"Nathan! Come on, please don't make me do this alone," Brooke pleaded as she zipped up her light pink skirt.

"Babe, you have to do this yourself. I can't go to the job interview for you. It doesn't work that way. You know I'd go for you if I could. Just relax, you'll be fine. I know you will. There's no one in the world half as amazing as you. Now hurry up or you'll be late and everything I said won't matter to them," Nathan replied.

Brooke pouted at Nathan. She really didn't want to do this alone. It was different for Nathan. He didn't have to wow anyone with his verbal skills or ability to write. All he had to do to secure his future was wow people on the basketball court and he had been doing that since before he got to high school.

"All right, I'm gone. Wish me luck," Brooke said as she picked up her keys.

"You don't need luck baby. I'll be here when you're done. We can celebrate after you get home," Nathan shot back, grabbing her into a hug and kissing her sweetly.

Brooke grinned at Nathan as she turned and bounced out the door. Her nerves were getting more intense but knowing that she had Nathan's support was more than enough to help her keep them in check. He had been her rock since her mom died and her friendship with Peyton fell apart for the last time and she couldn't be more grateful. It didn't matter that in high school they were the captains of the basketball team and cheerleading squad. All that mattered now was how much they loved and supported each other.

Nathan watched as Brooke left their apartment. He was so proud of her for everything she had accomplished with all the critics she seemed to attract along the way. Everyone expected Brooke Davis to fall flat on her face without Daddy's money to keep her standing up. She took that criticism and threw it back in her critics faces as she graduated as the salutatorian in high school and then valedictorian of her graduating class at the University of Miami. Brooke Davis didn't need money to hold it together. She had plenty of brains to take care of that herself and a heck of a support system in her corner, Nathan being his girlfriend's biggest fan. A role that used to belong to Peyton, until the drama that built up between the two girls unraveled.

Nathan was broken from his daze when the phone rang. He quickly turned on his heel to answer the phone before it went to the answering machine. When Nathan saw the number on the caller id he considered letting it ring through but knew it wouldn't matter. Dan would call the house and his cell phone until finally Nathan caved in and answered the phone.

"Hello," Nathan said, trying to sound pleasant.

"Hello, son. How are you on this fine day?" Dan answered.

"I'm fine what do you want?"

"No need to be hostile. Can't I call my son to say hello?"

"No. You never call just to say hello. What do you want cause I don't have time to play your games."

"I'm not playing any games Nathan."

"Damn it Dan! I'm not kidding. What the hell do you want? You're wasting my time."

Nathan was losing his temper. He really didn't want to talk to Dan. Not now, not ever, if he could have it his way. Unfortunately that was just a pipe dream and Nathan knew it.

"My, my we certainly have a temper this morning. Is everything all right son?"

"I said I'm fine. If you have nothing else you need to tell me could we wrap up this wonderful talk we're having? I have more important things to do beside sit on my ass and talk to you."

"Fine but I thought you should know I saw your lovely girlfriend getting awfully cozy with your brother."

"Damn it Dan! Lucas is Brooke's friend! They were not getting cozy. I don't care if you saw them holding hands or Brooke sitting on Lucas' lap or whatever. She's not cheating on me so you can shove it!"

Nathan didn't wait for Dan to respond. He clicked the phone off and slammed it down on the counter. Talking to Dan really got to him. It wasn't hard to tell that Dan didn't approve of Nathan's relationship with Brooke but Nathan didn't give two shits what Dan thought. Brooke was amazing and all that mattered to Nathan was that they loved each other. When Nathan had finally calmed down, he grabbed his keys and his cell phone and left the apartment. He hadn't been lying when he said he had stuff to do. Starting with going out jewelry shopping, he still wasn't ready to propose but he wanted to get an idea of what he should get Brooke so when he was ready all he would have to do was ask and pray she would accept.

"Get a grip, Scott. Brooke loves you of course she'd accept a marriage proposal," Nathan chided himself.

Nathan reached the mall and parked his truck before getting out and making his way to the jewelry store. He only hoped that Brooke hadn't finished with her interview yet and decided to do a little shopping of her own. This was going to be a surprise when the time was right and Nathan couldn't have Brooke seeing him looking at rings or the surprise would be blown and that would break Nathan's heart. He loved surprising her and he hoped that this would be his favorite surprise of them all.

After looking in three stores at about two dozen rings, Nathan finally found the perfect match. It was a white gold band with two small diamonds and a small emerald stone in the middle that matched perfectly with Brooke's eyes. He was so excited he couldn't wait for Brooke to wear it, that is if she agreed to marry him. Happily he made his way toward the exit but was stopped by a familiar voice.

"Nathan Scott, how are you?" the person asked.

He whipped around to find where the question had come from and found himself staring into the eyes of his high school sweetheart, Haley James.

"Haley. Hi, how are you?" he asked after he collected himself.

"I'm doing all right but I asked you first."

"Oh me, I'm good. Everything's good." Nathan realized he was holding the bag from the jewelry store and quickly tried to hide it before Haley could ask what he had in the bag. No such luck, she was always a quick one.

"What's in the bag?"

"Oh nothing. Just some jewelry for Brooke."

"Brooke huh? So you two are uh?"

"Yeah, Brooke and I are together. We have been for the last four and a half years actually."

"Wow that's really great. What's really in the bag?" Haley had a feeling she knew what it was because Nathan was being so secretive about it.

"Mommy! Lucas spitted at me," a little girl with blonde pigtails screeched.

"Mommy?" Nathan said questioningly.

"Who are you?" the little girl asked, turning her attention to Nathan and forgetting about her brother spitting at her.

"Jenny, this is Mommy's friend Nathan," Haley explained to her daughter.

"Hi Jenny. It's nice to meet you. Your mom is an amazing woman," Nathan said extending his hand to shake Jenny's. Jenny looked at Nathan hesitantly than decided it was safe and shook his hand.

Nathan was blown away. He hadn't seen or heard from Haley since they broke up. She had taken it pretty hard but somewhere along the way Nathan had fallen out of love with Haley and knew it would be unfair of him to string her along and make her believe something that wasn't true. Shortly after their relationship ended he began to see Brooke in a different light and their relationship soon began. Now here she was with at least one child, probably two and Nathan was just shocked.

"Nathan are you ok? You look a little pale?" Haley asked after a minute.

"Yeah, I'm ok. Sorry about that. So how's life treating you Miss James?" Nathan replied with a smile.

"It's Jaglieski now actually." Haley showed Nathan her ring.

"Wow. So what happened to the music thing?"

"I wasn't feelin' it. So I went back to Tree Hill for a little while, applied to a few colleges around the state was accepted to all of them. Chose to go to NC State, met up with Jake again and then we started hanging out and about three years ago he proposed and we got married shortly after."

"That's awesome. So have you heard anything from"

"No I haven't heard from Peyton. Jake hasn't either. Said he gave up trying to find her when he called her cell phone and there was a message saying the phone had been disconnected."

"Oh."

Nathan knew that Peyton wasn't Brooke's favorite person any longer but it bothered him that she just let their friendship go over a guy after all the other stuff they had survived through as the dynamic duo that they were. He was hoping to talk to Peyton and convince her to try and talk it out with Brooke one more time but now he had no idea where or how to find her. Especially if Jake didn't even know how to find her.

"Mommy! Lucas did it again!" Jenny screeched.

"Excuse me one second Nathan," Haley said as she turned around and walked over to wear Jenny was standing next a stroller with two little boys seated side by side.

"Lucas, you do not spit at your sister ok?" Haley said firmly but gentle.

"Ok," the little boy whispered.

As soon as Haley got up to turn her attention back to Nathan, the other little boy screamed. Sighing Haley made a quickly apology to Nathan and turned back to her kids. Nathan watched in awe. Never in his life had he seen someone so natural at handling a child who was screaming that loudly. He was in such a trance that he didn't even realize his phone was going off till it got louder.

"Hello," he said not checking the caller id.

"Hey baby, where are you?" Brooke asked.

"Out shopping."

"You're shopping?"

Nathan cursed to himself silently. He knew he shouldn't have said he went shopping. Now it was going to be difficult to surprise Brooke.

"Yes I'm shopping. I'll be home in a little while and I wanna hear all about your interview ok?"

"Ok I'll see you in a little while. I love you baby."

"I love you too baby."

"Oh Nathan, while you're out can you get some paper towels we're out."

"Sure thing. Ok I gotta run. I love you."

"I love you too. Bye."

Nathan closed his cell phone and saw Haley standing there, holding the now quiet child, grinning at him.

"Was that Brooke?" she asked.

"Yup. She had a job interview this morning and she must be home cause she was asking where I was," Nathan replied.

"I'm sorry about earlier. Colin gets upset easily."

"That's ok Haley. Look, it was great seeing you but I really gotta run. Maybe you and Jake can bring the kids over sometime for dinner or something."

"Sure sounds great. Tell Brooke I said hey."

"I will. Bye Haley."

"Bye Nathan."

The two waved at each other and went their separate ways. Nathan couldn't believe what had just happened. In less than 20 minutes he found out that Haley had not only stopped with her music but she was married to Jake and had three kids. Well technically two but even Jenny who Nathan knew was Nikki's daughter was calling Haley "Mommy". He shook his head as he left the mall to get paper towels and a few other things so it would be easier to sneak the ring into the apartment without Brooke knowing it. Then it hit him, Brooke didn't know Haley was so close by and he was the lucky one that was gonna tell her. Nathan hoped that it would be well received. The two had been real good friends in high school before Haley took off to pursue her musical career and didn't really say much in the way of good-bye to Brooke.

After stopping at the store to buy paper towels, flowers for Brooke and something to cook for dinner Nathan was finally ready to head back to the apartment. He kept thinking maybe tonight would be the night. Maybe he was ready but only time would truly tell along with Brooke's mood. He didn't want to ask her if she was in a foul mood or upset about the interview. He wanted the moment to be perfect. His cell phone started ringing as he opened the door to the building where he and Brooke lived. When he made it inside he was able to answer his phone.

"Hey baby," he said without looking.

"Where are you?" Brooke asked.

"Downstairs in the lobby. I'll be up in a minute."

"Ok."

Nathan closed his phone and walked up the two flights of stairs to the apartment. Just as he was about to reach out and open the door of the apartment he looked up into the beautiful green eyes of Brooke Davis. She was smiling at him as she took the bags from him except the one from the jewelry store which Nathan had thrown away at the mall after tucking the ring box safely in his jacket pocket. He really didn't want Brooke stumbling across the bag and finding the ring until he proposed. That's when he remembered the flowers. They were laying on the table outside the apartment door. Nathan turned his body half way around and grabbed them and closed the door.

"These are for you beautiful," he said as he kissed Brooke's lips.

"Nathan, they're gorgeous. Thank you baby," Brooke said as she accepted the dozen white roses and returned the kiss.

"Anything for my girl."

Brooke laughed as she searched for a vase to put the flowers in. She finally found one and happily placed her newest dozen roses in the vase and placed it on the coffee table in the living room. Nathan smiled as he watched Brooke lose herself in the flowers. She loved white roses and Nathan loved Brooke so he thought it was a good trade. Giving the woman he loves something that she loves plus he knew it would distract her from asking him what he had really gone shopping for. Which he would always be grateful for it made surprising her on his own time so much easier. Even when she insisted that he knew she hated to be surprised. Nathan sat down on the couch and grabbed Brooke's hands pulling her into his chest. He wanted her to tell him about her day before he dropped what was sure to be a bombshell on her when he mentioned running into Haley and all the new information he had on her.

"How did the interview go baby?" Nathan asked.

"It was great. They loved all my writing samples and everything. They said they haven't made a final decision yet because they still had a few more candidates to interview for the position but they also said that if they were to choose someone at that moment I would have the job," Brooke replied excitedly.

"That's great baby. I told you everything would be fine."

"Yes you did. But we can't celebrate yet because there is nothing to celebrate."

"Sure there is. Tonight we'll celebrate the fact that your interview went well. And then when the time comes we can celebrate again. I have a really great feeling about this Brooke. You deserve that job. You worked your ass off for so long that it's about time you get some recognition for it."

"Thanks babe."

"Anytime. You know I'm your biggest fan."

"And you know I'm your biggest fan but I'm gonna have to buy a Nets and a Nuggets jersey for both my guys."

"Of course. We wouldn't want Lucas feeling jealous or left out now would we?"

"Of course not."

"Come on, let's go make some lunch. I'm hungry and I bet you are too."

Brooke nodded as she slid off the couch and followed Nathan into the kitchen. This was turning out to be a fantastic day. And there was still something that each of them had yet to tell the other one.