Hello my lovely readers – well we are almost at the end to all those still reading you are amazing and to those reviewing you are wonderful and I love you all.

Thanks for putting up with me – I as always own nothing but the dvds and of course the mistakes.

Enjoy – Chelle xoxo

Chapter 19

Haley POV

"Nathan?" I stood in shock on the bottom step wondering if he was an illusion

"What are you doing here?" he asked walking to stand in front of me

"ME?" I threw back at him as I raised my hand and slapped him "Do you have any idea what I've been through?" I asked him as he brought his hand up to rub his now red cheek

"I thought I was giving you what you wanted"

"What I wanted? Nathan I thought you had killed yourself or something. I was a mess for days and had it not been for James and Sophie I would still be a total mess but I had to be strong for OUR kids" I took a deep breath "I had to tell them you had left"

"You needed to move on" he said

"No you don't get it, I would… I will never move on – I love you Nathan" I say changing the whole tone of the conversation before throwing my arms around his neck and kissing him with everything I had in me. We broke apart and he rested his forehead on mine "I thought I'd lost you forever" I said as tears started pouring down my cheeks

"That was my plan" he said as I cried harder "But I'm sorry, I love you so much Hales"

"You need to come home to Tree Hill, sure we have things we need to work through but I can't live without you, so you need to move home with me and the kids"

"Really?" he questioned

"Yes Nathan really" I say taking his hand and leading him to the lounge and onto the sofa "I've been so stupid, I have been holding on to the past for so long and I need to let go. You have done everything you can to show me you have changed but I have been too scared and stubborn to see it, to see you as the man you are now"

"Hales, I've made such huge mistakes in my life the biggest being the coward that sent you a letter and left, but as my letter said I will always love you" He paused for a moment "I never stopped"

"Me too Nate, I think I've been in love with you since that morning tutoring session at the docks 'Don't say I never gave you anything' right?" I say reaching into pocket to pull out the faded plastic bracelet I'd been carrying around with me since he left

"I can't believe you still have that"

"I couldn't throw it away – it's means so much"

"I remember you putting it on me after our second wedding"

"And then you lost it jumping into the river after Cooper and Rachel"

"But I went back and got it"

"You spent a lot of time at that bridge after the accident; you thought you saw Keith remember?"

"Yeah and Rach tried to hook up with me after Cooper left and then you found out you were having Jamie"

"I'm so sorry Nate, It's no wonder our marriage has been rocky – we have been through so much"

"Crazy Nannies, Killer parents"

"Your accident, I felt so helpless, you were so angry all the time and I missed you so much, but that night when I came home and you were sitting at the dinner table with Jamie, I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders like everything was going to be good again and other than 'Crazy Carrie' we really moved forward from there"

"But somewhere along the way we fell apart. I don't know why I felt the need to be at work rather than at home. You and our kids have always meant far more to me than work, I just got caught up in trying to make sure I could always get you guys what you wanted but I didn't realize that what I really needed was to just be happy and at home"

"We never expected you to work that hard we just wanted you with us and I've been stupid to think that you have changed and that, that isn't exactly what you want now because I know you have changed I can see it but I was protecting my own heart too much and blaming the lack of our relationship on James and Sophie so that I didn't get hurt but that stops today and as I said before when we get home to Tree Hill you are moving home"

"Done" he said smiling leaning over and kissing me softly as I heard the front door open and footsteps coming down the hall. I pulled away and stood up turning and coming face to face with Brooke and Chase

"YOU!" I said

"Hey Tutormom" she answered using her nickname for me trying to butter me up "Is it safe to be home"

"Not for you" I say before turning and throwing Chase a smile "Hey Chase"

"Hey Hales, Nate how about we head out to the sports bar down the street – it's probably safer"

"Agreed" he said grabbing his jacket and kissing me on the head "Back soon, be nice" he added whispering the last part

Chase and Nathan left as Brooke headed for the kitchen "Coffee Hales?"

"Don't you dare, Coffee Hales? Me" I say following "I told you not to butt into my life and here you are doing it again"

"But it worked didn't it?"

"Not the point!" I say as she boils the kettle

"Yes Haley it is the point! If I had of just left it you would have never seen him again"

"Maybe so, but why couldn't you have just left it alone?"

"Because for as long as any of us can remember you have been Nathan and Haley and you just weren't anymore even though you were meant to be"

"But it was ours to fix Brooke"

"Are you not listening to me Hales? You wouldn't have got the chance to fix it, Nathan was leaving, I had to act fast" She explained handing me a mug of coffee

"I know" I said as more tears started to roll down my face, she came and stood be me pulling me into her arms hugging me tightly "Thank you Brooke"

"You're welcome tutormom" she responded causing me to laugh at her

We sat and chatted for a while before heading down to the bar where the boys had gone. The four of us then went to dinner from. Nathan and I decided that we would head back to Tree Hill the next day since he had his car. Dinner had gone well for the four of us, all getting on like we had back in our senior year reliving old memories and newer ones we had made over time. It was ten by the time we arrived back at Chase and Brooke's and coffee was much needed, we hung out in the lounge discussing our plans for the holidays. We only had a couple of weekend until they were coming back home for Christmas.

Chase and Brooke left Nathan and I heading for bed promising to see us at breakfast the next morning, Brooke also letting me know that the guest room upstairs was made up if I needed it

"Why here?" I asked Nathan once we were alone

"It was the closest I had to Tree hill, to home "he told me "Chase and Brooke are family"

"They are" I nodded understanding what he meant "They all are" I added crossing to the photo of us all from our night at the rivercourt after the graduation party that lay on the mantle above the fireplace.

I passed it to him and he rubbed his hand over the glass "Jamie was two weeks old when this was taken"

"He was, but that night was about us, the ten of us well twelve if you include Junk and Fergie"

"Who would have thought that we would all be where we are now when this was taken?"

"If you ask Luke, he will say he did" I say joining Nathan back on the sofa

"He would"

"Sometimes I think he can see the future or something, he always has such a good idea of what's going on or what will happen"

"He didn't see us coming, do you remember the look on his face when we told him we were married?" he asked

I laughed remembering the day like it was yesterday "No you are right he didn't see us coming"

"But we were great, we are great Hales and we have two amazing kids to prove that"

I placed my hand on his cheek thankful for how honest his last comment was "you are right we are great and our kids are amazing" I took the photo out of his hands and placed it on the coffee table and then took his hands in mine "I should have told you that I loved you at the docks that night"

"Hales…"

"It's been a long time coming Nate and it doesn't matter what's happened to us or what will happen in the future but I'll always love you"

Before I knew what was happening he had pulled me towards him and was kissing me senseless, I think by the time we broke for air I'd forgotten where I was and what my name was

"I have been waiting for you to realize and say that for so long"

"I know and I'm sorry I shouldn't have closed my heart for so long and I should have told you I loved you before today" I say kissing him again "but I was thinking we should get to bed as we have a long drive tomorrow"

"You are probably right" he said kissing me again "I guess I'll see you in the morning" he says standing up

"Nate wait" I say stopping him by taking his hand "there is no point messing up another guest room"

"Are you sure?"

"About you, about us, Always – take me to bed"

The sun shone through the window early the next morning waking me, I blinked taking in the room around me, remembering that I was at Brooke's the events of last night came flooding back as I felt Nathan stirring next to me. I rolled over into him resting my head on his chest looking up at him as he slowly woke up

"Morning Beautiful" he finally said looking at me

"Morning" I replied as he leaned down to kiss me

"How did you sleep?" he asks

"Best sleep I've had in forever" I tell him

"Me too"

"We should head down and see Brook and Chase before we hit the road" I say as I stand and dress

"Well, well" Brooke says as we enter the kitchen

"Don't start Brooke it's none of your business" Chase tells his wife

"Oh come on we are all friends here"

"Yeah friends that can't keep their mouths shut, right Brooke?" Nathan adds

"I never told hales that you were here"

"No you lied to me" I say "You knew it's the only way I'd get here"

"Well I think I did a good thing" she explains

"Only your crazy brain would think that honey" Chase says

"I'll give her this much, she did get us talking" Nathan states

"And Nate is moving back home" I add

"Really? As in back into your house?" Chase asks

"Yep, it's time we became a family again" I say

"See I did a good thing" Brooke tells the three of us

"Okay fine you did a good thing" I give in as Brooke throws her arms around me "But the way you did it was wrong"

"But..."

"No buts, I still love you my insane friend"

"Yes it's true we all still love you but Hales and I need to hit the road if we want to make it back today" Nathan tells her

"Okay, plus we need to get to work" Chase says

"Thank you guys so much for everything you have done – regardless of how crazy some of Brooke ideas are" Nathan says hugging both Chase and Brooke

"Yes thanks so much" I hug Brooke again "We will see you in a couple of weeks for Christmas"

"You will, it's really not long now"

"It will be nice to be all together again" I tell as Nathan and I get into his car. We head for home and I realize that we are going home together and it's the best thought I could have and I love it