First things first, I am so sorry that it took me this long to update! End of the semester = chaos.

Secondly, it's hard to believe that 1) I posted the first chapter of this story over a year ago. I was hoping to be finished with this entire thing before I hit the year mark, but life happens. 2) Speaking of the finishing this story, there are only 2 chapters left, this one and then the epilogue! I know originally I said there were three chapters left, but I did some revising, but anyway. Crazy right? I have such mixed feelings about ending this story. I'm glad to be done because I can focus my attention on other projects, but I'm also sad because I've grown really attached to this version of these characters. Alright, I'll stop before I get way too emotional.

Time for me to be brutally honest about this chapter...I kind of feel as if it's a little anti-climatic and it was incredibly hard to write. I think this was a sign that I need to stop writing stories with such brutal and annoying villains, especially ones where it seems that their goal is to be life-threatening. It was just hard because I didn't want this story to seem too much like Razor Sharp. I kind of put myself in a tight spot with trying to make this chapter intense but also trying to avoid copying my own story, haha. This was a very unnecessary ramble, but I've never shied away from being open and honest about my writing process...so why stop now?

And for those of you saying that you want more Naley fluff...spoiler alert, the epilogue will probably give you a cavity.

P.S. Totally jumped the gun and already posted the prologue to my new story "Hell on a Highway." You should check it out :)

"Are we ready?"

Nathan wanted to scream. He wanted to run.

His chest was tight and he felt like he couldn't breathe. A shooting pain had him shaking in his seat. The last four years had been leading up to this moment and Nathan still wasn't sure if he was ready. It was do or die. It was freedom or prison. There was so much that could go wrong, and only one thing that could go right.

His eyes cut to Haley and the pain in his chest worsened.

She'd been relatively calm throughout this entire thing, outwardly, that is. It had been her idea to offer herself up, something Nathan had argued plenty against. He lost that argument when Haley grabbed his hands and looked him dead in the eyes when she told him that she was doing this with or without him. He never thought he would find someone who loved him as much as she did and he was finally learning not to question that.

Haley kept her head held high and every time he could feel himself slipping, she was right there, reassuring him that everything was going to be okay. Even though her words were positive, he could see that flicker of unease in her eyes. She was being strong…for him, even though he was certain her mind was running wild.

"As ready as we can be," Brooke said quietly, shakily. She looked sickly pale, but oddly at ease at the same time.

Lucas rubbed his sweaty palms against the coarse fabric of his jeans as he sat up on the couch. He looked worn out, his eyes sunken in and skin blotchy—tell-tale signs that he was both mentally and physically exhausted.

"Let's run through this one more time," Lucas mumbled tiredly. "Just to be sure. We can't afford any mistakes."

Nathan swallowed hard as he took in the anxiety-stricken faces of his friends. Their jittery movements, darting eyes, and fear slipping into even their most mundane conversations had Nathan jumping in his own skin. The guilt threatened to eat him alive and the words "forget it. Let me handle this myself" were resting on the tip of his tongue. Haley would probably scold him with fire-y eyes and lips pressed into a thin line. He could already hear her telling him that he wasn't alone in this and his friends wouldn't have offered to help if they didn't truly want to.

No matter how much time went by and how much help he got, he was sure that guilt would never fully go away.

"Nathan goes inside the pool house just as Damien starts preparing to send out his next shipment. That's when he'll be the most distracted, right, Nate?"

Nathan nodded wordlessly. His mouth was too dry to even think about forming coherent sentences.

"Jake and I will sneak Haley in through the back door while Nathan gives him the proposition and leads Damien to the smoke room. Once he sees Haley, Nathan will distract him, we'll sneak Haley out, Nathan will lock Damien in that room, and Peyton or Brooke will call the cops."

"Are we sure there isn't a way we can do this without Haley having to step foot in that pool house?" Peyton asked carefully.

Nathan's jaw clenched visibly. He'd been asking himself that question. The last few nights had been sleepless as he tried to come up with some other way that would keep Haley far away from Damien. Every second that ticked by without another idea felt like a knife twisting in his stomach.

"I know Damien. He won't go for it unless he physically sees Haley," Nathan croaked painfully. It hurt to talk with how raw his throat felt.

Brooke sighed loudly as she ran her fingers through her hair. "Are we sure this is going to work? I mean, what if the cops show up and just let him go?"

"They won't," Nathan muttered. "There are enough drugs his smoke room to land him in jail for at least 15 years. Once he's arrested and I come forward with the evidence I have, he'll be lucky if he ever sees sunlight again." Or so I hope.

"There are two things we have to remember," Jake spoke up. Surprisingly, he had been the one to really take the reins on this whole operation. He was the most rational and level-headed out of all of them. He was always careful, in things he did and the words he said. "One—not to call the cops too soon. Brooke, Peyton, you have to make you wait for Nathan's signal and once he gives it, you don't waste even a second. Calling them too early gives Damien a chance to run and not calling them soon enough puts at even more risk."

"Secondly, we get Haley out of there as soon as possible. We can't give Damien even a fraction of a chance of getting to her."

Nathan reached for Haley's hand when a shiver shot through her, albeit her expression remained blank. It was times like this where he wished he could read her mind.

It was another hour or so before they all decided they couldn't do any more planning. They'd already exhausted all of their options and knew the plan front to back and back to front. Nathan watched with acute eyes as each other his friend's left his apartment, soaking in every detail of them as if that was the last time he'd ever see them. He knew he shouldn't have been thinking that way, but it felt impossible not to.

He vaguely heard Lucas mumble something about getting in the shower, but his attention was fixated on Haley. Her bottom lip had slipped between her teeth as she closed the door behind Peyton. Her glossy eyes peered back at him and he felt his heart break at the look on her face. Raw emotion came to the surface and he said what was on both of their minds.

"I don't like this, Hales," Nathan said as he dropped his tired body down on a bar stool. His shoulders were slumped and his anxiety was coming off him in waves.

Haley slipped herself in-between his legs and curled her arms around his neck. Instinctively, his arms shot up to wrap around her waist and pull her further into him. Leaning forward, she brushed her lips across his.

Words failed her. Usually, she knew just what to say to calm his fears, but with emotions running high and her own fears clouding her mind, she felt helpless. She never liked to think about negative aspects of a situation, but this felt too serious not to.

"If anything happens to you, I'll lose my mind," He murmured hoarsely, his grip on her tightening.

The emotion in his voice had tears springing to her eyes. It hits her all at once—how much she truly loved him, how she would go to the ends of the Earth just to see him smile, how he was, without a doubt, the best thing to ever come into her life. Intense thoughts like that always left her breathless.

"Nothing is going to happen to me," Haley said softly, cupping the back of his neck and drawing the pads for her thumbs along the lines of his face.

"You don't know that," Nathan gruffly responded.

She smiled weakly at him and felt her heart sink in her chest. "I do know that because we have both been through far too much for it to end now. We've already beaten so many odds, baby. We can beat this, too."

He looked at her in awe and disbelief. Despite his fears, looking at her grounded him. Her soft voice, kind eyes, and warm touch brought him some kind of peace—the first gasp of fresh air after being held underwater. That amazed him. She amazed him.

"How…how can you be strong about this? How are you not scared?"

The fear in his eyes sliced through her. She didn't think there was anything she could say to quell his fears and she didn't want to lie to him, either.

"I am scared," Haley admitted in a breathy whisper. "But I'm scared for me. I'm scared for you."

His forehead crinkled in confusion. "Me?"

Giving him a watery smile, she pressed her forehead against his. "If anything happens you, I'll lose my mind," She declared, reciting his earlier words.

There was a tiny hint of a fruitless smile etching his features. His fingertips brushed over the delicate curves of the back of her thighs, rising up until the slipped through the belt loops on her jeans. He tugged them gently until the remaining distance between them was gone.

"What happened to 'nothing's going to happen?'" He tried to insert some kind of humor into his voice, but instead, his words came out strangled and dry.

"We're both going to be fine," Haley corrected, running her fingers through his short hair. "But that doesn't mean that I can't worry."

She sighed, her voice cracking a little.

"I know I haven't been around since the beginning of this…this mess, but I can see how much this has hurt you. And I know that you're terrified out of your mind what's going to happen tomorrow. But you've always been a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for and no matter what happens, you're going to be okay."

"I hope that one of these days I can believe in myself as much as you believe in me."

Haley just smiled and kissed him quick.

"Come on, let's try and get some sleep," Haley said softly, pulling away from him. She kept her hands in his and slowly yanked him off of the bar stool.

"What about your mom? Didn't she say, 'no sleepovers'?"

"Her rules always have exceptions," Haley whispered with a twinkle in her eye.

~x~

The water was searing hot, but it felt good beating down on his skin. The steam was borderline suffocating him, which twistedly, he didn't see as a bad thing.

He'd been lying in bed for the last two hours, but genuine sleep wouldn't find him. He dozed off for a half hour, only to be jolted away by a dream that made his blood run cold. Nathan was no stranger to nightmares. They haunted him almost every night for the past few years. But this dream wasn't like anything he'd experienced before. It was so life-like…so real, that it had him questioning what was real and what wasn't when he finally opened his eyes.

Haley's lifeless body was all he saw whenever he closed his eyes, even if it was just for a second.

He'd never felt so helpless before, watching as Damien wrapped his hands around Haley's throat. The fear in her eyes and her cries for help made him physically ill. He desperately tried to reach her, but it seemed like she was getting further and further away no matter how much he ran. His throat felt like someone had stuck a hot iron down it with how much he was screaming.

When he jumped awake, he almost cried when he saw that Haley was still lying next to him. But things were still hazy like he was still dreaming. His chest was tight and he felt like he couldn't breathe. His skin felt like ice, yet covered in a slick sweat. He was seconds away from a raging panic attack and knew he had to get out of there. Somehow, he ended up in the shower, hoping the warm water would coax him down.

Nathan jumped slightly when he felt to arms wrap around his waist. Turning his head slightly, he relaxed when he saw Haley behind him. He leaned into her more when she began to press the softest kisses against the curve of her shoulder. His eyes fluttered closed as the tension seeped out of his body from the feel of her fingers moving over his skin soothing patterns.

"Did I wake you?" He asked gruffly after a few moments of comfortable silence.

Haley softly shook her head and rested head against his back. "I wasn't asleep. Are you okay?"

Nathan's eyes popped open as remnants of his dream flashed through his mind. He was the farthest thing from okay, but he didn't want to talk. He just needed to get that image out of his head.

She gasped when he unexpectedly turned around and cupped her face in his hands. He pressed her against the shower title and seized her lips in a fierce kiss, eliciting a whimper from her. Her slim fingers curled in his wet hair as she matched his passion.

"Don't ever leave me," He mumbled, kissing the corner of her mouth before trailing a line of wet kisses down the column of her throat. "Please."

His mind is racing with images a lifeless Haley. His hands are roaming her body like he's trying to convince himself that every curve and every inch of skin is real. He has to constantly remind himself that Haley's okay and she's with him. It wasn't a dream, it was reality.

"I'm not going anywhere," She promised breathlessly. She wanted to cry at the dire pain in his voice. It was like he wasn't actually standing in front of her like his mind was miles away. His fingertips were digging so harshly into the flesh of her hips that she was sure she'd have bruises in the morning. But she didn't mind.

Nathan lifted her up and her legs wrapped lowly around his waist. A strangled moan slipped past her lips when he pressed against her just so. The need to be with her…it wasn't just physical. It was like every part of his body and his mind was screaming to be connected with her. Just touching her was enough to calm even his worst fears.

Pressing his forehead against hers, their lips were only centimeters apart.

"I want you, Haley."

She knew what he needed and she was more than happy to give it to him. Her palm caressed his as she willed him to look her in the eyes. When their eyes met, her heartbeat skyrocketed. No one had ever looked at her the way Nathan did.

"I'm right here, Nathan."

Everything after that was a blur. Nathan's movements were desperate and rapid, her back colliding with the shower tile. Her whimpers and Nathan's harsh breathing bounced off the walls. Haley's nails clawed at his back as she fought to keep it together.

"I love you."

That was all Nathan kept repeating and she it to heart every time. It wasn't easy for Nathan to admit his feelings and the fact that he could just openly say he loved her was something should didn't dare take lightly.

Every look and every touch had her heart breaking a little more. He was looking at her and touching her like it was the last time like he was trying to commit every inch of her to memory. Every kiss was filled with such a desperate need to claim her as his that it took her breath away.

Every time that made love…it was intense, but something about this felt different. It felt like he was saying goodbye…just in case.

~x~

The setting sun barely peeked over the roof of the pool house. The orange and purple streaked sky, something that normally would bring Nathan peace, had him gritting his teeth. The looming night sky meant that the moment he was dreading was here.

He tightened his fist on his cell phone in his pocket as he forced himself towards the pool house. His legs felt like cinder blocks and each step felt like a step closer to hell.

As if on autopilot, reached for the door and pushed it open. There was no need for the common courtesy of knocking. Damien probably wouldn't have answered anyway, given that today was a shipment day for him. Unlike normal days, the pool house was quiet. All the lights were turned on, illuminating the discarded ashtrays and bottles of liquor. The smell of weed and bitter tang of beer still hung low in the air—faded but still noticeable.

Nathan's eyes darted to Damien's office. The door was cracked open and Damien's muffled voice could be heard. It sounded like he was on the phone…and he didn't sound happy. Glancing at the nearest clock, he prepared himself for the worst and slowly walked into Damien's office. He wasn't sure he was breathing.

"What the fuck do you want, Scott?" Damien barked only seconds after Nathan opened the door. He barely looked up from all the paperwork on his desk. "I don't have the time to deal with any more of your bullshit today."

Nathan took in a sharp breath of air as he slipped his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. "I came to make you a deal."

Damien barked out a short and bitter laugh. "I'm not interested. And even if I were interested, I don't make deals, especially not with people who already owe me."

"This is a deal I think you'll be interested in," Nathan replied. He tried to keep his voice level and lacking emotion. If he appeared nervous or on edge, Damien would know something was up.

For a brief moment, Damien looked up. He seemed to falter for a moment before he went back to going through his paperwork. "Give me one reason why I should I take the time to listen to you."

"Haley," Nathan said simply.

This got Damien's attention. He discarded the paper's he was looking at and focused his attention on Nathan. The sadistic look on his face cut through Nathan like a knife. He just wanted to smack that look off his face.

"I'm listening."

Taking a small breath, Nathan pushed forward. "You can have Haley…for whatever you want…and then you consider my debt paid in full."

One corner of Damien's mouth quirked up as he pushed himself away from his desk. Standing up, he walked over to Nathan. "You're willing to give her up?"

Nathan nodded.

"Huh, really?"

Nathan could tell that Damien wasn't quite buying it, just as he suspected he would. "Yeah. In fact, Haley's already here."

Damien seemed surprised by that. "How did you manage to get her here?"

"Kicking and screaming," Nathan murmured as she tried to pull off a cocky smirk. "Come on, I'll take you to her."

Walking into the smoke room, Nathan breathed unevenly at Haley standing there. She was looking down timidly, but her head shot up at the sound of them entering the room. Her expression was blank—this whole experience made Nathan realize that she was the Queen of the Poker Face—but she was nervously wringing her hands together.

"Wow, you weren't shittin' me," Damien laughed.

"Told you."

Damien strolled over to Haley and she held her breath. A chill ran through her when he brushed his fingers along her cheek.

"You're even in more beautiful in person," Damien said huskily and Haley resisted the urge to gag. "Mmm, I can't wait to see how you taste."

Nathan wanted to wring his neck. He clenched his fists at his side and tried to meld himself to the floor. Come on, prick, turn away from her for just one second.

In a flash, Damien's sick and perverted smile was gone, only to be replaced with one of hellish intentions. Before anyone could react, Damien had his hand wrapped around Haley's forearm. She let out a sharp yelp of pain and Nathan tensed.

"But, I think I have a better idea," He said, smirking in a way that had Nathan clenching his fists.

"I figured out the perfect revenge," Damien snarled.

And just like that, their plan was ruined.

He whipped Haley around so that she was standing in front of him, his chest to her back. His left arm was banded around her neck, just tight enough so he was barely choking her.

Nathan's heart, which had been beating a mile a minute, froze when Damien pulled a gun out from his back pocket. Using the pad of his thumb, he released the safety and pressed the barrel to Haley's head. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lucas and Jake lurking in the shadows. With a discreet shake of his head, he warned them off. He couldn't afford to put even more people in danger.

All the blood drained from Nathan's face at the sight. Haley was clawing at Damien's arm, squirming to get free. Tears streamed effortlessly from her eyes. The fear in her eyes almost brought him to his knees.

This was his absolute worst nightmare come to life.

He knew the risks of their plan and even though he felt it in his gut that there was no way they could pull this off, he was rendered helpless. He wished to God that he was the one with the gun pressed to his head. Why did he ever let Haley talk him into allowing her to help him?

"Killing her in front of you…that's the perfect revenge. You'll get to watch the life drain from her eyes and I'll get to watch you fall apart," Damien drawled and Nathan winced when he heard Haley whimper.

"Damien…," Nathan breathed out. "Please."

Damien laughed wickedly. There was no sign of life in his eyes. They were cold and emotionless. He wasn't human. He was pure evil.

"I never pegged you as the begging type, Scott," He snickered. "You really thought I was stupid, didn't you?"

Nathan swallowed hard but almost choked over the lump in his throat. Damien's smirk meant that he wanted to play games. He had to proceed with caution because Damien didn't lose.

"You tried to act like Haley was just another bitch to you. 'She means nothing to me.' Oh, bullshit! You never were a good liar. I saw the way you looked at her. I saw the way you jumped to defend her honor any chance you got. I watched you fall in love with her. But you played me like a fool."

Nathan straightened his posture and pressed his lips into a hard line. Bile rose in his throat and it took everything in him to not throw up. He fought not to show any sign of emotion, even though his eyes kept drifting over to Haley every few seconds.

Damien glanced down at Haley and hauled her more against him, his grip on her strengthening. She let out a strangled yelp and Nathan almost lunged.

"I should have just killed her that day at your apartment, but I figured that would be too easy. I wanted to make you stir. I wanted to see what kind of stupid plan you would come up with. I gotta say, I didn't think you were stupid enough to bring Haley here. You really made this too easy," He muttered. "So, how should I do this? The head? Quick and easy death?"

"Damien, please, I'll do anything," Nathan murmured. He suddenly felt exactly how he did when he found his mom lying beneath a burning beam. His world was a trigger pull away from being ripped apart again…and this time he knew he wouldn't survive. He'd heard of people dying of grief, but he wouldn't even make to the grieving part. He'd die on the spot, there's no way he wouldn't.

"You're in no position to do any bargaining," Damien growled. "I've already given you enough chances. As I was saying…head? Or maybe the heart?"

Nathan looked at Haley and her goodbye was clear on her face. He felt the ground shake beneath him and he stumbled until he fell against the nearest wall. He sunk to the ground, slowly. He didn't even try to hide the hot tears spilling down his cheeks. His knees were against his chest and his hands were in his hair. His eyes never left Haley's.

"I'm so sorry," Nathan croaked out. "I'm so fucking sorry."

"Nathan," Haley cried. She wanted nothing more than to run over to him and to pull her into his arms. This wasn't his fault and she didn't blame him for one bit. It was then that she realized the extent of what it meant to love someone. She was okay with dying…if that meant he was finally free. Her tears weren't for her, his tears were for him.

"I love you," He called out. "You're the only girl I'll ever love."

"Aw, ain't that just the sweetest—"

A loud bang rang out. Then there was a bunch of shouting and a bunch of fully suited police officers came barreling through the door. Nathan jumped up and threw his hands in the air when an officer whipped around, pointing a gun at him.

"Let the girl go and put the gun down," One of the men demanded.

There had to be at least ten of them, all carrying guns of high caliber. Nathan wasn't sure, but he was almost certain some of them were wearing "SWAT" vests.

"You have 5 seconds to let her go," The man repeated. "Hunter, you have a shot?"

"Yes, sir," Another voice spoke up.

Everything happened so fast. The one officer started counting down from 5 when Damien made a sudden move. A gunshot rattled the small room, followed by Haley's sharp scream. The gun slipped out of his hands as his fell to the ground…almost in slow motion.

Two officers moved over to Damien and Nathan vaguely heard them reading him his rights. Nathan didn't bother to check where Damien was shot or if he was even still breathing, the only thing that mattered was that Haley was still alive. And so was he.

Locking eyes, Haley launched herself in his arms, tears streaming down her face. Nathan squeezed her tighter than he ever had and buried his head in the crook of her neck. He immediately felt her tears hit his skin and his own eyes watered in response. Sirens and anxious chatter suddenly felt like it was a million miles away. The reality of the situation hadn't fully sunk in yet, but he couldn't deny the lightness he felt in his heart, something he couldn't ever remember feeling.

"Shh, baby, it's okay. It's over. It's over."