A/N: I do not own One Tree Hill. So I am continuing. I am sorry, I can't stay away from Peyton and Nathan, so the undertones of them will last until the end, or maybe they will be the end. You never know. Thanks to leona and Leijona and xox-andrea-xox for your marvelous reviews. You guys are great. Also, thank to those of you who put it on alert. Now I am going to work on updating my other three stories. Enjoy.

She woke up to the sight of basketball trophies and framed newspaper articles. It was a sight she used to wake to often. She often awoke in the room as a young high school girl dating the star athlete. They would go to bed happy, they would fight, and she would move to the guest room in hopes of sleeping peacefully. She hadn't expected to see this room ever again. When Dan went to jail, Deb had gotten the house in the settlement.

"Hey, you're up." The man she had seen a few times growing up walked in with a glass of water and two aspirin for her. "Thought you might need these."

"Thanks."

"You were throwing 'em back pretty good last night. Want to talk about it?" He remembered her words when they were leaving the bar 'you have Nathan's eyes.' He thought for sure she and Nathan were over, so her words continued to tumble in his thoughts looking for a reason.

"Not really." She took the two white pills from his hand and chased them with water hoping they would take affect quickly. "My head is killing me."

He looked at the woman still lying on the bed. Her hair tousled from sleeping, and her body curled up; she was beautiful. "Well, I'll let you sleep if that will help." He said walking towards the door.

"Thanks." She closed her eyes in hopes of blocking the light, drifting off to sleep.

Cooper quietly walked down the stairs to find his sister in the kitchen. He was surprised to see her here. When he told her he was coming back to town, she had said she was living with Nathan and Haley, taking care of Jamie. He definitely didn't expect her to be here. "Deb." He walked to the aging blonde and hugged her tightly.

"Cooper." She hugged him back as if she hadn't seen him in years. "I've missed you so much. Now tell me everything. I want to know where you have been for the last 6 years." He left town when he was released from the hospital, Rachel had hurt him and this town only succeeded in reminding him of every little detail.

"Nothing to tell. What matters now is that I am home with my sister." She could see the glimmer of sadness in his voice. Not wanting to push him away again, she hugged him again. "I've missed you too, Deb, I've missed you too." His words trailed off.

"Oh my God look at the time, I have to get going, I am taking Jamie to the zoo today. I'll come back by tonight. I love you." She grabbed her back and walked down the steps of the front entrance turning at the bottom. "I really am glad your back and I know Nathan will be too." She walked toward her car, but halted when the black suburban drove up. "Speak of the devil" she grinned to her brother as the little boy got out of the back seat followed by Nathan coming from the driver's side.

"Nanny Deb, you were late, so Daddy decided to bring me himself." He looked around to notice the strange man emerging from the house. His eyes grew wider when he noticed who the man was. "Uncle Cooper!!" He ran to the man. "Daddy said you were a racecar driver. That is so cool!!"

Setting the boy down after a heartfelt embrace, he responded to the child even though the reminder was painful. "I used to be. It was really cool."

"Oh boy, I am so glad you here, but I have to go to the zoo. We are going to see lions….and …..tigers….and..." He thought for moments. "And BEARS!"

Cooper began to shake his knees and bite at his fingers. "OH my" He shouted, and the little boy laughed obviously knowing what movie it came from.

"Come on Jamie, let's go. You're uncle is silly." She fastened him into his seat and the two drove off. Cooper watched as they drove off going over his short conversation with the little boy thinking about how much he wanted a family.

"So the long lost uncle returns." Nathan approached the man and reached at his hand pulling there shoulders together in greeting. "Glad you're back man."

"Yeah." He attempted a smile. "It is good to see you again. You're son is awesome."

"That he is." He pushed passed the older man, and walked into the house he used to call home.

"What are you doing, Nate?" Cooper asked confused.

"I haven't seen my uncle in 6 six years. I am planning to hang with you, dude." He opened a bag of sun chips, and went to the living room to sit. "So Coop, what has been going on with you?"

Cooper sat on the edge of the chair. "I'm moving back to Tree Hill."

"That's great!" Nathan exclaimed. "I've missed ya! Lucas was never all that good at being one of the guys. And Skills is kind of dating my mom."

"Wait a minute, Skills, as in your old teammate Skills. AND DEB?"

"Yeah, man, I know, it's weird right? But after the last week, he needs someone to be there for him, and we all know mom was never happy. How could she have been?" He stated referring to the relationship she and her father shared.

"So how are Haley and Jamie doing?" He wanted to feel out if Nathan and Haley were still happy and together, this was the only way he knew how.

"They are good. Jamie is so smart, and he says some of the funniest things. It is great being a dad."

"Glad you are happy, Nate." He saw the empty smile on the face before him. Sure he loved being a dad, but the last week had made him question his life. Though Cooper could see the blank emotions spread, he didn't want to open up any wounds.

"Hey, there's a game on. LA vs. Houston. Up for watching?" Nathan had the remote already in his hand pressing down the red button.

"Sure, for a little while." He said as they settled onto the couch, Cooper stealing the bag of chips from his nephew.

"Cooper? Do you think you could drop me off back at the bar, so that I can get my car?" The voice grew louder with the footsteps, Nathan eyes growing wide with shock.

"Peyton?" he said barely audible.

"Nathan." She jumped as she rounded the corner.

She was still in the same clothes she had on last night when he went to go see her, and she looked rough, he could tell she had been drinking. Had he not been startled by the sound of her voice, she would have confirmed that for him with her question to Cooper.

"I am just going to go get some water, and then I will take you to get your car, Peyton." Cooper said as he removed himself from the thick atmosphere of the living room. He wasn't stupid.

"What are you doing here?"

"It doesn't matter." She whispered, hoping to sustain her composure. "Tell Cooper I'll be in the car." She walked out of the house, Nathan attempting to follow her.

"Peyton wait!" Getting stopped by Cooper in the kitchen. "Nathan, stop, man. Just let her go. I'll catch up with you later." He followed the blonde to his car and the two drove off.

"Brooke, please tell me what really happened? I want to be there for you."

"I thought you were too busy trying to get back in Peyton's pants. It is a habit with you."

"What the hell, Brooke? What happened to you? You can say you fell down the stairs all you want, but I'm not buying it." He held her shoulders softly beneath his palms.

"Yeah? Then why did you? It has been two weeks, and you never cared before." He could see the tears forming in her eyes. He knew she was broken and she needed fixing. He only hoped this time, he wouldn't let her down.

"Oh Brooke, come here." He wrapped his arms around her shaking body, as the sobs overtook her. They spent the rest of the morning on her couch, not speaking but embraced.

"Oh Nathan." Haley said sticking a bare leg out from behind the bedroom door. It wasn't often that she and Nathan were alone in the house without fear of their son walking in on them, and she fully planned on using this time on him.

Nathan, in the kitchen, was pouring himself a glass of orange juice. "What is it, Haley?" He didn't turn around to look at her, but she soon felt her arms grasp his chest from behind. Her slender fingers finding their ways to the buttons that confined him.

"I was thinking since Jamie's not here, that we could, you know?" She finished by pulling his shirt off his toned arms and trailing kisses down his back. He turned to find her lips on his, and pushed himself into the mood. He wanted the mother of his son to be the one, and he was going to try his damnedest to make his mind believe she was.

She loved her husband, especially when they were intimate, but she could notice the change in the way he touched her and the fact that he wouldn't look her in the eye. She was going to try her damnedest to make sure her husband only had eyes for her, even if something in the back of her mind was telling her otherwise.

"So today was fun. I almost forgot that my head was killing me." She half laughed as she opened the door to his Chevelle adding, "My fellow classic car lover." He was glad to see the day held so few awkward moments. It was probably because he never asked just what was going on with her and his nephew, but he hoped that maybe it was just him making her forget.

"It was good, even though you see beat my ass in go-karts." He grabbed the car door from her hand and gently shut it, while she leaned against his car, something he wouldn't let just anyone do. "I so let you win." He smirked, and once again his actions brought her thoughts back to the boy from her past. He noticed how the Chap Stick on her lips made them shine just the right amount, and the glimmer from her eyes made his heart pump just a little harder. He vowed to ignore the voice in his head that told him no, and he reached his lips to hers, then gently pulling away.

She didn't push away, and when he pulled back she was left looking into his eyes. 'Damn those eyes.' She thought before she reciprocated his actions.