A/N: Thank you all for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese.

Chapter Ten

November soon ended and it was December. As the days passed, Nathan and Haley spent more time together. They hung out together at the club. Nathan joined Haley when she took Jewel for walks. And Nathan still helped Haley with her jump shot. Once she had finally made a basket, she felt so proud that she decided to press her luck and try again. She couldn't believe it when she made a second basket in a row.

Nathan smiled proudly at her. "That's great. Soon, you'll be able to play one-on-one with me. Don't worry. I promise that I'll go easy on you during the first game."

Haley laughed as she grabbed her water bottle from the bleachers. "I really don't think that I would want to go up against you in the first place. You're too good." She needed a break so she sat down on the bleachers.

Nathan soon joined her. "Well, I'm not as good as I used to be." Haley looked at him curious. "It was my dream to be in the N.B.A., but I had back problems. So I decided not to risk it and went for a different dream instead. Even though it's not what I had originally planned, I love coaching Lucas and his friends."

Haley could see that he was serious. "Speaking of Lucas, is everything ok between you two?" she asked hesitantly. Even though the Scott brothers were right next door to her, she didn't see Lucas much outside school hours. He had seemed happier since the conversation with his brother. He hadn't walked over to her house uninvited since Thanksgiving night.

Nathan nodded. "Yeah, your advice really helped. I don't know why I never thought of it before."

Haley just gave him a smile. "Well, I guess this just shows you that I'm smarter than you." Nathan tried not to laugh as she continued. "It's true. So I should come up with a birthday present for you. But I need ideas from you first. Or do you not want any presents?"

Nathan sighed. "All I want is a small dinner with my friends and family at the club. But Rachel is the one who wants to make my birthday special. I'm just turning twenty-five. It's not a big deal."

"Well, it's your birthday party. You should be the one who decides what you want to do," Haley pointed out.

Nathan knew she was right. "I know. I've tried, but she doesn't like to listen sometimes. But I guess I just have to deal with it since she's pregnant. But Lucas is a different story. He doesn't have any excuses. I'm his guardian. He should listen to me. But he has a mind of his own."

Haley groaned. "Please tell me that he's still not thinking of getting emancipated from you."

Nathan sighed. "I wish I could say that he isn't, but he still hasn't given me a clear answer on that." Haley could see that he was disappointed. "I thought that after I talked to him, he would change his mind about moving out. He isn't ready to go out on his own. He doesn't act mature enough for him to have his own apartment."

Haley knew he had a point. "Well, give him time. He did say that he would wait until after the holidays to make a decision, right?" she asked. Nathan nodded. "Then you still have plenty of time for him to decide whether he wants to stay with you or move out."

"I just hope that he makes the right choice," Nathan replied before he stepped off of the bleachers and went back onto the basketball court. Haley knew that the subject was now closed. She didn't say another word about it as she followed him back onto the court.

When they were done, Nathan drove them back home. Haley was barely in the front hall when she heard a familiar ringtone coming from her cell-phone. She hurried over to her purse and grabbed her cell-phone. She put it up to her ear before she answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's Quinn. What have you been up to? I've been trying to get hold of you. I keep reaching your voicemail."

"I'm so sorry. I've been really busy with trying to get my students ready for finals," Haley replied. "You know how students are at this time of year. They never seem to want to concentrate."

"Speaking of that, what are your plans for Christmas? Because I was hoping that you would be willing to spend it in New York with me and David." Haley was confused. She would have thought that Quinn would have wanted to spend the holidays with their parents and siblings. Before she could even ask, her sister answered for her. "We're going to spend Christmas with the family before going back to New York for New Year's Eve. We want to be there for the big party and watch the ball go down. So do you want to join us?"

Haley was quiet for a moment. "I don't know, Quinn. I was thinking about having another quiet holiday," she confessed.

"You're not thinking of spending the holidays with the Scotts again, are you?" Quinn asked. She didn't let her sister answer. "Haley, that was a disaster. Do you really want to go through that again?"

Haley sighed."Of course not. And I know that Christmas is when you spend it with your family and friends. But I know that I'm going to get hounded with advice to start dating again. And I'm not ready for that. I know it has been a few months since the break-up, but I need more time."

"I know that you don't want to get hurt again, but you need to get back on the horse," Quinn told her. "Don't you remember what Mom always says?"

Haley smiled to herself as she remembered the saying. "Love means giving chances when there are no more chances left to give."

Haley could hear how proud her sister was on the other line. "That's right, Haley Bob. You'll find the man who is right for you. I know it. You just have to go out there and try again." Haley didn't answer. "At least, think about it over the holidays."

"I will," Haley promised before they exchanged good-byes and hung up. She then spread her things across the kitchen table and went to work, grading papers. She was working hard when she heard the doorbell ring. She pushed out her chair and got up. She walked to the front door and pulled it open. She wasn't pleased when she saw it was Rachel. However, she gave her a friendly smile as she greeted her. "Hi, what can I do for you?"

"Do you mind if I come in?" Rachel asked her. Haley shook her head and moved out of the way. She walked into the front hall as she gave Haley an envelope. Haley frowned as she tore it open. "It's an official invitation to Nathan's birthday party next week. I thought it would be better to deliver it in person."

"Thank you," Haley replied. "I can already tell you that I'll be there."

Rachel looked at her surprised. "You didn't even look at the date on the invitation."

"I don't have to. I know when it is," Haley replied. Rachel knew what was coming even before she said it. "Nathan invited me to the party the other day while we were at work. I just had to check my schedule and it turns out that I can go."

"Well, I guess I'll see you there then," Rachel said before she started to leave.

Haley suddenly spoke up. "I didn't start that rumor about your abortion," she admitted. Rachel stopped where she was and listened to what Haley had to say. "If I was going to tell anyone, it would be Nathan himself."

Rachel turned around and faced her. "So you won't say anything about our conversation at the club that day?"

Haley didn't say anything for a moment. She knew that Nathan should know the truth about Rachel. But she didn't want to cause trouble either. "No, I won't. But if Nathan asks me about it, I'm not going to lie."

Rachel nodded understandingly. "Fair enough."

Haley knew that she was hoping that Nathan wouldn't find out. She didn't want to be mean, but she was thinking the exact opposite. She knew that Rachel wouldn't tell him about her decision. She had already made that clear. And Haley had a feeling that Rachel had only told Nathan about the baby so she wouldn't be able to tell him about the abortion.

A week later, Haley was walking over to Nathan's house for his birthday party. She had had a busy day since she had been Christmas shopping all day. Even though she was exhausted, she still wanted to attend Nathan's birthday party. She didn't even have a chance to knock on the door when Lucas pulled it open. He gave her a wide smile as he greeted her. "Welcome to our lovely home, Ms. James."

Haley smiled in return. "Thank you, Lucas," she replied as she walked into the front hall. She immediately saw Peyton showing baby pictures of Ryan to Andy on the living room couch. She decided to join them. The three exchanged smiles as she entered the room. "Good evening, Haley," Andy said. "Peyton was just showing me pictures of her new baby. Have you seen them?"

Before Haley could reply, Peyton spoke up. "Actually, she hasn't seen the recent ones." She pulled out another envelope from her purse. "I've been so busy with Ryan that I hadn't had a chance to develop some of my pictures until today." She pulled out a handful of pictures and gave the first one to Haley. "That is one of my favorite pictures."

Haley looked at the picture and smiled to herself. It was the one that was taken in the gym with her holding Ryan in her arms and Nathan besides her. "Yeah, that is a great picture. Do you mind if I have a copy?"

Peyton shook her head. "No, that one is yours. I made sure that was one for me and Jake and one for each of Ryan's godparents."

Haley looked at her surprised as she asked, "You want me to be Ryan's godmother?"

Peyton nodded. "Yeah, Jake and I don't have much family or friends who we are close to. We would choose Rachel, but we're not really friends. And I didn't want to choose her just because she is Nathan's wife." Haley couldn't argue with that. "You're more of a friend to me than she is."

Haley thought for a moment before answering. "Peyton, I would be honored to be Ryan's godmother."

Peyton smiled gratefully. "Great. I'm glad to hear it. It's too bad that Jake and I didn't bring Ryan with us. But he probably would have gotten all the attention. And it is Nathan's birthday today. So we left him with his grandparents, who are probably spoiling him to death. Of course, this is their first grandchild. So I guess that I can't blame them."

"Well, my parents were the same way when they first became grandparents," Haley told her as Nathan came into the room. He quickly greeted his guests before he let Haley go on. "My mom was so excited that she kept track of the progress of my sister's pregnancy. She constantly checked on her to make sure that she was eating right and making sure that my sister wasn't stressed out. She even insisted on going to the doctor's appointments. She really wanted to make that her grandchild was going to be delivered safely."

Peyton was surprised. "Did she do that with every grandchild?"

Haley laughed. "No, my dad convinced her to calm down after that. She still checked up on my sister and sisters-in-laws, but it wasn't as obsessive as the first time."

"Thanks for the warning," Nathan said. "My dad told me that he is already hoping for a boy so he could continue the Scott name."

"What happens if it turns out to be a girl?" Andy asked.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she and Ryan become best friends before they start dating," Peyton replied with a smile.

Nathan gave her a look. "If I'm going to have a daughter, she's not dating until she's thirty-five."

His guests laughed as they heard the front door open again. This time, Dan and Victoria walked in. Nathan excused himself and went to greet them. Haley was right behind him. She was interested to hear what Victoria had to say this time. "I'm afraid it's just us tonight. I couldn't seem to convince Brooke to come. You know how much she doesn't like these type of things."

"She came to Thanksgiving dinner," Haley pointed out.

"True, but I made her come," Victoria replied. "I wasn't going to let her have Thanksgiving dinner alone." She then quickly changed the subject. "Now where is your lovely wife?" she asked. Nathan led her to the kitchen while Dan joined Peyton and Andy into the living room. Haley was about to go back to the living room when she saw that Charlene was coming up the sidewalk.

Haley helped her up to the front porch. Charlene was surprised, but pleased. "Thank you, Ms. James. You are most helpful." She then went past her without another word. Haley followed her back into the house.

Nathan then led Haley into the den, where Jake and a man with blonde hair were. He introduced the two strangers. "Haley, this is Clay Evans. Clay, this is Haley James, my new coworker."

Clay gave her a wide smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Haley smiled in return. "You too." She and Clay then started to get to know each other. Jake joined in when he could. Nathan left his guests as he heard his wife calling. Soon, the food was ready. The guests wandered into the dining room where the buffet was. As Haley followed Jake and Clay into the room, she suddenly noticed that Lindsey had arrived. She was now standing in line with Lucas.

Once Haley got her plate, she joined Peyton back in the living room. When everyone was done with dinner, they all returned to the dining room to sing the birthday song to Nathan. As he and Rachel passed out the dessert, Haley knew that this was her chance to confront Victoria. She quietly slipped through the crowd and made her way over to Victoria. "May I talk to you for a moment alone?" she whispered.

Victoria nodded and excused herself. She followed her out onto the front porch. "I do hope that you haven't changed your mind about the job. We were all looking forward to seeing you after the holidays."

Haley shook her head. "No, it's about Brooke." She tried to find the right words that she wanted to say. "I'm really concerned about her. She has been getting sick a lot and I want to make sure that she won't get left behind."

Victoria gave her a reassuring smile. "I understand your concern, but Brooke is fine. She just doesn't like school. So she makes the excuse that she isn't feeling well. And then when I do force her, I hear that she skips school. So you have nothing to worry about. I'm taking care of the problem."

Haley wasn't buying that lie. She wanted to scream out her theory, but she knew that she had to be careful. After all, this was her boss that she was talking to. "Really? Because I got a different impression from Brooke. She told me that she wanted protection. She didn't say why, but I think I know why she said that."

Victoria kept her cool. "Whatever you're thinking, you're wrong. And I don't appreciate you throwing accusations at me when you don't have any proof."

Haley's hunch was now stronger than ever. She knew that she was taking a risk saying her next words, but Victoria had to hear it. "If I find out that you are the one who is abusing Brooke, I will be pressing charges."

"If you want to keep your new job, you will keep your nose out of my business," Victoria warned her before she walked back inside. Haley then had no doubt that Victoria was abusing Brooke. She just had to prove it.

As soon as she came back into the house, Nathan pulled her aside. "Is it true about Rachel? Was she considering an abortion?" he asked her. Haley was about to reply when Nathan didn't let her. "Please tell me the truth," he begged.

Haley sighed. She didn't want Nathan to get hurt, but it was time for him to know. "Yes, she did."

Nathan couldn't believe his ears. There had to be an explanation. He angrily walked into the kitchen. Haley was right behind him, wondering what he was going to say to Rachel. He glared angrily at his wife. "So the rumors are true?" he exclaimed angrily, immediately stopping the party. The guests turned to their hosts, wondering what would happen. He didn't let Rachel explain. "You were thinking about having an abortion? How the hell could you do that? You knew how much I wanted a family."

Rachel turned red. "Nathan, do you think that we can talk about this after the party?"

Nathan knew that she was right. Luckily, their guests got the hint and started to leave. They quickly said good-bye before they headed towards the front door. Haley was right with them. She wasn't surprised to see that Lucas was also slipping out of the door.

However, Lucas went to a different person this time. "Do you mind if I stay at your house tonight?" he asked Andy. Andy nodded. Lucas smiled gratefully. "Thanks Andy. I'll come by in a few hours. I need to take Ms. James and Lindsey home first. And I also need to get some stuff from the house."

Andy nodded understandingly. "Don't forget to make sure that Nathan knows that you're going to stay over at my apartment."

Lucas rolled his eyes, but he nodded in agreement. He then started to lead Haley back to her house. It wasn't long before they were on the front porch. Haley gave Lucas a smile. "Thank you for walking me home."

"I know we're only next door, but I don't like you walking home in the dark," Lucas told her. "And I never had a chance to thank you for talking to Nathan. I know that he wouldn't have done it by himself."

Haley gave him a smile. "Well, he wanted to talk to you anyway. I just gave him a push in the right direction." There was a short pause before she spoke again. "And he is worried that you might be still thinking about moving out."

Lucas sighed. "Yeah, I know. I am still debating on whether I should or not." He then gave her a smile. "Of course, it might make my decision easier once I find out that Nathan and Rachel are separating."

Haley gave him a look. "Just because they are having one argument doesn't mean that they will separate or even divorce."

Lucas tried not to laugh. "Ms. James, they haven't been getting along since you arrived in Tree Hill. Why do you think that Rachel and her mom have been on your case?"

Haley didn't answer. She didn't want to discuss it any longer. She had a feeling that the topic would go to her and Nathan. She just gave him a smile. "Good night, Lucas," she told him as she unlocked her door. She then went inside and closed the door behind her.

After greeting Jewel, she immediately headed to get ready for bed. She didn't want to admit it, but she was glad that the party ended early. She was so tired that she instantly went to her bathroom. Once she was ready for bed, she snuggled under the covers with Jewel besides her. She immediately drifted off to sleep.

She was suddenly woken up by the sound of Jewel barking and the doorbell ringing. She looked at the time and saw that it was almost midnight. She frowned, wondering who would be knocking on her door at this hour. She hurried downstairs and over to the front door. She was surprised when she saw Brooke standing there. Her eyes were red and puffy. Haley then knew that she had been crying. "Can I stay with you tonight?" she asked.

Haley gave her a comforting smile. "Of course you can," she replied as she let her into the house. "I'm guessing that your mom doesn't know that you're here, does she?" she asked. Brooke didn't answer. Haley walked over to her purse. "Well, let me call your mom to let her know that you're alright."

Brooke immediately stopped her. "No, please don't," she begged her. "You can't."

Haley knew the reason, but she wanted to hear it from Brooke. "Why not?"

"Because I ran away from home," Brooke admitted. Haley listened to hear more. "I know it sounds crazy, but my mom isn't the nice caring person she seems to be. I can't stand living with someone who doesn't love me."

Haley was quiet for a moment. She decided that it was safe to ask her the dreaded question. "Your mom hurts you, doesn't she?" she asked. Brooke nodded sadly. Haley felt sorry for the poor girl. She embraced her in a tight hug. "Don't worry. I won't let her hurt you anymore," she promised her, not knowing how challenging it would be to keep that promise.