I Believe In A Thing Called Love

Ring! Ring!

The sound of the telephone ringing only caused Haley to stir but had awoken Nathan.

He quickly glanced at his alarm clock and saw that it was 2:00 in the morning. Who could possibly being calling at this hour?

"Hello?" Nathan spoke sleepily into the phone while rubbing his eyes.

"Nathan it's Brooke."

"This better be good Davis, I got a 6:00 meeting tom---"

"Peyton left Lucas." She interrupted. Not being able to keep it in anymore.

"What?! I thought the two of them were ok." Nathan was now fully awake and quietly got out of bed, not wanting to wake up Haley and headed downstairs and into his kitchen.

"So did I. But I guess they haven't been managing as well we assumed. They got into an argument and Peyton just came right out and told Lucas that she blamed him for their son's death." Brooke sighed before continuing. "She got here about a half hour ago in hysterics."

"It seems so out of the blue." Nathan knew Peyton hasn't been herself in months, but he never imagined that she'd just decide to up and leave Lucas. "Is she still with you?"

"Yeah, for right now. But she's leaving first thing in the morning to go to her dad's in San Francisco and she's taking Anna with her."

About this time Nathan saw Haley entering into the kitchen. She took a seat at the table, watching her nervous looking husband pace about the room while still on the phone. Haley could sense something was wrong, but did not want to interrupt his call. Nathan acknowledged her presence but continued his conversation with Brooke.

"Luke's gotta be a wreck." Nathan knew that his brother was crazy in love with that little girl and how devastated he must be to have both his wife and daughter gone. "Can't you convince her to stay?

"I tried to Nathan." Brooke said slightly agitated. "But there's no changing her mind. She's adamant about leaving."

"This separation…it's not permanent is it?

Brooke took a long pause before finally speaking. "I'm not sure Nathan. I'm praying that it won't be, but I don't know. I honestly don't know."

"Someone needs to check up on him."

"That's why I'm calling. I wanted to see if you or Haley would go over to their place. I would but---"

"You can't leave Peyton."

"Right."

"Does she even know you're talking to me?"

"No, she's in the shower."

Nathan sighed. "Alright. One of us will be over there. I need to speak with Haley, so I'll talk to you later." He hung up the phone and took a seat across the table from his wife.

"Nathan what's going on?" Haley asked concerned. "Are Lucas and Peyton ok?"

He took in a deep breath before answering honestly. "No they're not. They got into a pretty bad argument. Peyton's at Brooke's now. Apparently she hold's Lucas responsible for their son's death. She can't get passed it. She's leaving him and Tree Hill. Tomorrow she and Anna will be on a plane to San Francisco to stay with her dad."

"What?!" Haley exclaimed in disbelief. "Poor Luke, he has to be devastated. I know it's late, but we should go see how he is. I'm really worried."

"Me too. But what about Jamie? We're not going to be able to find a sitter at this time of night." Nathan paused for a moment, contemplating what they should do. "You go, I'll stay here."

"Nathan, are you sure? I mean, you are his brother."

"Yeah, but you're his best friend. You've always understood Lucas better than I ever could."

"Ok then. I'm gonna go put some clothes on and head over to see him."

Haley walked up to Lucas's door and knocked lightly. No response. She banged harder. Still no response. She bent down and removed a spare key hidden from underneath a flower pot.

She put the key in the door and called out to Lucas as she entered the house. "Luke?"

Haley walked and scanned the living room in search of her friend before heading up the stairs. She peaked into the bedroom and found Lucas sitting by the window sill, staring off aimlessly.

She took a seat on Lucas's bed and began staring in the same aimless direction. It appeared as if Lucas would never acknowledge Haley's presence, but finally he broke the silence.

"Do you remember the day when you got that scar on your knee?"

Haley found it an odd time for reminiscing, but went with it anyways. "Oh how could I possibly forget that? First grade. Recess. Me and you were playing on the merry-go-round. You decided it would be fun to push me off. I go flying and scrap up my knee."

"But you forgave me. I pushed you off for absolutely no good reason. I caused you to hurt your knee. I made you cry. Yet, I told you I was sorry, you accepted my apology, got up and we went back to playing. What's changed since then? Why now is it so hard for us to move on from things?"

Haley pondered this question for a while before deciding on how to answer it. "We grew up. We're not six-years-old anymore. Our troubles now are so much more complicated. Skinned knees are much easier to mend then broken hearts."

Lucas sighed. "I guess you're right."

Haley got up off the bed, walked over to Lucas by the window and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry about Peyton. I can't even begin to fathom how much you must be hurting right now."

She took a deep breath in before continuing. "You were forced to make a really difficult decision; a decision no parent ever wants or should have to make. Right now it may seem like you made the wrong choice, but you didn't Luke. He was too sick. He was being kept alive through tubes and his soul was long gone before you had the doctors turn off those machines. If you hadn't done what you did Anna may not be here either."

"Peyton…she doesn't see it that way."

"She will Lucas. She just needs some to sort it all through. Deep down in heart, she knows there was nothing that anyone could have done to save your little boy. It's just gonna take her some time to figure that all out."

"What if she never does?"

"You can't think like that Luke. You have to think positively."

"And how am I suppose to do that Hales?"

"By believing in this thing called love. Some may think that it's not enough, but two people who are so deeply in love like you and Peyton can make it through anything. I believe that and I know you do too."

Lucas agreed. "You're right. I do."

"And I'm gonna be right here by your side until Peyton realizes it too."

The Next Day…

"Peyton!" Brooke shouted from the doorway. "We need to leave now if I'm going to get you two to the airport on time."

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Peyton shouted back from inside the house. "Give me like two minutes. I need to change Anna's diaper."

"Alright well I'm gonna go pack the car." As Brooke headed outside towards the car she was pleasantly surprised to see Lucas standing beside it. She gave him a quick hug. "It's good to see you Luke. How are you holding up?"

"I'm not sure yet. I guess we'll both find out in a few days." Brooke nodded concurringly.

"I stopped over to say goodbye. Is she still insi---"

She cut him off. "Yeah. She's just changing Anna."

Brooke went back to packing as Lucas ran up the front stairs and entered into the living room of the house.

At that same moment, Peyton entered the room too and for the first time since their fight the two blondes were facing each other.

"Lucas if you're trying to change my mind don't bother because I'm not---"

"I didn't come here to do that Peyton. I came over because I just couldn't let the two people I love more than anything else in this entire world leave without at least saying goodbye to them."

Now Lucas was looking straight into his wife's big brown eyes. "Promise me…promise me that you won't give up on us. That you'll fight to hold on to what we have because I'm never gonna stop fighting for us Peyton. Never."

Peyton too was staring into her husband's eyes. "I promise that I'll try. But that's the best I can do" she said.

It was then Brooke came back into the house. She hated to interrupt them, but her best friend did have a flight to catch. "Peyton, we really need to leave."

"Ok, ok let's go."

The three walked outside and headed to the car. Brooke situated herself in the driver's seat as Lucas helped Peyton put Anna in her car seat. Once she was all buckled in Lucas kissed the top of his daughter's forehead and closed the door.

"Did you talk to your dad? He's gonna pick you up, right?"

"Yeah he'll be waiting for us at the airport."

"I love you Peyton. I always have and I always will."

She responded only by saying, "I'll call you as soon as we land." Lucas gave Peyton a quick kiss on the cheek, helped her into the car and watched his girls drive away.

The title "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" is a song by The Darkness. I'm not sure why, but this chapter was extremely difficult to write. So I'd really appreciate a review. They really keep me going. I'm not sure when I'll have the next chapter up…hopefully within the next couple of days. Until then, here are some previews…

Peyton and Anna arrive in San Francisco. Lucas throws himself into his work. Haley, Nathan, and Brooke attempt to cheer their buddy up. L/P flashbacks.