"Nathan?" The doctor asked as he walked into the waiting room, Nathan walked up to her worried.
"What's happening? How's Claudia?" Nathan asked frantically.
"She's being prepped for surgery. She has multiple fractures of the legs, some head trauma, a possible collapsed lung, broken ribs, and a good deal of internal bleeding." The doctor explained and Nathan felt terrible, it was his fault.
"What about the babies?" Nathan asked, he knew that if Claudia lost the babies it would destroy her and him.
"Well, with kind of severe trauma and because there is two... Look, we're gonna do everything that we can. But right now our priority is saving your wife, okay?" The doctor explained and Nathan looked at the doctor scared as he walked away. Nathan walked to the desk and slid down it. He couldn't stop crying.
___
Nathan was in the same position and he was feeling worse and worse by the minute. He needed Claudia with him. Peyton and Brooke arrived and walked towards him.
"Nathan. How's Claudia?" Brooke asked worried, Nathan stood up.
"She's in surgery." He replied anxiously.
"And Lucas?" Peyton asked getting scared, she couldn't lose Lucas. She loved him. They were finally together again.
"I don't know." Nathan replied, he was getting worried about Lucas too. "It should've been me. It was all my fault." Nathan continued, frustrated with himself. If he lost Claudia for good then it would kill him, literally.
"No, it wasn't. It was an accident, like the bridge..." Brooke began to say comfortingly.
"No, it wasn't." Nathan interrupted. "And now Claudia's in surgery and even if she makes it, the babies could... She could still lose the babies." Nathan cried a little. "And Lucas could die. My dad's in jail." Nathan finished sad. He just wanted Claudia with him.
"Nathan." Brooke replied in a comforting tone, trying to make Nathan feel better. At least until Claudia woke up, if she woke up?
"I wish I would've died under that water. None of this would have happened." Nathan said honestly before he walked away from Brooke and Peyton. They looked at each other saddened.
___
Nathan was on the bridge, where the wedding limo accident was. Nathan wanted to speak to Keith, he wanted answered. When he was in the car under the water, he heard Keith saying: "It's okay Nathan".
"Why'd you have to save me, Keith, huh?" Nathan shouted angrily. "If I would've died, then there's no Daunte and there's no accident. And Claudia and the babies would be fine." Nathan explained, he was really upset. "Come on, Keith. You can save me, but you can't answer me?" Nathan shouted, he got no answer- nothing. "Thanks for nothing." Nathan screamed in frustration before he walked away.
___
In Lucas's dream, a parallel universe. It was life that Lucas was in. Kind of like what would of happened if Lucas didn't do this specific thing, like go back for Claudia in New York or save Peyton from the school library the day of the school shooting. Nathan walked into the Record Shop. Keith and Lucas looked at Nathan.
"Nathan: Do you have the new Claudia Stone album?" Nathan asked and Max, the sales clerk, took his head out of the newspaper and showed Nathan the CD with his look. The sales clerk shows him the CDs with his look. "On vinyl." Nathan added and Max sat up.
"Nice. Yeah, I got a promo copy. Right here. You know she's from Tree Hill?" Max asked as he handed Nathan the record.
"Yeah I know." Nathan replied before he broke the vinyl on the counter angrily.
"So I take it you're not a fan." Max replied as Nathan slammed the money on the counter before he left the store. Keith turned to face Lucas.
"She never went back, Luke." Keith stated and Lucas shook his head.
"I don't believe it. They loved each other." Lucas replied and he was right, they DID love each other.
"Yeah, they did. But you never went to New York to ask her to come back." Keith started and Lucas sighed annoyed. "That doesn't mean she didn't love him, or that they weren't meant to be, but without you, Claudia stayed out on tour and by the time came home, well, Nathan's pride was just too much to overcome. Man, pride gets in the way of a lot of good things in this life, Luke." Keith explained before he picked up a vinyl. "Journey. Man, I used to love Journey." Keith smiled to himself as he looked at the record.
"Keith." Lucas stated, he wanted to continue to conversation.
"Oh, yeah. You remember when you went to that...the beach party? And how you took the time to go and talk to Nathan?" Keith asked and Lucas nodded his head. "That mattered, Luke. It all matters. Come on." Keith continued before he began to walk out of the store, Lucas followed after him.
___
In Claudia's hospital room, she was lying on the bed unconscious. Nathan was sitting next to Claudia's bed, hangdog.
"Hey, baby. You know how you're always telling me that you're not going anywhere?" Nathan asked crying a little. "Well, I need to hold you to that right now, okay? I just need you to come back to me." Nathan continued. "Listen, just move one of your fingers if you can hear me, okay? Just move one of those beautiful fingers and let me know that you're still here with me." Nathan asked as he held onto her and, he got no response. He started to cry uncontrollably.
___
Peyton walked into Claudia's hospital room. She turned the TV off and stood at the bed beside an unconscious Claudia.
"Hey it's me. Nathan's a mess." Peyton started off saying as she looked down at Claudia's sleeping face that was bandaged up. Peyton then looked at her broken leg. "Well, you gotta wake up soon 'cause I need you to take care of Brooke. I just... I can't do it anymore. And it's not like we can give her with Rachel." Peyton explained getting emotional, she missed Brooke. She also needed Claudia, because she missed Claudia. Peyton and Claudia were finally becoming best friends again. "And I'm not sure she can find her way without you." Peyton smiled down at Claudia.
___
Nathan was in the hospitals chapel, he was praying that Claudia and the babies made it alive and well. He was distraught and an emotional wreck.
"I know I did a horrible thing, okay?" Nathan cried as he looked up. "But I deserve to be punished for that, not Claudia. She's a good person, and she'd be a great mother if..." Nathan began to say but it was too much for him. "Look I know it must suck how people are always asking for things and never giving anything back. And I know that Keith saved me at that bridge. But Claudia saved me long before the accident. There has to be a miracle left for her." Nathan explained. "Please. Please don't take her from me. Don't take our children from her." Nathan begged desperately before he leaned down and cried. Peyton entered the chapel in a rush.
"Nathan." Peyton said frantically and Nathan turned around to face Peyton worried.
___
Claudia was awake and she was lying in her bed. Nathan walked into the room tearful.
"Hi hotshot." Claudia smiled weakly as she looked at her husband. She was so happy to see him, but she was worried about the babies. They hadn't been told if the babies had survived.
"Hi." Nathan replied as he walked over to her on the bed. He leaned down on Claudia and kissed her on the forehead. Claudia looked up at him with her big blue eyes. Nathan started to cry and Claudia hugged him tightly, comfortingly.
"I am not going anywhere. I told you." Claudia said as she held his face in her hands. "You are stuck with me till we are old." Claudia smiled as she wiped away on of his tears.
___
Claudia was lying on the bed having an ultrasound as Nathan held onto her hand. Claudia had a tear stained face, she was so scared. If she lost this babies, she wouldn't be able to cope. She has formed an attachment with her babies- a close bond.
"You understand there are no guarantees in medicine, but as long as we can locate a heartbeat, there's no reason to expect that these babies won't be perfectly healthy." The doctor explained as she looked at the monitor. Claudia looked straight ahead as her whole body shook with nerves. The heard the babies heartbeat. Nathan looked up smiling and Claudia looked relieved. She turned to face Nathan and they kissed. They pulled back and Claudia sighed with relief before she began to cry. Nathan took her in his arms.
___
Jack, Josie, Haley and Tom all walked into Claudia's hospital room. Nathan was sitting on a chair beside Claudia's hospital bed.
"Mum, Dad I have news." Claudia grinned, she was away to tell her parents she was having twins. Haley and Jack didn't tell Josie or Tom because they knew that Claudia wanted to be the one. Claudia held onto Nathan's hand and smiled at him. "I am not having a baby." Claudia smiled and Josie looked at her confused. "I am having two." Claudia grinned as she looked at Nathan.
"Hold on. Two?" Tom asked monotone, Claudia and Nathan both nodded their heads.
"A girl and a boy." Nathan replied and Claudia nearly cried. Josie jumped up and down excitably before she hugged her daughter.
"I am so proud of you." Josie smiled before she kissed Claudia on the head. "Congratulations, the pair of you." Josie smiled as she grabbed onto Nathan's hand. Tom stood still in utter shock.
"Daddy?" Claudia asked nervously.
"Is he going to pass out?" Haley asked and Jack just shrugged. "Should we call the doctor in?" Haley asked again and Josie just shook her head.
"Honey, you are having two grandchildren." Josie smiled sweetly, trying to get her husband to snap back into reality.
"Well isn't this not just the best news I have heard all day." Tom laughed before he hugged his daughter and shook Nathan's hand.
"I am so happy right now." Claudia smiled as she looked down at her bump. "What if they are identical?" Claudia asked getting worried as she looked over at Nathan.
"They can't be that identical if one is a boy and one is a girl." Jack replied obviously and Claudia nodded her head happily.
"Okay good." Claudia nodded as she held onto Nathan's hand. Her jigsaw puzzle of a life was coming together piece by piece.
"Okay well we should go. Nathan congratulations on your win." Josie smiled, "I am sorry your mum wasn't there." Josie added sympathetically and Nathan just shrugged.
"I told her it was me or the pills, and she picked the pills." Nathan replied and Tom patted Nathan's shoulder sympathetically.
"You have us, and Claudia. And a new son." Tom said comfortingly and Nathan smiled appreciatively.
"Thank you." Nathan replied and Josie nodded her head.
"Oh Claudia was it true that you called Deb a junkie to her face?" Haley asked laughing and Claudia took her head out of the duvet and sighed happily.
"Maybe." Claudia muttered and they all laughed.
"More and more like your mother everyday." Tom laughed and Josie rolled her eyes. "I remember in a club 1985, just before we found out Josie was pregnant with Claudia, Josie decided to-" Tom began to say before Josie cut him off.
"Right well we better bugger off. Goodbye." Josie said as she glared at her husband. Jack and Haley laughed as they smiled at Claudia before they left.
"I will tell you two the story later." Tom smirked before he walked over to his wife, who was shaking her head.
"No he won't." Josie stated sternly as they walked out of the hospital. Claudia turned to face Nathan and they hugged.
"I am never coming this close to losing you again." Nathan whispered before he kissed her on the forehead.
"You won't." Claudia replied sternly before Nathan joined her on the bed. They both hugged and Claudia placed on hand on her baby bump.