I'll Be Your Soldier
Haley's sister has vowed to always be there for her sister. She's has given up everything for her sister ever since her husband died, her internship in LA, the love of her life, and her best friend, just to help her raise her newborn baby boy. But how much is enough for her? This is the story of two sisters raising a special little boy who is soon to change our world, for better or worst.
Prologue
Have you ever had that moment when you wake up and you know it's going to be a good day? That no matter what happens, nothing can ruin this day. I really wish today was one of those days. It was, actually at first. Today was supposed to be the greatest day of my sister's life. We woke up this morning believing it was going to be the perfect day, and it was until an hour ago. This is how it started.
At this moment there are six billion, five hundred and two million, eight hundred and sixty seven thousand people in the world, give or take a few and sometimes all you need is one, for better or worst. - Lucas Scott
8 o'clock – Saturday, October 16th, 2006.
Quinn James rolled over in her bed to see her sister, Haley, lying next to her. She smiled as she knew what today is… Today was the day that her big sister is getting married, despite the fact that she's only 17, she knew that today would be a great day. Not just that, she knew today would be the PERFECT day. She slightly shook her sister, leaned in, and whispered in her ear, "Wake up, Mrs. Soon-to-be Scott". Haley smiled and turned towards her sister. "Good Morning, Quinny".
"Today's the big day, you ready?" Quinn asked.
"As I'll ever be". Haley smiled.
~ 11 o'clock ~
Helping Haley getting ready in the beautiful room located inside the church, Quinn beautifully curled her sister's long and beautiful blond locks. As she finished, she realized something. Her sister looked like a princess. Her makeup done with a light, but natural tone. She looked like… Haley. Beautiful, Unique, Elegant. Simply stunning inside and out. One hour until Haley became Mrs. Nathan Royal Scott, and Quinn knew something was bothering Haley.
"Hey bud, what's wrong" Quinn spoke, breaking the silence between the two of them. Haley looked down.
"Mom and Dad aren't coming."
Quinn looked shocked, as she pulled a chair from the table and moved it closer to Haley. "What? Why not?" She placed a hand on her sister's knee.
"They're stuck in the RV somewhere in Napa. They couldn't find a flight back to Tree Hill in time." Haley shook off her frown. "But it's fine, Mouth is taping it, and I'll just give myself away."
Quinn lit up as if a light came on inside her head. "You know, I could do it. Give you away."
"Really?" Haley squealed at the idea. "That would be perfect." Haley stood and tackled her sister into a hug. "Thank you!"
~ Noon ~
The hour quickly past and everyone was in there places. Nathan stood at the arch with his best man, Lucas, his brother, and his groomsmen, his uncle cooper, and close friend Antwon "Skills" Taylor. Slowly, Michelle Featherstone began to play "We are Man and Wife". At that moment, Daniel "Dan" Scott, and Deborah "Deb" Lee, Nathan's parents, walked down the aisle, followed by Haley's Bridesmaids Peyton Sawyer, and Brooke Davis. Finally the moment has come. At the very end of the aisle, Haley and Quinn approached and all of the guest stood, as they began to walk. Once reaching the arch, Quinn gave her sister a kiss on the check, and smiled at Nathan before taking her place as maid-of-honor. Nathan took Haley's hand as the Priest began.
"Friends and Loved Ones. We are gathered here today to witness this commitment. A commitment between Nathan and Haley to love one another unconditionally and endlessly. Nathan and Haley, There are many things I could say to the two of you today. But, instead, I choose to listen to the words you have for each other. Haley?"
Haley smiled as she began her Vows. "Nathan, it's been said that there's one word that will free us from the weight and the pain of life, and that word is love, and I believe that. That doesn't mean that it hasn't been hard, or that it won't be. It just means that, I found a stillness and bravery in myself with you. You make me brave, and I will love you until the end of time. This I vow today."
The priest smiled and looked at Nathan. "Nathan?"
"Last year we were sitting on the beach and I told you how much I love you, and how I would always, always protect you. And that day you made me believe that this would work. But I don't think anybody understood the love that I have for you, because if they did then they would have never doubted us. So I wanted to marry you in front of most of our world, because today when I look into your eyes, my love for you only grows. It's even stronger now. And our love will never waver. This I vow to you, today and always, and forever."
"Forever" Haley mouthed back to him.
"Haley?" The priest began. "On this day, do you reconfirm and rededicate yourself to the Vows you promise to uphold?"
Haley looked back as Brooke hand her the wedding band. "Thank you" She said as she turned back to Nathan. "I do" she said as she place the ring on Nathan's finger and took his hand in hers.
"Nathan? On this day, do you rededicate and reconfirm your commitment to the vows you promise to uphold?"
"I do" he said as Lucas handed him the wedding band and Nathan placed it on her finger.
"And now before the eyes of God. I pronounce you, man and wife. Nathan, you may kiss your bride."
Nathan grabbed Haley's hands "I love you, Haley" he said
"I love you, too" she said as she pulled him into a kiss and everyone began to clap.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Please stand and join me in welcoming, Nathan and Haley, husband and wife." Mouth McFadden said in the microphone. Everyone stood and clapped as Haley and Nathan walked in. The couple walked over to the dance floor. "And now the song they picked for their first dance." He said as he began to play the song 'More than Anyone' by Gavin DeGraw.
The couple danced in the middle of the floor. Half way through the song, the bridesmaid and groomsmen began to dance together. Brooke with Lucas, Peyton with Cooper, and Quinn with Skills.
This was defiantly the perfect day.
Lucas tapped a butter knife against his glass to get everyone's attention to begin his best man speech. "I remember when Haley and Nathan first got together, I said "Prepare to be surprised." Well, I have to say even I was surprised." Lucas said as He smiled at his best friend. "Because, you see, they do something very rare to see in someone our age. Actually, it's very rare to see in anybody. They give their hearts to each other. Unconditionally. And that's what true love really is. It's not this fairy tale life that never knows pain. But it's to souls facing it together. And diminishing it with unconditional love. To Nathan and Haley Scott." He finished as everyone in the room clapped and raised their glasses.
Quinn walked up to the microphone. "When I first heard that Nathan had proposed to my sister, I automatically thought he was crazy." She began as people chuckled, including Nathan. "I thought, Why are you getting married? You're in high school for crying out loud." She smiled "To be honest, I didn't think Nathan was good enough for my sister, because I knew the person Nathan use to be. But, Haley showed me that you can see the good in people, if you just give them the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes, people disappoint you. Sometimes they surprise you. But you never really get to know them, until you listen for what's in their hearts. And that's what Haley did for Nathan. That's what we should do for them. So here's to Haley and Nathan. And here's to love."
It was Brooke's turn to give a speech.
"I'm not the most eloquent speaker, so I thought I would bother a few words from Shakespeare. 'Love is not love, which alters when it alteration finds. When life gets hard, when things change, true love remains the same.' I look at Haley and Nathan and somehow I feel safer. I don't know if I can explain that but they give me hope. And I'm afraid to say it out loud because maybe if life finds out it'll try to beat it out of them and that would be a shame. Because we all could use a little hope, you know? That feeling that everything is gonna be okay. And there's going to be someone there to help make sure of that. So, here's to Nathan and Haley. And here's to hope and a love that will not alter."
The crowed awed and Haley kissed Nathan.
"Uh, Hi" Cooper began. "Excuse me. I'd like your attention for just a second. I'd like to propose a toast to my knucklehead of a nephew and his beautiful bride."
"Here we go" Nathan said as he smiled.
"As most of you know, Nathan and Haley's relationship was…" he chuckled. "Unexpected. Mostly because Haley is Classy and attractive. And Nathan is… not."
"Ouch" Nathan said as everyone laughed.
"But here's to Nathan and Haley, for proving to us that love is real and genuine and still attainable for the rest of us." He raised his glass. "Cheers, You two."
"Thanks Coop, I guess" Nathan said as he hugged him.
"Love you, man" he replied.
"Well, well..." Rachel began. "I would like to make a toast, to Cooper's toast, about love. But, wait a minute, what could Nathan and Haley possibly know about love? I mean, they're only seventeen right? Right Cooper? You see, Cooper seems to think a seventeen year old couldn't possibly know anything about love. Of course, you know, that didn't stop him from having sex with me. Right?" Rachel said as Mouth came over and stopped her.
"Rachel" he said as he began to pull her away.
"To sex with Cooper!" She said as she ran off.
"Are you serious?" Nathan asked.
"I'm so sorry" Cooper said.
"It's okay." Haley replied.
"Excuse me." Cooper ran after Rachel.
"Hey, Rachel Come on" He said as he caught up to her. But Rachel continued to run away. She ran straight to the driver's side of Nathan and Haley's Limo. "Rachel!" She got into the car and started it up. "Oh, no, no, no. Bad Idea." He opened the passenger's side, and as she began to drive off, he hopped in.
The reception ended and everyone was out front throw purple flower petals in the air as the couple passed by. They stopped once they reached Lucas.
"So there was a slight mix up." He began. "Uhh..." he said as he handed them his car keys.
"Sweet!" Haley said. "I'm driving!"
"No way!" Nathan said as he took away the keys from her and walked her over to the passenger's side to open the door for her. "Hey, we'll leave the car at the airport."
"We're going to London for a few days." Haley said.
"Doesn't it always rain there?" Quinn asked.
"Oh yeah." Nathan smirked. Lucas and Quinn laughed.
Haley got into the car, and Nathan closed the door.
"Thank you guys for coming!" Haley said as they began to drive off. "We Love You" she smiled.
"I just got that feeling" Nathan said as Haley rested her head on his shoulders. "That stillness I use to feel before dawn. That feeling that the world could be perfect."
"Yeah, I feel it too" Haley said. She took off her bracelet and put it on Nathan's wrist. "Don't say I never gave you anything." She smiled.
Nathan laughed.
"What?" Haley smiled.
"I can't believe Rachel got drunk, and stole our limo." He said.
"I can't believe your uncle Cooper slept with Rachel. She's 17, what is he, like 30?"
"He must not have known. I mean, he couldn't have known, right?"
Haley looked up from Nathan's shoulder and looked around. "Ah, I left my purse! It's got everything, the plane tickets. We have to go back."
"No, Don't worry. I'll Call Lucas and Have him meet us." He said as he dialed Lucas' number. "Hey Luke, hey man. Look, Haley left her purse and a bunch of stuff at the reception. Could you bring that to us?" He waited. "Oh, Okay. Well, we're coming up on the Molina bridge right now, so I guess we'll just pull over and wait for you. Alright, thanks Man." He hung up. "Done. He already had the purse in his car."
Haley sighed. "You're good in a crisis"
"I don't know about that." He said.
"No, you are. It's a good thing to especially because I have something I have to tell you."
"When we slept together that night, you knew I was 17." Rachel cried as Cooper drove the limo back to the reception.
"Rachel enough" he spoke.
"Maybe it could work, Cooper. You know? We're good together. Maybe the age difference doesn't matter."
"It does matter, Alright? Now listen, we're gonna take this limo back to the reception and you and I, Never happened." He said flatly. Rachel sobbed.
"Is there anything I can say to keep you Cooper?"
"No, I'm sorry there's not."
"Well that's too bad. Because there's something I have to tell you" Cooper looked over. "I'm Pregnant."
Cooper looked shocked. "I don't believe you."
Rachel bit her lip and looked away. "Pull over."
"No. I'm not going to pull over until we talk about this!"
Rachel screamed "I said "Pull Over!"
"No, you don't just tell…" he began but Rachel yanked the wheel. "Hey, get your hands of the wheel!" He yelled. The car swerved into the other lane.
"Look out!" Haley yelled as Nathan looked over and saw the limo heading towards them. Both cars swerved. Nathan to the left, Cooper to the right. Nathan came to a full stop, but Cooper wasn't so lucky as the limo drove through the bridge and upside down into the river.
"That was Cooper" Nathan said as him and Haley got out of Lucas' car.
"Cooper!" They yelled.
"Haley, Call 911" Nathan said as he took off his jacket.
"Nathan, don't." She said as she realized what he was doing.
Nathan turned to her and said. "I love you. Always and Forever."
"Don't." She whispered.
Nathan ran and dove into the water.
"Nathan!" she screamed.
Nathan searched the limo to help both Cooper and Rachel out, but he couldn't undo the seatbelt. He swam up to get air from the little space in the car that was still above the river. "Oh god!" he yelled. "Help me!"
Above the water, Haley pleaded for help. "Nathan!" she yelled. "Cooper!" She cried at the top of the Molina Bridge. "Help! Somebody Please help!" she pleaded as she jumped up and down.
"Help! Help me!" Nathan yelled. "Haley!" He said as he gasped for air as the limo began to flood even faster.
"Help Please!" Haley cried loudly.
Suddenly, a car approached and Haley ran to stop it. "Oh stop! Stop!" she begged. Realizing it was Karen, Quinn and Lucas, she ran to open up Lucas' door. "Luke!"
"What happened?" Karen cried as the three got out of the car and ran to the edge of the bridge.
"The Limo flipped over, and Nathan jumped and he has come up for a really long time" she spoke quickly. A body suddenly floated to the surface. "Nathan!" Haley screamed as loud as she could, as tear pour from her brown eyes.
"Oh god." Lucas whispered as he took his jacket off and jumped into the river.
"Lucas!" Quinn yelled.
"Did you call 911?" Karen asked as she grabbed Haley's Hands.
"I did, I called them!" She said. "Help him, Luke!" She pleaded as she covered her mouth. "Nathan!" She cried as Karen held on to her, and Lucas pulled the body to shore. As he got there, he realized it wasn't Nathan. "It's Cooper!" he yelled as he quickly dove back in the water. Quinn ran to the side of the river and down the hill to help Cooper. Lucas searched the car to find it empty and swam to the surface.
"I can't find him!" he yelled
"What do you mean? He's down there!" Haley yelled back.
"No, the car is empty!" he said as he continued to search.
"Nathan!" Haley yelled.
"Nathan!" Lucas yelled. He looked over and found an unconscious Nathan and Rachel lying at the other side of the river. "Hales, don't look!" he said as he swam over to him.
"Oh god! Nathan!"
William Shakespeare wrote, "Love is not love when alteration finds. It is an ever fixed mark that looks on tempest and is never shaken. Love altersnot with time's brief hours and weeks, but bears it out even to the edge of doom"
~ 2:30 p.m. ~
Quinn sat in the waiting room with her sister. Haley head laying on Quinn's lap as she began to stroke Haley's hair. Deb came over and sat next to Quinn. Quinn used her free hand to grabbed Deb, and held it as they prayed for Nathan to be okay.
"Family of Nathan Scott" the doctor said and the three quickly stood up. "I'm sorry to say this but he didn't make it." Deb and Haley broke down, and Quinn's eyes began to pour. "His lung collapsed because of all the water. I'm very sorry for your lost." He said as he patted Haley's back and walked away.
"What's wrong?" Lucas said as him and Karen ran over.
"It's Nathan." Quinn spoke. "He's…." She choked on her words. "He's gone." She whispered.
Lucas looked shocked. "But, the doctor's said he would be fine… I…"
"He's not, Luke. He's gone"
"He's gone" rang through Haley's head. It was all she could take before she passed out in the waiting room.
Does this darkness have a name? This cruelty? This Hatred? Does it steal into our lives or do we seek it out and embrace it? What happened to us, that we now send out children out into the world, like we send young men to war hoping for their safe return ut knowing some will be lost along the way. When did we loose our way? Consumed by the shadows, shallowed at whole by the darkness. Does this darkness have a name? Is it your name? - Lucas Scott
This chapter is named after the song "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave you" By Led Zeppelin