A/N: You guys rock for reviewing! More and more thanks!!! Here's another chapter...hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any aspects of One Tree Hill, including the characters, the setting, and so forth

Summary: After the wedding party, instead of telling Haley about going away in an RV, Lydia and Jim James tell her that Jim is suffering from Liver Disease. Haley is devastated and is faced to deal with this reality, but more drama comes as Jim reveals a hidden secret about his life in the last few months of his life that is common in Tree Hill. He has another daughter.

Second Verse, Same As First: Chapter 4 - Fatherly Love

"Hey Keith...." said Lucas, walking into Dan's office at the dealership. He observed Keith's businessman attire and grinned.

"Wow....Looking sharp there."

Keith saw Lucas come into his office and smiled. He looked down at his closed and blushed modestly. "Oh....you know, gotta look professional for the job." he said. Keith loved the fact that he was running the dealership on his own, and felt as if the business was his. Suddenly the pain of losing the garage wasn't so bad anymore.

"What can I do you for, Lucas?" he asked, straightening up some papers on his, or Dan's desk.

Lucas was silent for minute, and seemed like he was searching for words to say. Keith grew curious during their moment of silence, wondering if it was something serious. "What is it Lucas?" said Keith, obviously worried.

"Um.....it's uh.....I just came back from the hospital.....to see.....um....Dan." he said, reluctantly.

"Oh." Keith said, relieved that it wasn't anything close to dangerous. But he realized how perplexed the situation was. Lucas? Going to the hospital? To see.....Dan??

"I know....it's really weird that I went." he said, seeming to answer Keith's mental question.

"So.....why'd you go?" Keith asked, curious on Lucas's struggle.

"Well, yesterday, Nathan told me that he went to visit Dan, and he said Dan mentioned that he wanted to see me." Lucas said, looking away. "I.....I guess I was just curious to see what he wanted."

Keith nodded in understanding what Lucas was going through. Praying that Dan didn't tell him off, he said, "So.....what did Dan say?"

Lucas turned to face Keith and had a really confused look on his face. "He said......that he was sorry?" Lucas said. The confused look transferred over to Keith and Keith scratched his head, baffled about what Lucas said.

"What....? Excuse me, I thought I just heard you say that Dan said he was sorry......." Keith said, cleaning his ears. Lucas laughed and nodded.

"You heard right." said Lucas. Lucas's confirmation seemed to put Keith in shock. He stood there with a dumbfounded look on his face. Never in his life had Keith heard of Dan actually admitting his faults. Was Dan trying to scam Lucas into something?

"I know.....I....." Lucas muttered, not knowing what to say. "I mean.....it gets even weirder. He told me that he's hoping that he could become as good of a father figure as you are."

"Whoa, Lucas....that's just too much. He said WHAT?" Keith said, surprised at what Dan had said about him. Since when was Dan an admirer of Keith's fathering skills? Since when was Dan so determined to become a better father to Lucas?

"I didn't really know what to think. I mean.....he sounded like he meant it all. But.....it's Dan we're talking about here." Lucas said.

Keith sighed and nodded. He thought back to when Dan had let him take over the dealership. He could sense a huge a change in Dan, but thought that it was just effect of the drugs that the doctors had pumped into him. Maybe there was a chance that Dan was actually about to change. Keith glanced over to Lucas and saw the conflict in him. Keith knew that deep inside, Lucas still wanted a father.

"Well....what do you want to think Lucas?" Keith asked.

Lucas turned to Keith and shrugged, not knowing how to express his feelings toward this new Dan. "I don't know....." he said. "You know.....when Dan had his heart attack.....I thought, you know, that's it.....we'll never get to know each other. I'll never get to say what I needed to say, and I'll never get to hear what I needed to hear. But.....he didn't die."

"So.....you're willing to take a risk on Dan...? Nobody's stopping you from trusting him."

"I know. And.....yeah.....something's telling me that I need to take a chance. I mean, he's been gone for most of my life. And if he's really telling the truth, then I might as well take the risk before he turns back to.......well....normal Dan." he said. Keith smiled and Lucas felt better than Keith understood him.

"Lucas....all I can say is, you're old enough to make your decisions. It's your choice if you want to let Dan prove himself. But......be careful. You never know when you could.....well, get hurt again." Keith said.

"Thanks Keith...." Lucas muttered. Keith held Lucas's shoulder and nodded.

With the conformation of Keith's support, Lucas knew that he had to follow what his heart was telling him to do. It was all he needed to know that he wanted a father.

---

Nathan used the last of his strength to finish polishing floor of the dealership. He was willing to put so much hard work into this job. Nathan was thankful that Keith had hired him, so that he had money to support himself and Haley. Never in his life, had he thought that he would end up wearing a uniform to his father's business, but here he was.

As Nathan finished mopping up, he felt satisfied at his hard work. He had worked the whole day, helping with cars and helping clean up the place. At home, you could say Nathan was a little spoiled, and never realized the great feeling that came with hard work.

He smiled at his reflection on the polished floor.

He was about to put his things away, until he saw Lucas with Keith in his father's office. A little curious about why Lucas was here, he went over to see what was up. He sneaked toward the office and caught a little bit of Keith's and Lucas's conversation.

".....Dan said he was sorry....." he heard Lucas say.

Nathan was a bit startled. He remembered that his father had told him to tell Lucas to visit him. Was that what Dan wanted to see Lucas for? To say sorry?

".....hoping to be a better father figure as you were....."

Nathan couldn't believe his ears. A bit of jealousy rose up in Nathan, knowing that his father was trying to make amends with Lucas. What about him?? Dan had never said anything to Nathan about trying to make up for being such a lousy father.

He turned away, not really wanting to hear more. Nathan knew he didn't want his inherited temper from his father to take over him, along with his father's selfishness. But he couldn't help but think about the fact that his father was once again ignoring one of his sons. Except this time, it was Nathan.

"......something's telling me I need to take a chance....." he heard Lucas say from inside the office.

Nathan knew about how much Dan fixing himself up would mean to Lucas. No......he wasn't mad at Lucas. He knew that Lucas just needed some answers in his life.

He was mad at Dan.

Nathan balled up a fist with his empty hand as he thought of Dan. He still couldn't believe what was up with him. Nathan had been there enduring his torture for his whole life, but Dan still had the nerve to ignore Nathan. But Nathan knew he would get himself noticed, one way or another.

He looked back at Lucas through the office window one more time, then left to get ready to go home. Unlike his father, he knew that Haley needed him.

---