I bet you thought I forgot about you…

Wrong! Here's another chapter!

88

"Breathe."

The deep command shot through the pain, the breath that said it just below her ear. Haley hadn't realized she was holding her breath and slowly forced it out, inhaling sharply again. The hands that held hers tightened their grip gently as she squeezed in response, focusing on breathing through the pain that racked her system.

"He woke up an hour ago, but he's jerking around—it's his body, not his mind."

Haley nodded as she hurried down the hallway with Lucas, quickly shutting her cell phone off. She had come from work the second he had called, re-assuring her it was good news. Her swollen abdomen was visible beneath her shirt. The two of them were let into the room by doctors who had long since memorized their faces.

On the bed was Nathan, his body being held down by two doctors. Brooke turned around and yelled that Haley did not need to see this. She stepped further into the room as a response and Brooke motioned for Lucas to stand by her and make sure she didn't worry herself.

Haley willed herself to be strong, though she wanted to cry. Wrapping an arm around her abdomen, she looked at Nathan through tear-filling eyes. Slowly, the furious jerking turned to slight tremors until he lay horribly still. Haley opened her mouth, looking at Brooke for answers but the doctor smiled and pointed. Haley's breath caught in her throat as Nathan's eyes squeezed shut before slowly forcing their way open.

The pain ebbed away and she threw her head back against his shoulder. She felt his warm lips press against her temple in response, one hand pushing back the hair from her forehead and tracing her jaw before taking hers again. Haley closed her eyes, catching her breath. As the pain started to build she turned her face into the crook of his shoulder and moaned softly, feeling his hands tighten on hers.

"Nathan, Nathan can you hear me?" Brooke said pulling out a light and flashing it in his eyes. He made an incoherent noise and closed his eyes against the light, "he's awake, I want full blood work, an EKG—" the rest was lost on Haley as she approached the bed. Brushing her tears away, she wrapped her hand around his and bent over him, brushing the hair from his eyes. She didn't even hear Brooke and the others leave.

He couldn't talk, his voice was gone from almost two months on a breathing tube but his eyes lit up at the sight of her and his lips formed her name. Leaning down, she pushed her lips to his, her heart almost bursting when he kissed her back. Tears fell down her face unchecked when they broke apart.

"I thought I lost you," she said softly.

"Never" he whispered hoarsely.

It had been five months of physical therapy for him, of learning to walk and move again. Five months of Lucas painstakingly practicing basketball with him when Brooke wasn't looking. Five months of twelve years to catch up on, of Haley moving (with all of One Tree Hill's help it seemed) into Nathan's apartment. Her favorite part was when they compiled his drawer and her box of stuff from their first attempt at a relationship and went through it all, working their way through the memories both good and bad.

She was there when the physical and emotional stress got to be too much for him, there to wipe away all the tears and pain. He was there when her emotions went haywire, holding her and telling her everything would be alright; they'd get through it together. They were not as wild and stupidly in love as their last whirlwind relationship. They had both seen too much, felt too much, to do that again. However, over the five months, the wild and stupid love and changed into something infinitely more.

Haley was awakened from her memories by Nathan's hand rubbing her shoulder. She was back on the hospital bed, Nathan behind her offering his support and strength as she struggled to bring their child into the world. Gasping against him, she felt him tighten his grip around her as she struggled against the pain.

"Don't fight it," he said, "relax, ride it out, it'll pass."

Brooke came into the room quietly and leaned against the door with a slight smile on her lips. She would check Haley in a moment but judging from the look on her face she was in the middle of a contraction. Nathan's arms were wrapped around her, holding her tightly as he whispered re-assurances to her. She was lying against his chest, her head on his shoulder as he whispered re-assurances to her. When she relaxed against him Brooke stepped forward.

"Hey," she said, "I'm going to check how far you're dilated," she said spreading Haley's legs and checking her progress, "you're at 9.5 centimeters," she said looking at the fetal monitor read out, "sit tight I'll be back in a minuet and we'll get this baby out of you."

Brooke closed the door and was immediately greeted with the group of them.

"Well?" Peyton demanded. Jake and Jenny were by her, looking as anxious as her. Deb and Karen were standing a little farther away, hands locked and lips equally chewed as they worried for the couple. Lucas had a slightly smug look on his face. He knew his brother and sister-in-law were nothing if not fighters. Brooke gave him a stern look and turned back to the group of them.

"She's doing well," she said, "so is he—he's keeping her relaxed. I'm going to get the nurses and she should have the babies within the hour."

"Babies?" Nathan asked, sitting down heavily. Haley nodded slowly, "you're pregnant?"

Haley winced and nodded again. It was a week after he woke up, he was learning how to walk again when he heard Brooke tell her that the babies were doing fine. She had meant to tell him after physical therapy, he wasn't supposed to over-hear.

"I was going to tell you later," she said, "but I thought there'd only be one—but look!" she thrust the grainy black-and-white image at him which he accepted with shaky hands. Realizing what he must think she sighed and sat next to him and played with a corner of the bedspread, her eyes firmly on the ground.

"I found out when you had the accident and I fainted," she said, "Brooke did tests and found out I was pregnant. I-I did sleep with Derek," she said quickly, "so I thought—what if they're his? But, she calculated my date of conception and, well, they're not, they're ours."

"Look at me," he said thickly, his hand pushing her chin up so her eyes locked with his, "we're going to be parents?"

"Of twins," she said, her eyes bright. He laughed and pulled her against him. She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. His arms were tight around her. Withdrawing, she kissed him before grabbing the picture from the floor and proceeding to tell him all he had missed about the two boys who were about to come into their lives.

"Good I can see the top of the head," Brooke said from between Haley's legs, "on the next contraction I want you to push again."

Haley nodded breathlessly, leaning against Nathan. He tightened his grip on her as she doubled over, crying out as she pushed. He held her tightly, whispering that everything would be alright, this would be over and they'd have their child. Gasping, straitened slightly, looking at him desperately through the tears and sweat. In typical Scott fashion, he impulsively pulled her against him and kissed her.

That took Haley's mind off the pain for a bit. Brooke sighed and examined Haley while she was distracting. Smiling she cleared her throat, causing them to break apart.

"I can see the head," she said, "you two better get ready to be parents," Haley shifted herself and took a deep breath at the start of the next contraction. Bending forward she gave her all into delivering their child. She leaned against Nathan, half sobbing half laughing as Brook held up a wailing baby boy. She felt Nathan smile against her and kiss her once more.

"I love you," he whispered against her lips.

"Me too," she replied.

"Ahem," Brooke said, "we have another baby to get out you two, you could at least give your wife a little time before starting on baby number three."

"Just wait until you and my brother go through this," Nathan said seriously. Brooke blushed and said she had no idea what he was talking about and they should focus on Haley right now. Biting her lip as the pain built, Haley knew what to do and bent forward delivering their second child.

"Congratulations," Brooke said, "you two are officially parents."

Nathan found himself outside the hall. They had wanted to clean Haley and the babies up and pushed him out. He was cornered by the other members of their rag-tag family.

"Well?" they all demanded.

"I have two healthy baby boys and an exhausted but still gorgeous wife," he said grinning like an idiot. A cheer went up from the group, though Nathan was too happy to notice Deb and Peyton high-fiving and collecting money from Jake, Jenny, Lucas and Peyton. A nurse told him he could go in and slipped in, closing the door.

Haley was sound asleep, her hair falling over her shoulder. He leaned over her and brushed it back gently, his gaze softening at the sight of her. She didn't wake, but turned her head so her cheek was against his palm. Gently pulling away, he walked over to the two carts and looked down at the boys sleeping peaceful. It was still incredible to him that he and Haley could have created them, but they had. Moving back to Haley, he sat beside her and pulled her gently against him, closing his eyes he soon joined her in sleep, leaving Brooke to tell the group that they'd have to come back tomorrow to see the babies.