Note: First of all people have asked where I pulled/modified speculations/spoilers from… Fanforum. Also, people have said that they feel Haley is out of character but I don't know…. I think in the first season we saw a glimpse of what Haley was capable of doing for people she cared about (i.e. tutoring Nathan to make sure Lucas was left alone). I think after marriage and being close with Nathan and Lucas she would step up to the plate at any time/degree to protect her loved ones. Call me crazy but I don't think I'm completely out of character for her but I thank you for the criticism. Read/Reply.

Chapter 3

Dan looked at her without speaking and after moments of silence, he spoke softly and said, "You never answered my question. You told Whitey that you suspected me of murder. What was his response?"

Whitey/Haley Talk

Whitey looked at her with fear in his eyes, "Haley what did you just say?"

Haley met his eyes with fear in them, "Abby just told me that Dan killed Keith. What should I do? He is currently out there playing the martyr acting as though he's so distraught over the loss. My god, he's even winning when it comes to Nathan and Lucas. I can't let him hurt my family; I have to go to the police."

Whitey looked at her in shock, "With what Haley? With the assumptions on someone who will be leaving town for parts unknown in the next couple of hours? You need to have proof before you go to the cops. Hell, you need to let the cops handle this; you aren't Nancy Drew for gods' sakes."

Haley stood up, "He murdered a man. A man that I happened to care about deeply and not just me what about you? Keith loved you like a father Whitey. If there was a chance to make sure his murderer could pay wouldn't you take it? All along you were lamenting how Jimmy got off easy well guess what? Jimmy isn't to blame, Dan is. Dan, who is the current mayor of our town, goes around acting as though he has every right to murder people without justice being served. Look, if you won't help me then I'll do it myself, Keith's death will not go unpunished."

After her tirade Haley sat back down in the chair exhausted and gasping for breath. She didn't realize she had begun to cry until Whitey handed her a tissue. She accepted it meekly and then met his eyes, which were wet with his own tears, "Haley it's not a matter of making Dan pay. It's a matter of doing it intelligently; this man is currently the mayor of One Tree Hill as you so rightly put it before. He has connections, he won't go down easily and I can't let you go out there like Caped Crusader for a lost cause…"

Haley smiled slightly for the first time since entering his office, "I know what you are saying Whitey but I need you to understand me. This is my family we are talking about. I'm a Scott now. I didn't just marry Nathan for the fun of it. This is for better or worse, and now that we are doing better the worse is coming because I can't keep this from him."

Whitey shook his head violently, "You can and you will. You will not tell Nathan or Lucas until we have enough proof to put him behind bars forever. This speculation even if it's the truth will kill them."

Haley nodded in agreement and stood up, "I have to go somewhere. There's someone I have to see, I need some help in this."

Present

Dan sat on the edge of his desk meeting her eye to eye. He smirked softly and shook his head, "That's when you came and asked me for a job wasn't it?"

Haley nodded once in answer to his question, "Whitey brought up a good point. I was the wife of the mayor's son and yes that afforded me certain privileges, but not enough to take down the mayor. For that I needed proof. I knew I couldn't just walk into your office and demand a confession so I bided my time."

Dan laughed at himself in disgust, "I should've known. I was so cocky at that point; I had been assured that I had gotten away with everything that I didn't even imagine that you could be playing me. So you just took the job as my personal assistant for what kicks?"

Haley rolled her eyes, "You were so diabolical in your murdering of Keith that I had to ensure that you were neutralized at all times and away from my family and the only way I could do that? Keep an eye on you. Lucas and Karen were too caught up in their grief to notice and then I had to come up with an idea to satisfy Nathan. I knew then that I had to find an accomplice to take you down Dad."

Dan flinched at the name and said, "So you had to find an accomplice to help you destroy everything I worked so hard for. Who was it? Whitey? Lucas? Deb maybe?"

Haley shook her head and laughed shortly, "It was always someone you underestimated."

Dan looked at her intrigued as she continued speaking…

Past

"Haley?"

Haley smiled softly at the boy/man standing in front of her. He had been forced to grow up after the events of the past couple of weeks.

"Mouth, I'm glad I caught you. Is something wrong?"

Mouth quickly shook his head as a sheepish grin crossed his lips, "It's not everyday that Haley Scott chooses to visit Mouth in the A/V room. Listen, I'm glad you're here anyway, I've been meaning to come by and say thanks."

Haley looked at him in shock, "Thanks for what?"

Mouth smiled at her softly, "You attended Jimmy's memorial service with me. I know the media was looking for a circus but when you got up and sang Angel it brought everyone's emotions to the surface and his mother was able to lay her son down to rest in peace."

Haley felt a tear come to her eyes at the sincerity and warmth in his voice, "Thanks for that but Jimmy is sorta why I'm here. I need your help."

Mouth grinned, "Anything I can do for you Mrs. Scott would be a pleasure."

Haley sat down and Mouth noticed the seriousness that graced her face. "What's bugging you Haley?"

Haley held out her hand, "We weren't wrong Mouth. We weren't wrong to think that even after everything Jimmy had been through he wasn't a cold-blooded killer."

Mouth looked at her in shock, "Jimmy shot and killed Keith and then himself Haley. Why are you now saying that he's innocent of Keith's death?"

Haley got up and locked the door behind her and leaned against as her breath threatened to leave her lungs, "Mouth, what I'm about to confide in you doesn't leave this room. It doesn't leave your mouth or your heart. Our lives depend on it."

Mouth who had been pleasantly surprised to see Haley grace his halls was now scared. He turned off his computer, "Do you want us to go somewhere else?"

Haley shook her head, "We are probably safer in here. I need you to help me, I need you to help me put a murderer in jail and clear Jimmy's name. I need you to help me protect the family that I've come to love and will sacrifice for as fiercely as my own."

Mouth nodded, "Anything you need Haley, you can count on me. Always, I hope you know that. But your scaring me, why don't you just tell me what's going on."

Haley smiled softly, "Good. Mouth, Abby is leaving One Tree Hill High but before she left she told me that Jimmy couldn't have killed Keith because he was already dead."

Mouth fell back in shock at that, "If Jimmy didn't murder Keith, then who did?"

Haley looked up and spoke softly, "Dan."

Present

Dan laughed harshly, "Oh this is rich. My son's wife and the A/V nerd are taking me down? You two put your heads together with that old man and decided to take down Dan Scott?"

Haley heard the sound of someone speaking on the megaphone and swung her gaze to Dan to see his reaction. When he heard Nathan's voice he flinched.

Haley sat back and watched Dan's face for more reactions as he stood up and walked over to the window.

He looked towards her and said, "Come here Haley. This is your big moment."

Haley backed away from Dan and shook her head, "You want to use me to hurt Nathan and Lucas. You always have, I won't stand for it."

Dan pointed the gun at her and said, "You come to me now, or I'll shoot you in the middle of the room with the boys watching. You've said it yourself I have nothing to lose. My sons will already abhor me, you've seen to that yourself. I can't go downstairs and be a free man."

Haley nodded and walked towards him, when she was five feet away from him he grabbed her by the arm and snatched her to his side. He pressed the gun into her temple and looked down at the circus that had started to gather outside his office. He looked upon the frightened eyes of his sons and Karen.

His voice bellowed out as he spoke the directive, "My daughter-in-law and I are just getting reacquainted so no funny business. If I even feel threatened she dies. As my daughter-in-law so aptly reminded me, I have nothing to lose."

Haley couldn't help herself she looked down. She locked eyes with Nathan, the other part of her soul and half of the reason that she had started on this crusade in the first place. She wanted him to have the truth about his parents so he could set himself free from the trap that they still held over his life. He had started to cry and Lucas had his arm on his shoulder. She mouthed silently I love you and noticed him starting to cry harder. Lucas looked up at her and mimicked the same. She smiled as she felt peace in Dan's arms for the first time since entering this office earlier today.

Dan felt the change come into her body as she relaxed slightly against her chest and looked down to see both of his sons with smiles on their faces as they locked eyes with her. One son,Nathanwas looking at her with devout, love, affection and need while the other, Lucas,with friendship, kinship, and closeness. Dan felt sick as he pushed her away from the window. She tripped backwards and hit her head on the desk and fell on the floor unconscious.

Dan looked down and saw the fear in his children's eyes and turned away from the window in disgust. He closed the blinds and fired a single shot in the room. The noise of the screams could be heard from downstairs while Haley slept on obviously to the turmoil that had been caused by her sudden disappearance.

I'm loving these replies so please keep it up! Thanks EP