A/N: Hi! I'm sorry I haven't replied to your reviews (thank you for them, they were inspiring and amazing), but I ended up writing like crazy for all the free time I've had and this chapter got finished before I got to replying, so.. I hope you don't mind ;)

Everyone, including me, seemed to want that Lucas and Haley conversation. So everything in this chapter happens the same night as when the last one ended.. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing!

Disclaimer: I suck at remembering this, but no, I don't claim to own the characters or Tree Hill, and the song lyrics quoted are from Anna Nalick's Shine (heard in OTH512, found at her Shine EP,2008)

They sat in the dark Scott living room drinking hot chocolate. It was quiet. They were searching for words. It's funny how an author and former English teacher could be at such loss of them.

"Lucas, what's going on?" Haley finally asked him softly. They weren't the magical words that she hoped to find. But mere human ones had to do.

"You remember my novel, the one no one else has ever read?" Haley nodded sadly. "You told me then not to marry Lindsey and you were right. I shouldn't have." His voice was breaking and he buried his head to his hands as if he was extremely embarrassed.

"Luke, what happened?"

"We've been going to couples' therapy for two years now." He rose his head a little to see Haley's eyes wide open from the surprise. "TWO YEARS! How sad is that?"

"You know Nathan and I seeked help from therapy, too, it's nothing to be embarrassed by."

"Yeah, I know. But you did not go for two years and 5 different therapists with no outcome and you weren't married to a man you don't even consider family for seven years. How screwed up am I?" It was closer to a cry than speech that came out of his mouth.

"Woah, okay buddy, let's rewind. What?"

"Our latest therapy session was the first one that we actually got something out of. But she said that she recognized that when I talk about my family I talk about y'all and Lindsey talks about hers or she talks about y'all as my family although she married into it and then were realized how far we are."

Haley was thankful that Lucas had to breathe a little, because she was still trying to catch the content of his speech from all the rambling.

"We were so proud to tell her that despite our lack of connection, it was all very easy with us. And then she said it was our problem and now it's not easy, but we still don't connect..." And he explained everything about how the relationship had gotten so empty they had decided to seek help and they had been going at it for the sake of "working on it", because that, too, was easy. It was much easier than admitting to a failure or actually doing something to change it. Haley listened to her best friend rather shocked. She had had no idea what was going on. Yes, she had had her thoughts of Peyton and Lucas still belonging to each other and that maybe Lucas wasn't as happy as he had been with Lindsey. But everything seemed so fine, easy and blissful that she had not expected it to be just an automated cover for emptiness. The fact that the problem was much deeper and more complicated than Lucas maybe being hung up on his ex-girlfriend was new and startling to her.

Lucas had stopped talking and now just stared into the darkness. He appeared to be deep in his thoughts.

She tugged his hand so that he changed his position and leaned against her shoulder. "What are you thinking, Luke?"

Lucas was quiet for a moment. It just felt good to have his best friend by his side and connect safely and naturally. "If this whole thing wasn't so screwed up, I would find this all pretty ironic, kind of funny. Being with Peyton was never easy. But connecting with her was easier and more natural than breathing. Whereas, our marriage and being with Lindsey has been nice and easy all these long years until last Tuesday, but connecting with her outside of my books is just so hard.." Haley didn't say anything, but squeezed his hand for support.

"You know how we came here from our walk? It was part of our testing out if we could change things. The therapist told us to focus on the things we love and try sharing those things. So every day we've tried to do something like that. On Wednesday our try was reading out loud together. We figured, since we both like literature that could be a good start. The words were pre-written it should have been so easy, but for some reason neither of us was into it. And I can't remember another time I wouldn't have been into Steinbeck!"

They both let out a chuckle the situation wasn't exactly funny, but what he said was a truth about him on many levels and they both had about 20 years of experience of it.

"Yesterday I took Lindsey to River Court. We tried playing, but she soon admitted she didn't want to play. So she sat down on that table and started working as I shot some hoops. I doubt either of us really missed the other." He paused for a little before moving on to today's experience. "Today was Lindsey's love's turn so we went for the walk. You know, 'it was no New England, but..' I have no problem in walking, I like going on walks, but things are just so awkward now that it was terrible."

Haley rose up a little so that she could look at him better. "Luke, can I ask you a question?" he nodded "Why did you marry Lindsey if you still felt the need to take my advice on not giving the book to her?"

He took his time to think of an answer. "You accused me of not loving her. I said I did and I really did. I still do. But I guess I also knew that it wouldn't be ideal." Haley nodded. It made sense. "I also wanted so bad to do the right thing and I didn't really even let myself not think about the option of not marrying the woman I had already proposed to. I just wanted to and still just want to be a good man. Worthy. Trustworthy. Loyal. Someone you can look up to and count on. Someone who doesn't run away, when things don't go as you dreamed they would. Those were all lessons I learned from my earlier mistakes. I wanted to be better than the guy who cheated on Brooke and slept with Nicki so soon after professing love to Peyton or the guy who left Peyton in the hotel room alone and chances to talk and sort things out." He closed his eyes as if to escape everything for a little. He continued the last part softly, as if it was something fragile and precious "I want to be someone worthy of having kids, who look up to me like Jamie and Lydia look up to Nathan."

The gig had been over for a few hours and after a meet-and-greet Team Mia had retreated to the Red Bedroom offices to relax, well Neil, Chase, Mia and Peyton had anyway.

"Sawyer, I still must say you have the coolest office I have ever seen." Neil handed her a glass of wine.

"Thanks. Yeah, I kinda like it here." she took a sip and smiled.

"How does one get a place like this? I'm looking for a new office preferably somewhere in North Carolina and would totally settle for something even half as cool." he thought a bit and continued "Actually, something much less cool, if I got it cheaper.."

"Well, good luck with that.. Actually no, you're aiming at the impossible.. You can't get a place cheaper than Red Bedroom.." Mia smirked and patted him on the shoulder as she joined the two with Chase.

"You're saying this is cool and cheap and in the best possible place for a music company?"

Neil looked incredulously at both women, but since Peyton was blushing and quiet Mia took control of the conversation "Yeah.. I'd say free counts as pretty cheap.."

Chase couldn't help but laugh at Neil's reaction. He looked like the news were pretty much equal to Peyton having gotten the original Elvis Presley to join the label.

"Yeah.. She's not allowed to pay rent. Damn, to be that special.." Mia smirked again. She was 25 and married now, but still possessed the same love for action and watching people squirm.. And that was exactly what Peyton was doing. The topic felt embarrassing and she wanted an out.

"Any one for a game of pool?" Right there, thank god for the pool table.

Mr and Mrs Adams looked at each other and then Neil and Peyton and declined excusing themselves to go home.

"Okay, if you're sure you want to lose.." he winked.

"Oh, it is so on.." Peyton laughed and made the first shot.

"Oh, we need music!" she almost squealed and ran to her collections. It took Neil by surprise and made him miss. He rolled his eyes at her sudden change of energy and the sound of Anna Nalick's Shine filled the air.

"Oh the night makes you a star and it holds you cold in its arms. You're the one to whom nobody verses I love you unless you say it first.."

They had fun. What was meant to be one game for relaxation after work turned into hours long "best out of five" with a simultaneous extra game of who comes up with something wittier to say. Neil won at pool, Peyton at being witty and they were both content with the end results.

It was almost 4 o'clock in the morning when they ended the game and Peyton realized that if she drove all the way back to Wilmington just to come right back to spend the day with Nathan, Haley and kids she wouldn't get almost any sleep. Judging by Brooke's visit to Tric, if she went to Brooke's at this time of night, she could forget about sleeping as well. She loved her best friend but really did not feel like "girl talk" at 4 am.

So she opted for Nathan and Haley's guest room. She had a key and although she would be awaken by her favorite girl quite early, it was still better than no sleep at all. So turned on the stereo and turned Comet towards the Scott residence.

"And I think you need, To stop following misery's lead, Shine away, shine away, shine away"

She smiled. It had been a long, but good day. Tomorrow, well practically later today, she would get to have another one with some of her favorite people in the whole world. Life was good.

She opened the door quietly, but was surprised to see Nathan walking down the stairs. Had he not been so sleepy he would have been surprised, too.

"Doing the walk of shame at 4 in the morning?" he yawned.

Peyton joined Nathan in his walk towards the living room and chuckled a line from the song she had just been listening.

"The past, he knocks on your door and throws stones at your window at four in the morning.."

"Okay I have no idea what you're saying, but knowing you it sounds like song lyrics. And seriously, Sawyer, it's 4 am!" Nathan whimpered as they arrived in the living room.

They stopped on their tracks at the sight in front of them. Lucas and Haley were asleep on the couch, leaning into a tight embrace. There were two empty cups of hot chocolate and a bunch of used tissues on the floor. What was going on?

A/N: What do you think? All and any feedback is very much appreciated. Any ideas what should happen in the first real Lucas/Peyton interaction of the story? I think that will be in the next chapter.. Thanks again for reading and for last chapter's reviews and alerts! I'm still aiming next chapter to the end of the week, but this time I can pretty much guarantee it'll not mean tomorrow..