【 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ━━ 𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 】

𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻, happy thanksgiving?
𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗲 - 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗱𝗼𝗿𝗳 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗶𝗲.
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SNAPPING OUT OF THE memory reality crashes right in, "I- I will be back." Valerie just makes out, gasping for air as she rushes out the kitchen. Leaving two confused Waldorf women behind, entering the bathroom, "Honey, are you alright?" Her Godmother questions.

"V? Is everything okay in there?" B asks as I don't respond.

Continuing to take deep breaths, she franticly looks around the room, "I will be out in a minute." she gasps out. Squeezing her eyes shut for a moment, before trying to find one point to focus on, which seems to be impossible with her continuously blurrier vision.

Not soon later the door flies open, a set of arms wraps around the girl. Her chin raises, a cold metal touches the girls' lips, clearing her airways. Slowly, but surely her vision clears up. Seeing the older woman look worried, she wipes the — unnoticed by the girl — tears from her cheeks.

"We're right here." she whispers. And she was, they all were. While others were on there way or were they?

"Just go, I will be there in a minute." I reassure them, "You will do no such a thing. You'll be in bed resting until dinner is ready." Elenore denies. Nodding, tucking me in, both kissing my head before leaving the room.

"Caterers?" B asks confused as they walk down the stairs. To have a surprise waiting for her, Harold isn't coming after all. Doing some homework, I stay in bed like requested. Yet another surprise was waiting, "Shouldn't you be with family on the holidays?" a familiar voice asks.

Looking up my eyes widen, "Abel?" I question sitting up.

Opening his arms to me, I know that this is real. Jumping out the bed I run into my brothers' arms. Quickly getting dressed, we take our traditional walk around Central Park. We used to do this every time he came back to New York, "How has England been?" I ask breaking the awkward silence.

Don't get me wrong, I love him here. But most of the time he is here, he either needs something or something bad happened. Shrugging he looks around the park, "Nothing much. Gabe asked about you." he replies. Humming, I nod, continuing the walk I'd rather forget about this awkward walk altogether.

"This is so boring." Abel groans out, throwing his head back, "Well, I was going to wait 'till after dinner. But I guess now is as good a time as any." Blair sighs turning to Elenore. Furrowing my brows, I glance to my left, "Did you call daddy and say that we didn't want to see him this Thanksgiving?"

Who shakes her head at the accusation, "Of course not. What a ridiculous accusation." she denies immediately, "So, you did not tell him that we were so angry at him for leaving that we didn't even want to talk to him today?" B asks again.

For a moment the older woman stays silent, before she takes a deep breath in, "You had no right to uninvited him." B tells Elenore angry. Glancing between us she looks surprised at Blair's reaction, "When are you going to get it through your head? He left us."

"He didn't leave us. He left you."

"That's enough. If you want to take this up with me, we can discuss it later. After our guests have left." Elenore says looking at B.

Shifting her gaze to me she nods, "Same goes for you, Valerie." she adds. Making me nod, "Right now you two either eat or leave the table." she tells us calmly. To not alarm any of the guests, "I told you, I'm not hungry." B spits out. Taking my arm she pulls us to leave, "Maybe dessert will change your mind?"

"Where is daddy's pie?" B asks, looking around, "Well, there were so many delicious choices coming from the caterer. We just sent that one down to the doorman." she informs us. My lips part at the blunt response, "I definitely have things to say when the guests are gone." a forced smile plastered on.

Pulling B into the kitchen, the variety of pies are all beautifully laid out. Each more delicious smelling, together than they were apart. Taking a fork I dig into one not being able to stop, even when tears stream down the only thing I can focus on is taking the next bite. Calming myself down I finally get the waterworks to stop.

As B's start to break done. Helping her take deep breaths, we call Serena up it's better to have an extra man. Specifically someone who doesn't have a compliment relationship with food.

Hearing a knock, on the door it quickly opens, "I didn't mean for it to happen." B starts as soon as the blond sees us. Leaning on the bath as B leans into my side, "I didn't see your dad downstairs." S says taking a seat next to Blair.

"Mother just decides everything, you know?" B says, "Everything in the world is just totally up to her." she sniffs, "I know." S nods as I run my hand through B's hair.

"Why don't we get out of here." S suggests, "We are not going back to that party." Blair denies. Making the blond shake her head, "No, I'm mean out of here, out of here. Out of this apartment, to a place a little more sane."

"Saner, and any place would qualify." I chuckle sadly.

WHILE ON THE OTHER side of the bridge someone else was sad as well, "It's like she's not even the same person anymore." Abel rants to his former best friend.

"Val and I aren't really on good terms at the moment." Thomas informs him, "Why, what happened? I thought you two were friends." he asks confused, rightfully so.

Sitting down on the bench the young Bass leans his elbows, "We are, we were, I honestly don't know what we are." taking a deep breath he shakes his head, "We kinda had a thing over the summer and it was great." Thomas admits.

Making my brother nod as he glances at the boy, "Then after the summer things got not so great. She pushed me away, then I her. Now she has this boyfriend; Campbell." Thomas rants.

"Smiths?"

"That's the one."

Running his hand over his face and finally through his hair, "She got the guy she wanted, but she still comes to me. I don't want to be the other guy." Tom tells him honestly. Making Abel the chuckle, seeing the solemn look on the boys face, "You're not the other guy."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Seeing that he really didn't get it, Abel nods, "She had the biggest crush on you. That's how she got into the Carter-Campbell mess, to begin with." he confesses. Which was probably not his confession to make. But he did it anyway, "What?"

"She wanted to tell you, but you had just lost your virginity to someone else. V, chickened out, didn't tell you, and ended up with Carter instead." Abel explains. Humming, they look over the ducklings, "Why didn't she sleep with him?"

"I don't know; she said that if she would, it would be for her, not for someone else." the brother of said girl tells his friend, "That was probably the most mature thing she has ever said." He adds, "Did you two...?" he starts to ask.

Shaking his head Thomas glances at the older Tesfaye, "We did things, but not it." he tells him honestly.

"HEY GUYS. I'M BACK. And I brought Blair and Val." Serena starts as we walk into her boyfriends' place, "Wow, weird vibe." B and I note in unison, "Okay... where is Dan?" S questions.

Being pointed one way by the adults in the room, following the blond into a room. As I look around the nicely architectured apartment, "Hey." we say, "Serena, Valerie and Blair." Dan hums as we walk in, "Blair?" little J asks sitting up. As I take a seat next to the frosted tipped boy, "How have you been?"

"Haven't my daily texts kept you up-to-date?" Eric asks amused, "Well, I do love the picture. It gives it more character." I smile, "Explanation will follow, but first what's going on with our parents?" Serena tells Dan.

My phone rings, rummage through my purse, I quickly find it. The caller ID suddenly lets a zoo lose in my stomach, "I- I have to take this." I stutter standing up, "The first door on your right is the bathroom." Jenny tells me.

Nodding, I smile softly at her, before leaving the room, "Hey." I say taking the call.

While on the other line Abel tries to help the nervous boy, "Hello?" I question as I don't get any response. Glancing at my phone the call is still continuing, "Are you still there?" still not getting an answer, "Okay, I'm going to hang up now—"

"No, no. I'm here."

The sound of his voice immediately sends sparks through my bones, "Hey, is everything okay?" I ask. Clearing his throat he glances at the boy next to him. Whom nods giving a thumbs-up, "Yeah, I just- we call every Thanksgiving to tell what we are grateful for." he reminds me.

Humming I nod, "I'm grateful for your forgiving heart." he tells me. Immediately making a smile tuck up my lips, "And I hope I could make it up to you. Maybe over breakfast, tomorrow?" every bone in my body wants to say yes, but Cotillion is coming up and Blair would literally suffocate me in my sleep if I had breakfast with him, "Uh... I-" I trail off.

"You can even take Campbell with you."

"I- can I come back to you?" I ask him, "Cotillion is coming up so I don't know if I can do breakfast. I can do lunch?" I offer.

"Yes!" he says immediately, "I- I'm mean, yeah. Sure, lunch is great." he says slower. Chuckling, I nod, even though he can't see me, "Talk to you later, Thomas." I say softly.

Ending the call the brunette boys turns to the brother in disbelief that that actually worked. As I return to the room, "I think they call that a fire escape." Dan says.

Furrowing my brows I turn to them. Snapping out of my bliss state, "What?" I question confused, "We are ditching this lame party." B informs me.

Leaving we go to a small place in Brooklyn, "This is called Heaven on earth." Dan pitches, "Well, I'll be the judge of that." I say walking into the small restaurant. Eating the food, slowly nodding, before glancing at them, "Sufficiently warm, vegetables are cold, right amount of sauce. I approve." making them smile at the mini professional taste testing scene.

Starting up the conversation about our parents the time flew by. Speak of the devil and he shall appear or in this case she. That being Lily van der Woodsen with a craving for fries, "S, thank you for today. And the sandwiches." B tells our blond friend, "And I'll call doctor Sharman tomorrow." I add.

Giving the blond a hug, I kiss the top of Eric's head before leaving. Dan holds a cab for us, "See you later." he says closing the door. Arriving home we looked all around for Elenore. Only to find her in the kitchen, "Mom, here you are." B sighs out, "And here you are. You two had me worried sick."

Seeing their looks, I can't help but feel like I'm imposing, "I'll give you two a moment." I start, "No." they deny in unison, "You are part of this family. If you want it, or not." B tells me.

Where Elenore nods at, "You are my Goddaughter. That position I've horned, cherished, and I'm not changing that now." she tells me with a raised brow. Nodding I look between them.

"I shouldn't have lied about Harold." the oldest Waldorf starts.

"That never stopped you before." B shrugs, "True." she nods, "But the real truth..." Elenore trails off, "Divorce Papers." she reveals, "And I'm supposed to sign them, and I haven't yet." she confesses.

"Mom..." B says, bringing a frown to my face, "He's living in Europe with a man. You can't be all that surprised that he wants a divorce." Blair tells her carefully.

"I'm not, what I am surprised about is how it makes me feel." Elenore reveals, "He was my husband, after all. My Harold. For almost twenty years." she tells us, "I couldn't face him during the holidays, it was always our happiest time." It doesn't excuse her behaviour, but I could understand it.

Why didn't you just tell us that?" B asks.

"And let you two choose between us?" Aunt El asks, "I wonder who would have won that battle? I would have been entirely alone." she says bitterly.

"You wouldn't." I deny. Taking a step closer, placing my hand over hers, "You are the strongest woman I have ever met. You continue to show the world who you are. Through fashion, words, your kindness."

"Every day you allow millions of people to be themselves, express themselves. You did that, on your own. You never needed him. But it's okay if you wanted him to stay."

Kissing the top of my hand, she holds it close to her, "We understand that." B adds.

"But do you want to be Misses Harold Waldorf?" B asks, "No, because you are Elenore freaking Waldorf. One badass fashion designer." I say before the woman could answer, making a soft chuckle fall from her lips.

"How did you two turn out so well?"

"You raised us." B reminds her, Elenore pulls us into a group, "It's still Thanksgiving." B starts, "What do you want to do?"

We talked. Thinking back to the last Thanksgiving, and the one before, and the one before that. While making traditions of our own. Eating second cookies, drinking tea, while talking about everything yet nothing at all.