Okay, a note to all readers, sorry it's been slow right now. I just dumped my boyfriend, so it's been rough. I also got a new guy. M. He just got out of prison. It's really cool. We've been hanging together and going out, and ya'll know how new relationships are, you want to spend as much time with them as possible, and considering he's been in prison for a couple months, we've a lot of catching up. I appreciate your patience and here is the next chapter, enjoy!

Chapter 19- Renaissance

Haley looked at herself in the mirror, but saw someone who she wasn't. She was another face in the crowd. When had that happened? Her eyes, weren't hers anymore, they were some contact company's along with millions of other people. Her hair wasn't hers, she was a beautiful brunette. Her voice wasn't even hers anymore. Nobody she knew recognized her. She was still the same person on the inside, right? She laid down in bed and pondered those thoughts the whole night.

In the morning she awoke still tired, but with a clear view of what she wanted, and what she would get. She looked at her watch, eight, she should call Nathan and see how Nate is She picked up her cell and dialed the familiar number.

"Hello?" a groggy voice came from the other end, after like the sixth ring.

"Nathan."

"Hales," he said a bit more clearer.

"How's Nate?"

Nathan looked over on the other bed, "Asleep, not everyone gets up at 6:00 A.M. like you do."

"He should be up, and its 8:00 A.M. not 6:00 A.M."

"Well it feels like it, and leave him sleep, we had a long night."

"Really, doing what?"

"Male bonding."

"Okay, that's good."

"So where are you?"

Haley looked around, "Um, Tree Hill."

"You're not at are apartment, are you, well obviously not if you're still talking to me, don't go there, trust me, bad idea."

"Nathan, what did you do?"

"Nothing, its just messy, and that's not the way I wanted you to see it."

"Okay, I won't go there, and since I can't talk to Nate, tell him when he gots up that mommy loves him and misses him."

"Right, I will," Nathan said, shaking his head like, 'yea right I will.'

"Okay, I'll see you when I get back to New York."

"Bye Hales, I love you."

"Bye Nathan," she said and closed her phone. She sighed and looked at it. She really hoped that she hadn't said something stupid.

Nathan was getting out of bed and dressed in a hurry. He had called the airlines. They had a flight to Tree Hill in a half an hour. Nathan was going to be on the flight. He shook Nate awake. "Get up, rise and shine, get dressed, we're going to get mommy."

That woke Nate up who rushed to get clothes and get dressed. In fifteen minutes they checked out of the hotel and were in a cab on their way to the airport.

They had just barely made it to the last boarding call of the plane and were running, not like madman running, but fun running. Luckily they did make t he flight and they were safely on their way to Tree Hill.

Haley was getting dressed. She always started by putting her contacts in, but today, she didn't want to wear the ones that made her eyes that unemotional blue. She did remember, however, that she still had the original ones that she first got in her purse. She put those in and looked at her brown eyes. They were deep brown, like chocolate, and they looked good on her. She combed her curly mane, but didn't bother straitening it today. She pulled her favorite jeans out of her bag. They were low rise and a medium blue. A shirt, hmmm, an olive green wife beater, that fitted her form nicely. She had a matching belt for her jeans and dark green eye shadow. She always thought she looked best in green. Once she was finished getting dressed, down to her make-up, she grabbed her green jacket (like the one she wore on the show, it was purple, it fell off her shoulder, well its like that, only green) out of her bag and slipped on her shoes and walked out into the house.

Karen was in the kitchen making breakfast. She was making bacon and eggs and sausage.

"Mmmm, smells good in here," Haley said walking in. She wasn't worried about her voice anymore, and it showed.

Karen turned around, and smiled, "Thanks, its almost ready, grab a plate."

"Oh, I couldn't."

"I usually only cook for myself, it's a nice change to be able to cook for someone else, and not have to eat alone."

"Okay, thanks," Haley said, picking up a plate. She put it on the table as went to get a glass. Growing up Karen's house was just as much of her house as the one with the rest of her family, so she knew pretty well where everything was. She got a glass and filled it with orange juice. She sat down with Karen and ate breakfast, an actual breakfast, not a box of cereal, well she was the only civilized one who poured it in a bowl with milk, and ate with a spoon. The rest of them passed around the box or poured some on the table and ate with their hands, or poured it in a bag on their way out. "This is good," Haley said after a few bites, "You always were a great cook."

"Thanks, Haley." Karen smiled.

Their plane just landed and Nathan and Nate collected their bags. "Dude, you ready," Nathan said to Nate.

"Um, yea," Nate picked up his bag and they walked out of the airport to a whole wave of fresh air. "What's that smell?" Nate asked.

"Fresh air, dude, get used to it, Tree Hill's filled with it."

"Tree Hill? This is a hill with a tree?"

"No dude, it's just the name," Nathan chuckled.

"Why are we here?"

"Cause it's where your mom is."

"And how exactly do you plan to find her?"

"This isn't New York, dude, it's Tree Hill, not hard, I'll start with Karen's, then the dock, then the high school, all her usual places."

"If you say so."

"I do, maybe later we can swing by river court."

"River court?"

"A basketball court by the river."

"Oh."

"Oh," Nathan mocked.

"Not funny."

"Of course not," Nathan said smiling.

Haley had long finished breakfast and was wondering around the town. She saw the high school in all its glory. She had enjoyed her short time there, for the most part. She walked up to the front door and went in. Of course it would be open, It was a Sunday, they used the school for church and other things. She walked along the cold hallways. They were cold, and she held her jacket closer to her body. She had remembered those hallways, they were still the same. She knew Mr. Peterson's room, or what was his room, was to her left, room 309, history. Coming up on her right was Mrs. Stewart for government, room 310. Then the classroom after hers on the right was Ms. Hansen. Ms. Hansen taught world history, in room 311. Being a student aide for so many years had its perks, and knowing all the teachers by heart was just one of them. She also knew most of those teachers were probably not there, like Ms. Hansen, she was pretty old when she had her freshman year, and she was out for quite a while with health problems, yet she returned every fall. She probably retired, or worse, died by now. She turned to the next hallway. The gym hallway. She was fortunate to only have gym for a semester junior year, and not more. She looked into the trophy cases lining the hallways at any new developments, anyone break Dan's record, she doubted it, but looked anyway. Sure enough, someone had. Not just anyone though, Nathan. Nathan had beat his father's record. He'd only tired it once before, and had failed, due to passing out from dehydration. That was a devastating night. The next year he obviously went for it and did it. Good for Nathan. She saw a lot of trophies in there with his name on it, like state champions. He had led his team to become state champions. Haley pondered that thought. All of his major basketball developments, she wasn't there. What if she had come back senior year, would he still have done that. Maybe, since she didn't think she'd have Nate. What if she didn't come back, but called him from New York and told him that she wasn't coming back and that he had a son. Would that have ruined his game. Would he have come to New York to find her? She touched the case longingly.

"I think we should start with the high school, that way I can show you what a good basketball player I was in high school. What kind of basketball player you have the potential to be."

"You played ball in high school?"

"Yes I did, I'll show you come on," Nathan said taking the boy's hand. Nothing was far in Tree Hill, so they walked (forget about their luggage, it magically went to Deb's house).

They walked to the high school and went in the gym doors. Thankfully church wasn't in session. Nathan showed Nate his jersey on the wall, next to Royal's Lucas', Dan's, Keith's, Tim's, and Jake's. Five were Scotts.

"Look at that," Nathan pointed to the wall, "Basketball's in your blood. There's my grandpa Royal's jersey up there, and my dad, Dan Scott, one of the best Whitey, our coach had ever taught, my uncle Keith, my brother Lucas, and some guys on our team, Jake and Tim, fine players. Look how the Scott name is proudly hung on the wall," Nathan said, "and I hope one day, your jersey will be just as proud up there, if your mother ever lets you play ball for Tree Hill, that is."

Haley heard people talking in the gym. She opened the door and looked in and saw them. "Nate!" Nate looked up.

"Mommy!" he called and ran across the gym to hug her. Nathan looked up and saw her, his eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head at the way she looked. Haley picked up Nate and hugged him.

"I missed you, did you have fun with daddy?"

"He told me I will play basketball here and get my jersey hung proudly on the wall, like his, and his daddy, and his daddy's daddy, and his daddy's brother, and his brother."

"Yea, basketball's been in the Scott family a long time."

"Really?"

"Yes sir, and you're no different to that, you're a natural, it's in your blood, of course, if you suck when you get older, it's the James blood in ya, and its in me too, bud, so don't feel bad," she smiled and put him down and walked over to Nathan. "I'm sorry I went all weird on you."

"It's okay."

"No, you went through a lot to plan it and I totally went all girl on you."

"Yea, but that's what I love about you, plus it gave me and Nate a chance to bond, which totally rocked." Haley smiled at that. "And it seems Tree Hill's done you good, you're eyes are their original beauty and you look totally, head to toe, hott."

"Well thank you."

"No thank you."

"For what?"

"My life back."