2004 ― Tree Hill, North Carolina

Aurora James, Brooke Davis, and Peyton Sawyer were hanging out together in Peyton's room. Peyton was going through her CDs, Brooke was on Peyton's computer and Aurora was sitting on the bed. They were talking about the reasons for Haley and Nathan getting married so quickly.

"Do you think Haley is pregnant?" Brooke asked. Aurora laughed a little while Peyton shook her head.

"Or maybe she's in love," Peyton said.

"I don't know, Brooke's theory has traction. What other reason do you get married at 17? Plus, given the track record of the Scott gene pool... both Deb and Karen got pregnant at 17, so..." Aurora trailed off and Peyton shook her head.

"Come on, Ari," Peyton said.

"What I'm just saying. Dan may be an asshole, but he has good genes. One look at those boys and boom...-" Brooke cut Aurora off.

"...-So does that mean you're pregnant too?" Brooke asked. Aurora rolled her eyes but she was still laughing.

"Shut up. Anyways, what's new in the music world, Peyton?" Aurora asked.

"I dunno. The new Keane's pretty good of Modest Mouse, Pilot to Gunners," Peyton said. Aurora had no idea who any of those people were, but she noticed Brooke was typing her answers into an online dating site.

"Keane... Mighty Mouse," Brooke repeated and Aurora laughed because that's not what Peyton said.

"It's Modest," Peyton corrected and then she noticed what Brooke was doing. "Why are you typing those?" Peyton asked. She was still at her bookshelf, but she could hear Brooke typing.

"Oh, Brooke is putting them in your turn-ons. She's adding you to the Lust Factor dot com," Aurora said. Peyton immediately turned around and tried to grab the mouse.

"Brooke!" She exclaimed. Brooke giggled as she submitted Peyton's profile.

"Oops! Too late," Brooke said and then she turned around. "We can check your scores in a couple of hours," She said. Peyton looked at Aurora.

"How could you let her do that? I told you I'm not about chasing guys right now," Peyton said. Aurora held her hands up in surrender. She couldn't control Brooke even if she tried.

"Doesn't mean I can't chase them for you, missy. If you're not about chasing guys, why are there half a dozen emails to Jake Jagielski in your sent message folder?" Brooke asked. Aurora turned to her friend and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, Peyton... why?" Aurora asked. Peyton rolled her eyes.

"He hasn't answered any of them, and I swear I am changing all of my passwords," Peyton said and the girls laughed.

"Mhmm," Aurora said.

"Okay, I don't know, alright? But ever since he who cannot be named...-" Aurora cut Peyton off.

"...-You can say his name, Peyton. I've known the guy since I was eight, I'm not going to burst into tears," Aurora said. The girls laughed again.

"Okay, okay, ever since Lucas, I just feel like I need to shake things up and not guys, okay? Like important stuff," Peyton said. Aurora nodded in agreement.

"I understand, and speaking of Lucas, he's waiting on us, Peyton... so we should probably get going," Aurora said. Brooke walked them to the door and then they got into Peyton's car together.

"What do you think he wants?" Peyton asked as she started the car. Aurora shrugged.

"If he's smart... forgiveness."

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

Aurora and Peyton were a little nervous when they approached an empty abandoned building and saw Lucas standing inside. They had no idea what he was planning, but he had a smile on his face when they entered. "What do you think?" He asked.

"Did you bring us here to kill us? Because I don't see plastic or bloodstains anywhere," Aurora said. Peyton laughed while Lucas rolled his eyes.

"No, I was thinking bar..." He trailed off and pointed to the far end of the hall. "...Right over there. DJ, right over there," He said as he pointed above the stage. "And then uh..." He slowly approached the girls. "The three of us trying to be friends... right about um... there," He said as he gestured to where Aurora and Peyton were standing.

"Okay..." Aurora said slowly and Peyton nodded as well.

"I want to throw a party for our siblings, Ari. You know, everyone's been so... weirded out about them getting married. Nobody is stepping up and just saying, 'Hey, it's cool! Let's celebrate.' We are their friends... we should do this for them, and since nobody plans a party better than you," Lucas said as he pointed to Aurora. "And nobody rocks a party better than you," He said as he pointed to Peyton. "I was hoping the three of us could work it out,"

"The party or the friends part?" Peyton asked.

"All of it," Lucas said. Aurora and Peyton shared a look and then they turned back to Lucas. As Aurora looked at him, she realized that she truly held no anger against either of them anymore, she was just glad to have her friends back. "Look, I guess you guys found the letter," He said.

Peyton started fake coughing to avoid the question, but the cough was horrid. "I should get something to drink," She said. Aurora rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, hmm," She said. Lucas looked between the two of them with his shy and embarrassed look. Aurora was curious about what was in the letter and she was starting to think maybe they should have read it.

"Look! I meant what I said. Okay, and now that I'm back, it's a little embarrassing, so how about we just...-" Aurora cut him off.

"...-Don't mention it!" Aurora said a little too quickly. The girls didn't read it, and Lucas didn't want to talk about it, so they saw it as a win-win situation.

"Great," Peyton said as she nodded.

"So, what do you say, huh? You guys in?" He asked. The girls knew he switched the subject back to the party for Nathan and Haley.

"Well, duh. It's my sister and my best friend. Any excuse for a party works for me," Aurora said. Lucas turned to Peyton for her answer.

"For Nathan and Haley, why not?" She said as she shrugged. Lucas smiled as he looked at them.

"Great, we'll do it together. Come on! Check it out," Lucas said as he walked away. Before the girls followed behind, Aurora looked at Peyton and rolled her eyes.

"Fake cough? That was the best you could come up with?" Aurora asked. Peyton laughed as she nodded.

"I know it was bad, but I had nothing," She said. The girls shared a laugh again and then they followed behind Lucas.

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

The next morning, Aurora and Lucas were walking outside of school and she could see he was texting someone on his phone, but she didn't know who. Then Haley approached them and smiled at Lucas. "Right back at you, BIL," She said. Lucas laughed.

"Okay, I've been gone for what? A few days and you've already forgotten my name? Who's Bill?" Lucas asked. Aurora shook her head.

"B-I-L, Lucas. It means brother-in-law. I've been messing with Nathan a lot by calling him that," Aurora said. Haley laughed and linked her arm through Luke's.

"Oh, crap. I'm related to you?" Lucas teased and Haley laughed. "Look, I know... I was sketchy when I left but... just, you know... You surprised me, and I want you to know that I am happy for you, Hales," Lucas said and Haley smiled.

"I know, and Nathan told me about you calling and asking about Dan and us, and it's cool. Thank you," Haley said. Lucas wrapped an arm around her and hugged her. Then Nathan approached the group and pulled Haley away.

"Hey, get your own wife!" Nathan joked.

"Okay, that just sounds weird," Lucas said and Aurora laughed.

"No, what's weird is whatever the hell happened to your hair," Aurora said and then they all laughed as they walked into their school building.

"Oh look, it's our very own Britney Spears and whoever she married this week. I have a question for you guys; what do you think? Pink or blue booties?" Brooke asked when she approached. Peyton was in tow beside her. Haley shook her head.

"Booties? Brooke, I'm not pregnant," Haley said. Brooke quickly shook her head.

"No. The only way this isn't totally screwed up is if you're knocked up, but don't worry, your secret is safe with me," Brooke said as she smiled. Haley rolled her eyes, and then Tim approached them and moved Brooke to the side.

"What's this lame-ass joke about you guys getting married?" He asked as he looked between Nathan and Haley.

"He's just in shock that you're officially off the market," Aurora said to Nathan, making him laugh. Brooke nodded as she turned to Tim.

"It's true, Tim. Haley's preggers," Brooke said.

"Brooke!" Haley exclaimed as Haley rolled her eyes. Aurora was getting a bit annoyed. Haley being pregnant is a rumor that doesn't need to be spread around their school.

"Right, and Lucas moved away," Tim said as he turned to Lucas. He technically did move away, he just didn't stay gone long. "You guys gotta do better if you're going to get one over on the Tim," He said and Aurora shoved him away.

"The Tim," Haley repeated and they all laughed while Aurora rolled her eyes. The bell rang, indicating the start of the school day.

The group went their separate ways.

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

When Aurora got home later that day and made her way to her room, she could hear crying. Her eyebrows furrowed as she followed the sound, and she found herself in Haley's old room. It was all packed up, but Haley was sitting on her bed and hugging her stuffed teddy bear, Mr. Waffles. Aurora frowned and sat down next to her, then wrapped her arms around her.

"Hales?" She asked. Haley didn't respond, she just leaned into her sister and cried more. Aurora heard more footsteps and she knew it was her parents.

"All these empty bedrooms, except Aurora's," Their mom, Lydia, said as they entered the room. "We could open a crack house, an upscale one," She teased. Aurora smiled, while Haley sat up and sniffled.

"Yeah, like a crack resort," Their dad, Jimmy, said.

"She came back for Mr. Waffles, or maybe her twin, who knows," Lydia said as she looked at the girls. Haley was trying to calm her breathing, but she had stopped crying.

"Did Nathan do something?" Jimmy asked. Haley shook her head.

"No. His um... his mother, she said...-" Haley started to say, but Lydia cut her off.

"...-That you were ruining her son's life?" She asked. Haley nodded.

"Yeah, basically," Haley said. Aurora rolled her eyes. She knows Deb is just strung out emotionally, but that doesn't mean she should take it out on Haley. Lydia looked at her husband and mouthed something to Jimmy that Aurora couldn't decipher, and then the pair joined their daughters on the bed.

"They're like the FBI honey, they have a system and they follow it. The first part is, you're ruining their child's life," Lydia said and Haley softly laughed.

"Yeah, then it goes to, she can't cook," Jimmy said.

"Her house is dirty," Lydia followed us.

"We found some hash in the guest room," Jimmy said. Aurora and Haley both laughed at that one. Aurora loved her parents and how chill they were. They always made them feel like their own people and let them make their own mistakes and choices instead of trying to control them, and they were always there whenever one of their kids needed them.

"There's only one way to deal with them, kiddos," Lydia said.

"Screw 'em. I mean, you know. You don't actually have sex with them," Jimmy said. The girls laughed again. Aurora was happy to see Haley was starting to feel better.

"What your father is saying is, if you're gonna come home crying every time you let them get the best of you, you might as well move back in now before your sister gives all your stuff to charity," Lydia said. Aurora laughed and winked at her sister, which made Haley laugh too.

"You wanted this, Haley. Time to grow up," Lydia said. Haley nodded as she wiped her eyes and thought about what her parents said. "By the way, the dog threw up on Mr. Waffles," Lydia added. Aurora started laughing as Haley picked up the bear by its paw and then threw it to the foot of her bed.

Jimmy and Lydia brought their daughters into their embrace.

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

A few days later, Aurora was with Peyton at the abandoned hall that Lucas had shown them. They were setting up for the party. Aurora thought it was coming together pretty well. They had multicolored curtains everywhere, with hanging lights over the curtains. The stage also had lights around it and a bench in the middle.

Three pictures were hanging above. On the left was a picture of Nathan, and on the right, was a picture of Haley. In the middle, the picture was half Nathan's face and half Haley's face. Aurora knew Peyton drew them and they came out great. Aurora and Lucas approached Peyton at the same time.

"P. Sawyer, these look awesome," Aurora said. Lucas nodded and Peyton smiled. She was sticking the heads of Nathan and Haley on a blackboard that was decorated in silver and gold with the words 'bride and groom' in the middle.

"Thanks," Peyton said. Aurora had also recruited Brooke to help them because she knows how to throw a good party. She had stepped out to get some things, and now she was walking back in with condom-shaped balloons.

"Okay, for future reference, having a convertible filled with inflated rubber, not so smart," Brooke said and Aurora laughed.

"Helium condoms?" Lucas asked as he raised an eyebrow. Aurora was feeling a little iffy about that too. She knew her sister wasn't pregnant.

"What? If she's pregnant, it's a reminder, if she's not, it's a reminder. It's cute," Brooke said. Aurora shook her head, but she decided she wasn't going to fight her on it. Lucas turned to Mouth, he also asked his river court friends for help.

"Hey Mouth, how's your bod?" Lucas asked.

"Skinny," Mouth responded and they all laughed. Then Lucas turned to Brooke and he gestured to Skills and Fergie.

"You know Skills and Fergie, right?" Lucas said. Brooke nodded as she looked at them.

"Of course I do," She said and then she picked up the Polaroid camera. "Hey guys, do you know Peyton?" Brooke asked as she gestured over to her. Peyton's face flushed and Aurora could tell she was getting embarrassed.

"Hi," Peyton greeted them.

"What's up skinny girl?" Skills asked. Aurora rolled her eyes but she was still smiling. She loves Skills, but he's always such a big flirt so she never takes him seriously.

"Peyton is an 8.1 on the Lust Factor," Brooke said as she walked past Peyton and took a picture of her chest. Peyton's eyes widened. "Soon to be a 9," She said.

"Brooke, you realize that uploading these kinds of pictures could be illegal. Plus, you're making guys become attracted to her based on her body, and you have no idea what kind of creeps are on that website," Aurora said. Peyton gave her a grateful smile.

"Thank you," Peyton mouthed.

Aurora took the camera from Brooke and turned to Luke. "Anyways, I was thinking we can take the cameras, put them out on the table, and people can take pictures for the wedding wall," She said.

"That's a great idea, Ari," Lucas said. Aurora smiled, she was glad to know she could come up with something fun for her sister. Especially given what had just happened with Deb, Haley deserved to have a good time.

"Care to know what else I have planned?" Aurora asked. She didn't let Lucas answer, she kept talking. "I know you do! I have spray string for when Nathan and Haley get here," She said as she took them out. "Mouth, come here... and sit down, please," She said. Mouth did as she asked. Peyton turned around to see what was going on.

"What is that?" Peyton asked as Aurora was strapping Mouth to the chair.

"This, missy fake blonde girl, is the Aurora James version of Spin the Bottle. Only now it's, spin the body, watch," Aurora said as she spun Mouth around in the chair and when he stopped, he was facing Skills. "Okay, you two have to make out now," Aurora teased and they all laughed.

"And last but not least, a game I came up with, five minutes in the elevator," Brooke said.

"Isn't it, five minutes in the closet?" Lucas asked.

"It's actually seven minutes in heaven," Aurora said.

"Yeah, if you're in middle school. We're juniors in high school. The great part about this is, you know how everybody has their elevator list?" Brooke asked.

"Their what?" Skills asked.

"You know, your elevator list! Come on, the list of people you're allowed to have sex with if you're ever stuck in an elevator with them," Brooke said.

"Beyonce," Fergie said.

"Jack Black," Peyton said. Aurora thought that was an interesting choice.

"Heath Ledger," Aurora said.

"Brooke Davis," Mouth said and everyone laughed.

"Aurora James," Skills teased. Aurora laughed and rolled her eyes, but Lucas didn't look that amused.

"Well! Everybody makes a list and if two people have each other's names... five minutes in the elevator," Brooke said. Everyone looked pretty entertained and on board with Aurora and Brooke's games.

"That sounds like a lot of fun, Brooke, Ari, nice work," Lucas said to them.

"Thank you, now all we need is Nathan and Haley," Aurora said as she spun Mouth around in the chair again. As the chair spun, he pointed at everyone, starting with Skills.

"No," He said and pointed to Brooke. "Yes," Next was Lucas. "No," Peyton was next to him and Mouth smiled. "Yes," Aurora was the last one in the circle and Mouth looked at her. "Yes," He said. The girls laughed while shaking their heads.

Aurora had a good feeling about the party.

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

Haley and Aurora arrived at Peyton's house because Peyton said she would let Haley borrow an outfit for tonight. Aurora on the other hand went with one of her floral rompers in the closet. She's always loved wearing rompers and jumpsuits more than dresses.

"Hey is Peyton around?" Haley asked as they walked in. Brooke was doing something on Peyton's computer. "She said she was gonna loan me something to wear," Haley said. Brooke turned to the sisters. Then she gestured to the bathroom quickly before turning back to Peyton's computer.

"Yeah, she'll be out soon," Brooke said, and then a picture of Peyton popped up on her computer that shouldn't be uploaded online.

"Where did you get that picture of her?" Haley asked.

Brooke smirked. "You gotta love modern technology. It's for a little project I'm doing, to help expand her horizons." Brooke said.

Haley raised an eyebrow. "By posting nude pictures of her on the internet?" Haley asked. Aurora turned to Brooke.

"Yeah, Brooke that's not safe, that's going to get Peyton the wrong attention, so if some creep comes out here and assaults her, it's your fault," Aurora said.

She frowned as she looked at her friend. "Why would you say that?" She asked.

"Because it's true Brooke, you're about to upload a naked picture of Peyton on the internet, once that gets seen, it's going to stay on the internet, even if you take it down, and there are creepy people out there, and you're being dumb. Peyton doesn't want this, so you should just stop. You wouldn't want naked pictures of you on the internet, would you?" Aurora asked her. She didn't say anything. "That's what I thought." She said. Haley raised an eyebrow as she looked at the screen and saw all the people interested in Peyton.

"Oh, he's cute. Ooh, really cute. Oh, that's what I'm talking about." My sister said.

Aurora rolled her eyes. "Down Hales, you can look at the menu all you want, but from now on, you eat at home," Aurora said with a wink and Haley laughed.

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

[her outfit]

Later that night, when they got to the Hall, the party was in full swing and everything looked great. Peyton shined with the playlist, Haley and Nathan were arriving, so everyone was spraying them with the string spray Aurora and Brooke had gotten. Aurora and Haley went looking for their parents, with Nathan tailing behind them, and they found them at the fake I.D. booth.

"There you guys are," Aurora said to them.

"Hi, babies," Lydia James said to her daughters.

"Hey," Haley said as she looked around. "Oh, now we've lost Nathan's mom somewhere," Haley said. Aurora's eyes widened as she turned to her sister.

"Deb actually came?" Aurora asked. Haley nodded and then shrugged.

"I guess she's trying to make an effort," Haley said and Lydia nodded.

"Well then, we will too. Oh, but first, we have something we need to tell both of you," Lydia said. Haley and Aurora exchanged nervous looks because they weren't sure what their parents were about to say.

"Oh, oh yeah. It's kind of a wedding present for us, but Aurora, you may not like it that much," Jim said and Aurora raised an eyebrow.

"Mom, Dad... what's going on?" Aurora asked.

"Well... we got ourselves an RV," Lydia paused as she waited for her daughter's reactions. Aurora and Haley looked at each other before turning back to their parents.

"You see, we always said when the last birds flew, we'd sell the coop, buy an RV, and hit the road. Who knew someday was going to be today?" Jim said.

"Wait a minute... Haley got married, not me. There's still a bird in the coop. Where am I supposed to live?" Aurora asked. Lydia looked at her daughter and frowned.

"I'm sorry, baby. I know it's not ideal or very fair, but you and Haley have always been responsible. I'm not saying you have to get your own apartment, but you could live with Nathan and Haley, or Lucas, or any one of your friends. Didn't you say Peyton's dad is never around? I'm sure she would love to have a roommate," Lydia said. Aurora was shocked. She couldn't believe her parents would just leave.

"So... you guys are really leaving town?" Haley asked.

"Listen, girls. The beauty of a motor home is that we can launch a sneak attack anytime and anywhere. This is how we set each other free," Lydia said with a smile on her face. Jim smiled at Nathan while Lydia wrapped her girls in a hug. As Aurora laid her head on her mom's shoulder she felt numb.

Everything felt like it was falling apart.

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

"Ari, you know you're more than welcome to stay with Haley and me... I know it's hard, your parents leaving, but you're always welcome with us," Nathan said. After the conversation with their parents, Nathan could tell his best friend was unnerved, so he pulled her aside and the two stepped outside so she could get some air.

"No, you guys are married now, you need your space to do married people things. I don't want to impose. I can ask Karen or Peyton if I can live with them until graduation," Aurora said as she shook her head.

"You wouldn't be imposing. You're Haley's twin sister and my sister-in-law. You've really always been my sister since we were six, but now we're just legally related," Nathan said. Aurora smiled as she looked at him.

"Thank you, Nate, really. It's okay, I'll figure something out," Aurora said. Right as she said that, they heard the door open and when they turned around, Aurora's brother, Alex was there. She knew he was coming to town for the party.

"I asked Hales where you were and she said Nathan brought you out here to get some air," Alex said.

"Hey, Alex," Nathan greeted him. The two did the common handshake/half-hug combination that men often do and Alex smiled.

"Hey, Nate. Congratulations. I'm not gonna give the whole protective older brother speech, you already know how protective I am," Alex said and Nathan laughed.

"Yeah, I do," He said.

"What's up?" Aurora asked.

"Well, Mom and Dad just told me about their RV, so I am going to move off campus from their housing and get us a two-bedroom apartment and commute," Alex said and Aurora's eyes widened.

"What?" Aurora asked.

"I had been thinking about coming back home and commuting anyway because it would be cheaper. I mean, I know I'm there on a lacrosse scholarship, but I miss you and Hales... I literally missed her get married," Alex said.

"To be fair, so did I," Aurora said. Nathan laughed a little.

"Our bad on that, guys," Nathan said. Aurora and Alex both shook their heads.

"Look, I've been looking at apartments here, Duke isn't that far away so the commute won't be bad, and you need someone to live with. So, what do you say?" Alex asked. Aurora threw her arms around her brother and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you, Alex... thank you so so so much. We'll visit the apartments together, and get an estimate on rent. I can pick up more shifts if I need to...-" He cut her off.

"Ari, keep your money. I'll have enough to cover the rent. The money I've been able to save since I'm on an athletic scholarship has been astounding, and I do have a job just to make sure I keep up with my savings," Alex said.

"I'm not gonna let you pay rent by yourself. I have plenty of money saved from the cafe. I will pay half," Aurora said.

"You know you're not gonna win the argument with her," Nathan said and Aurora laughed.

"He's right," Aurora said and Alex smiled.

"Okay. We'll go half. Now let's get back in there. We can't keep the groom hostage for too much longer or people will start to notice," Alex said and they all laughed. Aurora then wrapped her arms around Nathan and hugged him. He smiled as he squeezed his best friend back.

"What's this for?" Nathan asked.

"For always knowing what I need when I need it. Let's get back inside."

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

When Aurora went back inside, she made a beeline for Peyton who was standing on her own. Peyton smiled as her friend approached and she told her about what her parents had told her and then what Alex had just told her. Peyton was about to respond when Lucas approached them. As he approached, Peyton sprayed him in the face with the silly string.

"You ladies throw a rocking party," Lucas said. Aurora humbly shrugged as they looked around the room.

"Yeah, well... it doesn't suck," Aurora said. Lucas laughed and he continued to smile at the girls as he shook his head and stayed silent. "Weirdo," Aurora teased.

"What are you smiling about?" Peyton asked. Lucas laughed as he looked at them.

"You didn't read it, did you?" Lucas asked. Peyton and Aurora exchanged confused glances and then turned back to him. "The letter," He reminded them. Peyton and Aurora looked at each other again, communicating with their eyes what they should say to Lucas. They could come clean and say no, they didn't read it, they threw it in the fire. Or, they could lie and say they did read it and hope Lucas didn't ask them for details.

"Oh," Peyton said.

"What? No, of course, we did!" Aurora said. Lucas could tell she was lying and he laughed.

"Oh, so you were okay with the PS about the three of us?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah, sure," Aurora said.

"Absolutely," Peyton agreed. The girls had no idea what he was talking about. Aurora didn't understand why he wouldn't let it go. They didn't read the letter, but Lucas had also said it was embarrassing so they didn't need to talk about it. It was a win-win for everyone. Lucas laughed again.

"Really?" He asked and the girls nodded. "So the threesome with the hot fudge didn't bother you, huh?" Lucas asked. Peyton and Aurora looked at each other and they knew Lucas had them trapped.

"Dammit. I knew we should've read that letter," Aurora said and Lucas laughed. Then the girls turned back to him.

"We thought you left town," Peyton said.

"So we uh... sort of... burned it," Aurora said and now Lucas looked surprised. He had been expecting her to say they threw it away without opening it, but not burned it.

"Burned it, wow." He said as he nodded and then he laughed. "You know what? I'm glad you didn't read it. I mean all that stuff I said, it's not important to me now. What matters now is the three of us, that we're going to be okay," Lucas said. Aurora and Peyton smiled at each other before they smiled at Lucas, and when Lucas smiled back at them, Aurora knew they were going to be just fine, so she spoke.

"Yeah... we are."

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

It was now time to make toasts to Nathan and Haley's union. Lydia and Jimmy, her parents were the first ones up. "Ah, I guess it's no surprise that some would criticize us, call us unfit parents," Jimmy said.

"And normally... they'd be right," Lydia said which gained laughter throughout the room. Aurora was standing with Nathan, Haley, Lucas, and Alex. She linked her arm through Alex's and laid her head on his shoulder, and she felt Haley reach out and take her hand which she gently squeezed.

"And for those who say they're too young, let me just say; hell, you can drive at sixteen, go to war and vote at eighteen, you can drink at twenty-one, and retire at sixty-five... So how old do you have to be before your love is real?" Jimmy said as he smiled at Haley. Aurora gently squeezed her sister's hand.

"So, here's to you, Haley Bob. Aurora, you can still wait a while. Alex, you've never talked about marriage, but if you're gonna surprise us, at least wait until we've traveled a bit first," Lydia said. The James siblings laughed as Lydia continued. "Nathan, she's your headache now," She said as she finished the toast. Everyone raised their glasses and drank, and then Lucas, Alex, and Aurora all went to the stage. It was time for the siblings to toast.

"I think everybody knows that Nathan and I got off to a pretty sketchy start. Nathan, mutual hatred sounds about right?" Lucas asked.

"Worse!" Nathan exclaimed making everyone laugh. Aurora and Haley both smiled. This was the only thing Aurora had wanted for years, Lucas and Nathan to get along.

"Yeah... And then a funny thing happened. Haley, and of course, Aurora had been sowing the seeds for a while, but today is about Haley," Lucas said as he playfully nudged Aurora, who only smiled. "But they showed me that if you give someone a chance, you can find the good in them. But you can never really get to know them until you listen for what's in their hearts and that's what Haley did with Nathan. That's what we should do for them. So for all you skeptics out there, prepare to be surprised," Lucas said and then it was Alex's turn.

"It's funny. Whenever I imagined one of my sisters marrying Nathan Scott, I always thought it would be Aurora. Those two were joined at the hip when we were younger," Alex started and everyone laughed. "And I know I haven't been in town for the majority of Nathan and Haley's relationship, but from everything Hales has told me, I know Nathan is the real deal. I know he can be trusted with the most important girls in my life, my sisters, and yeah, maybe it's a bit unorthodox to get married at 17, but who cares? One thing our parents have always told us is that when you know, you know. Haley knew, Nathan knew, and anyone who knows them knows it too. To you, Haley Bob. I love you," Haley wiped her eyes as Alex finished and then he passed the microphone to Aurora.

"Haley has been my best friend since birth. We are twins, for those of you who didn't catch on. She is three minutes older, so I'm technically the baby. And Nathan has been my best friend since we were six years old. I was a very hyper, energetic, wild child...-" Lydia cut in from the crowd.

"...-Was?" Lydia asked, making everyone, including Aurora, laugh.

"...-Okay, sometimes I still can be, but then there was always Haley, in my corner to balance me out. If I was mad, she made me less angry, when I wanted to cry, she made me laugh instead, and whenever I needed someone, she dropped everything to be there for me. And then Nathan, we grew up together. He tried to teach me basketball, I tried to teach him gymnastics and we both sucked at the others' domain, isn't that right, Nate?" Aurora asked and everyone laughed.

"To this day, I still cannot do a cartwheel," Nathan said and everyone laughed more.

"And a cartwheel is the easiest flip you can do. Nathan and I have always had a similar personality, so around the time we were getting in the groove of high school, I started thinking about how Nathan and Haley might be as a couple. During freshman and sophomore year, Nathan was a bit of a jerk and a little wild, so I thought, well Haley balances me out, she could probably do the same for Nathan... but before I could get the matchmaker in me going, Nathan beat me to it. I have the privilege to say, I got to watch them fall in love, from both sides. Watching them grow together has been so inspiring to me. There's something real here, deep, and true. And it's going to carry them together for the long run," Aurora finished her toast.

"To my brother, and my little sis, in law," Lucas said.

"My little sister, and brother, in law," Alex said.

"And my sister, and big brother-in-law," Aurora said.

"And in love," Lucas said as they all raised their glasses again. "Cheers," Everyone echoed together and then they all drank. Aurora looked out in the crowd just in time to see Nathan and Haley share a kiss.

Tonight had been a success.

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y'all, i been sitting on this chapter for so long, i'm sorry. also, it's taken me a while to update because I've been rewatching s2. I skipped a lot of episodes in the first edition of this, and i was rewatching because i want to try to include as many episodes as i can bc s2 is where brooke and lucas strengthen their bond and he falls in love again.

anyways, don't forget to vote/comment. 

xoxo.