AN: I am so very sorry about the long wait, I have been having problems with my labtop. Which really sucks!!!! This chapter isn't as long or as nice as i wanted it to be, but oh well. However this is a much needed chapter because it sets us up for the next, which by the way, is going to break your heart. So please review, and if you have questions ask them, becasue my goal is to make a personal thank you and answer any questions. So without any wait...

Outside in the waiting room, Nathan held Haley close to him as they waited for Lucas and Ashlyn to come back. Brooke was holding Sawyer and trying to soothe the baby without crying herself.

Suddenly the phone started to ring. Everyone jumped, hope had just been created. Haley pushed Nathan towards the phone.

"Answer it."

He gently picked up the receiver and held it to his ear. "Hello."

"Hello, this is Captain Jerry Ross, I am with the Police Department, who am I speaking to?" The man on the other end questioned.

Nathan started to stutter, "Um, this, this is, Nathan Scott. My, Dan Scott, he has the gun, and is holding people up."

"Nathan," Jerry said. "Scott. I've heard that name, you play basketball don't ya son?"

"Yeah, I do. I am here with my sister; she is a patient, one that Dan has taken…"

"Taken where?"

"I don't know sir," Nathan said. "He has my brother, Lucas, also."

"Okay. Is anyone hurt?"

"No."

"Okay," Jerry said. "This is what I want you to do, I want you to get everyone to the main floor, and I want you to wait there until one of my men comes in, can you do that?" Jerry asked.

"What about my Ashlyn?" Nathan asked starting to panic.

"You just make sure everyone gets down to the first floor alive, okay? I'll get your sister out, okay Nathan?"

"Okay, I trust you."

"So does everyone else."

I felt for sure last night
At once we said goodbye
No one else will know these lonely dreams
No one else will know that part of me
I'm still driving away
And I'm sorry every day
I wont always love these selfish things
I wont always live...
Stop it...

It was my turn to decide
I knew this was our time
No one else will have me like you do
No one else will have me, only you

You'll sit alone forever
If you wait for the right time
What are you hoping for?
I'm here and now I'm ready
Holding on tight
Don't give away the end
The one thing that stays mine

Amazing still it seems
Ill be 23
I wont always love what Ill never have
I wont always live in my regrets

You'll sit alone forever
If you wait for the right time
What are you hoping for?
I'm here and now I'm ready
Holding on tight
Don't give away the end
The one thing that stays mine

You'll sit alone forever
If you wait for the right time
What are you hoping for?
I'm here and now I'm ready
Holding on tight
Don't give away the end
The one thing that stays mine...

Nathan looked around the room. There were nurses, doctors, adults, kids, and then there was his family.

"Okay," He said loud. "That was the police, they're outside. We're going downstairs." He grabbed Haley and Brooke and started leading the way, he looked back and he saw everyone following them. "Haley," He said. "You keep going, I am going to help the doctor move people, okay?"

Haley nodded. "Alright. Be careful. I love you."

Nathan nodded and kissed her gently on the lips. "I love you too." He turned and watched her slowly fade into the distance. He knew she'd be okay, well, she had to be. Turning his attention, he had to help the doctor. "Okay, just tell me what to do."

The man with gray hair looked up at him. "How old are you son?" He asked scrunching his nose and looking through the tip of his glasses.

Nathan looked down, "Er, um… 24, sir."

"I have son that age, he is a great man." The old man smiled up and Nathan. "He kind of looks like you…" His voice was starting to get breathy.

Nathan started to panic, he looked around but no one was there. As soon as he said police and help everyone seemed to rush to the exit following Haley and Brooke. What we he going to do? God in High School he failed Science, twice.

He shook his shoulders. "Sir! Wake up!" Nathan said harshly. "Jesus Christ don't die! Wake up!"

Suddenly he started coughing, Nathan sighed in relief. "C'mon." He put his arm around him and Nathan was now trying his hardest to help the man walk. Slowly they made it to the door and had to stop, he was panting, he knew that moving a man was such hard work, no wonder Haley left him when he fell asleep on the couch.

"Son," The old man spoke again. "What's going on?"

Nathan struggled to talk as more weight was being put on his shoulder. "Um, someone has a gun. Like a hostage situation," He told him.

"Are we in trouble?" He asked.

Nathan shook his head. "No, we're not." So maybe he was lying, Nathan helping this man was not only put him in danger but the old man as well, because lets face it, Nathan was not Dan's favorite person right now.

They stopped to take a breath at the bottom of the stairway; Nathan was leaning over panting, the man holding himself up against the railing.

"My wife was going to come and see me today," He told him. "She's probably out there worried. She's going to kill me; she hates it when I scare her." He rubbed the bald spot on his head and looked at Nathan. "What are you doing at the hospital? You don't look sick."

Nathan sighed and ran a hand over his face. "I'm not," He said dryly. "It's my sister. She was in a coma. She woke up today, it's a miracle, I honestly thought she was gone."

He really did think that she was gone, he was thinking about that last night. What would he have done if she died? He never gave hope over the years that she was gone, because somewhere deep down he had this gut feeling that she was alive and doing fine. It still made him wonder if he would have ever been the same, would Haley still have stayed with a man who couldn't make it out of bed anymore? Most of all Nathan watched Lucas as he paced back and forth trying to figure out what he would have done. Sure, out of the two of them Lucas had the brains, but what would have he done?

"I never got your name?" He asked. "I am Jack."

"Oh, right, I guess I am Nathan." Nathan scrunches his eyebrows together and sighs deeply.

"Nathan. Hmm, I like that name." The old man sat back and looked at Nathan for a moment. "So, your sister was in a coma? That's nice of you to come and visit her."

He had no choice, family doesn't let family quit. Not now, not ever.

Nathan laughed. "Me and my brother, Luc, we are all she has." He shook his head as he continued. "I really let her down this time. I thought I knew what I was doing…"

"You'll see her again, I promise. And when you do, I want you to wrap your arms around her and hold her tight, never let go, okay?" Nathan looked over at him confused. "My daughter, Emily, I haven't seen her in two years, she is pregnant with twins, and the last thing I said to her was, 'I am so disappointed.'" He laughed, "But I am not, I am actually really proud of her, she is going to be a mom in a week or two, and if I die today she is going to think that I am disappointed with her. So please, when you see your sister, tell her you love her… because it's the only thing that she wants."

Nathan shut his eyes, "I lied." He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked away from Jack. He faced the wall. "My sister is the hostage. My father is the gunman."

Jack stood up and pulled out a hanker-chief from his back pocket, he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Well, what the hell are you doing helping me to safety?"

"I don't know what to do anymore." He turned to face him. "Just let me help you." He took a step in Jack's direction, but Jack took one step forward. "She would want me to help you."

Jack shook his head. "I saw you fighting with that man with the gun, I dazed out, but still, you've got balls. My question is why come back for me?" Jack asked. "I could die in this stairway, and I'd be okay with that, so go save your sister."

Nathan shook his head. "I can't leave you here."

"You can't let your sister die!" Jack shouted back at him.

"She won't. He won't shoot her…"

"He brought a gun into a hospital; I think the possibilities are endless."

"God, just let me help you down to the main floor," Nathan whined trying to help him. "Just let me help you."

"Do you love your sister?" Jack asked challenging him.

Nathan glared at him. "Yes. Now I swear to god, I will pick you up and carry you bridal style if I have to."

"Then why don't you go save her?" Jack ignored all his protest and looked Nathan Scott directly in the eyes. He was scared out of his mind.

He finally put his arm under Jack's shoulder and lifted his body. "Thank you," Nathan said softly as they made their way down the steps. One single step at a time, Nathan didn't say anything, he didn't whine, or complain, he just went extremely slow.

Sensing how tense Nathan was Jack looked down at him. His face was tight, not letting any emotion show, sweat was gathering on his forehead from all the hard work, but he wasn't going to give up. Jack was lost, why save a man that is destined to die anyway, when he could be saving his younger sister. "Nathan?" Jack asked. He was about to ask why, but Nathan beat him to it.

Nathan kept his eyes on the next few steps. "I can't. If I go up there, I will loose it, I know I will." He wiped the enormous sweat beads that were gathering away. "Just let me get you to safety." Nathan was frustrated, and he was too much of a man to admit how scared he was.

Jack shook his head. "Don't do this, Nathan. This isn't what you really want," Jack tried his best to show Nathan.

"No," Nathan growled. "I really want to get you outside, so you can get help." Nathan's anger was raging. "I really want my sister to finally come home, where I can watch her sleep. I really want my brother to get rid of his HCM so he can play with his heart, again. I really want Brooke to stop worrying about Sawyer developing HCM. And I really want to finally renew my wedding vows with the love of my life." Nathan took a deep breathe.

Jack nodded, this man was everything he wished he was, and too bad Nathan didn't see it. "I don't fit into that, not at all."

"Oh yeah," Nathan rolled his eyes. "I believe the first thing I said was getting you outside."

Jack patted Nathan on the back as they continued walking. "You're a good man. You really are a good man. Thank you."

The gun nozzle was pointed in her direction, she was breathing heavily, and her palms were sweaty. She sniffled, but she refused to cry, it just wasn't worth it. If she cried, someone would die. She looked towards him, his face was tense with a scowl appearing on his mouth.

"The River Court," the words came from her mouth like molasses on a hot day. She hung her head and played with her hands. "Behind the far hoop, like ten yards out, we buried it."

"In a box?" Dan snapped.

"No," Ashlyn mumbled. "Well, yeah, I guess."

Dan roared at her. "Well is it in a box or not!"

"I said, yeah." Ashlyn said trying to keep herself calm. "It's in a box. Don't worry," She hissed, "your money is safe."

Dan cracked a smile at her. She was going to break any moment and Dan was going to be the one who broke her. "Its killing you," Dan said. "Just knowing, all that money, it was mine…"

"Shut up."

"You thought she could take care of you," Dan said playing with her. "You're mother was a no good…"

"Shut up."

"Face it, I was the best thing that ever happened to you and your mom…" Dan laughed in amusement as Ashlyn's face turned to him.

"Go to Hell," She hissed angrily.

Dan's scowl turned into a smile, "You'd like that, wouldn't you? Want me to tell mommy hi while I am there?"

Her face was as red as a fire. Her eyes were full of tears and she was fighting so hard not to cry. "You no good, stupid son of a…"

"Ah, I'd watch it," Dan teased shaking the gun. "Now that I know where my money is, I won't hesitate to kill you."

"It was never about the money," Ashlyn said after a moment of silence. "It wasn't, was it?"

Dan looked at his one and only daughter, and smiled, she was smart, but sometimes she was to good at this game, after all, it was his game.

"You'd like to think that."

"I am. I do." She said with a cocky grin. Just like that all the fear and all the tears were gone, and she was ready to fight that battle, that was until she heard all the noises coming from outside the room.

"What the Hell?" Dan stormed to the door and swung it open. He walked around the corner receiving a weird look from Lucas. Then he saw it, all the bodies running full speed toward what looked like an open stairwell, they had just came from the elevator. "Hey!" He called. When they kept running, Dan yelled again, "Don't make me shoot!" He sighed in frustration and took out his cell phone and dialed a number. "Hi. They are on the way down there… Yes. No one leaves until I say."

Lucas lifted his head and looked at Dan. "There are more people?" He asked.

Dan smiled, "Of Course. I am not going to hold up a Hospital by myself, I am not that stupid."

"Could have fooled me," Lucas muttered softly. He stood blocking the door, so Dan would either have to make him move or answer is one question. "Why are you doing this?"

Dan looked at Lucas amazed. "Ashlyn should be with me, not you, not her mom, me!"

Lucas nodded. "But she doesn't want to be with you, if you loved her, you would understand that she can't be with you."

"No." Dan shook his head. "There are secrets that she isn't sharing about her mother, and that's why we are here, because I need answers." Then Dan held up the gun and waved it around. "And without this, I wouldn't have gotten anywhere."

Lucas looked at Dan worried. "I don't get you."

"So…" Haley said as they were running. "You didn't say anything to Lucas did you?"

Brooke was trying her hardest not to scream, this was really frustrating, and Haley was only trying to help her. "About Ashlyn or about you being pregnant?"

Haley came to a dead halt. "Please tell me you didn't tell anyone that."

Brooke grabbed her arm and started her running again. "Don't worry, only me and Sawyer know about your bun in the oven." Brooke rubbed Sawyer's head as he lay against her chest as they were running through the hospital halls.

"Brooke," Haley warned. "You can't tell anyone, I haven't even told Nathan yet, okay?" Haley was being as calm as she could. "You can't tell anyone, promise?"

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Who would I tell? Okay, you do remember that we are running through the halls of a vacant hospital trying our hardest not to get shot. I won't tell a soul. You kept my secret about Sawyer, so I'll return the favor."

Haley sighed and started to smile. "Do you think Nathan will be happy?" Her smile started to grow like a love sick teenager.

"Haley!" Brooke scolded. "We are hostages, remind yourself that, okay. Get it together." Brooke once again grabbed her arm and pulled her forward just so they would be close and they wouldn't get separated, because the crowd seemed to be slowing down. "Plus, that kid is going to be smoking hott!" Brooke whispered grinning.

Haley just laughed. Maybe being held hostage wasn't that bad when you have your best friend in the world standing right next to you. Just like that the feeling, it was gone. What about Nathan, or Lucas? What about Ashlyn? God being held hostage sucked.

Nathan shoved the door with everything that he had. It was stuck. "Damn." He cursed and gave it one last push.

"Nathan," Jack spoke, "we're stuck." He sighed and leaned back. "Just give it up."

Now fire away with some questions...