Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill, as I have stated… numerous times.

The Con

Chapter Twelve: Bending the Rules of Engagement

Nathan let himself into his childhood home with a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach. He shut the door behind him and looked around the empty entrance hall. "Dad?" he called out, taking a few steps in. "Mom?"

Deb Scott appeared out of the kitchen. Even from here Nathan could smell the alcohol on his breath. He gritted his teeth and vowed not to bring it up. Too many of his parental visits were ruined by Deb Scott's drinking. Oh yeah, and the fact that Dan Scott was an unbelievable asshole.

"Mom," Nathan said in a tired voice. "Is Dad here?"

Deb smiled lazily and walked up to her son, pulling him into a hug. Up close the alcohol was even strong. "Of course he's here," she slurred. "Would THAT ASSHOLE" - she yelled this part up the stairs - "Be able to RUIN MY LIFE" - again, yelled up the stairs - "if he wasn't?" She adjusted the collar on her red sweater and stepped up onto the first step of the stairs. "DAN, OUR SON IS HERE! I THINK HE WANTS YOU TO RUIN HIS LIFE TOO!"

Nathan rolled his eyes and put his hands in his pocket. Deb walked back and reached up, patting Nathan on the cheek.

"I am so proud of you Nathan," she said, her eyes glazed over with alcohol. "I know that to the world, you are turning out EXACTLY LIKE YOUR BASTARD OF A FATHER, but I know, that deep down, you're a good person."

"Gee, thanks Mom," Nathan muttered.

Deb waved one hand. "Don't you worry your pretty little head about it," she chimed. Seeing that Dan had arrived at the bottom of the stairs, she pulled a face. "Oh, he's here," she said sourly. "I'll be in the kitchen with my… lemonade." This caused her to cackle as she walked away.

Nathan frowned as his mom walked off. He wished that Lucas had never suggested meeting the parents now, but he knew that he had to go through with it, or Dan would probably humiliate Haley in front of an entire ballroom. It was better to just get it out of the way now.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that son," Dan said, in a tone that suggested the only reason he was sorry was because it was his pride at stake. It had nothing to do with the fact that Nathan had just seen his mother in an inebriated state. The again, that wasn't really anything new.

"Can you blame her, Dad?" Nathan asked, knowing that it wasn't a good time to argue with his father when he should really be sucking up to him in order to get him to accept Haley.

Dan gave Nathan a pointed look. "Don't start with me Nathan, I've had a bad day."

Nathan took a deep breathe. "Right, absolutely. Um, see, the thing is… Well, I was wondering if I could come over next week. You know, we could have a family dinner… you, me, Mom, Lucas, Brooke and…"

"Ugh, I can't stand that stupid slut," Dan cut in, obviously referring to Brooke, as Nathan didn't think his powers of mind reading were that great. "She has Lucas wrapped around her little finger. You mark my words she'll be the ruin of him." Dan walked over to the mail that was sat atop a side table and started leafing through it.

Nathan rolled his eyes. He guessed that unless Dan had a say in the relationship, then there was nothing any girl could do to convince him that she was good enough for the Scott boys. Well, more like the Scott legacy. Nathan doubted Dan had much concern about his sons.

"So, about that dinner?" Nathan asked. "With you, me, Mom, Lucas, Brooke and… mynewgirlfriend?" He rushed the last words out, but unfortunately, Dan caught him. His piercing blue eyes snapped up from the letter he was reading and locked on Nathan.

"What?"

"Um, I said…"

"I heard perfectly well what you said Nathan. I wish to God I hadn't, but I did. You can forget it."

"Fine, I'll just take her somewhere else…"

"Not the dinner Nathan, the girl. Drop her."

Nathan's fists balled up. "No."

Dan's jaw clenched and Nathan knew that his father didn't like the 'N' word being used against him. "Nathan, we are not having this conversation again. I've told you before. I'm not interested unless it's Peyton."

Nathan was about to argue when he suddenly had a brainwave. He unclenched his fists and nodded. "Actually, Peyton will be there," he said in a way that signified Peyton would be there in a pretty important role.

Dan's face softened. "You two finally decided to announce your engagement?" Dan asked.

"Oh, I don't think we're quite there yet," Nathan said, laughing at the thought of Haley's face if he proposed marriage this early in the relationship. "But, I think we're definitely getting there."

Dan nodded brusquely. "Good. Come up a week on Friday and I'll hire a chef. Can't really trust your Mom to do anything other than fling scotch down her throat."

------

There was a buzz in the staffroom of the Wilmington Grand Hotel after Jill, one of the reception staff, had come running in.

"You will never guess who just walked in," she shouted to a room full of dozing porters and chambermaids. "Nathan Scott!"

Everyone perked up immediately. The Scotts were the local celebrities in Wilmington because they lived so close in Tree Hill. As well as being ridiculously good looking, they were wealthy and successful. The deals over at Scott Corp. also brought a lot of custom to the hotel. What made the arrival of Nathan Scott even more interesting though, was the fact that he had already been twice. Once to drop of one of the mysterious girls from room 121, and once to pick her up. In a world where guest scandals were discussed avidly, the mysterious girls and their relation to Nathan Scott was some seriously good gossip. Already rumours were going around:

"I heard that the brunette is Dan Scott's illegitimate daughter, and the red-head is an ex!"

"I've heard they're expensive call girls, and Nathan Scott likes a little ménage a tois, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, well that's nothing. I overheard them having a conversation, and apparently, they've eloped together! They're going to tell Dan Scott soon, but he's going to blow his top!"

"Oh come on! You're all wrong! Nathan is actually dating the red-head, but he's having an affair with her sister, who is married hence the different second name!"

Everyone in the staff room jumped up and huddled to the slightly open door, trying to get a peek at Nathan Scott without getting caught. Hopefully when the brunette came down, this whole thing would come to light and they'd finally find out what was going on.

Then again, the not knowing was just as exciting.

------

Haley was fixing her hair up into a loose plait when the phone rang. "Taylor!" she yelled, cursing as she dropped the hair band. The phone continued to ring. "Taylor!" she yelled again, knowing full well that her sister was lying down on the bed reading glossy magazines. The phone happened to be right beside the bed.

Haley groaned and threw the retrieved hair band down into the sink, leaving her hair loose. She threw Taylor a dirty glance and picked the phone up. "Hello?" she asked in an annoyed voice. She hadn't gotten much sleep last night as her inner argument had reached fever pitch.

"Miss Gregory?" came the dry, polite voice of the receptionist.

"This is she," Haley answered, sitting down on the bed.

"Oh, well there's a Nathan Scott waiting to see you in reception,"

Haley felt something that felt like blind panic rush over her as she looked down at Taylor, who she now realised had head phones in. "Oh, um… Can you tell him that I'll be down I just a moment?" Haley asked.

"I'll do that."

"Thanks."

Haley put the phone down and yanked a head phone out of Taylor's ear.

"Ouch! What did you do that for?" Taylor protested, resting whatever tabloid rag she was reading on her chest.

"Nathan's here. I mean, he' not here, he's downstairs in the lobby. I need to go down," Haley said, rushing around trying to find something nicer to wear than her grey sweats and baggy oversize man's t-shirt.

"Well, go then," Taylor said as Haley slipped on a teal camisole with navy trim.

"I am!" Haley exclaimed, rooting around in her wardrobe for her indigo jeans. "Shouldn't you be at work?" she asked.

Taylor yawned. "I got the morning off. Doctor's appointment."

Haley rolled her eyes as she slipped on her jeans and a pair of black pumps with heels. "Right, well, I'm going. I'll see you… when I see you."

Taylor laughed. "Go knock him dead little bee!"

The door slammed, and was promptly re-opened.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT!"

------

Haley saw Nathan sitting down in one of the lobby chairs. She grinned and hurried over to him. "Hey," she greeted. Nathan stood up and pulled her into an embrace, placing his lips on hers and his hands on her waist. When he pulled away Haley was breathless. "Wow," she smiled. "What was that for?"

Nathan shrugged. "Do I need a reason?"

Haley laughed and shook her head. "I suppose not," she whispered, the smile wouldn't budge from her face. "Do you want to go for a walk in the gardens?" she asked. Nathan nodded and took his hand in hers as they strolled out, completely unaware of the many eyes on them.

The sun was out for a crisp and pleasant day in Wilmington, and with Nathan's hand in hers, it just felt that much better. They walked around the bloom-filled gardens, and Haley took in the scents of roses and tulips, lilies and freesias, lavender and honeysuckle.

"So," she said after a while, looking down at her hand in his. "Why did you come here? Or do you not need a reason for that too?" She smiled up at Nathan as she said this and her heart skipped a beat when he smiled too. God, he was gorgeous.

"I made arrangements for the dinner with my Dad," Nathan said. "A week on Friday."

Haley felt a mixture of excited butterflies and nervous butterflies vying for attention in her stomach. "Oh, well that's… good, right?" she asked, noting the troubled look on his face.

Nathan stopped and turned to face Haley, taking her other hand in his. "It's just… well, my family isn't exactly normal," Nathan said with a dry laugh. "In fact, they're pretty much insane."

Haley nodded. She had read about what a complete and utter arrogant jerk his father was, and she knew that this dinner wasn't going to be a pleasant experience.

"I mean, my dad is a complete control freak, and not a very nice man Hales. My mom, well, she's had to put up with my dad for all these years so… don't expect her to be sober, and whenever they're in the same room together…" Nathan cut off and bit his lip. "Well, it's just not nice. I mean, I had to imply that you were…"

Haley cut him off as she reached up and planted a soft kiss on his lips. "Don't worry about it," she whispered as she pulled away. "I'm a big girl, I can look after myself."

Nathan nodded and stared walking again, with Haley following suit.

------

"Oh my God!" Jill exclaimed, making her colleagues jump. "I've got it! I know exactly what is happening!"

"Well?" Enrique, one of the more effeminate chamber maids prodded.

"She's a con artist trying to cheat him out of his money and the other one is her accountant!"

The other employees in the staffroom groaned.

"Yeah right," Enrique pouted, and Jill nodded her head.

"Yeah, I guess that one is a little far-fetched, huh?"

------

Taylor had finally made it into work. She had no idea that working as a marketing assistant would be so damn boring. She picked a nail file out of her bag and began to file her nails down, absently reading some press release that had been placed down in front of her.

"Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah," she muttered, sighing loudly and leaning back on her chair.

'The minute you walked in the joint, bah, baah,

I could see you were a man of distinction, a real big spender.'

Taylor quickly flipped her phone open before anyone came to tell her off, and held it to her ear. "Hello," she said, keeping her voice down. All she could hear was static. "Hello," she tried again, but still, nothing but static. She pulled the phone away and looked at the caller ID screen. 'Private Number'.

Taylor rolled her eyes and put the phone down. Probably someone with really bad reception.

'The minute you wal-'

Taylor reached for the phone and flipped it open again. "Hello?" she asked. Static. She took a deep breath and leant down into her cubicle so no-one could see her. "Look, you dickwad, who the fuck do you think you are? Do you think it's clever playing silly immature games? Well, it's not, so grow up!"

She was about to flip the phone shut when a sound finally materialised on the other line, only far from feeling relief, Taylor felt cold. Shivers ran up and down her back as someone heavily breathed into her phone.

------

AN: Believe it or not, I actually really like Dan (I really do, it eve says so on my author page) but I need him to be a bastard in this because it keeps me in plot line.

I won't be able to update in a while because my exams start this week and I need to get my head down and study. They don't finish until the 26th, but I'll try and put aside an hour each day to write my fanfic.

So please, keep me inspired and review xxx