~Why Me? Why Now?~

I'm BAAACK! Did you all miss me? Cause I missed you! Writing GG fics is fun, but I miss writing about Haley and Lucas and Nathan too. Unfortunately this is not the sequel to Feels Like Home, I haven't gotten an idea for that yet, but I will come up with something. Anyway, this story is just something I thought would be fun to write. It's a future fic, but I'm not sure who Haley is going to end up with in the end. Depends on how things go. So, this could be either Laley or Naley. Read on people!

Chapter 1: Right Here, Right Now

Flashback

The mid-spring breeze was strong in the dying day. The last fingers of sunlight seemed to grip at the ground, trying to keep from being pulled under. The sky was lit with fiery oranges, exuberant pinks and almost blood- colored, reds, all swirled onto one background, like a painting. The golden ball seemed to sink below the horizon, its attempts at staying up failing miserably.

A strong gust of wind sent the auburn strands of my hair swirling around my face, but I made no move to brush them away, as I watched the sun sink below the earth and Tree Hill bask in the pearly moonlight. I ignored the chill the breeze had aroused and continued to watch all time pass me by.

"I thought I'd find you here." A voice interrupted the calm silence dusk had brought. That voice was so familiar, yet so different from anything that I thought I had known. It was a voice I had come to long for, especially when things got rough.

"You always seem to know where to find me." Was my response, I didn't even turn to face the owner of that voice.

"Well, it's kind of part of my job." The intruder sank down beside me, watching the sun finally disappear.

"Right." I sighed and finally turned to face the owner of that voice. "How bad are the search parties?"

"Nothing drastic. We knew you'd come back eventually. I just knew where to look." Was my answer.

"You love me, right? No matter what?" I asked, turning my gaze away, only to have it pulled back by a hand cupping my chin.

"I will love you until all life on this plane ceases to exist."

"Do you really mean that?" I questioned. "Even if I did something so horrible that no one can forgive."

"Even if. Is there something you want to tell me?"

"I got accept into Colby." I said quietly, barely above a whisper.

I heard a grunt and a deep intake of breath. "That's not terrible. I thought you were going to say that you murdered someone or something drastic."

"I just needed to be sure that you love me, that's why I said that." I chuckled dryly.

"So, no murder charges on my girl?"

"No murder charges on your girl." I let out a small smile, before frowning. "Do you think we can do it? You'll be in UCLA and I'll be in Colby."

"So, there are these new fangled inventions, like the telephone and email, oh and the post office. Plus, we both have cell phones."

"Very witty." I snapped, but couldn't hide the smile.

"I love you, Haley James. We can do anything."

"I love you, Nathan Scott." I rested my head against his shoulder. He placed a kiss in my hair and we sat like that for hours.

End of flashback

Boston, such a busy place. No spots to find close parking, millions of different types of people. Such diversity that makes you stop and really take a look around at the place you are in. It was a far cry from Tree Hill, North Carolina.

The smell of the city could be revolting and sweet at the same time. Smoke, exhaust fumes, cigarettes, hot dogs from the vendors, flower from the floral shop down the road, all mixed into one unique scent. How it smelled to the individual depended on what kind of day they were having.

For me, it smelled normal. I could only find the flowery scents, as I walked down the crowded streets. It was eight in the morning, Boston was already up and in full swing. People were bustling to their jobs, calling, whistling, barking for taxis, talking on cell phones, punching things into their palm pilots, all part of their everyday lives.

I walked past all those people, an outsider in their world. I wasn't on a cell phone, I wasn't calling for a taxi, I was rushing to work or checking my palm pilot. I was strolling down the sidewalk, taking in the sights and sounds the city was offering.

I heard rap music blaring from a beat up old datsun, cars honking, trying to fight through the morning traffic, people's voices, tires screeching, all sorts of sounds, stuff that could be music if you listened closely enough.

I veered off the sidewalk into a coffee-shop/bookstore. The little bell over the door jingled merrily, announcing my arrival. A received a few glanced upon my entrance, but most people kept to themselves and what they were doing. Something I had to get used to after living in Tree Hill for so long.

I moved up to the counter, pulling a five out of my purse. "I'll take a Latte, please." I ordered, wishing it were one of the cafés lattes. Karen always had the best coffee, no matter how it came. Another thing I had to get used to, while living here.

"Hey Haley." Jason Patterson greeted me with a grin, pulling a cup off the stack. "How's it going for you this morning?"

"Not too bad, Jase and you?" I smiled at my friend.

"Things are starting great, let's hope it stays that way." He said over his shoulder, while making my latte. "You working today?"

"Not really." I shrugged. "Frank owes me a vacation anyways. He won't fire me because he needs me. I may just play hookey."

Jason laughed. "Wish I had that luxury. I'm starting to think becoming a dodoctor was a bad idea. I mean, I'm still in school."

"You're doing fine." I assured him. "You'll be a great doctor. I'll be one of your regulars."

"Good to know." He winked and handed me my change. "See you later, right?"

"Of course." I nodded and waved, before exiting the shop and turning to head back to my apartment, sipping my latte thoughtfully.

Things sure had changed since the days of Tree Hill. For one, Lucas and I don't get to see each other nearly as often as I'd like, I live with Brooke, if you want to go into bizarro world, Jake and Jenny live downstairs, Peyton lives in New York, doing cartoons for the New York Times, Skills and Lucas are playing basketball with the Lakers, along with Nathan.

Nathan. We promised each other forever and in reality, it was two months after highschool when things ended. He said we could do anything, that we'd keep in touch, but it was impossible and he ended it, cutting me off from his life. The only reason I knew what he was up to was because I still talked to Lucas and Skills on a regular basis.

Nothing had ever hurt me more than when Nathan had called it quits. No fight with Lucas, no previous break-up, not even the death of my aunt. Nathan had left me out in the bitter cold. I think I cried myself to sleep every night for three months and didn't even begin to date again for another year after the break-up. Even then I didn't even really date.

It wasn't until I became a writer and moved to Boston that I became the old Haley again. With the help of Brooke and Jake, go figure, I became tutor girl again. Jenny had become like our own daughter. Brooke and I were her two mothers, even if Jake and Peyton were doing the long distance thing.

I had always imagined that if my relationship with Nathan ever ended, I would turn to Peyton and Lucas for comfort. It turned out to be Jake and Brooke. Though, I wasn't complaining. I couldn't ask for two better friends. Brooke always had me laughing with her craziness and could be the girl I confided in. Jake was more serious and I could really confide in him. Granted, he wasn't Lucas or Nathan, but hell, it was close enough.

I entered my apartment just in time to hear my answering machine go off. "Hey, you've reached Haley James. And Brooke Davis! (Brooke's voice sounded in the background). We're not in right now, so leave a message and we'll call you back."

"Hey Haley, it's Frank! Are you there! You haven't come into the office and we really need you to get working on the final pieces of your book. Call me or get your butt in here please!" I rolled my eyes and ignored the message.

"Hales?" Brooke ambled out of her bedroom, clutching her head. "Could you get me an aspirin?"

I laughed and held out my latte, before going into the bathroom to retrieve her aspirin. "So I take it Peter was a good one?" I asked, pulling out the bottle and going back out to the living room, where Brooke sat, sipping my latte. I tossed her the bottle, which she caught rather awkwardly.

"Are you kidding?" She moaned. "He was so dull that I drank to keep myself entertained."

I chuckled and sank down beside her. "He couldn't have been that bad?"

"I would have rather been out with a Frat Boy that oogled my goodies all night." She whined. I giggled and helped her nurse her hangover.