A/N: Hey hey, here I am again. Another chapter, I am not fully statisfied, but I hope it will do it. Sorry for not updating last Sunday or this Sunday. Well, last Sunday, my chapter wasn't finished and I felt guilty for not having anything for you, so I wrote the biggest part of the first chapter for another, new story. Maybe some of you noticed or even read, I have a new story up here (and sorry, no Leyton this time), it's called Coming To Terms. And yesterday, my beta-reader Shannon (hi Shannon!) asked me for an extra day so she could beta the chapter so (and since I am clearly someone who needs their chapters to be beta-ed) ... but it's here now, I hope you'll enjoy! -&- Thanks again a 1 000 000 times already for all the reviews I have already gotten, you all make my life a lot lot lot better, THANKS! (For the Heartbeats fans, I am pretty sure the next chapter will be up on Sunday, again no promises...)
Champagne For My Real Friends, Real Pain For My Sham Friends
'Welcome Home!' were the words, written in Raven Blue, that graced the big white banner in front of the Roe/Scott Residence. The colours themselves were welcoming to the two former Raven's returning home together for the first time.
The car ride had been nothing more than Karen urging Lucas to on call for his job back first thing in the morning, knowing how important it was for him to get his job back as soon as possible.
Peyton on the other hand, had been strapped into the backseat of the car with Lily in her special chair beside her.
She was still was in awe of the little girl's beauty. The tiny brunette was even more adorable now in person than the numerous times she had seen her on the webcam over the past few months. Her thick wavy dark brown hair and big chocolate brown eyes watched Peyton's every move.
The darkening evening air fell around Tree Hill when the car pulled up in front of one of the most familiar houses Peyton knew. Like the true gentleman he was Lucas opened the door of the car for her, took her hand and led her out. As soon as she stood, his full lips fell on her cheek for a cute kiss.
Karen took Lily out of the car and walked over to the two blondes. Lucas reached his hands out to his little sister and put on his 'big brother' face, which looked lovely on him if you asked Peyton. Lucas took the little brunette in his arms and hugged her tightly, she giggled in delight when Lucas peppered noisy and wet kisses on her face. Her petite fingers clenched into his shirt while she buried her head against his chest.
The scent of the vanilla shampoo his mother used to wash Lily's hair with twirled in noise. He hadn't realised how much he had missed the little girl until now. He was about to burst into helpless tears when Peyton's voice rose up.
"God, it's chilly out here." She said while rubbing her arms that were covered in goose bumps. Lily's head snapped into the blonde's girl's direction, watching at her with all the concentration she had, watching every single move she made.
"I think I am old news." Lucas said while pouting when he suddenly wasn't the object of his little sister's attention anymore. Her little chubby arms reached out into Peyton's direction.
"Come on, take her" Lucas said while 'offering' Lily to her. A little panicked feeling began to build inside of Peyton. What if she hurt that cute little girl? It had been years ago since she had looked after Jenny Jagielski. A string of memories about her pregnancy and Roxanne were forming in the back of her mind, ready to hit but they were interrupted by the sweetest gesture from Lily.
"Pey--." She got stuck on the other letters, her little arms still reaching out, with more urgency this time. Peyton could feel herself melt inside. Carefully she took the little girl into her own arms and made sure she made sure she was comfortable. Peyton was surprised by how easily her motherly instincts kicked in again. A warm feeling blossomed inside her when her boyfriend's little sister snuggled into her chest and her tiny fingers grasped for her dress.
The warmth that glowed from the faces of Lucas Scott and Karen Roe made Peyton Sawyer feel like she never had been away. This was her home. After all the hurt and attempts to cover it, how could she ever forget there was only 'One Tree Hill'?
Once Lucas had put their luggage inside and they all sat down, the doorbell rang. Nathan, Haley and little Jamie came in. In another quarter of an hour, Brooke and Chase were also there. Chairs were moved around, and all the seats were taken on the sofas.
An awkward feeling embraced them all. This wasn't only scary for Peyton, who had to face them all again, after more than two years. She owed each and every one of them an explanation.
It was only frightening for Lucas, who was afraid that his absence might have created negative feelings from the people he loved the most, without knowing it.
But it was just as terrifying for all the ones that were left behind in Tree Hill after Peyton and later, after Lucas left. What we're they supposed to do? Lecture her or him? Or pretend it never happened? Speak the truth, talk about what matters? Or hide away like Peyton had done when she walked away from them?
These were tough choices to make. This was supposed to be a happy moment, a party of sorts, to celebrate the arrival of two long lost lovers. Should they ruin it with the undeniable truth, the hard feelings, and the questions that never got answered? Or shouldn't they give a shit? Put it all aside, put that bright, fake smile on and welcome them home, like the motto that was posted around the house?
Maybe the best way at this moment was ignorance. To just put it aside for another day. Today had been long awaited. It was too special for each one of them to be ruined by things that could be solved later. Why would you trash the welcoming of old friends? Why would you destroy the chance of new first impressions from judgements drilled into your mind which could be wrong? You never get a second chance for a first impression, was a motto for many people. Do not mess something up before it has to chance to begin.
When they all had settled down comfortably and all were given food and drink from Karen, now the conversations could begin. Enjoying the last quiet moment was Peyton and Lucas, with Lily between them on the loveseat. In the opposite seat was Nathan and Haley with little James on Haley's lap. Karen sat down on a chair, just like Chase with Brooke on his lap.
An uncomfortable tension hang around them, it didn't fit into the decorated, cosy room. Brooke always being a spontaneous one, she took it upon herself to ask the first question.
"So P.Sawyer, how was the rock 'n' roll sex?"
Wrong question!
"Brooke!" Haley shouted, covering her son's ears with her hands. "Kids in the room."
Peyton, on the opposite side of Haley turned beet red. Lucas shifted uncomfortable beside Lily and Peyton but decided to take the lead of the conversation in his own hands.
"So, has James grown into a big basketball star while I was away?" He asked in his 'uncle' voice to the little boy between his best friend and his brother. The little boy didn't give a kick. "Superstar James not in the house today?" Lucas tried again when the little boy didn't show a sign of having heard him at all.
"Ooh. He prefers to be called 'Jamie' these days." Haley said with a soft smile. Lucas looked a the little kid who was his nephew and saw his big eyes look at him in a way the little kid only could. With such a warmth and such a sense of being inspired by the older blonde.
"How's my favourite nephew Jamie Lucas Scott doing?"
"Super!" The little boy cried before wiggling from the couch and walked around the coffee table to than crawl onto the couch where his uncle was.
"So it's Jamie now." Lucas stated and lifted Nathan and Haley's son on his lap. The tiny head nodded and the little body nestled against his chest. Everyone was in awe by the action. Well not everyone, Lily's face went from peaceful to jealous. Nobody would steal away her big brother's attention she had to miss for so long.
"Lucas." She said while trying to tuck on his sleeve but all his attention was focused on another part of their family. "Lucas." She said again, bouncing slightly up and down to couch to gain his attention. But again she didn't get it. The little girl began to grow frustrated because not getting his attention, neither getting attention of anyone else who was in conversation.
"Lucas." She half-cried, half-sobbed, while her little hands desperately reached for him, with her howl gaining everyone's attention.
"Oh-ow." Was Karen's only reaction when she saw her youngest daughter reach desperately for her big brother. Someone was jealous…
Lucas' look stumbled down on his sister who was looking at him with big brown teary eyes.
"Lily." He cooed and managed to put her on his lap with one arm since he couldn't use his other arm that was holding his nephew.
Blissfully happy with attention from him, she made herself comfortable by lying down the crook of his arm. The scene that followed was one of a little blonde and a little brunette contently resting against his strong arms.
Everyone, from Karen to Chase was in awe by the image of the two little children in their son/brother/friend's arms.
His gaze went from Jamie to Lily, and for the first time he saw the white tape wrapped around her tiny hands. The desperate words about broken glass from a photo frame still tickled inside of his ears.
A silence stretched out from a several moments to several minutes as everyone got lost into their own thoughts. Now if there was one thing Brooke hated, it was unnecessary moments filled with silence when there were a thousand of questions to ask.
"Please tell me you brought home that dress that you wore to the release party of Fall Out Boy's last album?"
No-one could suppress a smile or a giggle and Chase softly ran his hand lovingly through his girlfriend's soft brown hair.
"I think I did." Peyton answered while thinking about it.
"You think?" Brooke asked confused.
"I had so many dresses and dresses I didn't wear so I returned a bunch of them. The money could be handy." Her voice died. There was some much they didn't know about her. As they thought she had come home as a rich, fabulous lady. They were really wrong. She wasn't rich, never had been. Everything she had owned was bought by Pete and his need to be extremely generous when it came to his now ex-wife.
"How was living in Chicago anyway?" Nathan asked, not wanting to be involved into another 'fashion-conversation' with Brooke. His wife did that already enough.
"Well. It was big and noisy, but inspiring." Peyton began.
Peyton talked about her live in Chicago in general. She didn't want them to hear all the Pete stories. How their relationship was like. They would hear about it later, not now. Emotionally, it was just too tough at this exact moment. She wasn't even divorced for twenty-four hours yet. And she wondered how much Lucas could take at this moment. He had seen her relationship, the good and the bad times. It wasn't fair to talk about your love life and life in general with your ex-husband when your new boyfriend was sitting next to you.
An hour went by, filled with Peyton's talking. She was halfway through her European tour with the band. She was telling about the hilarious night when they went from Belgium to the Netherlands when she was interrupted by the little voice.
"Mommy? Thirsty!" Jamie Scott's voice flew around the room.
"James Lucas Scott." Haley said motherly stern. "Behave. Ask Karen nicely if you can have a drink." But the little kid didn't get the chance to ask the eldest brunette properly before the youngest brunette decide to mix herself in the conversation.
"Momma! Lucas! Thirsty too!" She yelled. Karen rolled her eyes and the rest burst out into laughter.
"Let's get drinks." Karen said. Haley looked a little bit annoyed. "Sorry Haley. I think they are still too young for those manners anyway." Karen said while smiling.
Five minutes later everyone sat down with a champagne glass before them. The children with a plastic cups as safe alternative.
Nathan stood up and looked around to the room.
"I am not that much of a words man. I prefer action before talking so. I am simply bringing a toast for Lucas Scott and Peyton Sawyer who finally found a map in Chicago, Illinois and decided to come back to Tree Hill, North Carolina together."
"To Lucas and Peyton." The others yelled in union. The sound of glass chinking together filled the living room.
Both Lucas and Peyton felt warm inside. Their names together sounded so good. Just like they should be.
"What do you two want to have?" Karen asked the two little children who both were watching at their Disney cups.
"What Uncle Lucas has." Jamie said proudly. Brooke couldn't help but giggle and also Peyton couldn't help the smile that was tugging on the corners of her lips. Nathan and Haley looked kind of shocked.
"What about you Lily?" Karen decided to ask.
"Same as Jamie." She said smiling brightly. Now Chase couldn't help but smile softly. Karen rolled her eyes.
"Lucas." She said incidentally, look at her son.
The way that both Lily and Jamie adored Lucas was remarkable. They looked up at him like he was God himself. If they even knew what that meant. But Lucas was a symbol for them. He was a symbol of family, 'friends', safety, playfulness, and comfort. Every tiny problem they had, he would listen and solve. He would do miracles for them, their ordinary superhero.
They just both wanted his attention, all he could give them. He was always there for them, just like their own mother and father. With him, there was a connection that couldn't be broken. He had their hearts, and they both owned a piece of his that they held near with all their might.
Peyton could reflect herself into those two. Lucas was from being nothing in her mind, to being everything. She wanted a piece, and she got that piece, she simply owned it. And not only one piece, whole his heart.
Another hour went by and the kids had a hard time to keep their tiny eyes from shutting out the world. Both little angels fell asleep into Lucas' arms.
"Looks like Jamie is sleeping Luke. I'll take him." Nathan said, collecting his son from his brother's arm.
"I'll put Lily to sleep." Karen said, ready to leave her chair and walk over to her son.
"No no. I'll do it." Lucas said softly, looking down at his baby sister. Before he went to Chicago he put her to sleep so many times, and he had missed it for months, now he wanted it to start again. He wanted to see the peaceful and hopeful spark in the younger girl's eyes the moment before she closed them. She made him rediscover the world by giving him this fresh energy of her being.
"Peyton." Lucas softly whispered. He reached over with his right arm to let his hand end up on her uncovered arm. She got the hint and stood up. Very carefully she gathered Lily from his right arm. Lucas stood up too, softly shaking his arms which felt sore from having Lily and Jamie resting on them for more than an hour.
Peyton supported the little brunette on her right shoulder, the head covered with thick, wavy hair resting on her shoulder. Her left hand entangled with Lucas right one as they walked out of the living room together, well aware of the fuss that build up after the moment they left.
They knew it was about them, about what they all had noticed. They would be judged, and mostly Peyton. She was more than well aware of that, but could she blame them? She left them without saying goodbye. She left of for an older guy who was by the way pretty famous. And now she was back with their son/brother/friend with a love for him that never had been clear. No, she couldn't blame them. She would be the exact same way.
Peyton followed him through the darkness of the house, through the hallway done to the girl's room. He switched the light on blindly, like he had been never away and a purple room came into view. It was decorated with white flower images, all kind of flowers, daisies, tulips, roses, and lilies of course. The images were primitive but simply adorable, Peyton felt herself falling in love with how simple this room was and it managed to give you such a cosy feeling.
Her hazel gaze locked with Lucas' blue gaze and a message was traded over the wires of love. As if Lily Roe Scott was a porcelain doll, Peyton handed her to her brother who treated her the same way.
He changed her clothes, taking the adorable little blue dress she had been wearing today and changed her into purple pyjamas. Making sure she was comfortable and warm. Then, very cautiously he laid his sister down in her crib.
He hovered above it and saw how the little girl opened her eyes again and fought to keep them open to watch at her brother.
"Shh. Go to sleep Lily." He whispered and if she really knew what to do, she rolled on her side and her hands clung onto a square wooden object. The photo frame his mother had been talking about. His big hands tried to tug it out of her hands gently but she didn't want to let go.
"Lily, I'm here." He softly said and if his voice was magic, she let go.
Even when she watched him from behind, she saw his back and neck tense up.
"Baby." She whispered, walking up behind him, resting her head against the back of his shoulder. Her eyes fell onto the broken frame he was holding, she knew he was beating himself up with guilt.
"Lucas, don't." She whispered soothingly. "Don't blame yourself for this."
She could feel how hard it was for him to swallow his tears away. His fingers running over her injured hands covered in white tape.
"You couldn't have helped this Luke." Her voice ended up in his ear.
"I could Peyton. It's my job to protect her, and I let her down. I hurt her and I could have prevented it."
Peyton tried to come between it but he didn't let her.
"My only damn job is to protect her. I promised her I would never hurt her or leave her or let anything bad happen to her. I would not let anyone do that to her, and it happened, and the worst thing, I did it all myself."
If Peyton didn't know Lucas Scott better, she would feel offended because it sounded like he regretted that he had come after her, but she knew him better. Better than he was aware of. Better than he knew himself.
"You're sexy when you talk like this." The words coated in her voice made a vibration against the skin of his shoulder. He didn't need pity now. He didn't want to be down. But he couldn't help it. He needed help from another to be distracted, to get away from what happened and couldn't be changed. He needed something new.
"Sexy uh?" He said, and suddenly they were away from the crib and Peyton's body was gently forced against the first nearby wall. His lips were ready to meet hers when she stopped him.
"Why the sudden chance mister? Drunk?" She said teasingly, her fingers resting on his hips.
"I am not drunk. And you know that. I saw you count, only two glasses of champagne." He said, forcing his body slightly into hers. "And if I would be, I wouldn't be able to do this." He distanced himself from her and brought his finger to the tip of his weird upturned but cute noise and back, he repeated the action.
"You're right." She said, pulling him closer by the loops of his pants. "You're not drunk." Their noses touched and got involved into the sweetest Eskimo kiss. And than there lips bridged the distant and met adoringly. What began as a simple press of lips to lips soon ended up as tongue, lips and bodies forced into each other in the worst way possible. Pants filling the room when they fought for breathe.
Ready to dive into their actions again, a soft murmuring was heard from the crib.
"Oops!" Peyton said, resting her mouth against his neck. A noise like a somehow frustrated growl escaped against her hair.
He broke away from her and walked over to the crib.
"Goodnight Lily. Sweet dreams little sis. I am not going to leave you again, I promise." He said while his fingers caressed her soft cheeks. The little girl's eyes fell shut, her breathing went into a slow and steady pace. When Lucas was sure his sibling was sleeping and safe, he went to turn around when again he felt another body pressed to his. Peyton's hand found his.
No words were needed when they walked out the room. Peyton was scraping her bravery together again to face everyone again when she felt Lucas' gently back her into the wall. Their foreheads touching, their lips just centimetres apart.
"You're beautiful Peyton Sawyer." He whispered, he didn't know why, but he suddenly was overwhelmed by a feeling of tenderness.
"You're not that bad yourself Lucas Scott." She whispered before placing her lips against his for a mind-blowing kiss. It wasn't that spectacular or full of action. Just gentle and more than a million words telling. A reassurance. It was him and her, together, and they both realised they could do it all. Everything.