A/N: Thanks for the amazing response!!! Just to clarify…when I said most major events apply, I meant things like Peyton losing her mom (although she is NOT adopted in this), Keith dying, Naley wedding etc. Some other show events may be recognizable, but messed with a bit.

Also, there will be flashbacks throughout to explain Lucas and Peyton's relationship and these will appear in italics.

Still own nothing.

Chapter 2

I'm a Sure Thing

Lucas escorted Peyton out to his car with his hand resting gently on the small of her back. The cut of her dress allowed his thumb to touch bare skin. Peyton put the goosebumps she felt from his touch down to nervousness and Lucas put the tingle he felt in his hand down to the typical male reaction of touching female bare skin in anticipation of getting laid.

As a gentleman would, Lucas opened the passenger door and made sure Peyton was settled before closing the door after her. Once in the driver's seat himself, he started the car and sat for a moment looking at Peyton.

"What?" she asked hesitantly, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Nothing…just you, you look amazing. I know I said it before, but you do." He said with smile and a sound of awe in his voice. He paused for a moment and reached for her hand in her lap and started to speak again. "Peyton, I just want to…"

"Luke, don't…" she cut him off. "Let's just do this and see what happens, ok? We've got so much history, back before we were born even. The last thing I want is to jeopardize that, so let's just go one step at a time." She squeezed his hand and smiled a genuine smile letting him know she was all right with everything and that he should relax.

"Ok" he replied. "You're pretty smart, Blondie."

"Well, I am older than you." She teased as Lucas let go of her hand, put the car in drive and pulled away.

Peyton relaxed in the passenger seat and thought about just how long the man next to her had been a part of her life.

Flashback

Peyton and Lucas had been friends their entire lives starting virtually in utero. Peyton's mother, Anna Campbell and Lucas' mother , Karen Roe were best friends, and when both discovered they were pregnant at the end of high school, it wasn't seen by either as a devastatingly bad thing. Anna had been dating Larry Sawyer for a long time and there really was no question that they would get married eventually. Larry was going to be working on dredging boats as his father had done before him so neither college nor his ability to support a family were a concern. Karen and her boyfriend Dan Scott had talked about a future and a life together as well. Dan was going to college on a basketball scholarship and Karen would be going to the same school. The addition of a baby seemed like a catalyst to the future for both Karen and Anna.

As it turned out, only one of the boys was really committed to his girlfriend. Larry proposed to Anna on prom night, and right after she accepted his proposal she told him she was pregnant. They were both ecstatic and eager to start their life together and they were married by the end of the summer.

Karen told Dan that she was pregnant on graduation day, and he told her she should consider an abortion and that nothing was going to stop him from fulfilling his basketball dream. Karen ignored Dan's suggestion sent him off to college and prepared to raise a child by herself.

There was three weeks between Karen and Anna's due dates and they spent all their time together during their pregnancies comparing notes on how they felt and when the babies kicked.

Larry and Anna were married before the end of the summer and moved into Larry's parents' house together until they could save up for a house. They had an incredible support system that helped them get a good start.

Karen struggled through her pregnancy with little support. Her parents did not help and the only real support she had was from the unlikely source of Dan's older brother, Keith. Although, there was nothing romantic there initially, he was her pillar of strength. He rubbed her feet when they were swollen and brought her tea when she felt nauseous. He helped Karen come up with a business plan to open a small café in town once the baby was born, and he worked on his own business plan for an auto shop. Karen was determined to be successful on her own as a mother and businesswoman and Keith was determined to be there for her as she tried. They grew closer and closer through her pregnancy, and a tentative romance began. When Karen was in her eighth month, Keith told her that he loved her and wanted to always be there for her and the baby, and he would like nothing more than to be a father to her baby and a husband to her, if she'd have him. She accepted tearfully and they set to planning a quick wedding as they wanted to be married before the baby was born.

Karen, Anna, Keith and Larry were the only ones at the wedding in March, and they had barely finished the vows and kissed when Karen's water broke unexpectedly. The panic and chaos that ensued was enough to put Anna in labor as well.

Lucas Eugene Scott and Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer were born within an hour of each other. Keith was named as the father on Lucas' birth certificate. That Peyton was actually fifty six minutes older than Lucas would be a cause for discussion and subject of great levity throughout their lives.

The two babies were constantly compared by their mothers and fathers in what seemed like a never ending competition of firsts, but it was all done in good spirits. Lucas ate solid food first, but Peyton sat up first. Peyton crawled first, but Lucas walked first. Every birthday was celebrated together along with Keith and Karen's anniversary.

When they were three, they played mommies and daddies using one of Peyton's dolls as a baby. Peyton would wear one of Karen's aprons from the café and Lucas would wear one of Keith's ties and pretend to come home from work. He would kiss the doll's head and say "Daddy's home." Karen and Anna would watch them trying hard to control their laughter as they wondered where the two young children had gotten such an archaic view of family life. They would joke that one day they would be sitting together watching their grandchildren do the same thing. The inference that Lucas and Peyton would be parents together one day, was understood.

On their first day of kindergarten, they walked into school together with matching backpacks and for the first time they were really exposed to other children. Lucas became quick friends with two little boys named Marvin and Antwon and Peyton became friends with two little girls named Brooke and Haley.

The six children became close friends in two little groups of three girls and three boys over the first three years of school and life seemed to be comfortable and perfect. Lucas and Peyton still played together when their parents got together, but otherwise they had their own friends. They were at the age where the opposite sex had cooties. It wasn't until they were eight years old that a series of traumatic events would rock the little group of youngsters.

Peyton was jolted out of her reminiscing by the car coming to a stop.

"Did I fall asleep?" she asked.

"Yeah, only for a little, but we're here now" replied Lucas softly.

"Where's here? I thought we were going for a fancy dinner, hence the lbd and the Armani." She said playfully pointing back and forth between them.

"We're on Emerald Isle. There's a very exclusive seafood restaurant that we're going to, but I thought we'd drop our bags off at this beach house I've rented, first." he stated getting out of the car.

"Bags? I didn't pack a bag." a rather puzzled Peyton said to no one since Lucas was already out of the car.

Sensing her discomfort and puzzlement, Lucas came back to the passenger side and indicated for her to roll down her window.

"Brooke packed the bag for you. Stay here. I'm just going to drop these and make sure the key works and then we'll go for dinner." Peyton rolled her eyes at how she seemed to have lost all control of something that was originally her idea so many years ago.

Lucas returned quickly and got back in the car.

"How long are we staying?" Peyton asked.

"Just 'til Sunday" replied Lucas. "I figured it would be nice to get away, you know, no distractions." He added sheepishly.

Peyton laughed and nodded. "Ok, that's nice. It will be good. I just wanted to make sure that you weren't doing all this as some big romantic gesture to get me in the mood." She laughed again. "'Cos ya know Scott, I'm pretty much a sure thing." They both laughed as they headed to the restaurant.