Ep. 12

"Tommy, come here please?" Haley asked of the 15-month-old, holding one of his small sneakers.

"No, mama," he pouted, standing at the opposite end of the hallway. They were already running late to meet Nathan at school. He'd had an away game and with Haley's parents out of town she'd decided to stay in Tree Hill instead of driving to the game.

"Please, Toms. We need to go pick up Daddy," she grabbed him under the arms before he could escape and lifted him onto the counter.

"Dada, bye bye," he replied watching her buckle his shoes, "pay baw."

"Yes Daddy did go play ball but now we have to go pick him up so Mommy can get home and go to bed, because she has a very important test on Monday and she needs to study and rest.

"Sorry we're late," she greeted jumping from her mom's car to allow Nathan to drive and giving him a quick kiss before running to the other side.

"He wasn't trouble was he?" Nathan glanced in the rearview mirror noticing his son was asleep.

"Not until we needed to leave to come get you," she replied, "but its okay, we handled it."

"You're so great with him Haley," he sighed, "he cries when you leave at night."

"That's just because I let him run around and play basketball," she shook it off.

"No it's because you're his Mom and he wants to have you around, you've got instincts with him that I wish I had."

"You ARE a good father Nathan," she returned, "You're doing what you need and have to do at this point in your life and it'll pay off one day."

"I know that Hales, but he needs two full-time parents," he shrugged, "and most of the time he has that, but when he wakes up in the middle of the night from a nightmare, Daddy isn't always what he wants."

"What are you saying Nathan? You want me to move in with you…because I really don't think my parents would go for that."

"I'm saying that I need you and Tommy needs you. He loves you so much, Hales and as scare as it is, I…I love you, too."

"Nathan…that's…I--I love you…both of you," she returned, pulling his head to hers for a kiss as they sat in his apartment's parking lot.

"Marry me?" he asked as their lips parted and they breathed in needed air.

"What?" she sat back stunned, definitely not expecting that one, "Nathan we're in high school."

"I know…but I also know I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you," his eyes searcher hers for some form of an answer.

"Nathan…" she trailed off, but he saw his answer in her eyes.

"Thanks for the ride, I'll see you on Monday," he turned away from her opening the driver's side door.

"Nath--"

"Its fine, Haley. I'll see you on Monday," he repeated, gently taking Tommy from his carseat before jogging up the stairs to his apartment.

He'd avoided her all weekend, she'd tried calling, she'd even gone over and rang the doorbell, but he never answered. After answering the phone for the sixth time expecting Nathan and not finding him, she recorded a new message with an apology for Nathan and quit answering the phone that weekend. And so she'd ended up spending her weekend on her couch watching crappy movies and eating every unhealthy food she could find in the house.

Nathan's weekend hadn't gone any better, not only was he dealing with his own feelings of stupidity, he was also dealing with a toddler who wanted to see his 'mama'. He was beginning to hate that name, he'd loved it when it first came from his son's mouth but hearing it repeatedly for an entire weekend accompanied by up-all-night whimpering, he never wanted to hear it again.

Hale's messages and doorbells had also gotten on his nerves, but he knew that he was angrier with himself than anything. He knew she wouldn't want to marry him, especially in high school. Most girls wouldn't even date him now that everyone knew about Tommy. She was already a full-time mom and student, it was no wonder she didn't want to add wife to that list.

"Dada sad?" Tommy questioned Sunday afternoon, as Nathan was getting ready for work.

"Yeah buddy," he gave his son a small smile as he grabbed Tommy's diaper bag and his car keys.

"Mama woves you," Tommy replied as Nathan zipped up the little boy's jacket. Nathan couldn't help but smile, he did know that she loved him and he loved her. He would get over this rejection and hopefully they could continue on like they had been before.

"Look Hal--" he stopped, when he realized the person on the other side of the door wasn't Haley, "what do you want?"

"Why are you being such a jackass to Haley?" the curly blonde questioned with a baby perched on her hip.

"I just need time to cool off and if I were to see or speak to her right now, I' afraid it would end up worse," he sighed, "look I'm late and I've got to go beg Karen to watch Tom--"

"Her answering machine has an apology on it," Peyton cut him off, "I'll watch Tommy if you promise to talk to Haley tomorrow."

"I was planning to," he sighs, "thanks Pey," he slid the diaper bag off his shoulder and squeezed past her out the door.

"Yeah, you're welcome," she mumbled, stepping into his apartment and closing the door, "looks like it's just us," she smiled at the two young kids. "I have an idea; you want to go see Mommy?"

Tommy's entire face lit up at the question and Peyton couldn't help but grin when she realized she saw that same look Nathan's face at the mention of Haley, "Let's go."

"Peyton, I really don't feel like company right now," Haley sighed, when she opened the door she'd seen Peyton's car from her window.

"Well how bout a little boy who wants his Mommy?" she asked, turning back to her car, she didn't have enough hands to juggle everything…it'd been hard enough trying to get out of Nathan's apartment with both babies and a carseat.

"Really?" she followed Peyton to her car and smiled when she saw Tommy fighting with the straps that held him in.

"So I'm supposed to be meeting Jake in half an hour you'll get him back to Nathan? Thanks," and with that she was backing out of Haley's driveway.

"Peyton!" she yelled after the girl, before turning her head to Tommy, "I think we've been set up, Bud," his only response was to grin at her.

Haley spent the rest of her afternoon playing in the floor with Tommy, but he was getting tired and she knew it wouldn't be long before he dropped.

"Toms, can we talk?" she asked when he sat in her lap. His eyes focused on her and she marveled at the likeness between his and Nathan's. "You're Dad wants to get married, can you believe that?" she questioned, "we're only in high school."

"Dada woves Mama," Tommy answered. Haley knew he didn't understand what she was saying, but he did understand love, they'd both said it to him often enough.

"I know," she replied, "I love him too."

"Dada sad," he informed her quietly, blinking as his eyes grew heavy. She smiled at his sleepy face.

"Not for long," she responded, carrying him up to the crib in Vivian's room, "not for long, I promise." She placed a kiss on his hair line flicking the light off and going back downstairs to call and leave a message on Nathan's machine to let him know that Tommy was already asleep and he could just leave him there for the night.