Uncharted Waters

I just want to preface this by saying that if you are a Leyton fan, this may not be the story for you. This is more of a story about two friends that are learning to pick up the pieces of their lives for their children and learning to lean on each other in the process. This is going to be very Brooke and Peyton centered with two surprise characters toward the middle and heavy influences from Haley, Nathan, Jamie and Mouth with mentions of Lucas.

This story does not include the second time jump in season seven and instead takes place just about three years after Lucas and Peyton ride off into the sunset. For reference, Brooke, Peyton, Haley, Lucas, Nathan and Mouth are about 26 years old. Jamie is about ten, Sawyer is almost four, and Davis and Jude are almost three.

I do not own One Tree Hill or any characters.

Okay, enough of that. On to the story!

...

Chapter 1

Brooke wakes up to a small foot resting on her collarbone. Davis was sick last night and spent the better part of the night throwing up. She lightly moves his small foot and rises from the bed slowly, careful not to wake him up. She carefully places her pillows around him in the form of a nest, so he is safely cocooned in her bed. Brooke sits on the edge of the bed and grabs her fluffy pink bathrobe and sets off in search of her morning pick me up.

It is a very chilly morning in Tree Hill and Brooke wants nothing more at this moment than a large, steaming cup of coffee. She's careful to move around the house with ease so as to not disturb the peaceful slumber of the twins. Being a single parent has been a big adjustment and no matter how much time passes; she will never fully be used to doing everything alone. Well, not completely alone, she's had Nathan and Haley around since the day of the accident and Peyton lived with her for six months after it happened.

Brooke doesn't hear from her best friend as much as she would like since she returned to LA, but she understands that they all have different priorities. One thing Brooke will never forget is the phone call she made to Peyton the night she lost her better half.

"Peyton, I need you. I don't know what to do," Brooke says into the phone as hot, wet tears stream down her face.

Peyton didn't even get the chance to say hello when she answered Brooke's two a.m. phone call. "Brooke, what happened?" She could hear the brunette fighting back tears on the other end of the phone.

In between sobs, Brooke replied quietly, "Julian was hit by a drunk driver." Peyton could hear her voice break. "They don't think he's going to make it," she continued so quietly that Peyton wasn't sure she heard her correctly.

"I'm on the next flight out, what can I do?" Peyton knew that there was nothing on the planet she could do to prevent the pain her best friend was going through, but she could at least make phone calls and book flights if needed.

"Nothing, just please come," Brooke replied as a fresh wave of hot tears made their way down her already tear streaked face.

Julian passed away from his injuries shortly after Peyton and Sawyer arrived. That was just about a year ago and Brooke will never forget that day for as long as she lives. Peyton and Sawyer came to stay with her for the better part of six months to help her get her footing and adjust to being a single mom. Peyton, Haley, Victoria, and the twins helped to keep her grounded during the hardest time of her life.

While Brooke and her mother had a very rocky relationship, since losing Julian, she and her mother have turned over a new leaf. Victoria, formally known as Bitchtoria, has been nothing but helpful with both Jude, Davis, and Clothes Over Bros. Millicent has been another saving grace with everything Clothes Over Bros. The two of them allow Brooke to spend time with the boys while also being involved with the company.

Brooke is halfway through peacefully sipping her coffee when she hears her phone ringing from her bedroom. She glances up at the microwave to see the time. Who is calling her in the middle of the day? She quietly runs down the hall to grab it before the noise wakes the twins. She is pleasantly surprised that they are both still soundly sleeping this late. Brooke makes it to her bedroom in record time and looks at the caller I.D. "What's up, P. Sawyer?"

...

To say that things weren't going very well between Lucas and Peyton would be an understatement. They had been going through a funk lately. Lucas was working crazy hours with Lindsay trying to finish up his new novel and that left everything on Peyton. Not only was she herself working for both the label in LA and Red Bedroom Records, but she was also doing all of the household chores and she was the only one bathing, feeding and spending time with Sawyer. More often than not Lucas would get home at eleven o'clock at night and would be in bed well after the time Peyton would leave to drop Sawyer off and go to work. The days all began to blend together, and Peyton wasn't even sure if it was Monday or Friday.

This morning: however, is one that will be permanently engraved into her mind.

Looking back, she will notice the tell-tale signs from that morning and the events that followed. She will remember seeing the familiar car parked on the opposite side of the street, the women's stilettos carefully tucked under the bench in their mudroom and the extra coffee cup sitting on the counter.

This morning started like so many before it. She woke up a little later than usual to Sawyer standing next to their bed staring at her at six o'clock. Peyton found this both adorable and extremely creepy. Lucas continued to snore next to her and didn't even stir when she got up and began readying herself for the day. "Come on, sweet pea. Time to get ready for school!" Peyton said enthusiastically as she followed her daughter into her room to pick out her outfit for the day.

Sawyer decided to wear her favorite pair of bell bottom jeans and a short sleeved pink shirt, never let it be said that Sawyer Scott was not an absolute fashionista just like her namesake Brooke Davis at only age three.

Peyton made quick work of making Sawyer's lunch and getting the little girl's breakfast ready. They were running late this morning and Peyton had too much to do today to be late. Sawyer was sitting at the table picking at her toast when Peyton glanced at the clock. It was nearly quarter to seven and they weren't even in the car yet. "Little Brooke, let's go sweet pea!" Peyton said, trying to hurry her daughter along. Locking the door behind her, they were finally off to preschool.

They arrived at Sawyer's school two minutes before all of the kids had to be in their classrooms. Although they got there with a few minutes to spare, in all their haste they had left Sawyer's backpack behind. "Mommy! My backpack!" Sawyer said as she was exiting the car.

"Go into school and I will drop it off in a little while. I love you, baby girl. I will see you after school," Peyton blew her daughter a kiss and watched as she walked into the building with her teacher. The last thing she had time for was a trip back home to get Sawyer's backpack and another trip to the school, but off she went.

About twenty minutes later Peyton arrived back home. She walked up to the door and rifled through her bag looking for her keys, but found the door was already unlocked. She could have sworn it was locked when she left. As she walked into the house and grabbed the missing backpack from Sawyer's room, she heard quiet sounds coming from her closed bedroom door. As she inched closer to the door the sounds grew louder and there was no mistaking what was going on behind it.

Peyton grabs the doorknob and pushes the door open. The scene that she sees unfolding before her will be one that she will see in her nightmares for the foreseeable future. Lucas is in bed with Lindsay and he has her pinned to the mattress. The force of the door hits the wall behind it making a gentle thud. Lucas turns to look at her but is not at all alarmed by her presence and makes no move to stop. She should find the irony in the whole situation. Lucas and Peyton kissed while he was engaged to Lindsay so why is she surprised that Lucas and Linsday are screwing while her and Lucas are married? Furthermore, how ironic is it that he has now cheated in every serious relationship he has ever been in? What's that thing people say about cheaters? Once a cheater, always a cheater or something like that?

She is still standing in the doorway shell shocked. Lucas turns his attention back to her and climbs off of his mistress. "Peyton," he starts to say until she cuts him off.

"Don't," she says through gritted teeth. "I am going to bring this to our daughter's school and then I will be back. I want your little whore gone before then," She replies, turning on her heel, grabbing Sawyer's forgotten backpack, and slamming the door shut behind her.

By the time Peyton backs out of the driveway, her chest is heaving, and tears are rolling freely down her cheeks. It takes her longer than usual to make it to Sawyer's preschool with slightly impaired vision. Before she gets out of the car, she makes sure she looks somewhat presentable. She drops off Sawyer's backpack and gets back into her car. She has about twenty minutes to make herself look put together because she will be damned if she lets her cheating husband see her this vulnerable.

Upon returning home, Lucas is sitting at their dining room table. She slowly walks into the dining room and places her purse on the table. "How long?" she asks as she looks down at her husband.

He looks at her blankly. "How long have you been screwing your editor and ex-fiancé behind my back?" she repeats louder, her words laced with anger.

"Peyton," he murmurs.

"How long, Lucas?" she replies, her voice growing louder with every word.

"Since you went to see Brooke in Tree Hill after Julian's accident."

"Six months?" Peyton questions, her voice breaking.

"You were gone, and we were already having problems!" he replies, trying to justify his actions.

"In what world is that an excuse to cheat on your wife?" Her resolve is weakening, and a small tear rolls down her face.

He remains silent, not meeting her eyes. After five minutes of silence, she grabs her purse and walks to Sawyer's room. She grabs her small pink designer suitcase, a gift from Brooke, and begins filling it with clothing. Lucas doesn't come searching for her until she is zipping up Sawyer's suitcase and heading to her own bedroom.

"What are you doing?" he demands, hot on her heels now as she turns the corner to their room.

"I'm not doing this with you, Lucas. This isn't high school; cheating is a whole new ballpark. We're married, we have a daughter now, you need to stop thinking with your dick. You have been sneaking around with her for six months. You've been having an affair for six months. Are you even working on a new novel or was that just your excuse to spend time with her?" Peyton asks, growing angrier.

"Peyton," Lucas says, blatantly ignoring the question. She's pretty sure she already knows the answer.

"Call me when you're ready to put your family first," she says, as she grabs her suitcase from their closet and begins to fill it.

"Can't we at least talk about this?" Lucas fires back.

"I am trying to talk about it, Luke! You won't even tell me the truth!"

"Where are you going?" Lucas asks, finally meeting her gaze.

"Home," Peyton replies with certainty. "I'm serious, call me when you're ready to put your family first. You're obviously not ready to give up your side whore, so call me when you are and we can talk about a custody arrangement," she continues.

"What?" he replies, having the audacity to look at her like she's crazy.

"I want a divorce, Lucas. I think we both need the time apart, but you need to understand that I have no desire to reconcile. You had an affair for six months. It wasn't one time, it was you repeatedly making the conscious decision to continue to have an affair," Peyton says, tears once again making their way down her cheeks. "That's not something I am willing to forgive."

"You can call and video chat with Sawyer as much as you want, but I can't stay here and I'm not leaving her," Peyton says, looking at Lucas.

"Okay, but we aren't done talking about this," he says back.

"I'm not sure what's left to say," Peyton says, grabbing both suitcases and walking out the door.

She loads the two suitcases into the trunk of her car and climbs in the driver's seat. Peyton arrives at work, very late, and walks into her boss's office. Her new boss is much more flexible and understanding than John had ever been. Thankfully she and her boss get along quite well so when she tells her that she needs to return to Tree Hill once again, Cara, her boss, is more than understanding. "We just signed a new artist at Red Bedroom Records so there is more than enough work to keep you busy, so take all the time you need," her boss tells her as Peyton stands to leave her office.

When Peyton and Lucas decided to move to Los Angeles, Peyton decided to continue working for Red Bedroom Records. That label was like another child to her and when John Knight tried to shut down the label, both Haley and Peyton fought tooth and nail to keep it running. After John had been fired for misconduct, Cara Thomas had stepped up and offered to partner with Red Bedroom Records.

After gathering a few things, she would need from her office, she decides to pick Sawyer up early. Talk about something she absolutely was unprepared for. Sawyer wasn't even four yet. How do you explain divorce to an almost four-year-old? Peyton didn't quite understand how this happened herself, never mind trying to explain it to a child. Her child.

It's nearly nine o'clock in the morning, if they leave for Tree Hill now, they can get to New Mexico before putting up for the night.

Peyton walks into Sawyer's school to pick her up. She makes sure to tell Sawyer's teacher what is going on and that the little girl will be starting preschool in Tree Hill.

"Where are we going, Mommy?" Sawyer asks as Peyton buckles her into her car seat.

"We're going to go see Aunt Brooke, baby girl," Peyton replies, kissing her daughter's forehead and gently closing her door.

As soon as Sawyer falls asleep, Peyton calls her best friend. Tears are already rolling down her cheeks before Brooke even answers the phone.

"What's up, P. Sawyer?"