Haley yawned as she rounded the corner to the den, crossword puzzle in hand. Wrapped up in an old fuzzy robe, she longed to stretch out on the couch and watch a little TV while she worked in her book. It had only been a few hours earlier that they had landed back in Boston. With only one day off, the hectic schedule would resume right again. For Haley it had been hard and had taken some getting used to. Sometimes she didn't know whether she was coming or going.

"There it is. See what I'm talking about?"

Haley stopped as she heard voices in the den already. It was Lucas speaking.

"Nonsense, son. The Pacers' defense is too weak to worry about that anyway."

"Don't underestimate them, Dan," Lucas pointed out. "That old school fadeaway from senior year is exactly what Nathan needs to counter them. It's like a southpaw throwing a right hand in the middle of a fight. They won't know what the hell hit them."

Dan shook his head in disagreement.

"All Nathan has to do is…"

"Damn, I'm right in front of you," came a grumble from the other end of the couch. "Would you two quit talking about me like I'm not sitting right here?"

As usual, the conversation was about basketball and Nathan Scott was surrounded by his father and older brother. All Haley had wanted was a little peace but it was more than clear the room was occupied and she had stumbled upon a conversation she best steer clear from. Turning to leave, she accidentally tripped and stubbed her toe, cursing out loud.

"Well, well, what do you know?" Dan Scott smirked. "Look who we have eavesdropping. Had a little too much to drink again, eh, Boozy?"

"Lay off," Lucas warned.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I was just coming to watch some TV. I didn't know the room was taken."

"It's okay," Lucas answered. "You're more than welcome to come in…"

"No thanks. I mean, it's fine."

Dan glared over at Haley, sarcastic and inappropriate remark on the tip of his forked tongue but Lucas shot his father a warning look of his own.

"We were just leaving, weren't we, Dan?"

The elder Scott raised his eyebrows before finally standing up.

"That we were. Perfect timing, Miss Webb."

Her face turned bright red. What an intimidating, annoying, smug son of a bitch. Haley couldn't wait to bust his ass. She had personally requested to slap the handcuffs on him herself.

"It's no big deal. Really," Haley said. "I could totally go somewhere else…"

"It's cool. We're done here," Lucas said as the two men exited leaving Haley standing and Nathan on the couch.

"Sorry," she said again when they were gone. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"You didn't. You probably saved me," he motioned towards the huge wall TV.

She looked over and saw a younger Nathan playing in a basketball game in a crowded gym.

"Is that high school?" she grinned.

"The semi finals for the state championship my sophomore year."

She couldn't help but smile. He looked so young.

"Look at you."

"What about me?" he smirked.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "You were kind of cute, I guess."

He rolled his eyes but couldn't help but chuckle.

"Whatever."

"Are you studying these old tapes for a game coming up?"

Nathan sighed.

"I was chilling out, trying to enjoy my night off. My dad and my brother decided to bring out the old tapes and dissect my game like usual."

"Sounds like fun."

"Loads," he muttered sarcastically. "Anyway, I'm glad they're gone."

Haley nodded.

"Well, now that I have saved the day once again, I guess I'll go make myself scarce."

"You don't have to," he said.

"What?"

"I mean, it's cool. You don't have to watch this stuff. You said you came out here to watch TV, right?"

"Yeah. Work on my puzzle, too," she motioned to her book.

"Well, you can sit down, I mean, if you want."

"Okay," she did so on the opposite end of the sofa. "But if you want to keep watching, it really won't bother me."

He got up and switched tapes, turning on a more recent game in his NBA career versus the Indiana Pacers.

"I'm just gonna take some notes on their defense. It won't take long."

"Take your time."

She went about working on her puzzle as Nathan watched his tape. Even from the corner of her eye she could see how serious and focused he was. It was just a game, something as simple as putting a ball through a hoop. It was interesting to her that the game was the biggest part of his life.

"They're so predictable," he muttered to himself after about a half hour. "Their coach runs those same plays every time."

Haley looked over at him.

"It's really important to you, isn't it?"

Nathan shrugged.

"I guess. It's what I do."

"But it's just a game."

"So? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Aren't games supposed to be fun?"

"I guess."

"Well, is it? Do you even have fun out there, Nathan? Because sometimes I watch you and it doesn't look like it. I don't see it in your face, I don't see it in your eyes."

"It's my job. Just like nursing is your job, right?"

Haley shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"Yeah…I guess so."

"Why'd you get into it?"

She shrugged.

"For the fun and excitement, for the adrenaline rush. And also to help people."

"How do you feel about it now? I'm sure you've been doing this for a while. Maybe it's not so fun anymore. Maybe the adrenaline and excitement is too much, like when you found my mom almost dead. But through it all, you do a good thing. You still help people, right?"

"Right…"

"So that's what keeps you going. Something has to, right? Maybe it's not what you thought it would be or maybe it's not as good as it was at first but there's that little something that keeps you in the game."

"What keeps you in the game?" she asked quietly.

"It's my destiny," he stated simply. "It might sound corny or stupid or whatever but it's true. Basketball, it's what I was born to do, Haley."

"Is there anything else you ever wanted to do? Another sport, maybe? Another hobby?"

He laughed in spite of himself.

"Yeah right. Like that was gonna happen."

"But…"

"I'm a baller, Haley. That was the plan for me ever since the day I was born. My dad drilled that in me ever since I can remember."

"It sounds like more his dream than yours. You were just a little kid then, now you're an adult."

"Now I have something to prove."

"Like what? You have plenty of money, you're super talented, you're a good looking guy, you have millions of fans and everything you ever wanted. What more is there to prove, Nathan."

"Everything. I was born to win. I was born to be the best. I was born to be better than Jordan or any legacy before me. That might sound arrogant or whatever but that's the truth. It's what I have to believe. When it's all said and done, they're gonna say that Nathan Scott was the best athlete in the world."

"That's a lot of pressure."

"It is what it is."

"And if you just stop?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like right now. You've accomplished so much. You're already a legend, Nathan. If you just walk away from it all right now, then what?"

"That would never happen."

"What if it did?"

"It wouldn't."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm scared."

He sort of blurted it out, instantly regretting and recoiling that such intimacies had been made known to a virtual stranger.

"Nathan…"

"I think about it all the time," he began softly. "I'd be a liar if I told you I didn't. But I could never walk away from it. It is my life. It's a part of me, part of who I am as a man and a person. And you're right…it's a lot of pressure. But I deal with it. I don't have a choice. I'm Nathan Scott and failure isn't an option, you know? All this, whatever it is…I can't just walk away and I can't let it crumble either. That scares the shit out of me."

She gave him a small smile after yet another peek into the window of his soul. Nathan wasn't such a bad guy after all. In fact, he was starting to grow on Haley. But she had to be careful. He was still at the center of her investigation and it was imperative not to lose sight of that. His family was probably responsible for dozens of white collar crimes and Nathan Scott himself was a suspect in a possible double homicide. Still as she sat next to him talking quietly and privately, it was hard to imagine he was still the same ruthless guy from her FBI case file.

"I think you're pretty brave," the words just fell out of her mouth.

"What?"

"I don't know," she cleared her throat. "It's not an easy life. I see that now. Some people dream of the fame and money and success but maybe it's not what you think, maybe it's not great all the time. There's a lot of pressure and a lot of hard work. You really take it seriously and I respect you for that. Your dedication is amazing."

"I do what I have to do."

Haley smiled.

"Speaking of which, what did the doctor say? Tell me you went. We had a deal, remember?"

"I gave you my word and I went."

"And?" she asked impatiently.

He sighed.

"My fever was from a staph infection from bacteria that got in something called a prepatellar bursa in my knee."

He looked sheepish and embarrassed as Haley sat up, hands on her hips, shit eating grin all over her face.

"Gee, a staph infection you say? And from what? From the prepatellar bursa I warned you about how long ago?"

"Haley…"

"But nooooooo. You're Nathan Scott and you were gonna be just fine with your stupid shots because you don't listen to anybody and you know everything."

"You're enjoying this aren't you?"

"The fact that you got sick? No. Even though you totally deserve it for having such a little tude with me, I can't help but feel bad for you."

"Sympathy is appreciated," he joked. "But I know you're dying to say I told you so."

"What makes you say that?"

"Come on. It's written all over your face."

"Fine. I told you so."

"Yeah, you did."

"I suppose next time you'll listen?"

He grinned.

"Probably not."

"At least you're honest. Stubborn but honest."

"I'm gonna be fine. I feel much better already. I should be good to go for the next game, that is if a certain Nurse Ratched clears me to play."

She wiggled her eyebrows at him.

"I'll think about it."

"Uh oh."

"One condition."

"What's that?"

"That knee is gonna need some major therapy. I could help you."

"You mean work out together?"

"Something like that."

Nathan laughed.

"Whatever. If you can hang."

"Me? I can so hang. If you can keep up."

"Sounds like a challenge to me."

"We'll see. So we work out together, you keep playing, I can do my job in peace and everybody is happy."

"I'm down…just don't get in my way or anything."

She smiled to herself as she turned her attention back to her puzzle. She was quite proud of herself. Working out together would be the perfect opportunity for her to get to know more. It was just what the investigation needed. The two would spend more time together and when it was all said and done, hopefully Haley would have the info she needed to either clear Nathan Scott of all charges or nail his ass to the wall.