Thank you for all your reviews and interest in this story! It is starting to take on a life of it's own. This will be the last installment for about a week of so. Promise to have something up as soon as I can.

xoxoxo

Blair knocks on the guest door room lightly, "Ana, can I come in?" Blair cracks the door open.

Ana swings it open, "Hi, Blair," she says quietly.

"How are you feeling," Blair sits on the end of the bed and motions Ana to do the same.

"Pretty terrible. My head feels like I there are 100 needles in it," Ana looks down, "I'm sorry for getting CJ into trouble. I'm sorry for drinking all of Chuck's scotch, and…."

"Ana," Blair cuts her off, "it's okay. Mr. Bass certainly can go without the scotch and CJ is in no trouble at all. We all recognize this is a difficult time for you and your father right now and we are here for you."

Ana looks down, "I know but I don't want to bother you."

"But you wouldn't be, especially not me. I was in a similar situation when I was your age. I know how difficult it can be to let people in."

Ana looks up at Blair, "I don't want to burden them with my issues. Lauren and Audrey both have the perfect life and Dani well no scandal ever seems to touch her, they won't get it."

Blair shakes her head reminded of all the times she had the exact same thoughts about Serena. Rubber be a train in the Van der Woodsen gene pool. "You'd be surprised, Ana. No one has it perfect," Blair takes the young girl's hand, "but I know how it feels when you think no one will understand. Will you promise me that you will talk to me when things are bothering you?"

Ana's eyes widen, "do you mean it?"

"Ana, of course. I'll always make time for you," Blair squeezes the girl's hand.

"Audrey is so lucky. I wish you were my mom," Ana says softly.

Blair hugs the younger girl tightly, "Ana, you are family to us. Please, don't forget it and please promise me that you will start attending school regularly and taking care of yourself. Now, go take a shower and get yourself cleaned up. I'll have Audrey find an outfit for you. I'm going to go to deal with your father."

xoxox

Nate rushes up to Blair as she walks down the penthouse steps. "Blair, is she okay?"

Blair nods, and hugs her friend tightly, "She's better but I think it is going to take her awhile to be okay. I told her to get cleaned up. I'd like the two of you to stay for dinner."

"I had no idea she wasn't attending school," Nate shakes his head, "I've been so distracted."

Chuck walks towards his wife and hands her a martini, "Have you filed yet, Nate?"

"No, she could still come back," Nate, says shortly. "She went to LA for a break."

"Nate, a break is spending a week at your Hampton's house. It is certainly not moving to LA and moving in her with one of your models. I think you need to make a decision for Ana's sake. You need to file for divorce and make attempts to move on or go to LA and bring Jenny back. I for one would prefer the first option but this holding pattern you have put you and Anastasia in isn't healthy or good for either of you. Your daughter is really struggling right now and you didn't even notice." Blair takes a sip of her martini and glances at Nate apologetically, "Nate, I'm sorry but I think you need to come to grips to the reality at hand. If you need some time to make a decision, Anastasia is more then welcome to stay here with us," Blair looks at Chuck for confirmation.

"Blair's right, Nate. Whatever you need," Chuck refills Nate's rocks glass.

Nate nods towards Chuck and takes a sip of his scotch, "I need some time to think about it. "

"I understand that Nate, but you still have a daughter to take care of. Ana's only 15 and needs the support. You can't make your decision at her expense. "

"It isn't that bad Blair. She's skipping school and drinking. It's nothing we never did."

"But if you don't stop it now, it'll turn into something much more," Blair takes Nate's hand, "this is the exact same situation I was in when my father left and you were there first hand to see how I chose to handle the situation."

Nate looks at Blair blankly, "and you were fine."

Blair rolls her eyes, "Really, I was fine."

Chuck snakes his arm around Blair's waist, "She spent every day in the bathroom after lunch throwing up her yogurt which was all she ate ever in front of us. She wasn't fine. You really had no idea?"

Nate looks at Blair and then again at Chuck. "Blair, I didn't know. I mean I know that you lost weight and you didn't eat as much as you should have but I had assumed you were fine after the hospital."

"Well I wasn't. I relapsed. It was the only way I could gain control over some aspect of my out of control life, "Blair sighs, "Nate, we aren't insinuating that Ana will develop an eating disorder but she needs you to be there for her right now and you turning a blind eye to everything she does is not going to help her. You and Ana are family to us and if you aren't in the space to do it, Serena, Chuck, and I can help. We owe it to our children to do better by them then our parents were to us."

"I know," Nate nods.

"Well, think about what you want to do and Blair and I will support you. If you need some time to leave New York to make that decision, we can take care of Anastasia," Chuck takes a sip of his drink, "but you most certainly don't need to decide that right now. I think we all need to just sit down a relax tonight."

"Chuck is right. I'm going to call Serena and we are going to have dinner with our children here and try to salvage this day." Blair looks around the Penthouse, "Where is Dorota?"

"Day off, in fact she has tomorrow off too," Chuck shrugs.

"Why? Must have learned her power of persuasion from Missus. Blair," Chuck smirks.

Blair shakes her head, "I guess that means we are ordering take out."

Xoxoxox

Ana knocks on CJ's door, "Hey," she says softly.

CJ looks up, "feeling better?"

Ana smiles, "Yes, your mom was what I needed."

CJ motions for Ana to come in, "Please, don't tell her that. She already thinks she is way to important then she really is. You okay?"

Ana shrugs, "Getting there. I'm so sorry CJ. I made such an idiot out of myself today. Will you do me a favor and not tell Lauren. I don't think I could bear for Miss. Perfect to know I had such a huge misstep," Ana blushes, "sorry I know she is your girlfriend, well I think she is your girlfriend."

CJ winks "Don't worry about it. I most certain won't tell Miss. Perfect anything, but you need to promise me something."

"What?"

"Don't tell her you caught Logan and I smoking a joint behind the limo last week."

Ana smiles, "I guess I owe you right?"

CJ nods, "Consider yourself even. You staying for dinner?"

"I think so, I think our mom wants to keep an eye on me," Ana runs her hands through her hair nervously, "Well, I just wanted to say thanks."

"Your welcome."

Audrey rushes into her older brothers room, "Ana, there you are. Dani's here. I want you to see my dress. We still need to discuss what you are wearing this weekend," Audrey grabs her friend's hand, "come on."

"Can't wait," Ana glances at CJ quickly, "see you at dinner."

Xoxoxox

Serena walks out onto the balcony and taps Nate on the shoulder "Care for some company."

Nate turns around, "You must be cold."

"I should be, but thanks to Blair's martinis I'm quite fine," Serena sits next to Nate, "It is fine if you want to be alone. Just tell me. I know Blair and Chuck mean well but I also know their presence when you are trying to make a life altering decision can be suffocating."

Nate smiles, "ironic isn't it."

"What?"

"That they ended up being the stable ones."

"They always did take care of us. Not much has changed."

"When Chuck told me about how CJ brought Ana home today, I couldn't help but be reminded of all the times Blair and Chuck swooped in and fixed everything for us. I think we became to accustomed to that and never learned how to fix things for ourselves," Nate remarks.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Nate. You couldn's have predicted this would happen."

"You were smart, you know. To not marry Dan. Even after you found out your were pregnant with Daniella."

"I didn't love Dan. I love my little girl, but Dani was the consequence of way too much champagne on New Years Eve. It would have been a mistake to marry him."

"Exactly, you didn't let the upper east side's moral judgment alter your decisions. I never would have married Jenny if she hadn't gotten pregnant."

"Don't say that, Nate. You loved her. I was there on your wedding day; I was in your wedding. Don't let recent events darken your history. Don't let what happened make you lie to yourself about your feelings. It isn't fair to Ana."

Nate glances inside at Chuck who has his arm wrapped around Blair. "Not everyone divorces."

"Well they're Chuck and Blair, Blair and Chuck" Serena rolls her eyes. "You can't compare yourself to them."

"I grew up being told that I would marry Blair Waldorf so it is a little difficult to not look at Blair, someone my daughter adores and think of everything I could have had"

"Nate, don't go there. If you and Blair got married you would be divorced, and that is a fact. It wasn't meant to be," Serena glances inside, "Chuck and Blair were meant to be. The state of evens that we live now are how they should be."

"So we are meant to be unhappy."

"I'm not unhappy."

"You have a child with your step-brother, you and Carter have been on-again off-again for the past 18 years while he has been in between wives, and you have never been married. You can't honestly tell me you are happy with your life."

"Nate, I am sorry you are hurting but your unhappiness gives you no right to cast judgment on my life," Serena stands up, "It's late and Blair told the girls they could spend the night so I think I am going to join Carter for a drink."

"Serena, wait," Nate stands up and pulls her towards him, "I'm sorry. I could use some company tonight."

"I know you are sorry," Serena whispers, and breaks their embrace, "but we can't do this. I'm with Carter."

"For this week."

"What happened with us was a mistake. You needed someone, anyone, and I was there. Lets not try to fool ourselves that it meant anything more then that." Serena back away from Nate, "Take care of yourself, we'll talk soon."

xoxoxoxo