Gossip Girl

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Gossip Girl here, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite.

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ON THE RHODE TO NOWHERE

If looks could kill then we think Carol Rhodes would've died a long time ago – our insider informs us that her attempts at repair have been firmly rebuffed – and it's just something else to play on Lily Van Der Woodsen's mind – although since the official reason for the visit is that she's here to support E, we're left wondering if the next time we see here it'll be S in the witness stand?

You know you love me,

Xoxo Gossip Girl

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"How's your mom taking it all?" Jenny asked, searching Eric for an answer – since there friendship had started back when Serena and Dan had first dated she'd always been able to read Eric like a book, it was only recently that she was beginning to lose her touch and find him an enigma – something she blamed on herself for allowing them to grow so far apart. The distance between them was decreasing but she still to an extent felt uncomfortable and awkward at times, like when you see your childhood best-friend for the first time in years and you hardly recognize them.

Eric shrugged, "Not well…I just think Carol on top of everything else isn't helping…if anything she's just making things worse…I mean I almost want to go and see her just to tell her to get out of the city and go back to Miami…I know I have myself to blame for some of her stress but I don't know whether going to see Carol will make things better or worse."

Jenny nodded knowingly and then in a strategic masterpiece plunged her fork forward, clinching the last piece of brownie and stuffing it in her mouth quickly – she and Eric had been playing cat-and-mouse with the brownie they were sharing at the coffee shop and now they were down to the last morsel: and she had won it. She grinned at her triumph but immediately allowed a more sombre look to come over as she caught sight of Eric…he really was torn up about this; she reached across and touched at his hand affectionately.

"You shouldn't blame yourself for trying to be your own person," she said soothingly, only sympathising too well, even if Eric's exploits were rather more serious than her own, "the idea was great just…not the execution you know?" He nodded comprehendingly, "Look I'm glad if you can't talk to Lily or my Dad then you at least have me…till Serena gets back anyway: did she say how Paris is?" the distraction was obvious but then she wasn't trying to disguise a move away from trouble with Lily – if anything it would at least let him focus on something he could be happy about – his sister and her growing romance with Nate, even if Jenny privately harboured doubts whether her stepsister could even make a relationship work, there had been a time when Jenny had respectively idolized Serena, then distrusted her and then moved into outright hate of her but now she was at peace with her stepsister, even if Serena was still hostile toward her.

Eric looked away, focusing upon the traffic languishing in the dying summer heat outside the café and then found himself drawn back to the conversation, "She and Nate are…loving everything about it…the City…its culture…each other," they both laughed at that addition, "makes me wish I had someone like that to be with me while I'm going through this."

Jenny looked at him sympathetically, "You've got me…and your Mom and my Dad and Dan and Serena…everyone's gonna be there for you Eric, and we're all behind you, no matter what happens, we just want to be by your side through all of it – I mean from what you've said Chuck's done the hard part in taking the wrap for it…you might have been the actual physical tool for completing the blackmail but Chuck knew what he was doing and if things went wrong then he only has himself to blame."

"I know your right but I'm not blameless in all this," he reminded, "so how's your internship?"

Jenny rolled her eyes.

"It's an internship…back to square one."

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She felt delight return to her for the first time in weeks as Serena swaggered into the room with the confident air of a blonde best friend deeply in love, Blair noted that her eyes flickered towards the slight yet deceptively prominent bump as she crossed the bedroom and bent to hug Blair and then flumped onto the bed beside her, smirking in the cute smitten schoolgirl-ish way that was a habit Serena had failed to shake since she'd first fallen in love with a boy back in Kindergarten. It was especially reminiscent of Serena's previous relationship with Nate which Blair remembered all too well, Serena had been in a constant state of euphoria in regard to her relationship –they both had been for those short, brief, happy months when the four best-friends had been so close and then had been rudely shaken from that proximity together which Blair blamed as much on herself as she did Serena – although depending on your viewpoint they were all to blame except perhaps Nate who had remained curiously aloof, although then again part of the gulf of distance between Serena and Nate she had persistently blamed upon him. Regardless Blair could be pleased that they had repaired the relationships between them, even those which would've a few months earlier seemed irreparable.

"Gossip Girl's kept me reliably informed," Blair clued-up: much as she would have loved to hear about Serena and Nate's romantic mini-vacation to Paris right before the start of school somehow she found herself not wanting to hear the details, "she seems to think we can expect Wedding Bells from you too?"

Serena let out a scathing laugh at that suggestion, "Yeah let's just say I won't be walking down the aisle anytime soon, except maybe in front of you and your Dad?"

Now it was Blair's turn to scoff, "Louis left the morning after Chuck and Eric were arrested," she clued-up and Serena touched at her hand reassuringly, "you never did tell me why you and Nate thought now was a good time to vacay in Paris?"

Serena shrugged, "My Mom and Rufus didn't think having people crowding around Eric would help his spirits and Nate though that a trip might help us…just give us some time to get ourselves composed before we came home – not that we aren't gonna be here for you and Chuck through everything but Nate just wanted us to have some time together…you know cement the relationship and everything," Blair cocked a disbelieving eyebrow at that, Serena felt her composure melt into a guilty smile, "…maybe a little bit of it was about being selfish – but I mean come-on we just wanted some us-time!"

"I understand," Blair said, her mock anger fading away, "and on the subject of us-time…I've decided I'm going to fly to Monaco tomorrow…to see Louis – I haven't spoken to him or heard from him since he left Serena, he didn't say why he left, he hasn't said anything to me…I'm not even sure if our engagement is even still on but Dorota reads all the European magazines and at least there's nothing in there…I'm not even sure what to do about this." She said, gently touching at her bulging stomach.

"Well you're committed to having it – how do you decide a custody agreement when the Dad is a Prince?" Serena joked but realized she had struck a nerve and immediately etched her face in apologetic seriousness, "B he's probably just a little shocked at the pregnancy and he'll probably just want to process this: I mean if it's a boy you've basically done what every Queen dreams of right? Having an heir?"

"Yeah but it'll be a bastard Serena – it happened too early." Blair reminded and found herself hopelessly thinking again to her dreams of royal grandeur – she hadn't decided which Queens to try and emulate, how she would be an intelligent, formidable Queen and a loyal, loving wife and a caring mother to her children – she had visions of her and Louis posing for their family photograph with a large family of Princes and Princesses clustered adoringly around them, the truth was she had fallen slightly in love with the idea of being a member of a European Royal Family.

"B – the reason you're stressed isn't because the baby isn't Louis's right?" Serena prodded and judged from the malevolent look creased on Blair's face that the baby was Louis's kin, "I'm just checking B you know…I mean you spent that whole night when you chose Louis with Chuck right? The dates check out…I mean it isn't like a whole universe away to suggest that you might be pregnant with someone else's child-"

"-Serena," Blair said, her voice strained and heightened in pitch suggesting rising anger, "Louis is the father of our child, I did not and have not slept with Chuck in more than a year, suggesting anything else is just…just…just…ridiculous!"

"Ridiculous to you maybe but have you thought that maybe that's why Louis is staying away…because he doesn't want to believe or even to consider you might have slept with Chuck…I mean your relationship with Chuck is…complicated and Louis doesn't exactly know you two all that well Blair or your history…but if he's just taken a glance at some of the stuff on Gossip Girl he might get the wrong impression-"

"-which is why when I fly to Monaco and discuss it with him I'll fall lovingly into his embrace, we'll be married and we will have our first baby." Blair said determinedly.

Serena had the urge to venture whether Blair had firmly set her heart on the mood and on not completing College or whether she intended to complete her education in Europe…she had even been wiling to propose that Blair complete college and then continue her engagement and if it panned out in the right way then she could marry Louis for better or for worse – the baby had ruled out that idea and in any case Serena wasn't sure she had the temerity to suggest such an idea to Blair. She instead looked at her friend and then rose to leave, momentarily allowing her eyes to flutter back to Blair's stomach.

"Let's go to dinner tonight – just the two of us okay?" After a few moments Blair nodded giving her consent – she was already becoming more regal by the day – now Serena would have to figure out how to get her viewpoint across without causing offence. The only saving grace was that she had some time to play with – and that was what counted.

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Eagled-eyed Upper East Siders amongst you might have a spotted a certain exposé-writer-in-exile venturing out of his Brooklyn abode for the first time in two weeks yesterday, and he was smiling – though it isn't a smile on my lips, it's a question – why so happy Lonely Boy?

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"So you and Serena had fun in Paris?" Dan cocked an eyebrow and Nate smirked.

"It was…amazing," he admitted, being careful to guard his enthusiasm around Dan, "so you've just been laying low here then?"

Dan nodded, "Sent apologies to everyone – you did get yours right?" Nate bobbed his head too, "And…I've just been shutting myself away focusing on some reading before going back to school – did she…did she get what I was trying to say in the apology?"

"She did – I think it would've just been better if that's what you'd actually said first time around." He let out a laugh – it was true that Dan hadn't exactly been all that sympathetic when he'd first told Serena about how he felt about what he'd said in the exposé and his opinions of his closest friends but the email had at least come across as being sincere and Serena had responded well to that – or maybe she'd just been happy to have another distraction from what was going on back in the City: Nate hadn't been sure. Besides with her scriptwriting career dead in the water after Vanessagate – at least that was what Serena was calling, Nate wasn't exactly sure whether Gossip Girl had given that disastrous interview a name yet – Serena needed her friends around her to distract her, and though he hated to admit it somehow Serena in the few years she'd known Dan had become incredibly close and attached to Dan, it had taken Nate a lifetime to work his way into her confidence, but he didn't hold it against Dan. If anything he was glad to have his friend by his side since Chuck was in jail – he needed someone to talk to.

"Enough about Serena though – have you spoken to Chuck? Lily went to see him and…he's…not looking too great." Dan revealed slowly – he didn't want Nate to snap at him, there friendship had only just cleared a rough patch, he didn't want to do anything by exacerbating Nate's protective side in regard to Chuck against himself, that wouldn't help anyone – least of all Dan, "Blair said that-"

"-wait Blair went to see him?" Nate said, suddenly sitting up with interest.

"She sent Dorota," Dan corrected and Nate slumped back into his seat, "but she's certainly…interested in Chuck…I guess she still cares about him."

"Sure," Nate affirmed, "and no I haven't spoken to him – I don't think he'd use his one phone call to reach me anyway…how bad is he?"

Dan shrugged, "According to my Dad," Dan paused to figure out a way to put the facts sensitively, "Lily was really shaken up by how he looked Nate…she's never seen him this bag…even after Bart died…I mean I guess he could be getting substances in but he's just…in a rut."

"Maybe he wants to see Blair?" Nate suggested and Dan arched an eyebrow in speculation that implied Nate should go on, "I'm just saying…he clearly still loves her…maybe if he saw her then he'd get reinvigorated or whatever, you know get the fight back in him?"

"I guess Dorota going shows she cares-" Dan mused aloud before being cut-off.

"-yeah but it won't be enough for Chuck…he'll need to actually see her, she'll be the only he'll listen to," Nate rummaged in his pocket as he received a text and scanned it, "listen…would you mind going and talking to Blair for me? Serena says Blair's leaving tomorrow and I have to go see my parents about something – just…talk to her okay?" Nate was already getting to his feet as Dan rose to protest.

"Are you sure I'm the best person to talk her round, why can't Serena do it?" Dan probed.

"Serena has her reasons," Nate deflected in a detached manner, "look I'll see you later or something, thanks man – I know you and Chuck don't always see eye-to-eye but this'll mean the world to him." That was an understatement Dan thought to himself grimly.

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On the Upper East Side expect the unexpected – although we never expected to see Lonely Boy lingering outside B's building, why the nervous looks Lonely Boy? You might give people the impression you have something to hide.

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Dan idled at the doorway a few minutes more and then finally having worked up the courage slipped inside the building and thumbed the door. The elevator ride – unfortunately in his case – was swift, he had barely a few seconds to think of how to phrase is argument before the doors chimed open and he was admitted into the apartment: several suitcases were lined up in the foyer as Blair swept regally down the staircase as she might have done back when she'd ruled Constance with an iron grip, she looked at him imperiously and accelerated down the stair-case, her gown almost but not quite disguising the slight bump in her chest.

"Dorota – who let Humphrey in?"

"I let myself in," Dan said in a voice he thought it was too quiet to hear but Blair picked up on it immediately, swinging her head towards him furiously, "and-and-and," he said, nervously stuttering and flailing helplessly as he had done when first admitted to their world four years earlier, "I just want to talk Blair…so please don't…do anything hasty?" His eyes fluttered to the cases, "Are you going…somewhere?"

"Monaco," Blair affirmed, this afternoon, "and you being here is just going to make me late."

"Just…just five minutes," Dan promised and gestured to the Chaise Longue which she settled on, Dan took one of the armchairs and looked at her, "so you're going to see Louis?"

"Yes I am," she said as though it were the most elementary thing – which after all it was, even if Humphrey couldn't think of her engagement as a good enough reason to go to Monaco, "why?"

"Just wondering…I thought…you know that you might have reason enough to stay in the City…I mean he left remember, aren't you meant to wait for him to come back or some-"

"-great Queens don't wait Humphrey they act," Blair recited, clearly she'd learned that quote somewhere and she seemed very pleased with herself to have been able to repeat it, "I'm not going to explain myself to you Humphrey but needless to say I need to go to Monaco…I have to try and save my engagement, convince Louis that we can raise our child together."

"Yeah…what happened to Georgina after she dropped that bombshell?" Dan probed, Gossip Girl had the day after wishing to make as much from the drama of the previous night before, added that Georgina Sparks had revealed the news about Blair and had since disappeared from Gossip Girl's blasts.

"She left, like any sensible person would," Blair revealed, "why are you here Humphrey – we aren't about to see an Art Film and you aren't in love with Serena…you aren't you?"

"No," Dan rebuffed – that really was ridiculous, "Nate asked…he wants you to go and see Chuck…he thinks that Chuck's losing the will to live without having seen you…if you go see him he'll snap out of the rut and get out…for you…but I guess if you're going back to M-"

"-Nate spoke to Chuck about this?" Blair enquired, she didn't let the excitement be betrayed in her voice but it certainly gave rise to the voices she had been trying to push to the back of her head asking her to stay in the City and wait for the verdict of Chuck's trial…however she recognized the need to rescue her relationship with Louis, she was carrying his child, Chuck would at best be a lover, at worst a friend that would always be there in her dark times…she wanted…she needed a man she could marry, and Louis was that man, she was meant to go there. Even before Dan had responded she knew his answer couldn't change her mind, she was set on a course and if she could help it she wouldn't founder from it.

"Not exactly," that gave her even more reason to ignore it, "look just…be careful," Dan rose suddenly, "I wouldn't want to see anything-"

"-happen to me?" Blair finished and smiled, "I'll see you when I get back Lonely Boy…and keep this to yourself," she said as she walked him to the elevator, "I might have told a certain leggy blonde I'm not leaving till the morning to avoid her, understand?"

Dan nodded though as usual the complicated web of intrigue and plots surrounding Blair had passed through one ear and out the other, he would never understand her, or her idea of friendships and relationships – if you could call them that.

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For the important things in life, we must fight to win them and if we do not fight then we must expect to lose them - spotted B stepping out of private limousine at JFK and boarding a flight to Nice – bon voyage B, let's just hope this trip doesn't end in tragedy,

Xoxo Gossip Girl

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Hope you liked Chapter 2,

Reviews and responses welcome and appreciated,

Acrobat

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