Corrupted

Many Rivers to Cross

Nathan

Okay, let me be completely honest here. I know it's not manly or whatever to admit you're scared, but I kind of am. Christmas is drawing closer - mine and Haley's first Christmas as a married couple - and we're going home to Tree Hill for it. We have to, we want to see our friends. My dad - not so much. Especially considering the fact that we haven't told anyone we're married yet.

Yeah. Dilemma or what?

We meant to tell everyone, we really did, but… we kept putting it off and off, and now here we are. Dreading Christmas vacation.

Well, not completely. I never thought I would say this, but I'm actually looking forward to shooting a few hoops with Lucas and Jake in the driveway. Definitely not at the River Court though. Not after everything that happened there.

And seeing Brooke and Peyton again would be cool. I've missed the two of them, as odd as that sounds considering that Peyton is my ex and Brooke is my… actually, I guess it's understandable that I want to see Brooke again. We've been friends for ages, and besides that, she can take a lot of the credit for me and Haley getting together. Yeah, I can't wait to see her again.

However, I can wait to tell her - and everybody else - the news. Don't get me wrong, I love being married to Haley and I want to tell the world that, it's just… well, the world doesn't have reactions like some of your nearest and dearest. I know that Dad will try to make us have an annulment almost immediately. He'll definitely want Haley out of the house anyway. Mum will probably be disappointed with us for about three minutes until she comes around to the idea, and congratulates us, at least that's what I'm hoping.

Okay, so here's the predictions for our friends.

Jake - well, what can he say exactly? I mean, he became a father at seventeen, so he can't really tell us we're too young. I'm actually expecting the most support from him, but I guess I could be wrong.

Peyton - Uh… I honestly have no idea. I don't think she'll object to anything other than the fact that we're both young and in college. Maybe she'll be a little cynical too, see a divorce on the horizon. Well, that's my cynical yet lovable ex-girlfriend I guess.

Brooke - She can go two ways. Either fairy-tale romanticism and the whole 'they give us all hope' speech, or cold-eyed realism. You know, like giving us the whole 'you're too young for monogamy' speech.

Lucas - A loose cannon. He's Haley's ex, and my brother, who up until recently, I didn't get along with in the slightest. He was behind our relationship when we left for college, but as for marriage… I have no idea. It's his reaction that I'm most nervous about believe it or not.

He is my big brother after all.

"Well, it still freaks me out to be honest," Jan says, wiping the bar down with a damp cloth and giving an apologetic shrug. "But, you guys are perfect together, anyone can see that."

I rub my face in my hands and sigh.

"Look, there's a week left before winter break. You could always ring and tell them over the phone so that they're over the shock by the time you get home," Jan offers.

"You have no idea how many times I've tried that - both of us have," I say in a quiet voice. It's late on a Wednesday and the bar is clearing out because it's closing time. As a friend of Jan, or 'Jan the Sexy barman' as Gwen and Haley have taken to calling him, I get special 'stay-later' privileges.

"And?"

"We both either slam the phone down, or make conversation about college, or where Brooke is concerned, fashion. It's utterly useless. We can't find the words to tell them, and besides, it's kind of crappy telling them over the phone.

Jan nods in agreement and throws the cloth over his shoulder. It lands in the sink and he gives a cocky grin. "I got it, didn't I? Man, all you basketball superstars ain't got nothing on me."

I smile kind of half-heartedly and Jan obviously notices because he pulls down a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. He pours them both out and sets the bottle to the side. "What?" he asks in response to my look. "Al is a lame jackass, but he's generous with it. As long as I reimburse him for the bottle by the next millenium, I'm fine."

"You're going to owe that guy a fortune," I tell him, and he exhales loudly.

"Yeah, but what can you do?"

"Not drink the liquer?"

Jan raises his eyebrows. "Hey, you want me to put it back?" he asks, and there's no point in bluffing. The guy knows me too well. I lift the glass and take a large swig, wincing a little as the rough liquid burns the back of my throat, and then enjoying the warmth in my stomach.

"So, where is Haley?" Jan asks.

"Out for the night with Gwen. Probably drunkenly kissing multiple guys and doing tequila slammers off a stripper's stomach."

Jan laughs. "And you don't mind that?"

"I trust her. Wouldn't have married her if I didn't."

Haley's drunk. Actually, that's an understatement. Gwen had to get some guy to carry her to her dorm because she refused to walk, and she's been throwing up for the last thirty minutes. To be honest with you, I always worry when Haley gets like this, remembering how the whole drama with Rob Klein kicked off with Haley getting spiked. It's not something that I'd like to happen again.

"What has she had to drink?" I ask Gwen while holding Haley's hair back from her face. Believe it or not, I never would have been the type of guy to do this before. Yeah, shocker.

Gwen shrugs, looking embarrassed. "Oh, you know… a little bit of this, little bit of that… you're not amused at all, are you?"

I smile to show that I'm not Haley's dad… I'm her husband. God, I still get a little electric shock type sensation whenever I say that. Well, think that.

"Hey, you go out to have a good time. Looks like Hales just didn't know when to stop tonight," I say with a shrug, and then pat Haley on the back with my free hand. "Isn't that right Hales?"

"Go die Nathan," she says sweetly, and then throws up some more contents from her stomach. I raise an eyebrow at Gwen who has just fell off the sink.

"That's nice. Shall I just let your hair go?"

Haley's too busy to answer.

When she's finished, she flushes the chain and takes a cloth of Gwen, wiping her face with it. "Are you okay?" I ask.

She shakes her head and her face crumples up. "No. I-I-I feel like c-c-craaaaaaaaaaap!" she wails, pushing her face into my shoulder and not budging it. I stroke her hair and 'shhh' in her ear.

"Ugh, you two are so sweet together I think I'm going to puke," Gwen teases, rolling her eyes. I just laugh at her.

"I'm going to have to go soon Hales. If my RA finds me sneaking into my building this late he'll tear me a new one," I say.

"No," Haley whines, clutching me tighter. "Stay here."

"I can't Hales." It would be way awkward sharing a single bed with Haley while Gwen sleeps right next to us.

Almost as if she's reading my mind, Gwen stands up and wipes her hands on her skirt. "Look, I can go and stay with Dave…"

"Dave?" Haley asks, looking up. "Who's that?"

Gwen gives a small smile and shrugs. "Just… someone."

"Dave Harper?" I ask with a frown. He's on the basketball team, and hangs with Rick. Ah, so she had a thing for one of the guys, even if Haley didn't.

Gwen nods. "Yup, so I'll leave you two newlyweds to… ew! Why did I make myself think of that? Ugh, whatever. Bye." She walks out with a wave, and pretty soon the dorm room door slams and I'm left alone with a highly intoxicated Haley. Once upon a time this would have been my dream. Now it's my reality.

Haley wipes her face again and her eyebrows knit together. She's obviously worried about something.

"Are you okay?" I ask, loosening my hold on her a little. She shakes her head and her face crumples again. I tighten it again and pull her in close. "Hey, come on, it's just a hangover. You'll feel way worse tomorrow."

Oh, that was smooth Nate. Way to make her feel better.

She pulls away from me and crosses her arms.

"I'm sorry Hales. I was joking… kinda. Well, if you're throwing it all up tonight, you should be fine by tomorrow. Do you want a glass of water?"

"Yes please," Haley says in a small voice. I get up to fill a glass from the sink up, but Haley pulls on my sleeve. "I did something really stupid Nate," Haley says now.

"What did you…?" I start, but I'm cut off by my cell phone ringing. I look at Haley, asking for permission with my eyes in case its Gwen saying she can't get into Dave's dorm. She nods but her face looks troubled.

I pull my phone out of my back pocket and look at the screen. Brooke. I wonder why she's phoning me so late. I flip open the phone and hold it up to my ear.

"Hello?" I say, my voice showing just a little confusion. "Brooke?"

"Nate? Hey, are you okay buddy?" Buddy? Brooke's voice is really… sympathetic. Why?

"I'm fantastic. Why are you asking?" I ask, sounding suspicious as hell.

"Fantastic? Oh come on Nate. I know that you aren't fantastic, you may be able to fool everyone else with that devil daycare attitude, but this is me. I know it's going to be tough this Christmas, but we'll all be there for you, and I don't want you to think we're choosing sides or anything, because you're both… well, you're Nathan and Haley… it's so…" Brooke's voice breaks into a sob. "I'm sorry, it's just really sad. I can't believe it Nathan!"

Okay, Brooke has officially lost it. I look over to Haley and see her crawling out of the bathroom with a funny look on her face. Almost… guilty. Hang on a second.

"Brooke, just so we're clear here, what are you talking about?"

There's a pause on the other line, and then the sound of a nose being blown. "You and Haley… she told me about the break up."