A/N: Hey guys. Again I just wanted to let you know how much I've appreciated your words and reviews. I really enjoyed writing this chapter, though not much really happens. I think it was needed to push the story along and to explain some more things from Lucas' POV as requested by a reader.

I noticed as well as the reader who suggested Lucas' POV being made more obvious, that lately he's been pretty much emotionless. We haven't really figured out what he's thinking because he hasn't let anyone in.

Let me know what you think! And don't worry, more chapters will be on the way.

Also if you'd like to get in touch with me, you're more than welcome to message me on AIM at: suddenlybroody

"Peyton…?" Lucas said, gently shaking her shoulder.

Her eyes sprang open and she looked up into his as a smile spread across his face and the corners of his mouth crinkled. "Morning sleeping beauty." He said, moving his fingers to her face and brushing a stray strand of golden blonde away from her forehead. "We just landed."

She sat up, reaching her arms over her head to stretch and smiled softly. "It wasn't a dream…" she murmured. He shook his head. "Nope, I hate to break it to you, but you're stuck with me."

Peyton smiled and reached down, her hands grazing over the metallic square harnessing her in. She pressed the button to release herself and stood up. "Is Brooke meeting us?" She questioned. He nodded and reached above them to remove his bag from the overhead storage compartment.

It was then that it hit her. She hadn't packed anything. No clothes, no shoes, no shampoo or other essentials. Her face fell and she opened her mouth to speak. Lucas shook his head and smiled a little at her expression. "Brooke packed you clothes." He assured her. "She didn't wanna let you walk around Vegas naked." He grinned. "I however, wouldn't have minded so much." He teased.

She hit his arm and he pulled it away as he draped his bag over his shoulder. "Hey now, I'm not planning on being a battered husband." He rubbed the contact point and made a face. "Damn you have a right hook on you."

She smiled. "Well in a way, that's your fault." She began. "If you hadn't of gone to all that trouble to get Derek to come check up on me, then I wouldn't have learned how to defend myself, now would I have?"

He smiled a half smile as she walked in front of him and down the aisle. Following slowly behind he couldn't help but think back to that meeting with Derek. He hadn't wanted to return, he didn't think he had any ties to Peyton. What if he'd never been able to convince him otherwise? Would Peyton still be here?

He shuddered at the thought, trying to push it away from his mind. When Ian had returned she was ready. She was a fighter. Part of him wanted to believe that Peyton Sawyer was already a fighter, but she was afraid. She'd lived in fear until Derek had come to the rescue, showing her that she had more inside of her than a scared, defenseless little girl. If he'd never come back, If Lucas hadn't said what he'd said, Peyton may not have made it out of her house alive.

Peyton grabbed his hand, jolting him from his memories. "Baby?" she questioned, her eyes filled with concern. "You okay? You look like you saw a ghost." She stared up at him, the emerald orbs searching his blue pools for any sign of what he was thinking.

He nodded. "I'm fine, just thinking about something…" his tone told her not to delve any father. She nodded too and they hopped off the plane. They both turned as Brooke squealed in excitement. She was holding up a large sign. "Soon to be Newlyweds!" emblazoned across it in huge black letters. She dropped the sign and ran over to Peyton, enveloping her in a firm hug. "My girls getting married!" she rasped.

Haley and Nathan weren't too far behind her. Nathan stuck out his hand, wrapping his fingers around Lucas' extended palm and pulling his broody sibling into a hug. He patted his back and pulled away. "Well big brother, how's it feel to be going down the road of holy matrimony?" he said with a grin, flashing his pearly whites.

"Oh stop it!" Haley said with a smile, linking her arm through her husbands and giving her best friend a quick hug with her free arm. "Peyton and Lucas have been practically married since the day they met anyway." She laughed.

Peyton managed to release Brooke's death grip on her and joined the rest of the group. "Well Mrs. Scott, we're gonna have the same last name soon." She laughed. Brooke frowned and stuck out her bottom lip. "I feel out of the loop." She sighed. "I'm going to be the only one that isn't a Scott."

"Well, you could always marry Dan." Nathan retorted. Brooke scrunched up her nose. "Ew, God, spare me. Come on. I've got less than an hour to make Peyton even more gorgeous than she already is." She yanked Peyton away from the group and towards the airport exits.

Lucas smiled as he watched the girls disappear into the crowd. "How's it feel?" Nathan questioned again. "I mean, we all knew you guys would end up together in the end, but what's running through your mind now? Now that everything's really happening for the two of you?"

Haley smiled and pulled Nathan closer. "Yeah, Luke, how does it feel?" Lucas smiled and looked off at the blonde mess of curls until he couldn't make her frame out anymore. "It feels…" he began, turning his attention on his best friend and his brother. "It feels like everything I've ever wanted in my life is finally falling into place." A smile crept across his lips and squinted his eyes a bit, deep in thought.

"It's like all my mistakes, all the stupid things that I've done… everything I've put her through in the last few months…" he paused again. "Hell, the entire time I've known her… it's like none of that mattered. She sees me ya know, the real me. The me that I pretend not to be." He sighed. "It's… indescribable."

Haley smiled again and looked up at Nathan. "I think I know exactly what you mean…" she said softly. Nathan nodded in agreement. "Yeah, me too." He grinned and kissed the top of Haley's head. "Well, we better get going before Brooke freaks out and sends a search party. Don't want her to think you're getting cold feet."

Lucas laughed and adjusted the bag on his shoulder. He nodded and the trio followed the masses towards the exit.