I'm posting an early chapter due in large part to some totally awesome reviews. Thanks to the folks who took their time to write such nice emails and reviews.

Chapter 25

Deb returned to the office, after making sure that Lucas was settled on the couch in the living room. She looked around the room at her husband and Keith and Karen. "Okay, this is a sign that we need to wrap things up. Lucas has to get home and into bed. And we can't do that until you resolve the adoption issue." Deb didn't want Dan to sign those papers, but she could understand Karen's reasoning, given the lack of a relationship between father and son.

Karen focused her attention on Dan, who steadily and unemotionally returned her gaze. "I don't understand what brought about this change. Luke has never expressed any desire to spend time with you."

Keith shifted uneasily on the couch. "Karen, it's not like Luke would actually admit to that around you," Keith gently pointed out. "He knew Dan wanted nothing to do with him, so it was easier for him to act like he didn't care, rather than tell you it bothered him." Keith had spent years being a sounding board for Luke's inner turmoil. The hours they spent working on cars together were perfect for sharing confidences. Keith knew first hand how Dan's lack of interest in Luke had affected the boy. He'd tried to make up for it by spending as much time as possible with Lucas, but it wasn't the same thing. Deep down, Lucas needed to know that his biological father cared about him. It was almost a primal need.

Shaking her head, Karen directed her comments to both brothers. "I know that this entire father situation has bothered Luke for most of his life. And I don't doubt there are things he tells Keith that he won't tell me," she admitted, directing her next comments to Dan. "But since he's joined the team, you two have been down right acrimonious to one another. And I want to know what has happened in the past three days to change that."

Dan considered her words before replying. "I don't honestly know. I've asked myself that same question constantly. But the best answer I can give you is that I watched that bus burn with both boys trapped inside. And it changed my life. None of you were there, and you didn't see how horrible it was." He shifted uneasily as the entire room stared at him. He still found it impossible to articulate the past few days' events.

Karen and Keith exchanged surprised looks, but let him continue. "And then at the hospital, when I signed for his surgery I realized that I was responsible for Lucas, for the first time in his life," Dan explained, still seeing confusion on Karen's face. "I don't know how else to explain it, other than I have taken care of him for the past three days and we've started talking. I even got him Christmas gifts."

Karen abruptly stood up and began pacing around the room. She stopped and gave Dan a cold look. "Three days and some gifts do not make a father, Dan. It doesn't give you any rights to Lucas and it sure as hell doesn't make up for the 16 years you've spent ignoring him."

Dan bowed his head at her condemnation. He had accepted Lucas' anger filled tirade and now it was Karen's turn to vent. "I know it doesn't make up for the past, Karen. He's told me that himself. I have apologized to Lucas for abandoning him and you. I tried to explain what happened the summer after we graduated and answered all the questions he had for me. He's yelled at me and accused me and I've sat through it all and told him that I was sorry for hurting him. I can't do anything else. I can't change the past or make up for the years I didn't acknowledge him."

Karen looked at Keith in amazement. It was the first time they'd ever heard Dan voice regret about what he'd done so many years ago. He'd first denied that he was the baby's father, and then he'd stated that since he didn't want to keep the baby, he had no obligation to him. Keith could count on one hand the number of times that Dan had even alluded to the fact that he was Luke's biological father. Keith was stunned that Dan actually apologized to Lucas.

"He actually yelled at you?" Karen skeptically asked, as she ran her hands nervously over her jean clad leg. Something inside her was growing increasingly apprehensive at Dan's changing attitude toward Luke.

"He yelled at me, as well as lectured me about my alcohol consumption and my parenting skills. I think it's safe to say that he's got a lot of anger toward me," Dan admitted, stating the obvious. "And he's not making this easy, in case you are worried that he's not punishing me enough for the past."

Stepping forward, Deb decided to intervene. "Karen doesn't want Lucas to punish you, Dan. She just wants to make sure that Lucas is okay with you two spending time together."

"Over my dead body," Karen quietly decided. The entire room turned to look at her, startled by the absolute conviction in her voice. "I don't want you spending any time with Lucas. Not now, not ever. You've done enough to him, and it's time you left him alone."

Standing up, Dan met her challenging words. He'd been too passive during this entire assault, and he was getting angry. "You may have raised him but you don't have the right to tell him who he can and can't hang out with, Karen. He's my son, too. And if he wants to get to know me, then I will do everything in my power to arrange that."

"No right?" she asked incredulously. "I'll tell you what my right as his only parent is. It's my right and my job to protect him from you. What happens after a couple of meetings, when you decide that Luke is too much work? That you can't deal with his anger or his questions anymore? What happens when the novelty of spending time with Luke wears off and you inevitably walk out of his life again?" Karen asked, growing angrier by the moment. "I'll be the one left to pick up the pieces and console Lucas and tell him it's not his fault that his father doesn't care about him, just like I've done the past 16 years. It's my job to protect whatever self-esteem he has left from the first time you abandoned him, so don't tell me what your rights are, Dan. You gave up any right to Lucas the day you walk out on him."

Karen's anger was palpable. Dan could feel it radiating across the room. Deb and Keith remained silent, as if they both understood that this argument between Karen and Dan was 16 years in the making. Dan felt lost. He'd done his best to work with Lucas on hanging out, only to run into the roadblock that was Karen.

"I don't want this to get nasty, Karen. There's no reason for either of us to get lawyers and start threatening each other. Lucas doesn't need that kind of stress in his life," Dan began, attempting to placate her anger. Having grown up with Karen, Dan knew that she was slow to anger, but tended to hold on to it once there. "You should know that I have no illusions about being Lucas' father. He's already told me several times that Keith is his father in every way that count."

A smile crossed Keith's face at hearing Dan's words. He knew that Luke relied on him, but it was nice to hear that the boy he considered a son considered him a father. Keith had pushed the adoption issue because he wanted to give Lucas an official father. But he was slowly realizing that he'd already been more to Luke than that title. He'd been there for all the major events in his life. And that was what truly made someone a parent.

Dan waited a few seconds and continued. "Lucas has also put several conditions around any time we spend together. He's not letting me get off easy. But we both are trying to form some kind of relationship to replace this void that we currently have. All we are trying to do is get to know each other," Dan explained, hoping to diffuse the anger he saw in Karen's eyes. "Luke has also told me that he won't spend any time with me unless you agree to it. That's the first requirement that he gave me. He's more concerned about you being mad at him than he is about his own need to get to know me."

Karen lowered her eyes at that statement. Lucas was always overly protective of her. He'd spent his life fighting boys on the playground who made fun of her, or who called him names because of the decisions she'd made. She knew he kept things from her, in order to shield her from the town's gossip and she hated that Lucas spent so much energy on that, instead of just being a kid. Did she really want to stop him from spending time with Dan because she wasn't comfortable with it?

As silence filled the room, Dan kept talking, mostly out of nervousness, but also to prevent Karen from rejecting him and walking out of the room. "Look, I never claimed to be a great father. As Lucas pointed out, I have a lot of work to do on the relationships with both my sons. But I'm sincerely trying here, Karen. I don't know what will come of this, if anything. But I do know that our son has asked that we hang out. And I don't want to have to say no to him."

Karen looked at Dan suspiciously. "Define hanging out."

"He says it can't involve basketball or watching basketball on TV. In fact, I don't think I am even allowed to discuss the games he plays in. No movies, no TV, no events that will replace actual conversation," he summed up, trying to remember all the constraints Lucas had put on it.

Keith leaned back on the sofa next to Deb. "Gee, Dan. Short of taking him to work and making him fix cars for your dealership, what else can you share with him?"

Deb actually laughed out loud at Keith, sensing he was trying to lighten the mood of the room, rather than picking on her husband. Dan shrugged his shoulders at his older brother. "I have no clue what we are going to do, outside of the first few weeks. I guess we'll figure it out as we go. But the important thing is that he's set boundaries and expectations and I am trying to follow them."

Deb moved forward to speak. "I think I need to point out another issue here. Lucas has a lot at stake depending on your decision, Karen. But so does Nathan. The boys have been talking a lot the past few days. And with Haley's considerable help, they are trying to get to know each other. If Lucas spends time in this house then he can also get to know his younger brother, as well as Dan. In three days, we've got them to the point where they aren't fighting. Just imagine what they could do if they spent time with each other, as part of every day life."

Rubbing her temples, Karen thought about Deb's words. They had tried for months to get the boys to stop fighting both in school and on the court. Haley was definitely a way to bridge the gap between them. If she allowed Lucas to hang out with Dan, then that would set an example for Nathan to follow. Was it fair to prevent Lucas and Nathan from becoming close just because she feared what might happen with Dan in the future?

"I think we all agree that getting Nathan and Lucas on better terms is a key goal," Karen agreed, not wanting the boys to continue hating one another. "But I am not sure that should be contingent on Lucas and Dan spending time together."

Dan shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. "Lucas has agreed to hang out after we do things on Sunday, in order to have dinner with us. I thought that might be a chance for Nathan and Lucas to talk," he explained. "That's only if Karen agrees to let him hang out," he hastily amended.

Realizing that everyone was staring at her, waiting for a response, Karen shook her head. "I have to talk to Lucas. Apparently there have been some radical changes since I left and I need to talk to my son before I make any decision. For all I know, Luke has been locked in a closet and tortured by Dan in order to get him to agree to this."

Deb waved off Dan's retort at her comment and stood between the two of them. They had such a long history that she vaguely felt like an interloper for referring this discussion. But she felt that she and Keith did have some right to intercede, being the stepparents in this situation.

"Obviously, this has been a very long day for all of us. I think we all need to get some space and regroup, before decisions are made. Karen, I think you and Keith need to talk to Luke and get his opinion about this topic. And I think Dan and I just need to get some rest. It really has been a long three days," Deb confessed, letting the exhaustion from the past three sleepless nights show. She didn't know how they were going to make it through the visit to Dan's parents. God knows those visits always grated on Deb's nerves in normal situations.

Karen considered Deb's words. "Maybe we just need to let Luke make the decision. Does he want to hang out with Dan or be adopted by Keith?"

Staring at her in amazement, Dan immediately objected. "You can't honestly say that we need to force Luke into making that decision?"

"Why not? He's the most mature 16 year old I know. He knows what he wants deep inside. He's the only one who really matters at this point. It is his life. Why shouldn't he know that Keith wants to adopt him?" Karen questioned.

Keith shifted uneasily in his chair. "I think Dan has a point, Kar. I am not sure that I want to tell Luke he has to choose between me and Dan. It's a no win position to put the kid in" he noted. "We're both tired after that drive and we still have to get Luke home. We don't need to be making these big decisions while we're worn out."

"No," Dan quietly stated. "There is no way we are making him take sides. You're essentially telling him to that he has to make a choice between the man who raised him and his brother and father. Keith's right, it's a horrible thing to make a kid decide."

Karen rubbed her eyes. "Fine. We won't mention anything to him about the adoption. I will talk to Luke and find out what he wants in regards to Dan," Karen said, trying to be mature. It was hard for her to fight her maternal instincts, all of which screamed that Dan would never be anything but heartache for her son. "But I am telling him we are engaged. I don't want to start keeping secrets from my son."

Deb nodded in agreement. "I think he'll be ecstatic that you two are getting married, of course you don't want to keep that from him," she agreed, giving Karen a reassuring smile. Despite the past, Deb really admired and liked Karen. Their fragile friendship seemed to be growing every month, and she honestly hoped that they could bridge the gap between their two families. Deb tremendously admired the way Karen guarded her son, knowing that her doubt in Dan's motives were just manifestations of her concern for Luke.

"I have one last proposal," Dan quietly offered. He'd been weighing whether to keep his mouth shut or not. But he wanted to say this before Karen left with his son. "I want you to discuss this with Luke. And if he has reconsidered his decision to spend time with us, or if he felt coerced into saying that in any way, I want to know. And in that event, and only that event, I will sign the papers."

Keith and Karen stared at one another quickly before Keith attempted to clarify his intent. "Are you saying that if Luke doesn't want a relationship with you, that you'll sign the parental termination papers?"

Slowly, Dan nodded. "I don't want to sign them. But I do want what's best for Lucas. And if he wants to be Keith's son, I won't stop the adoption process. I don't want you to tell him he has to make a choice. But if you can honestly tell me that he wants nothing to do with us, or that he wants to be Keith's son, then I will do what's best for him and sign the papers.

Karen stared at her ex love for a long time. Of all the personality traits she'd attributed to him in the past, selflessness was not one of them. For once, Dan had surprised her. "I think that's the most generous thing you've ever done, Dan."

Dan shrugged her comments off. It was hard to get a warm fuzzy when Karen was praising him for offering to sign his son away. And he was angry at himself for getting this involved with Lucas in the first place. Maybe he should have left well enough alone and maintained his distance.

Keith grew more uneasy as he watched Dan's emotions play out. He'd never seen his younger brother this reserved, this….sad, for lack of a better word. The Dan Scott Keith knew did not believe in regret. Perhaps he'd really changed in the past few days. Or maybe Deb's influence had just taken 16 years to sink in.

Hesitating, Deb stepped back into the fray. "I hate to step in here, but have either of you considered what that could do to Lucas?" she said, unsure how her thoughts might play out. Karen looked at her in confusion. "Deb, what do you mean?"

"Dan has promised Lucas that he wants to get to know him. We all know that Dan has a serious credibility issue in Lucas' eyes. So what happens if Dan signs those papers?" she asked, honestly worried about her stepson's psyche. "You both need to consider what it will do to Lucas if Dan legally severs all ties with him. If the consensus decides that it's best for Luke to be adopted by Keith, will you tell him that Dan stepped aside, or will you make it look like Dan backed out of their agreement to get to know each other?"

Keith's heart sank at Deb's words. "She's right. It's unfair to force Lucas to choose between us, but if we make a back room deal for Dan to terminate his parental rights, then Luke will inevitable feel even more rejected." This situation was getting more and more complex by the moment. By not telling Lucas that two men wanted to be his father, they were creating a situation where he'd be forced to choose between them.

Karen sat back, dismay clearly written on her face. There were simply no easy answers anymore. "I hadn't considered that scenario," she admitted.

Dan stared at one of his old basketball trophies, lost in thought. He'd not considered how complicated just spending time with his oldest son would be. Not an hour into the discussion, and he'd already mentioned lawyers and demanded access to the boy. He wasn't sure how any of his divorced friends managed to see their children, if this was the norm for estranged parents. Sighing, he turned his attention back to the room. "We've got to really think this game plan out," he reluctantly said. "I think we all want to bring peace to the kids, and not cause them any more pain."

Karen slowly stood up, smoothing her sweater down over her jeans. "It's getting late. We should probably pick this up at a later date," she said, turning her attention toward Dan. "I think we should get together in a few days and start talking."

Dan slowly nodded, dreading being alone with Karen. Deb had been so supportive of him, and a real fear crept up his spine at not having her to intercede with Karen. Deb moved over to him and smiled at him reassuringly. "Lucas has a doctor's appointment the day after tomorrow. If Keith takes Lucas, then the two of you can spend some time alone discussing the matter," Deb suggested. It wouldn't help either of them to have Lucas in the next room, she thought.

"That sounds like a good idea," Keith agreed, filling the silence left by Karen and Dan. "Dan, can you come over to Karen's to hash this out? I'll get Luke to the doctor's and maybe run a few errands with him, so you'll have time to talk."

Karen stared at Dan, who looked back at her with pensive eyes. He'd never been in her home, any of her homes. Of course, in the past, he'd driven by out of curiosity. And he had seen enough to know that the small home his son occupied was one of the nicest places that they'd ever lived in. It would be interesting to see the space that Luke called home, and the home where his brother spent most of his time.

Dan nodded at Karen in a cordial manner. "I'll be there if that's okay with Karen."

Karen realized what Deb had done. She'd found a way to shift the next meeting to Karen's home turf, a symbolic power issue. That would definitely be easier for Karen to handle, much better than being back in Dan's house or worse, in public. "That sounds good," she softly said, not looking forward to their discussion at all.

Deb and Keith began walking to the door of the room, signaling an end to the discussion. Karen and Dan meander out into the living space, each lost in their own silent contemplations.

A soft laugh snapped them out of their deep thoughts, as they entered the living room. Karen looked over Deb's shoulder to see what created such levity in her friend at such a serious moment. Spying the couch, she broke out in laughter, as well. At either end of the long couch, was one of their sons, curled up and asleep, with their legs crisscrossed some place in the middle.

Haley looked up from the corner, where she and Brooke were talking, heads together in low conversation. Brooke bounced over and smiled at the adults, while holding the Scott's digital camera aloft. "Don't worry. We've already taken pictures for blackmail," she confided, snickering at the sight of the rival-brothers curled on the same couch.

Keith smiled from where he stood in the doorway. He draped a casual arm around his younger brother's shoulder and softly said, "That's the goal. That's what we need to work toward." Dan returned his brother's smile and nodded. It was a peaceful ending, on a day of symbolic peace.

Thanks for reading and replying. Happy holidays to those who celebrate. Happy day off for those who don't! I'm currently typing up Purg and I hope to have it out soon. I know...promises, promise. Feel free to harass and encourage.