A/N: Hi loyal readers, as promised this is the first of 2 updates, because this years AFL premiers are the Geelong Cats!!!...oh and I don't own OTH
Chapter 4-I've Just Seen a Face
"Hey husband, when are we picking up Haley?" Brooke said bouncing into the lounge room
"Babe, should you really be bouncing around like that, since, I don't know.. you're 8 months pregnant??" Lucas asked.
"Nah, the baby knows that his slash her Momma is excited that Auntie Haley is coming today, don't you, Baby Boo" she said while rubbing her round stomach
"Yeah excited" Lucas said dryly
"Lucas, please be nice to Haley while she is here, ok?"
"Of course, as long as your happy" he said as she pulled him into a passionate kiss.
"I am happy; just keep Nathan busy, ok?" Brooke whispered
"Brooke, are you sure about this?" he asked
"Broody, I am a born matchmaker, I did it once for them, and I can do it again" she said defiantly
"NATE!" Brooke yelled
"Whhhaattt Brooke!" Nathan said walking into the kitchen in only his boxers
"You and Luke need to pick up the balloons for the baby shower, I'm going shopping then stopping by Bevin and Skills"
"Why do we do all the hard work why you go shop?" Nathan whinged
"Because your brother, pointing to Lucas, "knocked me up and I have been carrying a baby in me for the last 8 months that's why!" Brooke said fiercely
"Ok, ok, leave it to us" Lucas said, who had grown accustomed to Brooke's mood swings
"Well then, see you later" Brooke said and walked out the door.
Brooke arrived at New York Airport just in time to see that the plane from San Diego had just arrived.
She walked slowly to the gate and waited for Halwy. Brooke could hardly recognise her high school friend. For one, she was surrounded by fans, and another she looked nothing like her former self.
"HALEY!" Brooke yelled over the fans, but Haley didn't hear her over all the screaming girls that had swamped her on the way off the plane.
Brooke took a deep breath, and yelled the one nick name she knew that would get Haley's attention.
"HEY, TUTOR GIRL!" she yelled. Haley immediately turned in the direction of the voice. As she ran over to her friend, two burly fairly large men made a barrier between the fans and Haley.
"Tigger!" Haley squealed
Brooke was the only person from Tree Hill that had seen Haley since she left that fateful night. Granted, she only saw Brooke every couple of years, the last time when Lucas had just proposed to Brooke. Brooke had visited Haley in Houston, to tell her the news.
"Haley, a hottie is waiting for you in your dressing room" the stage manager said
"Thanks, Mark" she said excitedly
She quickened her pace as she rounded the corner to a door with her name on it
She opened the door to reveal her best friend.
"Brooke, what the heck!" Haley said as she hugged her friend
"Thought I would give you a surprise" Brooke said as the two broke apart. She clapped her hands
"Okay, now twirl; I want to see how fabulous you have become!"
"Oh, Brooke, always the designer!" Haley laughed
Both girls fell on the couch
"So what's up with the impromptu visit, Tigger? As much as I love you, Houston isn't exactly a 20 minute drive from New York"
"This!" Brooke waved a princess cut diamond on her left ring finger that glistened under the room's lights
Haley grabbed Brooke's hand to have a closer look.
"Brooke, my goodness, Lucas finally proposed?!!" Haley screeched
"Yeah took him long enough" Brooke replied dryly
"Dude, you have been dating for like 5 years!"
"Exactly, it took you and Nathan like a minute to decide to get married!" Brooke said jokingly
Haley's face suddenly dropped.
"Haley, I'm so sorry, I was just joking.." Brooke said apologetically
"That's fine Brooke, how is he?" Haley asked quietly
Brooke took a deep breath. Haley looked at the solemn face of her friend. She had never seen Brooke so conflicted.
"What is it, Brooke?" fearful something had happened to Nathan again
"Haley I've got something to tell you" Brooke said seriously
"Brooke, what is it?"
"I'm sure you've heard from magazines or something…."Brooke said trying to read Haley's expression
"Heard what Brooke?" Haley asked brashly
"About Peyton and Nathan. They're married"
Haley fell to the floor, sobs shaking her small body.
"Brooke, you've gotten so big!"
"Thanks, that's the first thing I want to hear the first time I have seen you in what, 5 years?" Brooke said sarcastically
"Sorry…" Haley said guiltily.
"Look, what's done is done, now since you have been away for so long, I want all the Goss while we do some shopping" Brooke said pulling Haley towards the luggage terminals.
"I thought I would just stay in a hotel-" Haley started
"No way, you are staying with us, Grammy- Girl!" Brooke said enthusiastically
"I don't want to intrude"
"You're not intruding; Bevin, Skills, Mouth and Shelley are all staying as well" Brooke said counting the names off with her fingers
"Who knew you were millionaires, Brooke?" as they got into Brooke's SUV
"Well considering Clothes over Bros has gone global and Lucas being on the New York's Best Sellers List, we can afford a little house in the Hampton's" Brooke said proudly
"That's awesome, Brooke, I'm proud of you" Haley said as she rubbed Brooke's stomach
"You should be proud of yourself too, Haley; you've done a lot in 26 years" as they passed more fans on the way out of the airport
"Yeah but I have regretted some those, Brooke" Haley sighed
"Like Nathan?" Brooke said as they pulled over to the side of the road
"I don't want to talk about it, Brooke"
"Well I do! Is it obvious to everyone besides you and Nathan that you two belong together?" Brooke said as she turned off the engine
"I know that Brooke! But he gave me an ultimatum, Brooke and have you forgotten he is now married to someone else?" she said painfully
"Not for long!"
"It doesn't matter, Brooke, we both moved on" Haley stated
"I don't think so" Brooke scoffed
"Look, let's go shopping and I want to hear all about the baby" Haley said trying to change the subject.
Brooke sighed. This was going to be harder than she thought.
"Trust Brooke to get condoms as balloons" Nathan said as he carried them out to the convertible.
"I know, do you remember the last time she did that?" Lucas said laughing
"Of course I do, Luke" Nathan said, rolling his eyes
"Sorry, bro"
"Don't worry about it; it was a long time ago" Nathan said
"Have you talked to her lately?"
"No…why would I have?" looking strangely at his brother
"I just thought since the divorce…." Lucas tried
"I'm still married, Luke"
"I know that, but Brooke seems to think you and Haley belong together" Lucas said
"We were once, but since she left me to be a mega star that's changed"
"But Nate"
"Look Luke, she made her choice, and I hope she is happy" Nathan said stubbornly
"Yeah me too"
Lucas looked at his brother. Brooke had been right, he thought. Nathan and Lucas had rarely talked about Haley the last 10 years, and it was the first time Luke noticed an expression on Nathan's face that he had not seen since they were 16: the one reserved for his true love.
"Brooke, why on earth do you want to do a make over on me?" Haley asked for the umpteenth time since Brooke had suggested it.
"Because despite having stylists and make ups at your disposal, your hair is still horrible" Brooke said fiddling with the straightening iron.
"Tigger-"
"Just indulge me, ok?" Brooke said as she combed Haley's hair
"Ok, but the last time you "Made me over" she said in air quotes, I turned into Kirsten Dunst wannabe cheerleader!"
Brooke thought for a moment
"Ok, fair enough, but I have been cooped up in a house full of boys for the last 3 weeks, I need some girly make over time!" Brooke whinged
"Ok..." Haley reluctantly agreed
"So, anyway, I think I'm going to dress you in my black cocktail dress that thanks to Luke I can't wear anymore…" Brooke ranted
"Brooke…what boys have you been stuck here with?" Haley asked suspiciously
"Oh you know, Luke and…uh Skills" Brooke improvised
"Ok, fair enough" Haley said laughing.
"Now, I think I'm going to straighten your hair…" Brooke said trying to change the subject, while playing with Haley's platinum blonde hair.
"Ok, Tigger, what ever you want" Haley grinned, loving been in the presence of her bubbly best friend again
"Ok, Grammy-Girl, I think you're ready!" Brooke squealed
"Calm down, Tigger, you might pop"
"Hardly, I still have 8 weeks to go" Brooke said grinning proudly
"You know what, Tigger?"
"What?" Brooke asked, as they walked down the stairs
"I think that you have changed the most since high school. Who knew you would be pregnant and married by 26?"
"You're telling me I thought I would be married to some old guy by now!" Brooke said, thinking of the conversation she had during the college advisor interviews senior year.
"Well considering…" Haley's voice faded as the two friends walked into the kitchen
"Haley" Nathan said from the counter
"Nathan" Haley said, the voice dying in her throat.