Dan wandered throughout the large, lonely house. He made his way into the kitchen where his wife was standing over the oven. She had changed from her party gear into work out clothes that sometimes served as pajamas. The make up had been scrubbed from her youthful looking face and short blonde hair was pulled up in a Pebbles style ponytail on top of her head.

From a few feet away, Dan just watched her. He said no words. They had long ago surpassed that point. After being married over 24 years they could enjoy those moments when no words needed to be spoken.

"What do you want, Dan?" she sighed, not bothering to turn around.

He smiled cockily.

"And did you know it was me, my dear?"

"I must have sensed the evil", she rolled her eyes.

He smiled as he approached her slowly. She was boiling water and reached up into the cupboard for the syrup. Dan made a face.

"What's all this?" he asked, inquiring about what she was making.

Deb didn't miss a bit.

"I'm boiling water to throw on you."

She added some syrup.

"And what's the syrup for?" he asked, with a rather hard edge to his voice.

"Oh, that's so it sticks to you", she answered quite directly.

His smug half of a smile disappeared. Being married to Deb for all those years, he had come face to face on several occasions with her more erratic side. He didn't know if she was serious and wasn't too keen on finding out firsthand.

"I love you, too", he muttered sarcastically.

Deb turned around to face him, face reddened, eyes filling with tears.

"You know, I wish you would have died on that floor at the beach house when you had your heart attack. I mean that. We all would be a lot better off."

The emotion along with the malice in her voice was more than clear. He opened his mouth to meet her remark with some sarcastic comment but at the last moment, decided against it. Instead, he just nodded and walked slowly out of the kitchen. On the way out he made a pit stop at the mini bar. He poured a nice shot of his favorite Scotch, stirring the mixture all over the melting ice cubes in his glass.

He went to the study that served as his office and opened the large bay window. The air conditioner was on to offer comfort in the steamy, balmy, humid Carolina nights but the elder Scott was craving a fresh breeze. He stared up at the dark sky that was freckled with stars.

"Hey", came a soft voice from the doorway.

Dad didn't move.

"If you've come to admonish me for my behavior earlier, then save it", he simply said.

Lucas smiled in spite of himself as he entered the dark room.

"Now why would I do that, Dad?" he asked.

"I don't know…why would you?"

Lucas shrugged.

"I don't have to. You know what you did was wrong…there's no question there. The question is, why did you do it?"

"For the same reason I've made most of the decisions in my life. To help my son."

"You really think having the paparazzi ambush Nathan and Haley with their baby would make things better? Especially when they haven't publicly confirmed everything about Jamarah?"

Dan sighed and took another sip.

"He's a good kid, your brother. A little rough around the edges and stubborn as hell but still a good kid."

"Yeah, he is."

"I love him. I love you, too, Luke. I only want what's best for both of you and I'm willing to do anything to make sure you have the best."

"Maybe so but did it ever cross your mind that you could be helpful by…oh, I don't know…not helping out so much?"

Dan smiled.

"Talk to me when you become a father."

"You're a father just wanting to protect his kids."

"That's right."

"Well, so is Nathan. He just wants to look out for his daughter."

"You know, son, I do love Lillian."

"I'm sure you do…"

"No. Don't patronize me, Lucas. I'm being sincere here. She is my granddaughter, Nathan's daughter. She's my flesh and blood. She is the future of our family and when I hold her, I feel this connection. I can't explain it with words but I have never ever felt that connected to another human being before."

"Dad…"

"I'd like to think I am a pretty successful man. I have built a million dollar fortune. I am respected by many. I have a solid reputation. I always craved money, success and power and I got it. I have accomplished many things but do you know what the four most defining moments in my life are?"

Lucas shook his head.

"No."

"The first was when Nathan was born. I held my son in my arms when he was just minutes old and I had never experienced that kind of love in my life. I didn't even know it existed. The second moment was at the field down the street. You were 12 years old, the starting quarterback for your league. That year you rushed more yards and scored more touchdowns than anyone. I was so proud."

"You were there?" Lucas questioned.

"Every game", he said proudly. "No one ever knew. Not Deb or Nathan, not your mother. It wasn't meant to be known. It was our time together, even if you didn't know I was there. I was a coward. I was wrong back then and I have apologized to both you and Karen and over the years I hope I made that up to you, son."

Lucas swallowed hard.

"What were the third and fourth?"

"My little granddaughters", he replied with a heavy heart. "Yoanna being born and then dying…it was triumph and tragedy all in a few short hours. My heart was broken. You might not see it that way but it was. Yes, I've had my differences with Haley over the years but like it or not, she is Lillian's mother. And with that she gave us all a gift…a second chance of sorts, if you will. And when we almost lost Lillian and I saved her…it was like being reborn. I gave her new life, Lucas and in turn, she gave me new life as well. And for that, we will always be bonded. We'll always be connected. You might not trust me or my motives and you might not understand everything. I am a complicated man but I'm not evil. I'm just me, son. I'm misunderstood. All I know how to do is be me. I have made mistakes and I'll probably make a whole lot more in my lifetime. Maybe I come off as brash or ruthless or insincere at times. Maybe I lie, cheat, steal and manipulate situations to work the way I see fit. But there is a method to the madness, so to speak. Everything I do now, everything I've ever done, everything I will do…it's all for you and Nathan and now Lillian."

Lucas didn't know quite what to say. It was a rare insight inside a dark but brilliant and complex mind. Lucas had seen a side of their father he never had before, a side he was sure not too many people had.

"Dad, I…"

"Don't know what to say? You're shocked?"

"Yes and yes. It's just that…I've never heard you like this."

"Not too many people have."

"It's a shame", Lucas responded quietly. "I like you when you're like this. You're real. You should let others see this side of you."

"That would be showcasing my vulnerability and to that would be a sign of weakness."

"Not to me. And not to those who love you, man."

Dan chuckled.

"Like Deb?"

"Yeah. Like Deb. She does love you, only God knows why. And Nathan. And me and Grandpa and Grandma and Jamarah…and even Uncle Keith."

"Now we're stretching it, don't you think? I am Keith's least favorite person."

It was Lucas' turn to laugh out loud as he stroked his chin.

"Let's decipher that for a moment. Okay…you treat him like garbage, you humiliate with your teasing every chance you get, you stole his dream of running a dealership and you tried to pay his wife off so she would leave him and break his heart."

Dan grinned.

"Some of my greatest work…"

"Dad!"

"Just kidding…sort of."

"I know you love Keith. You just have to show it more. You have to stop hurting him. Man, you don't have to be that guy anymore."

"What can I say? Your uncle is an easy mark. But like I said, there is a method to the madness."

"Okay. Then why did you open a dealership in the first place when you knew it was Keith's original idea?"

"Because I could. Because I had Deb's money. And because…"

"Because what?"

Dan sighed heavily.

"Because I was angry that he was taking care of you and Karen when it should have been me."

Lucas shook his head.

"You're not an all bad guy but no one is ever going to know that if you don't change. You can't keep hurting people. Dan Scott's way isn't the law of the land, I hate to break it to you, dude. You just have to take a big step back. I know you love Nathan but he will be okay. Let him live his life. And if you love Jamarah, part of that is accepting Haley. That means no more schemes or plots or any of that nonsense. It has to stop."

"I know", he said. "I've messed up, Lucas. I know that. But sometimes it's hard to keep from repeating your mistakes…even when you're ready for a change. Make sense?"

Lucas looked away. He thought about Brooke and the disaster he was slowly making of their own lives.

"More than you know", he breathed. "You're aren't the only screw up around."

"Trouble with Brooke?"

"Nothing you can help with."

"I guess it'd be foolish to accept advice on matters of the heart from me but may I suggest one thing?"

"What's that?"

"If you love her, don't lose her."

"What does that mean?"

"You tell me, son. It might require a lot of soul searching from you but whatever it takes, look deep within yourself. Troubleshoot the problem. See where you stand and where things are going wrong. Look beneath the surface. Read between the lines. But do whatever you have to do to make it right because trust me, you don't want to wake up one day with a cold bed and even colder heart."

Lucas was flabbergasted. It was like his father saw right through to what was going on with him. How did he know? And was his advice in reference to what had happened between he and Karen oh so long ago?

"Dad…"

"It's getting late, son."

Lucas nodded.

"You're right. I…I guess I should be heading back to the beach house."

"Kiss Lillian good night for me, will you?"

"Okay", he said. "Um, I guess I'll be going…"

"I'll be seeing you, Luke."

Lucas turned to leave but stopped short at the exit.

"Dad?"

"Yes son?"

Lucas took a deep breath.

"All that stuff you just said…what we talked about…it was true…wasn't it? I mean, you weren't bullshitting me? You weren't just trying to twist things around so I'd take your side against Nathan and Haley?"

"Who would do something like that?"

"A seasoned liar. A master manipulator. Someone who so wants things to go his warped way that he will imply whatever means no matter what it takes or who or what stands in his way."

"That's quite an observation."

"So is it true or what?"

Dan smiled as he looked at his son and took another sip. He turned his back and began absently staring out the window again.

"I guess you'll never know, son", he said quietly. "Some things we just weren't meant to know."