*** Disclaimer: I do not own these characters in part or whole. This work is purely fictional. They remain the property of the original author and publisher. ***

Author's Note: This is the second installment of my Gossip Girl stories. For the events leading up to this story, please see "The Calm Before the Storm"

Uninvited

Jenny ran down the hall toward the banquet hall that the Basses's brunch was being held in. She was much later than she planned to be. She hoped Blair and Chuck wouldn't see this as a sign of disrespect. She was already in a precarious enough situation without incurring their wrath.

She threw the door open and saw that the guests were just starting to take their seats. Scanning the room, she saw Blair, Chuck, Nate and a beautiful blonde girl sitting at a table at the front of the room. She composed herself and headed in that direction.

While she walked, she couldn't help but notice that Blair and Chuck looked very annoyed. Nate simply looked uncomfortable. She wasn't sure who the blonde girl was, but she figured her to be the cause of the tension at the table. As she went to sit with them, Chuck looked up and gave her a puzzling look. She said nothing as she sat beside Nate. She noticed that Kati and Isabelle were not present.

"Oh, right," he muttered, "I forgot that I'd invited you."

Blair glanced from him to her. She looked back at Blair and shrugged. She wasn't sure how she felt about Blair anymore. Blair had helped Chuck make that awful video of her, after all.

"I'm sorry I'm late," she stated softly.

The blonde girl smiled at her.

"Hi," she greeted, "I don't believe we've met. I'm Serena."

"Hi," Jenny replied, "I'm Jenny."

Serena continued smiling at her. Jenny could feel Blair and Chuck glaring at her, so she cleared her throat and looked down. Serena's presence was clearly not appreciated.

"I actually just got off the train when I heard your family was having brunch," she told Chuck, "I'm glad I heard the news otherwise I might have missed it."

Chuck snickered as he looked away.

"You can't miss an event you weren't invited to," he stated coldly.

Serena didn't seem to be offended by this clearly snide remark. She continued smiling at Chuck and then at Blair.

Jenny wasn't sure who Serena was, but she could tell it was apparent that she, Blair, Chuck and Nate had a history. She couldn't imagine someone taking such a nasty comment so lightly unless she had known Chuck for ages. Even though it wasn't directed at her, the brutality of the remark made Jenny uncomfortable.

"Well, I just wanted to surprise you, Chuck. I know how much you love surprises."

The icy glare Chuck gave Serena made Jenny shiver. Blair's eyes were nowhere near as intense as Chuck's, but they also made Jenny nervous. Who was Serena and why were Blair and Chuck so furious with her?

"Excuse me. I have to welcome the guests."

He rose from his seat and walked out in front of the table. Jenny noticed Blair watching him with admiration in her eyes. Serena was also watching Chuck, but Jenny couldn't decipher the expression in her eyes. Nate was simply staring at the plate before him. He hadn't said anything since Jenny arrived.

"Are you okay?" Jenny asked him.

He looked up and gave her a vague, half smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he lied, "Just tired."

"Shh!" Blair hissed bitterly.

Jenny looked at Blair. She glared at Jenny then resumed watching Chuck. Jenny figured this was a cue for her to follow, so she looked up at Chuck, too. She could tell that Serena was watching her avidly.

"Greetings, friends. I know that if my father was here this morning, he would thank you all for eating his food..." Chuck began.

There was a polite chuckle. Jenny looked around and noticed that a lot of the other guests were casually whispering amongst each other. Something was going on.

"Did Chuck say his parents aren't here?" Serena queried.

"Yes, Serena," Blair snapped, "They're away on business. They do have a chain of hotels to run, after all."

"Relax, Blair, I'm just asking."

Blair pursed her lips and returned her attention to Chuck. Out of the corner, Jenny thought she saw Nate smile. When she looked back, she saw his face straining. He was trying to conceal his grin.

"What?" Jenny asked.

Nate looked up at her. He snickered softly and shook his head.

"Nothing," he muttered.

"Nate!" Blair shrieked silently.

He cleared his throat and looked down again. A slow smile began spreading on Jenny's face. Blair was extremely uptight and it was rather amusing. She cleared her throat as well and looked back up at Chuck. He was heading back to the table.

"So, Serena, when are you leaving?" he asked without a hint of pretence.

"Oh, I'm not leaving at all," she clarified, "I missed you all way too much! I figured I would spend our senior year with my best friends."

Everyone was looking at Serena this time, even Nate. Blair looked unimpressed. Chuck had a cold, mysterious expression on his face. Nate just looked confused.

"Where have you been?" Jenny asked before she realized what she was doing.

Attention shifted to her and she suddenly wished she was invisible. Serena smiled brightly at her.

"I took a year off to study abroad," she answered as she smiled at Chuck, "But I figured it was time to come back to the city."

"Really?" Chuck shot hostilely, "I must have missed the part where I invited you back."

"Hey, do you want to go for a walk?" Nate asked Jenny suddenly.

She looked over at him. He had a look of urgency in his eyes.

"Um, sure-"

"No," Chuck refused, "No one is going anywhere, except Serena-"

"Actually, Chuck, I'm not going anywhere," she replied coolly, "Although, if Blair, Jenny, and Nate would give us some privacy, I would really appreciate it."

Blair gave Serena such an incredulous look that Jenny was worried Blair was going to attack her. Jenny then looked over at Chuck, who was appraising Serena quietly.

"Blair, if you don't mind," he said finally.

Blair's eyes fell to Chuck.

"Excuse me?" she demanded shrilly, "Who do you think you-"

"Blair!" Chuck growled.

A few of the older guests from other tables were looking. Blair noticed this, smiled politely and composed herself.

"Fine," she agreed through gritted teeth.

Blair, Jenny, and Nate headed out into the hall. Nate looked over at Jenny.

"So, about that walk?" Nate asked.

Jenny smiled. Nate was actually inviting her to hang out with him!

"No," Blair refused, "Jenny and I have plans."

"We do?" she asked, confused by Blair's comment.

Jenny could understand by the look in Blair's eyes that spending time with Nate was forbidden.

"Um, maybe some other time?" she offered Nate weakly.

Nate sighed and shook his head.

"Fine," he muttered as he walked away from them.

Blair was standing face to face with Jenny.

"You should know that spending time with your friends's exes is unacceptable."

"I didn't realize we were friends," Jenny stated coldly.

Blair smiled faintly.

"We may not be close friends, but we definitely have more in common than I'd care to admit," she mused.

"Did Chuck-"

"You can go now. And Jenny? I better not hear from anyone that you were spending time with Nate. I mean it."

Jenny nodded. Blair headed back into the banquet hall.

So, Nate and Blair weren't dating anymore? Blair hadn't mentioned that earlier... Is that why Nate looked so uncomfortable? Or did it have to do with Serena? Who was she? Where had she been? Why did she come back? And why did it bother Blair, Nate and Chuck so much? Jenny decided to head home, completely unaware that everything she had known about the Upper East Side was about the change.