A/N So sorry for the long hiatus - I was struggling with writer's block for a long time, but am back now!

To recap: Lucy has had a bit of a downward spiral following her father's rejection and Carter giving in to his dark side. Blair and Nate are back together, but how long will that last now Serena has returned?

Eleanor was holding a party at the Waldorf penthouse. There was nothing unusual in that, but she had made it clear to both her daughters that they were to attend and behave. Lucy, dressing in her bedroom, tried to ignore the muffled voices coming from Blair's bedroom. She knew what Blair had planned today. She could hear voices downstairs also, most of the guests already there and the party in full swing. Her fingers trembled as she did up the buttons of the dress her mother had given her to wear, her thoughts on the text she had sent to Carter last night.

We're over. I know what you've been doing. L

He hadn't texted back, but he had tried to call a few times. Lucy let the calls go to voicemail. Blair and Nate had told her a few nights ago that Carter had been going to strip clubs. God knew what he had been up to in China for 4 months, but she doubted he had been celibate. It seemed she hadn't really known him at all. It had taken her a few days to clear her head, but she realised she really had hit a low passing out in her own bathroom and her little sister and brother having to take care of her. She had resolved to be stronger and focus on her own happiness, and letting her toxic relationship with Carter go was the best place to start.

"Miss Lucy, your mother is wondering where you are," Dorota said, her sweet face appearing in the doorway. Lucy nodded and looked at herself in the glass one last time. Her face was pale, but her hair fell in perfect ringlets and her ruby red lipstick was intact. She was presentable.

As she started walking towards the door, she heard Eleanor's voice from below. "Serena? Serena Van Der Woodsen? Blair! Serena is here!"

Lucy and Dorota shared shocked glances as Lucy headed for the stairs, ascending gracefully yet quickly to the floor below. The room was thronged with people, but she searched through the crowd looking towards the elevator, where Serena stood, looking worried. She was dressed casually. Lucy saw her scan the crowd and then head towards the far corner of the room. She watched as she spoke briefly with her mother, and then turned to leave.

Blair and Nate came down the stairs quickly, Blair looking a little flushed, and they intercepted Serena as she headed towards the elevator. A few brief words were exchanged, and then she left. Blair turned around and then saw Lucy. Her face crumpled and she ran for the stairs. Lucy followed her.

"She said she'd see me at school!" Blair cried, walking over to the window and watching the street below distractedly.

"So she is back then?" Lucy said, frowning. "Why now?"

Blair didn't say anything.

"What was Nate like?"

Blair sighed and turned around. "Incredibly eager to see her again. He couldn't take his eyes off her."

Lucy walked over to Blair and pulled her into a hug. "Let's go shopping," she said decidedly. "Take our minds of everything."

Blair raised an eyebrow as she finally took in Lucy's pale face.

"What do you have to take your mind of? Carter's infidelity? Your drinking habit?" she asked snidely.

Lucy crossed her arms. "Not my problem anymore what Carter does," she said. "I broke up with him."

Blair smiled and nodded approvingly.

"You took your time," she said, "but better late than never. Let's go down and mingle inconspicuously until we can escape."

Lucy chuckled and ran to grab her clutch from her room and they headed back down to the party.

Chuck was leaning against the hall closet, as if reading their minds. He raised an eyebrow as they approached.

"Hello ladies, enjoying the party?" He smirked at Blair. "Happy to see your dear best friend Serena again?"

"Shut up Chuck," Blair snapped, "and get out of my way."

Chuck put a hand up to his chest. "I'm wounded, Waldorf. And why would you want to get in here?" He turned to gesture the closet behind him. "What could you possibly need in here at a party?"

Lucy leaned in and whispered.

"We're escaping and if you help us. we'll let you come. We're going shopping!"

Chuck grinned.

"Meet me at the elevator. I'll get your coats."

Twenty minutes later, Chuck, Lucy and Blair got out of the limo at Bergdorf's and entered the store.

"Darling Nate didn't want to come?" Chuck said, loosening his scarf a little due to the heat inside the store.

"Darling Nate would rather stare at Serena," Blair said through clenched teeth. "So he can do that to his heart's content."

Blair picked up a new clear sheer satin blouse for school and when she came out of the changing rooms blushed fiercely at the look Chuck gave her.

"Eyes up here, Bass," she said coquettishly as she twirled for their approval. Lucy smiled to herself as she watched the magnetic attraction between the two.

"My apologies, Waldorf," Chuck drawled as his eyes raked up her body before he met her brown eyes. "That blouse is asking for trouble."

Lucy wandered over to the bags, leaving them to their flirty banter. She eyed a light blue Chanel bag that would be perfect for school and was just fingering the smooth leather when she heard a shrill voice just around the corner.

"What are we doing here, Carter?" a high pitched voice snapped.

"Just looking for someone," Carter's familiar voice said impatiently. "Just...go look at some shoes or something."

Carter turned the corner and smiled in satisfaction as he saw Lucy.

"There you are. You were spotted on Gossip Girl. I need to talk to you. What was that text about last night?" His voice was soothing and low, and he approached her with a gentle smile on his face. Lucy stepped backwards and crossed her arms.

"That was me breaking up with you. I know what you've been up to these last few months. I know you were in a strip club last night. That may be ok with other girls, but it's not with me. So we're over."

Carter's smile disappeared.

"So Blair has been turning you against me," he said. "Why would you believe her? She hasn't liked me since I went out with Serena."

"She's my sister." Lucy had tried to forget that Carter had dated Serena, but now it was in the forefront of her mind and it made it that much easier to remain firm.

"Baizen, what are you doing here?" Blair said, as she approached them. She stood next to Lucy and folded her arms, staring at him coldly. Chuck ambled up behind her and smirked.

"Stalking, much?"

Carter glared at him.

Lucy suddenly remembered the high pitched voice that had first alerted her to Carter's approach. "Who was that with you?"

Carter rolled his eyes. "No one," he said. "I just needed to see you, Lucy. I still care about you."

Blair laughed. "You have a really funny way of showing it," she said.

"Yeah, usually when you like a girl, you don't abandon her for 4 months to go to China and sleep with other girls, but then again, I've never had a girlfriend so what do I know?" Chuck added wryly.

"I think we're done here," Lucy said lightly.

"But why should we leave?" Blair said. "Carter's the one who invaded our territory."

Carter sighed and looked at Lucy, who nodded in agreement with Blair. He turned and walked away.

Hey UESers, Gossip Girl here,

Queens L and B spotted in Bergdorf's with none other than CB and CB in an epic showdown.

Looks like L will be graduating single.

Unless she finds another boy to play with. Or man - she seems to like them older.

Oh and B, where's N? We hope S's return hasn't caused...friction.

xoxo

Lucy read the blast and sighed. She heard Blair slam her phone down in the bathroom.

"Hurry up, B, I need to shower!" she yelled.

"In a minute," Blair yelled back.

When she heard Blair's bathroom door close, Lucy entered the bathroom and quickly stepped in the shower. She was going to be late to school if she didn't hurry.

By the time she was ready, Blair had already left. She huffed and grabbed her phone and bag before running down the stairs to the elevator. She had piano lessons at break today, extra Calculus at lunch and her Marchesa internship after school. It was going to be a busy day and she hadn't had time for breakfast.

She headed for homeroom as soon as she got to school and slipped into her seat beside Tinsley, who smiled at her.

"I heard Serena's back," she whispered to her, as Ms Peters called for attention.

It was all anyone could talk about that day. The great SVDW was back, gorgeous as ever, and everyone wanted to be her friend. So, business as usual, but Lucy got the feeling there was a reason Serena was back and it wasn't to reconnect with her former BFF.

It was only when she was leaving the atelier that she checked her messages.

I've said I'll meet Serena tonight for a drink. I'll throw her a bone and see if she confesses. B x

I've got a plan to provoke S into confessing. Call me to discuss. C

Lucy I need to talk to you as my sister. Can you forget you're Blair's sister for say, half an hour? N

Lucy sighed.

She dialled Chuck first, but it went to voicemail. She hoped his plan wasn't too evil. She left Blair to it, knowing the two of them would catch up when she came home. Then she called Nate and told him to come over to the Waldorf penthouse.

Nate was pacing when she arrived home. She took him into the drawing room and closed the door.

"Is this about Serena?" she said abruptly.

Nate nodded, looking tortured. "You know... she was my first. And she just left me without a word for months and now she's come back and it's like I don't even exist!"

Lucy sat down and patted the seat next to her.

"I know how you feel. I slept with Carter, and he was my first, and then he left me for months to go to China with barely a goodbye. We weren't right for each other."

"You slept with Carter?" Nate said, his face going red. "And he treated you like that? I had no idea it had been that serious."

Lucy sighed. "That's beside the point. I know how you feel. You gave Serena something special and she left you without a word and hasn't acknowledged it since."

"You're right, she hasn't. And now Blair wants to sleep with me and Serena has come back and I'm just so confused. I just think, if I really wanted to be with Blair, I would have been by now, don't you think? She keeps offering!"

"Maybe that's why you don't. Serena was forbidden and therefore exciting. Blair has been there for you for years, the perfect girlfriend. Maybe that just doesn't...excite you."

Nate smiled wryly.

"Maybe not. Thanks, Lucy, it's a bit clearer now. I need to tell Blair tonight that I can't do this right now."

"Don't break up with her right now Nate. It's not fair on her if you do that as soon as Serena is back."

Nate sighed.

"Fine, but I'm not going to stay away from Serena either. I have to work out how I really feel."

"Fine. And if Blair asks, this conversation never happened."

Nate nodded and hugged her.

"Thanks, big sis," he said, grinning a little as he pulled back to face her. "And is it true you and Carter broke up? People were talking about it at school."

"Yes, I finally gave him the boot!" Lucy said, feeling lighter than she had in ages. "I'm back, out of my spiral, and ready to conquer."

"That's brilliant," Nate said, "it was horrible seeing you like that."

"I'm sorry, I was a mess."

"Lucy!" Blair's shrill voice called. Lucy stood up quickly.

"Let me talk to her first," she said hurriedly, as she opened the drawing room door slightly and slipped through, heading over to Blair who was starting to stomp up the staircase.

"B, don't you have plans with Nate?"

"I need to vent first. I'm not meeting Nate till half past. I can't believe she didn't tell me!"

They went into Lucy's bedroom as Blair had hers set up for her rendezvous with Nate later.

"What did she say?"

"She said she missed me, but that she had just 'needed to get away'. They're living at the Palace Hotel at the moment as Lily is redecorating their apartment. I told her about Dad and Roman, and how Mum's been. It was...good to have her there to talk to again, but she just wasn't honest with me about Nate!"

"And if she was, would you just forgive her?" Lucy asked, as she retrieved her nightwear from her closet and went into the bathroom to change.

"Well, of course not, L. I forgave Nate because he was honest with me pretty much straight away, but Serena just abandoned me!"

"Is she invited to your party tomorrow?" Lucy asked through the bathroom door.

Blair huffed.

"Not officially, as I didn't know she was coming back, but I suppose she can come."

Lucy emerged from her bathroom in a dark blue silk negligee and got into bed, picking up her book, Wuthering Heights, from the bedside table.

"Well, me and Tinsley will be there. Hope you're ok, B, and good luck tonight with Nate."

Blair screwed up her dainty nose. "Thanks, I'll need it."

She left, and Lucy opened her book, settling in to read with a sigh of contentment.

A/N So, first chapter in a while. My apologies again. I have the next few chapters sketched out, and the story is still very firmly in my mind, so I promise to update soon!