Last chapter, everyone! But I am planning on an epilogue. Thank you so much for reading this short story! I've really enjoyed writing it.

"I don't know, Brooke..."

Nathan trailed off, looking over at Haley's friend since college, brushing his hands through his hair.

"Yes you do, Nathan," Brooke assured him, shoving him forward lightly into the store. "You came all the way to California just for me to help you with this, so just do it."

Nathan sucked in a slow, deep breath, kicking his foot on the ground. He could feel his chest tighten up at the thought of what he was about to do, leaving little room for air to flow.

"Look..." Brooke sighed, rubbing her hand over his back. "How long have you two been together? Eight months?"

"Nine," Nathan said quietly, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Pull it together, dude," Brooke said, smacking his cheek lightly. "You look like you're about to have a panic attack."

Nathan opened his mouth to answer, glancing over when Peyton and Quinn approached them, each of them holding a soft pretzel in their hands.

He felt so stupid for needing them all here. But the constant reassurance was nice. If it had been Clay or Lucas he'd brought, they probably would have fed his doubts.

But the three closest people to Haley were eating his doubts up and swallowing them.

"What's wrong now?" Quinn asked, raising her eyebrows at him.

"He won't go in," Brooke said, gesturing into the store.

"Nathan..." Peyton said, sending him a small smile.

If he heard his name said in that tone of voice one more time, he'd probably explode.

Even if it was on his six month pregnant sister-in-law. The same sister-in-law that vowed she was done having kids. But here she was, pregnant with another Scott boy. Well... Odds were it was a Scott boy.

"Let's just go look around at everything?" Brooke suggested, glancing over at Peyton. "We don't need to start with rings. Let's just look at bracelets and necklaces."

"Yeah, okay..." Nathan trailed off, glancing through the doors of the store once again. After a moment, he finally stepped inside, the three girls trailing behind him.

"Can I help you with anything?" The man working in the store asked them as soon as they entered, raising his eyebrows.

"We're just looking for now, thank you though," Brooke said, gesturing towards the necklaces that were encased in glass.

Nathan approached them, glancing down and letting out a deep breath.

"Nathan," Quinn whispered to him, glancing around the store. "She's not going to say no."

"I'm pretty sure the three of you had me convinced of that the last time I proposed to her," Nathan reminded them, shrugging his shoulders.

"To be fair, I don't think anyone expected her to say no," Brooke pointed out, clearing her throat. "Had you asked her a week before, she probably would've said yes."

"Probably even a day before," Quinn hummed, shrugging her shoulders.

"Thanks guys. I'm really glad I flew you out here to help me with this," Nathan grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"She's going to say yes," Peyton said, tilting her head past the other types of jewelry to where the rings were.

"Okay," He responded, letting out a deep breath.

It wasn't scary. Well... It didn't need to be scary. Because Haley loved him. She'd left her job, sold her house, and moved to Charlotte to be with him. She put up with his constant traveling, although it had become less of a constant since she'd moved in. She put up with his crazy family and friends. They weren't kids anymore.

"What does she think you're doing today?"

Nathan heard Brooke ask Quinn, turning his head to look at his (hopefully) future sister in law.

"I didn't tell her I was leaving," Quinn chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "I told Clay just to make something up if she called, and she did last night. He told her we got into a huge fight and I flew to California to take a break. Now she's texting me like every half hour to make sure I'm alright."

"Oh brother," Brooke laughed, rolling her eyes.

"She's too good for this world," Nathan mumbled, his gaze wandering over to the rings again.

"Come on," Peyton said, grabbing Nathan's arm. "Let's just go look. You're with three people who know her really well, alright? Between the four of us, I know we can pick out the perfect ring."

"It's not the ring that matters though, Nathan," Brooke assured him, smiling slightly. "It's the fact that it's coming from you."

"This sounds all too familiar to me," Nathan grumbled, rubbing his hand down his face.

"This time it's true though," Brooke assured him, laughing.

"We'll see," He said, clearing his throat and stepping down to the case full of tons of different rings. "Last time I couldn't afford a great ring, but now I could get something like Brooke's if I wanted," He mumbled, glancing down at the huge ring on Brooke's finger.

"I'd advise against it," Brooke informed him, shaking her head. "Of course, she'll love anything you get her, Nathan. But... This does not fit her."

"I know," He said softly, leaning against the glass case. He glanced at the man behind the counter, pointing at a ring inside the case. "Can I see that one?"

xxxx

"I can't believe we didn't find it," Nathan said, honking the horn on the car he rented as they sat through LA traffic.

Brooke, who was in the front seat next to him, glanced back at Quinn and Peyton. "There were a lot of good options, Nate..."

"This sucks, Brooke," Nathan responded, shaking his head an looking over at her. "I had the perfect ring the first time I proposed to her."

"What did you do with it?" Quinn asked him, clearing her throat.

"I sold it," He mumbled, letting out a slow, deep breath. "She should've just said yes the first time, then I wouldn't be doing this."

"Yes, but she's a dumb bitch," Brooke joked, rubbing his shoulder.

"I thought I would find it today, guys..." He grumbled, honking again.

"Look, you still have tomorrow..." Peyton said, sighing softly. "Maybe you need to be a little less picky. I mean... You came all the way to California, why?"

"So Brooke could help us," He mumbled, shrugging his shoulders.

"If you don't find it, maybe next week we can go to Louisiana, or Wisconsin, or maybe, just maybe, you can find something in good old North Carolina," Peyton suggested, looking up at him.

"Nathan, you need to let go of the fear, okay?" Quinn said, leaning to the side so she could be visible.

"I know she'll say yes. She's at a different place in her life than she was when you asked her all those years ago, and so are you," Brooke assured him, smiling slightly.

"Just to throw it out there, I also know that she'll say yes," Peyton added, smiling slightly.

"Oh, I know she'll say yes too," Quinn said, letting out a deep breath.

"You guys think, or you know?" He asked, glancing at them in the rear view mirror.

"We know," Quinn said, putting emphasis on the word 'know', nodding at him.

"Make the next right turn," Brooke said, humming softly.

"Why?" Nathan asked, glancing over.

"We're going to throw you your pre engagement bachelor party," Brooke laughed, winking at him. "You seem like you could use a drink. Not to mention, we have the perfect designated driver."

"Bringing a pregnant woman to a bar so that she can be your DD? Classy, Davis," Peyton said sarcastically, laughing.

"Exactly. Thanks for getting pregnant, Peyton!" Brooke said, laughing and looking at her.

Nathan chuckled quietly, shaking his head. He was in for a wild night, wasn't he?

xxxx

Nathan woke up to being hit in the face with a small, rubber basketball, causing him to shoot up quickly.

After his quick movements, he groaned as the headache settled in. Dammit, Brooke. Why did he let her talk him into that?

He let out a deep breath, picking up the ball off his lap and glancing over at the cause of the problem. Brooke and Julian's young sons, Davis and Jude.

"Sorry," Davis mumbled out, offering him a toothy grin.

"You're good," Nathan said softly, rubbing his eyes and letting out a deep breath. He held out the ball, smiling when Jude ran over and grabbed it from his hands.

Why the hell wasn't he at his hotel? Instead he'd crashed on Brooke's surprisingly comfortable couch. Were Quinn and Peyton here too? What time was it?

He fished around his pockets, pulling out his phone and letting out a deep breath. It was dead. He probably had not called Haley last night.

He stood up slowly, rubbing his eyes. The smell of food hit him, sending a wave of nausea over him, causing him to sit back on the couch.

It only took a moment for it to pass, and luckily it had, because due to his lack of reflexes, he was hit with the ball once again.

He chuckled quietly, looking at the young culprits and smiling. "Anyone ever teach you how to shoot and actually make it?"

Davis shook his head slowly, offering him a shrug.

Nathan looked at the small basketball hoop in the corner of the room, shooting the ball into it with ease.

He spent the next few minutes teaching the boys a little bit about form and playing rebounder for them.

He had to admit, it was pretty fun, and took his mind off the pain in his head.

"Thought I heard you up," Brooke hummed as she walked in, handing Nathan a cup of coffee. "I am so sorry about last night," She said, taking a seat on the couch.

"Yeah, you owe me one," He mumbled, shaking his head. "I can't believe I went out drinking with you, Quinn, and Peyton. I'm really turning into Haley, aren't I?"

"You'd be lucky if you did," Brooke hummed, rubbing her head.

"Where are Quinn and Peyton?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Quinn is asleep still, Peyton just took a call from Lucas right before I heard you in here," Brooke informed him, letting out a deep breath. "Julian already left for work."

"Do you have a phone charger I can borrow?" Nathan asked her, taking a long drink of his coffee.

"Yep, there's one in the kitchen," She mumbled, pointing in the direction of the kitchen.

He headed into the kitchen, letting out a slow, deep breath. He plugged his phone into the charger.

Once it finally charged a bit, he felt it start to vibrate like crazy.

About ten worried texts from his girlfriend came through.

He quickly texted her, letting her know that his phone had died and he forget to plug it in and that he was so sorry. He made sure to add that he'd call her later because he had some stuff to do first.

With that, he called a car to come pick him up, pulled the phone off the charger, and hurried back into the livingroom.

"Alright Brooke, I'm heading back to my hotel. Tell Peyton and Quinn that they can take my rental wherever they need, I called a car. I'll see you before I fly back," He said, hurrying forward, hugging her tightly.

He offered Davis and Jude each a wave, informing them that he expected them to work on their jumpshot until he saw them again, before he hurried out the front door.

xxxx

Nathan smiled at Haley from across the table, listening intently as she told him about her few days without him.

"I watched Logan for a couple of evenings," She informed him, a small smile on her face.

"Oh yeah?" He asked, raising his eyebrows and reaching across the table to take her hand in his own. "How was that?"

"It was fun," She hummed, looking at him and clearing her throat. "How many kids do you think we'll have?"

He laughed, raising his eyebrows at her. "As many as you want, Haley James," He said, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

"You used to want three," She said, leaning forward.

"And you used to want two. Our biggest argument," He joked, shrugging his shoulders. "Honestly, I'd like an even number now."

"And why is that?" She asked, humming softly.

"So they always have a buddy," He said, glancing around. "I think we should have two close together, wait a few years, them have two more close together."

She smiled at him, this time pulling his hand over to her an kissing his knuckles, her eyes fluttering shut.

He let out a quiet breath, staring at her intently. Haley James was perfect woman for him. She was flawed, stubborn, and she could get pretty annoying sometimes.

But she brought out his happiness. She was his lifeline to the real world after being consumed by a job for many years.

Her friends became his friends, and vise versa. Her happiness became his happiness. Her goals became his goals.

Things that made her light up, made him light up because he loved to see her happy.

He'd been very disappointed when having Brooke, Peyton, and Quinn around didn't result in the perfect ring.

But that was in the back of his mind now.

He could feel his heart start to increase in pace as he thought about the future with her.

She was the only woman that made him think about a future. Sure, he'd constantly thought of ways to improve Fortitude, but until now... He coasted.

"Where's your head?" She asked him quietly, bringing him from his thoughts, placing one more kiss to his hand before returning their joined fingers to the table.

He looked around the backyard of their home. There was a beautiful set up that definitely wasn't there before he'd left. Haley had been wanting to work on their backyard decor, and him leaving for awhile must have been the incentive she needed. White lights were hung all around, surrounding the table in a beautiful glow.

The patio finally had furniture, but she'd pushed it to the side, save for the table covered in a white cloth in the center, and two chairs specifically for them.

There were candles all around. She'd made dinner, and was just putting the finishing touch on things when he got home.

And she looked incredible. He'd skip dinner and go straight to her if he could. But she'd insisted that he go shower and change into something a little bit nicer.

Not exactly the way he planned to propose to her, but Haley's set up was prettier, and probably much more private and ideal for a proposal than what he would have come up with.

Wait a minute...

His favorite food. The candles. The backyard set up. The nice dress. The soft music playing in the background...

He felt her foot brush his leg under the table, causing his eyes to be turned back to her expectant ones.

"Are you okay?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Are you planning on proposing to me tonight?" He asked her quickly, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.

She blinked in surprise at his comment.

And for once, she didn't have the right words to say.

Nathan watched as she pressed her face into her hands, and let out a deep breath.

"Oh my gosh. You were," He said quickly, biting down on his lip to hold back the laugh.

"I knew it was a bad idea, Nathan, I'm sorry..." She groaned, shaking her head. "I don't know, I've never had to propose to someone before. I overdid it didn't I? How did you know? Is it too early? You're not ready for this, are you?"

Nathan couldn't help it, bursting into laughter, which received a confused look from Haley.

"Don't laugh, you jerk," She groaned, reaching across the table and pushing him.

He smiled, grabbing onto her hand tightly. Her small, beautiful hands. Her beautiful hand that he couldn't wait to put a ring on at any second.

Without another thought, worry, or doubt, he pulled the velvet box out of his pocket.

The perfect ring for Haley laid inside.

Yeah, he had not been able to find one with Brooke, Peyton, and Quinn. But that was because they didn't know Haley the same way he did. They each new her in their own unique way, just as he knew her in his. So the four different opinions was chaos.

But he'd gone ring shopping alone, and found the perfect ring in the first store.

He held the box up, clearing his throat. "Haley, I was planning on proposing to you tonight."

Her mouth formed an 'o' shape, her eyes filling with relief. As she eyed the black box in his hand, she too started laughing.

"I can't believe you ruined my proposal," She laughed, kicking him lightly under the table.

"Ah, but you, my love, perfected mine," He said, kissing her knuckles, standing up slowly. He pulled her up to her feet.

She swallowed, her eyes already filled with tears and he had yet to say anything.

"Haley James," Nathan began, clearing his throat. "I'm going to try not to steal things from my first proposal, as long as you try to say yes this time," He joked, squeezing her hand.

She let out a laugh, squeezing his hand in return and nodding quickly.

He slowly lowered himself down onto one knee. "You were mine from the moment I saw you. Not literally, of course, but in my brain, you were mine. I loved you from afar, and occasionally up close. But no matter the distance, I loved you. No matter how annoying I was to you, I loved you," He whispered, taking a moment to kiss her hand. "I'd do anything for you, Haley. Even if I had to go through everything again, I would. The pain that I felt when I lost you just reaffirmed the love I felt for you, and the desire I have to continue to love you for the rest of time," He said, nodding up at her.

She was full on crying now. Her right hand had come up to cover her mouth. Her tears brought them to his own eyes.

"When I look into your eyes, I see strength. I know that no matter what, I'll have you next to me. Even when I'm wrong, you'll fight with me until I realize it myself. I'll always be there for you, Hales. I'll always protect you. Because that's the kind of man I've become thanks to you. I love you so much. Always and Forever, Haley James..." He trailed off, feeling the tears start to trail down his face as he got lost in her beautiful gaze as he'd done so many time before.

He finally spoke again, grinning at her, "I never thought I'd be mentioning Instagram in a proposal but of course, I have to," He laughed, winking at her. "From the moment you followed me, you flipped my world around and brought back every memory that I tried to force out. But I couldn't force you out forever, Haley. I should have known you'd find your way into my heart once again, because truthfully, I don't think you ever left. You're the only like I'll ever need for the rest of my life," He hummed, which earned a laugh and an eye roll from her. "So, Hales... Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" She said quickly, pulling him up to his feet and kissing him.

Nathan encircled her waist with his arms, unable to keep the huge grin off his face as he kissed her, holding her close.

After a moment, he parted from her, opening up the velvet box quickly.

"It's perfect," She said softly, biting her lip and looking down as he slid the ring onto her finger.

"No, you're perfect," He replied quickly, kissing her again.

"Hold on," She said, pushing on his chest lightly. "Does this mean you'll marry me as well?"

"I guess your proposal was a success after all," He joked, leaning down and kissing her again.

And again.

And again.

Because he never had to stop and he never would.