Quick Author's Note: Didn't make up what Nathan says to Haley, written by whoever wrote their wedding scene. LoL, anyways... enjoy the update. And feedback is appreciated.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Always & Forever

By: D. Sollers

"Are you sure about this?" Haley whispered as she stared up at Nathan. He nodded his head, confirming that it was what he had wanted. The past forty eight hours seemed like a blur for Haley, first running through the city of Tree Hill to get the right blood tests done and then trying to get a license in time.

Nathan held Haley's hand in his head and smiled down at her. "Someday this beach may wash away. The oceans may dry, the sky might dim. But on that day, I will still love you. Always and forever. I promise you Haley," Nathan said as he slid the thin gold ring on Haley's finger. She glanced down at how perfectly it fit and she smiled.

"Now Haley, repeat after me…" the pastor said.

Haley felt her heart flutter against her chest and she turned behind her. A few feet away, stood her best friends Brooke and Peyton, both holding an assortment of wildflowers. To the left of them were Jake and Lucas both grinning at the scene in front of them. Her dreams were coming true and it was as she had always imagined it. Nathan and her weren't the type to have a huge wedding in a church, they had decided to do something private along the beach. As the sun set, Haley turned her attention back to Nathan and reached for his hand. "I Haley, take you Nathan to have and to hold from this way forward."

By the time the vows were finished, Jake had made his way to stand by his wife and he wrapped his arms around her. "Can you believe it?" He whispered into her ear. Peyton watched as two of her closest friends kissed and she leaned in to Jake. Smiling up at him, she nodded her head.

"People that are meant to be together always find their way in the end," Peyton said simply.

He nodded his head, knowing the feeling all too well. Haley and Nathan were made for each other, the way that him and Peyton had been. Destiny had stepped in when they were in high school and showed them that, but both Nathan and Haley had chose to ignore it. Years later, they had somehow managed to come right back to where they both had started.

Each other.

Brooke looked at Lucas and gave him a half smile. He reached out for her hand but hesitated at the last moment. Nathan and Haley's wedding had to have had an effect on Brooke, he just wasn't sure what she was thinking. Was she angry?

Upset?

Relieved?

Brooke laced her fingers with Lucas's but didn't look at him. She kept her eyes on both Nathan and Haley, happy that the couple had finally found true love. When Nathan had came to her about the wedding, she had been shocked. And a part of her was jealous. Not that she wasn't the one to marry Nathan, but that she would be the last of her three friends to get married. She wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to.

"Brooke," Lucas finallymanaged to say. She shook her head and her eyes filled with unshed tears. Brooke turned her attention to the married couple and brought both Haley and Nathan into a hug.

"Thank you for letting us be here."

Nathan hugged Brooke again and kissed her forehead. "You're my best friend Brooke. You'll be apart of our lives forever. You and Isabella," he said. She smiled up at him, believing his words. "Even if things don't work out."

Brooke's smile fell and she nodded her head in understanding. There was no saying that what she and Lucas had would eventually work out this time around. After all, they hadn't made it work the first time, why would it work now? "I need to go get Isabella from Karen's, but I will talk to you two later alright?" Brooke said. Haley nodded her head and gave her best friend another hug before watching as Brooke made her way to her car.

"Hey where's Brooke going?" Jake asked, as he and Peyton joined the others. Nathan explained she needed to go pick up her daughter and noticed the sad look on Lucas's face. He turned towards Haley, who had simply nodded her head.

Nathan cleared his throat. "Hey Luke, can I talk to you?" He asked. Lucas nodded his head and motioned over his shoulder towards his car. Nathan followed quickly behind Lucas and stopped when they had reached the car. "I just want to tell you… I'm glad you're staying."

"I guess it worked out well for you and Haley," Lucas said with a grin.

Nathan nodded his head but scowled at his older brother. "It's going to work out for Brooke and you too isn't it? I don't want you to hurt her." Lucas looked into his car and noticed the thin jewelry box sitting on the seat. He had bought her something a few days ago for her birthday, before he had found out about Nathan's wedding. Suddenly, a necklace didn't seem like that great of a gift.

"I'm not trying to," Lucas said once again.

The brothers stood in silence until Peyton joined them. She gave Nathan a hug before turning to Lucas. "Luke… I wanted to say thank you. If you didn't come back, none of this would have happened. Nathan and Haley wouldn't have gotten married and Brooke never would have been completely happy. So thank you." She pulled him into a hug, kissing him tenderly on the cheek. As she turned to leave, she looked at him one last time. "But if you hurt her- I will kill you."

Nathan and Lucas both laughed. "You know the funny thing?" Lucas asked as Nathan shrugged his shoulders. "I always thought it would be us first. Getting married I mean. I never told you this, but in high school Brooke was planning our wedding. She had a whole book, with all these ideas. Flowers, dresses, suits… everything planned. I don't know if she knew that I knew about it… but I did."

"I never knew that," Nathan admitted honestly.

Lucas shook his head. He knew that Brooke would have never told Nathan about that. "Doesn't surprise me, I don't think that Peyton or Haley know about it either. Brooke was always the loud one. The one to let everyone know her business. But her relationship with me… was different. She kept secrets from all of you about the two of us."

"Like what?"

Lucas smiled softly as he remembered his former girlfriend. "Like the fact that I asked her to marry her on our sixth date," he laughed. Nathan shook his head and leaned against the car door, not believing his brothers words. "It was crazy and she said no but… I just knew. I knew that she was the person I wanted to be with for the rest of my life."

"Why'd you leave?"

Lucas looked down at the ground and sighed. "I couldn't imagine living in Tree Hill without her. When she said that it wasn't working, that she wasn't happy… I knew I couldn't stay. I would never be able to move on and neither would she."

"But neither of you did move on. Not really."

He nodded his head, fully aware that what his brother was saying was true. Neither of them had moved on. He had dated endless amounts of women and she had moved in to live with his brother- but neither had given their hearts to anyone else. "That's why I came back. After ten years I finally realized I had to stop running. This is my home. Isabella and Brooke are my family."

"Then go home," Nathan said finally. His brother turned to look at him in confusion but Nathan cut him off. "Go home to your daughter. To Brooke."

……

Brooke slipped out of the sun dress and pulled on her old pajamas. The worn cotton material felt soothing against her skin and the familiar Keith Body shop sweatshirt made her smile softly. She could hear her daughter singing in the bathroom and she chuckled as she sang lyrics to an old Madonna song.

About twenty minutes later, she walked down the stairs of her house and made her way into the living room. It felt odd to her, that after everything she was still living in Nathan's house. He had convinced her to stay there, and promised they would work something out. Isabella had grown up in the house and he didn't want to take that away from her.

Brooke grabbed her purse and pulled out a few Polaroid photos of Nathan and Haley. She walked towards the bulletin of photos and pinned two of the photos up, smiling to herself as she did it. Her friends had finally done it and she was happy for them. She found herself feeling a bit guilty for them having taking this long, but had finally decided that things happen for a reason.

Perhaps they needed their years apart to appreciate what they had found now. She smiled, wondering to herself if that was the case for her and Lucas. Isabella tore into the room and held up her hands, eager to see the photos from the days wedding. Brooke laughed at her daughter before handing over the photos. "Wow, Haley looks so gorgeous mom," Isabella beamed. Brooke nodded her head in agreement.

"I just wish I could have been there," Isabella said with a shrug of her shoulders. She flopped down on the couch and turned to her mother. "Promise me, when you and dad get married that you will allow kids there?"

Brooke laughed. "Sweetie, your dad and I are not getting married. But yes. If I ever get married, I will be sure to invite you." Isabella rolled her eyes before throwing her pillow at her mom.

"You and dad have to get married."

Brooke raised an eyebrow as she sat down next to her daughter and ran her fingers through the young girls hair. "Why is that?" She asked.

"Because Jake and Peyton are. And now uncle Nate and aunt Haley. It's you and dads turn," Isabella stated.

Brooke shook her head and struggled for words but was cut off by the doorbell. She patted her daughters knee and chuckled. "I'll get it." Brooke made her way to the door and pulled it open, not surprised to see Lucas standing in front of her. He smiled softly and she shook her head. "Well if it isn't my husband," Brooke joked.

Lucas stood there, confused of Brooke's comment and shrugged his shoulders. It seemed as if she was in a better mood and he couldn't have asked for more than that. "Yes it is me. Who ordered takeout?"

Lucas lifted his arms to reveal two brown bags, filled with what Brooke could only guess was Chinese. She grinned up at him and nodded her head, allowing him to come into the house. Lucas called for his daughter to come help and Brooke shut the door behind them. She leaned against it, happy that her life had come full circle.

Lucas was home.

And together with him and their daughter, they were finally a family.

TBC...