A/N: I just want to apologize for the long wait. Also, I really appreciate the time you take to review (and read). You guys rock!

Five monts later…

Glowing with pride, Ellie sat at the head of the table, with a fake yet shiny golden crown on her head. Almost five years ago now, she was conceived, in the middle of the summer. And precisely nine months later, May 2nd, Peyton gave birth to her. They've come a long way since then, the two of them. The first three years of her short life, Ellie was raised single-handed by her mother, and then, after having lived without a father for all that time, Lucas suddenly was there, in her life.

The little girl had to adjust to this stranger at first but bit-by-bit, Ellie closed the blue-eyed man in her heart. But it wasn't as easy for him to do the same with her mother, or the other way around. Yet it got better when they were home, recovering, and for a while, it was like they were together, like normal mothers and fathers. They even wanted to go live together! But then, they started to fight about who had to move and so he went away again. Luckily, it didn't take him long to come back; Lucas' words had been:

"Peyton, I've been thinking…It doesn't matter where I live, as long as I'm with you."

Ellie had closed her eyes as her parents had engaged in a kiss.

"Come on, Ellie! Blow out your candles!"

That was her aunt Haley, who constantly spoiled her with little (or less little) gifts. Unfortunately, she couldn't have children herself so she and Nathan had filed for adoption and with success: In two weeks, they were going to pick up a five-year old boy in Cambodia.

Ellie took a deep breath and blew out of her candles; the adults all shouted 'awww' and smiled endeared. That, she could handle, but all the hugs and kisses she was constantly getting even got the mini-blonde agitated. Exactly that moment, Lucas' grand mother walked up to her and pinched her in the cheek.

"You're such a cutie!"

In fear of being smothered, Ellie's eyes got bigger as the elderly woman bowed over and gave her granddaughter a big hug.

"OK, grams…" Lucas laughed "…don't suffocate the kid…"

"Now make a wish, sweetie…" Peyton, standing at Ellie's right side, whispered through her daughter's curls. The little girl closed her eyes as she thought of one; after, she opened her baby blues again.

"What did you wish for?" Peyton asked.

"If I tell you," she reminded her mother "it won't come true."

"Ellie!" Sam, Karen's son shouted. "Come play with us."

Ellie looked briefly at her mother who nodded, giving permission. The kindergartner jumped off her chair and hurried to the little boy.

As the children played, the 'adults' gathered around the table, drank coffee and talked about their families, and for the first time, Peyton knew what they're were talking about, how 'family' felt.

At about 9 pm, everyone headed home, except for Sam, Karen and Lucas' grandparents, who were staying over at their house. Nathan and Haley were spending the night at a nearby hotel.

"It's been a busy day…" Lucas sighed as he looked over the table, covered with crumbs.

"Hmmm…" Peyton agreed. "So you clear the table?"

Without waiting for an answer, she hurried out of the dining room, leaving a speechless Lucas behind. Too tired to protest, Lucas started to clean up the mess. After he had finished the job, he climbed up the stairs, heading for their bedroom, where he heard stumbling.

"Peyton…?"

He softly pushed to door to see a bunch of candles which lit up the dimmed room. Looking around in awe, he asked:

"What is this?"

"This is…Wait-" Motioning to the bed, she ordered. "Take a seat." She took a deep breath. "I - I have to ask you something."

"OK…."

She looked hesitantly, so Lucas pushed her a bit.

"Come on, Peyt…"

"I know, it's just…I want to do this right." Again, she took a deep breath. "Lucas…Those three years I didn't see you went by so slow; they felt empty."

He gazed at her, not knowing where this was going to.

"And I was just thinking…" she continued. "…I love you so much, and I never want that to happen again, lose you."

The tears were welling up in Peyton's eyes.

"Me neither…" He answered uncertain.

Joining him on the bed, she took his hands.

"Ever since we met, I felt you and me, we were special." A tear escaped her eyes, rolling over her pale skin. "And to this day, I don't think there are any two people who have what we have."

"Don't cry…" He wiped her tears gently with his thumb. "I love you, I'm not going anywhere."

She shook her head.

"Peyt…" he tucked a curl behind her ear "What's wrong? Are you sick?"

But every time she opened her mouth to speak, it was cut off by a sob. Enough, she told herself, get yourself together.

"No, I'm not sick but I do understand why a girl doesn't normally do this now..." She answered him whilst wiping her tears away. "Luke…" she looked him deeply in his confused sky-blues. "Throughout the years, you've been my friend, my family, my lover…and now there's only one thing left. Will you marry me?"

His confused look changed into a baffled one. Had she just proposed to him?

"Luke?" Peyton stared at the speechless man next to her. He stood up and walked over to their wardrobe, going through the content.

"What are you doing?" He didn't answer, which irritated an already vulnerable Peyton. " Look, if you don't want too, just say no," she said "but you don't have to ignore me."

As Lucas had found what he was looking for, he walked back to the curly blonde sitting on the bed, her face away from him.

"Peyt…"

She didn't so he ordered:

"Look at me."

Peyton immediately melted as she saw him kneeling down before her, a velvet red box between his fingers.

"The things you just said to me…they were wonderful but let's forget you proposed to me for a second."

"Luke…" Oh, not again, Peyton thought as the tears welled up in her eyes.

"Peyton" he started "You…understand me, who I am, what I'm about…you made me realize it's ok to just be …me." He smiled at her touched hazels "I love your strength, your innocence, your wisdom, your laughter…and you're still the most beautiful woman I've ever met. And now…I want to spend the rest of my life with you. He opened the red box; a beautiful diamond ring appeared "Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer… "Will you marry me?"

Between her sobs, she nodded.

"Yes."

Lucas rose from the floor and pulled her in an emotion-filled kiss. After all the adversity, after all the problems, they were her now, engaged and 100 percent happy. It felt so unreal, yet so right. He laid Peyton flat on the bed; completely taking the leading role. Although he'd never admit, his male ego was slightly bruised because of before, when she had proposed to him. His vision may be a bit old fashioned, but Lucas had always thought the man should be the one doing the proposing and not the other way around.

The kisses and touches between them got more heated as they eagerly removed each other's clothes. That night, the two blondes would conceive another child and precisely nine months later, another blue eyed baby, a son, was born; with his father beside him.

- About bellasmomma's comment: I corrected it, for some unknown reason I'm really bad at familial relationships lol. I always get those things wrong.

- I hesitated for a while about the possibility of bringing Jake into the picture, but in the long run, I'd just bring LP back together and I figured it would be too repetitive.

So, anyways, I hoped you enjoyed it and check out my otehr fanfic too!