Author's Note: Sorry this chapter took so long, but I made it nice and long to compensate! It was actually longer than this but I had to cut out the end so some of the things I may have foreshadowed for this chapter might be in the next one. I have two distinct ideas of where to take this story and I'm a little stuck between the two, which is why each chapter is taking me so long, I'm not really sure which direction to head in yet. So thanks for being so patient with me. I just wanted to say thanks so much to everyone who reviewed. I really enjoyed reading what you all had to say. Hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave me your thoughts!

"…Luke, Luke!" Lindsey tugged on her husband's arm to get his attention. Once again he had spaced out as he stared out the airplane window.

At last he turned his head, although his face remained blank. "Huh?"

"What's wrong?" Ever since they had stood up on that alter she had gotten the sense that something was off with him. To be perfectly honest she had had her doubts about marrying the man sitting beside her. She loved him with all her heart but she had always gotten the sense that his heart was conflicted. And then when he had given her his new book, she had just kept waiting for him to call off the wedding. She knew it was just a story, but she couldn't help but feel that the novel was written about Peyton. He used those same careful, meticulous words that she had seen him use when he was writing his first book, not to mention the way his writer's block had magically disappeared the second she had returned to Tree Hill. But he had said 'I do' at that alter, and by doing so he had told her that he loved her and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and she so badly wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. So she had put all of her doubts and her insecurities aside and said those two words that would seal her fate. I do. Now she wasn't so sure she had made the right choice. Haley had mentioned that Lucas had a tendency to throw himself into new relationships when he got hurt, and she had edited his first book, she had read about Brooke and how she had had her heart broken, she just hoped to God she wasn't making the same mistake.

"What would make you think something's wrong?" Lucas gave his new wife a confused look.

She made an exaggerated gesture towards the window. "You've been spaced out ever since the wedding. Something's off with you. What's wrong?"

"You know me, I'm just thinking." Lucas mumbled.

Lindsey cupped his cheek with her hand and turned his face towards hers. "I do know you Lucas Scott. And I know that you only recede into your shell like that when something's bothering you. It's our wedding day, what could possibly be upsetting you?"

Lucas sighed. "I just wish Keith could have been here today." He felt guilty when he saw the instant shift in her demeanor. It was true that he had been thinking about Keith and how much he wished he could have been here for this day, but he had also been picturing Peyton's face as he had said those two words. The way her eyes had gone hollow and her face had crumbled. He couldn't help but remember that day when his heart had given out, when he had seen Keith for the last time and the way Keith had teased him about Peyton…the way Keith had always teased him about Peyton. He smiled wistfully as he remembered working with his uncle in the auto-shop when he was young; the way every time Peyton would walk by on the street Keith would chuckle and mutter 'look at that girl go, all curly hair and venom', and when he would catch Lucas smiling wistfully after her he would pat him on the back and say 'don't worry, she'll come around'. They never needed any other words, Keith always understood.

"Oh Luke," he was brought back to the present as Lindsey rested her head on his shoulder. "I wish I could have met him, it sounds like he was a great man."

Lucas nodded. "He was."

Lindsey's voice was quiet as she looked at him. "That's not all that's bothering you is there."

"What do you mean?"

Lindsey sighed. "Lucas, I need you to be honest with me, we're married now. I love you and I know you love me too, but it takes a lot more than love to built a marriage. I need to know. Do you still have feelings for Peyton?"

Lucas looked down. The truth was, he wasn't sure if he could answer that question himself. He loved Lindsey so much and he couldn't lose her, but that night when Peyton had kissed him, it had been exactly like she had said, everything had just snapped back into place and that weird emptiness that he had been feeling had been gone. He shook his head, he and Peyton had a past, and that kiss had reminded him of that. It was no different than it would have been with had he kissed Brooke. It was just nostalgia. He looked into the eyes of his wife, eyes that were filled with doubt and fear. "Peyton is my past, you are my future Lindsey. It's just, Peyton and I never got closure and sometimes there's still tension from that."

She gave him a soft smile and leaned in to kiss him. "Thank you," she said softly against his lips. His words eased her worries for the moment, but she knew they would return, they always did. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't shake this feeling that there was a part of Lucas that he wasn't sharing with her, a part of him that still belonged to Peyton Sawyer.

"Good morning P. Sawyer!"

Brooke almost laughed out loud as her best friend groaned and pulled the covers further over her head.

"Oww…" Peyton felt like there was an elephant standing on her head, not to mention the nausea every time she moved.

"How about I get you some coffee?"

Peyton stuck her head out from under the covers and nodded at her best friend, which resulted in her grabbing her head.

Brooke chuckled. "And some aspirin."

As amusing as it was to see her best friend like this, she couldn't help but be a little worried. She knew that with Lucas' wedding yesterday and the surprise visit of her ex, Peyton had more than enough reason to drink last night; she just didn't want this to become a regular habit for her best friend. She and Lucas had been apart before but there had always been a chance that they two of them would get back together, and they always had. This time was different though, now Lucas was actually married to someone else. She never thought he would actually go through with the wedding, it was clear as day that he was still in love with Peyton. It was all over now though, even if he realised it it was far too late; she loved Lucas Scott but she wasn't going to let that man anywhere near her best friend. Peyton Sawyer had been through enough and frankly, she didn't think the poor girl could handle having her heart broken again.

Brooke headed into the kitchen and grabbed the bottle of aspirin from the pantry, shaking two into her hand before replacing it and going in search of the coffee. She quickly spotting the tin on the third shelf and grabbed it. Surprisingly it was empty. "Shoot!"

She was just about to reach up for some herbal tea when she heard a knock at the door.

"Coming!" She called as she tossed the coffee tin into the trash and headed towards the front door. She didn't know who on earth would be coming to visit this early in the morning.

"Julian?" She couldn't hide her shock upon opening the door.

"Hey. Brooke right?" He grinned at her. "Peyton here?"

Brooke just stared at him. "What are you doing here?"

It seemed that Julian took that as an invitation to come inside as he stepped through the doorway and made his way towards the kitchen area. "I came to see Peyton. And I brought coffee and doughnuts. I figured she would need some coffee after the night she probably had, considering the wedding and all."

Brooke followed behind him as she spoke in a stern tone. "Well that's very nice and all but it doesn't mean that you can barge into my house at…" she checked her watch. "Nine o'clock in the morning!"

She expected to see him cringe, and hopefully leave, but he simply looked over at her with an amused smile on his face. "You might want to keep it down," he pointed towards Peyton's room as his smile widened. "Peyton's sleeping."

Brooke looked over and saw that Peyton's door was wide open giving him a very clear view of Peyton, now having pushed the covers onto the floor, sleeping in nothing but an oversized t-shirt. Brooke immediately marched over to the smirking man in her kitchen, grabbed his forearm, and dragged him towards the couch, pushing him down onto it immediately.

He smirked and opened his mouth but before he could speak she held up a finger to him. "Don't." She already knew what kind of insinuation he was going to make and she didn't want to hear it. "I don't know what is up with all of the guys in Peyton's life wanting to rip her heart out but this is enough. Just because she's vulnerable doesn't mean it's your chance to pounce, so I know you might have come to Tree Hill with these ideas…"

"Actually," Julian cut in. "I came here to make a movie."

Brooke stopped mid-rant and gave him a look. "You came to Tree Hill, a little town in the middle of nowhere, to make a movie?" Her tone was disbelieving.

"Yes," Julian nodded. "You see, the movie I want to make is based on a book and the author lives here, in Tree Hill. In fact you might know of him," he gave her a sly smile. "Lucas Scott?"

He revelled in her shocked expression for a moment before his face turned serious and he addressed her earlier remarks, his voice soft but firm. "And for the record, I'm not here to 'rip Peyton's heart out'," his voice conveyed his disgust. "From what I can see, Lucas Scott's done enough of that."

Brooke's face softened as his words sunk in. "Look, I know you think you can just come back here and win her over but it's not like that. Lucas and Peyton are a lot more complicated than that."

"Oh believe me I know."

Brooke gave him a confused look but he didn't elaborate. He just looked at her for a moment before turning back to the room where Peyton was sleeping soundly. "I'm not going to say that I don't want to get back together with Peyton, but that's not why I'm here. I'm here to make a movie. While I'm here though, I want a chance to have her in my life again, even if it's just as a friend."

Brooke looked at him for a moment before taking a seat beside him on the couch. "Okay, I believe you. And…" she paused. "I'm sorry, about what I said. I just, I don't want to see Peyton get hurt again."

Julian smiled down at her. "She's lucky to have someone like you looking out for her. Even after everything the two of you have been through…"

Brooke eyes darted up to his and he could instantly see her guard go up. She wrapped her arms around herself as she turned on the couch to face him, putting some distance between the two of them. "What did you just say?"

"I've read the book." He kept his voice soft.

Brooke's voice was exasperated when she responded. "That doesn't mean you know us!"

Julian nodded. "I know, but that's why I'm here. I already know the Brooke and Peyton from the book, and I thought I knew Peyton a few years ago..." Brooke opened her mouth to question that last statement but before she could Julian was continuing on. "But I want to get to know the real people."

Brooke nodded. Silence filled the room for a few moments as the two looked at each other before Julian cleared his throat and turned away. "Besides, it'll be good for the movie. It'll give me some perspective."

"Wait," Brooke snapped back to reality. "You're here to turn An Unkindness of Raven's into a movie?"

Julian looked at her confused. "What other book is there?"

"The Com…" Brooke stopped as she realised that Lucas' second book hadn't been published yet. "Wow…are you sure Lucas will agree to this?"

"That's what I'm here to find out." Julian said matter-of-factly. "I know it's personal, and I know that he'll want to control the way it turns out. But I think my vision matches his, and I think we can turn it into a great movie."

Brooke nodded, from the look in his eyes she could tell he was sincere. She didn't know why but for some reason wanted to trust him, which was rare for her. She cleared her throat as she stood up. "Well, thanks for stopping by, I'll make sure Peyton gets her coffee."

Julian stood as well, taking the hint. "There's one in there for you two. You seemed like a latte kind of girl, extra foam."

She looked at him stunned. "How did you…?"

"I asked the waitress what the famous Brooke Davis usually drank." He smirked. "You seem like you would need your coffee, I figured you must be a regular."

She opened her mouth to respond but before she could he was out the door.

"Was that Julian?" Peyton asked groggily as she came out of her bedroom. She smirked as she caught the expression on her best friend's face. "And look at that, he's got you all riled up!"

"Actually," Brooke said in a singsong voice as she hopped over to her best friend. "He came over to confess his undying love for you."

Peyton shot her a dry look and Brooke smirked before she noticed the pensive look Peyton had gotten. "Are you sure you don't like him Brooke, because if you do, you should go for it."

Brooke shook her head adamantly. "I do not like that obnoxious jerk. But I do think he would be perfect for you."

Peyton raised her eyebrow. "You think obnoxious jerks would be perfect for me?"

"He's an obnoxious jerk," Brooke started. "But he's an obnoxious jerk who seems to actually care for you."

Peyton shook her head. "Brooke, I can't…"

"Just," Brooke rested a hand on her best friend's shoulder. "Think about it okay?"

Peyton nodded before turning to face the counter. "Now let's have some breakfast!"

"Hey babe, have you seen my bathing suit?" Lindsey asked as she ruffled through her luggage.

"I think it's in the blue bag, by the door." Lucas didn't look up from the manuscript he was reviewing.

Lindsey took his advice and pulled out a light pink string bikini a few seconds later. "Wanna come to the beach with me?"

Lucas shook his head subtly. "You go, I'll catch up with you in a sec."

Her face fell. "Lucas Scott, we did not go on our honeymoon so you could spend the entire time looking over a book! You'll have plenty of time to work on it when we get back to Tree Hill."

Lucas looked up for the first time that day and his face softened upon seeing the expression on his wife's face. "Sorry Linds. I just…something's off. I can't figure out what it is but something's just not right with this book."

"It's perfect." Lindsey looked over at him. "And I'm saying that as your editor and as your wife."

Lucas nodded and stood up. "You're right, it's just in my head." He headed over to his suitcase and pulled out his swimming trunks. "I'm going to go get changed, then we can head out to the beach."

Lindsey nodded distractedly as he headed into the bathroom. The second the door was shut she went over to the manuscript and flipped it open to the last few pages, the pages he had been mulling over for the better part of the last few days. She stopped on the last page as she saw that the last line had been scribbled out. It didn't matter, she could remember that line word for word, and her heart sank as she looked back up towards the bathroom door. This had to mean something.

But even in his darkest hours, he knew in his heart that someday it would return to him, and his world would be whole again... And his belief in God and love and art would be re-awakened in his heart.

"Hey there J Luke!"

"You're here!" The young boy ran towards his new friend.

Julian bent down to give the young boy a hug before lifting him up into his arms. "Have you grown since I saw you last? You feel heavier."

"You saw me yesterday Uncle Julian. And the day before that, and the day before that…"

"You know," Peyton said as she came up behind the two. "When he says it like that, you really need to get a life."

Julian laughed. "And who have you been hanging out with for the past two weeks Peyt?" He raised his eyebrows at her and she crossed her arms across her chest.

"I was just taking pity on you, you don't know anyone here."

Julian smirked at her. "Maybe at first, but I know Haley, Nathan, Brooke and Jamie pretty well by now. Admit it, you just love my company."

Peyton looked at him for a moment before shrugging. "I'm still going with the pity thing."

"Whatever you say," Julian teased. "But for the record, I've enjoyed spending these past two weeks with you. It's been good catching up."

Peyton nodded, giving him a soft smile. "It has."

"Are you two bickering again?" Brooke asked as she entered the kitchen.

"Oh come on!" Peyton threw her arms up exasperatedly. "If anyone bickers it's the two of you!" She pointed an accusing finger at the Brooke and Julian. "If I didn't know any better I would think you two were an old married couple!"

They both turned a little pink but before either could respond Haley came in through the back door and stopped abruptly upon noticing the crowd in her kitchen. "I don't remember inviting you all over," she teased.

"You are the one that said they were always welcome here, now you have to pay the consequences Hales!" Nathan shouted from the living room where he was watching the game.

Haley just shook her head with a laugh. "Can I get you guys anything to eat?"

Brooke shook her head. "No thanks, we're fine, we were just heading over to Karen's Cafe. Julian just wanted to stop by and visit Jamie first." She gave him a teasing look. "He's gotten quite attached."

Haley laughed as she looked over at her son. "Oh trust me, Jamie's just as bad, if not worse."

"Am not!" Jamie piped up, making the four adults laugh.

"We should get going," Peyton said after another moment. She turned to the other two. "You guys ready?"

Brooke and Julian nodded and the three of them said their goodbyes before heading out the door.

Haley opened the fridge to get some lunch meat out as Nathan made his way into the kitchen. She almost jumped when she turned to see his smirking face on the other side of the island. "So…"

She could see that look in his eyes. "What?"

"Brooke, Peyton and Julian have become quite a threesome. It kind of reminds me of high school, only…without all the jealously."

Haley frowned. "Not yet, but I'm worried. Julian's clearly into Peyton but she's definitely not over Lucas."

"What about Brooke and Julian?" Nathan asked.

Haley shook her head. "Brooke would never let herself go there. She wouldn't risk putting herself in the same situation she was in in high school."

"And Julian?"

Haley thought about it for a moment. "I think Julian's completely convinced himself that being with Peyton will make him happy. I don't think he's even considered other options. Besides, he read the book, he would know better than anyone that Brooke Davis would never enter into anything that could even remotely resemble another love triangle."

Nathan frowned. "So you think Julian and Peyton are going to get back together?"

Haley shrugged. "I don't know. I guess only time will tell.

coming Up Next:
- Lucas and Lindsey return from their honeymoon to find things have changed
- Julian proposes the movie deal