Note: It's always interesting where ideas/directions for stories/storylines come from. In this case, I was researching Duke and found out some interesting things about their housing rules. As always, thank you for reading and reviewing. I always look forward to reading them while I work on the next chapter.

Ch 29

"I can't believe we let your dad talk us into this big SUV," Haley laughed as they drove away from the dealership in their new vehicle. "I'm almost scared to drive it."

"I think he's right Hales. We'll want the extra room for baby stuff and it will be easier to get the car seat in and out of," Nathan pointed out. "Besides, I didn't like how the other car folded in when we got hit. It wouldn't have been pretty with a baby in that back seat."

Haley had thought the same thing when they got out of the car after the hit-and-run. The front of the car had been fine, but the back where they'd been hit was pretty badly smashed in. She was frankly surprised the other car had even been able to drive away with the amount of damage caused. "I'll get used to it I'm sure," she said. "I do kind of like being higher up. It's not a view us short people get very often."

Nathan chuckled, knowing that his wife often lamented her short stature, although he secretly loved that she was so tiny. He enjoyed being able to rest his head on hers or easily carry her any time he wanted. He thought they fit perfectly together.

"Something bothering you? You're awfully quiet," she asked a few minutes later, reaching across the console as they stopped and parked in front of the cafe.

"I'm just thinking about the meeting with Duke later," he admitted, squeezing her hand back. It was amazing how well she could read him sometimes. "We have to discuss the memory stuff, which I'm not sure they know about, and I've been doing a little research. Students have to live on campus for the first three years."

"But we'll have a baby by then," Haley said. "They'd have to let us live off campus, wouldn't they? We can't raise a baby in a dorm."

"I don't know Hales," Nathan said, his voice showing his disappointment. "It sounds like they don't make exceptions."

"We'll figure it out," she reassured him. "There has to be a way to make this work, we just need to find it."

Nathan nodded, hoping she was right. He had dreamed of going to Duke to play basketball for as long as he could remember, but if it came down to choosing it or living together as a family, there was no choice. He would never make the mistake his father made, he would always put his family first.

"You're sure you're up to working today?" he asked, his concern for her evident. She knew he worried about her and he'd been extra protective since he found out she was pregnant, but this past week he he'd been hovering to the point she was ready to scream.

"It's only for a couple of hours," she tried to put him at ease. "Besides, Karen wouldn't have called if she wasn't in a bind."

He knew that there was no convincing her when her mind was made up. When a friend needed help, she was always the first in line. It was one of the many things he loved about her that at times also drove him crazy. "I'd stay and help if I didn't have this meeting," he informed her, "but I really can't miss it."

"I know, this is an important night for you. Are you sure about having your dad join you?" she asked hesitantly. "It wasn't that long ago that you didn't want anything to do with him."

"He's been different lately," Nathan told her. "Not just what he says, but what he does, and how he acts. I don't know how to explain it, but it just feels different. I thought it would be nice to be a normal high school kid with their father beside them for once."

Haley smiled, knowing how much it had hurt Nathan that his father had not given him the kind of love and support he needed. He'd spent years doing everything possible to win that affection, almost losing himself in the process, before finally deciding he'd had enough and breaking free of Dan's destructive influence. Now, it seemed he was being given a second chance to have the things he'd always wanted without having to sacrifice the life he had made for himself. She couldn't blame him for hoping it was real this time.

"I need to get in there. It looks like they're already busy," Haley said, leaning over and giving her husband a kiss. "Just remember, they'd be lucky to have you."

"I'm lucky to have you," he flashed her his smirk. "Go ahead. I'll see you later."


"Thanks for coming Dad," Nathan said, feeling strange as he welcomed his father into the house that used to be his home. "The coach called and said he was running late so I thought maybe we could take a look at the Oak Lake game while we wait."

"Sounds great," Dan said, taking a seat in one of the chairs. "It's been too long since we watched a game together."

Nathan nodded, not remembering when the last time was, but pretty sure he knew why they had stopped. In the past, as far back as Nathan could remember, Dan had always taped his games. He then forced him to watch the game tape with him so he could critique Nathan's game and point out every mistake he'd made. He remembered how much he'd dreaded those sessions when he was younger and he hoped that this time would be different. In a way, he felt guilty for this, almost like he was testing his father to see if the changes were real. He shrugged it off, knowing there wasn't much he could do about it now. He put the tape in and hit play, taking a seat on the couch as the team prepared to come onto the court to start the game. "I wish I could hear what we're saying," Nathan said, "West and I are already jawing at each other and the game hasn't even started yet."

The game began with West scoring 6 quick points and Coach Durham calling a time out. The screen view moved to the huddles and Nathan got a good look at the face of his nemesis for the first time, the view jolting him in remembrance.

"He's pretty good," Dan said, "but you would have beaten them easily if you'd had any help. Do you think Skillz will be able to guard him so you don't have to this time? It really hurt you guys down low when Whitey had to switch you to guard him out on the perimeter."

Nathan didn't respond, trying to sort through various memories of Damien West all tangled up in his mind. His head started to hurt and his heart raced as it always did when the memory bursts came.

"Nathan? Son, are you okay?" Dan asked, standing up and coming over to sit next to his son. "You're scaring me."

"Sorry," Nathan said, trying to shake himself out of it. "I...uh...remember, sort of..."

"What do you remember?" Dan asked. He'd never been around when Nathan had recovered a memory and wasn't sure how to react or if that's even what was happening for sure.

"I'm not sure yet," Nathan told him. "I remember some stuff from this game...I think...and some stuff I'm assuming is from High Flyers...it's all jumbled together. Just give me a minute"

It looked to him like his son was in pain. He really hoped every memory that came back didn't affect him this way. "Is it always like that? The memories?" Dan asked when he saw Nathan's face start to return to normal.

"No," Nathan said, wiping his hands down his face, "sometimes I get them like this, all jumbled but that's usually while I'm sleeping. Most of the ones I've had during the day are full memories, like I'm reliving them. Those are much easier to deal with."

Dan nodded, not sure if there was anything he could say to help. "Is there anything I can do?"

Nathan shook his head no and took a deep, calming breath. "Go ahead and start it again," Nathan said after a couple more minutes. "I'm fine."

They continued to watch, each of them commenting every so often when they noticed something that could help them in the next game. Eventually Nathan stopped expecting criticism and simply enjoyed the company, the two of them falling into a nice camaraderie.

"What the hell?" Nathan yelled suddenly, practically jumping off the couch as the screen showed West slamming into him while in the air and then backing into Haley and almost knocking her down. The play turned into a bench clearing melee with Nathan focusing on keeping Haley safe rather than going after West. He rewound the scene and re-watched, once again seeing the obvious attempt by West to take him out of the game. "I remembered the play earlier, but it didn't seem as bad when it was happening. At the time I was more worried about protecting Haley. He was obviously trying to hurt me though... I mean...he didn't even go for the ball. Why wasn't he kicked out for that crap?" Nathan asked as they watched for the third time.

"I don't know," Dan said, his temper rising as well. It hadn't sounded nearly as bad on the radio broadcast as what he was seeing on screen. "You're going to have to be careful out there. He's obviously not above playing dirty."

"I know that, but I'm not going to let that ass change the way I play," Nathan argued. "I can't play scared."

"I'm not saying you should," Dan told him, "but you need to be aware of where he is at all times. Don't let him take you by surprise. I'll make sure the referees are aware of this before the game starts too. It always helps if they know to watch for it."

Nathan nodded his head and watched as he was forced to come out of the game, "I remember this too," he said, "I had to go back to the locker room and get stitches. We didn't even have time to numb it and it hurt like hell."

They continued to watch, groaning as the team allowed Oak Lake to run right through them and take a 9 point lead from what had been a tie game only a few minutes earlier. Then Nathan returned to the court, hitting 3 three pointers including one at the buzzer where he was fouled by West and made the foul shot for the winning point. " See right there," Dan pointed out. "He chest bumped the official. That's what got him suspended."

They talked about the game for a few more minutes, " You were amazing out there Nathan," Dan said, "Not many players would have been able to do what you did in that final 2 minutes."

"Uh, thanks," Nathan said awkwardly, still not used to any sort of praise from his father. "I don't..."

Just then the doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of the Duke Coach. "Good timing," Dan chuckled, "I want you to know I'm going to try and stay out of this as much as possible. I'm only here for support and in case I think of anything you need to ask and haven't."

Nathan nodded and smiled, "Thanks," he said, heading for the front door and welcoming the coach in. He made introductions and the three men sat down, making small talk for a couple of minutes before they got down to business.

"I don't think we have to sell our program to you. You know we are consistently among the best in the country and these scholarships are highly coveted, as is the chance to work with Coach Krzyzewski. We've been keeping an eye on you since your Sophomore year and we've been really impressed with your play, especially this season. Honestly, we were ready to offer you a scholarship weeks ago but with your accident, we thought it prudent to wait and make sure you came out of it alright. Those were some pretty serious injuries you sustained. We're all very glad that you have recovered so well," Duke Assistant Coach Kessler said, leaning forward on the couch to reach his paperwork on the coffee table.

"I have to admit, I'm not fully recovered yet," Nathan started to say.

"We've been in contact with your coach and he's filled us in on your headaches and memory loss, but he also said that they haven't affected your ability to practice and play."

Nathan agreed and the coach continued, "I know when we spoke before that you had concerns about housing because you're married. It's not something we normally encounter, but I've talked to the school and we've been able to make accommodations available in one of the coed dorms. Do you have any additional questions or things you need clarified from before?"

Nathan leaned forward and took a drink of water, gathering courage. He knew his next words would not be appreciated by the coach, but needed to be said nonetheless. "I'm really grateful you are willing to work with us on the housing situation, especially since I know that the University doesn't like to make exceptions, but the co-ed dorms won't work for us. You see, my wife recently found out she's pregnant, so we will need something more private than a dorm room with a newborn."

"I see," the coach said, taking off his glasses and cleaning them on his shirt to buy himself some time to decide his next words. "You do realize you are being offered an incredible opportunity here?"

"I understand that and believe me, I would love to be a Duke Blue Devil. It's what I've wanted since I was a kid...what I still want," Nathan explained, "but I have responsibilities that I can't ignore."

"Most players would be grabbing onto his opportunity with both hands instead of trying to bargain with us to get their way," Kessler said, his tone edged in annoyance.

"I'm not bargaining," Nathan said, leaning forward. "I'm telling you that my wife and child come first and if you can't work with us on this, then I will have to play somewhere else. It's as simple as that. I'm not trying to be difficult, but it's a position I can't budge from."

"And he's not most players," Dan said, making his first foray into the conversation since the initial introductions. "You know that, or you wouldn't be here. He's a great kid, a hard worker, and a hell of a player and teammate. I guarantee if you let him go, you will regret it."

"Your dad is right, you are a great player, and we had high hopes for you, but I don't think this is going to work. I'm sorry Nathan. " Kessler said, gathering his papers with a sigh. "I understand your position and I even respect it... I have a family myself. I have to tell you though, it wasn't easy to convince the University to make an exception the first time we asked, but at least there was a reasonable solution that would allow you to stay on campus and with the other freshman. I don't think there is anything they will be willing to do this time."

"You're not even going to try?" Dan asked, his frustration evident. He hated the thought that his son was so close to his dream and yet very well might still lose it, "Should he be making a decision elsewhere?"

"I'll see what I can do, but if it were me, I would have another school picked out," he stood up, his packing completed, and shook hands with both Scott men. "I'm sorry Nathan, if it were up to me, I'd do whatever it takes to have you on our team next year, but the University isn't very flexible when it comes to some of their rules. I want you to know that whatever happens, I wish you the best of luck. You're going to do well wherever you go."

"Thanks," Nathan said as he sat back down, running his hands through his hair before leaning his head back and closing his eyes for a minute while his father walked the coach out. He knew that was a stand he had to take and he didn't regret doing it, but it still stung to have everything he'd dreamed of dangled in front of him only to be pulled back out of reach. His father returned, pouring himself a drink from the sideboard.

"I guess I should probably call some of the other schools for meetings," Nathan said, opening his eyes and sitting forward "I don't really remember much from the visits they made before."

"I'll admit I don't even know which schools gave you offers," Dan said, walking over to the mantle and picking up one of the pictures there. Nathan was so young and happy in the picture, back before he'd made basketball the entire focus of their lives. He hated that he had been a big part of taking that happiness away from him and wanted more than anything to see him smile like that again. The only time he could remember seeing that smile in the last several years was when he was with Haley and he'd tried to ruin that too. "I'm sorry I let you down again."

"That wasn't your fault," Nathan said. "How about I go get the paperwork I have from any schools that showed interest. If you have time, I could use some help narrowing down who to call before Haley gets home."

"I'd like that," Dan said with genuine smile. "You know, I'm really glad you're letting me help with this. It's something I always dreamed we'd do together."

"Me too Dad," Nathan said. "I'll be right back."

Nathan returned with the file full of papers and they went to the kitchen where they could spread them out on the island while they worked. They discussed what Dan knew and Nathan had researched about each school, making stacks for schools that should be considered and ones that shouldn't. That task completed, they took the stack of the schools they thought would be good fits in terms of program, location, and availability of housing for their growing family and ranked them in order of who to talk to first.

"Maryland, Wake Forest, and Kentucky are the three I think you should contact," Dan said, pulling the three sets of papers from the stack. "Kentucky has the best program, but it is the farthest away and they already have an All-American shooting guard so you might not get to start your freshman year. Maryland and Wake Forest are good enough to get into the NCAA tournament, but you'd still probably be their best player so it would give you a chance to be the star."

Nathan looked at the list they'd made with a heavy heart. He knew he should be grateful for the opportunity to attend college on a basketball scholarship and play for any of these schools, but he couldn't help but be sad that his first choice was no longer on there. "I'll talk to Haley and then call them tomorrow and see about setting something up to talk to them," he said, looking up at his father. "I know you're probably disappointed about Duke..."

"Only because I know it's what you wanted," Dan said as he started to put the papers back into the folder. "You know I'm a UNC man myself. It serves Duke right if they miss out on you. It's not too late to be a Tarheel you know. I could make some calls..."

Nathan laughed, knowing his father was only partially kidding him. Thinking back to his younger self, the fact that his father was a UNC alumnus and actively rooted against Duke might have been one of the things that had made him a Blue Devils fan in the first place. It was a little ironic that Lucas, who hated Dan, was actually going to be following in his footsteps and becoming a Tarheel. "Just because I'm probably not going to Duke doesn't mean I can switch allegiances that quick. Sorry."

"What did you just say?" Haley said, slowly walking into the kitchen. "Oh my...Nathan... Did they really tell you that?"

"It's okay," Nathan said, coming around the counter to give her a hug. "It just looks like there's going to be a change of plans."

"It's because of the baby isn't it?" she asked, pressing her face into his neck. "I'm so sorry Nathan, I never dreamed that this would be this big of an issue."

"Hey," Nathan said, pulling her chin up so he could look into her eyes, "There is no reason for you to be sorry. You didn't get pregnant on your own and you didn't make this choice for me."

Dan gestured that he was going to leave and Nathan nodded, mouthing the words "Thank you," over his wife's head as his father slipped out the door.

"I hate that you're losing your dream," she told him, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. "I know how much this means to you."

"Maybe it will still happen and maybe it just wasn't meant to be," Nathan told her, moving a stray hair out of her eyes. "This isn't the end of the world Hales. I will still have a scholarship, I will still be able to play college basketball, and most importantly, I'll still have you and our baby. I'd say I'm pretty lucky."

"I'm the lucky one," she whispered, cupping his cheek with her hand. "Just when I think I couldn't possibly love you more, you find a way to amaze me again Nathan Scott."

"Well, I am pretty incredible," he teased, kissing her softly.

"And humble too," she laughed lightly as they remained only inches apart. She looked him in the eyes, "Are you really going to be okay with this?"

Nathan paused for a moment, knowing that she wanted a serious answer. "I can't say I'm not disappointed or that I don't still hope it works out," he admitted, "but I'll be okay without it. It's not as important as it used to be."

She could tell that he meant what he said so she nodded, placing her head back against is chest and holding him tight. She couldn't help but wonder why there never seemed to be an end to their obstacles, then shook off her melancholy. They were blessed to have each other and the life growing inside her. If having those blessings meant that they had more trials too, then bring them on.

"Everything go okay?" Nathan asked, drawing her out of her thoughts as he stepped back. "Your ankle's not bothering you?"

"It's a little sore," she said, sitting down, "but not bad. Lucas kept a very close eye on me to make sure I didn't overdo it. I swear, you should go into wrestling the way you two tag-team me."

"We just worry about you," he told her. "You know you have a habit of overdoing things."

"I do not," she argued, looking at her husband to find he'd crossed his arms and arched an eyebrow. "Okay, maybe a little. I just like to get things done without the fuss. Besides, you have a lot of nerve Mr. I was walking on my knee way before I was supposed to."

He shrugged his shoulders, knowing she was right, and stepped up in front of her chair. "Just promise you'll try and take it easy."

"I promise," she told him, giving him a quick kiss, "I'm going to head to bed. I'm exhausted."

Nathan agreed and turned off the lights before following her up the stairs. They undressed and climbed into bed, Haley curling up next to her husband and laying her head on his shoulder. "We're going to be okay aren't we?" Haley asked, tracing her fingers on her husband's bare chest.

"We are," he told her, kissing her hair. "No matter where we end up we'll be fine, as long as we're together."