Haley emerged from the Isolation Unit to the worried and anxious stares of seven people.

"How is she?" Nathan asked.

Haley nodded.

"As well as to be expected. The doctors said the transplant went well. The next 72 hours are critical. They're monitoring her reactions closely and it's just a matter of time to see if it took."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. It was the best news they could have hoped for.

"Can I see her?"

"Yeah", Haley nodded. "She's sleeping but you can go in."

Nathan hurried to change into the scrubs and minutes later, he was by his daughter's side. She looked so peaceful for one so tiny and one who had gone through so much in a couple of weeks. As much as he yearned to touch her, he knew it would be a few days before any of them were allowed to hold her in their arms. For the time being, he would be content to just watch her. She was so beautiful, just like her mother. Lillian was the perfect equal combination of both her parents and Nathan knew he could just stare at her for the rest of his life.

"She's gorgeous, isn't she?"

He looked up to see the muffled voice behind the surgical mask.

"Taylor…"

"Long time no see, former brother in law. We haven't had a chance for one of our private talks in years."

"What are you doing here?"

"Same thing as you, I suppose. I wanted to check on my Jamma."

Nathan smiled again at the baby.

"You heard what Haley said. She's doing okay for now. The next three days are just a waiting game, I guess."

Taylor peered into the large bassinet that accommodated Jamarah and all the tubes and machines needed to help her get better.

"She's really beautiful, isn't she?"

"Yeah", he sighed. "She is."

"So beautiful and small and innocent. It's unfair really. She didn't deserve all this."

"No, she didn't."

"So what happens now? I mean, after she gets better and we can take her home."

Nathan shrugged.

"Haley and I have to talk about it some more but I'd like to stick around. Maybe we can work something out so I can spend more time with Lillian."

"Like custody?"

"Not custody. I don't see why it has to be that formal. I just want to be able to see my kid."

Taylor laughed out loud.

"Okay."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh nothing", she said innocently.

"Nothing? Come on, Taylor. You've never been one to hold your tongue before. What's up? Say what's on your mind."

"Okay, you're right. You are most definitely right about that so here goes…I just find it slightly amusing that you're so gung ho about playing Daddy right now. Jamma gets sick and everybody has such a sudden interest now."

"What the hell are you getting at Taylor?"

"Look at her. Look at your daughter, Nate. Look what you've been missing out on."

"I'm not gonna make excuses or get into an argument with you. I've made a lot of mistakes, more than I care to admit to sometimes. But I'm trying to be a different person, a better person. I already have plenty to feel guilty for. I don't need you on my case trying to give me more."

"Interesting", Taylor observed. "You just don't get it, do you?"

"Taylor, what the fuck? You want to hear me say this is all my fault?"

"It is and the sad thing is you don't get how it is. Maybe you couldn't have changed Jamma being sick but everything else, this whole mess, everything that has happened the last eight years, has been your fault."

"Taylor…"

"You want to be in your child's life now? Fine. That's your right and your place but I'm damned sure not going to applaud you for it and neither should anyone else. Know why? Because you are her father and you are supposed to be here…end of the story. But eight years ago, you were so selfish and so heartless…"

"Great. Here we go again."

"Damn straight. Because all this pain could have been avoided. You could have had Haley and your daughter and everything would have been happy and great for everyone had you not made the choices you made."

"Me? Look, I wasn't going to get into this with you right now but your sister left me, remember?"

"Of course, I remember, I was there, Nathan. And I was worried because I didn't want anything to come between you two because you were the best things that had ever come into each other's lives. But Haley did leave. Right or wrong, we can debate it forever but yes she left. She left for a dream. She left to pursue the music but you never got that."

"Oh I got it, trust me."

Taylor shook her head.

"It's all about Chris Keller, isn't it?"

"You want to tell me had had nothing to do with it?"

"Outside of some valuable advice and industry connections, then no."

"Whatever."

"There you go. That world famous Scott ego makes yet another appearance. It cost you big time."

"What was I supposed to do, go chasing after her?"

"Yes, if you really loved her."

"If she really loved me then she would have never left."

"She did love you. You know that. She loved you with all her heart. All Haley ever wanted or needed was your support. But your pride wouldn't let you give it to her. Because success came on her terms without you and you weren't man enough to handle it."

"You don't know what you're talking about, Taylor."

"Yes, I do. You're the one who encouraged her to do something with her music and the minute you couldn't control it anymore, the Dan Scott in you got threatened."

Nathan laughed out loud.

"You think I was threatened?"

"I know you were."

"I had some scrawny, half talented, poser, clown hitting on my wife, kissing her and trying to seduce her while using the music as bait. Everyone saw that but Haley. So forgive me for trying to protect my wife and save my marriage. I did what I had to do. When you love someone, sometimes you have to sacrifice. I understood that. I put off High Fliers for Haley. I gave that up, not knowing if I'd have a chance to get to go back."

"But you didn't have to. That was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Thank your lucky stars Daddy pulled some strings and got you in a few years later but when you gave that up, you gave it up not knowing if there'd be a second chance."

"So…"

"So my point is, you didn't have to. That was all you, Nathan. Haley loved you and she supported you and she would have done whatever to make sure you got in that camp. You didn't have to give anything up and she didn't expect you to. And when you were done, no matter the struggle or the sacrifices, Baby Sis would have been right there with open arms when you came back…the same way you should have been there for her."

"Haley and Chris…"

"Oh come off it! There was no Haley and Chris. At least not the way you mean. There never was. He was and is a business partner, a mentor and a friend. That's it. Nothing more. She never had feelings for him. She never went on a date with him. She never had sex with him. Not even once."

"Then why didn't she ever come back?"

"Could you blame her? You guys were arguing over the phone. You treated her like crap before you stopped taking her calls altogether. You made it seem like you wanted it to be over. What was Haley supposed to come home to? A bitter, jealous, scoffing Dan Scott Jr.?"

Nathan shook his head in disgust.

"That was between Haley and me. Besides, it was a long time ago. And I'm not doing this with you anymore. I'm here now, okay?"

"It's okay as long as you do the right thing. But I love Haley and I love Jamma and I won't let you hurt them."

"I would never hurt them", he rebutted quietly. "And they're not the only ones that have been hurt. You were there that night. You saw my face when you told me she left."

"I did, Nathan. That's why I had to leave right then and there because it broke my heart to see you so destroyed but I was also there the day the annulment papers came in the mail. When Haley had to sign them…well, let's just say I'll never forget that look either. If your goal was to make her feel a fraction of the pain she made you feel, then you more than succeeded."

They were interrupted by Jamarah's faint cries. The baby stirred as her eyes opened and adjusted to the light.

"Is she okay?" he asked, noticing that she was grabbing for her little foot. "Maybe we should call the doctor…"

Taylor leaned over and sang, trying to soothe the little girl. A few seconds later, she was out like a light.

"It's cool. She does that when she wants attention. She likes it when I sing to her."

"Attention?" Nathan questioned.

"Yeah. Babies are weird like that. And when she's sleepy she pulls her ear. And she has a different cry from when she's hungry or she needs her diaper to be changed."

Nathan softened a bit as she smiled.

"That's cool. How…how do you know all this stuff?"

Taylor shrugged.

"Trial and error, I guess. You'll learn. It took Chris and me forever to figure it out and we still haven't gotten everything."

Nathan tensed at another mention of his archrival.

"Couldn't have done it without the assistance of the great Chris, huh? The punk couldn't have my wife so he won't be satisfied until my kid is calling him Daddy."

"It's not like that."

"I don't like him hanging around and taking care of Lillian."

"You better be on your knees thanking the Man upstairs that Chris Keller was around. If it hadn't been for him and me, God knows where Jamma would have been."

"Haley…"

"Haley loves Jamma but she hasn't been much of a mother to her. She had really bad post partum depression. It started while she was pregnant and it just got worse from there. She was sick and she couldn't help it but bottom line she wasn't there."

Nathan took a step back. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. There was so much he didn't know.

"I…I had no idea."

"Before Karen came up, it was just Chris and me. And it was hard. So you can hate him for the past all you want to but when you couldn't be there and Haley couldn't be there, it was Chris who held and loved and fed and took care of your kid."

It was hard to imagine Chris in that loving parental role. And the vivid images of him taking care of his daughter did make him ill enough to vomit and mad enough to take a swing. But the thought of Haley being lost in a sea of depression and the thoughts of poor, innocent Lillian having no one, was harder to bear.

"I didn't know."

"Well, now you do. Look, you might be the kid's father but you're not the only person that cares about her. I'm still gonna be there and so is Chris. You better get used to that, Nathan. Whether you like it or not, you better check your ego at the door."