.

Chapter 3: Kids

Memories fade
Like looking through a fogged mirror
Decisions too
Decisions are made and not bought
But I thought this wouldn't hurt a lot
I guess not

-MGMT

As they descended the steps behind the Van der Bilt summer home, making their way to the elegant garden party spread out below, Blair and Serena drew numerous admiring glances from the male guests. Blair's white eyelet skirt and pale pink strapless top showed off her tiny waist and slim shoulders, and contrasted beautifully with her dark chestnut curls. Serena, as usual, had opted for a more bohemian look, her dark blue sundress accented by layers of beaded necklaces and lustrous blonde waves. Of course, the male attention was offset by envious glares from their female counterparts, but competition had always been a way of life in their social circle.

Spotting Nate talking with his mother, Blair approached the pair, pausing for a second to ensure she didn't intrude on their private conversation. Anne noticed her first, and smiled in a manner that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Oh Blair, don't you look lovely." She kissed her on the cheek. "Nate dear, perhaps you could fetch her a beverage?"

Nate smiled as well, and Blair was suddenly struck by the similarity in their facial expressions- those perfect, polished smiles that seemed somehow devoid of real emotion. She felt a twinge of discomfort, wondering if she might have interrupted a rather serious discussion. "Of course, I'll be right back." As Nate hurried off to do his mother's bidding, Blair took the opportunity to compliment the décor.

"These rosebushes are absolutely spectacular, Anne. You must have spent all summer on them."

Anne inclined her head, graciously accepting the compliment. "Well, I have had a fair bit of free time lately."

Blair was unsure how to respond, knowing that the gaps in her social calendar were undoubtedly caused by the Captain's fugitive status. It was the kind of scandal that caused even old money elite to be socially shunned. And although Nate preferred not to discuss it, she knew how that the whispers and accusations bothered him, especially when they were unfairly directed at his mother. If Anne were guilty of anything, it was placing her faith in an untrustworthy man, Blair thought to herself, feeling thankful that she never had to worry about her honest, principled boyfriend pulling that kind of crap. Luckily, the party turnout was still impressive, despite the quiet rumblings of gossip among the guests.

At that moment, she spotted Lily making her way down the stairs with Bart, who must have arrived from the city only hours ago. It was obvious Lily had dressed him- it was the only explanation for the beachy linen trousers and trendy button down shirt, which seemed to be making him visibly uncomfortable. In fact, Blair couldn't remember him ever wearing anything but a suit and an intimidating expression. But his awkward attempts at relaxation, under Lily's influence, were actually rather endearing.

"Here you go, Blair." Nate returned to her side, presenting her with a glass of white wine and a quick kiss on the cheek. She didn't have to taste it to know it was chardonnay, the Bud Light of white wine. No matter how many times she reminded him that she preferred pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc, Nate never seemed to remember. Blaming it on his lack of wine knowledge and hamster-like attention span, she tried to suppress a grimace as she sipped her drink.

"Anne, Nate, what a lovely party!" Lily was all smiles as she joined their group, with Bart and now Serena in tow. "I finally managed to drag Bart away from work for the weekend, I told him he couldn't possibly miss your annual soiree."

Blair listened politely as Lily and Anne made small talk, observing that the chardonnay was becoming less unpleasant the more of it she drank. It still tasted like a cheap open bar at a Jersey wedding, but she could make do. She briefly considered sampling the scallop ceviche offered by a passing waiter, but she'd already had more than enough to eat that day.

Gradually the conversation turned to end-of-season festivities and finally the upcoming school year, giving the children an opportunity to participate. "Well, soccer practice begins a week from Monday, so I'll have to head back to the city right after the white party." Nate responded to Lily's query. Clearing his throat nervously, he directed his next question to Bart. "I was wondering, Mr. Bass, if you'd given any thought to letting Chuck return to St. Jude's this semester?"

Bart frowned in confusion. "Letting him return?"

Nate swallowed, clearly intimidated. "Yes, sir… It is senior year, after all, and it only seems fitting that he graduate with his classmates."

"Nathanael, I don't know what he's told you, but Charles requested to be transferred to Brighton. I was willing to oblige because I hoped it might improve his academic performance, but that doesn't appear to be the case."

Seemingly oblivious to their startled expressions, Bart went on, "Quite frankly, I'm not even sure what he's still doing there, his term ended almost a month ago. Perhaps I should give him a call…" He frowned again, clearly displeased by the idea.

Blair felt her heart pounding in her ears. Chuck had wanted to leave? Why? Nate's brow was furrowed, an expression of surprise and confusion on his face, and she carefully avoided meeting his eyes while her mind raced. Shifting uncomfortably under Serena's questioning gaze, she downed the rest of her wine in one gulp and excused herself, heading off in search of that ceviche.

Anxiously tugging at the collar of his shirt, Dan reminded himself once again that he wasn't actually crashing this party. He was technically someone's plus one- even if that someone happened to be Serena's 60-year-old grandmother.

He had shown up at the Rhodes summer house an hour ago, after a 3-hour Jitney ride spent working himself into quite the romantic lather. Discovering that Serena wasn't even home had temporarily derailed his plans, but he'd soon gained a surprising ally in Grandma CeCe, who had apparently spent the majority of the summer watching her granddaughter mope around despondently. Thus, she'd decided to overlook Dan's humble origins and help him revamp his ill-conceived wooing strategy. The first step had been a change of clothes, of course, because showing up at an East Hampton party in Old Navy cargo shorts simply would not do. Step two was getting him into said party- but now that they were here, it was all up to him. CeCe nodded in Serena's direction with just the hint of a twinkle in her eye, and went off in search of a stiff drink, leaving him to fend for himself.

He felt his knees shaking slightly as he descended the stairs, admiring the flowing blonde locks of the girl he'd been in love with since he was 14. Flowing blonde locks, really? Maybe it's a good thing you haven't been able to document any of this drivel. He sighed inwardly. Then suddenly, his eyes were met by a pair of wide blue ones, Serena's face lighting up in- happiness? Yes, that definitely looked like happiness. He responded with a wry smile, and the two made their way towards each other across the well-manicured lawn.

"Dan." She greeted him breathlessly, stopping just a few feet away.

"…. Hey." Well-played, Humphrey. God, he was really bad at this.

"What are you… doing here?" She asked hopefully, nibbling at her lower lip in nervousness.

"I thought maybe we could… talk, or something. I just… uh… I really miss you." Dan finally confessed, as he stared awkwardly at the ground. Sneaking a glance upwards, his heart nearly stopped as he saw the expression of sheer elation on her face. Two seconds later, he felt himself enveloped in a flurry of long limbs and blonde hair and beaded necklaces.

"I miss you too." She whispered against his cheek, hugging him tightly. Then as she tilted her face upwards, their lips met in a warm, passionate kiss made all the sweeter by months of separation. It was a perfect moment, suspended in time as a manifestation of pure, simple happiness. The other guests observing their reunion couldn't help but smile, whispering among themselves about the giddiness of young love.

Every guest except one, that is. Surprised by the sudden development, Nate had no opportunity to compose himself into an appropriate reaction. Inhaling sharply, he was hit by a wave of intense jealousy, twisting his handsome features into an ugly scowl. Although it lasted only a second before he regained his bearings, it was too late. Observing the scene from across the lawn, Blair felt his reaction like a kick to the gut. As her throat tightened and her eyes began to well up with tears, she purposefully strode towards the house. She just needed to make it to the bathroom before anyone saw her cry.

"Daniel, this certainly is an unexpected pleasure." Lily smiled at him, her voice remarkably devoid of sarcasm. "I didn't realize you were summering in the Hamptons."

Dan smiled back, inwardly rolling his eyes. The use of "summer" as a verb was high on his list of rich-people pet peeves. Then, suddenly realizing he'd come all the way out here without actually securing any accommodations, he felt stirrings of unease- what had seemed like a grand romantic gesture at the time now felt remarkably short-sighted.

Clasping his hand in hers, Serena grinned in understanding at his worried expression.

"Oh, I invited Dan to stay with us, Mom- I hope that's alright?" She asked innocently.

"Of course, dear. I'll make sure the first floor guest room is set up for him." Lily pursed her lips knowingly. "I must say I approve of your choice of attire, Daniel."

After glancing down at his loose linen pants and white button-down shirt, he caught the steely blue gaze of a very similarly-clad Bart Bass. Barely catching a chuckle before it escaped his mouth, he nodded in sympathetic understanding. The resemblance between the Rhodes women really was uncanny sometimes.

"Hey Dan." Nate clapped his back in greeting. "Looks like you've already traded up in the date department? Poor CeCe."

Dan chuckled in response. "Hey, great party, man. Very…" He paused, searching for an appropriate word "…classy."

"Well, that's how the Archibalds roll." Nate joked, taking a long gulp of his drink. He definitely felt in need of some fortification at the moment. Perhaps he could sneak off to his room and smoke up for a few minutes, just to take the edge off.

"Hey Nate, did you hear anything back from Chuck?" Serena asked, suddenly remembering their earlier conversation.

"Nah, I sent him a text, but it's the middle of the night there. I'll just talk to him tomorrow." Nate shruggled nonchalantly. He tried not to let on how hurt and confused he felt by the revelation that his best friend had not only abandoned him, but lied about it, while Serena was once again attached at the face to Dan Humphrey, and Blair- where was Blair, anyway? He briefly surveyed the gathering, seeing no sign of her pretty pink-and-white outfit. Sighing, he figured she was probably pissed about him ignoring her, or some other offense he hadn't even realized he'd committed. He was sure he'd get to hear all about it tomorrow.

Gripping the edge of the sink with both hands, she carefully critiqued the reflection in front of her. Her curls were still sleek and shiny, although they were looking a touch dry at the ends. Her outfit was tasteful and perfectly coordinated, expertly straddling the line between youthful and elegant. The accessories were subtle, yet eye-catching. And while the waistband of her skirt was just the slightest bit snug, it was nothing that a few weeks of discipline wouldn't fix.

Her face, however, was going to require some work. Wiping streaks of mascara away with trembling hands, Blair set about repairing her makeup. She studiously avoiding meeting her own eyes in the mirror, unwilling to face the pain and resignation reflected back at her.

A/N: So if you're thinking this chapter had way too little Chuck in it, rest assured, that will be rectified in the very near future.

Thanks to my fantastic Beta, Terrabeth.

And reviews are pretty much my favorite thing in the whole wide world. Just saying. :)