Thank you very much Jay/othnaleyfan101 for pointing out my mistake in the last chapter, and I'm sorry if that confused anyone else!

Happy One Tree Hill Premiere Day everyone!! Hopefully this new season is really good. Anyway, please Read and Review and thanks to those that have reviewed before! You guys don't know how much you encourage me.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of the characters and such. If I did Nathan wouldn't have been as depressed as he was in the premiere.

Bold face is reality with Haley in a coma, Normal is the dream world, and Italics are the thoughts

The next installment of the story shall now begin, in a small café after school one afternoon...

Return of the Heller

The door to Karen's Café swung open and a guy with spiky brown hair and an aura of self-righteousness around him walked in. Lucas looked up from the register he was handling to see none other than the one who had ruined his brother's life.

"Anyone know where a hot superstar can get a decent cup of coffee from a decent looking lady?" Chris Keller asked nobody in particular.

"Get out," Lucas said simply, giving Chris his famous glare.

Chris looked around, "Who are you talking to man? Nobody is disturbing the Keller."

"Get out Chris."

"Not 'til I see Haley. Can you tell an old friend where she is Luke?"

"You're not an old friend. As for Haley, if you so much as touch her I will kick your ass." Lucas walked in front of the counter, "I don't even want to know what Nathan will do to you when he finds out you're back, let alone if you lay a finger on Haley."

"What is with all the hatin'—wooo well now this is one fine looking girl," Chris said as Brooke walked into the café.

Brooke rolled her eyes, "Did someone just say something?"

"Not just someone, baby, Chris Keller"

Brooke gave him an annoyed look before turning to Lucas and whispering, "Tutor-girl is coming. She doesn't hate this pervert and he might convince her to go back."

Lucas nodded, "Look Chris, I think Haley is in the back with my mom. You want me to get her?"

"Nah—the Keller always makes the entrance," Lucas smiled as Chris began to walk to the kitchen area. He quickly whispered to Brooke, "Get Haley out of here, I don't care how, just get her out ASAP." Brooke nodded and Lucas went to the kitchen behind Chris.

The bell above the door clanged just as the kitchen door closed behind Lucas, "Brooke! Can you give me a hand?" Haley asked, carrying several books in.

"Yeah sure, but can we go to the apartment to study?" Brooke requested, taking a few of the books from Haley.

"But I thought you wanted to study here so you could talk to Lucas."

"It turns out Karen wants Luke in the back today anyway, so really there's no point."

"Lucas in the back? Is everything alright?" Haley asked. It doesn't make sense for Lucas to be in the back; he usually just works the register.

"Yeah, it's fine. It's just some brat went back there and…threw up all over! It's a mess, you don't want to go back there!"

"Does Lucas need any help though?"

"No he doesn't, but I need help with school."

Haley smiled a little, "Alright Tigger, back to the apart—"

"What the hell man?! Haley isn't back here! Why don't you let me out front to wait for her?!" Haley heard the familiar voice yelling.

"No Chris, I promise she's back here! She's probably just hiding from you! Chris don't go out there, you'll scare the customers!!" Lucas desperately shouted.

The door to the back swung open and Chris Keller stumbled out into the dining area. He quickly stood up straight, glancing around to make sure nobody saw him almost fall over, unfortunately this caused him to spot Haley.

"Hales!" He yelled and ran over towards Haley.

Lucas froze at the use of his and Nathan's nickname for her. He only got angrier when he saw Haley greet Chris with a smile.

"Hey Chris," She said, giving him a brief hug, "It's been awhile."

"I know, stupid contract. It made me go party with all these hot babes who were all like "I wanna ride the Keller!" but then I had to be all "Only one at a time ladies." Of course, none of those fine women compared to you Hale—"

Brooke walked behind Chris and violently flicked him in the back of the head, "Ow! What the hell?" Chris yelled.

"Shut up Keller. Haley let's go." Her voice was commanding and she was glaring at Chris. Haley knew to listen to Brooke if she valued their friendship at all.

"I'll talk to you later Chris."

"Yeah, I'll swing by later!"

Haley followed Brooke with a guilty expression out of Karen's Café, once again carrying all of the books. As soon as the door closed behind them Lucas grabbed the back of Chris' shirt and pulled him into the back room.

He immediately pushed him up against a wall, "What the hell?!" Chris shouted again.

"I told you if you touched Haley I was going to kick your ass!" Lucas breathed. He pulled Chris forward and then slammed him back into the wall, "Usually I dislike violence, but when it comes to Haley I find myself without a problem."

"Yeah right, you're just like Nathan," Chris taunted.

Lucas pulled him forward only to push him back up the wall again, this time with a tighter hold. Chris paled a little, "You better tell me what you mean right now."

Chris rolled his eyes and answered in a bored tone, "Before Haley left for tour Nathan paid me a visit. He pushed me up against a wall like you are now, but he was a bit scarier than you, no offense. You see he had one hand around my throat and the other on my wrist, unlike you who has both hands on my chest."

Lucas shoved him again, "Get to the point Keller."

"He threatened me to stay away from Haley, I didn't, and it turned out all the better for me. Nathan never did break my hand like he promised he would, and I was so looking forward to that." Lucas brought Chris down from the wall— "That's it? Thanks man!" —And then promptly punched him in the face, causing Chris to fall to the ground.

"I'm serious Keller. Stay away from Haley. Or else next time I'll be punching you a lot more than once. This isn't a game, it's people's lives you're messing with!" Lucas turned on his heel and walked back to his position at the register. Chris Keller left through the back entrance in the kitchen.

"Hey Broody," Brooke said quietly as she entered Lucas' hospital room.

"Hey Cherry," Lucas replied. He smiled kindly at her.

"So I hear you want to go see your lil bro and sis even though you're still recovering."

Lucas' smile disappeared, "Don't try to discourage me. It's Haley in there and Nathan has to be a wreck right now."

"You got that right." Brooke took a deep breath, preparing herself for confronting Lucas, "Look Broody, I don't think Haley or Nathan would appreciate you trying to see them only to collapse from another heart attack."

"I'll be fine Brooke, I promise. Besides, I think it might do Nate some good if he sees for himself I'm alright."

Brooke sighed, "I guess there's no convincing you. Here," Brooke walked back out into the hallway and brought in a wheelchair. She wheeled it right next to Lucas' bed, "I'll help you."

Lucas slowly managed to sit up in his bed. With the help of Brooke he was able to get into the wheelchair. Lucas looked up at Brooke, "You know the time when you told me you wanted to be the one I saved?"

Brooke gave Lucas a confused look. Why is he bringing something from back then up? "Yeah?"

"I don't think you're the one that needs saving Brooke."

"What do you mean Luke?"

"I don't need to save you, but you seem to always save me from

Lucas was interrupted by Brooke's cell phone ringing. As she pulled out she gave Lucas an apologetic stare. Brooke glanced at the caller ID and asked no one in particular, "What the hell?!"

"What's up Cherry?" Lucas was obviously concerned.

Brooke blinked a few times as the phone continued to ring, "It's Chris Keller."

"Tutor-Girl!" Brooke exclaimed in the middle of studying after they had returned to the apartment.

"Yes, Tigger?" Haley asked uneasily. She was afraid of what Brooke was thinking about Chris' return.

"How would you like to be a permanent cheerleader?"

Haley laughed, relieved, "I think I'll pass."

"But you were so good at the Classic last year, wouldn't you like to show Nathan how much you've improved since then?"

"I think more time with Nathan is the last thing I need right now."

"Okay," Brooke decided to change tactics, "What about keeping in shape for the tour?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well a big rock star like you needs a tone body, but with the amount of exercise you get you'll be completely out of shape by the time we graduate."

"I think I'll be fine Tigger."

"But Tutor-star! I need you! Without you my squad is a girl short and besides, you could totally improve your dance moves if you join."

"Wait, why are you a girl short?"

"Oh this little freshman slut decided to pick a fight with me."

"About what?"

Brooke paused. She didn't want to tell Haley, but knew Haley probably wouldn't drop it, "About you."

Haley sighed. Brooke being so nice to me has cost her, I guess I should at least try to repay her. And with Chris' return I should probably be trying to make things easier for us, "Alright, I'll do it. But don't yell at me if I fall into people!"

"Answer it."

The look on Lucas' face almost broke Brooke's heart again. It was full of the anger and heart he had felt back when Brooke had drunkenly slept with Chris. Brooke slowly nodded and opened her phone, she said absolutely nothing.

"Hello?" An uneasy voice asked on the other end.

"What do you want homewrecker?" Brooke responded tersely.

"My tour bus was in Western Carolina when I turned on the news…" Brooke was surprised to hear concern in Chris' usually uncaring voice, "Is she alright?"

"She's fighting for her life right now, but Haley is a fighter. She'll pull through, she has to."

"Good," Chris paused for a moment before asking, "How's Nate?"

"Why do you care? You ruined his life before, why does it matter if it's ruined now?"

"C'mon Brooke, you know I felt bad for convincing Haley to come with me, but she needed to follow her dreams before it was too late."

Brooke shook her head, "He's a wreck."

"I guess I don't deserve anything more than that. How's Lucas, I heard he had some sort of cardiac arrest—

"He's awake now," Brooke cut him off.

"How are you Brooke, this has to be hard for you, trying to hold all those crazy people together

"I'm fine Chris, or well I was until my phone started ringing."

"Okay, even the Keller can take a hint. I'll leave you alone, just if you get a chance can you call me when Haley wakes up?"

"Bye Chris."

"C'mon Brooke please—" Brooke snapped the phone shut.

She looked down at Lucas in the wheelchair and quickly explained, "He was honestly just concerned about everyone."

"Chris Keller? Concerned about something other than himself?"

"I know, it was so out of character for him."

Lucas nodded, "Can we go see Nate now?"

Brooke smiled, "Lucas Scott, you're just like a little five year old," Brooke laughed as she begun to wheel Lucas to Haley's room.