BRIEF NOTES:

Thanks so much for the reviews. I'm glad you all are enjoying the story.

So this chapter's quite long and dramatic, but that's kind of the point. :D I hope it doesn't bore you.

Enjoy.

DISCLAIMER:

Nope. OTH still isn't mine.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The unsettling silence continued dragged onto the night inside the Sawyer household. Even little Robby, who usually remained spirited despite his elders' disquiet, was passive from the time he rose from his nap until the time Peyton gave him his night bath.

He climbed into his bed without a fuss, carrying an expression mixed with apprehension and sadness. His mother, however, seemed to not have noticed. From the time Lucas slammed the door, she had run on autopilot.

"Mommy?"

"Yeah, son?" Peyton was too immersed in her inner thoughts to remain focused.

"Mommy, can you look at me?"

The sound of her son's voice – the voice he only used if he was about to cry – broke her lethargic concentration. She looked down at the little boy's blue eyes; they were filled with a sadness that tore at her heart.

"I don't like it when you're sad. You've been sad since I woke up. I get sad when I see you like that."

Her eyes filled with a fresh sheen of tears. She held her boy, her only treasure in this life, close to her heart. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I'm so sorry for everything."

Robby reciprocated the embrace with equal vigor. "S'okay. I love you. I'm not never going to. Even when I grow up."

By the time he finished speaking, the top of his head had been sprayed with his mother's tears. "Thank you, Robby. I love you too, hun… very very much." She kissed the top of his head and rocked him softly in her arms. It didn't take very long for Robby to fall asleep.

As soon as she had him tucked in, she proceeded to her room. Inside she was greeted with a brunette seated at the edge of her bed.

"Hey bestest friend." She had tried her best to sound cheery, but it ended up as a squeak.

Peyton offered her a small, sad smile. "Hey yourself." She sat on the bed, her back leaning against the headboard as her legs stretched in front of her. For a brief moment, she allowed herself to close her eyes and sigh.

Now or never, Brooke thought. "I kind of didn't mean to… but I eavesdropped when I heard you and Lucas fighting downstairs."

Her words caused the blonde to jolt up. "Did… Did Robby…"

"No! no… when Lucas started raising his voice I ran to your room, grabbed your ipod, and stuck the earphones on his ears. I hope he didn't mind listening to La cucaracha. I was too panicked to the playlist you made for Robby."

Peyton rewarded Brooke with a chuckle. "La Rocca. Thanks, buddy. You're a lifesaver."

The light moment was short-lived. The brunette returned to the subject at hand. "I can't believe he still thinks you got rid of your son… or that you sent him away."

Her best friend slacked against the headboard again. Today's events had sucked the energy out of her. "He just didn't understand, Brooke."

Brooke Davis could not believe how weak her best friend was when it came to the subject of Lucas. Frankly, it was beginning to tick her off. "Peyton, I'm not the brightest kid in the block, but I was there – for call 1 and call 2 I might add – and I understood everything you said clearly. Will you stop making these excuses for him? God! Why are you such a martyr when it comes to him?"

"I'm not being a martyr, Brooke." The blonde said through gritted teeth.

Damn but this was exasperating. "Then what is it, Peyton? What is it that drives you to be so damn understanding when it comes to that poor excuse of a man?"

A solitary tear fell from Peyton Sawyer's eye. "Because I was in the exact same place he's in now. Before I got to know him, I was so closed off. Do you remember that, Brooke? How all of you used to dodge me into joining you but I'd always end up in my room, alone and reserved? He changed that for me. He broke all my walls. And now I'm trying to do the same for him, if only to repay him for having always saved me. And as much as I hate to admit it to you, myself, and everybody else – I love him. I always have, and no matter the turnout of this, I always will. If that makes me a martyr to you, I really don't care. It's my choice, I made it; and God help me but I sure as hell don't regret it."

By the time her admission was done, Brooke Davis inwardly beamed with a renewed sense of pride for her best friend. Truly, Peyton was one of the strongest people on earth.

She put her arms around the blonde. "If it helps you any, know that I love you, P.Sawyer."

The words of her best friend turned Peyton Sawyer into a mess of tears and weeping. Brooke held her close and remained silent. She let the blonde cry her heart out, all the while praying that Lucas would soon come to his senses. It was weird how now she was secretly pulling for the couple, given their history and all; But she knew somewhere down the line, it was what she really wanted for them.

Because, as she always believed, people who are meant to be always find their way in the end.

The River Court hadn't changed at all, much to Lucas's relief. He had come here tonight, hoping to find answers to the plethora of questions he had stocked over the years.

"Nothing could ever stand in the way of you and the pain because you refuse to set it free"

The words had been stamped in his head ever since Peyton had said them earlier. He chuckled bitterly, it wasn't only her words that had left a mark on him today. The red mark on his left cheek was also a reminder of this afternoon's squabble.

He dribbled his basketball and took a shot from the outside J; the ball landed smoothly, causing the chains from the ring net to swish. He jogged to pick it up.

"At least you still have game."

Lucas turned around to face the voice. He wasn't very pleased when he heard the man, and his dread only rose when he confirmed that the voice did, in fact, belong to the last person he expected to see.

Derek.

"If you've come to kick my ass, expect retaliation."

Derek squared him off with a smirk and a teasing remark. "I don't need to. My baby sister already did that." The words baby and sister were emphasized to taunt Lucas further.

"I still like the other Derek better." Two could play this game.

But the other man was not about to be fazed. "He's probably in Wake Central… mingling with your Dad."

Something inside of Lucas snapped at the mention of his father. His fist balled and he lunged for the marine, only to fall flat on his face as Derek shoved him aside. He kept attacking as the other man kept dodging, causing him to tumble again. Lucas knew he was no match for Derek, but he was too angry to care.

But, the other man had enough. He turned to his side and grabbed Lucas's left shoulder just as he lunged for Derek again. The blonde was held in a position similar to that of an offender apprehended by police.

"Ready to say uncle yet? Or do you wanna continue this stupid dance?"

Lucas sighed in frustration and rested his head on the concrete. The other man took this as a sign of surrender and released him.

"I still love her, you know…" He began as he rose slowly and sat smack in the middle of the court. "But the day she kept him from me, she hurt me more than Brooke or Dan ever did. I hated her for it, and for a while I thought I could live off of hating her. But I was wrong, I couldn't hate her. I never really did."

The marine looked at the man seated in front of him. His mind's eye, however, didn't see man but a boy – a lost little boy.

"Before Brooke left for California after her second spring break, we had a dinner thing at Nathan's. There was a discussion that started and Nathan ended up telling Peyton to wake up and face the fact that you'd become a mess and there was no chance you'd ever be like before. She said was that was exactly the point, you wouldn't be like before. Because by the time you came home, you'd be better."

To say that Lucas was surprised to hear that story was an understatement.

"I still don't believe her… none of us do." Derek supplied after his narration.

Lucas looked up. "And you're telling me this because…"

"Because we both know she deserves better, and yet we still wonder why she settles for you." He said bluntly.

"Then why? Why'd she tell me she got rid of him? Why did she push me away?" The frustration in Lucas's voice was palpable.

Derek entrapped the man with a brusque stare. "Brooke and I were the sole witnesses to the calls that passed between you and her. And neither of those conversations contained the words you hold against her."

"I heard her, Derek."

There was a distant look in the marine's eyes when he spoke. "When my father left us for Ellie, I became a really angry person. I did a lot of stupid things, one of them being a confrontation with my mother where I basically condemned my father for going with a crack whore and blaming him for how messed up I had become. My mom just looked at me, I was so mad I walked out. But before I got to the door, she said something I never really understood until I met Peyton."

Lucas mocked him with a chuckle and slight head shake; but the truth of the matter was, it had felt like Derek was telling the story of Lucas's life. "Alright, dear Abby, for conversation's sake, what did your mom say?" At this point, Lucas had already stood up from where he was seated and met the other man at eye level.

Derek's eyes bore into him. "None of this is your Dad's fault… but it'll be yours if you keep letting him eat you up."

Then his phone rang. The marine paused to retrieve his cellphone and check the caller ID.

"Haley?"

The inaudible conversation between Derek and Haley made room for Lucas Scott to think. Truer words were never spoken, he thought. The notion that his father held him captive was something he had tried to deny to himself, so much so that it had begun to eat him alive. He wanted to accept it, and he was going to. But the fear of moving forward if only to discover that it might lead him and Peyton to lead separate lives was too thick to cut through.

His realizations were interrupted by a simple statement from Derek Sommers.

"Sure Haley, I'll take care of him."

The very core of his being was shaken, and the words, though not directed towards him, hit him harder than Peyton's slap.

"I'll take care of him."

He was a bastard to only remember it so clearly now – Peyton had never said the bitter things he kept in his memory.

His jaw slacked as remembered another line.

"I'll be great with this."

It wasn't sarcasm; it was heartfelt joy.

Peyton had been happy… with the pregnancy… with his child… with their son.

The ramifications of his past actions had caused tears to burn his eyes. By god, jackass wasn't even enough of a word to describe who he had become – the biggest asshole he knew.

He had become Dan himself.

He had been so oblivious that he hadn't even noticed he was alone now. Somewhere between his thoughts and reality, Derek had left. He, however, was too caught up in his realizations to even care where the other man went.

His mind wandered back to Peyton… and his stupidity.

He hurt her… severely. But he was going to make things right, he had decided on it the moment Derek said the words that set him straight. And this time, he would not screw up his second chance. He'd grovel, beg, lick mud off of her shoes if he had to – because she deserved nothing less, they deserved nothing less. And if it took him a lifetime to prove his worth to Peyton and their son, then so be it.

But right now, Lucas thought as he ran for his house, he had a score to settle.

The dawn set a soft pink hue over Tree Hill. Everything was slow to move as the peace of the night had broken.

Karen Roe stirred. Beside her, a very asleep Kaitlyn had taken possession of the covers. She smiled at the sight.

The little girl who slept beside her had been her salvation. Her sweet innocence and the simplicity of her logic had uncomplicated the heavy heart Karen had carried ever since the truth about Keith's murder had been revealed. Ever since then, Karen Roe had learned to forgive and let go.

Her nostalgia was cut short by the sight of a folded note on her bedside table. The penmanship belonged to her son. She unfolded it and began to read.

Ma,

I've been so angry I messed up the only good thing in my life, apart from you and Kaity – Peyton and my son.

I screwed up bad, but I'm going to make things right. Hopefully someday she'll be able to take me back.

I'm off to Raleigh to settle a score that should've been squared off from the start. Be back in 4 days.

Love,

Lucas

Karen folded the note with a smile. Among the three of them, Dan's actions had affected him the most. For so long, his rage held him prisoner. But at least now, Lucas had come to his good sense, about time he did too.

She could only hope it wasn't too late.