Palm Trees and Power Lines
Chapter 12: Let's Be Us Again

Summary: Sort-of future fic. Summer breaks Seth's heart and all he could think to do was leave… but will she find him again, and will he want her back if she does?

Rating: PG to PG-13… you never know.

Disclaimer: If for some strange reason you thought I owned any of this…well you're dumb… hehe, just kidding… but I still don't so … yeah

A/N: Wow…I am REALLY slow with updating this story… it's gotten much harder now that it's not angsty or anything… it's hard! Haha... okay so here it is… chapter 12… I'm thinking it will end up anywhere from 20-25 chapters long… depends how long it takes for some of these…which means I still have half of the story to write… waah hoo… haha… okay so on with the story…Oh yeah….and the song is Let's Be Us Again by Lonestar… gotta love the country :-) hehe…

Tell me what I have to do tonight
'Cause I'd do anything to make it right
Let's be us again
I'm sorry for the way I lost my head
I don't know why I said the things I said
Let's be us again

Summer tapped her fingernails on the table, trying to avoid the awkward silence that kept building up between her and Seth. They had been sitting at a local diner waiting for their food for the past fifteen minutes, and neither could find the right words to say. What was there to say? She cheated on him, causing him to move 3,000 miles away, they both almost committed suicide, but survived, she flew those 3,000 miles to try and get him back, she did, they made up, and now they were out for breakfast. Summer looked across the table into the eyes that bore holes in her soul; the ones that always knew exactly what she was thinking, and what she was feeling. But now, they seemed so distant- like he forgot what they used to do to her.

She sighed, looking down at her hands. They always used to have something to talk about, whether it was Seth rambling about absolutely nothing, or something of relevance- there was always something. Even if they weren't talking, they were always comfortable with the silence. But now they barely spoke, and when they did it was strained and forced. The silence was also just as bad too.

Finally, Summer had enough. She couldn't take them being like this. She wanted everything to go back to how it used to be…or at least a lot closer than it was now. Now it was even worse than before they acknowledged each other. At least then they didn't have to deal with…this. They didn't know what it was like to have the company of each other…to be in love.

Here I stand with everything to lose
And all I know is I don't want to ever see the end
Baby please, I'm reaching out for you
Won't you open up your heart and let me come back in
Let's be us again, oh us again

"Cohen," she sighed, letting her hands fall to the table. "What are we doing?"

"Last time I checked…we were waiting for our breakfast," he replied in almost his normal sarcastic-Cohen tone. There was something missing though, and Summer could tell.

"That's not what I mean," she said quietly, looking at him through her eyelashes. Seth always used to say how much he hated that, because anything she asked him afterwards, he would always do. "Cohen, something isn't right. We're not like we used to be! Listen to us? We're having forced conversations, trying to fill the awkward silence. This isn't us!"

"Well, Summer, what do you want to talk about? Do you want me to ask you how the sex with Ryan was? Because if that will keep the conversation going then I'll ask. Do you want me to ask you why you cheated on me, or why you felt it had to be with my brother?" Seth spat. He loved her, there was no doubt about it, but a very large part of him was still bitter about everything. "Well, Summer, I'm waiting?"

"I knew it!" she yelled, tears forming in her eyes.

"Knew what?" he asked. "Knew that I was still pissed that you cheated on me…with my brother might I add?"

"You know I'm sorry," she replied through gritted teeth. "You know I love you, Seth."

"Yeah, but that's not going to make everything go away," he said bitterly. After a moment, he stood up and tossed a ten down on the table. "I should go."

"Seth," she called, but it didn't matter, he was gone. Summer's head flew to her hands as tears clouded her vision. She knew it was too good to be true. Seth would never forgive her that easily, which meant she had to work for it.

Look at me, I'm way past pride
Isn't there some way that we can try
To be us again
Even if it takes a while
I'll wait right here until I see that smile
That says we're us again
Here I stand with everything to lose
And all I know is I don't want to ever see the end
Baby please, I'm reaching out for you
Won't you open up your heart and let me come back in
Let's be us

Summer took a sip of her coffee and left Seth's ten on the table, hoping the food didn't cost any more than that, and hurried out the door. After what seemed like forever, she flagged down a cab, considering they had taken Seth's car here, and headed back to the hotel. There was no way she was going to let anything come between them again- she loved him too much to let him go that easily.

Paying the driver, she grabbed her things and headed up to Seth's room and knocked on the door. After a few moments, Seth still hadn't opened it, so she knocked again; still no answer. Another minute or so passed she figured he hadn't come back to the hotel, and walked across the hall to her room. She stuck the key-card in the slot and pulled it out, waiting for the green light to flash. When it did, she walked in and over to the bed where she plopped down and flicked on the TV. Finally, she settled on The View, where Star Jones was talking to the Survivor chick about Lord knows what.

Baby, baby what would I do
I can't imagine life without you
Here I stand with everything to lose
And all I know is I don't want to ever see the end
Baby please, I'm reaching out for you
Won't you open up your heart and let me come back in

Summer soon felt her eyes becoming heavy, as she drifted off into a light, dreamless sleep. After what only seemed like five minutes, but was in actuality at least an hour, Summer awoke to a noise coming from her door. When she didn't get up to open it though, her heart jumped as it opened itself.

"Hey," a voice that was unmistakably coming from Seth Cohen said. "Sorry, you left your one key over in my room…I thought I'd return it."

"Oh, thanks," Summer replied groggily, taking it from him as she sat up. A few moments passed before she figured he wanted to leave. "See ya."

"There's something else," he said, sitting down on the bed. "Summer, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. There was no reason for me to say any of those things. I don't even know why I did. I love you so much and I don't want us to keep going on like this. I don't want this to be the end."

"Me neither," Summer replied, once again looking up through her eyelashes.

"And…I might not be completely over the fact that you cheated on me…but that was more of a pride issue. I'm done with pride. I love you, and there's nothing that I can do to deny that. And you have proved multiple times that you're sorry for this, but I just wouldn't listen because I didn't want to be the loser who went crawling back to the girl who cheated on him. Summer, I love you more than you'll ever know, and I can't bare to lose you. So please, let's try this one more time," Seth apologized, and Summer could see the truth in his pleading eyes.

"Let's be us again," was all she had to say before Seth had her in his arms in a tight embrace. "I love you," she whispered in his ear, as her arms wrapped around him.

"I love you too," he replied, tears streaming down his cheeks. "There's nothing that can stop that."

Oh, here I am
I'm reaching out for you
So won't you open up your heart
And let me come back in
Let's be us again
Oh let's be us again

A/N: Okay…so that was actually fairly easy to write! Wow… but then again, it's not as long as many of the other chapters… sorry! I promise, more to come…and soon I hope! ::mwahs:: Reviews make me smile :-D!