Jamie was playing basketball in his little hoop as Grace sat on the ground and drew some pictures. Nathan was watching his children from a far. Claudia walked out as she needed to go to work and had to throw out the trash. She had changed a lot since senior year. Her hair was long and blonde, not brown, and she wore actual work clothes not her hippy stuff. She was wearing trousers and a white shirt with black heels. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail. 

"Where did he get the hoop?" Nathan asked, he didn't even look at his wife. Claudia sighed as she watched Grace and Jamie.

"Lucas gave it to him, so he could be like you." Claudia replied monotone. 

"I don't want him playing." Nathan said sternly and Claudia wasn't having it.

"Nathan, he's 4 years old. All he wants to do is be like his dad. Why don't you go out there and show him..." Claudia began to explained annoyed with Nathan but he interrupted her. 

"I said I don't want him playing." Nathan snapped and Claudia could see his long hair and his unshaven face. He was barely recognisable. Claudia shook her head in disgrace before she threw the trash in the bin. Nathan couldn't help but notice that Claudia was throwing out all of her music sheets. Claudia turned to face her children. 

"Grace, Jamie, come on, sweetie. Mama's got to go to work." Claudia smiled at them, Jamie ran up to his mom and Grace collected her things. Jamie and Claudia began to leave but Grace ran up to Nathan.

"Bye daddy." Grace smiled at her dad before she ran off with her mom and her brother.

___

"Man, they do grow up fast." Lucas smirked as he walked into the classroom where Claudia was going to teach. She was really nervous. Jamie and Grace were drawing a picture and Claudia was sitting at her desk doing work. 

"Uncle Lucas!" Jamie exclaimed as both him and Grace ran over, holding their drawing, to Lucas from their desk. Lucas bent down and hugged them.

"J. Luke, Gracie May!" He smiled as they hugged. He pulled out and studied them. "Hey. You in high school already?" He asked jokingly and Claudia laughed from the backwards.

"No, I'm only 4." Jamie replied shaking his head, Grace shook her head as well. Claudia smiled at them before she went back to her work.

"Hmm, 4 going on 40. What you drawing?" Lucas asked as tried to look at the drawing. 

"You can't see it. It's not done." Grace giggled as she took the drawing back and ran over to the table with her brother.

"Yeah, trust me, I understand that one." Lucas muttered as he stood up and turned to face Claudia.

"I take it the writing's not going very well?" Claudia asked as Lucas walked closer to her. 

"The writing... is not going at all." Lucas chuckled a little. "How about you? How was the last day of student teaching?" Lucas asked.

"Great. I am trying to stay calm and not panic. However, I am failing, miserably." Claudia explained laughing a little to hide her nerves.

"You're gonna be great, Claude." Lucas smiled reassuringly and Claudia just shrugged. "Did you get a nanny yet?" Lucas asked. 

"No, not yet." Claudia said as she shook her head and looked at her laptop. 

"Well, you know, you can't babysit him forever, Claudia. And by him, I mean Nathan." Lucas replied and Claudia raised an eyebrow at her. 

"Well, it's only been four months, so..." Claudia began to say just as Haley ran into the classroom. 

"I thought I heard two little monkeys!" Haley exclaimed as she walked into the classroom. 

"Auntie Haley!" Grace squealed as her and Jamie ran over to Haley and they all hugged.

"Hey Hales." Claudia smiled as she looked over at Haley. "How is little Lydia?" Claudia asked smiling. Jamie and Grace went back to their desk so they could work on their drawing.

"Perfect. Jack has her right now. I miss her so much!" Haley gushed as she sat on a desk in front of Lucas and Claudia. "So what are we talking about?" She asked swinging her legs.

"Nathan and his accident." Lucas explained and Claudia nodded his head.

"Well today is the day when the seattle sonics announce their players." Claudia said glumly and as she said that Nathan, in their house, was watching the announcements on the TV. 

"Seattle is on the clock right now. We'll get to the commissioner coming up in regards to their pick. They going big? They going small? It's been unpredictable so far. Here's the commissioner. With the 10th pick in the NBA Draft, the Seattle sonics select..." The Sports Announcer said on the TV as Nathan watched. 

Claudia was looking around a big empty house, the house they live in now. Nathan walked in with Jamie in his arms and Claudia by his side. She was skipping excitably.

"We're moving to Seattle, mama!" Jamie shouted excitably.

"Yeah we are!" Grace giggled as Nathan placed a hand on Grace's shoulder.

"It's gonna be Seattle. My agent just called. He said we got a guarantee... I'm going 10th pick to the Sonics!" Nathan explained and Claudia clasped her hands together excitably.

"Oh, baby, I'm so proud of you!" Claudia exclaimed as Nathan placed Jamie on the ground. "You have worked so hard for the last four years! You believed in it, and now it's actually happening!" Claudia explained feeling so much pride towards her husband. "Why are we buying a house in Tree Hill if we're moving to Seattle? We should buy a house there." Claudia asked confused. 

"Oh, we're going to. A big one." Nathan said like a little kid. 

"With a pool?" Gracie asked and Nathan picked her up into his arms. 

"More like a moat and a draw bridge." Nathan exclaimed and Grace giggled excitably.

"And a dragon?" Jamie asked all cute and innocent.

"Yes, and a pet dragon for Jim-jam and a big music room for little Gracie May." Nathan smiled as he put Grace down beside her brother. "Claude, we're gonna have all kinds of houses, but Tree Hill is home. And, besides, this isn't even my salary. This is just shoe-contract money."  Nathan explained as he walked closer to Claudia.

"It's money from the shoe, mama!" Grace squealed excitably.

"Let's get it!" Jamie added happily. 

"Oh, babies, I don't know." Claudia said in a raspy voice and she smiled down at them. 

"Our incredibly smart and little kids spoken. And they are right. We should get the house, Claude. You know why?" Nathan asked and Claudia couldn't believe how in love she was with Nathan right now.

"Why?" Claudia asked smiling. 

"Because we did it together. We made it happen. And we're gonna have to get used to the fact that this is what life's like when your dreams come true." Nathan explained and Claudia looked at him with love in her eyes before she kissed him.

Nathan was still in front of the TV, he sadly wheeled backwards and left the room in his wheelchair. 

___

Nathan was sitting in his house looking at a shoe box. 

Lucas, Nathan and Claudia were at a bar with some other guys. One of them presented Nathan a shoe- the one that he was looking at.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the N.S. 23." Barry announced as he held up a shoe. Everyone applauded. Claudia grinned over at Nathan.  

"Let's see it." Nathan asked and Barry handed Nathan shoe. They all looked at it in awe. "Barry, thank you so much." Nathan said to Barry genuinely. 

"Baby, it's awesome." Claudia said proudly as she hugged Nathan. "I have to go relieve the sitter." Claudia explained as she reached behind her to grab her purse. "But you guys should stay and celebrate. It's the night before the Draft." Claudia added smirking.  

"You sure?" Nathan asked. 

"Yeah." Claudia said nodding her head. "No driving tonight, okay? Take the limo and get the car tomorrow." Claudia added as she pointed at both Nathan and Lucas. 

"I promise." Nathan smiled and Claudia stood up nodding her head. She leaned down closer to Nathan's face. 

"Love you." Claudia smirked before she kissed Nathan on the lips. She turned to face Lucas. "Bye Loser" She joked and slapped the back of his head. Lucas looked at her offended and Claudia laughed before she walked out of the bar. 

___

Nathan was grabbing a bottle of alcohol from the high shelf, he used a trophy, when Lucas walked in and watched his younger brother.

"Claudia keeps the alcohol out of reach. At least, she tries." Nathan explained as he took the bottle and wheeled back so he could face Lucas.

"It's a little early, don't you think? So, how's physical therapy going?" Lucas asked and Nathan scoffed.

"How's your second book coming?" Nathan asked coldly before he drank some of the alcohol. 

"Ouch." Lucas muttered hurt. "So, you know, Claudia told me that the doctors say you'll be up on your feet any day now. Pretty lucky, Nate." Lucas explained and Nathan rolled his eyes.

"Oh, yeah, that's me. Mr. Lucky." Nathan commented sarcastically.

"I'm just saying you'll be back to normal in no time." Lucas replied.

"Luke, I'm never gonna play basketball again. That's not exactly normal, okay?" Nathan asked as Lucas took the bottle from Nathan's hands. "Luke! Luke, damn it! Don't be a dick, all right?" Nathan shouted pissed off as he moved the wheelchair closer to Lucas.

"You want it? Walk over here and get it." Lucas ordered as he walked backwards.

"Why don't I walk over there and kick your ass, huh?" Nathan asked tauntingly but they both knew that he couldn't do that.

"Kicking. Kicking's good. Let's see it." Lucas replied encouragingly.

"Give me that bottle right now, or Dan's not gonna be the only Scott to kill his brother." Nathan warned harshly just as his children walked in. 

"Ready, Uncle Lucas?" Grace asked in a sweet innocent voice. Her and her brother were scared. 

"Real nice, Nate." Lucas muttered and Nathan sighed.

"Luke...Just..." Nathan stuttered but Lucas turned to his niece and nephew.

"Come on, Jamie, Gracie. Let's go." Lucas smiled.

"Bye, daddy." Jamie and Grace both in unison as they looked at their dad.

"Bye-bye." Nathan sighed as he watched them leave. He wished that it was him doing that with his kids. But he couldn't because he was trying to find answers at the bottom of the bottle he was sadly drinking.

___

Claudia walking into the boys apartment to see Lucas running around and holding Jamie and Grace upside down.

"Hi, upside-down children." Claudia laughed as she looked at her children in shock.

"Hey, mama! We won!" Jamie exclaimed excitably.

"Oh, wow." Claudia replied smiling.

"I lost." Grace pouted and Claudia looked at her sad.

"Aw baby, it's okay. The boys would never let me win either." Claudia whispered trying to cheer Claudia up. That was something that she was good at, cheering up her children when they were upset.

"We were just..." Lucas explained and Claudia raised an eyebrow at him. "Here you go." Lucas said in realisation as he placed the twins down on the ground. She knew it was going to be difficult to put them to bed because they were so excited.  

"What are you wearing?" Claudia asked confused as she laughed.

"Uncle Skills gave it to us." Jamie grinned as him and Grace showed Claudia their new jerseys.

"Wasn't that nice of him, making you both look all krunk." Claudia teased as she tugged on Grace's jersey. "Did you say thank you?" Claudia asked with a raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah." Grace smiled up at her mom as she nodded her head.

"Okay, go say goodbye to the guys." Claudia smiled as she ruffled Jamie's hair. The twins ran over to the boy and hugged each one. 

"Look, I kind of gave Nathan some grief today about not being on his feet yet." Lucas explained and Claudia looked at him shock. The old Claudia would have down what Lucas did but this new Claudia couldn't. She changed after she had children.

"Oh, well, you know. He will come back to his sense soon." Claudia brushed off as she shrugged her shoulders.

"I know he's a little dark right now. You got to push him, Claude." Lucas said sternly and Claudia nodded her head. 

"Okay, mommy, I'm ready." Jamie said as he walked over to his mom. 

"Mommy, coming!" Grace shouted as she ran over and hugged Lucas. "Bye Uncle Lucas." Grace whispered.

"Bye Princess, love you." Lucas said as he hugged her back. 

"My kids won't call me mum. They have turned American on me." Claudia laughed and Junk looked over at her.

"I mean they have lived in America all their lives and so have you." Junk explained and Claudia just groaned in defeat. Grace and Jamie stood beside Claudia.

"Whoa, what about me, Jamie?" Lucas asked and Jamie ran up and hugged his uncle.

"Bye, Uncle Lucas." Jamie said as he hugged Lucas.

"Bye, buddy. I love you." Lucas smiled as he puled out of the hug and stood up.

"I got to go home now, and anyway, you should be writing." Jamie replied as he pulled out of the hug. Claudia laughed along with all of the boys.

"I don't want to hear it." Lucas groaned as Claudia took her two kids out of the apartment.

___

Claudia walked into the house with Jamie and Grace, they were bouncing excitably and still wearing the basketball jersey. Nathan was sleeping on the couch. Claudia saw him and her smile fell. 

"Oh, baby, it's awesome. Why don't you go upstairs? I'll be up in a minute, okay?" Claudia asked smiling. Jamie and Grace ran up the stairs over to their bedroom. 

Claudia marched over to where Nathan was sleeping and began to tidy up around him. She sat down on the table in front of him and sighed. 

"I can't." Claudia muttered as she looked down and shook her head. "We can't be like this, Nathan." Claudia continued as she watched Nathan who was lying down with his eyes closed. "Your children need you. Please don't become your father." Claudia begged as she stood up and began to walk away. 

"My father is in prison." Nathan stated and Claudia turned around to face him. "So am I." Nathan added coldly and Claudia couldn't believe what he was saying. 

"Well, you can walk out.

Claudia looked over at her BRIT award in the cabinet and sighed. She missed music, but she had to do something practical to earn money. 

"I need to stop making music." Claudia said to Nathan as they sat on the couch one night. It was a couple of nights after she won a BRIT award.

"What?" Nathan asked as he sat up to look at Claudia. "You are amazing and you just won an award." Nathan added and Claudia shook her head.

"I am going to finish my teaching degree and be a teacher. I mean I went on a tour around America and I won an award. It's enough for now." Claudia explained. "I need to be a mum, I can't do what my mum and dad did. I won't." Claudia added before she rested her hair on Nathan's shoulder. She didn't want to give up music but she felt like she had no other choice.

___

Jamie and Grace were watching Nathan as he slept on the couch. He slowly opened up his eyes to see his children.

"We think you drink too much." Jamie stated and Grace nodded her head in agreement. 

"I think you both are right." Nathan muttered and Claudia walked into the living room and saw what was happening. 

"Jamie, Gracie, come on. Hey, come on. Let's go." She called out after them and they both ran up to their mom. Claudia looked back at Nathan before she walked out of the house. 

___

"Seattle is on the clock right now in regards to their pick. They going big? They going small? It's been unpredictable so far. Here's the commissioner. ANCHOR : With the 10th pick in the NBA Draft, the Seattle Sonics select..." The Sports Announcer said on the TV that Nathan was watching. He began to drone out as he thought about something else. 

Nathan was thinking about how he got paralysed. Somebody was rude to Nathan then made a comment about Claudia. Nathan was thrown through a glass window and was paralysed, however, he can better. If Nathan tries then he can walk. 

"With the end pick in the NBA draft the Seattle Sonics select Mouhamed Sene from Senegal." The Sports Announcer finished and Nathan angrily threw the bottle of alcohol at the TV. His dreams had been shattered there and then. 

___

Grace and Jamie were drawing at their table in their joint bedroom. It had a chest of drawers, a closet. Loads and loads of toys. They had a bunny and a table in the middle of the room. Their room was animal themed and it was yellow, green and brown. They had two beds against the back wall with a table in the middle. Claudia walked into the room.

"Okay, it's time for bed. Come on." Claudia ushered and her children ran straight into their beds smiling.

"Momma, why is daddy so sad?" Grace asked and Claudia leaned over Jamie's bed and held onto Grace's hand. 

"It's just a really tough time for daddy right now. But he loves you, both of you. You know that, right?" Claudia asked as she stood back up. 

"Uncle Lucas loves me." Jamie sighed and Claudia looked over at their map and then walked towards it. She had to change the subject and make her children smile. 

"You have a new postcard?! Wow!" Claudia asked as she pointed towards the new postcard on their world map. It was in the United Kingdom. 

"Yeah, Aunt Karen sent it to us." Grace smiled as she crawled over so she was kneeling on the edge of her bed. 

"That is so cool, do you know who was born there?" Claudia asked before she playfully pointed towards herself. 

"You!" Jamie smiled as he pointed towards his mom. Grace nodded her head in agreement. 

"Wow I have smart children don't I!" Claudia exclaimed before she walked towards them and she sat in between their two beds. She was trying to cheer them up considering what they had just said about their dad. Sometimes she just couldn't bear it. All she wanted was for them to be one big happy family. 

___

Nathan was outside, he angrily threw Jamie and Grace's basketball hoop. He didn't see until he threw it that it nearly hit his children. Scared, Jamie and Grace started to go back towards the house.  Nathan looked at them said. "Jamie. Gracie." Nathan called and his children walked towards him. 

Jamie handed him the drawing they had made for him before they walked away. Nathan looked down at the drawing that they had made- it was him playing basketball. 

"Grace, James." He called out again and they turned to face him. 

Nathan wheeled up to them and then he stopped the wheels. He slowly began to get up out of the chair. He held onto the pillars as he stood up.  

"Daddy's sorry, for everything." Nathan admitted and Grace and Jamie looked up at him. "Come here." He whispered before he hugged his children in one big group hug. 

___

Claudia sat at the piano and just looked at it. She didn't know what else to do. Claudia hadn't played since Nathan was in an accident. She had slammed straight into writers block. She started to play but she just could not do it. The notes were all off and she had no lyrics. She slammed her hands off of the piano and sighed deeply.