Just to clarify a few things...I began penning this story before season four. Karen isn't pregnant in this story and is still greatly affected by Keith's death. The timeline of this story won't make any sense either since it starts with prom and I am aware that most proms occur soon before graduation. That is no the case in this story. I think it's the only thing that is screwy timewise in the fic.

He couldn't go home and he wasn't really in the mood to boogie down without his date there, after what had happened. He knew he should have gone to find Brooke. To try and make things right between them, but he had to find Peyton. He may have ruined things with Brooke, but he would not lose Peyton. Brooke may be mad that he didn't try to look for her, but he had to apologize to Peyton for what he said to her.

He hugged Haley and set off looking for her in every place he could think of. She was no where to be found. Finally he turned onto her street and saw the light on in her room.

About several months ago, Peyton's father had given him a key.

"For when I'm away. You know how to use a rake. Watch my girl."

He was away this week, so he quietly let himself in.

She was lying in her bed, still in her prom dress. She had kicked off her shoes and lay curled in on herself, her face splotchy and red from crying. Her room looked like a tornado had struck. Drawings had been torn down and ripped to pieces and the LP's he'd bought her were broken. Just like her heart, he thought feeling the overwhelming urge to comfort her any way he could.

"Go away Lucas." Her voice a thin whisper from her bed was shaking and tear filled.

"Peyton, I'm not leaving….until you let me apologize for what I said to you. It was unforgivable."

"Apologize then and go." She turned from him and Lucas sighed. He sidled towards her bed and sat down at the foot of it.

"Peyton, please look at me." She refused to budge. He leaned over and touched her leg, wincing when she pulled it away. He moved onto the bed and leaned his arm across her, so she couldn't move.

"Lucas get off me."

"Peyton I need you to listen."

"God, fine. When did you become such a bully." Peyton whined petulantly throwing her head to the side.

"Peyton, look at me. God please just look at me."

After a beat, hearing the desperation in his voice she did.

"Peyton, what I said to you. I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am. You know I would never intentionally hurt you. You know that right?"

Peyton just stared at him. "Why did you do that Luke? It's bad enough having Brooke mad at me and these feelings I have…you were never supposed to know. And then it just came out. I know you love Brooke so why did you do that?"

Lucas stared down at her, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with their close proximity he removed his arm and turned.

"I'm sorry that I did that to you Peyt. It was insensitive to you."

Peyton knew he was sidestepping the question, but chose to ignore it.

"Do you know I went to see Jake a few weeks ago?"

Lucas turned to look at her, surprised. She hadn't mentioned anything to him. "No I didn't."

"I did. Jenny has gotten so big," she smiled at the memory of Jenny at the airport, Jenny in her arms. "I proposed to him Lucas. And he said no. He told me-" Peyton choked. Lucas put a comforting hand on her arm.

"Did you know I talk in my sleep?" She looked up him asking the question with a smile in her voice.

"Yeah actually. That night Rachel got you hammered and you found your way back to my room….potty mouth. So, what did you say?"

Peyton stared at him. "I said I love….Lucas."

Lucas stared at her in shock.

"He said I needed to see if you were still in my heart Lucas. That night before Haley and Nathan's wedding at Tryst, I knew. I missed out on both chances with Jake…for YOU." She looked at him with a look that could only be described as bitter and hurt. He thought back to the fight he and Brooke had at Nathan and Haley's reception. "How do I get in there?!" she'd cried pointing to his heart. He looked down at Peyton.

"And am I? Still in your heart?

Peyton looked up at him with tired eyes. "Am I?" She countered. He looked down at the scar on her leg from a bullet wound from a day he would never forget. A permanent reminder that life was fleeting and at times hurtful. He traced the wound with his finger and then looked up into her eyes. The answer was so achingly clear, he was surprised he'd never given thought to it before.

His reply, "God, yes." had been ripped from the very center of his soul and it felt so good to let it go.

Peyton shut her eyes and a tear squeezed out. With that proclamation he reached his hand out to wipe a way a tear and stroke her cheek, staring into her eyes and silently asking if he was forgiven.

"Peyton, what I said to you…I'm so sorry."

Peyton stared back at him for a moment, before nodding imperceptibly. Lucas smiled lightly and pulled Peyton into his arms for a hug before laying down with her. There were no more words, there was no passionate kiss. Neither of them knew what this meant for them, where to go from there, but they had been there before.

They were older and a little wiser. Unlike their younger selves they chose not to give into unbridled physical passion. They were at an impasse. Lucas knew it was his job to get them past this and the road ahead would be bumpy. Lucas wasn't even sure where the damn road was headed. All he knew was he was helplessly in love with Peyton Sawyer…and hopelessly in love with Brooke Davis.

It was so complicated, but at that moment there was only one thing that mattered, that he knew without any doubt. She loved him and he loved her. So that night…they just stared at one another. Lucas smoothed her cheek with his hand and sighed. They fell asleep with their finger tangled together as their hearts have always been.

Lucas woke up just after dawn. He was slightly disoriented and only a little bit confused when the hair his fingers were laced though was blonde instead of dark brown. He and Peyton had curled themselves around each other the night before and she felt wonderful in his arms.

In the silence of the morning he gave himself over to the feeling of waking up with Peyton Sawyer in his arms. They were both wearing far too many clothes for his taste, but her hair smelled of flowers and her skin was soft under his hand…Her body, pressed against his own felt like an extension of himself.

He nuzzled her head with his nose and inhaled deeply. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"What are we going to do Peyt?" He whispered to the sleeping girl. Peyton snuggled closer to Lucas and tried to wrap him around herself. It was like she was trying to bury herself in him.

You already did that, he thought. He couldn't stay here though. With his luck, Brooke would choose that morning to make things right with Peyton.

Regretfully, he slowly disengaged himself from Peyton. He went to her dresser and scribbled a quick note, so she wouldn't think he'd just abandoned her like a one night stand.

He turned around and looked down at the woman lying in bed and shook his head in amazement. It was like waking up from a dream, realizing his love for her. So different from Brooke. They were night and day. Which one would he let go of though?

Leaning down he stroked Peyton's face and hair affectionately and impulsively leaned down to kiss her cheek. He considered only for a moment kissing her mouth, but quickly disregarded the idea. That's what always seemed to get him into trouble. So he opted to softly kiss her eye instead, needing to press his lips to another part of her face.

Her eyes fluttered, she muttered something about guitars and corn flakes and with a sigh drifted back under. He quirked one side of his mouth and whispered,

"Sleep tight," his gaze moistened and he blinked back sudden tear. His next words were so soft, he could barely hear them himself. "My love."

Lucas stood and left the room with only a brief glance back. He'd hurt them both so badly. He had to make a choice, but he wasn't sure if he was strong enough to do it. What if he made the wrong choice? What if there wasn't a choice to be made? What if they both opted against being with him. Where would that leave him?

Lucas shut the car off and sat in front of his mother's house for a long moment before slowly stepping out. As he walked up the steps in his rumpled tux, his next door neighbor out getting his paper yelled out.

"Y'ouch. The walk of shaaaame. Have fun at the prom?"

Lucas smiled indulgently. "Yeah!" he waved and under his breath muttered "Tons," as he pushed his way in.

His mother was up as usual. Washing a coffee cup. He regarded her with a frown. He had never gotten his mother back after the shooting. She was only a shadow of the confident, fun-loving, independent person she once was. Between her harsh words to him and her broken-heartedness from losing Keith, he didn't know what to say to her most times. It hurt. He had always been able to talk to his mother. They were slowly trying to build their relationship back, but sometimes…it was like talking to a shell. He had had to mourn two parents that fateful month.

"Hey ma."

"Lucas. How was your prom honey, did you and Peyton have a good time?"

"Yeah…yeah we did."

"Did you see Brooke?" She looked at her son expectantly. That was another thing. His mother loved Brooke. She loved Peyton too, but she and Brooke had a very close friendship.

Lucas thought for a moment. Had he seen Brooke? Oh yeah, she had scowled at him and Peyton when they entered Tric arm in arm.

"Yeah. I saw her."

"Well?"

Lucas shook his head and turned away. She stared at him for a moment before turning back to rewashing the same coffee cup. Lucas looked at her and felt the sting of tears. All he wanted was to have her hold him, to kiss it and make it all better like she did when ever he came home crying.

"She's still mad at me…because of Peyton."

Karen regarded her son for a moment, took in his rumpled clothing and lost expression. There was an inherent sadness in his eyes that had been securely placed there since Keith's death and had never really left. She took some responsibility for not being strong for him, for blaming him. In that one heated moment when the pain of losing Keith and the sheer injustice of it came to a head, she had lashed out at her son. Her beautiful boy. And though she hated herself for it, a small part of her still blamed him and his devotion to a girl who could never truly be happy.

"Where did you stay last night?" She asked suddenly. Lucas sighed and looked up at his mother. He decided not to lie.

"I stayed at Peyton's. It's not like that-" he quickly amended after the look she gave him. "Nothing happened." Okay so he sort of lied.

Karen seemed to relax a bit and it made Lucas wonder.

"Mom, do you have a problem with Peyton?"

"No son, I love Peyton, it's just that-She's a very sad young woman. She has so much potential, but there's a sadness there."

"Well, can you blame her mom? I mean she's lost people that she loves. She lost her mother twice. You know how it feels to lose someone. Maybe that sadness is always there." He regarded Karen. He wondered if that sadness in her would ever go away and he wondered if she suddenly saw herself in the younger woman. Did the sadness she saw there frighten her? It frightened him.

"Lucas, I'm just saying…people do things they wouldn't normally do when they're sad."

"Okay mom."

"Brooke is a great girl Luke." She stared at him seeing the war waging within him. "Maybe you should think about how much you want Peyton in your life."

Lucas looked at her sharply. "She's my friend. I won't abandon my friends. I've done it once before and we all see where that led. Keith is gone and nothing in this house or Tree Hill will ever be the same. Ever."

"Lucas. That-That wasn't your fault."

"Wasn't it," Lucas snapped looking at his mother with tearful eyes, reliving her harsh words. "Mom?"

Karen just stared at him, at a loss for words. Lucas nodded, turned and walked to his room leaving Karen to wonder if they would ever find their way back.