Chapter Two

It had been a couple of weeks since their trip to the zoo and things had returned back to normal in the Scott house with Nathan flying off for practice and Haley off doing her singing thing. But they made a pact to never be apart for more than 2 weeks at a time. So Nathan was back, along with Lucas and Jake. This day would be special, because it was Rina's birthday today and everyone was coming. Even the adults. It was weird how things had changed for the last couple of years.

Nathan and him got back together, Jake returned with custody of JEnny and hooked back up with Peyton and Lucas and Brooke had hooked back up. He and Lucas were enemies at first, but slowly became friends again and they were officially brothers again. But the ones that had changed the most were the adults of Tree Hill.

Karen returned home after that summer without Andy and Deb and Dan had divorced. Keith had returned home too. Someone had tried killing Dan and in the end it was found out to be Andy and Jules aka Emily, who had been together the whole time behind Karen and Keith's back. After that, both were heartbroken, but found love again, in a way neither expected. Keith had always been good friends with Deb and this was no different, they helped each other through the heartbreak and no one would have expected it, but they found love with each other and they had gotten married 3 years ago with everyone in attendence. It was weird for Nathan and especially for Lucas, who had always wanted his mom and Keith to hook up, but they were both happy for the couple, they were glad they found love with each other.

And then something no one expected had happened. Karen and Dan had fallen back into love with each other. They hided the sexual tension for years, but it finally exploded and neither could hide it anymore. Dan had never stopped loving Karen and though Karen had tried to hide it for years for Lucas' sake, she never stopped loving Dan either. After the accident and finding out the truth about Jules and Andy, both had changed. Dan incredibly, he worked to the hardest to not be the most hated man in Tree Hill, he divorced Deb, made up with Keith, apologized to both his sons and made up with Whitey, but he had saved Karen for last, because he hadn't wanted to face him, but he had finally faced her and it was then that Karen noticed the change in Dan. They slowly became friends and it turned into more at Deb and Keith's wedding and they found the love they lost. They too were married this past summer. It had taken everyone a lot of time to adjust to the news, especially Lucas and Nathan, it was nothing neither had expected, but in the end they were happy for them as well.

Nathan took his wife in his arms and kissed her. Haley smiled at him as Rina walked in.

Rina says,"Mommy, Daddy is it time for my party yet?"

Nathan smiled. Nathan says,"Not yet baby. You still have a couple of hours to go yet."

Rina says,"But I want it to be now."

Haley smiled taking Rina in her arms. Haley says,"I know baby girl. But you're going to be 7 now, you have to be patient. And besides your cousins are going to be here any minute along with your Auntie Brooke, Uncle Lucas, Auntie Peyton and Uncle Jake. And you can play with them until your party starts."

Rina smiles and says,"Yeah! I love Auntie Brooke and Auntie Peyton."

Haley grins as someone walks in the door.

Tim says,"Dude! Where is everyone!" Haley rolls her eyes at Nathan. Nathan walks out with Rina. Rina runs to Tim.

Rina says,"Uncle Tim!" Tim picks her up. Tim says,"Hey girlie, you are going to be seven. That's big." Rina giggles. "Yeah I'm a big girl now. What did you bring me?"

Haley choses that moment to walk out with Nathan who has JJ in his arms. Haley says,"Rina! You can't open your presents until we get to the party." Tim says,"Aww come on Hales, can't she just open mine?" Haley sighs and says,"No Tim." Just then Theresa walks in with some balloons and party favors. "Hey Hales, Nate. Happy birthday Rina."

Rina says,"Auntie Theresa!" Haley says,"OMG, Theresa thank you. Your husband is being extremely annoying." Theresa says,"Bugging you about Rina's present huh? Tim for the last time, you can wait until the party to see what Rina thinks about our present. And thank for helping your pregnant wife out." Haley takes the stuff from Theresa and puts it on a table. Theresa says,"I swear it's like talking to a little kid sometimes." Haley laughs as she looks over at Nathan and Tim playing with Rina and JJ. Haley says,"Yeah well Tim's always been Tim. But he'll make a great dad." Theresa smiles and says,"Yeah he will."

Just then the door bursts open and in comes the rest of their friends. Bevin and Skills with 2-year-old Summer and 6-month-old Chloe, Mouth and Erica with 3-year-old Ashleigh and Chris and Taylor with 5-year-old Benny and 2-year-old Marissa or Rissa. And of course we couldn't forget the incredible foursome that completed their circle of friends, Brooke and Lucas with their children, 5-year-old DJ, 2-year-old BJ and lastly twins 3-months-olds Alexia and Mandie and lastly JAke and Peyton with 9-year-old Jenny, 6-year-old Carly, 4-year-old Matthew or Matty, 2-year-old twins Seth and Ryan and lastly their 8 month-old Georgie.

Everyone was greeting each other and talking loudly, while the children ran around. Nathan looked up and says,"Okay, kids why don't you go play in the backyard until everyone else gets here? The babies can stay here and play where we can keep an eye on them." Jake says,"Jenny, watch your cousins." Jenny says,"Yeah dad. Come on guys let's play." The older kids ran off leaving Georgie, Chloe, Alexia, Mandy and JJ inside. The parents smiled at each other.

Haley says,"Nathan..." Nathan looks at his wife and knows that look. Nathan says,"Yeah. Come on guys, let's go set up the living room while the girls do the cooking." Lucas says,"Coming." The guys gather the babies and bring them to the living room.

Brooke says,"So Tutor Wife can you believe Rina's turning 7 already?" Haley says,"No Tigger, I can't. It seems like just yesterday I was holding her in my arms and now she's so grown up." Peyton smiles,"It's okay Hales. Yeah I know Jenny's growing so big too." The girls continue talking to each other while cooking.

About an hour later they are interupted with a knock. Haley opens the door and smiles. Haley says,"Come on in." And the adults of Tree Hill come in. Deb and Keith, Dan and Karen, Lydia and Jimmy, Royal and May and who could forget Whitey.

Haley says,"Hey guys the rest of the guest have arrived." Today was going to be just for family and close friends, tommorrow, Rina would have the party with her school friends. But family was important and it's the way they always did it, two different parties.

Karen sweeps Haley into a hug. Karen says,"How you doing?" Haley says,"I'm fine Karen, the memories are kinda of getting to me and seeing how old she's going to be, but I'm fine." Karen smiles. Deb hugs Haley next. Followed by everyone else.

Haley says,"Okay let's get this party set up before the kids go crazy." Everyone laughs and pitches in. Karen and Dan had snuck off to a corner together and were smiling as they set up the games for the kids, in between sneaking kisses with each other. Haley smiled at them as Nathan and lucas pretended to look sick. Haley thinks to herself, it was nice though, they had found love again with each other after they hurt each other so much and it was like they were newlyweds again and besides Karen had changed Dan like she had done so many years ago with Nathan.

At the other end of the room, Keith and Deb were also acting like a bunch of little kids, sneaking kisses between blowing up ballons and setting up streamers. Nathan grinned at his mom and uncle. He hadn't been entirely happy, but he could see how much they loved each other. His mom and dad had never been happy with each other, always hurting each other and now both had found the people they were suppose to be with forever and Nathan couldn't be happier for them.

Soon the party was set up and the kids were inside playing games and after they were done, it was time to eat. They were having mac-n-cheese because it was the food of the gods. Yes, Rina had taken after Haley in that area. Rina loved her mac-n-cheese, just like her mommy. Nathan smiled at his baby girl as she chatted away with Carly and Jenny. She was growing up so much, soon she was going to be in high school, dating, going off to college and getting married. But she would forever be his baby girl.

It was cake time and they were having Rina's favorite, chocolate with vanilla icing. That she had gotten from her daddy. Haley smiled at her too, she could picture her in the future, getting married, having children, but it was now and Rina was still little.

And then it was presents time, Rina exclaimed at all the presents she got, she loved them all and right away she began playing with them with her cousins. A little while later, everyone was going home and the children were in bed. Nathan and Haley were in their bedroom talking about tommorrow.

Nathan says,"I just can't believe our baby is growing up so fast." Haley says,"I know. Remember when she was a baby and we took her home that first night and we couldn't bear to be without her for evern 5 seconds, we stayed up with her the whole night, afraid she would stop breathing." Nathan says,"And the first time we took her to the park and all she wanted to do was sit with me on the swings and pretend she was flying." Haley says,"And the first day we took her to kindergarten, we didn't want to leave her." Nathan says,"And the first time she cried because someone hurt her. I wanted to stop the world from hurting her, stop her pain and kill whoever hurt her." Haley says,"Yeah she is growing, but she'll forever be our daughter and our baby." Nathan wrapped his arms around his wife and kissed her and they lay down in bed together and fell into a exhausted sleep ready for whatever came their way tommorrow.