Disclaimer: I do not own Gossip Girl or anything else really except perhaps the plot.
A/n: So this is probably a really weird pairing and a bit controversial but the thought was stuck in my head and I just had to do it, so enjoy.
Reincarnations
She wasn't sure how she had ended up here… no that was a lie she knew how she had arrived here, how she had ignored all the warning signs, and plunged forward drowning herself in this… which could be nothing less than a torrid affair, no matter how cliché that sounded, even to her.
--
She had been walking aimlessly around the city, lost in her own world of self pity and delusions. She was crushed, Dan Humphrey a.k.a lonely boy as Gossip Girl so lovingly referred to him, was choosing to be lonely no longer with one Serena van der Woodsen but most likely with best friend Vanessa Abrams. Though to be fair to lonely boy he was at the moment off visiting his mother, while she was left to mope at the loss of her first real relationship.
She didn't have to be alone, she knew if she called Nate he would immediately come to try and cheer her up, but at the moment she couldn't handle the looks he was sending her. The kind that told her he wanted more, he wanted her, and though the timing to Nate seemed perfect -- Blair was off in Europe with a new boy toy who although wasn't Chuck Bass, the affair was the direct result of Blair's disillusionment of one Chuck Bass and for once not of a Nathanial Archibald, and Dan and Serena were officially over -- though to Nate this seemed to be a sign of some sort, to Serena it was just another failure.
Yes Serena van der Woodsen missed one Dan Humphrey but oddly enough what she found missing the most wasn't his smile or his arms encircling her, but the pride from finally being in a steady relationship, of having someone, that she could show to people, who cared about her, who was a type of trophy… one that shined exerting that fact that she had changed, that she was a better person.
She wasn't sure how or when but once she actually looked around and noticed her surroundings she found herself … of course in Brooklyn. She frowned but just shrugged it off, of course if she was just aimlessly walking she was bound to end up here there was no way around it.
She was tired and she was sick of being in the sun, so she found a nearby diner and walked into it relishing the blast of cold air that came from opening the door. She looked around preferring not to sit near anybody but in a tucked away corner but once she saw a familiar brunette in a booth by the window all the air within her was lost with one gasp.
She remained composed as a proper socialite would and walked in his direction she would just play it cool. That last thing that ran through her head before approaching the brunette whose head was bowed as though completely engrossed in a book was, "Wow, Dan really let his hair grow out."
"So your back." Was all she said as she looked at the table refusing to meet his eyes as his head shot up.
"Excuse me? I never left." Dumbfounded by the words and the voice that was obviously not Dan's Serena's eyes zoomed in on the brunette's face.
"Mr. Humphrey?" She more exclaimed than asked.
"Serena…?" He asked completely surprised to find her in a venue like this and in Brooklyn without his son in tow.
"Oh… I'm sorry I just… I though you were Dan, you two look remarkably alike from behind and well you two have the same kind of jacket." Serena composed herself and motioned to his military style jacket.
"Actually it is Dan's he left it and I sort of like how it fits." Rufus seemed to bashfully admit to her.
"Right…" Serena's lips twitched with a small smile at how the older man was seemingly embarrassed by his confession.
"Well enough about my secret obsession of wearing my son's clothes," She gave a small laugh at that, " What about you?"
"Do I have an obsession with wearing Dan's clothes? No but thanks for asking." She teased and enjoyed how a small amount of blush graced his features.
"No… I meant… why are you here?" He gave him a pointed look. "Not that you're not allowed obviously but your not the type to be in Brooklyn for no apparent reason, not that you have to explain yourself to me… or anyone." Rufus quickly said all of this confused to as why this seventeen year old girl was making him blubber like a senile old fool. Was it perhaps that she was the reincarnation of Lily… his Lily the one who he had once found behind a Nine Inch Nails bus with heels in one hand and ruffled hair but a smile that lit up his world, not the Lily that existed today the one of society who had married for the fourth time trying to maintain the appearance of the perfect socialite, full of charity events and diamonds worth more than a year's total of all his expenses.
The girl standing before him was his Lily but she was also something… more. She had seemingly been able to do what her mother hadn't managed, juggle a life in the Upper East Side and a life in Brooklyn without losing her place in either… that was until his son had ended it all.
"Well though your right about the whole 'not having to explain to anybody' thing, I was just walking around and got tired of being in the sun with this weather." He looked astounded at her. "What?" She hoped there wasn't something on her face or hair.
"You walked all the way from the Palace to Brooklyn?" Once he said it out loud she realized how tired she actually was.
"Oh… I guess I did."
"Would you like to sit with me?" He motioned to the seat in front of him worried about the girls feet who were strapped in some ridiculously high expensive looking shoe, or so he reasoned with himself.
"Um… are you sure I wouldn't be intruding you looked busy." She motioned to a book on the table by his drink.
"Oh no, just some light reading."
"Well if you insist." She said with a laugh as she dramatically sat on the other side of the booth. He couldn't help but laugh with her. "Do you mind?" She asked motioning to the book.
"Oh of course not." He gladly handed her the book.
"The Petting Zoo? Hmm I'm no academic but I'm pretty sure this isn't light reading."
"Well it was left out on the coffee table, I decided to try and see what all the commotion was about because Dan…" He trailed off as he noticed how her eyes seem to darken when he mentioned his son's name realizing it was probably hard for her to hear about him.
"So any good?" Serena finally broke the awkward silence that had overtaken them.
"It's… ok not really my thing though." She nodded wishing they could move away from this awful topic.
"You must be hungry, how about I order you a burger they make some of the best here… or would you prefer a salad?" Her eyes had lit up at the mention of food.
"Oh God no, a burger and some fries please?" She requested with shining eyes. After motioning a waitress to come over and ordering to burgers and fries and something besides coffee to drink he returned his attention to her.
"So how has your summer been?" He slightly regretted his question hoping no unwanted memories would overtake her now that she was smiling again.
"Well nothing much," he let out an air of relief when she began to speak and her eyes were still shining. "Just enjoying the city being empty for once." He internally laughed at that, the city was never empty but he supposed during the summer most of the upper class were off enjoying exotic cities leaving a girl like Serena to believe it was empty.
"I suppose so." He said with a smile as the waitress brought over their soda drinks.
"What about you… Mr. Humphrey." He winced at that it made him feel…old.
"Please call me Rufus, Mr. Humphrey…"
"Was your dad?" She asked with a giggle.
"Well there's that and well am I really that old?" He couldn't help but ask, at which she laughed at.
"Of course not, well I mean putting aside the two children, which since they aren't even within a hundred miles don't really count as being yours for now," She said with a smile. "you… Rufus are just a guitar playing, gallery owning refined man."
"Thank you for noticing." He mock bowed… well as much as he could while sitting in a booth.
"No but seriously, Rufus anyone who calls you old simply must be blind." He reddened at her comment but smiled when he noticed she wasn't teasing.
"But as I was saying… or asking what about you, what have you been doing… Rufus?" It was slightly odd to say his name, to have it dance on her tongue but she liked it, it was a change from Nate and Dan it had more… substance to it.
"Working at the gallery I actually just took the afternoon off it was a slow day and well I just got tired of being there all alone."
"Well why don't you hire someone."
"There's no real reason too, I'm handling everything perfectly it just gets lonely being there especially on the slow days, I usually have to take a book or I close up too early."
"Hence The Petting Zoo?" She asked as the waitress brought two plates laden with food.
"Right, but as you can see even this could not save me from boredom." He chuckled as he saw her dig into the food enjoying the greasy meal with a smile. He liked to see this, to see this girl who was expected to eat only salads or nothing at all just to maintain her figure, stuff her face in such a graceful fashion, the contradictions amused him.
"Well you know… I know I'm just a teenager and I would probably bore you with questions or fashion but I could come and hang out with you in the gallery I could fill you in on how to attract all those flamboyant UES socialites who actually stayed in the city and it would look good on my resume Blair is always going on all about how I need to do more volunteering to fill up my college application. I'm pretty sure 'design consultant' would look good." She had been concentrating on her plate the entire time hoping not see the look of ridicule in his eyes for even mentioning this. "What do you think?" She coyly looked up at him.
Rufus wasn't sure what to think, no that was a lie, he knew what his answer was going to be he was just flabbergasted at how this young amazing girl had enthralled him all within the span of one meal. And here she was offering to spend even more time with him, willingly.
"Of course that would be wonderful." He finally answered making her smile with excitement.
"Great, now we both won't be so lonely." Serena exclaimed as she placed her hand over his with a smile. He smiled back not even thinking how much Serena's smile resembled Lily's.
After that they finished eating never once faltering on conversation but always steering away from topics such as Dan and Lily. After they had finished they realized exactly how late it was, they had spent the afternoon talking.
"Well I'll see you tomorrow." Serena said as she opened a taxi's door.
"Yeah, you can come as early as eight if you like, or whenever it's not like you have a schedule to stick to…" She smiled as she noticed he was going to start rambling again.
"I'll be there at eight, you have a lot to teach me Rufus I'm no art expert." With that said she climbed into the cab and left him to stare after her.
"Yes I do, Serena van der Woodsen." He said in a daze as he began to walk home, berating himself for letting a seventeen year old girl affect him in such a way.
Meanwhile Serena was contemplating just exactly what was she doing? But with a shake of head she reasoned with herself that she couldn't be faulted if she wanted the companionship of someone who was feeling the same things as her right now, after all they had both just lost people they had both cared deeply about. Or that's what she told herself as she headed back to the Palace.
--
That had been their first meeting, it had been in the middle of the summer and it had started a avalanche of feelings though neither of them quite knew that at the time.
A/N: So be honest hate it, love it? Want to flame go right ahead. For all of those from my other stories don't worry those will be updated soon.Working Girl