*~*The Locket*~*

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II*II

I*~*I~Tree Hill, 1882~*~

I* I*~I*Part IV…The Revealing*I~*I

"Come on now…" He snapped with the reins a bit and felt the animal underneath him pick up the pace quickly. He smiled with satisfaction and warmly petted him. "Yeah boy…" It was such freedom being like this, school out for the year. He had finished his chores for the day. Not too much he had to do this afternoon, and so now he could just ride and ride. It was perfect, so perfect when it was on a horse like Red Wolf.

When he told people his name for his horse they usually stared at him curiously. That didn't matter though. He got it, and his father actually got it too after he explained it to him. Once out on a hunting round, for the heck of it, with his father, they had seen one, a red wolf. His father motioned for him to be quiet. He told him there weren't as many of them now. They scared when the people came. They wouldn't hunt him for that, because it was skittish and few in number. They'd just watch him.

Nathan felt himself doing just that on that day, watching the animal with a strange awe. He was not big, but he had this look to his face, almost sleepy, and yet so alert. His fur was lined with browns and golds, bits of black, and that deep redness. He was small, and yet agile, firm, strong.

Like his horse.

He'd gotten him when he'd only been seven years old. His mom had insisted he not get too big a horse. She had been afraid he might fall off. He hadn't been sure about that at first, wanting a large one, but that was before his first couple of rides. Now he wouldn't trade in his horse for anything. He was like that wolf, peculiar, touched with sparks of red on his golden brown mane, his ears touched with blackness. His eyes were alert and yet so relaxed too. He was fast and fierce, but also wary, watchful.

Best of all, he knew how to jump. After first getting him, it hadn't taken Nathan that long to learn how to ride him, the process immediately one he enjoyed. After getting good at that, it came time to try jumping. He'd been jumping him in secret since he was eight and a half years old. It wouldn't do to tell his mother about it. She'd just worry. Of course his father had seen him, but hadn't let on about it. His father was good at keeping secrets like that, and he appreciated it.

Finishing their run of the hill now, Nathan patted the horse again. "Good Red…really good. Now let's go ride near the pines." The horse neighed in answer and Nathan smiled at that.

It really felt so good to be out of school. He didn't get it, what school was about. It didn't really seem to teach him much of anything, except big words he would never use. And how to write a letter. Heck, what did he need to know how to write a letter for? Even the history parts were boring. They just talked and talked about what happened during the war, and it made him want to call out he knew about all that. He seen when he was little all the holes in the ground, the large spaces where once a house stood. He seen the slaves leaving town.

He asked about that once, getting in trouble. Why slavery? What had made them want to have it? Didn't they think there was anything wrong with owning people? That got him to stay after school one day until his father came and said that he would be taking him home. That little old lady teacher knew better than to argue with his father. He asked his father the question then as they were on their way home, knowing it was a loaded one, but in too sullen a mood to care. His father just stared at him for a moment, before saying… "The south was rich then, so rich. It worked. And that was the end of it. Now was a new time, and they were rich still."

The talk then turned to about the factory. Nathan wasn't sure about his father's answer, but liked when the talk turned to the factory. If his father thought he was trying to sass him there, he wasn't. He just wondered about things sometimes. Maybe a little more lately. Maybe a little less. He was starting to understand some things were before his time. The south, before the war, that world, was a thing of the past, even though there were those who stuck with their farms, living in near poverty now, because they couldn't realize their new tenant farming system wasn't working. It wasn't the same as the plantations before.

It was a growing time for the factories. He was seeing more being built around the edges of town and all. A new one where they built furniture. Another clothing one that competed with his father's business, but so far didn't do half as well. He was with his father one time when a man asked how did he do it, how did he get his clothing out so fast…what was the secret? His father told the man there was no secret, but when the man persisted, whispered something in his ear, his father smirked. Then he had reached for him and told him to get a drink from the corner store across the way. Nathan had obediently done so, but wondered what the man and his father talked about, when they got all close up and whispered…laughed…and whispered.

What his father did share with him about the factory of course he was entirely interested in. Sometimes now his father would take him with him, show him what was done by the men and the women who worked there. It was a nice factory. It was kept clean for such a place, and all the workers were smiling when he went through. He stopped to talk to a few and they all said just good things about his father. They liked him so much. It was no secret why. His father was the best man there was, end of it, as his father would say.

He looked up at the sky now, seeing that the afternoon was starting to come on, the strong summer sun lessening only a bit. Shading his eyes with his hand, he looked across the way and saw New Bern down there. That was his home, with all those big magnificent grand houses, his somewhere in the middle. He felt it made them more special, being in the middle of it all. They were right there in the center, their house and then some yards away was the factory, the one that allowed him to have a horse as wild and excellent as Red Wolf.

"Come on Red…" He steered his horse now. "Let's work up some speed and take on some of the wild brush." The horse neighed in answer and at the snap of the reins from his owner, started to run through the tall grass, his hooves thundering over the ground. Nathan moved up in the saddle and held on only a bit. He never worried about having to hold on too tight. He was fearless on top of his horse, totally fearless. Besides, he was eleven years old now, not too many years away from being a man, his father would proudly say. He'd grow up into that man, that man that would be just like his father.

I*II*I

Haley stumbled a bit, then righted herself again as she crossed through Tree Hill quickly. She had only come down this way to sell some eggs in town. Even though Mama worked at the mill, and even though they had sold most of their farm animals after Papa died, they had a few chickens left, and they laid good eggs that she could get a bit of money for sometimes if she took them to town early enough. Now she needed to get home though and start supper. Mama was working at the mill today, wouldn't be home until night, and so she was in charge of their dinner.

Haley's face saddened as she thought of her Mama. She was not looking too well now more and more. Once she had come home and fallen. Other times she had fever and Haley got Mrs. Brown next store to come and help, but still, it was only temporary. Haley knew what it was making her Mama so sick now sometimes, the mill work. Even though it made her cringe to ever think of going there, she had offered to work at the mill too. Her Mama had flatly told her no, after a long hacking cough. She needed to stay in school. Haley didn't bother to tell her then that it was no use anyway, she missed school already a lot as it was. At least she had her books at home. She could read better than kids that were even older than her. The teacher let her sometimes teach a group of kids because she said she was so smart. Haley would only smile. It was impolite to boast. And there was no need to.

She did miss the few friends she had at school when she didn't go. She didn't know why, but some of the kids kept their distance from her. She supposed it might have a little to do with the teacher telling her she was smart. While those kids stayed away though, others came right up to her and asked for help, and she always graciously said yes. Papa had told her it's good to always be kind. And that if you knew something well, share it.

Haley fingered at the locket around her neck now, touching it with hands that labored hard to keep their home nice when Mama was away at work. When Mama was sick. She studied the deep gold and bits of tarnishing that surrounded the basket of flowers in the center of the booklet locket. Studied it so intensely, she didn't hear the thundering until finally she looked up and saw a big monster coming right at her. It made her scream before her body fell to the ground in a cold faint of pure terror.

I*II*I

"That's it Red! Go! Go!" Nathan called out with excitement as Red Wolf jumped over another brush area, over a rock. He laughed, but startled as suddenly the horse neighed sharply, shrill, a screaming sound coming out of its mouth. He turned from his half side view and saw it, saw what made the horse scream…saw her.

"HECK!" He called out, swearing tightly, yanking on the horse's reins, knowing full well what that would do, before it actually happened. He felt the horse buck tightly. Felt him lift his hooves up into the air, high, the force of a stop coming from his owner startling him.

"AHHHH!"

Nathan screamed as he felt his body lose its balance, the horse's loss of control tearing away his own control. He tried to keep hold of the reins, but as the horse started to buck more wildly, he let go on purpose, allowing his body to fall to the ground and hoping it wouldn't land too near Red. Even a good horse like Red, once out of control and spooked, could be extremely dangerous. His body hit the earth with a horrid smacking sound, something breaking right away, but Nathan didn't feel anything, blackness filling his eyes with his first touch of the earth.

Two last thoughts formed in his mind before that blackness took over. One for his horse. Hoping he'd be all right. The other about what they had been forced to stop at…wondering what the heck had she being doing standing there…

I*II*I

"Mmmm…" Haley slowly opened her eyes, waking up to a shrill screaming sound. She adjusted her vision, and then saw it, that big monster just a few feet away. She screamed now too, before she realized it. It was no monster. No monster at all. It was a horse. A horse. But hadn't someone been riding it? Hadn't someone-

The horse let out another wild neigh and she tried to move. It wasn't hard. Not a single part of her was hurt. She must have just gotten so scared when she saw that animal coming at her that she dropped down and fainted. She sat up now, seeing the horse still acting wildly, running back and forth like it had some task it had to do, but not sure what it was, and so it kept running forward and then back to that figure lying in the grass. The figure lying in the grass? Oh no. Someone was hurt.

Haley brushed her skirt down now and got up quickly. She started to make her way to the perfectly still figure just lying there, but stopped as the horse advanced on her quickly, neighing what sounded like a warning sound, baring its teeth. If she wasn't mistaken, she would say that horse was protecting the figure. Its master most likely. Haley forced herself to slow down her movements a bit, speaking in a quiet voice. "Shhhh…whoa…it's okay…okay…" She wasn't really scared now that she knew it was a horse, not a monster. They had horses on their farm when she was younger. A few that she would ride. Her father had taught her lots about them, including how to calm a spooked one. "Whoa…all right…okay…" She reached down and grabbed some grass, keeping her eye on the horse and making sure she wasn't too close that it could back up and kick out at her. "Here boy…here you go…or girl, but you look like a boy to me…some grass…whoa…calm now…come on…it's all right…all right…"

She kept up like that, petting the animal gently, and it finally started to take the grass from her hand. She slowly moved her other hand around and grabbed onto the animal's reins. She felt it start to grow startled again. Quickly, she used her calm voice once more. "No, no…not going to do anything to you…not going to hurt you boy…just going to bring you a little out of the way, okay? I need to check and make sure your owner is okay, all right? Need to make sure that they're not hurt…okay?" She soothed the anxious horse and then finally got it to walk with her a bit away from the still figure.

Smiling tightly at the horse now, she bent down to her knees and looked down at the still figure. It looked like a boy, a big boy. He was lying with his face turned away from her, partly on his stomach, partly on his side, his arm turned in a not so comfortable looking way. She heard the horse neigh and she looked up at him caringly. "I think he'll be all right. He may've hurt his arm though. You're a good horse I can tell. I'm sure you'll get him home safely." The horse neighed as if saying yes. Haley smiled a little before she grimaced as she turned back to the boy. Trying to be gentle, not even knowing if she was strong enough because he was a big boy and she wasn't that tall a girl, she turned him over more so she could see his face, and so he could be at least a bit more comfortable. The face she saw made her brow wrinkle a bit.

"Hmmm…this boy looks familiar." She wondered about it, deciding after a bit of pondering, that he wasn't from school, not from her town area…not from…

She felt her locket suddenly hit against her chest, inside her dress, over her heart. With her movement forward it had come right against it and now she suddenly remembered. It made her gasp. "Oh my gosh…this is the boy who stole my locket!"

"I didn't steal it…"

She startled at the tired yet annoyed sounding complaint of a murmur. She looked down at him, seeing his eyes still closed.

Nathan murmured again and slowly opened his eyes, seeing big brown ones looking down at him. He struggled to clear his vision, feeling something hit against his arm. He grabbed at it with his hand before screaming out in agony, his face going white, his arm falling back to the ground with a loud smack.

Haley felt sympathy touch her as she watched him fight to not cry out again, his face still ever so white and his forehead creased with pain. "I knew it…you broke your arm."

Nathan said nothing at first, slowly turning back to look at her. He brought up the hand of his unbroken arm just as slowly, catching the book shaped locket in his fingers. "I didn't steal it…" He felt shock hit him as she seemed to smile a little, but then the pain of his broken arm dug through his body again, making him shake. "Red?"

Haley touched at her hair, wondering if he was talking about it. She looked down at him questioningly, seeing him shake his head back and forth before he stopped. "No…not you…your hair's not red anyway…more like cinnamon. I meant my horse. Is he all right?"

Haley did smile now, bravely. She liked his horse. "Oh yes, he's fine. He just got spooked."

"Yeah…well you did that. Screaming like you did and just standing out there. Stupid thing to do with a horse."

Haley immediately felt angry at that. "Well you should watch where you ride more carefully!"

Nathan's eyes opened wide at that. "You're not blaming me for this. It's all your fault…Peasant Girl."

Haley looked down now at him fiercely, noting his sharp blue eyes, but too angry to care that much about them. "Don't you call me Peasant Girl! I'm not a peasant girl you jewelry thief!"

That did it for Nathan. He started to sit up now, using the support of one arm and starting to gesture at her with the other one, stupidly his broken one, before it screamed at him its injury. He bit down on his lip hard, tasting the blood, and fell back down to the ground, moaning.

Haley heard the horse neigh mournfully, watched him come over and try to nudge his master. Gently, she pushed him away. "No…uh…Red…he's hurt." She looked down at the boy, hearing him moan again, before she lifted the bottom of her skirt, lifted it and then tore at the skirted petticoat that lay underneath, tore a long piece of it off with her small hands.

Nathan started to open his eyes again at the ripping sounds and stared at the girl for a moment, shifting his head a little. "What are you doing?"

Haley said nothing, just inspected the piece of now ripped material, pushing back down the bottom layer of her skirt over the now torn petticoat. She turned back to the boy, seeing him still staring at her curiously. She gestured to him. "Sit up…"

Nathan tried, but felt his body not cooperating with him, the pain in his arm too sharp. Then he felt it, that little girl's hand now lifting at his good arm, her other hand stretched out for him to hold onto. He did, grimacing at the pain, but felt himself able to sit at least after a bit with no help. "Now what?"

Haley just shook her head and reached gently for his broken arm with one hand, reached out for the hand of his unbroken arm with her other hand.

"What are you doing?" Nathan started to protest, but felt her put a finger near his lips. He stared at her questioningly.

"If it hurts a lot, you can squeeze this hand with your good arm. Just please don't break my wrist or hurt my hand. I need it to cook supper tonight."

Nathan stared at her for a moment, thinking she didn't look exactly like she had that first time he saw her, when she accused him of wanting to steal her locket. Her hair was a little neater now, but the bangs still brushed over the top of her head. Her face was a tiny bit more full, though her big brown eyes, were just as big and brown, had that bit of haunting in them, maybe even a little more so now. And, if he wasn't mistaken the tiny thing was just a bit…possibly…taller. He looked down at the hand that she had put in his so he could squeeze it if he needed to. He started to squeeze hard, then met her startled eyes with a mischievous look on his face. "Spark…got you…"

Haley rolled her eyes, shaking her head. He was a bigger boy now, but still such a silly boy obviously, a nuisance, even though his eyes were so sharp, so stark blue. "Continue being such an annoying boy and I won't help you."

He laughed slightly, but glanced up again to see her firm look. He wondered at it. The girl was probably no more than ten and yet there was a maturity in her he usually only saw in adults. He moved his hand out of hers before he explained. "I'd rather rip the grass out of the ground than hurt your cooking hand."

Haley rolled her eyes at him again. "I'm serious…and I use both hands to cook. I just…oh forget it!"

He watched a touch of redness hit her face, and smiled slightly at it, before she lifted his arm to put the piece of torn material around it. The smile vanished quickly as he grasped fiercely at the grasses on the ground, thankful he had let go of her hand as the grasses split into pieces in his clenched whitening hand.

I*II*I

Moving to sit behind him, Haley reached for the two ties of her makeshift sling, gathering them tightly in her hands, being careful not to hurt him more than he already was. She tied them securely now, right below his hairline, around his neck, and then moved forward again to examine her handiwork. She was met with a pair of blue eyes that were staring at her. She looked away, nervously fiddling with the sleeves of her dark blue dress.

Nathan said nothing as he felt her fingers brush over the collar of his shirt. He looked down at the many grasses he had pulled out of the earth. It was good he had let go of her hand, could have disrupted tonight's supper by breaking it. He felt her come alongside him now, move to the front. He watched her curiously. It hadn't hurt too much. His arm's pain had been mostly from the break. That had been what made him tear the grasses out of the ground. But her tending had actually been gentle and grown up for such a little thing. Their eyes met. He stared, and she turned away.

Haley wouldn't meet his eyes now no more. She looked back up at his horse. She felt something against her throat. It made her startle.

"Shhh…not going to take it."

She turned back to the boy, seeing his fingers moving against her locket, his hand of his good arm fingering it. She pushed his hand away shakily. "It's not yours to touch. It's mine."

He stared for a second, but moved his hand down. "It's different than most. My mother has a lot of fancy pieces, but none like this one."

Haley didn't say anything, focusing on his horse again.

It was there once more, that haunted expression. The girl really probably was about a few years younger than him, but that look was almost of an adult. He wondered at it. His eyes moved downward to her worn shoes. He grimaced.

Haley felt his eyes on her, on her shoes. She haughtily lifted her chin, but said nothing. He was probably thinking she was just some poor girl, him in his well laced up shoes, his white shirt and dark brown pants made of expensive material she could tell. He was thinking she was nothing than just a-

"What's your name?"

The question brought her out of her thoughts. She turned to see him looking at her curiously now, a half smile on his face. She stood up suddenly, not answering his question, focusing on more important practical matters. "Okay…now I just don't know how you're going to ride. With only one arm it won't be that easy."

Nathan reached down with his good arm and slowly stood up, taking a step closer, and asking her the question again. "What is your name?"

Haley turned away from him, looking at his horse stubbornly.

Wrinkle lines formed on Nathan's forehead. Lines of persistence now. "Come on…you do have a name, right? Or is it really peasant girl?" He teased.

Haley whipped back around to face him. "No it's not! Jewelry thief!"

Nathan laughed a little, before he reached and brushed a hair away from her face. Haley moved back quickly, pushing his hand away. "Don't…don't touch me."

Questioning formed on Nathan's face at her defensive reaction. "Why? You just touched me a whole lot, splinting my arm. Thanks for that by the way."

"I only did that because I had to, because I didn't want to leave you hurt. I would have felt bad. My Papa taught me to always treat those who are hurt with care."

"Your Papa?"

Haley turned away from him.

Nathan sighed, a mischievous look coming to his face. "Well then since you won't tell me your name…guess I'll just keep calling you Peasant Girl."

Haley rapidly faced him again, angry once more. "I only helped you because I had to!"

Nathan frowned at that, reminding himself too that this girl was one of them anyway. She lived…there. "Fine…just be smart and don't jump in front of horses anymore."

Haley chased after him as he started to get up on his horse. "I did not jump in fron-

She stopped, seeing that he wasn't doing so well with getting back up on his horse. "What's wrong?"

Nathan moaned, suddenly feeling a bit dizzy and ill, pained. "Dang arm hurts…ahhh…"

"I can ride."

Nathan stared at the girl with a frown. "What?"

Haley wondered at her words. She should just go back home. She was going to be so late to make dinner now. The sun would soon start going down in the sky. "I know how to ride. I can ride up front, holding the reins, and you can ride in back, rest your arm and keep it from getting any more hurt. You'll get sick if you try to use it too much…pain will spread to other parts of your body. You need to rest it. I can ride."

Nathan just watched her for a moment, thinking she was like a spark of…something. She was plainly dressed and yet her face sparked with such energy whenever she spoke, her emotions bouncing from one to the other. For the weirdest second he wondered what it would look like when she smiled, fully smiled. "I don't need you to do that."

Haley balked easily, happy to turn away from his sometimes very strong blue eyes. "Sure, you can just walk." Her look was dry, before she started to climb up on the horse.

Nathan reached out with his good arm quickly, trying to stop her. "Hey! He's not that comfortable with new-

His words halted. He stared in amazement as Red Wolf neighed gently while the girl climbed up on him pretty easily and pet his mane cooingly, the horse whinnying softly and in appreciation. It all shocked Nathan. "How did you get him to…he…he usually doesn't like new people. He won't even let them get on him without bucking them off. Not without me. How did you get him to gentle so?"

Haley smiled with a bit of pride. "My Papa taught me. Used to have a bunch of horses on our farm before…"

Her voice drifted off as he got up on the horse in back of her, feeling her little hand reaching for him, before she let go, her head now down. He faced her from behind, asking quietly, "Before what?"

Haley shook her head, saying nothing and starting the horse to a slow trot. As it went over a patch of uneven ground, she felt a slight jostling, at the same time felt the boy behind her grasp her waist with his unhurt hand. She focused ahead though, not minding or thinking about that hand, feeling it let go of her waist almost as quickly as it had grasped it, as the ground evened out again. "It's okay…if you need to hold on. It's better than you falling off again." She spoke just a whisper over the sound of the horse's hooves hitting the ground. "Your horse is nice."

Nathan smiled, impressed by how well she did ride and how easily Red had taken to her. "His name is Red Wolf." He felt her inquisitiveness and continued, a story he didn't always tell, not in such detail anyway. Few got it. But he told it to her, now easily talking to the girl, practically forgetting about his hurt arm. "When I was younger hunting with my father once, we saw a red wolf. It was one of the only ones out there in the forest. It was all kinds of ways different and all kinds of ways the same, you know? I liked that. I liked that wolf. We didn't hurt it if you're wondering, didn't hunt it, just let it go. When I got my horse…Red here…he reminded me so much of that wolf, that I named him that…Red Wolf."

Haley smiled at his story, feeling freer too now as he couldn't see her face and there was something just so wild and wonderful about riding a horse. She'd missed this freedom after Papa got sick, went away, and they had to sell them all. She missed riding like this, even though the boy riding behind her was injured. "Good choice."

"What's your name?"

She heard him ask again, this time a little softer, his hand brushing against her waist at another jostling part of ground before he let go. She had to admit, it relaxed her actually. His grip wasn't tight or mean now like it had seemed to be when they first met. Even then he hadn't been really all that mean or hurtful. He had given her…her locket back. "Haley."

Nathan felt a touch of warmth hit him as she finally told him her name. With a smile he offered his. "Mine's Nathan." He wasn't sure why he didn't just say Nate, what his friends and sometimes even his parents called him. He waited for her to say something, but she didn't say a word. Red moved over some more uneven ground and Nathan grasped Haley's waist tighter, letting go afterward once again quickly. "Sorry Haley…hope I didn't hold you too tight."

Haley, focused on the dirt trail ahead, answered quietly. "You didn't."

I*II*I

Nathan felt Haley's apprehension as they reached his house. As she turned her face to the side to take in all she was seeing, the grandeur of the house he lived in, he could read the wonder and discomfort that was there. He had felt her tentativeness the whole way along, as they got closer to where he lived, as they turned away from the direction of her own probably run down home, to the beauty of New Bern.

"It's just a house." He spoke now to end that discomfort on her face. It was weird for him to say something like that. He always bragged about his house and everything. Just now…now he didn't feel like bragging, not with her looking all uncertain. It reminded him of that wolf that day he and Father saw while hunting. It acted all skittish at first, until it felt it wasn't being surrounded, wasn't being watched. Then it just acted all casual. It acted so free.

Nathan pointed Haley along the way to the direction of the dirt road that led to the entrance, the front door. His hand brushed against her waist and he could feel her nervousness, but also see from her profile she was trying to hide it. He watched ahead as the door to the house opened.

Haley watched too as a woman came out of the house, a beautiful richly dressed woman who called for someone. Haley tightened her hands around the reins, feeling very nervous. This house, it was so big. These people, they were strangers. They would look at her, look at her clothes and…suddenly she felt embarrassed of her poorness. For the first time she felt ashamed of who she was and she didn't like that feeling at all.

Nathan watched Haley's head come down and started to say something to her, but then his father was there, running outside the door and coming to him, his mother gasping.

And it happened.

Nathan tried to move his broken arm, actually pulling down on the sling with his other arm. It sent a sharp pain through him. He cried out. Haley had said earlier that trying to move too much would make the pain spread to other parts of his body. He felt that now, felt himself getting light headed, his eyes flashing open and closed as a driving pounding made him moan, made his body feel weak. He slumped over, his head touching Haley's shoulder.

Haley turned around at his cry, seeing his face whitening again. "Nathan?" She asked, gasping as he seemed to be falling over to the side. She reached for him, but then felt someone lifting her up off the horse. Another person was there, practically pushing her away. Feeling totally rejected, she watched as the man grabbed for a too still Nathan now, lifting him into his arms. He must be his father, she thought. Sorrowfully, she noticed how Nathan's face was white again, how his eyes were closed. She watched nervously, starting to whisper his name. "Nathan…"

She watched his eyes open, saw him seem to come to himself, realize what had happened and struggle to get out of his father's arms, but it done no good. His father wasn't letting go. She shook her head slowly at it all, the tall blonde haired woman now reaching for the boy too and desperately kissing his forehead.

The father turned to Haley, his voice demanding. "Who are you? What did you do with my son?"

Haley started to shake her head, taking an uncertain step back. The man was big and his face was stern, mean right now. His eyes were as blue as his son's, just more piercing and cruel it seemed. She fidgeted nervously, biting down on her bottom lip.

Hearing his father's accusations, even in his weakened state, Nathan shook his head, catching Haley's fearful expression. It surprised him. She shouldn't be fearful. His father was a good man, only stern sometimes, and protective. But as for that accusation from his father, that was just ludicrous. Haley was a tiny little thing. "Nothing father…she didn't do nothing. Just splinted my arm. Long story, but she just helped. Not that I needed that much help mind you…"

Haley rolled her eyes at that, then felt him looking at her. She turned to see a slight smirk on his face before his eyes closed again. Feeling another pair of eyes on her, she saw the father looking down at her again, his face a little less fierce now, but not at all accepting, not at all cordial. He resembled closely his son, dark hair, strong blue eyes, but a mustache sat over his lip, where Nathan was simply a boy and of course had no mustache. Tall though too he was.

For a second her eyes moved to the woman's face. It was a pinched one it seemed, pretty, beautiful actually, no more beautiful than Mama of course though, even with how much powder this woman wore, no woman was as beautiful as Mama. She searched the woman's face for any kindness, but what she saw actually made her start to bristle inside.

"Well I'm taking Nathan in…get the doctor for him and remove this dirty ripped piece of material from his arm, put a nice CLEAN, UNSOILED wrap around his arm."

"I'm not dirty!"

Nathan's eyes opened at that. He turned to see Haley actually now standing up to his father. She barely reached his waist and yet she was angrily speaking to him now, defiance in her small face.

Daniel Scott laughed at the girl, a cold smirk forming on his lips. He'd dealt with this kind enough. He gestured to his wife and watched her go in. Then he stepped forward towards the little girl, watching her not back down an inch. Spunky little thing…but dirt poor it looked like.

Nathan struggled to get out of his father's arms, to stand on his own now, but his father's grip even with how big he himself was getting, was too strong. And his father was a big man that he couldn't easily escape. Still, he'd fight his weakness to keep his eyes open and see what this was about.

"I didn't say you were dirty."

Nathan relaxed at that.

"I said your clothes were."

Haley bristled, speaking quickly. "They are not!"

Nathan put in quietly, "They're not father. It would have bothered me if they were, but really, they're not." He could hear the indignation in Haley's voice.

Haley stared at Nathan for a bit, before she noticed the new thing now. His mother was coming out. In her hands was…

"Here…Nathan says you helped him so here is some food so you won't have to go to sleep hungry. Take this kindness and…be on your way. Go back to where you belong."

"Oh Dear how kind of you…giving food to the poor little girl. Now what do you say girl?"

"Father, don't!" Nathan called out angrily now, seeing the pain in Haley's face, shame, before anger replaced it. "She's not that way father. She's not lazy. Just poor, but not dirty…like some of the others can be, all lazy and dirty."

Haley turned to Nathan defiantly. "You don't know who I am…what I am! You don't know what they are…who they are! They're more than you…more than…this!" Through blinding tears she looked at the woman who held the bowl of food, good rich food it looked like. She smacked it with her hand, hitting it so hard that it all fell to the ground. "And I don't need your charity! Not from ANY of you!"

Nathan winced as he felt her hard look, before she ran away, down their dirt carriage entrance. He whispered, "You shouldn't have called her that."

Daniel Scott scoffed at his son's words. "It's what she is! Poor girl should accept it."

Debra Scott spoke now finally too, shaking her head at the thrown food. "Rude girl too! You do best to stay away from her kind Nathan. A selfish ungrateful little brat that girl is!"

Nathan said nothing, only remembering the pain in Haley's face before she ran away. She had been ashamed. They made her feel ashamed. Like she was no good. Like she was…nothing.

For the first time in his life, he wasn't sure how much he liked his parents, or for that matter…things about himself.

I*II*I

"And so they became friends after that?"

Halen shook his head.

He had taken her to a quaint restaurant that was half indoor, half out. Their table overlooked the river's peaceful beautiful waters.

"No…not really. My mother had no time for such things…at least she didn't allow herself the luxury of it for awhile. Her life was growing harder. Her…Mama's…health was turning for the worse even more."

Chelsea watched as he turned away now, saying nothing, but his eyes…they were so sad. She reached for his hand, gently holding it in her own. She didn't know why, but she felt so comfortable with this man. And the story he was telling her, it drew her in so deeply.

Now seeing his sadness, she wanted to help the person telling that story. "I'm sorry…it must have been so hard for your Mama."

Halen simply nodded his head, before responding. "Yes…very hard. But she had a protector…as she helped him learn the truths of the world, he did his best to help her. Even before a friendship could begin for them…they started to teach each other…they started to care…

I*II*I

More to come…

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