AUTHOR NOTE: I know that it's been over a month, and I'm terribly sorry for the delay. But my reasons for not writing recently are legit, and here's why: my grandfather was diagnosed a month ago (hence the reason of the last update) with prostate cancer. He's quite healthy for his age, and very active. He started having an irritable cough – one that he couldn't get rid of. Therefore, he decided to go in for a check up. If it hadn't been for the cough he would have never known that he was in the second stage of prostate cancer. Blood work ended up showing high levels of PSA. As a result, he has been undergoing radiation for the past month now. His treatment continues up until the first week of June. The silver lining in all of this is that it is treatable. Had the cancer spread into what can be categorized as stage three, the scenario would have been much graver. Consequently, the rest of my family as well as myself have been helping out my grandfather as well as my grandmother the best that we can.
So, that's why no new chapters we posted recently. But I was finally able to make some time … or more truthfully – inspired to write (I'll explain later), and chose writing over sleep.
Therefore, enjoy!
...
One Month Later…
...
Nate rubbed the side of his temples and sunk into the plushness of the leather couch. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
The sound of feet shuffling towards him met his ears, but he did not open his eyes.
"Rough day?" Chuck's voice noted as he made his way into Nate's apartment.
Nate didn't move nor respond.
Chuck took a seat on the couch next to him. The sound of ice clinking around against glass was unmistakable.
"Isn't it a little early to be drinking?" Nate asked; his eyes still closed.
"Its happy hour somewhere," Chuck enlightened.
Nate sighed and finally opened his eyes. He pursed his lip in thought and stared off into oblivion.
"Something wrong?" Chuck asked.
Nate shook his head lightly.
Chuck arched an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Come on," he urged, "you can tell me anything."
Nate exhaled. His handsome face contorted into a scowl, "Is it crime," he began, his voice soft, yet broken, "to love someone who isn't yours?"
Chuck looked at Nate taken aback and frowned.
...
"That's cute," Serena commented as Blair spun around in front of a full length mirror.
Blair grimaced, "I wasn't going for cute," she informed, "I was going for sexy/posh."
"Sexosh," Dorota nodded in agreement.
Serena eyes widened.
Blair mirrored her actions, "What?"
"Posexy?" Dorota asked.
"Are you speaking Russian?!" Blair questioned incredulously.
"No Ms. Blair," Dorota clarified, "I just thought…Isn't that what you kids do? Combine words?"
Blair opened her mouth to respond, but the sound of heels stomping across the marble floor of the store caused her to turn away from Dorota with alarm.
Jenny headed towards the girls quickly.
Serena eyed her with alarm, "You're late…" Serena trailed off as she caught sight of Jenny's face. Jenny looked as though she were going to faint.
Blair scanned the store quickly, as she mentally noted that Jenny had come alone.
No one left Jenny alone. It had been like clockwork for months now, everyone kept an eye on her out of fear that she would see something or someone that could blow their cover. There was always someone on hand to explain Gossip Girl texts that she didn't understand.
Dealing with condolences about her ordeal with Damien had proved tricky. Luckily, Dan had managed to convince her that everyone was talking about her dog that had to be put down by the humane society. Calling Damien a dog wouldn't startle people. Sure it was an insult to dogs to be compared to him, but it had managed to placate Jenny's questions for now.
"Jenny what's wrong?" Blair asked.
Jenny took a deep breath, "Its nothing," she dismissed quickly, "I'm just tired from running all the way here."
"Running?" Blair questioned, "You ran all the way here to the boutique?"
"Why didn't you ask one of the drivers to bring you?" Serena asked.
"Eric had an errand, and Dan was running late for class," Jenny explained. "There weren't any cars left."
"You do know that you could have called Chuck or Nate," Blair reminded lightly, "I'm sure that it would have been no bother for them to send one of their drivers."
"I wanted to walk," Jenny replied, "I needed the fresh air. Plus I ran into Vanessa and sorta lost track of the time."
"So why did you choose to run?" Blair asked.
"Like I said, I lost track of the time and I thought it was going to rain," Jenny answered. "Didn't want to get stuck in the rain."
Serena arched on eyebrow, as she looked out of the boutique's glass windows. There wasn't a cloud in the sky.
...
"What?" Chuck asked, confused.
"I think," Nate clarified, "I think that I'm in love with Jenny."
"Well that much is already obvious," Chuck pointed out. "Took you long enough to figure it out."
Nate looked at him completely baffled. "What?"
"Come on Archibald," Chuck explained, "Its written all over your face. You smile more when you're around her. You're always ready to save her. You'd go to hell and back for her and her family. I've witnessed it all first hand."
"But if I act on how I feel about her…" Nate trailed off.
"It's not a crime to love her Nate," Chuck responded.
"But wouldn't it be like I'm taking advantage of her," Nate grimaced. "I'm lying to her about everything."
"Are your feelings for her real?" Chuck asked.
Nate nodded, "Yes."
"Then you aren't lying about everything," Chuck stated. "If you love her then tell her you love her. When it comes to love, there is no sense of what is right or wrong as long as there is unconditional love."
Nate blinked and stared at Chuck speechlessly.
"Wipe that look off your face," Chuck mumbled, "Blair tends to turn even the hardest of men into emotional wrecks."
...
"Did you girls find a dress?" Lily asked as she made her way down the spiral staircase of the Humphrey Van Der Woodsen abode.
"Yeah," Serena breathed. "Mine is the color of champagne and Jenny's is a shimmering ivory."
Lily smiled, "Well you girls better hurry up and get dressed. Nate and Carter should be here in an hour."
Serena smiled and hurried to her room.
Jenny leaned against the soft white couch in the living room and watched her go.
Lily took notice of Jenny's expression. "Jenny dear, are you alright?"
"Yeah," Jenny stated smally. "I just have a headache that's all."
...
"Hey," Dan greeted as he opened the front door of his apartment. "You look great."
"Thanks," Vanessa beamed. "You don't look so bad yourself."
Dan smiled. "So…" he stated after a beat and pointed at the untied tie around his neck. "Want to give me a hand?"
Vanessa chuckled, "Sure."
She put down her purse and headed towards Dan. Dan winked at her causing Vanessa to smirk. She picked up the delicate fabric and began crossing the wide end of the tie over the narrow end.
"I ran into Jenny earlier," Vanessa stated suddenly.
Dan arched an eyebrow, "Yeah?"
"She was talking to some girl I didn't recognize," Vanessa continued. "She seemed upset."
"Do you know what they were talking about?" Dan asked.
Vanessa shook her head, "Jenny just dismissed it like it was nothing," she informed with a sour tone.
Dan furrowed his eyebrows at her, "But you don't think that it was nothing. You think that is was something?"
...
Jenny frowned as she inspected herself in her full length mirror. She glanced at her watch quickly.
The events of earlier came back to her, and hit her like a tidal wave.
Flashback:
"Jenny!? Jenny Humphrey?"
"Yeah?"
"Wow! I haven't seen you in like forever."
"…" "Do I know you?"
"It's me. Coralline? Coralline Dewitt."
"…"
"I bought ecstasy from you a few months ago."
"What?"
"I heard about what happened with Damien. I'm so sorry. How awful. I never pictured Dalgaard as a killer/rapist."
"What?!"
End of Flashback.
Jenny sighed. If it hadn't been for Vanessa interrupting the conversation she probably could have figured out that girls deal.
Damien? Damien Dalgaard? Jenny thought to herself. Dan had said Damien was a dog. A dog that she couldn't remember. Why couldn't she remember?
Jenny glanced at her watch again. She figured that she would have more than enough time to do a google search.
...
"Hey you," Serena cooed as Carter stepped out of the elevator and into the foyer. She immediately wrapped her arms around him.
"Beautiful as always," Carter stated appreciatively. Serena giggled in response.
The elevator chimed suddenly; Nate stepped out of it this time.
"Hey," Serena greeted.
Nate waved lightly, "Hi. Where's Jenny?"
Serena smiled, "Probably still getting dressed."
...
Jenny looked back at the face that stared back at her in horror.
Confusion filled her features.
"He looks like Nate," Jenny stated aloud in shock. But it wasn't the image that surprised her the most. The semblance of familiarity and recognition came flying back to her.
She knew this man.
She knew him.
But how?
Jenny glanced at the bright green BIO icon next to his image. It shone at her like a beacon, beckoning her to press it.
...
AUTHOR NOTE: So as I stated above - I haven't had time to pen a chapter in like forever. I was seriously debating a hiatus until after GG's season finale. But since last night's episode (I live in Canada, so we're a day ahead of the US) ended with a delightful NJ scene, I thought better of it. I'm starting to highly suspect that Nate wants to secretly be a Humphrey or at least be part of their family.
The reason I was debating a hiatus for this story was when spoilers started circulating about a certain storyline, which made my stomach cringe. Then the promo for Gossip Girl's season finale hit youtube, and it basically confirmed my fear.
If you haven't seen the promo with Jenny and Chuck – then you'll be completely oblivious as to what I'm talking about, but if you have then you know what apparently goes down.
If that trailer is in fact what happens on GG's season finale, then I'll be gravely peeved. I'm a spoiler junkie, because I hate surprises. So I tend to read things in advance to mentally prepare myself. GG as dramatic as it is, has never done anything much to throw me off guard. Well, that was until I saw the trailer for the season three finale. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping for the best. GG's trailers have been known to be misleading in the past, and that is the hope that I'll be holding on to until the episode airs on Sunday.
I really hate how the show has begun to write Jenny. Why are they trying to ruin her character? I mean when Serena pulls the same shit, she comes of smelling like roses, but Jenny always comes off seeming like a bitch. It's not fair.
Another reason I was debating a hiatus is Jenny's departure from the series. If you haven't heard by now… have you been living in a box? It's been in interviews and magazines for a month now. Taylor Momsen will be leaving the show for a brief period. She'll be touring with her band during Jenny's absence from the Upper East Side.
As a result, for storyline continuity I wanted to make sure that my story and the show were on the same path. I'm praying that Blair is just overreacting in the promo and that what she thinks happened didn't happen. Hopefully Chuck is covering for someone…like Nate. That would make sense. Chuck's bromance with Nate is epic; maybe the writers are resurrecting it? Am I making any sense? I'm sorry if I'm not. I'm a bundle of nerves right now.
GG's finale happens a few days before 90210's. I'm a Naomi fan, and spoilers have indicated that something horrible happens to her in the finale. Well, more like two horrible things happen to her. I'm a Naomi/Liam fan as well, and what happens to liomi in the finale as well as what happens to Naomi - will just hurt my heart.
Therefore, watching Jenny and Naomi suffer in their respective season finales is bound to leave me depressed.
PLEASE REVIEW!