"What?" Was the only word that Karen could bring out. She was speechless, no words could escape her mouth, she just hadn't words in her head right now, her head was just like an empty room. Lily kept wrestling in her arms, trying to get to Lucas. "Lu-ca-s." She wailed, hoping that her big brother would take her in his strong arms, the most protective arms she knew, the safest place on earth.
"Why?" Karen asked, not paying too much attention to the little girl in her arms. Before Lucas could even answer Lily began to cry. "Luc-a!" She sobbed and angrily swung her little arms in the air. Lucas took her out of his mother's arms and held her close to his chest. "Don't cry Lily." He kindly whispered and rubbed the little girl's back soothingly. The little brunette looked up to the boy who was holding her, she still had teary eyes. Lucas hated to see his little sis upset. Lucas made a funny face to her and began to tickle her softly, the laugh of the young girl could be heard over whole the café. Some costumers looked up from their drinks and food to see Lucas swing around the little girl who was his sister.
"Lucas." Karen said harsh, demanding his attention. "Why should you go to Chicago?" She asked while trying to keep her voice down. "Because I have to." Lucas answered resolute. Karen knew that Peyton lived in Chicago, how could she not, Lucas talked so much about her sometimes.
"Mom, I have to go to Chicago." He said again when his mother didn't react, in the meantime Lily salivating on Lucas' shirt. "Go home Lucas, we'll talk this over later." A full café wasn't exactly the place to talk over something huge like that. "And take Lily with you."
Irritated with his mother behaviour, he walked after the counter, grabbed Lily's bag and left the café. At home Lucas took all his time to play with Lily. He would go to Chicago, his mother couldn't stop him, he had the money to go, and he needed to know what was going on with Peyton.
Hours flew by while Lucas and Lily played together, first they played with her dolls, than Lucas let her draw a little while he played with a little basketball, and it didn't take long before Lily had crawled on his bed to take away the basket from him and tried to shoot the ball just like him. Lucas smiled and than got off the bed to take her drawling off the floor. With a lot imagination you could see she had drawn a tree and a boy who as big as the tree, it caused Lucas to smile.
"Is that me?" Lucas pointed to the figure on the paper, it existed out of yellow, orange and blue. Lily nodded, proud of what she had reached. "That's nice done Lily." He said and pressed a wet kiss her cheek, it caused her to giggle.
He took his sister on his lap and opened his laptop, he had this familiar flood of inspiration running through his veins, his hands itched, he had to write, it was an uncontrollable need.
When Lucas wrote, really had all his attention for it, an hour flew by, it was nothing. He began to write, the words filled the screen, when he finally got out of his writing-trance again, and he realized that Lily was sleeping on his lap, her head against his chest. She was so peaceful, Lucas turned off his laptop and decided to take a nap with Lily. He lay her down on his bed and then let himself sink into the mattress, he immediately was embraced by the warm and comforting arms of sleep.
The afternoon went and the evening came, Karen arrived at home. "Lucas!" She yelled when she didn't found him in the living room or kitchen. "Lily!" She looked in the bathroom and Lily's bedroom, she found them in the last room she checked, Lucas' bedroom. She was about to yell again when she saw her son and daughter slumbering together in his bed.
It totally softened Karen, they were so peaceful. Lucas' face was marked with his exhaustion, he had his first free day in four months, Lucas worked hard and much. Often he switched hours with the others so he had to work very early and very late, so he was home through the day to watch Lily. Karen really appreciated his help, but it was taking away so much from him.
This moment had this magic that her son and daughter shared, she quickly ran to the hallway and took the camera out of the closet there. She came back and took a photo from the slumbering brother and sister. The flash woke Lucas up. "Uh, what's happening?" Then he saw his mother standing in the doorway with the camera in her hand, smiling. He groaned and let himself fell back in the bed and looked at the sleeping girl next to him.
"I'm going to make dinner, just stay here and nap a bit and keep an eye on your sister." "But I would make dinner." Karen smiled. "Just let me do it, you need your rest."
The dinner was quite, Lucas helped Lily to eat so Karen had a little break. They were pretty late with the dinner so after it, it was bedtime for Lily. Lucas brought her to bed, she was so beautiful, so innocent. He took a childish book and began to read for her, very softly, letting her drift into her dreamland. Karen watched her son while he did that, he hadn't noticed she was there, and she was glad for that, she just wanted to enjoy the love he had for her daughter.
When the girl's eyes almost shut, Lucas putted away the book and stood over her crib. "I love you so much Lily." He said. "Don't ever forget that, how far I may be, you'll always be in my heart, little girl. You're my little sis for some reason." He paused and stroked against her cheek. "I'm going to Chicago, a big city, I'm going to get Peyton Sawyer back, you know, the beautiful girl in my novel. I'll bring her back home Lily, you'll see how amazing she is, you're going to love her like I do. Scott's have a weakness for her. I love you so much, I'm going to miss you. Don't ever forget I love you Lily, I'll be back as soon as possible." He bended down and kissed her forehead.
Karen accidentally dropped the cup she was holding, Lucas turned around, definitely startled. "Mom?" He saw her standing in the doorway, he quickly checked if Lily was still asleep and than went to his mom. "We have to talk Lucas." She said and leaded him to his room.
Once there, Karen closed the door and pointed to the bed, so he would sit down there. "Okay Lucas, tell me what's going on." Lucas looked at his mother who was leaning against his desk. "I need to go to Chicago mom, there's something wrong with Peyton, and I need to know what." The look in Karen's eyes irritated Lucas, he quickly took his Peyton-book and showed the last article to his mom. Karen read it and then looked back to Lucas.
"Mom, you know she's always with the band, in two years, she probably went to every concert from them, she's everywhere with them. I sense something is wrong, I need to know what mom, I won't find peace without to know what." Still the look in her eyes irritated Lucas. "You're always saying that I shouldn't waste my time here, replacing Keith, that I have so much other things to do in life, and one day I'll have a family on my own, that I'm throwing away my precious time, that I need to go and discover something else than Tree Hill. Now it's my time to go away and leave this all behind for a while, I need to go!" Karen took a deep breath.
"Luke, I heard you talking to Lily, you still love Peyton. God sure you do, you probably never loved someone else as much as her. But she is with Pete now, almost two years, that's the longest relationship she ever had. If you go to her now, you bring back memories she maybe doesn't want to have, that she'll maybe regret her choice of leaving Luke." Lucas was really getting frustrated. "Mom, if she is happy with Pete and with the life she has there, she won't regret her choice of leaving. But now I feel something is wrong mom, I need to see her again. I can't go on any longer, just sitting here, hoping I'll forget her, knowing I will never stop thinking about her." Karen walked over to him and sat down next to him.
"But I know you'll confess your feelings for her when you're there, I don't want you to get rejected and hurt again, and she'll be confused Lucas. Do you remember how confused you were after the shooting, Brooke loved you, Peyton told you the same. You were a mess Lucas, and I know you don't want to mess up her life." Lucas nodded but saw something else in her eyes.
"And?" He asked her. "I'm going to miss you so much when you're away. You've been with me since the day you were born, we never spend so much time apart Lucas. And Lily, she's going to miss you too. Do you remember when you went a week away with a few friends from work, you had to come home earlier because she was sick and when you came home, she suddenly wasn't anymore. She's young Luke, but she somehow misses you when you're away, you're irreplaceable to her. We don't even know how long you're going to be away, how will I be able to comfort her? She'll ask for you Luke!" Lucas swallowed, knowing it would be hard for Lily. "I know, but I'll come back as soon as I can. I'll phone everyday, I'll buy an extra webcam, so one will stay here for your computer and I take one with me for my laptop. She'll still be able to see me." "It's not the same Luke." He closed his eyes, and tried to think. "I know, but I have to go, and if you don't let me, I'll pay everything with my own money, I have saved enough money for a plane ticket and to stay there for a while, and if it's a need I'll search a job there."
Karen knew she couldn't fight against him anymore, she knew he would go, no matter what. "Okay, you can go Luke, and I'll give you some money, I know you've been saving to publish your book one day." Lucas looked surprised at his mother. "I know you're writing Lucas, it's okay. When do you want to leave?" Lucas thought. "As soon as possible, tomorrow if it is possible." Karen nodded, kissed Lucas on the cheek and left his bedroom. Lucas knew he needed to sleep now, tomorrow would be busy and emotional day.
Next morning Lucas was woken up by his crying sister, it was nearly 6 A.M. Lucas quickly made his way to her room, hoping Lily hadn't woken up his mom, she could use some sleep. Carefully he lifted her out of her crib. "What wrong with my little sweetie?" He said, realising this would be the last time in a very long time he would see her in the morning, holding her. "Okay, I smell it, you need a new diaper." He laughed and changed her diaper. Lucas held her in his one arm and used the other to take her cuddly toy. He walked back to his room and lay Lily is his own bed, covered her with his sheets and made sure her cuddly toy was in her near proximity.
Lucas opened his closet and took a suitcase out of it, he began to pack, while packing his thought immediately forced him to thank of Peyton. He began to wonder what went wrong in the past between them.
Nathan, maybe, he hadn't really loved Peyton, he hadn't give her the love she needed so much. He kind of used her, sure Nathan had changed now, he was so good for Haley and his son James. But the imagine of the jerk he had been, still could upset Lucas.
Brooke between Peyton and him, defiantly wrong. If she hadn't been such a bitch in the beginning and a temptation after it, Peyton and Lucas would have found a way. She had been difficult in the beginning, so scared of the unknown, but after the incident motel, their love was something special. Not like he regretted his time with Brooke, it had been his possibility to break the chains of his life, to be happier. But still, Brooke hadn't been what Peyton should have been, Brooke wasn't Peyton, you know. Their love-triangle had broken so many things.
Jake, also not innocent, even Lucas brought him into her life again, for the second time, it only was a manner to try to soothe his mind, he had been such a bad friend and he needed a way to make it up to her. And with regret later, when Jake had to leave to find Jenny, leaving Peyton alone with the many pieces of her broken heart.
Jake had been her way out, just like Brooke had been Lucas' way out.
Anna had been a barrier between them, for both sides. The uncontrollable need for Lucas to love a girl and the need for Peyton to find a new friend, to be able to let someone new in. Locking Anna up between two past lovers, confusing her. Anna left to found herself again, not wanting to hurt Lucas or Peyton even more than she had done, against her will.
Than Pete came along, everyone thought it was just a way from Peyton to get past everything what happened, Ellie died, the shooting. Nobody did expect what was going to happen, he made her disappear.
Many people had caused Lucas and Peyton trouble, kept them separated, on purpose or against their will. Lucas kept convincing himself that Peyton was the one, since she left and he broke up with Brooke, he hadn't dated anyone, he just couldn't. He only saw Peyton, Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer, his Peyton. This girl with blond curly hair, breathe stealing green eyes, slender figure. Until this day, he still remembered how she smelled, how soft her skin felt when he traced his fingers over it, how she played with her curls, how gracious her dance moves were …
But the sweetness of her smell, the softness of her skin, her perfect curls, her dance moves, they became so vague, all of a sudden. This was his sign, his sign to go and refresh the memories, to hopefully return to this place called home, Tree Hill, North Carolina.
"How long are you up already?" Karen stood in her son's doorway, cup of coffee in her hand. He looked to his watch. "About an hour." He answered. Karen saw the two suitcases and another bag, it smacked into her mind, he really would leave her. She bit on her lower lip, trying to push away the tears. Then Lily began to wake up again. "Mom-my!" She murmured. "Here baby." Karen walked over to the bed and kissed her forehead.
Lucas called in the morning for a ticket to Chicago, tonight he had a flight, a lot still needed to be done. After that he stopped by his work to tell him what he was about to do, his boss said that he could go, his spot would be there when he came back. Just after noon he called Haley and Nathan, Brooke and Chase that he would go to Chicago to see Peyton. Both couples promised they would be there when he left.
In the afternoon he stopped by the café to say goodbye to Deb and than went to Whitey. He knocked on his door and waited for the older man to open it. Whitey was gladly surprised to see Lucas. "Damn, I just thought you were my booty-call." He joked, Lucas smiled. "I'm sorry I have to disappoint you coach."
"What brings you here son." He asked while they sat in his tiny living room. "I'm going to Chicago." Lucas answered. "The big city, what are you going to do there?" "I'm going to visit Peyton." Whiteys face got a warm expression. "Peyton Sawyer, the skinny blond one?" Lucas nodded. "Still not over her, son. Don't be embarrassed." He said while Lucas turned red. "She's a gorgeous, you two had something Luke, and it's time for a little change homeboy." Lucas stayed by Whitey for a while, when he wanted to leave Whitey gave him some wise advice.
"If you really, really love her, go after her now. Before you know it's too late, you need to treasure every moment with her. Lucas, love her with all you have and she'll love you back, she's a Tree Hill home-girl, not a Chicago-chick. Get her back before bad fate catches you." Lucas knew he was referring to his late wife Camila. "I hope the next time I see you, it's with Peyton on your arm." "I hope so too." Lucas said. The men shared a hug and than Lucas went back home.
Later, when Lucas arrived at the airport with Lily and his mother, he saw his friends had kept their promise. There they stood, Nathan and Haley, James in Haley's arms. Brooke and Chase hand in hand.
"Hi little nephew." Lucas said and took little James out of Haley's arms. "How's my little boy?" He asked and hugged him and than set him down on the floor so he could linger by his dad's feet.
Lucas first went to Brooke and Chase. Brooke had tears in her eyes. "Say hi to her from me." She whispered and Lucas nodded. Brooke fell into his arm and let herself embrace by her ex. "Bring her back home Luke. I miss her so much." Lucas stroked the brunette's hair. "I'll try pretty girl." And than let her go so she could be in Chase's arms. "Take care of her man." He said and patted on Chase's shoulder. "I will Lucas, she won't miss a thing." He said and smiled sad at his friend. Chase and Lucas had become good friends after Lucas had accepted his loss from Brooke.
Then he walked over to his brother and to his best friend and their son. Haley couldn't help it and began to cry when Lucas embraced her. "You can't go Luke. I'm going to miss you so much." She sobbed, Lucas pulled her closer. "I'll e-mail you every week Hales. And I'm going to miss you too. But maybe I'm home next week already or maybe in a month." But the tears kept coming. "Hales, you know why I'm going, so please, don't cry." She tried to smile brave, while her son was looking at her, he didn't understand why she cried. Than he turned to Nathan. "I'm going to miss you little brother." He said and hugged him. "I'm going to miss you to big brother. Say to Peyton that I, we miss her." Lucas nodded and than turned to his nephew who was confused why everyone was so sad. Lucas kneeled down in front of the little boy. "Hi little man. I'm going to miss you too." He looked so handsome in his little jeans and his white T-shirt and his Converse-shoes. Lucas' hand brushed through his brown hair. "Look after your parents James, they are going to need it, and please be nice to Lily." James nodded and stretched his little arms out to Lucas. The two shared a long hug, Lucas and James really had a special bound, it reminded Lucas of him and Keith.
Lucas walked over to his mother and little sister. Karen and Lucas hugged, Karen didn't want to let go of Lucas, she didn't know how long he would be away, it scared her, she needed her son to look after her. "Do the right thing Lucas, please come back soon." "I'll be back as soon as possible, I'll call every day mom." And than broke the embrace to turn at his little sis who looked very sad. "Lu-cas." She had teary eyes. Lucas took her in the arms. "Don't cry Lily, I'll be back soon. Be nice to mommy for me, and you'll see me everyday on the webcam." He promised and hugged her and gave her little kisses on the cheek and one on her noise, causing her to smile. "I love you, don't forget that." He said and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead. Then he kissed his mom again and took in bag and waved while he walked away.
Suddenly Lily began to cry really hard, and Lucas came back. "Don't cry Lily." He begged and wiped away her tears with his soft thumbs. Than the little girl gave her cuddly toy to him. "Mis-sy Sc-ott." She said and pushed the little plush cat into his hands. He didn't understand. "Missy Scott?" He asked. "Mis-sy Sc-ott!" And she pointed to the cuddly toy. "No, no." Lucas said when he realized she wanted to give her cuddly toy, the thing she couldn't sleep without, wanted to give it to him. "That's yours Lily." He saw that she also had the drawing from yesterday in her hands. "Can I have that?" He asked, he knew she wouldn't let him go without something of her. She nodded, she gave it to him and than stretched her arms out to him to hug him again.
Then he said goodbye, waved to the people standing there, his mother and sister, his brother and his sister-in-law and his nephew, his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend. His whole world stood there, everything he was close to, and know he was leaving them, for God knew how long. He felt like Peyton, almost two years ago, she left everything behind, but with one difference, only her dad to wave at her.
The seven people became tinier and tinier, it was time to go … time to go on, time to find Peyton, to find himself again … time for a new adventure full of surprises.