It was 3.00 am, and Haley was having the nightmare she'd been having since Nathan had come back a month ago. It was the same one every night, and she couldn't do anything to stop them.
"Leave him alone!" she screamed in her sleep, tossing and turning. Her dream was about Nathan being beat up and killed in front of her.
Nathan's eyes shot open and he looked at his wife, she was sleeping but screaming. He gently started to shake her awake,
"Haley… Hales, Baby, wake up" he said, Haley woke up with a jump, and she was met with Nathan's blue eyes. She started sobbing, and Nathan pulled her to him tightly and locked his arms around her.
"Shhh… Baby, its okay… I'm okay, I'm here, your safe" he chanted.
"I had the dream again!" she choked out. Nathan kissed the top of her head,
"Do you wanna talk about it? It might make you feel better?" he asked, all he wanted was to comfort his wife and make her feel better.
"T-those guys who k-kidnapped you, in my dream, t-they were b-beating you up and they, they…k-killed you, right in front of m-me!" she sobbed,
"Oh, Hales… Listen to me, It was just a dream, those guys aren't here, there are never gonna pull us apart again, I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere, never again. I swear to you Hales, everything's going to be okay, Shhhh…." He rocked her back and forth, soothing her as best as he could. Haley's hands fisted in his shirt, like she was afraid he was going to disappear again. Nathan was getting worried, since he'd come back, Haley had the nightmares every single night. Nathan opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by Haley,
"I've been trying to hold it together, and I've been trying to keep it in, but I just can't anymore! I didn't know what I would do without you, Nathan. I couldn't face it, the way I woke up every day, thinking you'd be there and you weren't. Jamie kept making plans, what he was going to do when you came home, and I didn't know what to tell him, and I kept thinking that Lydia wouldn't have her dad growing up, and I just couldn't do it. Brooke, Julian, Clay, Quinn, Jamie, Lydia, Lucas, They were the ones that kept me going…I couldn't have held on without them!" she finally confessed everything she had been feeling, as he was kidnapped. "People kept saying that maybe you didn't want to come home, and I guess I started believing that I did something that would make you feel like that!"
"Haley… There is nothing that you could do that would make me, not want to come home to you… You, Jamie and Lydia mean everything to me; you three were the people I was focusing on while I was captured. I know I don't tell you guys often enough… and I'm sorry for that. I was worried, that I'd never be able to hold you in my arms again, or I'd never be able to tell you how much I love you" he told her,
"Nathan…" Haley whispered, tears forming in her eyes.
"Mom!" Jamie called, speeding into the room,
"Hey Buddy" Nathan said, helping Jamie onto the bed, and that's when Jamie saw his Mother crying,
"Mom? You okay?" Jamie asked, Haley sniffed and nodded.
"Is Lydia okay? Let me get her" Haley said, starting to get up, but Nathan stopped her,
"I got it, Hales… 1 minute" he said, kissing her forehead. Nathan soon came back with Lydia in his arms, and Haley held her, while Nathan wrapped one arm around his girls and one arm around his son.
"Listen, I promise, all 3 of you, that I will never put you guys through something like that again… I'm here, I'm not going anywhere ever again, I don't want you guys to be afraid of going to sleep and worrying if I'm gonna be there in the morning. I love you, all three of you. You three mean more to me than anything in the world…" Nathan said,
"Even more than Basketball?" Jamie interrupted.
"Especially more than Basketball, Jame. There is nothing that I wouldn't do for you guys. Jamie, Lydia… I wasn't a very nice person back in high school, and when I had my accident, I became a horrible person, and I hated that…" Nathan began explaining,
"But your nice now, Dad" Jamie interrupted again. Nathan laughed,
"Do you wanna know why I'm so nice now?" Nathan asked,
"Does Mom know?" Jamie asked, Haley shook her head.
"I'm nice now because I had someone backing me up, someone who was there for everything. It was hard for us, but that someone was there, no matter what…I had someone who believed in me, someone who loved me"
"Uncle Lucas!" Jamie called out, Nathan and Haley laughed, but Nathan shook his head.
"No, not Uncle Lucas, A girl…" Nathan hinted,
"Was it Mom?" Jamie asked, and Nathan nodded.
"It was… Jamie, Lydia… Your Mom is a wonderful person, An Amazing Mom, A Fantastic Wife, a brilliant sister, a perfect daughter, a terrific friend… she was there when I wanted to give up, when the whole Chris Keller thing Happened, I was a total Idiot and I was stupid to make your mom choose. But she came back; even when I didn't deserve her, she still came. Even when things happened, and people tried to pull us apart, I never ever stopped loving your mom. I know that I don't deserve your mom, and I question why she's with someone like me, There is nothing that I wouldn't do for your Mom. I love her with all my heart and that will never change." As Nathan spoke, he pulled Haley closer to him, and he smiled at her,
Your Mom has given me a wonderful life. An Amazing son, who I know has got a bright future ahead of him, no matter what you do Jamie. A Beautiful Daughter, who's so much like her Amazing, Kind, beautiful, Mother. You know, I get asked what the 3 greatest days of my life are: they are: Your Birth, Jamie. Lydia's Birth and when I married your Mom. Nothing will ever compare to those 3 amazing days. No-body will compare, and will ever compare, to your mom. I love her so much, it physically hurts… I love you, Hales and I will, no matter what! Always and Forever" Haley's breath hitched in her throat, the tears fell down her cheeks, and she couldn't stop them. God, she loved him.
After Haley had put Jamie and Lydia back to bed, she went back to Nathan.
"God, Nathan….I love you so much… "Haley said, cuddling into his arms.
"I love you too, Baby…You know I do" Nathan responded,
"But you know, I love you so much, right?" she asked again.
"I know you do, Baby, I never doubted that you love me… what's brought this on?" he asked, concerned.
"I just want you to know, that's all" Haley smiled at him, Nathan grinned and pulled her in for a deep kiss.
NO Matter what happened to the Scott Family, they were indestructible … it was them against the world.