I own nothing—thanks for the reviews. And some of the dialogue is from the show in this also.

How long have I been in this storm?

So overwhelmed by the ocean's shapeless form

Water's getting harder to tread

With these waves crashing over my head

"Well, this is sure to be one of the worst storms Tree Hill seen in years. The wind gusts are up to sixty miles per hour and roads are sure to be flooded . . ." Nathan sighed as he turned off the radio.

"This sucks", he muttered into the empty house. The thunder roared and lightning clashed. He immediately picked up the phone.

"What Nathan?" Peyton mocked annoyance.

"I just wanted to check on you", he said innocently.

"Nathan, I'm fine", she assured him.

"I know you hate thunder storms so I figured I'd call", he explained further.

"Well, all is good on the Sawyer front. Although I don't think the baby like storms either. I've felt nauseous all night", he pictured her staring at her slightly swollen stomach and cursing. A chuckle escaped his lips.

"What's so funny?" she asked in confusion.

He cleared his throat before speaking. "Umm, nothing–"

"Ahh", Peyton shrieked as more thunder clapped.

"Do you want me to come over Peyton?" he asked in concern.

"No, Ellie's here. I just hate freakin' thunder", she muttered.

"I know", he smiled as a laugh escaped his lips.

"It's not funny", she spoke as she placed a hand on her hip, "Listen, don't you have a wife you should call?"

"I don't want her out in this", he said defiantly.

Peyton rolled her eyes. "I'm sure she'd rather spend time with you Nate", Peyton pointed out.

He smiled. They had come a long way in the last month. Trust was fully established and they had no problem sharing public affection. They were together and working on getting back to where they once were. In fact, they were supposed to go out on a date tonight.

"I know, but I wouldn't feel safe with her out there in this", he furrowed his brows as the bell rang.

It was bad enough that she had been feeling horrible lately.

"Nathan, at least call the girl", Peyton continued to hound him. He rolled his eyes and continued his walk to the front door.

"Hales?" he gasped out as he opened the door.

------------------------------

"Hey", he said as he ran into the house, "it's crazy out there."

He didn't know it, but tonight was going to be the turning point for Brooke. They had been working on this relationship for the last month. She had an amazing dinner planned and if all went well they would stay together. If it didn't go well, then it was over.

"Do you have my letter", Brooke asked in excitement.

She and Lucas hadn't exactly had the relationship either of them anticipated. They didn't have meaningful conversations, 'I love you's' were few and far between. The only way she truly felt cared for was when she read his letters. If he couldn't say it out loud she was glad she could read it.

"Do you have any towels?" he asked before he handed it over. She pointed to the closet and he put the letter in her hands before heading in the other direction.

She sat on the couch and unfolded the letter. She smiled as she read his sweet words. She blushed when she read some of the dirty things he had written. You're my forever was his last line and she felt her breath catch in her throat.

Beep Beep Beep

"Crap, I got it", Lucas announced as he ran to the oven and pulled out her burnt pie.

Brooke looked up from the letter and at him.

"It's a little burnt, but I guess we could try it out" he more or less questioned.

It was over.

Thunder sounded and he turned to face the window. "Maybe we should call Peyton. I don't know if Ellie is around and I don't want her home alone", Brooke could hear the concern in his voice.

"Yea whatever", she muttered as she got up from the couch.

------------------------------

"Who was that?" Ellie questioned from her spot on the bed.

"Nathan, he knows I hate storms . . . he was calling to check up on me."

"He's a good friend."

"Yea, he's really been around for me", she said in admiration. Ellie raised her brows.

"He's married right?" she questioned. Ellie had been involved with Peyton's life a lot over the last month; she just had a hard time keeping up with everything.

"Yea, for a few months now", Peyton furrowed her brows as she thought of that; it certainly felt like a whole lot longer.

"Wow, what were they sixteen?"

"Yup, Nathan and I had just broken up like five or six months beforehand. He was a complete ass when we dated, but Haley James changed him", she said proudly.

"So, no lingering flames?" Ellie questioned with a smirk.

"No, definitely not", Peyton said as she shook her head, "love triangles are kinda old", Ellie nodded her head in understanding.

"Speaking of which, how are they?"

Peyton swallowed hard. "They seem good. They've both wanted this for a long time, I'm glad they finally got it", Peyton tried to speak indifferently.

"Are you and Lucas sorting anything out?" she asked in a motherly tone.

"There's nothing to sort out. Things were said, feelings were hurt, but I put it all behind me and worked from there."

"But you're not working at all", Ellie said blatantly.

"Yes we are", Peyton gasped out.

"Peyton, I've lived with you for the past month, Lucas has not once been here alone. It's either him and Brooke or him and Haley, hell even him and Nathan have come together."

Peyton opened her mouth, but closed it soon after.

"Geez Doc, warn a girl will ya" she joked as he placed the cool gel onto her stomach.

"Ms. Sawyer", Dr. Darr laughed as he used the device to detect a heartbeat. Slowly, but surely a soft thumping filled the room. Peyton's breath caught in her throat and he turned to look at Lucas. He stared at the small monitor in awe.

"That's amazing", he whispered as they locked eyes.

"Yea, it is", Brooke's raspy voice spoke from the corner of the room.

"Look, it is what it is. Things are working fine the way they are", Ellie took the hint and changed topics.

"Most people wouldn't to what you're doing", Ellie said with a hint of admiration, "have a child when their seventeen."

"Well, Tree Hill breaks the trend. We have a married high school couple, a love triangle from hell, an old school love triangle that still lingers, there were car accidents, and heart attacks, and rock stars, and affairs, and people simply trying to find themselves", she finished quietly.

"You know, most people are shocked when they hear all these things", she mused.

"I get it", Ellie said as she shrugged, "life's too short. You need to live it and jump in head first; don't be afraid."

------------------------------

"I'm going to Duke", she said firmly, "I've done a lot of research and that coach Krushkowsi or Krushki—"

"Most people call him Coach K", Nathan gave her a simple answer.

"Whatever, he's like the best coach ever and you deserve the best", she said as she took off her sweater.

"Haley, you're not going to Duke", he said firmly.

She stared at him in anger.

"Right, you know I don't know why I'm surprised. You tell me you love me, and then freak out when we sleep together. You just love to rip the rug out from under me Nathan", she said bitterly as she gather her things.

"Haley, you can't go to Duke because I'm going to Stanford", he smiled as she faced him.

"What?"

"It's your dream school", he said simply. She stared at him and he knew he was going to regret starting this conversation.

"Nathan—"

Nathan sat in the living room; listening as Haley rambled. She was paranoid. They had gotten back together and she was already finding ways that their relationship could crumble. Couldn't the girl ever go with the flow of things?

"Nathan, are you even listening?" she asked in annoyance. He looked at her guiltily.

"Hales, college decisions are months away. I think you should relax."

"Nathan, our dream schools are thousands of miles away", she said with a strained voice.

"That's why I'm going to Stanford", he said simply.

"No, you need to go to Duke. You should be one of those people that call him coach K", she said adamantly.

"Haley, I know and we'll figure it out, but right now, it's me, you, and an empty house", he wiggled his eye brows suggestively. She broke down and smiled.

"Is that all you ever think about?"

"When it comes to you, absolutely", he said gruffly as he pulled her close.

"But what about college?" she asked; refusing to let it go.

"We'll talk about college, I promise."

His arms snaked around her waist and he kissed her neck. She was still tense and he pulled back to look at her.

"What's really wrong Haley?" he knew there was more then she was letting on.

She sighed. "I just haven't been feeling well."

"I know, I offered to take you to the doctor, but you said no", he reminded her.

"Well, I went anyway", she said hesitantly.

"Why didn't you tell me? I would have been glad to take you Haley."

"I know, but I needed to go alone."

"Okay, well what did he say?"

"I'm pregnant", she blurted out as the house went black.

------------------------------

"Well, the power's out everywhere", he muttered as he walked back into the apartment.

"Wonderful", she muttered sarcastically. Brooke Davis was not a fan of the darkness.

"Where is my Power Puff Girl's nightlight?" she questioned as she rummaged through drawers.

Actually, she hated it.

"Brooke relax", he groaned, "It's only a little power outage"; in the back of his mind he wondered how Peyton was coping with the storm.

"Shut up", she muttered as she continued her search.

"Want me to start a fire?" he asked playfully. She turned to him with a glare.

"Yea, you can use this to get it started", she said as she threw the letter at him.

"You want me to burn my letter?" he asked incredulously.

"Yea", she said simply, "You know what, skip down to the last line"; she said angrily as she opened the letter and pointed to the source of her animosity.

"You're my forever sounds pretty damn good to me", he told her. He had stayed up the entire night trying to find words to say. Trying to find some way of telling her how he felt.

"Sounded even better when I read it the first time, last spring in a letter you wrote to Peyton", she spat out as she grabbed her jacket and head to the door. If he wanted to beat around the bush she certainly wasn't going to have it.

Lucas sighed before following her. He was in trouble.

------------------------------

"I'm sorry?" he questioned.

"I know how completely unplanned this is and I'm sorry", she spoke quickly.

"How?" all he managed to get out.

"I haven't been on the pill forever; there was no need when I was on tour, I'm sorry", she repeated.

"Stop apologizing", he assured her, "we only slept together once", he said in disbelief.

"I know, but that night everything just kind of happened. I was thrilled that you called me and then we were talking and then you asked me to stay–"

"Yea, I know the rest", he stopped her ramblings.

"Sorry", she said meekly.

"Nathan, talk to me", she begged.

He stared at her for a while. They were having a child. He guessed he should feel some type of nervousness. Any type of fear.

"I guess you're stuck with me", he said with a smirk.

But he didn't.

------------------------------

They sat in Peyton room. The only light was being supplied by the few candles they had lit. They were currently silent, mostly because Ellie told Peyton they were done talking.

"Ellie, I need you to talk me", Peyton pleaded for the twentieth time.

"There isn't anything to talk about", Ellie assured the girl.

"You're dying! That's something to discuss", Peyton's voice quivered.

"Peyton, I don't want to talk about it", she said firmly.

"Too bad, I didn't want to get pregnant, or have you move in a month ago, but here we are. Please talk to me about this", she begged again.

Ellie sighed. "I stopped chemo because it was too much. I was sick all the time and emotionally drained."

"So that's it? You're gunna give up?"

"Peyton, I've been fighting this for a long time, I can't do it anymore", Ellie said sadly.

"I don't wanna loose you" Peyton said as tears formed in her eyes.

"I'll always be here", the older woman whispered as she wiped at her daughters tears.

"I'm sorry for everything", Peyton said quietly, "the name calling, the yelling, everything really."

"I'm sorry too", Peyton stared at her in confusion.

"For just popping into your life, more or less demanding to be part of it. For making you think I wanted to replace Anna. For ever giving you up in the first place", she said as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"I don't want you to leave", Peyton sobbed out.

"Those words are gunna break my heart", Ellie smiled as she held Peyton close.

------------------------------

He followed after her in the pouring rain. This was absurd. They were both going to get pneumonia.

"Brooke, stop", he demanded.

"I can't be your recycling bin", she said harshly.

"I never sent that letter to Peyton", he tried to defend.

"I never sent you mine either, but they still meant something", she countered.

They both stayed in that thought for a moment. They knew it was true.

"Just tell me why? Why me?"

"Brooke . . ." he couldn't find any words to tell her. He had no comforting answers.

"I need to know why", she begged. She couldn't do this any more. She couldn't hold onto things that she knew weren't there

"Because . . ." he yelled out in frustration.

It shouldn't be this hard. He shouldn't have to tell her why. She should just know. He shouldn't have to write stupid letters and he shouldn't have to give her speeches.

------------------------------

They lay in his bed completely at peace. The storm was raging outside, but right now it was only them. She bit her lip and twirled her wedding ring.

"Stop it", he said from his spot beside her.

"What?"

"Whatever you're worried about, stop it."

"How did you know, you didn't even open your eyes", she said in amusement.

"I don't have to see you with my eyes to know what's going on with you Hales", he said in a way that made her heart soar.

"I just can't stop thinking about everything. I mean, I'm pregnant and we still don't know where we're going to school and it's overwhelming."

"I told you, we'll apply to both and see what happens. As for this baby", he said as he placed a hand on her flat stomach, "I know it wasn't planned, but maybe it's a blessing in disguise", she smiled and leaned over to kiss him.

"When did you get so smart?" she teased.

"I married my tutor", he said simply. They stared at each other and he could still see the apprehension in her eyes.

"Haley, I'm not going anywhere."

------------------------------

"Thank you", she sat on her bed as her mother brushed her hair. Her mother. The woman who has cancer. And may die at any moment.

"You okay?" Ellie asked when she felt Peyton tense.

"Yea, yea", they both heard her voice quiver.

"This is nice", Peyton mused after a moment of silence.

"Yea, it is", she said as she continued her movement.

"You know, umm, I was thinking about the stuff you said, about living life and jumping at opportunity and not being afraid."

"Yea", Ellie sat beside Peyton and listened intently.

"There was this guy, there is this guy. That I loved and I let him go and now I'm starting to think that was a mistake. Now, it's too late", she whispered as her voice quivered.

------------------------------

"I don't know", he whispered as the rain poured down around them.

------------------------------

"No, it's never too late Peyton, that's one thing I learned from meeting you", Peyton closed her eyes and leaned into Ellie.

"I'm so sorry I missed those seventeen years, but I wouldn't give back these three weeks for the world", she said as she hugged her close.

"Me either"

"The Peyton I've come to know deserves to get whatever she wants. She deserves to be happy as an artist, as a friend, as a mother, as a daughter . . . as my daughter", she whispered.

"I heard that", Peyton muttered through closed eyes.

A lone tear rolled down her cheek.

And I would walk on water

And you will catch me if I fall

And I will get lost into your eyes

I know everything will be alright

I know everything is alright


Alright, the moving forward chapter lol. The Naley pregnancy might seem . . . idk, but in my mind that's when she got pregnant. They were just so passionate about it then lol…anyway; let me know what you think. I have the next chapter written so if you guys review maybe I'll put that up too lol...and chapters for my other stories are comingg.