Summer put her elbow on the table and propped her chin on her hand as she watched all the people around the table, she was feeling a little overwhelmed, this was her family now, she didn't know what it was like to have a huge family. It had always been her mom, Uncle Erik and Grams, grandma Lily would stop by every couple of months but that was it, it was just them. Now she had her dad and both his parents, and his grandfather and his cousins, there was only one cousin here now but according to her new grandmother there were a lot of them left for her to meet.
They got through quite a few questions after she got there, asking her about her interests and school and all her friends, she answered with the simplest answers she could, not elaborating unless they asked her to and trying to sink into the couch so that the attention would divert from her. They didn't ask any questions about her mother and she was pretty happy with that because she didn't know what she would say, her mom was sure they didn't like her so she really didn't want to make their impression of her worse by saying the wrong thing.
After her interrogation her grandmother moved them all to the dining room table for lunch, she was so nervous she barely ate. They were still seated at the table even after everything had been cleared, she didn't know if they could sense her unease by the attention or if they'd gotten bored of her but they all left her alone and went on with their own conversations, leaving her to watch them.
Her dad was next to her in conversation with his grandfather, who she was also supposed to call Grandfather, he was old and stern and intimidating, he kept looking at her like he was trying to figure her out and it was nerve wrecking. She wondered if he ever smiled, her dad was really excited to introduce her to him but she wasn't sure that the feeling was reciprocated.
On Grandfather's other side was his cousin Tripp, he was nice enough, he looked stressed all the time, as if he were just waiting for something to blow up. Although that could also just be because of his wife Maureen, Summer thought smiling to herself, she had him on a tight leash. Maureen was a hard woman to read, she kept this permanent fake smile on her face, she and Lola seemed to be the best of friends which immediately gave Summer a bad impression of her.
Finally sitting across from her were the people she was most excited to meet, Anne and Howard Archibald, who she now called Grandma Anne and Grandpa or gramps or even Captain because he didn't really care about all those other terms. Her grandfather was loud and energetic, he made her feel completely at ease when everyone was watching her and always gave her an out when they asked her questions she couldn't answer, even though her dad seemed oddly weary of him.
Her grandmother was the complete opposite she was quiet and regal, Summer could watch her the whole day, she never let her posture drop and she did everything in the most ladylike way possible. Even though she looked unsure of Summer at first, she now looked like she was excited with the prospect of being a grandmother, even if she missed out on the exciting baby years.
"Summer, how do you feel about horse riding?" Howard booming voice asked, breaking her concentration and disrupting everyone's conversations so all the attention was on the two of them. "We could take the horses for a spin if you'd like, leave all these oldies to their conversations."
"Howard, you don't take horses for a spin," Anne told him and then looked to Summer. "But we could go down to the stables and if you want to ride one then you can."
"I'd like that," Summer said laughing at the incredulous look her grandmother was shooting her grandfather.
"It sounds fun, lets go," Nate said standing up so he could stretch.
"Nathaniel, I think your father meant for just Summer to come with us," Anne said and Nate frowned at his mother.
"Yeah Nate, how are we going to get to know the girl with you hovering," Howard said with a teasing look on his face and Nate rolled his eyes.
"Oh I see how it is," Nate said shaking his head. "You find out you have a granddaughter and forget about your son."
"That is exactly how it is," Howard said jumping up and extending his hand to Anne so he could help her up. Summer knew her grandparents got divorced when her dad was still in high school and only recently got back together and remarried but the way they acted now made her question how they could have possible gotten divorced in the first place, they were adorable for old people, they kinda reminded her of grandma Lily and Rufus.
"Too bad, you'll have to save your bonding session for another day," Nate said hooking his arms under Summer's arms and pulling Summer to stand up, making her laugh. "It's been a while since I've been out here."
"Very well then," Anne said faking her exasperation, Summer could see the smile playing on her lips and Howard was practically bouncing on the spot. "Father..."
"Another day," he said holding up a hand when Anne turned to him. She nodded and looked up at Tripp and the other two women at the time.
"I'm not dressed for the occasion," Lola said a little disappointedly and Summer smirked remembering their conversation about clothes before they left the city. Anne looked like she was going to say something but thought better of it and just nodded.
Tripp just shook his head and Maureen said something that sounded like she would prefer to gossip, but Summer barely heard that because her dad was dragging her out of the house already.
"Ah, I miss this place," he said when they stepped outside. "Fresh air, no noise, just nature."
"It's pretty," Summer said looking around. "It's so huge, I think I'd get lost here."
"I have, a few times," Nate said laughing. "Once it took me a few hours to find my way back, I don't think my mother let me out of her sight after that."
"Your nanny was fired after that," Anne said from behind them. "She should have known better than to let a 5 year old out of her sight."
"Oh look," Summer exclaimed when she saw the stables after walking for a little bit and the horses grazing, Anne had gotten the sable boy to get their horses ready for them in case they want to ride and Summer was just amazed that they had their own stables on the grounds and a full time stable boy. This place was basically a fully functional resort especially after her dad told her about the massive amount of staff Grandfather had working for him.
"What do you think?" Howard asked picking up the pace and dragging his wife behind him so she wouldn't slow them down with her slow steps. "Aren't they beauties?"
"Do you know how to ride by yourself Summ?" Nate asked, thinking that he really didn't know if she could or what kind of lessons she'd been to. Summer nodded at him as she reached out to stroke the horse that Anne was showing her. "Do you want to?"
"Yes please," she said with such a bright smile that no-one could deny her even if they tried.
Since the horses were already saddled up, Howard got them helmets and Anne quickly braided and pinned Summer's long hair up into a bun, to avoid getting it too tangled. Nate winked at her when he saw how excited she was with her grandparents fawning over her and Summer sent him a thumbs up.
They rode slowly, along the path that would take them around the grounds, Howard was riding in front with Summer, making her laugh and talking her ear off about boats and how he built 'The Charlotte' with Nate way back when, but Summer's attention was on her father and grandmother riding just behind them, talking quietly.
"Grandfather is just concerned that Serena was lying about the paternity and to be honest until I saw her I didn't believe it either," Anne was telling Nate, she didn't hear her dad's reply but it sounded like he was asking her what she thought now. "She's your daughter, I don't doubt it, she's absolutely gorgeous, I just wish Serena would have brought her to us sooner, we missed so much."
Summer blushed and nodded her head at her grandfather who didn't need her to comment on what he was saying but just give him cues to say that she was paying attention.
She was concentrating on too many things at once so she couldn't really catch everything her grandmother and father were talking about but she did get that her mother was not well liked right now and the family was a little worried about what a child might do to to Nate's life, she also found out that her grandmother didn't like Lola which gave her a smug feeling.
"I thought that Nate was calling us to say that he proposed to Lola when he said he has something life-changing to tell us," Howard said pulling Summer's attention to him and she raised her eyebrows. "He was planning on proposing to her soon but I think you just threw a wrench in that plan."
"I can have that effect," Summer said giggling and Howard laughed and nodded at her.
"Don't get me wrong, I think Lola is a doll but you are a much better surprise," Howard said and Summer beamed. "I can't believe your mother kept you away for so long."
"I don't think anyone can really believe that," Summer said softly, if her grandfather heard her he didn't let her know because he continued to talk.
"If she really wanted to keep you away I think we never would have known about you, she always was my favourite of Nate's friends," Howard said looking off into the distance and Summer raised her eyebrows. "If he had to have a child with someone, I'm glad it was her."
"Not Lola?" Summer asked because he did call her a doll and they were expecting her dad to propose to her
"As much as I like Lola, I don't think they're going to work," he said with a chuckle and Summer could have laughed. "It's been a few years and they still don't feel like a proper couple, look at me, I'm talking to my granddaughter about her father's relationships, you know one day we're going to look back on this and you're going to get me into trouble with your dad by telling him all this ..."
The sights around her made her lose concentration on both her grandparents conversations but she realized with a warm feeling in her stomach that they were both incredibly happy to have her as a granddaughter and even after only a few hours she was theirs and no-one would be able to take that away.
Nate was watching highlights from an earlier football game, it had been a long day at his grandfathers place, but it was a successful day so he couldn't complain, his family finally met his daughter and they loved her, as far as he could tell she was pretty happy with all of them, even Grandfather, he didn't get to ask her because Lola monopolized his attention on the ride back and Summer fell off to sleep before Lola was dropped off at her apartment for them to talk.
After horse riding, Nate let Summer 'bond' with his parents, he watched them show her things and play silly games that only a twelve year old child could come up with. He realized that Summer was more childish than Serena and Blair were at her age, she was happier and he was very thankful that Serena gave her the childhood that they never had.
They left just after dinner, even though his mother got as close to begging as she ever would for them to stay over but Nate knew that if Serena got back to New York that night Summer would be waiting to see her, he was already pushing it by taking the little girl so far away from everyone she knows, to meet family she didn't know existed. He was quite sure Blair would have screamed at him if he even considered putting her through that emotional distress.
There was a soft knock on the door as he was drifting off to sleep, frowning at the time, he got up and opened the door, not bothering to check who was knocking and fully intending to tell them off for knocking on his door at midnight.
Nate gasped when he saw Serena, who looked started that he opened the door so soon, her hand was up ready to knock again.
"Hi," she said lowering her hand and nervously pushing her hair back from her face. "I wasn't sure if you'd still be awake."
"It's past midnight Serena," Nate said trying not to sound annoyed by her. "What are you doing here?"
"I just got back to New York and I promised Summer I'd tuck her in when I got back, my mother said she decided to stay with you tonight," she said trailing off as if she were just realizing now exactly how late it was. "I should go, I'll see her in the morning."
"Serena wait," Nate said before she turned. "She's asleep right now but you can see her before you leave."
"Thanks," Serena said smiling at him and Nate got the impression that she barely spent a night away from Summer. He let her in and pointed her in the direction of the spare room in his apartment where their daughter was asleep. Serena smiled when she saw Summer sleeping, sprawled across the bed, her long hair was half in and half out of the messy braid she had most probably tied earlier that day, Serena shook her head knowing how tangled it was going to be when she woke up.
Serena pushed the little girls hair away from her face and pressed a kiss to her forehead, pulling the covers that had fallen away back up around her. Serena smiled at her sleeping girl who didn't even flinch when Serena touched her and turned around gasping when she saw Nate watching her from the doorway.
"She sleeps like you used to," Nate commented and Serena wished she could read his face, she had no idea what he was thinking. "Takes up the double bed even though she so tiny."
"Sleeping next to her is impossible," Serena said trying not to laugh, looking back at the 12 year old. "How did it go with your parents today?"
Nate tipped his head to the side to let her know that they should talk out of the room. "It went well, I don't think they believed I was telling the truth until they saw her," he said shaking his head. "Hot Chocolate?"
"Sure," Serena said trying not to show her surprise that he didn't just want her to leave already.
"Grandfather looks like he might require a DNA test or something but my mother might kill him if he asked," Nate said scratching his head. "She's more excited than I thought she would be especially with Summer's age and of course, our age when she was born."
"She can't be too happy with me," Serena mumbled sitting down on the couch, not realizing Nate heard her until he laughed to himself and shook his head no.
"I think if she never see's you again she'd be happy," Nate told her and Serena chuckled through a yawn. "My dad's so excited, he might kiss you for giving him a granddaughter."
"Really?" Serena asked, from what she could remember he was a very distant man, his work meant more to him than his wife or son.
"Yeah, he's ... changed, when they got remarried he made an effort to change," Nate said noticing the look on Serena's face. "Urm ... You can change the channel if you want."
"Thanks," Serena said, sport was not her thing, it never would be, she flipped to an old comedy show and left it there, she could deal with comedy as background noise.
Nate finished in the kitchen and handed her a mug, sitting down on another couch and watching the screen as they settled into a comfortable silence. As the show ended, Nate felt his eyelids start to droop, he was about to ask Serena if she'd like to stay over since it was so late but when he looked at her she was already fast asleep.
Nate smiled to himself as he watched her, her face was free of worry and pain and stress, she looked peaceful, like the girl he loved back when he was a teen. Nate got a blanket and covered her with it, touching her face and wondering what it would have been like if she had stayed, and for the first time since she returned he let himself really dream about the three of them being a family and what that really might mean.
A/N : This chapter man, this chapter
I have written and rewritten this chapter so many times that I completely lost what I wanted out of it
I was so close to taking out Nate's family and just writing the after effects, but I really really wanted to include them, they're different from the little we got to see on the show, which was almost nothing
Thank you guys so much for the incredible reviews, every time I got a review that said update I felt so bad that I didn't have anything to give you guys but I did see your reviews and I was working on it, I promise I didn't forget
Guys I have a few exams left for this semester so the wait for the next chapter shouldn't be too long, but until maybe the 20th I won't be writing at all, please understand
Bassward - Thank you so much for your long reviews on every single one of my chapters, now that you're caught up I'm going to miss the reviews for my older chapters haha
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, thank you for staying with me even after the long wait, you guys are amazing, please leave a review and let me know what you think
Until next time (^^,)