The smile on Peyton's face when he bought their youngest little girl into her room was undeniably beautiful and real and probably the first true remnants of his wife.

Carrying her through the hospital corridors, he'd felt a great sense of pride. He'd held her close and rubbed her back when she'd whimpered at the overwhelming busy atmosphere. She'd smiled up at him, looking beyond thrilled when he'd told her they were going to find that Mum of hers and instantly he was addicted. Addicted to that little face, that bright innocent smile, he wanted, needed to know everything about Sawyer Scott.

'Mama, mama, mama, mama' Sawyer sung, scrambling up the bed as soon as her father set her down on the mattress. Peyton winced noticeably to Lucas as she hugged the small child. 'Mama'

'Hello you' Peyton kissed her small head of gold repeatedly 'I missed you Sawyer, god I love you so much'

Lucas watched Mother and child embrace. It was natural and no secret that the small infant completely adored her Mum. Lucas was both instantaneously envious and in awe of their relationship. This is what he should have with Sawyer Scott. This is what they should both still have with Erin Scott. It was the first time he'd noted that his two daughters were yet to meet, would have to meet sooner or later, that Erin had a baby sister she was yet to find out about. He was confident that this, albeit wonderful news, wasn't going to help in Erin's already rocky transition.

'Caaaa'

'Cat?' Peyton frown. 'Oh sweetie, I'm sorry we can't get your cat right now.'

Sawyer's bottom lip dropped. She didn't like this strange place or all this people. She wanted her house and her things. She wanted to go home.

'What's her cat?'

'Oh she has this soft toy, it's her favourite thing in the world' Peyton explained, trying to comfort the upset child. 'Mummy's got to stay here a few more days but then we're going to go Sawyer' She knew that Sawyer wouldn't possibly be able to understand what was going on so settled on just holding her close and pulling her under the bed sheets.

'Peyton' Lucas objected, he didn't like the expression on his wife's face, the discomfort that the little girl's small weight was so obviously causing.

'She's ok' Peyton dismissed. 'I need her with me'

Sawyer blinked, snuggling into Peyton's chest and fiddled with the tube attached directly to her mother's arm. Lucas understandably, pried her little fingers away informing her gently that she wasn't to touch it again because it was making Mummy all better. She looked at him warily but pulled her little bawled fist back beneath the sheets and closed her great big blue eyes.

Lucas couldn't tear his gaze away from her, scared that if he did she'd vanish. She really was a beautiful little thing and he couldn't get enough of her. Every expression she made he etched into his mind, trying to map out her little form and memorise her every feature. 'She must be exhausted, the nurse told me she's been very touchy'

'My poor baby' Peyton lifted her working arm and threaded her fingers through Sawyer's short hair. 'You must have been so scared. I'm sorry Sawyer. Everything's ok now'

'When's her birthday?' Lucas asked suddenly. He felt stupid and inadequate as a parent. These were simple things he should already have stored in his head.

'She'll be two on March the forteenth'

'March the fourteenth' He repeated, reaching out to stroke the toddler's soft arm. She rolled her head further into Peyton's neck.

'Don't be shy Sawyer, this is, this is...' She trailed off. She didn't know how to introduce him. Introducing this stranger as her father seemed reckless and inappropriate right now. She wasn't yet two, she wouldn't be able to comprehend that. She'd only ever been with two people, Peyton and Ian, Mummy and Daddy. 'This is....Mummy's friend'

Lucas understood. He really did but it didn't make it any easier or less hurtful. friend. He'd never been her friend. Ever. Even in the time when they'd denied their feelings and pretended that friendship was the only thing between them, friend was a term he'd greatly despised.

Peyton sighed. She couldn't stand the look on his face. 'Sawyer this is, is your daddy' She revealed nervously.

Lucas' head jerked up to see an amused smile playing on Sawyer's lips and her head rolling back and forth in disagreement. She may have been little but she wasn't stupid. This wasn't her Daddy, her Mummy was being silly.

'Yes baby, this is your, your new Daddy' Peyton elaborated, figuring that by saying new, it would imply that her other one was old and done with. She was only thankful that Sawyer would be too little to ever remember this awkward conversation, too little to ever remember Ian's existence in her life in years to come.

'Thank you' He whispered and lent forward without thinking, kissing her forehead. 'Thank you'

'Peyton I'd like to change the dressing on your back and side in a minute, I've just got to go check on a patient and then I'll be right back' The nurse informed her kindly before hurrying back out.

Lucas and Peyton shared a small smile at her haphazard appearance.

'Here let me take her'

Sawyer had fallen asleep some time ago and Lucas hadn't had the heart to separate them before now.

Peyton reluctantly let him take her floppy little figure, his arms cradling her skillfully.

'You can wait outside if you want'

Peyton's voice tore him from his loving trance and he looked up at her.

'No, I'm not leaving you'

'I'd like you to wait outside' She reworded her suggestion into a plea.

'Why?' Lucas squinted at her and if she hadn't been so antsy she would have smiled at the wonderfully familiar expression.

'It'll be gross, it's just a few stitches under my arm where they had to insert a chest tube'

'And what about your back?' He'd had a long in depth conversation with the Doctors about her operation and all her physical ailments. She had a broken arm, two broken ribs, six stitches to the forehead and severe bruising. He new everything that they'd done but was clueless as to what the dressing on her back was covering.

'You could go get me a drink and Sawyer some milk'

Her aversion to explain only made him more curious and concerned. 'Peyton'

'It's just a few bruises, it's nothing.'

'If it's nothing then why're you trying to get rid of me?'

'You'll over react.'

Lucas was tempted to do as she so blatantly wanted and leave the room before the nurse got back but he knew it must be bad if she didn't want him to see.

He settled Sawyer onto the examining bed on the other side of the room, covering her with his jacket before returning to Peyton's side with determination. He wasn't going anywhere.

'What did he do?' He interrogated, staring with a troubled expression.

'He didn't mean to. It was my fault' Peyton's small voice sky rocketed him from his perplexed state.

Those words resounded again and again.

'What?' He trembled with disbelief.

This was the worst part. She kept saying things like that. That it was her.

If there was one thing that Peyton Sawyer had always been, even at the age of three, was headstrong and self righteous. She'd lost all of that. She'd developed this strong belief that she was in the wrong, that it was all her fault.

'Darling how is it your fault?' He was trying to be compassionate and not make her feel stupid but was finding it hard not to yell that it wasn't her, it could never have been her.

'I provoked him'

'And that gives him the right to hurt you? Peyton, what he's done to you isn't right. I know you know that...Let me see'

'Lu-'

'Let me see' He demanded maybe a little too shortly.

He expected her to argue profusely but no more contending words escaped her.

She sucked in a breath and shifted awkwardly forward in the bed. He pulled the bed sheet back, helping her swing her legs over the side.

Having not left the bed for the last four days, her limbs were unsteady and just sitting upright was a challenge and had her ready to lay back down again.

'You okay?'

'Yeah, just a bit dizzy'

'You want to lay back down?'

'Oh you're all ready for me' The nurse's bright and cheerful appearance made them both jump. 'Right'

'You sure you don't want to go?' Peyton asked hopefully, one last time.

'Of course he doesn't' The nurse answered for him. 'You can watch Mr Scott, it'll be good for you to know how to do this because Peyton will need some help when you get home'

Peyton stiffened as the woman moved behind her and undid the small strings that were keeping the unflattering attire covering her and then let the gown go, letting it fall down to her waist.

She looked down conscientiously and then his warm hand covered her slender, naked shoulder in what was meant to be a soothing, reassuring gesture only it didn't do quite that, it only put the green eyed beauty even more on edge.

'Right then sweetie this may sting a little' The nurse professionally peeled back the discoloured dressing to reveal her cut up back to Lucas' awaiting eyes.

She knew when he'd seen. His fingers at her shoulder dug into her and his breathing became laboured.

'Oh my god' He muttered hoarsely.

Nothing, nothing could ever have prepared him for this.

She sat, her back hunched waiting patiently for this ordeal to be over with.

The nurse continued to talk him through what she was doing but his serious concentration was gone. He couldn't listen, how could he possibly be listening.

He was a failure in every sense. He'd failed to protect his wife. Falied to be a good husband. Failed.

Her marred back would never completely heal. She'd always have scars, externally and internally.

She hissed involuntarily as the nurse cleaned her wounds and Lucas wanted to push the attentive nurse away.

To her the marks didn't mean anything other than the fact that she was now tainted. Tarnished. Damaged Goods. Unwanted.

How could she possibly be wanted by anyone.

Lucas deserved better.

She wasn't surprised when his shaking hand left her body. She wasn't surprised in the slightest when he stumbled away from her. Wasn't surprised when he dashed from the room.

He didn't want her. How could he possibly want her.

Lucas made it into the cubicle just in time, nearly pulling the door off it's hinges as he slammed it carelessly behind him.

He gagged and then he was throwing up.

He didn't know how there was anything left inside him to be doing this and when he eventually thought it had subsided, he closed his eyes and saw Ian beating his wife and then he was choking into the toilet bowl again.

His cheeks were salty with tears and his throat sore.

He sat on the strongly smelling disinfectant floor for the next ten minutes, trying desperately to keep his horrible visions at bay.

'No, no, please stop, please. Please'

Peyton's begging voice echoed in his head. He could hear her pleading to be freed from torment, he could see it all and he just wanted it to stop.

He scrambled to his feet and out of the boxed in area, frantically washing his hands in the stainless steel sinks.

The rage that was quick to consume him, had adrenaline pumping fiercely round the network that was his body.

He spun around, taking his aggression out on anything that was within his reach. He forced the paper towel dispenser off the wall and it racketed to the hard floor, crashing loudly, the realm of paper sheets feathering their way to the ground around him.

'Fuck, fuck, fuck' He screeched, bending over the sink, panting like a wild beast, his nostrils flaring and beads or perspiration forming at the crown of his head.

He wanted to fix her but he didn't know how.

What he did know was that Ian Banks was just fifteen minutes away, being held by the local authorities and being questioned by the police.

What he did know was that Ian Banks was the reason for his wife's wounds.

What he did know was that he might not be able to fix Peyton but he could sure as hell try and break the man responsible for it.

'Lucas are you insane?' Nathan barked desperately, grappling at the sleeve of his brother's jacket in protest. Nathan had witnessed Lucas making a quick exit from Peyton's room, he'd seen him return some minutes late with a determined, scary look on his face which Nathan knew wasn't good news. He'd asked him what was wrong, what had happened to which Lucas had nonchalantly informed him that he was on his way to pay a little visit to Ian Banks. Nathan had of course followed him, protesting futilely as they went down the busy street.

'Go away Nate' Lucas spat back.

'You're going to end up back behind bars. Is that what you want? Only this time you will be guilty and there'll be no helping you. Do you think this is what Peyton wants?'

Lucas carried on walking.

'Lucas!'

The older Scott abruptly halted, spinning round to face Nathan, his finger wavering accusingly. 'Tell me Nate, if you were in my shoes, would you be able to take the highroad? Would you be able to just stand by and do fucking nothing?'

'You know I couldn't, but I know for a fact that you would be there to stop me and tell me that this isn't going to achieve justice. Lucas-'

'You have no right to advise me to do anything. You didn't do anything did you? If it had been Haley I wouldn't of stopped, I wouldn't have given up until I'd found her body, only then would I have stopped hoping. I couldn't help her Nate, I new he had her, I knew he had her and I told you and you did fuck all.'

'The police said-'

'Fuck the police. Nathan I'm your brother. She's your sister-in-law. You did nothing' He vented. 'Her back' The lump in the back of his throat forced him to take a breath. He pushed his tongue to the roof of his mouth and blinked before trying again. 'Her back is, is covered with belt marks. He beat her and, and you could've stopped it. Those scars are going to be there forever'

Nathan had lost the ability to talk. He was both appalled, angry and guilt ridden by his brother's words.

Lucas exhaled a heavy breath. 'This might not seem logical or moral in the slightest and I know it won't help Peyton but it will make me feel better, albeit just a fraction better. If you won't help me then just, just go'.

Remorse and uncertainty filled the dark haired man's face. He was in two minds as to whether this was wise or not. But finally, after much silent pondering his heart won out. 'I'm not going anywhere'

Anticipation inhibited Lucas' normal walking, he slowly followed the officer down the bleak corridor.

They'd easily fooled the police. It was a small station and everyone seemed run off their feet with the onslaught of media that were relentlessly hassling them about the Peyton Scott case. It had been easy. Lying was something that suddenly seemed so effortless after the last twenty four months. Lucas had calmly managed to persuade the assisting officers that he was here to see Ian Banks. That he was a relative. Nathan had vouched for his lie and was currently shadowing his path, effectively being his eyes and ears. He was going to stand guard. He was going to get his brother ten minutes alone with the sick bastard.

'Here you go sir. I'm afraid you've only got a short amount of time, Mr Banks is being transferred'

Lucas nodded mutely and the man opened the door for him. Nathan patted his back encouragingly and watched him slide into the visitation room.

Ian was sat at a small table, drumming his hand in boredom against the surface, he looked up when the door closed.

'Lucas Scott' Ian smiled. 'I've been expecting you' He rose to his feet and held out his cuffed hands in a welcoming greeting that Lucas ignored. 'It's good to see you man. How're you?'

His lack of remorse, his smiling face had Lucas reeling. This man was not sane, this man wasn't human.

'How's Peyton?'

'You fucking bastard' Lucas shook his head, a lump had formed in his throat and he swallowed frantically, he'd be damned if he was going to cry in front of this psycho. 'Don't ask me how she is'

Ian sat back down and sighed. 'I know you're angry, I mean I am the reason you've been in prison for the last year and a half and I'm truly sorry that it had to come to that but you needed to be taught a lesson' He explained casually. 'She's not yours anymore. She's mine Lucas. Mine'

'She's not a fucking object, what the fuck is wrong with you. She doesn't love you, don't you get that?' He exclaimed loudly.

'Well it's my bed she's been sleeping in for the last two years, me she's been making love to'

He was trying to provoke him. Lucas realised that but it had worked. He snapped. He sprang across the small room taking hold of Ian's jumpsuit and jerked him to his feet and into the wall. 'You don't know the first fucking thing about love' Unbridled anger drove his clenched fist into Ian's face. His head bounced against the wall and then he was smiling sadistically, blood trickling from his nose.

'She's never going to want you back, she'll ask for me sooner or later. I have rights, we have a child together' Ian hissed gleefully.

Lucas didn't fall for this taunt.

'You think Sawyer's yours?' Lucas smiled triumphantly, his fingers bawling tightly into the orange material at his neckline. 'She's mine Ian. Mine'

Ian's sickening smirk faded into a look of confusion 'No-'

'Yes. She's my blood and flesh. Sawyer Scott. Not Banks, Scott'

'Is that what she told you?' Ian covered his disdained look with a jubilant expression.

'Just you wait, I'm having a DNA test and then you'll be able to see it on paper' Lucas enlightened him before throwing his fist into Ian's startled face. 'That's for teaching my daughter to call you daddy' He pulled back his clenched fist only to pummel it back into Ian's nose, surely breaking it this time.

He grunted in pain.

'This is for every time you laid your hands on my wife'

He was uncontrollable. Unrestrained. Savage.

Every emotion, every second of turmoil he'd been through came to a head, exploding in a chaotic display of ferocious hate.

'I want you to feel what she did, I want you to feel the sickening pain and torture she's been through' His voice shook, a pronounced vein showing itself on his forehead. 'You don't deserve to live'

A weak chuckle escaped his swollen lips. 'In a moment these inept fools are going to walk in and realise who you are, you're going to be charged with assult'

As if on cue, the door swung open.

Lucas clenched his teeth, he wasn't finished, he wasn't finished.

'Mr Scott, step away from Mr Banks please'