Author's Notes: I'm really sorry to all who hated the idea of Nathan's death. I'm sorry, but just think, it's fiction, and it isn't real. Here's another chapter, hopefully those who didn't like the idea will continue to read. Thanks to all who reviewed.
**FLASHBACK: "Haley, Nathan's plane was flying through bad weather, and the pilot got lost in the weather, causing him to fly around in circles, and the plane ran out of gas." She sounded like she had already lost it, and she could barely get out the words. "He died." Haley dropped the phone to the floor, and screamed and cried until she finally cried herself to sleep. END OF FLASHBACK**
The funeral was the hardest thing, because there was no body, just an empty coffin. It was really hard to grieve over something that wasn't there, and in her heart she knew he would come back. Somehow Nathan Scott would return to Haley, and she couldn't wait for the day. Everyone thought she was crazy, but really, it was going to happen. She couldn't ever move on if she knew he was out there somewhere, dead or alive.
On the night of the funeral, Haley couldn't sleep. So, she lay in her bed, looking up at the ceiling, thinking somber thoughts about Nathan. She thought about what he was thinking about when he died. She figured he thought about everyone he cared about. One of those people would be Haley. One part of her was happy that she never told him she was pregnant because she didn't want him to feel any guilt when he died. She knew that he would be sorry and feel guilty for not being there for her throughout her pregnancy. Haley knew in her heart that he only felt contentment when he died. He had done everything he could to be a good person, and he really was.
But another part of her heart felt jealous of Nathan. She would give anything to not be in this world, to not have to give birth to a baby of her dead love. She thought about what that would be like to have Nathan's baby. Their baby would have his beautiful crystal clear eyes, his nose, his cheeks, his everything. She would have to wake up, look into the eyes of her child, and see Nathan. She wouldn't be able to keep her sanity.
She would have never thought she would have to go through this alone. And what would she say to her child when they asked where their daddy was? She felt mad because she didn't tell Nathan, because she would never get to see the joy on his face or the glow in his cheeks when she first told him that she was having their baby. She would never get to see his face again, the dark, soft hair that she loved to run her fingers through when they kissed. She would never know what it felt like to marry your high school sweetheart. She would never know what if felt like to wake up in the morning, and look into the eyes of your husband, whom you loved all your life. She would never have any of those things, because she would never love again after Nathan. She couldn't do it.
Haley lay in her bed, thinking and reminiscing about all the old time with Nathan, good and bad. She liked the way he used to kiss her neck, and she would giggle and tell him to stop. She loved the way he smiled at her, looking through her into her heart. She loved the way he really loved her, loved her more than anything, even his family. She loved being his outlet. She was his outlet from the harsh world. She was the one he could go to when he was tired of everyone judging him, and everyone blaming him. She loved being the only stable thing in his life. Basketball, friends, social standing, family, and everything about Nathan was constantly changing, and Haley never changed. She was there for him whenever, she was always within reach of him, and she never lied to him like everyone else did. She knew he really, truly loved her. He loved her like nobody else loved her, and finally Haley saw her baby as a good thing. She could use what Nathan taught her to teach her child. Nathan taught Haley how to love, without lies, false promises, and all the bullshit that is usually associated with high school relationships. Whether he knew it or not, he was the best thing that happened to her. Haley tried to think of what she could have possibly done to keep Nathan from getting on that plane. She could have told him about her pregnancy, and maybe he would've been too shocked to get on the plane. Then, when the next flight came, the airport maybe would've detected the bad weather. She figured that if she had told Nathan, he would've wanted to rush home and see her as soon as possible.
Finally, Haley was too tired to even think. She closed her eyes and went to sleep, dreaming of Nathan's return.
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Across town, Deb was holding Nathan's old teddy bear, thinking of what she had done wrong, and how if she would've known this was going to happen, she would have never let him go on the trip.
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Lucas thought about his brother, and how they had become closer because of Haley. Just thinking of living without him was hard, even though they weren't that close. Lucas let the bottled up tears fall, soaking his pillow.
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Peyton drew a plane, crashing into a mountain, and falling to the Earth. She drew only one distinct face in a sea of blurred faces. Nathan's. He was looking out into the unknown, fear in his eyes, and pain in his heart. Peyton knew that she wouldn't be able to handle this. She decided to make a series of pictures, called Nathan's Return, for that was the only was her heart would be content, only if she knew he was coming back.
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Dan Scott looked at all the old photos of Nathan and him. Playing basketball, fishing, riding go-karts, camping, swimming, and various other activities. In all of the pictures, Nathan had a genuinely happy smile on his face. Dan knew that even though Nathan resented him, he really did love him. And Dan knew that that thought was going to be the only thing that would keep him living.
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