"It's time" Lucas said to Peyton, smiling at Sawyer as she played on the swing set in their yard. Her long blonde, curly hair reaching the bottom of her back, she looked exactly like her mother, except for Lucas' goofy squint. Lucas wrapped an arm around Peyton, who was also smiling at their beautiful daughter. Together, they nestled up on their porch of their house in L.A, Peyton's head on Lucas' shoulder as they watched their daughter together.

"It's time Peyton."

She leaned into Lucas, never taking an eye of Sawyer. "I know" she nodded. "I know that, okay? I just… How do we go back Luke? So much has happened to them, so much has happened to Brooke and Haley and I wasn't there to help them. And, and now we're going back? What do I say?'Hey, sorry I wasn't here but I am now?' Luke… It was always me that complained that people were leaving and I left, I mean, they have to be mad? Right?"

Lucas laughed and kissed her head, breathing in her familiar scent for a moment, nothing felt better then having her in his arms. Such a worrier.

"We left Peyton. We left together. Haley wasn't mad at me when I saw her, mostly she was worried about Nathan. And they understand. Brooke is your best friend! She knows that Tree Hill has a lot of bad memories for you, she knows Tree Hill wasn't your home, I was. She gets it, Peyt, she understands. And Haley and Nathan are fine. They're great, but Haley wants her best friend back and I want to go home - I need to go home, Peyton."

Peyton nodded. She knew Brooke would understand, she knew Haley was fine, she just… She was so happy in L.A with Luke and Sawyer. Protected, where no one knew who she was and what had happened, no car-crashes, no bullet-wounds, no psycho fake brothers, no almost-death-by-baby, all that she had in this new home was happy memories and she didn't want to say goodbye to that, she didn't want to leave that.

But she did want to go back to Tree Hill. She knew Luke missed his home and she missed Brooke and Haley and the record label, and she wanted Sawyer and Jamie to grow up together, and she wanted to see Davis and Jude grow up, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she had left Tree Hill and all the bad memories behind, she had moved on and she was scared. Scared for Sawyer, scared that she would have to face all the drama Peyton faced.

"Hey" Lucas said and Peyton knew that as always, he was reading her mind. "Sawyer will be fine, Sawyer will be great. And you? You'll be fine too."

She kissed him. "I know - I'm just scared."

He kissed her "I know you are, but I've got ya, and I'll never stop being here, you know that. We both know as long as we have each other, nothing can happen."

She nodded. "I know. I know. You're right"

He flashed his smile at her, the one he only had for her. "Lets go home Peyton Scott."

She smiled at him "It still gives me chills when you call me that."

Peyton sat in the back of the Comet so Sawyer could ride up front with Lucas - Sawyer had wanted to see Tree Hill come into view and how could Peyton or Lucas refuse those beautiful green eyes - both loved her too much not to give her what she wanted. But although Peyton was happy to return, she couldn't help but fidget in the back, nervously glancing at Lucas' happy and confident face, and although she'd spoken to Brooke and Haley and they had assured her that they were okay with her leaving, Peyton couldn't shake the feeling that some damage had been caused in her quake to find peace. She was being silly, of course, it was understandable that her and Lucas took Sawyer away from where so much bad had happened but still, she felt like she'd caused irrevocable damage and she never wanted to hurt Brooke or Haley by being selfish.

"Stop" Lucas said softly, glancing at her in the rear view mirror.

"What?" Peyton asked innocently.

"Stop worrying Peyt, okay? It's okay. We've been over this a hundred times"

"I know. I know" And like always, Peyton couldn't hold in her worry. Like always, she couldn't keep what she was really feeling from Lucas. "What if they've changed? What if they don't like me?"

Sawyer let out a little laugh "Who couldn't like you Mommy?"

Lucas nodded, grinning at his daughter. "Exactly. Who couldn't like you Mommy?"

"Who do you need to like you Mommy? You have me and Daddy and we better than like you, we love you"

"Yes" Lucas laughed. "We love you-"

"Very much!" Sawyer finished for him and Lucas and Sawyer laughed together. Peyton feeling somewhat calmer although not completely calm laughed with them. Things may have changed but she did have Lucas and Sawyer, and besides Haley and Brooke loved her too. She wouldn't hold a grudge against them if they had left and she would love them for coming back.

"There's only One Tree Hill, Peyton Scott and it's always going to be our home" Lucas whispered to her, and suddenly Peyton knew all her worries for nothing because despite it being surrounded in bad memories it was also surrounded in great ones, and there were great ones to come, Tree Hill was home because home is where the people you love are.

"Hey. " Peyton heard a familiar rusty voice call and she yanked the last box from the moving van. She turned, slowly, to see her best friend and her two oldest friends standing outside Lucas' childhood house.

"Hey" Peyton smiled at Haley, Nathan and Brooke.

There was a pause whilst the four of them eyed each other up, it seemed like yesterday they were out on the River Court writing their names, but they didn't look like it was yesterday. They looked so much older, happier, calmer.

"Come here" Nathan said - holding an arm out for Peyton to walk into and immediately Peyton's eyes began to fill. She stepped towards him, and there ensued a group hug. Brooke and Peyton sobbing whilst Nathan and Haley laughed at them.

"Hey" Lucas shouted "What is this? The party's started without me? Now that, that's no Party."

"Luke!" Haley shouted, a big grin spreading across her face but Lucas only had eyes for his brother.

"I'm sorry I didn't come for Dans funeral" He said and he reached the group, he looked guilty, ashamed. And Peyton only then realised that it wasn't only her who felt she'd let the team down, and she was ashamed that Lucas had spent so long reassuring her when he had the same fears as she did.

A look of understanding crossed over Haley and Nathans face "He killed Keith, Luke. I wasn't surprised you didn't come, and besides Sawyer was sick." Nathan shrugged and strode towards his brother to give him a manly hug. "I get that"

Lucas squinted at his brother, half smiling. "Of course you do."

"Okay" Brooke laughed turning to Haley and Peyton. "Putting aside the weird gay brother reunion going on there where is little Brooke?"

"You mean Sawyer?" Lucas laughed realeasing his brother and wrapping his arm around Peyton's waist whilst giving a warm smile to his best friend.

"She's inside picking out colours for her room" Peyton Said to Brooke.

"And asking where her mother is going to put all her records" Lucas smiled, kissing Peyton's forehead.

They all laughed.

"What?" Haley said to Lucas. "You can hug your wife that you've seen everyday for the last four years but you can't hug your best friend"

Lucas let go of Peyton and stepped towards Haley, giving her a bear hug. "Hey Hales" he whispered into her ear.

"God, I've missed you." She whispered back.

The whole group stood in silence, content at having the whole group back together, it finally felt like home again.

"Speaking of little ones, where are your kids?" Peyton asked Haley and Brooke, as Haley stepped back into Nathans arms.

"Julian has them - we've sort of arranged a 'welcome home' party for you"

"Guys" Peytons eyes went wide "you didn't have to do that."

Brooke slunk an arm around her best friends shoulders, and yanked Haley away from Nathan, wrapping her free arm around Haleys shoulders. "N'aw, we didn't have to, but we wanted to"

Peyton pulled them in tighter. "I missed this and I'm sorry"

"Oh, we know" Haley and Brooke said together.

"But" Haley continued "you remember that time that I ran off to follow my music career with Chris and you weren't very happy with me?"

"Yeah" Peyton said nervously.

"And you said that you were so sick of everyone leaving? And you gave me such a hard time?"

"Yes"

"Well" Haley pursed her lips "now it's payback!" Then from out of nowhere, she threw a waterballon at Peyton. Soaking her from head to-toe.

"SUCKER!" Haley yelled at Peyton's retreating back as she ran into her house to grab a bucket of water, if Hales wanted a war, she was going to get one.

Why had she ever wanted to leave this?

"Peyton Sawyer" Julian shouted as they stepped out into Brooke's garden. "Why are you so wet? What happened to the three of you?"

Brooke, Haley and Peyton stood with their heads down, whilst everyone, including the kids, turned to stare at their parents and aunts.

"We initiated pay back on Peyton for leaving us" Haley said.

"Okay... What was that? A water fight?"

"More or less" Haley said in an offhand voice, staring into the back of the garden. "Hey Jamie! What are you doing over there? Is that Maddison? Are they- Are you? What are you doing? Jamie come and say hello to your aunt and cousin!"

Jamie stepped out of the shadows, tall and looming and nothing like the little kid Peyton remembered him as.

"What is he now? Like twenty?" Peyton joked.

"Ha. Ha. He's fourteen" Haley mocked as she and Brooke walked over to Jude and Lydia. Leaving Peyton alone to speak to Jamie.

"Hey aunt Peyton" he hugged her.

"Hey" She said, pushing him back so he was at arms length, giving him the once over. "You have gotten so big."

He shrugged "If you say so - hey where is uncle Lucas and Sawyer?"

"They're in the comet with your dad, they didn't want to get wet."

Jamie smiled - still a mouth full of metal. "Figures"

Just as he said it Lucas, Nathan and Sawyer burst through to the garden. Nathan was chasing Sawyer, Lucas laughing.

"Uncle Luke!" Jamie shouted, running towards Lucas. Lucas grabbed him for a bear hug.

"Hey buddy! W-o-w, you've gotten so big. What are you? Like twenty?"

"That's what I said!" Peyton gave an I-know-right look to Lucas. "When did we get so old?"

"Speak for yourself !" Brooke said as she carried Jude over.

"Is this Jude?" Peyton asked, wide eyed. "He's so big! Hey Jude, I'm aunt Peyton and I'm going to spoil you rotten. Yes I am"

"Isn't that what I said to Sawyer when you told me her middle name was Brooke?"

"Uhm. If I say yes will you let me take Jude home and never give him back?"

"No."

"Well, it's a yes anyway."

"Mommy!" Sawyer yelled, sprinting away from Nathan and hiding behind Peyton. Nathan, stopped chasing her and sat down with Haley and Lydia. "Mommy! I didn't know aunt Brooke was so pretty!"

Brooke handed Jude to Peyton and bent down so she was eye level with Sawyer. "That is so sweet, but do you know who is the prettiest of them all?"

"Uhm, Mommy?"

"No, silly. You are"

Peyton looked around her, Lucas and Jamie talking basketball, Nathan and Haley playing with Lydia, Julian cooking the food on the barbecue, Brooke with Sawyer, Mouth and Millie lounging in the sun, she suddenly felt sad, she should have never deprived Sawyer of this, she should have never of left. She should have stayed, stayed with her family. Stayed at home.

There is only One Tree Hill and it's our home Sawyer Scott.