Title: A Dair Christmas Story (One-shot)
Author's Notes: For this story I am assuming that Blair loses the baby in the car crash and makes a deal with God so Chuck can live. In this story, Blair is back with Louis and is recovering from the miscarriage, Chuck is alive, and Dan is the perfect man with the perfect gift. I really hope you like it! Please comment.
What do you get Blair Waldorf for Christmas? Dan thought to himself as he picked up a small bottle of Revive Defensif Renewal Serum at the Barney's cosmetics department. He gave a light laugh, "Defense against what?" he said out loud to himself.
A woman clears her throat, "Excuse me, Sir. May I help you find anything?" A middle aged sales woman with black hair asked him.
"Uh…I am actually looking for a Christmas gift." He smiled.
"For someone special?"
"Uh, well…a friend. Apparently she likes to shop here and that's about all I know. I think I might be in over my head…and budget." He said as he looked at the $195 price tag and put the bottle down and laughed uncomfortably.
The sales woman smiled, "Well, if you're looking for a skin product we should start with her complexion. Would you say she has more dry or oily skin?"
Yup, this wasn't going to work.
It was a week before Christmas and Louis was just about to leave Blair's to fly to Monaco to give his annual Christmas Eve speech at the royal palace. Blair was supposed to come, but with the miscarriage and the tabloids ablaze with the scandal of her and Chuck, Blair wanted to stay in for a quiet Christmas in New York.
Blair opened the Christmas envelope to find a dozen or so plane tickets. Tuscany. Berlin. Venice. Dubai. St. Lucia and more. There were also two tickets to see the Moscow ballet. Blair's favorite.
Blair half smiled to herself looking at the tickets. Despite how she'd treated him, she did know that Louis was a good man.
"Thank you Louis." She said smiling but like something in her heart was missing.
He took her and gently kissed her on the forehead. "It's for our honeymoon. I wanted to give it to you when I come back on Christmas but I was so excited, I couldn't wait." He smiled sincerely.
Blair smiled at him.
"I'm going to miss you, Blair."
"I'll miss you too." Her voice went up at the end.
He put on his coat and looked at her. Blair could tell he seemed uneasy, like every time he went away, he was scared he'd lose her to someone else again. He walked up to her and kissed her cheek, "Merry Christmas, Blair."
Five days until Christmas.
At the loft, the ESPN highlights were playing in the background, Ukrainian take out on the coffee table, and Dan was on his laptop browsing Fellini DVD's on Amazon.
La Dolce Vita? She has it.
Night of Cabiria? On Netflix.
8 ½? Wouldn't fit into her DVD collection entirely made up of movies with strong female leads.
Dan gave up on the movie idea. Who watches DVD's anymore anyway?
Blair hugged Dorota goodbye in the foyer.
"You sure you do not want to spend Christmas with Vanya and I?"
"Do I need to you remind you about princesses going to Queens? I'll be fine. Give Anastasia a big kiss for me."
Dorota looked at Blair with worry, "But your mother and Cyrus are on cruise and your father visiting Roman's family in Spain and Ms. Serena is with Lily to visit Eric."
Blair sighed, "After everything I've been through this year, I could use some alone time." She smiled. "Now go and stop taking care of me." Blair teased.
Dorota hugged Blair close, "Merry Christmas Ms. Blair."
"Merry Christmas."
As Darota headed towards the elevator door she turned around remembering something,
"Oh, Ms. Blair…"
Blair turned around.
Dorota's voice lowered in seriousness, "I wanted to wait until Louis was gone but, something came for you. I put it on kitchen counter."
When Blair reached the kitchen counter she found a small velvet box and an envelope.
When she unwrapped the envelope there was a plain off-white note card that was written in that familiar black ink,
"True love doesn't just disappear. I'm yours always. Merry Christmas. – C"
She looked at the velvet box and hoped and prayed it wasn't an engagement ring or something. She made her choice when she prayed at the hospital and hoped Chuck could respect it.
It was a pair of diamond earrings. From Harry Winston she could tell. They were just her taste of course.
The gift made her feel all sorts of emotions. Regret. Sadness. Frustration. Fear. She knew Louis couldn't know about his gift so she threw away the card and hid the earrings in her drawer.
Dan was really running out of time. It was the 23rd and he definitely procrastinated. "Henri Bendel's" Serena texted Dan her suggestion with a place to shop for Blair.
When he walked into the store everything was so…sparkly and well…girly, not that Dan was surprised. As he walked through the boutique he saw bags, jewelry, and…fancy dog accessories.
He left the store quickly before a sales consultant could ask him what Blair's personal style was.
As he walked down 5th towards the subway, he looked into a little café and in his glance he caught a glimpse of a family, a mother father and little girl smiling and laughing together.
He knew exactly what to get her.
It was the night of Christmas Eve and Blair was in her blue silk robe, hair messily pinned up, no make up, watching It's A Wonderful Life. She sighed to herself like there was a lot on her mind, and she wondered if being alone in the city on Christmas Eve really was a good idea.
She hears the elevator ring. Her eyebrow raises at the sound. As she makes her way into the foyer she sees its Dan with a plain white box adorned with a bow and a red envelope.
"Humphrey?" she says surprised.
"Uh, hi." Dan seemed surprised too. "I thought you were in Monaco with Louis and getting back tomorrow."
"Yeah. I didn't really feel like going after all." Blair said shyly.
Dan twists his lips to the side then nods, "I get that."
"What is that?" Blair asked wanting to change the subject.
"Oh uh this?" Dan awkwardly pointed to the box, "It's uh…it's for you, actually. I was gonna drop it off for you, but you're here now so…yeah…"
He hands her the box.
"Is it coal?" She teases.
Dan smiles. While Blair opens the box Dan says, "I know it's not much…"
"A pie?" she smiles.
"Yeah. I guess I should explain. I know you weren't going to able to see your mom or your dad this year so…with some help from Dorota I got a hold of your dad in Spain who gave me the recipe for his famous Waldorf rhubarb Christmas pie."
Blair smiled ear to ear, "Dan…"
Dan continued, "Yeah, so the first time I thought I could use baking soda instead of flour, which didn't work out obviously, and then the second one I made with flour but I burned it. So, I hope third time really is a charm. My mom always said I'd make a horrible baker…"
"You made this for me?" she smiled.
"Yeah." Dan took a breath.
Blair was really surprised, "Thank you Dan. This is so sweet and thoughtful." She said it like she was surprised the words were coming out of her mouth, "I'm really sorry. Everything's been so crazy, I didn't do any Christmas shopping. I don't have anything for you, I didn't even get Louis anything."
"That's ok. Really. I just thought you could use some Christmas comfort."
Blair smiled.
"A slice of home." Dan said in a weird and sarcastic voice.
Blair would normally insult him for being so cheesy and strange, but instead she laughed.
When it got quiet he could hear the TV.
"Ah, It's A Wonderful Life?" Dan asked.
"Yeah." Blair smiled as she put the pie and card down on the foyer table. She thought to herself then decided to ask, "Actually, did you want to stay and watch?"
Dan's heart ached for a second. A part of him still loved her, even if he was trying to get over seeing Blair as more than just a friend. He knew how easy it was to get back into old habits and feelings. He knew she made a choice to be with Louis. He wished he could be more than her safety net.
"I uh, I actually got to go catch a train to Hudson." He lied.
"Oh right. Of course." Blair said embarrassed.
As they stand in the foyer a moment passes and Dan interrupts the silence,
"Well, Merry Christmas Waldorf." He smiles at her.
"Merry Christmas Humphrey" Blair smiles.
Blair watches the movie while eating a slice of pie. When she puts the plate down on the coffee table she picks up the red card and opens it. It's an orange cat wearing reindeer antlers. Blair laughs and reads the card.
"Hey Blair,
Thought you might like this card (I hope you get the Hepburn cat reference). Anyways, I know it's been a rough year, but I'm glad we became friends. I'm always here for you if you need me. Merry Christmas.
- Dan"
Blair smiles and decides that she really is glad she stayed in the city for Christmas after all.
