Brooke, Tim, and Haley, holding Keith, walked into the café. Lucas looked up from the bar and immediately looked away.

"Brooke, can you take him for a sec," Haley said as she handed her Keith and headed toward Lucas. "Hey," she said when she was close enough for Lucas to hear her. "Sorry I didn't warn you, but I kind of asked Nathan to breakfast and couldn't come alone so I made them come."

"Wait, what? You asked Nathan to breakfast! What the hell happened yesterday," Lucas asked excitedly.

"Well when we went for the walk I broke down. I told him that when I looked at him it didn't hurt because of what I almost lost but because of what I did lose. And I literally broke down crying and he just held me. Then as I was about to come back in here he stopped me and told me he wasn't going anywhere just like I told him that time on the beach after he'd just come back from High Flyers and I had just come back from the tour with Chris."

"Hales, that's huge," Lucas exclaimed.

"Yeah well," she paused, "he came over last night. I guess thanks in part to you and the drama you created for Brooke," Lucas raised an eyebrow at her. "Anyway we both pretty much apologized for past mistakes and decided we wanted to try and get back what we lost, taking our time though."

"Oh my God! Hales that's great," he said as he got up and hugged her.

"Well, I should get back over to Keith," Haley said.

"Yeah, ok. Call me later," he said to her.

"Ok," she said as she turned and started walking toward Brooke and Tim who had picked a table and were sitting, Keith was in a high chair between them.

"Hey Hales," she heard the last voice she had wanted to hear this summer.

Haley turned around, "only my friends call me Hales," she said, "and you Rachel, are not my friend," she finished.

"Ok, how about Tutorgirl?"

"Wrong, try again," Haley responded with a dirty look. Although much time had passed Haley still very much disliked Rachel.

"Fine, Haley," Rachel said with an equally dirty look. "You're just lucky I didn't follow Nathan to Duke and steal him while you were separated." Haley scowled at her and Rachel continued, "how is he by the way? Oh, wait you probably don't even know, you are divorced right?"

Haley went for her neck. Brooke grabbed her from behind. "Well, some things never change," she said giving Rachel a fake smile. "Calm down Tutorgirl," Brooke said to Haley, "don't want to give her any paper cuts while teaching her a lesson." Brooke turned Haley in the opposite direction and she walked toward Tim and Keith. Brooke turned back to Rachel.

"Slut," Rachel said.

"I'd call you a bitch but you'd take it as a term of endearment," Brooke said to Rachel. "Why are you back anyway? You don't have any friends here anymore."

"Not even you, Brooke," Rachel asked sticking out her bottom lip so as to pout.

"We haven't been friends since you tried to ruin my friendship with Haley," Brooke responded. "You know I only used that key and stole the test because Haley was in the hospital and couldn't help me. She understood that too, but it still took her a while to forgive me."

They just stood there silently for a moment.

"So, how's Luke," Rachel said with a big smile on her face, "I assume that's why you're back."

"You know what Rachel? You really are a bitch," Brooke said pointing her finger in her face. "And you know what else," she pointed at Lucas sitting over at the bar, "that's one Scott brother you're more than welcome to, but stay away from Nathan, he and Haley are almost working things out." She turned and left Rachel standing there.

When Brooke got back to the table Haley had taken the seat next to the one Brooke had been sitting in and she had moved Keith's highchair in between herself and the empty chair that awaited Nathan. Brooke sat down.

"What did she have to say," Haley asked.

"Nothing, she's still just a--," Brooke stopped herself remembering Keith was there. "Anyway, what did you say to Luke?"
"Just told him about yesterday," Haley giggled a little because Tim was making faces across the table to Keith and he was trying to copy Tim. "Ugh, what is she doing," Haley asked looking over Brooke's shoulder toward Lucas.

Brooke turned and looked too, then turned back, "probably trying to make me jealous. Too bad it won't work because she's got the wrong guy," she said as she leaned over and kissed Tim on the cheek. "Besides I told her that was one Scott she could have."

"Brooke," Haley practically yelled. "You probably sent her straight to him when you said that."

"Sorry Hales but did you want her going after Nathan," she shot back. "Besides, he's a big boy; he can take care of himself."

"Who are you guys talking about," Tim asked as he turned to look. "Oh, Rachel," he said as he turned back around, "geez, Haley I'm surprised you haven't killed her yet."

"I tried to a few minutes ago," she said.

"So that's why you jumped up and took off," Tim said to Brooke, "to stop Haley from killing her," he finished with a laugh.

"To stop you from killing who," Nathan asked from behind Haley.

Her and Keith both turned to look at him, "da, da," Keith said with a grin.

Nathan knelt down and kissed him, ruffled his hair, and said, "hey buddy," then looked at Haley for an answer as he sat.

"Rachel," Haley huffed rolling her eyes, everyone laughed.

"Oh," Nathan said then changed the subject. "I brought you something," he said to her, "I hope it's not too forward." He lifted his hand in front of her it was closed. He opened his hand and in his palm laid one of the little purple flowers like the ones from where they first got married.

"Oh, Nathan," was all she could muster. She wished she could throw her arms around him and kiss him but she knew taking things slow was the right thing to do. After two years trying to jump right back into things would create problems so she just smiled at him.