A/N: For a long time now I wanted to write a Haley/Nathan fanfic, but I just wouldn't have enough time to do it. Most of it is because I must be having a writer's block for too long now, and I was afraid to start this one. Well, this is my favorite couple from the show and I knew that I had to write a fanfiction about them someday. I planned this to be kind of an AU story. Nathan, Deb and Dan live in a nearby city, and Nathan hasn't been on Tree Hill for a long time. I really hope to be able to update this on a regular basis. Please, if you read this, take some time to review and tell me what you think, it'd be really appreciated. Sorry for the mistakes, if there are many. English is not my first language and I tend to do some slip ups.

Now, let's start!

Summary: Haley James was a busy high school student, and had always a lot going on between tutoring classes and hanging out with her friends. But what happens when her parents decide to help an old friend and shelter in their home a really handsome and stuck up Nathan Scott?

Shelter

Chapter One: Breaking News

It was always like that.

Lucas was her best friend like forever, but surely sometimes Haley just wanted to shook him really hard to see if there was some sense in him after all.

"Of course you have to go to this party, Luke... it's not like you can just skip it."

"Of course I can!" He shook his head and got up. They were having a conversation in his mom's café, and the night was starting to kick in. "I know I shouldn't, but I still can..."

"No, you can't. Lucas, it's Jake's birthday! Just 'cause you and Brooke got into a fight, that's not and excuse to let our other friends down!"

Lucas sighed. He knew she was right, but he just couldn't admit it. Well, for sure that Jake, Peyton, Haley, and of course, Brooke, would be upset if he didn't go. But he just wanted to take his time... he was not ready, maybe, to face his girlfriend and say that he was sorry.

"Besides that, Lucas, you were the one getting all worked up just because she had to do a History paper with that boy. There's nothing going on between them and you know it. Brooke is crazy about you."

"I know..." He said in a low tone.

"So this is it then. We're going and that's a final word. Now let's get ready... and please, it would be nice if you went to her and made things right."

"Ok..."

Haley smiled a little and Lucas followed her. He knew she was right. Haley was, almost all the time.

X X X X X X X X X

"Hey, Haley, what got you so long?" Peyton greeted her as soon as her friend got in the house. The party was at full swing by now, and it would be really difficult to meet everybody there. Lucas was probably on his way, though.

"I was just trying to get some sense into Lucas' head... you know how he can be stubborn sometimes. Where's Brooke?"

"Probably looking for Lucas."

"He must be here anytime now." Haley assured. "Well, let's just have some fun, c'mon... where's Jake after all?"

X X X X X X X X

"Hey"

Brooke turned around to see Lucas approaching her, later that same night. She was outside, at the back of the house, alone. It turned out to be a surprise that he took so long to show up.

"Hey." She answered in a low voice, looking away again.

"Things are getting a little crazy inside." Lucas smiled a little, stopping by her side. "I wondered where you were."

"Just... trying to be alone a little bit."

Lucas instantly felt like he was not welcome.

"If you prefer, we can talk later..."

"No." Brooke quickly added, not really wanting him to go.

He sighed and scratched the back of his head, seeming out of words.

"Look, I'm sorry." He told her pretty quickly and she hold her breath. "I didn't mean to be a jackass... I know there's nothing going on now, except for me being jealous of you."

"Luke, you know I love you... I would never do something to hurt you. You know that."

"I know. I love you too..." He nodded. "So... are we good?"

Brooke turned to face him and smiled a little bit, hugging him tightly after that. She loved him more than anything. Lucas finally relaxed and hugged her back, kissing her head lightly.

"We are good, Luke. But you can consider yourself lucky about that." She smiled.

"You know, I have this gorgeous girlfriend to take care of, I kind of have the need and the right to be jealous of her."

"Yeah. Maybe you're right. Let's meet up with the guys and tell them that we're all right. And you owe me a dance."

"Is that really necessary?" He joked while they walked insede the house, hand by hand, smiling with each other. Things were back to normal. He was glad that Haley helped him get the courage to talk to her.

"C'mon, stop whinning."

Not so far away from there, their other friends could see that they seemed to be good again, while the two of them now danced together, and kissed from time to time.

"Way to go, Haley." Jake told her, while hugging Peyton. "I'll remember talking to you if I ever get into a fight with Peyton."

"You better not, Jagielski, not even Haley can save your ass if you get me pissed off." Peyton joked and Haley laughed along with them.

Haley was happy with their friends. They were together since forever, and she could never picturing herself in another place to be, or other friends to hang out with. They were perfect. Like a second family or something.

But sometimes, even for small minutes, she wished she had someone to be with, like Lucas had Brooke and Peyton had Jake. She wanted to fell like that too. But for now, it seemed that the she would just have to wait a little more.

X X X X X X X X X

A few days later...

"Dan, forget about it!" Deb shouted one more time, her temper rising minute after minute. Dan knew how to be an ass, and for months now he was making the most of it. "Nathan is my son and I know what's better for him!"

"He is my son too!" He said back to her, angrily. "And you know nothing about it!"

"There is no going back, Dan! I already called them, Nathan is going away and there is nothing you can do to prevent that."

"You think that throwing him out to live in someone else's house is going to do him any good? Even worst, your sending him to fucking Tree Hill! You know why we moved out of that stupid city, and now you just want to send him there into the lion's den alone! It's clear for everyone to see that you are crazy, Deb. You are fucking crazy!" Dan shouted in her face.

While they fought and shouted to each other, Nathan Scott would just look down, amused and at the same time pissed of by the fact that they were deciding his life without even asking. And to top it of, they were talking like he wasn't even there.

"Nathan!" Dan turned to him, finally. "Tell your mother how ridiculous this idea is! She wants to send you to Tree Hill, to live with these people!"

"Dan, I already said it's done! Nathan is going! It's the best! We need to adjust our lives and it's the best if he just stay out at least for some time! You are losing control of yourself!"

"I'm talking to my son! Nathan! I told you to tell your mother that you're not going!"

Nathan looked from one to another, his face lost and full of anger and fear. He sure didn't want to live in another city, with people he didn't know. But it was clear that staying at home with his father making his life a living hell was not a great option. His mom was actually giving him a chance to get out of this mess, and he was seriously thinking that it was the best. At least for now.

"Son!" Dan called his attention again and Nathan looked at him. He couldn't think straight.

"Dan, leave him alone! Nathan, please, go to you bedroom."

"You do not dare to leave this room without doing what I told you to..." He stopped when he saw Nathan practically flying to his bedroom after his mother told him to. "Nathan! Nathan, I'm talking to you!"

"Dan, leave him alone! I told you! It's final! He's staying with Lydia and Jimmy for awhile. I already talked to him, and he agreed to it. I would never force him into anything that he didn't wanted. He want to go, Dan. He wants to get away from you!"

"I'm just caring for him and for his future!" Her husband told her, not in a friendly tone. "You are just spoiling it!"

"Like hell you are, Dan! You just keep bullying him day after day! I'm sick of you making our lives a living hell!"

"So why don't you go away! Leave Nathan and go! We were doing fine here!"

"Yes, so fine that he actually wants to be away from you, from school, from me, from his friends and from this stupid basketball team. You are killing him inside, Dan, and I'm not going to sit around and see my son succumb to you madness."

Dan paced around the room, totally mad with the situation.

"If you want things to get back to normal, let's try to do it. But for now, Nathan is going away."

"This is ridiculous." He scowled. Deb just shook her head and went to the stairs.

When she entered the bedroom, Nathan was finishing packing his things. He was looking at his trophies, carefully running his fingers on some of them. She smiled at her son and sighed, closing the door after entering his bedroom.

"Nathan, you know I'm not forcing you into this. You can stay if you want."

"I would rather go, mom..."

"You really sure? I already talked to Lydia, but I can..."

"Mom, really... I want to go. It'll be better... well... at least I'll be away from him sometime."

"Yeah..." She hugged him and Nathan shook his head, frowning.

"What about you? You're going to stay here alone with him."

"Nathan, I can handle your dad. I'm just worried about you... and all this basketball madness that he's sucking you into during your entire life." She sighed. "I'm not throwing you out, like he said."

"I know that, mom, I never thought this... I'm ok with this. I really am." He assured her, smiling a bit. "Are you sure that the James' family is ok with having me around for awhile?"

"They are. Of course they are... you know that. They always supported me when we lived back in Tree Hill and..."

"But I was just a small kid."

"It doesn't matter, Nathan. They always worry about you... you know that. I think that Lydia, besides Karen, is one of my best friends..."

Nathan smirked and shook his head.

"Funny to see that you get along with dad's favorite person." He said, referring to Karen. "I almost forget that Lucas is going to be there too..."

"Are you sure you can handle it Nathan?"

"I'm positive... so... when will I leave?"

"Saturday." She answered, tears started forming in her eyes. "I'll call you... everyday... ok?"

"I'll miss you, mom... if you need any help, please tell me. We can get out of this mess together."

"I just want you to have some peace of mind to live your life, Nathan. Things will get better. I know that."

He nodded. Yeah, he wanted so much that things really got better... and even going to Tree Hill seemed like a better option than sticking around with his dad trying to kill him everyday, just to prove who was stronger. Nathan loved the game... but from some time now, things were getting pretty intense and not really great. Dan was the source of it, for sure.

He wanted nothing to do with his dad's tantrums anymore. Nathan was tired, angry and full of sadness all along. He just wished his life changed for the best.

X X X X X X X X X X

She didn't even know Nathan at all. Well, she obviously remembered him, since they went to kindergarten together, and first grade, but that was all. She knew he was Dan Scott's son, and of course, Lucas's brother. Since the Scott family moved from Tree Hill, she never saw him anymore, but she knew that her parents and his mom were great friends... but she never thought they are so close at the point of sheltering Nathan Scott in their house.

Haley's mother told her that Nathan and his dad were in a difficult situation at home, and he wanted to get out for awhile. Since he didn't want to go to his grandparents, Deb thought that maybe, they could let him stay for some time. How much time? That was the real question.

Not that Haley really thought it was a bad thing. If Deb Scott called her house and asked something so difficult, things should be really bad at their house. Karen told Haley sometimes about Dan, and she kind of knew he was not a great person. Nathan must be totally fed up if he also thought that moving into someone else's house would be better than staying at his own.

Haley sighed. It looked like trouble, to say the least.

"Hey, Haley..." Her mom sat down next to her on the porch, smiling. "Everything all right?"

"Yes." She smiled and nodded. "I was just thinking."

"About Nathan staying here? Is this concerning you?"

"No, mom... I really support you and dad for being this nice to Deb and actually help Nathan even though you don't see him for years... I really do. It must be hard for him too, having to stay out in order to feel better."

"That's what Deb told us. She said that Nathan is going through a really dark period in his life, he needed to get away from Dan. Although I think Dan will never let him be, I think he'll be good here. Well, at least we can try."

"Yeah... we can." Haley smiled again.

"Are you sure that you are alright with it?"

"Of course I am, mom. I really hope we can help him. Even if it's just offering him a nice place to live for awhile."

"I'm glad to hear that you are ok with this, Haley. So I can count on you to show him around the school and everything."

"Sure. I can handle that. When is he arriving?"

"Saturday. He'll have the Sunday to arrange things... Deb already took care of all the rest. Just be patient with him. Although we imagine what he's been going through, we don't really know how he's reacting to all of this."

"Yeah."

Haley was sure that Nathan was having a pretty bad time. She just wished that Nathan coming to Tree Hill would make it better after all.

A/N: This chapter was pretty short I guess, but anyway, hope you got the idea. Thanks for reading! :)