Going to the Chapel

By Brynne

Part 1

“Only a week to go now,” I tell Nathan, moving up behind him. “Getting cold feet yet, or are we still going through with this?”

“We are definitely going through with this,” he smirks knowingly at me, clasping his arms over mine when I wrap them around his waist.

“That is exactly what I wanted to hear,” I smile, laying my cheek against the bare skin of his shoulder. “You smell good.”

“I know,” he brags, his skin vibrating with laughter. It’s probably conceited to even think this, but since we got engaged, Nathan has been happier and more carefree than I’ve ever seen him. I like to congratulate myself for that feat.

“I’m getting excited,” I admit, “And a little nervous. This whole thing has gotten so huge that I’m just freaking out that something might go wrong, you know?”

“Like what?” he chuckles.

“I don’t know, like one of the cakes is the wrong color, or the florist decorates the seats in the aisles in those stupid wispy tulips that she keeps trying to push on me instead of the peonies I wanted, or my dress doesn’t fit because I’m getting fat, or what if someone trips and falls on their way down the aisle because the fabric bunches or something, or – “

“Oh, my God, stop it, Haley!” he fairly shouts at me. It looks like he’s fighting the urge to cover his ears with his hands. He pulls out of my embrace, turning to look at me. “Does it matter?”

“Well, yeah, of course it – “

“No, hey, see it doesn’t! I just want to have this wedding with you, for all our friends to see, Haley. I’d do it today in an outhouse that stank to high heaven if that’s what it took. The other stuff, yeah, I know you want it all to be perfect, and so do I, but if something isn’t, then it won’t matter.”

I sigh, the stress that had been welling up in me instantly deflating. “You’re right, of course. And I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m getting so uptight about this.”

“Because we’ve spent almost a year planning for one day?” he chuckles, letting me step into the circle of his arms, “It’s going to be okay. Rain, shine, snow, or wind, it’ll be fine. Because it’s us, and we’re getting married, and that’s all I care about.”

“When did aliens invade town and snatch your brain?” I ask teasingly, “No offense, babe, but you aren’t frequently the voice of reason.”

“Just makes it that much more meaningful when I am,” he shrugs, pulling me closer, “One week, Hales.”

“I know,” I grin, “I can’t wait.”

And I really can’t.

~*~

“Good morning, future Mrs. Scott,” Nathan greets me as I try to pull the covers over my head and go back to sleep. He won’t let me, though, tugging them down and bending over to give me a kiss.

“Good morning to you, fiancé,” I finally greet nicely.

“That has a nice ring to it,” he smiles, rolling onto his back to lie beside me, “It’s been three months now, when are we going to start planning things?”

“Well, we can plan as soon as we get settled. We’ve got a lot coming up the next month or so. There’s the draft–“

“No, don’t say it,” he interrupts, “You’ll, I don’t know, jinx it or something.”

“Aw, Nathan Scott is superstitious, that’s so cute,” I coo at him, rolling on my side to smile down at him, pissing him off by pinching his cheeks like a grandma would as I laugh at him. “So very cute you are.”

“You’re a brat,” he grumbles, “Why am I marrying you again?”

“For my money?” I laugh.

“Yeah, I’m after your pocket change,” he laughs, too, “You who borrowed money from me to be able to get a damn coffee.”

I shrug, turning the subject back to the draft. After the awesome game the night he proposed, he continued to play at the top of his game throughout the tournament, and scouts have been hanging around since. He doesn’t like to talk about it, and he constantly downplays it, but I know he’s kind of excited about it.

“So, about the draft, I was thinking we should go to that party Mac is throwing and watch with the rest of the guys. I know it’s a couple weeks away, and we don’t have to decide now, but I’m sure you’d like to watch with friends, right?”

He shakes his head. “No way, just you and me, baby. That way, if, you know, things don’t go like they’re looking to go now, then it’s just us.”

“Yeah, of course, Nathan, whatever you want,” I agree, knowing that this is one thing that is all about him, and that he’s nervous and I need to respect his boundaries, “You are going to that scouting game this weekend, right?”

He shrugs. “I’d rather stay here with you.”

“Nathan, I love you for that, but come on, this is your future we’re talking about here,” I sigh, “You should go. You’re a good player, and you love playing. If you have a shot to show everyone else how great you are, then you should take that shot. I want that for you, Nathan.”

He leans over and kisses me. “You know that you’re the only one I need to believe in me, right?”

“I know, Nathan. That doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be nice if other people did, too, you know? I’m not trying to pressure you into going or even into playing if you don’t want to, but I do want you to know that I support you one thousand percent in this. In anything.”

“You don’t have to tell me that, babe, some things are just givens.”

“Like you and me?” I tease.

“Exactly like us,” he grins, kissing me on the forehead, “It’s a given that we’ll always be together, even when I leave the toilet seat up for the fourth night in a row, and you really hate me the next morning.”

“Well, that does really piss me off, which I swear is half the reason you do it,” I argue, “But it isn’t a deal breaker by any means.”

“I’ll try and remember to stop doing that,” he promises cutely.

“Don’t lie to me, Nathan Scott, we both know it’ll be up tonight,” I laugh, rolling away from him, “We should get up. It’s eight, already.”

“Shit, I’ve got class at nine,” he groans.

“Yeah, that’s why we should get up,” I point out, “I get first shower.”

He rolls his eyes, motioning towards the bathroom for me. He always lets me have the first shower – it’s just one of the many ways he takes care of me. I’m quick in there this morning knowing that his first class is before mine, and by the time he’s out, I’ve got my hair dried and makeup on, and I’m mostly dressed.

“What in the hell are you wearing?” he asks as he walks out of the shower, towel slung low around his waist. It takes me a minute to process the words he says and words of my own to say whenever he walks around like that.

“Clothes.”

“That is the ugliest shirt like thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Uglier than that one your grandma made that you wore in high school. Uglier than that off the shoulders puke green sweater you wore in the seventh grade. Even uglier than – “

“Oh, my God, I get the point, you hate my shirt!” I laugh, too amused to really be irritated with his distaste in some of my wardrobe. “This is what happens when I go a few weeks without seeing Lucy. You know she keeps me in fashion.”

“Thank God someone does,” he sighs, “Now, you know that when you become an NBA wife – “

“Oh, shit, Nathan!” I squeal, jumping up and down in excitement, “Does that mean you’re going to the scouting game?”

He shrugs. “Well, yeah, I mean, you’re right. Might as well see how this whole thing pans out, right?”

“What brought on this change of heart?” I ask, smiling up at him, “It was my genius words of wisdom, right?”

“You,” he returns, “If I do this, then I can really provide for you, right away, you know? We’d be okay without it, but if I do this, then we can have your dream wedding and get our dream house and dream cars and – “

“No! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO!” I yell, stunning the shit out of him. And myself, too, a bit.

“What? Haley, what’s wrong?”

“Nathan, don’t do it for me, that is all wrong,” I exclaim, not getting the logic behind this man’s thinking sometimes.

“What? I hate to shock you, apparently, but there isn’t much I do these days that isn’t for you.”

“Not this, Nathan, this is a career we’re talking about here! You should definitely be doing what you want, what makes you happy. Money and all that shouldn’t be a consideration, it really shouldn’t. If it were, I wouldn’t be going into social work, right?”

He sighs, catching my hands in his. “Come here,” he orders, “Come sit with me for a second. Look, I know why you don’t like this idea, but come on, Haley – playing basketball isn’t exactly a hardship, and if it means I get to make our lives a little easier, then that’s good, right? I love basketball, you know that.”

I nod. There really isn’t a flaw in his logic. “What about teaching?”

“What about it? It will still be there, you know? That’s not a one shot thing, but playing in the NBA, that is.”

“I just don’t want you to feel like I’m pressuring you one way or another. I just want you to do what makes you happy.”

“Doing you makes me happy.”

“Pervert.”

“You like it.”

“I know.”

~*~

You getting excited?” Luke asks as I wander through the house to find Nathan.

“Can’t sleep, can’t eat, can’t wait,” I confirm reluctantly with a little laugh, “I really am thrilled that we’re down to a week. It’s sort of pathetic, but I feel like I’ve been waiting for this my whole life.”

“You two are both sort of pathetic,” he sighs, sounding depressed. Fucking serves him right, if you ask me. Not that anyone except Peyton did.

“Let me get Nathan for you,” I mutter, not really wanting to talk to him now.

“Hales, come on, I know you’re mad at me for the whole Peyton thing,” he sighs again, now sounding like the pathetic one to me, “Maybe you should hear my part of the story.”

“Yeah, and what more to the story is there than what I’ve already heard, Luke? Jesus, you just left her, you wouldn’t even talk to her. You’re such a dickhead sometimes.”

“Well, this is between Peyton and me, Haley, not you. I know she’s your friend, but I was supposed to be your friend, too. What happened with that? Where’d that go?” he asks, his voice sharp and on edge.

“Luke, I just can’t deal with you right now. You’re still my friend, but Peyton needs me right now, and I’m going to be there for her.” I sigh, shaking my head. I hate this damn situation. “I’m sorry it can’t be different, but…I don’t know, you made your choices, your decisions. I guess you’ll just have to deal.”

“I’m trying!” he explodes, “I’m trying to do right by Peyton now, and I’m trying to do right by this baby!”

“Okay, fine,” I sigh, “But the whole point is that you didn’t do right by her when you were together, and now she doesn’t trust you. And maybe she shouldn’t.”

“I know all that,” he tries again, “And I want to fix it, all of it. She won’t even give me a chance, Hales!”

“I know, Luke, and I’m sorry. Look, here’s Nathan, you should talk to him for awhile before I get selfish and steal him back.”

I put my hand over the mouthpiece of the phone as I approach Nathan. “Tell him I’m not trying to be a bitch, but Peyton needs me now. I can’t do this with him.”

“Haley,” Nathan tries, but I shake my head. “Come on, babe, the wedding is in a week. He’s the best man, and she’s your maid of honor. Maybe we all should be talking about this and at least make is so they won’t kill each other during the ceremony.”

“I don’t know what to say to him right now,” I admit, “Some days I don’t even know what to say to Peyton. And if he’s half as sensitive about it as she is, then I really don’t even want to try.”

He nods, kissing my forehead. “Okay, I’ll talk to him. Those two are going to be such a disaster at the wedding,” he groans, “God, think about it, Haley. She’s nine friggin’ months pregnant, and she wants nothing to do with the father. Who is the best man. Who is my brother and one of your other best friends.”

I nod. “I know, this is just a mess. I know he’s in a bad spot now, but Peyton is in a worse one, and I don’t know what it is, but I’m feeling really protective of her right now, and if that means making sure that Luke treats her at least semi-decently and stays away from her, I’m going to. I guess it’s that big pregnancy belly, right?”

He nods, taking the phone. “I know, Haley, its okay. Luke, he understands. Doesn’t like it, but he gets it.”

He starts talking to Lucas, and I sigh, thinking that Nathan was right when he told me that it doesn’t matter what happens on our wedding day, just that we’re getting married. But Peyton and Luke and all their drama is not going to make things go any better.

Can’t we all just get along? Especially for the big days?

~*~

“You know, if you hurry, we might still make it on time! This is your ceremony, Nathan!” I yell at him, getting irritated with him in that special way that only comes when he’s taking forever and a day in the bathroom.

“I’m coming, we aren’t going to be late.” He doesn’t come out, and I just know he’s probably in there tweaking his hair, trying to get every last strand perfect. I wish I had a stopwatch so I could show him just how long he spends in there some days.

“We’re practically going to be late,” I complain, “Come on, Nathan, your father, brother, and grandparents are all here for this. You need to be there. God, our friends are going to be there, too!”

“And I will,” he assures me, coming out of the bathroom in just his boxers.

“Nathan!” I shriek, “Get dressed! I wasn’t just joking around, you are going to miss your own damn graduation ceremony!”

“Calm down,” he tries soothing me, “I am not going to miss anything. I’ll be out there, you can take your pictures, and it’ll all be fine.”

“Except the part where you have to run out there like an idiot because you can’t be ready on time!” I exclaim in exasperation. Is it too much to ask that for something like this he just be ready on time?

“Haley, it’ll all be fine. And when you give your speech tonight at the center, it will all be fine, then, too,” he smiles, just inherently knowing what I’m really stressing over.

“How do you do that?” I grumble, picking at a piece of lint on the sweater I’m holding as I try to ignore him by moving out of range.

“Just know you, baby.”

“Yeah, you think you’re good, don’t you?” I laugh, kissing him on the cheek, “But Nathan? I swear, I don’t want to be all nagging wife right now, but you have to go. You are so going to be late.”

”So, I guess we don’t have time for this,” he sighs, leaning down to kiss my neck, pushing the strap of my tank top off my shoulder, following its path with his lips.

“No,” I exhale, “Probably not.”

“We could make time,” he suggests, one of his hands sliding around to cup my ass, “I would really rather stay here and make some extra time with you.”

“Naaaa-than,” I drawl out, hissing a puff of breath out when he pulls me flush against him, “Graduation.”

“We can stay here, I’ll wear the cap and gown for you. Just the cap and gown,” he offers, knowing that it’ll tempt me. “We could have some fun with that. You could unzip me, or just lift the gown up, if you’re too impatient.”

“Mmm, you know how to tempt me, but no,” I protest, “Nathan, this is once in a lifetime! You don’t want to miss it.”

He nips at the skin over my collar bone one more time before pulling away. “Fine, you’re right. But you had better be in the mood tonight,” he warns, “Because torturing me and letting me do that and then making me go to graduation is not right.”

I roll my eyes at him. As if I’ve ever not been in the mood for him. “I promise, now let’s go. They probably won’t let you in now.”

He smiles deviously. “If they don’t, we’re coming back here, so maybe you’ll have to get that mood ready a little earlier.”

“I’m sure that could be arranged if necessary,” I laugh as we head out the door. “But Nathan? Only if necessary.”

We part ways once we get to the auditorium, and I find everyone, thankful beyond belief they saved me a seat. It’s by Dan of all people, but it’s better than nothing. And it’s on the aisle, aisles are good. And why am I babbling in my head? Shit.

“Is Nathan excited to graduate?” Brooke questions me from the other side of Dan.

“Oh, yeah, I’m sure he is,” I answer her, which is probably only a half-truth. He’s excited that school is over, but I don’t think the process of graduating is all that important to him, even though he’s happy with his degree. But these people took time to come see him do this, and I’m not going to be the one to burst their bubbles.

“He wanted to stay home?” Dan asks knowingly, quiet enough so I am the only one who hears him as he smiles at me.

I hedge a little, not sure what to say to Dan. Things are…fine between us, and they have been for awhile now, but it isn’t like Nathan would appreciate us having a conversation about why he didn’t want to go to graduation. And I don’t appreciate him mulling over the reasons Nathan might preferred to have stayed home, either.

“I don’t think he sees the ceremony of it all as being as important as knowing he did it,” I suggest, going for diplomacy.

He nods, perhaps understanding. “That’s Nathan for you. When he was six, he refused to go to an awards banquet. He had been voted player of the year for his Little League team. He didn’t want to go to high school graduation either, if I recall. But I don’t think he put up a fight, either. I guess he just doesn’t have an appreciation for the pomp and circumstance.”

I shake my head remembering that day. “Well, there were lots of good parties to go to after that night, so there was more enticement. Now, there are not really any parties, and I doubt he’d want to go if there were.”

Again he nods, but this time he falls silent for a few moments. “How was your ceremony?” he asks politely after awhile.

“It was nice, and I got lucky that it was last night. Better than baking in the sun in one of those robes,” I smile.

“I bet,” he agrees, then changes to a far less neutral subject, especially since Nathan hasn’t spoken much with him about it, “How are the wedding plans coming?”

This is the first time that he’s mentioned the wedding since the night we got engaged, at least as far as I know. Neither Nathan nor I are sure if he’s really happy about it, not even after all this time. Of course, neither of us wants to ask, either.

“They’re coming along alright,” I shrug, “We haven’t really started, though. Just sort of in a pre-planning stage. We want to wait until things are settled, I guess. Wait until we know if we’re working on a teacher and social worker salary or if we’re working on a social work and NBA player salary. There is quite the difference.”

He nods in understanding. “Well, will you have it in Tree Hill?”

“Yeah, that’s what the plan is now,” I smile, “I really don’t think either of us could see doing it somewhere else.”

“Good, good,” he nods, “If you need any help, just let me know, okay? And of course, I’ll insist that you take over the house and have all your friends stay there if necessary. Anything I can do, I’ll be glad to.”

I fight to keep any looks of surprise or shock or horror off of my face since he seems pretty damn sincere in saying this. “Thanks, Dan, we’d really appreciate that, especially having a place to stay when we’re there.”

“Well, he’s my son, and you’re going to be my daughter-in-law, so of course, you two are always welcome there. And you are a part of the family, Haley. You have been for a very long time now. Deb always thought of you as such, you know.”

“Thank you,” I smile at him, pleased to hear that. It isn’t something he had to say, and that he did is actually very touching.

Everyone falls silent as the ceremony begins. It’s long. As long as mine was last night. And I’m really, really glad that they staggered ceremonies by department now, because this could’ve been way longer. We all cheer when Nathan’s name is called, and I actually cry a little. But it is a really nice moment, one I’m thrilled to be a witness to.

We meet up with him afterwards at the restaurant we’ve chosen for an early, celebratory dinner. He holds his arms open for me, smiling indulgently as I jump into them. Behind me, I can hear Brooke whispering to Peyton that out of all of us, Nathan is the one who has grown up most over the years. I guess, in some ways, they’re right, but I also wonder if this Nathan was always there, just waiting for someone to let him out.

“Congratulations, man,” Luke tells him, shaking his hand, “This is big, Nathan. I’m pretty dang proud of you, man!”

Nathan shakes his head. “It’s just graduation,” he shrugs, downplaying it, “It isn’t like I cured cancer.”

“Considering that some of us, myself included,” Peyton chimes in, “Never thought you’d care enough to graduate, this is a big thing, Nathan. You deserve your congratulations, so you should be gracious and take them nicely.”

I smile my silent thanks at Peyton, who I still don’t think trusts Nathan one hundred percent. And he still doesn’t really care for her, but it is nice for me when they both make an effort. And when Nathan gives her a quick hug, I know they’re both doing exactly that now.

“Thanks, Peyton,” Nathan nods as he puts his arm around me, “I, uh, guess we should get in there, huh?”

We have fun. Everyone, including Nathan. Lucas tells us some stories about his last few months at college and how his graduation last week went, and Brooke talks animatedly about Jenny’s first year of school while Jenny rolls her eyes at her father’s on-again/off-again girlfriend. It’s just nice to have a little time to relax and hang out with our family before we plunge mercilessly into the real world of jobs and bills and wedding planning.

After we say our goodnights and get back home, Nathan and I sit out on the ground of the small deck of our apartment. “So, we’re going to have to start looking for a place to live soon,” he points out, “I mean, we have to figure out where we’re going first.”

“Well,” I smile, “We can’t do that until after the draft, right?”

“Yeah, I know. I just hate that you’re putting your life in limbo for this,” he sighs, “You can’t even find a job until we know what I’m doing. Maybe it really is a bad idea. We should just figure out where we want to live, move there, and get jobs.”

“Nathan, you’re crazy,” I laugh, “You could play in the NBA and you want to just pick a city, move there, and get a regular job? Come on, no way. I have no problem waiting as long as we have to.”

“You shouldn’t have to wait, that’s the point. Who knows if I’ll even get signed, right? What if we wait till the end of the month and I don’t even get drafted. Then we’ve been hanging around here for a month with basically no income.”

“Why are you freaking out about this?” I ask quietly, “We’re going to be okay either way.”

He shrugs. “What if I’m not good enough and don’t get picked? I just – it seems like a good idea to plan for that, babe.”

“So, we will. We’ll start scouting for jobs around here. It’s close enough to Tree Hill that if we want, we can move there, and I’ve already got pretty much carte blanche to get a job at the center. Hell, I’ve got one there now and for as long as I want, until we know where we’re going. We aren’t going to starve, I promise.”

“Yeah,” he agrees, “I just want better for you. I want us to be able to buy a house, not be stuck in some stupid apartment forever. And where are you going to find a job as great as what you’ve got? You’re on the board of directors, for crying out loud.”

I smile widely at him. “Nathan, we are so going to have that. We’re going to find a house that we love, and we’re going to make it into a home. And I’ll find a job doing something I love just as much. Don’t worry so much.”

He moves so that he’s leaning over me, smiling lightly. “You are my home.”

“You’re mine, too,” I agree.

“It doesn’t matter where we live.”

“No, it doesn’t,” I agree again, my smile widening.

“It doesn’t matter what we’re doing for a living.”

“Nope, that doesn’t matter either.”

“I’m still not a fan of not knowing what we’re going to be doing or having some security in all this, you know?”

“We could always move in with Dan,” I joke, laughing when he growls, tightening his hold on me, “He did say that we’re always welcome there.”

“Perish the thought, babe.”

I laugh harder when he shudders, “I’m sorry, the look on your face, absolutely priceless. This is like a freaking Mastercard commercial.”

“Abject horror mixed with a little terror?”

“He is getting to be a better cook,” I remind him, “So if that’s one of your concerns, you can mark it off.”

“Like that makes it better.”

“He told me that I was part of the family,” I tell him softly, not sure what he’ll think of that.

“Yeah? Wow, who knew he had it in him?”

“I thought that was nice,” I smile, “My family is crazy, and sometimes I feel like my parents have no time for me, but I still love them. But I love feeling like a part of your family, too.”

“Oh, Haley, you are the only person I want to live with, the only person that I need in my family,” he assures me, kissing my temple, “It could be just you and me forever, and I’d be okay with that.”

“No kids?” I ask quietly, a little unsure about bringing the topic up. It isn’t like we frequently discuss having kids or anything.

“I haven’t thought about it a lot,” he admits, “And the selfish part of me that really loves it being just us wouldn’t mind it staying that way. But if we end up having a few mini-Haleys, I’m not complaining.”

I roll my eyes. “Nathan, I don’t want to know if you’d ‘mind’ having kids, I want to know if you want to have kids.”

“With you? I want everything, kids included.”

And again, just when I think I couldn’t love him anymore…

~*~

“How’s she holding up?” Brooke asks quietly after we finish our loud, squealing hug-fest and Peyton has retreated to the room she’s staying in to nap. Nathan has taken Jake and Jenny out back to check out the pool and the children’s play area. At least that will finally get some use, since it has lain dormant so long since Nathan, Luke, and I were children.

“Same,” I shrug, “I don’t know what to do for her, Brooke. She’s just depressed, which isn’t good considering she’s nine months pregnant, basically.”

Brooke shakes her head. “I’m going to talk to her tonight. You’re too nice, Haley, you let her wallow in this. I’m not letting her do that. It’s bullshit, she’s a big girl, she can deal with this.”

“Oh, my God, Brooke, you act like she lost a job or something. She was with Luke for six years! She’s nine months pregnant. This isn’t something you get over. She’s going to have to do it in her own time.”

“So, no tough love?” she pouts.

I sigh, shrugging. “I don’t know, you can try, I guess. If you think it will help. It just doesn’t seem like a good idea, but you’re right, nothing I’m doing is helping her now.”

“I’ll talk to her and see if there is anything I can do,” she sighs, “You’re probably right, though. This is her thing and she’ll have to do it her way.”

“Yeah, that’s probably how it will be in the end, no matter what we try.”

She suddenly smiles, practically pouncing on me. “You’re getting married!”

“Yes, I am,” I laugh.

“In a week! And oh, my God, I cannot believe it. This is so exciting, the first wedding in our little group.”

“Weird, isn’t it?” She looks at me blankly. “Not that Nathan and I are getting married, just that any of us are getting married. I could swear high school was just yesterday.”

She smiles at that. “Well, aren’t you glad this isn’t high school anymore? If it were, you and Nathan would still be dancing around each other like idiots and we’d all have to watch Peyton and Luke suck face all day.” She flushes in realization. “Oh, that was bad.”

Ignoring her last statement, which I know is what she wants, I shrug. “High school wasn’t all bad, but now is definitely better.”

“You and Nathan really hit the life lottery, didn’t you?” she agrees, looking around with a smirk.

Life lottery. That sounds about right.

~*~

Nathan and I are lounging on the couch in our apartment, eating Chinese food and watching the draft. I’m staring at him, which he keeps catching, but I can’t help it. Everything about this is exciting, and I want to memorize everything about it.

“Okay, what?” he finally asks, “Do I have sauce on my face or something?”

“Nope, you’re clean,” I laugh, “Can’t I just like looking at you?”

“That’s a load of crap,” he remarks, shaking his head, “And we both know that.”

“I do like looking at you, Nathan. You’re awfully pretty,” I tease, nudging him with my foot, “All the boys think so.”

“Oh, shut up,” he growls, tossing a pillow at me.

“What! It’s true,” I laugh, “Tom thinks you’re just the most adorable thing he’s ever seen. He told me so when we were waiting for our final to start.”

“Please,” he scoffs, “Let’s not talk about that. I don’t even want to know.”

“I’m teasing. He doesn’t say anything about you other than to agree with me when I gush, which isn’t that often anyway,” I laugh.

“You don’t gush that often? Why not?” he pouts, setting the containers of food on the table and leaning forward to grab my arms, pulling me towards him.

“Because I’m too spoiled by your presence to feel the need to brag about it when you’re not around,” I inform him, “And anyway, I don’t want to make everyone else jealous.”

“You do realize that you are the only person who really thinks that I’m all that great of a catch, right? You have blinders on when it comes to me,” he sighs.

“And you underestimate yourself,” I counter, “Seriously, Nathan, you have changed, a lot. You can tolerate Lucy, now, right? Remember, freshman year, you always tried to get rid of her. You even begged me to move into a single room away from her after first semester!”

“Yeah, and that only served to piss you off, so I stopped,” he shrugs, “You have to admit, all that happiness gets pretty old.”

I roll my eyes. “Nathan, we’re happy!”

“Yeah, I’m happy when I’m with you. But you know that Lucy runs around trying to be happy everywhere. It’s annoying,” he tells me, “I’m definitely not that guy.”

“Okay, fine,” I agree, “But you’re not cold as ice or anything, either. You’re just not, I don’t know, born to be a cheerleader, I guess. But I bet you’d look good in the uniform, you have nice legs.”

He groans, shaking his head as he pins me to him. “What am I going to do with you?”

“I don’t know, marry me?”

“You got yourself a deal,” he agrees, kissing my temple. “You have definitely got yourself a deal.”

“Woo!” I cheer, laughing, “Am I going to win every argument we ever have? Because that would be a deal I’d go for, too.”

He groans as his lips find mine again. “No way,” he protests, “When have either of us ever won a majority of arguments?”

I shrug, “Okay, point taken, but still. It was just a thought!”

He shakes his head, laughing as I plant kisses over his cheeks. “I’m too competitive to let you win, you know that, right?”

“Couldn’t you save the competitiveness for Luke? And just let me win once in awhile?” I protest, “Don’t I deserve that?”

“No way, babe. But don’t you think, when we make up after arguing, that we’re both winners at that point?”

I tilt my head to the side, pretending to contemplate that. “Should I pick a fight then? Just so we have a reason to make up?”

He laughs, pulling me tighter against me. “If you think that’s the only way I’m getting some tonight, then yeah, by all means.”

I roll my eyes at him before laying my head on his chest, listening to the comfortingly steady rhythm of his heart. “We don’t have to fight for that.”

“I know,” he agrees, his tone completely self-assured. I shake my head and he starts laughing. “What? Haley, I was kidding. You and I have never had trouble relating to each other sexually.”

“Oh, my God, you make it sound so, so – I don’t know, clinical or something,” I choke out, trying not to laugh, “I feel like I’m having an out of body experience watching some weird sex ed video that tries to be straight-forward, but is really just embarrassing for all involved.”

“Are you calling me embarrassing?” he asks, biting me softly on the neck to let me know what he thinks of that.

“Never,” I laugh, sliding my hands down to fiddle with his belt buckle, “I was just teasing you.”

“I know. I like it when you tease. Well, sometimes I like it when you tease,” he amends, “But if you take off my belt, you do know I’m taking off something of yours.”

I drop my hands from the buckle. “Good thing you warned me. Neither of us are going to bed until we see how this turns out,” I inform him, indicating the TV, “I don’t want to wait and read about it in the paper tomorrow.”

He shakes his head. “Baby, you know if my name gets called that it won’t be until quite a bit later. Maybe we should just go to bed, have some fun, and worry about this in the morning?”

“No way, Nathan. Now, I know you’re nervous, and I understand, but we don’t want to miss this.” I laugh when he starts to pout. “And besides, when your name is called, there is going to be a ton of stuff that you’ll have to deal with. Your agent, probably some reporters, and of course, Dan will be harassing you.”

“God,” he groans, “Is it too late to back out now?”

“Maybe just a little,” I smirk, grabbing and squeezing his hand. “Those parts might suck, but you love basketball. And you are going to have so much fun.”

“Yeah, busting my ass is always a pleasure,” he agrees, brushing his fingers through my hair.

“And such a fine ass it is to bust,” I tease, tilting my head up to kiss his chin, sliding my lips to his cheek. “If anyone should be busting it, don’t you think it should be me?”

“Kinky?” he asks, his tone mildly hopeful.

“If we’re getting kinky, it won’t be involving ass bustings,” I inform him, laughing into his ear. I have my head half turned towards the TV, and I squeal in excitement when I see Nathan’s name trail across the bottom of the screen.

“My ear, Hay,” he grumbles.

“Nathan, you got drafted! Look!” I squeal again, louder this time. He goes absolutely still, and I actually have to place my hand on his chin to get him to look at the TV.

“Shit, that’s my name,” he marvels, and I move off of him so he can sit up. As if on cue, the phone starts ringing, and I move to get it. Once I retrieve it, I pass it to him. “Atlanta,” he smiles, “That’s close. That’s good.”

“Nathan! It’s so great!” I grin, “Answer the phone!”

He sets it down, pulling me to him. “Thank you,” he whispers gruffly against my lips, “Thank you for making me watch this.” He leans back, grinning at me. “Thank you for everything, Hales. You’re – I couldn’t have – oh, you know.”

“You’re welcome,” I smile, kissing him, “Now answer the phone, it’s probably Dan or Luke.”

It’s Luke, and although he downplays it, I can tell that Nathan really is excited about this, about getting drafted. And I’m excited for him. He’s worked for this very thing his whole life, and he’s achieved it. That’s amazing to me. I’m so proud of him, so proud he’s mine.

~*~

“So, what’s left to do?” Brooke asks, clearly eager to get in on anything that she can, “I want to help, Hales.”

Nathan rolls his eyes at me. “She means that she wants to take over and boss people around and do it her way, not the way we planned,” he clarifies, causing both Jake and I to laugh while she pouts.

“Hey!” she exclaims in protest, “That is bullshit; I never try and take over things. I have no clue where you got that idea!”

“Oh, Brooke,” Jake sighs, shaking his head, “You are the queen of taking over for people. I, ah, know you mean it in a nice way, but you have to admit you do it.”

”I do not!” she exclaims, gaping at our amused faces, “Oh, come on, give me examples.”

We all trip over ourselves and each other trying to be the first to give her one of our many, many examples of just that type of behavior. She stares in amazement before cracking up, shrugging.

“Fine, maybe just once in awhile,” she shrugs, “But that’s just because I know best, and since you all are people I love, I want you to have that best.”

Snorting, Jake rolls his eyes. “Baby, you know that I love you dearly, but making messes is more your thing. Creating chaos!”

“Creating controlled chaos!” she argues, “There is definitely a difference, and besides, I get results. What’s wrong with that?”

“What’s wrong with it?” Nathan jumps in, ready to run down the ways until I grab him by the arm, squeezing until he shuts up.

“Oh, fine,” Brooke sighs dramatically, “I just was going to try and help. I swear, I’ll follow all orders sent my way to the letter. Won’t deviate at all.”

“Deviate is all you know how to do!” Jake teases her, sighing when she pouts at him, “Okay, come on, let’s go rescue Jenny from my parents.”

“Fine,” Brooke agrees, “But this is not over, Haley James! I will be helping you with this wedding, whether you like it or not!”

Nathan rolls his eyes, and Jake and I just laugh at her as he hauls her out the door. “She’s harmless, Nathan,” I promise him.

“I know,” he sighs, “But she’s really annoying while she’s being harmless.”

“Well, look at it this way, when Lucy gets here, you’ll forget all about how annoying Brooke is, and only be able to focus on how annoying Luce is,” I tease, laughing when he groans dramatically, as if in agony.

“No, unfortunately, that’s not the case. They’ll do their little Southern debutante twin thing that they do, and drive me crazy in tandem. They don’t top the other, they join forces and get some weird super power to annoy.”

“Aw, you’re not afraid of a couple of bitty girls, are you?” I tease.

“Terrified,” he confirms, “I have this really bad feeling that once Lucy is here, they’ll barely let me see you at all until the wedding starts. And I’m sorry, but that’s not okay.”

“Nathan, I tell you what,” I smile up at him, “I will find a way to see you at the very least every night. I’ll be spending those in our bed, with you.”

“Okay, then,” he grins, “I can handle that. I think. As long as Luke isn’t too whiny about everything. I’m sick of hearing about how mean Peyton is being to him.”

“Tell him to stop being such a dumbass,” I advise, sick of hearing Nathan bitch about how stupid Luke is, “He made his bed. He knows the drill.”

He shrugs. “You tell him that. He doesn’t see where he was so wrong now, he’s decided.”

“Ugh. You know what? I hope Brooke just goes crazy and hits him. I don’t even care if that means he has a black eye in the wedding pictures,” I sigh, shaking my head, “I want him to be happy, but he’s being such an ass about this. He needs some sense knocked into him.”

“Well, if he ruins even one tiny aspect of the wedding, he’ll get more than sense knocked into him,” Nathan promises.

Rolling my eyes, I shake my head. If nothing else, this week will be totally crazy. That’ll make it fun if nothing else does. And even if someone does have the good sense to hit Luke, I’m sure Brooke and Lucy have enough makeup between the two of them to cover his bruise. Let him have it, I say.

~*~

Watching him mope around the house like this is driving me crazy. I know that there is a good reason for it, and I completely understand and sympathize, but since he won’t even talk about it, the act is wearing thin.

“Get your coat, Nathan,” I tell him, “We’re going out.”

“I don’t want to go anywhere,” he sighs, looking out the window at the rain again, “I’ll just stay here, thanks.”

“No, you won’t. Get your coat, put on something other than sweats and flip flops, and let’s get the hell out of here.”

“I said I didn’t want to,” he continues to pout, “I just want to stay here today and relax. Is that too much to ask?”

“Yeah, it is,” I sigh, “I mean it, I’ll stand here and nag you until you do what I’m asking, or you can just do it now and save me the breath and you the trouble.”

“You aren’t asking,” he snorts, “You’re telling. But fine, whatever. I don’t give a shit anyway.”

Rolling my eyes, I follow him into our bedroom, hmph-ing when he sits down on the bed. Going to his closet, I grab his jacket off the hanger and a pair of sneakers off the floor. Once I get jeans from the dresser, I toss it all at him. “Put them on, and let’s go, Nathan.”

“Haley, today is the anniversary of my mom’s death,” he reminds me, his tone biting, “Did you ever think that maybe I want to stay here and not go and do anything?”

As if I could forget what today is? Please. Not only is today the anniversary of Deb’s death, but it is also the anniversary of the day Nathan and I pulled our heads out of our asses and became a couple. Like I could forget either of those things.

“I know exactly what today is,” I inform him, “And I don’t care what you want anymore. For four years, I let you do this your way. I offered to help you memorialize her, I’ve offered to talk about things with you, and I’ve offered to leave and let you have the day to yourself. You turn all of those down, every year.”

“So?”

“Well, guess what, buddy,” I go on as if he hadn’t spoke, “Not this year. This year, we are driving to Tree Hill, we’re getting her flowers to put on her grave so that we can tell her we love and miss her, and on the way there, you’re going to talk to me about your feelings. Even if I have to do the talking for you.”

He mutters something under his breath as he changes into the jeans I gave him, something that I think begins with a ‘B’ and rhymes with ‘witch’, but this is a special circumstance day, so I let him get away with it.

”You do realize how far it is from here to Tree Hill, right?”

“Of course I do, Nathan,” I roll my eyes, “I’m not stupid. See, I just don’t care. It’s time you finally dealt with her death, and frankly, I think some of that needs to be done there, where she is. Now, if you think differently and have a suggestion that doesn’t involve sitting here all day in the sweats you slept in last night, then hey, I’m all ears.” He doesn’t say anything, just shoves his feet into the shoes. “That’s what I thought.”

“This isn’t going to accomplish anything,” he mutters, “I don’t see why you’re forcing me to do this today.”

“When else are you going to do it, Nathan? God, we both know you never will, and that for the rest of our lives, you’ll hold onto the guilt you feel that you weren’t closer to her, and the week surrounding this day will always be miserable. Well, guess what? I don’t like seeing you miserable, and if I have to be a bitch and ‘force’ you to deal with things, then damn it, I’ll be a bitch and I’ll ‘force’ you!”

Glaring at me, he shakes his head. “Whatever. Let’s just go and get this bullshit over with, okay? I really don’t think I want to be stuck in the truck with you any longer than necessary.”

Rolling my eyes, I just motion towards the door, grabbing a couple of pillows, a blanket, and my purse before following him out of the room.

”You’re driving,” he informs me when I get out there. Nodding, I take his keys and get in the driver’s seat, scooting it way forward to accommodate my short legs. “I really don’t like this, Haley,” he says again.

“Yeah, I get that, Nathan. And I’m sorry you think I’m being so horrible. God, maybe I am. But I’m just so tired of seeing you hold this guilt and hurt like this. It’s time to let some of it go,” I tell him, much more gently this time.

“I don’t know if I can,” he admits, setting one of the pillows against the window and leaning on it, “I don’t know if I even want to.”

Not saying anything to that, I just head for the interstate. The sooner we get to Tree Hill and do this, the better for both of us.

He doesn’t say anything either for awhile, just huffs and puffs as he moves around trying to get situated in a comfortable position. I ignore him, knowing that he wants me to pay attention to him right now, but not really feeling like it. This is probably insensitive of me, but I can’t stand seeing what he’s doing to himself over this, what he’s been doing for the last five years.

The closer we get to Tree Hill, the more agitated he gets, wiggling around in his seat like a little kid, folding and unfolding his arms from across his chest. When I finally can’t stand it anymore, I reach over and grab his hand.

“Nathan, it’s going to be okay.”

“Easy for you to say,” he mutters back at me, but at least he doesn’t pull his hand away.

“No, it isn’t,” I counter, “None of this is easy for me. I don’t like bullying you into doing things that I know you don’t want to, and I really, really don’t like seeing you in pain like this. I want to take away some of that, help you deal with it. That’s all.”

“It’s not that easy,” he sighs, “I don’t know how to let it go.”

“Why do you feel so guilty?” I ask him gently, squeezing his hand as I glance over at him, “Is it because you didn’t get to say goodbye to her? Because you were fighting when she died?”

“I don’t feel guilty,” he mutters angrily, “I’m pissed at her. I hate her, Haley!”

“What?” I gasp, not expecting that, “What are you talking about? Why would you hate her, Nathan?”

“She liked Luke better,” he mumbles bitterly, “He wasn’t even her son, not her real one at least, and she loved him more than me. Always took his side, always asked him what was going on with him, and he always knew what to say to her, too. I never had that with her, and she never tried to get it.”

“Oh, Nathan,” I sigh.

“I know that makes me an asshole, to be mad at her for that, but I always was.”

“It doesn’t make you anything other than human, Nathan,” I sigh again, squeezing his hand harder this time, “I wish you’d told me you felt that way, baby.”

“I couldn’t,” he admits, “It was too hard. I don’t like to talk about it, or even think about it, really. That’s why I never want to go to Tree Hill on this day. I just don’t want to be near her.”

“Can I suggest a few things, things that you might not like to hear?” I ask softly, not wanting to upset him more than I already have, and definitely not feeling quite as justified in pushing him anymore.

“Yeah, go ahead,” he sighs.

“First of all, I know she loved you. And I agree that she wasn’t always the best at showing it, but that doesn’t make it less true.”

“Haley,” he says, his tone warning.

”No, Nathan, it’s true. She adored you. And yeah, it sucks that she wasn’t around as much as she should’ve been, but she always came home. She loved you, every bit as much as she loved Lucas, if not more. You were both her sons, she raised you both.”

“But she gave birth to me, Hay, why was it so much easier for her to shove me aside then? Huh? No, come on, tell me, I want to know!”

Pulling the truck off to the side of the road, I flick the flashers on and turn it off. “Did you ever stop and look at the differences between you and Luke? His mom dumped him off with you guys. Just left him there. Maybe he needed that extra attention from Deb.”

“I know that,” he mutters, “I do. I’m not so selfish that I can’t understand that Luke got the short end of the stick when it comes to parenting. But maybe it wouldn’t have killed her to give me a little bit of that attention, too.”

“No, it probably wouldn’t have, Nathan,” I agree, knowing he isn’t going to let this go very easily, “She loved you, so much. Even if there is nothing else you can hold onto, couldn’t you hold onto that?”

“I tried,” he states flatly, his voice completely devoid of emotion. I hate it when he shuts down like this. It’s been awhile, but it still happens occasionally.

“When, when did you try?” I press.

“Right – right after she died,” he sighs, “I tried to let it all go, forget all the times she forgot my birthday, didn’t come to my games, didn’t call to say hi to me. I just couldn’t.”

“Let’s try again, okay? Try and focus on the fact that she loved you so much, and that she would be so proud of you now. We both know that, Nathan. I know that, I completely believe that. She would be so very proud of who you are now.”

He looks over at me, tears in his eyes. “I love you, Hay. You know that, right? You – you are everything to me. Nothing else matters.”

“Nothing else matters for me, either, Nathan, except your happiness.”

“Can we please go back home now?” he asks, leaning over the console towards me, “Can we go back to Atlanta?”

“Are you sure?” I ask quietly, knowing that I won’t push him anymore on this today.

“Yeah, I’m sure. Maybe we could just get some takeout and lie in bed together for awhile. Just us.”

“Yeah,” I agree, “Whatever you need, baby. Anything at all.”

~*~

Looking around, Brooke points out an area where she thinks we should set up the chairs for the ceremony. “Look, the audience will be facing the water that way, and it’ll be so beautiful with the sunset coming in from behind. It’ll be perfect here, Hay!”

“You think so?” I ask, “I don’t know, I wanted to walk out from the trees, and if we set up it up this way, that would mean I’d have to walk out of the trees, take a sharp left, and then continue down the aisle. That seems like a little much.”

“No, it’ll be perfect!” she insists again, Peyton nodding in agreement with her, “I’m telling you, this is the way to go.”

”From an artist’s perspective,” Peyt chimes in, “She’s right. The lighting will be so lovely, sort of filtering through the trees making it almost hazy, and with the candles everywhere, I’m telling you, gorgeous.”

“Okay,” I agree, “That’s fine. But just remember this, Miss Nine Months Pregnant and Complaining About it All the Time – that’ll make your walk down the aisle that much longer, too.”

“Oh.” She glances over at Brooke. “Well, you know, it wouldn’t be so bad if the chairs were set up right here at the end of the tree line. They could actually get married under the trees, then.”

“I have an amazing idea!” Brooke enthuses, clapping her hands together as she does a little dance. Peyton and I share a look of trepidation. “No, really, best one ever.”

“Well, spit it out then!” Peyton orders her.

“Okay, so, what if the guest chairs were lined up here, like you want, but facing toward the trees. The aisle that you walk down could still come from the grove, but inside of walking down the rows of the guests, you just end up in front of them.”

“No!” Peyton vetoes immediately, “I’ll walk the extra bit. That’s way too untraditional for a Haley wedding. Plus, part of the fun is walking past all your guests so that they can ooh and ahh over your dress.”

Sighing, I shrug. “I don’t know, it sounds romantic, to be married right under the trees like that. I really want the trees, and that was one of Nathan’s things, too.”

”Oh, for crying out loud,” Brooke huffs, “I’ll call around to nurseries and see if we can’t get a couple of large potted Magnolia trees to rent for the day. We could have them set inside of white decorative pots, maybe some twinkle lights in them, and have one on each side of the aisle.”

“They’d need to be pretty big,” I sigh, “I doubt they’d have anything as big as we’d need, Brooke. It was a nice idea, though.”

“No, they totally do!” she insists, “They’d have to use special trucks that had a thingy that would lift them in and out, but they do have them!”

“If they do, then that’s something that we can totally do,” Peyton smiles, “Come on, then it’d be just like you wanted, under the trees, but without sacrificing the artistic integrity that will come with being bathed in the light of the setting sun.”

”That was a very gay thing to say,” Brooke rolls her eyes, “I mean, more so if you were a guy saying it, but still. Weird. You’re not going lez now, are you?”

Peyton glares at her, stomping away. “I’m not going lez, Brooke!” she yells over her shoulder, “I don’t hate all men, just Lucas!”

“Well, good to know,” Brooke grins, “I’ve found her a date for the ceremony.”

Staring at her in disbelief, I grab her and jerk her back when she starts to walk off. “That better be a fucking joke,” I state flatly.

“What? No, of course not, you know I don’t joke about dating,” she protests, actually having the gall to look offended, “How can you say that?”

“Brooke, Peyt is so not in a dating place right now, especially not when Luke is around. And especially not when it will just make things worse between them. Call it off,” I tell her, “She’s nine months pregnant, and with her luck, she’ll go into labor as she’s walking down the aisle. Please don’t make things worse for her now.”

“I wasn’t trying to make them worse,” she pouts, looking hurt at the suggestion, “I thought it’d make her feel better if she could show up with a date. He’s a nice guy, Jake’s cousin. He wasn’t like expecting anything from her.”

“I know,” I sigh, putting an arm around her, “But she’s still – I know this is a mess, but I think she still loves Luke. And I know he wants to work things out with her. If there’s even a chance of that, let’s not mess it up, okay?”

“Yeah, of course,” she sighs. Looking around, she shrugs. “So, when’s Lucy coming? She’ll share my visions! Plus, I can’t wait to see her again. There is this new sex shop down on Main Street that I have to take her to. I just want to see the look on her face at the – oh, never mind.”

“Brooke, the wedding is a week away! You can’t just change the plans now!” I exclaim, ignoring her plans for Lucy. If they get into trouble, that’s their thing. “There’s no time for that. God, I’m not even sure if there’s time to get in all the plans that I’ve already made at this point!”

“Okay, breathe.” She smiles brightly at me. “Clearly you underestimate my powers. And Lucy’s, too, for that matter. She and I are like, separated at birth of something, except I’m prettier. Anyway, if anyone can get these things done, you know the two of us can.”

Laughing, I have to concede her point. “Well, when you’re right, you are absolutely fucking right, Brooke Davis.”

“See? I knew you’d come around! They always do,” she smirks to herself, the thoughtful gleam in her eye actually causing me to shiver as images of what she could do flash before me.

This is going to get crazy.

~*~

“This dress is a hideous piece of fluff, Brooke!” I exclaim, looking to Peyton for support. I managed to put them off for quite awhile before they show up, insisting we get started shopping for dresses and just generally planning the wedding.

“Sorry, Brooke, she’s right,” Peyton agrees, “It makes her look like a marshmallow peep. If the dress was yellow and we stuck a few feathers in her hair, we could wrap her in saran wrap and sell her for Easter. And that’s probably not what one is going for at one’s wedding, hmm?”

“Brookie, I love you, but this really isn’t me,” I sigh, trying to fight the poof of tulle that keeps flying up into my face every time a door opens in this place.

“But it’s so pretty and so puffy,” Brooke pouts, sighing, “But if you don’t like it, there were a few more I saw out there that would totally work!”

Peyton and I watch her run out of the dressing as Peyton helps untangle me from this monstrosity. “You know, if you wore this, I think you would actually be considered a choking hazard to yourself and anyone within fifty feet of you,” she mutters, swatting a piece of tulle that has flown up in her face.

“You’re telling me,” I grumble, “A small child could get lost in this dress. It’d be like the ball pit from hell where the kid is never seen again. Stephen King could write a horror story about this dress.”

“Ha, and it’s a hanging hazard, too. Seriously, who besides Brooke Davis, drama mama, would wear this?” Peyton questions.

“I don’t even think I want to know,” I breathe, sighing at the freedom of stepping out of the dress, “But I’m sure they’re formidable, to say the least.”

“Yeah, the very least,” she snorts. “So, how is Nathan taking all the wedding preparations? Is he getting excited?”

I smile happily, thinking of him. “Yeah, he is, I think. He’s going to check out a few bands today, and he seemed pretty excited about that.”

“Ah, you found something to let him be in charge of, huh?”

“Something we can both live with,” I laugh.

“That’s good, this is all getting so exciting,” she enthuses, “What about flowers? Have you picked out your flowers? Or a location, come on, you haven’t spilled on that one yet!”

I shrug. “We haven’t quite decided on that one yet. There’s a place outside of Tree Hill that Nathan likes, but it is an outdoor location that may not accommodate the huge numbers of people he’s trying to invite.”

“Where?” she asks.

“You know that bluff about a mile and a half outside of town? With all those old magnolia trees with the branches that hang low forming sort of a grove almost? There,” I tell her when she nods, “Before we got engaged, he asked me if I’d thought about marriage, and then he described what he thought my wedding would be like to me. And that was one of the places he pictured me getting married.”

“Really? How come Nathan is such a tool to everyone else, but the sweetest guy in the world to you?” she grumbles, “He told me I looked fat last time I saw him.”

“Peyt, you’re three months pregnant,” I point out, laughing, “I’m sure he didn’t mean anything other than that by it.”

“Yeah, well, you try having crazy, whacky pregnancy hormones and then be told that you’re fat!” she exclaims, “Some things aren’t funny!”

“Oh, he knows I’d hurt him in places he doesn’t want to feel pain if he ever called me fat,” I point out with a laugh, “He wouldn’t say anything that dumb to me.”

“Yeah, you’ve got him whipped. And you aren’t pregnant. You aren’t, right? This isn’t going to be some weird shotgun wedding, because I can picture Dan with a rifle to Nathan’s back, reciting the vows for him.”

“No, I’m not,” I laugh, “And that is the worst scenario I’ve ever heard, thank you oh so much, Peyton Sawyer. Besides, wouldn’t it be fair to say that might be more a role he’s playing between you and Luke?”

“Okay, for a minute there I was thinking it would be fun to have someone to share the torture with. How you disappoint me.”

I regard her for a minute, trying to think of a way to broach the subject without seeming overly nosy and freaking her out. “How are you doing, anyway?” I ask, trying the straightforward approach.

She rolls her eyes at me. “You mean, how am I doing since my boyfriend dumped me six months ago and then I get knocked up from having ex-sex with him at Thanksgiving? Just fucking peachy, how do you think I’m doing?”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” I sigh, “And you know it. I’m just worried about you, and you know that Luke is, too. It wouldn’t kill you to call him back, Peyton. He just wants to know how you are, how the baby is.”

“Yeah, it might, Haley,” she snaps, “I’m so sick of all this. What does he even care? He can go be with his new girlfriend now.”

“He wants to talk to you, he’s worried about you.” I hate – no, loathe – getting in the middle of this, but Lucas begged, and he seemed so distressed about it that I couldn’t help but agree to try and help.

“Fuck him,” she mutters venomously, “We don’t need him. Me or the baby, neither of us need him. I’m just a stupid, pointless art freak, Haley. Didn’t you know that? That’s what he told me, I was wasting my life brooding and being artsy.”

“He said that?” I ask, surprised. Of course he wouldn’t tell me the part where he was a big raging asshole.

“Yeah, he did,” she whispers, crying.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know that, Peyt. I really didn’t mean to upset you.”

That scummy piece of shit, I’ll kill him for saying that to her. No, better yet, I’ll get Nathan to do it. He doesn’t get along with Peyton very often, but even he will think that Luke is lower than low for saying things like that to her, especially since she’s pregnant.

She nods. “I know. I haven’t told anyone, I feel like such a fool. Like I’ve wasted so damn much time of my life on him already.”

“It’ll get better, Peyt, and in the meantime, you have me,” I assure her, “I’m on your side, you know that. And hey, I’m going to be this baby’s aunt, right? How awesome is that?”

“The best thing I’ve thought of since I found out I was pregnant,” she laughs, “It’s a good thing you’re marrying into that family and giving this kid at least one decent relative. Nathan’s not so bad, but you know Dan still creeps me out. I don’t know how you manage to get along with him. I think he actually likes you.” She shakes her head at that thought. “You know, I swear, he still hates me. He’s known me for six years, and he still hates me.”

“Dan isn’t that bad, either,” I assure her, “You just have to spend some time with him to figure it out.”

“No, thank you,” she grounds out, “There is no way in hell I’m doing that!”

“Okay, okay, fine,” I give in, dropping it.

“I’m sorry, today is supposed to be a fun day, dress shopping, lunch with the girls, et cetera, and here I am, raining on the damn parade.”

“You aren’t raining on anything, Peyt,” I assure her, “I asked, and I’m so sorry, I didn’t know. I wouldn’t have made you answer the question if I’d have known that.”

She nods. “Yeah, I know, and you know what? It’s fine. Now come on, let’s get this dress out of the room before one of us falls into it and disappears,” she laughs, picking it up and handing it to the salesgirl who is hovering outside the dressing rooms.

“That wasn’t a dress, it was an evil monstrosity,” I grin, groaning when I see Brooke coming back, directing another salesgirl, arms loaded down with more diaphanous, gaudy dresses. I look at Peyton, rolling my eyes helplessly.

“Not again,” Peyton groans, “You’d think this was her wedding or something. Brooke, I know all eyes are supposed to be on the bride, but it isn’t supposed to be because her dress is eating her.”

“It never fails to amaze me that despite how much time the two of you have spent with me, that you still have no clue about the price of beauty,” Brooke huffs out in response, “Try that one first.”

This one is better, I have to admit. There are no sleeves, which is one thing I’m pretty set on in terms of a dress. The skirt is still full, but there is an overskirt of heavy satin brocade that keeps the puffing to a minimum. Well, as minimal as something that Brooke would choose gets.

But is a pretty dress, even if it is a little showier than I’d have chosen for myself. It’s a heavy dress, and aside from the satin, that can also be attributed to the intricate beading that adorns the bodice and the hem of the skirt. There is the slightest blue-grey tint to it, which seems gross in theory, but actually just lends shimmer and a sense of uniqueness to it.

“Try it on, Haley, please?” Brooke pleads.

I nod, agreeing for Brooke’s sake. It takes both of them and the saleslady to help me into it, zipping me into. At least this one fits perfect, and it has the added bonus of not feeling like it’s trying to eat me alive. The weight takes a bit of getting used to, but it isn’t so bad.

“Oh, wow,” Peyton murmurs.

“What?” I exclaim, my back to the mirrors.

“Yeah, wow!” Brooke exclaims, high-fiving the saleslady, who then backs out of the dressing room, smiling at the three of us. “That’s your dress, Hay!”

She spins me around, keeping her hands on my shoulder as I make my assessment. God, she’s right. They’re right. It’s perfect. It’s me, it’s something Nathan would like, and I seriously feel like a princess in this dress.

“This is so my dress!” I squeal, agreeing with them, “Wow, look at this!”

“Aw, don’t cry!” Peyton laughs, pulling a tissue out to hand me, “Why are you crying? This dress is too perfect for tears now. Save them for the ceremony.”

“I – I’m just s – so happy to be marrying him,” I explain, wiping the tears away, trying not to smudge my mascara in the process, “I wish it was tomorrow.”

“Aw, I think you can wait until the actual day,” Brooke laughs, “There is no way you are depriving us of the chance to wear gorgeous bridesmaid dresses, you know!”

“I know – it’s just, look at this. It’s so perfect. I can’t wait.”

“We’re so happy for you,” Peyt smiles, linking her arm through Brooke’s, “Our little Hay, all grown up. And marrying Nathan Scott. The world is a crazy place.”

After we finish at the bridal shop, we stop at the food court to refill. While Peyton is off getting a second order of chili cheese fries, Brooke takes it upon herself to hit me up for information.

“Is she going to be okay?” Brooke asks quietly as we sit on a bench waiting for Peyton.

“I hope so,” I sigh, leaning my head on her shoulder, “I’m really worried about her, though. She’s taking this hard, and I know it’s a hard thing, but it isn’t good for her to be so depressed right now. If she wasn’t pregnant, I think most doctors would have her on anti-depressants. In fact, her doctor recommended talking with a counselor.”

“She looks awful. I mean, I wouldn’t say that to her face of course, but she really doesn’t look good.”

“Yeah, the wedding should be interesting, huh? She’ll be ready to burst, and Luke will be standing on the side opposite of her. Maybe I should just wear one of those suits painters wear when they’re working over my dress. That way I know that at least no blood will be spilled on it,” I sigh, only half-joking. I don’t know how they are going to be able to be in the same room for that long.

“Maybe we should all just wear black,” Brooke laughs, “I don’t know, I just feel like we’re in high school again, and we have to take sides. Only this time, it isn’t between you and Nathan. And things aren’t as clear, either.”

“No, they’re pretty murky, aren’t they? It sucks, Brookie, it definitely sucks.”

She nods, sighing. “Well, sucks it does. But you know what doesn’t suck?” she asks, her voice going bubbly.

“What?” I ask reluctantly, smiling inwardly.

“That you and Nathan are getting married! God, I knew you loved him the first time I saw you together, but I never thought this day would come.”

“Hey!” I exclaim, “Ye of little faith!”

“Well, really, you know? I mean, Nathan was such a dickheaded cad in high school, and I thought after graduation that you would really never want to mess with him again. Bet you’re glad you aren’t me, huh?”

“I don’t know, being able to hold a mean grudge would come in handy sometimes,” I admit, laughing, “But you and Jake were awesome. Both Peyt and Luke hated that we were together, but you were happy for us. You know that meant a lot to me, right?”

Her eyes gleam. “Enough to make me maid of honor?”

“Oh, Brooke, come on,” I groan, “Can we not have one day where we don’t go through this? I mean, just one, one day of peace. If it isn’t you pestering me, it’s Peyt. If it isn’t Peyt, then it’s Lucy. Even my sister Taylor thinks she has some claim on it.”

“Oh, no, she doesn’t! I can tolerate Peyton and Luce taking it over me, but that bottle-blonde bitch does not get maid of honor honors!”

“Whoa, there, tiger! Don’t worry, Taylor isn’t getting within fifteen feet of the altar,” I assure her, “Let alone anywhere near the bridal party. I promise.”

She cracks up, “Okay, just so we’re clear.”

“We’re clear,” I agree, hugging her. “Should we go get Peyton? She’s standing in front of the sporting goods store. You know what that means.”

“I got the tissues, you got the chocolate?”

“Yeah, let’s move in,” I sigh, wishing things were different for her. Even wishing they were different for Luke, despite how big of a jerk he’s been. They both deserve better than this, although that’s only true for Luke since Nathan landed a good one on his jaw once we found out how he’d treated Peyt.

And this is the family I’m marrying into. Just when you think things could not possibly get any crazier, voila, they sure find a way.

~*~

“Hey!” Nathan grins in greeting as I stumble into the house, arms loaded down with shopping bags.

”A hand, please?” I whine.

“What the hell did you buy?” he asks, taking most of the bags out of my hands, “Besides the whole store, I mean.”

“Stuff for the honeymoon,” I explain, “Since we’re going to Italy, Peyton and Brooke convinced me that I’d need a new wardrobe. Stupid, I know, but at the time, it sounded like a good idea.”

He looks at me like I’m crazy. “Why do you need all those things?”

“To fit in with the local population, apparently,” I shrug, going off of what Brooke said, “And anyway, a lot of this stuff is trendy enough that I can look like a nice, little trophy wife for you at your games this fall.”

“You won’t be anything like a trophy wife, Hay,” he laughs, rolling his eyes. “Okay, but I still don’t get why you need them for the honeymoon. It isn’t like I’ll be letting you leave the hotel room.”

“Nathan!”

“What? It’s true, this is our honeymoon, and we’re going to hole up in that hellaciously expensive suite we’ve booked, and I’m going to make love to you constantly for the entire time we’re there, stopping only occasionally for sustenance and sleep.”

“Good to know,” I laugh, “’Forewarned is forearmed’.”

“Hey, that sounds like some sort of putdown towards me,” he pouts, smiling when I pull his head down to kiss the pout away.

“Nope, not for you. Never, ever for you.”

“You don’t want to spend the whole time locked in the room letting me feed you strawberries and chocolate and drinking champagne off of you?” he asks, smiling wickedly at me. “Maybe even licking whip cream off you, even though it isn’t on my diet.”

“Well, we are going all the way to Italy,” I remind him, wrapping my arms around his neck, “So seeing some of it might be nice. Don’t you think?”

“What, you want to like dance in a fountain or something?”

“Only if you’re dancing with me,” I laugh, knowing that there isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell of that happening.

“Right,” he rolls his eyes, “How about you pick out some other out of the hotel activities, some that don’t involve dancing. Especially dancing in water.”

“But you’d look so sexy all wet and shaking your groove thang,” I tease him again, pressing kisses along his jaw, nipping gently at his earlobe.

“Then we’ll go take a shower,” he answers gruffly, grabbing my hand and starting to drag me in that direction, “Come on, I’ll even wash your hair for you, babe.”

“Oh, that sounds so nice,” I sigh, leaning against his chest, breathing in the scent of him, “But I can’t. I have to meet with Brooke to go over some more of the wedding plans. Just make sure all the last minute things are taken care of.”

“You know, I’m really starting to resent this wedding,” he pouts, “It’s taking up a lot of my Haley time, and I don’t really like that, baby.”

“Just another week,” I remind him, lifting my head to pull him down for a long, lingering kiss, “Just another week, and then it will all have been worth it, and we’ll be sunbathing topless on the Mediterranean.”

“Whoa there,” he protests, holding me back from him, “Uh uh, no one is seeing you but me. Sorry, that’s probably really caveman or something, but no way.”

“I was teasing,” I assure him, “But we are going swimming in the Mediterranean, just so you know. That is on the list of things outside of the hotel room to do.”

“Hey, but that might be an activity where we can incorporate the hotel activities into it,” he winks, “You know, slip out into the water, slip off the bottoms. Very sexy.”

Rolling my eyes, I laugh at him as I pull away, grabbing my purse. “We’ll see about that idea,” I smirk, “Okay, kiss me goodbye, I have really got to go. Brooke is really going to lay into me for being late, you know.”

“Aw, tell her it’s my fault,” he suggests as he leans down to kiss me, “And then remind her who’s wedding this is.”

“Babe, she’ll assume that it’s your fault. It just won’t make it any better for me,” I wink, running out the door. God, I love him.

~*~

“Haley?” Nathan calls from the kitchen of our apartment. He’s been rummaging around out there for the last forty-five minutes; I was wondering how long before he asked me for help.

“Yeah?”

“Have you seen that list I made of the possible bands for the wedding?”

“Haven’t seen it, babe, sorry.”

“Shit,” he curses, and I groan, hearing him tear apart the drawers as he looks for it. “I can’t find it!”

He’s probably not even really looking, just opening drawers, glancing in them, and then shutting them again. I swear, there is a defect in the Y chromosome that makes men completely incapable of seeing what is right in front of their faces. I attribute part of Nathan’s problem in taking so long to realize he was in love with me to that, too. It’s very handy.

“Nathan, did you check your wallet?” I ask, “And your car? You should check your car, too. You’re always ‘losing’ things in there.”

“Yes, I checked my wallet and car,” he grumbles, still slamming through the drawers, “I’m not a moron.”

“I know you’re not a moron, but you don’t look for things very well,” I yell out to him, “Remember when you couldn’t find the engagement ring?”

“Oh, sure, throw that in my face,” he groans, “Damn, it had all the phone numbers, too. If I lost it, we’re kinda screwed.”

“Oh, not we, babe, just you,” I assure him cheerfully, “I haven’t lost any of the info I’ve gathered, so this is all you.”

“You know I’m pouting out here, right?”

“Yeah, I figured,” I laugh.

“You aren’t much help,” he remarks.

“Never said I was,” I laugh, “But you better find it, Nathan. I swear, that is the one duty you have right now, so you can’t mess it up!”

He pokes his head around the door. “I won’t. Well, I’ll try not to.”

“Even if you do, I’ll still marry you anyway,” I laugh, assuring him.

“I knew that,” he winks at me.

“But seriously, you have to find it. On penalty of no sex on the honeymoon,” I threaten him as he flops down onto a chair, “That would make us platonic tourists.”

“You’re evil,” he mutters, glaring at me, “Hey, speaking of, where are we going to go for this mythical, magical honeymoon?”

“Where do you want to go?” I ask, moving to sit on his lap. This seems like a discussion that requires lap-sitting, for sure.

“Somewhere hot and sunny with white sandy beaches?” he suggests hopefully, “Somewhere tropical?”

“We’ve been to places like those,” I remind him, “We should go somewhere new, exciting, and see things that we’ve never seen before.”

“Like where?” he asks, already knowing that I clearly have suggestions in mind.

“I don’t know exactly. Isn’t there somewhere that you’ve always wanted to go? Maybe Europe to see the castles, or Egypt to see the pyramids?”

“Haley,” he moans, “You know I never think about things like that, baby. That’s more up your alley of things to think about.”

“Right,” I laugh, “Okay, well, what do you think about Greece? We could see the Acropolis. You do know that the Parthenon is decaying and already severely damaged. We should get there and see it before it is completely gone!”

“I’m marrying a dork,” he whines, shaking his head in feigned dismay, “A dork that thinks I care about buildings built 2400 years ago!”

“Ooh, see you knew when it was built, I knew you secretly had a crush on all things ancient Greece!” I tease, wiggling in his arms in a goofy little dance, “This is so great!”

“Just for that, we aren’t going to Greece,” he pouts.

“Okay, then how about Germany and Austria? We could visit the castles, ski in the Alps, maybe drink beers in Munich? Doesn’t that sound like fun?”

“You should choose,” he smiles, tightening his arms around me, “I’ll follow you wherever, Haley James.”

“Soon to be Scott,” I remind him, kissing him on the temple, “Well, not soon enough, but that will be my name sooner than later.”

”You’re going to make the big change, huh?” he asks, grinning at me.

“Well, yeah. I want the whole world to know who I’m married to, how much I love him. I want to share that with you.”

“Good,” he nods, still grinning hugely, “I’m really glad you said that. Not that I’d have pushed, but I was hoping you’d want to take my last name. Some women don’t these days.”

“I want to be Haley Scott,” I smile, tears springing to my eyes, “In fact, if I could make that change to my name tomorrow, I would.”

“We could always run off to Vegas,” he suggests, his hand creeping under my shirt, “Think about it, an Elvis impersonator raising his lip at us, tacky neon lights everywhere. Or better yet, we could rent a convertible and go through one of the drive-through chapels. That wouldn’t take long. Of course, you couldn’t take your entire posse with you, and some of them would pitch huge fits about it.”

“Vegas sounds nice,” I smile wistfully, thinking that it would be nice to forget about all the planning and work this wedding is taking so far and just elope. “We should stick with what we’re doing now, though.”

“You sure?” he asks, nuzzling my neck, “Because I could have us on a plane in three hours. We could be there before sunset.”

“No, I want the fancy wedding,” I sigh, “Besides, Brooke and Lucy would never let you hear the end of it if we eloped. I don’t want to subject us to that kind of torture for the next fifty years or so. You know them.”

“Yeah, I do,” he pouts, “And how come it’d be me that they’d blame? They seem to think that you’re this little, innocent china doll that is never to blame when we’re late or when we don’t show up for something.”

“Well, you usually are,” I laugh.

“Yeah, but how do they know that? Oh, you tell them, don’t you?” he growls, his fingers tracing over my ribs, “I should’ve known. You’re a brat, Hay.”

“And I learned from the best,” I wink at him, gasping when his fingers slide under my bra, “See? Brat.”

“Oh, don’t pretend like you don’t like it,” he whispers as his fingers tease me, his thumb flicking over my nipple.

Pulling him down for a kiss, I assure him, “I couldn’t deny loving this if I wanted to.” Remembering what we were talking about, I pull back. “Nathan, we have to find that list.”

“What list?” he mumbles, his lips sliding down my jaw to suck on the tender skin of my neck.

“Of bands. For the wedding. You remember that, the wedding, the one we’re going to have next summer.”

“Oh, yeah, that,” he nods, not moving to get up, just sucking harder on my neck until I moan, relaxing back against him.

“Mm, Nathan, let me up, you have to find that list,” I persist until his free hand starts wandering up my leg, “Okay, bed, now.”

“I knew you’d see it my way,” he grins, half-carrying and half-dragging me over to the bed. “My way rules.”

“You are so obnoxious.”

Good thing I like that about him.

~*~

“Darlin’, I know you’ve missed me like crazy, but have no fear, Miss Lucy Gennesee is here!” Lucy announces as she barges in through the front door without knocking.

Squealing, I run up to her, throwing my arms around her neck. “Luce! I’ve missed you so damn much! How are you? Oh, my gosh, I’m so glad you’re here!”

“I missed you, too!” she laughs, tears in her eyes, “I haven’t gone this long without seeing you in over four years. I can’t believe we don’t live just across town from each other anymore.”

“I’m so glad you’re here,” I tell her, tears of my own stinging my eyes, “Oh, this is so wonderful. Brooke is going to be thrilled when she gets here.”

“Oh, where is Brookie?” she grins, “I bet she has a whole list of things for me to help her with, right? Last minute Brooke fixes?”

“You got that right,” I sigh, hugging her again, “I am so, so glad you’re here.”

“Well, there is no where else I’d rather be,” she hugs me back, “I’m so happy for you that this day is finally here. Did I ever tell you that I knew from the very first time that I saw you two together, I knew this is where it would end up?”

“Yes, you tried to spin that tall tale right after we got engaged, and I called you a liar then, too,” I laugh, leading her into the kitchen, “Nathan and I had barely started speaking to each other again, and things were beyond awkward.”

“Oh, please, what did it take? Three minutes after I left the room before you two were having the hottest makeup sex ever on your bed? Come on, it was so obvious that he was The One.”

“Fine, whatever,” I concede, “But still, there is no way that you could’ve known. He was sort of pissed at me by that point, and I was convinced he wanted to bag every girl we passed on the walk to the room.”

“And yet, here you are today,” she drawls out, looking around the house, “So, where do I get to get my beauty sleep?”

“Upstairs,” I smile, “Third door on the left. Let me know if you need anything. Oh, hey, I was thinking girls’ night tonight. What do you think?”

“With Brookie and Peyt? Of course, that would be so much fun.”

“Probably just with Brooke, and maybe my sister if she shows up like she swears she’s going to,” I shrug, “Peyton is nine months pregnant and feeling the pain. She’s been falling asleep around nine every night.”

“Oh, that reminds me!” she exclaims, clapping her hands together, looking every bit the cheerleader that she was for four years at Duke, “I brought her some of the most amazing baby things. There is this fantastic boutique in Charleston that has all handmade original items, so I picked up things for her there. I was going to grab some of the antiques that my mom collected, but I’m saving those for you!”

“You’re insane,” I laugh, “I don’t think that Nathan and I are quite there yet.”

“Well, you are going to have them someday, right? And I am going to be one of the godmothers, right?”

“Of course,” I grin, shaking my head at her.

“There you go, then! No really, my mom has gone crazy collecting these things over the years from before my brother and I were born even. And now that he’s decided to join the priesthood, they’re all coming my way. I swear, if I wanted to give my mother a panic attack, I’d tell her I was joining the convent,” she giggles, “I mean, hello, we’re good southern Baptists, and my brother goes off and converts to Catholicism so he can become a priest. I swear, ten years off her life, at least.”

“Wow,” I breathe, not sure what to say, “You know, you should save those things for, oh, I don’t know, maybe when you have your own beautiful little crazy children!”

“Hay, you have no concept of how numerous these things are. She has two rooms in the smaller house completely filled with baby things. Cribs – yes, plural, cradles, silver spoons, handmade quilts from like, Betsy Ross’s time, gold-plated rattles, toys from the turn of the century. I’m telling, you it’s ridiculous. I could not possibly have enough children to find uses for these things,” she brushes me off, “And so you’ve got a whole lot of old expensive stuff coming your way.”

“You’re insane, but that’s just one of the many, many reasons I love you,” I laugh at her, “Okay, let me take your stuff upstairs and show you your room. Oh, hey, how does your dress fit? Do we need to get it altered?”

“Hay, don’t worry about those things. I can take care of it. I’m sure I can find my way to a dress shop here in Tree Hill, and if I can’t, those are things I can bother Brookie with.”

To borrow a Lucy-ism, I swear I should be more worried about what trouble Brooke and Lucy will get into together, what changes – oh, improvements, in their term – they’ll be making. Funny thing is, I’m not. Whatever will be, will be.

This wedding, less than a week away, is just beginning to ramp up. It’s going to be a wild ride!

Part 2

1 :: 2 :: 3 :: 4