Chapter Two

Disclaimer: Same as before, I own nothing!

That was where a weary Lucas Scott found him the next morning. His little brother sound asleep or was that unconscious? Luke couldn't tell as he noticed that the bottle of vodka Nate had near him was drained to the last drop. It had been full the night before because Lucas had seen it. Sighing to himself he crossed the room to his brother's form and began to tap him lightly on the face in an attempt to wake him up. "Nate? Nate! Come on we've got practice." The Scott brothers had been playing for the LA Lakers for about a year at that point and had no thoughts of leaving. Lucas continued to slap his brother but to no avail, Nathan really didn't want to wake up that day.

Groaning to himself Lucas pulled out his cell and dialled a familiar number that he couldn't live without, Brooke Davis. Him and Brooke had gotten engaged the night before and planned to tell everyone at dinner that night, but if Nathan was unconscious they couldn't follow this plan through. They needed him awake to congratulate them after all. He waited for a few moments as the phone rang in his ear before a chirpy voice that he loved picked up. "Hello Brooke Davis speaking."

"Hey Cheery."

"Broody! You only left what… five minutes ago? Can't keep away from me I see."

"I need your help Brooke."

"Why? What's happened? You sound…"

"I sound stressed yes I know. Look Nathan's drunk himself into a stupor again and we've got to be at practice in about half an hour."

"God not again… I'll be right over."

"Thanks Cheery, I love you."

"Love you too Broody," and with that he heard the line go dead and knew she would soon be there to clean up the mess that Nate had gotten himself into. Lucas had always loved Brooke no matter how many times he screwed their relationship up. Underneath it all his heart had belonged to the bubbly girl and always would. Now she was his one hundred percent and he couldn't quite believe his luck. What had he done to deserve a girl with such a kind heart and bubbly nature? Oh well whatever it was he knew he was blessed because of it.

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About ten minutes later there came a light tap on the door and Lucas jumped to answer it. Nathan had still not woken up and was completely unresponsive. He was beginning to wonder whether he should ring for an ambulance, Nate had never been this bad before. He wondered what on earth could have set him off this time; he'd been doing quite well recently. Luke opened the door to Brooke and she instantly brushed past him with a smile. She had other things to do, like waking his little brother up, before she could indulge herself in the presence of her fiancé. "Come on Nate time to wake up for Brooke." She cooed as she got to work. Grabbing a cup from the shelf she filled it with freezing cold water. Smiling over at Lucas for a moment she explained. "Sometimes the easiest methods are the best." Luke just laughed at her as she made her way back to Nathan's unconscious body. "Sorry about this Nathan," spoke Brooke before she cast the water over his body.

Nate jumped back to consciousness as if he'd been electrocuted and Brooke stepped back to overview her good work. He was up and he was breathing, that was a plus in itself. "What the hell?" He asked as he looked around. His voice was rough and obviously it hurt him to use it. Brooke filled the cup up again but this time handed it to him to drink as Nathan lifted a hand to his head, he felt like he'd been smacked repeatedly with a very fat woman carrying a handbag, and now the woman was doing a tap dance through his temples. He gulped down the water he was handed before repeating his question in different words. "What happened?"

"You got paralytic again," explained Lucas in annoyance. He never liked to see Nate drinking.

"Oh god… How long until we've got to be at practice?"

"About 15 minutes… But you're not up for it are you?"

"I'll be fine…" Nathan tried to stand up but the pain in his head just made him sink right down again. This was not good.

"No you won't," chipped in Brooke as she looked around his hotel room. There was clothes thrown everywhere and dishes piling in the sink. Nathan didn't need friends, he needed a keeper. He was living in filth and Brooke knew she had to be the one to point this out. It was her job as his future sister-in-law to check he was all right. Also she had such a big mouth it was killing her not to say anything. However she did manage to hold her tongue at that precise moment realising it wasn't the right time to attack Nate.

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About ten minutes later Nathan had been ploughed with painkillers and water and taken a quick shower as well. He rushed out the door with Lucas and both the brothers made it on time to practice. Nate's game was really off but no one seemed to notice. They had a big game against Dallas that week and the Coach was too busy cracking the whip to notice one who flew under the radar. As Lucas was leaving he made sure Nathan was at his side. The two of them needed to talk.

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"So what happened?" Asked Lucas as he sat in Starbucks with his little brother twenty minutes later. The two hadn't been that close before Haley and had almost cracked apart since she left. Thankfully however their common friends wouldn't let them slip back into hatred and instead forced them to stay close. It was truly amazing to them how much Peyton, Jake and Brooke meddled to make sure they didn't go back to the way they were before.

"Haley's getting married," admitted Nathan as he took a sip from his coffee. Lucas had not been expecting this and the news through him off for a moment. Haley was getting married again? He had kept in touch after she left and she hadn't thought to mention she was engaged? Luke felt anger boil under his skin but didn't let it show. He had never told Nate that he was still in touch with her because he feared it would hurt more than help.

"To who?"

"The Prince of Denmark."

"What? When did she start seeing him?" Asked Lucas trying to back track the conversations he had had with Haley, never once had she mentioned a new boyfriend, let alone that he was the Prince of some European country.

"How should I know? I don't stalk her Lucas," spoke Nathan in an irritated tone as he surveyed his elder brother through almost dead blue eyes. The idea of stalking her had always been one passed around like a joke between the friends in an attempt to cheer Nate up after she left. They would say he should go and follow her around the country in a white van and turn up everywhere just to make sure she knew he still cared. The thought had never failed to make him laugh and he was grateful to them all for trying to take away the sting in his heart.

"I don't know what to say Nate…"

"What can you say? It's not like you could have stopped it or something, none of us have heard from her for what seven years?"

"Yeah… Yeah that's right," lied Lucas convincingly as he mentally made a note to call Haley the next chance he got, he needed to hear the full story.

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Haley was lying on her four-poster bed and staring up at the drapes around her. She loved her new life of grandeur but was often known to feel out of place. She could only be herself around Jesse, everyone else had to see her perfect, prim persona. It got rather annoying to forever be pretending but it's what her life called for. She knew that she shouldn't have to be fake if she was truly happy but life was never that black and white, you had to grey the edges to get along. She was happy with Jesse at least and that was good enough.

While she had been pondering her life she barely noticed that the phone next to her was ringing. Snapping back to reality she grabbed it and pulled it up. "Hello?" There were very few people that had her personal number. Brooke, Peyton, Lucas, Jake, Annie (One of her Denmark friends), George (Her PA) and her parents. She waited for the other person to answer so she could distinguish which of them it was.

"Haley?" The voice was one hundred percent male and she registered it to a face instantly.

"Luke! Great to hear from you, what's up?" She asked though she thought she already knew the answer and knew this was going to turn into an argument.

"Your engagement,"

"Ah…"

"Yes ah. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I knew you'd have to tell him." Haley never used Nathan's name out loud anymore. There was no point.

"Nathan you mean?" Haley flinched but she knew that Lucas wasn't finished so didn't speak. "Of course I had to tell him, but maybe if you'd told me I could have prepared him mentally instead of let him find out through a bloody TV announcement."

"He should have moved on by now Lucas," she pointed out.

"I know that Haley, but he still loves you… Can't understand why."

"Look I've stayed away from Tree Hill haven't I? I haven't even spoken to him for seven years… I've kept my side of the deal so don't you ever try and make me feel guilty."

"Maybe you should come over."

"What?" Haley sat up straight on her bed in disbelief, why on earth would she come back to America after setting herself up so happily in Europe? Also Jesse would never go for it, he wanted to stay firmly in Denmark until they were married, to do the publicity bit so it was out of the way.

"Maybe you should come over, put his mind at rest."

"How exactly can I help do that? I'll just stir things up again. We had a deal Lucas. I stay away completely and you keep me updated."

"I remember."

"Then why are you trying to complicate things?"

"Because I'm worried about my little brother," with that he hung up on her and her thoughts. What could she do to help put Nathan's head straight? There was no possible way that seeing her again would sort things out. She was better to keep her promise to Lucas and stay away. It would be easier for everyone that way.

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"Go to America? Why would we want to do that?" Asked a confused Jesse Gregory as he watched his fiancé pack her clothes into a suitcase and order around her ladies maids.

"I want you to meet my parents before we get married," lied Haley expertly as she ran a hand through her auburn locks. They were hanging in disarray but she didn't care; she had more important things to worry about after all.

"Can't they come here?" He asked, still confused.

"No," she answered plainly. She was lucky to be able to use her parents as an excuse. Haley had personally set them up with a house in LA many years before but it had been at least five years since she saw them last, making them the perfect scape-goats.

"Ok… If this will make you happy," he gave in seeing how much Haley wanted to go and see them. He wasn't going to stand in the way of anything that would draw a smile to her face. This admission caused Haley to throw herself into his arms in a tight embrace which he simply laughed at. Hugging her back just as tightly he grinned into her hair. Hales never managed to bore him that was for sure.

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'We're coming over.' The message flashed on Lucas' screen like an omen. He had received the text from Haley a few moments beforehand and had simply stared dumbfounded down at it. He had expected her to at least spend a week mulling his idea over before agreeing or disagreeing with it. He had never expected for her to drop everything and come back to America within a day of him asking her to. This thought made him move to another that maybe there was a small chance that she still cared for her ex-husband. Luke shook the idea away as being stupid; Haley would have come back sooner if she still loved Nathan surely.

"What does she mean we're?" Asked Brooke over his shoulder and Lucas finally took notice that she was there.

"I guess she's bringing him over."

"The fiancé?"

"Yes the fiancé," the idea of Nathan meeting this new man made Luke's stomach contract. Would he be able to handle it? Or would it push him over the edge. Brooke slipped her hand to his neck and rubbed it to release the tension.

"It'll come right in the end baby."

"How Brooke? How can it come right?"

"Sometimes they come back," she said simply as she leaned down to place a light kiss on his lips. The words she had spoken hung in the air like a magical spell.

Sometimes they come back.

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A/N: Naley coming up! Please review with what you think.