Manda's Note: That should NEVER have taken as long as it has taken. I'm sorry, I have a lot of family drama going on currently and its summer and things are just crazy. Though, between sitting in the air conditioning and watching season one… backwards, re reading the entire story myself. And being outside in the sun I finally managed to come up with some time to write. I have more that I want to say regarding up coming chapters but I'll keep my mouth shut. It's not nice to tease and it gives way to much away anyways. Now I'm gonna go listen to a mix of Taylor Swift and Boys Like Girls and write some more. Because I'm on a roll and I don't feel like stopping.


Five inch horizontal stripes in black and white snaked themselves around the room in Vanessa's opinion it made the room look more like a jail cell then a baby nursery. The baby bedding was the softest it could be. Mostly white with little black polka dots all over it, it was a hit at class Vanessa wouldn't have ever picked out. Vanessa could tell that no matter how Maureen attempted to keep the nursery natural her want for a girl slipped through in all of the lace and pretty aspects. Pictures of checker boards and black and white images donned the walls. Everything about the room had been set up and ready as soon as Vanessa had made her decision less than six weeks ago. It should have made Vanessa happy, at least when the baby came to a home in eleven odd weeks when she was due it would have a place to lay its head. At least someone was ready for that to happen. As Vanessa ran her hand along the black crib and looked down at the soft black rug she stifled her own sigh. It wasn't that she was having doubts about everything she was just having a hard time with it all already. Looking around that the nursery made her newest decision all that more real, all that more hard for her to accept.

"You totally hate it don't you?"

Hearing Maureen's voice Vanessa turned to look at her. Maureen was fully dressed in thirties black flapper attire but that wasn't what Maureen meant. She was talking about the nursery she and Tripp had put together. The nursery that they'd be using, it was only important that they liked it, Vanessa didn't have a say in it nor did she want to. It was too much pressure to think about. The fact that she would be putting the little thing she'd been carrying into their arms and encouraging it to call them mommy and daddy. That was defiantly something she didn't want to think about. Even if she still had eleven weeks it seemed like nothing compared to what she'd been through already. It all felt like it was coming to an end far faster then she could wrap her head around. She wasn't sure she was ready to quite say goodbye. Not that any of it was something she'd admit aloud. They were the things she needed to do, it was all for the best.

Halloween, October 31st that was the date. Also the evening of Maureen and Tripp's party, with the amount of invitations Maureen sent out it seemed like she'd invited the entire state of New York. Costumes were required yet Vanessa stood there in sweats. Mid afternoon peeked though the blinds. She hadn't felt well all day, aches and pains that she was sure were completely normal but none the less were there. Most of the night she just planned to hide away somewhere where they couldn't find her. Working from six in the morning to four in the afternoon had completely worn her out. She was beginning to get run down more easily lately as her pregnancy got further along.

"Maureen, You are Tripp are going to be the ones up and in here at two in the morning. It's your baby, what you like matters."

Feeling herself cringe saying the word she turned to the window and glanced out at the already dark surroundings. Part of her wanted to yell and scream that that wasn't the way things were supposed to be and it wasn't the way she wanted things to be, but it was the way she'd convinced herself that it had to be. Maureen and Tripp were better off with the baby. At least they had the time and everything else to learn what they were doing, the right way. She on the other hand had work and classes to complete, a whole life ahead of her once she got rid of the mistakes she'd made in the past few months. She and Nate would both be free but at the same time they'd know that the child would be taken care of. At least it would still be in his family, he'd at least be able to watch the baby grow up. Maureen and Tripp were ready for a baby, ready to take care of someone else and put their own selfish needs aside. Vanessa was sure she wasn't ready for that. She'd just started to live her life for herself, the thought of giving it up made her nervous. Giving it up and then not resenting the reason why she had to made everything feel almost impossible.

"I know, but, V no matter what you say the baby is still a part of you and you know that Tripp and I want you and Nate to be a part of his or her life whenever you're both ready to be. And you also know that we both want you to be completely sure of your decision before you make it. Things might change when you hold the baby for the first time. Believe me Tripp and I will completely understand as long as you let us babysit often. We just… we don't want you to feel like we've backed you into a corner V."

She clutched on tighter to the crib railing, she didn't want to listen to Maureen's reasoning. No part of it was anything she wanted to hear. Her decision was made. The baby wasn't hers and she wasn't going to change her mind. Every bit of it would be for the better, that's what she kept telling herself. Even Dan had sort of agreed, though Dan had insisted the child needed to be raised by someone who they didn't know. So that Vanessa wouldn't feel any sort of pressure or regret. V knew Dan was just trying to look out for her. He meant well even if he didn't always seem that way. He was just trying to make sure she didn't make the biggest mistake of her life.

"Maureen I um… I'll be back in a little while. I promised Cora's kids I'd take them out for a little while since she's sick. And, I don't know, I'm not feeling all that great myself. I'll be back later for some of the party."

Not waiting to hear another word out of Maureen's mouth Vanessa brushed past her out the doorway and headed down the stairs. Everything seemed to be so stuffy she could hardly breathe. For the girl who'd always loved Halloween this was turning out to be one that she wished she could have forgotten already and she couldn't explain exactly why. There was just a feeling at the back of her mind that made her want to go back to her dorm and crawl under the covers. Knowing Georgina though she was throwing some type of party or other with the guys from the dorm, Georgie always had their room full of people. Vanessa couldn't count a time when she'd actually enjoyed being in her own dorm room while either of her roommates occupied their beds. It had taken all restraint for them not to suffocate one another in their sleep.


The fake metal on her fake head gear chatted up and down with every step he took. She'd asked for a piggy back ride already, not even fifty steps into trick or treating and she'd already quit walking. What was the use in walking when she could so easily be treated like a princess and carried from place to place by Nate with just the simple pout of her lips. It was something Noelle had learned very early on. The fact that it wasn't hard to get Nate wrapped around her finger. Even a four year old could tell that Nate was a very smart person to have around. Not because of his brains but because of the looks that even Ellie noticed her got from random girls on the street. Things had always been like that now. Ellie just missed how normal it felt when ever Vanessa pulled him closer to her. Those were the moments even Elle realized that things had changed. The moments when Noelle worried about the fishy not getting the fair life it deserved because Natie and Veevee were being dumb. That's what Cora told her anyways and Elle always listened to her mommy.

"Natieee why didn't you dress up?"

Ellie whined in Nate's ear as she held tightly around his neck. Halloween was a cool and crystal clear night. Her face was lit up with a happy spark regardless of the animosity that so thick in the air. All three of the children were just relieved on behalf's of who they had out with them while Cora received an unexpected night off. They'd both shown up at different times to claim the kids for a few hours. They should have expected it but neither one had thought of it till they were both there and had children pulling and pleading with them for neither one to leave. So they just hadn't said two words to one another, they'd just helped the kids get dressed and ready then walked to the subway. Nate taking the liberty of picking where they walked to get candy, not to Vanessa's pleasing of course. She was the last person that felt like walking around the Upper East Side, but, with Jack refusing to go out if she let go of her hand she couldn't exactly say no. that's what led them to where they were, the streets in back of where Nate had grown up. All three uniquely dressed by Vanessa, in their array of consumes.

"Cause Ellie, I'm too old for dressing up."

He said back twisting around in a circle in the middle of the sidewalk for a rise out of the child who giggled in response and exchanged a look with Vanessa. Nate should have known from the coy smirk on the little girl's face that something far beyond her years was about to come out of her mouth next. Dressed up as Darla from Finding Nemo she was still her same quick witted self, she really needed time away from both Cora and Vanessa he decided.

"You don't act like you are Natie. That's what mommy said when you were dating Blair anyways."

Elle giggled and squeezed his neck tighter for a moment as the boys who were looking for reaction saw him close his eyes and shake his head. Ellie had maybe been around Vanessa and Cora far too much in the past few months. Deciding he needed a change of subject Nate looked over to the boys. Steven was easy to tell the Joker from Batman had been done to a Heath Ledger perfection. Jackson on the other hand took Nate for a loop.

"Jackson, how about that outfit? What are you supposed to be exactly?"

When Vanessa stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk so did Jackson just to stand there and stare at him. Jack raised a hand to wave a white bedazzled glove in his face before popping the collar on the red jacket he had on. Nate hardly got the clue as Jack twisted around on the sidewalk and started to walk backwards in an impression.

"Nate, open your eyes. What side of pop culture did you grow up in?"

Vanessa said speaking her first words to him of the night. If that was all it took to get her to not talk through the children it was something he should have done hours earlier. It really had taken Jackson's dance moves for Nate to realize that he was imitating Michael Jackson. There was too much going on in his mind for him to remember things like that. simple things in the past slipped his mind easily when he thought of the baby and of Vanessa, and of everything else going on around him. Michael Jackson wasn't in his up front memory bank.

"Veevee, Think Tick and Momo will take the fishy out trick or treating next Halloween? And dress up with the fishy? Mommy did that my first Halloween, we have pictures! Mommy said it made everything special. I bet you'd dress up then, wouldn't you Natie?"

Noelle whispered in Nate's ear as she stared straight at Vanessa. Vanessa could feel the stares on her back as she slipped her arms around the small bump in her stomach. She didn't want to think of next Halloween, she didn't want to think of what Maureen and Tripp would do with their child. The only thing Vanessa did want to do was to live in the moment. to pretend the things around her weren't real. For the time being she got to forget that there were only ten weeks left before the baby was expected. Ten weeks till her bond was broken and she severed all ties with that part of her life. None of it would be something her mind remembered after it was over. Just a time in her life she'd have to work to block out as best she could, if that were even possible. She tightened her arms around herself.

"Ells, why don't you go up there and get some candy? I bet they have the big candy bars."

Seeing the uneasiness in Vanessa's shoulders as Noelle mentioned it all Nate knew he needed to get Elle to stop talking about it. Just like the child she was supposed to be Noelle pulled on his shirt at the mention of candy and Nate swung her off of his back so she could run along and get some. He watched her for a second as she grabbed a hold of Jack and hopped up the steps to the door of the brownstone, Steve lingering behind not exactly keen on the whole begging for candy bit. Nate was well aware he was breaking a few of Vanessa's set rules as he walked a little bit faster and slipped his hand to her arm. With just the simplest touch he could feel that every muscle and bone in her body was completely tense and it wasn't from him touching her. He didn't hesitate this time as he ran his hand up and down her arm, Vanessa not bothering to complain for once. That also made him nervous, it wasn't like her.

"V, you're not ok are you? What is it? Is it the baby?"

Nate's panicked voice rasped out into her ear as she shook her head. Even if something was wrong she wasn't about to tell him. It wasn't his place to worry about as it was and that was her every intention on the way to keep it. She shook it off, nothing was wrong, she just didn't feel exactly right. Maybe she just needed to calm down a little she decided.

"Mommy told her she needs to go and have her and the baby checked out Nate, mom said she hasn't been going to the doctors"

The oldest of Cora's children piped up from the side of them and they both turned for a second to linger on Steven. He wasn't ever one to get in the middle of other conversations, hardly ever the one to open his mouth period. They'd called Steve the silent observer since the day they'd met him. Yet here he was, telling the truth to Nate that Vanessa had refused to tell anyone other than Cora. Vanessa's mouth dropped open as Nate turned to look at her face, his own in mind confusion.

"You said everything was fine, you said they said everything was fine."

Vanessa shook her head as she looked away from him biting on her tongue. If the night couldn't have gotten any worse before it sure as hell couldn't of gotten any worse now. Now, regardless of who was around them they were going to fight. She should have seen it coming before. The last thing Vanessa had thought was that one of the kids would have ratted her out about any of it. Now she had no other choice but to come clean about it, Nate just would have gone straight to Cora and there wasn't a shot in Vanessa's life that Cora would have covered for her. Just because Cora was her friend didn't mean that she wasn't Nate's too.

"Nothing's been wrong, can you just drop it Nate?

Looking back and forth between Nate and Vanessa Steve seemed to make up his mind as he went to assist his younger siblings in continuing on up the street from house to house rather then returning right back at Nate and Vanessa's sides. Neither Nate nor Vanessa turned their heads to look as Steve put his hands out for his brother and sister to take. The two were too busy squaring off at odds to open their mouths and notice the kids were walking off hand and hand for more candy.

"How do you know that? Have you suddenly over night gotten your degree in medical? Because damn it Vanessa your life and the life of our baby hang in the balance. What can you not understand about I can't lose another person I love?"

His angry voice snapped out at her as she crossed her arms not bothering the take her eyes from her glare at him. To her he had no right in the way that he talked about the baby. The baby wasn't even theirs. There wasn't a reason for him to be so concerned, she didn't feel like anything was wrong, or that anything was going to be wrong. She wasn't even going to bring up the issue of money. It wasn't exactly like he was living the high life that wasn't from off shore accounts anymore. she'd talked to Tripp about that and William still hadn't changed his mind.

"It's not your baby Nate, it's not mine either. We're giving it up, there's no connection there. So just drop it already."

Knowing it sounded harsh she stopped looking at him as she looked away from him and shook her head. She didn't want to feel anymore connected. She didn't want to think about it. she was the strong one who had made up her mind, he was the only one having an issue with her decision and she wasn't about to let him stop her. there were things that needed to be done and that was the end of it.

"How do you do that? How can you even say that? Every time it moves V, can you honestly say that you don't care and you don't feel anything? because if something happens to that baby Vanessa, you're going to feel it just as much as I am."

He wanted to say he would blame her if something happened to the baby, that he'd be pissed off enough to not be in love with her. that wasn't the case though, he knew it wouldn't ever be the case. God forbid something happened in the time to come he knew they'd both never of forgiven themselves for it. Just because they'd chosen to pull themselves from the responsibility

"Know what? tell Cora that I'll be there to sleep later. I can't be around you anymore tonight."

Shoving the pillow cases she'd been carrying in her hands for the kids to dump their pumpkins into when they got to heavy she gave him one final look before turning away from him and starting to head down an ally in the other direction with no lights. He knew better then to follow her right away, that would have been a mistake that he'd of never heard the end of. He needed to find the kids and then go after her. Maybe that way she wouldn't have freaked out so bad.


"You look like you swallowed a perfectly round basketball. You look beautiful Vanessa, then again you always have. The only sad thing is that dick is the reason for it."

Instead of his voice making her nervous it made her angry. It was the last sound she'd been expecting but regardless it made her blood boil. With one hand covering over her tee shirt she lifted her other to the back of her neck, running her fingers along the marks that had once been there. She shuttered even with no breeze around. He was just too close to her. Vanessa could feel his breath on the back of her neck, his hand lingering low on her back, he was to close for her comfort but she wasn't afraid of him. She was to built up on her argument that had just passed with Nate for her to be afraid of anything.

"Don't touch me Scott"

Vanessa sneered through her teeth as she shook her arm away from him. He wasn't that easy to get away from as he tightened his grip around her arm holding her back from getting away, his other hand still held low on her back as he stood behind her still to close. She cursed herself silently, why had just torn away from Nate and taken off down a dark street? how was there seriously a house in the city that didn't at all celebrate Halloween? She wasn't about to scream and call any attention to herself, she could handle herself, she was sure she could handle herself. No one needed to save her, she could handle it. She'd done just fine so far.

"V please, can we just talk? Give me a few minutes. You know I won't hurt you. That one time was an accident, I shouldn't have done it I know. I never meant to hurt you Vanessa. I didn't mean to use you either. I was afraid to tell you who I really was. How could I? You would never have given me a chance. I fell in love with you V, I just wanted to protect you from him. He's not good for you, can't you see that he's already ruined your life?"

Attempting to step away from him again she pushed his shoulder back, his hand leaving her arm. Part of her wanted to just run off without thinking about it again. But in Vanessa's mind that was the equivalent of letting him win his sick twisted little game he was playing with himself. That wasn't something she was ready to do. Of course part of her wanted to feel bad for Scott. He was Rufus's son and Dan and Jenny's brother, he'd been denied that all of his life. With a father like Rufus and not being able to know him Vanessa saw it as a shame. He was the only person she could go to when she needed someone to actually step up and be the parent figure in her life. That was something he did more then well. She couldn't forget though, Scott's anger issues. He could have killed her, he could have killed the baby, hell, he'd killed Ruby's cat. Thinking of that made her shake her head. His game wasn't something she was about to cave into. Humphrey blood or no Humphrey blood, it wasn't an excuse to once again trust him not to do the same thing.

"Scott, just get away from me. I don't feel like dealing with you or the things you have to say tonight. I know you didn't mean to hurt me, just like you didn't mean to hurt Andrew. But the thing is that you did. You did and you can't take that back. You need help Scott. You need to keep going to those classes with your parents and Lilly and Rufus."

She knew what was going on, Dan had filled in her as they'd sat in the gallery drinking soda and listening to music while Jenny threw dagger with her eyes at Vanessa's back. That was the new ritual, Jenny's way of expressing her deep disgust for the events that had taken place. Vanessa knew for sure that her friendship with Jenny wouldn't ever be the same, that was one thing that would for the rest of their lives be tainted. Somehow, Vanessa had cheated in the race for Nate's heart. As if she'd planned to get knocked up.

As she went to take another step away from him she felt him grab her waist, his hand brushing along the side of her stomach. She winced as she felt his fingers tight grip even through the sweatshirt she had on. She stood almost completely still as he stood in front of her, one arm wrapped around her, the other raising ever so slightly to tuck a strand of hair out of her face. She felt a sudden surge of anger rather than nerves as she chose to stay completely still. Knowing that if she wanted to he could do her damage and there wasn't even anyone around to see it. The only way for a person to come running was if she screamed, that person would have been Nate. Nate coming wouldn't have been a good idea. He'd been pissed off enough at her, she didn't need to add another reason for him to freak out over nothing. She knew how Nate's temper got at others if there was something he didn't like. The kids didn't need their Halloween completely ruined by black eyes and police.

"I'm going to the classes V, I'm going for us. I didn't mean to hurt you, I would never deliberately hurt you. Yes, when this whole thing first started you were just another pawn in my game of getting revenge on them for what they did to me. But you're so much more then that Vanessa."

Scott's hand was still lingering on the side of her face and she could feel his warm breath only inches away from her face now. But she didn't make a sound, she didn't want to make a scene. Any random passerby would have seen their dark silhouettes and thought it was a sweet moment, he didn't seem like a shady guy and for crying out loud she was pregnant.

"I think I fell in love with you"

Leaning his mouth a little bit closer to her she felt his lips lightly brush against her own. She felt herself tighten at the feeling, he was the last person she wanted to be kissing. Her hand found her way from between them as she used all the strength she could to push him off of her. She wasn't expecting to crash her back into a chest of someone when she did so. It was just a slight bit of relief that gave off when she reached her hand to his shirt and knew exactly who it was when she felt the soft cotton knit of his polo.

"Get your fucking hands off of her"

Nate's voice snarled from behind her as his arm protectively tightened around her, right above her stomach like he was attempting to protect both of them. As though he needed to prove to her that that was the first thing he thought of, the well being of her and the baby, she knew it just by the way he looked at her anyway. He cared, she got it. She just couldn't care tonight the way she should have. She was more irritated then anything. With the both of them. Scott for his strange professions of love and Nate for everything, she couldn't put her finger on exactly what it was. part of her thought that it might have had something to do with how badly her back was bothering her.

She pushed his hand off of her taking a few steps away from them both as she glanced in the other direction making sure the three children weren't exactly in ear range. She was frustrated and tired and all Vanessa wanted was to be left alone. To stop thinking for a while, not to be reminded of the decisions and occurrences around her.

"Both of you leave me alone! You…"

She pointed at Scott, her eyes at a narrow glare.

"I don't want you touching me, I don't want you near me. Don't get me wrong Scott you're a great guy when you're calm and in a normal mind set but you have problems that I can't help you with. You need to have them straightened out before you learn how to love someone."

His hurt expression made her wince a little bit, she couldn't help but felt bad. Especially since Dan had told her just how well the pair had been bonding. Vanessa still wasn't about to take it on herself to risk trusting him again. She'd done it once and there were repercussions who said she had to risk it and try again. Besides though she did her best to act like it wasn't true, she still didn't have her heart back.

"As for you Nate… don't bother me about any of this. It's not your problem… I'm not your problem. I don't want to hear it, I don't want to discuss it, I don't want to think about it tonight. So just drop it."

With that she turned form them both and headed back the way she'd came. It was going to be a very long night if she had to stay at Maureen and Tripp's party and act like everything was just fine.


Music was loud, people were noisy, the liquor flowed freely. It was everything that Maureen could have wanted for a final party. After all, it wasn't like in a few odd months any bit of partying would have been possible. She and Tripp would have to stay as quiet as possible as Aimee, the women they'd already hired to care for the baby while it was a newborn. It wasn't like she or Tripp had any idea how to care for something so little and needy, they'd learn from everything as they went. But being only children themselves it would take a while. Tripp wouldn't admit it but Maureen knew they'd be alright with the whole arrangement. Soon as the little baby in the soft blanket was placed into their arms everything would clear its hazy state.

Maureen could see herself dressing up a little girl. Picking out her dresses and doing her little curls. This must have been the way it was meant to be, for she and Tripp to receive the child from their cousin's errors. At least, that's what Maureen tried to tell herself. This was what Vanessa wanted. Vanessa had told her she couldn't do it, she couldn't take care of the child that every day already relied on Vanessa for every source of everything. Maureen didn't know how she was going to be able to do it, she and Tripp had talked about it. They knew how much the baby meant to Nate, and how much it meant the both of them not that Vanessa would admit it. Maureen felt almost as though she would be robbing a bank when she and Tripp got to take their daughter or son home. It would be an open wound in Vanessa's heart Maureen figured that might never close, just thinking about that made Maureen feel guilty for what would take place.

The thoughts made her take another sip of the champagne in her hand as she turned around letting the black flapper costume sway as she did so. Her eyes scanned the room for her husband, it didn't take her long to find him. Lingering in a corner with Nate who wasn't in costume while he stood tall with his Batman cape and mask around his neck. Nate and Vanessa both had refused to come in costume. Halloween wasn't about to be celebrated. Maureen had noticed that they weren't even looking at one another let alone looking in the direction of the other. How they could be so immature when there was a child involved in it all? It was time for them both to grow up and face the facts. Even if they had been more mature then Maureen and Tripp had been at sixteen, at least herself and Tripp could stand in the same room with it all still.

"Tripp? Baby don't you think you've had enough?"

Her husband had the strong smell of liquor attached to his every move as he turned around to face her after hearing her talk. She could tell as soon as she saw his eyes that there was no little bit of coherence left in them. Tripp was too drunk to think a solid question though. It was going to be a very long rest of the evening with all of their guests and a very drunk Tripp. With Maureen's luck he'd be asleep on the floor of the living room within the hour. She swore at times he was more like a frat student then he should have been.

"What's the matter baby?"

In a touchy mood Tripp put his arm around her shoulders as Maureen spotted Nate's normal smirk come to his face as he shook his head looking at his cousin. If anyone knew what Tripp was like it was Nate. Nate who Maureen was surprised at, normally he was right alone with him playing beer pong in a corner. This Nate had a bottle of smart water halfway gone in his hand.

"I think someone needs to go to bed Maureen. Before he passes out in the kitchen and I have to haul him up the stairs to your room like I've done at least once a year since I was sixteen."

Maureen nodded her head in agreement as she too shook her head while looking at her husband. He wasn't the only one in the party to drunk out of his mind. It seemed like all of his college friends were the same way. When they'd first moved in together it had been an every night thing, parties with the guys… calling maids to clean up their messes before anyone found out just how careless they really were.

There was one thing that completely surprised Maureen in the things going on around her, there was a bottle of very expensive scotch that over the years she'd learned to put out. The scotch still had yet to be touched. Chuck Bass stood in the corner of her house drinking sparkling water and eyeing his girlfriend who had clearly had one too many glasses of champagne as she chatted with other women of high standards in New York City. There was something about Chuck's watchful eye as he kept them close on Vanessa. In some ways it made Maureen herself worry about V. If Chuck was even being so watchful there had to be something she was missing. Something they apparently all were missing.

She didn't have time to linger on the whereabouts of Chuck Bass for more then a couple of seconds. He wasn't her problem. The only problem she really had to deal with now was how to get her drunken husband up the stairs before he made a fool of himself in front of the rest of the important East Side. For Maureen that would be a task in its self when it came to just how much Tripp had to drink. It wasn't like Nate could lung him up the stairs without anyone noticing.

"Baby, do you know how sexy you look? Maybe we should go sneak into a closet before Grandfather gets here and ruins our party."

His whisper was a slur, a loud drunken slur as he tightened his grip around her shoulders and planted a wet kiss half on her cheek. Those were the times Maureen asked herself what her rush to get married was if he was only going to embarrass her at public events. At least it wasn't the older end of society she decided, if it had been them they'd never have accepted her again until she said that Tripp had a problem. Grandfather would have made sure to disown her if anything like that ever in their lifetimes took place. That would have been a disgrace to the Vanderbilt family, Maureen had already experienced what happened when the family was in any way disgraced. She'd seen first had that family wasn't what came first, it was making sure that the good name was what came before anything else. Being a Vanderbilt held with it more rules than any other sir name Maureen was afraid.

"Tripp think maybe you've had enough to drink?"

Maureen said at full volume as Nate turned away from them to talk with the blonde who had been hanging all over him since the second he'd walked in the door in a frustrated uncontent mood. She hadn't asked questions, she'd just chatted with more of the ladies from the country club. It wasn't her part to get in the middle of Nate and Vanessa's issues. They needed to work whatever was going on out themselves.

"Ok, does that mean that we can go upstairs now? get a little bit of action in before the nights over."

Rolling her eyes at her drunk and horny husband Maureen turned back around to survey the crowd. It was Chuck that caught her eye, hurrying as fast as he could across the hard wood floor. Chuck Bass never moved half as fast. Her mind took half a second to catch up with her head as she turned her head to follow where he was rushing off to. As her eyes finally found where he'd hurried to her mouth dropped open. his hands were on Vanessa's shoulder half pulling her up as she stood keeled over in a puddle of a watery substance with white flecks. She felt herself completely frozen for a few moment before finally snapping out of it and grabbing Nate's arm who'd been in mid conversation with some random blonde. There weren't any words expressed as he turned around and his eyes too landed on the scene that was unfolding. Everything felt like it was completely slow motion. It wasn't Christmas, it was only Halloween.

"Nate… call Humphrey"

Chuck called out over the crowd that had gathered as he gestured Nate to come over quickly.


Haley – Thank you! :D I try to keep them as close to the real them as I can get them. I hope you catch this chapter. I'm sorry its been so long.

Jen – I love Chuck, well in here I love Chuck anyways. I think I've watched the ending scene from the final to many times. though I don't much care for Blair. Dan's just stubborn, he doesn't like the idea of a changed Vanessa. Georgie is coming up ;) she's gonna play a pretty big part.

Izzy – yea, so you did guess right before :-/ I know, they don't seem like the best people to pick do they?

Everyone has insecurities though, and its all new for V. she'll be back to her normal self before long. Don't worry

Dan's bothering V and Serena's on Nate… they both can't get cut any slack.

Christina Marie – that's it! that's what I had been planning from the beginning. Though, M&T aren't exactly the best ones to be caring for the baby. We'll see though, there's still a while to go, well, that's all judging from if the baby's alright… ;)

Alex… don't kill me – I love how your review went over the limit for review writing. Lol :D made my day and still does when I re read it. and I have a few times. it's what finally kicked my butt into gear to write again. It's been way to long and I suck, I'm sorry. But honestly I swear I'm back now and as soon as I'm done posting this you'll have a PM.

I'm falling in love with the idea of Serena/Carter. Seb is my new crush. It's not that I'm starting to put Dan in a different light I'm just seeing Dan as someone who can't (like myself) tolerate change very well. And he knows that with the baby V's going to be completely changed. There's no way that she wouldn't be. Dan judges far to much for his own good, he always has and it's something he won't change regardless of the situation.

See it makes sense now doesn't it? why the baby what it is? But don't worry, it's not going to end there! I swear and I feel like tormenting you so I have to tell you what I wrote yesterday in the PM, it's the sweetest thing ever… well so far anyways. Scott's going to become far worse then before. How many times have I mentioned that I don't like him? Well here, add another one to it. I can't stand Scott already. And I'm not going to like him. I refuse that one.

re reading the whole thing made me love Chuck again… and I want to go work on the part with him that's coming up. Because it's more good Chuck vs. troubled Chuck. Eep! I'm anxious. I actually feel bad for Chuck having to play ref for the three girls, how has he not gone nuts yet? I don't think anyone really noticed the thing about the necklace/ring. I'll just mention it again at some point in time. No need to be mad at V, she doesn't like dealing with things on her own. Besides, it's going to come out that it all wasn't exactly her fault. You'll see what I mean.

Serena/Nate is the last thing I'm worried about show wise. Even if the books they IMO were perfect :P I know no one agrees with me. Is it enough of the S/N from the book ish? Lol which reminds me… I think that was like the first time that S actually showed her face in the story at all. Wow, that was a first. Meh, I hope she redeems herself this season while she's with Carter, because last season she was just boring to me. Anyways enough rambling. I'm going back to PMing you and writing.