Chapter One: Every Year Around This Time
"Nathan honey, please open the door" sobbed Haley as she stood in the hallway.
Her husband had been locked up in their bedroom every since they left the grave yard, grieving alone on the date of his brother's death. The woman wiped away a stray tear at the thought. Lucas was not only her brother in law but he was best friend and his death had torn her apart.
At first she didn't want to believe that he was sick. She had called her husband a liar and said that he was just angry at her for some reason and was only saying such a thing in order to hurt her. Although she knew that Nathan would never do something that awful she still spoke the words out of angry and denial, upset that she was going to lose her best friend.
She watched as the cancer ate away at him, turning him into a skeleton before her very eyes. Each visit she paid to him was a painful one as both she and her husband began to realize that thirty-three year old teacher, husband and father of two wasn't going to recover, that he was going to taken away from those who loved him for good.
The day Lucas died she had never seen her husband so broken, and so empty inside. The two of them had been joined together at the hip ever since they graduated from high school and now the brother that he had grown to love was gone, leaving him heartbroken and defeated.
She could the song "The Wind Beneath My Wings" playing for the tenth time in a row, knowing that Nathan was on the other side of the door crying his heart and soul out. It happened every year at this time and all she could do was be there for him whenever he emerged.
"Mom" a small voice called out to her.
She then looked into the tear filled eyes of her eleven year old son Daniel.
"Hey baby" she said taking him into her arms and squeezing him tight.
She didn't have to ask what was wrong, it was obvious. It was the same thing that was wrong with all of them.
"I miss Uncle Lucas"
"I know baby so do I" the woman replied kissing her son on the head.
"Is Dad going to come out soon?"
"I don't know sweetheart. Your Dad's really sad right now"
"I know but I don't think he should be alone Mom"
Haley gave the boy a slight smile. He was so smart for a boy his age.
"Me either baby but we have to wait until he's ready to talk"
The pair stood there silently for a moment before the boy spoke once again.
"Do you believe in heave Mom?"
"Of course I do baby"
"Do you think Uncle Lucas there?"
Haley smiled as she pictured her best friend looking down on them.
"Yeah and if I know him he's probably gonna get kicked out for flirting with the angels"
Both mother and son laughed at the joke just as a loud clicking sound filled the air.
Turning their attention back to the bedroom door they watched as it slowly opened, revealing a red eyed and red faced Nathan.
"Hey" he said in a hoarse voice.
"Hey" replied Haley as she wrapped her arms around the man and held him tightly.
"I know that this is a hard day for you Nathan but we'll get through it, you'll see. Each year will get easier"
"God I hope so" he said stepped back and looking towards his son.
"Come here buddy" he said using the nickname that his uncle had given him.
The boy instantly broke down in his father's arms. Sobbing uncontrollably as his father held him and his mother gently rubbed his back.
Suddenly the door bell rang and Haley rushed to answer it.
When she opened the door a tall dark haired male stood before her along with a light headed girl and a dark haired woman that she instantly ran to embrace. A few short seconds later the family made their way inside and was shown to the living room where they sat on the couch and waited for Nathan and Daniel to appear.
"Nathan, Daniel, come down please" Haley called up to them.
Their eldest son NJ (Nathan Jr.) was at his Aunt Brooke's house where everyone was supposed to meet soon.
"Hey Dad" Nathan said walking over to Dan and giving him a hug.
The man only nodded, not trusting himself to speak at the moment. It always happened this way over the past two years. It was the one day where Dan Scott practically remained silent.
"Mom" he said giving a dejected Karen a kiss on the cheek.
Deb had died of an overdosed during the group's senior year and Dan and Karen had gotten married shortly after. It had hurt Nathan to have to bury his mother at such a young age but not too much seeing as how she was never around when he was growing up and when she was the woman was high out of her mind. In fact Karen had been more of a mother to him then Deb ever had been so losing her and gaining Karen was one of the best things that had ever happened to him.
Sitting next to her was his little sister Katelyn who was the spitting image of their older brother complete with blond hair and green eyes. At first everyone believed that Katelyn was Keith's daughter but the truth later came out that she was in fact Dan's child, conceived on the night of their trip to Rachel's cabin.
It was shocking at first and quite a few people where angry about the deception but everything worked out for the better in the end and for once the Scott's were a normal family.
"Come here sis" Nathan said taking the inconsolable fifteen year old in his arms.
Luke's death had been particularly hard on her because the pair were so close. She loved her big brother more then anything in this world which was something Nathan could definitely relate to.
"We need to get going guys. Brooke's waiting for us" said Haley as the group gathered their things and headed out the door just as had every year around this time, without anyone saying a single word.