New chapter,
golnaz, I am sorry that I killed Nate's father but also it is life and most of the time it is a way to open some doors. It was necessary for the development and also the ending of my story to kill someone close to Nate's. But to comfort you, think that we are now close to the end so close to an happy Serena and Nate ending. Also if you read in between the lines in the last chapter, there is something that you should like. Let's see if you can find this detail :)
xx
In the meantime at the VDW penthouse
Serena arrived at her parents early, before 9am. Eric was there, he came to spend the weekend in NYC and because of the elections Serena did not really have time to spend time with him. She knew that Chuck and Blair would arrive before 10am too.
Lily was surprised to see Serena so early, usually Serena arrives 10min late and not an hour an a half earlier. Serena replied that she just wanted to spend a bit of time with them before the rest of the family arrives.
« Eric is not there often so I came earlier, is he up. » asked Serena smiling
Lily nodded and called Eric. Serena was so happy to see her little brother. She asked him so many things about his new life in Vancouver, about his Australian boyfriend Jordan. Eric also asked Serena how she was, Columbia, the separation with Dan...
He knew that his sister left Dan and went to Nate's house but he was surprised to know that she was still living there and got even more surprised as she was calling Nate's house her home.
« You know what Eric, you should come home with me later. Nate got the house as it was before his parents sold it but at the same time he did amazing changes, I love it. The 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th floor are empty but Nate wants to do something there. We are thinking about what could be the best. I already told Nate that I want the 6th floor my office as in june I will officially be a psychologist. » she said excited
Her eyes were shining when she was talking about Nate but Eric believed that if she was not telling anything about her and Nate that's probably because it was not the right moment, all that matters to him was to see his sister happy. Eric knew that Nate always loved Serena and he knew that his sister always had feelings for the beautiful man too, as long as they could find happiness together, it was more than perfect for him.
...
When William arrived with the viennoiseries, they all sat on the couches and started to talk about everything. They were waiting for Chuck, Blair and Henry and also for Cece.
Lily noticed that Serena seemed really happy and she made a comment about it. Serena was playing with Bunny, the fluffy rabbit that her and Eric bought to their mom on last mother's day. As Lily was complaining that all her friends, except Anne Archibald, were grandmother already and she wanted to have grandsons too, so they decided to offer a pet.
Lily loved the animal but insisted on the fact that it could not be compared with grandchildren. That day, Serena had to tell her mother that she would not be grandmother anytime soon as Dan did not want to have kids yet. Remembering this was still painful for Serena, she wanted to have kids so much, she really took the right decision, Dan was not for her.
...
« Serena, honey, I am glad to see you smiling like that. You look so happy, who or what do we have to thank for this. » asked Lily
« Well, I guess that being a free woman again is helping. » laughed a sparkling Serena
« Are you sure this is all. » insisted Lily
« Yes mom, why. I am just so glad to be free » and she blushed as some flashes of last night came to her mind.
Lily raised an eyebrow and Eric and William looked at each other
« If you were feeling like that why did you marry him. »asked Blair as the Bass family was walking into the living room
Chuck said that he was happy for Serena and everybody agreed. However Lily was still observing her daughter.
« Yes honey, we are happy for you. And I have to say that I agree with Blair, if being away from Dan is making you so happy, why did you not do it sooner. » said Lily with a smile to make her sentence lighter
Serena rolled her eyes and laughed. Blair hugged Serena
« I am glad you did it S. »
...
After kisses and hugs, Lily said that they were only waiting for Cece and Serena said that she told Nate to come aswell.
« I hope you don't mind mom. »
«Of course not, Nathaniel is always welcomed in this house and as we did not have the chance to congratulate him yesterday, it is the perfect. By the way, we tried to call you after you left. We were all so worried about you and Nate. » explained Lily with her hands on her heart
Serena felt 5p pairs of eyes on her.
«He was home, he just wanted to avoid journalists and you know he received anonymous letters again this week so it was better for him to go home even if he knows that people could not understand. » Hopefully they would focus on the anonymous letters and forget about the rest.
« Oh I hope that those letters are just a way to scare him, politic is a complicated world and dangerous sometimes. Did he inform the police. » asked William concerned
« Yes dad, his grandfather did. »
«And my private detective is also working on it. »added Chuck
Lily was still looking at Serena.
« Well I hope it is nothing serious but Serena, it doesn't excuse you. You said you were going to let us know if you found him and you did not. Anne and the Captain were really worried. Why did you not pick up the phone. »
It sounded as a reproach and it was also a way for Lily to make Serena understand that she did not believe her. Serena hated when her mother was acting like that. Serena wondered how her mother could be such a bad mother sometimes but still having this extremely developed sense to flair when there was something going on.
« I am sorry ok. I left my phone in the kicten when I arrived home and then we went upstairs, I went to sleep and I forgot. »
« You went to sleep at 8:30pm. » asked Lily and Blair at the same time
« I spoke with Nate for a while and then I went to sleep but what I mean is that I did not go back downstairs. »
Serena was doing her best to make it sounds real. She did not like the fact that everybody was observing her. She felt like a 12 years old girl who would have stole candies.
«And now can we just eat and let the interrogations for later. » she said looking at the food in front of her. She hoped that Nate would act normal and was not going to let them notice anything. She did not want anybody to find out yet, they needed time for themselves before to tell anyone.
«Yes mom please I am starving. » said Eric who knew his sister and understood that she did not want to talk about last night. He would just ask her later what happened.
« May be we should wait for Nathaniel and Cece. » said Chuck
« Yes Charles you are right, I am going to call my mother because she is never late and Serena why don't you call Nate. »
Serena smiled and blushed, she needed to find an excuse as her phone was broken. She did not let it is in the kitchen as she said, she has her phone in her clutch, clutch that felt in the stairs, opened during its fall. Her phone fell, a long fall. It literally exploded in pieces when it touched the floor, she found out only this morning when she went downstairs, she was too busy taking off Nate's clothes last night to care about it.
« I forgot my phone at home. » she said with a smile. She picked a croissant and started to eat it.
Chuck took his phone and tried to call Nate but his phone was off. Lily tried Cece, line was busy.
...
Cece arrived 10 minutes later, she was livid
« Sorry, I know I am late but. »
« Mother are you ok. » asked Lily preoccupied
« Yes, I am but William Van Der Bilt called me. » She did not even take a sit which worried everybody. Specially Serena who was already up, with her jacket on.
« He tried to reach you Serena but darling your phone is still turned off and he knew that I was going to see you all so he called me. »
Serena looked at her grandmother. Her heart stopped beating, she felt her all body getting tensed
«Did something happen to Nate. » she asked already standing up next to the elevator ready to leave
Her reaction did not pass unnoticed, Chuck thought about what she said and wondered if something happened between the pretty blonde and his best friend. His instinct was telling him that those two did something more than talking last night.
Her grandmother stopped her
« The Captain had a heart attack, Nathaniel and Anne are at the hospital. The Captain won't pass the morning. Come on my car is downstairs. »
Serena was already in the elevator waiting for her grandmother, Chuck, Blair and Lily who were coming too.
Serena did not say a word during the ride. She could not think about anything except how Nate must feel. He was going to feel guilty for sure.
...
When they arrived at the hospital, Cece said that William gave her the floor and the number of the room. Serena ran out of the car without waiting for the rest of the group. She was running into the hallway, her heels slamming the floor.
She hoped that they were not arriving too late and that the Captain was still alive but once she opened the door she saw the straight line on the machine, the Captain was dead.
Anne was in her father's arms while Nate was still holding his father hand. She was behind him, he has not seen her yet. She put her hands on his shoulders and then wrapped her arms around his neck. Nate took her hands and stood up to face Serena. She saw the distress and pain in his eyes and she hugged him, her arms around his neck, her fingers in his hair. Nate wrapped his arms around Serena's waist in such a strong way as if he was afraid that she could leave, he was crying so much. Serena was crying too.
« I am here Natie. I am so sorry. »
Lily, Chuck, Blair and Cece, at the door frame, were observing the scene in silence. Lily and Cece went to Anne while Chuck and Blair hugged Serena and Nate.
« Anne, I am so sorry. » said Lily
« Thanks for coming Lily. »
« Let me know if you need help. »
...
Lily and Cece helped the Archibald to call the family members, the two sisters of the Captain. Cynthia came on the afternoon as she was leaving in New Jersey, the other one Christina was living in Washington but was arriving tonight.
They were not really close as since his marriage with Anne, the Captain had not see his sisters very often. They were not rich or powerful as the Van Der Bilt and the Van Der Bilt clan was not an easy one to get it. For years the Captain denied his family, he believed that he was better than them as he got William Van Der Bilt daughter. However, since he went out of jail, the Captain and Anne visited his sister Cynthia more often and saw Christina and her family in few occasions.
Cynthia said that it was better to let their mother out of it. The poor lady was suffering from alzheimer and as she could not clearly remember anything it was better to let her in her lost world.
...
Chuck and Blair helped William with the organization of the funeral and the election. William was trying to get an additional week before the second turn. This week had to be off to respect their loss.
...
Serena and Nate did all the papers, went to the cemetery of Plainfield as his father always said that he did not want to be buried with the Van Der Bilt in their family mansion in the hampstons. Nate had to insist on this point as his mother said that Howard got this idea after the bankruptcy.
« And when I am going to die, what Nate. » she said but Nate did not listen. He knew that this is what his father wanted.
«For now I don't even want to think about your funeral mum. »
...
It was the first time that Serena was in a car alone with Nate. They all got their driving license years ago and Nate bought an SUV mercedes in LA and transferred it to NYC when he came back even if in NYC none of them was driving.
Nate was really quiet but he was happy to have Serena by his side, he was happy that she had decided to go with him. As it was sunday, it had been complicated to find someone who could tell them what they have to do to get a place here. At the cemetery they found the Archibald family grave.
The Captain never took Nate here, it was sad that the Captain never really shared anything about his family and origins. They looked at all the names on the grave in silence. Serena was holding Nate's hand.
« I am sorry Mister Archibald but do you want to bury your father here with his family. » asked the mayor of Plainfield, a short man with a moustache. He was the one who took Nate's call and came to meet them. Nate nodded, yes this was going to be the place.
« Ok, fine, now Mister and Mrs Archibald, if you don't mind I need you to come to my office to sign few papers and also to pick up a date. It is impossible to organize it for tomorrow but may be tuesday. I know that you have the election but it is a small town here and I will need 48 hours. »
Nate said that it was fine and with Serena, they followed the Mayor to his office. It was not the first time that people who don't know them believed that they were a couple but it was the first time that someone called Serena Mrs Archibald and the smile that Serena offered to the Mayor after he called her Mrs Archibald was probably the only positive thing today, thought Nate.
Hopefully one day, she will be his wife and curiously this idea did not seem crazy anymore.
...
On their way back Serena asked Nate if he was ok as he was really quiet. He explained her that he felt so weird in front of that grave.
« I mean, I am an Archibald and I don't even know who were those people. Except my grandfather's name that I recognized for the rest no idea. Like what about this Lea Archibald who died at 12 in the 70's or Milan Archibald who died last year. It was so strange and I know that this is what my father wanted but I wish that I would have the chance to know the Archibald more. »
« May be you can. Your aunts are coming and may be your cousins too. I know funeral is not the place to reconnect with people but it could be a new start or we could go to see your grand auntie Laurel or your grandmother, even if I know that she is lost in her world but may be we are gonna be lucky and catch her in a good day where she knows who she is. »
Nate liked the idea but what he liked the most was the we that Serena used in her sentences.
...
William got an extra week before the second turn. All the details were settled, funeral was going to be on tuesday. St Patrick chuch before to escort the Captain to Plainfield. Lily and Cece with the help of Serena and Blair did a great job as many Archibald came to the funeral.
Some stayed at Nate's house or at the Van Der Bilt house. Nate offered his mum to come to his house but she preferred to stayed at the Van Der Bilt house. She did not want to be in this house, she had too many memories there and also she did not really want to see Serena and Nate together. She was sure, as many, that something happened the night of the election. She was seeing them being so close, so in love and she was worried about Nate. It will take her time to truly believe that Serena was not going to break his heart one more time so she got an idea to take Nate's away from Serena for few days at least.
Her father told her that it was none of her business and that may be nothing happened.
« At the end we got no proof darling and I am not seeing them acting differently. »
« I am sure about it dad, something is going on and Nate is not in a good position is weak and playing the married couple with Serena is not a good thing for him. I was thinking to ask him to come with me to the Hamptons until the end of the week. He needs time to think, away from her. We will leave after the funeral »
William sighed but agreed. Could not be that bad and it could also let time to Serena to think too, in case she needed too.