Disclaimer: I do not own "Gossip Girl."

Author's Note: Thank you all so much for leaving such amazing feedback while I was away. I know things are a bit confusing still, but things will clear up soon. I had every intention of this being the chapter you all met Cash in, but well, it's a bit long as it is, so Chapter 5. ;) I'm outlining about 10 chapters and a happy ending. ;P

Thanks again. And I hope you enjoy! :]

***

"No, I'm worse than my mother," Serena cries, jumping from the bed. Blair's words barely even registering with her.

Blair shoots Sunny a quick look; the boy is watching them intently, his little brow furrowed a bit.

"Serena, you have to calm down," Chuck tells her quietly, noticing the direction of Blair's gaze as he taking a step towards his sister, "We don't know enough to—"

"We know that Gracie's not Nate's and Sunny is. That's enough isn't it?"

Chuck shakes his head, looks about to respond, when the door to the bedroom opens. Liam steps inside and Chuck stops, they all stop, and watch as he walks inside.

"Let's go, kid," he says to Sunny, waving him over towards him.

"He's the oldest then," Blair says, almost to herself, "Of all the children…?"

"Yep! He is!" Sunny agrees with her and grabs his picture from the table, before dashing across the room to his big brother, "Liam, look…"

"People are starting to arrive; Aunt B wants you with her," he tells Sunny without preamble. He glances at the picture belatedly and smiles a little, "Nice."

"I have to show it to Auntie B."

Liam nods, "Sure, but not in front of guests; fold it up and put it in your pocket. You can show it to her later."

Sunny nods and does as he's told; the request apparently not odd. A moment later, when he moves towards Liam, he lifts his arms up and the older boy doesn't hesitate; he bends down and scoops him up into his arms then turns towards the door, saying with a smile, "You're getting heavy."

Sunny giggles, "Am not!"

Liam's smile stretches. "Are to," he teases.

And Serena can do nothing but stare at their retreating forms— her sons, those boys are her sons…

In the hallway, Sunny peers at them over Liam's shoulder, "Come to the party!" He tells them cheerfully, a little hand calling them over.

"I'm taking you to the party," Liam responds easily, turning towards the staircase.

"No, not you. The invisible people. They're sad, but the party will cheer them up." Sunny says wisely, "You can dance!" He adds, looking from Liam's face to the four of them.

They'd followed the boys out of the room, were descending the staircase now, their steps slow; they were quiet, too many questions swirling in all their minds to voice just yet.

"These invisible people," Liam says very seriously as they reach the bottom and walk, "They ask you to do anything else?"

"Nope," Sunny answers, leaning back a little to look at him, "But they—" Sunny's eyes go wide then and he turns back to the four of them, "So is Annie coming?" He asks them all; looking at them eagerly over Liam's shoulder, his bright blue excited.

Nate starts at the mention of the name, this girl that's supposedly his; Serena flinches a little and doesn't know why. Chuck and Blair exchange a glance, before Chuck shakes his head, meets Sunny's gaze, "No that's not—"

"Who said Annie was coming?" Liam's voice cuts into Chuck's response. He's standing in the room with the bookshelves now, and they stop with him, watch as he shifts the little boy in his arms so he can look at Sunny's face.

"Annie's coming?" Gracie's curled up in one of the armchairs, her legs tucked underneath her, skirt laid out delicately around her.

"I didn't know that," Harm's sitting on the floor beside the chair, his face turning towards them from where he'd been looking up at Gracie.

"Neither did I," Liam continues, "Where'd you hear that, Sun?"

Sunny's still looking at Chuck though, still thinking on that no he'd gotten from him. "But you said that—"

"Your aunt only mentioned Vanessa, not Annie," Blair tells him gently, "And not to say that she was coming."

"Oh." Sunny says quietly and looks disappointed.

"You're talking to walls now, brat?" Gracie's straightening from her seat, blue eyes on her little brother's profile.

"Are you still playing that game?" Harm asks him, also straightening a little.

"What game?" Gracie asks.

Sunny looks over and frowns at them from inside Liam's hold, "It's not a game," he says almost smugly, "I'm helping them."

Gracie exchanges a look with Harm, "Right. Helping who?"

"The invisible people."

She stares at him.

Harm blinks, "Seriously?"

"Yes," Sunny sounds a little put out, "They're right there." And he points to them, standing just past the threshold into the room.

"One of whom looks like Mom," Liam says, meeting his sister's gaze, "And the other looks like Aunt B."

Gracie stands and Harm follows suit.

"That's some weird game," Harm says quietly.

Sunny huffs, "It's not a—"

"Yeah, we heard you the first time," Gracie interrupts, "It's just plain weird," she tells him, "Cut it out, okay?"

"I have to help them. They're lost," Sunny tells her with emphasis, but they get the distinct impression that if he weren't focused on helping them he would actually obey his sister. "And it's not just S and B," he continues, "It's—"

"Maybe we could play a game!" Serena says suddenly, her voice a little too bright, but it serves to stall Sunny's words. He looks over at them, focuses those big blue eyes on Serena, and she grins at him as wide as she can manage, "Let's see how good that secret-keeping ability of yours is!"

Sunny laughs a little, rolls his eyes, "I'm not a baby you know. That's not a game."

"Hey!" Gracie shouts at him, "Snap out it! You're freaking me out!" And her eyes are a little wide, a little alarmed.

"There's nothing there, buddy," Liam says softly and then he gives Gracie a quelling look.

"They can't see us," Nate says softly, "So they don't get it, okay? About you helping us."

"So we're like your secret," Blair adds.

Chuck nods, "So stop talking to them about us."

Blair nudges him with her elbow and Chuck adds, "Please."

Sunny bites his lip, eyeing them all for a moment, before he nods, "Oh, okay."

"Okay what?" Harm wonders, he's standing beside Liam now, looking over at Sunny with concerned, brown eyes.

"Tell him, nothing," Chuck commands.

Sunny sighs and then looks over at Harm, "Nothing."

All the kids are silent for a moment and then Liam sighs, "Okay then, let's get this over with."

"I have to find Cash," Harm says, before any of them move. "Mom said."

"Well?" Liam says when the younger boy adds nothing more.

"Can't find him."

"Did you look for him?" Liam asks, voice wry.

Harm shrugs, "Not really."

"Harm was waiting for me by the swings," Gracie tells her brother, and then adds with a shrug of her own, "Cash is probably in the pool house."

Liam nods, looks to Harm, "Go get him then."

Harm rolls his eyes, but nods agreement. Gracie snatches his arm before he moves away, they exchange a quick look, and then he's moving off towards the game room and patio.

Blair takes a step to follow him; but Chuck takes her arm, "Where're you going?"

"I want to see him," Blair says simply.

Chuck shakes his head, "We stay together."

"So let's go and—"

"Do you really think this guy she's bringing wants to work with Uncle Chuck?" Gracie's question has Blair snapping her mouth shut.

And Liam giving the girl a hard glare.

He bends down, lowering Sunny to the floor, "Go find Aunt B, kid. She wants someone to meet you…" he tells the little boy, patting his head affectionately as he straightens.

"Mommy's bring someone for Uncle Chuck to work with?" He asks brightly, looking up at his siblings.

Gracie ducks her head a little, looks actually abashed and Liam says, "Yep," very firmly; and then, "Go on."

Sunny nods and runs off, he pauses though before turning into the game room and looks back at the four of them, "Are you coming to the party?"

"Yes," Serena tells him quietly, "We'll be right there."

Just as Gracie says, "Yep, we'll be right there…"

Serena jumps, they all do a little, because the effect is uncanny; because at that moment, with a bright smile on her face and forced cheer in her voice, Gracie sounds just like her mother.

"Wow," Nate says very softly, his gaze on the little girl.

Serena says nothing; she licks her lips and draws in a deep breath and hardens her heart the way she'd learned to do this summer. Because she'd decided, she wasn't going anywhere until Liam and Gracie did; that whatever these two were going to say now, away from adults and young children, was something she needed to hear.

"Would you watch yourself in front of him? That's twice this afternoon." Liam says sternly when Sunny is out of sight.

"Serena," Blair says quietly, standing beside her friend and taking her hand, "You know that sometimes… like you and I would… say things we didn't always mean… about our mothers… so don't—"

"If she's not having sex with this associate I'll put blue streaks in my hair."

Liam scowls at her, "You're nine-years-old, you shouldn't know what sex is."

Gracie rolls her eyes, "I'm not gonna standby and watch her wreck everything."

Serena's hand tightens around Blair's and the girls wait with bated breaths for this conversation to play out.

Liam's eyes widen at Gracie's words; his gaze roving over her face quickly, "Call it off," he says abruptly, his words sharp.

And the young girl lifts her chin, "Call what off?" She asks and there's a touch of belligerence in her voice.

"Grace." He says steadily; and nothing more, just her name in a tone that tells her he's not fooled.

"I don't get you," she says, frowning, "Why are you just gonna let her ruin everything? Let her make everything the way it was before—"

Anger flashes across his face like lightening on a summer afternoon, "You can barely remember before!"

Gracie scowls. "I remember enough!"

And her shouted words have Liam sighing and looking extremely frustrated suddenly; the flash of anger slipping away. "This might shock you, Grace, but controlling our mother is something absolutely no one has managed to do."

"You fixed it the first time!"

"I was an idiot the first time; I could have been killed or worse." He contradicts her.

"You were my age and you got on a flight and you brought her home. You knew—"

"I didn't know anything! I ran away like a stupid little kid. And now I know that it does no good to run away from home. It was a stupid move and it just—"

"It brought her back!" She shouts, cutting him off.

He stares at her a beat. "Yeah," he says dully after a long moment, "Her and her husband."

Gracie makes a flustered motion with her hands, "Carter's not so bad."

Liam sighs, "I'm not saying he is," he says and lifts his hand in a gesture of impatience, "I'm saying that she wasn't going to send me back to the city alone; that yeah she came back with me, but she had…" he pauses, and then says carefully, "Baggage, Gracie, and that nothing changed when she was back."

Gracie shakes her head, "It worked! You fixed—"

And he's got a hand on her shoulder then, shaking her gently, "You can't fix someone."

"I can try."

"It brought her back, fine. But what for? It wasn't much better when she was back."

"At least she was with us then and—"

"She's home today, there's no use—"

"She'll leave again."

Liam stares at her. "Nothing you do is going to make her stay if she doesn't want to."

She stares at him, hard; obstinacy glinting in her gaze.

He persists, "Whatever you've done— undo it," he tells her a moment later and there's a thread of pleading in his voice, of before you get hurt.

And it looks almost like she can hear it, like she considers it and then she shakes her head again, "I can't," she tells him and then pauses, looks up into eyes as blue hers, "And I wouldn't," she confesses.

He drops his hand, "Gracie, just…"

"I can't let it go," she says as if he'd finished the sentence, "We're a family, we're Sunny's family, and we're happy and she doesn't get to just—"

"We'll still be a family. Sunny will… get used to; like we did…"

Gracie's eyes widen and she scowls at him, "How can you say that!?" She yells at him, "He's making her up! And you're the one worried about even hinting at it in front of him!"

Liam looks pained for a moment and then he shrugs, expression going purposefully blank, "Greg told Aunt B imaginary friends are normal. And I… I want him to have it for as long as he can," he reasons, "But I'm not going to pretend it's not happening—they're getting divorced. It's happening."

Gracie's glare is so hot it could peel paint. "Therapy has ruined you," she hisses at him. "I'm not giving up; I won't, just because you don't want to try—"

Liam starts to look angry again, "It's not that I don't want to! It's that—"

But apparently Gracie is done listening, she tosses her hair back and with that scowl on her face she leaves the room.

Liam's head turns, eyes following her departure and then he sighs, the anger draining away. He looks oddly young suddenly; and… like Eric as he finishes quietly, "I just know better."

He's quiet, still, for another moment and then he moves after her then too; leaves the four of them in silence and shock until Serena makes a sobbing noise and drops onto one the sofas, hands over her face.

Blair moves to her immediately, arms wrapping around her friend's shoulders, "Oh S…"

"I am worse than her," Serena cries, her voice muffled by her hands.

Blair doesn't respond; shoots the boys a panicked look, because they're all right here, seeing what she's seeing and there's really no way to sugarcoat the obvious.

Serena's head lifts and Blair looks back at her, meets her gaze. "What did I do to myself, B?"

Blair sighs, shakes her head a little; has no words.

"I leave them…" Serena continues, "And he ran away… to find me… and she's so… so determined to… to…" tears pool then, because she's felt that determination; that will to straighten her mother out, to just fix her.

And now, it's her. Her that needs fixing.

A tear slips down her cheek and she pulls her gaze from Blair's stricken face; lets it fall to the floor. It's a hardwood floor, covered with a beautiful mahogany rug at the center.

And it's just the four of them again, but no one speaks of getting out of here, of finding a way home; the scenes playing out before them are enthralling, a glimpse into something they had never thought to dream of… and for Serena, a nightmare she had been sure she could hold at bay.

Serena's gaze is locked onto the floor, her hair falling forward, shielding her face from the rest of them. She had no cause to worry though; their gazes are everywhere, but on her.

Blair is drawing in a deep breath, preparing to speak, when Serena stands— and without a word to any of them, leaves the room.

There's a breath when the three of them stare after her without moving and then Blair stands and they're all rushing after her.

"She's freaking out," Nate says softly.

"Good observation, Nathaniel," Chuck hisses.

"I'm freaking out," Nate adds.

"Well stop it." Blair hisses at him, shooting him a dark look, "Whatever this is it isn't real, so just—"

Blair stops, mid-sentence, at the threshold of the patio. Serena has stopped there too, is staring as well. The preparations they had seen in movement, had been completed, all traces of them gone, and the result was a deceptively causal lawn party straight out of their childhoods.

It was startling to realize that there was a certain lull at the Hampton's right now, in their present; while the teens grew up and the adults prepared to hand the mantles over. Parties were still done, of course, but the crowd of well dressed children running underfoot had dwindled and so the events had a more solemn air to them. They were given by adults for adults, not for adults and their children—a simple thing, but it changed the entire tone of the gathering.

As Liam had said, people had begun arriving. Dressed in light colored skirts and high heels, tailored shirts and slacks; they mingled under tents, listening to the music, sipping champagne, eating canapé— and out from underneath the tents, under a sky dappled with pink, children played tag on the lawns, a Frisbee flew, and a soccer ball rolled. They wore polo shirts and summer dresses and to the four of them, standing there, eyes a little wide, mouths a little agape, the scene was an echo of summertime's gone by.

"Wow," Nate says softly after another beat. He takes a step forward, moves to stand beside Serena. Chuck is standing beside Blair as he nods as well.

"This is…" Blair trails off, waves a hand at it.

They nod and then Serena's moving again.

"S, wait!" Blair calls, stepping off the patio after her.

Serena shakes her head and makes a beeline for the older Blair.

"Serena!" Blair cries and reaches out, grabs her arm, "Stop it, okay. Don't do this to yourself, don't—"

"Why not?"

Blair blinks, "Why no—?"

But Serena doesn't let her finish the question, she pulls her arm free. "I need to do this to myself. I have to fix this, to see it and remember it and not let it happen. Because… my kids hate me…"

"They don't," Chuck says coming to stand beside Blair, fixing dark eyes on his sister's face, "They love you."

"And I'm…" Serena trails off, blue eyes staring at Chuck and he sees breaking their hearts in her eyes as clearly as if she'd spoken the words.

"Fine," Blair says firmly. "We'll figure out what happened and then we'll figure out how to get back… or wake-up… and then we'll figure out to fix this." She rubs Serena's arm comfortingly.

"That's what she keeps saying," Nate comments as Blair finishes speaking, "Gracie. She keeps saying that she has to fix it."

Nate's words draw Serena's gaze to him; and they stare at each other. There's an odd solace in one another's stunned gazes.

And then Serena blinks. "I have a daughter with Dan." She whispers almost to herself, gaze unfocused; she steps back as if staggering, as if the realization was literally falling onto her shoulders.

"And Nathaniel has apparently procreated with Vanessa." Chuck says with distaste.

Blair throws him a hard look over her shoulder, "Jealous, Bass?" Her gaze is not nearly as light as her words.

Chuck narrows his eyes, says, "Hardly," very slowly; so she's sure to get it.

"Apparently you both felt the need to procreate in Brooklyn." Blair says derisively after meeting Chuck's gaze for a moment too long.

"God Blair, don't say it like that," Nate hisses.

Blair bats her lashes at him and smiles icily. "Like what?"

"Oh!" Serena cries suddenly, pulling back as a woman walks through her. Hair dyed a blonde that's a touch too creamy and a pale blue blouse with ruffles the woman is smiling as she approaches the tables.

Serena tugs Blair by their joined hands and the four of them move off to one side. The sky is tinged with orange now too, pinks and oranges mixing together in the signal of approaching twilight.

"At least you then followed it up with each other," Chuck offers approvingly into the silence that's enveloped them; he's slipping an arm around Blair's waist and tugging her a bit closer.

She resists a bit and then settles, sending him an arced eyebrow, but remaining silent.

"You married Carter."

Serena startles at Nate's words. It's a comment, not an accusation, and she licks her lips before meeting his gaze, "I guess so."

"I told you to stay away from him." Chuck snaps.

And it's absurd to berate Serena for something she hasn't done, might never even do if, because, this is some sort of fantasy; but the words slip out anyway and Serena turns a glare on him.

"Actually, you text me to stay away from him, Chuck, and I text back that you need to stay out of my business."

Blair scoffs, "Good luck with that."

"What's that mean?"

Blair looks over at her best friend, "You don't know?"

"Blair." Chuck warns.

She rolls her eyes, "He has us followed, you realize."

"What!?" Serena's shriek rivals one Blair's and Chuck winces a little. Nate takes a very subtle step back.

"You what!?" She shouts at Chuck and then glares at Blair, "And you know about this!?"

Blair sighs, "Of course. But what would like me to do about it?"

"Tell him to stop!" She shifts her glare back to Chuck, "Stop!"

He doesn't look at all repentant. "I like to keep up on your life."

"So talk to me!" She shouts, "A phone call might be nice every once in a while you know! You've dropped off the face of the planet!"

"I'm busy," he snaps, "It's easier to read it."

"Easier to spy on me!"

He glares back at her then, his calm vanishing, "Well, what am I supposed to do! I don't have the time to—"

"Make the time!"

"I don't know how!" He shouts at her and it's the quandary at the core of every problem he's had with Blair this summer. Figures he'd admit it to anyone, but her.

"And you're the one whotook off for the entire summer," he accuses Serena quickly, before anyone can comment on his admission, "With Carter. Without explanation," he bites out before waving his hand a little and adding, "And apparently you marry him."

Serena locks up tight at that; feels herself do it. The way her eyes frost over and her spine straightens, "I don't have to tell you everything."

And she wouldn't. Chuck would set a team of detectives on it that would rummage through every single closet the Van der Woodsen/Rhodes family had and then he'd give it all to her in one neat report, all laid bare in black and white ink.

She couldn't take that.

Chuck is still glaring. "You don't have to tell anyone except Carter apparently, because your mother certainly had no idea where you were and Eric only got a phone call once a week. And by the way using fake names so I couldn't—"

Serena's eyes flash, "You were trying to track me!"

Chuck rolls his eyes, "Of course."

Blair sighs, puckering her lips, "Enough. Could we put the sibling squabbling away for a minute and—"

"Hey, who do you think all these kids' parents are?"

Nate's question is so completely out of the blue that Blair stops mid-sentence and turns to look at him. Serena and Chuck do the same; eyes wide in disbelief. Not one of them responds and after a couple beats Nate tears his gaze away from the children across the lawn.

"What?" He asks.

When they continue to stare, he huffs at them, fastens eyes on Serena, "He's not going to stop," he tells her and then looks at Chuck, "And she's not going to like it." He shrugs then and says simply, "So just… get over it."

Serena blows out a breath when Nate looks at her again; it feels impossible, but there's a smirk tugging at her lips and he smiles at her a little. He could soothe her, she hopes that hasn't changed.

"I actually could not have said that better myself, Nate," Blair compliments looking oddly proud; and then adds quickly, "Well, not too much better."

Chuck smirks and Nate laughs a little, Serena breathes a little easier; and just like that they're okay.

Serena bites her lip as she sends Chuck a quick glance, he's looking back at her, waiting for her gaze; and they offer each other a look of peace.

And then they hear Blair, the older one, cry, "Sunny!" Just as someone else yells, "Oh no!"

They all whirl in the direction of the voices and see a few women gathered together, dabbing at elderly woman's skirt, and Blair is smiling widely, too wide, saying something softly, before she takes Sunny by the arm and pulls him away.

"I wonder what happened," Serena says as she moves towards them. The others follow closely behind her.

"—and it's rude and mean." Blair is finishing up as they approach the two. She had taken the boy off to the far side of lawn, almost to the other end of the patio and was speaking to him in a heated whisper.

Sunny was pouting, bottom lip puckered out and head lowered, his blonde hair falling forward into his eyes. "She keeps callin' me Nathaniel."

Blair sighs and continues in that same furious whisper, "That woman is nearly eighty years old and batty as unexplored cavern, Sunny," she pauses, "And don't you repeat that to anyone, understand?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"You have to apologize. And Nathaniel is your middle name, so it's not—"

"I'm Sunny."

"Yes, I know, but—"

"And I told her."

"I know you did, but—"

"Four times!" He cries and lifts those big blue eyes to her, "She wouldn't listen!" He says so woefully, Serena wants to pull him to her for a hug.

"Shh," his aunt says softly, apparently feeling the same impulse as she reaches out to smooth his hair, "I know, but spilling your soda on her skirt was not acceptable."

"I tripped."

"Is that a lie?" She asks him, folding her arms in front of her.

Sunny bites his lip, rubs at his hair with one hand as he thinks it over, "Sorta."

Nate laughs a little, looks over at Chuck who's smirking at the little boy, the girl's are smiling at him; but for once Sunny isn't paying them any attention. He's focused on his aunt.

Blair nods, "We're going to walk over there again and you are going demonstrate what a polite young man you can be. And this is not going to happen again, Sunny," she paused, her hand reaches out to take his as she says sternly, "Is it?"

Sunny sighs, deep and dramatic, but nods, "No, Ma'am."

"Good, because—"

But Sunny's gaze shifts past his Auntie B then and his eyes go wide, a smile stretching across his face as he cuts her words off with an excited, "Oh! Oh! Uncle Chuck!"

Sunny pulls out of Blair's hold and he's racing across the patio before they've even turned around and looked.

When they do turn around and look; they stare. He's Chuck alright, standing in the doorway, he's wearing dark slacks, a deep plum colored shirt, and a straight tie with patterns of lavender and a darker purple on it. He's bending down to lift Sunny into a hug and he's smiling and he looks… grown-up.

Blair, well, she always looks grown-up, even now with her fitted dress and elegant heels, her hair styled into a French twist and her neck adorned with jewelry—she looks young, but somehow grown-up.

Chuck has not always had this distinction, despite his penchant for suits and ties there's always a flair in his features that brands him boy.

Not anymore.

The man listening intently to the tale Sunny is reciting is a competent, businessman and every line of his body and face says so.

They watch as the older Blair shoots the tents, a bit more crowded now, a quick look before moving to the patio. She reaches him and lands both her hands on his chest, Chuck's free arm coming around her waist as she turns all three of them inside the room and away from prying eyes.

"Dude!" Nate breathes, grinning as he punches Chuck in the arm, "Look at you!"

"I have to see this," Serena says and there's maybe a smile in her voice; because focusing on the lives of her best friend and brother is easier than looking closely at her own. Always has been.

Chuck stays back for a moment after Serena and Nate rush off towards the patio; stares at the spot where he had stood.

"Come on." He looks at Blair when she speak and he knows there's a tinge of panic in his eyes, which is ridiculous because this isn't real, but even so… it's there.

"It isn't real, okay." She tells him and then she's taking his hand and they're walking towards the patio and slipping inside the game room.

Nate and Serena are watching intently. Sunny is still in Chuck's arms, looking into his face as he avidly explains what had just occurred outside. "—and so I might'a tripped a little bit and then the cup sort of spilled a little bit on'er."

They watch as the older Chuck arcs his eyebrows and says, "Uh-oh."

"It was a accident!" Sunny defends himself.

And then his Auntie B clears her throat.

Sunny sighs without even looking over at her. "Okay. It wasn't."

Chuck smirks at him; it's a kind and amused gesture. "Did you apologize?"

"No. But Auntie B said I have to."

"You do," Chuck agrees and lowers the boy the floor. He ruffles Sunny's hair as he straightens and adds, "When you want to teach someone a lesson, frontal attacks in the presence of witnesses are not ideal."

Sunny looks up, "Oh okay… so, secret attacks then, Uncle Chuck?"

His Uncle nods very seriously, "That's the way to go."

"Oh, okay."

"Of course you would tell my kid that," Serena hisses at her Chuck.

He's frowning, about to respond, when Sunny whirls towards them. A bright smile on his face, "Oh!" He says happily, "This is my Uncle Chuck. He's Cash and Harm's daddy." He explains to them.

"Shh!" Blair says quickly, as the older Chuck and Blair exchange a quick glance over Sunny's head, "Remember our game!?" She tells him.

Sunny cringes a little, "Whoops! Sorry…!" His gaze skims over them again, "Can we start over?"

"Start what over, Sun?" His uncle asks, "Who are you speaking to?"

"Yes, let's start right now," Serena tells the boy.

Sunny stares at her, considers, and then turns to his Uncle, "The invisible people. But we're playing a game where I don't talk about them too much since no else can see them and I forgot, but I remember now and we're starting over."

In front of him, his aunt and uncle stare at him. Behind him, Blair and Chuck do the same.

And then Chuck sighs, whispers very quietly, "Nathaniel, he is definitely your son."

Nate shoots Chuck a quick scowl. "Well, I wasn't doubting it," he hisses and Serena sends him a small, sweet smile for the words.

"Alright," the older Blair says firmly, "Sunny go on and tell Mrs. Wintray you're sorry for the accident and then you can play tag with the Jamison boys."

Sunny bounces on his feet, "Really! No more meeting people!"

"No more meeting people, go on."

Sunny nods and starts running off. He stops abruptly though and looks over at his aunt and uncle, "When Mommy and Dad get here, we can watch the stars like last time!" And then he takes off, not calling for them to go with him.

"You think he's starting to think we really are invisible?" Nate wonders.

"I think he wants to play tag," Serena answers wryly.

They share a quick a smile before turning their attention back to the older Chuck and Blair. The two are facing each other, but not speaking or talking—which is causing the younger Chuck and Blair to tense up exponentially with each second that passes.

Serena clears her throat and pastes a smile on her face as she motions towards the older couple, "Aw, look you guys. You still do that… matching thing… you do."

She shoots Nate a pointed look and he jumps on the bandwagon, "Oh! Yeah... you look really… uh… purple together. It's… sweet."

Serena rolls her eyes and opens her mouth, but just then Blair, the older one, moves forward and right into Chuck's arms.

She sighs, presses her face into shoulder for a moment and then lays her cheek on against him. He wraps his arms around her, kisses her temple and hair and cheek.

"Rough day?" He asks her a beat later— and they notice then, his voice is different, deeper, less lilting.

"You have no idea."

"Tell me."

"Gail's having problems with her sister-in-law. She's been flakey all day so they've been running amok. Gracie refused to put on a dress and I'm fairly certain she's concocted something that will blow up spectacularly in our faces by the end of the evening. Liam is systematically shutting down his emotions in preparation for Serena's arrival. Sunny's talking to imaginary friends he swears are invisible people that look just like Serena and I. And Cash has secluded himself in the pool house."

Chuck nods slowly, "And Harm?" He says after beat.

Blair lifts her head and smirks at him, "My baby boy is a darling."

Chuck scoffs, mouth twisting in a smirk, "Which is to say you haven't caught him in anything today."

"Correct."

"Is that all?" He wonders quietly.

"No. Could you please reassure me that Serena is actually bringing an associate with her."

Chuck stares at her for a moment too long; his dark eyes fixed on her face even as he visibly searched his memories, "I cannot."

Blair scowls, "Dammit."

"It doesn't mean it isn't true." He tells her.

"She'd have to run that by you."

"She'd run it by Caroline."

"Who would run it by you."

"Who I've told not to run anything by me this month since I'm here; I didn't even let her speak to me today since I was there to do three urgent things and no more," he pauses, licks his lips, "Because my wife, I told her, was hosting a get-together for my sister and I was obliged to attend—which I've done. And have yet to see any recompense for."

"Your wife," she said teasingly, "Appreciates the effort and wants to take the opportunity to remind you you're down to three free passes this quarter; and needs you to check. Quickly."

He arcs an eyebrow, leans in a little closer to her, "My wife is a tyrant..."

She brings a hand to his cheek, "… who missed you today."

"Ah," he says and presses a soft kiss to her mouth, "And she was missed."

She laughs, mouth pressing against his for another moment; and then pulls back, "I have to get back out there. Please sneak around and get the boys. I sent Harm to get Cash and they've since both disappeared."

He nods, but doesn't let her go, "This imaginary friend problem...?"

"I talked to Greg about it. He and Eric will be here tonight."

"Good. And is Nathaniel coming?"

Blair shakes her head, "No, he has Annie this week, I think."

"Then why does Sunny think his Dad will be here to watch the stars tonight?"

Blair blinks; and then rolls her eyes. "Oh wonderful," she says, sarcasm heavy in her tone.

Chuck nods. "She does somehow take after her Aunt B."

"I swear, sometimes I wish there more Humphrey in that girl and less Rhodes."

"Bite your tongue," Chuck growls and then he's pulling her close, his mouth close to hers, "Or let me."

She does; but for only a moment, then pulls back.

"Go on," she tells him, "I'll see if I can do damage control." He nods, but again doesn't move until she peals his arms off of her waist. "Go…" she prods as he takes one step away from her. Then she straightens her dress and asks, "How's my lipstick?"

He smirks, the time-honored one they're all familiar with, as he whispers, "Too perfect."

"Chuck!" She squeaks when he grabs her again; laughs when he kisses her. It's quick and affectionate and so relaxed it makes all four of them smile a little.

And then he's moving off, outside and rounding the house on the other side, away from the party; and she's left smiling and rolling her eyes, fixing her dress one more time and drawing in a deep breath before moving back out to the lawn to play hostess.

They're quiet for a long moment after; thoughts awhirl as what they'd seen coalesced in their minds.

Chuck and Blair were married.

Chuck and Blair were happy.

Chuck and Blair were raising a family.

Nate laughs a little then, as he lands another shove on Chuck's shoulder, "Guess you must figure out that making-time thing then, huh…"

***