Author's Note: Thanks guys for breaking 400 reviews! I'm really excited. Still can't believe all the incredible interest and buzz surrounding this and although I love how much to heart you all seem to take this, let me remind you to be patient. If you've read my other stuff, then you know, the happy ending doesn't always come. Also, there never is one central plot but a lot of drama, angst and twists that will come together eventually at the end and make sense. That's just me and my style. Hope you like it, which most of you seem to. For those of you who don't...you know my policy! Take it or leave it but don't bitch about it or the pace. Just read it and wait to see what happens, or don't read at all.
Thanks for the reviewer (sorry I forgot your name) who caught my errror regarding Meg's father and his political party. In previous chapters, he was referred to as a Democrat but in the last one, I made him a Republican. Sorry for the mixup. Politics are a part ofa few of my stories and most of the time, the characters/candidates are Republicans (God save us all!) for the sake of dramatic purpose. So I will make Rep. Powell a Republican for now. Apologies again for the mix up and good eye for the person that caught it! Thanks!
The door opened and Megan entered her home, shopping bags in tow, accompanied by her future in laws. The house was quiet but there were empty bags of pretzels and other remnants of the NBA Live marathon that had taken place in the living room on the PlayStation 2 over the course of the day. Megan dared not speak a word as she saw her sullen fiancé pour himself a drink over a few cubes of ice in a glass. Deb's heart sank as well. It was hard to see a person they both loved so dearly riding the express train with a one way ticket to rock bottom. When he was in that state, there was no pleading or bargaining or reasoning with him. It was best to tread the waters carefully and walk on eggshells in cautious silence.
"Well, well, well", Dan smirked. "Ladies, do you suppose we have the right house? I mean, the address is correct and the young man at the bar looks a lot like my youngest son, only a little more pathetic."
"Dan, please…" Deb sighed.
"What? Am I supposed to join you two in the silent majority? Sit around and watch Nathan drink himself into another sickingly embarrassing stupor?"
"Dan…"
"Good job, son. Your uncle Keith would be proud of you."
Nathan slammed his fist down on the table.
"Goddammitt, Dad! Just piss off, alright.
"Sweetie, your father is just worried about you", Deb said quietly. "We all are. Maybe another drink isn't the best idea right now. How about some water?"
"Water?" Nathan sneered.
"Yes. Just please. Don't be angry but alcohol isn't going to solve anything right now and…"
"You agree with Mom, Dad?"
"Yes. Your mother does have a point on this one."
"I see. And what about you Meg? These days it seems like you're more of a Scott than I am. Are you eye to eye with the future in laws?"
She just stared at him, not answering as fresh tears threatened to fall.
"Nathan…" Deb started again.
"Well, you can relax. All of you. Before you call AA or have me committed, it's just fucking ginger ale", he said, shaking the empty can for emphasis before chucking it across the room angrily.
He stalked off, heading outside. Ignoring the situation, Dan grabbed the remote and began to channel surf on the large, wide screen Plasma TV. Still as silent as a church mouse, Megan began carting bags upstairs. It was only Deb who went after him. She didn't care that she would probably get her head bitten off in the process…there were some things the mother had to get off her chest. She found him on the basketball court shooting hoops.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he mumbled, not even bothering to look at her.
"I want to talk, Nate."
"We don't have anything to talk about."
"But we do. Sweetheart, you're my son. My only child. I love you more than words could ever express. You mean the world to me."
"Whatever…"
"I see what you're doing to yourself and it scares me."
"I'm cool. Why don't you and Dad just go back to Tree Hill and leave me the hell alone? Then everything will be fine."
"I look at you and I see this troubled, scary, frightened, confused, angry young man. It breaks my heart. I can't reach you. No one can. Not your father or your brother or your friends or even Megan. Nathan, I've only seen you this bad one other time before in your life…and that's when Haley left."
His body visibly tensed.
"I'm not doing this with you now, Mom. Not now or not ever for that matter so you might as well just save it."
"What's going on with you? Just talk to me. Sweetie, if you talked to someone about your feelings, you would feel so much better…"
"Like you give a shit."
"Honey, of course I care."
"No, you don't. You only care about image and shopping and country clubs and money and what other people think."
"That's not true. I do care."
"Okay. You want to talk about Haley all of a sudden? After all these years? Alright, Mom, I'll throw you a bone since after seven years, you're suddenly Haley's new best friend, right? Inviting Jim and Lydia to stay at the house when we were missing? Real noble of you."
"It was the right thing to do", Deb replied softly.
"Now you want to do the right thing? I'd say you're oh…about seven years too late. Because you just showered Haley with hugs the whole time we were married, didn't you?"
Deb looked away embarrassed. She knew her son was right to a degree.
"It hurts me to see you live like this. You have a dream career and you're about to marry a wonderful, beautiful girl. Nathan, why are your trying to throw it all away? You're drinking like a fish and embarrassing us and her family and not to mention yourself. And you're so angry. You shut everyone out and when you're not being distant, you're lashing out."
"Are you done?" he asked in a chilly tone.
"No. Just…just let me help you."
"Help me do what?"
"Be happy again."
"Happy?" Nathan laughed out loud. "You don't even know how to be happy, Mom. Look at you and Dad. It's pathetic. You know, I used to feel sorry for you but now I don't. Know why? Because you and Dad fucking deserve each other. So you want to be number one mommy or mother in law or whatever the hell you're trying to pull, just let it go because Meg and I stand a better chance without you."
"Is that what you really think?"
"It's what I know", he said, taking another shot.
"Yeah, I guess you would think that, son. I know I wasn't the best mother. I made a lot of mistakes. I've tried to correct them. Nate, your forgiveness means everything to me. Maybe we'll never have the close relationship we once had. I pray that we do but I've accepted the fact that maybe that won't happen ever. As much as it hurts, I can deal with it. The one thing I cannot deal with, is the fact that you're unhappy. You know, you're right about me. I don't have to explain your father…you know how he is. Sometimes I feel like a shell of the human being I once was. I look at family pictures when I was your age and you and Dan and me were all so happy. We had a beautiful family. But so much has happened. That feels like a lifetime ago. So you could say my life is a farce. On the outside, everything appears perfect. On the inside, it's anything but. I just go through the motions. I don't want you to ever feel like this. Ever!"
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying I want you to have the kind of real happiness I can barely remember. Megan is great and I know you care for her but you're not in love with her. I see it in your eyes. There's something in your heart you're running from, honey. There's another woman out there and your heart has belonged to her since you were a boy. You can deny those feelings to me all you want but don't deny them to yourself. Your soul will never be at peace until you tell her how you feel. Your heart will always be flawed. Don't make the same mistakes your father and I made. Tell her how you really feel. Go to Haley."