21. What Could Have Been

Complete story — includes the ending

Lucas learns from the receipt that Dan has been skimming three thousand off each cash car sale he makes (only cash sales over 10K need be declared). Nathan leaves hospital and returns home to a pile of unpaid bills and an eviction notice. Lucas is worried that Nathan tried to kill himself, and he, Peyton and Brooke throw a fundraiser at TRIC to raise money for him. But Dan has already paid his hospital bills. Nathan confronts Dan who asks him to sign an annulment of his marriage. Karen emails Keith promising to be there for him and he replies thanking her. Peyton struggles with Jake's absence as Brooke starts to get jealous again over Lucas and Peyton when Lucas tries to comfort Peyton and swears to be there for her whenever she is down no matter what. Nathan calls Deb and makes amends with her. Haley plans to come back home and forgo making a demo but backstage is greeted by Dan, who shows her Nathan has signed the annulment papers. Nathan tells Lucas he is moving back in with Dan to try and give his family a second chance, believing Dan might change. Plus he thinks his marriage got in the way of his and Haley's separate dreams. Brooke wants to ask Lucas to rekindle their relationship, but when she finds a keepsake box that Lucas made when he was with Peyton, she tearfully calls it off. Andy finds that Dan has put the skimmed cash into a college fund for Lucas. He asks Lucas if he wants him to back off and Lucas tells him to find everything. Lucas moves back home with Karen and Brooke. Karen suggests ground rules but Brooke says that she and Lucas are just friends. This episode is named after a song by Callenish Circle.