The window is open and the white cotton drapes flutter, rays of sun flickering over the pale bed sheets.

She's not typically an early riser but she's got things on her mind. She bites her lip and stares up at the ceiling.

She's been here before. Several times actually. Here in this bed.

This time is different though. This time is completely different because this time she's not alone.

It's not the night of Jamie's forth birthday when she'd stayed for the weekend of festivities. It's not New Years. She's not hungover and she's not been put up by her friends for the night. Her friends are no longer here. This is no longer their house. But it still feels like it is. To her it does.

'Luke' She sucks on her bottom lip and nudges him persistently with her toes and he flinches into the pillow.

'Mm g'away'

She smirks at the way his face screws up and prods again. 'Wake up'

His hands dart out and grab her thighs, trying to stop her toes from touching him again. 'Why're your feet so freaking cold?' He complains.

'They don't feel cold to me'

'Well they are' He informs her, one eye opening.

She's laying on her side, one hand propping her head up and he suddenly doesn't want to be keeping her at arms length.

'No matter. I'll just have to warm you up' His hands change their course of action, sliding round the backs of her legs and tugging her close.

She's on her back not a moment later and he's hovering over her and she wants to giggle but she won't because she can't let this happen.

'Luke I stayed over' her fingers stop his from venturing up her naked sides.

'Yeah. You did' His voice is still thick with sleep but his eyes are very much awake because she's in his bed and she's in nothing but her underwear.

'I need to get up before Jamie awakes and finds I've been here all night' She blurts.

His eyes dart to the clock on the bedside table and he cringes. 'Jesus it's six am! Why the hell are we awake right now?'

She smiles. 'Cause- I need to go before he sees-'

'Do you not know Jamie? That kid likes his sleep- he won't appear until half eight at the very earliest'

'I know but what if he doesn't today'

'We've got at least two hours' Lucas announces indifferently. There'd been a time when he was horrified by Jamie's sleeping pattern, there'd been a time when he was accustomed to going to bed at stupid o'clock and getting up at midday. That no longer occurred, no longer could with a five year old but his body had adjusted and he was suddenly thankful that the kid wasn't a six am riser. 'I can't believe you woke me up'

She bites her lip trying to surpress a smile and he groans because it's sexy. She's sexy.

She'd not meant to stay but she'd been so sated and sleepy after their bedroom activities that it had been inevitable that sleep take her.

'On the other hand, sleeping is kinda over rated' His hands rub up and down her thighs and then he's pulling her legs up and around him and she's gasping. 'We could make much better use of our time'

She whimpers into his mouth in agreement, mind successfully distracted from the child sleeping down the hall, mind successfully distracted from all her confusing thoughts. She thinks too much, she doesn't want to think at all, not about everything that's going on in her life right now because it hurts her head but its okay. It's okay because Lucas Scott is quite wonderful at obliterating her mind completely.

'Orange juice?'

Two hours later they're in the kitchen and she's meant to be leaving but somehow they keep distracting each other. She shakes her head. 'No, I really should go'

'You don't have to. He won't know if we say you just got here or something' He suggests.

'Yeah, I know' She smiles because what he just said, it confirms to her that he's happy for her to be around. That it's not just sex he's after and she knows that makes this more complicated but it also ignites something deep inside of her. But she can't stay, as happy as she would be to, she has to keep up pretences that all is normal and that includes making sure she stops by at her parents. It is a Sunday ritual after all. 'I can't though. I've got some errands I need to do' She's got her hand bag slung over her shoulder now and is grabbing her keys from the sideboard when she pauses. 'What're all these?' Her fingers nosily sift through the pile of papers on the side.

'Oh, nothing' He moves quickly, taking the found letters from her hand. 'Just house stuff'

She snatches them back because he's clearly trying to hide them from her and she doesn't like being kept in the dark.

'Peyton-'

She skips away from him, hands simultaneously unfolding the papers and then her eyes are scanning over bills. Water. Electricity. Pool. Heating. Gas. School fees. The list goes on.

'This is a lot of money' She states the obvious.

'It's a big fucking house'

'Well, is their insurance covering it?' She looks up at him with concern.

'Not really' He admits. 'Are you sure you don't want a drink?' He opens the fridge, turning his back on their conversation.

'Lucas how're you going to carry on paying all this? You don't have access to Jamie's inheritance and-'

'I don't want Jamie's fucking inheritance'

'I didn't mean it like that. I just, I don't see how you're keeping on top of this when you're not earning half what they-'

'I'm figuring it out' He mutters.

'There's no way-'

'I'm figuring it out' He cuts her off. 'You should probably get going. He'll probably be up in a minute'

He's dismissing her and she can't say she likes it. She knows it was her that woke him up ridiculously early to avoid being seen by Jamie and she knows that just five minutes ago he was suggesting she stay, but the way he's looking at her now makes her feel used. 'I'll see you later then?' She asks as she migrates to the door.

She wants him to smile and she wants to hug him goodbye but he's avoiding her eyes and mutters a yeah and she nods sadly.

She's not stupid, she's quick to deduce the reasoning behind his snappy reaction which is perhaps why she's not barking back. She's aware that he has this belief that she's a whole lot better than him, that they're not equals and he doesn't want to be a failure. He wants to be able to handle this and he doesn't need her trying to save the day. Only it's in her nature to want to help. She needs to help. She will help whether he likes it or not.

She's at her mother and father's house and helping her mother peg the washing out on the line.

Her father can be seen through the open french doors, a newspaper open on his lap and a coffee in his hand and she likes this feeling. This is where she feels the safest, this is the house where she grew up. This will always be her home. This is where her parents are and she's nostalgic for those days when she was half the height she is now, a time when she'd run through the white bed sheets in a make believe world where fairies and animals that talk existed.

She doesn't live in that world anymore. There's no such thing as magic. Animals don't talk. She envys Jamie because she sees the child go to that special place where anything is possible, a place that she can no longer reach.

Instead her mind is on bills. The bills she knows Lucas is single handily attempting to keep on top of. A futile effort, she fears.

'Did you go out last night?' Anna's voice ciphers through her.

'No' Peyton's mind instantly drifts back to the now, lying eyes flickering toward her mother.

'Oh. I tried calling and you didn't answer'

'Maybe I was in the bath or something'

'Maybe' Anna nods. 'Your father dropped by this morning as well, there wasn't any answer'

'I went to the shops, what is this, the spanish inquisition?'

Anna bites her lip to stop from laughing at her riled daughter.

'What?' Peyton exclaims.

The older woman shakes her head with a coy smile. 'Oh nothing darling'

'No what is it?' Peyton argues back, grabbing another of the damp sheets from the washing basket.

'You just, you've been acting differently lately. It makes me wonder. You seem happy'

'What're you trying to say? That I'm a miserable cow usually?' Peyton snorts.

Anna rolls her eyes and looks at her daughter knowingly. 'No, of course not' She answers dryly. 'You just seem, I don't know, you're glowing'

'Glowing? Really Mum?' Peyton shakes her head at her mother's choice of words.

'Yes sweetie, glowing' Anna laughs. 'Have you met someone?' She asks bluntly and Peyton's thankful her back is to her because her mouth is agape.

'What? No!'

'What? Is it such a obscene assumption to make? You've been awfully busy lately. I've missed you'

'Mum' With her face composed, she turns around. 'You know I've had a lot on at work and what with helping out with Jamie-'

'I know honey but, I don't know, you seem different'

'I'm not, I promise'

'Oh don't get me wrong, it's good different. Fine, if you don't want to tell me'

'There's nothing to tell' Peyton says tightly through clenched teeth.

'Okay' Anna nods with a smile but Peyton knows her mother too well. Her eyes always tell the truth and her eyes don't believe her daughter but she's dropping the subject because she's her mother and she knows when not to push her. Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer has never been one to be pushed.

Peyton hangs the last of the sheets over the line and is thankful for the barrier that it provides.

'So what're your plans for the rest of the weekend?' She changes the subject and is thankful that her mother indulges her and plays along but she's no longer listening.

She's wondering if her mother is right. Is she glowing? Is she happier? And is Lucas really the reasoning behind it?

'Me and Daddy built one so big once that I couldn't even reach the top!'

Lucas smiles as he looks at Jamie's enthusiastic little face.

They're sitting on the floor in the living room, surrounded by an array of multicoloured lego bricks and Lucas realises that Jamie rarely brings up his parents. But the memory that the little boy recites makes his little blue eyes sparkle with delight and he knows they were good people. He knows they're still greatly missed by this young boy and his heart aches for him.

'Maybe this one we can build right to the ceiling' Jamie decides, eyes looking up to the desired destination. 'Can we?'

'Sure buddy, we can try' He hands the excited five year old a pile of stacked bricks to add to the growing building.

'My mum knows' Peyton's announcement as she enters the living room interrupts their game. She drops onto the sofa dramatically.

'What?'

'She knows'

'Knows what?' Lucas looks up from the lego tower him and Jamie are building.

Her eyes widen and her hand wavers between them trying to get across her answer nonverbally.

Jamie looks at her like she's going mad and then his concentration is back on the masterpiece at hand.

'How?' Lucas has got the message though. Loud and clear. And whilst he's not particularly bothered, he's sure this won't do anything in his favour considering he's working for Larry Sawyer.

'I don't know!' Peyton exclaims.

'So she actually told you-'

'No'

His brow furrows in confusion and he's pretty sure she's doing that thing girls tend to do; dramatising the situation.

'Well, what makes you think-'

'She says I'm acting weird' Peyton scrunches her nose up and imitates her mother's voice 'That I have a glow'

Lucas snickers.

'It's not funny'

'No' He nods. 'She's just stating a fact, I tend to have that affect on people you know'

She throws a cushion at him.

'Hey, watch it, me and JimmyJam are creating a piece of art over here aren't we kido?'

'Yeah' Jamie chants, gleefully tossing the cushion back in Peyton's direction under Lucas' coaxing.

'Did you just throw that at me James Scott?'

'Hey you threw it at us first' Lucas retorts.

'Yeah' The lego tower is suddenly forgotten and Jamie is on his feet, grinning.

'You did not just throw that at me'

Lucas hands him another cushion and the five year old doesn't need any persuasion this time in aiming another missile at the blonde.

'Jamie!'

Lucas grins. 'What can I say, it's obvious who the kids loyalties stand with'

She's on her feet now, hands on hips. 'You two better run'

Jamie looks at Lucas for guidance. 'I think she's angry Luke'

Lucas clambers to standing. 'Yeah I think you're right' He tries to hide the smirk at his lips but she sees and he warily takes a little step back as her eyes narrow. 'I think we better run Jamie' He grabs the child's hand and yanks him toward the nearest door.

And then the young boy is shrieking with laughter as his little legs struggle to keep up with Lucas' longer pair that have him slipping on the kitchen floor, into the long hallway, around the dining room table twice, up the stairs and then they're in Jamie's room and gathering weapons and Peyton's there telling them to surrender.

They charge from behind the bed with cushions and soft toys that are briskly pelted in her direction and she suddenly wonders how she thought she was going to win this fight.

'You surrender!' Jamie squeals. He's bouncing up and down on his bed and Lucas is getting nearer to her, like a lion closing in on it's prey.

'Do you surrender?' His voice husks.

She swallows because it doesn't seem like they're just playing a stupid game anymore and despite the child like chants in the background of 'Get her, get her!' She finds her mouth is dry.

'No way' She tilts her head to the side coyly and she thinks she has the upper hand because she knows he wants her and he can't have her. Not right now because Jamie's here and she delights in the way his eyes have gone three shades darker.

And just as instantly as it was there, it's gone and he covers up his lust with a playful grin and her feet are taken out from beneath her and she's over his shoulder and he's twirling her around and every now and again she sees Jamie, still jumping on his bed, hands in the air in victory.

'Lucas, you put me down!' She announces loudly and she catches Jamie's smile falter because he's momentarily worried that she's angry but then Lucas is carrying her out of the youngster's room and he's following eagerly behind and she pouts down at him.

'JimmyJam what're you doing? You're meant to save me!' She declares.

He shakes his head with a mischievous smile. 'Uh Uh. Boys against girls'

'Quick Jamie, open the door!' Lucas instructs, struggling to keep a grip of a wriggling Peyton.

'Put me down!' She hollers again half heartedly. Jamie's delighted shrieks of laughter make winning this play fight no longer her priority because it's about the little boy and the little boy is in his element and if that means her sacrificing herself to Lucas' attack so be it.

They're in the bathroom now and one moment she's over his shoulder and the next minute her head is being doused under the shower head and she's screaming because it's cold and then Lucas turns on Jamie too and the unsuspecting child giggles wildly as he gets soaked.

After that it doesn't take long for him to favour Peyton and Lucas slopes down into the bath tub and succumbs to the spray of water that's being showered at him from his opponents.

Eventually, after what he considers to be a suitable amount of time in enduring the onslaught of cold water, he reaches out and tugs Peyton down to join him and all three of them are slumped in the bath tub breathing heavily to catch their breaths.

'That was fun!' Jamie suddenly announces.

'Really fun' Lucas agrees, but it's said in her ear and she's suddenly wary of the fact that she's completely slouched back against his chest, his legs either side of her and his hands resting on her thighs but Jamie seems oblivious and is busy catapulting his buzz light year in and out of the water. 'If we were alone right now...' He mutters under his breath but she hears. She can feel his every word on the back of her neck and she swallows thickly and leans back into him and she wishes they were alone too.

'P. Sawyer you didn't say he was hot' The distinctive voice takes a second to cipher through her daze but it soon does when Jamie loudly chants a chorus of "Aunt Brooke, Aunt Brooke" and proceeds to tell their visitor all about the water fight they've just had. Peyton's alarmed eyes are fixated on her best friend and then she's pushing Lucas' fingers off of her jean clad legs and haphazardly lifting herself out of the bath, not so smoothly, Lucas' hand happens to assist in her exit but his palm on her ass only makes her hasten her movements and slip and slide more.

'Brooke' She greets, ignoring Jamie's laughter as she not so sedately gets her feet on tiled floor.

'Where did you get him?' The brunette points to Lucas. 'And where can I get one of my own?'

'He's my Uncle Lucas, Brooke!'

'Brooke' Peyton scorns, she doesn't let her friend respond to Jamie, yanking on the her friend's arm, dragging her out of the somewhat flooded bathroom to the nearest room that provides some privacy, slamming the bedroom door with force behind them.

'What honey? You didn't mention the arrogant dick was pretty, I'm just saying'

'Well don't. He can probably hear you'

'That was my intention'

'Well just don't! You don't need to feed his ego'

'Touchy, touchy, touchy'

'I'm not' She shifts her weight, grimacing as her wet jeans rub together. She needs out of these clothes.

'Yes you are. What are you doing P Sawyer?' Brooke chides, her eyes narrow and expectant.

'Nothing. What do you mean?'

'Oh don't play dumb with me. What I just walked in on was not nothing P Sawyer'

'I don't know what you're talking about. Why're you here anyway?' Peyton crosses her arms and tries to ignore the fact that her clothes are making a puddle around her.

'You weren't at home and you're not answering your phone and I've not seen you properly in forever and don't change the subject. You may as well of been fucking him in that bath tub'

'Brooke!' Peyton shakes her head in dispair. 'We were playing with Jamie and it ended in a water fight'

'Mmhm. With you just so happening to end up in his arms with his hands all over you'

'They were not!' She crosses the room to the adjoining ensuite because she's cold, but she also wants to avoid her best friends eyes because said best friend has a way of seeing straight through her, has done since the age of eight. She pulls her top off and wraps a towel around herself.

'Oh please, he may as well of had his hands down your fucking pants. Darling you may be able to fool the five year old but I'm not so stupid'

Peyton groans and mutters a few obscenities under her breath. She loves the girl standing not even a few metres away. She's been in her life for a hell of long time. She's her rock, she's been there through the good and the bad. Sure, they have their differences but Peyton's pretty certain that no single person knows more about her than Brooke Davis. That doesn't mean to say she always enjoys her friends interfering ways, like now for example.

'Fine!' She concedes, spinning round abruptly. She knows the glamourous fashionista isn't going to let it drop, she's going to tease, nag and pry until she incites a response that is worthy to her greedy ears. 'Fine. You win. I'm fucking him alright? Happy?'

Brooke's mouth drops, her eyes almost bulging out of her head with excitement.

'What?' Peyton cries. 'You just said-'

'I didn't really think you were fucking him, I was just messing! Your fucking him?"

She grimaces. It's too late in the game to claim she was joking too. 'Why're you looking at me like that?' She rolls her eyes in exasperation instead.

'It's hot' The brunette says approvingly. 'You've been holding out on me P Sawyer'

'You can't tell anyone' Peyton hastens to add. 'We're just having fun and we're not letting it affect Jamie so we're not telling anyone' She babbles.

'Huh. Well you're going to have to start putting on a better act if that's the case cause that kid may be wearing blinkers but he's not entirely stupid. If you two carry on with displays like that he'll be calling you mummy and daddy by the end of the month!'

'Brooke' Peyton pouts.

'I wish you weren't soaking wet right now. I feel like hugging you'

Peyton smiles despite herself.

'I'm happy for you P'

'How do you go from crude to sappy in the space of a second?' Peyton taunts, awkwardly unbuttoning her jeans.

'It's one of my many talents. Seriously though. You deserve this. I know I wasn't as close to Hales and Nate as you were and I know I've not exactly been a hundred percent for this whole Mummy Sawyer role you've taken on but you seem happy and if that's because of that man in there then-'

'Brooke it's not serious'

'Okay'

'It's not'

'Okay'

'It's not'

'How many times do you want me to say okay?'

Peyton scowls and tosses her wet shirt at the smirking designer. 'Go find me something to wear'

'I dunno, I think he'd appreciate your attire right now- want me to take Jamie for a few ho-'

'Brooke! Clothes. Now'

'Okay, okay, I'm going'

Peyton peers around the kitchen doorway.

He's washing up remnants from the day and it doesn't matter how many times she catches him doing small tasks such as this, she's still taken by surprise because he's capable. More than capable of handling all of this. Sure she thinks Jamie would miss it if she wasn't present as much but she's beginning to think she's not exactly needed.

Her presence hasn't gone unnoticed, he looks over his shoulder.

'She's gone' Peyton smiles. As much as she enjoys Brooke Davis' company, she wasn't exactly prepared for the visit and certainly not for divulging details of the relationship she's recently embarked upon.

'So that was like your best friend or something?' Lucas wipes his wet hands on his jeans, leaving the dirty plates to focus his attention on her fully.

'Yeah. She' something else entirely'

'She seemed nice'

'Of course you think that' She teases, everyone likes Brooke Davis. 'Where's Jamie?'

'In bed'

'That was quick'

'Yeah, I think we wore him out' He's looking her up and down and she self consciously tucks a curl behind her ear. She's wearing one of his t-shirts and some sweat pants that are just about staying up.

'Yeah- my stuff's wet so I stole-'

'It's cool. I like it'

She looks down. She doesn't know if he wants her to go or not. 'I've chucked my stuff in the dryer when they're done I'll go'

He nods once and then he's spurting something out so quickly that her eyes snap up 'I'm sorry about how I was this morning' He shrugs. 'I was a dick to you. I just I've never had anything. No money or shit but now this has all been thrust upon me and I don't want to screw this up, for Jamie's sake'

She smiles softly 'I know Luke, it's alright' She nods gently. 'But you're not screwing anything up. The thing is, Haley and Nate, they were both earning a hell of a lot, I couldn't take on this house-'

'I know that-'

'Maybe you should consider selling'

His brow furrows and he squints at her 'Selling?'

'Yeah, I mean. There's just you and Jamie and this house is crazy big'

'This is his home. This is all he knows'

'It's not the house that makes it his home Luke. It was the people in it that made it his home. They're not here anymore though. And his home is with you and he'll be ok wherever you go, as long as you're there too and you've said before this feels like their house not yours, maybe you should find somewhere that feels like yours'

He shifts his weight. He's thinking he doesn't know what a home feels like. To him a home has been a roof over his head, bricks and mortar. There's never been any sentimental value, never an attachment. Never any sense of belonging. He doesn't tell her that though, instead he answers 'I don't know'

'Why don't you think about it' She pushes herself up to sit on the sideboard. 'It's not something you have to decide right now'

'No' He nods. She's right. As usual. He can think about it.

He moves in between her legs, hands resting on her thighs.

'That wasn't so hard was it? Talking about a problem?' Her voice is teasing and he frowns.

'Don't get all patronising, bitchy Peyton on me'

She scowls back.

'I'm not bitchy'

'You were. When I arrived'

'You were a jerk' She prods his chest. 'Who spent more time looking at my ass than my face'

'Hey you did your own ogling'

Her furrowed brow softens because she knows they both could've behaved better and now, looking back on those first initial weeks she doesn't know why the attraction between them wasn't painfully apparent to her, because it sure is now.

'Do you want to stay?' He fiddles with the bottom of his t-shirt that drowns her body.

'Stay?' She verifies. A knot in her stomach has suddenly formed. It's excitement.

Every time she's stayed over it's not been through invitation. The first being because it was too late, the second because she fell asleep.

He's point blank asking her.

'You don't have to-'

'No-I mean yes, I'd like that' She can't stop her lips from curving up into a big smile and she thinks perhaps her mother's right, perhaps she is glowing and perhaps she is happier and perhaps it is because of a certain man, perhaps it's entirely because of Lucas Scott.