"So… I asked Haley to clean up the house and fix it up a bit before we arrive" Lucas told Peyton.

"Which basically means that the entire house will be spic and span and I won't have to lift a finger" Peyton joked.

"Mummy, we there yet?!" Sawyer asked from the back-seat.

"Almost sweetheart" Peyton responded.

"Are you excited to see where your Mummy and Daddy grew up Sawyer?"

"Yes Mama!"

Peyton smiled to herself. She was so close to home now, she could taste it! As they travelled down these familiar roads she started to think back to all those years and memories around Tree Hill. Memories she wanted to be able to share and re-live with her own daughter. She knew there was no other place she wanted her daughter to grow up and create her own memories and make friendships that would last a lifetime. When she looked back at her life, she really had to admit how blessed she really was. She had an amazing childhood growing up, some great friends that would be with her through thick and thin and a loving family. She really couldn't ask for anything more.

Peyton was jolted back to reality when she felt the car slow and turn as Lucas pulled the car into the driveway… They were actually home.

"Do you know that no other place I've stayed or lived in has ever felt as much like home as Tree Hill" Peyton commented.

"For you and me both" Lucas replied, before leaning over to kiss her. His attention was drawn to the backseat to see his daughter asleep once more.

"So – shall we wake her and show her around the new digs?!" Lucas asked.

"Yeah" Peyton answered quietly. "You go inside, I'll get her."

Peyton moved around the Comet to go and unbuckle Sawyer. As she did so, Sawyer stirred from her slumber.

"Hey Baby Girl" Peyton whispered into her ear. "We're home. Do you wanna see your new home?"

"Mmmmmm" Sawyer mumbled as she wrapped her arms around her mothers neck.

Lucas smiled down at the image of his wife and daughter cuddled together. He was waiting for them to come up to the porch so that they could walk over the threshold together. Peyton looked up, locked eyes with Lucas and smiled.

"Home at last" she said.

"Shall we?" Lucas asked. Peyton merely smiled as confirmation.

Peyton and Lucas were smiling and laughing with each other as they crossed over the threshold. Lucas' arm was protectively wrapped around the waist of his wife who was carrying their daughter inside. They both looked up at the same time to see the lights switch on and a whole bunch of smiling faces screaming "SURPRISE" as they looked on in shock. They were both speechless. At the forefront were Nathan and Hayley along with everyone else from their past. Brooke, with her arms wrapped around Julian, Mouth and Millicent, Skills and almost everyone was there to welcome them home.

It was a few seconds before anyone said anything. There was then an outburst from the background of "UNCLE LUCAS!" as Jaime pushed through the crowd and leapt at Lucas.

"Hey Buddy" Lucas replied, smiling.

"Hi! Missed you. Oh.. hey Aunt Peyton" Jaime replied sheepishly.

"Hi Jaime" Peyton replied as Jaime jumped down from Lucas' arms and ran out the front door.

"Don't mind him, he never does anything at slow pace these days" Haley responded before approaching them both to give them a hug.

"Welcome home!"

"I suppose this was all your doing?!" Lucas accused.

"Well how else am I supposed to welcome my best friend home?!" Haley responded.

"Thanks Haley. This is amazing" Peyton said. "Luke just doesn't know what hit him!"

"So… P. Sawyer… I mean Scott… P. Scott is home at last" a voice said. Peyton looked up to see Brooke coming over. Quickly handing Sawyer over to Lucas, Peyton ran up to embrace her best friend.

"I've missed you B. Davis!"

"I missed you too! And by the way, I've changed the rules. Remember when I said you couldn't leave this planet without my permission… well I've decided you can no longer leave this town without my permission P Scott. Either that or I will no longer be your best friend!"

Peyton smiled. "Ok, I won't be going anywhere you know. Not if B. Davis says I can't" Peyton joked.

"Ok seriously, what is it with this town and saying last names?! I've never heard it anywhere else but here, you guys seem obsessed with it!" Julian said while coming up to embrace the couple.

During the welcome home Sawyer had woken up from her slumber. Lucas put her down, and she quickly ran to grab hold of her mothers leg.

"Hey Sawyer" Peyton said, kneeling down to her daughters height.

"Do you remember Aunt Brooke… she came to visit us in LA". Sawyer just stood there in stunned silence. There were so many people around. And all these people seemed to know her. She clung to her mothers neck and buried her face in her hair.

Peyton laughed, picking her daughter up. "I think it's all a little too much for her! She usually never shuts up!"

Hours passed as Lucas and Peyton mingled with their Tree Hill friends. Catching up on the old news and new. It was so good to be with everyone again. It was so easy to forget just how much these friends meant to you from so far away. They couldn't have imagined a better welcome home.

After they bid good-bye to everyone, put an exhausted Sawyer to bed, Peyton and Lucas flopped onto their bed unable to move another muscle.

"So you still don't think we can move into the main bedroom" Peyton teased.

"No way! That room… ugh – I won't be able to sleep in that room, it would be like… my mother constantly watching our every move!" Lucas responded.

Peyton laughed. "I guess Sawyer will be getting the best room in the house then"

"I guess so"

"Do you know what this reminds me of?" Peyton asked. "This feeling of utter exhaustion and not being able to move another muscle?"

"Hmmm… there was only one other time I felt this exhausted… the night when we had to look after Jaime and Andre. What a night that was".

"Tell me about it. Even Sawyer on her worst nights didn't leave me as exhausted as that night… but then I have the excuse that I was pregnant. What was yours eh?!"

Lucas laughed. "What do you think?! I had to answer the whims of my pregnant fiancé"

Peyton playfully hit him pretending to be offended.

"Lucas Scott… what am I going to do with you?!" Peyton asked leaning in to kiss him.

"Hmm… I'm not sure…."