As soon as she sat foot on the beach she stopped to take a few deep breaths and dry her eyes.
She looked at her three friends, Eric and Serena happily splashing around in the water and in the middle of the beach Dan sitting by a fire with his eyes focused at Serena.
She smiled, of all the men whom her best friend had hid behind, Dan Humphrey was the only one with the guts to throw her into a new world while being nothing but just plain Serena. She decided to join her friend and walked trough the sand bare feet.
"The moonlight makes her even more beautiful doesn't it" Blair said without warning him about her presence.
She saw the surprised and slightly embarrassed look on Dan's face "yeah, yeah indeed it does".
Blair let herself fall into the sand next to Dan, after a while of not saying anything Dan looked her in the eyes "he still loves you".
Blair turned away not wanting her newest male best friend to see the tears welling in her eyes "and I still love him, but I love Louis too, I guess".
Dan tugged on her arm causing Blair to turn around and face him "Blair, we might not have been friends for that long but I know you well enough to know that you deserve more than a love in which you just guess that you love someone. Also I'm not a big Chuck Bass supporter but he would burn all his bowties and his purple suit if that meant he could be with you".
Blair laughed softly and threw her arms around Dan "I know how much he loves me, but Louis is safe, I might not be free but atleast I know my future, and besides I can't go back" she whispered.
"Wait, wait, you can always go back, and if this is about being a princess and knowing your whole life path I want to kindly remind you that the Grimaldi family is known for the scandals and divorces, besides you're already the princess of the UES and that the UES prince" he said nodding his head towards the roof of the villa where she saw Chuck looking out over the ocean, "might not give you a safe life but he'll make sure that atleast it will be worth living for someone like you".
She hooked her arm through his and placed her head on his shoulder as they watched their two friends having fun.
"You know, Serena didn't lie when she said you were a good kisser" Blair said smiling awaiting his reaction.
"Oh, she said that"? "I mean thanks, I..I.. mean" he said in his typical slightly awkward Dan Humphrey style.
Blair laughed "she also told me the stories you've written about her, the things you said to her and such".
Dan was looking at his toes that were digging themselves into the beach "oh" was all he said.
Blair squeezed his hand "I believe you are the only boy she ever truly loved, loves, the two of you have that same fatal connection that Chuck and I have, only the two of you are strong enough not to give in every time temptations strikes you".
"Blair" he said on a soft, sad tone.
"Yes"?
He looked at Serena who was standing straight up in the water looking up at the night sky
"I still love her, and it hurts".
Blair stared into the fire "well then go for it Humphrey, someone once told me that if two people are meant to be together, eventually they'll find their way back, maybe this is your time to find each other again".
Dan sighed but with a smile "maybe, you know Blair, I'm happy that I learned that you're not a cold hearted bitch but a warm, caring person who just acts like a bitch whenever she's bored". Blair pretended to be angry as she walked towards the water.
"Blair come on I was kidding" Dan said as he followed her.
As they stood infront of the shore Eric and Serena noticed them, Blair smirked towards Serena, turned around and pushed Dan into the water.
While she was laughing like a child revealing that her acting mad was just a joke too, she didn't notice Eric walking up behind her with a little children's bucket filled with water.
The laughing stopped as soon as she felt the cold, salty water crawl down her spine as she let out a loud gasp.
"Eric van der Woodsen that was a new Lanvin dress" she screamed as she pulled it over her head revealing a fifties style bikini, "you're going down" she playfully said before running towards him into the water.
Dan had already got up again and watched Blair splashing water towards Eric and vice versa.
"Aren't you coming in, the water is lovely" Serena said looking like a mermaid with her lower body completely devoured by the dept of the water.
Dan swallowed and felt his cheeks flush "I guess since I'm already wet" he pulled off his shirt and slowly walked into the water deeper and deeper until he felt his shorts were completely soaked as he reached Serena.
"Well hello there lovely evening isn't it" Serena said with an innocent smile.
"H-hi" Dan stumbled awkwardly, surprised by the fact that she could still make him feel that shy.
Then suddenly he felt a cold wave of water splashed into his face by the blonde infront of him.
His shyness faded away "I declare a war!" he playfully said, lifting up Serena in his arms pretending to throw her into the water.
"No, Dan , don't" she laughed and screamed.
"Ah, but I haven't heard the magic words yet" Dan said with a mysterious voice.
Serena laughed even harder "NEVER!".
"Then I'm afraid I'll have to throw you in" he calmly said again pretending to throw her.
As he lifted her up a little higher she started screaming again "No, no, I'm sorry Dan please put me down".
He laughed and slowly lowered his arms until she stood closely infront of him, her chest almost brushing his.
As they both stopped laughing and Serena looked into his eyes and he could feel himself starting to breathe heavier.
He brought his hand to her face and pushed the wet hair out of it, then brought his thumb to her cheek as he could feel her skin flushing under his touch in a bright red, visible even in just the moonlight.
He could hear that she was breathing heavy too and even felt her heartbeat trough her chest as it was beating in a steady rhythm with his.
"I think I'm going back to the house, I haven't slept much last night and I want to go into town tomorrow early" he whispered gazing into her blue eyes, softly planting his lips on her forehead before breaking away and walking towards the beach.
"Yeah" Serena whispered as she felt tears burning in her eyes as she saw him grabbing his shirt and disappearing into the dark.
As she saw Serena walking up the beach the second the lights in the villa went on again Blair turned around to Eric who had seen the exact same thing as she did.
"So what's the plan E" she said softly. "Let's wait for about" he looked up to the moon "a week and a half, then we have enough time to plan and it will be full moon, I was thinking of a roof-top picnic, with a mattress, Chinese food straight box and chopstick style and lot's of lights".
Blair looked her friend in his eyes "Eric sometimes you seem to read my mind so well that I wonder if we aren't somehow siblings".
They turned around and walked towards the beach "well in the van der Woodsen and Waldorf family it wouldn't be the biggest surprised we've had" Eric said as he hooked his arm in hers "indeed" she replied.
After Nate stumbled in after what was probably a lucky night for him, they decided that they should make out who could sleep where.
"Okay, besides the one that Blair is using, I have three guest bedrooms left".
A drunk Nate yelled "dibs on the one next to the bedroom"!
Blair looked up "Eric could have the room next to me if he wants, I don't think the poor boy will find any sleep if he has Nate snoring every night in the room next to him" Eric nodded with approval.
"So then we only have the room next to snoring Nate left" Serena said.
Dan yawned "I'll crash on the couch". Serena looked at Chuck "okay then you have the last room, my dear brother".
Chuck shrugged and stood up to bring his luggage to his newly assigned room.
As everyone was turning to their rooms Serena went down the stairs one last time "are you sure you want sleep down here, if I ask Eric he wont mind to share my room" as she handed him a pillow and a blanket.
Dan smiled "no it's okay, besides I have the whole floor for myself now, and a TV to watch as many bad sitcoms as I want". Serena giggled.
"Hey isn't this one your favorite" Dan said as he let his finger slide over the expensive, soft fabric.
Serena looked at him "yes it is, you remembered" she said smiling and blushing.
He stepped in a bit closer and grabbed her hand "I've missed you" he whispered.
She felt her hand trembling in his "I've missed you t-" but before she could finish her sentence they heard a loud stumbling followed by Nate's voice loudly cussing.
They let go of each other and walked into the hallway where they found Nate on the ground.
"Fuck, fuck, damn it" he was still yelling.
Dan smirked before offering Nate his hand "what happened man"?
He pulled himself up to Dan and brushed off his clothes a little "I feeell, offff the staiyurs" Nate babbled in still a clearly drunk state.
Both Serena and Dan had to try hard not to burst out in laughing Dan sniffed "let's get you to bed" he said, placing his hand on Nate's shoulder.
"But I want wafffullz".
Serena pulled him towards the stairs "tomorrow I'll make you all the waffles you want if you just be a good boy and go to sleep now".
After dragging Nate up the stairs and onto his bed where he immediately fell asleep Dan closed the door behind him and Serena.
As he was about to walk down the stairs Serena tugged on his hand. He turned around and before he could say anything Serena gently placed a kiss on his lips "good night Dan" she whispered before she turned around to her own room where she closed the door behind her.
"Good, good night" he said, left behind in the same way he had left her earlier that evening.
The next morning Dan woke up by the two girls walking into the kitchen, giving them clear view of him in his boxers.
"Humphrey! Blanket or pants, come on!" Blair said in a teasing way.
After he had put on pants he took place at the kitchen bar "so what are the two of you up for"?
As Blair had just put a strawberry in her mouth she pointed at Serena to answer "we're going to shop and have dinner, so you guys will have to scrape together your own meal".
Dan grabbed an apple "noted".
Blair now with her mouth empty asked "and what are you doing on this beautiful day"?
She saw him swallowing "I think that I'm gonna try to write again, Vanessa was right, the last time I wrote a decent story was last October".
Blair's stomach turned "ew don't ever say that name again, it literally makes me sick to the stomach".
Dan stretched "again, noted, now if you ladies don't mind I'm gonna take a shower, do not picture me naked just because I said that".
Blair sniffed "as if, you wish Humphrey, right S".
"Right" she said with slight embarrassment in her voice pretending to search for something in the fridge as she didn't want either of them to see the blush of getting caught on a dirty thought that was coloring her face.
But they had both noticed and Blair could see Dan's serious face turn into a smirk as he turned around and confidently walked towards the stairs.
"Damn it" Blair looked around the corner "what"?
"I smashed my little toe into that stupid table thing" he said with a painful face.
Blair rolled her eyes "well that's what you get isn't it".
"For what" he said still in pain.
Blair sighed "doesn't matter, now go shower you can smell that you're from Brooklyn".
He didn't say a word as he stumbled to the second floor.
After several hours of shopping Blair and Serena sat down in an Italian restaurant.
"So tell me" Blair said looking at her best friend. Serena looked at the menu "tell what"?
Blair sighed at her friend trying to fool her "oh nothing besides the fact that you are still madly in love with Brooklyn, not the city part but our lovely friend Dan Humphrey, who has been lusting over you for the past 8 years and is still as deeply and madly in love with you as he was the first time the two of you kissed".
She could see Serena's eyes brightened up "do you think he still likes me"?
Blair took a look at her own menu "no" she said calmly before looking up into two sad, blue took Serena's hand "he loves you" S. There was that twinkle in her eyes again.
"But you have to tell me now, do you love him too"? With out waiting Serena said "B you know that I never stopped loving him".
"So he loves you, you love him, why don't you guys start over"?
"Because I have no idea how to take the first step B, and besides if we're going to talk about mutual love you have your own story to finish" Serena said.
Ignoring the last part of what Serena said "okay, you know what S, stop worrying about it, Eric and I have already made a plan, by the time we go back to New York he'll be yours again".
She felt Serena squeezing in her hand "thank you B, now let's order".
Blair smirked and yelled "waaaaiter" and proceeded to order in her thickest New York accent making her best friend laugh throughout the whole meal.
As they sat in the limo that Chuck had arranged to ride the whole group around during their stay in California Serena suddenly said "I hope that if it all works out, Dan and I will be just as happy as you and Louis".
With that it felt as if a massive weight collapsed onto Blair's chest and she started crying the tears that had been resting inside her for quite some time.
"B, Blair, what's wrong" she heard Serena say as she took her in her arms. I think I've made a mistake S, I'm not happy in Monaco, there are so many rules, I don't know anyone there and all the girlfriends and wives of Louis' friends are just stuck up bitches, and not like I am, he and his mother try to control everything I do, I was turning into a robot there. I talked to Dan about it yesterday too and I realized that the only thing I fell in love with was the idea of having a title and being perfect, I liked Louis a lot and it was fun but I rushed in way too fast S." the tears choked her.
"Sh sh sh" Serena rocked her friend in her arms "why don't you call it quits then and come back to New York with the rest of us".
"I can't S, my mother will be so mad, you don't want to know the messages she has left me on my phone, I've had more missed calls from here than from Louis himself". Serena grabbed her best friend's face between her hands and forced Blair to look in her eyes "Blair listen to me, you are grown up now, you can't let others plan out your life for you anymore, Eleanor might be pissed for a few weeks but I will not let you destroy happiness for the rest of your life just so you can please your mother".
As the limo stopped they saw that they were already home.
They had silently walked to Blair's room where Serena had closed the door after making sure that the guys were busy in the "game" room where you could find a pin-ball machine, a pool-table and a variety of video games and consoles to play on the bigscreen TV. As Blair collapsed on the bed without saying a word she felt that Serena brushing her dark hair, a motion that had calmed her down ever since she was a little girl.
After they had talked for a little more both of the girls were exhausted and closed their eyes as soon as Blair had turned out the lights.
Chuck walked towards the liquor cabinet in the kitchen to pour himself a scotch when he heard an unpleasantly familiar voice.
"I saw you looking at us from the rooftop yesterday" Dan said standing in the doorway .
He dropped some ice in his glass and said without turning around "can't a man even look at the beach at night, besides don't get your hopes up with Blair she wouldn't trade a prince for someone like you". "I will ignore that comment" Dan said.
"If that makes you happy" he said cynically.
Dan walked to the fridge and grabbed himself a beer "and I know she wouldn't trade a prince for me but she'd do it for you".
Chuck looked at Dan opening the can of cheap alcohol "no, her life with him is everything she ever wanted...".
"Chuck I had a really good talk with her, and after I heard how she felt I told her that whatever feeling she had for Louis was insignificant to what she feels for you, she has fallen in love with the whole princess idea and ignored the dark side of it, but know she sees that she has made certain mistakes".
He took a sip of his scotch "I see, but she's still off better than with she'd be with me".
"Did she say that to you"?
"No but-"?
"Listen, maybe you should stop thinking of what you think is good for her and ask her what she wants, because I know that you can make her happy if you stop running away from her and she stops running from you, both of you deserve to be happy, together".
He stared at his expensive brogues "thank you Humphrey, I don't know when but I'll talk to her about it".
"It's cool man, one more thing" he saw that Dan was getting a bit uncomfortable.
"Spill it".
"Why the hell do you hate me so much".
He smiled "ah Daniel, it's very simple, I don't hate you, I envy you".
Dan looked confused "but, you are Chuck Bass, the prince of the UES".
He gulped away the last bit of his scotch and felt the fluid burning trough his throat "you have two parents who love you unconditionally, a sister who would do anything for you, everyone likes you, you have talent, if your throw away my stuff and take away my company I have nothing".
"You have a family, a little brother and a sister and you still have the key to a certain persons heart and I think that makes you just as rich as me" Dan lift up his hand "truce"? Chuck breathed deeply "truce" he said as he shook his hand.
After that Dan turned around to re-join Eric and Nate.
"Hey Dan".
"Yeah"?
Chuck swallowed his pride away "you're a good guy, sorry for the last few..years and thanks for being such a good friend to Blair".
Dan smiled "it's okay".
He decided to leave his three friends to play and went to his room.
As he walked trough the hallway he decided to see if Blair was still awake, he knocked on her door twice before opening it only to see Serena in her bed.
Her heard the faucet in the bathroom running and saw that the door wasn't locked.
Curious as he was he listened only to hear a terrifying, but well known sound.
He walked to the stairs to here if Eric, Dan and Nate were still busy and when he heard the opening screen of Black Ops he knew they wouldn't come up for atleast another hour.
Within three steps he was at the door, he took a deep breath before he opened it, stepped into the bathroom and locked the door.
There he saw her on her knees infront of the toilet with her big doe-eyes looking up in his with hurt, terrified and in shame.
She was crying uncontrollably as he pulled her up and cleaned up her hand and face.
When he was sure he had a tight grip on her he collapsed to the ground with her in his arms.
"I'm sorry I once again chose for you Blair".
She sniffed "I would have done it myself too, I'm scared of us Chuck".
He felt his body stiffen "w-why" he brought out.
"I've said it before, I love you so much it consumes me Bass, every second away from you is one too many, every kiss I share with someone else feels wrong because it isn't you, and don't tell me you don't feel the same anymore just so I wont change my mind on the wedding because I heard you yesterday when you were playing the piano and-.
He kissed her "I love you more everyday Waldorf, when you left the only thing that kept me from throwing myself off a roof was knowing that you were finally happy, but apparently I was wrong" he felt tears coming up.
Blair looked into his eyes and wiped away the tears with her index finger "you couldn't know, I fooled everyone, including myself by screaming out how happy I was every time I could".
She turned around on his lap, straddling him. He leaned in to kiss her "no Chuck, I-I just threw-".
Ignoring her protest he kissed her anyway "I don't fucking care Waldorf".
With his tongue he traced a path on her neck before he softly sunk his teeth into the skin just underneath her ear, he felt her nails digging into his shoulders as she let out a soft gasp.
"Wait" he said.
"Why" she said as she felt at home in his arms.
"If we are going to try this one more time I want this to be the last, because if it works I want to finally give you that ring and my name, so please Blair, work things out for yourself first and when you've done that I 'll be right
there with you so we can dive in together".
Blair leaned in for one last passionate kiss "thank you".As the stood up Chuck squeezed her hand "you are beautiful, smart, sexy and perfect, so please stop doing that to yourself, I can see that you've lost weight and I couldn't bare life without that gorgeous ass of yours" he said with his famous Bass smirk.
She smiled sadly "Louis and his mother told me that my figure was too American".
Chuck cussed under his breath.
She placed her hand on his cheek "I love you".
He turned his head and kissed her palm and whispered "I love you too" before they stepped out of the bathroom and parting their ways.
As soon as they each lay in their own bed, both of them for the first night in a while, drifted away in a hopeful sleep.