Hey, I wasn't sure, if I was going to get this up today or not to be honest, because we just changed internet service providers and it wasn't working last night. But thankfully got it working this morning, how long for remains to be seen. Thank you to all those who reviewed, Guest however gets the magic number of being 23! Woohoo! And to Rocklesson86 thanks for the feedback on Jamie I wasn't sure if he came across how I wanted him to. So thank you for that. Until next week my dears :)

Chapter 8

Haley had expected her sister to race over and bombard them with questions, why had they left? Did they not think about the rest of them? Why were they back now? A mired of questions ran through her mind of what her sister would be likely to ask. But Quinn didn't race over, neither did her mother come over and attack Nathan like Haley thought she would. It had been 48 hours since their little floor show, one that kept playing over in her mind, did they do the right thing, had Quinn been angered by it? Was her sister plotting with the rest of the town to get their revenge? Haley didn't know and it was starting to bother her.

Walking out the back door, she stopped suddenly forgetting why she had come had come out here in the first place when she saw her older sister sitting on the edge of the pool her feet dangling in the water. The look on Quinn face made Haley, realize her sister had been trying to figure out exactly how to approach this subject. Walking over she sat on one of the pool chairs behind Quinn. Haley crossed her arms as she waited for her sister to say or do something; anything to let her know how much she was in for. She wondered what Quinn had been told, Lilly hadn't been told anything but then again her sister in law was eleven. Quinn was her big sister so she imagined that her mother had filled her in on something. When Quinn didn't say anything instead she just sat there and stared into the pool Haley got up and sighed; she slipped her heels off rolled up her jeans and sat next to her. She tucked some hair away from Quinn's face and wiped away a tear that ran down her sister's cheek.

"I missed you Quinny and I know you don't understand why Nathan and I ran away. But you will, Nathan and I, well we-it's just that-it's a lot to explain and it's better if we do it all at once." Said Haley wrapping her arm around her sister and kissing the top of Quinn's head she knew that she and Nathan were in for a lot of talks like this one it was one of the reasons they had been putting it off for almost three weeks.

"Just tell me this was it something mum did? Something Karen or Keith, Luke or any one of your friends; was it something I did?" Quinn asked Haley shook her head.

"No, none of you and it's time Nathan and I started to show you all that; if we had a choice we would have stayed but we didn't and I know you want more of an explanation then that and you'll get it. Just not right now," said Haley Quinn nodded and sat up turning to look at Haley it was the first time she got to have a proper look at her baby sister. Her long sandy blonde hair was gone replace by dark brown locks that sat just above her shoulders it actually bought out the colour in her eyes more, well that's what Quinn thought. it also didn't pass Quinn that her sisters style had completely changed, gone was the ugly ass poncho their mother had made her, why Haley had worn that thing, Quinn didn't know, it was replace by designer jeans and a stylish top and jacket. Lastly, came the wedding ring sitting on her sisters left hand it wasn't flashy but it wasn't too plain either, in actual fact, it suited Haley very well; just a simple platinum silver band with tiny encrusted diamonds. She looked good. Happier and healthier than the last time Quinn had seen her. Maybe running away from whoever it was had done her the world of good.

"You look good Haley Bob,"

"Thanks Quinny, so do you. I know this must seem rushed, but I have to catch up with Nathan and our son Jamie. We-uh well, seeing we saw you watching us." Haley stopped when her sister shook her head.

"What?" She asked Quinn laughed and rested her head on Haley's shoulder.

"Clay my uh, boyfriend said what you did the other day was for show-

"Smart guy you got there Quinny, yeah it was, and seeing we thought you would eventually crack, we decided to tell Karen. I know that she probably hates me but- well it would be the same with Nathan and mum so-

"Actually you'd be surprised. Mum well- She would constantly say there had to be a reason behind it. A reason to why you both left and never said a word; she thinks it has to do with someone, and judging from the look on your face she was right" Haley laughed of course her mother would think that. Why on earth had she thought her mother would think anything different? Ever the optimist, Lydia James never thought of anyone was bad unless given hard and fast evidence to the contrary. It looked like only one of them- Haley- was going to get yelled at.

"Well can I come over lat-

"You can come with me if you like, meet Jamie we could always use another person in our corner, goodness knows we are going to need it, I'm not foolish enough to think that everyone will be as pleased as you to see us. Besides I'd rather have my son meet some people happy to see us as well." Haley got up and grabbed her shoes before holding out a hand to Quinn who smiled and took her sisters hand.

Haley looked over at Quinn and smirked as she saw Nathan standing there waiting, Haley knew what was running through her sisters head. Her baby sisters, baby faced boyfriend had changed into a rather handsome man, who was now standing beside his car with his five year old son sitting on the hood beside him, Haley had done good. Nathan had well for a while there been a bad boy, not for as long as people thought, but a bad boy none the less. That in and of itself had more to do with Dan Scott; Nathan's uncle, he had tried to pit Lucas and Nathan against each other from a young age. It hadn't exactly worked like Dan had planed it too. Keith had caught onto what his younger brother was doing, and made sure to keep both boys busy and away from him as much as possible.

Even from here Quinn could see there was a look of hesitation on Nathan's face, and she knew it had every right to be there, with just how far Karen had slipped into depression, she would be surprised if her sister came out of this meet up- revel whatever without a scratch. Looking over at Haley as her sister parked her own car on the other side of the street, Quinn knew that Haley and Nathan in for a shock as well, probably not as big as the one that Tree Hill had coming to them, but a shock all the same; one that came from seeing just how much everyone had changed over these last seven years.
Getting out of the car the two sisters walked across the road and over to Nathan, Haley wrapping her arms around him as Quinn smiled, they seemed so connected, so in tune to what the other was thinking that words hardly needed to be said, and when they were it was like whoever was with them had come in half way through the conversation, much like what Quinn could remember her parents being like when she was little, although she doubted her sister would remember that at all.

"You and I remember always and forever, no matter what life throws at us, we do things and face things together. I've been by your side for the last seven years I've faced everything you have, don't change that now. Wasn't it you that said you and I against the world?" Haley asked Nathan sighed he sometimes hated that she could read him so well but he should have known she would say that it was classic Haley the girl he'd known all his life, and the girl he'd fallen in love with.

"Nice using my vows against me... again. Okay you and me. But we leave Jamie here. From what Lilly, has said this could and probably will get ugly." Haley sighed he was as usual right, turning to Jamie she quickly pulled a face at him eliciting a laugh from her little boy before she pulled him over to her; she gave him an Eskimo kiss, before turning to look at her sister. She smiled she knew how much Jamie wanted to meet his grandparents he had been talking about them for a while. But she knew what Karen was likely to be like at the moment, not something she wanted her five year old to see.

"Jamie I want you to meet your Aunt Quinn, can you stay with her for a while. I'll come and get you when grandma isn't so mad at your daddy and I," Jamie nodded and wrapped his arms around Haley.

"Why would grandma be mad at you and Daddy? Did you do something bad?" he asked Haley sighed and kissed the top of his head. She closed her eyes for a minute trying to decide how to explain to her five year old that, she and his father had run away from home when they were sixteen. Thankfully she didn't have to Quinn stepped forward and asked if Jamie would like to go get ice cream with her.

"Can I mama?" he asked completely forgetting his previous question Haley nodded and gave him another kiss before mouthing thank you to her sister who nodded and smiled happy to spend time with her newly found nephew. Haley turned around took Nathan's hand squeezing it before they walked toward the cafe together.

Karen Scott looked over her shoulder and laughed at the dry comment her friend Deb Lee had said. Deb had moved to Tree Hill a few months after Nathan and Haley had run away. She had been Karen's leaning post through most of her depression; someone she felt wasn't judging her, or always watching her every move waiting to swoop in and save the day. She turned back and smiled at the older man in front of her before heading back to the counter turning around as she heard the bell over the door ring out. The coffee pot in her hands dropped to the floor as she saw her youngest son standing in the doorway. Her left hand came up to cover her gapping mouth to muffle the scream she was desperately trying not to let out in the middle of her busy cafe, seeing Nathan here in the flesh happy and healthy was more then she could have ever asked for.
It had not escaped Karen that beside her son was Haley James the very girl who stole him from her. Well Karen wasn't going to have any of that. As she walked over to them, there was a part of her that knew deep down that Haley hadn't talked Nathan into anything at all, that it had been a decision they had made together. However that little voice in her head, that had sent her on many a turn, was just too loud to deny.

"GET OUT! You selfish little girl, How dare you take my son away! You tore my world apart. I LOATH YOU AND YOUR PITIFUL EXCUSE FOR A FAMILY!" yelled Karen storming over to Haley she quickly slapped the young woman in front of slap was so hard that Haley stumbled sideways and Nathan moved out of the door way to catch her before she fell to the floor. Biting her lip for a second to hold back the tears that threatened to fall Haley went to say something when the bell over the door chimed and in came Lucas, his jaw dropped at the sight of his friend and brother standing in front of him.

"I-I-wow?" he looked over at the two people that he hadn't seen or heard from in seven years and the first thing he noticed was how much they had changed. Sure he had seen photos but to see it in person; to know that, they actually did look as different as they had in the photos it was surreal. He then looked between his mother and Haley wondering just how that had gone down before noticing the bright red hand mark on Haley's face.

"Mum you didn't" he said looking over at her, Karen just looked at him telling him all he needed to know, yes she had slapped Haley and she would do it again. Lucas looked at his little brother, Nathan had grown up so much since the last time he had seen him.
Lucas in the last seven years when he thought about Nathan always pictured his baby faced little brother. Looking at him now was something totally different. His hair was short and neat, he had on a pair of nice jeans and a button down top that was open at the collar he also he had on a pair of nice dress shoes. He looked grown up he looked well, but more than that he looked pissed and he was looking at their mother. Which Lucas really couldn't blame him for, he'd have looked that way too if it was Peyton.

"Okay you're my mother and I love you because you bought me into this world but I swear if you even think about hurting Haley again I will not hesitate to hurt you as well. If you think I'm just saying this go ahead and try me, you don't know me well not anymore, there is nothing I won't do for my family. Haley and Jamie come first always have. I get that you're hurt and upset and want answers but slapping my wife is not the way to get those answers. Did you even stop to think that there might be a reason behind it? You knew us, you knew both of us better then we knew ourselves, but you didn't look into it. You went with this idiotic notion that Haley somehow talked me into running away. If you want to blame someone mother look a little closer to home. Say like your brother in law for starters. Dan is a lot more sinister than what he appears to be." said Nathan wrapping his arm around Haley and walking out of the café. Everyone could see that Haley had been doing her best to keep it together while standing there. From where he was standing Lucas watched as he saw, the tears Haley had been trying to keep back, slide down her cheeks and watched Nathan wrapped both his arms around her, and kissed the top of her head.

Lucas looked back at his mother waiting for her to say something. When she didn't he rolled his eyes. He walked over to her and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"This is exactly why dad and I kept everything we saw, read, or heard about Nathan away from you. It's also why we got you on those meds, they are meant to keep you balanced so you don't do things like this. This has uncle Dan written all over it, and you know deep down Nathan's right" he said whispering in her ear before walking out of the cafe, letting the door slam shut behind him.

Nathan looked up as Lucas walked over to them. He took a deep breath ready to defend his wife again, when Lucas put up his hands as if to say he wasn't coming to argue.

"I know she doesn't deserve it believe me I know that better than anyone, but what you have to understand Nathan; is mum slid into a major depression when you suddenly up and left and never returned. Its taken dad and I this long to get her back to almost normal; now I'm not saying you shouldn't have come back not at all I'm just explaining why she reacted the way she did. We all thought that would be Lydia but Hales your mum- well she seriously impresses me with the amount of strength she has." He said Nathan nodded as Haley rested her head on his torso looking over at Lucas she smiled weakly wiping away any vestige of tears still on her face.

"You look good Hales, really good. One thing confuses me though, why do you want us to look at Dan? I know the guys a son of a bitch; most people wouldn't trust him at all. He's got the whole town scared of him. That's how he got mayor. But what you're talking about, he'd never really go that far would he?" he asked the young couple in front of him sighed; they looked up at each other talking only through their eyes before turning to look at him, Haley quickly stepped forward to give her friend a hug before she let him know that in a matter of minutes his world as he knew it would come crashing down around him.

"What Nathan and I are about to tell you- Luke it's going to suck and you're going to be more than a little pissed off, because it's going to feel like a sucker punch to the gut as a twelve year old you would have said. But know that I- we never wanted that for you or anyone in Tree Hill. We wanted to keep you from it, and if there was a way to lessen the blow now, well I'd do it in a heartbeat but there isn't and I'm truly sorry for that."