Disclaimer: I don't own OTH or any of its characters. I am just borrowing them.

AN/ Hey guys, here is the second chapter. You will get to meet Meredith who I based off my niece who is 6. Don't forget to read and review

Karen, Lucas and Meredith entered the church and walked towards the rest of the family. They would all be entering the sanctuary together. Meredith was still clinging to Lucas.

As they approached the rest of the family, Mae turned to hug her oldest grandson and asked, "Did you hear from Nathan?"

"No, ma'am." Lucas knew that if he told anyone that Nathan was sitting outside that they would want to rush to get him. He would come in when he was ready. He may never be ready.

"Well, I know he loved your dad very much. I am sure that he will come if he wants too"

"Yea"

Mae turned to talk to Karen, as Meredith asked "Luke, where's Nate?"

Lucas looked at his little sister. He couldn't lie to her and he knew it. "Come on little girl. Mom, we will be right back," Lucas said as he started walking towards the front door.

"Where is he going?" Royal asked

"To see Nathan," Karen answered. She too had seen her youngest son sitting in that car.

"Lucas said he hadn't heard from him," Mae said

"He didn't. Nathan is outside."

"You'd think that boy would have enough respect to come inside for the funeral of the man who raised him," Royal said

Karen turned to royal "When he wants to come in he will. Keith knew how Nathan felt about him. The last time we were here was to bury his wife and son. I know it is hard for him, it is hard for all of us"

Nathan got out of his rental car as the crowd outside of the church started to become thin. He took off his ball cap and throws it in the car before he shut the door. He walked towards the front of the car and sat down on the hood. He looked at his surrounding and realized how peaceful it was. His eyes wondered towards the cemetery that was behind and off to the side from the church building. The place where the people that Nathan loved were laid to rest, his mom, wife, child. His father would be buried there today. He heard footsteps coming and looked to see Meredith running down the sidewalk towards him. Lucas walking behind her; She wore a huge smile. He smiled back at her and met her on the sidewalk where he picked her up and hugged her tight.

"Nate!"

"Hey munchkin"

"I missed you"

"I missed you too"

"Mommy is sad, so is Luke. Are you sad too?"

"Yea, I am sad too"

"Why is everyone sad?"

Nathan looked towards his brother as Lucas shrugged.

Nathan looked back towards the little girl and asked, "Did mommy tell you what is going on?"

"She said that daddy had to leave and that he wasn't coming back"

"That's right"

"Why did daddy leave me? Was I bad? Did he not love me enough?" Meredith asked as tears threatened to come from her eyes

"Oh, no, shrimp" Lucas said as he put his hand on her back, "daddy loved you more than life. He loved all of us. It was not his choice to leave."

Meredith looked between her brothers, she knew that they would always tell her the truth and they wouldn't treat her like a baby. There was something that she needed to know, "Did daddy die?" Meredith asked with a small voice

Nathan and Lucas looked at each other and then back at their sister, the tears flowing down her face. She was a smart 5 year old and they knew that she wanted the truth.

Nathan placed Meredith on the hood of his rental car and they both squatted in front of her. With tears running down his face, Nathan removed his sunglasses and answered, "Yea, Meredith, daddy died"

Meredith looked at Lucas and then back at Nathan. She felt her world crumble even farther. Her daddy was really not coming back.

"But you are still my brothers right?" Meredith asked in a small voice

"Meredith, we will always be your brothers. No matter what happens! Just because dad is not here anymore does not mean that we are not your brothers." Lucas answered the little girl.

"Promise?"

"Promise" Nathan and Lucas said at the same time

Meredith leaned forward and put one of her little arms around each one of their necks and hugged them.

"Can we go say goodbye to daddy now?"

"Yea, we can go say bye to dad now" Nathan answered as they broke their hug. Nathan picked up Meredith and started walking towards the church, Lucas following behind.

They were almost to the entrance when Jake came out, "Hey guys! I was just coming to look for you. Nathan?"

"Hey Jake."

"I am sorry that it is under this conditions that we see each other again"

"Yea, me too"

"Your mom was beginning to worry."

"Come on Meredith, let go inside" Lucas said as Meredith left one brother's arms and went into another.

"Nate, aren't you coming?" Meredith asked

"In a minute, Munchkin" Nate answered as Lucas started walking into the church

"You sure you are ok?" Jake asked once Lucas and Meredith were out of sight

"Not really. I haven't been in a church in five years. I avoid them and now to be back in the same church again, it's overwhelming. All of the memories are coming back, all the hurt and pain, all the things that I have tried to forget. It is not just this church, it is this town"

"I didn't think you were going to come back for this"

"I wasn't expecting to, but I found myself ordering a plane ticket last night for the early morning flight this morning. I figured out that I owe it to him to come back and say goodbye. He raised me. I knew I could not be selfish and box myself in my house in Miami just because this town and this place hold those memories."

"Well, it is good to see you"

"It is good to see you too, Jake. Thanks for taking care of my mom the other night."

"It is like I told the chief, he was a father to all of us. It was my duty to tell the woman who was a mother to us that he was gone. They were parents to all of us. Even after you two left. To this day, she tells me that she misses all of her kids."

"Did someone tell them?"

"Yea, I did"

"Did any of them come?"

"They are here and waiting with the rest of the family"

"Jake, are you coming?" Peyton said as she stuck her head out of the entrance, "Nathan!" Peyton said as she walked over to hug him.

"Hey Peyt"

"We can talk later right now, we need to go inside. They are seating the family. You coming?"

"Go on ahead, I will be there in a minute" Nathan said as Jake and Peyton entered the church

"Is he coming in?" Karen asked Lucas as the stood at the doors to the sanctuary.

"I don't know"

"He told me he was" Meredith said as she looked at her mom

Lucas had told Karen about what Meredith had asked them. He told her that they had told her the absolute truth, that he was dead. Karen knew that her daughter would ask that question; it was only a matter of time.

"He is outside, I am not sure if he is coming" Peyton told Karen as Jake and herself rejoined the group.

"Who's outside?" Brooke asked "Nathan?"

"Yea, Nathan"

"Nathan's here?" Theresa asked

"Outside" Jake replied

"Is he coming in?" Mouth asked

Lucas shrugged his shoulders as the doors to the sanctuary opened allowing the family to walk towards the front. Royal and Mae were first, followed by Karen, Lucas and Meredith and the rest of the "children".

Outside, Nathan stood by the door. He had heard the conversation about him and he watched as his family walked through the double doors. He could not bring himself to go in there just yet. Instead he walked towards the cemetery and headed straight for his mom's place of rest.

"Hey mom" Nathan said as he bent down and wiped the headstone with his hand, "It has been so long since I have been here to talk to you. I am sorry about that. I made it into the NBA. I am a professional basketball player now. As you probably already know, dad died. He is probably somewhere with you right now telling you all about how good of a boy I was. Don't let him lie to you." Nathan laughed, "I really miss you. I will be back soon, I promise" Nathan kissed his hand and placed it on the headstone,

Nathan rose to his feet and walked towards the back of the cemetery. He stopped next to two headstones with a space between them. That space was reserved for him. After they had been killed, he had thought about finding a way to occupy that space sooner. That thought never progressed to be more than a thought. He bent down in front of the first headstone and ran his hands along the name 'Michael Keith Scott', his son. "Hey little man, it's daddy. I know I haven't been here in a while and I am sorry about that. I know that you are taking care of mommy for me, right?"

Nathan looked over towards the headstone to the right of his son's and saw the name, 'Bevin Marie Scott' and broke down sobbing

AN/ There you go! I know everyone is surprised that Nathan was married to Bevin, but I couldn't kill Haley. It will all make sense soon!