It had taken Brooke about three days to set up a date. It was well into the second week they had all been back home. People were starting to settle into routines, like Brooke, Tim, Nathan, and Haley having breakfast every morning at the café. So Nathan and Haley had spent time together just not alone time. Nathan even invited her and Lucas over to dinner the night before the date.

"So this is going to be fun right," Haley who was putting the finishing touches on her hair and makeup, yelled out to Brooke.

"Yes it will," Brooke yelled back, "hurry up I told him to be here in like," there was a pause, "now," she said as the doorbell rang.

Haley flew out of the bathroom and downstairs to the door. She opened it. Nathan was standing there with a single white rose wearing a collard shirt and tie with khakis and a smile. "This is for you," he said handing her the rose. She was wearing a black dress, simple and elegant, but not overly dressy.

Brooke came downstairs, "well don't you two look nice, have fun," she said smiling

"Are you sure you'll be alright with Keith," Nathan asked Brooke.

Before Brooke could even answer Haley said, "she'll be fine, he'll be fine. They've spent a lot of time together and I've already given her the run down. Let's go." Nathan took Haley's hand as Brooke handed him the first card for the date and they left.

"So what does the first card say," Haley asked.

"Go to 317 Sherwood Drive. There you'll find the next card. On the drive over tell each other three habits that have changed since you were last together," he read and they both laughed.

They were in the car driving and Nathan started, "I dress nicer," he said, "no more gym clothes all the time."

"Me too," Haley said playfully slapping his arm, "well I dress better, skip the part about the gym clothes," she said laughing.

He laughed too. "What no more knit poncho," she slapped him again. "I'm cleaner, I mean my living space is cleaner," he said.

"Yeah right," she responded.

"No, really," he shot back. "Living with a roommate will do that."

"And I didn't count?"

"Well you would eventually clean up after me," he laughed, "college roommates won't they'll just make your life hell."

"Well, I get up earlier in the mornings, well I guess I did back then too," she said, "but now it's for Keith not school."

He laughed, "I do well in school. Dean's list last two semesters, no tutor," he paused, "they all made me think of you, so I had to figure it out for myself," he paused again, "it helps that I can pick my classes," he laughed to lighten the mood again.

It took Haley a minute before she spoke again, "I don't worry about money," she realized too late that she had just done the same thing he did, neither of them had meant it but they both had said something that burned the other a little. "I'm sorry," she said quickly.

"For what," he asked, "going on tour then cutting an album that sold a few million and is still selling and then touring again."
"Nathan let's not—."

He wasn't finished speaking so he interrupted her, "talk about the past because it could hurt each other. Oh well," he said and she gave him a hurt and disgusted look. "It's over Hales and yeah it hurt but we can't change it and we can't erase it just to make each other feel better, it happened," he paused then took her hand, "who knows, if none of it had happened then we might not be sitting here now." Haley took her free hand and put it on top of his hand that was holding her other hand.

They had arrived, it was a department store. When they got to the entrance there were two envelopes taped to the door. Each envelope was labeled, one for Haley, one for Nathan. The envelopes had the same idea but sent each off in a different direction to buy a gift for the other, Nathan's to women's, Haley to men's.

When they met back up Nathan asked, "what did you get me," as he tried to peak into her bag, "it's not sexy lingerie," he joked then handed her his bag, "here for you."

Haley opened the bad and pulled out a solid color knit sweater poncho, "Nathan," she giggled.

"I don't care if you never wear it," he said, "I still can't believe they had those. I mean it's more stylish than your old one but still," he said laughing.

Haley handed Nathan her bag, it was awfully light, "I broke the rules a little," she said.

He took out her gift. It was a shirt for Keith but it said, "I love my Daddy," across the front. "Hales," he paused, "I love it."

"My card said to pick something for you from men's. That was in the very small men's section," she said laughing.

Nathan pulled a card out of his back pocket, "the cashier gave me this," he said then flipped it to read it. "It says to go to 12 Main Street. Isn't that the—."

"Café," she finished for him.

They got to the café to find it closed early. The door was open so they walked in, "Karen," Haley called out.

One of the waitresses came from out back, "Karen's not here tonight, just me and the cook. Please take your seats," she said pointing to a table in the middle set up very romantically with candlelight. The waitress disappeared.

There was a card on the table. Haley read it, "ok so this one hasn't changed since the first serial date," she read, "you know the drill."

The waitress reappeared, "so what'll it be," she asked.

Nathan quickly answered, "I think we'll both be having macaroni and cheese tonight."

"Ok, very well," the waitress said and went out back.

"Your favorite dish is not macaroni and cheese," Haley said to him.

"It's a college kid's saving grace," he said. "Well Ramen Noodles and Easy Mac. And I prefer the Easy Mac because someone got me hooked," he said smiling. Nathan looked to the jukebox, "how 'bout it," he said taking Haley's hand as he stood up. Holding her hand he walked to the jukebox stuck a dollar in and pressed some buttons, Haley wasn't really paying attention.

The song started and Haley said, "Oh, Nathan," he just smiled at her. It was Gavin DeGraw's, More Than Anyone, the song they danced their first dance to at their second wedding reception. Haley rested her head under his chin and felt him kiss the top of her head. When the song ended they took their seat and the food came out.

After they were done eating the waitress handed Nathan the next card, "drive to the beach and walk in the sand. Talk about the last two years and get to know each other again. Talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly. Then let it go and move on, TOGETHER!"

"What's with the stress on together," Haley asked.

"Well it was spelled in all caps," he said then waited to speak again, "are you sure you wanna finish this," he asked talking about the conversation they were supposed to have.

"Well didn't you say earlier it happened besides we keep bringing it up ourselves? There can't be much we don't know about," she said.

When they got to the beach Nathan took her hand, "it's the past, it's over, and it can't hurt us anymore."

She gave him the complete run down on where she had been the last two years. How she was with Taylor until Keith was born. How she went on tour and then how she cut the cd. She also mentioned how Chris had joined her at the beginning of the second tour but he didn't stay on and nothing happened. Then there was the bruiser, but Nathan kept holding her hand as she told him about one of the tour managers who she went out on a few dates with. She was quick to mention that it didn't amount to anything because she felt empty.

He filled her in on what had happened with him. Once he stopped calling her only to get the voice mail, he settled into college life. Basketball, parties, girls throwing themselves at him but he just wasn't interested. Then he started to feel like the guy he was before she came along and he realized it and stopped partying and cracked down on school and basketball.

He stopped walking when she had thought he was finished talking about his transformation, "you know I wasn't a happy person back in high school. That jerk wasn't happy; he was miserable and didn't even know it. He thought he was on top of the world invincible, just like Dan. Then you came along and changed my world Hales. When you went on that first tour I had started acting like that again but you came back. This time though, I don't know, it was longer than the last time and I was sure you weren't coming back and I knew I didn't want to end up like my father, thinking I could take on the world. But even after I became a good guy again I still wasn't happy. I wasn't truly happy until I saw you again."

It was her turn to say it and she knew it, "Nathan," she paused, "I'm not going anywhere," she said. He just stood there a moment and then leaned in and kissed her.