Disclaimer: I do not own OTH or any of it characters places or such. I am simply borrowing them.
AN/ Here is the next chapter! Thanks for all the reviews and all of the encouragement. I am so sorry that it took so long to update. I have been trying to write this chapter for a week now. Hope you all like it. Please don't forget to review for this chapter.
As always suggestions are welcome!
Karen walked into her bedroom closet to put Keith's boxes away when she heard the back door open and the house fill with laughter. She smiled before turning off the light and walking out of her bedroom towards the kitchen.
"Shh" Lucas said loudly, "People are sleeping"
"Lucas, you are not very quiet yourself," Karen said
"Oops" Lucas said turning to face his mom, "Hey Mom"
"Hey yourself." Karen looked behind her son and watched as the rest of his friends tried to hide their laughter. "Girls, what are you doing here?"
"We decided that we had enough girl's night and guy's night and figured we would have a together night on your living floor" Peyton answered
"Well, at least this time I know about it"
"Is that okay, Karen?" Haley asked
"Of course it is. You know that I always love to have all of you here together. Let me go get the sleepover supplies," Karen said before turning back down the hall.
"I am going to go help her," Nathan said before following his mom. The rest of the friends headed towards the living room
"Mom, what is all of this?" Nathan said as he pointed to the bags of snacks that Karen was sitting on the hall floor.
"I figured eventually you were all going to be here so I bought them when I went to the store the other day."
"Thanks Mom"
"Your welcome"
"Not just for this, for everything."
"Your welcome, Nate. Everything okay? You seem different then when you left a little while ago"
"Haley and I decided to give a relationship a chance."
"I knew you two would work it out"
"How did you know? I didn't think it would ever happen"
"A mother knows these things, Nate."
Nathan just laughed as he picked up the bags and followed his mom back towards the living room.
An hour later, the gang was in the middle of watching "Four Brothers". They had made beds across the floor in couples and had given Mouth the couch to sleep on.
Nathan was sitting with his back against the chair. Haley sitting beside him. Nathan kept stealing glances at Haley, who was to into the movie to notice.
"Haley, do you want something else to drink?" Nathan asked noticing the empty glass that Haley held in her right hand.
"Uh yea. I will get it" Haley said standing. Nathan stood also and followed her into the kitchen.
"Are you following me?" Haley asked playfully
"Nope, just came to get some crackers" Nathan answered changing directions toward the pantry. As he walked by the table, he noticed a box sitting there. It was the same box that he had pulled out of the closet earlier. Nathan picked it up and opened it. There was nothing left in the box, but letters for his brother and their friends.
"Nate, are you okay?" Haley asked
"Yea, let's go back in there," Nathan said before he closed the lid
"Luke, can you pause it?" Nathan asked as he sat down in the chair he had been leaning against
Lucas reached for remote on his left side, paused the movie and looked back towards his brother, "What's up, Nate?"
"Guys, I found something today. I found a letter to me from dad. In this box are the letters to the rest of you. Mom must have brought them out. I guess she thought that you might want them"
"Dad wrote letters?"
"Yea, there are ones to mom, Meredith, Grandma and Papa, everyone even Dan" Nathan opened the box and reached in grabbing the envelope labeled, 'Lucas' and handed it to his brother.
Lucas took the envelope and studied the handwriting, "So this is his last goodbye" Lucas said before pulling the letter out and opening it. Brooke placed her left hand on his knee for support and he reached to squeeze it as he began to read to himself.
Lucas,
If you are reading this then that means that something has happened and I have passed away. I know that you are hurting right now, but I wanted to leave you with some final words, something to might help ease the pain a little bit. I don't think that I told you enough when I was alive, but I am proud of you. I am so proud that I think I might burst. It has been my honor and my privilege to be your dad. It may not have always been easy, but I wouldn't trade it. You have become a great man and I would like to think that I had a little bit in that. It was mostly your mom, God love, that woman, but I think I might have helped along the way. I want you to know that I love you. I have loved you since the day that you were born and I first saw you and held you. You are my first born, not saying that you are my favorite, but I always knew that you would hold a special place in my heart. I know that will be times in your life that you will wish that I was there for you to talk to and I am sorry that I won't. However, I do leave you with these words of advice, Live life to the fullest and have fun. There will be many decisions that you will have to make and I want you to remember this, the same thing I told you when you were offered the NBA contract, "Do what is going to make you happy". If it makes you happy to be a bachelor the rest of your life, do it or if it makes you happy to go after the love of your life who you let get away, do it. Do what makes you happy, that is all I ask.
I love you son and I am so proud of you.
Love,
Dad
PS. Don't stay a bachelor the rest of your life. It isn't very fun, trust me.
Lucas laughed as he finished the letter and wiped at the tears falling from his eyes. He looked at Brooke, smiled and pulled her into a hug.
Nathan pulled out the stack in the box and handed out the letters to the addressee. Haley was the last to receive hers. She took it, sat down on her 'bed' and stared at it. She wasn't sure whether or not she wanted to read it.
"Hales"
Haley looked at Nathan as he sat down beside her. "Read it. Trust me, it will make you feel better"
"Are you sure?" Haley asked
"Yea, his letter to me is what made me come to Peyton's"
Haley smiled before taking a deep breath. She turned the envelope over and pulled out the folded letter.
Haley,
My dear sweet Hales. You know I was the first one to give you that nickname. When you were 4 years old, you asked why you didn't have a nickname like Luke, Nate or Peyt, so I started calling you Hales and I was the only one for years. I am not sure if you ever knew that. I remember that same day was the day that you started calling me "Uncle Keith", you said that I had always been there like a dad, but you had a dad so I was your uncle. You were a smart little girl then and you are still are. It has been my privilege to be your Uncle Keith all of these years and I have always thought of you as somewhat of a daughter. I remember when you were in high school and that Jason boy asked you out. Your dad had to hold me back the first time that you went out with him instead of me holding him back. I laugh about that now. Haley, there are two thing that I know in this world, Life is short and true love always wins. Trust me on that. I know that something happened between you and Nathan and I know that you are hurt by it. I know that things are different between the two of you, but I also know that he thinks of you the same way that you think of him. True love always comes out on top. It may take awhile to get there, but eventually you will. Things happen for a reason. Hales, do me one favor, look after my boys. You and Peyton have always been there for them ever since you could crawl and I know that you will be there for them for the rest of your lives.
I will miss you, Hales and always remember that I am proud of you and that I love you.
Love,
Uncle Keith
PS. If that knuckled headed son of mine doesn't get his act together before you are 30 tell him that he is missing out on one of the greatest things in life, true love.
Hales wiped at her cheeks wet with tears that had flowed from her eyes. He did know, he had always known. She laughed, 'oh Uncle Keith'
"You okay?" Nathan asked as he put his arm around Haley's shoulders
"Yea, and you were right. Your dad did always know that we were meant to be together."
"I am figuring out now that dad know a lot of things, even if he didn't say that he knew them"
Their intimate moment was interrupted by Peyton's laughter. " Sorry, guys" Peyton said looking up at her friends who were staring at her, "this is just funny"
"What did he say?" Lucas asked
"Here I will read this part to you, 'I remember when you, Nathan, Lucas and Haley actually began to play together. You all were just under a year old. Even though you had spent a lot of time together, you especially never seemed interested in playing with anyone other than Haley. You were also a feisty little thing. Every time the boys tried to take one of the toys that you were playing with you, you would bite them. Of course, the mothers would come running to see why there was crying and you would sit there with a smile on your face, like you were the innocent one and nobody knew the difference. This went on for a couple of weeks until one spring day, when we had decided to have a cookout together. Larry and myself made a makeshift playpen in the backyard and we sat the four of you in it. Lucas tried to take a Tonka truck that you were playing with and I watched you bite him. He cried and Karen and Deb came to see what was wrong and you put that smile on your face. You always wondered how I knew when you had done something wrong, that Peyton is how I knew. Your smile gave it away'" Peyton laughed as she finished reading, "I always thought maybe he had X-ray vision or something"
"So, that is how dad knew about the firecrackers." Nathan said
Peyton laughed, "I guess so. I guess I did smile after we had done something mischievous"
"Hey you guys have to listen to this," Skills said, " 'I remember the day that I met you, Skills. It was at the river court, It was one of the first days that I brought the boys there to teach them basketball. You walked up to me and said, 'Hi, my name is Antwon, but you can call me Skills because I got Skills' I laughed so hard that day that my sides hurt and I have always called you Skills, Antwon'"
The rest of the group erupted in laughter.
"I don't ever remember saying that" Skills said still laughing.
"Anything funny in yours Mouth?" Theresa turned and asked
"No, he just told me that he never worried when we were all out together because he knew that Haley and I would somehow get everyone back where they belonged." Mouth said as he looked at Haley
"I guess we were always the more sensible of the group" Haley responded
"Anything you want to share, Brooke?" Lucas asked
"He said that the first time he saw me, he knew that I was going to be the girl for you" Brooke said before looking at Lucas, "I guess he always knew"
"Dad knew a lot of things," Nathan said looking at Haley
"What about you Theresa?" Skills asked
"He said that I was a sweet person and that he knows one day I will make a great mother. He thanked me for always helping to take care of Meredith" Theresa said
"Jake?" Peyton asked
"He told me to take care of his daughters, all of them. He also said that he is proud of me and he always knew that I would make something of myself, even if I did have a rough start"
"He never gave up on any one of us," Lucas said looking at his brother
"No, he never did" Nathan echoed
The group sat in silence for a couple minutes before Lucas found the remote and turned to movie back on. Eventually, one by one they all began to drift off to sleep. Each thinking of things that Keith had said about them.
The next morning, Karen dressed and headed towards the kitchen for her coffee. She stopped at the living room and smiled at the scene before her. Nathan and Haley were at the far end of the living room, each lying on their side facing her and Nathan's arm was around Haley. Next to them, were Brooke and Lucas in the same position. Beside them were Peyton and Jake, Jake laying on his back and Peyton sleeping with her head on his chest. Next to them, were Skills and Theresa both laying on their backs with their arms intertwined between them. Karen looked at the couch and found Mouth lying on his side facing his friends, awake with a smile on his face. He looked up at Karen.
"Morning"
"Morning. What are you doing awake so early?" Karen asked
"My body clock doesn't have an off button" Mouth replied
Karen laughed silently; "I am going to make some coffee. Do you want some?"
"Sure" Mouth said before getting off the couch and walking behind Karen into the kitchen, "They sure do make a picture perfect moment in there"
"Yea, it is good to have you all here. It really has been too long"
"Yea, I know. We decided the other night that we would get together once a year from now on, no matter what"
"I am glad to hear that." Karen said as she poured Mouth's coffee in a coffee cup and hers into a to-go cup. "Well, I hate to do it, but I guess I better wake one of boys so that they can get Meredith off to school"
"I will do it"
"Are you sure?"
"Yea, I think Meredith would enjoy seeing that picture in the living room"
"Thanks Mouth"
"Your welcome"
"Okay, then I guess I am heading to the café. You guys come down there when the rest of them wake up"
"Okay, we will"
"See ya later"
"Bye Karen" Mouth said as the back door opened and closed. Mouth sat his coffee on the kitchen counter and walked towards Meredith's bedroom. He opened the door and saw Meredith quickly throw the covers over her face.
"Meredith, come on"
"I don' t want to go to school"
"I know, but you have to"
Meredith removed the covers from her head realizing the voice that she was hearing was not one of her brothers, "Where are Luke and Nate?"
"Asleep, come on I will show you"
Meredith slowly moved from the bed and followed Mouth towards the living room. She started laughing and quickly put her right hand over her mouth. "They are sleeping"
"I know" Mouth said, "Why don't you go get dressed and I will you some make breakfast. Cereal, okay?"
"Yea" Meredith said before heading back towards her bedroom still laughing
Thirty minutes later, Mouth and Meredith were walking down the sidewalk heading toward the elementary school
Nathan awoke a few minutes later; he smiled as he felt the body beneath his arm. He pulled Haley closer and she snuggled into him. This was the way it was suppose to be and this was the way it would always be Nathan would make sure of it. He was never going to let Haley get away ever again.