Title: No Harm Done
Author: Katy
Rating: T
Disclaimer: All characters from One Tree Hill are property of Mark Schwahn at Tollins/Robbins Productions and Warner Bros. Television Production Inc. All stories, original plotlines and characters are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Primary pairing: Nathan/Haley
Summary: Summer has finally arrived. The six friends, now in college and university, are all returning home and some are not alone.
Author's Note: This is a sequel to Do No Harm.
Chapter 1
"Every time I turn around, you're with Jake," Lucas began angrily, not caring that his girlfriend's eyes were beginning to water. "He's everywhere; the team, my mom's café and now he's in my girlfriend's bedroom."
"And if he's in my room, then of course I must be sleeping with him!" Peyton finished hotly.
Brooke was walking down the hall when Peyton pointed to her. "Hey, Brooke's been in my room lots of times. How come you've never accused me of sleeping with her?"
Lucas rolled his eyes. "This is pointless," he said as he finally looked her in the eyes.
"If you give me a chance, I can explain everything," Peyton told him calmly, though the look in her eyes was growing more desperate as she threw Jake an apologetic look.
"Nope," Lucas said. "Don't bother because I don't think you could."
"You
think you have it all figured out, don't you?" she asked.
"I don't want to talk anymore," Lucas said resolutely.
"No, all you want to do is accuse," Peyton retorted. When she realized that she had hit it dead on, she shrugged defeated. "Then I guess we really are over."
It was still hard to believe that her two-year relationship with long-time crush and love, Lucas Scott was over as Peyton pushed open the door to his mother's café on a warm summer day, but their relationship had ended over a year ago when they were seniors in high school.
Though once her best friend's boyfriend, Jake Jagielski had also been her friend since middle school and they often hung out together and depended on one another through tough times. That was the reason why she had been spending so much time with Jake- she was helping him deal with a huge problem.
Jake and Brooke Davis had broken up during the end of junior year when they finally realized they were no longer suited for each other and that they never really were so both had decided it was time to move on.
Last Peyton had heard of Brooke since graduation, the peppy brunette had gone to USC and there she had met and fallen in love with a guy that she was bringing back with her for the summer so they could all meet him.
Jake had gotten involved with a girl named Nikki Rowland during senior year and for a while the two of them seemed to have hit it off until she had turned up pregnant after only two months. After a major freak out, Peyton had helped him see that he could handle everything and he had decided with Nikki that they would raise their child together. But nine months later, Nikki went in to labour and as soon as she could, she skipped town, leaving Jake to be a single parent for their child.
That pregnancy had not only scared the hell out of Nikki, but it had also managed to destroy Peyton's relationship with Lucas because she could not tell Lucas about it due to a promise she made to Jake and Nikki.
And Lucas took a scholarship to UNC and made plans to move to Raleigh when he thought Peyton was cheating on him with Jake so Peyton had accepted a scholarship to the Savannah Art Institute. The two went their separate ways and though she would never admit it to him, Peyton spent her entire freshman year missing him and was really looking forward to seeing him again.
That day was going to be this day. The day that the six friends had all marked on their calendars or cell phone organizers as the day they would all meet at Karen's Café fresh from their first years of college and catch up with each other.
"Peyton, man, I am so glad someone finally showed up," a familiar voice said, her voice full of excitement.
Haley James took the breaks off her wheelchair and wheeled a few feet over to where Peyton had chosen to sit down. "I've been here for almost three hours!" she exclaimed.
Peyton looked at her watch. "It's only ten o'clock now, Hales. Why did you come two hours early?" she asked as she stood and bent down to hug her friend hello.
Haley sighed. "I figured some of you would show up early too and so we could hang out until everyone else showed up," she answered sarcastically.
Peyton chuckled as she stared at Haley in amusement. "You thought people from our group would come here early? Oh, Haley, you are still so naïve," Peyton said.
Haley rolled her eyes. "Anthony starts work at eight in the morning and told me that either I leave with him then or find my own way here. The second is impossible given," she paused to look down at the chair she was in due to her paralysis, "Well, given the obvious."
"You're staying at your old house?" Peyton asked. "I thought your dad sold the place and retired to Florida."
"Oh, he did and Zach and Taylor went to Miami with him but Anthony stuck around and bought an apartment," Haley replied.
"He lives by himself? That must suck," Peyton said.
"No, he and Pam are finally engaged and living together in a three-bedroom apartment about five minutes from here," Haley explained.
Peyton's eyes widened. "The chick finally gave up her job and moved here? I don't believe it," she said.
"Me neither until I saw it for myself on my dad's birthday in February," Haley replied.
"How is Stanford?" Peyton asked.
Haley's face darkened into an expression of what best could be described as frustrated anger. "Awful, just awful!" she burst out.
Peyton looked at her. "What?" she asked.
"I hate that place so much, I can't even put it into words," she replied.
"I thought Stanford was your dream college," Peyton said.
Haley snorted. "The funny thing about dreams is that they're just that- dreams. Not a lick of reality in them and let me tell you, the reality of Stanford is enough to make me want to put a bag over my head so I don't have to see the damn place," she said, on the verge of a full-blown tirade.
"Wow," Peyton mused, "you really missed Nathan, huh?"
She smiled dreamily at the mention of her boyfriend. "Hell, yes, I did and I swear that I am transferring."
"You are?" Peyton asked.
"The arrangements have already been made and when my student advisor tried to talk me into waiting until I came back this fall before I made such a hasty decision, I told him that if I wait that long, I'd set fire to the campus."
Peyton was busy laughing her head off when Brooke entered the café with her boyfriend and from the looks of him; Peyton could understand what attracted her friend. "Surprise, everyone, I'm back!" she announced happily.
"Hey, Brooke," Haley said, pulling the brunette down for a hug.
Brooke stared at Peyton giggling uncontrollably and then looked at Haley. "What's her deal?"
"Haley just told me about a meeting with her student advisor about transferring where she went ballistic on the dude when he tried to talk her into putting the decision off," Peyton replied, getting up to hug Brooke.
"You're transferring schools?" Brooke asked.
"Yes, and it cannot happen fast enough," Haley replied.
"Who's your friend, Brooke?" Peyton asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively which got a laugh out of Mr. Beautiful.
"Real subtle, Peyton," Brooke shook her head and let her boyfriend step forward. "This is Chase Adams."
"Hey, nice to meet you, I'm Haley," Haley said as she extended her hand to him.
"Likewise," he said.
"I'm Peyton," Peyton said, shaking his hand quickly.
"So which school are you transferring to, if you don't mind me asking?" Chase asked as he and Brooke settled down together on the couch next to Peyton.
"Duke University," Haley replied.
Brooke gasped. "Does Nathan know?"
"Not yet and don't you dare tell him," Haley replied through gritted teeth.
"I would never," Brooke mocked, putting her hand up as a signal to her oath.
"You haven't talked to him about this?" Peyton asked.
"I haven't actually talked to him all year," Haley replied.
"Why is that?" Brooke asked.
"They agreed that talking to each other over the phone would only make them miss each other more so they wrote letters instead," Peyton replied.
"I miss the sound of his voice," Haley whimpered after Peyton was finished explaining the story of their long distance relationship.
"Aww, that's so cute, and Nathan is going to lose his mind when he finds out you're transferring to Duke," Brooke said.
"Who's transferring to Duke?" Lucas Scott asked as he practically materialized behind Chase, looking at his best friend and Brooke curiously.
After glaring angrily at Brooke for what seemed to be an eternity, Haley finally soothed her friend's burning curiosity. "I am."
"I thought you were on a scholarship to Stanford," Lucas said.
"I am," Haley said slowly, knowing what was coming.
Lucas stared at her. "Are you telling me you're going to pass up a full scholarship to an Ivy League college so you can be closer to my brother?" His voice couldn't be filled with more disappointment.
"No," Haley said, shaking her head. "I already did that."
"Haley, what were you thinking?" Lucas asked.
"Well, I was thinking that I missed North Carolina," Haley said.
"But it was a full ride!" Lucas exclaimed. "Nathan will be so pissed when he finds out you did that just to be closer to him."
"Oh, please, who do you think I am, some lovesick girl with no mind of her own?" Haley demanded, her nostrils flaring in annoyance. "I did not transfer just because of Nathan. He factored into my decision but the main reason I decided to do it was because I was unhappy."
"I still think you made a hasty decision," Lucas said.
"There was nothing hasty about it," Haley countered. "Besides, I was able to get accepted to Duke on a pretty good scholarship. It's not a full ride but it's the next best thing."
"And how much does the next best thing cover?" Lucas asked.
"All of my tuition, residency, and ninety-five percent of everything else," Haley replied.
Chase looked impressed at the news. "That's better than the scholarship I was offered when I went to USC," he said.
"Meaning you didn't accept it?" Haley asked, perplexed.
"Oh, no, I don't need a scholarship," Chase replied.
"His parents are rich," Brooke added.
"Oh, that explains it," Peyton said, smirking a little when she saw Brooke's face scrunch up into an annoyed expression at what she thought she was implying. "I meant why he didn't accept the scholarship."
"Good," Brooke said.
The door of the café swung open and a tall, well-proportioned redhead with dark black sunglasses on her head walked in.
Rachel Gatina reached up to remove her sunglasses to reveal hazel eyes that were now looking over the bunch of friends, noticing every one of their flaws, and the café itself.
She smiled at the one she knew infectiously and squealed, "Baby, it's absolutely adorable. I love the old-world vibe it gives you."
Of all of them, the most unexpected of the five friends, Lucas Scott stepped forward and put his arm around her. "I knew you would like it," he said.
Peyton felt like a knife had been plunged deep into her heart, taken out and repeatedly shoved back in until there was nothing left to break.
Finally, the one who had the guts to finally asked the obvious question. "Who's this, Luke?" Haley inquired, looking the girl over.
Rachel finally found the voice full of disdain when asking who she was and scoffed at the realization that she was in a wheelchair. "Who are you?" she asked, already not liking the freak.
"Rach, this is my best friend, Haley. I told you about her," Lucas replied, answering only Rachel's question.
"You never said she was a cripple," Rachel said, her nostrils flaring with disgust towards Haley.
Haley intentionally wheeled forward. "Excuse me?" she demanded angrily.
Lucas stepped in between the two while Brooke came over and held the handlebars of Haley's wheelchair, stopping her advance on Rachel.
"I didn't think it mattered," Lucas said.
"Does it?" Haley asked.
Lucas looked at her in offence. "Of course not, Haley, you know that I love you," he said.
"I was talking to your girlfriend," Haley spat. She had already guessed the answer, even though he had not answered her question or ignored it.
Peyton winced at the word. Her face paled and she could feel tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. "Um, I'll be right back," she said, not bothering to wait for anyone to acknowledge or hearing Brooke calling her back to them in a sympathetic voice.
"Well, what's your answer?" Haley asked.
"Of course it doesn't matter to me. I was just caught off guard," Rachel replied quickly.
Haley rolled her eyes. "What is that supposed to mean? Am I some sort of eye sore that you need to prepare yourself for?"
Brooke smirked in amusement at her friend's clever retort. It made her think to the days that it had been her on the receiving end of Haley's anger. The girl was so quick in coming up with responses that Brooke had always lost arguments because she couldn't keep up with her.
"Hales, simmer down," Lucas said.
Now her anger hit another level as she turned her gaze to her best friend. "I will not calm down until Rachel here explains to me how my being in a wheelchair is something she needs to adjust to and if you know what's good for you, you'll stay out of it, Luke, unless you want to stop speaking for another three years," she said.
"I've never met someone in a wheelchair before. It is new to me. That's all that I meant," Rachel explained quickly.
Too quickly in Haley's opinion and she looked at the girl disbelievingly. "Right," she said, wheeling away from the group and heading in the direction of the girls' bathroom.
"Where are you going?" Lucas called after her.
Stopping, she turned her head so she could see him, hoping her face was clear of all anger. "To the bathroom if you don't mind," Haley replied.
When she reached, the door, she pushed it open and wheeled in, not surprised to find Peyton sitting on the counter, leaning against the wall. Her knees were up and her head was resting on them while her body shook in rhythm to her crying.
"You know what would be great," Haley said as she wheeled as close to her friend as she could.
All she got was a small shrug from the still crying girl.
"If in exchange for the loss of my legs, I was given the gift of telekinesis," she said.
"What?" Peyton asked, raising her tearstained face with a look of utter confusion in her eyes.
"It'd be amazing if I could send people like Rachel flying across the room with just a simple squint of my eyes," Haley said, smirking at the thought of it.
Peyton chuckled at her friend. "Mission accomplished," she said.
"What's that?" Haley asked.
"You came in here to cheer me up," Peyton replied.
Haley looked at her in confusion. "Why do you need cheering up?"
"Because of Lucas and Rachel," Peyton replied.
"What about them?" Haley asked.
"They're together," she replied, stating the obvious, a little offended that Haley seemed oblivious to her feelings.
"What do you care about that for?" Haley asked.
"Because I still…" Peyton stared to explain but seemed to have thought better of it.
Unfortunately for her, Haley had a quick mind and latched onto this information. "You still love him," she finished for her.
Forgetting about her pride, she nodded sadly. "Yeah."
"Now my mission is accomplished," Haley said with a firm nod.
"What?" Peyton asked.
"For you to finally admit that you still love him. I've been working on that one for that past year," Haley replied, yawning and stretching her arms out. "You need to open up more often. Keeping everything bottled up is not healthy."
"Look who's talking," Peyton snorted.
"What have I kept bottled up?" Haley asked.
"Um, your feelings for Nathan," Peyton replied.
Haley smiled in spite of herself. "Besides that," she said in annoyance.
"Your feelings about Stanford," Peyton said.
"I expressed that opinion very loudly," Haley said defensively.
"Not to any of us," Peyton replied.
Knowing she was beat, she looked around the room. "You okay now?" she changed the subject.
Peyton shrugged. "He's with someone else now," she said.
"And could he have picked any worse than her?" Haley asked.
"You've known her for like two minutes, Haley. You can't already have formed an opinion of her, let alone a negative one," Peyton replied.
Haley stared at her. "Do you know me at all?" she asked.
Peyton laughed. "I'm serious," she said.
"I can form a bad opinion if the first thing she says is that he never told her I was a cripple," Haley said.
Peyton's jaw dropped. "She said that?"
"Oh, yeah," Haley replied.
"Well, if I didn't like her before, I hate her now," Peyton said.
"Please. You hate her just because she's his girlfriend," Haley said.
"And she'll probably hate me when she finds out I'm his ex," Peyton retorted.
"I would hate you if you were Nathan's ex," Haley said.
"Uh, no thank you," Peyton said, shrivelling her nose in disgust at the notion of being one of Nathan's previous bimbos.
"That's my boyfriend," Haley said, looking ready to smack her.
"And he's been my friend forever, Hales. It'd be like you dating Lucas," she replied.
Haley shivered. "Now there's a scary thought."
"Thanks, Haley," Peyton said not really knowing what she was thanking her for specifically.
"No problem," Haley said.
Peyton hopped off the counter and splashed some water over her face, drying it with a fresh piece of paper towel. "Let's get out there," she said.
Peyton held the door open while Haley wheeled through.
"Is that a baby crying?" Haley asked.
Peyton's eyes lit up in excitement when she heard the small infant cries. "Jake's back," she realized.
Haley stared at her. "How do you know?" she asked.
Peyton grabbed her handles and started pushing her down the hall to the main part of the café. "You don't want to miss this," she said.
Sure enough, Jake Jagielski was sitting down at the table with the others but there was a baby cradle on the table.
"Oh, my God," Haley said, starting to catch on.
"Yeah, Jake has a baby girl," Peyton whispered in her ear as they finally reached the table.
"Hey, Jake, who's the beauty?" Haley asked, looking at his daughter.
Jake looked at Peyton in annoyance. "You told them?" he asked.
"Not everyone, just Haley and only just now," Peyton replied, walking over to cradle and peering at the baby. "Hey there, Jenny!" The baby's entire face lit up upon seeing Peyton.
"So, Brooke got a new boyfriend, Peyton got a job offer at THUD Magazine for a weekly strip, Lucas got a new girlfriend, I got annoyed to hell but you, Jagielski, had a baby," Haley began dramatically.
"Jenny was born right after senior year," Jake said.
"Oh, why didn't we know about her then?" Haley asked.
"Because you were gone," Peyton replied.
"And I didn't want you to know," Jake added.
"Why not?" Brooke asked.
"I was still dealing," Jake said, offering her some comfort.
"But Peyton knew," Haley pointed out and Jake glared at her for shattering his act of kindness.
"I had my reasons," Jake snapped.
"Dude, I was only kidding," Haley said, raising her hands in defeat. "By the way, you're daughter is gorgeous and it's nice to see you again."
Jake leaned down to hug her hello. "It's good to see you too, Haley."
The door to the café opened and Nathan Scott walked in, searching the crowd of people for his girlfriend's wheelchair, not finding it. "Hales?" he finally called out to the crowd.
Haley's face lit up at the voice that called her nickname.
"Nathan's here," Peyton announced, pointing to the counter near the entrance of the café.
Haley was already hurriedly wheeling over to her boyfriend, not realizing that her path was a bit askew- she hit the counter with a thundering crash, smashing her left foot in the process.
"God damn it, that hurt!" she exclaimed in a pained voice.
Nathan was at her side in an instant. He knelt down beside her wheelchair and began to check her foot by taking her shoe off as her face twisted into a pained expression.
His face lit up and he stared at her incredibly. "Haley."
Haley looked at him curiously and that's when what happened finally occurred to her. "Oh, my god, that actually hurt," she exclaimed happily.
Her left ankle was throbbing and it was the best feeling in the world to her because she was actually feeling it.
