It's been nearly two months since my last update, so for anyone waiting for me to wrap this story up, I'm so sorry for the delay! It's been a pretty busy couple of months, involving a few trips to hospital and a trip to Australia to see Ed Sheeran, amongst other things.
The good news is, this is the last chapter of The Lights That Guide You Home! It took me awhile to decide this, but at the end of the day this story is largely about Haley's journey to recovery and Naley falling in love, and we've covered that. There will definitely be an epilogue after this to include the mandatory time jump to show you just how happily ever after they live, but this chapter basically ensures that you all know that's going to happen. I couldn't find a way to write it so it wasn't so cheesy, and I'm sorry for that. I hope you enjoy it anyway.
As always, all mistakes are mine. At least you won't have to put up with them for much longer!
Here we go...
"Hey Hales, remember how you were going through your family tree for me in the car yesterday?"
"Mmm?"
"I think I need a refresher."
"There are photos on my wall upstairs," Haley replied, her eyes never leaving the chunks of pumpkin she was cutting. "Have a look at those."
"Yeah, I don't think they're going to help... because I'm pretty sure that you don't have a photo of a one month old baby up there."
Nathan's words made Haley look up in surprise. Her boyfriend stood awkwardly in the kitchen, the small baby that was cradled in his arms. barely straining his biceps, slept peacefully along the length of Nathan's forearms.
The knife that Haley had been holding clattered loudly onto the bench as she stared.
"Woah, careful there, sis." Taylor exclaimed, materialising from nowhere. "Wow, Nathan... you look hot."
"Damn, he sure does," Clay chimed in. "The Daddy look suits you. Don't you think, Viv?"
Haley's eldest sister, who had immediately warmed towards Quinn's new boyfriend, followed Clay into the kitchen to see what the fuss was about. "Mmm-hmm... even my ovaries are squealing."
"Gross, Viv," Taylor pulled a face. "You're like, 50. Aren't you going through menopause or something by now?"
"I'm 39!"
"Guys, sshh! You'll wake the baby!" Quinn hissed, as Haley blinked at the way the kitchen was suddenly filled with all four James sisters.
"Yeah, uh... where did this baby come from again?" Nathan's brow wrinkled adorably and no one made a move to retrieve the small child from his arms, instead crowding closer to take in the sight of the strong, handsome man and the fragile, tiny baby.
"It's JJ's."
"What?! JJ had a kid? With who?" Haley exclaimed in surprise. She hadn't heard much about the brother who was less than a year older than Quinn. In fact, she'd been so busy preparing the family's Thanksgiving feast that she hadn't even realised JJ had arrived.
"Amber," Viv replied, as if it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that their brother was reproducing with his ex wife and mother of his two older daughters.
"Oh my God, he has got to stop having sex with that woman!" It was no secret that Taylor didn't approve of JJ's choice of baby mother.
"Sssh! Taylor! She's in the next room?" Vivian hissed
"It's not his fault, some of us had some big knee-jerk reactions to losing Mom and Dad," Quinn admitted, her hand stroking the baby's tiny cheek. "I left David, Haley got drunk and fell off the stage during karaoke and JJ had unprotected sex with his ex. It happens."
Haley frowned at her sister's examples, but went back to her chopping with a shrug.
"Haley Bob, your man looks so hot holding a baby," Taylor sighed. "Damn, Nathan, if I'd known that, I totally would have taken advantage of all those nights we were in your office together... alone..."
"Taylor!" Vivian admonished in her motherly tone. "Don't talk about Haley's boyfriend like that."
Haley simply turned back to her boyfriend and her sisters, a grin on her face. "Don't worry, Viv, it doesn't bother me. Nathan's desk is super uncomfortable to have sex on, anyway. We wouldn't want Taylor's bony ass to get a stapler lodged in it or something."
Taylor grinned back at her in delight as Vivian looked on in shock. It was no secret that Taylor loved to rub people the wrong way, little barbed comments intended to rile her loved ones up... but over the last few months, Haley had discovered that what her sister loved most was receiving comebacks as provoking as her own. As Haley had relaxed into her contented, happy life in Charlotte with Nathan, she'd had less desire to get angry and snippy towards Taylor. She had started to tease her older sister back, delighting in the way Taylor's face would light up. It was more than a truce; it was an understanding of how Taylor operated, an acceptance, an unexpected gift that Haley had cherished.
Once again, she had Nathan to thank for the improvement in their relationship. Taylor, she'd learned, had been a smart and efficient secretary, fiercely guarding Nathan as protectively as Rachel had. Haley had heard, from Quinn, through Clay, that she'd hauled a rising tennis star out of Nathan's office by her hair when the prospective client wanted to give Nathan more than just 10 percent of her earnings. Haley had never truly realised how many times her boyfriend got propositioned in his new line of work, and was truly touched by the way Taylor had, in her own way, tried to protect their relationship. It had certainly helped Haley relax into bantering with her sister.
"Well..." Vivian paused, clearly prepared to break up a fight and surprised when it ended in smiles. "She's not wrong... Nathan, it suits you. You might find yourself holding on of your own one of these days."
Haley involuntarily gasped for a breath that was bigger than the air around her could provide, never more grateful to see one of her brothers than when JJ came into the room asking where his daughter was, causing a fuss as his sisters demanded to know the status of his relationship with his ex wife and all about the new addition to the family that Nathan was still holding in his arms.
It wasn't as if Haley didn't want children - she was a teacher, after all, and she adored children. She'd always dreamed of having her own one day. It was just for the first time in her life, her dream children had a father. They had a very sexy, dark haired, blue eyed father who seemed simultaneously intimidated yet enchanted by holding small babies.
This moment in her parents' old kitchen, surrounded by her siblings, hadn't been the first time Haley had seen Nathan with a baby. The weekend Taylor had arrived, Nathan and Haley had gone to visit Rachel and her baby, a girl they had named Justice. One moment Haley was talking to Dean about something, the next she'd turned to see Nathan in the oversized armchair with Justice in his arms. Haley had stared, unable to move as she watched the pair. Nathan's finger had traced the dark whorls of hair on the baby's tiny head and down to her cheek, where it looked comically large against the newborn's roundness. Justice's hand had then reached out to grab the offending finger and Nathan had stared down at her with a wide-eyed awe. Haley was certain she'd never experienced a feeling like it, and it was certainly a moment she knew she'd never forget. As they'd prepared to leave, Nathan had reached out and pretended to bite the small fist that was still reaching out for him, despite being in her mother's hands. Haley had been so enchanted that she'd missed the smug, knowing look on Rachel's face, who'd known instantly that everything her boss had wanted for his future was packaged inside the small brunette beside him.
Haley came back to the present as she sensed a warmth behind her and saw Nathan's hands leaning against the counter on either side of her. The formerly filled kitchen had quickly emptied, except for the two of them.
"So, I look hot with a baby, huh?" His husky voice sounded in her ear, igniting another shower of sparks down her spine. Haley turned around in the small space between the counter and Nathan's hard body, leaning back to raise her eyebrows at him.
"You know you look hot with anything," she replied, not having the presence of mind to keep his endearing ego in check right at this moment.
Nathan's face softened, a gentle smile spreading across his face. "You know, I'd like to have kids someday."
"A little boy with your eyes." Haley could picture it perfectly. It wasn't, after all, the first time she had.
"No," he disagreed. "A little girl... just like you."
It was insane, the way this man made Haley feel after so many months of living together, being together. Her knees buckled and she braced herself against the counter beside Nathan's hands.
"Just so you know..." she drawled, half teasingly in an attempt to diffuse the thick atmosphere that had built around them, "I'm pretty old fashioned; I want to be married before I have kids."
The sound of the doorbell shot unexpectedly through the house, but Nathan didn't flinch. A slow smirk spread across one side of his face, lifting his cheek and crinkling his eyes.
"Good to know."
He released his hands, allowing Haley to go and answer the door. She could feel the flames of her blush spreading down her neck and chest. God, what had happened to her? Was this how love was supposed to feel like? Was it ok to make half jokes about marriage and kids with your boyfriend, even if you'd only been together for four months? She pressed her hands to her heated cheeks, willing some sort of composure as she pulled open the front door.
"Happy Thanksgiving, Hales!"
Startled, Haley's eyes widened in shock as she took in the couple standing in front of her. Lucas pulled her in for a hug that was as familiar as anything else inside her family home, before Brooke transferred the large bowl of Jello salad from one arm to another in order to embrace her as well.
"What are you guys doing here!"
Brooke rolled her eyes, dramatically. "Your best friend here decided it might be nice for us to surprise his mom for Thanksgiving... except he didn't realise that she and Keith had gone away and aren't even in Tree Hill."
"Is it alright if we celebrate with you, Hales?" Lucas asked.
"Of course! Of course!" Haley stepped inside to let them in. "You guys are family! You're always welcome."
They moved back into the kitchen so Haley could finish off dinner; armed with her mother's recipe book, she had spent the last day preparing everything she had grown up with in order to recreate a perfect James family thanksgiving.
"Wow, Hales... got enough food there?"
Haley shrugged off Lucas' teasing as he surveyed the spread of food. "This is the first time my entire family are here for Thanksgiving. Every sibling, every niece and nephew... even last year they weren't all here, and Mom died two weeks later. I want this to be special."
"It will be," Nathan replied, softly, kissing her temple. Haley felt the familiar comfort of his warmth as she leaned against him.
"Uh... so there was something I wanted to talk to you guys about," Lucas' hesitant voice spoke up. Sensing the change in her best friend's voice, Haley turned to give him her attention; Nathan doing the same.
"What's up?"
"So, I've written this manuscript and it's nearly ready to send to my editor..."
"Oh my gosh, Luke, already? You just finished your last book this year!" Haley interrupted, surprised at the speed at which Lucas had been writing.
"Well, yeah, that's the thing... um... it was really easy to write. I guess you can say I didn't have to think about it too much."
"What did you do, Luke? You want us to know in case you get your ass thrown in jail for plagiarism or something?" Nathan teased.
Brooke rolled her eyes. "Just give it to them, Luke."
Haley waited expectantly and uncertainly as Lucas pulled out a thick stack of papers, roughly bound together, and handed it over. Nathan's long arms reached for it first, and he frowned as he saw the first page.
"Look, Luke... I know I don't know a lot about books and stuff but it's probably not a good idea to have a typo on the first page." He turned the stack of pages around. "Naley's Story? Haley doesn't start with an N..."
"It's Naley... as in Nathan and Haley," it was Brooke's voice that replied, in an obvious tone. "It's your couples name. It's about both of you."
"Our... what?
Haley moved closer, peering over Nathan's shoulder to read as he idly flipped to a page.
Nathan eases into the room, muting the sound of raucous laughter and teenagers well on their way to drunkenness by closing the door. It clicks softly, a draft catching the edge of his D12 poster that had come unfixed from the wall.
His bedroom looks undisturbed and he's thankful Tim or Brooke haven't yet come for his stash of liquor hidden in the drawers. He needs it for himself, a long day of his pushing his tired body past any limitations, being belittled and jibed in private but gloated about in the public arena of Dan Scott's annual Kiss His Ass jamboree. Nathan was tired of it; he was tired of all of it. The self-doubt that swirled in the pit of his belly, the anger that fueled him to beat his father, the games he had to play just to be Nathan Scott. Now his dad's other son was everywhere he turned, on the basketball team, making eyes at Peyton...
It's all too much and Nathan knows he needs something to soften the edges before he explodes. The vodka in the drawer.
He slides the drawer open now and pushes aside a blue Fila sweatshirt in order to get to the tall bottle that's hidden underneath. The half-full bottle clanks against something else and Nathan frowns, remembering something he had thrown in there earlier.
The small rectangular tin sits further inside the draw, resting on Nathan's favorite Celtics top. His index finger pries at the opening and it opens with a soft popping sound, like a quiet gust of a sigh. The envelope sitting on top isn't sealed and Nathan lifts it out of the tin to reveal a couple of pencils, an eraser and eye drops sitting underneath. The card inside is decorated with a curly H; the lavender colour of the stationery is calming.
Nathan's calloused fingers open the card and he immediately identifies the writing - looping, feminine words that he's used to seeing at the top of his essays or practice tests, short words of encouragement. That's all he gets from Haley James; never anger or condescension, pity or impatience, just cocoa brown eyes that watch him as she rests her cheek against her fist on the table between them, a quiet suggestion or warm praise falling from her lips.
Nathan stares at the words for a long time, unfamiliar with the warm feeling that spreads through the frosty tunnels of his veins and clears his head. He slips the card into his pocket and closes the drawer.
He no longer needs a drink.
Being the faster reader, Haley had finished before Nathan and watched her boyfriend closely as he came to the end of the page.
"Nathan?" Her voice was soft and inquiring
"Wow..." Nathan's eyes were still on the pages in front of him. "It's like you were there."
"Well, I kind of was," Lucas admitted with a shrug.
"No, I mean... inside my head. I remember that day..." Nathan trailed off, his eyes now on Haley. "Your card... I still have it..."
"On your computer screen," Haley finished for him, gently. "I've seen it."
"Luke... this is..."
"Look, I'll change the names, do whatever you want me to," Lucas interrupted in a rush, and Haley knew that he was worried that Nathan wouldn't be happy with his personal life being turned into a novel. "It's just... you guys, your love story is epic. It's unpredictable and unconventional and I really think it deserves to be told... and I'd like to be the one to tell it. I think my editor is going to love it."
Haley grinned, elbowing Nathan in the side. "Hear that? We're epic."
Nathan smiled back, letting them know that he had no reservations with Lucas' story. "It's incredible, Luke. I can't believe you were inspired by us, that you want to write a whole book about us."
His brother let out a rush of relieved air as Nathan continued, "You don't need to change a thing... I think our love story is perfect as it is."
Haley felt the glow of Nathan's gaze and she reached up to run her hand against his warm cheek.
"Well, the title is just a working title," Lucas explained. "I need to think of something else that sums up your story."
The kitchen fell silent for a moment, until Nathan slowly spoke up. "You know... I really liked that song Hales sung when we were in Seattle, you know, the one you said reminded you of us?"
"Fix you, by Coldplay?"
Nathan nodded. "Yeah, that's the one. It is kind of like us, isn't it?"
Haley nodded, too. She had connected to the lyrics as they had been driving to soundcheck, suddenly having a newfound appreciation for the song Chris Martin had written for Gwyneth Paltrow after her father died.
"How does it go again?" Lucas asked
"Lights will guide you home... and ignite your bones," Haley sung, softly. "And I will try to fix you."
As her voice faded off, Lucas' face looked deep in thought. "I don't really want to use the title of the song for the title of the book," he said. "It's too obvious. I need something else."
"What about The lights that guide you home?" Nathan suggested.
"The lights that guide you home," Lucas repeated, nodding slowly to himself. "I like it."
"I love it," Haley beamed proudly at her boyfriend. "You're like my light."
"And you're like my home," Nathan's lips tenderly touched Haley's forehead. She closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of him, mingling with the Thanksgiving meal she had prepared and the familiar smells of her childhood home.
"Right, now that that's sorted," Brooke spoke up, opening the oven door, "Haley, your turkey smells amazing. When do we eat?"
"Uncle Nathan! Lift me up!"
"No! It's my turn! Lift me up, Uncle Nathan!"
"Uncle Nathaaaaan!"
It wasn't as if Nathan had spent the last 27 years of his life actively avoiding children, it was just that he wasn't the sort of person children naturally gravitated to. Today, however, had been a surreal experience. After finally offloading JJ's new baby daughter back to her parents, he found himself surrounded by his older two daughters. In an attempt to entertain them, he had lifted the 5 year old up in the air with one arm, prompting the 4 year old to beg him to do the same with her. It had become their new favourite game, "Uncle Nathan" their new favourite person.
He didn't want to admit it, but they were kind of cute and he was kind of enjoying himself.
Being with the James family was a completely new experience for him. They had this ease with each other, that no matter what horrible things they had said to each other, or what they had or hadn't done, it was all in the past, instantly forgiven simply because they were family. It was noisy and chaotic and messy, but everyone was genuinely enjoying each other's company. It was like no family gathering Nathan had ever experienced.
"Alright, girls. That's enough." Drew's deep voice cut through the high pitched squealing and the two young girls immediately stopped jumping around Nathan. "Go and help Aunt Haley set the table for dinner."
As they promptly hurried off, Drew turned towards Nathan with a nod. Nathan couldn't help but swallow nervously; despite the agreement they had made over buying the house, Nathan hadn't forgotten how Drew had treated his youngest sibling, nor how he had threatened the older man with physical violence.
"I have something I want to give you," Drew began, reaching into his pocket before handing Nathan a folded slip of paper. With a frown, Nathan opened it to read its contents.
"This is a cheque for the deposit I paid for the house," Nathan stated, his confusion evident.
Drew nodded. "Vivian and I talked about it and... and, well, I was wrong to accept your offer in the first place"
Nathan remained silent, simply quirking an eyebrow. He knew enough about Haley's oldest brother to know that admitting he was wrong was probably not something he did often.
"I'm not going to lie, Nathan. The money really helped a lot of us out. Things were tight and we thought selling the house would be the logical answer to a lot of problems. I was simply trying to do what I could to help the people that I love... and I understand now that that's all you were trying to do, as well.
"My eldest son has a full scholarship to college, and Vivan's has had financial assistance, too. It's made a huge difference, and... we'd like to repay you for the money that you initially gave us. It's helped Matthew have some time off work when he needed it, Quinn open up her gallery in Charlotte, and Taylor... well, you've done more for that girl than anyone ever expected."
"Look, Drew, I appreciate the gesture, but..." Nathan trailed off, unsure how he wanted to finish his sentence.
"Please, Nathan. Consider your deposit a loan, which has now been repaid back."
"What about selling the house?"
A slight smile appeared on the older man's lips, softening his stern features. He glanced towards the living room where Haley was directing her nieces, setting up three huge tables in the available space. "We have decided not to sell it. This is a great home with lots of memories and Vivian thought it would be nice to have a place where we could all get together for a family holiday once a year. It has been good getting everyone together, especially since the last time we were all here... Haley was right."
Nathan grinned with amusement. "She usually is."
The two men shared a knowing laugh. "Have you told Hales about keeping the house?" Nathan asked.
"Not yet," Drew shook his head. "I thought we'd save that surprise for dinner."
Nathan nodded, his mind on something he wasn't sure if he had the nerve to say out loud. Knowing that he probably wouldn't have a better opportunity, he took a deep breath for courage. "Thank you for this, Drew," he began, indicating the check as he slipped it into his pocket, "but there's actually something else I wanted to ask you..."
As Drew waited expectantly, Nathan took another deep breath. He could feel the sweat starting to dot across his brow and the way his heart started to thump harder against his ribs. "I, uh, I heard that you inherited your mom's engagement ring..."
To Nathan's surprise, a smile stretched across Haley's brother's face, wider than Nathan had ever seen on the man. "I was wondering when you were going to mention that."
"Uh... really?" Nathan startled. The last thing he had expected was a smile from Drew over this particular topic.
"Look Nathan, I know that we didn't exactly meet on the best of terms, but it's evident that you love my little sister and care for her deeply. I have never seen her so happy, and that's even before the terrible year we've had. I know that your relationship with Haley is a relatively new one, but you don't strike me as the sort of man who messes around when he knows what he wants."
Bolstered by Drew's words, Nathan nodded in agreement. "I'm not saying I'm going to propose tomorrow, it's just... I know it's going to be Haley."
Drew nodded, too. "I'm sure there was a time where my father expected Haley to end up with your brother..." He trailed off as the pair's eyes turned to Lucas, who was in the corner of the room, showing Brooke a photo album. Nathan couldn't help but wrinkle his nose at the thought of his Haley with Lucas. "But I know that if he saw how you've cared for her over these last months, he would thoroughly approve of her choice in partner... you're a good man, Nathan. Treat her well."
Nathan exhaled, loudly and with relief. He knew that Drew's approval would be the hardest to get, but it would be important to Haley.
"I'll arrange to get the ring to you as soon as we get back to Florida," Drew continued. The two men shared a nod, and with a final clap on the back, Drew walked off, leaving Nathan standing in the corner of the room, surveying the chaos of the James family together.
It was something he knew he wanted to be a part of
Later, much later, when the food had been devoured and cleared away, and bodies with full stomachs sprawled across furniture, Nathan found Haley outside in the backyard, staring out at the darkness beyond.
"There you are, beautiful," he greeted her, moving to stand behind her and pulling her into the warmth of his chest. Over the last couple of months, Haley had started treating him like her own personal heater, and he relished any opportunity to have her small body pressed against his. "What are you doing out here?"
"Just thinking..."
He waited, tilting his head to gaze at her profile as she stared out into the backyard.
"I used to spend so many nights standing out here, wishing, praying that I could somehow bring my dad back, or that I could somehow cure my Mom... and when she died last winter I used to come out here and wish the cold would just shock me into feeling again. Or I could wash away all the pain we'd suffered through."
Nathan's eyes followed Haley's, and he could just make out the the inky contours of the swimming pool in front of them. In his mind's eye, he could see Haley, her face blank and despondent like the day she had arrived in Charlotte, falling into the icy water, her hair floating around her like seaweed. The image caused Nathan to pull her body, soft and warm, closer to his.
"I know things won't always be easy, and it doesn't mean I don't miss them so much, but I feel... complete." Haley lifted her head up towards him. "You make me feel strong, you make me feel brave. I don't feel like that insecure, lost little girl anymore... I never imagined that I could be here, in Tree Hill, with my family and be so... so, happy."
"You've saved me too, you know," Nathan pointed out, gently combing her hair away from her face with his fingers. "You always believed in me, even when I thought no one else would; even when I didn't believe in myself."
The both smiled, and Nathan knew that Haley was thinking about the note that was still taped to his computer screen, 8 years after he had found it in her 'box of tricks'.
"We make quite the pair, don't we, Nathan Scott?" Haley smiled. "I love you."
Nathan felt his heart tapping a quick rhythm against his rib cage. Everything he had been searching for was cuddled up to him in his arms. Haley was such a huge part of his past, but she was going to be an even bigger part of his future. He didn't know how he got so lucky.
"I love you too, Haley James. Always."
"And forever."