Fight
Haley shifted nervously after her friends left. She hadn't had a headache in a while; at least she hadn't felt one. Macy informed her it was because of pressure or something. Either way, she was grateful. She winced as she fidgeted a little too much. Now, if only I didn't feel the hole Aiden left.
Lucas watched his friend and noticed her jerk slightly in pain. "Hales?"
Haley smiled in assurance, "I'm fine."
The look on his face informed her he wasn't buying it.
"Okay, okay."
"What's wrong?" Besides the obvious. Good one Luke.
"Just a little post-birth pain."
"Oh. Anything I can do to help?"
Haley snorted, "Could you get me a new vagina?"
Lucas immediately went from concerned to disturbed. "Hales, ew, that was inappropriate!"
Haley was laughing, clenching her sides. "Hey, you probed."
Once the two settled down, Haley reached for his hand. They weren't close together as they were at night, but close enough for their hands to clasp if positioned right.
"Luke, I have so much I want to say; I just don't know how or where to start."
Lucas gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "It's okay, you don't have to say anything. I know what you want to say."
Haley smiled, pushing back the tears that threatened to damp her face. "I know you do, but I don't want to take it for granted. Don't interrupt until I'm finished, okay?"
Lucas nodded. She took in a deep breath, wondering how in the world she would say everything she wanted to.
"You are my best friend. You are my rock. You are the one, besides Nathan, that loves me unconditionally. You were always there for me, stuck up for me, and never treated me like a girl. You always protect me, never judge me; well, unless I need judging, then you're the first in line," Haley sidetracked as Lucas chuckled. "Anyways, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for being the best person any one could ask for. Thank you for cleaning up my bruises, eating macaroni and cheese, putting up with my awful cooking, rambling, geekiness, and encouraging me to live my life for me, and to not change. This is what you have given me. In return, I want to give you something."
Haley gulped, attempting to restrain every fiber in her being from impeding her from telling him what she was going to next. She faced the one person in the world that she knew the longest that wasn't blood; although he might as well be.
"Hales," Lucas attempted to lift some of the heaviness that had suddenly appeared. "What are you going to give me?" he joked.
She squeezed his hand. If they weren't in their current situation, Lucas would have hit her with a pillow after tugging his hand back in pain.
"I'm giving you my heart."
Lucas stammered, realization slowly dawning, although his soul was fighting it with all he had. "I think Nathan already has that, and I don't think Brooke-"
"Luke?!" Haley interrupted softly. "If something happens, you're going to take my heart."
Losing the war inside, Lucas repeated, "No, no, no." Tears streaming down, he repeated, "No, you're going to be fine, I'll find a heart, we'll be okay."
Haley nodded. "Yes, I know. If not, you are going to take mine." Haley chuckled through tears, reflecting on Lucas' previous statement about her heart belonging to Nathan.
"Luke, Nathan will always have all of me; my soul. My heart; it's an organ. Something that can work for someone else when it no longer works for me." She smiled with blurred vision. "Who else to have my heart than the one who saved it all those years ago?"
Lucas choked, "We don't even know if it's a match. Why are we even talking about this," Lucas asked in a raised voice, his sorrow turning into anger. "I'm not going to take your heart. It won't even match, you'll see," Lucas added, attempting to calm his anger. He didn't want their last conversation before her surgery to end on a bitter note.
"Luke, how could we not match? You're my best friend; I'm a part of you, you're a part of me. Nathan is my other half; that doesn't mean there's no more room for you."
Lucas stared at his best friend, bewildered. "What are you saying?"
"We're a match," she smiled triumphantly, eagerly latching on to the positives given their circumstance. "I had the test done a month ago." Her voice lowered, "We're a match."
Lucas suddenly felt the tears that hadn't stopped coming for a while. He was suddenly aware. Suddenly aware of what the reality was—what it could be. He sobbed, never letting go of his best friend's hand.
"Haley."
"Lucas."
"I won't take it. No matter what. I won't take it."
Haley sighed confidently. "Yes Luke, you will."
Lucas never let go of Haley's hand, even when they fell asleep. This is how Nathan found them when he walked in with Aiden. Anyone not knowing Haley's and Lucas' relationship would be jealous; instead, Nathan smiled at the display. He never once doubted Haley's love for him. She was his wife. She was his, and he was hers. You couldn't break that bond if you used Jaws of Life.
Nathan was torn. He wanted to let her sleep, but she only had about twenty minutes until her surgery. She would kill him if he didn't wake her up to see Aiden. In all truth, he needed to wish her luck and tell her that she'd be fine. He wanted to tell her that he would be waiting for her, and that the whole family was pulling for her.
He didn't have to wait long. Aiden started crying softly, but loud enough to cause Haley to wake. Lucas, being the heavy (and exhausted) sleeper that he was, didn't budge.
"My two favorite men in," Haley responded to her son's cry. Just then, Lucas snorted, causing Haley to look over and scoff, "Okay, three favorite men."
Nathan smiled and made his way to the bed, placing Aiden in her arms. Seeing Haley hold their son never got old. I pray I can have more of these; a lifetime of them. He as brought out of his short reverie when Haley addressed a sleepy Aiden.
"You know, you are the best and most beautiful baby, ever. You will always be my little man, always." Haley began to cry, desperately clinging on to something that would ensure her survival. Music was the only thing she could offer her son. Through her tears and with Nathan's support, she sang something that came out of her, unrehearsed and completely original. It was short, but sweet, and overwhelmingly genuine.
You came along
And you saved me
You'll never really know
What you gave me
In your eyes lie
Such a sweet song
In you, my love
Will always go on
Looking down she found her baby asleep. Kissing Aiden goodnight she sobbed, "I love you," and signaled for Nathan to lay the baby in the bassinet.
Nathan joined her moments later; his pride of being a man who didn't cry hung up ever since he found out his wife could be dying. He joined her in the bed and held her as she cried, his own tears glistening in her hair.
"Baby, I-"
"Shhh. It's okay. I know."
"No Nate, I need you to know that I've never loved anyone like I've loved you. It hurts to breathe when you're not there giving me oxygen; I feel the most helpless when you're in pain; no one can hurt me like you can; no one can love me like you do."
She wiped away her tears, determined to finish before breaking again. "In the next ten minutes I'm going to get prepped for, have, and then recover from surgery. The only thing getting me through this ordeal is the promise of you; the promise of seeing your face everyday for the rest of my life; the promise of you loving me is the only thing stopping me from running in the opposite direction from this whole situation."
"Hales," Nathan choked, "You can't give up."
Haley smiled and looked up, facing her husband. "That's the thing; I'm not. Like I promised, I'm going to fight. If something happens, it does. It'll suck, but you and I will know that I tried everything to stay; to win. I don't want to fight Nathan: I'm tired. I just want to give up and let it consume me."
Noticing the fear in Nathan's eyes, she continued, knowing her resolve would give him hope.
"But, I won't. Nothing in life worth getting isn't obtained without a fight. So, Nathan Scott, for Aiden, for you, I will."
Nathan choked a sob while they tightly embraced, both afraid to let go and of the moment and each other.
"Babe, there's so much I want to say, I just-"
Haley gently placed her fingers on his lips. "It's okay Nathan, I know," she chimed, using his early words with a grin. "You'll have all the time to tell me after the surgery."
They heard footsteps down the hall, coming toward their room.
"All I need is you Nathan. You're my every thing."
Nathan smiled and kissed his wife, maneuvering out of bed and bending over. "I love you Haley James Scott."
"And I love you Nathan Scott."
The nurses unhooked her and began to wheel her out.
"Always."
"And forever," Haley replied as they passed the threshold, Nathan kissing and holding her hand as she left.
"And forever," Nathan sighed to himself, staring at the spot his wife occupied moments before.
A/N: Sorry so short! I know I promised the surgery, but this seemed an appropriate break. Hope everyone had a great weekend…I did! Until tomorrow…
Krizue: Next is the surgery!
xNaley-2158x: Workin on that fairytale!
Courtneylovejason: Okay, your review had me on the floor! That was great. Hope it was to your liking!
HJS-NS-23, ell6ange, TutorGal23, Naley: Thanks! Surgery next!