Chapter 4: Anytime.

Lucas took off the last of his clown suit as he finally experienced his wife being alone for the first time since the commencing of his daughter's birthday party. He's been waiting for this quality time with her, not getting the chance considering family and friends kept stealing their attention and stealing glances all night just weren't working his favor.

With that halter dress hugging all her curves and those long legs being exposed ( He's always admired those) and the sun blazing down on her beautiful perfect skin , his urge of just feeling his hands on her were getting more and more of a need each minute so when he saw Peyton's conversation with Deb terminating, he decided to take matters in his own hands.

He strode forward, tall, imposing and breathtakingly male which sent Peyton trembling in want. She'd felt his eyes on her, he knew what he wanted and she was all for it. She couldn't not be with a husband like hers, she didn't know how but only he could make a clown suit look that much sexier.

He pushed her to the wall softly and she gasped a bit at the feel of her back colliding with the harsh thick brick wall behind her before putting it aside. Hips were aligned and bodies were pressed up against each other, sultry looks were exchanged and hands wandered.

And then his lips met hers.

She returned his kiss, letting her eyes shut and her mind go blank as sparks filled her body as it always did whenever Lucas kissed her like this.

He smirked, letting a hand caress her cheek as the other plunged themselves in her golden tresses that now fell to the small of her back and she ran a slender hand down his back, simply feeling. She didn't care that they were in a public environment with hundreds of children and people running around who could easily spot them.

As usual, she had no rational thinking when it came to Lucas Scott.

And then they pulled back when air became a necessity.

"Mm."Peyton purred, fluttering her eyes open as her forehead was leant with Lucas's. "Feel free to attack me whenever you want."

Lucas shrugged, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. " We haven't been together in a while."

"We shouldn't be together in a while more often."She said, his breath tickling her ear as he laughed.

"Shouldn't say things like that, Peyt."

"Shouldn't intiate things you can't finish, Luke."

"Who says I can't?" Lucas teased, his smirk growing as Peyton tilted her head back to groan.

"Lucas." She whines, making him laugh. "I'm busy hosting a birthday party and here you are teasing me."

"Me tease you." Lucas blinked slowly. " Peyton, I've been wearing a clown suit for the past hour." He laughed.

"You make Bozo look so hot." She admitted and amusement danced around in his eyes as that goddamn smirk captured his lips.

"Maybe I should keep you away from clowns."

Peyton's hand instantly slapped his chest.

"Hey! I'm just warning the clowns from being attacked pretty soon."

"You attacked me!" She cried, eyes wide and he laughed at how cute she looks.

"Can't prove that can you?" He retorted and she scoffed, making him smile.

"Someone's in an awfully good mood for watching his daughter's interact with his father."

"He's not my father." Lucas said harshly, tensing up and Peyton drew circles over his bare neck to calm him down. " And we agreed to be tolerant, remember?"

Peyton nodded, letting her mind cloud up to that particular day. Summer, Dan and Jamie had begun seeing each other frequently and pretty soon because of Lilly's insistance and because she didn't want to be the odd one out, she had begun coming along, much to everyone else's dismay.

Summer reluctantly, had begun warming up to her grandfather and before long, had developed a liking to her grandfather as did everyone else. The family had decided, after discussing one day that they might aswell support their children's decisions, not wanting them to turn their backs on them, and keep Keith's death between themselves, in turn acting cordial towards the man in front of the kids.

Imagine Lucas's feelings when he found Dan Scott on the other side of his door .

"Is it wrong that I want to just punch him in the face?"

"I'd think it'd scare away the kids, yes." Peyton joked briefly. " It's understandable Lucas, I mean, the guy did do what he did."

"I can't find a way to completely.. Forgive him yet. I mean, It's been three years, I've freaking borrowed a gun from him for god sakes and I see him around way more than I should yet his presence still irks me."

"It's normal, Lucas. No one expects you to forgive him that fast. Hell, I still haven't gotten over my mom's death and she's been gone for a while."

"But you've accepted it." He argues.

"Your situation is a little more.. Complex than mine." She disputes back. " Summer knows that. She might not know exactly everything but she knows and she's grateful that your even letting him see her in the first place. You're a pretty good father, Lucas Scott." Peyton finished.

"Not just because I give them extra amount of treats behind your back?"

"You give them extra amount of treats behind my back?" Peyton asks, mock-furious although she's known all along making Lucas toss his head back in laughter.

"It's supposed to be a secret."

"Unh huh." She shakes her head. " Your lucky I like you, Lucas Scott."

"I know. I am." He mentioned, a Cheshire grin on his face. "Personally, I was hoping you'd say that." He continued, pressing their bodies against each other and Peyton felt liquid heat come between her legs as his stare became more intensifying.

She smirked. "I guess I could.." She moaned a bit as his lips softly attacked her bare neck. "Keep my, God, eyes off the kids for a while."

She laughed as Lucas picked her up, her legs tying themselves around his waist before dashing into the house and up the stairs.

Lucas knew he still had problems to work out, he knew there had to be more discussed about this whole Dan situation but with his mind being occupied on his wife, he discovered, maybe he could hold off a little bit.

---

"No, you can't fuck her again." Nathan announced with a roll of his eyes to his brother who had just recently taken his eyes off of his wife to look at his brother.

"How did you?" Lucas sputters and Nathan grins.

"You walked out of the house with that stupid grin on your face, it's not rocket science you obviously didn't just go in there for some milk and cookies."

"Jealous." Lucas stated as a retort, making Nathan laugh.

"That the best you got?"

"Shut up." Lucas shot back lamely provoking Nathan to crack up in laughter once again.

"Hey man, whatever. You got it easy, I had to listen to mom bicker and whine about Dan for the last hour and a half."

"You just had to ruin my moment, didn't you?" Lucas glared and Nathan shrugged.

"You've had more celebration than the birthday girl, I think it's fair."

Lucas, despite his mood and efforts, couldn't contain the laughter that was nagging at him.

"I can't believe he actually showed up." Nathan murmured in disbelief, shaking his head at the thought of it.

"I still can't believe he's out of prison."

"Lucas…" Nathan groans and Lucas feels his anger sizzle inside of him.

"No, Nate. It's true. He doesn't belong here. He shouldn't be here. Personally, I'm surprised I held out as long as I have. He's a murderer and this whole forgivness crap I've been trying to deal with hasn't made me forget that."

"It might not be helping but it's doing something." Nathan informed him. " Look around you, Luke. Apart from my mom who's a regular psycho anyway, everyone's happy, everyone's celebrating, don't be a killjoy and blow your pmsing crap on us right now. You make a valid point, Lucas but he's here and he's making the best of it with our kids and there's nothing we can do about it. "

"Why are you defending him?" Lucas asked, his eyes squinting. " Why would you even attempt to defend this.. Bastard who made your life hell for the majority of it."

"Because he's my father." Nathan said plainly. "And he's yours too."

"You can't say that."

"I have to say that." Nathan insisted. " This hate you've got is getting a little out of control."

"He killed Keith, Nate. He killed the one man that I considered a father. How am I supposed to just let that go?"

"You can't." Nathan retorted, because it's true, you can't. "But you can move forward and clearly you haven't done that yet. Do you know how hard it is to have the kids ask why you despise Dan the way you do?"

"They don't know the truth, Nate. If they knew the truth, they'd get it."

"But they don't and frankly this attitude you're slacking around is confusing them. They're kids, man. They don't need to know that shit yet, they just want to have fun. They can't with you shooting glares at the guy every damn second."

"I want to move forward. I want to, I do, Its just… hard." He breathed. "I take a look at him and I picture it. I wonder how he did it, I wonder of Keith's last moments. Was he scared? Was he pleading not to be killed? Did they argue before it all happened? Did he even get the chance to talk? " He roared. "I see him around and all I see is a cold blooded murderer looking at me in the face."

"Believe me man, I know where you're coming from. Frankly, I still can't forget what Dan has done, hell no one can. But I've learned to forgive him and move on. "

"You weren't as close to him, Nate. You didn't see him like I did." Lucas breathed bitterly, his tone turning soft as he saw the mild hurt look on his brothers face. " Nathan.."

"No, you're right. I didn't know him like you did, but it still hurt. " Nathan admitted. "Nothing in life is easy, Luke, hell nothing in Tree Hill ever is easy, you just need to work at it. If Karen can tolerate him, you can too."

"Not as easy as it sounds." Lucas blinked.

"It is if you work around that stubborn head of yours, seriously man, I don't even want to know how Peyton handles it."

"You're right. You wouldn't." Lucas teased, making Nathan groan in frustration. " I'm sorry, Nate. Obviously Keith was important and… I wasn't thinking-"

"You're never thinking." Nathan cocked back jokingly, dismissing the apology. " But when you do though, It's pretty smart so, try and use that intelligence more often. You don't have to forgive him, Luke. You just have to accept it, get closure, punch him in the face again if it helps, just do something. I actually believe he's changed this time." Nathan blurts out.

"I might just take you up on the punching." Lucas jokes and Nathan rolls his eyes. Figures out of the whole speech he had just made, Lucas would take special note of that little detail that required his hands.

"Go back to stalking your wife." He scoffs, before patting his older brother on the back and walking away.

Lucas watches Summer, her adorable head tilting backwards as she giggled, watching as Dan scooped the girl up and twirled her around.

He wants to be able to do that. He wants to be able to just… let go. Something inside of him just didn't want to accept it yet.

---

"Sup, dragon?"

"Whaddup, Foxy?" Peyton said, after rolling her eyes at the nickname Haley had chosen to greet her with. As a joke for her moodswings when pregnant with Sawyer, which was completely bitchy by the way, Haley had discovered ironically that her behavior was ironically in comparison to one of a dragon and had thus decided to give her the name permanently.

It wasn't the best of names she preferred but it was their thing and Peyton wouldn't trade it for the world.

"I believe I asked you first Mrs. ' let me get down and get freaky with my husband and leave my sister in law to pick up all the slack' ."

"Down and freaky? Really, Hales? No one says that anymore." Peyton snorts. " Hell, I'm pretty sure no one's said that to begin with."

"Not what I meant and you know it." Haley insisted with a playful scoff. " I just spent like, an hour keeping everyone together and washing the chocolate out of Ava and Sawyer's hair while you decided to play house."

"I knew I could count on you, buddy." Peyton grinned and Haley rolled her eyes.

" Just don't make a habit of it."

"I wouldn't be talking Haley James Scott. I seem to recall a certain someone getting some slutty wedding sex at a certain wedding of mine."

"Oh like you didn't." Haley tossed back lamely, blushing a bit and Peyton laughed.

"I don't really sex and tell."

"Okay, eew!"

"You brought it up!" Peyton cried.

" Didn't mean I want details!" Haley cried, laughing a little bit. " That's like, eew. How would you like it if I described my sex life with your best friend."

"Didn't know you swung that way, Hales. Have you told Nathan?"

"Will you knock it off?" Haley laughed, knowing exactly what Peyton had been playfully implying.

"You walked straight into your own grave on that one, Hales."

"I'd like to pummel you into your own grave right now if you don't quit it." Haley warned, Peyton jokingly zipping her mouth shut making Haley roll her eyes. " Funny."

"I've been told." Peyton smugly returned. " Do I need to slip some crack into your brownies or can you lighten up on your own?"

" I never knew!" Haley cried with a pout. " Besides, It's kind of hard to stay so calm when you've got a million kids running around, an avoiding mother, a barking mother, a birthday girl to spoil, a son to monitor and…"

"I get it, Hales. You've got a load to do. I'll have you know it's my job to bitch and whine." She joked, making Haley laugh. "Take a chill pill, sit down, rest and I'll take over the place."

"It was your job in the first place." Haley pointed out.

"Every good host has a break from time to time." Peyton winked making Haley scoff. "Seriously, Hales. Thanks though, you're pregnant and you're still making things better for us. You're the best sister in law in the world."

Haley shrugged, eyes bouncing with mirth as she placed a hand over her swelling belly. "I've happened to take a liking to the world's romeo and juliet." Peyton rolled her eyes at the implication. " Just continue doing what your doing and that's good enough for me."

"By that you also mean keep Lucas from pummeling Dan."

"I knew you were nominated third in the class intelligence-wise for something." Haley joked. " I just talked to Nathan. He's really torn up about it."

"I'm already on it, Hales. He wants to accept it, He wants to be able to forgive but he just can't and I guess, I know where he's coming from. It's hard, to process that kind of thing in your head, even if it has been a few years, knowing Lucas he'll take initiative when his heart finally agrees with his mind and realizes its time to move forward."

"I haven't really forgiven him either." Haley admits. " But, I'm starting to think maybe he has changed, crazy right?"

"Not so crazy." Peyton agreed. " I've been feeling it too. It's like, new heart, new person. I just… you can't be so sure you know?"

"You think everything would be easier? If none of this ever happened? If Dan had just picked up his slack those whole few years ago?"

"I don't think we would've ended up where we are." Peyton admitted. " I wouldn't of met Luke. You wouldn't of met Nathan. Our whole lives that we have built and spent so much time making wouldn't of been around. I can't see that happening for us."

"To tell you the truth, I can't either. I just, sometimes, I look at Lilly and at Karen and I just wish he was here."

"I do too, Haley but he's alive, maybe not in flesh but in spirit and I think he's a heck of a lot proud of us and what we've done for this family. He's probably with my mom and Ellie watching us."

"Yeah." Haley softly agreed.

"Well, I'm going to go take care of the million kids running around, the avoiding mother, the barking mother, the birthday girl to spoil, the son to monitor…"

"Get out of here." Haley laughed, just as Peyton left the premises.

Haley shook her head, looking at the sky with a smile.

Her family was messed up but it was hers. She just hoped they could resolve their issues before her little one made his appearance into the world.

---

"I think it's time for someone's bedtime." Peyton announced, leaning on the door with her arms crossed and a pointed look on her face.

"Sawyer's already in her bed." Summer pointed out.

"I was talking about you." Peyton growled, scooping the girl into her arms. "Princesses sleep, you know?"

Summer shook her head. " No they don't. Their too busy watching over the kingdom and watching TV to sleep, right daddy?"

Lucas shook his head. " Not this princess." He said, making Summer pout. " Oh c'mon! It's just sleeping."

"Sleep is overrated."

"Well then, in that case, so are you." He replied cheekily, her scoffing as a result which made him laugh.

Both parents walked their child to her room, taking over the room that had been replaced of the bare walls and was now splattered with blue paint and rad designs which Peyton had hand drawn herself, there were some lyrics that were written on the wall for inspiration and a lot of pictures hanging around of her family and friends.

Summer loved the room.

Peyton and Lucas tucked her in and despite her fighting off the sleep, Summer yawned, making her parents have a smug look on their face. She giggled tiredly as they rolled their eyes and faced them with an exhausted smile on her face.

"Birthday girl satisfied with her birthday this year?" Peyton asked.

"The birthday girl is always satisfied with her birthday, mommy. We could've went out to eat just the four of us and I wouldn't of cared."

"I've tried telling that to your mother but she doesn't listen." Lucas chimed in pointingly.

"I can't help it if I like to spoil my kids a little bit. You're all grown up, it's a big deal for me, I like to savor it while I can."

"This birthday was the best though. Everyone I love was here!" She said happily. " I got lots of presents too and Uncle Derek even flew in! "

"I can't believe he got her a marine suit." Lucas said, still in awe.

"Who knows, maybe she'll be the first female Scott to join the army"Peyton shrugged.

"Sorry mommy, basketball all the way."

"You heard that, Peyt. Basketball all the way." Lucas repeated smugly.

"Shut it you." Peyton retorted simply, making father and daughter laugh. " Especially you." She directed towards Summer. " Or I might just have to keep all your presents to myself."

Summer smiled as she remembered that one special moment in time where everyone gathered around to watch Summer blow out her candles before receiving her gifts.

She'd gotten another collection of outfits from Brooke that came from her new fall line, a custom made basketball jersey with a picture of her and her uncle Nathan from Nathan, money from Haley and Skills ( They always were the worst at picking out presents.)

Grandpa Dan got her a scrapbook of their moments together, Grandpa Larry bought her a dollhouse Peyton had mentioned she had fallen in love with upon sight and Grandma Karen bought her a lovely leather jacket which had everyone laughing considering she had broken hers last years.

" I liked you guy's presents the most." Summer said affectionately and Peyton and Lucas grinned at each other watching Summer look at the framed picture on the desk opposite her before fiddling around with the bracelet on her arm.

For her birthday, the police had managed to track down a picture of Summer and her birth mother, this time a picture of the young mother holding a new born Summer and they'd framed it, deciding to give it to her for her birthday instead of giving it to her right away.

Adding on to that, they'd made a video of her life so far and all the bits and pieces they've spent together which had been shown in front of everyone in the living room and had everyone laughing at the funny parts.

She loved however, when they handed her her golden bracelet that held a diamond charm next to all the other ones. Every year, they got her a charm for every birthday and this year, she had gotten a third one, them expressing she were their diamond and they would forever be captivated by her till the day they died.

She'd rushed into their arms after that.

"We're glad you like it so much, princess. It was awfully expensive." Lucas joked, making Summer giggle before she yawned again, this time letting her head rest on her pillow as she closed her eyes.

"Lo' you." Summer slurred sleepily and both parents had to laugh.

" We love you birthday, little bug." Peyton said softly, closing the lights before walking out the door, her husband following along after her.

There was silence as the pair trudged to their room and changed into their respective night clothes, before they snuggled up in each other's arms to sleep in peace.

It was only when Peyton was about to succumb to slumber when Lucas spoke.

"I'm going to talk to him, Peyt."

Peyton scrambled up, already knowing who he was talking about. " Lucas, you don't have to."

"I want to. I need to. He's got the answers I'm looking for and I'm tired of having them unanswered."

And with that, Lucas moved closer to his wife as he buried his head in her long flowing hair.

Lucas Scott was going to have a heart to heart with Dan Scott tomorrow.

No one really knew what really to expect.