"Hales, your faucet's leaking. You might want to call the maintenance guy or a plumber", Lucas suggested.

It had been a few days since Lucas, Nathan and Brooke had moved in to the apartment a few floors down from Haley's. All had been going surprisingly well and the three spent most of their times upstairs with Haley and baby Lillian.

"No problem", she disappeared, returning a few minutes later lugging a toolbox.

Lucas laughed out loud.

"What are you going to do, fix it yourself?"

"As a matter of fact, yes", Haley said, spreading out her tools and rolling up her sleeves as she assumed the handyman position.

"You have got to be kidding me."

"It's easy", Haley shrugged. "Why call someone when you can do it yourself? Listen, all the faucets in this building are a compression type. All I have to do is shut off the water supply and tighten the screw."

"Sounds like you need a few of the screws in your head tightened", Brooke scoffed. "This is so not what famous rock stars do. J. Lo would never fix her faucet."

Haley laughed as she rolled her eyes.

"Quit your pissing and moaning and hand me the screwdriver, will you, Tigger?"

"Iiiieeeww", Brooke frowned as she picked it up with the tips of her forefinger and thumb, practically tossing it at her friend. "So gross."

"Brooke, for Christ's sake, that's an ice pick. Luke, Nathan, can someone help her out, please?"

The men could no longer stifle their laughter as they handed Brooke the correct tool.

"Hey!" she pouted. "You guys totally did that on purpose! Boyfriend, no sex for you tonight."

It was then Luke's turn to pout.

"Nathan made me do it."

But Nathan wasn't even paying the couple any attention. All his thoughts were focused on the cuffed jeans and burgundy painted toes that peeked out from underneath the sink. God, there was something sexy about a woman who could not only be a girlie girl, but when the time called for it, she knew how to roll up her sleeves and get down and dirty.

But Haley had always been like that. She'd always had a slight tomboy like element to her, even when they first met. And when they got married, she was always game for helping him complete the "manly" household chores…

It had been a good night…warm weather and Lucas, Mouth, Fergie, Skills, Tim and the rest of the guys had gathered down by the River Court for an impromptu basketball game. Nathan had kicked butt as usual and as much fun as he was having, declined an invitation for a second game. He had nothing to prove and furthermore, he had something none of the others had…a beautiful wife waiting for him at home. So amidst all the whistles and teasing and playful name calling of "bitch" and "pussy whipped motherfucker", he had taken it with a grin and a gain of salt as he made the walk back to the apartment. Humming some toothpaste jingle to himself, he entered their front door.

"Hales, I'm home", he called out.

"Nathan!"

Haley was frantic. Her face was flushed and tear stained. Her brown eyes were red rimmed and puffy. She came at him at 60 mph, arms flailing.

"Hales, what's wrong?" he asked concerned.

She could barely speak.

"You're gonna be so mad…"

"No, I won't. Babe, whatever it is, just tell me."

"I…I was washing dishes and…and…and, and my wedding ring slipped off and went down the drain."

She was damned near hysterical.

"It's okay", he said, rubbing her bare shoulders. "Hales, calm down. We'll call the maintenance guy in the morning. He can snake it out for us."

She shook her head. That wasn't good enough.

"No! It'll be too late! Nathan, I want it now! Sweetie, there is no way I am going to sleep without my wedding ring!"

Haley meant business and he knew it.

"Okay, okay", he said, trying to ease her mind.

He did the only thing he knew how. Growing up in Casa Scott he had never learned to get his hands dirty so he went for the next best thing. He got on the phone and called his uncle. With step by step directions, Keith, over the phone, walked them through opening the drain and fetching the ring. As long as he lived Nathan would never forget the happy look on her face when they retrieved it. It brought joy to his heart to know the symbol of their love meant so much to her.

"Think we should call him back to close it up?" Nathan asked her. "I don't know if I remember all his directions."

"It's easy. We're almost done anyway. All I have to do is tighten this nozzle and…"

A scream replaced her mid sentence as her hand slipped and water went everywhere.

"Hales, watch it! What are you doing?"

They put their hands up in a feeble effort to make it stop but not before the floor and their clothes were soaked. Breathless, they surveyed the mess around them and then each other. Simultaneously, they burst out laughing. It was a shared hearty, gut busting, side splitting laugh that left them with tears coming out of their eyes.

"Nice going, Little Miss Fix It", he teased.

"Me? You're the guy, you're supposed to know this stuff."

Nathan stood but his foot slipped on the slick floor and he tumbled forwards, making them laugh out loud all over again.

"I could have broken my neck and my wife is cracking up! Great, Hales", he grinned.

"I'm laughing because I can't believe I married such a dork."

"Yeah? Well, you're gonna help this dork mop up this mess."

"I'll think about it", she teased.

"Think about it", he grabbed her to her delight as he tried to scoop her up. "If you don't help me, I'm gonna throw you across this room like a three pointer, Mrs. Scott."

"Nathan, stop!" she squealed. "Don't you dare!"

They play wrestled until they fell down, Nathan on top. The laughter quickly subsided as their faces were mere inches apart. Their eyes were locked.

"Hales…"

"What?" she smiled.

He placed a strand of wet hair behind her ear.

"Nothing…you're just so…you're so beautiful."

Haley blushed.

"Stop it, Nathan. You're embarrassing me."

She smiled, sitting up and he noticed for the first time that her shirt was plastered to her body. Hard nipples poked out from the flimsy, damp material.

"You have any idea how hot you are when you're wet?" he breathed.

His eyes had turned a darker blue, clouded over by pure lust.

"Why don't you take me to the bedroom and uh, I'll show you just how wet I can get", she licked her lips.

He needed no further convincing. In one motion they were up, lips pressed passionately together, her arms around Nathan, feet barely dragging the floor as they stumbled back to their room. Her moans intensified as he hungrily nipped her neck and it was evident their passion wouldn't make it a few more seconds and a few feet away.

They made it as far as the bathroom and he threw her onto the sink. Her Carpi pants were practically ripped off as she tugged furiously at his shirt. His basketball shorts and boxers made it to his ankles as he pushed her moist panties aside and thrust into her. Haley gasped, then groaned, digging her nails into him. For added pleasure, they turned on the bathroom faucet, splashing even more cold water onto their heated bodies as they made love feverishly. Who knew plumbing could be so fun?

"…Hel-lo. Earth to Nathan", Haley called out again.

"Huh?" he said, snapped out of dream and flashback mode.

"You okay? I called your name like fifty times. I said, can you please hand me that monkey wrench? It's over on the table behind you."

"Oh yeah…sure."

Nathan stood but realized his movements were somewhat impaired. Looking down, he realized he had a full erection.

"Nate, you alright, man?" Lucas asked.

"What? Oh yeah. I'm fine. I, uh…I just realized I um, I have to go. I have this pain in my…stomach, yeah that's it."

"Can you at least hand over the wrench?" Haley asked again.

"Sorry, I have to go. It hurts really bad", he doubled over.

Haley slid out from underneath the sink.

"Okay but uh, why are you taking Lillian's diaper bag?" Haley asked, all eyes looking towards the bag that inconspicuously covering his crotch and mid section.

"Oh because, um, well…if, I mean when you come down later with the baby, you'll need it to change her diaper, right?"

"Okkkaaaayyyy…"

"Gotta go. I'll check you guys later."

Nathan dashed from the apartment to the puzzled look of three sets of eyes. On his way out, closing the door, he ran smack dab into what he thought was the wall. No such luck. It was the lanky frame of none other than Chris Keller.

"Well, if it isn't the Great White Hope", Chris quipped. "Nice purse by the way."

It took all Nathan had not to punch his lights out right there. If there was any cure for an impromptu woody, it would be the unexpected entrance of one Chris Keller. But Nathan did nothing. There wasn't much he could do except sulk as the man he had hated for years, the man he blamed losing everything on, walked into the apartment to visit his ex wife and daughter.

It didn't matter how much he had helped Haley over the years or how he had taken care of Lillian. Nathan saw red whenever they were in the same vicinity. Chris Keller was poison and Nathan's soul would never rest as long as the wannabe rock god with the quick smirk and even quicker tongue was lurking around.