This takes place between the last two episodes of season 7 - just a teensy bit AU. I really hated the idea of Lucas not being there for Haley during her depression and so I had to fix it, okay? And just to clarify, in this story, Naley and Leyton are the ships (even though I prefer Laley, I'm going to try my hand at canon ships).
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Let her cry if the tears fall down like rain,
Let her sing if it eases all her pain,
Let her go, let her walk right out on me,
And if the sun comes up tomorrow,
Let her be, let her be...
-Hootie and the Blowfish
He watched her from across the room as she wove her damp hair into a haphazard braid before tossing the covers back and climbing wordlessly into bed where she turned on her side to face the wall. A soft sigh escaped his lips but he tamped down his negativity as he strode across the room to press a gentle kiss to her shoulder and brush the auburn wisps from her face. "I'm going to go check on Jamie and I'll be back, okay?"
"Whatever," she mumbled as she pulled the blankets up to her chin.
"You did good today," he promised. "I love you, Haley." He stood properly and left their bedroom, stumbling down the hall before he sunk against a wall – she had come far since the pool incident but she was still so lost, so locked inside herself that he feared he would never see his Haley again. Today had been a good day, he hadn't lied – she'd put on a brave face for Jamie, not snapped at anyone, and he hadn't seen her sneak off to call her mom's voicemail once. It was progress.
A quick glance in Jamie's room told him the boy was completely sacked out, one foot hanging out from under the covers and a small smile on his face. Nathan closed the bedroom door quietly and tiptoed down the stairs before pulling out his cell phone and dialing a familiar number. "It's Nathan," he said as the line clicked. "I'm sorry for calling so late but, Luke, it's about Haley."
"What's wrong," his brother asked.
"The depression got worse, Luke," Nathan explained as he sat down on the couch. A photo sat on the side table and he picked it up, wiping away the dust with his thumb; it was a picture of Haley and Lucas that Karen had taken before he knew them – Haley was on his back, arms locked around his neck and one of her perfect smiles on her face. "She… I don't think she tried to kill herself but she almost drowned herself in the pool."
"What," Lucas asked, his voice laced with urgency. If Nathan closed his eyes, he could see his brother throwing on clothes, stepping into shoes as he mumbled an excuse to Peyton because, when it came to Haley, Lucas Scott would always come running. "Nate, is she okay?"
"She's alright," Nathan promised. "She's seeing a therapist daily now and she's really trying to get better but, Luke, she needs you man.
"What can I do," he asked.
"Julian has been entered into a film festival in Utah and we're all heading out there tomorrow for a couple of weeks," Nathan explained. "I was thinking, man… Is there any way that you can come and get her – maybe make the trip a road trip for the two of you? Meet the rest of us in Utah?"
"Nathan," Luke sighed. "That's a long drive and leaving Peyton and Sawyer for that long isn't practical."
"Put Peyton and Sawyer on a plane to Utah," Nathan suggested. "Please, Lucas. I'm afraid if something doesn't change I am going to lose her for real next time."
"I can be in Tree Hill by afternoon," Lucas told him.
"Thank you," Nathan whispered as his voice broke. "Thank you."
"I'd do anything for her," Lucas promised. "She's going to be okay, little brother."
"We'll see you later," he told his big brother – believing for the first time since Lydia James had died that everything would be okay.
"Nate," Luke added before he hung up the phone. "I'm proud of you, man."
Nathan hung up the phone and made his way back up the stairs, down the darkened hallway, and into the master bedroom where Haley lay on their bed staring at the ceiling fan spinning around. He pulled the covers back and crawled in beside her, his arm going around her waist and pressing a kiss to her jaw. "I called Lucas."
"What," Haley asked as her brows furrowed in anger. "Why would you call Luke?"
"You need him," Nathan explained. "Don't tell me that you don't, Haley James Scott. You are getting better and the therapist is helping, I'm doing what I can and so is Quinn, but you need Luke, Hales. You need your best friend right now."
Tears started to fall but she didn't deny the fact. "What about Utah?"
"The boy and I are going to fly out with the rest of the group," Nathan explained as he turned on his side, his fingers playing with the end of her braid. "Lucas is putting Peyton and Sawyer on a plane to Utah. You and Luke are going to join us out there after you guys road trip it across the states – you need time, Hales. And as much as it wounds my pride to say so… Lucas is the man to help you right now."
"I'm sorry," she whispered as she curled into him and the tears started to fall faster. "I'm sorry I-"
"Stop," he ordered. "Don't apologize, okay? Just… I hope you find what you need, Haley."
She sniffled against his shirt. "Can you just hold on real tight tonight?"
"Always."
Lucas walked into the house without knocking just after one o'clock that afternoon; Jamie had been sitting on the stairs waiting for him and launched himself off the steps into his uncle's arms at first sight. Luke caught him and hugged him tightly, dropping a kiss to his nephew's head. "Hey buddy. How are you?"
"Mama's sad," he explained. "Ever since Grandma Lydia died she's just been… not mama. Dad said you came to help her?"
"I'm going to try," Luke promised as he sat him down on the floor and knelt down to look at him. "You and your dad are going to head on out to Utah while your mama and I drive out, okay? Aunt Peyton and Sawyer are going to meet you guys there so can you do me a favor and look out for my girls for me?"
"Of course," Jamie swore. "You look out for my mama and I'll look out for Aunt Peyton and Sawyer."
"Deal," Luke told him and held his hand out so they could shake on it. Jamie shook his hand and then launched himself forward to hug his uncle once more. "Alright, man. I need to find your mama and dad."
"They're upstairs," he explained. "Mama said she was tired after lunch and daddy wanted to check on her."
"I'll go see if I can help," the man told the little boy as he patted his head. "Why don't you go feed Chester and I'll be in to see how much he's grown after I'm done with mama?"
"Okay," Jamie said as he ran off.
Lucas took his time as he climbed the stairs; he paused every few feet to admire photos of days gone by, brushing his hand of the last one they'd taken as a group at his wedding to Peyton. Haley's smiling face caught his attention and he frowned – depression had always been lurking beneath Haley's surface but without her mom, he thought, she couldn't keep her head above the water. He steeled himself for what was on the other side of the master bedroom door as he knocked before stepping in to find Nathan worrying at the foot of his bed. Haley was on her side, face expressionless as she stared blankly at the wall ahead of her – almost catatonic. He offered Nathan a firm, comforting hand on his shoulder before he passed him by to kneel in front of his best friend. "Hey Hales."
"Luke," she breathed his name like a prayer.
He brushed the auburn locks from her face before shedding his jacket and shoes; he didn't look at his brother for permission as he climbed onto the bed next to Haley, pulling her and the mess of blankets onto his laps and cradling her to his chest. Almost no reaction followed except for her fingers that curled into the collar of his shirt and the slightest tilt of her head so that her ear was pressed against his chest where his heart hammered. Gently, he rubbed circles over her back without saying a word – she didn't need any more words, she'd had her fill.
Nathan watched them for a long moment before he shook his head and stepped out of the room, presumably to go check on Jamie. Lucas knew that it bothered his brother to have to call him in the first place, that he couldn't fix whatever was wrong with his wife, but he also knew that Haley's well being was far more important than his brother's pride.
"I've missed you," Haley broke the silence after they'd been cloaked in quiet for more than an hour. "That's one of the few things I'm still feeling – longing and anger are about all I have left these days."
"I've missed you, too," he promised as he pressed a kiss to her temple. "Be mad as hell, Haley – you're allowed. You're allowed to scream and cry and break things if you need to."
"I can't." She shook her head and hid her face in her hands. "I can't because I'm the strong one – I'm the one who is supposed to make it all better. How do I make this better, Luke?"
"You can't." He wrapped her even tighter in his arms. "You cannot fix this, Haley, and that's not your fault. This is the one thing where nothing helps but time and love from people around you. You do not have to be the strong one this time."
"I do," Haley protested.
"Stop," Lucas told her.
"I want to be better." Tears fell and she hid her face in his shoulders as she shook with sobs. He held on tightly as she fell apart; not letting go when her hands began to pound against his shoulder in a fury or when she curled her nails deep into his shoulder – if she couldn't feel then he would feel it for her. "I want this to go away, Luke. I want it to stop."
"It's going to." He stood and pulled her up with him. "It is going to get better, Haley Bob James Scott. You are going to get better – according to Nate, you already are. It may seem slow, like you're not even moving forward at all, but I promise tomorrow is going to be better than today and the day after is going to be easier than tomorrow. It will get better."
She launched herself forward into his arms as she hugged him tightly. He rocked her gently as he wrapped his arms around her middle, almost dancing as he held her. They had only danced chest to chest once before, at their seventh grade dance when her first boyfriend had broken her heart and Luke had danced her pain away. He brushed the hair back from her face and pressed a kiss to her forehead while she clung to him, their footfall a nearly silent metronome to a nameless song.
"Mama," Jamie called through the door. "Uncle Luke! Dad says to tell you dinner is ready if you're hungry."
"I can't," Haley whispered in Luke's ear. "He doesn't need to see me like this, Luke. I've been so horrible to him ever since."
"Come here." He pulled her back and wiped her tears with the sleeve of his shirt and brushed his fingers through her hair until she looked a little more Haley than she had when he'd walked in the room earlier that afternoon. "You need to be with him – he needs to see that you are trying."
"You're really here," she asked.
"For as long as you need me," he promised and linked their hands together. "We'll get through this."
"Okay." She gripped his hand tightly but allowed him to usher her out of the room, through the hall, down the stairs, and into the dining room where Jamie and Nathan stood by the dinner they had created. She offered the best smile she could muster and allowed Lucas to guide her into a chair before he took his own seat. "This looks good, Jamie."
"Thanks mama," he said proudly. "Daddy helped me make it because I'm still not good at making the spaghetti sauce and we know how you feel about the canned stuff."
"I appreciate that," she told him and reached over to ruffle his hair before turning to Nathan. "Thank you."
"Anything for you," Nathan promised and leaned over to kiss her cheek.
Luke offered her an encouraging smile from across the table before turning his attention to his nephew. "Just what is in this special sauce, J-Luke? Aunt Peyton isn't gonna have to come rescue me from food poisoning is she?"
"No." Jamie giggled and shook his head. "Just tomatoes and the 'talian seasoning and veggies that daddy cut up because I can't use the big knife yet."
"Next birthday," Haley told him.
"Sweet," Jamie replied with a fist pump. "Uncle Luke said you and him are driving to Utah?"
"That's the plan," Haley agreed.
Jamie climbed out of his chair and walked over to her, wrapping his arms gently around her. "I'm glad you're getting better, mama. Daddy and I will wait with Aunt Peyton and Sawyer in Utah for you, okay? I'll be so good."
"Hey," Haley pulled back sharply and Jamie withdrew. "No, Jamie. Come here. You are the best little man I could ever ask for and I'm so sorry I've hurt you so much lately. I love you."
"I love you too," Jamie told her as he launched himself into her arms and buried his head in the crook of her neck.
Nathan looked at Lucas across the table and mouthed a thank you. Things could only go up from there, he hoped.