Notice: All mistakes are mine but if you ask I can give you some. This will be a Leyton story but it will take a while.

"Dad…"

Karen looked up from her book. She felt a pain in her chest every time Peyton asked for her dad but she couldn't do anything about that. All she could do was to be there for her. Giving her water when she asked it, calling the nurses when something wasn't right, holding her hand.

"Dad…" Karen stood up from the chair she was sitting on and went to the bed.

Once again she felt tears in her eyes. She had though that after Lucas accident she could handle everything but Keith's death proved her wrong. And now…now she though that this hospital felt like home. She, Lucas, Peyton, all of them had spent hours in these walls.

"It's okay, honey. Your dad will be here soon," a lie, Karen knew that as much as Larry wanted to be here with his daughter, he was in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and he had two weeks before the nearest port.

"How is she?" Karen turned her head to the door just to see her son standing there. She was angry with him and that was the only reason why Lucas was standing in the door, looking both ashamed and worried.

"Now you care?" Karen said and watched his face change.

"Mom…" Lucas stopped.

His mom had every right to be angry with him but couldn't she see that it was killing him? How he was supposed to know, huh? He had tried to talk to Peyton but she had shut him out. Again and again.

He had asked Brooke and she had said nothing. So, he did the one thing that could do when it came to Peyton. He gave her space and time to come to him. Lucas had learned that Peyton didn't do things with his or with anyone's else for that matter, way. She did things her way or didn't do them at all.

"Listen mom, I know you are angry with me and you have any right to be. I messed up, okay? I messed up. Bad. But you can't deny me that," his voice angry but low, "not when I need to be here."

"It's all about your needs, isn't it?" Karen said but did nothing to stop him from taking a chair and sitting next to the bed.

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"Nathan, slow down! Nathan!"

Haley looked at her husband, his lips a line, his eyes a darker blue, his body tensed. He was like that three days now, after Luca's phone call. They had tried to change their tickets but they couldn't found another flight for North Carolina.

They stayed in the hotel room, waiting for the phone to ring. They cancelled their trip to Wales, Nathan's secret wedding present for her. They had packed their clothes, leaving outside only the necessary. Despite being with the love of her life, it was the three worst days in Haley's life.

"I had no respect for her as my girlfriend," Nathan whispered and Haley almost didn't hear him.

"What? How…Peyton?" she asked and with a relief she saw that he had slow down.

"Yeah, Peyton. I didn't respect her, back when we were together," Haley wasn't so sure where this confession was heading but she didn't tried to stop him either, "I mean, she's not the…most easy person to be with," he turned to look at her.

"Yeah," Haley said because he expected her to say something.

"But she's…" he tried to find the right words but failed, "anyway, I respect her now and love her but not like I love you," he added fast and gave a quick look to his wife.

"I love you too," that earned her a smile and it was amazing what a little smile could do to her, "You know, I don't know if I could be as strong as her, with the death of her mom, well, moms and all that," he didn't answer back and they drove in silence for a while.

"I don't think that she's strong. She's just Peyton," he said with his baritone voice.

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"In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a

medium casserole dish. In a bowl, mix the Romano cheese…uh, shit."

Lucas left down his mother's magazine and put a hand in his hair. Then he shifted, resting his elbow on his knee and watched her. His mom had said that she tended to wake up for few minutes, enough to ask for a drink or just to say something before sliding back to sleep.

He felt such anger looking at her. Anger for the persons that did that to her, anger for himself, for Brooke. He shook his head. Anger couldn't change anything right now, but he sure wanted to find the son of a bitch and kick him 'till he bleed.

"Hey Peyton, can you hear me? I'm…I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I didn't save you this time and, and I really wish I did. It's…I haven't felt this bad since Keith died, you know? And I can't stand it, feeling so...so useless," his gaze felled to the floor and he left a sigh.

He thought of all the times they spent together-especially the last summer when they were just the two of them. He was surprised of who easily he could talk to her for everything. From his feelings for Brooke to the latest basketball game and even if she didn't like the game-or so she said 'cause Lucas had seen her enjoying the game. Like really enjoying the game.

When he looked up he saw that her eyes was open and she was looking at him. Had she heard him or she had just wake?

"Hey Peyton," she closed her eyes and Lucas thought that she had drift back to sleep when her eyes open again and he grinned.

"You want a drink?" his hand already holding the cup with water on the table nearly.

It was an obvious effort for her to lean her head forward and take a sip from the straw, and it was the most painful thing Lucas had ever witness. He knew that she was weak, both from her injuries and from the medication. But she didn't fell into sleep right after and Lucas found himself out of words.

"Uh, mom was here but she left and Mouth will come later. Skillz came but didn't stayed long 'cause Bevin came and she left because Skillz left," he smiled and was glad to see her lip turn into a weak snarl.

"Lucas," her voice was weak and Lucas barely heard her.

"Yeah Peyton."

"Lucas," she said again and that worried him. He was about to say something when he watched her eyes close and once again she was out.

"Peyton? Peyt?" he called her name a few times but she was out of consciousness. He watched her face for a few moments, the awful bruises, and the cut near her chin. He wanted to touch her, hold her but he was afraid of hurting her.

He was ready to kiss her cheek when with the corner of his eye saw someone walking in the room. Brooke. But his girlfriend looked like hell. She was wearing no make up, her eyes were red and puffy, and Lucas doubted that she had any sleep at all.

"Tell me," her voice cracked a little, "Tell me that she's going to be okay 'cause I really, and I mean really need to hear it."

It's all about your needs, isn't it? His mom's words came to his mind and he was going to analyze that later but right now he had his best friend lying in a hospital bed and his girlfriend crying her eyes out.

So he did the only thing he could do.

"It's going to be okay Brooke," he hugged her, "Everything is going to be fine."

TBC…