Disclaimer: I sadly do not own OTH or Naley

Another chapter for you guys hope you like it ;)

Chapter 6: A Boy's Best Friend

Nathan sat in the dining room of his childhood home. His head was pounding and he felt like a mini storm had taken up residence in his stomach. He looked up to see his mother starring at him.

"So what did you do last night?" she asked him.

"Something stupid" Nathan answered her. He took another sip of his water.

"What?"

"I got really drunk and then went and visited Haley" Nathan told her as he placed his head in his hands and willed his headache to go away.

"You visited Haley" Deb said. She was shocked, she honestly thought that her son would avoid his wife the whole time that he was in town. So she was surprised to hear that he went to see her on his first night back.

"Yeah... I said some horrible things to her" Nathan sighed, "I'm never touching whiskey again".

"Maybe that's what you need Nathan, you left town so quickly. You never had any closure with the whole Haley situation. Maybe if you talk to her and tell her how you feel about her and about what she did you'll finally be able to move on" Deb suggested.

"I have moved on" Nathan said in a firm voice.

"Nathan sweetie, i love you. But we both know that's a lie. You life may have kept moving on the outside. But on the inside you're still that 18 year old boy who got his heart broken by the girl he loved" Deb told him. Nathan just sat back in his chair and thought about what his mother had said.

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"Hales you look like hell" Peyton said as she looked at her friend. She and Brooke were at Tric going through CD's for Brooke's wedding.

"I didn't get much sleep" Haley answered in a gloomy voice.

"Tell me about it" Peyton said with a yawn.

"Late night with Jake" Brooke smirked.

"No actually. I got a late night visit from a very smashed Nathan" Peyton told them.

"Me too" Haley exclaimed.

"What!" Both Brooke and Peyton yelled. "You have to give us all the juicey details" Brooke added.

"No juicey details to tell. He woke me up at like three thirty in the morning, said some things and then passed out" Haley told them.

"He passed out in the apartment... So he slept there last night" Peyton wanted to confirm.

"Yeah, when he woke up he apologized and then he couldn't get out of there quick enough... I fell asleep on the floor in front of him, I was watching him sleep. God I love him so much" Haley said with passion in her voice.

"I know honey" Brooke said as she squeezed her friends shoulders.

"He's so un-happy" Haley commented, "I can see it in his eyes. They have lost their spark".

"Yeah it worries Lucas so much, he's tried so many thing but nothing seems to work. Nathan seems happy being un-happy if you get what I'm saying" Brooke said.

"Does he drink a lot?" Peyton asked. She had been wondering if last night's little adventure was a regular thing.

"During off season he does" Brooke answered truthfully, "When he's playing he behaves him self. It means too much to him to fuck it up".

"This is getting a little depressing, lets change the subject" Haley said. As much as she wanted to know about Nathan and his life, she couldn't handle hearing anymore. Not yet. She was still processing the fact the he was here in Tree Hill.

"Okay then, lets talk about me and my wedding" Brooke suggested happily as she clapped her hands with excitement.

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"Broody, exactly who I wanted to see" Brooke said as she walked into Karen's house and saw Lucas on the couch playing NBA live. She walked over to him and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "We need to talk".

"Okay" Lucas said as he put the remote control of the playstation down and faced his beautiful wife to be.

"I want you to invite Haley to the wedding" Brooke said with determination.

"Brooke how many times are we going to go through this, I can't. Nathan would crack" Lucas said to her as he took her hand in his.

"Lucas I love the fact that you care so much about your brother, I really do. But this isn't about him, it's about us. It's our wedding and it wouldn't be right if Haley wasn't there. She is a good friend of mine and she was your best friend for most of your life. Can you honestly tell me you don't want her there".

Lucas looked away to the mantle, there was picture of him and Haley smiling when they were 12 years and happy being just the two of them, "I would love her to be there".

"When then it's settled, now go invite her" Brooke told him.

"Why don't you invite her you two are on better terms" Lucas replied.

"Because I think you should. It's the right thing to do after all these years".

"Your right as always... Pretty girl" Lucas said as he kissed the back of her hand.

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"Lucas... Hey" Haley said surprised. She had been studying in her living room when he had knocked, "Come in".

"Hey Hales, the place hasn't changed much" Lucas said as he took in his surroundings.

"I like it like this" Haley replied as she sat down and looked up at him, "What can I do for you?"

"You can come to the wedding" Lucas answered with a small smile.

"... Lucas I know your only inviting me because of Brooke. It's okay I don't want to cause any trouble".

"I'm inviting you because I want you to be there. I miss you Haley, and I'm sorry" Lucas said as he sat down beside her, "Please come, I'll talk to Nathan".

"Actually Nathan told me I should go" Haley told him.

"You've seen Nathan" Lucas said with surprise he hadn't heard about this.

"Yeah... Twice actually" Haley laughed to herself. She wasn't sure if his little drunken visit counted, he wasn't in his right mind. "So... Okay if you really want me to be there then I would love to come".

"I really want you to be there" Lucas replied and then he did something that surprised her. He leaned over and pulled her into a hug. She hugged him back happily.

"I've missed you as well" She said with a grin.

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"How goes the wedding plan's" Nathan asked as he sat down beside Brooke.

"Good, you know I was worried about the short timing but since I've always known what I wanted for my wedding it's been a lot easier then I thought it would be" Brooke told him as she flipped the book she was reading closed. "Nathan I need to tell you something".

"Shoot" Nathan replied.

"Lucas is inviting Haley to the wedding as we speak... Please don't freak out on me" Brooke added the last bit quickly as she braced her self for the explosion she had been expecting.

"That's great" Nathan said as casually as possible.

"What now?" Brooke was sure she had miss-heard him.

"I said that's great. If you both want her there she should come. I'm not a completely selfish prick you know, your wedding day is about you two not me" Nathan told her.

"That's what I said" Brooke said as she watched him carefully. Brooke Davis wasn't easily surprised, but his reaction or lack of had shocked her.

"And you were right".

"So I saw her today... And Peyton they both told me about your little drunken visits" Brooke said.

"Yeah, I drink too much" Nathan joked.

"You know. It's been five years Nate, maybe you should talk to Haley, while sober might I add. Clear the air" Brooke suggested.

"There is nothing to clear up. She cheated on me, it's that simple" Nathan said as he shifted uncomfortable in his seat. 'What is with everybody wanting me to go and talk to her' he thought to himself.

"But... She still loves you" Brooke wasn't sure what she wanted to say all she knew was that Nathan and Haley needed to talk.

"Love... It isn't enough Brooke" Nathan said. Brooke could see the pain in his eyes and her heart broke for him.

"Maybe it is, I mean, Lucas loved me and he forgave me for sleeping with Chris" Brooke reminded him. Even saying Chris's name made her stomach turn.

"It's different Brooke. You and Lucas weren't exclusive and you weren't married" Nathan explained.

"I just... Your not happy Nathan, you haven't been in years. I'm not saying get back together with her. I'm just saying talk to her. Maybe some of the things you have been feeling will finally make sense if you do" Brooke said in a hushed tone. She knew she was pushing it. Nathan normally would shut a conversation down as soon as it started to go this way, but so far he hadn't blown up.

"I really don't know what to say to her Brooke. I've had conversations in my mind a million times. Thinking about all the thing I would say to her if I ever saw her again. But every time I see her my mind just switches to angry mode" Nathan was tired of it all. He tired of being shut off, he was tired of keeping everything to him self. But most of all he was just tired of feeling that way that he did.

"Well you were drunk pretty much all of yesterday, maybe the key is to be sober as I mentioned earlier" Brooke said with a small grin.

"Sober huh, not a bad idea Davis" Nathan laughed.

TBC

Thanks to everybody reading and reviewing!

I really wanted to get all of the Haley going to the wedding and the Haley/Lucas issues out of the way, hope it wasn't to boring

Please review because it makes me smile :)