Haley knocked softly before entering the room. He was sitting up in bed, reading the latest edition of the New York Post. He knew she was just a few feet away but he decided against acknowledging her presence.

"Hi", she finally said.

"What do you want?"

She took a deep breath. She should have known he wasn't going to make this easy for her.

"I…I don't know. I just came to check on you, I guess. Um, how are you feeling?"

"Like I was just split in half", he said, still engrossed in his reading.

Haley pulled up a chair. To say he could be a loathsome soul capable of the most depraved of acts, would be an understatement. But he had saved her baby's life. And he was Lillian's grandfather. She had to speak her peace to him.

"I won't stay long. I won't bother you…"

"Good."

"I just wanted to say thank you", she continued, ignoring him. "Mr. Scott, there are no words…I mean, you saved Lillian's life. I can't thank you enough or repay you or anything. In spite of our differences and just everything that has happened, I wanted to let you know how grateful I am. Really."

He finally put down his paper.

"I appreciate that, Haley."

She raised an eyebrow.

"That's it?"

"What?"

"That's all you have to say?"

"Yes. What else were you expecting?"

"To get yelled at, maybe. A smart comment, a tasteless joke?"

Dan grinned.

"Am I that predictable, Miss James?"

"Yes, Mr. Scott, I suppose you are."

"Interesting", he laughed.

"Look, I won't stay long. I just wanted to see you and tell you thank you face to face."

She stood to leave but he called her back.

"Haley?"

"Yes?"

"I know it took a lot for you to come down here and say everything you had to say. I respect your honesty."

"Thank you."

"And what I did with little Jamarah…that was wrong. I shouldn't have gone about it that way but I was afraid."

"Afraid?"

Dan looked away and Haley swore she saw tears forming in his eyes.

"Yes. I already lost one grandchild…I can't lose another. I was desperate, Haley."

Haley was at a loss for words seeing him so vulnerable.

"Mr. Scott…"

"I want to be in her life. Please."

Haley took a deep breath.

"I understand that. I know she is your grandchild and you want to see her. Believe me, it is not my intention to keep Lillian away from you or your wife or Nathan. I want her to know her family, all her family. I would never try to keep her away from the Scott's but…I do have my reservations. You have to understand where I'm coming from."

"Reservations?"

"Yes. With all due respect, it's not like you have the greatest track record. Look how you've treated me and contrary to whatever you believe, I've never done anything to you. I know how you treat me is not how you treat Lillian but still. And I can't help but remember how it was for Lucas the first 16 years of his life and I watched you ride Nathan so hard, he broke. I'm not trying to judge you or throw things in your face but my job is to protect my child."

"I see", Dan said.

"Maybe now isn't the time or place to discuss this."

"Very well. It's your choice after all. You are calling the shots now."

"Mr. Scott…"

"You got what you wanted from me, you don't need me anymore."

"It's not like that."

"Oh but it is. In the end, you're getting everything you want."

"Excuse me? The only thing I want is for my baby to live and be healthy."

"So you and Jamarah can live happily ever after with Nathan?"

"Lillian will have the chance to know her father but in case you forgot, Nathan does have a wife."

Dan nodded.

"Oh, I get it. You haven't heard the latest breaking news?"

"And what might that be?"

"Apparently my son doesn't have a wife anymore and we probably have you to thank for that. Megan's gone."

"What?"

"Deb just told me the news. Nathan told her his wife disappeared leaving only a Dear John letter behind."

Haley fought to catch her breath.

"I…I'm sorry to hear that."

Dan laughed. Even sore in a hospital bed, he could still be sinister.

"I just bet you are."

"Mr. Scott, I never meant to break up Nathan's marriage. He's been through a lot lately and I know he's hurting."

"He is. He has been for eight years, in fact. And we have you to thank for that as well."

Haley shook her head.

"I'm not doing this with you right now. Forgive me for trying to be the bigger person and coming down here to show you the respect I thought you deserved for saving Lillian. And just when you show me your human side and I think that you actually give a damn about my granddaughter, once again, you show your true colors. Couldn't even keep up the decent act for five minutes. I guess, shame on me, huh?"

"Are you done?" Dan eyed her.

"Yeah", Haley said in a strong voice. "You bet I'm done."

"Good. Then we obviously have nothing more to discuss. Close the door on your way out, will you?"

"Gladly", she sneered.

Haley cursed herself for letting him almost fool her with his act. No matter what, Dan Scott would always be Dan Scott. There was no getting around that or changing him. He was who he was. And a leopard never changed his spots, as the old saying went. He just camouflaged them.

"Oh and one more thing, Haley?"

She stopped dead in her tracks.

"What?" she put her hands on her hips.

"Don't go getting any funny ideas about you and your kid living happily ever after with my boy."

"The thought hadn't crossed my mind", she matched him in a sarcastic tone.

"Good because no matter what, when it comes down to it, this is all your fault. You left him all those years ago. It was on you that the annulment didn't go through. It was your genius idea to go to the Dominican Republic. I'm pretty sure it was you that seduced him and it was your influence that put all those crazy thoughts in his head. You ruined his marriage, his career and his life. Deep down, he knows that and if he ever forgets, there will always be one other factor. Know what that is? In the back of his mind, whether it's true or not, he could never be with you. Because every time he looks at you, every time he'd want to touch you, he'll see Chris Keller's face."

Haley felt her cheeks burn! How dare that asshole! He had some nerve. It was an intentional low blow just to hurt her. She refused to be that old shy, scared, quiet Tutor Girl. She was Haley James.

"He didn't see Chris' face when we were in the Dominican", she shot back.

Dan was taken off guard. He wasn't expecting the comeback.

"That was just sex to him, nothing more. If you want to be his sometime bunk buddy for the rest of his life, be my guest. But you'll never be more in his eyes…or mine."

"You know what? Screw you!"

"Watch your mouth, kid. You don't know who you're talking to."

"No, you don't know who you're talking to. I am Haley James. I am an award winning, greatly admired, rich and famous, platinum selling, all around kick ass rock star. And who are you? You're just a small town car salesman, nothing more. You might run North Carolina but we're not in Tree Hill anymore."

With that, she slammed the door. Dan stared at it for a while before laughing. She had grown some balls and become feisty over the years. It was actually kind of…sexy, he thought.

"Upgrade", he snickered as he went back to his paper.