I'm hoping that this story will become a bit more popular... I know it's slow going and a bit confusing right now, so you can review and ask me to clarify something, or something, butI see it unfolding just the way I planned it so I hope yall like and review!

A u s t y n


Chapter 3- Lightening the Whole

"Mommy, you're going to be there right?" the little girl asked, bouncing into the kitchen, far from the sleepiness of the night before.

"I'll try baby girl, but I might not be able to get away from work," that wasn't a total lie. There was some truth, she might not be able to get away from work, but anther thing was, she sure didn't want to show her face in Tree Hill. She sent her daughter to Tree Hill Elementary, a rather nice bus ride from where they lived, because she knew it would be best for her. Today was her performance for parent's day in front of her class, "Well, why don't you show me now, just in case, I really want to see it."

"I can't, you have to wait until you come to school, please mommy, please come," the little girl begged, her blue eyes wide. She looked just like her father sometimes, and it hurt Haley to see it, "What about daddy? Ashley's mommy and daddy are coming," she said, referring to one of her friends.

"Honey, remember, we talked about this. It's just me and you, but I'll try. Okay, I can't promise anything, but I'll try."

"I remember, he didn't want me," her smiled faded.

"But I wanted you, that's all that matters," Haley said, "Come on, you're going to be late for school," she said ushering the little girl out the door.

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"I want to see better lay-ups, we practiced this, last night, remember?" Nathan asked, yelling at his kids. The two boys were the oldest, at 15 and 16, the youngest, his daughter, 13. She was a freshman at THHS, and was becoming a part of the sports world. She was good, she just liked other thing s better. The boys, a sophomore, and a junior, we legends at THHS. Nathan Scott, the basketball coach, drilled them morning and night. They would come in at 6 to have practice before school, and sometimes stay as late as nine for practice afterwards. Life was sort of like that for them the past five years, since Nathan's wife, and the children's mom, disappeared. No one telling them not to practice so much, no one telling them when to eat, or what to eat, except Nathan, who told them to eat high energy, low fat foods, to fuel the body for the game. And certainly, there was no one to tell them to do their homework, or to study, or even attempt an A, a D was okay, anything above, and you were a genius in their house, they only needed enough to maintain a 2.0 to play the game, and that's all they did.

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She saw him, standing there, drilling those kids so hard to play ball. She felt guilty. When she left she should have taken them with her. Now, they were probably scarred for life, and hated her guts. Nathan only noticed her standing in the doorway when they stopped playing, and froze. She didn't think they would recognize her, but maybe it was because of the time, they were shocked to see someone else in the gym that early, almost seven.

He blew his whistle, "Did I tell you to stop playing?" The three shook their heads in unison, "Then why did you. And your answer better not be that someone walked into the gym, cause people walk into the gym all the time during games, and we don't freeze then. 20 laps, each go!" he blew his whistle and they started running, like little soldiers.

He walked over to her, "Why?"

"What?"

"Why are you here? Why did you leave? Why didn't you come back? Any of those would be a good start."

"Abby."

"Abby?"

Haley fumbled in her purse, and pulled out a school picture of their little girl and handed it to him.

"What is this?" he asked.

"A picture of your daughter."

"This isn't Ally."

"It's Abby."

"Haley, I know you've been gone for five years, but our daughter's name is Ally, and our sons are Andy and Alex."

"Look at the date, this year, Ally didn't turn five this year, did she, she turning 14."

"Then who is Abby?"

"The daughter you didn't want."

"What!"

"Five years ago, you practically begged not to have anymore kids. Remember, I told you to go first with what you had to say, and I walked out before I told you what I had to say. I was pregnant, Nathan, and how the hell was I supposed to say something after all that?"

"How the hell could you leave for five years, and leave me with kids who kept asking when Mommy's coming home?"

"How do you deal with a little girl who asks why she never met her daddy, or why doesn't her daddy love her, or why doesn't her daddy want her?"

"Why the hell would you do that-" he was interrupted.

"Daddy," Ally said, pretty tired, "We finished."

"And this is a good reason to interrupt an adult conversation?"

"Nathan!" Haley was shocked.

"What, they're my kids."

"Bull shit, Nathan, bull shit." Andy, Alex and Ally stood there with wide eyes at what was going on.

"Then who's kids are they? Sure as hell not yours, you haven't even seen them in five years."

"That's a lie Nathan, I work in Tree Hill, Abby goes to Tree Hill Elementary, I live just outside of Tree Hill, I've seen them almost everyday."

"Then why did you just find it a good time now to come ant talk to me, tell me about Abby?"

"She wants you there."

"Who wants me where?"

"Mandy wants you at parent's day, today, it starts at 9:30. She goes on around ten. Prove me to be a liar. Obviously, if you come, I've lied to her, her whole life, but if you don't, then I told her the truth, and no problem, and I assume you'll be here after school, maybe Andy, Alex and Ally would like to meet Mandy. You can't stop them from meeting their little sister."

"Mommy?" Ally asked, after listening to the whole thing. Andy and Alex were still shocked, and didn't know where their sister was getting this from.

"Ally, what did I tell you?"

"Nathan, she wasn't talking to you, she was talking to me, and as far as I was concerned our conversation was done, so your stupid little rule really doesn't apply here, so go back and mind your own business."

Nathan looked really pissed, but walked away.

"Mommy?" Ally repeated.

"Yes baby, it's mommy."

"Why did you leave?"

Haley showed her the picture. "That's your little sister, Abby, daddy didn't want her, and if I stayed, daddy might have hurt her, and then you wouldn't get to be a big sister. I'm sorry I left. Your little sister needed help, and I helped her. I'm sorry for leaving," Haley said, reaching out to her daughter.

Ally walked over to her and gave her a big hug, "Mommy, I hate basketball, I'm no good. Daddy says I'm a Scott, I have to be good," she said, with tears in her eyes.

"You get that from me, I couldn't make a basket if my life depended on it."

Ally let out a small smile, "I'm still mad, but I understand."

"You should come, all three of you."

Andy and Alex looked at her, then Andy, the oldest, spoke up, "Do you know how bad dad's been these past five years? No, you don't, and for you to come back here and act like this, like everything's okay, you just can't."

"I agree, you haven't been there, anywhere. If you were scared of him, don't you think we would be even more so. But, I am a forgiving person, you did teach me that, and I would like to meet my little sister, what was her name?"

"Abby, Abigail. She reminds me of a little bird. She doesn't exactly know about you all though, I did try telling her, a couple times, but I think she's too young to understand. Andy? You in?"

"Why not, let's jet."