AN: This is my new chapter. Sorry about the late update but school just started again and I am already burried in homework and additionaly we have to read this stupid book. I would prefer to work on chapter 4. I will try to update as soon as I can.

Thanks for all of your reviews.

M'sOTPisLP : I hope the next chapters will cheer you up. The first 2 chapters were the basement for the following story arch and of course 5.05 was sad. There will be more LP-moments coming and I hope you like it.

Bendecidad82: I am glad that I helped you understand. I just wrote what I thought was going on in Lucas' head accordind to his character, their relationship and the knowledge we get later in season 5.

LPfan4ever,RJMoonspell: thank you for your reviews

Lalez: Thak you very much for correcting my spelling mistakes. You are a great beta-reader.

Fall away

By the Fray

Peyton

Peyton was sitting in a big office at the label in LA. There were a lot of records at the wall. All these artists had been signed here. In front of her was a big desk . And on it was a contract waiting to get signed.

Peyton looked around, happy. This was her working place. She did what she loved, listening to bands and publishing their records. Everything was great. Right in front of her was a framed picture of her with Brooke, Haley, Nathan and...Lucas. They stood there with their arms around each other, laughing together. When she looked at Lucas' smiling face a sudden warmth went through her whole body. And then there was something else: sadness, emptiness.

Because this wasn't the present, this was the past. She wasn't in Tree Hill anymore and she hadn't seen or spoken to any of her friends in a long time. And her relationship with Lucas...was over.

"Oh I must have the wrong office. No, that's me, John Knight, Label President. Last I knew, you were uh, Peyton Sawyer, Assistant to the assistant of the label president. And your desk was, where is your desk?", a male voice asked sarcastically.

Peyton awoke from her daydream. The man speaking was John, her boss and this was indeed his office. She was just the asssitent to the assistent, as John reminded her again.

She took a her deep breath and said:

"I'm sorry I was just, arranging your trades, delivering the online download reports, updating your call sheet, and admiring your view. Also, Mr. Knight, Uh, I have a couple unsigned bands that I'd really love for you to hear."

"Peyton, I'm losing my hair. I'm hung over; I have two different alimony payments due, and seven lines ringing.", he said as if he hadn't heard her at all.

They exchanged a few words and when Peyton was about to go John suddenly said:

"You look good. Drop a button on that top and I'll let you set in on the morning new music session. One button, one song. And get me some aspirin."

Peyton looked at him for a moment, unsure about what to say or do. She hesitated for a moment and dropped the button. John smiled and she went out of the office. As soon as she was out of John's office she closed the button again. Maybe it was worth it, she thought to herself. If she could just one good band to John's attention this disgusting thing wasn't so bad. She didn't like to use her body to get what she wants to, but when it came to working with John...well that was all that counts. She would never do this again. She swore to herself. This was not how it was supposed to be.

Later that night Peyton went home after work. She had been in the meeting but they had signed a sexy actress with no talent because she would be a great celebrity. She had had the possibility to play one of the bands she thought were great. But after a few seconds John had told a co-worker to stop the music and they had decided to sign the actress.

Peyton's band had had talent, great songs and something special. But the label was only interested in making profit instead of investing in bands that could change someone's life. Music that reached people's hearts. Music could help people, make them feel better, like it had been helping her when she had lost her two mothers and all the drama during high school.

She passed a place where a few books were on sale and stood abruptly. There was a book she knew all to well. It was a grey, white book cover with a raven on picked it up and flipped through it slowly. All those memories came back and she remembered how happy she was. Living in Tree Hill, hanging out at the music store, rivercourt, the gym, Tric and Karen's Cafe. Being with her friends and talking about stuff that really mattered. Back then there was no dropping buttons to get what you want. She had fought for her dreams, they had fought together. She looked up and saw that some magazines were also being sold. She recognised the "B. Davis" and Brooke was on the cover. She missed her best friend. Brooke would know immediately how to cheer her up after a bad day at work. Brooke had always known what was best for her, almost.

She bought the book and the magazine and went back to her apartment.

When she entered her apartment she immediately went to her bookshelf and put the copy of "An Unkindness of Ravens" next to the other copies she already had. The magazine found its place next to the novels. She picked up the audio edition of the novel and put it in the CD-player. She automatically switched to chapter three.

She heard a voice she had not heard for years and hearing this voice filled her heart with sadness and anger at herself. She had lost Lucas because she had been insecure. Insecure about being with the love of her life forever. The voice of the audio book, Lucas' voice spoke:

"Chapter 3: Peyton Sawyer's destined for greatness. Actually, she's already great because Peyton Sawyer has a thing called integrity and nothing or no one is ever going to change that. I remember the first time I met her…"

She pressed the stop button. She suddenly realised what had gone wrong. She had moved to LA to chase her dreams, to put her past behind. But now hearing these words, hearing how she used to be it let something in her head click.

She came here to be great, she came to reach something to fulfill her dreams. But she had fallen apart from her goals. All that she had done was delivering mails, bringing people coffee and aspirin and all of those great bands that should have been signed, which she wanted to get signed to reach the teens that were asking themselves whát life was about, she hadn't reached anything. She had been here for four years and still had not reached anything she wanted.

Somewhere in those four years she had lost herself. She had strayed from who she used to be. She did not have real fun, a real conversation, a meaningful day since...since that fateful day tree years ago in that hotel room in LA. That was the day when she had last seen Lucas. She had cut the last strings attaching her to her past.

She went to pick up the phone and dialled a number she had not called in the last few months.

"Hi. It's Peyton. Yeah, I'm, I'm sorry, I know it's late there. I just… What happened to us? Ya know?"

„I don't know who I am how I got here. I missed who I used to be. And real friends. You know the kind of friendships we used to believe in. I miss that. And i miss you. I guess I miss all of it."

"Okay, let me ask you something. What is going to make you happy Peyton? Is it how you look, or the car you drive, or the people you know? Is it money, or celebrity or power or accomplishments?", Brooke asked. "Because I have all those things and I don't think that it's enough."

"Well then what is it?"Peyton asked back.

All these questions had been in her head the whole day and talking to Brooke about it had always helped her get her thoughts in order to figure out what she needed. Talking to someone who understood her feelings.

"Love, I think. And that love can be for a boy or a girl or a place or a way of life or even for a family. But where you find it is up to you. So where are you going to find that love Peyton?"

I felt good to speak to Brooke again. Brooke was right. She hadn't found any love here. She had not made any real friends in LA. She had been too busy with work. And even if she had it would not be the same. She missed her friends from Tree Hill. The ones she could laugh with, who knew her and those she had cried with. She missed being herself. Not to take care of every word you say because it might be the wrong ones. Having a day that was worth to be remembered, even if it hurt.

She had to go home, to Tree Hill. The only place in the world she knew she could find that love. The only place she had been happy, where she felt like she belonged.

"I think I need to go home", she answered.

"I was hoping you would say that", Brooke said and Peyton knew Brooke was smiling.

She was smiling, too. She knew that the decision to go home was the first right decision she had made in a long time. She was absolutely sure about it.

The next morning her plane landed in Tree Hill and the first moment she set a foot on the earth she felt like finally being where she belonged. She was at the right only place where she could figure out how to become herself again.

She picked up her luggage and put it in the trunk of her comet. She stated driving without thinking about it. The wind blew her hair across her face and she listened to a mix CD she had made before graduating.

She stopped and realised that she had driven directly to the river-court. She turned around and saw the old basket the stairs and when she looked down she saw the signatures of Haley, Nathan, Brooke, Mouth, her own, Skills, Chase, and Lucas all around the words "We were here".

She heard a basketball slamming on the cement and she hesitated before turning around. A tall blond was walking towards her. He was wearing a white t-shirt and plain jeans. When he saw her he stopped and looked at her as if he couldn' t believe his eyes. Lucas was standing there staring at her in disbelief.

Her heart started beating faster at the sight of him and she slowly walked in his direction.

AN: So what do you think? As I said the more reviews I get the more I am eager to update. I will try update as soon as possible. Please R&R.

TrueLoveAlwaysLP