Ok so sorry for the wait.
This is the final chapter, enjoy!
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Nathan looked at Lucas in horror.
Lucas stared back, the fear reflected in his own eyes.
Peyton and Haley clutched each other's hands tightly, both of them shaking like leaves.
Dan moved forward, 'I...' he looked from son to son, 'I..' How could he make this choice? 'I..choose...neither!'
His statement was met with silence. Lucas swallowed, touched, he had expected Dan to easily choose Nathan.
Harry narrowed his eyebrows, 'fine then if u won't let me kill one of your sons, then I guess I'll have to kill your wife.'
In mere seconds he pulled the gun on Deb, who was standing with Karen and Keith and pulled the trigger.
Deb crumpled to the ground immediately.
'MOOOOOOOOOOOM' Nathan screamed, running towards her.
Lucas watched as everyone immediately turned to Deb, Harry threw the gun to the ground, took off and began to run into the woods. Lucas picked up the gun and levelled his shaking fist to aim at his retreating form.
He squeezed his eyes shut and hoped with all he had that he had been right about Harry's lack of intelligence.
Squeezing the trigger, his eyes snapped open as a gunshot echoed around the clearing.
Harry fell to the ground.
Lucas smiled in satisfaction. He walked over until he stood right over him, he waited until Harry opened his pain-wracked eyes and then he cocked his head to the right.
'It ain't Russian roulette if you leave more than one bullet Harry.'
The police arrived a short time later.
Haley watched tearfully as Nathan bent over his mom as the paramedics worked on her.
Dan stood white-faced, barking orders at the paramedics.
The police were talking to Lucas and Peyton.
Brooke stood alone by the edge of the woods, she was thinking about how she was going to talk to Tim's parents and tell them what a wonderful, heroic guy their son was.
Karen and Keith were huddled close to where Deb lay.
The paramedics loaded Deb into the ambulance as Nathan looked beseechingly at Haley.
'Come with me?'
Haley squeezed his hand, 'of course'.
Lucas left Brooke and Peyton with the police and walked over to them.
'How is she?'
Nathan shook his head, tearfully. He didn't trust himself to speak. His mom had been shot.
Haley turned a tear-stained face to Luke, 'we're going to go in the ambulance', she told him.
'Ok', Lucas replied, 'Dan gave Uncle Keith his keys so we'll follow you to the hospital.'
'Ok'.
Lucas looked at his brother, 'hey, she'll be alright man'.
Nathan gave a swift nod, and he and Haley climbed into the ambulance after Dan.
Dan shared a glance with Nathan as they both watched Deb, the oxygen mask securely fastened over her face.
Haley clasped Nathan's hand tightly. He turned slightly to her and she rested her forehead against his. This did not go unnoticed by Dan.
It was the first time he realised just how much the girl meant to his son. His attention was immediately drawn back to his wife when she let out a moan.
'DEB?' He leaned over her.
'Nathaaaaaaan' Deb whispered, her voice scratchy.
'Mom?' Nathan bent his head to hers.
'Oh sweetie, thank..god...you're alright', she murmered, '..thought something had happened to you.'
Nathan swallowed hard, 'I'm ok mom, I love you, you're going to be ok'. He squeezed her hand.
'I love you', Deb whispered back.
Nathan nodded, a lone tear falling down his cheek.
Dan watched the exchange in silence.
'I thought I'd lost you', Deb croaked out, as she lay in the hospital bet half an hour later.
Nathan shook his head, 'I thought I'd lost you'.
Deb smiled, 'we're a pair aren't we?'
Nathan nodded. 'I'm so glad you're ok mom'.
Deb held his hand, 'me too sweetie, me too'.
Luckily the bullet hadn't hit any vital organs and Deb had merely lost a lot of blood. The doctors had extracted the bullet and proclaimed her 'on the road to recovery'.
She still looked pretty pale to Nathan, but that was to be expected.
Dan stood in the corner of the room, silently.
Nathan stood, he looked at his mom, 'I'm gonna go see if Haley's ok', he told her, then he shot his dad a warning look, 'if u need me I'll just be outside'. He did not want his dad upsetting his mom in anyway.
Dan's mouth tightened, but he obviously understood his son's hidden message, 'don't hurt her'.
Nathan walked out of the room and saw her standing there in the corridor.
His light, his salvation, the woman he loved.
She opened her arms and pulled his head to her shoulder.
Nathan felt all the emotion, the shock, the terror, the worry of that awful day come to the surface. He began to sob, quietly at first until finally he was completely breaking down in her arms.
She didn't say a word.
She just held him.
This was how Lucas, Brooke, Peyton, Karen and Keith found them later.
They all feared the worst.
'Oh no, Deb?' Karen asked, eyes wide, lip trembling.
'She's ok', Haley told them, Nathan didn't lift his head, it remained pressed into her shoulder.
Lucas moved forward and motioned to Haley to hand Nathan over.
She gently passed him to Lucas and Lucas held his brother, both of them letting the sheer emotion of the day out.
Lucas felt the tears run down his cheek, 'it's ok now', he told his little brother, protective instincts in full gear, 'we're ok, your mom's ok, the girls are ok.'
Nathan clung to Lucas even tighter, 'but what about Tim?'
Lucas didn't know what to say to that. He just tried to help him in the only way he knew how.
Stroking Nathan's head with his hand, he whispered, 'look Tim would have been proud of the way you handled everything today ok? He loved you Nate.'
Nathan remained silent.
They stayed in that embrace for a long time, until finally they pulled back.
'You were so great tonight, so brave Luke, the way you caught that maniac, you made me proud you're my big brother.' Nathan told him.
Lucas smiled, amazed at the amount of love he felt for his brother after how their relationship had started out.
'Hey so were you man, I was proud of you,' he narrowed his eyes playfully then, 'but we do have to do something about your hot head'.
'Hah, you can talk.' Nathan replied, 'you're where I get it from, you call chasing after that guy and shooting him, keeping a cool head?' Lucas grinned and playfully put Nathan in a headlock.
'Alright you two, quit horsing around, Nate, you can stay with us tonight.' Karen told him as she and Keith stood watching.
Nathan nodded, he appreciated them being there for him.
'What's going to happen to Harry?' Haley asked unable to keep the tremor from her voice.
Keith's eyes narrowed, 'well he's lucky Luke only shot him in the leg! He's going down for a long, long time.'
The teens nodded.
'Come on', Karen told them, 'girls we'll drop you off on the way, I'm sure your parents will be glad to have you back safe and sound.'
Brooke walked ahead with Karen and Keith as Luke put his left arm around Peyton and his right arm around Nathan, who put his right arm around Haley.
'Come on little brother,' Lucas whispered, 'lets go home.'
Nathan nodded as they made their way out of the hospital.
The nightmare was over, it was time to go home.
In a cell, mere miles from the hospital, Harry Jarvis stared at the gun shot wound to his leg.
He sat alone in the darkness. He knew he was going to prison but he'd find a way to escape, he'd done it before, he'd do it again.
Looking into the darkness his eyes narrowed into menacing slits,
'You haven't seen the last of me Dan Scott', he growled into the silence, 'You'll pay for this soon, you'll all pay, and when I have you all cowering on the floor like dirty little rats, when you're begging for mercy, I'm going to send you to hell and when you look the devil in the eyes, you can tell him Harry Jarvis sent you there!'
His laughs echoed around the prison cells and Harry pictured the face of Nathan and Lucas Scott. He pictured their eyes fixed open, their skin pale, he pictured them dead!
Oh he'd get out of there and after he did they would all wish they'd never been born.
THE END!
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Nathan looked at Lucas in horror.
Lucas stared back, the fear reflected in his own eyes.
Peyton and Haley clutched each other's hands tightly, both of them shaking like leaves.
Dan moved forward, 'I...' he looked from son to son, 'I..' How could he make this choice? 'I..choose...neither!'
His statement was met with silence. Lucas swallowed, touched, he had expected Dan to easily choose Nathan.
Harry narrowed his eyebrows, 'fine then if u won't let me kill one of your sons, then I guess I'll have to kill your wife.'
In mere seconds he pulled the gun on Deb, who was standing with Karen and Keith and pulled the trigger.
Deb crumpled to the ground immediately.
'MOOOOOOOOOOOM' Nathan screamed, running towards her.
Lucas watched as everyone immediately turned to Deb, Harry threw the gun to the ground, took off and began to run into the woods. Lucas picked up the gun and levelled his shaking fist to aim at his retreating form.
He squeezed his eyes shut and hoped with all he had that he had been right about Harry's lack of intelligence.
Squeezing the trigger, his eyes snapped open as a gunshot echoed around the clearing.
Harry fell to the ground.
Lucas smiled in satisfaction. He walked over until he stood right over him, he waited until Harry opened his pain-wracked eyes and then he cocked his head to the right.
'It ain't Russian roulette if you leave more than one bullet Harry.'
The police arrived a short time later.
Haley watched tearfully as Nathan bent over his mom as the paramedics worked on her.
Dan stood white-faced, barking orders at the paramedics.
The police were talking to Lucas and Peyton.
Brooke stood alone by the edge of the woods, she was thinking about how she was going to talk to Tim's parents and tell them what a wonderful, heroic guy their son was.
Karen and Keith were huddled close to where Deb lay.
The paramedics loaded Deb into the ambulance as Nathan looked beseechingly at Haley.
'Come with me?'
Haley squeezed his hand, 'of course'.
Lucas left Brooke and Peyton with the police and walked over to them.
'How is she?'
Nathan shook his head, tearfully. He didn't trust himself to speak. His mom had been shot.
Haley turned a tear-stained face to Luke, 'we're going to go in the ambulance', she told him.
'Ok', Lucas replied, 'Dan gave Uncle Keith his keys so we'll follow you to the hospital.'
'Ok'.
Lucas looked at his brother, 'hey, she'll be alright man'.
Nathan gave a swift nod, and he and Haley climbed into the ambulance after Dan.
Dan shared a glance with Nathan as they both watched Deb, the oxygen mask securely fastened over her face.
Haley clasped Nathan's hand tightly. He turned slightly to her and she rested her forehead against his. This did not go unnoticed by Dan.
It was the first time he realised just how much the girl meant to his son. His attention was immediately drawn back to his wife when she let out a moan.
'DEB?' He leaned over her.
'Nathaaaaaaan' Deb whispered, her voice scratchy.
'Mom?' Nathan bent his head to hers.
'Oh sweetie, thank..god...you're alright', she murmered, '..thought something had happened to you.'
Nathan swallowed hard, 'I'm ok mom, I love you, you're going to be ok'. He squeezed her hand.
'I love you', Deb whispered back.
Nathan nodded, a lone tear falling down his cheek.
Dan watched the exchange in silence.
'I thought I'd lost you', Deb croaked out, as she lay in the hospital bet half an hour later.
Nathan shook his head, 'I thought I'd lost you'.
Deb smiled, 'we're a pair aren't we?'
Nathan nodded. 'I'm so glad you're ok mom'.
Deb held his hand, 'me too sweetie, me too'.
Luckily the bullet hadn't hit any vital organs and Deb had merely lost a lot of blood. The doctors had extracted the bullet and proclaimed her 'on the road to recovery'.
She still looked pretty pale to Nathan, but that was to be expected.
Dan stood in the corner of the room, silently.
Nathan stood, he looked at his mom, 'I'm gonna go see if Haley's ok', he told her, then he shot his dad a warning look, 'if u need me I'll just be outside'. He did not want his dad upsetting his mom in anyway.
Dan's mouth tightened, but he obviously understood his son's hidden message, 'don't hurt her'.
Nathan walked out of the room and saw her standing there in the corridor.
His light, his salvation, the woman he loved.
She opened her arms and pulled his head to her shoulder.
Nathan felt all the emotion, the shock, the terror, the worry of that awful day come to the surface. He began to sob, quietly at first until finally he was completely breaking down in her arms.
She didn't say a word.
She just held him.
This was how Lucas, Brooke, Peyton, Karen and Keith found them later.
They all feared the worst.
'Oh no, Deb?' Karen asked, eyes wide, lip trembling.
'She's ok', Haley told them, Nathan didn't lift his head, it remained pressed into her shoulder.
Lucas moved forward and motioned to Haley to hand Nathan over.
She gently passed him to Lucas and Lucas held his brother, both of them letting the sheer emotion of the day out.
Lucas felt the tears run down his cheek, 'it's ok now', he told his little brother, protective instincts in full gear, 'we're ok, your mom's ok, the girls are ok.'
Nathan clung to Lucas even tighter, 'but what about Tim?'
Lucas didn't know what to say to that. He just tried to help him in the only way he knew how.
Stroking Nathan's head with his hand, he whispered, 'look Tim would have been proud of the way you handled everything today ok? He loved you Nate.'
Nathan remained silent.
They stayed in that embrace for a long time, until finally they pulled back.
'You were so great tonight, so brave Luke, the way you caught that maniac, you made me proud you're my big brother.' Nathan told him.
Lucas smiled, amazed at the amount of love he felt for his brother after how their relationship had started out.
'Hey so were you man, I was proud of you,' he narrowed his eyes playfully then, 'but we do have to do something about your hot head'.
'Hah, you can talk.' Nathan replied, 'you're where I get it from, you call chasing after that guy and shooting him, keeping a cool head?' Lucas grinned and playfully put Nathan in a headlock.
'Alright you two, quit horsing around, Nate, you can stay with us tonight.' Karen told him as she and Keith stood watching.
Nathan nodded, he appreciated them being there for him.
'What's going to happen to Harry?' Haley asked unable to keep the tremor from her voice.
Keith's eyes narrowed, 'well he's lucky Luke only shot him in the leg! He's going down for a long, long time.'
The teens nodded.
'Come on', Karen told them, 'girls we'll drop you off on the way, I'm sure your parents will be glad to have you back safe and sound.'
Brooke walked ahead with Karen and Keith as Luke put his left arm around Peyton and his right arm around Nathan, who put his right arm around Haley.
'Come on little brother,' Lucas whispered, 'lets go home.'
Nathan nodded as they made their way out of the hospital.
The nightmare was over, it was time to go home.
In a cell, mere miles from the hospital, Harry Jarvis stared at the gun shot wound to his leg.
He sat alone in the darkness. He knew he was going to prison but he'd find a way to escape, he'd done it before, he'd do it again.
Looking into the darkness his eyes narrowed into menacing slits,
'You haven't seen the last of me Dan Scott', he growled into the silence, 'You'll pay for this soon, you'll all pay, and when I have you all cowering on the floor like dirty little rats, when you're begging for mercy, I'm going to send you to hell and when you look the devil in the eyes, you can tell him Harry Jarvis sent you there!'
His laughs echoed around the prison cells and Harry pictured the face of Nathan and Lucas Scott. He pictured their eyes fixed open, their skin pale, he pictured them dead!
Oh he'd get out of there and after he did they would all wish they'd never been born.
THE END!