Epilogue

Two days later…

Serena's POV

Tears ran down my perfect cheeks as I stared at the picture of Blair and me. We were smiling at the camera with our arms around each other, standing by a water fountain in Central Park. I held back a fresh wave of tears as I remembered that day. It was before I left; before Bair became a bitch; before we realised that friendship didn't last forever. Tears splashed silently on our smiling faces. The sun was glaring in our eyes and Blair's dark eyes were half closed against the light. I hugged the old photo close to my chest. Where was Blair?

My hand went to my phone and I clicked on the last message from Blair:

Hey S,

Don't freak but I'm leaving for a while with Chuck. Don't come looking for me, I want to be alone. I'll be back as soon as I can.

B xxx

How could she thinking that just disappearing after Carter's funeral would not make me worry. She was my best friend of course I was going to worry. Some deep feeling inside me said it wasn't Blair writing the message but someone else. I shrugged it off; I was going mental.

Footsteps were sounding towards my door and I wiped my eyes quickly.

'Serena,' my mother breathed.

It had taken Blair and Chuck to vanish for Lily to act like a proper mother. Lily placed her thin arms delicately on my upset shoulders. Wiping away some tears from my face she drew me in for a hug.

'We'll find them soon,' Lily soothed, rubbing my back reassuringly.

'But what if we don't,' I cried like a child.

'Oh Serena, we will. They'll come back in a few days, I promise,' Lily said positively.

'But where are they now? Why didn't they tell me they were leaving,' I choked out my worst fear. What if they didn't love me anymore?

'They probably left in a rush. Do you know what I think? I think they went off for some alone time, if you know what I mean,' Lily laughed at her suggestion and reached over for a tissue for her daughter.

I took the tissue gratefully. I wished Blair was here and even a small part of me wanted Chuck. Never did I ever think I would want the repulsive Chuck Bass.

'Come on. Bart's taking us out to dinner,' Lily said standing up, 'we're going to try and forget about Chuck and Blair for a few hours. Ok?'

I snuffled. Forget them? How could I forget my best friend? Was Bart trying to forget his only son as well?

'Serena,' Lily's voice was harsher than before, 'I'm not asking you again. We need to put on a face for the public, understood? Eleanor is coming too so I don't want any talk of Blair in case it upsets her. Blair and Chuck will be back before you know it and after a couple of weeks you'll be arguing and bitching just like old times,'

I sighed; I wouldn't put it past us. I wiped my eyes one last time.

'I'll be down in fifteen minutes,' I said stiffly.

Lily smiled at me and patted my shoulder. She left me to get ready.

Instead of finding clothes I sat at my windows and watched the Manhattan traffic zoom past. I opened the large window and stuck my head out, breathing in the clear night's air. Car honks and constant chatter filtered up to my penthouse window. Every street corner had a memory attached of Blair and Chuck. I closed my eyes and for the first time in my life prayed.

'Dear God, if you're up there, please look after B and Chuck. I know they'll not the most religious of people but they'll my best friends and I want them here with me. If you could just guide them home I would be internally grateful. Thank you, amen,' I finished my rubbish prayer and made a lop-sided sign of the cross.

My phone beeped noisily in my jeans pocket. Annoyed I grabbed it and flipped it open. It was a message from Gossip Girl:

I have sad news Upper East Siders; it seems Queen B and C have disappeared for good. My sources tell me they were last seen being dragged into a black Mercedes by a group of beautiful mysterious people who sped them off into the dark of the night. Spooky, huh? But who are these guys? Kidnappers? Drug dealers? Slavers? My mind reels with the possibilities. But there are more pressing matters at hand, like who will become the next Queen? Will S take her best friend's crown or will it be passed on to Little J? You know you love me xoxo Gossip Girl.

One single tear escaped my closed eye lids. I let it run until it fell off my cheek. Did no one else care but me that they could be gone forever?

'Please come home B,' I whispered out to the night sky, 'I need you,'

Blair's POV

Pain: all consuming pain. Flames licked my skin unmercifully, whipping me without stop, even for a moment. I tried to scream but even that did nothing to stop it. Distant voices told me not to shout, not to scream for relief. But before I could answer they were gone and I was left alone in the fire. I lost track of the time and place; all I could think about was the pain and flames. Never before had I felt pain like this; never had I screamed so much. Was I dying? If death ended this feeling then I welcomed the Grim Reaper with open arms.

But maybe this was death? Maybe I had ended up in Hell and the devil was torturing me. Maybe this would carry on forever. Was it too late to pray for forgiveness?

But the fire seemed to be dying slightly. The flames didn't rise as high as they once did. The pain didn't seem as excruciating, but only ever so faintly. Was I being taken to Heaven? More voices flowed over the blaze vaguely. I tried to work out what they were saying.

'… they must be close to waking up soon…' a man's voice said.

'Soon, Edward, soon,' replied another man tiredly, 'give them a chance,'

'Alice?' the first voice said, 'how long?'

'Let me see. They'll wake up in…'

But then pain seized me again. I yelled out and felt coldness. I yelped. After all the heat and blaze this was alien. Soothing noises echoed clearer and clearer in my head. Snatched whispers and murmurs filtered to my mind. I tried to speak and move my mouth but it didn't respond. Another wave of pain hit me hard and the coldness disappeared rapidly. I struggled to find the cold again but I blacked out into the fiery darkness…

AN: So there it is. Thanks for sticking with me until the end. Thanks to all the reviewers, people who put me on favourites and put me on alerts and to the people who read all of this. I can't believe my first Fan Fic is finished. Hope you've enjoyed reading this and can't wait to see you back for the sequel! Anyone thought of any good title names for that yet? I suck at those.

Love you all

wishiwasalice

xoxo