BRIEF NOTES:

Thanks, thanks, and thanks again.

There's a time jump again. I feel like it would've been a little too dramatic if I put in detailed reactions of Lucas and Peyton's friendship on the mend. It'll still be discussed in this chapter, though. I hope it satisfies.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own One Tree Hill.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Five months, well-healed scabs, and an almost-showing pregnant belly later, the Scott brothers were seated by the bleachers in their favorite court while keeping sharp eyes on the two energetic little boys who were trying so fervently to get the ball through the hoop.

"So… a girl, huh?" Lucas asked.

The younger Scott smiled at the memory of yesterday's checkup. Haley was now five months along, and yesterday's sonogram was the most definite highlight of their life at the moment. "Yeah. One of each, can you believe it?"

"A basketball player and a cheerleader. You've done good, Nate."

The envy in his brother's voice was not missed. "You're still in the friend zone, huh?"

Lucas sighed heavily. "Yeah" he replied with a sad smile. After the night she made him stay, he had been welcomed in her house. There was no argument that he and Peyton had become friends after the ordeal with Robby. They had started to hang out and be comfortable around each other, so much so that Lucas had more often than not made a custom out of sleeping over. He supposed he should be happy that the easygoing friendship they once shared in high school had returned. But he wasn't.

"Unhappy much?"

He confided his thoughts to Nathan. "I don't know, man. I mean I know I should be happy that she's allowed me to become friends with her, but I can't help it… I'm not happy with just being Peyton's friend and Robby's dad. I want her back for good, and all of you keep telling me that she wants the same thing but it's so hard to see it that way. I know she's still afraid and I hate myself for instilling that fear in her. It's just that this is getting so frustrating." He frowned and continued, "You know, sometimes I dread sleeping over there."

The comment earned a raised eyebrow from Nathan.

"Don't get me wrong, I love being with my son. I love the fact that Peyton's allowed me to bond with him totally. But I dislike it every time I put Robby to sleep and she comes in, says goodnight, walks into her room, and closes the door on me because I want to be on the other side of that door when I bid her goodnight. Every single time I sleep there, it's the same feeling – I don't mind sleeping next to Robby, I savor every minute of it. But dammit, I want to come in to that room after I tuck my son in, make love to her, sleep next to her, wake up the next morning with a smile on my face because she's still in my arms. And I hate that I'm that close and yet I feel like she's miles away from me."

Nathan chuckled. "Worse than the doghouse, huh?"

Lucas rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Luc, I get her point and I get yours too. I can't imagine how hard it must be, but seein' as you've got a lot to say that might just kick some sense in to her, maybe I'm not the one you should be explaining this to."

The older Scott looked away. "I wish it were that easy." Nathan patted his older brother's back and asked an insightful question.

"When was it ever?"

"Is Uncle Lucas going to stay at your house like my mommy and daddy stay in our house together?"

Robby thought for a moment. "I don't know. He sleeps there sometimes, but he always stays in my room."

"Maybe he's on time out." Ryan suggested.

The little blonde boy considered his cousin's input. "Why?"

The brown-haired boy proceeded to explain. "'Coz sometimes when mommy and daddy fight, Daddy stays on the couch until they talk. I asked mommy why before and she said he was on time out. So maybe Aunt Peyton put Uncle Lucas on a time out, only he stays in your room."

"Hmm. Maybe. But they aren't fighting, why would mommy put him on time out if they aren't fighting?" Robby debated.

Ryan shrugged. "Don't ask me, I didn't put him on time out."

"I wish they'd be together like your mommy and Uncle Nathan." It was the little boy's deepest desire. "You're lucky, Ry."

Ryan Scott put his arm around his little cousin. "I know. Hey, you can do that tomorrow! You're gonna blow your cake and everything so you get to make a wish."

Robby looked at the older men at the bleachers, inwardly visualizing what it would be like to have his mom and dad be like his Uncle Nathan and Aunt Haley. "I think I will."

"Cool. Now let's ask them to play so you and Uncle Luc can lose." Ryan loved to taunt, it was a trait he inherited from his father.

The little boy returned fire before he ran off to grab his father. "I never lose. You always do."

All conversation ceased as the two father-son pairs engaged in friendly competition, with each of the children seated on their fathers' shoulders for leverage. A bounty of gleeful squeals echoed throughout the field.

To the women who came to pick them up, the vision was picture-perfect.

"I have an announcement to make."

All heads seated at the Sawyers' dinner table turned to Brooke Davis. It was her farewell dinner, and it took the strength of an ox to keep her from bawling in front of these people.

"Please, not another tape." Haley joked as the adults laughed.

"Haley! No. It's just… I… I'm really happy to be home, and it sucks that I have to leave. And, well, Peyton's going to kill me for not telling her, but…" she trailed off.

"But what, Brooke?" The blonde squinted her eyes and hardened her face. Her brother stood next to the brunette.

"I'm going with her." He plainly said.

Peyton softened up and chuckled. "That's it? God, for a while I thought you were gonna say you cheated. Congratulations! When are you leaving?"

"You're okay with it?" Derek eyed her curiously.

"Not exactly. But I figured since you've been standing by just to watch out for me all these years, it's about time you found your happiness. Besides, I have Robby here with me. Right baby?"

He looked up at her and smiled. "And Daddy too."

The room fell silent. She stiffened, but managed to hide it from everyone but Lucas.

Haley decided to cut the growing tension. "So, Derek, California? You think you can handle it?"

"California he can handle, I'm sure. Living with Brooke, though…" Nathan interjected.

Derek slung an arm around Brooke as he gave Nathan a shove. "I'm a marine. I can handle anything – even a dark-haired siren." They all a shared a laugh at that.

Lucas, however, had reverted to his brooding way. Watching Peyton stiffen when their son mentioned his presence in their lives was hurtful to him, and the worse part of it was him knowing he had done that to her. He was lost in thought, running on autopilot as dinner was finished and the rest of them continued conversations in the living room, that he hadn't noticed Derek standing beside him.

"It's your turn, Scott."

Lucas cocked an eyebrow at the marine.

"I'm leaving because I want to be with Brooke, and the thing is, I should be torn between going away and staying for Peyton but I'm not because I've seen how you are now and I finally accepted the fact that it's time for both you. You've proven your worth to everyone else. It's time to make her see it now. Don't blow it… and don't hurt her."

Derek was walking away from him when Lucas called his name out.

"Yeah?" Derek asked.

"Thanks."

Nathan stepped out of Ryan's room with as much stealth as he could muster; his son wasn't a light sleeper, but one creak from the door and a night with Haley would surely become nothing more than a fantasy.

"All you need is a sniper and you'd look like those people in the video game."

He laughed. She was referring to his and Ryan's new PS3 addiction – Silent Scope. "Yeah well, I can't exactly skirt my way out of that jungle without stepping on anything that squeaks." Nathan said as he lay down on the bed and held his wife to him.

Haley moved his hand to where their child was slowly forming. Nathan placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "You're beautiful, Hales, you know that?"

She blushed "Only you would think so. In a few weeks I'm going to start looking like a whale again."

Nathan embraced her tighter. "Nah, you look your best when you're pregnant."

"Ohh, don't get any ideas, mister. I might love knowing that we're going to be parents again, but I surely don't want to become a baby factory just coz you like it best when I'm pregnant."

They both laughed. "This is enough, Haley. You, me, Ryan, and our daughter…" He declared just before he claimed her with a kiss that spoke of true love. "We're enough."

"Robby's fast asleep."

Peyton was startled from her thoughts as Lucas stepped into the kitchen. They were the only ones left in the house, as Derek and Brooke had decided to go out. Knowing they were somewhat alone made her uncomfortable, primarily because she didn't know how much she strength she had left for resisting herself.

"Thanks." An inner battle ensued as she debated whether to send him home or make him stay – the latter won. "Coffee?"

He eyed the pot on the counter together with the tray of chocolate chip cookies beside it, briefly reminiscing the fun and naughty moments involving cookie dough that passed between them, feeling a sudden rush of desire fill him. "Sure, can I have a cookie to go with it?"

Her smile fueled his passion even more. "Have as many as you can handle." She said while handing him a cup and a cookie. They headed towards the porch.

"So it seems like you and Robby are psyched for tomorrow…" It was stating the obvious, but Peyton didn't know what else to say.

He grinned. "Yeah." The thought of attending his son's 4th birthday wired him more than the caffeine. "I hope everything works perfectly."

Peyton admired his excitement. "I'm sure it will."

A quiet moment passed before he decided to speak. "I was never really angry at you or him, you know…"

The last thing she wanted was to dig up the past, especially now. "Luc--"

Lucas, however, wouldn't let the opportunity pass. "When my mom came home from Tree Hill and she told me about you and Rob, I was mad… but it was mostly at myself for not being there. But even after I cut you off, I never really did make good on my threat to forget you… whenever you emailed mom pictures or videos of you and him, I would always sneak a look into them long after she slept. It wasn't very hard to do, especially since her password was my name." He chuckled sheepishly. "Whenever I looked at the photos, or watched the videos, I would always feel this little tug inside of me – sometimes I'd imagine I was there when those were taken, and that would always make me feel good."

"Lucas…" Her hand set itself on top of his.

The touch electrified him. He then remembered the present he brought. "Wait here." He skipped quickly to his car and back.

A very confused Peyton sat back in the porch sofa. "Okay… what was that, a quick stretch?"

He sat in front of her and looked her in the eye as he handed her the wrapped item. "Here."

"Luc, I'm not the one celebrating a birthday." She joked.

"That's… it's for you. Open it." He urged.

Peyton's face was filled with surprise as soon as the package was unwrapped. "Lucas, it's… it's…"

A smile grazed his face. Lucas placed his hands on her knees, staring at her dazed expression. "It's for you, Peyt. If it hadn't been for you, this wouldn't have been possible."

Her hands gripped the paperback tightly. His first novel and it had a sketch of her face on the cover. She was too shaken up to notice tears falling from her eyes.

Lucas became afraid. He had hoped to make her happy, but she ended up crying. He cupped her face and forced her eyes to meet his. "Hey… hey. Please don't cry. I'm sorry if it wasn't what you wanted… I just… I thought…"

She embraced him for what felt like an eternity, Lucas was touched at the tender moment... silently praying that tonight would be the night everything changed for both of them.

"Luc… I… wow. What's… what's the title?"

He smiled at the inquiry. His answer fit the moment to a T. "For Saving Me"

She gaped at him again.

"Look, Peyton. I know we have a lot to work out, and I know how scary our situation is. But I also know what's true – you did save me. You were the only one who believed in me enough to see that I'd make it, because god knows even I didn't think I was going to. your strength… it kept me strong. I know no amount of apologies or grand gestures is going to make up for the fact that I hurt you so much when all you did was have faith in me, but at least… at least let this book show you how thankful I am for you – because I don't think anything else is going to cut it, not even me telling you how much I love you."

Peyton just listened, too overwhelmed to reply.

He continued his speech. "You've probably heard all of them tell you to give me a chance… how I've changed and everything else. But listen to me, Peyt – I know I get frustrated at this limbo we're in right now… but I don't want you to make a choice just because all of them are pressuring you into it okay? I want you to make that choice on your own, without me or anyone influencing it. I told you before, I love you so much and no matter how long it takes, I'll wait for you… and I will." He let out an anxious breath before releasing his final statement. "But if in the long run, I'm not the one you see yourself with, I'll deal with it. Ultimately, babe, I just want your happiness."

He kissed the top of her forehead and prepared to walk away when she grabbed her hand and pulled him down.

"No more speeches…" Her eyes blazed with the fire he wanted to see. "Just love me, Lucas."

Lucas Scott's eyes sprang automatic tears. "Peyt…"

The kiss that spoke of reunion and surrender was sweeter than they could describe.