Two Fates Intertwined (Chapter 9)

Haley woke up and smiled when she saw Nathan watching her with a gleam in his eyes. She yawned and he leaned down and kissed her. "Good morning," he said.

"Morning," she said to him.

"So how'd you sleep?" he asked. Haley stopped to think for a second.

"Peacefully," she replied and leaned in for another kiss.

"I missed you," he said as he tightened his arms around her. Haley smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"I missed you too," she said seriously. He looked at her. "You know, I imagined a lot of things would happen when I came back."

"Oh, yeah?" he asked, propping his head on his on his hand.

"Yeah, but I never expected that last night would've happened," she admitted.

It was three weeks after Haley came back to Tree Hill and Brooke had insisted that she come to her wedding to some doctor at the hospital she worked at. Haley had been hesitant at first since she and Brooke weren't really friends but the thought of realization that Nathan was going to be there convinced her to change her mind. She walked into the church and sat down. Soon the music started, people walked down the aisle. The music started and everyone stood for Brooke's big entrance.

"Please join me as we listen to the couple's vows," the priest said. The groom, a Dr. Rowan, sped through the traditional vows, repeating what the priest said. Brooke wiped her face with a kleenix and smiled at him.

"I love you, Jack. I was always the one who didn't like relationships because to me they were too messy. My friends teased me and came up with the nickname Brooke 'No Strings' Davis and for a while, I clung to that identity. Then one day, I crashed into a clumsy resident who was carrying a syringe and he stuck me with the needle. It was a sedative that knocked me out cold. Wracked with guilt, the resident carried me to a private hospital room and stayed with me until I woke up. I harpooned him for being so wreckless and even hit him. Even after that, you just looked at me and apologized. It was then that I looked into your eyes and ever since then, I've been drowning in them," Brooke said. She muttered a few words that were incoherent since she was crying as she said them. She cleared her throat and cursed herself. "I love you and I will spend the rest of my life taking care of you," she repeated.

After the wedding, everyone cleared out of the church and waited outside to bid farewell to the couple until they arrived at the wedding reception. Then they all went to the parking lot.

It was then that Haley accidentally crashed into someone and they toppled to the ground. "I'm so sorry," she said to the person beneath her. Nathan chuckled.

"It's nice of you to drop by, Hales," he said. Haley looked down and realized it was Nathan. He was laughing his head off as he had his arms around her. He helped her up and she smiled to herself.

"I was hoping to see you again in a situation where I was actually graceful," she said, smoothing her skirt. He looked at her.

"But that wouldn't really be you, would it?" he asked. She whacked him with her purse. "Sorry. You walked right into that one." Then he realized what he said and cracked up again. Haley rolled her eyes and came over to whack him again but he caught her arm. Instead of getting her purse out of her hand, he pulled her closer to him and kissed her.

"Glad we ran into each other again," Haley joked. Nathan's smiled in amusement but then his face grew serious. "Haley, we've been separated numerous times now. We always find our way back to each other and then we get derailed again because we're both stubborn or afraid, but I think it's time we stop dancing around each other and seal the deal," he said. Haley chuckled "Well, what'd you have in mind?" she asked smirking at him flirtaciously. "We should get married already," he replied. Haley sat up and looked back at him.

"Are you serious?" she asked.

"Of course I am," he replied.

"Nathan, we just got back together. Don't you think it's a little soon?" she asked. He laughed. "What?"

"Hales, we've always been together. Even when we were apart," he said. Haley wrinkled her nose in confusion. "There's a connection between us. We both feel it. We've been thrown into some pretty outrageous circumstances and somehow we always end up together again. Doesn't that tell you anything?"

"Like what?" she asked.

"Our lives always have been and always will be intertwined," he replied.

"I guess that's true," she agreed.

"So what do you say: will you marry me?" he asked.

"Of course I will," she said.

"Good," he replied, planted a kiss on her mouth and laid her back down.