Hey! Thanks for all the reviews! They definitely help motivate me. Sorry I haven't updated much lately but I have had so much school stuff going on. But I had some extra time so I decided to write this. It's definitely not the best, but it works for now. PLEASE review and tell me what you think. Thanks so much!

"Peyton, you need to move here. I miss you and Jake and Jenny way too much when you're not here!" Brooke exclaimed from the dining table that everyone was sitting at. They were trying this new French restaurant that Brooke insisted that they go to. "Luke, don't you agree?" She questioned her husband.

"Uhh," Lucas stammered. He didn't know how to answer this question. Sure he would love to have Peyton, Jake, and Jenny around, but he also knew how inconvenient that move would be for the Jagielskis.

"Brooke," Peyton intervened not wanting to put Lucas in the middle of anything, "we really can't. Jenny can't just leave all her friends and her school and not too mention Jake's job that pays a hel…heck" she corrected herself quickly knowing of all the young ears around. "of a lot of money," she finished.

"Mom, just say hell, It's not I haven't heard you cuss before, or dad either," Jenny informed her parents.

"When do I cuss in front of you?" Jake asked jumping into the conversation.

"Well, not necessarily in front of me, but whenever you watch the basketball games or get really pissed off at your boss you calls him a son of a…" the nine year old girl went on.

"Jenny Jagielski! Watch your mouth! That doesn't make it right." Peyton eyed Jake. "Just because your father or I might say something doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. You should know right from wrong. If everybody was jumping off a bridge, would you?"

"Well, if people were jumping off a bridge, I'm guessing they would have a good reason, so I don't know, probably," Jenny replied with a smirk.

"Jenny! Don't be a smart aleck," Jake lectured his daughter. "Besides, there are even younger ears around that shouldn't know all the words you used earlier which by the way, if I catch you using again, your mouth will be washed out with soap," Jake finished with a slight smirk of his own. Jenny groaned.

"Don't worry, Jake. I already know what a son a bitch is." Kate informed the table. "Mommy always used to call our neighbor one…"

"Kate!" Brooke said exasperated. "Enough. No more bad words. Do I make myself clear?"

"Ok." The little girl replied easily. Sure she just said it because she knew it was what she was expected to say if she wasn't going to get in trouble. Kate wasn't even sure how a word could be "bad" anyways.

"Jenny, why couldn't you just say 'ok'?" Peyton asked in bewilderment. Jenny shrugged.

Brooke smiled and whispered to Peyton. "Hmmm, See I'm not such a bad mother. I've trained my daughter well," Brooke teased.

"Brooke, you trained your daughter to know what a son of a bitch is. You also trained her to master the art of sucking up. Oh and just wait until she's nine or so, when it all backfires" Peyton smirked back.

Nathan chuckled slightly. It was bittersweet to watch the interaction between Lucas and Brooke with Kate and Peyton and Jake with Jenny. You could tell that as much as the young girls would pull and as much as they pushed their parent's buttons that they loved their parents and you could also see the adoration from the parents to their children. He was happy for them; it was just…just that it reminded him so much of what he should be having now too. Haley and Ally should be here too…laughing with everyone. He had to admit he felt kind of out of place there. He knew everyone cared about him and just wanted to help him by inviting him to these types of things, but it was always so hard. It was just so hard to be happy. Nathan's mind always went back to how Haley and he should be parents right now, just like they had planned to be. Nathan always wondered what kind of father he would be…he was scared as hell that he was going to screw up like his dad, but deep down he knew he wouldn't have. Haley's reassurance that he was different than his father had made an impact in Nathan's mind. Nathan would have risen above his father and been there for Ally and protected her…But then again he couldn't even protect them the night when Haley was abducted. Nathan wasn't sure he could ever forgive himself for not protecting his baby girl and Haley.

"Anyways," Jake laughed. "Nathan, how you been, man?" he asked trying to pull Nathan into the conversation. He still was worried about Nathan. He had been friends with Nathan since the later part of their junior year of high school and has grown fairly close for awhile now. Jake had been there for advice for Nathan when he had found out that Haley was pregnant. Jake had given him a lot of advice on how to handle being a father young. It killed Jake to know what Nathan had to go through with losing his daughter. He couldn't even fathom losing Jenny, even as much as a pain she could beat times, he loved her more than anything. Jake also couldn't fathom losing the love of his life, Peyton. Peyton may not have been Jenny's biological mother, but ever since high school she has been her mother in every other aspect. And after Peyton and Jake had tied the knot, Peyton had officially adopted Jenny. Jake wouldn't even think that he would be able to go on if anything happened to Peyton and Jenny. That's what worried him about Nathan… That he would completely close himself off from everyone and go in a downward spiral.

Nathan focused back on Jake. He quickly put up his walls and an unreadable fake façade that he was so famous for up. "Uh well you know the same," he offered

Jake nodded, "Yeah, how's work going? The new season's training going on right?" he asks conversationally."

"Yeah, itis. But…" he paused slightly. "I'm not sure how much long I'll be doing it. I'm thinking about not playing this year."

"Wait, what?" Lucas asked surprised? This was news to him.

"I just think it's time to end the basketball thing," Nathan responded.

"But, Nathan, you love it! You are paid extremely well and there are many teams begging to have you play for them," Lucas tried to reason. Basketball was the one thing that Nathan had left, that he really loved. He just couldn't see how Nathan wanted to just quit.

"I used to love. Now, I don't know anymore. Anyways, I'm financially set for a long time. And I can find a normal job. I don't have to be a professional basketball player," Nathan said stubbornly.

"Uncle Nate, are you sure? I love going to your games! They are so fun," Kate claimed trying to convince her uncle to stay in basketball. "I get to tell all my friends about you!"

"Sorry, Kate…" Nathan began.

"What about your contract, Nathan?" Peyton asked.

"It ran out last year, and I haven't signed it yet," Nathan explained

"Look, Nathan I want to talk to you more about this later, don't make any rash decisions without thinking through everything. We probably should be going anyways," Luke said as he waved for the waiter to come bring the check.

"Whatever," Nathan replied disinterested.

"Who pays the check?" Peyton asked as she looked at the check. "As good as Jake's job is…it ain't good enough to afford this.

"Well, I would say Luke and I could…but Nathan has like 3 times as much money as us…soo," Brooke said as she walked up to Nathan linking arms with him.

"Fine, sure, I'll pay. Whatever. I get the hint," Nathan replied pulling out his wallet.

Nathan walked into his apartment…finally. Home sweet home.

"Nathan, where's your tea?" Brooke asked as she immediately walked past Nathan into the kitchen. "I really need some, after this long day." Brooke and Lucas and Kate and the Jagielski clan had insisted on coming over to Nathan's afterwards. They knew that Nathan wouldn't have agreed on going over to Luke's sooo they figured they might as well invite themselves over. Nathan needed to stop avoiding them.

"I don't buy tea, Brooke," Nathan said deadpanned.

"Cappuccino?"

"No."

"Uhh, how about." Brooke continued.

"Brooke, whatever is in that cupboard is what I would have. Sorry that I don't get much groceries. It's not like I need that much," he said under his breath. "Well, I'm going to go change, and then I'll be back. So not like you all wouldn't anyways…but go make yourself at home," Nathan told everyone as he walked into the bedroom.

Jake sighed. "So, I take it Nathan isn't doing the best," he concluded

"Yeah, you'd be right," Lucas told him as he sat by him in the chair opposite the couch in the living room. "The whole quitting basketball thing just came out of nowhere."

"Yeah, I thought he was enjoying basketball?" Brooke asked as she walked into the living room standing next to Lucas.

"Yeah, I thought Uncle Nathan liked basketball," Kate asked as she sat on her father's lap.

"He does, that's what is confusing me…" Lucas said.

Jenny picked up a picture. "That's Haley, right?" she asked her mother.

Peyton walked toward where she was and smiled at the picture. "Yeah," Peyton said gently. "I remember taking this picture…" she recalled. "Haley and Nathan had been sitting in their old apartment and I had just been hanging out there. I took that picture for no reason in particular, really, I remember I told them I had to take it because of just how 'freakishly unnaturally happy' they were. Haley looks so pretty and happy here." Her voice cracked a little. "It really reminds me how I miss her."

Jenny looked up at her mom, "I barely remember her. I do remember her laugh though. I really loved it."

Brooke smiled. "God, Haley would always crack up over the stupidest things, and I would like just have to crack up to, because of how contagious her laugh was." She paused, "I miss that," she said quietly.

Lucas smiled sadly remembering his best friend. "So do I," he said in an emotional voice. It was hard to think about Haley. He had such a huge void in his heart ever since Haley had been kidnapped. Haley had been his best friend for so long and they were supposed to always have each other to lean on. She and him had the craziest inside jokes and could do stupid kid stuff without feeling too immature…If he ever saw the man who took Haley again…he can't even start to fathom the things he would do or say to the man who changed everything. He thought the man deserved to be killed in cold blood for the pain he's caused.

"Maybe Haley's still alive," Kate offered.

Brooke smiled gently, "Oh that would be the greatest miracle ever. But sweetie, it's been 5 years. I don't think there's much…" She was interrupted by the phone ringing.

Nathan called from inside the bedroom, "I'll get it," he said as he walked into the living room and picked up the phone.

"Hello," Nathan answered.

"Nathan? It's Carl."

Nathan's breathing sped up and he felt his lungs constrict, making it difficult to breathe. Carl never called Nathan anymore. He hadn't for a good 3 years. It was always Nathan calling Carl. This must meant some big news. Nathan's heart almost stopped with fear. He wasn't sure if he was ready for the news, it could bring the best news possible or his greatest fear. "Carl, do you have any news?"

Lucas, Brooke, Peyton, and Jake all looked at each other. They all knew of Carl and had no idea why Carl would have called…unless there were some new developments. They all stared at Nathan terror filling them.

"There was a couple people fishing on Littleton Bay, and they found a body." He paused. "We tested them, and it was proven to be Haley's…"