Thanks for the reviews and follows. I'm glad people are interested in this new story. We're going to take a trip back in time to see how we got to the proposal and start answering some of your questions. I hope you enjoy.

May 2006

Nathan Scott dribbled past his friend and sailed through the air, dunking the ball through the net and then swinging on the rim before coming down. "You could at least try to defend me Q," he joked, wiping the sweat from his face with the hem of his shirt. "That was pathetic."

"Oh, Nate's getting cocky now boys," Quentin Fields laughed, grabbing the ball and taking it to the top of the key. The dark skinned guard was just a little taller than Nathan's own 6 ft 2 and the two had known each other since they were children and eventually joined the team together. They were best friends and roommates, closer than most brothers.

"Let's see who's pathetic now," Q said, taking a few dribbles in one direction only to spin the other way and shoot a perfect fadeaway jump shot over Nathan's outstretched arms. "So much for defense. That's game baby."

The 4 boys playing all laughed and walked to the sidelines to get a drink. "I talked to coach yesterday. You ready to be Captains? It's all on us next year," Quentin said, taking a swig of his Gatorade. With two weeks left in their Junior year the boys were looking forward to being Seniors and the big men on campus, although as basketball players they were already immensely popular.

"You bet," Nathan responded, picking the ball back up and dribbling it between his legs, "we've been working toward this since we got here."

"Did you see the incoming freshman? One of them was here for orientation yesterday. Kid has to be at least 6ft 6 already at 14," Mike told them. "Coach thinks he might take Kev's place..."

"Excuse me boys," a voice spoke, interrupting their conversation and causing all four boys to turn. "Mr. Scott, there's someone in the office that needs to talk to you."

"I'll be right there," Nathan shrugged, putting a cap on his water and grabbing his bag.

"Ooooh," Mike teased, "Nate's in trouble now. Did you get caught in the closet with Alicia? I heard she had her shirt off."

Nathan shook his head, "As if I would take a chance on getting in trouble for a girl like that. She probably started the rumor herself. She flirts with me every chance she gets. She doesn't seem to get that I'm not the slightest bit interested."

"You want us to set it straight?"

"Nah, it's not worth it," Nathan told them. "It seems like there's always some rumor about me. People will believe what they want to believe." There was always so much gossip that he didn't even bother listening anymore. Most of it was wrong anyway. He guessed that was just part of being one of the highest ranked high school athletes in the state. "I got to go see what this is about, but I should be back soon. If I'm not I'll see you back at the dorm after classes."

He walked across the court and followed the assistant across campus to the main administrative center where visitors checked in. It was a beautiful brick building with lots of windows and gleaming wood floors meant to impress. Opening the glass door he was surprised to find a family friend there, "I didn't think I was going home until next weekend," he told the man, shaking his hand, "unless Mom is coming home already. Is that it?" he asked, getting excited at the possibility.

"Nathan," Patrick said, gesturing for the young man to sit down and taking the seat next to him. "She's taken a turn for the worse and she'd like to see you. She has some things you need to hear."


Nathan studied the man in front of him. For several years the man had been in his life as a friend of his mother's. Nathan wasn't stupid, he'd realized a long time ago that the guy was in love with her, but she would never allow more than friendship and he'd long ago accepted that to have a spot in her life. Nathan had assured her that he would be okay with it if she wanted to move on, his father had been out of her life for 17 years after all, but she'd explained that she'd loved his father with her whole heart and when she lost him it broke something inside her. She wasn't willing to go through that kind of pain again. She had him and he was her world, she didn't need anything else to be happy.

Patrick leaned against the wall, his eyes were still red-rimmed from the tears Nathan had seen him try to hide. "I don't know if you realize this, but I asked her to marry me. More than once actually."

Nathan nodded, finally looking into the older man's watery green eyes. "She's never kept things from me. She's always said that if we were going to make it the two of us had to stick together." He cleared this throat as he started to choke up. He didn't want to be there talking about this, as though she were already gone.

Patrick Olsen sighed, moving around to sit in one of the chairs. Nathan had always been a fairly outgoing kid, but since his mother was diagnosed with leukemia he'd become more withdrawn. The only times he ever saw the kid seem like himself anymore was when he was with his mother, his best friend, or playing basketball. It was that sport that made the kid come alive in ways rarely seen off the court.

Nathan had gone through a lot in his first 17 years and this was just another blow the kid would have to fight through. If it had been up to him, he would help out the teen, but Deb had been very clear in her wishes and he had promised to respect them. It didn't mean he liked that they were about to blow apart the kid's world.

"He's strong," she told him, "and I really think this is the best thing for him. He deserves to know his father. Dan's a good man, he always was. I don't blame him for what happened, he just wasn't mine to keep. I know I was selfish and haven't been willing to share my son with him this far, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't know each other. It's the best thing for both of them. Nathan shouldn't be alone so much, shouldn't have so many responsibilities. He deserves to be part of a family and his father can give him that."

"I don't think Nate will agree with you. He's well adjusted, popular, and he gets good grades. He's got friends and a good life with a great future ahead of him at Kentucky. He's so close to his dream and this is going to put that in jeopardy. How can you think it's a good idea after how much you've both sacrificed for him to get this far?"

"He's had to grow up too fast," Deb told him, staring at the world outside her third floor window. She'd been fighting a rare, advanced form of leukemia and so far, she was losing. She was going to continue to fight with everything she had left in her, but she had to prepare for the fact that she might not be there to see her son graduate.

"He has his whole life planned out, but he holds himself back from people. He's scared to let people in. I blame myself for that, but I want more than that for him. I don't want him to just be content, I want him to be truly happy. I want him to fall madly in love, even if it only lasts a short time. I want him to have real relationships and experience life. Whether I make it or not, at least I can try to give him a chance at that, to see the possibilities. I've kept tabs on Dan and his family over the years and I think they can show him how."

"I'll just let her explain to you," Patrick said, opening the door to her hospital room. "I'll wait out here."


"Would you please stop dribbling that thing?" Haley James asked as she walked down the sidewalk toward Karen's Cafe where she worked after school. "Brooke already gave me a headache with her begging."

Lucas Scott raised an eyebrow in confusion so Haley continued, "She wants me to go to cheerleading camp this summer and join the team I think she just wants me there as a buffer so she doesn't kill Rachel. I don't know what she has against the girl. Sure, Rachel is a bit of a slut, but Brooke hasn't exactly been Miss Celibate herself."

"I don't know," Lucas said, opening the door for his best friend, "but the hatred is mutual. You should have heard some of the things Rachel was saying at lunch yesterday. I was on the way to meet with Coach and even my ears turned red."

"Speaking of," Haley said, walking with him behind the counter, "Why are you practicing so much? The season is over"

"It's time to start getting ready for next year," he told her. "If I'm going to reach my goals, there can't be any off season for me."

"Well, what do you think the team will be like? Any good prospects in the younger grades?"

"Not really," Lucas said, spinning the ball in his hands. "The JV sucked and the upcoming freshman are terrible. It's going to be up to me and Skills. Of course, you know I'm going to break my dad's scoring record and win league MVP. It's practically written in stone."

"Don't get too cocky there," Haley laughed, wrapping an apron around her waist and twisting her long blonde hair into a clip. "It's a long season. Who knows what will happen?"

"I already told you what's going to happen," Lucas promised her, setting his ball behind the counter. "I'm going to get that scholarship to UNC and now that I'm out of Dame's shadow, there's nothing and no one who is going to get in my way."

"Well right now, the only thing bigger than your ego is the line at the register, so hop to it Mr. MVP. Duty calls"


Nathan sat in silence, staring at the generic pictures on the hospital walls. How could this be happening? There had to be something he could do to stop the train wreck his life was becoming. He ran his hands through his hair and stood, walking over to the door, intending to leave. He had to get some fresh air and think about what he'd just heard. She'd lied to him his entire life and now that was finally in a good place she was trying to fix her mistake by ruining everything he had planned. He didn't want to move and start all over now. He'd played since for as long as he could remember to earn the chance to play at Oak Hill, one of the most prestigious schools in the nation, and now it was slipping out of his grasp. He already felt like he was losing his mother, he couldn't lose his dreams too.

He reached for the handle, but the door opened from the other side as Patrick returned. He started to brush past the man who more than anyone else understood the pain he was dealing with, but turned when the man placed his hand on his shoulder. "I know this hurts Nate, but she really thinks it is for the best. She loves you so much."

"Then why is she doing this to me?" Nathan asked, his eyes welling with tears he swiped angrily to the side. "I've worked so hard to get to where I am. I'm supposed to be Captain next year and we've got a good chance at being state champs again. Now she wants me to go live in some podunk town with a father I've never met? That I've grown up thinking was dead? Well I'm not doing it. I've already been declared an adult and I live at the school most of the year anyway."

Patrick swiped his hands down his face, "She thinks it's important that you get to know the rest of your family, even if you don't want to. If she doesn't make it, she doesn't want you left alone."

"I wouldn't be alone," Nathan pointed out. "I'd still have you and the Fields, or are you going to just going to throw me away too?"

"We wouldn't do that," Patrick said, his heart breaking. He cared about the boy in front of him, but he also loved his mother enough to promise her he'd go along with her wishes. "I love you, but as much as I wish it, we aren't blood. She wants you to know the people that share that with you and honestly, I think she doesn't want you to be here watching her suffer."

"So what did she do, get the school to pull my scholarship?" Nathan asked. "They wouldn't do that, they want to win as badly as I do. They need me."

Patrick sighed, "she didn't have to. Your scholarship only pays 80% of your tuition. Your mother has been paying the rest and that won't be possible now. Actually, considering she wouldn't accept help from me, you probably would have to leave school even she wasn't doing this. She doesn't have the money to pay the next installment..."

"I have some savings and if that's not enough I can get another job and pay it myself," Nathan argued, clenching his fists in frustration. He wanted to hit something so badly at that moment but restrained himself. Losing his temper wasn't going to show that he should be given say in his own life. "I'll do whatever it takes to stay."

"You know you aren't allowed to work off campus and you wouldn't have time to work and play anyway. No basketball, no scholarship, no scholarship, no Kentucky," Patrick explained patiently. "I would love to pay it for you, but I feel like I have to respect her wishes on this Nate. She feels really strongly that this is the right thing for all of you. If you really love her, you'll ease her conscience by going along with it."


Dan Scott sat on the floor outside his bedroom, pounding on the door again, "Please open the door Karen. I swear, I never touched her when we were together. I was only with her during that couple of months when we split after graduation."

He'd been sitting there pleading with her on and off for over two hours before she finally came out the door, her nose and eyes red from crying. "I don't know what's worse," she told him, sitting down on the floor across the hallway from him, "the fact that you jumped into a relationship with her so quickly after we broke up, despite knowing I was pregnant, or that you just dumped her with no warning in the middle of that relationship. You treated her poorly and because of it that boy has had to live his whole life without a father."

"How is it my fault she never told me?" he argued, leaning his head back against the wall. "If I'd known I would have..." he paused, not sure what to say. The truth was, he didn't know how he would have reacted if he'd known. He hoped he would have been a good guy and at least helped her out, but he wasn't naive enough to think he would have handled it well. His 19 year old self had still been too self-centered to put someone else's needs first. He thought about the way he'd treated Karen. They'd been in love and dating for 2 years when the news came and it had still made him run away. Besides, it wasn't until after Lucas was born that he and Keith had gotten the dealership started and had any kind of income. He had no idea how he would have even kept his head above water.

"What?" she asked, genuinely interested in what he would say. "You would have taken him from her and raised him alongside Lucas? You would have sent what money you could, but had nothing to do with him? Or would you have insisted she move here so you could have two families? She was alone and scared. She did what she felt like she had to do at the time. She didn't have to share him with you, you would have most likely never known he existed, but she's scared again and trying to make it right. For all of you."

Dan sighed, "What am I supposed to do with him now though? I don't even know anything about this kid."

"Well, I saw the picture. I don't think there's any doubting he's yours," she said, moving over to lean on his shoulder. "Whatever we decide, this is going to completely change our lives."

"I'm so sorry this is happening. You shouldn't have to take in a teenager that isn't yours, but now that I know about him I just can't pretend he doesn't exist," Dan told her, grabbing her hand and stroking it with his thumb. "I need to get to know him."

"I know. I would be disappointed in you if you felt any other way. I'm not worried about me though," she said, closing her eyes as a wave of fatigue came over her. "I'm worried about Luke. You two have always been so close and this is going to crush him."

Dan nodded, his heart heavy as he thought about what to say to son; his oldest son. He was a good kid, but he was a bit spoiled and a lot stubborn, much like his father. He was not going to take the news that he had a brother well.


"Can you believe they expect me to just accept this and welcome this guy with open arms? The arrogant prick is the same age and even has my last name. I'm going to have to explain to everyone that my dad's an ass who had an affair while my mom was pregnant with me," Lucas ranted to his best friends.

"How do you know he's arrogant or a prick?" Haley asked quietly. "He might be cool."

Lucas sent his friend a death glare. "I looked up the school he went to. Tuition is over 20 grand a year. There's no way someone with that kind of money isn't going to be a dick. I don't know why I should have to share any of my stuff with him if he has that kind of money. I shouldn't be surprised though, my dad said his grandparents have money."

"You don't know any of the details. He might just be a regular guy. I actually kind of feel sorry for him..."

"I can't believe this is happening," Lucas said, running his fingers through his hair. "You haven't even met him and you're taking his side."

"I think Haley's just trying to say you should keep an open mind. It's got to be hard to lose your mom and move to new place and live with family you've never met," Peyton tried to reason, standing to place her hand on his back. "Maybe you'll have things in common."

"Didn't you say he went to Oak Hill?" Skills asked. "That's a big basketball school. A ton of NBA players went there. Maybe he plays. We could really use some more help on the team next year."

"First off, it's my team and even if he does play, I don't want him on it. Second, there's no way he's good enough to have played there. Most of those guys play D1 ball in college," Lucas pointed out. He kicked the bucket sitting off to the side, sending a dozen golf balls scattering across the roof. "I can't believe you guys don't see how horrible this is. He's not even here and he's already ruining my life. Everyone has been staring at me all day, my mom has been crying all the time, and they already made me move my extra clothes out of the guest room so she can get it ready for him."

"I think you're just mad at your dad," Peyton told him. "I know all of this is hurting you, but people make mistakes. Try not to take it out on your br..."

"Don't," Lucas said, cutting her off angrily. "Don't call him that. He's not and never will be my brother."


Dan walked into the gym where he'd been told he'd find his son. Looking around he quickly spotted the lone figure shooting around at the other end of the floor. He was tall and moved like a premier athlete, power and grace colliding in a fluid dance that ended with the ball swishing through the net.

"That was impressive," he said, stepping on the court and clapping in appreciation. "I guess that's more proof you're my kid."

"Are you kidding?" Nathan scoffed, retrieving the ball and turning to look at the intruder. "Did you really think my mom would lie about something like that? If you did, you never knew her at all."

"That's not what I meant. It was just a lame attempt at breaking the ice. I'm your..." Dan tried again, pausing at the scowl on the boy's face. "I'm Dan Scott."

"I assumed," Nathan responded, turning back to the hoop and shooting another long jump shot. "They said you were coming today."

"Look Nate," Dan started, "I.."

"It's Nathan," the boy corrected. "You don't get to call me Nate."

Dan sighed and straightened his shoulders. He knew this wasn't going to be easy. The boy most likely had a lot of resentment built up over the years of being fatherless and now combined with being dragged away from what he knew, it had to be scary. "I know this must be hard. It's not easy for me either. I understand how you must feel.."

"Let's get this straight right now. You don't know anything about me or how I feel," Nathan said, his voice hard, "and don't pretend you care about me. If you did, you'd let me stay here."

Dan looked at the angry teen in front of him, dressed in his red Warriors hoodie with his name and number across the back and a pair of gym shorts. The sight was an almost mirror image of himself at that age. He'd been angry too, and although the situations had been completely different, a lot of the anger had been directed at his own father. "Believe it or not, I do care. I never knew about you, but I'd like to change that if you'll let me. I'd like to try and be a father to you..."

Nathan looked at him steadily but didn't speak so he continued. "This doesn't have to be permanent you know. Your mom just wants us to get to know each other. I do too. If you'll give it a shot until the end of summer, I'll pay for you to come back in the fall, if that's what you want. Maybe your mother will even be out of the hospital by then."

"You swear I can come back?" Nathan asked, finally showing some emotion as he turned the ball over in his hands.

Dan nodded in relief, "If you come for the summer, I'll leave it up to you where you want to go in the fall."


"So you're really going go there for the whole summer?" Quentin asked as he watched his friend pack. "It's going to suck losing you man. Who am I going to work out with back home?"

"You'll find someone. Don't you dare go soft on me," Nathan told him, throwing the last of his things in his bag and looking around to make sure he didn't forget anything. "I'll be back and kicking your butt again in August."

"Maybe you'll actually like it there," Q said, handing Nathan the pictures he'd always kept on the nightstand. One was Nathan with his mother and the other was of Nathan and Quentin taken after one of their games the previous year. "You might enjoy having a real family."

"I already have a family here," Nathan told him, putting his hands on his hips. "These people aren't family, they're just strangers I have to put up with so they'll pay for me to come back here."

"So you aren't even going to give them a chance?" Quentin asked in surprise. "Are you sure about that Nate? Think about what you could be missing. I'd give anything to have my dad back, to be a normal family again."

"He's not my dad, he's a sperm donor. I don't care what excuses she makes for him, he abandoned her...he abandoned both of us. I don't want to play be anywhere near him, but I'll suck it up and do it because that's what my mom needs from me. That doesn't mean I want to bond with them or pretend there's more to his than there is. I'll do my time there and then get back here as soon as I can. My life is planned out and there isn't anything or anyone in Tree Hill that has a place in it."