At the cemetery, Dan Scott is standing at his brother's grave.
'There were many who couldn't understand and sometimes he walked among them. But even in his darkest hours, he knew in his heart that someday it would return to him - '
Another, much larger headstone is placed next to Keith Scott's much smaller one. On it is the smiling face of Dan Scott, his name, and words that state of a Loving Husband, Brother, and Father.
' - and his world would be whole again.'
Inside his bedroom, Jamie is putting his baseball gear together in a bag with the help of Nathan.
"Dad, what's wrong with Grandpa Dan?" Jamie wonders.
Nathan hands his son his baseball glove. "What do you mean?"
"That jersey. The one that Emma got for her birthday. Was it from him?" Jamie looks up at his dad, who purposely turns away. He really did not want to get on the subject of Dan, especially not since Dan revealed his news about his heart to him. "I mean, it has your number and name on it."
"Yeah." Nathan nods with a heavy sigh. "Yeah, Jamie. That was my old jersey when I was Emma's age. It was my first one. I didn't even know Dan still had it."
"I'm sure there's a lot of things Grandpa Dan still has of yours that I would really like to see."
Nathan just pats Jamie on the back. "So, are you excited about try-outs?" He asks, changing the subject.
But Jamie wasn't stupid. He knows Dan is a sore subject, so he just went along. "Yeah, I am. I hope I make it, though."
"You will."
"If I make it this year and next, then once I get to high school it'll be even easier to make the team."
Nathan chuckles. "My son playing baseball and basketball." He shakes his head. "I never thought I'd see that happening in the Scott family. But it's good, Jamie. You'll be able to stay fit throughout the seasons."
"Yeah. I can't wait."
Haley walks into the bedroom, smiling at her boys. "Jamie, are you excited about tryouts?" She looks inside Jamie's bag and frowns. "Geez. How much did you buy him, Nathan?"
Nathan smirks. "Everything he'll need for training, Hales. Trust me."
"Hey. Do you think Grandpa Dan would want to come see me play?" Jamie asks his dumbfounded parents.
"He's dying, Hales." Nathan states as they stand in the kitchen away from the little ears around the house.
"What?"
"Dan needs a heart transplant. He says it's his HCM. He's got six months to live, maybe not even that."
But considering everything Dan has put them through, Haley has a hard time believing it. "Do you believe him? He's not even that old."
"I don't know." Nathan shrugs. "I mean, it's Dan. But he's even drawn up a will, and he's leaving us the beach house, among other things." Haley closes her eyes, exhaling. "And this time, he seemed scared. I've seen my father be a lot of things, Hales, but never scared."
"Well, if it is true, at least now we know why he wants to spend so much time with the kids. Nothing like a ticking clock."
"Ticking clock or not, Dan's not spending any time with them." Nathan continues to refuse his father having any type of relationship with his children. Not after everything Dan has put them through.
"Come on, baby girl." Brooke pleads. Angie is sitting in her seat, securely on top of the table, looking up at Brooke. "Give me a smile. Well, fine, have it your way, but we got a big week ahead of us, kid. Tonight we'll meet the doctor who's gonna make you all better and tomorrow Aunt Millicent's gonna watch you while I go to my super-duper important meeting. You're gonna be okay without me?" She wonders, curiously. Brooke wasn't too thrilled about having to leave the baby. The doorbell then rings, interrupting her thoughts. "It's open!" Lucas walks in. "Hey! What are you doing here?"
"What, you think I was gonna forget something this important?" Lucas asks, walking over to them. "Seven o'clock, right?"
Brooke smiles, clearly amused. "Yeah, 7 p.m." Lucas drops his head, realizing his mistake. "But I appreciate the enthusiasm, Luke. I am kind of nervous about the whole hospital thing, though." She admits, looking back at Angie. "I'm not really a big fan of hospitals."
Lucas chuckles. "Ah, yes, I remember." He looks down at his hand. "My hand remembers, too."
Brooke scoffs, glaring at him. "I was having a baby!"
"Oh, I remember." He assures her as he shakes his ear. "So does my hearing." Brooke rolls her eyes, smiling. "How's it going?" He nods towards Angie. "Better?"
"Yeah." Brooke says, proudly. "I'm starting to get it down. She's finally sleeping through the night now."
"See? I told you you'd get the hang of it again. Where's kid number one anyway?" Lucas wonders, looking around for his daughter.
Brooke smirks. "She's in her room. She's been nose deep in those books for the past week now."
Lucas chuckles. "Yeah, her big project."
"Miss. Perfectionist."
"Just like her mom." Brooke scoffs making Lucas laugh. "I don't want to interrupt her why she's working, so let her know I'll see her later."
Brooke nods. "Will do."
"Oh, that was, like, the - " Peyton exclaims as she comes downstairs, having just woken up, and dressed in just a long t-shirt. " - best night's sleep ever!" Once she gets downstairs, she finally notices Lucas and immediately becomes insecure. "Luke, hey. What are you doing here?" Even though she's wearing a long t-shirt she was feeling pretty exposed in front of her ex-boyfriend.
"He just came by for Angie's pre-op appointment." Brooke informs her. "Talk about a gentleman."
Lucas forces his eyes away from Peyton, feeling very awkward. "Probably should have just called. Brooke, I'll pick you up later."
"Sounds good." Brooke waves. "Bye, Luke!" Lucas turns away and walks out the door. She narrows her eyes at Peyton, clearly amused by their interaction. "You two." She teases. Peyton rolls her eyes, hiding her smile as she runs back upstairs. "Alright, missy." Brooke picks up Angie. "Let's go see what Savannah is up to, huh?"
With Angie in her arms, Brooke knocks gently on Savannah's door before slowly opening it, only to find her kid sprawled out in her bed still sleeping with her books, laptop, and papers surrounding her.
Brooke sighs, shaking her head. "I think someone was up all night working on her report, Angie." She whispers. "What do you think?" With her free hand, Brooke attempts to make room on the bed by grabbing Savannah's laptop and placing it on her desk, and then she moves her books next to it. She then sits on the edge of the bed and just stares at her daughter for a little bit. Life has been changing so much since they moved back to Tree Hill. Back in New York, Brooke was so busy that she had to either spend time with her daughter while she was hanging out in her office. Or when she'd come home from a late night, she'd slip into bed with Savannah and pass out there. Sometimes she even had to put her daughter on her calendar just to make sure her day stays free so she could spend time with her. Brooke hated that. Moving to Tree Hill was the best decision Brooke has ever made when it came to her daughter. Now she can spend all her days working from home, if she wanted, or at the store. But, regardless, she was here every day, all day, no matter the time, she was here when Savannah needed her. No assistants, no drivers, no Victoria to stop her, or to take her place. Brooke smiles down at the baby in her arms. And, now, Brooke has the opportunity to make their family even bigger. "What do you say?" Brooke whispers to Angie. "Should we wake her?" She looks at the clock on Savannah's night stand which reads 6:30 a.m. "Let's give her a little more time, huh? It looks like she needs it." Brooke bends down and kisses Savannah softly on her cheek before rubbing her hand down her daughter's face as she stands up.
At the gym, Lucas and Skills are training the Ravens, wondering where Quentin is.
"He knew there was practice this morning, right?" Lucas asks.
"I told him." Skills tells him.
Quentin then walks in and Lucas blows his whistle to get the team's attention. "Okay. Bring it in." The team gathers around and they all take notice of the cast on Quentin's wrist. "So, as you can all see Q's out for six weeks. Which means we're gonna have to make it to the playoffs without him. Every single one of you is gonna have to step it up. Now, there's twelve games between now and the playoffs. We can't afford to lose many. Any questions?" The team looks around, feeling doubtful that they can pull it off without their teammate. "Hey, just because Quentin's injured doesn't mean the season's over." Lucas says, sternly. "Now, here's what I'm expecting from each and every one of you." Quentin, however, didn't feel like he needed to be there anymore. He couldn't play, so what's the point? So, he starts to walk away.
"Q, where you going?" Skills asks.
Quentin turns to the coaches. "Ain't nothing here for me now, man."
"Hey, Q, you can't just quit." Lucas says.
"Yeah, I just did!" Quentin exclaims.
He turns back around and walks out of the gym, missing the disappointment that is etched on not only his teams' face, but on his coaches, as well, who expected more from him, despite his injury.
"Mm! Look what we got." Peyton grabs Angie's food from the fridge and walks it over to Brooke who is feeding Angie in her highchair. "More squash and peas. Yummy." She says, sarcastically.
"She loves it." Brooke tells her. "Go figure."
Peyton sits down at the table with them. "Hey, about that, um, I just want you to know, I am available to help with Angie. You know, just like I always am when it comes to Savannah. It's just my hair's been on fire trying to get the new recording studio done."
"It's okay." Brooke assures her. "You are excused from baby and teenager duty. Beside, I kind of like having alone time with my girls - " She smiles at Angie. " - both of them. I mean, in New York I was always dragging Savannah to different places just so I could spend time with her. So, being home, and being able to actually bring my child to where she needs to be and be together in the house at the same time feels great. And, anyway, Angie's scared of her creepy Aunt Peyton, isn't she?" Brooke teases. "Yes. We like Uncle Lucas better."
"Hey!" Peyton exclaims.
Brooke chuckles. "I'm kidding."
"I mean, it is pretty great that he's helping out." Peyton admits.
"Well, he's kind of used to it, anyway." Brooke shrugs, rolling her eyes. "And, anyway, he's still pining over Lindsey, so, I'm helping distract him."
While the two are talking, inside her bedroom Savannah has the papers and the books Brooke managed to put away that morning scattered around on her bed, yet again, along with her laptop open in front of her. She is frantically looking for something in the mess, but she is unable to find it.
Savannah jumps up and grabs her cell phone from her desk. 'Please tell me you forgot to finish the last paragraph of your paper because I only have half of it.' She texts to Willow.
Willow texts back. 'What are you talking about, Scott? I gave you all of my half.'
Savannah huffs, scowling at her phone. 'Clearly you didn't because I'm missing the rest of a sentence!'
Savannah runs out of her room where Brooke and Peyton are still talking at the table. "Hey, babe." Brooke greets her daughter. "I'm feeding Angie her lunch, but I can have something ready for you as soon as I'm done. What would you like?" But Savannah is in a whole other zone, which Peyton and Brooke could clearly see, as she goes over to the table and begins looking around at the rest of the mess of papers and books she's managed to spill out all over the house. "Savannah!" Brooke snaps her fingers.
"Yo, kid, hey!" Peyton shouts, causing Savannah to look up in confusion.
"What?" She exasperates.
"Lunch." Brooke repeats. "What do you want?"
Savannah shakes her head and continues to search for what she is looking for. "Oh. Uh, I'm not hungry."
Brooke and Peyton share a look before Brooke narrows her eyes at her daughter. "Sweets, you didn't even eat breakfast this morning because I let you sleep in. You have to eat something."
Savannah shrugs. "I'll eat later. I really need to finish my report. I'm almost finished!"
Peyton chuckles at Brooke. "Are we sure she's not Haley's kid?"
Brooke glares playfully at her best friend. "Very funny." She sighs heavily when she sees Savannah practically throwing all her books on the floor. "Savannah, if I trip with Angie in my arms and break my leg, you're getting it." She warns.
Savannah exhales and looks at both of them in a slight panic. "Have you seen a paper that looks like a big run on sentence and has the name Hitler on it?"
Brooke and Peyton share another look. "Uh. Sweetie, why are you writing about Hitler?" Brooke asks, a little concerned.
Savannah continues to look for the paper. "Mom, I'm writing about World War II, remember?"
"Oh, right!" Peyton chuckles. "I totally forgot." Brooke smirks.
"Believe me, I'm not writing about Hitler because I want to. He was, unfortunately, apart of History, and, you know, the more I write about him, the more I feel like I'm writing about Victoria." This causes Peyton to laugh out loud, and Brooke shakes her head, stifling her laugh and rolling her eyes. Savannah sighs and grabs her phone before she starts heading towards the door.
"Uh, where are you going?"
"I have to go to Willow's because I need the rest of the paper to finish our report."
"Couldn't it just wait until tomorrow?" Peyton wonders.
"No. If I get it done tonight, then I'll be finished, and I won't have to spend the rest of my weekend working on it. I gotta go."
"Wait." Brooke stops her. "Sav, I don't want you walking to Willow's. I promise I'll take you after I finish feeding Angie."
"No, Mom." Savannah stresses. "I need it now. And, I won't walk, I'll take my bike. I'll be right back. Willow doesn't live that far anyway."
"Okay." Brooke hated her daughter's need of independence sometimes. "Do you have your phone?"
Savannah holds up her phone. "Got it. I'll be back!" She runs out of the house.
"You know, she looks like me and, then - "
"Then she becomes all studious and turns into a mini-Lucas?" Peyton teases.
Brooke glares. "Yes."
Peyton chuckles. "At least she's making friends, Brooke." She shrugs. "From what you've told me, she didn't have that in New York."
Brooke nods, sadly. "I guess. But there is something about this Willow I don't trust."
Peyton nods. "Well, Savannah has good judge of character. You know that."
"Yeah." Brooke whispers.
"Alright. I actually have to get going to the studio." Peyton stands up to go grab her things.
"Who's recording?"
Peyton smiles. "Oh, just this girl you might know. Haley James Scott."
Brooke gasps. "Did you hear that, baby girl?" She asks Angie, excitedly. "Haley James Scott's making music again. That's got to be worth a smile. Yeah?" She hopes as they both look in anticipation of Angie's first smile towards them. But nothing happens. Brooke sighs in defeat. "Get out of here, creepy. You're scaring her." Peyton laughs and walks upstairs, leaving the two alone.
Meanwhile, at the news station, Mouth is going over some tapes when his boss walks in.
"Marvin! Do you have a voodoo doll?"
Mouth looks confused. "Excuse me?"
"That, or did you fix the salmon mousse in the cafeteria? My sports on-air guy is sick as a dog." He tells him. "He just booted all over the station floor."
Mouth grimaces. "And you want me to clean that up?" He assumes.
His boss chuckles. "Uh, no. Listen, I know we haven't spoken much since I took over for Alice, and I know you were close with her."
"Um." Mouth hesitates, unsure if close is the right word. "Pretty close, sure."
"Anyway, I really liked the remote piece you did on the Ravens. So, how would you like to fill in tomorrow?"
Mouth is taken aback. "Really? Uh, what about the weekend guy?"
"He's okay." His boss smiles, knowing Mouth is better. "But then how would you get your big shot?" Mouth smiles. "I got three slots. Four, five, and six. I need you to do sports for all three."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."
His boss simply smiles and starts to walk out. "Oh, and, uh, Marvin, I heard about your Omaha offer. I think you made the right decision."
Mouth just smiles, nodding, as his boss walks out. "Sweet!" He exclaims, excitedly.
At the school, Haley walks into Lucas' office.
"Luke, do you have a second?" She asks, closing the office door.
"Yeah, sure. What's up?"
Haley sighs. "It's Dan. He's dying."
"Right." But Lucas doesn't believe her.
"I'm serious. It's something about his heart. He had Nathan out to the beach house to tell him."
"And Nathan believes him?"
"I think so. At least, he seemed pretty convinced. Dan drafted up a will and everything." Lucas looks away, still unsure. "Why? You think he's lying?" Haley asks.
"Of course he's lying!" Lucas exclaims. He sits on the edge of his desk, letting out a heavy sigh. "Alright. I'll get into it, okay? But in the meantime, be careful, alright? Don't let him suck you and Nathan back into his life."
"I know." Haley understands. "I'm with you on that. But what if he's telling the truth? What if he really is dying?"
Lucas shrugs. "Well, then, all I have to say is, it couldn't happen to a nicer guy."
Over at the baseball field, Nathan is standing near the fence watching Jamie try-out for the team. The coach is throwing the baseball to each of the boys as they catch it in their glove.
Dan steps up. "Baseball, huh?" He smiles at his son before looking back at his grandson. "I remember when you were into baseball."
Nathan sighs, heavily, glaring at his father. "Yeah. Before you made me quit." Dan sighs, remembering how unhappy he was that Nathan wanted to play baseball instead of training for the basketball season when he was a kid, and he regrets it to this day for treating his son like he did. "What are you doing here?" Nathan asks, dismayed. "I told you to stay away from my kids."
"You told me in the gym you weren't trying to come back. And I know you are. It's what I would do." Dan tells him.
"It's not a comeback." Nathan argues.
"Sure." Dan says, knowing better. "You know, Nathan, you may just have to face the fact that you'll never be the same player you once were, but that doesn't mean you still won't be a great player. You just have to learn how to play differently. Reinvent yourself. The best players always find a way."
"Stop!" Nathan exclaims, hitting the fence in frustration.
"Stop, what?"
"Following me. Trying to see Jamie." Nathan points to the field where his son has now stopped running with the other boys, seeing his dad and Dan arguing from afar. "This. All of it. Dan, I don't care that you're dying, okay? This isn't happening. We're done here."
Nathan tries to walk away, but Dan follows him. "Nathan, don't hate me because I'm proud of your accomplishments. Take it from someone who knows. You don't wanna live a life of regret. It's not too late. You can have your dream. You just have to really want it."
Nathan turns around and throws the baseball that he has in his hand, nearly hitting Dan in the face, shocking him. "Stop it! You don't get it, do you? Just stop it. All of it!" Nathan walks past Dan, brushing his shoulder as he passes. "And leave my family alone!"
As Nathan continues walking back to his spot at the fence to watch his boy, Dan watches and notices Jamie is watching them with a solemn look upon his face.
Savannah hops off her bike once she reaches Willow's house. She had only been there one other time and that was to get the paper which was obviously missing some pieces to it, just like this one. But she's never actually been inside. So, Savannah runs to Willow's front door and knocks on it.
Willow opens her door and is confused to see Savannah there. "Scott, I told you I don't have the paper. Did you seriously ride all the way over here just for something you could write yourself?"
Savannah narrows her eyes at the slightly taller blonde girl. "If I wanted to write it myself, I would have. But, then it would just be my paper, wouldn't it? You think I'd let you take the credit?"
Willow rolls her eyes. "Ugh! Dramatic much?"
Savannah smirks, shrugging. "I am a Davis."
"Whatever. I'll check my room again." Willow goes to walk away and Savannah attempts to follow. "What are you doing?" She asks, stopping Savannah from going any further.
"I'm following you." Savannah states the obvious. "You couldn't find it before. Maybe you just need some help."
Willow sighs, annoyed. "Fine. Whatever. Just stay quiet. My mom is sleeping, and my dumb brother and his friend are here."
Savannah follows Willow towards her room. "You have a brother? I didn't know that." She says, surprised. Apparently, there was a lot she didn't know about her enemy.
"Well, I'm not one for airing out my business like all you Scott's like to do." Savannah rolls her eyes. "'the unkindness of ravens,' anyone?"
As they walk to Willow's bedroom, Savannah looks into the other open room, which is Willow's brother's bedroom, and she sees him and his friend smoking in the corner of the room. One of them turns to her as she passes and looks her up and down with a slight grin. Savannah quickly turns away, feeling uncomfortable, as she follows Willow inside her bedroom. Savannah's eyes widen when she sees stacks of papers piled up on Willow's desk. "Uh. No wonder you can't find the paper."
Willow scoffs "Or maybe it's because I already gave it to you."
"Willow, you are so unorganized!"
"Shh!" Willow quickly moves Savannah away from the door and closes it. "I would like my mom to stay sleeping, thank you! Ugh. Why did Miss. Lauren have to make us partners?" She complains as she searches through the papers on her desk.
Savannah moves to the bed to search for the paper, as well. "I don't know." She shrugs. "Karma?"
Willow raises her brows, a bit surprised. "You believe in karma?"
"I believe what goes around, comes around. And you haven't exactly been Miss. Welcome Committee." Savannah says, sarcastically.
Willow sighs, knowing that's true. "Are we really going to get into this again? I thought we already figured out my issues inside the library."
"Your friends still suck, though. And, I'm sorry to say, but I can't really drink punch without a flashback of you throwing it at me."
Willow frowns. "I thought I apologized for that."
Savannah sighs. "You didn't. Shocker."
"I'm sorry." Willow glares. "My friends were just - "
"Being a couple of bitches?" Savannah concludes.
Willow rolls her eyes. "Yeah. Look, I can't change what they do."
Savannah shrugs, looking at Willow. "Maybe not." Willow turns her head, looking at Savannah over her shoulder. "But you can change how you react to things, and maybe it could change them."
Willow looks back at her desk. "You know what? I think I still have a copy on my computer. You keep looking and I'll go check."
"Okay." Willow walks out of her bedroom, leaving Savannah to search through the mess by herself.
At Tric, Peyton reveals the piano, amongst all the other instruments, inside of her newly built studio.
"Check it out!" Peyton says, excitedly. "How awesome is this, Haley? It's Red Bedroom Studios."
Lydia is behind the drum set, attempting to twirl the drumstick in her hand. "So cool, Aunt Peyton. Do you think I'll record here someday?"
Peyton laughs. "Of course, rock-star. After your mom, we are so going to sign you." Lydia laughs. Peyton turns to Haley who looks less impressed. "Haley?"
"Yeah, it's great." Haley says, attempting to sound excited.
But Peyton and Lydia could both see right through her act. "Hey. What's going on with you?" Haley sighs, turning slightly at her daughter who is also giving her a curious look. Peyton follows and realizes this may not be something Haley wants to discuss in front of Lydia. "Hey, Lyd?" Peyton waves Lydia over to them. "I left a CD in my car that I've been wanting you to listen to. How about you go and get it? It's in the middle console."
Lydia nods. "Okay, Aunt Peyton." She runs out of the studio.
"Haley, what's up?" Peyton asks again, looking concerned.
"Nothing." Haley waves her hand, shaking her head. "I'm fine. It's just, um, nothing. The studio looks awesome." She smiles.
But Peyton wasn't going to let her get away that easily. "What is it, Hales?"
Haley sighs. "Can I just ask you a personal question?"
"Yeah, please do."
"If you had the chance to get to know your real father would you want to?"
"Oh, wow. I mean, you know before Ellie I probably would have said no, but she was awesome. And, so yeah, it does make me kind of wonder about my real dad sometimes." Peyton admits. "But, you know, then again, what if I meet him and I don't like him? So, sometimes I think it's just easier not to know and go with my own idealized version of him."
"Yeah."
"Why do you ask?" Peyton asks.
"Um. There's a chance Dan might be dying." Haley tells her.
This genuinely surprises Peyton. "Are you kidding? Does Nathan know?"
"Yeah. Nathan and Lucas both know. The problem is with the kids. They are obsessed with getting to know their grandfather and if Dan's really sick, they might not get the chance to do that."
"Oh, Haley, I'm sorry. That's tough, man. Um, I will say that getting to know Ellie changed my life. And I'm pretty sure we wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for her. Then again, Ellie wasn't Dan Scott."
Little did they know, Lydia is standing at the doorway, having heard every word.
Dan opens his front door and is surprised to find his oldest son looking back at him.
"Well, you look healthy." Lucas points out.
"Come on in, Lucas." Lucas follows Dan inside. "Have a seat."
"Nah, that's okay." Lucas closes the door behind him. "What I have to stay I can say from right here."
"Well, suit yourself. But you of all people should take this seriously."
"There's nothing wrong with my heart. And, if I know you, there's nothing wrong with yours, either."
"I wish that was true. But I've the best cardiologist money can buy and even he can't help me." Dan tells him. "Dr. Thorton. Call him yourself."
"I might just do that."
"Good. And when you do, you'll find out that I'm not lying. Without a transplant, I'll be dead within six months."
Lucas nods. "But you're dead to so many of us already, Dan. So really, what does it matter?" Lucas turns away and walks out of the house.
Haley is playing the piano while Peyton is setting up to record. Lydia is sitting at Peyton's desk, listening to the CD Peyton wanted her to get from her car through her earphones.
"So, do you wanna put down the piano scratch track first?" Peyton asks.
"Yeah, that's perfect." Haley tells her.
"Hey!" Peyton smiles, happily. "Who would have thought that one day we'd be in our own recording studio making your next record together?"
"On your label." Haley adds. "It's great that you're really enjoying your work so much, Peyton. Just as long as you're not using it to hide behind."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Peyton chuckles.
Haley looks over at Lydia before looking up at Peyton. "Look, before the wedding I told Lucas that he shouldn't marry Lindsey."
"Why?"
"Because I just read his new novel and when I did, I knew right away that he was still in love with you whether he's ready to admit it or not."
"It's a book, okay? You can't draw those kind of conclusions from a story."
"Really?" Haley asks, unsure about that. "What about when I write my music? Some of my subconscious always ends up sneaking into my lyrics somewhere. And I don't even notice it until the song's done. I think Lucas is the same way with his writing."
"Well, I watched him up on that altar and it's very clear to me where his heart lies and if I can see it, I'm not really sure why Lindsey can't." Peyton says with frustration in her voice. "You know, it's unfair to Luke. He loves her."
"I think she's just afraid of the idea of you, your history with him. Think how you'd feel if the roles were reversed." Peyton nods, knowing Haley's right.
A lot of time has passed, and Savannah was growing bored as she waits for Willow's return. She didn't have any luck finding the missing paper, and she could only assume Willow didn't either which is why she is taking so long. She is probably just rewriting what she had typed up before. Savannah was going to go and meet her, but she didn't want to risk Willow's mom waking up, and she didn't want Willow to get into any trouble. So, she decided to just stay in the room until Willow gave her the paper and the go ahead to leave.
While she is laying on Willow's bed, looking up at the ceiling, the door slowly opens. She looks up, assuming it's Willow but, instead, a scruffy young man walks in. "Oh, hi." Savannah says, timidly. "You must be Willow's brother. She's actually - "
"I know." The guy says. "She's on the computer in the front." Savannah nods, feeling very uncomfortable with this guy's presence. "And, I'm not her brother, I'm his friend." He steps closer to Savannah, smiling down at her. "Xavier."
Savannah nods again, slowly standing up, attempting to move away from Xavier. "Right. Yeah."
Xavier chuckles. "I know this is weird, me coming in here, but I didn't want to be rude and not introduce myself."
Savannah shrugs. "It's okay. I've never even met Willow's brother, either."
"I saw you earlier when you came in. I just couldn't take my eyes off of you." He says, creepily.
"Oh." Savannah chuckles, awkwardly. She starts to walk towards the door. "That's really nice. But I should go and check on Will - "
Savannah tries to open the door, but Xavier quickly comes up behind her and slams it closed, startling her. "I just wanna talk." He says, softly. "Wyatt went out for some beer, so I'm left alone." Savannah closes her eyes, her hand still gripping the doorknob. "You're so pretty." She feels Xavier's hand run down her back.
"I'm twelve." Savannah says with a shaky voice.
Xavier continues running his hand down her back, feeling Savannah tense under his touch. "Even better." Savannah tries to quickly open the door again, but Xavier pushes it closed and pushes Savannah against it, causing the knob to jam right into her stomach, making her gasp. He grabs her and pushes her against the wall. A tear slowly falls from Savannah's eye and she instantly regrets not taking her mom's offer on a ride. She would at least be here by now looking for her, wondering what's taking so long.
"Please." Savannah begs, desperately.
Xavier moves his arm towards her front and Savannah feels his hand run up her shirt and to her chest. He chuckles in her ear. "You're just a baby." Savannah wanted to vomit. No wonder Willow never spoke about her brother. Maybe he's just like his friend. She then feels his hand slide down into the front of her jeans. Her eyes widen and she tries to push him away, but this only causes Xavier to laugh. What the hell is taking Willow so long!?
"Stop it, please!" Savannah tries to push him away again, but he pushes her back against the wall and she hits her head against it. Savannah hisses in pain.
"I just want to talk." Xavier grins evilly into her ear.
"Stop! Please!" Savannah begins to yell desperately, hoping Willow hears her or, hell, even Willow's mom. "Please! Let me go!"
Suddenly, the door opens and Xavier pushes himself away from Savannah and falls to the floor. "What is going on!?" Willow exclaims looking down at Xavier. Savannah falls to the floor in tears, and that's when Willow notices the red and already bruised bump on Savannah's forehead. "Savannah, what - " She glares at Xavier. "What did you do to her!?"
"She attacked me!" Xavier accuses.
"Willow!" They hear Willow's mom yell giving Savannah the opportunity to stand up and run as fast as she possibly could out of the house.
"Savannah!" Willow calls out.
But the last thing Savannah was doing was turning back around and going back into that house. She hops on her bike, trying her best to see through watery, tearful eyes as she peddles as fast and as far as she could.
"Hi." Angie's doctor walks into his office where Brooke and Lucas are sitting. "Sorry I kept you waiting. Dr. Copeland." He introduces himself. "You must be Brooke Davis." Brooke nods and accepts Angie's file from him as he walks to his desk. "Clothes, right?"
"Yes." Brooke confirms.
"I thought you looked familiar." He looks over at Lucas. "Which makes you - "
"A friend." Lucas tells him, shaking his hand. "Lucas Scott."
"Great. So, I just wanted to run through the surgical procedure so you can know what to expect." He glances down at Angie, who is sitting contently in her stroller next to Brooke. "Are you familiar with Angie's condition?"
"Not really." Brooke tells him. "She has a hole in her heart, right?"
"She has a number of holes, actually, but we're gonna fix them." Dr. Copeland assures the worried mother. "We'll put Angie under a general anesthesia. We'll stop her heart, and then I'll do the repairs."
"You have to stop her heart for how long?"
"Two hours, maybe longer depending on the extend of her condition."
"Two hours?" Brooke worries.
"Yes, that's how we do it, Brooke. Angie will be on a heart-and-lung machine which will keep blood and oxygen circulating in her body." He continues to explain. "Then I will graft skin from another part of her heart and use it to fix the holes."
"How do you intend to restart Angie's heart?" Lucas asks, curiously.
"After the repairs are complete, we will use an electric shock. And once she's stabilized, we'll take her to the ICU and you'll be able to see her then."
"I know I don't have a choice here, but this seems so dangerous." Brooke tells him. "I have a daughter of my own, and if she was going through what Angie is going through, I would want to know if there is some other way? And, unfortunately, Angie's parents aren't here to ask."
"I'm sorry, but, um, no, Brooke, there is no other way to correct Angie's condition." Dr. Copeland says, regretfully.
"Dr. Copeland, what's Angie prognosis if she didn't have the surgery?" Lucas wonders.
"A year, maybe two."
This shocks Brooke. "And then what?"
"She'll die." Lucas reaches over and comforts Brooke, who looks down at Angie, squeezing her little hand. "Look, Brooke, it's okay to be nervous, but I just want you to focus on what a great thing it is that you're doing for Angie." Dr. Copeland says, attempting to make Brooke feel better.
Brooke forces a smile and nods, knowing that's true. "Okay."
"I can see if your own daughter was in this position, whomever was taking care of her, like you are with Angie, I know you'd trust them to make the best decision."
Brooke quickly wipes away a fallen tear. "Thank you."
"So, if there are no further questions I will see you next week."
"Actually, there is one thing." Lucas says. "Do you happen to know a Dr. Thorton?"
Savannah is still peddling her bike down the street, but she was struggling due her tears and sobs that she couldn't seem to stop. She just wanted to get home. She wanted to shower. She wanted to get this whole day off of her. She wanted to feel safe. But, suddenly, Savannah hits a bump in the road which causes her fly off her bike and she hits the ground roughly, groaning in pain as her bike falls next to her.
At the Rivercourt, Quentin is trying to shoot the basketball, but he fails, and Nathan walks up, catching the ball.
"You're shooting like me now." Nathan tells him, throwing the ball back to Q.
"Yeah, we both former Ravens now, too."
"What? Why?"
"Oh, well, I don't know." Quentin say, sarcastically. "Let's see. This thing?" He looks down at his cast. "Hmm?"
"You're still part of the team, Q. You can't just quit because you're injured."
Quentin scoffs. "You sound like your brother now." He chuckles. "I mean, I expected a little grief from you, but what's Lucas know about playing injured anyway?"
"Let me tell you something about Lucas. Lucas played injured his entire senior year." Nathan informs the bitter basketball player. "It cost him a lot of playing time, but he never gave up on his team. And what if they make the playoffs?"
"They won't." Quentin says, firmly. "Even if they do, man, it's my shooting hand, Nate. I ain't gonna be ready for the scouts anyway."
"Well, then you'll have to learn how to play differently. You'll have to reinvent your game." Nathan repeats his father's words.
"Reinvent my - " Quentin smirks. "Man, that ain't that easy, okay?"
"Who said it was gonna be easy?" Nathan argues. "But what are you gonna do? Are you gonna quit? Are you gonna throw away everything you ever worked for?"
"No, I'm not going to. I already did, okay? You know I punched that dude for you?" Quentin says, speaking about the night at Tric which ruined everything he's worked so hard for.
Nathan shakes his head, amused. "Oh, come on. I've thrown a lot of punches and every last one was selfish. Now, face it, Q, you punched that guy for you. Deal with it."
Mouth gets home to find Millicent shouting at the t.v. screen violently, playing a video game.
"You're dead, dude! Deal with it!" Mouth knocks on the counter and Millicent turns around, embarrassed. "Hey! These games are so addicting. I just waxed a thirteen-year-old kid from Arkansas. He was pretty upset."
"Okay." Mouth laughs. "We're gonna have to keep an eye on that." He jokes, walking over to her. "Millie, you won't guess what happened to me today at work."
"What?"
"I'm gonna get a shot to anchor the sports segments tomorrow."
"No way!"
"Yeah, the regular guy's sick. And the station manager's giving me a shot."
"Marvin, that is great!" Millicent exclaims, proudly. "Just think of all those people who are gonna be watching you on t.v."
"You wanna come? You can be there at the station."
"I wish I could, but Brooke has her big presentation tomorrow and I promised to look after the baby. But I'll watch every minute of you on the big screen at the store." She promises. "I'm so proud of you, Marvin. You're gonna do great." Mouth smiles, bashfully, and hugs his girlfriend.
Dan is in his car driving down the road when he sees someone who looks familiar sitting on the side of the road. As he drives closer he is surprised to see that it's Savannah. She is huddled into herself, and her bike is laying next to her, the front handles bent slightly.
He couldn't just leave her there. So, Dan pulls over and gets out of his car. Savannah looks up and sees Dan standing in front of his car, looking down at her.
Haley is in the kitchen, getting dinner ready, when Emma walks in wearing the jersey Dan gave her for her birthday.
"Mama, where does Grandpa Dan live?" She asks.
"Uh, why?" Haley asks, perplexed.
"I need to thank him for my birthday present. Jamie told me it used to be Daddy's when he was my age. Can you take me?"
"Uh, well, I can't do that right now cause, well, Grandpa Dan lives at the beach and it's getting kind of late." Emma looks down sadly. "But I'll tell you what we can do." She picks up Emma and sits her on top of the counter. "You can write your Grandpa Dan a thank you note and I will make sure that he gets it."
Emma smiles, excitedly. "Cool! I'll write the best thank you note ever."
"Okay, cool." Haley laughs as they high-five. She helps Emma off the counter before she runs off to start her note. Haley sighs, unsure if she's doing the right thing.
Lydia walks into Jamie's room while he is starting to change from his baseball clothes.
"Uh, knock much?" Jamie glares.
Lydia closes the door behind her. "We have to talk."
"About what?"
"Grandpa Dan." Lydia sighs.
Dan is now sitting next to his grand-daughter on the side of the road. She is sitting with her legs close to her chest, hugging her legs. Dan could see that she had been crying. "You look pretty banged up." He notices the dirt on her face and the bump on her forehead that wasn't caused by her fall, but he doesn't know that. She also has a busted lip and a small cut on her cheek. Savannah's right arm, that one she fell on, is also all scratched up, and her jeans have a hole in them, and he could only assume she'll be all bruised up in the morning. "I'm going to guess you took a nasty fall considering your bike is bent in." Savannah glances at her bike, but she looks away, closing her eyes as a few tears fall. Dan sighs. "I'm sure your dad doesn't want you to talk to me. I can understand that. I wasn't a very good man back then." He willfully admits. "And I wasn't a good father to your dad. But I can be a good grandfather if you allow me to be." Savannah turns her head to Dan, and he looks down at her glistening green eyes looking back at him. "Let me help you."
Savannah desperately wanted to be home. She wanted out of these clothes, and not because they are dirty from her fall, but because of the disgusting hands that touched them. Savannah knew her dad would not be happy if he ever found out about this, but she was desperate. So, she slowly nods her head, and Dan smiles softly, standing up. Savannah watches him carefully as he holds out his hand to her. Savannah hesitates, though. After what just happened to her, she was scared to be touched by anyone. But she's hurting, and if she wants to get home then she has to accept his help. So, Savannah reaches out and grabs Dan's hand, and he carefully helps her to her feet and leads her to his car. He opens the passenger door and Savannah slips in. He gently closes the door and Savannah watches him grab her bike and places it in the back. He then opens the driver's door and steps in, closing the door, which causes Savannah to jump a little from her sit. This, unfortunately, doesn't go unnoticed by Dan. But, instead of questioning her on it, Dan starts the car and they drive away.
After their visit with Dr. Copeland, they returned home and Brooke is now putting Angie in her crib in hopes that she'll sleep.
"I can't even get her to smile, Luke." Brooke says, sadly. "What am I doing?" She turns to Lucas with so much worry in her eyes. "What if she dies? What then? What do I tell her parents, these people that I've never met? What made me think I could handle this."
Lucas pulls out his phone and shows Brooke a picture of Savannah. Brooke looks down at the picture and smiles with tears in her eyes. "She did." Lucas reminds her. "And just remember you're giving Angie a chance to live a full, wonderful life. She couldn't do that without the surgery."
Brooke nods, looking back down at the baby. "Yeah, I guess so. Thank you for being here for us."
Lucas nods. "Thank you for letting me."
"You shouldn't have stopped." Savannah hadn't spoken until now. Dan is looking at his grand-daughter as they sit inside his car near Brooke's driveway. "If my dad finds out, he'll - "
"We don't have to tell him." Dan interrupts. Savannah nods, giving him a small smile, before looking away. "And you're my grand-daughter, Savannah. So, yes, I had to stop."
Savannah takes a moment, looking at her house. Her dad is there. They must have just gotten back from Angie's appointment. "Do you think people can change, Grandpa?"
Dan stifles a smile. He'd never get tired of hearing his grand-children call him Grandpa. Dan looks at Savannah. He could see that her mind was turning. Obviously her accident didn't just cause what was happening in front of him. There was something else, and he just hoped Savannah one day feels comfortable enough to let him in. "I think people can change if they really want to."
Savannah glances at Dan. "Did you change?"
"I've had a lot to think about everything for twelve years, Savannah, and I regret everything I have ever done. I just hope one day I can prove that to my family."
Satisfied with that answer, Savannah simply nods and reaches for the door. "Thank you stopping." She says, quietly.
Dan smiles. "Always."
Savannah slowly gets out of the car, limping slightly as she walks to the house with Dan watching in awe from his car, hoping one day he'll be able to prove to his family that he has indeed changed.
Savannah walks into the house, and was expecting to find her parents and a crying baby. She then hears whispers coming from her mom's bedroom. She walks towards the room and was about to get their attention until she finds them with their backs towards the doorway and Lucas' arm around Brooke's waist as they look down at Angie in her crib.
Savannah sighs and decides to turn away and walk into her room, closing the door softly behind her in hopes that her parents don't hear her.
Later that night, Lucas left, but was hoping to see his daughter before he did. But Brooke explained to him that she's probably still at Willow's finishing up her report. So, she promised to have her call him when she gets back.
Needing to get her mind off Angie's appointment for a bit, Brooke decides to do some laundry. So, she walks into Savannah's room and is surprised to hear the shower running. She furrows her brows wondering when Savannah even came in. She looks around the room and sees that all of Savannah's books, papers, and her laptop are set neatly on her desk. Brooke couldn't help but feel relieved, assuming Savannah finally finished her report and can finally calm down. So, leaving her daughter to her shower, she grabs Savannah's laundry and walks out.
Hearing her bedroom door, Savannah realizes her mom must have just walked out. She wanted to call out to her. She wanted to feel her mom's arms wrapped safely around her. But, instead, she couldn't breathe. She couldn't focus. She couldn't find her voice.
Savannah is sitting in the corner of the shower, her legs bent to her chest and her arms wrapped around her as the water falls down onto her skin. Savannah wanted to forget about this day but, unfortunately, not even the water could wash away how dirty she felt inside.
The next day, Lucas, Haley, and Nathan are sitting in the kitchen discussing what Lucas heard from Dan's doctor.
"It's true." Lucas tells them. "Dan's dying. Without a transplant, he's got six months."
"And you're sure?" Haley asks.
"I spoke with the cardiologist."
"So, what are we gonna do?" Nathan wonders.
"Nothing. In six months, Dan's out of our lives once and for all." Lucas says, relieved. "It couldn't happen to a more deserving guy. Maybe that makes me the one with the bad heart, but I say, uh, good riddance."
At the top of the stairs, Jamie and Lydia are listening to their parents' and uncle's conversation about Dan. "I told you." Lydia whispers. "Grandpa Dan is dying."
Jamie sighs. "What are you wanting to do, Lyd? It's not like they're going to let us get to know him before he does, let alone see him. They don't even want to say his name around us."
Lydia shrugs. "We don't need them to bring us to see him. We can go ourselves."
"That's risky."
Lydia narrows her eyes at her brother. "When have you ever been afraid to take a risk?"
Jamie looks back towards the kitchen, dropping his head against the stair railing as he ponders this.
Savannah is startled out of her sleep from the ringing of her phone. She picks up her head and reaches for her phone, seeing that it's Willow calling her. Savannah barely slept all night. She kept waking up from nightmares, only her nightmares really happened. She kept seeing his face, feeling his hands all over her. She wanted to run into her mom's bed, but she couldn't risk Brooke questioning her. Brooke had came in again later that night to talk to her daughter being that she was in the shower when she had first went in and hadn't seen her since she had left to go to Willow's earlier that day. But Savannah was already in bed and dead to the world, Brooke didn't want to wake her. Her daughter needed her sleep, especially after the month she had putting her paper together.
Savannah sighs heavily and shuts off her phone. Willow had been trying to call her since she ran out of her house yesterday, but Savannah didn't want to talk. She didn't want to talk to anyone. So, she sets her phone aside and slowly slides out of bed, hoping that her mom had already left for her meeting.
As Savannah walks to the door, she looks at herself in the mirror. The bruise on her forehead has gotten darker. She picks up her shirt revealing the black and blue bruise on her stomach from the doorknob she was jammed into. Actually, Savannah was glad she fell off her bike. It gave her an excuse to all the damaged that was done to her body, including the ones he made.
In the kitchen, Brooke is quickly getting her things together for her big meeting when Savannah walks out out of her bedroom. "Hey, baby!" Brooke hears the refrigerator opening, and she looks up to see Savannah grabbing a water bottle. "I missed you yesterday. You must have decided to finish the report at Willow's house."
"Mhm." Savannah nods. She turns around and that's when Brooke finally notices.
Brooke gasps. "Savannah!" Savannah's breath shutters, taking a step back when Brooke approaches her. Thankfully, Brooke was too worked up over her injuries to notice. "Baby, what the hell happened!?" She grabs gently to Savannah's bruised and cut face, causing her to hiss with pain. She tries to move from Brooke's touch, but Brooke refuses to let go. She only loosens her hold. "Savannah!"
"I fell off my bike." Well, it wasn't a complete lie. "Um. There was, like, a hole or something, and I flew over my bike."
Brooke's face softens, feeling terrible. "Oh, baby." She looks carefully at the bruise on Savannah's forehead, her cut cheek, and her busted lip. "That must have been some fall. Are you hurt anywhere else?" Savannah holds up her arm, showing Brooke the scratches from the road. "Savannah." Brooke sighs.
"It's okay, Mom. I've cleaned them already. It's fine."
"It is not fine, Savannah Elizabeth." Brooke says, sternly. "Why didn't you show me this when you came home?"
Savannah shrugs and sits down on the stool as Brooke watches her carefully. Savannah glances at Angie who is sitting contently in her seat. "You've been so worried about Angie and her doctor visit. I didn't want to worry you anymore." Brooke closes her eyes, shaking her head. "I just fell off my bike. I didn't break anything. I'll be fine." Savannah was starting to sound like a broken record.
"Sav, you should have told me." Brooke says, firmly. "I don't care if you tripped on your own shoe. I need to know these things so that I can help you. You are still a child." She bends down and gently cups Savannah's cheek. "I need you to remember that."
Savannah tries her best to keep her tears at bay. She did not want to breakdown in front of her mom, especially on her big day. "Don't you have a meeting to get to?" Savannah asks, changing the subject.
Brooke knew this conversation was going to have to be finished whenever she got back, so she let the subtle subject change slide. "I do." Brooke stands up straight and grabs her bag. "We're not finished talking about this, though. Do you have any plans for the day? Did you finish your report?"
Savannah shakes her head. "Not yet. I'll finish today."
"Okay." Brooke sighs, looking at her daughter, longingly. Lately. she's been so hard to figure out, and it was bugging Brooke to no end to not be able to read her daughter like she used to. Brooke grabs her things. "I love you." She kisses Savannah on her head before grabbing Angie.
"Good luck." Savannah says.
"Thanks, baby."
Brooke walks out of the house, leaving her daughter alone...again.
"Hi!" Brooke shouts out as she steps into her store.
Millicent runs over and grabs Angie from Brooke. "Hi, sweetie!" Millicent coos at Angie. "Brooke, you're never gonna believe this, but Marvin's doing the sports segment on the news."
Brooke gasps. "Really?"
"Mm-hmm. It's just about to start. Now, you've got everything for your meeting, right? Sketches, sales projections, textile samples."
"Millie - " Brooke stops her. " - I have it!" The reporter on the news announces Mouth's debut. "Oh, oh, it's starting!" They both turn to the t.v.
"But now here's Marvin McFadden with sports." One the reporters announces.
Unfortunately, it wasn't starting too well for Mouth. He is looking at a completely different camera as he begins. "Time to fill out those b-brackets." He stammers. "The top seeds in this - " Someone in the studio gets his attention and he turns to the right camera. "With North Carolina's own Blue Devils finding themselves on top of the East. "Uh, Tar Heels." He quickly corrects himself. "Carolina Tar Heels. They're not, um, Duke is the, uh - " Mouth breathes out nervously. "To the links - " Brooke glances painfully at Millicent. " - where Tiger Woods was up to his old tricks again. Today, Tiger won the Arnold Hill's invitational. Um, the Arnold Palmer invitational - " He corrects himself again. " - at the Pine Hills Country Club." He chuckles nervously. "That's always tricky." As he looks through his notes, he accidentally hits his cup of water and it falls not only on his notes, but on his pants, as well. Mouth looks up at the camera, forcing a smile. "That's sports, and I'm, uh, wet."
Millicent turns off the t.v. "That wasn't good, was it?" She asks, turning to Brooke.
"At least it's over."
"No, it's not. He's has two more broadcasts this afternoon."
"Millie, Mouth needs you at the t.v. station more than I need you here, so come on. If we hurry, I can drop you off and still make it in time." Brooke grabs Angie and they head out of the store.
Inside the locker room, Nathan, Lucas, and Skills are staring at the board, trying to figure out a way to play a game and actually win.
"So, without Quentin we have no inside game, no defense - "
"And no assists." Nathan finishes.
"I got an idea." Skills says.
Lucas was willing to try anything at this point. "Yeah, let's hear it."
"I say we push the tempo and just shoot three's, like almost all three's." He suggests. "I mean, we still got some good outside shooters and they're in pretty good shape, so if we push it we might just run the score up high enough to where we don't need no big man in the paint."
"Almost all three's, huh?" Lucas thinks. "But, see, with that kind of offense we're gonna need a really strong player to distribute the ball and get back on D."
"You've already got that player." Nathan tells him. "Quentin."
Over in New York, Lindsey in sitting in her office on the phone when there's a knock at her door. "Come in!" She calls out.
The door opens and reveals Peyton, surprising Lindsey. "Hi."
"Uh, I got to go." Lindsey hangs up.
"We need to talk."
"What are you doing here, Peyton?"
"Okay, weird and totally inappropriate of me." Peyton understands as she walks closer. "But I'm kind of here for Lucas and for you."
"Peyton, I already told you there's nothing to say."
"Please, hear me out. 'Cause I know that he loves you, and he hasn't wavered from that." Peyton sighs. "Yes, he wrote about a comet, but in his non-fiction life he seems very much in love with you."
Lindsey narrows her eyes up at Peyton. "Have you read the book?" Peyton furrows her brows, giving Lindsey her answer with just a facial expression. "I didn't think so, because if you had, you wouldn't be so sure who Lucas loves and how much."
"Lindsey, the book was a work of fiction. But what wasn't fiction was the fact that he said 'I do' to you in that church."
Lindsey reaches behind her and grabs a copy of Lucas' book. "It's not me that has to make a decision about Lucas. It's you." She hands the book to Peyton. "Go home. Go home and read his book."
Back at the gym, Quentin and Jamie are playing basketball.
"Alright, you ready?" Quentin asks him. And with one hand, Quentin throws the ball into the hoop. "Oh, there it is! Hold your follow-through."
Nathan walks in and catches the rebound. "Jamie tell you he's playing baseball."
Quentin laughs, patting Jamie on the back. "No way! A Scott playing baseball? Now that I gotta see."
Jamie laughs. "I'm pretty good." He says, confidently.
"He's right." Nathan confirms. "He is." But something, or rather someone, catches Nathan's eyes, and he looks up to see Dan watching them from the doorway of the gym.
"You wanted to see me?" Quentin asks Nathan.
"Uh, yeah." Nathan tosses the ball back to Quentin. "You're not quitting the Ravens. But hold that thought. I'll be right back." Nathan walks away.
Jamie looks up at Quentin. "You quit the team?"
"Yeah, I got hurt, man." Quentin tells him. "It's hard to play with one hand."
Jamie shrugs. "My dad got hurt, too. And he made some really bad decisions during that time, but in the end he never stopped. He's trying to play again, and I'd give anything to see that happen."
Quentin chuckles. "I hear ya." He slaps the ball out of Jamie's hand and they start to play again.
Out in the hallway, Nathan pushes Dan away from the gym doors. "You realize I can make one phone call and have your parole revoked for coming around here like this?" Nathan threatens.
"Just hear me out, Nathan." Dan says, desperately. "Once I've said my piece, I'll go and never come back, if that's what you want."
"Okay, you got five minutes."
Dan nods, gratefully. "I've never told anyone else this before but when I was in prison, I tried to kill myself. I put a rope around my neck, and I tried to hang myself."
"Dad, I - I - "
"Just let me finish. When I stepped off that chair I'd truly given up on everything. But then the rope broke, and I took it as a sign." Dan explains. "A sign that I wasn't finished on this earth, that my life was incomplete. So, you see, I need to fix it. I need to fix all of it. You, us. I need that peace before I die." Nathan just stares at his father, not knowing what to say. "Son, let me help you with what little time I have left." Nathan turns to the gym, watching his own son. "Nathan - " Nathan looks back at his dad. " - please. Son...don't deny a dying man his last wish."
Meanwhile, Mouth is preparing to go back on just as Millicent arrives behind him.
"Marvin - "
Mouth turns around, relieved to see her. "I don't know what happened." He panics. "I got nervous. I mean, with the - the bright lights and the teleprompters. It's different than I expected."
"Marvin, it's okay." Millicent assures him. "Do you remember what you told me when you first brought me here?"
"I can't remember."
"You said that sports reminded you of the greatness we all have inside of us. You said that on any given day, an underdog can rise up." Millicent smiles lovingly at her boyfriend. "Well, you're my underdog, Marvin. And you can do this."
"Twenty seconds, McFadden!" Someone calls out.
"This time, when you go back on the air, just talk to me." Millicent tells him as she straightens his tie. "Tune out all the crew, the people watching. Everyone else. Just look at me." Mouth smiles, happy she's there. "I'll be right behind that teleprompter thingy."
Mouth breathes out heavily and nods before walking to the desk in front of the cameras. "Okay. And we're back. In five, four, three."
Mouth takes a moment and looks at Millicent before he begins. "The Bobcats showed much improvement this year and today at their Annual Fan-Appreciation Day there was genuine excitement about what lies ahead."
Brooke arrives at her meeting, late, with Angie in her carrier, hanging from her arm. She walks into the room where people in pantsuits are waiting for her.
"Brooke Davis." A woman greets her.
"Hi." Brooke exhales, smiling. "So sorry I'm late, everyone. Something sort of came up." She laughs, holding up Angie. "Excuse me." She sets her sketches down on the table. "I'll just set that there." She puts down Angie's diaper bag and then Angie herself and her carrier on top of the table. "Sorry. We can get started."
"Are you sure you're prepared for this meeting, Miss. Davis? Perhaps we should reschedule."
"Oh, no. I'm ready to go. I just, uh - " Angie begins to cry. " - I just need one second, okay?" She grabs the diaper bag and Angie and walks out of the room.
Savannah is back inside her room, sitting on her bed with her laptop and her report in front of her. She only had to type it up, but she was struggling to even put her fingers to the keyboard. Every time she closed her eyes, she would see his stupid face. She could almost feel his hot, gross breath pressing against her ear. Savannah rubs her hands down her face, groaning in annoyance, trying to forget what happened. She takes a deep breath and exhales, before opening her eyes again and slowly bringing her hands back to the keyboard. She takes another deep breath before she begins to type. But, suddenly, her cell phone rings causing her to jump from where she is sitting. Savannah reaches over and grabs her phone seeing that it's Willow calling her...again!
"Stop calling me!" Savannah shouts. She throws her phone across the room and it hits the wall, shattering to the floor. Her anger was becoming too much for her to take. She grabs her report and throws it off the bed. Papers begin to fly throughout her room as they come apart. She grabs her laptop and throws it to floor before throwing her school books every which way. She then gets up, panting heavily, and finds herself looking at herself in the mirror.
Savannah looks down at herself. She is wearing shorts because pants would rub on her scrapes and burn. She's wearing one of her dad's over-sized sweatshirts, and her hair is a disarray from her constantly running her hands through it to attempt to get the memories out. She walks closer to the mirror, unable to take her eyes off her bruised face. Savannah tightens her fist and reaches back as she stares coldly at the unfamiliar eyes looking back at her, and she punches the mirror, shattering it to pieces.
At the school, Quentin walks into Lucas' office and finds Skills going over the playbook. He clears his throat to get the coach's attention.
"Oh, you must be looking for Lucas." Skills states, still unhappy with how Quentin treated him back at the doctor's office days before.
"No, actually, I was, uh, I - I was looking for you." Quentin tells him. He steps inside the office, letting out a sigh. "Look, I - I owe you an apology. I'm sorry. Man, I said some things that were just out of line. I was just upset about my wrist. And I didn't think you had my back."
"Quentin, the day you think Lucas and I don't have your best interest at heart that's the day I got to call you on it. I mean, you got to know that we look at the big picture and what's best for you." Skills explains. "Now, Lucas and Nathan, they good people, man, but you got to trust us, and you got to know that we gonna do whatever it takes to get you where you wanna be."
"Yes, sir."
"Okay."
"So, about that, uh, that locker I cleared out yesterday, you didn't give it away, did you?"
Skills chuckles. "We probably could get that back." Quentin smiles and starts to turn away. "Hey, Q. Apology accepted, man."
Quentin smiles appreciatively before he walks out of the office, leaving Skills feeling better about not only his team, but his coaching, as well.
Outside the meeting, Brooke is sitting with Angie, who is no longer crying inside her carrier.
"Okay, I'm going to give you the same speech I used to give Savannah when she was your age. We're in this together." She tells the baby. "It's just me and you. So, we have to work like a team, alright? It's just, this is really important to me and I just get this one shot, so I'm depending on you." Angie just stares up at Brooke. "Good. Now, you and I are gonna go back in that room and kick a little presentation butt, alright? You with me?"
"So, are you with me?" Lucas asks his team as he and Nathan stand in front of the group inside the gym.
"So, we're all just gonna shoot three's, coach?" One of them asks.
Lucas nods. "For the most part. I mean, I'm not gonna tell you to pass up on any open lay-ups but, yeah. I want you shooting the ball within eight seconds or every possession. Got it?"
"But if we just shooting three's, who's gonna get us the ball?" Another asks.
Lucas smirks. "Me." Quentin walks into the gym, ready to play with Skills walking in behind him.
"Meet your new point guard." Lucas tells them. "If we're going out, we're going out together guns blazing. Alright, 'Ravens' on three." The team gathers together, putting their hands in. "One, two, three."
"Ravens!" They all shout in unison.
Back in her meeting, one of the execs are holding Angie while Brooke pitches her presentation to them.
"We've gone over the demos, you've seen what I have planned for the fall line, and you've heard why our partnership with Clothes Over Bros would be a perfect fit." Brooke explains to a seemingly impressed group. "But, frankly, I still think there's something missing. And let me tell you what it is." Brooke points to Angie. "Her. I already have a representative who is the reason for my teen line. But, now, Angie represents an undeserved but lucrative market, as well, and Clothes Over Bros is about to unveil a new line to fit that need." Brooke removes one of the vision boards which reveals sketches of baby clothes. "'Baby Brooke.' The future is now. This exciting new line has all the style and hipness you've come to expect from Clothes Over Bros. It's fun, it's edgy, and it's styled much like my teen line 'Savvy,' and every cute baby is gonna drool for it or on it." They all laugh. "It's good, huh? I know. Why don't you take five minutes, discuss, and we'll be outside." Brooke picks up Angie. "Come here, my angel." They walk out of the office and Brooke looks proudly at the baby in her arms. "Nice work, team!"
Meanwhile, Mouth is finishing up his broadcast as Millicent watches proudly from the sidelines.
"With star player Quentin Fields out of action, we'll have to see what Coach Lucas Scott has up his sleeve to get the Ravens on track. I'm Marvin McFadden, and that's sports. We'll be right back after this message."
As the Ravens practice, they are actually pulling together as a team and impressing Lucas in the process. Quentin grabs the rebound and runs the ball down the court, following the other guys.
"Let's go! Let's go!" Lucas shouts. "Eight seconds!" Quentin passes the ball to his teammate who manages to get the ball in the air in eight seconds and actually makes the three pointer. Lucas blows his whistle. "Nice! Nice job, Q. With you at point, this crazy offense might just work."
Quentin runs over to Nathan who is about to leave the gym. "Hey, hey, Nate. Hey!" Nathan turns around. "Listen, I, uh, I just wanted to say thanks."
"It's all good." Nathan assures him.
"I mean, thanks for believing in me. Thanks for showing me the way back."
"Just do your best, Q."
"I'll do you one better, alright?" Quentin chuckles. "I'll make you a deal. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna work hard, but you need to work hard, too. Okay? For yourself, for your kids. You know, comeback?"
Nathan shakes his head, doubtful. "Comeback sucks, in case you haven't noticed."
"Yeah, I know for now it does but, look, you saw something in me before I even saw it in myself. Maybe this is that. Huh? A couple hours every day practice, you and me, huh?"
Nathan chuckles, considering it. "Okay. Okay, it's a deal. Just don't call it a comeback."
"Alright." Quentin laughs.
"That was some comeback, Mouth." One of Mouth's employees tells him. "For awhile there, we didn't think you were gonna make it." Mouth chuckles. "Nice work, buddy." He shakes Mouth's hand before walking away.
"Thank you so much, Millie." Mouth says, gratefully. "I couldn't have done it without you."
"I didn't do anything." Millicent tells him. "You did it all."
"You helped." He looks over his shoulder at the desk before turning back to Millicent with a smile. "You want to try it?"
"Uh-uh." Millicent shakes her head.
"Come on." Mouth walks a reluctant Millie to the desk and they sit down. "All you have to do is read right off the teleprompter in front of you. Try it. Hey, guys, can you roll the prompter?"
The prompter then begins. "Ending the Bulls run of six wins - " Millicent begins to read. " - with a 101-114 loss. Thank you Millie for believing in me." She smiles widely, but her smile slowly fades when she reads what is next. "I love you." She whispers. "Marvin." She looks at Mouth in disbelief. "You love me?"
"Yeah, I do. I love you, Millicent Huxtable."
Millicent's smile reappears, never having heard that before from a guy, ever. "I love you, too, Marvin McFadden." They kiss happily.
Emma is settling into bed as Haley places a gentle kiss to her forehead. As she stands up, she notices the card that Emma has made for Dan that is sitting on top of her bookshelf.
"Look at that. You wrote your thank you note to Grandpa Dan?" Emma nods. "Well, let's see what it says." Haley sits down on the edge of the bed and opens the card. "Okay. 'Dear, Grandpa Dan, I had the best - "
"' - birthday ever.'" Emma smiles, reading her card. "'Thank you for the great jersey. It makes me feel just like my dad and big brother when I wear it.'" She giggles. "'I wish you could have been at my party just like you were there to save me.'" Haley smiles sadly, looking down at her daughter. "'I hope you can come to my next birthday and all the ones after that. I love you. Emma Quinn Scott, age five.' Do you think he'll like it?" Emma asks Haley.
"Oh, I think he's gonna love it!" Haley assures her. "You're a good girl, Emma Quinn Scott, age five." She chuckles. "I love you very much." Haley sighs as she stands up, blowing a kiss to Emma before she turns off the light and walks out.
Downstairs, Haley walks into the kitchen, looking down at the card, while Nathan is making himself something to drink.
"What are we gonna do about the kids and Dan?" Haley asks him, showing him the card.
Nathan sighs. "I don't know. I just can't believe he's dying. I mean, as horrible as he's been it's hard to imagine him gone for good."
"I know nothing's more important than this family, but if you need closure with your father, I understand. Just be careful." Nathan nods. "Oh, um, have you seen Jamie and Lydia anywhere? They're not in their bedrooms."
Nathan furrows his brows, looking behind him, assuming they're in the backyard. "Did you check the back?" Nathan walks to the window and looks out, but he doesn't see his kids.
Haley watches as Nathan drops his head, exhaling. "Nathan?" She questions, confused.
Nathan grabs his keys and starts to walk to the door. "I'll be right back. Don't worry." He kisses her on her head as he passes.
Lucas is in his bedroom writing when he sees Lindsey online. He hovers the mouse over her name, contemplating.
Haley grabs Emma's card from the counter and guiltily throws into the trash.
At Dan's beach house, Lydia and Jamie are walking up the steps.
"Are you sure we're doing the right thing?" Lydia asks, nervously.
Jamie looks at her in disbelief. "It was your idea to take a risk. Are you seriously asking me that?"
Lydia shrugs. "Well, I'm suddenly nervous."
"If we want to know things then we have to talk to him." Jamie tells her. "I don't know about you, but I want to get to know him. I want to know what he's really like."
"Even if it hurts?" Lydia questions.
Jamie sighs as he stares at the door in front of him. "Even if."
But as he reaches for the doorbell, lights from a car grab their attention, and they turn around to see their dad pull up. Nathan steps out of the car just as Dan opens the door, having heard them from inside. "Jamie. Lydia." He says, surprised to see his grandchildren.
"Lydia. Jamie. Car. Now." Nathan says, sternly.
Jamie and Lydia give Dan a saddened look before they turn away and run down the steps, passing Nathan as they run to the car. "Nathan." Dan opens the door for his son to walk in which he does.
"I thought a lot about what you said and you were right about a lot of things." Nathan tells him. "I know I wouldn't have gotten as far as I have without you pushing me. And if there's one thing I've learned over the past twelve years, it's that family is important."
Dan nods with a slight smile, assuming Nathan is speaking about him. "You're right, son. Our family is the most important thing."
"No. I mean my family. And you're not part of it anymore. That's what I came here to tell you."
"Nathan, please."
"I'm sorry that you're dying. But you have to know I can never forgive you. Not now, not ever."
"So, that's it? You're just gonna make that decision."
"No, Dad. You made that decision for me the moment you pulled that trigger." Nathan turns away and walks out of the house.
Fortunately, Dan knows he's right. In anger he throws the glass in his hand at the mirror hanging on his wall. He lost his family and it's all his fault.
Lindsey receives an invitation to start a video chat from Lucas, but she declines it.
Lucas watches with sadness as his invitation is declined, leaving him staring heartbroken at the screen in front of him. His phone then starts to ring and he looks down seeing that it's Brooke calling him.
'And his world would be whole again. And his belief in God and love and art - '
Peyton is sitting inside her bedroom, reading Lucas' book with tears in her eyes, now understanding...everything.
' - would be reawakened in his heart.'
"Thank you for being so good today." Brooke says to Angie as she stands over her crib. "I know this surgery is really scary, but I'm gonna be right there for you every step of the way, okay? We're gonna get through this together. And I know I'm not your real mom, but I could just use a sign or something to let me know I'm doing okay." Angie begins to giggle bringing happy tears to Brooke's eyes. "Okay."
Brooke walks across the hall excited to tell Savannah what happened and how her day went. Plus, she really wanted to finish her conversation from earlier before she had to leave for her meeting.
"Sav?" Brooke walks into Savannah's bedroom and is shocked to see the room in shambles. Brooke looks around seeing the papers of Savannah's report scattered around the room, her school books, her laptop, and her cell phone on the floor shattered to pieces. She then finds the mirror in the corner of the room smashed with blood on it. "Savannah!?" She looks around and runs into Savannah's bathroom. "Savannah!?" Brooke runs out into the hallway. "Savannah!"
Dan opens his front door, surprised to find Savannah looking back at him.