Chapter Twenty Four:
Lucas had made good on his promise, just today the divorce papers had come in his name printed and signed where it was requested leaving a little post-it on top of the legal pad. 'X marks the spot' his handwriting sloppy showing that he was either in a hurry when he wrote it or he just plain didn't care.
Sitting by the window seal Lindsay looked through the glass watching, waiting for nothing in particular her fingers dragging against the white documents. She was lucky to still be staying with her sister-in-law and astonished that her closest friend hadn't been bombarding her with questions on why exactly she was here and not at her own home. But then again everyone's attention span had been on that of the woman who still managed to take everything away from her. Does it make her an evil person to think about Peyton like that after she lost someone close to her? Yes it does; now where are the horns and tail?
Her son had spent the last two weeks by her side. Elliot had never dealt with death and she wasn't about to let some stranger's passing teach him about the agonizing pain that comes with the territory when the one you love departs from this world. So when Lucas persisted that Eli stay with him for a couple days to help ease his siblings Lindsay quickly put her foot down saying that their son didn't need to be around those kinds of people.
"Those kinds of people?" Lucas asked heated with rage. What did she mean by that? Because the way she spat it out sounded like there needed to be a genocide of the group who mourned for what was no longer there. "Those kinds of people aren't some infested vermin, Lindsay. Their human beings with feelings and they just found out that a person they loved is diseased so now their feelings are hurt and crushed. All they need is a little helping hand from those that are still here who still care."
"I'm sure you're giving more than just a helping hand, Lucas."
"Okay, now, what is that supposed to mean?"
He had taken the conversation that was being had in the kitchen into his bedroom away from where prying ears could hear clutching to the telephone his facial features distorted by the comments made by his soon to be ex-wife.
"You know what that means. Am I supposed to think that there's nothing more than just crying of displeasure in those four walls we used to call home? I bet that it didn't take long before you and Peyton shacked up and I will NOT have my son around that absurdity. You've got what you always wanted; it's just you and your tortured little family now."
She ended the call right there and then not giving him a chance to either agree sarcastically or disagree vengefully.
She dug into the large manila envelope for the pen that was thrown in most likely as last minute another post-it stamp wrapped around the black reed his messy handwriting sprawled across in the same manner as the previous note. 'You can keep the pen. It matches your heart, but I want the freedom that this exposition entitles to me back.'
Lingering for a moment she twiddled the marker in between her fingers deciding whether or not to sign.
***
The two weeks that had passed seemed to shed some light on the house. Doors were being left unlock and even open, food was eaten, words became full lengthen conversations, smiles were cracked, laughter was shared, and lives were finally living but there was still a long road of recovery ahead of them; music was being played while Lucas swore that it was the most wonderful thing he's ever heard. Two weeks of silence was more than enough for an entire lifetime.
It had been a quiet day so far and not because the children were cooped up in their rooms brooding away more to the fact that they weren't even in the house; dragged out of their adversity in the wee early hours of the morning by their Uncle Nathan, Aunt Haley, and their two cousins while Uncle Chris tagged along for a day of fun at the Six Flags in Jacksonville.
"Thank you."
Peyton had whispered while she plopped down on the cushions next to him bouncing just a bit.
"How are you doing today?"
He's told her time and time again that she didn't need to thank him; that he'd always be here for her but she said it anyway for the past fifteen days and right after he'd ask the same question to her again after she said her gratitude.
"The same as yesterday, the day before, and the day before that." She brought both her hands to her heart one overlapping the other and began to pat her chest. "It still hurts."
Her answer never changed in half the month since their dialogue became a broken record player.
"I wish there was something I could do to help you and your heart feel better."
It was starting to sound like an echo only growing louder and longer every day.
"You are. The heartache might be consistent, but the weight is lifting. You can't see it now, but I can feel it healing bit by bit every day." Her lips curved up fragilely, but it was still a smile nevertheless. "I don't know what I would do without you, you know. You've been the stability that we need. You managed to keep Elle away from the darkness that if I were in her shoes would have consumed me and you've got this patience with Preston and his recalcitrant that he's seemed to contract like a virus because of this whole mess and I wouldn't be as 'emotionally balanced'-"She air quoted emotionally balanced with both sets of middle and index fingers. "-if I was facing this alone. If I wasn't here. If you weren't here."
He reached for her hand.
"You want to know what I think." He asked and at the bow of her head Lucas continued. "You would be strong with or without me here because that's just who Peyton Sawyer is. You've got this ardent personality that will surpass all of this and in the end you'll remain the same hard headed-"He joked for a second before turning serious again. "Unyielding, robust, able-bodied woman that makes you who you are, Peyt."
She exhaled taking in everything he was saying and wondering if it was all true because right now she didn't feel any of those things; she didn't fell like she'd be able to get through to the next week let alone the next day, but as he spoke she believed every description of who he thought she was. She looked down quickly trying to cover the heat in her cheeks when she realized she was blushing like a sixteen year old would and Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer rarely ever blushed.
Lucas brought her face back up with the palm of his hand wanting to know what was on her mind. He didn't grasp the reality of what he was doing his face moving inches closer to her until they were a breath apart and he felt his mouth on hers. He had initiated the kiss and once he came to the concept that this is what taking advantage of another person was considered he pulled away quickly apologizing for his misbehavior.
"I'm sorry."
She felt like she should be mad and slap him across his pretty little face, but she wasn't in fact she had been mad at the world since the fateful day, but right now she was feeling something that wasn't distress, hopelessness, or acrimony. She didn't feel pain for about a second until the shame came crashing on her feeling like a culprit of an indiscreet act.
By the time she found her voice Lucas had apologized about a dozen more times before giving Peyton some 'space'; in the past whenever he'd done something unpredictable she tended to become frantic but who wouldn't the first time when he told her that he wanted everything with her they hardly even knew each other and the second time when he proposed back when they were both so young still in their teens.
The sun had set a couple hours ago when she decided that it was better to get this "talk" over with then wait. She found him sitting at the kitchen table looking through old photo albums that she had sent him over the years of their twins, all the things that he had missed. A trip to Disneyland where Pres and Elle took a picture with Mickey and Minnie the two year old girl smiling happily standing next to the mouse in a dress while her brother stood crying looking scared about to make a run from the mouse in the shorts. Then there was another picture of Preston holding a dollar bill that the tooth fairy had left him and smiling a toothless grin. Another of Leighton at one of her recitals in a pink leotard and tutu doing a pirouette; she was seven.
"You know all that money spent for ballet classes and it only lasted two months."
Peyton spoke in hopes of breaking the ice. How exactly do you go about this? Do you make amends without biting the guys head off?
"It's a good thing I didn't bet on Elle making this her professional career."
Peyton laughed their daughter couldn't stick to any hobby long enough to gain any experience from it. From ballet, tap dancing, gymnastics to horseback riding all thanks to Aunt Brooke and her generous birthday gifts; ballet was the longest running pastime.
"I remember this one." Lucas spoke pointing to the picture below the recital photo. "Preston's first Little League Game."
"You flew all the way down to L.A. just to see it. I don't think I'd seen Pres that happy; he wanted to make you so proud, Luke."
"He did but I would have been even if they lost."
"I know. But then he found out that you liked basketball better so he insisted on quitting baseball and going straight to the Little Dribblers."
They roamed through the photo books laughing at the stories that were hidden behind each photograph. Lucas bringing out some of his own that Peyton hadn't seen while the twins had spent some of their time with their dad. Taking out a picture from the safety of the plastic he handed it towards Peyton.
"This was their first day in Tree Hill. I'm glad I had my camera with me that day."
"I remember that. It was so hard putting them on the plane. They were the ones consoling me telling me that everything was going to be okay instead of the other way around." She gazed at the old photograph their children standing next to each other wearing color coordinated clothes as brown and pink stains painted their faces with sullen and sad stares. "Why do they look like they want to cry?"
"Well, we had gone out for ice cream-"Lucas began to tell the tale laughing in between words recalling the event of that day just like it was yesterday. "Preston tripped on the cracked sidewalk and the chocolate scoop spilled from his cone. Leighton laughed and you could say that might have ticked the little man off so he grabbed Elle's scoop from her cone and threw it on the ground."
Looking back at the picture she noticed both their hands holding onto empty waffle cones the brown and pink lump standing out on the grey cement by their feet.
"He picked that awful habit up from Chris." Peyton recalled.
After the last page was turned and the album shut they both had their hands full with the numerous books heading back to put them on the bookshelves; sliding in the last one in the only empty spot available she turned to look at Lucas
"About what happened earlier-"
"I was a dick." Lucas interrupted. "You just lost Julian your vulnerability at an all time high and here I am making a move on you…"
He was babbling and throughout his small conviction she had tried many of times to stop him, but the man would just not shut up. He was speaking loudly condemning himself for the acts that he had portrayed only hours ago while she spoke his name trying to get his attention. 'Its okay' she had heard a whisper from behind her; something that wouldn't have been able to be heard, logically speaking, with the commotion that they were making feeling a force bring her closer to the man that stood in front of her pecking his lips lightly and that my friends is how Peyton Sawyer got Lucas Scott to stop his ranting.
"You've got to be frigging kidding me." It was a tactic that stunned Lucas silent, but it was an action that caused an unnoticed presence to roar. "The man who raised us hasn't been dead for very long and here you are smooching with the man who didn't even want us in his life to begin with."
The previously won stuffed Daffy Duck hung loosely from Preston's fingertips. Leighton looking away bashfully remembering the haunted memory that took place years ago. The step they took forward with Preston over the period of successive days was now taken back.
"How could you?" He accumulated his thoughts turning to look at his mother. "He-"Preston shoved his pointer finger in Lucas' direction. "-wanted nothing to do with us."
Peyton looked toward Lucas hoping to get some insight on what their son was talking about his gibberish not making any sense, but all she received was the squinted eyes of confusion.
"The letter."
Long seconds had passed before any sort of light was shined on the situation that was being spoken of.
"Elle, babe, what letter?"
Peyton asked while Lucas stood racking his brains trying to remember of what exactly they were talking about a message of the lie that was spewing from his son's lips; a fabricated tale that the young man believed to be true.
"January 12th 2010. Peyton, I want nothing to do with you so please leave me alone."
Preston spoke as if in a daze memorizing scene by scene of the reoccurring nightmare that had haunted his dreams for five consecutive years and suddenly Lucas remembered the rainy April day.
"You heard that?"
He asked in disbelief remembering that the three children had stayed watching television while he had an escalating conversation with Lindsay. Peyton turning to look at Lucas the confusion that was previously on his face stolen by her as her eyes searched for answers of her unspoken questions.
"We more than heard it. We saw step monster jerk the paper out of the envelope."
Leighton replied giving the name that she had always called Lindsay since the day that had ruined the father child bond. How desperately she had wanted to know why exactly he had written such a thing and here she was an eyewitness as she put her father out to stand trial to get some sort of closure to it all.
"You wrote that?" Peyton asked appalled.
"He just never sent it." Preston added lighter fluid to the small fire.
"I never meant any of it!" he exclaimed hurriedly not trying to protect his honor but critically trying to get his small family to understand. "Lindsay she was on my back and I might have lied on paper, but as soon as I finished I shredded it. You've got to believe me."
"And yet, you let the thought run through your mind so in a sense there has to be some sort of truth in it."
"Pres," Peyton pinched the upper cartilage of her nose in distress. "Stop, for a second and let's just hear your dad out."
"No, I won't stop. Tell her, dad." He hissed. "Tell her how you let Lindsay call her names how you let her call me and Elle mistakes. Tell my mom how you told step monster that you thought it was the right decision to leave mom deserted even when she needed you the most." He was angry and ne needed answers ignoring his blurred vision. "Just tell her what we heard."
"Lindsay did say those things." He confirmed quietly before his voice rose with confidence. "But I wouldn't allow her to speak about you guys like that! I stood up for the ones that I love and I'll do it all over again if I have to! I told her that the two of you-"He turned to look at his children. "-were not mistakes, but wonderful surprises that were created with nothing but true love." This earned him a genuine smile from his daughter and an intrigued look from his son. "And I would never let her get away with false accusations towards your mother."
If what he was saying was to be considered true than Preston realized that after all these years he's treated the man who helped in giving him life was nothing what Pres made him out to be.
"We, we didn't stay long enough to hear you advocate for us." Elle mentioned.
"I did. Of course I did."
The sincerity in his voice helped detached a small amount of the anger away from Preston's heart. He didn't know why, but for the first time in a long time he believed his father.
"Dad, I'm sor-"
The sound of the cell phone ringing cut the apology short Lucas stuffing his hand into his pocket in search of the technological device he dug deeper until he found it-
***
Feeling the vibration on his back is what caused him to stir away opening one eye first then the second his iris found the head of blonde curls covering his chin. Confused by the sight he looked around the room; it looked eerily familiar. The white comforter, the black jacket that's thrown casually on the green chair at the corner of the room, the flat screen TV in front of the bed, the sky blue canvas with the white clouds on one of the walls, and the white sheets that covered their forms. Yes, this room was definitely familiar and the girl in his arms was the same girl he's always wanted to wake up to every morning. That's when he wondered if what had happened was just a dream or a nightmare, but it had felt so real. The constant muffled buzzing of his phone broke him away from his thoughts as he unwrapped his arm from Peyton and dug behind his back.
"718? New York?" He questioned the area code then the number it seemed so familiar and unrecognizable all at the same time. "Hello?" he whispered not wanting to wake the girl in his arms.
"Lucas Scott?" The voice sounded like an acquaintance. "This is Lindsay Strauss-"
She went on to say that she was with a publishing company that had wanted to print his novel. The speech of the night before began to play through his mind.
"Can I get back to you on that?" He asked and when she assured him that he could he closed his phone shut wrapping his arms back around Peyton placing a kiss on her temple.
Her eyes fluttered open glad to see that he was still with her and that last night didn't end with goodbye.
"I made a promise that I intend on keeping." Lucas spoke his blue eyes gazing into her green ones. "I'll wait for you forever."
"All I was asking for is a year, you know." She smiled knowing that they would be okay.
"I know; I plan on asking you to marry me again in, oh say, 364 days. I'm just letting you know that I will wait till the end of time for you and for us."
He wasn't sure if there was some cosmic power out there that showed him one of the two roads of life he could have taken. One was a life where he didn't wait. The second one was the choice that wasn't shown through a dream; the one where he would wait, the one he was going to take. He had chosen his path down the right road as he thanked whoever it was who gave him a push in the favorable direction.
A/N: So I know it's like the most "bizarre" way to end this story, but its god's honest truth that this was my plan from the beginning even before I started writing. Because even though there could be so much more depth that goes on here didn't you kind of just want a rewind button for Lucas and Peyton? Lucas waking up and realizing that maybe "Fate" was intervening because it knew what path Lucas wanted to take after the whole proposal debacle and giving him a second chance knowing what cards would be placed in his deck if he decided to stay or leave. Or maybe that was just me. Idk. Let me know what you think kk? If you liked it or not. Green button and all! :D
Oh and I rewatched 5x05 (well the LP scenes) they have so much chemistry making everything believable! And how badly did you want to kick Lucas' butt when he left? I know I did! All I know is that I like my ending better than that one lol. Cause he stayed :D
There will be a Eulogy up in a couple of days for those of you who are still lingering with questions about Lindsay/Julian/Chris/and maybe Elliot? How will their lives play out knowing that Lucas waited for Peyton? and Lucas/Peyton/Preston/Leighton as one big happy family! So I guess this story isn't really technically over *wink wink*