Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Distance

Nathan watched Haley's shirt rise slightly as she ran to get the door. Watched the small mark it revealed: the "23" branded on her back. He sighed. The memory of that was somehow so painful, mostly because it was just before everything had gotten complicated.

Her shriek brought him out of his reverie. At the front door was his best friend, Brooke Davis, holding a baby and a suitcase. He smiled and ran toward them.

Brooke hurriedly passed her son to Haley and dropped her bag before Nathan picked her up by the waist and twirled her around. He'd missed her. Brooke was his last link with his old life, and though he'd gone longer before without seeing her (much, much longer) it didn't make short separations any easier.

Nathan set Brooke down and gently took the baby from Haley who was holding it somewhat awkwardly, looking pained and anxious. The baby sighed in his competent hands and drifted easily back to sleep.

"I'm guessing that this is my nephew?" asked Nathan.

"How'd you guess?" asked Brooke sarcastically.

"You're mom's a bad liar," said Haley lightly, looking at his sleeping face.

"So I guess this answers the question of where you've been?" asked Nathan.

"Pretty much. He's cute, isn't he?" said Brooke fondly.

"He's adorable. Come on, lets take a walk. We need to catch up," said Haley. Nathan smiled and rolled his eyes as the two girls walked out and slammed the door of the bedroom, leaving the baby with him.

XxxxxxX

"He cheated on you?" said Brooke in disbelief. Haley nodded slowly and sprang up from the bed. Pulling down several books from the shelf, she reached behind them to get three printed colour photos, which she tossed at Brooke.

They were self explanatory. The first was off Peyton and Nathan on the bed. The second of Peyton crying in Nathan's arm, him speaking soothingly to him. The third was Peyton on the bed with the girl neither of them recognized.

"So Peyton's a lesbian… but she's trying to convince Nathan she's in love with him, because she's out to get you?" said Brooke slowly.

"It's the best I can come up with," said Haley, falling onto the bed and laying on it, fanning out her golden brown hair with her fingers before letting her hands rest on her stomach. Brooke noticed the gesture but said nothing.

"Slut. What do you want me to do?" asked Brooke.

"I don't know yet. I used to be better at thinking up schemes," said Haley.

"Yeah, well, you used to be a bitch," said Brooke encouragingly.

"So sweet," said Haley fondly, smiling at her big sister.

Haley stuff the three photographs under her pillow as the door banged open and Nathan came running in, the baby screaming its head off.

Brooke immediately took him from Nathan and with practiced hands, calmed him down quickly before covertly unbuttoning her shirt and bringing him to her breast. Nathan stared-not because of her revealed flesh, which no longer interested him in the same way, but because of the astonishing revelation that Brooke had grown up without him.

XxxxxxX

Haley's finger hovered over the call button on her cell phone while she sat on the counter and waited for the sink to fill with the water for the dinner dishes.

"Don't, she doesn't want you to meddle in her life," said Nathan, coming into the room with a smile on his face.

"They belong together," argued Haley, turning off the phone and watching the name "Lucas Scott" fade from the display before setting it carefully on the counter.

"They know that, don't worry," he said comfortingly.

"I just wish they could figure it out sooner," she said, swinging her legs back and forth like an impatient child. He went over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. They were almost the same height with her sitting, and usually they were far from it.

"It'll happen," he promised.

"You don't know that," whined Haley.

"Sure I do," he said, leaning down to brush a kiss on her lips. She'd secretly promised to avoid touching him, to punish him, but she found herself unable to. She pressed her lips into his and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck.

All thoughts of Peyton zoomed out of Nathan's head as he kissed his wife. His Haley, who made his life complete. Perfect, beautiful Haley who made him laugh. What had he been thinking, betraying her?

As Haley felt her husband's lips on hers, she wondered if she'd been seeing straight. How could a man who seemingly loved her this much possibly have cheated on her? It couldn't have happened. Nathan, her Nathan, would never do that to her. They belonged together. People who belonged together didn't just go around kissing other people.

"I love you," she said breaking away, her voice somehow girlish and desperate. He looked surprised and slightly dazed from their kiss.

"I know. I love you too," he said easily, letting the words fall off his tongue like they had so many times before.

"No, you don't know. I couldn't ever explain how much I love you, Nathan. How much I'll always love you. I'm sorry I ever hurt you," she said.

"I do know, Haley. I feel it every time I look at you. Are you okay?" he asked in concern, tipping up her chin so their eyes met.

"I'm fine. But I have to do the dishes," she said. He held out his hands for her to slip off the counter. She didn't exactly need his help, but she took them anyway.

"I'll help," said Nathan, grabbing a dish rag. She raised her eyebrows. "What?"

"Nothing. Help, please," she said, failing to mention that he'd never once helped her do the dishes.

By the time their exchange had ceased, Brooke Davis was silently crying her eyes out, watching the scene from afar. She was quite sure they didn't even understand the meaning of love. No one possibly could, except for her and Lucas, because no one else had participated in their love. That powerful consuming love. And Lucas would follow her everywhere, in his son and in her heart. All the first things he'd been to her would imprint her the rest of her life. His number would always brand her as his.

And the worst part was, she didn't want to be anyone elses.

XxxxxxX

Nathan forced himself not to pry when Haley announced she was going but didn't say where. He knew it wouldn't improve matters much.

He sought out Brooke, who had done her best to hide herself in the tiny apartment. She was outside, on the balcony, sitting on the rail.

"How're you doing?" he asked cautiously. She was facing outward, with her back to him. He couldn't see her face.

"I was in love with you for years. That was so much easier," she said pitifully, tucking her head into his shoulder when he reached her.

"Would you rather you'd never met Lucas?" he asked, putting an arm around her shoulder.

"Some days I think so. The next morning I usually think clearly though," said Brooke. He laughed cynically.

"I know the feeling," admitted Nathan.

XxxxxxX

"Haley," said Karen Scott, her voice guarded as her son's ex-girlfriend came to the door.

"Hey, Mrs. Scott," she said weakly.

"Mrs. Lee. Congratulations," said Karen.

"Is Lucas here?" asked Haley. Karen stood aside and indicated up the staircase. Haley ran.

Lucas was lying flat on his back, throwing a basketball straight into the air. He didn't falter when he heard the door opened, but the ball dropped hard onto his chest when he saw her face.

"She's back," he said. His question was rhetorical.

"I promised I wouldn't tell. I'm glad I didn't promise you wouldn't read my mind," she said.

"That would be a stupid thing to promise," he said.

"You know me. What are you still doing here?" she asked.

"Don't meddle, Hales. It doesn't become you," said Lucas simply.

"She still loves you!" burst out Haley. He looked straight at her, his face full of pain. Feeling remorseful and too full of her own love, Haley went willingly into his arms and held him tightly while his own hands went around her familiar form. She smiled as his lips touched her golden brown hair.

"It'll be okay," she promised him, speaking of more than even she could keep track of.