Hey guys! As always thanks for the reviews last chapter. Sorry this chapter is short but its all I had time to write this weekend and I figured something was better than nothing! I love to hear what you guys think so reviews are gold to me haha! Thanks for continuing to read this story!

Disclaimer: I do not own one tree hill

Chapter 38

Never letme go

"Hales!" Nathan looked at his watch as he paced the floor at the bottom of the stairs. "Come on, they're gonna be here soon."

A couple minutes later Haley came barreling down the stairs. "I'm nervous, why am I nervous."

"I don't know but you're not the only one, I wanna throw up."

"Okay, stop." Haley said placing her hands on Nathan's chest. "We wanted this, we love Jamie so we need to stop freaking ourselves out."

"Deep breaths." Nathan joked while smiling at the girl on front of him.

The sound of the doorbell brought them out of their fleeting state of calmness. "Can I start freaking out again?" Nathan asked.

"Shut up." Haley laughed. "It's gonna be fine." Haley grabbed Nathan's hand softly and led him towards their front door. She smiled as she opened the door and it only widened when she felt a small squeeze around her waist.

"Haley!" Jamie smiled while hugging her. With the hand that wasn't clinging onto Nathan she affectionately rubbed Jamie's head of soft blond hair. "Hey buddy."

"I missed you! You haven't been at school all week!" He exclaimed exasperated.

Haley looked up at the sound of laughter coming from the door; she smiled at Jamie's social worker who was looking on approvingly as Jamie moved to Nathan asking to be picked up so he could feel tall.

"Nathan! Can we play basketball? I begged Jack to take me to practice last week but he said practice was canceled which doesn't make any sense because he always tells me that practice makes perfect and I want to be as good as you and Jack someday and…" Nathan chuckled as the little boy rambled on carrying him into the living room giving Haley alone time with the social worker.

"That's about the happiest I've ever seen that little boy." She commented with a smile.

Haley smiled sheepishly not really sure of what to say. "Well, here's his bag." The social worker handed off a small duffle bag to Haley. "He has a few other things but Jack said he's bring them by sometime tomorrow."

"Oh, okay." Haley nodded enthusiastically still a bit nervous. She figured the social worker could sense her unease because she decided to comment on it.

"Haley, you'll be fine." She smiled comfortingly. "I'll be by later in the week to see how things are going and then we can move forward from there."

"Okay." Haley nodded. "Thanks for everything."

The social worker smiled yet again as she could hear Jamie's excited laughter from inside the house.

"No, I'm not doing anything special…but you are."

"Madison keeps trying to hold my hand at recess but it's so gross Nathan." Jamie wrinkled his forehead in frustration as he sat at the island in the kitchen, a bowl of ice cream in front of him.

"I have a feeling you won't be saying that in 5 or 6 years buddy." Nathan laughed.

"Ew, no girls have cooties. Blech." Haley looked on and stifled her laugh as he made the cutest face while sticking out his tongue.

"Oh, so we have cooties huh?" She questioned teasingly.

"Not you Haley!" Jamie exclaimed. "You're cool."

"She's alright." Nathan shrugged and laughed as Haley sent him her best mocking glare.

"Alright, it's getting late Jamie." She smiled over at the little boy who was putting on his best puppy dog eyes. "Not gonna work kiddo." She laughed. "Why don't you head upstairs to your room and I'll be up in a bit to help you out."

Jamie nodded and hopped off his barstool hugging Nathan right after. "Goodnight Nathan."

Nathan smiled down at him. "Night Jamie." Jamie then took off for the stairs as quickly as his little feet could take him.

Haley looked at Nathan once Jamie was upstairs, slowly making her way towards him. "How do you feel?" Nathan asked taking a hold of her waist.

"Perfect." Haley smiled placing a soft kiss on his forehead.

"Yeah, me too." He smiled rubbing circles on the exposed skin between her jeans and shirt. "Why don't you go upstairs and help him, I'll clean up down here."

"Okay." Haley nodded. "I'll be down soon, crack open a bottle of wine."

"What are we celebrating?"

"Our family." Haley shrugged while placing her hand on his cheek caressing it softly.

"How'd the boy go down?" Nathan looked over at Haley as she came down the stairs and took a seat next to him on the couch.

"Good." Haley laughed. "He started talking about how he's always wanted a pet bunny named Chester."

"Nathan, Haley, Jamie and Chester…quite the eclectic bunch don't you think?"

"Yeah," Haley chuckled sipping on the wine that Nathan had poured out for her. "But it works."

"So I've been thinking." Nathan started.

"Yeah?"

"I'm gonna retire from the NBA, Hales."

"Nathan…"

"No, this is what I want…I promise." Nathan looked at her assumingly. "I love basketball, and it will always be a huge part of my life but I think that my days as a pro ball player are nearing its end. I've lived out that dream, now it's time for me to move onto my next one."

"And what dream is that?" She inquired.

"Being a good husband to you and a father figure to Jamie."

"You are so sexy when you talk like that." She mumbled leaning up to slowly glide her lips over his.

"And you Haley James are just sexy period." He adorned that smirk that she had grown to love over the years.

"Are you trying to get lucky?" She questioned squinty eyed.

"Is it working?" He asked one of his eyebrows crooked.

The past two weeks had been a whirlwind to say the least and ever since Jamie came over it was the first time she was beginning to feel like herself again. Haley smiled and moved into kiss Nathan when a rapping at the door halted her movements. She groaned that her moment with Nathan had gone just as quickly as it had appeared.

"I'll get it." Nathan sighed placing a soft kiss on Haley's nose before moving from his spot on the couch and towards the front door.

"Jack." Nathan stated surprised when he opening the front door to his house to see the 17 year old standing there.

"Hey Nathan, hope I'm not interrupting." He stood there awkwardly rubbing a hand against the back of his neck.

"No, no." Nathan assured, ushering him into the house. "What's going on?"

"I just came by to drop off the rest of Jamie's stuff." Nathan then noticed a coloring table and a few toys Jack had brought along with him.

"Hey Jack." Haley said entering the foyer where the two guys stood. "The social worker said you were coming by tomorrow."

"Yeah, I was, but I got an opportunity to go to UNC tomorrow and meet with some coaches so figured I better come drop the stuff off tonight, besides Rachel and Damien are God knows where and my friends are all offspring of responsible parents who don't let them out late on a school night and I was bored and yeah…" He mumbled off quietly.

"Jack you don't need an excuse to come over." Haley laughed taking the things from him. "You're welcome anytime."

"Thanks." Jack shrugged meekly.

"Did you eat anything yet?" She questioned.

"Oh no I can't-"

"Nonsense, I have leftovers from dinner." Haley insisted.

"Really it's okay." Jack shook his head.

"Hey man," Nathan started placing a hand on Jack's shoulders. "I wouldn't turn down Hales' mac and cheese if I were you, it's pretty bomb."

"Bomb?" Jack laughed feeling more comfortable following Nathan and Haley into the kitchen. "How old are you?"

"Old enough to beat your ass in a game of one on one." Nathan retorted.

"Whatever you say old man." Jack teased while sending a grateful smile towards Haley as she set down a bowl of mac and cheese and a glass of coke in front of him.

"Eat your dinner Daniels." Nathan smiled while rolling his eyes for good effect.

"Did you see that Giants Pats game last night?" Jack questioned digging into his food. "Haley this is really good." He complemented as she moved about the kitchen cleaning up a bit.

"Told you it was bomb." Nathan laughed. "I can't believe that game though, I mean the Pats lost…bad."

"What have I been telling you Nate…don't underestimate Eli."

"Ugh, whatever, its all luck."

"Luck! You have got to be kidding me!"

Haley shook her head and the two boys argued over the football game leaving the kitchen and making her way back into the living room. If this was how the rest of her days were gonna go she'd be one happy woman.

Haley's eyes fluttered open when she felt a pair of lips make contact with her skin. She smiled sleepily when she saw Nathan take a seat next to her on the couch pulling her into his lap in the process.

"Hey." She whispered.

"Hey sleepyhead."

"Where's Jack?" She questioned looking around.

"He just left, he has a long drive up to UNC tomorrow."

Haley nodded her head softly. "What time is it?"

"Midnight." He responded in a hushed tone. "Ready to go up to bed."

Haley groaned while burring her head deeper into Nathan's chest. "Let's just stay here for a minute."

"Okay." Nathan nodded tightening his grip around her waist. "I love you, you know that?"

"I would hope so." Haley joked. She leaned up slightly while kissing his jaw softly in the process. "I love you too."

Nathan smiled but then turned his head when he heard the sound of creaking wood. "You hear that?" He questioned.

Haley shook her head confused. "Hear what?"

Nathan smiled as he looked behind the couch to see Jamie clinging onto a blanket trying to hide in the staircase.

"Jamie, you can come down here bud." He called out.

Haley turned her head concerned when she realized that Jamie was in the room. "Are you okay Jamie?" She asked concerned beckoning him over to the couch.

When he got close enough Nathan picked him up placing him in-between himself and Haley.

"I got scared." He said in a quiet voice.

"What were you scared of?" Nathan questioned.

"I had a bad dream that Rachel and Damien came and took me back home."

"Oh sweetie," Haley smiled running a loving hand down his back, trying to comfort him. "That's not gonna happen…this is your home now."

"That is only if you want it to be." Nathan added.

"Really?" Jamie questioned.

"Yeah Jamie." Haley nodded.

"I want that." Jamie responded settling into Nathan's embrace.

"Go to sleep buddy, we'll protect you from the bad dreams." Nathan said making himself more comfortable pulling both Haley and Jamie tighter to his chest.

Nathan looked over at Haley when he felt Jamie's breathing even out signaling that he had fallen asleep. He was surprised when he looked over and saw tears in her eyes.

"Baby." He whispered.

She shook her head slowly. "They're happy tears."

Nathan laughed softly. "How about from now on we do smiles for happy. You okay?"

Haley nodded bringing a hand up to rest on Nathan's chest. "I'm more than okay."