Alright, so I got kinda annoyed with the huge blob at the beginning so I've taken it off. If for some reason you want it back let me know.

Sorry it has taken me so long to update! I honestly meant to update sooner, but I got really sick. Then I had finals to study for, but now I'm on break and I'll be updating frequently (hopefully). More reviews mean quicker updates by the way ;)

As always, please Read and Review and thanks very much to those that have :).

Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of the characters and such, if I did Naley would have more screen time, Dan would have less.

Bold face is reality with Haley in a coma, Normal is the dream world, and Italics are the thoughts

After a longer delay than usual, the next installment of the story shall begin, in a high school hallway after class….

Switzerland and Bully Protection

"Haley! Hey Haley!" Haley heard the voice calling after her, but wanted nothing to do with it. She sped her pace up and saw the tutor center's door, it was her safe haven. She quickly ran inside and locked the door behind her.

Jake watched her disappear into the tutor center, he tried to open the door, only to discover it locked. He leaned against the door, "Haley, I need to talk to you. Please open the door."

"Why Jake? So you can remind me of how much I screw up?" Haley asked harshly through the door.

"No. There's something you should know about Nathan that nobody else knows."

Haley's curiosity was piqued, but she refused to give Jake the satisfaction, "Unless it concerns Nathan's well-being I really don't care."

"What if it concerns your well-being?" Jake asked slyly.

Haley gave in and suddenly opened the door, which caused Jake to fall over into the tutor center. Haley smiled a little as Jake swiftly got back up off the ground, "You didn't see that!" He said quickly. Haley nodded and closed the door, locking it again.

"So what concerns my well-being and Nathan?"

"It's your well-being at this school. I'm not supposed to be on your side. If Peyton had any idea I was talking to you right now, on friendly terms no less, I would suddenly find myself single."

Haley turned her head to the side and raised one of her eyebrows questioningly, "So wait, you tricked me?"

"I have to make something clear to you Haley!!"

Haley rolled her eyes, but she figured Jake wouldn't give up, "You have one minute and then I'm leaving."

"Thanks." Jake maneuvered himself so he was right in front of Haley and made eye contact, "I'm sorry for what just happened in class."

Haley reluctantly sighed, "You could've done worse, you were just pointing the truth out. I was just surprised that it was you, I mean you were the only guy on the team last year to be nice to Lucas and stand up to Nathan. I didn't expect you to take his side now…"

"Why shouldn't I Haley?" Jake's tone was suddenly harsh, "Nathan changed into a good guy! He isn't the guy who fought with Lucas last year! He doesn't deserve what you did to him!" Haley felt tears spring to her eyes, she was really sick of people ragging on her constantly. Jake ran his hand through his spiky hair and Haley turned to walk out of the tutor center. Jake shook his head and placed a hand on Haley's shoulder, stopping her, "I'm sorry Haley, that was out of line. Honestly, I'm not picking a side, I'm Switzerland. I understand both of you. You left your one true love to follow your dreams and I understand that better than anyone."

Haley nodded, remembering how she heard that Jake had been put in jail soon after she had left because he refused to give Jenny to Nikki. "What happened to you anyway Jake? Last I heard you were in jail."

Jake sighed, he didn't want to talk about it, but Haley had asked. Maybe she would understand why he was so torn if she heard the story, "I was released because they found a lie in Nikki's story."

"That's great Jake!"

Jake gave her a small smile as he continued his story, "Unfortunately, Nikki had found where I had hidden Jenny and taken her by the time I was released. I had to find Jenny, I had to leave Peyton so I could find her. I left my true love to chase my dream as you did. I don't regret what I did, but I do regret the consequences it had on Peyton. Eventually, I tracked Nikki down and she gave me Jenny without a fight. She was tired of pretending to be a mom, she wanted to just party. I had her sign all these forms relinquishing any further claims on Jenny, she doesn't even have to pay child support. I make this sound so much easier than it was. While I was gone I didn't contact Peyton at all, I thought it would be too hard. This whole process took about eight months, when I returned Peyton was a mess. She was angry at the world and had given up on dating, it took a while to get her back, but I finally did. I have Jenny and Peyton. I couldn't be happier."

"I'm glad it all worked out for you Jake," Haley told him sincerely.

"Do you have any regrets about what you did Haley?" Jake asked, before he would help her he wanted the truth.

Haley seriously considered his question. She loved the tour, the people who came just to hear her sing, the singing itself, the hanging out with people like Chris. Haley loved every second of it, except, there was no denying it, she missed her best friends. She missed Lucas, Brooke, Peyton, school in general. She quickly pushed it out of her mind, but briefly, Haley realized she missed Nathan. She, for a split second, realized she hated what she had done to the boy she had fallen so deeply in love with. She did regret no longer being close to the people she used to value above all and just leaving them, without maintaining contact. Haley sighed deeply, "I don't regret going on tour. I learned a lot of things about who I am and life in general, but I do regret how I left. I regret that I caused pain for my friends and for..." Haley paused and glanced away before continuing, "I regret that I didn't try as hard as I should've to keep in touch with everyone."

Jake smiled, "That's what I wanted to hear Haley! I'm going to try to help you out, believe it or not, your biggest foe right now isn't Nathan."

Haley once again raised an eyebrow at Jake, she had heard this from other people before, but still couldn't believe it. Nathan was the one she hurt most, "Then who is?"

"Peyton Sawyer," Jake said shaking his head slowly, but with a small loving smile playing across his face.

"Thanks for promising your help Jake," Haley said quietly.

"I would say no problem, but it easily could become one," He said jokingly, but still seriously to her.

"If it's too much trouble you don't have to help me, it's not like I deserve your help anyway."

Jake's heart broke a little, he hadn't really considered just how much pain Haley was going through. "It's okay Haley. Peyton will get over it one day," he said quietly. He was desperately hoping that Haley couldn't tell he was hiding something important from her, something about Nathan's feelings for her.

"I'm sorry about making you be Switzerland."

Jake laughed softly and gestured to the tutor center door.

The two left the tutor center feeling a little better about themselves than when they had entered, but neither realized someone else had been in there with them. The freshman girl, Red, smirked. She knew Peyton Sawyer would be thrilled to hear about her "perfect" boyfriend conspiring with the slut Haley James.

"Karen….what happened? Nobody has said anything to me…" Deb said cautiously.

"And why should they Deb??? You pop pills the night of your son's state championship basketball game, a night he has been preparing himself for most of his life!"

Deb didn't want to make Karen more upset, but she wanted her to understand at least a little, "I've had to live with Dan for most of my life."

"Yet the pills don't become a real problem until he moves out?!"

"Look Karen, I screwed up, I'm still screwing up, but hopefully I'll get better."

"Deb you can't say hopefully, you have to get better, for the sake of your son and daughter-in-law."

Deb just nodded.

"Haley was in a car accident, she shoved Nathan out of the way just in time, which caused her to be put in the way of danger. Lucas saw her dying in the street and went into cardiac arrest due to his HCM." Karen had tried to say that as calmly as she could, but by the end she was breaking down. Deb hugged the grown woman tightly, "Deb, I've gone through so much already, why do I need to go through more?"

Deb hugged Karen to her, trying to comfort the desperate woman, "I don't know Karen, I just don't know." At that moment Deb vowed to herself she would give up the pills and be strong, like Karen.

"Tutor-Girl I have to go into the gym for cheer stuff, but I'll be back soon, okay?" Brooke asked Haley

"Brooke it's fine, believe it or not I can take care of myself," Haley said, grateful that Brooke was being so nice to her when nobody else would, but a little annoyed at the constant protectiveness.

Brooke gave Haley a little wave and then went into the gym. Haley walked into the main school building and people immediately began to glare at her. The glares haven't been as noticeable with Lucas or Brooke around.

A boy who had once told Haley that she was the bomb walked up to her, "Haley James?"

"Hey! I haven't talked to you in forever! What's up?" She was glad that he didn't seem to be too antagonizing.

"I was just…." They boy cut off and glanced around him, people walking by slowed down and began to stare.

"What's wrong? You need some tutoring help?" Haley hadn't noticed the people stopping and staring, she was only concerned about the boy.

"I was just wondering if….would you have sex with me?" Haley stared at the boy, shock and hurt written all over her face. He seemed to grow more confident and was able to say the next words quicker and without pausing, "I mean you did Nathan, Keller, probably Lucas too, since you guys used to "hang out" so much," Haley's jaw dropped as she stared at the boy who she had always considered nice while the small crowd around broke into cruel laughter, "I'll even pay you! Only a little though because none of 'your boys' seem to hang around for long after you hook up." Tears began to form in Haley's eyes and she tried to run away only to see the small crowd had formed a closed circle, not allowing her to escape. To Haley's shame tears began to fall from her eyes.

"HEY!" Nathan Scott came into view, fury in his eyes. There was nothing he hated more than to see Haley hurt and crying, unless he himself had purposely done it, in which case he felt like she deserved it.

Haley glanced up to see Nathan walking rapidly towards her, he's probably coming to rub salt in the wound. With that Haley fell to the ground, she didn't want to see Nathan when he insulted her.

Nathan shoved the people in the circle out of the way, causing lots of complaints and questioning looks. He didn't care, "Get up Haley," She didn't move, "Haley, c'mon," a little annoyance was now in his tone.

"I don't want to see you hurt me too," she whispered. She didn't think Nathan could hear her; except he knew her so well, despite their separation, that he knew how to listen to all of her vocal styles, including her soft whispers.

Nathan didn't think, he just felt a wave of pity and repressed protectfulness for her. He easily picked her up and carried her in his arms down the hallway.

"Nathan…" Haley whispered into his chest, she had forgotten how nice his chest felt even through a shirt.

"Don't get the wrong idea Haley, I just hate seeing people bullied," Nathan partially lied. Ever since Haley he had hated to see people get pushed around, minus cocky musicians, but that didn't mean he was going to carry them away.

"You? Hate to see people bullied?" Haley couldn't keep the surprise out of her voice, "Since when?"

A flash of pain crossed Nathan's face, I guess she doesn't know me that well, his expression darkened. He put Haley on the ground and a wave of disappointment hit her, she didn't know how much she missed Nathan's arms. "Haley stop letting people put you down. You keep it up and you'll end up getting slaughtered, and I won't be there to stop it next time."

Nathan began to walk back up the hallway, "Nathan!" Haley called, he paused briefly, "Please, don't walk away."

He turned, anger on his face, "Why not?"

Because I want to talk to you some more, because I want to get my feelings straightened out, because I think I should've come home from the tour and stayed with you. Instead of voicing her thoughts Haley said nothing.

"That's what I thought," Hurt was now the primary emotion on Nathan's face as he walked away from Haley.