A/N: Thank you for the awesome reviews! And thanks to my wonderful beta: Leese!
Disclaimer: Don't own OTH
Chapter Nine
Sleuthing with the Enemy
Karen was once again in the library looking through a book when she stopped for a moment and listened. She then realized that someone was coming up to the front door and that person wasn't happy. She calmly put the book down and walked out of the library. She walked down the hall and into the foyer before arriving at the front door and opened it.
Victoria didn't even let Karen say a word as she walked past her and into the house. "Well, it's about time I was told what was going on," she said firmly as she looked at Karen. "After all, I am Brooke's mother. I should be able to help you with her."
"Nice to see you too, Victoria," Karen replied as she shut the door. "And we would have told you sooner, but we had no idea that Brooke was this serious about keeping Haley away from us. I was able to block Brooke's magic, but it's only a matter of time before she finds out about the bracelet."
"I can't imagine Nathan is taking all this well," Victoria said as she followed Karen back into the library.
Karen sighed before she spoke. "He really cares about Haley. And he hates that he can't help her. I'm really worried about him." There was a short pause. "It's like how it was with Lucas all over again," she said quietly.
Victoria gave her a sympathetic look. "Everything will be ok. I'll talk to her."
"I don't think that's such a good idea. She may be your daughter, but she is still evil. And I'm sure she won't be exactly happy that you are getting involved in this," Karen told her.
"If you don't want me to talk to her, then why did you call me over here?" Victoria asked her curious.
"I need you to find out who Haley's biological parents are and make sure that she is the one that the prophecy is talking about," Karen replied.
Victoria looked at her confused as she asked, "What prophecy?" Karen showed her the page in the book where she had found the prophecy. Victoria read the page before turning back to Karen and raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You think that Haley is the one who will defeat my daughter? That's ridiculous. She's a mere mortal. She doesn't have any powers."
"And that's exactly why you are going to find her parents and see if it's true or not," Karen replied. "Unfortunately, Haley wasn't able to tell us who her parents were before Brooke showed up."
"If they are magical, I'll find them," Victoria assured her. "And I'll do my best to keep the search quiet. I know what will happen if Brooke finds out."
"Thank you, Victoria. Be careful," Karen replied.
Victoria nodded. "You too." She then snapped her fingers and disappeared from sight.
Before Karen could head back into the library, she heard footsteps and turned around to see Lindsey, who had a nasty cut on her shoulder. "What happened?" she asked her concerned as she walked over and examined her.
Lindsey made a face. "I had a little run with Peyton," she replied as she winced in pain. "But I'm fine. How are you doing with Nathan's friend?"
"Well, we haven't found any long term solutions yet. But I think we're getting closer," Karen told her.
"Do you really think that we'll be able to get her away from Brooke for good?" Lindsey asked her.
"I hope so. I'd hate to see a girl like Haley stuck with being Brooke's prisoner for the rest of her life," Karen replied. She then quickly changed the subject. "Come on. I'll help you get that cut cleaned up."
Haley was trying to rehearse, but her heart just wasn't into singing that day. She finally told her band to take a break, as she put the microphone back on the stand and jumped off the stage. She then headed into the bathroom and over to the sink. She started to wash up as she heard footsteps coming in, signaling that someone was coming in. She sighed, knowing that it was Peyton. She had been watching her from the bar ever since the rehearsal started. She knew that she was enjoying seeing her unhappy.
Haley wasn't in the mood to hear the taunting. However, she had no choice since she was still being punished. She was surprised that Brooke had let her go out. But it was only to Tric and she was again under strict supervision. So she knew that she shouldn't push Peyton's buttons or the real punishment would be rougher than what was planned already. Of course that would only happen if Brooke ever found about the bracelet. It had been four long days, but she hadn't found out yet.
"You know, I would have thought that you would be happy that you get a chance to get out of the house and do your favorite thing," Peyton taunted her as she came into the bathroom. "But I can see that you're still depressed. You'd better get your act together before tonight. After all, you don't want to disappoint your fans."
Haley nodded understandingly before she left the bathroom. She was startled as she was pulled into a corner. She looked at the person who grabbed her and was surprised to see Nathan. Before she could say a word, he spoke up first. "I know that I'm not supposed to be here, but I had to see you," he whispered. "I have to talk to you." He didn't want to reveal anything until they could get somewhere private.
Haley didn't even have a chance to answer as she heard her name being called. She knew that she had to answer or they would get suspicious. However, before she could answer, Peyton showed up. Owen was right behind her. "Escort Mr. Scott out of here," Peyton ordered Owen. Before he could even move forward, Haley suddenly grabbed Nathan's hand. He looked at her surprised. Peyton instantly knew what she was thinking. "Don't even think about it," she warned her.
"Nathan, get us out of here," Haley told Nathan. He gladly snapped his fingers as Owen started to move forward again. They disappeared from sight, leaving Peyton furious. Owen didn't even wait for orders before he disappeared as well.
Nathan and Haley reappeared in front of a cabin out by a lake. Haley just shook her head in amazement as they walked up on to the front porch. "I can't believe I just did that. I have never disobeyed Peyton or Brooke like that before. It felt really good."
"You should do it more often," Nathan replied, returning the smile. "I love seeing you smile like this."
Haley didn't say anything as he led her down the pathway onto the dock. "Where are we anyway?" she asked him as she took in their surroundings.
"It is now our secret hiding place," Nathan replied as they continued walking on the dock. "Nobody knows that we're here, not even my family." He had made sure that the spells and charms surrounding the cabin were in place and that the land around it was blocked from not only Brooke's magic, but his family's magic as well. He didn't want to risk anybody finding them. He had even left his cell-phone at home.
"Wow, the view is so beautiful from the dock," Haley said, admiring the landscape around them.
"If you think the outside is beautiful, just wait until we get inside the cabin," Nathan told her. He took her hand and started to gently pull her back towards the cabin. "Come on. I'll give you the grand tour."
Haley immediately fell in love with the place as they continued throughout the cabin. She squealed with delight as she saw the fireplace. "I always thought that snuggling up next to a fireplace was so cozy and romantic."
Nathan nodded in agreement before quickly changing the subject. "So do you want anything to eat? I went shopping earlier so there is plenty of food and drinks," he told her as he led her into the kitchen.
"Good because I haven't had anything to eat since that day at the café," Haley told him. Nathan got a shocked expression on his face before she continued. "It was part of my punishment. No meals until I told her which spell you put on me. It was tough, but I never told her the truth." There was a short pause. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"
"Why don't we save that until later?" Nathan asked her softly. "After all, we have plenty of time."
Haley couldn't argue with that. "Well, I'm not hungry right now. But I am in the mood for some television. I haven't watched anything in forever."
Nathan laughed at her reply. "I can guarantee that you haven't been missing much. How about we go out on the dock again and I'll teach you how to fish?"
Haley gave him a look. "What makes you think that I don't know how to fish?"
"Because I don't see you as an outdoorsy type," Nathan teased her. "And I'm not just saying that because you've been locked up for three years."
"You're right. I'm not," Haley admitted. "But that doesn't mean I can't be. I always wanted to try new things like fishing or camping, but I never had the chance, especially after I met Brooke." She just shook her head in amusement. "I can just imagine how pissed off she is right now."
Nathan looked at her. "What made you change your mind?" he asked her curiously. "Why didn't you stay with Peyton and let Owen escort me out?"
"Because I'm tired of following Brooke's orders," Haley replied.
A few hours later, they headed back inside the cabin without any fish. Haley had surprised Nathan by catching a few fish. However, she couldn't bear to kill and eat the fish. So she had let them go. She was able to persuade Nathan to do the same when he had caught a few fish. However, they realized that they had to stop fishing once rain clouds started to come in.
Haley looked at the time as they headed to the living room couch. "I should be at the concert by now," she told him as they sat down on the couch next to each other. "I'm sure Peyton is expecting me to show up." She then let out a sigh as she thought of her disappointed fans and what Brooke would do. "I really should go."
Nathan knew why she was thinking that. She was worried about her parents. "Don't worry. I'm sure your parents are fine. They seemed to be doing well when I stopped by their house the other day. At least, your mom was," he reassured her.
Haley looked at him surprised. "You stopped by my parents' house? Why would you do that?" she asked as she frowned slightly.
"Because we wanted to find out the real reason why Brooke was keeping you alive," Nathan replied as Haley moved away from him. He knew that it was the time to tell her. "And we think that you're a witch too."
Haley tried not to laugh as she got up from the couch. "Now you have gone too far."
"I know that it sounds crazy, but it's true," Nathan exclaimed.
Haley just shook her head in disbelief. "See, this is why I didn't want you to get involved with me. You can't butt in my personal life like that, whether you are a witch or not. Brooke will find out and I'm going to be the one who will suffer the consequences."
"How can you when I was the one who didn't follow her rules this time?" Nathan asked her.
Haley gave him a look. "You're seriously asking me that question?" she replied. She didn't let him answer. She headed out of the room and she could hear Nathan following her. She ignored his calls as she went out of the front door.
She then jumped as Nathan appeared in front of her. She tried to go around him, but he didn't let her. She looked at him, ready to listen to whatever he had to say. "Look, I'm sorry for going over there. But I wasn't thinking about getting caught. All I was thinking about was trying to figure out a way to protect you from Brooke."
"I understand that, but you were going about it the wrong way," Haley replied with a sigh. She knew he meant well.
"I couldn't stand back and do nothing. I love you too much for that," Nathan exclaimed.
Haley looked at him stunned as she heard the words that left his mouth. "Wait, what did you just say?" she asked him.
Nathan knew that he couldn't deny it now. "I love you, Haley James," he replied before he leaned in closer and pressed his lips against hers. Haley was surprised and resisted for a moment before she closed her eyes as she kissed him back. She found herself wrapping her arms around his shoulders as their kiss became a little deeper. She felt Nathan's arms embrace her petite frame as they both got lost in their kiss. They were so absorbed in each other, that they didn't even notice as rain started to pour down on them.