"Hey, sweetie!" Deb said as Nathan walked into 'Deb's Den.' Dan chose Lucas and Karen over Deb and Nathan, but Nathan did not care because he had his mom, his rivercourt friends and Claudia. 

"What's up, mom. I got the mail; some, uh, bills, a letter from uncle Cooper and, uh,... " Nathan said before he dropped an application to college, on the counter, "this." He finished as he sat at the counter. Deb took the leaflet and looked at it. "Thinking about taking some classes?" Nathan asked his mom. 

"If they offer a course in making ends meet." Deb joked and Nathan looked at the leaflet. 

"You ever regret it? Your folks cutting you off." Nathan asked feeling bad. Deb looked at him seriously.

"Not for one second, Nate. Otherwise, I wouldn't have you." Deb smiled placing her hand in Nathan's. Nathan smiled up at him. "Besides, money buys you nothing but misery. I mean,... look at Dan and Karen and Lucas." Deb extended as she took a letter out. Nathan smirked knowingly. 

"Well, you know, you could up the traffic in here by hiring some... hot girls to dance in the bar." Nathan joked and Deb smiled.

"Speaking of hot girls," Claudia said as she walked in with blonde hair, a 'I hate people' top and black bellbottom jeans, "sorry I'm late." She added smiling. "School bus driver ran out of gas." Claudia continued in her english accent.

"Where were you today?" Nathan asked looking at his best friend.

"I told you, Mr. Hirshfield took us to the planetarium. If you ever listen to me, maybe you'd know that." Claudia laughed. 

"OK, alright. I just can't believe you went out in public with that top." Nathan joked and Deb turned to face Claudia who was kindly glaring at Nathan. 

"Remind me why I'm friends with you again." Claudia joked as Deb opened the High Flyers letter. 

"Nathan, this is from that basketball camp." Deb exclaimed happily and Claudia looked at Nathan beaming. 

"Yeah, I'm a finalist. It's no big deal." Nathan replied modestly..

"Well, it's a huge deal, honey, I'm really really proud of you!" Deb exclaimed and Nathan smirked. 

"It's not big deal." Claudia mocked as she ran round to her best friend. "Nathan that is amazing!" Claudia smirked as they hugged. She quickly ran back round to take one last look at the letter. "Congratulations. Well, we'll have to celebrate later. Right now," She said as she flung the dishtowel over one shoulder, "dirty dishes are beckoning." She continued dramatically. "You rock, don't let it go to your head." She said sternly before she left. Nathan smiled heartened. 

"You know, you two are gonna end up married some day." Deb smiled proudly at her son.

"Stop it! We've known each other forever; we're just friends." Nathan replied unconvincingly.

"Good place to start." Deb smirked.

"Keep dreaming." Nathan replied smiling. 

+++

Claudia and Nathan were sitting at a bench on the market street dock, they were discussing Nathan's incident with Brooke.

"She was naked!" Claudia exclaimed laughing.

"As the day she was born." Nathan replied smirking and Claudia groaned. "Only a lot more... curvy." Nathan extended and Claudia looked intrigued.

"Well what happened then?" Claudia asked. Nathan shrugged piteously.

"I got the hell outta there!" He exclaimed and Claudia laughed.

"You and Brooke Davis. Captain of the 'CheerSluts'!" Claudia said in a jokey voice. "That is hard to picture." She continued amused. Nathan nodded as he looked into the Crackerjack box.

"Yeah, I'd say 'hard' is the right word." Nathan replied back and Claudia smacked his arm. They laughed as Nathan pulled a gift out the box. "OK, what's this?" Nathan asked as he ripped it open and pulled out a bracelet, the same one he gave Claudia in reality. 

"Oh, score, a bracelet. Last time I got some fake tattoo with a random number." Claudia exclaimed smiling.

"Well, here." Nathan said as he placed the bracelet on Claudia, she was delighted. "It matches that, uh, Stevie Bricks top thing." Nathan laughed as he pointed to Claudia's famous Stevie Knicks top.

"Knicks, stupid! Plus she is amazing!" Claudia exclaimed laughing. 

"Shut up." Nathan laughed and Claudia pointed at him.

"You shut up." She challenged raising her eyebrow.

"Don't say I never gave you anything." Nathan replied as he smiled. Claudia looked at the bracelet before turning to face Nathan. 

+++

Claudia walked into Nathan's bedroom worried, she saw Nathan and hugged him.

"Thank god!" She whispered as she hugged him the she quickly pulled away. "Where have you been and why aren't you answering your phone?" Claudia asked sternly.

"Right here and I'm... recharging the batteries. Why, what's going on?" Nathan asked confused.

"Because Lucas is gonna try something tonight, OK?" Claudia said and Nathan looked away before he faced her, resolute. 

"Let him. I'm not scared of him." Nathan replied sternly.

"Will you just be careful, please?" Claudia asked clutching onto Nathan's jumper worried.

"I'm gonna be fine, alright? I promise." He answered smiling at Claudia, before he left the room. Claudia was still worried- very worried.

+++

People are hanging around, still waiting for Nathan. Lucas is still taking shots at the hoop. Claudia walked up from behind.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, the game's looking like a forfeit, with Nathan Lee a no-show-" Mouth commented  before Claudia stopped him.

"Not so fast, Mouth." She stated sternly. Lucas walked past and Claudia stood in front of him raging. 

"What'd you do?!" Claudia asked angrily, Lucas smirked cockily.

"What, it's not my fault your boyfriend finally grew a brain." Lucas replied self righteously before he touched her chin. "Sweetie." He said down-grading. Claudia slapped his hand away.

"Don't test me Lucas." She barked back through gritted teeth. Lucas leaned into her ear.

"When I win, you can come round to my place. I love you girl with an accent." He teased smirking, Claudia pushed him back.

"You aren't winning jack ass." She whispered back, she did not want to make a scene. 

 "Nathan is too scared." Lucas replied back.

"Peyton said that you were gonna try something. H-" Claudia began to rambled but a car is heard. Claudia looked over along side Deb. Nathan got out of Peyton's car, Claudia and Deb walked up to Nathan.

"Are you alright?" Deb asked concerned.

"Yeah." Nathan said before he kissed her on the cheek. "I'm fine, mom." Nathan stated before he turned to Claudia. "Hey." He whispered smiling, Claudia walked up to him and touched his face. They looked into each others eyes longingly before Claudia kissed him. Nathan pulled away smiling.

"Go win this." Claudia smirked and Nathan nodded his head before he walked up to Whitey.

"Am I too late?" Nathan asked as Whitey looked at his watch.

"Almost." Whitey answered as Nathan caught the ball he threw at him. "Get this game started." Whitey shouted and they had begun. 

The game was going strong for Lucas as he kept on scoring but Nathan wasn't behind too much. Lucas purposely elbowed Nathan in the face. He bent over and groaned. Lucas scored a basket.

"Oh, and that's a foul by Scott." Mouth shouted. Peyton glared at her boyfriend and Claudia looks worried and Nathan spat blood  out. 

"No foul,... the basket counts." Nathan stated as he touched his mouth. Lucas nodded cockily but he advanced.

"And Lee calls it good! It's ten-ten, game point. Next basket wins." Mouth commentated and Whitey shook his head looking away. He couldn't watch it. Karen looked up at Dan as Peyton watched tensely.  

"You know, he's never mentioned you once; not in all these years." Lucas teased and Nathan looked at Lucas like he was crazy.

"And you really think things would have been different if he'd married my mom? If you do, you're a fool." Nathan replied. Lucas tense-jawed.

"You're the fool,... and after you miss this basket, a loser too." Lucas stated angrily.

"Whatever! This is for my mom." Nathan exclaimed before he made the basket. The whole crowd cheers and Claudia jumps up and down with glee. Everyone crowds Nathan, Peyton smiled happily. Nathan hugged his mom tightly before Claudia walked up to him.

"They haven't invented words for how much I love you." Claudia stated as she walked up to Nathan smiling, he smiled back with glee. "Doesn't look like I'll be needed this anymore." Claudia continued as she held out her hand, she dropped the bracelet in it. Nathan closed his hand and looked up at her. "Don't say I never gave you anything." She smiled before she walked away leaving. Nathan looked down frowning- he was clutching onto Claudia's wedding ring. He looked up to see everyone had gone. He was completely alone. 

"Claudia!" Nathan shouted as he looked down at the ring. "Claudia!" He shouted again as he looked through the crowd.

+++

Claudia was walking through the airport in her black boots, bellbottom jeans and a hoodie. She was worried out her mind, her phone began to ring.

"Hello?" Claudia asked as she rushed to the queue for the plan that would take her to her husband. 

"It's me, Nathan." Nathan replied and Claudia sighed with happiness.

"Thank god! What happened?" She exclaimed as she dropped her back to the ground. 

"I'm gonna be OK." Nathan replied.

"Aw thank god. I have been so worried." Claudia said before she took a deep breath. "I'm coming home tomorrow, OK?" She continued and Nathan, sat on the hospital bed with tubes up his nose shook his head,

"Actually no, it's not OK." Nathan scoffed and Claudia looked hurt. "Don't come home, Claudia." He said sternly.

"Nathan, I have to come home." Claudia stated obviously.

"No, you don't." Nathan replied and her smile fell. "You have to go after your dream; just like I have to go after mine. Coz if we don't, then,... we're just gonna end up regretting it... then we're gonna end up resenting each other." Nathan sighed and Claudia shook her head. 

"Nathan, I wouldn't-" Claudia began to say shocked but Nathan cut in.

"Yeah, but we don't know that. Nobody knows what's gonna happen. Whatever choice you make today,... is gonna affect the rest of your life." Nathan explained and Claudia couldn't reply because she was astonished. "So,... don't come home, Claudia." Nathan sighed. 

"Nate, baby, don't say that-" Claudia said hurt but Nathan cut in.

"Coz I don't want you to." Nathan extended and Claudia was is shock, she couldn't believe it. Nathan hung up the phone. Claudia took the phone from her ear and looked hurt and upset. Eventually, she picked up her crochet bag and ran a hand through her new brown hair.