Authors Note: PLEASE do not hate me for this chapter guys, I had it pre-written back when I was in school and it was just easier for me to just go ahead and publish it. I hope I do not lose readers because of it but trust me and stick with me because NALEY is going to have very happy things coming their way I PROMISE. I am actually in the midst of writing their wedding chapter right now JIf you guys have any ideas for a first dance song, please share them with me! I love you guys and please stick with me through this, it will get better I promise you all that xoxo Samantha.

Chapter 27: I'll Stand By You

Thanksgiving, 2016

Thanksgiving had arrived and Haley was in a frantic trying to get everything together in the kitchen, cursing herself for offering to have her friends and Nathan's parents over at their apartment for dinner. They just didn't have the space but it felt like the right thing to do because this was their first Thanksgiving in their own home, and Haley wanted so badly to show it off to everyone she loved. She had been cooking all night, which didn't help with the fact that she was absolutely exhausted and had been experiencing serious cramping for a while now. But of course, being as stubborn as she was, she just kept pushing it aside and telling herself that it was normal to experience this. Nathan on the other hand, disagreed and basically begged Haley to go see the doctor and she finally agreed to go on the Monday following the holiday. For right now though, she was focused on getting the meal ready and making sure not to burn the turkey.

"Remind me why we thought hosting it at our little apartment was a good idea?" Nathan said, as he emerged from the bedroom, dressed in a towel. His body was wet from the shower he had just taken and Haley had to resist the urge to attack him.

"I stupidly thought it would be a great idea since this is our first big holiday in our own home. I don't know how we are going to fit everyone at the table though." Haley couldn't worry about that now when she had other things to focus on.

"I mean, people could just eat on the couch. It's in the same area as the table." Nathan seemed to not be nearly as concerned as she was about their situation and his easy going attitude made her feel a little more at ease.

"Yeah, I guess. I mean we are all together one way or another and that's all that matters."

Before they could continue with the conversation, Brooke, Lucas, Keith, Karen and Lily all entered the house, each bringing some sort of dish with them. They all made their rounds in saying hello and helped set up the kitchen.

Lucas approached Nathan and gave him a look in which Nathan nodded to.

"I guess we should get this over with then huh?" Nathan asked as Lucas agreed. "Hales, we will be right back. We have to take care of some.. Unfinished business." They left.

"What was that all about?" Brooke asked, as she picked up Keith out of the carrier and held him in her arms, bouncing him and making him giggle.

"No idea. Nathan said something about him and Lucas needing to take care of something but wouldn't tell me what." She shrugged, going back into the oven to baste the turkey.

"Do you think it involves Dan?" Karen asked, as she began to set up the makeshift table they had with Lily assisting her.

"I sure hope not. From what Luke told me, they were finished with Dan." Brooke answered; ignoring the look that Karen gave her knowing that there was more to the story than Brooke was willing to believe.

- Friends First then Love -

"Remind me again why this is a good idea. He's done nothing for us. He's dead to me Luke." Nathan grumbled as he slammed the passenger door shut of Lucas's car and got out, heading towards the prison's doors.

"Just to rub it in his face that we are better off without him, and to wish him a wonderful holiday locked up behind bars. Thanksgiving is his favorite, isn't it?"

"Yeah. He thinks it's the best holiday out there and none of the others matter. Wow, this is cruel. I like it." Nathan opened the door and let Lucas walk in before them. They passed through security and waited in the room for Dan, separated by a telephone and glass. Nathan was the one with the telephone first, and he could feel his hand shaking from the nerves building up inside him.

Dan came in, surrounded by two security guards and stared back at Nathan as he picked up the phone.

"Hello son."

"Dan. Happy Thanksgiving."

"Thanks but why are you here? I know you both didn't come here just to wish your old man a happy holiday. Let's not beat around the bush."

"Just wanted to show you how good we are doing without you. I'm getting married in two weeks and Haley's pregnant. Not that you would give a damn about either of those things since you hate her but I thought you should know that you'll never get to know your grandchild." Nathan stood up, handing the phone to Lucas. He couldn't do it. He couldn't face Dan and frankly, he didn't want to. It was Thanksgiving and he didn't want to let his father's pathetic face ruin the cheer of the holiday season.

Lucas sat down and picked the phone up.

"Are you happy Dan? Do you think that by turning yourself in that we would magically forgive you and want to spend time with you? Because if that was your motive, you're wasting your time." Lucas spat out, squinting at Dan with a cold hard stare.

"That wasn't my intention."

"Bullshit. Don't try to tell me that Dan Scott suddenly has a heart and feels bad for killing his own brother and an innocent musician who didn't do a damn thing to him. No, Dan Scott isn't capable of feeling any type of emotion."

"Lucas, let me explain please."

"NO Dan. You had your chance to do that a long time ago, and you blew it and now you have to live with the consequences of your actions. I hope you have a wonderful holiday in this cell because this is what you deserve. You are dead to us, to my son and to Nathan's child so don't think that serving time is going to magically change that because it won't Dan, it just won't."

- Friends First then Love -

Haley stopped what she was doing and held to her stomach. The cramps were back again and they were bad.

"Tutor girl, are you alright?" Brooke asked, as she put Keith down in his carrier and walked towards Haley. Haley's face seemed to lose it's color. She just shook her head and then she dropped and everything went black.

"Oh my god Haley! Brooke, we have to get her to the hospital. It could be the baby!" Karen exclaimed, as she frantically ran over to Haley. Brooke froze. This wasn't happening, it couldn't be. The horror on her face increased when she saw blood on the floor. "Oh my god Brooke, we have to go now! Call Nathan!"

Back at the prison, Nathan's phone continuously rang as he excused himself while Lucas was yelling at Dan. Something was wrong.

"Hello?"

"Nate, it's me! You need to get here quick, something happened to Haley!" Brooke's voice was full of panic and he felt his stomach drop. It seemed like his life was a series of one bad thing after another and he couldn't catch a break.

"Brooke, what do you mean? Is she okay?"

"I.. .I don't know. Just get to the hospital as fast as you can!" She didn't have to say that twice.

- Friends First then Love -

Nathan was pacing. Haley was still in with the doctors and he couldn't help but shake this bad feeling he had in the pit of his stomach. He was relived when he finally saw her doctor approach him, with a solemn look on his face.

"Is she okay!? Is the baby okay!?" He asked, taking a deep breath as he waited for what the doctor had to say.

"You should come with me Mr. Scott. Maybe it's better if I tell you both together." They walked into the room where Haley laid, and she weakly smiled at him when he entered. He ran to her bedside, kissing her forehead and grabbing her hand in his.

"So, what's going on?" Haley asked, squeezing Nathan's hand as she spoke.

"I'm not sure how to tell you both this but it seems you had a miscarriage Ms. James, I'm sorry."

"What? What do you mean? She was taking all her vitamins and eating healthy." Nathan said as he heard Haley begin to cry. His heart broke. He had to be strong for her and for them.

"You see Ms. James, your body isn't able to adapt to the demands of a pregnancy so your body ultimately rejected it. Quite frankly, you weren't suppose to be able to get pregnant at all."

"What? Are you saying I can't have children?" Haley's voice broke out through her silent sobs. Nathan's heart broke even more hearing her voice.

"Yes and no. You have the ability to get pregnant Ms. James but it's rare for you to and it requires very high demands on your body. Higher demands than most pregnant women experience, so in turn, it makes the pregnancy a potential risk to you and the baby. I'm very sorry to be telling you this, since you are so young. But I will let you two be alone for a little, and I'll come back to check on you in a little bit." As soon as he left the room, Haley began to sob. Nathan could feel the tears forming in his eyes too but he held it together. He had to, for Haley. He pulled her into an embrace as she cried into him and he felt his heart break fully.

"Shhh Hales, it'll be okay baby. We will get through this. I promise you."

One Week Later ….

It was a week until the wedding and Nathan could tell that Haley was still depressed, and quite frankly, he didn't blame her. They finally had been accepting of the pregnancy and were beginning to get excited when all of this began to happen. Haley cried, a lot. And when she wasn't crying she was ignoring all of her emotions and was just passing through the days. What she didn't know was that Nathan had been crying too, but in places where she wouldn't see him. He had to be there for her, and he couldn't let her see that he was being torn apart on the inside just as much as she was.

Their friends and family had been coming by a lot more, and making that long drive to comfort Haley. It seemed to be working for a little, but then Haley went back to square one. Nathan felt hopeless, he didn't know how to help her.

"Hales, please talk to me. I know your heart is broken right now, and so is mine, but we need to talk about it. It's the only way to get through this especially if we are getting married next week. Please talk to me." Nathan begged. Haley looked over him and wiped her eyes, her face scrunching up.

"Nathan, I can't fucking have kids, just stop! I don't want to talk about!" Haley yelled. Her and Nathan had been fighting about this since the news of the miscarriage because he just wanted to help her but she didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want to talk about it because if she did, it would make it become more real and she wasn't ready for that. She was depressed about losing this precious little baby and was pissed that Nathan kept bringing the subject up. Not to mention, this was also effecting her performance in school and she was pulling teeth just to pass the semester.

"Don't say that Haley. You heard the doctor say that you can still have kids, it's just harder to conceive. How do you know you can't have them at all?!"

"Oh, cause it worked out so well the first time Nathan!"

"Haley, we can keep trying! The doctor said this was normal for young women who get pregnant for the first time. Where is that stubborn Haley that I love?"

"Just stop."

"Why Hales? Because you know I'm right? I know how you feel Haley but come on."

"You're so arrogant! You DON'T know how it feels to lose a child Nathan! I had a baby growing INSIDE of me and I lost it! How can you begin to tell me that you know what it feels like?!" Her words stung.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now? I may not have had the child growing inside of me but that was MY child too Haley! MY sperm!"

"Oh of course, Mr. Hot Shot Nathan Scott HAS to make EVERYTHING about him!"

"What?! Hales, where did that come from? You need to calm down, I know you're upset but taking it out on me isn't going to make it better."

"Get out." She pointed to the apartment door.

"What?! No! This is my place too Haley!"

"Then get used to the couch because that's ALL your getting. Your sperm did this to me. YOU caused this pain." Nathan wanted to cry at her last words. He knew she didn't mean it but they still stung.

"Haley, stop! You're just saying this because you're hurt and you're taking it out on me which isn't fair. This was my baby too and I loved it just as much as you did Hales. Please stop shutting me out baby and let me help you get through this! I know you've been crying and your heart is breaking but so is mine! I lock myself in the bathroom sometimes so that I can cry and so you won't see me. I'm trying to hold it together for you baby, but you pushing away doesn't help. I can't get through this without you Haley. We need each other to get through this and we WILL get through this, I promise you. I know it doesn't seem like it now, but we will. And one day, we will have a baby. I will give you a family Haley James, if it's the last thing that I do." Nathan pleaded, praying that he could finally get through to her. She looked at him and shook her head as tears began to fall down her cheeks. She turned around and walked away, slamming the bedroom door behind her and sinking down into a fetal position, holding her stomach as she cried. She cried for this baby, she cried for Nathan, and she cried because her heart was actually broken this time.

Nathan began to cry a little as well, and he headed over to the bedroom door and sank down to the floor on the other side. He heard her cries but he was going to show her that they were going to beat this. They were Haley and Nathan for God sakes and they could survive anything.

They stayed like that for a few hours, until Karen showed up. Nathan got up and hugged her, pointing to the bedroom door where Haley currently resided. Karen nodded and pushed open the door to find Haley sitting on the floor still, staring into space. Nathan came over and sat down next to her, as he grabbed her hand. This time, she didn't protest.

"Oh Haley. I'm so sorry this has happened to you hunny but we have to get past this and move on and that requires getting you up and moving." Karen pulled Haley up, Nathan still remaining next to her.

"I don't want to."

"I know sweetheart but you have to. Where is that girl that I have watched grow up into an amazing young woman? Where is her incredible strength and stubbornness? What happened to you was awful, and no woman should have to experience that but it only makes us stronger, I promise you that. I haven't shared this with anyone but I actually miscarried before I had Lily. We didn't tell anyone because it was too painful, and I had lost hope. But Keith told me that it would get better, that pain I felt would go away. And I didn't believe him at first but through his love and caring heart, I got through it and so will you. You have Nathan, who loves you more than anyone in this world and you have myself and Lucas and Brooke. We all love you Haley, and we all want to be there for you and help you through this. I know that pain you feel Haley, I do. But you can't give up and you certainly can't let this defeat you. You are far too young. Besides, I know that one day you will have a child and you will love that child more than anything in this world. Your time will come but you have to allow yourself to heal and the best way for you to do that is to let us help you." Karen said, as she rubbed Haley's back. Nathan squeezed her hand tighter and kissed her cheek.

"Yeah baby. We will get through this okay? We have been through hell and back and this is just another bump in the road on our journey together. We are Haley and Nathan, and we can survive anything that comes our way Hales, even this." She smiled at him and then at Karen.

"Thank you." She whispered as she hugged them both. For the first time she felt like she might be okay. Karen was right. She needed to lean on her friends and family for support and stop moping around the house. It wasn't going to help her and she had to remind herself to keep pushing through. Her time would come, she was sure of it.

- Friends First then Love -

Later that night, Haley and Nathan had gone out to eat with all of their friends and Haley felt herself laugh for the first time since the miscarriage. She felt that she might just end up being okay.

As her and Nathan headed home, she grabbed his hand as he drove them home and gave it a little squeeze. He looked at her and smiled, the love shining through his eyes as he looked at her.

"Thank you Nathan."

"For what?"

"For not giving up. I have been pretty mean to you this past week and that's not fair to you. I should have known that you would be hurt too but I was so caught up in what happened that I lost sight of that and I'm sorry. Thank you for still standing by my side and reminding me that we will get through this. I needed to hear that."

"Always baby. I am always going to be here for you Haley and love you no matter what. And we will get through this because you are the strongest person that I know. I love you Hales, always and forever and I can't wait to marry you next week."

** Author's note: I hope this ended up turning out a little better for you guys. The bachelorette chapter will be mixed in with the wedding chapter, which will be the next one and it will be a longer chapter so please be patient and send in those song suggestions! I love you all, thanks for the never ending support.

*** Spoiler Alert: Haley will get pregnant again, and it will be successful. I just can't tell you when J