What Happens Next

Chapter 4

"Sure Nathan. Let me just talk to my mom," Lucas walked into the kitchen where his mom had just sat down to look at the mail, "I'll call you back."

"Who was that?" Karen asked, not looking at her son.

"Just a friend who needs a favor. Any chance you'd be willing to take in a couple of visitors for a while?"

"Who?" Karen asked again.

"This little cutie and her mommy."

Karen turned to look at her son at the same time that Natalie cooed in his arms, "Lucas Eugene Scott."

"It's not what you think," he handed Natalie to his mom.

"Haley?" she whispered, seeing the resemblance to Nathan and Haley. She'd been so worried about the young girl since her disappearance. She knew how hard things had been on Nathan, but Haley had been out there alone.

"Yeah. She's back mom."

"Does Nathan know?"

"Yeah. She's actually over there right now. He's the one who called."

"Is there a reason she's not living with Nathan," not that Karen minded, she was just curious why the young couple wouldn't be staying together.

"It's not his decision, that's for sure. Something about Haley thinking they need to step back and figure out what went wrong."

She's welcome here as long as she likes."

Haley stood in Lucas' bedroom, "I can stay somewhere else, really, you shouldn't have to sleep on the couch in your own home."

He looked at her, "I insist, even if you weren't family. The only way I'll let you stay somewhere else is if that somewhere else is at the apartment with Nathan."

"You're pure evil," Haley hugged him, "Thank you, for everything."

"Anytime buddy. Now mom made Keith and I rummage around the garage to find a few things she thought you might need." He motioned towards the crib, swing, and high chair in the corner.

"Thank you Lucas," she ran her hand over the crib's railing then paused, "Wait, did you say Keith? He's back?"

"Yeah, shortly after the fire. He got wind of it, and came back to help sort things out. He moved in here a few months ago. I think mom's going to ask him to marry her."

"That's awesome Luke. I always knew that one day they'd begin forever together."

"Yeah, we're all pretty excited."

"I can't believe how much I missed. What was it you mentioned about a fire?"

"I think you should talk to Nathan about it."

Haley looked at Lucas, confused, "Oooookay. So, tell me what's going on with everyone."

"Where to begin. Brooke was forced to spend last summer in California with her parents, after I told her I wanted to be with her of course. We tried the dating thing for a while after she returned, but discovered we're best as friends. She's with Mouth now, has been for several months, and they both seem really happy."

"Good for them. What about you? Is the smoldering hot Lucas Scott seeing anyone?"

"Nah, I'm doing the single thing for a while again, much to the disappointment of half the female population at the high school."

Haley laughed, "I believe it. Everyone's gotta get their hands on a Scott brother."

"Yeah, about that, you should be warned. Single high school girls really don't care for you much."

"And that's different from before how?"

"Well before they were jealous that Nathan had picked you. But that quickly turned to hatred when you left, and then didn't return. They all were prepared for Nathan to be fair game when school started in the fall, but he won't even look at another girl."

"But he's not drinking anymore, right?"

"That you'll have to ask him. I know it's not like it was, but I've been called to get him more than once."

Haley groaned, she hoped that now that she was back, his drinking will stop. "What about Peyton?"

"She's happier than anyone can remember her ever being."

"That's awesome."

"Yeah, it is. Jake and Jenny are living with her, have been for," Lucas paused, "wow, over a year."

"Yeah, he came back before I left. So she's away from the drugs?"

"She is. She absolutely loves her role as Jenny's mommy. They've talked about marriage a few times but…"

"They're afraid of ending up like Nathan and I."

"Eeh, yeah, kinda. Everyone thought you two were the perfect couple. And when you couldn't make it work, people didn't know who could."

"Oh wow."

"Don't worry about that now though. Everything's going to be fine now that you're back Hales."

"Thanks," Haley hugged Lucas, "I hope you're right," she whispered.