Blair sighed, trying to hold back her disappointment. "Thank you Lily. Please tell her that we all miss her very much."
"No luck," Blair said turning to face the two boys.
"There has to be some reason she left." Chuck said, hiding a playful smirk and turning to his
best friend, "Nathaniel, would you have any ideas?"
Nate seemed caught off guard for just a second but maintained his composure again before Blair could see. "No."
"Well she left on the night of the Shepard's wedding," Blair said. "Something must've happened that night. Nate, you were with S, did she seem…weird?"
"No…nothing." Nate hoped that his lack of lying skills wouldn't show.
"Actually—" Chuck began, but Nate cut him off.
"So, I have to go, my mom needs me to help set up for the dinner tonight. Chuck, you coming?"
"Yes Nathaniel. One moment though, I have to grab my coat." Nate nodded and made his way to the elevator.
"Wait, Bass." Blair commanded. "I'm not that stupid, I know you know something that I don't."
Chuck just smirked. "If you're so smart Waldorf, how come you don't know by now?"
Blair scoffed as Chuck followed after Nate. "I will find out!"
...
Blair smiled as she greeted her boyfriend with a kiss. "Good evening Mrs. Archibald, this dinner is very lovely." She smiled at Nate's mother.
Anne blushed. "Thank you. And please, do call me Anne."
"Of course. Will the Captain be joining us tonight?"
Anne looked off to the distance. "No…now if you'll excuse me, I have to check some things with the caterers."
Blair turned to Nate, "What did I say?"
Nate sighed. "It's nothing…it's just Dad probably won't be back in time for
The Holidays, and it's getting to her."
Blair took Nate's hand "Work?"
Nate nodded.
Blair smiled, "Well, there's still 5 days until Christmas, there's still hope."
Nate returned her smile and turned around to greet more guests.
"Bass!" Blair yelled as she caught sight of her boyfriend's loyal best friend.
Chuck smiled innocently. "Yes?"
Blair frowned. "I don't forget an untold secret very easily. Now what were you going to tell me?"
"I don't believe I was going to tell you anything, Blair."
"What's it going to take for you to spill?" Blair furrowed her eyebrows together. When it came to Queen B, nothing stopped her from getting what she wanted.
"These lips," Chuck said while pointing to his mouth, "are sealed. Unless of course…"
"Gross!" Blair glared disapprovingly at her pervert of a friend's raised eyebrows.
Chuck smirked before grabbing another glass of champagne and leaving, most likely, to find a girl for the night.
...
Blair sighed as she sat on Nate's lap. The parents were all downstairs discussing business, while all the children were upstairs, in the endless count of rooms that Archibald Manor had.
"What's wrong?" Nate caught Blair's eye.
"I think…Chuck knows something about why Serena left."
"Chuck?" Nate asked. He immediately thought of the Shepard's wedding incident. No…Chuck couldn't possibly have known about that.
"Yeah. He knows something about my best friend." Blair was obviously hurt that Serena and Chuck shared secrets. "I'm sorry…I have to find that Bass-tard and figure out what he's hiding." Blair hopped off Nate's lap.
Nate—suddenly alarmed that Chuck might know about him and Serena—jumped up too. "I'll come with you."
It didn't take long for the couple to find the room with the slightly ajar door, and smoke pouring out.
"Chuck." Blair entered with Nate following behind. Of course, Chuck was entwined in a beautiful girl, most likely another worker from the Palace.
"Next time you should knock, Waldorf." Chuck scowled as he excused himself from the girl.
"Maybe next time you should lock the door." Blair pursed her lips and squinted her eyes accusingly. "I think now would be a good time to tell me what you know about Serena leaving." Blair didn't know why she cared so much. Part of her wanted it to be some juicy piece of information that put all the pieces together, and part of her wanted it to be something she already knew, meaning that Chuck couldn't possibly know more about her best friend than she did.
Chuck raised his eyebrows and smirked. "Nathaniel, she's your girlfriend, perhaps you should tell her."
"Tell me what. What's going on?" Blair questioned. Chuck was bluffing…he had to be.
"Chuck, I don't know what you're talking about." Nate looked confused. But he knew exactly what he was talking about.
"Last month…the Shepard's wedding?" Chuck seemed to be prolonging the moment, waiting for Blair to realize what he was cluing.
And suddenly, a click seemed to ring in the air as Blair figured it out. "No…" she shook her head. "You couldn't have…she's my best friend."
"Blair—" Nate reached out to grab her arm, but Blair slapped it out of the way.
"Don't touch me." Her words were cold, and she turned her head quick enough so that they couldn't see her tears. Before anyone could stop her, she stormed out of the room.