Disclaimer: I do not own OTH or any of it characters, places or such. I am simply borrowing them

AN/ Okay, here is the next update. I got it up faster than the last one, but not as fast as I wanted too. Anyways, here it is! Please review!

As always suggestions are welcome!

A man in his early forties stood watching the group at the river court. There were two guys playing basketballs, one guys sitting on the bleachers with a laptop, three girls sitting around chatting and one girl by herself reading something. The group had been there for at least 20 minutes and they had not noticed him standing in the shadows of the far right hand corner. He better leave before he was seen, but movement coming from behind him caught his attention.

SWISH!

"I think you have lost some skills there, Skills" Jake taunted as he caught the ball falling from the basket he had just made.

"Give me the ball. Let me show it how it is done"

"Show me" Jake said as he throws the ball to Skills.

Skills shot the ball and watched it hit the backboard and fall to the ground.

"What was that?" Brooke asked as Skills walked towards the bleachers and took a seat

"That was me showing all of you that I haven't played ball since high school"

"Why not?" Mouth asked

"Didn't see the point"

"What point?" Peyton asked

"He means that he could not play because he was not playing with the Scott brothers" Lucas said as they walked towards the bleachers

"Hey man" Skills said as he gave a manly hug to Lucas and then to Nathan

"Hey Skills" Meredith said as she looked up at him

"Meredith, where is my hug?" Skills asked as he bent down to her level

"I gave it away"

"You gave it away? To whom?"

Meredith looked around at the group trying to pick someone, "Haley"

Haley looked up from the magazine that she had been reading and smiled at Meredith.

"Sorry Skills you are too late"

Peyton and Brooke laughed at the look on Skills face as he turned to sit back down on the bleachers.

"Don't worry Skills. I have one for you" Theresa said as she hugged Skills from behind.

"Thanks Theresa"

Nathan laughed as he remembered the game that they were playing; only it used to start with someone asking Bevin for a hug. Bevin would say that she gave it away to someone else within the group and that person would say that they were too late and then someone else would hug the original person asking for the hug. It was a silly game started when they were in Junior High, but it was fun.

"Where did you learn that game, Meredith?" Nathan asked.

"Daddy" Meredith answered softly.

"That's right. Your dad told you about it that one day that Peyton and I came to see you and when I asked for a hug, your dad told you what to tell me." Jake said

"Yea and I gave your hug away to daddy."

"Yep that's right."

Nathan laughed as Jake talked with his sister. Jake had always been good with little kids. He looked around the group, glad to have them all in one place. They were their own little family and it was good to have everyone together. Lucas, Nathan, Haley and Peyton had been born and raised in Tree Hill. Their parents were friends and they had all been friends since diapers. When they were about 6 and the guys were just starting to play basketball, they met Skills at the park. When they were 10 years old, they met Jake and Theresa, whose families were close friends and had moved into Tree Hill over the summer. When they were 12, they met Brooke, Bevin and Mouth who had been in some of their classes, but they had never really talked too. Together they faced junior high and high school. Nathan broke his daze when he saw Haley.

Nathan walked around to the side of the bleachers to where Haley was sitting, "Hey Hales" They had been friends for a long time, but there was distance there now. Haley had told Nathan that she wanted more than just be his friend their junior year of high school, he hadn't felt the same way. Things between them had not been the same.

"Hey Nate" Haley replied as she turned to look at him. "It's good to see you live instead of on television for a change"

"I told you, anytime that you are going to be in Orlando let me know. I will get you tickets"

"How often to I get to this side of the country?"

"Good Point"

"Besides I like watching it on TV, it is my way of convincing myself that paying $39.95 a month to have all the NBA games at home is worth it. I get to watch you and Luke without leaving me couch."

Nathan just laughed. Nathan knew the real reason why Haley didn't come to Orlando. Part of it was because she lived in southern Montana and the other part was that she couldn't leave her kids. Haley had also attended UNC Wilmington, in fact most of the group did. Haley had majored in Elementary education. Just before graduation, she had received word of a very small town in Montana that was in need of an elementary teacher. It was a mountain town smaller than Tree Hill and Haley was the teacher for Kindergarten through fifth grade. Her whole class was usually about 20 students ranging through all 6 grades. She been there since graduation and loved it.

"How are the kids?"

"Good. The older ones came over to my house the other night to watch the game"

"I bet they enjoyed that" Nathan replied. Even though she didn't teach past the fifth grade she was still close with the students she had taught and even those that she hadn't. Haley lived in a medium sized home on a hill overlooking the school and it was tradition when a Magic and Bobcat game was on to go to Ms. James's house.

"They still don't believe that I grew up with you and Luke and that we have been friends forever. They believe that I know you, thanks to the personalized basketball signed by both of you."

"Well that is progress"

"Yep, how is Orlando?"

"Same as always. Warm and basketball"

"You need to get out more if that is Orlando." Haley laughed as she replied.

"Yea, that is what mom keeps telling me, well that and I have lived in Florida for 5 years and never really been out and seen the sights"

"Well, she is a big seeing sight person"

"The last time I got out of the house and really spent the day exploring Florida was when mom and dad came to visit and Lucas showed up."

"That been almost a year ago"

"Pathetic, I know"

"Nathan, you playing?" Jake asked as the guys headed towards the court to pick teams.

"Yea" Nathan turned back towards Haley, "It was good talking to you Hales" Nathan said sounding disappointed.

"Don't worry. I will be sitting here when you get done. Do you think I would miss time with my friends? Go play" Haley replied and laughed at Nathan's expression.

Nathan started jogging towards the court and could hear Meredith call behind him, "Be nice to your brother, Nathan"

Nathan stopped short, looked at Lucas and then looked back at Meredith. It was almost as if their father had said it. He smiled at his little sister and said, "I am not making any promises".

An hour later, the guys were in their third game of the night. Lucas and Jake against Nathan and Skills, each team had won a game and had declared this game to be the tie breaker. Nathan and Skills were up by 2 baskets and were 3 baskets away from winning. Mouth had decided to break out his skills and was commentating on the game from the bleachers surrounded by the cheerleaders. It was just like it had been when they were in high school.

The shadow was still in the darkness. He was surprised that no one had noticed him. He had been there for hours. He was entranced watching the four guys playing the game that was apparently loved by all. The two that most interested him were the two that had joined the group last with the little girl. The next words from the guy sitting amongst all the girls told him why.

"Nathan Scott goes for the dunk" Mouth commentated, "and here comes Lucas Scott trying to block and he does it"

"Yea Lucas" Meredith shouts from the bleachers as Skills runs after the ball

"Hey! I am your brother too!" Nathan shouts back to his sister

"Yea, but she likes Lucas better" Theresa yells back

"Oh, is that it munchkin?" Nathan said as he stood on the court by the sidelines looking at his sister

Meredith laughed as Brooke leaned over and whispered in her ear. "No Comment" was all she said as she grinned at her brother.

"Dude, I told you that she liked me more, but don't worry I still like you" Lucas said as he stood beside his brother laughing.

Nathan turned around and started walking back towards center court when he felt the little person putting her arms around his right leg. He looked down and Meredith looked back at him smiling, "Don't worry, Nate! I love you more"

Nathan laughed as he picked up his little sister and hugged her. "Ewww, Nate, you stink"

"You tell him, Meredith" Haley shouted from the bleachers.

Nathan sat down Meredith and whispered to her, "Go tell Haley that she stinks"

Meredith ran back towards the bleachers and jumped up to sit on the third row with Haley and passed the message along "Nathan said 'go tell Haley that she stinks'"

"Sending a six year old to do your dirty work now, Nate" Haley yelled towards the court at the game that was now back in full swing.

Nathan turned towards Haley as Lucas made a basket from center court. Haley laughed and pointed to the ball as it fell to the ground.

"Thanks for the assist, Hales"

"Welcome Luke"

"This is totally déjà vu" Nathan said, "Peyton, are you gonna help me?"

Peyton turned from talking with Brooke, "Just like old times"

As they had gotten older and the guys would play basketball games, Haley and Peyton would try to distract the other brother so that their best friend could make a basket. Brooke and Theresa had even joined in to help out Skills and Jake.

The game continued with Nathan making the game winning slam dunk. As he fell to the ground, a figure in the far right hand dark corner by the woods caught his eye. The figure stood there watching and then stepped into the light. Nathan gasped and "Luke" was all he could whisper.

Lucas who had been standing beside him, turned towards him, "Yea?"

"Look into the far right hand corner" Nathan said never taking his eyes off the area he was now asking his brother to look at.

Nathan knew when Lucas saw the same thing because all he could say was, "Dan"

AN/ You know what to do!