AN: Hey guys thanks for the reviews! I hope you like this next installment! Please tell me what you think !


They didn't speak again.

They exited the plane, in their separate ways, as soon as the pilot had landed and the vehicle had come to a halt Nathan was up removing his bag and heading out. Strolling purposefully to the baggage claim.

Haley heaved the last suitcase onto the trolley, there had been none left in the machine, so she had had to search for one.

She finally spotted it under the escalators out of sight, and now she knew why, not only were there 3 wheels instead of 4 but the trolley had no co-ordination at all. Still it was the only thing available for her.

Haley breathed a sigh of relief as she managed to fit on the 3rd bag; Abby climbed on board sitting upon the suitcases, playing with her Barbie doll.

Exhausted from her rather testing flight, Haley panted her way throughout the terminal.

"Mummy mummy! Cynthia fell!" Abby cried, pointing to the blonde doll lying by Haley's feet.

Sighing she stopped abruptly bending down to retrieve the toy, as she did so she felt another trolley back into her from behind.

With a little yelp she stumbled forward suddenly, jerking her own trolley causing Abby to topple off the stack of suitcases with a scream. Haley watched aghast as her suitcases followed her daughter and fell to the ground, she scrunched her eyes tightly, silently pleading that they hadn't burst open.

Releasing the breath she didn't know she was holding she looked up to find him, gently picking Abby up, trying to console her in her tearful state.

Turning around hastily, Haley tried to find the culprit who had barged her, yet all she was faced with was the hustle and bustle of many people going off in different directions.

Letting out an aggravated groan Haley turned to see her young daughter fast asleep, resting her head on the man's shoulders, thumb planted firmly in her mouth.

She smiled as she walked towards them, planting a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Hey Buddy!" he smiled back opening up his free arm to embrace her into a hug, she accepted willingly placing her own head against his shoulder. "As much as I love having my two best girls on me I think we need to pick up your suitcases!" he nodded his head in the direction of Haley's trolley, and her three suitcases scattered around it.

She groaned slightly, moving from under his arm, towards the pile, yet he pulled her arm back, "I'll do it," he flashed her a warm smile, "Here take Abs" he indicated sliding the little sleeping bundle into her mothers arms.

"Thanks Luc!" Haley smiled, resting her hand gratefully on his shoulder; she didn't know what she would do without him.

Once all the suitcases had been piled back on the wonky trolley, the trio set out to Lucas's car.

Haley lay, the still sleeping Abby on the back seat, as she climbed in the front of the shiny blue Mercedes.

"Wow Luc! What'd you do? Rob a bank?" Haley laughed, her eyes gleaming; it was something about being in Lucas's company which just made her so happy. It was as though all her problems faded and somehow they had returned to normal…when it had just been her and him.

"Very funny Hales!" he rolled his eyes at his best friend, he had missed her when she had moved to Cleveland he always knew she would get out of this town, the small place of Tree Hill. She had always been a girl with big dreams, she wanted to explore, and as soon as the time to go to university arrived, she had gone…and left Lucas behind.

"So how did you get these new set of wheels?" she enquired running her hand approvingly over the dashboard, the car was amazing with leather interior, a surround sound system…the seats even had TV screens in the head rest.

"Its not mine" he replied matter of factly, not taking his eyes off the road ahead of him.

Haley raised her head quickly, "Luc!" she squeaked, "You…you stole…"

"Its Peyton's" he cut her off, flashing her a toothy grin as he chuckled slightly. Haley let out a sigh of relief, smacking him playfully on the arm, "God you scared me!" she smiled, "For a minute I thought my sweet and innocent Luc had turned into a criminal!" her hearty laugh surrounded the car.

"Yeah Hales, Look out for me on 'Americas Most Wanted'!" he joined her in the laughter, and it had seemed that the years apart were vanishing and they were back to the same old teenagers they once were.

"So how is Peyton?" Haley asked, her eyes drifting to the back seat every now and then.

"She's great!" he told her, an instant smile tugged his lips at just the mention of his Fiancé's name. "She's just been offered the new Gavin DeGraw album!" he beamed proudly.

Peyton had always been artistic, often her drawings allowed her to release the emotions she was bottling up inside…that she was too scared to put into words. So she drew, and throughout all her teenage years, the various artworks graced her walls. She even had a huge montage of faces she had worked on plastered on one side of her bedroom.

Due to her weekly comic strip, which she often used to reflect teenage life and how living on the popular side was never as perfect as it seemed, she was offered a contract with BGM Records. She designed album covers; her previous work had included The Get up Kids, Tegan and Sara, YellowCard and 3 Doors Down; and now she had the chance work with Gavin DeGraw, one of her favourite musicians.

"Wow! That's great!" Haley answered enthusiastically, she was happy for Peyton, and for Lucas. She would have never envisioned the two of them coming together. Peyton was one of the "In" crowd, a cheerleader, and the complete opposite of the studious quiet Lucas Scott.

However if Haley truly thought about it, she couldn't think of a couple better matched. Tortured artist meeting tortured basketball star…Well what would now be tortured mechanic. During his High School years Lucas had been a brilliant player, often he would spend his spare time down at the river court shooting hoops with the guys, yet he never entered the team. As on that team was Nathan Scott…and behind Nathan Scott stood Dan Scott and he couldn't…he wouldn't put his mother through that.

Due to Lucas's decision to stay off the team he hardly ever had the unfortunate luck of running into his younger brother. Both boys kept themselves to themselves, their lives continued as though the other did not exist. And this remained that way until Nathan left to attend the prestigious 'High Flyers' camp, after that neither saw the other again.

Lucas nodded his head, still grinning.

"So how are you Luc?" she asked, her gaze drifted out the window, floods of memories coming back to her. He pulled up at the traffic lights, placing his hand softly on hers. "More importantly…how are you?" he gave her a soft smile, squeezing her hand with his own.

Haley turned to him, her brown eyes meeting his crystal green ones; she bit on her lip nervously and let out a sigh. Life hadn't been exactly perfect. Here she was a 32-year-old housewife with four children…she was too young. She had barely lived before she was tied down with a husband and her first child at 20.

The dreams she had been anxious to achieve since she was a little girl had long ago disappeared, and instead he life was monotonous, every day was the same and that scared Haley the most.

"I don't know what to do Luc! I just…I just really feel like a mess right now." She sighed letting out a shaky breath; Lucas's eyes were filled with sympathy, as both stayed silently looking at the other.

The sound of car horns broke them out of their reverie as they noticed the lights had turned to green and they sped away. The rest of the journey was made in silence, Haley fiddled with her hands in her lap, she didn't mean to break down on him, not when he had so much in his own life to deal with. But it was so hard for her to keep this to herself.

When she had moved to Cleveland she was on her own, she didn't know anyone, and now over ten years later she still felt the loneliness. Sure she had made friends at her daughters' school, but she never went out, she didn't have someone to confide in…not like Lucas.

Staring out the window at the scenery going by, Haley sighed as she contemplated her life… she missed her girls already. Sara and Faith stayed with their grandparents up in Cleveland, whilst Joy who at 12, believed she was old enough to decide where she wanted to live insisted to stay at home with her father…Jack…. Jack Moore.

Her mind started to re-play their last conversation before she left but was snapped back to reality as Lucas brought the car to a halt. Haley twisted in her seat, already feeling the discomfort from being stuck on a plane in the same clothes.

"Home sweet home!" Lucas chuckled softly as he opened his door to exit; Haley let out a small yawn, stepping out of the car properly before raising her arms over her head, stretching out her back.

A warm smile graced her lips as she looked up at the familiar home, childhood memories racing back to her, it seemed like a lifetime a go… she began to walk up to the house easing her way around the back of the car, where Lucas was retrieving her suitcases.

"Uh Hales!" he asked, grunting slightly as he lifted the heavy luggage, she spun round towards him, "You forgetting something…" her brow creased, confusion etched on her face.

Lucas laughed, "Or Someone?" he indicated his head towards the back seat, to where a still sleeping Abby lay.

"Oh God!" Haley yelped, how could she forget her own child! She opened the backdoor, cooing softly to her daughter, "Come on Abs…time to wake up" the little girl slowly raised her head, her lids still heavy from her deep sleep. "We're home!" Haley smiled, bending down and picking Abby up slowly, resting her head on her shoulder.

Lucas smiled at his best friend, and her little girl, who he had never met until today. In fact Lucas had only ever met her first child, Joy. He had yet to meet little Faith and Sara. Since Haley moved to Cleveland she had only returned once… and that was for Keith's funeral.

A few years after she had started her new life, Haley Moore received the devastating news that Uncle Keith had passed away. She returned to her home of Tree Hill, heavily 7months pregnant and with a one-year-old Joy, her newly wed husband by her side.

That had been the last time Lucas saw her, ten years ago, she still looked the same, her light auburn hair cut just below her shoulders, a sweeping fringe which lay just above her eyelashes, giving her face a mysterious look. Cheeks a rosy pink, her lips matching. She had still managed to maintain her figure, her slender hips were encased in tight hugging denim jeans, and a plain Tee framed her upper body nicely, with a stylish blazer finishing off the ensemble. For a housewife with four children, she still looked young, fresh and stylish. Just as he remembered her.

"Haley! Honey your home!"

Haley looked up towards the front porch and smiled, making her way up to the older woman.

"Karen" she sighed allowing herself to be enveloped in her warm embrace, the dark haired woman ran smooth circles over Haley's back. "We missed you sweetie"

"I've missed you too…" She replied, slowly a couple of tears trickled down her cheeks, God she had missed Karen so much. Being part of a large family, and the fact she was such a quiet child often meant she got over looked. Her own parents didn't pay her a lot of attention, so to her Karen was like a mother, she spoke to her at least once a week, more than she talked to her own mum and dad. They were too busy travelling around the country in their RV to come and visit her and their grandchildren.

"Hiya hunny!" Karen smiled, stroking Abby's hair smoothly, "you must be Abby"

The little girl gazed at the woman in front of her intently; not one to be shy, Abby flung her hands around Karen's neck and gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

"My mummy told me you're my grandma" she proclaimed smiling broadly, proudly showing off her two front teeth.

Emotion washed over the two women, Haley smiled at her daughter, squeezing Karen's hand tightly, she could sense that what Abby had said shocked her.

"Why yes I am." She replied, placing a chaste kiss on the little girl's forehead.

Silence washed over the group for a couple of minutes, the only sound that could be heard was the wind as it whipped through their hair.

"Come on Grams!" Lucas chuckled placing a comforting hand on his mother's back, "Lets go inside"

Karen scolded him playfully as she carried Abby in doors, Lucas following, Haley stood back for a second, trying to collect her thoughts, she knew they would both have questions, both be interrogating her as to why she was back home. She had the answers, but was she ready to face up to them?

She took one last breath of the fresh air, releasing it shakily before pushing the door open and entering her past.


Thats it ! Please R&R!