A/N: Hi everyone, thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter, I was a little unsure about the lack of Naley, but I am glad everyone responded so well to it. Now as promised, this is very Naley-centric chapter (with a little Baley friendship thrown in), and just for clarification, the flashback will be in bold, the song Haley is singing is in italics, and please review!-Lydia.

Chapter 21-Circles

Days had passed, and Nathan and Haley had barely spoken about her impending departure. Despite the many times Haley tried to convince Joey she couldn't perform with two broken legs, he was insistent that she could spend the sets sitting down. Now, sitting in her bedroom she continued to procrastinate, delaying the time she would have to pack up and leave. Again. She was lying on her bed, buried underneath the covers, wishing the world away. There was suddenly a knock on her bedroom door.

"Haley?" A voice called.

"Yeah?"

"It's Brooke, can I come in?"

"Yeah"

Brooke quietly opened the door, and slipped through, and closed it gently behind her.

"What are you doing here, Tigger?" Haley said

"Well Grammy Girl, you are leaving for a world tour in less than 24 hours, plus, we are all worried about you" Brooke said as she sat on the edge of bed.

"Are Lucas and Isabella with you?" Haley asked

"Yeah, they are checking into the hotel"

"Seriously Tigger, how come you came all this way?"

"You tell me"

"I'm fine" Haley huffed.

"Ok Haley, you are still bed at 2pm in the afternoon, not to mention Nathan said you haven't been out of this room in the last 72 hours. So tell me what's going on" Brooke said, looking at the lump in the middle of the bed. This worried Brooke. Haley was never the sort of person to be depressed. Quite the opposite actually. The majority of the time, she could find a positive in the most tragic situation. But this time, no amount of self affirmations and positive attitudes could get Haley out of this funk. If it was anyone else she would laugh. It was almost like a lifetime movie. Am I completely dense leaving him again? Haley asked herself as she clutched her childhood bear, Mr. Ted tightly.

"I've just messed up so badly, Brooke!" Haley exclaimed

"How?" Brooke asked

"I slept with Nathan" Haley replied, only saying it loud enough that Brooke had to lean forward the lump of blankets to hear her.

"You what? When? How.." Brooke screeched

"Brooke, calm down"

"Well?" Brooke asked excitedly

"4 nights ago. On the beach. Right after he kissed me" Haley explained

"Hallleyy!Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Brooke whined

"I don't know" Haley said frustratingly "I just wanted to figure it out in my own head before I told you"

"And have you?"

"Does it look like I have?" Haley said, kicking the blanket to emphasise her point.

"Oh Haley"

"Well what am I going to do?"
"Did you and Nathan talk about it?" Brooke asked hesitantly

"No, we were interrupted, Joey called me with the tour dates" Haley said, sighing.

"So, what are you going to do?" Brooke asked again, more confused by Haley and Nathan's relationship by the second.

Haley was about to answer Brooke when there was a loud knock on her bedroom door.

"Who is it?" Brooke called out

"Haley, its Nathan can we talk?"

"What am I going to do?" she whispered to Brooke

"I don't know, just talk to him, Haley!" Brooke whispered in reply as she hopped off the bed and walked towards the door and opened it.

"Hey Nate!" Brooke exclaimed, "Don't you dare crush her" she whispered quickly before slapping him on the back and walking away.

"Haley?" he asked timidly

"Yeah" she replied from under the blankets she had surrounded herself in.

"Are you alive in there?" He laughed

"Yeah"

"Ok, Hales, this is something I need to say to your face" Nathan replied, the tone in his voice all of a sudden very serious.

"Alright" Haley sighed.

She tunnelled under the blanket and poked her head out.

Nathan chuckled as he saw her.

"Ok Eskimo, here's the thing.." Nathan started reluctantly

"This is going to be bad isn't it?"

"No, it isn't. The thing is, I was thinking about the last time you left-"

"Oh" Haley started to tunnel back underneath the blankets, feeling a sense of dread at the same time.

"No, look at me Haley! I realised that the one thing I didn't do last time was tell you this" Nathan said as he pulled the blankets off her body and grasped both of her hands. "The one thing I didn't say last time was stay. I know this could potentially ruin your career, but I make enough for both of us, and I can't- I can't go through losing you again"

"Nathan-"

"No- listen to me, Haley. You know I'm not one for those embarrassing speeches that Lucas does, but I do know me. I know that I would give up the world to have you. You know what I see in our future?"

"What?" she asked weakly

"I see us living here, raising our kids-"

"Kids?" she interrupted

"Yeah, I always thought we would have two girls and a boy. You would get so pregnant, and have the strangest cravings, so I would have to go to the supermarket in the middle of the night to get the ingredients. I would have timed the fastest route to the hospital too. "

"Oh Nathan" she said hugging herself. "I didn't realise you thought about that sort of stuff"

"Of course I did...with you. Never with anyone else" He admitted quietly

"Not even Peyton?"

"Not even Peyton. So are you going to stay?" Nathan asked hopefully

"Oh Nathan" she said kissing him on the cheek. "I don't think I can do that. I'm contractually obliged to go on tour but...."

"But what?" he asked, looking downcast

"But I love you, and I don't think I can do this again without you there. So why don't you come with me?" she suggested, smiling broadly

"Do you mean it?"

"Yes, of course I do! Come with me Nathan, I mean it is only for 3 months...what do you think?"

"I think we should do it" he said, a smile slowly creeping on his features. "Oh by the way.."

"Yeah?"

"Nice pyjamas" Nathan looked down at her Hello Kitty flannel nightwear.

"Oh God" Haley replied, her face turning a bright shade of red before she threw the blankets over herself once more.

Haley was sitting on the edge of the stage, her walking casts still on her lower legs, and the casts covered in scribble, thanks to a very bored Brooke, who had doodled over the majority of it. She was on the stage that had really started it all, and in the corner of her eye, Haley could see Nathan smiling widely while standing in the wings of the stadium. They had been on tour for a month already, and they had enjoyed every moment together. Nathan was so proud of her, as he watched night after night her performing the songs she wrote herself. Now they were back at Madison Square Garden, where, Haley thought it started it all. This time, she mused, Haley had hoped to actually finish the concert.

"Thanks everyone for coming out to see me perform tonight." Cheers and applause were her only reply as the opening bars of the next song started to play from the house band behind her. Haley looked towards where Nathan was standing, as her cue to sing nearly began.

"I want to dedicate this song to Nathan Scott, the one person I said this song was for many years ago." Haley blew him a kiss as she started to sing.

The stage manager, Megan, who was a small woman with thick rimmed glasses and braids in her hair, started talking to him.

"You know you should go out there" She suggested

"What? Out there?" Nathan said, pointing to the stage.

"Yeah, she is singing a song to you, for goodness sake. Go on"

"No, I don't think so" he said, thinking how strange that he was able to play basketball in front of millions of people, but he couldn't walk on the stage where only a couple of thousands stood.

"Go on" she said, pushing him on stage.

Haley eyes widened slightly as Nathan seemed to stumble on stage. With his hands in his pockets, he looked almost scared as he watched her continue to sing.

I think about the years I spent just passing through

I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you

Haley relaxed slightly, beckoning him over to her, as the band continued to play the song. He walked over to her, smiling sheepishly, before kissing her cheek and taking her outstretched hand. The crowd cheered in reply as they recognised the small forward as one of the best basketball teams in the country.

But you just smile and take my hand

You've been there you understand

It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true

When the fans of Haley James came to her first concert in 5 years at Madison Square Garden, they didn't know they would experience the great love story that was Haley James and Nathan Scott. Many wondered where she got the inspiration to write such beautiful, often heart wrenching songs. That night, it was evident that the love the couple shared was all the inspiration she needed.

Every long lost dream led me to where you are

Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars

Pointing me on my way into your loving arms

This much I know is true

That God blessed the broken road

That led me straight to you

In the month that Haley was on tour, rumours had run rampant as to the identity of Haley's mystery friend, who had attended every concert. There were times that Haley would look over to the corner of the stage to where he stood, but no-one, including the press were none the wiser. Until now. When they were in private, they joked about the speculation surrounding Nathan, as she would dedicate one song to him every night saying he was simply "someone special". Some thought it was a forbidden love, someone who was married; others speculated it was a major superstar who wanted to protect their privacy. That was closer to the truth than Nathan and Haley would have preferred. So they had decided since there was no stopping the media surrounding Haley and her mystery man, they would just admit who it was, and Haley suddenly thought this was the perfect opportunity.

Haley picked up the front of the New York Post, and sighed as she read the headline. "SINGER HALEY JAMES FINDS NEW SECRET LOVE". She walked into the lounge room of her New York hotel, where her ex husband, now boyfriend, was sitting watching ESPN.

"What are we going to do?" she asked Nathan, as she placed the newspaper on his lap. He scanned the article for a moment, laughing.

"Did you read this? I'm the 'tall, handsome gentleman that has been escorting Ms James on her tour. Most likely one of her personal trainers by the look of his body, however, his face has never been seen'. I'm your personal trainer, Hales!"

"Fabulous" she said rolling her eyes "They probably thought I stacked on the weight"

"Never, you are as beautiful as ever" he said, smiling at her.

"So, what are we going to do? The media isn't letting up, and I don't think they will" she said, twisting her hair up and down nervously.

"What do you suggest?" he asked, hugging her reassuringly.

"Maybe we could do an interview or something" Haley thought out loud.

"Yeah, let me think about okay?"

"Okay, but we will have to tell everyone sooner or later"

Now I'm just rolling home

Into my lover's arms

This much I know is true

That God blessed the broken road

That led me straight to you

Haley reached up and stroked his cheek, lowering the microphone before whispering something into Nathan's ear. No-one, including the people standing in the front row, could hear what she was saying to him. Nathan's eyes widened before he lifted Haley out of the chair and twirled her around before placing her back in the chair.

"Okay folks there is one more song I am going to sing before the night is over" Haley said, before smiling at Nathan and letting go of his hand.

"Now, let's thank Nathan for joining me on stage!" Haley yelled, and a bellow of screams and "I love you Nathan" was her response from the screaming crowd.

"I love you, Nathan" she whispered leaning up to kiss him

"I love you too, always and forever" he replied, as he leaned down to meet her lips. "I'll meet you, backstage okay?" he whispered

"Okay, now go" she responded, patting him on the behind. Haley turned towards the crowd and began to sing once more.

You need a friend

I'll be around

Don't let this end

Before I see you again

What can I say?

To convince you to change your mind of me?

"She did good, hey?" Megan said as he stepped back into the wings.

"Yeah, she did really good" Nathan said, smiling widely.

I'm gonna love you more than anyone

I'm gonna hold you closer than before

And when I kiss your soul, your body'll be free

I'll be free for you anytime

I'm gonna love you more than anyone

A/N: Ok folks, another chapter done. What do you think? There is only a couple of chapter left, so please review!!