Sorry for the long wait! Here's Chapter 12...leave reviews. :)

How Do You Keep Love Alive

.twelve.

She had spent the night fitfully sleeping on the couch at the café, but it was hopeless. Nathan wouldn't get off her mind, she was pissed as hell at him, not understanding what the root of the blow-up exactly was…so she just lay there, eyes closed, just thinking.

She heard the door open and a snort emitted from Lucas.

"Did you sleep here last night?"

"You bet,"

"You look like ass, Hales,"

"Thanks for the support, Lucas," Haley replied wryly.

"So, what happened?"

"Oh nothing, don't worry about it."

"Haley…obviously it was something. It's not every night you crash on the couch in the café. I only do it when I don't want to go home. Why didn't you come home, last night?"

"You're going to be so pissed," she confessed and at this Lucas plopped himself down on the coffee table in front of the couch.

"I won't be pissed," he swore and Haley couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter. When realizing, he was trying his best at being honest, she grinned at him.

"You promise?"

"I promise," he agreed and then Haley let out the ultimate weapon in all promises, "Pinky promise?" he rolled his eyes at her childish request but hooked his pinky with her none the less. "Pinky promise. Now, spill."

"Okay well…gosh, I don't know how to tell you this," she laughed nervously before taking a deep breath and letting it out. "Lately…Nathan and I have been hanging out and it blew up in my face last night,"

"Define hanging out," Lucas requested, eyeing her strangely.

"Well….making out…sleeping together," she squeaked out. Lucas shuddered and Haley groaned out loud. "This is why I need a female best friend, Lucas," she chided.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry but please continue…"

"Yesterday we were together in the kitchen when I was supposed to be checking on the pies, which I obviously didn't check. But he went off to the bathroom and then came back…and I tried to joke with him but he wasn't having it. Then Dan brought up Stanford and we came here for dessert and he flipped out about it and started asking me about birth control and now here we are!"

"That sucks," Lucas said, stating the obvious, as always.

"No shit, Sherlock," Haley spit out, annoyed. Lucas just dismissed it, blaming it on his idiotic little brother.

"So how long were you guys 'hanging out'?" he questioned.

"Two weeks," she said with a shrug. Lucas's mouth dropped open.

"No one knew about it?"

"Nope, we were discreet. None of the crap you and Peyton pulled last year."

"Haley…I swear to God if you mention junior year ever again…"

"Someone has to remember your man-whoring days fondly," Haley teased.

"Back to you and Nathan," Lucas commanded quietly, not wanting to re-live his sordid past.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore," she admitted. "But I think Dan played a role in this…I just can't pinpoint what. You up to playing some detective?"

"For you? Anything. Now are you good with covering the café for the morning?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine," He leaned in and hugged Haley tight.

"I've got your back, little sis-in-law,"

"At least someone does," she mumbles and with that Lucas took off. "Coffee," Haley commanded while staring the coffee pot down, willing it to turn itself on. When that failed she finally got up and flicked it on. It was going to be one long day.

"Nathan! How about some breakfast?" Deb called upstairs and up in his room, Nathan cringed at her perky tone.

"Not interested!" he called out, tromping down the stairs. "I'm going out!" he yelled, swinging open the front door, only to run into Lucas's fist, which was poised to knock on the door. "What do you want?" he demands coldly.

"To talk to you,"

"No, thanks," Nathan said, fully prepared to blow his older brother off.

"Nathan…come on,"

"Lucas, I'm really not in the mood to have one of your "talks","

"Well, how about some one-on-one basketball? At the Rivercourt?"

"Now you're talking!"

And so, off the Scott brothers went and they played. The game ended and shockingly (since that first game back at the start of junior year) Lucas was the victor, but he could tell Nathan wasn't focusing and his heart simply was not in it. They sat on the picnic table, both panting and out of breath; Lucas finally brought the elephant between them up.

"So, you and Haley…"

"Yeah," is Nathan's only reply.

"I can't believe I didn't notice it for two weeks," Lucas lamented.

"Well, we were more discreet than the shit you and Peyton pulled,"

"God…it's like you two share a brain," he mutters.

"What?"

"Nothing….just Haley said the same thing,"

"Oh, you talked to her today?"

"Yeah. Listen man, I don't know the details of last night or anything but will you just go and talk to her?"

"I can't," Nathan suddenly confessed.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm scared shitless, Luke," he said hoarsely. "I'm so fucking scared and for the most part, I don't have a clue why."

Tutor-slash-Manager-slash-Wife!" Brooke snag out as she and Peyton sashayed their way into the café, arms linked with matching ear-to-ear grins. Haley's head popped up from behind the counter.

"Wife?" she questioned with a raised brow. "You haven't called me that since…"

"Yes, I know but Peyton told me the good news, darling," Brooke nearly purred in happiness.

"Oh?"

"Don't play coy! You and Nathan…Nathan looking for your birth control…neither of you coming back? Where's the lucky man?"

"Nathan was looking for my birth control?"

"Yeah!" Peyton said. "Before the two of you left…" she tried to prod but Haley continued to stare at her blankly.

"Haley, for the love of God, do not withhold reunion sex details!" Brooke begged.

"I'm not, because there wasn't any…"

"Come on! Don't be such a prude, dish."

"I have nothing to dish!"

"Haley James-Scott," Peyton scolded. "I thought you learned…lying is bad," At this point, Haley is beginning to look annoyed.

"I'm not lying," she said behind gritted teeth while grabbing a tray and serving customers but the girls remained hot on her heels.

"Okay. So what was it then? Cuddling? Snuggling? Making-Out? Second Base? I'm begging you, Hales, give us something!" Brooke whined while Haley shot an apologetic smile in her customers' direction before finally whirling around.

"Girls! Go, sit, I'll come and talk to you at my break," They nodded, shocked at Haley's mini-outburst, and they found a table to sit at and discuss this newest development. Sighing a breath of relief for her two seconds of peace, Haley frowned; her break was not something she was looking forward to. At all.

After finally admitting what he was feeling to Lucas, Nathan felt slightly better. Although, his older brother didn't exactly have that great of advice ("just talk to her, man" – like that was going to happen!) it was good to tell someone.

He felt guilty for blowing up at Haley, but was Dan right? Did Haley really feel the only way to keep Nathan was to trap him with a kid? However, that was one fear he couldn't, wouldn't voice to anyone, especially Lucas, of all people, but that fear was growing bigger and bigger by the second.

He sat on the front steps of the Scott mansion rolling the basketball from hand to hand as Dan came to the front door.

"You all packed for tomorrow?" Dan asked cheerfully, as if he hadn't ruined Nathan's world the night before. Nathan simply gave him a blank stare. "The UNC tour?" Dan reminded.

"That's this weekend?"

"Yes, why?"

"I'm going to Duke," he bullshitted quickly (it was a half-truth really).

"What did you get in already?"

"No, but—," Dan chuckled.

"Didn't think so. You're going tomorrow, then."

"Dad—," once again Dan cut him off.

"Nathan…facts are facts. Academics is not your forte, basketball is. Aim for UNC, son," and with that Dan went into the house with Nathan fishing for air.

"…and so he left," Haley finished telling the tale to her two girl best friends. Both wore expressions of shock and nothing came out of their open mouths.

"Two weeks and you didn't tell us!" Brooke finally shrieked after processing the newest edition of the saga that is Nathan and Haley. "What kind of friend are you?" Haley bit her lip in apprehension at this accusation.

"Brooke," Peyton admonished. "What she meant was why all the secrets, Hales?" Peyton questioned her gently.

Haley blew out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. "I was dying to tell you guys," she paused and at Brooke's look of disbelief she plowed on. "I was, I swear, Brooke but…" she sighed. "I don't know. It felt so perfect, like I had never left, he never gave me that ultimatum. And then look what happened when one person finds out. I'm sorry Brooke, I know you live for this stuff but I just wanted to be drama-free as long as possible,"

"Hey, you had two weeks," Peyton reminded her.

"And Hales, this is Tree Hill, two drama-free weeks for a relationship is an amount of time that deserves to go in the record books," Brooke chimed in after pouting for a bit.

"Thanks girls…listen, I should get back to work," both hugged Haley and left her to finish her shift in peace and quiet.

That peace and quiet didn't last long when Lucas bounded back into the café.

"Sherlock," Haley deadpanned. "Any luck?" Lucas shook his head.

"But, if it's any consolation he looked like ass…worse than you," he admitted. "Played like it too," he mumbled, loud enough for her to hear as he smirked.

"You played basketball with him?" she questioned loudly.

"Hales!"

"Well excuse me, Lucas Eugene Scott, I'm here working my ass off because I think you're helping me out by figuring out what the hell your father, Dan did to my husband and you played a game with Nathan?"

"Haley, calm down. You know it's the only way he talks to me. The only person he simply talks to you…is you,"

"Okay, sorry. This is just so frustrating!" she bursts out.

"I know but hey, you ready for this weekend?" Haley stared at him blankly.

"This weekend?" she repeats in confusion.

"UNC tour?"

"That's this weekend?"

"Yeah."

"You know what…it's between Stanford or Duke for me," she lied quickly, grasping at straws to get out of the weekend.

"Wow. You got accepted there already? Isn't it a little early?"

"No, I didn't," Haley mumbled…some days she hated boys with the last name Scott, this was one of them.

"Didn't think so! Besides you promised and want to know something?"

"Sure,"

"Haley James-Scott never backs down on a promise and it'll probably get your mind off Nathan," he suggested.

"Fine…I'll go,"

Little did they know getting her mind off Nathan would prove nearly impossible.

"I am so not a morning person," Haley grumbled as Lucas roused her awake. She shot one eye open. "And Nathan's waking tactics are preferable," she added, forgetting for a moment how mad she was at Nathan…he did after all come up with fabulous ways to wake her, she grinned thinking of his wake-up call Thanksgiving morning. Lucas simply groaned at the mention of her and Nathan participating in sexual activities, together.

"Contrary to popular belief, we are married, Lucas!" she hissed at him for his immature antics.

"I know you two are, trust me. It's just gross hearing about it since you're both considered my younger siblings, you know?"

"Yeah, but it's always so much fun seeing your 'what the fuck?' face in the morning," she teased and promptly hopped out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

Lucas rolled his eyes and went to turn the coffee on. His phone began to vibrate and he wondered who could be calling at this hour. Nathan-flashed his caller id, praying that he wasn't in a drunken stupor, Lucas cautiously answered the phone.

"Hello?" he whispered.

"Lucas, why are you whispering?" Nathan questioned with a laugh.

"Are you drunk?"

"Nah, are you?"

"I thought you would be," Lucas said returning to his normal voice.

"No can do, pal. I'm saving that for the college parties tonight,"

"College parties?"

"Yeah, the UNC visit this weekend,"

"You're going? I thought Duke or UConn were it,"

"Me too but not according to Daddy dearest. So speaking of Dan, I know UNC is your dream school, so you're obviously going…I was wondering would you be willing to give me a ride? My car's in the shop and my only viable option is Dan, if you say no."

"I don't know…" Lucas said uncertainly, throwing a look down the hall in the direction of Haley's room.

"Come on, Luke. It'll be like old times we can even sing Holiday!" Nathan suggests brightly. "Since this thing with Haley blew up in my face…who knows what I'll do to Dan, alone on a road trip," he added.

"Fine, but you're not the only one with me,"

"Brooke's fine. A hell've a lot better than Dan!"

"It's not, Brooke,"

"Peyton, then? I don't care man; it's your funeral either way Cheery or Bitchy, take your pick! I gotta finish packing but listen man thanks you're saving my ass. See ya in ten," Nathan hung up on Lucas and Lucas stared at the phone.

"Who was that?" Haley questioned while drying her hair with a towel and Lucas nearly jumped ten feet in the air. "You feel okay?"

"We have another passenger," Lucas explained.

"Peyton, huh? The shit's so gonna hit the fan if Brooke finds out," Haley half-teased.

"The three of us are just friends," Lucas defended. "If that's your story," Haley replied, shrugging. While Haley rummaged around for breakfast she began to sound excited about their trip to UNC as she rambled on about the research she had done the night before. Lucas simply didn't have the heart to tell her who was coming with them on their road trip but as she had voiced earlier…the shit was so going to hit the fan in five minutes.

Haley had claimed the back seat where she was currently sprawled out, blanket, almost completely covering her head, pillow over her head. She had threatened bodily harm if he even said a word to her for an hour, maximum and that same threat included "Peyton". Lucas had almost confessed but he really wanted her to come and hopefully fall in love with the place and forget all about Stanford. And so his selfishness won out and he said nothing to the contrary that Peyton wasn't coming. So Haley settled into the back seat without another word, which was a relief to Lucas so there would be no heartache or drama in the driveway of the Scott family home.

A few minutes later, Lucas pulled in the Scott family drive and Nathan came bounding out. Lucas was thrilled (for the first time in his life) to hear light snores coming from the direction of Haley's head. He hopped out of the car and loaded Nathan's gear into the trunk, save for his pillow.

"Be quiet for at least an hour or she'll pounce," Lucas cautioned. And once again he had half a mind to warn Nathan who the girl in the car was but he was sick of the two of them never getting their act together, maybe this weekend would be good.

"You got it, Peyton pissed is the worst thing ever, second to Haley being pissed," Nathan said and clenched his jaw at the slip. Haley and his problems was the last thing he wanted to think about. Lucas frowned as he slid back into the driver's seat; this was going to be one hell of a Scott family road trip.

About forty-five minutes had passed with Haley out stone cold and Nathan sleeping on and off.

"This friggin' car's on my ass…it's been there for the last fifteen minutes," Lucas mumbled, mostly to himself but Nathan shrugged.

"You're driving slow, grandma. No wonder we left so god damn early," Lucas ignored the insult, as he realized the driver looked eerily familiar.

"Do you know who that is?" Nathan looked in the rearview mirror and gulped.

"It's umm…Dan,"

"Why would he be following—Nathan, you did tell him I was taking you right?" Lucas questioned as he pulled into the break down lane to let him pass but Dan followed. Lucas parked and Nathan began frantically muttering obscenities. As Dan got out of the car, Nathan immediately clambered into the backseat.

"Nathan, you really shouldn't…" Lucas tried to helplessly warn but it failed miserably.

"Desperate times," Nathan replied with a sad smile. The wrath of Peyton would be a million times better than Dan.

Haley felt someone's weight sit down beside her.

"Lucas, are you talking to yourself again?" an insanely familiar voice questioned beside Nathan. A voice…that wasn't Peyton? Nathan's eyes widened as he furiously shook his head. No, Lucas would've said something right? Then again, Nathan had lied to his brother about Dan knowing, hadn't he?

Before Nathan could scramble back to his seat, he lost his balance and wound up falling onto Haley.

Haley, expecting a somewhat less masculine body to wind up falling on her, if anything, was shocked. Lucas was letting Peyton drive? No way! Was he trying to risk their lives before they had even graduated high school?

"Jesus Lucas!" Haley finally shrieked, realizing she had just unpleasantly been awaken by a really heavy something. "What the hell are you doing? It's as if you're hiding from the cops because Peyton drove way too fast or Nathan or Dan!" she threw the blanket off her head so she could see and she met the ice cold, steely blue eyed stare of her husband. She looked away from him, her anger that she had been harboring the past day suddenly boiling up to meet the smirking gaze of Dan Scott and Lucas with his head in his hands. This had to be the gates of hell, didn't it?

"I can't believe this," Haley hissed at her current ex-best friend as they sat on the hood of the car watching Dan and Nathan hash it out.

"Haley, I'm sorry I tried—," Haley punched him in the arm, hard.

"Asshat," she muttered.

"Ouch, Hales!"

"Shut up and cut the bullshit. Was this intentional?"

"God, no. I didn't even know Nathan was going to this, this weekend. He called me five minutes before,"

"Of course he'd be going its Dan's alma mater, Lucas," she told him with a roll of her eyes.

"For a year!"

"Okay, fine but what the hell is Dan so pissed about?"

"Nathan didn't exactly tell him he was leaving or with me for that matter,"

"Oh jeez," Haley groaned, leaning into Lucas. "This could take hours…"

"So, is she knocked up?" Dan leered at his son.

"Not that I know of, why?" Nathan replied coolly while on the inside he was freaking out. First, Haley was going to UNC in the same car as he and second, Dan seemed to know a hell lot more about his relationship then he did.

"I just want to make sure you aren't throwing away your basketball career," Dan snarled, annoyed at his son's standoffish reply. "You're not eloping with her, are you?"

"We're already married, Dad," Nathan said plainly.

"Not for long, right?"

"Don't get your hopes up,"

"Why did you get a ride from Lucas, of all people?" Dan questioned.

"Because he's a lot better than you to enjoy road trips,"

"And Haley?"

"I didn't know she was coming. Lucas forgot to mention it…." Nathan said vaguely glancing over at the two best friends to see Haley punching him in the shoulder, clearly she had been as much in the dark as he had about his joining of their little road trip.

"How convenient. Haley planned this then?"

"No." Nathan answered shortly. "And you could've just called me; you didn't have to stalk us."

"I thought someone had kidnapped you!" Nathan scoffed.

"Dad, I am 17 years old, emancipated and married,"

"But you're still living under my roof…"

"Yet, another thing for you to hold over my head. When is this shit going to stop, Dad, huh? When I emancipated myself all you wanted was for me to come back and now that I'm back you act as if it's some big trouble to you, do you want me to leave again, huh?"

"Of course not son, all I want is you to be happy,"

"Bull, Dad, bullshit. All you want to do is see my life in shambles so you can swoop in and save the day…it happened before didn't?" he sneered, his voice nearly at a yell. "Well, I don't want it anymore. I'm done with this, done with you, all you do is ruin me and I'm sick of it. I'll see you when I see you," and with that Nathan turned his heel and headed back to Lucas and Haley who both sat on the hood of the car open mouthed.

"This is your entire fault!" Dan yelled, pointing a finger at Haley. "But don't you worry, Miss James…I've got a plan,"

And with that threat Nathan turned and Haley thought he was going to pummel his father to smithereens as he stepped menacingly in Dan's direction. "If you do or say anything to her, about her…you're dead!" he yelled loudly. "And you'll have nothing left when I'm through with you, you got that?"

Haley stared at Nathan. This threat just confused her even further. Why was it that even when they were fighting he felt the need to defend her, protect her even as he failed at protecting her from himself? Then again, he had left in the middle of their fight the night before. The fight, Haley reminded, herself, she was still pissed as hell at him and not even a fight with his father would she allow herself to forgive him, she couldn't.

"Let's go," Nathan muttered and Haley as well as Lucas got back into the car with Dan sputtering for breath as the car sped past him.

As Haley sat in the silence that was engulfing her, she felt like she was drowning. She wasn't speaking to Lucas or Nathan, Nathan wasn't speaking to her or Lucas and Lucas was pretending he was alone in the car. This had to be the most awkward road trip of all road trips. Suddenly, Nathan fished something out of his pants pocket and popped it into the cassette player. Haley scrunched her face up in confusion trying to remember when Nathan had acquired a taste for music that was on a cassette tape, she didn't care, she reminded herself yet again, she was mad at him, but why was it becoming harder and harder to remind herself of that little fact?

Suddenly, a really weird tune begins to play and she can hear Lucas's lowly chuckle and Nathan joins in. She rolls her eyes and closes her eyes. Her life was a wreck and here were the two boys making her life like that and they were laughing, the nerve of them, Scotts, she scoffed in her head, who needed them.

Then the words began and before she could ask them to stop the ridiculousness that was the song they started singing, she stared at them both, speechless and frozen to her spot.

"Holiday,

It's the best day,

It's an ice cream day,

I am only happy,
When I have,

Holiday, holiday, holiday…"

Haley had half a mind to join in on the sing-a-long but knows that it will only piss Nathan off all the more, but suddenly, she recalls their fight the other night and doesn't give a damn what he thinks or what Luke thinks, so she joins in and as soon as Nathan hears her voice he freezes and his fingers move to the eject button. But his fingers are just out of reach, wavering between stopping the music or just leaving it as is. He hasn't heard her sing since her debut at Tric and it stings. He wonders if she's hoping to get a reaction out of him or just simply because that's what she does, sings. Finally, he presses the button, letting the silence engulf the car, once again. Haley felt her temper flare again but half of her can't blame him so she doesn't protest his decision. It hurts that he doesn't accept her goals the way she has always let his goal, basketball, overrule their lives. She shook her head and grabbed a pillow and let out a muffled scream of frustration. Lucas's eyes cut to the rear-view mirror and he meets Haley's annoyed gaze directed at both of the brothers. Lucas sensed that maybe his inadvertent scheming had back fired, just like all the other plans he, Peyton and Brooke had been devising.

They had finally made it to the hotel without any Scotts killing one another and they were ready to each register individually when something interesting occurred while Haley was trying to check in.

"Scott," she offered at the request of the last name.

"Nathan?" the girl at the desk questioned. Haley politely shook her head, wanting to really scream, do I look like a Nathan to you, Blondie? But bit back the harsh remarks, she had to keep up the persona of happy-go-lucky Haley. "Is Nathan in your party?" she questioned.

"Not exactly," Haley said without giving too many details. "Okay, well how many Scots are with you?"

"Three, total," Haley said.

"And how many rooms were you expecting?"

"Three…two would be fine as long as one of them has two beds," she offered trying to be helpful but even that would prove to bit her in the ass.

"I guess there was a screw-up because you're Haley James-Scott, right?"

"Yes," she replied tersely.

"Well the three of you are booked in one room…and we're completely booked," Haley's mouth gaped wide open. She sputtered and couldn't think of anything to say.

"Umm, thanks?" she finally said as the receptionist smiled apologetically as three keys were slid in Haley's direction. Inwardly, she was freaking out and she had a feeling one of the boys standing innocently in the lobby were going to be the brunt of that freak out and she had a feeling it would be Nathan…their argument was just bubbling under the surface of pretending the other didn't exist.

"Here!" she handed them the keys, grabbed her bag and headed upstairs, she didn't want them to figure out what she already had heard until after she had claimed the bed. However, for once in their lives the Scott boys were quicker than that and caught on they were in the same room and wanted to find out where Haley was going to be bunking for the night. She cursed her short legs as the boys with their super long legs caught up to her easily.

"Hey Hales…" Luke said casually, hardly out of breath while Haley stood on the landing of the stairs, bent over, panting. Nathan shot a look at her and she could swear it was a flash of concern but as soon as she had glanced at him, indifference had masked that glimpse of concern.

"What Lucas," she snapped at him.

"Where are you staying tonight?"

"Same room as you!" she chirped and headed back up the stairs.

"Wait, what?" she heard Nathan question his brother.

"Halesssss!" Luke whined out and she cringed at his tone of voice but continued up the stairs without pausing. She finally reached the room and both boys were right behind her as she slid in the key. She closed her eyes for a moment and prayed for two beds….and she swung the door open….to reveal….one, singular, solitary….bed. Sure, it was a king sized bed but she knew two of the three of them would be sharing it; there was no way two of them were sleeping on the floor with that luxurious bed in the room.

"Is this a joke?" Nathan asked, not really to Luke or Haley, just kind of out there.

"I wish," Haley mumbled with Lucas nodding in agreement. If the two of them did make up that weekend…he would be out of a bed. Immediately, without a second thought, she turned to face the two and formed her hand into a fist while the two of them were already in position.

"1….2…...3…." and so they put their hands out with their chosen weapons. Both Haley and Nathan had paper beating Lucas by a long shot with his measly rock. Haley began to dance spontaneously, her happy dance, she danced around the bed, to the window but neither were laughing and she suddenly realized who she would be sharing a bed with and she stopped, her happy dance cut short by reality. In dejection, Haley flopped down onto the bed, Nathan headed for the bathroom and Lucas stood there his hand still in rock.

"Best of three?" he suggested weakly to the non-responsive roommates. This was going to be one hell of a college touring weekend. A weekend that Lucas had been looking forward to since the start of senior year, was definitely going to be memorable, just not in the way Lucas and Haley, nor Nathan had predicted.