November 2014
She returned to the city at the point fall met winter and took a second to savour her newfound ability to stand in Grand Central and not be photographed. Still, even without Gossip Girl, news was news and she moved quickly to the waiting town car.
Seemingly minutes later the elevator doors split and she emerged onto a familiar chequered floor, feeling, for a second, fourteen again.
"Welcome Miss Jenny."
"Dorota, hey. How's your baby?"
"Wonderful but new baby here now," smiled the maid.
"Of course. Henry right?"
"Henry Gregory Bass." Blair emerged at the top of the steps, smiling down at her.
"Gregory as in Peck?"
"You know me too well Little J." Blair descended until the two women were face to face on equal footing. Dorota had vanished.
"Well, you were the closest thing I ever got to a mentor."
"Good. Because you were the closest I ever got to acquiring a protégé. Which brings us to the here and now."
"Blair-"
"About Chuck. I'm sorry I punished you and not him, but I think we can agree that leaving this city helped you considerably. I mean look at you. You're washing your hair again, you're not impersonating a racoon. I'm a mother now and apparently that makes me forgiving. So you're forgiven. Just... never mention it again.'"
"And you want me to work with you?"
"Better that than be my competition. And it'll be a learning experience for you – it'll be a launching pad for your own line in a few years time."
"Full control?"
"Full control. Now," as a gurgling noise filled the hall "come and meet Henry."
Dan almost crushed her with a bear hug when she walked into the new apartment he shared with Serena.
"Dude, seriously, I am fragile."
"No, you're tough." He relaxed his grip and proceeded to examine her. "It's good to have you back Little J."
"It's nice to be back, Gossip Girl."
"Jenny!" Serena flew in from one door and Rufus from another. As arms encircled her, she grinned across the room at her brother. Perhaps New York wasn't so bad after all.
Later, as the laughter and the glitter that inevitably preceded the holiday season swept the city, Jenny took a walk. She had forgotten how much she loved the city in the holidays, loved the cashmere sweaters, the boots and the cultural consumerism that drowned even the most cynical of residents. Now Rufus had moved to Lisa's townhouse, the loft was hers and that night she perched out on the fire escape, mug in hand, watching the lights across the water. Setting the dark on fire.
He knew she was back because everyone told him she would be there when they invited him to brunch, to dinner. He saw her in the photographs the interns picked for The Spectator's best dressed list. She had been back barely three weeks and was already making waves in the city, even if she did keep herself to herself, only attending family events, confining herself to her studio and apartment. Nate had not meant to avoid her but whilst working on The Spectator's holiday edition he'd spent the majority of the month running on coffee, barely leaving his office. They passed each other in separate cabs curving through the Manhattan traffic, ordered from the same takeout place and threw identical wistful glances at the ice skaters in Bryant Park. The city connected them by keeping them apart and sometimes out on her perch in Brooklyn she would fixate unknowingly on his office window.
They did not meet again until Thanksgiving.
"Sorry I'm late." Blair snorted and waved him in. Jenny stood outlined by the snow outside the window, talking to Serena about London. He scooped up a drink and joined them. Her eyes glittered.
"You came? Dan's cooking you know."
"I've tasted his cooking before. Really not that bad."
"Wow, I have missed a lot. Last time I was here his specialty was cranberry sauce."
"Oh that's still my specialty," Dan called. Nate winked and walked over to help his friend. "Stay away Archibald. No culinary disasters in my kitchen."
"You mean Blair's kitchen?"
"Who's the chef here?"
"Touché." Nate eyed a pecan pie. "Did you remember marshmallows?"
"Marshmallows?"
"Jenny likes them on her sweet potatoes." It was his tone that betrayed him, the tenderness unmistakeable and alien to his ears. Dan stared at him.
"Hey Waldorf? Do you have marshmallows?" His eyes did not leave Nate's as Blair called out an affirmative. Nate caved first, lids snapping closed, as the teen in him remembered every age old reason to stay away from Little Jenny Humphrey. Starting with her elder brother.
He touched her once during the evening, their fingers brushing as they tugged on the wishbone. She won and as Nate's eyes met Dan's across the table, she wished, silently. For a little happiness. Goodness knew they could use it.