Nathan POV
Over his life, Nathan never really had time to question if what he was doing was the wrong thing. He'd been raised to be the best and only the very best and with that he didn't have time to question himself.
That changed when he met Haley, whom he was thankful for, but right now in this very moment, he hated it.
He kept wondering if this trip was really worth it, because for over the past hour he'd been stuck behind the wheel moving nowhere.
"Seriously though, what the hell," He shouted, sticking his head out the window. "It's green, move it."
"Glad to see you're comfortable in New York Nathan," Peyton joked from the back seat.
"I'm sick of this traffic," He continued, ignoring Peyton's comment. "We're going to spend the entire time here in the damn car."
"You know, for someone who led the charge here, you're doing quite the bit of bitching."
Everyone turned to Brooke, including Nathan. "Really? And what were you doing this morning."
Brooke thought about it for a second before smiling. "Sharing."
Her answer earned a groan from everyone.
Ring….ring….ring…
The sound of the car phone interrupted everyone.
"Everyone shut up," Nathan said. "It's probably Keith calling to give us shit. Still doesn't know about this. Hello?"
"What's this lame ass joke about you getting married?" A voice shouted into the receiver of the car.
"Tim," Everyone moaned.
"Tim," Nathan answered. "What's up?"
"So this married gig? It's a joke right?"
Haley rolled her eyes. "It isn't a joke Tim."
"Who the hell is that?"
"Idiot," Peyton mumbled.
Most times Nathan would indulge in the banter with his friend; he'd done so for many years. This time on the other hand, he wasn't having it. Call it the stress, call it the traffic, call it whatever you want, but Nathan was fed up with everything right now.
"Listen Tim," Nathan started. "I'm kind of busy."
"Yeah I know, road trip," Tim mumbled quietly, a little pissed that he wasn't there. "How come I wasn't invited?"
"Packed car," Lucas answered.
"Wait is that Lucas?" Tim asked. "You invited him?"
"Look I'll explain everything when I get back alright," Nathan answered, trying his best to hang up. "Just….your in charge back home okay?"
"Really?" He sounded excited.
"In charge?" Peyton whispered. "What the hell does that even mean?"
"I don't know," Nathan whispered back. "Listen Tim I gotta go, I'll call later."
"Alright," He sounded disappointed now. "Tim out."
The line cut and Nathan sighed in relief.
"Tim out," Brooke laughed. "Boy that would have been a fun 8 hours."
Nathan shrugged, not really able to defend his crazy friend.
"Pull into that parking lot," Lucas said finally. "Let's just pay for the day and walk the rest."
"Walk?" Brooke asked. "These shoes aren't meant for walking."
"They're shoes Brooke," Nathan sighed, tired of everything. "That's the only thing they're meant for."
Haley eyed Brooke's shoes and agreed. "No she's right, those would kill her."
"Guys," Lucas interrupted. "Big picture here. We only got about a day now, so lets get to it."
"He's right," Peyton added. "Besides we passed about a dozen sneaker stores, will just go shop."
"Great," Nathan mumbled.
It'd cost them 30 bucks, an hour's time, and a massive headache, but the group soon found themselves walking in Time Square looking for sneakers for Brooke.
Out of the car, Nathan finally relaxed and walked hand in hand with his wife behind the others. Technically speaking, this was basically their honeymoon, which was kind of amusing.
He never thought he'd be spending that with his brother, ex girlfriend, and his brothers ex girlfriend, and at 17 no less.
But looking around, seeing everyone in a happy mood, Haley's hand in his, he guessed this wasn't a terrible way to spend it.
"Blue or red?" Brooke asked, for the third time.
They'd found a store, found the shoes, but somehow, it'd been half hour since then. To say Brooke was being complicated would be putting in mildly.
"You know, when I shop," Nathan started. "I see something I like, then I buy it."
"Yeah if I buy you both, can we leave?" Haley pleaded.
"Wow you really are meant for each other," Brooke said rolling her eyes. "Fine, let's go with the red."
They found themselves at the cash with the cashier smiling stupidly at Brooke as she paid. She didn't notice, but the others laughed at his expense.
It wasn't until they left the store when Lucas whispered, "I would have went with the Blues."
"LUCAS!"
Lucas POV
The walking had done them all good.
The girls all had a chance to take in the sites and browse around the city looking for things they couldn't find back home. The guys, amused at the girl's reactions were just happy to finally get out of the car and closer to their destination.
For Lucas it was a good experience yet strange one at the same time. Today was the first actual day that he could see how Nathan and Haley interacted as a married couple. It still felt weird to say, especially seeing those rings on their fingers, but they acted normal.
Well as normal as a married couple acts at that age.
He wasn't sure how everything would turn out for the two. It was just too hard nowadays to know if anything would last, but he guessed if anyone had a shot, it was them. He didn't know anyone who worked harder then his brother, always pushing himself, and Haley, well she was probably the best person he'd ever met.
Then seeing Peyton and Brooke smiling and laughing was a welcome sight. Every now and then he'd have a lapse in his head about how much he royally screwed up and lost something with each of them. He still cared, never stopped, and he'd probably wonder 'what if' for the rest of his life with those two.
Maybe his future was meant with one of them, maybe not, he just didn't know, but right now, seeing them mend their friendship and work through all the shit that he'd caused, it was nice to see.
It was still annoying seeing other guys moon over them or try and flirt with them on the other hand. They must have seen a dozen guys already, and the trip wasn't over. He chalked it up as being protective, cause he was too nervous to think about any other reasons for too long.
"You know you think too hard," Peyton sneaked up behind them as they walked down the boulevard, the others in front with the two of them in the rear.
"That's saying something coming from you," joked Lucas.
"New year new me," Peyton smiled.
"Yeah well I'm still trying to find the old me."
"How so?"
Lucas shrugged. "I screwed up this year. A lot, and for so long I tried to find excuses, but the simple fact is, I changed. For better or worse I did."
Peyton thought about it. "You know Luke, change isn't necessarily a bad thing. You just gotta find a balance."
"What do you mean?"
Peyton gestured towards Haley and Nathan. "The old you, you never would have been cool with that. I mean you love Haley, but the relationship you had with Nathan…it was bad. You guys couldn't be in the same room without someone getting punched. The way I see it, you don't have to change everything, and you don't have to go back to the person you once were. Find a balance to the new and old you."
She was right.
The old him wouldn't be walking up town Manhattan with his younger brother last year, and the old him wouldn't have been cool with his best friends marriage. Yet the person that he was towards the end of the year, he couldn't be that person either.
He'd have to live with both, but he'd do it right this year.
"And what about you?" Lucas asked. "What change do you need?"
Peyton smiled, missing the talks she had with Lucas. "The only thing I need to do is be a better friend to Brooke. You talk about screwing up, but I'm right there with you. She's my best friend Luke, and I can't believe that I hurt probably the only person who's been there for me my entire life. I can't take back what I did, neither can you, but it doesn't have to define us. So I'm going to go to school, cheer for you and Nathan, continue my love for music, and for the life of me be a better person for Brooke. God knows she deserves it."
"I think you're on the right path," Lucas smiled.
"We both are, now come on, let's go find you brother."
Lucas smiled watching the girl he cared for run towards the others. She threw her arms around Haley and Brooke and the trio laughed, leaving Nathan in the dust.
He'd come to New York in hopes of finding his older brother, but he now knew how much this trip meant for all of them. It was much more then just finding someone, it was about finding themselves.
And he knew they were on their way towards that.
General POV
"So this is it?"
The five of them looked up at the building before them. It was old, broken down, weary, and kind of gross. The bricks were destroyed, garbage littered around the base of the building, a horrible smell coming from the massive sewer lines that ran across the front, and they were pretty sure there was a homeless person who had taken the left side of the main entrance as his permanent residence.
"You don't sound excited Hales," Lucas smiled nervously. They'd gotten this far, now the edge was back.
"Yeah this is it," Nathan had doubled checked, triple checked. This was the last known residence Carol had found. Who knew, Jackson might still be here.
"I'm sorry but that building looks like it's about to collapse when the next wind picks up," Brooke finally said what was on everyone's mind.
"I'm pretty sure were safe Brooke." Haley grabbed her husband's hand. "Right?"
"We're fine, now let's go."
Nathan led the way up the stairs and past the half drunken past out slob. The inside wasn't all the nice to look at either; the building must have been about a hundred years old from the looks of it.
Mold everywhere; torn down wallpaper, a leaky ceiling, and a disgusting looking dog lying right below the mailboxes.
"What'd ya need?" A man barked, coming down the stairs in a plumber outfit. He reeked of gin, weighted about 100 pounds too much, and had a nasty look on his face.
Lucas covered for the group's skepticism as he stepped forward slowly. "A tenant actually recommended this place to rent."
The others eyed him but he continued. "We just wanted to now where the landowner was, maybe see if they have any available."
The man's nasty look held for a couple more seconds before he smiled. "Well you're looking at him."
"Really? You're the owner?" Brooke said, biting her tongue.
"For you sweetheart, I'd be anyone." The man croaked out a laugh, nearly spitting all over Haley. "So you're interested in a place huh? Well got one room left with another couple looking too."
"Shocker," Peyton whispered.
"But you look like good kids, will pay rent on time, I like that," He continued.
"We are sir," Lucas smiled. He tried to press further. "But I was curious, we have a friend who actually stays here, the one who recommended it. Jackson Scott, ring any bells? We'd sure like it if we could get a place next to his."
The man's happy spirit died the second the words left Lucas's mouth. "Maybe I was wrong, hanging with that little shit. Is this some sort of joke? Or are you here to bring me my money?"
The hostility didn't go unnoticed by the others.
"What money," Nathan asked.
"The last two months rent that's what," He barked, this time hitting Haley square in the face with spit. "He put you up to this didn't he?"
"No he didn't," Nathan answered, annoyed with this guys attitude. "Is he here?"
"Hell no," The owner said. "Kicked his ass to the curb almost three weeks ago. Best decision I ever made. Found a tenant who actually pays."
"Well where is he?"
The man choked back a laugh. "Hell do I know. I ain't his bitch."
Brooke rolled her eyes. She knew how this worked. Searching through her purse, she found a twenty and flashed it towards him. "Twenty bucks says you do."
The man's eyes shined towards the cash before he sighed.
"Fine," He said, grabbing the cash. "Four blocks south, near the subway entrance, there's a bar. Shady place, never stepped foot in it, real scumbag of a place if you catch my drift. Your boy came from there every night. You want him, he's there."