Title - Home
Rating - G for this part.
Disclaimer - Unfortunately, the OC does not belong to me. However if it did, it wouldn't be the OC
Summary - Completely AU. Seth and Summer make their individual ways back to Newport after 8 years only to find that some things never change.
Genre - Romance/Angst
Author's Note - Worked on this all day and still not happy with it. Thanks for all the reviews though.
Chapter 5 - Surprises
Seth mechanically shredded the paper napkin and added it to the growing pile in front of him. It was only thing that was keeping him from bolting. She was late. Or she was gone again. Seth was not sure which scenario he hated more. He had spent the last half hour coming up with reasons for her lateness, each more unpleasant than the other, all involving a blonde man and a blonde baby. The other scenario he didn't dare think about. It reeked of been-there, done-that, never-want-to-do-that-again, thanks! He distractedly flicked the pile of tissue in front of him resulting in a cloud of white flakes.
"Wishing for snow?" Summer asked with a grin.
"Actually no, I've seen enough snow to last me a lifetime in Boston. If I never see another snowflake again, it would be too soon. I've taken the Weather Channel off my must-see TV list because of the horrors of snowy climes. The mere thought that the poor people of Alaska are snow-bound for, well, it seems like half their existence really, gives me the chills. No not chills, that's a horrible word. Because you get the chills when you're cold and you're cold in the winter and winter is when it snows.
"Shivers? You could substitute it for chills." Summer offered.
Seth glared at her. "Are you trying telling me in your own inimitable style that I was rambling. Because I was. I'm an incurable rambler. Everybody knows that. It's part of my appeal. And my charm. My appealing charm. Or you could say my charming appeal, which works just as well. Or.."
Summer sat down and looked up at him through her lashes. "I'm sorry I'm late."
"Didn't notice it. No..really. Just got here myself. I've decided that if I can't be fashionably dressed. I can be fashionably late. Not that I want to be fashionably dressed. I prefer my..You're looking at me funny again."
"That's because you were rambling again."
" I thought you found it charming."
"No, you thought it was charming. I just looked at you funny when you said it."
"Right. I must re-learn your non-verbal cues now that you're back."
Summer gave him another unfathomable look and said, "So...food?"
-------------------------------
"I've been here as many times as I can the last two months. But I still want more. I could live the rest of my life at the Crab Shack."
Seth looked at her over his glass of iced tea, bit back the question that instantly rose to his lips and thoughtfully placed the glass back down.
" Your daughter keeps you busy?"
"Serena, her name is Serena. Yes, she does though she's not my daughter."
He stifled the overwhelming urge to get down on his knees and thank all the gods in all the world.
"But she will be soon. My daughter that is," Summer amended.
Okay not so thankful right now. Why was talking she talking in riddles? Really some women took the lyrics of insipid pop songs about the mysteries of the female race way too seriously, which is why he championed Death Cab, nice music in plain American.
"Summer...I"
"Have questions? Want answers? You want answers, explanations, justifications."
"You don't have to if you don't want to."
"I know I have to."
Summer looked out to the pier and despite all the cheery noise surrounding them, Seth got the uncomfortable feeling that she was all alone right now. In some cold place where there was no noise, no cheer and definitely no beach balls.
Still looking away from him, Summer began talking in a soft monotone. "She's my sister's daughter which makes her my niece. But she's always been my daughter. I've raised her since she was a baby. Linda gave her to me. She just showed up on my doorstep one day and said here. I didn't know why then. I know now."
Seth's mind boggled. Sister? Niece? Huh? But he sagely kept his mouth shut and allowed her to continue.
Summer looked at Seth's face, which clearly reflected his confused state of mind and sighed. She looked away and said ruefully, "Let me start at the beginning. Linda is my sister. Was my sister. Was my step-sister. My stepmother's daughter from her first marriage. She's..sorry...was older, almost 10 years older. She rarely came to Newport. She preferred Paris. We weren't close or anything. But she liked me and I liked her, which is more than I can say for the rest of my family. We had an understanding of each other that went beyond the age-difference. She was the only one who cared, really."
She blinked back some tears and continued on, "She helped me..more like saved me...uhm I mean....we stayed in touch.. after...after I...after I left." Seth noted the hesitation and the choice of words but said nothing.
"Two years ago she came to Rome. I was studying there. She had a two-month old baby with her. Serena. She didn't give me any explanations. Just said that she couldn't take care of her. She didn't want to leave her with just anyone though. She wanted the best for her and so she came to me. She thought I was ready...for...uhmmm...she thought it would be good for me. I didn't ask too many questions. I was just returning the favour really. She hadn't said a word about my sudden arrival at her doorstep when I had needed her. And she was right. I was ready for Serena. I needed someone like Serena. She's the best thing that ever happened to me, Seth. It sounds so clichéd but she changed my life.
Her eyes were closed now, the tears began to flow freely and her voice dropped so low that Seth had to lean far forward just to catch it. "But apparently my life has a strange curse on it. I can't hang on to happiness. I came back because my sister was here. She had come back to Newport to die. That's why she gave up Serena. She knew she couldn't beat the cancer and she didn't want either of us to see her lose the battle. My step-mom called me in tears two months ago. She was really hysterical even by her high standards. First I thought it was the pills but ultimately got the whole story out of her. Linda was here and she was bad. So I came back. I came home to say goodbye."
Seth reached out over the table and took her hand. Summer, barely hanging on to her composure, held on for dear life. He looked into her beautiful eyes and in that single moment, Seth forgave her. For everything. Because he knew instinctively, there was a lot she had left unsaid. Behind the tears, her eyes still held secrets. Secrets that were much worse.
Rating - G for this part.
Disclaimer - Unfortunately, the OC does not belong to me. However if it did, it wouldn't be the OC
Summary - Completely AU. Seth and Summer make their individual ways back to Newport after 8 years only to find that some things never change.
Genre - Romance/Angst
Author's Note - Worked on this all day and still not happy with it. Thanks for all the reviews though.
Chapter 5 - Surprises
Seth mechanically shredded the paper napkin and added it to the growing pile in front of him. It was only thing that was keeping him from bolting. She was late. Or she was gone again. Seth was not sure which scenario he hated more. He had spent the last half hour coming up with reasons for her lateness, each more unpleasant than the other, all involving a blonde man and a blonde baby. The other scenario he didn't dare think about. It reeked of been-there, done-that, never-want-to-do-that-again, thanks! He distractedly flicked the pile of tissue in front of him resulting in a cloud of white flakes.
"Wishing for snow?" Summer asked with a grin.
"Actually no, I've seen enough snow to last me a lifetime in Boston. If I never see another snowflake again, it would be too soon. I've taken the Weather Channel off my must-see TV list because of the horrors of snowy climes. The mere thought that the poor people of Alaska are snow-bound for, well, it seems like half their existence really, gives me the chills. No not chills, that's a horrible word. Because you get the chills when you're cold and you're cold in the winter and winter is when it snows.
"Shivers? You could substitute it for chills." Summer offered.
Seth glared at her. "Are you trying telling me in your own inimitable style that I was rambling. Because I was. I'm an incurable rambler. Everybody knows that. It's part of my appeal. And my charm. My appealing charm. Or you could say my charming appeal, which works just as well. Or.."
Summer sat down and looked up at him through her lashes. "I'm sorry I'm late."
"Didn't notice it. No..really. Just got here myself. I've decided that if I can't be fashionably dressed. I can be fashionably late. Not that I want to be fashionably dressed. I prefer my..You're looking at me funny again."
"That's because you were rambling again."
" I thought you found it charming."
"No, you thought it was charming. I just looked at you funny when you said it."
"Right. I must re-learn your non-verbal cues now that you're back."
Summer gave him another unfathomable look and said, "So...food?"
-------------------------------
"I've been here as many times as I can the last two months. But I still want more. I could live the rest of my life at the Crab Shack."
Seth looked at her over his glass of iced tea, bit back the question that instantly rose to his lips and thoughtfully placed the glass back down.
" Your daughter keeps you busy?"
"Serena, her name is Serena. Yes, she does though she's not my daughter."
He stifled the overwhelming urge to get down on his knees and thank all the gods in all the world.
"But she will be soon. My daughter that is," Summer amended.
Okay not so thankful right now. Why was talking she talking in riddles? Really some women took the lyrics of insipid pop songs about the mysteries of the female race way too seriously, which is why he championed Death Cab, nice music in plain American.
"Summer...I"
"Have questions? Want answers? You want answers, explanations, justifications."
"You don't have to if you don't want to."
"I know I have to."
Summer looked out to the pier and despite all the cheery noise surrounding them, Seth got the uncomfortable feeling that she was all alone right now. In some cold place where there was no noise, no cheer and definitely no beach balls.
Still looking away from him, Summer began talking in a soft monotone. "She's my sister's daughter which makes her my niece. But she's always been my daughter. I've raised her since she was a baby. Linda gave her to me. She just showed up on my doorstep one day and said here. I didn't know why then. I know now."
Seth's mind boggled. Sister? Niece? Huh? But he sagely kept his mouth shut and allowed her to continue.
Summer looked at Seth's face, which clearly reflected his confused state of mind and sighed. She looked away and said ruefully, "Let me start at the beginning. Linda is my sister. Was my sister. Was my step-sister. My stepmother's daughter from her first marriage. She's..sorry...was older, almost 10 years older. She rarely came to Newport. She preferred Paris. We weren't close or anything. But she liked me and I liked her, which is more than I can say for the rest of my family. We had an understanding of each other that went beyond the age-difference. She was the only one who cared, really."
She blinked back some tears and continued on, "She helped me..more like saved me...uhm I mean....we stayed in touch.. after...after I...after I left." Seth noted the hesitation and the choice of words but said nothing.
"Two years ago she came to Rome. I was studying there. She had a two-month old baby with her. Serena. She didn't give me any explanations. Just said that she couldn't take care of her. She didn't want to leave her with just anyone though. She wanted the best for her and so she came to me. She thought I was ready...for...uhmmm...she thought it would be good for me. I didn't ask too many questions. I was just returning the favour really. She hadn't said a word about my sudden arrival at her doorstep when I had needed her. And she was right. I was ready for Serena. I needed someone like Serena. She's the best thing that ever happened to me, Seth. It sounds so clichéd but she changed my life.
Her eyes were closed now, the tears began to flow freely and her voice dropped so low that Seth had to lean far forward just to catch it. "But apparently my life has a strange curse on it. I can't hang on to happiness. I came back because my sister was here. She had come back to Newport to die. That's why she gave up Serena. She knew she couldn't beat the cancer and she didn't want either of us to see her lose the battle. My step-mom called me in tears two months ago. She was really hysterical even by her high standards. First I thought it was the pills but ultimately got the whole story out of her. Linda was here and she was bad. So I came back. I came home to say goodbye."
Seth reached out over the table and took her hand. Summer, barely hanging on to her composure, held on for dear life. He looked into her beautiful eyes and in that single moment, Seth forgave her. For everything. Because he knew instinctively, there was a lot she had left unsaid. Behind the tears, her eyes still held secrets. Secrets that were much worse.