Never Let Me Go

Disclaimer: Characters, minor plot points, and dialogue belong to CW/WB, Mark Schwahn, and One Tree Hill writers.

AN: This is a rotating feature by Kat0507 and me (inspired by Diamond Gothic) - with the possibility of occasional guest authors (one so far), but we'll let you know when and who, when it comes to that. This will basically be "one story", which, as of now will be composed on two different accounts.

We will try and keep this from getting too confusing by constantly reminding you what order to read things/from what author. If any of you get/are confused or have questions, please don't hesitate to ask us! We're also available on twitter (mAu0103& FFKat0507). When we are done, we will probably compile everything together on both accounts for easy reading.

For now, in order to follow along, we suggest you get story alerts on stories on each of our accounts. Also refer back to the guide we are setting up for updated information. Here is what we have so far:

"Everything"—posted by Kat0507 This one shot deals with the Scott family readjusting to life after Nathan's kidnapping and Dan's death. It also helps explains Nathan/Jamie's absence in 9x12.

Chapter 1—posted by mAu0103 This one shot takes place in between 9x12 and 9x13. Nathan and Haley have some alone time and reconnect as a couple.

Chapter 2-posted by Kat0507. This chapter picks up after the Tric anniversary celebration in 9x13, but before the time jump at the end of the series finale. The Scotts host a family/friend cookout and admits the happy chaos, Lydia gets hurt.

Chapter 3-posted by mAu0103. This chapter is a continuation of Chapter 2. The Scotts spend some time at the hospital and return home with a healthy, but injured Lydia.

Chapter 4—posted by Kat0507. This chapter is a continuation from Chapter 3. The Scott family make the best of a rainy day and Lucas surprises the family with a visit.

Chapter 5— posted by mAu0103. This chapter is a continuation of Chapter 4. Nathan and Haley reflect on what happened after their adventure in the rain and Haley bonds with Lucas.

Chapter 6—Guest Author Alert! posted by Two Bodies One Soul. This chapter is a continuation of Chapter 5. With Nathan home from his business trip, he and Haley take a day to be alone so they can reconnect and have some fun with no distractions.

Chapter 7—posted by Kat0507. This chapter is a continuation of Chapter 6. It picks up the next morning.

Chapter 8—posted by mAu0103 (this chapter!). This chapter is a continuation of Chapter 7. It picks up a little while after the reading of Whitey's will. Nathan and Haley are facing a few changes in their lives, when it comes to Nathan's work situation and the result of Whitey's will.

Chapter 9- will be posted by Kat0507.

Chapter 8

Haley sighed contentedly to herself as she let the quietness of the small forest seep into her body. She moved her eyes around and caught a glimpse of a small opening a little further ahead of the tiny path that she was sure had been walked a thousand times before. She reached down and found Nathan's hand when she felt a sudden urge of closeness sweep through her. She turned her head and glanced up at him and returned the soft smile he was giving her by the contact of their hands.

She let out another soft sigh and leaned her head against Nathan's arm as they continued to walk along the small path. She absolutely loved the silence they sometimes shared. It always created a stillness within her that made her feel safe and protected against the rest of the world. It was like they had created their own little universe, in which they entered together when they had important things going on in their lives. It was kind of their way of taking a time out before they re-entered the madness that was real life. Not that the things they had to deal with right now was out-of-this-world big, but it was things that would affect their lives in one way or another. And she felt it was important that this was something they talked about and that, whatever decision they made, was one they both agreed on.

"Where's your head at, Hales?" Nathan squeezed her hand and brought her out of her thoughts with his soft, deep voice.

Haley let out an inaudible sigh and looked down. "Where do you want me to start?" She exhaled and let out a small chuckle.

"It can't be that bad."

"Trust me, you don't want to - oh wow!" She stopped herself mid sentence and couldn't help but exclaim in awe when she saw the scenery that opened up in front of them as they emerged out of the small forest.

They walked over to the edge of a tiny cliff that led down into a small, beautiful lake. Haley couldn't believe that she'd never seen this place before, it was absolutely breathtaking. "Gosh, this is so beautiful! I've never been this far before, it looks so untouched." She let her gaze wander around in absolute awe.

"Yeah, this really is a nice place, huh?" Nathan agreed and backed over to a large rock he'd spotted, pulling Haley along with him, before he sat down with her sideways on his lap.

Haley placed her arm around his shoulder and let her hand move to the back of his neck. She smiled to herself as she let her hand rake through the short hairs at the back of his head.

"It's nice that you let your hair grow back." She said quietly as she kept moving her hand up and down the back of his head. As much as she loved the buzzed cut he'd been having for a while now, she also loved the feeling of his thick hair tickling her palm as she raked her hand through it.

Nathan chuckled lightly. "Thought it was time for a change again, even though I'll be walking around looking like an idiot before it grows back fully." He stated and did a dramatic eye roll, which caused Haley to laugh.

"Well, then I guess it's a good thing that you don't have to impress the ladies anymore, cause then you'd be in trouble." She teased and lightly nudged his shoulder.

"I might have to get back in the game, when you realize that you don't want to be married to a guy looking like an idiot." He joked back with a small pout.

"Oh, come on! It's not that bad. Besides, and may I add, luckily for you, this nerd kind of has a thing for guys with idiot looking hairdos - or any hairdos for that matter - especially when it's attached to this pretty head." She smiled and cupped his cheek with her other hand, stroking her thumb across his cheekbone.

"So then you wouldn't mind if I bring back the mullet again?" He smirked teasingly at her, knowing very well that she hated his hair when it was long.

"Do you really want to give it a try and see what happens if you do?" She raised her eyebrow at him in a challenging manner with the attempt to look serious, but couldn't hide the smile when she saw the mischievous look on his face. "You wouldn't dare." She then huffed and lightly squeezed the back of his neck.

"Nah, I probably won't, since the market is probably more difficult for a guy to find a new woman when you already have 2 rug-rats which connects you to your former, slightly unstable ex-wife." Nathan teased and chuckled when he saw Haley's astounded expression.

"Nathan Scott, I'll show you unstable if you ever try to pull something like that." She prodded and playfully narrowed her eyes at him.

Nathan let out a chuckle and tightened his grip around her waist before he leaned up and placed a soft kiss at the underside of her jaw. "I'm sure I'll get to meet the unstable at some point, whether I let my hair grow into a mullet or not." He continued to tease her and earned himself a light swat in his shoulder. "But don't worry baby, you wheeled me into your maze a long time ago, and even if I could find my way out, I wouldn't want to leave it for anything - or anyone."

"Good boy." Haley mocked and placed a chaste kiss at his temple while caressing his cheek. "See, that tight leash works like a charm, huh?" She chuckled lightly and let out a short squeal when Nathan squeezed her thigh before he joined in on her laugh, shaking his head in amusement.

"So you want to tell me what's really on your mind?" Nathan spoke up after a while, gently rubbing her thigh.

Haley sighed softly and started to fiddle with the collar of his leather jacket as her eyes wandered around the beautiful scenery that surrounded them. "It's nothing, really. I'm sure I'm just over thinking things as usual." She tried to brush it off, because she knew that it really wasn't that big of a deal. It was only her mind working on high gear trying to handle everything that was going on at the same time.

"Hales, talk to me." Nathan prodded, knowing that whatever it was it would help her to talk to him about it, instead of bottling it up inside of her and make it ten times worse than it probably was.

"It's just…there's so much going on right now, and I don't know where to start. You know how I like to be in control of things." She looked down and rolled her eyes when he gave her a teasing smile.

"Don't I know it." He teased and chuckled when she lightly pinched his neck.

"I know, I worry too much, but I can't help it you know." She shook her head at herself and wished she could be more like Nathan. He never seemed to have any worries or get himself worked up over nothing. It was exhausting at times, but when it came to the well being of her family, she just couldn't seem to stop her mind from mulling, no matter what it was.

"Why don't we start from the top and let's see if we can work through some of it? All jokes aside." Nathan said in a serious tone and smiled reassuringly, wanting nothing more than to help her ease her mind.

Haley gnawed down on her lip and quickly ran through her so-called worries in her mind, starting to feel slightly embarrassed since, technically, they really weren't anything to worry about.

"Hey, as long as it worries you, it worries me too, so please try me." Nathan spoke softly when he saw that she was hesitating. He knew how her mind was working, and she was now at a point where she was contemplating whether or not she should cast it aside and try to let it go, instead of letting him in on her thoughts.

Haley smiled softly at him and placed her hand over his that was resting on her thigh and gave it a tiny squeeze. She would always be amazed at how well he knew her, and sometimes she was sure that he knew her even better than she knew herself. She briefly closed her eyes by the warm feeling that spread through her body by the thought of how considerate and understanding he always was with her, before she looked back into his sparkling, blue eyes.

"There's just so many changes going on right now, in which I know are all good for us, but I can't help but feel a little overwhelmed somehow." She sighed and paused herself for a few seconds before she continued.

"First of all, you're going to this meeting with the school board tomorrow morning about coaching the basketball team, and I know we've talked about it - a lot, but I'm worried that you're only agreeing to do it because of me, and partly because of Lucas and Whitey…" She trailed off and absentmindedly played with the wedding band on his finger. "…I don't want you to settle for something just because I'm scared." She added quietly.

Nathan listened intently to her words and knew she wasn't done talking, so instead of interrupting her, he let her continue while he rubbed his hand soothingly over her lower back.

"And then there's the decision we have to make about Whitey's ranch…I mean, this place is absolutely amazing and I'm honored that he left all of this to us, but it comes with a huge responsibility, and I'm not sure if we'll be able to handle that. Besides, it's farther away from civilization and if we were to move out here, I'm afraid Jamie and Lydia would eventually suffer because their friends wouldn't be close by." Her mind was going a mile a minute now, and she had to take a moment to collect herself. She knew it was stupid to get herself so worked up over this, but whatever decision they ended up with would affect not only them, but their kids as well, and she only wanted the best for her children. They would always be her top priority next to Nathan.

"I know we've barley touched this subject and that we still have to sit down properly to talk this out, which isn't at this very moment of course, but I just want us to find the best possible solution for all of us, especially for Jamie and Lydia." She reasoned and let out a sigh.

Nathan looked up at her and took a hold of her hand, rubbing his thumb across the soft skin of her knuckles.

"There's one more thing, isn't it?" He asked knowing his wife all too well. He couldn't help but smile as a tiny pout slowly formed across her beautiful features.

"How did you know?" She asked, feigning a shocked state by his sixth sense.

Nathan chuckled at her and shook his head softly. "Don't forget that I'm just as upset about this as you are, if not even more. But our little angel is growing up, and we wouldn't want to keep a Scott down, now would we?"

Haley's pout grew in size as she placed her head down on his shoulder. "I know, but I don't want her to grow up just yet. She's my little baby girl and it's a scary world out there, you never know what could happen at daycare. What if she doesn't make any friends? Or what if she'll get picked on? Like Jamie was in the beginning…" She halfway cried and snuggled her face into the crook of his neck.

"I don't think you need to worry about that, you know, with a slugger of a mom that'll always have her back." Nathan chuckled and squeezed her waist.

Haley sat up and mock gaped at him before she shoved him in the shoulder. "Whatever." She huffed. "For your information, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. No one messes with my babies." She joked before she put on another small pout and buried her head back into his neck.

"I know you would, and you know I'd be totally supportive of that." Haley could hear the underlying huskiness in his voice and couldn't help but shiver.

"Mmm, I'm sure you would." She let out small a chuckle followed by a long sigh.

"There's nothing I find more sexy than a protective Haley James." Nathan smirked and placed a soft kiss at her forehead while tightening his grip around her body.

"But listen, she won't start until January, so we'll still have her all to ourselves for almost an entire month, before we have to share her with the rest of the world." He said and felt slightly uneasy by the thought of having to leave her in the hands of someone else, but quickly brushed it off before he continued talking, not wanting to dwell on it more than necessary since it was inevitable no matter how much they disliked the idea.

"And about the other stuff. Don't worry about this property, we'll figure something out. Whether we keep it or sell it, or maybe even leave it to Lucas and Peyton to buy us out, it's still going to be a decision that we both agree on and that will make us all happy." He said reassuringly.

"Yeah, I guess there's no point in creating problems before there even are any…" She thought out loud.

"Exactly. Why don't we sit down tonight after the kids are down for the night and go through our options? We could even ask Lucas and Peyton to come over if you want." Nathan suggested.

"Sure, I would rather deal with this sooner than later, so I suppose we can at least discuss it tonight. But maybe we should wait and talk to Lucas and Peyton till after we've reached our own decision? I don't want to lead them on or give them any false hopes in case we end up deciding that we want to keep it."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Mmhm, I'm always right." She said and placed a chaste kiss on his neck.

"Well…" Nathan started but Haley cut him off.

"Oh, just shut up and let me have this. For once?" She smiled in satisfaction when she heard his soft laughter, which indicated that he was actually going to let it go this time.

"Fine, but don't get used to it." He joked and closed his eyes when he felt Haley's soft lips leaving another gentle kiss on his neck.

"Thank you." She said in a mocking tone and chuckled lightly before a short silence descended upon them.

"You know…" Nathan started talking after sitting in a comfortable silence with his arms wrapped around his wife, feeling the warmth of her breath against the skin of his neck. "I've given this job thing a lot of thought, hell, I might even have done some soul searching about it, and what I do know for certain is that what I do for a living now isn't the right path for me. I know you think that this is something I do for you, but it's not. I mean, of course it eases me knowing that you'll be more at peace and don't have to worry about me leaving all the time. You will always be the one I worry about, and I'd do anything to make sure that you're safe and happy, Hales, you know that, right?" He paused and took a breath, not really waiting for her to give him an answer, because they both knew that he would do anything for her and their children.

"But you were the one who really opened up my eyes about it and made me listen to my heart. Well, you plus Lucas and Whitey's bullying of course." He made a small joke to lighten the conversation a little, as he didn't feel the need to go too deep into this topic again right now. He smiled to himself when he heard her delicate laugh and quickly kissed the top of her head.

"I still haven't fully decided whether I'm going to accept this coaching position or not, but I need you to know that whatever I'll end up doing will be because of what I want. At the same time, I also need you to be happy about what I'm going to do or where I'll end up, so of course you're a huge part of my decision making. Just remember that I would never settle for something that wouldn't make me happy - no matter what it is." He hoped that he'd managed to ease her mind a little, especially about this job thing, and he hoped that she would let his words sink in this time and trust in what he'd just told her, because he meant every part of it.

He let his hand rub gently up and down her back when he felt her move in an upright position. He met her intense gaze and smiled when she palmed his face, before he felt her lips against his.

"Thank you." She sighed contentedly with a smile after she'd pulled back from his lips.

Nathan opened his eyes that had snapped shut the second he'd felt Haley's lips touch his own, and smiled back at her. "For what exactly?" He asked, not quite sure what she was thanking him for.

"For not settling with me." She whispered and flashed him one of those smiles that made his heart slam hard against his chest every single time.

"That was a no brainer." He spoke in a low voice and captured her lips again in a long, tender kiss.

"Should we head back home and see if Clay and Quinn are still able to keep the little monster in check?" Nathan mumbled reluctantly before adding a couple of more kisses, not ready to let go of the warm, fuzzy feeling that surged through his veins by the intimate moment they shared.

"Mmm, do we have to?" Haley groaned and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck when she felt him start to pull back. "Let's just wait a little while longer, okay?" She barley whispered right before she connected their lips again.

Nathan tightened his grip around her waist as she was slowly and teasingly working over his bottom lip, before she moved to his upper lip and gently raked her blunt nails over his scalp. "I could kiss you forever." He groaned into her mouth and moved one of his hands up the curves of her body before it landed on her cheek, pulling her even closer to deepen the kiss.

Haley knew they needed to go back home soon, but she couldn't control the sudden need she felt for Nathan right now, and a few small kisses simply wouldn't satisfy her at the moment. The heat in her body was rising quickly and she could feel that Nathan was just as lost in the moment as she was.

She felt his tongue trace across her lip and allowed him to enter immediately, and couldn't help but moan out loud when his tongue coupled with hers.

They continued to make out for a few more minutes, completely lost in the feeling of their lips moving so expertly together, before they both pulled back slightly, trying to catch their breaths. Haley leaned her forehead against Nathan's and slowly fluttered her eyes open while her fingers danced gently over the skin in the back of his neck. She could still feel the tingles from their heavy make-out session shoot up and down her spine, which only intensified when her eyes landed on his darkened shade of blues, as he too finally came out of his haze and opened them up. A shiver ran through her body when she thought that this moment, right now, was perfect.

"It's been a while since we did this." Nathan started. "Somehow I feel like we're back in high school again, hiding away so that no one will catch us making out." He smirked and moved his hand to the top of her thigh. "What do you say we continue this to second base, or maybe even third? There's no one around." He proposed in a flirty, yet teasing tone while seductively raising his eyebrow.

Haley narrowed her eyes at him and tried to hide the smile from forming on her lips. "You just had to ruin the moment with your inner, horny teenager self." She playfully swatted him on his shoulder and quickly got up on her feet.

"Oh come on, Hales. I know you want me, and did I mention that there's no one around?" He laughed and shot up from his spot when she made a dismissive wave at him before she started to walk away, her face tinted with an even darker shade of red than it already was from their heated moment.

"Did I tell you how sexy you look when you blush?" He continued to tease her after he'd caught up with her quick strides.

Haley whipped her head to the side and mocked glared at him. "You're not allowed to say anything until we're back home again, okay?" She tried to sound firm, but it was difficult with the constant blushing giving her away, and the way his deep voice kept stirring something inside of her. She'd be lying if she said that she hadn't actually considered his proposition, even if it was only for a fraction of a second, because who could really blame her when her husband were in possession of so many talents and looked the way that he did? But then she'd thankfully remembered that they'd promised Quinn and Clay not to stay too late because they were having a dinner thing later on with an old friend of Clay's.

As they kept walking towards the car, she promised herself to never tell him that, cause she would never hear the end of it. Instead she only smiled to herself and bit down on her lip, as Nathan continued to chuckle softly by how easily embarrassed she got, even when there was no one around to hear them.

Nathan adjusted his tie as he stood in front of the mirror in their bathroom suite, before he smoothed it out with his hand across his chest and down his stomach. This would have to do he thought as he took one last glance at himself in the mirror and then turned and walked into the adjoining bedroom. His gaze went over to the bed where Whitey's old playbook was laid at the top of the comforter. He halted for a second as he pictured the old man sitting at the swing outside on his porch going through the book with worn out edges, and smiled softly to himself. There were a lot of work and dedication resting at the pages that laid within the covers of that book, and now he was chosen to continue Whitey's great work to a new group of young and eager athletes. And no matter what the outcome of this meeting would be, he felt honored that Whitey had passed on the book to him. A tiny wave of pride washed through him when he thought about the fact that the old man had actually considered him of being worthy enough to continue his legacy. It was a huge responsibility, but as Whitey's words about him having his heart in the right place popped up in his head, he suddenly knew what he had to do. What he wanted to do.

He dragged his hand through his ever so slowly growing hair before he walked out and into the hallway, heading downstairs.

When he came to the bottom of the stairs, he slowed down and smiled by the sound of Haley and Lydia in the kitchen. He shook his head in amusement and couldn't help but chuckle low to himself when he heard Haley talk to their daughter in a serious tone, which was only followed by the toddlers tiny giggles.

"Lydia Bob Scott! Either you put the food in your mouth or you keep it in the bowl." Haley sighed and hunched down to pick up the bits of fruits that were strewn around Lydia's chair on the floor.

"No!" She said and picked up another large piece of apple from her bowl, squeezing it hard in her tiny hand as she slowly raised it above her head in preparation to give it the same fate as the other pieces of fruit.

"Are you giving your mom a hard time again this morning, Lyd?" Nathan spoke up as he entered the kitchen, prepared to play the negotiator between his two girls.

"Daddy!" Lydia whipped her head around to look at her dad, her entire face lit up by the sight of him as she quickly dropped the fruit she held in her hand. Her mischievous plan of torturing her mom already forgotten. "Milk now!" She exclaimed and wiggled in her chair.

Nathan chuckled as he went over to her and placed a kiss at the top of her head. "Yes, I'll get us both some milk. But you have to promise me to eat something too, okay?" He said and ruffled her hair before he turned to face Haley.

"Hey, baby." He said as she got back up with several pieces of fruit in her hands, before he leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"I swear she wakes up in the morning with every intention of making my life a living h-e-l-l." Haley sighed and smiled tiredly at him before she walked over to the trash can and threw the fruit away.

She wiped her hands with a towel and felt Nathan's hand brush against her lower back as he passed her on his way to the refrigerator with a chuckle. She turned around and watched as he pulled out a carton of milk.

"It's not that bad, Hales." He said as he turned around and faced her.

"No? Then why do I have a feeling that she's always targeting me with her impossible behavior? You never see her acting like that whenever you're around…" She pouted and walked over to him to adjust the collar of his shirt.

"Well, that's cause I'm her favorite." Nathan couldn't resist teasing her and started to laugh when the pout on her face grew even bigger.

"Not funny." She whined while she continued to straighten out the collar of his white dress shirt. "But sadly it's true…I think she hates me." She looked up at him with sad eyes and let her hand run down the length of his black and blue tie once she was satisfied with the way it looked.

"You know that's not true, I'm just teasing you." Nathan smiled and placed a kiss on her forehead. "She can be quite the devil when you're not around too, trust me." He added with a sympathetic look and gently rubbed her arm.

"Daddy, daddy!" Lydia whined impatiently as she kicked her feet into the chair.

"Speak of the devil…" He raised his eyebrow and chuckled as Haley simply smiled and shook her head at the twosome. They really were something.

Nathan walked over the the cabinet and pulled out a glass for himself and one of Lydia's plastic cups.

"So, where's your head at about the meeting?" Haley asked and started to wipe down the counter with a cloth while watching him out of the corner of her eye. Nathan had been vague when they talked about it last night, and even this morning she wasn't sure whether he had made a decision or not. She could see that tiny spark evident in his eyes when he talked about it, and so she was positive that he wouldn't regret accepting the offer. Yet, he was still a little hesitant about giving her a straight answer when she asked him about it in the bathroom earlier.

"Actually…" Nathan started as he walked over to Lydia and handed her the cup of milk. "There you go, munchkin. Try and eat some of the fruit too, okay?" He smiled at his daughter when she happily grabbed the cup with both hands and started drinking.

He turned around and leaned back into the counter and took a large sip of his own glass. "I made a decision right before I came down here." He said and rested his eyes on Haley.

Haley halted her ministrations and turned her head around to look at him. "And?"

Nathan downed the rest of the milk and placed the glass down behind him on the counter and slowly turned his head around and met her eyes. "I've decided that I'm going to take the job." He said and smiled at her. The good feeling of saying it out loud made him even more sure that he'd made the right decision. This would make him stay here in Tree Hill on a more permanent basis, which meant that he'd have more time with Haley, Jamie and Lydia, the three most important people in his life - and he'd still be working with the sport that had captured his heart from the moment he'd held a basketball all those years ago. He was absolutely certain that this was the right decision, both for him and his family.

"Really?" He could feel his heart flutter as one of Haley's big, beautiful smiles lit up her face.

"Really. No more traveling and late night calls, although I'm going to miss the hot phone s-e-x." He smirked and stepped towards her.

"Oh, gee, you say it like it's the greatest loss." Haley rolled her eyes and placed her hands on his shoulders when she closed the distance between them.

"It kind of is." He joked and snaked his arms around her waist.

"Hah! Like the phone actually beats the real thing!?" Haley lowered her voice and looked up at him through her eyelashes while biting her lip.

Nathan let out a low growl by her seductive tone and pressed her further into his body. "No, I suppose it doesn't." He whispered huskily before finding her lips in a soft, yet passionate kiss.

"Mommy, daddy! No kiss!" Lydia suddenly yelled and hit the plastic cup against the chair.

"Oh, gross!" Jamie yawned tiredly as he walked into the kitchen, just in time to catch his parents locking lips.

Nathan and Haley pulled away from each other and exchanged a look before they started laughing.

"Good morning, Jamie. I made you your lunch, it's over there, and there's cereal on the counter next to dad." Haley stepped away from a smirking Nathan, with a light blush covering her face and neck.

Jamie mumbled a thanks and went over to Nathan's side and fixed himself a bowl of cereal.

"Honey, be careful so you don't spill your milk, okay?" Haley walked over to Lydia and tried to take the cup out of her hands.

"No, mine!"

"Okay, fine." She sighed. "Please finish your milk then, so we can go meet Aunt Peyton and Sawyer. Remember, we have a lot on our plate today, so we better get started."

"How does your day look like, Hales?" Nathan asked and bumped his shoulder playfully into Jamie as he too, fixed himself a bowl of cereal.

"I'm meeting Peyton at the mall and thought I'd finish the last bit of Christmas shopping before I'm heading over to the studio; Chris wanted me to sign off on some paper work. I also have to close up the cafe tonight, so I don't know if I'll be able to make dinner today, unless we make it a late one."

"That's fine, I'll take care of it. And don't worry, I won't try something too advanced that might burn down the kitchen." He added and got a laugh out of Haley and Jamie in response.

"Dad, can I ride with you to school?" Jamie shot in.

"Yeah, sure. I'm leaving in about 10 minutes though, so be ready." He said and placed his now empty bowl in the dishwasher along with Jamie's.

"Do you want to try and get some work done on your music too? I mean since you're going over there anyway, you might as well get a few hours in. I'll come pick up Lydia after I'm done with the meeting if you want?" Nathan asked knowing that Haley had been more productive in the music department these last few weeks.

"Umm, I don't know. Why don't you call me later and check where I'm at? I'd halfway promised Quinn we'd have lunch today too, so I don't think there'll be enough time for that." She said and wiped Lydia's face with a cloth once she finished her milk, before she lifted her out of the chair.

"Mommy go now?"

"Soon, honey. Why don't you go and play with your toys for a little while first." She told her and put her down. Her tiny body swaying a little from side to side before she took off towards the living room where the box of her toys were stashed away behind the sofa.

"Okay, sound good. Just remember to tell Peyton about the dinner tomorrow night when you see her. I'll tell Luke later today when I see him, but I don't trust him to deliver the message to Peyton in time." He said jokingly.

"I will." Haley laughed and shook her head as she cleared out Lydia's dirty dishes. "And are we sure about the decision we made about Whitey's ranch?" Haley wanted to make sure they hadn't agreed on something that they might end up regretting later.

"I think it's the best solution for all of us as of right now. But if you want, we can give it another round tonight? Before we talk to Peyton and Lucas about it tomorrow."

Haley let out a silent sigh as she felt Nathan come up behind her and place his hand on her arm, rubbing it gently up and down. "No, you're right. We agreed on it last night, and it's the right thing to do." She said and turned around. "You go meet with the school board first and get that out of the way, and I'll catch up with you later." She smiled softly.

"Okay. Have fun shopping and tell Peyton hi. I'll call you when I'm done." Nathan said and placed a chaste kiss on her lips before he grabbed Jamie's lunch and headed for the door. "Jamie, let's go!" He called out.

"Thanks, I will. Good luck, baby!" Haley called after him before she went back to tidying up the kitchen. This was going to be a long day.

Haley yawned tiredly as she closed the door behind her. She was finally home after a long and exhausting day, and couldn't wait to hit the sheets. She carried the bags from her earlier shopping into the living room and tossed her purse and jacket on the couch. She was about to grab the bags and take them straight upstairs to put them away, but halted when she heard Nathan in the kitchen. She dropped the bags down on the floor again and walked towards the sounds in the kitchen, raking her hand through her blonde locks.

"Hey." She spoke softly as she rounded the corner and smiled to herself when she saw Nathan standing over the sink washing the pots he'd used for dinner.

"Hey, you're home." Nathan flipped his head around and smiled at her, while he continued to scrub the pot under the running water. He watched as she walked over and sat down at one of the high stools by the counter, before placing her elbows at the surface and bury her face in her hands.

He turned the water off and wiped his hands on a towel before he walked over to the opposite side of the counter where she was sitting. "Long day?" He said and smiled at her when she removed her hands from her face and placed them down on the counter.

"You have no idea." She exhaled and met his gaze. "The cafe was a complete war zone tonight. One of our waitresses had called in sick today, and after Brooke left, it kind of just fell apart." She laughed tiredly.

"I'm sorry, baby. You should've called Jamie and asked him to help you out for a few hours." Nathan said and leaned down on his elbows, taking her hands in his.

"No, I knew he was hanging out with the guys at the river court, and I didn't want to nag him about it. Besides, I thought it was going to settle down eventually like it usually does, but the customers kept rolling in up until we had to close."

"Well, at least it's good for business, right?" Nathan smiled and gave her hands a gentle squeeze. "But seriously, Hales. Call the boy next time, the responsibility of working is good for him. He could use the structure in his life." Haley chuckled lightly in response. Jamie was still young, but Nathan did have a valid point. Every kid could benefit from starting to work at an early age, but then again, she knew he already had a lot going on trying to juggle school, basketball and baseball, as well as having some spare time just hanging out with his friends.

"Yeah, I think he'll be alright. I think the weekends are more than enough for him. At least for now." She smiled. "How did it go here by the way? Did Lydia give you any trouble before bedtime?" She asked knowing how their two year old had recently started to refuse wanting to go to bed.

"Her stubborn little self did put up a fight for a while, but she was doomed to lose the battle when I pulled out the secret weapon." He chuckled and softly shook his head when he thought about how feisty she could be sometimes. There was no doubt that she was Haley in a miniature version. But he wouldn't have it any other way. They were both perfect.

"You know that basically means that you lost the fight, right?" Haley raised one of her eyebrows and nudged his hand. "You know she gets the upper hand whenever we allow her to fall asleep in our bed." Haley laughed when Nathan rolled his eyes and rubbed his hand over his neck.

"I know, I know. But no matter what I did, she kept squirming and working against me, and when she started to cry for you I didn't see any other choice." He sighed, knowing that she had to learn to sleep in her own bed eventually, but there was a part of him that found it very hard to resist her - especially when Haley wasn't around. He knew his daughter had the upper hand when he was dealing with her alone. His biggest weakness was his girls, he couldn't deny that.

Haley laughed at his frustrated expression. "It's okay. I would probably have done the same." She confessed to let him off the hook.

"I'm weak, but at least she's asleep now, and Jamie too, hopefully." He said before he straightened himself up and walked back to the sink to finish the dishes he'd started on. "So, apart from a busy cafe, how was the rest of your day?" He asked while he continued scrubbing.

"It was good. You already know that I finished the last of the Christmas presents, so we're all good in that department at least. Chris was being his usual self when I went over there, but that's nothing new." She chuckled and rolled her eyes. "And Quinn told me she's working on a new project for her gallery. She wouldn't tell me exactly what it is, but she seemed pretty excited about it." She smiled to herself. "Did you hear back from the school board yet?" She asked curiously. When Nathan had picked up Lydia earlier he'd only told her that the meeting went well, but the board was going to call him later with the final decision. It seemed like it was basically just a formality, in which they had to discuss it without Nathan's presence.

"No, not yet. I'm sure they'll call me in the morning. But like I said, they seemed very pleased when I gave them the green light, so I assume it's more or less a done deal." He finished the last pot and turned off the water, before he dried it with the kitchen towel and placed into the cabinet.

"So, you're really going to do this? Nathan Scott, Ravens new head coach." Haley said with a smile as she let the idea of it settle within her. She couldn't hide the fact that the thought of him coaching the Ravens made her excited, and at the same time extremely at ease, knowing that he could finally put all the traveling behind him and stay home with his family.

"I guess I am."

"And you're really okay with this, right?" Haley asked again, wanting to reassure that this was something he wanted for himself and not just to please her.

"Yeah, it is. I've given this a lot of thought, and when I thought back to Whitey's words this morning, I felt it, you know. The fact that he chose me to continue his legacy is a big deal and a great honor." He said seriously and held her gaze. "But let's not get carried away before they actually give me the job. Who knows, maybe Michael Jordan will call them tonight and snatch the job from right under my nose." He joked and started to switch off the lights as he suddenly felt the hours of the day hit him.

"Yeah right. Like he could actually stand a chance against the great Nathan Scott." Haley laughed and gave him a playful wink before she got up from the stool. She walked into the living room and picked up the shopping bags and headed slowly towards the stairs. "Oh, by the way. You'll never guess who's pregnant!?" She turned around and grinned excitedly at Nathan who came to a sudden halt and widened his eyes as he was walking towards her.

Nathan's mind started to work immediately as the words slipped out of her. Who the hell was pregnant? Was it Quinn or Peyton? Or maybe Brooke and Julian had managed to beat the odds once again?

He walked over to where she was standing at the bottom of the stairs and stopped right in front of her, searching her face for answers, when the thought suddenly hit him.

"It's not you, is it?" He asked carefully. Wasn't it too soon for them to have another baby? They hadn't really talked about it ever since Lydia was born, but he knew that they both wanted another child at some point, he just wasn't sure if now was the right time. He suddenly felt a little overwhelmed by the thought, and froze for a moment.

Haley eyed him with an amused expression and knew exactly what was going through his head right now. She bit her lip and decided to hold back the answer until they were behind the closed doors of their bedroom. She then turned around and started to climb the stairs with a light chuckle, knowing very well that he'd soon be coming out of his frozen state, demanding an answer. When she was halfway up the stairs, she heard him call after her as he practically ran up the stairs, taking two steps at the time.

"Haley? Are you pregnant?" He called after her when he managed to pull himself out of his thoughts, and realized that Haley was already halfway up the stairs.

AN; Wow. It's been a while, and somehow I feel a little rusty, but I'm happy to be back in the game.

First of all, I would like to give a big shout out to Two Bodies One Soul for her incredible contribution with Chapter 6. Thank you for helping us out with an amazing Chapter, Dawn!

Secondly, I'd like to thank you all for being so patient with me, especially you, Kat. I hope there's still interest for this story, even though it takes some time in between the updates of the Chapters. We appreciate your support and would love to hear your inputs, so don't hesitate to contact us if you have any ideas floating around.

I know the end probably left you with wanting more, and I do have an idea about it in my head, but I'm excited to see what Kat will decide to do about it! I did let her in on my thoughts though, but it's completely up to her now. So stay tuned to her account for the next Chapter...

Thank you for reading, and as always, feel free to let us know what you think!