Vegas Babies Have More Fun

Haley, Lucas and Nathan were sitting in a corner of Karen's caf‚ trying to hatch a plot. This was a bit of a challenge when Haley had to pop up every 3 minutes to serve someone coffee, but even without that, Nathan suspected they'd make no progress. Finding something Dan had to save was proving incredibly hard when the only two things they had to go on were his ego and basketball, both of which were too public. As Haley had pointed out, "The fastest way to make Dan lash out at you is to do anything that might embarrass him in a public forum."

Lucas threw his hands up. "This is nuts. We're not getting anywhere. Maybe we're going at this the wrong way. "

"What do you mean?" Nathan asked.

" Maybe we don't need to do something specific. Maybe it's just generally rejecting his idea of the perfect life."

"Such as?" Haley pursued.

"Well, has he started ragging you about your game slipping and losing two guard?"

Nathan's eyes widened. "How'd you know?"

"Because last night while you were finishing up on the lat press, he said something to me about working on my three-pointer. I think he's getting ready to put us back into competition for the spot."

"So, how do we make that work for us?"

"Well," Lucas drawled. "If the perfect spot is two guard, and his boys are so perfect, what does it say if neither one is the two guard?"

Nathan got it immediately. "Of course! You hate playing point and Whitey knows it. We go to him and say I'd like to go back on point and you want... I don't know, think of something. He likes to play with the lineup so he might just go for it."

"Or," Haley added, "he might go for it because he knows Dan and will figure out instantly what it is you're trying to do."

"Whatever," Nathan shot back. "The point is we've drawn a line where we don't want to do battle. We're saying we don't have to be what he was. Especially since it's not like we can both be the two guard."

"Exactly. It has the advantage of being honest too. I mean, that whole fight started because of that position. Who wants it."

Nathan's eyes sparkled. "'Go by unexpected ways', says the master. Nothing could be more unexpected than this."

Lucas threw a balled up napkin at him. "You have spent far too much time studying that book." Nathan smiled and looked away without responding. "Okay, Monday before practice we go to Whitey."

"About what?" came another voice from behind them. "What are you three plotting?"

It was meant in jest, but since they were actually plotting, all three jumped and turned. It was Peyton and Jake. Peyton was carrying a little baby in her arms. "Uh, Peyton," Lucas said, staring at the baby. "Something you want to tell me?"

"Good lord, Lucas, get a grip," Peyton said, rolling her eyes. "You've seen me every day for the last year, most of the time in a tiny little skirt. You think I could have hidden a baby?"

Lucas blushed, while Jake took the baby. "This is my daughter, Jenny. I've finally worked up the courage to start letting people know about her."

Nathan peeked under the blanket at the sleeping baby. "Jake, she's beautiful. This is your family obligation, I take it?"

Jake nodded. "Her mom isn't in the picture. My parents help out, but she still takes up most of my time."

Nathan looked directly into Jake's face. He looked afraid. "She's why you were being so nice to me from the beginning, isn't she."

Jake looked away. "Yeah. And then I saw how you handled yourself like you didn't even care while all the - uh - stuff was going on and it just seemed like if I kept hiding her I was giving in. I decided she should be a Vegas baby."

"Well, I hate to tell you this, but you're not really a Vegas baby until you've played 'spot-the-tell' at a poker table. But that's okay, sweetie," he continued, now talking to the sleeping baby "Don't you worry because Uncle Nathan has your back. You'll be dealing from the bottom in no time."

"You know how to do that?" asked Haley, eyes wide.

Nathan scoffed. "C'mon Hales. It's Vegas. We used to play five card stud for toothpicks in the lunchroom. I have friends whose parents are actual professional card players."

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm feeling there might be a poker night in our future," suggested Lucas.

Jake stared at him. "What the hell is in the water at the casa de Scott? Two months ago you two were trying to kill each other, now it's all sweetness and roses."

"We got tired of the angst," Lucas said. "Besides, if we'd take it any further Jerry Springer would have called."

"You're not wrong," Peyton murmured.

"So, what were you going to talk about Whitey about?" Jake asked, bringing them back to their original question.

Lucas looked at Nathan, who shrugged. "Nathan wants to go back to point guard, but I'm not sure I want to return to the two spot, so we were debating what else might work."

"Gotta be something on offense, Lucas. Defense is not your strong suit."

"Pretty much leave small forward," replied Lucas, completely unaware that Haley and Peyton were rolling their eyes at each other. "What do you think Nathan-small forward?"

"Well," Nathan said thoughtfully. "You've got the small part down." That was as far as he got before Lucas jumped him and got him in a friendly headlock.

"Small? Small? I'll give you small, little brother."

"Um, guys? Speaking of small, can we restrict the roughhousing around the very small person?" Peyton said pointing to the now crying baby.

Nathan and Lucas stood up and apologized to Jake for scaring Jenny. Then he and Peyton took their leave and the three amigos went back to their plotting.