When the bus pulled up onto the school's parking lot, Nathan's first though was what the hell was going on. Students and teachers alike were running across the campus, screaming to one another. His second, more pressing thought was, where is Haley in this madness? He jumped off the steps leading the ground below, watching Lucas reach out to Brooke as she ran up to him.

"Someone brought a gun and they're shooting," she gasped, and that was enough to send Nathan's heart into a frenzy. Haley was inside the tutoring center. Not thinking once about his safety, he began running towards the school. It was only when he felt another body tackling him to the ground did he register his surroundings.

"Get off me!" Nathan snarled, shoving Lucas away from him. "Haley's inside!"

He took off running once more, not caring to see if he was being followed.

XXX

Nathan knew this plan was stupid but it was all he had at the moment. Gripping the baseball bat tighter, he and Lucas separated ways, and Nathan tried to make his footsteps not echo in the empty hallways. It wasn't until he saw Mouth walking did he feel a sense of relief wash over him. Another one of his friends was alright.

"Be quiet, Mouth," Nathan said quietly, hand over his mouth as he peered up and down the hallway. It was still empty, which meant good news for them. "You need to leave. I've got to go get Haley and then we'll be right behind you."

"I think I'll take my chances with you, if you don't mind," Mouth replied lowly, eyes on the baseball bat held in Nathan's hand. Nathan hesitated for the briefest of moments but then nodded; he'd much rather know Mouth was safe, too, than sending him through the school while there was a gunman on the loose.

Together, they crept their way to the tutoring center where Nathan knew Haley was. They hadn't had an easy year by any means but it'd be a cold day in hell when he lost her. Knocking on the door, he waited with bated breath for someone to open it. Knowing all the people who managed to get in the room were probably terrified senseless, he pulled his driver's license out of his wallet and slid it under the door, begging them to trust him. He heard a commotion, and then what sounded like someone trying to turn the lock but being stopped roughly. He prayed it wasn't Haley.

Just then, a soft voice spoke up.

"Always?"

Closing his eyes in relief and gratitude, he sent a quick thank you to God as he replied, "and forever". The door opened automatically and Nathan didn't hesitate to bring his love into his chest in a tight hug.

"Thank God," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," she assured him firmly, and he was proud of her bravery.

"Come on, we're leaving," Nathan said. "All of us."

Nods were issued around the room as all of the students in there got ready to head to the door.

"Stop. You're not going anywhere," a voice said, and Nathan looked up to see a gun pointed directly at them.

XXX

Jimmy Edwards turned out to be the gunman's name.

Nathan was kicking himself for not knowing. Haley did, however. She always was kind to those who he didn't look out for. There had been a brief moment when Nathan thought that kindness was misplaced as Jimmy aimed the gun directly at her but it dissipated as soon as it left. He didn't seem like a monster; he seemed scared and unsure of himself. Maybe they could make things work out.

Jimmy didn't seem to know what to do now that he had taken hostages and Nathan was praying that he wouldn't find the phone he purposefully didn't hand over. He would need it eventually. He looked at Haley, who had stopped crying, and squeezed her hand comfortingly.

"You okay?" Nathan murmured, and she nodded.

"Yes," she said softly. "Are you?"

"I'm okay as long as you're safe," he replied quietly, and she smiled slightly, eyes not quite matching it.

"I want you to be safe, too," she whispered, voice catching, and Nathan traced a soothing thumb along her knuckles.

"I'm safe with you," he promised, and she nodded, seemingly accepting that answer for what it was worth.

Nathan knew he had made some stupid choices this past year, like pushing his wife away when all she wanted was a chance to prove that she loved him. His pride had gotten in the way, blinding his love, and he damn well could have lost her had he even been slightly more idiotic than he already had been. Looking at her, he breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that there were together. Never again would he leave her to face things on her own.

Eyes tracing his wife's face, Nathan was pulled out of his thoughts as Jimmy addressed him.

"So, you get to pass judgement on me all you want but when someone does it to you, there's a need for violence?" Nathan demanded incredulously; eyebrow quirked.

"I wouldn't expect you to understand," Jimmy said bitterly.

"I don't, man," Nathan replied simply. "I don't understand any of this."

"You're a good person, Jimmy Edwards," Haley whispered her words from earlier, eyes filled with tears. If they were tears for her friend and who he once was, or tears for the predicament they were in, Nathan didn't know. All he knew was he could go the rest of his life without seeing her in pain.

It was then that Haley drew attention to a girl named Abby and the fact that she looked sick. Eyes on them, Nathan watched as Haley felt her forehead before looking at something on her wrist.

"What's wrong with her?" Jimmy demanded.

"She's a diabetic and she needs her insulin, Jimmy," Haley said quietly, eyes earnest as she stared at the boy in front of the classroom.

"Let her go get it, man," Nathan implored. Jimmy eventually nodded his head.

"Just you," he warned, going to unlock the classroom door and giving Mouth and Haley space to get her to the other side of the room safely. Nathan kept a watchful eye on his wife and friend, making sure Jimmy didn't point the gun at either one of them. When Jimmy was distracted with watching Abby, Nathan seized his chance to text his father, knowing time was imperative.

XXX

The sound of a door slamming shut in the empty hallways made Nathan's heartbeat increase. He looked at Jimmy, who seemed resigned.

"I guess that's my cue," he said softly, turning around and walking out of the room. Haley turned her worried eyes onto Nathan, who didn't hesitate to pull her into his chest once more. They had done all they could. It was with a weary heart did he register the fact that tired eyes finally slept.

Fin.

Feedback lovely. Also, I'm down for writing a Naley Multichapter story if anyone has ideas. Xxx