Okay so this is the next chapter, it isn't edited yet like the last few...I still need help with cast suggestions for Maddie, Nina, Hunter and Brooklyn...I got a few for Maddie, Nina and Hunter (bot sure which I'm going with yet) but PLEASE help me out with Brooklyn cause I had no clue, oh and Jessica too! IT IS ALSO UP FOR WATTY AWARDS 2012 I am so excited about that =D I know I've got a long way to go but, I am sorring my fingers that when the time comes this story will place anywhere in the awards...Anyways ENJOY

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Celeste was up as soon as the morning sunlight peeked through her closed curtains. She was a little ball of energy as she rushed around her room looking for something to wear. It was a clear sunny day and she highly doubted that, that would change. Celeste pulled out the first piece of denim her hands touched when she opened her drawer and grabbed a black of the shoulder top with ‘Just Dance’ across the front in bright pink letters.

She took a quick shower and rushed through her morning routine before getting dressed. Celeste grabbed a pair of black sneakers to finish her look and only then did she realize that the bottom she had chosen was a denim mini. With a shrug she brushed through her hair and left her room. 

She was way too excited for her day out with Nate and Brooklyn and she couldn’t sit still. Celeste literally bounced around the kitchen preparing breakfast for her brother and herself. It had been a while since she had cooked breakfast so she made just about anything she knew how to. By the time Aaron had come out she had made eggs, bacon, sausages, pancakes, french toast, muffins and regular toast. Aaron took in the breakfast spread in front of him before he looked up at Celeste. 

“Um, what’s with the breakfast buffet?” he asked looking at the seemingly never ending supply of food spread out on the kitchen island. “Unless you have an army hiding in you bedroom I highly doubt we need this much food.”

“Once I started I just couldn’t stop,” Celeste replied with a grin. 

“Whatever you say, sis.” Aaron said shaking his head. He was not about to try and figure out the inner workings of a woman’s mind. He’d just end up with a headache and no answer anyway. 

Celeste bit her lip and eyed all the food she had made. Maybe she had gone a little over board on breakfast. She was pretty sure that most of this would go to waste since neither she nor Aaron would be able to consume half of it. On a whim she whipped out her phone and searched through her contact list before hitting send. 

“Hey you,” Nate answered on the second ring. Celeste could hear the smile in his voice.

“Hey, um have you had breakfast yet?” she asked chewing her thumb nail. She had become quite shy once he picked up the phone.

“Not yet,” he replied “Why did you want to go out and have breakfast before we headed out?”

“Uh, no...I actually just made a ton of food and it is way more than Aaron and I can eat.” she answered “So, I was wondering if you and Brooklyn would like to come over and have breakfast?”

“Sounds great,” he agreed “But, last night Jess asked if she could tag along with us with the carnival today, is that alright?”

“Why wouldn’t it be? Technically I’m tagging along with you and Brooklyn today too.” Celeste replied 

“Okay, we’ll see you in a bit then.”

“Yeah, see you,” Celeste chirped and ended that call.

Nate stood in the room staring down at his phone. Had he really just agreed to go to her place for breakfast and bring his daughter along with him. Nate wasn’t sure what made him more nervous. The fact that he agreed to take Brooklyn there or the fact that Aaron would be there when they arrived. This would be the first time that he had ever taken Brooklyn to anyone’s else home besides his grandparents. He shook his head and realized that he was being stupid. It was Celeste’s house for god sakes’ nothing major. 

Nate finished getting ready and went to get Brooklyn ready. When he walked into her room he realized that Jessica had already beaten him to it. Jess had Brooklyn sitting in her lap and she placed Brook’s hair in pig tails. Nate knew his sister loved playing with Brooklyn’s hair. It was pretty damn long for her being only two years old. Brooklyn’s hair was already down to her waist.

‘Kind of like Celeste’s.’ Nate thought to himself.

“Cece invited us over to her place for breakfast.” Nate said as he walked into the room and started putting together Brooklyn’s bag.

“Cece,” Brooklyn squealed happily while she clapped her hands.

“I wonder if her brother’s home, he’s so dreamy.” Jess sighed wistfully

“He’s like 10 years older than you Jess,” Nate said dryly and even if he wasn’t Nate wouldn’t let it happen.

“So what, there is no rule that say’s I can’t look.” Jess said placing Brooklyn on the floor.

“Yes there is,” Nate nodded 

“Where can I find this supposed rule?” Jess inquired with a raise of her eyebrow. 

“In the older brother rule book,” Nate stated lifting Brook into his arms and slinging her bag over his shoulder. “Now let’s go Celeste is waiting.” he called over his shoulder.

“More like you can’t wait to see her,” Jess mumbled up as she walked down the hall after her brother. 

It was just nearing eight in the morning when Celeste heard a knock at the door. She bounced over to the door and opened it with a smile on her face.

“Good morning,” Celeste grinned and stepped aside. “Come on in,”

“Cece,” Brooklyn squealed reaching out to Celeste.

“Hey there, don’t you look awfully pretty today.” Celeste said pulling Brooklyn into her arms.

“Morning Ce,” Jess chirped

“Good morning beautiful,” Nate whispered into Celeste ear and kissed her cheek.

Celeste felt the color rise on her cheeks and bit her lip. She nodded to them to follow her and walked back to the kitchen. 

“Whoa,” Jessica said looking at all the food. Their mom didn’t even cook this much in the morning. If Celeste cooked like this every morning Jessica was going to be here more often. “Do you have an army hiding somewhere?”

“That’s what I said,” Aaron chuckled as he sipped his coffee. “Who’s the cutie?” he asked looking up to see his sister holding a little girl in her arms.

“This is Brooklyn,” Celeste said smiling down at the child.

“Sister?” he asked looking at Nate and Jessica.

Jessica bit her lip and glanced at her bother who was rubbing the back of his neck nervously. She knew how he could be when people asked about Brooklyn. As much as he said it didn’t bother him when they found that she was his daughter, Jess knew it did. Not in the bad sense where he was embarrassed by it, he just didn’t like when people started talking and saying all kinds of stupid things. 

“No, this is Nate’s daughter.” Celeste said looking up to see Aaron’s reaction.

Aaron had just taken a sip when Celeste answered. The sip he had just taken went spraying everywhere. He sputtered and looked up at her. Surly he had heard that wrong. Celeste did not just say that the child was Nate Anderson’s. 

“S-she’s your d-daughter?” Aaron questioned looking at Nate. He just nodded. Celeste shot him a look that said ‘you better not say something stupid.’ “She’s a beautiful little girl.”

Nate released a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. “Thanks,” he said 

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Celeste asked looking from Nate to Jess and back again. “Help yourselves, there’s plenty to go around.”

Celeste continued to fawn over Brooklyn as Nate and Jessica went about making their plates. Once they had both settled at the table Cece placed Brooklyn on the chair next to Nate after placing a few pillows down so Brooklyn could reach the table. Celeste made a plate for herself and a one for Brook before sitting next to Jess across the table from Nate and Brooklyn. 

Aaron sat back in his seat and just observed Celeste. She was smiling so much lately that it made him smile. Celeste looked at ease with Nate, his daughter and sister. Aaron hadn’t seen her that way with anyone else besides her friends and at her dance class. But, with these three she really seemed to come out of her self a lot more. Nate my be the towns resident bad boy but, he had a good effect on Celeste. Aaron didn’t want to admit it but, he was glad that his little sister had Nate. That was something he would never admit out loud though. 

“Okay, well I’m going to head out to the store. I’ll see you tonight.” Aaron said walking over to his sister and kissing her on the forehead. 

“Bye, love you,” Celeste called after him.

“Love you too,” Aaron said looking over his shoulder before walking out the door. 

They finished breakfast shortly after and Jess insisted on helping Celeste clean up the kitchen. Once the dup deemed the kitchen and dinning area spotless they all headed out for Nate’s truck. Jess hopped in the back and buckled Brooklyn into her seat and Nate and Celeste got into the front. Celeste had a smile on her face during the whole drive. Every one in a while she would turn in her seat to look at Brooklyn who was attempting to snatch Jessica’s phone from her hands. 

They arrived at the carnival in no time since there was hardly anyone on the road. As Nate went to grab Brooklyn’s stroller from the truck bed Jess and Celeste stood next to the trunk. It was pretty busy for a Saturday morning. There were a lot of families milling around, going in and out of the carnival. Brooklyn looked just about ready to jump out of Jessica’s arms as a family came by holding a bunch of stuffed animals and balloons. 

“Aunty Jess,” Brooklyn whined wiggling around in her arms.

“No whining Brooklyn, you can a balloon soon,” Nate said pushing her stroller over.

Jess leaned down and strapped her in. Celeste took over from there and push Brooklyn toward the entrance. Nate wrapped his arm around her shoulders and Jess went back to typing away on her phone. Celeste had no doubt that Jess was talking to her friends who were probably around her somewhere. 

“Okay guys,” Jess said as they entered the carnival. “I’m gonna go meet up with some friends.”

“I call you in a couple hours to check in,” Nate said 

“Kay, have fun!” Jessica shouted as she ran to wherever it was her friends were. 

“So, where do you want to start?” Celeste asked 

“Let’s take Brook on some rides and then play some games.” Nate suggested looking down at his daughter who was looking around at everything in awe. “Maybe we should get her a balloon first,” he chuckled as Brooklyn tried to get out of her stroller when a little boy ran past with a balloon.

“Definitely.” Celeste laughed and began pushing Brook over to the girl selling a bunch of different balloons. “Okay, Brook,” Celeste said crouching down in front of her. “Which balloon do you want?”

Brook pointed at the pink balloon and clapped her hands when Celeste tied the balloon to Brook’s wrist as Nate paid for it. When Brook was satisfied they walked around trying to find a ride that she could go on. There wasn’t really that much of a selection since the carnival wasn’t all that big. Celeste remembered passing a merry-go-round and headed that way. She noticed the stares that she and Nate got as they walked around. People no doubt thought that they were a family. Celeste didn’t really care since people were entitled to their own opinions. 

Celeste grinned and took some pictures with her camera as Nate and Brooklyn rode the merry-go-round. She hadn’t gotten quite a few really cute pictures of them. Brooklyn was all smiles and laughs as she sat upon the horse as Nate smiled down at her. He really was a great father to her. As they went rode the same ride for the second time Celeste leaned against the metal barrier and smiled as she watched them. From now on she was going to make sure to ask Nate if she could take Brooklyn out sometimes. Hopefully he agreed. Nate and Brooklyn walked over to where Celeste was standing with big smiles on their faces.

“Did you and Daddy have fun?” Celeste asked taking Brook from Nate. Brooklyn nodded enthusiastically. “It looked fun,”

“Daddy, I wan cany.” Brook said pointing to a little girl with a lollipop. 

“I don’t think so,” he chuckled remembering the last time his sister had let Brook have candy.

His little girl was off the walls on a sugar high. Nate never gave her candy again.

“Pweese Daddy,” Brooklyn pouted 

“Yeah, pwease Daddy,” Celeste said copying Brooklyn’s pouting. 

Nate groaned and ran his hands over his face. He already had a hard enough time trying not to give in to his daughter’s pouting. Now add Celeste’s pouting to the mix and it was a situation he was bound to loose anyway. They would both be the death of him. Those two girls together were a very dangerous mix. 

“Fine,” he sighed 

“Such a push over,” Celeste joked walking past him and to a cotton candy stand that also had some lollipops. 

“Watch it little miss, I’ll revoke my answer.” Nate warned with a playful scowl

“That’s okay, I can always buy my own anyway.” Celeste grinned pulling out a twenty from her pocket.

“You’re money is no good here,” Nate whispered into her ear. He snatched the twenty from her and hand and slipped into her back pocket. He kissed her cheek and went to stand in line. 

As Nate and Celeste shared a bag of cotton candy and Brooklyn licked away at her lollipop the trio just wandered around the grounds. After a few more rides Brooklyn had started getting cranky. Nate checked the time and knew that she must be hungry. While Celeste took Brook over to a near by table Nate went to get them some lunch. With food in hand Nate walked over to the table that his two favorite ladies were sitting at. 

They spent the whole day just having fun together. They each took turns taking Brooklyn on the rest of the rides she could go on as well as ones she had already rode. They played games and ended up with more prizes than they could carry. As the afternoon went on Brooklyn fell asleep in her stroller. Celeste and Nate found a shady spot under a tree and took a seat. This day was for Brooklyn and since she was sleeping they decided to relax for a while as well.

“Thanks for coming today,” Nate said wrapping his arm around Celeste’s shoulders and pulling her closer to him.

“Thanks for inviting me,” Celeste said smiling up at him. “I was thinking,”

“About?” Nate asked as he ran his fingers through her hair.

“Would it be alright is Brooklyn came to mine sometimes or maybe I could take her out?” Celeste asked 

“Um, I don’t know,” Nate replied. It was hard for him to have his daughter out in public back in their town. 

“Oh, okay, I was just wondering but, I understand if you don’t trust anyone with her.” Celeste said

“No, no it’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just...” Nate sighed not knowing how to continue without making himself look like a complete ass. “No one know’s about her except you and Hunter as well as Doc. I choose not to take her anywhere back home because I know how people in our town can be and I don’t want to put her through that.”

Celeste was shocked. Only she and Hunter knew that Nate was a father (not including the town doctor). How had he kept that hidden for so long. Two years is a long time to keep the fact the he is a father a secret. She understood where he came from about some of the people back home but, what she didn’t understand was why it mattered. Who gives a crap what they all think?! Surly it wouldn’t matter once they saw just how much he loved his little girl and how much he did for her. 

“You really shouldn’t care what they say or think.” she said 

“I don’t, it’s just....I don’t know,” Nate sighed “People back home can be vicious and I’m not exactly the most liked person. They can say or think what they want about me but, I just don’t want them saying stuff about her.”

“I understand,” Celeste nodded “I still think you should just say ‘screw them’.”

Nate chuckled and her hair. “Maybe you’re right,”

“I know I am,” Celeste grinned and kissed his cheek.

As the afternoon turned into early evening Nate called Jess to have her meet them at his truck. It had been a long day at the fair and they were all tired. Celeste knew that she was going to have one damn good night of sleep that night. As Nate drove them back home Celeste and Jess both fell asleep. Brooklyn was sitting in her seat playing with one of the many prizes they had won today. 

Nate pulled up to Celeste’s house and tried to wake her but, she just would wake up. He jumped out of his truck and went around to the passenger side scooping her into his arms. Celeste’s arms wrapped around his neck and she buried her face into the side of his neck. Nate shivered as her warm breath washed against his exposed skin. He walked to her door and reached into her pocket to pull out her keys. Nate had to adjust himself a bit to be able to hold her up and unlock the front door at the same time. It wasn’t an easy task but, eventually he got it. 

He walked down the hall and found her room easily. Pulling the blankets back he laid Celeste down and pulled off her shoes and socks. Nate pulled the blankets over her body and brushed her hair away from her face. He smiled as he looked at her, she just seemed so peaceful with a small smile on her lips. Kissing her forehead he left her room and locked the front door before heading home himself. 

As he drove home he thought back to what he and Celeste had talked about earlier. Nate knew she had been right. Who gives a crap what everyone in town thought about him having a daughter. They could all just shove it if they had a problem. From now on he wasn’t going to hide the fact that he had a child. Brooklyn was his world and it was time for everyone to know that.