Chapter 21
Blue Christmas.
--
Christmas time was coming around. Haley still hadn't made any effort to try to reach out to Brooke or Nathan or even Peyton. All she had was Lucas, and she didn't see to much of him either, even though they lived in the same house. He just hadn't been acting himself around her. He kept acting as if he had something to say and then wasn't saying it. Haley had decided she was ready to reach out and what better way to do it then with a party. Haley decided to run the idea by Lucas.
Haley went down the hall still in her pajamas. Shorts and a tank top. She knocked on Lucas's bedroom door.
"Come in," Lucas said.
Lucas couldn't help but notice Haley in her pajama's and couldn't stop himself from looking at her body. This is my best friend. My brother's ex-wife, I can't be thinking these things.
Haley sensed he was looking at her but let it go. He was a guy, and she wasn't wearing very much.
"Lucas...it seems like we have been sort of avoiding each other, since Thanksgiving and stuff,"
"It's not that...I've just been busy with basketball and everything and nearing mid-terms you must be packed at the tutor center,"
"It has been really busy...so it's not more then that?"
Lucas shook his head, "Nope."
"Look..I sort of had this crazy idea. I thought maybe we could have a little party..."
"A party? Like Halloween?"
"Well...I was thinking something smaller. I have really had the time I needed to heal myself over everything...and to be honest I feel a lot better. I think I am ready to reach out to all of them again...Brooke, Peyton, even Nathan. I thought a party might be a good way. I wasn't thinking Tric though...I was thinking just the five of us maybe...here. We could do like a secret Santa or something..."
"Are you sure your ready to try to be friends with all of them?"
"I am doing this for you. This is your house, and I know you have mostly been avoiding them for me...and Nathan is your brother. You deserve to be close again. If you and I are friends..Nathan will always be a part of my life in the sense that he is your brother. I am ready for this."
"Alright...well I think it sounds like a great idea..."
--
The next day at school Haley arrived to class to find that Brooke was there before Nathan.
"Brooke?" Haley called out.
Brooke turned around. Her and Haley had talked post her getting together with Nathan. Brooke had apologized and ask that someday she try to find it in her heart to forgive her.
"Haley?" Brooke turned around, and moved into the seat next to her.
"Lucas and I were thinking...and I really think it's important for them to be friends again, uh Nathan and Lucas. I know over thanksgiving, they were starting to talk again and stuff...so here is my plan. December 23rd, we all should meet at Lucas's. You, Peyton, and of course Nathan. The five of us should do a secret Santa thing, we can have snacks and stuff...just talk and try to get back what we had..."
"Wow...Haley...I think that sounds great. Are you sure your...?"
"Okay with this? Yeah, I mean I guess so. I don't know if I will ever feel the same way around you and Nathan again...but I want to try. What I really want is for Lucas to get his brother and his friends back. You can tell Nathan...and Peyton." Haley told her.
Brooke smiled, "Okay! I will!"
---
Peyton and Nathan had both agreed to come. The day had come so fast and Haley felt like she was going to be sick. Lucas did too, for different reasons. That night, he wanted to tell Haley that he had feelings for her. He wasn't sure it was the best idea. It could ruin their friendship and make the next couple of months miserable to be living in the same house together. He had to tell her though. Every time he was around he felt he was going to bust. Ignoring it hadn't worked, and everyday he felt as if he liked her more and more, and saw her less and less like a friend.
--
Haley had almost flipped when she found out Nathan had been her secret Santa. She had gotten him a Duke sweatshirt, and in the card wrote, "I believe in you" meaning that she though it seemed soon to buy someone a college sweatshirt before they got in, she knew he could do it, so it wouldn't be an issue.
Everyone came and they met in the living room. Everyone sat down, with their gift in their hands, and wasn't sure what to say once the greetings were over.
"Maybe we should just do gifts first and get that over with....who wants to say who they had first?" Haley said.
No one answered. "Okay! I will!" Haley looked around the room, and her eyes focused on Nathan, "I had Nathan."
Nathan knew Brooke didn't have him, so he knew it was a possibility Haley might. Haley handed him the package.
"Okay...normally people SHOULD read the card first, but I want you to open your gift, then read the card,"
Nathan did as he was told. He saw the Duke sweatshirt, and smiled. "Thanks Hales. I love it." He then opened the card and read what she wrote. "Thank you." He told her.
"Your welcome," Haley had smiled. That hadn't been so bad. Tears didn't fill her eyes when he called her Hales.
"So, I guess I'll go next. I had Lucas." Nathan said.
He handed Lucas an envelope.
"Looks like I got screwed," Lucas joked, "No gift. Just a dumb card."
He opened it and saw two tickets to a game at UNC. "Wow..."
"I know you had thought of going there, even though you have been saying you don't want to play basketball in college, it might be nice just to go see a game. We can take a drive up and..." Nathan explained.
Lucas smiled, "Thanks Nathan, this is great. I can't wait."
Haley smiled. She knew that this would end up being a good idea.
"Alright, so my turn," He said. "I had Peyton," He handed her a first edition of on her favorite books, one of the books they were always talking about.
"Thanks Luke," Peyton smiled. "I love it!"
"Welcome," Lucas smiled back.
"So...now my turn." Peyton went on to say she had Brooke.
Brooke went last, who had Haley.
Haley opened the bag, to find a poncho.
"You have a Brooke Davis original there. I think we can all say your old poncho wasn't exactly fashionable, so I made you a cute one. I hope you like it," Everyone couldn't help but laugh.
Haley smiled, "I do Brooke, this must have been hard to make...thanks so much. I love it."
--
An hour later, things were still going really well. Nathan and Lucas were talking and Haley had gone off with Brooke and Peyton to talk. They all back together around dinner time, and things really did feel like old times.
Lucas and Haley were in the kitchen alone after dinner, cleaning up.
"Haley, this is was really great tonight, thanks," Lucas told her.
"Yeah, it did turn out good,"
"Haley...I need to talk to you..there is something that I have wanted to tell you," Lucas started. Then they heard a scream and both left suddenly to see what it was.
--
Brooke was sitting around with Peyton and Nathan just fine one minute, then all of a sudden she started to get a painful cramp.
"I am just going to go the bathroom," Brooke said, not wanting to alarm anyone. When she went to the bathroom, she sat down and started bleeding.
The pain got worse, and she was scared, and fell to the floor.
"Help...." Brooke called.
--
Haley was the first one there, "Oh my god...she is bleeding...call 911..."Haley said.
"Brooke, what happened, did you fall...did you get cut?"
"I'm pre....pregnant..." Brooke admitted to her. Haley stood there for a moment, shocked. Haley then got down to her level and held her hand. Nathan came in and sat with her. Lucas was all ready calling an ambulance. Nathan held her hand and went on board with her.
--
"I'm sorry..." The doctor explained to her, "You lost the baby..."
"No...please...there is nothing you can do?" Brooke said, with tears filling her eyes.
"I am very sorry. I will let you be alone now...we will need to keep you over night. I'm very sorry Miss Davis..."
Brooke sat on the bed. Nathan went and kissed her head. There were no words that either of them could speak. They both felt this unimaginable sadness.
"I just don't know how they can say you "lost" something. I didn't lose my sunglasses, or my lip gloss. I lost a person. Our person."
"YOU didn't lose anything Brooke. These things just happen." He didn't want to say anymore, it was not going to help anything.
The nurse came in with a sleeping pill, "You need your rest to recover, the doctor ordered this to help you sleep,"
Brooke swallowed the pill, sleep sounded great right now. Nathan waited until she fell asleep. He then got in the car and drove to the first ATM machine he found. He got out, entered his card as well as his pin and emptied his savings. He went back to the hospital and sat with Brooke the rest of the night, not getting much sleep himself.
Brooke woke the next morning, "Nathan..."Brooke called.
"I'm right here beautiful...do you need anything?"
Brooke shook her head, "No. I am all set for now. Thanks for staying with me...you don't look like you got much sleep,"
"I wanted to be with you. I couldn't leave you alone."
The nurse came in and explained that the doctor would have to exam her.
Nathan said he would be back in an hour, he gave Broke a kiss and told her he loved her.
--
He came back an hour later as promised. He came holding flowers.
"They are beautiful, Nathan," Brooke told him when she saw him. She tried to smile, but just couldn't.
Nathan sat next to her on the bed. He held her finger, as if he were just holding it, then slid something on to her finger.
"What is this?" Brooke asked.
"An engagement ring...what does it look like?"
"But...I thought you wouldn't want to.."
"I told you that I was not marrying you just because you were pregnant. I want a life with you. I want us to be a family. We will have kids someday Brooke. This isn't the right time to talk about that, because it doesn't make up for what we lost, but we will make a family together. We can both go to college, and then start our life together. I love you Brooke. I still want to marry you...if you still want me,"
Brooke smiled, the first smile since last night, then the tears came, "I love you Nathan...so much!"
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A/N:I know that everyone who reviewed on the last chapter didn't want her to have a miscarriage, but it was what I had planned. I just kind of wanted them to have their own story ( and not Nathan and Haley's). I am so sorry, but they are still going to get married : ).