AN: this actually turned out a lil bit more angsty than it was going to be but there it is. As ever if you like it or don't like it, do review pleease! It helps the muse which has been struggling lately- stupid August being an inbetweeny month and not giving me a routine!

So Peyton and Julian definitely had a history. Lucas didn't even need to be told; he could see it written on the faces of everyone he was sitting with. Brooke and Jake had gone very quiet, Chris looked annoyed and Rachel, fuck Rachel looked murderous. Before she could turn her rage on him he slipped up from his chair and waved a hand, "thanks for letting me crash your lunch table guys."

Brooke brightened, "oh no problem Lucas, can we call you Lucas?"

He laughed, "yeah of course."

"So maybe we'll see you again tomorrow?"

"If you'll have me..."

"Absolutely!"

Chris winked and shrugged, "guess you're not too bad for company Scott."

He tried not to fist pump in front of his sister-in-law. Hell YES. He was going to be having lunch with Dr. Sawyer every day for as long as possible.

Rachel rolled her eyes like she was reading his thoughts, "never going to happen," she mouthed.

Well, she could shut up.

He mouthed back as much and she smirked, shaking her head and forming a discreet L with her finger and thumb before picking up a chart and going back to ignoring him.

"Yeah man, take it easy," Jake smiled widely at him. Lucas tried to see if there was some underlying back off warning he wasn't getting but came up with nothing; looked like the guy really was just nice. Guess Jake and Nathan were the last of their species left in town.

He spent the afternoon writing up post op notes and trying not to get distracted by his curiosity over Doctor Sawyer and that jerk Julian Baker. If Jake was the good guy of the hospital, Julian was definitely the jackass. He hadn't even looked at Lucas when addressing him, barely shaken his hand and the dismissive way he'd spoken to Peyton; it made him want to punch the guy. Even though he knew Chris took joy in teasing the hell out of her, there was still deep respect- whether Peyton could see it or not. And yeah ok, Lucas kind of liked the way her eyes flashed when she got annoyed at him but still, the way Baker had spoken to her, that was different.

There wasn't respect there. There was something that reminded Lucas of the way he used to act when he ran into a one night stand still using his shower (Rachel's shower) or drinking juice in the kitchen (Rachel's juice). And he was the first to admit he wasn't a particularly friendly guy to them; hey he'd never pretended to be in the first place but damn if you didn't show someone like Peyton Sawyer a little respect. He'd done his research, he knew her specialties, her skills, he knew she was good. Better than good.

He just didn't know anything about what was under all the medical layers. He wanted under her skin and that might take a while. But he could be patient when there was need for it. And he knew she'd be worth the wait.

At five he jogged up the only set of stairs leading to the roof and nudged open the fire exit. He strolled across the gravel, tipping his fingers against the old pack of Camels he was carrying and came to a halt when he spotted the very doctor who had been occupying his mind all afternoon. She obviously hadn't heard him arrive and he took a moment to study her from afar, undisturbed. Her golden hair flew out in all directions as she leant forward, her legs swinging over the edge of the building. She had a tiny smile on her face and once again he was struck by how young and untroubled she looked when no-one else could see her. A bird startled as he approached and she whipped around, the placid expression vanishing and becoming guarded and cross. Shit, he'd disturbed her quiet time; this was so not about to end well.

He offered her a crooked smile, "didn't realise this was a popular spot."

She almost smiled, tugging her hair back into a ponytail and standing at the same time, "it's not; that's why I like it."

He held up his hands, of course.

Her eyes flickered to the cigarette packet and then back to him, "smoking is an intolerable habit."

"I don't smoke," he said shortly, slipping the packed back into his pocket.

She raised her eyebrows, "what so you just carry cigarettes around to look like you've got a hobby?"

He snorted, leaning back on the railing, "nope."

"So..."

"Everyone's got a story," he shrugged, "same way you always push your hair back when you want to be taken seriously but you prefer it loose, same as Rachel's basically mama bear around here; makes you guys all eat right and pesters you about sleeping-" she looked at him in surprise and he grinned suddenly, "I can hear her nagging you with her eyes from across the room. Like I said, this place, everyone's got a story; Jake's obviously been pining after dimples for quite some time, Chris wants y'all to take him seriously and that guy Julian Baker's a douche."

Peyton almost laughed and wrapped her arms tightly around herself, "guess you're pretty perceptive."

He shrugged again, "I'm good at reading people yeah."

"Then what's the story with the cigarettes?"

His chest tightened for a moment and he scrubbed a hand across his face, searching for reserves of the easy charm he always used to deflect. "Hey," he tried for nonchalant, "I never said I was telling my own story."

She scoffed, catching him by surprise, "you're just here to pick everybody else apart huh?" She lifted her own arms as she began to back towards the door, "well good for you."

Lucas shook his head, "you know I been here two weeks and you've already made your mind up about me, what's the point of giving you anything else?" He closed the gap between them swiftly; she seemed to break all his rules about personal space every time he saw her and he watched her eyes darken, ready for a fight...

Or something else.

"You've got the evil sister in law telling you all kinds of crap about me in one ear and Nate complaining about how goddamn awful it was growing up with me in the other- hell you haven't even tried to see if any of its bull, you've just gone with it." He leant in closer, heard her breathing change, "why shouldn't I judge you all just like you've judged me?"

She stepped away slowly, nodding slightly, "you're right."

Ok, he hadn't expected her to acquiesce quite so quickly.

"Peyton Sawyer agreeing with me for once? Alert the fucking president."

"Oh I wouldn't just yet," her eyes glittered dangerously and he sucked in a breath, jesus she really was sexy as hell when she got pissed off. "See, you haven't tried to show me you're any different either. You don't know what Nathan and Rachel have told me, you're happy just to assume it's the worst and to think that's why I don't like you; blame it on someone else. I've got my own mind doctor and frankly I find it disturbing that someone over the age of twelve thinks, oh my brother is mean to me, is any kind of excuse to be a tool." She smiled coolly, lifting a shoulder, "but I did judge you, I must admit. You were fast to get in my way and I was fast to dismiss you and yet, you didn't even bother to try and prove my original assumption was incorrect. You turned all my genuine concerns into some ridiculous accusation about my trust issues and I'm supposed to what? Bow down and say thank you Doctor Scott you've solved all the problems I ever had, let me drop down on my knees for you?"

Oh god.

He opened his mouth and she held up a hand, "don't even say it."

"Worth a shot," he muttered.

She rolled her eyes, scowling, "this is exactly what I'm talking about; you're not even listening to me now. You don't think you have a problem, you think it's all me and my crazy neuroses! Let's take the piss out of the blonde doctor because she must have some daddy issues in the back of her closet I can exploit and ensure she never actually calls me on any of my own faults. If I swagger around this hospital looking like I know everybody's inner most thoughts then maybe no-one will ever point out that I don't know what the fuck I'm doing here."

He shrank back against the wall of the building and started, he hadn't even realised he'd been walking backwards. Somehow he'd completely lost sense of his surroundings; something he never did. She stopped, inches from his face and tipped her head to one side, "I fixed my daddy issues years ago and I don't have trust issues. I might be highly strung and I might be fascinating or hilarious for you to pick apart but don't for one second think I can't see right back through you just as easily Doctor Scott."

"It's Lucas," he said sharply, "for god's sake quit calling me Doctor Scott like this is all something impersonal to you."

"You are impersonal to me."

He chuckled, trying to reassert his footing, "you wouldn't be pushing me up against walls and ranting at me if I wasn't getting under your skin."

She immediately put a foot of space between them, "I've got thicker skin than that Lucas and please stop trying to prove how much you think you know about me by making assumptions and then voicing them."

"That's the first time you've asked nicely," he said, quirking an eyebrow at her.

She kinked a brow back, "I can be civil, believe me, you have to be in this place."

"Sure, like you were civil to that douche Baker earlier."

Something flickered across her face and he tried to catch it, to understand exactly what she was thinking but in a second it was gone. Damn she was slowing his reflexes.

"That's different."

"Why?"

She straightened up, almost smirking, "I guess that's a story that doesn't need telling today Doctor Scott, now if you'll excuse me, I have patients."

He couldn't help but smile and nod, "guess I'll be seeing you around."

"Try not to get too under my feet," she called over her shoulder as she made for the stairs.

"Hey," he called after her, "you and Julian-" he narrowed his eyes, trying to find the right words, "do I hate him? I mean, he's already pretty much a tool in my book for not even managing a proper hand shake but- did he hurt you?"

There was a fraction of a second where she visibly stopped moving and then her pager beeped and she began to walk again, turning briefly to shrug her shoulders up high, "why don't you use all your psychic mind reading crap on him instead, I'm sure he'd be happy to sit down and chat with you."

"Was that a joke Doctor Saywer?"

She waved a hand in response and he sighed, smiling and shaking his head as he slid down the wall to sit heavily. She was a complete mystery.

Twenty minutes into a quick evening nap and he was rudely awoken by Chris barging into the room, "Scott I've got three hours, an excellent image of Davis and Sawyer doing unspeakable things to me in an exam room and you've got a kid who fell down the stairs rolling in, scram!"

He groaned, "dude, doesn't anybody knock around here? Or say hello first?"

Chris chuckled, rolling onto the bunk opposite, "nope, we like to keep it dramatic."

"No kidding." Sighing he shucked on his scrub top and grabbed his watch, "anything else I need to know?"

"Nah, normally I'd be all over that kind of surgery; kid's gonna need a shit load of pins in his leg."

"Then why are you giving it to me?"

"I'm feeling kind."

He snorted, "liar."

"Alright fine, I've gotta present at MnM tomorrow and I gotta look my best." Lucas raised an eyebrow and Chris scowled, "and Baker's gonna be on my ass about the case; he's still pissed about it. Now let me get some sleep so I at least look better than him when he's dragging my dignity across the floor."

Lucas scoffed, "that guy's a tool and a half man."

"Yup," Chris rested his head on his arm, "you decided that on a wide and thorough examination of his personality though right? Not just on the fact you clearly spotted he's in there with your girl."

"She's not my girl," he protested crossly, "and she'd skin you alive if she heard you say that."

The lithe doctor laughed, "I'm not afraid of blondie, she's known me way too long to actually want me dead, she'd miss me."

"I doubt that."

"Ha ha," Chris shrugged, "nah she loves me- and one day she's bound to admit it."

"So- her and Baker?"

"Aw and I thought you said you weren't interested?"

Lucas hesitated, "I'm not, I'm just-"

"Dude you are shit at fishing for information!"

"Hey! She's like the first person I've ever not been able to get a read on."

"I bet that's been real fun for you," Chris smirked.

"She's just... interesting."

"Yeah she's just fascinating but sorry man I'm fond of my balls where they are and if Sawyer found out I was giving you the dirt I'd most definitely not like where they went. You got a mangled kid rolling in downstairs dude- go do something you're good at."

Lucas tried to scowl and then shook his head, "I hate you man."

"Nah you don't- come find me tomorrow after MnM and we'll go over to Reed's- you might even be lucky enough to pick me up off the floor and carry me home."

"Dude, this MnM gonna be that bad?"

"Bring a camera, it's gonna be violent."

"If it helps; I'm pulling for you."

"Yeah yeah, we'll braid each other's hair tomorrow, hit the light newbie."

Lucas waved a hand as Chris rolled over onto his front and squished his face into the pillow. Just as he made it out into the corridor his pager went giving him a two minute heads up and he moved swiftly down to the ER.

"Can someone get me more gauze?" Immediately there was a wad of gauze in his hands and Lucas grinned and continued to apply pressure. He loved the way this place worked; he had to admit that.

There was never any apologetic face turning back saying, "we're out man, shit now what?"

He never had to use his own tee shirts to stem blood.

Or do CPR during a sand storm.

He really couldn't think about that now though and he stepped back, whipping off his gloves, "stats?"

"Pulse is back, BP's still pretty low but he's good to be moved."

"Great, I'll meet you up in the OR."

"Lucas Scott?"

He turned, pulling off the trauma gown and dropping it in the bin, "who's asking?"

A petite woman with dark blonde hair held out her hand as he came towards her into the corridor, "Haley James, I'm with Social Services, I coordinate with the hospital over cases such as this one."

"Right- hi yeah I think I've seen your name on a couple of the kid cases I've worked on."

"Well, the hospital does pretty much own my soul," she said with a quick smile.

He laughed, "isn't that the case for all of us?"

"Probably," she handed him a file, "this is Riley Demplen, he's been in three times in the last six months. Before that it was sporadically for over two years."

Lucas nodded, scanning the file, "broken collarbone, cheekbone, jesus look at those bruises- someone's been knocking this kid around."

"Yes," Haley said quietly, "it's his aunt, parents both died in a car accident several years ago."

"Why hasn't anybody done anything?"

"We've tried, he won't admit anything to me because his aunt's the only person he has left."

"So you want me to try and talk to him before surgery?"

"If you can- otherwise I need you to be alert for anything he says afterwards." She stopped at the nurse's desk, smiling at Brooke who winked at them both before going back to her filing. "Look, Doctor Scott, this boy is vulnerable and scared to death. I've seen him every time he's been in and we've built up a rapport but he still won't talk about the injuries with me." She cleared her throat, "it's become something of a personal case."

He nodded, "sure, of course, I'll tread carefully."

"I have no doubt," she said, smiling faintly; like maybe she knew a few stories about him. Damn he was going to kill Rachel with her own shower curtain. "I'm not trying to tell you how to handle the patient or anything; I just wanted to make sure you know the story."

"Understood," he smiled crookedly, "you're not coming up afterwards?"

"No I'll be there; I just don't want to make a scene and spook him. I'll get the nurses to keep Marie- his aunt- updated but I'd like a few minutes undisturbed once he's awake before we bring her up."

"Of course," he nodded again, "anything I can do to help this kid." He glanced back at the photographs on the top page and winced, "god he looks so small."

"He's ten in two weeks," Haley said quietly.

Brooke clucked her tongue and shook her head, "I still remember when Jay was that age, god this case makes me so sad."

Haley swallowed and Lucas watched carefully, this case was personal. "You want me to page you when we're finished?"

"Please," she stacked her files together neatly and then handed them to Brooke, "thanks honey. I'm gonna go make a few calls, thank you for listening Doctor Scott."

"Lucas," he said quickly.

This time her smile was wider, "and I'm Haley. See you later."

The surgery was complicated and Lucas seriously felt for the kid. Nine years old and he'd be in intensive physical therapy for months. It made his blood boil just thinking about the monster that had done this.

They rolled him upstairs and Lucas followed the bed into the room without even realising he was doing it.

He sat down beside the bed and sighed heavily, rolling his shoulders to relieve some of the tension. God he'd actually been nervous. If he'd screwed this one up, hurt this kid any more, he'd have genuinely been affected. He glanced down at the mop of dark hair covering one of the scratches Riley had received and shook his head. He'd seen a lot of painful injuries, he'd seen death and people kill each other, hell he'd had to commit his own atrocities in his time overseas but kids being hurt... It got to him.

And it made a part of him he had tightly locked up ache. A sharp, bright, sudden reminder that the pain was still there, just waiting to be picked at when the time was right or the self loathing was strong enough.

"Rough night?"

He blinked and looked up, "Nate, what are you doing here so late?"

Nathan shrugged from where he was leaning on the door frame, "Rach had surgery, wanted to see her."

"You're so whipped."

"Yeah," his brother grinned, "so?"

"So nothing I guess," he glanced back at Riley and then up at his brother, "you just drop by to say hello?"

"Pretty much. Got nothing else to do for a bit."

"Sweet."

"Whatever man, it's not like you checked in much for over a decade, just cos you live a lot closer and you've got eyes on my best friend doesn't mean we're suddenly gonna be living in each others pockets."

Lucas dropped his head back, "jesus does everybody think I've got the hots for Peyton or something?"

"Peyton? Who said anything about her? I was talking about Chris."

"Still got that wit going for you little brother."

"You know it." Nathan came and sat beside him, nodding at Riley, "he gonna be ok?"

"Yep- bad family history though, he's got a long way to go."

"I know," Nathan said softly, "I know the case. I've been working with Haley for a while now on ways to get him out of that house."

"Nate man, surely if you guys are all so sure it's abuse you can just take him can't you?"

"It doesn't work like that Luke; his aunt's a freaking lawyer too and kids get hurt all the time falling on playgrounds and getting in scraps- we have to get Riley to talk or get hard evidence there's actual abuse."

He snorted, "that doesn't seem right. Or fair."

"Yeah well, welcome to the real world," Nathan shook his head, briefly touching Riley's bed, "nothing's fair here."

"Thank you mister doom and gloom," Lucas sighed, "you got any brighter remarks you'd like to share?"

"Your hair looks like crap."

It lightened the mood and he laughed, "asshat, my hair looks fine."

Nathan squinted at him and then smirked and looked away, rubbing a hand over his chin before glancing back at him, "so you like it here huh?"

"S'alright," he said shrugging awkwardly, "about as different as you get from the field... but familiar at the same time you know?"

"Yeah I guess," Nathan chuckled, "but then you're already striking out with the female population of this place so that's gotta be a change from the norm."

"Oh ha! Where did you hear that?"

"Dude, I'm a lawyer, I hear everything, I know everything, duh."

"You mean the girls all consider you one of them and so think it's ok to gossip in front of you?"

Nathan scowled, "you know, I was gonna be nice-"

"Ha!"

"-but forget that."

They looked at one another for a moment and then Lucas nodded at Riley and cleared his throat, "so you ever think about it?"

Nathan was silent, rocking forward on his chair, considering, "sometimes."

"And Dan?"

His brother shrugged, "last year was pretty tough. Still didn't see it coming though, thought he was gonna outlive us all."

"Out of spite," Lucas mused quietly.

Nathan exhaled sharply, "Luke-"

"You forgave and forgot a lot quicker than I did Nate."

"Yeah, well I had my big brother to take care of me most of the time- I don't remember all of it."

"But you still can't forgive me?"

"It's not like that-"

"You can pretend all you want Nate but your wife's projecting all your resentment onto me every time I come in a damn room."

"You just left Lucas- I got a postcard."

"I didn't know what else to say."

Nathan stood up sharply, "something more than, Texas is shit hot and training has me fitter than Whitey ever had me?"

"I wasn't-"

"I don't want to fight Luke! God you do everything in your power to act like this is all some massive joke, hell I should know, you've been doing it for as long as I can remember. So long as you never sit still for long enough you never have to think about anything but youself and what you want, want you can do to pretend you're someone else or like you've got a different history. But you're in my town now, my hospital and my wife's name is Rachel."

"She doesn't like it when I call her that," he said sulkily.

Nathan rolled his eyes, "god sometimes... You two are more alike than you think man."

"We both drive you crazy you mean?"

He snorted, "yeah, most of the time. Got me going grey and everything."

"Ah, you work it Nate- you're a handsome devil; just like your brother."

"Lucky me."

Lucas stood and patted him on the shoulder, "yeah Nathan, you are lucky. Awesome job, golf with Jack- don't even deny it I can tell you two tee off together. And the people in this place, hell you're all crazy but you're a family right? And you got Rachel and, if you tell her this I'll cut your eyes out-"

"You even threaten violence like she does!"

"-If you tell her I said this I'll be pissed, but she's hot man, and she freaking loves you. You got it all."

Nathan chuckled, "was that hard for you to say?"

"Little bit yeah."

Riley shifted and Lucas glanced over at the monitors- everything was routine- he looked back at his brother and shook his head, "I know I screwed some stuff up Nate."

"Yeah? You could have fooled me."

"You can't even let me get through an apology!"

"Was it going to be a sincere one?"

He let out a laugh, feeling the adrenaline from their earlier argument slowly slipping away in relief, "probably not. Not now anyway."

"Well save it for Rach's birthday or something- she can gloat."

"I doubt I'll be invited."

"Well, maybe Sawyer will have decided she likes you by then; get you a special invite."

He punched Nathan's side, "you suck."

"Yeah but I'm right about that crush, look at you going all pink!"

They fell into the corridor jostling one another and laughing. Lucas wasn't sure he could remember the last time they'd even hugged, let alone done anything carefree together. It felt good.

Now if he could just convince Peyton not to shoot fire at him every time they were in the same room he could call this week a good one.