"Brooke!"

"Baby, where are you? Where is Nathan? And what the hell is going on? Haley has been discharged for a while now and Nathan took Jules' car, then you took our car to presumably follow him and no one has heard from either of you since. Keith had to catch a cab back to the house just to get a car so we can take Haley home. And God knows she can't be left by herself. So please tell me you are on your way and also tell me where your brother is hiding his sorry butt so I can tell his wife and she can stop worrying."

"Brooke, it's a long story."

"Well thanks to you we're not going anywhere for a while."

"You know that it was that Chris Keller dude that raped Haley."

"Yeah. What a piece of shit! I knew there was something untrustworthy of those beady little eyes."

"Well Nathan knew it too. You know how he felt before tonight. You can imagine how he feels now."

"Poor Nate. I'm sure he was mad enough to kill…oh God! Lucas!"

"I didn't get there in time but Nathan did. Beat the shit out of that bastard."

"Good."

"Yeah but it also happened to be the same time the cops showed up to arrest Chris. So guess who else got taken in?"

"Oh no. Are you kidding me?"

"No, babe."

"Jesus, they couldn't just let him go? That's his wife for God's sake."

"I know, I know but it wasn't self defense, it was assault. I've got to figure out a way to make his bail."

"Okay. See what we have in the checking account…"

"Alright. Look, you stall everybody and try to get Haley to sleep. I'm gonna clean this mess up as fast as I can."

"Good luck, Broody. Okay. I love you."

"Love you, too."

Brooke sighed as she put her phone back in her purse and rejoined Jules and Haley.

"Was that Nathan?" Haley asked hopefully.

"No, it was Luke actually."

"Brooke, where's Nathan?"

"Um, I don't know…exactly but I'm sure he's fine and Lucas is out looking for him."

"He is so mad at me", Haley began to cry. "You should have seen the look on his face."

"Haley, he's just upset and shocked like we all are. I'm sure everything is going to be okay. Just sit tight and Keith will be back in a jiff."

Brooke exchanged glances with a suspicious Jules as they sat and waited with Haley. Brooke felt horrible lying but she had no choice. Besides, wasn't a lie okay if it was to protect someone you loved?

-

MEANWHILE…

-

The phone rang in the middle of the night and Deb Scott sat straight up. She worried whenever the phone rang so late. Didn't all mothers? She answered on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Deb?"

"Yes. Who is this?"

"Deb, it's Lucas."

"Luke, hello. It's very late. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah sorry about that. Can I speak to Dan please?"

She didn't like the panicked tone of his voice.

"Dan, it's for you."

"This better be good", he grumbled, his voice still heavy with sleep. "It's after three in the morning."

"It's Lucas", she said worriedly.

Dan grabbed the phone.

"Lucas!"

"Dan, I need your help. Something's happened."

"What's going on?"

"Nathan is in jail. He was arrested a little while ago. The bond is over ten grand and Brooke and I don't have that kind of money."

"Jail? My son? Jesus, what did he do? Where is he now?" Dan asked as Deb clung to his arm.

"Down at the station. Look, I don't have time to chit chat but can you just hurry up?"

"I'm on my way", Dan said, hanging up.

"Dan, what the hell is going on? Is Nathan in jail?"

"Apparently so."

"Oh my God! What's going on?"

"I have no idea and Lucas didn't give any details but with a bail that high, I take it he didn't still a Jolly Rancher from the candy store. I have to go down to the station."

"I'm going with you", she said, already getting dressed.

"Deb, you're already hysterical and you'll just be in the way."

"Dan, go screw yourself! That's my son we're talking about here."

There was no use in arguing as they put on clothes and hopped in the car. Lucas was waiting for them. He ushered them to the bondsman and magistrate who had set the fee. Dan wrote out the check with ease.

"Do you mind if I ask what this is about, sir?"

"Assault and battery."

Dan nodded and they all waited. A few minutes later, Nathan walked out looking like hell on a stick.

"Baby, come here", Deb immediately cooed. "What happened? Are you okay? Oh Nathan…"

"Sorry bro", Lucas mumbled. "I had to call. Brooke and I just don't have that kind of money. We tried…"

"It's cool, man."

"Bang up job, Nathan. Every time I blink you seem to sink to a new low. Part of me thinks I should have left you in there."

"Maybe you should have", he mumbled.

"Oh that's great. Nice attitude, son. What? Did I bail you out wrong or something? Since these days every little thing seems to be my fault. Tell me, what does your wife have to say about this?"

"Yes. Haley is conspicuously absent", Deb rolled her eyes.

"Mom! Shut the fuck up!"

Deb gasped and began to tear up.

"Don't you speak to your mother like that! Hey, I brought you into this world, I promise I can take you out."

Dan grabbed Nathan roughly by the shirt.

"Let him go!" Lucas yelled.

"Luke, stay out of this one, son!"

"Dan, get off of him. Both of you just shut up and listen for a second. Nathan got arrested for beating up the man that raped Haley tonight."

Dan immediately let go and he and Deb stood open mouthed.

"You two happy now?" Nathan snarled. "Well, you hated her, Mom. Go ahead and gloat."

"Nathan! Oh my God! I don't hate, Haley and I never wished anything bad upon her…"

"Give it a rest, Mom. Luke, get me out of here, dude."

Lucas nodded and he and Nathan climbed in the car leaving a dumbfounded Dan and Deb.

-

MEANWHILE…

-

"He left me", Haley whimpered. "Nathan tried to warn me about Chris and I didn't listen. Now look what happened. He's never coming back."

"Yes he is", Brooke tried to soothe.

"No, he's not."

It was sunup and still no sign of Lucas or Nathan and neither one was answering their cells. Haley, already traumatized, was on the verge of hysteria and Brooke couldn't blame her.

"Hales, honey, just calm down, okay? Nathan doesn't hate you and this isn't your fault. If Nathan could be here right now…trust me, he would."

"Brooke, what are you saying?"

"I…"

"No, tell me."

"They arrested Chris."

"They did?"

"Yeah but they arrested Nathan at the same time for beating the living shit out of the little prick."

"Oh my God!"

So much for comfort. The additional revelations seemed to send Haley into a tailspin. Brooke looked to Jules for support but Jules had nothing either. It was like a godsend when the door opened a few minutes later. Lucas and Nathan had made it.

"Hales, I'm so sorry…", Lucas whispered. "If you need anything at all…"

"I know", she nodded. "Thank you, Luke."

She looked up at her husband and at his battered hands. She could only imagine what Chris' face looked like.

"Nathan…", she whispered, longing for him to reach out to her.

"You okay?"

"Better now that you're here. I just want to get some sleep."

He pushed past her embrace and headed for the bathroom.

"I need a shower", he mumbled, leaving his needy wife alone.

Haley went back to the bedroom and crawled beneath the blankets as if covering her head would somehow make the cruel world disappear. Chris, a man she once trusted, had brutally raped her. Her body and trust had been savagely violated. Her husband had spent part of the night in jail trying to avenge the attack. And she had spent hours in the shower scrubbing her skin until it was raw in an attempt to wash away the filth, the shame, the guilt. All the soap in the world didn't work. And now Nathan was doing the same. She needed him more than ever to hold her. Not too close but to just be there so she could cry and feel protected. But he wasn't there. He couldn't even look at her.