A/N: Again, thanks to all the readers and especially the reviewers with all the feedback and encouragement. It is so much appreciated. Thank you all.
Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.
"Whitey, where the hell's my son?" Dan demanded to know. The game was about to begin and Nathan was nowhere in sight.
"Which one?" Whitey taunted.
"Don't toy with me," Dan said in aggravation. "Where's Nathan?"
"He didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
"I had to suspend him from the team today," Whitey informed him.
Dan's brows rose in shock. "What? What the hell for?"
Whitey debated whether or not to tell Dan the truth, but decided against it, knowing the man would fight it and probably win since there was no proof that Nathan had caused Lucas's injuries. "Academic Probation. As you know, a student is required to maintain a minimum of a C average in all classes in order to partake in extra curricular activities. Nathan is below that in most of his classes. In fact, he's failing all but one. We've let him get away with it as long as we could, but it can't be ignored anymore."
"How come I wasn't informed about this?" Dan huffed.
"It was up to Nathan to tell you."
"Like hell it was! No kid's going to tell their parents they're failing if they don't have to. The school's supposed to keep us up to date about these things."
"I don't disagree with that, but you'll have to take it up with Principal Turner."
"Oh, you bet I will," Dan said irately. "We have a shot at an undefeated season here. It's not a time to pull out your best player."
"Some things are more important than basketball."
Dan shook his head angrily, but knew, from years of experience, that it was useless to try to knock sense into Whitey. He didn't get it back then and he didn't get it now. "Where's Lucas? He suspended too?" His game had improved volumes since he'd started. If there was any chance to remain undefeated until Nathan met the grade requirement, it would be through Lucas.
"Why, Danny, is my hearing going or did I just hear you actually acknowledge your first born's existence?"
"Don't stand there and preach to me, old man. I was a kid. Who told me I should honor my scholarship when Karen got pregnant? Oh, that's right, it was you."
Whitey nodded. He'd often wondered how things would have turned out had he given different advice to that scared, eighteen year old boy who'd knocked on his door all those years ago, the weight of the world on his young shoulders. He'd been a good, kindhearted kid back then, but he'd changed into a cold, hard man. And considering the differences between Nathan and Luke's behavior, Whitey couldn't help feel he'd done Lucas a favor.
"Yes, I said you needed to honor your scholarship and go to college, but I never told you to ignore the fact you had a child on the way. I never said you shouldn't claim your son."
Dan glared at his former coach, but he wasn't about to pour his heart out to him. The point was he'd been overwhelmed with life's pressures at a very young age; he'd gone to Whitey for help, and had done what he'd told him to do. True he hadn't said to abandon his first son, but that's how he'd taken it. At eighteen he'd made that choice, what he'd thought was the best option for everyone concerned. He'd later come to regret that decision but by then it was too late. By then, Deb had told him she was pregnant too. What was he supposed to do? Marry both women?
When he'd moved back to Tree Hill two years later, with Deb and Nathan in tow, he'd tried to rectify his mistake with Lucas by fighting for joint custody of the boy, but Karen had fought him every step of the way. The judge had sided with her since Dan had left her during her pregnancy and hadn't made any effort to be in the boy's life. And that was that. No redemption. No second chances.
He'd dealt with that the only way he could think of – by putting all his focus and energy into Nathan and securing his future, and convincing himself he wanted no part of Lucas. Eventually he'd come to believe it, maybe not 100%, for he did have all those clippings of Lucas he'd cut and saved through the years, but 90% at least.
Since Lucas had joined the team, however, and he had to see him more often, it was becoming more and more difficult to remember that he didn't care. He was beginning to wonder about the boy's dreams and aspirations now that he was older. Not that it mattered. He only had one son – the one who would fulfill the Scott family basketball legacy, not only in their hometown high school, but take it all the way to the pros. Dan would make sure of it. No way Nathan was going to piss his future away over poor grades. They'd worked too hard, put way too much into basketball, for that to happen.
"So, where did you say Lucas was?" Dan asked again.
"I didn't," Whitey answered. "But if you need to know, he's off with an injury."
"Injury eh? Boy couldn't cut it, could he? I'm not surprised, really. Basketball's not for the weak, and Karen, well, she certainly didn't raise a Scott, did she?"
"No, thank goodness for that," Whitey stated sourly.
"So, what are you going to do now that you're out of good players?" Dan asked, ignoring Whitey's jab.
"I've still got Damien West."
Dan scoffed at that. "An average player at best. I wouldn't put too much stock into that one."
"Well, the worst that can happen is we lose games, and if that's the case, then so be it."
Dan shook his head in aggravation. The old man didn't care enough about winning to be his son's coach. He turned away and stormed off angrily. Nathan had better be home when he got there, he thought. That boy needed straightening out so he could start taking his future seriously. No more playing around. It was time to crack the whip.
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"Where's Nathan?" Brooke asked Peyton just prior to the game.
Peyton shrugged. "Good question. I haven't seen him since lunch." He was supposed to meet her at the exit doors to hang out before the game, but he hadn't shown up. Since then, she'd texted him three times, but he hadn't replied to any of them.
"You two fighting?"
"Well, we weren't, but there's a good chance we will be after this," Peyton said half-heartedly. They'd been far from arguing in the back seat of her car during the lunch hour. Whoever had invented tinted windows was pure genius in her books. But she was angry that he'd blown her off and what it signified – the beginning of the end of their happy couple time. "But even if we were," she said, her mind returning to the present, "it wouldn't keep him from the game. He should really be here by now," she continued, glancing at the clock. "I'm starting to get worried."
"Don't," Brooke told her. "He'll be here. Nate would never miss a game."
Peyton nodded in full agreement. But when the buzzer sounded, indicating the start of the game, she only grew more concerned. Whatever he did, whoever he was with, nothing and nobody could keep him from basketball – not even her. "Where the hell is he?" she muttered.
"Hon, I'm sure he's fine," Brooke tried to reassure her friend. However, as the game progressed, and Nathan still hadn't appeared, Brooke too began to get nervous.
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"Try his phone again," Brooke said at halftime.
Peyton wasted no time doing so. Still nothing. She shook her head. "I'm really scared now," Peyton said nearly in tears. "Where could he be?"
"I'll be right back," Brooke said, taking the initiative to go ask some of the team members.
As Peyton watched her go, she had to wonder why they hadn't thought to ask the guys before. That would have made too much sense. They would probably know.
Brooke came back a few minutes later with the news that Nathan had been put on Academic Probation, but not one of them could tell her where he'd gone. No one knew.
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Nathan had driven around aimlessly for hours. He'd left the school after Whitey had suspended him – too angry and upset to stick around. He knew Peyton was trying to reach him, but he didn't want to talk to her right now. He wasn't in the right frame of mind and they'd just end up arguing. A part of him blamed her for his suspension, even though logically he knew it wasn't her fault. But if she'd just stayed away from Lucas, he wouldn't have touched him and he'd still be on the team. He knew it was messed up thinking, considering Peyton didn't even know what he'd done, or maybe she did by now, but he couldn't help it.
And Lucas, that worthless bastard, if he wasn't so determined to get into Nathan's world, he wouldn't have gotten hurt and Nathan would still be on the team.
Whitey. He didn't know why the coach hated him so much. Ever since he'd joined the team, the guy was on him for one thing or another. He said Nathan needed an attitude adjustment. What was he? His father? He was there to play basketball, not work on his interpersonal skills. And why was Lucas given special treatment? Why had he been given a starting position so easily? Why hadn't he had to bust his ass and work for it like Nathan and the others had had to do? Hell, why hadn't Tim been suspended? Nathan had approached Lucas head on, face to face and he got the boot, but Tim can attack the bastard from behind, in a damn ski mask, and he still gets to play?
Nathan kept driving, his thoughts eventually settling on his father and what his reaction would be. Like Peyton, his dad had called several times. Nathan had ignored him too – especially him. Nathan knew he would hit the roof over the suspension. No doubt he was fuming right now. He couldn't go home. Not tonight anyway. If he did, there would likely be bloodshed – his own blood. With Dan Scott, you didn't mess with basketball; you didn't skip practices or games, you didn't give away shots or miss free throws, and you most definitely didn't get suspended from the team. Nathan could just imagine how the whole scene with his father would go down and he was dreading every second of it.
He drove a while longer, surprised when he noticed the road sign that said 'Welcome to Charlotte.' He hadn't even realized he'd gone this far out. But since he had, he may as well go to the one place he knew in the town. He steered the car in the direction of the house, pulling in the driveway once he'd arrived. Turning off the ignition, he stepped out and made his way to the front door and knocked.
An auburn haired beauty, whose large brown eyes lit up in pleasant surprise when she saw who stood at her doorstep, greeted him. It had been a while since she'd seen him. "Hey, sweetie," she said, pulling him into a hug. "It's so nice to see you."
"You too, Jess," he replied. "Can I come in?"
"Of course," she replied sweetly, opening the door wider to allow him entrance. "Do you even need to ask?"
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Meanwhile the game was over and Peyton was nearly hysterical with worry. She and Brooke had gone back to her house after checking the beach house, Nathan's favorite arcade, all his preferred hangout spots, and every bar in town. They'd thought maybe he'd be waiting for her there, but he wasn't. Learning he'd been put on academic probation did solve the issue of his absence from the game, but where was he now? She knew he'd be upset and she wanted to be there for him, but she had no idea where he could be. She'd left him probably a dozen messages, and she knew others on the team and cheerleading squad had tried to contact him as well. All to no avail.
"Why won't he reply?" Peyton asked in anguish.
"He probably just wants to be alone," Brooke tried to reason.
"Well, he could say that," Peyton argued. "What if something happened to him?"
"Hon, you're gonna drive yourself crazy. He's probably just off somewhere getting wasted."
"We checked all the bars, Brooke. He's not in any of them."
"Hence the going off to be alone part."
"You think that's what he's doing? Drinking?"
Brooke nodded. "Isn't that how he usually handles things he can't deal with?"
"Yeah," Peyton agreed. She just wished he would come to her with these things. He had to know she'd be there for him. Didn't he?
"Besides, that's what I would do if I was suspended from cheerleading."
"So? That's you."
"Oh, come on P. Sawyer, everybody knows Nathan is pretty much the male version of me. Why do you think you love him so much?" she attempted to joke. "He's me with bonus equipment for your daily servicing requirements."
Peyton shook her head, but couldn't stop a chuckle from escaping her lips. "Daily huh?" she joked back. "Well, if he is getting trashed, I'd hope there's a warranty on that equipment. Passing out halfway through the job makes for a very unsatisfied customer."
Brooke put a hand to her mouth, letting out a giggle. "Has he done that?" she asked.
"Once," Peyton replied with a nod. "But he'd been drinking from morning till night so he was beyond drunk."
Brooke put her hand on Peyton's arms. "Word of advice, Goldilocks; never let a man who's been at the bottle that long near your bed. He'll only disappoint you."
"Now you tell me," Peyton scoffed. "I could have used that advice three months ago."
"Well, I'm sorry. I never thought to bring it…up," she finished with a laugh.
Peyton laughed too, momentarily forgetting her troubled thoughts. But seconds later, she was back to texting Nathan. All joking aside, she was really starting to get anxious. Brooke was probably right – he was likely drowning his sorrows. But he could at least reply and let her know.
An hour later, when he finally did, Peyton broke down in tears of sheer relief. Never in her life had she been so happy to receive a message. It was short but at least it eased her mind. Brooke came to stand beside her so she could read it with her. She too, despite her attempts to calm Peyton, had felt on edge over Nathan's whereabouts, but she'd had to keep positive for Peyton's sake.
"Hey, sorry for the late reply. I'm fine. I'm at Coop's. Heading out soon. Can I stop by? Probably be around midnight."
Peyton sent a message back to him, stating he could come over, it didn't matter what time. Then she'd added that if he'd been drinking, he should stay put rather than get behind the wheel, but he'd assured her he hadn't been.
Brooke wrapped her arms around the blonde. "See, I told ya he was fine."
Peyton nodded but felt too choked up to speak.
"Good thing too, because now I can kill him for going to see hot Uncle Cooper without me," Brooke said, making Peyton laugh through her tears.
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Half an hour later, Brooke had gone to her own home while Peyton waited up for Nathan's arrival. First thing she wanted to do when she saw him was envelope him in the biggest bear hug he'd ever received. If she could muster enough strength to pull away from that, the second thing on her agenda was to give him the hardest slap he'd ever received. He deserved it and she would let him have it for causing her hours of worry for nothing.
Next, she would be there to listen and comfort him if he decided he wanted to talk to her about the suspension. She hoped he would open up to her. She knew that basketball was more than just a game to him; it was a way of life, a huge part of him, so take it away and he'd feel lost, just as she would if her art were suddenly taken from her. At least it wasn't forever. Just until he brought his grades up. And she could help him with that. She was doing well in her classes. She'd tried helping him with school in the past, but he was never interested, and was always so easily distracted. Maybe now he'd pay more attention.
It was a while later when, finally, she saw the reflection of his headlights through her living room window. She rushed to meet him at the door, pulling him inside immediately and wrapping her arms tightly around his torso. "I was so worried," she said, her lips quivering and her eyes once again brimming with tears. "Don't ever do that again."
"I'm sorry," he replied softly. "I didn't mean to scare you."
She hugged him tighter, taking in his familiar scent. Only there was another scent in the mix. Just a faint trace, but it was there. Peyton backed away slowly as she realized what it was. She felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her. All this time she'd been terrified that something had happened to him.
Nathan looked at her in confusion, wondering why she'd pulled away when she'd been so eager to embrace him a second ago. "What's wrong?" he asked her. Had she heard what he'd done to Lucas?
She met his deep blue gaze with her fiery green one. "Where were you tonight, Nathan?"
"I told you, I went to Cooper's," Nathan reaffirmed.
She nodded. "Yeah, I know what your message said," she replied hotly. "Now tell me where you really went."
"What do you mean?" Nathan replied irritably. "I was at Coop's"
Peyton crossed her arms angrily. "Really? So Cooper wears ladies cologne these days?"
A/N: In case I don't get to hear from you all or talk to you beforehand, I want to say Merry Christmas!!!!!!