Hey, I haven't given up on writing a sequel to Hold Onto Me, but I'm a little burnt out from that world, so I finally let myself explore a totally different Naley idea I've had in my head for the last few months. Melissa has been encouraging me to post it, so I decided to go ahead and let this be a late treat for Halloween.

Prologue/ch 1

Oct 2006

Haley James laid on her bed, books surrounding her petite frame. Her stereo was playing her most recent cd find from her shopping expedition with her friend Peyton and she was humming along as she took notes. Her friends had tried to convince her to go out to the local club with them for an all ages night, but she had balked and told them that despite it being a Friday night, she needed to study. They had argued briefly but given in quickly, knowing how important her grades were to her. There was a reason her best friend Brooke called her "Tutor Girl" after all.

She stood up and stretched, her back arching and drawing her t-shirt up to show her toned midriff. She'd finally finished her history and decided she wanted a break before starting on her English so she walked down the stairs and grabbed a brownie, her sisters made the best ones, and a bottle of water. Returning to her room she tripped and accidentally knocked a picture frame off the desk. Picking it up she found herself tracing the features of the two people hugging and laughing, unaware of the picture being taken by one of their friends. She sighed, realizing that he was another reason why she hadn't wanted to go to the club that night. There were a lot of memories in that place. He had brought out a wild, carefree side to her that she'd not even known she possessed until he came into their lives. She missed him and his absence had left her more of an introvert than she'd been in the past.

Her best friends didn't understand why she had been withdrawn since he left. Sure, at her insistence, they'd come to accept him as part of their group, but they'd never really bonded with him the way she had. In the few months that he'd been here, he had come to mean as much to her as the people she'd known her whole life and that both scared and thrilled her at the same time. She'd thought that even though her friends hadn't been as close to him as she was, they would understand her pain. Instead, it seemed Brooke was the only one to even notice it.

"I know you miss him, but you can't just shut yourself away for the rest of your life. I understand you can't shut off your feelings, but it's not like you guys were even dating and now he's gone back to his life. You have to move on and get back to yours," she'd told her friend. "You can't just keep moping all the time. We miss you."

"I'm trying Brooke," she'd argued. "It's just you guys act like he was never even here and I... it just isn't the same without him."

They'd promised to stay in touch after he left, but his private school's draconian laws on dating and phone usage had made that difficult so far. In fact, they'd only spoken a few times in the 6 weeks he'd been gone, relying mostly on text messages. The last time had only been a few days ago and he'd seemed upset and distracted. She'd emailed him after hoping to get some answers, but so far he hadn't responded.

She was brought of her thoughts by the ringing of the doorbell but waited, figuring someone else would answer it. It was probably Quinn's boyfriend or one of Taylor's booty calls anyway. Her sisters were both home from college for the weekend and had people coming in and out at all hours of the night and day. She set the photo back on her desk and sat cross-legged on the bed, reaching for the stuffed bear that she always used to comfort her. Mr. Waffles had been a gift from her friend and when she held it close, she swore that even after months it still smelled like him.

The doorbell sounded again and she stood, walking down the stairs, huffing in frustration. "Why am I always the one that has to answer the door?" she muttered to herself. "It's not like I was studying or anything. It won't even be for me since my friends are all at the club."

She went through the living room and threw open the door, expecting to see a date for one of her sisters but instead saw a tall, dark haired boy, the blue of his eyes standing out from his tanned face and making her heart flip over in her chest. She had to hold in a sigh. Ever since the first time she'd seen him he took her breath away. He was easily the best looking guy she'd ever seen up close.

"Nathan?" she said, half in statement half in question. It was as though her previous thoughts had conjured him into reality. "I thought you were in Virginia."

"I was," he told her, shifting from one foot to the other anxiously. "Can we talk?"

"Um, sure," she said, stepping back from the door, "I guess...we um... let's go up to my room..."

"No, can we take a walk or something? I don't really want to talk about this with anyone else around," he told her, looking behind her. "I probably should have called first, it's just...can you come with me Hales? Please?"

She nodded, a little scared at the way he was acting. Nathan Scott was always the epitome of confidence and coolness. Even when things had been bad for him when he first came to town he had never appeared shaken. In fact, the only time she had seen him look awkward or nervous was the when he talked about his mother's illness.

"Is your mom okay?"

"She's still at home, but...can we go? I promise I'll explain soon," he reassured her, realizing he'd worried her with his crypticness. He didn't mean to be so abrupt, but he was tired and stressed. His life was being turned upside down and adding in a 5 hour drive had tested what was left of his sanity.

"Let me grab a sweatshirt and leave my parents a note," she told him, gesturing for him to step inside for a minute. He looked around the small living room, noting a couple of new pictures on the mantle but no other changes since he'd been there. Despite the fact that her parents never seemed to be around, the home always felt lived in and inviting. She'd lived there her whole life and he wondered what it must be like to have always had that kind of stability.

She went to the kitchen and placed the note on the fridge and then returned, lacing her arm through his and leading him out the door. "Not that I'm not excited to see you, but what are you doing here? Lucas didn't say anything about you coming."

"He didn't know. Actually, no one did except Quentin," he told her as they turned onto the sidewalk in front of her house. "I didn't want to talk to any of the others, I just needed to see you."

Haley's head snapped up in surprise at his admission. Sure, they'd gotten really close over the summer while he'd been in Tree Hill but she'd always thought her feelings for him were one-sided. Her heart started to pound and she wondered if he could hear it from his close proximity to her. She tried to play it cool, but stumbled through her question anyway, "Um, why? I mean, what did you need to see me for? Is there something you need?"

His lips curled up into a half smile at her rambling, knowing she was confused and anxious about his sudden appearance. She'd rambled on and on the first time they'd met and he'd thought it was both amusing and adorable. Since then, she'd gotten more comfortable around him and the rambling had dramatically decreased. Apparently their time apart had reset that comfort level somewhat and that thought left him surprisingly disappointed.

He stayed quiet for a few minutes, trying to figure out the best way to explain why he'd come. It had all made so much sense when he thought about it on the long drive here, but now it all seemed muddled. He wondered if maybe he shouldn't go through with what he had planned but then shook his head. He was doing what he had to do and if that meant taking a risk then that's he'd live with the results. He couldn't let his fears stop him. They reached a bench and he gestured for her to sit down before starting to explain. "When I got back home, I was so excited to have my mom out of the hospital. It had been so long since I'd been able to walk through the doors and see her there, you know? Actually up and not in bed or a wheel chair."

Haley nodded, knowing how much it had meant to him to have her back in her normal place in his life. She'd been hospitalized with leukemia and had been in and out of the hospital for almost a year before finally being free to go home for what they'd thought would be the last time.

"It was pretty good for a couple weeks, but then the bills started coming in and she was struggling to pay them. I didn't know how bad it was until last night when I overheard her talking to my Uncle Cooper. Not only is she about to lose her business, the one she has poured her blood, sweat, and tears into for the last 6 years, but the Luekemia might be back. She needs a bone marrow transplant, but they haven't been able to find a donor. Now, she can't afford it even if they find one," His voice broke as he tried to finish his explanation. "I actually heard her say maybe it was just her time Hales. She's giving up and I can't let her do that. I still need her..."

"Oh God Nathan," Haley said, tears filling her eyes as she stood and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'm so sorry this is happening but I'm glad you came to me. I wish there was something I could do for you."

He stood there and absorbed the comfort she so readily gave, her hands rubbing up and down his back and her head resting against his chest. Despite the fact that they were pressed against each other already, he felt the urge to pull her even closer, as if he could somehow absorb her strength into his own body. That strength was only one of the reasons he had come to her in his time of need. He somehow felt like she could conquer the whole world if she decided to. Realizing the absurdity of the thought he pulled away slightly.

"Actually," he said, looking down into her liquid brown eyes and summoning his courage. He knew it was now or never. "There is something you can do."

"What is it Nathan?" she asked, her hand cupping the side of his face and wiping a stray tear away from his cheek. "You know I would do anything for you."

He paused, knowing she meant it. She was the most amazing, selfless person he'd ever met and he wondered what kind of person he was to even consider taking advantage of that. Shaking off his musings, he realized he didn't have much choice if he was going to be able to help his mom, "You could marry me."