I blame my absence on school and work. Not to mention those damn writer's blocks. Here it is guys, next chapter. Enjoy!
Ravens23
"I don't know if I can go through with this Nathan," she said worried, not at all trying to mask it. "I can't marry him."
Holding her gaze to his, Nathan smiled softly.
"You won't have to...don't you worry. I'll think of something. I have to."
* * * * *
Haley woke suddenly from her slumber with Nathan's arm feeding through the bars of the cell lathered across her hip and his voice echoing from her dreams. The insignificant bit of light that was coming in through the small skylight shone right onto Nathan's angelic sleeping face. His eyebrows were scrunched. Even as he slept he was in deep thought, nightmares of not being able to be with Haley torturing his mind.
She sighed, softly, shifted her head, lifting it so she could see the ticking clock on the wall in front of her just above the guard's head.
10:21.
It was only a matter of hours before Victoria would come and retrieve her for the "wedding." Haley shut her eyes so tightly that they began to burn. I really don't want to go through with this. A single thought was all it took for every single emotion in Haley to be unleashed. One look at Nathan's sleeping form, anger, hurt, sadness, and deep thought wounding his perfect features was all it took for each of those emotions to push into overdrive and lose all sense of rational thought.
Tears began to cascade down the landslide of her tired face. Trying to take control of them, she also made an attempt to be as quiet as possible trying desperately not to wake Nathan. Taking deep breaths and wiping her constant falling tears, she regained some form of control, but the rustling beside her only made her lose some of what she had recaptured.
"Hales?"
Haley shifted her body so that her back faced Nathan, making an effort to not show him that she was crying. She couldn't let him see her like this.
"Hales?"
She dipped her head, bringing her hands to her eyes. She could hear him lifting his body. He winced. His ribs were still sore from the uncomfortable blow to the abdomen, a nice gift from Rollo.
"Hales, what's wrong?" She said nothing. "Hey, c'mon. You can talk to me."
Nathan's hand rested on her shoulder. She sniffed and shook her head.
"No…Nathan, please, don't."
"Haley." She shifted away from him, standing up and crossing the cell to stand beside the opposing wall and leaned her back against, sniffling and wiping away subsided tears.
"Haley don't do this. C'mon!" He shot up off of his bed and moved around it so he stood, his body against the bars. "Haley…please, let me in. I told you we would get through this. Don't shut me out now."
Haley looked at out of the corner of her eye.
"I feel…" she breathed deeply. "I f-I feel…"
"What?"
"I just…I feel-"
"WHAT!? You feel what!?"
Haley jumped slightly at the tone of his voice. She studied him. There were bags under his eyes, meaning he had been awake most of the time that she slept. His hands gripped the steel bars so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. He bowed his head in frustration, curving his body at his torso and sniffed. He looked back up, his eyes connecting to Haley's. She noticed that tears began to form in his eyes as he noticed the fear in her eyes…it was minute but it was there.
"I-I'm sorry Haley. I…I shouldn't have gone off on you like that. It's just… Haley."
Shutting his eyes, he lost all train of thought. He didn't know what to say. Guilt ate at him for yelling at her for not being able to tell him why she was pulling away.
"Dammit Hales…I love you so much. I just…I don't know why you're shutting me out. It's like… When I see you, you make my heart race. When you look at me with every thing you're feeling, the world just melts away from my view. When you touch me, even if it's only a fingertip on my face I can feel that you will always be there for me when I need you, whatever it may be. When you say my name, out loud, in a whisper or if you mumble it in your head I know that for as long as I have a beating heart, roaming this planet for as long as I do, whether it is aimlessly or with a goal, I'll always be walking towards you, towards your voice calling for me. And you better believe that when you call, I will come to you. When your nights are dark or stormy or full of fear, you better believe that you won't have to reach out for me because I will already have you in my clutches…before you even begin to think about needing me-"
Her cold hands were on his face suddenly, his lips being guided to be planted firmly on hers. Haley's tears continued to travel down her face, the saltwater entering Nathan's mouth as she continued to cling onto his lips for dear life…as if it would be last time. Her tongue traced the outline of his bottom lip, sucking desperately. Breathing was almost unnecessary for her right about now. Her caress became slowed as her breathing became increasingly laboured. She shut her eyes so tightly as she became overwhelmed with a passion that she had never felt for anyone…anyone but the man who stood before her kissing her like it would be the last time he'd be able to.
A feeling began to rise in Nathan's chest, a feeling of fear. Fear for Haley. His heart exploded with emotion and he brought his hands to Haley's face and slowly pulling away from her, he kept his eyes shut and breathed deeply.
"And when you kiss me, Haley James," he whispered. "I know that every single thing that I've told you these past few moments is what you feel for me…more than what I expect and much more than I deserve."
* * * * *
Chris Keller stood in front of the mirror tying the necktie laid for him. He always hated wearing these stupid things, especially because it was the one thing his father always wished he could wear. Fumbling the tie, he yanked it off of his neck in frustration and tossed it to the floor. He let out an angry groan and collapsed backwards onto the bed he was sleeping in. Within one hour he was supposed to marry the heiress to James & Co. How could he do this? For the first time in his life he felt uncomfortable in his own skin, a rarity.
There was a knock at the door.
He shot up from his position on the bed and rotated his neck before shouting a quick c'min! to whoever was at his door. Upon his permit to entry, the stranger behind the door proved to be Victoria.
"And how is the leading man?"
Chris inwardly groaned and put on a fake smile to be his "normal" self.
"Chris Keller is nearly ready."
Looking over him once, Victoria merely cracked a look that resembled a chagrin. Her jaw was lightly clenched and her snout rising on one side as if she were in disgust.
"Yes," said Victoria, stressing the 'e.' "Well, Chris Keller, sit tight and I'll see to it the bride is ready in time."
With that, Victoria left his room, shutting the door behind her. Chris let out a puff of breath he did not know that he was holding to begin with. Victoria made him feel ruined, as if anything within miles of him were scathed.
He cracked his knuckles before turning once again to his mirror, attached to the dresser, tie in hand, bringing it to his neck to tie it. Letting out a deep sigh, Chris placed his hands on the edge of the dresser staring at the floor before looking into the mirror.
"You can do this…"
Chuckling, he looked back at the floor then in the mirror.
"You can't do this..."
* * * * *
"Haley's missing, dad."
Jimmy's facial expressions were many, but shock was not one of them as his daughter's declaration reached his ears. He squinted his eyes before springing up from his bed which took Peyton by surprise.
"Dad? You're up!"
"Oh, give me some credit sweetie. Don't you think that after all this time, after how long I've been the CEO, after how many times I've been threatened, that I would know when my life is at stake? Sure, my health isn't of the greatest, but death is merely years off. I knew from the moment she decided to 'take care of me.' That woman can only focus on herself and I'm ashamed that it took me up to 6 months ago to realize who I married. When we first met she wasn't incredible as your mother was, but Victoria had a certain aura about her," said Jimmy as he entered his closet, changing into black formal pants and white dress shirt.
"It was like I had found my best friend. She listened to me, never offering anything more than what I asked and never asking me for anything in return. She's been trying to poison me with small doses of cyanide. I recognize the almond scent. Take a look at the plant."
Peyton looked at the small plant on her father's night table. It was practically brown. He came out of the closet holding a violet tie, swinging it around his neck. "Of course, all of goodness in her changed once I asked her to marry me. She kept up her charade until about a month after the wedding. She began to go out more and more and want more material things."
"And now Haley's missing."
Jimmy nodded. "And now Haley's missing…but I have the feeling that she'll show up at the Alter."
Peyton nodded. "That makes two of us."
There was a knock on the door. Jimmy hurried back to his bed, tie still in hand and slipped himself under the thick comforter. Giving a fake yet heavy cough he allowed entrance to the occupant behind his bedroom door.
"Co-rr-m rr-in."
With a twist of the golden handle and a shove of the birch door two women entered the room.
"Hi daddy," said Haley with gentle tears tumbling gracefully down her face, which Victoria remained oblivious to in mistake for tears of joy.
"H-hi bab-rrrr-k-hrrr," he coughed.
"Jimmy, she needs to get ready, but she wanted to be with you because you won't be able to walk her down the aisle because of your illness."
"Actually, I'm feeling pretty good today Victoria. I think I will walk her down the aisle."
Jimmy looked at Haley with a smirk on his face and noticed that her lips twanged into a light smile. She folded her hands and walked away from Victoria's grasp and towards her father as he "rested" in his bed. She knelt down before him and looked from Haley to Peyton to Victoria.
"Do you two mind if Haley and I have a word alone?"
Peyton nodded and headed towards the door, but Victoria kept her position leaning on her right foot and right hand on her hip while she held a cup in her left. Her lips were pursed in wonder with an eyebrow cocked. After what felt like hours, Victoria sighed.
"Fine." She walked towards Jimmy's bedside and set the cup on it. "But drink up." Shoving Haley aside slightly, she leaned down and kissed Jimmy's forehead. He cringed beneath her touch. Victoria removed her lips from his head and walked out of the room.
Moving back to Jimmy's bedside, Haley knelt down on her knees and took a tight hold of her father's hand before he began to speak to her.
* * * * *
If I don't say this now I will surely break
As I'm leaving the one I want to take
Forgive the urgency but hurry up and wait
My heart has started to separate
Oh, oh,
Be my baby
Ohhhhh
Oh, oh
Be my baby
I'll look after you
His knuckles were turning white…too white. The sweat accumulated in his hands from holding onto the bars tightly. It had been 20 minutes since Victoria had come and taken his life away from him. His head was pressed so strenuously to the bars trying to desperately think of a way he could somehow spring from hell. He was usually brilliant at coming up with strategies to get him or anyone, for that matter, out of tough situations, but this time, he couldn't seem to get anything out of his head other than the fact that Haley was 40 minutes away from walking down the aisle and away from him. Nathan couldn't bear her getting married to a complete moron that her sadistic step-mother had chosen for her a mere month ago.
"You know Nathan, squeezing the bars as tight as you are isn't going to help Haley."
Nathan grew frustrated and turned his head to see Keith leaning against the cell wall.
"Don't you think I know that Keith?" Nathan returned to his prior position to see the guard returning to his post by the desk. A sudden guilt overcame him at his rude attitude to his father-figure.
"Sorry Keith."
Keith sighed. "It's ok Nathan. Just breathe."
Nathan couldn't help but to think of when Victoria had come to take Haley away to get her ready for her "wedding." Things seem to just move in slow motion.
There now, steady love, so few come and don't go
Will you won't you, be the one I'll always know
When I'm losing my control, the city spins around
You're the only one who knows, you slow it down
Oh, oh
Be my baby
Ohhhhhh
Oh, oh
Be my Baby
I'll look after you
And I'll look after you
"And when you kiss me, Haley James," he whispered. "I know that every single thing that I've told you these past few moments is what you feel for me…more than what I expect and much more than I deserve."
Haley sighed and sent Nathan a soft smile.
"You are so sexy when you talk like that."
Chuckling, Nathan wrapped his arms more closely around Haley's small frame bringing their lips to meet once again. Her lips were soft on his, moist and warm. He kept one arm around her as he moved the other to gently touch her face. He licked her lips tasting the residue of her lip gloss from hours before and nibbled tenderly on her top lip.
Haley fed her own arms through the bars and grabbed whatever of him she could grasp from his waist. She felt the urge, the need to feel him against her. The bars crashed against her pelvis as she made attempt to get closer to him.
If ever there was a doubt
My love she leans into me
This most assuredly counts
She says most assuredly
Oh, oh
Be my baby
I'll look after you
After You
Oh, oh
Be my baby
Ohhhhh
Their gentle kiss soon became urgent as a realization dawned on either of them that Victoria could be there at any time within the next 5 minutes. The door to a cell opened.
"You two just can't stay away from each other can you?"
The voice that sent chills up and down on either of the couple's spines was enough to have them break apart their shared moment. Victoria stood there on Haley's side of the bars with Rollo.
It's always have and never hold
You've begun to feel like home
What's mine is yours to leave or take
What's mine is yours to make your own
"Haley, we have an hour to get you back to the house and walking down that aisle to marry that moron of a guitar player Chris Kayler. So, let's go," motioned Victoria with her hand wide-open, palm up.
Nathan only tightened his grip on her.
"Over my dead body," stated Nathan simply with venom dripping from his mouth.
"I can make that a reality." Victoria said just as threatening.
Haley tensed her own hold on Nathan.
"I'm not going Victoria."
"Oh, really Haley?" Victoria looked at Rollo and nodded.
With a sinister smirk dawning his face, Rollo moved farther into the cell and grabbed Haley around the waist, yanking her from Nathan's grasp.
Oh, oh
Be my baby
Ohhhhhh
Oh, oh
Be my Baby
I'll look after you
And I'll look after you
"No! Nathan!"
"Get your hands off of her asshole!"
Nathan continued to hold his clutch on her waist, feeding his foot through the bars to kick Rollo's shins, which only made Rollo's strength increase.
"NATHAN!"
Haley's cries for him increased in volume as Nathan continued to kick Rollo's shins. Still keeping his villainous grin plastered on his face, Rollo, with one arm on Haley, took his night stick and pulled his favourite move on Nathan and poked him in the ribs once again. Keeling over, Nathan groaned loudly in pain as he yelled.
"SON OF A BITCH!"
"NATHAN!"
Nathan stood quickly as he watched Haley keeping hold on the bars. He took hold of her hands as Rollo tried to pry her out of the cell. Haley felt her grip diminishing and Nathan's hands slipping from her grasp.
"NATHAN!"
"HALEY!"
And with the smallest tug from Rollo, their hands slipped apart.
"NATHAN!"
Haley was being ripped away from him. He could feel his soul bleed as it ached for hers to come back to him.
"HALEY!"
"Nathan!"
Her screams and shouts for him were decreasing as they were now only echos.
"Haley…" Nathan whispered before nearly breaking down into tears.
There was a bursting a door bringing Nathan out of his memory.
"Keith?!" The clacking of heels and the familiar voice caused Nathan's head to shoot upwards.
"Keith?"
"Karen?" Keith sprung from the floor to where Karen leaned and held onto the structure of the cell. Nathan felt a small bit of relief at the sight of Karen.
"I found my son, Keith."
I have to get out of here, thought Nathan. I'm going to get out of here.
* * * * *
Haley stood in front of a full-length mirror in her wedding gown, tears still streaming down her face. With a near silent knock on her door, she turned to see Brooke and Lucas walk into the room.
"Haley…it's time," said Brooke wearily.
Haley nodded before flipping her veil over to cover her face. Lucas took hold of her hand and lead her out the door towards the garden where the soft music of Pachebal's Cannon. She looked around frantically for any sign of Nathan. She needed him to be there. She did not want to go through with this. Her father's words were in her mind from their previous conversation.
You don't have to do this honey.
I don't want to daddy. But what else can we do? Victoria's not going to let up on this and that guard of her's is always with her to ensure she gets her way.
Haley, Lucas and Brooke arrived at the garden where Mr. James sat in a wheel-chair waiting for his daughter. Haley could see the sullen look on his face. Slowly, Jimmy stood and took a hold of Haley's arm.
"You look beautiful sweetie."
"Thank you dad. I love you."
Haley looked down the long aisle and saw Chris waiting for her at the end of it. She and Jimmy began to walk slowly down the aisle as she continued her recollection.
I should have fired that moron a long time ago.
What does Victoria want? Why is she so keen on marrying me off?
She thinks she'll inherit everything if you girls are well taken care of and married off.
Haley looked at Brooke as she passed her while walking down the aisle.
Does Brooke know about this?
No. No, Victoria doesn't think very highly of her own daughter. Brooke is as oblivious as Victoria thinks I am. But I'm asking you to humour your step-mother. We have to shed light on the situation to other people. According to everyone, I'm a lunatic who's crazy and sick, so says Victoria. I need you to keep up appearances a little longer and just attend the ceremony. Please?
Haley had arrived at the end of the aisle and at the Alter as the tune ended and remembered her words to her father.
Okay, daddy.
Haley could not take her mind off of Nathan. She and Chris took hold of each other's hands as the priest began the service, welcoming families, friends and other guests. While Haley looked at Chris, she imagined Nathan standing before her instead of Chris. His blue eyes boring into hers, making her feel safe yet completely dangerous and sexy. His warm, yet rough hands from working with them holding her hands and that incredible smirk he held and showed the world only for her. His lips waiting to be touched by her own, waiting to be caressed and tasted.
"If anyone has any objections as to why these two should not be bound this day, speak now or forever hold your peace."
There was nothing but silence in the peaceful garden about her. The skies were blue. There was not a single cloud in them and the sun shone radiantly. The flowers were in bloom and blew gracefully in the light wind.
Haley looked out over her shoulder as a distant sound came to her ears. She looked in the direction of said sound and noticed two silhouettes running down the green hill of grass towards the garden. Their sounds growing louder and louder with each step they took causing the entire gathering to look toward them.
As they neared the garden Haley could make out the noises to be the sounds of two distinct barks of two adorable and loveable golden retrievers.
* * * * *
Hope that was enjoyable! Lots of action in the chapter to come. PLEASE review even though I don't deserve it! Lotza love!
Songs:
Look After You - The Fray