'I'm right here'

The aching pain that Brooke and Nathan had felt since stepping foot into the room was relieved upon seeing Lucas. He could fix this, he was the only one that could fix this, the only one that could fix her.

They stood promptly.

'We'll, We'll be outside' Brooke muttered. Feet shuffled against the floor and Lucas felt their clammy hands squeeze his arm encouragingly and then they were alone.

Just him and her.

Lucas hadn't ever felt like this. It was as though time had stopped. His heart had stopped. The loud ongoing buzz of the hospital had faded and the steady beeping machine that she was hooked up to was all he could hear. She hadn't moved, not even blinked, just paralysed. He took her in. Every last detail. His eyes lingering on the particular features that hadn't been there before. The stitches on her forehead. Her broken arm. The dramatic change of hair colour. Her gaunt face.

Her green eyes were wide and staring. He didn't know what to do or say, whether to stand or sit. There was never this weighty silence between them before, it was filled with anguish and loss.

'What've you done to your hair?' She was the one to break it, her voice was thick and scratchy after having a tube stuck down her throat. It was alienating and for a second she seemed like a stranger.

He ran his hand over his skinhead. 'I, I had to have it shaved off when I entered the prison' He shrugged a shoulder nervously 'It'll grow back' He gave her a small smile, never in his wildest dreams had he ever thought the first thing they'd say to each other would concern the subject of hair. 'Yours is different too' He noted uncouthly.

'It'll fade' She assured, avoiding his eyes.

'I like it' His aim was to make her at ease.

'No you don't'

She was right. It didn't suit her. It made her skin look impossibly whiter, made her look even more ill.

'Are you in pain?'

'No' She shook her head. 'The doctors have got me drugged up' She smiled but it didn't reach her eyes and he couldn't bare the opposing silence that was quick to invade the room once more.

He strode over to the bed. Two hasty steps and he was directly beside her.

'Peyt' His throat constricted and despite his awareness of the ordeal she'd been through and the burning knowledge that she would need space and time, he smothered her. Minding all the medical equipment and tubes, his head came to rest in the crook of her neck, his hands tangling in her dark hair.

His sob echoed in her ear and she felt overcome with a mixture of joy and gut wrenching sadness.

He was real. This wasn't a fantasy, it was reality.

Lucas Scott, her husband was back beside her in his rightful place.

'I love you'

She hated that those words came with a nauseating effect but her mind also registered that his vow was genuine, heartfelt and factual.

'I'm so sorry Peyt, I-I tried, I did, I- god I-'

'Shh' Instinctively, Her working, weak arm rose, her hand coming to rest on the back of his neck. 'I know'

He pulled back, looking into those eyes he'd envisioned night after night. They were just as he'd imagined, as vivid as ever, only something had changed. They were still looking but no longer seeing, still shining but no longer sparkling.

His fingers threaded through hers and the glint of his wedding ring reflected in her glassy orbs.

She was distinctly unlike the person he'd known, loved and married. She remorsefully realised this as he stared, searching for Peyton Scott.

'I-I, lost my ring' She divulged in a whisper.

'I've got it'

'You do?'

'Yeah. Well the police have it, but we'll get it back'

She nodded, watching his hands, the hands she loved so much, fiddle with her hospital gown.

'I'm so so sorry Luke'

His eyes shifted to hers and he shook his head vigorously. 'Don't you dare apologise. You have nothing to be sorry for. Nothing'

She didn't look so sure.

'I didn't think I was ever going to see you again' He pressed his fingers into her palm, studying the lines he knew so well. But there was an additional mark. A scar. A scar going vertically across the diameter of her hand.

She pulled her arm away, her fingers curling into a weak fist.

'God what's he done to you?' Uncontainable anger descended upon him.

He detested. Hated. Despised. Loathed Ian Banks.

He wanted, needed to deprive the man of any manner of life. He wanted to destroy him bit by bit and watch the pain snare him into an unimaginable death.

Peyton watched it invade him and felt unmistakable guilt for his sorrow.

'It was just a scratch' She attempted to dispel what ever thoughts were running circles around his mind. 'My blood had to be on your clothes' That day seemed forever ago now.

Lucas' heart wavered. He'd spent so many days, hours, minutes, wondering what exactly happened on the morning she'd been taken.

He new he shouldn't ambush her, he restrained himself from asking questions, there was plenty of time for that later.

She closed her eyes tightly when he laid his head on the mattress, his head touching the side of her slight body.

She hated herself for wanting to push him away, for wanting his hands away from her.

He wasn't oblivious to her body stiffening with his close proximity. He tried to ignore it, tried to tell himself it was to be expected. But he would be lying if he said that in all his wonderful dreams of them reuniting she hadn't embraced him and held onto him for dear life.

He'd prepared himself for her to be in such an awful state, he'd not been naive. But he hadn't expected her to be so bereft of life, so blank and despondent.

He tilted his head, staring up at her closed lids.

'Hey, er, Erin, Erin's outside, do you feel up to seeing her?' He grappled for anything, something to insight some hope inside of her.

Her lashes flickered as her eyes opened and she licked her cracked lips. 'I...I don't know'

Her stomach tightened.

Of course she wanted to see her little girl. Of course she did. She just didn't want her to see her mum like this. She didn't want to frighten her and she was scared, scared that Erin would hate her for being gone for so long.

'It's just I, I don't think-I'm not sure I can, I don't, I' She sighed. 'How is she?'

A small proud smile graced his lips. 'More and more like her beautiful mother. She's doing really well in school, the brightest in her class'

'She takes after her daddy' Peyton said softly. 'Does she still like reading?'

His brow furrowed with her question. 'There's something you should know' His smile faltered and panic flared in her eyes. 'It's ok' He reassured. 'It's just, before you do see her I want to warn you that she hasn't spoken'

'What?' Peyton didn't understand. Erin was a chatterbox. Everyone new that. Everyone laughed about it, wondering how the offspring of the two broodiest people could be the most upbeat talkative child.

'Not a single word since you've been gone' Lucas affirmed.

Peyton's face contorted and Lucas watched helplessly as her eyes filled with tears.

'She's fine though Peyt, she really is. Brooke has been brilliant' He'd had time to deal with the difficulty and known hardships their little girl had gone through, she had not. She'd told herself Erin was happy, she was with her family.

She stifled her cries, blinking away the tears.

'She's okay sweetheart'

She grimaced noticeably at the term of endearment and Lucas wanted to be sick. It didn't take a genius to work out why she was cringing. He'd called her that.

'She needed me, she needed me and I've not been there' Peyton exhaled.

'That's not your fault. You protected her Peyton. I don't know what happened that day but you protected our little girl' He said without a doubt. His voice strong and proud.

'She was so brave' Peyton whispered to herself. 'She was so brave, she did exactly as I said. I hid her in our closet. I told her it was like hide and seek, I told her she couldn't come out. She must have, she must have seen them. She must have heard them. She must have been so scared. They were going to kill her. They would've k-killed her if they'd found her'

'Hey' Lucas' hand hesitantly covered hers, she thankfully didn't pull away this time. 'She's fine Peyton, she's alive and all because of you'

'She's not fine. You said she doesn't speak and that's all my fault. I told her she wasn't to say a word until I came and got her. I never came and got her though' She'd never considered the possible consequences of her words.

'It's not your fault' He dismissed. He wanted to keep repeating it over and over until it was drummed into her head, until she had no choice but to believe him. None of this was her fault. Absolutely none of it and he hated that she was blaming herself so severely. 'Let me get her. So you can see yourself.'

'No' Peyton shook her head. 'No I can't see her. Not yet'

'She wants to see you'

'You can't possibly know that. She probably doesn't even remember me'

'Of course she does' Lucas argued. 'Your her mother, she could never forget you. Brooke said that one morning she got up and all the photographs she had on the wall of you had disappeared, she found Erin arranging them in her room.' Lucas rambled. 'For the past two Christmas's on her Christmas list all she's wanted is to live back in her own home with her Mummy and Daddy back. She's a child. She loves unconditionally and all she wants is to be with us both' Lucas hated that she was doubting that. That he'd installed these insecurities within her, that she was doubting herself. 'Shall I go get her?' He tried again.

She was hesitant, reluctant to let him go get their daughter, but her heart won out over her head. She ignored the knot that was quick to form in her already sick stomach, she ignored everything but the longing to see Erin Penelope Scott. She gave a slight nod and he smiled.

'I'll be right back'

While he was gone she tried desperately to make herself look presentable not just for Erin but for Lucas too.

She knew what this moment was meant to be for him. They were meant to be smiling and laughing. They were meant to be stupidly happy to see each other again. But she couldn't be that person because she didn't feel worthy of it and despite her efforts she couldn't deploy the horrible fear that Ian was going to appear at any moment and take this all away again and it would only be worse this time. She didn't want to let these people in to only loose them again, to only make them suffer even more than they already had done.

She adjusted the sheets, awkwardly tucked her messy hair behind her ears and dabbed beneath her eyes.

When the door opened again, surreal was the only thing Peyton would ever be able to describe the moment as, completely surreal.

Her eyes focused on the blonde child clinging to his hand.

She didn't recognise her. She'd grown. She was taller, a hell of a lot taller than Peyton remembered, she was definitely going to have her mothers lengthy legs. Her hair was longer, past her shoulders and had lost the tight ringlet curls she'd had when she was just four years old, it was now bordering on straight with a few wispy curls.

Peyton's eyes inevitably began to tear up. This little girl wasn't meant to be a stranger to her. This was her baby girl, all grown up and as beautiful as ever.

Lucas' gaze flickered between the two.

Erin stayed close to his side, leaning back against him, revelling in his large hands on her little shoulders. She studied her Mother from afar until her Dad urged her over to the bed.

He crouched down beside her, holding her little fingers within his.

'Hey baby' Peyton managed hoarsely, forcing the best smile she could.

Erin, unsurprisingly to Lucas, didn't mutter a word, her face serious and green eyes squinting like her father's. She stood frozen, for a long minute before her hand reached out, threading through her mum's tangled, black hair curiously. It was unnatural, unfamiliar and the six year old didn't like it one little bit.

'It's alright' Peyton pulled her little hand down, holding it tightly and bringing it shakily to her lips, leaving a tender kiss on her sweet, soft skin. 'It'll be blonde again soon. Just like yours' With a lot of effort she shifted up in the bed. 'You've gotten so big. I, I've missed you so much' She wasn't just speaking to Erin and Lucas knew that. She was saying what she couldn't say to his face.

His vision blured and he smiled, truly, fully, for the first time in two years.

'We've missed you too, haven't we Erin?' He stroked his wife's face and held his daughter in his arms and if only for a second he felt whole again, perhaps Haley was right, perhaps things would be okay. He had both his girls with him.

But it literally was for just a second because Erin ducked beneath his arms and was stumbling away from them both before her parents could comprehend what was even happening.

'Erin?' Lucas stood up right, his hand drifting from Peyton's face.

She tripped and fell onto her knees and he tried to help her up but she'd scrambled back to her feet before he could assist her.

'Erin, sweetie'

Lucas tried to catch her arm but she frantically made it to the door, it squeaked loudly and slammed shut after her.

He could see her through the small square window, already in Brooke's supportive arms.

He turned back to Peyton, his expression apologetic. 'I'm sorry' He declared sincerely. 'It's been a long day, she's tired'

Peyton swallowed thickly, suddenly aware of just how sore her throat was. She knew tiredness wasn't the cause of her daughters haphazard exit. She was the reason. She'd got scared. Peyton wasn't quite sure of what- whether it was her appearance or just having not seen her for two years but she was positive it was because of her.

'Shouldn't you go after her?'

'She's just confused' Lucas edged back to her.

'I know. You should go after her'

'Brooke's just outside'

Brooke, her replacement mother. Peyton couldn't help feeling jealous. Her daughter was closer to her best friend than her.

'She needs you' Peyton insisted.

Lucas shook his head. Brooke had it handled. In fact he was pretty sure she'd be able to soothe the upset little girl better than he could round about now, because he wasn't in the right state of mind to be comforting his daughter. Someone else needed him and he wasn't going anywhere. She could push all she wanted but she was stuck with him.

He sat down in the vacant chair.

'No. You need me'