Chapter 14

Lucas stared at Dan in anger as the older man's words settled in his brain. "I have never asked you for anything in my life, why should I start now?" he demanded, furious that Dan would even think that Lucas had an ulterior motive.

"I'm not asking about material things, Lucas. I am asking you what you want to happen after you leave this house? What do you expect us to be?" he gently questioned. Dan was at a complete loss for what to say or do in regards to the boy. He couldn't deny that he was curious about his son, and that it might be nice to get to know him, and not have to always have walls up when he was around Lucas. So many things had changed since the night of the accident, since the night Dan feared he'd lost both Nathan and Luke.

Lucas leaned back into the soft leather of the sofa and stared at the Christmas lights that shone from the window behind Dan. What did he want? Did he even know? He shook his head, feeling a bit light headed as his headache recessed and the drug spread throughout his body. If he could just take a pill and get rid of the pain associated with Dan and Nathan. "I don't know what I want," he honestly replied. "I've learned that life is much easier with no expectations when it comes to you. I guess, to use a bad metaphor, that the ball is your court. Whether we ever talk again is your decision," he explained, watching Dan's reaction to his words.

"I don't think I have any right to make any decisions about your life, given the past 16 years," he bluntly said.

"That's just a cop out because you can't admit that you have no more idea about how to proceed than I do. It's just easier shoving the decision back on me, because then you aren't responsible for what happens. Or doesn't happen," Luke theorized, watching as Dan smiled at his words.

"Okay, so that's true. I have no clue about anything regarding you anymore. It was easier when there was a line drawn and you were on one side and I was on the other," he admitted. "Not to mention that your mother might have objections to me being in your life." Their startled eyes met, as if the reality of their conversation was just sinking in.

"I think it's easier to say what I don't want," Luke started, pondering the future and the possible futures that were opening up to him. He wanted to try to change the current state of things, but he was too much of a realist to think anything positive could come from associating with Dan. "I don't want all this anger and pain every time I see you and your son. I don't want you pitting Nathan against me, or you bothering my mom. And I don't want the burden of your last name."

Sitting back in his chair, Dan frowned at the way Luke said those last words. He'd never considered carrying his last name anything but an honor, let alone a burden. Having the last name Scott opened doors in this stupid little town, it wasn't some punishment to bear, he thought. Dan looked at the boy in curiosity. "Yeah, ripping your last name off your jersey was a huge statement," he commented, remembering the strange feeling of pain that he'd felt during the game, watching his nameless son score the game winning point.

Lucas nodded, glad that Dan had gotten the point. "It was the only way I could get you off my back, to set me free so that I could play my game." He leaned back against the couch, wishing he had a pillow. That warm feeling he associated with painkillers was getting stronger and stronger with each passing minute.

Something approaching honesty crossed Dan's face. "I have to admit it hurt when I saw that. It wasn't like I had a right to be proud of you or to feel a paternal link. But it bothered me to see you purposefully get rid of our last name." Watching as Lucas' eyes fluttered, Dan considered trying to herd the boy upstairs. He wasn't sure how wise it was to have to carry him upstairs for the second night in a row.

Luke lazily shrugged his shoulders at the small power trip he'd felt, so openly dissing Dan on the very court he'd once reigned over. He'd always been good at symbolism, he thought with a small laugh. "Is that why you told me I didn't deserve the last name when you were at Keith's garage that time?"

Dan actually had the grace to look somewhat sheepish. "I guess I was trying to reject you the way you'd rejected your family's name," he admitted. "It wasn't a particularly nice thing to say, regardless of what you'd done."

Luke frowned at his words. "But you'd spent 16 years pointing out that it wasn't my family, so why'd you care?" he asked, somewhat petulantly, fighting off sleep to find the logic in Dan's words.

"I never said it was logical, Luke," Dan replied, reverting to the boy's nickname, something he never did. It was a familiarity he'd never felt with the kid before, always preferring to stick to his formal, given name.

Luke closed his eyes. "Well, you almost got your wish. I filled out the forms to officially change my last name," he revealed, taking in Dan's shocked look. "Keith talked me out of it after the Father/Son game, but I couldn't bring myself to throw them away. Kind of like it was an eventuality and I'd keep them around until the next time you hurt me."

"So you're actually considering changing your last name to Roe," he verified, trying the name out in his mind. Lucas Roe. It just sounded…wrong.

Lucas nodded in sleepy affirmation. "Yeah, just a step down in the alphabet. I'd not even have to change homerooms," he confided in a rather dopey voice, betraying the true significance of High School life. Lucas looked up at Dan, as a sudden thought entered his mind. "But I have this funny feeling that if I changed my last name to Roe, Mom will end up changing hers to Scott." He searched Dan's face for any sign of emotion at his words.

"So you really think after all these years that she and Keith will do it?" Dan asked, trying to assimilate the information his son was providing, as well as the idea of his brother and ex-love getting married. But he'd moved on years ago, and it was only fair that Karen do the same.

Stretching, Luke stared at the pretty twinkling lights and smiled at his father. "They've just … been different lately. There's a new vibe around them. I let them both know I was totally okay with it, so I think something is going to change. That's probably why they went to Florida together," he confided, his voice slurring somewhat as it trailed off.

Dan looked decidedly uncomfortable with the images his son was painting for him. He needed to get Luke back upstairs before he crashed again. "Well, all things change," he concluded, realizing they weren't going to get any answers about their future tonight.

"I guess that I'll have to sit down with Karen and Keith when they get back and try to figure out some things."

Luke was asleep before the words left Dan's mouth. He sighed; watching as the boy's chest slowly rose and fell in slumber. Walking over to his closet, he pulled out a heavy chenille throw and gently spread it around Luke. Standing up, Dan stretched, deciding it was better to let Luke have the entire couch, than risk putting him back in the guest bed with Haley. He'd probably have a lot more room, anyway.

Making sure that the blanket was securely surrounding the boy, Dan brushed his hair back in affection as he'd always done with Nathan, before turning at a noise at the door.

Nathan took in the scene before him with a slight smile. "Just when you thought things couldn't get any more bizarre."

Sorry for the delay in posting. I've been wrapped up in life and forgot about the story. Thanks for reading and replying. Replies make me think someone is reading it and that makes me want to post it. I'm getting ready for a trip to England, Scotland and Ireland and I promise to put a chapter of Purg up before I leave. I'm 8 pages in and just need to finish the damn thing.