Disclaimer: I own nothing.

With Tragedy Comes Grief, Desperation, and Love

When Fear Takes Over

Haley shifted in her bed as her nightmare took over. She knew this nightmare all to well it played in her head everyday and every night. He was going to haunt her forever. He had taken everything from her. He took her mother, her innocence, her friends, her talent, and now he had taken her sister too.

"Taylor…Taylor no!!" Haley screamed in her sleep.

"Lucas wake up." Nathan shoved Luc as she stirred from his own sleep.

"Nathan there better be a good fucking rea…" Nathan shoved him again cutting his sentence short.

"Haley is having a nightmare. Go check on her and comfort her now!" Nathan whispered.

"Why don't you, if you are so worried about her why don't you be the one to comfort her?"

"Because, I just can't okay. I can't explain it either but for some reason some odd reason I feel for her. I won't show it though and will never admit it, she needs someone though Luke and if I can't be there for her you need to so go."

"Nathan Scott I hope you come to your senses one of these days and realize that you are the one who needs to be there for her. Until then I guess I will have to be the one but you really are being a pussy and I'm disappointed in you." Lucas scolded him while leaving the room

"Taylor no! Let go of her! Stop! Mike no please please…"

"Shh Haley it's okay it's just a dream. Calm down I am here for you." Lucas gently stirred Haley from her sleep.

Haley just stared up at him with tears in her eyes. She didn't know why but for some reason Lucas kind of scared her. Not, that she didn't appreciate everything he had done for her but he was always there. She pushed all thoughts out of her mind and just fell into his embrace. He stroked her hair gently and laid her down on the bed. Haley could feel her eyelids dropping as she lye on her stomach while Lucas rubbed her back. Suddenly she was asleep.

Lucas began to stand up but suddenly leaned down and whispered into Haley's ear.

"He cares about you, and someday he is going to be the one to save you. In a way he already has, every time you think it's me comforting and saving you it's he who has sent me. Nathan cares Haley I promise you that." With that said Lucas disappeared from Haley's room.

"So is she okay now?" Nathan questioned as Lucas re entered and plopped back down on the bed opposite of Nathan

"Yeah, she is fine just a bad dream. I stroked her back as she fell back asleep. One of these days she is going to need you Nathan. It's going to get to the point where she needs you not whoever you send. I don't know why you are hiding that you care but maybe you should stop."

"Look Lucas I don't actually care! I promised mom I would give her a chance. It would break my mom's heart if anything happened to that girl so therefore I will watch out for her for mom's sake. I however will never be the one to comfort her it's not in my plan. Nothing will happen to her or hurt her because of mom but I could care less if anything or anyone caused her pain." Nathan said coldly

"Yeah sure Nathan, you can pull that act with any and everyone else but I'm not buying it. Anyways it's three in the morning and I did what had to be done and now I'm tired. I'm not going to do this much longer though. I know that if I don't comfort her eventually you will so I'm here for now but you really need to step up." With that said Lucas slipped under the covers turned his back to Nathan and fell asleep.

Nathan lye awake for a while thinking about Haley. When he heard her scream that night his walls came crashing down. He wanted her to be okay. He didn't necessarily want to be the one to make everything better but for some reason her fear broke him down.

Friday Morning Late For Class

Haley grabbed her last book and was about to shut her locker when a two hands and a body trapped her to the metal. She turned as fear struck her eye and clutched onto her board and books while leaning on the locker for support. She was scribbling away at her board when it was snatched from her grasp.

"Now now Haley what did I tell you about the board?"

Jason waited for a reply but all he got was a stone cold stare of hatred. The corners of his lips curled in a devilish grin as he bent down and whispered in her ear.

"Your looking mighty fine James. I can't wait to see the rest of you. We are not finished yet and I will see you around." After pulling away from her ear he reached down and pulled Haley hard against his body, he then bent down and slipped his tongue into her mouth.

"Bye Haley dream many dreams of me." He pulled away and shoved her backwards into the locker while throwing her white board at her feet.

The kiss had numbed Haley but not in a good way. She sat against the cold medal motionless as tears were on the verge of falling. She leaned as far into the lockers as possible pressing her back against the wall and sliding into a sitting position. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Had she not been so numb she would have felt the searing scrapes on her back and the little bit of blood that soaked through her shirt. That wouldn't have mattered though Haley James was used to pain and blood sinking through her clothes was nothing knew. That small shove was nothing compared to the abuse she had endured. She would never let anyone see the pain behind her eyes though. She quickly gathered her thoughts and rose to her feet. The bell rang and the hallway swarmed with people leaving Haley James, her emotion, pain, and fear lost in a crowd.

Friday Night Nathan's Game

Haley didn't want to be here at all. She had no desire to watch the boy she despised most play a silly game. Dan had made her come though; secretly telling her she was being ungrateful and spoiled. He had made her feel guilty and told her to write to Deb that she was sorry for refusing to go and nothing would make her happier. Dan sort of reminded Haley of the one man she feared most so of course she did as told. Haley James was not about to go back to being abused mentally and physically all because of missing a stupid basketball game. So here she was last 15 seconds of the game tied with Nathan having the ball. Secretly she hoped he would make it but she would never admit it.

Nathan smirked as he threw the ball towards the net releasing it from his grasp. He did something he had never done before though, instead of watching to see if it went in he searched the crowd. His own crystal blue green eyes met a set of big brown eyes. Nathan was lost in those eyes they had so many emotions connected to them that just looking into them stung. He could see fear, hurt, depression, grief, love, excitement, and even a little bit of hope all rolled into those one set of big brown eyes.

"Haley!" Nathan yelled running up the bleachers.

"Look, there is a party tonight at Luc's beach house, you should go. You can drive with me and Allyson, I think you would have fun and you know get your mind off things." Nathan tried to convince himself he was only inviting her to please his mom but deep down really deep down he knew there was another reason.

No it's okay, that's not really my scene. Thanks for the invite…Even thought she sort of wanted to go Haley knew Nathan had only invited her to make his parents happy

"Haley you should go it might be fun." Deb offered with a smile.

Maybe some other time, I'm just tired tonight.

Dan was becoming angrier by the second, here Nathan was actually trying to include the girl and make her feel welcome and she was blowing him off. No one blew off his son and no one treated him as if he didn't matter.

"Haley can I speak with you a moment?" Dan asked.

Haley just nodded and followed him out of the gym

"Look you ungrateful little brat, Nathan is trying to be nice. He is accepting your presence in his house and his school. Why I have no idea but you need to stop being ungrateful. If you continue this I'll send you back. Now go be the good little girl you are and accept his invitation. Do we have an understanding?"

Haley nodded her head in fear and headed back into the gym to find Nathan with a group of friends. She tapped him on the shoulder and he turned to face her. Nathan could see fear in her eyes and knew Dan had obviously said something to scare her.

I would be honored to go with you Nathan.

"Haley if you don't want to or feel uncomfortable it's okay. Look I'll give you a ride home, I have to go home and change anyways."

No, I was being selfish before. You were clearly trying to include me and I was ungrateful. I would like to change though before we go if it's okay with you?

"Yeah sure that is fine. Allyson!" He said with hesitation in his voice.

"Haley and I are going to go home and change then I will pick you up k?"

"Uh is she really going?"

"Yeah, I invited her is there a problem?" Nathan asked sort of annoyed with Ally

"No, not at all. Look I'm going to catch a ride with Rachel though so I will see you there."

"Looks like it is just me and you Hales. Ready?"

Uh yeah Nate let's go.