Author: Lovers-Heart

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Some of the characters are made up while the others belong to the CW and the fictional world they have created. The idea comes from the plot of 'The Family Man' but it is changed to my own writing style and inspiration.

Synopsis: Nathan Scott had all he ever wanted. He was rich, famous and the crowd loved him. One day however he wakes up to a whole new life and a whole new family. Will he adapt to his life as a husband and a father or will he do his best to go back to his old life? Will Nathan find his way back to normal or will he find something even better? Fact is... He is the one person who gets an answer to the question we are all thinking about: what if?

Second life, first love

Haley James Scott was proud to be a mother. She adored all of her three children as much as she adored her husband. She knew all of their quirks and habits and she was therefore not surprised when she heard the door creak open. Even if she would have been fast asleep, her mother heart would still have heard the little footsteps coming up towards the bed.

She smiled when she thought about her daughter. Even though Katie was a mere four years old, she had developed a strong mind about her preferences. She believed her father to be a hero and she loved the idea of waking him up because she knew that he would do so with a smile. Her husband adored his children and he was never too tired to listen to or too occupied to take the time for them. She smiled when she thought about her family. Even though she had been so young when she became a mother, she would not change one single moment. It had brought her this life.

'Good morning, daddy.'

Her face softened when she heard her daughter speak. It was obvious that Katie wanted to climb into their bed but she was waiting for her father to lift her up. This morning however it seemed as if Nathan needed some encouragement before he woke up. She opened her eyes and gave herself time to adjust to the morning light before she looked at her husband. She almost laughed out loud when she saw the look of pure bewilderment on his face. Life was never boring in a household such as theirs. She gazed at him with all the love she felt for him and told him:

'Good morning, husband. Welcome to another day of craziness.'

Nathan had never felt more confused. Before he had seen the face of the woman next to him, he could have sworn that this was all a prank. Some of his friends could have come up with the idea and could have placed hidden cameras to laugh with his expression. It was a horrible idea but at least he could have understood. But this could be no such thing. Because the woman next to him would never have been a part of such a devious plot. The woman next to him wasn't even supposed to be here. The woman next to him had been a part of his past but he had never seen her as a part of his present or future. The woman next to him was the one woman he had wanted to avoid at all costs... Haley James.

He could not have forgotten her even if he would have tried. Lucas had introduced them to eachother since she had been his brother's best friend. Soon she became one of his friends as well and he had started to see her as something more. He had however done his best to erase his feelings for her because he had feared that she would keep him from pursuing his dream. He had built a wall around his heart and from then on... the conversations between them had been awkward and their moments had diminished. He had left his hometown when he graduated and he never came back, except for the occasional vacations and holidays. He knew that she was Caitlin's godmother and it was therefore inevitable that he saw her once in a while but he made sure that nothing could ever come out of it. He also knew her character and he knew that she was far too honourable and good-natured to cooperate in a prank such as this. But what had happened? And why was she calling him her husband?

He saw her lean over him to lift up the toddler, who had continued standing next to him while he was lost in thoughts. He saw the easiness and calmness she possessed and wondered if he had missed one of his brother's comments concerning Haley about marriage and motherhood. But it still did not explain this unusual situation. Before he could ask what was going on, the door creaked open once more. Another little girl appeared and behind her came an elder boy. Both of them looked tired but once they saw him, their eyes widened with excitement and they ran over to his side of the bed. It soon seemed as if all the noise of the neighbourhood had gathered in this room and Nathan felt as if his head was going to explode.

He wanted to scream, he wanted to shout and he wanted to ask what was going on but even he knew that he couldn't do this with three children in the room who seemed so excited to see him. Not one of them appeared to be uncomfortable and it seemed as if they were all very much at ease with the situation. Even Haley seemed content where she was. He knew from experience however that the years had made her behave awkward and uncomfortable around him but nothing from the kind could be seen now. Nathan watched in amazement how she ushered all the children out of the room. She then closed the door for a few seconds before she came to sit next to him. His mind running all over the place, he was taken aback when he felt her lips on his. Even though it was nothing but a gentle stroke, it left him shaken. He had never expected to experience this with her and he had certainly never expected their first kiss to be so gentle and brief. He saw her close her eyes for a second before she moved away to the door.

'I will feed our little monsters. Come down when you want to. I know you must be tired.'

The last sentence was the one to make sense. He was tired. He was so tired that he must be dreaming or hallucinating. There was no other explanation possible. He kicked against a little stool which stood in the corner of the room but nothing happened. He knew that only one thing remained: he would have to explore. He looked around the room and his eyes travelled towards the framed photographs. Sure enough... he could recognize himself on almost all of them and he recognized those children as well. One picture however left him breathless. It was a wedding picture and it seemed as if all his relatives had been present. But it wasn't that particular fact that stunned him into silence. It was the fact that the groom was none other than himself and the look in his eyes could be described as nothing less than pure devotion.

He stumbled a few steps backwards and let himself fall onto the bed once more. In movies, things like these happened all the times but Nathan Scott was no actor. He was as less an actor as he was a father and a husband. The truth however seemed to stare him right into the face and the truth happened to disagree with his statement. Still doubting his eyes, he went the adjoining bathroom. He could only hope that the water would take this mess away.

Haley James Scott smiled when she felt her daughter in her arms. Her husband still seemed dazzled and she could not blame him. He had been gone for almost a week to coach the team in Charlotte and he had returned no sooner than last evening. She had been glad to see him but it seemed as if he still suffered from anticlimactic conditions. She knew from experience how hard it was to manage the Scott household and she did not blame her husband for needing time to adjust.

Both Jamie and Charlotte came into their room as well and her heart clenched when she saw their faces lit up with excitement. She knew how much her children missed their father when he was away and she knew it was even harder for Jamie and Charlotte then it was for Katie. Jamie was eleven years old and he idolized his father now even more then when he was a child. Charlotte was six years old and, even though she had a closer bond with her mother, she missed her father as much as her siblings did. She suppressed a sigh before she ushered the children out of the room. She would have to intervene in a couple of moments but it was worth the time she could spend with her husband. She sat next to him before she kissed him on the mouth. Their morning kisses were never more than gentle and brief. Her husband had once said: 'we may begin our day gentle and brief Hales but everyone knows that you have to save the best till last.'

She shook her head when she saw the shock on his face and wondered what was going on. He had had needed some time to recover before but he had never been so out of focus or confused. Perhaps something had gone wrong at the game and he was now repeating every manoeuvre in his head. She knew how obsessive Nathan became when it came to the game. She never understood what attraction a ball and a hoop held but she pretended to be interested for the sake of her husband. She braced herself for breakfast before she walked down the stairs towards the kitchen.

She took out some bowls and poured all of her children their favourite brand of cereal. She then gave each of them a glass of juice before she set herself off to the task of baking pancakes. Special occasions had to be celebrated with pancakes and the return of their father had been reason enough to call this a special occasion. Soon, each of her children had their own plate of pancakes in front of them and she was now taking both care of Katie and holding a watchful eye on her other two children.

'Mommy. Why didn't daddy lift me up?'

'Oh sweetie. Your daddy is still tired from his trip. I am sure that he will lift his Katie-bear up before the afternoon even arrives. You know that he cannot survive another day without a hug from you. Let 's make sure that he rest enough for now. Besides, we can't be all such early risers.'

She eased her daughter's mind because she knew how upset Katie had been when she had not received her usual welcome. Her husband must have been too tired to think about it but she was sure that he would make up for Katie's loss before the day had even ended. He was a wonderful father to their children and she could not have chosen a more perfect husband.

'Mom. If dad comes down, could you ask him if he wanted to play with me? I am going to shoot some hoops outside before we have to leave for school.'

Her son was as obsessed with basketball as his father. She knew that it was bound to happen after more than four basketball-obsessed generations. Jamie was now playing for a minor team in town but his strive to be the best and his competitive manner were already known all over town. Even though he looked like Lucas, no one could deny that his character was similar to that of Nathan. Even though all her children were unique in their own way, not one of them could deny who their parents were. Jamie looked like his uncle but his character was a wonderful mix of the intelligence of his mother and the competitiveness of his father. Charlotte looked so much like her father that people had even started to call her Little Scott. Her character however was all her mother. Katie had been their last and she was the one who looked the most like her mother. Her character depended on who she wanted to imitate when. They were her everything and she would not trade them for the world. Her musings were stopped when she heard the shower start. She hoped that it would clear her husband's head and that it would ease away his worries.

Nathan had been too long in the bathroom. He knew that because, even though his hands had gotten wrinkled, he did not leave the shower. The interior had not changed back to its familiar surroundings and the wash clothes had remained to be a cream colour instead of the neutral black ones he preferred. He had gotten dressed but not before he had encountered at least two drawers with clothes which belonged to Haley. Or at least he assumed it to be.

He went down the stairs but he found nothing but emptiness. On the kitchen isle, a plate with pancakes could be found with a little note attached to it. Nate. I assumed you needed the time to collect your thoughts before you came down so I left to take the children to school. I will see you when I get home. Eat the pancakes and take some rest afterwards. Love you xxx Hales.

The note didn't make things much clearer than they were before. She was right about the fact that he needed to collect his thoughts but he was certain that he would not be able to do so in this horrid world. What he needed was someone who told him the facts. Someone who told him what the hell had happened during the time when he went to sleep and woke up. He knew that he needed a shrink. But because he had no idea where he was, he opted for the next best thing. He searched for the telephone, took it up and dialled the one number he knew by heart. He was going to get some answers.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has read the first chapter and who has left me a comment. It is nice to know your thoughts so continue doing so for this chapter.