Haley POV

Haley was pissed off.

In fact she was so pissed off she thought she'd never been this mad at Lucas in her entire life. Running off in the middle of the night with only a text message for the others to lean on.

"How stupid could he be," Haley mumbled.

This wasn't Tree Hill. They didn't know anybody here. Her best friend could be lost, or in trouble, or….or worse. Yet all she could do was pace inside the insanely small motel room they booked and worry.

The others were just as bad, but they just did a better job at showing it.

Karen had called about a dozen times when she learned the truth and spent the last half hour yelling into the receiver as Peyton tried to calm her down. She'd asked for Haley but she was to busy trying to get a hold of her best friend.

She didn't even want to think about the mess Nathan was in. She'd tried and tried to get through to him but he kept cursing everyone and everything that got in his way.

She'd seen him at his high and at his low, but she'd never seen her husband like this. Granted they'd known each other for a year, but it really opened a light on how little Haley knew about Nathan's emotions.

It scared her.

A small knock on the door made her gather her thoughts as she raced over to the door to find Lucas on the other end.

"What the hell!" Lucas whispered as he felt the punches of his friends attack everywhere. "Haley would you quit it?"

"I will when you stop acting like an idiot," She said, continuing to attack.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news Luke," Peyton cut it. She had just finished with Karen. "But you're grounded, and from the sound of it, for awhile."

"That bad huh?" Lucas mumbled, stepping around his friend. He noticed Nathan sulking in the corner and Brooke passed out on the bed.

"Where were you!" Haley demanded.

Lucas looked over at Nathan before turning back to Haley. "I went to find Jack. It's bad guys."

"What do you mean?" Peyton asked.

"Well for one thing he's homeless," Lucas said seriously. "Found him sleeping in his car in some abandoned warehouse."

"Wow," Peyton mumbled, feeling terrible. She didn't know the guy but that wasn't a life she wished on anybody.

"Whatever," Nathan mumbled.

"Excuse me," Lucas turned towards him. "What's wrong with you?"

Nathan shrugged in his seat. "Nothing. But if the guy wants to drown in self-pity, then let him. We did what we said. He clearly didn't want a part of it. We're done. Will leave first thing in the morning."

"That's it, you get punched, yelled at a little, and now we have to walk away?"

"What more do you want Luke," Nathan got up and took a step closer. "You heard him, probably said the same thing to you. Guy doesn't want to know us, least we could do is feel the same way."

"Oh screw off."

Nathan laughed. "Careful, you're starting to sound like him."

"Guys," Haley tried to cut in. She didn't like where this was going.

"Did you really expect a happy reunion?" Lucas asked, ignoring Haley. "You said you wanted to do the right thing. We did, we came here, we found him. Now it's on us to do the right thing again. He's homeless for Christ sake Nate. Are you seriously comfortable with that?"

Nathan didn't answer. He gave one last look before heading towards the bathroom and closing the door behind him.

"Just give him time," Peyton tried to reassure them. "I think we should get some sleep. Re group in the morning."

"You're right."

Haley watched, as the two got ready for bed. She didn't like any of this. There were probably a million ways this trip could have gone, and so far, they walked in on the worst possible one. She didn't know what would happen tomorrow, but she had to think of something for everyone's sake.

Jack POV

Jack's car made an odd sound the morning after when he started it. He wasn't too concerned, it'd been making weird noises ever since he got it two years ago. He knew it was old, beaten down, but he loved the thing too much. He had too many memories in it.

Hell, he was even living in the damn thing.

In a life full of ups and downs the only thing he could count on was his car.

It was pretty pathetic, but right now, he had to think of something. Anything. As long as he didn't think about what had happened last night.

His best bet was the cemetery, so he high tailed it over there as soon as possible and spent the day in his usual spot.

The rain continued to fall that morning, not as hard, but enough to make Jack feel like the day was truly miserable. Even here, surrounded by dead memories, he could admit how horrible his life truly was.

It was selfish, he knew, especially considering the fact that he was still standing, unlike the thousands buried beneath the ground he stood on.

"I fought last night," He mumbled, taking a seat on the wet ground. He never once looked at the name next to him. Just stared onto the horizon of the city. "Took a few too many to the head. You probably would have yelled 'keep your hands up' about hundred goddamn times."

He smiled remembering an old memory.

He'd been fighting since he was 11. Any chance he took he'd find a way to swing his fists at anything that would be willing to take it. He'd lost count on how many fingers he'd sprained and bruised growing up.

Always on the offense.

Then one day he found himself in a real fight with a nasty looking boy who'd been picking on a kid a year younger then him. He'd fought, and naturally, he'd lost.

It wasn't until he found himself waiting in the principals office that he heard someone next to him say, "Keep your hands up".

Those four words changed his life.

"Something happened last night," Jack continued. "And I don't know how to handle it. I just….I feel like I'm drowning and I see the light but I can't reach it. And I know that's on me, I do. It's my fault I'm where I am. But I just thought, hoped…. It's not supposed to be this hard right? I mean how much shit am I supposed to take and keep acting like I'm okay. Cause I'm not. I feel broken, and everything I do, every choice I make, just makes it worse. "

Jack felt himself start to cry as he finally turned towards the grave and faced his fear. "God I wish you were here. I can't take back what I did, I never will, but I just need you to know that I'm sorry."

He wasn't naïve enough to think he'd get a sign that someone was watching over him, or everything would be all right. Truth was, he was in a mess, and the only person that could help him was himself. So he stayed a little longer trying to find an answer in the quietness that he was left in.

Haley POV

She hated lying to everyone, but this was the only thing she could think of. She'd left a note with a poor excuse, but she couldn't walk back from this. She'd gone to far. And now, stepping inside the bar she knew how far she'd gone.

It would have been simple to wake up Brooke or Peyton and ask one of them to come with her, but she knew that it wasn't right. She'd seen how Jack acted when he was ambushed the night before, anything more then one would be too many.

Nathan would be mad, she knew, but this was the only way. He'd never want to speak about it again if she left it that way and eventually, Lucas would resent him for that.

So here she was, at the start of the day in the empty bar, hoping for a miracle.

"Back so soon," The bartender from last night called, startling her.

She smiled sheepishly. "Jerry right?"

"You know my name but I don't know yours sweetheart," He smiled a semi toothless smile.

"Haley."

"Well Haley, first rounds on me," Jerry smiled, filling her up a beer.

"It's 10 in the morning," She said eyeing the beer while approaching the bar.

"Well it's the afternoon somewhere in the world right," Jerry joked.

"She's a minor Jerry," A voice called out. Jack made his was towards them, a large case of glasses above his shoulder as he swung around the bar.

Haley thanked god he'd showed up and promised she wouldn't screw this up.

"Well I think she's pretty cute," Jerry argued, pushing the beer closer to her. "Earns her a pass."

"She's married."

Both Haley and Jerry looked at him confused.

Haley wondered if Nathan had said anything, but thought against saying anything. She hoped there'd be plenty of time to ask him questions in the not so distant future.

"Well I'm out," Jerry laughed. He grabbed the box out of Jacks hands and headed towards the kitchen. "I got this Jay, you do your thing. And Haley, he breaks your heart, you know where to find me."

Haley laughed at the man's attempt to woo her. "He's funny."

"He's serious," Jack answered, grabbing a cloth and starting to wipe down the clean glasses in front of him.

The two stayed quiet for a bit.

Jack continued wiping down the glasses, and Haley watching silently. This was the first time she'd got a good look up close to him. The bruise around his eye had become a dark purplish color, but other then that, his face healed up okay. The bandages were gone and the cuts had dried, and beyond all that Haley could see an actual person under all of it.

"Here," Jack broke the silence, handing her a glass of water. "Better then beer."

"Thank you," She smiled, grateful. She watched him swing around the bar effortlessly, knowing every crook in the joint. "So you work here?"

"Sometimes," Jack admitted. "Whenever Jerry needs work I help out when I can."

"That's good….So…"

"So…" Jack repeated, turning towards her. "You and Nathan huh?"

Haley blushed at the look Jack gave her. "Yeah. How'd you know? Not exactly what I thought was said yesterday at the table."

Jack shrugged. "Not much was said to be honest, although that's probably on me. But I noticed the rings. Put two and two together."

Haley found herself playing with the ring. "You must think we're insane."

"I live in my car and fight for a living," Jack said seriously before Haley saw a hint of a smile. "Only person who gets to define insanity is a paid doctor. And I ain't one."

"Touche." Haley raised her glass.

"So you here to convince me to accept everything?" Jack finally asked, feeling surprisingly comfortable with the girl.

"I thought about it," Haley answered seriously. "But then I realized that I can't do that. That's something you have to find on your own. I just came here to tell you about Lucas and Nathan, cause there's a very good chance we never see you again and I can't stand the thought of you missing out on knowing a little bit about two of the greatest people I know and love."

Jack liked her. She had a fire inside her, something he hadn't seen in a long time.

"You might hate your life, and I can't say I understand what you've been through, but what I do know is that you aren't the only one who's had it rough. Lucas grew up without a father, his dad, well your dad, left his mom when he found out she was pregnant and ended up in the arms of another woman who then had Nathan a couple months after."

"A real saint this guy huh," Jack mumbled, considering having a beer after this talk.

"Nathan was raised to despise Lucas, and for as long as I remember they hated each other. There was no love between them. In fact, they used to fight each other almost every week. Not like you, but pretty damn close."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Lucas grew up without a father, Nathan grew up hating his brother, they both had tough times. But they found a way past that, and now, now there brothers. I know that's a lot to ask, but I'm asking. I can't watch them become hateful towards each other because they couldn't resolve this. I don't need you to love them, and I don't need you to like them. But a message once a month or even a post card saying you're alive wouldn't be the worst thing right?"

It was a lot to ask. She saw the inner battle he was having and hated that she was the reason for it. But she couldn't leave the mess the way it was. It'd kill everything everyone had worked on the past year and she thought everyone deserved to be happy for once.

She saw him struggle with an answer, and just when he was about to speak, Jerry had shouted Jack's name from the back.

"Duty calls," Jack smiled faintly, giving her one last look before heading to the back.

Haley sighed at the timing. Typical…can't I catch a break.

The ring of the bell above the door signaled another person and had her attention. Two men walked in casually, surveying the bar. She recognized one of them as the fighter Jack fought the night before. He had similar injuries all around his face, and his arm in a sling.

The other, a man dressed in a well-kept suit smiled towards Haley as he made his way to the bar. She felt incredibly uncomfortable by the way the man was looking at her. Something was off about him. His smile wasn't warm or inviting, but challenging and creepy.

"Empty bar, a lady waiting all alone, beer on the table," The guy spoke smoothly with a smirk. "Is this my lucky day?"

Haley tried to smile, but nothing came out. She gave the man one last look before turning around to face the bar hoping that someone would come from the kitchen.

"It's rude to ignore someone."

Without warning, Haley felt the mans tough on her wrist as he gently spun her around to face him.

"That's better."

"Can I help you," Jack's voice cut in. Haley felt the hand drop as she silently thanked Jack.

The man smiled brightly at Jack. "Ah yes, you're the fighter who gave my boy a proper beat down correct?"

Jack said nothing as the man continued.

"In most cases I'd be giving you a pat on the back and asking for you to fight for me, cause god knows I need a better fighter." The man cast a dark look towards the other fighter. "But you see, I had money on this fight, too much for me to admit. And that shits not cool."

"Maybe next time," Jack offered, stepping around the bar.

Scratching his beard, the man shuck his head. "Na you see that shit won't work for me. I keep losing money, then the well dries, and when the well dries I lose business. Now I hate to ask, but you're going to need to either pay me back every single penny that I lost, or you're going to throw your two fights. Your choice?"

Haley watched Jack's mood shift instantly.

"And what's the third option?" Jack asked, finally stepping in front of the man, blocking him from Haley.

"Third option is I come back, smash of your hands so you never fight again, and maybe give your girl here a little spin."

Haley watched the mans hand reach out for her but to touch never came. Jacks hand caught the guys jaw, dropping him back a couple feet before the other guy pulled out a gun and pointed it in their direction.

"Oh man," The man laughed, rubbing his sore jaw. "That's one hell of a hook son. But that shit doesn't work for me right now. That ones is free, I get it. But if you don't have my money by the end of the week, well then will be back."

"Fine," Jack whispered.

"All right then," The man smiled, walking back towards Jack. "Shake on it?"

Haley never felt this nervous in her life. She wasn't sure if it was the gun, the intimidation, or the fact that these men were truly scaring her, but she hated everything about the situation.

She watched as Jack hesitantly stuck out his hand.

"Sure."

"That a boy," The man smiled before raising his fist and connecting with Jacks head.

Haley felt herself choke back a sob as the man dropped Jack before smiling towards her.

"I'll see you soon."

Without another word, the two men left, leaving Haley rattled and Jack unconscious on the floor. She wanted to move, to see if he was all right, or at least call for help, but her voice failed her. Her body failed her. She was stuck and couldn't find a way to do anything.

Thankfully Jerry had come back from where ever the hell he was to see the mess the bar was in.

"Jesus Christ what happened?" He shouted, sprinting past Haley to see Jack on the floor. "Jay…Jay talk to me. Jesus what happened?"

"These…these two men came in," She whispered. She felt her eyes begin to water. "They hit him so hard. We need to do something. Call the police."

"Hold on," Jerry said, grabbing the phone behind the bar. He waited a bit but then heard the other person answer. "Ed, it's me. Get to the bar now, it's Jack. Something happened."