DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to One Tree Hill or any songs/artists that I may use.
After months of ideas this is the one that actually fought it's way to being written. The idea was inspired by the movie Castaway with Tom Hanks. I know, weird. Actually it was one scene in particular that gave me the idea. No worries though, there won't be too many similarities and I promise a much better ending.
Since this is my first official story I will warn you that I am not a writer. Outside of dabbling in poetry on occasion, any writing I have done was always for school/college. So please forgive any blunders/missteps, as I'm sure there will be some. Please know though that I adore Naley so I will always do my best to write stories that will do them justice. I realize that everyone has differing ideas on what they means though so I am always open to feedback.
At this time, I plan for this story to be around 15 chapters but that could change. The chapter lengths may vary as well based on how I feel the chapters need to be split so don't be surprised if you see a short chapter here followed by a long chapter later. The beginning of this story will be VERY heavy emotionally. Trust me, it was hard for me to write but I feel that it conveys a lot about the Naley relationship that we all know and love.
I will be using a song(s) for each chapter and will list it at the top of each chapter. Several of the songs I have planned will be OTH songs. The name of this story refers to "Home" by the Foo Fighters, used as the coda for episode 5x13.
All that being said, I do hope you enjoy.
**Some background info - Haley and Nathan met in college. I believe the rest will be explained but if you have questions/are confused, please PM me or find me on Twitter. This story will feature Leyton but very minimally. If you are NOT a Naley fan, this story will not be for you.
CHAPTER 1/PROLOGUE
"SHE WAKES WHEN SHE DREAMS" – Lucero
Her heart was beating rapidly inside her chest as she rounded the corner. Was it possible this was reality and not just another dream? Was it possible he was home? That he had come back to her? None of it seemed real but there he was … standing with his eyes fixated on hers. For a moment every fear, every doubt evaporated as his name fell from her lips "Nathan". It was him. He was here. It didn't matter that none of it made sense. It didn't matter that he was supposed to be dead. All she knew was she needed to get to him. Placing one foot in front of the other she ran frantically towards him, not caring that she might look funny running in such a small space. Her already pounding heart skipped slightly when she saw his face register her movement and his own feet started in her direction. The pull of their hearts was so strong it was like two broken pieces in need of the other. Everything around her was a blur as he was the only thing she could see, the only thing that would ever have the power to draw her in so completely. In the back of her mind she feared that if she looked away for even a second he might disappear. She had only made it a few feet before something suddenly stopped her. An invisible barrier had appeared that kept her from moving any further. In shock, she stood immobile, as she watched him on the other side, his hands suspended in the air, pressed against the immovable force. She could see the movement of his lips as he repeatedly said her name. She desperately craved to hear the comforting sound his voice. Panic rose inside of her as she fought to find a way around, a means of escape. She had to get to him. She needed to get to him. He couldn't be this close without them being allowed to be together. Surely fate wouldn't do that to them. Or would it? It had already dealt her some unbearable blows. Maybe this was just another cruel attempt to dangle in front of her what she couldn't have. No, she couldn't accept that. She loved him too much. Clinging to hope, she kept fighting. Maybe it was different this time. She'd never had a dream like this before… one where he came home. Maybe this meant something. Tears streamed down her face as she tirelessly hammered her fists against the wall, screaming his name until her voice started to break. As she looked through to the other side, her resolve started to weaken as she noticed his calmness. His eyes stared intently into hers but for once she couldn't read them. Why wasn't he fighting? Why was she the only one struggling? Fear gripped her instantly. Maybe they were apart for too long. Maybe they'd lost their connection. Maybe …. he no longer loved her. Was it possible they could have lost everything they had? Her heart nearly stopped at the thought. But no, the small curl of his mouth when he first spotted her, the way he rushed towards her just as she had to him. He had to feel the same way. He had to long for her too. He had to. She had to believe that. She'd had to find a way to live without him but she couldn't live without knowing he loved her. That was a reality she couldn't bear. Even if this all meant nothing, that had to be true. It was all she had. Refusing to give up, she fought harder. She no longer worried about what his actions said or didn't say. If for some reason, he couldn't fight she would fight to get to him. She had to. She continued to search for a pathway, an opening, some way to get to him. She needed to touch him, to hear him, to save him. After what seemed like an eternity of endless pleas, she finally sank to her knees in exhaustion and placed her head in her heads. She couldn't make sense of it all. What did it mean? Why was he so close but so far? And then, as suddenly as it appeared the wall dissipated. She looked up wide-eyed as the man that she loved more than anything, the man who still had her heart, took her hand and helped her to her feet. She gasped as she looked into his eyes and, as if knowing every thought that had just run through her mind, he said the words she'd so desperately wanted and needed to hear …. "I love you". The next thing she knew his hand slipped from hers … and he was gone.
Many thanks to Kat for reading this (more than once) and for graciously listening to my endless stream of ideas (and there have been several) over the past few months. She has been a HUGE source of inspiration not just as a friend but as a writer as well.
I hope to be able to post the next chapter fairly soon. I do like to write a few chapters ahead though so I can't always promise quick posts but I'll do my best.
Thank you to everyone for reading! If you have any comments/want to discuss, please feel free to PM me or find me on Twitter (txsgrl79). I would love to hear your thoughts. I appreciate any feedback but certainly don't expect it.