Stronger
A/N: A VERY short update. It's short because there's only one scene and it's Naley. It didn't feel right including anyone else in this particular chapter. Anyways…here you go! I hope you like it. – Jasmine
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Haley was busy cleaning up the kitchen when she heard the front door open. She placed her sponge down on the counter, made her way to the door and came face to face with her husband.
"Nathan…"
Nathan feigned a smile. "Hi."
The two stood staring at each other for a long while before Haley spoke up. "I uh…I heard you spent the day with Anna…and Peyton. H—how was that?"
Nathan slowly nodded his head. "Really, really good. I had…an amazing time hanging out with that little girl."
Haley nodded. "Good. I'm glad."
There was another moment of awkward silence and staring.
Nathan cleared his throat. "I came over here because…w—we need to talk. We…really need to talk."
Haley nodded and the two made their way into the living room and sat down on the couch together.
Nathan took in a deep breath, exhaled slowly and faced his wife. "I need to know why."
"Why—"
"Why you would even THINK about keeping the whole Anna thing from me. I mean…if it had been up to you I never would've known that I had a daughter. A DAUGHTER Haley!"
Haley nodded. "I know, I know and there's…no excuse for what—"
"You're right." Nathan said cutting her off. "There's no excuse. But you had a reason and…I want to hear what that reason is."
Haley closed her eyes and sighed. "I—I just...I was worried that you possibly having a child with…with Peyton would…change things between us."
"I know this news about Anna must have shocked you." Nathan said bluntly. "I'm sure the last thing a woman ever wants to hear is that her husband has a child with ANOTHER woman. But still…while I can never look at Anna the same way I did before and will now always take special interest in her…regardless of what I decide my official role in her life will be…I don't see why you would think that my developing a relationship with her would change US."
"I didn't think that."
A confused Nathan shook his head. "Then what are you talking about?"
Haley sighed. "I…I thought this whole Anna thing would cause you to…to look at Peyton differently."
"Well I do."
"Different…HOW?"
Nathan stared long and hard into his wife's eyes before responding. "I see what this is about. Haley…why would you think that me finding out that I have a child with Peyton would trigger something between her and me?"
Haley threw her hands up in the air and got up. "Because she's not just any random girl. She's…someone you have history with. And because…it has! Seriously, why else would you invite Peyton along with you and Anna today?"
Nathan sighed. "I'm assuming you heard about my taking Anna to the fair from Lucas, right?"
Haley nodded.
"Well did he tell you my reasoning for it?"
"He said that you said it was because you had never spent a whole day alone with Anna like that before and you didn't want her to feel uncomfortable."
Nathan nodded. "Ok, well there you have it! The reason. My ONLY reason! There was absolutely no ulterior motive for my asking Peyton to come along!"
Haley sat back down next to Nathan. "But…you did just admit to me that you look at Peyton differently and you never answered me when I asked you differently how."
Nathan paused for a minute and then answered. "Differently as in…she's no longer just my friend and sister-in-law. She is now the mother of my child and…that means something. And because she is I…I care about her much more than I thought I ever would, but Haley…caring and loving are two completely different things. I care about Peyton but I LOVE you. You're the only one I have ever been in love with and…you're the only one I will EVER be in love with. I will never find another woman more beautiful, intelligent and amazing than you because there isn't one…she doesn't exist."
"You…you really mean all that?" Haley asked blinking back tears.
Nathan sighed. "Of course I mean it. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't. And that's why it hurt me so badly to find out that you of all people wanted to keep Anna's paternity from me."
Haley sniffed and let her tears fall. "I know I hurt you and…you have to know how sorry I am and that…if I could go back in time and do things differently that I—I would. I'd do it in a heartbeat!"
Nathan nodded. "I believe you."
He took Haley's hands into his and stared deeply into her eyes. "And because I believe you…and because I love you…I want for us to work this out and for us to get pass this so we can—"
"Be like we used to be?" Haley asked hopefully.
Nathan shook his head. "No. Even if I thought that we could I wouldn't want that for us and that's because I honestly believe that you and I…we can be even better than we used to be."
Haley smiled softly. "Really?"
Nathan took his thumb and wiped away a tear from her cheek. "Us going through something as huge as this and…not sitting around idly and letting it tear us apart? How could we not be? It's like the saying goes. What doesn't kill us—"
"Makes us stronger."
Nathan nodded. "Exactly."
He paused for a moment and then spoke. "What you did really hurt me, but I'm ready to forgive, to forget…because one's not really forgiving otherwise….and to move on and become this even stronger couple."
Haley nodded. "So am I."
Nathan leaned his forehead against Haley's and caressed her cheeks. "I can't be without you Haley. You're my other half and I'm only me when I'm with you."
"And I'm only me when I'm with you."
The two kissed and then hugged.
Haley eventually broke away from the embrace and snuggled up closer to her husband. "I've missed you Nathan. I've missed you so much."
"I've missed you too." Nathan said as he absent-mindedly rubbed his wife's arm. "More than you know. I…I've really needed you these past few days and I…I still do."
Haley nodded and looked up at him. "Well you got me and I'm not going anywhere. No matter what. You're stuck with me."
He kissed her forehead. "That's good to know."
The two sat together for a long while before Haley finally spoke up. "So…where's your head at? You being able to spend time with Anna today…did that help you figure a few things out? Or did it…maybe leave you feeling conflicted?"
Nathan sighed. "Conflicted. And that's because…I—I feel bad for Lucas. I know…my spending time with Anna really hurts him because he thinks if I get too close to her…I might want to take his place."
"Do you?"
Nathan thought long and hard before answering. "I don't know. I mean…that's not what I'm actively seeking to do, but I'd be lying if I said I haven't been imagining what it would be like to be able to raise Anna and for my daughter to see ME as her father. I'm just so confused about what to do. It's like…my brain is telling me that I should be doing one thing, but my heart is saying another. I…I know that my getting so close to Anna hurts my brother and the last thing I want to do is to cause Lucas pain. But still…Anna is my daughter and I—I really just feel as though regardless of how our relationship is labeled....whether it be father/daughter or uncle/niece…that I should be able to at the very least forge a strong connection with her …a little girl who is just as much a part of me as Jamie is."
Haley nodded her head, but remained silent.
Nathan looked down at her. "Do you think I'm wrong for feeling the way I do?"
"No, not at all."
"I'm sensing a but."
Haley shook her head. "No buts. You can't help the way you feel. Just…try and make sure that at the end of the day whatever it is you decide to do your doing with Anna's best interest in mind. You can't let Lucas, Peyton…or even your own feelings cloud your judgment of doing what is right for that little girl."
Nathan nodded slowly. "I know. I'm just…not entirely sure I know what is right for her at this point."
Haley stared into her husband's eyes. "I'm not either, but in time…you will. And remember that…I'm here for you and I'm going to support your decision regarding Anna, okay?"
Nathan nodded. "You don't know how good it feels to hear you say that."
He kissed Haley on the cheek and brought her in closer to him and the two cuddled together on the couch for the first time…in a long time…for a long while.
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Okay so I hope you guys liked this. I'll admit…I was nervous about writing an all Naley chapter because…while I really like Naley, I'm not a diehard fan and writing for them doesn't come as easily for me as it does for other couples. So…I really hope that all of you who read this story more for the Naley felt as though I did them justice. Now that I've finally revealed my deep dark fear of being an inadequate Naley writer out of the way, let's talk a little about this chapter, shall we? So…I think a lot of you guys thought I was foreshadowing a Nathan/Peyton hook up…but I was simply teasing and trying to mislead you. Anyways…it appears as though now that some time has passed Nathan was able to think about things and felt as though he was ready to try and make things right with Haley again because he loves her and knows how truly sorry she is about everything. While it's good he's reconciling with Haley, Nathan is still feeling confused about the whole Anna thing and Haley tells him to just try and make sure that he has Anna in mind and no one else when deciding once and for all what to do. But what's right for Anna? Is it for her to develop a relationship with her natural father who's present and wants to forge a strong relationship with her? Or maybe it would be better for Nathan to just step aside because, unfortunately for him, Anna already has a father and his name is Lucas.
Okay…I've rambled a lot so I think I'll stop now! Thanks for reading and please review with your thoughts/comments! – Jasmine
Coming Up…
Nathan spends more time with Anna
Lucas grows more and more depressed
"I don't know how much longer I can live like this."
And later…
"This…this CAN'T be happening! Not AGAIN!"