DISCLAIMER: I do not own One Tree Hill, or any of the characters, except the made up ones.

Chapter Three

You Gotta Go There to Come Back

Present Day

It was another typical Sunday for Haley as she sat at her piano playing a beautiful melody. Closing her eyes as her fingers hit the keys she mouth the words that came to her from feeling the music. Smiling that it was finally something that sounded good so wrote the lyrics down on a piece of paper. She had been working for Columbia Records for about a year now and she loved writing music. That's what she did. She wrote songs and they paid her to do so. She loved working for the label. She had written some pretty amazing songs that were high on the charts.

She looked around at her large apartment and noticed that Rachel didn't wash the dishes like she said that she would. Brooke didn't dust like she said that she would. Haley knew that if she didn't do these things that her two messy roommates would let their beautiful apartment look filthy. They always were like this. She had met Brooke when she moved to San Francisco at the end of her junior year. The instantly became best friends and did everything together. When they both got except to Stanford Haley was so happy that she would have her Tigger there through college.

After graduation the spent the summer in New York with there bestfriend Jake before heading off to college. That's where the both met Rachel. Haley had to admit at first she didn't really like her but after awhile the girl grows on you and soon they all started living together. Things didn't change after the girls graduated. Rachel and Brooke had started coming up with ideas to start a fashion company. After a few months they finally came up with Clothes over Bros. They both started designing clothes for their company and eventually everything took off from there. There clothing line was a huge success and they had boutiques in every major city.

Haley was certainly proud of them. She on the other hand had a degree in education but she never found a school that she wanted to teach at. She really didn't like the schools in LA. She was more of a small town kind of girl but Brooke and Rachel wouldn't here of her moving out. As soon as she would bring it up they would talk her out of it. Her old bestfriend from Tree Hill came to visit her and introduced her to her boyfriend. When Peyton told Chris that Haley was talented in music he hooked her up with his label and got her the job. They wanted her to record music and go on tour but Haley didn't want that kind of life. It just wasn't her. As much as she loved to sing, she didn't want all the attention and settled for just writing songs. She loved it when she would here one of her songs on the radio. It just made her feel so amazing at what she did.

After finishing writing the song that she and Chris had started a few days ago she went to pack her bags. They were going to Paris for four weeks. Brooke and Rachel had said yes right away. She made a call to Tree Hill and after a little convincing Peyton agreed to leave her night club Tric in the hands of Karen while she was away. Peyton and Chris had broken up a long time ago and Haley felt bad that she was still friends with Chris but they worked together it's not like it was by choice. After getting all of her clothes into her suite case and carrying it to the living room she took a look around her apartment before leaving and driving to the airport. Now here it was almost for weeks later and their trip was almost over.

She stood there looking at the artwork on the wall. It was one of the most beautiful paintings that she had ever seen in her entire life. The Louvre was crowed with tourist from all over the world. Looking up at the painting she wondered what the artist was thinking when he drew it. The colors were dark and the sky was so unbelievably beautiful.

"Man what I wouldn't give to have as much talent as van Gough did," Peyton said looking up dreamingly at the painting.

"Peyton what are you talking about your amazing?" Haley said tearing her eyes of the painting that she was mesmerized with moments ago.

"Thank you," Peyton said with a smile. "But my work could never make it in here."

"Are you ladies done yet," Brooke said holding her hands on her waist letting them know that she was serious. "We have been her since this morning and it is almost four o'clock. Now we are leaving in two days and I want to have some fun before we go back. My engagement party is in three days so I just want to have a little fun before I announce to the world that I'm taken."

"B. Davis relax," Haley said putting her hand on her best friend's shoulders. "Now we have been here for four weeks now and we have had nothing but fun." She looked over at Peyton and smiled before looking back at Brooke. "If you are that nervous about announcing your engagement then maybe you are just not ready. I mean this is a big step for you."

"Ha-ley," Brooke whined. "It's not that it's just that I'm moving a million miles away from my home. I'm leaving my family behind. Not to mention that the wedding is in like four months."

"They why did you agree to move Tigger?" Haley said. She loved Brooke to death but the girl was a total girl about everything. "You guys don't have to rush things. I mean you only met him like last summer. It's okay if you don't want to get married right away he will understand."

"That's not it tutor girl. I want to marry him because I love him," Brooke said. "He's more close to his family than I am to mine and I would do anything for him you guys know that so that's why I said that I would move."

"Brooke then what's the problem?" Peyton said. She had met Brooke Davis when she took one of her trip out to see Haley a few years ago. The girls hit it off and Haley was happy that two of her best friends were now friends. She missed Peyton and she was so happy when she came to visit.

"Nothing," Brooke said shaking her head. "I just want to have as much fun as I can with my three best friends before my life forever changes and I won't be single fun Brooke Davis. I'll be hott married Brooke. And no offense to you two art nerds but this place does nothing for me."

"That's why we told you not to come," Haley said hitting her playfully on the arm. "You should have gone with Rachel."

"But I didn't want to miss any of the hott French guys," Brooke said as her eyes followed a guy that had just passed in front of them. "Besides me and her are just alike and well sometimes I want to just kick her ass."

"Hey now like we said before you can look all you want but no touching," Peyton said moving her head back to face them.

"I do love to look," Brooke said with a smile. "Now can we please leave you guys have been dragging me to all these old boring museums the whole trip."

"Hey all we have been doing is shopping," Haley said.

"Man Bitch is all about being a Brooke in Paris," Peyton said smiling.

"Well played P. Sawyer," Brooke said with a smirk. "Now it's time to party. We are going back to the hotel and getting dressed in our finest clothes and then we are going to that party that hot guy was telling Haley about."

"No way Brooke," Haley said holding up her hands. "That guy totally freaked me out."

"You never know tutor girl he could be your soul mate," Brooke said linking arms with both girls. "Now let's find Rachel before she get's kicked out of another place here again and they band all of us from France."

"I don't know why you two dragged her along," Peyton said shaking her head. "She hasn't done anything with us since we got here. She just likes to party and might I add that she is such a slut."

"We know," both of the other girls said at the same time as they made it back to there hotel. They arrived back at the hotel and got ready for a night on the town.

"Haley will you please loosen up for one night and have a little fun. Hook up with a hot French guy. Live a little," Brooke whined as she did her make up.

"Sure I'll have sex with a complete stranger just to make you happy Tigger," Haley said sarcastically.

"Brooke you know Hales doesn't do anything wild," Peyton said smiling at her.

"I do too," Haley defended herself.

"Please tutor girl in all the years that I have known and loved you, you have only done one thing that was a little spontaneous," Brooke said.

"What would that be?" Peyton said looking on.

"It's nothing," Haley said suddenly really not wanting Peyton to know.

"I don't think so," Brooke said smirking. "It was like three weeks after she moved. I got her a little drunk and we went to get tattoos. I couldn't believe it but she actually got one."

"You're joking," Peyton said laughing as Haley's face got red.

"Tigger!"

"What did you get Hales?" Peyton asked. She had never thought that innocent Haley James would do anything like this.

"A stupid random number on her ass," Brooke said rolling her eyes. "I got this!" She unzipped her jeans and showed Peyton the Chinese symbol.

"Hales your turn," Peyton said standing up and walking up to her.

"Fine," Haley said turning around and raising up her shirt and showing her the number.

"23?" Peyton said looking at her. "Why did you get 23?"

"Because that's how many minutes it took me to pick a number," Haley lied.

"What's up bitches?" Rachel said storming into the hotel room. "I hooked up this totally hot guy last night."

"You," Peyton said rolling her eyes. "I'm shocked."

"Bite me!" Rachel said.

"Enough! You too have been at each other's throat's the entire trip. Please just stop and be nice," Haley said.

"She started it," Rachel said. "Now what are we doing tonight?"

"Are who are you doing tonight," Peyton said causing her and Brooke to laugh as Haley gave them a death glare.

"To some party," Haley said smiling at her. "Now get your fat ass dressed so we won't be late."

"Bossy much," Brooke said smiling as Rachel took off to take a shower.

A few hours later they were in the club dancing on one another. The guys were looking at them from every direction. All four of them knew that they could have any guy that they wanted in the room.

"I need a break," Haley said before walking towards the bar. Living with Brooke and Rachel she had to learn how to party like them and more importantly to enjoy it. She ordered a water and waited as the bartender said something in French and then walked away.

"You American," a guy said from behind her. Haley turned around and saw a very sexy man standing in front of her. He had blonde hair and green eyes and he looked like he just stepped out of a magazine.

"Yes and I see that you are," Haley said smiling.

"I'm Ryan and you are?" He said holding out his hand.

"Not interested," Haley said before turning around and grabbing her water before walking away leaving the guy standing there. She found a seat and saw that her friends were making there way to her.

"What the hell was that?" Rachel said taking a seat.

"What?" Haley said innocently.

"That hot guy," Brooke said pointing to him. "He was hitting on you and you just walked away."

"He's not my type," Haley said.

"What sexy is not your type?" Rachel said.

"Haley in all the years that I've known you, you only had a few boyfriends and you never even just hooked up with someone," Brooke said.

"She's right Hales," Peyton said.

"Look I'm not like you guys okay. No offense but I don't take sex lightly. I believe that you should be in love with someone before you sleep with them," Haley said looking away from their daggering eyes.

"You never even try with guys though Hales," Brooke said. "A million guys hit on you each time we go out and you always just walk away."

"How are you going to fall in love if you don't give anyone a chance?" Peyton said.

"I don't think that this is any of your business what I do! So I don't date big deal. I like my life just fine thank you. I don't need a guy to drool over me are have meaningless one night stands," Haley said before realizing it.

"We just don't want you to end up alone," Brooke said with a soft smile.

"Guys thank you for worrying about me. I love you all of it but I'm 23 okay, you are acting like I'm about to be 40 are something," Haley said. "When I find a guy that I want, you'll all be the first to know. Now I'm going to go dance with that sexy guy over there. He's been staring at me all night and I think that I'll go talk to him." Before any of them could say anything she walked off. They saw her grab the guys hand and bring him to the dance floor before she began to grind on him.

"I'm so proud," Rachel said holding a hand over her heart as she watched Haley do something that she didn't want to do.

Two days later the four girls were on a non stop flight to Tree Hill. Brooke and Rachel looked threw magazines as Peyton and Haley read a book. Haley didn't know how Rachel and Brooke both got into Stanford and graduated. The plane landed and this was the first time since Haley moved that she was back in Tree Hill. They all got off the plane and went get their luggage. Haley jumped when she heard Brooke squeal. She turned towards the noise and saw Brooke running into her fiancé arms.

"Broody I missed you so much," Brooke said kissing him.

"We are getting married ladies and gentlemen!" Lucas shouted into the airport. Haley smiled as she seen them. It had been a few months since she seen Lucas and ever since he met Brooke he had been busy with falling in love and all. They hadn't really spent too much time together since she moved away all those years ago. But no matter what happened in their lives they were best friends for life. Lucas noticed Haley walking towards them and he opened his arms as she hugged him.

"I've missed you buddy," Haley said holding him tight.

"Haley James you have no idea," Lucas said picking her up and twirling her around making her laugh.

"Now let's get this engagement party on the road," Brooke said looking at them. "We need everything perfect for tomorrow night."

"Hey everything has already been taking care of," Lucas said with a smile.

"What do you mean?" Brooke said.

"Well Jake flew down last week and he and a couple of my people helped out with everything," Lucas said with a smile. "Let's just get you ladies to Peyton's house so you can get some rest because tomorrow we are going to party."

"When am I going to meet your parents Luke?" Brooke said nervously.

"Tomorrow cheery," Lucas said picking up her bags.

"Brookie I told you that they are just great," Haley said as they began to walk out of the airport.

"That's easy for you to say you've been best friends since you were little," Brooke said with a pout.

"Brooke we promise that they will love you," Peyton said smiling.

"I don't want your opinion either," Brooke said sticking out her tongue.

"They are going to hate you," Rachel said smirking.

"I hate you," Brooke said hitting her on the arm. "I like Haley and Peyton's answer better."

"Just relax baby," Lucas said loading her bags into the car. "Felix, Chase, and Chris will be her first thing in the morning. You ladies can stay at Peyton's tonight and she will drive you to Tric for the party tomorrow afternoon."

"Okay," all the girls said at the same time. Lucas drove them to Peyton's house. Haley looked out the window at everything that she had forgotten over the years. She heard Lucas telling them that they just passed up his mom's café. They turned the corner and Haley found her eyes pulling to a certain someone's house. She hadn't heard anything about him in all these years. She wondered what he was doing, where he lived, if he ever thought about her, and if he remembered their few hours together because she knew that she thought about it often.

AN: Thanks for all the amazing reviews. What's coming up

-Lucas will introduce his brother to his bestfriend