Author's note I am really really sorry, that's it's taken this long to update, especially since I promised I would update way sooner since my last update. But all that matters is that I've finally updated. So here it is.. I am really proud of this chapter, and it was tougher to write then I imagined, but I am really glad with how it turned out. Yes it was tough, but It was really fun but very emotional for me too write. So enjoy! And don't forget to review! I really thrive on feedback.
Next Update: I can't promise an update in the next week, since this is going to be a busy week, since I am moving back home for the summer from college, but I promise you can expect an update in no more than 2 weeks, but I am hoping way sooner.
Note- I now have a personal site that is going to feature all of my icons, videos, and fanfictions. This story is up over there as well, and I will always be uploading it over there first from now on. I will also have more update info over at my site too. The link is http/kieferlover23. size=1 width=100% noshade>

Chapter 4- The Fire in the Pouring Rain

Haley felt carefree. Like she had been reborn. Like she had been asleep for the past three months of her life and had just woken up with a clean slate. She had never been happier. For things to finally be right between Nathan and her is more than she had ever hoped for. Until yesterday she had thought, it was too late. And now she and Nathan were just together again in every sense of the word, and the joy that she felt was almost unbearable. Like she would burst. She couldn't even put it into words. So here they are the morning after their reconciliation, and a heck of a good one at that, and they had decided to take a walk, especially since the storm had seemed to clear up. They had a beautiful morning together. You could say that. But they hadn't gotten very far on their walk. They were too busy being silly. Haley loved every second of it, just being with him, like they used to be. But a small part of herself felt like she was in a dream. Was this really happening? Were she and Nathan together again, and more in love than ever? Did she really win him back? Or the more important question that was looming in the back of her mind was, did she really deserve this? She needed to talk to Nathan, and right this very moment. She had to make sure something was clear to him. She has something to say, and she had to say it.

"Nathan, stop, I mean it!" Haley tried to tell him seriously, but playfulness was the only tone that escaped her mouth, as Nathan grabbed her again, around her shoulders.

Nathan beamed."Well, I don't see why I should have to stop," he said his arm still touching her shoulder.

Haley locked eyes with Nathan, and spoke in a low but desperate voice. "Because. Because- we have some serious stuff we have to"-

Nathan put his finger to over her mouth. "Don't even finish that sentence, Haley. You know why? The way I see it, we've been apart for months. We've suffered through hell. But we've overcome that. We found our way back to each other. I don't want to talk anymore. Like I told you, the past is in the past, Haley. We can't change it. We can only learn from it, and were better for it. -----I'm tired, Haley. Let's just be -----together."

Their faces were inches apart. Tears welded up in Haley's eyes, as she put her hand to his cheek. "I want that more than anything, Nathan. I want you to know more than anything how much I love you, -----and I much I want to be married to you. And how much you mean to me. You have to know how sorry I am-

"Haley, don't do this-"Nathan tried to cut in.

"No, you have to let me say this! Okay! " Haley shouted, her voice full of great passion. "You have to know that if I could redo everything. If I had that power to go back and change everything I did? Honey. I would have done everything differently. The choices I made, I wouldn't have even of considered them!"

Nathan took Haley in his arms and held her. Haley broke down completely for the second time in the last twenty-four hours, and sobbed for several minutes. Haley had flashed back to the night before. The final moments right before her final attempt to win back Nathan flooded through her mind. Not that she would have ever of given up, but she wasn't going to leave until she had made things right with Nathan. On her way over to the apartment last night, she never felt as nervous as she had then or as determined in her entire life, as she approached the door. She felt like her old self. She was going to fight for her husband. And she was going to fight like hell for him. She was never going to give up on him. She lifted her hand up to the door to knock, but her hand just froze. What in the world was she going to say? She thought she was prepared, but she felt sick to her stomach. What if she couldn't get through to him? What if she was too late? What if too much damage was done? She just had to let Nathan know that he was more important than anything to her now. If she couldn't do that, than it was all for nothing. She felt as safe as she ever has in her entire life, with Nathan's arm's surrounding her body.

"Haley, you okay?" Haley heard Nathan's soft voice lift her out her thoughts in an instant.

Haley slowly lifted up on head off of Nathan's shoulder. "Yeah," she said looking into his eyes. "Because I'm with you," she added in a whisper.

Nathan brushed his lips against Haley's. Nathan's lips were so soft and sensual as they caressed the bottom part of her lip. "Nothing can tear us apart Haley. It's you and me-----forever."

Haley glanced at Nathan and smiled deeply at him.

"Now can we get back to messing around?"Nathan smirked, chuckles escaping his mouth.

Haley beamed. "Well, as good as that sounds.-----there's still one thing left we have to talk about.

Nathan looked at Haley questionably, his eyebrow raised.

"Now, I know you said not to bring this up again, but–—Nathan, I want you to go."

Nathan sighed and then freed her from their embrace. "Haley. Come on. Don't do this... I'm not going anywhere. I am not leaving you. Besides I already told them no a while ago," he said firmly.

"Nathan, listen to me. I think you should go to High Flyers. You deserve that experience, so much. It's only for the summer, Nathan. And it's not like we won't see each other. I've been thinking, and I come can come out there and visit you."

Nathan just looked at her, frustrated. Haley wasn't sure what he was going to say. "I'm not going to lie Haley. When I got the offer back in the spring, It was like man, something I always wanted...But, no, Haley. The idea of leaving you, especially after being apart for so long... I want to be with you more, than any damn basketball camp. "

"Nathan if you can tell me that you truly don't want to go, then I won't mention it again. But can you honestly tell me there's no part of you that's wants to go?"

Nathan just peered at Haley, a muddled expression masking his face. Haley was beginning to hope that she was finally getting through to him.

Haley grabbed Nathan's hand and kissed it. "You won't be leaving me Nathan. Because------we're together."

Nathan grabbed her and their bodies were interlocked with one another.

Things were quiet for a moment. The silence became them. It was just the two of them.

"What the?"Nathan blurted all of a sudden.

Haley looked up at Nathan alarmed. "What's wrong?"

Nathan was glancing in front of him. "Is that----"

Before Nathan could get anymore words out, rain started pouring down in sheets.

"Oh my god!" Haley shouted, raising her hands to try and shield herself from the rain.

"Come on," Nathan uttered, as he grabbed Haley by the hand. They broke into a run back toward their apartment. Haley couldn't help but grin. Back in March, right before they got married, Nathan and her had gotten in a fight, and when he came to apologize nearly a week later, it was just like this. They got caught in the rain. And that was the day he had asked her to marry him. Nathan must have been thinking the same thing, because he glanced at her and smiled. They arrived at their place a few minutes later and they were completely soaked from head to toe. Nathan opened the door and they rushed inside. Haley's whole body was shivering. Nathan noticed and he signaled his eyes over to their bedroom.

Two minutes later, Haley was standing in the bedroom, while Nathan came out of the bathroom, wearing only his, well, wet boxer shorts and white tank top. She began to smile as she heard the water in the shower running.

"Okay, let's get these wet clothes off of you," Nathan said softly as he was inches away from Haley. He then helped her lift her shirt over her head, which just fell to the ground. He unzipped her jeans, which also just fell to the ground. Haley then lifted off Nathan's tank top, and they headed into the bathroom.

A few minutes later, Haley was enveloped in Nathan's arms, as the hot water poured down around them. Nathan fiercely kissed her neck and slowly made his way down her entire body, making her whole body shiver with intense pleasure and emotion. Haley couldn't hold back her passion. Right now, the touch of Nathan's hands, lips; just being with him in every way, made her feel more alive than she had in months.

A couple seconds later the doorbell rang. They both ignored it, but then there was persistent knocking on the door.

Haley sighed. "Who could that be?"

Nathan kissed her shoulder. "It doesn't matter. They can come back later," he smiled playfully. .The knocking continued and Haley and Nathan could not concentrate...

"I'll go see who it is," Haley blurted to Nathan, who was looking really annoyed.. "I'll be right in like two seconds,"

Nathan grinned. "You better."

Haley bolted into the bedroom, grabbed her pink silk robe and threw it on around her quickly and ran to the front door. The knocking persisted.

"Hold on!" Haley yelled.

Maybe it was Lucas, Haley pondered before she opened the door. He probably wanted to know what happened between her and Nathan, since no one knew that they had reunited. Haley smiled to herself and was ready to tell Lucas that she would just talk him later because she and Nathan were making up for lost time. She opened the door.

But it wasn't. Haley froze, and her arm remained firmly planted on the doorknob. Haley felt her mouth go dry, and she couldn't think of any words to say.

"My, I hope I didn't disturb you," Dan Scott's voice spoke slyly, a smirk masking his entire face.

Haley didn't say anything. What could she possibly say to Dan? He was just standing there in front of her, hands in pocket, wearing a black suit, staring right at her. Dan looked her up and down, and he must have known what he interrupted.

"Is-----there something you want?" Haley felt the words slip out of her mouth.

"Well, I just wanted to come by. Pay my respects. I just had for myself if it was true."

"If what's true?"

"And if my eyes don't deceive me," Dan said in a whisper, glancing toward her robe and wet hair, "It's very true," he added looking Haley coldly in the eyes.

Haley didn't say anything, but she gave Dan an equally cold look.

"What, your not going to invite me in? After all I am your father-in-law, Haley," Dan uttered as he pushed his way into the door.

"What do you want, Dan?" Haley said, her whole body shivering.

Instead Dan just ignored her question, and started talking like he didn't hear her. "So...You and Nathan. Happy and together again. I find it sweet really. A young love tested, tempted, and look, they find there way back to each other's loving arms, like nothing happened."

"You don't know anything about my relationship with Nathan," Haley said outright, feeling anger rising in her.

Dan simpered, and began to pace a little around the room. "There's a quote by a man named Author Miller. "Betrayal is the only truth that sticks."

Haley looked down. She knew what Dan was doing. But she wasn't going to let him get to her. She couldn't let him..

"Do you really think all is forgotten Haley? Do you really think Nathan won't forget you betrayed him? Yes, right now he's blinded by love. But in time the only truth he will see, is how you left him for another guy. Chris."

"I want you to leave," Haley said firmly, but she could feel her voice trembling.

"Why? Because the truth hurts? Haley, it's okay to admit it. You've had quite an interesting year, haven't you? When you married Nathan, you thought you had everything you ever wanted. But the truth is, you're just an insecure little girl, who threw away everything at the first chance of a dream. But what happened? My son wasn't enough. That dream enough for you either? The instant rise of fame, practically overnight? What, it wasn't everything you though it was going to be?" Dan said in a barely more than a whisper, inching toward her.

Haley looked at Dan eye's and she saw pure hate in them. She began to back away, but Dan just started moving closer to her. She was so angry right now, she didn't know how long she was going to be able to control herself. Why was Dan saying these things? He acted like he almost-

"Ahh, silence.. That answer's my question doesn't it?"

"I don't have to answer any of your questions, Dan. As a matter of fact, I think you should get the hell out of here right now, especially before Nathan realizes what' s going on," Haley said bluntly. She felt strong saying this, but she could feel tears brimming in her eyes.

"I just wonder how long, this charade will last? My son wasn't good enough before, what makes you think he's enough for you know? The guilt is what brought you home Haley. Guilt will only last for so long. And all you'll be left with is emptiness. I was here when you were...gone.. He so was full of... pain. It was unbearable for him Haley. But you wouldn't know would you? Remember the time will come when betrayal and the utter anguish is all he will remember."

"You know, I don't care what you think anymore Dan. No one does. Me and Nathan are none of your business, and you will never be in our life!" Haley shouted, in Dan's face.

"My son is my business Haley. Don't ever forget that. Everting he does, everything he touches, his life is mine and always will be. Just remember Haley. It's only a matter of time. The truth always comes back to haunt you. Your days are numbered."

"You're a sick bastard," Haley said through clenched teeth, trying to hold back tears as hard as she could. She would never let Dan see her cry.

Just then, Dan grabbed her arm and Haley tried to fight him off.

"Let go of me!" Haley cried.

Dan's grip was rough, and her arm began to burn. Just then she noticed that Dan's hand was bruised and bloody. He then looked as if he was about to say something, but he never got the chance.

"Get your hands off of her!" Nathan shouted, running into room, straight toward Dan, wearing only his boxer shorts.

Dan let go of Haley's arm, just as Nathan grabbed Dan by the collar and pushed him as hard as he could into the wall. Dan fell to the ground but quickly got back up. He started to laugh.

Nathan grabbed Haley and held her close to him.

"That was a little dramatic, wasn't it? "Dan grinned as he moved toward the door. "Me and your wife were just simply having a friendly chat. "

"If you ever touch her again, I will kill you, and that's a promise," Nathan said. Haley never seen Nathan look so serious in his life.

Nathan then let go of Haley and faced Dan. They were standing inches apart. "I want you to get the hell out, and I never ever want to see your face again."

Dan just stared at Nathan, and then he glanced at Haley, smiled, and turned around to walk out the door. "Have a nice day," he blurted as he slammed the door.

Nathan turned to Haley. Tears were pouring down her face. She couldn't hold them in any longer.

"I'm so sorry, Haley. I am so sorry that I didn't know what was happening, until it was almost too late. I promised I would always be there to protect you. If he ever hurt you, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself," Nathan said weakly, tears verging in his eyes.

"It's not your fault, Nathan. Don't ever think that," Haley started. "The things he said to me------"

"What did he say to you? Did he threaten you?"

"No, it wasn't exactly like that. It's like, he knew what to say. I don't know.. I---- just don't want to think about it anymore. He's gone. That's all that matters."

"You know, I knew he was------But I never thought he would go this far. Never.. He's going to get what 's coming to him. He will. He has too. Don't worry, Haley. I won't let him hurt you again. Ever," Nathan vowed to Haley looking intensely into her eyes.

Nathan kissed the top of Haley's head, and grabbed her as tight as he could and just held her in his arms, tears streaming down both their faces.

7: 36 a.m.