Chapter 10: Because I Love You

A/N: Thank you all for the reviews. Please keep reviewing. The story is to it's end, but yet another one is coming. An AU Naley, with Brucas, and more Jeyton then I've been doing. What do you think: Nathan and Haley are best friends that used to date. They're friendship goes through some tough times when her boyfriend and her have problems, and when she goes to Nathan, his girlfriend tells him to choose. A friendship and..maybe a blooming relationship for Naley.

Background Information: 2 days after the previous chapter. Haley has now returned home, and Brooke has agreed to watch the kids so Nathan and Haley can finally have the long-awaited talk.

"Hey," Nathan said walking into the bedroom.

"Hey," Haley whispered.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

Haley nodded.

"The baby isn't mine," Nathan said looking at Haley, who immediately started to tear up. "I knew it wasn't, Hales. I just…I wanted to get tested. I wasn't about to let her start suing me because of her crazy mind. Haley, I would never cheat on you. I love you with my whole heart and soul. You're everything to me, and I wouldn't risk our marriage for a fling."

"I wouldn't either, Nathan," Haley spat.

Nathan sighed, "I know. And I'm sorry for that, too. It's just. Hales-you and Lucas are in a bed, you're sleeping and all crawled up on him. What do you think I would think?"

Haley started laughing.

"Haley-what's so…why are you laughing?" Nathan questioned.

"Me and Lucas!" Haley said.

At that point, Nathan started laughing, too.

After a while Nathan and Haley finally calmed down.

"Nate-let me talk," Haley stated. "I'm sorry for a whole lot of things right now. For kicking you out. For making you think Lucas and I had an affair. For putting you through everything I've put you through. And…"

"Haley," Nathan cut her off, "If roles were reversed, I'd be mad, and I'm not sure if I would've kicked you out or not, but I know I wouldn't be thrilled. Even though I trust you, there would be a little voice in my head saying, "the tour," and in your head, it was the "before we got together he was the player of the school. But I'm not anymore, Hales. Ever since you, it's only been you. And I promise you-that it will only be you until I die."

"I'm sorry, Nathan," Haley said sobbing.

"Hey-hey, Haley-please don't cry," Nathan said gathering his sobbing wife into his arms. "I can't have you stressed like that again. I wouldn't know what to do if I lost you," Nathan said, tearing up, realizing that he almost lost his wife and unborn daughter.

"What?" Haley asked, actually it came our more like a sob.

"I almost lost you," he whispered tightening his grip on her.

"You didn't," she tried to soothe him.

"And you wouldn't have known the truth. I never got to tell you that I loved you," Nathan said getting angry with himself, yet again.

"Nate, Luke told me what happened at the hospital," Haley whispered.

Nathan looked right up into her eyes, and nodded.

"Nate, if something were to happen to me…you need to know that I love you. No matter what. No matter what we go through- I love you. And even though we were in one of the biggest fights of our relationship- I knew you loved me, and I knew you'd be there when I woke up."

"I love you," Nathan whispered.

"I love you, too," Haley whispered back, cuddling into her husband and falling asleep.

"So what happened with your parents?" Jenny asked Michelle as she walked around looking at Clarissa's CDS.

"Who knows?" Michelle sighed, "Knowing my parents, they're making out like teenagers," she giggled.

"So they're not getting divorced?" Jenny asked.

"I don't think so, Jen. You know my parents. My dad didn't get that woman pregnant, the test came back, and Uncle Luke and my mom would never sleep together," Michelle concluded.

"You know..it would be totally gross if your dad, (Jen pointed to Clarissa) got your mom (she pointed to Michelle) pregnant. You two would be like sisters, but cousins," Jen tried to make sense of it.

"This town is crazy!" Clarissa fell on her bed dramatically. "The saddest thing is we're a bunch of 9 and 10 year olds who know all about sex!"

Jenny and Michelle laughed.

"I can't believe how messed up the family is, though," Michelle said thinking.

"Hey-it's you guys family," Jenny said putting her hands up as if she was surrendering.

"You're family Jen," Michelle said.

"You're just lucky you're not blood," Clarissa added making Jenny and Michelle laugh.

"I know, last year, since Clarissa and I were cousins, we had to learn our family history. A lot came out. Imagine two kids sitting there saying how our dads are brothers. They're three months apart. Our Grandpa Dan got Grandma Karen pregnant in senior year of high-school, that's Clarissa's grandma, and three months later, he got Grandma Deb pregnant, that's my grandma. Then, our dads grew up to hate each other, and they finally got along cause of my mom. My parents got married at 16, and my mom wasn't pregnant. And Clarissa's mom had her when she was 16, but her and her dad weren't dating because he cheated on her with her best friend," Michelle said.

Jenny burst out laughing, and Clarissa did a famous Brooke pout.

"Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was!" Clarissa exclaimed, making the girls laugh even more.

"How's everything, Clarissa?" Jenny asked after she calmed down, sympathetically.

Clarissa shrugged, "No hope. My mom's in love with my dad, but marrying Felix, and my dad is in love with my mom. But they won't get together. I hate it that they aren't together. I mean, I look at Uncle Nathan, Aunt Haley, Uncle Jake and Aunt Peyton, and they're so in love, and my parents could be that, but…they're too stubborn."

Clarissa started to get really upset, "I hate I'm never gonna have a brother or sister," she said, then instantly regretting it.

"Michelle's the only lucky one like that," Jenny said sadly.

"Do you hate it that Aunt Peyton isn't your real mom?" Michelle whispered.

"No. Because she is my mom in any way, shape or form. She raised me. I don't know Nikki. And I lucked out, I mean, I look like my dad. So, I guess…Nikki was evil, I know that. And…Peyt's my mom. I love her, just like she is," Jenny finished.

Up Next:

A videotape done by the family, for the two new members.

Nathan's Videotape

Then Haley's

I know this one wasn't long, but the next 2or 3 aren't going to be that longer either. 5 chapters left, including anepilogue