It had been two days since the doctors had discharged Peyton Sawyer from the hospital but still she remained in Knoxville, Tennessee. Her first day out had thrown her into a state of shellshock. She had forgotten what it was like to be free, to be normal, to be without Derek. She and her father had cabbed it back to the hotel where Peyton took her first real shower in days. She closed her eyes as she scrubbed her skin. She could still feel the steely presence of Derek's eyes upon her even though she knew he wasn't really there. It was just one of the ways Derek was and possibly always would be with her. In a short period of time her physical injuries would heal but the psychological scars would likely remain. Peyton had been encouraged to have follow up sessions with various doctors back in North Carolina but her mind was no longer on that. Her primary focus was Lucas. She would not rest until she was sure he was okay.

Sleep had not come easily in the hotel bed. Even with her father just a few feet away in the next bed, Peyton didn't feel completely safe. In sleep she was haunted in her dreams. While awake, she was racked with guilt. Returning to Tree Hill was not an option so she returned to the one place her heart was leading her. She returned to Lucas' bedside. For hours she would sit, watching him and holding his hand. And when she grew so tired she could no longer stand it, she would lower the side rails and crawl in bed beside him, careful not to mess up his IVs and tubings. The nurses and Karen thought it was sweet and chose not to disturb the two. For Peyton she had to be close to him and it was the only place she felt truly safe, the only time she didn't have nightmares was in his arms.

Tenderly Peyton cared for Lucas. She washed his face and combed his hair before kicking off her shoes and climbing into bed. She buried her face in his chest and closed her eyes. His body felt so warm. It always felt good in his arms. Even that night at the motel when they had gone to see if her father was dead. They had slept side by side all night and talked. He had comforted her in a way she couldn't explain. Once she found out everything was okay and they had returned to look for her bracelet, only then could she let her emotions go. She broke down and just like usual, when Peyton Sawyer fell, Lucas Scott was there to catch her. They had kissed and she needed his lips on hers like she needed air to breathe. Their bodies were like magnets. It had felt so right but they had stopped just short of consummating the deed because in their hearts they knew it was wrong. They just couldn't do that to Brooke.

Another time he had held her had been that night on the beach when she told him the truth about Ellie being her birth mother. She had cried to him for hours and he had taken her in his strong arms, stroking her hair and telling her it was going to be okay. His words and actions had given her hope. Lucas Scott just had that effect on people. He had the ability to make you believe it was really going to be okay. When she had originally tracked down Ellie, it was Lucas she had asked to accompany her to River City. They had just been friends then but she knew somehow he would furnish her the strength she needed. It was an important event in her life and when it came down to it, he was the only one she wanted beside him.

Lying next to him, she wondered if, how things could have been different? What if she had just given in to her true feelings that night at Dan Scott's party almost two years before? What if she hadn't been so afraid? Would it have changed everything? Anything? Would it have been okay? Would they have lived happily ever after and avoided all the bad things like the accident, like hurting Brooke, like Jimmy Edwards. Peyton closed her eyes. She couldn't go back. She couldn't change the past. And she'd never know if she could have made it all different. That was the past. All she had now was the present and one possible, hopeful future.

Her eyelids began to grow heavy and Peyton was too weary to try to fight off sleep. So she closed her eyes, her head buried in his chest. In Lucas' arms, dream land was a happy place. There was no Derek or no death or sorrow, just peace. Lucas was awake and they were together and all was right with the world. She could just take one look in those blue eyes and melt away. The way he touched her, the way he held her, the way he looked at her…smiled at her.

"It's you, Peyton," he stroked her cheek. "It's always been you."

And it had always been him. The joy could not be contained. Neither could her smile.

"All the things you want…I want them, too. And I want them with you."

"I love you, Peyton."

"I love you, too."

In a state between sleep and wake, Peyton stirred as she smiled. It was like she could feel his touch at that moment. Then everything went blank and eerily quiet as she sucked in a breath. Both of her eyes flipped wide open. She was awake and alert staring around the room. It was the hospital and all the tubes and IVs and machines were still there. She was still in Knoxville and Lucas was still unconscious. Then she felt it again and she knew she wasn't dreaming. The fingertips that moved ever so slightly across her back.

"Lucas!" she rolled over and sat up, breathless.

Peyton closed her eyes. She prayed her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. After a summer of hell, it had come to be quite the regular occurrence. Sometimes she had trouble knowing what was real and what wasn't. But when she opened her eyes, she saw the blue ones blinking back at her and she knew this time it was real.

"Peyton…"

He tried to speak but his dry and scratchy throat made it almost hard to understand but Peyton didn't care. It was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard. His eyes blinked again several times as his head turned.

"Lucas," she spoke softly and tearfully. "You…you're awake?"

He swallowed hard and craned his neck as if he was stretching from a long sleep like the one he had just woken up from. Their eyes finally met and for a few quiet, lingering seconds, the two just stared at one another.

"I'm sorry," he finally mouthed.

Tears of joy and relief spilled down her cheeks as she frantically wiped at them.

"Sorry? Why? Sorry for what? Luke…"

He opened his mouth but it would take a while for his thoughts to form into words.

"Derek."

"It's okay."

"Is…is, is he…"

She nodded.

"He um, he, he shot you and I guess he was going to try to shoot me too but you…you protected me. He killed himself before the cops could arrest him."

He closed his eyes.

"Are, are you alright?"

"Now I am," she spoke through tears.

"Is my brother okay?"

"Nathan is fine. He and Haley are both fine. They've been here visiting with both of us the whole time. Do, do you know where you are?"

His eyes searched around.

"Hospital."

"You're in the hospital in Knoxville."

"I'm sorry," he repeated again.

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about."

"I tried, Peyt. I, I really tried…"

"It's okay. Rest your voice. You don't have to talk right now."

He wouldn't be deterred.

"I knew…I just felt it the whole time. Derek. I, I wanted to save you but, but I couldn't find you. I'm so sorry, Peyton."

She couldn't believe it. After every heroic, beautiful, wonderful thing he had ever done for her, lying in a hospital bed, weak and barely out of a coma, he was apologizing to her as if risking his life several times for her hadn't been enough.

"You don't have to be sorry, Luke," she whispered. "You're a hero. You're my hero. You did everything to find me and you did. I can't thank you enough."

"Your text message…"

"It's okay. Everything's alright now. We don't have to talk about that stuff right now."

She reached down and took his hand in her own. For a while, there were no words. She was simply overwrought with emotion. All she could do was hold onto him for dear life and cry.

"Peyton," he called out, holding her as his tired fingers played with her hair.

"I'm so glad you're alright," she sobbed. "I, I don't know what I would have done if something happened to you…"

"Why aren't you home?" he asked.

She looked right at him.

"Not without you. We leave here together."

"You were here the whole time…"

Peyton nodded, smiling through her tears.

"We all were. Nathan and Haley and my dad and your mom…oh my God! I have to get your mom. Karen is gonna be so excited and happy now that you're awake. I need to tell her…"

She sat up but he mustered his strength and grabbed her arm.

"I did it for you, Peyton."

Her lip trembled.

"Why?"

Why was he always saving her? She felt so unworthy. And it was a question she had been longing to ask him since the beginning.

"Because it's you."

"What?"

"It's you, Peyton. It's you. It's always been you. You're the one. You're the one for me. You're the one I want standing next to me when all my dreams come true."

Her entire body shivered uncontrollably. In the midst and aftermath of unspeakable horror and tragedy, her biggest dream was coming true. Peyton didn't know what to say and for that one moment, she didn't have to say a word. She could just look at him and be thankful, enjoy their time together.

"I'm gonna get your mom," she leaned down and gave him a kiss on his lips.

Walking to the door, she stopped and turned, giving him a lingering look as he gave her a tired smile. Wiping her eyes, she walked out to the family waiting area where Karen had dozed off on a couch in front of the television set. Peyton gently nudged her. Waking up and taking one look at the blonde's tear stained face, Karen immediately sat up.

"Peyton, what happened? What's wrong? Is it Lucas?"

"He's awake."

"He's awake?" the mother choked, tears springing to her eyes as she stood.

The two women embraced.

"I can't believe it myself…"

"How is he? Is he talking? Does he know where he is? How does he look?" the questions tumbled out of Karen's mouth as they hurried to Lucas' room.

Peyton gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"He looks beautiful," she stated.

Finally they made it back and after a few minutes of hugs, kisses and tears, Karen was fussing about, fluffing her son's pillow and refilling his ice pitcher of water. Sitting nearby, Peyton latched onto his hand as he rubbed it with his fingers.

"It's good to have you back," she whispered to him.

Lucas gave her a smile with their entire future in it.

"Yeah…you too."