Title: Return to Normal
Rating: PG-13 for tiny bit of language
Pairing: Lucas/ Haley but with a smidge of Haley/Nathan and Lucas/Peyton early on
Summary: Takes up after With Arms Outstretched. Haley and Nathan get involved in a cycle of drinking and parties after Nathan's steroid problem. Haley gets pulled out by her family and has to deal with the consequences of her actions and rebuilding her relationship with Lucas.
Chapter 1
"Hole in one!" Lucas shouted out, doing a mock victory dance as he pulled his golf ball out of the hole. Haley shook her head in laughter, preparing to make her own shot. With a swift swing of her club the ball shot under the wheels of the Tonka truck and then bounced off the wooden border surrounding the green felt grass, eventually landing in a potted fern nearby.
"You seriously suck at miniature golf" Lucas said, and Haley rolled her eyes in response.
"Well I'm sorry, but it's freezing out here! Why on earth are we playing at 10 pm in the middle of winter?" Haley responded, picking her way across the course to retrieve her ball.
"Because tonight was movie night, but since the VCR is on the fritz and you refuse to go see the double horror film feature at the Cineplex we agreed to a round of putt-putt" Lucas argued, lining up another shot, this time aiming his ball through a web of garden hose. His ball made it through the curve but missed the hole. Haley stood up indignantly, fighting the evil tendril of the fern which refused to give up her golf ball.
"That's it, this course hates me, I'm going in for some coffee" She shouted, leaning her club against the doorway and tucking her mittened hands into her coat pockets. "You coming?" she asked.
"Yeah, I think the golfing gods have turned me from their graces" Lucas answered as he watched his ball miss the hold for the third time. He gave Haley a grin and made his way over to the door as well. The two teens disappeared into the diner, Haley flipping the outdoor lights off before she closed the door.
"Mmmm, coffee" Haley said with a purr, taking a long drink from her mug. Lucas watched her in amusement, taking a sip from his own cup as well. They were sitting at one of the small tables near the window, watching the quiet street outside, the melting remnants of last weekend's snow storm piled up on the sidewalks. Haley set her mug down, letting the steaming cup warm her hands. She was watching the murky swirling contents of it when she realized Luke was staring at her. "What is it?" Haley asked, her eyes looking upwards to meet his. Lucas took a minute and then spoke, seeming to chose his words carefully.
"How are you?" He questioned. Haley was about to protest his mother hen ways but he held up a hand to stop her. "Look, I know your going to say your fine, but remember, I know you and your ways Haley James, you can't lie to me" Haley's eyes darkened and she glanced back down at her coffee.
"He called my house last night" She said, her voice very quiet. Lucas watched in concern, but waited for her to keep going. "My parents weren't home, so I picked up and he just started talking, he was drunk, but he kept apologizing, saying he wanted us to be together again...."Haley trailed off, angry that things had gotten to this point and she couldn't seem to control them anymore.
"What did you say?" Lucas asked tersely. He glanced out the window but his forehead was creased with concern. Haley watched him, knowing he was angry at Nathan for doing this to her, but wanting to show him she wasn't about to fall back into the way things had been before.
"I told him he shouldn't call me and then I hung up" Haley replied. Lucas relaxed and glanced back at her.
"I knew something was up with you, your usually charming personality was rather quiet tonight" He jested, trying to lighten the mood. Haley let out a chuckle and took another sip of coffee, letting the warming liquid slip down her throat.
"I know I've been weird for the last few weeks Luke, I'm sorry, things have just been so screwed up lately" Haley tried to explain. Lucas shook his head, brushing off her apology.
"None of this was your fault Hales" Lucas said, his eyes searching hers in concern. "Do you understand me? Nathan and his shit are not your problem anymore." Haley rested her chin on her hand, her elbow leaning on the table. She spoke quietly, her eyes staring out the window aimlessly.
"I don't know what to do anymore. Everything just spun out of control after everyone found out about the steroids, Nathan got so angry and I didn't know how to help him." She stopped and then met Lucas's gaze "I started believing that I was the only one he had left, so I just went along with him whenever he got drunk or partied, it wasn't me at all but I still did it." She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Looking back on the last month or so she didn't even recognize the person she had become. "The thing I regret most is how I treated you Luke, you tried to help but I just didn't want to hear it" Lucas nodded slightly and she could tell he was remembering that night at Cal Stevenson's house.
***flashback***
Since basketball had been cancelled most of the players had taken to partying even harder on the weekends. There must have been over 70 kids at the party, more than ¾ of whom Haley didn't recognize. She had been out on the back porch with Nathan, he was ranting about Dan and Deb's recent attempts at family therapy. He was so bitter and Haley was afraid he might do something stupid, especially considering the amount of alcohol in his system. Haley herself had had about 3 beers already, but she had the sense to get him outside, away from his friends who encouraged his reckless behavior. They started to kiss, and then things got fuzzy, most likely from the drinks she had had. Nathan's hands were moving too fast, she was trying to push him away gently but he wasn't listening. All of a sudden he was being ripped away from her. Haley looked around shocked and suddenly Lucas appeared out of no where. He reached for her arm, pulling her away from the porch railing.
"Are you okay?" Lucas asked, but Haley could barely hear him over the din from inside the house. "I'm getting you out of here" He told her and began to lead her towards the screen door. Haley pulled away and Lucas looked back at her confused.
"Let go of me" Haley told him. Lucas tightened his grip and stepped closer to her, his eyes a mix of concern and anger.
"Listen to me Haley, I don't know what's going on with you but I'm taking you home right now" He told her. Lucas again tried to lead her away again but she pulled out of his grasp. Lucas turned to say something but Nathan came at him, his right fist smashing into Lucas's jaw. Luke stumbled back, his hand nursing the wound while staring in shock at Haley.
"Stay away from her" Nathan hollered at Lucas. Lucas stood up, addressing Haley still.
"You have to come with me" Lucas said, his eyes still trained on her. Haley shook her head, her thoughts blurry.
"Leave me alone Lucas" She replied, stepping between Lucas and Nathan.
"Hales, please, you don't know what your doing" Lucas tried again, but Haley was feeling anger boiling up inside her. Who did he think he was, he was treating her like a fucking infant.
"Oh cut the crap, like you really care about poor little Haley James" She responded. "The only person you give a fuck about is your precious Peyton!" She let out a harsh laugh at this and Lucas stepped back, his eyes turned cold.
"Just be careful" He said, and with that Lucas turned, pushing his way through the crowd that had gathered to watch the fight. Haley watched his retreating form but was pulled away by Nathan's arms snaking around her waist. She turned and smiled at him.
"Let's go find someplace quieter" He whispered in her ear. Haley simply nodded and followed him towards his car.
***
"I didn't understand how bad things had gotten until that night" Lucas said. Haley glanced down at the smooth wooden table, embarrassed about how she had acted, of the things she had said.
"No one did, not even my parents" Haley said "They always trusted me, so whenever I came home at night they were usually already asleep. It wasn't until about two weeks later that my dad caught me coming home drunk. I've never seen them so disappointed" Haley's voice broke slightly and Lucas reached over and held her hand gently. He gave her one of his charming half grins and she couldn't help but smile back. He always knew how to pull her out of her slumps.
"Everyone screws up Hales, and contrary to popular belief, you don't have to be perfect" Lucas reminded her. Haley laughed at this and Luke did as well. He realized his coffee had gone cold by this point and Haley was swirling the dregs of hers as well. "Are we thinking a refill or should we call it a night?" He asked.
"A night I think, my parents want me home by 11" Haley said. They both slid from their seats, quickly gathering their mugs and cleaning them quickly in the sink. Lucas grabbed their coats from the backroom and they both headed out into the street, Haley quickly locking up the diner behind them. They joked and chatted on the way to Haley's house, slipping back into their comforting snarkish ways. When they reached her driveway they both stopped and Haley glanced up at Lucas, who was still smiling over her comment about the similarity between teeny boppers and communists.
"Thanks for tonight Luke, I think I really needed some low stress chill time" Haley said.
"Not a problem, I'm always here when you need me" He responded.
"Yeah, I guess you are, hmm, maybe I should keep you around after all" Haley retorted. They both grinned and suddenly Haley reached up and gave Lucas a quick hug.
"I missed having you around" She whispered in his ear, her eyes misting over for a second. She pulled away and gave him another smile before walking towards her porch. Lucas waited in the driveway until she was safely inside the house.
"I missed you too" He said softly. His eyes rested on the brightly lit house before him for a moment and then he turned and walked down the street towards home.
Rating: PG-13 for tiny bit of language
Pairing: Lucas/ Haley but with a smidge of Haley/Nathan and Lucas/Peyton early on
Summary: Takes up after With Arms Outstretched. Haley and Nathan get involved in a cycle of drinking and parties after Nathan's steroid problem. Haley gets pulled out by her family and has to deal with the consequences of her actions and rebuilding her relationship with Lucas.
Chapter 1
"Hole in one!" Lucas shouted out, doing a mock victory dance as he pulled his golf ball out of the hole. Haley shook her head in laughter, preparing to make her own shot. With a swift swing of her club the ball shot under the wheels of the Tonka truck and then bounced off the wooden border surrounding the green felt grass, eventually landing in a potted fern nearby.
"You seriously suck at miniature golf" Lucas said, and Haley rolled her eyes in response.
"Well I'm sorry, but it's freezing out here! Why on earth are we playing at 10 pm in the middle of winter?" Haley responded, picking her way across the course to retrieve her ball.
"Because tonight was movie night, but since the VCR is on the fritz and you refuse to go see the double horror film feature at the Cineplex we agreed to a round of putt-putt" Lucas argued, lining up another shot, this time aiming his ball through a web of garden hose. His ball made it through the curve but missed the hole. Haley stood up indignantly, fighting the evil tendril of the fern which refused to give up her golf ball.
"That's it, this course hates me, I'm going in for some coffee" She shouted, leaning her club against the doorway and tucking her mittened hands into her coat pockets. "You coming?" she asked.
"Yeah, I think the golfing gods have turned me from their graces" Lucas answered as he watched his ball miss the hold for the third time. He gave Haley a grin and made his way over to the door as well. The two teens disappeared into the diner, Haley flipping the outdoor lights off before she closed the door.
"Mmmm, coffee" Haley said with a purr, taking a long drink from her mug. Lucas watched her in amusement, taking a sip from his own cup as well. They were sitting at one of the small tables near the window, watching the quiet street outside, the melting remnants of last weekend's snow storm piled up on the sidewalks. Haley set her mug down, letting the steaming cup warm her hands. She was watching the murky swirling contents of it when she realized Luke was staring at her. "What is it?" Haley asked, her eyes looking upwards to meet his. Lucas took a minute and then spoke, seeming to chose his words carefully.
"How are you?" He questioned. Haley was about to protest his mother hen ways but he held up a hand to stop her. "Look, I know your going to say your fine, but remember, I know you and your ways Haley James, you can't lie to me" Haley's eyes darkened and she glanced back down at her coffee.
"He called my house last night" She said, her voice very quiet. Lucas watched in concern, but waited for her to keep going. "My parents weren't home, so I picked up and he just started talking, he was drunk, but he kept apologizing, saying he wanted us to be together again...."Haley trailed off, angry that things had gotten to this point and she couldn't seem to control them anymore.
"What did you say?" Lucas asked tersely. He glanced out the window but his forehead was creased with concern. Haley watched him, knowing he was angry at Nathan for doing this to her, but wanting to show him she wasn't about to fall back into the way things had been before.
"I told him he shouldn't call me and then I hung up" Haley replied. Lucas relaxed and glanced back at her.
"I knew something was up with you, your usually charming personality was rather quiet tonight" He jested, trying to lighten the mood. Haley let out a chuckle and took another sip of coffee, letting the warming liquid slip down her throat.
"I know I've been weird for the last few weeks Luke, I'm sorry, things have just been so screwed up lately" Haley tried to explain. Lucas shook his head, brushing off her apology.
"None of this was your fault Hales" Lucas said, his eyes searching hers in concern. "Do you understand me? Nathan and his shit are not your problem anymore." Haley rested her chin on her hand, her elbow leaning on the table. She spoke quietly, her eyes staring out the window aimlessly.
"I don't know what to do anymore. Everything just spun out of control after everyone found out about the steroids, Nathan got so angry and I didn't know how to help him." She stopped and then met Lucas's gaze "I started believing that I was the only one he had left, so I just went along with him whenever he got drunk or partied, it wasn't me at all but I still did it." She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Looking back on the last month or so she didn't even recognize the person she had become. "The thing I regret most is how I treated you Luke, you tried to help but I just didn't want to hear it" Lucas nodded slightly and she could tell he was remembering that night at Cal Stevenson's house.
***flashback***
Since basketball had been cancelled most of the players had taken to partying even harder on the weekends. There must have been over 70 kids at the party, more than ¾ of whom Haley didn't recognize. She had been out on the back porch with Nathan, he was ranting about Dan and Deb's recent attempts at family therapy. He was so bitter and Haley was afraid he might do something stupid, especially considering the amount of alcohol in his system. Haley herself had had about 3 beers already, but she had the sense to get him outside, away from his friends who encouraged his reckless behavior. They started to kiss, and then things got fuzzy, most likely from the drinks she had had. Nathan's hands were moving too fast, she was trying to push him away gently but he wasn't listening. All of a sudden he was being ripped away from her. Haley looked around shocked and suddenly Lucas appeared out of no where. He reached for her arm, pulling her away from the porch railing.
"Are you okay?" Lucas asked, but Haley could barely hear him over the din from inside the house. "I'm getting you out of here" He told her and began to lead her towards the screen door. Haley pulled away and Lucas looked back at her confused.
"Let go of me" Haley told him. Lucas tightened his grip and stepped closer to her, his eyes a mix of concern and anger.
"Listen to me Haley, I don't know what's going on with you but I'm taking you home right now" He told her. Lucas again tried to lead her away again but she pulled out of his grasp. Lucas turned to say something but Nathan came at him, his right fist smashing into Lucas's jaw. Luke stumbled back, his hand nursing the wound while staring in shock at Haley.
"Stay away from her" Nathan hollered at Lucas. Lucas stood up, addressing Haley still.
"You have to come with me" Lucas said, his eyes still trained on her. Haley shook her head, her thoughts blurry.
"Leave me alone Lucas" She replied, stepping between Lucas and Nathan.
"Hales, please, you don't know what your doing" Lucas tried again, but Haley was feeling anger boiling up inside her. Who did he think he was, he was treating her like a fucking infant.
"Oh cut the crap, like you really care about poor little Haley James" She responded. "The only person you give a fuck about is your precious Peyton!" She let out a harsh laugh at this and Lucas stepped back, his eyes turned cold.
"Just be careful" He said, and with that Lucas turned, pushing his way through the crowd that had gathered to watch the fight. Haley watched his retreating form but was pulled away by Nathan's arms snaking around her waist. She turned and smiled at him.
"Let's go find someplace quieter" He whispered in her ear. Haley simply nodded and followed him towards his car.
***
"I didn't understand how bad things had gotten until that night" Lucas said. Haley glanced down at the smooth wooden table, embarrassed about how she had acted, of the things she had said.
"No one did, not even my parents" Haley said "They always trusted me, so whenever I came home at night they were usually already asleep. It wasn't until about two weeks later that my dad caught me coming home drunk. I've never seen them so disappointed" Haley's voice broke slightly and Lucas reached over and held her hand gently. He gave her one of his charming half grins and she couldn't help but smile back. He always knew how to pull her out of her slumps.
"Everyone screws up Hales, and contrary to popular belief, you don't have to be perfect" Lucas reminded her. Haley laughed at this and Luke did as well. He realized his coffee had gone cold by this point and Haley was swirling the dregs of hers as well. "Are we thinking a refill or should we call it a night?" He asked.
"A night I think, my parents want me home by 11" Haley said. They both slid from their seats, quickly gathering their mugs and cleaning them quickly in the sink. Lucas grabbed their coats from the backroom and they both headed out into the street, Haley quickly locking up the diner behind them. They joked and chatted on the way to Haley's house, slipping back into their comforting snarkish ways. When they reached her driveway they both stopped and Haley glanced up at Lucas, who was still smiling over her comment about the similarity between teeny boppers and communists.
"Thanks for tonight Luke, I think I really needed some low stress chill time" Haley said.
"Not a problem, I'm always here when you need me" He responded.
"Yeah, I guess you are, hmm, maybe I should keep you around after all" Haley retorted. They both grinned and suddenly Haley reached up and gave Lucas a quick hug.
"I missed having you around" She whispered in his ear, her eyes misting over for a second. She pulled away and gave him another smile before walking towards her porch. Lucas waited in the driveway until she was safely inside the house.
"I missed you too" He said softly. His eyes rested on the brightly lit house before him for a moment and then he turned and walked down the street towards home.