6x01 just gave me SO. MANY. FEELS. I just have so many pent up emotions so I thought I'd use my energy to write some fanfiction.
How cute was that of Nate to do that for Serena?! UGH! I am praying they are endgame and will seriously slit someone's throat if Derena is over them.
This chapter is a little of a time jump back. A lot of you wanted to know why Will is sick and all. I will get to that in future chapters. This one hints on it a little, but I PROMISE I will go into more detail later. I just got this idea and I have to write it down and since this is a series of one-shots, it's okay.
Nate came day after a long day of work and shrugged off his jacket. He was glad to finally be home with Serena. He always felt guilty for leaving her home alone, but he had to tend to the Spectator. He spotted his pale wife, sitting on the couch alone stroking her baby bump silently while clutching onto a small teddy bear. Leaning against the wall, he let out a big sigh.
"Serena, you're supposed to be in bed." Nate said softly. Serena tucked her matted blonde hair behind her ear.
"I can walk from my bedroom to the couch Nate it's not that big of a deal." She shot, peering out the large window and onto the street. Nate closed his eyes quietly before taking a seat gently next to his wife. Serena still wouldn't look at him. He rubbed her leg timidly.
"I know you get lonely here S and I'm really sorry." Serena looked back down at the teddy she had clutched in her hands. He wrapped his arms around her back and settled his head on top of her growing bump. She finally met his gaze and he realized she was crying. She began to stroke his hair gently.
"Mom comes over sometimes, Blair and Chuck when they aren't working, for crying out loud even Dorota comes over. But I get so alone here. And I'm so scared for this baby Nate. I need him. I need our family." Serena admitted, tears spilling down her face. Nate kissed her stomach softly.
"Stay healthy little guy. Be strong for your Mom. We both need you." Serena placed her hand over Nate's on her stomach.
"He doesn't even kick that much anymore. So it's like he doesn't want me either." Serena cried. Nate sat up.
"Hey, hey, hey Serena none of this is your fault. We talked about this. He was sick from the beginning. But you chose not to give up on him. We had our fight about this and in the end we both decided we want to fight for our son. That we'd give anything for him." Serena sniffled and wiped her eyes. Nate took the teddy and snuggled it up to her stomach. She smiled softly. He caressed her cheek.
"I hate to ask you this, but since I am your male nurse." Nate started, smiling. Serena laughed her famous golden laugh. He smiled even more at the sound of it. It was hard to get her to laugh these days. In the beginning of the battle, she had been so optimistic but after their almost miscarriage, she had been more distant and cold.
"How are you feeling today love." She rolled her eyes.
"Emotionally? Shot. Physically? The same sluggish state I've been in the past month." Nate nodded and kissed her forehead.
"I'm going to be right back. Stay here. Don't move. Or I'm calling Nurse Bass and telling her." Serena laughed again, putting her hand to her head.
"Oh no! Not nurse Blair! Or should I say Sargent Blair." Nate laughed.
"She can be pretty scary." Serena nodded dramatically in agreement as Nate stood up to leave. He grabbed his coat again and hurried out the door.
"Hello sir, how can I help you? The lady at the front desk asked. Nate looked around, unsure of what exactly to say.
"Uhm…I'm here to adopt a dog." He said. The lady laughed.
"You're going to be more specific than that sir. At a shelter, we have lots of dogs." Nate sighed and put his hand to his head.
"Look my wife is really sick right now. She's pregnant and alone in the house all day. I just need a dog that will sit with her and make her feel a tad better about the situation she's in. Also a dog that is good with kids for when my son is born. My friend Chuck Bass got his dog Monkey here so I was hoping I could find some luck too." The lady smiled.
"Ah Mr. Bass is a big donor here. Very nice man. Well, we actually have a dog that I think is perfect for you. Follow me." She lead Nate down a large corridor of barking dogs and meowing cats and into a back room. Nate looked confusedly at the big dogs. Wouldn't a little dog be easier? The lady let out a Golden Retriever, who immediately ran over to Nate. Nate bent down and smiled, scratching behind his ears. The lady smiled.
"He is about 7 months old. The nice thing is, he's already trained and everything, but still a puppy. A family from Brooklyn turned him in last week because they couldn't afford him anymore. He doesn't have a name but puppy poor thing. He's a very nice dog and very well mannered. I'm assuming like Mr. Bass you live in a condo so he can be home for long periods of time because he has a large bladder. He can also be pad trained if you wish to do so since he's so young." The lady smiled at the sight of Nate interacting with the dog. She wondered if he had even heard a word she said.
"I'll take him." He said, smiling. The lady grabbed a leash from off of a hook and hooked the dog onto it.
"I'm Sage by the way. Nice to meet you Mr.?"
"Archibald." Nate finished. She smiled.
"Your wife is Serena Van Der Woodsen, right? She's gorgeous! I love her section in the Spectator!"
"The Spectator is actually my company." The girl placed a couple of take-home things in a small recyclable bag.
"I actually am very into journalism. But not many journalism jobs open up for 17 year-old teen moms from the Bronx." She handed Nate the bag.
"I'll have Chuck give me your number. You just got yourself an interview." She grinned.
"Really?! Thank you so much Mr. Archibald!"
"Call me Nate. What is your child's name?" Nate asked as she handed him the leash. She pulled out her phone and showed Nate a picture.
"His name is Alex. He's 6 months old. I've been volunteering at this shelter since I was a little girl. I'm very close to the owner Michelle. She was more accepting than my own parents when I got pregnant and offered me a receptionist job here as well as a room at her house. The pay is minimal, but I also have another job and take senior year online since Alex's jackass of a father left town when he found out I was pregnant. I want him to have a better future than I did." She sighed and put her phone back in her bag. Nate felt a lot of pity for the young girl. He couldn't imagine what it was like for her to deal with this so young. Heck he and Serena were having a hard time at twenty-five let alone seventeen. Plus he and Serena were in it together. He couldn't imagine being alone in parenthood.
"Serena and I are having a son too. Who knows, maybe they will be best friends?" Sage laughed, giving the Golden a pat.
"Well thank you Sage. I will contact you about the job." She shook Nate's hand before he went out the door. Nate could've sworn he saw her jumping with glee out of the corner of his eye. He smiled to himself and hopped in the car with his new friend.
"Serena's gonna love you buddy." Nate said, rubbing his ears.
"S?" Nate called. He spotted her on the same spot on the couch, but fast asleep. His calling awakened her.
"Natie. You're back." She croaked, rubbing her eyes. Nate walked over to her and bent down.
"I have someone that really wants to meet you." Serena cocked her head. As if on cue, the dog ran over and jumped on the couch next to Serena. She gasped, grinning.
"Now you'll always have a best friend here with you." Serena's eyes got watery. She kissed the gentle dog on the nose.
"What shall I name you? He doesn't have a name, does he?" Serena asked aloud. Nate shook his head.
"Gucci?" Nate offered, poking at Serena's Gucci campaign she had worked on with Blair at Waldorf Designs. Eleanor was eventually going to give Blair the company once her girls were older, but she gave them a mini Gucci mission while she celebrated her anniversary with Cyrus in the Bahamas. It turned out to be a complete flurry just skimming disaster. Blair still worked at Bass as a lawyer. Serena always admired Blair for finally getting her law degree. She wished she had gone further into college than she had. She also wondered how Chuck did any work with her around flirting with him 24/7 like they were 17 again. She rolled her eyes, but then stopped in her tracks.
"Bendel!" Serena cheered, smiling. Nate shook his head. Serena pouted.
"It's perfect Natie come on."
"I will not be walking around a dog named after a girl's store. He's a boy anyway." Serena kicked him lightly and returned her arms to her stomach.
"It's not a girly name. It's cute. Come on please? I'm the one being a sickly preggo woman I should at least be able to name my new friend." Nate gave in and kissed her cheek.
"If that's what you wish. I'm going to go order us some soup." Serena wrinkled her face in disgust.
"Not soup again. You're supposed to be able to ditch the soup once you leave the hospital. I'm still sitting here throwing it down. Even our son is tired of it." Serena shifted positions grumpily.
"But the doctor said…"
"I don't care what the doctor said!" Serena yelled, startling Bendel on the couch. She felt him flinch and rubbed his ears apologetically.
"I'm sorry Bendel. Pregnancy hormones and cravings are not fun. I hope you can deal with me like Nate does somehow." Nate smirked. She cocked her head and pouted.
"I am really craving wings from that bar down the street. Please go get them." Nate rolled his eyes and sighed loudly.
"I'm gone." He hurriedly grabbed his coat once again and was out the door.
Serena curled up in bed, hugging her stomach tightly. Today was not one of her good days. She knew the dog walker would be over soon because she was too weak to walk Bendel herself. It was the same young girl that walked Monkey for the Basses. Dorota would come during the walk to check on her and keep her company. Lily would come over with Rufus to have lunch with her in her dining room with baby magazines and things to keep Serena positive. Blair would come at 3:45, not at 3:15 because she never finished work on time (for multiple reasons) and there was always something going on with the twins. And Nate would be home and five and they would curl up on the couch with Bendel eating soup.
Day in and day out, always the same.
She hadn't been out in a month. She was paler than a ghost. Today, nothing could get her out of bed. She reached over and touched Nate's side of the bed softly with the tips of her fingers. Tracing a line down his pillow and into the sheets, she imagined him lying there next to her, smiling his golden smile. They were the golden couple, after all.
Serena wasn't feeling too golden lately.
Sure she was excited to see their son, but she was scared. And worst she was alone. Everyone tried to pretend it was okay and ignored that her baby was practically sucking the life out of her. She hated feeling so worthless. She was Serena Van Der Woodsen. She couldn't be tamed like this. Suddenly, she felt the bed move. Her golden retriever snuggled up next to her, nestling into her belly protectively. Her golden retriever. How ironic she thought to herself as she kissed his head. He let out a short cry and licked her on the cheek. She let out a small giggle and wiped a tear from her eye.
"That made me feel a lot better Ben. Thank you." She hugged the dog tightly and smiled. For a moment, she felt something golden.
And it wasn't the dog.
Review and let me know what more one shots you want to see! I plan on updating this way more often now that I have school straight, so let me know! Also, did you guys like this chapter?
AND HOW ABOUT 6X01?!
XOXO, Becca