Home, home is a fire
A burning reminder
Of where we belong, oh
With walls, built up around us
The bricks make me nervous
They're only so strong, though
Home Is a Fire- Death Cab for Cutie
"Mom, dad, I don't…" Haley wandered off, pulling away from her parents, her eyes filled with tears. She wiped at her eyes with her sleeve, but more tears kept pooling to the brim. She'd never felt so overcome with emotions before.
Haley's mom's eyes reflected the same sadness, "It's okay, Haley. I know it is a lot to take in. We love you so much."
Haley and her mom embraced again while her dad looked on. Nathan felt completely out of place watching the family he once thought of as his own reconnect in front of him. There was a part of him, the least selfish part of him that he could muster, that was incredibly happy for Haley. He knows more than anyone what having bad parents can do to a person. He was relieved that Haley would no longer have to go through that same anguish.
However, there was another, louder part of Nathan that was utterly distraught watching the scene in front of him. If Haley's parents had come around and were ready to be there for her, what was his role in her life anymore? She would up and go to California, leaving him behind. She wouldn't need him anymore. And if she didn't need him anymore, he couldn't need her anymore either. She wouldn't be able to be there for him.
Nathan was about to turn back into the house, not needing to observe the reunion any longer before he was interrupted by Haley's mom, who seemed to realize for the first time that they had an onlooker.
"Nathan!" the older woman exclaimed, releasing her daughter from her arms to embrace the other teenager into a tight hug.
Nathan couldn't help but smile softly. Sure, he was angry at the James' for blaming Haley for Taylor's death and leaving her to fend for herself when she needed them most. But there was still a part of him that had missed them too. When he was a child in California and inseparable from Haley, he had spent so much time with them. They were there for him when his own parents weren't. Haley's parents used to be a source of comfort for him, and he allowed himself this one moment to relish in that feeling.
The moment of comfort quickly vanished, however, when Nathan took another look at Haley. Her cheeks were sleek with the tears that had fallen down them and her eyes were glazed over. She was smiling and, most telling to Nathan, she was averting all eye contact with him. Nathan's heart sank into his stomach. He knew what that meant. She couldn't face him because her decision had already been made. Haley was going to follow her parents back to California and there is nothing that he can do to stop it.
Nathan swallowed hard and shook off the feeling. He quickly pulled away from Mrs. James and cleared his throat. Losing Haley may be inevitable, but he still wanted to spend more time with her tonight, which he knew he would only be able to do if he also invited the James' into his home.
"It's dark out here, there is obviously a lot to talk about. Why don't we all go inside and settle in," Nathan suggested.
Haley's parents agreed, each picking up their suitcase and walking through the front door that Nathan was holding open for them. Haley paused for a moment. She finally looked Nathan in the eyes and smiled at him, though it didn't reach her eyes. He returned the same look to her. Nathan waited for her to walk through the doors after her parents, but she remained frozen on the front porch.
"Are you planning on coming in?" Nathan eventually asked.
Haley let out a small laugh, once again averting eye contact as a new pool of tears collected on her eyes.
"Nathan, I…" Haley trailed off, wiping at her eyes with her sleeves.
Nathan walked the two steps over to Haley and wrapped her in a tight embrace, kissing the top of her head, and feeling the tears coming into his own eyes.
"It's okay, Hales," He whispered into her hair, "Everything will be okay."
He felt her nod against his chest. She pulled away slightly and opened her mouth to speak, before she was interrupted by her mother calling to the two teenagers from inside of the house.
Nathan smiled as Haley rolled her eyes at the interruption.
"You ready to head in?" He asked.
"As I'll ever be."
Nathan and Haley entered the Scott household and promptly took a seat in the living room with the James'. It was quiet in the room for a moment, no one knowing where or how to start the conversation.
Haley's mom was ultimately the first one to start, "Have you been doing alright, Haley?"
Haley swallowed, not sure how to respond. How has she been doing? Is that really where they want to go? She was abandoned after her parents and blamed for her sister's death. She'd been forgotten by the one person she loved most in the world. They had no idea what hell she had been through at their own hands. And they have the nerve to ask how she has been doing?
Haley was able to calm her brain slightly when she felt Nathan reach his hand out to grab hers and squeeze it. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and exhaled before looking at her parents sitting across from her.
"I've been great." She finally responded.
Her mom sighed, not fully believing her daughter. She scooted to the edge of the couch in a failed attempt at getting closer to her.
"Haley, I know that what we did was terrible. Completely unforgiveable. We are so sorry. We made a mistake. It is inexcusable, but it is so easy to just go crazy in times of crisis. We didn't know what we were doing. Of course Taylor's death was not your fault. It has nothing to do with you. We should have been there. We are so sorry," Haley's mother cried out, another set of tears pouring out of her eyes.
Haley blinked back tears herself. Once again she was unsure of how to respond. These were her parents. She loved them so much. It killed her to see them hurting. But at the end of the day, she is the kid. They were supposed to be there for her and they sent her away.
"I don't know what you want me to say," Haley replied honestly.
Her mother sighed, "We're not expecting anything from you, Haley. Just another chance. We're here to bring you back home. That's it."
Nathan tensed at the words and subconsciously squeezed Haley's hand more tightly. Haley noticed both reactions. She wished she could offer him some reassurance at that moment. But she had never thought of this as a possibility. She also figured this would be it. She never considered what it would mean for her to go back to California. How could she remain… whatever with Nathan when she was again on the other side of the country?
Haley wasn't able to verbalize any of this before the front door could be heard opening once again. Nathan glanced at the clock on the wall across from him. With all of the interruptions this evening, the time had flown by and it was already late. He laughed to himself when he thought about how he had stayed home tonight from the event his family had attended to avoid drama and get some much needed alone time.
"Nathan, are you still up?" Deb called from the foyer.
"In here," Nathan croaked back, not realizing just how much his emotions had been getting to him.
Deb could hear the difference in his voice and made her way into the living room, "Is everything al-"
Deb stopped short in both her steps and her questioning when she examined the scene in front of her. Of course there is always the thought that maybe her teenage son would bring a girl over when home alone, but she never expected to run into the James' in her home.
Lucas and Dan soon followed, the former reacting quite similarly to Deb, the latter not even trying to contain his excitement.
"James, Lydia, it is so nice to see you again. How have you been? Can I get you something to drink?" Dan asked, walking over to the couple to greet them.
"We've been alright, thank you Dan. And we're good, we should be heading to Haley's apartment actually it is getting late." Haley's dad responded.
"What are you doing here?" Deb asked, still too in shock to greet the couple properly.
Once upon a time, Deb had been incredibly thankful for the James'. She knew that they offered her son a solace that she could not provide for him herself. Deb knew she would never win an award for mother of the ear, but she had always been so grateful that there were other people who could love and care for her son when she couldn't. However, Deb's attitude towards the James' has vastly changed since they had sent Haley to Tree Hill. It had been years since she had last seen the James' and it has been made very apparent to her that they had changed greatly. She could not forgive them for abandoning their own child and the only thing Deb was feeling in that moment was protective of Haley.
Dan scowled at Deb, not wishing for anyone to offer up too much resistance. As far as he was concerned, the faster all of the James' could get out of his house, and out of North Carolina altogether, the better.
"We're here to get Haley." Lydia replied, smiling, as though she was relieved to hear the words herself.
"What do you mean get Haley?" Lucas asked, no longer able to keep himself quiet. He had gathered that they were Haley's parents, but he wanted to make sure he was completely clear about what their intentions were.
Mr. James spoke up first, "We are bringing Haley back home to California. Like I said, we should get going. The flight leaves first thing day after tomorrow. We have a lot of packing to do."
"Haley's home is here." Lucas objected, not believing what was happening. Haley couldn't leave. Not now. Everything was just beginning to work out.
Mr. James stood up, ready to go, and getting irritated by the pestering.
"I do not know who you are, but Haley is our daughter, and her home is in California. This is not up for debate."
Nathan could barely hear the conversation going on in front of him. His head was pounding harder than it ever had in his life. The only other time he had felt anything remotely like this was when he was told that he was leaving California for Tree Hill. But still, this was different. He felt there was more at stake now. Nathan loved Haley. He needed her in every sense of the word. What would he be if she wasn't here? There was no doubt in his mind that he would revert to the same exact rude, obnoxious kid we has before. She just could not leave. He needed her too much. Nathan realized that wasn't fair, however. She couldn't stay because of him. For the first time that night, Nathan considered what she wanted. Did Haley even want to stay?
He looked over at her and her expression was unreadable. It was almost as if she had left her body, her eyes blank. She didn't react to anything transpiring in front of her.
Nathan broke out of his daze at hearing his mom speak his name.
"… She needs him. She came here when you ditched her. He helped her get over her sister's death and your abandonment. I don't mean to be overstepping my bounds. But you have to recognize that Haley has been doing well here. It isn't fair to just come and snatch her out. What about school? What about her friends?"
Mr. James was fuming and was about to respond before Dan interrupted.
"Don't you ever mind your own goddam business, Deb? This isn't our family. Haley's a kid, she needs her parents."
Nathan snarled, knowing full well that Haley's best interests were not at all his dad's concern.
"And frankly," Mr. James continued, adding onto Dan, "I don't know why you're so surprised when your husband is the one that called me and told me to come get Haley."
In an instant, the energy in the room shifted. Dan's eyes widened in shock, completely thrown off by the reveal. Dan didn't hate being the bad guy, but it was generally more convenient for him for his meddling to remain hidden.
"You did what?" Deb asked desperately, finally breaking the silence.
Nathan didn't care for his father's response. If he thought he was messed up before, he was in for a rude awakening. Dan had abused him both emotionally and physically for the majority of his life. But never had Dan been so cruel. This wasn't just about Haley. This was a personal attack of Nathan's happiness. Nathan thought Dan's abuse stemmed from fucked up tough love. This was the first time he viewed his father as malicious. Nathan felt like he would suffocate if he stayed in that house any longer. He knew the details: Haley was leaving and his father was the reason. He didn't need to be a part of the conversation any longer. Before anyone could stop him, Nathan bolted out the door.
Deb sighed, on the verge of tears. She wished she could do something to make Haley stay. She knew that both of her boys would suffer greatly at the loss of Haley. But what about Haley herself? It was then that Deb realized Haley hadn't uttered a word since she had entered the house.
In a desperate attempt to get the James' to reconsider, Deb asked a question.
"What do you want, Haley?" She asked softly.
Suddenly everyone turned their head towards Haley. She knew everyone was waiting for a response, but what was she supposed to say? Did she want to go back to California? Absolutely not. She did not want to switch schools again. She didn't really want to live with her parents again yet. She didn't know if she'd be able to look at them without thinking of their betrayal. She didn't want to live her life again without Nathan and all the friends she made in Tree Hill. But she is sixteen. They're her parents. What choice did she have and what good would it do to resist them?
In the end, Haley only shrugged.
"It's settled, then," Her father declared, "let's go home.
A/N: Hey everyone! It's been a little over a year, but here is an update! Good news is, I was originally going to make this chapter and the next one chapter but realized it made the most sense to split them into 2—so I have about 3 pages of the next chapter already written! The next one will most likely be relatively short, and then 2 more after that and we're done! Thank you to everyone who has loyally stuck by me all of these years. I truly appreciate your unwavering support. And thank you to any new readers too.
Any feedback is greatly appreciated and only encourages me to work harder on getting his story out. I hope you enjoyed!
Sincerely,
Megan AKA ToBecomeAClown
