"I think that possibly, maybe I've fallen for you
Yes, there's a chance that I've fallen quite hard over you
I've seen the waters that make your eyes shine now I'm
shining too- because, oh because I've fallen quite hard
over you. If I didn't know you, I'd rather not know,
If I couldn't have you, I'd rather be alone."

-Landon Pigg

She couldn't believe she'd fallen for Nate again. Ever since Jenny had first met him, he had held control over a portion of her heart. At first that piece had been very small, but with time, it had expanded. He was rather like a conqueror, stealing land piece by piece, and she didn't know if she minded or not. Nate was different now, though. He'd shown her that. She recalled when he had held her in the park at night to keep her warm, the way her heart had felt as if it were being cut open and exposed. The strangest thing was that she didn't mind. She didn't mind being exposed in front of Nate Archibald because lately she was seeing a different side of him, a side that she both admired and feared at the same time. Every time she closed her eyes now she recalled sitting on his couch with him a month ago and sharing ice cream, or the tingly feeling her palms had gotten when he had touched her hair that one day at his internship, or the way she'd listened to the melody of his heart at the park...

On a Thursday night about a week after her outing with Nate to his friend's movie premiere, she got a text from him. She had been doing her homework on a couch in the loft; Rufus and Lily had called off their engagement and Jenny and Rufus had decided to stay in the loft months ago. Secretly she was relieved, not for just the sakes of Dan and Serena, but because it was just too weird not living in Brooklyn anymore.

'Going to that charity gala Saturday night?' His text asked. She practically flung her homework off her lap as she go to her feet, immediately pacing as her heart began to beat too fast for its own good. Even the smallest, most insignificant message from Nate did this to her and she could hide it from him fairly easily, but what was going on inside of her was a total mess. She shouldn't have felt this nervous. Nate was... not worth her time? No, he was. Her Prince Charming? No, because he had his faults and Prince Charmings were overrated anyway. Her other half?

Yes, that had to be it.

'Lily and my dad want "the family" to tag along. So that means yeah, I'll be there, along with Eric and Serena and Dan and Chuck and probably Blair too. Why?'

'Well, I might need you to act as my fake date again... Mom likes introducing all the eligible socialites to me, and they're just not my type.'

Jenny was beginning to wonder what exactly was his type.

'Oh, damn. I'll have to cancel on Edward Cullen... But sure, why not?'

Why not indeed.

She was beautiful that night. Jenny always took his breath away, of course. But when she arrived with her family at the gigantic manor by the harbor where the gala was being held, he could hardly move or breathe. He was absolutely paralyzed. He barely managed to look away from her when he shook the hands of her father and Dan and Chuck, who looked absolutely amused because Chuck was Chuck and knew Nate better than almost anyone.

She'd done something to her eyes so that they were bluer than he could ever recall and her hair was straightened and Blair was smirking off to the side as Nate's eyes dipped down to the exposed cleavage Jenny's black dress was so tauntingly showing off. He felt something hard hit the center of his back -- Chuck's elbow-- and he cleared his throat a little, blinking a few times. He managed to smile at her and greet her and tell her that she looked lovely without drooling, and when she smiled at him he felt as if a ton of bricks had been thrown at his stomach, he could hardly breathe at all and when she put her hand on his elbow as they walked up the stairs he was floating, floating, floating.

"Aren't the Archibald boats docked at that harbor?" Chuck asked, pulling Nate out of his conversation with Jenny where he could hardly string two words together, let alone look away from her eyes.

"Uh... yeah." He finally glanced over and looked out through one of the windows; they were so high up that he could see one of his boats from here, and he pointed it out to Jenny. "I never told you that I go sailing almost all the time, did I?" he told her, looking into her eyes again.

Her eyes lit up like they always did whenever he talked about something that he was passionate about, and she asked him questions and never before had anyone expressed such an interest in the hobby he loved most. They walked down the marble hallways, just talking, and then they went in the ballroom which was far bigger than the eye could see and his mother came up with one of her selections for him and he automatically put his hand on Jenny's waist. His mother stopped in her tracks, tilted her head to the side like she always did when she was putting two and two together – and then, miraculously, left them alone. He felt so incredibly liberated and just grinned down at Jenny and she smiled up at him, and then there Chuck was again clapping his hand on Nate's shoulder and suggesting they dance, and Jenny was rolling her eyes and Nate was laughing and he was happier than he could ever have been if she weren't here with him. The song was a slow one and he pulled Jenny into his arms and she just rested her forehead on his chest while her laughter died down before she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled close. He was on fire and he closed his eyes, resting his cheek against hers, and this felt so familiar. With a pang he remembered that this was like her guerrilla fashion show so long ago when he kissed her by surprise and he could do that now, couldn't he, it was the same thing...

Eric came up and touched Jenny's elbow just as Nate's phone went off. Eric began whispering indistinctly to Jenny while Nate pulled out his phone -- and saw a text from Vanessa.

Nate, we need to talk. It's urgent. Meet me in the gardens?

Vanessa was here? What the hell did she want to talk about? They spoke on occasion but considering the fact that they had never really been friends before ever pursuing a relationship, there wasn't much they could talk about now. Unless she was... no, they'd used a condom every time when they were Europe and that was months ago...

His heart was hammering now, for all the wrong reasons, and he looked away from his phone to Jenny, whose face was composed as usual. But she was looking into Eric's eyes and to Nate it seemed that there was some sort of silent conversation between the two going on, and it scared him.

"Jenny." He called her back to him and placed a finger on the inside of her wrist, and she turned to look at him. He couldn't read anything on her face at all but right now there was something else on his mind... "I have to find someone really quickly. It won't take long, promise."

She nodded, her eyes looking distant, and she smiled at him with half of her heart.

Jenny stepped out onto the balcony; it was empty save for one person. Eric clicked the door shut behind her and she stepped forward, her high heels making clicking sounds on the cream-colored stucco. Candles were scattered everywhere, from the flowerpots and railing on the balcony to each stair on the staircase to the gardens below. The lighting was soft and beautiful and she stopped walking about a foot away from her target and looked up, directly into the dark eyes of Scott. She said nothing when he spoke her name in the softest voice possible even though her knees were weakening because he was Scott, the boy who'd healed her, but he had hurt her, too, and he'd broken his promise and was a liar...

"I'm not your brother," he said intensely, taking a step toward her, and she didn't move, paralyzed.

"Are you drunk again?" She asked, her hands shaking.

"No -- no, listen. I'm so sorry about that night. I don't normally drink, and I was frustrated and confused and... They did the paternity test, the results came back today, Rufus isn't my dad... Some guy named Owen. Owen Campos, and Lily loved him, and I have to find her. I don't even think Rufus knows." He shook his head a little, taking another step toward Jenny and taking her hand. Jenny wrenched it away, her head dizzy, and she attempted to walk away but he placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her dead in the eye.

"Jenny, let me back in. It's okay now."

"What is it?" Nate asked, trying not to sound irritated. Vanessa was being silent and it was annoying him. He'd walked up and said hello and she'd just looked at him and there was a silence for a long time until he couldn't take it anymore. She'd snuck in, that much was obvious by the jeans and neon green shirt she was wearing.

She finally spoke, shaking her head a little, and her dimples were illuminated in the candlelight. "I've missed you, Nate."

He blinked, and automatically he replied, "I've missed you too."

"Did you really?" She questioned sweetly, stepping toward him. "I need to know what we are, Nate. I need to know." Her hand flew to his shoulder and slid to the back of his neck, keeping his face in her direction so that he couldn't look away, so that he couldn't lie.

"Why now? Vanessa, this is really sudden. I haven't seen you in weeks." He shifted a little, looking up and around at his surroundings-- the building was behind him and they were at the beginning of a paved pathway that branched off into secluded gardens. Her hand on his neck tightened its grip forcefully and he looked back at her, surprised. She was still smiling at him but the intensity of it had faded very much. It looked more pained than pleased.

"I gave you space, Nate... But I can't keep going on without you. Come on, let's ditch this place and go somewhere we can be alone, or at least feel like we're not at the Queen's palace or something." Her other hand found his, and she fought for a grip on his fingers.

"I don't want to leave, Vanessa -- what about that guy from Paris? Wasn't he going to come to New York?" Nate asked, not moving, keeping his fingers outstretched.

Her eyes softened here and she sighed. "He wants me to come there, but I still have feelings for you. I want to give us another go... Are you saying that you don't care about me anymore, Nate? What's wrong? You told me I was your everything. I thought that when we came back we'd get back into a relationship, but you never asked."

He was quiet for a long time, and then he stepped back, gathering Vanessa's hands and then letting go. "Things are done, Vanessa. They're done."

She cried and they argued and he apologized over and over and she left in a huff; Nate turned to take Vanessa's former spot and rested his back against one of the trees that framed the start of the pathway into the gardens. He looked up and almost choked at what he saw: Scott and Jenny. Jenny's head was tilted down and he could make out the sad expression on her face and Scott's hand on one of her cheeks as he looked at her imploringly. Nate listened in.

"You can't keep denying it. You can't keep denying me... think about it, all that time that we spent together. And everyone thought we were together, they all said I was good for you -- so what's holding you back? I healed you, J. Let me keep healing you. Don't cut me out anymore..."

Nate closed his eyes and his fists closed too and he waited for Jenny's answer. None came and he heard Scott sigh in frustration; Nate opened his eyes once more.

"What's holding you back? That douchebag? Nate? The one who hurt you? I thought I told you to stay away from him. He's a jerk, Jenny."

"He's changed, Scott."

"Guys like that don't change, Jenny. The second he gets with you is the second he'll start looking at other girls."

Jenny was silent. Nate waited for her to defend him, but nothing came. She shifted and Scott pulled her closer and Nate was going to throw up, any minute now they'd be kissing and he'd have lost and he wouldn't be able to take it. He shifted, ready to turn around, but his feet kicked up gravel and he automatically froze at the sound, and Jenny heard it and looked away from Scott.

She looked directly into Nate's eyes and they were both frozen for a moment, and it was just them, just Jenny and Nate and Nate and Jenny as Blair would say. Her eyes were wide and his face was so obviously hurt that she could hardly breathe, those blue eyes looked so anguished even from this far away, and she watched him turn his back on her a few seconds after and begin to walk down a pathway. Jenny was paralyzed for a few moments and then she breathed, "What have I done?" Without another word she pulled herself away from Scott and rushed down the stairs as carefully as she could in heels, and then she went after Nate.

"Nate, Nate, wait." She saw his shadowy frame striding quickly and she picked up her pace. When Jenny reached him he stopped moving and she placed her hands on his forearm to keep him there. "Nate..."

"Do you like him?" he asked fiercely. "You should be with him. He's really good for you, he's not even your brother, so it's okay, and everyone wants you two together--"

"Nate, stop. I don't want to be with him," She interrupted angrily, wishing he'd just look at her. "Why doesn't anyone understand that? Scott and I, we were friends. And yes, he was good for me, but in the friendly sense. And maybe I could have liked him if there wasn't someone else on my mind the entire time." Her voice dropped to just a whisper and now she was the one looking away. Her hands were trembling and her heart was falling apart as he just looked at her and she couldn't breathe at all. Say something. Say something please.

It was quiet and she lifted her hands away from the cloth of his jacket because she could feel sparks beneath her fingertips but they weren't the good kind, they were the ones that stung with the pain of silent rejection. His breath hitched and they heard footsteps and Nate automatically took a step away from her and she felt too cold to be alive. A man and a woman walked past them before disappearing into one of the gardens nearby.

Nate sighed. His voice was soft when he spoke, and her heart skipped a beat. "Meet me at my boat in half an hour."

When she came to him he'd already discarded his jacket and rolled the sleeves of his shirt to his elbows. She hesitated on the docks, her high heels clasped in her hands, and her face showed that she was afraid. Nate stepped toward her and looked up at her from the edge of his boat.

"What's wrong?" He asked, stretching out his fingers as they tingled with anticipation. He wanted to reach out for her but something was wrong and he shoved his hands in his pockets, looking at her expectantly.

She was silent for a moment, and when she spoke, it was quiet and almost defiant and it alarmed Nate. "I'm afraid of letting you in again. It'll be like before. We'll kiss and the day after you'll ignore me and when I'll think I have you back in my life, you'll disappear again. Something or someone will come between us and you'll cut me deep and I can't do it. I can't do it, Nate. I just came here to tell you that and to tell you goodbye."

This took him aback and yet another part of him wasn't surprised. He shook his head a little breathlessly and exhaled. He pulled his hands out of his pockets and extended them to her. "Let me tell you why you should trust me. Please come down here, and if you don't like what I have to say, then you can leave, okay?"

They gazed at each other challengingly for a few moments before she took a tentative step and Nate placed his hands on her hips and lifted her onto the boat. He moved his hands to her shoulders, holding them and looking down at her.

"Jenny, you're the only one I want. There's nobody else; there hasn't been for a while. The entire summer I couldn't get the things you said out of my head. You were right about me and I realized it and I've been trying to become a better person since. Because you're worth all that. I don't mind doing all of these things because in the end if I just had you it would all be okay, all the struggle and the pain, it'd all be okay. I haven't so much as looked at another girl since I got back from Europe. Vanessa was here just now and I could have taken the easy way out this time but I didn't. I told her things were done because I'm ready to wait for you. I'll wait if I have to... but I don't exactly want to. I can wait for you if you want me to. I could do anything if you wanted me to, Jenny."

He was speaking so passionately that Jenny was taken aback; she just looked up at him, her resolve weakening, and she asked half-heartedly, "But what about Dan and everyone? Especially Dan, you know he won't like it. Us."

"They don't matter. I'll face them, I'm not running away -- it's not like last time, Jenny. You're all I need and all I want." He touched her cheek lightly, looking at her in all seriousness as he whispered, "I'm not leaving you this time."

She smiled at him slowly, and she couldn't help but throw her arms around his neck. "Promise?"

"Swear it." Nate smiled down at her, too, and he could hardly breathe because she always took his breath away. He took her face gently in his hands and leaned close, hesitating for a moment about an inch away from her lips, and Jenny laughed and leaned up and closed the distance. She kissed him softly and Nate smiled against her lips before pulling her body closer to his and deepening the kiss. Even though the night was cold it felt hot to Nate and to Jenny too, like there were fireworks and sparks emerging from every inch of body contact they had. They kissed for the longest time, experimenting with each other's lips because it'd been forever since they had last been able to touch each other like this - his hands drifting from her face to her shoulders to her waist to her hips, her fingers touching his face and back and arms and sneaking beneath his shirt to touch at his abdomen lightly...

Eventually he had to pull away and he showed her how to get the boat started and they departed from the dock, and she told him that she'd never been sailing before. Nate was absolutely scandalized. He showed her the ropes and kissed her every other moment and often forgot what he was telling her when he pulled in close to her.

Upon one instance where Nate became speechless, Jenny laughed and grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him in for a passionate kiss. They were hectically sneaking their hands around each other's bodies and unbuttoning articles of clothing only to button them back up in a few moments because there was a line he couldn't bring himself to cross with her quite yet.

"Why are you holding back with me?" She asked in frustration, pulling away from Nate when he zipped her dress back up after hardly a second of touching her bare chest.

"Because," Nate said simply, and he picked her up and laid her down on the floor and kissed at her neck and collarbone and exposed cleavage until Jenny could hardly breathe.

They sailed on the ocean for the entire night and held each other for the majority of it and fell asleep at far too late of an hour, but it was okay because nothing else mattered. Only each other.

On the other side of New York at exactly two A.M. there was a death that would break them apart.

And the plot thickens! Anyway keep reviewing guys, feel free to tell me your opinion.