Again, thanks for all the feedback, it's so much appreciated. I love you all.

I'm getting better with updating, yes? Better than 2 months at least, lol. You guys are lucky that I hate studying so much, that I turn to writing fics to avoid them. Okay, this is kind of a filler? Kind of.

BTW, Bob Dylan owns.

If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'

The countdown was officially on; senior year began in two weeks, finding the group of friends desperately trying to soak up the last waning moments of summer. Haley had implemented full schedules every day, claiming this was their last summer to be kids before real life kicked their asses - anything less than a full day's worth of fun was unacceptable. Lucas and Peyton had simply laughed, but conceded: they'd agree to anything as long as it kept her happy and distracted. This included themselves to certain extents as well.

Last night they'd stayed up having another intense chat, this time at Lucas's house. They'd discussed Brooke, Nathan, happy memories from childhood - what their futures seemed like. Haley couldn't imagine one without Nathan or Stanford University. Lucas couldn't imagine one without writing - shocking both his girlfriend and best friend - or Peyton. Peyton had smiled sweetly, cupped his face and kissed him. She'd replied she couldn't imagine anything without art, music, or Lucas. He laughed, and repeated her actions to him, back to her. They talked about what to do now that Karen was coming home; she was due back the next day, the three had planned to pick her up from the airport, but Haley's living arrangements still had yet to be determined. The good times hadn't ended until well into the late night/early evening. Lucas had carried a wiped out Peyton to his bed, while Haley had stumbled tiredly into Karen's bed one last night.

So it came as a surprise to Peyton when she was shaken frantically awake by Lucas the next morning. The overly tired blonde groaned loudly and smacked his hand away. "Too early Lucas, I'm not in the mood."

Lucas flushed and hissed through clenched teeth, "Peyton! Wake up!"

Frustrated, she rolled over to face him and sat up, exasperated. "What is it Lucas? We just went to bed a few hours ago."

Instead of answering he craned his head over to the doorway. She followed him with her eyes, and felt her heart drop and a thorough blush covered her from head to toe. "Welcome back, Karen." She spoke meekly.

The single mother raised a brow, and with a hand on her hip, spoke, "Well, I spend God knows how many hours on a flight, expecting to see my son and his friends waiting for me at the airport, and after about 45 good minutes of waiting and calling, and then waiting some more, knew that I wasn't going to see you guys. Now, would you two mind telling me what in the world is going on?"

Lucas and Peyton glanced at each other, figuring it wisest to leave the comfort of his bed.

Peyton thanked her lucky stars that she'd fallen asleep fully clothed. Having Karen see her in her sleep attire - which wasn't much when sleeping with Lucas - was not a mishap she'd like to experience.

Lucas stepped forward, genuinely happy to see his mother, even if embarrassed. He hugged his mother. "I'm so sorry mom! Haley, Peyton, and I stayed up late talking last night… we must have overslept. It's so good to see you though!"

Karen rolled her eyes but hugged her son back. "Yeah, yeah." She then turned to Peyton and pulled the girl into a hug. "And Peyton, as confused as I am, it's good to see you too."

Peyton returned the hug, and bowed her head once she had stepped back. "You too Karen. I'm going to go get Haley."

As his girlfriend scurried from the room, Lucas looked up to his mother with a cheeky smile. "Have a nice flight?"

--

"So your mom's home," Haley's tone was flat.

Lucas made a face and shrugged. "Thanks for pointing out the obvious Hales."

She laughed and stopped in her tracks, leaning against the rail of the boardwalk. "No, I mean, your mom's home… where am I going to live now?"

"Aw Hales, you know you're always welcome in our home," slinging an arm around his best friend, he replied.

Haley leaned her head to his shoulder for a moment, before smiling. "Thanks Luke, but there's two bedrooms in that house, where am I going to sleep - the couch? No I'll figure out… something." Switching gears, she moved her stare back and forth between the couple quietly holding hands. "So you two… Brooke gets home in a week. What are you going to do?"

Lucas shifted his eyes to the nervous Peyton, tapping her foot anxiously. "I… don't even know. She's not expecting this. I tried telling her on the phone, but I couldn't bring myself to do that to her.

Trying not to let his temper flare over Brooke and Peyton's inability to put their relationship first, Lucas took a deep breath, wrapping his arm around his girlfriend. "We'll figure it out." He kissed her temple. "Together."

Peyton pressed her lips to his sweetly. "Of course we will, baby."

Feeling like the third wheel, Haley shifted uncomfortably. She'd only felt like this in their presence on rare occasions, but she figured it was the lethal combination of being homeless and missing her husband that was doing her in. "I have faith that you two will, of course. But… Brooke isn't going to take this lightly. I love you both, so I want you two to be prepared. I don't know her half as well as both of you do, but I know her enough to know that once this is unleashed, it's going to change everything."

Lucas cursed his best friend for always having to be the voice of reason. "That's true… but we've still got a week. And I want to enjoy that week with my best girl," he kissed Peyton quickly, "and my best friend." He pulled Haley into a side hug.

From the other side of Lucas, Peyton snapped around to look at Haley, suddenly excited, and wanting to turn the conversation from Brooke. "Why don't you move in with me?"

More than shocked, Haley smiled faintly, but tried not to seem too eager. "What? Peyton, I can't ask you to let me do that, what about your dad?"

"No, it's perfect. And you're not asking, I'm asking you if you'd please move in with me? We have an extra room we can make into yours… it'd be pretty perfect. I'm sure he won't mind, I know he'd probably be more comfortable having someone else in the house with me while he's gone."

She knew this wasn't an opportunity she could pass up, going back to the apartment in which she'd shared so many loving and heartbreaking moments with her husband was no longer an option, she was sure her fragile heart couldn't take it. Biting her lip, she looked between her two best friends. "You're sure?"

Peyton nodded emphatically.

Haley jumped from Lucas's arms, throwing herself around Peyton, and squealed slightly. "Peyton this is so generous, thank you. This is going to be amazing!"

The taller girl laughed, feeling the excitement herself. "Alright foxy, let's get you moved in!"

Watching the girls walk away with linked arms, Lucas shook his head and pouted, calling out to them, "Hey! Don't forget about me!"

--

Haley and Peyton had taken over Karen's room, boxing up the last remnants of Haley's belongings to bring over to her house. Karen had told them there was no rush, but they insisted - that and Peyton was too embarrassed to be in the mother's presence any time soon.

Lucas, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire of girl time and packing, had wandered into the kitchen, finding his mother sitting at the table, stirring a cup of tea.

Karen looked up upon hearing her son's footsteps. She'd always known her boy had been mature far beyond the years of his actual age and peers around him. He'd accepted the fact that with no father around, and a single mother having to work overtime to keep them afloat, that he had to be the man of the house. Karen had never once asked or wished it upon him, but he stepped up in so many ways, over the years, that she felt as if there could be no other mother that could ever feel as proud as she did of Lucas. But now, looking at him, she wondered when her little blonde boy with missing teeth had turned into this grown man who had sleepovers with girlfriends. He was nearly an adult and could make his own decisions, but her heart still tugged when she thought of the little boy who would tell jokes and put together a bouquet of garden dandelions for his mother.

"Hey ma," he greeted, walking to the cupboards, "how's it being back home?"

"It's good. As nice as it was to go to another country and be with Andy," she paused, taking in a deep breath behind a reminiscent smile. "It's good to be home. I missed you!"

He sat down across from his mother and smiled. "I missed you too Mom."

"So…" Lucas rolled his eyes at his mother's words, knowing what was coming. "Care to tell me why I walked in on you and Peyton this morning and not you and Brooke?"

Trying not to take this conversation too deep, he spoke quietly. "I'm in love with her."

Karen knew that Lucas had held a flame for Peyton Sawyer before Brooke Davis had ever entered his life, but hearing that he was in love with someone took her breath away. She put a hand to her chest, and covered one of his with her own. "How did Brooke take it?"

Seeing her son drop his head and shift his eyes, she internally groaned. "Lucas Scott, tell me you didn't cheat on Brooke."

Lucas raised his head and his voice at an alarming rate. "No! Mom, I wouldn't do that to her. We broke up."

"Excuse me if this is incorrect, but haven't you two broken up multiple times?"

"Now you sound like Haley," he grumbled.

Karen chuckled. "Okay, so… it's for real this time? You and Brooke are done and now you're with Peyton?"

Lucas merely nodded.

"Are you sure Peyton isn't a rebound? She's a lovely girl, Lucas, I don't want to see her get hurt."

Lucas looked hurt, but couldn't blame his mother for not knowing better. "Mom, I could never do that to Peyton. I love her. I've loved her since the moment I spoke to her. Brooke was the…" He trailed off at the vile thought. He'd hate to think he used Brooke; he'd loved her, but it wasn't the all consuming, breathtaking love he harbored for his curly blonde.

Karen cleared her throat, leaning back in her chair. "I like Brooke, I do. She's a wonderful girl with a good heart, from what I know. But I know on some level you've always had feelings for Peyton. I just want you to be happy. And to know what you're doing. There are three hearts on the line, and I want all of you to end up happy."

Lucas stood up and walked over to his mom, kissing the top of her head. "You're a good mom. Thank you."

Before he could walk back to the giggling girls, she spoke up. "I'm so proud of you Lucas. You're a good boy with a good heart."

--

"Thank you for such a wonderful date," Peyton murmured against Lucas's lips, standing on the porch of her house.

"Mm, thank you for looking so damn sexy tonight," he whispered back, drawing her lips into another kiss.

The chuckle that escaped her throat brushed across his mouth, causing a shiver to run up his spine. He wrapped his arms tighter around her back, drawing her body flush against his.

"Do you want to come in? Haley is spending one last night at your house…" she trailed off, running a finger across his belt line.

As appealing as the offer was, he had to push her away before he lost his will to walk away. "Oh Lord, Peyt… I would love to, but it seems that since my mom is home she's made some new rules."

Peyton pouted at the distance and raised a brow.

"Rule one," he ticked off his fingers, imitating a motherly tone, "there is to be no sleeping over of any kind. No Peyton at our house, and no you at her house. No sneaking out to see Peyton. No sneaking Peyton in."

"I like how all of these rules include me," she butted in.

Lucas kissed her nose, drawing their hand together, intertwining the fingers. "Mom loves you. She does not love the thought of us having sex."

Peyton crinkled her nose in a completely adorable way, he noted. "Ew, what mother would?" She paused, and stepped closer to him. "I know someone that does love the thought of it." Her nip on his ear left him speechless.

"Babe, I have to go home. She made me promise I'd be home by 12." He looked down to his watch. "It's 11:52."

"That's 8 minutes," she kissed his Adam's Apple. "A lot can happen in 8 minutes."

He moaned as her teeth dragged across his neck. "8 minutes? You really want someone that's only going to take 8 minutes?"

Peyton couldn't help but bend over in a fit of laughter. Lucas followed suit, still holding her hand. "Alright babe, I have to go. I'll text you when I get home. I love you."

Peyton leaned in to kiss him one last time, letting her lips linger for a few extra moments. "Drive save, I love you too."

She watched until his car had turned the corner, and opened the door, sighing blissfully. Peyton Sawyer never expected her life to go so well, but Lucas had opened her up to happiness and love, and she couldn't imagine being any other way now.

As she locked the door, a noise sounded from her room, resembling footsteps. Heart rate quickening, Peyton picked up the closest weapon she could find… a CD case. She crept up the stairs quietly, taking her phone out of the purse, Lucas's number ready just in case. Her eyes widened upon seeing her bedroom door open - she had closed it when she left. Her fingers curled around her doorknob, holding her breath, body shaking - she threw the door open and let out the breath finally when she realized no one was in her room. She reasoned that she could've left the door open, or maybe Haley had been by for some reason. As she set her stuff down on her bed she let out a scream when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Turning around she came face to face with her best friend, who subsequently let out a scream. "Damn Peyton, way to welcome a girl back to town."

"Brooke what the hell are you doing here? You weren't supposed to be back for another week!" Peyton's heart was still racing, and her voice was none too kind.

Brooke frowned. "I couldn't be there any longer. Things with my parents were horrible. I missed home… I missed you, P. Sawyer."

Peyton couldn't deny the happiness she felt at seeing her best friend, so she pulled her into a hug. "I missed you too B. Davis, it's good to have you back."

"Okay missy, I want to catch up, I do - but I need a hot shower and a place to stay for the night…"

The blonde rolled her eyes and smiled. "Go shower and we'll talk afterwards. Welcome to the Sawyer house."

Squealing, Brooke pulled Peyton in for another hug, suddenly noticing her attire when she pulled back. "Wow… someone have a hot date tonight? Look at you."

Peyton blushed and wracked her brain for an answer. Before she could speak, Brooke grabbed a bag that she'd set beside Peyton's bed. "Answer later. I really need to wash that plane smell off. It's good to be home, best friend."

As Brooke bounced out the door, Peyton worried her lip between her teeth, and fell back to the bed. She knew sooner or later they would have to deal with Brooke Davis being back in their lives, but she had thought she had 6 more days to come up with a plan. Picking up her phone, she sent a single text to Lucas.

She's home.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin

Let me know what you think!