So, with all of the travel problems across Europe recently, it delayed my move by another week, which gave me a chance to squeeze this chapter out before I have to finish the last of the packing and clearing out the house. I thought I would have this story finished, but I guess there was a bit more to tell than I had anticipated!

With this chapter, I thought I'd be terrible and give you some M rated Naley, then leave the chapter as sort of a cliff-hanger until I get settled! Ha ha Now I can go and head up network TV, right?

Thanks again for the love, whether it be casually reading the story; submitting an alert for updates, or leaving reviews – y'all are great! Remember, let me know if you think the rating should be moved from "T" to "M". Only a few chapters left!!

Chapter 12:


It is an experience common to all men to find that, on any special occasion……everything that can go wrong will go wrong. Whether we must attribute this to the malignity of matter or to the total depravity of inanimate things, whether the exciting cause is hurry, worry, or what not, the fact remains. Nevil Maskelyne, 1908.

Whatever can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time, in the worst possible way. Finagle's corollary to Murphy's Law.


He was going to tell her that he was in love with her. Deeply, madly, blindingly in love with her. Unspoken, he was certain they both felt the same way. It was something already between them, but they had yet to say it. Others had hinted at it early on, and what they had done to be together was evidence enough. Neither one of them would normally risk so much to be with somebody else unless they were in love.

Yes, he was going to tell her that he was in love with her. He just wanted to find the right moment.

*****

It was almost if he had an extra spring in his step as he was put through his paces during therapy. Ronald was smiling as he saw Nathan enjoying his therapy and the results were inspiring to say the least. Nathan was certainly on track to a successful comeback, but the question still remained as to when.

Once the session was over, Nathan showered and changed, deciding to pay Haley a surprise visit. He made his way to her floor, and saw Carly milling around outside near the photocopier, bundles of files in her hands.

"Hey Nathan, how are today? Glad you could make your appointments again"

"Yeah, thanks for your help, Carly. Is Haley in? I wanted to update her on the session I just had."

"She sure is. She's just finishing up on a call, but you should be OK to go in."

"Thanks Carly."

Walking in, he placed his gym bag by one of the seats opposite her desk, as he sat down. She smiled at him as she made "blah blah blah/talk" motions with her hand. He winked at her and then took a moment to look around her office. He had never paid much attention before, but now he was noticing all of her achievements which were framed and hung up on the wall. She really was a valued member of the hospital, let alone her department. Her UNC degree sat proudly in the middle and was surrounded by other awards from the hospital and various charities in the Charlotte community. He smiled again – belated pride at the recognition she had garnered.

Hanging up the phone, she made a "Grrrrr" noise and then laughed softly.

"Sorry about that. Just one of those calls where you can't get off the phone quick enough. How are you? How was your session?"

"Great. Fantastic, actually. I just hope today's reports say the same."

"I'm sure they will. I'm just really glad to see you positive about it all. You know there's a lot of research out there that shows patients with a healthy mental attitude heal better and quicker."

"Oh yeah, why's that?"

"When you're positive you release feel good hormones. They're the same hormones needed for healing."

"Is that so?"

"Uh-huh. So I take it you're going to be Mr Positive from here on in?"

"Only on one condition"

"What's that?"

"As long as I have you by my side."

Charmed by the sentiment, Haley blushed before extended her hand to shake Nathan's.

"Deal."

At that moment, Dr Perry suddenly entered Haley's office, but had only witnessed the handshake. He looked on with amusement, part of him wondering what deal they had made.

"Haley. Great to see you back in the office. Hello, Nathan, how are things?"

Both of them startled a little, wondering how much of their conversation Dr Perry had witnessed.

"Everything's great Dr Perry. Nathan just came to tell me how great today's session was."

As they were talking, Carly knocked on the door with Nathan's file in her hands.

"Well, since I'm here, let me have a look at the latest chart" Dr Perry took the file and examined the latest paperwork, reviewing it with Haley and speaking in a rash of medical jargon that Nathan could only shake his head at. He sat there, however, in complete awe as he watched Haley match Dr Perry's jargon, word for word. From what he could see, Dr Perry completely respected her professional opinion, and took a lot of it on board when forming decisions. My girl's a certified genius, he thought to himself.

"So, Nathan, based on the schedule, you have a few sessions here and at the team gym before we're due to meet with management. This is looking really promising – well done."

Nathan sat there looking really chuffed with himself. He nodded his head at Dr Perry before standing to take his leave.

"Well, thanks for the positive feedback. It's keeping me motivated."

He shook hands with Dr Perry and then again with Haley, before walking out of her office and heading across town to team HQ.

As he watched Nathan leave, Dr Perry walked over and shut the door to Haley's office before turning back around and sitting down at her desk.

"So, Haley. I know you just got back today, and you have a few days' worth of work to catch up on, but I wanted to check in with you and make sure everything is OK."

Haley was worried that Dr Perry knew about her situation, but didn't want to disclose too much at this point. She was still worried about any repercussions from any admission, and decided to play her cards close to her chest.

"Everything is fine, Dr Perry. In the end, everything turned out well, and I can only apologise for taking leave at such short notice. If I had've known things were going to turn out OK, I wouldn't have gone back to Tree Hill in the first place."

"Haley, first of all, how many times do I have to remind you to call me "Richard"? And secondly, you're human – sometimes we have things in our lives that come up unexpectedly and we need to deal with it urgently. Family does that to us." He smiled as he watched her taking it all in and formulating her response.

"I know Dr P-…Richard. Thank you for understanding. I promise I won't let it get in the way of work again. I'm really thankful to be working with such a great team, and I really appreciate the guidance you give us all. It means a lot."

"Haley, there's no need to thank me. Seeing all of you so focused and dedicated to your work is what matters. I am very grateful to work with such a professional team, who put the interests of the patients first. Just between you and me, you have a very bright future here at the hospital."

"Thank you."

"Alright, we should catch up later, in particular on Nathan Scott's case. I have surgery scheduled this afternoon, but any time after that is fine. Ok, now back to work for all of us!" Dr Perry smiled as he took leave and left Haley to ponder his words. She smiled at the thought of promotion and advancement and slowly blew out the breath she didn't realise she was holding.

It was certainly an interesting start to her day.


Nathan had gathered his gym gear from the back of his car and made his way through the secured car park to the team gym. Today's inspired session at the hospital had him feeling upbeat and he was determined to carry that feeling through today's gym session. He could, in all honesty, do most of these exercises at his home gym, but it was important to remain integrated in the team's processes and to have the team's athletic director overseeing his progress. So far, everyone was on the same page in terms of progress, and he was counting down the time until he could return to the squad full time.

"Nate! Hey man, wait up."

It was Clay. He had business in the city but wanted to speak to Nathan about some overnight updates he had received on endorsements.

"Hey Clay, what's up?"

"How'd your session go this morning?"

"Great. So far, so good."

"Awesome. Listen, you're here for gym work, aren't you? Have you got ten or twenty minutes afterwards to sit and chat about off-season endorsements and some financials I think you'll want to know about?"

"Uh, yeah sure. I was just going to head home, I guess. I'm here for about an hour. Have you got other business with the executives?"

"Yeah I do. I'll probably be done in an hour as well, so we can meet back here then?"

"Yeah, sure. See you then."

"Oh Nate, you haven't had any more calls from Rachel have you?"

"No. I think she's still in shock at how blunt I was with her on the phone. Why?"

"Nothing, really. I just got a few nuisance calls today, and I'm wondering if it's her. There was no caller ID, so I couldn't tell who it was. It's probably nothing. Don't worry about it."

"OK, man. If you're sure? See you in about an hour."

Nathan watched as Clay walked off to the executive suites, and he was concerned. If it was Rachel being a bitch and calling Clay, he wondered what he'd gotten Clay into. He shook his head and continued on his way to the team gym.

*****

Following a good solid workout, Nathan felt invigorated by the great day he was having. It was like having the Midas touch on recovery, and it was extremely gratifying. After another shower and change of clothes, Nathan met Clay upstairs where they spoke at length on some suitable endorsements. Just the usual gaggle of contenders; power drinks, sports shoes, sunglasses and watches. All of that seemed interesting to Nathan and indicated to Clay to pursue some of those leads. Thinking back to some of the things he saw hanging on Haley's wall, he also asked Clay to look into some local youth sporting projects, or the possibility of starting some initiatives; maybe with the YMCA or similar foundations.

Clay had surmised that the recent good fortune in Nathan's love life and recovery were inspiring him to start doing some truly great things. To be remembered as a great person as well as a great player. For the first time in his career as a sports agent, Clay was able to see beyond the dollar signs. The ten percent seemed almost trivial when he listened to the genuine tone in Nathan's voice. Together they would do some good, and it was going to feel great.

Following the meeting, which included a quick ten minute chat with one of the PR executives for the Bobcats, the two men headed back down to their cars, so that Nathan could discard his gym bag. Exiting the secure parking lot on foot, they were on their way to grab a quick bite when they almost barrelled into a young woman.

"Well hello, Nathan. Long time no see."

"We spoke on the phone yesterday, Rachel."

"I know Nathan, but I wasn't too pleased with how that panned out. Anyway, who's this fine specimen with you? Wait! Let me guess. It's the mysterious Clay, right?"

"Hi, Rachel. Clay Evans. We spoke the other day."

"That's right. When you told me Nathan wouldn't be available to speak to me."

"Rachel, don't cause a scene in public."

"Shut up, Nathan. I have every right to vent my frustration. You've been avoiding me."

"Rachel, we discussed this yesterday. We're done, OK. We have been for a while now. I wish you all the best, but this is it, OK? No more contact."

"I don't like being treated this way, Nathan."

"And I don't like my wishes being disrespected, but that's just how it is right now, isn't it? Listen, if it's about landing a player or whatever, I'm sure you can find some other team with available players to chase after"

"How dare you!"

"How dare I? How about you, Rachel? Are you proud of the way you're conducting yourself? Are you going to look back on this and think you were mature in how you handled this? Just leave it alone. Oh, and by the way, stop calling and hanging up on Clay. That would be the first step in being mature in all of this."

"Oh that's rich coming from you. I don't need a lesson in maturity from someone like you, Nathan."

"Guys – you need stop this before you start drawing a crowd. Let's just part on civil terms and call it a day, OK?"

"Fine", they both huffed out at the same time.

Rachel adjusted the strap of her purse, and straightened her jacket before walking off, turning back moments later to see if they were looking. It was a wasted effort as they had disappeared; either back inside the secure parking, or around the corner to another part of town.


Nathan was severely pissed off at the Rachel encounter and it had put him a bad room. He had had a great day up until she showed up at team HQ. It felt like an invasion of privacy somehow, and despite her protests, she still came off looking like nothing more than a desperate woman. Today was going to be the day he declared his love for Haley, and that stupid bitch had soured the day. He drove home slamming the steering wheel every so often, and was determined that would be the last time some clingy cow like Rachel would interfere in his life.

Punching a familiar number into the console keypad, he turned down the stereo while waiting for Haley to pick up. His face lit up and his demeanour changed instantly the moment he heard her say "Hello".

"Hey Hales, what are you wearing right now?"

"Nathan!" she couldn't help but laugh at his leading question.

"What? I'm joking. No I'm not – what are you wearing right now?" They both laughed at his lame joke.

"Where are you Nathan?"

"I'm driving home. But I have a question for you"

"OK, hit me with it."

"Are you free for dinner tonight?"

"With who?" Now it was her turn for lame jokes.

"Very funny. With me, of course. I wanted to see if you're interested in trying out the Italian restaurant I told you about."

Haley ran her fingers through her hair. She wanted to, but was concerned about them being seen in public.

"Nathan, are you sure about this? This means going out in public and you possibly being recognised. If you've forgotten, you're something of a public figure, remember?"

"Haley, it'll be fine. It's Bill & Tony's – they're my friends, and they'll get us in and we'll be very discreet. No-one will know we're there, I promise. Besides, tonight's a special occasion."

"Oh yeah, why is that?"

"You'll just have to wait and see."

"OK, then. What time, and where?"

"I'll come to your place around 7.30pm."

She took in a sharp breath before asking her next question. "So, are you coming back to my place later for coffee?"

"Like you even have to ask, Hales"

Both of them hung up, again acting like giddy teenagers, and Nathan couldn't wait for 7.30pm to come quick enough.


Nathan had been true to his word. Bill & Tony's was one of Charlotte's best-kept secrets and it had quickly become one of Nathan's favourite places to come to when he wanted to escape the confines of his house. He had quickly befriended the owners, Bill and Tony Carluccio, and they had always kept Nathan's presence quiet. It was all service entrances and private dining rooms, although the restaurant itself was not exclusive in any way. The brothers prided themselves in providing an "everyman" ambience to their restaurant while also catering for some of their more famous clientele. The Brothers Carluccio quickly became great friends with the Brothers Scott.

The private dining room was basic in design – thick walls decorated with Murano glass pieces and landscape photos of regional Italy. The focal point of the room was a long, handcrafted wooden dining table that could seat upto fourteen people. Tonight, it was reserved for two.

Bill and Tony sat with the couple for a few moments, while they all sampled a new Sangiovese Merlot from Tuscany while discussing Bill and Tony's recommendations for dinner. Once they had agreed on their menu selections, the Carluccio's left Nathan and Haley to enjoy their privacy.

"This restaurant is amazing, Nathan. Thank you so much for suggesting it."

"My pleasure. I love coming here. Bill and Tony are great guys, and apart from the fuss they made over us just now, they usually just sit me in here with no fanfare, and bring out some pasta for me and a glass of water."

"Surely that's not true!" she playfully hit his arm as she spoke.

"OK, not quite. They usually give me garlic bread, too" he laughed as she hit his arm again.

"So, tell me. How did your session at HQ go today?

"Pretty well. It feels like it's coming together. The trainers are pushing me, but not too hard, don't worry."

"Good. Can't wait to get my hands on their reports. I'll see what they really think of you! She smile at him as she sipped more of her wine. Haley watched as Nathan looked a little dour all of a sudden, like he had some bad news to delivery.

"Nathan, is everything OK?"

"Yeah. I mean, I was having such a great day today, but something kinda spoiled it."

"What is it?"

"Rachel."

Haley sat her glass back down on the table and looked at Nathan worriedly.

"What about her?"

"Hales, she's not really taking the hint that I don't want to see her. She called me the other day at home, and I spoke to her. I couldn't have made it any clearer that she needs to move on, but she doesn't seem to get it. Today at HQ, I met up with Clay and we went to grab a bite, and there she was! Clay thinks she's been calling and hanging up on him. She just seems to be everywhere, and I don't know what to do."

Haley couldn't believe what she was hearing. This was ridiculous, even for someone like Rachel. She never remembered her being so…."psychotic" in high school.

"Nathan, I'm sorry. I'm not sure what to say. Do you think she's a bit..I don't know how to put this gently, but….is she a bit unhinged?"

"Look, Hales. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought this up now. I wanted us to have a nice dinner and just get away from it all, and here I am ruining it by mentioning Rachel and her irrational behaviour. Let's just forget it and enjoy the rest of the night, OK?"

"Nathan, we can talk about this now. I can still enjoy my night out. If I can help you in anyway by talking about this, then I'm going to feel pretty good about tonight."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

They continued their conversation, but kept it fairly light, agreeing that goading Rachel would just make her feel encouraged and that the best thing to do would be to ignore her as much as possible. Haley concluded that while it may seem like a lot of effort to do so, she would eventually get the message and move on.

Before too long, they had completely changed the topic of conversation and had moved on to more pleasant things, like favourite vacation destinations and crazy family holiday traditions. Nathan was worried that the "date-night" vibe he had set out to create had been lost by the inclusion of Rachel-talk, but was happy to see they had recaptured their romantic night, exchanging small kisses and laughter over dessert and coffee.

By the time Nathan had paid the check, they made their way out of the private room, and through a small part of the kitchen, thanking the chefs for their meal as they were ushered out through the private service door. They held hands tightly as they walked a short path in dark alley before reaching Nathan's car. They looked around quickly before sharing a short kiss, hopping into the car and driving away; Nathan only turning on his car lights once he turned onto to the public road.

Across the way, they failed to see the women standing in the shadows who had witnessed their mini love fest tonight.


They walked through her front door, thoroughly spent from dinner, but as soon as she locked the door behind them, they pressed their bodies together with urgent kisses and desperate grabbing for removal of clothes.

They made their way upstairs, leaving a small trail of occasionally discarded piece of clothing, and by the time they made it into Haley's bedroom, they were both half-naked. Nathan pulled away from their frantic kisses first, cupping her face in his hands and taking the time to drink her in. She was simply stunning, and he was the luckiest bastard in the world to have her in his life.

"I wanted tonight to be really special, Haley"

"It was…it is, Nathan. This is exactly how we should have spent tonight."

"I know, but I've wanted to tell you something for a while now, and I didn't want it to be at some random time."

"What? What is it?"

"I love you, Haley. I'm in love with you – to the point where it feels almost overwhelming, but there it is. That's how I feel."

Cupping his face at the mention of his love for her, she looked into his eyes and smiled widely.

"I'm in love with you too, Nathan, and I think I have been from basically day one. I can't explain it, but there it is. That's how I feel too."

"God, I love you Haley. C'mere."

The both locked lips again, but now the urgency was replaced with something else; something more delicate in the light of their revelations to each other. It was slower and deeper, each touch felt like tiny sparks lighting them up.

Removing their remaining clothing, they inched their way down onto the bed, limbs tangling as they explored each other. Tasting, touching, worshipping. It was intense yet sweet, tempered with tiny declarations of love. They touched each other intimately, feeding each other's arousal with stimulation. Once Nathan had sheathed himself, their bodies joined and soon formed a familiar rhythm, moulded together and rocking against each other; both climaxing and sending each other over the edge.

Completely overwhelmed by the magnitude of declaring their love, and the intense physical display which followed, neither felt any need to shift their positions; Nathan remained semi-erect inside Haley as they satisfied each other with slow, dreamy kisses and erotic touches, small nips to each other's sensitive skin followed by languid licks, acting as salve. The contact was both intensely erotic and tremendously comforting, the actions of lovers secure in the new phase of their relationship.

Nathan couldn't help the smirk that formed as he took in the look of ecstasy on Haley's face, although it widened into something more akin to awestruck as he took a moment to see the love and affection he felt for her reflecting back in her eyes. There was a warmth and glow to have their feelings confirmed to each other, and now each action the lovers took held extra meaning. A connection that neither one had experienced before with anyone else. They were deeply in love with each other, and the rush of emotions coursing through their bodies was unparalleled to anything they had known. It was as if those tiny sparks had transformed into a fire lit within them. A fire so bright that nothing could put it out.

It radiated through Nathan, stoking both his passion and his desire. He looked down at Haley, and saw her watching him with such adoration that he knew in an instant she felt the same emotions pooling within. She loved him completely and with such devotion it shook him to his very foundations.

Nathan stilled and felt himself grow impossibly hard inside her as lust and joy penetrated them both. He began to rock his hips gently against her, thrusting slowly as he focused on her. They exchanged knowing smiles as her walls tightened almost painfully around him in response to his movements.

He closed the tiny amount of distance between them, and their already tangled fingers clasped more tightly. "I love you so much, Haley," he whispered before teasing her lips open gently with his tongue.

Haley moaned against him and brought her leg up to swathe over his hip, wrapping herself around him. Breaking the kiss for a moment, she murmured, "I love you too, and I love the way you feel inside me."

Their lips came back together, more urgent this time. He positioned himself against her and moved forward, sliding himself fully inside her. Nathan moved a hand to cup Haley's breast and teased her by running a thumb over her hardened nipple while her hands moved to trace the strong muscles of his torso before resting behind his neck. Breathless moans became cries of passion, before they joined their lips in passionate kisses, coming together.

They rolled back onto the bed, nestled against each other, pressing final good-night kisses and whispering "I love you" while their lips still touched. They closed their eyes, committing tonight to memory as the best night of their lives.


"Hello?"

"Hi Clay, do you remember we finally met today? It's Rachel Gattina."

"Rachel, what do you want? Do you even know what time it is?"

"Of course I do, it's time to talk. I was out tonight, and who do I see? Two people I used to go to high school with; Nathan Scott and Haley James. By the looks of it, they were trying hard not to be seen in public. I wonder why?" she spat out, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"Rachel, what the hell do you want?"

"Wouldn't it be a shame if their private relationship suddenly became public?"

xx see you all in a couple of weeks xx