Title: Only Hope

Pairing: Jake/Haley (Jaley)

Notes: Takes place in an AU season 4, one where Jake came back and Haley wasn't pregnant everything else should pretty much explain itself. Title taken from Mandy Moores Only Hope. Also I dont own these characters...although I wish I did!

Everything between them had led to this moment. Every veiled glance, hidden touch and stolen kiss had led them here.

Standing on a deserted road, the sky dark, the moon bright, Haleys mind made up. Baring her soul, hoping against hope that she could make him see sense.

"Do you love me?" she asked

Jake sighed running his hand through his short brown hair "It's not as simple as that Haley" his eyes boring into hers silently begging her to understand "There's other peoples feelings involved"

"Please" she scoffed feeling herself grow angry "Peytons in love with Lucas and everybody knows it, now that Brooke is out of the picture how long do you think it'll take before she's rushing into his arms and as for Nathan he's sleeping with Rachel, so don't you dare use them as excuses!" she took a deep breath and closed the distance between them until they were standing mere inches from each other "Do you love me?"

He lifted his hand to her cheek and gently stroked her familiar skin "You know I do"

He'd come back to Tree Hill with Jenny almost a year ago and Peyton and he had tried to make it work despite the fact that she had feelings for Lucas. They started dating but it was apparent there were no longer any romantic feelings between them, still they stayed together Peyton afraid to be alone and Jake unwilling to disrupt his daughters life any more then necessary.

So when he and Haley had started to become friends it was a relief for him to have someone to talk to. They found they had a lot in common besides the obvious similarity of a love for music.

They confided in each other and Haley began to tell Jake things she'd never told anyone else not even Nathan or Lucas.

The exact moment they fell for each other neither one of them could pinpoint but four months ago when they'd given into the feelings simmering between them they'd both felt a sense of rightness so strong that it almost overwhelmed.

Haley knew she couldn't live without him and furthermore she knew she didn't want to.

Jake had become her oxygen, Jenny couldn't be more dear to her if she was her own and she refused to give them up.

She refused to stay in Tree Hill, she refused to stay with Nathan and live half a life.

Brooke, who knew all about what had happened between the two had offered her a way out, a way she could finally be happy and now all she had to do was convince Jake to just once follow his heart.

"Then let's go" she implored her hand coming to rest over his heart "We can get Jenny and leave tonight. Brooke and Chris are waiting. They won't leave without us. We can go somewhere new, start over fresh." She was well aware that she was begging but pride had no place where fighting for love was concerned.

Jake stared down at her silently mulling over his options. Give up the woman he loves and stay in Tree Hill out of some misguided sense of duty or throw caution to the wind, take his daughter and leave with the only person he felt knew him and ever would.

As he bent his head down and their lips met the decision was suddenly very simple.

Reviews are nice!