Hi everyone. Sorry if you got two notices about Chapter 10 – in one view I had, there was formatting issues, so I had to re-post it, and then there was a general FF glitch. Oh well, these things happen.

Just a quick shout out: angel – thanks for your reviews. You've been pretty good with your theories, and I wonder if you're right again? Time will tell. ;-)

So, away we go, Chapter 11:

Lucas, Brooke, Jake, Peyton and Jenny all turned up for dinner as agreed. For Jake and Peyton, seeing Nathan at dinner was a surprise, and Peyton raised her eyebrows at Haley when they walked through the front door.

The conversation flowed freely over dinner, however with Jenny there, the tone and content of conversation was definitely kept PG-rated. Brooke looked restless and tried several times to get Haley alone so she could bombard her with a million and one questions. Both Nathan and Haley looked relaxed, a little guarded, but generally relaxed. Brooked had surmised that they talked at the very least, and made some progress about where they were headed, but she thought there might be more to it.

After dessert had been cleared away, everyone headed to the living room, except Brooke, who stayed behind to help Haley clear away.

"Haley Beth James, what the hell is going on with you and Nathan?"

"Hey! How do you know my middle name?"

"Lucas told me, but that's beside the point. I want to talk to you about Nathan."

"What do you want to know Brooke?"

"Did your bra match your panties?" both of them stared at each other for a split second before cracking up with laughter.

"Brooke! That's personal. But if you must know, he came over when I woke up from a nap. I had nothing on except my robe."

"What? Oh, this is good. Tell me more. Did you have slutty sex? I bet you did."

"Who says we had sex? We talked, thank you very much."

"Oh please. I cannot believe you remained in a robe while having a conversation with Nathan. Did he just rip it from your body, and push you back on the bed?" Brooked winked while gripping her necklace. Haley thought Brooke was a second away from fanning her face with her hand.

"You're incorrigible, Brooke."

Peyton walked into the kitchen with some empty glasses to be washed up. As Haley was reaching under the counter for more detergent, Brooke was mouthing "she had sex with Nathan" to Peyton.

"Haley!" Peyton yelled out.

"What? Ouch!" she clipped her elbow on the counter as she stood up.

Both Brooke and Peyton were looking at her.

"Brooke!" Haley said, hands on her hips.

"What?"

"Haley – you had sex with Nathan. OK, spill" Peyton refilled their glasses with wine as she sat down on one of the bar stools.

"Uh ladies, I hate to disappoint you, but nothing happened", even as she spoke the words, her face was flush and she knew they weren't buying into it. She turned back to the sink and started washing up and placing the washed items on the dish rack.

Nathan then walked into the kitchen with some other things to be washed up, and all three women whipped their heads around to him.

"What didn't happen?" he asked innocently.

"Nothing, Nathan. They were just asking –"

"We just wanted to know about you and Haley, and how things went this afternoon. Just curious if you guys got a hold of the situation and reached a climax…ahh, I mean, reached a conclusion that was mutually satisfiable?" Brooke nudged Peyton as she said this, and Peyton covered her mouth with the back of hand, trying to stifle a laugh.

Nothing was lost on Nathan, nor on Haley. He looked at Haley, giving her a wink only she could see, and turned to Brooke, as he dried off some glasses on the dish rack.

"Actually, Brooke, Haley and I had a great conversation. We sat on the sofa and spoke at great length. If you must know, it was the best conversation I've ever had."

He placed the dried glasses in the cupboard and whistled as he walked past them back into the living room.

Haley stood there, leaning against the counter, head in her hands, as Brooke and Peyton laughed and threw their dishtowels at her.

*****

Jenny was fast asleep on Jake's lap when the girls re-entered. Peyton collected their coats and quietly said goodbye to everyone. Hugging Haley, she whispered in her ear, "You deserve to be happy, so don't be scared to do what you have to, to protect it."

"Thanks, Peyt. That means a lot."

"Ok, take care, and don't be a stranger. Come and visit more often, alright?"

"You bet, and now that Nathan's hooking Jake up with home tickets, I guess we'll see you guys in Charlotte as well."

"Looking forward to it. See ya, Foxy."

After a final round of "goodbyes", Nathan, Haley, Lucas and Brooke went back into the living room and sat down on the matching sofas. Brooke melted instantly into Lucas's side, as he placed his arm around her shoulders, while Nathan and Haley sat static on the other sofa.

All through the evening, neither one had attempted overt PDA to avoid any questioning, and even after the little "moment of truth" in the kitchen, they were still reluctant to show any affection toward each other. But now, sitting here on the sofa, soft music playing in the background, and watching Lucas and Brooke make googly-eyes at each other, they took the opportunity to move closer, as Haley rested her head on Nathan's shoulder. He leaned forward and cupped her face as he kissed her gently and then again on the forehead. She closed her eyes at the feeling, and sighed contentedly.

Lucas mustered up the courage to speak first.

"So guys, I don't mean to pry or anything, but judging by this, it looks like you've worked things out?"

"Yeah, we have. I'm going to keep treating Nathan, but we're going to keep things quiet."

"Is…is that the best option? I mean, don't shoot me, I'm all for you guys. I just want to make sure there's no major problems for you down the road."

"I know, Luke, and we appreciate the concern. Seeing Nathan today made me realise I couldn't wait to be with him. And what the hospital doesn't know won't hurt them…I hope."

Nathan and Haley looked at each again and tightened their grip on each other's hands.

"Luke, we know it's not ideal, but it's not like we'd be flaunting the relationship in public anyway. We'll keep things separate and we won't let one interfere with the other."

Moving off the sofa to put her shoes on, Brooke gave a warm smile.

"Well, I for one am happy for you guys. You deserve to be happy and in love."

Both Haley and Nathan looked at her when she mentioned the word "love".

"Brooke –

"You're a little ahead of –"

"Ah, ah, ah, shhh, shhh. I'm just putting it out there, OK? I mean, why else would you go to such lengths to be together? C'mon, Broody, let's leave these two to "talk" some more."

Exchanging hugs, and words of thanks, the two couples said goodbye, and Nathan and Haley watched Lucas and Brooke drive off. They stood on the porch for a moment after the car left, and Nathan hugged her from behind. With her hands over his, Haley tapped him gently and motioned to go back inside.

"So, are you ready to head back to it all tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I am. I'm not worried about facing anything back in Charlotte. We'll deal with it when we have to, Nathan."

"You're very brave, Haley James."

"You make me brave, Nathan Scott. OK that was exceptionally cheesy, but you know what I mean."

"No, no I don't think I do. I think we should have a conversation about this upstairs in bed."

"It's Marion's bed, we can't!"

"So we'll have a conversation in the spare room."

Nathan grabbed Haley's hand and led her upstairs, both of them laughing all the way at the type of conversation he wanted to have with her.

Lucas woke early the next morning and disentangled himself from Brooke's sleeping embrace. He put on a t-shirt and went out into the kitchen with his laptop and set about making some coffee. Sitting down at the kitchen table, he started up his laptop and opened one of his saved files that contained bullet points for the next manuscript that he was working on. He added some more points after considering the turn of events of the past seventy-two hours.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee brought Brooke sleep-walking into the kitchen as she tied a small knot in her robe. She went over to Lucas and kissed him on the forehead before reaching for some bottled water in the refrigerator.

Taking a seat opposite him, she took a quick sip of water and observed his look of concentration.

"How are you this morning, Cheery?"

"I'm good, very good. But what in God's name are you doing up this early? We're on a mini-break, Lucas"

"I know, but I kinda had some inspiration for my draft notes, and I wanted to put them down before I forget them" he said, pointing and tapping his head.

"Oh yeah, can you tell me what it's about?"

"Well, it's still early stages, but the response from the first manuscript was so well received, that I feel compelled to keep writing."

"Like a sequel?"

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, I often wondered what happened to those people after the first story finished."

"Lucas – those people are us, all of us. Now you know, are you going to write from where the last one left off, or pick up from what's happened since we all came back to Tree Hill?"

"I don't know. I guess that's why I'm just making draft notes now. I'll figure it out later, but I'll need to get everyone's permission to keep going, I guess."

"Well, you have my permission to write how fabulous I am."

"That you are, Brooke." He leant in gave her a warm kiss, before tapping a few more keys and making some short notes.

"Are you writing about that kiss, Lucas?"

"Mmm, maybe. You'll just have to wait and see."

The percolator had finished brewing and Brooke went over to pour two cups. As she stirred in sugar and cream, and turned around and leaned against the cabinets.

"Do you think Nathan and Haley will be OK back in Charlotte?"

"I hope so, for their sake."

"You don't think they've taken the right approach, do you?"

"It's not that, Brooke. Anyone can see they're crazy about each other, and they should be together. I just worry about the professional aspect of things. Haley's not the only one who faces problems for getting involved with a patient. The Bobcats won't be too thrilled about a player being involved with a professional consultant to the team. I mean, it's widely frowned upon for players and cheerleaders to get involved, so this is going to cause problems if it's not addressed properly".

Brooked laughed at his comment, and had to put her mug back down on the countertop.

"What's so funny, Brooke?"

"Oh nothing, except that you basically called cheerleaders professional consultants. That is hysterical."

"I didn't."

"Yes you did. Well, you at least compared them to professional consultants by putting them in the same breath as one."

"You know what I mean."

"Yes I do, Luke. But promise me you'll never mention that comparison again to another living soul."

Watching him shake his head and laugh, Brooke walked over with the coffee mugs and sat on his lap. She put her arms around him, and hugged him close.

"What about us, Lucas? Will we be OK too when we head back separately to Charlotte and New York?"

He stared up at her and gave her a small smile.

"Of course we will, Pretty Girl. We'll figure it out, you'll see."

The drive back to Charlotte had been silent at times, but it had not been uncomfortable silence. Nathan had made a few stops along the way for them to stock up on refreshments, or stretch their legs, but as lunch time grew close, the signs to Charlotte increased as the mileage remaining decreased. Even in the silence, they exchange smiles and kept holding hands. They believed they had taken the right approach to their relationship.

Weaving through the outer suburbs, Haley gave directions to her house, while explaining what had drawn her to this house in this part of the neighbourhood. Nathan watched with rapt fascination as she became animated about the local neighbourhood co-ops and street markets, as well as cafes and restaurants that bought out the eclectic side of the residents.

Turning into her street, Nathan could see instantly why Haley was drawn to this part of Charlotte. It seemed lively, but quiet at the same time. Each home was different, but well maintained. Older architectural designs sat alongside new build homes, and the streets were lined with leafy green trees. Just about anybody could feel at home here.

Pointing to a house on the right as hers, Nathan turned into the driveway and came to a stop. He jumped out of the driver's seat and ran around to help Haley out of the car. Quickly opening the rear door, he took her bag out and walked her to her front door. Once Haley had managed to open the front door, she stood with Nathan for a moment, and for the first time, they both felt awkward – like they were teenagers finishing their first date.

"So, um, would you like to come in?"

"Like you wouldn't believe…"

"But…"

"I probably should touch base with Clay and find out if anything went wrong. Plus I've got to beg and grovel to get my medical appointments re-set. I had him cancel a week's worth – if only I'd known my absence would be twenty four hours, not seven days."

"What a pity you don't know anyone who works at the hospital" she winked at him.

"Yeah, such a shame. I guess I'll just get shunted down the order of things, and they'll fit me in whenever."

Making an "aww" sound, Haley leant up and kissed him gently as her arm went around his neck and gently ran over the ends of his hair. She was not prepared to say goodbye just yet, but knew that the outside world was here and present, and wouldn't wait for the two of them.

"So I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then? Have Clay speak directly with Carla today, and I'm sure those lost appointments will be magically reinstated. Come up and see me when you've finished your session with Ronald."

"Sure thing." He gave her another kiss before returning to his car. Haley watched and waved as he drove off into the distance.

Nathan had finished unpacking and settled back into his place. Along the way home, he had called Clay to get his help setting up the medical appointments, and Clay had suggested coming over to Nathan's to discuss some business opportunities and endorsements.

That had been an hour ago, and now Nathan was in his home gym working out. He heard his phone ringing, and made his way back into the living room to hear the answering machine kick in. It was Rachel, again.

"Nathan, it's Rachel. I got a call from some guy named Clay who claimed to be your agent, which is ridiculous because Lucas is your agent. Anyway, he basically told me to stay away from you after telling me you couldn't meet up yesterday. I tried to come over yesterday, but your gate was locked. Listen, I'm not being rude, but I think we need to talk. If this Clay guy is your agent, then can you call me and let me know? I have other things to talk to you about, and we should definitely –"

"Hey, Rachel" his tone was flat and devoid of emotion.

"Nathan! Oh my God, how are you? Do you know how long I've been trying to reach you?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I do. And I think we need to take a step back and go our separate ways."

"Wait. What? I don't understand."

"Rachel, I'm sorry. I really would have rather we did this in person, because that would be the civil way to do things, but – "

"Nathan, what's going on? I thought we had a good thing going on. No strings attached; great sex whenever and wherever…-"

"Rachel, without sounding too harsh, judging by the number of times you've called, I think you put too great a value on what we had. You thought it was more than no strings attached, didn't you?"

"Nathan, c'mon. We had our moments, right? It was great."

"I think you're fighting too hard to keep this alive, Rachel. Like I said, it's time to go our separate ways. I'm in a relationship with someone, and it's a relationship that means a lot to me."

"No. No. No. How could you possibly be in a serious relationship so soon after us?"

"Rachel, we were never in a relationship! This is where you and I see differently. Whatever we had is done, OK, and you need to move on. I'm sorry if you thought there was more to it, but we've been done a long time. Look, I have to go. Take care of yourself."

"Nathan –"

"Goodbye Rachel."

He hung up the phone just as the doorbell rang. Feeling proud of himself for finally dealing with Rachel, he opened the door with a smile, which Clay thought was for him.

"Hey Nate, great to see you too buddy!"

"Hey Clay."

Both men ambled down the hall and into the kitchen area. Nathan grabbed two beers out of the fridge and they sat at the kitchen counter.

"So did you get everything sorted out in Tree Hill?"

"I did, thanks. I didn't think it would be a whirlwind mercy dash, but there you go. Thanks for getting my appointments reinstated, by the way."

"No problems, that's what I'm here for. So listen, I called that Rachel women. Wow! What a piece of work. Is she always that unhinged, or am I reading her wrong?"

"Funny you should mention her. I just got off the phone with her as you rang the doorbell. She thought she was being punked, because she didn't realise you were my agent."

"What did she have to say?"

"Same old sob story. She's a famewhore. Or wannabe famewhore. She thinks she'll get mentioned in the tabloids if she's seen with me, but each time she calls, she doesn't realise what a psycho she seems. I'm gonna have to change my number; home and cell. Can you remind me to do that today?"

"Uh, sure. Are you serious about that?"

"Deadly. I'm *this* close to looking at moving."

"Nate, no. I love this place. Your pool area alone is worth the price of admission."

"Glad my house meets your approval."

"So, uh, this mercy dash. Did it involve a woman?"

Nathan stared at Clay. He knew he was going to have to give over some of his personal life if this relationship with Clay was going to work. He started peeling off the label on his bottle of beer as he spoke.

"Haley. I heard she left Charlotte for an emergency back in Tree Hill, and I wanted to make sure she was OK."

"Haley. As in Haley James, your therapist? As in Haley James, old high school friend? And now your girlfriend?" he hedged, smiling as he drank more of his beer.

"Are you always this annoyingly nosy?"

"Hey, I only know what you want me to know, OK?"

Nathan rolled his eyes at Clay, as he continued peeling the label.

"We're keeping things under the radar, OK Clay? I mean it, no one can know. Outside of a few close people in Tree Hill, including Lucas, only you know."

"Sure, no problem, man. So it's serious then?"

Nathan paused for a moment as he allowed a small smile to form.

"Yeah, yeah it is. The kind of serious that changes your life."

"Well, here's to that, then. Just don't forget to invite me to your wedding."

They raised their bottles in mock salute to Clay's toast; Nathan allowing himself to think that far down the line for the first time – surprisingly, nothing about it seemed remotely unattractive, as long as he had Haley.

XX