Disclaimer: One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the rest of the characters belong to Warner Bros., The CW, Mark Schwahn, and the rest of the producers. They are not mine.
Notes: Well, it turned out longer than I planned on. I hope you like it. Thanks!
Haley began to stir and was instantly aware of the solid body next to her. She smiled, realizing that Nathan, her husband, was lying next to her with his arm around her waist. She stretched and turned ever so slightly, not wanting to wake him up. It was nice knowing that she didn't have to get up right away. As they were leaving the night before, Karen had told her that she would be leaving the café closed that day. Haley had understood completely. Karen wanted to spend time with her husband. Though their situations weren't the same, Haley did know what it was like to want to spend time with her husband.
Thinking about that, she put her hand to his cheek. His lips were parted slightly and his breathing was soft and evened out. She wondered how late he slept in on mornings he didn't come to the café to help her set things up. Ever since their relationship began, he had been coming by more and more often. She had a feeling that under normal circumstances, he slept in.
Haley couldn't believe that just twenty-four hours earlier they weren't even engaged. Now, the hand that was gently resting on his cheek was adorned with a gold band. Moving her eyes from Nathan's sleeping face, she let herself travel down to his shoulders. Last night, she realized just how much she loved his shoulders. They were broad and held her so securely. They were so strong and capable. His arms were the same. Sometimes, she would remember that day at Peyton's, not long after they had returned to Tree Hill. She could still see Nathan, shy and nervous, walking in the house covered in sweat and dirt from working outside. Unconsciously, she licked her lips.
She moved her hand to lightly rest above his heart. She thought she felt him shiver under her touch. He had slept shirtless that night. She was surprised that he hadn't gotten cold. The apartment above the café tended to get a little drafty. Of course, she had only slept in a sleeveless nightgown, but had stayed warm thanks to his body pressed against hers all night.
Her hand moved even lower and her touch was even gentler as she reached the bruises from where he'd been beaten. The color of them was changing, but they still looked nasty and like they hurt a lot. She was amazed that they hadn't broken any ribs. She knew she shouldn't feel angry at Dan anymore. The man was dead. But, she was looking at her husband and his body was still bruised all because his father couldn't get over his past mistakes and decided to use his son to achieve some sort of atonement.
Haley wondered how deeply Dan regretted what he did to Karen. He must have been living with that regret for nineteen years. She wondered if it got worse after he shot Keith. Believing that he had killed his brother, Dan had taken him from her. First, he had left her with a baby and then took her husband from her. Even though Keith wasn't dead, which Dan didn't know, he had still left Karen to raise another child alone. Haley remembered Dan walking into the café after Keith had been shot. He had seemed so genuine in his offer to help her.
"Are you trying to wake me up? Because I don't mind," Nathan said, his voice still groggy with sleep. He pulled her closer, both of them on their sides. "How long have you been awake?"
"Not long," she answered. "I was just watching you. You looked so peaceful."
"I was. I am."
"You slept fine here?"
He nodded and moved so that he was on his back, pulling her so that she was slightly on top of him. "I told you I would. I had you with me."
"So, you're going to be that charming first thing in the morning? That's not fair."
"Why not?"
"Because, I'm not my best first thing in the morning."
"Liar," Nathan smirked. He lifted his head from the pillow and brought his lips to hers, his hand at the back of her head so that he could keep her lips to his. Haley moved so that she was straddling him. She felt his tongue and opened her mouth wider. With his tongue in her mouth, she sucked on it, causing him to groan. She felt the bulge in his pajama pants and didn't resist the urge to grind herself into him.
Not feeling the need to ask her if she was all right with him touching her, Nathan began pulling up her nightgown while Haley balanced herself above him with both arms, her lips not leaving his. When he had her nightgown up past her hips, he placed one hand on her ass, feeling the smooth skin beneath his fingertips. Without warning, he flipped them over so that he was on top and smirked at her. She couldn't help but smile and she grabbed onto the back of his head, scratching his scalp and bringing him closer so that she could kiss him again.
Haley spread her legs, knowing exactly what she wanted from him. He didn't hesitate to run his fingers along her already slick folds and felt her shudder beneath him.
"I want you," he said, rubbing his throbbing erection, still covered by his pajama pants, against her wet core, letting her feel how much he wanted her.
"I want you too," she breathed, letting out a moan when he grabbed her breast and began pinching at the nipple. She tried her best to lower his pants, raising her knees and trying to use her toes. He looked at her and smirked, then decided to help her. It would get them both what they wanted. He didn't even bother taking his pants off past his ankles before thrusting into her suddenly and without warning. He was rewarded for his action by hearing Haley call out his name.
Having him nestled inside of her was still such a new feeling. She hadn't expected him to just thrust into her, but she couldn't deny that she had liked it. The feel of him was still so new. She took a few breaths, getting used to him stretching her and filling her. Unlike the night before, the feelings of pleasure came almost immediately.
He stayed still once he was seated deeply within the warmth of her body. This was only their second time together and though he hadn't gone easy when entering her, he still didn't want her to feel uncomfortable. When she reached down and placed her hand on his ass he took it as a sign to get moving.
His pace was slow, at first. He took several slow and deliberate strokes, making sure that the base of his cock hit her throbbing clit each time. With one hand, he took her right knee and bent it, allowing him to go deeper. He managed to bend it so it was nearly touching her shoulder, but he didn't want her to feel any discomfort. He was sure she didn't by the look on her face. She wrapped the other leg around his waist and he thrust again. He pulled out almost completely, slowly, then crashed his hips into hers.
"You feel so good," he told her. "You're so beautiful." Her lips were pink and swollen, her cheeks were flushed, her mouth was slightly open and in the shape of an O, and her dark hair was fanned out against the pillow. Her response to him was to squeeze the cheek that she was still holding onto, urging him to move forward.
"Harder," she commanded.
He did just as she asked and placed a hand on the pillow beside them before pounding his hips into hers with all the force he could muster. He felt her squeeze her muscles around his member in appreciation, which only spurred him on. His pace became more and more frenzied and he realized that she was now meeting him thrust for thrust. Both were covered in a thin sheen of sweat and neither was worried about the cold of the December morning. They were too lost in their own world and too caught up in each other. Wrapped in each other's body, making love, feeling every ounce of their love for each other, nothing else mattered.
Nathan changed his angle, once again colliding his pelvic bone with the tiny bundle of nerves between her thighs. She cried out and sank her nails into his backside, arching her back into him, the satin of her nightgown brushing against his bare chest.
"Are you close?"
Haley tried to sort out her mind enough to answer him before finally saying, "Faster."
He complied and several powerful thrusts later, Haley felt something inside of her snap. She cried out her husband's name and collapsed on the bed, her heart hammering in her chest as Nathan continued to move inside of her until, several seconds later, he came, calling out her name.
He took a moment to catch his breath and closed his eyes when he felt Haley's hands in his hair. Her hands didn't move even though he began to move. Pulling out of her, he moved his body lower and lower, disappearing beneath the blankets. Haley watched him with curiosity, not sure of what he was doing. She soon found out when she felt his soft breath at her core. She bit her lip, not sure of what he was doing but unable to deny the excitement she was feeling.
Nathan didn't ask her for her permission. He wanted to do this. He wanted to taste her and he knew that she trusted him enough to let him. If she didn't like it, he wouldn't do it again. He hoped that she would like it, though. Her hands were still on his head, but he noticed that her grip had loosened. He couldn't seen her face, but he was sure that her lip was between her teeth.
Haley's eyes went wide with shock when she felt his tongue at her slit. He was holding onto her hips, keeping her still. His tongue was inside of her and her eyes were forced closed when she felt him begin to thrust in and out of her using his tongue.
Nathan smiled against her sex when he felt her grip tighten on his head. He took that as a good sign and continued his ministrations. He could hear her moaning and he knew she was surrendering to her desire when her hips begin thrusting against his mouth. He gave her swollen, sensitive flesh a light nip with his teeth, then ran his tongue against her most sensitive spot.
She came quicker than he thought she would given the force of her first orgasm, but he was pleased that she did. He emerged from underneath the blankets to find her staring at him through heavy lidded eyes. She looked like she'd been thoroughly loved and he couldn't help feeling proud of that. He had done that and put her in that state.
He didn't ask how she was when he moved next to her and kissed her deeply. He didn't ask, even though he knew that was new for her and knew that she could taste herself on his lips. She wanted him to have confidence. He had the confidence to know that she trusted him and if she didn't like something, she would tell him. He guessed that she was fine when she returned his kiss with equal fervor.
"I wasn't expecting that when we woke up," she admitted. He smirked and she began laughing, unable to contain the joy that she was feeling.
"As long as nobody walks in and interrupts us," he joked.
"Well, I locked the door last night, so that wasn't going to happen. That'll never happen again."
"Good. I don't want anyone else interrupting my time with my wife."
"I'm really happy with you, Nathan. I love you."
Instead of smirking, Nathan smiled. She wasn't just happy; she was happy with him. She wanted to be with him and had chosen to spend the rest of her life with him. He couldn't get over the fact that someone like her had chosen him. "I love you too." He pulled her into his embrace, nuzzling her neck, neither of them having bothered to cover their lower halves with anything but the quilts on the bed.
"You know, in a perfect world, we could stay here all day. Talk, not talk. Make love and hold each other," she said.
"But we have to go talk to everyone," he admitted. "I wonder if they're waiting for us."
"You know, I don't really mind if they are. With everything that's going on… Well, we've still only been married for a matter of hours. This is still new for us and we deserve to be together without worrying about anything else, at least for a little while."
"I like the way you think, Mrs. Scott."
"Also, the sooner we go and talk to everyone, the sooner we can come back here." She leaned in and kissed him slowly. Remembering the night before, she pulled away and looked toward the door. "I can't believe my brother walked in on us." She covered her face with her hands.
Nathan cringed at the reminder. That was definitely not how he wanted to meet any of Haley's family. He didn't want anyone seeing them like that ever.
"How's your face?" Haley noted that, once again, the cut on his cheek was closed.
"I really am fine, Haley. But we should probably get ready." With a final kiss, they did finally get out of bed. They got ready in a companionable silence. Haley was in the bathroom when Nathan heard the phone downstairs ring. Not knowing when Haley would be out, he went downstairs and answered it. He thought it was odd seeing the café so empty at this time of morning. Ordinarily, it was bustling with customers. Haley and Karen would be working side by side and he would be watching Haley. Occasionally, he would help carry plates from empty tables. Now, there was no one there. The chairs were upside down, the smell of coffee was nowhere, and there was nothing happening in the kitchen. A few people walked by, peering in the window and wondering what was going on.
"Karen's Café. How can I help you?" Nathan had heard Haley say that exact same thing whenever she answered the phone.
"Nathan?"
"Yes." The voice on the other end was familiar.
"Nathan, it's Vivian."
Nathan got worried as to why Vivian was calling. He worried about Charlie. "Is it Charlie? Is everything all right?"
"No, no. Nathan, we're all fine. No, I'm calling about you and Haley. Is she there?"
"She's just upstairs getting ready. I'll go see if she's ready."
Nathan set the phone on the counter and walked upstairs, where he found Haley putting the final touches on her hair.
"Your sister is on the phone," Nathan told her. "Vivian," he clarified.
"Did she say if something happened with Charlie?"
Nathan shook his head. "She said it was about us."
"Oh, for crying out loud. I just hope that Dan didn't send someone to visit her too. At least she knows I'm not hiding anything from her. That's probably why she called instead of barging in here like Ned did."
"I'm sorry, Hales. I'm sorry my dad was such a lousy ass."
"Hey. Don't worry about it, Nathan. You're not him. Don't apologize for him being him. Especially now that he's dead. There's nothing he can do to hurt us." When he nodded, she smiled at him. "Let's just get our things so we can head out after we speak to Vivian."
Haley picked up the phone and sat down on the stool next to it. Nathan stood beside her, getting his jacket and scarf on.
"Vivian? What's going on?"
"Haley, how are things there?"
"Busy. What's going on, Viv?"
"Listen, I spoke with Ned yesterday. I tried calling you, but Karen said that you took the day off. Ned said that someone came to him with pictures of you and Nathan. I tried to stop him, but he said that he was coming up to see you and get this sorted out."
"Oh," Haley said. She looked to Nathan, "Ned called her to tell her he was coming up here. Vivian, he was already here. He is here. He stayed at Peyton and Lucas's last night."
"Oh. So, he found you? What's going on, Haley Bob?"
Haley looked at Nathan and smiled. She reached for his hand and laced her fingers with his. "We have some news, Vivian. Nathan and I, we eloped yesterday. We got married."
Haley was met with silence on the other end of the phone and on instinct, she bit her lip and her hold on Nathan tightened.
"Viv?"
"You got married? Does Ned know?"
"Yes, we got married. Ned does know. He wasn't happy about it. We're actually going to talk to him now."
"You're okay? You're happy?"
"I'm so happy, Vivian. We both are. There's a lot to talk about, but things are busy here Vivian. Not just with Ned and our getting married."
"Okay. Call when you have a moment. Or, better yet, come visit. My house is about to get a little emptier."
Haley noticed the sadness in her sister's voice, but didn't comment on it. They needed more time for that conversation and they just didn't have that right now.
"Haley, before you go, can I talk to your husband?"
Haley handed the phone to Nathan and he took a few steps closer to the mouthpiece. "Hello?"
"Nathan Scott. So, you married my baby sister. Listen, you two need to tell the rest of our family as soon as possible. Don't hide this, or anything else, from them. I'll help you two smooth things over with Seth, Eli, and Ned. They will come around. Just treat her as well as I know you can. I know you love her, Nathan."
"I do. I will, Vivian. I promise."
After a few short words, Haley and Vivian said goodbye and Nathan and Haley exited the café. Haley wrapped her coat around her, trying to keep the cold away. She put her gloves on and then linked her arm with Nathan's leaning into him before they began walking. Smiling at each other, they weren't looking at where they were going and nearly collided with Mrs. Hannon and Mrs. Crowley.
"Haley, Nathan. The café isn't open this morning," Mrs. Hannon observed. She stepped closer to Haley and looked from the left and to the right to see who else was around. "Haley, I've already spoken to Karen about this, but having Nathan come out of the café at such an early hour could be taken the wrong way."
"There's no need to worry about that, ma'am. Haley and I are married and all of Tree Hill does not need to concern itself with our private life. Have a lovely day, ladies." Nathan tipped his hat and led Haley away from their prying eyes and gaping mouths.
Haley giggled when they were down the street and well on their way to Peyton and Lucas's. "I like the way you handled them."
"They're a couple of busybodies. They always have been."
"You're right. They used to talk about Taylor all the time. I know she wasn't always on her best behavior, but she still didn't deserve them talking about her behind her back. They don't mean anything by it. They're just bored. It still isn't nice."
"It's my job to protect you, you know. It was in the vows."
"Was it?"
"Well, I'm going to protect you. If it had been from Dan or just some nosey women in town. No one gets to treat my wife badly."
"You keep talking like that and we're going to have to turn around and go back to the café so I can have my way with you."
"Why don't we do that now? They won't miss us."
"Down, boy. We have a lot to talk about with everyone."
As they turned a corner onto Peyton's street, Nathan said, "I was thinking on our way back to the café last night. We don't actually have to leave Tree Hill now, not if we don't want to. Dan isn't around to hurt us. It doesn't matter anymore that I told him what I knew. Chase and Ian, they didn't even hear me. Even if they did, they wouldn't care. They've done so many illegal things that they wouldn't go near me. I'm sure of it. So, if you wanted to stay in Tree Hill so we can keep saving so you can go to school, we could do that."
"I hadn't thought of that," she said. "I think it would be best if we stayed for a while longer. With everything going on, I'm sure there are going to be questions about Dan killing your mother. It really might be best if we don't leave right now."
"We'll probably have a better idea of what's going on after we talk to everyone," Nathan said as they reached the house. They saw Ned's car parked in front and both could smell the smoke coming from the chimney, welcoming them in. They'd spent the entire walk there arm in arm and that still didn't changed as they knocked on the door, waiting to be let in.
When they were let in, they immediately felt the warmth coming from the fire and could smell food coming from the kitchen. Lucas took their coats and hung them on the coat rack.
"Who's cooking?" Haley knew that Peyton wasn't a great cook. It smelled like breakfast at the café.
"My mom," Lucas answered. "She felt that she and Keith should be here for all of this. I guess she has a point."
"Well, the fact that her husband was alive was only kept from her for nearly three years," Haley said, dryly.
"She's not wrong," Nathan backed up his wife.
"You two seem awfully cheerful this morning."
"Why not? I have nothing to complain about, Luke. My life right now couldn't get any better," Nathan said with satisfaction.
Haley hugged him closely, earning an eye roll from Lucas, though he did it in a playful way.
"The entire town is in an uproar over Dan's murder, Keith is back from the dead, and you two… well. By the way, I didn't tell Peyton or Brooke. Brooke was asleep when we got back. I figured you two could share the news yourselves."
"Okay. Is my brother awake?"
Lucas nodded. "I don't think he slept much."
Haley frowned and looked to the living room. She saw Ned sitting in there with Peyton and Keith.
"Brooke is just coming down," Lucas explained. "I think she's worried about being in the way."
With a nod, Haley led Nathan into the living room. She cleared her throat and Ned immediately stood. "We should talk," Haley said.
"I'll give you three some time," Peyton excused herself. She wasn't sure what exactly was going on. Lucas had just told her that Ned had come to see Haley just as he had gone to tell Nathan and Haley about Dan. She knew that there was a lot going on and Lucas had offered to explain everything right then and there. When he came home to tell her that Dan had been murdered, he had looked so exhausted. She was tempted to let him explain, but he had been under so much stress lately that she suggested they go to sleep instead.
Peyton had noticed that Nathan and Haley, though always close, seemed even closer. She also knew that Nathan hadn't stayed there that night. She hoped everything else would be answered. She also felt relieved that Keith was now out in the open. The past couple of days, she had been the one to spend the most time with him. She felt a little guilty for not watching carefully enough when he left. She also knew that it was for the best. Now, no one was hiding anything. For now, everything would be better. Things would be better until her husband shipped off to basic training and then off to war.
Ned took a seat in the chair in the corner of the living room. Nathan and Haley sat side by side on the sofa opposite him. They barely noticed that Peyton had shut the doors to the living room, giving them further privacy. The fire crackled on the other side of the room, giving it a comforting feeling.
Abruptly, Nathan stood up. "I'd like to apologize for how you found us last night. I know that isn't what any of us wanted. I also would have liked to come to talk to you in person before we got married so I could tell you that, well, that I only want the best for Haley and that I love her. We did this how we thought it was best, though, with everything going on.
"See, my dad did this to me," he pointed to his face. "He did this and then I got angry and lost my temper. I told him that I knew he killed my mom and shot Keith. We got worried about what he would do to me knowing that."
"Nathan tried to leave me so I wouldn't get hurt," Haley interjected.
"She wouldn't let me do that. She made me promise to never try to leave her for her own good ever again. So, we got married. I've known for a while that I wanted to marry your sister. She's my whole world. I just want to make her as happy as she makes me. We got married and we thought maybe you could help us out while I looked for a job so I could support us. That was our plan.
"Like I said, I am sorry for how you found us. I love your sister. I'd do anything for her. I'm gonna be a good husband to her." Nathan said all of this still standing. He felt like it would let Ned know how serious he was.
"Your father killed your mother?" That was the one thing that Ned had latched onto. From his conversation the night before with Haley at the station, he begrudgingly couldn't doubt that his sister was happy and head over heels in love. Listening to every word out of Nathan's mouth, he could tell that the feeling was mutual.
Nathan nodded and took the opportunity to sit. Haley linked her arm with his.
"Nathan saw it happen," Haley told him somberly.
"You didn't tell anyone."
"I told Lucas. I was in shock. I was a seventeen year-old punk. But, Luke was right. He knew that Dan had this entire town in his pocket. That includes the sheriff. No one would have believed me when I said he killed her. We got outta Tree Hill and decided to work on a plan to take down Dan."
"And you knew about this?" Ned turned his attention to Haley.
"When Nathan came back to town, he tried to keep me away. Then, we became friends and then more. Eventually, I discovered that Keith was alive. We haven't kept any secrets since then. We're completely honest with each other."
"Honesty, Haley Bob?"
"Ned, I'm sorry. I don't know how to explain this to you any better. I needed the money and I wanted to do it as much on my own as I could. I would have preferred somewhere other than the club. No one else was hiring. I really did try. Believe it or not, Dan actually looked after me while I worked there."
"My dad had this weird thing where he really saw Haley as Karen. He thought if he was good to her, it would help make up for the fact that he left her all those years ago."
"This is all unbelievable. I come here to find you married, the mayor dead, and Keith back from the dead. This is just… this is like some melodrama with Joan Crawford or something. It's a lot to wrap my head around."
"Do you trust me?" Haley was almost afraid to ask the question. She knew she had lied to her family. She had kept things from them. She didn't want them to distrust her, though.
"Mom and dad dying, that was a shock to all of us. I think you more than anyone else. You were the one who was here with them for all of it. We've been worried about you. We've all talked about it. When I talked to Vivian last night, she said that you were the happiest you'd been in a long time. She said when she met Nathan, even when the two of you were friends, that you were even happy then. Just don't lie to me anymore, Haley. Tell me the truth about what's going on with you."
"I will."
"You hurt her, my brothers and I will end you," Ned said, rising to his feet. For the first time, he extended his hand to Nathan, offering a firm handshake which Nathan met.
"I won't hurt her. I promise."
Ned nodded his head. "Listen, I'm going to go ahead and leave. I know Karen is cooking and she offered some to me, but I am in the way here. With your father dead and Keith not dead, you all have a lot to discuss."
"Are you sure, Ned? We could all have dinner tonight," Haley offered.
"As nice as that sounds, I do need to be going back to Charleston. I didn't tell Kate much when I headed out."
Haley smiled, but went to open the living room doors, letting Ned out. She and Nathan walked him to the front door.
"You two should come down to Charleston if you have the chance. Please tell everyone I said goodbye. Tell Lucas good luck over there."
Haley hugged her brother and Ned and Nathan shook hands. Nathan and Haley waited on the porch waving as Ned drove off. By the time they got back into the house, they were both shivering.
They closed the front door behind them just in time to see Brooke coming down the stairs. Brooke paused when she saw the two of them. Nathan's hands were rubbing up and down Haley's arms, trying to warm her up.
"You two…," Brooke looked at them curiously. Then, a moment of recognition and she shrieked, causing everyone else to come into the entryway of the house to see what was going on. Brooke bounced down the stairs and stood in front of the two of them. She waved her hands in front of her face and looked at the two of them.
"What is going on?" Peyton looked around trying to figure out what had Brooke so excited.
"They did it! They did it," she shrieked. "She's Mrs. Scott! We have to throw you a party! You deserve one! I'm so excited for you two! Nathan, why do you look like you got into a fight? Oh, what does it matter? You two are married!" Brooke pulled Haley forward and hugged her with a fierceness Haley hadn't expected. Haley returned the hug. Thus far, Brooke had had the best reaction to their marriage. It was exactly what Haley had hoped for, but with everything else going on, no one had really been sure of what to make of their elopement. Brooke understood just how much they loved each other and how right this was.
When Brooke finally let go of Haley, she turned to Nathan. Without warning, she hugged him. Surprising even himself, because he hadn't been much for affection until Haley, he returned her hug. Brooke felt hopeful hearing about Nathan and Haley's marriage. She and Nathan had run in such a similar crowd and behaved so alike in their younger years that knowing that he could turn things around and find someone like Haley to make a life with gave her hope. It made her want to see Julian.
"You know, with Keith here and not dead and everything and having just walked into the house when Karen and I were talking last night, scaring us half to death, by the way, and you two married, I think I'm going to go see Julian. You all have a lot to talk about. I really do want to plan that party or something for you two. I really am happy for you. I can't wait for you to get pregnant!"
Before Nathan and Haley could protest or get a single syllable out, Brooke had grabbed her coat and was out the door.
"Congratulations, you two," Peyton said, hugging them both. In Brooke's excitement, she hadn't gotten the chance to say it. She sometimes still couldn't believe that the man in front of her was the same one that she had dated. He had been awful back then. Now, he was a good man. Even more than that, he was good for Haley. They were good together and she couldn't deny that, despite everything going on, they looked so happy.
"Why don't we go in for breakfast? There's a lot of food," Karen told them all, leading them into Peyton's seldom used dining room.
"Where is Ned?" Lucas took a seat at the head of the table, feeling a little weird doing so since that was normally Larry Sawyer's seat.
"He knew that we all have a lot to discuss and didn't want to get in the way. He's driving home to Charleston," Haley answered.
"Did you get everything sorted out? Ned got quite a shock when he came to see his sister last night," Lucas explained.
"Why did Ned drive up here?" Keith handed Karen the plate of eggs and she grabbed some for herself.
"Dan," Nathan answered, his teeth clenched. "He had one of his guys drive down there and show Ned some pictures of me and Haley at the front door of the café. He was concerned for Haley."
"I'm going to have to write my other brothers and sisters as soon as possible. Hopefully Dan didn't get to them too," Haley said.
"I'm sorry for running out on you yesterday, Peyton," Keith apologized. "I just couldn't take it anymore. I wanted to be back with my family."
"Where is Lily?" Haley had noticed that the child wasn't there. "Is she having her play date?"
"Yes," Karen responded. "This is a lot for her and we decided we wanted things to be as normal as possible for her. She's confused, but she is happy to have her daddy back."
Nathan set his fork down on his plate and wiped his mouth. "Karen, I'm so sorry. If I had known that Keith was alive I woulda never left him there. I am so sorry for that."
"Nathan, I don't blame you at all. I thought that it was bad when you found them. The way you were that night… Now I understand that it's because you saw it happen. I don't hold you responsible for anything. You're a good man, Nathan.
"I don't understand why Dan felt the way he did about you and Haley. If what you say is right and that he was trying to make up for what happened with us, I'm sorry. You're not him. Believe me, we all know that. I'm sorry that your father couldn't see that you weren't that man and that he made things so difficult for you two. I am very happy that the two of you have managed to persevere despite Dan.
"That doesn't mean that I'm not upset with you four. You're still kids. You definitely were when you started this. This was so dangerous. Trying to take down Dan on your own? Hiding Keith from him?"
"We were just trying to keep Keith alive, mom. We just wanted to make sure that he didn't have to worry. Most of this was my idea, by the way. Nathan was the only other person who was supposed to know. Then, Peyton decided to come with us to Duke. Haley found out by accident."
"By accident?"
"I found out during the hurricane," Haley clarified. "I was worried about Nathan and had no way of knowing that he was staying with Keith. I went down to the basement and there Keith was."
"She demanded to help us after that," Nathan beamed, filled with pride. "She said we needed help to get Keith back to you and Lily."
"That's when they found that ledger I told you about," Keith told his wife. "That was all Haley's idea."
Haley suddenly remembered something. She hadn't had the chance to think about it ever since Nathan came into her apartment covered in bruises and blood. "We stole the ledger."
"What?" Lucas's mouth was filled with food.
"You stole the ledger," Peyton repeated.
Haley nodded her head. "We could see how frustrated Keith was getting. Lucas, with you leaving God knows when, we didn't know how much longer this would take and we didn't want Keith waiting any longer. We created a distraction at the club while I was talking to Dan in his office. When he left me in there, I took the ledger. It's in the apartment now."
"Do you two realize how dangerous that was? Listen," Karen ordered, "I'm happy to have my husband back. I'm more than happy. But you two took a huge risk. Haley, what if Dan had found you?"
"I don't know, Karen. But we were willing to take that chance."
"We didn't have to worry about that. Any threat from Dan was going to happen because of me. When he was having me beaten up I got so angry that I told him that I knew what he did to Keith and my mom. I told him that I saw it happen."
"Nathan, I told you that you couldn't let him get to you like that!"
"I know that, Lucas. We were going to leave town for a little while. We were going to take Keith with us and go down to Charleston until it was safe."
"You four really let this get out of hand," Karen marveled. "It's a good thing that this is over, because I don't know what else could have possibly happened to you all. You're lucky that none of you died! I would tell you to do it differently next time, but there had better not be a next time."
"Well, it's not like Dan can kill me again," Keith tried to joke. Judging by his wife's glare, the attempt at humor was not appreciated.
"Speaking of," Haley looked to Lucas, "do they have any idea who killed him?"
"I haven't spoken to anyone at the station since I left with you all last night. I'm not due in for a few more hours. Although, I'm sure they can use every hand they can get, I don't know if I'd be allowed in the investigation since we're related."
Haley noticed that Nathan seemed to tense at the mention of this. He had gotten quiet and was silently eating his breakfast.
"I want to say that I can't believe someone killed him, but we all know that he wasn't well liked by everyone," Peyton said. "People who actually knew him didn't like him."
"Keith, you are going to have to come into the station. It might be best if you and I do it together," Lucas said.
"I should be there," Nathan added. "I've known about this all along."
"Me too," Peyton chimed in.
"Well, we'd all better go," Karen decided. "We'll go after we eat and get this over with. You all have so much explaining to do to the sheriff. I'm sure this will make Keith a suspect, especially since he visited Dan last night."
"No one in this room killed him," Keith said. "I wonder who did."
Their interview at the sheriff's station took longer than Nathan's questioning the night before. The station was just as busy as it had been then and now this was being added onto their plate. Karen waited patiently while everyone else was questioned before her. Keith, Lucas, and Nathan were questioned at length by the sheriff and all three kept quiet on knowing that Dan had the sheriff in his pocket. They didn't want to anger the man, although they knew he understood exactly what they were saying when they claimed to be too afraid to come to the police.
Now that Dan was dead, the sheriff almost seemed at a loss. He no longer had to answer to Dan and no more payoffs would be coming his way. He actually had to do his job and find a murderer, which was something he hadn't had to do years prior.
Talking to Nathan, he felt that this was just a kid who had been scared when he saw his father murder this mother and shoot his uncle. He now understood why the Nathan Scott who returned to Tree Hill wasn't the cocky little punk who had left. He had known that Dan Scott was a dishonest, ruthless man, but the sheriff was now beginning to understand just how bad the mayor had been. He was starting to feel sick knowing that he had stood aside while that man ran this town with an iron fist.
Speaking with Keith Scott wasn't what he had ever expected to do. Nonetheless, he listened as the man detailed the story of how Deb Scott finally wanted to leave her abusive husband and how the mayor had then murdered her. There was no reason for the sheriff not to believe Keith, Lucas, or Nathan. He got similar stories from Peyton and Haley and then found out that Karen Scott had been aware of her husband's being alive for less than twenty-four hours.
The sheriff also had no reason to believe that any of the six people who walked into his station that morning with their extraordinary tale had killed Dan Scott even though they all had various reasons for wanting him dead, some stronger than others. After an exhaustive time of questioning all six, he had to let them go with a warning to stay in town in case anything came up.
As they were all leaving, he stopped Lucas. He wanted to know if he knew of anyone else who might want his father dead. Lucas could think of only one person he had ever heard threaten Dan, but he didn't want to let the sheriff know that. He had known Mouth since they were children and he would love to believe that Mouth wasn't capable of something like that. The truth was, though, Mouth had become more and more bitter in the past few months. Lucas could understand why Mouth would want to go after Dan and uncover the truth, but he had gone about it the wrong way. Lucas now understood that he hadn't gone about it the right way either. He had accomplished nothing. The difference was that he did everything in secret with only a few people knowing. Mouth did everything out in the open, giving little thought to what Dan might do to him.
Just as Lucas had suspected, the sheriff also told him that he could not be part of this investigation. Since the entire station was working on finding Dan's killer, that meant that Lucas could go home. As Lucas and everyone else exited the station, Lucas was hit by the realization that he didn't care who killed Dan. Whoever had done it had done them all a favor. Now they were safe from him, Keith was back with his family, Nathan and Haley were married and happy, and everything was right with the world. As far as Lucas was concerned, the day couldn't be going any better. Now, he would be getting some time off before he shipped off. He planned to use that time to his advantage and spend it with his wife and the rest of his family. He didn't notice that his brother looked far from relieved or happy about the situation.
Haley did notice Nathan's mood, but she knew that they didn't have time to talk about it now. They were surrounded by people. As soon as they were alone, and Haley hoped that would be soon, they could talk.
"We could all have dinner tonight," Lucas suggested.
"I think that I would like to have some time with my wife and daughter, actually. No offense, Luke. It's been a while."
"I understand, Keith." He looked to his brother and Haley.
"They're newlyweds," Peyton said. "We're on our own tonight, honey."
"Thanks for understanding," Nathan said, putting his arm around Haley's waist.
"Nathan, Haley, I want you to know that you two are welcome to live at the café for as long as you need. If you need help with anything, please let us know," Karen told them. Letting go of Keith's hand, she went and hugged Haley before turning to Nathan to hug him. "You're going to be a wonderful husband for her," Karen whispered. Her words instantly made Nathan feel better, despite what he'd been thinking about.
When they got to the café, Haley stopped. "Walk with me," she said. He would have gone with her anywhere and let her lead them to a gazebo in the middle of town. It was empty, which wasn't a surprise given the cold December temperatures. Haley could see both her and Nathan's breath as they took a seat on the wooden bench. He wrapped his arms around her and she snuggled in closer.
"You know," he leaned so that his lips were just at her ear, "I would much rather take you home and get into bed."
"I would love that. But we need to talk, Nathan."
"So, you chose a cold gazebo in the middle of town?"
Haley leaned up and kissed him softly. "Warmer?"
"I am."
"See, if we go back home, I know you'll get distracted like we did this morning. We need to talk, Nathan. What's going on in that handsome head of yours?"
"I knew you could tell," he muttered. "I wasn't trying to hide anything from you. I just couldn't say anything in front of the others."
"I figured as much. What's going on, Nathan?"
"I finally figured out how I'm feeling. I'm angry, Hales. I'm angry at whoever did this. It's not about the fact that Dan's dead. It's that this was supposed to be my… not really revenge."
"You were supposed to avenge your mother's death," she said, understanding where he was coming from.
"I guess. Yeah. He was supposed to pay for what he did, Haley. He won't. He knew that I knew, but that wasn't enough. Everyone was supposed to know that he was a murderer. That's what going to Duke and working with Luke was all about. We stole the ledger and for what? He's never going to pay for his crimes. Someone took that from me and I want to know who. Luke doesn't seem to even care."
"The two of you have different motives, I think. He has Keith back with Karen. It's what he wanted all along."
"My mom won't ever come back," he stated.
"I'm sorry, Nathan. I'm so sorry."
"I know that she and I weren't close. She wasn't the greatest mother and I wasn't the greatest son. I wanted to do this for her, though."
"It'll all come out, Nathan. What you saw happen, everyone will know."
"Tommy wasn't his son," Nathan admitted.
"I've wondered. Cooper comes into the club and he stares at Rachel. I notice that on nights when she comes in, he can barely take his eyes off of her. So, Tommy is his?"
"I started thinking it a bit ago, but then when I went to the house yesterday morning to get my gun to sell, I saw the two of them talking. Dan hit Rachel, Hales. He hit her and I heard Cooper tell her that he'd do anything to protect her and Tommy. He said he would kill Dan."
"Do you think he did it?"
"I don't know, Hales. I don't know. For as long as I can remember, he's hated Dan and Dan's hated him. It's why I was always surprised that he came into the club so often."
"I saw the two of them once. It was a couple of years ago. Tommy wasn't even born yet and she wasn't married to Dan. Cooper came in for some pie and coffee and as he left, I saw him meet her across the street. I never saw them together again, but I did notice him looking at her at the club. Nathan, I'm also sure that once I saw her look at him. It was before you came to work there. I hadn't thought of it until now." She bit down on her lip. "Do you think maybe we should go by the house to see how Rachel is doing? It might be nice. I mean, I honestly don't think she has any friends. She ended up married to Dan and now she has this baby."
"She has Cooper, though."
"She does. But if Cooper had something to do with this, if he's smart he'll keep his distance from her for a while."
"Maybe you're right. We could pay a visit and ask her how she is. We didn't see her at the station at all when we were there. Besides, I think it would be nice to see Ida. I want to tell her I have a beautiful wife."
"Are you going to show me off?"
"Might be." He kissed her softly, aware that they were in public. "You know, Hales. Before you, I would have gone through all of this alone. Now, I have you and I know I always have someone to talk to when I need it. I can always count on you. I feel better than I did before just because I talked to you."
"You'll always have me, Nathan. Always and forever." She snuggled closer to him, both because she wanted to be closer and also because it was cold out there. "What are you going to do if Cooper did do it?"
"I don't know. I mean, if he did it, I guess he was trying to protect his family, right? I don't know. I want him to know what Dan did to my mom, though. Cooper and my mom were close. He took her death really hard. If he didn't kill Dan, knowing that Dan killed my mom is just going to make him wish that he had. But, I can't just accuse him of killing Dan, you know? That's a big thing to accuse someone of."
"Well, we'll investigate. We'll be like Nick and Nora Charles. We'll start by going to your dad's house. I'll go with you. I know it's not the easiest place for you to go."
"You'd really do this with me?"
"Of course. I don't know if you remember," she teased, "but we got married yesterday. I'm with you through everything. I love you, Nathan."
"I love you too, Haley Scott."
"I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing that," she said, leaning in for a kiss. "Let's go. The sooner we go, the sooner we can go back home," she winked.
Note: Thank you for reading and for reviewing! You guys are great. :)