Summary: This is a Naley, Brucas, Jeyton story, but with a few twists and turns. Everyone lives in Apple Valley, Minnesota where Lucas, Nathan and Jake play basketball for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Haley and Nathan live together with her niece and nephew and her/their daughter. Brooke and Lucas live together with his son and her daughter. Peyton lives with Jake and Jenny, and Peyton is nine months pregnant. (Read the rest of the story if you don't understand!)
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I wish I did because I would be filthy freakin' rich, but I don't. Except for the characters that are made up in my silly mind. Those I own… haha… my slow plan to take over the world!
Author's Note: OK, so I promised to give a recap of the last chapter to anyone who didn't want to read it. Here it is:
Dan was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Peyton and Anna attempted to go to lunch, but Anna told Peyton that it was really her who killed Nicki, who also turned out to be her ex-girlfriend, Cynthia. Peyton, Jake, Brooke, Lucas, Nathan and Haley convinced Anna to get mental health, and she was admitted to the hospital. Nathan and Lucas freed Dan from jail, but not before making him promise to leave them alone forever. Yeah… I think that's it.
So, I meant to write a little thank you to all of you who have kept with my story:
Elin2002: You were my first review and you have given me some awesome tips. I also would like to think you've become kind-of like a penpal friend to me… Thank you for reading my story and offering your help.
Naley is L.O.V.E.: Your reviews are always fun to read. They make me laugh, and I am glad my story interests you. Thanks for reading.
LuvAngel448: Your input is always appreciated, and I like that you take the time to respond to my author's notes as well. Thank you for reading my story.
Duckygirl: Thanks for always encouraging me to write more, and I love reading your response to the chapters.
BellaNaveah: You give really great suggestions, which I absolutely love. As you can see later on in this chapter, I used one of your ideas. Thanks for reading and responding!
Samantha Tragedy: You're still pretty new to the story, but you give AWESOME feedback. Especially for chapter 10, I really learned a lot from your review. Thanks again.
If I forgot anyone who has been loyal to me, I'm sorry, but let me know and I'll write about you next chapter! Thank you all again for your support, and I hope you continue to read as long as I continue to write. This story probably won't be longer than like, 15 chapters, but I'm really not sure yet. This chapter is starting out on December 23rd, and after this chapter I am going to skip ahead I think about a year. (BTW, Peyton's baby is due January 2nd!)
Here's Chapter Eleven! Happy reading!
"Mom! You're here!" exclaimed Nathan as he opened the door to find his mother standing on the other side. He swept her into a hug.
Deb laughed and kissed her son on the cheek. "Of course I'm here! I've missed you so much! And would I pass up on the chance to meet my future daughter-in-law and my grandchildren? Where are they anyways?"
"Well, it's still a little early," said Nathan, looking at the clock, which read 7:45 AM. "Everyone is still asleep, but Jaymie should be waking up soon, and everyone will follow after that. Come in, though. Get settled. Do you want some coffee?"
"Yeah," said Deb, walking in and looking around her son's house. "That would be great." She followed Nathan into the kitchen and was amazed at how comfy the house looked. "So… this place looks so much homier since the last time I saw it. Haley must really love decorating."
Nathan chuckled. "Yeah, it gives her something to do while the kids are at school or whenever she's bored."
They chatted for a couple more minutes before they heard Jaymie begin to cry. "I'll be right back," said Nathan, kissing his mom on the forehead before running upstairs to pick up his daughter.
Deb sighed and wiped the tears from her eyes. She was finally going to meet her grandchildren, and she couldn't be more nervous or excited.
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Brooke was sitting in the living room watching the news and stirring a cup of coffee when she heard a knock at the door. 'Who could that be this early?' she wondered, looking at the clock. 'It's not even 8:00 yet.' She stood up and walked to the door, opening it to find a slightly older woman standing on the other side. "Can I help you?"
"You must be Brooke. It's so great to finally meet you. I'm Karen, Lucas' mom." Said Karen, stepping forward and holding out her hand.
"Oh my God!" squealed Brooke. "It's so awesome to finally meet you!" She pushed aside Karen's outstretched hand and wrapped her arms around the surprise woman before pulling her inside. "So, how was your flight? When did you get in? Why didn't you call? You have GOT to tell me all sorts of embarrassing things about Lucas from when he was little." She stepped back and just looked at Karen smiling. "I'm so glad you're here."
"Me, too," said Karen. "I think you and I are going to get along well."
As Brooke led Karen into the kitchen, she looked up the stairs. "Luke, your Mom's here!" Then she turned to Karen. "Karen, would you like some coffee?"
"That would be lovely. Thank you, Brooke."
"MOM!" exclaimed Lucas, walking down the stairs carrying Tyler.
"Oh, hi sweetie… I missed you so much!" cried Karen, standing up and hugging her son. "And look at you, little man!" Karen took Tyler from Lucas' arms. "I haven't seen you in so long! You're so big!"
Lucas smiled, then walked over to Brooke and gave her a light kiss. "Good morning, Cheery."
"Mmm… good morning, Broody," said Brooke. "How are you, baby?"
"I'm good," said Lucas, then turned to Karen. "So, Mom, you've met Brooke, right?"
Karen looked over and smiled. "Yes, I did. And she seems to be a very nice person."
Brooke smiled, then everyone was quiet for a minute. "So, who wants breakfast?"
"That sounds wonderful," said Karen. She handed Tyler to Lucas and started to wash her hands in the sink.
"Oh, Karen, you don't have to help," assured Brooke, putting eggs, bacon, sausage and pancake mix on the counter.
"Don't be silly, Brooke. I love cooking, and this will be a good way for us to get to know each other," said Karen.
"OK…" said Brooke, handing Karen an apron.
"So, Mom, where's Keith and Deb, by the way?" asked Lucas.
"Well, Deb is at Nathan's house, I dropped her off on the way over here. And Keith is flying out tomorrow with Deb's boyfriend, Aaron. They had some things to finish up at the garage."
"Oh… OK. Well, Tyler and I are going to go watch Monster Garage, or something equally manly. Call me if you need anything!" And with that, Lucas walked out of the kitchen.
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"Good morning, Jake," said Peyton, rolling over in bed and laying her head on Jake's shoulder.
"Mornin', honey. How'd you sleep?" asked Jake.
"OK… I'd kill to be able to sleep on my stomach, though."
Jake chuckled and kissed Peyton's forehead. "Not much longer, baby."
Peyton smiled. "I know. I'm so excited. But I'm a little nervous. I'm used to being a mommy to Jenny, but a baby? What if I'm not good at it?"
"Peyton, you're gonna be a fantastic mother! Not only do you already have experience between Jenny and Haley and Brooke's kids, you also have maternal instincts on your side."
Just then, their bedroom door opened, and Jenny peeked in with a smile.
Peyton laughed. "Speak of the devil. Good morning, Jen. Come on in."
Jenny ran in and jumped on the bed, then snuggled down between Jake and Peyton. "Good morning, Mom. Good morning, Daddy," she said, giving each of them a kiss on the cheek.
"Good morning, Angel," said Jake. They all laid their quiet, enjoying each other's company for a few minutes. Finally, Jake broke the silence. "So, anybody hungry?"
Jenny and Peyton both nodded enthusiastically, so Jake climbed out of bed and left the room. Jenny turned towards Peyton and rubbed her belly. "Hello, my little brother. Are you ready to come out yet? You're taking forever!"
Peyton laughed. "Don't worry, Jen. He'll come out soon." As she climbed out of bed, Peyton felt a warm liquid running down her legs. At first, she was embarrassed because she thought she had peed herself, but then she realized what it was. She looked up to see if Jenny had noticed, but she had already busied herself playing with Peyton's make-up. "Jenny, will you go downstairs and tell Daddy that I need him?"
"OK, Mom," said Jenny, and she left the room. Peyton waddled into the bathroom and began to change her clothes.
"Peyton?" said Jake, coming into the room.
"I'm in the bathroom," called Peyton. Jake walked in and saw her in the process of changing her clothes.
"Jenny said you needed me. What's up?"
"My water broke," said Peyton, trying to remain calm. Jake, on the other hand, just stood in the doorway, apparently in shock. "Jake?" She waved her hand in front of his face, then sighed. "JAKE!"
Jake jumped and looked at her. "Uhh… OK… Well, we need to… umm… What do we do?"
"Well, said Peyton. "First, I have to finish getting dressed, then pack my bag. YOU can call Brooke and Haley and tell them to get over here." She grabbed her stomach as a small contraction hit her. "And you might want to tell them to hurry."
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After finishing breakfast, Karen started setting out the food as Brooke went upstairs to wake up Alison. A few minutes later, she came down carrying her sleepy-faced daughter who turned and opened her eyes at the sound of Lucas' voice.
"Good morning, Princess," said Lucas. Ali opened her eyes, then leaned over and fell into her daddy's arms. He held her and cuddled her for a minute, kissing her cheeks and her forehead and making her giggle. Brooke sat across the table from Karen and watched this exchange, smiling. Finally Lucas turned Alison around to look at Karen. "Ali, this is my mom, Karen. She's your… uhh…" Lucas looked at Karen, since he wasn't sure what she wanted Alison to call her.
"I'm your grandma," said Karen, then smiled at Ali. Ali stared at her for a moment, then smiled shyly and buried her face in Lucas' neck. Everyone laughed, then Lucas and Alison sat down and ate breakfast. After everyone was done, Brooke and Lucas got themselves and the kids dressed and headed off to Jake and Peyton's. Halfway there, Lucas' cell phone rang.
When he looked at it and realized it was Jake, he picked up. "Hey, man. What's up?"
"Hey, are you guys coming over right now?" asked Jake, sounding anxious.
"Yeah, we'll be there in like, two minutes. Why? What's wrong?"
Brooke turned to look at Lucas when he said this, her eyes wide, but he waved her off with an assuring smile.
"Peyton's water broke. We have to leave for the hospital, but she won't leave until Brooke and Haley are here and someone is here to watch Jenny, so could you guys hurry up?"
"Yeah, man, we're practically there," said Lucas. He hung up the phone and turned to Brooke who looked nervous. "Brooke, Peyton's water broke."
Brooke gasped, then clapped her hands excitedly. "Well, then stop driving like a grandpa, Broody! Hurry up, my P. Sawyer's gonna have her baby!"
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Nathan and Haley had gotten the kids dressed and were climbing into the car with Deb when Haley's cell phone rang. "Hey, Jake. We're on our way to your house."
"Oh. OK, good," said Jake, who sounded frustrated.
"What's wrong?" asked Haley.
"Peyton's water broke and we're going to leave as soon as you all get here."
"Alright, Jake. We'll be right there." Haley hung up the phone and told Nathan what happened. They pulled into the driveway right after Lucas, and Brooke and Haley jumped out, hugged each other and ran into the house squealing.
Nathan, Lucas, Deb and Karen all greeted each other and laughed at the girls. Lucas looked towards the car and then back to the house, scratching his head. "Don't worry, girls. We'll get the kids!" Everyone rolled their eyes at Lucas, then unloaded all of the kids out of the cars and into the house.
Once they got inside, they realized that everyone was acting even crazier than expected. Jake was running around like a worried mother hen, Peyton was screaming at him, Haley was trying to calm Peyton down, and Brooke was taking pictures of the whole thing. Finally, Peyton couldn't handle it anymore. "EVERYBODY SHUT UP!" she shouted. Everyone stopped talking and looked at her. Peyton sighed at the relief, then stood up and extended her hand to Karen and Deb. "Hi, you must be Lucas and Nathan's moms. I'm Peyton, and I'm really sorry we had to meet on such… extraordinary circumstances, but as you can see, I'm about to have a baby. So, you all can either make yourselves comfortable here, or just lock up when you leave." She looked at Nathan and Lucas as well as she was talking. "It doesn't matter to me, but if you leave, PLEASE do not forget my daughter this time. I am really tired of having to call you guys to go back and pick her up."
Lucas and Nathan rolled their eyes. "OK, that only happened twice, and it's not our fault," said Lucas.
Nathan nodded and agreed with his brother. "Yeah, if she wasn't so darn quiet, it wouldn't be a problem. We're used to all our noisy kids. I mean, what kid is quiet and well-behaved all the way through a mall and during 'The Incredibles'? We're just not used to it!"
"Whatever," said Peyton, trying not to laugh. "Karen, Deb, you know Jenny, right?" They nodded. "OK, will you please make sure she does not get forgotten?" Karen and Deb agreed, laughing, and Peyton turned to Jenny, who looked a little frightened. "Hey, Jen, what's wrong?"
"I don't know, I just… I don't want something bad to happen to you," said Jenny, starting to cry.
"Oh, honey, nothing bad is going to happen to me, I promise," said Peyton, hugging Jenny. "You're going to stay with Uncle Lucas and Uncle Nathan, and then tomorrow you can come to the hospital and see me, and your new baby brother, OK? I want you to have fun while I'm having the baby. Can you do that for me?"
Jenny nodded and gave Peyton and Jake and Peyton's stomach a kiss, then waved as Peyton, Jake, Brooke and Haley pulled out of the driveway.
The guys decided to take Benji back to Nathan and Haley's house so they could all play together, and then Jenny would spend the night over there. So they all piled into the cars again and left.
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Since Peyton had pre-registered at the hospital, she was able to get right in without a wait. Within forty-five minutes, they had her hooked up to all sorts of monitors, had an IV going and had already discovered she was nearly six centimeters, which everyone was surprised about.
Haley left the room to call the guys and tell them Peyton's labor was progressing quickly, which they were, of course, grossed out to hear. When she entered the room, Peyton was screaming at one of the nurses. "Now, you listen to me, you slutty nurse-whore. I want an epidural and I want it NOW! If I don't get it, I'll take my business elsewhere!"
The nurse smirked. "Honey, you're going to have a baby most likely within the next couple of hours. Where are you going to go? Now, the doctor should be in here momentarily to order your epidural and then you'll feel all happy again, OK?"
With that, the nurse left the room, followed by Brooke. "Listen, she doesn't mean any of that. She just has a very low physical pain tolerance, and when she's hurting, she gets bitchy. As soon as the baby's born, she will be the nicest person you'll ever meet."
"Oh, honey, I know. I've been through enough of this to not take it personally anymore. You don't need to apologize for her. Didn't you say you had two kids? Weren't you a little pissy during the births?"
Brooke thought back on Alison's delivery and how she had tried to throw the railings from the bed at her stupid doctor. She smiled. "Yeah, I guess I was." She walked back into the room just as the doctor did, and pretty soon, Peyton had her epidural and was in la-la land until her next contraction hit.
After an hour, the nurse came in and told Peyton she was between eight and nine centimeters, so she should just relax. She played card games, read magazines and gossiped with Haley and Brooke until the nurse came back in again. After being there for nearly five hours, Peyton was told she was fully dilated and it was almost time to start pushing. The nurse called for the doctor, and once he showed up, Peyton began to push. It was almost the same procedure as when Haley was in labor. Brooke held one of her legs, while Haley and Jake stood by Peyton's head until the baby was crowned, then Brooke and Jake would switch places. After thirty minutes of exhausting pushing, a 7-pound 3-ounce baby boy was born. Jake cut the cord and finally Peyton got to hold their son. All four of them were crying and laughing. Haley touched his forehead softly. "Oh, Peyt, he's just so beautiful."
Peyton smiled through her tears. "Yeah, at least he'll take after me in that respect." They all laughed, and eventually Jake left with their son to get his shots and everything taken care of. Haley left again to call the guys, and Brooke got on Peyton's bed and hugged her. "I am so proud of you and happy for you, Peyton. You did awesome, and he is the most beautiful baby I've seen all day!"
Peyton laughed. "Thanks, Brooke. Thanks for being here."
Brooke smiled. "No problem, best friend. I will always be here for you. And for Jake, and Jenny, and… wait… what's his name? What's my new little nephew's name?"
Just then, Haley walked back in. "Wait, don't tell Brooke without telling me!" She jumped on the other side of Peyton and they both waited anxiously.
"Well," said Peyton. "We both though a lot about what we wanted to name him, and we were considering Hayden, Hunter, Alexander, Jacob, after Jake, of course, or Marco. And we finally decided on… drum roll please." Haley and Brooke pretended to make a drumroll. "Hunter Alexander Jagielski."
Brooke and Haley both awwwed at the name, saying they loved it and gushing over what a perfect choice it was. Finally they let Peyton rest with promises of being back the next day, and bringing the whole brood. Lucas came and picked them up, then after dropping Haley off and picking up Karen and their part of the children population, they headed back to their house to be together.
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"So Peyton's doing OK?" asked Nathan as he carried Summer, who had fallen asleep on the couch, up to her room.
"Yeah, she's just tired, which is perfectly natural," said Haley. She was following behind Nathan carrying Jaymie and pushing Ryan up the stairs.
"Why do I have to go to bed at the same time as Summer? I'm older. My friend Steven doesn't have to go to bed until 9:30!"
"Well, you're not Steven, are you? Anyways, Ryan it's 9:00. That's only half an hour earlier than your friend. When you're 10, you can stay up until 9:30. How about that?" said Nathan, walking into Summer's room.
Ryan sighed, but realized that he wasn't going to win. He went into the bathroom and brushed his teeth, then went into his room and changed his pajamas. By the time Haley and Nathan tucked in the girls, Ryan was changed and in bed. They came in and Haley got down by his bed and brushed his hair out of his eyes. "Ry, honey, I know you want to be more grown up, but you have to get enough sleep or else you're going to get sick. Your dad and I want you to be healthy. We're not doing this to be mean, I promise."
"That's right, champ," said Nathan. "When I was 10, I had to go to bed at 7:00, so you're pretty lucky."
Ryan nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. Good night, Mom."
"Good night, sweetie. I love you," said Haley kissing his cheek.
"Love you too. Good night, Dad. I love you."
"Night buddy. I love you too. See you in the morning."
They left Ryan's room and went back downstairs to talk with Deb some more. Her and Haley had started to get along, and Deb had already told her to forget whatever embarrassment she might have had this morning.
"Are the kids asleep?" asked Deb.
"Well, the girls are. Ryan's going to sleep, but he's not happy about it," said Nathan, sitting on the couch and pulling Haley into his lap.
"Yeah, but Nathan told him about how you used to make him go to bed at seven, so that made him feel better." As Haley said this, Nathan bit his lip and closed his eyes.
"Seven? What are you talking about? Nathan would never go to bed any earlier than ten," said Deb.
Haley looked and Nathan with her mouth open. "You LIED to our son? Ooh, you're in big trouble now. Your own mom just told on you!"
Nathan laughed. "Well, it got him to go to sleep, didn't it?"
Haley and Deb gawked at him, but finally started laughing as well. They stayed up and talked for a couple hours, then finally headed off to bed, knowing they would be up soon with some kids that would be really happy it was Christmas Eve.
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After getting a clean bill of health, Peyton and Hunter were released from the hospital around 5:00 the next night. Lucas drove the Hummer there and picked them up, then brought them home to a house full of people. Keith and Aaron had arrived, and they were over at Peyton and Jake's with Deb and Karen and, of course, all the kids and grandkids. When they arrived, Keith was in their front yard being trampled by Jenny, Ryan, Alison, Summer and Tyler. Jaymie was trying to crawl over, but Haley kept pulling her back which she was getting increasingly upset about.
Jenny was the first to see them pull up, and immediately jumped up and ran to the car. "Mommy! Daddy!" Peyton opened the back door, and Jenny scrambled as fast as she could into her mother's lap and wrapped her arms around her. "I'm so glad you're home! I missed you so much! Is this my brother? He's so wrinkly and tiny! Oh, he's so cute!"
Peyton laughed. "Yes, Jenny, this is your baby brother. His name is Hunter."
"Hi, Hunter," said Jenny, reaching out and softly touching Hunter's face. "I'm your big sister. My whole name is Jennifer Michelle Jagielski, but you can call me Jenny. I'm really happy you're here. I've been waiting a long time for you to come out of Mommy's belly." She kissed his cheek, then crawled over Peyton, out of the car, and jumped into Jake's arms. "Hi, Daddy. I missed you."
Jake kissed her cheek. "I missed you, too, Pumpkin. But get down for right now so I can get your brother out of the car, OK?" Jenny nodded and got down then walked over and sat down on Nathan's lap. Jake helped Peyton out of the car, and she noticed all the blue balloons and the 'WELCOME HOME, HUNTER' sign. She smiled, then moved out of the way so Jake could get Hunter out of the car. She hugged Haley and Brooke, then Nathan and Lucas, and was introduced to Keith and Aaron. Once the introductions were done, everyone went inside and sat down to eat all the barbecue that Nathan, Keith, Aaron and Lucas had cooked. After dinner, all the kids were playing in the backyard and the adults were sitting on the patio. Peyton had the baby monitor on the table since Hunter was asleep inside, and they were all talking.
Haley cleared her throat. "So, I know everyone is coming over to our house after they unwrap the presents in the morning, but Nathan and I had an idea. We want everyone to dress up in fancy clothes, and we could take family pictures, and just have a real fancy Christmas. We'll have a sit-down lunch instead of a potluck, and it'll be fun. What do you guys think?"
I think that's an awesome idea," said Brooke. Everyone else agreed, and it was decided that everyone would be at Nathan and Haley's at 11:00 the following morning. Nathan, Haley, Deb, Aaron, and the kids left around 8:00 so the kids could go to sleep before Santa came. On the way home, Nathan glanced in the rearview mirror at Summer and Ryan.
"Hey guys, thanks for not saying anything about Mommy and Daddy's surprise tomorrow. We want everyone to be surprised and you two did very well."
"Thanks, Daddy," said Summer. "It was hard not to tell, but I remembered what you said. They'll be more happy to find out tomorrow and be surprised."
"That's right," said Nathan, reaching for Haley's hand and smiling at her. She smiled back at him, then looked out the window. Tomorrow was definitely going to be an interesting day.
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Brooke and Lucas left shortly after Nathan and Haley. By the time they got home, Tyler was asleep and Alison was drifting in and out of consciousness. Karen picked up Ali and carried her in the house and up to the stairs, followed by Lucas carrying Tyler. Brooke put some coffee in the coffeemaker, then she and Keith went into the living room to talk.
"So I feel like I already know you from all the wonderful things Lucas says about you," said Brooke.
Keith laughed. "Well, I've heard a lot about you, too. He really seems to love and respect you."
"Yeah…" said Brooke, smiling. "I really love him, too. And he respects the heck out of you. You've really made a difference in his life."
"It's really nice to hear that from you, Brooke. I like to hear that I've helped Lucas become the man he is today. So, tell me some more about you. What do you like to do?" asked Keith.
"Well, I was a journalist in Las Vegas, but I actually like designing clothes, and I went to school to become an interior designer. Right now, I love being at home with the kids, though. It's a lot of fun to be with them everyday."
"Yeah, I remember when I used to take Lucas to the park and things when he was younger. It was always a lot of fun. And the kids are amazing. Ali is beautiful, and so polite. You've really done a good job of raising her so far."
Brooke smiled. "Thanks, Uncle Keith. I appreciate that."
"Uncle Keith… I like the sound of that, kiddo."
Karen and Lucas came downstairs, and they all put presents under the trees, filled the stockings, and talked about what they were going to wear to Nathan and Haley's the next day. Finally, at about 1:00 Christmas morning, they finally went to sleep.
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Nathan woke up at about 12:30 Christmas morning to find an empty spot where Haley usually slept. He crept out of bed and downstairs to find her sitting on the floor by the fire, staring at the window at the sky. "Hales? What are you doing, babe?"
Haley looked up, startled. "Oh, I'm sorry, Nate. Did I wake you up?"
"No, I just woke up, saw that you weren't there, and came to find you. So, I ask again. What are you doing?"
Haley blushed. "I'm… waiting for Santa. And don't laugh!" Nathan swallowed his laughter and sat down next to her. "See, when I was little, my mom always told me that the kids that went to bed before Santa came got bad presents. She said that Santa wanted to talk to us when he showed up." (A/N: OK, I know I read this in another story, but I wanted it in here because I do this every year. My mom actually did tell me this when I was a little girl, but my kids do participate. I don't tell them Santa will be mad, though. They just want to stay out there with me.)
"So, did you ever… oh, I don't know… see Santa?" asked Nathan, still trying not to laugh.
Haley ran her shoulder into his and chuckled. "No, I always fell asleep before he showed up, but I got good presents, so I figured since I was down here, he was happy. And so every year, even though I obviously don't believe in Santa anymore, I sit here and wait for Santa, and end up falling asleep by the fire."
"That's a wonderful tradition, babe. But why don't you include the kids on it?"
"Well, Ryan doesn't believe in Santa anymore. He pretends for Summer's sake, but pretty soon she won't either. And I also don't want them to think Santa won't give them good presents if they don't stay down here. It was kind-of scary for me as kid. I didn't want Santa to be mad at me, you know?" Haley shrugged, and looked at Nathan to see if he was laughing.
"You're so beautiful. You know that? That's what I love about you. You still have that child-like innocence. Now, what do you say we go up to bed and try to get some sleep before Mom, Aaron and the kids wake up?
Haley nodded, and they went up to their room and eventually fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms.
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During Hunter's first night at home, he woke up four times, and by the time 7:00 rolled around, Peyton and Jake were both exhausted. Even though they were dead-tired, though, they made their way downstairs to open presents and watch Jenny open hers. Jake had bought her some Barbies and play horses, since she was really into horses, and Peyton bought her a huge art set, which included pencils, oils, pastels, charcoal and all kinds of other things. They also bought her a year of riding lessons at a private stable in town, which she was very excited about.
Jake bought Peyton a diamond necklace with matching earrings, and Peyton bought Jake a new watch and a bunch of CDs that he had been wanting. After they ate breakfast and Jenny played with some of her toys, they started to get ready to go to Nathan and Haley's house.
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Brooke and Lucas woke to a bunch of sounds from downstairs including laughing and shouting. They slowly made their way downstairs to see Karen dancing around the living room with Ali and Tyler while Keith sat on the couch, watching and laughing. "Good morning. Merry Christmas!" said Lucas.
"Daddy!" said Alison. She ran and jumped into her dad's arms. "Merry Christmas!"
"Mare Kiss, Mama," said Tyler, walking over to Brooke and holding her arms up so Brooke could pick him up. Once everyone had greeted each other, they sat down to open presents. It pretty much panned out like this. Tyler: a play piano from Brooke, a Leap Frog learning stuffed frog from Lucas, some plain stuffed animals and books from Keith, and a Care Bear Cousin from Karen. Alison: a play jewelry and make-up set from Brooke, a Newborn Baby doll from Lucas, a V-Smile from Keith, and a dress-up set from Karen. Lucas got Brooke a $1,000 gift certificate to Bed, Bath and Beyond since she had been saying that she wanted to remodel the bedrooms. Brooke got Lucas an Ipod, some gift cards to buy music, and an Xbox 360. Keith and Karen bought Lucas some games for his Xbox 360 and a gift certificate to an antique bookstore, and they got Brooke a gift certificate to a jewelry store in the mall. Brooke and Lucas bought Keith a humongous toolbox, loaded with tools and a new air compressor for the garage, and they bought Karen one of those cameo necklaces with the mother holding the baby that said 'MOM' in white gold across the bottom, and some new pots, pans and cookware for the café.
After the kids ran off to play with their toys, Lucas hurriedly hooked up his new Xbox. Brooke laughed. She had never seen him so excited. She was glad that he liked his present. Before she knew, Keith and Lucas were playing BurnOut, and she and Karen were sitting on the couch, saying it was their turn. Of course, the guys didn't listen.
Everyone played with their new toys for an hour or so, and then started to get ready to go to Nathan and Haley's.
NALEY NALEY NALEY NALEY NALEY NALEY NALEY NALEY NALEY
"Mom! Dad! Wake up! It's Christmas!" exclaimed Ryan, jumping onto Nathan's bed, followed shortly by Summer.
Nathan groaned and picked his head up to look at the clock. "It's only six o'clock! The sun's not even up yet. Why are you?"
"Because it's Christmas, Daddy!" said Summer. "Wake up! We wanna open our presents!"
"Okay… I'm up. I'll wake Mommy up if you two go wake up Grandma and Aaron." They nodded and ran out of the room and down the hall to the guest room where Deb and Aaron were staying. Nathan rolled over and wrapped his arms around Haley. "Good morning, beautiful. Merry Christmas. It's time to get up."
Haley groaned. "I am awake, I just don't want to get up. It's times like these when I think seriously about selling those kids to the circus. Imagine how big of a pool we could build in the backyard if we sold them."
Nathan laughed. "Come on, babe. It's Christmas and they're excited. Plus, I looked into it, and the circus is definitely not paying full price for kids anymore, so it's not worth it at this time. Now, get up before I carry you downstairs completely naked." He smacked her butt, then jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom before she could get up and catch him.
Haley climbed out of bed and put a pair of Nathan's pajama pants on and one of her white T-shirts, then put on socks and slippers, then grabbed her robe. It was, after all, December, and very cold. Then, she snuck over to the side of the bathroom door and waited for Nathan to come out. She had put pillows on the bed like she was still sleeping, so when he opened the door and peeked out, he thought she was still in bed. He opened the door the rest of the way and snuck out, not seeing her right by the door. Once her got far enough she jumped on his back and knocked him to the ground.
"Got ya!" Haley exclaimed, pinning him to the floor.
"That's not fair, you cheated!" said Nathan, easily rolling her over and pinning her to the floor.
"How do you figure? That was fair, and I won. Now, admit it before I hurt you."
Nathan laughed. "OK, I admit it. But not because I think you can hurt me, but because I love you."
"Aww… you're so sweet. I love you, too." She kissed him, and he sat up and let her sit up as well. "And that's why it makes it so easy for me to get you!" she exclaimed, pushing him over to the floor, then running out of their room, down the hall and into Jaymie's closing and locking the door behind her. She walked over to the crib where her daughter was standing up, waiting for someone to come get her. Haley picked Jaymie up, then opened the door and peeked out, but she couldn't see Nathan. "Don't scare me, Nate, because I've got Jaymie and if you scare me, I'll drop her." She walked down the hall, down the stairs and into the living room, but she still didn't see him. She set Jaymie down on the floor, then walked over to the couch and sat down next to Deb.
"Before you ask, no I haven't seen him, and I have no idea what's going on," said Deb, laughing.
"Well, Nathan got me, so then I got him back, then I got him again, so now he has to get me one more time before we're even. And I'm trying to avoid…" Before she could finish and hand covered her mouth and she was picked up and brought over the back of the couch, then pinned to the floor again. She looked up at Nathan laughing and started laughing, too. "All right, you got me, and scared me half to death, too. We're even."
Nathan kissed her, then helped her up. "That was fun. We should do it more often. Good morning, Mom." He kissed his mom's cheek as he sat down beside her. Haley went into the kitchen to start the coffee, and she heard some commotion from the stairs. She looked up to see Ryan and Summer dragging Aaron down the stairs.
"Okay, guys, I'm coming. You can let go now," whined Aaron, pretending they were really forcing him downstairs.
"No way," said Ryan. "If we let you go, you'll just go back upstairs and go back to sleep. It's time to open presents!"
Haley laughed and kissed both of her kids at the bottom of the stairs. "I'll take Aaron from here, you two. Go find a spot on the floor to open your presents." Ryan and Summer headed into the living room, and Haley offered Aaron a cup of coffee.
Aaron held up his hand. "No, thanks, Haley. Coffee makes me really hyper. I think I'll just get some water if that's OK."
"Of course," said Haley, taking a sip of the coffee. "Good morning and Merry Christmas, by the way."
"Thanks. Merry Christmas. Hopefully you all like the presents we got you."
"I'm sure we will. I'm glad you two are here. This has been a really fun Christmas," said Haley, smiling. 'And it hasn't even really begun yet,' she thought.
They headed into the living room carrying cups of coffee for Nathan and Deb, and everyone agreed that Ryan should pass out the presents. Once everyone had theirs, the wrapping paper began to fly. These are the presents that everyone got.
Jaymie: a caterpillar alphabet game from Deb and Aaron, soft books and a Hokey-Pokey Elmo from Haley, and some baby jewelry from Nathan. Ryan and Summer also drew pictures for her, which Haley said they would hang up in her room.
Summer: Dora the Explorer outfits and Elefun (a game where butterflies shoot out of the elephant's nose and you have to catch them with a net) from Aaron and Deb. A strawberry shortcake doll set and a Dora the Explorer furniture set from Haley, and a new Disney Princesses toddler bed from Nathan, since her current one was actually Ryan's old one and was falling apart.
Ryan: a PSP and some games from Aaron and Deb. Clothes, new shoes and a GameBoy DS with some games from Haley. Nathan's present was in the garage, so they went out there and an Orange County Choppers bicycle with the skinny front wheel and the fat back wheel was sitting there, along with a bunk-bed set. "Does this mean I can finally have friends spend the night?" asked Ryan. Haley and Nathan nodded. They hadn't been letting his friends spend the night, since there was nowhere for them to sleep. Ryan jumped up and down and was extremely excited.
Haley: a gift certificate to the same jewelry as Brooke got from Deb and Aaron, some 'work around the house' coupons from Ryan and Summer, and a shirt with a picture of the whole family with 'My Family' written underneath from all three of the kids.
Nathan: an Xbox 360, like Lucas', but with different games so they could trade, from Deb and Aaron. Some pictures drawn and a card from Ryan and Summer, and a matching shirt of Haley's with a picture of the whole family on it.
"So you guys didn't get anything for each other?" asked Deb.
"We did, but you can't see it until later," said Haley, smiling mysteriously.
Deb: a beautiful diamond necklace, earring and bracelet set from Aaron, a gift certificate to a spa in Tree Hill for a full day of beauty from Haley and Nathan, and a shirt with a picture of the three kids on it and 'Grandma's Angels' written underneath from the kids.
Aaron: a gold and diamond Rolex from Deb, a gift certificate to an Auto Parts store, since Aaron liked to accessorize his cars, from Haley and Nathan, and a shirt with the same picture as Deb's, but underneath it said: 'No, they're Aaron's Angels!'
Everyone played with their presents, then Nathan and Haley sent Deb and Aaron to the store with some money and a LONG grocery list. As soon as they left, Haley and Nathan ran out to their cars and, with Ryan's help, brought streamers, balloons, a helium tank, and all sorts of other decorations into the house. Haley immediately started decorating while Nathan went out to the shed and pulled out something that looked like a giant white wicker basket that just needed to be put together.
By the time Deb and Aaron got back, Peyton, Jake, Brooke, Lucas, Karen, Keith, Jenny, Hunter, Alison and Tyler were all there and standing outside knocking. They walked up to the door. "What are you all doing outside?" asked Deb.
"Well, we keep knocking, and we hear them talking and moving around inside, but no one's answering the door," said Peyton, sounding irritated.
"Oh. I wonder what they're doing in there. By the way, you all look handsome and beautiful," said Deb. She was met by a chorus of "Thank yous", then knocked on the door. "Haley, Nathan! We're all here! Why aren't you opening the door?" Finally, after a couple more minutes of knocking, the door opened to reveal Nathan and Ryan standing there with tuxes on and looking handsome. Haley and the girls were nowhere to be found, and as everyone shuffled into the house, they gasped at how beautiful it looked. Everything was decorated in white, green, and red.
"Thank you all for coming," said Nathan. "Sorry we kept you waiting for so long, but we wanted everything to be ready when you came in."
"It's cool," said Brooke, taking Hunter out of his car seat and handing him to Peyton. "So, where's Tutor Girl and her Mini-Mes?"
"They're upstairs getting ready. Oh, Lucas and Jake, Haley wanted to ask you guys something. She said to tell you to come upstairs, but knock first before going in."
Lucas and Jake looked at each other, shrugged and walked upstairs. They went to Haley and Nathan's room and knocked. "Hales, it's me and Jake," said Lucas.
The door opened to reveal Summer in a white dress and white gloved, her hair curled and up. "Hi, Uncle Jake. Hi, Uncle Lucas. Come on in." They walked in, and Summer closed the door.
"You look beautiful, Summer," said Jake, giving her a hug, then picking up Jaymie, who was in a smaller version of Summer's dress. "And so do you, Jay. So where's your Mommy?"
"I'm right here," said Haley stepping out of the bathroom. Lucas and Jake were both shocked at how beautiful Haley looked. She was wearing a long, white gown with spaghetti straps and white sandals.
"Wow, Hales. You look absolutely stunning and beautiful," said Lucas.
Haley blushed. "Thanks, that's sweet. So you guys probably wonder what you're doing up here, huh?" Lucas and Jake both nodded. "Well, Nathan and I have a surprise for all of you today. And you can't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you, OK?" They nodded in agreement again. "We're… getting married. Right here, in the backyard. Today."
"What? Oh my God. Haley, that's wonderful news. How awesome. But wait, what does this have to do with us?" asked Jake.
"Well, I was wondering if you guys would do me a favor and…" But before she could finish, there was another knock at the door. Haley sighed. "Who is it?"
"Haley James, you'd better open this door right now before we break it down! You know we can do it! We've done it before!" exclaimed a man that Luke or Jake had never heard. Haley gasped, and Lucas and Jake stood up, ready to protect Haley. But when they looked at Haley, she was all smiles.
She ran to the door, and swung it open to reveal two men, both around six feet, brown hair and brown eyes, just like Haley. "Russ! Jimmy! You came!" She wrapped her arms around both of them and they hugged her and picked her up.
"Of course we came, Hales. We couldn't miss watching our baby sister get married, now could we? Congratulations and Merry Christmas, by the way," said the taller of the two.
"Thanks. And thank you guys for coming. Come in, come in. I'm just finishing getting ready," Haley said as she ushered them inside.
Once they were in, they looked at Lucas and Jake, and the shorter one piped up. "Uh, Hales, we already met Nathan downstairs and I believe HE's the one you're marrying. So please tell me he knows these two fine gentlemen are up here."
Haley laughed and punched his arm slightly. "Of course he knows. This is Nathan's brother, Lucas, and their best friend Jake. Luke, Jake, these are my older brothers, Russell and Jimmy," said Haley, introducing the taller one as Jimmy and the smaller one as Russell. The guys all shook hands and greeted each other, then Jake and Lucas started to walk to the door. "Wait, where are you guys going?"
"Well, we figured you would want some time to talk to your brothers and everything," said Jake.
"Yeah, I do. But I still want to ask you that favor. I was going to ask you guys to walk me down the aisle, but now that my brothers are here, I'm hoping they'll do it," said Haley, looking at Jimmy and Russ, who smiled and nodded. Then, Haley turned back to Luke and Jake. "Well, Nathan wanted Lucas to be his best man and Jake to be one of his groomsmen, along with Keith, Aaron and Ryan. So, would you guys do that?"
Jake and Lucas smiled. "Of course we will, Hales," said Lucas. "It would be our pleasure." Haley hugged them both, made them promise again not to say anything, then sent them downstairs to tell Petyon, Brooke and Alison to come up to her room.
While she waited for the girls to show up, Haley introduced Summer to Russell and Jimmy, and they started to talk about how dumb Taylor was, but Haley shook her head. Then she handed Jaymie over to Russell, and they talked about how much she looked like Haley, and how if they ever got their hands on that creep, Chris, they'd kill him.
"Yeah, well, I plan on him being jail for a long time, hopefully the rest of his life," said Haley. The bedroom door opened, and Peyton, Brooke and Ali walked in. "Brooke, Peyton, hi!" exclaimed Haley, hugging them, and they hugged her back.
"Hey, Tutor Girl, what's up? Wow, you look hot!" said Brooke.
Haley just laughed, used to Brooke's comments. She introduced them to her brothers, then told them the news. Brooke and Peyton squealed and jumped up and down with Haley, and when they were told they going to be maids of honor (or matrons, whatever, I don't know), they got all excited again. Haley warned them that the parents didn't know, and they were the only people left to surprise. She then told them that Brooke would be walking with Keith, Peyton with Aaron, Jake with Deb, and Lucas with Karen. Before that, Ryan and Summer would walk down the aisle pulling a wagon with Tyler, Jaymie and Hunter in it. Then Alison, who was the flower girl, would of course, throw petals down the aisle. Finally, Haley would walk down with her brothers, then everyone would sit down and watch the wedding. She wanted everyone to be able to sit and actually enjoy it.
Peyton and Brooke said they loved the idea, and Haley told them to go downstairs and get everyone ready. When Peyton and Brooke walked downstairs, they saw that Deb and Aaron had changed, and everyone was ready. "Keith, come here," ordered Brooke, smiling. Keith came over to her, and she hooked her arm through his.
"What's up, Brooke?" asked Keith, confused.
"You'll see," said Brooke, still smiling, and kissed Keith's cheek in order to make him not nervous. Peyton, Lucas and Jake got the other parents in line, and even though no one knew what was going on, they all got in line outside the patio door, which had the shades drawn over it. Finally they heard the shrieks of children, and turned to see Ryan and Summer slowly pulling the babies in a wagon, and they were laughing. Alison followed behind shyly, and they stopped in front of Lucas and Brooke, waiting to go. Finally, Nathan walked past and out the door with a man in a suit that no one knew.
They heard music swell from outside, and Ryan and Summer went through the blinds, carefully pulling the wagon, then Ali followed. Brooke peeked out to see her babies walk down the aisle and smiled. They were doing perfectly. Finally, she started moving, and pulled Keith along with her. "Brooke, what is going on?" asked Keith. "Oh…" he said, once they got through the door. He saw the altar and Nathan standing at the end of an aisle with chairs on either side.
"Surprise, Uncle Keith," said Brooke, shrugging her shoulders and squeezing his hand. They reached the end of the aisle, and Brooke kissed Nathan's cheek while Keith shook his hand, then they sat down on opposite sides of the aisle. The kids had already taken their seats in the second row. Peyton and Aaron walked down the aisle, doing the same thing as Brooke and Keith, then took their seats.
Next was Lucas and Karen, and Karen had tears running down her face. She hugged Nathan, who was trying not to cry since he was so happy, and told him how proud she was of him. Lucas shook Nathan's hand and patted him on the back. They took their seats, and everyone turned to see Deb and Jake walk through the door.
They watched Deb gasp and put her hand to her heart, then smile and start to cry. By the time they reached the end of the aisle, Deb was practically bawling, but with happy tears. She hugged her son. "Oh my goodness. My baby boy is getting married. I am so proud of you, and incredibly happy for you, Nate." She kissed him, and Jake shook his hand, then they went to sit down.
The music changed, and 'Here Comes The Bride' began to play. Everyone stood up and turned around, seeing Haley come out the door, with her brothers on either side of her, looking so beautiful and happy. It seemed to take forever for them to make it down the aisle, and by the time they got to the end, all the adults were misty-eyed, including Haley, Nathan, Russell and Jimmy. Haley took Nathan's hands, and Russ and Jimmy stood back, waiting for their part.
"Dear friends, family and loved ones, we are gathered here today in the presence of God to bear witness to the union of Haley and Nathan. Who gives this woman to this man?" asked the minister.
"We do," said Russ and Jimmy, smiling at Haley. They each kissed her cheek, shook Nathan's hand, then sat down and watched the wedding.
"If anyone here has reason that these two shall not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace." Obviously, no one spoke, so the minister continued. "Marriage is something that should not be taken lightly. It is a bond that holds two people together in love and life for eternity. Haley and Nathan have decided to use traditional vows, so Nathan, if you will repeat after me… 'I, Nathan Daniel Scott'.
"I, Nathan Daniel Scott."
"Take you to be my lawfully wedded wife." Nathan repeated it. "To have and to hold, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." As Nathan repeated the final part, he wanted so bad to lean over and kiss Haley, but he knew he had to wait.
"Now, Haley, repeat after me. 'I, Haley Elizabeth James,'."
"I, Haley Elizabeth James." Haley finished repeating the vows, then the minister asked for the rings, which Brooke and Lucas issued to Nathan and Haley.
"Now, Nathan," said the minister. "Place the ring on Haley's finger and repeat after me. 'With this ring, I thee wed.'"
"With this ring, I thee wed," said Nathan, slipping a thin white-gold band, which went perfectly around the bottom of her engagement ring, onto Haley's finger.
"Haley, place the ring on Nathan's hand and repeat after me. 'With this ring, I thee wed.'"
"With this ring, I thee wed," repeated Haley, slipping a thicker version of her band onto Nathan's finger.
"With the power vested in me by God and the state of Minnesota, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," said the minister, standing back and raising his arms as Haley and Nathan kissed. Everyone stood up, clapping and wiping the tears from her eyes. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I present to you, Nathan and Haley Scott!" Ryan and Summer ran towards Nathan and Haley, and hugged them both. Everyone else hugged them and celebrated with them.
Shortly after, the party had been moved inside and everyone was drinking champagne and sitting around the living room. The minister, whose name was Nick, was there, but not drinking, of course. Finally, Lucas stood up and tapped his glass. Haley and Nathan kissed quickly, per tradition, then turned to hear what Lucas had to say.
"I have known Nathan all my life. He has been my support and my rock when I tried to fall, he has been there for me through good and bad, and best of all, he has been my brother. He's also been a huge pain in the ass." Everyone laughed, including Lucas, and then he continued. "But the one thing Nathan never was, was in love. That is, until he met Haley. From the first day they met, he was so in love with her it made his heart hurt. Yes, Nathan, I'm quoting you here." Nathan flipped him off behind his mother, but of course everyone saw and laughed again. "Haley, you've filled Nathan's heart and his life with love. You have made him so happy, and I know he's made you happy, too. I only hope that you continue to have a wonderful life, and I wish you only the best. So, to Nathan and Haley. I love you guys, and am so immensely happy for you." Everyone raised their glasses, and Haley wiped her eyes. Fresh tears started, however, as her two best friends in the whole world, Brooke and Peyton, stood up, wiping tears from their eyes.
"We've been planning this speech for a while," began Peyton. "But we didn't think we'd be using it quite this soon." She paused a minute and smiled at Haley before continuing. "We can't say that we've known Haley all our lives, but it's been a long time. She was always the happiest one of us, making us laugh, and helping us when we cried. She always just had this… light shining from someplace deep inside of her. That was especially true whenever she talked about her niece and nephew, who were the absolute lights of her life. She was so proud of them, and she just knew someday she would find the perfect man, and they would have wonderful children just like Ryan and Summer." Peyton stopped talking and turned to Brooke a little, since it was her turn to take over.
"The day Haley found out she was pregnant, though, the light went out in her eyes. It was like, her whole being had been sucked out of her. She realized, as she said, that she wasn't going to find that perfect man for her, because he wouldn't want to be burdened with someone else's kids. She already had custody of Ryan and Summer, so the total of three kids was almost too much for her to bear, let alone a stranger. Peyton and I tried everything we could, but she was set in her ways, and has already started looking at the pound to buy a hundred cats so she would never be alone. But that all changed one night, when a handsome man, along with his two VERY handsome friends," Brooke paused to smile and wink at Lucas. "walked into the restaurant she was working at. Nathan healed her that night. She doesn't know that I was watching, but they were talking, and I saw a bit of that light come back into her eyes. It was so beautiful. Ever since that day, Nathan has made her eyes and her soul shine brighter. If I didn't love her so much, I wouldn't be able to look at her, because her glow would blind me." She looked at Peyton, and they raised their glasses, then spoke together.
"So, to Haley, our best friend, and Nathan, the kind, perfect man for Haley, we salute you and congratulate you. We love you, and wish you happiness for the rest of your lives together." Everyone raised their glasses, then Haley stood up and hugged her friends, then Lucas, tears streaming down her face. Nathan hugged Peyton and Brooke, then started to shake Lucas' hand before pulling him into a hug as well.
The party lasted on until late in the night, before Jake and Peyton, then Brooke, Lucas, Karen and Keith decided to head home. Nathan and Haley sighed and cuddled on the couch, then chuckled as all three of their children snuggled in between them. Haley looked down at her left hand, then back up at Nathan, who was smiling at her. "I love you Mr. Scott," said Haley.
Nathan picked up her hand and kissed it, then kissed her. "I love you, too, Mrs. Scott."
Haley smiled at the name. She was so happy, it couldn't be put into words. They spent a couple of hours together like that, eventually joined by Deb and Aaron, just a happy family who was just brought that little bit closer. Anyone looking through the window at them would have been green with envy by the look of them. They were so perfect and so happy, and seemed like their bond would be held together forever. And, Nathan and Haley thought, looking at each other adoringly over the kids' heads, it would.
Author's Note: Ugh! Thank goodness this chapter is finally done. It was probably my favorite chapter to write, but it took me absolutely forever, as I'm sure you all know! It ended up being 23 pages, but when I originally got it done, it was like, 35, so I shortened it down some. Sorry if some parts were hurried, but there was a lot I wanted to stuff into this chapter, because as I said, I'm going to be skipping ahead about a year next chapter. I've got some thoughts in my head about what's going to happen, but if you have any ideas, whether they be happy, sad, dramatic, scary, whatever, let me know. I love reviews and I love feedback. Unless it's negative, of course, cuz then I'll hunt you down and kill you… No, just kidding. Give me negative feedback if I deserve it. So, this was a fun chapter and I hope you all liked it! Thanks for reading!
So from me to you, good night and good luck. (lol… I always wanted to say that!) See you next chapter.
(Well, I won't actually see you, but you know what I mean…)
