ERIC VAN DER WOODSEN POV
They Will Love You Better Than I Do

Eric knows from the phone call he received earlier that when Serena erupts out of the elevator into the penthouse after a few days of going AWOL, it isn't to see him. He doesn't exactly know how to feel about that. Disappointment is definitely present, maybe sadness and just a little bit of jealousy. Serena's friends seem to get most of her attention, most of her emotions, and most of her time. Not that Eric can blame her, if he had a way to escape their mother he wouldn't look back either.

It takes a moment for Serena to notice him but when she does her frown lightens a little bit and her eyes do that thing where they make you feel like the most important person in the room. Eric smiles at her and the sadness drifts away.

"You said Lily is here?" Her lips are caught on her teeth and the frown is back in full force.

"In the office." Eric replies, dreading whatever is going to happen next. As Serena starts towards the stairs he jumps up and grabs her arm. "Please..." He doesn't know how to finish the sentence.

Please don't make her angry.

Please don't fight.

Please stay with me instead.

Please take me away from here.

Please change her.

Please show her how to love me like you love me.

The breath gets squeezed out of him as his sister wraps her arms around him. It's not one of the usual hugs where she is on her way to another destination, that finish much sooner than he is prepared for. This time Serena grips him tight and rests her chin on his head. He can feel the vibration of her voice as she talks to him.

"You know that you can always talk to me about anything Eric. That I will always love you no matter how far away I am."

Oh no.

"Serena what ever you are planning to do..." God why can't he finish his sentences around her?

Serena leans back a little and looks into his eyes. It's one of those rare moments when Eric actually sees Serena sober and serious.

"It's going to be ok. I just need a little bit to get everything together and then I'll be better at this. I'll be better at being here for you and maybe I can even be a proper sister. But you need to give me time."

He knows she's talking about leaving him but Eric can't make himself stop her as she releases him completely and continues up the steps. When she disappears into the study all he can do is sit down and wait.

It doesn't take long for Serena and Lily to emerge. Serena has that determined look on her face that Eric used to associate with watching her steal the last bit of desert from the table. Lily is positively glowing.

"Oh good Eric you're home." Lily says as if he could be anywhere else. "Your sister and I have something we need to inform you of."

Eric's chest constricts.

"Serena is going to leave first thing in the morning and stay with your grandmother CeCe for a little while to have a break from New York. While she is there she will be attending programs at a near by rehabilitation facility. I feel this shows a huge improvement from her behaviour in the last few years so I know you will support this decision."

With nothing further to say Lily disappears once again, seemingly done with her parenting for the day. Eric silently follows Serena to her room and watches as she takes out a suitcase and starts removing things from her closet.

"Can you please tell me how long 'a little while' is?" Eric asks in what he hopes is a steady, even voice.

It mustn't be because Serena drops onto her bed and stares at him sadly.

"Until I'm better. Until I can remember most of my weekends. Until the idea of staying in one place and committing to things doesn't scare me. If that ever happens."

"I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too Eric but maybe when I get back it will all be worth it. I'm going to see a psychologist and I'm going to deal with my problems instead of running away all the time. I just can't do that here while our mother is breathing down my back and gossip girl is recording all my actions."

Eric nods and tries to force the tears out of his eyes. He stays in her room as Serena fights back tears herself and turns on music. Somehow, even though they are both one word away from crying she turns one of the worst things to happen to him into a dance show that has him smiling and rolling his eyes. He stays up for the rest of the night with her and doesn't leave until she does, watching as she once again disappears into the elevator, trying to convince himself that she'll be back before he even realises she's gone.

It takes three days for her friends to show up. Unsurprisingly it's Chuck that arrives first. Eric is glad that he's not the one that has to tell Nate but he realises that telling his brother is just as hard when Chuck's eyebrows shoot up and the light drifts out of his eyes. He runs a hand over his face before moving to the bar and pouring himself a scotch. He doesn't even pause before pouring a second one and handing it to Eric.

"To being left behind by sisters." He toasts and Eric tastes his first sip of the poison Serena uses to dull every second of her life. He finds that it's not as alluring as he thought it would be.

Half an hour after Chuck leaves, Blair shows up. It's obvious that Chuck told her the news as she rushes past him and into Serena's room. It seems like she won't believe that Serena has actually left until she sees the blonde's favourite pair of Jimmy Choo's are gone. There's screaming and crying followed by complete silence. Eric is almost afraid to approach her but when he does Blair looks at him through her red rimmed eyes and gives him a small smile.

"We all knew she would leave." She says, "I had just hoped that when she did she would take me with her."

Eric knows exactly how she feels.

Nate doesn't arrive until midnight. The elevator doors ding open into the silent room but no one emerges. Eric walks over to satisfy his curiosity and finds Nate sitting on the floor with a half empty bottle in his hand. He's drunk and doesn't even look up until Eric pulls the alcohol away from him.

"Did you know that I haven't been blind drunk in a whole year?"

"No I didn't know that." Eric replies, pulling Nate's arm until he rises off the ground and gently guides him to the sofa.

"It makes it easier to stay fit for lacrosse when you're not consuming a huge amount of calories every day. Serena always made fun of me for it." Nate says slumping over on the couch. He voice is just a whisper when he continues. "But she never missed a single game. She even came to every practice. God she'd sit there on the stands no matter what the weather, wearing this stupid jersey with my number on it, and pretend lacrosse was the game of the gods just for me." There's a pause while Nate swallows. "How am I meant to walk onto the field now?"

Eric closes his eyes because he has no idea how to reply. He could tell Nate that Serena is coming back, that she's not going to forget about them, that she might even be at his next game. But he can't lie. He doesn't know if she's going to be gone for days or months or years. So all he can do is sit with the man that loves his sister almost more than he does, and give him company in his heart break.

It's early morning and Nate has been passed out for at least an hour when Eric realises that he's no longer angry at Serena for spending most of her life with her friends. They need her in much bigger ways than he does.