AN: Well I'm back on line and writing again. Finally got myself a new lap top and it took some time to recover what I had worked on off the old lap top to put on to the new one. I contemplated waiting until I had a few chapters written before I posted the next one but that didn't seem fair to you guys who've been waiting patiently.
Thanks again for the many reviews and for reading the story!
Let me know what you think...
~~~ "I'm Never Alone, I'm Alone All the Time" ~~~
* Chapter Seventeen *
Haley had taken her time enjoying her shower head marveling in how amazing her water pressure was. Sure the shower on the tour bus was just fine, everything at home always felt blissful to her when she first returned after being away for so long. She was grateful the bus had arrived to L.A. ahead of schedule and she was able to get home to get ready for the concert later. She selected something special from her closet at home instead of wearing the rest of her tour outfits. She wanted to look her best after all knowing Nathan would be in the audience but also because they were playing in front of their hometown. She felt twinges of butterflies at performing in front of him and for him to hear The Fire Pistols' new music. Haley finished up getting her hair and makeup ready for the concert and wandered downstairs and into the kitchen. She was thankful Quinn had asked their housekeeper to stock their refrigerator with groceries upon their arrival. Not being able to ignore the persistent growing in her stomach she grabbed an apple from the bottom drawer. Then she headed towards the living room to find Quinn and Clay who had been waiting for her at the house when they arrived home.
She walked in and found tears streaming down her sister's cheeks while she was smiling.
"Quinny what's wrong?" Haley asked in shock of his sister's state.
Quinn quickly wiped the tears away and tried to play them off as best as she could "Oh nothing Hales. I'm just happy to be home with Clay that's all."
Haley took a bite of apple and carefully studied her sister as she chewed it carefully. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until she started actually eating.
Clay reached out and gently rubbed Quinn's shoulder prompting her to glance over at him. They connected eyes for just a moment and then Quinn looked away again towards Haley.
"I can't wait to see Nathan!" Haley blurted out of nowhere not being able to contain herself anymore. Quinn had been helpful on the road when Haley was missing Nathan. She'd look to her for comfort knowing she was missing Clay as well. Quinn and Clay had carried on their relationship for quite some time and managed to survive time apart well. The reunions were always intense and she expected tonight would be the most she'd see of Quinn for the next few days.
"Good to see you too Hales." Clay replied jokingly while picking up a throw pillow and tossing it towards Haley landing in her lap.
"Haha, I missed you too Clay!" Haley laughed back and then tossed the pillow back hitting Clay in the head.
"Oh I arranged for a limo to take Clay and I to the Staples Center so you and Nate can take the one Peyton sent over ok?" Quinn question waiting for a response from Haley. She glanced at her boyfriend and her baby sister who had continued to throw pillows at each other.
"Uhh huh" Haley muttered without looking away from her playful game with Clay.
"Hales, you're limo should be here by like 4ish." Quinn said and waiting again for a response but received nothing yet again.
"Are you even listening to me?" Quinn called out loudly.
Haley laughed as she dodged Clay's latest attempt to mess up her hair do with another pillow shot and managed to mutter "Oh yeah got ya Quinn." Before throwing it back at Clay.
"Ok then….oh and one more thing Hales. I'm pregnant." Quinn blurted out of nowhere.
Haley whipped her head around and looked over at Quinn in shock. The pillow Clay had thrown connected with Haley's head but that was the least of her worries.
"Are you serious?" Haley asked looking at Quinn and then Clay.
Tears began to form in Quinn's eyes again as she nodded in response as a big smile crept over her face. Haley jumped to her feet and ran over to embrace her sister with a hug.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so happy for you two!" Haley exclaimed with joy. She pulled away from her sister and looked over at Clay. He was smiling a toothy grin back and was clearly stoked about becoming a dad soon.
"I wanted to tell you so badly but wanted to tell Clay first when I got home. Thankfully we weren't on the bus any longer because I don't think I would've lasted another day with the detective on board." Quinn replied with a grin.
"Detective? What are you talking about?" Haley asked looking at her sister with a confused look on her face. She couldn't believe Quinn was really pregnant.
"Apparently Chris has been doing a little dumpster diving and found my positive pregnancy test in the garbage on the bus yesterday. I knew I shouldn't have tested on the bus but the hotel didn't seem like a better option either." Quinn started but stopped as soon as Haley started laughing. Clay had already heard this story but found Haley's reaction entertaining just the same.
"Oh no he didn't? Like he even knows anything about pregnancy except how to avoid it completely." Haley joked with a toothy grin. She felt overjoyed with her sister's news. A big change would be inevitable now. One Haley had no control over.
"Actually Hales he's surprisingly pretty observant. He must have done a little research using google or wikipedia because he was able to list off pretty much every symptom I'd been trying to hide. However, when he finally solved his mystery he had the wrong James sister knocked up." Quinn chuckled as she waited for Haley's inevitable reaction.
Haley thought for a moment and suddenly the light bulb turned on.
"He what?" She exclaimed in shock. She looked at Quinn then back at Clay in disbelief.
Quinn explained Chris' logic from the night before all while Clay continued to laugh as the James sisters bantered back at forth. It all made sense now Chris' sudden need to be over protective of her and the moment on the bus the night before when Haley felt he was going to get serious on her. Quinn planned to tell the rest of the band later that evening before the show which would clear up any further speculations. Clay and Quinn headed out early opting to stop for a quiet dinner before arriving at the arena.
Nathan followed his GPS and found his way to Haley's house easily. He was pleased at how close they actually lived to one another and was a bit surprised he'd never heard about half of The Fire Pistols living nearby before. He pulled into Haley's driveway moments later and walked up to her front door still wearing his sunglasses. He rang the bell and heard someone faintly yell "come in" from the other side. He turned the knob and stepped inside quickly removing his glasses in order to see.
"Marcooooo?" he called out as he stood dumbfounded in the empty entry way. He had been expecting a warm greeting from his girl and she was nowhere to be found.
A burst of laughter came from down the hall followed by a "Polooooo."
He shut the door behind himself and flipped the deadbolt by habit. He headed down the hallway in front of him towards the angelic voice he had just heard having utterly no clue where he was going. He quickly glanced around taking in Haley and Quinn's home and decorations.
"Marco?" He called out again chuckling at the end.
"Polo?" Haley answered back as she made her way through the living room towards Nathan's voice. She rounded the corner and came face to face with him. His smile matched hers as they embraced the moment
"Ahh finally! Come here." Nathan said with warm smile. He reached out his arms and within seconds Haley stepped into them wrapping hers around his waist. He squeezed her tiny frame tightly while placing a tender kiss on top of her head. Haley pulled back slightly out of his grasp and looked up to meet his lips. He covered her lips with his and marveled how soft they felt under his. Every kiss with her seemed to be better than the last one.
Finally Nathan pulled away and seemed content just looking at her for the moment. He immediately noticed her makeup was heavier than he was used to seeing. He was somewhat surprised to see her dressed so casual in a dark pair of jeans and combined with a form fitting black tank top with sequins on the front. She was the perfect image of a sexy rocker chick and he couldn't believe that she was all his. But she also looked tired and run down. Those closest to her would be the ones to notice. Judging from her appearance, Nathan noticed she had taken deliberate steps to hide them from fans.
"Quit staring at me and tell me how it went with Dan." Haley said as she headed into the kitchen to get Nathan something to drink. He took her cue and was hot on her heels definitely enjoying the view of her backside until they reached their final destination. The more he studied her body, the more subtle changes he began to notice.
"He didn't expect me to show up at his office that's for sure. I was very clear with him about the terms of our contracts and our business relationship moving forward. He was definitely not expecting that from me. More importantly I managed to get the last word in which felt damn good Hales." Nathan explained as he watched Haley dig around in her refrigerator until she produced two beers for them. Haley cracked the first beer open and slide it across the counter to Nathan.
"Well, I'm glad it went so well. Do you think he'll really back off now?" She asked sounding genuinely concerned for Nathan. She finished with the bottle opener and promptly put it away. Nathan followed her as they walked out to the backyard area.
Nathan sat down across the table from Haley mostly so he could look directly at her. Damn she was gorgeous!
"I think I bought myself some more time at least….but really enough of this. I don't want to talk about Dan anymore tonight. We can deal with him tomorrow. Tonight is about your homecoming and your show." He stated proudly and then raised his beer to hers.
Haley smiled and clanked her beer with his before they both took a long drink.
"So are you ready for your first exhilarating live Fire Pistols experience?" She asked feeling more relaxed since he first arrived. Her mind had been spinning from Quinn and Clay's stork news and she was finding herself getting anxious.
Nathan nodded with a toothy grin before he answered "I'm so excited to see my girl do her thing on stage tonight. Mostly I'm just so glad that you're finally home for a while at least. Now we'll only need to deal with my away games."
Haley reached across the table and touched his arm. A jolt of electricity sparked between their skins. Their chemistry was undeniable to those who were near. They continued to chat while they finished their beers before the limo arrived. Haley had yet to inform Peyton of her relationship with Nathan and was a bit concerned about what might happen backstage before the show. Normally Peyton would pop in and out of the dressing room with last minute details for the band. Hopefully, Peyton would be more distracted since they were in L.A. after all and more celebrities generally attend those concerts. It would help having Nathan's team mate and wife in attendance and cleared to go backstage as well.
Haley was pleased once they finally arrived at the Staples Center and made it to their dressing room. She walked into the room with Nathan following close behind her.
"Hey guys, I'm glad you're all here. The time has come for you to finally meet Nathan face to face. Nathan this is my sister Quinn, her boyfriend Clay, and this is Walker and last but not least Chris." Haley said slightly winded after making sure introductions were made. Nathan stepped forward and shook hands with everyone.
"Hey, it's great to finally get a chance to meet all of you." Nathan finally said filling the silence.
Quinn spoke up first hoping to break the ice more for Nathan sake. Walker and Chris could be quite intimidating when need by.
"You too Nathan. I'm glad you were able to make it out tonight to the show." Quinn said with a smile. Nathan immediately felt at ease with Quinn and he was grateful for that. The long stares coming from the other side of the room were enough to make anyone a bit anxious.
"It took some time to get my schedule and Hales to work out as you all understand." Nathan offered as he snuck a glance at Haley who met his gaze with a warm smile.
"So Nathan, let's cut the bull shit here. What is it you're doing with Haley anyhow? We all deserve an explanation." Chris declared out of nowhere.
"Chris!" Haley hissed at him in shock. Quinn was soon to follow with a similar response.
Chris walked over to Nathan and was quickly face to face with him when Nathan finally responded.
"Excuse me. I'm not really sure I know what you're getting at." Nathan replied looking closely at Chris. He certainly wasn't expecting this type of response based on what he'd heard about everyone. Haley had tried her best to explain her relationship with her band mates and how the band's dynamic was. It was going to take more than this little punk to rattle Nathan Scott.
"You heard me and quite frankly we all deserve an answer. We're all a tight family and you're the outsider here." Chris said as he continued to hold a cold harsh stare directly at Nathan.
Haley couldn't believe what was going on. She pulled on Nathan's arm as she tried her best to weasel her body in between the two grown.
"Shut up Chris!" Haley shouted angrily.
"Well Scott, what do you have to say?" Walker asked from behind Chris.
Haley sighed in annoyance "Not you now too. Seriously both of you shut the hell up."
Walker and Chris stood in front of Nathan staring him down trying their hardest to break him down. It a matter of moments it was Walker who first cracked followed shortly by Chris. Both were nearly doubled over in a fit of laughter clutching their sides. Quinn looked between Haley and the rest of the band trying to figure out what was going on.
Nathan looked to Haley for what to do next. Truth be told he had no idea what the hell just happened.
"Ahhh we're just playing with you man. Seriously, it's nice to meet you and even better to know you're not some pansy ass bitch like the last guy Hales brought around. No hard feelings dude?" Chris responded and then he held his hand out to shake Nathan's again.
"Yeah, we're just looking out for our little Haley who when left to her own devices doesn't always make the best decisions for herself." Walker added with a laugh hoping Nathan wouldn't be uptight and understand they were joking.
Nathan looked at Haley who appeared to be seeing red! Just as he was about to extend his hand again to make peace with her band mates, Haley pushed Nathan aside and delivered a hard smack to the side of Walker's head.
"Ouch!"
"You both are jackasses!" Haley exclaimed just before she punched Chris in his shoulder. Instantly his hand shot up up to his arm in shock of the power behind Haley's punch. She might be little but she was anything but weak.
Nathan stood by and watched the interactions between the band mates but more importantly he studied Haley closely. Then Nathan heard Clay laughing loudly from behind him causing Nathan to turn around.
"Good to know it's not just me. They pulled a similar stunt on me years ago after I started dating Quinn. You've got nothing to be worried about with those two goof balls. It takes a lot to take on the James Sisters, all stuff you'll learn with time." Clay replied knowing it would help break the ice.
Nathan and Clay quickly fell into conversation meanwhile the band continued to banter back and forth about each other's significant others until all was settled. Haley joined Nathan at the food table where Clay had showed him one of the perks of being backstage. Haley selected items from the array that would help boost her energy for the long night ahead of her. The group naturally spread out around the room and conversation continued to flow with much more ease. Quinn glanced at the clock on the wall taking note of the time. She patted Clay's knee and paused for a moment seeking his approval before proceeding. Clay nodded back at her with a reassuring smile.
"Hey guys, I've got some band talk before Peyton gets here or the other press shows up." She paused as she waited to ensure she had everyone's attention.
Haley tried her best to downplay the gigantic smile that was slowly creeping over her face. She was secretly pleased Quinn didn't mind Nathan was present for her announcing.
"Well, I….rather Clay and I wanted you guys to be the first to know…" Quinn started until she was abruptly interrupted.
"Dude, are you guys finally moving in together?" Walker asked with excitement.
"About time!" Chris added.
Haley had tried her best to stifle her laughter but was slowly losing it.
"No that's not it." Quinn answered pausing again to get herself back on track for her big reveal.
"Clay did you pop the question?" Walker asked more confidently this time around.
Clay steadied Quinn simply by placing his hand on back. It was time he took the lead on this nonsense.
"Seriously are you guys sharing one brain?" Clay asked looking at both men in question.
Finally the silence Quinn had been waiting for and she was fully intent on taking advantage of her moment.
"I'm pregnant!"
Haley found humor in watching Walker's jaw drop and a twinkle show in Chris' eyes.
"So it was you all along!" Chris exclaimed proudly.
Quinn nodded as Chris approached giving her a bear hug. Walker was soon to follow congratulating Clay as well. Chris briefly explained his detective skills or rather lack thereof to the group. Nathan did raise an eyebrow when Chris got to the portion of the story about Haley's change in behavior on tour, being more tired, and losing weight. So he hadn't been imagining things. Something he intended to look into further in the next few days he vowed silently to himself. He looked over at the beverage table and was on his feet within seconds.
"I'd say this calls for a toast what do you say guys? There's some Sprite here Quinn you can drink." Nathan offered holding up a can of Sprite and a bottle of Tequila in the other hand.
Nathan poured everyone a shot and a special one for Quinn as they all gathered around the table.
"To my sister and her baby daddy Clay!" Haley declared as she raised her cup.
"Cheers"
Everyone tossed back their shots and agreed to keep the news to themselves a little while longer. Quinn wanted to wait a few more weeks before informing the label as well as Peyton. Nathan pulled his phone out of his pocket after feeling it vibrate. He read the text message from Parker signaling he would be arriving soon. He headed out for a bit to meet Parker and Tanya before bringing them backstage. Haley took the opportunity to warm up her vocals a bit with Chris until Peyton arrived.
Peyton checked in with the band as well as made a point to review their current working set list. She made a point to compliment the band on the changes they had made as a group since the last time she joined them on tour. Haley and Chris had written a few "break up" type songs per Peyton's request but also a few others that seemed to naturally just come together once they started writing with one another. A few reporters from the local newspaper followed Peyton into the dressing room and conducted a brief interview and photo opt before they were ushered out. Peyton exited just as Nathan and his guests headed down the same hallway.
'Talk about impeccable timing' Nathan thought to himself as he walked past Peyton.
Meanwhile inside the dressing room..
"So Hales, you were totally right about Peyton and her buying the set list you made." Chris said to Haley once Peyton left.
Haley smiled to herself feeling rather pleased about the small glimmer of control she had over her current situation. She had every intention of playing the songs she wanted to tonight in front of Nathan. The rest of the band backed her up 100% no questions asked when she proposed her idea.
"You still want to debut "New" tonight?" Chris asked as he pointed at the set list which listed a slot a quarter of the way down the list titled NEW. It wasn't her fault Peyton assumed it was one of the new requested songs they'd been working on.
Just then Nathan walked into the room with Parker and Tanya right behind him. Haley greeted him with a big smile and said "You bet I'm gonna sing it tonight."
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