An: I must be out of my freaking mind to start posting this two weeks before my finals, but I've never had much use for sanity. I may be a twidge impatient! This is my first story so thoughts and comments are so wonderfully appreciated you have no idea.

The title of this story comes from the song 'Mona Lisa' by All American Rejects. I do love it more than most things and if you want to give it a quick listen, it will help you get a feel for the story.

Now, I will bring up my own little doubt about this story-Haley was married to Damien West in it. Now, Haley is a smart gal, and smart gals don't usually marry complete jackass losers-but I wanted her ex to be a jerk and he seemed like as good a pick as any. Please suspend the disbelief, for me, please. If you could see, I would be giving you my very best puppy-eyes which arguably aren't great, but serve my purpose just as well.

I'm the only person who has ever read this, so if I made some mucho grande errors, let me know. I handle criticism well if I do say so myself, so really, you can be honest-I like honesty :)

Eh? What else? Oooh! I don't own One Tree Hill! I'm pretty sure no one thought for a moment I did, but in case you were some how mistaken, I'm glad I could clear that up.

Sorry, this has been the mother of all author's notes, but I, like unto my favorite OTH character, ramble like its going out of style. I'll be sure to make my AN's stand out so that you know where you can skip to to avoid the pointlessness of the entire beast.

Chapter One

Damien West, I hope that she was worth tearing our family apart. Haley thought to herself as she took in a sharp, ragged breath of the cold November air, watching the moving truck fade out view. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Ten years ago had someone told her that she'd be in this position she would've laughed in their face. Granted, she'd only be fourteen and thus would still be shrouded with the teenage feelings of invincibility, but she would've never believed that her sensible self would be just another statistic. But here she was; a mother at eighteen and an ex-wife at twenty-three. Hell, she never thought that she'd be an ex-wife period and now she'd done it younger than anyone she'd ever known. There didn't seem to be any justice in life at the moment.

When she had found out that she was pregnant right before graduating high school, she'd done the responsible thing. She married Damien despite the fact that they'd only really been dating a few months in order to ensure that her son had as normal of a life as possible. Haley sacrificed Stanford so that she could go with him to Ohio State where he had gotten a full ride scholarship playing basketball. She hadn't seen it as a sacrifice then, it was more an investment in their future. And when she held her son Jamie for the first time, she was filled with the knowledge that it had been the right decision. Regardless of the complexity of the situation, she felt in her heart that she was meant to have Jamie. That Jamie, Damien and she were supposed to be a family.

The first three or four years of her marriage to Damien were good. Their marriage had never been perfect but she knew better than to expect that. There was only so much you could hope for when you were marching down the aisle six-months pregnant. In a world without Jamie, Haley was almost certain that she wouldn't have ended up with Damien. They got along well enough; but Haley had always known that while she loved her husband very deeply, she wasn't really in love with him in the beginning. It had taken some time, but she did fall in love with him eventually. At least she had assumed as much, never really having anything else to compare it to. Damien had been the first boy she had ever wanted to fall in love with. In retrospect it was easy to see that the most she felt for him in the early days was merely infatuation, but at the time it had been enough to convince her that she and Damien could be perfectly happy together. They both loved Jamie and cared enough about each other, why wouldn't it work? What she hadn't counted on was him falling in love with someone else.

Claire Young.

Stupid whore. Haley thought bitterly before mentally chiding herself. Claire was going to be Jamie's step mother soon; she would have to start being a little more kind about the two-faced wretch.

When she and Damien had graduated from college they had moved their little family to Boston where he had gotten a job offer. She could teach high school English anywhere, and she'd do just about anything to keep her family together. The irony was that Boston would be the end of her relationship as she knew it. Within the first week of moving there, Damien had met Claire, an associate at the advertising firm he had just started at. Before Haley knew it, Damien was spending a lot of time with Claire. She always had a few jealous thoughts in the back of her head, but she was never really suspicious. Haley and Damien had been raised in Bear Creek, North Carolina; they had good, old-fashioned values, barring the whole baby out of wedlock thing. Never in her mind would she actually believe she had anything to worry about. That was until things suddenly started to change. Damien started working out of town a lot. On the rare occasion he was home he was always getting strange phone calls late at night that he would have to take. Whenever Haley would run into Claire anywhere it was suddenly very tense, like the other woman saw her as a rival. Those all should have been signs, she saw so many now, but what it really took for her to realize it was Damien packing a bag and telling her he wanted a divorce. She had been blindsided and devastated.

"Its okay Haley, you've got this. You're a good mom and you've got this." Haley muttered to herself quietly as she shook herself from her thoughts. She turned on the sidewalk from where she was standing and headed back inside her small home. She and Damien had now been divorced for six months and separated more than a year. At first, Haley had promised herself that she would stay in Boston for the sake of keeping things stable for Jamie, but time had more than proved to her that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't protect him from his father's decision. He still had to spend time with his father and his father's new fiancé. In her heart she knew that it was just time to move on, that she really didn't belong there, and so when her parent's asked if she and Jamie wanted to move in with them, she said yes. She had no reason for staying here. Damien had been pissed when she first told him, but he relented when she brought up that Jamie would be closer to both sets of his grandparents and that he could see Jamie whenever he wanted.

She opened the front door and plastered a smile on her face. It was time for her to be Jamie's mother, which meant that she couldn't afford to be a bitter wreck.

"Alright, we are all set." Haley sighed as she made her way to the living room. There she saw Quinn and Jamie playing twister, while her brother-in-law Clay manned the spinner. "By this time tomorrow we will be on our way to Tree Hill."

"Living with Mom and Dad," Quinn responded with a smile, shaking slightly from twisted position. Haley couldn't help but smile. Somehow Quinn was doing a backbend with Jamie was oddly positioned between her legs. "Good luck with that one Haley Bop."

"It won't be that bad." Haley said, but Clay just shook his head.

"Be sure to knock before going into each room. Last Christmas when we were down visiting, I totally walked in on your parents on the kitchen table…you know…playing twister." Clay wiggled his eyebrows for emphasis, as if Haley and Quinn missed out on the euphemism.

"Gross." Quinn shuddered.

"Why aren't Grandma and Grandpa allowed to play twister?" Jamie inquired curiously. Haley's eyes widened with panic—she never knew what to do in situations like this. Should she explain the birds and bee's to Jamie? No! He was only five, she couldn't do that now. Her only option was distraction.

"No reason." She played off nonchalantly, though she was sure she wasn't doing a very good job because she could hear Quinn and Clay try to fight back the on-coming laughter. "What fun things do you want to do when we get to Tree Hill?"

"Can we go to the beach after we get there?" Jamie asked hopefully, turning on the puppy/baby seal eyes.

"Baby, its November." Haley smiled as she leaned against the door frame. "Besides, after the drive the next two days you are going to be so tired you'll want a nap."

"No I won't. Only babies take naps." Jamie huffed causing Haley to laugh to herself. Of course that's what Jamie got out of this. At five years old, her son thought of himself as quite the man's man. Little did he know that he was going to be her little boy forever, she was going to make sure of it.

"Clay will you spin the stupid thing?" Quinn panted, interrupting Haley's thoughts. "I'm starting to cramp."

"Come on Quinn, it'll make you ripped. You know how I like a woman with some muscle." Clay teased good naturedly from his spot on the empty floor as he spun the colored spinner. Clay and Quinn had been her saving grace this last year. Today while she finished up packing up all the boxes and making sure everything got moved, they had taken it upon themselves to help her by watching Jamie. She honestly didn't know what she would've done without them. "Left foot blue,"

"No." Quinn groaned before putting herself in some odd yoga position while Jamie only had shift slightly beneath her. "Why are we playing this again?"

"Because it was this or operation and we've lost all the pieces to that game." Clay replied simply.

"Well you guys keep having fun and I'll go order us a pizza." Haley said as she whipped out her cell phone and dialed the number from some flier that had ended up in her mail box. She ordered quickly before walking out of the room to survey the damage of her now empty house. She took a look at her kitchen and felt a small pang in her chest. It held so many memories for her, some good, and some not so much. This was kitchen where and Damien had once slow danced after putting Jamie to sleep, this was the kitchen from where she would watch Jamie as he would play in their backyard. This also happened to be the kitchen where she had signed the divorce papers, but she didn't want to think about that. Life was going to be different from now on; she didn't really feel like holding onto the resentment she felt. Haley knew that she would never be entirely at peace with the way her marriage ended, but she didn't really have a choice. What was done was done.

"How you feeling Haley Bop?" Quinn asked quietly as she took a seat next to her on the front porch. It was late now, Haley didn't know what time for sure but she assumed that it was sometime after eleven. After the pizza had arrived and they had all eaten, she had just felt the need to be alone with her memories. Tomorrow would bring a lot of changes, and as much as she was ready for them, she dreaded them the same.

"Lost," Haley answered honestly, giving her sister a glib smile. She pulled the red, knitted afghan she was cuddled in a little closer. She was sure that she looked like a mess right now; her hair was in what started out as a bun, but now had half of her hair falling out of its back. She had gone on a crying jag a few minutes earlier so she was sure her brown eyes were blood shot and her face puffy and tear-streaked. "Is Jamie sleeping?"

Quinn nodded softly. "Clay is in there with him. You should've heard him Hales, he thinks camping out in his own house is the coolest thing he's ever done. He wanted to know why he couldn't sleep on the floor every night."

"Figures that my kid would be an optimist," Haley smiled as she blew a small section of her now chocolate brown hair out of her face. Her hair had always been blond up until a few months ago when her sister Quinn had convinced her that in the wake of divorce, changing up a few things up might make starting over feel more like an adventure than a tragedy. Her hair went brown, her clothes got a little classier but it really never changed the nature of the beast. She didn't want this; she didn't want her son being raised in a broken home.

"Why shouldn't he be? He's got the best mom in the world watching out for him." Quinn said, putting her arms around her sister and pulling her in for a hug. "I am so proud of you."

"What for, sucking at marriage? Moving back in with Mom and Dad? Barely being able to support myself?" Haley asked sarcastically as she laid her head on Quinn's shoulder.

"No." Quinn replied seriously. "I'm so proud of you for daring to think that your life could be different." She pulled Haley even tighter to which Haley could hardly complain. Though she had never been a touchy person, there was something very reassuring about being held by her sister that infused her with just enough hope to get by.

"I know that he isn't going to come back to me." Haley admitted softly after a quiet moment. "But I don't know, this all just feels like I'm some how giving up on us."

"No, he gave up on you the second that he left you for that fat sack of plastic! He doesn't deserve you Haley."

"You know, everybody says that, but it doesn't change the fact he's Jamie's dad. It doesn't change the fact that I feel like I've had my heart ripped out."

"You could always move on." Quinn prodded delicately. "There could be someone else who—"

"That's not going to happen." Haley interjected quickly. She really didn't feel like hearing this. Was there some unwritten rule that when someone got divorced, the people around them were required to tell them how there was someone else out there? Haley didn't buy it, even if she were to fall in love again, she didn't know if love was enough to withstand anything. She saw Quinn and Clay and she truly believed that they would be in it for the long haul; she just didn't have that same faith in herself.

"Well I hope your wrong," Quinn whispered. "And I think you are too but that might just be the patented James woman stubbornness coming out."

"James women, stubborn? Please." Haley laughed as Quinn giggled in response.

"Did I tell you what I did to Clay the other day?" Haley shook her head. "Dude, I'm totally crazy—"

"Why do I get the feeling that this has to do with toaster pastries?" Haley teased as Quinn shot her an agitated look.

"Because it does! Anyway he ate the last one and I…I just lost it. I ran to the bathroom and locked myself in our bathroom, which sucked for him 'cause we only have the one and he had drank a lot of coffee that day. Seriously, I wouldn't get out until he promised me the rights to the last pastry in the box for as long as we both shall live. Personally I feel like that should have just been in our wedding vows, but then we eloped so, what can you do?"

"Ah Quinny, you're insane." Haley cooed with a smile.

"Whatever, this same crazy that lives in me lives in you," Quinn retorted, finally letting Haley out of their long held hug. "If Mom and Dad drive you insane, come back here, and you can live with me and Clay."

"Well let's hope it doesn't come to that. Clay would never get a minute to himself. Jamie thinks the guy walks on water." Haley told her sister seriously. "You married a good one."

"Thanks. I wish you had too." Quinn said, matching Haley's serious tone. Haley didn't mind that Quinn made it very apparent that she disliked Damien. This wasn't a recent development; Quinn had never really cared for Damien. But that was the beauty of Quinn, even though she knew Haley was making a mistake when she had decided to marry Damien, she stood by her anyway. Haley couldn't help but admire that. "Better luck next time."

"Quinn." Haley reprimanded, her eyebrow raised as she gave her sister the perfected 'I'm a mother don't mess with me' look.

"Just sayin'," Quinn held up her hands innocently in surrender. "Who knows, maybe Tree Hill is the home of your next husband."

"Yeah right," Haley rolled her eyes. What on earth could possibly happen in Tree Hill?

"Please Haley James—I mean, West or is it—What the hell is your last name?" Quinn asked in confusion, apparently debating the issue in her mind.

"Its still West but I'm going back to my maiden name when I go to Tree Hill." Haley informed her sister. "I won't lie though; it's a bitch to introduce myself to people."

"Well be sure to use Haley James West for any hot men. I read once in a book—"

Haley gave her sister a look to tell her to get real.

"Fine it was a magazine."

Haley's face didn't change at all. Something in Quinn's story didn't add up, Quinn didn't read. Haley was fairly certain that her sister could read, she had to somehow be able to decipher the labels on toaster pastries, but that could just be that someone had taught Quinn what to look for on the boxes.

"Okay, I heard it on the radio, happy?" Quinn huffed before continuing. "Apparently girls with three names are just naturally hot. This is your chance to be a three-named girl. Don't abuse it." Quinn's eyes were bright and excited; Haley knew she had to reel her sister in before she got any big ideas.

"As lovely as that sounds Quinn, I don't need to be hot, 'cause I don't plan on dating ever again." Haley said seriously, tapping her sister on the nose. "Okay?"

"Fine," Quinn grumbled before recovering in record time and giving Haley a challenging smile. "You're just lucky that I doubt you have will power, because if not, I'd be going into crazy, older sister, meddler mode and you'd be married by the end of the year. And your husband would be vowing to you the damn pastries, unlike Clay."

"Dream on Quinn. Dream on." Haley laughed finally. It was a good thing she was moving; at least she'd get away from Quinn trying to force her back down the aisle. Now she was going to be exchanging one form of crazy for another, because living with her parents was bound to be the adventure of a lifetime.

An: So reviewing entices good Karma, which we could all use a little bit more of so let me know what your thoughts. I'll be honest-this isn't my favorite chapter of this story so if the intro was a bit too slow for your tastes, come back in a few chapters and see if you like the increased speed a bit better.