Chapter Three:

After leaving her bedroom, Natalie practically ran to the kitchen, anxious to talk to her mom about the possibility of taking on the role of Lily.

"Mom? Do you think I could talk to you about something? It's kind of important," Natalie said, leaning against the island. Natalie's mom, Elizabeth, shot a harried look at her daughter before opening the oven.

"Oh, honey, it's just not a good time. Nick's locked himself in his room again and Nate's entire JV basketball team is coming over for team dinner in two hours. I just – I don't have time for anything else right now." Elizabeth let the oven door slam closed, ending the conversation.

Natalie felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes, but she tried to hold them back. Crying had never gotten her anywhere. Not when Natalie's mom had committees to head and ladies of the neighborhood to talk and lunch with, not to mention Nick – taking care of him was a full-time job.

"Well, okay, maybe tomorrow, then," she said, trying to make an effort, but her mother didn't even answer.

Turning on her heel, Natalie slunk out of the kitchen and took her place on the floor, across from Nathan. If he noticed that she was upset during the rest of their card game, he didn't say anything.

XXX

XXX

Later that night, after the basketball team had cleared the house, Natalie approached her father's study. Her father, Andrew, was a short, balding man, but he always seemed slightly imposing to Natalie.

"Hey, Dad, can we talk?"

"Sure. I have a few minutes," he responded, eyes still on the stacks of paper littering his desk.

Natalie sat down in one of the chairs in front of the desk. As he looked up, she felt like one of his clients from his big, fancy law firm, not his daughter.

"So, um, Dad... something kind of exciting happened to me while I was in New Zealand," she started to say, but her father cut her off.

"Get yourself a new boyfriend or something? Wait. Don't tell me you're pregnant." Andrew looked at his daughter over his rectangular glasses.

"Oh my god, NO! Why would you even think that?" Trying to settle down, Natalie thought back to how she had wanted to present the topic and rushed on. "You've heard of the Lord of the Rings, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, while I was in New Zealand, I got a babysitting job... the couple I was babysitting for, they're making a movie version of the books, and while I was there they were holding a read-through with some actors." There, she had started.

"Did you come bother me while I was working to talk namby-pamby about some actors you got to meet?" Natalie shrunk into her chair. This wasn't going as well as she had hoped.

"Um, no... actually, I, um, got offered a part in the movie?"

Her father just looked at her. "Say something, Dad?" Natalie ventured hesitantly.

"Go get your mother, please," he said, finally, scrubbing a hand through his thinning hair. "I don't know what to say to you... and I think this is something we need to talk about all together."

Natalie jumped up and raced into the family room, where her mom was knitting an indistinguishable, purple object. "Can you come into Dad's study? We have something we want to talk to you about," she said.

Elizabeth glanced over at the adjacent couch, where Noah looked like a little zombie in front of the television. "I was just about to put Noah to bed," she sighed.

"I'll put him to bed," Natalie offered, sitting down next to her brother, "while you and Dad talk."

"Alright." Natalie's mom sighed again as she set down the lump of yarn.

"I'll be in after I tuck him in," Natalie said at the retreating form of her mother. "Come on, Noah, time for bed..." she poked her brother until he giggled and poked her back. "Race you to your room!"

XXX

XXX

Natalie hesitantly poked her head into the doorway of her father's study. "Come on in, Nat," she heard him say, and she tiptoed inside the room. She sucked in a deep breath, willing herself not to mess anything up. This was her one chance to convince her parents to let her go. She steeled herself for the argument she knew would ensue and sat down.

"So your father tells me that you've been offered a part in a movie?" Elizabeth asked her daughter.

"Yeah, I have," Natalie responded. "Peter Johnson, who I was babysitting for, is filming The Lord of the Rings. I was over to babysit his children while he and a few actors did a read-through in the basement, and then the actress supposed to play Lily never showed up, so I ended up reading for her, and then..." Natalie paused, realizing that she was rambling and talking very quickly. "Sorry. Um, so anyways, that actress ended up getting in a car accident and won't be able to do the shoot. So... this afternoon, they called me and asked if I would do it." She paused, giving her parents time to speak.

"I don't even know where to start! Where are they filming?" Elizabeth asked.

"Um... in New Zealand?" Natalie offered the answer up.

"So we would have to send you back there? For how long?" Natalie glanced at her dad, who didn't look like he was even paying attention to the conversation.

"I think the shoot is going to take about a year," Natalie responded. "But I haven't really received all the information yet. I said I had to talk to you guys first."

Andrew looked up from his papers, saying, "Well, I don't think you should do it. We've put a lot of money into your education so far, and I don't think you should stop when you're halfway towards getting your degree. And then I thought we said you'd go to law school and work at my firm. Acting in this movie isn't going to get you that lawyer job you've always wanted."

After years of hearing this life plotted out for her, Natalie couldn't take it anymore. She stood up, steeling herself for what she was going to do next. "That's always been your dream, Dad! You're the one who wanted me to go to law school and work for you. That's your dream, not mine!" Natalie seethed, but seeing that her parents were taken aback from her outburst, she calmed down. A little bit.

"I've never really known what I wanted to do with my life," she continued. "Until now. Reading for Lily – I just... I can't even explain it. It felt so right. Like I belonged somewhere. And I've never felt that before with anything."

"What are you talking about? You were so popular in high school," Elizabeth interjected.

"God, Mom. I hardly had any friends in high school! When are you ever going to realize that you know nothing about me?" Natalie had never yelled at her parents like this before, and she felt strangely exhilarated. Free.

"Honey..." Elizabeth started, and Natalie saw hurt flash through her eyes.

Cutting her off, Natalie said, "I just... I really want to do this movie. I really do. It's a chance of a lifetime! I'm never going to get another opportunity like this." Natalie walked over to her dad, and leaned over the desk. "Dad, you've always said that I should reach for my dreams, and never let anything get in my way or hold me back. And although my dream may not be the dream you wanted me to have, it's still my dream. This is my dream, Dad," she pleaded.

Andrew studied his young daughter and nodded slowly. "Yes, I think I understand," he said, and glanced over at his wife. "We're going to let her go. She can do it."

With those words, Natalie walked around to the back of the desk – an area that she had never dared to enter before – and gave her dad a hug. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you."

XXX

XXX

Natalie's next few days were a flurry of phone calls. There were calls from agents, from magazines, big film companies, and, of course, Fran and Peter. It seemed as if the entire world wanted to talk to her about the movie.

But before she knew it, Natalie was facing a flurry of goodbyes.

The goodbyes to her parents were pretty easy. Natalie hadn't talked much to her mom over the past few days, except to inform her of flight details and other last-minute changes. And her dad had been working almost non-stop. Not that either of those things was uncommon for the Summers' household.

Nathan and Noah were harder to say goodbye to. She hugged each brother tightly, and promised to send home any props – especially any practice swords or armor – she could manage to steal away. "I'm gonna miss you guys so much!" she exclaimed as they said goodbye.

Nick had hardly come out of his room in the short two weeks Natalie had been home, but he stood in the family room awkwardly as Natalie prepared to leave.

"Bye," he mumbled, looking at the floor.

"Bye, Nick," Natalie replied, and smiled at her brother. "Don't worry – I'll call lots!"

"Wellington, New Zealand is exactly thirteen hours ahead of Milwaukee, Wisconsin," Nick said, giving her an awkward, one-armed hug.

"Well, then, I'll have to plan my calls pretty carefully then, huh?" she looked around the room at her family. "Goodbye, goodbye!"

XXX

XXX

A/N: To everyone who has helped me make this story become a reality: I cannot thank you enough. It is because of your dedication that my words make it to this site. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you. (Especially Jacky, because I wouldn't be writing if it wasn't for you)