Faith.

I haven't prayed in a really long time. I stopped believing in God about the same time my Mom died. What was the point? Anything that could do something that horrible, take something that precious, just wasn't worth my time and definately not my payers.

Until now. I'm sitting here at the bedside of the man that I love with all my heart, the one person who really knows me, gets me like nobody else ever has, and accepts me for who I am anyway. And I feel completely helpless. He has saved me so many times that I've lost count, and now it is my turn to save him. So I pray, because its the only thing I can think of to do, and I just hope its enough.

I can't lose him now. We have only just begun, after all the drama , we finally have our chance, a real shot at being together. At being happy. I should have known something like this would happen. Happy and Peyton don't go together well, but I thought this time, maybe this time it could work, because its him. It's him and me and damnit we've earned this. We deserve a shot. He's never given up on me and I won't give up on him. So I sit. And I hold his hand. And I pray. I pray for him. I pray for Nathan and Haley. I pray for their baby. I pray for everything to be okay. For all of us.

I must have dozed off at some point, because the next thing I know I feel a gentle pressure on my hand. The hand that is still firmly grasping his. I jerk awake quickly sitting up, my eyes searching his face until they meet the crystal blue of his.

"Hey beautiful" he whispers.

Tears instantly spring to my eyes as a small sob escapes my throat. He frowns, gently squeezing my hand.

"Hey..." he whispers

I shake my head and bring his hand to my lips gently kissing his fingers.

"I thought you weren't gonna wake up" I sniffled

"And miss out on being with you?" he shakes his head. "No way"

I smile recalling his words from long ago, a similar situation but a completely different relationship. Then it was sneaking around, stolen kisses, now we were free. Clean slate. It was a great feeling.

I reach up and run my hand over his hair.

"I was so scared Luke" I whisper softly

He slowly reaches up and traces my cheek with his fingers.

"C'mere" he whispers pulling me onto the bed and into his arms. I turned my face up and met his lips in a gentle kiss, reaffirming that yes, he was here, and he was alive, and he was all mine. We broke the kiss and I smiled softly, resting my head on his shoulder. He kissed my forehead gently.

"There's something I forgot to tell you" he whispers.

I look up at him questioningly. He smiled softly and ran a hand through my hair.

"I am completely in love with you" he says softly.

My heart stopped. Now that is probably not the best analogy considering the circumstances, but I swear thats what it felt like. I buried my face into his shoulder and felt the tears seep from my eyes and into his hospital gown. I felt his arms tighten around me.

"Peyton? Generally when someone says that to you its a GOOD thing" he whispers, a trace of humour mixed with sweet uncertainty in his voice. He had nothing to be uncertain about.

I laugh softly as I look up at him.

"I know its just.. I've been waiting so long to hear those words from you.. its a little overwhelming thats all" I say quietly.

"I know" he says nodding slightly. "I'm sorry I made you wait so long" he finishes softly.

I smile up at him. "It was worth it" I brush my lips against his, laughing as I felt him immediatley try to deepen it. "Down boy lets get you better then we can have that long make out session I promised you" I say playfully. He smiles, That Lucas Scott, sexy, absoloutley irresistable smile, that smile that made me fall for him in the first place, and I melt.

"In case you forgot" I whisper nuzzling his nose with mine "I am completely in love with you too" I finish, smiling softly, as he runs his hands through my hair again, a habit of his that I had forgotten about, and rests my forehead against his, both of us closing our eyes and just breathing each other in, together, and I think, right now in this moment, i'ts perfect. So maybe, just maybe, prayers do pay off after all.