It Never Seems

Here is the aftermath. Thank you to all who are still reading this. Enjoy.

CAli

Ch. 16 - The Interrogation

"Oh, God," Haley gasped, dropping the gun.

Nathan stared in shock as Dan slumped right in front of him then coughed blood on his shirt. His instincts was to hold onto him, but as he reached, he pulled back. Why would he help this man? He just tried to kill his family. He stepped back and watched his father's life drain from his body. He tried to speak, but everything was garbled to his ears as he watched his father timber down. His world was in a haze as he stared at his father's lifeless body.

Then Haley's piercing scream brought him back to reality.

Her hands were trembling as they covered her mouth. Her crying was uncontrollable as she stared between Dan and the gun she just dropped. The hysterics took over her body as her knees started to wobble. Her physical reaction jumpstarted Nathan into action. He rushed without really thinking about it and caught Haley just in time as she started to collapse. His fingers gripped her shoulders tight, but his hug was comforting.

He did his best to shield her from Dan's body. He had her flushed against his hard torso and wrapped tight so she had no choice but to hug him back just as fiercely. Her tears soaked his shirt but he didn't care. He kept his long arms around her shoulders and head. His fingers stroked her hair and his lips automatically went to the top of her head. He shushed and told her everything was going to be okay, even though they both knew that was a lie. Nothing had been okay for years.

"Haley, I'm here," he whispered. "It's okay, I'm here. I got you."

"I killed him," she sobbed. "Oh, God, what have I done?"

"It was self-defense," he said, pulling her head back so she would look at him. "It was self-defense."

"I shot him in the back, Nathan! How would anyone see that as self-defense?"

"Don't worry about that, Haley. He pointed a gun at you and Jamie. It was self-defense."

"Mama?" Jamie asked, his voice small and trembling. "Why is that man not moving? And why was he being mean to the man you're hugging?"

Nathan's eyes widened as a reaction to Haley's shocked look. They completely forgot about Jamie, who witnessed the whole thing. Nathan's eyes cut to his son's and whatever he was about to do was short-circuited like a bad fuse. His breath turned into a sharp gasp as he stared into the same dark blue eyes. He wanted to grab him in a hug and never let go. His son looked like he was on the verge of crying like a baby, but he was trying to be brave because his mother was broken. He was trying to be a man at the tender age of four.

My God, Nathan thought.

He wanted to swoop him up with tears in his eyes and tell him it was okay to cry. There was no need for bravery when something traumatic happened. Tears were strong; tears showed truth, and it was okay to be scared.

But he couldn't move because of one simple thing. Jamie had no idea who he was. Jamie's concept of a father was his brother, Lucas, who was lying in a hospital bed fighting for his life. Every factor of this situation poured down onto Nathan. Every person important to his son was suffering all because of him. Tears welled his eyes. He let go of Haley as a sob broke between his lips.

Haley didn't seem to care she lost his warmth as she swiftly turned to grab Jamie in a bone-crushing hug. She gasped and cried all at once as she pulled Jamie tight against her chest and stood up. Jamie automatically accepted the hard hug and kept his chin on her shoulder. He wouldn't stop staring at Nathan, and Nathan wouldn't dare break the eye contact. He had to make sure Jamie didn't see the blood seeping through Dan's shirt.

Nathan had no idea how he was properly breathing as he stared at his wife and son.

"Oh, Jamie," Haley said over and over again. "It's okay, baby. It's okay."

"Mama, who is that man?" Jamie asked, pointing at Nathan. "You only hug Uncle Lucas. Who is he?"

Haley opened her mouth, but hesitated. How was this situation supposed to go? Was she supposed to tell the truth after this traumatic event? Did she even believe he was true? Four years of a disappearing act and he just showed up out of nowhere to save her and Jamie from death by his father? What was he doing here? What was Dan doing here? What the fuck was going on?

Nathan saw her inner turmoil. He wished he could trade his soul to take away her pain. He wished he could take away all the hurt and anger and give her the best answers. He wished this never happened.

Haley opened her mouth again. "I- Jamie-"

"Police! Hands up now! Step away from the child! Do as I say now! Now! Hands up!"

Nathan wanted to step in front of Haley, so the guy's gun was pointed at his head instead of hers. But he couldn't be the hero even if he tried because his feet wouldn't move. The shock of the sudden swarm of men with guns surrounding them root all three of them to their spots. The shouting wouldn't stop. The increasing stress of the constant voices yelling over each other quickly got to his son, who immediately started bawling, especially when Haley was instructed to let him go.

He cried for his mother over and over. Haley tried to explain she was his mother, but it was no use. One of the men roughly grabbed her forearms and pulled her away from Jamie, while another swiftly grabbed Jamie from behind and ran away with him. The sight broke Nathan's heart as Jamie's outstretched arms kept grabbing air as he screamed mama over and over. Haley sobbed bloody murder too as she tried to explain through hiccups.

"Shut up," the man who grabbed his wife said, harshly. "Stop moving."

"But you don't understand," Haley cried. "I'm his mother."

"I don't give two fucks who you are. Stop moving or I'll be forced to throw you down for resisting arrest."

"Leave her alone," Nathan yelled.

He was jumpstarted after hearing his threat and started wrestling against the officer in front of him. He had to get to his wife. No one was going to hurt her like that. No one was going to hurt her, period.

"Don't touch her," he screamed at the officer. "Don't you dare fucking manhandle her! That's our son! He wants his mother!"

"Shut up!" The officer in front of him yelled. "Stop struggling or I'll throw you down too!"

"Don't touch her!" Nathan yelled again, ignoring the man. "Don't fucking touch her!"

The officer in front of him slapped his grappling hands away and pivoted to throw a punch. Nathan grunted as he took the punch and by instinct, his fist clenched. Shouting increased around him and he was suddenly pummeled to the ground and forced down on his stomach. He screamed in pain as he felt the weight of several men on his back and head. They pinned him down and forcefully grabbed his arms back, twisting hard. He heard his name screamed by Haley. He swiveled his head left and right so he could see her. The yelling increased around him as several voices told him to stop moving. He groaned in pain but refused to stop moving his head. He had to see Haley. He had to make sure she was okay and wasn't thrown to the ground like that man said he would.

"Haley!" He screamed. "Haley!"

"Nathan!" She screamed.

Finally, he was able to look ahead and screamed in anger. Haley was on her stomach also with two men on her back and head. They were screaming at her to shut up and stop moving. She was crying because of the pain. The two men on top of her was twice her size. It wasn't fair. She could die with their weight on her. He wiggled and bucked harder, ignoring all the men around him.

"Get off of her," he roared. "You're gonna kill her! Get off my wife!"

"Shut the fuck up!" An officer above him said.

Nathan felt the back of his shirt being pulled and the collar of his shirt was pressed against his throat, slightly choking him. He felt the weight of his body being lifted up then slammed back down hard. A hand pressed against his head and he was being pressured back into the ground. The pain was excruciating, but he continued to yell for the men to get off Haley. He wouldn't stop no matter how much he was being forced to eat the dirt below him.

"I got a body here!" A voice yelled behind him. "I need a bus now!"

"There's a gun here," another voice sounded, this time directly in front of Nathan. Nathan recognized the voice as the man who threatened Haley. "Did you shoot this gun?" He yelled at Haley.

"Yes," she said, weakly.

"Mother of the year," the man sneered. "Shooting a man in cold blood in front of your son."

"It was self-defense," Nathan yelled. "He was going to shoot my family! He was going to kill me!"

"Shut up!" Another voice yelled. "Get these two out of here now!"

Nathan felt himself being hauled up. Once he was up, his eyes frantically searched his surroundings trying to find purchase. He needed to see his wife. Within seconds, he found Haley, who was being hauled away herself, her arms being yanked to the nearest cop cruiser. She was crying harder than before. Nathan struggled against his restraints as he was being forced to walk to a different car.

"It was self-defense!" He yelled over and over.

~~ CA CA CA ~~

Haley sat stoic, staring at the white space before her.

How did this happen? She asked herself.

The question kept repeating in her head. She was absolutely confused how everything turned upside down in just the span of two hours. How could everything go so well for her on the show to this? How could she be on this high of actually winning this reality talent show to shooting a gun at Dan's back?

She doesn't even know how she picked up the gun. She doesn't remember screaming at Dan to stop. Did she even warn him? Did she scream at him to stop? Or did she pick up the gun and shoot? She doesn't remember pulling the trigger. Everything came back to reality for her the moment the loud pop pierced the air and amplified in her eardrums.

"Oh, God," she whimpered. She crumbled her head to her folded arms and sobbed. "What have I done?"

"Mrs. Scott," a man said, the air whooshing behind him as he suddenly opened the door then slammed it shut.

"It's James-Scott," Haley hiccuped, lifting her head. "Please, sir, I don't know how it all happened."

"I'm Detective McCall. And let's start with basic facts. You shot a man in the back."

Haley sighed and closed her eyes in resignation. "Yes," she said, her voice breaking.

The sobs picked up again. The tears flowed, and she couldn't stop it. She tried to get ahold of her breathing and desperately yelled at herself in her mind to shut up and speak in a calm matter, but her mental berating was moot. In a vain attempt, she tried to cover her face with her hands so he wouldn't see how much of a blubbering mess she was becoming. She didn't want him to think this was all an act, but she knew she was a doing a horrible job in convincing him. He probably thought she was guilty and was looking for angles to get an easy confession.

Haley cried for what seemed like hours. She really tried to stop, but it was like her body was telling her mind to fuck off and let her cry. Every time she thought she got ahold of herself when her breath hitched, it was a false alarm. She thought if she could just take a deep breath and clear her mind, she would be able to explain it was self-defense. But that reprieve was just a buildup to get air in her lungs so she could cry more. She really hated herself for not being able to control herself. The man in front of her was probably salivating. She probably looked like the easiest person in the world to manipulate a confession out of her.

Ask for a lawyer! She screamed at herself, but the words failed to come out of her mouth.

She heard something slide across the fake wooden table then McCall cleared his throat.

Great, it's a notepad with a pen on it, she thought.

She opened her eyes and gasped when she saw a cup of water instead. She wearily eyed the man in front of her. She took in his appearance as he nodded towards the cup. His brown eyes were tired, but warm, like they were trained for this type of situation to look comforting. His sandy hair was thinning but well-groomed.

Their eyes connected, and he didn't say anything. He kept his arm stretched out until she took the water. Finally, and with some hesitation, she took the glass and gulped down the water. McCall grunted his approval and leaned back in his chair. He patiently waited until she gasped for air after the last drop of water hit the back of her throat. At least she stopped crying. Now, she was just breathing hard.

"The man you shot, he was fighting with another man," McCall said after a while, holding his jaw with his open hand. His entire body was leaning on the table.

Haley nodded. "Yes."

"Who was the other man?"

"My husband," she whispered. "Nathan Scott."

"Who was the man you shot?"

"My father-in-law, Dan Scott."

"Your father-in-law was beating your husband?"

Tears started to form again. "Yes, he was choking him."

"Why?"

She sobbed into her hand. "Because he was pointing the gun at me and my son. Nathan tackled him out of nowhere and they just started fighting."

"What did you do to your father-in-law?"

"What?" She looked at him confused.

"Your father-in-law was angry enough at you and your son to point a gun at you guys. What did you do to him to make him that angry?"

Haley scoffed at the absurdity of the question. "I married his son? I don't know, detective. I don't even know why he was there. He's never acknowledged his other son, my brother-in-law, Lucas who was in the hospital. I doubt he even knew Lucas was hurt. I hadn't seen him since Nathan disappeared four years ago."

McCall frowned and tilted his head to the other side. "Your husband disappeared? Why did he disappear?"

Haley sighed deep. She closed her eyes and groaned. She let her head drop all the way down to her arms and shook her head for several minutes. She lifted her head and ran her fingers through her hair over and over before she answered.

"It's a long, complicated story," she said, lowly.

McCall shrugged his shoulders and gestured his hands wide open in front of him. "We have a long time."

"I- is my son okay? Is Jamie okay?"

He nodded. "Jamie is fine."

"Can I see him?"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. James-Scott. Not until I hear the story."

"Promise me I get to see him after the story."

He nodded again. "You have my word, Mrs. James-Scott. Now, the story."

Haley rubbed her face then leaned back in her chair. Where to start? How to start? What could she say to make it sound real and concise? She still couldn't wrap her mind over what happened over four years ago.

"I honestly don't know where to begin, sir," she whispered. "I always thought he just couldn't handle it. Everything was suffocating us. I just thought he couldn't handle a young marriage and a child on the way. We were still in high school, for christ's sake. But last week, Lucas told me saw Nathan and he said he was in trouble. That he was playing professional basketball under a different name."

"Start four years ago, start when he disappeared. What led up to his disappearance?"

Haley sighed and frowned, trying to think back that far. "Nathan was in trouble with a bookie named Dante. He borrowed money. He didn't tell me until after a car tried to run him down and I pushed him out of the way. I got hit instead. I was pregnant with our son."

"Why did Dante try to kill your husband?"

"Because Nathan wouldn't throw the state championship game. He cost Dante money. A lot of money, apparently."

"And I'm assuming Dante wasn't arrested?"

"Dante disappeared. The cops couldn't find him after the whole thing. We just assumed he licked his wounds and left. Thought it wasn't worth the trouble since the cops were looking for him."

"Why did your husband borrow money?"

"We were strapped," Haley said, shrugging. "Bills were piling up. I was pregnant. We were in high school with part-time jobs. Nathan tried to go to his dad for help, but he refused, trying to teach Nathan a lesson. But it was more he was pissed that we were still married. He thought Nathan was throwing his basketball career away by being with me. He never approved.

So, when Dante approached Nathan and told him he heard about the financial problems, he gave him money. That was the breather we needed from the problems we were having. So, Nathan took the money."

"You knew this after the fact?"

"Yes," she stressed. "Nathan was trying to take on the world because he was the man, and it was his duty as the husband to take care of his family. He forgot we were a team. I had no idea he took money from a mob boss until I was lying in bed with injuries and watching the news. Feeling sorry for that man."

"And who is Dante?"

Haley shook her head and shrugged. "The news said his name was Dante Jones. That's probably an alias, though."

"Your husband didn't tell you?"

"All he said was his name was Dante."

~~ CA CA CA ~~

Nathan paced and fidgeted his hands. The cops that led him to the room told him to take a seat and a detective would be with him soon. He refused to listen to anything these men said. He wanted to see Haley. He would tell his story, but he wanted to see his wife first. So, he paced and wringed his hands over and over, huffing and puffing every few seconds. He gave the camera inside the room the stink eye every ten seconds.

"Mr. Lee, please sit down," a man said, entering the room as casually as he could. "I'm Detective Sanchez.

Nathan immediately hated him. "I want to see my wife," he said.

Detective Sanchez shook his head. "No can do, Mr. Lee. Not until I get a story."

"You'll get your story when I see my wife first."

Detective Sanchez sighed. "Mr. Lee, you're not in any position to negotiate or make demands. You were found on scene where a man was shot in the back, causing a huge ruckus. A man shot in the back, who your wife freely admits to shooting. A man you were in an altercation with. Why? What is going on, Mr. Lee?"

"My name is not Keith Lee!" Nathan yelled.

"That's not what your ID says."

"It's fucking fake! Okay? It's an alias. My name is Nathan Scott and I disappeared from Tree Hill, North Carolina four years ago. I changed my name and appearance to work for my mob boss, Dante Tremaine."

Silence filled the room. The man stood back and rolled his shoulders so his head was straight. He regarded Nathan, staring at him with curiosity in his eyes. This was not the turn they saw coming. Nathan didn't dare say a word, staring at the man before him. He was about Nathan's height, dark hair and dark eyes. He seemed young, but he had wrinkles around his face that made Nathan think he was more seasoned than what he appeared to be. Finally, the man nodded and sighed. He sat down in the chair before him and nodded with his eyes to the seat in front of him. Nathan looked the seat then back to the detective.

"It'd be easier to sit down and try to excess the tension, Mr. Scott," Detective Sanchez said. "It seems like you have quite the story to tell me."

"I want to see my wife first," Nathan whispered.

The man sighed again. "Mr. Scott, I promise you, if you sit down and talk to me first, you will see your wife."

Nathan stared at him for a long time. "I tell the story then I see my wife?"

"Yes. You have my word."

Nathan exhaled a long breath then crumbled down into the chair. He hung his head as he let the emotions of the day finally take over. He felt the tears well in his eyes then stream down his cheeks. He rubbed his hands through his hair then reclined his head back to look at Detective Sanchez. He stayed quiet as he watched Nathan. Nathan let his chest sob before he raised his hand to wipe his eyes and pinch the bridge of his nose.

"I don't even know where to start," he said, his voice harsh.

"Why don't you start from the beginning of today and work your way back," Detective Sanchez said, his voice soft. "Let's figure this out. Who was the man shot?"

Nathan gave a humorless chuckle. "My father. Dan Scott."

Detective Sanchez's eyebrows hiked up. "And is he involved with Dante Tremaine?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen him since I disappeared from Tree Hill." He paused and thought about it. "It's highly possible. They're both evil."

"Okay. Why did your wife shoot your father?"

"Because he pointed the gun at her and my son first," Nathan said, harshly. "It was self-defense."

"He was shot in the back."

Nathan scoffed. "Because I knocked the gun out of his hands the last second. He pointed it at my son and Haley reacted. She jumped in front of him and I tackled him. We started fighting and he had the upper hand. He was choking me. He was going to kill me. She shot him in self-defense."

"And why were you there at the hospital?"

"My brother, Lucas, was stabbed at Haley's show. I had a feeling Dante's men tried to get my wife and Lucas stopped it. I got the hospital info from one of the producers and raced over there. I was in fear of my wife's life. Then I saw my father approach her outside with the gun. I yelled for the cabbie to call the cops and ran after them. I had to save my wife."

"Your wife's show?"

"She's on American Idol. There was fight after she performed and I recognized one of Dante's men in the crowd. I put two and two together. Now, look what happened."

"Why would Dante want to harm your wife?"

"He probably felt me slipping away from his grasp. He knew I was at the show. He saw her as a liability. And liabilities had to go."

"Does your wife know any of this?"

"No," he stressed. "I made it look like I left her four years ago while she was pregnant with our son. I had to. Dante was threatening to kill her."

"Why?"

"Because I borrowed money from him four years ago and as repayment, he wanted me to point-shave a couple of basketball games. He wanted me to throw the state championship. I didn't, so he tried to kill me with a car."

Fresh tears started to fall. "Haley pushed me away last second and got hit instead. When he crashed the car and was nowhere in sight, I thought that was the last of him. I thought he would leave me and my family alone. I was completely wrong. Months later, he resurfaced, threatening to kill my wife. So, I left. Now, I'm a professional basketball player who point-shaves for his bets. I'm his professional slave."

~~ CA CA CA ~~

Haley's leg bounced to the point where she was shaking the table leg, vibrating the countertop. All this talking was increasing her anxiety and exhausting her body all at once. It seemed like moving her leg was the only thing that kept her focused. The questions kept coming, and no matter how much she gulped the water in front of her, her throat felt extremely dry. She should be worried about singing tomorrow in the show, but that was essentially nonexistent. There was no way she was going back to that show or sing for that matter after all this.

Everything was effectively ruined. All of this started because she went on the show. Nathan resurfaced after leaving her pregnant and alone. Lucas was stabbed almost to death. Or to death. She never got an update after the whole fiasco. Her breath hitched as the thought processed in her mind. Was Lucas dead?

"Oh, God," she said, sitting up. "How is my brother-in-law, Lucas? Is he okay?"

McCall gave her a sympathetic smile then slightly shrugged his shoulders.

Haley sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. She looked at him desperate as the racing thoughts in her head grew rampant. Dozens of questions zipped throughout her mind, and the anxiety was starting to turn into a panic attack. She need some type of answers. It was only fair since she gave him answers to his questions. The hours in the small space was starting to get to her. She craned her neck back and closed her eyes, trying to gain some kind of control on her emotions. She took several deep breaths before she stared into McCall's eyes. She gestured to his phone in front of him.

"Can you please check?" She asked. "I know you've been getting messages throughout this entire exchange."

He sighed. "They're not pertaining to your brother-in-law. Lucas, you said? I'm assuming Scott?"

"Yes," she said with strain. She dropped her head into her hands. "He's Nathan's half brother. And Jamie's father figure."

"And that's all he is?"

She groaned. "How many times do I have to say it?" She raised her head to look at him again. "Lucas was my best friend before I even met Nathan. Platonic best friend. He still is. He just stepped up when Nathan left. And he could be dying because of me and I'm not there. Please, I just want to know if he's okay."

"Did Lucas know about Dante?"

She threw up her hands. "I-" she cut herself off and thought about it. "He probably knew in high school. Nathan and Lucas were close that year, they played on the same team. Lucas would've noticed any behavior change with Nathan. Now, I- Lucas probably knew. He told me a week ago he saw Nathan and he was in trouble. Wouldn't tell me more. I've been giving him the silent treatment since."

Tears started rolling down her cheeks as she replayed the events over in her mind again. "He pushed me back." The sobs suffocated her chest until she let them out. "He knew that man was going to hurt me. He protected me and all I did was treat him like shit because he saw my husband. God, please, I need to know he's okay. Please, check in with that hospital. His name is Lucas Eugene Scott. He was in surgery when I stepped out for some air and that's where Dan intercepted me."

"Okay, Mrs. James-Scott, my colleagues are trying to get an update," McCall said, softly. "Please, stay on track. Do you need some more water?"

"No, I need to know if Lucas is dead or not!"

Awkward silence filled the room after her outburst. Haley sighed in shame. She shot a man in the back hours ago, and all she was worried about was whether or not her best friend was dead. She should be concerned about Dan, and she was, but her mind was focused on Lucas at the moment. He was losing a lot of blood as she cradled his head in her lap as she screamed for help. Him choking on his own blood wouldn't leave her mind.

She didn't want that to be the last image in her head. She didn't want something so horrible be the last thing they endured together. She wanted the days back where they would laugh at stupid shit. She wanted the days where he tickled her son until he screamed murder in his high-pitch squeals. She wanted the days where he would just hold her on her outdoor porch.

She wanted the days back where she thought Nathan was just a deadbeat man who couldn't handle a family at a young age. Those were the simpler days. She was in a blissful bubble of dreams back then. Now, she was in a living nightmare. She wanted to wake up and go back to a time where she cursed Nathan's existence, but still longed for him from afar. At least back then she was safe and she wasn't caught in this tangled web.

"I'm sorry," she said, weakly. "I didn't imagine this was how my day would be going when I woke up this morning."

She earned a small chuckle from McCall.

"I don't think neither of us thought today would be the day shit goes sideways," he said in a calm manner. "We are working to see if Lucas is okay."

"Thank you," she said, gulping. She hesitated and stared at McCall for the longest time before the courage built up inside of her. "Is..."

McCall raised his eyebrows. "Yes?"

"Is Dan okay? I didn't kill him, did I?"

McCall sighed and fiddled with his phone for a few seconds. A sinking feeling started to churn in her stomach, which created the bile stirring inside of her and making its way up her throat. He wasn't looking at her for the longest time and when his eyes flickered up to meet hers, her hand covered her mouth. It was a futile attempt to stop the feeling, but she had to try something to stop it. She forced herself not to look away.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. James-Scott," he said, his voice somber. "Dan Scott didn't make it. He died during surgery."

She collapsed her entire upper body on the tabletop and cried until her voice turned hoarse.

~~ CA CA CA ~~

"So, he's dead?" Nathan asked after a while.

His arms were crossed and he was restless, but he stayed in his seat. He answered all the questions without having an edge to his voice. Well, mostly without an edge. Some questions he was losing his patience because they seemed redundant to him. He didn't scream his answers or jump out of his seat to pace, even though that's what he wanted to do hours ago. Instead, he showed his attitude with a roll of his eyes or excessively scoffed.

When they finally told him about his father, he stayed silent. Not even a clear of his throat or a choked sob. He blankly stared at Sanchez as he processed his words. Relief and terror flooded him at the same time. The monster was out of his life for good, but at the cost of his wife killing him. She couldn't go to prison because of his actions. He wasn't stupid. He knew everything that's happened in the past four years had solely been his fault. The mess back then, the aftermath that led to now, and the events now all traced back to his stupid decision to take dirty money from a mob boss.

He had to make a deal to save Haley. So, he took his time trying to formulate one. He made sure not to show any emotion about his father's death. After all, Dan Scott never did anything for his children unless it benefitted himself. As far as he was concerned, his father deserved to die. His heart ached that it was Haley who killed him. That wasn't how it was supposed to go. Dan deserved death by his hands, not hers. Not his sweet angel. It was time to be a man, and take responsibility.

"You don't seem too hung up about that," Sanchez said, breaking the silence.

Nathan's eyes flicked up to his, but he didn't say anything for a long time. He didn't say one word for what seemed like hours, but it was probably more like ten minutes. He tried to remember every tidbit he had on Dante that was good enough for these people. He reclined his head back and closed his eyes. He thought back to where Dante kept his records, where he kept his money, his business associates. How many games he point-shaved, who was involved in those dealings, any big name he could turn over. Just anything to get his wife, son, and brother out of this. He would even give himself if it meant saving them.

"So, he's dead?" He asked, after he was done thinking.

He needed the confirmation just to be sure. He wanted to hear the words again. Before he committed to anything, he needed to know his father was dead.

Sanchez nodded. "He died during surgery. No emotion from you whatsoever."

"The only thing that breaks my heart about his death is that my wife might go down for this. She can't go down for this."

"She shot him, Mr. Scott."

"In self-defense!" He yelled, slapping his palms against the table. He took a few calming breaths. "Look at the security tapes. You know it was self-defense. I won't let her go down for this."

"And what do you plan to do, Mr. Scott? Say you shot the gun and she picked it up after you? You know security cameras are going to refute that. Simply put, she shot your father and he died. She's not going to get away with that completely free, no matter how much you scream self-defense. She still killed a man. She still has to pay for that one way. I'm sorry, Mr. Scott, at best, she's looking at manslaughter."

"What if I make a deal?"

Sanchez raised an eyebrow. "A deal?"

Nathan shook his head. "Look, man, Haley can't pay for my mistakes. My father is connected to Dante. I know it." He paused and took a deep breath. "Call the FBI. I can give them Dante if my wife is saved."

Sanchez regarded him.

"Only if my wife is saved," Nathan stressed.

~~ CA CA CA ~~

Haley groaned as she rotated her neck. It seemed like she was in that room for days. McCall finally left the room and she was left to be in her own mind. The tears recently stopped and all the crying gave her a headache. She was allowed some Tylenol, but that wasn't enough. When she was by herself, when she surrendered to all the swirling thoughts in her mind, she was drowning in pain. It seemed like the throbbing intensified to magnetic rays. She thought maybe pacing would relieve the stress, getting some flow in her body, but it was useless. No matter how hard she tried, her mind focused on one thing.

She was a murderer.

She killed someone. Not just someone, she killed Dan. She was never going to come back from this. She was going to prison. She was never going to see Jamie again. She was never going to see Lucas again, if he survived. She was never going to sing again. Her life was effectively over.

Why didn't she just go back inside and scream for help? Why did she have to pick up the gun? Why did she scream at him to stop? Why didn't she just grab the gun and take Jamie back inside to ask for help? She racked her mind asking herself why she didn't do things different.

The most frustrating thing was she couldn't answer herself. She didn't know why she picked up the gun and screamed to Dan to stop. She didn't know why she aimed. She didn't know why she closed her eyes after taking a deep breath then squeezed the trigger.

The loud bang woke her up and she gasped. She realized what she done when the struggling stopped in front of her and Dan slumped forward. It was too late. She ruined her life the moment she shot that gun.

The tears welled again. Haley bit her lip to try to stop the tears. A choked sob escaped instead and she dragged a hand down her face. This was all fucked. God, she had to get a lawyer. She decided once McCall came back she would ask for a lawyer even though it was too late. She talked without one and the damage was done. All she needed now was legal representation when she accepted her actions as guilty. She shot a man in the back and he died. That was the bottom line.

The door opened behind her. Haley gasped at the sudden sound. The whoosh seemed thunderous to her, so she looked behind her. Her gasp turned sharp once she took in the person at the door. It wasn't McCall like she expected, but her estranged husband. Nathan looked scared for a second as he stayed rooted in the doorway.

As much as she wanted to hate him, the fact he was right in front of her gave her an intense flooding of emotions. First, relief that he was okay; that the bullet didn't somehow go through Dan and into Nathan. And the cops didn't beat him up too much. Second, shock that he was alive and well right in front of her. And third, happiness that she finally got to see him after this whole debacle. Without really think about it, she rushed to his arms.

"Nathan," she sobbed. "Thank God you're here."

She heard him sigh in relief when she moved towards him. He met her halfway and engulfed her in a massive hug; his arms wrapped tight around her shoulders and his chest cradled her head nice and snug. She felt like she was protected in that moment. It was like before, when his hugs were her source of physical love and protection. The same feeling of being loved and cared for rushed back to her. She wanted to revel in it, but reality quickly placed itself back in the forefront, centered and proud.

He still left and she was still targeted.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, pulling back. "What is going on? Why was Lucas attacked? Why did Dan come after me? I killed him, Nathan! He's dead. I'm going to prison for manslaughter! And where the fuck were you all this time?"

He pulled her back, allowing her wet sobs to soak his shirt. "Shh, shh," he whispered against her hair. "I'm so sorry, Haley. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

She cried more into his chest. She couldn't say anything more if she tried. The tears were uncontrollable. She kept crying as he softly spoke against her hair.

"This isn't your fault in any way, Haley," he said. "It's mine. I'm so sorry I got you into this. I'm so sorry you met me. I'm gonna make this right, I promise. I'm gonna make this right."

"What are you talking about?" She pulled back, wailing. "What the fuck is going on, Nathan?"

"I left because of Dante." His face crumbled as tears started streaming down his cheeks. "He was threatening to kill you and Jamie, Hales. I work for him, point-shaving games as my debt and to save you. Look, all of this is all fucked right now, but it's my fault. And I'm gonna make it right, I promise."

"What are you talking about?" She stressed.

"You're not going to prison, okay? I'm gonna make this right."

"Nathan, you are not making any sense!"

"I have to go back to Dante. I have to give the FBI their evidence."

End Ch. 16.

Thank you again for the review and alerts. Thank you again for sticking along with this. Review if you'd like.

CAli