"Hey, Haley? It's Nathan here. So you're probably out seeing the sights but I was wondering whether you'd like to accompany me to a benefit next week? It really isn't that big of a deal so if you don't want to then that's totally fine," Nathan rambled to the answering machine. "You probably won't want to go anyway so just y'know…give me a call sometime? Or not…"

Jesus. Was Nathan actually stammering? He shook his head sharply, trying to end the call with some semblance of his usual suave dignity. He was a prince for goodness sake; he didn't get nervous when asking girls out.

"OK, so you know where to reach me. Talk to you later. Maybe."

He sighed as he pressed the button on his phone to end the call. That really hadn't gone as he had planned. She was supposed to answer and be thrilled that he had thought to call. He'd compliment her on the way she had looked at the cocktail party where they met and then he'd casually mention the benefit. She'd practically beg him to take her and his reputation as the gallantly charming prince would be secure.

Tossing the phone aside Nathan stood up and stretched, pondering his next move. It was late in the evening but not too late to consider going to a club – he hadn't been to Chinawhite for three whole days now but the idea didn't really appeal. He could phone Brooke and see if she had any plans but then he remembered that she was in Rome for the weekend. There was only one option left to him: stay in and wait for Haley to call. And maybe join in the family game night that was taking place further down the hall.

---

"Ow! Be careful where you stick your elbows you fool!"

"You're the one who's trying to knock me over – cheater. Cheater, cheater, cheater!"

"Would you shut up and move your darned elbow – you're gonna give me a black eye!"

"Quit your moaning - if you're not willing to take risks then you're not strong enough to win."

"Oh I'm strong enough to win – I'm gonna keep going to the wire."

"All the way baby!"

Nathan, Anna, Jake and Lottie stood back watching the scene in front of them with a mixture of horror and amusement. There, in Buckingham Palace, was King George VIII and Queen Violet so tangled together that it was impossible to tell where George ended and Violet started.

"Mum, Dad, if you called it quits now, nobody would judge you…" Anna called nervously, trying to ignore the icy glare her mother shot her from between her legs.

"Quit? And let that buffalo win?!" Violet cried, moving her right hand with great effort to a green circle. "Never!"

What the public would say if they witnessed this battle between the two most competitive people in the country is anybody's guess. How on earth had their children forgotten just how competitive the pair could become? The Monopoly Incident of 2005 had been epic. Playing a game of Twister was just asking for trouble.

"Left foot blue Dad," Jake said shaking his head disapprovingly as he spun the wheel. "Mum, left hand yellow."

With great exertion and carefulness Violet edged her hand across the mat. However, before her hand could reach its destination George let out a mighty sneeze and the pair crashed down to the ground in a tangle of limbs and clothing.

"Ahh!" Violet cried as George's knee connected with her ribs whilst George himself was trapped underneath Violet. "Good God woman, how much do you weigh?" George exclaimed as Violet tried to extract herself from the heap. Naturally his remark earned him a sharp whack around the head from a red-faced Violet, who stormed out of the room, steam practically billowing from her ears. George himself followed soon after muttering about an important letter he had to write, leaving the children behind to laugh over the events of the game.

"Yet another quiet night in at the Scott-family madhouse!" Anna joked dropping down onto a sofa, pulling Maggie into her lap as she went.

Still chuckling softly Jake and Nathan joined the girls and the four siblings sat together quietly for awhile, absentmindedly flicking through the television channels.

"Odd to see you in on a Saturday night," Anna remarked, her eyes focusing their attention firmly on her big brother as Jake and Maggie drifted off to bed. "Something up?"

"No," Nathan responded quickly; a little too quickly in Anna's opinion. As her eyebrows rose, he let out a sigh, knowing that his sisters could all read him like a book. "I've just been feeling a bit…a bit strange recently. Not at all like myself."

Anna's eyes grew with worry. "Are you ill?" she inquired, her hand going to Nathan's forehead where he instantly swatted it away, his eyes rolling.

"Don't be stupid," he responded, wishing he hadn't mentioned anything in the first place. "I just haven't wanted to go clubbing much recently and that kinda freaks me out."

"Is that all?" Anna laughed, her face breaking out into a relieved grin. "I thought that something serious must be up and all it is is our Natey growing up. It was bound to happen one day! I for one didn't think that it would happen so soon though."

"I am not getting old!" Nathan hissed, horrified that Anna would suggest such a thing. "Anyway, you can't judge. Here you are, chatting with your big bro, instead of spending your Saturday night out partying. You're supposedly in the prime of your life – you should be out celebrating, meeting that actor you rave about." Anna's face reddened noticeably as it always did at the mention of her long-withstanding crush.

"We're talking about you here, not me," Anna reminded him, grateful to be able to divert the conversation away from herself. "How's the love life going big bro?"

"Well…I…I…gach!" Nathan exclaimed, unable to vocalise the terrifying feelings he was experiencing. In fact, experiencing any feelings was a relatively new and scary process for Nathan.

"Eloquent as ever," Anna joked, elbowing her brother playfully. "So, you actually like somebody then? Not just some silly little Barbie doll who only wants the fame?" Nathan nodded his head miserably. He knew how to cope with 'silly little Barbie dolls' but real women? It seemed that he had no idea when it came to them.

"You'll figure it out," Anna said, standing up to leave. With her wisdom imparted she took off, kissing Nathan on the cheek as she went.

"It'll all work out...What on earth is that meant to mean?" Nathan though, shaking his head at Anna's words. He reached over to turn the TV off and as he did so the screen of his phone lit up. 'Haley Mob' the screen read. So that's what Anna meant...