Title: On Deaths Door

Summary: Serena couldn't begin too believe the news she was hearing, "He can't be dead!" She exclaimed, unable too register the news in her mind. She was in full-denial and none of her friends could begin to coax her out of it. Serena\Nate. Slight CB.

Authors Note: AU ending - Serena and Nate marry rather than Serena and Dan - set somewhere in the future, told mainly in flashbacks. I've had this sitting around for a while and finally decided to post it. Also rufly ending. I don't even love rufly.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, as always.

I'D WALK TO YOU IF I HAD NO OTHER WAY

"I'm sorry too inform you that your husband has passed away," The doctor informed Serena.

"You look horrible!" Serena burst out, Nate frowned and checked his reflection in the mirror. He didn't think he looked too bad, he smoothed out the jacket of his suit and turned back around too face Serena, the frown still implanted on his face.

"Really?" She nodded her head, running a hand through her blonde locks.

"You look like Chuck!" She exclaimed, he let out a chuckle knowing exactly what she meant. He carefully undid the purple bowtie from around his neck and chucked it on their dresser, offering her his arm.

"What?" Serena asked dumbly. Blair sighed and rubbed an arm down her friends arm, trying to hold back tears and be strong for Serena. The doctor looked uncomfortably around the waiting hall and then back at his patients wife.

"Your husband, Nathaniel Archibald, is dead." He stated bluntly. Serena couldn't begin to believe the news she was hearing, "He can't be dead!" She exclaimed, unable to register the news in her mind. She was in full-denial and none of her friends could coax her out of it.

Serena danced around their newly purchased town houses kitchen, singing "Our Time Now" on the top of her voice. Nate was laughing on the sidelines, admiring his beautiful wife. They had been married for exactly three weeks and he couldn't believe how lucky he had gotten. She shimmers like glitter and shines like gold.

"Come here," He whispers only just loud enough for her hear despite the music playing in the house and her voice. She turns too face him, a huge grin stretched across her face. She prances over too him and flings herself into his arms. He plants a chaste kiss on her lips and she smiles in contentment, stroking the side of his face,

"I love you, Natie." She whispers, leaning her forehead against his.

The weeks are long as are the days. Serena slowly begins functioning again but her smiles are fake and her eyes glitter no more. Everybody tries too break her out of her spell of sadness. Lily fears her daughter will resort too drugs once more. Blair fears for her best friends sanity and well-being. Dan worries for his step sister's health. Henry's worried his Aunt will die just like his Uncle did a few months earlier. Chuck's the only one who understands what she's going through.

"Your a pig!" Serena shouts, throwing whatever she can get her hands on at Nate. Nate throws his hands up in the air, a frustrated frown on his face. She's been mad at him all evening and he still doesn't know what for.

"Care too tell me why?" He shouts back crossly. She scoffs and removes the engagement ring on her finger before aiming it at his head. It misses as he ducks and hits the wall instead. She sighs and slumps into a ball on the floor, bashing her hands on the floor and letting out strangled little cries. His heart hurts seeing her like this, he bends down and brushes her hair out of her face, he bends down and sits down across from her, his hand still attached too her face.

"What's the matter?" He mumbles, she lets out a "hmph" and looks away from him, he puts his finger underneath her chin and forces her too look at him.

"I saw you talking too Lola and I got jealous, alright?"

Lola's at the funeral. They delayed the funeral for a few months, Serena wasn't mentally stable for when it was first meant to be held. Lola greets Serena, a grim expression on her face.

"I'm really sorry about," She takes in a sharp breath, "Nate." And then she's gone.

"I love you!" Serena shouts, the wind lifting up her hair. Nate squints as he's boarding the plane, trying to make Serena out admist the pouring rain. He grins when he spots her, her words ringing in his ears.

"I love you back!" He screams back too her, blowing her a kiss. She blushes - an action that normally doesn't occur to the newly wedded Serena Archibald - taking Nate's last name had been an easy choice for her, unlike it had been for Blair who had demanded too keep her last name after marrying Chuck the brunette finally settled on Waldorf-Bass. Months later, Blair blamed not wanting too take Chuck's last name on hormones.

"Your the best!" He shouts just before boarding the plane

Serena finds someone else. She slowly tells him about Nate, hides a lot of it from him. She tells him the basics, how he was her first love and her first husband. He asks her too marry him and without blinking an eye she says yes. She acts as if she's happy and she sort of is but her sparkle's gone. She's a shell of who she used too be.

"You have cancer?" Serena asks, his words not setting in.

"I have Cancer, S." She looks at the ground and then it hits her,

"But you could die!" She exclaims, standing up. He grabs her hand, grasping onto it for dear life. He nods his head, tears building in his eyes. A hand flies up too her mouth, she shakes her head. She has a question for him but she fears she already knows the answer.

"Are you dying?" She quietly chokes out. He gulps, nodding his head.

"I am," A tear spills from his eye and a thousand spill from hers. She lets out strangled sobs and clutches onto Nate for dear life, not wanting to ever let go of him. She leads him to their bed, pulling him on top of her, she plants kisses everywhere she can place her lips. This may be the last time they could ever sleep together. It hurts from him and for that she can't enjoy it, but they need it. Afterwards they lay together, clutching each other, refusing to let go.

"How long do you have left?" She asks him.

"A week." She gasps but doesn't further him anymore. Four days later he's gone from the world. A day before she dumped a postive pregnancy test in the trash.

"Are you alright?" Atticus asks her. She nods her head, smiling. She should be alright, she's going to be a mother. A mother! But she was going to be one right before Nate died. She hasn't told anybody about that - not even Blair, even though she should understand.

"Blair and Chuck are married." Nate muses, Serena laughs.

"Finally!" She adds. Nate looks over at Serena, something stirs at his stomach and he grins, looking away from the girl of his dreams.

FINISH.