Nathan Scott loved his wife to be more than anything in the world. He had wanted and waited for years to marry her and finally their day was coming. He had been as excited as anyone but the handsome young man had been up to his nick in tablecloths and cake tasting. He had needed a major break. Never known for his early awakenings, he had slipped out of their home in the early morning, retreating to one of his favorite Tree Hill haunts. He took a look around at the scenery surrounding him. It was a beautiful summer morning, the weather warm and comfortable just hours before it would give way to the sweltering North Carolina heat. He looked across and saw the Cape Fear River, the immaculate body of water the only thing separating him from the city he had grown up in. In his latter teenage years, he had grown up on that very court. So much time had passed but sometimes he thought if he closed his eyes tight enough, he could still hear it, still see it, still feel what it was like to be a care free kid running up and down that court with his brother and their friends.

Opening his eyes, he bounced the ball against the dark asphalt. From mid court he released and smiled as it made a swishing sound against the net. Yep, he still had it. He loved his life and had been content with the choices he had made but a part of him still wandered about that whole other life, the one he was supposed to have had, the one mapped out for him since birth. But it felt like an eternity ago. Back then NBA dreams seemed like reality, his mother was still alive and his father was not in prison for her murder. Dribbling the ball even harder, Nathan charged down the court, eyes closed. He went for one of his trademark dunks but missed. Cursing as his hand scraped against the basket, he was oblivious to the person that had joined him.

"You know, I watched your first shot and it made me feel like maybe we both still had it. Then I watch that pathetic attempt at a dunk and now all I feel is my age."

Nathan stopped dead in his tracks. Maybe he was still dreaming. He had to be if he was hearing that voice. Slowly he turned around.

"Holy shit, dude!"

Sure enough standing in front of him in a tee shirt and work out shorts looking as blonde and tanned as ever, was Lucas Scott.

"How goes it, little brother?"

The two men walked towards each other, sharing a manly but nevertheless heartfelt embrace on the River Court that had brought them together.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Lucas shrugged.

"You know me, I can never stay away from this place too long when I'm back in town. Besides, I had a feeling I'd find you lurking around."

"How long you been here?"

"Got in late last night."

"Why didn't you call? Did you get the messages we left?"

"Yeah. About that. Sorry bro. Some stuff came up."

"I bet. Look don't worry about explaining it to me. Good luck talking to your mom and Hales. And Peyton? Luke, don't even get me started on that one."

"I know."

"Does she know you're back in town?"

Lucas shook his head.

"Nobody knows yet except Mom and Keith. You're the first person I've seen besides them and I was kind of hoping it would be that way. We have to talk."

"What's up?"

"I got a message from Haley, a few days ago, something about her planning some big dinner at your pad tomorrow night."

"Oh yeah. That stupid thing. Chicks and their dinner parties. Anyway, I know she really wanted you to come. It's kind of a big deal to Haley. She invited everyone."

"I kind of figured."

"Peyton's gonna be there. She's been staying at our place."

Lucas cringed. It was time to battle the inevitable.

"How is she?"

"Pissed as hell at you but other than that okay."

"Why isn't she over at her dad's?"

"Man, you missed all the drama. Larry has a girlfriend who moved in the house with her kid. Larry sort of forgot to mention it to Peyton."

Lucas closed his eyes. He knew his soon to be ex wife well and anyone who knew Peyton knew she didn't like surprises. With her track record, who could blame her?

"How is she taking it, Nate?"

"Not good. I mean, you know how Peyton gets. She tries not to show it or whatever but you can tell it really bothers her."

"Yeah…"

"And all this shit with you hasn't helped stuff," he threw the ball to Lucas. "I have been calling you and calling you and Haley made me call you some more. Dude, where the hell were you?"

"We need to talk about that. Stuff came up."

"Do I even want to know? Whatever it is you better have a damned good excuse. Peyton needed you about closing on the beach house and Haley has been worried sick that you were gonna just blow off the wedding."

"I'm your Best Man and your big brother and Hales is like my sister. Come on, you guys know me better than that. I'd never bail on your big day."

"I knew your ass would turn up sooner or later. I figured you were probably working on a new book or something. From the looks of it you've been spending your days on the beach and the golf course."

Lucas sighed as he shot the ball and watched it go in.

"I was. I was, um, finding myself."

Nathan smirked.

"Yeah right. And Peyton is gonna find her foot up right up your ass when you tell her that."

"We have to talk, Nathan. This is serious."

"Lucas…"

"How is Peyton? I mean, really how is she? Yeah she's a little peeved at me and her dad but other than that, does she seem okay to you? I mean, you don't get her freaking out about the divorce or anything."

"Not really. Peyton's cool. She's taking time off hanging out here but I guess she's ready to move on."

"Good. Moving on is good. That's what people do when they spilt up."

Nathan frowned.

"Okay but are you trying to convince me or yourself? What's really going on?"

A philosophical look spread across Lucas' face.

"Have you ever been walking somewhere and in a forest of dried up bark and leaves discovered a beautiful flower just sitting there?"

"Hell no," Nathan answered. "Dude, are you high? That is like the gayest thing I've ever heard of. What's wrong with you?"

Lucas rolled his eyes.

"Stay with me, bro, for a minute. I'm talking about love. I mean, you love Haley, right?"

"Of course."

"Just think about it for a second. Think about how much she means to you, how empty your life would be without that love."

"What are you trying to say?"

Lucas took a deep breath.

"I met someone."

"Someone like who?" Nathan made a face. "You mean like a girl?"

He watched in disbelief as his older brother's face lit up like the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center.

"Not just any girl, man, the girl. She, she's amazing, quite possibly the most interesting human being I've ever met. I can't explain it, I can't describe it but she makes me so damned happy."

"So let me get this straight. You take off for a few weeks and hook up with some random chick at the beach and now…"

"She's anything but random and I didn't meet her at the beach. We met in New York a little while ago."

"New York? Wait a minute. Luke, come on, bro. Don't tell me…"

"Don't tell you what?"

"Don't tell me you were cheating on Peyton this whole time?"

"Of course not. I never cheated on Peyton. I met Caylan after Peyt and I had separated and were living apart."

"Caylan?"

"Caylan Hughes is her name and she is wonderful," Lucas answered, whipping out his cell phone and proudly displaying his new girl's picture to his younger brother. "And beautiful too."

"I won't argue there. She's pretty fine. A little on the skinny side but she's hot. What is she? Some actress or model?"

"A little of both but she's very talented."

"I bet," Nathan joked. "Dude, no offense but has she even graduated high school yet? She looks, I don't know…young."

Lucas rolled his eyes.

"She's 20. She's legal, Nate."

"Barely. Dude, you couldn't find someone your own age?"

"Age is just a number, besides six years isn't that big of a gap. We have a lot in common. She's very smart and mature for her age and ambitious as hell."

Nathan threw up his hands.

"Whatever, man. I'm not even touching that one. It's your life, your business. I mean, as long as you're happy…"

"I want you to meet her. It would mean a lot to me."

"Yeah. Okay. Whenever."

"How about tomorrow night?"

"Tomorrow night? You mean as in Haley's party tomorrow night?"

"I was thinking that would be a good idea."

"You better rethink it. Lucas, that sounds like a horrible idea, like the worst idea anybody ever had in the history of ideas. Everybody is gonna be there. Hales is gonna be there and the woman you're still married to, Peyton Sawyer. And you plan on bringing your new girlfriend over for dinner after your ass has been MIA for weeks? Yeah, that'll go over real well."

"She's not my girlfriend," Lucas swallowed hard. "She's my fiancée."

"Your what?" Nathan dropped the ball.

"You heard me. I proposed. I asked Caylan to be my wife and she accepted."

"When?"

"Right before we left the Virgin Islands."

"Alright dude. Look, I don't know what the hell is going on with you. I don't know if you need a shrink or a hug or a beer or what but have you listened to a word you've just said? You're like having one of those pre life, mid life crisis deals. What the fuck? You get almost divorced from your wife, hook up with some chick that can't even buy a drink in a bar yet, run off for weeks without a word to some island and come back engaged. And now you want to spring that one on everybody tomorrow night at this party my fiancée has been so excited about?"

"Jesus, it's not that bad, Nathan and I need your help."

"Oh hell no. You're my brother and I love you but there is no way I can get involved with this mess."

"You remember when you first fell in love with Hales?"

"Luke, this has nothing to do with me and Haley's relationship. It's two different things. How are you even gonna compare it?"

"My point is, the last thing you expected when you and Tim came up with that whole tutoring scheme, was to fall in love with Haley. But it happened and you couldn't help it, you couldn't have stopped it even if you wanted to."

"So? What's your point?"

"My point is, I didn't plan to fall in love with Caylan. It just happened and now I am deliriously happy and I won't hide that or be ashamed of it. She's a part of my life. She wanted to come here with me and I am much happier with her than without her so I agreed. Peyton and I are done and she was the one who initiated that. It's safe to say we've both moved on. It was an amicable divorce, no cheating, no hard feelings. What's the big deal if I've met someone else? Peyton is still young and she's beautiful and she's a great person. It's only a matter of time before she starts dating again."

"I don't know," Nathan sighed. "This might not go over too well and you know what I'm talking about."

"I do. I kind of got that last night. Let's just say Mom and Keith are not that thrilled with me right now."

"They know?"

"We're staying at the house."

Nathan laughed in spite of the situation.

"This keeps getting better and better. How did that go?"

"Well, you know how Keith is. He's kind of at a loss for words. He's trying to be cool about it but I guess it is weird for him."

"And Karen? You can't tell me she's cool with any of this."

"Mom damn near blew a gasket. I haven't seen her that amped in a long time. She pulled me aside and gave me a lecture to end all lectures, then it was a game of 50 questions. She's just upset and hopefully with time, it'll calm down. She's not too happy that I'm engaged when technically I'm still married."

"You think?"

"Not from you, too, dude. Come on, Nate. I didn't do anything wrong. And I am happy. All this other stuff, we'll get through it, I'll fix it, smooth it over somehow. Just trust me on this, okay? And please, please give Caylan a chance. She's a nice person and I think you'd really like her if you got to know her."

"Haley is gonna have my balls on a platter," Nathan shook his head.

"Let's just keep this between us for now."

"Now you want me keeping secrets from my fiancée?"

"Just keep my being here and especially Caylan's being here on the down low for now."

"Lucas…"

"Please, man. I don't ask you for a lot."

"Fine but this is gonna be a disaster, you know that, right?"

"Don't be so pessimistic. I'll talk to Peyton. How bad could it be? Tomorrow night, you, Hales, me Caylan, Peyt, Skills, Mouth and Jake…it'll be great, just like old times."

Nathan smirked again.

"This does keep getting better and better. You forgot two more guests. Try Brooke Davis and her boyfriend, Cameron Drake."

Lucas' jaw dropped and his throat went instantly dry.

"Brooke…you mean, Brooke is actually gonna be there?"

Nathan shrugged.

"She does live in Tree Hill now and her and Haley are pretty close. What did you expect, man?"

Lucas was at a loss for words. He hadn't seen Brooke in years.

"I, I don't know."

"And we thought the Brooke/Peyton tension would be the most awkward part of the night."

"Wait. What Brooke/Peyton tension?"

"Brooke has this dance school and Jenny is one of her students. Jake couldn't pick her up one day last week so he asked Peyton to go in his place. Let's just say the reunion was less than welcoming."

"Excellent," Lucas muttered sarcastically. "Weird tension, drama, betrayal, cat fights. I thought I'd left all that behind a long time ago."

Nathan grinned as he picked up the ball and motioned to his brother for a game of one on one.

"And this is only the beginning. Welcome home, big brother."