Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.
My apologies for the long delay. Please enjoy, and let me know what you think.
There's some strong language in here, so be prepared.
Serena returned to the penthouse with Aiden and Brice to find her baggage neatly arranged at the entrance. Aiden and Brice happily greeted their mother as their arms tossed around her neck.
"What are my bags doing out here?" Serena inquired.
"Chuck has the explanation," Blair responded coldly, "He's in his office."
"Are you mad at me for something?" Serena stammered out in response to her friend's cold stare.
"For so many things. You have no idea," Blair lifted Aiden into her arms and then pulled Brice along so they would be sheltered from the discussion their father was going to have with their aunt.
"I'm going somewhere?" Serena went on the attack when she stormed into Chuck's office.
"Close the door," Chuck commanded her.
"Close it yourself," Serena snarled.
"Trust me, you want that door closed," he barked at her.
Something in his response told her to follow his command. She quickly turned and closed the door.
"I have a room reserved for you at The Plaza. It's for the convenience factor really," Chuck responded, "It's where your boy toy has been staying. Blair and I figured we'd help things along."
"What?" Serena sputtered in reply.
"You swore to Blair that you and Jack were finished, yet you just couldn't help yourself last night," Chuck responded, "But can we even limit it to last night. You've probably been carrying the entire time."
"What are you talking about?"
"You were seen entering the hotel with his hand on your ass and your tongue in his ear," Chuck growled.
"Have you been spying on me?" she hissed.
"Until today, no I have not. It was your estranged husband who provided the intel," Chuck shook his head, "Until you came home with your third hangover in three days I didn't see any reason for keeping tabs on you. Until you took my boys to the zoo under the influence."
"I…ah…" she fumbled for a response. The guilt was written across her face. She'd never been good at poker.
"How dare you take my sons, your godsons, to the zoo under the influence? What was the substance of choice? Cocaine, again? Is Party Girl Serena really back?"
"How did you know?" she continued stammering.
"Blair and I were worried that you'd follow the downward spiral down your usual path," Chuck responded, "With our children's safety at stake we checked up on you. Neither of us actually believed the test would come out positive. For future reference, Blair believes the test came out negative, and she will continue to believe that because you are her best friend, my sister, and the godmother of our three children, but that is the extent of my generosity. As I said, I booked you a room at The Plaza, but I'm not funding your stay. You're tapping your trust fund for that, unless the boy toy is willing to pick up the tab."
"Chuck, I don't know what to say," Serena fumbled for a response.
"You took my sons out while you were high," he growled, "How about you start with an apology?"
"I wasn't high," she shook her head vigorously, "I would never do that to you, Blair or the children."
"Great, so you were strung out," he snorted, "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"I…ah…" she stammered out again.
"Until you get your shit together, you aren't welcome here. I don't want my children around you," he stated.
"Chuck, you can't…" she insisted.
"Don't tell me what I can and can't do," he cut her off, "You've been lying to me, to Blair, to your husband. That's all easy to overlook, but those children are everything to us."
"And you never miss a chance to throw that in my face," Serena snapped.
"When have we ever?" Chuck scoffed, "Blair and I have tried to help you any way we could. You never wanted any help. You never even wanted to talk about what you've gone through. Blair and I respected your wishes. We still will, but it won't be in this penthouse. It won't be around the children."
"You're still that bastard from high school, do you know that," Serena stormed out.
"She's mad, isn't she," Blair entered his office after Serena left the penthouse.
"She really didn't leave us much choice," he replied, "She needs to get it together. We can't have that influence around our children no matter how attached they are to her."
"Agreed," she nodded, "What do we tell the children?"
"The truth," he replied, "Aunt Serena is having a hard time right now. She needs to go away to figure things out, but she still loves them very much."
"I can't believe it's come to this. I had to kick my children's godmother out of my home," Blair shook her head and stepped into her husband's comforting arms, "We used to be at each other's throats all the time at Constance, but that was a decade ago."
"We did what had to be done," Chuck assured her, "Our number one priority is to our children."
"I still feel horrible," she frowned and burrowed into his chest, "She needs us now, Chuck, and we kick her out and virtually abandon her."
"She lied to us, Blair, repeatedly and blatantly," Chuck responded, "We're doing what is best for everyone, and even though she doesn't see it now, we're doing what we feel is best for Serena. She needs to pull herself together, and she won't do that if we're holding her hand."
"Is it really up to us to decide what is best for Serena?" Blair thought out loud, "What if we're wrong about Jack? What if he really has changed? What if their relationship is legitimate, with no hidden agenda?"
"You don't believe any of that," Chuck responded, "We already know there is more going on with Jack than he's led Serena to believe. He told her had hadn't been in contact with us at all when he had approached us less than twenty-four hours earlier. It's not like he simply forgot. Jack does and says things to suit him and his agenda. I can't prove it yet, but my gut is telling me seducing Serena is part of his agenda."
"I hate this," Blair replied, "I hate that I can't just snap my fingers and make all this go away."
"I do too," he agreed, "All we can do is hold each other tight, profess our undying love and keep working on our relationship."
"I love you," Blair vowed.
"I love you," he nodded.
"And I vow to work on our relationship everyday until I take my last breath," she added.
"And I hope that your last breath is the same as mine," he replied, "I cannot imagine my life without you in it."
"I feel the same way," she smiled.
"Mommy, I hungry," Aiden scampered into his father's office and tugged at her skirt.
"You're hungry," Blair picked up her little boy with an amused laugh, "Well we'd better fix that because a growing boy needs a full belly. What would you like to eat, Peanut?"
"Pickle," Aiden replied.
"A pickle," Blair carried him towards the kitchen, "I used to crave pickles all the time when you were in my belly."
"How did I get there?" Aiden inquired.
"That is a question you get to ask Daddy when you get a little older," Blair laughed as her voice faded.
Chuck groaned at the thought. He hadn't enjoyed the talk he'd had with Brice a few years earlier. He knew he'd dislike it just as much with Aiden.
The children were curious about why Serena wasn't at the dinner table that evening. They remained curious in the many days after. The children worried they'd done something to upset Serena and make her leave. Blair and Chuck did their best to assure them that Serena leaving had nothing to do with them. They did extra special activities with them to keep their mind off their favorite aunt's absence.
Serena continued to keep herself in the headlines. News of her impending divorce was splashed across the front page of every gossip newspaper and magazine in the city. Jack Bass was always right beside her in the photographs to accompany the headlines.
Chuck worked frantically with his private investigators to try figuring out his nefarious uncle's agenda, and there was obviously an agenda. It was like his uncle was merely toying with him. Keeping Serena entertained seemed to be the best revenge for the bastard with whom he shared a bloodline.
"Charles, I've had it," Lily announced herself at her son's penthouse, "If we can't get Jack Bass out of New York by the end of the week, I'm hiring a hit man."
"Don't think I haven't been tempted," Chuck greeted his mother with a kiss to her cheek.
"She's using again," Lily informed him.
"I know," Chuck nodded.
"She's regressing back to her pre-boarding school days. She's disappearing for days at a time. She won't answer any of my calls. She's not attending meetings with her divorce lawyer," Lily added, "I'm afraid for her, Chuck. I'm afraid the phone is going to ring and it's going to be the worst possible news."
"There's one thing we could do, but we'd have to get Dan involved because he's still technically her husband," Chuck responded, "I don't know what kind of terms they are on."
"He's angry and hurtm but he's also concerned," Lily replied, "He sees the headlines. He knows she's spiraling."
"It might be time to make her forcibly enter rehab," Chuck stated. He and Blair had been discussion organizing an intervention after he'd broken down and confessed the drug test he'd administered before Serena left had actually been positive. He wanted to know what Lily's thoughts would be.
"Whatever we need to do," Lily nodded, "I don't want to get that call."
"I don't want you to get it either," Chuck agreed, "Blair and I have been researching the best and most discreet drug rehab facilities. There's an excellent facility in Maine."
"I'll tie her up and drag her there myself," Lily stated.
"I was thinking we go the more traditional route first," Chuck responded, "An intervention. We gather our family and friends, all those that care about Serena and try to get her to see that she needs help."
"I don't see how Daniel would be involved in this?" Lily responded.
"If all else fails, Dan can have her checked in against her will, at least to the point where she's detoxed. Maybe once she's thinking rationally, she'll see that she needs help," Chuck responded.
"And if you're wrong?" Lily pressed.
"We do the intervention all over again, and we'll keep trying until it finally does work," Chuck stated, "Because she is too important to everyone."
"I'll see what I can do," Lily replied, "You are such a sweetheart worrying about your stepsister, almost like a real brother would."
"We dropped the 'step' a long time ago," Chuck responded, "She is my sister."
"I'm going to go before I start tearing up," Lily chuckled as she hugged her son, "We'll discuss the details as soon as I speak with Rufus and Daniel."
Chuck nodded and walked her to the elevator.
"We want to go to Grandma Lily's," Charlotte pouted when her parents prepared to leave them with Dorota for the afternoon.
"Not today, Peanut," Blair tapped her nose, "Remember that complicated grownup stuff you don't like. We have to do that today."
"I want to see Grandma Lily," she stuck out her bottom lip.
"She always wants to see you too," Blair assured her, "Maybe in a few days you can see her, but she's going to be busy for a little while."
"When can we see Serena?" Brice inquired.
"Soon I hope," Blair gave him a warm smile.
Aiden suddenly held out a drawing for her.
"Auntie Rena," he smiled triumphantly.
"Such a sweet boy," Blair kissed the top of her son's head, "You three be good for Dorota. We'll be back as soon as we can."
"What is everyone doing here?" Serena walked into what had obviously been an ambush. She turned on her heel to retreat into the elevator, but was cut off by Eric and Magnus who blocked her way. She gave them her most menacing stare and hissed a warning to get out of her way.
"We love you, Serena," Lily started, "We know you're hurting, and we want to help you."
"I don't need your help, any of you," she snarled, "I've done just fine on my own since I was a little girl. I'll continue to be just fine without all of you."
"S, you're hurting yourself," Blair chimed in, "In turn that's hurting us, your family."
"Family," she snorted, "We're not a family. We're a bunch of stuck up society snobs that we threw together and claimed to be a family. What a sick joke."
"Serena," Chuck tried.
"Don't even start with me," Serena advanced upon him, "You, of all people, do not get to judge me. No matter what I've done, you have done so much worse."
"Yes, I have," he agreed with her, "Because of that, I know that no amount of drugs are going to erase the pain. It's always going to be there, Serena. The best you can do is face it head on. The longer you wait, the worse it gets. Believe me."
"You know nothing of what I've been through," she growled.
"I do," Dan stepped out of the shadows he'd kept himself in, "I lost them too, and it hurts everyday, sometimes so much that I can't breath. Some days I wish I'll go to sleep and never wake up. My only reason to wake up was knowing that my wife needed me, but you couldn't let me in. You could never let me all the way in, not in Constance, not in our marriage. I was never a part of your world, never a part of your life. This pain is the only thing we really could share."
"Our marriage is over," Serena insisted.
"Yes, it is, but I will always care for you," he confirmed, "I will always love you. I will always want what is best for you. It's not the drugs. It's certainly not Jack Bass."
Serena broke down, truly for the first time. Dan didn't hesitate to bring her into his arms.
"It was my fault," she sobbed.
"It wasn't," Dan tried to soothe her, "It just happened. It was no one's fault."
"No, I can't," Serena pushed him away suddenly and suppressed the emotions she'd kept bottled up, "I won't."
"Get some help, Serena," Dan pleaded with her, "Don't even do it for me. Do it for yourself. Do it for everyone that loves you."
"Please, Serena," Lily stepped in, "You need help."
"Why should I?" Serena hissed.
"Because we love you," Blair stepped forward, "Don't you understand. We'll always be here, and we don't want you to go anywhere. We couldn't bear it. Whatever you want to do to yourself, please don't do that to us, to your mom, to your brothers, to your friends, to your niece and nephews."
Chuck and Blair traded glances. Words that she spoke so many years ago to him on a rooftop fit as well for her best friend as it had him.
"You're not alone in this, Serena," Blair reached out for her hand, "We're all here for you. We all want to help you heal."
"It hurts, B," Serena's voiced cracked with the emotions bubbling to the surface again, "It hurts so much."
"I know," Blair nodded as she stepped in and embraced her best friend.
Serena broke down again. There was no burying her emotions this time. She cried until the tears ran out, and everyone in the room cried with her. After much more discussion, Serena agreed to treatment. Blair and Lily both agreed to take her to Maine and stay with her until she was settled and comfortable.
TBC…
The rooftop scene with Blair and Chuck in season two was one of the most powerful scenes in the series in my opinion. I had to incorporate Blair's dialogue into this story.
