When the cloud over your mind
finally breaks and rains to remind
you of me covering you
that's when the light comes crashing through

So I'll keep away and save a place for you
and I'll only make the same mistakes as you

When you stop hitting the wall
it's not the plaster that ruined this hall
when all the blood all over your fingers is dried up
the pain will still linger

So I'll keep away and save a place for you
and I'll only make the same mistakes as you

Scream until you smile
but I'm the only one who hears

When you wake up to the sound
of a thousand voices around
can you hear the rattle of words
that only takes a heart to be heard


Coldness. Hardness. It was all he could feel. Shifting his body slightly the groves ragged against his clothes in a desperate attempt to halt his stirs. The movement only seemed to awaken his mind further to the incessant migraine hammering at his brain. Nathan stirred onto his back opening his eyes only to be met with further darkness. He closed them again trying to ignore the pain that had further meandered its way down his neck. He was racking his brain trying to come up with some answers…how the hell he ended up here wherever here was.

He opened his eyes again; things had started to take their shape now. He couldn't figure out much. The only intermittence of light was coming from a window in the top far corner of the room. It was quite far away from what he could make out assuming the room was quite large lengthways. The last thing he remembered was been with that guy outside of the hotel. He didn't remember much after that; he had blacked out whatever happened. He must have taken a few hits and it wasn't just the pain in his head that could account for that. There was a bitter metallic taste of blood in his mouth, his throat felt like someone had scratched and clawed it dry.

Hid mind went back to earlier; the fight with Jake. God he had tried so hard, he had been doing so well holding back but he couldn't any further. Jake's words were just the icing on the cake to everything that had happened today and not even considering where he was now. It looks like they had all falling right into the palm of Damien's hands; this is exactly what he wanted. Jake on his side, Nathan and Haley fighting. Damien had outsmarted him this time.

The room was filled up with a bright light seconds later, Nathan squinted his eyes immediately.

"Oh so you have woken up then and here's me thinking you were going to make it easy for me…" A familiar voice taunted him. "But of course you wouldn't make it easy would you?" He said menacingly as he finally reached him.

"What do you want?" Nathan said hoarsely as his eyes finally adjusted to the light

"Well considering you've spent the past few weeks cunningly trying to trick me…I'm quite surprised you don't know what I want Nathan." Damien spat out sarcastically as he went pulling at something at the other side of the room.

"Yea well I'm here now why don't you just go ahead and finish the job..." Nathan taunted back not really caring that Damien had one up on him anymore. What was the point?

He could hear his evil laugh throughout the hollow space. Damien turned walking back over to him cockily. "Finish the job..." He said smirking. "That's too easy…I'm going to make you pay for every little trick you pulled trying to get us caught."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Bit dramatic don't you think." He muttered.

"No dramatic is you thinking you're in love with that girl and that she feels the same….it's pitiful actually."

Damien watched as Nathan's whole face hardened, his jaw clinched tight at his words. He chuckled menacingly "Oh this is almost too easy…" He pondered as he dropped something to the side of Nathan.

"You leave her out of this." Nathan gritted out through clenched teeth. He could literally feel his anger bubbling; a strong undercurrent residing beneath his fiery veins.

"That won't be a problem." Damien teased. "I mean you literally drove her away for good didn't you doing drugs in secret with Daddy dearest." Damien said making finger quotations.

Nathan said nothing.

"What no speech?" Damien taunted. "Don't think I don't know what you were up to…I know you're not involved with Dan and someone's being lying to us and god help them when I find out I will bring them here and have them killed before your very eyes." Damien spat in his face.

A phone started ringing from across the room. Nathan adverted his gaze and watched as Damien strolled over. He didn't make any move to answer it instead a sickening smile surfaced his face. "Haley James.." He said enthusiastically as his eyes met Nathan.

Whatever pain he was feeling from his head in that moment vanished didn't matter as he found his strength to pull himself up from the concrete slab making his way over to Damien. He looked past the light headedness he was feeling; anger fuelling his present actions as he grabbed the phone from his hand and threw it down on the floor smashing into pieces.

"You little shit." Damien spat out as he went for Nathan. Nathan ducked however and this time hurdled Damien back against the wall. Hearing the commotion another man entered the room.

"Get the rope." Damien shouted.

The other man didn't hesitate and instead pulled Nathan off Damien hitting him across the head watching as his body slumped to the floor.

"I told you to get the rope not whack him out cold." Damien said as he rubbed his nose off the sleeve of his jumper trying to stop the bleeding.

"Little runt had it coming." Jeremy said. "So what you get any answers out of him or what?"

"He'd only just woken up." Damien admitted. "He knows everything though…it's not like we're going to hear it now are we." Damien said pointing to his lifeless body on the cold, hard floor.

"He wouldn't have said anything anyways." Jeremy replied. "And next time he wakes up make quick work of tying him West….your father will kill you if you let this one escape."

"I know one way of getting him to talk." Damien said snidely as he bent down to pick up his phone.

"Yea and what's the genius plan now?"

"Haley James."

XXXXXXXXXX


XXXXXXXXXX

"Where is he?" Haley shot out from where she was standing inside the cubicle. Her whole body was a quivering mess as she tried to hold the phone to her ear, her heart beating in fearful anticipation for his upcoming words.

"Now,,,now Haley that's no way to answer your phone"

Haley closed her eyes willing herself not to say something that would make him act out. She couldn't. This call was all she had. The only inkling she had that he was still alive. Her only connection to him. But if she didn't play her cards right god knows what would happen.

"Now I talk and you listen ok." Damien said sternly initiating he was not taking no for an answer. Haley swallowed hard at the tone in his words. When he was met with silence at the other end he continued.."I need you to come down to the address that I text to your phone now Haley and ask for Jeremy. And if you breathe a word of this to anyone Haley I will have them killed before you even get here don't think for a second I don't have people on you."

"How can I trust you won't kill them anyway?" Haley replied with all the courage she could because inside she was quivering mess, a foundation waiting to crumble and shatter into a million smouldering pieces leaving nothing in its wake.

She heard an evil laugh at the end of the phone and felt the bile rise up her throat. "It seems to me Haley you haven't really put your trust in the right people lately." Damien teased glancing over at Nathan's body slumped on the floor; of which she couldn't see. "Maybe you should give people you don't usually trust a chance."

"Oh and Haley…I won't take no for an answer." Damien said evilly before hanging up. She held the phone to her ear seconds to minutes later after the call had finished. The only sound that could be heard in the room was her laboured breathing. This all felt too surreal, one minute they were protected, surrounded by family and friends and the next torn apart and turned against each other. She couldn't believe she had been so blinded by it, the pictures…..everything was a ploy of Damien's. This was all his own little game and she had fallen for it, she was the one that promised Nathan she would be with him through all of this and in the very end also the one that literally gave the man orders to take him away from her.

"Haley…." Jake's voice pounded through her ears jolting her from her mind-bustling thoughts, the concern evident in his cries.

"In here.." Haley shouted back weakly her voice broken at the end.

She came out of the cubicle afraid to even look him in the eye in fear he might break through everything she was about to do and endanger everyone around them in the process.

"What happened Haley….you just started panicking and then took off on me…what's going on?" Jake questioned walking over to her.

"It's just…." God how am I going to do this. Haley looked up meeting his eyes.

"I'm worried about you…"

"It's just you were right.." Haley said a lot weaker than she would have liked but it's all she could do for now. When she was met with Jake's questioning eyes she continued. "When you said Jeremy's a friend of Damien's and he went with…N..Nathan…I'm sorry it just all came as a bit of a shock.." Haley swallowed hard at the end, it took everything inside of her not to crumble into a mess right there on that bathroom floor just from mentioning his name. She had to get out of here before she lost it altogether.

Jake could tell there was something more to it but he couldn't quite place it. He couldn't place it at all actually and this just proved how he and Haley had grown apart so much over the past few months. "So what did you talk to Nathan or something…" He said trying to understand how she'd so quickly come around to everything she had been fighting him against hours before.

Haley shook her head.

"It's just you were so adamant in telling me before that he wouldn't do this…"

"Yea well maybe I'm naïve.." Haley interrupted.

"You're not naïve Hales…"

"Aren't I?" Haley argued back. "I believed nothing was going on with Damien Jake but there along comes Jeremy…"

Jake just looked across at her painfully and she knew now was the time to leave or she never would.

"I'm sorry." Haley said as she enveloped him in a hug squeezing her eyes shut so no tears could escape.

"This is not your fault." Jake said to her as he held her close to him.

Eventually Haley pulled away and gave him one last look before heading for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I just need some space…" Jake went to interrupt her but she halted him. "I'll be fine…I promise, I just need to think some things through. "

Jake gave her a small nod. "You're going to be ok Haley. We both are."

Haley nodded albeit sadly as she walked out the door.

His words rang bittersweet in her ears but she had to do this.

XXXXXXXXXX


XXXXXXXXXX

She felt the chills run up her arm as she neared the building; the brisk breeze blowing her already wayward hair across her face. Her styled beehive long departed as her hair fell in loose waves down her back. Anxiety. Fear. Things she should be feeling but couldn't. It's not like she could understand it. Ever since she received that address an eerie silence had washed over her, calmed her almost. It was all that was spurring her on. She knew he was in that building. He had to be. And if he wasn't. No she just wouldn't go there, she couldn't go there.

"She's here." A man's cold voice interrupted her thoughts. Haley looked up observing him through tear stained eyes stinging right through to her very core. She felt her breath hitch in her throat…that's him. She felt her stomach recoil as the memory flashed through her mind..

"Just go Nathan.."

Nathan tried to approach her again but felt himself being pulled back. "You heard her just leave her alone." The man said coldly before wrenching at his wrists harshly.

"Oww…" Nathan winced in pain. "What the fuck is your problem?"

"You need to cool down." The man stated only grabbing at his wrists harder where no one else could notice.

"Yea you do…..Can you just go please…" Haley said as she tried to get Jake to sit up.

"Sure…" The guy spoke for Nathan before dragging him off with him.

Haley closed her eyes swallowing hard. The man was now adorned in his peak cap and navy over alls, his suit long gone but she could distinctly make out that face. She watched as he talked to someone through his microphone and felt her anger grow. She couldn't stop herself from questioning.."Where is he?" Her voice belied her though, words weak…void of strength.

"You speak when you're spoken to." The man gritted out grabbing her arm and placing his eyes over hers as he brought her inside.

"Get off me." Haley automatically responded as she tried to pull away but his grip was too strong.

"Trust me little girl don't even try that with me."

They walked for what felt like ages until Haley felt herself being pulled down multiple steps until there was a hard knock on the door. His hand fell from her face to her other arm holding them behind her back. Haley reluctantly opened her eyes taking in the metal door ahead of them. It appeared they were down in some basement from what she could tell from the narrow stairway leading up to the floor above them. She was afraid to look all the way back, she could feel his intimidating stance rising behind her.

Losing his patience the man knocked harshly on the door again.

"Alright, alright…" The shouting came from the other end. The man opened the door with a scowl which quickly formed into a smile as his eyes washed over her in a sickening way.

Haley recoiled from his penetrating gaze and glanced down at the ground not giving him the satisfaction.

"You don't need to hurt her Jeremy." Damien said nodding his head towards his hold on her wrists. Jeremy let go.."She's a stubborn lass this one." He huffed as he went to take out a cigarette from his pocket.

Haley fought the urge to scoff. Really, Damien was going to play nice….didn't he know her part in all of this, she knew this was just another one of his sickening games and she was not going to play into it. She continued looking at the floor unwilling to meet his sickening gaze. She didn't want to see the satisfaction grace his evil features. She coughed lightly as the smoke whiffed around the enclosed space.

"Oh I'm sorry sweetheart…" Jeremy said sarcastically. "I'm going to take this outside." He muttered passively.

"I'm going to need you when he wakes up." Damien said jerking his head backwards.

This sparked Haley's attention as she hurriedly lifted her eyes looking back to the point past Damien. Her heart started pounding in her chest as her gaze landed upon the body slumped on the floor. "You said you wouldn't hurt anyone…" Haley gritted out as she instantly went to make a move past Damien but he pushed her back roughly.

"I said I wouldn't hurt any of your friends…besides" Damien smiled sarcastically. "I technically didn't hurt him."

Haley couldn't even make out what he was saying or how his grip on her shoulders was sure to leave bruising all she could focus on was his body..out cold on the floor. What had they done? She felt her eyes being pulled back to Damien's upon hearing his snickering laugh. "You're sick." She gritted out, her voice laced with disdain.

"Told you she's got a big mouth on her." Jeremy taunted.

Her words only served to please Damien further though. "Yea well a big mouths what I need…because I want some answers and you sweetheart" he said running his fingers up Haley's shoulders to the ends of her hair "you are going to help me find them."

Haley tried to shrug him off but it was pointless. Next thing she felt Damien dragging her into the room and backing her up against the wall beside the door facing Nathan who lay a few feet across from her. "Jeremy…hold her here will you."

"Can't even have a smoke around heer." Jeremy muttered as he came back in slamming the metal door behind him.

"Plenty of time for that later." Damien said as he went over standing above Nathan's lifeless form.

"Please…." Haley panicked not really knowing what to do or say anymore. "I'll help you just don't hurt him.."

Damien turned around crossing his arms across his chest smugly. "Oh you two…" He commented sickly remembering Nathan's words from earlier. "It's pathetic you know Haley….whatever about Nathan but you….you don't even know him." Damien pressed on. "You don't know who he is or what he's done yet here you are putting your life on the line.."

"You won't hurt me." Haley said surprising herself with how much conviction those words held.

Damien looked her right back in the eye and shrugged. "Maybe not. But you don't know what we're capable of Haley. People involved in this business…you don't have a conscious." He said coldly.

Haley swallowed hard at his words holding her shaking hands to her side. She watched nervously as Damien turned around from her again observing Nathan he spoke.."What did he say about me?" Damien questioned passively.

"W..what?" Haley said shakily not sure if she even heard him right her concentration focused solely on Nathan, her worry heightening every second that he didn't move. How long has he been on out for?

"I said what did he say about me.." Damien retorted a spice of anger in his tone causing her to flinch. "Look at me." He demanded.

Haley immediately looked up biting her lip, Jeremy stood beside her so Damien was in her clear line of vision. "He didn't trust you." Haley replied weakly.

Damien scoffed. "Well that's a whole lot of help." He mocked.

"What do you want me to say?" Haley said brokenly. "He wasn't holding anything against you Damien…h..he was just dragged into this…he didn't want this.."

"Stop protecting him!" Damien shouted hard.

Haley felt the tears prickling at her eyes and closed them briefly before opening them again willing them to stay put. Don't cry. Not Now. Don't let him do this to you.

"He was going to take me down wasn't he?" Damien sneered. "That was the little plan…the 410…whatever you called it." He mused.

"He wanted no part of it." Haley replied barely above a whisper.

Damien laughed.

"It's the truth."

He said no more instead turned back towards Nathan again and kicked him lightly in the side in an effort to wake him. "Maybe you'll tell me more as a team then." He said sarcastically. "But wait there was trouble in paradise last time I checked…"

Haley shook her head as she glanced at the ground again. This was exactly what he wanted. "Please…just don't hurt him." It was taking everything in her not to go over there and check him herself.

"Stop being pathetic Haley…it doesn't suit you. Besides I think you've hurt him enough." He joked and smiled as Haley visibly flinched knowing it hit a sore spot.

"How can you be so cruel?" Haley said narrowing her eyes at him.

"I'd watch what you say sweetheart if you want me to take it easy on him." Damien muttered and as if to prove a point kicked Nathan in the side again rolling him over onto his back.

Haley gasped slightly seeing the traces of blood marked on the cement from where he had rolled over. "Stop…he's bleeding." She said shakily.

"He'll be fine…he's coming around." Damien said so passively it made her close her eyes in disgust.

"Rope job this time." Jeremy finally spoke up again.

Haley watched between the two anxious and shocked at how passive they were been. Jeremy through her a look which was enough for her to hold her tongue saying anymore. She really had to be careful with what to say next. But it was so hard trying to come up with a plan of action with Nathan lying right there on the floor, every thought and action right now was fuelled by her emotions for him and she needed to get a control on it. Not just for her sake but for his.

"I'll tell you everything you need to know just let me help him please.." Haley urged.

Jeremy looked to Damien this time. "Both of you will tell me." Damien said a tone of finality in his voice.

"Just let…"

"Shut up ok or I have no problem gagging you. You had your chance sweetheart and you spoiled it so now we do things my way." Haley watched as Damien sauntered off to the other side at the far end of the room.

"Don't move." Jeremy warned her as he went over to Nathan. His eyes were slowly fluttering open now only to close again. "He looks pretty whacked out…do we even need that?" Jeremy said to Damien who was waking back over with a chair.

"I'm not taking chances."

Nathan tried desperately to open his eyes again but it felt like an immense weight was pressing his eyelids closed. Everything felt heavy all of a sudden, like there was this joint pressure holding him down. He could barely make out the towering figure above him until his eyes decided to pull him back to the blackness again. Jeremy left his side going over to Haley tying her wrists to the metal pole to her left. "Just in case you get any crazy ideas in that pretty little head of yours." He teased.

"He needs help." Haley said, she didn't care….she'd keep trying maybe sometime she might get it through their thick skulls. "How are you going to get answers from him when he's like that?"

"I know what game you're playing." Jeremy said as he tightened the rope on her wrists.

"I'm not playing any…"

"Enough." Jeremy bellowed. "I was very quick to silence that runt over there I've no problem doing the same to you."

Haley swallowed hard believing Jeremy would make do of his words if she tested him. These men seemed capable of anything whether she was a girl or not. She watched anxiously as Jeremy stalked over and pulled Nathan up from under his arms roughly placing him in the chair. His body was slumped, his head hanging down. She'd never seen him look so lifeless. She wanted to close her eyes, she didn't want this image etched in her brain but nothing could make her look away. She was torturing herself but she had to see him. She had to see him open his eyes. She needed to see him.

Damien made quick work of tying Nathan up to the chair as Jeremy came back with a bottle of water in hand. "Should do the trick." He said off-handily as he shook Nathan vigorously waking him from his sleepy haze before pouring the bottle of cold water over his head.

Nathan started coughing incessantly at once his body seeming to react to the cold water pretty fast. He tried to move to shake it off but his hands restricted him. It took him a few seconds to realise he was tied up.

"Yea you won't be so quick to punch me this time…" Damien seethed. "You're lucky that water wasn't acid."

It was taking a lot of power to even hold his head up at this stage to look at him. The dull, aching pain was not subsiding. Despite the cold water his head felt like it was on fire. He could feel the hot trickle of blood down his neck causing his stomach to recoil.

"Oh come on Nathan…it's no fun when you give up on me.." Damien teased. "Where's the fight you had in you earlier….where is it huh?" He shouted grabbing Nathan's hair and yanking his head up roughly.

"Stop.." Haley shouted brokenly from across the room. Jeremy could do what he wanted for all she cared, she wasn't going to stand back and watch while they treated Nathan like a play toy in their own sick, twisted way.

Damien chuckled evilly letting go of Nathan's hair turning towards Haley. "And so she speaks"

Haley gasped observing the blood covered hand Damien pulled from Nathan's hair. Damien looked down at her line of sight.."Oh looks like I better wash that." He said as he walked over to the far side of the room running the tap.

"Nathan…" Haley shouted over to him hoping Damien wouldn't hear her over the tap, Jeremy had left the room several minutes before. "Nathan…" Haley shouted again only her words were lost on him. His head was hanging low again, she couldn't even tell if he was conscious at this stage. "Nathan…please…" Haley said desperately as she pulled on the heavy rope against her wrist noting it would never break through but hoping for some kind of miracle all the same.

Damien strutted back over cockily again. "Does he always go to bed this early?" He nodded towards Nathan's slumped form.

Haley was about to retort but held her tongue, she knew shouting would do no good now. "How are you supposed to get answers when he's like that?" She said her tone even.

Damien shrugged. "I'm just having a little fun Haley…the real work starts tomorrow after I call Dan Scott and tell him we have his son. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time."

"So what Nathan's bait?"

"Clever girl." Damien mocked before shrugging. "Not up to me what happens to him but once we get our hands on Dan he is a dead man."

Haley looked away from his penetrating gaze then. "You know this wouldn't be happening to you if you hadn't met him." Damien said going over to Nathan and pulling his head up again. "Keep it up will you…it's no fun talking to a rag doll."

"Stop please." Haley said in a broken whisper.

Nathan moaned in pain trying to find all the strength in himself to hold his head up, he'd heard her voice; distorted, muffled but it was her. She was here. He was afraid of what he might say but as he looked across at her through sleepy eyes he could make out her figure standing there still adorned in her wedding outfi. Something was holding her but she didn't seem hurt much to his relief. He could take all the hits in the world but if they lay a finger on her he was sure he couldn't survive that.

"Let her go.." Nathan muttered his voice evident of the pain he was experiencing.

Damien smirked evilly. "I will when you finally start giving me some answers."

Nathan struggled with himself to keep his head up as he tried to look Damien in the face. Just then Jeremy bustled through the door again. "Damien, it's your dad there's been some new developments…he needs to see you."

"What…now?" Damien said.

"Yea…look I'll keep a watch on these two, just leave em here for the night."

Damien walked over to Jeremy then and started talking to him in hushed whispers that neither Nathan or Haley could make out. A few seconds later he left the room. Jeremy walked over to Nathan then and got down behind him loosening the ropes while speaking. "If it was up to me you'd be finished a long time ago mate but lucky for you you're the only thing that is going to get us to Dan." He gritted out as he roughly pulled the rope from his hands allowing them to fall lamely at Nathan's side.

Jeremy then stalked over to Haley. She hissed as she felt him roughly untying her, in a second he had her pushed back against the wall. "Whatever lies you two come up with to feed us next will figure you out, we're always one step ahead remember that." He said harshly as he pulled away from her.

"Wait…" Haley cried.

Jeremy turned and glared at her.

"Just give me some ice please…I won't say anything again just…he needs ice." Haley said desperately. She sighed softly when Jeremy said nothing more only turning and slamming the metal door behind him .

Pulling the loosened ropes away from her hands Haley rushed over to Nathan in an instant. She bent down on her knees in front of him and brushed her hand through his hair pushing his wet fringe back from his face. His eyes met hers then and she felt a deep pain bolt through her veins at the anguish across his features. "I'm sorry…" Haley started only to be cut off in surprise as she felt him pull her close into him his arms wrapping around her petite upper body in an instant.

(Song used: 1969 – Save a Place) Song I was first introduced to from One Tree Hill ;)

Ok bit dark I know and I apologise to any readers that may not like this but it's always been a part of the plan for the story, I know it's not everyone taste…big thanks to those that reviewed last chapter, your words mean a lot and of course to the follows. :).