All usual disclaimers apply

"Dan did that to you?" cried Haley.  She stepped back from Nathan, taking in the sight of her boyfriend.  His usually pressed clothes were rumpled.  His eye was turning a deeper shade of purple as they stood there.  And from the way Nathan was standing, Haley could see his ribs must be bruised.

"That son of a bitch," Lucas yelled.  "I'm going to pound him to the ground."  Lucas stormed to the door, ready to bolt, but Nathan held out his hand, holding him at bay. 

"First off, you probably won't find him.  My mother chased him away, and I don't know which hole he crawled back into.  Second, I couldn't take him.  We're pretty evenly matched Lucas.  If he did this to me, he'll do the same to you.  Maybe worse, because I'm the son he supposedly loves."

Lucas stopped at the door, thinking over what Nathan said.  "Okay.  Fine.  But you're going to tell us how this happened."

While Haley went into the kitchen to make an icepack for Nathan, Nathan slowly walked to the counter to sit on his favorite stool.  He took a deep breath and started to tell his brother and girlfriend what took place earlier that evening.

****

            Nathan walked into the kitchen, inhaling deeply, taking in the aroma of the cooking food.  "Smells delicious," he told his mother, sitting on one of the high stools.  "What's cooking?"

            "Dinner," replied Deb, while she cut vegetables for the salad.  "Your father will be here in thirty minutes.  Are you going to wear that?" she asked, pointing the knife at his shirt.

            Nathan looked down.  "What's wrong with this?  I was wearing it all day."

            "Maybe that's the problem.  You look disheveled.  Go up to your room and change.  Graciella put some pressed button-down shirts in your closet."

            "Come on Mom."

            "Nathan, don't argue with me.  I'm anxious enough as it is about this little family dinner."

            Nathan sighed, but did as his mother told him.  As he walked up to his room, he noticed that the table was set in the dining room.  They only ate Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner in there.  On occasion when important company came over, they ate there too.  All other meals were in the kitchen.  He wondered why his mother was going all out if she was trying to dissuade his father from coming back, unless she was doing the opposite.  Suddenly, Nathan felt his stomach tying up in knots.  He had felt so relaxed the past months without his father's constant presence.  He hoped his mother hadn't changed her mind and wasn't trying to woo Dan back into their lives.

            He took his time changing and by the time he was finished, Dan had arrived prompt as usual.  Nathan tried to ignore his father's outstretched arms, but Deb pushed him into the embrace.

            "It's good to see you, son.  How have you been?"

            "Fine."

            "Descriptive," said Dan.

            "Not much is doing," said Nathan.  "Nothing to be descriptive about."

            "Why don't we go into the dining room?" Deb interjected.

            "So formal?" asked Dan.

            "We only use the dining room for guests, I just wanted to remind you that you're now a guest in this house."

            Dan's square jaw clenched.  Nathan could see his father restrain himself from saying something bitter.  But Nathan relaxed, as if he could finally breathe again, when he heard his mother.  For her sake, he tried to hide his smile.  He didn't want to irritate Dan anymore than he was already was. 

            Dan and Nathan adjourned to the dining room, while Deb went into the kitchen to bring out dinner.  Nathan noticed Dan heading to his usual place at the head of the table, but Deb hadn't set for him there.  Deb had set her place at the head, but Nathan and Dan were across from each other.  Warily, Dan sat down.

            "How's school, Nathan?  Midterms should be around the corner."

            "Thanks to Haley my grades have come up.  I should pass," said Nathan.  At the very least, he thought, I should be able to stay on the team.  He didn't want to say that aloud to Dan, because he wanted to procrastinate any discussion of basketball.  He knew Dan couldn't go very long without bringing it up.

            "Are you still seeing that girl?"

            "That girl," he said snidely, "has a name.  It's Haley.  And yes, we're still dating. She's really amazing.  Not like the other girls I've dated."

            "She's definitely not like the other girls you dated."

            "Dan," said Deb, upon entering the room, "I see you've started on the pleasant conversation already."  She placed the serving tray on the table.  "Shall we eat?"  Deb took her place at the head of the table, and pointed to the empty places.

            Nathan guardedly sat down. 

            "So Dan how is business at the dealership?"  Deb passed the chicken to her soon to be ex-husband.

            "It's been doing very well.  Business has been picking up a lot lately.  This looks delicious, Deb.  Did Graciella make it?"

            "No. I actually cooked this on my own.  Karen gave me the recipe."

            Nathan noticed Dan started to grind his teeth at the mention of Karen's name.

            "You two have become quite close. Bosom buddies."

            "Dan, don't start."

            He looked down and cut into his chicken.  "Nathan, tell me how practice has been going.  You're playing Cove City tomorrow.  Are you ready?"

            "Sure."  Nathan didn't tell his father how ready he was.

            "You have a chance to break my record again."

            "I know.  And I will."

            A chortle escaped Dan's lips.  "Like you did last time?"

            "Dan!  That was uncalled for."

            "You're not going to do it," Dan said, ignoring his wife.  "You don't have the stamina.  You don't have the commitment to the game.  You're more interested in your girlfriend and your new found brother."

            "You make it sound like we never knew about Lucas.  Like he was just discovered.  You've known about Lucas all of his life.  Mom and me on the other hand-"

            "Enough, Nathan," said Deb.

            "Stay out of this Mom."

            "Don't talk like that to your mother.  Apologize."

            "Don't tell me what to do," cried Nathan.

            Dan stood.  "Apologize now."

            "What if I don't?"

            Before Nathan knew it, Dan reached crossed the table and slapped him across the face with an open hand, leaving a red mark on Nathan's face.  "It's time you learned some respect."

            "Who the hell do you think you are?"

            "Nathan," urged Deb.  "Please."

            "I'm your father.  Just because I don't live here anymore, doesn't mean that's changed."

            "I probably would have been better off if you had abandoned me, like you abandoned Lucas."  Nathan started to stalk out of the room, but he had to pass Dan before exiting. 

His father roughly grabbed his arm.  "Apologize to your mother or I'm going to show you to respect your elders the way my old man did."

"Dan leave him alone," Deb said regaining her composure.

Dan didn't avert his gaze from Nathan, but he told his wife, "You told me I wasn't paying enough attention to his behavior, that I let him get away with too much.  So now I'm not.  You can't have it both ways."

"That's not what I meant, Dan.  And you know it."

"Are you going to apologize, Nathan?"

Nathan looked Dan squarely in the eyes.  He was as tall as his father, maybe an inch or so shorter, but while Dan was built and muscular, Nathan had a slighter build. "No offense Mom, but I'm not doing anything he told me to do."  Before he finished his sentence, one of Dan's fists hit Nathan in the gut.  Nathan tried not to double over in pain.  Before he could right himself, the fist came again.

"Dan!" shrieked Deb.  "Stop you're hurting him."

The fist came again.  "Dan! Stop."  When she saw he wasn't going to stop, and he hit Nathan twice more in the gut, she ran from the room.  For a split second Nathan thought she was abandoning him.

"Are you ready to apologize?"

Nathan couldn't even get a word out; he was fighting so hard to catch his breath.  He was about to give in and just say he was sorry, it wasn't like he was even angry at Deb, he just wanted to stick it to Dan, when Dan's fist landed on the side of his face and then his eye.

Nathan started to fall to the floor, but Dan's firm grip was holding him up.  His vision was slightly blurred, but Nathan saw his mother return with a large knife in one hand and a phone in the other.

"Let go of Nathan now," said Deb, "Or I swear I will use this on you."   She edged closer to Dan and placed the tip of the knife against his throat.  "Leave now."

"You're crazy, Deb."

"Leave now."

Dan let go of Nathan and shaking his head, he left the house.

****

"As soon as I heard his car squeal out of the driveway, I apologized to my mom and ran out of there," Nathan finished telling his story. 

"What an asshole," Lucas said, punching the counter with his fist.  "So his father abused him, that's an excuse to hit you!"

"Why didn't you apologize?" Haley asked softly.

"What?" Lucas cried, whirling around to face Haley.  "Are you saying Nathan provoked him so it's okay."

"No.  Get a grip Lucas.  I was just asking Nathan a question.  He did provoke him.  It's not an excuse, but I was wondering why you did it?"

Nathan shrugged.  "I don't know.  But Haley, he's never gotten so violent with me.  I had no idea."

"I'm not passing judgment," she assured him.  She kissed him lightly on his swelling eye.

"Owe," he said recoiling from the gentle touch.  "Sorry it-"

Nathan didn't finish what he was saying, because Keith dashed into the café.

"Nathan, are you okay?  Deb called and told me what happened."  He approached Nathan and whistled softly.  "My brother did that?"

"Yes."

"Uncle Keith, you can't let him get away with this."  Lucas put a hand on Keith's back.  He was relieved to have his uncle there.  It made Lucas feel safe, because he knew Keith would take care of it.

"I won't," said Keith severely.  "Dan will pay."

"Keith, don't," said Nathan.  "This was my fault."

"No.  It wasn't," Keith said sternly.  "This was not your fault.  Dan is the adult."

            "I just don't want things to get worse.  He works out.  He can take you."

            "I had no intention of beating him up.  I had every intention of calling the police.  But first I'm taking you to the emergency room.  I want a doctor to take a look at you.  They'll probably call social services in."

            Reluctantly, Nathan followed Keith.  All the arguments had left him, as his uncle gently took him by the arm and led him to the car.  He noted how tender his uncle's touch was compared to Dan's.

            "I'm coming," insisted Lucas. 

            "So am I," said Haley.

            Keith started to protest, but after he surveyed the room he knew there was no point in disagreeing, they would probably just come to the hospital on their own.

            Deb met them in the emergency room.  It felt like déjà vu to Lucas.  It was only a month earlier that he had been there because of blood poisoning and Nathan was there because of his amphetamine overdose.  But this time, he and Nathan were there together in support of each other.

            It was nearly an hour, before Nathan was taken for examination.  He was given a small cubicle that was curtained off and told to change into a hospital gown.  As soon as he was changed, Lucas was sitting with him.

            "Do you think you'll be able to play tomorrow?"

            "I don't know.  I'm pretty sore."

            "I think you should play."

            "Huh?"

            "I think you should play," Lucas said sternly.  "Because you are good, man, and even in your injured state, I know you can beat his record.  If you want to hurt Dan, that's how you're going to accomplish it."

            "You're right.  And I'm going to play."  Nathan stretched out his hand and slapped the palm of Lucas's hand.  "I'm going to beat his record so badly, he's going to blubber like a baby."

            "Now that's the Nathan I know," Lucas said as the doctor walked in to examine his brother.