Set in a different Gossip Girl, it won't follow the course of the show but will include main characters. Feedback is greatly and always appreciated but please go easy on me I'm still a newbie! Hopefully you'll like it and I would like to know through reviews what gender you think the baby should be as well as names and so on (although I have some ideas too). Thanks alot xxx NickKnack : )

Serena had been away for what seemed like an eternity but was in actual fact only 6 months. There was no welcome home party for the 17 year old who had arrived home under the cover of darkness after being chauffeur driven all the way from central station. She walked through the lobby as inconspicuously as she could, head down and carrying a large Louis Vuitton bag in front of her at all times. When she left here, six months ago, she had been crying and looked broken, now she was composed- showing no emotion at all.

The elevator doors opened smoothly and Serena walked into her family's penthouse. Pristine and immaculately decorated as ever, nothing had changed about the place. It was nearing midnight but she knew her mother would be awake, expecting her arrival.

And she was right; Lily sat coolly on the stairs in her nightgown staring into space. Noticing Serena had entered, she stood and a small smile spread across her face. No matter what had happened or was about to she was glad to have Serena home, she had missed her daughter terribly though she daren't say it aloud. Serena slowly set down the bag that had been shielding the front of her since she had left St Mary's to reveal her huge round stomach. Lily was taken aback by the sight; Serena had been showing no signs of a bump when she'd left and now she was massive. Silence filled the room but not awkwardly both women were too busy taking in the sight of one another to need small talk.

"Hi mom." she said warily

"Hi baby." Replied Lily demurely "Welcome back" Lily moved forward as did Serena and they embraced, hugging as tightly as they could (considering Serena's large bump). "We all missed you, sweetheart."

"We missed you guys too." Serena said quietly referring to both herself and the baby as she clung onto her mother.

Serena unpacked her bag and settled for the night back in her old room. Images and sounds from the night she left tried to invade her mind but she resisted instead opting to try and think about nothing and get some sleep. The painful memories could wait until the morning, right now she just wanted to be thankful she was home and out of that dreadful convent. Thoughts of Dan and all the drama surrounding her departure were to be avoided at all costs especially right now. Serena, being 8 months pregnant with his child and full of hormones, found that any time she thought of Dan Humphrey those same hormones would cause her to turn into a sobbing, emotional mess.

But even Serena couldn't block out the dreams. Flashbacks to the night she found out Dan had slept with Georgina, one of her oldest friends, stormed her sub consciousness. That night- she had decided- was the worst of her life. She ended it with Dan, unable to forgive his lying, and bitch-slapped Georgina before tearfully confessing to Blair and Chuck, then her mom Lily, that she was pregnant. Chuck being a somewhat decent human being and step-brother promised not to tell anyone, especially Dan, as did Blair (who is the only non family member to know). And of course Lily was the one who wanted more than anything to keep it secret and so sent Serena to "ballet school in Florida" where she remained for the duration of the pregnancy until now.

Serena's baby was due in a matter of weeks and she had begged to come home for the birth rather than stay in the depressingly grey and bleak convent which Lily and Bart allowed as long as she: came unnoticed, remained in the penthouse and had absolutely no contact with Dan or any other Humphrey for that matter.

At the same time all the way over in Brooklyn, Dan was completely unaware of the impending arrival of his own child. He was in no way "blissfully unaware" though he was miserable too. He had been plagued with regret since Serena left both him and New York. He genuinely believed she'd gone to ballet school-although he'd supposed his betrayal had an impact on her decision to go so quickly. The entire time she'd been gone he'd thought about her and regretted what had happened. He didn't cheat with Georgina for any reason other than jealousy. He had become jealous of Serena and Nate's friendship, (and after a misunderstanding) slept with Georgina to get even only to discover the truth and hate himself for it for weeks before confessing. Little did he know what was being kept from him or what was still to come.

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