"Are you sure Summer doesn't want to come back to the house?" Nate asked.

"I'm pretty sure, she's having some girl time with Blair right now, but we'll be over a little later," Erik said sighing and Nate could hear the weight in his voice, he'd met his father for the first time, he didn't really know how to deal with it.

"I'll get Rose to set up the guest room next to Summer's before she leaves," Nate said flagging down the woman as she walked passed and pointing to the room he needed to be set up.

"Thanks Nate," Erik said feeling a little better that he didn't have to go back to his mother's house. "How's she doing?"

"She's locked herself in the room, but she'll be fine," Nate told him, he chased Serena all the way down to the lobby where she let him take over and get them a cab to go home, as soon as they reached she locked herself in their room and he was left to make sure Summer and Erik were taken care of while he waited. "She'll want to talk to you later."

"I know, that's what I'm afraid off," Erik mumbled and Nate chuckled.

"What happened after we left?" Nate asked wearily, he wasn't sure that he wanted to know but he knew Serena would want details.

"William looked like we hurt him," Erik said and Nate could practically hear him rolling his eyes. "It was awkward, Chuck just got up after Serena left, said bye to my mom and ushered us out to the car where Arthur was waiting."

"That sounds ... really uncomfortable," Nate said.

"You have no idea, my mom said they left after that without saying much," Erik told him. "I don't get why they just decided to show up now after all these years."

"Sorry Erik, I have no answers for you, I'm going to go see if I can talk to Serena again," Nate said rubbing his temple. "I'll see you two later, Summer has her key."

"Thanks bro," Erik said. "Oh Chuck said to let you know that you definitely have a type," he said chuckling before cutting the call.

Nate rolled his eyes and stared at his phone for a moment, walking to the sofa in front of his fireplace and collapsed heavily only it, it had been only a year since Serena and Summer walked into his life and in some ways it felt as if it had been years since he found them walking around central park.

"Hi," Serena croaked, walking toward him, she was wrapped up in a big blanket and her eyes were puffy and red. Nate opened his arms and she practically ran into them, covering them both with the blanket and burying her face into his neck. "I'm sorry."

"I know babe," he soothed as she began crying again. He did know, he knew that Erik was a few months old and Serena was 7 when their father left them one day, he knew that the man left divorce papers on the coffee table for Lily to sign and no other goodbye. He knew that Serena took her father's leaving really badly and over the next 8 years that she was in New York she tried multiple things to find him and get him back home, he knew that none of that worked and each time she'd lose a little more of her faith in people, he knew that he hated William van der Woodsen for that. "Summer and Erik are with Chuck and Blair."

"Oh God, I'm the worst mother in the world," she said into his shirt and Nate shook his head.

"Chuck and Blair were right there S," he assured her. "You could never be a bad mother even if you tried."

"But I left my child and my brother with that man," she said picking her head up and wiping her cheeks furiously, starting to panic.

"Hey, look at me," he said taking her face in his hands gently and waiting for her eyes to meet his. "They are fine, Chuck got them out of there immediately after we left, ok?"

Serena nodded wearily and Nate dropped his forehead to rest on hers closing his eyes. "Can we go to sleep and pretend that this day never happened?" Serena asked in a soft voice and Nate laughed lifting his head to press a kiss to her forehead before leaning back against the cushions and taking Serena with him.

"I'll be right here when you wake up," he whispered when she gripped his shirt.

"I love you," she mumbled and Nate smiled, he knew she was the strongest person in his world and he knew that she'd get through this.

"I always thought you would follow him around like a puppy, when you saw him again," Erik said later that evening when he and Serena finally got down to talking.

"So did I, I didn't expect to want to rip his head off," Serena said pressing her palms against the hot mug in her hands. "I think maybe it's because I have Summer now and I know what it's like to be a parent, and every time I watch Nate with her I know how a father should be."

"Well, you did good under the circumstances," Erik said nodding and Serena raised an eyebrow and laughed.

"E, I ran out as fast as I could as soon as I saw Lola," she said shaking her head at herself. "I barely even thought about my child who was ..."

"Completely fine because her uncle was right next to her," Erik told her exasperated, Serena could not get over the fact that she left Summer and ran off, even though the teenager was surrounded by her grandmother and aunt and uncles and was perfectly comfortable with them.

"I can't believe he's gone again," she mumbled.

"Hopefully he'll wait another 21 years before trying to make contact again," Erik said and Serena looked at him with watery eyes. "Come on S, after everything, do you really want to see him again?"

"It would have been nice if he waited or tried again, he could have stuck around for one more day," Serena complained, her father and aunt had already left town, it was barely 3 hours since the meeting, to say Serena was pissed would be an understatement.

"Why do you think he was even here?" Erik asked, that was still troubling him, his mother was happy with Rufus, his sister hadn't attempted to contact the old man since Summer was maybe 7 years old, what reason could he possibly have for wanting to see them again.

"I think it was Carol," Serena said, scratching her chin. "Maybe Lola told her I ruined her perfect life with Nate so they decided to come mess my life up."

"How did Nate not know that Lola was a van der Woodsen?" Erik asked following Serena's eyes out to the trampoline in the backyard that Summer and Nate were currently laying on looking up at the night sky and giggling about something.

"Penelope van der Woodsen came to New York as Lola Williams, to study acting," Serena said, tearing her eyes away from the happy scene outside to look at her brother. "van der Woodsen wasn't screen worthy."

"Ha," Erik snorted. "That girl was delusional, at least now we know why we both thought she looked so familiar."

"That reminds me of something Summer told me, about Lola trying to talk to her because she met her father for the first time when she was a child," Serena said, it would have made sense, her dad left them just after Erik was born, around the last time they saw Carol, Lola would have been about 4 or 5 at that time if Serena's math was correct.

"So he left mom and us for Carol and her daughter?" Erik asked, scratching his head. "What a lovely father we have."

"How are you so relaxed about this?" Serena asked commenting on Erik's blasé tone of voice and demeanour.

"He's a stranger to me," Erik said shrugging. "We saw mom a couple times a year but you were my mom and dad," he said grinning and Serena rolled her eyes but pulled her little brother to her and hugged him.

"You'll always be my first baby," she said only half teasing as Erik buried his face into her shoulder, comfortable to stay there for a while, even though Serena had always made sure he was loved, it had been years since he felt this kind of comfort and he held onto it for as long as he could.

"What's going on here?" Summer's voice broke through their moment and Serena and Erik separated and looked up at her.

"Everything ok?" Nate asked pulling his chair closer to Serena's as he sat next to her, across from them Summer and Erik started needling each other.

"It will be," she said leaning over to kiss him quickly. "Break it up you two."

"But mom," they both whined and Serena laughed as she pulled Nate's arms around her shoulders, her family, this was her fully dysfunctional perfect family and she wasn't going to let Lola and her dad ruin this for her.

Serena cupped her cheeks and propped her elbows on the table in front of her, staring at the steam rising from her coffee cup.

"It's not going to cool down faster if you stare at it like that," Blair commented and Serena stuck her tongue out. "What's going on with you?"

"So tired," Serena said yawning, she had flown to LA to check on her offices there and her flight back got delayed, meaning that she only landed early that morning, barely getting enough sleep before she had to get up to get to Henry's birthday party.

"You could go home and sleep for a while," Blair said when Serena yawned again and the blond shook her head and slapped her cheeks a few times to wake herself up.

"And miss my favourite nephews birthday? Like I did last year?" she said with a laugh and Blair shrugged, they were not on speaking terms back then, she had nothing to apologise for. "Besides, if I were gone then you would have to mingle with those moms."

"Urg," Blair said sipping on her wine and staring Henry's friends parents who were sitting on the other side of the rented out park, chatting among themselves. "I'd rather go kick a ball with Nate."

Serena smiled and looked over at the mass of 6 year old boys chasing a soccer ball with her Natie right in the middle of it all. Chuck was sitting on the sidelines with Summer, they were making sure nothing was going wrong. Serena shook her head, her daughter was taking after her step brother was too much for her liking.

"How is Erik?" Blair asked smiling tightly and holding up a hand to one of the moms who called her, motioning to Serena to say that they were having a private conversation that couldn't be postponed.

"Maybe I should leave," Serena teased and Blair shot her a scathing look. "He's doing fine, excited to finally be graduating next month."

"Psychology," Blair mused. "Who would have thought our little Erik would become a psychologist?"

"Have you seen how crazy our family life has been? I think this is the perfect profession, he already has so much experience dealing with all this dysfunction," Serena said and Blair laughed and then clasped her hand over her mouth.

"This is supposed to be serious," she whispered and Serena pressed her lips together and nodded very seriously. "How is your dysfunctional family? Lily hasn't mentioned hearing from them."

"None of us have heard anything," Serena said running the tip of her finger over the rim of her cup as she looked down into it. "I tried finding him but it's like the 3 of them just dropped off the face of the planet ... again."

"Do you and Nate want more kids?" Blair asked suddenly ending the conversation about William and Serena's eyes widened as she almost spit out her coffee.

Forcing herself to swallow, she replied. "I can barely keep up with my teenage daughter, flying around the country and making sure I have time for Nate, what makes you think I have time for a baby?" she asked with an awkward laugh staring at Blair who shrugged. "Besides, Nate looks completely comfortable with just Summer and I, what makes you think he'll want another child."

"Because Summer is the best thing that happened to him and look at how good he is with all those kids," Blair said and Serena looked over to see a group of little boys looking at her boyfriend like he was their hero. "He missed out on these exciting years with his own child, I'm sure he's dying for a chance to do it all."

"Maybe," Serena said, watching Nate run around the ground. "Why the sudden interest anyway?"

"I'd just like company the next time," Blair said with a smile winking at Henry when he waved at her.

"You're pregnant?" Serena asked with wide eyes, staring at her best friend and grabbing her wine out of her hands.

"Not yet," Blair laughed, taking her wine back. "Chuck and I spoke about having more than one child when we got married and Henry asked for a brother for his birthday, so we had a conversation or two and thought maybe its time."

"Oh, I could cry," Serena said with tears in her eyes. "I'm going to be here for everything this time."

"We're doing this together, I'm going through that again unless you're suffering with me," Blair said and Serena covered her face as she laughed.

"Oh B," she said shaking her head fondly. "I don't know, I think Summer would be jealous if there was another baby, knowing that she didn't get both her parents together like her sibling would."

"That child is the most accepting and excitable girl I have ever met," Blair said and Serena smiled. "She would be over the moon if you had another baby."

One of the mothers called Blair again and she groaned and got up to see what exactly they wanted form her. Serena bit her lip as she looked at her daughter, explaining something animatedly to Chuck and wondered if Blair was right, maybe Summer would be ok with it, but Serena felt like she would have too much guilt over having another baby with Nate and giving it the perfect childhood while she deprived her daughter of a childhood with her father.

It was a few nights later when she and Nate were alone at their house that Nate asked her what was wrong and she thought she should tell him. Summer was at Lily's, having a sleepover with Jenny who had moved in with her father and Lily, while her apartment floors were being redone.

"Nothing's wrong," Serena said smiling and as Nate took a seat next to her and looked at her like he didn't believe her.

"Really?" Nate asked raising his eyebrows. "Because ever since Henry's party, you've been very quiet and I know it's not just because you're tired."

"Blair was talking about having another baby," Serena said with a sigh, knowing that she'd rather tell him what's on her mind instead of letting him come to his own conclusions.

"Is she pregnant?" Nate asked happily and Serena shook her head no, causing Nate to look at her confused. "Ok so they're thinking about it?"

"Yes," Serena confirmed reaching over run her fingers through his hair and rest at the base of his neck. "But ... she wants me to be pregnant as well, so we can be fat together and have babies that will grow up to be best friends like we planned when we were kids."

"Oh," Nate said nodding and Serena tried to read his face. "Is that something you'd want? To have another baby?"

"Is that something you'd want?" Serena countered nervously laughing and letting out a deep breath. "I would love to be able to give you what you missed with Summer, but I don't want to take you away from her so soon after she found you."

"Oh," Nate said again taking it all in. "You know, having another baby isn't going to take me away from Summer and you know that she would love it," Nate said and Serena frowned a little, everyone suddenly knew her daughter better than she did.

"That is yet to be determined," Serena said a little irritably. "But we'll talk to her first."

"We have time," Nate said and Serena smiled, they didn't have as much time as she liked but he was right, there was nothing that needed to be rushed just yet. "We're not ready just yet."

"I need time to come to terms with having another baby Archibald," Serena said and Nate chuckled.

"You know," Nate said with a mischievous grin that Serena narrowed her eyes at. "Whether we have another baby or not, you're still the only van der Woodsen in this house."

Serena sighed dramatically and shrugged, Summer's paperwork finally went through and she was now officially Summer Charlotte Archibald. "I have Erik when he's here."

"Yeah but when he's not here you're probably so lonely," Nate said in such a silly voice that she had to laugh, squealing as he got up and scooped her into his arms, carrying her to the bedroom. "So, I propose we change that."

Serena raised an eyebrow at his words and he tipped his head to tell her to look in front of them and she gasped. Their room was lit up with the glow of candles lit all around it and rose petals on the floor and bed. "Yes."

"I didn't ask anything yet," Nate whispered as he gently dropped her feet to the floor and kissed the side of her neck.

"Unless this is a really evil joke, you don't have to," Serena said spotting the open velvet box on the bed with the van der Bilt ring that she assumed Anne gave him after Summer's birthday, sticking out of it. "Definitely yes."

Nate didn't get to say anymore because Serena's hands were on his face and her lips were over his. This was their story getting a happy ending, it was everything she dreamed of and more. Now she couldn't wait for what the future had in store.

A/N : And that my darlings, concludes Paint me a Blue Sky :D
It has been an absolute pleasure writing this story and reading your reviews and comments, when I started this story in 2014 I had no idea how amazing the response would be and here we are 1 and a half years later finally at the end

It has been such an amazing journey and I hope you guys love the ending as much as I do, my Nate and Serena from this world make me so so happy and Summer has become one of my favorite characters to write! I am not ready to let her go just yet so that sequel that you guys asked for might just be coming soon :) I asked in a previous chapter if you would like a one shot series or sequel and most of you guys said sequel so I am going to try my hardest to deliver, keep an eye out for that

There is so much to say but I don't know where to begin haha Gossip Girl ended so long ago but I think theres still quite a bit that I can write, especially for NS, my goal on this site was always to get more NS stories than DS lol and while there are still less NS stories I think I've written enough to close that gap :D weird goal I know but I just wanted my NS to have something over DS

If there are any stories that you guys would like me to write please please review or PM me and let me know so I can write them for you, I am a little busy with this new job so I might not post very soon but I will write and post in my free time, I would also like to start writing properly for other fandoms, like Haleb from PLL, I dont know if you guys would read that but when I finally work up the courage to post in those fandoms please check it out, I have written little stories before but GG has been my main fandom

I think that's it, please review and let me know what you think of PMABS and how it ended and what you would like to see in the sequel and I will chat to you soon

Until next time (^^,)