Disclaimer: I do not own "Gossip Girl."

Author's Note: Hello. :) So notes about this fic-- there will be four chapters to it, each chapter basically a quick one-shot. One chapter for each of N-JBC, spread out over the weekend (okay, one day you'll get 2, ;)). They're plot-less and mostly just me indulging my desire to see each of the N-JBC sick/hurt and being cared for by the other three. :P I really hope you'll choose to read them in the spirit they are offered, which is purely hurt/comfort fluff. :)

Thank you for reading.

.2004.

.8th Grade.

Serena's bed is a disarray of sheets and pillows with the comforter still strewn over half the bed, she's curled into a tight ball at the center of it and Blair's moving to her, sitting by her, before the boys even see what's going on. She has one leg bent on top of the mattress, the other on the floor; and her hands are brushing limp hair away from Serena's flushed face before she looks over at them with an alarmed expression, "She's burning up…"

Chuck and Nate freeze at the doorway, instantly out of their element; Eric pushes past them. "I think it's the flu," he offers, "I gave her Tylenol… and water..."

"Serena…" Blair calls for her, shaking her a little, "Sweetie, wake up…" then she looks over at Eric again, "What about food…?" She asks, adding, "You should have called me…" before finishing with, "And where's Lily?"

"Yeah," Nate seconds that sentiment—this is what Mom's are for, "Where's your Mom?"

"I tried food," Eric answers, "But she threw up," he looks over at Nate, "And Mom left on Friday, we were supposed to go to the Waldorf's but Serena said no, we were gonna stay here by ourselves and hang out, and then she got sick yesterday that's why we didn't go to school today…" Eric shrugs, eyes going back to Blair, "She said not to call you 'cause— of something with her borrowing your shoes… and uh, missing your call and you were mad and it was—"

"Well, she's clearly delusional," Chuck interposes, eyes on Serena's form, "And malnourished."

"Serena!" Blair calls louder, shakes a little harder.

The blonde whimpers then, coughs as she murmurs pitifully, "Leave m'lone," before her eyes flutter open a moment later, "Blair…?" she whispers a little dazedly; the room's darker than it should be, she thinks, and fuzzy around the edges.

Blair sighs a little, relieved, as she nods. She pats Serena's hair and smoothes her arm, wincing a little at the heat emanating from her skin. "Yeah, sweetie… look at you," she mutters, runs her hand gently across Serena's brows, "You totally fall to pieces without me, huh?"

Serena blinks, tilts into Blair's touch and tries to make sense of that… pieces? Pieces of what?

"… shoes…" she remembers vaguely, coughs a little as she tries to sit up, to get them for Blair, "… borro—"

"No," Blair tells her, "You can give them to me later," she offers; gently nudging Serena back into the bed.

"… supposed… go to… your house," Serena continues, words interrupted by coughing as she shifts on the bed, closes her eyes, exhausted, "But shoes… mad… calling…"

Nate approaches the bed on the other side, peers down at Serena with an anxious expression, blue eyes worried, "Is she okay?"

And Blair rolls her eyes, "Does she look okay, Nate?"

"She looks sick," he answers; as Serena coughs again.

"She is sick," Chuck continues, peering down at her in the same way. They're both standing by the bed on the opposite side now and Blair glares at them.

"And likely contagious," Chuck continues.

"Oh man," Nate mutters dejectedly.

"My sentiments exactly, Nathaniel."

"Why don't the two of you pretend to be useful," she commands, "We need cold medicine and food—like soup, a broth, not crème." She shifts her gaze to Eric, still by the door, "Get me new sheets."

There's a moment's pause as they take in Blair's words; and it's a moment too long, "Now!" She orders them.

And they jump, before scattering to do her bidding. Chuck calls for the food, paces in the living room waiting for it to be delivered; Nate runs out to a pharmacy for the medicine, asks the pharmacist for help and buys everything he suggests. Eric digs through the hall closet for sheets and runs them upstairs to Blair.

Blair's sitting against the headboard, has Serena pulled up next to her, the blonde is curled in tight on herself and pressed against Blair's side; her face tucked under Blair's chin. Blair's stroking Serena's hair gently, listening as the blonde mumbles about skittles commercials and pirates…

Eric comes in first, with the sheets and Blair has him set them on the bed and list exactly everything he's given Serena and all her symptoms in the past 24 hours. The eleven-year-old fidgets under Blair's dark eyes, but does as he's told.

Nate and Chuck come up together a little before Eric finishes his reporting; they're sans food, but loaded with medicine.

And Blair nods as Eric finishes; she pulls away from Serena, "Shower, S," she tells her and Serena makes a quiet disapproving noise at the back of her throat when Blair gets up. She flickers her eyes open, sees the hazy outline of Blair and when Nate and Chuck move into her vision she wants to giggle because slumber party, but she's too tired to giggle, feels heavy and clumsy and settles for the warm feeling of just knowing that they're there.

"Nate, pick her up and bring her to the bathroom for me; Chuck and Eric, change the sheets." Blair orders, still in charge.

Nate blinks. "Blair—"

Chuck frowns, "I don't—"

"Do you have better ideas?" She asks them.

"I don't know how to change sheets," Chuck tells her, arching an eyebrow; looking arrogant about it.

Nate shrugs, then moves towards Serena, "Hey," he murmurs as he bends towards her, "I'm going to pick you up okay…?"

"Is your mental acuity really so poor that you can't figure it out?" Blair snaps at Chuck.

Serena tilts her head a little, looks up at Nate, wants to smile and say hey back; but coughs instead and covers her face with her hands. His arms come around her even though she isn't looking, and when her feet dangle and she's pressed against his chest, she tilts her face into his shoulder and doesn't cry—even if she maybe wants to for some reason that isn't her missing her Mom.

"You'll be okay," he whispers sweetly into her ear.

And then he's setting her very carefully, slowly, on feet and Blair's wrapping her arms around her, slipping off the care bears t-shirt she slept in, guiding her into the shower. The water comes next and she jumps at the feel of it on her skin.

"Shh," Blair murmurs calmingly, watching the way Serena stiffens, "You'll feel better..."

It's a quick thing; and less than ten minutes later, Nate's carrying Serena back to her bed. She's still too hot in his hold, but she's more relaxed, coughing less, and she whispers, Thanks, as he settles her against her pillows.

Chuck, Eric, and even Nate had done the best they could with the bed; and since Blair wasn't certain she knew how to change sheets, she let it slide.

"Here," Chuck says to Serena, sitting next to her on the bed, extending a small cup to her, "Drink this…"

"It tastes like bubble gum!" Nate says from behind him when Serena blinks languidly at the offering.

"It tastes like medicine," Chuck corrects, "With artificial flavorings meant to imitate the flavor of bubble gum— but you still have to drink it."

And then he puts it to her lips and tilts the liquid forward.

Serena isn't expecting it and the entirety of it floods into her mouth when she gasps. It's sickeningly sweet and when a glass of water appears near her, she takes it with a shaking hand, and gulps at it.

Blair sits against the headboard again, and Serena curls into her a little, draws her legs up under herself; she feels a little less hazy and murmurs vaguely, "Thanks for coming over, guys..." Knows they're all close enough to hear her.

Blair presses a kiss to Serena's temple and Nate smiles, Chuck rolls his eyes and leaves the room— to check on the food.

He comes back with soup for Serena and Nate takes Eric down to get him a plate of food too; Blair coaxes the blonde into eating and Chuck watches with a smirk on his face.

"What?" Blair asks holding the bowl of chicken broth as Serena takes another sip from it, "You're staring…" she points out.

Nate and Eric come back with enough food for the rest of them, "Brought you your books," Nate offers Blair with a sweet smile, "'cause you like to do homework early…"

And Blair's opening her mouth to thank him when Chuck deigns to answer her question.

He waves a hand towards her and Serena, smirk stretching as he says, "Just enjoying the site of the two of you in bed together…" he puckers his lips, "Very nice…"

Nate laughs and Eric blinks and beside her, Serena giggles.

.end.