"Nathan!" Dan shouted, seeing his son walk into their house. Hearing his name, Nathan removed his headphones and followed the sound of his father's voice into the living room. "Whitey called. Said my son missed practice today." Nathan stiffened. He knew this was coming. There was no way to avoid it. "I figured he meant Lucas. But then Whitey clarified that Lucas wasn't the only one of my progeny who missed. Where were you that was more important than basketball?"

Nathan tried to come up with some fabricated lie but had none up his sleeve. He spent the past hour on the River Court, playing basketball by himself to expel some pent up rage. He thought that Rachel would have cleared his mind. Hours after their hook up, he somehow felt even worse.

"I was at the River Court," Nathan said.

"The River Court? Why go there to play basketball when you have a whole team counting on you?" Dan questioned, standing up to meet Nathan's height.

"I had to clear my head," Nathan answered.

Dan was not pleased with Nathan's responses. He knew his son to be curt when he was hiding something. "You were with a girl," Dan surmised. Nathan rolled his eyes. "How many times do I tell you to not let some girl get in the way of the game?"

"She was just a body, Dad. It meant nothing."

Rachel had meant nothing. Sure she was great in bed, but Nathan felt nothing towards her. She was like all the others. A one time thing with no strings attached. Rachel was only good to keep his mind occupied, so he could forget all about Haley and the baby.

"That's what I like to hear," Dan said. "Now get outside, we're running three miles. Since you skipped practice someone has to keep you in shape."

"No," Nathan said flatly. Most days Nathan would suck it up and listen to his father's demands without a peep. Today had brought Nathan to his breaking point and could not put up with Dan.

"What do you mean 'no'?" Dan argued, letting his arms fall across his chest.

"I'm not in the mood." Nathan pushed past his father and headed towards the stairs that led to his room.

"Nathan Royal Scott!" Dan yelled from the bottom of the staircase. "You get your ass down here this instant!"

The loud voice of her husband had brought Deb into the house from gardening. She hated it when the boys fought. They made her choose sides and her choice always angered the other. There was no winning with Dan or Nathan. "What is going on in here?" Deb asked.

"Or what, Dad?" Nathan taunted, ignoring his mother. He met his father at the bottom of steps and met his gaze head on. "There is nothing you can say or do that can punish me more than I already am."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Dan questioned.

"It means that congratulations, Dad, I'm everything you wanted me to be. I'm just like you," Nathan said unwavering in his fury. He didn't even give Dan the chance to defend himself before Nathan delivered the kicker. "Because I was so hellbent on destroying Lucas, I am about to lose everything important to me."

"If you're talking about that fight you had yesterday, don't worry, I made Whitey know he couldn't risk throwing you off the team." Dan was not pleased with Nathan's impulsive actions yesterday. It had almost gotten him suspended, or worse, removed from the basketball team entirely. He was lucky that he was one of the best players on the team. Whitey couldn't afford to lose him.

"No, Dad, I'm talking about Haley."

"Your tutor? The one you slept with to get back at Lucas?" Dan mused. He feared Nathan grown some type of attachment towards her which prevented him from performing to the best of his capabilities. If he found out that she was the girl who had whisked Nathan away from practice today, then there would be hell to pay.

"You slept with Haley?" Deb asked.

Deb was kept in the dark by Dan and Nathan regarding Saturday's blow out and the swift end to their party. Neither wanted to get her involved. They both were aware that Deb would never condone their actions, so they promised to kept it from her.

"Yeah, and you know what? She's pregnant. And she's keeping the baby. All I need is to knock up some other girl, then I'm exactly like you, Dad."

"Hello, is this the James' residence?" Dan asked to the woman opening the door. He knocked on the door twice before getting a response.

"Yes," Lydia said, recognizing her guest immediately. Dan Scott's face was posted all over Tree Hill with ads for his car dealership. He was an identifiable figure in town. A visit from him was in the making since Haley told Nathan the truth. "I'm Lydia James."

Dan smiled, "Hi, I'm Dan Scott. May I come in? There is something I would like to discuss with you and your husband and Haley, if at all possible."

"Haley isn't home right now, she's working," Lydia explained, relieved that Haley wasn't home. Lucas brought her back home midway through the school day. He couldn't get her to stop crying. She had went upstairs to her room, not even bothering to acknowledge her parents, who had the day off. Thus leaving Lucas to explain what had happened with Haley and Nathan at school.

Neither parent was shocked by Nathan's response. They didn't expect him to stay around, but it didn't hurt any less seeing Haley so upset. Haley just needed to keep her distance from the Scotts, with the exception of Lucas and Keith, to maintain a clear head. They caused more harm than good.

She opened the door wider and gestured for him to come in. There was no point in fighting him. This was a discussion they needed to have. She led Dan straight into the living room where Jimmy sat on his recliner. "Jimmy, we have a visitor! It's Dan Scott!" Lydia announced.

Jimmy changed his posture and position on the chair to stand and greet Dan. Whether they liked it or not, their lives would be tied to him forever. "What do we owe this pleasure?" Jimmy asked, offering Dan a place to sit.

Dan made himself at home on the worn down sofa. He commended Nathan's efforts to destroy Lucas, but was furious at the repercussions. Of all the girls Nathan slept with, he couldn't have knocked up a girl that came from a rich family. Haley's father worked for the power company and Haley's mom was a secretary at a dentist's office.

"I wanted to extend a thank you to your family. As you know, Haley had been tutoring my son, Nathan, for the past month and I wanted to offer you my gratitude," Dan said reaching into his blazer pocket.

Jimmy and Lydia softly smiled. They assumed Dan must not have learned about the baby. He had yet to reference it, only focusing on the tutoring side of Nathan and Haley's relationship. Besides, he was being too calm and rational for an expectant grandfather.

"You have six kids correct?" Dan asked, waiting for Lydia and Jimmy to confirm.

"Yes," Lydia replied.

"And you have helped put the first five through college?" Dan continued. He'd done his research on the James' before his arrival. Deb had helped some, but a quick internet search gave him all he needed to know. "Nathan mentioned Haley is planning on attending Stanford. A smart girl like her shouldn't have any trouble getting in but isn't it a bit expensive?"

"We'll manage," Jimmy assured Dan.

"Of course you will," Dan said, handing Jimmy and Lydia the check he retrieved from his blazer pocket. "With my help, Haley's college should be all paid for."

Lydia and Jimmy mouths hung agape as they examined the check carefully. It was legit. Although they were hesitant to accept. They knew Dan always had an agenda of sorts. He would not offer to pay for Haley's college out of the goodness of his heart.

"This is very generous of you, Mr. Scott," Lydia said.

"Don't thank me yet," Dan smiled. "I was recently made aware of Haley's situation and my son's involvement in it. We can't erase the past, but we can make for a better future. Nathan is on track to play basketball at Duke and with Haley at Stanford, it will be hard to provide the baby a loving, stable home."

The James' understood quickly what Dan was implying. He wasn't coming over to make nice and thank Haley. Dan was trying to bribe them.

"It would be in the best interests of the children that we help them achieve their goals. That's why I am offering to pay for Haley's tuition in exchange for an abortion," Dan finished. He would do anything to protect Nathan's career and future. A child at sixteen almost seventeen would ruin him. Nathan shouldn't have to be bouncing a ball in one hand and a baby in the other.

Lydia took the check from Jimmy's hands and ripped it in front of Dan. "No," she said sternly.

Dan tried to maintain his composure. Yelling at Lydia and Jimmy would not convince them otherwise. "I want you to reconsider this," Dan said pulling out his checkbook to write another check. Money talked. Everyone had a price, he would just have to figure out what the James' price was. "This should take care of her medical expenses as well."

"My wife said no," Jimmy insisted, pushing the check back. They wanted nothing to do with Dan's money. Though it would be tough, if Haley attended Stanford they would make it work without Dan's help.

"Haley wants to keep the baby. We're not going to force her to do anything she doesn't want," Lydia added.

"Then don't expect my son's help or my family's when it comes to raising that bastard," Dan told Lydia and Jimmy, straightening his tie and then storming out of the house.

Haley wiped off a table to collect her tip. It wasn't much but every cent counted. Each shift and each table meant more money to ensure that the baby had everything it needed by itself arrival.

When the bell rang, indicating another customer, Haley didn't bother to look up to see who it was. With people coming and going from Karen's Café constantly, Haley learned to tune the sound out and keep her mind focused on work.

"Haley?" Deb asked, walking into the café clutching her purse tightly.

"Hey, Mrs. Scott," Haley greeted, still scrubbing away on the table. The café was busy for once and they were running out of space. The faster Haley cleaned the more people she could attend to. "Could I get you something to eat?"

"I already ate," Deb said. She couldn't help but look at Haley differently now. It was silly; Haley was the same person Deb had known for the past month. The only difference was that she was carrying her grandchild. Granted Haley had been pregnant the entire time but unknowingly so. "Is there somewhere we can talk? Privately?"

"Nathan told you, didn't he?" Haley surmised. She wasn't sure how long it would be until Dan or Deb came around asking questions. Honestly, she didn't expect Nathan to tell them so soon. Haley barely had any time to grapple with Nathan's response. She didn't think she could handle either of Nathan's parents lashing out on her.

"More like yelled, but yes, he told us," Deb admitted.

"Look Mrs. Scott, if you're here to verbally berate me could you at least do it tomorrow? Your son already did quite enough as is."

Deb could only imagine the cruel things Nathan had said to his tutor. That would be a problem to deal with later. "Actually, I want to help."

"You want to help?" Haley set down her bus tray and threw a rag over her shoulder. Intent on listening, she sat down at the table with Deb to follow sitting across from her.

"I know this can't be easy for you. I was fortunate enough to have my parent's support and Dan's when I found out I was pregnant with Nathan. We weren't that much older than you two are. I want be there for you and my grandchild like my parents were there for me and Nate."

"What do Dan and Nathan think?"

"They don't know. They probably won't be pleased, but this is my choice." Deb knew the boys wanted no involvement with Haley or the baby. She could not allow herself to sit idly by and allow her grandchild to not know their paternal family. "I wanted to invite you and your family over to dinner this weekend. Dan's parents are coming over for his birthday and I would love for you and your parents to attend."

"That's a very nice gesture Mrs. Scott-"

"Please, call me Deb." With Haley's pregnancy, Deb saw no need for formality. She was practically family now.

"Alright, but I don't think that would be a great idea." Haley refused to subject her parents to dinner with Nathan and Dan. They would just attack and belittle them the entire time.

"Does it help that I invited Keith, Karen, and Lucas?" Deb initially invited just Keith to Dan's party, but seeing as Keith was on his best behavior around Karen and Lucas, Deb thought it was best to extend the offer. She knew it was a risk and that Dan would be absolutely furious. He would argue that Deb was trying to undermine his birthday with the James' and Karen and Lucas. Deb, however, saw this as the perfect opportunity to get the entire family together and air out their grievances. The family was only getting bigger, the division could not continue.

"Maybe," Haley cracked a smile. Lucas, Keith, and Karen were like her backbone. They knew what Dan was capable more than anyone else. If Dan were to attack, she wouldn't be outnumbered.

"Well I have to get going," Deb said, standing up from the table. She had a son to yell at and talk some sense into. "I'm glad we had this talk."

"Me too," Haley admitted. It was nice knowing that Deb at least had her back if Nathan didn't. Her baby deserved to know his paternal grandmother.

Deb headed towards the front door but stopped herself right at the entrance. "Oh, and Haley?"

"Yeah?"

"I am too young for this kid to be calling me 'grandma'."