AN: I think I sorta changed chapter eight and never really realized it…so Chapter 9 will repeat Chapter 8 in some areas (not really sure how much or which areas) but it continues to be a new one.  Sorry…I haven’t written in a while.

Peyton was looking around her old room.  All the pictures from cheer camp, the awards for attendance…her pompoms from senior year.  Her homecoming crowns from junior and senior proms.  She was quite the socialite of Summer Creek High School.  She picked up a picture of Chase…her serious high school boyfriend.

“By the look on that face he just wasn’t a guy you shared your English book with.”
“Chase.  He was the good guy, the one that figured out high school when the rest of us just figured out freshman year.”
“So I have a right to be jealous…but how jealous?”
“Not at all.  I barely existed in high school.  I mean I was a cheerleader, the student class president…but it didn’t matter.  None of it ever mattered.  I remember weekends and going to football games and being at the movies.  I hated it…all of it.  I never wanted to be a cheerleader or the popularity.  It just came with all of it.”
“Why did you do it?”
“I sort of wanted to do it at first, I guess.  But then it became bigger every year.  And I always fell in line.  My neighbor…Rachel Gattina.  She was the socialite that I tried to be.  She talked me into cheering every year.  I guess she wanted someone she could hang out with, and not just during games or nights out with the girls.  She wanted a friend.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that…you didn’t have to do something you didn’t want to do.”
“It’s not like I completely hated it, I just hated why I had become.  I became this people pleaser.  Every time I wanted to scream out ‘no’ I didn’t.  I just made everyone happy.  The look on my dad’s face when my team won at cheering events, he was proud of me.  Ellie was proud of me too.  She came to every game, every cheering event.  She was the cheerleader mom…just without a hired hit man.”
“Did she ever find out you hated it?”
“It would break her heart Luke…I would rather suffer through game days then tell her I hated what I did.  Then Chase came along.  He made a lot of things make sense.  I could talk to him about how stupid being popular is and how crucial cheerleading isn’t.  I faked the smiles and faked everything…just to make people happy.  After I met him, the cheerleading became okay.  The nights out with the girls became less about counting down the minutes and more about actually spending time with them.  But it was too late, we were graduating.  And I never told them how I really felt.”

Ellie knocked on her door.  “I see you found your old room.  Exactly the same way it was when you left.”
“Yeah, the nsync posters blend nicely Ellie.”
“I didn’t want to bother anything, in case you came back.  Anyway.  Dinner will be ready soon, or if you want we could go out.  Your brother called, he got delayed and won’t be here until early in the morning.  So I guess you still have time.”
“Okay, thanks.”
Lucas looked at her.  “Can I ask you a personal question…you don’t have to answer it…though.”
“Sure, but how personal can it get, we live together.”
“Did you sleep with him…Chase?”
“Yeah, I did…twice.”
“I don’t know why I wanted to know that.”
Peyton turned his face towards her.  “No competition…he’s got nothing on you.”  His eyes pointed towards the bed.  “Oh, God no.  Ellie wouldn’t even allow me in this room alone with anyone…even with the girls the door was always open.”
“What about now?”
“Well now…I think if the door is locked then she’d get a pretty good idea what I’m doing.”
“And your brother isn’t coming until tomorrow.”
“Luke…this room has like a hex of us acting like we’re sixteen and realizing there’s no one else in the house.”
He kissed her.  “I wanna have…you…”

That night Lucas came out of Peyton’s room and found Ellie reading by the fire.

“Reading by the fire on a cold night, almost picture perfect.”
Ellie held up her mug.  “And drinking hot chocolate.”
“Sorry to bother you…but there’s something I’ve wanted to talk to you about.”
“About Peyton…is it bad?”
“No, well yeah it’s about Peyton, but it’s nothing bad.”
“Okay, well, shoot.”
Lucas sat beside her on the couch, facing her.  “You probably know that Brooke and I got married in high school when we got pregnant.”
“Yeah, Peyton filled me in on emails…hope you don’t mind.”
“No…it’s just that I’ve wanted to have a relationship and do it right.  And so far…I think its gone pretty good.”
“It has…from what I can tell.”
“I had this conversation planned out for Peyton’s father.”  Lucas cleared his throat.  “I want to ask your permission to marry Peyton…or to ask Peyton to marry me.”
“Wow, this is something I didn’t expect.”
“Look, if that’s a no.”
“Lucas…it’s not even an answer.  I meant that I never expected someone to ask my permission to marry my daughter.  I was just thinking back to when Peyton and I first started really communicating.  I always felt that if we could have a relationship then I would happy.  But honestly, this surprises me.”
“And I don’t know how much longer I can keep a straight face here.”
“Lucas…I would love for you to marry Peyton.”
“Really…no buts or should haves…nothing?”
“Are you surprised?”
“Yeah, kind of.  You had this long drawn out reasoning that sounded like you were against it.”
“The way Peyton talks about you…I’m surprised you’re not engaged already.  I’m just surprised you asked me.”
“Because you’re the mother…”
“Because for a long time Peyton didn’t know I existed and time after that Peyton didn’t want to know me…but I like it.”
“That’s good…well; I’m going back to bed…”
“Well night.  This is just a really good book that I want to finish.”

The next morning Derek quietly opened up the front door.  He got home earlier than expected.  The sun was just peaking up over the hill at the end of the road.  He had it in his mind to make everyone breakfast.  Walking into the kitchen, he realized a few things had changed.

“Ahem.”  He cleared his throat loud enough for Peyton to turn around.  “Either you donned a new wardrobe in North Carolina or there’s a guy in your bed still sleeping.”
“The guy is Lucas…and he’s sleeping.  I got hungry so I came in here for some toast.”
“And you had no clothes.”
“Oh…” She folded her arms.  “I didn’t plan on anyone being awake.”
“Obviously.  I was gonna start breakfast…if you could please go change.”
“I would be glad to go change…and thanks for making breakfast.”

Peyton walked into her bedroom just as Lucas abruptly hung up his cell and threw it on the bed.

“Who was on the phone?”
“I was checking in on Preston, he’s good.  He says hello.”
“And you seemed like really rushed.”
“He was getting bored of talking to me…I guess this is the start.”
“Well, okay.  And Derek just got here.”
“Nothing like meeting the family right when you wake up.”
“I was making toast with your shirt on…so nothing will top that.”
Lucas wrapped his arms around her. “If it helps…you do look sexy.”
Peyton smiled.  “Just a little.”

Everyone was laughing at breakfast.  Mostly of Lucas trying to figure out what Derek said.

"Okay…so let me get this straight.  You said the plane went down in flames.”
“Yeah…and all the survivors were dead.”
“So why bring ambulances if they’re dead.”
Derek laughed too hard to drink his orange juice.  “Peyton, I have to hand it to you…he’s a winner.”
“Thanks Derek.”
“So wait…”
Peyton sighed, laughing.  “Luke…survivors don’t die.”
“Wha…” He figured it out.  “I’m an idiot.”
“You looked cute trying ten minutes of analyzing it.  Seriously, another five minutes, I’d get out the easel and charts for you.”
“So, any plans today?”
Peyton looked at Lucas.  “Well, you’re the one visiting, what do you want to do?”
“It’s been a while since I’ve been able to dive into the snow and make a kick ass snowman.”
Derek laughed.  “What are you, five?”
“I have a seven year old son, so sometimes; I get to be seven years old.  It’s fun.”
“Oh, that’s cool.”
Peyton interjected.  “I didn’t tell Derek about Preston.”
“Let me guess.  It was in the park where Preston, your boy, ran up to Peyton, my sister, crying because he lost his dog?”
“Nope, didn’t try that one, but it could’ve worked.”
“When I first moved to Tree Hill, I worked for a clothing store called Clothes over Bros.  My boss was his ex wife.”
“Ouch…tension?”
“Yeah, but I get to draw for Thud Magazine now and make my own hours.”
“That’s cool.  I remember coming here on weekends and you’d be stuck in your room, wearing your cheerleader uniform and drawing depressing crap and listening to rock music that could be heard down the street.”
Lucas grinned at Peyton.  “Rock music?”
“Part of high school.”
”Oh, so the Peyton Sawyer who proclaimed ‘it’s the music of the future’ decided it wasn’t her future.”
“Dude, I was like sixteen…I had no idea what I was going to do that night.”
“Yeah…or who.”
Peyton’s mouth dropped open and she threw a grape at him.  “Dude, shut up…that is so not true.”
“If that’s your story.”
Peyton imitated Derek.  “If that’s your story.”  She smiled.  “Seriously…the rumors finally stopped after Rachel just declared me a virgin during English in my
sophomore year.  I was red faced for two weeks.  I never told Rachel anything ever again.” Lucas kept eyeing both of them as they went back and fourth.  “That was the week every guy in town wanted to date you.”
“Yeah, if they got passed Hitler first.”
“Hitler…new one…what else you got, blondie?”
Lucas finally spoke up.  “So you two do this to pass time, because you’re kinda good at it.”
“No…it’s just that he does dumb stuff to me and I have to campaign basically to say it’s not true.”
“Do you make like signs and buttons?”  Lucas laughed, and then received a jab in the arm from Peyton.
“So Luke…have you ever rode and RV before?”
“Once.  I went to this cabin with my father and my brother one weekend and we rode RVs and stuff.  It was fun.”
Peyton was confused.  “You did?”
Lucas thoughtlessly put his hand on Peyton’s leg.  “Yeah…it was the weekend before Nathan and Haley got married.  Dan made a guys weekend.”
“Care to go again?”
“Sure.  But where do you ride…like really ride an RV around here?”
“Oh…there’s a part of South Dakota that no one ever sees.  It’s all open field, a lot of hills…perfect for RV.”
“Sure.” He turned to Peyton.  “Did you have something planned today?”
“I’m going to hang out with Ellie.”
“Sounds good. See you later.” He got up, kissed Peyton on the lips and followed Derek.

Ellie came out.  “So you really want to spend the day with me.”
“Ellie, I think I’m going to have to start buying bridal magazines.”
“Oh…so this is…the guy that you lay in bed at night hoping to meet someday.”
“I feel it…I was worried that Luke and Derek wouldn’t get along, but it’s like perfect.  Almost too perfect.”
“Don’t go there…perfect works sometimes.”

Sean came into work and was already annoyed that Preston was sitting beside Brooke at the desk simply coloring in his book.

“So…no babysitter on weekend?”
“I only trust Preston with a few people.  Two of them are out of town and I wanted to be with my son today.”
“So is he going to stay at the counter all day.  We might have big purchases.”
Brooke looked at the other side of the bare counter.  “Then I guess you’ll have to come up with a solution.”
“Mommy!”
“That’s beautiful Preston…good job.”  Sean looked at it and rolled his eyes.  “I love it; it’s going on the fridge when we get home.”
He smiled.  “Mommy, would you mind if I colored another one to put on Daddy’s fridge?”
“Of course not…I’m sure Daddy would love a beautiful picture like that.”
“I love to color.  Hey, Mommy.”
Brooke gave Sean a look to her scoff at Preston’s questions.  “Yes, baby.”
“How do you spell Peyton?”
“Oh…um…”  Brooke thought for a second.  “P…e…y…t…o…n…got it?”
“Yeah, I got it.  I’m going to color a picture for Peyton.  She lets me draw in her sketchpad and sometimes puts them on the fridge.”
“She should, they’re beautiful.  You know, I just might have the next Picasso sitting next to me?”
“Who?”
“He’s a painter.” She saw Preston’s confusion. “Never mind, when you’re older.”
Preston reached for his crayon box and dumped half the box on the floor.  “Oops, sorry mommy…sorry Sean.”
“That’s okay, let’s just pick them up.”  Brooke got up off her stool and helped Preston pick up the box.  “You didn’t mean to do it.”
“But I kinda got red on Sean’s paper.”
Brooke looked at the paper and then at Sean.  “Honestly, you can barely see it.”
“It’s a resume, of you course you can see it.”
“Plan on leaving, Sean?”
“Keeping my options open.”
“Oh, speaking of jobs.  Glenda is coming in today, it’s her first day after training…I have to drop Preston off at Karen’s house…they’re going to watch videos tonight.  Can you just watch over her?”
“If she’s done with training, she should take care of herself.  It’s not hard work.  Greet the customers, sell them clothes.  How hard.”
“She’ll be nervous and you’ve been here since day one, so I think it would be good to come from someone who knows the job.”
“Fine…”
“Thanks for being so enthusiastic.”
“No problem…boss.”
Brooke looked around.  “Where’s Preston?”
“Probably marking on someone else’s papers.”
“No Sean, I’m serious…where is he?”
“Look, I don’t look after the kid, I didn’t make the biggest mistake of my life nad have a kid in high school.”
“Excuse me?”

They both heard a scream from the backroom and a couple of boxes falling.

“Preston!”  Brooke ran to the back room.  “Preston…”
He sniffled.  “Right here mommy.”
“Oh baby, what happened.”
“I was cold…and I wanted my jacket...and the box fell when I reached for it.”
She sat him on the chair and put the boxes back up, getting his jacket.  “What have I told you about things that are too high?”
“Get a big person.”
“That’s right…and did you get a big person?”
He sniffled, rubbed his eye.  “No…I didn’t mommy.”
“And you got hurt, didn’t you.”
“I’m sorry mommy, I won’t ever do it again…I promise.”
“Well you promised last time and this is the next time.  I think we should have a time out.”
“Bu…but…but…mommy!”
“No 'but mommy' me.  You are in time out young man…now.” She pointed to the chair just outside of the of the back office, in obvious view of the store.
He wiped his tears.  “Yes ma’am.”
“Okay.”  She handed him his jacket.  “Here you go…since you were cold.”
“Thanks mommy and I really am sorry.”
“Yes, so am I.”

She walked out to the front counter just as Sean bagged up the purchases and the lady left the store.

“So, what did the hellion do this time?”
“Well…hey, wait a second.  He’s my son, not some hellion.”
“He’s a child, he shouldn’t be here.”
“I’m his mother and you know, I’m the one who owns this place…”
“Yeah, I know.  You can have the loudest sex in the backroom and no one could say anything.”
“Sean…not in front of Preston.  When he’s here…you don’t talk about anything like that.”
“So we have to sing the wheels on the bus when he’s here now?”
“Actually, I have new song for you to sing.”
“Oh, can’t wait.”
“You know the tune ‘free falling’ by Tom Petty…sing it while getting out of my store.”
“Excuse me?” He looked up at her.  “What are you talking about.”
“You are so fired…get out of my store.”
“But who’s going to run the store…certainly not Glenda, since she’s so nervous.”
“Newsflash, I was desperate.  And you know, Preston could run this store better than you could!  Get out of my store…or I will, and you can take this to the bank with your last paycheck, I will have you arrested…this is private property.  Get out.”
He threw his magazine on the counter.  “Your loss.”

Brooke walked to the counter and Preston slowly walked up to her.

“Sean was mean to you; I don’t like Sean no more.”
“To be honest Preston, I didn’t really ever like him.”
“Then why did he work here.”
“Honey, up until recently…I acted like a different person.  Not anymore.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that mommy will be around a lot more and she’ll be so much happier.”
“Like we can get ice cream after you leave tonight?”
“I thought you were going to have ice cream with Grandma tonight…and pizza…and lots of good stuff.”
“Daddy promised that when he got back, we’d have ice cream and pizza, the stuff you just said.”
“Then what are you and grandma going to do tonight?”
“She said we’re gonna watch a movie.”
“Ooh, what movie?”
“I don’t know, she said it was a surprise.”
“You know Grandma, full of surprises she is.”

That night Nathan came home from practice, the house had a million boxes stacked everywhere.

“Haley?”
She peeked over a box.  “Nathan…thank god…there is life out there.”
“Hales, what happened? Did the house explode?”
“No, but Dan’s wallet did.”
“Okay you lost me, what did Dan do and why?”
“Well the why part is pretty easy because it’s all baby stuff.”
“What did he buy?”
“Cribs…blankets…toys…I mean this kid already has a lifetime of things before he even grows feet to walk yet.”
“Dan did all of this?  I mean this is too much…did you try and tell him that.”
“Nathan, I realize you and your father haven’t talked in a while, but seriously, he’s all about overdoing forgiveness.”
“Forgiveness.  Have you talked to him?”
“No.  I’ve tried his cell about ten times all I get is the voicemail.  Seriously, an eleventh voicemail of “how can you do this for us” will make me sound a little stalkerish.”
“Dan always answers his phone.”
“He might be avoiding the obvious and not really tell the reason why he bought us all this stuff.”
“Dan avoid the chance to become the VIP…not like him.”
“Well, he has changed…a lot.”

They heard a knock on the door.

“Maybe a visit in person.”  Haley opened up the door.  “Deb.”
“Haley…I saw Nathan’s car out front…I wanted to talk to the both of you.”
“Sure, come on in…just watch the mess.”
Deb was shocked at all the boxes.  “Are you moving?”
“Looks that way, but no.  Da...umm…this is for the baby.”
“Dan bought all of this, didn’t he?”
“Yeah…I’m just as shocked as you are…I had no idea.  He’s not picking up his phone, so…”
Nathan came around the boxes.  “What’s up mom, it’s a far drive to just ask why we have boxes in our living room?”
“Nothing, I wanted to see what’s going on?”
“Deb…what’s up?  You can stay a while.”
Nathan went to close the door, then saw something on the porch.  “Mom, did you bring something?”
“Honey, it’s nothing, really?”
Nathan bought the box into the house.  “Another box, exactly what we always wanted.”
“Deb, what did you buy us?”
“I didn’t buy it exactly…it was given to me a long time ago.”
Nathan took the crib out of the box.  “This looks familiar.”
“It should.  It was your crib, Nathan.  I thought it would be a family thing to pass it down.  It was given to your father and I by Mae and Royal at my baby shower.  I just could never throw it away.  I had it restored to it’s original look.”
“Wow, mom thanks.”
“You probably don’t need it now. I’m sure your father bought you some fancy crib that has a lot more than this old thing.”
“Deb, really, I love it.  I’d be honored to use it.” Haley looked at both of them.  “I’m going to go put this in the other room beyond the village of boxes.”
Nathan walked in front of Deb.  “How have you been.”
“Wretched with guilt.”
“Me too.”
“Why? I was the one who manipulated you into thinking Dan was this monster.”
“I never really understood it until a few months ago.  You had my best interest at heart, and that I can forgive you for.  But mom, you should’ve let me make my own decision, at least let me know my father cared about me and not let me think he was this horrible monster.”
“I know that now, and I’m so sorry.  I wanted to make your life better than mine…only know of good.”
“Newsflash mom, there are always going to be horrible, rotten things in the world. You can shield me from everything.”
“I just wish I could take it all back, let  you make your own decisions.”
“We can’t change the past.  I do understand why you did it and I can forgive you, but I can’t forget what you did…denying me the right to know my father.  I don’t know if I can trust you.”
“I will win your trust Nathan, I can promise you that.”
“How, mom?  You lied to me for my whole life up until a few months ago, and now I don’t know where you stand.  I’ll always wonder if you’re doing it for the right reasons or the wrong reasons just to manipulate the situation.  I don’t want to feel like that, but…I can’t help it.”
“Just knowing that we’re speaking will help.”
“Hey mom…I’m going to be busy the next few months with basketball and the tournaments.  I know Haley’s going to need help in the nursery.  You don’t have to, but Haley thought it would be a nice thing if you and her were able to up the nursery together.”
“I would love that.”
Nathan put his hand on the box.  “It might take us a little while to know what Dan got us though.”
“I’ll be by the phone, call me anytime.”
“We will.”  Deb opened the door.  “Hey mom.”
“Yes, honey.”
Nathan walked up to Deb and hugged her.  It took a few moments until Deb wrapped her arms around him.  “This is the best gift I could ever receive.”
“Really?  Well, it’s pretty good to me too.”