction had stayed dormant until now. Now she has hooked all over again.

He pressed his forehead against hers and let out a long sigh. She breathed him in and smiled at the cologne, sawdust, and coffee. Lucas. It was all Lucas. For the first time in forever her heart didn't have a panging ache attached to each beat.

"Kiss me," she repeated, rubbing their noses together lightly. He used to love doing that, especially after she admitted that it caused her to melt a little every time he did it. She brushed her lips against his softly.

Lucas groaned and pressed his lips to hers, giving in. Peyton grinned and using her hold of his neck as leverage and looped her leg around his waist. In return, his hand squeezed at her bare skin and their tongues began to touch.

It was more than Peyton felt in years. For the first time since they broke up, she felt alive and she didn't want it to end.

But it did.

"Peyton!"

"Luke?"

Their friends found them, causing Lucas to retract from her and stumble away. He shook his head as he had been under some type of spell. Her spell.

"What the hell are you doing?" Haley demanded, coming over to grab Peyton's hand.

But she ripped it away. "Don't blame him, I kissed him first," she insisted, standing in front of the blue-eyed boy and reached behind herself to grab at him.

His hand found hers out of instinct and he cursed himself. He couldn't do this, but he didn't pull away either.

"I don't care, you're drunk, he should know better," Rachel cut in, glaring at the man behind her friend.

"I made him do it- I- it's fine," Peyton said, almost pleading.

She wanted it to be two minutes ago again. She wanted his lips on hers, the feel of his body below her fingertips, his smell in her nostrils. She wanted to feel alive. It was unlike her, but she wanted to go home with him, wherever that was for him. It was wrong, but it felt so right too. She just wanted to be left alone with him again.

Then Lucas spoke. "Peyton, go," she heard behind her. She turned on him. "Go with your friends," he urged, letting her hand go.

This time she was the one to stumble away, but thankfully her friends caught her. For some reason, it was like Lucas was leaving her all over again. He was letting her go. She wanted to stay with him and he wanted her to go. She just held onto Rachel and Haley, trying to ignore the new pain in her heart and the chills that suddenly overwhelmed her.

Nathan followed the girls but Haley stayed behind.

"Don't," Lucas stated, holding a hand up to her.

"Don't what?" Haley replied. "Tell you how stupid you are? How irresponsible it is for you to do that to her? How could you do that to Brooke, Luke? That's the dumbest thing you could have done since the first time you kissed her, what the hell were you thinking? Peyton is drunk, and she doesn't know what she's doing but you sure as hell should know better," she insisted.

"I know that!" Lucas exclaimed, pulling at the ends of his hair. "When you told me to leave I did. She followed me out, she kissed me. I pulled away, but- I'm stupid, okay? I know. You don't have to rub it in."

"Yes, I do because- ugh Luke! I've been lying to Brooke about you. I've kept what you've been doing and where you have been a secret because you asked me to-"

"Don't make it out like that," Lucas interrupted with hard eyes that looked like ice. "I didn't contact you, you found me, remember? I was fully aware that Brooke was where you needed to be. I didn't try and bring anyone into the middle of this. You wanted answers. I didn't tell you anything. You decided to insert yourself in the middle, so don't act like I put you there," he insisted.

"What was I supposed to do?" Haley questioned. "You left her Luke, I wanted to help, but you wouldn't tell me anything. Then I come here and find that you're kissing Peyton! You do realize she's getting married in four days right? Does Jake ring a bell? How could you do this to your best friend?!. You want to tell me what this all about?"

"Look, that was an accident, it did not mean anything okay. Nathan forced me to go out tonight so I did. And I don't have to run my plans by you first, I know what I am doing," he told her.

"It didn't look like nothing Luke. You know what you're doing?" Haley almost laughed.

"Yes!" Lucas shot back.

Haley nodded with a scowl. "Did you know what you were doing when you kissed Peyton? Do you know how crushed Brooke would be if she found out? she would cry for days, Or that we would have to force her to get out of bed and shower and eat? Did you ever consider Brooke's feeling at all?"

"Don't act like I don't know her," Lucas growled. "I knew what me kissing Peyton would do. I just couldn't- she would have- you don't know everything!" he reminded her impatiently.

"If you knew that why would you do then Luke? Because we both know that you're still in love with her, that you could not love her," Haley said in a low, angry voice.

Lucas clenched his jaw. He was not going to do this with her. "Just go get her home. They won't leave without you," he stated and turned around, leaving her behind in the alleyway.

He was stupid and he was aware of it, he didn't need the girl he called a best friend to remind him. When he finally made his way back to Karen's Café after a long walk to cool off he climbed the steps to the loft and ignored the twisting of his gut.

It wasn't in the plan to stay at the loft, where he and Peyton had once made a home together. It was somewhat small, but he had built it up with his own two hands and it was a good place for them to live while he was saving up money and she was going through music school. She moved out after he left, Nathan had told him that.

While his details had been minimal Nathan kept him up to date on his ex-girlfriend to a certain extent. He knew she fell apart when she found that he was gone, that she couldn't even bear to return to the loft to pack up her belongings, but had her friends do it for her.

He'd had Nathan pack up his own things for him, knowing if he saw Brooke after what he'd done he wouldn't have been able to handle it. He also knew she had moved in with Peyton because she wasn't emotionally well enough to be on her own.

Lucas knew that this would break her and he didn't need reminding of it. And sleeping in the loft was too much for him, but he had nowhere else to go because he was sure as hell wasn't going to go to his mom's house. He opened a beer and collapsed onto the couch, a feeling of dread washing over him.

He hadn't known what to expect when he saw her again. Actually, he knew she wouldn't be able to handle it at first. Her walking away from him was something he knew to expect. What he didn't know was that the second time he saw her she would be drunk and kiss him. A slap he would have bet on, not a kiss. He chuckled to himself before taking a swig. She'd probably slap him later.

He had only been back in the loft for about ten minutes before the door opened and slammed shut. It was a relief to see Nathan; he was half expecting Haley for a round two or maybe Brooke to deliver a swift kick in the groin.

"Hey," he croaked once he swallowed.

"What the hell did you think you were doing back there?" his raven-haired friend questioned.

Lucas rolled his eyes and fell back to the couch once more. "I already got this from Hales; I don't need it from you too."

"Uh, yeah, I think you do," Nathan insisted, coming to stand in front of him.

"Nathan, we both know the only reason you're here is that Haley just got into another fight with you about me and you don't want to go home to an empty apartment. So why don't you grab a beer and come sit with me and watch TV or something?" he suggested.

His brother shrugged. "Yeah, alright."

Lucas laughed into his beer bottle. He was thankful for Nathan. He'd never had a best friend before Nathan.

There was Haley, once they both hit puberty their friendship sort of dissolved until Haley started tutoring Nathan. He didn't blame her, they just went separate ways. He didn't like people; he hated the games they played, the way they acted, and just preferred to be alone while his childhood playmate became a mom, then the rockstar she was destined to be, she just flourished in the spotlight.

Nathan was better backstage, that was why he and Haley went so well together. He'd happily shine the light on her any time. She deserved it, she was so brilliant and beautiful, a spotlight should have been permanently placed above her. He silently wished he was still the person working the lights.

"It was stupid of you to do that though," Nathan repeated once he sat down next to his brother.

"Three years together, two years apart and I'm still not good at resisting her," Lucas agreed with a nod. "I shouldn't have, but- she's just so- infuriating sometimes," he went on. "I thought I had it all planned out, you know? Then she goes and follows me out of that damn bar that you dragged me to."

"Yeah, blame this on the guy who tried to make you have fun tonight, not yourself," Nathan mumbled.

Lucas leaned his head back on the cushions. "Trust me, these days I blame everything on myself, rightfully so."

"I know why you did what you did, Luke," his brother began after a silent minute or two. "And I can't say in the same situation I wouldn't have made the same decision, actually, I know I wouldn't have you know why? because Haley deserves the world," he added. "But not all the blame falls on you and Brooke will see that... if you ever tell her about this. I mean, you are going to have to tell her eventually, you know that right?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I know. Doesn't mean I am looking forward to it."

"We should just check her into the nuthouse," Brooke stated the next night.

"Brooke!" Rachel scolded. "She's not crazy, she's sick," she corrected her friend.

The brunette nodded. "She's frickin' delusional, hospital worthy."

Haley rolled her eyes. "No, she's not, she just got the flu or something. Probably from throwing up in the bar's toilet last night. I told you we should just let her do it outside."

"Yeah, because seeing a girl yak in the bushes is great," Rachel responded. "Can we stop fighting; we have to figure out what to do with her. Should we call her parents?"

Brooke laughed. "What are they going to do, send some flowers over?" she asked rhetorically.

"Well, Jake is in New York for the next week doing something or other so he is a no-go. And Rachel and I can't stay so unless you want to..." Haley replied.

"No! I don't do sick people. I barely do healthy people. Plus, I work tomorrow," Brooke insisted with a shake of her head.

Rachel groaned. "We all work tomorrow. I have two clients tomorrow that I cannot cancel on. I already cancelled on him last week when my dad came to town. I am just getting started, I can't lose a client. Haley has an album to finish, that she's been freaking about for over a month, and her parents will be about as useful as leaving Brooke here," she finished.

"Hey!" Brooke frowned.

"Luke," Peyton groaned from the bed.

Brooke furrowed her brows, confused as to why her best friend was asking for her boyfriend. She was a little suspicious about it given the history between Lucas and Peyton. She wanted to believe it was because Peyton saw how well Lucas took care of her, so she wanted him to the same. She would be lying if it she admitted it did bot bother her but she didn't want to think the worse just yet.

When the girl spent the night throwing up they thought it was just the hangover kicking in. But in the morning when she had the chills and could barely stand they realized she was actually sick.

"Why Lucas?" Rachel asked, confused. Haley knew why Peyton called out for Lucas but stood beside her in silence as she waited for Brooke to answer.

"I want to believe it's because she saw how well Lucas took care of me and wanted the same treatment for herself, but I'm not sure. Besides, Luke agreed he'd take care of Peyton if she ever needed it," Brooke stated softly, a little hurt.

"Does that bother you though Brooke? That she wants your boyfriend and not her fiancé?" Rachel replied, her arms crossed, as they all stood beside Peyton's bed.

"I mean, yeah it does a little, but we're all friends and I know Luke would never do anything to hurt me. Peyton wouldn't do that to Jake, besides what's the worse that can happen?" Brooke quipped.

"Maybe we should give her what she wants," Rachel suggested with a shrug.

"Rachel!" both of her friends exclaimed. "We can't just leave him with her. She's sick, she doesn't know what she's saying. I'd rather send her to the nuthouse than to Luke. Once she comes too she'd kill us," Haley reminded her.

"HA!" Brooke gloated at Rachel. Rachel glared. "Well, we have to decide something; she's one degree away from her brain-melting."

"Brooke, that's not really how it works, she does have a high fever, but-"

"I don't care, Hales, and you know what I meant. We should just flip a coin," Brooke cut her off.

"Flip a coin? That is how we decide this?" Rachel replied. "That we call Lucas or send her to the nuthouse?"

Brooke rolled her eyes. "No, we call Luke or call her dad."

"Luke," Peyton murmured again, her eyes closed as she lay buried underneath a mountain of blankets.

Peyton never got sick, ever. And when she was sick the only person she would listen to (when she was coherent) was Jake and Lucas. When she got really, really sick Jake and Lucas were the only ones who knew how to take care of her. It was like her instincts kicked in since becoming a mom she would rather attempt to take care of her daughter herself than send a fruit basket. So it made sense that in Lucas's reentry into her life and her delusional state that she wanted the one person who she knew would make her feel better.

"Fine," Rachel answered, taking a coin off of Peyton's nightstand. "Heads for Luke, tails for parents?" Both girls nodded. Rachel tossed the coin into the air and caught it in her palm. "So, who wants to make the call?" she asked once she revealed the answer.

They made Haley make the call. It took two calls and one text, but once he read the words "Peyton's sick," he called back immediately. He knew how the girl was when she was ill and he knew no one else knew how to take care of her as he did.

"How high is her temperature?" Lucas questioned when he entered the apartment half an hour later, bags in his hands.

"102," Haley answered, biting her lip. "We thought she was just hungover when she was throwing up off and on all night. When she was freezing this morning and-"

"And asking for you," Brooke cut in softly, a bit agitated.

Haley gave her a look. "We didn't know what to do. We all love her, but when she's sick-"

"I know," Lucas interrupted her this time. "Has she been sick since I was gone?" he wondered nonchalantly as he shrugged off his leather jacket.

"Colds and stuff, not flu-like and delusional," Brooke answered him. "I guess she just saves this side of herself for you," she tried to joke.

Lucas nodded, feeling the awkwardness of the room. "Well, I grabbed everything I need for her on the way over so you guys can," he stopped by tossing his thumb over his shoulder towards the door. "Thanks for calling me, Hales," he mumbled as she passed him.

"Well, she was asking for you and you won the coin toss," she responded. He looked at her confusedly. "Just, take care of her, please."

Lucas nodded and sighed once he was alone.

Again, this was not going according to plan. He would without a doubt take care of her, but the intimacy in which he would have to do it is definitely something she would be opposed to if she was well and it wouldn't be easy for him either. But he couldn't think about him at the moment. He had to think of her.

Peyton didn't get really sick often, clearly since she hadn't been like this since he left, but when she got really sick she got really sick. He took in a deep breath and entered the bedroom.

He saw her lying in bed, shivering underneath at least three different blankets. "Hey, Peyton," he greeted, putting a hand to her forehead. It was horribly warm.

"Luke," she whispered, her eyes fluttering half-open. "Everything hurts," she murmured, grabbing onto his hand and hugged it to herself for comfort.

This was going to be the hardest part. "I know, baby, c'mon," he urged, pulling her out from underneath the warmth.

"Nooo," she whined, clutching her comforter.

"Peyton, baby, we have to get you washed up," he insisted, taking her fully into his arms so she didn't have to walk. "Doesn't a warm shower sound nice?" he asked and she nodded.

She clung to him like a baby koala and it made his heartbreak. She had to be truly sick to wish for him and be happy by his arrival. Sick or drunk, he supposed. Lucas turned the shower on and made sure the water wasn't too hot before undressing both her and himself.

It felt wrong. He knew he shouldn't be able to hold her like this, even sick, after all, that he'd done. It wasn't even remotely sensual, not to him; it never was when she was sick of course. This was about getting her better because she was impossible when she was sick. But he had to admit it was different because they weren't together anymore.

He washed her and could at least take comfort in the fact that she enjoyed the warmth of the shower and probably his body up against hers. She began to shiver as soon as they exited the shower and he dressed her as fast as he could in a pair of comfortable cloth pants, thick socks and a t-shirt of his he'd brought.

It was important to dress her lightly because she'd overheat otherwise and if she was cold she could just put on blankets. She leaned back against him, a blanket over her chest as he combed her hair out on her armchair in the corner of the bedroom.

"Alright, Peyton, lay back and put this under your tongue," he said, holding out the little white stick. She barely acknowledged that she'd heard him except for the fact that she opened her mouth for the thermometer.

He got out from behind her and took the sheets off the bed so he could replace them with clean ones. He was just finishing up when the thermometer beeped. He took it out of her mouth and linked his hand through hers when she reached for it without a second thought.

103.

He put her back in bed and left to make some tea. Even in her sick state, she'd probably ask for coffee, but he wouldn't allow it. She needed something warm, non-caffeinated, and soothing to her probably raw throat from throwing up all night. In a weak effort, he also put some soup on the stove, knowing she wouldn't want to eat it, but he at least had to try.

"Luke?" she was saying when he entered the room, some tea that had a small ice cube in it in his hand. It was his presence she desired most when she was sick he learned long ago and how she hated being left alone. She needed to know someone was there, especially him.

"I'm here, I'm here, Peyton," he assured her, sitting next to her on the bed and cupped her cheek lightly. "I need you to sit up though, babe, you have to take some medicine," he told her, physically pulling her up, knowing she wouldn't do it herself. She groaned. "I know you don't want to and it tastes like crap, but you have to," he insisted, measuring out the syrups which were hard to do with her resting on his chest.

She looked exhausted, worn out, and just plain done. That was his fault, he knew it, and having to take care of her like this was some sort of punishment, it just had to be. He hated when she was sick, he hated having to do it when he knew he was the reason she was sick, and he hated being the second only person able to take care of her because she was such a handful.

It was selfish and he knew it, but it was like she waited to get sick until he was back, until she unconsciously knew someone was around who knew how to handle her. There was no doubt he would take care of her, he would take care of her even if she was sick for the next two weeks or two years, but he didn't have to like it.

Even though he did like it. He loved being close to her, being able to hold her, smell her, touch her bare skin, but he would not let himself enjoy it. It wasn't fair to her so he made himself dislike it.

"I'm heating up some soup for you, Peyton, will you eat some for me?" he asked after he tucked her back into bed.

She groaned in response. "Just- just lay with me...shirtless," she pleaded, tugging on his hand.

"I will lay down with you...but not shirtless," he began to compromise. "If you eat half a bowl of soup."

Peyton sighed loudly before nodding curtly and he smiled before kissing her forehead.

She needed skin contact, he learned early on, or at least that she craved it, especially when sick. It was something he noticed when they had just begun dating, how she would reach for his hand, then take it away if he didn't catch on to what was happening, ashamed or embarrassed. Peyton was his first real girlfriend; everything was new to him with her. From then on he'd made a point to touch her in some way, not overly PDA-like, but just simple touches; hand-holding, an arm around her shoulders, pushing a hair behind her ear.

It was something she happily returned and he didn't know he'd needed it either until then. They'd both never been really touched like that by another and with him his previous touches always made him hate himself. Peyton helped change that for him. She changed everything for him.

"Enough?" she whined half an hour later, her eyes struggling to stay open.

"Yeah, baby, enough," he agreed, putting the mostly empty bowl on her bedside table. He half-smiled when she shifted over to make room for him to lie down with her. When he needed her to sit up to eat or take medicine he had to move her, but to make room for him she found the energy to shift over.

A deal was a deal so he shrugged and climbed into bed with her. She immediately snuggled into him, her shivering making his heartache. She fell asleep a little bit later and he knew it by how she stopped shivering. After lying with her for half an hour he slipped out of bed and felt her forehead again. It was still warm, but he hoped there would be some change by morning.

He'd fallen into an uncomfortable sleep in her armchair when he heard her jump out of bed and run for the toilet. He was after her in a heartbeat, holding her hair back as she emptied her already desolate stomach.

"Here, here, here," he insisted, handing her a glass of cold water once she'd finished.

She chugged it down surprisingly and fell back against the tub, defeated. "Sorry," she wheezed.

"Never say you're sorry to me for things like this, I told you that a long time ago," he replied, refilling her water. "You ready to go back to bed or do you need to stay here?"

She let out a deep breath and took another sip of water. "Bed."

"Alright, I'll make you some more tea for your throat, okay? And maybe get you some crackers?" he suggested, laying her back in bed with her water next to her.

"Sorry, baby," she said again as she tried to take comfort in her bed.

"Don't Peyton, it's not your fault, alright? Just lie down and let me make you something," he insisted, putting blankets over her and left the room.

He hated it when she said sorry for things that weren't her fault. It was something she hated in him as well, so he couldn't blame her.

He hadn't gotten any sleep. By the time Peyton settled down and fell into her own slumber it only lasted for half an hour at the most before she was throwing up or woke up because somehow she knew he wasn't lying next to her anymore. He should have stayed in the bed but it was too hard for him to just hold her as he used to considering he had Brooke to think about, besides he loved her too much to hurt her.

Brooke called, wanting an update on her very sick friend. Well, she'd called last night too, but it was during one of Peyton's bathroom runs and he didn't think to answer the phone was as important. "Hey, how is she? I called her work, said she was too weak to get out of bed. Jack, her friend, said he would cover what he could for her and her boss said if Peyton was too weak to even call he knew she must really be sick," she replied.

"Yeah, she's at 103 right now which is what she was last night. It didn't go up which is good. If it doesn't change by tomorrow I'm probably going to call a doctor," Lucas said into his phone the next morning as he rubbed Peyton's back, hoping to keep her asleep this time.

Lucas chuckled a little. That was true. "Well, I have things covered here for now so I will call you later tonight," he told her. "Oh, um, Brooke, has anyone told Jake?" he wondered.

"No, not yet. Why you scared of him? Want a head start before-"

"Brooke, could you just let me know if he finds out?" he questioned.

"Yeah, sure, Luke, because you're not at the top of my shit list or anything," she replied sarcastically.

"Brooke, please," Lucas said, trying not to get annoyed.

She sighed. "I'll do my best. Just call me later. I love you,"

Once they hung up Lucas shifted down to lie next to the shivering girl next to him. If he had to stay next to her for her to actually sleep he'd just have to do it so she could get rest and get better.

"Lucas?" Peyton suddenly spoke up.

"Hm, yeah, baby? What do you need?" he immediately questioned, pushing some hair behind her ear.

Her eyes opened slightly. "How could you do it?" she asked quietly. "How could you ruin your relationship with Brooke?"

Lucas's eyes widened. She gained a minute of sanity through all this to ask him that?

"I-" he opened his mouth, having no idea how to answer, but she was already passed out again.

His head dropped against the headboard, hoping that when she came too she didn't remember asking him that and that she definitely didn't want the answer to it. He wasn't ready, not yet.

Okay, so I hate the second half of this chapter, I kind of like the last parts with Lucas... I don't know, none of it just seemed to come outright. I tried to channel Peyton the best I could. I think she would want to be in denial a bit, at least in the beginning. I know it seems weird, for Lucas to take care of Peyton but I needed a reason for him to have to be around her (a little torture on his part) without her really being her. I wanted you to get inside his head a little bit,etc. Let me know what you think.

Guest: They did not know each other in high school, but in this story, they start dating the same time Haley ends her relationship with Clay, and it's been smooth sailing ever since. I have removed that part as I read it over and realized it did not fit well in that scene. I will be adding to a future brucas scene though. Rachel was in the hospital as she just gave birth but she is okay now and is able to do things. Sorry for the confusion! I wrote that last chapter at 3 in the morning, and I was half asleep, so I apologize for any confusion.

sandygirl: Thank you! I am glad you're enjoying this story.

Guest: thank you!

thibbs 65: Thank you! I do agree that if Haley is worried about matters to do with her relationship with Nathan she should definitely talk to him about it rather than jumping to conclusions. The Jeyton wedding will be filled with lots of drama, can you guess what it will be about? and that's so awesome! I hope you had fun at the con!

Guest: I did not copy anything from the other person. I had written this paragraph for the author to gain inspiration from as I said, I didn't know they used these paragraphs in their story, so damn I do, damn i don't. It's frustrating when these issues occur. I hate being accused of copying scenes, just cause someone's story was published before mine, even though I had written the scenes long ago. I have learned that is hard to trust anyone these days Anyway, I realized it didn't make sense to add that scene in where I did so I have since removed it.

With that being said, I don't know when I'll update next, but hopefully, it is soon!

Thanks for reading! Until next time! ~Sidney