Authors Note: Once again, thankyou to my lovely reviewers, you guys are awesome and it makes my day to read your comments, so thankyou! I'm so sorry for the late update, I've really struggled with this Chapter -.- It just hasn't turned out how I wanted it to but I guess that's what happens when you have writers block. Anyway I hope that there will be something in here that you love!

February 14th 2029

Every Valentines Day for the past four years, Sawyer, Lydia, Quinley, Ella, Avery and Annie met up at the Rivercourt and had their own Valentines night. Not as couples, just as family and friends. It was an idea that Haley had thought up when the children reached their teenage years so that the adults could have fun without worrying about the kids. This year Ella had invited Lanny.

"So basically, we have these cards that have questions on and we go off in pairs to answer the questions," Ella tried to explain to her friend. They were sat on the bleachers at the Rivercourt with everyone else.

"But why?"

"Because although we're cousins, we don't see each other all that much because of our ages and our cliques so for one night, we get to spend quality time together."

"It was an idea that my mom set up for us," smiled Lydia proudly.

"Yeah mainly just to get us out of the house whilst they do whatever they're doing for Valentines," said Sawyer with a hint of her natural sarcasm in her voice. Every year she acted like she didn't want to be there but she never failed to turn up because secretly she actually enjoyed it.

"So how do we know the pairs?" asked Lanny, trying to grasp the idea.

"Usually we pick another persons name out of a hat." Quinley held up a baseball cap with paper inside.

"Yeah but this year, its all messed up because we have uneven numbers. Way'd a go Ella," Sawyer spat with bitterness.

"One of us can just go in a three, no big deal Sawyer," Ella retorted.

"Actually, my brother said that he was going to come," Lanny confessed.

"WHAT?" exclaimed Sawyer. "There's no way!"

"Come on Sawyer, we can't turn him away from public property. He's free to come to the Rivercourt if he wants, so we might as well let him join in. You might change your opinion of him." Ella wanted Lanny to join in and if that meant Jonny having to come too, then Sawyer would have to put up with him.

"I seriously doubt it. Talk of the devil," Sawyer sneered as Jonny strolled cockily towards them.

"What's up everybody?" he smirked.

"Eughh," Sawyer grumbled.

"So everyone knows their pairs? And before you even ask Sawyer, you can't change. It's been the same rules for three years and we're not going to change them now," Lydia spoke authoritatively. "We meet back up here at 9pm for pizza, yeah?"

There was a selection of grumbles, nods and excited voices who replied to Lydia's question.

"Okay, here's everyone's cards, see you later," she turned away from the group with Annie, who she was paired with for the night. They were staying at the Rivercourt.

"Come on then Adams," Quinley called to Avery and they left the Rivercourt, heading to their chosen location; the River Docks.

"Lead the way El," Lanny said, indicating in front of him for Ella to lead the way to the woods.

"I refuse to go anywhere with you, least of all Tree Hill cemetery." Sawyer was angry, not only had she not wanted Jonny to come in the first place but she had now been partnered up with him to go to the cemetery. Usually she would love it but not with him as her only company.

"Are you scared Scott? Can't handle a couple of grave stones?" mocked Jonny.

"I'm not scared…I just don't want to be around you for the next couple of hours."

"I'm hurt," he pretended to be upset by her reaction to their pairing. "But rules are rules and therefore I believe that we have to follow them."

"I don't care!"

"Don't be stubborn Sawyer," Annie called out from the other side of the Rivercourt.

With a lot of persuasion, they managed to get Sawyer to agree and the night could finally begin with all four pairings going off in separate directions.

Lydia stayed sat on the bleachers at the Rivercourt whilst Annie practised her free throws.

"Ready for question number one Ann?" Lydia called out.

"Sure, shoot," Annie replied as her hand-me-down basketball off her dad swished through the basketball hoop.

"Okay, so what's your wish for this year and what was your wish lat year?"

Annie walked to the edge of the court where the grass met the concrete to pick her ball up off the ground. "My wish last year was to make it on to the basketball team. I never expected it to happen though; it's not every day that a girl gets on to a boy's team. My wish this year would be for my mom to be okay through the rest of the pregnancy."

"Is she okay?"

"At the moment she is, but I'm worried that something bad could happen to her like it did with me and Sawyer." She walked over to the bleachers and sat down next to Lydia.

"Your mom's a fighter Annie; she's one of the bravest people I know."

"Thanks Lydia. What about your wish?"

"Well last year, I wished for my mom to pursue her music again but I'm not going to wish for that this year. My mom doesn't want to record anymore. She's really happy just singing and playing her piano for fun and if that's what she wants, then so do I. I think my wish for this year is to...I don't know...immerse myself into something new?" she said with uncertainty. "Next question."

"Biggest fear? Well I guess we've already established what that is for you." Jonny's sarcasm was really starting to irritate Sawyer. They were walking through the empty, dark cemetery with a large distance between them. Whenever Sawyer felt like Jonny was getting too close, she would move further away from him.

"I've told you, I'm not scared of the cemetery. I actually quite like it here. It's peaceful and-"

"Creepy?"

"Exactly."

"Okay so if you're not scared of here then what is your biggest fear?" asked Jonny, losing his sarcasm. Sawyer was shocked at the sudden change in his voice; he no longer looked like the same person. He had sincerity written across his face. Sawyer couldn't tell whether it was all a facade or whether this was the real Jonny, the side that she hadn't seen yet.

"You first," she urged.

"You don't trust me?"

"I don't trust easy. There are only a few people in my whole world that I trust, and you're just not one of them." She continued to walk along the cemetery pathway; she'd been visiting for as long as she could remember with her parents and knew the Cemetery like the back of her hand.

"Okay I'll go first if it means that you'll join in. I'm kind of frightened of my family falling apart. It's pretty dysfunctional, always has been but I kina like it. I'm used to it the way it is. But now that we've moved to Tree Hill, I'm worried that things will change and I don't like change. Apparently Tree Hill has a lot of ghosts for my family," he confessed honestly, leaving Sawyer lost for words.

"Wh...Why did you tell me all that?" she asked, puzzled by his honesty. "We don't even know each other."

"Sometimes it's easier telling a stranger, plus its all part of this game that you've got going on, right? I'm just playing the game. You're turn," he turned to Sawyer, waiting for her response.

"Nu-huh, I never agreed to your little compromise. Next question," she sniggered.

"Well that's not fair," he complained.

Ella and Lanny had found a comfortable spot underneath a willow tree in the woods, much to Lanny's dislike. He wasn't used to nature and would much prefer to be elsewhere.

"Really Ella? On the floor in the woods, that's where you want to sit?" Lanny asked looking down at Ella who was already sat on the floor, leaning against the tree.

"You really are a girl, you know that," she giggled, watching Lanny's face as bent down searching the floor. "What are you even looking for?"

"Bugs. I'd prefer to not sit on a worm," he sat on the ground next to Ella, not knowing where to put his hands in fear of squashing a bug.

"It's just nature Lan."

"Yeah but I'm not nature boy, I'm more sit-all-day-in-the-library boy."

"Is that your random fact? Question number four; find out a random fact about your partner."

"No that's a lame fact," he smiled, looking off into space as he thought about a random fact about himself. "Ummm, I read 'A Christmas Carol' every Christmas, I can't eat peas ever since I got one stuck up my nose when I was little, as girly as it sounds 'The Notebook' will probably always be my favorite film just because their relationship was so epic and I want to do something crazy like get a tattoo."

"Wow, I ask for one fact and I get like six."

"Four actually, but who's counting?"

"You apparently. Is 'The Notebook' really your favorite film?"

"It really is. You totally think I'm gay right now, don't you?"

"No, I just think that you're a romantic. Not many guys are. I guess I chose the right person to be friends with huh?"

"I don't think you chose me, you had no choice in the matter. I think I would have stalked you for-"

"Just a little advice, try not to mention stalking people. Here in Tree Hill, we have a bit of an issue with psycho stalkers. True fact about our so-called 'little' town," she said with inverted commas.

"Interesting, I should have warned my parents before we moved here," he finally leant back on to the tree, becoming more comfortable in his surroundings.

"You never explained that, like why did you move here to Tree Hill?"

"My mom's a chef and she bought an old boarded up store and turned it into the Bistro."

"Yeah but why Tree Hill, surely it would have been better for her to move to a big city."

"My dad persuaded her to come, he loves it here. So my parents set up the Bistro and moved me and my brother out here too. My sister has stayed in Georgia but its okay; she's got her whole life there."

"I didn't know that you had a sister."

"Well you've only known me for like three weeks."

"It feels longer...in a good way."

"Come on then El; give me a random fact about yourself. Anything you want."

"I... sleep with my pyjamas on inside out aaaand I'm an awful singer and I could actually live off cookie dough," she confessed blushing.

"Cookie dough? For real?"

"Don't laugh," she giggled along with him. "Have you not tried that stuff, it's awesome. Talk about food of the gods!"

"If you want food of the gods, you should try my mom's lasagne. We can go to the Bistro one night instead of going the library."

"Sounds great."

"So I've got a question for ya," Lanny leant away from the tree and sat up straight, turning to face Ella.

"Okay?" her voice wavered like she was nervous.

"It's Valentine's day, we're alone for a few hours, does that make me your Valentine this year?"

"Whaaat!" she turned away from him shyly. "No this is just a friend thing."

"Not a date?" Ella was embarrassed but Lanny was still smiling like what he was saying was normal for the two of them.

"No, not a date. Why, do you want it to be?"

"Well I don't think it would be a bad thing. We seem to get on great."

"But...But we're friends, isn't that weird?"

"No, my parents started out as friends before they got together. Look Ella, I just want to be honest with you. I like you and want to get to know you more. I don't want to freak you out."

"I'm not really ready for the dating thing yet Lanny, I like us being friends."

"Okay but I'll get you on a date one day Ella Scott, just you wait," he said with his big smile beaming back at her.

"Can you believe that in the three years that we've been doing this, we've never been put together," commented Quinley with his hands tucked into his pockets of his jacket.

"I'd never thought about it before," Avery lied. Every year she hoped to be with Quinley but it wasn't until this year that she finally got to spend the night with him, just the two of them.

"I love the River Dock at night," Quinley interrupted her thoughts.

"Really?"

"Yeah it's really beautiful. I sometimes sit on the Rivercourt and just look over here. It's really something. You should do it sometime; you'd be amazed at how great it makes you feel."

"So I guess that's your random fact of the night told," she smiled at him.

"I guess so. Care to share yours?"

"I love Valentines day."

"Come on, that's lame. Every girl loves Valentines day."

"No it's a true, random fact about me. I really do love it. The fact that you get to share a night in the year with the person that you love or want to love…I find it kind of magical."

"But shouldn't it always be like that?"

"How do you mean?"

"Well shouldn't every moment with the person you love be incredible? Surely that would be more magical," he suggested.

"I'd never thought about it that way. Maybe because love's not like that every day, you know. Romance seems to only exist on Valentines Day. I mean, we all have our opinions and perceptions on what love will feel like but its nothing like in fairytales. There's never going to come a time when a guy will save you from it all and be your prince charming. I'd love that to happen but the truth is; that kind of love just doesn't exist."

"Doesn't it? I don't know much about being in love personally but I look at my parents and I like to think that they're pretty in love you know. My dad will sometimes just look at my mom, like he is mesmerised by her completely. And look at my Uncle Luke and Aunt Peyton. He has saved her many times and maybe to her, maybe he is prince charming. However cliché that might sound."

"And you really believe that?"

"Yeah."

"But why?"

"Because sometimes love is the only thing we can believe in."

"Even when you're parents have split up?"

"I'm sorry, I forgot. How are you dealing with it?"

"I don't know. I go to school, see my dad a few nights a week and then I spend the rest of my time in my room."

"You can't run away from this you know Ave?"

"I know but I just can't be around them right now and Caleb doesn't seem to understand. He's so innocent. I wish I was his age again."

"So that's your wish for this year?"

Avery thought about it for a moment and then replied, shaking her head, "No, I want my parents to get back together. By the end of the year, I want us to be a family again. I sent them on a date tonight so that they could talk and work things out."

"Do you think it'll work?"

"I don't know do they look in love to you?" she asked pointing at a couple sat in one of the restaurants along the River Dock; her mom and dad. She knew the answer just by looking at them.

They were eating whatever food was on their plates, Quinley couldn't tell from this far away but it was clear that they didn't look happy; both were quiet as they ate.

"I'm sorry Avery, I know that I don't know how it feels but I can imagine."

"Thanks Q. So what about your wish for the year 14?" she asked referring to his jersey number, wanting to change the conversation.

"Honestly...I want the team to win the State Championship. I'm going to have a few more years to prove myself to scouts but for some of the seniors, this is their last shot and you know some are depending on getting a full ride to college on a basketball scholarship. I don't want to win for personal gain; I want to win for my team...and my dad."

"Your dad?"

"Yeah, I want him to be proud of me."

"But Q, he's already proud of you."

"I know but I want him to be able to relive his State Championship dream again."

"Do you ever think about what you want?"

"Sometimes but its the people around me that make me who I am so the least I can do is help them as much as I can."

Avery didn't know how to respond, she was blown away by his enormous heart. She was falling for him even harder and he didn't even know.

"Right, next question. Biggest fear?"

"My biggest fear, right now? I'm scared of losing myself. I'm scared of turning into someone that I don't want to be. I feel weak and I know that I'm so much more stronger than this but I just can't seem to find my strength. Look at me, I'm a mess!"

"Are you serious? Have you looked in the mirror lately? You so far away from being a mess Avery and speaking as your friend; you're beautiful," he tried to reassure her.

"No I'm not…Can I ask you a random question?"

"I believe that that's on the card."

"Why aren't you with Tasha tonight?"

"Because I wanted to spend time with my family. It's a tradition for us, and if Sawyer can turn up then I can to right? I really want ice cream, do you want some?"

"What?" she laughed.

"My question for you, do you want some ice cream?"

"Q, its February."

"So? I didn't realise that there was a time of the year specifically for eating ice cream?" he laughed, stopping in front of the ice cream cart.

"There isn't but its freezing tonight."

"You're so dramatic. I'm wearing less than you. Do you want one? My treat," he urged.

Avery shook her head. Every day she went without eating seemed to be getting easier. She hated it when someone offered her food as it meant that she had to think up an excuse as to why she didn't want it. Quinley didn't question why she didn't want an ice cream and just went ahead and ordered his double scoop rocky road.

"Come on," he nudged her side with his hip. "Let's get back to the Rivercourt." They walked the rest of the way in silence, just savouring the peacefulness and beauty of the River Docks at night. They joined the rest of the guys at the Rivercourt to eat pizza and eventually they all went their separate ways for the night. Another successful Valentines Night.

The next morning, Alex woke up to an empty space in her bed. Last night was exactly how she imagined it would be but she hated how weak her morals became because of Chase. Every issue that the couple had went right out of the window as soon as his lips met hers. She had to speak to him and sort things out once and for all.

She stepped out of bed and grabbed her bathrobe from the floor and put her arms through the sleeves. She headed towards the kitchen and stopped in the doorway at the sight of Chase cooking breakfast at the stove.

"Is egg and bacon okay?" Chase called to her.

"Chase, you don't have to make breakfast."

"Don't be silly Alex, I always used to make breakfast on a Sunday," he smiled before taking a drink out of his coffee mug.

"But we're not how we used to be."

"But last night-"

"Last night was perfect, but our problems aren't just going to go away and I've realised that I need to focus on myself more. All my life I've depended on guys and I've never focused on me and who I am. You can't save me Chase, I thought that you could but you can't. If I can't help myself then no one can. I remember days when I was happy, you know bullet proof but somewhere along the way I think I lost me and I hate that you never got to meet that girl. So I think we should work out who we are as people before we decide who we are as a couple." Her eyes didn't move away from his once, it was something that she had been planning for a couple of weeks now.

"Are you serious?" He looked shocked and hurt. "I thought that we were on the right track again?"

"We are but I think that we shouldn't rush into this too quick, for the kids sake at least."

"I..I uh think I should go," he said putting the spatula down on to the kitchen counter.

"Wait Chase, are we okay?"

"We'll be fine, I just...I can't be here right now. Enjoy your breakfast," he swiftly walked past Alex's side, leaving her alone in the apartment wondering to herself where things went wrong.

Authors Note: Okay so I realise that most of the dialogue is surrounding Ella/Lanny & Q/Avery but it's because they've both got storylines coming up so I wanted to introduce them a bit more than the other characters. Also I know that the scene with Chalex at the end is really out of place but I couldn't put it anywhere else as the next chapter will be a time gap so it would seem unrealistic to have it in the next chapter. Please leave reviews with constructive criticism, thankyou!