Author's Note: I can't believe how long it's been since I've updated. I was just at such a mental block with this story. The show has put me in such an angst mood it was so hard to write some happiness. ;) You all are the most amazing group of reviewers and your patience and support astounds me. I adore you all and I can never thank you enough for always giving me the push with your words to keep me writing.

I really hope you enjoy this. I changed it a zillion times and finally I just had to stop bc I was going insane.

This chapter is dedicated to Susan, who I've owed this chapter too for so long it's not even funny. LOL I love you girl and our chats through the hell that can be Mark's writing helps me keep my humor. hugs

A big thanks to Christina for being an awesome beta as always.

Chapter Twelve "Make This Go On Forever"

"Well, well Mr. Scott, so this is where you spent your adolescent days dreaming of one day having a wife as incredible as me?" Haley pondered with a wink as she sat down on his chocolate suede comforter and crossed her legs, which due to her emerald suede skirt, was more enticing than proper.

Taking the few steps over to her, with a smirk planted on his lips, he ran his right hand through her dark blonde wavy locks. "No dream ever came close to you."

"Nice line." She grinned, grabbing him by his white polo and pulling him down on top of her.

Within seconds, the pair became embroiled in a hot and heavy make out session, with hands roaming anywhere and everywhere pushing the hem of her dress up around her hips.

"I need you." Haley breathlessly demanding as her husband spread her legs even further apart, pushing his straining erection against the thin scrap of white lace that was his only barrier to the ultimate gates of pleasure.

Bringing his lips to her ear, he kissed just below it before whispering to her. "You're going to have to wait Mrs. Scott."

Restraining herself from throwing an outright tantrum, she pushed him up a little so that she could look at him and make sure it was really Nathan on top of her. "Are you kidding me? We've held it in for so long, our schedules have been hell, and I'm going out of town in three days."

She was on the edge and a woman on the edge isn't a pretty thing. A few deep breaths would calm her down—a bit— but every time he got close, her world seemed to spin out of control.

Like a rollercoaster, the way up was terrifying but you couldn't escape and most of the time never wanted to and the way down, oh the way down was so thrilling you thought your heart would explode.

That was her relationship with Nathan, both physically and emotionally, albeilt lately they'd been forced to concentrate on the emotional, not that that was a bad thing.

He grinned with his sexy kiss swollen lips. "I want it to be special Hales, but if you ever tell anyone I said that you'd better run."

Matching his grin, she traced a finger down his jaw line. "Would you spank me?"

Groaning, he threw his head back before setting his sights on her again with a rueful shake of his head. "Dirty pool wifey."

"You love it." She triumphantly taunted.

"Hell yes." He assured her before diving back in and seizing her lips.

Just as things, we're really picking up again, Nathan's bedroom door swung open, not that either noticed until the intruder made her presence known.

"Naaaaaaaaa...Oh I 'm so sorry." Karen rushed out when she caught sight of her son and daughter in law on the bed.

The door swiftly slammed shut behind her, sending Nathan into full blown laughter at the look of pure horror on his wife's face.

"Why are you laughing? Ugh, I'm never going to be able to look your mother in the eye again." Haley whimpered, her body now burning with embarrassment instead of lust.

Nathan laughed even harder and Haley shoved him off her, leaping off the bed when she was free from his weight.

"It's so not funny Nathan." She chastised, straightening out her skirt.

Putting his hands behind his head, Nathan enjoyed the view of her increasingly pink cheeks. "We're married Haley. It's no big deal."

Haley scowled. "You know I spent twenty three years of my life being the good girl and then you come along, and not only has all of America seen us going at it, now your mother has too."

"Hey now, you're the one that yanked me down on the bed." He challenged.

She tilted her head to the side trying to think of a witty comeback, but only one thing came to mind and she stomped her foot as she said it, "you're just too sexy damn it"

Sitting up and still chuckling, he reached for her wrist and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around her once she was in place. "I promise it's no big deal baby."

She sunk into his embrace, running her hands up and down his strong, secure arms. "So, she won't think I'm a slut?"

Before Nathan could answer a knock sounded at the door, then Karen's head popped back into the room. "Just wanted to let you guys know, dinner won't be ready for another hour. So, if you want to continue making me a grand baby, just keep it down." She grinned then popped back out, securing the door shut behind her and shouting loud enough for the whole house to hear not to dare go into Nathan's room.

Burying her head in Nathan's neck, Haley moaned in embarrassment.

"Told you she wasn't mad." He murmured, one of his hands sliding up her smooth firm thigh

Her head popped up, her large almond shaped eyes full of shock and just a touch of outrage. "Are you kidding me? We are not fooling around ever again in this house."

"Ok now you're just being downright cruel, woman." Sure he said he'd wanted to wait, for some ungodly reason, probably Lucas's dumbass influence, but that didn't mean they couldn't get some good old fashioned groping in.

Jumping off his lap, she half skipped to his door, placing her hand on the knob as she turned back to him. "I think I'll help your mom with dinner."

"What am I suppose to do?"

"Oh I don't know. Why don't you think of ways to cheer your mom up after she realizes she won't be getting a grandbaby nine months from today."

Grumbling out a petulant 'whatever', Nathan fell back against his bed intent on sulking until he was called for dinner.

Blowing him a kiss, Haley took a moment to let her gaze linger on him before leaving the room.

The excitement of seeing his parent's again and their hectic schedules had temporarily set aside her anxiety over their interview tomorrow. She trusted her heart, and more importantly, she trusted Nathan's, but she wasn't sure anyone else would see what they had.

It had even taken the two of them awhile to come around to the idea, so who were they to expect anyone else too?

Brooke had quietly informed her this could be a bad career move, letting everyone know she and Nathan had only known each other mere hours before their wedding and subsequent honeymoon, but it wasn't as if every tabloid in the world printing up lie after lie was helping her image any. Hopefully, once the truth was established all the questions, all the whispers would stop or at the very least people would get bored with them.

It was a risk; she and Nathan both knew that. Nevertheless, marrying each other was a risk and the payoff was better than either could have ever imagined. And even if this risk had anything but a positive outcome, at least they would have no regrets and that was what life should be all about.

Never once thinking back and wishing for something you could never change.

…

"Are you two ready?" A cordial and dripping in pearls, Barbara Walters asked wearing a tasteful burgundy suit

Haley felt Nathan intertwine their fingers and she took a deep breath. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Barbara smiled, seemingly unaffected by the bright lights and mass of people surrounding the usual intimate setting of Karen's living room. Though, to the outside world it would look like it had just been the three of them.

Against Brooke's advice, she'd chosen to wear dark jeans, a snug black turtleneck with matching boots. Her hair was down in soft waves and the only jewelry she wore was her wedding band and white gold hoops.

Brooke had sent her a zillion and one 'fabulous' outfits as her friend deemed them, but this interview was all about letting the truth shine through and the truth was that while she didn't mind rocking some couture, the real her was never more at home than when she slipped on a pair of jeans.

She'd found Nathan was the same the way. While he had a closet full of Armani suits and tailored slacks and every color dress shirt you could think of, he was a southern boy at heart preferring his jeans and tees, though he still drove her mad with his coordinating. Even his work out clothes matched.

Lost in her thoughts she barely noticed Barbara had asked a question until Nathan began to speak.

"No, she's not pregnant." He laughed and Haley took her cue and joined him, apparently, Barbara was starting by throwing the rumors at them.

"If you got by the gossip, I should be as big as a house right now." Haley playfully added.

Barbara picked up another magazine and showed them the headline with an innocent picture of Haley in white on the cover and a shot of Nathan shoving a player inset. "Will bad boy Nathan Scott ruin America's Sweetheart's career?" She sat is back down. "This is what People magazine printed a few weeks back. How do you feel, Haley about even the most reputable magazines questioning your choice in marriage?"

Suddenly all Haley's fears vanished. Defending her husband sparked a fire in her and the only thing she now wished is that she had done this sooner. "Honestly, Barbara I don't care. The only reason it even enters my radar is because of how it affects my husband."

"The thing about those magazines is that they are all about a perceived image, not about reality... Nathan has given me more courage, more support than I could have ever imagined and if people can't accept his role in my life than so be it. At the end of the day I'm not an actress, I'm a wife and that is the most important role I will ever play in my life."

Smiling Barbara turned to Nathan. "What about you Nathan? How do these reports make you feel?"

"For awhile, I probably agreed with them." He half smirked then turned serious. "Listen, I have made a lot of mistakes in my life, too many to count, but since I met Haley that life seems so far away. I don't expect anyone to believe I've changed and really, I don't give a damn if they do or not. But when I made all those mistakes I didn't have her in my life, I didn't have a reason to be any different."

"So you're saying she changed you?" Barbara cut in.

He nodded. "She's the only girl I ever and will ever love. It's as simple as that."

Haley kissed his cheek, he turned, and they shared a sweet kiss, temporally forgetting the cameras.

The entire crew couldn't help the automatic smile that came to their faces at the sight. Usually they were rolling their eyes at most celebrities and their obvious bullshit, but that wasn't the case this time, there was just something about these two.

"Speaking of love," Barbara segued, "The biggest rumors and theories involve how you two actually met and fell in love. Care to set the record straight?"

Catching a reassuring wink from Karen, Haley started off. "The truth is met on a plane to Vegas and that same night we got married."

For all her experience, even Barbara couldn't hide the shock. "Well, I can certainly say I didn't expect that, especially seeing how close you two are today. Those types of marriages usually have a very short shelf life. In fact they are usually only used for press coverage."

Nathan was fighting to keep his cool. "Haley is not another Britney or any other pathetic celebrity that does anything for attention. Don't ever put her in that category." He curtly informed the veteran journalist.

"It's ok." Haley soothed, rubbing her thumb over his knuckles, and then turned back to Barbara. "I can't begin to explain how it happened, but from the first moment we laid eyes on each other I think we both new this was something different even if we didn't know what that meant exactly."

"Statistically, marriages like yours don't make it past the first anniversary, though. Do you believe you two will make it?"

Turning away from the camera and gazing at her husband, Haley grinned. "Without a doubt." She faced the cameras again, "That's not to say we didn't struggle at first with the idea of all this, but when our heads caught up with our hearts that was it."

Nathan spoke up. "Both our parents got married at eighteen and are still together and my grandparents knew each other a week and we're married for over sixty years."

"And mine were married after two weeks, in the back seat of a car, of all things and had six children, thirteen grandkids and don't even ask me to count the great-grand children." Haley added with a cheeky smile as Nathan slipped his arm around her shoulders pulling her closer to him.

"So what's next for you two lovebirds?"

Idly Haley traced patterns on Nathan's pant leg something the cameras of course caught. "Well, if all goes well I plan on playing Janis Joplin in her upcoming biopic, which is very close to my heart as she was a fellow Texas girl and I've been a fan of her music since birth thanks to my rock and roll obsessed father." She giggled knowing her father would love she included that. And Nathan and the Lakers are going to win another championship."

Nathan shook his head, "She's my biggest cheerleader."

"And after that," Haley continued, a gleam in her eye, "babies are definitely our priority."

"Babies?" Barbara reiterated, emphasizing the plural use.

Haley's smile widened, "Yes babies. Family is so important to us and we both want a big one."

"Even if that means less movies?" Barbara inquired, already sensing Haley's answer.

"If any at all." Haley laughed, "Sure I'll do some here and there, but again family is everything to both of us and our children will be no exception."

Karen watched from afar, as her son and new daughter continued on with the interview, covering everything from their childhood ambitions to future dreams. They were incredible a sight to behold.

The stolen glances, their hands always finding the others, it was love and for Karen that was all she ever wished for her son.

She'd been fortunate enough to live a life with a partner that loved and cherished every single day with her for the last twenty four years. Someone that made her confidant enough to know that if she had to live life on her own she could, but fulfilled enough to never imagine doing it.

You truly never know what you are missing till that person walks into your life and her son saw that now.

"Thinking up grandchildren's names?" Dan whispered in her ear, his hands resting on her hips from behind.

She laughed softly, "Oh honey, I've had those names picked since the second our son said "I do". Now all I have to do it figure out Lucas and Peyton's."

Dan grinned, "So what should I expect. All girls?" He knew his wife was counting on some granddaughters after having only boys.

"If you must know, I see our Nathan and Haley having all boys and one perfect little girl. Lucas on the other hand, will be just the opposite, all girls and one boy."

"And you know this how."

She leaned back just enough to make eye contact with him. "I'm a mother, I see all."

"Well, I hope that means you see this interview turning out well for the kids." He sighed lightly, worried more about Haley out of the two. His son had dealt with backlash throughout his career, he was immune to it, but Haley was anything but used to it.

A content warmth spread through Karen. "They'll be fine, they have each other, and that's all they need."

…

Walking languidly down a familiar path that only Nathan knew all too well, Haley couldn't take her eyes off the glow of the setting sun as it lost its battle with the night sky over the shimmering river beneath.

"It's so beautiful here, Nathan." Haley quietly spoke, swinging their joined hands absentmindedly.

"Has its moments, I guess." He answered with a shrug as Haley scoffed in returned.

Never one to pass up an insult…"Why is it you only see beauty when you're looking in a mirror?"

Taking her by surprise, he stopped them cold and swept her up in his arms, her laughter following.

"If you toss me in that river, I'll kick your ass, pretty boy." She threatened, though her giggles didn't give it much strength, nor did slinking her arms around his neck.

He spared her a quick and cocky glance before keeping his eyes on the path as he started to walk. "Baby, you'll use any excuse to touch my ass."

Her jaw dropped, "Oh you just don't care if you ever touch my ass again, do you?"

When he didn't answer after a few seconds, irrational insecurities were on the verge on entering her brain, but then her feet hit the ground and she became aware of her surroundings.

She let her hands slide down his chest as they separated and she caught her balance. "Oh my god, this is it." Her fingers gripped his sweater in excitement before she shot out of his grasp and found her way to the center of the Rivercourt.

After doing a quick spin to catch all the angles, she beamed over to him. "I've seen pictures and Lucas has described it in ways you would call gay, but now I get it."

He leaned against one of the rusted goals, his face amused. "Get what?"

"How you two fell so hard for a game."

"Now that is gay." He pushed off the goal and moved towards her.

Rolling her eyes, she went back to envisioning Nathan and Lucas as little boys playing countless games of one on one. She never knew you could be so excited in seeing someone else's roots, but when you love that person, it means everything. Their past made them the person you love and sharing that unveils another layer of intimacy.

She could even imagine her and Peyton sitting on the bleachers, a curly raven haired baby girl in her lap and a curly blonde haired baby girl in Peyton's while Nathan and Lucas chased around their sons on the court.

Yep, they definitely needed a home here; there was no doubt about it. Turning to see where Nathan was, she found him retrieving a ball behind a bush.

"You going to teach me how to work that thing," She pointed to the ball.

Silently, he came up behind her, one of his hands sliding seductively around her waist as the other came around to give her the ball.

"You can't make me shoot it," She crossed her arms, refusing to take the ball suddenly very conscious of how ridiculous she would look.

His lips brushed against her neck, while his fingers slipped beneath her shirt and caressed her bare skin. "Come on, baby, for me?"

Groaning, Haley snatched the ball from his hands, ignoring the smirk that she knew was gracing his lips. "Fine, but I'm warning you right now, you're never going to want to have sex with me again when you see me shoot this thingy."

Bringing both his hands up to her shoulders, he squared them before doing the same to her hips. "Now, bring the ball up right past your nose like this," he pushed her arms up to the right height, "Okay, now bend your knees a little. Relax your hips,"

His fingers gripped her hips and she smiled, enjoying the closeness so much that she wasn't even aware she'd heard him tell her 'just shoot' until the ball flew out of her hands and hit the rim hard sending it bouncing back towards them.

"Damnit, I told you I sucked."

Nathan whipped her back around and crashed his lips against hers with such force she would have fallen backwards against that not so soft concrete if not for her husband's amazing reflexes.

Over the shock, Haley's grabbed hold of his shirt wanting him as close to her as possible, as her tongue danced with his.

Breaking away just enough to catch his breath, Nathan spoke against her lips, their noses pressed together, "Baby, that was so damn sexy."

"I bet you said that to all the girls when you brought them here," She blushed and tried to push away from him, but he wouldn't let her go and his expression sent chills down her spine in the most exquisite way.

"I never did and I didn't just bring you here for a basketball lesson" He promised and slowly got down on one knee much to his wife's utter confusion.

On auto-pilot, she gave him her left hand when he reached for it. They met each other's every need even when they didn't realize it.

He smiled up at her. "Even the girls I dated, if you could call it that, back in high school I never took here. You're the first and the last. I know you don't think I see the beauty in things, but seeing you here, in a place where my dreams started, well I see it…I see what you've brought into my life."

Tears pricked at her eyes, "Nathan…" He kissed her hand silencing her words.

"I love you." He softly declared and her heart swelled. When he spoke those three simple words to her, in her heart, he put every poet that ever attempted to describe love to shame. The honesty and vulnerability that she felt every single time, made her world stand still.

"I love you too, Nathan." She whispered back, her voice cracking with emotion.

Taking in her glistening eyes, he knew he'd give up everything for her. The money, the fame, even his love of the game held no weight if she wasn't by his side.

He used to look back and believe all those games, all those hours of endless practice on this ancient concrete would lead him to his dreams and they did.

As a tear rolled down her flawless cheek there wasn't a doubt in his mind, the NBA was merely a stepping stone to the ultimate fulfillment of finding and falling hopelessly in love with her. "Marry me, Haley. Marry me again in front of all our friends and our family."

And there they were again at the top of that rollercoaster.

Yanking him up to his feet by his shirt with a radiant smile, she threw her arms around his neck and a gleeful 'yes' shattered through the darkened night.

Nathan swung her around and their lips found each other's somewhere in the madness of their bliss.

Her hands came up to his cheeks and she halted their kisses for a mere moment. "I want to get married in my hometown, but I want to live here in the off season, Nathan. I want to raise a family here with you here. I felt it the second I stepped on this court, this is where we belong."

It was his turn to say yes and his lips smashing back against hers said it all.

For the two lovers, saying yes to their forever was the easiest decision they had ever made.

Cath