Numero tres. Haley/Jess POV. Song is "The Dress Looks Nice on You" by Sufjan Stevens.

Not mineee.

idaatje - naw, your imagination isn't crazy. I intended for there to be a slight resemblance to Peyton in her attitude, i guess you could say. But i don't plan on Jess needing Lucas as a savior, haha. And thank you graciously for the reviews!

2 a.m was remarkably early for a phone call - annoyingly so. Haley reached quietly over Nathan's sleeping form to the bedside table, picking up and answering the phone in one swift motion.

"Hello." She stated irritation heavy in her voice.

"Yeah, sorry – is this, um, Haley?" Haley didn't recognize the female voice on the other line, but noting the sincerity in the woman's voice, eased her tone considerably.

"Yes, this is, is something wrong?"

"Yeah, sorta, I'm at the hospital with Brooke Davis, you were on her speedial and, yeah." Brooke was in the hospital? What? Why?

"What! Why? I'll be right there." Haley was frantic now, always expecting the worse. She shook Nathan out of his sleep (which proved to be as difficult or more-so than expected).

"W-what, Hales, it's 2 in the morning?" His voice was groggy and filled with sleep.

"Brooke, she's in the hospital, I don't know why – my god, what if she's dying and I'm not there and I don't even – and, what if, oh my god!"

"Hales – Haley, shh." Nathan said, in a soothing tone, but Haley was already running through their bedroom, throwing on the first pieces of appropriate clothing she could find. "I'm sure she's fine," and although he said it with conviction, Haley could still sense the trace of worry in his tone.

"Nate, why don't you stay with Jamie, I'll call you okay." and with that she was out the door.

Jess was pretty sure she had been hung up on. Haley was coming though, and that was good. Someone Brooke had known for more than 7 minutes would be there for her. The brunette wouldn't wake up to a near complete stranger, alone, by her bedside.

The doctors had told her Brooke had a concussion. Jess was thankful it wasn't serious, but extremely surprised the doctor would release Brooke's condition to her. Either medicine was nothing like House made it seem, or the staff at Tree Hill Hospital was terrible. That worried her, so she hoped for the former.

A knock on the door.

Jess swiveled in her seat, coming face to face (or, her face to top of head) with a young brunette.

"You must be Haley?"

"Yeah," the shorter girl said, extending her hand in greeting. "Not to sound rude, which it probably will, and sorry, but, who are you? And why exactly are you here? Why is Brooke even here?!" Haley had gone off on her own little tangent and was soon mumbling something about 4 wheelers and goats.

"Haley." Jess said successfully stopping the woman mid sentence. "I'm Jess, uh Jess Landry. Hello." She muttered with a slight wave. "Long story short, I was walking, some dude tried to rob that store, I walked in, he walked out – and here we are!" the blonde said in one breath.

"Why was Brooke at the store at 1 in the morning?!"

"Don't ask me. I got off the bus, minding my own business, and SHBAM! Now I'm here." Jess decided to omit why she was in Tree Hill exactly, assuming the other woman would say nothing. However Haley turned out to be much more perceptive than she had assumed.

"Why are you here? I mean, if you don't mind me asking," she had added softly.

"Funeral. Cousin died." Jess had muttered softly, sadly.

"Quentin?" Haley had asked, voice laced with concern. Jess had known this girl for mere moments, but already she could tell there was something welcoming about her, something real, like she had noticed with Brooke.

"Yeah, you know – uh, knew him?"

"He played basketball for my husband, I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, been hearing that a lot lately." She hadn't meant to make Haley feel bad, but this comment had succeeded in making the shorter woman blush and glance away.

"Oh, yeah, sorry."

"Naw, don't worry about it, s'cool."

"How exactly are you related, cause you know, you're white, Quentin, not so much." There it was - the million dollar question. But the way Haley had asked it caused her to giggle, and Jess definitely was not the giggling type.

"Half-cousins, my mom's very white sister married Quentin's dad when Q was 4 or 5, something like that."

"Gotcha. So how long has she been out, did they say she was going to be okay? Why aren't they in here, don't doctors work!" The blonde had quickly realized Haley was a rambler, which was rather endearing.

"Hey kid, don't hurt yourself." This earned a chuckle from the brunette. "It's been about half an hour, they said she should come too soon, it's just the pain meds they gave her. She just a little banged up, should be fine. At least that's what I listened to." She had added jokingly, which earned her a glare from the other woman.

This whole thing was surreal. Jess had never been one to put herself out there, talk to strangers, rescue people, or anything. But here she was, sitting in a hospital room with two people, both she had met minutes prior, enjoying a conversation with the conscious one. It was odd, unfamiliar, but she liked it. She enjoyed knowing maybe this whole process with Quentin and his family wouldn't be so terrible.

"Is that your guitar?" Haley had asked, effectively shooting her from her thoughts.

"Yeah it is."

"You any good," Haley asked playfully. Jess definitely like this girl, she was fun.

"I like to think so," she said with a smirk

"Well, I've been working on some music at a friends recording studio, you should stop by some time, if you're here for a while, or anything?" She sounded hopeful? Maybe Jess would get along well in Tree Hill.

"Yeah, definitely."

The conversation flowed easily for the next couple minutes. They talked about music, family, Haley had even told her a few stories about Brooke, getting her acquainted to the woman whose hospital room she was awkwardly occupying.

when the world looks back
when the face looks after that
i can see a lot of life in you
i can see a lot of life in you

"Maybe I should go?" Jess asked Haley. She was both tired, and truly contemplating how weird her being there might be. She did feel welcomed and didn't think she was being shooed, but Haley was there now, Brooke would have someone, right?

i can see a lot of life in you
i can see a bed and make it too
and i think the dress looks nice on you
yes, i can see a lot of life in you

Voiceover Haley: Sometimes life puts you in these situations. Directs you towards the moments that end up being so pivotal. The ones that seem so small, and so insignificant. Sometimes life gives you the option to choose. Sometimes it doesn't. But those times, when you can't choose, those could end up being the most important.

"No, stay." Came Brooke's voice, soft and tired from the hospital bed.

So, i kinda lied to you guys. I've become starving for reviews, uh-oh. I'd just like to know if you like it/are reading it/anything you might like to see? So maybe if you could drop a review. Please . I'd enjoy knowing what ya think.