A/N: I was feeling generous and decided that I would give you guys a second chapter today. Hope you enjoy. I really really really love this chapter. You get some inside into Darcy Ellis family.

Disclaimer: I own Darcy and all her Ellis traditions.

Ellis Traditions

Darcy woke up Thanksgiving morning. This was probably going to be one of the roughest days since her mom died. It was her mom's holiday. She hadn't always been rich and had made it sort of a special day for Darcy and her. Darcy enjoyed this day so much because of that.

She walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. There sat the turkey she had made the night before. It was always something her mother did and she was trying to recreate those perfect days the best she could. Her phone vibrated across the counter and she grabbed it.

"Hello" she said not reading the caller-id.

"Hey sweetheart" she heard her dad say on the other side.

"Where are you?" she asked pretty sure that he was supposed to be in last night.

"Open the door" he replied and she ran over opening it. Both her father and uncle stood on the other side. "You're both here"

"How could I resist. Your father said you cooked."

"I tried."

"So what's on the menu?" her uncle asked. He hadn't really spent many thanksgivings with them he was usually on the road or in a foreign country.

"It's an Ellis family thanksgiving"

"Which is?"

"Sandwiches" her dad said. "Turkey sandwiches"

"Seriously"

"Its an Ellis tradition. Before mom got totally famous she had a waitressing job on Sunset. It was pretty decent tips and with my great Aunt paying her rent she used the tips to pay bills and just basically feed me. Well she couldn't afford the whole Thanksgiving get up with the potatoes and all that. She had made enough the night before to buy a turkey and some bread."

"So she just improvised?"

"Yeah. That's how we got the Olivia Ellis Turkey Sandwich" Darcy replied. "She eventually added desert"

"That's all?"

"Welcome to your first Ellis Family Thanksgiving" Darcy said guiding them both into the kitchen.

Darcy walked into the Kitchen. She was excited for today. Of course she was excited for every holiday with her parents. Her mother and father stood at the counter with the turkey.

"Our feathered friend almost done?" she asked.

"Just getting all the meat off. Is Austin joining us?" her mother asked separating dark and light meat.

"Of course mom. He said he wouldn't miss it" she said smiling at her parents. She then turned to her dad "You did do your job right Dad?"

"It's marked. We won't miss it"

"Our family is the best" she said

"Who is in charge of desert?" her father asked.

"It's taken care of. There is an Apple Pie in the freezer ready to be baked."

"Apple?" her father said "Ladies you do know that Pumpkin is the tradition"

"When Darcy was 6 her Great Aunt came to visit us. She said that my thanksgiving was all wrong."

"But mom proved that it wasn't about the food it was about the company."

"She insisted I get a pie. So I bought an apple one because that was all that was left"

"It became part of the tradition"

Darcy stood next to her dad separating dark and light meats for their sandwiches. She had given her Uncle the duty of getting the pie. Her phone started to ring and she quickly grabbed it spotting S's name flash across.

"Hey" she said.

"Hey D, you sound happy!"

"Well my dad and uncle are in town so that could make a girl happy"

"That's awesome."

"Where are you headed?"

"Blair's"
"Well, have fun"

"You too. Happy Thanksgiving."

"Happy Thanksgiving S" she said and then they hung up. She sat in back on the counter and her dad stared at her. "What"

"You look happy"
"I have pretty good friends here" she smiled as her phone buzzed again.

J: If you have nowhere to go today. You're welcome to join us at the Humphry's

"I see that you do" he smiled.

The doorbell rang and Darcy quickly rushed to it hoping it was Austin. She opened it and Austin walked in and pulled her into a kiss.

"Austin my parents" she whispered.

"They adore me. I got this"

"Whatever"

They walked into the kitchen where her mother was putting sandwiches together.

"So no big feast" Austin asked noticing the sandwiches.

"If you learn anything about the Ellis women it's that this is tradition and that's how it is" her father said.

"Sound good" Austin said then stuck out his hand "How are you sir"

"Good and you son?"

"Pretty good" Austin replied and he and her father walked into the other room.

Keith got back with the pie.

"The lady thought I was crazy. She asked me several times if I was sure apple was what I was sent for"

"Well of course" she replied and put the apple pie on the counter. Her phone rang again. This time she spotted Nate's name across it and grabbed it quickly. "Hey Nate"

"Hey Darc"

Her uncle and dad gave her a confused looked then shrugged their shoulders and continued to work on dinner. Not that there was much left to do.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"My parents suck and Chuck is out of town."

"So your day is pretty sucky"

"Yeah. My parents are upset with me. I walked out on dinner"

"Well we have food if you want to join?"

"I don't want to be a…"

"Nate. It's fine. It's me, my dad and my uncle. That's it"

"Sure I'll be right over"

"See you then" she said with a smile and hung up. Keith and her dad stared at her. "What"

"Who is Nate?"

"He's a friend who is coming over for dinner so please be nice"

"A friend?" Keith asked

"I think he's more than that"

"Dad!" she yelled.

"We'll be nice" they said. After a while Nate showed up. He knocked on the door and she answered it.

"So your dad is here?" he asked.

"You must be Nate" her father said approaching the door.

"Mr." he started and turned to Darcy for help.

"Call me William." Her father said. To be honest she didn't even know her dad's last name. He was always so secretive about it. She just assumed that he answered to Mr. Ellis because of her mother.

"Keith" her uncle said and Nate shook both of their hands. The walked further into the place and Nate spotted the sandwiches.

"Sandwiches?"

"Ellis tradition" Darcy said handing him a plate with one on it.

"I like it" he smiled and they all got their food and sat in front of the TV. The parade in front of them. "Darc, you do realize this is a few blocks away?"

"I know"

"Then why are we here and not there"

"I didn't want to go alone and when my dad didn't come home last night"

"Which I am sorry for" her father said.

"Next year then?"

"It's a date" she smiled and turned back to the parade.

"So Nate, what is it that your parents do?"

"My mother is a socialite and my dad actually just got arrested for embezzlement"

"Howard Archibald?" Keith asked.

"Uh yeah"

"I saw it in the papers."

"Uh yeah it's been rough"

"I'm sure it has" her father said.

"Well thanks to your daughter it's been easy to deal. She's a true friend."

"Well her mother was an amazing person as well. Today has been rough without her."

"What's today? Besides thanksgiving?"

"Her favorite holiday in a weird sort of way. She didn't really grow up in the best of family environment. My grandparents her parents didn't really raise her. She basically lived in foster homes until she met my great aunt and then she had a place she could actually settle and focus on her. The first real thanksgiving she had was with my dad and she really liked it and vowed to always have a good one."

"She sounds amazing."

"She was" Darcy said as Nate's phone vibrated. He looked at it and then answered.

"Hello…yeah I'm okay…fine I'm coming" he said then hung up.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"My mom wants to talk. Probably blame me again on how we got uninvited to the Waldorf's."

"Good Luck" she smiled and then walked him to the door.

"It was nice meeting you both" He said to her family and they walked out into the hall. "So you were right about the parent department. Your dad seems pretty great."
"We have our moments but yeah he is."

"See you at school Monday." he said and then walked down the hall. She walked back into her room to see her family sitting at the counter waiting.

"So…"

"He's just a friend" she said walking back into the living room.

"Darcy Ellis has only ever had one guy friend and even he was more than a friend" her father said following her.

"Is TJ chop liver?"

"I don't count him. You know why"

"Dad" she said.

"What?" he said.

"I promise. Nate is just a friend"

"I like him" Keith said.

"Me too" her father said.

She rolled her eyes at them and fell back onto the couch. Her family was crazy but they were all she had.