A/N: Hi guys. Thanks, as always to everyone reading, and big thanks to all who left feedback of any kind. Here's the next one. I hope you enjoy it!

...

Peyton packed a few things in her overnight bag, going over the day's events in her mind.

After she'd left the cafe, she'd gone back to her hotel and called her manager, letting him know she couldn't make their meeting this afternoon. He wasn't happy in the least, reminding her of the great opportunity he was giving her here and insisting that she couldn't just blow it off like that, especially when she was already falling behind with her sketches. She let him know she understood that but it was only this once, that she simply had to go to Tree Hill today.

He'd huffed and puffed some more, even when she told him it was an emergency, but she'd stood her ground and he'd finally let up and agreed to meet with her the next day instead.

It was a good thing he'd conceded because now that it was in her mind to tell Lucas about her betrayal today, she knew she couldn't delay it.

She'd been wanting to tell him for some time now. She knew it wasn't fair to Lucas to let him keep thinking she was still in love with him and that their relationship was still the same as it had been. She didn't know how Nathan had managed to convince her to hold off another six weeks.

No, that wasn't true. She knew how he did it. He'd made her believe he wanted to confess too, face to face, and she'd agreed that was how it should be done, and that after they'd told them, they, she and Nathan, would be free to be together.

He hadn't meant a word of it, she realized now. He'd just wanted her for another six weeks before he went back to his wife. Why hadn't she considered that when he'd mentioned waiting? She knew he didn't want to let Haley go. Hell, even in their fantasy stories he never let Haley move on to another man. That should have raised her alarm bells right there, yet she'd let him convince her he would willingly leave Haley for her. How gullible was she?

A tear rolled down her cheek as she thought of him. She was angry, to be sure, but mostly she was sad. Nathan had found his way into her heart, but she wasn't in his. She'd thought they'd come out to everyone, and together they would face all the backlash that would surely come of it - their union. She knew there would be outrage all around because of who he was - her husband's brother and her good friend's husband - and who she was - his brother's wife and his wife's good friend.

She'd been prepared for all of it as long as she had him, enduring the same, right alongside her. But she wouldn't have that now. They'd both still have to suffer the consequences of their actions, but separately.

It seemed she also wouldn't have her best friend to lean on either. Yesterday she'd lost her lover and her best friend. Today she would lose her husband and another good friend. It was entirely her fault, she knew.

And yet, she couldn't seem to regret a single moment of the past three months. How horrible was she?

But also running through her mind was how Nathan had defended her with Brooke this morning. She hadn't expected him to after last night. Did he care after all? She sighed deeply. She just didn't know anymore.

...

Meanwhile, Nathan too tossed a few things in a small duffel bag, preparing for the overnight trip to Tree Hill. He'd said he wasn't going, but the more he thought about it, the more he knew he had to.

If his family was going to be ripped away from him today, then he at least wanted that last fleeting moment of their happy faces when they first spotted him home. No way he was letting Brooke take that from him. So, he'd worked it out with his coach, and, unfortunately missing practice meant he wouldn't be allowed to play in the next game - his coach's personal rule - but he could live with that.

His thoughts drifted to Peyton, as they tended to do lately. She was upset with him, he knew. He probably shouldn't have lied to her about revealing their secret after basketball season. No, he knew he shouldn't have. But, at the same time, he didn't really regret it, except for the whole Brooke walking in on them part. It had been the only thing he could come up with that gave him extra time with Peyton, otherwise she was ending them right then and there.

He didn't want that. He wasn't prepared to let her go just yet. He'd given himself six weeks to get used to the idea. After that he would have told her the truth. Ok, more like he would have dropped the bomb on her - that he would be staying with Haley after all.

He realized it was a dick move, and because of it, Peyton now thought he didn't care about her. But that wasn't true. She stirred up feelings in him that he'd thought were reserved for Haley alone. He couldn't even begin to understand them, especially since his feelings for his wife had not diminished in the slightest.

Peyton didn't understand that. He supposed it was easier for her to let Lucas go. She had, after all, managed to move on from him to someone else, not once, but twice in the past. First with Jake, and then the movie producer Julian. She'd apparently loved both of those guys in between Lucas.

No so for him. At sixteen years old Haley had become his family, and that had never changed. For nearly ten years, she'd been his one and only. Well, unless you counted the series of drunken hook-ups he'd partook in the first year he'd come to L.A.

He, himself, tended not to count those. For eight years, he had been faithful, but everything changed when he'd first come to L.A. He'd been in a new world, living a dream, a different life, and he'd temporarily gotten caught up in the glory of it all. The parties came often and alcohol abounded, severely impairing his judgment. None of those girls had meant a thing to him - he didn't even know them and remembered them even less. He had realized on his own - ok, with some help from the Renee scandal - what a mistake it was to risk everything for the shallow, double-life he was living. He'd made his own decision to stop going to the parties because he, apparently, lost all inhibitions and good sense when he was drinking and there were hot girls around who weren't his wife, all his for the taking. They weren't worth losing Haley over, that was for damn certain.

Like he'd told Peyton last night, it was different with her. Yes he'd been buzzed the first time they'd gotten together three months ago. So had she been. But neither had been so hammered that they didn't remember hooking up. And the next day, though regret had made an appearance, it hadn't been nearly as strong as the longing to be together again had been. And so their affair had begun, both sober and knowing exactly what they were doing.

It wasn't meaningless to him as she currently thought, but he was hard put to explain to her what he felt when he couldn't really grasp it himself. He knew he wanted her and that what he felt for her was real and unfaltering. He didn't see it going away anytime soon.

But was she worth losing Haley over? How could she be when the very thought of not having Haley in his life filled him with such dread and anxiety that he found it hard to breathe?

He may want Peyton, but he needed Haley.

Not that any of that mattered at all anymore. He'd already lost Peyton yesterday, and today he would lose Haley. He felt sure of that because, regardless of what Peyton had suggested earlier, he knew his wife would never forgive him for this.

...

He found Peyton sitting outside the airport when he arrived, no sign of Brooke anywhere. He went and sat on the bench beside her, wondering if she'd even talk to him. "Hey," he said.

"Hey," she said, not surprised to see him. "You changed your mind."

He nodded solemnly. "I figure Haley should hear it from me rather than Brooke."

She nodded back. "That's probably for the best," she agreed. "What a mess, huh?" she added awkwardly, unsure of what to say.

"Yeah," he answered simply, equally awkward.

"You doing okay now?" she couldn't resist asking. She may be angry and hurt, but she couldn't shut off her feelings for him. She couldn't pretend she didn't care.

"Not really. You?"

"I'm fine," she assured him. "Like I said yesterday, I've wanted to do this for a while. We owe them the truth."

He stared at the ground, knowing full well she was right, yet unable to feel as she did about it. All he could think about was his ten year marriage being flushed down the toilet because someone couldn't keep her damn mouth shut. Not to mention, the brotherly bond he'd formed with Lucas would be shot to hell. "I don't know how you can be okay with this," he told her. "I can't even..." He shook his head, unsure of what exactly he wanted to say.

Peyton turned away from him, hiding the hurt in her eyes. She knew exactly what he was trying to say. "You can't even imagine life without Haley," she filled in for him. "You've been together a long time. It's understandable you'd feel that way."

He gave her a tight smile, realizing she did understand. "Thanks," he said softly. "So, where is our hooker friend?" he asked, the last word spoken with such animosity and hatred that it was clear he thought of Brooke as anything but a friend.

"I don't know. I'm sure she'll be here soon."

"I'm sure she will," he agreed. "Well, unless she got run over by a bus on her way over here."

"Not funny. Nathan, she just wants to do the right thing. You can't wish death upon her for that."

"Who said anything about death?" he countered. "I was thinking more like a concussion, you know, a sad case of amnesia. Poor thing."

Peyton couldn't help but giggle at the comment, which, in turn, made him chuckle as well.

They were still laughing when Brooke came upon them. "I see getting caught red-handed, or should I say pants down, hasn't stopped you two from flirting with each other. I guess once you're done breaking Lucas and Haley's hearts, you can both come back to L.A. and live happily ever after in your little sexed-up, adulterous world."

She stalked off ahead of them, leaving them to follow behind since she held their flight passes.

"On second thought, I'm not totally down with the death idea," Nathan muttered.

Peyton shot him a look and slapped his stomach, but he refused to take the comment back.

"You know, she's right though," Peyton said to him. "Once Luke and Haley know, there's nothing to stop us from being together."

He smiled but didn't respond. He couldn't think about that right now.

And Peyton could kick herself. Why had she gone and said that? So what that he'd defended her this morning? He'd still made it clear he would choose Haley over her if given the option. She was furious with him for letting her think otherwise before that. And yet in just a few minutes with him, he'd had her laughing and offering to be with him if his first choice didn't work out. How did he do that? What the hell was wrong with her? And where on earth had her pride gone? She could sure use it right now.

...

Brooke muttered a curse and elbowed Nathan in the side as best she could being squished in the middle between him, who had the aisle seat, and Peyton, who occupied the window seat.

Their plane had taken off about a half hour ago, and Nathan lounged lazily in his place, using his entire arm rest and most of hers. She knew he was doing it on purpose, the jerk. She was truly starting to remember how arrogant and rude he could be when you were on his bad side.

"Would you stay on your own side," she lamented, attempting to shove his arm away from her space. "Why did you have to change your mind, anyway?" she grumbled.

He simply smirked at her, knowing very well he was irritating her, but not caring a whit. She was forcing him into taking this damn trip home and he was going to be comfortable doing it. Brooke was just going to have to suck it up. He wasn't doing her any favors. He shrugged insolently. "You shoulda taken the window seat."

"Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Brooke huffed. "Then you could sit next to your girlfriend."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Yeah, cause this is third grade still."

"Whatever. Just keep your filthy hands on your own side."

He had nerve to chuckle at that, infuriating Brooke further. "Don't worry, Brooke," he said breezily. "I showered since yesterday."

"There's no scrubbing off that kind of dirt," Brooke threw back. "God, I can't believe I'm sitting between two adulterers right now," she added, shuddering with revulsion. "Don't mind if I feel a little sick over that."

Now Peyton chuckled, ever so lightly, but it was heard just the same.

Brooke raised her brows at the blonde. "Care to fill me in on the joke?"

Peyton shook her head, preferring to keep it to herself. Brooke was, after all, still her best friend and she hoped to one day make amends, unlike Nathan who didn't care what he said to her because he didn't at all care what Brooke thought except for what she might repeat to Haley.

However, when Brooke insisted she go ahead and say what had crossed her mind, Peyton did exactly that. "It's you," she began. "You're all anti-me and Nathan for being adulterers when meanwhile, no offense, but your entire lingerie line is probably funded by adulterers alone. They're more than likely your biggest customers."

Nathan snickered on her other side. "That's probably true," he said in amusement.

"Well, you two would know," Brooke snapped in return. "You know what?" she added angrily. "Since yesterday all I've heard from you two are excuses, denials, pleadings, and now even jokes," she said in disgust. "Know what I haven't heard from either of you? An apology."

Peyton shook her head while Nathan scowled fiercely. "Maybe because we don't owe you one, Brooke," Nathan told her scornfully. "We didn't do this to you."

"No, you did it to two people I care about and that's even worse."

Nathan leaned back in his seat. "Oh ok. Gee, where was all this loyalty back in high school when Haley kissed Chris?" he wondered aloud. "Everyone else seemed to know, but not one damn person came to me with it, including you, Brooke. I had to find out on my own by accident. I guess that was ok though, huh, since I wasn't someone you cared about?"

"FYI," Brooke countered, "I didn't know she'd kissed him until she'd already gone on tour with him, which was after you found out."

"I knew," Peyton confessed softly. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Nate. Honestly, I didn't know how."

Nathan simply nodded at her, silently accepting her sincere apology.

"Unbelievable," Brooke gasped. "This was so long ago. Why even bring it up? Especially when you've done so much worse since then. You're just looking for ways to justify having an affair."

"No, I'm just saying it would have been nice to get the same loyalty from my 'friends' when the tables were turned and Haley was the one screwing up. Maybe you didn't know about the kiss, Brooke, but you did know she was spending time with him and lying to me about it, and probably even falling for him, but you never said a word to me."

Brooke sighed, knowing he had her on that one. "Fine," she conceded. "I apologize for that but that's all I apologize for. Don't think, for a second, that my silence then buys my silence now. You're a no-good, cheating ass and Haley's gonna know it."

"Yeah, I think you've said that a time or two," Nathan grumbled.

"Good, we're clear. So stop trying to lay a massive guilt trip on me cause it's not gonna work. The only people who should feel guilty right now are you and Peyton. You're the ones who crossed every single line, not me."

She lay back in her own seat now, and closed her eyes, silently putting an end to the conversation.

All were quiet for a long while before Nathan said something, seemingly out of nowhere, but clearly what had been on his mind. "I didn't, you know," he spoke softly. "Screw Carrie. I never did."

Brooke opened her eyes, ready to shout out a sarcastic congratulations, but then noticed he was looking above her head at Peyton. He hadn't bothered denying it this morning to her, but Peyton had been there too, and apparently he wanted her to know, or at least believe, that he hadn't slept with the nanny.

"Haley just thought I did," he went on, not even noticing Brooke now.

Peyton nodded and told him she believed him. He nodded back and smiled before turning away again.

Brooke didn't comment this time. She could say catching him and Carrie in the shower together was probably what caused Haley to doubt his innocence, and that watching her swim naked certainly hadn't helped, but she didn't bother. She figured Nathan already knew all that, and she really didn't feel like arguing anymore. They, Nathan more so than Peyton, always had something to say, and Brooke was already sick of hearing it. Nothing, absolutely nothing, would excuse their betrayal to their families. Brooke wondered if they would ever learn that lesson.

It was about forty-five minutes later when she opened her eyes again. Peyton was leaning against the window, seemingly asleep, and Nathan had ear buds in and was watching the small television screen in front of him. When she caught sight of what he was watching, she sneered and yanked out the ear bud closest to her.

Extremely irritated by the gesture, Nathan frowned and turned icy blue eyes in her direction. "What the hell?"

"Really?" she asked, ignoring his question.

"What?" he questioned, this time with genuine confusion on top of annoyance.

"My Five Wives?" she mocked, gesturing to the TV.

Nathan looked back to the screen, where the new reality show featuring the lives of a polygamous family played out. "Yeah. So what? There's nothing else on."

"Just don't get any ideas. I know it would solve all your problems and all, but I doubt Haley or Peyton would go for the whole multiple wives thing."

Nathan shook his head, the thought never even having crossed his mind. "Just keep your eyes on your own TV, ok?" he muttered before turning back to his and putting his ear bud back in place. As he continued to watch, he had to admit a multiple marriage would be the perfect solution to his problems right now. Maybe this Brady Williams dude had it right, he thought with an amused smirk.

...

He was no longer smirking, however, during the shuttle bus ride home, nor was he at all amused. None of them were. Others in the vehicle chatted amiably, but the three bounded for Tree Hill sat in dead silence.

Nathan felt knots forming in his stomach, and the closer they got to their home town, the tighter those knots became. Within an hour he was going to be forced to confess everything to Haley, which also meant within an hour, she would be lost to him. He would have liked to turn the shuttle bus around and go back to the airport, back to L.A., anywhere but Tree Hill right now. He wasn't ready to end his marriage. He wasn't emotionally equipped to have their forever and always come crashing down around them. He didn't want to tell Haley he'd cheated on her. Didn't want to see the disappointment etched across her face. He didn't want any of this.

Everyone else seemed in a hurry to get where they were going, but not him. He wished for the bus to break down, get a flat tire, anything to delay walking in his house, his home, and having to explain why he was there. He sat quietly, absently playing with his wedding band. He wasn't feeling anger anymore, only dread for what he was being forced to do.

Peyton felt much of the same apprehension, for different yet similar reasons. As determined as she was to tell the truth, her nerves were getting to her now, as proven by the way she chomped away at her thumb nail.

She knew she was doing the right thing, but now she actually had to face her husband and tell him she'd had an affair with his brother and that she was in love with him. She could just imagine the pain and anger that would cause him, and she didn't look forward to it one bit. She was quickly realizing that thinking about telling him from way out in L.A. was a far cry from actually telling him. Not that she'd expected it to be easy or that she'd changed her mind - or that Brooke would even let her - but she hadn't counted on her hands trembling nervously an hour before she was even home. The hour that followed would surely not be her finest hour.

Nevertheless, she went over in her head all the things she wanted to say to Lucas, hoping that would help her get it out better when the actual time came.

Due to several stops along the way from other passengers, it was closer to two hours before they got to Tree Hill. Neither Nathan nor Peyton raised a complaint about that.

They pulled into Nathan's driveway first since his was the closest on the route. His eyes immediately spotted Jamie out front, with a group of his friends. Several of the kids turned their way when the bus pulled up. Jamie, noticing the words 'airport service' written across the bus, came running to it, exclaiming 'Dad's home' as he did so.

If Nathan's palms were sweating before, they were even more so now. He swallowed hard and, bag in hand, opened the door, Jamie jumping on him as soon as he stepped out of the vehicle. Despite everything, it made Nathan smile. This was the moment he hadn't wanted to miss - the sheer excitement at having him home. There would be another exact reaction from his wife when he walked through the front door, he knew. Those were the moments he'd hold onto - those few seconds where Haley was still his.

He engaged his son in a short and playful wrestling match in the driveway before Jamie tugged at his arm and began pulling him toward the house, both Scott boys smiling.

Peyton and Brooke watched from inside the bus. They could hear Jamie eagerly saying 'wait till Mama sees you. She's gonna be so excited just like I am!'

Brooke glanced over at Peyton. The blonde had tears brimming in her eyes. "You see what you messed with?" she said unsympathetically. "Still think it's a joke?"

"I never thought it was a joke, Brooke."

"Ok, still think you have the right to explain ruining that little boy's life?"

Peyton faced the brunette now. "Jamie's still his son, no matter what happens," she said, much as she'd told Nathan some few days ago. "That's never gonna change."

"No, but that innocent, little eight year old's whole world is about to change," Brooke countered harshly. "How does it feel to be responsible for that because you couldn't keep your claws off his daddy?"

Peyton turned away, unable to form any type of response. At least none that Brooke would understand. It was all so much less complicated when they were in L.A., just the two of them.

They reached her house next, and she stepped out of the bus with much the same dread as Nathan had, only she didn't have a Jamie there to offer her an exuberantly happy welcome.

She grabbed her bag and slowly treaded down the walkway, her heart in her throat and her knees threatening to buckle beneath her. By the time she reached the door, her hands were quivering so violently that she could barely turn the handle. Finally managing, she took a deep breath and entered the house.

...

"Mom, mom," Jamie hollered throughout the house. "Dad's here!"

Haley came rushing to the front entrance, her heart in her throat. At first it was due to pure panic at Jamie's urgent shouts for her, but then his words sank in. Surely it wasn't true. Nathan wasn't due home for another six weeks. Even so, she had to come see.

And then she saw him, standing there in the doorway, looking as handsome as ever, if not a bit tired. He flashed her a smile and her eyes lit up. "What are you doing home?" she asked even as she hurried toward him to wrap her arms around his body.

...

He didn't notice her at first. He was busy typing away at his computer, no doubt working on his book, lost in the story he was creating.

He had the baby monitor beside him as he liked to do when he was alone with Sawyer sleeping upstairs, afraid he'd get caught up in his writing and miss if she awoke and got out of her toddler bed. Peyton thought the monitor was unnecessary now that Sawyer was two, but Lucas liked to ride on the side of caution, at least when it came to his daughter, and so Peyton didn't raise a fuss about it. It's not like it was a big deal. If Lucas felt safer having the monitor beside him, then so be it. He was her daddy. He had the right to worry about her.

Peyton leaned against the door frame - it helped her shaky legs hold her up - watching him type word after word and then delete its entirety with a silent curse. This went on for several minutes until, finally, he lifted his head.

He rubbed his eyes at the sight of his beautiful wife standing there, making sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. He often imagined her being there. This could be one of those times. But when he did a double-take and she was still there, he realized it was real this time.

"Peyton?" he questioned, his brow creasing in confusion. He stood up, a slow grin appearing on his face.

"Heh, Luke," she said.

He was directly in front of her within seconds, instantly pulling her into a tight embrace. "You're home? How come?"