Gossip Girl

.

Gossip Girl here, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite.

.

BLUSHING BRIDE TO B?

When we bid bon voyage to B we expected her to be warmly received in Monaco, but looks as if things have turned frosty – although looks as if Louis lost Blair's message in translation because there was no-one there to meet her off the flight. When publicly humiliated we expect B to bounce back – but from her look on landing we'd say the bounce has broken,

You know you love me,

Xoxo Gossip Girl

.

Blair lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the mob of paparazzi; flashing their cameras every second taking more photos of her looking hideous. She breathed a sigh of relief as the saloon drew inside the Royal Palace and sped up the driveway, she allowed her gaze to flutter distractedly towards the fountain, bubbling on the lawn and then spotted Louis, walking with his mother in the garden. She had expected an icy reception but not having anyone there to meet her was arctic on her cold shoulder scale; Louis must know something else or maybe she hadn't gauged how important having a baby was. She cast her head back to look towards the Palace and when she looked back Sophie was alone, bending down to smell the fresh-flours amongst the beds. She stood up, her head crowned by an enormous sun-hat as the car drew up and Blair stepped out. She still hadn't mastered the art of maternity wear wonders but she was sure after careful consultation of only the most majestic mothers-to-be maternity wear wardrobes that she would evolve something equally if not more elegant for herself. At this point she was reduced to a maxi-dress and simple emerald necklace.

Sophie crossed the garden quickly to meet her and smiled at her warmly, embracing her in a warm hug which Blair hadn't completely expected, she stood back and Blair realized she was admiring Blair's bump, Sophie stuck out a hand instinctively to touch it and then moved back gingerly, as though she thought Blair might attack her for it – the prospect for Blair was both weird and uncomfortable but at the same time she recognized that she was just going to have to get used to this.

"You are looking well my dear," she greeted, touching at Blair's face to put a stray hair back in place, "your hair…is quite lovely, is the City nice?"

"For the time of year," Blair replied with a bemused expression on her face, she wasn't even sure this was Princess Sophie, she was after all being incredibly nice and she never asked about New York, she hated the City – she much preferred both the Mediterranean Climate and the architecture, she was one of those people that viewed the skyscrapers as oppressive and modern: which in some cases they were but it didn't necessarily mean they were all bad, she also hated the climate of New York, taking everything to extremes – if it was warm for Sophie it was humid, if it was cold for Sophie it was freezing, "although I haven't seen that much…I've been trying to stay at home for as much as possible…I was actually waiting for a call."

Sophie nodded, "I believe Louis was a little taken aback by the news, though I have reassured him that although it is not exactly traditional this is a blessing, to be with child at such a young age, naturally it will ensure the continuation of our family," she smiled at Blair, "although I must admit he has been a little…distant…concerned with his own affairs: and more than usual…normally the affairs of state are tiresome for him but he seems to find them more interesting now."

Blair almost detected amidst the dulcet French-sounding tones a note of surprise amongst them – not as strong as concern but certainly one that like her own inner feelings of bemusement suggested that Sophie herself was more than a little confused by what was happening to her son, or what had happened to him.

"Where did he go just now?" Blair enquired, "I though I saw him-"

"-he is tending to his horses, a few have been brought in especially from the Polo Match," she said, smiling encouragingly, "he has been strained by the news of your pregnancy Blair and even a little stressed but he is at his calmest around his horses, in some ways that is where he belongs Blair, with the animals…he is so attuned to them, it is why his grandmother always said he was so good at Polo…he is attuned to them."

Blair nodded – perhaps it was a Monegasque tradition to talk to your horses, although Blair could brush over that if only Louis would talk to her, "I'll see to it that my things are readied and then I'll go see him." Sophie nodded obligingly and Blair walked slowly towards the Palace, trepidation building inside of her – now it was time for the reckoning – time to discover what Louis was really thinking.

.

"So convincing Blair-"

"-didn't work," Dan finished succinctly, "she's just…in…in the mindset of needing to cement herself, Blair doesn't like the unknown she likes understanding everything and being in control – she needs stability, a place to call home…and at the moment I don't think she sees that in Chuck…even if she did have feelings for him I think…I think she doesn't see him as part of her plan."

Nate nodded acceptingly – he recognized that trait in Blair too, she liked the idea of knowing what would happen, when they'd dated she had liked planning how they would be married one day and have children and have a family that would dominate the Upper East Side for generations to come, it was also reflected in her former adoration of Yale – she had known since she was little how she would live her life, what she would do and what her life would be remembered for, she was pragmatic too but she remained dedicated to the ideal of her life being confirmed and set in stone. Deviations were something she didn't like – clearly Louis was the straight and narrow, Chuck the labyrinth.

"You did the best you could man – that's what matters, so have you heard from Serena yet?" Nate probed – he had already floated the idea with Serena of talking to Dan, but it was more a question of whether Serena had actually taken the step of talking to him or not, he recognized that Dan was a part of her life and he wasn't jealous; he could accept Dan's presence in their lives because Dan was at once his and Serena's friend.

Dan shook his head, "I mean I tried calling her but it went straight to voicemail and then I text her a few times but…she wasn't too interested, I guess with Eric and what happened with Charlie she has a lot going through her mind though."

Nate nodded again, "Yeah but I kinda…asked her to talk to you…sorry man I know how crappy that sounds now but…she likes talking to you, even if she doesn't realise it herself…and sometimes you're better for her to talk to than I am…we work with her on different wavelengths…and with her family it was always easier for her to open up to you because you could offer…a different viewpoint on things."

Different Dan reflected was an understatement – he moved in a different world than they did – if they lived in a world of extravagant parties he lived in a world of bars and underground band performances, if they lived in a world of elegant balls, he lived in a world of highly illegal parties in rundown warehouses – not that he lived in that world anymore – it was more accurate to say that had lives in different worlds, his viewpoint remained unchanged despite immersion in the world of the Upper East Side, it was simply the case that he was still an outsider in a world where being an outsider was not a good thing, where eccentricity was frowned upon and where individuality was – if the parents were successful – crushed at an early age.

"Yeah well…getting Serena to do something she doesn't want to…is…like making mountains move." Dan stated without sarcasm – she was stubborn and rooted in her opinions, she might change on a whim but making her doing something she wouldn't ordinarily – that was superhuman.

"Did Blair say why she didn't want to go see Chuck?" Nate prodded, changing a subject, he would have to work on Serena himself – and by work he meant spend every hour they had together lobbying her – subtly – to talk to Dan.

"Well," Dan paused – what he and Blair had…or had had – it wasn't exactly clear where he stood in her affections – was not necessarily for public release, Blair he recognised was embarrassed she harboured even the slightest affection for Dan, while Dan couldn't believe he had gone one better than Serena and actually fallen for a girl who was everything about the Upper East Side in a reasonable world he should have hated, and that left him with whether to tell Nate that Blair hadn't told him why she wouldn't see Chuck but instead had distracted him that she wasn't concerned about his affections in what was in Blair a way of saying that in fact she was obsessed by the possibility that Dan might be protective of her, "she didn't explicitly say anything," at least that might pacify Nate, "but I got the impression that she really wants to try and make things with Louis work…or at least see if rescuing that is possible before pursuing other…options. She's going out there because she has to…I asked her if she thought she had stuff to stay in the City for and she basically…said she didn't."

"Ouch," Nate thought aloud, that would have been an almighty slap in Chuck's face, "thanks man anyway…I know you and Blair don't always see eye-to-eye-"

"-no worries man," Dan replied coolly, eager to move off the topic, "you'd do the same for me." Although how he would get into the same situation he didn't know – in a normal world anyway.

.

We live in a City that talks, but the only talk that matters is gossip – and what am I gossiping about today Upper East Siders? The most boring bromance we've ever seen is back-on, and looks as if Lonely Boy and Nate are BFFs again which is bad news for N's nowhere to be seen BFF-behind-bars Chuck Bass – then again N's been visiting at prison so much recently we think he'll be getting a little tired of it by now.

.

"And here I thought my day couldn't get any worse." Serena said as she rounded the corner, casting her head skyward as though to rebuke whatever divine entity had intervened in her life for the worse again and then focusing back upon the women seated before her in the lobby of her building, her eyes falling – unfortunately to her mind – upon her Aunt Carol, clearly trying to stress her supposed difference to the world of her niece, sister and mother by choosing to wear a very clearly normal pair of jeans, cheap-wedges and jacket that might have come from a yard sale – not that Serena was trying to be mean but if Carol wanted to play the I'm so different to you spoilt snobs card, she thought it mildly amusing to indulge herself in playing up to the imagined stereotype.

"Serena," Carol greeted warmly – Serena wasn't sure whether it was actually a warm greeting but she could presume there was an agenda behind it so took to warmth as if Carol had greeted her icily, she stood up and leaned forward for a hug but Serena backed away and regarded her Aunt – was that a note of desperation she could detect?, "I know I deserved that but look…I'm here because I want to make amends and…and I want to get back to where we were before."

"Before what?" Serena enquired smiling mock-innocently with a sickly sweet edge that would make old-relatives believe their grand-child still really was the innocent child they remembered playing the sandbox and convince younger, wiser relatives that a take-down was forthcoming, "Before you used a con-artist to trick us all into believing you cared about Mom, or before you used that con-artist to steal money from Charlie's trust fund, or," Serena grinned triumphantly, "is it before when you used to say what horrible, snobby people we were and still took cheques from Grandma on the side? Which before Carol?"

She frowned deeply, though Serena couldn't understand why, she deserved every single comment she had levied at her, she was a living, breathing hypocrisy, so determined to stay away from the Upper East Side and yet still taking the best of it behind closed doors, "Oh did you lose your voice, well I'll let you get it back." Serena went to walk past her put she paused as she regarded Carol who seemed to have a grim realisation etched upon her face, she rolled her eyes and offered a weak, slightly strained smile, "Let's just for argument's sake say that I actually care about what you have to say – for the real Charlie's sake that is – what do you have to say for yourself?"

Carol nodded and took a deep breath.

"Family is…important to me and should have always been important, its just that I place my…immediate family before the entire Rhodes-Van Der Woodsen…whatever branches of the family, Charlie is special to me and I'm protective of her, just like Lily is protective of you and Eric," Carol cast her eyes towards the traffic trundling past the building at a snail's pace, "you have to understand that when you last met Charlie you were that adorable, butter-wouldn't-melt little girl that I thought was the perfect role model for Charlie and Eric was the cute little boy that was obsessed with…everything boyish.

"But you know after a while stories emerged about you – I mean I grew up here so I knew what went on but…there were so many stories about you Serena…really terrible things, like you drinking and then having sex in Central Park with married men, or partying all hours of the night and then waltzing into School still hung-over. Admittedly Eric was less…afflicted in the media but all your…dirty laundry has been hung out to dry by the media, and it's intimidating. I keep friends here in the City Serena and…I have the impression that it isn't the best place for a naïve young-person to grow up or to spend time. Charlie's a special girl…I don't want her getting involved with the wrong people."

"So you're implying I'm friends with the wrong people, or that Eric is?" Serena cocked an eyebrow.

Carol frowned, "Serena, your brother is on bail for conspiracy to commit blackmail and you…don't exactly have the cleanest slate at the moment…there's a whole history of drug and alcohol abuse…and sex scandals surrounding you…look I'm sorry none of this is coming out right…Serena I'm sure you and your friends are all great…really nice, good people now…but Charlie's just not at the same…mental age…she's younger Serena…here you all grow up fast and I didn't think she was ready for it, or prepared to be immersed in this world of…this world that you live in."

Serena was trying to fight back the increasing and rising anger inside of her and was just – just barely managing to resist the urge to fire back, "Why didn't you say any of this at first?"

"It's not that simple – you and Eric were and still are good people and Lily would've reassured me that she'd be absolutely fine here," Carol admitted sincerely, "but it's my choice…as a mother…whether to expose my daughter to this."

Serena paused – for a moment she felt a pang of respect for Carol, and then it was extinguished by something else, she could remember the days that her mother had made all her decisions for her, had taken every key move and change out of her hands, left her devoid of control or ability to shame her life, and then she thought of Charlie – what kind of a life was that? Nobody deserved to be treated in that way, to be controlled and have someone playing with your life, choosing which paths for you to take…it hadn't helped her at all and it hadn't done any benefit, if anything rather than help it had harmed her.

"Carol…just…just get out," Serena frowned, "my Mom doesn't want to listen to this, I shouldn't have listened to it…you can go back to Charlie, you win…because I doubt anyone here wants to talk to you and if talking to Charlie means having to know you…maybe…maybe it isn't worth it."

.

Louis paused to regard the photos, the evidence was conclusive and it had preyed upon his mind the entirety of his extended-exile from New York while he debated what to do next, Blair was pregnant – that had at least provided him with suitable cover for his estrangement from her – but did that change things? Could he overlook the fact that she had at the very least met Chuck, and if he allowed all possibilities to run away with him perhaps even decided upon beginning an affair – a secret, hidden, tainted affair of the kind that he had feared all his life would plague his marriage as it had plagued his parents.

He loved Blair, more sincerely than he had ever loved anyone in his life – she was amusing, charming, intelligent, caring and sweet – she was his ideal wife, and the ideal person to act as his Consort. But if she really was still in love with Chuck and they had decided on an affair – child or no child – they could no longer be together, at least…he was unsure whether he could continue in the relationship, it was unfair to him for her to continue an affair, and it was also impractical – they were in the private eye, transatlantic flights and midnight liaisons would eventually filter through into the press and someone would eventually put the two things together and form the correct opinion: the fear was consuming.

He looked up as Blair strolled towards him and handed the photographs to his attendant – Mathieu – allowing him to disappear as he approached Blair and embraced as her fondly and lovingly as he should for his fiancée and then pecked her on the lips affectionately, "I'm so glad you came Blair."

"I didn't really have a choice," she admitted – not in a coarse, hard voice but in a soft, sweet one, "you didn't really leave me with a lot of options…I thought…I thought that if I didn't come here…you might never come back to me. That I'd just be waiting till I got a letter in the mail telling me the engagement was off."

"I was simply a little taken aback at the news of the baby," he admitted, only mildly falsely, "why would you think our engagement was off? Is there something else-"

"-no," Blair interjected quickly, not breaking eye contact: the first sign of a lie, "I just…I wasn't sure whether this was exactly what you wanted from a Consort…whether it was…the Royal way of doing things."

Louis shrugged, "I was simply musing Blair, would you care to walk with me," she didn't refuse and took his arm as they strolled through the sprawling, verdant gardens, the flowers still in bloom, their bright colours criss-crossing the garden, "upon something – you seemed…upset about Chuck being arrested at the Gala…I wondered whether perhaps you still have feelings for him?"

Evidently the game was up Blair surmised, "Where are you going with this?"

"I was given photographic evidence of you being visited at your dress fitting with him," Louis revealed, watching Blair closely to see how she reacted though she remained serene and completely calm, not buckling under pressure, "and then at the Gala you both disappear at the same time – I cannot believe I have to ask you this but are you having an affair?"

Blair paused, frozen at that point – which mattered more at this point, because she could see two eventualities, she admitted she still had feelings for Chuck and left the Prince pregnant, or she sacrificed her love for Chuck in the pursuit of happiness – if not passion – with Louis as Consort, happiness that might with effort and detachment from New York become love, if she so chose to desire. She chose within seconds – hesitation might produce a verdict without her approval.

"It was one kiss," she responded swiftly, but coolly, "and it was stupid, and immature, and childish and I'm sorry…I was being…an idiot…I should never have let him come and see me at my dress fitting," although she had asked him personally, "I wasn't thinking straight I just…I was lonely…and needed company, and you weren't there for me."

"I know, I'm sorry," Louis regarded her with a piercing stare, "Blair answer this next question truthfully – if I overlook this will you promise to cut all ties to Chuck, and commit yourself to our relationship, our marriage and to…our child," the worlds sounded alien coming from his voice, sounding so dark, so imposing…but they needed saying, "do you promise Blair, do you give your word?"

Her entire life she had known Chuck, for three years she had harboured then lost and then harboured again feelings for him, he had been her life, her rock, her one true supporter on the Upper East Side, her soul-mate at her side, her guardian angel, her protector…there had been so much darkness in him…but that was to overlook the multitude of joy and delight he had brought to her life, the seduction, the allure, she had even planned upon wedding him someday in a beautiful ceremony.

"I do." Somehow it all seemed insignificant.

They both cast their heads towards Mathieu as he sprinted down, he paused, mildly out of breath, his face stressed with an evidently important burden.

"You must come with me immediately majesty," he said between quick breaths, "it is your father…he is…he is dying your excellence."

.

Sometimes we find ourselves in need of decisive action, in need to remove ourselves from our past and move forward, without thought to what we were giving away in order to achieve greater success – but before we sacrifice everything we hold dear in the pursuit of the unknown we should be careful to look at what will be lost, because once we lose it, it's lost for ever,

You know you love me,

Xoxo Gossip Girl