Nathan was pretty sure his eyes were playing tricks on him. That wasn't a new thing for him. He'd be walking down the street in some strange city and some girl's long brown hair would stir in the breeze and he'd be convinced it was her. After a while it was just embarrassing. He worked very hard to curb the urge. Plus, if it really were Haley, Luke would have called the second he found her.
"So why did you ask to be traded?" Mike asked.
"My brother is useless without me." Nathan grinned.
"When are they making the announcement?"
"Monday as long as you don't find some life threatening problem."
"Well as far as I can tell Mr. Scott, there is nothing to prevent the trade. It would appear that the Celtics are being taken over by the Scott family." Mike commented.
"How's that?"
"Our assistant team doctor is Dr. Scott, then your brother, now you."
"Well, there are no doctors in my family, so it's just Lucas and I you have to worry about. Listen, I want to surprise my brother, so can you not tell him that I saw you tonight? I just want to show up at practice on Monday." Nathan explained.
"No problem. So what are you going to do for the weekend? Just hide out in the hotel?" Mike asked.
"Probably. Actually," Nathan started, "could you sneak me into the Fleet Center sometime this weekend? I'd really love to have a look around."
"I don't see why not. It's usually pretty quiet on Sunday mornings. Say nine o'clock?" Mike offered.
"Perfect. Thanks a lot Doc."
"Not a problem. Enjoy your evening Nathan."
Across town at the Fleet Center, Lucas was celebrating his first win in a green jersey. No injuries were sustained in the game so Haley was tidying up her office and getting ready to go home.
Lucas came bounding in the office, full of energy.
"That was so amazing Hales," he said with an ear to ear grin.
"You did good Luke."
"What ever I imagined playing in the NBA would be like, is nothing compared to the real thing. And you know what was the best part?" he asked.
"You scored more points than your little brother in his opener?" Haley replied wryly.
"No...how did you know that?"
"I check the box scores too ya know." She smiled.
"No, the best part was when I was subbed off, I looked down the bench and there you were. I kinda feel sorry for Nathan after tonight. I mean, for every big game of my life either you or Nate were there for me."
"I'm sure some lovely cheerleader was smiling at Nathan during his first game." Haley said.
"All jokes aside, I've been meaning to talk to you."
"I know what you are going to say. You want me to call Nathan. I get it Luke, I really do."
"It's just if he finds out that I knew you were here and I didn't call him immediately he's gonna be really hurt and I don't want to do that to him. Since you..." Luke drifted off. "Well, I'm his only family. At least the only family he trusts."
"I know. And I appreciate the difficult position you are in and I don't want to make it worse. Do you know how to get a hold of Nathan in Detroit?" Haley asked.
"I do. What are you going to say?"
"I figured I'd start with hello and see where it goes from there."
"Seriously Haley, I don't know how he is going to take hearing from you after all this time. He may just hang up on you." Lucas pondered.
"If that's the worst he does, I'll count myself lucky. Give me the number." Haley pulled out her palm pilot and took down the number. "So what are you going to do now superstar?" she teased.
"Peyton and Jake are meeting us at the players entrance and we are all going out to celebrate! Grab your coat."
The four of them went to a pub and consumed some celebratory drinks. They were like teenagers again and it was nice.
"So, I'm gonna do it." Haley said to Peyton while the boys were fetching drinks.
"Do what?" Peyton asked.
"I'm going to call Nathan tomorrow."
"Really?"
"Yep."
"Scared?" Peyton quizzed.
"Terrified."
"Terrified of what?" Jake asked as the guys rejoined them.
"Haley is going to call Nathan." Peyton offered.
"Are you insane?" Jake exclaimed.
"It's the right thing to do. I don't want you guys to have to lie to Nathan about me being here. It just seems like I should let him know where I am." Haley said.
"Oh, you definitely should let him know, but not with a phone call. Imagine if you will, Nathan's at 7-11 picking up a big gulp, his cell phone rings, "hey honey, it's your long lost ex-wife. How's life treating you? Oh, by the way, I'm in Boston with your brother and two of your oldest friends." Jake replied.
"OK genius, what is she supposed to do?" Peyton defended Haley.
"She needs to get her skinny butt on a plane and go see him." Jake said.
"That's all well and good Jake but I'm not exactly flush with cash and a roundtrip overnight to Detroit isn't in the budget this week." Haley explained.
"Hales, I got cash. I could buy you a ticket." Lucas offered.
"And how do I find him exactly?"
"I've got his address." Lucas said.
"I don't know guys. A phone call is one thing, but showing up on his doorstep? Are you sure that's the wisest plan?"
"Haley, I think it's the only plan." Peyton concurred.
Lucas pulled out his cell phone and dialed. "Ya Bonnie hi. Sorry to call so late. I need a huge favor. I need a round trip from Boston to Detroit, leaving as soon as possible....ya just put it on my card...and a room at the Marriott – same one I stayed in last time if you can...ya call me back on my cell with the details....Thanks again Bonnie." He clicked his phone shut and turned back to Haley. "Done deal Hales. We should get you home to pack."
"I can't believe I am going to do this." Haley replied.
"We'll take you home." Jake said.
On the way to Haley's apartment Bonnie called back with the travel details. Haley was booked first class on a flight out of Logan airport at nine fifteen. She had an hour layover in Cincinnati, arriving in Detroit at two forty five. The only hitch in the plan was that she wouldn't arrive back in Boston until Monday morning, which meant she would be late for work.
"I'll let Mike know you'll be late Hales. Don't worry I got it covered." Lucas offered.
"So help me god Lucas, if I get fired over this, I am so holding you responsible." Haley said.
"Get some sleep Haley. You have a big day tomorrow." Jake said as they pulled up in front of her apartment.
"Ya, like that is going to happen. I'll call you guys and let you know how it goes. Wish me luck." Haley replied and headed inside.
She was right about one thing; she didn't get a wink of sleep that night. She was more than nervous. Kate was out of town at a conference in Dallas so she didn't even have anyone to talk to. Instead she logged on her computer and made herself a travelling disk. It passed the time. Packing burned through a little more time, and at five am, after finally giving up on getting any sleep, she called a cab and headed to the airport.
Haley threw up on the plane as they were descending into Detroit. She wasn't sure if it was because she was airsick or she was just that nervous. Probably a combination of the two. By four o'clock she was checked into the hotel. Her first thought when she arrived in her room was that NBA rookies made entirely too much money. It wasn't just a room; it was a suite big enough to house four families. She tipped the bellboy, called Lucas to tell him she had arrived safely, and then took a shower to calm her frazzled nerves. After an hour of procrastinating, she pulled out her palm pilot and retrieved Nathan's address. She went down to the lobby and the doorman hailed her a cab. When she pulled up to Nathan's apartment complex she was convinced that rookies made too much money. It was an impressive building. She probably stood in front of the buzzer for five minutes before she found the courage to push the button. After buzzing a total of six times and standing there for twenty minutes she was convinced he wasn't home. She had noticed a café down the block as they were driving up so she decided to get a cup of coffee and come back in an hour. He was probably just out for dinner.
After three cups of coffee and slightly stale danish, she gathered up her courage and tried again. Still no luck. Her only thought was, "Now what?" She didn't want to go back to the coffee shop so she went back to the hotel for some dinner of her own. She had his phone number so she tried that. At best she would at least know he was home. She got voice mail.
"You've reached Nathan's apartment. Leave a message and I'll get back to you when I'm in." She hung up. She then had a brainstorm. Maybe he was at practice. So she called the Palace to see if the team was there. Of course no one answered because it was a Saturday night. Maybe she wasn't so smart. Accepting defeat for the moment, she ordered room service and watched a pay per view movie. That used up two hours. She again got back into a cab and tried again. By now it was almost ten o'clock and she was hoping to catch him at home finally. This time she had the cabbie wait for her. She only buzzed once and got no response. It was time to give up for the night. Maybe she would have better luck on Sunday.
While Haley was dreaming in her hotel suite Sunday morning, Mike was giving Nathan a tour of the Center. They had gone to the floor and Nathan had taken some shots in the empty arena. It was still one of his favorite things to do. After showing him the locker room, weight training room and physio, they went back to his office to grab a coke.
"So are you excited about the move?" Mike asked.
"I am. It's how the draft should have gone in the first place but it's all politics. I'm just glad I ended up here...the Celtics are a dynasty and playing with Luke is icing on the cake." Nathan explained.
"Well, I think you'll like it here. We are a full service organization. Dr. Scott, my assistant, does all of the rehab and physio so if you need any help, her office is right down the hall. She's also done some strength training programs for some of the guys. You should check her out." Mike suggested.
"I just might to do that. Thanks for meeting me here today Doc. I really appreciate you coming in."
"No problem. We should get going though, I have a pregnant wife at home and Sunday's are usually our only real day together."
"Of course."
Mike held the door open for Nathan and the two of them entered the hallway. "Think you'll get the hang of this place?" Mike asked, alluding to all the twisting corridors.
"I think I...." Nathan stopped dead in his tracks. A shiny brass sign had caught his attention.
"What?" Mike noticed that Nathan was no longer beside him. He looked back to see him pointing at the sign."That's Dr. Scott's office...the one I was telling you about." Mike explained.
"Dr. Haley Scott?" Nathan asked, his voice nearly cracking.
"Yes." Mike was confused.
"She wouldn't happen to be about this tall," Nathan held his had up to the middle of his chest, "brown hair, brown eyes?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact she is." Mike confirmed.
Nathan tried the doorknob to find it unlocked. He strode through the door. He was looking around her desk when Mike followed him in.
"Haley isn't in today. Is there something you are looking for Nathan?" Mike asked from the doorway.
Nathan didn't answer him right away, just kept searching....and then he found it. Nestled in amongst her books on the wall was a picture frame. He pulled it off the shelf. "Is this her? Is this Dr. Scott?" Nathan asked, striding over to Mike to show him the picture.
"Yes. Is there something wrong?"
Nathan put the picture back on the shelf. He exited the office, saying over his shoulder to Mike, "Thanks again for the tour Doc." He took off in a slow jog out of the building leaving a confused Mike behind.
Meanwhile in Detroit, Haley was still trying to get a hold of Nathan. She spent what remaining money she had on cab rides and coffee. She was having no luck at all and was starting to get discouraged. She tried to call Lucas to see if she could get Nathan's cell phone number but he wasn't answering. One thing for sure her nerves were starting to dissipate. She was beginning to wonder if this trip would be for nothing.
She gave up at ten that night. She had to be at the airport at five am the next morning to catch her six am flight so she needed to get some sleep. Haley wasn't sure if she felt relieved or disappointed.
She was up at four to get to the airport on time. She got dressed in her usual work attire as she would go straight to the Fleet Center from the airport. It was bad enough she was going to be late, but the fact that she didn't accomplish her mission kind of made it seem like it was all for nothing.
The flight home was uneventful and she even managed to keep her breakfast down. She quickly retrieved her bag, found where she had left her car and headed to the arena.
It was shortly after eleven when she arrived and she noticed that there were a lot of cars in the parking lot. It was usually a busy place so it didn't seem odd to Haley. She pulled into her parking space and went to find Mike to apologize for being late. She didn't have to look to far because she ran into him on her way to her office.
"Haley!"
"Mike, I am so sorry I am late. It couldn't be avoided, but I promise it won't happen again."
"Don't worry about it. You have the new Scott boy waiting patiently in your office though. Come by after you are done with him and let me know how the game went on Friday," Mike said.
"Sure thing." Haley agreed.
As she was down the hallway her cell phone rang. She looked and saw it was Lucas calling. She smiled. There was no need to answer as she was ten steps from her door, so she pressed the end key.
"You knew I was going to be late Luke, why were you calling me?" she said with a smile as she entered her office. Her desk chair spun around and Haley dropped the phone that was in her hand as the smile from her face evaporated.
"Hello Dr. Scott."
"Well, at least that explains why Detroit was a bust," Haley thought. "Hey Nathan."
A/N So I'm up to 36 reveiws and no flamers. I can't even explain how much that means to me. For all of you who have waited so patiently for Nathan and Haley to come face to face, wait no more! The next chapter should appease you for the time being. As always, let me know what you think...there were thirteen encouraging reviews for the last chapter, I hope you liked this one as much. Thanks again.
"So why did you ask to be traded?" Mike asked.
"My brother is useless without me." Nathan grinned.
"When are they making the announcement?"
"Monday as long as you don't find some life threatening problem."
"Well as far as I can tell Mr. Scott, there is nothing to prevent the trade. It would appear that the Celtics are being taken over by the Scott family." Mike commented.
"How's that?"
"Our assistant team doctor is Dr. Scott, then your brother, now you."
"Well, there are no doctors in my family, so it's just Lucas and I you have to worry about. Listen, I want to surprise my brother, so can you not tell him that I saw you tonight? I just want to show up at practice on Monday." Nathan explained.
"No problem. So what are you going to do for the weekend? Just hide out in the hotel?" Mike asked.
"Probably. Actually," Nathan started, "could you sneak me into the Fleet Center sometime this weekend? I'd really love to have a look around."
"I don't see why not. It's usually pretty quiet on Sunday mornings. Say nine o'clock?" Mike offered.
"Perfect. Thanks a lot Doc."
"Not a problem. Enjoy your evening Nathan."
Across town at the Fleet Center, Lucas was celebrating his first win in a green jersey. No injuries were sustained in the game so Haley was tidying up her office and getting ready to go home.
Lucas came bounding in the office, full of energy.
"That was so amazing Hales," he said with an ear to ear grin.
"You did good Luke."
"What ever I imagined playing in the NBA would be like, is nothing compared to the real thing. And you know what was the best part?" he asked.
"You scored more points than your little brother in his opener?" Haley replied wryly.
"No...how did you know that?"
"I check the box scores too ya know." She smiled.
"No, the best part was when I was subbed off, I looked down the bench and there you were. I kinda feel sorry for Nathan after tonight. I mean, for every big game of my life either you or Nate were there for me."
"I'm sure some lovely cheerleader was smiling at Nathan during his first game." Haley said.
"All jokes aside, I've been meaning to talk to you."
"I know what you are going to say. You want me to call Nathan. I get it Luke, I really do."
"It's just if he finds out that I knew you were here and I didn't call him immediately he's gonna be really hurt and I don't want to do that to him. Since you..." Luke drifted off. "Well, I'm his only family. At least the only family he trusts."
"I know. And I appreciate the difficult position you are in and I don't want to make it worse. Do you know how to get a hold of Nathan in Detroit?" Haley asked.
"I do. What are you going to say?"
"I figured I'd start with hello and see where it goes from there."
"Seriously Haley, I don't know how he is going to take hearing from you after all this time. He may just hang up on you." Lucas pondered.
"If that's the worst he does, I'll count myself lucky. Give me the number." Haley pulled out her palm pilot and took down the number. "So what are you going to do now superstar?" she teased.
"Peyton and Jake are meeting us at the players entrance and we are all going out to celebrate! Grab your coat."
The four of them went to a pub and consumed some celebratory drinks. They were like teenagers again and it was nice.
"So, I'm gonna do it." Haley said to Peyton while the boys were fetching drinks.
"Do what?" Peyton asked.
"I'm going to call Nathan tomorrow."
"Really?"
"Yep."
"Scared?" Peyton quizzed.
"Terrified."
"Terrified of what?" Jake asked as the guys rejoined them.
"Haley is going to call Nathan." Peyton offered.
"Are you insane?" Jake exclaimed.
"It's the right thing to do. I don't want you guys to have to lie to Nathan about me being here. It just seems like I should let him know where I am." Haley said.
"Oh, you definitely should let him know, but not with a phone call. Imagine if you will, Nathan's at 7-11 picking up a big gulp, his cell phone rings, "hey honey, it's your long lost ex-wife. How's life treating you? Oh, by the way, I'm in Boston with your brother and two of your oldest friends." Jake replied.
"OK genius, what is she supposed to do?" Peyton defended Haley.
"She needs to get her skinny butt on a plane and go see him." Jake said.
"That's all well and good Jake but I'm not exactly flush with cash and a roundtrip overnight to Detroit isn't in the budget this week." Haley explained.
"Hales, I got cash. I could buy you a ticket." Lucas offered.
"And how do I find him exactly?"
"I've got his address." Lucas said.
"I don't know guys. A phone call is one thing, but showing up on his doorstep? Are you sure that's the wisest plan?"
"Haley, I think it's the only plan." Peyton concurred.
Lucas pulled out his cell phone and dialed. "Ya Bonnie hi. Sorry to call so late. I need a huge favor. I need a round trip from Boston to Detroit, leaving as soon as possible....ya just put it on my card...and a room at the Marriott – same one I stayed in last time if you can...ya call me back on my cell with the details....Thanks again Bonnie." He clicked his phone shut and turned back to Haley. "Done deal Hales. We should get you home to pack."
"I can't believe I am going to do this." Haley replied.
"We'll take you home." Jake said.
On the way to Haley's apartment Bonnie called back with the travel details. Haley was booked first class on a flight out of Logan airport at nine fifteen. She had an hour layover in Cincinnati, arriving in Detroit at two forty five. The only hitch in the plan was that she wouldn't arrive back in Boston until Monday morning, which meant she would be late for work.
"I'll let Mike know you'll be late Hales. Don't worry I got it covered." Lucas offered.
"So help me god Lucas, if I get fired over this, I am so holding you responsible." Haley said.
"Get some sleep Haley. You have a big day tomorrow." Jake said as they pulled up in front of her apartment.
"Ya, like that is going to happen. I'll call you guys and let you know how it goes. Wish me luck." Haley replied and headed inside.
She was right about one thing; she didn't get a wink of sleep that night. She was more than nervous. Kate was out of town at a conference in Dallas so she didn't even have anyone to talk to. Instead she logged on her computer and made herself a travelling disk. It passed the time. Packing burned through a little more time, and at five am, after finally giving up on getting any sleep, she called a cab and headed to the airport.
Haley threw up on the plane as they were descending into Detroit. She wasn't sure if it was because she was airsick or she was just that nervous. Probably a combination of the two. By four o'clock she was checked into the hotel. Her first thought when she arrived in her room was that NBA rookies made entirely too much money. It wasn't just a room; it was a suite big enough to house four families. She tipped the bellboy, called Lucas to tell him she had arrived safely, and then took a shower to calm her frazzled nerves. After an hour of procrastinating, she pulled out her palm pilot and retrieved Nathan's address. She went down to the lobby and the doorman hailed her a cab. When she pulled up to Nathan's apartment complex she was convinced that rookies made too much money. It was an impressive building. She probably stood in front of the buzzer for five minutes before she found the courage to push the button. After buzzing a total of six times and standing there for twenty minutes she was convinced he wasn't home. She had noticed a café down the block as they were driving up so she decided to get a cup of coffee and come back in an hour. He was probably just out for dinner.
After three cups of coffee and slightly stale danish, she gathered up her courage and tried again. Still no luck. Her only thought was, "Now what?" She didn't want to go back to the coffee shop so she went back to the hotel for some dinner of her own. She had his phone number so she tried that. At best she would at least know he was home. She got voice mail.
"You've reached Nathan's apartment. Leave a message and I'll get back to you when I'm in." She hung up. She then had a brainstorm. Maybe he was at practice. So she called the Palace to see if the team was there. Of course no one answered because it was a Saturday night. Maybe she wasn't so smart. Accepting defeat for the moment, she ordered room service and watched a pay per view movie. That used up two hours. She again got back into a cab and tried again. By now it was almost ten o'clock and she was hoping to catch him at home finally. This time she had the cabbie wait for her. She only buzzed once and got no response. It was time to give up for the night. Maybe she would have better luck on Sunday.
While Haley was dreaming in her hotel suite Sunday morning, Mike was giving Nathan a tour of the Center. They had gone to the floor and Nathan had taken some shots in the empty arena. It was still one of his favorite things to do. After showing him the locker room, weight training room and physio, they went back to his office to grab a coke.
"So are you excited about the move?" Mike asked.
"I am. It's how the draft should have gone in the first place but it's all politics. I'm just glad I ended up here...the Celtics are a dynasty and playing with Luke is icing on the cake." Nathan explained.
"Well, I think you'll like it here. We are a full service organization. Dr. Scott, my assistant, does all of the rehab and physio so if you need any help, her office is right down the hall. She's also done some strength training programs for some of the guys. You should check her out." Mike suggested.
"I just might to do that. Thanks for meeting me here today Doc. I really appreciate you coming in."
"No problem. We should get going though, I have a pregnant wife at home and Sunday's are usually our only real day together."
"Of course."
Mike held the door open for Nathan and the two of them entered the hallway. "Think you'll get the hang of this place?" Mike asked, alluding to all the twisting corridors.
"I think I...." Nathan stopped dead in his tracks. A shiny brass sign had caught his attention.
"What?" Mike noticed that Nathan was no longer beside him. He looked back to see him pointing at the sign."That's Dr. Scott's office...the one I was telling you about." Mike explained.
"Dr. Haley Scott?" Nathan asked, his voice nearly cracking.
"Yes." Mike was confused.
"She wouldn't happen to be about this tall," Nathan held his had up to the middle of his chest, "brown hair, brown eyes?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact she is." Mike confirmed.
Nathan tried the doorknob to find it unlocked. He strode through the door. He was looking around her desk when Mike followed him in.
"Haley isn't in today. Is there something you are looking for Nathan?" Mike asked from the doorway.
Nathan didn't answer him right away, just kept searching....and then he found it. Nestled in amongst her books on the wall was a picture frame. He pulled it off the shelf. "Is this her? Is this Dr. Scott?" Nathan asked, striding over to Mike to show him the picture.
"Yes. Is there something wrong?"
Nathan put the picture back on the shelf. He exited the office, saying over his shoulder to Mike, "Thanks again for the tour Doc." He took off in a slow jog out of the building leaving a confused Mike behind.
Meanwhile in Detroit, Haley was still trying to get a hold of Nathan. She spent what remaining money she had on cab rides and coffee. She was having no luck at all and was starting to get discouraged. She tried to call Lucas to see if she could get Nathan's cell phone number but he wasn't answering. One thing for sure her nerves were starting to dissipate. She was beginning to wonder if this trip would be for nothing.
She gave up at ten that night. She had to be at the airport at five am the next morning to catch her six am flight so she needed to get some sleep. Haley wasn't sure if she felt relieved or disappointed.
She was up at four to get to the airport on time. She got dressed in her usual work attire as she would go straight to the Fleet Center from the airport. It was bad enough she was going to be late, but the fact that she didn't accomplish her mission kind of made it seem like it was all for nothing.
The flight home was uneventful and she even managed to keep her breakfast down. She quickly retrieved her bag, found where she had left her car and headed to the arena.
It was shortly after eleven when she arrived and she noticed that there were a lot of cars in the parking lot. It was usually a busy place so it didn't seem odd to Haley. She pulled into her parking space and went to find Mike to apologize for being late. She didn't have to look to far because she ran into him on her way to her office.
"Haley!"
"Mike, I am so sorry I am late. It couldn't be avoided, but I promise it won't happen again."
"Don't worry about it. You have the new Scott boy waiting patiently in your office though. Come by after you are done with him and let me know how the game went on Friday," Mike said.
"Sure thing." Haley agreed.
As she was down the hallway her cell phone rang. She looked and saw it was Lucas calling. She smiled. There was no need to answer as she was ten steps from her door, so she pressed the end key.
"You knew I was going to be late Luke, why were you calling me?" she said with a smile as she entered her office. Her desk chair spun around and Haley dropped the phone that was in her hand as the smile from her face evaporated.
"Hello Dr. Scott."
"Well, at least that explains why Detroit was a bust," Haley thought. "Hey Nathan."
A/N So I'm up to 36 reveiws and no flamers. I can't even explain how much that means to me. For all of you who have waited so patiently for Nathan and Haley to come face to face, wait no more! The next chapter should appease you for the time being. As always, let me know what you think...there were thirteen encouraging reviews for the last chapter, I hope you liked this one as much. Thanks again.