Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with One Tree Hill

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Relazations

by: D. Sollers

The next morning had come to soon as Lucas realized he had fallen asleep with Brooke in his arms. He knew his daughter could awake at any minute and knew that Brooke wasn't ready to answer questions regarding their relationship. His lips grazed her forehead and he whispered I love you to her before pulling away slowly. She mumbled something in her sleep and curled up on the coach. Lucas smiled down at her and ran his fingers over her face.

He tiptoed out of the living room and towards the front door when his daughter startled him. "Morning dad," she said with a sly smile. Lucas turned to her and put a finger to his lips. He waved hello and pulled her into a gentle hug.

"Morning, your mom is asleep okay? So don't wake her up. I have to get going," he said quietly.

Isabella nodded her head and watched as her father slipped out of the house. She looked through the window and noticed her dads car pulling out of the driveway. Turning to go back upstairs, Isabella grinned happily. She was one step closer to having her perfect family.

……

"Good morning," Peyton said as she placed a cup of coffee in front of Haley. Haley nodded a hello but didn't say anything. She hated mornings and this one was no exception. "I have wanted to talk to you about something."

Haley looked up at her friend. "I found an apartment already Peyt, I will be out in a couple of days. You and Brooke have been great but I am ready to be on my own again," she smiled.

Peyton shook her head and sat down on the other side of the table. "It's not about you moving Hales," she hesitated. "It's about Nathan." Haley found herself choking on her coffee and she laughed at her friend.

"What about Nathan?"

Peyton crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "I know you two have been spending time together and I know about you two's past," she explained. "I just know that Brooke and him haven't broken up yet and even though Lucas is back…I'm afraid you're going to get hurt."

"Peyton this is ridiculous. Nathan and I are friends," Haley lied. "I wouldn't do that to Brooke and I know that Nathan really cares about her." Technically, she wasn't lying. She wouldn't act on her feelings for Nathan as long as Brooke was in the picture. Brooke was one of her best friends and even though she knew that Brooke's heart was with Lucas, she knew that she had feelings for Nathan as well.

Peyton nodded her head sadly. "Nathan's going to be hurting over all of this," she said. Haley nodded her head knowing that it was the truth. Even if Nathan wasn't in love with Brooke, it was him who had been there for her for all those years. He had helped raised Isabella since she was a baby. "He's not only going to lose his place in Brooke's life but in Isabella's as well."

"We don't know that. Brooke hasn't made any decisions and even though Lucas has come home… who's to say that Brooke will take him back?"

Haley knew that Peyton was right. Brooke would eventually choose Lucas, no matter how long it would take. Her friend had never got over him and the love that the two of them had once shared was too powerful to just ignore. She just hoped that Brooke would be honest with Nathan before he gets anymore hurt than he already was.

"We both know it's not going to happen," Peyton said.

Haley nodded her head and smiled sadly. Brooke would forgive Lucas and they would find themselves even more in love than they were ten years ago. Peyton and Jake were happily married. What did she have?

More importantly, what did Nathan have?

"I need to ask you a question."

Haley nodded her head and waited for her friend to ask it. She knew that whatever it was had something to do with Nathan and even though she wasn't looking forward to any interrogation, she never minded talking with the woman in front of her. Over the years her friendship with Peyton had increased and the two shared most secrets.

"If Brooke wasn't in the picture, would you be?"

Haley's mouth opened slightly and she bit her lip. How could Peyton ask her that? She wasn't in Nathan's mind. How was she to know if he would want her instead of Brooke.

"I don't know how to answer that," Haley said simply.

Peyton knew that the question was unfair but it still needed to be asked. "Do you love him?" Haley looked down at her coffee and held back the tears. No one had asked her that for so long. She had been so in love with him in high school that she would have done anything to be with him. But they had been just friends then.

Then he had come to see her and she thought that possibly they could have had a chance together. She saw the way he had looked at her and felt the way he had touched her. But something had happened. What had changed? She had wanted to ask him that for so long but never had the courage. A few years later he had gotten together with Brooke and Haley knew her chance with Nathan was gone. There was no turning away so she had begun to date Chris.

"Peyton…" Haley couldn't form away words.

The blonde nodded her head. "That answers my question. Oh Hales," Peyton said as she got up to hug her friend. Haley cried for a few minutes before pulling away from her.

"You think I am a bad person don't you?"

Peyton brought her back into a hug and shook her head no. "You're not a bad person Haley, you can't help who you love. But why have you kept it to yourself all these years?"

"I didn't want to hurt anyone," she replied. "What am I going to do?"

Peyton sat back in her chair, unsure of what she was supposed to say to her friend. She had no right to tell Haley to forget about Nathan but also knew she couldn't tell her to go after him. The only thing Haley could do is tell both Brooke and Nathan the truth and hope for the best. But as she looked at her tearful friend, she wasn't sure that Haley was up for it.

……

Lucas stood on his mother's front porch and tied his shoe laces. He stretched for a few minutes before heading off on his morning jog. The events of the night before played in his head and he couldn't help but smile as he remembered Brooke leaning in to watch the movie with him. The two had fallen asleep together and even though nothing else had happened between each other, he felt more connected to her than ever. Perhaps she was willing to give him another chance.

"What's the grin for?"

His brother jogged beside him, slowing down so that Lucas could keep up. Lucas sent him a dirty look and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just thinking man," he lied. Nathan nodded his head. "You still run?"

Nathan nodded his head again and laughed at his brother. "I see I'm still in better shape than you," he teased.

"In your dreams man."

Nathan sped up and turned back to look at his brother, a smirk spread across his face. "Maybe in Brooke's," he said before running off out of sight. Lucas slowed down and placed his hands on his knees. He knew that whatever had happened between Brooke and him the night before didn't change anything to do with her loyalty towards Nathan. Lucas needed to make Nathan understand that he wasn't letting her go, once and for all.

"Nate, we have to talk."

Lucas sat down on the bench beside his brother and took a sip of his water bottle. Nathan turned towards him but said nothing as Lucas continued. "I know that I have no right asking you this…"

"You want me to back off of Brooke."

Lucas nodded his head. "I know you could probably ask me to do the same but I don't think you will. Nathan you're not in love with her. I don't doubt that you love her but are you really in love with her?"

"What if I was?"

Lucas looked down at the ground and kicked a few rocks. "Have you been? Everyday and every night since before you can even remember? Can you say without a doubt that she completes you? That you love all of her quirks, as well as all of her flaws? Cause if not… back down."

"Lucas you don't deserve her," Nathan said.

He nodded his head, in total agreement with his brother. Lucas knew he didn't deserve her. Brooke Davis had been a blessing in his life and he had turned his back on her. He spent every night since then, praying that he could make something good come from the situation. But as the time passed, he knew that wasn't possible.

"I might not deserve her, but I love her more than you ever could ."

Lucas caught Nathan's eye and stared at him. His words were simple but he knew they effected his brother. Nathan nodded his head sadly. "I know," he whispered. Lucas did a double take and waited for his brother to explain. "I remember just how much you loved her, how much she loved you… That's why I moved out of the house."

"I'm sorry," he managed to say. Lucas was expecting a fight over Brooke, he wasn't expecting his brother to agree with him. He wasn't sure what was left to say. "I just wish that things were better, you know between us."

Nathan nodded his head and reached out his hand to Lucas. "It just takes time man. We'll all get through it." Would they? He had been thinking that for a while now and even though he wasn't sure how long it would take, he knew that somehow they would all find their way.

"Bro's?" Lucas asked.

Nathan nodded his head. "Bro's."

……

"Mom, do you have a minute?"

Isabella knocked quietly on her mothers bedroom and then walked in when her mother had given her permission. Brooke was sitting in front of her vanity and she was putting her earrings on. As Brooke clasped the last one, her daughter wlaked towards her with a sad facial expression. "What's wrong sweetheart?"

"It's just I have this huge science project due," she tried her best to explain. "And Uncle Nate normally helps me with it but he's not here." She had been trying so hard to get her mother and dad back together that she had forgotten to realize what that had meant for her uncle. Isabella hoped that Nathan and Haley would fall in love, that way the six of them could stay close friends. But still, she was missing her uncle.

Brooke grabbed her hair brush and began to brush her own hair before responding. "Do you want to call him? Maybe he'll come over and help you?" She offered her daughter. Brooke wasn't sure that Nathan would be willing to come over but it would be worth a shot.

"No, I have plans with my dad today. Remember?"

Brooke blushed slightly at the mention of Lucas's name. She nodded her head and turned towards her daughter. "Why don't you ask him then? You know how smart your dad is," Brooke pointed out.

Her daughter nodded her head. "I know. I'm going to ask dad to help me with it I guess I just realized that I missed Uncle Nate."

"He misses you too babe," Brooke said as she placed a kiss on Isabella's forehead. "Just because your uncle isn't here right now doesn't mean it will always be like this." Brooke hoped that what she was telling her daughter was true.

Isabella nodded her head. "I hope so mom. I'm really glad dad is home but I don't want to lose my uncle either."

"You won't sweetie," Brooke said firmly. "He'll always be there for you."

……

Nathan brought Haley's last box into her apartment. "Okay, so where does this one go?" He asked her as she turned to look at him. She pointed to the label which read kitchen and laughed. "Oh, I didn't see that," he laughed as he placed it in the kitchen.

"Thanks again for helping me Nathan."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm glad to help. I owe you a lot. You know that."

"Yeah, but I can't help but feel recently in debited to you. I feel like you're always helping me," she said as she sat down on her new couch. So far she was able to pick out the living room furniture and even have them deliver it. The bedroom furniture would be brought in a few days and Nathan had agreed to help her bring her boxes to the apartment.

He sat down next to her and smiled softly. "You don't owe me anything Hales. You're a great friend," he said. He watched as her smile fell from her face and she nodded her head.

"How's Brooke?"

Nathan shrugged his shoulders. "I talked to Lucas this afternoon, he says she isn't killing him. So that's good I guess." Haley laughed and nodded her head. She made a mental note to talk to Lucas later and then turned her attention back towards Nathan as he continued. "It's weird. I feel like I should be more upset over this but I can't be. I guess I always saw it coming."

"You always saw him coming back?" She asked quietly.

He agreed. "Lucas can be an ass sometimes but I always knew how much he loved her. I just thought it would have been a little sooner."

"You and me both," she mumbled.

Nathan was about to say something when his phone rang. He glanced down at it and saw that it was Brooke's cell phone and he silenced it. "Blocked call," he lied as he shoved the phone in his pockets. "Let's unpack." Nathan stood up and reached for Haley's hand.

……

"Mom, dad's here," Isabella screamed. Brooke walked towards the front door and pulled it open to see Lucas standing on her porch. She laughed, knowing that it was the second time in two days that she had done the same thing. He brought her into a hug before she could refuse and when he pulled away from her, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"You look beautiful."

Brooke smiled. She had picked out her outfit this morning, not realizing she wanted his compliments. Her choice was simple, a low cut brown sweater and black slacks with high boots.

Before she could offer a thank you, her daughter walked out onto the porch behind her. "Okay I am ready," she said. Isabella had her book bag and her project board. She leaned up to give her mother a kiss on the cheek and then turned back to her father. "Ready to go now."

Lucas chuckled and turned towards Brooke. "I guess I'll see you later," he said. Brooke nodded her head and winked.

"See you soon."

Brooke waved goodbye to her daughter and ex boyfriend and smiled to herself. Things were going well. Now if only she could get Nathan to answer his phone.

TBC…