Haley sighed as she pushed her reading glasses up on her nose. She pulled her small white lab coat together and cleared her throat. She was in the middle of practicing for an important presentation for work. For over two months she had been working on the consultation for a major west coat pharmaceutical company. Part of her job was to perform material research while advertising the latest findings, improved processes and products to various businesses. Always a diligent employee on top of her game, the last few days Haley's mind had been elsewhere. Personal issues had distracted her from the professional tasks at hand and it was more than obvious to the four technicians she supervised as Haley went over notes for her presentation.

"Gosh. Guys. Um, sorry about that," she apologized for the umpteenth time.

"Haley, it sounds pretty good so far," offered one of the other employees, Ted. "Could you go over that part again about the licensing royalties?"

"Um, sure. I…"

She glanced over the note cards again but was interrupted when she heard the main door open. Already nervous and not looking forward to speaking in front of a larger audience, she breathed a sigh of relief when she realized it was not another colleague. But the breath quickly turned into something else when she got a good look at exactly who it was.

"Sorry to interrupt. Your assistant told me you'd be in here. If you're busy…"

She bit her lip, looking at the tired techs, then at her watch.

"Let's break for lunch, guys. I'll see you back in an hour and a half."

They readily nodded and dispersed leaving Haley and her visitor alone.

"I hope this isn't a bad time, Hales but we really need to talk," he suggested meekly, waiting for her response. "Is that okay?"

"Depends," she finally replied after a few icy seconds. "Is your fiancée with you or are you alone?"

He sighed. He supposed he deserved that one.

"I came by myself."

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes, walking away and motioning him to follow. "In my office, Luke."

Once behind closed doors, she removed her lab coat and glasses and took a seat atop her desk, facing him in the chair.

"Thanks for seeing me. You haven't been taking my calls. Neither has Peyton."

"Can you blame us? What did you expect after that stunt you pulled?"

"It wasn't a stunt. I was trying to be a dick or hurt anyone. It was not supposed to go down like that, trust me."

"Lucas…"

"I just hate it that you're so upset with me."

"Oh I am. And if you came here to hear otherwise or if you came looking for sympathy, then you may as well turn around on those crooked little heels and leave."

"Hales…" he whimpered.

She was a feisty little something and he really hated it whenever she was pissed off at him. Arms folded, scowl across her pretty face, a tense silence began until there was a knock at the door then an opening.

"I brought lunch. I hope Thai is cool, babe, I…"

Nathan, takeout in hand, stopped dead in his tracks. His fiancée had been sullen ever since the disastrous surprise public encounter with Lucas and Caylan. In fact, the situation had put a damper on everyone around, Peyton and Karen included. A sheepish Nathan had kept his distance and attempted to steer clear from the drama but the idea of surprising Haley with lunch had turned into an unexpected meeting with his brother, thus throwing him back in the lion's den.

"Nathan," Haley looked up as he walked over, laid the food down and pecked her lips.

"Hey Hales. Hey, Luke."

Lucas nodded.

"I'm glad you're both here. Look, I know I've got a lot of explaining to do."

"You think?" Haley muttered sarcastically.

"I'm sorry it happened the way it did."

"Do you even realize what you've done? Do you even know why everyone is so upset? Luke, I can't believe you. What in the world is going on and I'll even accept the explanation that aliens came down in a spaceship and kidnapped your brain because that seems the only feasible reason that you ran off and got secretly engaged and decided to drop that little bomb in front of your wife and friends and family."

"Okay. I know it looks bad. I know it sounds bad."

"It is bad."

"I…"

Nathan bit his lip. Normally the older Scott was the gallant brother but the dark haired one knew it was time for him to step up. He loved Lucas dearly even if he was a jackhole sometimes. He had done something really dumb but he couldn't just sit back and let him take all the heat.

"Hales, I have to confess," he breathed.

Haley narrowed her eyes.

"What are you confessing?" she asked her fiancé. "Oh God, please tell me you had nothing to do with this."

"Actually…"

"He didn't," Lucas stuck up for him.

"But I knew about it," Nathan admitted.

"You mean all this time?" Haley groaned. "Through all the phone calls and…"

"No. I only found out like the day before it happened. Luke came down to the River Court and told me. I was just as shocked as everybody else and I thought showing up at the party like that was a bad idea…"

"And I didn't listen," Lucas finished.

"This keeps getting worse," Haley shook her head.

"Don't be mad at Nathan. I made him swear not to tell and I realize now that was a bad position to be in."

"Nathan, you and I will talk about this later. As much as I try to be mad at both of you, I can never stay that way for long," she sighed. "Still I need to know what is in your head, Buddy? I mean, good grief."

"I don't even know where to start."

"Just begin at the beginning."

"Peyton and I grew apart. It was going on for a while but neither one of us realized it. When we finally talked about it, we agreed to separate. Peyton was the one that initiated it and she filed for divorce."

"I know that but I thought you were okay with that."

"I thought I was too. I was trying to be but it still hurt. I was lonely. And that's when I met her."

"Caylan?" Haley whispered.

Lucas nodded.

"It was at a big press party for my novel. I noticed her as soon as I first came in the room. I thought she was so pretty. Someone introduced us and we started talking. We talked all night. We exchanged numbers, talked a couple of times on the phone and then we started hanging out. After that, we were pretty much inseparable. She started spending the night and stuff until it became every night."

"And you love this girl?"

"I do. She's amazing. I fell hard and quick for her. I just didn't realize how much until we went away. I knew I had responsibilities here in town and especially with Peyton. I just wanted to put off facing them for a few days. So Caylan and I just took off for a little vacation in the Virgin Islands. We had a great time. For the first time in a long time, my head was really clear. I was happy and I saw how much Caylan is responsible for that. Then I got sick and she really took care of me. She was so incredible and we talked and that's when I just knew."

"Knew what?"

"That I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her."

Nathan and Haley exchanged glanced as she tried to figure out a way to put her comments tactfully. Her fiancé, not so tactful, beat her to the punch.

"That's cool but it's kind of messed up to ask some chick to be your wife when you already have a wife."

"Luke, what Nathan meant to say is, why didn't you just wait? What was the big rush? If these feelings are real, then they'll be there tomorrow and in a few weeks when your divorce is final and long after that. Why did you have to go and propose now?"

"I couldn't wait. It just felt right. Maybe that doesn't make a whole lot of sense but I can't help it. It's just the way it is. Besides, it's not like I cheated on Peyton or anything."

"That's true but it doesn't make it better."

"So my timing was off, guys. That's my bad. I don't know how to fix it but I'll try. If I upset you, I'm sorry. If I disappointed my parents, I'm sorry. And if I hurt Peyton, then I'm really sorry. I never meant to do any of that. But the truth is, my marriage is over. We've both moved on, I just did it a little faster. That doesn't make me an ass."

"What does it make you?"

"It makes me Luke. Your Buddy, Hales, your brother, Nate. I'm still the same guy but I am in love with a new woman and it would really make happy if everyone just accepted that."

Haley shook her head.

"This is major. It's shocking. Acceptance is gonna take a while."

"I get that. I'm just asking you to try."

"Peyton feels really betrayed. She has a lot of mixed emotions. Right now she is angry. You humiliated her whether or not you meant to."

"I know and it's up to me to make amends. I definitely plan on it."

"And Caylan looks really young, Luke. How old is she and please do not say 17 or 18."

Nathan smirked as Lucas cringed.

"She's a very mature 20."

"Oh God," Haley moaned.

"Caylan is wonderful. She is mature and extremely intelligent. She's ambitious but family oriented. And she has a great heart. I love the girl to death and she makes me so happy."

"Buddy…"

"Give it some time and let's just start over, the right way. Please. Come on guys, I'm begging you. Hales, you are my best friend and future sister in law. Nathan, you're my only brother. Your support means the world to me."

"Alright, man," Nathan bumped fists with his brother.

"Really?" a shocked Lucas asked.

"Yeah. Really?" an even more shocked Haley posed.

"Really. You're family, dude. We all make mistakes. We all make choices sometimes other people don't understand. Sure we may not get what you did and we may not agree with how you did it but you're still the same Lucas. You're still that stand up guy. We just have to figure out a way to deal with this somehow…all of us. Right, babe?" he looked over at Haley.

"I, um…I…well, you know, I, oh what the hell? Whatever. I guess."

"Thanks," a grinning Lucas stood and hugged them. "You two are the best. And things will get better, you'll see. Everyone will come around. It's gonna work out."

And with that, he was gone.

"This is a catastrophe," Haley whined, burying her head in Nathan's chest.

"Pretty much."

"It's a huge mess. I see no happy ending in sight and no light at the end of the tunnel. I see jealousy and backbiting and anger and hurt feelings and a whole lot of drama."

"True. We just have to stay out of the middle and not pick sides."

"Yeah right," she pouted. "Like that will be easy."

"You know we are the only sane ones out of this whole crazy bunch," he mused, kissing the top of her head. "It's always been that way."

"Maybe so but that doesn't excuse the fact that I'm gonna have to kill you."

"Me?"

"Yeah you," she punched his arm. "You knew about that crap like a whole 36 hours beforehand and you didn't breathe a word to me."

"Sorry. I was trying not to get involved yet still be loyal to my brother."

"I guess."

"Damn, Hales. That kind of hurt," he rubbed his arm. "You been working out?"

"No. Sorry, baby. Just no more secrets, alright? And promise me that whatever goes down with all of this, you and me are out of the drama. I have waited a decade to marry you and I don't want any of this to stand in our way and ruin our special day. Promise?"

He held her close.

"Promise."

But it was a promise neither one was sure they could keep. It always came down to Lucas Scott and his girl drama. Now they were back to the beginning. Back to the madness.