Disclaimer: I don't own. I just play.

Chapter 1 – Ex-Boyfriend

After getting past the fiasco at the entrance of Madison Square Garden, Haley and Jake were directed downstairs to the New York Knicks locker room. Chaos would be an understatement. What would usually take maybe five minutes tops, took fifteen with the pappazzi fighting the patrolmen, plus press. Haley could feel her headache magnifying ten times and she was half-tempted to pull out her gun and shoot every single person with a notepad or camera that got in her way. These fiends were even getting on Haley and Jake for details and they didn't even know what they were dealing with.

After going through the tunnel of hell that Haley fondly thought, she and Jake were able to get to the crime scene. As Haley flashed her badge and was allowed under the tape, she knew from the aroma of blood that this case was going to be exactly what she thought: a pain in her ass. After getting latex gloves and putting slips over her shoes, Haley moved toward CSI Smith while Jake surveyed the scene and got the 411.

CSI Smith was squatting next to the victim who laid face down and a blood of pool filling around his body. Haley could tell by the way the victim was displayed that he turned his back to the perpetrator. He didn't even see it coming. Haley shakes her head and squats down to CSI Smith who was taking pictures.

"What do we have here, Smith?" Haley said. "Who's the vic?"

Tim Smith stopped what he was doing momentarily and stared at the detective like she was crazy. He would never say this out loud, but Haley was smart but sometimes when it came to sports, the girl was sometimes clueless. Shaking his long bangs that fell on his forehead, Tim looked on at Haley for a moment before asking incredulously.

"You don't know who this is?" Tim said.

"No. I don't follow the NBA. Not for two years. I prefer women's basketball."

She said it so non-chalant that Tim just shrugged and went back to taking pictures at a different angle.

"If that's your prerogative," he said. "Well, the vic is Antwan Taylor. Star point guard for the Knicks."

Haley catches Tim shake his head sadly and kinda gives him sympathy. The men she works with are huge basketball fans. Which is given though, since the Knicks are undefeated in God knows how long for the franchise. The whole damn city are gonna be saddened by this.

Just because she doesn't follow the NBA doesn't mean Haley doesn't watch SportsCenter.

"Yeah, it's sad," Haley concluded. "Well, do you know COD?"

"I'm not a hundred percent, but he was stabbed pretty deep," Tim said while switching places and stood up. "I count five wounds but there might be more. Can't tell with all this blood. Once we bag the body and clean, I'll get you a full report."

Haley nods as a thank you and asks another simple, but crucial question.

"Any witnesses?" She asked.

"Nope, but two teammates found him. So you can question them."

Right before can ask where she can find the teammates, it seems like God answered her instead.

"What do you mean, you can't tell me?!" An angry voice echoed in the room. "Come on, man, he's my teammate! I found him, I deserve to know!"

Great. A difficult witness. Haley rolls her eyes and Tim can't help but smirk at Haley's annoyance.

"Right behind you," Tim said.

Haley gives him a sarcastic look and stands. She walks over to where the scene was taking place. She sees a tall man, in basketball uniform, turn his back in frustration, clearly showing in his body language that he's not happy. Haley internally rolls her eyes, and walks behind the officer. She gently grabs his shoulder and tells him that she has the "witness" under control. He smiles his appreciation. Haley then takes her authoritative stance, with her hands resting on her hips fully exposing her gun.

"Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to please calm down and take a—," Haley started in a stern voice.

The man turns around swiftly already a sharp retort on the tip of his tongue when he stops short. No. Fucking. Way.

"Nathan?" Haley asked incredulously.

Haley slightly loses her intimidating stance and her eyes register shock and confusion. Nathan even frowns making sure he's not seeing a mirage. How the hell?

"Haley?" The man concludes the same way as Haley.

Time seemed to freeze as the two locked into a heated stare. There was no way. A million thoughts of denial ran through Haley's mind. Last time she checked, Nathan freaking Scott was 3,000 miles away. He wasn't in New York, sporting a Knicks jersey. And more importantly why the hell was he in her crime scene?

Wow. Haley James, right in front of him. What are the odds, especially in New York? But why in the hell is she packing a gun?

"What, what are you doing here?" She asked. "Last time I heard, you were playing for the Lakers.

"I did," Nathan said. "I got traded two years ago. Right when—"

"Kofi Brice decided to be a bitch," Haley said at the same time as him.

A simple coincidence (or habit?) got Nathan to smirk his usual smirk. The one that always turned-on Haley to no limits. Haley felt herself slipping her stone face to a small smile but quickly hid it with stating the obvious.

"That explains it. That's around the same time I stopped watching," Haley said with her signature eye roll.

Oh, how he missed her sarcastic remarks. She was more beautiful than he last saw her in college. She was curvier than eight years ago and even though her professional attire covered most of her body, Nathan could tell she was toned by her exposed legs of her skirt. She seemed like she worked out as much as Nathan just by her authoritative stance. Her brown hair was the same, only it had blonde highlights in and was in a stylish cut just above her shoulders. And the green that Nathan only saw in her brown orbs when she was mad seemed to make a permanent home also. And, my God, that tan. She way more bronzed but it seemed to work for her, especially in the cold weather. Also, packing a gun, this meant to Nathan that she was a cop now. What the fuck?

He's handsome. Haley couldn't stop herself from checking out her former flame. He was still in his tall frame, but he seemed to bulk up more from the last time she saw him on TV. Two years ago, she would seldom keep tabs on Nathan and his professional basketball career. It was the whole rape incident with one of their star players and his behavior that ultimately turned Haley off, which made her lose track of Nathan. He's grown a goatee now; seemed to shave off the whole baby look he had in college. And his eyes. Nathan only seemed to have that ice-blue color when he was pushed to his limit. Haley's been staring at him for at least five minutes now and the color was still there. She usually saw flashes of that color.

"Detective James?"

Haley blinked and turned toward the officer that called her. He motioned almost cautiously that he needed her presence and she nodded, letting the officer know that she was coming. Haley licked her lips and adopted her stern, yet professional voice she usually reserved for difficult civilians.

"Nathan, if you could just sit down and wait, I'll be over in a sec to interview you," she said.

Haley nods toward a bench that isn't apart of the crime scene and Nathan nods, letting her know he understands. He would get his answers later. Nathan, without another word, walked towards the bench and waits patiently for Haley.

Haley goes toward the officer and he whispers lightly in her ear. She nods her permission and he leaves, ducking under the tape. Jake approaches Haley from behind and tries to act non-chalant when they both know that he was curious about her staring contest with Nathan Scott, a phenomenal small forward reserve.

"What was that about?" Jake went straight to the point.

Haley couldn't help the sigh even if she tried. She knew now why she hated high-profile cases. Before answering, Haley runs her hand through her hair, frazzling it a couple times to show her aggravation.

"Nathan Scott," Haley scoffed.

"I know that," Jake paused before momentarily panicking. "Wait; please don't tell me you slept with him in one of your annual get-drunk-and-fuck-somebody nights?"

"Hmm, I wish," Haley said while she looked towards Nathan's general direction. "NBA basketball player extraordinaire."

Haley adverted her glance toward Jake, "and ex-boyfriend from high school."