Chapter 5: The Cure
"Sad." Mumbled Sawyer, blonde ringlets bouncing as she crawled into her fathers arms.
Lucas felt the corners of his lips rise. Just like her mother. "Not sad."
Sawyer scoffed and Lucas couldn't help but laugh. "No sad."
Her head shook as she spoke and her glare was feirce and she was every bit of her mother that it scared him. He couldn't imagine how she would be in her teenage years.
"You heard the kid, Scott. No sadness and no look on your face either." Peyton spoke softly, entering the scene. She had been surprised to wake up early in the morning to an empty bed only to check the house and find her husband out in the backyard court with their youngest daughter.
"I can't help it, Peyt." He sighs.
Peyton nods in understanding. "To be honest, Lucas. I still can't belive your doing this."
"I'm tired of not knowing, Peyt. I'm tired of the what if's, how could, what if… I just.. I wanna know. I just want the truth."
"The truth… It could be worse than you expected, Lucas." Peyton warns, intertwining her hands with her husband for support. She's scared for him. He's walking into something that could really wound him. He's been through a lot. She doesn't want him to handle this too.
"I need to know, Peyt." He repeats.
"Then go figure it out." Peyton consoles. If that's what he wants, she's behind him one hundred precent. " And when you get back, it's just you and me, and our crazy kid and that knucklehead sleeping around somewhere."
Lucas grins, running a hand through his wife's curly ringlets. He's fond of her straight hair but he really does miss those blonde ringlets she used to have back in high school and the mornings were the only time he gets to see a replica of that. " Sounds like heaven."
"It is heaven. It's our heaven." Peyton assures him, and she's got that look in her eye, that always. "No matter what the outcome is walking away from this, Luke. We're always here for you. I'm always here for you. Always. "
"I love you." He whispers thickly, and those blue eyes are glinting. He means it.
"I love you too." She whispers, leaning in.
He kisses her and it's soft and profound and meaningful. She wraps an arm around his neck and he lifts a hand to caress her cheek and its just so passionate.
"'ack!." Sawyer drawls, mimicking child characters on tv and the couple laugh as they turn to look at her.
Sawyer frowns, disgust on her face and Peyton laughs as she presses a big smooch on her daughters cheek, making her smile.
Lucas smiles, taking this in. That's why he's going to confront the situation today. That's why he's so adamant on discovering everything he wasn't peiced into before. For his family, for his wife, for his kids and if having to tolerate Dan and initate this one to one with him has to be done in order to please them, he'll do it.
"What're we doing out here?" Summer questions, confused, walking out in her jammies.
Lucas and Peyton don't say a word, making a mutual agreement without speaking. In seconds, a squeal is made as Summer gets pulled into her fathers available lap.
It's just one portion of the Scott's, sitting on the ground, goofing off and messing around, just being together.
Always.
---
"I'm not even sure I could ever get round to this." Nathan exclaims, walking into the other Scott residence.
Three heads whip around to face him and he can't help but smile.
"Uncle Nate!" Summer screams, scrambling up to greet one of her favorite uncles.
Sawyer squeals, breaking out into a huge smile as she sees her favorite uncle and Peyton scoffs.
"What?" Nathan smirks. "It's just a shock that's all."
" I do know my way around the kitchen, you know?" Peyton responds with a raised eyebrow.
"Its true." Sawyer says. " I caught dad teaching her lessons for the last month."
"That was supposed to be a secret." Peyton cries, eyes wide at her oldest daughter and Nathan breaks out into laughter.
"Your pathetic, Sawyer." Nathan teases, only to be thwacked in the head with a plush toy. "Not you my precious baby Sawyer, Uncle Natey loves you. " He cooes to the child in his arm. " I'm talking bout the ugly Sawyer." He cracks up as Peyton thwacks him in the stomach.
"That is so weird." Summer comments, considering the name Sawyer went both ways in this household.
"Not my fault. Blame your mom. Sawyer, Peyton, really?… Someone's pretty cocky."
"Oh shut up." Peyton replies, irritated. " Did ya come here to pick on my buttons or were you actually planning on making yourself useful."
"No need to get aggressive, Sawyer." Nathan smirks, he's always loved getting on her nerves. That thrill he got never went away. " I'm actually looking for Luke."
"He left." Summer explained. " He looked weird. Kinda like he was doing something important."
Nathan's eyes snapped towards Peyton's. " Did he…?"
Peyton nodded with an unsure smile. "He's serious about it, Nate"
"Serious bout what?"
"Curious much?" Peyton asked towards her seven year old, apparently very inquisitive daughter.
"Everyone has a curious moment once in a while."
"Well then go have one in your room." Peyton ordered playfully slapping the girl's bottom. "Take Sawyer with you."
Summer pouted, disentangling Sawyer from Nathan's arms, following her mom's exact orders and Peyton couldn't help but stare after her, a little blown away.
"That kid." She shakes her head. " I can't tell where she gets that from, actually."
"How could she not? You're both freaks." Nathan noted.
"But we're both really determined once we make our minds up." Peyton inputed, referring to her and her husband. " He's made his mind up, Nate. He's having this talk, he's confronting the situation and he's not leaving until he has all the answers he's looking for."
Nathan nods his head. " I get it. I mean, I still don't trust the guy but I'm not willing to beat the guy off with a stick. Yet. " He said, making Peyton laugh. " I just hope things work themselves out. I don't want any of this anymore. I mean Haley's expecting, we're expecting and I really don't want my kid to come into this world with unresolved tension filling the air."
"I hope it works out well too." Peyton agreed.
"Well even if he doesn't. He could always get you to kick Dan's ass." Nathan taunted.
"That was one time and it was such a fail! " Peyton cries, shoving Nathan and Nathan chuckles, sitting atop of the stool and teasing the life out of his sister in law as he inspected her cooking skills.
Making sure to sometimes ( all of the time) add some comments of his own there. Once or twice.
He hopes everything goes well aswell.
----
Dan Scott sighs, taking off the cap of his water bottle to splash it around his face. He needs some air, he needs to breathe, but he's outside and there's just so much air you can take in, and things still aren't getting any better.
He can't shake that feeling.
He can't stop seeing it.
It's all your fault, Danny.
"Stop it." He growls, his breathing is rapid. Not this again.
You chose this life, Danny boy. That voice answers, and his legs are walking all by themselves, their walking down that familiar path, that familiar place, that memorable place.
"I'm sorry." He breathes, crouching to his knees. "I'm sorry."
Its been seven years and he still can't get over it.
His brother's death.
"It's your fault." Someone said and Dan in shock, turns around. Never had they met this way, never had they ever been placed in a predicament where they both faced each other alone. Never did he think he would actually be talking to his son.
(The blonde-headed one, anyway.)
"Lucas."
-----
"Why'd you do it?" Lucas demanded, but there was that vulnerability, that lingering hurt in his eyes. "Why would you kill the only brother you have? He was good to you."
Dan turns away in shame. "Every good book needs a villain."
"I didn't need a villain, I needed a dad!" Lucas explodes, his words immense and meaningful and practically slapping Dan across the face. No emotion showed on his face, he's learned how to make his emotions non transparable. It still hurt though.
"I needed a dad." Lucas continues, a bitter chuckle escaping his lips. "But I couldn't get that, and so I had the next best thing. I had someone who was always there, who witnessed it all, who suffered with me through the hard times and loved me unconditionally. But you couldn't handle that, Dan and so you killed him. You killed my dad!"
"He's not your dad." Dan whispers dejectedly, but he knows it's a weak battle.
"He meant everything to me! He meant everything to Ma, but of course, Dan Scott could never be completely satisfied until everyone around him is drowning in sadness."
"It wasn't supposed to be this way!" Dan cried, running a frustrated hand through his hair. " I thought I could get it all back. I thought I could become the father I never was. I thought I could get the girl I've always loved back. I thought I could make a change. But he was in the way. He was always in the way!"
"You were jealous." Lucas stated, he knew it. His fists were clenched. Out of all possibilities.
"Everyone loved him. Everyone respected him. You and Nathan adored him. Karen." He gulps, closing his eyes momentarily, back to a place when he once had her and they were together, madly in love. " Karen was in love with him. He was the man I could never be."
"And so you shot him." Lucas confirmed, saying it made it all the more real.
"I- I'm sorr-"
"Don't." Lucas growls, hands up in defeat, eyes shut. He doesn't wanna hear it. He might just end up breaking his face. "Was he begging?"
"What?"
"How'd you do it?"
"Lucas."
"How did you do it!" Lucas demands, he needs to know.
Dan, for the first moment in his life, felt something build up inside him, something take control of him. Dan Scott, for the first time in his life, felt a tear touch his cheek. "He was crouched on the floor next to Jimmy. I walked in, in the hallway, and even though I witnessed Jimmy pull the trigger on himself. Something snapped inside of me, I don't know what provoked me, I didn't think I'd actually do it. But, but he looked up and he said my name and my life flashed before my eyes and I just got so... jealous. I, he had everything. I just, I thought I could.. I thought if I eliminated him, everything would fall into place."
Lucas stepped back, shaking his head. He could see it, he could see it all. He never expected the truth to hurt as much as it did.
"That look on his face, sadness, hurt, it's like he saw it coming." Dan's eyes were zombie like, scary as he looked up at his son. " I regret it, Lucas. I regret everything I have ever done. I never meant any of it. If I could take it back, I would."
"But you can't!" Lucas screamed, his bottled up emotions rose and rose and rose until it rose to the surface and splattered over earth. "He's dead , Dan. He's dead because of a selfish bastard of a father who couldn't control his jealousy. He's dead because of you. "
Nothing else was said, nothing else could be said. Lucas stomped out of the cemetery, wild and angry, and mourning and hurting.He could never imagine doing anything like this to Nate. Imagine how Keith had felt when his brother turned the bullet on him.
Dan remained in his position, watching his son walk away from him. Just like everyone else had walked away from him because of his irresponsibility and the man that he is.
Lucas was right. He is selfish. He is a demon. He does have issues. But he's trying to fix them. He's trying to repent.
"I'm sorry." Whispered Dan somberly, sliding to his knees as his hands reached out to touch that tombstone. " I'm sorry. "
-----
"Mom?"
Peyton looked down at her daughter, snuggled in her blankets, as she looked up at her with sleepy eyes. "Yeah, baby?"
"Is Dad gonna hate Grandpa Dan forever?"
Peyton felt the life get sucked out of her. "Sum bug, your dad doesn't hate him."
"But he doesn't like him." Summer declared, and there was that look on her face. " I see the way he looks at him, mommy."
Peyton sighed. She could tell the girl was confused and it killed her that she couldn't tell her the truth. Not yet. " Your dad and Dan… they've got some issues they need to work out."
"Why can't they just play a game of basketball and shake on it like dad and Uncle Nathan do?" Summer asked, head tilted in confusion.
"Oh baby." Peyton cracked up. "Basketball doesn't solve everything. These issues are a lot harder to deal with. " If only she knew.
Summer sighed sadly. " I don't like em fighting, mommy."
"I know you don't, baby. Someday, someday they'll stop." Peyton promised, and she really hoped she wasn't lying, she really hoped that someday, they could all just let the past go.
"I hope someday is soon." Summer yawned, indicating sleep had taken over her body.
"I hope so too but for now, I say stop being so damn perceptive and get some sleep, miss mischievous."
Summer giggled tiredly. " Hey mom? I love you."
"I love you too, baby." Peyton responded automatically back. She does, she loves this kid as if she were biologically her own. She is hers. No one can say otherwise.
Peyton gets up, shutting the lights and closing the door before making her way into the living room and slumping onto the couch. She runs a hand through her hair, and as usual her eyes snap to the clock.
She's worried, Lucas hasn't come home yet. She doesn't wanna think about the negative, she won't allow herself to and just as that nagging thought bursts into her mind, the door slams open and in comes in the subject of her worries and Oh God.
"Lucas.." She breathes.
"Just hold me." He says softly. That's all he needs, that's all he wants.
Peyton doesn't hesitate to do as he says. He's hurting and she'll do all to mend the pain, no questions asked, no matter what cost and so she wraps her arms around him, and he wraps his arms around her and they just stand together in that living room.
He needs a healer, he needs a cure and so she'll be his cure.
Always.
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AN- so there you have it, that's where the title of the story came from. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry about the delay. I'm currently failing math and so I've taken time off to get back into the game, boost up my mark and now that its in the high 90's, my goal is complete. I can write freely now, I can make more time, I can do as I please. My confidence, my inspiration and my muse is set again. So please, please, please accept. Next chapter is the last chapter, I know… this story has quickly come to an end, but it's life and life must move forward.
So review, review, review, to have the next chapter out as soon as possible. I plan to get it out by tomorrow :D
Xoxo
-Aundrea