What If Nate Didn't Call The Cops on Serena's Dad...

"He didn't leave! He's my DAD Nate, he wouldn't leave! He just went down to the lobby to get his papers, he's coming back up!" tears threatened to spill over Serena's crystal blue eyes as she strutted over to the elevators.

Everyone in the room (Nate, Dan, Blair, Eric, Chuck, Jenny, Lilly and Rufus...everyone except the one person she wanted to be there) awkwardly stood, waiting for Serena to realize the truth.

"Serena" Nate breathed, taking a step closer and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

She shrugged it off and a tear spilled over, rolling down her cheek. "He wouldn't leave me Natie. I just got him back," more tears spilled over as she stepped into the elevator.

Nate stood back and watched as the doors closed, sending Serena down to see exactly how fatherly her dad was. Well at least now he knows where Serena gets her flighty nature from.

"Nathaniel" Nate turned around when he heard his name, to see Lilly walking towards him.

"Please, don't let her be alone Nathaniel. I know I wasn't the best mother to her when she was growing up and she didn't get a father. She wanted a chance, and he just blew it. She can't be alone, especially not now," Lilly sighed patting his arm hoping Nate could be the one to fix her daughter.

"Of course," he nodded in response to her request.

Once the elevator doors opened up to the penthouse, Nate stepped in and pressed the button for the lobby.

The ride down seemed to take longer than it should have, probably because all Nate wanted to do was wrap Serena up in his arms and protect her from the harsh realities of the world. All he could think of is how anybody, let alone her father, could leave Serena. He never wanted to be apart from her.

As soon as the doors to the elevator opened Nate stepped out only to have his heart break a little at the site of her.

Serena sat on the edge of a table looking down; her blonde hair covered her face, but Nate could tell she was crying because her shoulders were shaking a little.

A wave of emotions (sadness due to the sight of her, heartbreak because she was hurt and he hated it, and anger because he could not fathom how her own father could do this to her) washed over Nate. He tentatively stepped towards her until he was close enough for her to hear his footsteps.

She couldn't believe her dad left. He left her. She finally found her dad after practically a year of searching (and stunts to get him to notice her) and he leaves, without even a goodbye. She even stood up for him against everyone...even Nate.

She looked up from the floor to see Nate standing their watching her.

"He left" she breathed slowly (and painfully, because who would ever want to admit that their own father left them)

"It's his lose Serena, he's never going to know his own daughter, and that is his loss," He spoke softly, sitting on the table right next her, their shoulders touching lightly.

A new batch of tears threatened to spill over her eyes as she finally looked into his blue (blueblueblue, the brightest blue she's ever seen) eyes and said, "he didn't even say goodbye. I didn't even get to say goodbye."

No words could take away the pain, and all Nate could do was throw his arm around her shoulder and pull her head right under his chin. He kissed the top of her head and whispered how sorry he was repeatedly (because who wants to hear some excuse of why their own father could leave without even saying goodbye).

"I thought this time would be different...that he would stay and I could finally have my dad. I never got to be 'Daddy's Princess' like Blair did growing up. I didn't even get to be 'Mommy's Princess' because she was always jetting off to somewhere new with some new guy. You got to go sailing with your dad...and I didn't even know mine. It's NOT fair!" The anger that was brewing within her, was now spilling over the edge.

Sobs racked through Serena's body as she used her tiny fists to hit Nate (because he was there, and she was she REALLY angry). She repeated her mantra of "it's not fair" while continuing to hit Nate (who just wrapped his arms around her as tight as he could).

Eventually exhaustion settled in and Serena's body just collapsed into Nate's strong arms. Nate pulled her in close to his body trying to fix whatever he could with just a hug. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Vanya turn around, giving them whatever privacy they could get in the lobby of Serena's appartment building.

After a few moments of silence (along with some tears), Serena pulled away from Nate's embrace and stood up in front of him (Nate was still perched against the edge of the table)

"Nate, I...thank you. I'm sorry that I, uh, that I didn't believe you I just didn't think-"

"Serena, you don't have to apologize. He's your dad, I know that you didn't want to believe what he did...I wouldn't either." Nate ran his hands up and down the sides of her comfortingly.

"I just thought that if he came back, I would finally figure out who I am, or what I'm supposed to be. That, if he came back, it would make up for all the lost time, you know?" Her head dipped down in embarressment.

Nate used one of his hands to bring her head back up to eye level with him, "Hey now. You dont need your dad to figure out who you are, or who you're supposed to be. I know who you are. You're Serena van der Woodsen, the most beautiful, amazing women I have ever known. The best girlfriend I have ever had, but don't tell Blair that." He ended with a smile, hoping to get a giggle out of the (almost) broken girl in front of him.

It worked, he thought as a giggle slipped out of her mouth.

"Well you're the best boyfriend I've ever had. But who am I supposed to be, Natie?"

"We'll figure it out...together because I'm not leaving you, no matter how much you want me to." Nate stood up and slipped his hand into hers, intertwining their fingers. "I'm not letting you run. You're done running."

"Okay," she breathed out as she pulled him closer to her, reaching her head up.

Her lips hovered over his before she pressed them to his.

"Just okay?" He asks cautiously, after pulling away.

"I don't have anything to run to. I finally have what I wanted right infront of me," Serena whispered, staring deep into his eyes.

"You've always had me," He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled tight (vowing to never let go).

"Yeah...I guess I did," she said giving him another kiss.

So maybe she didn't get her picture-perfect happily ever after that she (secretly) sorta always dreamed about. Maybe she'll never be daddy's princess. Maybe her dad won't walk her down the aisle someday at her wedding. And maybe her kids won't know who their grandfather is. But maybe her future will be better than she dreamed it would be. Maybe her daughter(s) will be daddy's (Nate) princesses. Maybe they'll get to have their dad walk them down the aisle. So even if she didn't get the perfect childhood she wanted, maybe her kids will.

But whatever happens, she'll be okay because Nate promised he'd be there.