"I am so pissed off!" Claudia exclaimed as she slammed a kitchen drawer. She was telling Nathan about her meeting with Principal Rimkus, didn't go so well.

"So, she expects you to apologize." Nathan stated and Claudia turned around to face him.

"Yes. Can you believe that?" Claudia asked really loud.

"Well, I bet our kitchen drawers are really organized right now." Nathan answered and Claudia looked at him confused. She knew that Nathan knew that Claudia organised things when she was annoyed.

"Why do you say that?" Claudia asked trying to cover it up.

"Because. That's who you are, Claudia Stone." Nathan smiled as he walked closer to his wife. "And I know that even though Rimkus is completely wrong, you're thinking about taking the high road on this one, because you're a good teacher and you care about your students." Nathan explained as he wrapped his muscular arms around his wifes waist.

"Yeah, I do care, but you know what ... when you're young and you look at how great your life's gonna be, you don't think about having a Rimkus there to screw it all up with her written apologies and her stupid-ass policies, and it's totally unfair that I have to apologize for something, when I don't even think I was wrong, because I wasn't wrong." Claudia explained frantically, she was not happy.

"I get it, baby. And I completely agree. And if you want to tell Rimkus to shove it, I'm good with that. But I think you know that if you do that, these kids are gonna lose the best teacher they have." Nathan explained and Claudia just sighed as she ran her fingers through her black hair.

"Yeah." Claudia sighed in agreement. She was torn, so torn.

"So, I'm thinking I'm just gonna love you even more, because... you're probably gonna take the high road and be gracious and honorable, because that's who you are, Claudia Stone." Nathan grinned at his wife and Claudia smiled up at him, he always made things better for her.

"Our kitchen drawers are really organized, by the way." Claudia grinned in defeat and Nathan just laughed. He lifted Claudia up and she squealed with excitement. "Nathan, are kids are upstairs." She hissed playfully as Nathan sat her on the counter. Nathan nodded his head.

"And?" Nathan asked smirking before he held onto Claudia's face and started to kiss her, Claudia quickly pulled away.

"What if they catch us?" Claudia asked Nathan as he took off his top. He raised his eyebrow at her.

"They are busy playing, we have about twenty minutes." Nathan explained as he threw his top on the floor. Claudia bit her lip before she kissed Nathan.

"Let's go then." Claudia laughed before her and Nathan's kisses grew in passion. Claudia couldn't stop laughing, it was like they were in high school all over again.

___

"They don't like the song." Peyton sighed as she walked back into Red Bedroom Records.

"Who? John or the A&R guys?" Mia asked upset.

"Apparently all of them. And it's not like they hate it, okay? They just don't love it the same way we do." Peyton explained and Mia was angry.

"Well, they're wrong!" Mia exclaimed and Claudia nodded her head in agreement.

"Well I agree." Peyton stated.

"What do they want to do?" Claudia asked.

"They thought we should try it on guitar instead of piano." Peyton explained and Claudia groaned.

"But it's perfect on the piano." Mia replied.

"Maybe so, honey, but if you love this song and you want to keep it, maybe you should just try it." Peyton explained trying to reason with Mia, who was really frustrated. 

"What do you think, Claudia?" Mia asked Claudia and Claudia just nodded her head.

"Sometimes you have to play the game." Claudia replied, but overall she didn't know what was the right thing to do.

___

"I've been asked to speak with all of you because there is a chance I may have shown a small error in judgment when I published Sam's essay in the school paper. Which is not to say that Sam's essay wasn't a wonderful piece of writing, because it is. It's just that ..." Claudia started to explain as she stood in front of her class of students. Sam was there, feeling bad. Mrs Rimkus interrupted. 

"Ms. Scott." Mrs Rimkus stated in a warning tone and Claudia snapped her head towards the Principal.

"This is still my classroom." Claudia replied back.

"For now." Principal Rimkus warned and that was the last straw for Claudia. She was not going to be bullied and put down because she did the right thing.

"What's the first thing I taught you about writing?" Claudia asked her class and she down on her desk. Principal Rimkus didn't look to happy about Claudia. 

"Tell the truth." Sam answered and Claudia smiled at her.

"Tell the truth. So I would be a hypocrite if I stood up here and didn't tell you the truth, right?" Claudia asked and Principal Rimkus was getting angrier by the second but Claudia didn't care. She was going to go out guns blazing. "Look, the truth is, I love teaching all of you, and I'm ... I'm proud of you. But I did what any good teacher would do when I published Sam's essay in the school paper. It was a powerful piece of writing. It was honest and naked and real and everything your writing should be." Claudia explained and then she turned to Principal Rimkus who looked angry, or more like she was angry. "And, by the look on principal Rimkus's face, I should probably say goodbye." Claudia laugh a little. "Just try and remember it's too early for you to start playing the game. Hell, it's too early for me to start playing the game. Stand up for what you believe in. The truth matters, so tell it, no matter what." Claudia finished before she smiled at her class. 

She grabbed her bag and marched to Principal Rimkus, she just couldn't control her anger towards that women.

"I will also be putting in a serious compliant to the head of the board, for misconduct of power and discrimination based on a pupils background." Claudia added in a serious tone before she walked out of the classroom, she saw Haley walking down the corridor. Haley could see that it was over for Claudia.

"You did the right thing." Haley smiled and Claudia just hugged her best friend. She needed this right now, her best friend with her.

___

"Hey. How'd it go?" Peyton asked Claudia as Claudia walked into Red Bedroom Records.

"How would you like a full-time producer for Mia's record?" Claudia asked grinning and Peyton looked at her in shock.

"Oh, god. What happened?" Peyton asked confused.

"I told the truth!" Claudia exclaimed.

"Well, then, yeah. I mean, we would love a full-time producer." Peyton replied grinning and Claudia high-fived Peyton.

"So, how does "Manhattan" sound on guitar?" Claudia asked them and Peyton just shrugged her shoulders.

"It's not bad, actually." Mia answered and Claudia nodded her head.

"Good. Now, let's put it back. Mia, when you started out, did you want to make great records or not-bad records?" Claudia asked Peyton.

"Great records." Mia answered.

"Great, great records." Peyton added grinning.

"Good! So that's what we'll do. We'll make a great record, and if the label can't hear it, then ... they can argue with." Claudia explained excitably.

"Oh, I like this team." Peyton smirked excitably. 

"I love this team!" Claudia exclaimed with love. It looks like her life was turning around for the better. 

___

"James Lucas Scott, what are you still doing awake?" Claudia whispered in a stern tone. Jamie was sitting on the computer playing sims while Grace was lying on her bed sleeping.

"I'm making Tree Hill. See? That's Quentin. He's still alive here." Jamie explained as Claudia leaned on the computer chair to see what Jamie had been building.

"That's nice, honey." Claudia smiled as she looked at everything Jamie had done. He had made a perfect world.

"And this is our house. And that's daddy and you and Gracie and me. And Uncle Lucas and Peyton live next door." Jamie explained and Claudia grinned at it.

"Cool." Claudia grinned.

"And this is Brooke and Sam and Julian." Jamie listed and Claudia pointed to a mysterious character.

"Is that grandpa Dan?" Claudia asked him confused.

"Yeah." Jamie answered and Claudia looked at him. "He has a new heart." Jamie added and Claudia saw somebody else, he resembled Keith.

"Who's that, sweetie?" Claudia asked her son.

"That's uncle Keith. He's still alive. He came to make sure grandpa Dan was okay, because him and grandpa Dan still love each other." Jamie explained and that gave Claudia tears in her eyes.

"Okay, Jamie, it's time for bed. Say good night to Tree Hill." Claudia smiled as she stood back.

"Good night to Tree Hill." Jamie replied to the screen before she switched it off. Claudia tucked him into bed before she wiped away her tears and left the room.

___

"Okay, so I wasn't so graceful and honorable." Claudia stated as she crawled into bedside Nathan and lay down. Nathan flipped over so he was on his side and looked down at his wife.

"What happened?" Nathan asked sighing a little. Claudia just buried her head in her hands.

"I told her I was going to contact the board about misconduct of power and discrimination." Claudia explained quickly and then she peered her hands away from her face.

"You didn't?" Nathan laughed and Claudia nodded her head slowly. "Have I told you you're a bad ass?" Nathan asked his wife and Claudia laughed before she leaned up and kissed her husband. 

"Okay, so what do I do now?" Claudia asked Nathan as she pulled away, Nathan lifted her up so she was sitting on his knee, looking him straight in the face. She was wearing pyjama shorts and a black vest stop and Nathan was wearing only pyjama bottoms.

"Get your album out there." Nathan answered and Claudia just sighed a little.

"I'm scared, baby." Claudia pouted as Nathan gently tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. He shook his head.

"Your music is amazing and if they don't like it them screw them. They will be missing out on the best thing ever." Nathan explained and Claudia just couldn't stop smiling.

"You have to stop making me smile all the time." Claudia laughed as she placed a hand on her husband's heart. 

"Why? It's beautiful." Nathan replied smiling and Claudia leaned down and kissed her husband. She was just so lucky to have him. 

+++

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Tell me your opinions on this chapter please. Also if you haven't checked out Finding Sarah, you should. 

Thank you guys for your support!

Mrs N O'Brien xx