PLEASE READ A/N:
This fanfiction is the most useless thing that I have ever written. It's just that I have this thing when, when it comes to Dair, I can't let go of ANYTHING.
So this is an insight of what the lives of Dan and Blair and their friends turned out to be after the end of Matter of Years.
I think it would be useful for you to read the epilogue again, to remember where things were left off. But to help you not getting lost here's the list of the kids and their age:
Serena and Carter's kids : Adeline 18; Vita 15.
Blair and Dan : Ombeline 22; Elvis 17; Cleo 15.
Ivy and Nate : Travis 21; Emily 19; Samuel 15.
Anyway, I'm saying it again, it's really not that interesting, but I don't know, I just felt like I had to write that.
And I'll be publishing a new fanfiction named "La Bohème" that I would love you to read.
Hope you enjoy this one anyway.
She was going to be sick. Looking down at her mid-term exam sheet, Cleo started to feel sweat forming on her forehead. B minus. She, Cleo Vanessa Humphrey, straight A student since kindergarten had had a B minus. On a final examination. In Italian. It was ridiculous. She spoke the language like a Naples native.
She was standing in front of Constance, her feet buried in early snow, waiting for her father to come pick her up. As usual, he was late; but this time, it didn't bother her much, even though snow was starting to fall heavily over her head. Because as soon as she would get into the car, he would see the sheet and tell her that B minus wasn't that bad. Clearly her father never understood the importance of grades when one does not want to take the pretentious road of art.
She felt a deep, wet kiss on her cheek and turned around swiftly to hit her boyfriend on the shoulder.
"Ouch!" Samuel hissed. "Come on, no one can see us"
"Gossip Girl can" Cleo retorted. "Do you want our parents to know about us through the internet?"
"They don't check Gossip Girl anymore. And speaking of…when are we going to tell them?"
"Never. I still remember my father's face when Ombeline brought home her first boyfriend."
Samuel was about to say something but Cleo saw her grandfather's car turning around the corner and her older brother getting out of the school building, headphones on.
"Here's my father. Move it, Archibald" she told Samuel.
The car pulled right in front of them and Dan winded down the window.
"Hi Samuel, need a ride home?"
Cleo gave him a murderous glare and hopped in the passenger's seat.
"No, thank you, Uncle Dan. I already called a car."
Elvis got into the back of the car, not greeting anyone, too lost in his music.
"Alright" Dan told Samuel "Get home safe, we'll see you at dinner tonight"
With a last wave, Dan engaged on the road once again. He looked carefully at Cleo who seemed to contemplate the city out the window. She was avoiding his glare, Dan was well aware of it. He also knew she had gotten her final exams results that day and that she didn't have the usual satisfied smug face after getting an A.
"Which subject was it?" he asked.
Cleo sighed, still not looking at him.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"She got a B minus in Italian" Elvis said, browsing through his playlist.
Cleo turned around and reached to punch him on the knee.
"Mind your own business, hobo. How do you even know this?"
"You called the teacher a mediocre, frustrated instructor. The whole school heard about it."
"You did what?" Dan asked in shock.
"It doesn't matter" Cleo said, closing her eyes with pain on her face. "My life is over, I'll never get into Yale."
Dan rolled his eyes. Sometimes, Cleo was way too much like Blair.
"Come on, C" Dan reached to stroke her cheek. "You're a sophomore"
"I knew you wouldn't understand" she groaned "What time does mother get back from Paris?"
"Just before dinner" Dan sighed.
He watched her as she checked her watch. He reached for her hair with his left hand.
"Why do you insist on straightening your hair?" he asked "You're so pretty with your curls. Ombeline keeps her curls"
"Ombeline is a hippie" Cleo retorted, pushing Dan's hand off her head.
Knowing that any conversation with his youngest child would lead to nowhere at the time, Dan decided to concentrate on his only son.
"What about you Elvis? What's new?" he asked.
"Not much" Elvis shrugged. "I might have a new song that I'd like you to listen, but it's not completely done yet."
Cleo snorted and resumed looking out the window. Of all Dan's children, she was the only one who hadn't inherited of his artistic fiber. Ombeline had turned out to be a wonderful actress. She was that year going to graduate in acting major at the University of South California. And she had won a prize for a play she had written when she was at Constance.
The day she was rewarded, Dan thought nothing could even compare to the amount of pride he was feeling. And nothing did, until he went to see Elvis on his first concert, a year ago. It was at a little open scene of Brooklyn. When Dan saw his song getting on stage with nothing but the guitar he and Blair had offered him for his twelfth birthday, he was brought back to Constance and looking at Ombeline smiling for the camera.
Cleo had always turned up her nose to any artistic subject. That was probably why she had been spending much more time at Nate's, Dan thought. The only plays she would concede in going to were those featuring Ivy. She didn't even go to her grandfather's concert, last fall.
But whenever Jenny was having a new show, she would beg her parents to get her a plane ticket to London, Paris or Milan. Dan would always remember how pale and mute Cleo had gotten the day Jenny had introduced her to Oscar de La Renta when she was thirteen. He had actually taken a picture of her in that state. She had made him pay for that.
"I have a surprise for you when we get home" Dan told his children with a malicious grin.
His teasing didn't spark an ounce of enthusiasm in them. Instead, Cleo rolled her eyes and Elvis yawned, before asking;
"You do? So what time did Ombeline land today?"
Dan frowned. They had definitely grown up. They year Ombeline had left for college, Cleo and Elvis would become ecstatic at the only clue that she had gotten back to New York. Now, they would barely talk to her.
"She landed at 2:00 pm" Dan groaned "But that's not the surprise I was talking about"
"Is Aunt Jenny here?" Cleo asked, her brows frowned.
"Nope"
Dan was extremely satisfied with both of their thoughtful faces. Now, who was the smartest? As soon as he pulled into their alleyway, the kids got out of the car and ran inside, probably to check out what kind of surprise was waiting for them.
Dan took his time to get inside and when he did, he found Cleo and Elvis hugging tightly Ombeline in the living room. She was kissing them both on their foreheads, even though Elvis was now taller than her.
"Do you ever stop growing?" she asked him, messing up his curls.
Elvis shrugged, a big smile on his face, then turned to Dan.
"I knew the big surprise was Ombeline" he said
"Actually…" Ombeline looked at her younger siblings with a malicious smile, one that look very much like Blair's "Why don't we go to the kitchen?"
Cleo and Elvis looked at each other suspiciously, and then made their way to the kitchen. Dan decided to follow them, because he wanted to see their faces. He put an arm around Ombeline on the way and kissed her temple. She still smelled like apricot and mint.
Cleo's delighted scream rang through the entire house. She ran to jump into Milo's awaiting arms. They hadn't seen each other since they celebrated his twenty-fifth birthday, the previous summer. He was now in Columbia Law School and it was taking a lot of his time, so he visited less often.
Elvis went to hug him too, always happy to have another man in the house.
"So nice to see you guys" Milo said, looking at all of them.
"Are you staying for dinner?" Cleo asked, maintaining a firm grasp around him.
"I am" Milo said "Wouldn't miss Blair's Tarte Tatin even if I was passing the bar tomorrow."
All the rejoicing at the announcement was cut short by the front door banging open.
"I don't care what you think! I am eighteen years old, I can date whoever I want!" Adeline's voice rang loudly in the house.
Dan and his children all looked at each other, waiting for Serena or Carter to follow. And sure enough, Serena could soon be heard screaming.
"I am your mother, and you live under my roof, so I have a say on whom you bring in the bed I paid for!"
"Oh my God! This is so you to think that I'm sleeping around! Why is it always about sex with you?"
"Don't you give me that sermon, I was your age once, you know. You won't fool me, young lady"
Everybody in the kitchen was expecting Adeline to answer back, but what she said was covered by the scream of her little sister.
"You never let me do anything! This is so unfair! Dad, everyone who matters is going to be at that show"
"You are fifteen! At your age, everyone who matters should be your mother, your sister, your teddy bear and me! Especially me. Haven't you heard of Oedipus's complex? " Carter wasn't screaming. He seemed just barely annoyed.
"But Sam and Cleo are going!"
"I don't care if Dan and Nate don't mind their children doing drugs or getting pregnant, I do! And I'm saying you won't be going to that awful show. I've seen this girl on TV. She is basically wearing bikinis on stage and she has a song where she claims how much of a "proud hoe" she is. Whatever happened to respectable women like Beyoncé?"
"Do not start with Beyoncé again! I'm going to miss one of the most important events of the year just because you can't evolve with your time. You really suck."
"You won't be telling that when we'll hear about Samuel being pregnant."
"I am going to die" Vita groaned loudly.
"Please do, it'll give us some vacation" Adeline said
"Shut up, you stupid slu…"
"HEY" Serena's voice almost made the house shake "What did I say about insulting your sister? Not in other people's houses. And speaking of, where is everybody in this goddamn house?"
Dan was quick to react "Everybody play dead" he whispered to his children.
It only made them giggle, giving out a clue on their location. Serena appeared in the kitchen, and smiled when she all saw them.
"Hi, kids" she said softly
"Hi, Nenna" they all answered.
"Come here guys" she opened her arms to them and the five of them went to take her embrace "Not you" she told Dan. She wrapped her arms around Ombeline, Elvis, Cleo and Milo, kissed each of them on the forehead "You guys are my favorite kids in the whole world"
Dan left them to join Carter in the living room, finding him pouring two glasses of scotch. He handed one to Dan and they clinked glassed.
"There's my man. To your perfect children" he said, before swallowing half of his drink.
"Come on" Dan laughed "You love your girls and you love teasing them until they get all screamy and red."
"Yeah. I do love when their faces get all cramoisy" Carter admitted "Reminds me of when they were babies. Remember when they called us 'daddy' and not 'old man'?"
"Cleo's new thing is calling me 'father'. She says it's more sophisticated"
"God, I love this kid"
They laughed together, then Dan put down his glass. He went to sit on the couch next to Adeline, who just sighed when she saw him.
"Save it, Uncle Dan. I don't want to talk"
"Okay. Can I just tell you that you look like your mother?"
"Ugh. Why are you doing this to me?"
Dan laughed out loud at how upset his comment had made her. He taped her shoulder softly, then stood up and clapped his hands together.
"Come on, children! Set the table, Ivy is going to get here with the food soon"
As usual, whenever they were having those kind of gatherings, Ivy was the one handling all the cooking. Except that day, Blair insisted of baking a Tarte Tatin as soon as she would get home.
Dan, Serena and Carter chatted while their children worked together on getting the table ready. It was the tradition at the Waldorf-Humphreys. Dan always made sure his children would get the same education he had gotten, one that wasn't filled with servants and housekeepers, except from Dorota of course.
He thought he had done a pretty good job with it. Of his three children, Cleo was the only who had the number of a car service on speed dial. The VanderBaizens – as he liked to call them –still maintained a very upper class standard of living, even though they lived in Brooklyn too. But Adeline and Vita had no trouble helping at getting everything ready at the Waldorf-Humphreys.
The front door opened, and Dan stopped listening to whatever Carter was saying. Two young men entered each carrying two trunks inside the house. Then Blair followed, wrapped up warmly in a big fur coat, her nose red from the cold.
Their eyes met, they exchanged a smile. Dan felt warmth spreading in his body. His wife was home. He got up and went to hug her tightly. Then Blair kicked off her heels, getting comfortable in her home. She looked up at him, with a smile on her face. The exchanged a discreet kiss, because they weren't alone. But it did not matter much, at least they were together again.
"Happy Anniversary" Blair said
"Happy Anniversary" Dan answered.
With a last squeeze on his arm, she turned toward the others. "Oh my, this house is never empty, is it?"
"Hi, Darling!" Serena and Carter told her in unison.
"Hi Aunt Blair" Adeline and Vita said.
"Hi Blair"
"Milo, what a good surprise! Come here"
Milo happily went to welcome the kiss Blair would give him "How is your mother?" she asked him, while Dan relieved her of her coat.
Everybody smiled. Blair always asked the question, out of pure courtesy.
"She just got married. A baseball coach, I think. Or football, I don't remember"
"So that makes, what? Her fourth wedding?"
"Something like that, yes." Milo chuckled.
Over the years, he had become comfortable with the fact that his mother might be crazy, but she was also one of a kind. Philip had gotten full custody after the divorce, so Milo had not lived with Georgina until he was eighteen. When everybody thought this experience would hold nothing but disappointment for him; it had revealed to be quite the contrary.
Dan did not know much about their lives together, but a lot of pictures of Milo partying with Georgina appeared on Page Six. They were the most unusual tandem in the crazy nights of the Upper East Side. At first Dan had been worried, until he and Philip spoke to one of his professors at Columbia. Milo's life with Georgina had not affected his college work at all. When he graduated, Georgina moved to St Bart, and Milo moved into Dan's old loft. He would usually visit his mother the first week of Christmas, and the first week of Easter.
Blair went to greet all the children, and Dan rolled his eyes when Cleo hugged her mother tight, whispering about how good it felt to have her home and that her father did not understand her. Blair did not kiss nor hug Ombeline. She simply addressed a cold nod to her daughter.
"Ombeline"
"Mom" Ombeline answered with the same tone.
Dan knew that they had been fighting lately, but neither of them had accepted to tell him what it was about. Since they had only been fighting over the phone, Dan was hoping that when they saw each other, on the day everyone was celebrating his and Blair's anniversary, everything would get better. But giving to their greeting, amelioration was not bound to happen.
Dan saw Cleo and Elvis exchange a surprised look and he decided to apply a diversion.
"Blair, Milo came tonight because he couldn't bear the idea of missing out on your Tarte Tatin. How about we get started on that while we wait for the Archibalds to arrive?"
"How can they never be on time?" Blair asked, following him to the kitchen.
When they got there, Dan closed the door behind them for privacy. Blair sighed at his action.
"Dan, I am not going to talk about Ombeline right now. I had a long flight."
"That's not why I closed the door" Dan said, walking toward her and pulling her into a deep, feverish kiss.
Blair's arms wrapped around his neck, she kissed him back with all the passion she could feature. Dan pulled away a few minutes later, but kept his arms around her. They were both breathless.
"Wow. What was that about?"
"I missed you" Dan answered.
"Well you might want to turn down your libido; we're not so young anymore"
"Come on, we've still got it."
Blair laughed, pulling away from his embrace. She started gathering the utensils out to start baking the pie.
"Now that I got that out of the way" Dan said "What's going on with you and our girl?"
"I told you, I don't want to talk about it, Dan" Blair picked up several apples from the bowl on the kitchen table. "Why don't you tell me what happened for the two weeks I wasn't there; we didn't talk much over the phone."
"Well let's see. Cleo got a B minus in Italian, today."
"Oh God" Blair grunted "She is going to be impossible over Christmas this year"
"I know, I can't believe that out of our three children, she's the one we actually wanted" Dan laughed at Blair shocked face, and dodged when she tried to hit him "I'm kidding. She insulted the teacher"
"Of course, she did. I don't understand, where did she get that attitude from?"
Dan looked at Blair with intent.
"What?" she asked
"Nothing" Dan sighed "Oh, Elvis has a new girlfriend"
"What happened to Naomi?" Blair asked with a smile, and it made Dan laughed.
If he was having a hard time with Ombeline's boyfriends, Blair had the habit of giving hell to Elvis' girlfriends.
"Apparently, Elvis realized he preferred her best friend"
"That Alana girl?"
"Yep" Dan nodded, waiting for Blair's reaction.
"I don't like her"
"Shocker"
Blair hit him with a wooden spoon "Thank God, Cleo hasn't started dating yet"
"Agreed. I don't know if my heart would bear it."
A loud excitement in the living room indicated of the Archibald's arrival. The kitchen door opened and Travis, Emily and Samuel got in, carrying the meals their mother had prepared for the event. Nate followed, carrying a box of bottles of wine.
"The finest selection from my cave in California" he said, hugging Dan then Blair.
"You shouldn't have" Blair
"And that's not all" Nate said
Ivy entered the kitchen with a bunch of flowers in her hands. Blair let out a please gasp at the sight, always happy to be given presents.
"Wait a second, those aren't for you" Nate told her "They're for Dan. Sixteen years with you, now that's an achievement."
Blair shot him a murderous glare, but Nate just grinned maliciously.
"I'm going to finish with the Tarte, and then we can all start on the dinner" Blair said "So everyone, out of my kitchen. Except for Ivy and Serena. And Dan, open us a bottle of wine, will you?"
Dan executed the order, then left his wife with Ivy and Serena, and two glasses of wine. As soon as he was gone, Serena opened a cupboard to take out a wine glass. Neither Ivy nor Blair said anything. Their meetings would not be the same if Serena didn't drink with them. But of course, it was their secret.
"So, what is the subject of discussion today? And please, anything but our children" Ivy said.
"Oh no, we need to talk about Adeline" Serena countered "I found condoms in her drawers"
"What were you doing in her drawers?" Blair asked
"I was snooping around" Serena answered with the tone of evidence "Then she started getting home really late, and she said she was with Alana, but I know she wasn't."
"How can you know?" Ivy asked
"I just know. So she's been dating someone, and having sex with him."
"Come on, Serena. She is eighteen. Remember us, at her age?" Blair pointed out.
"It's not the fact that she's doing it, it's the fact that she didn't even come to tell me about it" Serena sighed.
"Same argument" Blair said "Did you tell Lily about all your boyfriends, or worst, all the guys you were having sex with?"
"Of course not, it was a question of principle. But remember when Ombeline came to tell you when she first had sex? And when Emily summoned the three of us because she was thinking about taking this step? Why didn't my daughter feel the need to do the same?"
"Serena, it's okay" Ivy put a comforting hand on her arm "To me, this only means one thing. Adeline is probably the smartest of our kids. Straight A student without even studying; she basically had a spot saved for her at Harvard before she was even in high school. She never talked to you about it because she trusted whoever she did it with. She is probably madly in love with that guy, and she probably didn't talk to anyone else about it, because you know how she is. She hates being talked about. Emily told me once that Gossip Girl barely talks about her, and I mean, she is your daughter."
"You think it's the reason why?" Serena asked, still slightly worried.
"I am certain" Ivy affirmed reassuringly.
"Ivy : super-mom strikes again" Blair said, lifting her glass of wine as if to make a toast.
They laughed together. Ivy had always been the best mother out of the three of them. She never fought with her three children, always managed to find the time between her rehearsals, plays, and her children's activities or emotional troubles. And every day when they came out of school, they could find her cooking a good meal for dinner. Once, Serena and Blair asked how she did. She told them that when the kids were up in their rooms and Nate not home from work yet, she would take a glass of scotch, neat. It was the only thing keeping her sane.
So Serena and Blair started to look for the one thing that could bring down the tension of the day. Surprisingly, it wasn't that hard to find. So before getting home, Blair would always try a new pair of shoes, but not buy it –not always –and Serena ate an Éclair au Chocolat.
"What are we talking about next?" Serena asked
"Nate has a new secretary" Ivy said
"Ooh" Serena immediately sensed what it was about "What does she look like?"
"Mmmh, remember Scarlett Johansson when she was young?"
"Uh oh" Blair said with a smile "Are you worried?"
"Not at all" Ivy shook her head "Ever since she arrived, Nate has been making love to me like a god"
Serena and Blair giggled.
"I am not kidding. I think that having all her big breasts and firm butt under his nose all day is boosting his libido."
"Aren't you worried that he might be thinking about her while you guys are having sex?" Blair asked "Could you girls help me cut the apples?"
"For the fuck I get out of it, he can think about her all he wants" Ivy answered, picking up a knife and an apple.
They laughed out loud and Nate's voice rang out through the door "You are having a lot of fun for people baking a pie!"
"Cooking IS fun!" Ivy shouted back "You should try sometimes!"
"Keep dreaming, woman!"
Dan and Carter laughed with him, and the woman rolled their eyes at their husbands' machismo.
"What if one day, thinking about her is not enough?" Serena asked "What if, you know, he acts on it?"
"He wouldn't" Ivy shook her head "And I trust him more than anyone in the world."
"You're right to" Blair said "Nate didn't talk to Dan for almost a whole year when he found out he was cheating on Sonja."
"Oh my God, I completely forgot that happened" Serena said.
Blair didn't answer, just started to dispose the apples quarters on a crystal plate.
"Well Carter has never stopped being a sex god." Serena said "But we don't do it as often as we used to."
"And how much is that?" Blair asked skeptically "Three times a day instead of five? You guys are bonobos"
Ivy giggled while Serena narrowed her eyes.
"No" she protested "Now we do it once or twice a week"
"I hate you" Ivy said, finishing her glass of wine in a gulp.
"Dan and I haven't had sex in a month" Blair said "But it's actually a good thing."
"How?" Ivy and Serena asked in unison
"Because I was gone for two weeks and I come back just the night of our anniversary. I'm guessing he booked us a hotel room so he can give it to me good, tonight."
Ivy and Serena both had the same half smiling, half cringing expression. Ivy refilled Blair's glass.
"I love white wine Blair"
"Me too" Blair said "A toast to me" she lifted her glass.
"No. A toast to you and Dan." Serena countered "Think about it. You are at the Bass brunch, your best friend that you hate is bringing a date. This is the first time you meet him. Try to put yourself back into that moment. That guy is going to become your second husband, and the father of your three beautiful children, but more importantly the love of your life."
"Oh, so romantic" Ivy sighed
"That's not the first time I met Dan" Blair said.
"Of course it is. Unless you talked to him at Constance but…I'm sorry, just the thought is hilarious."
"No, the first time I met Dan was on Thanksgiving, freshmen year. He's the one who reminded me, a couple years ago."
"Oh" Serena seemed surprised "How about that? Could it be that you two have started before anyone could realize it?"
Blair shrugged "Perhaps."
A knock on the door made them jump. Serena emptied her glass and put it in the sink while Blair invited the intruder to come in. It was Travis.
"Mom, Blair, are we eating soon? I've got a paper to get back to"
"Oh my baby is hungry !" Ivy said "We mustn't make my baby wait, now!"
"Oh, no! We would hate it if baby had is tummy groaning" Serena added.
"Baby's whishes are orders!" Blair nodded.
"Okay, I didn't say I was hungry, I said I had philosophy paper" Travis protested "But I now realize how stupid it was to think you would understand, since none of you women ever finished college. Please, take your time"
He closed the door, leaving Blair, Serena and Ivy with their mouth hanging open in indignation.
"Ivy, your kid is paying for that" Blair said.
"Be my guest."
Blair put the pie in the oven, and they all went together to the dining room, where everybody else was already sat at the table. Blair took place at the end of the table while Dan was sitting at the opposite. Ivy's meals were set on the table and Blair gave the signal to start eating.
"Don't take all the tomatoes" Emily told Travis
"I'm sorry, I gotta eat fast, I have a paper to write"
"We know!" the whole table answered.
"Hey, Monkey, pass the salt" Adeline told Vita
"Get it yourself"
"Mom! Have you seen how she talks to me?" Adeline turned to Serena.
"Hey, this is my glass! Yours is on the left dumbass" Cleo addressed to Elvis.
"You look so ugly when you're upset" Elvis responded.
"Dad!"
"You're beautiful, darling" Dan told her absent-mindedly.
Blair served herself some tomatoes slices, sighing with content. She was definitely home. All the children kept bickering during the first course, until Carter slammed his hand on the table and ordered them to shut up.
"So, Addie" Nate said, and Adeline looked at him "I hear that you have a new boyfriend. Why haven't I met him yet?"
"Oh my God, mom!" Adeline turned to Serena "You told Uncle Nate?"
"Since you interned at the Spectator, I thought that he might know who it was" Serena shrugged "Why won't you tell me, Addie?"
"Because it's none of your business! Elvis has a new girlfriend every three days, and no one harasses him like you all do with me"
"That's not true, not every three days" Elvis defended.
"Everybody ready for the next course?" Blair asked.
"Oh, Alana told me everything" Adeline told Elvis.
Elvis's hand tightened around his fork, and they engaged in a stare contest.
"Careful" he then whispered to Adeline.
Dan frowned, in front of their behavior. They were hiding something. He looked at Blair who had the same expression on her face.
"What did Alana tell you?" she asked Adeline
"Nothing, Blair" Adeline said, serving herself some peas.
"Elvis cheated on Alana by kissing her sister" Cleo then said.
"What is your problem?" Elvis asked his sister.
"That's payback for telling Dad about the teacher"
"He would have heard anyway!"
Blair put down her fork and knife "Elvis this is not okay. You're going to apologize to both of those girls."
"Mom, let's just drop it"
"No, we don't drop it! Cheating is never okay, do you understand?" Blair insisted
"Well, you're just saying that now" Ombeline said, looking down to her plate.
Blair bit the inside of her lip, and looked at her oldest daughter. Dan followed her glare.
"Don't talk like that to your mother, Ombeline"
"What did she mean?" Cleo asked
"Okay, enough!" Serena cut in "Let's just put all tensions aside, and celebrate Dan and Blair's anniversary. Ivy, the beef is delicious."
"Oh, thank you" Ivy said, feeling ill-at-ease with the ambiance at the table.
The whole room became silent, except for the forks and knives hitting the porcelain plates. Then Elvis said,
"Cleo applied for an internship at Bass's industries"
"Elvis!" Cleo gasped, eyes widened.
"Payback" he shrugged.
"What?" Blair and Dan asked in unison.
"I can't believe it" Vita looked at Cleo "We agreed that none of us were going to apply, because it would make our parents uncomfortable"
"Oh please" Cleo rolled her eyes "I just spared you the disappointment of not being chosen over me"
"I can't believe you would do that to me" Vita looked hurt "You are without any doubt the biggest, most egocentric bitch I have ever met. No wonder you only have Sam and I as friends."
"Well, at least I'm still a virgin" Cleo mumbled, but of course, everyone heard it.
"WHAT?" Serena, Carter and Adeline all shouted.
Vita looked at Cleo as if she was going to hit her, then she turned to her parents.
"It's no big deal, okay?"
"It is a huge deal!" Carter replied "You're only fifteen!"
"Was it with Jeremy?" Adeline asked "Why didn't you tell me? We tell each other everything!"
"Do we?" Vita raised an eyebrow "Then why didn't you tell me that Travis is your secret boyfriend?"
Adeline sucked in a breath, and Travis chocked on his peas.
"Is it true?" Ivy asked her son, and he started chewing faster to answer his mother.
"Mom, we were going to tell you, it's just so complicated"
"How long has it been? You should have come to us right away"
"It's not that much of a big deal, mom"
"How can't it be? It's Adeline we're talking about here, you guys have been friends forever."
"And she is way too young for you!" Carter said, probably restraining from hitting Travis.
"He is only three years older, Dad" Adeline rolled her eyes "Just like you and mom. And the fact that we've been friends forever is just a detail"
"You two dating could ruin everything" Ivy told her. "Have you even thought about that?"
"Mom, it's fine" Travis insisted "Besides, we're not the only one crossing the line at the table"
"What do you mean?" Ivy asked.
"He means that Dan and Blair's anniversary is not the only one today" Vita said "Cleo and Sam kissed at last year's dinner, and they have been dating ever since"
"Oh, no" Dan said.
He looked at Samuel with as if ready to rip his head off, and Sam held up his hands in defense.
"Okay, uncle Dan, I'm sorry, I know we had a deal"
"What deal?" Cleo asked
"I was supposed to tell your dad if you started dating someone."
"I trusted you" Dan told Samuel.
"I can't believe it!" Ivy whispered.
"Me neither" Cleo said, looking at her father. "Can't I have a private life?"
"Not when you're fifteen, no!"
"I don't understand" Blair said, putting a hand on her forehead "Out of all the people in your school, in Manhattan, in New York! You couldn't find anyone else to date?"
All the children turned to her, giving her a look that made her feel even more uncomfortable.
"I'll say it" Ombeline told the others and turned to her mother "You're fucking with us, right?"
"Okay, enough!" Blair pointed at Ombeline "I am tired of your behavior"
"Yes, Ombeline" Dan said "Respect your mother"
"I won't, dad. Not when she says things like that while we can still read on Gossip Girl's archives about her sexcapades with uncle Nate and Chuck Bass, about yours with aunt Serena and aunt Ivy; about aunt Serena with uncle Nate. Do I need to go on?"
"Do what we say, not what we do" Carter told her "And what we say is don't date and don't have sex! Is that too much to ask?"
"We have the right to have a life, Carter" Ombeline replied "And you all should stop acting like you never made any mistakes, and that they never affected us."
"Okay, you're starting to get on my nerve" Dan told his daughter "What is going on with you?"
"What is going on is that you are selfish! You act like you put us first, when all you really do is acting without thinking of the consequences, and bring us along!"
"What are you talking about?"
"She had lunch with Sonja" Blair said.
There was a collective gasp amongst the adults and Elvis and Cleo looked at each other. They were born long after their father's divorce with his first wife, and to them, Sonja was a mere entity, that didn't have any impact on their lives. They knew she lived in New York, but they had never met her.
"Omebeline" Dan looked at his daughter confusingly "Why?"
"Because she was a part of my life too, Dad" Ombeline was talking with a strangled voice "I still remember her. I still have the necklace she got me for my third birthday, and I still have the flower I wore in my hair the day you married her."
"Still not following you"
"We ran into each other at an exhibit last summer, and we recognized each other. I realized that I had so many questions to ask her and she was willing to answer them, so we had lunch. And then she told me why you two divorced. How could you, dad?"
Dan didn't know what to say. He had lived his perfect life with Blair and their other children, and Ombeline had been wondering about the first five years of her life, all along.
"And it's not only that. I hate the way you ignore the fact that Chuck sends me a birthday card every year, and that I only get to see him every three years, when he accepts Nate's invitation to Thanksgiving dinner. You don't even realize that by shutting those two people out of your lives, you erase a part of mine. How can you act like they're not relevant, but accept the Prince of Monaco's invitation to his annual royal brunch? I was far from being born when mom was married to him"
Again, silence dominated the room, until Cleo asked in a very low voice.
"What did you do to Sonja, dad?"
"He cheated on her" Ombeline answered "With mom. They decided to separate when I was born, but cheated on their partners with each other"
"That's…sick, dad" Elvis said
"Okay, stop" Nate said "You don't get to judge your parents, none of you get to judge us. You have no idea what we have been through, and how hard we worked so that you all can have a peaceful, and easy life. You are lucky, that we are still here and together. Ombeline, you have eight grand-parents, because they are all divorced and remarried. Ivy's father died of overdose, Carter's parents dropped him when he tried to figure out who he was; Serena's father didn't talk to her for almost her entire childhood. So we might not be the best parents, we might have been fucked up when we were younger, but at least, we are still here, with you. And it doesn't matter whether or not you believe us when we say that we are doing our best, as long as you get everything you need, and deserve."
All the children were now looking down to their plates, except for Ombeline, who was looking at Nate, tears in her eyes. She pushed her chair away from the table and got up.
"I shouldn't have come, today, not when I was this angry" she said "I'll take a plane back to college. Happy Anniversary."
She left the dining-room, probably to go up to her room and pack. Blair motioned to get up, but Elvis stopped her.
"I'll go, mom"
He left the table and climbed the stairs quickly to enter Ombeline's room. She was closing her little trunk on her bed. When she heard him coming in, she sighed, and sat on the bed. Elvis sat next to her.
"Omby, don't go" he said, putting a hand over hers.
"I'll come back in three weeks, for Christmas. It's not a big deal"
"I mean don't go today, don't go back while you are still mad at mom and dad. You need to sort things out with them."
"I can't, E" Ombeline shook her head "I don't have the strength, I don't have the energy, and they won't listen. They can't…take responsibility for screwing up a part of my life"
"But…why are you reacting this way, now?" Elvis asked
"I don't know, seeing Sonja just made me so…I don't know, Elvis, I'm just really confused. I need to go"
He didn't stop her when she got off the bed, dragging her truck with her. He just followed her downstairs, and helped her put on her coat. Before she opened the door, she looked up at him and smiled.
"You're the best, baby" she said.
"Stop calling me that"
They hugged, tight, and Ombeline whispered to give Cleo a kiss from her. Then she left. Elvis took a minute before going back to the dining room, because he was sure everyone had heard the front door closing.
When he took back his seat next to Cleo, he pulled her by the shoulder to kiss her on the temple, and didn't grant his parents of a look. Cleo understood what it was about, because Elvis never kissed her, unless Ombeline commanded him to.
"Well, it's actually good that you guys are dating" Nate said, probably to change the subject "Because if you don't screw it up and get married, we actually get to be a part of the family. And it'll be the Vanbaizorfreyshibald. How does it sound?"
Ivy rolled her eyes, and Serena laughed in her glass of water. Cleo looked at her father.
"Aren't you going to go after her?" she asked.
"Ombeline is a big girl" Dan said, his jaw clenched.
Cleo looked at him apparently hurt, then at her mother. Finally she threw her napkin on the table, and got up.
"I lost my appetite"
She ran out of the dining room, and Sam's eyes followed her. Everybody could see he was restraining from getting up and following her, and Dan took a long sip of wine before telling him;
"You can go"
Sam was standing up when Vita put a hand on his wrist to stop him.
"You can't go" she said "We agreed that she needs to understand when she went too far. The Bass internship and telling everyone about me not being…you know, at dinner, this is too far"
Sam seemed to hesitate "I know, V. But she's clearly upset"
"I am upset too!" Vita's voice rose.
Dan looked at the scene more attentively. The way Vita's fingers clenched around Sam's wrist and the way she was looking at him. All the adults at the table exchanged a worried glance. They only had the experience necessary to understand that Vita was probably in love with Sam.
Sam took her hand in his and squeezed it "I'll talk to her about that" he said "I promise"
He left the dining room, and Vita sat there, looking down to her plate. Adeline stood up.
"I don't feel very good" she said "I think I'm gonna go home and lay down. Monkey, you coming?"
Adeline seemed perfectly fine, everyone could see it. Still, Vita got up, and Adeline put a hand on her shoulder while they both got out, too.
The whole table became silent, with half of the guests gone, and the remainder too embarrassed to say anything.
"At least there is no food on the walls, this year" Serena said, reminding the others of the fiasco they had lived the previous year.
Another silence settled, broken this time by Nate's laugh. Everybody looked at him, curious.
"I win" he said, answering their silent question
"What do you win?" Dan asked
"The fucked up children contest. I win. My little Emily right here, Harvard student, horse riding champion, doesn't have anything that can be held over her head. I'm so proud of you, honey"
Emily smiled modestly, and squeezed his hand "You're silly, dad"
Travis looked at his little sister dubiously, then told his father;
"She's got two DUIs"
"And she has had a pregnancy scare like every year since she turned sixteen" Elvis added.
"And at which New Year's Eve party she got so drunk, she tried to sleep with you?" Travis asked.
"I believe it was two years ago" Elvis answered.
Nate's face decomposed, and his hand left slowly his daughter's. Emily gave her brother a murderous glare, before turning to Elvis.
"Just so you know, I would have rocked your world. Okay, what's for dessert, mommy?"
"Wait!" Milo said. He rubbed his hand, his eyebrows frowned "Since this is clearly the time for confessions…there is just something I have been meaning to tell you. I'm engaged"
All the adults opened their eyes in surprise and delight, happy to finally get good news. The all congratulated him with one voice.
"Really?" Dan asked, his throat tight, a bit moved "I didn't even know you were dating someone! What's her name, when can we meet her?"
Milo did a little grimace "His name is Keith" he said.
The smiles on the adults' faces became fixed. Then after half a minute, Blair moved to take him in her arms.
"It's wonderful, I can't wait to meet him" she said "I'm sure he is a wonderful person, just like you"
"He was my mom's assistant" Milo shrugged, his face a little red.
"Champagne!" Nate said "Not for you" he added for Emily, seriously.
They clinked glasses in Milo's honor, then shared Blair's Tarte Tatin, in a lightened mood. Sam and Cleo came back down, and sat at the table, unable to resist the call for dessert.
Then Milo had to leave, because he had work; Carter and Serena followed, going back to their daughters. Blair insisted that Ivy left the dirty dishes at their place, and the five Archibalds got into their car, and drove back to Manhattan.
Once every guest was gone, Cleo and Elvis went to lock themselves up in their rooms, leaving their parents in the kitchen.
"We're never hosting again" Blair said, rubbing her neck.
Dan laughed, taking her by the shoulders and started massaging them.
"Agreed. It's like this house is a tantrum for drama" he kissed her in the neck.
Blair let herself enjoy the feeling of his hands against her, and his lips on her skin.
"Can you believe all of the things they've been hiding from us? They are worse than us, at their age"
"Mmh, I'm not entirely sure about that, darling"
His hands started going up and down on her arms, and his mouth went to her earlobe, making her shiver. She turned around to wrap her arms around his neck.
"At least they keep our life entertaining" Blair said
"Are you saying we're boring?" Dan asked.
"Never!" Blair laughed, and welcomed his hot kiss.
He pushed her against the kitchen counter, and held her tight against him.
"You know, I've booked us a room at the Pierre" Dan said.
"I don't feel like going to a hotel" Blair answered, between two kisses. "Let's stay here"
"But the kids…"
"What? They ruined our anniversary dinner"
She started kissing him in the neck.
"Blair, we are not taking revenge on our kids, especially not by having sex when they can hear us" Dan said, trying to keep composure.
"Buzz-kill" Blair said, and she went to kiss him softly on the lips.
"God, get a room" Cleo's voice broke their moment.
She went to take a water bottle in the fridge, and gave them a disgusted look right before leaving the kitchen. Dan looked at his younger daughter, then turned to Blair with a smile.
"Forget the hotel. Let's do this."
Blair laughed as he took her by the hand and let her to their room upstairs. She loved the moments when they could think about something else than their children, or their jobs. The moments when they could be just Dan and Blair, two different entities however linked by a compound.
Dan laid her on the bed, after leaving her in her underwear, and took off his own shirt before lying next to her.
He grazed her cheek with one of his thumb, amazed by how in love she looked, and how in love he felt.
"Happy Anniversary" he said.
She smiled, and took his hand on her cheek to kiss his palm. And then Dan dove to her neck, and she emitted a surprised gasp.
That night, it took Serena about twenty minutes to stop laughing after Elvis and Cleo explained why they showed up on her doorstep at midnight.
Did you like it? I might come up with other stories about their lives, or write the reconciliation between Ombeline and her parents, I'm not sure. If I do, it'll be published as a chapter to this story.
I must say that it is tempting to create a life for Dan and Blair in this context, and the life of their children. Henced the title : Generation Gap - GG.
Get it?
Okay, it's lame.
Love to you guys.
xo