Opening the front door, Peyton stood outside the home she had grown up in, surrounded by 18 years worth of memories. The happy and normal sounds of summer could be heard all around as children laughed and played and fathers in the neighborhood mowed the lawns. She was back in Tree Hill. After two of the worst months of her life, Peyton Sawyer had finally returned home. Taking a seat on the front steps, she sighed as she hugged her knees to her chest. It was supposed to be a time of joy and excitement. The freedom and simplicity of being away from Derek and back home had been the one dream that had sustained her through the entire ordeal. Sometimes she never thought it actually would have happened but it finally had and days later, Peyton still had no idea how to feel about that.

"Everything okay, kiddo?" the front door opened and out stepped her father, Larry.

She looked up and smiled as he wrapped his arm around her.

"I'm fine, Dad," she tried to reassure him and herself at the same time.

He hugged her close.

"I know I must have said it a hundred times already but I'm gonna make it a hundred and one anyway. I'm so glad to have you home, Peyt. I mean that with all my heart."

"It's good to be back."

It had been almost a week since they had all returned and life had been in full swing ever since. Their story had been number one for local news and had even managed to makes its way to headlines outside of North Carolina. The reporters camped out in the yard, the phone ringing non stop and Dan's plans to hold a parade in Peyton's honor had come as a shock to the young woman. It was amazing to know they all knew her name and her story and that they cared. Strangers knocked on the door with tears in their eyes and homemade pies in their hands, always with a kind word of encouragement. For Peyton, it was hard to handle.

Ungrateful, she was not. The support from everyone had been nothing but incredible. And she was nothing but appreciative and thankful for the wonderful and thoughtful actions of so many. But it was still baffling being an overnight celebrity, especially in which the twisted way she had achieved the status. Her father and Lucas had stepped up several times to grant various interviews on her behalf as a way to keep the relentless press at bay. The plan had worked and at least the media had packed up their trailers on the street and given the Sawyer family some sense of normalcy and privacy for the time being.

"I made lunch. You want to come inside and eat?

Peyton shook her head.

"No thanks. I'm not hungry right now."

Larry frowned. She had always been a thin girl but had lost a significant amount of weight while being held captive by Derek. Slowly she was coming around but at times, she appeared weak and frail. Often she had skipped meals, instead sitting quiet and alone staring into space.

"I don't mean to be a nag, Peyt, but you know you have to eat, honey."

She sighed, noting the worried look on his face.

"Maybe later."

Kissing the top of her head, he held Peyton close. It felt surreally wonderful to have his little girl safe, back in his arms. The entire time she had been missing, he had been praying for moments just like those. Never had he lost his faith but he had been naïve enough to think the ordeal would be over once Peyton was home. In truth, it was anything but over. The nightmare lived on and she had a long way to go before she healed completely. As a father, he only wanted to help, to protect her. Larry longed for a way inside her head but it was impossible. All he could do was offer love, encouragement and support along with a close and watchful eye.

"I'll be inside if you need me, baby," he gave her one last hug and kiss, the door closing a little too loudly behind him.

Peyton jumped, her eyes glimpsing over to the curb in front of her house. She blinked her eyes and when they opened again, it was night. Her car was there and she was inside. There was a flash of someone whizzing by, then the loud bang at the window. Fear welled inside Peyton as she saw that face, his face, those rage filled, wide blue eyes staring right at her.

"Peyton!"

"No!" she screamed.

She felt a hand on her own and opened her eyes. It was daytime again. Her car was parked, untouched in the driveway as it had been ever since Lucas had moved it almost two months before. Peyton was still sitting on the porch and at the curb was Lucas' car and he was standing there in front of her with a concerned look on his face. Before either one could speak, the house door opened again and it was Larry.

"Everything okay?"

Breath puffed out of Peyton in radical, anxiety filled spurts.

"I, I'm fine, Dad. Sorry. Um, I, I guess I just got a little spooked."

With a worried expression, he nodded a greeting to Lucas before returning inside the house. Lucas took a seat beside her.

"I didn't mean to scare you, Peyt. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm good. Sorry about that, I guess I must have zoned off or something."

"You sure?"

She gave him a nervous smile and nod.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

"Alright," he answered, still not completely convinced as he noticed her gaze returning again and again towards the direction of his parked car. "Peyton?"

"Huh?" she asked after a few seconds of distraction.

It didn't take long for Lucas to figure it out.

"That's where it happened, didn't it?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," she answered, desperately wanting the memory to just go away.

"Do you want me to move or…"

"No. Uh, you're fine. Don't worry about it."

"You sure?"

"So you drove here all by yourself?" she quickly changed the subject.

"Yeah. I felt up to it. I'm tired of bothering Mom or Nathan and Haley every time I need something. I was ready to get behind the wheel again. What about you?"

"Not yet. I mean, I guess I'm ready and everything but I, um, I haven't really got in my car just yet."

It was a simple action but still the scene of where the horrible crime began. Like everything else, it would take time.

"That's cool. Take your time. Do everything at your own pace."

"How do you feel?"

"Better. A lot better. You?"

"I'm okay."

"That's good but I had to see you. There's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"What's up?"

"The night you came over, right before…"

"Yeah?"

"You came over to say more than good bye, didn't you? I, um, I was waiting for the right time to tell you that I found this," he dug in his pocket, producing the digital recorder.

Peyton had forgotten all about it.

"Oh my God…"

"Peyton…"

"Did you, did you listen to it?"

"Every last word."

She looked away, crimson faced.

"This is…embarrassing," she chuckled.

Lucas was not smiling.

"Why?"

"I don't know," she shrugged.

"Those things you said…were they true? I, I need to know, Peyt. I need to know if you meant them…if you still mean them."

Peyton exhaled a nervous breath.

"I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, Luke. I guess we all have. But the biggest regret for me is that night Dan and Deb had the party for the team at their house. Brooke dared me to tell everyone how I really felt about you. And when you and I were alone and I had the chance, I blew it. I, I was an idiot. It's because I was afraid."

"Of what?"

She looked him in the eye.

"Afraid of you and how you made me feel. Afraid of letting my guard down and giving someone my heart again. Afraid to trust, afraid you would leave. I don't know. But I was wrong, Lucas. I was so wrong and so stupid and I've had to live with it ever since. That night I showed up at your house and Brooke was there. God, that hurt so damned bad. I can't even explain it. I knew I was too late. I knew I had lost you and that killed me. I knew when I left you were going to hold her and make love to her and that tore me up inside."

He closed his eyes.

"Brooke is a great person. I don't have to tell you that. I liked her, Peyton and the time I had with her was nice but it never was meant to last. I didn't feel for her the way I felt for you. I wanted you, I wanted to be with you and when you shut me down, and maybe this makes me the biggest jackhole on the planet, I kind of settled for Brooke. I don't want to be mean saying that and in no way is it disrespect to her. I just shouldn't have done it. That night at the party when you walked away…it broke my heart. That night when you came to my room and said all those things, all those things I felt about you and had been waiting for you to say…I can't describe it."

"But Brooke was already there."

"She was. I should have just come clean then but I didn't. I didn't know what to do and I didn't want to hurt her and I was a coward. When you left, it broke my heart again. And when I made love to Brooke that night…I, I wished it was you."

"Lucas…"

"Every day you were gone with Derek and we didn't know what happened to you, I was scared out of mind. Peyton, I would have done anything to save you. I didn't know why at first. I didn't know why I was so driven. Then I found the recorder and I listened to it. The next day I went over to see Haley and we talked. All of a sudden it hit me like somebody had just punched me in the gut. Everything started to make sense and for the first time, I could admit how I really felt."

"How do you feel?" she asked nervously.

"When I woke up in that hospital bed after my surgery and I saw you sitting there, I was probably the happiest guy on the planet. I told you that I did it for you. I told you you're the one. I mean that, Peyton. I still mean it. It wasn't the morphine talking or anything. It's you. You are the one. You're my soul mate. You are everything I've ever wanted. You…"

"I love you, Lucas," she blurted out, tears in her eyes. "I do. I have loved you, I have been in love with you, I have wanted you for two whole years. I was scared then and I'm still scared now but I can't hold that in anymore. So there it is. I love you, Lucas Scott."

Tears trickled down her face and he lovingly wiped them away with his thumb. Wrapping his arm around her, he held her while she cried. He felt the urge to cry himself but there would be no tears of sadness, only joy and relief. After two years of everything, the truth was finally out and Peyton was in his arms.

"I want to be with you, Peyt. We've wasted enough time already. I know Derek put you through a lot and it's gonna take a while for you to heal, but I promise you, if you let me, I will be here for you every second of every step of the way. I just want to take care of you and protect you. That's all I've ever wanted."

"I, I have a lot of problems, Luke," she answered tearfully. "Sometimes, sometimes I'm not that easy to love. I just want you to know that, what you're getting yourself into…"

"Do you love me?"

"Yeah but…"

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes, Lucas…"

"I don't care about any of that other stuff. All I care about, all I've ever cared about is you. You once said, people always leave. Well, not me. I'm that guy you can count on. I'll never leave you, Peyton, never. I'll never leave you because I love you."

He leaned in and tilted her chin to meet his soft, waiting lips. They kissed gently and sweetly with Lucas pulling away.

"Luke…"

"Shhh. We can take it slow. I don't want to push anything. I want you to be ready."

He was so gentle, so tender, so wonderful. And finally, he was hers.