A/N: Hi guys so this is my first story that I'm actually posting. I have started quite a few though. I know a lot of season 5 storylines have been done but I assure you this is a totally new take on it. This takes place shortly after all the Carrie drama. Haley knows that Nathan and Carrie kissed and she saw the shower event but Jamie didn't almost drown and the I want a divorce thing didn't happen. Instead, this starts with Haley and Nathan's conversation inspired by the Lucas/Lindsay engagement party among other Naley moments. I think that's all you need to know for now…anything else I'll write before or after a chapter if I think its crucial. I know Jamie is a little too wise for his age but that's how I wanted to write him yet still keeping him pretty childlike. Last thing…I have been reading stories for a while and when I first started I reviewed all the time because I know how much people appreciate them. Lately, I have been lacking in the review department because I've been reading fan fiction updates in between breaks from studying but I promise to pick up again because I would really appreciate you guys to review my story also. Thanks! So I hope you enjoy and feel free to get mad at the author it means I'm doing my job. Also, the last scene will probably remind people of something and I just want to say it wasn't my intention…my friend told me about it later but it works with my story so I kept it.

It was a cool summer night and Haley was standing on the river court staring off into space thinking or trying not to think of everything that had happened in the past few months. She was trying hard not to cry when he showed up and broke her out of her thoughts.

"Look I just wanted to say I'm sorry" Nathan explained, his eyes filled with regret. Haley turned to face him looking defeated.

"Aren't you tired of that?" She asked while Nathan looked confused, "You shouldn't have to apologize for who you are. Not anymore. I've been thinking a lot this week and I knew who you were when I married you and what I've realized is that its really not fair." Haley explained looking anywhere but Nathan fro fear of breaking down in front of him.

"What are you saying?" Nathan asked, getting worried now.

"I'm saying that it was wrong of me to try and change you. I'm the one who's sorry." Haley said her voice breaking now, "I shouldn't have tried to change you or us and now…now I'm done trying."

With that she gave him one last look and she ran to her car, leaving Nathan to stare after her with more amount of pain in his eyes than she had ever seen before.

A few weeks have passed…..and Nathan and Haley are at the river court once again.

"Look Haley I need to know what you want from me, from us."

"I know and I've been thinking about that a lot over the past few weeks. I thought about a divorce-"

"Haley please, you can't I love you. I promise you nothing happened besides the kiss and her sneaking up on me in the shower. I swear, god haley I just-"

"Nathan, I really still don't want to talk about this…Anyway as I was saying, I thought about a divorce but the truth is I don't want that. Look I think we need to spend more time apart. I mean this whole thing started after your accident and I'm SO glad you are back to walking and practicing it's really great. But let's be honest, I know this was not my fault because I'm not going to really sleep with you or flirt with you when you were a jack ass for four months. It killed me… what you did and said in those months but I knew you had just lost your dream so I understood and yea maybe I could have pushed you more but I don't know if it would have helped. So I guess it's partly my fault, but I will not feel so bad as to justify what ever the hell you did with the nanny. And jamie as hurtful as those words were, he was right. You were better and happy when Carrie started coming around. So I need time and I think it's the least you could do."

"Haley we can't be apart for that long. It hasn't helped us now and having it go on won't help us in the future!"

"Honestly, I'm not doing this to hurt you or to get back at you. This is just something I think we both need. In the meantime I think you should focus on basketball whether it be coaching or trying to get into the NBA, because I still believe with all my heart that you can do this Nathan. If you believe anything believe that. I'm going to go back into music. I don't know if I'll want to tour, but if the time comes we'll deal with it. You need to get your dream back, to become somewhat like the man I fell in love with and I need to go after my dream again and figure out what exactly I want from it."

"Haley, I-I understand…I understand if you don't love me anymore." Nathan said his voice cracking as he had to look away from her.

Haley walked up to him and turned his head to face her and lifted his chin so he met her eyes.

"Not that you deserve to hear this right now, but you might not hear me say it for a while," her eyes were getting watery so she look away first before turning back, "I still do love you. That's what sucks right, always and forever," tears rolled down her face and she went to walk away but she came back and kissed him slowly and passionately. Then she caressed his cheek as he closed his eye at her touch and then she walked away.

"Haley!" she turned back around, "why do I feel like this is goodbye?"

"I guess because in a way it is. I don't think things will ever be the same Nathan. I think that part of our relationship is over. But really it's not goodbye, it's more of a… see you soon."

"I still love you too, you know. I always have- I" he whispered

"I just need to be able to believe in that again, in you. Go after your dream Nathan, in fact…" she took her wedding ring off her finger and then she unhooked the chain around his neck and slipped it on, and then clasped the chain back around his neck. "Wear that when your practicing so even when you get really frustrated just know I believe in you and I need you to hold onto that for meso that when the time comes I can be your wife again. Don't say I never gave you anything." With those final words she gave him a sad smile and finally walked away this time.

Over the next two weeks they decided Nathan would continue to stay with Lucas since he was currently without Lindsay who went back to New York after reading the comet. Therefore, both brothers were trying to help each other through their heartaches, because quite frankly they were both idiots. Nathan hadn't spoken to Haley since that night she told him they needed to be apart. It was hard but he was trying not to screw this one thing up. He still called Jamie everyday though, he missed him so much and her. He tried not to think about it because he would just beat himself up more, but sometimes he just couldn't help it. In fact at the very moment he had been laying on the couch thinking about her when the door bell rang.

Flashback:

Nathan opened the door and was shocked to see Haley standing outside looking nervous with love and longing in her eyes.

"Hi" she whispered.

"What are you doing here Haley?" Nathan asked his heart pounding, he had waited for this moment.

"I wanna come home Nathan" Haley looked at him pleadingly.

When the door bell rang again he snapped out of it and when he answered it, it was déjà vu. He'd been thinking about her all day and here she was standing at the door just like before.

"Haley what are you doing here?" She was looking at him with the same longing in her eyes but she quickly turned her head to locate Jamie.

"Daddy!" Jamie yelled as he ran and jumped into Nathan's arms.

"Hey buddy," he said hugging him tightly, "I've missed you. Hey why don't you go set up the wii while I talk to mommy ok?"

"Ok!" Jamie gave him a huge smile and ran to the living room.

"Hi" Nathan whispered and he went to hug her but she backed away.

"Lets go outside" She walked outside and sat on the porch stairs and Nathan followed.

"So how have you been? I've missed you so much."

"That's not why I'm here Nathan. This is really hard for me so I need you to let me get this out." He nodded looking at her worriedly.

"For the past few weeks, it has been really hard. Jamie doesn't say a word to me. He blames me for all of this and that's ok because you're his hero and I would never ruin that for him. But he's just…" she was crying now "he just so unhappy and it's not fair to him. The only time he talks to me is to ask for you and then this morning he said he wanted to live with you. This is the one thing I can do to make him happy and maybe have him resent me a little less. As much as this kills me because he's all I have left.."

She was sobbing uncontrollably now and Nathan went to hug her but she immediately stood up, "No! I'm sorry look as much as this kills me I want him to live with you and Lucas for a while so he can have some form of a normal childhood, being happy. I'm still going to try and get him to do things with me everyday but…Um I put all the stuff he should need over there by the swing. I love him so much Nathan.."

Jamie came outside and tugged on Nathan's pants, "Dad cmon!"

"Jamie.." Haley walked over to him after wiping her tears and got down on her knees and hugged him as his arms were limp at his sides. "I love you Jamie, I'm sorry" she whispered as her voice cracked and then she ran to the car and drove off.

Jamie looked sad but only for a moment, "Okay dad lets go. I'm going to beat you in the new Nba live." Jamie ran off and Nathan just stood there stunned. What had just happened? He went inside and sat next to Jamie.

"Jamie, why were you so cruel to your mom? You know none of this is her fault." Nathan tried to explain but Jamie just changed the subject so Nathan decided it wasn't the right time to talk to him about this.

Meanwhile, Haley had driven down to the beach where the cliff divers usually go. She stood atop of the cliff as she started stripping down to her white underwear and bra as she was crying and shaking uncontrollably. She walked closer and closer to the edge, staring at the water. It wasn't as if this was a suicide attempt. Not at all. She just wanted to actually feel something, anything. She just wanted to have that thrill, the adrenaline rush, to clear her mind if only for a few minutes. "Don't jump!" A man screamed and Haley screamed too as she turned around and lost her balance.