''Hi..''

Victoria Ange Noir and Raphael Ange Noir turned around to find Rose Ange Noir standing nervously in front of them, dressed in black just as those who attended Bart Bass' funeral that morning.

''Hi, mom,'' Victoria awkwardly greets while her father stood along side her, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

''How have you been?'' She asks.

Her brows had furrowed only slightly. Why was she only forwarding the conversation to her? What did her father do to earn this kind of treatment, this lack of respect?

''Um,'' She clears her throat. ''Dad and I are managing. We miss you.''

She had open her mouth to respond when a voice from afar screamed, ''Hey!''

They looked over by the hill to find Chuck Bass running down a hill and towards Dan Humphrey, the kid from Brooklyn. His face was flush and he had bags under his eyes, his hair lacking the usual containment he normally produces. He was making a scene.

''What the hell?'' Raphael furrows his brows at the angry teenager.

''What the hell are you doing here?!''

Dan jerks his head back. ''Excuse me?''

''He's just upset and loaded!'' Blair explains for his occupational stance as she follows after him. Nate Archibald was hot on Chuck's trail as much as Blair.

''I think we should head inside,'' Rose suggests until Raphael held a hand up, shaking his head in a slow subtle motion.

''That's his kid, he looks like a wreck,'' He turns to look at Victoria. ''Victoria, you go to school with him. Why don't you go see if you calm him down.''

''May I remind you that just because we go to the same school doesn't mean we're acquainted,'' She folds her arms across her chest. Her dull brown eyes scanned the appearance of Nathaniel Archibald. ''Besides, it looks like his friends have it under control.''

''Chuck, Dan has been helping us, unlike you!'' Serena exclaims, pushing the Bass child off of him.

''Helping us?'' He hissed. ''Do you have any idea what his family what his family has done?''

''Daniel,'' Serena's grandmother gently tugged Dan aside. ''I think maybe it would be best if you left.''

Serena turned to them sharply. ''No, grandma, that doesn't make sense. It's not fair.''

''Chuck, is Bart's son,'' She shakes her head vigorously. ''He doesn't have to make sense today.''

''It's okay, I understand,'' Dan caves in. It was clear that he was not only uncomfortable by all the attention drawn to him that he didn't want to make a bigger scene than what it was. He didn't even know the man to give much condolences anyway.

''You have no idea,'' Chuck snarls at him.

''Dan, I want you here,'' Serena pleads.

A guy from the crowd walks closer and approached her side. ''Serena, it's okay. Let him go.''

As soon as Dan Humphrey walked away, Chuck was able to as well. Though, who he finds he turns around, started an all out war in front of the church.

''What is that whore doing here?!''

Raphael's eyes blown wide and turned to see the person he was pointing at was at Rose while Victoria took a step a couple of steps forward, away from her parents.

''Watch how you talk to my mother.''

He snickers into another sneer. ''Your mother has been sleeping around with my father.'' He dismissed her faltering gaze and looks back at Rose. ''I see you sneaking away from my father's office and room at the dusk of dawn and in the fading hours of the night. Those meetings you say you call in for that are coincidentally an hour before the real meeting.''

She licks her lips. ''You know, just because you have no family left, doesn't mean you get to tackle on anyone else's.''

''Oh, would you give it a break?'' Chuck spat at Victoria. ''Open your eyes, princess, you don't have the perfect life after all. Welcome to the real world, where everything as you know turns to shit!''

Raphael turns to Rose and asks in a small voice, ''Is this true?''

''Raph-''

''Is this why you don't want to make things work?''

Victoria angle her head to the side, her focus on the gravel of the ground. She couldn't face the look on their face. She couldn't allow for this all to be real.

This was Rose and Raphael Ange Noir. The couple who were claimed high school sweethearts. They were born straight from the South Bronx, where they couldn't afford the best education or a house for that matter. They struggled through college, building an enterprise with a baby on the way. That was their story.

They didn't come from rich families, they had to create their line all on their own. That's what made them so inspiring, what Victoria would have called them legends one day.

It was suppose to be a once upon a time ending in a happily ever after. 

''Raphael, please,'' She quietly begged. ''I meant what I said, you were always so focused on the hotel. You never gave me what I need-''

''Which was sex?!'' He yells. ''You made me think that the reason our marriage was failing was because of me! In your words, that I was married to my career more than I was to you! Everything that I've done for you these past couple of weeks to show that I would never risk losing you, made it feel like none of it wasn't good enough- like I wasn't good enough for you, Rose!''

''Maybe you weren't, Raph,'' She slapped her arms against her side. ''Bart made me feel what I haven't felt in a long time. That's why I'm leaving you.''

Victoria shakes her head, blinking away her tears. ''Oh my god.''

With her head hung low, she walks past her mother and father, intentionally avoiding their gaze.

''I'm gonna be right back,'' Serena urgently tells her mother.

''Just make sure you're back in time for the reception,'' Lillian Van Der Woodsen nods, allowing for her eldest daughter to chase after Victoria. In all honesty, Lillian could use the time to think after what she just witnessed.

''I'll go with you,'' Nate volunteers, causing the blonde and her best friend to turn to him with furrowed brows.

''What?''

Blair tilts her head to the side. ''It's nothing, I just thought you'd be here more for your best friend rather than chase after a not so actually Mary Sue.''

''Blair,'' Serena scolds.

''I'll explain later,'' Nathaniel assures. ''But we should probably get going before we lose her.''

Victoria couldn't think. She couldn't fathom what exact moment cause her whole world to turn upside down. These were her parents, she had looked up to them. She wanted to find a man that would grow strong as one united front like the way did.

It makes her wonder how long has this affair been going on? When did her mother fell out of love? Why would she stay with him all this time if she wasn't unhappy? Was she still with him for the fame?

With not caring about her father anymore, did she really even care for Victoria at all?

''Victoria!''

She turns around to find Serena and Nate running after her.

''Hey,'' Serena breathes out. ''Are you okay-''

She holds a hand up to her. ''I'll be fine. Nothing I can't handle.''

''What?'' She furrows her brows at her. ''Victoria, Chuck had just outed your mother's affair in front of press and business associates along with her departure. That must be heartbreaking.''

Victoria shrugs her shoulders. ''I'll move on. Thank you for seeing if I'm okay, but just because we went out for lunch that one time, doesn't mean you need to pretend to care. Just try to enjoy the service and make sure your mother is okay.''

She went to turn around when his voice had lured her back. ''Victoria,'' She met with those knee weakening blue eyes. It was the second time this month they were able to look at one another. Only this time was the first time any real words were exchanged. ''Please.''

Victoria built enough will power to turn around and continue to walk away. 

Serena scoffs. ''Victoria, I really do feel bad for you. But you need to get over yourself.'' She tugs on Nate's arm. ''Come on, Nate.''

But his eyes were glued on her figure. The figure that never bother to turn around and look back as she walked away. 

He had this unsettling aurora of guilt wearing him down. From things he said to her that night, he only looks like everyone else, the very people that Victoria were pushing herself away from.

By the time Victoria found herself in the streets, a limousine pulled up along side her.

The window rolls down and her father calls out, ''Victoria!''

She turns to him, a little stunned to find him there instead of being at the funeral.

''Get in.''

-

No one had spoken a word on the ride back to the penthouse.

Victoria was locking the door shut while Raphael had walked up to the kitchen counter, finding a pile of mail resting on top of the pile.

What had caught his attention was a large orange envelope. He'd known in his gut that it was the divorce papers. It had to be. What he couldn't understand was why was it here so soon?

Victoria began to walk over towards the steps, but slowly came to a stop when she finds him standing over the envelope.

''Are those the papers?'' She furrows her brows. ''I thought those weren't suppose to be here for another week?''

Raphael turns to her, his gaze still trapped on the item being held in his head. ''They were.'' He looks up and sighs. ''Which means she had filed them before she left.''

She looks away with a scoff. This couldn't be her mother. This had to be an impostor who held the real Rose Ange Noir captive in some shed on an unidentified island.

She digs through her clutch when her phone chimed.

If it was Gossip Girl blast about Victoria's downward spiral, she was just about ready to break her phone.

Though, much to her surprise, it was a message from a number not yet saved in her contacts.

xxx-xxx-xxx

Via, it's Nate. Come downstairs.

''Uh,'' She groans. ''I'm going out for a walk. Do you want me to get you anything while I'm out?''

Raphael let's go of his bottom lip after gnawing on it. ''No, darling, I'm good.''

She nods her head and exits the penthouse.

She pushes her way through the double doors of Noir Resorts, finding Nathaniel Archibald standing in front of the building with his back facing her and his front facing the street.

''I would ask why you're here, but I'm more curious as to how you got my phone number?''

He turns with around eyes. ''Uh, I found out Serena had it.''

She folds her arms across her chest. ''What do you want, Nathaniel?''

He holds his arms out from his sides and breathes out a nervous smile. ''You look like you could get lost for a little while.''

She chuckles softly, looking down at her feet. ''No matter how hard I push you away,'' She pursed her lips and looks back up at him. ''You still come back. Why do you do that?''

''Because I know I see a different side to you that nobody else sees,'' He smiles. ''I'm sorry that I called you prestigious. For what it's worth, I don't think you're like that at all. I think you have a hard time finding the good in a world like ours.''

''I'm sorry, too.''

He grins. ''What was that?''

She rolls her eyes, a smile quirking at the corners of her lips. ''Nate-''

''It's just,'' He takes a step towards her. ''It's a little loud in the city, can you speak up?''

''I said-'' She starts to giggle. ''I'm sorry, too. Geez, is it always like pulling teeth with you?''

''I think I'm a pretty simple guy,'' He jokes, causing her to giggle once more. ''But at least I got you smiling.''

Her head lags to the side. ''The divorce files are here,'' Her smile began to fade. ''They weren't suppose to be here for another week, but they came early.''

''Meaning she had already gotten them mailed ahead of time,'' Nate finished, putting two and two together.

She shrugs her shoulders, a faint smile painted on her lips. ''It doesn't feel real. She was always happy, thinking of all sorts ideas that'll expand our family name. She'd reminisce on little stories at dinner from what it was like to be with my father back in the day.-'' She sighs. ''I saw a completely different side of her today, Nate. I don't even know what to expect from my dad.''

''I'm sorry, Victoria.''

She takes one hand out of her pockets to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. ''Do you wanna know what sucks?''

''What?''

She licks her lips before saying, ''That it feels like she doesn't care about me anymore. That once all feelings vanished for my dad, it all went away for me too.''

''That's crazy. Of course she cares about you.''

She swallowed this lump in her throat that she can feel growing as her eyes began to water. ''Then why hasn't she texted me or called me? Seen me at least since she left?''

''Maybe she's afraid of how you'll act towards her if she did?'' He suggested, but it was pointless. What she did acknowledge was the fact that he was trying to convince her otherwise. And that had to be the sweetest act of kindness anyone in this damned city could pull.

''Thank you, Nate.''

He chuckles softly. ''For what?''

''For not giving up on me,'' She wipes away the stray tears. ''Even when I deserved it.''

''Via,'' He smiles. He pulls her into a hug. This warm hug that shielded her completely from the cold December air. Absentmindedly, she snuggles into his chest and felt that comfortability she sensed whenever she was around him. Only it grew stronger with just one embrace.

''I should be thanking you,'' The cold air returns when he pulls away from her. ''For letting me in.''

''Yeah, yeah,'' She waves him off. ''It's baby steps, Archibald.''