To be honest, I was quite euphoric that some really actually gave me reviews…and subscribed in my story. Wow! You guys really put me on high. Thanks for sort of welcoming me coz I know most of you are also writers who have been writing for ages. This serves an inspiration to me to write more.

I don't know how many chapters and scenes this episode 1 would take. I just hope the river of my imagination keeps on flowing. I'm not at the end of my story yet. Every scene, every chapter I made is like a spur-of-the-moment thing. So I guess like you, I'm also thinking of what will happen next. This is neat…it's like riding the journey with you guys. YAY! Better stop my babbling now. I know you're here to read…

So here's Chapter 2 of my fanfic take on Episode 1 of Season 3. Includes Scenes of Serena, Nate and Blair too. Reviews are loved.

Gossip Girl Season 3 Episode 1 - "It's now or never"

Chapter 2

Scene 4 – Nate/Serena

Clad only in a 4-inches-above-the-knee white silk robe, Serena is busy preparing herself a much needed hot bath when she hears the door bell rings. Sighing, she asks herself – Who could this be? Mom? Blair? Eric? It couldn't be Carter. He's quite a persistent guy but knows his limit with her. Smirking, she knows he wouldn't do such a thing that will piss her off. He will not dare.

She lazily drags herself towards the door and without even bothering to look through the peephole to see who is on the other side, she opens the door forcefully that she almost knock herself off. Holding herself up, she gasps upon seeing the handsome familiar face of the boy she's been crushing on for the past 12 years of her life.

"Nate! What a surprise....." He didn't speak right away. Looking straight at her through piercing blue eyes, he just gives her his patented boyish-killer grin that makes her stammer. "Wha – what are you doing here?"

Still staring at her, Nate slowly turns his grin into a wide charming smile that makes his eyes light up. Raising both his hands to reveal two Starbucks Ice Coffee Mocha Tall and a bag full of chocolate-coated croissants, he quips in a booming voice, "Room service, anyone?"

Serena tries to control herself but failed. She blurts out a hearty laugh at Nate who still looked like that 7-year-old boy who would bring her goodies out-of-the-blue, even without special occasions. To which little Blair would complain then on why she and Chuck didn't receive the same kind of goodies from him. Then Nate would wittingly explain that both of them didn't really like such cheap chocolate-junkies. This reason seems to satisfy Blair as she readily agreed and went on commenting on how queer both he and Serena were, having the same weird interests and all. As the petite Waldorf continued her babbling, Nate would look at her, gave her a wink and his ever famous mischievous grin. Serena's laughter would automatically followed suit to which Nate will join in after, leaving Blair baffled.

"Oh, Natie…..you never changed." Serena looks thoughtfully at Nathaniel then shyly smiles.

Just calling him by her owned term of endearment of him is enough to make his whole body remain motionless. Heck, he could stay frozen for life as long as he sees her looking and smiling at him like that…and calling him Natie…Natie…Natie…

"Natie! Hey, snap out of it." She playfully pinches his straight nose, enough for him to stop his daydreaming. She grabs his arm and leads him inside her suite. "Come on in."

As both of them sits comfortably on the sofa across each other, Serena starts asking. "Whatever you're up to, it'd better be good, Nate." Still with a smile on her face, she taps his broad shoulder. "So, what is it? I'm listening."

"Serena…I – I…." Nate stammers. Suddenly, he finds himself left with nothing to say. All those practice speeches he tried into perfection prior to this close encounter just went kaput. He starts to perspire despite the cool air-conditioning of the place.

With a look of concern etches on her face, Serena prods on. "Trouble at the Archibald household?"

Nate shakes his head. "No, it's not about me. It's all about you, Serena."

In a matter of seconds, baby blue eyes lock with much darker blue pair. Then both beautiful-arched eyebrows of Serena rise up. "Me? What about ---- " Before she could finish her sentence, loud ringing of the phone suddenly fills the room. Sighing, she stands up. "Just a sec. I'll get it."

~~~~~oOo~~~~~

Scene 5 – Serena / Blair

"Hello, Serena speaking. Who is ---" Her greeting is cut short with Blair's barrage of babbling on the other side of the line.

"Serena Van Der Woodsen, finally! I've been calling you up for hours rather the whole day for that matter and you're not answering your goddamn phone! Did you left it or something? Is everything alright? Were you out all day? Is Carter ---" Blair's ranting is cut off as it's Serena's turn to butt in this time.

"B, wait…stop. What's all the fuss? I --- I don't understand. Are you ok? Are you in some kind of trouble or something? You're making me nervous, B."

The tone of Serena's worried voice somehow touches Blair's heart. It's comforting to know that amidst the difficulties of living with wealthy yet dysfunctional family, you have a best friend you can always turn to. And that's what Serena is to her. More than best friends. They are sisters. Sharing each other's joys, secrets, sorrows and all.

"I'm fine, S. It's you I'm all worried about. Is Carter with you?"

"Not anymore. He left an hour ago. He just brought me home after spending the whole day with him. So…there. As you can see, I'm perfectly alright. You don't have anything to worry about. Now that you heard the side of my story, let's hear about yours."

Blair sighs a relief. "Thank God, you're really alright. Seems Nate has gotten into his senses in time, before it's too ---- late…." Blair's brown eyes widen and quickly cover her mouth with her hand but she's right. It's too late now to stop herself as Serena reacts.

"Nate!? Did you say Nate? What has he got to do with this?" The pitch of her voice alarmingly increases until it dawns on her. "Oh my God Blair….you told him?"

There's a brief silence on the line until Blair slowly breaks it. "Well, not really. Oh, S, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to break my promise but Chuck has this way of making me talk. Apparently, he also informed Nate about Carter. And the way he described Nate. He was so upset, he suddenly became another person. So different from the old Nate we knew. I don't know how far this new-found assertiveness would take him. He might hurt Carter!"

The last statement of Blair somewhat amuses Serena. She laughs it off. "Oh c'mon, Blair. We're speaking of Nathaniel Archibald here. Our Nate. We know him for goodness' sake. He's not a violent person. He's so gentle; he couldn't even hurt a fly!" Giggles.

Serena's carefree attitude irritates Blair a bit. "This is not a laughing matter, Serena. I wouldn't just make an effort here if I didn't think this is all worth it. But then, it might not be after all. Calling somebody up for the whole day who didn't bother to pick up her stupid phone is obviously a waste of my precious time."

Now it's the blonde's turn to get irritated after hearing the brunette's bitching. "Hey, watch your word, Blair. Don't shove that phone issue of yours on my face if you didn't know the reason behind it in the first place. I…accidentally…left my stupid phone here in my stupid place when I went out for the whole stupid day." Serena lets out a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "So, can we now drop the petty phone topic and talk like mature young adults here…please?"

Sighing, her best friend apologizes. "I am sorry, S. I didn't mean what I said. You know me when I'm upset. My temper just flares up and I tend to get over dramatic sometimes."

"That's ok, B. I understand. But really, you don't have to worry. About me…and Nate." She glances at the good-looking guy who was once-upon-a-time her other best friend, sitting on the sofa and busy reading text messages from his mobile phone. "This I assure you. He won't have a chance of doing anything foolish because he is not going anywhere. I won't let him go."

"What do you mean you won't let him ---" Blair gasps. "Oh. My. God. Oh my God. He's there…at your place…with you…"

"Yes. I was also surprised myself. Nate and I haven't talked for ages and yet --- " Serena stops herself. And yet what? That he still cares? Worries? Can she tell Blair about that? She shakes her head. What is she thinking? Her life is so complicated right now and the last thing she ever needs is to complicate it more. "Let's just stop worrying, ok? Everything will be alright. I will talk to Nate out of it. He is not capable of doing anything violent so it will be much easier for me."

After a couple talk of assurance, the lovely best friends say their goodbyes and goodnights. With a satisfied smile on her face, Serena puts the phone down then walks gracefully towards the sitting Nate who is now starting to stare at her.

Serena Van Der Woodsen is one confident, young, beautiful woman who is so used of men ogling at her that she finds it boring even to react. But whenever it is Nathaniel Archibald who is doing this "hawk gaze" on her, she gets goose bumps all over her body. The golden boy still has the knack of affecting her in a way. Amused, she chuckles to herself, Oh boy, this might turn into quite a long night. She then decides to stare back as well as she carries on her long graceful strides towards the now grinning Nate.

(Well, well, well… looks like some things do never change, Serena. Life will always have its…exception. But then again, don't slack it up yet. That exception might turn into a…surprise. You know you love me…..

-- XOXO, Gossip Girl)

…..…..To be continued……….