Disclaimer: I do not own OTH or any of it characters places or such. I am simply borrowing them.
AN/ Here is the next chapter of the sequel to "looking back". This is kind of a filler chapter, though it does have some important things that lay the ground for things later to come. Thanks for the reviews! Hope you enjoy reading!
Karen collapsed into the couch a few hours later. She sighed as Lucas sat down next to her. The group had cleared out to their respective homes or parent's homes a few minutes before.
"That was just like old times, huh?" Karen said laughing
"Yea, busy and full of good times" Lucas replied petting Lulu who's head was currently sitting on his knee.
"Poor Trent. The look his face when Theresa told him that his parents were already in town was priceless"
"Theresa said that Trent thought Wanda and Mark were coming later this week. He was quick to say that he was staying with her and Skills though"
"I think he wants to spend some time with his sister before things get to crazy. Plus he knows that after Saturday things are going to be different"
"Yea, things are going to be very different" Lucas replied
"How are you handling all of this?"
"What do you mean?"
"The weddings and the babies."
"We know it was going to happen eventually, mom. Things change. It is just like when Nathan and Bevin got married and had Michael"
"Speaking of Nathan, where is he?"
"He said he was going to walk home with Haley. There is something that he needs to talk to her about"
"Oh" Karen said intrigued, "Something serious?"
"Yea, something serious, but not what you are thinking"
"What then?"
"Nathan will tell you when he is ready. Don't worry it is nothing bad"
"Are you sure?" Karen asked a little worried
"Yea, Mom. I am sure." Lucas replied smiling towards his mom, "I am heading to bed. Tomorrow is the start of the crazy days."
"Yea, I am heading that way myself"
"Don't forget to wake me up before you leave so I can get Meredith to school" Lucas added
"Chris is not going to take her?" Karen asked
"Chris needs his beauty sleep" Lucas replied as Chris walked around the corner from the kitchen
"Haha, funny"
"I know you would like that" Lucas replied getting up from the couch and walking towards the hallway, "Good night. Love ya"
"Love you too" Karen replied as Chris sat down next to her on the couch.
"Thanks for walking me home, Nate. You didn't have too." Haley said as she and Nathan stopped on the sidewalk in front of her house, "The boggy man doesn't live in Tree Hill anymore"
"I know, but I wanted too." Nathan replied, "Actually, can we go back to the tree house?"
"Sure" Haley replied before leading the way around the side of the house and towards the woods behind her house
"We should have brought a flashlight," Nathan said as the two wading through the trees a few seconds later.
"Yea, probably, but we are almost there"
"Are you sure?"
"Yea, I can see the stairs on the side of the tree" Haley added as she walked a few feet in front of Nathan
"I see them," Nathan added before the two reached the stairs a few seconds later. They started climbing the stairs to the tree house that was still standing after 20 years. Haley reached the top and walked towards the closed door. She pulled it open with a tug and coughed as stale air came rushing out.
"We really should think about cracking that window when we are not going to be in here for a while"
"Yea, probably" Nathan replied as he followed Haley into the tree house
"It always looks the same in here" Haley replied looking around the clubhouse with help from the light of the moon
"Yea, it is sort of creepy too" Nathan replied as he turned on the flashlight he had found on the bookcase by the door.
"Yea, I think creepy might be another word to describe it" Haley replied before taking a sit on the wooden floor and folding her knees Indian style
Nathan sat down beside her stretching his legs out in front of him. Neither of them said a word for a few minutes, both lost in their own thoughts
"Hales, there is something that I want to talk to you about. I know this is probably not the best time, but it may be the only time we have alone this week."
"Nathan, what's going on?"
Nathan took a deep breath before continuing, "I got pulled into the coach office last week and given this letter," Nathan said as he pulled the letter from his jean pocket and handed it to Haley. "Basically it says that my contract with the Miami Heat is over and they would like to renew my contract."
"Nathan, that is great"
"I am not sure if I want to renew my contract though, Hales. I am tired of being away from you, not being able to see you when I want."
"So, what are you thinking?"
"I am thinking that I might try and get transferred to a team closer to you."
"Nathan, is that what you want?"
"Yes, It is time for something different. I have played in Miami my entire NBA career and I want to experience more"
"What happens if they won't trade you?" Haley asked
"Then I will retire."
"Or I could move to Miami" Haley replied
"No, I don't want to give up your job because of me. I know how much you love those kids, that school and that small town"
"Yes, Nathan, I love those things, but I love you more" Haley replied
"I know that Hales."
Haley was quiet for a minute and then said, "What if we played it by ear? What if you asked the coach to trade you to a team near Montana and if you could not be traded, you would stay in Miami" Nathan was about to protest when Haley held up her hand, "I don't want you to retire. You still have some good years left playing basketball and you would be miserable. And if you can't be traded, I will just move to Miami."
"Haley…"
"Nathan, I want to be with you and I am willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen"
Nathan smiled at Haley, "Okay, I will call Coach tomorrow and see what he says"
"Okay"
"I love you Haley James" Nathan said taking Haley hand and smiling at her
"I love you too Nathan Scott" Haley said as she closed the distance between them and softly kissed Nathan before placing her forehead to his, "Don't worry. Everything will work out"
"I know" Nathan said pulling Haley's lips back into his and sliding them both down to lay on the floor
The next morning, Karen quietly opened Lucas's bedroom door and started towards his bed. Lulu sat up on the bed and watched her. Karen smiled at the dog and placed her hand on Lucas's right shoulder.
"Luke" Karen said softly
"Hmm…" Came the groan reply from her sleeping son
"Luke, you need to get up. I am leaving for work," Karen said
"Okay" Luke replied opening his eyes to look at his mom
"Coffee is ready and don't forget to pick up your sister after school today. I am going to be with the girls at the baby showers"
"Okay" Lucas replied not moving from his current position as Karen made her way back to the bedroom door
"Don't go back to sleep" Karen said before exiting the room
"Yea, okay" Lucas replied before turning away from the door and closing his eyes. A few seconds later, he felt a tongue licking him in the face, "Lulu, stop" Lucas said turning to move his face from his dog. Lulu barked and Lucas shot up in his bed, "Fine. I am up" Lulu barked again and Lucas moved to put his feet on the floor, "Happy, now?" Lucas asked his dog as he began to move from the bed. Lulu responded by laying back down on the bed, "Don't you go back to sleep" Lucas said pointing at his dog as he walked out of his room and towards his mom's to wake up his sister.
Thirty minutes later, Meredith was dressed and sitting at the kitchen table eating her cereal. Lucas left the kitchen and headed back to his own bedroom to get dressed. Lucas looked into the living room as he walked past and saw Chris sleeping form spread out along the couch. He laughed; Chris was just like Nathan. Nothing woke him up. Speaking of his younger brother, Lucas remembered he didn't hear him come home last night. Lucas knocked on Nathan's closed door across from his own and waited. When he didn't hear anything he slowly opened the door and peeked around it towards Nathan's bed. His bed was empty.
"Where is he?" Lucas said to himself before walking back out of Nathan's room and towards his own. Lucas wondered if everything went okay with Haley the night before. He knew what Nathan wanted to talk to her about. Lucas knew he would find out later.
"Come on Lulu" Lucas said a few minutes later after he had gotten dressed, "Let's go for a walk" At the word "walk", his dog jumped from the bed and walked towards him wagging her tail
"Luke, I am ready," Meredith yelled down the hallway
"Shrimp, SHH" Lucas whispered back stepping into the hallway, "Chris and Sam are sleeping"
"Oh, sorry" Meredith said before putting her hands over her mouth and walking back toward the kitchen
Lucas laughed and shook his head as he walked down the hallway towards the kitchen with Lulu trailing behind him. He grab the leash off the back of the door and attached it to Lulu's collar before grabbing Meredith's book bag from the kitchen chair and opening the door, "Let's go Shrimp"
As Lucas was taking Meredith to school, across town their brother was waking up in the tree house. Nathan squinted his eyes against the blaring sun coming through the small window of the tree house. He moved his head and smiled down at the sleeping form with her head on his chest. After their talk last night, Nathan and Haley had laid on the floor together talking, though Nathan didn't remember falling asleep there. Even though, his back was screaming for him to move, Nathan didn't want to disturb Haley. Instead he pulled his arm tighter around her waist and enjoyed having her in his arms. They both needed a few more minutes together alone before the world of weddings and baby showers took over.
Brooke paced around her living room, checking the window every few minutes for any signs of Haley. Today was the baby showers and Brooke had wanted to get an early start on getting things ready. Haley was supposed to be at her house to help her sit up 20 minutes ago.
"Where is she?" Brooke asked herself as she continued pacing. After ten more minutes, Brooke tried Haley's cell phone again. And again it went straight to voicemail. Instead of leaving another message, Brooke simply hung up the phone. She opened her phone once more and pushed speed dial number 2, knowing that he would be awake already
Lucas walked back towards his house from dropping Meredith off at school at a leisurely pace. Lulu was walking ahead of him, stopping periodically to smell flowers or trees. Everything in Tree Hill was still new to her. Lucas felt his phone vibrating in his pocket and pulled it out. He smiled before flipping it open
"Morning beautiful"
"Have you seen Haley?" Brooke voice came back
"What?" Lucas replied caught off guard by Brooke reply
"Have you seen Haley? She was suppose to be here 30 minutes ago"
"No, I haven't seen her. Did you try calling her?"
"Yea, her cell phone is going directly to voicemail and no one answers the house phone. Do you think something happened?"
"Brooke, calm down. She probably overslept"
"I don't know. Haley is never late. You know that"
"Tell you what. I will go by her house and wake her up" Lucas replied
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am walking down her street anyway"
"Thanks Broody"
"Your welcome"
"Oh, good morning"
Lucas laughed
"Call me when you find her" Brooke said
"I will"
"Okay. Love you"
"Love you too" Lucas replied as he closed his phone and walked up to Haley's front door.
He rang the doorbell and waited. When no one answered, he found the hide a key and opened the front door, yelling into the house, "hello? Hales?" Lucas walked up the steps still yelling, but receiving no response. He got to Haley's bedroom and knocked on the door before opening the door expecting his best friend to be in her bed still sleeping, but what he found was another empty bed. Lucas looked around the room and then out the window towards the tree house where he could see that the door was open. He smiled before heading back down the stairs and out the front door
Nathan heard someone walking up the stairs to the tree house and immediately turned his head towards the door. A few seconds later, Lucas appeared in the doorway.
"There you are" Lucas whispered walking just inside the door
"We came up here last night to talk and fell asleep" Nathan replied in the same tone as his brother
"Everything okay?"
"Yea, everything is okay"
"Good" Lucas replied smiling, "I hate to break this up, but Brooke is frantically looking for Haley. She was suppose to be at Brooke's to help sit things up for today over a half an hour ago.
"Okay. Tell Brooke she will be there soon"
"Okay." Lucas replied before walking back out of the tree house as Nathan turned to Haley's sleeping form
"Hales" Nathan said softly as he shook her arm lying on this chest, "Haley"
"Hmm" Haley said as she moved her head
"Hales, you need to get up. Brooke is looking for you" Nathan said
"What?" Haley asked lifting her head and looking at Nathan. Nathan smiled; he loved how she looked in the morning. Not awake yet.
"Brooke is looking for you. You were suppose to be at her house a while ago"
"Oh, man!" Haley said as she sat up quickly, "OW" Haley said putting her hand on her lower back.
"Yea, this floor is not as comfortable as it used to be" Nathan said also sitting up wincing
"I don't remember falling asleep here" Haley replied looking around the tree house and than at Nathan
"Me either"
"My back is going to killing me all day"
"Probably not as much as your head when Brooke gets done with you" Nathan replied laughing
Haley groaned before she began to try and stand up, "She is going to yell at me all day"
"No, just a few minutes and then she will be done. Just tell her that you were with me in the tree house and she will spend all day thinking we did something kinky"
Haley laughed because she knew it was true.
"You better go before she gets any crazier. Lucas said she was frantically looking for you"
"Great. Okay, she is going to have to wait until I get a shower first though" Haley said before sitting down and kissing Nathan, "Don't forget to call your coach"
"I won't. I will call him when I get back to the house"
"Okay" Haley said standing up and moving towards the tree house door and waiting as Nathan did the same. The two climbed down the stairs and walked back towards the house
"Have fun today" Nathan said hugging Haley and giving her a kiss
"I will. You too." Haley replied returning the hug
"I love you" Nathan said as he turned to walk around the side of the house and towards the sidewalk
"I love you too," Haley said as she opened the back door and walked into the house. Brooke was going to knock her out. Oh well, let the crazy week began. Haley thought as she made her way up the stairs and to the shower.