Note: Sorry for the length in updating, let me know what you think. I'm trying
to wrap this story up in about 10 more chapters which I think I'm about done
doing. Replies are always appreciated, thanks EP!

Chapter 10

Early Next Morning

"Where the hell have you been?" Nathan came walking in the door with his hand trained firmly on his wife's back when his older brother who looked at him with a look of pure disgust attacked him.

Haley cowered behind him and spoke softly, "I'm going upstairs to check on the twins, talk to your brother."

Haley ran upstairs while Nathan turned to his older brother in amusement. Even though he was taller, he still acted like he could intimidate him. "What's your problem man?"

Brooke came up behind Lucas and smiled at Nathan apologetically, "Your brother has been worrying all night. We ran interference for you with Deb, she finally went to her hotel room but you didn't call and I've had a time of it trying to convince him to calm down and wait for your call."

Lucas stood with his toe tapping and his arm folded, "Look don't you have something to say to me?"

Nathan shook his head, "Nope, nothing I can think of… Listen man, I'm sorry if we worried you but I had to find Haley and once I found her we had to talk. We talked like when we were first married for hours, we talked about everything and nothing in particular. How are the twins?"

Lucas let go of his anger gradually as he heard the renewed strength in his brother's voice, "So how are you guys doing? Is everything okay with Haley, you guys were gone all night after all."

Nathan nodded as Haley came slowly down the stairs, a giggling twin on each hip whose faces lit up at the sight of him. "Daddy!" Both twins reached for him and Haley smiled lovingly at him as he held out his hands. It was easier for him to balance both of the twins on his hips than it was for Haley.

Haley turned to Brooke and Lucas. "As a way of asking forgiveness for keeping you here all night, what do you say I make breakfast? I can invite Peyton and Jake?"

Brooke grinned happily, "Way to go! Tutor Wife is making breakfast."

Brooke and Haley walked into the kitchen hand in hand as Lucas helped his brother struggle with the twins that were on his hip.

Haley/Brooke Kitchen

"Thanks for the offer, but unfortunately I have a checkup today. I will be by sometime today to catch up. Maybe Brooke, you and I can go out. I know you probably aren't in the mood for shopping but I thought it would be a good idea to get your mind off things."

Haley nodded and hung up the phone after agreeing that if Brooke's schedule was free then they would meet later. She smiled slightly at Brooke as she helped her chop up vegetables.

"So how do omelets, toast and sausage sound for breakfast?"

Brooke nodded in agreement and went back to chopping vegetables. Haley put down her knife and turned Brooke around who was disguising her tears through onions.

"Tigger? What's wrong?"

Brooke pulled her into a hug as she clung to her. "I'm so selfish Haley. I have you as a best friend for years and I always took you for granted and now I'm not sure how to handle this…. I'm scared and I have no right to be. You are scared with you own things but I'm still frightened to death at the thought of losing you."

Haley held her friend tightly and pulled her back, "I'm not going anywhere Brooke. It's going to take more than a cancer diagnosis to get rid of me. I went to the library last night and was reading up on the disease, remember me Tutor Wife?"

Brooke nodded and after drying her tears, went back to chopping vegetables all the while listening to her every word.

"The website stated that because the cancer was caught kinda early, Stage II that I have a higher chance of remission. I will probably have to have surgery and chemotherapy or radiation or both but I should be fine minus the regular checkups. The point is now deciding whether I want to have surgery or let Nathan go on this wild goose chase for a doctor who can cure me."

Brooke stopped chopping and looked at her friend again, "I thought you wanted to get better, what's wrong with letting Nathan find the best for you? You deserve it you know."

Haley laughed as she walked towards the refrigerator and picked up the carton of eggs and a fresh bowl out of the dishwasher and started cracking eggs over the sink. "It's not a matter of me deserving anything, I just feel prepared you know. Not prepared to die but prepared to fight, this is an emotional as much as a physical challenge. I want to face this head on and I'm afraid that if I procrastinate while Nathan looks for this miracle cure I could be wasting precious time better spent with my family."

Nathan/Lucas in his Office

"Look, I love you and all Nathaniel but I swear you have to be the busiest toddler I know." Lucas walked up behind his nephew and hiked him up in his arms much to his protest as he struggled against his restraints.

Nathan turned around to meet his brother's eye with a laugh. For a little guy Nathaniel was certainly strong. Meeting his father's eye Nathaniel reached for his dad.

Lucas took Nicole out of his brother's arms and gave up Nathaniel happily. Nathan shook his head in disgust, "Now that we are done switching kids, are you going to let me go back to searching on the Internet?"

Lucas nodded and shuffled his niece who happily started to play with his hair. "Look, I'm just as vested as you are in finding Haley a place to get treatment so scoot over, so we can share this chair."

Nathan started to cuss his older brother out when his son grinned at him and reached for the keyboard. He covered his son's ears and motioned for Lucas to do the same with his daughter, "Hell no. You are a grown ass man. You stand here by my chair but I don't share my chair, even Haley knows that!"

Lucas rolled his eyes, "Are you telling me that you deny Haley a chance to sit in your precious chair?"

Nathan shook his head, "Haley can always sit in my chair, on my lap and since you smell and I don't like you that much you aren't afforded those same privileges."

Haley/Nathan Home

As they sat down around the table, they all held hands and gave thanks for their blessings. Haley started to get up and help get the children settle into their high chairs and get food when the doorbell rang. Nathan took the task out of his wife's hands and then directed her to get the front door.

Haley opened the door and was surprised to see Deb there. "Deb, how are you doing?"

Deb smiled softly at the gentle woman who had stolen her son's heart so completely at such a young age that she wondered if they weren't some kind of a fairytale or a TV show. "Look Haley, if this is a bad time I can leave but I wanted a chance to meet with you and Nathan"

"Hales…..Where are you?"

Nathan came up behind Haley and wrapped his arms around her waist. "What are you doing here Mom?"

Haley smiled softly at Deb, "Please come in Deb. We were just sitting down to breakfast."

Nathan swore from behind her and said, "Why are you inviting her to sit down with us Hales? We are in the middle of a family crisis and the last thing we need is someone who is just going to drop in momentarily and then leave again."

Deb watched as something surprising happened, was Nathan's reaction as Haley simply called her husband by name. Her son looked at her, and when she merely stared back at him, he sighed and fell back and away from protesting. In a single glance, she had managed to subdue Nathan rather significantly. It was almost as if they had held an entire conversation in a matter of seconds through eye contact alone.

Deb felt momentarily uncomfortable at the intimacy of the moment and spoke softly, "Listen, I don't want to intrude I can come back later."

Nathan sighed deeply and shook his head, "Listen why don't you sit down with us and we can talk…The twins are eating with Lucas and Brooke now so if you want to join us, you're welcome to join us."

The tension at the table was quiet at best but unnerving at worst. Deb fell instantly in love with her grandchildren while Nathan and Lucas took turns glaring at her in silence. Brooke was helping Haley clear the dishes while Deb was playing with the twins.

Lucas cleared his throat, "Nathan told me that you guys have plans to fly out on the next plane to Houston. Can we keep the twins?"

Haley cleared her throat, "Nathan, I thought we agreed that we weren't going to rip up the world looking for alternative cures?"

Nathan nodded, "I haven't done that, you agreed that you would be open to at least one other place that we can try, well I booked us a flight to Houston…We have an appointment tomorrow morning with a specialist in Houston."

Haley smiled softly as she looked at Deb, "See how well your son takes care of me? Come on Brooke, we finished cleaning up you can help me pack."

Nathan sat down across from his mother and leaned back in his chair, "Why did you take now to come back? What possessed you to wait this long? You've missed out on so much in my life."

Deb nodded, "I'm so sorry Nathan, I never wanted things to turn out like this…I just didn't know how to handle what I had done…My only defense is that I never meant to hurt you, I was only trying to protect you from the one person who was causing you pain, Dan."

Lucas exhaled loudly and walked out of the kitchen and Deb smiled as he left, "It's good to see that you two are still close. Karen called me and told me that you might need me for moral support, I decided to put away all of my fears and come back on the off chance that I might still have a place in your life and in your heart, is there a chance Nathan?"

Nathan shrugged, "My heart and my life are tied into Haley right now…If you've been speaking to Karen than I'm sure that you aware that she was diagnosed with cancer…I don't have any other emotions than to worry about my wife and ensure that she pulls through this time okay."

Deb nodded, "I understand if you don't want me in your way but at least let me be present as your going through this time…It would mean a lot to me."

Nathan nodded, "I don't have a problem with that."

Thanks EP