Haley frowned as she heard the commotion. Even from the elevator it was hard to ignore the ruckus being created by the hotel staff and presumably some disgruntled patron. Shaking her head, she opened the door to her home for the night. The city was Phoenix where they would perform a show the next night after flying in and performing in Denver the previous night. As much as she loved touring and singing live for the fans, she had forgotten how exhausting the schedule could be.

"Excuse me. Ms. James?"

Haley turned in the direction of hotel security running towards her.

"Yes? I'm Haley James. Can I help you?"

"Yes ma'am. So sorry to bother you but I just wanted to alert you in case you plan on leaving the hotel anytime soon…"

"Alert me? About what?"

"Well, there seems to be a rather disturbed young woman in the lobby who insists she is your sister. As policy, the hotel cannot distribute guest's information and we particularly like to protect the privacy of visitor's with the stature of you and Mr. Keller. When the lady, and I do use that term loosely, was denied access to your room, she became very belligerent and aggressive. The local police are on their way. Until the situation is contained, it is recommended that you remain safe in your room as to not further agitate the situation."

"Well, that's a first", Haley breathed uncomfortably. "Thanks for the lookout, sir."

"No problem and we apologize for the inconvenience. I assure you the proper authorities will deal with this Taylor person", he shook his head. "I swear. Just because someone has an ID with the last name as yours, they try to pull that 'she's my sister' trick. I've seen it a million and one times. You should see the teenage girls around here whenever those Backstreet Boys come to town."

Haley froze. Confusion. Public disturbance. Sister. Taylor. She cringed. Unfortunately, all those went hand in hand and painted a very frightening yet sadly too familiar picture.

"Um, sir, on second thought, if it's possible, can I get a look at that woman."

"Sure, Ms. James", he led her to the lobby. "Just stay behind me. We don't want her to see you and make a bad situation worse."

Haley peered around the corner and her fears were confirmed. There was Taylor arguing and cursing with several staff members of the hotel and a few policemen.

"This is bullshit! Screw you, man! Take me to jail! I don't give a damn! When my sister finds out about this…"

The cops slapped a pair of cuffs around her wrists as Haley stepped forward.

"Ms. James…"

"Baby sis! Finally! Thank God! Will you tell these assholes who I am?"

Haley sighed.

"It's okay, guys. Um, you can let her go. She is who she says she is. That's Taylor James and she's my sister…unfortunately."

They released her at once.

"Ms. James, we apologize…"

"It's okay."

"Okay?" Taylor scoffed. "Whatever. I've been trying to tell these jerks for the last 20 minutes and they try to cart me off to jail. You're just lucky that a few of you pigs are cute and also that I happen to be a fan of handcuffs or else I would so totally sue all you…"

"Everything's okay", Haley said, walking away and dragging her older sister with her. "I apologize for the commotion and I assure you all it won't happen again."

Once behind closed and locked doors, Haley, furious, folded her arms, waiting for some sort of explanation.

"Well…"

"Well what? What a bunch of pricks out there!"

"And I'm sure you were totally innocent in all of it", Haley rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here, Tay? I thought you were in Florida."

"Oh. That was so last month. Things changed. Anyway, I was on my way to L.A. and I talked to Mom and Dad and I heard about that whole tsunami shit and everything that happened in the Dominican Republic."

"Yeah…who hasn't?"

"So it's all true, huh? You almost died and Nathan saved your life and you two were shacked up in a little mud hut for days."

"Yes and it sucked and I really don't feel like discussing that with you right now."

"How romantic!"

"Oh it was just dreamy, Tay. Almost dying, getting hurt, watching other people get swept away, being stranded and surviving on nothing but coconuts…oh yeah it was simply idealistic."

"Okay, okay. Sarcasm not needed, Hay. When you put it that way…"

"Look, what do you want? Is it money this time?"

"Now why would you say something like that?"

"Because that's usually what it's about with you."

"I am totally offended but since you brought it up…I am a little low on funds right now. I could use a loan."

"How much?"

"A couple of grand."

Haley laughed out loud.

"Are you kidding me? Taylor, you are 26 years old and after all these years, you still don't have your shit together. Maybe it was cute when we were younger but this is getting a little old, don't you think?"

"Come on, Haley bub. I'll pay you back."

"Pay me back? With what?"

"You know I'm good for it."

"All you're good for, all you've ever been good for is showing up and starting trouble. You're nothing but trouble, Taylor. I'm going to give you three hundred bucks and that should be enough to get you to Wichita."

"Wichita?"

"Yes, you heard me. Wichita. That's where Mom and Dad are."

"Screw that. I'm not going."

"You don't have a choice. Take it or leave it."

"Fine", Taylor pulled her Ace card. "You don't give me the cash? I'll just hitchhike to California. And when I get there, I guess I'll just go back to stripping to pay the rent."

Guilt. Ha! Guilt always worked on her gullible sibling.

"I'm not falling for it this time, Tay. I'm done. We've been going through this crap for years and I'm tired. You are so desperate, it's pathetic. It's time for a little tough love. Maybe if you fall on your face a few times and everybody quits bailing you out all the time, then maybe you'll learn a lesson. Grow up and get a freaking real job!"

Taylor rolled her eyes at the unexpected roadblock. She was down but definitely not defeated.

"A real job, huh? That's cute, baby sis. But you know what? I might not need one. I bet if I go to the papers or those pesky tabloids that have been hunting me down and told them the whole sordid, dramatic story of you and number 23…well, the pay check from that might keep me afloat for a couple of months."

Haley stopped dead in her tracks.

"You wouldn't."

"I wouldn't? I'm pretty desperate, remember? Want to try me?"

"You know after all I've done for you over the years, I cannot believe you would be the evil, conniving, scandalous little bitch to stab me in the back like that."

"At least I'm not the evil, conniving, scandalous bitch sleeping with another woman's fiancé."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You and a certain ex husband getting it on in the Dominican Republic in your little love shack thinking you were in your final days and no one would ever find out."

"What?" Haley asked wide eyed. "Tay! How…how did you know? Oh my God! Who told you?"

Taylor shook her head as she laughed.

"Still naïve and completely clueless even after all these years. You just told me, little sis."

Haley closed her eyes. She had fallen for the oldest trick in the book. She had just ratted herself out. And Taylor was a dangerous and unpredictable source.

"Nice work, Tay. I guess you win again, huh?"

"I always do", she smiled. "Me and Mighty Mouse."

Haley grabbed her checkbook and a pen, hurriedly filling out the information.

"Here", she threw a check at her sister. "Happy now? Just take your money and get the hell out of my life."

Taylor inspected it, then smiled when she saw a figure of 25 hundred dollars.

"Thank you very much."

"Get out!"

"Gladly", Taylor said as opened the door to leave. "Just one more thing before I go…"

"What?"

"Answer me one question. How does it feel?"

"How does what feel?" Haley asked, annoyed.

"All of it? How did it feel to get caught up in the heat of the moment and fuck Nathan's brains out? How does it feel to know that now it's all over and you two did live, that he's back with her? How does it feel to know that in two days he's going to marry her?"

Haley shook her head.

"You are an evil, spiteful, disturbed person."

"Maybe so but at least I'm happy. I go for what I want. Moving around makes me happy and when I'm broke, I come to you. Because you have money, sister dear, and it's what I want and need so I go after that using any means necessary."

"And you're proud of that?"

"Why not? See, that's the difference between you and me, Haley. I'm the go getter of the family. You know, I actually respected you when you first went after this whole music dream. It showed some balls for you to do something for you and not give a shit about what everyone else wanted or thought. What happened to that girl? Because right now there is something you want more than anything and that's Nathan."

"You don't know what you're talking about…"

"Cut the act. It's me, Hay. I know you. Mom always says the eyes never lie and I see it written all over your face. I see it in your eyes."

"You got your money. Just get out, Taylor."

"Fine. I'm going. But just remember what I said. I know you love Nathan. You lost him once. Don't lose him again because this time it might be forever."

Haley laughed bitterly.

"What do you want me to do, Tay? Suppose you're right. What? Am I supposed to go to Tree Hill and when the minister asks the guests to 'speak now or forever hold your peace', you want me to blurt out that Nathan and I screwed each other's brains out when we were stranded and oh by the way, I still love him."

"Yeah", Taylor shrugged. "That's exactly what you do."

"You're being ridiculous."

"No, Hay. You're being ridiculous. Yeah you have the career you always wanted but does it really make you happy? Because you don't look happy right now and I have a feeling that has to do with more than me being here. At the end of the day, when everything is said and done, do those gold records and Grammys keep you warm at night?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because someone needs to. Contrary to popular belief, I am not evil little bitch everyone seems to think I am…well, at least not all of the time. But I do love you, Haley. No matter what, you're still my sister. I have the life I thought I wanted but I have no one to share it with. Just don't make the same mistakes I did."

Haley sighed as she watched her big sister leave. She loved Nathan, so what? She wanted to be with him. She didn't want him to marry Megan Powell in 48 hours. But did it matter what she wanted? It would take two, which meant Nathan Scott would have some sort of say in the matter. And he's had a chance to say something that final day in Santa Domingo when she handed him the signed divorce briefs. He could have stopped her, said something then. But he hadn't. He had spoken his final peace in the hut when he had spent hours yelling at her. He had done a good job of letting her know just how angry he was, how much she had hurt and betrayed him and ruined his life. So it no longer mattered if she did love him. Obviously he didn't love her. What she thought might have been a hint of some sort of feeling was just a mistaken emotion as two food and water starved, delirious castaways engaged in what they thought was the final act of raw passion in the final moments of their lives. That had been their last chance…and it had already passed.