Disclaimer: I don't own anything that belongs to One Tree Hill.
Summary: Nathan was instantly struck by the truth and reality behind that statement. They would be there. For good.
"I can't believe you have to leave tomorrow, I just got here!" Lucas sighed, taking another sip of water. Nathan frowned.
"I know, it sucks."
Lucas sighed. "Well, Peyton and I have been watching you this season, and I've gotta say man, you're doing amazing. Way better than three quarters of the people out there."
Nathan laughed. "You may be a little biased..."
Lucas shook his head. "No, really, I'm telling the truth."
"Alright, alright."
Lucas sucked in a breath, exhaling loudly. "So... how's Haley been since Lydia's death? She wouldn't talk to me during it. She seems better than before, but I didn't want to ask... just incase, you know?"
Nathan's gaze trailed to the stairs where Haley was tucking Jamie in for bed. He grimaced, trying to forget the not so distant memories.
"She kind of shut down after Lydia's death. She would barely talk to anyone."
Lucas's eyes widened. "Even you?"
Nathan nodded solemly. "Yeah. It was tough, But it was even harder on Jamie. He didn't understand why she was feeling and acting the way she was. She was even leaving voicemails on Lydia's old phone..."
Lucas's head snapped up. "Really? That's serious."
"It was heartbreaking to listen to. She was a stone in person, but she poured all her emotions and thoughts out into the voicemails."
Lucas patted Nathan's shoulder. "I'm sorry, man. I also heard about the pool..."
Nathan shuddered. Seeing Haley's pale, limp, body under the water had sent him over the edge that night. Lucas noticed his sudden guard.
"Again, sorry. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
Nathan sighed, shaking his head. "No, it's not that. I was just remembering that night. It was the night Quinn and I listened to the voicemails. I came home, looking for her. She wasn't in the house, so I went out to the pool and saw her body under the water. It looked so lifeless." Nathan sucked in a shaky breath, blinking away his watery eyes. "I started panicking, having flashbacks from almost losing her to Chris Kellar, almost losing her from the car accident with Dante, almost losing her because of my pride and idiocy when I was recovering from my accident, almost losing her twice because of Carrie. And then I saw that I was losing her again, so I jumped in and pulled her up. Thank God she was still alive. If she wasn't..." Nathan shook his head quickly, fighting off bad thoughts. "I'm just so lucky to have her here with me right now. There have been way too many close calls with her."
Lucas's lips tugged up in a smile. "I remember when I didn't want you to even be in a five mile radius of Haley. I was trying to protect her from you. But now it seems that you're her savior."
Nathan scoffed. "No, no. I'm not hers." He smiled, thinking of his wife he loved dearly. "She's mine."
"What're you guys talking about?" Haley asked, padding back into the kitchen. She had changed into sweatpants and a long sleeve shirt. Lucas studied Nathan as he saw Haley walk into the room. He noticed how his eye's lit up as soon as she came into his view. He witnessed how there was grief and seriousness in his eyes when he was talking with him, but once Haley was there, all of it was gone, replaced with happiness. Lucas always knew that Nathan and Haley were insanely in love with eachother, but noticing all of Nathan's devotion and caring for his best friend was pleasant to see.
"Oh you know, just guy stuff," Nathan replied calmly, pulling Haley into his lap. He kissed her hair gently before resting his chin on the top of her head. Haley's eyes closed as she snuggled closer into his chest. Lucas had to smile at their affection.
"You should start packing soon, you need to leave tomorrow," Haley mumbled. Nathan sighed.
"Do I have to go?"
Haley smiled sympathetically. "Yes. Sorry. But I have Lucas and Peyton now. More protection." Haley turned to Lucas. "He has safety issues."
"Hey. I just need to know she's okay." Nathan defended, stroking Haley's hair. Lucas laughed, shaking his head.
"How do you guys do it?"
Haley cocked an eyebrow. "Do what?"
"The long distance thing. As a teenager, I always thought distance was easy. But when I do a book tour and I have to be away from Peyton and Sawyer, it's really hard."
Nathan laughed ruefully. "Oh, we never said it was easy. It's tough." He looked down at Haley, who's gaze was already on him. "Atleast for me it's tough."
Haley pressed her lips together firmly. "It's hard on me, too. But I try not to stress about it too much because it's bad for the babies." She faced Lucas again. "When I see him on the court, living his dream, it's all I need to see to wash away any feelings of lonliness or remorse I had."
Nathan's eyebrows raised thoughtfully. "You never told me that," he said softly.
"It's kind of embarrasing..." Haley replied, colour rising to her cheeks. She got off of Nathan's lap and went to raid the fridge just as Lucas got a text message. He read it and answered quickly before looking up at Nathan and Haley to fill them in.
"That was Peyton, she said she's really sorry, but her and Sawyer aren't going to come and visit tonight. Sawyer is out cold. We also have a lot of unpacking to do...and Nathan has a lot of packing to do. So I should go...but I'll see you tomorrow, Hales?" He said, throwing his jacket over his shoulders, doing up the zipper. Haley bit loudly into the apple she had picked from the fridge.
"Yeah, definitely."
Lucas walked over to Nathan, who got up from his chair to give him a brotherly hug.
"Have a great time out there, Nate. You've been doing amazing."
Nathan grinned. "Thanks, man. See you in a few months?"
Lucas nodded before exiting. "Yup. We'll be here."
Nathan was instantly struck by the truth and reality behind that statement. They would be there. For good.
"Alright, seeya."
Haley sat down at her piano when she heard the door click shut, and lightly drummed the keys. Nathan went and sat beside her.
"Any musical masterpieces come to mind lately?"
Haley smirked. "I wouldn't exactly call any of my songs masterpieces."
Shrugging, Nathan limply let his arm fall over Haley's shoulders. "You're right. They're better."
Haley rolled her eyes, turning to face Nathan. "You excited to go back tomorrow?"
Nathan scrunched his face. "Sure. I'm ready to start playing again. I've missed it."
Haley's eyes lit up. "Good. I'm so proud of you, you know that right?"
Nathan grinned from ear to ear. "Yeah. You're too good to me, Haley James."
She let out a quiet laugh. "Good. Not too good."
"Liar."
Haley smiled. "Whatever you say." She smacked his arm lightly, "you need to pack, mister!"
Nathan moved his arm from around her shoulders to her lower waist, pulling her closer to him. "Will you help me?"
"Of course," she replied easily. Nathan winked before kissing her. The kiss was full of passion, enough to make any girl's head spin. Haley pulled back after a few seconds.
"What am I helping you with, again?" she asked dizzily. Nathan stared at Haley longingly before he whisked her into his arms, bringing her up to their bedroom for a proper goodbye.
***Later"I'm having deja vu."
Nathan peered over at Haley, who was tightly under his arm, sheets wrapped around her body. Her eyes were closed, a small smile on her face.
"What?"
She opened her eyes, sighing. "Remember when we got back together after the first tour?"
Nathan nodded slowly.
"And I didn't want to unpack? Except this time it's you procrastinating."
Nathan chuckled. "Yeah, I remember that. Is it one am? We have to watch out for intruding uncles."
Haley laughed, getting up. Nathan watched as she picked up his disheveled shirt from the floor and threw it over her body. He adored her perfect curves, and noticed the little baby bump that had started to form around her torso. He studied as she walked to the closet, bending over to pick up his suitcase. His heart skipped a beat as he examined her perfect behind...
"Nathan."
Nathan's head snapped up, colour rising to his cheeks. "Sorry."
"Pack. Or else..."
"Or else what."
"Or else...your team is going to be missing one of their best players."
He scoffed, pulling on his boxers that had been tossed to the floor earlier. "I wouldn't say that."
Haley smiled. "You're right, you're better."
Nathan rolled his eyes at his earlier comment to Haley. "You and Lucas are so bias."
"No, we're right." She started packing articles of clothing into his suitcase. "I'm packing this blue shirt, it makes your eyes pop."
Nathan smiled, walking over to help Haley pack. "You seem pretty quick to pack me up and send me off," he joked, throwing a pair of shorts into the bag. Haley picked it up briskly, folding it precisely and setting it down properly in the suitcase.
"I just want you to have your dream."
He folded a shirt and set it in. "If I said I have more than I've ever dreamed, would you tease me?"
Haley chortled. "Yes. But that's sweet to hear."
The couple kept packing in comfortable silence, until everything of Nathan's was packed once more. Haley looked at the clock. Eleven Thirty.
"Let's go to sleep," she said, moving to the bed and going under the covers. Nathan followed her and resumed the position of Haley in his arms. Soon enough, the two fell into a harminous slumber.
***The Following Afternoon
"Bye, Daddy! Beat the Lakers for me, okay? I don't like them. Oh and maybe the Raptors."
Nathan nodded, slinging one of his bags over his shoulder. "I'll remember that, bud." He bent down to Jamie's level, hugging him and kissing his head. "Love you."
His son smiled. "Love you, too."
Nathan got up and pulled Haley into a tight hug. "I'll talk to you tonight?" he whispered in her ear, kissing it softly as he pulled back. Haley nodded.
"Maybe we can try to get skype working tonight," she suggested, rubbing his shoulders.
"Yeah," he said, before cupping both his hands around her cheeks, pulling her in for a sweet kiss. After they pulled back, his hands went to her stomach. He felt two little nudges.
"Did you feel that?" Haley breathed. Nathan's eyes widened.
"Yeah. Wow. It's their way of saying bye." He bent down to her stomach, lifting up a portion of her shirt to kiss the swollen torso gently.
"Bye, babies."
And then with one last wave, he turned his back on his family, walking down the porch steps. Clay and Quinn pulled up in the driveway, kissing and hugging before Nathan loaded his things in the car and drove off with Clay, honking as they rolled out of view. Quinn trudged up the steps, embracing Haley and Jamie.
"Hiya, Aunt Quinn!" Jamie exclaimed. Quinn patted his head as they stepped in the door.
"Hey Jamie!"
"Didja hear that Uncle Lucas, Aunt Peyton, and Sawyer are back in Tree Hill for good?"
"I did! It's great!"
Jamie nodded, skipping through the house up into his room. Quinn and Haley strolled through the entrance way.
"How have you plus two been?" Quinn asked, gasping as she said the words. "Accidental rhyme! I love those."
Haley laughed, pulling her phone out of her pocket. "We're all good. How are you?"
Quinn smiled widely. "I'm great. Clay's great."
"That's so good to hear, Quinney." She peered down at her phone to see a message from Lucas.
Hey, Hales. Can Peyton, Sawyer, and I come over in a few minutes?
Haley quickly typed back a "yes" response, calling up to Jamie.
"Jame, clean your room. Sawyer, Lucas, and Peyton are coming over soon!"
Jamie poked his head out the doorway. "Really? Okay!"
Quinn grabbed her keys out of her purse and slipped her shoes back on. "Hales, I'm going to go to the studio for a bit. I don't want to ruin your time with Lucas and Peyton."
Haley rolled her eyes. "You won't."
Quinn shrugged. "Well, I just want you guys to catch up. Tell them I'll see them another time, okay?"
Haley sighed. "Sure."
Quinn smiled, exiting the door. A few minutes later, Lucas, Peyton, and Sawyer came knocking on the door. Haley excitedly opened it and embraced the family in a large bear hug.
"Peyton and Sawyer! I missed you guys so much!" She exclaimed, her eyes dancing.
"Wow, I'm liking all the love you radiate towards me, Hales," Lucas jokes, stepping out of his shoes. Haley giggled, her eyes still plastered on Peyton and Sawyer. There were no visible changes in Peyton since the last time she saw her, except maybe her hair had grown a little bit longer. Other than that, she was still the same beautiful chicken legged skinny girl Haley had learned to love. Sawyer, on the other hand, had grown a lot. She was really starting to look like Lucas, her beach blonde hair prominent on her head. She had Lucas' lips, Lucas' eyes, Lucas' nose, and Peyton's curly, unruly hair. She had even started to develop a little squint in her eye, like Lucas.
"Wow, Sawyer. You really look like your Daddy."
Sawyer smiled, her baby teeth a milky white. "Ya."
"Well, Jamie's upstairs, so..."
"Aunt Peyton! Sawyer!" Jamie came sprinting down the stairs, running into Peyton's arms. Lucas stood there, his jaw dropped.
"Am I invisible?"
Peyton laughed, ruffling Jamie's hair. "Hey, Jame! You've grown a lot!"
Jamie pulled back and moved to Sawyer. "Yeah, that's what Momma and Dad have said! One day, if I'm not tall enough to be in the NBA, I'm going to be a movie director, like Julian!"
"Wow!"
Jamie nodded, grabbing Sawyer's hand. "Wanna see my room, Sawyer? You can say hi to Pablo!"
Sawyer smiled excitedly as she skipped up the stairs with Jamie. Peyton turned back to Haley, her eyes chipper.
"Hales! You look great!"
Haley blushed, her smile turning sly. "Thanks, Peyton. You do, too! Come in, come in."
Peyton and Lucas stepped in the mansion's front hallway, following Haley to the living room. Haley took a seat on one of the couches, Peyton and Lucas on the one across.
"So, how have you been? I heard about you guys moving back to Tree Hill...that's awesome!"
Peyton relaxed into the comft couches. "Yeah, we just missed it too much."
Haley smiled pleasantly. "Are you going to run Red Bedroom Records again?"
Peyton mirrored her smile. "Yes! Since Miranda is gone, anyways."
Haley gasped. "Yay!"
"I'm excited to get back into the groove of everything."
Haley nodded slowly, her phone beeping. She picked it up and read a text from Nathan.
Just saw an Elvis shaped sandwich and thought of you.She grinned stupidly, remembering the gang's Honey Grove trip in senior year.
"Oooh, Nathan just texted her," Lucas said to Peyton, jabbing his finger in Haley's direction. Haley looked up at him.
"Is it that obvious?"
Peyton sighed heartedly. "I almost forgot how insanley in love you guys still are."
Haley raised her eyebrows. "Well, so are you and Lucas."
Peyton smiled at Lucas, who kissed her forehead tenderly.
"See," Haley said, smiling. Peyton shrugged.
"I just feel like you guys are in your own league."
Haley shook her head, laughing. "So Lucas, how's the writing going?"
Lucas squinted his eyes, his lip tugging up on one side. "Meh. I'm more focused on getting moved in again."
"Ooh, yeah! Who's going to get your old bedroom?"
Lucas draped his arm over Peyton's shoulder. "Well, I want Peyton and I to get it, but it's really all up to Peyton."
Peyton rolled her eyes, laughing. "He's not usually that understanding."
"Whatever makes you happy, honey."
Haley chuckled. "Well, I could help you guys move in whenever you need it."
Peyton pressed her lips into a frim line. "Would Nathan want you to? With the babies and all."
Haley sighed. "No."
"Then you can just come over and...supervise."
Haley smiled slightly. "Alright, sounds good."
So the trio continued with their conversation, discussing everything from Brooke's wedding to the type of lamp shades Haley bought for her living room. Peyton claimed that ever since her and Lucas decided they were going go move back to Tree Hill, she wanted to deck the whole house out in artsy patterns and designs. Of course Lucas wouldn't allow that to happen to his childhood home, but Peyton was still scoping out cool accessories for the house.
"I think I'll go check out Home Sense then," Peyton said, inspecting the lampshade beside her. Haley nodded, her gaze meeting Lucas's, which was focused and on her.
"Whoa, what did I do to get that creepy glare?"
Lucas shook his head, smiling slightly. "Sorry. I'm just happy for you."
"Because I have nice lampshades...?"
"No, no. I'm happy because you're happy."
Haley inhaled loudly. "Oh. You're talking about my mom."
Lucas leaned over and patted Haley's knee. "Nathan told me about what happened. We're really sorry we couldn't be there for the funeral."
Peyton nodded sadly.
"I know." Haley shrugged. "It's okay. It took a while to...feel better. But I do now. It still hurts sometimes. Some days I'll want to pick up the phone and call her. And then I realize I can't, and it stings." She watched the floor sadly.
"If you ever need to talk..." Peyton trailed off as Haley looked up, nodding.
"I know. I've got you and Lucas. Thank you, you two. I love you guys."
"We love you, too." Lucas smiled.
"So, what's your day like for tomorrow?" Haley asked, crossing one leg over the other.
"I'm going to go check out Tric and everything, maybe start looking through new artists." Peyton answered, smiling at the thought of music. "I also heard that you filmed your Flying Machine music video! I can't wait to see it, Hales. I loved your second album, Miranda really did a good job."
Haley grinned. "Yeah, it was fun. I'm just so happy you're going to be running it again. We'll have so much fun. I have some new work I've wanted someone to hear."
Peyton's eyes widened. "Ooh, pick me!"
Haley chuckled. "So, what about you Luke?"
He shrugged. "Just moving boxes and stuff. What do you have going on?"
"Doctors appointment. Going to go see the twins for the first time." Haley bit her lip, her demeanor shifting from relaxed to apprihensive.
Lucas and Peyton didn't seem to notice, smiling and nodding, continuing the conversation. Soon, a tired looking Jamie came down the stairs with an asleep Sawyer in his arms. Lucas and Peyton knew it was time to go home, and Haley wanted to try to get Skype working with Nathan before it was too late. Quinn came home eventually and said hello to Peyton and Lucas, chatting for a little bit before Sawyer started snoring in Lucas's arms. So the couple said their goodbye's and left, knowing they would see Haley, Jamie, and Quinn tomorrow.
A few minutes later, Jamie was in bed, getting tucked in by Haley.
"Okay, which book today?" Haley asked, perching on the side of his bed. Jamie yawned loudly, stretching his arms out to the side.
"No book tonight, I'm tired."
Haley smoothed Jamie's hair down and kissed his forehead. "Alright, buddy. See you in the morning. Goodnight, love you."
Jamie's eyelids dropped. "Love you too, Momma."
Haley got up slowly and closed his door quietly, taking one last peek at him. He was already sound asleep.
She moved to her and Nathan's bedroom, flipping open her laptop and taking out her cellphone. She clicked Nathan's number, and heard him pick up on the third ring.
"Hey, Hales."Haley smiled at his voice. "Hey. So, I may be tutor girl, but I am not the best with computers. How the heck do I get to Skype?"
Nathan chuckled on the other end. "Clay installed it on your laptop before we left. Go to your desktop, and there should be an icon reading "Skype" on it. It should be white outlined in light blue. Do you see it?"
Haley searched for the icon, finding it a few seconds later. She double clicked on it and saw Nathan's name pop up on the side. "I see your name," she commented, staring at the screen.
"Yeah, Clay connected our computers too before we left. Who knew he was such a computer geek? Ow."
"Ow?"
"Clay just hit me because I called him a geek." Haley heard the phone move and Clay's voice come on the other end. "I am not a computer nerd, for the record. Just...technologically inclined."
Haley laughed. "Don't worry, I used to be the big nerd in high school."
She heard the phone move again, and Nathan's voice was back on, more impatient this time.
"Anyways, click on my name, and then you should be able to see me on webcam, and I should be able to see you."
Haley followed Nathan's instructions, clicking on his name until him and Clay appeared on the screen. She turned up the volume and hung up the phone. One great thing about Skype compared to phones; you could see the person you were talking to, and it was free.
"Hey!" Haley waved, taking in Nathan and Clay's appearance. Clay was wearing a blue wool long sleeve, his sandy blonde hair tousled like always. Nathan was wearing a grey tshirt, his muscles stretching the sleeves of the shirt. His hair was a little bit rumpled, and he had some scruff on his face, but it made him appeal even more to Haley.
"Hey," the guys said at the same time. Nathan turned his head and widened his eyes at Clay.
"Oh, I get it. He wants me to leave. Well, nice seeing you for all of two seconds, Hales," Clay smiled, waving and exiting the room. Nathan laughed and shook his head.
"So, I never thought I would ever need to internet date," Haley said, taking a sip of water beside her. "What's your name, again? I'm Haley James."
Nathan raised his eyebrows, grinning. "I'm Nathan Scott. I'm looking for a tutor?"
Haley cooed. "Oooh, well, it just so happens I know a tutor."
"Oh really now. Who?" He winked.
"Well, it depends." Haley shrugged. "Who do you need a tutor for?"
"Well I really suck at Math."
Haley smiled. "Well, Math don't care, and neither..."
"Do I." Nathan finished. Haley chuckled.
"So, what are you looking for, Nathan?"
Nathan deliberated. "A great life with a great woman, I guess. Beautiful chocolate brown eyes, blonde hair, (Editor's Note: Joy dyed her hair blonde again, so in season 8 there'll be a blonde Haley.. yay!), insanely amazing voice, sexy body-"
"Don't know anyone like that, sorry."
Nathan snapped his fingers. "Dammit." His expression changed from taunting to thoughtful. Haley knew their joking banter was over.
"What's up?" She asked, settling down into her bed. Nathan smiled.
"Nothing really. I'm sorry that I had to leave before your doctor's appointment. I wish at least someone could be there for you."
Haley shrugged. "It's okay. I'm a big girl, Nate." She smiled softly, knowing he had the best intentions for her.
"I know, but you're my girl, and I want you to be okay."
"Don't worry about me. Worry about your game coming up. It's more important."
Nathan scoffed, shaking his head.
"Really." Haley yawned, stretching her arms out to the side.
"Get some sleep," Nathan said. Haley shook her head.
"I wanna talk to you more."
"Then we can text, it's better than having a bright computer light in your face. I'll see you tomorrow, same time?"
Haley smiled. "It's a date."
"Yeah, bring that tutor that you know. I wanna check her out." Nathan grinned crookedly, making Haley's heart melt.
"Okay, I'm gonna get off before I change my mind. Seeya." She moused over to the disconnect button, clicking it until his smiling face disappeared. A minute later, her phone beeped.
Just met this really fantastic girl online. You may have some competition, Haley James.
Haley smiled, quickly typing back to Nathan.
Oh really now? Well it just so happens I met a pretty sexy guy online, too.
Another beep. Man, he typed fast.
Mhmm? Well, don't get too attatched. You're still mine.
Same goes for you. Alright, I'm off to sleep. I love you. I love you too. Remember to tell me how the appointment goes. Have a good sleep. I'll be thinking of being with you in our soft, warm, bed while Clay is snoring like an idiot at two am.
***The Next Day"Hello?"
"Hey, I'm bored."Haley chuckled. "I am, too. Waiting for five o'clock to come around by myself is pretty dull."
Lucas raised an eyebrow on the other end. "Appointment?""Yup."
"Can I come? I've unpacked a crapload of boxes today, so I feel like I've gotten things accomplished. Sawyer is with Brooke, Peyton's at the studio, and I'm sitting at home, wondering if I should try to hook up the tv or not. Then I realized that I have a very convenient best friend that I could visit instead. So whaddya say?"Haley checked the clock. Four thirty. "Sure, but get your butt over here now if you can, I was planning on leaving in ten minutes."
"Alright." Lucas hung up and was at Nathan and Haley's house within minutes.
"You excited? Nervous? Both?" Lucas's questions seemed endless as they hopped in Haley's red, shiny car. "Whoa, nice ride!"
Haley smiled. "Yeah, Nathan got it for me for my birthday."
Lucas's eyes widened as he sat in the car, inspecting the perfect leather inside. "Remind me to add a car to my birthday list and give it to Nate," he chuckled.
"And to answer your other questions... I'm nervous." Haley admitted as she revved the vehicle to life, backing out of the driveway. Lucas squinted his eyes at her.
"Why?"
Haley shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't seen the other one, yet. What if something's wrong with it? What if it's premature and unhealthy? What if it has a serious medical condition, and that's why they hadn't spotted it before. Like, how do you miss a freakin' other baby in someone's stomach?"
Lucas touched Haley's knee. "I think that these two baby's will be beautiful and healthy."
Haley looked unconviced. "I want to believe that, Luke. I do. But I just have this feeling."
"Haley, you've been doing everything right. You've been eating right, exercising right, taking the correct vitamins, not drinking or anything like that. So even if something is wrong, there is no way you can blame it on yourself, okay?"
Haley didn't respond, only inhaling loudly.
Lucas moved his hand to her shoulder, rubbing it softly. "You know I love you, right? You're my best friend."
Haley nodded solitarily.
"So if you need anyone, or anything, for any reason at all, I'm here. It could be three am, and you're calling me because you're hungry and too lazy to go to the fridge and get food. I'll be there. Nathan may be gone a lot, but I am here. You're not alone in this, Haley."
A small smile appeared on Haley's face. "Nathan said the same thing to me during my depression."
"It seems he handled it well," Lucas commented.
"Yeah, he was great. Very understanding." She said, turning into the doctor's office. She hopped out with Lucas by her side, and walked nervously into the office. She was called in right away, and Dr. Seeling was already waiting in the room when her and Lucas came in.
"Hello, Haley." She smiled warmly, taking in Lucas's appearance.
"Lucas Scott," he introduced, shaking Dr. Seeling's hand. She nodded her head.
"Nathan's brother?"
"Half brother, yeah."
"Alright, well, I'm Dr. Seeling." She turned to Haley. "Let's get you down on the bed and check out these two babies!"
Haley smiled unsurely, lying face up on the bed. She lifted her shirt up and watched Dr. Seeling rub the blue goo on. She grabbed the handset and started moving it around Haley's stomach. Lucas watched Haley's expression. It was guarded, her gaze fixed in the screen. He hadn't seen her blink in about two minutes. Wow, she was really anxious.
"Have you felt any changes in your body since we discovered the other fetus?" Dr. Seeling asked, her eyes also on the monitor. Nothing had shown up yet.
"N-no." Haley said. "My stomach's just gotten a bit bigger."
Dr. Seeling nodded. "Yes, you have. It's a good thing."
The handset moved more to the centre of Haley's stomach, until a faint outline of a small body showed up. Lucas exhaled.
"Wow."
Haley kept staring at the screen as Dr. Seeling moved the handset around her stomach. Soon enough, the second outline appeared, this one being slightly smaller than the other one. Tears instantly formed in Haley's eyes.
"There they are," Dr. Seeling smiled, keeping the handset still on Haley's stomach. Lucas took hold of Haley's hand, soothing her as a few tears escaped down her cheeks.
"There they are," Haley repeated. "Are they healthy? Can you tell?"
Dr. Seeing inspected the picture closer. A few minutes later, she turned back to Haley and Lucas.
"From what I can see, your babies seem to be perfectly normal and healthy. Come back in about a month for another checkup. But, if something changes, come see me right away, okay?"
Haley nodded firmly. Dr. Seeling smiled pleasantly at her and wiped off the blue goo, the babies disappearing back into their seclusion in Haley's stomach. Lucas helped Haley off the bed, holding her close for a second, reassuring her of any worries she had, before releasing. Haley smiled up at him, all her perturbance and fear eliminated. They walked out of the hospital together, Haley's whole demeanor more relaxed. They stepped in the car and took off.
"I don't think I've ever been so nervous for something," Haley confessed as they drove down Main Street. Lucas looked over at her.
"But they're healthy," he smiled. "I call that a success."
Haley grinned back at him. "Me too."
The two best friends drove back to the Scott's house so Lucas could get his car.
"Alright, go unpack more." Haley said as Lucas opened the door to his car. He smiled at Haley, hugging her before settling in.
Lucas sighed. "Yeah, better go to that before Peyton calls wanting to find her records. I still need to unpack those. They took an hour to pack up!"
Haley just chuckled in response, waving as Lucas backed out of the driveway and left. As soon as he was out of sight, Haley whipped out her phone, clicking speed dial number two. Of course he picked up on the first ring.
"How are they?"Haley's smile widened at Nathan's immediate concern. "They're great and wonderful and healthy and amazing and every single positive adjective I can think of!"
Nathan let out a sigh of relief on the other end. "That's so good to hear, Hales.""Yeah! And Lucas came with me, so I wasn't alone."
Nathan grinned. "Good, good. And you're okay?"Haley smiled. "Yes, I'm great, amazing husband."
Nathan chuckled. "Now I have some...news."Haley's brow furrowed. "Okay..." She heard him sigh heavily on the other end.
"There's been a coaches strike. Which means that all scheduled games are going to be rescheduled.""For how long?"
Nathan shrugged on the other line. "Could be weeks."
Haley raised an eyebrow. "So what does that mean for you right now?"
"Well, here's the thing. Clay and I are in the airport, on the way to Toronto. We were supposed to be facing the Raptors tomorrow. But that's not happening, and Clay wants to stay and explore Canada. So, I was thinking...Jamie still has a week left of winter vacation, so why don't you guys and Quinn come down and visit?" His voice was hopeful. Haley beamed at the thought of this new adventure. She had never been to Canada before.
"That sounds great, Nathan!"
She could practically hear Nathan smile through the line. "Alright, so Clay can set up a flight for you guys for tomorrow afternoon? I know it's short notice, but we don't know how long this strike is going to go on for. It could be very long or very short, so we-"
"Nathan," Haley interuppted. "Everything sounds wonderful! I've got to go tell Jamie and Quinn though. I guess I'll...see you tomorrow?" Words couldn't express how joyful Haley felt saying those words.
Nathan grinned happily on the opposite end. "Yeah. I'll see you. Love you.""Love you too!" Haley exclaimed, hitting the end button and skipping up the steps. Everything was so fantastic in her life at that moment. She had a wonderful family, great friends, and perfect health. Now, a getaway to another country. Haley couldn't wait.
Phew! That was the longest chapter I've ever written! Any Canadians out there? I'm Canadian, haha. I've been planning to get Naley into Canada since I've started this story. I know Toronto very well, so it'll be fun to write! Also, I'm going to be gone at my friends cottage for a whole week, and there are no laptops/computers there.. so it may be like two weeks until I get the next chapter out! Sorry! Thanks for reading (: