Hey guys sorry about the delay, you must think I have the worst run of bad luck but to top off all the other stuff that has happened to me lately, my phone was stolen. And my great gran broke her hip, but Im here now. So read enjoy and review.

Chapter 21: Thanking a stranger

Haley stared out of the window of the moving cab trying to distinguish any of the passing landmarks. Nathan had called a cab as soon as they had left the building and as they climbed in given the address to the driver, one that Haley had never heard of before.

"Hey, are you ok?" Nathan asked glancing over at Haley. "You've been pretty quite ever since we left your apartment."

"Yeah," Haley turned to him and gave him and a half hearted smile. "It's just been a weird couple of days you know? I mean seeing you again, becoming a Laker girl, the fight, the accident. Just trying to let my brain catch up."

"I know what you mean, but even though we have been through so much in such a short amount of time, I'm the happiest I've been in years."

Haley looked at him and saw the truth in his eyes, even though they had had a crazy couple of days, they had been together. They had someone to rely on again something neither one had had in a long time. Haley smiled and leaned over and placed her head on his shoulder, it was comforting to be around Nathan, even when they were fighting she thought as Nathan wrapped his arm over her shoulder.

After a couple minutes of comfortable silence Haley spoke again, "So is there any chance you are going to tell me where exactly we are going?"

Nathan looked down at Haley, "Oh I thought you heard the address."

"I did, but that is hardly any indication of where we are going, or why for that fact."

"Ok well I want you to meet someone, but I'm not telling you any more than that."

"You told me that earlier Nathan."

"Well you are just going to have to wait Haley. Funny I don't remember you being this impatient," Nathan said smiling.

"Well I don't seem to recall you being this mean," Haley said pouting. Nathan laughed and leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips.

"I've missed this." Nathan whispered.

"So have I," Haley said with a smile.

NHNHNHNHNHNHNHNHNHNHNHNHNHNHNHNHNHNHNHNHNHNHNHNHNHNHNHNHNHNHNHNH

15 minutes later they pulled up in front of a medium sized house with a small garden, Haley got out the cab and stared at the house while Nathan paid the cabbie. It was a simple house painted white, and there was a silver Mercedes in the driveway.

Nathan stood next to Haley and saw the confusion on her face, he just smiled and took her and started to pull her up the path.

"Nathan, where are we?" Haley asked as they reached the front door.

"You'll see," Nathan replied before knocking on the door.

There was silence until they heard a young voice yell on the other side of the door, "I'll get it dad!"

The front door swung open and Haley and Nathan looked down at the little boy who couldn't have been older than 10 years old looking at them.

"Jack I told you not to answer the door without looking first," A man scolded as he came around the corner not looking at who was the door.

Haley looked at the little boy who had just answered the door and then up to the man who had just arrived behind him. She was pretty sure she had never seen either of them before, which was adding greatly to her confusion.

"Mr Scott?" The voice broke Haley's train of thought as she saw the man look at him with confusion.

"Hey Ryan, please call me Nathan." Nathan answered smiling, "and this is my girlfriend Haley."

Haley's head snapped toward his direction after hearing him refer to her as his girlfriend, he glanced at her with a smirk, before she turned back and stuck out her hand.

"It's nice to meet you," Haley said politely.

"You too, oh and this is my son Jack." Ryan said placing his hands on his son's shoulders.

"Hi Jack," Nathan said smiling at the boy.

"You're Nathan Scott," The boy answered staring up at him.

"That's right, I am." Nathan replied smiling.

"Wow," the little boy answered.

Haley and Nathan laughed at his reaction, Haley had never seen someone so in awe of Nathan before it was almost a sort of reality check for her.

"Hey well come on let's not stand outside, come in." Ryan said with a smile.

Haley and Nathan walked into an average looking house with a flight of stairs in front of them and a dinning room on their left. Ryan ushered them to the right toward the lounge which had obvious signs of being inhabited by a child with the amount of toys lying around the room.

"Hey, sorry the mess, I didn't think we would be having any company tonight." Ryan said apologetically as he attempted to pick up a couple of the toys that were lying on the couch.

"Please, don't worry about it, it's our fault for not telling you that we were coming over," Nathan said as he sat down on the couch. "So I guess you were wondering what we are doing here."

"The thought had crossed my mind," Ryan said with a chuckle as he sat down on the opposite couch with his son next to him.

"Well after you had helped me out at the accident I wanted to thank you. You didn't have to, but you came and helped out a perfect stranger. So I was wondering as a thank you maybe you and your son would like to come the game on Saturday. I got you guys front row tickets, if you have other plans I understand..." Nathan didn't have to continue because Jack stood up and shouted.

"I'll come!" He little boy stood with his arm in the air, enthusiastically.

Ryan laughed as he watched his son, "Well it looks like we are going to take up your offer Nathan. But honestly you didn't have to do this."

"I know, but I wanted to."

"Wow, this is so awesome, all the guys at school are going to so jealous," Jack said jumping up and down.

Haley smiled at the little boys antics, this whole thing had been a shock for her, she had had no idea that someone had helped Nathan at the accident, and all of a sudden it had made sense that he had wanted her to meet him. A smell suddenly broke Haley out of her thoughts.

"Uh Ryan not to be rude but I think something is burning." Haley said sniffing the air.

"Oh my god, dinner!" Ryan said jumping from his seat and running to what Haley guessed was the kitchen.

Haley turned to Nathan, "I think I'm going to go help him."

Nathan watched her follow Ryan into the kitchen, he turned and looked at Jack who was smiling at him brightly.

"Do you wanna come see my room?" Jack asked.

"Sure," Nathan said smiling.

Jack beamed as he jumped off the couch and ran up the stairs, Nathan stood up and began to follow him. Jack was waiting outside a closed door as Nathan approached. Jack waited till he was standing next to him before opening the door. Nathan had to smile at the room, it was painted blue and had like downstairs was full of toys but what stood out the most to Nathan was the fact that the room was full of Lakers posters and regalia.

"Wow, your room is awesome Jack." Nathan said as he said down on his Laker bedspread and looked around the room. He saw a photo frame next to the bed of Jack and a woman beaming at the camera.

"Is this your mom Jack?" Nathan asked showing Jack the frame.

Jack got a sad look on his face before nodding, "Yeah, but she's in heaven now."

Nathan looked at the little boy and his heart broke, "I'm sorry Jack, she was very pretty."

"Yeah," Jack replied. Suddenly his face was beaming again. "Hey Nathan it's my birthday next weekend and we are having a party in the park. Do you wanna come?" The little boy asked timidly.

Nathan looked at Jack and smiled, "I would love to come to your birthday party Jack."

"Cool, wait till I tell my friends. They are so not going to believe this." Jack said smiling. He ran to his desk and pull out an envelope with a scruffy writing addressed to him at the Staple Centre.

"I was going to post this, it's an invitation to my party, but now I don't have to."

"Wow, thanks little man, ok so why don't we go check on Haley and your Dad and see what's happening with dinner."

"Yeah," Jack said before grabbing Nathan's hand and pulling him downstairs.