Author's Note: This is not exactly a follow-up to the last chapter, but could perhaps be described as a little of Haley's point of view in the situation. I hope you are able to enjoy it as much as the last. This was written purely on whim, very late at night, but I found very quickly that I couldn't stop, and I knew that it was more than just waffle. I hope you can see the logic behind it and feel the heart of the story as much as Haley herself. My aim is to get it out there that this sort of thing really goes on in the world, and there are so many different people who are hurt in the process- but it can be fixed. It just depends on whether the people involved are prepared to fight the battle back to happiness.

Shout out to the amazing Jay- you are The.Best.Damned.Friend.Ever.

Disclaimer: I own nothing One Tree Hill. Right go to the purely brilliant Mark Schwahn. I wish I was him, but unfortunately I'm not.

Only When We're Fighting

Haley walked into the lounge room and moved swiftly in front of the television that her drunken husband was watching, flicking the off switch. She had had enough. A thought occurred to her, and bubbled out of her like nothing she had expected.

'Why do you only say 'I love you' when we're fighting?

Is it too much to ask that you might just maybe, love me when you don't want to save your precious time and energy on 'keeping the peace' that you ruined in this household?

Is it too much for you to love me and need me and help me and let me help you through when the times are a little bit tougher than what you expected married life to be?

Why is it that you can't love me when we're in bed at night or in front of our son when I'm leaving for work?

Is it because you are scared to love me when it seems as though you can't save yourself from anything by telling that you do?

You try so desperately to save yourself from all that pain, but you won't let me be there for you. You've pushed us all away, and you 'love' me only when it becomes too much for me.

Well I don't need that. I need you to love me regardless of how you're feeling, or how I'm feeling, or how our son is feeling. I need you to love me because I know that you did, once upon a time. I know that you loved me enough to marry me, and I know that when you said 'always and forever it was too long for you, because now the only time you love me is when you need me to forgive you.

You don't need my forgiveness, Nathan, you had it from the first moment you said you loved me, because I'd already fallen for you. What you need is your own. To be freed from the guilt in your heart, that is consuming you every moment of every day that you sit around in this house and drink your own life and the lives of everyone who loves you, away. The television has become your life. Well here's some news for you, buddy, you can sit around all day and hope that the imaginary life you're living will all fade away somehow into something that works out all the time like it does in TV land, but you're missing everything that matter here in the real world.

You're missing seeing your son grow up. And he's missing having a father.

You need to seek approval for what you're doing because when we're fighting, you're battling only with yourself. Because you know you have the will power and the courage, Nathan, you just need to get off your ass and do something about it. Use it to pull your life together. Use it to bring us back to you again.

I love you more than anything in this world, Nathan. But I need you to do this for me, for us.

Your son is growing up with a father who scares him, who he idolizes in secret because he is so, so afraid to show that he cares for you, because he doesn't want to be pushed away. He doesn't need that from you, you're supposed to be more than that.

I need you to be the man I fell in love with. I need you to step up and step out, and let us stand by your side and walk with you all the way.

Whatever it takes, I'm here for you always and forever. But I need you to stop fighting with me, and start fighting for me, Nathan. Eternity has got to start somewhere, and we lost it for a while. How about today?

Before you lose us forever.'

She left the room hastily, so as to avoid any slurred nonsense from the man who was supposed to be her husband. She wanted to be ashamed of herself, but she wouldn't be. She hadn't planned it, but now that it was over, she realised that they all needed it as much as each other.

The tears that had run down her face were left making rivulets down the floorboards.

Nathan stared after the petite figure of his wife, rushing down the hall so as to avoid making any more of a fool out of herself. But he didn't see that. All that he saw was extreme love, and he was moved by the reminder that he had a wife and a family who loved him, and that he was losing them bit by bit.

Not sure. Let me know what you think.

Just randomly started typing and found that it all made sense.

Gabbi xx