A/N: Here you go, the second part of the party. It took me a while to update, but I'm willing to bet that it'll start going faster soon as the actual show is starting up, and it never fails to pique my interest again. So, read, enjoy, review, be happy. Thanks for reading!

"So H. James, you having a good birthday?" Brooke slapped her hand on the counter, grabbing Haley's attention.

"Now that my heart rate returned to normal, yeah, it's great. But really, thank you so much for doing this, Brooke," Haley thanked the brunette.

"Well, it's my way of saying 'thank you' for what you did with me and Luke. He told me."

"Well then, you're welcome. It was actually kind of fun, being that sneaky and clever," she laughed.

Brooke laughed as well. "The only thing I don't really get is why. Why did you suddenly want Lucas to be with me?" Haley shrugged.

"I'm not entirely sure myself. I just saw how crappy Lucas has been doing lately, and I wanted to help him, to make him feel better. I saw how happy he seemed to be with you, and I wanted to see if that could be expanded upon at all."

"That makes sense," Brooke agreed, "I didn't even realize I needed him until he kissed me that night. I owe you so much, tutor-wife. But I'm going to be watching for that conniving side of you from now on, because we'd all better look out if Haley James ever tries something like that again. God knows we'd be in trouble then. People will start calling you Victoria's daughter."

Haley shrugged, and innocent yet devious look on her face. "We'll see."

Lucas walked over to Mouth, who was watching Millicent with a drink in his hand.

"Hey Mouth, are you ok?"

"Hey Luke. Yeah, I'm fine, just thinking." Mouth had that 'lost' look on his face.

Lucas looked across the room at Millicent. "So you're with Millicent now?" Mouth swallowed hard.

"Truthfully, I have no idea. And you and Brooke are together?"

Luke smiled contentedly, leaning against the counter and taking a small sip of his drink. "Yeah. Non-conditionally this time," he joked.

"Jeez, it's about time. I've been waiting for this for like, four years, Luke," laughed Mouth, taking Lucas by surprise.

"What?" he asked. Mouth had never said anything much about Brooke and Lucas's relationship.

"It's kind of… expected, at least to me. You two always seemed good for each other, like you just clicked." He took a big swig of his drink, and Lucas felt his relationship with Brooke wasn't the only one that Mouth was talking about. Lucas followed his line of sight right to Millicent.

"It'll work out," Lucas suddenly said.

"What? Who told you?"

Lucas raised his hands in surrender. "No one told me, man, but she'll come around. Don't worry, you're a great guy and she'll start missing you."

"Says the guy who changes girls seasonally." But Mouth was only joking; Lucas lightheartedly pushed him, both laughing.

The night wore on, getting later and later. The guys started a videogame tournament, with Nathan and Jamie vs. Lucas and Andy. The game eventually evolved into such a joke that it was unclear who won in the end. The fun became a blur, everyone laughing and talking.

Peyton stood leaning against the bar, one arm crossed in front of her stomach, the other nursing the drink at her lips. She surveyed the couple across the room as they held each other and laughed with the group surrounding them. A flash of bitter distaste flicked across her face for a moment, but she chased it away. Peyton changed her face back into what it had been as of late: a stone mask of indifference, a wall around her roiling emotions. There was resentment, of course, self-explanatory. Confusion, as expected. But green envy reigned supreme, twisting her insides like snakes whenever she saw them. She hated herself for thinking such small-minded thoughts, it didn't fit this situation. Jealousy had always seemed… so beneath what was going on now. Peyton supposed it was this irritation at herself that she projected onto them, lifting some of the weight from her shoulders.

Sure, it was petty. But it made looking at them a helluva lot more bearable.

Peyton took another swig.

"So, this is how it ends," a voice drawled cynically from her right. Funny, it seemed to be the exact tone of whet she was feeling on the inside: sarcastic, detached, impassive. "A fifteen year friendship, one that survived two dead moms, 3 absentee parents, and the Bermuda love triangle from hell. Well, survived that last one for a while, anyways."

"Well, look who it is, the birthday girl! Cheery as usual, I see," Peyton shot back just as dryly, but her face broke into a wide grin as she turned to see Haley. "Happy birthday, tutor girl." Regardless of what she was feeling towards Brooke and Lucas, it was a part time deal. She would be happy now, for Haley's sake, Peyton resolved to herself as she accepted Haley's hug. Peyton was better than that.

"It's going well, its fun to have everybody together again, good to see everyone interacting like old times."

Peyton bobbed her head in agreement.

"So how you been?" asked Haley.

The blonde shrugged nonchalantly. "Pretty good, if you don't count that m life is being made into a horror film." Her voice had that detached, bored tone, as is they were discussing the weather. It was evident that Peyton was retreating behind her wall again. It was a defense mechanism, an instinct. Same with her nastiness to most people, like Brooke.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," Peyton nodded absently. "It's a sequel. Appropriately titled, too. 'Brucas: The Return.'" She put her hands up like she was tracing a movie title. Hmm, I wonder where that optimism and happy thoughts went? Peyton asked herself for half a second. Well, easy come easy go.

"Look, just give them a chance, ok? I know it hurts and that you don't think it's right, but it'll work out." Haley paused to take in Peyton's shrug. "Here, look at them," Haley said, and turned Peyton's body so she was facing the scene she had been watching for a half hour. "Don't they look happy? Doesn't Luke look happy? When was the last time you saw either of hem like that, truly content. Just give it a chance, Peyton, please." She seemed really concerned for her friends, and Peyton relented.

"Fine," she agreed without enthusiasm. Her heart was still clenching and unclenching, but Peyton decided that at least her outer wall should have a brighter outlook. If only for keeping up appearances.

"That's my girl. Now, what else is eating at you? Bad things seem to come in threes with you."

True. "They let him out," Peyton confessed, surprising ever herself with the easy collapse. "Rather, they're admitting him to a hospital, under guard."

"Who?" Haley's query was suspicious and slightly wary.

"Derek. Ian. I got a letter last week, he wants to see me. He's dying, and they said the best place to see him would be the airport, before he's admitted to the hospital. They're putting him on lockdown." Her voice was strangely monotonous; having played the situation over so many times in her head, it had lost all real shock value.

"Wha—Are you going to go?"

"That's just it; I don't know. A part of me hates him, despises him, but another part feels connected, and that if I see him dying, I won't think of him again," she explained. Peyton waited for Haley's vehement argument against going, to tell Peyton she shouldn't go. But it didn't come.

"Then you should," admitted Haley, "I saw what he did to you, not just physically, and I can see it even now. If you think there is even the slightest chance to end that, then you should take it.

Peyton looked away then, around at the party. "But is it really worth it to put myself through seeing him?"

"It is, if it means a lifetime of not thinking about him."

"Alright, Lily, I think it's time to go," came Karen's voice, finally. It was nearing ten o'clock, and both Lily and Jamie were exhausted, although neither of would admit it before the other.

"But Mo-om," Lily moaned, as she rubbed her bleary eyes. "I'm not tired."

Nathan looked at Jamie. "Yeah, Jimmy-Jam, I think it's your bedtime too."

"But I want to stay here with the party!" the four-year old complained. He looked around for a sympathetic face.

"Come on, Jame, do you really think we could have a party without you?" Lucas faked-scoffed. "As soon as you go to bed, everyone else is going home."

"Really?" Lily and Jamie asked at the same time. Their faces seemed to lighten a bit.

"Really," answered Peyton. "You guys are all the fun." The others nodded as the two kids considered.

"Ok," Lily finally conceded. Andy scooped her up, and she curled comfortably into his arms. "Bye, everybody." Her face framed with brunette locks seemed so little and angelic as she waved.

"Bye everyone," Andy echoed, "And thanks for the party."

"Happy Birthday, Haley," added Karen as they went out the door. Haley waved one last time, and then turned back to Jamie, who hadn't seemed to make up his mind yet.

"And now, my boy, it's your bedtime." Jamie heaved a huge sigh, obviously fighting back sleepiness with everything in his little body. Haley shepherded him upstairs. She was back down within five minutes to report that he was already asleep.

As Brooke had promised earlier in the day, the party picked up a little more after the kids were asleep. The bar began to deplete more rapidly, helped mostly by Rachel, Brooke, and to everyone's surprise, Mouth.

"…And so then she holds up her hands and goes 'Idunno!'" Rachel laughed hysterically, acting out her story. She was standing with Brooke, Nathan and Mouth, telling a joke at Brooke's expense, from what Lucas could pick up. "She was wasted. Well, as wasted as you can get off two bottles." The red-head was almost doubled up, the joke obviously not the only thing making her laugh. Lucas walked over and wrapped an arm around Brooke's waist, drawing her closer to him. He could see her cheeks were flushed.

Brooke turned and put her lips to his ear. "How about we go upstairs for a little while?" With her hot breath tickling his ear and the warm pressure of her body against his, as well as the bit of liquor in his system, Lucas had to grit his teeth together just to remain sane. Slowly, rigidly, he nodded. Brooke's face broke into a sly grin.

"Lead the way, pretty girl," he said, with darkened eyes, and she held her hand out to lead him upstairs.

Haley's eyes followed the couple as they retreated upstairs and disappeared. Turning around to look at Nathan, whose lap she was sitting on, Haley was surprised to see him with his eyebrows raised and his body shaking with suppressed laughter. "Shouldn't we go get them?" she asked incredulously.

"Haley, it's a bit late now, don't you think? I am not walking in on my brother," Nathan said adamantly with smirk.

"Fine then, I'll go stop them," Haley announced. She made to get up but Nathan held her down.

"It's too late now, Haley. Besides, everyone else is down here and they're all a little drunk and a lot entertaining, we can just have fun, and not worry about that right now. It's not like we can stop it." Nathan laughed and shook his head with a shrug. He hugged her a little closer to seal the deal.

As soon as Haley conceded him the point, there was a loud knock at the door. The noise of everyone laughing and talking in the living room and kitchen seemed to quiet as they all looked to the entryway, as if they could see who was coming in at 11 at night.

"Everyone who we invited was already here," Nathan mused aloud as he got up to go to the door. The group heard the door open and suddenly there was a jumble of invisible voices that no one could identify. But just seconds later, someone they all knew walked in, his arms thrown wide in anticipation of his welcome.

"Skills is back!" Skills shouted, to general laughter and cheering.

After a few more minutes of greetings, and some more joking, Skills, Fergie and Junk all grabbed a drink from the bar. Skills was complaining about the lack of booze on the ship he had been on.

"So how was it, Skills?" Rachel asked. "The ship didn't sink, did it?"

Skills looked around. "Nah, Shorty, the boat didn't sink. I'm still here, ain't I?" He suddenly leaned in with suspicion. "How drunk are you?"

Rachel just giggled and covered her mouth. Everybody around her laughed knowingly.

"So where's Jamie, anyway? Did he go with Karen?"

Haley shook her head. "No, he's just upstairs, asleep."

"He's sleeping through this? Damn," Fergie said. It was true. The music was going, and everybody was still being loud; it was a miracle Jamie had even fallen asleep in the first place.

"How long is this thing—" Skills started, but suddenly Rachel slumped forward off the couch, and lay on the table. Skills looked at her with a weird face, then back at Nathan and Haley. "I was just going to say how long this'll this go, but apparently it's too long for her."

Nathan laughed. "Yeah, I think it's about time that Rachel got home, or else she'll be sleeping here."

"Yeah, I gotta go too. Just stopped in to say Happy B-Day," Skills nodded. Then he brightened, as if a lightbulb had just clicked on. "Hey, how bout I take Shorty here home?" He gestured to sleeping Rachel. Everyone nodded in assent, and Skills bent down to her eye level. Seeming to sense she was being talked about, Rachel woke up.

"Hey, Miss Gatina, I think you'd better stop drinking," he said quietly, comfortingly. He reached for her cup. "I'll take you home, make sure there's no more booze."

"No really, I'm fine," Rachel said, reaching for it back as Skills took her drink away. The rest of the group looked on, amused. "Really, I'm Irish, this stuff is like milk to me…" He was exceedingly gentle with her limp body as he walked her out of the room.

"Yeah, Gatina is about the most Irish name I've ever heard," Junk muttered sarcastically as he rose to follow Skills.

"Alright, I just wanna see Luke real quick before I go," Skills said five minutes later when Rachel was successfully in the car. This, however, was the first thing he said that was greeted by silence. Millicent giggled.

It got more and more uncomfortable as Skills looked around. Finally, Peyton, wishing to break the silence, rubbed her hands on her jeans and with a deep breath said, "Uh, I think I'll go get him. I need to talk to Lucas anyways." This was the truth. Peyton felt that she needed to talk to him, for some part of her still needed him, still wanted him; at the very least she needed a sense of something. There was still a possibility…

She walked wearily out of the room, knowing everyone's eyes were following her. Each step up the stairs sounded like the echo of the door closing on the day when he had told her that he loved someone else, that it was over between them. The party sounded far away, even as the talking picked up once more and a Killers song started on the stereo. Then Peyton reached the second story and turned towards the guest bedroom.

Coming outta my cage and I've been doing just fine…

In the moments after they went upstairs, they had opened the door quietly, for even in this state— Lustful and longing, intoxicated with eachother— they knew that the party downstairs was still going on, and that Jamie was just down the hall. They had matured in some respects since high school.

"I got the door," Brooke said. She walked to the door, intending to lock it, with an unsteady step, as Lucas sat down on the bed, panting. He watched her contemplatively, unsure, as she peeked outside and then turned back to him. Then Brooke crossed the room in three quick strides and straddled his lap.

"You wanna know what I think?" She leaned in. "I think that I'm going to be washing Haley's sheets tomorrow," she whispered suggestively, darkened eyes gazing into his. She giggled.

Lucas leaned back onto the mattress, pulling Brooke down so that she was laying on top of him. "So, what, you're pissed at me this afternoon, but now we're here?" he asked, pushing a lock of hear behind her ear. Brooke just rolled her eyes and pressed her lips firmly against his, delighting in the way he seemed to melt beneath her.

"Well, that was before I saw how hot you looked in that shirt," Brooke finally answered when the need for oxygen became too great and she pulled away. "I just wanted to finish what we started behind that plant earlier…" She took his lips again, the kiss more heated than the last, innocent, loving one.

He didn't question this time, and instead pulled her closer, raking his hands over her back. He couldn't be close enough to her…

Meanwhile, Peyton was padding softly down the hall towards the guest room. She could barely hear the music downstairs; instead, the song seemed to be playing in her head because she had heard it so many times.

She reached the partially ajar door and paused for a second to listen. Count your blessings, she told herself with a smirk, At least it's quiet.

The thought sent a wave of calm strength over her, and Peyton poked her head silently around the door.

Brooke and Lucas were laying together intertwined, kissing desperately, as if afraid they would lose one another if they let go. Lucas's shirt was half-unbuttoned, exposing the tan, chiseled chest and abs, but that seemed as far as it had gotten.

"I love you, Lucas Scott," Brooke moaned into hot skin of his neck, breaking the kiss for just a second.

Peyton's stomach turned over.

Now they're going to bed

And my stomach is sick

And it's all in my head but

She touching his chest now

He takes off her dress now

Let me go

And I just can't look

It's killing me

It's taking control

Jealousy…

She didn't need to hear Lucas's response. She knew what it would be; she had heard it so many times, spent hours wishing he would say it to her, Peyton, instead.

I love you too pretty girl, she thought mockingly to herself. Almost as soon as the thought crossed her mind, Peyton cursed herself for thinking such petty thoughts. Ashamed. The darkness that had been hovering around her for weeks now suddenly constricted. It became harder to breathe, and her vision blurred as she staggered down the hallway. It wasn't until she felt the hot wetness on her cheeks that she realized she had tears in her eyes.

Really, she should be used to this by now. She looked pathetic. She felt pathetic.

But she couldn't help it. He was slipping away. The bathroom door slammed shut behind her, cutting off all sounds of the party below. Not that she was listening anyway.

When was this going to end?

Back downstairs, Skills seemed to be getting impatient. "Dude, Peyton went upstairs to get Luke like ten minutes ago, where are—" The look of dawning comprehension lit up his face. Collectively, the entire party went silent as they watched him. Skills looked around and cracked a cheeky, knowing smirk. "I see why Peyt wanted to go get Mr. Lucas Scott," he said, "But we got Shorty to take home, so I think it would be ok to drop in on them real fast. Interrupt their 'reunion'," Skills finished with air quotes, then jogged upstairs.

Haley lolled lazily on Nathan's shoulder for a second, but then she jolted up and swore.

Nathan shook his head and shrugged. "It's too late now, Hales."

Brooke and Lucas were still laying together. Having finally pulled away from him, Brooke trailed a finger over his jaw and neckline. She watched his blue eyes glaze over as her wandering finger got lower and lower on his torso until he finally clamped them shut.

"Brooke," he said in a soft voice, completely surprising her. She hadn't expected a conversation now. "Do you really think we are going to have drunken sex?"

She looked slightly confused. "Was that… a rhetorical question?" she asked seriously.

Lucas laughed and rolled his eyes, propping himself up on one elbow so he could see her properly. "Just this afternoon, you were yelling at me for trying to erase history. Now you are trying to seduce me. Not going to work, Brooke Davis."

She sighed. "I wasn't mad about the fact that you were 'erasing history'. Well, I kinda was, but at least you acknowledged you were doing that. I hated the fact that you weren't saying what you should've been. I needed to hear you say it, Luke, that you loved Lindsey, and that you loved Peyton. I wanted to forgive you so bad, I missed you. And then you said what you should have this afternoon, and the apology was like it was supposed to be. And it was like it was supposed to be with us."

Lucas smiled. "You're pretty good at speeches, you know."

"Yeah, I hang around you too much," Brooke shrugged and smiled. "But I wasn't kidding about that shirt thing. You do look pretty damn hot. And now, getting back to where we were—" she rolled to kiss him again, but Lucas pulled away.

"Do you really think we are going to have drunken sex?" he said with a cock of his eyebrow. Before Brooke could open her mouth, he continued, "Because you said this afternoon it wasn't what you wanted. So it's not what I want either. You're not going to have to wake up regretting it."

Lucas sincerely hoped she wouldn't test him; he wasn't sure how long he could hold up that promise if she kept going at this pace.

But she looked away, to his relief. "You certainly know how to sober a girl up, Lucas Scott."

She said it in such a way that he almost felt guilty. Like he was depriving her of something, rather than looking out for her. He knew that his way was right, and that she would appreciate it, but it didn't erase that guilt. Well, he reasoned with a roguish smile, I should make her feel better, somehow. Lucas placed one hand on her lower thigh, massaging the skin there. "It'll mean something," he said quietly. Brooke stayed silent. She didn't notice his hand steal an inch higher, still moving in slow circles.

His hand went up again, almost at the hem of her skirt. Brooke's breath hitched. "What are you doing?" she asked suspiciously with an inquiring raise of her eyebrow.

Lucas's gaze turned from his hand to her face. He wore a slightly smug expression. "I can see it in your eyes," he whispered, his hand inching upwards with every word. "It's nothing you don't want me to." He leaned his head close to hers and their lips crashed together heatedly…

Just then the door banged open.

"That's my boy," Skills yelled, "Getting back with P. Sawyer, I knew— Crap." Brooke and Lucas broke apart instantly, looking like embarrassed teenagers caught in high school. Skills looked just as guilty. "Damn! I gotta stop doing this!" He half shouted to himself, but then he looked back at the two on the bed. "Well, hey, Brooke Davis, Luke." The words seemed to be coming out of their own accord, like Skills had no control of what he was saying. "Uh, I just wanted to say hi, but it seems you got some uh, work, to do, so I'll see you later, Lucas." He nodded, and with a quick wave of goodbye, turned on one heel and disappeared down the hall. It was almost as if he couldn't wait to be out of the situation. The whole exchange took less than thirty seconds, and Skills was gone as quickly as he had come.

As soon as he was gone, Brooke turned slowly to Lucas, a face frozen in complete mortification. Then she burst out laughing.

When Skills came down the steps just a few minutes later, he threw one hurried glance to everyone in the kitchen. But as soon as they caught the uncomfortable look on his face, the entire party burst into hysterics. Obviously, they figured out what had happened upstairs.

Skills looked betrayed. "Screw all of you," he said, pointing a finger and trying to be serious. "Don't you ever do that again."

"Seems you have to learn to knock, Skills," Someone said. He rolled his eyes.

"I really thought it was Peyton! Where is curly, anyway?"

Haley shrugged uncomfortably. "She left just a few minutes after you went upstairs. She said she wasn't feeling well."

Just then a horn honked outside and Skills looked out the window. "Speaking of not feeling well, I gotta go get Shorty home. Happy birthday, Haley James." He nodded a goodbye and got a quick hug from Haley and a handshake from Nathan, and he went out the door.

"Hey, Rachel," Skills said a few minutes later when they were in the car. "Hey, we gonna get you home, ok?" he said gently. Skills sat in the back with her, keeping the redhead upright in her seat. Junk and Fergie were in the front.

"Ok," she murmured, falling onto his shoulder sleepily.

"Just drink plenty of water. Damn, you'll be feeling it tomorrow."

"Shut up. Don't remind me." Her brow furrowed over her closed eyes. Skills just laughed and adjusted his body so she would be more comfortable.

Bed at the Naley house, Brooke was cracking up. She and Lucas were still upstairs, with him sitting on the bed watching her in bewildered silence as she leaned against the closed door. Brooke's laughing face was exactly opposite of Lucas's awkward one. She was just trying to gather up the somberness to go back downstairs.

"What, you think this is funny?" he finally asked, standing up. Brooke stopped giggling immediately.

Brooke stood up straight, tilting her head upwards to meet eyes with Lucas. She placed one hand on the doorknob behind her. Then her face took on that same daring look, defiant and challenging him to come any closer. The same look she had worn when trying to get him to stay over back in senior year, during their non-exclusive stint. The fiercely mischievous, yet so, so innocently suggestive look. Lucas thought she was the only girl who could pull it off perfectly.

"Yeah, I do."

Lucas decided to risk it. He stepped closer, so that their bodies were almost touching, and he had to look straight down to Brooke. "Well I'm not laughing. And you're not leaving." His voice dropped to a threatening murmur.

She kinked one eyebrow dubiously. "And you're going to stop me?"

"Yeah, I am."

Suddenly, Lucas grabbed Brooke and lifted her off the ground, cradling her in both arms. "No, Lucas stop!" she screamed, laughing. "Stop, you're going to drop me!"

Lucas just rolled his eyes. "I know I am." He dropped her to the bed, trying his best not to laugh. He couldn't conceal a smile, though, as he climbed on top of her on the mattress and pinned her down. "I told you, pretty girl, that you weren't walking through that door," he muttered, nuzzling the sensitive skin behind her ear. His nose was flooded with her coconut vanilla perfume that rolled off her skin.

Brooke inhaled sharply at the sensation. "Shut up, Lucas," she retorted with difficulty.

"But you know you love me."

She paused to smile. "Without a doubt."

It wasn't until a half hour later that Haley and Nathan finally cleared everyone out. Brooke and Lucas had eventually come downstairs, although no one was really surprised. Mouth got a ride home with them, as Millicent had already called a cab and was gone by the time the party ended.

After Nathan closed the door for the final time that night, he walked back into the kitchen, where he was not surprised to see Haley cleaning up. "Hales, do I need to remind you that it's your birthday, and I should be cleaning up?"

Haley stopped and looked around. "No, I kinda figured that. But if I ever let you do it, we'd be in our golden years when this place was finally clean." She gave him a look to say that she was joking. Nathan raised his hands in defeat.

"Some party, huh?" He looked around at the scattered remains of streamers, balloons, cups, and plates.

Haley began washing the counter off, her back to him. "Yes, and I want to thank you for that. You made it prefect, even though I would have been content with just you and Jamie for tonight. But you're still in trouble for that surprise thing, got it?"

No reply.

"Nathan?" Haley called, pausing. She suddenly couldn't feel his presence in the room. "N-nate?"

When she turned around, all that was left was the red shirt he had been wearing lying on the ground. Other than that, there was no sign of her husband.

"Nathan?" she called disapprovingly. Then she saw a shoe on the floor in the next room. A black Nike, size 13. Haley went to pick it up, but saw another shoe lying at the foot of the stairs. "What?" she asked herself as she followed it.

The trail of clothes led up the stairs; Haley had grabbed a pair of socks, Nathan's undershirt, and his jeans by the time she was on the landing. Looking down the hall, she saw his boxers at the open doorway of their bedroom. Walking with a cautious, anxious step, she arrived at the door and pushed it open, knowing what she'd see.

And there was Nathan, fully clothed, hands in his pockets, grinning hugely. "Happy birthday," he teased, sensing her disappointment even if she didn't want to show it. "What were you expecting, Haley?" he asked politely, barely keeping a straight face. Haley gave him the finger, and Nathan doubled over. She stomped angrily from the room.

"Aw, Hales," he called, composing himself and following her out. "Come here."

"No, I'm mad at you," she said stubbornly. Nathan grabbed her by one wrist.

"Come here," he repeated huskily, the force of his tug pulling Haley into a kiss, with her body pressed up against his. "Better?" he asked tenderly when they finally pulled away. Haley bit her lip reluctantly, and Nathan admired the angry lines in his wife's flawless cream skin.

She was glaring with slightly less intensity now, but she still said a firm, stubborn, "No." Haley tried to wrench out of Nathan's folded arms, but he didn't let go. Instead, he pinned her against him with one hand and reached into his pocket.

Haley's anger, fake as it might have been, melted away as he slipped the small, purple beaded bracelet onto her wrist ever so gently. It was almost as if he was giving her a physical memory, it meant so much. Tilting her chin up so she could look at him, he smiled that little half-smile specifically reserved for her.

"Don't say I never gave you anything. Happy birthday, Haley James."

"Haley James-Scott."

Alright, so there it is. I know everything seems good now, but we'll have some angst, I promise. Thanks for reading, and I promise this next chapter will be up quiker next time! Oh, and please review! :)