First of all, can I just say how amazed I am at how many people reviewed chapter one? It is both astounding and overwhelming, overwhelming because I hope I will be able to live up to your expectations.

Chapter 3

They stood at the door to Dan's apartment, staring at the numbers on the brass plate.

"This is it. You're sure you want to do this?" Nathan asked, half hoping that she'd say no and they could turn around and walk away.

"Are you asking me, or yourself?"

"Both probably. You haven't answered."

"I'm sure I don't want to do this but I'm equally sure that we need to. So suck it up and knock on the door before I do it for you."

"Okay okay." Nathan took a deep breathe and brought his hand up to the knocker. He hesitated another moment before knocking. As soon as he heard the rapping sound against the door he gulped. There was no turning back now. He desperately wanted to take off running.

Haley, sensing what he was feeling, took his arm and squeezed it. "Will you just relax. The worst that could happen is he's still a jerk and that would hardly be a surprise."

But her bravado faded when she heard footsteps walking towards the door and watched the handle turn.

Dan opened the door and a confused expression immediately came over his face. "Nathan? Haley?"

"So you remember her name. I'm surprised." Nathan said snidely.

"Nathan." Haley warned, her tone reminding her of one his mother used to use.

"Sorry." He looked at his father again, careful to keep his expression cold so as not to betray the assortment of emotions he was feeling. "Can we come in?"

"Oh, yes of course. Come in."

The followed them through the apartment, into the living room. "Um..." Dan stuttered, clearly not sure what to do with the situation. "Sit down. Can I get you anything. I uh... have some coffee."

"Do you have any decaf? "Haley asked. "I'm still off caffeine."

"I think so. Nathan?"

Nathan was looking at his shoes. Haley shoved him in the side. "Ow! Uh coffee's fine. Thanks."

Dan returned a few minutes later, a tray of coffee and cookies in hand, and sat across from them.

Haley looked between the two men and couldn't help but note the similarities in their demeanors. Both were twisting their hands nervously and looking downwards. It was the only time she'd seen Dan with his head down. It occurred to her that Nathan created the same reaction in his father now that his father used to in him.

"So...." Dan started, no longer able to handle the awkward silence. "You look great Haley. How are Regan and Ailis?" He spoke directly to her, grateful for her lack of apparent hostility towards him.

"Thanks and they're great. They've already grown so much. Speaking of, we received your...gift."

"Yes, I figured that's why you were here."

"Nathan, maybe you'd like to say something?"

"Right." He looked up, staring his father pointedly in the eyes, causing the older man to fidget nervously. "I guess what I...we both want to know is what you were thinking giving us a check for such a substantial sum of money."

"I figured as new parents, you could use a nest egg. I don't exactly have much else to spend my money on these days."

"Gee, I feel so touched. See, the thing is Dan, Haley and I are fine. We were fine when you were refusing to acknowledge her or the fact that she was having my children, which I believe was up until a few minutes ago. Haley wanted us to come here because she thought you might have changed but I know you better than that."

His voice was getting louder and louder. "Nathan..." Haley said calmly, trying to tell him to stop yelling.

"No." Dan shook his head. "I deserve this."

"Damn right you do. You have no right to suggest I abandon Haley and my children and then turn around and give us a bunch of money. I figure you could have one of two motivations for it. Either you're trying to alleve your guilty conscience so you won't have to think about us anymore or you're trying to worm your way back into our lives for reasons I can't even fathom. Maybe you figured you'd get a head start on controlling their lives, start the training regimen while they're still in diapers. Either way it doesn't matter. I don't give a %^% about your conscience and as for your influence in my children's lives, the less you have the better as far as I'm concerned. I don't want you damaging them the way you've damaged me. I won't let you."

"Nathan I..."

"No! Don't you dare say you're sorry. Sorry doesn't take back the years of bullying me to be better until I turned into a person I could barely look at in the mirror. Sorry doesn't take back abandoning your first son and then brainwashing me into hating him. I can never take back all the things I did to Lucas, the horrible way I treated him and I hate that. Sorry doesn't take back the way you've treated Haley from the moment we started dating or your attitude when she was pregnant. You didn't bother coming to the hospital when your grandchildren was born. Even your parents called. But you, no. You just drop a package off at the house. That's really thoughtful. We're so touched."

"Look Nathan...I"

Nathan stood up. "You know what, I don't even care anymore. It used to matter so much what you thought and now...it doesn't even make the list. I have a new family now. You didn't want to be in our lives when you still had the chance; you're just going to have to live with that. We don't need or want your money. Give it to Lucas. Come on Hales, I'm done."

He took her hand and led her out the door. She cast one glance back at Dan and saw that he had his head in is hands and looked like he was about to cry. As much as she sometimes despised him, she couldn't help but feel a little bit sorry for him and wonder if Nathan wasn't being to rash. She shoved those thoughts aside and turned back to Nathan. She'd said all along that it had to be his decision and she was going to support him in it.

"Wow..." She said when they got to the car. "That was interesting."

"I told you it was a bad idea."

"Did I say that? You came here needing to make a decision, as far as I can tell you've made it. Mission accomplished."

"I know you probably think I was to hasty but I don't know, as soon as I saw him all thse emotions just came to the surface and I couldn't stop."

"It's okay. All that stuff obviously needed to come out. You've been holding it in for a long time. How do you feel now?"

"Honestly? Pretty good for a guy who's cut his father out of his life and his daughters' lives and given up five thousand dollars." He chuckled dryly. "Guess the cruise will have to wait."

Haley laughed, grateful that Nathan was able to use humor. "Gee and I was so looking forward to going to the Bahamas too. Some other time."

Nathan looked at her and grinned. He still couldn't believe she was in his life for could. He must have been a saint in a past life because he'd done nothing in his current one to deserve her. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"For being you and letting me say what I needed to say and agreeing with me even though I can tell by the look on your face that you really don't."

"I do agree with you. I just...I guess I do feel a little sympathy for him." She felt Nathan tense up and turned his chin to face her. "I respect and support your decision Nathan and I have faith that one way or another everything will work out for the best."