"Momma, play us a song please." Grace begged as her and Jamie sat on top of the piano. There Uncle Jack walked in grinning.

"Yeah, Claude. Give it a go." Jack grinned and Claudia walked up and hugged him.

"Why have you not brought Lydia?" Claudia asked pouting. Jack walked over and hugged his niece and nephew. 

"I wanted to see my darling sister and her amazing children, of course. Lydia is loud." Jack joked and Claudia punched her brothers arm. "Setting your kids a bad example, Claudia Scott." Jack continued joking and Claudia pointed to the piano.

"Go play something." Claudia grinned and Jack sat down at the piano. Jamie and Grace smiled massively, they were so excited to hear their momma sing. Jack began to play Right to be Wrong on the piano. Last time Claudia sang that was at the Children's centre.

https://youtu.be/wcpEte4plbw

"Momma, you are so good." Grace smiled before she stood up on the piano and hugged her mom. Little did they know Nathan was listening from the other room. He felt bad, he wanted to be there.

"Not as good as you." Claudia grinned before she kissed Grace's forehead. 

"Your mum used to sing all the time. She used to be a right rock chick." Jack explained.

"Were you momma?" Jamie asked and Claudia shook her head.

"I was more hippy." Claudia corrected but Jack wasn't buying it.

"Is there pictures?" Jamie asked and Jack laughed.

"Of course there is. I have some on my phone, look." Jack explained as he showed the pictures to Jack and Grace. There was photos of Claudia pregnant, Claudia on her wedding day, Claudia on tour and romantic photos of Claudia and Nathan.

"You and daddy looked really happy." Grace grinned as she looked through the photos.

"We were." Claudia replied as she sat on the piano with her kids. Jack showed them all the photos. Nathan wheeled away. 

___

Nathan was in the bedroom and he was slowly trying to stand up. He was doing this for his children and more importantly Claudia. 

"Claudia, come look at this. Claudia!" Nathan shouted excitably as he began to walk. Nanny Carrie stood at the door.

"Sorry, Claudia's not here. She's at school." Carrie explained as she stood smiled at Nathan. he sat down on the bed and looked at her. "I'm Carrie, the new..." Carrie began to say but Nathan interrupted.

"The new nanny. I know. She told me." Nathan replied rudely.

"Okay, well, I'm gonna make breakfast. Do you want me to bring you some?" Carrie asked in a sweet voice.

"No. I'm good. Thanks." Nathan replied and Carrie nodded her head before she walked out of the room.

___

Inside the high school gym, Lucas and Skills were attempting to coach the new Ravens. Claudia walked in.

"Hey, pick it up, blue! Let's go!" Skills shouted and Claudia laughed a little. She never thought that she would see Lucas and Skills coaching in the gym. She honestly thought she would never be back in the gym.

"Hey, coach, you got a sec?" Claudia asked and Lucas turned around to face her. "I have always wanted to say that to you." Claudia giggled like a school girl.

"That depends... are you gonna be one of those teachers constantly complaining about my players' grades?" Lucas asked and Claudia gave him a 'duh' look.

"If your players are failing, you bet your ass I will." Claudia laughed surely. Lucas nodded his head.

"Fair enough. Grades are the least of this team's worries." Lucas sighed as he watched the game.

"Oh, my God! Can't be serious." Skills angrily groaned and Claudia laughed.

"How's Quentin? Is he still disrupting your class?" Lucas asked turning back to look at Claudia.

"Actually, no. Quentin has not been in class all week, and I think it's because he got kicked off the team." Claudia explained and she felt responsible. 

"You can't save 'em all, Claude..." Lucas replied. "Oh God!" He groaned as his team got worse.

"I think your team looks really good." Claudia commented looking at the white team.

"The J.V. is the team in white. In the blue... yeah, those are mine. We're a work in progress." Lucas explained and Claudia looked awkward.

"Awkward. I'm gonna go to class now. I'll see you later." Claudia said quickly before she began to walk out.

"Claudia, how's my little brother doing?" Lucas asked and Claudia turned to face him.

"He's a work in progress." Claudia sighed before she walked out of the gym.

___

Lucas walked into his office to see Haley sitting on his chair and Claudia sitting on his desk eating her lunch.

"Can I help you with something?" Lucas asked and the girls laughed.

"Hi. Sorry. No, I just thought I would lounge here while I'm on my break." Claudia explained as she ate a grape.

 "You know, they do have a teacher's lounge for that, right?" Lucas asked and Haley shook her head.

"Oh, Luke, it's so creepy in there. They're all acting like they're still my teachers." Haley replied shuddering.

"I feel like I'm being graded." Claudia stated.

"You too, huh?' Lucas asked and the girls nodded their heads.

"Yeah. So, I hear you rented out your office space at Tric to Peyton. Lindsey okay with that?" Claudia asked and Lucas nodded his head.

"Yeah, why not?" Lucas asked.

"I don't know. Maybe because Peyton's not just another ex-girlfriend and everybody knows that." Haley explained and Claudia nodded her head in agreement.

"Guys, I'm just helping out an old friend, okay? That's all." Lucas replied surely. "Besides, you know, Lindsey's not really the jealous type." Lucas added and Claudia clapped her hands proudly.

"Good answer, because I'm having lunch with her in a few minutes." Haley smirked and Claudia laughed.

"So, this was just a sneak attack? You're just gathering information?" Lucas asked and Haley nodded her head.

"Yeah, pretty much." Haley laughed and Lucas shook his head in disbelief.

"How did I not see this coming?" Lucas asked and Claudia gave him another 'DUH' look.

"Because you're a guy, Luke, and guys are... so predictable." Claudia replied before Haley high-fived her. They were acting like teenagers again.

___

Peyton was rearranging her stuff in Red Bedroom Records. Lucas had rented the space out to Peyton in TRIC. 

"Hey, so this is it, huh? You're doing it." Claudia asked as she saw walked into Red Bedroom Records.

"Yeah, hopefully, it's just the beginning." Peyton replied as she turned around to face Claudia.

"Wow, I can say I was here when it all started. Maybe I should steal something to commemorate the occasion." Claudia joked and that was when Peyton thought of something.

"Well, if there's no stopping you." Peyton said as she showed Claudia Lindsey's gift that she had given to Peyton. 

"Oh... Bamboo." Claudia replied wary.

"Lucky bamboo. It was from Lindsey." Peyton stated pointedly. Claudia raised an eyebrow.

"Lucas' Lindsey?" Claudia asked confused.

"Is that her nickname or something?" Peyton asked.

"This is actually really nice of her." Claudia smiled and Peyton shook her head.

"Suspiciously nice." She added and Claudia laughed.

"Oh, stop it. Keep this." Claudia said.

"It really did just feel like she was coming over here to mark her territory. And then she said, "I just wanted you to know I'm here"." Peyton explained and Claudia shrugged her shoulders.

"So she was letting you know that, if you need anything, she's here to help." Claudia explained but Peyton wasn't buying jack.

"She was letting me know she's not going anywhere." Peyton corrected and Claudia sighed.

"I got to be honest with you. That just really doesn't sound like her, but, I mean, even if she is doing that and marking her territory, what difference does it make?" Claudia asked and Peyton looked down. "It's not like you came back to town for Lucas, right?" Claudia asked. 

"No. I did not come back here for Lucas... I came back here for me." Peyton lied convincingly. She came back for Lucas. Peyton wanted Lucas.

"Good. That's what I thought." Claudia smiled as they heard music in the background. "So, who's this band?" Claudia asked as her and Peyton walked into the other rom where a band was performing. 

"Great sound check." Peyton smiled as they watched the band in the booth. It was bringing back happy memories for Claudia, from when that was her. 

"Yeah, really great." Claudia grinned.

"They're local... and they're unsigned." Peyton explained and Claudia turned to face her.

"You can tell that just by looking at them?" Claudia asked and Peyton nodded her head.

"Well, four years in L.A. at least gave me that." Peyton sighed before they both stopped talking and listened to the music.

___

Quentin was playing alone at the River Court and Claudia walked up to him. Quentin stopped playing.

"You must be lost." He commented and Claudia laughed.

"You kidding me?" Claudia asked and Quentin looked confused. "I practically spent my whole high school career at this court. It was home, my name is on it." Claudia explained as she pointed the very faded names written on the court. "I want you to come back to school." Claudia said seriously.

"Ain't nothing left for me up there." Quentin replied sternly. 

"Isn't anything left." Claudia corrected. "And there's more to life than basketball, Quentin. I mean, you... you got to graduate." Claudia sighed, she needed him to graduate. She would of felt responsible if he didn't.

"What's it matter to you?" Quentin asked harshly and Claudia walked towards him sternly.

"Listen to me. Half the kids that drop out of high school have no job, and the ones that do earn a job earn 25% less than the kids that stayed in school and 63% less than the ones that graduated college. So, for me, it doesn't matter, but for you, Quentin, it matters a lot. I'm not kidding." Claudia explained, she was strict and stern because she needed him back in school.

"Or maybe you're just hot for me, Mrs. Scott." Quentin teased and Claudia, quite frankly, couldn't be arsed with that.

"All right, I tried." Claudia groaned before she walked away from him. She was annoyed because he was throwing his life away. 

___

Nathan was working on his physical therapy excerises when Carrie walked in. Earlier that day Carrie had showed Nathan a shrine that Jamie and Grace made for him in the back of their closet. There was newspaper articles and his trophies. 

"How's the physical therapy going?" Carrie asked as she watched Nathan struggling. He was doing it for his family.

"It hurts." Nathan replied as he stretched.

"Good. No pain, no gain." Carrie smiled encouragingly. Nathan chuckled slightly.

"You sound like my dad." Nathan stated as he stopped stretching.

"Sorry. I used to be a personal trainer. I am full of motivational catch phrases." Carrie laughed. "That's who you were visiting yesterday at the prison... it was your dad, right?" Carrie asked intrigued.

"I'd rather not talk about it." Nathan stated and Carrie changed the subject.

"Does Claudia know you went to see him?" Carrie asked meddling.

"No, she doesn't. And I'd like to keep it that way." Nathan stated, he seemed like he was warning her but he wasn't.

"I'm not here to meddle. Unless I'm invited in, I mind my own business. But if she asks me, I won't lie." Carrie replied and Nathan nodded his head.

"That's fair. And listen, it's good that you're here. I've pretty much been a jackass for the past few months, and Claudia deserves better. I know it's been really hard on her." Nathan explained and Carrie nodded her head.

"You know, if you want to do something nice for Claudia, you might want to try investing in a razor." Carrie smiled before she walked away.

___

Claudia drove into the garage and sat in the car, she wasn't ready to face the music inside.

"Tough day?" Carrie asked as she leaned on the window frame, Claudia had her car window open. 

"Yeah. I can't remember the last one that wasn't. I just think I'm realizing that I can't help everybody, and I still somehow feel responsible. I don't know why I keep trying. Maybe I'm avoiding this... you know, coming home. That's such a terrible thing to say, I know. It hasn't been easy." Claudia explained feeling awful about what she had just said but it was the truth. Nathan wasn't making it easier for her.

"Well, you should go inside. There's someone waiting to see you." Carrie smiled and Claudia grinned.

"The kids are great." Claudia replied, obviously not hearing that it was singular not plural.

"Bye." Carrie smiled 

"Bye. Thank you." Claudia replied as she got out of the car, she walked into the house. She thought it was strange that none of her kids ran up to her. "Jamie, Grace. Where'd you go, Jimjams? Gracie May?" Claudia shouted as she walked through the house, she walked into the dining room. Nathan was sitting there with Jamie and Grace in their best clothes. Nathan had actually shaved. "What is this?" Claudia asked shocked.

"It's the beginning." Nathan replied smiling and Claudia had missed that smile. 

"Of what?" She asked taking one step closer. 

"Of the way it's gonna be from now on. I know that it's gonna take a lot more than dinner... but I figured it's a start, right?" Nathan explained and Claudia smiled.

"I've missed you." Claudia said tearfully as Nathan slowly stood up and pulled the chair out for her. She walked over and sat down with her family. "So, how was your day?" Claudia asked Nathan. She couldn't keep off of her family in her adorable clothes. 

"Oh, enough about me." Nathan brushed off. "How was your day?" He asked and Claudia hadn't heard that in a while. It was nice to hear. 

"Yeah, how was your day, mama?" Grace and Jamie asked in unison. It was a twin thing that did creep Claudia out at some points. 

"Oh, my day just got a lot better." Claudia replied smiling at them all. "Well, I'm starving. Let's eat." Claudia exclaimed as she clasped her hands together. 

"Lets' eat. Give me that plate. Well, I can't vouch for any of this, because Jamie and Gracie made it all." Nathan explained as he placed food on everyone's plates. "I just watched." Nathan added and Claudia looked at her children.

"Well if they are anything like me, they will be great cooks. Daddy couldn't cook." Claudia explained, then she pointed at Nathan. "Terrible." She mouthed at her kids and they giggled.

"I was not." Nathan replied and Claudia looked at him with her eyebrow raised.

"Honey, I am pretty sure you gave my food poisoning." Claudia laughed as she started to eat her food. Grace and Jamie laughed with adorable laughs. It was like one big happy family. 

___

Claudia and Nathan were sitting on the couch, talking. It had been a while since they did that and it felt good. 

"So, the entire class stands up, and I said, "any student that walks out that door fails this quarter."" Claudia explained and Nathan just laughed

"You didn't say that." Nathan exclaimed and Claudia nodded her head wary.

"I totally did." Claudia groaned while laughing.

"You're, like... you're, like, the mean teacher." Nathan replied and Claudia laughed. "That's kind of hot." He added laughing. 

"Kind of?" Claudia asked smirking and Jamie joined his parents in the room. "Well, well, don't you think it's a little past your bedtime, mister?" Claudia asked smiling.

"I think so." Jamie replied and Nathan laughed. Grace was out sleeping, she couldn't wake up during the night. 

"Hey, I'll tell you what... since it's a special occasion, I think we should stay up a little later tonight, unless you're too tired." Nathan explained and Jamie shook his head straight away.

"No, I'm not tired!" Jamie replied surely.

"Okay. Come here." Claudia smiled and Jamie walked over to her. Claudia lifted him up so he was on her knee.

"I was thinking maybe we could go outside and shoot around with this thing." Nathan said as he picked up Jamie's little basketball. "Is that something you'd like to do with me?" Nathan asked.

"I don't know." Jamie replied as he pointed to his mom.

"Yeah. I don't really know, either." Nathan replied jokingly.

"No, no, no! Play!" Jamie exclaimed as he jumped off of Claudia's knee. Claudia and Nathan both laughed at their son's cuteness.

"All right, well, let's see if you're ready." Nathan exclaimed. "Show me your jump shot." Nathan asked as he threw the ball to his son. Jamie bounced it on the floor before he threw the ball to Nathan. "Nice! Nice arc. Use that follow-through." Nathan exclaimed happily as he threw the ball back at Jamie. Jamie did the same thing again. Claudia watched happily. "There you go." Nathan smiled.

"Jamie, go get Gracie and we will meet you outside okay?" Claudia smiled and Jamie ran off to get his sister. "I want to say sorry." Claudia stated and Nathan shook his head. 

"You don't have to apolog-" Nathan began to say but Claudia cut him off.

"I do, I said some things that I didn't mean but Lucas said to give you a hard time because you would get on your feet faster." Claudia explained as she moved closer towards him.

"I am sorry, I haven't been the best to say the least." Nathan replied and Claudia looked at him with her big puppy eyes.

"But it's over now, right?" Claudia asked, pleading for him to be normal again. 

"Of course." Nathan smiled and Claudia sighed with relief, it was all she wanted. It looked like life was going to be good again.

___

Jamie was outside still playing with his ball and Grace stood waiting her turn.

"Try one more time." Nathan asked and Jamie shot a basket. Jamie jumped up and down happily. "Beautiful. That was awesome. You'll be doing that on 10-foot baskets someday." Nathan exclaimed as Claudia watched from afar. Nathan looked at her before he passed the ball to Grace. "All right, let's see some more." Nathan asked and Grace got the ball in as well. "Nice Gracie May!" Nathan exclaimed and Grace grinned at her mom and her brother.

"I am better." Grace teased and Claudia laughed. They finally looked like the happy family they needed to be and wanted to be.