Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.

A/N: Hi all. Here's the next chapter. Hope everyone enjoys. Thanks as always to the readers and especially the reviewers. Love ya!

"Have you seen this?" Karen asked Monday morning, dropping the newspaper in front of Lucas.

He eyed the paper and shook his head in disgust. A picture of Deb was plastered on the front page, overtop, in big, bold letters, was written: "Respected local wife and mother tries to end life." The article was featured on the side, with a 'continued on page 3' to urge readers to continue the story. "I heard about it," Lucas said with a frown. "I guess people don't believe in privacy in this town."

"Have they ever?" Karen asked. "How did you find out?"

"Haley told me yesterday. She was at Peyton's on the weekend and apparently Nathan showed up drunk and upset."

"That's terrible," Karen said sympathetically.

"She also said Dan beat him up pretty bad."

Karen sighed softly and rubbed her son's arm. For probably the hundredth time she wondered what had happened to that sweet boy she'd known in high school. "You did what you could, my boy."

"Did I?"

"You reported it. There was nothing else you could have done."

"Yeah, well a lot of good it did, huh? Nothing was done. The police, they just…took Nathan's word for it and didn't check into it any more than that."

"I know, but you have to remember that without an admission or concrete evidence, there's not much the police could do."

"They could have questioned him more," Luke argued. "Eventually he would have stumbled on his lies and then there would have been proof. But they didn't bother because nobody wants to take on Dan Scott. And Nathan? You know, I don't get why he wouldn't just admit it. Why would he want to live like that?"

"Why wouldn't you admit it when Nathan beat you?" Karen pointed out. "Why did it take a tape to get to the truth? Obviously there's some misplaced loyalty there."

Lucas sneered at the comment. "Yeah, well, Dan doesn't deserve anybody's loyalty."

"I'm with you there," Karen agreed, taking a sip of her coffee. "Then again, Nathan didn't deserve yours either."

"But that's his dad," Luke said, "which makes it that much worse."

"Agreed," Karen replied. "I'll tell you one thing; if I ever regretted cutting him out of your life, I don't anymore. And his wife is obviously unstable as well."

"Married to him, who wouldn't be?" Luke said snidely. "I just wonder how Nathan's taking it. You know? If he's holding up any better."

"Well, if he's seen the headlines, then my guess is probably not," Karen retorted, to which Lucas had to agree.

"Can I stay home today?" Nathan asked hopefully as he caught sight of the morning paper. The last thing he wanted right now was the inevitable stares that were sure to come the moment he stepped onto school property.

Dan scoffed at the question. "With your grades, you can't afford to miss."

"It's not like I'll be able to concentrate anyways," Nathan grumbled.

"So just your routine day then," Dan replied cuttingly. "Don't try to use your mother as an excuse for not paying attention in class when that's been your habit all along. You've pinned enough on her, don't you think?"

"I'm sorry," Nathan replied softly. "I didn't mean to say all that stuff to her."

"Cut the crap, alright. You meant every word."

Nathan didn't reply because, truth be told, he had meant it. There was nothing he'd said to his mother that he didn't truly feel. And maybe that made him an ass but he'd held it in for so long and he'd finally blown up. What he hadn't meant was for her to turn around and do what she'd done. If he had known she would react that way, he would have kept his mouth shut.

"Finish your breakfast," Dan ordered. "I'll drop you off at school on my way to the office."

"Dad…"

"Nathan, just do what I say, will ya?" Dan returned impatiently.

Nathan sighed and looked down to hide the hurt expression on his face. A few minutes later they were pulling in Tree Hill High's parking lot, neither of them having spoken a word the entire ride.

"Don't forget the lawyer's appointment after school," Dan warned him just as he was getting out.

"You're still going, right?"

"I said I was, didn't I?" Dan answered tersely. "I'll meet you there at 4:00 and don't be late."

"Hey," Peyton said as she met Nathan at his locker and handed him his keys. "I drove your car this morning. Figured you could take me home after school."

Nathan took the keys from her and slid them in his pocket. "Thanks. You'll have to catch a ride with someone else though," he said. "I have somewhere to be."

"Nate, I'm sorry I spilled that stuff about your dad, ok. He was just so…smug, and after what he did, I was so pissed…"

"It's ok, Peyt," he interrupted. "I'm not mad at you."

"Why the cold shoulder then?" she wanted to know. "Nate, talk to me," she pressed when he didn't reply.

He sighed before answering. "I don't know, I just…everything's so messed up right now and I wish…"

"What?"

"Nothing. It doesn't matter."

"Nathan," she whispered, placing a gentle hand on his arm.

He looked down at where she touched him and sighed again. "I just wish I hadn't fucked everything up with you because…I feel like if we were…you know, if we were together, then this would all be easier.

"I'm still here for you, Nate. I always will be."

"As my friend? It's not the same. That just makes it worse."

Peyton opened her mouth to speak, but Nathan cut her off once more. "Look, Peyton, it's no secret that I want to be with you. And unless you want to be with me too, I mean really be with me…well, I can't really handle anything else. I'm sorry."

He shut his locker and walked away, leaving Peyton standing there, staring after him.

-- --

Shelly watched as he walked right past her with nothing but a curt nod for a greeting. She sighed in disappointment, hoping he might have offered some kind of apology or explanation for standing her up on Saturday night. She'd been furious with him prior to seeing the morning paper but since she had, she was prepared to let him know that she completely understood and that she was there for him if he needed her. A part of her was also selfishly happy that he had a good reason for missing their date. She had no way of knowing that he'd actually bailed on the date before his mother's attempted suicide had occurred. But she was disheartened that he'd barely acknowledged her and even more so by seeing him and Peyton together. And naturally she couldn't help wonder what had happened to his face.

"You know," she heard beside her. "You and Nathan make a cute couple. And I know he really likes you."

She glanced beside her and offered a tiny smile. "Damien, right?"

"That's right," he said, feeling smug that she knew who he was. "And you're Shelly."

"Yeah," she replied. "So you always say things like cute couple?"

"Why? What's wrong with cute couple?"

"Oh, nothing. It just seems like, I don't know, a girl comment, I guess. No offense."

"None taken," he said even though his fists clenched tightly in his pockets. Who did this bitch think she was talking to? "Anyway, as I was saying, he really likes you."

"Yeah?" she asked curiously. "Did he tell you that?"

"He didn't have to. He and I, we're tight and I can tell."

"And Peyton?"

"What about her?"

"Seems like he's still into her."

"You know, you didn't hear this from me, but those two just don't fit. The only reason he keeps going to her is because he thinks she's the only one who cares about him. But if someone else were to show him differently, well, who knows what would happen?"

"I'm not really into playing games," Shelly replied. "Besides I'm not exactly competition for Peyton Sawyer. Not that I want to be."

"You don't want to be with him?"

"I didn't say that, but if he's still hung up on her…"

"It's because, as I just said, nobody else has shown him that they give a shit what happens to him."

"That's kinda hard to believe," Shelly scoffed. "Considering most of the girls in this school alone are madly in love with him."

"More like infatuated," Damien argued. "Not the same thing and not what Nathan needs, especially now. Look, he was starting to care about you and if you feel the same way, then you need to let him know that you're around for him."

Shelly gave him a suspicious look. "You have something against Peyton?"

"Not at all. I just don't think she's the girl for Nathan," he said aloud. Because she's mine, he said to himself.

"Ok, well, if he cares about me so much, then why did he snub me just now?"

"Who knows? My guess is he probably thinks you're mad at him for something. He's not real big on confrontation. He gets that enough from Peyton. Or it might be because he's going through a tough time and doesn't think you'd want to deal with that. He gets that way sometimes."

"I would be there for him if he came to me," she admitted.

"Well, he doesn't know that, does he? Unless you tell him. Think about it."

He walked away with a satisfied grin, confident that he'd gotten through to her. With Shelly back in the picture, Peyton wouldn't be so quick to take Nathan back like he feared she was about to do.

"I don't know, maybe I should take him back," Peyton said thoughtfully as she and Rachel walked down the school hallway toward the lunch room.

"And why's that?" Rachel questioned haughtily. "Are you suddenly convinced he's not a cheating ass? Or is it because you feel sorry for him?" She waited for a reply, but none came, confirming her suspicions. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Peyton, pity is not a reason to reconcile with your ex-boyfriend. Do you really need me to tell you that?"

"It's not just that," Peyton contradicted. "I miss him and I'm in love with him."

"I know you are but you were in love with him when you broke up with him too."

"Well, maybe I made a mistake."

"You really think that?"

Peyton sighed deeply. "Sometimes, yeah. No, not really."

"Good, cuz I'm telling you, you didn't."

"But he's going through so much right now and if I can make things better for him..."

"Hold it," Rachel cut off. "You can't think that way, Peyton. He can't depend on you for everything. He needs to learn how to stand up on his own."

Peyton scoffed at the redhead's remark. "That's cold, Rachel. Everyone needs someone to lean on once in a while."

"But sometimes they need to work things out on their own. Nathan has become far too dependant on you and I'm telling you it's not healthy. He needs to man up and deal with things himself."

"You sound like his dad," Peyton sneered in rebuttal.

"Well, maybe his dad's right."

"His mother…"

"I know and I feel for him…"

"Do you?" Peyton snarled.

"Look, just because I don't rush to his side for every little problem doesn't mean I don't care."

"You didn't see him this weekend, ok," Peyton snapped. "If you had, you wouldn't call this a little problem. And, for the record, I didn't rush to his side. He came to me."

"Because he knew he could."

"I want him to know he can. He shouldn't have to go through this stuff alone."

"Girl, he's not alone. He has his friends. We're all here for him if he'd only open up to any of us. But, ok, forget this whole conversation and go ahead and take him back if that's what you're gonna do."

"I don't need your permission, you know."

"No, you don't, but as your friend, you will get my opinion, like it or not."

"If anything's clear, it's that," Peyton mumbled sarcastically.

"Look, I just don't want you taking him back for the wrong reasons. Do you really want things how they were before?"

Peyton didn't respond, but Rachel knew her friend was mulling over her words. Or at least, she hoped she was.

-- --

Meanwhile Nathan, Tim and Jake were shooting hoops in the gym.

"So your mom tried to off herself, huh?" Tim asked. "That must suck."

"Brilliant word choice, genius," Jake said with a frown.

"What? That's what happened, isn't it?"

"Show a little compassion, will ya?"

"Oh," Tim said shamefully, just clueing in. "Sorry, Nate, I didn't mean…"

"It's cool, dude," Nathan reassured him. He much preferred Tim's accidental blunder to the hushed whispers and stares he'd been getting all morning. "And yeah, that's what happened."

"How she doing?" Jake asked now the topic was brought up.

Nathan shrugged. "Don't know. Haven't seen her."

"They're not allowing visitors?"

"Yeah, they are," Nathan answered. "I just haven't gone. The hell with her, man, I don't want to see her."

Both Jake and Tim nodded.

"Not to judge your decision or anything," Jake began, "because I think it's totally yours to make, but are you sure that's the right choice? I mean, you could end up regretting it."

"I'm sure," Nathan replied simply.

"Anything we can do?" Tim asked.

"You can quit hogging the ball."

"That's not what I meant."

"I know," Nathan acknowledged. "But you're already doing it, kay?" he added honestly, but not wanting to get any more sentimental than that with the guys.

Tim nodded. "I'll tell you one thing," he said, "As soon as you tell your boys whose fists you ran into this weekend, those guys are dead meat. You sure you were too wasted to remember?" he asked, clearly doubting the story Nathan had fed him.

"I'd tell you if I remembered," Nathan responded with a slight smirk. No matter how much of an idiot Tim could be most times, the guy always had his back. "Now pass the damn ball."

They shot around for several minutes before Whitey entered the gym and ordered Jake and Tim out so he could speak to Nathan alone.

"I figured I'd find you in here," Whitey told him as the two sat on the bleachers. "I seen the paper this morning."

"I think everyone's seen the paper," Nathan grumbled.

"Yep, can't stop the press. Damn shame, that is."

"Yeah," Nathan agreed. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Getting back on the team," Whitey replied. "It seems your grades were going up for a while but then started slipping again in last few weeks. That have anything to do with your mother coming home?"

Nathan shrugged his shoulders. "Not really. Part of, I guess," he amended. He didn't want to say that he didn't really care about his grades unless they got him back on the team.

But he didn't have to say it. Whitey already knew. "I worked out a deal with principal Turner that if you can start showing some effort again in your studies, then your place on the team is yours, starting next week."

Nathan's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Why so surprised?" Whitey asked. "You don't think I have any pull with the head boss?"

Nathan chuckled softly. "Well you should, seeing as you're practically ancient around here."

"That just bought you twenty laps," the coach joked. "What do you say? You ready to pull up your socks?"

"What happened to academic probation only being what you wrote on the records and that I'm not allowed back on the team until Lucas is?"

"Can't an old man change his mind? Besides, technically Lucas is on the team as my assistant coach."

"Yeah, I heard about that."

"I figured you might have. Look, son, I suspended you because I wanted you to have some kind of consequence for what happened with Lucas, but eventually your grades would have gotten you suspended regardless. But we've got principal Turner's cooperation and since the courts are involved with the Lucas issue, I say let them hand out the punishment and let basketball start healing what's broken up in here," he said, tapping at the left side of Nathan's chest.

Nathan nodded at the first piece of good news he'd heard in a while. "Thanks, Coach."

"Don't thank me yet. One wrong hand against Lucas or anyone else and you're out again. The same goes if your marks don't pick up. You hear me?" Whitey stated gruffly.

Nathan could only nod, knowing the coach meant it.

"Ok, Monday morning next week, practice. Seven o'clock sharp."

"Uh, I can't on Monday. I have to…"

"Don't start with the excuses already, Scott!" Whitey yelled. "If I say there's a practice, then you'll be here and I don't want any ifs, ands or buts…"

"Coach," Nathan interrupted. "I have court that day."

"Oh, well, why didn't you say so?" he asked with a hand dismissal. "I guess you're excused then."

Nathan smiled, not having realized until now how much he'd missed Whitey yelling at him. At least some things were back to normal.

"Anything else going on at home you want to tell me about?" the coach asked, suspicious of the bruises on the boy's face.

"No," Nathan replied shaking his head. "Everything's fine," he said before going off in search of Mouth with a renewed incentive to do well in his classes.

He met up with Shelly before he found Mouth. She let him know that she wasn't angry about Saturday and that if he needed to talk she was willing to listen. Or even if he didn't want to talk but just wanted to hang out, that would be fine with her too. He thanked her before excusing himself when he spotted Mouth across the quad with his friend Jimmy.

Jimmy frowned when Nathan came upon them, but Nathan barely noticed. The kid obviously didn't like him, but whatever. His frown deepened when Mouth agreed to Nathan's request for an extra tutoring session the next day. Mouth showed concern for Nathan's situation but didn't press any issues in front of Jimmy, knowing Nathan preferred to keep his home life private. After that Brooke had come and she and Nathan went off together.

"Should I be jealous?" Chase asked when Brooke told him she would be going over to Nathan's that evening.

"Of?" Brooke asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Of my girlfriend spending the weekend, her lunch hour and Monday evening with some other guy."

"Ok, are you asking me if you should be jealous or telling me that you are?"

"Both maybe," he admitted after a short pause.

Brooke smiled and placed her hand to her heart. "You are so adorable," she said, unable to help but enjoy the fact that he was jealous. "But don't worry, boyfriend. Nathan and I are just friends. I promise."

He nodded but she could sense an underlying issue. "What is it?" she asked.

"Nothing, I'm probably just being paranoid. It's just you and Nathan spend a lot of time together."

"As best friends tend to do," she replied.

"Yeah, yeah, of course."

"Ok, why don't you tell me what's really going on?"

"It's just, you know, I heard some things."

"Things?"

"Rumors...I think. About you and Nathan, how you hook up sometimes."

"Right," Brooke said dully. "And you believe them."

"No, I'm not saying that. I'm asking if I should."

"You know what? Those rumors have been going around since before we even hit puberty. They weren't true then and they aren't true now. Contrary to public opinion, Nathan and I value our friendship way too much to ever hook up."

"Ok," he said, pulling her closer to him. "That's all I needed to know."

"What are you doing?" Rachel asked as she caught up with Nathan just before he reached his locker.

Nathan looked down at her and smirked. "I'm gonna toss my books in my locker and then I'm gonna…"

"I mean with Peyton. Why are you guilt tripping her into taking you back?"

"I'm not," he returned irritably.

"No? If we were together it would make things so much easier," she mocked. "What do you call that?"

"The truth," he replied.

"Please, you wouldn't know the truth if it jumped up and slapped you in the face."

He snorted in contempt.

"Why don't you just leave her alone and let her at least attempt to get over you?"

"I don't want her to get over me."

"Well that much is obvious. Because then you'd lose your free ticket to stomp on her heart anytime you want."

"I'm not trying to hurt her," he said defensively.

"Well, newsflash, Romeo, you're killing her. Every time you run to her with your problems, she can't turn you away and you know that, which is why you keep doing it. Nevermind that it's breaking her down, just so long as you get the satisfaction of knowing she'll always be there for you."

Nathan rolled his eyes and shook is head, annoyed, not only with Rachel, but with the fact that he couldn't come up with anything to say in his defense. "This is none of your business," he went with.

"Maybe not, but you're both my friends…"

"Really? You're my friend?" he scoffed. He wasn't stupid. He knew how much she discouraged Peyton from being with him.

"Yeah I am, but I've said it before and I'll say it again; you need to grow up. Peyton is not some disposable object available for your convenience…"

"I know that."

"Then stop treating her like she is. You got on her about playing hot and cold and I agree she was, but you're just as bad. You say you don't want to be her friend but the first sign of trouble and where do you run? Straight to her. Make up your mind."

"I don't need to make up my mind," he argued. "It's been set for a long time. I know what I want."

"Yeah, you want Peyton. On your terms, no matter what it does to her. As long as you're happy. Did you even thank her for dropping everything to be there for you when you decided to show up at her door at 3:00 a.m.?"

Nathan responded with a sigh and looked down.

"No, I didn't think so. You just expected that she would. You want to prove me wrong then either be her friend like she's suggested more than once, or stay away from her altogether. Think about somebody else besides yourself for a change."

She turned to walk away but then turned back. "By the way, I'm sorry about your mom," she said earnestly.

"One year probation, 50 hours of anger management classes and 200 hours of community service in a center for abused and underprivileged kids," the lawyer listed off. "That's what the District Attorney's offered," he continued.

"And is that a good deal or a bum deal?" Dan asked as Nathan sat silently beside him.

"Initially I would have told you to take your chances in court. However, from the look of your boy, he hasn't complied with the judge's orders to stay out of trouble so I'd advise you to take the deal. You don't want him showing up in court like this. The judge will take one look at him and likely sentence him to the max."

Dan nodded his head before answering. "We'll take the deal then," he said. "Let's go, Nathan."