"Dan asked what?" Karen asked for clarification. She could not believe the words she heard escape Lydia's mouth.

Lydia and Jimmy decided to meet up with Karen and Keith at the café before they headed over to Scott's for dinner. After Dan's surprise visit earlier in the week, the James' had wanted nothing to do with him. Or see him as a matter of fact. They had only agreed for Haley's sake. She seemed so excited when Deb announced her willingness to be involved in the baby's life, so Lydia and Jimmy decided to suck it up for their daughter.

"For an abortion," Lydia said softly. Lucas and Haley were on the roof playing minigolf and hoped neither would hear the conversation. Jimmy and Lydia decided to keep Dan's offer a secret from her. They had intended on telling her the when she got back from work that day, but she was in such a good mood from Deb's visit. The James' were tired of seeing their daughter cry for days on end and Deb's presence had brought back some of her spark. They didn't want to dampen her mood speaking of Dan.

"Why am I not shocked?" Keith commented. He was furious at his brother thinking he could buy off the James' in return for exterminating the baby. Dan thought he owned Tree Hill. It was about time someone stood up to him. "He tried to do the same thing to Karen when she was pregnant with Lucas."

"He tried to buy you off, too?" Lydia mused.

"Not buy me, berate and convince me, Dan didn't have that type of money back then," Karen explained. Dan heavily suggested that she should have an abortion when he found out she was pregnant. He was leaving her for college no matter what, even if she had the baby or not. For him, it would be easier to just get rid of the baby altogether, that way he could no longer be tethered to Tree Hill when he made it big in the NBA.

"He didn't get that kind of money until he married Deb," Keith added. When Dan married Deb, he got access to the Lee family's wealth. To ensure that his daughter and grandson would be well off, Deb's father had given Dan some money to open the car dealership which reaped insane profits.

"Haley said Nathan suggested the same thing," Jimmy said. It had taken a day or two for Haley to tell her parents how her talk with Nathan went. Lydia and Jimmy already had an idea from Lucas, but were intent on hearing what their daughter had to say. When Haley revealed that she fought against Nathan's suggestion of abortion, that solidified Jimmy and Lydia's decision of keeping Dan's visit a secret from her. "Like father like son."

Keith went into the kitchen of the café and pulled out two beers he'd kept hidden there. He walked out of the back of the café and threw a beer to Jimmy. "If either one of us wants to get through this night, I suggest alcohol and lots of it," Keith smiled, cracking open his can and taking a sip. "And if you thought Nathan and Dan were bad, wait until you meet our father."

Royal Scott was the one to blame for the dysfunction of the Scott family. He had led Dan down the road of striving for basketball greatness and stardom by pushing Dan to his limits in school. When Dan had his knee injury in college, basketball and a future in the NBA was lost to him forever. However with Nathan, Dan focused all his energy on raising his son like Royal raised him. Scott DNA bred basketball players and, as Dan decided, Nathan was going to be the best.

"Royal isn't too bad," Karen insisted, clearing her and Lydia's cups of coffee from the counter. "He's the only one, outside of Keith, who makes somewhat of an effort. Sure it's a call once or twice a year but it's at least some type of acknowledgment."

"Does Lucas know?" Lydia asked.

"No, I didn't want to get his hopes up," Karen admitted. Royal had preferred to keep their correspondence a secret, not to enrage Dan. Even when Royal visited he never bothered to stop by or introduce himself to Lucas. "Though Royal makes an effort, it is clear who Dan takes after."

"Well then I guess we should we get this over with," Jimmy figured downing his beer.

"I'm so glad you guys could make it," Deb grinned seeing the James' with Karen, Keith, and Lucas. She turned to focus on Lydia and Jimmy, wanting to make a good impression on Haley's parents, who she never met before. "Hi, I'm Deb. You must be Haley's parents."

"Lydia," Lydia smiled. She was obviously wary of Deb's intentions as her husband proved himself unworthy of their trust. The only saving grace of Deb was that Haley had faith in her. Lydia knew her daughter to be a great judge of character, so if Deb wanted to be a part of her grandbaby's life Lydia would welcome her.

"Jimmy," Jimmy introduced, shaking Deb's hand.

"Please, come in," Deb insisted. "We're running a bit behind tonight. Dan's parent's flight got delayed, so he went to pick them up at the airport. And Nathan is over at his girlfriend's."

"I didn't realize Nathan had a girlfriend," Lydia said. She thought that would have been important information to know seeing as Haley hadn't divulged. However, Haley trying to mask a stunned expression proved that she was unaware of the fact as well.

"Neither did I," Deb admitted. Last night, Nathan told her that he was inviting his girlfriend over to dinner since his mom could invite people without his consent. She knew Nathan had been seeing a girl the past week but didn't think it was serious. It frustrated Deb seeing him commit to some random girl rather than Haley. "You know with everyone out, this would be a great opportunity to get to know you guys. I mean we are going to be grandparents after all. I would like us to be on good terms."

"I would like that too," Lydia agreed, pleased she could at least get along with Deb even if her husband was the devil incarnate.

"I'm really glad you said that," Deb said, sitting down on the couch. She gestured for the rest of the guests to follow suit. "I don't know if you guys could tell, but tension has been high for most of the week."

"I don't mean to pry, but if tensions are as high as you say, then why did you invite us here. I can't imagine your husband and son are too pleased," Jimmy prodded. If Deb had wanted to reach out, then why not do it at a more intimate dinner rather than Dan's birthday celebration.

"They aren't, but our family has been divided for far too long," Deb replied, referencing Karen, Keith, and Lucas. Since the boys were born it was as if there were two distinct Scott families rather than the whole. "I don't want the same mistakes to made."

"And you thought that my parents had to be here for this? My dad is just going to make things worse and enable Dan's behavior like always," Keith pointed out. Dan was his father's son while Keith was more gentler and took after his mother. With Keith being the oldest and not as cutthroat as Dan, it had disappointed his father to no end.

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?" Deb mused. "Dan values Royal's opinion and acceptance, just like Nathan does with his own father. This is something they can't push under the rug with Royal pestering and asking millions of questions."

"So I should be prepared for three generations to stare me down during dinner? Great," Haley commented, finally feeling the weight of the night loom over her. This level of stress could not be good for the baby.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Lucas reassured her, rubbing her shoulder as she rested her head on his. He was not going to let Royal, Dan, or Nathan bully Haley into submission. If worst came to worst, he could take Nathan on in a fight. He had a couple times before and won.

"How's the baby doing?" Deb asked, changing the subject to focus on her grandbaby.

"Good, I think. I have my first appointment Wednesday," Haley said, patting her stomach.

"Mom, we're home!" Nathan exclaimed walking through the front door with Rachel slinked around his arm, putting an abrupt end to Haley and Deb's conversation.

"In the living room, Nate!" Deb told him.

Haley tensed against Lucas and Jimmy tried to keep his cool. He had yet to meet the twerp that impregnated his youngest daughter and honestly didn't want to; in case he did something he would regret. The option of staying at home with Julian to watch Grease 2 looked more appealing than facing his grandkid's father.

"Mom, this is Rachel, my-" Nathan stopped short at the sight of company. His arm, which had rested on the small of Rachel's back, retreated to his side as he saw Haley's eyes drift.

Lucas and Haley could not believe that this was Nathan's new girlfriend. Such a step down from Peyton, Lucas thought. Rachel had to be with Nathan for the popularity status. She liked to sleep around too much to tie herself down to one guy unless it benefited her.

Seeing as no one bothered to continue talking, Rachel stepped in. "Hi, I'm Rachel. Nathan's girlfriend," Rachel introduced herself, outstretching her hand for Deb to take. Deb refused the invite and kept her eyes on Nathan's newest girlfriend. She couldn't believe he had settled on her. Haley was a much better option, in her opinion. Truthfully, she brought out the best in her son. "You have a lovely home."

"I know," Deb responded curtly. "Nathan, aren't you going to introduce yourself to our guests. These are Haley's parents, Jimmy and Lydia James."

"Mr. and Mrs. James, it is very nice to meet you," Nathan forced a smile. He assumed those were Haley's parents when he walked in. The glare he had been on the receiving end of from Jimmy was too directed at him to not be Haley's father.

"Wish we could say the same," Jimmy grumbled.

"Jimmy!"

"Dad!"

Lydia and Haley both scolded. They were there to play nice and not cause any problems. It would make the night move much faster if they could all just get along.

"It's true," Jimmy persisted. What he had stated was fact. Why should he be happy to see the guy who abandoned his daughter. Jimmy James considered himself an easygoing guy, but if you hurt his family, he did not hesitate to protect them. "He has been nothing but trouble for this family."

Keith and Lucas couldn't disagree. Nathan had always been trouble and caused mayhem everywhere he went. Lucas had dealt with the brunt of it for weeks. And now, Haley had to endure the pain Nathan had caused her. She probably faced more pain in the past week than in her entire seventeen years on Earth.

"Well then your daughter shouldn't have been so willing," Nathan shot back enraged. He hated himself for saying it in front of Haley, when it wasn't even true. Jimmy's claims, however, were true, but Nathan wouldn't stand for them without some sort of fight.

"Nathan!" Deb yelled.

"You have another thing coming for you, hotshot," Jimmy warned rolling up his sleeves to prepare for a fight.

"Boys," Karen said trying to get everyone's attention. At her voice, the tension was heightened, but momentarily paused. "Dan's back."

"This is fantastic, Deb," May said breaking the silence.

Since Dan arrived home with Royal and May Scott, it was a game to see who would break first. The testosterone levels were high as each of the men at the table seemed to be ready to strike a blow at one another.

"So Haley, Danny told us that you're Nathan's tutor. I think it's wonderful that you could come tonight," May continued.

Dan had explained the increased number of guests in the car ride back from the airport with his parents, leaving out a few key details. The main one being the omitting Haley's pregnancy.

He planned for his parents to never find out and eradicate the problem before they had the chance to. Dan chalked up Haley and her parent's presence to be a thank you for tutoring Nathan, so he could stay on the basketball team.

Karen and Lucas were harder to explain. He lied and said Keith invited them ,which was believable since Keith was the only one from their family who maintained contact with Karen and Lucas over the years.

"Thank you," Haley smiled. From what she could tell, Nathan and Lucas' grandmother seemed kind but too submissive. She followed everything Royal said and rarely stood up for herself, Haley surmised.

"I hope he wasn't too much trouble. His grades must have been pretty bad for him needing a tutor," Royal commented. Nathan had a complicated relationship with his grandpa. While he could build him up, he could just as easily tear him down. "At least the boy had some common sense to get one, so he could stay on the team."

"All Nathan needed was some guidance and to put a little more effort into his school work. He's actually pretty intelligent when he puts his mind to it," Haley admitted.

Haley noticed all eyes fall on her, Nathan's included, as she complimented him. No one had expected it. They figured anyone in her current situation would bash Nathan at the chance for why he had done.

She didn't think it was a big deal. It was the truth.

Nathan smiled at her compliment. He missed Haley's encouragement. When she was tutoring him, she never once made fun of him or made him feel stupid. She always looked for the positives. He wished he could understand how Haley could still be so kind to him after he'd been an ass to her and her family.

"Sounds like you've been a good influence on him," May presumed.

"Speaking of which, there is something Nathan needs to tell you," Deb began. They could no longer beat around the bush and hold this off conversation. She knew Dan would never tell them and May and Royal needed to know that they would be becoming great-grandparents.

"Deb," Dan warned. This was not the place nor time to be having this discussion. It was his birthday celebration. She had to of chose this day as punishment.

"Is it about basketball?" Royal asked, having a one track mind. "What are you averaging these days? You know your dad had twenty-seven and a half a game. You beat that yet?"

"Royal, could we please not talk about basketball?" May begged. Whenever they came to visit all that was talked about was basketball. She loved watching her sons and grandson play, but hated the sport for what it had done to her family. Basketball single-handedly tore her family apart.

"I'm asking the boy a question, May," Royal insisted.

"Uh, well, maybe you should ask the old man," Nathan said. Dan always was pleased to talk about his basketball stats and Nathan could use an ally whenever his mom decided to drop the ball.

"Twenty-four points a game I think, isn't it?" Dan smiled. It was no twenty-seven, but Nathan still had the rest of the season and senior year to get to the same level his father once was.

"So, twenty-four a game, huh? You're gonna have to get that up if you're going to beat the old man. Yeah, your dad's star would have risen through the roof at Carolina if it wasn't for that damn knee of his. How're your knees?" Royal pestered, hoping Nathan showed no issue. The last thing the Scott family needed was a devastating injury to prevent another one of them from playing in the NBA.

"No worries," Nathan assured him.

"Oh, he's got great knees," Rachel insisted, rubbing circles on Nathan's back. "He's always on them." Rachel glanced at Haley as she staked her claim over Nathan.

Haley choked on her food at the innuendo. She couldn't believe Rachel would say that in front of his family.

"Haley, are you alright?" Karen asked, while Lucas, who sat next to Haley, went on the defense. He had one hand on Haley's upper back making sure she was okay and the other was handing her a glass.

"I'm fine," Haley said after taking a sip of water.

Royal noticed the caution placed around Haley. The worry in their eyes as she choked on her dinner. He didn't understand, everyone did it once in a while. They acted as if the girl was so fragile. She seemed perfectly healthy to him. "What's going on here?" Royal demanded, knowing there was something being kept from him.

Everyone traded glances, wondering who was going to say something. Deb locked eyes with Haley asking for permission to proceed. Haley nodded softly, giving Deb the go ahead.

"Haley's pregnant," Deb explained.

"Oh, sweetie," May said. She'd seen Deb go through the same thing with Nathan and felt for the poor girl. She was obviously smart, but that didn't make being a teen parent any less harder.

"I don't see how that's a big deal," Royal said.

"Why don't you ask your grandson?" Jimmy implored. He needed something stronger than Deb's wine to put up with this.

Royal swung his head over to Nathan, who avoided his grandpa's intense eye contact. "I can't believe it. Haven't you learned anything from your father?" Royal questioned. "Do you know how much your careless actions will cost you?"

"Grandpa, I-" Nathan tried to explain but was silenced by Royal.

"And you," Royal addressed Haley. "Really following in Karen's footsteps aren't you? If you think this will keep him around or convince him to come running back to you, you've best proved yourself wrong."

"Grandpa!" Nathan argued. Sure he was upset that Haley decided to keep the baby, but he never once blamed her for their actions. If anything, it was Nathan's fault more so than Haley's.

"Silence," Royal ordered. "What you two aught to do is get rid of it."

"Your son already tried doing that," Jimmy said, causing May, Nathan, Lucas, Deb, and Haley to look in his direction confused.

Lydia feared the worst. When Jimmy had a bit too much alcohol running through him, there was no getting him to shut up.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Royal questioned.

"It means that your son stopped by our house the other day trying to bribe my wife and I into getting our daughter an abortion," Jimmy exposed.

"Dan!" Deb screeched, horrified by the revelation. That was their grandchild he tried to abort. She didn't put this behavior past him, but the fact he had done so was unforgivable.

"Danny, is it true?" May asked. She couldn't imagine her sweet boy doing such a thing. Though unexpected, she believed every child was a gift of God. The fact that her son tried to snuff his own grandchild out of existence disappointed her.

"Yes," Dan revealed, causing the room to go into an uproar.

The adults started arguing back and forth with Jimmy, Royal, and Dan's voices being the most prominent of them all. Lydia and Karen tried to calm down the masses, but it was no use. Deb was furious at her husband and May was in hysterics. Keith watched the chaos unravel around him and went to tend to his crying mother.

"Lucas, I want to go home," Haley begged. Tonight had been far too much for her. The stress was getting to her.

She wasn't surprised by Dan trying to pay off her parents. With Dan's mischievous ways, it sounded like something he would do. Anything to protect Nathan and his son's future basketball career. Haley, however, was more torn up with the fact her parents had kept it from her. They never kept secrets from her. How was she supposed to trust them when they obviously didn't trust her?

Lucas didn't hesitate to reply. He had too much of these people for one day. "I'll go pull the car around," Lucas said, grabbing the car keys from Keith.

Haley stood up as Lucas ran out the door. Suddenly, she felt lightheaded on her feet. Haley stumbled slightly and gripped onto the chair for support. Nathan noticed that something was clearly wrong with her. The way she was walking and with the palm of her hand pressed up against her forehead did not indicate anything good.

"Haley?" Nathan asked, standing up to meet Haley on the opposite side of the table.

She didn't answer. Haley kept on walking despite the room spinning around her. All Haley took was one more step before she saw black and collapsed.

Nathan saw Haley's body go limp and rushed to her side, catching her before her body could hit the floor. He held her in his arms, tapping her face to wake up. "Haley? Haley!"