I own nothing—thanks for the reviews.


Maybe the season

The colors change in the valley skies

Dear God I've sealed my fate

Running through hell

Heaven can wait

Peyton lay on her bed staring at the ceiling. She had been in the same position since Nathan left; that was an hour ago. She couldn't believe it. She was pregnant. With child. In nine months she would have a whole other life that was part of her.

She had already decided that she would keep it. There was no way she was getting an abortion and given the fact that she recently found out she was adopted, well she didn't want that for any child let alone hers.

There was still a lot she had to do. For starters, her dad needed to know, but that could wait a little longer. Then she had to talk to Principal Turner to see what this meant for her senior year. She also had to tell the father. That was going to be harder then telling her dad.

They had history. A long and tortuous one. Some had called it an epic romance. Others referred to them as the tortured artist and the tortured athlete. But to them, they were Lucas and Peyton. Two kids who fell for each other at all the wrong times. He was the boy who read her like a book. He knew all of her darkest fears and secrets. He was Lucas and she would probably always love him.

Peyton shut her eyes and willed for sleep. She needed to stop thinking these things.

"Hey best friend", the brunette chirped. Peyton's eyes shot open.

"Hey stranger."

Brooke smiled sheepishly. "I have been kinda scarce lately", she admitted as she motioned for Peyton to move over. Brooke plopped down on the bed and Peyton spoke.

"No, I've been busy too", she half lied.

She was busy, avoiding Brooke. She didn't want to hear about a sweet thing that Lucas did or how amazing their sex was. She didn't need to know that he was the guy for her; she had heard that already.

"So, what's been going on with you?" Brooke asked.

"Not a lot. Mr. Andrew's was hitting on me the other day", Brooke laughed.

"You'd think the school would fire him by now."

Peyton shrugged. "Ellie wants me to visit", she said quietly. Brooke stared at her.

"What are you gunna do?"

"I wanna get to know her. But at the same time I feel guilty because I wanna get to know her. I mean I already had a mother. I feel like I'd be betraying her", Brooke gave her a sympathetic look.

"Peyton, it's not like that. I'm sure your mom would want you to get to know her. Besides, Ellie wouldn't be your new mom. She'd just be Ellie", Brooke reasoned the best she could.

"Thanks", Peyton said as she pulled her in for a hug.

"So, anything else?"

Oh, I'm pregnant . . . and it's Lucas's

"No, that's it", she replied.

"No love life", Brooke asked as she raised a brow.

Peyton snorted. "No", Peyton continued to laugh until she saw Brooke's expression, "why?"

The brunette shrugged, "You've been hanging out with Nathan a lot lately", and Peyton noticed the look Brooke gave her.

"He's my friend Brooke. And do you remember what we were like when we dated?" Peyton asked.

"Yea, but he's not that guy anymore. And your not really that girl anymore", Brooke noted as she stared at her longtime friend.

"Brooke, we're just friends. He's been around at all the right times lately. There's a lot going on with me and–"

"Like what?" Brooke asked tentatively.

Peyton shook her head. "It's not important. So, what exactly brings you by?" Peyton asked in hopes of taking the attention away from her.

Brooke took a deep breath. "Lucas is worried about you", Peyton stared at her, "I told him I'd come by and make sure you didn't join any gangs or secret cults", she joked; hoping to ease the tension of talking about the boy who had caused so many problems for them.

Peyton chuckled nervously. "Why didn't he just come?" she knew the answer of course, but she wanted to know what Brooke knew.

"He said you would most likely shove him out the door, or push him out a window, or throw something at him. Its also pretty frustrating because neither of you will tell me why you aren't talking", Brooke spoke quickly as the thoughts entered her mind.

Peyton opened her mouth to speak. She couldn't tell Brooke why they weren't talking; it would cause a snowball of problems.

Lucas walked into his room and stopped in his tracks.

"Peyt, what's going on?" he asked as he looked around his now chaotic room. Clothes were thrown around. His old books were lying here and there. Drawers were opened and papers stuck out from them. And the one behind it all was the blonde who had yet to answer him.

"Where is it?" she asked without turning to face him.

He furrowed his brow. "Where's what?" he asked as he picked up some dress shirts and placed them on the bed.

"Your box of mistakes", she spat at him. He froze. She noticed his silence and laughed bitterly before facing him.

"So, it's true?" he could see the faint outline of tear stains down her cheek. Her nose was still red and her eyes slightly puffed.

"Peyton, its not–"

"I don't wanna hear it Luke", she yelled over him, "I'm tired of lies. This whole summer has been nothing but one big lie."

"That's not true", he said referring to the night they shared.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh really", she began as she crossed her arms over her chest, "So you didn't tell Brooke that you made a mistake with me? That you kept some box as a reminder of how badly you screwed up?" she heard her voice shake and took a deep breath.

He took a step closer. "That's not how I meant it", he tried to reason with her.

"There's only one way you could mean something like that", she whispered dangerously low.

"No Peyton, I kept it because–"

"Where is it?" she cut him off. His eyes focused on his closet. She immediately set out on her hunt.

The doors swung opened. She stood on her tippy toes and reached towards the highest shelf. He had moved it after Brooke found it. Placing it at a safe distance he knew she would never think to reach for.

She pulled down assortments of magazines and a sweatshirt. Laughing bitterly when one of Brooke's tops fell from the pile. Finally she reached it. Without even turning to face him she opened it. Her breath caught in her throat. Pictures of them, the note she had written him one day in math, drawings she had done, and a letter she had never seen before.

"Peyton, please", he begged her to listen. She snapped out of her daze and looked him in the eye.

"I should go", she said as she walked past him, "wouldn't want you to make another mistake", she said bitterly as she threw the box on the floor; its contents spilling out.

"We just spent too much time together this summer. After a while everything he does drives me crazy", she finished with a laugh. In a good way, she thought.

Brooke eyed her skeptically. She knew the blonde long enough to know that there was more to it. She figured she should pry. She should call Peyton out on it. But she feared what the answer would be, so for now she would let it be.

"Okay", her raspy voice spoke softly, "well, I should get going", Brooke said as she got up off the bed and walked to the door, she stopped and turned to face Peyton.

"I really did miss you this summer P. Sawyer", she spoke sincerely.

Peyton's heart sank. "I missed you too B. Davis."

If she thought being away from her best friend for two months was hard, how was she going to deal with it for a lifetime?

------------------------------

Nathan smirked in satisfaction as he heard the swish of the net. He needed to clear his head. He couldn't even fathom what Peyton was going through right now, but he promised he would be there and he would. There was also Haley, since she had come home she had tried to talk with him, but he avoided her. His heart hurt too much when he looked at her. All he wanted to do was hold her and tell her to forget everything they went through. He wanted to be with her again, he wanted to be happy again. His pride was standing in the way of that.

"Last I checked, the Rivercourt wasn't exactly your hangout", Lucas spoke as he approached his younger brother.

"Last I checked, we weren't talking", he replied.

"Nathan, give me a break alright."

"Oh I'm sorry. Are things a little difficult for poor Lucas", his voice reeked of sarcasm.

"I apologized a million times for going to see Haley", Lucas watched as Nathan shook his head.

"That's what you think this is about?" he asked incredulously, "how does anyone think you're the smarter Scott", he spoke more to himself.

"Then if it's not Haley, what is this about?" he watched as Nathan shook his head again.

"Forget it", Nathan mumbled as he gathered his things, "I've got to meet Peyton."

Lucas laughed bitterly. "Of course you are."

Nathan raised a brow. "What's that's supposed to mean?"

"What's going on with you two?" Lucas heard the jealousy in his own voice.

Nathan faced him with a smirk. "Why Luke? Wanna know all our dirty little secrets?"

"It's not fair to Haley, Nate. Whatever you and Peyton are doing, just stop now", he warned.

Nathan approached him in slow strides. "You think I'm sleeping with her?" Nathan watched as Lucas's eyes darkened; he couldn't help but laugh.

"You've got a lot of nerve Luke."

"People are talking Nathan. You guys spend all your time together. You almost never leave her house. What kind of conclusion do you think people are going to get from that?" he questioned in anger.

Nathan stared at him in complete shock.

"You're blaming me because I'm spending so much time with her?" he asked in complete disbelief.

"Don't comment on things you don't know", he warned; knowing exactly what his younger brother was talking about.

"I don't know?" he mimicked the older Scott, "All I know is that I found her that night a complete mess, because of you", he said while pointing a finger at him. "Not that I should be surprised, you've always screwed up when it came her."

"Shut up", Lucas said through a clenched jaw.

"Do you really wanna go again?" Nathan questioned through gritted teeth.

Lucas took a step forward; things weren't going to play out the same way.

Lucas sat on his bed; his head in his hands. All he wanted to do was come home take a shower and go to Peyton's. He was going to tell her that they needed to be together. He would call Brooke and tell her that he was sorry, but it just wasn't going to work.

He couldn't believe that after everything they had done this summer. After everything they had been through. It was done.

He hadn't meant what he said in the same way Brooke took it. Well, the beginning of it anyway. When he said that he kept it as a reminder of how badly he screwed up things, his heart was screaming Peyton, every ounce of him was saying Peyton's name. But instead 'Brooke' came out, because it was easier.

"Idiot", he groaned out in frustration.

"How about dick?" a voice from the doorway boomed.

Lucas lifted his head to see his brother standing in front of him.

"Not now Nathan", he begged.

"I don't care if you're ready, you're gunna hear it" Lucas stood and walked over him.

"You can tell me something that I already know", he said despondently.

"Really? Did you know that she cried for three hours straight? She just stopped now and that's only because she fell asleep. She cried herself to sleep Lucas", he yelled.

"I cannot believe that after everything that happened with you two, you would screw it up this bad", he said in disgust.

"I know I messed up–"

"That's an understatement", Nathan responded bitterly.

"You know, you weren't exactly boyfriend of the year", Lucas announced as he turned away from him. Nathan grabbed his shoulder and pulled him around.

Before he could speak Nathan's fist collided with his cheek.

"Damnit", Lucas growled.

"I can't believe you. Me and Peyton", he immediately pictured Haley, "Peyton and I may have been bad news when we dated, but that's over. Besides, she put more trust in you and you just didn't care."

"Of course I cared. I wouldn't have gone home with her in the beginning of the summer if I didn't care. I wouldn't have kept that box if I didn't care. I wouldn't have slept with her–"

Nathan's fist cut him off again.

"You slept with her!"

His older brother opened his mouth but Nathan cut him off.

"Stay away from her Lucas, because I swear, if you make it within ten feet of her I will make sure it's the last time you ever get that close to her", and with that Nathan slammed the door and took off for Peyton's house.

"What are you gunna do Luke?" Nathan asked as he walked toward his brother, "Ya gunna hit me?"

"If you keep talking I will", he threatened.

"It must suck having to be someone's play thing", Nathan spoke referring to Brooke.

"It must suck knowing that your wife loved music more then you", Nathan didn't hesitate to pull back and connect with Lucas's face. Lucas staggered a bit before he responded by balling his hand into a fist and connect it with Nathan's eye.

"It must really suck trying to get with my leftovers", as soon as the words left his mouth Lucas regretted them. He wasn't at all surprised when he felt another blow to his face.

"Stay the hell away from her Lucas", he threatened before he walked away.

------------------------------

He tiredly walked into her house, holding one side of his face. He knew she would get mad, but he needed to make sure she was alright.

She was on her back facing the ceiling. Instead of announcing his presence he simply laid next to her. They both let themselves get lost in thought. Another moment went by before she spoke.

"Brooke thinks we're sleeping together", she said without emotion.

"I punched Lucas", he said offhandedly.

She sighed. "Nathan."

"It wasn't my fault", he defended, "he was talking about me and Haley and I just couldn't let him do that', he spoke quietly.

Peyton smiled. She knew he was telling the truth, but there was another part of her that knew better. "If that's your story", she muttered.

She didn't like the fact that Nathan would fight. She didn't like the fact that he was fighting with Lucas. But the fact that he would fight for her was something she hadn't felt in a long time. She really was glad to have him for a best friend.

"So, how about that sex we're having", he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

She laughed out loud before playfully shoving him. Finally she noticed his eye.

"Nathan, you never said that he hit you", she said while walking into the bathroom to find her first aid kit.

"That's because I hardly felt it', he said smugly.

He winced as she placed a cool cream over it before covering it with a band aid.

"There you big baby", she mocked.

"Speaking of babies–"

"Smooth", Peyton muttered as she rolled her eyes.

"When are you going to tell everyone?" he asked; completely ignoring her comment

She walked out of the bathroom and shrugged her shoulders.

"I guess tomorrow", she said uncertainly, "I have to tell Lucas first and then I guess we'll tell everyone else."

Nathan nodded his head in approval. "Well then you're gunna need some sleep", he told her as he got up from the bed.

"Where are you going?" she asked through a yawn.

"Home", he said obviously.

"Nathan, we've spent the night together before; have you forgotten the past few weeks? Besides, it's dark and I don't want you driving. Get over here", she smiled as she patted the other side of her bed. He grinned before doing as she asked.

She heard Nathan laugh and couldn't help but shake her head. That joke was never funny; no matter how many times he told it. She knew she had heavy issues to think about. She was carrying a secret that was going to change everything. In the morning she was going to change everything for everyone.

"How about we order a pizza . . . with everything on it?" he watched as her eyes sparkled.

But tonight was her last night to be a carefree teenager.

Long road to ruin

There in your eyes

Under the cold streetlights

No tomorrow

No dead end in sight


Okay, things will pick up after this. Let me know what you thinkk