"Thank you! You guys were amazing tonight! Now I would like to welcome Chris Keller!" Claudia said as she waved the fans in the crowd.

"Thank you beautiful." Chris smirked as he walked onto the stage, Claudia turned around and glared at her.

"Calm down you flirt." Claudia replied before she hugged her mum.

"Claudia, you were amazing sweetie." Josie squealed and Claudia pulled away.

"Has anyone called?" Claudia asked, desperately hoping it was Nathan. 

"The school." Josie replied and Claudia raised an eyebrow.

"The school?" She asked for confirmation. Josie nodded her head, 'Did something happen to Nathan, is he okay?' Claudia kept on asking herself in her head. She was getting worried.

"They have asked you to take part in a time capsule and send it back to them. Are you up for that?" Josie asked and Claudia took a sigh of relief.

"Uh yeah sure. Should I do it now?" Claudia asked and Josie looked around.

"Here." She said holding up a camera. "Take this camera and go into your dressing room." Josie explained and Claudia took the camera.

"What do I say?" Claudia asked and Josie nodded her head.

"The truth." Josie replied and Claudia smiled to herself.

___

"So this is my twenty-fifth time trying to get this perfect. Let's hope I can get it right. My name is Claudia Scott." Claudia said in a robotic voice, she took a deep breath. "Now you may be looking around going Scott? I thought it was Stone. No it is Scott? And I hope when I watching this is whatever year, it will be Scott." Claudia explained before she smiled. "I hope I am standing beside Nathan with our children and grandchildren. You also may be confused by this background, I am not in school. Yes I am on tour right now, I hope when I am watching this I am retired singer. I left the one person I love the most in this world- Nathan." Claudia then went onto say as she played with her wedding ring. "I do regret it everyday and I miss him every minute of everyday. God I love you Nathan. Because I was so stupid leaving you, I am going to dedicate this to you. Nathan Royal Scott, you are the light of my life. It is unreal the feelings that I feel towards you. I am so so sorry I left to go on this tour. I just hope that this is not over when I get back." Claudia rambled with the tears rolling down her face. "God, I am a mess and I might have to go on for an encore. Great!" She laughed to herself before she took a deep breath. "Marriage is the best thing that ever happened to me and I love you Nathan Scott. Always and Forever. So that is everything for me. Just ignore the hair, it will be blonde the next time you see me." She replied and then she laughed to herself.  "Also, this is quite awkward if when we are watching this in whatever year and Nathan is married to someone else. But I sure as hell don't regret it. Okay so bye. I think I have spoke for too long." Claudia laughed as she leant over to switch of the camera, then she realised Lucas. "Wait Lucas! Oh my I think I just won the worst friend award." Claudia laughed as she sat back down. "Lucas, I miss you so much and love you. I promise when I get back it will be you, Haley and I against the world. Haley I miss you too and love you." She explained playing with a necklace that Lucas gave her years ago. "Mwah!" She said blowing a kiss before she ended the video. 

___

Lucas was sat in the converted supply closet, speaking to the camera.

"My best friend, Claudia, left town recently. And it's... been hard. You know,... until this year, it's-it's always been us and Haley against the world." Lucas explained smiling fondly. "We pretty much grew up together and... now they are just gone. You know, I... I understand the leaving part. Trust me,... " Lucas said laughing sardonically. "I just wish she woulda called me; before she left. I wish... I coulda talked to her about it.  I mean, not to change her mind... or to tell her what to do, but,... just to say," Lucas said as he smiled and shook his head, "I love you... and I miss you." Lucas said and then all emotion if wiped from his face. "Just to say goodbye." He said and then he stared at the camera.

___

Lucas opened up Nathan's apartment door and entered. 

"Nathan?" Lucas asked and Nathan stopped to turn to his brother. He was in the process of painting the opposite wall bright pink. 

"What're you doing?" Lucas asked looking at the wall critically.

"Claudia hates pink." Nathan replied slightly crazy, Lucas crossed his arms.

"Yeah, so?" Lucas asked and Nathan painted over the picture of Claudia, the one that Peyton painted for them at the after-wedding party. Lucas wanted to stop but he knew nothing that he could say would do that. "Look, Nate." Lucas said and Nathan stopped what he was doing and walked over.

"Claudia's my best friend. You know, I know it's not the same but..." Lucas said as Nathan picked up a picture frame that is facing the wall. "I get what you're going through." Lucas said and Nathan turned the picture and hung it up over Claudia's face. It was a freakishly big clown. 

"A clown." Lucas said confused.

"Yeah." Nathan turned to Lucas and shrugged. "They creep her out." Nathan stated and Lucas is worried about his brother's sanity. 

"Man, you gotta call her." Lucas said.

"I did that." Nathan said and Lucas smiled a little. "I got her voicemail." Nathan finished coldly.

___

"Voicemail; I hope you don't still got that crap." Nathan said in the converted supply closet. He was speaking about Claudia and how marriage to her was the worst thing he ever did.

___

Lucas and Nathan got in a drunk-driving accident and they both were arrested. Lucas was sat at one end of the jail cell while Nathan lay in the other, he began to laugh.

"What is so funny?" Lucas asked with his hands on his head. Nathan got off the bed. "You. What, do you need me to, uh, connect the dots for you?" Nathan asked tauntingly.

"I just need you to shut up!" Lucas snapped back.

"When I first met you, I figured the best way to hurt you was to take Claudia away." Nathan explained and Lucas looked away, uninterested. "Now she's gone, isn't she?" Nathan finished.

"And is it any wonder she left a stroke like you?" Lucas asked and Nathan looked away. "Look at yourself, you're pathetic!" Lucas exclaimed maliciously.

"Oh, I'm pathetic? You're chasing after a father who doesn't even want you and I'm pathetic?!" Nathan shouted as he walked up to his brother. Lucas rolled his eyes exasperatedly.

"Would you just let it go!? Why are you so threatened by that?!" Lucas asked clearly pissed off, Nathan did not answer. "Afraid daddy will like me more than you?" Lucas asked tauntingly.

"You mean kinda how he liked my mom better than yours?" Nathan shrugged.

"No,... I mean kinda like how your wife likes Chris better than you!" Lucas replied pissed off. Nathan punched Lucas, Lucas tried to hit back but Nathan's too quick for him. The officers try to break the brothers up.

___

Lucas and Nathan are handcuffed to the bars at separate ends of the jail cell. Lucas explained to Nathan why he was staying at Dan's- Keith.

"Yeah, till she sings a duet... and goes on tour." Nathan said turning around, he did not believe that Jules actually loved Keith. 

"She's got a dream, Nate." Lucas replied and Nathan shook his head.

"No,... no, she left to be with Chris." Nathan said before sighing. "She kissed him, before she left." Lucas explained, Lucas already knew that because Claudia told him but he knew that Claudia didn't actually mean it.

"I'm sorry." Lucas replied sympathetically.

"Well, that's what she said when I called her." Nathan sighed and Lucas looked confused.

"I thought you said-" Lucas said but Nathan cut him off.

"I lied!" He shouted. "She said she was sorry. Said she loved me and it wasn't about Chris. She just... needs some time to figure everything out." Nathan explained, he still did not understand it. "You believe that? Because, if I love her... and if she loves me," Nathan said shrugging, "what's there to figure out?" He asked confused and depressed.

___

"Nathan, hey." Claudia said on the phone as she stood under a shelter in the rain. She thought the rain would give her luck.

"Claudia." Nathan replied in shock, Claudia smiled at the sound of his voice.

"I am so sorry for leaving you." Claudia whispered as the tears rolled down her cheek.

"I am sorry for making you go." Nathan replied and Claudia wiped away the tears.

"Look Nate, I promise you I am not here for Chris or because I have feelings for Chris. I just need time to figure everything out and this tour will help me." Claudia explained, Nathan could tell that she was crying.

"So does this mean you are not coming home?" Nathan asked sad, Claudia walked out into the rain.

"God, I love you Nathan." She cried on the phone.

"That wasn't a yes or no." Nathan stated sternly. Claudia took a deep breath.

"Nathan I am staying on the tour."  Claudia replied.

"When will you be back?" Nathan sighed and Claudia shook her head.

"When the tour ends, I guess." Claudia replied looking up at the rain.

___

 Nathan and Lucas walked onto the court. Lucas is holding a basketball; they walked in silence.

"You know, after my accident, I asked you what the secret was to getting back." Lucas spoke up and they stopped walking. "You remember what you told me?" Lucas asked and Nathan shook his head while shrugging. "You told me there is no secret. Just start shooting one day and... deal with the pain." Lucas explained and Nathan smiled and nodded. He remembered. Lucas bounced the ball and Nathan caught it. "Somewhere along the way... it gets easier." Lucas finished and then smiled. He tossed the ball from one hand to the other.