I do not own anything.

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Summary: Lucas never wanted this for his children. He wanted them to have a mother that loved them, and would never hurt them. He knows deep down that only one woman can give them that. He also knows that that said woman would give him his lifelong happiness. Love.

Chapter 1: Solace

As Haley was just about to open the fridge for a midnight snack, she hears a frantic knock at the door. She kinks her eyebrow and looks at the clock. 3:30 A.M. She quickly closed the fridge and walks to the door. She turns on the outside light and cautiously looks through the peephole. She blinks twice to make sure she is seeing right. Lucas. "Oh my god." She can't believe her eyes. She hasn't heard from him in nine months, and suddenly he is at her door. She quickly pulls open the door and comes face to face with him.

"Hi Haley…..uh…do you…do you think we could spend the nigh?" He asks almost shyly. He doesn't look into her eyes, scared what her reaction might be.

Haley nods, but realizes he can't see her for he is looking at the ground. "Yeah." she clears her throat, "Yeah, you guys can stay." He looks up at her and he nods. He turns back to his car, but was interrupted by Haley. "Do you need some help with the kids?"

He looks back and smiles weakly, "Yeah, that would be nice." He turns back toward the car with Haley in tow.

Once they reach the car Haley looks into the back while Lucas is getting out the bags. She can see the two children in the back. After Lucas set the bags up by the porch, Haley opens the door and the light comes on. She can see their faces clearly; they both are pale and look exhausted. Lucas comes up behind her, "Um...you can take Noah. He's lighter than Lizzy." Haley nods and takes the exhausted boy in her arms. He is a lot lighter than she had remembered. Lucas goes to the other side and picks up Lizzy without much effort.

Once they get into the house, they make their way up the stairs into the guest room. They both set the kids on the bed, and covered them up. Lucas gave both of them a kiss on the forehead. Haley sits on the bed and looks at Lucas. He sighs and runs a hand over his face. Haley then finally got a good look at his face. He looked terrible, like he hasn't slept in weeks, and he was dangerously pale. He was really skinny, and he had dark 5 o'clock shadow. Before she could say anything. He said, "I'm going to get the bags." And then he quickly left the room.

Before she heard the front door close she heard foot steps in the hallway. Nathan came through the door wiping his eyes. "Haley what's….oh." He stopped mid-sentence when he saw the two children in the bed. He stands there shocked. "What's going on? Where's Lucas?"

"He's down getting their suitcases."

"When did he get here?"

"Just 20 minutes ago actually." She saw him about to say something but she cut him off. "I don't know why he is here. I haven't asked him."

"Haley, we haven't heard from him in a long time…. it just doesn't make sense."

"I know, but something isn't right. You can see it in his eyes, you can see it in the kids faces." Nathan sighed, and heard the front door shut. He saw Lucas walk up the stairs with two small suitcases. Once Lucas reached the door, he offered a small smile at Nathan and put down the suitcases. "Hey Luke. Do you need help with the rest of your bags?"

Lucas didn't respond for a second, "I…I don't have anymore suitcases. That's all I brought."

Nathan didn't know what to say. "Oh...ok man. That's cool." They fell into an awkward silence that Nathan was the first to break. "You can stay here as long as you need to." Lucas eyes looked up to Nathan then Haley. She nodded in agreement.

Lucas sat down at looked at his kids. "Thanks you guys." He looked back at them. "That means a lot."

Nathan nodded. "Well, I am going to get to bed. I got practice tomorrow. Night Haley, Lucas." And he left the room.

"Look, Haley, I know coming here was short notice-" Haley cut him off before he could finish.

"You're right Lucas, it is short notice. We haven't heard from you in what…8 months and now you show up at our front door?" Haley knew that she sounded kind of harsh, but she had a right to be. She took a brief pause and a deep breath to regain her composer. "What is going on Lucas? The kids look terrible, and you look horrible." Lucas looked down at the floor defeated. "What's wrong? I only want to help."

"She found us."

Haley looked confused. "How could Lindsey find you, isn't she supposed to be in jail?"

"I thought she was, but they let her out on good behavior…She tried to take them out of daycare, Haley."

"Oh, my god…did she..."

"No, they called me to make sure it was okay, but I told them not to let them out. Before the I got there she was gone….But later that night, she and her new boyfriend came by the house. They said they were going to take them. They said they were, they were…" Lucas looked down to try to hide the tears. Haley got up to comfort him, but he just backed away. "Lindsey said if she can't have them, neither can I."

Haley wiped away a stray tear, "How long ago was this?"

"It happened about a four days ago. That morning, I packed up the suitcases in a hurry and left."

"Wait, hold on…you drove all the way here from Seattle?"

Lucas nodded his head. "Yeah. The only time I stopped was for food or gas. I just didn't know what to do."

"Why didn't you stop at a hotel?"

"Because I didn't have the money…I know I told you I was doing fine, but I had been working three jobs for the past year just to make ends meet. I didn't know where to go."

"Lucas, you know you can come to me for anything. I love you." Lucas automatically gets up, walks over to Haley and gives her the biggest hug he can muster.

"Thanks Haley."

After the hug breaks, Haley looks up at Lucas and smiles. "Well, you look exhausted. I am going to let you get some sleep. But don't think you don't have to tell me everything. We can talk about the rest tomorrow. Night Luke." Lucas watches as she starts to walk out of the room, but she stops at the door and turns around. "I really missed you." She smiles at him, and then walks out of the room. He looks at the clock and it reads "4:39" He crawls under the covers next to Noah.

For once in the past year in the half, he feels things with finally be okay, as he drifts off to sleep.

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Lucas awoke to the sunlight coming in through the window, and the chirping of an annoying bird sitting on the windowsill. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked to his left onto the nightstand to the clock. It read 10 o'clock. He gets out of bed and finds his two and half year old son on the ground playing with his matchbox car. "Hey buddy."

"Daddy!" Noah says, and runs into his dads' arms. Lucas lifts him up in the air and kisses his cheek. Noah puts his arms around his neck and gives him a big hug. "Aunt Haley?" Noah asked.

Lucas chuckled, "Yah, little man, we're at Aunt Haley's. Are you hungry?" He watched as his son nodded his head frantically. "Alright then, lets go see what we can find." He looked back at his sleeping daughter, "I think we'll let Lizzy sleep longer."

Once they got downstairs, he set Noah into a chair and looked around. He didn't think anyone was home, so he went into the pantry and got out some Fruit Loops. He got everything out and poured him a bowl of cereal.

Before he took a bite he looked up at Lucas, "Wan sone daddy?" Noah asked as he held out his spoonful of cereal.

Lucas smiled, kissed his son on the forehead and said, "No thanks buddy, that's for you." Lucas watched as his son began to eat his cereal while he tried to do the maze on the back of the box. Lucas grabbed a nearby newspaper and tried to keep himself occupied.

He was interrupted when he heard Noah yell, "Aunt Haley!" Lucas lifted down the newspaper just in time to see his son jump off the chair and run full speed at Haley.

Haley caught him just in time and lifted him onto her hip. The little boy hugged her really tight. "Missed you." He gave her the biggest smile she had ever seen.

Haley smiled back just as big. "I missed you to Noah." She brought him back to the table and set him down on the chair.

"Wan some Aunt Haley? Daddy says he no wan ainy, you wan son?"

"No thanks bud, I ate earlier." The little boy shrugged and smiled and went back to eating.

Haley turned her attention to Lucas, "You want something to eat. Your to skinny…" She paused and looked around, then headed toward the fridge. "Where's Lizzy?" She asked as she looked over the fridge door.

"No thanks Haley, and Lizzy's still sleeping."

"Okay." She turned around and walked toward the sink to put her coffee cup in there.

"Oh. Listen. Brooke, Peyton and I are supposed to go shopping today, but if you want you're welcomed to join us."

"No thanks. I think I'm just going to hang around, and see what's changed."

"Ok, you're loss. I have to go get the shower before they come get me." Haley said as she left the room. She forgot to mention something, so she snapped her fingers and poked her head back in the door. "Oh. Nathan and Jamie are at the River court. They won't be back til' one. Okay?"

"Yeah okay. Thanks." Once Haley left the room, he looked back at his son who had milk all over his chest, but everything else was gone. "Wow. Someone was hungry." He watched his son nod and start to giggle. He started to laugh to, "Lets get you cleaned up."

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Brooke walked into the kitchen putting away the dishes from breakfast. "Peyton we gotta go get Haley soon! Come on!" She heard Peyton yell something back but couldn't understand her. She was about to yell something back when a picture on the fridge caught her eye. It was a picture that was taken when Lucas last visited Tree Hill 9 months ago at Christmas. It was a perfect picture. Noah, the brown haired, blue eyed boy; almost completely identical to Lucas was sitting on his fathers lap with a little Santa clause hat on his head, and Lizzy; a dirty blond hair, blue eyes girl sat on Peyton's lap, and Peyton's head on Lucas' shoulder. Lucas had his arm safely wrapped around the two of them. After the picture had been developed, everyone teased them that they were cutest couple in Tree Hill.

That was last time they had heard from him. Haley said that she got a hold of him two months after Christmas when he called for Nathan's birthday. After that, everyone had tried to call him everyday, but no one knew where he was.

Peyton walked into the kitchen putting in her earrings. She saw her best friend stare sadly at the picture. "Did you call him?"

Brooke looked at her friend, "No, not today. I'll try tomorrow. Did you call him yet?"

Secretly, Brooke knew Peyton tries to call him at least twice everyday. She watched her friend close her eyes for a brief moment and sigh, "Yeah, he didn't answer." Brooke decided to talk about something she knew would lift Peyton's mood.

"How is Mia doing in the studio?"

Peyton smiled, "She's doing really well, and hopefully she'll be ready to go on tour soon. What about you, how is your mom taking the whole moving back to Tree Hill?"

Brooke rolled her eyes, "It's been about a month, and she just keeps nagging about how this will ruin the company. Enough about us P. Sawyer, we have to go pick up Haley and go shopping! Lets go, best friend." Brooke grabbed Peyton's hand and led her out the door.

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"There we go buddy. All cleaned up." Lucas lifted Noah off the counter and back onto the floor. He watched as his son went back to the table and pick up the bowl and spoon. He slowly made his way back to Lucas and handed him his bowl. Lucas smiled at his son's politeness and took the bowl. "Thanks little man. You can go watch TV but keep the volume down, we don't want to wake up your sister." The little boy nodded, and went into the living room.

Lucas sighed, and turned back to the sink. He looked out the window into the beautiful lake that inhabited most of the back yard. There was no doubt this was one of the most beautiful houses he had ever seen.

He turned on the sink and got a handful of water. He held it in his hands for a brief second looking at his faint reflection. Yet wasting no time, he frantically put the handful of water on his face. He stood their hovering over the sink for god knows how long. Just thinking how it had come to this. Where he went wrong. Where his life went wrong.

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The car came to a screeching stop. Brooke looked over at Peyton, and was about to say something, but something at the corner of her eye caught her attention. A red mustang. It looked exactly like… A lump got caught in her throat. "Lucas". She whispered. Peyton was still looking out the other window, and even if she did look the same way she wouldn't be able to see it.

She cleared her throat, "P. Sawyer?" Peyton turned her head and looked at Brooke almost questioningly. "I'm going to…. I'll go get Haley." Brooke took one more glance at the car, and turned her attention back to Peyton.

"Brooke, are you okay. You look like you saw a ghost or something."

I wish. Brooke shook her head hurriedly. "No, I'm fine. I'll be right back." Before Peyton could reply, she was already out the door.

She quickly jogged up to the door and quietly opened the door. She made her way into the house as quiet as she could. She turned the corner into the hallway and could faintly hear the TV on Spongbob. She turned the corner into the kitchen. She just about screamed.

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"Lucas?" He was over by the sink facing the window.

Once he heard her voice, he closed his eyes and sighed. He turned around cautiously. "Hi, Brooke."

"Lucas Scott." She looked shocked. And….angry? "Where the hell have you been"?! Yep. Definitely angry. She took a couple steps closer. "It's been nine months. Nine months Lucas!" She took another step and before he could respond, she brought her hand back and slapped him right across the face. He knew it was coming by the look in her eyes. He just grabbed onto the sink with his hands and took it. He didn't even flinch.

"How dare you! How dare you come back NOW! Now Lucas! Why!?"

"Brooke…"

She pointed her index finger at him and shushed him. "No. No you don't get to explain. If you want to say something, explain to me why you left. You left in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve." She paused and began pacing. "No, scratch that. Explain to Peyton why you left. Explain to her why you left without saying good-bye, because to be honest, I don't want to have to do that again." Lucas was looking at he ground.

He whispered, almost inaudible. "I'm sorry Brooke."

She sighed. "You shouldn't apologize to me, Lucas. Peyton was more hurt then I was." She looked up at him. He wasn't the same Lucas. Not at all. His blue eyes were greyer now. They held no life. His face was long and pale. He wasn't showing any emotion. None at all.

She walked over to him. "Lucas." She waited until he looked at her. She smiled. "It's good to see you again." He smiled and brought her into a hug. "But don't think that you're off the hook."

Brooke pulled away and looked up at him. "It's good to have you back Luke. I missed my friend." She paused for a moment. "Now where's my god children?"

"Uhh. I think..." He didn't have a chance to answer. He watched someone come through the door.

"Lu...Lucas?" Peyton stood in the door, awed struck. "Is that you?"

Lucas seemed stuck in his place and he couldn't take his eyes off the blond beauty. She hadn't changed at all. Her hair was still curly, still tall with her legs that seemed to go on forever. Her green eyes seemed to shine, eyes that he could read better than his favorite book.

She slowly made her way to him. She looked into his eyes. His empty clouded eyes. She couldn't read them anymore. What has life done to him? She put one hand on his cheek and the other on his chest. She had to know it was him. She had to know it wasn't some dream. As she began to realize it was him, her eyes started to cloud over with tears. Before they fell, she wrapped her arms around him and held on for dear life.

She could slowly feel his arms make their way around her. They stayed like that for a few moments, just until they were interrupted. "Aunt Book! Peyt!" They broke apart at once and blushed as Noah came running towards them. He first wrapped his arms around Peyton's leg since he couldn't reach her hip. She smiled and picked up the little boy, who immediately wrapped his tiny arms around her neck, kissed her cheek, and buried his head into her shoulder. "I missed you." He mumbled.

Peyton smiled as her chest filled with joy. "I missed you to Noah." She said as she kissed the boys temple.

"Hey! Godmother here wants to see her god son!" Noah smiled and reached out for Brooke. Brooke laughed back and took Noah from Peyton's arms. "I missed you baby boy." Noah giggled and wrapped his arms around Brooke.

Peyton laughed along, then looked at Lucas. He seemed out in a different world. He was gazing at the newspaper that lay on the kitchen table almost lost in thought.

She took one step closer to him but a defining shrill stopped her. She looked up the stairs at which the scream came from, and in less then a millisecond, Lucas was already bolting toward the stairs at full speed. Taking three at a time.

"DADDY! PLEASE DADDY! HELP!" She could hear the little girl cry for mercy. She followed Lucas up the stars along with Brooke who still held Noah in her arms. They were only a few steps behind Lucas.

Once Lucas hit the top of the stairs. He turned the corner just in time to catch Lizzy as she jumped into his arms. Sobbing. Brooke and Peyton watched in horror as Lucas tried to calm the esthetic little girl. She was clinging onto Lucas for dear life.

"Daddy…" Lizzy cried into his shoulder. "Daddy, I'm…I'm sorry daddy." She took long deep breaths just as Lucas instructed softly. " I'm sorry I could…I couldn't save Noah this time." The little girl looked into her father's eyes. "She…She killed him daddy. Mamma killed Noah…. I couldn't save him this time."

A/N: What do you think? I'm re-writing this first chapter, as you can probably tell if you read this before. Not much changed, I just deleated some things.

But anywho, PLEASE REVIEW! They make me happy and want to write! lol.