The first few weeks of this new life was hard, Peyton trying to tie up some loose ends as far as moving the record label to Tree Hill as a base, and Lucas attempting to find a new place for them to live.

And then there was Jamie. He had gone through so much, and was doing an absolutely wonderful job of staying strong, but he had started having nightmares that past week, waking up and screaming for Nathan and Haley. When they talked to his pediatrician, she suggested some therapy, reasoning that he may be having his memory come back of the actual crash. So it was long nights and work-filled days, but the newly engaged couple had worked through it, and save a few moments, Jamie seemed to be doing pretty well.

Karen stopped by the house that night and very easily changed the mood, giving Peyton something that she would be ever so grateful for.

"Hey!" Peyton says as she notices the older woman walking through the door.

"Hey yourself... what are you up to?"

"Not much, just getting some stuff done while the boys are away..."

"Basketball?"

"Good job!" Peyton says, smiling at the woman and how well she knows her son. "That seems like it's all they do..."

"Yeah, well, that is something that they have done for a long time, and that river court has some good memories with Lucas and Nathan, so that doesn't surprise me that they would spend a great deal of time there."

"So, what did you need?"

"Well, I've got something that I'd like to propose to you... a sort of business deal, if you would."

"Okay, I'm listening..."

"Well, this is really more of a field trip occasion. Can I get you to come with me?"

"Instead of cleaning the house... really hard decision...." she says, laughing and grabbing a jacket and her purse.

The two were then standing in TRIC, a place that Peyton had visited before a few times on her trips to Tree Hill with Lucas. Only, instead of being with the rest of the patrons, they were off to the side standing in front of a large steel sliding door.

"This is the field trip?"

"Yup." she says, opening up the door, to reveal a large open space.

"What is this?"

"Well, currently it is a big open space that I have no need for, but hopefully, it is the new space for Red Bedroom Records' base of operations."

"What?"

"I want you to have it, Peyton."

"Karen, I can't just take this from you..."

"It is a waste right now... there is no use in me having it. And if you and Luke do chose to make Tree Hill your home, then you need a place to work from. I was even thinking that you could put a studio in too, so the artists could actually meet you here, and it would be more personal."

"This is too much..."

"In return, I would ask you to do me one other favor, aside from taking care of my little boy of course."

"Anything."

"I was thinking that with all of your experience after being in L.A. for so long, and with your incredible ability to sweet talk new bands, that you could be in charge of setting up bands to play TRIC."

"Now that sounds like a fair compromise."

"So... you'll do it?"

"I would love to, and I think that you're right... this is a great place for the label to grow."

Instead of shaking on it, they embraced and grabbed a quick drink before heading back to the house.

When Lucas came home, he came home happy, bouncing in the door and exclaiming that he and Jamie had won best two out of three versus Skills.

"Well that's great, but where is Jamie?"

"Skills offered to take him for the rest of the day, play video games and whatnot with him. He used to watch Jamie all the time when Nathan and Haley were around, so I thought that some normalcy would do him good."

"Yeah... you're right."

"And you know what that means, right?"

"That I have even more time to get laundry done?!" she says overly-excited, but dripping with sarcasm.

"Well, I had other plans for you, actually..." he says, getting closer to her and whispering in her ear in a seducing way that had her knees buckling.

"And what would those plans be?" she replies, turning to face him so their bodies were forced against each other.

They both lean in to close the distance between them, locking lips and opening up to each other like they used to. After a few minutes of this dance they did, Lucas breaks free from her, smiling at the way her eyes stay closed and flutter open slowly, as if she was a little too breathless.

"I have a surprise for you."

"Really?"

"Yep...can you come with me?" he asks, gesturing around at the house to ask if there was anything absolutely urgent that she needed to get done.

"Well, I've already had one field trip, why not make it another one?"

"What do you mean?" he asks.

She tells him the story about his mom's gift as they get into the car and start heading towards his old neighborhood in Tree Hill. Assuming that they were going to his mom's house, she didn't think twice of where they were going. But when they stopped in front of a red Brick house with a white front porch and windows, she was confused.

"Lucas, who is here?"

"Well... if you think it's okay, I was thinking us."

"What?!" she says getting out of the car to get a better look at the outside of the house.

"I didn't sign anything or anything like that, and it isn't even officially on the market yet, but the woman who owns it is a friend of my mom's and she heard that we might be looking soon, so she found me at the rivercourt today and chatted with me about it. She said that she wanted me to bring you by tonight so you could see it."

"Lucas... this is a beautiful house."

"It's only a few blocks over from mom, so when they are here during the school year, Jamie can be around Lily, and mom and Andy can watch him if we need it. It's not too far from Nathan and Haley's house either, so it isn't like a total change."

"Okay..."

"You wanna see the inside?"

"Yeah... I do..."

The woman with whom he had spoken to answered the doorbell quickly, ushering the young couple inside and giving them the grand tour of the place. All in all it had four bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, an unfinished basement, and a great backyard. They were all things that you would want in a house for any family.

"What do you think?" the woman asks Peyton.

"It is certainly beautiful. You have a lovely home."

"Well, thank you sweetheart. It would do my heart right to see a beautiful young couple move in to it after I leave. Filling it with children and memories and home... I would love for you two to have it."

"Mrs. Anderson, I think that Peyton and I need to think about it for a few days before we make our decision..."

"You kids let me know before the end of the week then, and then I'm going to put it on the market...Lucas... your mom and I have known each other for years, since you were a little baby... and I know about what you two are doing for that little boy... The house would be loved, and would have love in it, and that's important to me."

"Well thank you Mrs. --" Lucas starts, but is quickly interrupted.

"We'll take it!" Peyton exclaims loudly.

He turns to her quickly at the outburst, his mouth and his eyes wide, "Peyton can we talk for a minute?"

He drags her out the door, chuckling the whole way at her exclamation. "Are you sure about this?"

"Luke, it is absolutely perfect. Jamie would love the backyard, we can finish the basement to make a studio for me and a writing space for you, or we could use one of the bedrooms upstairs for that... and the kitchen is gorgeous, it's just...perfect. And I've always wanted a house with a porch..."

"Really?"

"Yeah...but I think that Jamie would like to see it before we decide on anything. Can we go get him?"

He kisses her then, always amazed that she had the heart she did. She runs back into the house to tell the older woman that they were going to come back with Jamie before making a final decision, and he was left to wait outside looking at the house that could be theirs very soon.

The front porch would be perfect for late night chats after dinner, and the family room big enough to have everyone over and to watch the kids play around. She was right about turning the basement into a studio and writing area, so they could work near each other. Then there were the rooms upstairs. It was a little early to be thinking about the possibilities for the rooms upstairs, but he wondered if she had thought about the same thing.

He was brought out of his journey to the future when he heard the door open and saw her walking out to him.

"This is it..." he says, after she reaches him.

"Why?" she says, wondering at his declaration.

"Because I could see you walk out of that door for the rest of my life... and it's just that simple."

She smiles, kissing him lightly on the lips, "Let's go get Jamie."

Bringing Jamie was something that, while necessary, they were a bit worried about after they thought about it. He seemed okay with the idea, and they had made it clear to him from the start that they were going to move after they got settled into a routine and he felt ready to do so.

By the end of touring the house, he had picked out his bedroom, and said that he thought that it was a nice house.

"Are you sure Jamie?" Peyton asks, not wanting to push him.

"Yeah... it isn't as big as mine and Mama and Daddy's, but it's cool. I like the backyard."

"Is there anything that you don't like about it?"

"Can I bring my swingset for the back yard?"

"You most certainly can..."

"And... the basement is weird."

"Why do you think the basement is weird?"

"It's kind of scary." he says, looking down at his admission.

"Well, what if we said that we were going to turn it into a studio for Aunt Peyton and a writing room for me? Would that make it less scary?"

"Yeah...but what about me?"

"Maybe we could make it a video game room for you too... how about that?"

His eyes light up at the idea, excited that he would be included in the plans. "When do we have to move in?"

The couple laugh as they then turn to talk with the woman about what needed to be done and got an idea of the timeline in which she wanted to move out and for them to move in. It would be another two or three weeks, and they were perfectly okay with that, because that gave Lucas time to get his apartment up for sale and arrange for movers to get his furniture from New York.

They were all smiles after the meeting with the woman, and walked the few blocks over to Karen and Andy's to share the news, and even Jamie was excited about the new house, sharing with Lily about his new room and what they were going to do to the basement.

When they finally got back to the house, Jamie was beat... dosing in the back seat when they pulled in the driveway. Lucas picked him up, carrying him into his bedroom to sleep the rest of the night.

Peyton was the first one to hear him that night.

"Mama!" he shouted out into the night, clutching a blanket towards him with his eyes squeezed shut. "Mama!!"

Peyton ran into the room, and sat on the edge of the bed, "Jamie..."

He keeps tossing and turning, calling out as she tries to wake him up gently, "Jamie, honey, it's Aunt Peyton... wake up."

She pulls him towards her, trying to calm his thrashing, and he wakes with a start, "Mama?"

He looks at her with confusion as he opens his eyes and adjusts to the darkness in the room.

"No, Jamie, It's Aunt Peyton...you're okay..." she says, still holding on to him and trying to calm him down.

"It was my fault..." he says, trying to get closer to her, not noticing Lucas coming into the room.

"Jamie, nothing was your fault..."

"It was my fault they were arguing."

"No, honey, this was not your fault... it was an accident."

"No..." he says, crying into her shoulder.

"Jamie, did you have a nightmare?" Lucas finally asks, putting a hand on the boy's back alongside Peyton's.

He turns in her arms to look at his Uncle and nods. "We were driving back from a party for Daddy's team, and I said that I wanted to stay up, but Mama said no."

"Okay..."

"And then Daddy said that I should, and I told Mama that he was right, and then she was mad at him and they were fighting." he says, starting to get more and more agitated as he continues the story, "and then I heard a really loud noise, and then I can't remember."

"It's okay, Jamie, It's okay... we're here." Peyton says soothingly.

"No! I don't want you! I want them!" he turns away from both of them, crawling back into his bed and clutching on to two things that they didn't know he had taken... Nathan's jersey and Haley's dog from when she was a girl. "I want them!"

Peyton and Lucas sit with the small boy, not knowing what they could do, but knowing that they weren't going to be the ones that could comfort him tonight. After about ten minutes, his tears get the best of him, and his body finally wins the fight for sleep.

She gets up without a word, a few tears streaming down her cheeks, and he follows her. When they reach the end of the hall, she goes straight for the bathroom, shutting the door behind her, and he is left alone.

Maybe this day wasn't as good as they thought it was. Maybe it was all too much... for all of them.

–

Okay, so some of you may have figured this out... but the house that they might buy is Peyton's house from the show. I don't know anything about how many bedrooms that it has, so I made that up, but we know it has a basement thanks to the Psycho Derek episodes... man those were good.

Thank you to everyone for reviewing. I've enjoyed hearing what people are thinking about and how people are liking the series. Tell your friends!! hehe... and keep reviewing!