Author's Note - Thank you all once again for your reviews and support for my story.

I gave my chapter a little rework so that's why there was a wee delay in posting it. But here it is as promised.

I hope you like it. Let me know what you think.

Nobody's Fault But Mine

Chapter 8 – Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking

"Hey there brother in law," Haley James Scott said as she entered Lucas's room to find him putting on his tux for her husband's party. She let out a small laugh as she watched his feeble attempts to fix his tie. "Here let me," she decided to take pity on him and busied herself with his collar. "You know it amazes me how after all these years you still have trouble with this."

"Well its not like I have a job that requires me to wear black tie every day." In fact Lucas guessed the last time he had actually dressed up properly was on his wedding day. "Besides at least I always have my best friend to come to my rescue."

"Good thing too, there you go. Perfect." Haley straightened his tie for him. "So how do I look?" She stood back from him and twirled so he could get the full effect of her knee length mid night blue cocktail dress.

"You look beautiful Hales," Lucas smiled.

Haley and Lucas had been best friends for as long as Lucas could remember. Lucas remembered way back to when Haley was still the shy girl who had her nose in a book and her hair in braids.

As his brother Nathan had always run with a different crowd in High School and had a very questionable idea of how to treat women Lucas had had great difficulty accepting Haley as Nathan's girlfriend at the beginning. Lucas remembered how uneasy he had found it as the two would make out in the room next to his own.

He had been so protective of Haley and had always seen her as a sister. But slowly as his brother had grown to love and care for Haley and change as a better person because of her, Lucas had begun to accept their relationship.

"Thank you." She linked her arm with his. "Is everything ok Luke? I mean you and Nathan seemed kind of off with each other the day of Jamie's party."

"Yeah, everything's fine. I just didn't want to sign Dan's card is all."

"I know. And I understand that." And as Lucas's best friend she really did get where he was coming from. She knew how scarred he was from his childhood. But as Nathan's wife she also saw how the divide in their family affected him. Haley knew she was the peacemaker between the two and always would be as long as they held such differing views towards their father.

"Its just it's hard for Nathan," Haley continued as they made their way outside and into an available cab. "I mean I think he really believes Dan is trying to change. He said that when he went to see him in prison he was like the shell of a broken man."

Lucas stopped at the remark. "What did you just say? That Nathan's visited Dan? When? And why am I only just hearing about it?"

Haley bit her lip. "He didn't tell you? He went to see for his birthday." She wished she could take back the words.

"That's great. Just great."

"Luke I'm sure that Nathan planned on telling you. Apparently Dan asked about you. He said he was sorry for everything. Nathan really believes he wants to make amends."

Lucas shook his head. "Let's just go to the party."

Lucas and Haley arrived at the party's venue of a new swanky hotel. The opening lobby consisted of a large open reception was a large plasma screen which was presently showcasing the talents of the New York Knicks. They made their way through the crowds taking in the large oversized couches and oriental rugs.

Haley spotted Nathan mingling with some of the sponsors and his teammates and waved over to him. She was always so proud of him when she saw him play his game or when he was talking to people about his life in the world of basketball. He came to life in a whole different way when he took part in the game that he loved so much. She loved to see that fire in him. Plus he always looked so hot when he was lapping up the attention of his flourishing career.

"Would you like a drink?" Lucas asked. He plucked two glasses of champagne from one of the waitresses serving trays.

"Thank you kind sir," Haley said taking the crystal glass he handed to her.

They found their way over to a small table by the fireplace. "So this place is pretty nice. I think Nathan and I will have to book a weekend here sometime." She was trying to engage Lucas in some sort of conversation. She knew right now that he would be mulling over the news that she had inadvertently spilled. "You could have Jamie. He misses his favourite uncle. What do you think?"

"Yeah sure," Lucas replied absentmindedly taking a slug of his beer. His eyes travelled to the entrance of the room, Haley's eyes followed as she heard his breath catch in his throat.

"That's Antonio Garcia," she told Lucas. "He's an up and coming entrepreneur. He's opened a bunch of clubs, restaurants and hotels in the city. This hotel being one of them. He also sponsors the Knicks. Nathan and I have been for drinks with him. But then again I'm guessing you're watching his date."

Lucas continued to stare across the room. Haley merely shook her head.

Haley brightened as Nathan approached. She stood as he caught her up in his embrace. "Hey honey," he said kissing her. "Hey Luke. I'm glad you came."

Lucas offered a tight smile, "I'm going to get another drink," he said setting down the empty glass on the table.

Nathan gave Haley a quizzical look. "I kind of accidently let it slip that you went to see Dan."

-- --

Lucas had made his way to the bar and sat on a stool and ordered another drink. He was pissed off and had every intention now of drowning his sorrows and anger in beer. Copious amounts of beer at that.

"So can we talk?" Nathan asked taking the available stool next to him.

Lucas sighed. "What's there to talk about? You went to see Dan. And I really don't want to know about it."

"You can't keep doing this Luke. You can't keep hiding from the truth."

"We are not doing this."

Lucas got up and left his brother. He stalked his way from among the crowds and soon found himself outside on a balcony over looking at the city's nightscape. He downed the rest of his drink, his mind dizzying now.

"How many have you had?" Nathan asked.

"Not enough. You just don't take the hint do you little brother?"

"You know for someone who doesn't want to even admit that his father doesn't exist you're doing a fine job imitating his mistakes."

"I'm nothing like him."

"No? He wasn't bitter and stuck in the past? Lucas you've seen what bitterness can do. Why can't you accept what happened and more on?"

"I have moved on Nate. I moved on and became a detective so I could catch the bad guys and not be a victim."

"This is your idea of moving on? You bury yourself in some unrealistic quest to rid the world from all things evil. And your life suffers for it." Nathan then turned to leave. "I'm going back to the party because unlike you I want to live my life."

With Nathan gone Lucas slumped down into a chair and sighed loudly.

"Hey," he heard the unmistakable sound of her husky voice. She sat down beside him. "I heard you arguing with your brother. Are you ok?"

She was as beautiful as ever in her long bared backed emerald dress, her hair scrapped back from her face, twisted and clipped at the back of her head.

"I'm fine," Lucas shrugged off her concern "Just a brotherly disagreement."

"You don't sound fine."

His voice he realised was full of bitterness and anger. He was angry at Nathan and Haley. He was angry at his father. And he realised he was a little angry with Peyton herself.

"So Antonio Garcia? New York City's up and coming play boy wouldn't happen to be the guy who bashes you every now and then would he?" He knew he was a little drunk and knew that talking with her was a bad idea considering that fact.

"Lucas I only came to see if you were ok. I don't want to get into this."

"No of course you don't. You just want to pretend it isn't happening right? I bet when he's done beating you he even tells you he loves you and that that's why he hurts you. And you of course chose to believe it."

She retracted then, wounded. "I shouldn't have come over. I'll just leave you to it."

Peyton left the balcony but Lucas followed and caught her in the hallway. She had her back to him, her head bowed as she tried silently to compose herself before going back to the party.

"Look I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have said that. I've had a bit too much to drink and I've been fighting with my brother. I'm just not in the best of moods and I took it out on you. And to be honest I really didn't like that bastard before I even knew who he really was."

Peyton sniffed back her tears and gave him a little smile, "yeah he is kind of a pompous ass."

"You look really beautiful tonight."

"Is that the alcohol still talking?" Peyton joked as she tried to cover for the fact that she was blushing. She still was not used to receiving compliments from men. Certainly not without them wanting something in return. And the way that this man looked at her now made her weak at the knees.

"No you really do."

"Well you don't look to bad yourself." She played with his tie closing the distance between them. "All broody eyes, dark and conflicted. Very Bruce Wayne."

-- --

Antonio watched as the detective from the day before talked with Peyton in the hallway. They talked; she flashed him her dazzling smile as she flirted with him. When he made a joke she laughed and tilted her head back. Antonio felt his jealousies rise.

He turned to Vincent who stood at his side, some girl on his arm. "I want you to find out all you can about our cop friend."

"You ever think that maybe your precious Peyton is becoming too much of a liability," Vincent challenged. "I mean take a look around Ant. You could have any girl you wanted in this room."

"Just do as I ask."

-- --

"So are you having a good time?" Peyton asked Lucas.

"Not really. I hate these kind of functions. I only came to support Nathan."

"How could you possibly not enjoy the pretence of all this glitz and glamour," she drawled. "I mean the world is all expensive champagne, tuxes and sparkling diamonds."

"Probably because I know too much of what's really out there. I've seen too much. My days are full of the murderers, rapists and paedophiles. It's hard to come to a place like this after a day full of chasing the bad guys and switch off. So I just go home and bury myself in yet more of it."

She smiled sadly, "I get that, but it just sounds kind of lonely. Like you're holding yourself back when you have so much to give."

Lucas lifted up his hand to cup the side of her face. That spark danced through her centre at his touch. "I could say the same thing about you."

She lowered her eyes.

"Well cosy as this is I'm going to have to break up this intimate little moment you two have got going on."

Neither of them had noticed Antonio who was now standing behind them. Lucas quickly lowered his hand back down to his side.

"Come on Peyton we're leaving," he commanded, not a hint of politeness in his voice.

She was slightly taken aback by the sudden intrusion. She turned to him, "ok, just give me a couple of minutes."

"Now Peyton," he barked his order, his hand clamping roughly on her arm.

Lucas felt himself snap as he stepped up to defend her. "Hey, that's no way to treat a lady."

Antonio merely smirked at him," who the fuck are you to tell me how I can and can't treat my girlfriend."

"The guy who had to take her to the ER the last time that you grabbed her like that."

"I don't see how this is any of your business. And from what I've been watching for the past thirty minutes tells me that you are the one out of line."

"Luke, please," Peyton uttered. She had placed herself in between the two in an effort to stop the scene from unfolding. "Just leave it."

"Yeah Lukey boy," Antonio taunted him. "Just leave it. You have much more to lose by getting into this."

Lucas balled his fist, "it that right."

He was about to swing for him. His arm already brought back as he calculated the distance between them so he could create the maximum impact. He really wanted to knock that smarmy smile right off that face.

He felt a pair of strong arms now bracing him from behind, pulling him back. He heard Nathan's voice in his ear. "Stop bro. Calm down." Lucas thrashed, trying to break free but Nathan held firm.

Antonio Garcia sneered again. "No wonder the city is turning to ruins with this kind of "talent" running the police department." He grabbed hold of her just as harshly. "Lets go Peyton."

Peyton cast a look back at Lucas as she and Antonio exited.

-- --

The knock at her front door caused Callie Sharpe to jump up from the couch that she had been sitting on for the past hour just waiting and wringing her hands together. She rushed to open the door, just wanting to get out of the city as quickly as possible now. She couldn't face another sleepless night in New York City.

"Thank god Peyton I was going crazy."

She froze in horror at the face on the other side of her door. She didn't scream, she didn't run. Instead she backed herself into her apartment.

-- --

Peyton reached Callie's street and knew instinctively that something was not right. She saw Antonio's silver Lexis parked up ahead and brought her own car to a stop several hundred yards back.

She could only watch in horror as the body flew down from the fourth story window and crashed into the middle of the road.

He left the apartment block then and calmly cast a look up the dark street before slipping in his car and drove away into the night.

Only then did Peyton Sawyer dare leave the rental car.

Nothing could have prepared her for the sight of Callie's body bent in such a horrid way. Blood pooling from under her mane of chestnut hair. Her eyes staring blankly up at the sky.