It was Saturday morning when Peyton came downstairs and saw the papers on the table. Since school had started, the kids were mostly sleeping in or doing their own thing and she had been in her studio painting, because Lucas had left early that morning to work out with Nathan. She guessed that someone had brought the mail in and she flipped through the bills, tossing them aside for the large manila envelope with her name on it.
When she saw the return address she froze, her heart dropping into her stomach. Things had been so perfect lately, she should have known something would come along to ruin that. She tried to tell herself that she had known this was coming. Of course it was coming. It always had been. She just couldn't figure out why it was affecting her like this. She took a seat at the table as she opened the envelope and took out the papers, looking them over even though she knew exactly what they said.
Suddenly her daughters voice snapped her out of her stupor. She heard footsteps, but she couldn't face any of her kids yet. She reached up and felt a wetness on her cheeks that she hadn't realized was there. She needed out. She felt the papers slip out of her hands as she stood and she darted her gaze around the room, looking for a way out. She spotted it in the form of her keys and she grabbed them as she made her way out the sliding glass door.
Wearing nothing but Lucas's tee-shirt and a pair of shorts, she hurried around the house, trying to wipe away the tears as she got into her Comet and drove away. She took a deep breath as the house disappeared from her view and she knew where she was going. She put the car in park when she arrived and tried to gather herself before she got out. She looked around and decided her car was too visible. She wanted to be alone for a while.
After parking somewhere where the car wouldn't be immediately seen if people came to look for her, she walked back to where she had originally been and made her way over to the right spot. She sat down and drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them and resting her chin on them. She stared at nothing and tried to figure out why this was affecting her so much, but, deciding to give up on that for now, she instead thought about Brooke, and the story she had heard the other day.
FLASHBACK
Ushering her best friend into the living room and sitting her on the couch, Peyton tried to figure out what Brooke had just said. Why was she talking about Julian. As far as Peyton had known, the two of them had barely spoken in the two weeks Julian had been here visiting Jake. She looked at Brooke and knew that wasn't the case though. She had fallen in love with him, and Peyton didn't know what to tell her, because she knew Julian wouldn't be back in the states for at least two years, and she didn't know what that would mean for Brooke. "Tell me the story," she coaxed her best friend.
As Brooke sat there and started telling the story, Peyton rubbed her back and listened. She quickly explained how they had met, and then the day in the hospital. "He intrigued me at first, and I didn't think it was anything more than that, so I went back to the beach, just because it has always been one of my favorite places to think. I never expected to see him there again, but I did, and somehow, we just kept meeting at the beach, whenever we could and we talked. God, Peyton, we talked about everything. I've never met someone that I just wanted to talk to that much," she broke off, looking at her best friend with tears still in her eyes.
Nodding, Peyton reached up and wiped them away, pulling her into a quick hug before letting her go, gesturing for her to go on with the story. She took a shaky breath and then she did. "I just felt this connection, you know, and it was more than attraction, more than lust, although that was certainly there too. It was a true connection, something I've never felt for anyone, not Owen, not Chase, not anyone. I was scared though, so I kept him at a distance. I knew he was leaving, and I didn't want to fall too deep, when he was going to disappear anyway," she dissolved into tears as she relived her mistakes.
Patiently, Peyton waited out Brooke's tears, whispering soothing words and continuing to rub her back until she could control the tears. She finally was able to keep going. "I should have told him the truth. I wasted two weeks, Peyton, and he's not going to be gone for good until next week, but I don't know how to get in touch with him. I'll never be able to talk to him again, or tell him how I really feel, and it's all my fault. He told me he had to go visit his parents, but he wanted to spend his last days with me, but I told him to go, told him that we were just friends and that was all it was. I screwed up," she looked at her best friend, her chin quivering again.
Smiling, Peyton tried to put her friend in a better mood. "Sounds like you pulled a Leyton, running from your feelings," she joked. Brooke sent her a feeble smile, but Peyton could tell the feeling wasn't behind it. She pulled Brooke into another hug, not really knowing what to say. "You always tell me that Lucas and I are meant to be and it will work itself out. Well that's the truth Brooke. I thought all hope was lost, and look at me now. True love always finds a way to work itself out, even when we screw things up royally," was all she could say.
Nodding, Brooke pulled back, smiling with a little more force. She had to believe that, and right now that belief was all she could do. She needed to focus on something else though, to get past dwelling on her own stupidity. "Can we watch a movie or something, Peyton? The little ones are in bed at my house, and Sophie's there to watch them, or call me if she needs me. I need," she wasn't sure how she was going to finish that sentence, but because Peyton was her best friend, she didn't need to. Peyton nodded, and the two sat back on the couch underneath the throw blanket to watch whatever came on the TV.
END FLASHBACK
The day after that Peyton had called Jake, and, without letting him know anything, had asked him to give a very subtle message to Julian. She didn't know if Julian had got it, or if it had been enough, but she knew she had done all she could to help her best friend and there was nothing else she could do. It was in the hands of the couple now, and fate, and she only hoped fate was nicer to the two of them than it was to her and Lucas.
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Lost in memories, Brooke was sitting at the beach, wishing she could go back and change things. She spent most of her days in the past. She hated that she had just let him go like that. She didn't want things to be that way, but she didn't know how to change things now, except to swallow her pride and call Jake and ask for his number. She got out her phone and searched through her contacts. She was about to hit send, but then she noticed his figure. She thought she was seeing things at first, because she had been so lost in memories, but something kept her from hitting send as he approached.
Hesitancy draped over his every movement, and that was what made her drop her phone and get to her feet, although she couldn't do more than that as he came ever closer. She knew this was her chance and that Peyton was right, but wrong at the same time. She was the one who had to fix her screw-up. Fate may have brought him here, or it may not have, but it didn't matter how he got here. She had to take it from here. She threw herself into his arms and before he could utter a word she drew him into a kiss, which she knew surprised him, but the intensity of it also surprised her.
Sparks flying was nothing compared to the emotions flying through her. She lost herself in him and his touch, not knowing if this would be the last time she got to touch him, or if he would push her away at any moment. She felt her feet lift off the sand and she wasn't sure if that was in her mind or not but she wrapped her hands in his hair and held on tight. She knew it did have to end and she did have to talk, so she pulled away when air became an absolute necessity.
The pain she had been feeling had melted away at his touch and she physically knew she was standing on the beach with him, but she felt like she was flying with the clouds and she didn't want this feeling to end. She looked into his brown eyes and braced herself. "I lied. I love you Julian, and I don't want you to go. I know you have to, but I want you to know something first. I will spend every minute of those two years missing you, and waiting for you to come back. I was scared, because I knew you have to leave, but I know now that I can't let you go without knowing that you know I love you. I don't know what made you come back, but I'm glad you did. Please, tell me I'm not alone here, that you feel this too, because I can't imagine that something that feels this real can be one-sided. I understand if I hurt you by telling you we can only be friends, but-"
To cut off her rambling he smiled his charming grin and placed a finger on her lips. "Brooke, I wouldn't be here if you didn't mean something to me. I love you, Brooke Davis, and I won't ask anything of you except to write me, and don't stop thinking of me. So many things could happen between now and two years from now, but if I had known I would find you in these two weeks, I never would have re-enlisted. I have been looking for something my whole life, and I didn't realize it was you until I went back to visit my parents and I couldn't stop thinking of you and this beach. One place, one person has never worked their way so deeply into my heart, and I'm glad you told me the truth now," he said, before kissing her again.
Sweet relief flowed through her, quickly followed by a burning fire that would only be sated by one thing. She knew she had things she was supposed to be doing, and her kids probably needed her, but there was only one place she could be right now: on this beach, with this man, and she was going to spend every moment she could with him before he had to leave, and then she would spend every moment after that waiting for the moment she could be in his arms again. "I love you, Julian Baker," she said, and then she made love to him, feeling things she had never ever dreamed of feeling before.
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Walking into the house, Lucas was once again had to take a moment to pause and just thank whatever higher power there was that had gotten him back with Peyton. He was grateful for every moment that he got to call this house home, and he would never take any of this for granted again. He loved her with everything he had and now that she had taken him back he had vowed to prove that to her no matter what it took, no matter how long it took. She was the only woman who had his heart, and now that she called him hers again, he would never let her forget it, never let himself forget it.
Something seemed off, though, he noticed. He wasn't sure what it was, but her car hadn't been in the driveway, and he hadn't thought anything of it moments ago, but now there was something eating at him. He walked into the kitchen, and then he knew exactly what it was. He spotted the papers that had been tossed onto the table, and he knew she had seen them. He didn't even need a closer look before he knew exactly what happened. He turned and was headed for the front door again, but then something occurred to him and he ran up the stairs, headed for the attic.
The box was where he had known it was, because he always knew where it was. He had known the day she had moved it, and he had understood why at the time. He opened it and pulled one item out of it, heading back down the stairs and out the front door. He went straight for his car and went to find her, trying to come up with the words that would make her stop doubting and say yes. He still didn't know what he was going to say when he parked the car, but he got out anyway, looking for that familiar black car.
Stopping for only a moment when he didn't spot it, he continued on to her mother's grave stone anyway, knowing that no matter where she had parked the car, this was where she would be. Her curly blonde hair was most definitely behind the stone as he drew closer and his footsteps quickened without him realizing it, and he knew that she could sense his approach, but she didn't say a word. He didn't mind though; he came up until he was right in front of her and he knelt down onto one knee, taking her hands from around her knees.
Shock filled her green eyes, but she still couldn't say anything. He opened his mouth and drew in a breath, but suddenly she found her voice. "What do you think you're doing, Lucas?" she asked, but before he could answer she went on. She was scared to give him a moment to speak before she got her feelings off of her chest. "The papers came today, Lucas. We're not married anymore. It's officially over. The story that we thought would never have an ending officially ended. What are we doing?" she pulled her hands away from his and ran them through her hair. She was biting on her lip and she couldn't form another word. She knew now that was why this had hit her so hard.
Things had been so great lately. It had seemed like before, and a part of her had almost forgotten that they had even filed the papers, but then there they were. Her story was over. Her epic love, finished with a set of papers she had never wanted in the first place. She knew they never should have been filed at all, but they had been. She was a divorced mother of eight and here was her ex-husband, whom she still loved, who still loved her, and she didn't know where to go from here. She had been thrown by the papers, even though she knew her heart shouldn't have been. She just waited for him to speak, wondering if he could say anything that could fix this.
Staring into her bright green eyes, Lucas waited to make sure she was done talking before he opened his mouth again. "It's not over, Peyton," he said and she made a noise, like if that was all he was going to say it wasn't going to be enough. He cocked an eyebrow at her, but kept going. "We're not over. No way, I refuse to believe that. That chapter of our lives is over. There was a part of us that went bad, and it was my fault, I admit it, but it had to go. Things got screwed up between us. That was what ended, not us. We'll never be over, Peyton, because you are the only one I want, for the rest of my life, for the rest of forever. You're my dream, Peyton, and you always will be," he grinned at her.
For the most part, she knew that, and all those words sounded good, but a small part of her still wasn't sure, and she wanted to be sure before she committed to him again. Being Lucas, he knew when something was bothering her, of course. "Peyton, I know you may have a hard time trusting me, and I completely understand that, but I promise that those papers also ended that person I turned into. He's over, done with. I want to be a man worthy of you, Peyton, and of our love. That person I used to be, is not someone I want to ever be again. For the rest of our lives, I promise you, I will work on being a better man, the man we both want me to be," he vowed.
Blushing, she looked down. Somehow, that had been exactly what she needed to hear. He knew that without her saying a word, so he went on. "Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer, formerly Scott, formerly Sawyer," he said to make her chuckle, which it did, "I promise you, I will spend every day for the rest of forever convincing you that you are the one I want to be with, the one I love with all my heart, the only one that will ever have my heart, if you will just agree to be my wife, again," he implored, taking one of her hands in his and using his other hand to raise her chin so he could look into her eyes again.
Biting on her lip, she stared into the blue eyes that had been able to take her breath away since she was sixteen. He had always been, and always would be the person who had her heart, and she knew that. Yes, they had gone through hard times, but no one else had ever been able to make her feel the way he made her feel. She knew she could say no, tell him they needed to slow down, and wait, their marriage just ended, why rush back into it, but she knew that they would get married again anyway, so what was the point in waiting, when her heart was screaming for her to say yes. "Yes, Lucas Eugene Scott, yes, I will marry you again," she said.
Pulling her to him, he met her lips in a kiss, holding her tight before breaking away to take the ring out of his pocket. Her eyes widened as she saw it and he took her left hand, slipping it onto her ring finger. She looked down at the ring on her hand, which she had taken off months ago, and which she knew he had put back in the box, but she didn't know that he had known where she had put the box, and then back up to his eyes. "Yes, I knew where it was. I've always known the exact location of that box, Peyton, and every item in it," he said with a smile before standing up and pulling her to her feet, kissing her again.
When she pulled away, she was biting her lip to hide her smile, but she knew she couldn't fool him. She quirked her eyebrow as something occurred to her. "Um, were the papers all scattered on the floor when you saw them?" she asked, and he shook his head, causing her to slowly nod. "Right, well then, that just broke half of our news to the kids. They'll all know by now. Now we just have to tell them we're getting married again," she said, looking over his shoulder and just then noticing Jake walking up behind Lucas.
A/N: I know it's been a long time, but I am still alive! I think I'll be able to update more now. I can't make any promises though. I've had writers block for a long time, but hopefully that's over. I hope you like this chapter. Let me know if anyone is still reading, and if you like it. Thanks for the reviews I have already received. I appreciate them all!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.