Bleeding Love Chapter 28: Never Say Never, an one tree hill fanfic

AN: Ok yeah I know I suck!! I'm behind with updates. Had some writer's block and life's usual road blocks! Between all of that and a new job…. Well I just hope you get the idea.

Honestly? If there's one person you can thank for this update it's probably southernbangel. She gave me the shove I needed. Thanks L~~

Chapter 28 Never Say Never

Some things we don't talk about,
Rather do without,
Just hold a smile.
Falling in and out of love,
Ashamed and proud of,
Together all the while.

You can never say never,
While we don't know it,
Time and time again.
Younger now than we were before.

Don't let me go
Don't let me go

Don't let me go

Picture,
You're the Queen of everything,
Far as the eye can see,
Under your command.
I will be your guardian,
When all is crumbling,
Steady your hand.

You can never say never,
While we don't know it,
Time, time, and time again.
Younger now than we were before.

Don't let me go
Don't let me go

Don't let me go

We're falling apart,
And coming together again and again.
We're crawling apart,
But we fall in together,
Pulling together, together again.
Ooohhh Ahhhhh

Don't let me go

Don't let me go
Don't let me go

Don't let me go

The Fray

It had been forty eight hours since the school shooting. Nathan sat in the ICU waiting room in what was probably the hardest most uncomfortable chair he'd ever had the displeasure of using, but Haley wouldn't leave and Nathan wasn't going home without her.

There really hadn't been any news on Quentin other than he was stable after the surgery. Nathan was really beginning to worry more about Haley than Quentin. She'd been quiet and distant and had more than one bawling session over the last couple of days. He'd tried desperately to get her to go home for at least a few hours to rest. She was pregnant and he knew she was exhausted but she was stubborn and he'd made no progress in accomplishing his goal.

As he sat there with her head on his shoulder, his arm around hers, he rubbed his hand gently up and down her outer arm. She lifted her head to look at him and soon he saw the crocodile tears welling in her eyes. "Ok that's it Haley Scott. You've got to go home and get some sleep baby. You're worn out. You've been here for two days. You can't keep going like this Hales."

She shook her head as the tears tracked down her cheeks. "I can't. I can't leave Nathan."

Nathan took a deep breath and guided her head back to his chest, releasing it with a heavy sigh. He placed his head against hers and whispered into her hair. "Baby, this isn't healthy. It's not good for you or the baby. Please let me take you home. Just for a few hours. You're not going to do Q any good like this Haley."

"But he's here because of me" she cried.

"Haley? Do you think Q could live with it if you lost this baby? He'd be devastated. You don't want to put him through that. He'd blame himself just like you're blaming yourself right now. He shouldn't have to wake up to that type of guilt" Nathan said while trying to comfort her.

Haley looked up into Nathan's eyes. She knew he didn't mean harm by what he was saying. He was trying to get her to look at things from another angle so he could take care of her. "Ok" she whispered.

Nathan stood up from the chair and held out his hands for Haley to take. As they were leaving the hospital they saw Q's mom coming back in.

"Are you finally going to get some rest Haley?" she said as she hugged the young girl.

Haley nodded and gave Mrs. Fields a slight shy smile.

"Good" she said as she placed her hand over the small swell in Haley's stomach. "You've got to take care of yourself and this precious bundle of joy you're carrying. I promise you I'll call if there's any change. I want you both to know how much I appreciate your being here. It means the world to me that you care about my boy like you do. And thank you both for making sure someone was around to watch Andre'. He's better off playing with Jamie than sitting here. He's too young to understand completely."

Nathan and Haley then hugged Mrs. Fields and turned left to the elevators.

….

Nathan woke up and glanced over to his wife. As he turned back to look at the clock beside the bed, he was shocked. They'd been asleep for six hours straight. She still looked tired. The worry and fear still etched in her face even in sleep. Nathan thought back to the night before when he'd gone in to see Quentin.

"Q you gotta wake up man. My wife is really torn up about all of this. What in the hell is going on between you two anyway?" Nathan chuckled. "You're alright Quentin. I don't know what I would have done if this were her lying here man" Nathan stopped long enough to gather his emotions. The tears welling in his eyes were about to win the war of escape. Taking a deep breath he finally continued. "Thank you! Thank you Q for taking care of Haley. I owe you Quentin. I owe you everything"

Nathan slightly smiled. He and Quentin had come so far in the last few months. Quentin had been there when he realized Haley and Jamie were in trouble. He had protected them with his life. Now he had repeated that action and Nathan had no choice but to finally realize, Quentin Fields was not the dangerous person Nathan Scott had once thought. He had a heart and had followed his instincts and taken care of people he had no obligation to do so. Nathan would be indebted to Quentin for all eternity. He owed him his undying gratitude for both of his children and his wife's lives. And now? Now he'd saved Haley and their third child's lives too.

Jamie was a different story. He was furious that Quentin was hurt. Nathan explained that Quentin got hurt while trying to help Haley and though Jamie was grateful for his Mom being ok, he had a raging anger toward the guy that hurt his friend.

Nathan thought back to the night he carried Jamie in to see Quentin right after he came out of surgery.

Quentin? I don't know if you can hear me. I've heard many people say it was a good chance so I came to tell you, "You're my friend Quentin. I'm ready for you to wake up"

Jamie turned his tear filled eyes to his Dad. His lip quivering slightly as he asked. "Why did this have to happen? I love you Q."

"Jamie, Quentin saved your Mom, son, he did what he thought was best and acted upon it without a moment's hesitation. That's brave and noble. Quentin's a hero Jamie."

"I don't want him to be a hero Dad. I want him to be my friend."

"Jamie Q is your friend. But aren't you proud to be able to say you're friend is brave and caring person? I sure am. Quentin's my friend too. I have the upmost respect for him, but I can't say I don't admire and respect him even more for the man he's proven himself to be."

Jamie's eyes searched his dad's. "I wish I could have been the one to kill that guy that shot Q!"

"Jamie" Nathan sighed. "Oh Jamie, come here buddy!" Nathan pulled his son into his arms and held him tight. "Everything's going to be ok, Jamie. I understand that you're upset but son you don't mean that. You would never be as heartless as the guy that did this. You couldn't do that Jamie and you know that. Without Quentin, it might be your Mom and the baby lying here. What would we have done then? How would we have made it Jamie? I don't want you and Cammie to grow up without your Mom. Anger is a terrible thing, son. It makes people do awful things. That's not you Jamie. You're smart and fun and carefree. Stay that way ok?"

The young boy nodded his head against his Dad's chest. "I love you Daddy"

"I love you too, son."

….

Nathan took a deep breath as the memory of the terror he felt rushed through his body. He glanced back over at the sleeping form of his wife. 'He truly did owe Quentin. He just hadn't decided on how he'd ever be able to pay that debt back. He'd never pay it in full. Hell even he knew that, but as for how to start, Nathan was at a loss.'

After cooking dinner he moved back upstairs and stood in the doorway of the master bedroom quietly watching her sleep. Deciding it was best to try to get some food in her, he moved to sit on the edge of the bed. His hand came up to smooth a stray lock of hair behind her ear and she murmured in her sleep. A smile small came to Nathan's otherwise fear crested features. "Haley?" he said in a low voice. Nothing. "Hales? Baby are you hungry?" Her doe eyes began to flutter and slowly opened.

"What?" she whispered.

"I made dinner. Are you hungry? You haven't been eating hardly anything. I thought maybe you'd be hungry."

"Nathan I can't…."

"You can't what Haley? You can't take care of yourself and our baby? Come on, baby. You've gotta eat something and keep your strength up."

She knew it was useless to argue. She'd never win. Protective Nathan Scott had returned to living in the house with her. She'd never get passed him. While she was still too upset and worried to eat, she knew he was right. She had to do so for the baby. She moved to sit up and as she did she gave him a small smile. "Ok" she quietly said. "I can't promise I can stomach a lot but I'll try"

Nathan leaned over to kiss her forehead after he nodded his understanding. She had been an emotional wreck of blame since the shooting. He knew her nerves were on edge but he wouldn't let that stop him from trying to take care of her, after all it was what he had vowed to do the moment they were married.

…..

Brooke walked into her kitchen and was surprised to find the man sitting at the bar. "What are you doing here?"

"I wrapped up the filming and I flew home. Why are you surprised?"

"Well I thought when we talked that you were pissed. I didn't expect to see you until you called."

"Brooke you called me in the middle of one of the nine hundred takes we had done for one scene screaming that you were late. Forgive me for not exactly understanding your meaning right away."

"Look Julian, we've had a lot of fun but I think this scare, oh and by the way that's all it was, has totally given us both an understanding that we're not ready for this."

"Brooke who says I'm not ready? Was I shocked? Sure I was. Did I run away from the idea? You know I didn't. I was just caught off guard. Surely you can understand that."

"Do you think I wasn't?"

"I'm sure you were though you never talked to me about it."

"Yeah well I would have if I thought you'd have given it any attention. You were too busy with your job. But then you're always too busy with something where I'm concerned. Brooke stormed out of the kitchen leaving Julian to stare after her. As he watched her he released a heavy sigh. 'So much for a proposal' he thought to himself.

…..

Nathan put the last of the dinner dishes in the dishwasher. Haley was wiping of the kitchen counters when he heard her sharply in take a deep breath. "Hales? What is it baby?" he asked while moving quickly beside her.

She shook her head, unable to speak. Finally she lifted her head so that her eyes found her husband's.

Nathan could see the tears forming in her eyes, huge crocodile tears and he sighed heavily. "Aw Haley. C'mere baby" He took her hand in his and pulled her into his chest, holding her tightly against him once she was securely tucked in his arms. He felt her knees weaken and held even tighter. He knew she was still exhausted from fighting the emotional demons that were trying to possess her. "Baby he's going to be ok. You have to hold on to that Haley."

As she looked up into Nathan's face, she could see the love and support he held but also the belief in what he was saying. She smiled slightly. "Nathan?"

"Hmmm?" he asked as his large hand stroked her hair on the back of her head.

"I want Jack to come and live with us. He'll be placed into child protective services if someone doesn't step in. He's sixteen so they won't object to him staying here."

Nathan's eyes searched Haley's. He knew she needed this peace after everything that happened and while he didn't relish the idea of having a teenage boy in the house, he didn't dismiss the fact that his wife felt the need to do something to help after the two young men had so selflessly taken care of her. "Ok" he whispered. "If that's what you want Haley I'm ok with that"

She smiled and hugged him tighter. "I want to get back to the hospital Nathan."

Nathan let out a deep sigh. "Hales? Come on baby. You need to rest. I need you to take care of yourself and this baby, Haley"

"I know but Nathan, Quentin he…."

"I know he did baby, and I'll be forever indebted to him, but Hales I can't let something happen to you. I won't make it. I can't live without you Haley!" Nathan said, his voice full of conviction while his eyes were full of tears.

……

Two days later Nathan and Haley were sitting in the waiting room of the ICU. Quentin's Mom had just come out. Haley had her head on Nathan's shoulder while he comfortingly rubbed his hand up and down her arm. She didn't see Mrs. Fields or the look on her face.

Nathan started to stand when his eyes took her in and Haley's immediately searched hers as she started to stand beside him.

"He's awake. Quentin is conscious."

Nathan felt Haley's small body sag into his as her knees began to buckle under what he believed was a wave of relief. He quickly realized that it was more than that when he had to support more of her weight. "Haley? Baby? HALEY??"