Disclaimer: I only own Layla all other characters unless otherwise noted belong to someone else.
A/N: Reminder that I wrote this story 10 Years ago. I was a different writer then so if something is off or too Mary Jane I apologize. But I do hope you still enjoy.
Thanksgiving- my favorite always, I'll be spending it giving thanks For the bounty of secrets I've harvested from you this leave a place for me at your table.I'll be back for just desserts.
Layla walked down the street with Nate. Sophie on Nate's shoulders.
"I was gonna swing by before we left for grandfather's, If that's still okay with you." Nate said into the phone "She just needs more time, dad... She'll come around, I promise...but Layla and I have a surprise for you... Let me talk to her. I'll see you soon, okay? Yeah."
Nate hung up and then took Sophie off his back and put her down.
"Unc Nate, up"
"No Sophie, his shoulders hurt" Layla said to her daughter. Sophie crossed her arms and pouted.
"Oh she is clearly your daughter" Nate said as they aproched their old house " , what are you doing here?"
"Nathaniel. Layla Just, uh, dropping off some papers for your mother."
"On Thanksgiving?" Layla said picking up Sophie.
"Yes well, they're time-sensitive."
Layla looked at the envelope, she knew that enevelope.
"You know what? She's She's not in right now." Nate said "She's getting her hair done, so I can give that to her."
"Uh Well Okay. Have a good one." Stahl said and left.
Layla walked over to him and grabbed the enevelope.
"These are divorce papers Nate"
"What?"
"I'll catch up with you later, I need to see Chuck" Layla said and hailed a taxi for her and Sophie.
When she arrived there she went up the elevator and entered a serious conversation.
"Now I'm worried." Eric said.
"Charles?"
"She's not at the Empire."
"Layla" Lily said "Have you talked or seen Serena?"
"No I haven't, I just came from my mom's"
"Well, then where the hell is she?"
Everything happened so fast. They got a call about Serena being in the hospital and that she was found in a hotel room. Now they were at the hospital. Layla sat to the side. All she could really think about was her parents getting a divorce. She knew it was selfish of her but that's all she could think about. Chuck sat down next to her and grabbed her hand.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, just a lot for one day"
"She'll be okay, you know that. You've seen her at her very worse"
"But Chuck, this is worse than her worse, I just feel so conflicted about it"
"Why?"
"I also feel selfish, my mom filed for divorce and I can't get it off my mind"
Chuck pulled her close and kissed the top of her head.
"Everything will be okay"
"When did you get a heart?" she said bringing back their old joke
"There are lots of things that contributed to it, including this sleeping angel. When did she pass out?"
"The minute we sat down, Nate wore her out, we went to the parade this morning,"
"I'm going to go check on Blair"
"Okay"
A few minutes later she stood with Blair and Chuck when Dan ran up. Sophie sound asleep on Chuck's shoulder.
"Let me make a call, See if one of my doctors can get us some answers." Chuck said and walked away.
"Where is she? Is she all right? What happened?"Dan asked.
"She overdosed in some cheap motel in Queens, alone." Layla said.
"Why didn't she come to me? I mean, no matter how angry we were at each other, she knows. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to her." Blair said.
"What do the doctors say?" Dan asked.
"Rufus and Lily are waiting to talk to them."
"What? Drugs in a cheap motel- That does not sound like Serena to me."
"Dan" Layla said
"Sometimes I forget how much of a recent addition you are, Humphrey. You met her as a girl coming home, trying to start over. I wish it wasn't true, but sounds a lot like the Serena I used to know." Blair said and walked away.
"No, this just doesn't seem right"
"Look Dan, I completely agree that something is off but the more I think about it the more it makes sense. I'm just confused" she said as her phone rang. She looked down and noticed her brother's number. She walked over to a bench and sat down.
"Hey"
"Hey did you find Chuck?" he asked.
"Yeah, he told me everything would work out. How wrong is he?"
"Mom won't go with us and she even said we can't. We have to be at grandfather's at 6"
"But he was going to meet Soph."
"Maybe Soph there isn't a good idea."
"Nate"
"Just think about it Lay."
"Then I'm not going to Grandfather's I'll just have dinner with Chuck at Lily's"
"Okay, love you."
"You too."
Layla hung up the phone and spotted Chuck walking over to them Sophie wide awake holding his hand.
"There are news vans in the place is gonna be swarming with paparazzi in about five minutes."
"So we'll get her out of here, Take her home where she can rest." Dan said.
"No.I'm sure that they're pitching tents outside the apartment as we 's not what she needs needs safe."
Later on that day they sat outside the Ostroff Center. She spotted Nate and Dan sitting down. Sophie sitting in Dan's lap. She had clung on to him at the hospital and didn't want to leave him.
"I know, don't worry about it, man. So what happened?"
"She told the doctor she can't remember anything." Layla said sitting down.
"At the party, Serena said she didn't kiss either of us, That she had no idea what happened. And now this." Dan said
"Now what—?"Nate asked.
"What if something else is going on?"
"Or maybe you just wanna think that because it's easier than the truth." Nate said and his phone went off "Look, I gotta go. Lay you coming"
Layla took a deep breath and then picked Sophie off of Dan's lap
"Yeah"
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah" she smiled.
They went outside and got into the car but instead of going to the house like she thought they went toward the prision.
"Where are we going?"
"To see Dad."
They went through security and made sure they were all good they sat in a room. Nate had Sophie on his hip making faces at her. A guy walked in
"Time to head in?" Nate asked.
"Yeah, but you have another visitor joining you first. I'll be right back to get you." The guy said and left. Their mother walked in
"Mom" Nate and Layla said at the sametime.
"When you didn't show up at the car, I thought long and hard about what you said. I'm not making any promises, but at the very least, I should hear your father out before I end things."
"What changed your mind?" Layla asked.
"We made a ton of mistakes in our marriage, But you guys weren't one of them. If my children are asking me to do this, Then I need to try."
"And, uh, Grandfather's Thanksgiving?" Nate asked,
"It'll be nice to make him wait. No one ever does."
"Aint that the truth"
"Layla" her mother said.
"Sorry."
"How do I look?"
"You look great."
"You truly look amazing Mom" Layla said.
"I see we have Sophia with us as well."
"I thought it was time Dad met her."
Her mother smiled at her and then hugged her. They went out into the cafeteria area and spotted their father,
"Dad" Nate said getting him to turn around.
"Nate, Layla. Anne"
"Hi Howard"
"And this little girl must be..?"
"Can you tell him your name" Layla said to Sophie
"Sophia Leanne Bass" Sophie said.
"You kept the Leanne"
"It may not of been my middle name but its still my name and I wanted her to have it." Layla said.
They all sat down after getting their food. They laughed at jokes and about stuff that's been going on. Mostly at Sophie playing with her turkey. Their dad got up once to get more and came back.
"I think this is the best Thanksgiving we've had as a family" Layla said.
"Definietly the best!" Nate said.
They joked some more and finally it was time to go. They walked out to the car with Mom.
"He's really spent this time getting his life in order, Hasn't he?"
"Uh-huh."
"And here I thought all the times he wanted me to come out here, He was up to no good."
"I love saying "I told you so."
"" Well, you have a right to. I'm proud of you Nathaniel You've always held this family together."
"Well, I'm glad you let me."
"And Layla, I may not always show it but I am proud of the women you have become."
"Thanks mom, that really means a lot"
"I'll see you at grandfather's." Nate said "I'm gonna say bye to dad."
"I actually need to go see someone" Layla said as well.
"Okay, I'm taking this Angel though" she said grabbing Sophie.
"Okay"
"I'll call you both a car."
"I think I'm going to stay in the city" Layla said getting a look from their mom.
"It's best not to fight her" Nate said
Layla hailed a cab and went back to the Empire. When she got up to the place she spotted Chuck playing pool.
"Hey" she said walking in.
"Hi, how was your dinner with your grandfather?"
"I didn't go, we went and saw my dad."
"Yeah"
"My mom included, you were right and I want to thank you for telling me that even though I didn't agree"
"You've been there more than enough for me in the past it was my turn to return the favor"
"Chuck you have no idea how much you have helped me. I would still be living with my mother if you wouldn't of let me stay here. You have given me the best gift in the world and you've always given me a shoulder to cry on even when there are no more tears"
"Well I'm not a crier much but you have always been my rock"
A guy came in with a pie.
"I didn't order anything."
Layla picked up the card and handed it to him. He smiled and set it back down
"Blair?"
"Just a friendly pie" he said and put his arm around her and lifted the lid, "Care for dessert"
"If its Harold's reciepe of course" she smiled.
During the holidays, We call customary patterns of behavior like any pattern, once established, They are not easily broken. Other times, we convince ourselves We can start new traditions Only to realize it wouldn't be a tradition if it changed. Other times, ever things we never realized were traditions Can become one. But the best kinds of traditions Are the ones that bring people together, Even under the most unlikely of circumstances. Come together right now.