A/N: Another chapter. I really like this one and hope you do too.

Disclaimer: I only own Darcy.

A Wasted Thanksgiving

Darcy walked into the school and spotted Nate.

"Nate!" she yelled and ran toward him hugging him.

"Hey Darc" he said hugging her back. She pulled away and looked at him.

"I missed you Archibald"

"I missed you too" he replied.

"How was the Hamptons?" she asked.

"Ugh"

"That bad?"

"It was missing something"
"Me?"

"Probably" he said and they laughed.

"So where are you staying?"

"A friend of my mom's is letting us stay there"

"That's nice, but you do know my place is always open"

"Archibald haven't seen you around lately?" Chuck said behind them and Nate started to get mad and go toward him so there was little space between the two.

"Ignore him Nate" she said standing between the two. She turned to face Chuck and put her hands on his chest. "Beat it Bass"

He looked at her for a moment then walked away.

"Thanks" Nate said.

"He's an ass" she said.

"An ass you seem to know how to handle."

"I know how to deal with asses" she said.

"True" he agreed.

"So it is Thanksgiving tomorrow"

"Yeah?"

"Well I remember someone last year promising me that he would take me to the parade this year."
"I remember." He said "So we will go to the parade and then back to your place for sandwiches and apple pie?"

"Sounds like a good plan" she said.

"I can't wait for my second Ellis Thanksgiving" he said as Darcy's phone rang. She looked down at her phone seeing Mason's number.

"That would be my boyfriend"

"Boyfriend? So you and Mason are together" Nate asked a little jealous.

"I'll talk to you later" she said and hugged him again.

"See ya Darc" Nate said and walked away. Darcy answered her phone

"Hey" she said.

"For a second there I thought you were ignoring me"

"I was talking to a friend of mine"

"Who?"

"Nate"
"He's the one I met at Yale right?"

"Yeah. He just got home from the Hamptons"
"Sweet. So what are you doing for Thanksgiving?"

"I actually have plans" she said feeling a little guilty.

"Oh, your dad?"

"Actually Nate"

"Okay, I guess I'll let him have you for the day"

"You'll let him?" she said feeling offended.

"Kidding" he said "Have fun"

She hung up the phone and put her phone in her pocket still thinking about what he said.

"Let him?" she said out loud still offended at that comment.

"Let him what?" Serena asked next to her.

"Oh its nothing." Darcy said "I'll see you later, I actually need to go cook a turkey"

"Yeah no prob D, remember you can always come over tomorrow"

"I know but I just don't think I'm ready for a non-Ellis Thanksgiving yet"

"Understandable"

The next day Darcy stood in the kitchen tearing the meat off of her turkey. She checked the time every few minutes waiting for Nate to get there. It was about the time he should be getting her when a text came through.

Nate: Can't make it. Sorry Darc

A little irritated she stopped what she was doing and grabbed the wine bottle out of the fridge and sat on the couch totally defeated. She didn't even want to watch the parade on TV she was so down about it. A few hours later and a wine bottle and a half her phone began to ring. She looked at the caller ID. Chuck's name flashed across the screen. She really didn't want to talk to him but she knew if she didn't answer he would either come over to check up on her or call a billion times more until he answered.

"What do you want Bass" she said.

"Good afternoon to you too Ellis"

"Bass?"
"I'm gonna pick you up in 5. Be ready."

"Why"

"Because, I need you to do something with me its important"

"Okay fine, I'll be ready" she said then hung up. She put the wine away and felt a little tipsy. She headed down the elevator out front waiting for Chuck. She felt it was just best if she just sat down. She didn't need to be labeled with public intoxication. Chuck pulled up in front and she climbed into the limo.

"You smell like wine"
"Uh yeah" she said then gave him that I don't want to talk about it look. They arrived in Queens and she was totally confused on why Chuck would take her to Queens. Not only Queens but the Humphrey gallery. They walked in and took a seat.

"You know, when you called, I thought it was an emergency." Nate said as he came in Chuck and Vanessa stood up "Obviously I was wrong."

"It's more like an intervention." Vanessa said

"There's someone you need to talk to." Chuck said as an FBI man walked through the door which confused Darcy even more. What was going on? Why was she here?

"The FBI knows your dad is in town and they think he's about to commit a crime even worse than fraud or embezzlement." Vanessa said.

"Like what?" Nate asked confused. Darcy was as well but just looking at Chuck's face she could tell it probably wasn't good.

"Like extortion and kidnapping" Chuck said. Nates face looked both shocked and confused. Mostly disbelief. Darcy walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder as a sort of calming relief. They all sat down Darcy still next to Nate.

"When your father escaped to Dominica he could only get his hands on enough money to get himself set up. He should have found a job, reinvented himself, but instead he lived the way he'd always lived. Now he's got nothing left." The FBI agent explained.

"Yeah, well if my father's poor what's the point of us going to live with him?" Nate said even more confused "I mean we don't have any money"

"But the Van der Bilt's do." Chuck said.

"Why would my grandparents pay us to go live with him when they can't even help us out here? They hate my dad"

"Maybe that's why they would give him money..." Vanessa said.

"…to leave without you or your mom" Darcy said finishing off Vanessa's thought process.

"We've been monitoring your fathers' calls." The FBI man said. "He's trying to get in touch with your grandparents"

"Well, I mean if this is true, why didn't you just come tell me this yourself? Nate asked.

"We didn't know if you or your mother knew what was going on. After all she helped him escape in the first place."

"But I told him I didn't think you would just leave New York" Vanessa commented.

"Especially without saying good-bye to your friends" Chuck said.

"I'll let you guys talk it over" The FBI man said and left the room.

"This is just too much" Nate said and Darcy grabbed his hand.

"Hey, we are your friends and whatever it is you want to do we have your back" she said.

"There is still a chance the Captain can get away, if that what you want." Vanessa said. "But you could also end it all now"

"How?" Nate asked.

"By turning your father in" Chuck stated.

"Nate, we're here, but you have to make that choice. Whatever you choose Vanessa, I and Bass will be here with you"

"Thanks Darc" he said then got up and left.

While Nate went to confront his dad, Darcy sat in the limo with Chuck. It didn't go unnoticed that she had been quiet.

"You okay Ellis?" he asked her.

"Yeah" she said the looked the other direction.

"Ellis" he said making her turn back to him. Damn him and his ways.

"My dad is who know, my uncle is somewhere enjoying himself and my mother is in heaven. I'm alone on a holiday that is supposed to be about family and mine isn't here." She said.

"That's not all true" he said.

"Really Bass?"

"You have Nate and me" he said, "and in my opinion that's really the only family you need."

"Don't go all mushy on me Bass" she said laughing.

They pulled up in front of Nate's house meeting Vanessa. She spotted Nate coming down the stairs.

"Hey Nate" she said hugging him.

"We were hoping you'd be here" Vanessa said.

"My mom's inside signing papers in the dark, we got our house back now we just need electricity." Nate said.

"So no more Nate in a towel at 7am" Darcy said.

"Sorry Darc"

"I'll live" she said shrugging her shoulders.

"Look, I can't thank you guys enough" Nate said then turned to Vanessa.

"We'll leave you two alone" Chuck said and pulled Darcy along with him. They got over by the limo and Chuck looked at her. "Nate in a towel?"

"He took showers at Casa de Ellis"

"I'm sure you enjoyed that"

"Bass!"

"Oh that's right, you have a boyfriend. Marcus was it?"
"Mason"

"Right"

"Thanks guys" Nate said joining them.

"You and Vanessa good?" Darcy asked.

"Yeah I think we are" he said grinning.

"I'm glad you stayed." Chuck said.

"Thanks' man"

"Can we get out of here now, get drunk maybe" Darcy said linking an arm through each of their arms.

"Says the girl who started before us" Chuck commented.

"I was alone on Thanksgiving"

"I agree with Darc, let's get drunk"

"Let's go"

They climbed into the limo. They got some drinks and Nate made a toast.

"To friends" he said.

"To family" Darcy replied locking eyes with Chuck. She had thought about what he said and he was right. These two boys in front of her were like family to her. Which made her treasure them even more. "To friends that are family"