Haley walked into the dimly lit room. A wheelchair was left astray in the middle of the room, and a Nathan was sitting in the couch, wallowing in self pity.

She dropped her bag on the chair opposite of the couch and began to pick up the beer bottles and dishes scattered around her living room. "Well, he didn't race, he was afraid, you might know something about that," she said venomously.

"We're all afraid," Nathan mumbled.

"Yeah, but he's four and he needed his dad and his dad wasn't there." All the resentment that she had bottled inside was now running over. "Way to go, Dan!" she walked toward the kitchen but stopped at the dining table and slammed the dishes and bottles down. She looked at Nathan who was just sitting.

She snapped, and in one swift move of her hand the dishes went flying, shattering as they flew through the air. "ARE YOU GOING TO SAY ANYTHING!" "Or are you going to sit there like you have for the past four months, are going to get drunk, maybe pout a little, cry," she said snidely.

"YOU DON'T GET IT YOU, DO YOU!" He played the woe-is-me card as he turned around to face Haley. "I use to be somebody, Haley, do you understand that?" You could hear all the regret in his voice.

Haley stood there, watching him finally talk about how he was feeling, but it was just a little too late– she had had enough.

This town is colder now, I think it's sick of us
It's time to make our move, I'm shakin off the rust
I've got my heart set on anywhere but here
I'm staring down myself, counting up the years
Steady hands, just take the wheel...
And every glance is killing me
Time to make one last appeal... for the life I lead

"Do you understand what that means, I use to be, Nathan Scott, and I was great." "I should've walked away, okay, I know that and I didn't do it, and now I'm nothing, I am nothing!" Nathan was finally facing his fear.

"You have nothing," she said in disbelief. "You have a beautiful son who is here, I am here!" Her hand was on top of her chest as to try and keep her heart from breaking, but it was already in pieces. "You have got to figure out who you are going to be in this, Nathan, because this version of you does not work for us. I cannot keep living like this, okay; do you understand what I am saying? One more night like this, Nathan, and I promise you, you will have nothing!" She had finally broken down.

Stop and stare
I think I'm moving but I go nowhere
Yeah I know that everyone gets scared
But I've become what I can't be, oh
Stop and stare
You start to wonder why you're 'here' not there
And you'd give anything to get what's fair
But fair ain't what you really need
Oh, can u see what I see

–It's been three weeks since she last saw Nathan.

She was jerked from her thoughts by the sound of a knock at the door. Who could this be? She wondered. It was unusually early for anyone to think that she would be home.

She walked to the door and peeked outside through the glass on the side of the door. She almost jumped through the window when she saw who it was.

"OH MY GOSH," she yelled, as she opened the door and jumped into the arms of the figure standing before her. "I can't believe you're here, I've missed you so much!"

The person laughed, as they wrapped their arms around Haley and spun her around. "I've missed you too."

Haley held on to them as if they were going to slip away– she just couldn't believe it.

"Are we going to stand out here forever or what?" a raspy voice asked.

Haley let go laughing, pulling them into the house. They took a seat on the couch and just stared at each other in mirror positions, body turned to the side, facing each other, and resting their heads on their hands.

"How long has it been?" she asked.

She saw their brows furrows and their eyes go up, thinking. "Four years, six months and two days, to be exact." They had a smiled on their face.

"I see you haven't changed, Luke… still counting the days," she said reminiscent.

Lucas's facial expression changed. "Considering how long it has been since I've seen or talked to you, it's safe to say, that I've stopped counting the days a long time ago."

Haley thought about all the times she needed him, when Jamie needed him, and he wasn't there. But she wasn't mad at him, she was just nostalgic.

– Who doesn't want things to be good, like the way they use to be.

"No, you were just living your life."

"Yeah, and forgot about everyone in," he said shaking his head.

"You're here now and that is all that matters."

Lucas sighed. "So, where is my little Jim-Jam?"

"He's in pre-school, Luke, it's 1 'o' clock," she informed him. "Clearly you are still on west coast time."

"Clearly."

They laughed.

They sat and played catch up, filling each other in on the happenings of their lives. Haley couldn't believe that Lucas had seen Brooke and Krysten, and it didn't so well– then again she wasn't that surprised.

Haley may have needed Lucas, but Krysten needed him a bit more, especially after what had happen three years ago.

It is amazing how much of a part Lucas plays in our lives, she thought.

They talked and talked, and skated over the Nathan issues. So Lucas dropped the bomb on Haley.

"Peyton and I are engaged," he blurted out.

Haley became wide eyed. "You're what…" she said in disbelief.

"We're in engaged," he repeated.

"Wow, Luke, congratulations!" she said excitedly.

"I doubt you will be."

"Why, what did you do?" she asked, shaking her head.

"Remember how I told you that it didn't go well with Brooke and Krys…"

"Yeah." Haley look at him like and.

"Well that would be because I announced to a room full of strangers that I was getting married." He said in one breath.

Haley had a confused looked on her face. "Wait minute, you told a bunch of strangers you were getting before you us, your family."

"Sort of," he said like a child being scolded and scared to talk.

"Wow, Luke, if I wasn't so happy for you I would be furious right now." She hit him on the arm. "Poor Brooke."

"Why you say it like that?" he questioned. He was wondering why Brooke would be so upset. "She doesn't still have–"

"No, Lucas, it's funny though, how that is that first conclusion you jump to." Her eye brow was kinked.

"It's not like that."

"I'm just messing with, I mean it's Brooke, and you're marrying her best friend, she couldn't pick up the phone and tell that," she defended Brooke.

"Like I said, we kind of stopped paying attention."

"Yeah but that doesn't mean we can't be mad about it," she said, getting up off the couch and grabbing her bag and keys. "Let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"To get Jamie, Idiot."

As she stepped outside, she took in a deep breath of fresh air. "Gosh, even the air here smells different, Krys."

"Yeah right," she replied sarcastically.

"Why are you being such a puss, we're home!"

Krysten broke out in laughter. "How old are you, really, puss, maybe you are ready to be a mom."

"I get that from mom," Brooke said laughing. "But serious, you seem like you really don't want to be here."

The car that Brooke had rented finally arrived for them. She tipped the guy after he helped them place their bags in the car, and walked around to the driver's side and got in.

"So," she said as she started the car.

Krysten looked at her like what.

"Do you really not want to be here?"

"I… I just…." Krysten really was trying to figure out something to say. "This just seems like a really bad idea."

"We are going to see our closest friend and family, where is the bad idea in that?" Brooke was truly confused.

Ever since she first mentioned to her sister that she wanted to move back to Tree Hill, Krysten has been uneasy. She just chalked it up to her not wanting to leave New York, but the closer it got to the move date the more anxious and apprehensive she became. It wasn't about living New York; it was about being in Tree Hill.

"We are also going to have to see people we don't want to see," she mumbled.

"Jason," was all Brooke said.

"Jason, was the furthest thing from my mind, trust me."

"Then who it is you don't want to see?"

"…" Krysten opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. The name of the person she was trying to say got lodged in the back of her throat. The mere thought of him made her skin crawl, and now she could potentially be in the same town as him.

"Okay, I don't want to see Jason," she lied sort of; it was part of the truth. "Go left," she remind Brooke who was about to go the wrong way.

"I knew it, you really have to let that go, you walked away from him remember," said looking out the side of the windows as she made the turn.

Krysten took that person, even though she knew Brooke didn't mean anything by it. "And you push Lucas right into Peyton's arms; you need to let that go." Krysten's tone of voice was harsh and snappy.

Noticing the look on Brooke's face as she kept her head straight, focusing on the road, Krysten couldn't help but regret what she had said.

Krysten let out a death breath as she ran her hands over her face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."

"Yeah, you did, and your right." Brooke took her eyes off the road for a second to look at her sister. "We both made choices we have to live with, right, so let move on."

Krysten turned her head and looked out the window. "Yeah, right."

It was early evening, the sun still hadn't set yet, but all Krysten could see was the black clouds that were swirling around her. She knew that the person she was running from would be waiting for her with open arms. They would be there to taunt her with her betrayal of a secret she has been harboring.

"Neutral battle ground," Brooke said, interrupting her sister's thoughts.

Krysten turned to her. "Yeah, it's our first day back, let's just have some fun." She had a fake smiled plastered on her face.

Haley stood dead in her tracks watching Lucas and Jamie playing around. It was the first time in a long time she had seen Jamie have a genuine laugh– he was happy.

"Hey, you guys hungry?" she asked, reluctant to crash in on the fun.

"YEAH, MOM!" He was in kid mode for sure.

Haley brought them out some sandwiches and stood there as they both look at her like she was crazy. "What?"

"You couldn't cut the crust off," the boys said in unison.

At that very moment, the doorbell rang. "Just peel if off," she yelled as she went to the door.

She was so happy and in bliss because her son was happy, she didn't even ask who it was, she just opened the door.

Jamie took off running as he heard his mother screaming his name to come to her. Then Lucas jumped too.

Haley let go of the two people and Jamie jumped into his god mother's arms. She held on to him so tight, she was so happy to see him

"Ant Brooke!" he hugged her so tight. It had been a while since he last saw her and he couldn't believe she was there. He then jumped from her arms to the other person arms.

"Aunt Krysten!

The sound of his voice mad coming to Tree Hill worth it and she was even looking forward to being there. "Hey, buddy."

She carried him into the house.

"Hey Hales, who's at the–"

Everyone stood there, staring at each other like strangers that needed to be introduced to one another.

"Luke, look who is it," Haley said cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood.

"Hey, Lucas," Krysten said in a fake happy tone. She was trying to play nice even though she was actually mad at him, and she was trying to take the spot light off of Brooke.

But Jamie did a good job of that for them.

"Come on Ant Brooke and Aunt Krysten, I want you guys to come and meet Chester," he was pulling them down the hall.

Krysten and Brooke throw glances over their shoulder at Haley, as to get a hint at who Chester was but Haley just laughed and shooed them on.

"So buddy, who's Chester?" Brooke asked as Jamie went into the closet.

He turned around with a big brown, fluffy rabbit. "This is Chester." He placed the rabbit in Krysten lap.

Krysten was freaking out on the inside. She wasn't very fond of animals, period. Besides dog and cats, which she couldn't stand, she thought animals were just germ invested creatures – she is a big germaphobe.

Krysten gave her sister a look and she immediately picked up the rabbit from her lap.

"I think he is cute," Brooke told Jamie, as she stroked the rabbit's fur.

"I'll be right back Jim-Jam, okay?"

"Okay."

Krysten left the room, walking down the stairs.

Eww, eww, ewww, she said to herself.

"Haley, why the hell you didn't tell me Jamie had a rodent as pet," she barked at her.

Haley laughed. "It's not a rodent it's a rabbit."

"It still looks like a big rat," she said, walking over to the kitchen sink. "And it touched me."

"You were always a germaphobe," said a voice that wasn't Haley, Lucas.

Krysten looked up at Lucas and then back down to continue scrubbing her hands. "I am not a germaphobe."Her tone was a bit harsh.

"Anyways, I should get going, I umm... have some things to do." What he really was going to say was he had to get home to Peyton– he didn't know why he had lied though.

"Okay, Luke, see you later." Haley said as she gave him a hug. "I love you."

"I love you too, Hales."

He walked around kitchen toward Krysten. "I know you mad at me, but I love you too." He kissed her on the cheek.

As he headed toward the door he yelled, "Tell Brooke I said bye."

Krysten had a small smile on her face and Haley noticed. "It's hard to be mad at him, isn't it," she said, as she too could sympathize.

Right on cue, Brooke comes treading down the stairs.

"How convenient," Krysten said, causing to break out in laughter.

"Whatever, I am not trying to negate the fact that I did not except or want to see Lucas."

"How forthcoming of you," Haley mocked her.

"Whatever."

Haley could feel the big and genuine smile that was displayed on her face, and that good feeling she had inside. It had been a long time since she was the feeling and she didn't want it to go away.

"Hey, let's go out to TRIC tonight," Haley suggested.

"I'm in," Krysten interjected.

"Me too, but what about Jamie?" Brooke asked.

"He's spending the night with Lily at Karen."

"Right, she did mention that," Brooke recalled.

"Oh, stopped by Karen's already?"

"Yup," Brooke answered.

"So, we are going out tonight, we need to go and get dressed," Krysten told Brooke.

"Yes, we need this to be an official girl's night out/welcome home party."

"Okay so you guys go and get dressed, and I'll meet you goes as at Diana's house."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Brooke shouted as she grabbed her purse and headed for the door. "Give Jamie a kiss for us."

As the girls left, Haley had an idea of how to make this an actually welcome home party, and she was putting her plan into affect the minute the girls left out the door.

When Brooke, Krysten and Haley walked into TRIC, they saw some of their old friends there.

"Looking good, Davis," Skills said to Krysten. "B. Davis, my girl!"

All three of the girls laughed. "Hi, Skills."

The girls sat down and starting on a round of cocktails, and the boys started with beers to make a welcome back toast. Then the shots came and secrets started coming out.

"Cheer to Peyton and Lucas getting married," Brooke slurred.

Everyone looked at her like she was crazy. "Are you serious?" Chase asked from behind the bar.

"As serious as I can be, seeing how drunk I am." She laughed.

"Speak of the devils," skills said looking over his shoulder at Peyton and Lucas, who had just walked through the door.

Everyone turned around and Lucas and Peyton stood there like they were standing in front of a firing squad.

Krysten everyone looked at Brooke. Skills and Mouth throw back a shot.

"This just got a whole lot interesting." Haley mumbled before she washed down a shot with a shot.

In a room full of tension and inebriated people things can get really interesting really fast. Things could go from fun to I don't remember what I did last night- the good kind or from fun to that was the worse night of my life. Which direction was this night headed in; only time could tell!

I had finally wanted to get this chapter up, so I did, however I am sick with pneumonia and I am beyond tired so I will not be editing this one. Please bear with me...

What is going to come of this night?

Read and Review…

Hope you like it.