A/N- As things get worse at home I'm finding a dreamland here. I really appreciate the reviews and I'm sorry to all of you Pathan fans. I wasn't ready to write a Pathan story. They aren't there for me; it's going to be Naley. Thanks the Pathan readers for reading. I know nothing about anything medical. I'm pulling everything out of my ass.

As It Comes

Chapter Eleven

Awoken

A month of silence had passed, Peyton was still in her coma, and the group had moved on without her. They didn't have a choice. They'll weren't going to stop living their lives because of her, who knew when she would come awake from her sleep. Basketball season was coming to an end, everyone's distracting activity would no longer be there, and they would have to deal with Peyton once again. To everyone around them a relationship was blossoming between Nathan and Haley. They seemed to be ignorant to it, but everyone else could see the chemistry between the pair. Nathan's character had softened and most attributed this to Haley's guidance.

The school was a buzzing with the news of a school dance on Friday; most of the girls were desperate for a date. Everyone had been dressing up all week, making sure they looked their best. Brooke was relaxed, she had a boyfriend who was always there and had been extra supportive during this time of her friend being in the hospital. Peyton and Lucas were never really friends.

"Do you want this," said Lucas popping around Brooke's open locker door revealing a blue sparkly dance ticket.

"I thought you would never ask," Brooke said jokingly taking the ticket from his hands.

"I thought about asking another girl but I decided to go with my girlfriend," Lucas said, "did I make the right choice?"

"You sure did," Brooke replied stepping away from her locker and gave Lucas a kiss.

"Ew," Haley exclaimed as she approached Brooke's locker as her two best friends were in the beginning stages of a make-out session. "Too much PDA," Haley continued as she stepped between the two.

"But Lucas just invited me to tonight's dance," Brooke said attempted to justify her actions.

"So?" Haley said.

"Whatever, so are you going tonight?" Brooke said changing the subject.

"Considering that we went dress shopping over a week ago and I not going to waste my money," Haley said, "yeah."

"Crabby," Brooke said raising her one eyebrow and gave Lucas a look.

"I'm so not crabby, people are just all over me about Nathan," Haley said. "Like, does it look like we are going out?"

"Sometimes yeah," Brooke said not wanting to lie. Haley and Nathan had always had something between the whole time Brooke had known the pair there was something there but lately the small spark had ignited into a large flame.

"Really?" questioned Haley. She and Nathan had been spending a lot of time together but she thought it was because of Peyton and they were looking for happiness within each other.

"Yeah, sorry hun," Brooke said, "but you guys are giving off the couple vibe."

"Well I guess it's not a good thing we are going to the dance together and that he still has a girlfriend," Haley said.

"Yeah probably not but whatever happens is okay with us," Lucas said, "right Brooke?"

"Right Lucas, I'm not going to throw a class five fit if something happens this time I promise," Brooke said, glaring at Lucas. She knew he was referencing her freak-out over Peyton and Nathan.

"Well, nothing is going to happen so you don't have to worry about it," Haley explained.

"Nothing is going to happen with who?" asked Nathan as he approached the locker.

"No one," Haley said hastily, immediately blushing. "Brooke, let's go to your house and get ready for tonight."

"Okay," Brooke replied, grabbing her large black bag from her locker, gave Luke a quick kiss and followed Haley down the hall.

"What was that about?" Nathan asked after both girls were out of earshot.

"Nothing really, just gossip about you and Haley," Lucas said trying to downplay the event.

"Okay," Nathan said, not convinced by Lucas vague answer, "I have to go home."

"See you tonight," Lucas said as Nathan took off down the hall.

Brooke and Haley sat in Brooke's large room primping for the night's events. Haley had decided to style her long blonde hair into loose waves. She had bought a emerald green knee length dress that was modestly low cut. The dress played off Haley's body perfectly. Brooke was wearing a red strapless dress that gathered at one hip and was clipped with a jewel incrusted pin. Her hair was styled into a loose bun at the nap of her neck, her recently inquired bangs were side parted and loose bits of hair hung loosely around her face.

"So what do you think?" asked Brooke giving Haley a three-sixty look at her outfit.

"I think your eyelashes are incredibly long," Haley said, Brooke's eyelashes look as thought they might attack someone.

"They are false," she whispered back, "don't tell." Brooke brought a single finger to her own lips and looked at Haley.

"Oh, good trick," Haley said nodding her head, "what me? Am I looking good?"

"Looking great!" replied Brooke.

The girls finished getting ready and met the guys at the gym at precisely seven o'clock. Both Lucas and Nathan were looking gorgeous, of course. When the girls stepped out of the car, their dates took their hands and led them into the gym. When the four entered the gym, the room was buzzing, Nathan Scott was at the dance with Haley James. Nathan and Haley left Brooke and Lucas and went to the drink table to get a drink.

"Brooke!" exclaimed Bevin, a good friend of Brooke's, "Are Nathan and Haley together?"

"Bevin, you can stop that rumor right now, they are friends," Brooke said emphasizing the word friends.

"Okay, no need to get bitchy," Bevin said taken off-guard by Brooke reaction.

"Sorry Bev, I'm just sick of hearing about them," Brooke apologized.

"Okay, I'll spread the word to lay off the Nathan and Haley rumors."

Rest of the night went fairly smoothly there, of course, was crying girls and all of the typical drama but the night itself went smoothly for the group of four friends. The last song of the night was playing, it was a slow one. Lucas and Brooke were dancing and so were Nathan and Haley. Being the most popular people in school they took center floor.

"Is this wrong we are having fun even though she's not here?" Brooke asked Lucas, yet again worrying about Peyton.

"Yes, this is how it's supposed to be," Lucas replied.

"Okay," Brooke said resting her head on Lucas' shoulder, "thanks for being here for me."

"I will always be here for you," Lucas replied.

"Luke, you don't even know how much you mean to me," Brooke continued.

"Oh my god, look!" exclaimed a voice from the bleachers. Heads turned and everyone looked and the two people broke apart. "Nathan and Haley kissed!"

Nathan and Haley looked around.

"We shouldn't have done that," Haley said, breaking completely apart from Nathan, "you are still dating Peyton."

"She's in a coma," Nathan argued.

"But still," Haley said running away. The kiss had just happened, they were dancing and talking at the same time and he kissed her. They had kissed many a times before, but this one was different. This kiss was more loving and meaningful than it had ever been in the earlier years. Haley ran to her car, she opened the door and put the keys into the ignition and drove towards the hospital. She arrived at the hospital way after visiting hours but she ran to the emergency entrance.

"Can I please get upstairs to see my best friend, she is in a coma, but I need to see her," Haley pleaded to the guard who was standing at the hall leading to the regular part of the hospital.

"Sorry, ma'am," he replied, "that won't be possible."

"Please," she continued to plead, she quickly read his badge, "please Officer Miller. She is my best friend and I have to see her."

"Twenty minutes," he said giving into Haley's sad eyes.

"Thank you so much," Haley exclaimed. Haley rushed to the elevator and ran to Peyton's room. She sat down in the chair beside Peyton. "I know you can't probably hear me but I'm have to tell you this, I kissed Nathan tonight, everyone tells me it's okay because you are like this but I still think it's wrong and I had to confess to you."

"Haley, its okay," a voice carried from the door.

"No it's not," Haley replied, "She is still your girlfriend."

"Haley, what if she is like this for years, I'm not going to wait around," Nathan tried to reason.

"But it has only been two months," Haley said beginning to cry. "Only two months and we are like this again. We can never time anything."

"I know, but she would understand," Nathan said, "even Larry told Lucas and Brooke that he saw us coming, me and you."

"He did?"

"Yes, that's what Lucas told me tonight."

"Still, it has only been two months, it's too soon," Haley said trying to gain her composure.

"Let things happen, we were drawn together, let it be," Nathan said, tugging on Haley's hand attempting to pull her towards him.

"No," Haley said refusing to give into Nathan's charms.

"Everything happens for a reason," Nathan said, "and as terrible as it sounds maybe the accident was meant to bring us together, bring both of us happiness, can you imagine that?"

"I can but I don't want to," Haley said smiling slightly, "Peyton's my friend and I feel like I'm cheating on her."

"Let the chips fall where they do," Nathan said mysteriously. "I want to be with you, can it get any easier?"

"No," Haley said allowing herself to fall into Nathan's arms. Nathan wiped Haley's tears from her face using his thumb and gave her a small peck on the lips.

"It will be okay," Nathan said reassuringly. "We'll take it slow."

"Okay," Haley said, "but we have to get out of here, I'm guessing the guard gave you twenty minutes too."

"He's friends with my dad; we have as much time as want."

"Well, I want to leave," Haley said beginning to pull Nathan towards the door.

"Okay," he said. He rested his hand on the small of her back and they walked towards the door.

"What happened?" a voice called from the bed.

"Peyton!" exclaimed Haley.

"Hales, what happened?" Peyton cried from her bed. "Why are you all dressed up?"

"Calm down, Peyt," Haley said, "it's going to be okay." Haley rang the buzzer on Peyton's beside.

Haley had decided was okay to be Nathan and proving her wrong, Peyton woke up. She and Nathan were on pause now; if they would ever be together now. Everything that had that night was changed by the single moment. Peyton's awakening should have been a happy moment but with day's events it also brought sadness.

A/N 2- Please review!