Hello! I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first? Good news? Done. I have a job! It's not really in my field of study and the pay isn't super, BUT it will keep me off the streets and the debt collectors away from my door. So… Yea! The bad news… I am now employed. I'm going to try to keep up a good pace in updating, but I have no idea how that will go. Fingers cross none of you will even notice that I'm a working girl now… wait… did that come out wrong? I also updated so quickly lately that I don't remember if I sent out thank yous for reviews, and I didn't want to do it because what if I had and then you all thought I'd gone crazy? So… I'm a just gonna say THANK YOU right here and hope you all don't point out that I seem to have zero short-term memory. Here we go…

Blair sat in the limo pretending everything was fine. She was bound and determined that this would be an amazing summer, in fact their best summer yet. She was about to think that she was going to kill him for doing this, but then she reminded herself that he was dead to her for the next month. She looked over at her sons, who she now looked at as being the result of Immaculate Conception, and reminded herself that she was not the only one disappointed. Harry hadn't said much since this morning about his father not being there. He seemed to be most preoccupied with them getting to the Hamptons in time for him to attend Gray's family's barbeque. And by family barbeque they meant at least a hundred of their closest friends and family. Harry insisted he had missed enough events and that he had to attend this one. He was already dressed in a pale lilac polo t-shirt, purple plaid pressed shorts, and white Bottegas over his purple knee socks.

Bart, verbose child that he was, had shockingly said nothing.

They'd flown out on schedule, landed on time, and were now seated in the limo as it drove them to their place on the beach.

"Can't Arthur drive any faster?" Harry complained as he flopped against the leather seats.

"Not if he doesn't want me to fire him…" Blair commented as she scrolled through her recent text messages. There were four from Chuck as well as three ignored calls. She sighed and then looked up at Harry. "The party isn't going anywhere. We have plenty of time to go home, change and get there."

Harry groaned as if tortured by knives. "Can't you just drop me off? Is that too much to ask in life?"

"You poor tortured soul." Blair deadpanned, but she signaled to Arthur and told him of their pit stop.

They pulled up the long circular driveway that was kept clear by a valet service. Harry didn't wait for his door to be opened, but shoved it out of his way and started to climb out of the car. His mother's sharp words brought him up short.

"Take your brother with you."

"Why?" Harry moaned.

"Because I believe I just said so." Blair said smoothly. "You didn't want to wait for me to change, so you are now charged with the minding of you brother. I want him back in the same condition to which I've left him with you."

Harry stomped his feet and kicked gravel as he got out of the lime and didn't turn around as barked. "Fine. Let's go, Bart!"

Bart looked at her with wide eyes that seemed to make it clear how much fun this afternoon was looking to be for him. He wanted to go with Harry, but Harry in his present mood wasn't always pretty. Blair tilted her face and Bart kissed her cheek before climbing out of the car. He looked at her again, and Blair smiled at him. "I'll be back soon."

"BART!" Harry barked from the front door.

Blair rolled her eyes and then looked at her baby. "I promise. If he's exceptionally rude to you, you have my permission to push him in the pool. Bottegas and all."

Bart gave her his first real smile of the day.

Blair sat alone in the back of the cool limo. When they pulled up to the house and Arthur opened her door she stepped out into the wall of humidity and the heat wrapped around her and stole her breath. Even the wind was hot. She left Arthur and a maid to see to the bags and hurried into the air conditioning of their country home. She stepped in and it was both beautiful and hurtful at the same time. She still remembered their first summer here. Harry had been six and Bart had been just a baby when Chuck had made her leave the boys with Lily on an early spring day as they went and looked at house after house along the water. Given they were a couple that enjoyed a certain esthetic standards, they had shot down many, and Chuck had begun to suggest they just buy the land they wanted, knock the substandard house down and start from scratch. Blair had been reluctant because that would take a whole other year if more and she didn't want that. She wanted to have a place of their own this summer. She had begun to think they would never find a place… until they were driving over to see Serena in her new beach house and traveling down a tree lined road… when Blair saw it. It was perfect. Large and sprawling but with a sense of a home the blue house with the dark roof and white shudders called out to her. The wind blew off the ocean and made the sea grass dance, and the branches in the old growth willow trees sway. There was an English garden. There was a pool and tennis courts. There was a wide lawn that led to a wooden boardwalk that took you right to the ocean. It was the place Blair had dreamed of when she was a little girl and thought of a family of her own having. She'd turned to Chuck and all of this had been in her huge dark eyes. Chuck had had the car stopped. He'd gotten out. He'd knocked on the door of the dream house that wasn't for sale. It had been theirs before he'd left the doorway.

Now she was here with the children she'd dreamed of this house for… but not the man. Shaking her head she tried to put it out of her mind and she went to change for the party.

A half hour later Harry leaned back against the lounger set under a copes of trees with a view of the lawn and pool. He had been adamant that he had to be here, and now that he was he was determined to give of the air of nonchalance. As he slowly scanned the party with parents' eyes, he picked up several of the undercurrents that were rolling through. While the adult nuances were lost on him, he very clearly read the next generations'. Sadie Hall was twelve but dressing like she was eighteen. She told everyone it was because she liked older boys, but Harry could practically hear his mother comment on Daddy Issues. The Daniels twins were already high off their mother's prescription meds and were staring at a rose bush. They hadn't been right since their Star Trek Bar Mitzvah.

For their own show of rebellion Gray had stolen a bottle of whiskey from the bar and they were all drinking pop that had been laced from it. Harry knew that if he was caught his mother would kill him, but several of the more need of the group were eager for it, so Harry had adapted a 'When in Rome" attitude for the day. He ignored the judging look the most annoying five year old on the planet sent him from the tree he was sitting under nearby. They both knew that they were forbidden liquor on anything other than very special occasions… or when they were in France with their grandparents. Apparently drinking French wine in France was acceptable to their mother as she told them the air made in non-alcoholic and in fact healthy or at the very least a cultural experience, which made their father smile every time she used that lie. A little looser with the rules Chuck had let Harry have sips from his glass more frequently. When Harry would ask his father about this, Chuck would just smile slyly and say that some times if things were forbidden it made a person want them more, and so with a little alcohol here and there he hoped both boys would see that you controlled it not it you. Wise words from a former lush Blair would say when she caught Chuck, as she would accuse, "plying the boys". It didn't take a genius to know that Chuck enjoyed a drink, but Harry had rarely seen him drunk. His father would comment that he now only over drank when she drove him to it. Harry grimaced as he imagined his father was probably going to be plastered for the next month.

The bitter feeling that he'd pushed down into his belly since learning of his father's absence from this summer bubbled up from his gut and Harry took a deep drink from his glass as he shoved the resentment back down. He wasn't hurt, he told himself. He was just angry on behalf of his mother and brother. He was, after all, practically grown up. He didn't need Chuck to be there that summer; it was just that his little brother and clearly their mother did.

It was as he was scanning again that he first saw her and he sat up in his seat. She stood by the pool in a light purple day dress that the wind ruffled around her legs. She wore white sandals that matched a white bow that sat on the headband she wore in her hair. Her hair was a mass so dark it could only be called black and bounced well past her shoulders in long loose ringlets. He couldn't see her eyes from here but from what he could see her whole face… made him want to see it more. Made him want to know it. As he stared he became away that there was something familiar about her.

"Who is that?" Harry asked, knowing that he should remember but finding it to all be too fuzzy.

Gray followed his gaze until he saw who his friend was looking at. "Who? The Pain?"

"You mean The Royal Pain." Another snickering boy clarified.

Harry just raised an eyebrow Gray who went onto explain to him. "She used to go to Constance, then her dad moved them to London a few years ago, and now they're back here. She thinks everything and everyone in the UK is better than here. She acts like she's royalty… get it."

"Yes." Harry rolled his eyes. "Once again I am taken by your level of creativity…"

His sarcasm was lost on everyone but his little brother.

"Excuse me." Harry said as he rose and started towards the pool.

Bart quickly got up and followed him.

As he got closer he noticed something he hadn't before. There were several girls that surrounded The Pain and they all started whispering as they noticed his approach. If it had been any other boy he probably would have been quaking at this. But this was Harry Bass. He had yet to be afraid of speaking to anyone about anything and that wasn't any different now. With the confidence of one who is not only secure but likes himself, he sauntered into the girl filled circle.

"Ladies…" He drawled as his eyes stayed on The Pain.

Several of the girls giggled and said hello, but she wouldn't look at him. He wondered again at the colour of her eyes and was too caught up to even care that he did.

"I'm Harry Bass." He held out his hand.

"I know who you are." She said coolly, her chin up in the air as she looked towards the party and not at him.

"I'm not surprised…" He said with his father's cockiness.

"That's not a compliment." She said and while he couldn't see them he knew she'd just rolled her eyes. It was then that she must have caught sight of his shadow that was also known as his little brother. "Who's the midget?" She asked with disdain.

Harry liked her immediately.

Bart hated her instantly.

Harry chuckled and tried again. "Well, we couldn't have known each other that well if you don't know my little brother, Bart."

"You didn't have a brother when I knew you." She said as she held up the teacup in her hand and shook it at another girl in command. The other girl scampered off to get The Pain a refill.

"Ahh…" Harry leaned back on his heals reflectively. "The brotherless years. Good times."

He got the feeling that she would have smiled if she didn't clearly hate him. But he smiled at her and ignored the indignation he felt coming from Bart. He'd live.

Harry leaned in a little and murmured. "Remind me…"

"You and your penis ruined my birthday party."

For a moment he thought she was a lunatic. He and his penis had never ruined anything. As far as Harry was concerned he and his penis were an excellent pair. Then a very distant and fuzzy memory crept into his mind.

"You." He smile stretched his mouth. "If you were a better hostess… maybe I wouldn't have been so driven…"

She was just about to speak, and he was sure finally look at him, when Gray stumbled into his side. "Dude, your mom is here!"

"So…"

"So?" Gray said as he grabbed the glass of 'soda' Harry still held in his hand.

All of their eyes swung across the pool and landed on Blair Waldorf-Bass. Harry groaned and knew it was too late. He could only hope that he'd only get in trouble for drinking pop rather than what was in the pop. It was then that he glanced back at The Pain. Her eyes were locked on his mother, but they flittered to him and something he'd never felt before fluttered in his stomach.

Purple. Her eyes were so blue they looked purple.

For a moment he was still stunned until he felt Bart dragging him away and towards their displeased looking mother.

"Were you drinking soda?" Blair asked sharply and then her eyes narrowed on his and she leaned in slightly to smell him. It was very clear that he had broken more than just her ban on chemical rich pop. Harry knew he was done for. "Go wait in the car. This is unacceptable."

Harry knew better then to argue when she used that tone, and so he quickly took off. He did however glance back at The Pain once and was surprised to see her still staring at Blair.

Blair glared at him until he disappeared and then raised a brow at her youngest that stood beside her. He shrugged and looked innocent, so she let it go. With that set aside she took his hand and made the rounds, greeting and chatting with people as she went. She didn't want to stay. She wasn't in the mood for an afternoon party, but she had to put in the appearance. She had to let them know that Blair Waldorf was there.

She moved through the party and was aware that she was being watched, but since this feeling wasn't new, she ignored it. As she and Bart made their way out she came upon the girl Harry had been talking to when Blair had arrived. Blair couldn't help but smile at her, yes she was a perfect example of a girl, but it was more than that. Blair had seen the way Harry had looked at the girl. If Blair knew one thing… it was that this was her son's first crush. For that reason alone Blair wanted to know the girl better, but there was also something else… something behind the nearly purple eyes that seemed oddly familiar to Blair, but she couldn't put her finger on it. For now she merely nodded at the girl.

"Hello, I'm Ms. Waldorf-Bass. And you are?"

The girl actually curtsied slightly before she spoke. "Violet Chambers."

A genuine smile curved Blair's mouth causing her cheeks to dimple. It was perfect, Blair thought to herself. The boy who loved purple liked a girl named Violet.

"Nice to meet you, Violet." Blair nodded again as she excused herself and Bart. "See you around…"

Blair walked away with Bart's hand still held in hers and she didn't notice the way he looked back at the girl over his shoulder with a frown. She merely walked to the car and planned the ways she was going to kill her son for drinking at ten… and then dream with the knowledge that her little boy had a crush tonight.

Purple eyes watched her go with longing… and calculation.

TahDAH! Okay, so I should probably stress here that Harry is not… wanting Violet. I'm not big on the hyper-sexualizing of children. Everyone is different and everyone develops at different times. I'm going to try to bring into it that Chuck, for example, developed early and fast for several reason that were both nature and a lot of nurture. Harry, while like his father in many ways, isn't Chuck. For Harry I'm having Violet as his first crush, and by that I mean it's the first time he's really noticed that girls are different than boys… and he likes it, especially this girl. Harry Bass, once again unlike his father, has been raised with a great deal of love and attention. This is part of the reason he doesn't seek and crave pleasure in all forms… but he'll like it as it comes over time.

PS- Three weeks to go! Can't wait. SOoooOOooo tired of waiting to find out who the frak is preggers!