A/N: Ok guys, here's the next chapter. Big thanks to all my readers. Please let me know if you're still interested in this story. I'd like to know your thoughts.

...

"You were quiet at dinner," Peyton mentioned as they sat on the couch after the rest of the gang had gone home.

Nathan's only response was a shrug. His eyes scanned the room for her parents. They were somewhere in the house, he knew.

"Nate?" Peyton pushed for an answer. No he wasn't a chatterbox by nature, but he did tend to sit center stage in any gathering, always enjoying being the center of attention. Tonight at dinner he'd barely said two words. Not once had he initiated a conversation and he only spoke when asked a direct question. It was so unlike him.

Again he shrugged. "Didn't wanna say the wrong thing and have your dad hate me all over again," he explained. Not that he assumed her father loved him all of a sudden. It was clear, judging by how easily their conversation flowed at dinner, that Larry's preference was still Lucas, but even so, he didn't want to blow the chance the older man had finally afforded him.

"Was it that uncomfortable for you?" Peyton questioned softly.

"Kinda was, yeah," he admitted. "I mean, your dad's always hated me. It's not exactly easy sitting at a table pretending I don't know that. Especially," he continued, "when you have your ex-boyfriend there too, who he obviously wishes was with you instead."

Peyton took in his words, noting silently that, despite the Scott brothers' recent progress, Nathan was still very much threatened by Lucas. "Luke and I only dated a week," she reminded him. "And only because you and I couldn't get it together."

"I know," Nathan acknowledged. "But that's all it took for your dad to love him," he added bitterly.

She didn't bother to mention that it had been much sooner than that. Larry had loved Lucas from the very first time they'd met, when he and Peyton had just barely begun a friendship. Larry had tried pushing them together then, even going so far as stating his hopes for a wedding in the future. Nathan didn't need to know how her father had wishfully called Lucas his future son-in-law.

"They just have common interests, Nate," she said instead. "My dad loves books the same as Lucas does."

"Yeah," Nathan said, recalling Larry and Lucas discussing context and deeper meaning of the author, and everything else. Him, unless it was written in plain English with no room for interpretation, he was lost by the first paragraph.

"Hey, me too," Peyton returned when he told her as much. "I don't know what all the fuss is about, but to each his own, right? Personally, I prefer to read something way less ambiguous. You?"

"Probably," he said firmly. "If I knew what that meant."

She chuckled at his sarcastic honesty. She actually loved his ability to admit, at least to her, when he didn't know something. She knew he felt stupid for it, but she didn't see it that way. Being book smart was not the only way to measure a person's intelligence, and she knew he was much smarter than he often gave himself credit for. So he didn't know the meaning of the occasional word. It wasn't so hard to tell him and after that, if he was interested, he retained it. "Something less vague," she easily explained. "More straight-forward."

He nodded now. He wasn't into books of any kind, really, but if he had to read one, then yeah, he'd definitely prefer the simpler ones that he could actually understand. And he was glad to know that Peyton was with him on that. Though her grades far surpassed his, she was, in no way, an avid reader. He'd often find her rifling through a magazine of some sort, but rarely a book, unless it was assigned them from English class.

Him...well, he generally opted to rent the movie if one was available. It was a wonder he even knew how to read with how much he avoided it.

"I'm sorry I made you stay," Peyton said next. "I knew it might be awkward but I was so excited that he invited you, which never would have happened before, and..."

"Peyton, you don't have to be sorry. It's fine."

Yeah?"

He nodded. "I survived, didn't I?"

"Yeah, by keeping your mouth shut," she returned. "Nathan, I want my dad to get to know the real you. The guy I fell in love with and have loved ever since."

"What? You don't love me when I'm quiet?"

"I do," she answered breezily. "But cocky, arrogant, controlling and possessive Nathan is the jackass I've come to know so much better."

"Funny," he deadpanned. "But remember, that guy you describe is the guy your dad hated from day one," he pointed out. "Do I really have to be him for you to love me?"

"The real question is," Peyton said, now serious, "do you have to stop being him for my dad to like you? And the answer is no."

He shot her an incredulous look that told her she was crazy.

"Okay, maybe you do," she amended. "But the point is you shouldn't have to. Nathan, you don't have to change who you are to please him or anyone else. If he never ever likes you, then so be it. I'm the one you're gonna marry, not him," she said, flashing him the ring from the chain she'd put back on, as she'd said she would.

He just smiled at her, not really having anything to say in response to that.

"Besides," she went on. "If you're not a class A asshole once in a while, whenever could I utilize the bitch in me?" she asked, lightly teasing.

"Oh, you'd find a way," he teased back. "You always do."

"You love me for it," she said with a chuckle, wrapping her arms around his torso and hugging him tightly.

He hugged her back. Yes, he did love her for it. For everything she was...sensitive, moody, hell even bitchy. He loved it all. He loved her more than anything.

He placed a soft kiss to the top of her head. She didn't think of it as anything more than a sweet gesture at this time.

She closed her eyes in contentment, happy to have her Nathan back. She could hug him forever.

"You tired?" he asked her. "Maybe I should go."

She mumbled in complaint. "No, stay. I want to lay like this all night."

"But your parents..."

"What about them?"

He shifted uneasily, feeling like, considering the conversation they'd just had, she should already understand his apprehension. "They're not gonna let me stay," he reasoned. "I mean, why would they?"

"Because they know I want you to and right now, to them, it's all about what I want," she answered knowingly, very aware that, for the past several weeks, they would try just about anything to make her happy. Point proven by the fact that her dad had driven her to the hospital to see Nathan a few weeks ago, let him in their house today, and topped it off with an invitation for him to stay for dinner. She knew all of that was for her sake. She was fairly certain he'd let Nathan stay too, if she asked him.

But she took in Nathan's doubtful expression and tried to reassure him. "Listen," she began. "They'll be fine as long as we're not having sex," she told him confidently.

"Well, how would they know we wouldn't be?" he wanted to know. It's not like her father hadn't walked in and caught them before. Not to mention he'd had to admit to having sex with her in his car the morning of the boiler room attack when the police had just begun their investigation. He hadn't wanted to admit that in front of her parents, but when they'd practically begged him to answer truthfully, he'd had no choice.

Point is, her parents knew he'd slept with their daughter, for sure more than once, and if they had any common sense, which Nathan figured they did, several times before and in between. So why wouldn't they expect them to again? He didn't understand where Peyton was coming from on that.

Until she explained it.

"See that air mattress tucked in the corner?" she asked, her chin jutting toward its general direction.

He glanced over and nodded, just noticing it now that she pointed it out.

"Every night, they pull it out and camp out here in the living room so they can keep an eye on me," she said. "They haven't come out and said that's why, but why else, right?"

"So...?" Nathan began in wonder. "You sleep out here?"

She nodded her head. "Beats treading up and down the stairs on crutches," she explained.

"Right, yeah," he acknowledged. "Sorry."

"Don't be. The couch is actually more comfortable than my bed."

He shrugged, in complete disagreement. He'd slept on this couch plenty of times and her bed was a hundred times more comfortable. Of course, that might be more due to the fact that she was always in the bed with him. "So, you want me to...like...stay here, with your parents?" he asked slowly, already dreading that idea.

"Not with them," she replied. "Up here with me."

"Peyt..."

"You don't want to, I know."

"I can come back tomorrow," he offered.

"Yeah. Tomorrow."

"You pissed?"

"No. Disappointed. I don't wannna let you go."

He smiled at that. "I don't either. It's just..."

"Stop explaining. I get it."

"Thanks," he said with relief.

"But you're not leaving just yet," she stated firmly, her arms tightening around him. "I'm keeping you here as long as I can."

"Trust me, I'm in no hurry," he returned sweetly, making her smile in return and snuggling into him.

She was asleep in less than five minutes. But when he tried to wiggle out from his position, she laid her head on his lap, preventing him from moving without waking her.

He sat very still, just watching her for a long while. He smiled when she mumbled his name in her sleep. Damn, he'd missed that. He was definitely the luckiest guy in the world. So many times he'd blown it with her, and just as many times she'd forgiven him. He wouldn't screw this up again. Or at least he'd try his best not to.

"Fell asleep, did she?" Larry's voice surprised him as he and Ellie suddenly appeared in the living room.

"Yeah," Nathan responded quietly, wishing they hadn't walked in just yet. No matter what Peyton said, he was too uncomfortable around them, her father in particular. And especially since having her head on his lap...her face so close to his...well, let's just say it aroused him a little. Clearly it had been way too long since he'd had her. Irrationally, he wondered if her parents could notice. He definitely hoped not.

"That's good," Larry said, seemingly unaware of the younger guy's not so pure thoughts. "She needs it," he went on. Lord knows his daughter hadn't had a good night's sleep in weeks.

Nathan nodded in response. "I was just gonna head out," he said.

Larry nodded back. "Ok," he replied. "Goodnight, then."

Yeah, clearly her dad wouldn't want him staying as Peyton wanted him to. The guy seemed as anxious for him to leave as Nathan was.

But as though her subconscious mind heard him, Peyton began thrashing around, and his name on her lips was no longer just a soft murmur, but an all-out panic attack.

Worried, Nathan instinctively put a comforting hand on her arm. "Babe, I'm right here," he said soothingly.

She calmed instantly. She hugged his legs and fell back into a deep sleep.

Larry and Ellie eyed each other specutively. Peyton had those same nightmares every night since the boiler room incident, and it always -always- took them several minutes to calm her down, and usually hours to get her to close her eyes again.

They knew that was no coincidence. She obviously felt safest in her boyfriend's arms, a difficult truth for a father to accept.

But he had no choice but to do just that when they were given further proof later that night. It was after Nathan had managed to slip out from under her and gone home when Peyton was struck with another nightmare. It took her parents their standard time to calm her.

No, it most certainly was not a coincidence. Peyton was at her most secure with Nathan.

...

Their friends had already gone by the time Nathan arrived at Peyton's the next day. But she was fine with that because she knew why he was late. He'd let her know yesterday that he was due at the center after school today to get his community service started back up again.

With all the turmoil going on lately, both his community service and his anger management classes had taken a backslide. But it's not like he could just quit going. He was legally bound by court order to attend. It was lucky he wasn't arrested for missing all these months. Of course, he had Dan to thank for that, who'd taken it upon himself to sort everything out with the courts and get another schedule set up. Nathan hadn't had to worry about that.

But he did have to start going at the appointed times, the judge had warned Dan, which Dan had consequently warned Nathan.

"So how was it?" Peyton asked. "Did my baby swoop in and save the day again?" she added, recalling how during the rape trial when counselor Mitch had come in as a character witness for Nathan, that he'd spoken of little Tommy, the boy Nathan had inadvertently gotten to speak after a full month of silence. According to Mitch, the boy had reverted back to silence upon Nathan's absence and she knew that had given Nathan a sense of purpose today, even though returning to the center was mandatory.

He wanted to get little Tommy talking again.

But he shrugged at her question and seemed disheartened when he replied. "It was ok."

"Just ok?" she asked. "Tommy and his brother still there?"

"Yeah."

"And?"

He shrugged again. "And they're both fine. Tommy was already talking," he said with some disappointment. "Has been for a few weeks now, apparently."

Peyton gave her boyfriend a penetrating stare. "Nathan," she began in an almost admonishing tone. "That's a good thing. It means the center's doing something right."

"Yeah, I know," Nathan acknowledged. "It's cool," he added. "I guess I just thought they'd need me more, but I was back to mopping floors, which fucking sucks, by the way."

As much as she loved him, she couldn't bring herself to feel bad for him in that particular instance. "Shoulda thought of that before assaulting your brother," she returned without an ounce of pity in her tone.

He chuckled at her unsympathetic response. "I didn't think the cops would find out," he replied truthfully.

"Another thing to thank Damien for," she spat contemptuously. "God, still can't believe he held a knife to Mouth's throat for those damn tapes," she added with an involuntary shiver.

"Really?" Nathan scoffed. "Considering everything else he did, you can't believe he'd threaten Mouth?"

"No, it just shows how long he held a crazy grudge against you without anyone suspecting," she answered. "That's the unbelievable part."

"Yeah," he answered dully. "Guess he never was my friend, huh?"

She shook her head. "I'd say not. How you doing with that?" she asked seriously.

He simply shrugged. "I try not to think about it."

She touched his shoulder in understanding. She knew how such a huge betrayal felt. Or at least she'd thought she did. When she'd thought Haley had betrayed her friendship by sleeping with Nathan and then accusing him of rape, it had hurt like hell, and she'd only been friends with her a few months. Nathan had been friends with Damien since his freshman year. And she knew, no matter how hard he tried not to think about it , he did nonetheless. "You don't need friends like that," was all she could think to say to him.

"Yeah," he agreed. "I just wish I would have seen it sooner."

"Don't we all," Peyton returned bitterly. If only she could have predicted what a deranged monster he was instead of just the mild discomfort she'd felt around him. "Live and learn, right?

He nodded in agreement.

"And beating ourselves up about it won't change anything," she said reasonably. "Come on," she added, taking him by the hand. "My dad's barbecuing again."

"Peyton..." he began to protest. He'd thought arriving later would spare him from that, but apparently not.

"Steaks this time," she informed him blithely.

"What? You didn't go tell him I wanted steak, did you?"

"No, but if I had, would that be a problem?"

"Your parents thinking I'm demanding steak, hell yeah, that's a problem."

"Well, you didn't demand it," she retorted hotly. "It was my dad's idea so don't worry about it. And it'll only be the four of us tonight."

"Fantastic," he mumbled.

"Ok, what is wrong?" she asked. "I get you weren't thrilled about burgers yesterday, but you love steak."

"It's not about that, Peyton. I like burgers just fine. But why can't we go out to eat? Just you and me?"

"Ok, do you want to turn down my dad's invitation? Because I sure as hell don't."

"Oh, but you have no trouble accepting for me."

"Are we seriously arguing about this?" she wondered aloud. "Nathan, if we're going to be together, then you're going to have to be around my dad sometime, especially since he's back for good now. He's finally figured that out. Why can't you?"

"It's easier for him," Nathan remarked defensively. "I never hated him."

"Well, at least Lucas isn't here so you won't have to feel like you're competing with him."

"Right, I'll just have to hold up the conversation myself," he replied, none too pleased. "I don't even know what to talk about."

"Nathan, you're not gonna say the wrong thing. And even if you do, so what? Like I said yesterday, if he never likes you, that's his problem."

"Fine," Nathan conceded.

"You mad?"

"No."

"Yes," she contradicted. She could hear it in his voice he was.

"Does it matter? Let's just go eat and get this over with."

She sighed in irritation. "So you're aware," she hissed as she wound her arm around him for support rather than using her crutches. "You're being a total jackass right now."

He actually chuckled at that. "You don't wanna know what you're being," he said. "Besides, that's how you love me best, right?" he said, reminding her of her other statement from yesterday.

She took in his cocky smirk and let out a girlish giggle. "Yeah, it is," she stuck with.

And just like that their anger and irritation toward each other vanished.

Neither one was really sure how that had happened, but they were both still laughing when they stepped out to the patio.

Larry took in his daughter's radiant smile and nearly broke down into tears right then and there. For so long he hadn't seen that. Giving the young Scott a chance was certainly paying off. He still wasn't too sure about the kid, but he was willing to try to get along if he could make Peyton so happy. He only hoped she wouldn't get hurt in the end, as she so often did since starting a relationship with this boy.

"Smells delicious," Peyton said as Nathan helped her to a patio chair, taking a seat next to her. "How long before they're done?"

"Few minutes," Larry answered.

"Good, I'm starving," Peyton replied.

"You're always starving," Larry told her, and Nathan smiled because it was true. She always was. He didn't know how the hell she stayed so skinny with the amount of food she could consume.

"Someone want to set the plates and cutlery?" Larry requested.

"I'll do that," Ellie volunteered.

Peyton took Nathan's hand in hers, wishing he could feel more at ease. She understood why he didn't. She probably wouldn't either if the situation were reversed. But she really wanted her two favorite guys to like each other. She knew that may never happen, but maybe if she wished hard enough...and hey, at least they were trying. One of them anyway. Nathan just had to relax a little bit. He never had a problem talking to people so maybe in time he could ease up and be himself.

It was all she could hope for right now.