"Good morning!" Haley screamed cheerily as she ran and jumped on her husband's back. "I made you a nice batch of homemade Belgium waffles for breakfast and I have a fresh bag of those raisin bagels you like so much, for the road."

"Wow", Nathan muttered. "At least one of us is excited about the business trip from hell."

"Business trip from hell?" Haley scoffed, playfully socking in the arm. "How can you say that? It's a day off work, a nice long road trip to Charlotte. And after your conference, we get to hang out and have dinner and enjoy a nice romantic hotel room to ourselves. How can you not be excited?"

"Let's see…oh, because not only will my parents be at the conference, they will be at the same hotel in a room next door, mind you, wanting to talk and hang out every five minutes."

"Oh", Haley paused. "There's that. So what? There's safety in numbers, right? I've so got your back."

"Hales, are you sure we even have to go?" Nathan whined again for the umpteenth time. "I could get us out of this really quick. As a matter of fact, I feel a cough coming on. Feel my forehead, I'm probably burning up."

"Nice try, Mr. Scott, but you do not have a cough or a fever. You're fine and we're going to be fine. Honestly babe, I think this night away is just what we need. Besides, you get all dressed up in your suit and uh…maybe we'll just stay in", she teased, nibbling his earlobe for good measure.

"Okay, okay", he conceded as he laughed. "God, I hate when you do that but you win. We'll go. Just promise you won't leave me alone with them."

"Scout's honor", she grinned.

They loaded their belongings into the Land Rover and began making the trip to Charlotte. It was a beautiful early morning and the traffic wasn't so bad. Nathan smiled as Haley kicked off her shoes and curled up in the passenger seat next to him. He loved the way her hands automatically gravitated towards his and the natural way their fingers intertwined. She was truly an amazing woman and even after all the years, he found himself still counting his lucky stars that they had found each other.

Haley felt the same way. Nathan Scott was her knight in shining armor, the only man she had ever loved, the only man she cared to. Girls like her weren't lucky enough to land guys like him but they had defied the odds and stood the test of time. When they first met, he was cocky and mean, the stereotypical jock but somehow she had been able to see past the exterior to the beautiful, vulnerable boy that lay inside. And that was the person she had fallen in love with. Not the handsome, ruthless and reckless clone of his father, Dan. But more of his caring, thoughtful and insensitive side that he seemed to inherit from his mother, Deb.

Dan and Deb Scott, Tree Hill's own reigning elite social king and queen. The handsome, successful and arrogant entrepreneur with his beautiful, blonde, charity work organizing, trophy wife of almost 24 years. On the outside they were the epitome of the American dream but throughout the years it was Haley who had come face to face with the nightmare. The huge rifts in an otherwise perfect marriage. Deb's frequent absences from home. Dan's love of whiskey. The impossible pressure Dan had mounted on his son since the day Nathan had been born. Haley saw it all and she liked none of it. It didn't matter though. No matter what she said or did, in Dan Scott's eyes, Haley James would never be good enough for his son. She was just a gutter rat from a poor family from the other side of town.

Deb however had been a different story. In an unlikely alliance, it was Deb who had first reached out and befriended Karen. Over the years Deb had made major investments into Karen's Café as well as the nightclub, Tric, the women had recently opened with Peyton Sawyer. They had become business partners as well as friends and Deb had taken to Haley almost instantly. What was there not to like about the pretty, shy, soft spoken teenager with the million dollar smile? Haley was polite and responsible, respectful and reliable, so different from the empty headed cheerleaders Nathan had brought home before. What mother wouldn't want a daughter like that for her only son? The two became fast friends and Deb had been like a surrogate mother to Haley, that is until the day she had married Nathan. There were no elaborate wedding plans or anything of that nature because the couple had elected to elope on a whim. They expected a surprised reaction but certainly not the hostile one they had received from Deb, once their biggest supporter. Ever since the marriage she had continued to be icy, straining the relationship for all involved. Still Haley would approach the trip to Charlotte with a grain of salt and high hopes that for at least 24 hours, everyone could remain civil.

Haley and Nathan enjoyed the scenic route to Charlotte and settled in their hotel room, the accommodations a bit more lavish than Haley was accustomed to thanks to Dan Scott Motors, which was footing the bill. She flopped down on the bed and flipped through what seemed like a zillion channels. Finally Nathan emerged from the bathroom, freshly showered and clean shaven, dressed in his finest suit.

"What?" he asked as he fiddled with his tie. "Aren't you going to help me?"

"Sure", she purred mischievously as she loosened the knot with one swift motion. "I am more than willing to help you out of this tie and this suit for that matter."

With that, she pushed him down back onto the king sized bed and kissed his lips.

"Decisions, decisions", he pondered. "Spend the remainder of my morning in stupid meetings with my stupid dad or stay in bed with my incredibly beautiful and horny wife."

"I think that'll be the easiest choice you make all year", she grinned.

They kissed deeply and passionately, hands roaming as they tore at each other's clothes. Haley moaned out loud at the feel of his hand on her bare thigh.

"I want you, Hales", he breathed, sucking the sweet, sensitive spot on her neck.

They didn't even notice, until it was too late, the door opening and Dan Scott staring at the foot of the bed. He cleared his throat as he stood with his trademark smirk that seemed to be permanently plastered across his face. A red faced Haley groaned as she buried her flushed cheeks into the pillow, Nathan cursing as he hurried to cover them up.

"Son", Dan greeted. "Haley."

"Mr. Scott", she nodded back in a whisper, struggling to fasten the buttons on her shirt.

"How the hell did you get in here?" Nathan practically yelled as he zipped his fly. "This is our room!"

"Actually, it's my room", Dan said, flashing the cardboard key. "You and the wife here may have checked in but I'm the one paying for it. As always, the old man keeps setting the table."

Nathan rolled his eyes then turned his attention to the life size cardboard cut out of Dan. He was smiling, wearing work coveralls and giving a big thumbs up sign to match his toothy grin.

"Dad…what the hell is that?"

"My newest presentation to the board of directors for plans for the Dan Scott Motor Annex. What do you think?"

"I think one of you is bad enough", Nathan rolled his eyes.

"Well come on, son. Time is money and we need to get going. We have a conference room full of people waiting on us. Now why don't you, uh, get yourself together so to speak so we can go? And hurry it up, son. There will be plenty of time for the newlywed sex thing later."

Nathan and Haley both cringed as he left the room. It was typical Dan Scott fashion.

"I told you he would find a way to ruin our romantic one night vacation", Nathan mumbled as he began to dress.

"I'm sorry, babe."

"It's not your fault", he said, placing a quick kiss on her nose. "We are talking about my messed up family here. What else did we expect? And speaking of, I'm late for my appointment at the lion's den. I'll be back."

She smiled as he left. She felt sorry for him that he even had to put up with the whole thing. After all, it was mostly her fault he was in the situation he was in. She was the one who had acquired the boat load of debt from collegiate loans. And now with her waiting to take the MCATs for medical school, they were looking at an even worse financial deficit. The job at the dealership had paid the most money and allowed them to begin to crawl from the financial hole they had dug for themselves. But with the job came a price and that price was the interference and influence of Dan Scott. All alone and bored beyond reason, she took a deep breath and walked out into the hall. She knocked softly on the next door.

"Hi. Um, seeing that the guys are off working, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out."

Deb scowled as she folded her arms and shot her daughter in law the glare from hell. Haley instantly recoiled, cursing herself for sounding so stupid. She wasn't approaching Brooke or Peyton or one of her other friends. This was her mother in law…the mother in law that hated her guts.

"Look, Mrs. Scott, I, um…I was just wondering if you wanted to have lunch with me. It would give us the chance to talk…"

"Haley, I really don't think we have anything to talk about."

"I do. Gosh, Nathan said coming over here was a bad idea but…"

"But what? Maybe you should have listened to him."

"Mrs. Scott, there was a time when you and I were close. We were friends and I really valued that relationship. Ever since the wedding, it's like you can't stand me. Look, I'm not sorry I married your son because I love him very, very much and we really make each other happy. But if we ambushed you with it all or your feelings were hurt because we elope, then I do apologize."

"Haley, I do not hate you but I'm sorry, I cannot and will not give you my blessing for destroying Nathan's life and you can trust me, on this one, your own."

Without another word, she shut the door in the speechless young woman's face. Haley gallantly fought back tears until a few seconds later when she was safe in the confines of her room. It was only then that she could let loose and collapse on the bed, letting a fresh avalanche of tears flow. She sat for hours, sobbing softly and cursing herself for ever going on a trip and trying to make amends with her in laws. It was there that Nathan found her still dabbing at her brown eyes with a well used Kleenex.

"Haley? Hales, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" he asked as he sat down beside her.

"Your mother…um, your mother said…"

"You were ruining my life?"

"Yeah basically. How…how did you know?"

"I've heard it forty ways to Christmas, trust me. We're too young and blah, blah, blah. She's just being a bitch now. If it wasn't this, it'd be something else. You can't cool or the house would be dirty. They'll find anything to nitpick until they realize this is the real deal between us so they may as well get used to it."

"She hates me", Haley pouted.

"Hales, she doesn't hate you. And stop crying about it. I hate seeing you all upset. Look there is basically only one way to deal with this and that's just to say, 'fuck it'. I mean, what else can we do until they come around? This is us. Getting married is what we wanted and I'll never regret that or try to hide it. I love you, Hales and I know you love me, too. You married me, not my parents so until they come to their senses, screw the both of them."

She sniffled as she looked up at him and kissed her tear stained cheeks. So much for trying to get along with the Scotts. It was obvious there would be no family celebrations for a while but she was determined not to let them ruin what was left of her romantic getaway. Chaining the door from the inside as to avoid intruders carrying six feet tall cutouts of themselves, they ordered in room service and drew a hot bubble bath. They made love, drank champagne and fed each other strawberries. It was their one night of bliss.

"I love you", she smiled, content in his familiar embrace.

"Not as much as I love you", he whispered.

She stroked his arm and kissed it before turning to look at him.

"Nathan?"

"Yeah?"

"Just promise me that we'll always be like this…no matter what."

He smiled as his lips met hers. Taking her hand in his, he played with the wedding band that had lovingly been placed on her left ring finger. She looked at him and in her eyes he saw his whole future.

"I promise, Hales", he whispered before another kiss. "Always."