Preparations

"NATE!" Serena called upstairs. "HURRY UP!"

"I'M JUST COMING!" He called back and soon afterward he was bounding down the stairs towards his girlfriend. "How do I look?" He said breathlessly.

"Good, now hurry up. They'll think we're not coming," They left the apartment they shared and she locked the door behind them. He was hopeless. "How come you were working so late, it's Christmas Eve," She asked as he hailed a cab and got in

"Just everything's really hectic. I mean Christmas is our busiest time of the year,"

"You're a stock broker..."

"Stocks are a popular present." He said quickly. "Anyways, it doesn't matter, I'm here now and we're going to have the best Christmas ever," Serena doubted that. She'd already shared her best Christmas ever with a different man...well; he was more a boy then. He'd still be starring in this Christmas...just in an unromantic role.

"I'm sure we will," She said happily. "I wonder who'll cook tomorrow,"

"I'm hoping Dan. He's the best,"

"V's pretty good too,"

"Unlike you?" Nate teased.

"You did not just..." He grinned before she began tickling him.

"Stop! STOP! PLEASE!" Nate shouted, though Serena continued. "WE'RE HERE!" She withdrew her hands and looked out the window. They had indeed arrived at their destination.

"When are Chuck and Blair getting here?" Vanessa turned her head away from her book as she spoke.

"Erm...they said like 8, depends on traffic,"

"Great," She said, before returning to her book.

"What you reading?" He asked as he stirred the sauce.

"Twilight,"

"Twilight? That was for teenage girls years ago...not for 20 something's now,"

"Hey! Just because I'm 25, doesn't mean I can't read them,"

"They're awfully written you know," He said matter-of-factly. "The plot is dreadful,"

"Just because you can only write depressing stuff,"

"Oi! I can write other stuff..."

"Name one book you've written that has a happy ending..." He was silent. "None!"

"That's because in real life people don't get happy endings,"

"What about us? Do we not get a happy ending?" She teased jokingly. His face turned serious.

"It depends," He said, barely above a whisper, but she heard.

"I told you I just need..."

"We need to talk about it,"

"After Christmas,"

****************

"We are going to be so late," Chuck sighed, glancing at his watch as he waited for his girlfriend...no fiancée as of yesterday...to be ready.

"It's not a party...there was no specific time!"

"Doesn't mean we can arrive at midnight!"

"It's only 8:30,"

"We were meant to be there at 8!" He moaned. "Let's just hurry up and get a cab," He wrapped is trademark scarf around his neck and locked the pent house door behind them. It had begun to snow and it was just settling on the ground. I took a while to get a cab; it was Christmas Eve after all.

"So, do you think you could show me my Christmas present tonight?" Chuck breathed seductively into Blair's ear.

"Not tonight," She said bluntly, pushing him away. It wasn't like her. But it just felt so wrong being with him. It felt wrong that she couldn't tell him.

"So...not a Christmas present...how about as an engagement present?"

"I'm not having sex." She said curtly, before turning to look out the window.

Well now you know the 'official' couples, any new guesses as to who the sneaky couple are?

Xoxo

Georgie