Here I am again, the final chapter (sniff). I know some people may have got the impression that there would be more to come but I'm sorry, just one last super long chapter. I've had the best time writing this story and reading your reviews ao thank you for reading and reviewing, it means a lot to me so THANKS!

I will continue to write but as my life gets more hectic its hard to update stuff so I will be taking a break. Maybe a new story at Easter? But if somehow, my load is lightened I may post sooner, just keep your eyes open or put me on your author alert list.

Anyway, thank you so much and see you for now!

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Staring At The Stars

Summer sat in her bed, propped up by several pillows. She had a mirror in her hand and was checking her reflection. Her hair was a mess and she had no make up on at all. A large gash was on her forehead with a couple of small plasters on it but Summer hated it. She tried to cover it up with her hair but failed miserably. She hated being in hospital, not having her things around her. The room was pretty personalised though. There was vases upon vases of flowers and gifts along with some of her belongings that her Dad had brought by. There was a knock at the door and Seth entered. Summer smiled and tried to hide the mirror.

"H, Hey Seth. Uh, you're early…" Summer smiled.

"Summer, don't be bothered about your appearance, you know I don't mind if your hair is done or you have make up on," Seth said, kissing her forehead lightly.

"I know, its just this stupid cut, I hate it."

"Well think of it as a mark of your bravery," Seth smiled.

"I don't feel brave, I just feel ugly," Summer pouted.

"Oh come on Sum. Anyway, your Dad told me that you should be able to come home soon. That's good news right?"

"Yeah, its great…" Summer said, trying to look enthusiastic, even though she wasn't. Seth frowned and sat closer to her.

"You do want to come home right?"

"Yeah, its just… oh its stupid… I'm scared of going back to my house… where it all happened," Summer replied quietly, looking down.

"Oh…I understand. Well take your time, no one's pressuring you."

"Okay, thanks Cohen. How's April?"

"Oh she isn't back to herself yet but she's on the way. My Mom and Dad are all over her but she's taking strides," Seth said with a small smile.

"I feel so guilty, she shouldn't have had to go through all that…"

"Don't be. None of this was your fault and you know that."

"So, how long is it until we leave for Brown?" Summer asked, looking more happy.

"We're due to leave a week on Monday."

"I can't wait to get away from this town. And I'm so glad its with you," Summer smiled. Seth nodded and took her hand. Summer's Dad and Seth's parents had put together and bought them a beautiful apartment that was twenty minutes from Brown. Seth couldn't wait to move there, with Summer. The new start for them would be welcomed with open arms.

"So, my Mom's having a leaving party for the four of us next week, I was hoping you'd join us…If you want," Seth suggested.

"Sure, I'd love to. I'll talk to the doctor and see if I'll be ready for then…" Summer smiled, squeezing his hand.

"Great. Well I gotta go but I'll come see you later, okay?" Seth got up and kissed Summer. He left the room and Summer waited until he'd gone and got out her mirror again.

"Heya Seth!" April ran over to her brother and hugged him tightly.

"Hey April, how are you?"

"I'm good, Daddy gave me my first bagel!" April grinned. Sandy appeared from the kitchen and walked over to the two.

"It's a very momentous occasion," Sandy mused, smiling.

"Oh right, did you like it April?" Seth asked her.

"Nope, it was horrible!" she said, sticking out her tongue.

"And then there's that…" Sandy said, "Why don't you join us son?"

"Actually, I can't. I need to do some thinking, something to cheer up Summer…" he said.

"Poor girl, she still doesn't want to come home?"

"No, I can't blame her either… I need to get her something or do something. I just have no idea what," he sighed.

"If you need anything, son, just ask," Sandy nodded before taking April back into the kitchen leaving Seth, still thinking.

And then he got it.

A week passed and Summer prepared to leave the hospital. Thankfully, she's worked out a plan which prevented her from returning to her house. She would leave the hospital with Seth, who'd drop her at Marissa's where she'd spend the night and the next day she'd attend the leaving party and then she'd spent the night at the Cohen's, ready to leave for Brown the next day. Her Dad had had all her stuff packed up and sent away ahead and she didn't have much else to take with her. As she slipped out of her pyjamas and into her clothes, Summer felt an enormous sense of relief, as soon as she'd leave Newport, the nightmare would be over. Until they returned at Thanksgiving that is… But Summer didn't dwell on that now, she'd think about it when it came.

"Just get through the next 48 hours," she told herself as she applied her makeup.

An hour later and Summer looked at the bare hospital room and the small travel bag beside her. In nothing short of maybe 2 hours, someone else might be in here. Their life may be fading before their eyes and all they do is hope, sometimes not knowing whether they'd make it through the day. She took a deep breath, blocking out the thoughts racing through her mind.

She jumped out of her skin as a hand touched her back. As she spun around she sighed with relief, it was Seth.

"Hey Cohen, you made me jump," she smiled. Seth leaned forward and kissed her. Just to have her in his arms made him feel like he was on top of the world.

"So listen, I was thinking we could take a detour on the way to Marissa's…" Seth suggested as they walked into the orange glow generated by the setting sun.

"Oh, yeah, sure…" Summer said as Seth helped her into the car. He tossed her bag in the trunk and looked up at the gradually darkening sky, a mischievous smile appearing on his face.

Seth led Summer along the deserted stretch of beach which was covered in darkness as the night set in. They'd been walking for about fifteen minutes as Seth tried to find the spot he was looking for.

"Come on Cohen, just tell me what we're doing!" Summer cried.

"No, I'm not telling you, it's a surprise," Seth protested, leading her further. He pulled out a piece of paper and looked at his surroundings, and then at the sky.

"Right, this is it. Stop, we're here."

"Cohen, this bit of beach is the same as the bit we passed ten minutes ago!" Summer said. Seth smiled and shook his head.

"No, no, no my little Summer. That bit of beach wasn't the only part of Newport Beach where you'd be directly under a little speckle in the sky I like to call Summer Star." Seth smiled at Summer who just looked confused. Seth whipped out a roll of paper and gave it to her. She read it quickly and then glanced back up at Seth.

"You bought me a star?"

"Yeah, do you like it?" Summer glanced up at the shy and saw a glimmering speckle of bright white above her head. Her eye's welled up with tears and she nodded.

"Oh and something to go with it…" Seth reached in his jacket and pulled out a small, balck velvet box which he handed to her. She opened it and her heart melted. Inside lay a silver chain with a glittering star pendant on it. The star was dotted with tiny diamonds which were in the shape of an 'S'.

"Oh my god Cohen…" she whispered, her lip trembling.

"You like it?"

"Yes! Of course I do dumbass!" Summer jumped into Seth's arms, a few small tears escaping her eyes. They fell back onto the sand, Summer remaining in Seth's loving embrace. They laid on the sand, staring up at the stars.

"I'm glad we're okay now," Summer whispered softly.

"Me too, I hate fighting with you, for real," Seth replied.

"Thank you, for everything Seth. It was hard, in the hospital, the only thing getting me through the day was the thought of you. I still can't believe you came for me, after all the terrible things I said…"

"Summer, no matter what you do or say to me, I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with Seth for the rest of your life."

"You know what? I'm glad I am," Summer beamed. She sat up and leant forward to kiss Seth and the two just laid on the beach for most of that night, happy that they were together, underneath Summer Star.

"Summer? Suuummeerr? Are you awake?" Marissa tried to coax Summer from her sleep. She groaned and rolled over, trying to ignore her friend.

"Where were you last night? With Seth?" she asked, shaking Summer.

"Coop! Can't a girl sleep?" Summer sat up and pouted.

"Oooh, what's this?" Marissa pointed at Summer's silver star chain and Summer smiled.

"Seth bought it for me actually."

"Really? That's nice, are those real diamonds?"

"Yes, because Seth loves me and the fact that I love diamonds."

"Aw, that's cute," Marissa grinned, "Any other special gifts?"

"He bought me a real one too," Summer said, sinking back onto her pillows.

"A real what?"

"A star…" Summer said dreamily.

"Wait, what? Seth bought you a star?" Marissa cried.

"Yeah, it was great, we went out onto the beach and he showed it me. I'll never forget it Coop…" Summer mused.

Marissa smiled politely and left the room, mumbling something about breakfast and Summer laughed to herself, purely at the fact that Marissa was jealous.

The Cohen house was buzzing. It was packed with guest upon guest, all here just to bid farewell to the four most well known seniors in all of Newport. Kirsten Cohen was playing her hostess part, but trying to fight back tears at the sadness of saying goodbye to her boys.

April was happy, she always loved the parties at her house, she never got to go them when they were somewhere else but she was entitled to when it was at her own home. She twirled around in her new dress and fixed the white bow in her hair. She stood by the door, greeting everyone who came in.

"Hello and welcome to the bye-bye party for my brothers. Can I take your coat?" She asked the guests who were arriving, with a curtsey. Ryan stood next to her and rolled his eyes but was pushed forward by April as the guest removed their coats.

"Take the peoples coats Ryan, I'm too little," April said with a wide grin. Ryan sighed and took the coats, with a discrete glare at his manipulative little sister.

About half an hour later, Summer and Marissa arrived, Julie and Caitlin following behind. Seth hurried over with Ryan and they greeted their girlfriends with a quick kiss. Summer smiled at Seth, who felt speechless at her transformation. She'd curled her hair and her skin was flawless. She was dressed in a slinky plum dress which hugged her figure and a pair of her Jimmy Choo's. She wore her star chain proudly around her neck and pulled her black wrap close around her shoulders. Seth slipped a hand around her waist as the four headed out to the back yard where the guests were gathered.

As the four walked up the stairs and out into the yard, the crowd hushed, almost to silence. Summer saw a few people whispering and pointing in her direction. She took a deep breath but felt weak.

"Seth, I can't do this, I have to go…" Summer whispered. She slipped away from a startled Seth and made her way back to the house. The whispering became louder until one single noise broke it and made Summer freeze. A clap. Someone was clapping. She slowly turned around to see Sandy and Kirsten look back, clapping. Slowly more and more people joined in, Julie and Caitlin, her dad and step-mom and her three best friends. The yard began to fill with the sound of applause and soon the whole place was erupting with applause and cheering, for Summer. She didn't know what to do, she just stood where she was, smiling at the people surrounding her and for the first time ever, felt in awe.

After the unexpected outburst for Summer, the night soon turned into an honorary party for her and her sheer bravery and courage when dealing with Newport's most notorious serial killer. And, determined not to be left out of the picture, April made a small speech on behalf of Summer, thanking all the 'wonderful peoples that had come to the bye-bye party'. Shortly after climbing onto the stage, she was taken off of it by Kirsten who kept a watchful eye on her for the rest of the night.

Summer was happy, she spent the remainder of the evening with her best friends and family, just glad to be there and even slightly sad at leaving. She retired to the Cohen's guest room after the party, anxiously awaiting the next day in which Seth and herself would enter the first phase of adulthood.

Summer stood alone by the Cohen's pool, staring at the horizon. It was nine am and she was already ready to go. She was anxious but looking forward to this adventure. Would she miss Newport? Probably, it would always be her home but she needed to leave so she could grow up and become the new and improved Summer Roberts.

Two hours later, the entire family was assembled outside the Cohen house. Kirsten, Sandy, April, Julie, Caitlin, Neil and Gloria Roberts along with Ryan, Marissa, Seth and Summer. The fantastic four, going their separate ways. Kirsten hadn't even tried to stop the tears today, they flowed freely.

"Its my right to be upset!" she'd argued after ploughing through two boxes of tissues in an hour. There was a deadly silence as the eleven people struggled to find words.

"Don't leave!" April cried, breaking the silence. She ran to her brothers and hugged the both of them tightly, never wanting to let go.

"Oh April, don't worry, we'll come back and call you everyday!" Seth reassured her.

"Promise?" she asked.

"Promise, pinkie swear." The two linked little fingers before hugging each other. April then moved over to Ryan and embraced him for a full five minutes before being prised away by Sandy.

Then the parents walked over to their kids and said their own goodbyes. Marissa and her mother actually shed a tear a piece, just showing that despite the rough years they'd had, a girl will always love her mom. Neil hugged his daughter tightly, knowing that even though he hadn't lost her, she was leaving him again.

"I love you princess, and I'm always here, you remember that okay?"

"I will daddy, I love you too."
Kirsten pulled her boys into a tight hug. Goodbyes were hard even if they weren't forever. After half an hour of farewells the two couples really had to go, Seth and Summer to catch their flight and Marissa and Ryan to get to Berkeley.

"Well this is it, bye everybody." Seth sighed, with a slight wave. Marissa cried into Ryan's shoulder, mumbling a 'bye' and Summer hugged her Dad one last time. They climbed into the car, Ryan and Marissa would drop Seth and Summer at the airport.

With one last wave, the four teenagers pulled out of the driveway and into the bright California sun, bidding farewell to their families, their home and their childhood.

It was the end of this chapter but the beginning of a brand new story.

THE END

An ENORMOUS thank you to EVERYONE who reviewed, you guys are the best! Please leave me some final comments and look out for a new story soon!

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