"You want me to do what?" Nathan asked incredulously, as he placed his books in his lockers.
"Please," Haley begged. "Would it be the end of the world?"
"Yes it would," Nathan insisted as he shut his locker door. "I've successfully avoided your father for five weeks, what makes you think it would be such a great idea to have dinner with him?"
"It wouldn't be just him," Haley added. "It would be with my mom, my brothers and sisters, and their kids. I would say Julian too, but it's his weekly date night with Brooke."
Since Haley found out she was pregnant, her mother spent weeks calling her five other children to inform them of the news. Lydia had been wanting them to come out to Tree Hill for some time since they were scattered across the country. Haley's pregnancy gave them the perfect opportunity for a visit. This weekend marked the weekend that the James' would be all under one roof again.
Haley suggested the idea of being Nathan attending to her mother. Lydia thought it was a wonderful and great idea to get him to know their family better. Of course, this was her and Haley's little secret. Jimmy would not be too thrilled having Nathan in the same house as him.
"Is your house even big enough for that," Nathan joked.
"Ha ha, very funny," Haley commented.
Nathan looked down at Haley and smiled at the slight swell in her stomach. Last week, she'd come into school excited because she was finally showing. Since then she'd been wearing tighter clothes that accentuated her tiny bump. Nathan was ecstatic knowing that their baby was growing. The bigger her belly got, the more Nathan hoped for a boy.
"How's our baby doing?" Nathan asked.
"Seeing as my morning sickness finally subsided, I would say the baby's doing good. You have no idea how glad I am to be out of the first trimester," Haley said, rubbing her belly. Saturday marked her twelfth week pregnant.
"In just two weeks, we can stop calling the baby, the baby." Nathan rested his hand atop Haley's stomach, which he'd grown more comfortable doing in the passing weeks. She was startled at first when he begun doing it, but had no complaints as she welcomed the warmth of his hands over her bump. Haley found the act endearing. "And we can finally start thinking of names for our son."
"Maybe." Nothing was guaranteed. Dr. Blake said it was a possibility that they would find out the gender in two weeks, but if the baby wasn't in a good position they would have to hold off. By sixteen weeks they would know the gender for sure. "It could always be a girl."
"Impossible." They danced around that topic for weeks. Every day Nathan became more and more stalwart that the baby they were having was a boy.
"Well, in just four weeks, you'll be a state champ." The Ravens worked their butts off the entire season and were rewarded by making it into the playoffs. All the Ravens had to do was win the rest of the games and they were set to play and potentially win the championship.
"Maybe." Nathan didn't want to jinx it by thinking about the state championship. Right now, his focus was on the baby.
"And you know what happens after that?" Nathan shrugged. "The next five months fly by, I'll have your complete and utter attention, and we'll be holding our baby."
"Yeah," Nathan said faking a smile. He was looking forward to the birth of his child. There was just one thing that had evaded talking about. He still had to tell Haley about High Flyers.
"Nate, what are you doing here?" Lucas asked, taking his earbuds out of his ears while having a firm grip on his basketball. Days like today, when he didn't have practice, Lucas went down to the River Court by himself to shoot a few hoops. "Haley's over at the café."
"I know, I'm supposed to meet her there," Nathan explained, walking out onto the River Court to talk to Lucas. "I need your advice."
Since that day Haley drug Nathan out onto the River Court, Nathan had made a real effort to get along with her friends for the baby's sake. He had to admit that they weren't that bad to be around once he got to know them. Skills had game. Mouth was funny. Julian was protective. Brooke and Peyton were still the Brooke and Peyton he knew. And Lucas was starting to act like his brother.
On the court, him and Lucas decided to put their rivalry on pause. They started to work as a team in practice and games which could be the sole reasoning behind the Ravens recent winning streak. The boys still were not the best of friends, but they were getting past their differences. They teased each other, but it wasn't harsh jabs like before. It was more playful and less offensive. No harm was actually being done.
"On what?" Lucas questioned.
"Haley invited me to a family dinner tonight," Nathan explained. Lucas didn't see how that was too bad. Sure Jimmy despised him, but Lydia was always warm and welcoming. She at least seemed to take a liking to him. "With the entire family."
"So you're meeting the infamous James' clan," Lucas grinned. Boy was Nathan in for it. "Don't worry, little bro, they're not going to eat you alive. At least not all. I'm sure Matt and Tyler will team up on you and give you hell. Quinn and Vivian are probably the nicest out of the bunch. Stick with them and you'll be fine. Then there's Taylor. Just a warning, she might try to steal you for yourself."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Nathan admitted. Though the rest of Haley's family was intimidating, Nathan feared running into Taylor the most. He hoped to God that Haley remembered his admission the night at the beach house. Nathan didn't want to remind her that he lost his virginity to her sister. It would be even more awkward since the two of them were having a baby together.
"They aren't that bad." He'd met all the James' once when he was in elementary school. Lucas had no clue how Jimmy and Lydia managed that many kids. Their house was always so hectic when all six kids were home.
Aside from that one time, Lucas never really hung out with them. Since Haley was the youngest of six, she had quite the age gap from her older siblings. Taylor was the closest to his and Haley's age, but she was still three years older than them.
"Just a second, Luke," Nathan said. He heard his cell ring and saw Haley's name go across his phone. "Hey Hales, what's up...do we have to go...I know, but...alright, I'll be there in fifteen, see you soon."
"Haley?" Lucas mused.
"Yeah, I have to go. Haley wants me to pick her up from the café," Nathan explained.
"She sure has you wrapped around her finger," Lucas commented. It seemed like whenever Haley called, Nathan dropped everything around him to cater to her.
"We're having a baby." It was Nathan's go to excuse, but it was wearing thin on his new found friends.
Lucas and the others had picked up on a shift in Nathan's behavior. His bad boy, player image had shed the moment he stepped up to the plate. He was answering Haley's every beck and call. And the gazes he gave Haley indicated that there was more beneath the surface.
"Whatever you say."
"Mom!" Haley called out, throwing her jacket on the banister. "We're home!"
Nathan took in the James' home. It was smaller than his which was surprising since eight people lived there at one point, only three lived in his. The house was also a mess. Shoes scattered across the floor while children's toys were thrown here and there.
"In the kitchen!" Lydia yelled.
Haley grabbed Nathan's hand as led him through the house, trying to dodge her overprotective father and brothers.
"Aunt Haley!" The kids cheered, running at full speed to tackle their aunt.
Nathan held Haley steady to prevent her from falling. She'd been healthy for the past five weeks, he didn't want anything or anyone to injury her since she was carrying precious cargo.
"Hey, be careful! I have a baby in growing in here," Haley scolded kindly, as she pointed her baby bump out to her nieces and nephews. "Anyway I have someone you guys should meet." Haley pulled Nathan to her side. "Kids, this is Nathan."
"Is Nathan your boyfriend?" Lila, the youngest of the bunch, asked.
"No, he's the baby daddy," Jack, one half of the oldest of the kids, explained.
"What's baby daddy?" Maggie questioned, fixing her glasses which had become askew from charging at Haley.
"It mean's they're not together but still having a baby," Tanner, Jack's twin brother, said.
"Why would they have a baby if they're not together?" Connor asked.
"Does that mean they don't love each other?" Tessa asked, in the verge of tears. It didn't make sense to her. Her mommy told her that married couples, who were in love, had babies.
Nathan watched as the kids bickered back and forth. Very perceptive for their age. They seemed to have him and Haley all figured out. Obviously the twin boys had heard their parents talking about the situation.
A woman, about ten years older than Haley, came storming out of the kitchen to apologize. Nathan figured she must be Haley's oldest sister. They shared the same eyes and the same honey-blonde hair. "Haley, I'm so sorry. I told Matt and Tyler to talk to their kids, but they either purposely forgot or the kids didn't listen. Either way, both sound like viable options," Vivian rambled.
"It's okay Viv," Haley said, trying to calm down her sister. "Anyways, it was yours who started it."
"Lila? Really? I'll talk to her later," Vivian said. Lila was well behaved, but was also three. She liked to speak her mind a lot. "So Hales, when are you going to introduce me to your friend."
"Right, Viv this is Nathan. Nathan this is my older sister Vivian," Haley introduced. Nathan shook Vivian's hand and smiled at her, hoping to make a good first impression. "Her husband's Richard. He should be around here somewhere. And the cute little girl over there is their daughter, Lila. She's the baby of the family."
"Not for long," Vivian teased, eyeing Haley's stomach. "Look at your little belly. You already have a bump. I can't believe it."
"Neither can I," Haley admitted, resting her hands atop her belly. The bump happened in an instant. She remembered that one day last week, she just turned to look in the mirror one day and there it was. It wasn't anything big, but for her petite figure it was noticeable enough.
"I'm going to find Alyssa and Rebecca, they have to see this," Vivian squealed, on a mission to find her sister-in-laws.
"Alyssa and Rebecca?" Nathan questioned at the unfamiliar names. He didn't remember Haley mentioning them.
"Matt and Tyler's wives," Haley explained, clearing up Nathan's confusion. She knew she should have given him a more detailed rundown. "Matt's my oldest brother. He has three kids with Alyssa: the twins, Jack and Tanner, and Tessa. Tyler and Rebecca have Connor and Maggie."
All these names went in his ear and out the other. There were so many people to remember.
"You must be Nathan," Quinn interjected. She had to see Nathan for herself after Vivian started yapping about him in the kitchen. "I'm Quinn, probably, the most normal person you'll meet today aside from Viv. Just to warn you, Haley, Matt and Tyler have their shotguns in the car. They're talking to Dad right now. Richard's mediating."
"She isn't serious is she?" Nathan asked, somewhat nervous. He heard Matt and Tyler to be protective of their littlest sister which set Nathan on edge. He was sure Jimmy wasn't telling them anything good about him.
"Quinnie, why'd you tell him that?" Haley begged. She didn't put this behavior past her brothers. Nathan was already nervous enough about meeting her family; she didn't want to give him more of a reason to keep avoiding her family.
"Just preparing him," Quinn said. "You play basketball right?" Nathan nodded. "From what Haley says, you're pretty good. My boyfriend just got hired at a sports agency. If you're looking to go pro, give him a call. Here's his business card."
Nathan examined the card. He never thought of getting an agent so soon and it being through Haley. With so many people in her family, they had to have many connections.
Though it was an amazing opportunity, his dad would flip. Getting an agent in high school was not part of the plan. However, neither was impregnating Haley and his father didn't take lightly to that.
Quinn's boyfriend, Clay Evans, seemed to be legit. He was young, just fresh out of college it seemed, which his father would use against Nathan as young equalled inexperienced in Dan's eyes.
"I will," Nathan smiled.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Quinn said turning to Haley. "Mom wanted you in the kitchen."
Haley groaned. She loved her mother, but didn't want to leave Nathan alone. Her father and brothers would eat him alive. If not them first, then it would be her nieces and nephews. "Think you can handle yourself out here without me, hotshot?" Haley asked.
No was Nathan's immediate gut response. Even though Matt, Tyler, and Jimmy were not in the room to ridicule him, he knew he would not be able to escape the kids and their plethora of questions. Nathan was afraid to say the wrong thing. He didn't know what the kids had heard prior to his arrival.
"Of course," Nathan lied, putting on his fakest smile which Haley saw right through.
"I'll be right back," Haley promised, rubbing his arm in support before leaving Nathan in the living room with her nieces and nephews. "What do you want mom?"
Quinn ran past Haley and closed the kitchen door behind them for privacy. Haley didn't expect so many people to be crowded in her tiny kitchen. Aside from her mother, Quinn, and her, Vivian, Taylor, Alyssa, and Rebecca were there as well. All had eager expressions on their faces.
"When were you going to tell us that the guy who got you pregnant was so hot?" Vivian implored. Nathan was a bit young for her and she was married with a daughter, but Vivian had eyes. If she was in high school, she definitely would have made a move on him. "I mean, the sex has to be off the charts."
Leave it to Vivian to want to know every intimate detail of her sister's life. "I'm pregnant, I think that's pretty self explanatory," Haley replied.
"No, I'm talking about the pregnancy sex. It's the best part of being pregnant. Your hormones are already so high and every time Richard would-" Vivian explained.
"Please stop," Haley intervened. She did not want to hear about her older sister's sex life. Haley heard enough from Taylor freshman year that it permanently scarred her for life "If not for my sake, then at least for mom's."
"I remember when I slept with Nathan senior year," Taylor commented. The James' women's eyes bulged out of their heads, unaware of the information. Haley, however, acted unaffected. It was no secret between her and Nathan, but the fact it happened hurt more than Haley would like to admit. "Don't look so surprised. He was a freshman. I taught him everything he knows."
Haley hated the fact that Taylor slept with Nathan. He was her child's father and he slept with her older sister three years ago. She feared that she'd never measure up to Taylor and that Nathan had compared her to Taylor. Haley was so inexperienced during her one night with Nathan. She hoped it wasn't horrible for him.
"Except proper condom use," Quinn teased, knowing that is how her baby sister found herself in that exact situation.
"I taught him to," Taylor insisted. "It was so cute seeing him fumble around with it. I had to help him out eventually." Haley wished to get that mental image out of her head. "Maybe he forgot because Saint Haley was a little too eager to lose her v-card. I mean three rounds your first time. I never would have guessed."
"What are you talking about?" Haley asked. She didn't even tell her mother the exact number of times they went at it. All it took was one of those times for her baby to be conceived. How would Taylor know the specifics?
"Morgan's sister is on the cheer team. She saw the tape and videoed part of it for me. Who knew you were so dirty Haley. I'm impressed," Taylor said. She knew her sister's good girl image would crack eventually, but hadn't expected one wild night with Nathan Scott to do here in.
"Haley," Nathan said barging into the kitchen. "Sorry to interrupt, but I kind of need some help out here." He was being bombarded by kids, who were trying to tackle him, while her brothers and father were making not so subtle comments at his expense. He needed backup. The only one that could effectively protect him was Haley.
Haley was happy that Nathan came to her rescue. She needed to get out of that increasingly awkward conversation. She would much rather prefer to deal with her brothers than her sisters.
"Sorry, guys, but seems like I'm needed elsewhere."
"They weren't that bad," Nathan admitted as Haley walked him out to his car.
"You don't need to lie," Haley insisted. She knew her family was a lot to deal with and could be overbearing at times. Her father and brothers didn't make it any easier on him.
"Once you grabbed Matt and Tyler by the ears, it wasn't so bad," Nathan laughed.
When he called Haley out of the kitchen, Haley made a b-line for her brothers. She took them both by the ears simultaneously and scolded them with a warning. She made it clear that if they said or did anything to Nathan, they would have to deal with her. She was scary as is before she was pregnant. Haley was a whole lot scarier after the fact.
Haley laughed along with Nathan at memory, but Vivian's words still replayed in her head. Maybe it was the hormones like Vivian said or it was the fact that she wanted to be better than Taylor while with Nathan, but Haley could not help to notice how good he looked.
Before her pregnancy, Haley wasn't blind. Nathan was a very attractive guy at school. Muscular arms, a six pack, gorgeous blue eyes, and dark raven hair was all it took for Haley to be sucked in. The only reason she didn't act on her impulses was because of Lucas and Nathan's playboy reputation.
The one time she did act on impulse resulted in her pregnancy.
And though it was a rough start between the two, Haley was content with where her and Nathan were currently. She could say with confidence that they were friends and that Nathan was a doting father. He was always going out of his way to help with her and the baby.
She wouldn't want to jeopardize that relationship by adding a physical element. It's not like they hadn't done it before. The only difference is that unlike the first time, Haley was slowly falling for her child's father. If they did engage in a physical relationship, then she wanted to know that there would be more. She wanted to see a future with him where he was more than just her baby's father, but would Nathan want all that?
"What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?" Nathan asked. He noticed Haley zoning out on him. She only got that way when something was bothering her. Since spending so many weeks with Haley, he was able to pick up on little traits like that.
"It's just something Vivian said," Haley explained.
"Care to share with the class Miss James?" Nathan mused.
"Not tonight," Haley said. She needed time to think and Nathan being there was not helping matters. Haley stood on her tippy toes and leaned over to give Nathan a parting kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight, Nathan."