I don't own anything related to One Tree Hill, but I DO wish I owned two certain brothers.

Haley was dressed in a nice purple dress. I was simple and came up to her collarbone, with moderately thick straps flowing up naturally and giving the dress a formal and elegant appearance. She was in black pumps and panty-hose, and she'd left Dillon with Peyton and Brooke for the day. Haley Scott was going to her interview. The building the taxi dropped her off at was simple, almost like something you'd see back in the states, really. The paint was beige, and the doorway had some of the more intricate scrolls and twirls that made it look genuinely Italian. "Okay, get ready world, here I come," the young woman said, taking in a deep breath before heading upstairs. "You must be Mrs. Scott," the woman at the front desk stated pleasantly. "Yeah, that's me," Haley said, feeling a little overdressed compared to the woman's simple black pantsuit. "I'll show you in to Mr. Davis's office," she replied serenely, then rose from the chair she'd been in.

The inside of the office was nice, and the man in front of her looked pleasant enough. His hair was graying, and glasses framed eyes identical to Brooke's, with bushy eyebrows protruding the top frame. She nervously fingered her backpack, realizing how shabby it must look in a room filled up with so much high-tech equipment and decked out in shades of black, grey, and white. "Good morning, Mrs. Scott. I understand that my cousin, Brooke, thinks very highly of you. Do you have anything at all to say?" he looked at her curiously. "I'm sorry," she stuttered. "I just imagined that you would be a little bit... oh, I don't know..." "Younger?" the middle-aged man laughed. "My mother was very busy to say the least, and Brooke's mother was more of an 'I'll put it off until I have to deal with it' kind of woman, if you catch my drift." He roared with laughter, and Haley joined in, get the sinking feeling this might not work out. "Well, to get down to business," he said. "As you know, we happen to have the music teaching position at our school open. You probably also know that we are by no means church mice, and we have enough money to pay you very well. Do you accept?" Haley almost spewed out the ice water the secretary had brought her a minute ago. "That's it? You don't want to interview me, ask me about my credentials?" "Well, I've already checked your credentials, and if you don't mind my saying so, you don't have any. However, I've seen old tapes of you singing and playing the piano, and with my cousin's high recommendation, I'm sure you'll do fine. If you don't mind, I would like to see some of your plans for the program, though. As you know, we're trying to rebuild it. Our old teacher left it in despicable form, and we've even had to press a lawsuit about all the trouble." Haley cleared her throat and unzipped her backpack. "All right, I do have some stuff with me. I was looking online, and I found out that the curriculum you've been using is highly respected, but it isn't exactly the best. I couldn't find one that I completely agreed with, so I realized that the easiest thing to do is just to start from scratch. I understand this is a high school teaching position, so why not start off with a brush-up of the basics? You know, give the general music students a preliminary quiz on the staffs, all the different symbols, and then test their knowledge of the most pivotal historical composers before going into a complete musical course based on skill level...." They talked for over two hours about her plans for her choir, band, orchestra, and general music classes, as well as private piano and voice lessons. "Thank you for your time, Mrs. James. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow morning at ten o'clock sharp to meet all of the other staff members and begin orientation." They shook hands and Haley left the building, feeling like skipping as she went.

Nathan hadn't intended to pick up any new cases while he was here. He's only wanted to take care of the matter concerning a law-suit on a bakery of all things, when the headmaster of a prestigious private school back in the states gave him a ring. "Eric Moore, it's good to hear your voice. Listen, we need to press charges against our new music teacher. I finally got around to calling because I had the opportunity to hire a new music teacher earlier today. Listen, I'd really like you to handle this case. "Come on, you know that I'm not supposed to pick up any new cases without consulting my boss," Nathan said, secretly happy at the opportunity to stay close to Haley and Dillon a little while longer. "Please, Eric. Look, we play golf together. We play basketball together. We have drinks and talk about life together. Can't you do this as a favor to your old pal?" "Okay, okay. I'll do it. If I get in trouble for this, though, I'm shifting all the blame to you," Nathan warned. "Whatever it takes to get Eric Moore on my side," the voice on the other side of the line gushed. "Hey, I've got a favor to ask you. It might be a little on the sensitive side, but our new music teacher is in your hotel. Her name is Haley Scott. I thought you might be able to talk to her, just to get a little information about what kind of shape that jerk left our music department in." Nathan flinched. "I'm not sure, Norman... I'm just not feeling it. Maybe I should just stick to the bare statistics and see what dirt I can dig up on this guy." "Eric, you know I wouldn't ask you if I didn't think it was essential to the case. Besides, I might try to fix you and Mrs. Scott up. She's a widow, you know." Nathan had to restrain from laughing aloud and breaking out sarcastically, "So that's what she told you?" Instead, he just gave a hurried goodbye and started down to the hotel restaurant for dinner.

He was passing by the lobby when he noticed someone making a huge fuss out at the pool. Nathan stepped out, not quite sure what to do if there was something going on. "Help, help! I think this little kid broke his leg!" a tearful day care attendant shouted. "Okay, calm down," Nathan yelled, running over to see none other than Dillon. Pushing his shock aside, he tried to get a firm grasp on his son's leg. The bone was almost slicing through the skin. It was a pretty bad break. He heard a moan from the little boy's chest. "Does it hurt a lot?" Nathan asked, not quite knowing what else to say. "My leg is like a knife stabbed through it. I want mommy, and Aunt Peyton and Brooke and Uncle Jake and cousin Jenny!" Tears started rolling down his cheeks. "Where are they?" he asked angrily, wondering how much Haley had changed to put him in something like this. "Mommy had to go to an innervow, and Uncle Jake took Jennay out earlier. Auntie Brooke said hers and Peyton had to go to the hospitals, 'cause Jenny gotst a bad arm, but they didn't want me to go. "Someone call the ambulance, idiots!" Nathan screamed behind him, and then he turned back to his son and whispered tenderly, "It's okay. You're going to be fine, I promise. I'm gonna have to pick you up, little man, and it might hurt a little, but it's the only way I can get you to where your leg will get better." After he'd picked him up, he ran out to the lobby. When there still wasn't an ambulance in sight, he walked to the hospital himself. He spoke Italian well enough to get by. "What relation are you to the boy?" the nurse asked while they were examining him. "I'm his father," Nathan responded without hesitation.

Haley was over to the hospital as soon as she heard the news. She flew inside, and as soon as she saw Eric sitting in the waiting room, she stormed over to him and pounded her fists on his chest. "How could you let this happen to him, Nate?!!!" she screamed angrily, her face heating up as soon as she realized who she was talking to and what she was doing. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," she whispered, covering her hands with her face. "You have to understand, he's all I have left of my husband, and after he died, I just couldn't bear to lose Dillon too." Nathan gave her an angry look, feeling his face heat up as he shouted, "Don't you recognize me at all? It's me, Hales. Yeah, that's right. I'm sick and tired of you making up all this crap about me dying. You knew what was going on when you divorced me." She looked taken aback and inched away. "I don't know who you are or what kind of a monster you are, but you have no right to play such a cruel joke on me. The doctors told me it was too late. I watched it, and then I had to go down to the lobby to feed Dillon. When I came back up, he was gone, and Deb told me he had died." "What the heck do you think you're talking about? I was there! I got the transplant, at the last minute! Deb told me all about what you did, and how you didn't want to even be in contact with me any more. You left me all alone during one of the darkest times of my life. I loved you! I promised I would always protect you! How could you do this to me?" Finally, a look of recognition flickered across her face. "Nathan?" she asked softly. "It's Eric now, like I told you. Eric Moore. My mom helped me change my name and get into law school. At least she was there for me." "I didn't know, Eric. Your slutty mother stood there and told me to my face that my husband was dead. I didn't believe her, but I broke down. What was I supposed to do? Look for someone who was dead? I doubt that would've gone over well with anyone. Everybody was already worried about me. Do you have any idea what Dillon and I have gone through for the past three years? We were dirt poor, and I couldn't even feed him. I have to sell my wedding ring to pay for food! Then a job position came up. You aren't going to ruin this for me, Nathan Scott! Just leave well enough alone if you aren't willing to even pretend to be part of your son's life.

Nathan watched her go talk to the nurse, and followed her as she went down the hallway towards a room. "What are you doing?" she glared at him. "I'm going to visit my son who's in the frickin hospital," he snapped. "Whatever, just make sure you don't upset him," she shot back. They entered the room and his heart caught as he saw the little guy laying there with machines and a leg in traction. "Mommy?" he said weakly when he saw her enter the room. A wilted smile reached his little features. He looks exactly like me, Nathan realized for the first time. Tears began to well up in his eyes, and then Dillon pointed at him. "Mommy, this is the nice man who saved me. Mommy, how come I've never seen daddy before?" time seemed to stop for a moment. "What would make you think he's your daddy?" Haley asked him softly, obviously overcome with emotion. "He looks like the picture you keep of him on your desk all the time, and he's really really nice. You said daddy was really nice and strong and he protected you from everything. And daddy protected me," the confused little boy pointed out. "Look, sweetie, why don't we talk about this later..." Haley began as Nathan cut her off with "I'm sorry I haven't been there for you, Dillon. Things have been really crazy, and for a long time me and your mommy haven't exactly been on speaking terms. I promise I'll stay with you now, though." Haley shot him a glare, and he said, "You just try to get some sleep, and I'll be right back, kiddo." He kissed his son's forehead, and took Haley's arm and dragged her into the hallway. "I don't know why you hate me so much, but I am going to be here for our son. You go home and get some sleep. I'll stay with him." "He's MY son. I'll stay with him," Haley argued. "You've had the past five years to get to know him, and I haven't seen him in so long. Let me stay with him," Nathan said slowly and softly. She nodded stiffly. "All right, fine. I need to go check in with Brooke and Peyton too. They said Jenny sprained her arm, and the only ride they could find only had room for two passengers." She was about to leave when Nathan kissed her softly, then he re-entered the room, and she stood there motionless for awhile before finally walking away.

Dillon woke up on and off during the night, and he always wanted to talk about something. When the little boy woke up and said, "What's your favorite sport, daddy?" Nathan answered without hesitation "basketball." "I love basketball. Uncle Lucas always plays with me when he visits. You and Uncle Lucas were really good friends, he said. He even said that he thought that you were the best friend he ever had. How come you and Uncle Lucas don't talk any more? Or you and mommy?" Nathan hesitated. "See, your Uncle Luke and your mommy both thought that I'd gone away to a different place, where I couldn't go, see. I thought that they didn't want me around, and I didn't want to hurt them by insisting that I be in their lives anyways. But it was all a big understanding, okay?" he finally replied. "Okay," Dillon said, falling asleep again. That was how the night was: off and on, off and on. When Nathan finally got to sleep, it was almost four. His dreams were troubled; Haley was in her wedding dress, and he was in the tuxedo he'd worn that day. Dillon walked up to them as the ring bearer, and he asked them "Mommy, why don't I know daddy?" Suddenly Haley was running away, and Nathan was going after her. They were going through a long, dark, tunnel, and he couldn't see her. Whenever he got close, she suddenly found another spurt of energy and just kept on running. He woke up with tears in the corners of his eyes, trying to clear his head. Dillon was staring at him. "Daddy, are you okay? You were crying." "I was just having a bad dream, little man," Nathan said, stretching before patting the little kid on the head. "Are you going to leave me here?" his son asked when Nathan reached for his coat, suddenly fearful. "Of course not, I just have to get my cell phone out to talk to your Aunties" Nathan answered, surprised at the lump in his throat. "Okay," he said, and then he fell asleep. When Peyton finally answered, she started cussing Nathan out. After a long blue streak, she stopped to take a breath. "Why would you do that Nathan Scott? We all loved you and cared about you. Heck, Haley's been working herself into a depression for years! If you try to pull anything again, then we WILL hunt you down and make sure you're dead for real this time," she said with emphatic conviction. "It's nice to hear your voice too, Peyt. Tell Haley that I have a business meeting at one today, and I'll need her to take over for me then. I really hate having to leave him here." Peyton's voice suddenly softened as she said, "You really love her don't you? And him too. I can tell. Nathan Scott, it's not fair. Everyone else has to be the bad person when they do something that ticks people off, but you and Luke just have that thing... except with Luke, it's different..." Nathan smiled, getting ready to tease her when she sensed what he was planning. "I've gotta go, Nate. I'll tell Haley you called. Bye!" He clicked off his cell phone and looked down at the little boy sleeping in front of him, a look of peace and contentment on his face despite his condition.

Lucas finally got to the hotel, and the first person he saw was Peyton. Her jaw dropped in surprise, and he enveloped her with a hug, not too sure how much he could get away with at this point in time. "I'm glad you're here," she whispered, and filled him in on everything. "Wow. That's a lot to process. I'm going to go get checked in, and then I'm going over to the hospital to see my brother, okay?" "Okay, bye." Peyton gave his hand a squeeze and walked off. Everything was getting mixed up now, and Lucas didn't like everything in such a state of confusion. "And they tell you the drama stops in high school," he said laughing to himself as he walked off.

Hey guys! I know I promised a longer chapter but my little bro's have been screaming at me for the longest time, and I was trying to get this finished right away. R&R, and give suggestions if you want! OnTheOutsideLookingIn