"Vanessa, hey," Serena said trying to keep a smile on her face for the other girl. She and Vanessa could never get along because Vanessa had previously dated Dan but they were still friends and she didn't approve of the blond that had everything and never had to work for anything, whereas Serena always thought that the other girl still had feelings for Dan. They tolerated each other for Dan's sake but they weren't friends and they never would be.

"Serena," Vanessa said shortly reaching out and grabbing a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. "So this is how the other side lives."

"What are you doing here?" Serena asked tightly, watching Vanessa take a sip of her drink and look at the glass impressed.

"I came to see if you were really going through with it," Vanessa said looking at Serena. "Looks like you are."

"I am," Serena said through clenched teeth. "Tell Dan that sending you here will not stop me."

"You're lucky I came and not Jenny," Vanessa said and Serena cringed, she had gotten really close to Dan's little sister in the past few years and she hated letting her down but even she had to understand her reasons for doing this. "She's disappointed."

"I know," Serena said, she hadn't spoken to Jenny about this but she thought that the younger girl would be disappointed in her just like Dan was. "It's only for a year and then everything will go back to normal."

"Are you trying to convince me or you?" Vanessa asked and Serena just shook her head because Vanessa was right she was trying to convince herself that this would all work out perfectly. "Nothing is going to go back to normal Serena, everything is going to change, Dan will never forgive you for this."

"He's forgiven worse," Serena said feebly, he forgave her for cheating when they first started dating, she landed in the hospital but she would like to think that even if she wasn't attached to all those machines that Dan would have forgiven her, she'd like to believe that this was easier to forgive.

"It's not fair to make him wait for you for a year Serena," Vanessa said lowering her voice and taking a step closer and Serena flinched. "He doesn't deserve to be treated like a doormat that you can just walk all over."

"Dan's not a doormat and I have no choice," Serena said taking a deep breath. "It's either I do this or my family loses everything."

"Oh please, save the dramatics," Vanessa said with a disgusted look on her face. "You come from money, you get yourself into trouble and if daddy can't bail you out, grandma will, it's that easy."

"Nothing about this is easy," Serena said, she could feel tears prickling her eyes, she glanced back at Nate to see him talking to Chuck and Blair. "I have my reasons for doing this, reasons that you may not understand but I have no choice."

"You have a lot of choices but you're choosing to marry pretty boy over there because you're shallow," Vanessa said, glancing over Serena's head at Nate before looking back Serena. "Just because he has money doesn't mean he can make you happy."

"His name is Nate and I am not marrying him for his money," Serena said pressing her fingers to her temples. "I'm helping him and he's helping me and the only way to help each other is to create as much publicity as possible, ergo a wedding."

"That makes no sense to me," Vanessa said finishing her champagne and putting her empty glass on a passing tray. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't tell every reporter in here that this is a huge sham and not some perfect romance."

"Because if you do I will destroy you, I'd advise you not to take my threat lightly but I haven't done a take-down in such a long time, I miss the action," Blair said from beside Serena making her jump at the thought that someone had heard what Vanessa and then she relaxed when she realized it was only Blair.

"Oh look, engaged for a day and you've already made bitchy friends," Vanessa said and Blair smiled.

"Nate's my best friend, and if you hurt Serena and this engagement you are hurting him and I will not allow that," Blair said with a sickly sweet voice, stepping closer to Serena.

"What makes you think you can stop me," Vanessa asked raising an eyebrow at Blair, she's never been scared of anyone or stepped down from any situation that she felt strongly about and revealing Serena's fake marriage is something Vanessa felt very strongly about.

"Let's see, knock off dress, last decades hair and just between you and me," Blair said putting her head a little closer to Vanessa's as if she were going to whisper. "Have your eyebrows ever seen tweezers?"

Vanessa's fingers immediately went to her face to smooth her eyebrows down and she frowned. "Insulting me isn't going to help you," Vanessa said scowling.

"No but I know you aren't from the Upper East Side, which makes you easier to 'get rid' off so to speak," Blair said and Serena bit her lip, this was exactly the kind of reactions Dan and Vanessa expected from the Upper East Side's residents. "You look like a hippie so I'm assuming you're in some sort of artsy school, they are easy enough to manipulate, how much do you value your place there?"

"You wouldn't," Vanessa said, her eyes widening and Serena fought the urge to smirk, Vanessa was studying art at a specialized school close to NYU, she worked really hard to get there and she'd never do anything to jeopardize that even if it meant letting go of an opportunity to bring Serena down.

"Try me," Blair said. "If there is even speculation that this engagement and marriage isn't all that it looks like I will track you down and I will destroy you."

Vanessa just stared at them as Blair took Serena's hand and led her away, "Thank you," Serena said after a while, because she didn't know what else to say, she always felt bad hurting people or even just threatening to hurt them.

"I didn't do this for you," Blair said haughtily as they reached the boys and Serena nodded, Blair seemed protective over Chuck and Nate, she was a lot like Vanessa in the sense that she'd do anything to keep them from being hurt. "You have power, you should really learn how to use it."

"Hey, my grandfather is going to make the announcement now, we should go closer to the front," Nate said to Serena and then held out his arm to her expectantly.

Serena took a breath before taking Nate's arm. Nate looked back at his friends and Chuck shook his head, "We'll stay here," Chuck said and Nate nodded.

Nate led her through the crowd so that they were close to his grandfather who was thanking everyone for coming tonight and speaking about his life in California for the past few years. Serena was thinking about what Vanessa had said earlier when Nate intertwined their fingers and she gasped and looked up at him. She had been avoiding his eyes but as soon as she looked into them she was lost, she wondered how long it would take until the blue stopped having such a big effect on her.

"Camera's," he whispered as a way of explanation before looking back at his grandfather who was now speaking about Nate's new project, 'The Spectator'. "I'm going to have to kiss you a little later, don't be shocked, just go with it."

Serena nodded and her mouth went dry, she didn't want to want to kiss Nate but she also really did, she found herself attracted to this stranger and she hated herself for it because she gave Dan, her boyfriend, till she was married to come to her, so until she walked down that isle she would not give up hope, she would not fall for Nate and she will not be unfaithful again.

"I know all of you have been wanting to know about my grandson Nathaniel Archibald and New York's darling Serena van der Woodsen's relationship," William said and Serena's ears immediately perked up at the mention of her name. "I am very pleased to announce that they are engaged to be married next month, I know it seems fast but they've been engaged for a while and we wanted to keep this a surprise until Nathaniel and I moved back to New York."

Serena smiled as the camera's turned to her and Nate who held their intertwined hands up to show everyone her engagement ring, he leaned down and kissed her forehead and Serena blushed at the contact, her skin burned where his lips where and she wondered why it didn't feel like this when Dan kissed her anymore. She wondered if maybe they needed this 'break' as she was calling it, to get that spark back, maybe losing her like this will force him to treat her like he did when they were first together and not take her for granted.

She, thankfully, didn't need to answer any more questions as William van der Bilt took over, Serena caught Vanessa's eye at the back of the room and immediately let go of Nate's hand, he looked at her questionably and just put his hand on her back because it wouldn't look right if he wasn't touching her somehow.

Serena swallowed hard as she thought about how Dan would react when he saw the pictures the next day, she had a smile on her face, she thought she looked happy, she just hoped he knew her well enough to know how fake that was. Nate laughed beside her and she clapped with the rest of the crowd as William van der Bilt delivered his last line and walked away from the podium.

"Are you ok?" Nate asked her quietly, when the attention was turned to the next speaker and Serena turned to him and nodded slowly. Dan barely noticed the change in her moods anymore, she had to have tears in her eyes for him to acknowledge that she was sad but Nate didn't even know her for a day and he already picked up on her tense mood. "I'm sorry, you're just really tense."

Serena automatically relaxed her posture and smiled a little easier, "It's just a lot to get used to in one day."

"I know," he said adding pressure to her back to let her know that she had to move. "It will all be over before you know it."

He was right, there was another hour of standing around and smiling and talking to whomever wanted to talk to them which went by quickly and the next thing Serena knew was that Nate was announcing to his grandfather that they were leaving and he was leading her out with his arm wrapped loosely around her shoulders holding one of her hands. Serena smiled wide as she passed a group of on-lookers, her acting had been on auto pilot for most of the night and she just hoped it was enough to convince the tough New York society.

Safe in the cab, Serena let her smile fade and her hand fall from Nate's and into her lap, they were half way to her building when Nate spoke, "Was everything alright tonight?" he asked and Serena frowned, of course nothing was right, she was getting married in a month and she was disappointing everyone she cared about just to please and help a family that expected too much and didn't care that much for her.

"Of course it was," Serena replied looking out the window, Nate seemed nice enough for her to pretend like she wasn't desperately missing her boyfriend or trying not to look into his blue eyes because when she did she couldn't remember even having a boyfriend.

"I apologize on behalf of Blair," Nate said with a small chuckle. "It's just that she can be a little judgmental sometimes, she doesn't warm up to people as easily as Chuck or I do."

"She just seems protective of you," Serena said smiling slightly. "It's nice to have friends like that, I guess she was just trying to make sure I wasn't some sort of crazy person."

Serena doesn't know why she felt the need to defend Blair, maybe it was because the tiny brunette saved her from dealing with Vanessa, whatever the reason it was worth it to see the relieved look on Nate's face for her understanding. "With my track record with girls I'm not surprised, I just hoped it didn't scare you too much."

Serena smiled and found herself wondering who came before her, she wondered if Nate was leaving anyone behind to marry her, then squashed that thought. Nate would have married the person he was with for publicity and his grandfather would have made it huge, she wondered why he made that deal with her grandmother to marry her. It was a thought that had been bothering her since her father broached the idea to her, there were so many other willing girls but she was the one they chose, more than that she was now curious about her grandmother's hand in this situation.

"Who was that girl you were talking to?" Nate asked and Serena jumped having momentarily forgotten that she wasn't alone in the car. "I know we sent Blair to apologize to you but when I looked at you again you seemed distressed, who was she?"

Serena didn't know what to say to him, this man was only with her for a day but he was picking up on her moods like she was an open book and she knew she wasn't, Dan always complained that she kept her emotions too well hidden. "Vanessa, she's from my … past," Serena said with a far-away voice. "She's not happy with my choices."

"You don't have to give up your old life just because you agreed to this," Nate told her softly and she turned to him, Vanessa wasn't angry at her because she thought Serena wasn't going to hang out with them anymore, it was the fact that she was marrying someone else. "I'm not going to stop you from doing what you've always done, I'm just asking that you be my wife in public."

"I know and thank you," Serena said, she didn't know how else to reply, she's never spoken to anyone who's ever experienced this, she's on completely new ground.

"You don't like Vanessa?" Nate asked going from future husband to new friend in a second and Serena shrugged, Vanessa has been a constant part of her everyday life for the past four years but she's never been the good part. "It's ok, you don't have to tell me."

"She's not my biggest fan," Serena says, finding herself wanting to give Nate this information. "She makes my life as difficult as she can and I tolerate her because I'd lose people close to me if I don't, I'd never want them to choose like that."

Nate nodded slowly and held his hand out to her when the car came to a stop, there weren't any camera's around, no reason for him to hold her hand and help her out or act like a gentleman but Serena was coming to find that this was exactly who Nate was, a chivalrous man, something that's hard to come by nowadays.

"Thank you for agreeing to this," Nate said referring to the arranged marriage and Serena nodded with a small smile. "It was nice talking to you alone as well, if anything maybe when all this is over we can be friends."

"I'd like that," Serena found herself saying and only after she said it did she realize how much she wanted to be friends with her soon to be husband, how many people get to say that?

"Goodnight, Serena van der Woodsen," Nate said with a smile as they reached her door, he leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek before turning and getting back into the elevator to take him to the apartment he's sharing with Chuck.

Serena goes to her room and pulls out the necklace she's had for what seems like her whole life and examines it, the color is almost if not exactly the color of Nate's perfect eyes. She knows one thing for sure, she will not be hypnotized by those eyes anymore, she can't be, she will force herself not to be. Serena touches her cheek right where his lips where earlier, the skin burned there but it was a good burn, the kind that you wish to feel every time you're kissed.

And for the second time that night Serena was secretly disappointed that his lips hadn't touched hers.


A/N : I do not own Gossip Girl

Hey guys thanks so much for the incredible feedback I'm getting for this story, each and everyone of you guys are awesome for reviewing and reading and I'm so glad that you guys are enjoying it becasue this doesnt follow the show in anyway and my imagination is kinda running wild here lol

Please review this chapter and let me know what you think, oh i'm gonna be talking about 6x08 after this so if you havent watched it please dont spoil it for yourself lol

oh I wanna do a oneshot about the things that are happening in season 6 but I really have no idea what to write on the stuff I've written barely get to 100 words so its mainly little thoughts not actual pieces, does anyone have any NS idea's?

Until Next Time (^^,)

**Spoiler**
Guys how awesome was Nate in the last ep, he punched Dan and I did a happy dance lol I just wish Sage wasnt there I mean if they needed her they could have sent her to another room or something because that moment was the NJBC's and then when she and Nate were kissing and Chuck was sitting right in front of them I was just like omg Nate seriously? I actually enjoyed this weeks ep minus the DS scenes urg what do you guys think about it? For the last few eps I wanted to kill the writers for messing with Chair, happy Chair = happy audience so this ep was really awesome for me with them

Unfortunately I think they are going to use the other Serena chapter that Dan wrote to bring DS back but I'm really really hoping that this isnt the end of NS and our beloved couple is endgame or at least finds their own happiness without Dan lol Please let me know your thoughts and I'll update soon :D