"Haley! Haley! Haley! Haley!"

He yelled her name frantically over and over again. There was no answer. In fact, there was nothing but eerie silence. There had been the panic stricken screams and cries of others in their situations but now it was just quiet. Dark and quiet.

Nathan, his bloody fingertips clinging to the tree serving as a lifeline, leaned over and downward as far as he could. He peered into murky waters in an effort just to get a glimpse of her. If he thought he could, he would have jumped in that ocean and saved her. At that moment, he had little regard for his own life. He wanted to find her, to save her but they wouldn't stand a chance in the water.

"Nathan!"

She bobbed to the surface out of nowhere sputtering out his name and it scared and relieved him at the same time.

"Haley!"

She popped up once more, her hands reaching out for him. So close yet still so far away.

"Nathan, please!"

"Reach, Hales, reach!" he commanded.

Damn, just a few more inches and he could get to her. He stretched his lean frame as far as humanly possible and just as he saw her go down again, he grabbed her wrist. She seemed so fragile in his grip but he couldn't let go. He knew that if he let go, that might be it. There might not be another chance.

"Haley, hold on! I've got you!"

He could feel his grasp slipping as he grunted. His fingers clenched around her and he pulled with all his might. Finally terrified and exhausted, her mouth and nose filling with water, Haley emerged with enough strength to pull herself up. She was safe, they were safe for the moment and she collapsed in the small space between Nathan's body and the tree. Shaking, she began to sob.

"It's alright, Hales…"

"Oh my God! Oh my God!" she coughed.

"It's okay."

"We're gonna die up here, Nathan!" she cried.

"Haley…"

"We're gonna die, Nathan! Nobody's gonna find us up here!"

"Haley…"

"What if another wave comes? What if…"

"Haley!" he said firmer, looking right in her eyes. "We're not going to die, alright? I promise you. Somebody will see us and they'll help us. We might have to hang on until morning but we'll be okay."

She could do nothing but put her head against the tree and sob. It was surreal. Clinging to a flimsy tree for dear life with her almost ex husband surrounded by nothing but darkness and water as far as the eye could see. She had thought she would drown each time she became submerged in the water. It was so cold and dark. The currents were so strong it was almost impossible to actually and her body ached from being thrashed around by the cruel wave. She had come within an inch of death and she knew it. The person who had come to the rescue was an unlikely savior. Despite everything that had happened, everything they had put each other through and their very reason for coming to the Dominican Republic in the first place, Nathan had followed through on that promise he had made to her seven years ago on the night after their wedding. The night she'd had a panic attack that they had made a mistake and he held her and assured her they hadn't and that he would always protect her. It was his promise to her. Over the years she could close her eyes and mentally go back to that moment. Now it was real and true. As frightened as she was, as bleak as the situation looked, she knew she could trust that he would be there. He would get them out of it, he would protect her…or give his own life trying.

Her tears gave way to sheer physical exhaustion and a couple of times she nodded off. Nathan would succumb to his own weariness but he would always keep one eye open just to know that she was there and they were okay for the moment. As his eyelids grew heavier, he held her a little tighter, the warmth of the two bodies their only protection from the cold.

If cold was a factor for the night, they would not be prepared for what daylight brought. Nathan opened his eyes and groaned. They had made it till morning but there was no sign of help. The sun was shining brightly, beating its unrelenting heat right over their unprotected bodies. It was more than hot. It was liked being cooked alive.

"Haley…"

He looked down at her almost limp body, his own frame doing nothing to shield her from the rays. Her back, exposed from the sundress was red and tender already beginning to blister from sunburn.

"Hales, wake up", he prodded gently.

She stirred and raised her head, then whimpered. The nightmare wasn't over. The good news was they were still alive. The bad news was they were still hopelessly stranded. Her body still hurt beyond belief added only by swarms of pesky mosquitoes literally gnawing away at her flesh.

"Nathan", she cried out.

He knew they couldn't stay there. He was so sure help would come at the rise of the sun but now he wasn't sure. And even if he did, could they hold on? God forbid the branch gave way or another wave came. Nathan wasn't sure how much longer they could hold on. Desperately his eyes searched the area. The water was all around them. It had covered the land. It was impossible to tell what had been ocean and what was actually flooded ground. To his rear left he could see what looked like an abandoned hut sitting atop higher ground. If he could just get to it. The only thing between them and shelter was a merciless body of water. Nathan didn't know how strong the current, the temperature, or how deep. It looked a good distance but he was confident he could make it. If he were alone he would have gone for it without a second thought. But he wasn't alone. He was strong enough but he wasn't so sure about Haley.

"Hales…"

She was weak and limp. The sun and bugs eating away at them both was unbearable. Pretty soon they would need food and drinking water. If he could just make it…

"Haley. Hales, open your eyes and listen to me. We have to get off this tree, okay? We can't stay up here."

"Nathan…"

"Look behind us. See that little shack up there? It's not so far. If we can just make it there, we'll be okay."

Haley raised her weary head but she crumpled when she saw what was between them and shelter. Water. Nothing but water.

"We can't", she sobbed. "I can't do it, Nathan. I won't make it."

"Yes, you will. Just hold onto me, okay? I'll swim for both of us. You just have to hold on and kick your legs a little bit."

"I'm scared…"

"We don't have a choice. Just trust me, okay? I won't let go. I promise."

Her eyes begged for him to find another solution but she knew there was none. All she could do was trust him. He had saved them once. Could he do it again?

Nathan carefully climbed down the tree and lowered himself in the water. It wasn't so bad but he knew he had a ways to go. He reached his arms up for her and slowly she came to him. When they were both in the water and semi comfortable, she wrapped an arm around him and he swam them towards safety. It felt like forever. Mentally it was torturing to look around and see nothing but water but he kept on swimming.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah", she whispered.

"Hang in there. We're almost there, okay? Just a little bit further."

She nodded and clung to him and hours later they were at their destination. She went first, as it would involve climbing one more tree and maneuvering a swampy knoll.

"Nathan…"

"Don't look down. You've got it. I'm right behind you, Haley. You're not going to fall."

His words guided her and when they were finally on land, she collapsed in tearful, grateful exhaustion.

"We made it", she sobbed over and over again. "Oh God, Nathan we made it."

They had and what an incredible feat. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a tree with coconuts on it. They needed nourishment and would take what they could get. Nathan pulled one down and cursed when he realized he had nothing to open it with. Finally after furiously banging it against the ground, it split. He shared the juices with Haley and used a stick to break apart bigger pieces for them to eat. That would sustain them until help arrived and he knew it would…eventually. They had been through too much, made it too far for it not to.

Haley raised herself to a standing position and walked slowly over to the hut. There was basically nothing inside but it had a roof and four walls and enough coconut around to help them maintain until they were rescued. She lowered her head and tearfully mumbled a prayer of thanks. Nathan had saved her and God had saved them both.

Nathan ran his fingers through his hair. They had made it. It had taken nearly all day but they had made it. Standing up, he went to join her. As he did, in the distance he watched the tree that had supported them all night long give way and disintegrate, the smooth water carrying away the remains of the branch.