Chapter 7

"Hey you," Summer is filling out Brynn's release work when the familiar voice comes from behind her.

"Leighanna," Summer grins at the tall curly headed brunette standing in front of her. Giving her a hug Summer asks, "how are you?"

"I'm great, got lots of wedding details to fill you in on, but how are you?" Leighanna's concern replaces her smile.

Summer takes a deep breath and admits, "I'm stressing."

"How's Brynn?"

"She's good," Summer states, "you know her, she'll bounce back from anything. I'm filling out her release forms now."

"Then what are you stressing about?" Leighanna questions.

Summer hugs her sister again, "I'm so glad you're here."

"What's going on?" Leighanna asks insistently.

"Seth's here."

"Seth Seth? As in Brynn's father Seth?" When Summer nods Leighanna lets out a long breath, "wow. Where is he? Is he here now? Does he know about Brynn? Why's he here?"

Once Summer has explained she's fighting tears, "and since I told him I've had to resist every urge I have to pick up and disappear again."

"You're not going anywhere," the voice behind Summer is cold and so un-Seth-like.

"Seth, I didn't..." Summer turns around quickly.

Seth's expression is set in stone, "if you so much as think about taking off with her you'll have a custody battle before you can cross the state line."

"Seth..."

"I'm going out to the car to get Brynn's clothes," Seth ignores Summer, "I need the keys."

Summer hands over the keys and once Seth is gone she slams her fist onto the armrest of the hospital chair, "dammit. This day just keeps getting worse."

Leighanna swings an arm around Summer's shoulders, "let's go see that beautiful daughter of yours."

Summer shakes her head, "I can't go see her like this. Why don't you go in, I'm going to go to the restroom and try to calm down."

Leighanna nods, "sure, I'll see you in a couple minutes?"

Summer nods, "I just need to calm down."

Seth lets out a deep sigh of frustration a part of him was elated, he, he, had a daughter who he just felt right being with. But the other part was so angry with Summer that he couldn't see or think straight and her comment just moments before hadn't helped at all. He'd tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, thinking that she was just some scared and pregnant teenager but she wasn't a teenager anymore and she prepared to take off again. He had to call his parents, Sandy would be able to tell him the law aspect of his rights, although he already knew most of them, and Kirsten would be able to offer the emotional support only Kirsten could ever offer. But before he called his parents he had to call Ryan, Ryan would be a quickly solution to calming down his anger.

"Hello?" A childish boy voice answer the phone.

"Timothy," Seth greets, "are your parents around?"

"Yeah," Timothy responds, "they're both here they are making me pancakes for breakfast!"

"Pancakes?" Seth asks, "again? Do you eat anything else."

"No." Timothy retorts, "so you wanna talk to them or what?"

"Yeah," Seth sighs. "Please."

"Hey, how's it going?" Ryan asks.

"Yeah, have you met Summer's daughter?" Marissa's voice chiming in leads to Seth's knowledge that they are using the speaker phone in their bedroom.

"Not good and yes." Seth sighs, dropping down on a bench outside of the hospital so that he can continue his cell phone conversation. "She's my daughter. Brynn Cohen."

There's a long pause on the other end and Seth can see Marissa's stunned expression and Ryan clears his throat, "wow."

"Exactly." Seth responds.

"Wow." Marissa echoes.

"Yeah." Seth sighs.

"But she's alright?" Ryan clarifies.

"She's a bit battered, but for the most part she's fine, they are releasing her from the hospital today. Now, I guess, that is if Summer doesn't take off with her again."

"Wow Seth, that's just...a lot...a lot to process right now. I don't know if I can take anything else right now...I'll uh...talk to you later." Marissa mumbles.

"So what do you mean if Summer doesn't take off again?" Ryan questions after a short pause.

"I overheard her talking to her step-sister about wanting to take her and disappear.

"You think she will?" Ryan asks.

"She can't just disappear I'm staying at her parents house and you guys are in her apartment building and it's not like they are going to leave her stuff. No, I don't think she'll take off, not today at least."

"You okay?"

"I dunno...yeah, I guess. Like Marissa said, it's just a lot to take in right now."

"You want me to take a train there?" Ryan asks.

"Nah," Seth responds, "I'm sure we'll be coming home soon enough and I think if we swarm Summer she really will take off."

"Alright man, listen if you need anything call...."

"Yeah, I will. You may want to go check on Marissa, I may have freaked her out a little bit."

"Yeah," Ryan agrees, "I'll talk to you later."

Seth flips his cell phone shut before walking back into the hospital with the bag containing Brynn's clothes tucked under his arm. "Seth," Summer's voice startles him as she rounds a corner and comes face to face with him.

"Summer," Seth nods his head in her direction and then continues walking.

"Seth," Summer grabs his arm, "we have to talk. About what you heard me say to Leighanna."

"You mean about disappearing with Brynn?" Seth knows perfectly well what she means but part of him wants to make this painful for Summer, so that she can understand just how much pain he was feeling right now.

"Yeah, that," Summer refuses to meet his eyes and for the first time in his entire life he can tell that Summer isn't confident about something. In the entire time he had known her, for the time he had worshiped her, he'd never known her not to be confident about every aspect of her life and this was new territory for him.

"What about it?" Seth snaps, more because he's surprised by this new attitude then upset.

"I wouldn't do that," Summer murmurs, "take her away from me. But," Summer swallows hard and meets Seth's gaze, "I won't let you take her away from me either."

And that was it, everything slid in place as Seth remembered what she had said when she had told him about Brynn in the first place, what was it she had said, 'everything about her is yours...except it's not, because she's mine, she's all I have in the entire world and I'm about to lose her.'

"Summer," Seth's tone softens.

Summer shakes her head as her patented Summer confidence comes back, "I told you what I needed to tell you. Now we're going to go in there for our daughter, act nice, take her home and we'll work something out later, alright?"

"Summer," it's Seth's turn to grab Summer's arm.

"I'm not going to have a custody battle with you in the middle of the hospital," Summer hisses under her breath. "No let's drop it, Brynn has been through more than enough."

Seth lets out a sigh but continues to follow Summer down the hospital hallway, their sneakers making squeaking noises on the smooth hallway floor is the only thing that dares interrupt the silence between them.

"Mommy!" Brynn exclaims cheerfully. "Can I go home yet? The nurse said I could go home as soon as you came in here and got me."

"You can come home now," Summer assures, her entire demeanor changing the instant she sets foot in the hospital room.

"Did my Seth Daddy bring me clothes?" Brynn asks focusing her attention on Seth.

Seth hold sup the pink bag, "got them for you right here."

"Will you help me change Mommy?" Brynn asks.

Summer nods, "of course baby."

Seth suddenly feels uncomfortable, unable to offer any help in the room he states, "I'll bring the car around."

Sorry this took so long to update, I just moved across the country...sigh that was exhausting and as if not to make it anymore tiring I have just taken on a full time job as a nanny for two families...when I'm not with one I am with the other...but I will update as often as possible! Thanks for sticking with me!