AN: What the hell is Matt doing?! Well…This story was written after 512 aired but I never posted it, yet…I was re-reading it and liked the writing and eventually came up with a plotline for it. So…this will not get in the way of Letting the Cables Sleep because that story is way too much fun to write.

This one will be a bit softer then that one, more of a romantic story then a tragic/angst story that I usually write. I know there are a lot of post 512 stories, but this one is different because there are significant time jumps later on.

Jeez...lol, I talk a lot! Okay, I'll stop now, enjoy and please take a little time to review.

One: Mirrored

She couldn't remember a cold like this. At least, not this late in May. Even with the top of her car up, the chill still racked her bones. There was no preparation for a day like today. Watching the love of your life being married. Whether or not it worked out, he was still up there, smiling, looking into her eyes. 'I do' may be merely words but…they were like boulders, crushing her spirit completely.

What hurt even worse was when the bride, a good person with some bad timing and no real knowledge of his history…ran out.

Peyton Sawyer witnessed it all. She saw Lindsey give Lucas back that ring, she saw the tears in her eyes and watched as she scurried down the isle. Then she saw the boy she loved, devastated.

Someday was a pretty simple word in theory. It meant…eventually, not yet…but not never. That one word that, to her, didn't really mean much…meant the world to him. When Lucas asked Peyton if she would be his wife, she said someday. Did she love him? Of course, but…that kind of commitment was huge and…they were so young, barely planting their own feet into the ground.

However, Lucas couldn't see that, or maybe…he didn't want too. Someday to him meant no, meant that she didn't believe in him. How could he think these things of her? After all they'd been through, the support they'd shared for one another for so long…how could he?

There are two polar emotions in our hearts that are almost interchangeable. Love and Hate. Each one carries a significant amount of effort to show. To love or to hate, you must be committed either way. Peyton tried to accuse him, to hate him. Certainly she had her blame in all this but…the word no never escaped her lips. A part of her wanted to hate him, but that same part couldn't stop loving him.

The sound of a blaring horn behind her reminded Peyton that she'd been parked at the same stop light for a few minutes now. Looking back quickly, she pressed the gas and continued through the street. It took about twenty minutes to reach the beach from the church. Brooke was already home, most likely calling up an adoption agency since a baby had suddenly become her new endeavor.

Peyton wanted to care, but…a lot of Brooke's desires were temporary, an I want and I need sort of thing. Like a child who wants the new toy because their best friend already has one. Either way, she would smile, nod…tell Brooke that it was a great idea. Because she loved the girl and…being supportive is just who Peyton Sawyer was.

There was a soft rain falling now, a chilly one at that. Her pace didn't quicken to the house from her car though. She almost…lost herself in it. For as long as Peyton could remember, the rain was one of her many solaces. The sound, the smell…how quiet it seemed to make the rest of the world. Many of her earliest memories go back to the rain. It was raining the day she met Brooke…her first day of school…the last conversation she had with her mother.

Turning the handle, she stepped inside the house and leaned against the door while closing it. The world seemed a bit emptier today…a bit scarier.

"Peyt, is that you?" Brooke's voice carried from the kitchen.

So much for the silence of the rain. "Yeah."

The brunette stepped through the house and saw Peyton's sad demeanor, soaked to the bone. ", are you trying to catch pneumonia?"

"No, it's really coming down out there." She said, noticing the phone in Brooke's hand. "What'cha up too?"

She smiled brightly. "Calling up adoption agencies. Did you know there's like…seven in the surrounding areas of Tree Hill?"

Peyton raised her brows a little, shaking her head. "Wow." It was hard to sound interested when her mind was swirling in a million directions. "I uh…I'm gonna get some dry clothes on."

"Okay…" Brooke nodded, knowing that her best friend was hurting but not sure of what there was left to say.

Shuffling up the stairs, she began shedding the dress before she even entered the bedroom. Rummaging through her dresser, Peyton pulled out a pair of sweats and the biggest shirt she could find. Appearance didn't matter tonight. She needed comfort and ice cream…maybe a little vodka.

For a little over 20 dollars, Lucas Scott could find comfort in this world after all. Maybe it wouldn't make his heart skip a beat or…put a blush filled smile on his face. But for that amount of money, he could buy a basketball from the sporting goods store and try and lose himself in something.

The game never questioned him, never doubted him. It was there when Lucas was at his best and worst. Basketball never ran out on him, never gave up on him. His own heart may have prevented him from playing, but…it never abandoned him.

His cell phone had rang…at least two dozen times already. Eventually he just shut it off. There was no point in answering it anyway. It's a strange thing, giving your heart to people and constantly having it thrown back. Sooner or later you have to wonder if anyone will commit themselves to you.

Lindsey Strauss was a great girl, she was there when he needed to be picked up. She was also there when he accomplished his dreams. The girl he thought he loved, wasn't…at least…he thought she wasn't. Everything was great, he was happy, in love…pushing forward. Then she came home and suddenly his life became a downward spiral that he almost jumped into.

He wanted to stay close to her, he never wanted to stop being a friend to Peyton. Was that so wrong? Wasn't he allowed to care about her? You don't risk your life for someone…twice and then suddenly stop caring about them. Why did they all read to far into it? Too many people had walked out of her life…he didn't want to fall onto that list.

"Hey." Looking up, Lucas saw his younger brother coming down the hill to the court. "Your phone is off."

"Yeah…" Lucas nodded slowly. "Kinda felt like being alone."

Nathan sighed, squinting up at the sky. "You do realize it's raining…right?"

"Barely…it's dying down now."

Lucas took a shot, watching the ball slightly touch the net on its way through. See…this was simple, shoot the ball, it goes in…why couldn't life follow that pattern?

"I wish there was something I could do but…"

"There's not." The older Scott broke in, catching the pass back from Nathan. "I really just…need some time."

Nathan could only nod…words seemed to be lost on him at this point. "Just…don't stay out here too long. You might catch pneumonia."

With a painful smile, Lucas watches his brother leave before going back to his barrage of jump shots.

After about thirty minutes of this, he was covered with raindrops and sweat. Sitting on the bleachers next to the court, Lucas found himself with his head buried in his hands. Reaching to his side, he grabbed his cell phone and turned it back on. About seven new voicemails appeared but he ignored them all. Flipping through the contacts list, he stopped on one name and dialed.

One ring…

Two.

Three.

Two more…

"You've reached Lindsey Strauss, I'm sorry I can't come to the phone right now but…"

Lucas closed his phone, frustration, bitterness and sorrow battling for supremacy in his heart. Standing up, he gathered his things and climbed into his car. There were still clouds overhead but the rain had stopped as he pulled into the driveway.

Walking through that door, seeing the emptiness left inside…it was as if his things were foreign without hers to match.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, a sound from the other room caught his attention. A small piece of him wanted to believe it was her, maybe…it was her.

Racing through the room, he turned, spotting a figure in the kitchen and when he looked closer, his hopes were dashed.

"Skills?"

The boy turned, dropping a box of something to the floor. "Hey, man…I--I didn't think you'd be home. I wasn't…snooping or nothing I just…you always have food and I was hungry. It's my bad, dawg."

With a sigh and a smile, Lucas waved off his concerns. "It's fine." He watched as Skills bent down to pick up the item he dropped. "What is that?"

"Mac and cheese, you want some?"

"Nah…I couldn't eat."

Skills nodded, clearly Lucas was upset and doing his best not to show it. "So I guess it wasn't exactly like you planned it out huh?"

The blonde laughed softly. "Not quite. I would have never shown her that book if I had known what it would do to her."

"What book?"

"My novel, the new one…it…one of the metaphors she took literally and…a few accusations later…she left."

With the microwave going, Skills sat down at the counter beside Lucas. "Talk to me, what's the deal?"

"The story is…about a boy who sees this comet and…it leaves and no one believes that he saw it or all the great things it did for him. He waits for it to come back and spends his whole life longing for it to return."

Furrowing his brow, Skills shakes his head. "So what? Was she pissed for boring her to death?"

Lucas laughed sadly. "Maybe…but, no…she…Peyton drives a comet."

With that, it all came together. "Ah…right. The other girl you love."

"Skills…"

"Come on, Luke."

"Lindsey is the girl for me, okay…end of story."

The timer went off on the food and Skills stood. "If that was true, don't you think she'd be cooking up the blues with you instead of me?"

"What are you doing?" Lucas asked, incredulously. Confusing his friend.

"What?"

"Support me in this, man. Don't tell me what I feel."

Skills sat down with his bowl. "You already know how you feel, dawg. You wrote a book about it."

"You know what…" The nonchalance of his words weren't sitting well with Lucas at all. In one quick motion, he swiped the bowl from the table and sent it crashing to the floor.

"What the hell, dawg?"

"Why does everyone try and tell me how to feel? Nobody knows how I feel, what I want…nobody cares! Just…get out."

The outburst was extremely unexpected, for the both of them. "What?"

"I said get out, I don't need this."

As Lucas stormed out of the room, Skills stood, unsure of what just happened, he left quietly. Not wanting to push the issue any further.

"What are you doing?" Breaking Peyton's concentration, Brooke asked as she walked into the room.

The blonde took a sip from her glass. "I'm drawing, why?"

"Not that…this?" She picked up a half empty bottle of wine and pointed to it. "Peyt, I'm thinking about adopting a child and you're…boozing like a 16 year old."

Brooke's holier-than-thou speech hit a nerve. "I'm sorry we can't all be saints, Brooke but I had a pretty crappy day in case you missed it."

"P…" She settled, kneeling down to meet Peyton's eye level. "A half a bottle in twenty minutes…that's not like you. I know you're hurting but…I also know that you can be a little self-destructive when you…"

"When I what?" Peyton asked, a sharpness in her tone.

The hole she was in, Brooke dug herself. "When you…lose someone you love."

"I lost Lucas a long time ago." The words hurt, it always hurt to talk about him, especially now. There were only so many times she could pick up the broken pieces of her heart and rebuild again. "Look I know this is your house and…I know I don't pay a lot of rent but…I really want to be alone right now. Could you get out…please." Peyton didn't want to sound mean, she tried…but it's hard to kick someone out in a sweet way.

Standing up slowly, Brooke sighed and nodded. Without another word, she turned and left. Her eyes were as empty as her heart when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Turning away, she picked up the bottle and poured another glass, sobriety might take the sorrow if she lost it.

"I'll take another." Lucas called out, sliding his glass across the bar and watching it fill up again. When the mug was returned to him, Lucas took a heavy sip.

The bartender looked him over. "You got money for all this?"

"Yeah…I got money." His voice didn't carry well, it was sharp, a grumble in it's manner. "Just keep pouring the drinks."

Taking another swig, Lucas exhausted another long breath. This wasn't working, the alcohol wasn't taking away the sinking feeling in his gut…it was deepening it.

"Well…I thought I'd find you here." There was no point in looking back, he'd known that voice for 18 years.

Lucas cleared his throat. "I think I've earned a drink."

"So how many is this?"

Haley stepped up, pulling a stool out to sit beside him. After checking his house and the river court, she knew that the only other place he'd be at midnight is here.

"I haven't had that many."

"You never did know your limit."

Everyone's concern and judgment was starting to push him too far. "I've already got a mother, Haley. I just need some time alright. Can't anyone get that?"

"Luke…"

"Did you say something to her?"

His accusation made Haley's jaw drop. "Who Lindsey? Of course not."

"You said you thought the book was about Peyton. Then Lindsey says the same thing. Did you tell her?"

This confirmed her initial realization. Lucas was in dark place, blaming her, hopefully he hadn't seen Peyton…lord knows what he'd say to her. "I would never do that to you, Lucas."

Quietly, he turned his head back to the glass. Staring into the amber liquid with on phrase running through his mind. "The boy saw a comet. It was…just a story."

"The boy saw a comet…" Whispering to herself, Peyton's mind continued to think back to those words. She heard Lindsey say them…everyone heard it. It didn't take a scientist to make the connection. She drove a comet, she loved Lucas…Lindsey knew both these things.

Guilt…the guilt was what hurt the worst. Did she come home for Lucas…of course, denying it now only made her look stupid. But she never intended to hurt him. To take away his happiness. If she could change it, Peyton would sacrifice the label, Mia…all the success…if it meant he could stay happy.

The wine was kicking in, a spinning room and a lighter head wasn't removing the clamp on her heart. A part of her thought it would be better, if she just…packed it up and…left town. Move the label, drop contact with Tree Hill…slip away quietly. It would be better for Lucas, Brooke too…she was starting a family, Peyton didn't fit into that. Everyone was living their lives, they'd all moved on…why couldn't she?

She stood, her legs felt like jell-o but she managed to balance herself. Taking each step slowly, Peyton made her way to the bottom floor.

Brooke was sitting at the kitchen table, flipping through a few business papers. She watched as Peyton stepped into the kitchen, stumbled might be more appropriate.

"What are you doing?" She asked, using a curious tone instead of judgmentally.

Peyton opened the freezer door. "I'm out of wine." There was a pout to her voice, Brooke didn't have to ask what happened to it. "I think I'm drunk…" She whispered, her body still as the air from the freezer blew onto her.

"Yeah…" Brooke stood, walking over to the blonde and placing a hand on her back. "Maybe you should lie down." Then she got a sniff of Peyton's breath. "Oh…wow…you smell like a wine cellar."

"Do you remember…" Her voice slurred a bit. "Remember when I first told you about Lucas…when I first…" Peyton's voice trailed off.

"I do, I flew to the California the next day. You cried, we drank…of course I remember."

A tear slipped from Peyton's eye, cascading down her cheek. "That was…I ruined everything. I should have said yes." Brooke had heard this story before, it was the one thing that haunted Peyton. Instead of dropping a reassuring line or trying to find a comforting word. Brooke just pulled her friend in and they embraced. "I think I'm going to leave…"

"What?" Brooke pulled back a bit, confusion in her eyes. "Leave? Where?"

"I don't know…anywhere but here. I can't do this anymore…I can't keep hurting people."

"Peyton, you are not hurting people. You're just…hurting. You need to sleep this off, tomorrow will be a new day."

The blonde shook her head, backing away. "No, I can't stay here."

Peyton was gone, beyond drunk and depressed. Brooke knew she just needed to sleep. "Come on…" She stepped closer, wrapping a firm arm around Peyton and leading her out the door to the stairs.

"No, I have to go…" Her voice was barely audible now as Brooke led her up the steps. "Just let me go."

"Shh…" Walking through the door and now carrying most of Peyton's weight, she pulled the sheets down with a free hand and sat the girl down. "Everything is gonna be okay, Peyt." It was a cliché choice of words, everything's gonna be okay. However, it worked…because…it was what Peyton's mother used to tell her when she was scared. "Everything's gonna be okay." Lying her down, Brooke stroked a cheek a few times, pulling a trash can close to the bed for just in case matters.

With heavy eyes, Peyton slipped into a comatose sleep. Brooke could only hope that by morning…everything would be okay.

"You know…sometimes I feel like nothing's gonna be okay again." Lucas had been talking for as long as Haley could remember. She was driving through town, watching as he swayed in his seat as they approached his house.

"Come on." Haley said, parking the car and rushing over to the passenger side. Lucas was pretty big guy, compared to her at least. "Keep your legs steady." She never liked seeing him this way, but since he'd just been left at the alter about six hours earlier, she decided to give him a free pass.

Using the wall for support, they moved through the house. Passing from the kitchen to the bedroom where Haley saw how empty it was.

They came up to the bed and Lucas practically fell into it. His body rolling a bit while he tried to keep from falling. There were tears in his eyes, ones that Haley hadn't seen until now.

"Luke…"

"Are you going to leave me?" His broken voice was hard to take.

"What?"

"Don't leave me, Haley. I can't lose anyone else."

Sitting down beside him, Haley shook her head with a smile. "I'm not gonna leave you, Luke. You'll always have me around."

"Why do people stop loving me?"

"Lucas, no one stops loving you…there's a lot of people that love you. Me, Nathan…your mom, Pey…" It just spilled out. When you talk about Lucas, and love…the name Peyton is at the top of that list.

There was pain etched in his face. "I hate her…"

A sad smile graced Haley's lips. "You don't. You're just a little lost."

"I want to hate her…" He whispered again, his eyes falling shut as the words were nothing more then a repeated mumble. A moment later, he was asleep.