Disclaimer: I do not own "Gossip Girl."
Author's Note: So... I am gone tomorrow, but this chapter wrote itself today. :P It's just a bit more set-up, things will shake up soon. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews and encouragement. I really appreciate it them. I hope you enjoy. :)
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"Well, that was… informative."
Chuck's voice washes over them, snapping them out of the spell they'd fallen under. Serena jerks as if pinched and Blair startles, Nate runs a hand through his hair and begins pacing anew.
"Right…" Serena murmurs, voice dull, "Like my children hate me."
"S, that's not—"
"Please, B." Serena cuts in, and she's moving on shaky legs to sit on one of the lounge chairs, "We know what it looks like."
Blair can't respond, because it's true.
"So we know that Nate and Serena have 3 children. Two of which are not pleased to have her back. We know there's a cook-out today in honor of her return and that she's been abroad for an indeterminate amount of time," Chuck summarizes, he's not pacing, but he looks thoughtful; glances around slowly, "We're in the Hampton's, so I must be driving into the city for work. Nate, is also at work, according to our little informant..."
"Right," Nate agrees, slowing his pacing.
Blair's sitting with Serena on the lounge chair now. Running a hand soothingly up and down her best friend's back.
"And we can presume that he will be in attendance tonight; and that I will be here as well."
"And you have a son," Nate finishes, eyes on Chuck.
"And I—" Chuck's speaking before Nate's word's have fully registered. And he starts when they do, eyes landing on his friend with shock, "I, what?"
"You have a son." Nate repeats, "Sunny said that Harm was his cousin. And he's calling Blair Mom; so…" Nate looks between Chuck and Blair, settles on Chuck, "You have a son."
Blair's hand stills on Serena's back and she lifts wide eyes to Chuck, "Chuck!" She shouts suddenly, leaping to her feet. "We're married!" She cries, dark eyes glimmering.
He stares at her. She stares back… and then she frowns, "Does that not make you happy?"
He blinks, "What?"
"We're married." She repeats, very slowly, her gaze beginning to narrow, "Is that not good news?"
Nate clears his throat, leans in a little close to Chuck, "Say, yes, man," he advises.
Chuck swallows, "Ye—yes! Of course it is! It's just…."
"Just, what?"
"Surprising, is all."
And even though Serena is still very much freaked out over the antagonism her children seem to hold towards her; she still manages to cringe for her brother.
"It's surprising." Blair enunciates a little dangerously.
"Well… yes, I mean all of this—"
"Why would it be surprising, Chuck?" Blair asks him, gaze sharp, "Is it so inconceivable that you would marry me?"
"What!? No!" He's shaking his head, "Of course it isn't!"
"Oh no. I understand," she says frostily, "I for one am completely astounded you haven't forgotten me by this age…"
Serena and Nate exchange exasperated glances; Chuck sighs, "I'm sorry," he repeats, "It will never happen again."
"Which part? The forgetting? Or the leaving me on a helipad?" Blair asks acidly, "Because that was again."
"Guys, stop," Nate interrupts, "Bigger problems, remember…"
They don't respond, are quiet for the moment, so he proceeds, "We should go find Sunny and—"
"I don't want to leave without finding out why," Serena says steadily, standing from the lounge chair.
The sky above them is bright blue, the sun glinting off her hair, and Nate's hypnotized enough by to wonder, "What?" Even as Blair and Chuck roll their eyes.
"Not our problem, S."
"Your kids don't hate you, Chuck!"
He shrugs, "We don't know that. They could hate me. It doesn't matter, this probably isn't even real…"
"I want to know why…"
Nate frowns at her, "Why what?"
"Why they hate me. So I can fix it," she says steadily.
Blair sighs, "Serena," she begins patiently, "Our… guide, for lack of a better term, is four-years-old, how exactly do you propose to deduce the source of your familial woes?"
She shrugs, "I don't know… by following you around, maybe," she replies and then she's off in the direction the other Blair had gone.
The patio rounds out to the side of the house and laid before them is the makings of a Hampton's style 'cook-out' in all the grandiose wonder they are accustomed to. The cook-out is really more of a theme, than an actual style of party. The food served will all be of the grilled variety, and perhaps a tiny gourmet hamburger will appear as an appetizer, but otherwise, as with most things on the Upper East Side, things are done a little differently in the Hampton's.
There are tents erected, tastefully decorated; clothed tables and chairs, floral centerpieces, a dance-floor and a group of musician's quietly setting up.
"I know this house!" Serena cries suddenly, turning around to stare up at it. She does another scan of the area and grins, "My grandma's is two houses that way!" She points quickly before continuing, "This is the Sherman's place, they've lived here forever."
"Well, not anymore," Blair says.
She laughs a little, "Yeah, I guess not… or maybe this really is a dream!"
Blair nods as encouragingly as she can, "Maybe…"
"But in case its not, let's find Blair— the older one," Serena adds quickly, her smile fading as she turns back to the party preparations.
"How old do you think I am?" Blair asks.
"We have to all be in our mid-thirties at least," Serena answers, "She's not out here anymore."
"Back in the house, probably," Blair responds.
And then the girls are moving back towards the house in search of the older Blair; completely focused on figuring out why Serena's children are upset with her.
Chuck looks over at Nate, "Did we agree to this?"
"I don't think so."
Nate shakes his head, "I don't even think they hate her… I don't think this is even real… I think we should focus on getting out of here… if we're even really here…"
Chuck presses his lips together and sighs, "I don't think they're interested in what we think."
"Guys!" Blair's voice calls out to them, "Come on!"
They sigh and join the girls. They walk through quiet, empty rooms, and then back into the living room they'd first stumbled into. Harm is sitting on the bottom step, his elbows crossed over his knees and his gaze fixed on the floor.
Blair is standing over him, looking composed and a little amused, "Honey, please. What else did you want me to do?"
"I don't know. But she's mad now."
"She's been mad all week, Harm. Don't think I haven't noticed."
"I know."
"You aren't responsible for Gracie's behavior, just your own."
"I know that," he sounds sullen though.
A small smile appears on Blair's face, "I was going up just now to talk to her though… does that make you feel better?"
He looks up at her and they see it then— the resemblance, there's something around the mouth, in the chin, that speaks of his mother; but mostly, quite suddenly, he looks like his father's father, like Bart Bass's grandson.
"It does!" He says, smiling a little.
"Then my job here is done," she says laughingly, reaches out a hand to him. He takes it and stands up on a hop.
"I'm going outside then," he says to his mother, "Tell Gracie to find me when she's ready..."
She nods and watches him run off for a moment before her eyes widen, "Harm!" She calls.
He stops and turns back. "Yes?"
"Please go tell your brother that if I'm forced to go find him or if he is not dressed appropriately for this event, I am going to call your father."
Harm blinks at her and then he grins, wide and delighted as only little brother's can when big brothers' are in trouble, "Dad'll just love that phone call!" He says and then runs out of the room.
Blair shakes her head as she watches him and then starts upstairs.
"I think you have two sons, man," Nate says elbowing Chuck to get his attention in the silence of the room.
Chuck frowns and flinches, "Thank you, Nathaniel."
Serena giggles, "You guys named your kid Cash. That's hilarious."
Blair huffs, "This is obviously a dream sequence."
"I thought you wanted us to get married?" Chuck says a bit slyly.
Blair eyes him for a moment, "Do you want us to get married?"
Chuck gives her the same studious glance, "I might." He says carefully.
Serena shakes her head at them and starts up the steps. A moment later they're all following her up those steps. She pauses when they reach the hallway and then turns in the opposite direction of Sunny's room.
They're in time to see Blair slip through a door and they rush to follow her. Serena's first and then Blair, who turns and holds up a hand to Nate's face while she hisses, "Hold on," she looks behind her and apparently Serena has given some sort of sign, because she lowers her hand a moment later and lets them in.
The room is awash in pinks and lavenders, in flower and star decorations, in dolls and carousals; if ever there was a room designed to be emphatically little girl this was it.
"My god," Nate whispers softly, looking around, "I've never seen so much…"
"Pink," Chuck finishes when his friend trails off, "Or lace," he adds a beat later.
There's lace trim everywhere, on the rug, the bedspread, the sofa cushions… the curtains are lace. Even Blair is a little in awe at the sheer girliness of the bedroom.
Gracie is standing by the vanity table; she's wearing a slip, her hair is loose. It's very long, almost to her waist, and Serena and Blair suddenly understand her horror at having it cut. She's staring at herself in the mirror, the dress is lying on the bed; and as the older Blair had said, it's yellow and lovely.
"Are you going to speak to me while I'm in here?" Her aunt asks.
"I already said you could come in."
"You said, you couldn't stop me."
"Details."
The room is quiet and Serena shoots her Blair a look, "She doesn't look anything like me…" she says softly.
"She has your eyes," Blair responds quietly, but knows it's true. There's precious little of Serena in the girl's face; the eyes are about it.
"Or Nate," Serena continues.
And Blair's silent, because that is true also; there is nothing of Nate in the girl's face.
But still, there's something familiar about the shape of her face, the tilt of her chin, the angle of her cheekbones…
"May I help you?" The older Blair says suddenly into the silent room.
It's an odd question and they're all surprised when Gracie looks away from the mirror and turns around to face her aunt.
She nods slowly and the older woman moves to lift the dress from the bed. She unzips it and Gracie raises her arms. They watch as Blair slides it over the girl's head; Gracie slips her arms into it, it's sleeveless, like her aunt's, and then she turns around. Blair gathers the girls together and gently holds it to one side as she zips the dress closed.
"Another Waldorf Original, huh?" Gracie comments, but she looks more amused then she has since they've seen.
Blair smiles. "Not so original, I know," she says lightly.
Then she guides the girl forward, to sit at the vanity. Oddly enough, Gracie complies without another word.
And then Blair reaches for a hairbrush and begins to methodically brush the long auburn waves. She doesn't say a word, but by the fifth brushstroke, Gracie's eyes are full of tears.
She turns abruptly into her aunt, buries her face into Blair's middle; and Blair sets the brush down and lays her hands against the girl's hair, smoothing it gently.
Gracie's voice is muffled, but still clear when she whispers, "I don't want things to change. Why does she always have to make things change?"
Blair's hands move to her arms and she stands her up, moves her towards the sofa and then sits down, pulling the girl into an embrace as she says very gently, "Not everything is changing, honey."
Gracie doesn't respond; she closes her eyes, and lays her head on her aunt's shoulder.
"I'm not," Blair continues softly, "I won't, okay…"
Gracie shakes her head, "Everything will…"
"Honey, I promise—"
"Liam'll go to Henry and Uncle Nate will take Sunny and I'll be left over."
Those words provoke an instantaneous reaction from her aunt, the woman draws back instantly and meets the young girl's gaze steadily, "That will never happen."
"It already did… before Sun—"
"It never has, Gracie. Never," Blair cuts in firmly. "You have to trust me on that and you have to trust me when I tell you that things are going to be different this time; I promise."
The girl looks at her aunt for a long moment; and then it flickers over her face, trust.
She sighs softly, bites her lip, "So I won't get dragged to Ibiza in the middle of the night to vacation with any prospective new relatives?"
Blair's eyes widen, "You can't possibly remember that! You were three!"
Gracie shrugs almost causally, but not quite. "It's one of my first memories," she says standing from the sofa. She draws in a shuddering breath, stares at the carpet for a heartbeat, like she's remembering that night, and then shakes it off; walks back to the vanity, sits down, and picks up the hairbrush again.
Her aunt watches quietly for a long moment as the young girl finishes brushing her hair and then she approaches her; reaches over and opens a small case on the vanity and begins pulling out small butterfly clips as she asks carefully, "Did you call your father today?"
Gracie's hands are folded on her lap in a very demure gesture and she's watching her aunt meticulously arranging the small butterfly clips into her hair; she meets her aunt's eyes in the mirror at the question, "No."
For a moment, Blair doesn't look convinced and then Gracie adds, "Like I could reach him."
And her face eases and tenses in a swift passage of emotions not one of the four of them could possibly decipher. She's finished with the clips, lays her hands softly on Gracie's shoulders, "I could call Vanessa for you if you want, she could—"
"Nope," the young girls says emphatically as she slips off the seat and spins around to face Blair, "I don't have a single thing to say to him," and then she visibly changes the subject, "How do I look?"
Blair sighs even as she smiles, "As lovely as I thought you would."
"Not more?" She teases doing another spin for her aunt, the hem of the dress billows out a little and her hair sways around her shoulders and arms like a curtain burnished gold. She's sliding over to wear little, golden flats are sitting, and slips into them as Blair laughs.
"If you want to be showered with compliments, go ask Harm."
Gracie giggles, "What matches?" She asks taking the hand that Blair offers her.
"Tie and shoelaces."
"His shoelaces?" Gracie gasps, but there's laughter in her voice and she's smiling wider than they had seen her yet.
Blair nods, "Yellow like your dress."
Gracie gives her a hilariously startled look and Blair smirks, "Don't ask me..."
And they walk out of the room, smiling and teasing about he's your son and he's your partner-in-crime and leaving four very puzzled teenagers in their wake.
"That was of little help," Blair says finally when the silence begins to get too oppressive. She slides her gaze to Serena.
The blonde is looking dazed, almost pale, and Blair takes her hand, "S, it's okay."
The girl startles, shakes her head, as she meets her friends gaze, "No, I don't… I don't think it is, B."
Nate turns to Blair, "Wh—why would you— uh, that Blair, I mean, bring up Vanessa?" He asks her and then he's pacing again.
Chuck nods, "That is a very good question." They're all silent for a moment and then he turns towards the door, "Let's find out."
Nate, Serena, and Blair exchange a quick round of glances before following Chuck out of Gracie's bedroom and down the hall to Sunny's.
They're right behind him when he strides inside and looks at the little boy. Sunny is sitting at a little table that's been set up at one side of his room near an alcove of books and… art supplies they notice. He has the necklace out and a variety of coloring supplies, his blonde head is bent over a sheet of paper.
"Sunny," Chuck says firmly.
And the boy looks up eyes widening as he grins, "You sound just like Uncle Chuck!" He tells him delightedly, "And look, I'm drawing the necklace! Do you like it!?" He's motioning towards the paper he's working on, smiling.
The reaction gives Chuck pause, but he recovers admirably. "It's fine," he answers glancing at it, "What does the name Vanessa mean to you?"
"Vanessa?" Sunny echoes, apparently used to his uncle's brisk way; he tilts his head to one side as his eyes brighten, "Oh! Like Nessa, you mean?"
They all stare at him for a moment and then Serena walks forward, past Chuck, to the little boy; this is her son after all. She smiles at him and makes a show of looking at the drawing; and knows her eyes widen in actual surprise when she sees it, "Sunny! This is really good!" She takes the page and hands it to Blair who's come up behind her, "Look…"
Blair takes it and then smiles at the boy; he's drawn the oval of the pendant perfectly, the gold chain, the color of the stone, and then by it's side he's drawn small flowers to represent the inside of the pendant. "This is a terrific job, Sunny." She praises.
He beams at both of them, "I like to draw!"
Serena grins at him and then reaches out to touch his arm gently. Her fingers slide right through him— it's startling, eerie even, and she jumps.
Sunny's eyes go wide, "Oh cool!" He cries and holds up his hand, "Do it again!"
Serena's staring at him, horrified; and he's grinning at her, like she's just performed the most amazing magic trick.
"Would your Auntie B mention Nessa to Gracie?" Chuck asks and Serena shoots her brother a supremely grateful look.
Sunny looks to Chuck and nods; then he seems to realize that they're all watching him and he looks them all over as he says, "Sure… I guess so…" hesitantly.
"Why in heavens name are would we still be talking to Vanessa Abrams?" Blair snaps and shoots Chuck an accusing glare.
"Hey! Aim that look over there," he protests, pointing at Nate.
Nate blinks, looks up from where he'd been watching Sunny. He frowns at Blair, "Aren't I married to Serena or something?"
"Do you think we're married?" Serena asks and there's an odd thread of hope in her voice.
Nate shrugs, meeting her gaze, "We have kids," he says, smiling a little.
"Oh!" Sunny cries suddenly, leaping up from his little chair, "Is Annie coming!?" He asks, actually hopping a little on his feet. "Is that what you mean!? That Auntie B was telling Gracie Nessa is bringing Annie!?"
Nate's gaze went to his son, "Who's Annie?" He wondered softly.
"My sister."
The simple answer seems to reverberate around the room for a moment and then Blair shakes her head, "No, no, no… you said you had one brother and one sister. I asked you!"
"Don't yell at him," Serena admonishes softly.
Sunny's nodding at Blair though, "I do!" He cries and then adds, "Here!" Emphatically. He doesn't seem to be perturbed at being yelled at, despite Harm's earlier words to Gracie that the younger boy hated it.
"Wait, wait… yo—you have a sister…?" Nate asks, "Another sister…?"
Sunny nods, "Yeah, Annie."
"Annie," Nate repeats, "As in… Anne?" His eyes are wide and he's starting to pant a little, because the picture forming in his mind is a portrait he'd rather not look at…
Sunny's mouth twitches in an approximation of a smirk, "Only if there's trouble…" he says, giggling a little.
"Where is she?" Nate asks.
"Oh! She lives with Nessa! And Nessa brings her to visit. They live away… with trees… it looks like the park!" Sunny answers.
"You have child with Brooklyn!?" Blair shouts.
Serena's shaking her head, "But—but…"
"How old is she?" Chuck asks, "Annie?"
Sunny shrugs, "Older."
"Older like Liam?" Chuck presses, "Or older like Gracie?"
Sunny considers, "Um… like Gracie, I guess… or Cash! Older like Cash!"
"Great," Blair mutters, "The one we haven't seen yet."
"Oh, you'll like Cash." Sunny says cheerily.
"Do you have any other brothers or sisters anywhere else?" Blair asks, clearly.
Sunny shakes his head, "Nope."
"Wait, wait," Nate says again, "You're saying you have… another sister… and that she lives with her mother… and that her mother is Vanessa?"
Sunny nods, "Yep, Nessa."
"But that…" Serena shakes her head and Sunny's attention is riveted to her.
"That doesn't… why would…" Serena licks her lips, starts her sentence over, "Blair wasn't mentioning Annie… she was talking about Gracie calling her Dad and Vanessa making a call— and does all this mean…" her eyes go to Nate, "That we're not married?"
Nate shakes his head, looks achingly bewildered, "It doesn't make sense."
The room is quiet; and then Sunny tries to help.
"Maybe Nessa was gonna call Gracie's Daddy, maybe that's what Auntie B meant. Does that make sense?" He offers, looking at them eagerly; his voice helpful.
Serena runs a hand over her face, "But why would Vanessa need to call your Dad for Gracie, Blair could—"
"Not my Daddy!" Sunny says, grinning as if it's the silliest thing he's ever heard, "Gracie's Dad."
They stare at him, the incomprehension on their faces clear even to a four, almost five, year old.
"Mister Dan…" he says carefully, his little arms coming out in a wave a gesture, as if this would help them understand.
And that, right there, was just about the last thing Serena could handle at the moment.
"Oh god," Blair whispers, hands reaching for Serena, but the blonde shakes her head and backs away from her, from the boy, her hands stretching out in front of her, a sob in her chest.
Chuck and Nate watch, with wide-eyes as she keeps backing up until she's pressed the back of her knees against the bed; and then she drops onto it and buries her face in her hands.
Blair moves to sit with her, arms going around her, knows exactly what Serena's and why her best friend is so close to tears. They weren't going to be their parents.
"It's okay…" Blair whispers.
"It's not," Serena says, without lifting her head, "I'm… my mother."
"You're not," Blair insists, "You're not… you're just… all of us, I think, we're just…"
Serena looks up at her when Blair trails off, her eyes glimmering with un-shed tears, and Blair flounders a little, looks up at the guys, who look back just as taken aback as she is, as Serena is.
She shrugs one shoulder a little and then offers her best friend a wan smile, saying wryly, "… just a little dysfunctional."
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