Finally I've filled a prompt from the forum; What do you go home to? (Check it out, the link's on my profile, even you don't leave a prompt, just come and say hi, all ships welcome.)

This one's for Leijona, because I've been promising too long! And it's a little thank you for the awesome avatar you made for the forum :)

Also how cool is the story covers thing? Unfortunately due to my lack of expertise and the tiny amount of NP pics there are, I couldn't find anything much for this fic :( But yeah, I'm excited!

…

Nathan hung his head, covering his eyes with his palms and groaning as the coach raged to the team about their poor performance. The Hawks had lost to his old team the Bobcats in catastrophic fashion, and Nathan knew that he was partly to blame. He'd allowed the pressure to get to him; the opposition fans had dug beneath his skin and resided there for the duration of the game. It was hard, playing against his childhood colours; it wasn't an excuse, there were no excuses, but it hadn't been an easy game.

The coach spat and yelled as he stormed about the dressing room, throwing his clipboard down in anger and slamming his fist against the wall with frustration. Nathan chanced a look at him, only to be shot down by a glare.

"Scott, what the hell happened?" The coach growled and instantly Nathan felt like he was eight years old again facing his father's wrath with nowhere to hide.

Nathan swallowed thickly, "I don't know, Coach."

"You don't know?" Coach laughed, "Scott, this was your team last season! You know the way they work, you know their weaknesses, you know how they get beat! You were our secret weapon and you choked."

Blushing angrily, Nathan returned to hanging his head. He was the new kid; the team's most expensive new player. It was only his second game and it had been his chance to shine; to get the fans on side. And he'd blown it. His game had been sloppy; he'd missed shots he'd made in his sleep before; and he'd struggled like hell to communicate with his new team mates. The taunts of both sets of fans had got to him and he'd lost his cool.

"Hit the showers." The coach said finally before retreating to his office.

Around him, the established team patted each other on the back offering their commiserations. All Nathan received was a couple of sympathetic glances. Sighing, Nathan stood to his feet and found an empty cubicle at the far end of the wash room. He didn't want to speak to anyone; he wasn't ready to face up to it. He'd analyse it later, when he was alone with the tapes.

He was last to leave the home changing rooms, when the halls were still and silent. When he walked out, he half expected to see her there, waiting, like she always used to, whatever the outcome of the game. It was easier to forget when her playful smirk was waiting, one leg propped against the wall and her eyes glistening.

But she wasn't waiting.

Instead he walked from the Arena alone, his kit bag over his shoulder and his mind clouded by mistakes. He slipped into the brand new Range Rover he'd bought for himself after signing for the Hawks; it was a present and congratulatory gift. He gripped onto the steering wheel tightly and tried to force away all the doubts flaring up in his mind. Atlanta hadn't been an easy decision; it had been life changing actually, he didn't need it to turn out being the wrong decision.

On the ride home he toyed with the radio. He was trying out the musical therapy thing; he'd seen it work out so many times for her but he couldn't make it fix him. He needed more than beats and lyrics, he needed her.

When he finally reached home; a place a little way out of the city with a lawn and nice neighbours, he was thoroughly frustrated. He turned his key in the lock and stepped inside the darkened hallway. He slipped his shoes off and set his kit bag down before padding through to the kitchen in search of a drink.

He snapped the light on and took a glass tumbler from the top cabinet, his eyes grazing over a frame sat on the counter. In the photograph he was smiling widely; his arms safely around her waist. Right now, that was looking pretty damn good.

He ascended the stairs two at a time after swallowing down a quick whiskey and followed the light streaming from beneath the door at the end of the landing. He clicked the door open and smiled, feeling the memories of the game fading away.

"Daddy!"

"Dada!"

Nathan grinned and held his arms open to his six year old, Elodie, who had thrown the covers off and was rushing towards him at full speed on her toothpick thin legs. He chuckled and caught her easily, swinging her onto his hip. Lana was slower; she was only two and still getting used to the logistics of her big girls' bed that he'd bought her when they'd moved to the new house. Saving her the struggle, Nathan crossed the room and scooped her up with his free arm.

"How are you feeling, Bub?" Nathan felt the heat from Lana's forehead, as she nestled sleepily into his neck. Her chubby cheeks were rosy and he could hear the raspy struggle still lingering when she took a breath. She'd had a horrible baby cold that everyone else had been seemingly immune to. Nathan let her lay on his chest, rubbing circles on her back as she curled her knees up against his ribs.

"Mine ear ow." She informed him, pressing her little hand against the side of her head for emphasis.

On his other side Elodie swung her legs excitedly, she knew that they were supposed to be in bed, but because Daddy had woke them up, they had got a free pass for after bedtime. "Can we have hot chocolate? Daddy please?"

She looked at him with her big green eyes, inherited from her mother and tilted her head slightly, her dark caramel curls falling onto Nathan's shoulder. Then she pouted and he knew he'd lost. "Okay, where's your Mama?"

Elle shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. On the phone."

Nathan grinned at her answer and nodded, dropping Elodie down onto her feet and taking her by the hand to go downstairs. They took each step one at a time, even though Elle was quite capable of walking normally. Nathan was aware the trick though, she was making the most of the forbidden hour and trying to stretch out the time before she was put back to bed. Even Lana seemed to catch on to the fact; brightening and wriggling in Nathan's hold.

At the bottom step Elodie bounded onto the carpet with an ambitious leap and rushed to the kitchen. Nathan hurried after her, "Hold up, Elle, we need to get Mommy."

Elodie wheeled around quickly, her socks slipping on the hardwood flooring. She sighed and followed Nathan through the lounge to the adjoining office. Nathan clicked the door open to find Peyton stood across the room, the phone pressed to her ear and a tirade of curses falling from her perfect lips.

"You're an asshole, you know that? How dare you call him just to say that! You call your self a father? You're a damn fuc-," She trailed off and turned to the faces of her shocked daughters and amused husband. "Oh."

Nathan laughed as Peyton rolled her eyes and mouthed Dan at him.

Turning to Elodie, Nathan nodded under the desk, "Elle, see that cable, the grey one? Yank it out will you?"

She looked up at her Daddy disbelievingly and then grinned, diving below the laden desk littered with Peyton's work. Triumphantly she pulled the wire from the socket to which Nathan cheered.

Peyton let the phone drop from her hand and shook her head, "You shouldn't teach her that."

Nathan shrugged, "Like our kids aren't going to be trouble anyway."

Rolling her eyes, but smiling gently Peyton crossed the room to kiss him. She grazed her lips against his and squeezed her hand around his arm. "You okay?" She whispered into his ear.

He nodded, "I am now."

He knew that she would have seen the game; she'd never missed one. But due to a sick kid, she'd had to stay home and watch it on the TV. "Dan called to tell you all the ways you should have played tonight."

"How refreshing." Nathan stated dryly, honestly unsurprised.

Peyton smirked, "It's a good thing you didn't walk in two minutes earlier, my mouth kind of ran away from me."

He laughed and kissed her temple, "I love you."

"Dad-dy" Elodie whined, bored of watching her Mom and Dad kissing. She looked to them pointedly, telling them that she was thirsty for hot chocolate.

Peyton frowned in an amused manner, "And just what are you doing out of bed young lady?"

Quickly Elodie pointed her finger accusingly to Nathan, "Daddy said we could!"

In her Daddy's arms, Lana nodded along encouragingly, "Cookies!"

Nathan's mouth gaped, even when she was sick, Lana was cheeky. But he loved that about her. "Come on, Mommy, this poorly girl wants cookies."

"And me!" Elodie added, dancing around in her pyjamas.

"And Daddy." Nathan smirked. It was easy to see where Lana had got her cheek from.

Peyton leaned down and tickled at Elodie's tummy, "But you can't still be hungry, we had ice cream!"

Nathan bounced Lana in his arms, "You had ice cream without me?"

Lana giggled happily and Peyton beamed at the sound. All day she'd been grouchy, frustrated with still being sick and not being able to properly communicate to Peyton what was irritating her. Peyton ran her hand over Lana's soft blonde curls, "We had ice cream because Miss Lana had an ouchy throat."

Nathan hugged his baby girl closer to him and slipped his arm around his wife's waist. He was glad to be home with them. He hated to be away when one of the girls was poorly and have to leave Peyton with grouchy kids, endless laundry and mind numbing cartoons. "Okay Elles, lead the way."

Elodie skipped ahead and they could hear the rattle of the cookie jar before they were even out of the office. Lana, hearing the sound wriggled in Nathan's hold and he reluctantly he set her on the floor with a pat of her butt before she set off running in her little footed onesie.

"How has she been?" Nathan glanced to Peyton.

Peyton shrugged, "A bit grumpy,"

"Never." Nathan smirked. Both their girls had a tendency to a case of the grumps; just like their Mommy and Daddy.

"But she's much better now. I think seeing her Daddy helped." Peyton grinned; it was no secret that Lana's hero was her Daddy in as much as Elle was a complete Mommy's girl.

"She's back to being a cheeky monkey." Nathan noted.

"Mmm." Peyton nodded and pulled him to a stop in her hallway. Her eyes shined up at him as she searched his face for signs of what he was feeling. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there."

He shook her apology away, "You were doing something far more important."

She threw him a knowing look, because she understood the way he worked. Tomorrow he would watch the game footage back and analyse his every mistake, punishing himself but learning from it also. "We're here for you."

"I know." He assured, "That potty mouth to my Dad kind of proved that."

Peyton smiled, "They're wrong you know, everyone who says that you should be an asset, playing against your old team. But they're the only team in the league you've never played against, that's a disadvantage."

He smiled at her logic and pulled her in closer, "Thank you."

"And that dunk, Nate, you looked like you were seventeen again, in that gym fighting Dan off your back." She told him, her eyes shining in that never ceasing believing way of hers.

"It wasn't enough though." Nathan pointed out. He agreed that it had been a good dunk in the dying minutes, but there was no saving the game by that point; they'd been dead in the water.

Shrugging, Peyton slipped her fingers around his collar. Her eyes hooded and a smile crept over her lips, "Well I thought it was incredibly sexy."

"Oh, you did, huh?" Nathan's expression transformed with a coy lift of his eyebrow. He ran his hands down the back of her cotton tank top over the back pockets of her jeans, finding the rip at the top of her right thigh. He slipped his finger through the denim and stroked her soft skin as he leaned down to kiss her.

"Mommy, La-la had two already!" Elodie called from the kitchen, breaking them apart from their embrace.

"Nuh-uh!" Lana protested, shuffling to the doorway, her mouth covered in chocolate smears.

Peyton gasped and pulled Lana up into her arms, "Lana, what did you have?"

"Jus' a likkle one." She held her thumb and forefinger a millimetre apart to illustrate.

"A chocolate one?" Peyton questioned, trying not to laugh at Lana's serious wide eyes as she shook her head two and fro. Peyton nodded and then kissed the little girl, making sure to press her lips against the melted chocolate covering Lana's mouth.

When they pulled apart, Elodie giggled at the sight of her Mommy's lips coated with chocolate smudges. Lana gasped at the sight, realising that she'd been caught out.

Nathan laughed heartily and leaned in to kiss his wife, "Mmm, tastes good."

He grinned down at Elodie the only one of them who'd managed to keep a clean face. She squealed as he Daddy approached and then giggled incessantly as he planted chocolate kisses on her cheeks.

"I missed my cheerleaders tonight." Nathan admitted, now that he was home and feeding from their energy.

"Did you win Daddy?" Elodie asked wide eyed as she settled on the kitchen floor beside the upturned cookie jar.

Peyton, falling down next her, lost her fingers in Elle's darkening locks, "Your Daddy flew tonight, Babe, the best dunk ever."

Nathan thanked her with his eyes as he pulled Lana onto his lap. "We lost tonight, Elle."

"Oh." Elodie's eyes widened and she looked for her Mom for support. She didn't know how to comfort her Daddy; usually he won his games.

Lana, with yet another cookie between her chubby hands looked up at her Daddy, "Bobcats lose?"

Peyton chewed on her lower lip and watched with surprise as Nathan laughed gently. "Girly was bought up as a Bobcat fan."

Elodie looked at her little sister, curled up on Nathan's legs, and rolled her green eyes dramatically. "La-la we don't like the Bobcats anymore. Daddy's a Hawk."

Lana's face screwed up with confusion. She had only known Bobcats; the team were her uncles and the arena her playground. "No, Daddy Bobcat." She nodded firmly, telling them that she didn't want to be told anything different.

Peyton smiled apologetically, "Elle, why don't you show Daddy your pretty toes?"

Nathan knew that she was trying to steer the conversation away from basketball and Nathan's old team. He didn't mind so much though, he liked the loyalty Lana had for her beloved Bobcats.

Quickly Elodie tore her socks off and wiggled her toes happily, showing off the pink polish that Peyton had put on her nails during Lana's nap earlier in the day. Elle was incredibly girly; she liked all things pink and sparkly and princess. It was something Peyton was sure she got from her Aunt Brooke who sent her dresses on a regular basis; dresses that Elodie rarely had the occasion for.

"Very pretty, Elle." Nathan complimented, smiling at the memory of painting Peyton's toes once before.

Lana leaned over to look too but only wrinkled her nose; she had no such interest in anything so girly.

Peyton smiled contently and looked over to her husband who was pretending to nibble on Lana's cookie when she was looking the other way. "Thanks for coming straight back; but you could have gone out with the guys you know."

Nathan shrugged his shoulders, "Why would I, when I have this to come home to?"

She laughed and leaned across to kiss some of the lingering chocolate from the corners of his smile.

Nathan's eyes ran over her silky hair, long legs and coy smile, "Besides, I'm pretty tired, I think you should take me to bed."

Peyton's eyes flashed a little and it was all he could do not to gather her up there and then and carry her upstairs. Instead Lana turned her head and blinked up at him, "Dada, I sleep in your bed a'well."

Lana had a habit of stating things, rather than asking, trouble was it was incredibly cute.

"Baby, you've got a new big girl's bed now." Peyton reminded her gently.

"Slumber party." Lana answered dismissively.

Elodie smiled then, joining in, "We can bring our pillows and comforters, it'll be squishy!"

The girls scrambled to their feet and dashed towards the stairs. Peyton and Nathan shared a look; they knew that by the time they joined them, the girls would have turned the master bedroom into an unrecognisable nest inhabited by every soft toy in the house. And knowing their girls, the pair of them would sleep like starfish in the centre of the bed wrapped tightly in the quilt.

Peyton smirked as the sound of giggles ascended the stairs, "How did they take over?"

Nathan laughed, "They're smart, and far too cute."

"They're trouble." Peyton corrected with a roll of her eyes.

Leaning his head back on the kitchen cabinet he was sat against, Nathan helped himself to another cookie, "They're perfect."

"Even if one of them's a Bobcat." Peyton reminded him.

Nathan shook his head, "She's going to fall in love with a bad boy isn't she?"

"You mean like I did?" Peyton smiled.

"Exactly." Nathan groaned.

Peyton stroked her hand along his face sympathetically, "Come on, we've got a slumber party to get to."

Nathan let her pull him up from the floor and then he swept his arm around her shoulder and slipped the other beneath her knees before lifting her bridal style. She squealed and kissed him passionately, her fingers gliding across his jaw line.

From the upstairs landing, two little faces peered through the banisters sniggering at the sight.

"Quick, Daddy, we're doing makeovers first!" Elodie urged, grinning broadly.

Peyton arched her brow and looked to her daughters, "I think we should give him purple eyeshadow this time."

"Oh, I bet you think that's funny, Sawyer." Nathan groaned as he carried her up the stairs.

"It's Scott." Peyton reminded him, "And yeah, pretty damn hilarious."

"No Mama," Lana shook her head, "Daddy like Bobcat colours!"

Peyton snorted and Nathan shook his head, he could only see one escape. He laid Peyton on the bed that was barely visible through the mound of quilts, pillows and bears and looked to Lana, "Okay, you little Bobcat," and then to Elodie, "Elle-Belle,"

Peyton narrowed her eyes and then screamed as Nathan announced a pillow fight and they all launched on top of her squealing and tickling and laughing. Amongst the bundling, Nathan found her lips and pressed his hard against them. All thoughts of the game had vanished, now that he was home, with his girls.