A/N: I have no affiliation with the characters mentioned, that belong to the CW, Josh Schwartz and Cecily von Ziegesar; or any actor, living, that appears in this chapter. This is written for your amusement and mine ;D

Noisy sobs racked the small body of Emily Humphrey, shaking her body as she clung to the white phone receiver tightly, as if it was a lifeline. The sinking realisation that her father was dating someone that was her not mother ruining the fantasy she had dreamt up where this movie on their teenaged love would bring them back together and give their family a happily ever after ending.

Her elder mother, not yet out of her youthful twenties, entered the professionally decorated penthouse, often featured on the cover of architecture and design magazines, that her step-brother and her best friend called home, just in time to catch the end of her daughter's emotional plea to her father, admitting that she had never recovered from a split that had happened when she'd been too young to properly remember.

"Emily, baby." The international fashion model was panicked as she watched her only child become engulfed in tears; crossing the marbled foyer in a matter of only a couple of strides, wrapping her daughter up in a tight hug.

Freshly manicured fingers ran through the nine year old's natural strawberry blonde hair, a soothing mechanism that had worked since her toddler years. Serena allowed Emily to continue sobbing down the phone, and she could hear the worried voice of her ex-husband on the other line.

"Em, Emily. Emily." She could hear Dan's voice distantly through the line, he sounded concerned about his daughter. Her reaction had completely blindsided him. While he knew that the young girl was sure to be upset, the noise that was coming out from her was unexpected.

"It doesn't work that way sweetheart." Serena soothed while Dan continued to call out their daughter's name. The elder blonde continued to rock Emily back and forth until the noise had subsided and the shaking had slowed.

Prying the phone from tightly clenched fingers, Serena informed Dan that Emily would call him back once she had calmed down and they were back in their own home. This type of drama didn't need to be carried on in the foyer of the Bass home.

Thankful that Chuck and Blair, or at least Dorota, had enough sense to herd the household upstairs, out of ear reach of the van der Woodsen women Serena leant against the ivory painted wall, pulling Emily in for a hug.

"I don't want…hiccup…daddy to date Olivia." Emily looked straight up at her mother, her eyes red and her face blotchy; appearing much younger than her mere nine years despite the sudden loss of naivety.

"You know," Serena spoke softly, trying to find the words that weren't going to completely ruin her daughter's spirit in one day. "Your father and I, we aren't going to get back together. We've only just started talking after seven years. What makes you think we're going to get back together now, sweetheart."

"Because," Emily hiccupped again, still calming herself down. "That's how it's meant to be."

Serena wasn't about to argue the logic of a nine year old, especially when her daughter had inherited her incredible stubbornness. She just shook her head and remained silent, closing her eyes to think about everything; they could talk about this later.

"I'm going to take you home Em. You can call your dad back from there; he doesn't want to see you upset." Emily climbed off Serena's lap and the twenty nine year old woman pushed herself off the floor. She called a goodbye out to Blair and Chuck, with a promise of a night out soon to the former, as a thank you for collecting Emily from school.

Emily had talked to her father when they got back to the van der Woodsen penthouse, listening quietly while he explained to her that someday he was going to find someone that he liked, that he wanted to spend more time with; that he had found that someone in Olivia.

She had listened quietly, her face stoic as she hid all emotions that she felt towards her father and to Olivia, a girl she had never met before but already disliked. She had accepted that her father was dating Olivia, even if she didn't like it.

By the time that Goldberg, the exec producer of the movie that was fast becoming a constant migraine to the subject, called another production meeting she was reluctant to go. She didn't want to sit in the office next to her ex-husband anymore; she didn't want to listen to every part of a story that was sounding more and more like the story of someone else, someone she had never met before.

She was only sitting in the black chair under the promise that a male lead had finally been cast.

"We need to talk." Dan entered the office only minutes before Goldberg did, whispering to her as he slid into the vacant seat next to her.

"We don't need to talk about anything." Serena whispered back truthfully. She didn't care if her ex-husband was sleeping with the new girl or not. It was their daughter that was struggling with the difficult truth of it. She was the one going to school every day, facing the scrutiny of her classmates over the fact that her dad's new girlfriend was the hottest actress in America at the moment.

"Max Minghella." Goldberg burst through the room with a renowned sense of energy now that the male lead had been cast, at least a month after opening the casting call. He had a bunch of papers in his hand that he began handing out to everyone, on it was essential information on their new lead and a head shot.

Serena could see the resemblance between this man and a teenaged Dan.

"He's new, he's fresh. He's perfect." He announced joyfully.

"What was he in last?" One of the other people involved in the movie asked, trying to place the face that he'd seen on screen before.

"A movie on Lifetime." Goldberg dismissed it, it wasn't essential information. The important thing was that they had their male lead; they had their female lead. This movie was actually going somewhere.

"This is good news." Goldberg continued, "The script's finished. This means that shooting can finally begin."

And Serena can watch Olivia and this Max act out the romance that once was between her and Dan. She only hoped that Emily could survive the next couple of months. The young girl had been looking forward to the 'story' side of the movie, but now she wanted to ignore the whole project's existence completely.

Serena excused herself the second it became appropriate, claiming other responsibilities as the reason why she couldn't stay around to talk more movie.

Dan watched Serena slip out of the office, shaking thoughts out of his head as he noticed how the denim jeans she was wearing clung to her like second skin, how the blouse she had slipped on that morning complemented her tanned skin perfectly.

He closed his eyes and pictured Olivia, Olivia smiling up at him from where she lay on his bed, wrapped up in his sheets. He thought of how she looked the first night they had together, dancing against each other in the loud and crowded club.

He shouldn't be this confused. He knew that. But it didn't stop him.

A short update, but I'm working my way back into the writing and I swear something is going to happen really soon.

I'm considering keeping the Derena divorce reason a secret, it might be better if you come to your own conclusions. Your imaginations are probably a lot more vivid than mine.

Can anyone name the Lifetime movie that Max Minghella was in? If you can answer correctly, I'll give you a sneak peek of the next chapter. An incentive for me to write if there ever was one! I hate to disappoint my loyal readers =D

Reviews, as always are love.

Casey xXx