Note: I was overwhelmed by the response. I'm guessing I'm not the only one who wanted a story written about
this. Well anyway, I'm finishing up the story which turned out to be about 6 chapters with an epilogue. Let me
know what you think... Thanks EP

Chapter 1

One Month Ago

Haley had taken two weeks before she felt safe to walk back into the high school. The news of Keith's murder and Jimmy's suicide had rushed through the school like wildfire. Everyone was asking why did he kill Keith? In the back of her mind, she had refused to accept that Jimmy had killed Keith. She still remembered hanging out with Lucas while trying to drag Jimmy away from Keith's auto shop.

"Hey how are you doing Hales?"

Haley met her husband's eyes briefly with a smile and a nod. "I'm here Nathan. It just feels weird. It doesn't feel like we've just survived everything we did and are back here. I'm still worried about Lucas and Karen. I might leave at lunch to go check on them."

Nathan nodded softly and kissed her softly on the forehead, "Don't worry about them. They have each other and they need time to grieve, we'll go over after-school and check on them. Let me know when you're ready to go."

Haley nodded as she started to walk away from her husband. They had spent every night together in the same house ever since the deaths of Keith and Jimmy. In some sad way she guessed that their deaths had made Nathan realize that life was too short and the best thing for everyone was to live it to the max in love and together. He hadn't asked her to move back home officially but there had been an unspoken word that they weren't allowed away from each other.

As she headed towards her locker she noticed that there was someone already waiting there for her. "Abby?"

The frail, pale girl who had frightened her into taking Jimmy on to make sure she was able to leave the room before anyone else was smiling at her slightly. Haley pulled her into a hug. Maybe it was survivor's guilt, maybe it was just because they were survivors but she felt a kinship with this woman.

Abby smiled at the girl in front of her with gratitude. There was calm about the girl in front of her. Something inside her that let her know that she was a caring, compassionate human being. She hadn't expected that the fact of her disease would spur Haley into action, trying to make sure that she got out alive.

"Haley, I'm sorry to bother you…."

Haley shook her head and cut her off in the middle of her sentence, "It's no bother Abby. What's going on?"

Abby smiled and looked at her watch, "Look Haley, today is my last day at One Tree Hill High."

Haley looked at her in confusion, "Are you moving?"

Abby nodded, "My parents are overreacting with this scare, when I got out alive they pulled me out of high school. They are moving us out of the state, I don't know where yet but they are home schooling me for the rest of my senior year."

Haley shook her head sadly, "I know this kind of tragedy can make everyone reevaluate their lives but I didn't think your parents would take you away from One Tree Hill."

Abby smiled and said, "I know you don't want to hear about my sad outcome but I had to come because there was something that I saw in you when we were in this room. More than trying to get everyone out of the room alive, you really seemed to care about Jimmy."

Haley flinched at the sound of Jimmy's name. "He had been my friend but with the years, we just lost contact. I still can't believe that he killed Keith and then himself."

Abby cleared her throat softly, "That's sorta why I'm here. The choice was either coming to you or Mouth and I guess I'm still kinda nervous around guys. Look about Jimmy…."

Haley looked at her and said, "Do you want to sit down somewhere? I'm about to go to the library before class. I haven't been brave enough to start classes back in the tutoring center yet."

Abby nodded as they walked towards the library. Taking the first table that they encountered, they sat down and Abby tried again.

"When Jimmy let me go, for a second I just wanted to scream that I was free. I didn't care that I had left people behind that may not survive. As horrible as that sounds, it was my reality. I started to run down the hall towards the exit when something stopped me. I heard the sound of the library door closing. I thought maybe someone else was in the building and Jimmy had lied so I ran back towards the center and I saw…"

Haley noticed the fear that was spiking Abby's voice and took her hand providing her with a little bit of comfort. "What did you see Abby?"

Abby started to cry softly, "I saw the Mayor of One Tree Hill shoot and kill his brother. Jimmy didn't kill Keith, there was no way he could've, Jimmy was already dead."

Moments later

After Abby had left her with the assurance that what she had seen would never get out, she had walked around in a daze and then finally she arrived at the one person at Tree Hill High that she knew would listen to her and help calm her fears.

"Whitey?"

Whitey opened his mouth to spit out one of his commands when he noticed the devastated look that was resident in Haley Scott. He still smiled when he thought of how she had helped Nathan become the man he was destined to become, and help him change the destiny of the two brothers. His heart still clinched when he thought of Keith.

"Haley normally I would tell you that you should be in class and I'm sending you to detention but with the last couple of weeks, that you've had to endure I think you are in for a little leniency. How can I help you?"

Haley met his eyes, his words finally piercing her consciousness, "Whitey can I talk to you in confidence?"

Whitey nodded and stood up and closed the door behind her. He gestured to the chair in front of his desk as he sat back down in his chair. "What can I help you with Haley?"

Haley flinched as she met his eyes, with tears welling in hers, "Whitey, I just found out something horrible. Something so mind boggling I can't even put words to my thoughts. I'm scared; I'm scared for me and my family."

Whitey looked at her in shock, "What is it Haley? I'm listening."

Haley met his eyes and spoke softly, "Jimmy didn't kill Keith, Dan did."

Present

"So you didn't think of this on your own. You had help, there was a witness."

Haley sat across from Dan without flinching, "There are plenty of witnesses. Even if you spin a story after killing me, plenty of people are already informed about what you've done. There are plenty of copies of this around."

Dan smirked at her and for a moment Haley faltered. She saw Nathan in that smirk; she saw everything he could've become left to Dan's manipulations.

"What changed you Dan? I know that it's meaningless now for me to ask this question but I want to know. You were given everything in your life, yes you had a domineering father in Royal but Keith was able to rise above why weren't you?"

Dan closed his eyes, "Since we are being honest here I might as well tell you. I was never better than Keith. Oh I knew that my father put me on a pedestal above my brother daily but my brother could do something I never could, which was walk around with his head held high."

Haley shook her head in shame, "You did all of this. This… all that you've become is because you didn't know how to tell the truth. I made a mistake. Keith stepped up to the plate where you faltered; he always treated you like the big brother."

Dan put down the gun and made the motion of a playing violin. "Cry me a river, Mrs. Scott. Keith wasn't a saint, he slept with Deb."

Haley looked at him incredulously, "Your right. He slept with Deb but that damned redemption of yours got him back didn't it? Or did you forget about Jules?"

Dan rolled his eyes, "Yes Jules was a warning. Don't mess with what's mine. It wasn't enough he had to go after Lucas and Karen. He then decided to take my place in the lives of Deb and Nathan. I refused to let him have everything so I made him pay."

Haley looked at him directly, "It's time for me to ask some questions now. Since we are going to be here for indefinitely it seems like, I want to know. Why did you pay Chris to try to break up Nathan's marriage to me? Do you really hate me that much? What did I ever do to you?"

Dan leaned back in his chair, the coldness shown in his eyes as he spat out, "You exist. You, who has the power to be everything for both my sons just with your simple presence. You have won a place in both their hearts hell even Deb noticed it. Why do you, some nobody teenager, have the power to command respect and love with a single smile. I wanted; no I craved that place that you won so I decided to start destroying it. I won in a way. You aren't back together with my son are you?"

Haley smiled, "That's where you're wrong Dan. Nathan and I are back and better than ever."

Dan rolled his eyes at the optimism in her voice, "What the hell do you mean? You two aren't even living in the same apartment."

Haley grinned, "That's what you think."

Haley/Brooke Apartment

"Thanks for taking me home Nathan. I appreciate it, if you want I can make you dinner. Brooke is still over at Lucas's."

Nathan nodded and entered the apartment behind her closing the door with a grin. "This is weird huh?"

Haley looked at him over her shoulder as she went into the kitchen and headed for the refrigerator and headed him a drink. Nathan took it happily as he opened the can and sat down at the counter.

"You and I here together again and you making dinner."

Haley nodded softly, "I guess when the fragility of life is shoved in your face you have no other choice but to step up to the plate and deal with what comes."

Nathan nodded and said, "My mom took back the house after she came back for Keith's funeral. I was thinking about…"

Brooke came rushing in and said, "Great! Just who I wanted to see, listen Tutor Wife I have news. It may be bad for you, but good for me or maybe its vice-versa. Look, I'm going to be moving in with Peyton until the end of high school. My parents were kinda freaked out with the whole hostage situation and want me to stay with a 'responsible' adult. They settled on letting me stay with Peyton… I said all that to say that I'll be vacating the apartment and your stuck with the rent unless you want to move out."

Haley looked at Brooke in shock, "But where will I stay?"

Brooke raised an eyebrow at her with a smile, "You two are married, and I've noticed that since the hostage situation you two are practically inseparable."

Haley wanted to reach out and swipe at Brooke. Yes, she knew that life had become like a dream come true ever since the unfortunate events at the high school but she didn't want to rock the boat by asking the question that threatened to spill from her throat each time that she had to leave him at his house and she returned to the apartment that she shared with Brooke.

Haley snapped out of a daze when she realized moments had passed, Brooke had left and Nathan was staring at her with a smile and a smirk.

"Well that's not how I wanted to start this conversation Nathan. I guess I'll be looking for a place to live… I could always go sleep on Lucas and Karen's couch. They probably need the companionship anyway. I'll keep an eye on everyone that way."

Nathan's smile fell slightly and he looked at her, "You don't want to stay with me?"

Haley felt the tears come to her eyes. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his chest and squeezed him to her softly, "Of course I want to stay with you. My place will always be with you. I just didn't want to put any constraints on you. You told me that you were scared of being vulnerable with me again, I didn't want you to think that I was pushing."

Nathan's arms came around her and he squeezed her to him. "I'm sorry for me not clarifying that remark or retracting it."

Haley leaned back and crossed her arms at him in feigned anger, "Did you get another tutor when I wasn't looking? Clarifying? Retracting? Whose been doing vocabulary with you?"

Nathan laughed as Haley leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on his lips. "Let's make this house our home again. I want us to live together again."

Present

Dan looked at her in disgust, "So let me get this straight. You marry my son, you kiss another man, you go on tour with this man, and you sign annulment papers…"

Haley cleared her throat, "Since we are being honest here Dan don't you think its time that you admit that the annulment had more to do with you than with Nathan. I always wondered what you level you would stoop to separate your son and I but it wasn't until I saw it in writing that I realized."

Dan leaned back in his chair, "So I guess I'm finally met with a worthy opponent. Since you seem to know so much everything that's happened to me and about me, I guess there's nothing left for me to say. I am curious although, why don't you tell me what happened when you told Whitey your suspicions."

Haley raised an eyebrow at this, "You're dying to know aren't you? Whitey is the only person whose opinion mattered to you. You were always in a pissing contest with Keith about who could impress him more. Sadly, there you also fell short too."

Dan stood up with the gun aimed at her chest, "You know for a seemingly smart girl, you are acting pretty dumb. You know as well as I do that I hold all the cards here. Yes, you may know my secret, I killed my brother but I still will lose nothing if I shoot you."

Haley met his eyes and refused to show fear. "You are right Dan. You can shoot me; you can shoot me and face the wrath of your children for ages to come. There will be no heart attack please forgive me, someone tried to murder me in a fire I'm forgiven. You will be dead to your children and this time it will be forever."

Dan looked at her, "What are you? What is inside of you that draws two completely different boys from across the tracks to your side. Your like their beacon, they ran back into a building where shots had been fired for you, without a second thought. What do you possess that I don't?"

Haley looked at Dan for a moment, trying to decide how to answer the question that had been plaguing her mind as well. When she knew that shots had been fired, her only hope was that Nathan was far way from the building. When he walked into the tutor center, the fear that had been closing her throat receded for a moment until the reality of the fact that a gun was trained on her husband and herself came back. Why did she warrant such selflessness? She met Dan's eyes with a smile and said, "Love. I give them love, unconditional, without restraints love."