Disclaimer: I do not own OTH. I have never owned it and never will

A/N: This is my first story. Constructive Criticisms are nice, just let me know if you like it hated it or think it should be burned..

"I don't know Luke. I just don't know." Haley was curled up on the couch talking to her best friend since childhood, on the phone.

"C'mon Hales. Everyone's gonna be there. Peyton and Jake are going to bring Jenny and their 3 year old. You could bring Alex and Riley too. Even James. I'm sure they want to see their Uncle Luke and Auntie Brooke and their Mah ma. Mouth is going to be there and Lil Keith and my kid. Come on Alisson wants to see her cousins. She misses them and you. We miss you."

Haley sat their twirling her hair and seriously thinking. Luke was so good at persuading her. "Luke, I.."

"Hales, Nathan will also be there."

Haley froze at that. "I was going to say ok Luke, but now I'm not sure."

"Why what's the problem?"

"Nathan's the problem! I left three years ago, because one day he just up and disappeared and didn't come home for a week. I know you remember that. I tried to call him, he never answered. So I came here. Even after I found out I was pregnant with the twins I still tried to get in contact with him. Luke, I loved him. I honestly did, but you know what? It's not me I'm worried about. I'm a big girl. It's my three kids. You know how long it took me to get James to smile again. That boy was two years old. He didn't understand why he didn't have his daddy anymore. He cried himself to sleep every night. Then one night, right after the twins were born he came in the nursery with me. You know what he said to me? At two? He goes "Mommy daddy go bye bye for good. I never see daddy again. He no love me. I no his Lil' Man more. He no know Wee and Wex. He hurt me in my heart.' Luke you know how bad that killed me to hear my two year old tell me that his daddy broke his heart? To hear him tell me that he thought his daddy didn't love him. I told him his daddy did love him very much, but he wouldn't hear it, he laid there and cried and cried and cried himself to sleep. I don't want to put him through that again. He's five now Lucas. He's doing good. And the twins, I definitely don't want them to go through that."

"Hales, I understand. I really do. Just, I don't know. If anything come to see your old friends. Talk to Nate, maybe he has a good explanation. Maybe he doesn't. He doesn't even know about the twins. Surprise him. Put him on the spot. Haley, he's my brother and I love him to death. You're also my sister, whether you and him ever got that divorce, I don't know, but you were my sister since we were little. I want to see you and I'm tired of only getting to talk to you and my nephews and niece once a month. Please for me?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Nope. You're plane leaves tomorrow at six. I already booked it."

"Damn you Lucas. I shoulda known. Why'd you go ahead and do it?"

"Because Haley James-Scott, I knew you'd say no and fight with me, but if I had it already booked you couldn't turn it down."

"Fine. I'll see you tomorrow Lucas Scott. Tell Brooke and Allison I said I love them. I guess I got to go get me packed and the kids."

"Bye Haley. I love you."

"Ya, ya Lucas. You owe me."

Haley hung up the phone. She sighed and went towards the rooms. She stopped in the twins' room to check on them real quick. They were still sound asleep. Alex was laying on his back, under his basketball sheets. He was literally a spitting image of his dad. Even at three he acted just like him.

Riley was also sound asleep under her princess sheets. Her hair was blonde and curly, but she like her brother had her daddy's amazing blue eyes. She had mixture of her daddy and her mommy in her. Sometimes she could act so mature and other times she was a rambunctious three year old. She had her daddy's tantrums, but she also had his good qualities. One day she could be like her brother wanting to go to the park and play ball. Others, she wanted her mommy to teach her to cheerlead.

Haley smiled at the two as she quietly walked out of the room. She didn't want them to be exposed to the pain Nathan had caused James. Sure the kids new they had a daddy. She'd tell them every day that their daddy loved them. Every night when she put them to bed, she'd say mommy loves you and your daddy does too. She made a copy of her and Nathan's wedding picture for all three kids. To let them know that their mommy and daddy did love each other once upon a time.

Haley walked into her room and pulled out her suitcase. She started packing clothes. Lucas said the reunion was going to be a couple weeks long. He said Brooke had a lot of things planned, but she wouldn't tell him any of it. Haley knew it was going to be fun, but she also knew it was going to be hard, but she was going to be strong. Not really for her, but for her three little angels. She was a stronger person.

She finished packing her suitcase and looked on the bedside table. Her wedding ring was there. She slid it back onto her finger. She didn't know why. No they weren't divorced, but they hadn't spoken a word to one another for three years.

"Momma! Momma! Guess what!" Haley turned around as James came running into her room and jumped on her bed. He like his brother was a spitting image of his dad.

"What is it baby?"

"I got captain of the kindergarten basketball team! They said I was the bestest!"

Haley had to smile. Both her boys had a love for basketball, even Riley did.

"Momma, what's with the bag? Are we leaving again?"

"Sweetie help me wake up Riley and Alex and I'll tell you all then ok?"

"O'tay." He looked at her with a skeptical look in his eyes, but did it anyways.

Haley had the kids watch TV. while she packed their luggage. It took James a whole five minutes to forget about the bags. He would always get side-tracked easily. Haley was going to tell them, but she just hadn't figured out exactly how yet. 'This shouldn't be so difficult.' she thought to herself and she knew it wasn't. She was just postponing it.

After she got all their bags packed. She fixed the kids dinner and put the twins in the tub. James went with her in the bathroom while she watched the twins and helped him with his homework. It was mainly spelling his name. He was really good at it. He went and put it back in her book bag. Haley started washing the kids hair and got them out, changed the water and told James to get in.

She put the twins' pajamas on and sat them on the front room floor with toy cars so she could go wash James up. He was still going on about basketball. His love for the game surely did match both his daddy's and his Uncle Luke's. After she put his pajamas on him, she set the kids in the front room and she knelt in front of them.

"Sweeties, we're going to take a trip for two weeks. We're going to go see Uncle Lucas and Auntie Brooke, Uncle Jake and Auntie Peyton, your mah-ma. Your get to see you're cousins Keith and Allison. And Jennie. Allison and Peyton and Jake's new baby are the same age as you guy Riley and Alex."

The twins looked at me wide eyed. "Same?"

"Yes same. There is something else though." This was the hard part. I looked at James.

"Dad might be there.." He said with the same look in his eye he had at two years old.

"No James." I seen his eyes light up a little bit. "You're dad will be there. I'm not telling you guys that he will be really really nice and just open his arms, but he does love you."

"I'm not going." James got up with tears in his eyes and ran to his room. I sighed and got up and went after him.

"Bubba" I said timidly.

"I'm not going."

"James Allan I'm not leaving you here by yourself. You are going. Uncle Luke really wants to see you and so does everybody else."

"What about dad?"

I looked at him. I couldn't lie to him. "I don't know sweetie. I don't even know if he knows we're going to be there. I'm not going to lie to you, but I want you there and so does everyone else. You're dad loves you honey. I know he does."

"I don't want to see him."

"Bub, if he wants to see you, talk to him once. I'll be with you the whole time okay? I won't leave your side, and after that if you still don't want to see him you don't have to ok?"

He looked at me. His blue eyes were shining with tears. Tears of an old pain, but he nodded his head.

"So you'll go bubba?"

"For you and Uncle Luke. Mommy I just want to go to sleep though, okay? Give the twins a hug for me. Ok baby boy. Let's pray first."

We closed our eyes and he prayed. I kissed him on the head and went to put the twins to bed. As I walked out of his room I seen him look at his picture of him and his daddy.

"Daddy, I still love you. Mom says you love me too. I'm going to try and give you chance if you want one, but I can't promise. You hurt me and mommy, but I'll try."

I smiled with tears in my eyes. I was tucking the twins in bed when Riley looked at me. "Mommy why bubba no like daddy?"

I sighed too many tough questions today, but that was kids for you.

"Sister, bubba loves your daddy. He's just scared cause he hasn't seen your daddy since he was two."

"O'tay. Night Night momma."

"Night sister, night brother." I kissed them both goodnight and walked out of the room. I cleaned up their mess and went and crawled into my bed.

"Mom?" I looked to my side and saw James standing by the bed.

"What bubba?"

"I know I'm too big, but can I sleep with you tonight."

"James you are never too big to sleep with your mom. Come on darling." He crawled in bed with me and his little body curled up to my side.

He lay in silence for awhile "Momma?"

"Yes baby?"

"Do you hate daddy?"

"No I could never hate your dad. I'm disappointed in him. Maybe a little angry, hurt, but no I don't hate him. He gave me four wonderful years with him and three beautiful children that I love dearly."

"Do you love him?"

"Sweetie, a part of me will always love your dad."

"Mom?"

"Yes?"

"I love dad too. I'm just scared."

"I know honey. Now get some sleep. We have to get up early."

That was the end of our conversation. Soon we were asleep and too soon The alarm was going off. It was three in the morning and we had to leave the house by 4:30.

I went in the kitchen and turned on a pot of coffee, then went and took a shower. I dried my hair and wrapped a towel around me. I drank a cup of coffee to wake up a little bit. Then got dressed. I let my long auburn wavy hair fall onto my back. I pulled on a pair of jeans and my black halter top. Over that I wore my THHS cheerleading coat. Come on I was only 22.

I woke James up and got him dressed and gave him a bowel of cereal. I gave the twins some cereal and cleaned them up. I asked James to take watch them while I loaded and warmed up the car. It took awhile to load the car though because between us we had seven bags. We had our duffel bags with our clothes in it and then I had the three carry on bags for the kids.

We finally got to plane and loaded on it. Thankfully the kids slept through the whole flight despite the few bathroom breaks. Before we knew it we landed in Tree Hill, North Carolina.

As we were walking through the terminal I heard a familiar voice holler at me. I looked and there was my best friend Lucas. I had Riley in my arms and Alex was holding my hand. James was holding Alex's other hand. "Momma can I?"

"Go ahead James." He ran up to Luke and jumped in his arms. It made me smile. When I got up to him I looked at the twins. "Alex, Riley this is your Uncle Luke." They gave him a hug and then Luke hugged me.

We went and got our luggage. "You ready Hales?"
"As ready as I can ever be."