(By the way with the basketball players I just made up a bunch of boys, because you don't really get to see them.)

Life's funny sometimes. It can push pretty hard. Like when you fall in love with someone but they forget to love you back. Like when your best friend and your boyfriend leave you alone. Like when you pull the trigger or light the flame and you can't take it back. Like I said, in sports they call this stepping up. In life, I call it pushing back.

- Nathan Scott

+++

"Okay girl!" Brooke shouted as all the cheerleaders sat in an empty classroom, Claudia and Haley were dreading what was about to be said. "So you all know what will happen if the Ravens win this game, right?" Brooke asked and Claudia groaned aloud. Bevin, poor Bevin, raised her hand.

"What happens?" Bevin asked even though it has been a tradition for the Ravens. Brooke rolled her eyes.

"We are going to play against the Ravens in the annual Cheerleaders Vs. Ravens basketball game!" Brooke exclaimed and the majority of the cheerleaders clapped their hands. Haley and Claudia were terrible at Basketball so they weren't looking forward for this game. "Now we have things to discuss, in you come boys!" Brooke shouted and all the basketball players walked in and took a seat. Nathan sat at the desk in front of Claudia and Haley, alongside Tim. "Mouth will explain the new twist in this game." Brooke said before she took a seat next to Peyton. Mouth stood at the front.

"Thanks Brooke." Mouth smiled before he turned to the group of popular kids. "So this year, we are going to choose one cheerleader and one Raven to partner up and they will be blocking each other throughout the game." Mouth explained and Nathan turned around and smirked at Claudia.

"You are so going to lose." Nathan hissed and Claudia rolled her eyes.

"And. it's just a game." Claudia replied naïve and Nathan chuckled as he turned back around.

"And, the losing team have to do whatever the winning team want for a week. So basically if Rachel and Tim were partnered up and the cheerleaders won, Tim would have to do whatever Rachel wanted for a week." Mouth explained. Claudia and Haley looked at each other worried. Claudia raised her hands.

"That's so not fair, if the Ravens beat Oak Lake then it will mean that they are amazing." Claudia explained and Haley nodded her head in agreement.

"Don't hate the messenger baby." Mouth replied jokingly and Claudia laughed. "It's just a tradition." Mouth added.

"Do all cheerleaders have to participate?" Haley asked.

"Obviously if you are partnered up with the likes of Nathan then you will probably be stuck in the game the whole time." Mouth explained and Claudia prayed she wasn't with her boyfriend.

"So who is partnering up with who?" Rachel asked smirking over at Mouth.

"I am away to tell you." Mouth said as he pulled out the list. "Nathan and Claudia." He stated and Claudia groaned while Nathan smirked. "Peyton, Daniel. Brooke and Chris. Rachel and Tim. Haley and Skills." Mouth stated and Haley raised a hand.

"Skills isn't a player." Haley stated and Skills walked in smiling over at them.

"They needed someone to fill in for Lucas." Mouth explained and Skills sat in the desk in front of Haley. Haley high-fived him happily. Mouth continued to read the list out. "Last but not least, Rachel and Tim." Mouth stated finishing it off and Rachel groaned while Brooke smirked. "So now the girls have to pick a coach and the boys have to pick a coach. I know the Ravens only have one coach but Mayor Dan Scott has put himself for another coach." Mouth explained and Claudia smiled over at the girls- they wanted Whitey. "Ladies first." Mouth said pointing and Claudia stood up.

"We want Whitey." Claudia stated and Mouth nodded his head. There was no way Claudia was going to have Dan coaching her.

"Okay so the boys get Dan." Mouth stated and Nathan was not happy, but he knew the boys didn't have to go coaching to win.

"We don't need a coach." Nathan stated. "We can train ourselves at the River Court." Nathan explained and the boys nodded their heads.

"Are you sure? It is the rules." Mouth replied and Nathan nodded his head just as the school bell rung for class. "Okay, see you all hopefully in four days." Mouth exclaimed and everyone walked out. Nathan caught up with Claudia, Haley and Lucas.

"You are going to lose." Nathan stated smirking and Claudia nodded her head.

"Probably, so take it easy on me when you win. Thanks." Claudia replied with no faith as she walked into AP English.

___

Claudia was cheering on the sidelines alongside the cheerleaders as Nathan scored yet another basket.

"Another ferocious dunk by Nathan Scott and the crowd is on their feet!" Mouth commentated excitably and proudly. Nathan ran up to Claudia.

"You sure you don't want to sleep with me until the ceremony?" Nathan asked and Haley looked over at the pair smirking. Claudia shook her head. "I know I look pretty sexy right now." Nathan extended and Claudia laughed.

"Down Boy." She joked before Nathan ran back into the game. Haley gently shoved Claudia.

___

Claudia waited outside of the game when a lanky guy from another team walked up to her.

"Excuse me. You're Claudia, right?" The boy asked pointing at Claudia, he had two of his teammates behind him.

"Yeah." Claudia replied not bothered.

"You look good in blue. It suits you." The boy replied and Claudia nodded her head without a care in the world.

"Thanks." Claudia muttered smiling awkwardly.

"You know what else would look good on you?" The boy asked and Claudia shrugged. "Me." He answered for himself and Claudia about gagged. Nathan was going to interject but he really wanted to see Claudia have a rant at him.

"Oh god just stop." Claudia cried before she laughed. "Look whoever you are if you want to get a girl don't have stupid pick up lines. It is just horrible." Claudia explained but that didn't phase the cocky boy. "Take your dignity which you are losing every second and go find someone else." Claudia stated sternly as she folded her arms over.

"I'm Damien West." He smirked just as Nathan walked up behind them and stood behind Claudia protectively.

"I think you're out of your league." Nathan stated as Claudia looked behind her and smiled at Nathan.

"Nathan Scott." Damien replied smirking, Claudia was confused.

"What, you two know each other?" Claudia asked confused and monotone.

"From High Flyers. You still missing your free throws, West?" Nathan asked tauntingly. Claudia really could not be bothered with their childish behaviour.

"Who cares? They don't show free throws on Sports Center. You know what else they don't show? Ravens." Damien retorted and his teammates laughed. "Hey, I heard you guys lost your shooter. So I guess your season's over, huh?" Damien asked tauntingly and Claudia was away to slap him.

"No, I don't think so." Nathan replied honestly.

"Well, unless you win this tournament, you're not making post-season. And you're not gonna win this tournament, because we are. And we're undefeated." Damien explained.

"For now." Nathan stated and Damien didn't do anything. "Let's go, Claude." Nathan continued and Claudia held onto his hand as they walked away.

"See you on the court, Scott. And Claudia, I'll see you in your dreams." Damien shouted trying to flirt and Claudia looked up at Nathan.

"I think I am going to be sick." Claudia gagged and Nathan laughed as he hugged her from the side as they walked.

___

Later that day, Claudia sat on the edge of the bath and Nathan was in the bath. They were speaking about Dan.

"He's never gonna change, my dad. I can totally see him resorting to the same old manipulative crap." Nathan explained and Claudia looked at him sympathetically.

"I'm sorry, I wish I could just take you away from all that." Claudia replied honestly and Nathan just shrugged.

"Have you heard from Lucas and Karen?" Nathan asked and Claudia shook her head sadly.

"No. Lucas said they were just gonna get on the road and drive. I think probably just need a break at this point." Claudia answered.

"Yeah." Nathan smiled in agreement.

"Plus, Karen doesn't really want him around the tournament when he can't play, you know." Claudia explained as she took the cloth and placed it under the water.

"Yeah." Nathan replied as Claudia rinsed the cloth and dragged it down Nathan's chest gently. "Thank you." Nathan stated smiling at her.

"You're welcome." Claudia replied as she dragged the cloth up to his chest. "Does it ever hurt?" Claudia asked meaning the scar under his heart.

"No. The scar stopped hurting when my heart stopped hurting, right around the time you came home." Nathan explained honestly and Claudia really wanted to kiss Nathan but she had to keep to the pack, no sex until they are married.

"Okay." Claudia stated as she dropped the cloth into the bath and walked out of the bathroom. Nathan looked confused.

"Where'd you go?" Nathan asked shouting but then he got it. "Oh, I get it. This is the no-sex thing, right? I totally got you didn't I?" Nathan asked laughing and Claudia walked back into the bathroom and leaned against the door frame.

"No." She lied, she thought he was really sexy.

"I told you I was sexy, Claudia. Don't lie." Nathan laughed and Claudia sighed in defeat.

"Okay, maybe." Claudia replied before she walked out. Nathan laughed as he inserted himself into the water of the bath.

___

"Can I ask you something?" Claudia asked as she paused the video game, Nathan didn't care considering Claudia was beating him by a mile.

"Okay." Nathan replied and Claudia turned to face him.

"See when you told me that you stopped hurting when I came home." Claudia began and Nathan nodded his head. "Did you actually?" Claudia asked.

"Yeah of course." Nathan replied and Claudia gaped at him.

"Why the hell did you put me through hell and why did you want a divorce?" Claudia asked confused as hell.

"I wanted a divorce because I was hurt and I didn't know if you loved me." Nathan explained and Claudia nodded her head.

"Okay, but why did you make me pine after you like an idiot?" Claudia asked laughing a little. Nathan just shrugged.

"Too see if you really did love me." Nathan replied honestly. Claudia was still confused. "So if I did what you did you wouldn't have done what I did?" Nathan asked and Claudia nodded her head slowly in defeat.

"When did you realise that you wanted me back?" Claudia asked intrigued as she sat closer to him.

"When I asked you for the divorce." Nathan replied and Claudia looked at him confused.

"Okay." Claudia dragged on confused.

"When you went on your angry rant and then walked away and then you turned around and said, I am getting you back." Nathan explained and Claudia smiled at him.

"Yeah, but we didn't get together until weeks after." Claudia laughed and Nathan nodded his head.

"I just wasn't one hundred percent sure if you meant it." Nathan replied honestly and Claudia leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I promise you I did." Claudia smiled before she switched the game back on. "Now, let's go back to me winning and you losing." Claudia laughed as she sat up. Nathan laughed before he lightly shoved Claudia, distracting her. Claudia was not having that though. She sat down on Nathan's knee blocking his sight as she scored the winning shot on NBA LIVE.

"Come on." Nathan groaned and Claudia laughed.

"It's okay I will win graciously." Claudia lied before she stood up and pointed at Nathan.

"I win. I am the best. You suck at this. You are the worst." Claudia sang as she jumped around the apartment. Nathan stood up and grinned at her.

"That does it." Nathan laughed as he walked over to her. Claudia giggled in defeat.

"Okay, calm down. I lied you don't suck. Love you." Claudia stuttered as she back into a corner. Nathan lifted her up and threw her over his shoulder. "This is so unfair, you are stronger than me." Claudia giggled as she tried to get down. Nathan stood in the shower and turned the water to freezing cold.

"Admit I am the best and no one has to come to any harm." Nathan joked and Claudia giggled as she shook her head. Nathan switched on the shower slightly and Claudia squealed as the water hit her skin. Nathan turned off the shower and kneeled down so he was at her eye level.

"Just say, Nathan Scott is the best." Nathan quoted and Claudia kissed him, making his face wet too.

"Does that work?" Claudia asked smirking, Nathan nodded his head and they continued to kiss.

___

Claudia was making a drink for Nathan just as he walked into the kitchen. She had no idea why he liked his stupid protein shakes, she thought they tasted like ass.

"Hey. How you feeling, sleepyhead?" Claudia smiled as Nathan sat down on the stool shirtless.

"Like ass." Nathan groaned and Claudia poured the drink into the cup.

"Sorry. Lucky for you, this cures that." Claudia smiled as she slid the drink towards him.

"I hope so." Nathan replied before he drank it. "Oh, thank you. I am wiped out. We just got to win this one last game though, otherwise Whitey has to retire without making the playoffs." Nathan explained.

"Well, we can't let that happen." Claudia replied as she sat up in the counter behind Nathan. "Where does it hurt?" She asked him before she began to rub his shoulders.

"Everywhere." Nathan answered as Dan walked towards the apartment and stood next to the window, creepily listening in. The young couple did not see him nor hear hear him.

"You guys are playing Oak Lake tonight?" Claudia asked as she continued to rub his shoulders.

"Yeah. They're undefeated." Nathan answered and Claudia nodded his head.

"And my boyfriend Damien West is he good?" Claudia asked jokingly. Nathan smiled a little at his wife's humour.

"Yeah, he's pretty good. He's an ass though. Sort of like a young version of my dad." Nathan replied and Claudia nodded her head.

"You know, it's actually hurt me to see what's happened to your relationship with Dan. I just ... Especially now that you're playing so well, you should be able to enjoy that with your father." Claudia explained honestly. Dan was listening in, feeling sad.

"Yeah. It's a little late for that though. Probably just as well. With the way I've been feeling, I don't think I have another great game in me." Nathan replied and Claudia looked shocked.

"I don't believe that for a second! Plus I needed you to be my partner for the basketball game." Claudia replied and Nathan smiled. Claudia wrapped her arms around Nathan's chest. "Besides, I'm gonna help you." Claudia stated before she kissed him. "And Damien West doesn't stand a chance." She whispered before she went back to kissing the back of his neck. Dan walked off smirking.

"I love you, you know that?" Nathan asked and Claudia hugged him tighter and Nathan held onto her arms smiling.

"I love you too." Claudia replied smiling.

"You always help me." Nathan whispered in a husky voice and Claudia had to stop it.

"Damn it, you need to put a shirt on." Claudia groaned as she slapped his chest and jumped off the counter. "Too sexy. God!" She groaned as she walked off into the bathroom. Nathan laughed to himself.

___

Claudia walked across the basketball court and Damien west chased behind her.

"How's it feel knowing your man's season ends tonight?" Damien asked Claudia tauntingly, Claudia rolled his head.

"Don't count on it." Claudia muttered back angrily.

"You smell great. Can't wait to see how you taste." Damien said trying to flirt. He came really close to Claudia and she pushed him off.

"Get off me." Claudia stated angrily.

"It's okay. Give in to it, baby." Damien shouted as Claudia walked away from him disgusted. Claudia turned around as she saw Dan walked up to Damien.

"Hey. Damien West, Dan Scott." Dan smiled falsely as he tightened his grip on Damien's hand. Dan abruptly brought his hand back towards him. "That's Mayor Dan Scott. And if you ever touch my daughter-in-law, Claudia again, I'll end your career. Have a good game." Dan warned viciously before he walked off. Claudia saw it and was really confused.

___

Claudia was watching the anxiously, well mainly she was watching Nathan anxiously, Damien was taking no surrenders in this game.

"All night, Scott. You can't stop me." Damien taunted as Nathan bounced the ball.

"Take a look at the scoreboard. In case you can't count, it's tied." Nathan replied back still holding the ball. Nathan got past him and dribbled away from Damien.

"Come on Damien. This guy owns you." Oak Lake's coach shouted as Damien chased after Nathan. As Nathan shot the ball Damien pushed him. Claudia gasped and Nathan fell down about a metre away from her.

"Oops." Damien laughed and Claudia threw her pom poms down angrily.

"You did that on purpose!" Claudia shouted pushing Damien. Damien shoved her back.

"Hey, bitch, get off me!" He hissed and Haley and Brooke were not having that.

"Hey!" Brooke shouted joining in with Haley by her side.

"Hey. Break it up! Break it up!" The Referee shouted as Claudia pushed back Damien, whereas Brooke and Haley tried to retain it. Nathan got up and defended Claudia. A fight broke out. "Break it up! You guys, break it up!" The Referee exclaimed as he got in the middle of the brawl.

"Are you okay?" Haley asked Claudia who fixed her hair.

"Yeah." Claudia replied back nodding as the Referee stopped the fight.

"The refs appear to have it under control now. Nathan Scott steps to the line for two free throws." Mouth commentated as Nathan walked onto the court.

"Okay, gentlemen, let's get set. Shooting two, first one's dead." The Referee explained until he saw blood on Nathan's jersey. "Hold on, guys. I've got blood here. Coach!" The Referee shouted and Claudia looked at Nathan worried.

"And it looks like Nathan has some blood on his jersey. Let's hope it's not serious." Mouth commentated as Nathan walked to the bench and the doctor examined it. His scar was bleeding.

"He needs stitches." The doctor stated and Claudia looked over worried, she couldn't hear a thing.

"Sorry, son. You're done for the night." Whitey said patting Nathan on the back sympathetically.

"What? No way, forget it!" Nathan argued loudly.

"Nathan, you're bleeding." Whitey groaned. Claudia saw the blood on his chest from a distance and mentally sighed. She still looked worried, very worried.

"Coach, there's no way I'm leaving this game. Now, if I need stitches, then stitch me up." Nathan stated surely as he looked at the doctor.

"Nathan!" Whitey warned but Nathan wasn't having it. Nathan wanted to play badly.

"Coach, if we lose this game, then you lose your shot at the State Championships, and so do I. And so does this team. Now we played in your crappy old gym, okay? We ran two-a-days until we puked. I let Tim shower with me. Come one. Don't let a punk like Damien West take this way from us." Nathan explained angrily as he stood up. Whitey sighed then nodded his head. He was proud of Nathan and he knew how much this meant to him. He had to let Nathan play.

"All right, take him back there and stitch him up, find him another jersey." Whitey groaned and Nathan walked off. Whitey looked at the doctor. "If his mother says anything about this, it was your idea. Get in there!" Whitey warned as the doctor followed after Nathan. Claudia glared at Damien the whole time.

"It looks like Nathan Scott is gonna have to leave the game. We'll take a break and be right back." Mouth commentated and Claudia watched Nathan walked in the locker room. Haley gave her a sympathetic look.

___

Claudia waited anxiously for Nathan's return onto the court. The heard the roaring crowd and watched Nathan run onto the court wearing Lucas' jersey.

"And the roar you hear is for Nathan Scott stepping back onto the court! And he's wearing Lucas Scott's jersey!" Mouth commentated excitably. Claudia smiled to herself proud as Nathan walked on with Lucas' jumper. She dropped her pom pom's onto the floor and walked over to him.

"Claudia, you are meant to be cheering." Nathan stated as he saw Claudia walk up to him. Claudia proudly smiled as she kissed him. She leaned over to his ear once they were finished.

"You are amazing and you better win." Claudia whispered before she ran back onto the sidelines with the rest of the cheerleaders. Nathan continued to walk onto the pitch grinning with confidence.

"But is it too late? The ravens trail by nine, with just over a minute left." Mouth commentated and Claudia watched Damien walk over to Nathan.

"Should've stayed in the locker room, Scott. Your season's over." Damien hissed angrily as he kept on hitting Nathan's chest. Nathan stayed strong and did not move, instead he stole the ball off of Damien.

"We'll see about that." Nathan smirked as he dribbled the ball. Claudia cheered loudly.

"Yes! Yeah Nathan!" Deb cheered like a proud mom. Claudia jumped up and down.

"Woohoo. That's my guy!" Claudia exclaimed as Nathan scored a basket.

"Another three by Nathan and just like that the Ravens trail by three. Thirty-five seconds left! Let's hope there's some magic still left in that jersey." Mouth commentated as Nathan tried to block Damien.

"What's the matter, West? You don't wanna take the big shot?" Nathan smirked tauntingly.

"Ball!" Damien shouted aggravated. Nathan made a fault on Damien.

"Well, well. Someone has to make their free throws, huh? Don't brick it now." Nathan taunted happily, Damien threw the ball and he missed. Claudia clapped her hands. He still had one more try though. "Take it easy, man. It's an old backboard. That's right. Nice and easy. Don't think about it." Nathan taunted again and Damien, of course, missed. "Wow. Nice touch." Nathan smirked happily.

" And the Ravens are gonna get the ball back, down by three with 18 seconds on the clock and Nathan Scott on fire. I'm telling you, folks, win or lose, you're gonna regret missing this one. The two teams are huddled up now. We'll get back to live action in a moment." Mouth commentated and Claudia and the cheerleaders did their routine from the sidelines. All the Ravens were huddled around Whitey.

"Now, you listen to me. When you step out on that floor, take it all in. Because someday, you're gonna look back on it and want it all again. When you do, make sure it's for the right reasons. Win or lose, leave it all on the floor." Whitey explained and all the Ravens listened fully. "Now, Ravens on three." Whitey said and all the players placed their hands in middle.

"One, two, three." Tim counted.

"Ravens!" The team exclaimed as they threw their hands in the air. The Ravens clapped as they ran out onto the court.

"You know, it's been said that we just don't recognize the significant moments of our lives while they're happening. We grow complacent with ideas or things or people and we take them for granted. And it's usually not until that thing is about to be taken away from you that you realize how wrong you've been. That you realize how much you really need it. How much you love it. God, I love this game." Nathan thought in his head as he walked onto the court. Claudia clapped her hand and cheered at her boyfriend.

"Foul him! Foul!" Oak Lake's coach shouted loudly.

"No way, nobody fouls him. He's mine. Come on, Scott. You got nothing." Damien shouted angrily just before Damien got fouled.

"We got a foul here!" The ref stated and Claudia smirked to herself, because she knew after this point they had won. Nathan and free throws were a perfect match.

"Foul? Come on, ref!" Damien argued annoyed and upset.

"Foul! They called a foul! The shot is good, the game is tied and there's a foul on Damien West! Unbelievable!" Mouth commented excitably, he loved it.

"Come on, ref!" Damien groaned and Nathan held the ball and walked towards the free throw spot.

"Nathan Scott will get one free throw to win it with no time left on the clock! So, Nathan Scott will have one free throw to win it for the Ravens." Mouth commentated and Claudia smiled at Nathan as he dribbled the ball n the spot. Everyone waited anxiously except for Claudia- she knew that Nathan was going to win.

"You got nothing, Scott. Nothing!" Damien taunted and Nathan looked over at him cockily before he launched the ball. It went through the hoop. Claudia threw her pom poms on the ground and cheered.

"Ravens win it! Ravens win it!" Mouth exclaimed excitably before he hugged Gigi. They crowd were roaring and clapping. Claudia ran over to Nathan and hugged him tightly. Everyone applauded him as they surrounded Nathan.

___

Claudia and Nathan were walking outside of the school hand in hand.

"Hey. You were great tonight." Claudia complimented as she looked up at her boyfriend.

"Yeah, I think so." Nathan replied smiling.

"Now I just have to beat you in a couple of days." Claudia smirked and Nathan scoffed as he shook his head.

"You can try." Nathan laughed just as they reached Dan. Nathan was about to walk away from him.

"Nathan. I know, I know. I'm not supposed to get close to you. But, tonight I walked into that gym the mayor of Tree Hill but I finished the night a father on the outside, looking in at a son who deserves better. I wanted to tell you, how proud of you I am. And this has nothing to do with basketball. I'm proud of you for the choices you've made with your life. I'm proud of you for the man that you've become." Dan explained and neither Claudia or Nathan knew that to say next because it was so unexpected of Dan. "I love you." Dan stated, surprisingly, honestly before he walked away from the married couple. Claudia looked up at Nathan as he stared straight ahead in shock. They were both trying to comprehend what Dan had just said.

++++

Every once in a while, people step up. They rise above themselves. Sometimes they surprise you.

- Nathan Scott

___

A/N: Hope you guys like my next chapter. I wanted to do this in the first book but I did not know where to fit it in, so I decided I would do it in the this book. I don't know if it will be a one parter or a two parter, just have to wait and see. I am so excited to write it though, also comment who you think should win the tournament. I already have an idea but I want to know your ideas.

Love you all and thank you for you immense support,

Mrs N O'Brien

Xx