What a Christmas Party – Chapter 2

She walked out the building and caught the first taxi that appeared through the haze on the streets.

"Central Park please" She called out whilst making herself comfortable.

Nate ran out the building and peered through the streets; he couldn't see the tall blonde anywhere.

'Where could she be' he thought to himself.

He paced around for a few minutes walking to the end of the street and then back to his beginning spot; where would she go?

'The loft, no she wouldn't go there. What about a Brooklyn cafe? Nope. Central Park? Everyone goes to Central Park when their annoyed or upset, she'd definitely go there.'

Nate held his hand out, hoping it wasn't going to be hit by any oncoming traffic and waited til a taxi pulled over and allowed him into his cab.

"Central Park please" Nate smiled at him and then began looking out the window.

As the taxi pulled outside of Central Park, Nate handed over the money and began looking down the pathways – but there was no sign of her.

"The blonde girl?" The taxi driver called out.

Nate turned around and looked at him nodding "Yeah."

The taxi driver nodded his head and laughed "Destiny" Nate looked at him strangely "I just dropped her off a few minutes ago; she was heading towards the pond."

Nate smiled "Thanks, here's a tip" he threw a twenty dollar bill at him and began to walk through the crowd.

He walked towards the lake and noticed the blonde sitting on one of the olden styled chairs watching the snow fall from the sky and onto her tongue – she looked so serene, so young, so free and careless, but deep down she was empty.

Nate walked up to her slowly and sat down next to her.

"So..." he began and watched as her surprised eyes slid onto his face "you normally walk out of Christmas dinners?"

She shook her head softly "No, just this one."

He understood.

"What's on your mind? You look a little crazy from over there with your tongue stuck out looking up to the sky." Nate said letting a soft smile escape through her lips.

"I was counting, counting down how many snowflakes landed on my tongue" she noticed the glance from the side of Nate's eyes "... my dad said I use to do it when I was younger, so I wanted to remember."

Nate nodded "How many landed on your tongue?"

Jenny shrugged "I don't know, I couldn't feel them – I just wanted to sit here longer."

Nate laughed at her "I guess that seems ok. But why'd you get up and leave?"

Jenny didn't want to say anything, she didn't want Nate to be angry at her, he was the only one who didn't know about Jenny and Chuck... she didn't know why, he was Chuck's best friend and she thought he'd know but he didn't, and she liked it that way, he still spoke to her like she was a teenager... a normal kid.

"Chuck" Jenny said bluntly and then looked at Nate's eyes begin to blink.

"Chuck?" Nate questioned.

Jenny nodded "He said something which hit the spot and I got upset and over reacted and came here."

"Well he must hold something against you if he made you this upset." Nate said nudging Jenny and smiling into her deep blue eyes.

She nodded and took in Nate's white teeth and brilliant smile.

"He has something of mine, and I can't get it back." She whispered lightly and moved her eyes towards the icy water.

They sat in silence for a while, Nate would move every now and then and Jenny would shiver.

"I slept with him" Jenny whispered and let a little tear fall down the side of her cheek.

Nate nodded his head "I know."

Jenny turned her body towards him and looked at him stunned "How, who told you?"

Nate looked down at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders "Someone told me because they felt like an idiot and needed to lean on someone's shoulder."

"Chuck?" Jenny questioned.

"He asked me to act like I didn't know and to not tell people about how he felt like a fool for what he did to you."

Jenny let out a little sigh and scoff "You're the only one that seems to never judge me."

"I get judged every single day of my life by various different people that hardly know me, and I strongly dislike them, so if I were to judge you I'd be a hypocrite and I don't like them either."

Jenny laughed "Well thanks, for understanding, not hating me and seeing me in a completely different light to other people."

Nate nodded "No worries."

There it was again the silence that felt normal, there were movements but only because of cramps or agitations other than that they loved being silent together, they loved hearing each others breathes they just didn't like each other to know.

"What did you say to him?" Jenny asked "After he told you he slept with me?"

"I don't remember a lot of things were in my mind, was he lying, why would you sleep with him, where were you, what Blair was doing, if you were still alive, why you slept with him, what made you guys sleep together... numerous things but the only thing that came to my head was" Nate shrugged and looked at her "Why?"

She didn't know the answer "I don't know... but what I do know is that there should be such things as time machines that can go backwards – then I'd give you the answer."

Nate laughed "Let's go back."

"Not yet, I really don't want to see him." Jenny said pushing her back against the seat.

Nate nodded "Don't let him nor Blair get you down, they are both insecure and decide to pit against other people and at the moment you're not the most like person between the two of them but soon it will fly over and you can ignore what has happened, you're supposed to look towards the future not the past... you have all these things that you can look forward to Jenny and if you're going to let them two set you back, then maybe that night did change you."

Jenny breathed in and let the air rush out from her lungs "Fine, but you're judging me."

Nate laughed and grabbed her and then pushed her forwards so she'd begin to walk.

"Well at least it wasn't Damien" Nate said looking at her and laughing.

"Shut up" Jenny said pushing him to the side and then walking faster.

-

They walked into the apartment and noticed everyone still sat around the dinner table nibbling at their food.

"We didn't think you were coming back" Dan said smiling at his sister.

Jenny smiled "Sorry guys for walking out, I needed to get some fresh air and think for a while."

Jenny walked round the table and sat next to Chuck who was still playing with the potato he had been playing with when she left.

"You should eat that, before it goes cold." Jenny said picking up her knife and fork and beginning to eat her food.

Chuck turned his head sideways so he could whisper without anyone knowing.

"Did he help you fulfil your needs?" Chuck snarled.

Jenny shook her head and glared at him "Stop being stuck in the past and move forward – there is a girl over there that loves you unconditionally and here you are playing with my head... grow up Chuck and realise that you're not in high school anymore."

Chuck moved back to his normal position and glared at Blair before eating the potato he had once played with.

Nate heard the conversation and was happy that Jenny had decided to move forward and realise that; yes she made a mistake but all mistakes can be fixed even if they take time to patch up.

Jenny watched as everyone ate their meals, laughing and talking to each other – it was like it was out a Christmas movie where the families show how much they deeply care for each other by laughing and playing around... she loved it.

"So how about we go for a walk after this meal?" Rufus asked everyone sat around the table.

He only got one response "I'll go with your dad." Jenny smiled.

"That's my little girl."

Jenny let out a wide smile and laughed at her dad who was now watching his wife eat and talk about her plans for next Christmas.

The night progressed and Jenny was walking around Central Park with her father, she felt like a little girl again... like she was four and still sticking her tongue out and catching the non-existent snowflakes.

Dan sat with Serena and Scott talking about their lives and what they needed to catch up on.

Nate was sat on one of the lounges looking out the window.

Chuck sat in his room looking up at the picture of him and his father after a day of school one year; he heard a knock at the door and slowly tilted his head to see who it was. She stood in a pair of high heels, her brown hair framed around her face and her eyes were staring at him trying to think peacefully.

"He would have enjoyed this." Blair spoke and took a few steps forward.

Chuck nodded his head and moved a little.

"Chuck its Christmas and I don't want every Christmas to be like this."

Chuck moved and sat up and looked at her confused.

"I try to keep contact with you, I send you flowers, cards, gifts, texts, letters, emails, calls begging for your forgiveness for months on end and now you decide that it's ok to talk to me because of a picture between me and my father." Chuck growled at her before having a smirk appear across his face.

Blair nodded "I know, but you broke my heart."

"Well you broke my heart to" Chuck looked at her and watched as she took a gulp and held back her tears "you can close the door on the way out thanks."

Blair took one last look at the grieving boy lay on the bed and then closed the door behind her and joined his best friend staring out the window.

"So have you spoken to Chuck lately?" Blair said knowing the answer but still asking to create a conversation.

Nate turned and scoffed "He's my best friend, so yeah I have why?"

Blair shrugged "He's in the room over there sulking about how his father."

"Well... it's Christmas Blair he wants his dad here, who doesn't."

Blair knew Nate was right and she was being harsh on Chuck; but he had broke her heart and destroyed half of what she was.

The elevator door opened and Jenny appeared round the corner, Nate's eyes lit up and a smile arose in between his lips – Blair was making sure to watch closely on the way Nate reacted towards the presence of Jenny Humphrey.

"Oh My God" Blair slowly stammered the words "You want Jenny Humphrey."

Nate turned his body and shook his head "Blair stop, don't be ridiculous" he turned back around and looked at the tall blonde who was laughing with her half brother "she's Jenny Humphrey."

Blair shrugged "and your Nate Archibald a rich heiress and a womaniser if you want her, you'll get her."

Nate turned his head and blinked "I don't want her so I don't need to work my charm Blair."

Blair stood up and made one last remark before walking away and grabbing her best friend and leaving the building "Whatever you say Archibald."

Nate rolled his eyes and carried on watching the social blonde move across the room swiftly and elegant remaining her poise and smiling at the people who smiled at her.

She began to walk his way and he gently tightened his muscles and froze for words.

"What are you doing, sitting here by your lonesome?"

Nate let out a laugh "Well I was sat with Blair who was up to the usual antics of trying to find the dish out on Chuck without giving the emotion off that she actually has feelings for him."

"Did it work?" Jenny asked.

Nate scrunched his face up and shook his head "No, I kept silent."

Jenny laughed "Good."

Things went silent, this time the awkward silent – they knew and well Nate knew that maybe Blair was right, maybe Jenny Humphrey had taken him in ore.

"So..." he looked up "how was the walk with your dad?"

Jenny began to nod her head "It was good, we talked about things that have happened in the past few years and what's to come."

"Oh the good old talk, I used to get them all the time from my dad." Nate laughed.

"Well good thing he stopped... they're pretty boring after ten minutes." Jenny smiled and stood up.

Nate nodded his head – the reason his dad had stopped giving him those talks was because he had to flee the country and when he did come back he tried to encourage Nate and his mother to run away with him.

"So I'm going to go over there and talk to the brother" Jenny began to walk away and stopped "but I think it's safe to say that Blair has left the building."

Nate let out a laugh for the comment she had just created and got up and walk towards the room the brunette had pointed to earlier.

"Chuck you in here?" Nate called out

Chuck groaned and Nate walked in taking it as a yes.

"Blair left about fifteen minutes ago, so it's safe for you to come out now."

Chuck sat up and glared at Nate.

"Nathaniel, you think I'm sat in here because of some pathetic socialite? I'm here because I can't stand being out there with everyone else who thinks everything is ok – my father isn't here, your dad isn't here, Blair's mum decided to not come and Serena's dad is a no show once again... why can't you people learn to grieve and celebrate other days? It makes me sick."

Nate throwned and looked at his best friend "What's wrong?"

Chuck shook his head and clenched his fists "Leave now."

Nate closed the door and walked to the elevator getting ready to leave.

Jenny noticed and ran after him "Nate!" she ran up to the elevator and paused "You're leaving?"

"Yeah, sorry Chucks angry and started to make me think about a few things so I think I'm going to go catch some air and then go to bed, thanks for talking to me tonight."

Jenny smiled at him "No worries, thanks for chasing after me."

"Night" Nate stepped into the elevator.

"Night" Jenny whispered and walked back into the party.

Scott walked up to Jenny and smiled "So is he your boyfriend?"

Jenny laughed "Nate Archibald" she scoffed again "no, no chance."