Brooke smiled as she saw the tall figure partially bent over. What a sight it was, she cocked her head to one side. Stepping in closer for a better look she saw the concentration plastered on his handsome face as the brows over his blue eyes wrinkled. There was no greater sight than a handsome man, hard at work with the sweat glistening from his chiseled body to prove it.

"Hey, Stud. Thought I might find you out here."

Nathan looked up from underneath the hood of the car, black grease covering his calloused hands.

"What's up?"

"Nothing much", she shrugged, passing him a steaming hot mug.

"Coffee?"

"Hot green tea, actually."

Nathan frowned.

"Tea is for pansies. Coffee is a man's drink."

Brooke playfully rolled her eyes.

"Oh Mr. Lee, you are such a caveman. The tea is good. Drink up. You just might like it."

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of", he muttered as he took a careful sip. "And I thought tea was supposed to be brown?"

Brooke just giggled as she shook her head and ignored him.

"So what are you doing out here?"

"Changing Mom's oil. And she said the RPM was making a funny ticking sound when it starts so I promised her I'd check it out."

"And Nathan Lee never breaks a promise…does he?"

Nathan smiled.

"No. And especially not to my mother."

Brooke nodded.

"Can I help?"

"Somebody sounds real bored", he teased.

"Nate!" she protested and stamped her tiny foot.

"What? Just kidding. Anyway, I'm almost done but if you really want to help, you could hand me that wrench over there."

"If you insist" she stuck her tongue out in brat mode.

Six months ago Brooke Davis would not have been able to tell the difference between a screw driver and a wrench. She'd come along way in her handiness.

"It looks like there might be a hole in her air hose", he said, pointing to the problem. "See that?"

"Yeah", Brooke nodded. "Right there. That can mess up the air to fuel ratio. That's probably what's making that noise Deb was complaining about."

Nathan folded his arms.

"I'm impressed."

She blushed.

"What can I say? I'm a fast learner and I was taught by the best."

"Thank you. Thank you very much."

She playfully swatted his arm.

"I meant Daytona."

They were in a total joking mood but the mood quickly changed and Nathan's smile faded as the name was brought up.

"Brooke…"

"Sorry", she said meekly. "I totally just put my whole foot in my mouth. I didn't mean to…"

"It's okay", he sighed. "It's cool."

"No, it's not. Obviously you're upset…"

"I'm not upset, Brooke."

"Nathan…"

"Just drop it, will you?" he said, the agitation coming clearly across in his voice.

The hurt was evident in her eyes as she backed up and walked away, giving her friend the space he needed. Immediately Nathan felt awful.

"Brooke, hey, I'm sorry, alright? Just, look, will you come back? Please? I…I don't want you to go."

She stopped and turned before slowly walking back to him.

"It's my fault. I guess bringing up 'she who should not be named' wasn't the brightest idea. Sorry."

"It's okay. I mean, it's not a bad thing or at least I don't want to think of Daytona like that."

"Is she still pissed at you?"

He shrugged.

"Yeah although she totally denies it. But could you really blame her?"

"She's just hurting right now. It will pass and so will the anger…eventually."

"I hope so. She's such a good person and she's such a good friend. I really care about that girl. I hate that she's mad at me. I was such a dick…"

"You weren't a dick, Nathan."

"But I left her."

"You did what you had to do for yourself."

"And you don't think that's wrong?"

"No."

"A little selfish, maybe?"

"No", Brooke answered. "Look, you're a good guy, a hell of a lot better than most, that's for sure. It's obvious you love Daytona but sometimes love isn't enough. You weren't happy. There were things Nathan had to do for Nathan and I totally understand and respect that. It's nothing wrong with taking care of yourself first."

"I just needed to get away from all of it."

"I'm glad you did. It was the right thing. If you're not happy with yourself, then how can you make someone else happy. Your life needed a change and only you could do that. You took control. I'm proud of you."

He smiled faintly.

"Thanks, Brooke. That means a lot."

"And I'm glad you stayed. I like hanging out with you. You're pretty cool."

"Yeah? Well, you're not so bad yourself."

"Duh! I know. Let's see…I'm beautiful and smart and charming and totally witty. You'd be a damned fool to leave all this."

Nathan laughed at her joke.

"You got me. I stayed because I just couldn't bear to part with you, Brooke."

"Whatever with the flattery, Lee", she rolled her eyes. "But seriously. What did make you stay? Did you just need a break, was it the actual race, was it your Mom…what?"

"All of the above and more", he sighed.

Brooke's lips curled into a mischievous smile.

"Care to elaborate on the more part?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Let me think about that…uh, no! Spill!"

"It's…"

"Come on. Don't be shy. You can tell me. You can trust me."

"I know", he answered softly. "I know I can and that's why you're the only person I'm telling this to. Brooke, as much as I love Cooper's business and cars and racing and having my own life in South Carolina and being with Daytona…well, none of that will ever compare to how much I love Haley."

He'd said it. There it was and it wasn't so bad. Nathan could actually breathe again.

"Wow."

"Yeah, wow. Look, you must think I'm a total jackass for hurting Daytona and then wanting my own brother's soon to be ex wife…"

"No. No, I don't. I'm familiar with the whole sordid back story of your little love triangle. I also know what Lucas did back then and it wasn't cool."

"It's over now."

"Yeah and he's trying to make an effort to change."

"I hope so. I want Luke to be happy, just like I want Hales to be happy."

"And who's gonna make Nathan happy?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Nate, you walk around worried about and taking care of everyone else but yourself. Deb has to be happy and Lucas and me and Haley and the customers at the Den. That's all fine and good but when is your turn?"

He shrugged and looked sad.

"I don't know."

Brooke smiled.

"Well, I do", she looked down at her wristwatch. "I'd say Nathan Lee's happiness starts, oh right about now."

"What do you mean?"

"You love Haley and you've loved her for years. Now it's time to do something about it."

"It's more complicated than that. Look, what she's been through. She's not ready yet."

"Jesus, Nate! I didn't say propose marriage tonight. But make your move. Spend time with her, talk to her, be her friend…"

"I am her friend. I love hanging out with her. We've always hung out. But when you make it sound like that, I don't know…I feel all weird."

"Oh. That's so adorable! You're nervous!"

"Brooke, come on…"

"What? You're a nice guy and you're a total hottie. And hello, you've already got one up…you're her best friend! Don't you think she could feel the same way about you?"

"Maybe. I don't know. It might be too late. But…"

"But what?"

Nathan took a deep breath.

"I heard her."

"Heard her when?"

"I heard all of you. When I was in the hospital after the accident a few weeks ago."

Brooke's eyes widened.

"Nathan Lee, you little faker! Were you pretending to be asleep?"

"No. I was really unconscious, I swear to God but it was weird. My eyes were closed and I couldn't move or speak but I was aware of everything around me."

"Whoa! Sort of like those weird out of body experience thingys you hear about on TV."

"Something like that."

"Well, what did she say?"

Nathan smiled at the memory.

"A lot of nice stuff. Um, she talked about all the fun we used to have when we were kids and uh, she said…she said she wants that back."

"See? There you go. Total positive sign! Go on, please."

"And uh, she mentioned this bracelet I gave her once. She kept it after all these years."

"Ooooh, jewelry. Now we're talking, cutie. Was it Tiffany's? Harry Winston?"

"Try Cracker Jack."

"Come again."

Nathan chuckled.

"We were hanging out at the docks one morning talking and having breakfast and the prize from my Cracker Jack box was a plastic bracelet. It was cheap and way too colorful and ugly as all hell but I gave it to her sort of as a joke."

Brooke put her hand over her heart.

"Oh! That is so sweet and romantic! She kept it."

"Yeah. And um, on the way down to Darlington, I admitted everything to Haley. I told her the truth about why Lucas hooked up with her in the first place. Then I admitted how I felt back then."

"And now?"

"Uh, I didn't get that far."

"But she knows you loved her once upon a time, right?"

"Yeah."

"What did she say?"

"Not too much of anything after that. We were both kind of quiet but it's what she said at the hospital. Haley said that she had a crush on me then, too. She liked me but she was too scared to say anything."

"Wow. Two best friends madly in love for so many years. Just imagine if one of you had told the other before the whole Lucas thing. It would have changed everything."

"I know."

"Nathan, that's a sign. Your chance is now. You have to go for it."

"Brooke, I can't. It's done. Besides, we both spoke in the past tense. She didn't seem too in to it now."

"But you don't know that for sure. You're scared. And look what happened last time you didn't know for sure and were too scared to say anything…you almost lost Haley forever. Are you really willing to risk that again?"

"I don't know. I just want peace. I don't want to be hurt and I don't want anyone else to be hurt."

"Anything worth wanting is worth taking a risk for. Remember that. Sometimes you have to just go for what you want. Trust me. Even if it doesn't make sense at the time."

"Are we talking about me now or you?"

Brooke smiled.

"Maybe a little bit of both. But enough about me. My story is long and complicated and crazy and everything. I've made my bed and I'm the one that has to lie in it. I don't know if my chance for true love had passed or not but at least now I'm free. And I am happy. I did what I had to do for me…just like you did what you had to do for you."

Nathan nodded.

"Thanks, Brooke. You're pretty smart. And when you put your mind to something, there's just no stopping you."

She grinned.

"Let's just say I'm a gal that's used to getting what she wants."

"Oh really?"

"Really. And my newest mission? Operation Naley."

"Naley?"

"You got it. Nathan and Haley. Sort of like the whole Bennifer and TomKat thing, only cooler and without the Hollywood hype. Anyway, consider me your fairy godmother, so to speak and I and my services are here and ready for duty, sir."

Nathan smiled. Leave it to Brooke. But deep down he knew he could used all the help he could get.