A/N: Sorry everyone! I didn't have much time yesterday to write. I hope you're not mad at me :-)
Thanks to everyone who reviewed! That means really much to me and I really, really like to hear your opinion and thoughts.
Some of you know already that I dedicate my stor(y)ies and this one is for my beta Emilee. I hope you'll like the story.
Finally, after three exhausting days, they arrived at the border. Chuck and Nate agreed to stop one last time before finally going through the border control.
"So, this is it. Everyone can decide right now if running away for yourself is the best solution," Chuck said in a stern tone, eyeing them all. "This goes especially for you, Eric. You have nothing to worry about if you go home now. Lily will still love you and loathe us. So?"
"Yeah, great opportunity. Being alone with mom and Bart and feeling more alone than ever before because you're nowhere to find. Great idea," Eric replied sarcastically.
"He's right, Chuck. It's all-or-none. I'm for all since no one can really go back. We decided to close this door. So why discuss it again?" Serena added.
"I asked again to make sure you're all up for this. Because this won't be a holiday," Chuck explained.
"Chuck, where's this coming from? A day ago you told us that this is the new beginning, and now?" Blair asked confused.
"Okay, it's time to tell." Chuck nodded and Nate looked down to the ground. "At the last gas station, my credit cards didn't work and neither did Nate's. So I guess the mafia cancelled our cards and froze our trusts. Means, we're going to run out of money eventually. So we'll have to work for life."
"Shouldn't be that hard since billions of human beings do that every day, Chuck," Serena said sternly.
"Yeah. And since we are so used to do that, shouldn't be a problem, huh, sis?" Chuck asked sarcastically.
"STOP IT! All of you. No more regrets, no more looking back because we all know that there's no turning back. At least not yet," Blair spat. "So stop whining and start going."
They got in the cars, made their through border control, and headed downtown.
UES, Waldorf Apartment
Eleanor was at the atelier. Lily had to go home to make some business calls. Bart was at the office. Only Anne was still in the Waldorf house. Dorota kept her company for a while, but had to do her housework then.
The elevator ding sounded and Bart stepped out. Anne jumped off the couch.
"Any news?" she asked hopefully.
"Nope." Bart shook his head and Anne sat down again.
"Why don't you go home and get some sleep, Anne?" Bart asked.
Anne chuckled sarcastically. "Yeah, to face the failures of my life even more."
"What are you talking about?" Bart asked, confused.
"Oh, come on, Bart. My husband is on the run from the FBI and my son is on the run from me. My father is furious about these circumstances and he will appear as soon as he learned that I'm home. And I just can't face him right now," she admitted.
Bart just nodded. What could he say to this?
"You know what, Bart? Since this morning, I'm asking myself what would have happened if I hadn't left the party all these years ago," Anne said.
"Anne," Bart said warningly.
"What could have been if I stayed with you? You'd never had gone home with Misty."
"Anne! You know that you're father would make you choose again. And we both know you'd choose the money and the status again."
"Bart, you don't know what you're talking about. You can't blame me for that."
"Look, I know what your father thought about me: the new-money-guy with bad reputation and no legacy."
"Bart, I didn't choose that over you. I just thought that I loved Howard more."
"Yeah, especially since he was the lacrosse captain and an Archibald. Don't fool me, Anne. You were afraid of a leap in the dark with me. So you did what your family expected and chose the safety," Bart explained with a mix of a bit of sadness and anger.
"Which wasn't so safe," Anne admitted sadly.
"Anne, we even had a second chance, so please don't talk like that now. I gave you a second chance. I betrayed Misty with you and even then, when I'd give up everything for you once more, you decided to stay in your forced marriage." Bart got angrier.
"True. If we only could turn back the hands of time," Anne whispered.
"Anne, you should stop moaning about the lost time and create your own future," Bart said sternly.
"Like you did with Lily? Well, you're right. I should focus on the future. But first I've to tell you something. Something I didn't tell anyone before. A secret that's 18 years old."
Bart knitted his brows. Anne swallowed and took a deep breath.
"Did you never ask yourself why Nate doesn't look like Howard? I mean, not a bit? But, as the idiot that he is, he didn't give a thought about that. But my father had. He asked me and I didn't answer him. But now that good old Howie is on the run, it's time to tell the truth."
Bart eyed her. It seemed that it couldn't take much longer before he'd explode.
"So that means…" he said slowly.
"…that you have two sons. Yes." This was the hardest moment of Anne Archibald's life. She always tried to be a perfect daughter, a perfect wife and a perfect mother. But now, that her happy bubble had broken, why should she hold on to all of this?
Bart looked at her, shook his head, walked to the elevator. This was too much for him. He wasn't able to hold his son, the son he knew for 17 years and that was the only reminder of his beloved wife. And now he has a second one with his teenage love who dumped him for money and prestige. His new wife, who has also two nearly adult kids, should be thrilled about this news, shouldn't she? Great. Guess who's life sucks.
The teens arrived in a backstreet in Tijuana city.
"Chuck, where are we?" Blair asked, confused.
"Stay in the car. I've to talk to someone." Chuck got out and walked to the other car. Afterwards, he made his way to a steal door on which he pounded.
Serena and Nate got out of the other car and took their things out of the trunk. With all the things, they went to Chuck's car and placed it in the trunk. Then they got in.
"Serena, what's this all about?" Blair asked her best friend. She knew that Nate would be the right person to ask, but she was still mad at him.
"I dunno. Chuck said he needs the other car and we should move over to this one, so. I guess we've to wait." the blonde said.
"We pay our travel to Cuba with the other car. It's part of the deal. Remember the smuggler thing?" Nate asked without looking at Blair.
Ten minutes later, Chuck came out of the building with some man. The one he talked to looked like the typical patron of a cocaine plantation in South America. With his long, dark, greasy hair and his blue Hawaii-shirt and the white pants he could've been the twin of the guy in triple X, Blair thought.
Chuck shook hands with the guy and got back in the car.
"So, everyone. We'll follow them to a little private airport from which we finally leave the continent."
"Chuck, what make you think that this guy over there can be trusted?" Blair asked, concerned. Chuck looked at her and his trademark smirk appeared.
"He's a family friend," Chuck said.
"Yeah, he looks exactly like a Bass family friend," Serena mentioned bitterly.
"Don't worry, sis. You're family, too, now, and if you want to know him better. I bet he likes you, Chasey," Chuck mocked. Serena started to yell and she didn't stop for a while. Chuck followed the car of the patron as Blair called him for a while. They drove through the streets of Tijuana which were paved with bars, strip joints, little shops, playing children, drunken tourists and prostitutes. Suddenly something caught Serena's attention and she stopped the yelling. There on the sidewalk was a woman in a blue dress. The woman had long, brown hair and wore sunglasses that Serena recognized.
"What's going on, Serena? Already out of breath?" Chuck teased.
"Did you see her?" Serena asked, confused.
"Who? Serena, who are you talking about?" Blair asked, even more confused.
"I…She…It's nothing. I think I'm mistaken. I thought for a second that I saw Georgina over there. But that's impossible, right? She's in NY…"
"…with Cabbage Patch. Yep," Blair added.
"Why thank you, Blair." Serena spat.
"You're welcome," Blair replied in her sweetest voice. Chuck chuckled.
Oh my gosh, can this hotel be any farer from the city center? She thought as she ran down the sidewalk. Suddenly something caught her attention. Two black cars came up the street. Two expensive black cars. In the first one was a weird, old guy and someone that looked like a bodyguard. But the second one….this can't be true. No way… Chuck Bass behind the wheel, Blair Waldorf next to him, and an angry looking Serena van der Woodsen in the backseat with little Eric and Nate Archibald.
Georgina Sparks couldn't believe how lucky she was. She'd left New York a day ago when she recognized that all her play buddies were MIA and that Dan freak kid started to bother her. And now, by some act of God, she found them again! In her second favorite city in the world. That's fate, she thought, and her heart made a jump as she ran on the street to stop the next cab that came by.
A/N: I know. It kind of short but the next one (that should be on by Sunday) will be longer!
Please don't forget to review!!!