2004 ― Tree Hill, North Carolina

Nathan Scott and Aurora James went to Texas.

Deb Scott gave her son money for a ticket to see Haley's tour and try to mend their relationship. Aurora bought her own ticket and they left together. She let Lucas know what they were doing and she would keep him updated on how Haley is. But that was a bust, they didn't get to talk to her much, and Nathan was pissed, so they didn't stay for the show. They left.

They were on the road again, Nathan was driving, and Aurora knew they were in Alabama, somewhere. Her phone started ringing, and she quickly grabbed it and answered.

"Hello?" Aurora asked.

"Think fast, little sis. What's in a gin and tonic?" Taylor James' voice rang on the other line and Aurora smiled. Haley called Taylor as soon as Nathan and Aurora left Texas and Taylor said she would try to intercept them before they made it back to Tree Hill.

"Tay?" Aurora asked. Nathan momentarily glanced at Aurora and then turned back to the road.

"Can you believe that two guys already fell for that one today? Drunks are so easy!" Taylor exclaimed and Aurora shook her head.

"So, let me guess. You're in a bar," Aurora said.

"Oh, not just any bar, little sister. I will have you know, I am in Athens, Georgia at the famous Swinging Donkey," Taylor said.

"What happened to Florida?" Aurora asked.

"Oh, Florida's still there, I'm just not in it," Taylor said. Aurora rolled her eyes, but she laughed, making Taylor laugh with her. "So, how about you?" Taylor asked.

"Well, Nathan and I just passed a place called Slicklizzard, Alabama," Aurora said.

"Which means you both went chasing after our sister. Please tell me she's in the car with you guys," Taylor said and Aurora sighed.

"No, it's just me and Nate," Aurora said. There was a pause before Taylor spoke again.

"Am I on speaker?" She asked.

"No," Aurora responded.

"Put me on speaker," Taylor said. Aurora nodded even though her sister couldn't see her and put the call on speaker. "I'm so sorry, Nathan," Taylor said.

"Yeah," Nathan said. Then from Taylor's background, music started to play.

"Listen, I have to go," Taylor said.

"What's going on?" Aurora asked.

"Don't ask. I'll see you when I see you, little sis," Taylor said and then hung up the phone. Aurora turned to Nathan.

"She's in Georgia, at a bar called Swinging Donkey... You thinking what I'm thinking?" Aurora asked and Nathan nodded.

"Let's go see Taylor."

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When Nathan and Aurora walked into the bar, she looked around. Aurora liked that it looked like a classic saloon that you would see in the movies. It was a country-themed bar and when the pair walked in, Taylor was behind the bar, but she had her back turned. The pair sat down and Aurora smiled.

"How about two gin and tonics?" Aurora asked. Taylor smiled when she recognized her sister's voice and then she turned around.

"How about I see some ID?" Taylor asked. Aurora laughed, knowing that her sister would serve them anyway, but Nathan and Aurora laid their fakes on the bar and Taylor smiled. "Haley know you have that?" She asked Nathan. Aurora's fake was Taylor's old fake. They look enough alike that Aurora can get away with it.

"No," Nathan said and Aurora laughed.

"So, what brings you two to town?" Taylor asked.

"Oh, you know. I just wanted to check out The Swinging Donkey; see if it's as classy as everybody says it is," Aurora said and Taylor smiled.

"And what do you think?" She asked. Aurora shrugged.

"Meh, not so much," Aurora teased and the sisters laughed together.

"But it does have one thing I'm kinda craving," Nathan said. Aurora raised an eyebrow as she and Taylor shared a look. Then Taylor turned to Nathan with a fake gasp.

"A gin and tonic?" Taylor asked as she started making their drinks.

"Yeah, that too," Nathan said as he winked. Aurora rolled her eyes. She hoped Nathan wasn't seriously flirting with her sister because of what happened when they went to see Haley.

"Nathan, haven't you had sex with enough James' sisters to last a lifetime?" Aurora asked. Taylor laughed as she put their drinks in front of them.

"I guess my phone call to little sis worked. Are you two staying the night?" Taylor asked.

"I don't know. Haven't thought that far ahead yet," Nathan said.

"Well, I'm house-sitting the apartment upstairs. You're both welcome to stay with me, if you'd like," Taylor said with a smile. Aurora nodded and took a sip of her drink. "What do you say?" She asked. Aurora and Nathan exchanged a look and Aurora shrugged. She'd love to spend more time with her sister.

"You're the one driving. Up to you, Nate," Aurora said. Nathan nodded and turned back to Taylor with a smile.

"Sounds like a plan."

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Taylor, Nathan, and Aurora stood around a high table and they were taking shots. Aurora knew she got reckless whenever she was with Taylor, and if it was her, Taylor, and Alex, she got even more reckless. But it's because she knows she's safe with them. She knows that her siblings won't let anything happen to her, so she can be a bit looser when she's with them.

"Okay, get into the game, little girl!" Taylor said to Nathan as she set the bottle down. "I always knew you were a lightweight, but this is getting embarrassing," She said.

"I'm just warming up!" Nathan defended.

"Nate, you've been warming up for the past two hours. Drag out the bullpen and take a damn shot!" Aurora exclaimed and Taylor laughed.

"Okay," Nathan said as he laughed and took his shot. The James sisters did the same. Aurora shook her head as the bitter taste of liquor burned her throat and then she inhaled. Aurora was pouring herself another shot when she heard the music start.

"Whew!" Taylor exclaimed after she took her shot.

"How did you end up here?" Aurora asked Taylor.

"What? At this dream job? I don't know, it's kind of what I do best," Taylor said. Aurora smiled and shook her head. That wasn't what she meant, and she knew that Taylor knew that.

"Bartending is your dream job?" Aurora asked.

"Find random places to party. Next week, it'll be someplace else, lucky me!" Taylor exclaimed with a smile. Nathan laughed, but Aurora could see something else behind Taylor's eyes. Aurora knows her sister, and she knows that Taylor doesn't want to just party for the rest of her life. She figured that Taylor probably does have a dream; she just might not know what it is yet. "You're not wearing your wedding ring," She said as she looked at Nathan's hand.

"Neither is Haley," He said, which was true. That was the first thing Aurora noticed when they went to visit her.

"Ari, you should know that before I called you...-" Taylor was cut off by one of the girls at the bar.

"...-Taylor, come on! We need you now," She said. The three of them turned to face the bar and then Taylor looked at her sister.

"We will talk about this later. I gotta get to work," Taylor said.

"I thought you said your shift was over," Nathan said.

"Somebody's gotta pay for these drinks," Taylor said as she put on a cowboy hat. "Something tells me you're going to enjoy this," She said as she ruffled Aurora's hair and then walked off. Aurora smiled as she fixed her hair, and then she turned to the bar.

Taylor hopped on the bar with the rest of the girls that were already up there and they started dancing. It reminded Aurora a lot of Coyote Ugly, and then it dawned on Aurora that's the movie this entire bar reminded her of.

After a few moments, Taylor hopped down from the bar and walked over to her sister and Nathan. She put the cowboy hat on Aurora's head and pulled her and Nathan to the bar. Nathan helped Aurora and Taylor onto the bar before climbing up himself. He stood between Aurora and Taylor, but all the other girls on the bar and in the crowd had their eyes on him. Aurora was having so much fun.

They danced their asses off.

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Taylor and Nathan were playing the arcade basketball game, and Nathan was winning. "So this is your A game, huh?" Taylor asked after Nathan made a shot. Taylor threw her own shot and missed.

"You know what my dad always told me? Forget about practice, as long as you come to play," Nathan said. Taylor threw another shot and she made it. "On game day, when the stakes are high, odds are you'll come out a winner. Last time was just a practice round," Nathan said.

The two continued to throw the mini basketballs and they were both making shots. "Since when are you taking advice from Dan?" Aurora asked and Nathan laughed.

"I know, okay? But even you have to admit, if it's one thing he knows about, it's winning," Nathan said as he threw another shot, but he missed.

"Okay, so what are the stakes tonight?" Taylor asked.

"Well... if I make this shot... we all go upstairs," Nathan said and Aurora raised an eyebrow.

"And do what?" Taylor asked.

"Whatever I want," Nathan said. Aurora raised an eyebrow. She didn't know what Nathan was going to ask for, and she had a feeling she wasn't going to want to do it. She was hoping that Nathan wouldn't try to sleep with Taylor. She knows Haley and Taylor have their differences, but she knows Taylor would never do that to Haley.

"And if you miss?" Aurora asked. Nathan shot the ball as soon as the question left her mouth and he made it.

"Let's go, ladies," He said.

Taylor led them to the upstairs apartment that she was house-sitting, and Aurora noted that it was pretty nice. Aurora walked in first, Taylor walked in after her, and then Nathan was behind them. He closed the door and pushed Taylor against it. Aurora raised an eyebrow and was ready to go back into the bedroom and lock the door, but she noticed only Nathan was moving in.

Then Nathan hit the wall by her head. "I can't do this," He said.

"Because of Haley?" Taylor asked.

"No," Nathan said as he shook his head. "Because of me," He continued. Taylor got out from underneath Nathan's arm and looked at Aurora.

"What I was going to say to you earlier was that Haley called me, right after you guys left Austin," Taylor said and Aurora nodded.

"Which makes sense why you called me," Aurora said and Taylor nodded.

"Were you planning on saying this before or after we had sex?" Nathan asked. Taylor laughed as she shook her head.

"We weren't going to have sex, Nathan. I knew that, I was just waiting for you to figure it out," Taylor said. Aurora smiled at her and Taylor nodded.

"Oh, so what? You're like my guardian angel?" Nathan asked. Taylor shook her head.

"No, that's Ari," Taylor said. "But it's not that. It's just, you're lost... and lonely, and I'm pretty good at making people forget how lonely they really are," Taylor said.

"Right... that's a nice way of describing what you're really good at," Nathan said. Aurora's eyes widened and Taylor's features fell at his words.

"Sleep it off, Nathan. You have a long drive tomorrow," Taylor said as she took a step to the door.

"What are you going to do?" Aurora asked.

"Apparently what I do best, according to Nathan," Taylor slightly snapped as she walked out of the door. Nathan closed his eyes and sighed. Aurora slapped him on the back of his head.

"Why the hell would you say something like that to her?" Aurora asked.

"I...-I don't know, I wasn't thinking. She's right, I'm lost. What the hell am I doing?" Nathan asked. Aurora could hear it in his voice. He'd never been heartbroken like this before, in all the years she'd known him. Aurora frowned as she wrapped her arms around him.

"I don't know, Nate."

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The next morning, Nathan and Aurora didn't want to wake Taylor up, so they quietly gathered their things and left the apartment. When Taylor woke up and noticed that they were gone, she went downstairs to see them packing up the car. "Sneaking away without saying goodbye? That's original," She said.

"I, uh... I didn't think you wanted to see me," Nathan said as she closed the trunk. Taylor nodded and nudged his side. "I'm really sorry, Taylor. For what I said and how I acted," Nathan said.

"It's okay. You get one free pass with me. Next time, watch your back," Taylor teased as she smiled. Nathan laughed too.

"I had fun though, before that," Nathan said.

"I know you did... but after a while, all the parties just blend together. You know, sometimes I just wish I could start over," Taylor said.

"You can, Tay. We all can," Aurora said. Taylor shook her head.

"Not me. Once people think of you a certain way, you're never going to be able to change their minds. I am who I am and I have to live with that," Taylor paused as she looked at them. "But you two, no one has put a label on either of you, yet. You can still be whoever you want to be," Taylor said.

"Without Haley," Nathan said as he sighed.

"If she's not going to be there for you... You have to start being there for yourself," Taylor said.

"And I'm always here too," Aurora said.

"I don't know if I can," Nathan said.

"You can! And you will, just... wake up every morning and live your life," Taylor said.

"What happens if she comes back?" Nathan asked.

"Well, then, that will be your decision. Get home safe, Nathan... Especially since you have my little sister with you," Taylor said as she hugged him. "Try not to go dancing on any bars," Taylor said and then turned to Aurora. "You either, little sis," She said.

"I won't if you won't, Tay," Aurora said. Taylor smiled at her sister, but then her smile fell. Nathan got in the car to let the sisters talk along. "I know you have dreams, Tay, and maybe even a passion. You just have to go find what it is. You're not in high school anymore, you don't have a label, you can still go find what it is you want to do," Aurora said. Taylor smiled as she looked at her sister.

"There you go again, making me feel like the little sister," Taylor said. Aurora laughed as the girls wrapped each other in a hug again.

"I kissed Lucas a couple of times. It was at Keith's wedding, and one other time before then. Remind me to tell you the whole thing, but I don't know if I was caught up in the moment or if I want to be with him," Aurora said.

"Answer this... Do you love him?" Taylor asked.

"Yes," Aurora answered with no hesitation.

"Then there's your answer. I know it's scary because he cheated on you, and you don't know if he's going to do it again, but if you love him and he really wants another chance. Let him prove himself to you. What's the worst that can happen?" Taylor asked.

"As you said... He could cheat on me again," Aurora said and Taylor laughed.

"Exactly, and I know Lucas is blonde, but I don't think he'd be stupid enough to make that mistake twice," Taylor said. Aurora nodded as she sighed.

"You're right. I'm psyching myself out," Aurora said. Taylor laughed and shook her head.

"You are, now go home. Not all of us have a hot guy waiting for us," Taylor said. Aurora smiled as she wrapped her arms around her sister one more time to give her another hug.

"I love you, Tay. You can do anything you want, as long as you believe in yourself," Aurora said.

"I love you, too," Taylor said. The sisters pulled back from their hug and Taylor tucked some of Aurora's hair behind her ears. Aurora smiled at her before getting in the car and then she looked at Nathan.

"Alright, let's go home, and as soon as we get back, I'm helping you clean that apartment," Aurora said. Nathan laughed as he nodded his head.

"Deal."

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next up is the episode where nathan dreams his and lucas' lives are flipped. 

don't forget to vote/comment. 

xoxo.