A/N: Well, this story is in no way linked to my other stories in fanfiction. I was just watching season 4 of One Tree Hill over and over, thinking how unfair it was that Nathan was trying to take care of his family, but lost his scholarship. Yes, he broke rules and disgraced the game but he did it because he was desperate. Most people would do that same thing for family. I know I would and he realized his mistake rather than let Lucas take the blame. He's grown up so much that, in my personal opinion, he deserves to fulfill his dreams.
By the way, this is a one-shot but I'm still torn on whether or not it should remain a one-shot or become a full-fledged story. Hopefully you like it.
We've all heard this phrase, at least once or twice, about having skeletons in your closet that could haunt you later on in life. It makes you wonder how many you have, the ones you do have, and the ones you didn't even know you have.
Somewhere in a café in South Carolina, a girl was watching her brother on TV. This was the first time and most likely not the last time. "He's really screwed himself over this time." she said to no one in particular.
Standing up, she left the café quietly, so she wouldn't draw anyone's attention. The girl walked to her car where her bags were. She sat in the driver's seat, turning on the ignition. Pausing, she said, "Time to interfere."
She drove for hours until she reached her destination. Home of the Blue Devils, Duke University.
The next day, Whitey went to the river court to deliver some news to Nathan about his scholarship with Duke. "Hey Coach." Nathan panted, holding the basketball in his hands.
Whitey chuckled. "Well, I'm not your coach anymore, remember?"
"Yeah." he paused. "It's weird not to see you as my coach though."
"Well, you can still call me that if you'd like. So, I've got some news for you."
"Good or bad?"
Whitey nodded his head, trying to think of how to answer that question. "It depends on how you see it." Nathan gulped and Whitey continued. "Duke rescinded your scholarship offer."
"Oh." he said dejectedly, his head drooping.
"But it seems that someone has spoken to them and convinced them to have another meeting. They've agreed to let you sit it on it."
Nathan was shocked to say the least. "Wha…When?"
"Tomorrow afternoon at two."
"So soon?"
"Yeah, apparently, this person is very good at persuasion."
"Did you-"
"No, Nathan, it wasn't me. This person reached them before I did."
"Did they tell you who?"
"No, the person asked them to not disclose any information about them."
"Wow, thank you, Coach. This means a lot to me and Haley too."
"Well, hold on a minute, I didn't do anything."
Nathan shook his head and Whitey raised an eyebrow at him. "Coach, you've done everything for me."
Whitey smiled. "Well, Nathan, you keep that fire burning inside of you that made you the best player I've ever coached and that'll be enough thanks for me."
"Got it, Coach. Um…"
"What, son?"
"Coach, do you think that, maybe, you…could come with me? To Duke, tomorrow?"
Almost beaming, Whitey nodded. "Sure, but if I have to drive myself, you're paying for my gas."
"Sure, but I think we can take you. If Haley comes. I'm pretty sure she will though. She'll be excited. Hey, Coach, do you think that they could change their minds?"
"Well, Nathan, nothing is for sure. But I'll tell you one thing, people love a guy who rises from the ashes."
"That sounds like something Keith would say."
"Your uncle was a great man. You try your best to take after him, better Keith than your rotten father."
"Yeah, I'll come by tomorrow morning, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, but don't forget some food too. I get hungry on road trips." Nathan merely laughed as Whitey walked to his car and drove away.
At Karen's Café, Lucas, Peyton, Brooke, Haley, Mouth, and Skills were all gathered around a table. "What do you think Nathan wanted us here for?" Brooke asked.
"I don't know. He wouldn't tell me and I'm his wife!" Haley whined and everyone laughed.
"Because I wanted to tell everyone at the same time." Nathan said as he walked up to them.
"What? Don't keep us in suspense." Peyton said.
Skills agreed. "Yeah, or Mrs. Scott over here will pop out another Scott prematurely."
They all laughed. "Alright. So, Whitey talked to Duke and they rescinded my scholarship offer."
"So, you're clearly trying to cheer us all up by inviting here on the premise that it's good news?" Lucas asked.
"No, man. That's not all. Someone else talked to Duke and got them to agree to consider me again. I have to go there tomorrow for the meeting and explain myself, I guess."
"Oh my god, Nathan! That's great!" Haley cheered and the girls agreed, saying something as well while the guys nodded.
"Thanks, guys. Uh, about tomorrow, well, I was hoping-"
"Let me guess." Mouth said. "Another road trip?"
"If you guys don't mind. Whitey's going and I'd like it if you could come too." he looked at each of them in turn and pleaded with his eyes. Each of them smiled back at him in return.
Nathan received a chorus of yeses and he sighed in relief. "Okay, then. Duke, here we come."
"Hey, what are the chances of Duke having a prom too?" Brooke joked.
The next day, after laughing a lot in the car on the way there and Whitey forcing them to listen to music from the 50's, they were standing outside of the Duke conference room. "Honey, you okay?" Haley asked him, slightly worried. She was nervous as well but she knew she needed to be confident for Nathan.
In all honesty, every person in the group was worried for Nathan and hoped for the best but they found it hard to keep the optimism up when chaos is common among them.
"Hey, Coach, did you ever find out who convinced Duke to have this meeting?" Lucas asked Whitey.
He shook his head, although he wanted to know, no one would tell him. "They wouldn't tell me a thing."
Nathan exhaled anxiously. "Well, here goes." he took one more look at their faces and they tried to smile to reassure him but Nathan knew they were almost as, if not more than, scared as he was. This could be it for him.
He thought the conference when he announced what he had done was it but this meeting gave him the tiniest hope. Hope that could be diminished in a flash and Nathan almost didn't want to find out because he wanted to hold onto that hope. Cherish it, cling onto it for dear life, and forget that he had it just in case it didn't work out.
With Haley at his side, he walked through the doors. Lucas, Peyton, Brooke, Mouth, Skills, and Whitey behind him. The atmosphere as they entered was as palpable as an elephant in someone's living room; protruding out and obviously not belonging there.
Sitting down in the seats clearly for them, everyone waited for the meeting to start, frightened to death and ecstatic for a chance. No one was as emotionally unstable as Nathan at that moment. He was worried he might start shaking or having a panic attack right there in his chair.
The President of Duke, Richard H. Brodhead, stood at the head of the room and called the room to attention. "I believe we all know why this meeting has been called or you've heard the, shall I say, gossip running through the committees. What you do not know is why I've agreed to have this meeting.
Well, I was in my office the other day when this girl, not much younger than Nathan Scott himself, bursts into my office - much to the protest of my secretary, mind you - and she demands that I listen to what she had to say.
Normally, I have no patience for such out-there requests, particularly ones made so rudely, but this girl had so much determination in her eyes that I told her to sit down and talk.
I could tell she was shocked that I said yes so quickly but she sat down anyway. She made such a strong argument that I think we all should hear it again today. In fact, Mr. Scott, I didn't request your presence here today to explain your case but, rather, to hear this girl explain your case. Please." he motioned to someone sitting near him.
She stood and smiled meekly. "Hello, I'm Katherine. My last name's not really important right now but I can tell you what is. Nathan getting his scholarship back. Frankly, he deserves it and he's worked his whole life for it. Nathan has reached Hell and back. Literally, his father is Dan Scott but, ha, that's an entirely different topic that I could go on and on about.
Duke University is this amazing college with a great athletic department. Plus, the mascot's pretty cool too. You know, the Blue Devils. Anyway, like I said, Nathan's been through a lot. Sure, he doesn't have the worst life but to say that his life is easy, or anyone else's for that matter, is wrong.
Nathan knows that and he realizes his mistakes. Clearly, he's proved it. I mean, Nathan could have let Lucas, his brother, take the fall for him and go here in the fall without anyone knowing the slightest other than who he's confided in previously. But he didn't. He couldn't.
Personally, I think the old Nathan would have because the old Nathan didn't care about anyone but himself or anything but sex, alcohol, and basketball. He did terrible in school too but he's going to graduate soon and now he cares about his wife, Haley, and his son that's going to be born any day now. He still cares about basketball now and, yes, because he compromised the honor of the game, it makes it seem like he does."
The Tree Hill group wondered how she knew so much about Nathan and who she was. Everything she said was right. It was like she was there the whole time but they doubted it.
"But Nathan is just eighteen. He's not done growing up. I doubt many adults now can truthfully say they're done growing up. However, he has grown and, by point-shaving, he proved that he's going to be a great father."
"What does any of this have to do with allowing Nathan to go to Duke and play for us?" Tallman Trask III, the executive vice president asked.
"Well, a lot if you listen and let me finish." Katherine cleared her throat. "Mr. Tallman, do you have any kids?"
"Why, yes, I do but I hardly see how this is relevant."
"Would you do anything for them?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I would. They are my children. My own flesh-and-blood." he stated, looking proud of himself.
Katherine smiled. "Okay, say you're an eighteen-year-old guy with a wife and a child on the way. You have bills to pay but no job because you have to focus on basketball because it's your only chance for college. Say you needed help but your father turns you down. Say you had nowhere to go and a seemingly nice guy offers to help you out.
Say that when you can't pay him back by a certain time, not only does the guy raise the payment but he threatens you. Say he threatens to injure you so you can't play anymore. Say he threatens your scholarship. Say he threatens your family. Say he threatens everything that matters to you. Say he threatens to take it all away. What would you do?"
Tallmen Trask opened his mouth but Katherine cut him off. "Now, now, Mr. Trask, wouldn't want to lie, now would we? We all know the answer here. You would do what you'd have to do to ensure your family's future. Nathan did what he thought was best for his wife and son.
Can you really blame him for trying to take care of them? Can you penalize someone who made a mistake for the right reasons? He was scared. Who wouldn't be? He's young and being a parent scares anyone at any age. Nathan already has to live with the fact that Haley was hurt as a result of his deal with this Daunte guy.
Don't take this scholarship away from him. Don't take his best chance of providing for his family away. Don't take his dream away. If there are people that deserve their dream to come true, Nathan is one of those people. Besides, we all know Nathan is one of the best basketball players we've ever seen. Right, Coach K?"
He laughed. "Right you are, Katherine, is it? Right you are."
"See, I'm right and you all know it. So, let Nathan come here. Give him his scholarship back. Give him another chance and, most importantly, give him his dreams back. No one deserves to have their dreams taken away."
President Brodhead stood up and said, "Well, does anyone have something to say because I already know my decision. I knew yesterday. Mr. Trask?"
"This is a serious matter. Imagine what the press will say."
Katherine rolled her eyes. "Yes, because what other people think about who shapes who you are. Who cares what they say? Nathan has done an admirable thing. Besides, someone used to tell me that everyone loves a person who rises from the ashes. It gives us hope. Who better to give us hope than a guy who went from being a jerk to a great person, in just two years? A guy who is married happily with a kid on the way and has survived a lot, even a few car accidents here and there."
Mr. Trask seemed to be considering this and Mr. Brodhead asked, "Does anyone object to what Katherine here has proposed we do?"
All eyes appeared to be on Mr. Trask but he didn't say anything. In fact, he just looked up and smiled at Katherine, who was now beaming.
"Well, then, congratulations, Nathan Scott. You've just become a Blue Devil. Welcome to the family."
"Thank you!" he jumped up, hugging Haley. He was so surprised that he couldn't contain himself and cheered with them. "Thank you so much!"
President Brodhead laughed. "Don't thank me. Thank Katherine."
"Thank you! Really! Thank you all so much! Hales, can you believe this?"
"No! Oh my god, Nathan!"
"Whoo-hoo!" Skills and Mouth yelled. Lucas and Peyton cheered with them as well while Whitey laughed, grinning. The building began clearing out except for them and Katherine, who was talking to President Brodhead.
"You know, Katherine, you can give one hell of a speech. You might consider coming to Duke and becoming a lawyer maybe."
"Thanks, but I got plans."
"Well, I have a few questions for you before you go off and do those plans."
"Go ahead. I kind of owe you for this meeting and giving Nathan back the scholarship."
"No, you don't. That speech convinced everyone. I just called the meeting because you convinced me yesterday. But what I want to know is why you did it? From the looks on Nathan Scott's face, he looked confused, almost as if he didn't know who you were."
"He doesn't."
"What? Why?"
"Why doesn't he know me?"
"Well, that too, I suppose but I mean why would you do this then?"
"It was my time to interfere. That was always part of my plans."
"What are your plans, if you don't mind me asking?"
"The same thing Nathan is doing. Taking care of my family."
"That reminds me, what is your last name?"
Katherine looked over at Nathan and Lucas with their friends. Mr. Brodhead followed her gaze. She looked back at him and smiled. "Scott."