A/N: Thanks for all the lovely reviews! Please keep reviewing. Just a note on the chapter, I wanted this chapter to be a little bit fun because the next few chapters are going to be a bit intense. I will try to update soon. Flashbacks are in italics.

Chapter 4: Shields Go Down

'I'll be back,' he said to Brooke and Julian -unsure of what he was actually doing. He began making his way towards the glass doors but he could already see Haley walking away from the pool. He pushed through the crowd and stepped outside, looking around, but he couldn't see Haley any more. He glanced around the pool area and back inside- he wasn't sure he was going to be able to find her now.

A Few Hours Later

Nathan's head shot up, he knew that laugh.

'What's wrong?' Nathan's teammate paused and asked him.

'Uh, nothing,' Nathan nodded, giving Daniel the go ahead to keep talking. A moment later he heard that laugh again- and it resonated with him in a way he couldn't quite define. He shook his head.

'I'll be right back,' he said to Daniel and immediately walked off. He stopped after he had taken a few steps and debated which way to turn. Instinctively he went right, turned a corner and walked into another room. He stopped in the door frame and scanned the scene. The sight he found before him didn't surprise him in the slightest- there she was sitting on a table and everyone around her was laughing.

'Hey Nate,' he felt hands clap him on the back, 'You've been holding out on us.' Nathan could feel his lips form a half smile and turned around.

'What do you mean?' Nate asked his friend Skills.

'Haley man,' Skills replied and pointed over to the steps in-front of the beach house. There she was, busy laughing and there were people all around her. She said something, winked, pointed at someone Nathan didn't know and everyone watched as the poor guy had to down his drink, and then they all turned to Haley again laughing. It was like she was magnetic or effortlessly captivating- probably a combination of the two. 'Why hasn't she been to one of these parties before?' Skills words broke into Nathan's thoughts and he turned his focus back to the conversation.

'It took Brooke, Lucas and I pretty much a year to convince her to finally come to one of these things.'

'Well, it's a damn shame it took that long.'

'Yeah,' Nathan sighed and walked off towards Haley. As he made his way across the sand he saw Brooke come over and grab Haley's hand. Instantly Haley stood up, Brooke whispered something in her ear and he watched as Haley threw her head back and laughed. Without another word the two girls began walking away, and at the same time a disappointment settled over Nathan that he could only equate to the fact that he hadn't been able to reach Haley in that moment.

Nathan stood there in the doorframe, sipping his drink and was about to turn around when someone called out his name. He froze all eyes were on him, including Haley's.

'Nate,' a guy he knew as Chris called him over, 'You have got to meet Haley.' Everyone around her nodded and he watched as she sat dead still, not giving away any emotion. He debated what to do and then finally walked into the room.

'Really? And why is that?' Nate asked Chris coming to stand just in front of her.

'Because she beat everyone at pretty much all the drinking games, and it's hard not to like her,' the answer seemed to just flow from Chris.

'I knew a Haley once. They aren't really my type of girls.' The words seeped out of Nathan and his face settled into a hard line. Haley's head immediately shot up, she was stung by the words but only for a moment, honestly she was tired of feeling sorry for herself and sorry for the situations she kept finding herself in.

'Funny,' Haley jumped down from the table and reached for the cup behind her. 'I knew a Nathan once,' she tilted her head to the side. 'He was an ass too.' General amusement at Haley's comment rolled through the crowd. She positioned herself in front of Nathan and held up the cup.

'In or out?'

'What are the rules?'

'You know the rules, Nate.' The fire in Haley's eyes drew Nathan in. It was the first time that she wasn't backing away from him, and he sure as hell wasn't going to be the one to walk away from her challenge. Not, while a room full of people were watching them.

'What are the stakes?' Someone in the crowd yelled out.

'Winner will decide at the end.' Haley said simply and flipped her hair over her shoulder, she was about to turn around and walk to the table when Nathan leaned down and whispered into her ear.

'I saw you outside earlier on the phone,' Nathan's breath tickled Haley's neck. 'You looked like you were about to leave. What changed your mind?' Haley flinched. It was true, at the end of her call with Peyton she had wanted to leave, but on her way out she had run into Julian. While Brooke was off mingling he sat with Haley, and surprisingly, she found herself relaxing so she had decided to stay for a bit. A few shots later and suddenly she was the master of all the drinking games. Haley shifted her gaze upwards, Nathan was trying to get under her skin.

'What's it to you?' she cocked her head at him and Nathan exhaled. Neither of them said anything. 'Answer my question and I'll answer yours.' She added. Nathan straightened out- he deliberately downed the rest of his drink.

'Let's just play.' Haley smirked and didn't waste a beat, she walked back to the table and set the game up.

'What exactly is going on here?' Brooke stopped next to Julian and handed him his cup.

'Well,' Julian pointed with his one finger while taking a sip of his drink. He flinched at how strong it was, and made a mental note to not let Brooke get anymore of his drinks. 'Your friend, uh Haley?' Brooke nodded. 'Is busy kicking Nathan's ass- this is the third round.' Brooke raised her eyebrows.

'No,' Brooke was pretty sure that she had just misheard Julian and that her eyes were playing a trick on her, because there was no way that Nathan could be playing drinking games with Haley. 'He should know better!' Brooke exclaimed stepping into the room.

'What do you mean?' Julian asked following after her.

'Haley in high school- once we got her to loosen up a bit,' Brooke added as an afterthought and kept weaving through the crowd to get a better look. 'Was pretty much a champion at whatever drinking game she played. She was an effortless winner, which meant we could never get her drunk. It was really annoying.' Brooke stopped walking and tapped the guy in front of her on his shoulder. 'Move.' She said simply to him and gestured with her hand, without waiting for him to respond she stepped in front of him and was now right at the table.

'Unbelievable.' She whistled out once she saw the site in front of her and grinned at Julian before turning back to watch Nathan and Haley.

'You look tense,' Nathan spoke while debating his next move.

'Do I?' Haley smirked and took a sip of her drink. 'I'm actually a bit bored- I didn't think it would be this easy to beat you.' She pointed at the shot on the table that was next to Nathan. 'By the way, you still have to drink that, you lost the previous hand.' Nathan's eyes shifted up at her words, and he gave a half chuckle. Despite himself he was actually enjoying this- a fact that he was trying to ignore.

'You haven't won yet,' he reached for the shot and downed it. 'I don't give up that easily.' This time Haley scoffed.

'Could have fooled me.'

'What does that mean?' Nathan hadn't missed the comment. Haley pulled her gaze away and briefly looked around; she paused when she saw Brooke and Julian right by the table. Brooke waved at her and Haley chuckled.

'Nothing, stop stalling, play your move.' She shrugged. 'Or you know you could just concede already.'

'I'm not going to make this easy for you,' Nathan shot back while laying his cards down.

'I never thought you would,' Haley eyed the card he had just placed down and shook her head. This honestly had been too easy. She leaned across the table, and tapped her finger on the card he had just placed down.

'I didn't think you would have been so inept at this,' Haley was purposefully being cheeky; afterall she was feeding off the atmosphere in the room.

'That's what most girls say to him,' Brooke chimed in and everyone laughed, Haley even paused to chuckle and Nathan stopped to glare at her. 'Sorry.' She mumbled at him and gave her drink to Julian. 'I think I've had enough.' She said to Julian who laughed. He shook his head and playfully nudged her. A second later all the focus turned back to Haley.

'I'm going to do this,' Haley tapped the card again and placed another one down, 'then while you take another shot.' Haley turned to Chris who chuckled and immediately poured another for Nathan. 'I'm going to play this card and officially win.' Haley was still leaning across the table and smirked up at Nathan. He held her gaze and slightly shook his head, but Haley couldn't help but notice that for the first time since he had almost run her over, he didn't seem to mind her. He actually seemed to be enjoying himself. Haley inclined her head and Nathan took his shot. She finally straightened up. Nathan placed his palms up.

'All right, what do you want?' the crowd was now itching to find out what Haley's term would be for winning. She tapped her chin and looked around the room.

'Hmmmm, what do I want,' she was drawing out the process but she knew exactly what she was going to make Nathan do. Eventually she pointed at Julian and everyone turned to look at him, he shifted uncomfortably under everyone's gaze. 'How to phrase this,' she turned back to Nathan who had arched his one brow. 'Pretty much, you are going to belong to Julian for at least a week, whatever he wants you to do, you have to do.' Haley emphasised the last few words and then she couldn't help but burst out laughing at the expression on Nathan's face and at the pure bliss on Julian's. She walked over to Brooke and Julian.

'Have fun,' she said to Julian tapping him on the shoulder. 'Brooke, I'm out. See you tomorrow.'

'That was probably one of the best things I've ever seen.' Brooke squealed and hugged Haley goodbye. Haley briefly glanced over her shoulder, Nathan was watching her. She gave him a small shrug and then began to leave the room- amongst the multiple cries for her to stay.

Haley walked outside and stopped for just a moment, the cool air was a blessing on her skin. She was about to carry on walking when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around to find Nathan standing there. They both stayed silent for awhile and Haley shifted uncomfortably.

'Will you be fine getting back to campus?' Nathan finally spoke, and watched as Haley tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.

'Yeah, I'll manage.'

'Don't get the wrong idea, Hales. That was a one time thing in there. You and I won't be interacting much, if I can help it.' The next thing that Haley did surprised and bothered Nathan- she began laughing.

'I wasn't holding my breath, Nathan. I didn't think that,' Haley motioned towards the party, 'changed anything.' Haley turned to leave.

'You were different tonight,' Nathan's words stopped her from walking but she didn't turn around. 'It was like watching the version of you that I once knew.' Haley sighed.

'She hasn't gone anywhere, Nate.' Haley calmly replied and then left before the intensity of the conversation got to her.

'Julian, I think you need to take me to bed.' Brooke yawned.

'Brooke,' Nathan scolded.

'Whatever, I didn't mean it like that,' Brooke raised her eyebrows. 'He knows what I mean.' Julian laughed.

'I sure do. Come on, Pretty Lady.' Julian wrapped his arm around Brooke and she immediately leaned into him.

'Thanks,' she said while looking up at Julian. 'Bye Nate.' She added. Julian nodded at Nathan who stood there and watched them leave.

'Come on, Pretty,' Lucas said to Brooke and held out his hand for her. She immediately took it and stood up, leaning her head on his shoulder once she was standing. 'I'll take you home.' Lucas felt Brooke nod against his shoulder. She hadn't been feeling well the entire day but had still insisted on going out with all of them that evening. Lucas wrapped an arm around Brooke's waist and they slowly made their way over to Nathan.

'Nate,' Lucas said grabbing his attention.

'What's wrong?' Nathan immediately asked when he turned and saw Brooke

'She just needs to go home and sleep,' Lucas said evenly and Nathan relaxed. 'I'm going to take her back. Could you make sure Haley gets home safely?' Nathan nodded.

'Yeah, sure. Feel better, Davis.' Nathan said while giving her a small smile- which she returned. A moment later they left, and Nathan watched as Brooke leaned into Lucas and placed a small kiss on top of her head, while leading her back home.

A/N: Make my day and leave a review :)