A/N Ok just in case there's any confusion just wanted to let you all know that it's now present day, this chapter takes off from the first chapter of the story. It's Erin's 6th birthday, they've just visited Lucas in prison...
The late evening sun left it's orange glow upon Brooke Davis' beach house. She took a lingering moment, smiling as she looked out across the still water, silently remembering why she loved it here.
It really was beautiful. She'd forgotten that over the last year.
A little knock on the window of the car shook her from her stupor.
Erin was still in the back, waiting impatiently for her aunt Brooke to open the door. It had taken longer to get home than usual from seeing Lucas, they'd hit five o'clock traffic and Erin had slept most of the way. She'd still been crying when Brooke had lifted her into the car but she was suddenly a lot happier now they were on home ground.
The brunette made a goofy face through the window before setting her free.
'So favourite girl, what do you say we skip dinner and just have birthday cake instead huh?' Brooke smiled, helping Erin out of the car, her birthday balloons floating dreamily after her.
Erin's lips twitched into a cheeky smile and Brooke laughed at her.
'You're just like your mama when it comes to dessert'
The six year old's smile widened proudly at this, her two missing front teeth showing as she nodded her head.
Brooke swung their joined hands. Moments like these were rare and she didn't take a single second for granted.
'Brooke Davis?' A man cleared his throat.
Brooke looked over the helium balloons to the person standing on the front porch. She'd not noticed him until now.
'Erin I want you to go inside and get your pj's on, there might be something waiting for you in your room' Brooke raised her brow enticingly as she unlocked the front door.
Erin nodded enthusiastically, hurrying up the steps, her birthday balloons following her.
Brooke waited for the front door to click shut before she paid any attention to the man hovering awkwardly.
'What the hell do you think you're doing? Coming here? What's wrong with you. I never wanted to see you again-'
'Brooke-'
'Miss Davis' She corrected angrily.
'Miss Davis, please it's about Peyton'
'I've heard all you had to say in court Mr Smith. You may think she loved you but I know for a fact that she loved that little girl more than anyone and as far as I'm concerned you're the person that took her away from us, you are the reason that child doesn't speak'
'I, I know' He muttered. 'B-but please, I, I might be able to h-help'
'Help? Unless you can turn back time and not fuck my best friend-'
'I never slept with Peyton'
Brooke's mouth opened and closed, she took a little step back, her hand blindly holding on to the porch rail. 'Excuse me?'
'Can we go inside?' He looked around cautiously.
She was silent for a long minute. 'This better be good Michael'
'It's your big sister's birthday today Sawyer' Peyton placed the small toy brick back on the table of the high chair. If there was one thing the eleven month old liked doing it was throwing things. 'She's beautiful and she'd love you'
Sawyer gurgled some baby gibberish followed by a coo of Mama.
'Really?' Peyton smiled, wiping the little girls mucky face and strawberry stained fingers. 'You're a mucky thing'
Peyton jumped when Ian came in through the back door, dropping the cloth onto the table.
Her hand ran conscientiously down her dress, trying to smooth out any distasteful creases. It was a nervous routine she'd picked up. Her attire was something that could anger him, but she knew he liked this particular outfit and she'd made it her objective not to annoy him today.
Last night Sawyer had witnessed his violence for the first time. Usually he did it behind closed doors away from the baby girl but when Peyton had defiantly refused to put on some skimpy little outfit he'd quickly got agitated.
Peyton never wanted to hear her daughter's inconsolable whimpers of mama again, even if she did seem to have forgotten all about it now.
'Come on Sawyer, Daddy's got you a present' Ian lifted the blonde haired child out of her high chair.
Peyton was quick to stand and follow him outside, he'd been out there for the last hour and she was curious to what he'd been doing.
He let the wriggling infant down when they reached the wide stretch of lawn and she tottered off freely, her little blue dress puffing out.
Ian laughed. 'She looks like she's on drugs'
'She likes being outside' Peyton remarked.
Ian nodded, sliding his hand around her and settling it on the small of her back. She ignored the immediate stinging pain of his fingers pressing against a healing welt, instead, her programmed reaction was to lean into his muscular chest, her head resting against him. They walked like that, like a loving couple, watching Sawyer tumble every now and again, only to quickly pull herself off the ground announcing she was 'Kaykay' okay.
It wasn't until they were half way down the garden that Peyton noticed the red and blue baby swing.
'Wow Sawyer, look, a swing' Peyton exclaimed, genuinely excited herself. It wasn't as though Sawyer was hard done by when it came to toys. Ian provided for her every need. She had everything a baby could want but Peyton missed being a part of that process, she missed being the one that provided for her children. She missed the parenting partnership that she'd shared with Lucas.
The little girls great big blue eyes expanded and she beamed delightedly at her mother, her little hands wavering up and down with glee.
'You wanna have a go?' Peyton coaxed, patting the red baby seat.
Sawyer held her arms out to be picked up and Ian reacted, scooping her up and strapping her in.
'There we go baby girl. You ready?' He raised his eyebrows and grinned. 'One, two, three' He pulled the seat forward and let go gently. 'Weee'
Sawyer giggled hysterically, it was contagious. Both adults were instantly laughing along with her.
They spent the next half hour pushing her back and forth.
'Thank you' Peyton muttered. 'This, this is really nice, she loves it' Peyton met his eyes over her daughter's head and he grinned.
'See' He walked round the swing, his hands rubbed down her forearms. 'It can be good sweetheart, us, it can be good'
She nodded.
'I don't like having to hurt you. I don't want to have to do that. You just, you make it difficult for me'
'I know, I'm sorry' She nodded, her response genuine or just out of habit, she wasn't quite sure. He'd instilled this uncertainty in her, she didn't know whether the things she did or said were still just a charade or if she actually had been brainwashed into believing she was in the wrong. Her need to please him was greater than her want of escape these days.
One of her hands came up to rest on his chest and of her own accord, she angled her head toward his, their noses brushing together and her lips joining his.
He withdrew some moments later, smiling happily at her. 'Why don't we eat out here tonight. It's a nice enough day, we could even go for a swim'
Peyton looked up at him and then to Sawyer who was concentrating very hard at moving the five brightly coloured beads on the swing, from one end of the bar to the other.
She smiled easily. 'We'd like that'
Lucas was sitting outside in the exercise area. With so much time on his hands he usually kept busy by burning off some steam.
He threw the basket ball up and it effortlessly went through the old rusty hoop. His free throw had definitely improved.
He dribbled the ball up and down the court. His mind was on Erin. He wondered if they were home yet, if they'd gone to Nathan and Haley's for the evening or if she was tucked up in bed. He wondered if Brooke sung her a song every night the way Peyton had.
The ball bounced loudly against the asphalt.
He was breathless.
He couldn't sleep at night, every time he closed his eyes he was consumed with tormenting images of his wife with another man.
Those tormenting visions were what drove him though.
The ball thumped along with his racing heart.
This was how he found his release.
It probably wasn't wise. Definitely wasn't wise, given his heart condition. He knew that but he didn't care.
He was determined to be in the best physical shape so that when he was free he could do what no one else had.
Hunt down Ian Banks.
'Lucas is in jail because of you' Brooke seethed in a harsh whisper. She'd ushered him into her study, shoving her latest designs that were haphazardly displayed around the room, out of the way.
'Yes' He admitted.
'You stood up in court, you took an oath, you swore to tell the truth. Erin can't live with her father because of you.'
'I-I know'
'Peyton's dead because of you'
'N-no'
'No?' Anger paired with apprehension, sparked a sudden desperate longing.
'I think she's alive'
'You think? Is this some sick kind of joke?' Brooke had convinced herself a long time ago that Peyton was gone forever, that she was dead. They all had.
Perhaps they'd given up, perhaps they'd all just been trying to fill that black hole in their hearts, perhaps they'd just been trying to do best by the little girl that had been left behind, whatever the reason, they'd mourned Peyton as though she'd died, they'd all resigned themselves to the fact that she wasn't coming back, that she was gone. And Brooke had been convinced that letting go had been the right thing to do, it had ultimately given Erin a release and Brooke hoped that she could then install some sense of normality into her life. She knew that was what Peyton would have wanted.
'My little girl was ill. She had a tumor. I couldn't afford m-medication' His eyes darted between her frowning face and the floor. 'The bank wouldn't give me a loan, no one could help. I, I needed money and fast'
'I don't understand' She didn't want to understand. She didn't like where this was going.
'I just had to confess to having an affair with Peyton and he got me the money' He rambled quickly.
'He?'
'I-Ian B-banks'
Shock seeped through her, her pulse racing her to dizziness.
Lucas had been right.
This wasn't a coincidence.
All along he'd known and she'd doubted him.
Her breath came in rapid and shallow gasps and her skin was suddenly clammy and cold.
Michael watched her. 'I know it was wrong, I didn't ever want anyone to get hurt, I just needed money' The words spilled from his mouth, each word dripping with remorse. 'I-I saw her'
'What?' Brooke rasped. Her feet struggled and she stumbled. He caught her arm, gently helping her quivering form to one of the plush sofas.
She was suddenly extremely weak and nauseous.
'I saw her' He repeated, pathetically kneeling on the ground before her. 'She, she begged me' He covered his face with his hands.
Brooke shook her head, her nose twisting and her lips curling down, a sob daring to leave her dry mouth.
'She begged me to help her' He took a shuddering breath, daring to look at the perplexed brunette. 'I couldn't' He mouthed.
Despite her nauseousness, her hand sliced through the air with accuracy, slapping loudly against his cheek. 'You couldn't?' She cried in utter disbelief. The earlier minute amount of sympathy she'd felt for him completely vanished. This man deserved to rot in hell for all she cared.
He cupped his scarlet face, his eyes watering from the sharp sting. 'I hate myself for it, I'll never forgive myself' He mumbled. 'But my daughter....' He trailed off, swallowing back the lump in his throat.
Brooke pushed herself back into the sofa, trying to distance herself.
'Lydia died two weeks ago' He told her brokenly. 'Eight years old and four months. All the money in the world couldn't save her. I can't help thinking that this is my punishment, my punishment for leaving your friend'
Brooke's eyes softened somewhat.
'Where is she, Peyton where is she?'
'I don't know. When he picked me up he blind folded me. I wanted you to know I'm going to go to the police to hand myself in. I know you must hate me but believe me I hate myself more, I can't live with myself.' He stood awkwardly. 'I know there's nothing I can do or say to make it better, but I wanted you to know the truth from me before I went'
Brooke was stunned and confused as she watched him stumble in the direction of the door. 'Wait' She snapped. She was overwhelmed with information but was head strong as ever and rationality reigned her next words. 'You're not going to the police'
'Wh-what?'
'If she's alive, if she is and you come forward, Ian will panic. He could kill her. If he knows he's being looked for you think he won't try and run?' She wrung her hands together. 'If you want to make this right, you're going to help me. You're going to help me find her'.