A Man Of Evil

I know indeed what evil I intend to do, but stronger than all my afterthoughts is my fury, fury that brings upon mortals the greatest evils. ~Euripides~

Dan Scott sat in his brown leather chair in his beach house, holding a drink of Scotch in his hand, smiling his usual evil smile as he took a sip.

He was furious at Haley for returning, it meant she had more guts then he ever gave her credit for. Getting rid of her this time would be harder, especially since now Nathan knew about the kid.

He always told himself that everything he had done had been for his son, his son who hates him so much already, but that had always been a lie. Everything he had done was to see his son suffer, suffer like he himself had had to suffer.

He remembered the changes Haley had brought to Nathan, if she had told him she was pregnant, he would have dropped everything for his family, unlike Dan himself. He couldn't allow that, he could never allow Nathan to be truly happy.

Now the thing he can't allow is for Nathan to find out the truth, not that it would affect his relationship with Nathan if he found out, because they hardly spoke anymore as it was, no, but because Nathan would be happy if he found out the truth, in time, he would be happy again. Happy like he hadn't been in 5 years. Dan would never allow that.

He had already set his plan in motion, ambushing Haley today was only the first step. The second step had been done too, she was just to find it. And if necessary, he could always bring someone back who Haley probably feared even more than him. Not for her sake, but for her son's.

"Thank you for the coffee and the talk, tigger, but I think I'm gonna go home now, get some rest before Lucas brings Jamie back." Haley said as she drank the last of her 6th cup of coffee, sat it down on the table and stood up.

"As if you're going to sleep after that much coffee. And I'm not letting you drive anywhere, not in the state you're in." Brooke said as she looked at Haley, who was heavily shaking. Not only because of the coffee, but probably also out of fear.

"I have to go home sometime." Haley said, Brooke sighed, that was a true fact. She thought about it for a second, before getting her purse and taking out her keys.

"I'll drive you home, I'll pick you up tomorrow so you can get your car." Brooke said, she hadn't had as much coffee as Haley, so she wasn't shaking at all.

Haley thanked Brooke as they were driving home, Brooke simply smiled. She felt sorry for Haley, she had a tough decision to make, and she had to make it alone. Brooke just hoped she wouldn't run and take her advice and just tell Nathan about Dan. But somehow, she didn't think Haley would do that any time soon. She was scared for him and her son, more then she was for herself.

Haley let Brooke in her house as she opened the door, Haley walked to the living room, never even noticing the letter on the floor near the door. Brooke however had noticed it and picked it up. There was no name or adress on the envelope, it was blank. She walked up to Haley.

"This was on the floor." Brooke said as she handed the envelope to Haley, who was suprised to get mail this soon. She shrugged at Brooke, who was also wondering what it was and opened the letter.

As she read it, Brooke noticed Haley's expression go blank and her face turn completely white. Without asking anything, Brooke took the letter from Haley's hands and was shocked when she saw what was on it.

There were 3 words written on it, and the letters seemed to have been written in blood, it could be paint, but somehow Brooke doubted it.

'Murder. Death. Kill."

"OMG. Haley, you HAVE to tell someone, if not Nathan, then the police." Brooke said in utter and complete shock, she couldn't believe Dan would have the nerve to send this to Haley's house. What if Jamie had picked it up ? The kid would have freaked out, Brooke thought. She sighed as she saw Haley shaking her head.

"No, I can't. I... I have to go, leave Tree Hill. I have no choice." Haley said as silent tears began to run down her face. She didn't want to hurt everyone again by leaving, but she had no choice, she had to protect Jamie and Nathan.

"You do have a choice. You can tell Nathan, or go to the police." Brooke said, she wanted to get it through Haley's head that she did have a choice. She just needed to realize that running wasn't an option.

"The police ? Brooke, Dan's the freakin' mayor of this town, he probably has them eating out of the palm of his hands. And telling Nathan is not an option either.

"I understand that you're scared, and you're probably right about the police. But, if you tell Nathan, then I have an idea. But I can't set it in motion unless Nathan knows. And trust me, if you do this, Dan won't do a single thing to harm you, Jamie or Nathan." Brooke said, smirking, she had a briljant idea, she just hoped Haley would listen to her now. She didn't give time for Haley to respond.

"I'm gonna go now, and I hope you'll think about what I said and tell me tomorow morning when I come get you what you decided. Just promise me you won't do anything untill then." Brooke said as she looked deep into Haley's eyes, knowing she got her curious about her plan.

"Okay, I promise. I don't think Dan would do anything dangerous just yet, he wants to scare me first. So, I'll think about it." Haley said, she figured she owed it to Brooke and Nathan and everyone, well, not Dan, to at least think about it. But the idea of telling Nathan the truth scared her, almost as much as the thought of loosing her son scared her.

"Good, see you tomorow." Brooke said, and out of the blue she gave Haley a hug. Haley felt a little safer as she was in Brooke's arms, knowing she at least had one person on her side, who didn't blame her anymore after she found out the truth. It felt good, comforting.

After what seemed like forever, Brooke let go of Haley and left the house. Haley grabbed the letter Brooke had thrown on the table and threw it in the trash can, not even realizing that it was laying in plain sight, with the words clearly visable to anyone who would look in it.

For the rest of the day, she just layed on the couch, thinking about what Brooke had said. She was still unsure weither or not to tell Nathan, but she had to admit that she was curious about Brooke's plan and how it could help her.

Her mind was so busy she almost had a heartattack when the doorbell suddenly rang, abruptly shaking Haley from her thought. She looked at her watch, it was 8 PM, it was probably Lucas bringing Jamie home.

She stood up, walked to the door and was suprised to see who was standing there when she opened the door. It was Jamie, but it wasn't Lucas who was brining him home, it was Nathan. Haley wasn't ready to talk to him yet, she wasn't even sure if she wanted to tell him. So she ignored him, much to her regret and turned her attention to Jamie after staring at Nathan for several minutes.

"Jim-Jam, I missed you. Come here." She said as she bowed down and stretched her arms out, waiting for a hug. He hugged her, told her he was glad to be home and said he missed her too, but that he also had fun with his daddy.

"Oh, momma, can I eat an ice-cream ?" Jamie asked, he knew she had some in her fridge, if there was one thing Haley would always have in the house, even if they had just moved, it would be ice-cream. The best of the best comfort foods, Haley would always call it.

"Euh, okay, but just a little." Haley said, Jamie cheered and ran to the kitchen. Haley knew it would make Jamie very jumpy and energetic. She only allowed him to eat some ice-cream now, because she didn't want him to feel the weird vibes between her and Nathan, and knowing Jamie, she knew he would feel it.

She invited Nathan in, after some uncomfortable silences, Nathan finally entered the house. They didn't sit down, they just stood there. Looking at Haley, Nathan felt his heart beat faster, his mouth getting very dry, the same feeling he used to get when he was near her. He was falling for her all over again, harder then ever. Being around her, he just wanted to take her in his arms and tell her he forgives her for everything and that he never stopped loving her. But he just couldn't do that, she had hurt him too much. He was only there because Jamie had insisted that he was the one to take him home. He was a sneaky kid, that son of his.

"So... did you have fun with Jamie today ?" Haley asked, trying to break the silence between them, Nathan sighed, but remained silence, stretching it out for several more minutes before speaking.

"Why did you leave ?" Nathan asked, he knew he had asked it before. But he knew she was lying and he wanted to hear the truth.

"I... I told you why I left. I don't know what else I can say." Haley said, avoiding looking in his eyes, because if she were to do that, she knew he would see she was lying and she would just break down and tell him everything. She wanted to tell him, so badly, especially now that she had talked to Brooke about it, but she just wasn't sure if that was the right move to make.

"I know what you told me, and I don't believe me. You were lying to me then, and you're lying to me now. I just want to know the truth. What happened ? Did you meet someone else ?" Nathan asked, he had thought of that possibility for a while now, but he hoped that wasn't the reason she had left, he didn't think he could survive that.

"What ?! God no! No, there was no one else, I can't believe you would even think that." Haley said, shocked that Nathan thought she left for someone else. There was no one else, there could never be anyone else, her heart belonged to Nathan.

"Then tell me what happened ? Because right now, I don't know what to think anymore." Nathan said, he was so desperate for some answers, he was dying not knowing what happened. He had thought he had overcome that feeling years ago, but he had just buried everything, and it had all come back when she came back.

"I can't do this right now. I think you need to go." Haley said, she didn't want to send him away, but she honestly couldn't deal with it right now, she hadn't had enought time to think. She needed more time, she needed to talk to Brooke again.

Nathan was deeply hurt that she asked him to leave, he didn't say anything and just turned around, looking at the floor. He was about to leave when something cought his attention. He saw a letter in the trash can, he moved towards it and was able to read what was written on it.

"Murder. Death. Kill."

He was shocked, it seemed to be written in blood or red paint, but he didn't think something like that would be written in paint. He bowed down and picked it up.

As Haley saw Nathan bow down and pick out the letter from the trash can, oh no, was all she could think. She would have no choice now but to tell him. Yes, she could lie to him again, but what good would that do, he would be able to tell she was lying, and she was getting so tired of lying to him and everyone.

"Haley, what is this ?" Nathan asked, he was horrified something like that would be in Haley's house, his son's house. That was just sick, Nathan had a bad feeling that the letter had something to do with Haley's dissapearance 5 years ago. He never understood how, when he got home, all he found was an empty house, no Haley, only a letter. His mind flashed back to that very moment when he came home from his after school job, longing to see his wife.

Flashback :

Nathan opened the door of his small apartment, calling out Haley's name, knowing she would be home already.

"Hales, I'm home. Where are you ?" He called out, when he didn't get a response, he looked around the house. She was nowhere, not in the bedroom, nor the bathroom, nowhere. Nathan was beginning to get worried, she would always call him when she was running late from the café or tutoring. He got a bad feeling about this.

He took out his cell phone and dialed her number. He was suprised to find out the number had been disconnected, which worried him even more now.

He looked around the living room, trying to find a note Haley might have written him that she might have gone to the store or something. And he did find a note, just not one he had expected. He must have read it like 50 times, over and over again.

'Dear Nathan,
I love you very much,
but I can't be with you anymore.
I had to leave Tree Hill because it was best for me.
I beg you not to try and find me.
I'm sorry for all the pain this must 'cause you,
but it is for the best.
Goodbye...

Always and Forever,

your wife,
Haley.'

After it had sunk it that Haley was really gone, Nathan had trashed his entire appartment. Only to be stopped by the police knocking on his doors, they had been called by neighboors who had complained about all the noise.

It had been the worst day of his entire life, and anyone who knew Nathan, knew he had had a lot of worse days, but none so worse as that day.

End Flashback

Nathan remembered how he got the divorce letters a few months later, crushing him even more then he had been crushed. He had signed them and spiralled out of his control, sinking into a depression. The only reason he had survived that period was because of Lucas, Peyton and Brooke, who had stood with him all the way.

"Haley, what is this ?" Nathan asked again when she didn't answer, she sighed as tears began to run down her face again. She sat down on the couch, Nathan followed her lead and sat down on the couch next to her.

He didn't know what made him do what he did next, but he put his arm around her, pulled her closed to him and let her cry in his arms. There was just this voice in his mind telling him to comfort her, telling him to forgive her, to protect her, because something told him she needed him.

"Haley, what's going on ?" Nathan asked, as he now had both his arms around her, his head resting on her head. He couldn't stand to see her like that, so fragile, so broken, it wasn't the Haley she knew.

Finally, Haley sat up and looked straight into Nathan's eyes. She had made up her mind, Brooke was right, she needed to tell Nathan. She should have told Nathan a long time ago, but she had been too scared then, she didn't have the courage to tell him. So she made sure she had that courage now.

"I need to tell you something." Haley said, she was more serious now then she had ever been, Nathan could tell. He somehow knew this conversation would be painfull, for both of them. But he sat in anticipation, waiting for her to speak...

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. ~Arthur Schopenhauer~

TO BE CONTINUED