This is my first time writing One Tree Hill fanfiction. I just had this idea while rewatching season 6, and particularly the episode where Jamie and Chuck fight over taking Madison to the dance. I thought it would be fun to write about Jamie and his friends when they are the same age as the original 5 characters were in season 1, keeping with the theme throughout the series about the dangers of history repeating itself. But first, this two-part prequel, which takes place 1 year after season 8, will set up the series. So Jamie is 9 years old at this point.

I have not yet seen the last two episodes of season 8, so anything that contradicts with this story is AU. The last episode I saw is the one where Brooke discovered she was pregnant and Nathan tried but couldn't go into the diner where Dan worked.

After the prequel, the story will jump ahead another six years to when Jamie is 16.

So here's a little bit of background: Clay loses his agent license and Nathan is unable to get licensed after word gets out that they accosted one of their clients (Ian). Quinn gets a job offer for a long-term photography gig in Europe and Clay decides to go with her.

A few months after season 8, one of Nathan's former teammates on the Bobcats moved to Tree Hill. Being around him and out of a job gets Nathan thinking about the life he gave up, wondering if he was too quick to walk away from his dream after finally achieving it. He tries to hide it from Haley, because he doesn't want her to think he's having regrets about choosing his family over his career. But she senses something is off and she notices he's been spending more time out drinking with his old teammate. The situation comes to head the night of Jamie's first basketball game in the Junior Leagues (the league Nathan and Lucas used to play in together that Lucas mentioned in the first episode). To be clear: Nathan is not like he was at the beginning of season 5. He's not drinking excessively, he is still dedicated to his family, and Haley is only beginning to suspect that something is off.

Nathan is at Tric with Rob (his former teammate) and a few other guys. "Another round?" Rob asks.

"No, I have to get going," Nathan says, checking his watch. "I'm going to be late to my son's first game in the junior leagues." As if on cue, his phone rings. "That's Haley now," he says, picking up the phone.

"Nathan, where are you? We have to leave!" Haley says on the other end.

"I know, I'm sorry. I'm on my way now...I'll meet you there, okay?" he says.

"Okay," she agrees, sounding a little exasperated.

"Is he almost here?" Jamie asks her eagerly when she hangs up the phone.

"No, buddy, he's going to meet us at the game."

"Okay," Jamie says, disappointed.

FLASHBACK: 6 YEARS BEFORE SEASON 1

10-year-old Nathan walks off the court, looking defeated. He winces when he sees his father approaching.

"Dude, what do you keep staring at?" he says with annoyance to his blond teammate, who he noticed staring at Dan the entire game. Dan yanks Nathan by the arm and pulls him away.

Outside the same building Nathan is currently (18 years later) parked outside of, Dan tugs 10-year-old Nathan across the parking lot. "Dad, that hurts!" Nathan complains.

"What did I tell you?" Dan asks angrily. "I told you not to pass to your cousin, no matter what."

"Dad, I had three guys blocking me," Nathan protests. "He was the only one open."

"Damn it, son, when I tell you to do something you do it, you don't give me excuses."

"Dan, that's enough," Deb protests, pushing Dan away from Nathan. Dan storms away in a huff.
"Look, honey, I'm sorry about your dad," Deb says apologetically. "He's just on edge because of..."

"Because of the creepy kid on my team who always stares at him?" Nathan finishes for her.

"Yeah," Deb says nervously.

"I still don't get it. Who is he?" Nathan asks.

"I told you, he's your cousin. He's your Uncle Keith's son."

"Yeah, I know what you told me. But it doesn't make sense. If he's Uncle Keith's son, why does he always refer to him as 'Uncle Keith'?"

Deb freezes, not sure how to respond. "Come on, Mom. Tell me the truth. Who is this kid, and why does he always stare at Dad?" Nathan demands.

Deb sighs. "Honey, it's complicated," she begins. Nathan rolls his eyes and stares out the window of the car, struggling not to cry as his father angrily gets in the car and slams the door.

LATER THAT NIGHT:

Dan knocks on Nathan's door. "Come in," Nathan says quietly.

"Look, I'm sorry I was hard on you tonight, son," Dan says.

"He's not my cousin, is he?" Nathan asks. Dan freezes.

Dan sits down next to Nathan and sighs. "No," he admits.

Nathan goes to get out of the car to go into the gym and watch Jamie's game, but then somehow he is frozen and can't do it. Suddenly, he rapidly turns the car around and drives away.

Inside the gym, Jamie comes out with his team and is crestfallen when he sees Nathan isn't there. Haley looks at him apologetically and picks up her phone to call him again.

40 MINUTES LATER

Nathan pulls up outside the diner where Dan works. He hesitates for a long time before going in.

Dan looks up, staring at Nathan as if he's seen a ghost.

"I don't know what I'm doing here," Nathan admits.

"Well, I'm glad you're here. Have a seat," Dan says, taking off his apron and walking in front of the counter. Nathan reluctantly obliges.

"I have a daughter now," Nathan tells him matter-of-factly. "Yeah, I know," Dan says with a smile. "Do you have..."

Knowing what he's going to ask, Nathan takes out a picture. "She's beautiful," Dan says with tears in his eyes. "Yeah, she is."

"I can't believe how big Jamie's gotten."

"He's playing in his first game in the Junior Leagues tonight," Nathan says. "That's where I'm supposed to be right now."

"So why aren't you?" Dan asks, surprised.

"I don't know. I got there and for some reason I couldn't go in. I was sitting in the parking lot and my mind flashed back to my first game, when I scored 16 points and all you did was yell at me for passing to Lucas."

"Look, Nathan, I'm glad to see you, but if you came here to remind me of all the times I failed you as a father..."

"No, I didn't," Nathan says with a sigh. "Like I said, I don't really know why I came. But I guess I still have questions."

"Questions about what?"

Nathan sighs. "When you used your knee injury as an excuse to quit, it wasn't because you were tired of your father's pressure, was it?"

"What do you mean?"

"The story never made sense until I thought about the timing. When you hurt your knee, Karen was five months pregnant with Lucas. That was when you told her you were going to come home and be there for her and the baby, right? Until Mom told you she was pregnant with me?"

Dan sighs. "I wanted to do the right thing," he says. "I realized that I had made a mistake, walking away from my child and the woman I loved to chase a dream. I was going to go back to Tree Hill and start a family. But then your mother told me she was pregnant, and you know the rest."

"I'm not so sure it was a mistake." Nathan says. Dan looks confused.

"Mom told me what you said about settling for her when you wanted to be with Karen."

"Nathan..."

"Look, it doesn't matter. I'm not wondering if you wish you'd been there for Lucas instead of me. What I want to know is, do you think if you'd picked the woman you really loved instead of settling for Mom you wouldn't have regretted walking away from your dreams? If you had the family you wanted do you think it would have been enough?"

"I don't know," Dan admits. "I think about that every day...what could have been if I'd done so many things differently. But I wouldn't trade having you and having been in your life growing up for anything. Seeing the way you've turned out makes me feel like I've done something right, even if all I did was give you an example of what not to become."

"That's just it," Nathan says. "Sometimes I'm still scared I'm going to end up like you."

"You're wondering if you made the right decision walking away from the NBA?" Dan realizes.

Nathan shakes his head. "I thought I was making the right choice," he says with a sigh. "I was at peace with the decision when I made it. But lately I've been having a hard time letting go. I love my family, and I wouldn't trade what I have for anything. But the truth is, I miss it. Sometimes I wonder if I walked away too soon. I haven't told Haley...I don't want her to feel like she held me back. I don't think I realized how hard it's been until tonight, when I couldn't go into that gym to watch my son play."

Inside the gym, the end of the game is approaching. Haley keeps calling Nathan and getting no response. Brooke is sitting next to her on the bleachers, holding her 3-month-old son. 1-year-old Lydia is asleep in Haley's lap.

"Still no answer?" Brooke asks.

"No. I'm thinking of calling the police."

"Honey, relax. It's only been a few hours. You said Nathan's been going out with this guy Rob a lot. He probably just lost track of time."

"Before his son's first basketball game?" Haley says incredulously.

"You said he's been acting a little weird lately," Brooke reminds her.

"Acting a little weird is not the same thing as missing his son's first basketball game and not answering his phone for hours!"

"I know. I'm not defending him, Hales. I'm just trying to stop you from assuming the worst."

"You're right, I'm sorry," Haley says anxiously. "I just can't stand seeing the way Jamie keeps looking over here with that crestfallen look wondering where his daddy is."

Brooke gives Haley a sympathetic hug.

"Maybe you made a mistake by leaving the NBA," Dan says. Nathan looks up. "Maybe you didn't. But it doesn't matter. It's in the past. Don't make my mistake of being stuck on what you could have had."

"I know that," Nathan says. "Believe me, I know that."

"But it's easier said than done, isn't it?" Dan asks.

"Yeah."

"Listen, son, I'm thrilled to see you," Dan says. "But I can see the crestfallen look on Jamie's face right now. You not being there at his game is as bad as me being there and riding you too hard."

"You're right," Nathan says with a sigh. "I'm going to go see if I can catch the fourth quarter."

"Son, it's raining hard," Dan protests. "And if I recall, junior league games only last a little over an hour."

"I know. But I've got to try."

"Alright, just be careful," Dan says. Nathan nods and walks toward the door. He turns around and hesitates before speaking.

"Dad?" he says.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

Dan nods, feeling hope for the first time in a long time. "You're not going to end up like me, son," he promises.

Nathan approaches a yellow light, and his mind flashes to the crestfallen look on Jamie's face realizing he isn't there. With that it mind, he guns it through the light as it turns red. The next thing we see is the car skidding onto the bridge and then heading head-first off the bridge and into the water.

Love it? Hate it? Either way, let me know. In the second part of the prequel, we will find out what happens to Nathan (maybe) and everyone will struggle to cope with the accident (if it was an accident). Also, I plan to do something the producers have amazingly failed to do for 2 seasons: give an explanation for where Peyton and Lucas went and why they left.