I can't thank you guys enough for your support with these last few chapters! It is so awesome, and you guys sticking up for this story means a hell of a lot to me. So school is back! It's been two days, and I'm already stressed out. But I'm making more time for writing than I did last semester, so the speed of my updates shouldn't take a huge hit. Your reviews have been amazing lately, and I really hope you guys enjoy this latest chapter!

When Haley was finally able to pick herself up off of the floor, she proceeded with her shower and then went back to her room. Once she was dressed, she got back in bed and immediately fell asleep. She knew it would happen. All the crying from her hour-long shower had worn her out, and she felt even more exhausted than the night before. She slept for half the day and probably could have continued into the evening, but she felt her shoulder being shaken and reluctantly opened her eyes. Confusion marred her features as she stared up into the face of the man that, just yesterday, had been her fiancé. She squinted. Surely he wasn't really in her bedroom…not the day after everything had changed for them. "Nathan?" she muttered, sitting up and squinting more. Yeah, it was definitely him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Nathan frowned when he heard her voice. She sounded really tired, and he cursed himself for waking her. He was squatting on his knees next to her bed, holding the nightstand for support. "Sorry," he whispered, looking away sheepishly. "I just figured you'd be hungry, so I brought you some food from that Chinese place that you like."

The crease in Haley's brow deepened. "Why?" she couldn't help but ask. "I told you that I couldn't have anything to do with you, apart from these babies." She was definitely hungry, and Chinese sounded amazing. She hadn't eaten since breakfast because she had been asleep, but she didn't know what to make of his being there. She needed space.

"I know," he responded. "I get that, but that's why I'm feeding you. And your mom told me you haven't had anything since breakfast, so I'm glad I came." He let out a short sigh. "That's honestly why I'm here, Haley. I know you don't want to see me, but while you're pregnant it's my job to make sure you have everything you need. I'm not giving that role up just because we aren't together."

Haley nodded hesitantly and then reached for the bag that was sitting next to him on the floor. She began getting the containers out and then looked up at him when she noticed that he was still squatting by her bed. "You can go now," she said quietly.

"Right," he muttered, standing up. "Sorry. Bye, Haley."

She didn't respond, but she waited until he was out of the room to look up again. Shortly after, she began eating. It meant a lot that he still possessed such a strong desire to be there for the babies. She was glad he hadn't given up on them when she ended their relationship, but it didn't mean she was ready to be around him. When she looked at him, she felt betrayed, and she didn't see that changing anytime soon. Their relationship was over; their time was done. And even though she wasn't at all okay with that yet, she wanted to be. She didn't want to look at him and feel love. She wanted to hate him, but that wouldn't be right. She could never hate the father of her children, no matter what he did to her. She ate in silence, eventually turning the television on in an attempt to get her mind off of him. Their conversation from the night before kept replaying over and over again in her head, and she just wished it would stop. She just wanted it all to stop.

When Nathan made it downstairs, he tried to slip out before anyone could talk to him. When he'd spoken to Lydia earlier, she hadn't mentioned his and Haley's break up, but she obviously knew. He was thankful that she hadn't brought it up though. He didn't want to hear how disappointed her family was in him. Verbal explanation wasn't necessary for him to know that they were upset. Just as he reached the front door and placed his hand on the knob of the door, a voice stopped him.

"Nathan," Brian called from down the hall. He jogged into sight and then stopped a few feet behind Nathan. "Can I talk to you outside for a second?" he asked calmly.

Nathan turned around hesitantly and gave Haley's brother a short nod. "Sure, man." He opened the front door, and they both went outside. They stood in the grass of the yard, and just as Nathan was about to ask Brian why he wanted to talk to him, he felt a fist connect with his face.

Brian watched Nathan grab his jaw, and he flexed his hand. Hitting him had hurt, but he couldn't help himself. Haley deserved better. "I had to do that," he said a moment later.

Nathan wiped the blood from his lip and shook his head. "I understand."

"I don't think so," Brian replied. He shook his head and laughed sardonically. "Ever since Haley was a little girl, we've protected her…Dad…me and my brothers…even my sisters. She's the baby, you know? And even though she was always more mature than the rest of us, we thought it was necessary. And when she got raped, it just got worse. That's when I realized that she actually needed my protection. That's when I realized that the rest of the world didn't see how special and awesome my little sister is. And for a long time, Haley wasn't the person she used to be. But then you came along, and she found herself again." He blew out a long breath, glaring at Nathan. "I liked you, man. I liked you, and I didn't want to believe that you would hurt Haley like this. I guess I was wrong." He turned around and stepped onto the porch.

"I'm sorry," Nathan called, reaching up to rub his jaw again. "I never wanted to hurt her."

Brian turned around and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Not as sorry as you'll be if you're still here when my other brothers arrive. I'm the nice one," he warned before turning back around and going inside.

Nathan hadn't thought he could feel worse about how he had betrayed Haley, but Brian had definitely just proved him wrong. He wasted no time in leaving the house, but after that he just drove around. He wondered briefly if going to see Haley and bringing her food had been a mistake, but he pushed that thought away. He was doing it for his kids, and there was nothing wrong with that. They needed to be healthy and continue to grow properly, and that's all he was worried about. Did he wish Haley would have asked him to stay? Yes, but he didn't expect it. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours since their break up. Right now his focus was on his children and doing everything he could to ensure that they would enter the world in a healthy state and that their mother would be there for them for a long time after that. That's what counted. That's what mattered.

"Alright, whose ass do we have to kick?" Brooke exclaimed, entering Haley's bedroom. Peyton was right behind her and looked just as curious as the brunette she was following. They saw Haley sitting up in her bed and both went to sit on either side of her. "Lucas told me that Nathan's been staying with him in their dorm room for the last week. What the hell happened, and why haven't you talked to us about it?"

Haley felt guilty for keeping her friends in the dark about her split with Nathan. She knew Lucas didn't think it was his place to say anything to Brooke unless he was asked to, and Haley appreciated it. She wasn't trying to shut her friends out, but she needed time alone to reflect on everything and just take it all in. She was still kind of in shock, even after a week, and she hadn't discussed it fully with her mother or her sisters either. Maybe now was the time to open up about it. Brooke was her best friend, and Peyton was a good friend, too. She had trusted Haley enough to tell her about Jake, so maybe she could open up about Nathan with both of them. At that thought, Haley turned to Peyton and asked curiously, "How'd it go with Jake?" She hadn't seen the blonde at all in the last week. Brooke had stopped by once, but they'd just eaten lunch together, and the conversation had been light.

Peyton smiled at the mention of her boyfriend's name. "I took your advice. I told him how I feel, and we are definitely dating now. There's no mistaking it." She shrugged. "You were right. He was scared, and he explained it all really well. I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing if I were a guy."

Haley smiled softly and nodded at her friend. "That's good, Peyton. I'm happy for you."

"Yeah, it's great for P. Sawyer," Brooke cut in, interrupting their sentimental moment. "But what's going on with you, Tutor Girl? Nathan's been sleeping in the dorms for a week, you've barely called to talk to me at all, and your mom says you've been looking depressed. She said you won't talk to her."

"Not to mention the fact that you never told us how your appointment went," Peyton added. "Unless you guys are keeping it to yourself. That's cool, too."

Brooke shot an incredulous glance in Peyton's direction. "Don't listen to her. It's not okay. What is it?" She placed a hand on her best friend's belly and smiled, momentarily forgetting the real reason she'd come over.

Haley smiled wide this time. She knew Peyton and Brooke would be excited about the sex of the babies, and she herself couldn't get enough of saying the words out loud. Even though it transported her back to that day, it was the good parts that she was reminded of. "A boy and a girl," she told them, still smiling.

Brooke retracted her hand from Haley's stomach and brought it up to her mouth to stifle the squeal she let out. "Oh, my gosh! I'm so happy for you!" She leaned forward a moment later and threw her arms around her best friend.

Peyton did the same, making it a group hug. "Me, too, Hales. That's awesome, dude."

"It is," Haley agreed with a nod. She returned her friends' hugs.

Once they pulled away, Brooke noticed Haley's smile disappear, and she was instantly reminded of the main reason she had decided to visit today. "Alright, what's going on with you and Boy Toy? Why isn't he staying with you? Lucas wouldn't tell me anything."

"Good," Haley replied. "You should hear it from me."

Peyton placed a hand on her friend's knee. "What's going on, Foxy?"

Haley sighed heavily. It was still hard for her to say. The only time she had said the words out loud was a week ago to her mother and sisters, and at that time she had just wanted to get it out so that she could go be by herself. This would be the second time, and it was easier and harder at the same time. She looked up at them and bit her lip. "Do you remember, like, seven weeks ago when Nathan didn't get home until the middle of the night? And he had been drinking?"

"Yeah," Brooke said slowly. This didn't sound good.

"Wait, what?" Peyton questioned. "I never heard about this."

Haley nodded. "Yeah, well…we kind of fought about it, but we worked through it. At least, I thought we did." She shook her head and scoffed. "The day of the doctor's appointment, you came over to talk to me about Jake. And after you left, I guess the irrational or hormonal part of me started wondering about me and Nathan. And I…God, I never for a second thought he'd say yes, but when he got back from basketball I asked him if he would ever cheat on me."

Peyton's eyes got big. "He said yes?"

Deciding not to hold back in this conversation with her two closest friends, a few tears rolled down Haley's cheeks. This was her time to get it all out and actually talk to someone about it. Even if they couldn't help her, at least she could get it off of her chest. "He said he had to tell me something." She shook her head. "He was so serious, and it was really starting to make me nervous. But then…I don't know. We had this long talk, and he told me that that night he went to a bar to get drunk and met a girl."

"A girl?" Brooke asked, a little flare to her voice. "Tutor Girl, do I need to go find him and kick some ass?"

"Brooke, nobody's kicking anybody's ass," Haley replied. She looked down at her hands and began twisting her pinky ring meticulously. "Apparently they went back to her apartment and…made out or something."

"Or something?" Brooke asked. "What does that mean?"

Haley shrugged her shoulders. "He said they kissed. And then I asked him if any clothes came off, and he said yes. But they didn't sleep together."

"And you believe him?" Peyton inquired.

With a nod, Haley replied, "Yeah, I believe him. I mean, he was coming clean. There wouldn't be any reason for him to not tell me everything."

Brooke tapped her chin. "Okay, when you say clothes came off…does that mean they made it to the bed? Were pants off or just tops? Was her bra still on? Did they only kiss on the lips or…other places, too?"

Haley held both her hands up to stop the tirade of questions. "I don't know, Brooke, and I don't want to. I'm sure he would have told me if I would have asked, but I really don't care to know. The more I know, the more I'll picture it happening, and I'm already doing that enough."

"So are you two broken up or just taking a break?" Peyton asked.

Haley held up her left hand so they could see her naked ring finger.

"I'm so sorry," Brooke muttered, embracing her friend again. She motioned for Peyton to do the same. "Please tell me you slapped the hell out of him though. It'd make me so proud."

Haley shook her head against her friends' shoulders. Once the embrace had ended, she spoke. "Honestly, I don't think that would have made me feel any better. I was just trying so hard to hold it together in front of him, you guys. But hurting him won't make me hurt any less. He's the father of my babies, and I don't want this to be any harder than it has to be."

Peyton nodding in understand and then asked, "Do you regret being with him? I mean, leaving the babies and the pregnancy out of it…do you wish you would have waited for something better?"

With a sad smile, Haley shook her head. "I can't regret loving him because he helped me find myself again. And I don't regret that he was the first guy I let in physically because he made it perfect for me. So no. I don't regret it, but I'm also not going to put myself through that ever again." She paused, looking down at her hands again. "What hurts the most is that, even with everything we've been through and everything we've accomplished together, he didn't feel like he could come and talk to me. He said he got drunk because he was scared and freaking out about losing me and the babies, and he just didn't know how to handle it. I just don't understand why he didn't come to me. We've always been able to be honest with each other. He's usually better with it than I am."

Brooke let out a short sigh and looked at her friend sympathetically. "Look, in no way am I saying that what Nathan did was okay. I'd kick his ass into next week if you gave me permission to. But maybe he really did only do it because he was scared. Lucas has told me a lot of stories about Nathan before he met you, and none of them are good, Hales. He was a completely different guy. He was a jerk. And with the exception of this current situation, he hasn't been that way with you at all. Maybe you should talk to him about it again."

"No," Haley muttered. "I can't. I don't want him to give me more reasons for why he did this. Even if he couldn't come and talk to me about it, he didn't have to go get drunk. He didn't have to go back to some girl's apartment and hurt me like this. He could have talked to Lucas or Jake or somebody else. God…he could have talked to Grant, and it would be a hell of a lot better than this."

"Do you think you'll ever be able to forgive him?" Peyton asked softly.

A few tears fell down Haley's cheeks, and she shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know," she whispered. "Right now, no. I'm going to focus on these babies and keeping them healthy. Our relationship isn't the top priority anymore. It can't be."

"What did I miss?" Nathan said as he rushed through the door to join Haley and her doctor. "Sorry, my last exam ran late."

Haley glanced at him but then returned her attention to the doctor. Things with Nathan hadn't changed much. She was twenty-four weeks along now, and in the last three weeks he had continued to bring her food a few times a week. Even when he said hi to her, though, Haley didn't speak. She didn't feel the need to. She appreciated what he was doing for the babies, but their relationship was still nonexistent. She had meant it when she said it, and she was sticking to her word.

The doctor looked at Nathan briefly. "You didn't miss much. Haley just had a few questions, and I was getting ready to answer them." Swiveling his chair back around to look at Haley, the doctor gave her a small, reassuring smile. "Mild abdominal pains here and there are not uncommon in your condition, Haley. Where would you rate the pain on a scale from one to ten?"

Haley thought for a moment as she rubbed her stomach. "Probably just a two or a three. It's more of a discomfort than it is a pain, but I still wanted to mention it. I didn't know if that was supposed to be happening."

"That's no cause for alarm," the doctor replied. "I'll check you out a little more thoroughly just to make sure, but if it really starts hurting you need to give me a call immediately. The bigger your babies get, the thinner the walls of your uterus get, and if you start to feel a lot of pain then we'll probably have you come in."

"And then what?" Nathan spoke up, crossing his arms over his chest. "Does that mean that's when she'd have the babies?"

"Only time will tell, but there's a good chance. At the rate that your uterine walls are deteriorating, Haley, that great deal of pain could mean that your uterus is close to rupturing. If that's the case when you come in, we'll have about forty minutes to get the babies out or you could lose them."

"What about Haley?" Nathan asked. "What happens to her if that's going on?"

The doctor sighed. "I don't want to tell you anything that's going to scare you. Uterine ruptures are rare, and chances are it's not going to happen to you, Haley. But if and when it does, we'll be prepared. The babies will have forty minutes, like I said, and if we get them out in time there's no reason to believe they won't be perfectly fine. As for you, the pressure it puts on the body is great, and even with a caesarian it'll take a lot out of you. You'll be weak for a while. I don't want to keep you in the dark about anything. There have been cases in which the rupture was fatal to the mother, but those were severe situations, and as long as we catch it and get the babies out before it ruptures you should be fine."

Nathan uncrossed his arms and shoved them both into his pockets. He didn't like this…any of this. It didn't matter that he had found out fourteen weeks ago that he could lose Haley and the babies. It didn't make it any easier to deal with, but he was keeping himself together for them, just as he had promised to himself.

"Okay," Haley replied simply. She was checking off everything the doctor had told her in her mind so that she wouldn't forget any of it. When the time came, she didn't want to make any mistakes, and she really couldn't afford to.

"Is that the only kind of specific pain you've been having?" the doctor asked.

"Um, my back's been hurting worse than it did a few weeks ago," Haley answered. "But that's normal, right? I mean, I've been growing a lot, so it's bound to hurt worse."

The doctor nodded. "Yes, that should be happening. I know that as your body weakens, it's becoming more painful, but I'm afraid there's not much we can do for that end of the deal."

She nodded. The doctor asked her several more questions about how she was feeling, how much she was sleeping, and how much she was walking, and she answered them all. They did an ultrasound, and he conducted a few other tests just to make sure things were still running smoothly. He confirmed that certain parts of her body were getting weaker with the later stages of pregnancy, but he also explained that nothing he saw was cause for alarm. Everything was happening gradually, and in their situation that was better than her just crashing all at once.

They were there for about twenty minutes after that, and they made their next appointment at the front desk. The closer Haley got to the end of her pregnancy, the closer together her appointments would be, so her next one was in two weeks. None of the medical staff expected Haley to carry the twins to full term, and neither did she. It was good for Haley's health but not so much for the babies. Once they were done, Nathan walked out with Haley. "Who brought you?" he asked.

"My mom," she mumbled in reply. "She wanted to come in with me, but I told her to just come back and pick me up."

"I can drive you home, if you want," he offered.

Haley glanced at him and shook her head. "No, that's fine. I think I see her car."

Nathan nodded, placing his hands securely in his pockets. "My last exam is done," he told her.

Basketball season had ended the month before, and now school was coming to a close for everyone as well. Graduation was in a couple of weeks, but Haley really didn't want to be hearing about it. She hadn't been able to finish her degree, and she wouldn't be graduating. She was happy to miss out on things for the reasons that she had to, but she still didn't want the fact that everyone but her was graduating to be advertised daily. She was happy for all of her friends, even Nathan. They had all worked really hard to make it to graduation, but it's not like she was going to be able to watch them graduate. She was on bed rest. She had been for fourteen weeks, and even though she was damn tired of it she had gotten used to it. She knew things were going to get hectic once the babies were born, so she was trying to enjoy it and just revel in the peace and quiet that bed rest provided her with.

"Good for you," she told him genuinely with a nod in his direction. It was actually hard for her to talk to him, and she tried saying as little as possible, but she didn't want to be a bitch either.

Nathan tentatively took a step closer to her on the sidewalk. They were both silent for a moment before he spoke. "I miss you."

She lifted her head and looked at him, glaring slightly. "Don't say that to me."

"Haley-"

"Yep, that's definitely her car," she interrupted him. She crossed the short distance to her mom's car and got in the passenger seat, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath once she was sitting down.

"Is everything okay?" Lydia asked.

Haley nodded. "Yeah, everything's fine." As her mom started the engine and started driving home, Haley opened her eyes and looked out the window. He couldn't just tell her that he missed her and expect that to mean something. It didn't. It couldn't. And even if it did, she wouldn't let him know that. She wouldn't let him know that every night she lay awake for hours, just thinking about what they used to have. She wouldn't let him know that every time she stepped foot in a shower now, she was reminded of their first meeting. She wouldn't let him know that she missed him. They were done. It had been over for a month now, and they had barely spoken. He had probably already moved on with some whore…maybe the one from the bar that night. She could still see it in her head when she thought about that night. Nathan flirting with another woman…kissing another woman…touching another woman. It was too much, but she couldn't get it out of her head, even after a month. She tried to focus on the pregnancy, and for the most part it worked. But when she let her guard down and allowed herself to think about him, there was no going back until all of her thoughts had been addressed.

"So where are you going to stay now?" Lucas asked, watching his brother pack up his stuff from the dorm.

"That apartment I told you about," Nathan replied. "I got it."

"And you're okay with that?"

Nathan looked up. "I'm not okay with it, Lucas, but I'm trying to be." He shrugged. "It's close enough to Haley and the hospital that if anything happens, I can be there. And it's not like I can go stay with her."

"Yeah, how are you doing with that?" Lucas asked. "Being apart from her, I mean."

"It sucks," Nathan said with a sigh. "I'm just trying to give her space…or time…or whatever it is that she needs from me. But it's hard. It's been a month, and I've gotten nowhere. I just don't know what to make of it." Again, he shrugged. "All I can do is show her that I'm here for her and the babies and hope that one day she can forgive me."

Lucas nodded. "I think that's a good plan, Nate. So you haven't been…you know…you haven't been with anyone since you guys broke up?"

Nathan looked at his brother incredulously. "No. That wouldn't make any sense at all. And I'm not screwing this up again. I don't want anyone but Haley."

Lucas held both his hands up. "Okay, I was just making sure."

"And if you must know, I haven't been with anyone in almost four months," Nathan added quietly.

"Four months?" Lucas asked, his eyes almost doubling in size. "I've never known you to go four days without sex."

Nathan shook his head. "I can't do that to Haley. She's the one that I want, and unless I can prove that I'm good enough to be with her I don't know if I'll ever get her back."

"It's not about how good you are, Nate," Lucas replied. "Haley knows that you're a good person. From what I've heard from Brooke, this whole situation is more about a lack of communication and trust. It's just going to take time."

Nathan nodded and blew out a deep breath, zipping up the two large bags resting on his bed. Everything was packed, and now he would be living by himself. He didn't want that; he wanted to be with Haley. But he knew she wasn't ready to be with him and trust him again, and he wasn't about to push her into anything. "So have you seen her?" he asked his brother a moment later. "Is she okay? Obviously she doesn't really talk to me anymore, and everyone else is too pissed to say anything. How is she?"

"I've seen her," Lucas confirmed with a short nod. "Honestly, man, she doesn't talk to me much either. I mean, she's always cordial, but every time I go over there I feel like she's just waiting for me to leave so that she can be alone. I know she's opened up with Brooke though, so she's got someone to talk to. She's tough."

"Yeah, I know," Nathan replied. He didn't need anyone to tell him that Haley was tough. She had survived a lot, and most of the things she'd been through would have broken him. But Haley seemed to stay the same kind, respectful woman that she always was. Through everything, she was strong, and it was one of the things that Nathan admired most about her. "I'd better get out of here," he continued. "I'm going to drop this stuff off at the apartment and then go check on Haley. Her parents are both out tonight, and Lydia asked me to bring some food by and see how she's doing."

Lucas nodded and gave his brother a quick hug. "Alright, man. I'll see you later."

Nathan hoisted the two large bags over his shoulders and walked out the door Lucas opened for him. It didn't take long to get them dropped off, seeing as the apartment wasn't far from campus. Once he had a few of his things unpacked, he took a quick shower and then left again. He picked up food for Haley and then went to the house, finding the spare key underneath the potted plant on the porch. He let himself in, as Lydia had told him to, and carefully made his way up the stairs. When he was just outside Haley's door, he heard her voice and stopped. He could see her lying on her back on the bed with her iPod beside her and the ear buds placed securely in her ears. He didn't know what song she was listening to, but it was slow, and she was singing along beautifully. Her hands were locked together atop her large belly, and her eyes were closed.

He watched her for a few minutes. It was at least long enough for that song to end and another one to begin. The second was slightly faster, but she still sounded magnificent. Everything about her voice was so fluid and graceful, and he couldn't get enough of it. He didn't want her to be angry at him for watching her, though, so he stepped fully into the room. Once he was close enough to her bed, he cleared his throat loudly.

Haley heard the noise over her music and pulled the ear buds out of her ears, leaning up on her elbows. "Nathan?"

He waved at her sheepishly and gave her a crooked smile. "Sorry if I scared you. Your mom called and said they were out for the night, and she wanted me to come check on you. I brought you food, too," he said, raising the pizza boxes in his hands to show her.

"I can see that," Haley mumbled, pushing herself up so she was sitting against the headboard. She wrapped her headphones around her iPod and set it down on her nightstand before turning to face him again. "You're lucky I'm always hungry." She motioned for him to bring her the food.

Nathan walked towards the bed cautiously and then set the boxes down next to her, opening one so she could grab a slice. "Alright, well you're okay, right? I know you don't want me to-"

"Stay," she interrupted him quietly, swallowing the first bite of her pizza. When he looked at her she blushed and shrugged her shoulders. "Well I know you don't expect me to eat two whole pizzas by myself. I know I'm fat, but I'm not a pig."

Nathan smiled softly and shook his head. "You're not fat. But are you sure, Hales? I don't want to push you into spending time with me."

"Who's pushing?" she replied. "Sit down. Eat."

He nodded and did as she told him, sitting down and grabbing a slice of pizza.

It was silent for several minutes, and when Haley finished her first piece of pizza she looked up at him. "I'm sorry I've been so cold to you these past few weeks," she said quietly. "I don't mean to be, but-"

"You think you've been cold to me?" Nathan questioned, swallowing the last bite of his piece. "Haley, you haven't, okay? Not once. I understand." He opened the box for her and watched her take another slice before doing the same.

Haley shook her head, picking a pepperoni off of her pizza and eating it. "I just don't know how to talk to you right now. I don't know if that's harsh or if it's what I'm supposed to be feeling, but that's how it is." She gave him a small smile. "Nathan, I'm proud of you for graduating. I am. And I appreciate everything you've continued to do for me and the babies, with the food and coming to my appointments and checking up on me."

"I would never miss one of your appointments," he replied sincerely.

She nodded. "I know that, and I don't want you to ever miss one." She paused, taking a moment to chew and then swallow. "But the rest of it…coming over to the house to see me, offering me rides, bringing me food…like I said, I appreciate it. And I know my parents do, too. But could you…not do those things? They mean everything, and I know that you're mostly doing it to look after the babies, but I can't keep seeing you every day. I said I needed time away from you, and a month isn't going to cut it. I need you to keep your distance for a while."

Nathan sighed softly. "While you're still pregnant? That makes me nervous, Haley."

"I know it does," she answered him. "I know, but if you want to check on me you can just call my mom or my dad or Brooke. Trust me; they all know how I'm doing. You can even call me every once in a while, but I can't keep doing this. I can't keep seeing your face like this."

It broke his heart that it had come this far…that she didn't even want to be in the same room with him. It bothered her that he came over a few times a week to check on her and the babies. He understood, and he was going to respect her requests, but it still hurt. "Okay," he whispered after a second's silence. "Okay, I'll do that."

"Thank you," she said in the same quiet voice. They continued eating in silence, and when they were both full one of the pizzas and a slice from the second was gone. Haley really had been hungry.

Nathan looked up at her nervously, rubbing the palms of his hands over his jean clad thighs. "Can I touch your stomach?" he asked quietly. "I know it…probably sounds weird, and if it's too weird that's fine. But I've missed feeling them."

Haley closed her eyes briefly and bit her lip, eventually nodding. "Yeah, you can," she whispered. In all honesty it was a little weird, and she was nowhere near ready to have him touch her, even if it was just her stomach. But she understood what he was saying, and she knew that this was purely about the babies. She loved feeling them beneath her fingertips, too. There was nothing like it, and she knew that nothing would top it until she could actually hold them in her arms. It was an amazing feeling.

Hesitantly, Nathan raised both his hands and placed them on her large stomach. He smiled instantly and gently rubbed the skin through her thin shirt. He really had missed it. Knowing that his and Haley's children, beings that had been created out of their love for one another, were growing inside of her was an amazing thing, and feeling them was even more indescribable. It made him feel close to Haley, too, but that's not what tonight was about. She had asked him to back off, and he would. Right now, though, it was about the babies. He looked up at her, a thought crossing his mind. It was actually something he had been thinking about a lot lately. "You know, we never talked about names," he said softly.

She nodded and bit her lip. Her body was reacting to his touch; it had been so long since she'd felt it. She was glad he had spoken because it gave her something else to think about. "I know. I think about it sometimes though. Do you?"

Nathan nodded and continued to softly smile, his eyes glued to her stomach. His hands were still now, but his thumbs were still caressing the rounded skin. "I was thinking James for our boy," he admitted a moment later. When he saw the look on her face, he shrugged his shoulders. "I know we have to do that together, but I just figured I'd mention it. It's okay if you don't like it."

Haley shook her head, tears coming to her eyes. She was rather emotional these days, and even though she and Nathan weren't together this moment was tender. Picking out the names that their children would carry for the rest of their lives was a heady thing, and it was something she had thought about since she was a little girl. "No, no. I like that," she whispered. "James."

"Like Haley James," Nathan joked, a crooked smile on his face.

Haley let out a small laugh and nodded. "James Scott." She paused, thinking for a moment. "James Lucas Scott."

Nathan looked up at her, furrowing his brow. "Are you sure?"

She nodded, placing her hands on her belly but making sure they didn't touch his. It seemed childish, but it's what she needed. "Yes, I'm sure," she whispered. "Lucas is your brother, and he has become a really good friend to me. He's a great guy. I can't think of anyone better to name our son after."

"Our son," Nathan whispered, still enamored by the words.

Haley allowed herself a small smile at the look on his face. "What about our daughter? Does she get a name?"

He nodded. "I was thinking you should pick it though. What do you think?"

She bit her lip. She was a little nervous about asking him to give their daughter this name, but she wanted it. It meant a lot to her, and she knew Nathan would understand that. "I've…kind of had my daughter's name picked out since I was twelve," she admitted in a whisper.

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? What is it?" he inquired.

She nodded shyly and removed her hands from her belly, beginning to wring them together. "Well my…my grandmother died a few years before that, and we were really close. She and my mom were, too. My mom is so much like her." She smiled slightly at the thought. "And I kind of am, too. And I was just…I don't know. If you don't like it, we don't have to do it."

"Hales," Nathan said quietly, rubbing her stomach soothingly. "What was her name?"

"Lucy," she whispered, raising her head to meet his eyes. If he hated the name, she wanted to make sure she didn't miss it on his face. She didn't want him to tell her he liked it just to appease her.

Nathan smiled at her. He wished he could kiss her to give her reassurance about the name she had picked out for their daughter, but he couldn't. Instead he removed his hands from her stomach and picked up one of her hands, bringing it to his lips to place a soft kiss on the back of it. He could see the action had made her uncomfortable, so he placed her hand back down on the bed. "I love it, Hales," he told her seriously. "It's perfect."

"Really?" she asked, wanting to make sure. Naming their kids was a really big deal, and she didn't want Nathan to feel like he had to side with her just because she was hormonal or they weren't together.

He nodded and gave her another smile. "Really. And I was thinking," he added, "that her middle name should be after Brooke. She and I haven't always seen eye to eye, and she's put me in my place a few times, but she's your best friend. She's been here for you when I haven't been, and I think it would mean a lot to her."

A few tears fell down Haley's face, and she raised her hands to wipe them away before nodding. "Yeah, definitely. And it means a lot to me that you would think of that." She paused. "And you know…technically Brooke is just Brooke, but I'm thinking Brooklyn. It sounds better. Plus, if it's directly after her I'm thinking Brooke might let it go to her head," she joked.

Nathan laughed. "Probably. Lucy Brooklyn Scott."

Haley smiled brightly at that. Hearing Nathan say their daughter's full name was an incredibly good feeling. Part of her was still worried about losing her babies, with everything the doctor had explained to them earlier, and she knew that it would be even harder now. Their children had names now, and it seemed even more real than it had before. "Jamie and Lucy," Haley whispered, closing her eyes as she said the words.

Nathan returned her smile. "Jamie and Lucy," he repeated.

They sat there for a few minutes, both thinking about the huge decisions they had just made about their children. Looking at the clock on her nightstand, Haley stifled a yawn.

Nathan stood up, taking it as his cue to leave. He needed to start giving her her space now anyways. "I'll go," he told her. He picked up the two pizza boxes, stating, "I'll take care of this. I'll put the rest in the fridge so you can have it for breakfast."

Haley granted him with a small smile. "I love cold pizza," she said, as if he didn't already know. "Thanks, Nathan. Just…I don't mean anything by the whole space and time thing. It's just what I need right now.

He nodded and walked to her door. "I understand, Hales. I'm happy to give you whatever you want. Good night."

"Good night," she returned, watching him go. She lay in bed for a long while, just thinking, and then she got up to go to the bathroom and brush her teeth for bed. When she was comfortably under the covers again, she placed her hands on her stomach and smiled. "Lucy and Jamie," she whispered. "Mommy loves you." And even though things with Nathan weren't healed yet and there were still risks for herself and her children, Haley fell asleep quickly. The contented look remained on her face into the night. Nothing else mattered. She couldn't wait to see her children for the first time and hold them both in her arms. They were her family, and even if she hated to admit it right now so was Nathan.