Forever and Always (A Naley fanfiction)

Chapter Ten

"Haley?"

Haley was in a state of complete shock and panic. Haley hadn't planned on him waking up while she was there. He wasn't supposed to wake up while Haley was there. She had merely planned on being with him without his actual knowledge that she was there with him. What was she supposed to do now?

Despite her worries, Haley gently squeezed his hand and gently smiled at him. In that moment, nothing else seemed to matter except that she was face to face with her husband again. The fact that Haley was on the run didn't matter. The fact that he thought she was dead didn't matter. All that mattered was the two of them. It was as if the world around them had just stopped. 

 "Hi Nathan," She whispered, her eyes pooling up in tears. 

"They told me you were dead," Nathan mumbled. He appeared to be in a state of exhaustion and confusion.

"Yeah I heard that too," Haley murmured smiling sadly at him. 

"Am I dead too?" 

Haley was unsure of how to answer him. It would be very wrong to let him think they were both dead when they were indeed alive, but Nathan was not ready to know Haley was alive. She would have to go along with letting him think he was dreaming. To avoid having to answer his question, Haley simply changed the subject. 

"Nathan I've missed you so much," Haley whispered, gently stroking his cheek. 

"I've missed you too. Life kind of sucks without you," Nathan replied reaching up to tenderly push a piece of her hair out of her face. She looked so different from the last time he saw her. Haley was no longer pregnant, and her hair was much shorter and darker. She also looked exhausted. Nathan did not understand why Haley looked so different in death. Is this how she looked before she died? Had the killer forced her to change her appearance? Why did she look so tired? Had his late bride been unable to find peace with her killer still  on the loose? What had happened to their baby? Nathan had so many questions for her. 

"Haley, what happened that night after I went upstairs? I came back, and you were just gone," Nathan asked, his voice still hoarse. 

Haley sighed. She needed to give him something. He deserved some answers. 

"He took me while you were in the shower. He told me if I screamed he would kill us both. So for your sake I kept quiet and let him take me," Haley told him, and his gorgeous blue eyes had tears in them.

"Oh, Hales I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you from-"

"Nathan listen to me," Haley cut him off, she was running out of time "I need you to stop blaming yourself for what happened to me. There was nothing you could have done; he would have just taken me some other time you left me alone. It wasn't your fault baby."

"Hales who took you?"He asks. 

Haley shook her head at him. She could not tell him. It would only put him in the path of danger. 

"It won't make a difference," She tells him, and he looks angry. 

"Won't make a difference? Of course, it will make a difference! You deserve justice, Hales! Whoever did this to you deserves to pay!"Nathan states incredulously. 

Again Haley shakes her head at him. 

"It won't Nate, you'll just get more hurt than you already are," Haley tells him "Please just please stay out of this." 

Nathan opens his mouth to argue with her but quickly closes it. If Haley wanted him to let it go, he had to. He loved his wife too much disrespect her wishes, especially if this could be the last thing she ever asked of him.