"Nathan…"

He had made his way to that room with a purpose but now standing in front of her, looking into those soft, chocolate eyes, smelling her sweet perfume and being one on one without the intrusive presence of Dan, Deb, Megan and a bunch of attorneys, was throwing off his concentration. It unnerved him. He didn't feel like the cool, cocky guy with the snide comments and quick comebacks.

"What? I was just looking to score an autograph."

He stood before her with the iciness and menacing tone of his father. It hurt her. It hurt her because she knew Nathan was better than that. She had seen him be better than that.

"Nathan, just stop it. Please."

"What? No time for fans? How selfish of you but that shouldn't surprise me, now should it, Rock Star?"

Face to face the tension and emotion level was high.

"Everything alright back here?"

Saved by the bell, so to speak. Lucas.

"Everything's fine", Haley said softly.

"Yeah", Nathan repeated coldly. "Everything is fine. Just wanted the Rock Star's John Hancock but you know how divas are, Luke. Right now it's a 'no sign, no photo' zone."

"Nate…"

"It's cool. I can dig it. Besides, in a few days, I get the only autograph that counts anyway. A signature on my divorce papers."

"Dude, Megan is waiting for you out front. I think she's ready to go."

Nathan continued staring more at Haley before nodding.

"Alright. I'll check you later, bro. And as for you", he turned to Haley. "Just make sure your ass doesn't miss that plane next week."

Haley was silent as he walked out of the door. Only then did she collapse onto a nearby chair, not realizing just how weak her knees had actually been.

"You okay?" Lucas finally asked when his brother was out of sight.

"Yeah", she nodded.

"Hales, I'm sorry about that…

"I should be used to it, huh?"

"It's just his way. That's the Dan Scott in him, I guess."

"Well, this will be all over in a few days and I can't wait."

"I know. Look, I know why you came back here and I just wanted to thank you. You did a good thing."

"Really? Well, sorry if your praise doesn't mean a whole hell of a lot right now. Being here had been the nightmare I imagined it would be."

"I know it's been hard for you, Hales but…"

"But what? No, Lucas. You don't know shit so don't even pretend like you do."

"Haley…"

"No. Let me finish. It's my turn to talk. I've been silent long enough. Ever since I set foot back in this godforsaken town, hell, the past six and a half years even! I get shit from you and Brooke and the Scotts and just everyone, including my husband, who absolutely hates my guts, by the way!"

"You left, Hales. You hurt a lot of people. A lot of people didn't understand your decision and you didn't bother sticking around or coming back for that matter, to even try explaining it."

"I left for a dream, Lucas! A dream. You remember what that is? Let me refresh your memory. When you were a kid bouncing that basketball around on the River Court with Skills and Fergie. The feeling you felt when you sank that ball in the hoop. The joy, the love, the thrill of the game…that few seconds of glory you had knowing that game was one thing you were better at than almost everybody else. I know you know that feeling, Luke. Then you got to play for the Ravens, then college and now you're a pro. Your dreams have come true and it feels good. Know how I know? Because I watch you play on TV sometimes and I look in your face and I still see that same little kid at the River Court. That was your dream and what you saw tonight, well, that was mine. That's what I'm good at, that's what I love. I had the once in a lifetime opportunity to go for it when I was just 16 and I went for it. I made it and I love it and I'm happy but at what cost? I lost a lot! I lost my husband! I have to deal with that every damned day of my life! Everyone talks about some choice, what choice? I didn't choose music over Nathan and I sure as hell didn't choose Chris over him."

"Then why didn't you come back?"

"You see him now…the way he is, the way he talks to me. He is a bitter, evil, carbon copy of that miserable bastard you two call a father. Every night I called Nathan from the road, sometimes several times a day. I'd check in and let him know what I was doing. I wanted to see how he was doing. What good was the music thing if I couldn't share it with the one person I loved most? But I couldn't share it with Nathan because he wouldn't let me. He was so hurt and so angry and so selfish that it ruined everything! We couldn't be together anymore, we couldn't even have a decent conversation. I lost him! He pulled away and sunk deeper into that wretched, dejected shell of a human being he has become. What was I supposed to do, Lucas?"

The frustration in not being able to defend herself after so much time was finally expressed in the angry tears spilling down her flushed cheeks.

"He couldn't deal with the hurt, Hales", Lucas spoke softly after a minute or so of silence. "Nathan just could not deal with it…and neither could I."

"What?"

"Before you left, before Nathan even, it was always you and me, Haley. Frick and Frack, Yin and Yang. You were my little Buddy, my best friend. I loved you like a little sister. No matter what, I always thought we would have that bond, that connection. I thought it was sacred."

"It was", she whispered.

"Was it? Because you just didn't leave Nathan. You left everyone. You left me, Haley. You left without even saying good bye."

"I'm sorry", she said.

"Do you know how bad that was? It was like a slap in the face."

"It happened so fast. There was no time, Luke. I know that's a lame excuse but it was like stepping into a different world. By the time things semi calmed down, Nathan and I were having the arguments. Eventually he stopped calling me and taking my calls. The next thing I know, I'm being served with annulment papers. Just like that, it was over. I know I hurt him. I know he was angry. I also know my name was mud in this town. Whether you wanted to or even admit it, in a way everybody left behind sort of had to take sides. And I know I looked bad. Nathan was the victim and Haley was the selfish little bitch who ran off with Chris Keller. That's how it looked but that wasn't the case."

"Hales…"

"I wish we would have stayed in touch. So many times I wanted to pick up the phone and call you."

"Why didn't you? What stopped you?"

"I don't know. I didn't want to make it harder than it was. I didn't want to put you in an even more difficult position with Nathan. And when we did talk, it was weird and tense and awkward and uncomfortable. It just wasn't us. That killed me, Lucas. But I never stopped thinking about you. Or missing you or loving you."

Her voice trailed off into heart wrenching sobs as Lucas cradled her. She tried to resist but he wouldn't let her. If she attempted to pull away, he held her even harder. Eventually she succumbed, almost delighting in the once familiar feel of his warm, strong, brotherly embrace.

"It's okay, Hales…"

"I'm sorry, Luke! I'm so sorry! What am I supposed to do? Everyone hates me! No one understands! Maybe I made mistakes but do I have to be punished for them for the rest of my life?"

"It's okay", he whispered again. "It's going to be okay. We don't hate you. No one hates you, Hales. You always had Mom and Peyton. And you know how Brooke is. And Nathan? He's just hurt. That's him. That's how he reacts. It's how he deals but by you coming here…you did the right thing. For so long, so many years, his heart and soul have been in torment. You've come to set him free and that's what he needs. Once he is released and he's free, he can move on and be with Megan and have peace. With that peace, one day will come understanding and forgiveness. I promise."

"What about you?" she sniffled. "Are you at peace, Lucas? Do you finally understand and can you forgive me?"

Lucas brushed a stray strand of hair from her face.

"I forgave you a long time ago, Hales. I love you. You'll always be my little Buddy. I mean that. You'll always have me. Deep down, you always did."

She wiped her eyes and held him for a long time.

"I missed you, Luke."

"Ditto", he smiled.

"What do you say we get out of here and talk? I mean, really talk and not about Nathan. Let's catch up. Six and a half years is a long time", she smiled through tears.

He held her hand and nodded.

"You're right", he sighed. "And you know what? I know just the place…"