Disclaimer: I do not own "Gossip Girl."
Author's Note: Thank you all for the wonderful comments and feedback! I'm behind responding to reviews because I used the time to write! But I'll be catch up this week. I did want to say very quickly that "Henry Braxton" who I've mentioned as Liam's father and is mentioned a couple times in this chapter is an original character that I'm using as Serena's first husband. His relationship with her will be clarified more fully in upcoming chapters... of which there will be more than 12. ;P
I hope you enjoy and again, thanks for reviewing! :)
***
For an entire afternoon and into an evening they had been watching themselves as adults; observing the lives they had built, the children they were raising, the ways in which they had changed and stayed the same. They had watched their own expressions, seen their same mannerism, heard their own voices all from a person just almost identical to them; had seen their own faces aged with time and faint lines and experience, had born witness to a future full of troubles and children and warmth and sadness, smiles and tears, fear and relief…
And none of it, not one single moment, was as surreal as standing there together before the image of themselves standing there together. It was the most intense out-of-body experience yet; to see themselves gathered in silence, looking and not looking at one another the way they were want to do when there was trouble.
"This is not going to end well," Blair says ominously, "I can tell… we should… go…"
"And go where, Blair?" Chuck wonders tiredly from beside her. He was getting exhausted too; emotions ebbing and flowing in a relentless pounding of images.
"Anywhere, Chuck," she hisses and motions towards Serena's who's expression, who's very stance, is still oddly shell-shocked; she is watching the group with ever widening eyes, pale face awash in worry. "She can't watch anymore of this," Blair adds in a heated whisper that Serena cannot possibly miss hearing, and yet, makes no comment about.
"We could go upstairs," Nate says carefully and nudges Serena with his shoulder, takes her chilled hand in his and gives it a gentle squeeze.
"No." She answers dully, eyes fixed on the other four occupants of the room; she doesn't return the squeeze, doesn't pull herself free, just leaves her hand limp in his. He holds it firmly, so she won't forget he's there.
"S, you don't have to do this to—" Chuck begins, but never finishes.
"Come now… did anyone here really believe this moment was going to be avoided?"
It's the older Blair who speaks, voice a perfect balance of polished amusement and teasing warning.
"I was hoping it would be," the older Nate snits.
"Don't be a bore, Nathaniel," Chuck drawls and he's moving closer towards Blair then, "You know how Blair feels about family brunches," he rakes his eyes over his best friend and then shifts the same intense look to his sister, "You will both, of course, attend in the morning."
Serena looks away from that gaze.
Nate bristles, shakes his head, "I can't. I have—"
"A little girl who won't be falling asleep until well into the wee hours of the morning," Blair cuts in, "Since she is, as we speak, sneaking supplies, bedding, and two of the other children out to the pool house."
Nate glares at Blair.
And it's so odd— the expression and gesture so similar to what had just transpired in the kitchen that the two young people exchange quick looks.
"Which two?" Serena asks, her voice soft; and it's a nonsensical question they all know, future and present— it's just sound to fill up the silent space.
Blair looks to her, humors her, "Gracie and Harm, of course."
Nate's glare shifts into a frown as he watches Blair, the line of body turned away Serena, as he says, "You could stop them, you know. Since you know about it."
Blair waves a hand in the air, dismissive and sardonic, as Chuck slips an arm low around her waist."Certainly," she says, "Because people always do as they should…"
"Blair," Serena says, an edge of fear in her voice, as she sends the brunette a quick look.
"I'm speaking of the children, Serena," Blair tells her, but she's not and they all know it.
They're silent then. As still and quiet as they'd been when the four younger had walked into the room.
It's Nate who breaks the silence, takes a step away from them, "I'm gonna go talk to—"
"Stay here…" Chuck interrupts him, leaning past his wife a little to fasten dark eyes on the other man's face, "Talk to your wife…"
Nate's expression darkens even as Serena starts a little; and they both say his name with varying degrees of warning.
"Chuck—"
"Chuck."
He laughs at them both, motions towards the space between them. "Not me. Each other."
"Did you plan this?" Nate accuses.
Chuck rolls his eyes, "Yes, Nathaniel. I arranged for Blair and me to be coming inside through the den just as you were descending the stairs just as Liam and Serena were coming in from kitchen."
"As I said," Blair picks up, "You couldn't have believed this wouldn't happen at some point, the house is large, but we do fill it to capacity..."
"And as I said, I hoped it wouldn't," Nate snaps back and then he looks at Serena, glares, but he's still speaking to Blair, "I have nothing more to say to her. We've said everything—"
"We haven't said anything!" Serena cries, whirling towards him, "You won't listen to me!"
"What is there to listen to, Serena!?" He shouts back, "It's a pretty clear cut case!"
"I didn't sleep with Carter!"
"Which time!?"
"May I remind you both," Chuck's smooth, quiet voice slides in between the two blondes, "That the one person in this house completely unaware of any troubles is your son. And that although I'm certain Liam's quick departure was to ascertain the younger children not be privy to this meeting, he cannot very well control their hearing."
But neither Nate nor Serena look to Chuck as he speaks, though they both hear and heed his words. Their blue eyes are fastened on each other; a yarn of sorrow burning bright and binding them together.
"Either time, Nate," Serena answers, voice low, tearful; but her eyes steady, "I didn't. And you have to believe me, you—"
"Why, Serena? Why do I have to believe you? Huh? You've lied to me!"And there's outrage in his voice, disbelief; because that's the sticking point, the part that stings. The lie.
"But not about this! I'm not lying about this!"
They're yelling again and can't stop it.
"And how am I supposed to know that!? How can—"
"Please, just trust me, I would never—"
"Trust you?! The way Henry trusted you, you mean?!"
And Serena rears back as if slapped, a gaspy sob startled out of her as she stares at Nate with wide, betrayed, blue eyes; one hand comes to the base of her throat as she's stepping back, away, her tears spilling before anyone else can say another word.
The silence is thick; and Blair takes a step towards Serena, out of Chuck's hold, but the blonde shakes her head, is moving away from the three of them, avoiding their eyes, as she heads towards the stairs.
And Blair shoots Nate a venomous look, spits, "Low-blow, Nate," at him angrily before moving after Serena.
And moment later both women have disappeared upstairs.
The men stare at the empty steps for a beat before dropping their gazes from it; and the look Nate shifts to Chuck is a meld of defiance and anger, his jaw clenched, mouth a straight line as he waits for the fall-out of what he just said.
But the look Chuck returns to him is mild, eyebrows arched faintly, mouth puckered in bemusement as if this were nothing more than a spat the younger kids were having.
Nate breaks the silence with a low, gruff breath, "Well?" He hisses and makes a motion with his hand, "Just say it."
Chuck shrugs one shoulder, "Say what?"
"Chuck, I am not in the mood for games."
"No games," Chuck says and the bemusement fades a bit, "I simply don't think I need to tell you that bringing up the ex-husband is a touch…" he pauses, "Tacky."
"But accurate," Nate counters determinedly.
Chuck rolls his eyes and actually huffs, frustration flashing across his features, "Don't be absurd, Nathaniel. If she'd married you from the beginning none of that business with Humphrey would ever have happened."
Nate glares at him for the words; eyes narrowed and hard for a moment.
And then it vanishes; just like that, the anger drains away and he sighs, gaze dropping to the floor as he runs a hand through his hair and shrugs, "I don't…" he says wearily, "I don't know what to do about her."
"You could try listening to her."
He lifts his gaze and offers Chuck a sad, half smile. "I know what she's going to tell me, Chuck. I know exactly what she's going to say."
"Do you now?"
"She's going to be sorry, so sorry…" Nate says very quietly into the room. His hair is standing on end now after he's run his fingers through it and his hands are in his pockets— and he looks oddly bereft. "She's going to regret it," he continues, "She never meant to hurt me…"
He trails off there and Chuck watches him for a moment and then presses his lips together before asking, "And you've… determined this from what exactly?"
A breathy, humorless laugh, "From years of watching it happen to others...?" He says wryly.
Chuck shakes his head, "Don't be stupid. You've never been an other."
"I would have said that too, Chuck, but…" he shrugs a little, "This is kind of the same situation others have been in…"
"No, it's not. This is a misunderstanding."
"Pretty fucking huge misunderstanding then," Nate says, bite to the words.
Chuck shrugs. "A Serena-Drama bearing its mark of usual impressive turmoil … you have been privy to them before."
"Not from this angle."
"So end it then."
"I'm just supposed to forgive and forget? Just like that. If Blair had done something like this, you—"
"The comparison isn't apt, Nathaniel."
"Why not? Because Blair would never—?"
"Because there's a certain measure of… distrust… between Blair and I?"
Nate blinks. They all do.
"What?" Nate asks after a moment.
"If my dear wife came to me at any time and suggested I take our boys on a trip she was not to accompany us on I would be on the phone with every investigator I know within 3 minutes of the conversations end." Chuck tells him simply.
And Nate stares at him. "You can't be serious."
"I would ask for reports on every place she'd been and everyone she'd come into contact with in the past month—and I'm certain Blair would expect me to."
Nate stares at him for a moment more and then he shakes his head, a smile tilting his lips, "I'm never going to understand the two of you... I mean how can that even be healthy…?"
Chuck shrugs a little, a smirk on his lips, "And I don't really expect you to, Nathaniel. My sister however," he says, a little more seriously, "I've always thought you understood."
Nate sighs. "Yeah, that makes two of us."
Chuck nods after a moment and says firmly. "Just resolve it. The media is going insane and it needs to be stopped. Neither of can have it… and it's drawing increasing attention to the blends of our family, which is never a good idea."
"I'm aware Chuck," Nate says just as seriously, straightening a little.
"Then have a press conference or something, Senator."
"And what am I supposed to say at this—"
"Which brings us back to resolve it. The media mess has been going on for over 2 weeks now and this entire mess is quickly reaching over a month's time frame. We need to contain it—should have contained it by now."
"I know," Nate says, "It's not just BI this reflects badly on, you know. Serena may be a face of the company, but she's my wife. You realize the message this sends to my constituents? It's a disaster."
Chuck makes a face at him, it looks almost sympathetic.
And then Nate speaks again, voice low, "And then there's Carter. What exactly am I—"
"Nothing."Chuck cuts in, voice just low, eyes narrowing menacingly, "You do nothing about Carter."
"Chuck. It's my score to settle, my wife he—"
"Let me," Chuck says before Nate can finish; and there's a thread of please, underlying the tone, "There are… matters I need to discuss with Carter Baizen."
Nate stares at him. "What matters?"
"There's business, Serena said."
"You want to go into business with Carter?"
"Perhaps."
"Chuck…"
"Leave it to me, Nathaniel. I don't have… constituents, to worry about."
Nate stares for a beat and then slowly raises both eyebrows almost to his hairline, "Just don't make things worse," he says wryly.
Chuck smirks, "You're faith in me is overwhelming."
"Hey, I'm just saying…" Nate says, smiling a little, "When Chuck Bass gets involved, things tend to—"
"Become either highly efficient or highly pleasurable?" Chuck offers.
"Or highly convoluted." Nate corrects.
Chuck waves towards the far side of the room," Come on, Blair told me supervise the dismantling… of something…"
Nate rolls his eyes, "The tents perhaps?"
"Ah yes. Let's do that then…"
Nate nods as Chuck crosses the room towards him and they turn to leave, "And you can tell me about these matters you find yourself in need of discussing with Carter."
Chuck gives him a sidelong glance as they walk, "You're going to insist on that, are you?"
They're turning out of the room as Nate says, "I am," firmly.
And Chuck responds with an amused, "Very well."
The room is empty of future visages then, just the four of them, standing as still as they'd been through the entire conversation.
And then Serena's moving, hand slipping out of Nate's hold as she strides forward into the center of the room and towards the stairs.
"Serena!"
It's Blair this time, who calls her name, who follows the girl with rushed steps and a worried frown, "S, wait…"
Serena whirls on Blair and the brunette freezes mid-step at the look in her best friends gaze. There's an icy determination in them, a deep-rooted fury that she doesn't associate with the bubbly blonde.
"I won't become this person."
She turns back around then, intent on climbing the steps, when Blair reaches out and grabs her arm, "Hey— this person isn't so bad." She says and she means it.
And it's perhaps the worst thing she could have said, the worst part of this entire scenario for her to have acknowledged.
Serena's blue eyes blaze and she yanks her arm free, "Why, Blair?! Because she's me?" There's anger in her voice but it does nothing to hide the fear, "Because she's still ME, isn't she?! She's flighty and irresponsible and she's still ME!"
"Serena—"
"I cheat on this Henry with Dan and on Nate with Carter and what? Did I cheat on Carter with Nate!? I'm fickle and undependable and—"
"You said it wasn't true," Nate's voice is quiet and oh so steady as he interrupts her, comes to stand beside Blair, "You have to believe yourself." He says and her gaze moves from Blair to him, "I believe you."
Serena scowls at him, eyes glimmering brightly with tears, "No! Don't defend her to me! Not you!"
And she whirls back and takes the steps two at a time towards the upstairs bedrooms where the older Blair and Serena had retreated to.
Blair blows out a breath then, shivers a little, "We need to get out of here," she says yet again, but there's a tremor in her voice now.
Chuck comes up behind her, pulls her to his chest. "She'll be okay…" he tells her, "She's just scared… and angry…"
"But why," Nate asks, eyes still fastened on the steps.
Chuck sighs roughly, "Because this is her beyond her worst nightmare, Nathaniel."
Nate blinks, pulls his gaze to Chuck, and stares; waiting for clarification.
Blair lifts her head and frowns at him, "Not only is she like her mother, Nate, she's hurt you." Blair sighs.
Nate shakes his head, "But she's not like her mother," he contradicts fervently, gaze going back to the steps, "She can't be… she's too—too… Serena for that… she cares too much and she's too…" he shrugs, trailing off, completely bewildered.
Blair exchanges a quick look with Chuck; both a touch amused despite the distressing moment. "Let's go find her," Blair says firmly and pulls out of Chuck's hold. Her hand finds his though as she leads him and Nate up the steps.
There's music when they reach the second floor and they all exchange curious glances. They find Serena, and the music, in Gracie's room.
The expression on Serena's face is set in grim lines that do not correspond to the scene they find in Gracie's room.
It's just Gracie and her mother in the room; the lights dim, the music resounding seemingly from the walls, the ceiling alight in the swirl of colors they'd seen earlier, which apparently glow in the dark, and Gracie and her Mom, jumping on the bed singing some pop-sounding song about girls and beauty and power.
They're holding hands and jumping up and down, waves of glossy hair, blonde and auburn, bouncing in the air as their laughter interrupts the words of the song and they're heads bang to the beat of it.
"What are they doing?!" Blair shouts at her Serena.
"Obviously not talking!" Serena yells back.
"But how did she—?" Nate cuts himself off, shakes his head.
And even Chuck looks vaguely confused at the sudden change from the Serena they had seen downstairs, near tears, hysterics even; and this one, jumping joyfully and singing a song loudly.
The older Serena's arms come out around Gracie then and pull the girl up mid-jump, maneuvering her so they both fall back to the bed all the way down on their bottoms. Gracie squeaks with laughter, "Mom!"
And Serena laughs, whirls off of the bed to stand and pull her little girl with her so they're spinning about the room.
"… and suddenly, I see, I see… this is what… I wanna be …"
"Were they doing this when you got up here?!" Blair asks moving to stand beside Serena.
"Yes!" She shouts back, "How can she just—let it go like that?!"
Blair shrugs widely, "Who? Let what go?!"
"Gracie! Her mother leaves her here for weeks!? And now she's just—"
Disbelief covers Blair's face, "She's like nine, Serena!?"
"Can we get out of here, please!?" Chuck shouts, "My tolerance for pop music is low."
Nate nods, reaches out and grabs Serena's arm, pulling her from the room before the girl can protest.
In the hallway, she glares at him; opens her mouth to speak and he lifts a hand in a stopping motion, "Shush!"He snaps, glaring back, "Stop being so hard on her."
"Stop being so easy on her," she snaps back.
"I'm not. She screwed up, I see that. But people screw up, Serena, stop thinking she's the devil incarnate for it,"
"It's not a little screw up, Nate! Are you even listening! You're like a senator and she's like your adulterous wife! It could ruin your life!?"
Off to one side Blair nudges Chuck, "How long are we going to let this go on?"
Chuck sighs, looking pained. "Until that hideous beat stops echoing in my head."
"Lives don't ruin that easy Serena!" Nate yells at her, "And she's not. She said so!"
Serena's glaring so hard her entire expression is radiating with it. "Stop believing everything I say! That's obviously the problem!"
"Well stop not believing in yourself!"
"Both of you stop shouting." Chuck says then, stepping towards them. "Follow me." And then he's walking past them, down the hallway.
Nate and Serena stare after him, both panting a little, before looking back to each other.
"Well, you heard him," Blair says, "Go…" she waves for them to follow Chuck and when they do, she follows.
Chuck leads them to Sunny's door and then he knocks. "Sunny."
And a moment later the door opens and the little boy is standing there; he's bare-foot and wearing blue pajamas that are little shorts and a t-shirt, printed with tiny little anchors, and he's holding an incongruously pink, stuffed rabbit in one arm. "Oh hi!" He says excitedly like they're visitors he's greeting at the front door, "I wondered if you'd gone away, but you're not! You're here!" He says happily and moves aside.
Chuck walks into the room and the others follow.
"The party's over! Did you see!?" He tells them as he shuts the door. There's coloring book on his bed along with a few dozen crayons. "And I got to watch stars with Dad! Not a lot though, because it was late and Mommy was busy inside so she didn't watch with us, but me and Dad watched a little stars and tomorrow night we can watch more and everybody can watch with us," Sunny says sagely as he climbs back onto his bed.
When none of them speak, he tilts his head to one side. "Are you sad?"
"We can't find a way home," Chuck tells him; and then ducks his head a little, because it comes out a tiny bit like a whine.
And Sunny nods. "It's okay though. Auntie B will tell us about the necklace at the brunch in d'morning and then you'll be able to go home! You'll see!" He says, complete faith in that this will be the outcome.
"Do your Mom and Gracie always…. sing together?" Serena asks; and the anger is wholly gone from her voice, from her eyes. There's only exhaustion tinted with curiosity in both now.
Sunny's eyes go wide, "Are they singing?!" He asks excitedly.
"Yes," Serena answers, "Do they do it a lot… even if something wrong?"
Sunny shrugs, shifting on his bed; clutching the bunny tight against his middle, "I dunno… I guess so. Sometimes if Gracie's mad 'cause of— cause of… stuff, then they sing… 'cause it makes people happy— happy songs, happy people!" He says it in such a way that they know it's a saying he's been told; before continuing, "And they sing sometimes just 'cause Mommy likes it. And Gracie likes it too. And sometimes I get to sing too or sometimes they sing for me…" he pauses and eyes them all, "But I won't go away to listen," he tells them, "It's not polite to leave guests, Auntie B says so."
"Do you stay with Auntie B a lot?" Serena wonders.
And Blair sighs, "Serena."
But the blonde doesn't take her eyes off the little boy. He shakes his head, "Nope—this is the longest time ever." He tells her very seriously. "It's 'cause Dad had to work and Mommy had to work too and they were far, so we stayed here… but most times we're home and Mommy is home and Dad too."
"Are you happy?" Serena presses.
And it's Nate who sighs now, "Serena…" he whispers.
Sunny nods vigorously, "Uh-huh, sure. Well, unless Gracie's being mean… that doesn't make me happy," his eyes go wide then, "And you saw Annie! Annie tells me stories!"
"Yes, we saw…" Chuck says and then sighs. "So now what are we supposed to do?"
"Sleep," Blair replies. "I'd like to sleep."
Nate nods, "Or just relax…" his gaze goes to Serena, "How about you?"
Serena licks her lips and pulls her gaze from Sunny; but she doesn't look at the rest of them. She looks to the carpet.
"Do you wanna sleep here!?" Sunny asks brightly and then promptly begins to collect crayons, "It's a big bed! We can share! Sometimes Mommy and Daddy let me share with them...!"
Blair laughs a little nervously as she watches the boy collect things off his bed in preparation for sharing. The bed was big—if you were four years old. Even if you were almost five.
However, it looks to be about a full size… which could not possibly accommodate them all without some heavy duty… snuggling.
"Sunny, sweetie…" she begins.
And then Serena interrupts her, "Thanks, Sunny," she says sweetly, walking towards him, already kicking off her shoes.
He nods excitedly, "One time Annie and Gracie and me all shared too!" He tells them as he tosses the handful of crayons off the bed along with the coloring book. "Annie was visiting at home and Gracie was being nice and we watched a movie! And Mommy tucked us in! And Daddy turned off the lights! And then he and Liam came and scared us like monsters!" He giggles at the memory and they smile at him, because it does sound rather amusing—untroubled.
"S…" Blair says, "Do you think that's a good idea?"
"I'm tired," she says, sitting on the bed; and Blair must admit, she looks it. Eyes red-rimmed and voice a little hoarse, "And I—I don't want… to see anymore… I just… no more, okay? Not—not today."
It's a plea, not just for Blair for the boys too. And not one of them is about to deny it to her.
A beat passes and then Blair nods. "Sunny, do you… is someone going to come and… tuck you in?" Blair wonders, "Because that might a little… awkward…" she says looking at the others.
Sunny giggles, "Oh I'm tucked in already. I'm supposed to be asleep… s'why my door's shut…" he frowns at them a little, "It's late ya know…"
And they can't help it. They laugh. Because he's just so… sincere— and they notice then that the curtains are pulled across his windows and there's a lamp on that must serve as a nightlight and his coverlet is indeed pulled back like it had been arranged for a night's sleep.
Serena's still smiling, the closest to him, when she forgets and reaches out to pull him into a hug and quite literally falls through him.
"Augh!" She shrieks, stumbling through him and then yanking herself upright.
And Sunny laughs again; delighted, "That is so cool!" He repeats and claps his hands as he moves to sit on his knees. The bunny clutched between his elbows and ribcage.
Blair sighs; and then leans into Chuck for support as she slips her shoes off and approaches the bed. "I cannot believe I'm about to sleep in my clothes."
"Least of our issues, B," Serena tells her wryly; because Sunny's softened her edges, rubbed away at her anger, and she's looking more like herself, more like the girl that laughs off possibly fake marriages and arrests. She's sitting at the top of the bed, her back resting against headboard, her legs stretched out in front of her.
Blair sighs as she sits on Sunny's other side and turns towards him. "Okay, Sunny. You've been such a good helper—"
"Oh I know!" He cut in, nodding and smiling as he turns to her.
"Right, so to help some more, we need you to sleep… well away from us, okay? We'll all sleep over here and you sleep over there on that end, down there. So that we don't… sleep through you, you understand?"
He looks to the foot of the bed and then back at her, "But it's so cool!" He tells her, "When you go through me!" He giggles.
"Right, sure," she says with a bite of sarcasm as she nods, "Cool… creepy… to each his own, I suppose, but for tonight if you could—"
"Auntie B says that! To each his own!" Sunny cuts in, "It means not everybody likes the same stuff!"
"Right," Chuck says as he goes to sit beside Blair, "So you can do that for us? Sleep down there…" he asks, also taking off his shoes and beginning to shrug out of his vest.
Sunny sighs. "Yeah, I guess so…"
"And you have your bunny," Nate says, slowly approaching the bed. He didn't fit on the side Blair and Chuck were occupying. He would have to sit beside Serena; which would put the girls in the middle and he and Chuck on the outsides.
But he didn't sit. His argument with the blonde was still too fresh on his mind and he wasn't certain he'd be welcome just then.
"Oh!" The little boy nods, silky blonde wisps of hair moving across his forehead, "This is Benny!" He tells them, showing them the ragged pink bunny. He had black button eyes and a pink silk nose and had quite obviously seen better days. "Benny the Bunny!" He elaborates.
Serena laughs a little, "He's precious."
Sunny nods again, as if to say duh.
And then he moves to get off the bed. "I'm gonna turn the light off, okay? But Mommy turned the lamp on a'fore and I like to leave it, okay? Because the light, it has shapes on it…"
And he flicks the light off then and they see what he means. The lamp-shade had cut outs of sail boats and dolphins and waves that dispersed across the walls and ceiling of the room.
"Oh that's cool, Sunny!" Serena exclaims enthusiastically, because she really does love it. The ceiling of Sunny's room is painted a warm blue and in the dimness and with the shapes, it really does wonderful.
Sunny giggles and runs back to the bed. Chuck and Blair are already lying back on it, her back pressed to him, his arm around her waist.
The little boy climbs onto the bed, but stays at the end of it as he'd been asked to. "You don't want to sleep, N?" He wonders as he lies down across the width of the bed, little body curling around the bunny.
Nate licks his lips, "Right…" he says softly, "Yeah, in a minute…" and then he moves, but towards Sunny. He carefully touches the blankets around the little boy and slowly pulls them up around the child until they're covering him and the bunny to his chin.
Sunny smiles and closes his eyes, "G'night…"
"Good night, Sunny." Nate tells him.
"Thank you for your assistance," Chuck calls out.
Sunny giggles, but doesn't respond. Nate stands by the bed and watches him. The room is still, quiet and peaceful, and they can all agree that Chuck's best idea of the day was to lead them to Sunny's room.
Serena's breath is the only sound before her voice fills the stillness, hushed and soft and apologetic, "Come to bed, Nate," she tells, "We all need to sleep…"
And he looks up from the little boy, falling asleep even as they speak, and to where she has shifted over towards Blair, to allow room for him.
It's a tight fit when he lies down beside her. She's pressed against his chest in the same way Blair is pressed against Chuck's. The girls are huddled together at the middle so the boys don't fall of the edge and all four of them have curled their legs behind them, in an intertwining feast of limbs, to avoid overlapping into Sunny.
They're quiet for awhile then, trying not to shift too much. Blair turns away from Serena and into Chuck and he cuddles her closer and relaxes against her.
Time slips away with the faint sounds footsteps in the hall and the dimness of voices in conversation; and Nate is slipping into sleep when Serena turns around towards him, presses herself closer.
"I don't really want you to stop believing me, okay? Ever."
And he blinks, tries to wake up just a little more and focus on what she's saying, knows it's about earlier and how mad she was; but he's hazy at the edges and she sounds so very bothered by it that all he can do is lean his head down closer to hers until their foreheads are touching and whisper, "Okay," because he wants her to stop worrying.
She nods against him; then tucks her face under his and just relaxes in his hold. A moment passes and she breathes a quiet, "Thanks, Natie," into his ear.
And he smiles, closing his eyes again.
And they sleep.
***
