A/N: I do not own Gossip Girl or its characters.
Serena looked gorgeous in the golden dress and her Loubotin high heels and Nate handsome is his fitting Armani suit. As the party was first of kind for New York high society, a lot of press was gathered outside the banquet. As Nate got out of the car and stretched his hand for Serena to take numerous cameras started flashing a reporters started shouting their questions. They did the customary pose after they got out the car but ignored all other questions and requests.
They got inside and mingled with the guests, not leaving each others side. The knew Lola was eyeing them intently but paid no heed to it. After dinner, the guests were dancing with each other and Serena and Nate saw that to be the best opportunity for their task.
They went into the empty closet and indicated Chuck to do the needful. Just as the two of them started kissing each other and making out, Chuck started streaming the video live to Gossip Girl. She too, posted the article Serena had sent to her, headlined, 'Manhattan's Newest Outsider.'
Lola was shocked at what was going on around her. She never expected Nate to do such a thing, let alone the article.
At the closet, Chuck got a message from Gossip Girl, telling him to keep recording the video. He knew what she wanted and sighed. Thankfully, just then Serena glanced towards him and he signalled that the video was still on. She whispered to Nate and they silently communicated the next steps and faked the perfect video. Chuck stretched his hand and turned around because even if they were faking the video, he still saw Serena as his sister.
Lily had left the party early as she wasn't feeling really well. Five minutes into her ride, and she got the link to the video, which she never expected nor wanted to see. She couldn't believe it and not wanting to view anything she couldn't unsee, she dialled the number of her one time good friend.
"Did you see it?" She asked.
"Unfortunately." Said the voice on the call.
"Let us meet at my house."
"Sure. Dad will be joining us." On the other side, Anne Archibald cut the call and went to her father so that they could get onto the chopper to make their way to the city.
Nate and Serena knew that they couldn't go into the party again, so they had an escape plan in place. Form the back gate, they quickly met up with Blair and Chuck who were waiting for them in a limo.
"Lily wants you both at the apartment." Chuck said with a smirk.
"God, no!" Serena groaned.
"I will call Grandfather tomorrow." Nate grumbled. He did not want to be a part of that call.
"Thank you." Blair whispered to the two of them.
"It is my fault." Serena said shaking her head.
"Did two of you actually do it or was it fake?" Chuck asked, smirking.
"It was fake." Nate said, not believing what they just did. "If Grandfather kills me, I will haunt you." Nate laughed, poking Serena.
"Hopefully we can convince my mom." Serena said. "The two of you are coming with us." Blair and Chuck nodded, they were not gonna let the two face this situation by themselves.
"Where is Dan, Blair?" Nate asked.
"Oh.. We broke up." Blair said.
"B..." Serena started.
"It wasn't your fault. We would have broken up as it is." Blair said.
They reached the Van der Woodsen building and made their way up to the penthouse. To their surprise, Lily was not alone and Anna and William Vanderbilt were with her, as well as Bart Bass.
"Mom, Grandfather." Nate said, dreading what was about to come.
"Come in, all four of you." Lily said, stricter than ever.
"The video was fake." Serena started before anyone could say something.
"That was fake?" Anne asked not believing a word.
"Yes. Chuck recorded it." Nate said.
"Why would you fake such a video?" Lily asked trying to stay calm.
"To help me," Blair said.
"So this video is edited?" Bart asked.
"No."
"It's your doppelgängers?" Anne asked.
"Uh..no. it is us" Nate replied.
"Then what's fake?" William shouted, speaking for the first time causing both Serena and Nate to flinch.
"Umm... The act... What's shown." Nate gathered the courage to speak.
"Who cares?" William asked. "At this point, you might have not even faked that!"
"Grandfather..." Nate started only to be interrupted by Lily.
"Why?" She simply asked.
"Gossip Girl had something on Blair, because of me. In exchange for her never posting it, she asked that we destroy Lola." Serena said.
"And this is the only way you found appropriate!" Anne asked, appalled. "Having sex on camera?"
"Seeing that what event it was, we thought it would be the most believable." Nate said.
"What do you mean?" Bart asked. Blair and Chuck wanted to laugh out loud. Nate forgot that many people didn't know about the Shepherd Wedding.
"Why do you think you are laughing? You recorded that video, you are just as much in the doghouse as them in this." Lily told her stepson. Chuck immediately stopped laughing, causing Blair to laugh harder. Lily hardly used the strict mother tone with Chuck, but whenever she did, Chuck knew she was serious.
"What do you mean by the event that it was?" Anna asked.
"Uh... we...Let's just say that..." Serena started.
"No. No 'lets just say' something. Entire truth, now!" Lily demanded.
"We slept with each other during the Shepherd wedding before Serena went to boarding school." Nate said in one breadth. There was complete silence following that.
"I had gone to Nate, to invite him to go to the party with me before I knew what Gossip Girl wanted from me. It seemed perfect that time. Blair, Chuck, Matthew, all agreed." Serena said.
"Matthew knew?" William Vanderbilt asked. Nate nodded. William took out his phone and dialled a number. "I am sending you a location. Be there, right now." He said.
"We know we screwed up. It just seemed the best idea." Nate said.
"Best idea! There were a thousand ways you could have done that that didn't include making a sex tape." Anne shouted.
"Look. Lola never liked me. She thought she could turn Nate against me which did cause a rift between us. This was just..." Serena said.
"making it look like Serena was my priority," Nate finished.
The elevator dinged and Matthew stepped out. "Jeez, who died?" He asked.
"You." William said. "You are supposed to be the eldest in your generation and still you let these two commit social suicide." He shouted.
"Oh come on. Nate and Serena getting together is the last thing that should surprise you." He said.
"You are right." Anne said. "It is not their union that we object, but the way in which they announced it to the world."
"You knew they were making a sex tape." William roared.
"You were to just make-out and pretend that that is what it was leading to." He questioned his brother.
"Gossip Girl texted me to continue the video and so I signalled Serena to improvise on spot." Chuck explained.
"I cannot believe your stupidity." Anne grumbled.
"William, how do we do some damage control now?" Lily asked.
"I don't think even we can 100% control this, but for starters," he turned towards Nate and Serena, "you two are a couple. Got it?"
"Grandfather, we haven't-" Nate started. Dating each other was not they had planned.
"Nate, shut up. You two lost the right to speak when you did this." Anne scolded, clearly in no mood for any excuses from her son.
"They are right, Nate, Serena. Things can be a lot worse for both of you than pretending to date each other." Bart said.
"The two of you seem pros at it too." Lily commented.
"Now. Anne give Nate your ring." William said.
"Grandfather..." Nate started. William just raised his hand causing him to shut up.
"We announce it tomorrow. This proposal is what caused you two to do what you did. Someone took Chuck's phone and recorded the video." William said. "None of you were aware of this nonsense until it got out. Alright?"
"Chuck hand me your phone." Bart asked. Chuck handed it over and Bart drowned it in a glass of alcohol. "You can get a new one tomorrow. But first, report it stolen." He took Blair's phone and got up to report his 'missing' device.
"We cannot just get engaged." Serena said enraged.
"Why? You two have been friends for years. Everyone knows how close you two are." Lily said.
"I will buy you an apartment in the city and the Spectator can be an engagement gift from my side." William said.
"Or what?" Nate challenged, clearly not pleased by the turn of events.
"Or both the families publicly disown you and well, the tape can go viral as it is. You might have faked it but I'm pretty sure one can't say so at the first glance." William said.
Serena turned to Lily,"You wouldn't"
"We would" Lily replied agreeing with the Vanderbilt patriarch.
"No. You can't decide our lives like that." Nate said and walked up the stairs. Serena followed him and saw him sitting on the bed of what was once her room.
"I'm sorry I dragged you into this mess." She said softly.
"You didn't drag me. I was a willing participant." Nate said. She went and sat by him and took his hand in hers.
"What do we do?" She asked.
"I have no idea." He said and laid back on the bed. Serena followed him and the two were half-lying the bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Folks downstairs would not be happy seeing you like that." Chuck said entering the room along with Blair.
"Do what they say, but do it on your terms." Blair said.
"What do you mean?" Nate asked. "Get married as a ruse?" Nate sarcastically asked.
"The whole city saw the chemistry the two of you have. You might have faked having sex but the chemistry was real. We all know that." Blair said.
"So what, we can't just get married. It's been two years since we dated." Serena said.
"That's where your terms come. Ask for as long an engagement as you want. Date, have fun." Blair continued.
"The two of you are perfect for each other. Also, ask to continue staying at the Empire for now." Chuck suggested. "Go at the pace you want."
"What if we are not happy with each other?" Nate asked.
"Chances are low, but if that happens, go through a separation guided by society rules." Chuck said.
"Start controlling the narrative." Blair said. Nate and Serena looked at each other and lightly nodded.
"Ready?" Nate asked.
"Let's do this." Serena said. Nate got up and then pulled Serena with him. The four walked downstairs and took their seats.
"We will get engaged." Nate said. All grown ups let out a relived sigh.
"But, we have a few conditions." Serena said.
"What?" Anne asked.
"Number one, we decide when we wnat to get married. No wedding planning as of now." Nate said.
"Two, We stay at the Empire. We are not willing to move into a new place." Serena said.
"Three, we hold a press conference tomorrow and explain. We will say what is to be said not you."
"Four, I shouldn't need to say this, but I have applied to a few magazines as a columnist. I will work, and it won't be at the Spectator."
"Five, last, for now at least, I will get Serena another ring. This one is just for society functions." Nate concluded.
"Fine." William said, "but someone from our PR team will go through your statement tomorrow."
"And we will be throwing an engagement party." Lily said, and Anne nodded in agreement.
"Fine. Plan it to your hearts content." Serena said, rolling her eyes. "Just tell us when and where."
"Overwhelmed?" Nate asked Serena as he closed te door to his room at the Empire.
"You're not?" Serena asked.
"Of course, I am." Nate said, and pulled her in for a hug. "It'll be okay, we will be okay." He whispered.
"I guess I could have forced to marry someone worse." Serena joked.
"Imagine if it were someone like... umm.. Carter Baizen.." Nate said.
"Oh, I would have preferred him. He is hot, you know." Serena said laughing as she ran away from him, clearing trying to tease Nate. He charged after her and in that small room easily caught up to her and threw her on the bed. Serena took a pillow from above her and hit Nate with it.
"Oh you are on." He said as he grabbed that form her hand and returned the favour. And thus, started their pillow fight.
"Stop! Stop!" shouted Serena after ten minutes of pure fun. "My stomach is aching from all the laughing." She said panting.
"This was fun." Nate smiled, turning to face her.
"It was." Serena turned as well.
"We will always be like this." Nate said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Promise?" Serena asked softly.
"Promise." Nate smiled. He laid flat on the bed and pulled Serena half on top of him. "Come on, let's sleep now. Tomorrow is going to be a long day."
"Good night. Natie." Serena said and leaned to kiss his cheek.
"Good night, S." Nate kissed her head and the two went off to sleep.