** Thanks for sticking with me and sorry this update took a little longer but I've been going through finals and it's been not so great for my writing. I'm finally done with school for a while so hopefully updates will happen much faster. I love the positive feedback you are all so kind! Honestly I just really love Nate and Serena and to get to write a story about them is enough but having you guys enjoy it as well really is the icing on the cake. If you have any requests for fanfiction one-shots I would be more than happy to oblige; I watch a TON of TV shows (especially the CW) and I read some, too so if I know the fandom well and think I can write it OK I would be more than happy to write a fanfiction for anyone who wants to see a certain relationship, crossovers included. But, enough about me and back to the story!

** Disclaimer: I do not own Gossip Girl but if I did I can tell you that Serena would not still be in love with Dan.

Halfway through their second movie Serena and Nate were both asleep. It had been a long couple of days and they were exhausted from all that had happened. They two best friends were snuggled together as they always had been as kids. Serena and Nate had had the easiest relationship of them all; their friendship came naturally and rarely had been shaken over their many years of knowing one another. Unlike Blair and Serena who had had their many ups and downs, Nate and Serena had a stable friendship that was rarely shaken. It was times like these, however, when they were the closest. Times when someone from their childhood foursome needed them. Blair had once said that they were the "non-judging" breakfast club and it had always held true. In times of good and bad the four of them had always been there for each other and this situation was no different. With Blair and Chuck in the hospital Nate and Serena had both decided, independently, to take care of the other. Of course it seemed more like Serena was the one being taken care of but taking care of Serena had always made Nate feel better. It was just like old times when they had helped take down Georgina and Poppy.

Serena was first to wake and when she saw Nate sleeping peacefully next to her she smiled. Even though Nate rarely displayed outbursts of emotion she knew him well enough to know that he was far from OK. She felt guilty for falling apart all over him again but at the same time was grateful that he was there for her after what had happened with Charlie. Even though Charlie wasn't actually Charlie and was some random girl named Ivy, Serena still couldn't bear to call her Ivy. Ivy had been her cousin; if not by blood then at least by relationship. She was hurt and angry but Serena couldn't deny the fact that Ivy had been family.

Serena's thoughts were disrupted by the ding of the elevator. Serena walked over to the elevator and, as the doors were sliding open she saw Dan's face appear. He looked as though he hadn't slept much in the past two days and Serena couldn't blame him. She knew that he was in love with Blair and the loss of her to Chuck followed by the accident must have been devastating. Still, Serena couldn't help the jealousy she felt; Dan had always been and would always be her first love. There was a time when she had thought the two of them belonged together but she couldn't be certain of anything, anymore. She looked back at Nate and tiptoed over to Dan careful not to awaken her sleeping friend.

"Dan what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see if you were OK and…is that Nate?" Dan peeked over Serena's shoulder at the sleeping form on the couch and Serena side-stepped to block his path.

"Can we talk upstairs I don't want to wake him up," Serena whispered.

"What were you two doing, exactly?" Dan asked.

Serena hated the judgment that she could hear oozing from Dan's voice. He had no right, she thought. He had made clear that his affections lie elsewhere so it wasn't his place to make judgments on who she was spending her time with.

"Nate took me home and we fell asleep watching a movie."

Serena began to walk up the stairs and into her old room whereupon she closed the door once Dan was inside.

"Are you OK? When you left the hospital you were really upset and you yelled at me."

Serena wasn't sure how to respond. On the one hand she had been very upset and really, Dan hadn't deserved her wrath. She wasn't mad at him; she was furious with Gossip Girl. On the other hand, Dan had already come in her home and practically accused her of doing something wrong.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you I was just upset. It wasn't your fault but Gossip Girl…I just wish that I could find out who she was and destroy her for good."

"You think Gossip Girl had something to do with the accident?"

"Of course she did! She was the one who posted the information about Chuck and Blair and that was what caused the paparazzi to follow them."

"Who sent the blast to Gossip Girl?"

"It was Charlie or…not really. I mean it was but Charlie isn't actually Charlie. She's a girl named Ivy pretending to be Charlie Rhodes."

Dan was aghast, "What?"

Serena nodded and fought back the tears. The betrayal was still very fresh and difficult to even think about. What else had Ivy done to hurt her friends?

Dan put his arm around Serena in an attempt to comfort her but it felt strange. Something had changed between them since the day his book had been published and Dan couldn't quite figure out just what that something was. He thought maybe it had something to do with jealousy but didn't want to say it aloud; after all, accusing Serena Van Der Woodsen of jealousy had never gone over well the past few times he had done it. So he discretely removed his arm and stuck both hands in his pockets to try and escape the awkwardness.

"Is there anything I can do? I mean I know that you have Nate and all but I'm here for you, Serena."

"What about you, are you OK? I know that you love her, Dan, we don't have to pretend that that doesn't exist."

Dan shrugged off her concern, "I'm alright really. She didn't belong with me anyway, she always knew. And the doctors say that she'll be fine, they're going to check on the baby once she wakes up. It's Chuck that they're not so sure about…."

Serena nodded, "I should probably get back down to the hospital."

Suddenly Serena remembered something, "Oh my God, Louie! Does he know? Did someone call him?"

"I don't honestly know. With everything that's happened I guess everyone forgot that they were still technically engaged."

"I have to call him! Even if Blair wants to end things with him he still deserves to know; it is his child."

Dan nodded, "So you're OK?"

Serena nodded even though she wasn't so sure. Dan looked like he had enough to worry about without having to take care of her and in light of recent weeks Serena had been trying to rely on him less. She wanted to try to look at him as what he was to her and would probably remain: her step-brother. And while she could rely on him as a step-brother she knew that without distance and time for her to get over him completely she would end up doing something that was very unlike something that a step-sister would do.

"You should get some sleep, Dan. And tell Nate where I went if he asks I'm sure he'll want to see Chuck if he can. Are they allowing visitors, yet?"

"Well Blair's parents just got in and once Blair wakes up the hospital says that they'll allow non-family. I didn't ask about Chuck though, sorry."

Serena hadn't expected him too if she was being honest. There was no love lost between Chuck Bass and Dan Humphrey, especially in light of recent events. So as Dan went to his room and Serena headed downstairs she couldn't blame Dan for not having been overly concerned for Chuck's well-being.

Serena got to the hospital and immediately found Eleanor Waldorf. She was trying to hold it together but it was apparent that Blair's mother was far from alright. Serena wrapped her arms around Blair's mother and silently comforted her. When she loosened her grip around Eleanor she gave a weak smile.

"Thank you, dear. She's going to be alright and she's awake if you want to see her. Her father's in there now but I'm sure she would love to see you."

Serena nodded and headed over to Blair's hospital room. Blair didn't look great but she was at least awake and seemingly alright. When her eyes found Serena she smiled and tears began to fill Serena's eyes. She rushed forward and tenderly hugged her best friend, even as she fought back the urge to start crying. Blair was alright…her best friend was going to be OK.

"Blair I…" Serena didn't know what to say but Blair didn't mind. She knew what Serena was thinking and was just grateful to have her friend at her side.

"Chuck?" Blair asked. Her voice was hoarse and weak and Serena wished that she could give her friend some comfort but, unfortunately, news of Chuck had been bad, so far. He was in surgery right now and Serena told Blair that.

"What about you…and…" Serena couldn't bring herself to ask about Blair's unborn child and Blair shook her head sadly.

"The baby…it didn't make it through the crash," Blair said and burst into tears. Harold had quietly slipped out of the room when Serena embraced her friend again; he had already heard about the miscarriage and knew that Serena would be a greater comfort right now then he would be. He was just thankful that his daughter was alive and allowed the two best friends to be alone.

"Blair, I'm so sorry. I thought you were…I just don't know what I would do if you…"

Blair nodded as the tears streamed down her cheeks. She hadn't ever felt prepared for the prospect of having a baby but now that she wasn't going to the loss was immense. That and the unknown status of Chuck were too much for her weak state and she fell asleep in Serena's arms just grateful that the girl she had known her whole life was here.

When Nate woke up and noticed Serena was gone he went upstairs looking for her and found Dan instead.

"Hey, man, how are Blair and Chuck?"

"Blair's OK and Serena just texted to say she's awake but Chuck's in surgery right now."

So Serena was at the hospital…Nate figured that was where she was but he was surprised that she hadn't texted him. After all Chuck was his best friend and he had known Blair since they were little.

Dan read the disappointment on Nate's face as sadness over his friend's unknown status.

"Hey, man, I'm sure Chuck will be fine. He's Chuck Bass, he'll pull through."

Nate forced himself to smile, "Yeah, he will be, I'm sure. I'm headed to the hospital did you want to come?"

Dan shook his head, "No I'm gonna stay here for a while."

Nate nodded and headed downstairs and back to the hospital. He couldn't help but check his phone as the car headed over just to see if Serena would text him. But the only new texts he had gotten while asleep were from journalists as the paper and one from Charlie saying that she was "sorry". Nate deleted the last one and tried to ignore the fact that Serena had chosen to update Dan and not him. It wasn't as if it should bother him; after all, Serena and Dan had always been close and Serena had told Dan she was at the hospital. Still Nate had been hopeful that, just this once, she would choose him over Dan Humphrey.

** No Serenate in this chapter mostly because I'm trying to find a way of closing the Dan chapter and not totally mess up the current plots (since for some reason the GG writers keep putting Derena together). So I hope you guys keep reading because I have some good stuff in mind for Serenate coming up! R&R, please