Chapter Eight
Previously: Nate and Serena exchanged heated words, a secret is revealed, Juliet's return is revealed and a life-threatening problem arises.
"What do you mean you're not taking me with you? We talked about this." Serena sniffled. Oliver looked at her beautiful blue eyes that were welling up. He felt a tug on his heart.
"I know but you need to be here. You need to be home with your family and friends."
"This is not home anymore. All my friends in Australia are my family. You guys helped me through my treatment. You guys held my hand and cried with me when I was down. You guys are all I need." Serena felt the tears running down her cheek. Oliver sighed. He went over and sat on Serena's bed and wrapped his around her shoulder and held her against his broad chest.
He kissed the top of his head and breathed. "I know baby, but your home will always be here in New York. As much as we are your family, your real family is here and they're not leaving your side." Serena pulled away from his chest and looked up at his face.
"What real family?" She cried. "None of them saw me over the past five years. My mother barely tried to visit me. That night that I was first diagnosed, I called her and asked her to come and visit, you know what she said… she said that she was too busy and she was flying to Paris to help Jenny move for her career with Rufus." Oliver looked at her and was lost for words. She could see his eyes starting to fuel with sadness and a hint of anger.
"My own mother," she spat "couldn't even drop her plans with her step-daughter, to come and visit me. I told her it was important that I needed to tell her in person. She asked me to fly to Paris and join them. Why the hell would I join my step sister who had ruined my life years ago along with my absent mother and her husband she married a hundred times?" Serena's tears could not stop flowing and she was struggling with keeping her emotions intact.
"How did Blair and Chuck find out?"
"I called them straight after I hung up on my mother. I remember telling Blair that I needed her and Chuck and it was important that I needed to tell her in person. At first, she thought I was pregnant or married but then I started bawling my eyes out and I couldn't speak. I heard Blair scream to Chuck and Dorota to pack their bags and get the private jet ready. I told her to call and bring Erik as well."
"Why didn't you tell them about us?"
"I wasn't ready. All my past relationships never lasted for so long. I wanted to see how far we would get before they got to meet you. It turned out that we lasted much longer than I expected."
"Do they know what happened with your mother and why you didn't come back to New York for treatment?"
"No, they don't. I convinced them that doing it there was the safest and best option."
"Why didn't Nate come with them?"
"I tried calling him that day. Blair and Chuck told me that he flew to Cabo for a break. I called him several times throughout the day but the line was either busy, picked up by some woman or just declined." Greg nodded in understanding and there was an ominous silence in the room.
"Babe, I want you to talk to Blair, Chuck and Erik about this but from what you have told me, maybe being back in Australia will be better for you. There's no point if there are only three people in your life that actually care. Are you sure this is what you want?" Oliver's heart was pounding and he was hoping she would go back with him but he didn't want to tear a family apart, he knows the feeling.
"Yes! I'm sure! Thank you so much, baby!" Serena hugged him and gave him a chaste kiss.
"Morning S, I bought you some dinner." Blair smiled walking into the hospital suite holding Henry's arm.
"Thanks, B! Come over her little man! Aunty missed her handsome nephew. Tell me about your day." Blair went over to help Serena sit up and have her breakfast. She looked at her best friend and observed her pale complexion and tired, red eyes.
"He's has taken a strong liking to Oliver. Erik and Oliver came over and took him out for a boys' day out."
"Uncle Erik and Greg took me to the park today and we played ball games. He taught me some new games that he played back home. "
"That sounds like fun! I want to play." Serena grinned as she ate her omelette.
"You're not a boy! Mommy says ladies are not allowed to play sports." Henry grinned.
"Come on B, time to accept that things have changed and women can be as manly as they want."
"S, it's not about that. Women are supposed to dress appropriately with the right etiquettes and speak like a lady." Serena laughed.
"Oh B, I have missed you. Where's Chuck?"
"I'm here." He walked in the door with Greg and Erik trailing behind with some brown bags. "We brought dinner." Greg walked over and settled on Serena's bed and pecked her lips.
"It seems we're all getting along." Serena grinned.
"Have you told them yet?"
"No, I was going to tell them after surgery but I think now is the best time." Everyone looked at her with curious eyes.
"I'm going back to Australia. Oliver got a job and I'm going with him before I start treatment and I'll have it there." All three pairs of eyes widened and there were no words.
"What!?" "Serena!" "Why?"
"I don't belong here anymore. My family is back home but with the exception of you three. This isn't home anymore and I don't have anything here anymore." As Serena finished her sentence, the door opened and Lily, Jenny, Dan, Rufus and Nate walked in. Serena huffed at the sight of seeing her mother.
"What are you talking about S? We're your family and this is always your home." Nate said nervously. Oliver's fists balled and his knuckles were turning white. Serena quickly put her hands on his fists and rubbed her thumb across his knuckles. He breathed out and slid off the bed.
"Come on Henry. Let's go see if we can find some dessert for you. What do you feel like?" He put his arms out ready to pick up Henry sitting on the other side of Serena's bed.
"Chocolate!" He shouted. Oliver chuckled and picked up Henry and walked out. He mouthed at Serena to tell them how she feels.
Serena sighed…it was going to be a long night
"Serena, what is going on? What is all this talk about not having a family and this not being your home."
"It's true. After surgery, I'm going with Oliver back home to Australia." She said strongly. Blair's hand shot out and held it. Blair could understand where Serena was coming from and that she was mature enough to make her own choices.
"Why would you do that, Serena? You can have treatment here! Chemotherapy is hard and you need the support of your family." Lily said knowingly.
"You want to talk about family? Let's talk about what a great family I have. You two," She pointed at Jenny and Dan, "are not my family. You're not even my friends. You both ruined my lives and if it weren't for you two, I wouldn't have had all those problems and my life wouldn't have been such a disgusting mess. Rufus isn't my father; he's just another one of your husbands that tries to act like my father but knows nothing about me nor wants to know anything about me. I don't even know who Nate is anymore. He is not the guy that I have known since we were little; he isn't even the guy I hoped to be. Instead, he's still this millionaire playboy who dates a manipulative lying bitch."
"Serena –" Lily tried to interject.
"And you…mother, you are the worst of them all. For my whole life, you've always been absent. You were never there for me and when you were, it always came back to bite me in the ass. You never cared. You never loved me."
"Serena! How can you say that? I care and love you as I do for all my children."
"Then why the hell did you not fly over as soon as I called you all those years ago?" Serena spat vehemently.
"What on earth are you talking about?"
"That time I called you and asked you to fly over because it was important. You said that you couldn't cancel your plans to Paris to help out Jenny move to Paris. I needed my mother but she was too busy helping out her beloved step-child."
"I didn't realise how important it was! If you had told me in person that you had cancer, I would've cancelled immediately."
"See, and that's where the problem lies. You would've only come because you felt you were obligated to. Not because you wanted to visit me or anything but, because you thought it was important enough. I hadn't seen you for over two years! I wanted to see whether you loved me enough to just come and visit me out of the goodness of your heart. Calling and telling you I have cancer is not meant to be done over the phone."
"Serena, I'm sorry. I didn't think you needed me that much and I wouldn't have been there on time."
"I'm sick of you saying sorry and making up stupid excuses. What about that ONE time you came to visit me in the past five years? All you did was complain and the first thing you said to me when you saw me was, 'darling, I missed you but what happened to your hair? It was so short'. What kind of mother says that? You want to know why it was short. It was because I was having bloody treatment. So excuse me for being bitter and not telling you anything."
"So, what now? You're going to run off with some man back to some country with no family or your best friends." She pointed at Chuck and Blair.
"OLIVER IS MY FAMILY! All my friends there were more of a family than you guys were. Blair, Chuck and Erik flew out as soon as I called them and stayed with me for a full two weeks to help me. They're the only people that matter most to me and they are my family. You guys are useless to be called family." She waved her hand at them.
"And this Oliver? What about him? He doesn't belong here with you. He's not even our standard. What makes you think you guys are in love?"
"BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE ABANDONED!" Serena screamed. Her tears were falling heavily. "He knows every secret and everything that happened here before I left. He understands what it's like to be abandoned. He didn't have the luxuries we had because his birth mother left him in front of someone's house when he was fucking 5 years old. The family he grew up with took him and gave him everything a child was supposed to have. They did everything together. When I went there for the first time, I felt like I had a complete family for the first time in my life."
"Serena –"
"Get out. All of you just get out."
"S-"
"GET OUT!" She shouted. Everyone left the room looking like they had just attended a funeral. Serena was left in her room with Blair sitting on her bed letting Serena lean onto her shoulders and cry.
Serena heard the door slide open. She looked up and saw Oliver's worried face. Her arms shot out and he ran into Serena's arms and hugged her tightly whispering sweet soothing words.
Oliver consoled Serena until he could feel her falling asleep. He laid her back on the bed and pulled the hospital blanket over her body. Oliver looked at Blair and Chuck pointed at the door, so they could leave Serena to sleep. They walked out quietly and stood around the door.
"Guys, I'm about to do something but I need you two to promise me that you will look after Serena no matter what happens. I've seen her hit rock bottom when she was going through this the first time."
"We promise. What is it?"
"I'm leaving next week before she starts treatment. I can't let her go back to Australia. Despite her relationship with her family, you guys and unfortunately Nate, are all she needs. She says she doesn't but I can see right through her that she does need you guys around her. She's going to need every day, sometimes 24 hours a day type of care once she starts her treatments. She's a strong woman but sometimes, even the strongest need their loved ones to support them."
"But you two love each other…" Blair whispered.
"Of course, that's why it's killing me on the inside to do this. I've given everything to her but I know she still loves Nate. She always will."
"What do you mean?" Chuck questioned.
"Whenever she would talk about you guys, especially about Nate, her face would light up. Also, she didn't want me to meet you guys when we were dating when you came to visit her. I know she that she wasn't sure if our relationship would last, but I think she was more afraid of Nate's reaction. That's why I need to let her go and she needs to stay here." Chuck and Blair looked at each other before looking at Oliver sympathetically. They saw Erik walking with Henry towards them and Oliver looked sad. He wanted to spend his life and have a family with Serena but she could never fully give herself to him. Oliver understood that Nate will always be her first love and her last love and he couldn't compete with that.
"I'm going to go back to the Empire. I need to do some things before I leave. I'll see you guys later. I think it would be good if Erik stayed the night so Serena could wake up to see a friendly face. Night guys."
Blair felt extremely sympathetic for Oliver. She understood his words and felt angry towards Nate for how he had treated Serena. If Nate wasn't going to end up in the future with Serena, she would have this man in her life. For now, Blair had to make plans with Dorota for Serena to move in with them and help her through these times of need.
Nate never felt so hopeless and guilty in his life. He couldn't believe what Serena had said about Lily but also him. He remembered that trip to Cabo. He was desperately missing Serena and running The Spectator had been extremely gruelling. He was surrounded by beautiful women and lots of alcohol and partying throughout the night. He remembered the first ever call he had gotten from Serena which he had rejected. That day the phone constantly rang and it was still Serena. He had spent the night with some brunette. He came out of the shower to see her putting his phone down on the table.
"Someone named Serena called looking for you." He nodded and pulled her towards him.
Nate shook his head from his memories. He walked into his apartment and threw his jacket on the couch before slumping on his. He tilted his head back and shut his eyes.
"Hey babe, you alright?" I sat up and saw Juliet sitting next to him. He realised that Juliet wasn't meant to be in his life. He didn't want to be with her, hell, he just tolerated her for the sex.
"I'm fine. Listen, Juliet, we need to talk."
"What is it? Sounds serious." Juliet pouted.
"We need to break up. I don't think there's a future for us." Juliet could feel her anger boiling up.
"What?! IT's because of Serena isn't it? She's back and now you're going to toss me aside for some blonde tramp."
"Hey! Don't talk about her like that and NO, it's not because of her. I don't love you anymore. You know what, I don't think I've ever even loved you."
"You can't do that to me! I love you!"
"No, you don't. You love the idea of being with me! You love my money, you love my political career, you love my business."
"What makes you think you can dump me? You go through with this and the moment I leave his building I'll go to the press and destroy you." She threatened. Nate scoffed.
"Wow, you have not changed since the college days. You do that; I'll go to the police and charge you with embezzlement." Juliet's eyes widened. "That's right. I follow every single spending you use with MY money which I am still paying for your college education. I know powerful people and if I go down, I'll bring you with me. Now get out. Get out of New York and I never want to see you again. Go back to where you belong." Nate stood up angrily and stalked to his bedroom slamming the door shut. He heard a loud scream and the sound of the elevator before going into the shower.
He stood under the shower head with a hand pressed on the tile wall, bracing him against the wall thinking. How was he going to repair his relationship with Serena?