Summary

A story of how Blair loses everything, and how Dan helps her put herself back together.

Set after 5x10, following Blair and Chuck's car accident. Includes various excerpts from Dan Humphrey's Inside.


Dylan Hunter officially meets Clair Carlyle on a Tuesday morning.

His sister, Frankie, now recruited as one of Clair's minions wakes him up at 5:30 in the morning. It's still dark outside and school doesn't start for another three hours so he groans in Frankie's direction and attempts to push her away without opening his eyes.

'Dylan,' Frankie whines and turns on the light in the room.

When he doesn't respond, she declares, 'Violet has come back from Vermont!'

His eyes snap open immediately and he quickly jumps out of bed looking for a clean t-shirt. His search is interrupted when Frankie announces, 'Great! Now that you're up, I need your help.'

She's sitting on her bed, a sweet smile on her face and puppy dog eyes blinking quickly in succession. He can't find it in himself to be mad at her for waking him up so early because a sense of relief fills him when he knows that his former best friend, Violet, who left when he told her he loved her, is not in fact back from Vermont.

'What is it Frankie?' he asks in an aggravated tone.

'As you know,' she says bluntly, 'I've come down with the flu.' She adds a small sneeze to add to the effect. 'I promised Clair Carlyle I would pick up a book she placed on order from a bookstore in the East Village and now I'm too sick to get to school, let alone catch the 6 train.'

Ever since Frankie had become one of Clair's minions, the tyrant had her carrying out miserable tasks and running useless errands. He had watched from afar, observing Frankie become more and more like a slave and had been unable to do anything about it.

'Frankie, I'm sure it's not the end of the world if Clair Carlyle doesn't get her book. Besides, I don't know why she can't do it herself,' he lectures his sister.

'She has to be at debating at 7am.'

'You know her schedule?' Dylan asks incredulously.

'We had a test about it at the start of the year.' Frankie replies like the notion is not at all absurd.

Dylan does not understand how a 95 pound unlikeable 16 year old girl is able to command a bunch of subordinates to do her bidding. And how, a smart girl like his sister could actually be one of these subordinates.

'I'm not bringing her highness a book she can easily get herself... or get her paid maid to do for her.'

'But I promised her Dylan! I've worked extremely hard to get to the fourth step at lunch. And you could even get a book for yourself while you're there.' Frankie begs him and he finds it difficult to say no when he was actually going to buy a copy of the new Jonathan Tropper book that afternoon anyway.


She's sitting in the courtyard when he finds her, tapping her feet like he's wasting her time. It's too early for other students to have already arrived, but Clair sits at the table scribbling into a notebook, a History book open in front of her. She looks taken aback when she sees him, but her eyes quickly fall back to indifference.

'Where's Frankie?' She asks him with an irritated tone.

'She's sick with the flu. I'm her brother, D—'

'No need for pleasantries Dylan Hunter. Did you get the book or do I have to listen to Mrs Gretton pretend like she knows something in class?' Clair asks in a huff.

He's surprised to find out she knows his name, and is actually afraid to ask as to why. She must sense his uneasiness though because she adds, 'Before recruiting a minion, you must always know their background,' she says straightforwardly. 'Frankie Hunter, brother named Dylan, lives in...' she pauses, her face turning into one of disgust, 'Brooklyn.'

'Great,' Dylan declares, 'you know my name and my postcode. Did you know I'm a Capricorn as well? We might be compatible,' he adds sarcastically.

She eyes him warily, placing her pen down and straightening her shoulders; anything to make him look and feel like he knows she's the one in power in this situation.

'Star signs are for the desperate Hunter,' she tells him with all the authority in the world. 'Besides, the only way we could ever be compatible would be if I fell off the face of the earth. Because that's obviously where you're from.'

He can't help the laugh that escapes him from her words. The girl has wit, he'll give her that. He reaches into his bag and takes out her book, placing it on the table like it's a peace offering.

'Your highness,' he adds with a slight bow. He doesn't miss the way her eyes light up when she sees the book, her hand automatically reaching out to touch the lettering on the cover.

He waits for a thank you, but it never comes. He's about to leave until she interrupts him, 'Tell Frankie she's sitting on the third step tomorrow... if she's feeling better, of course.'

He doesn't understand the politics of Clair and her minions, but discerns that the third step is figuratively and literally a step up from Frankie's previous achievement of the fourth step, so he nods in Clair's direction, accepting the promotion on his sister's behalf.

'You know,' he tells her as he gets up, 'this book is good and all, but his second one is much better; highly underrated compared to his debut.'

Clair stares at him with curious eyes for a long moment, and he fears he may just be punished for speaking out of term. He looks around the courtyard for witnesses for his possible murder but still finds it empty.

'Your suggestion is noted,' she finally replies, and he thinks there's a hint of gratitude in her tone. 'Now if you don't mind, I have to figure out a way to disinfect this book from your Brooklyn germs.'


Blair doesn't pick up when he calls her a number of times. He doesn't blame her considering the circumstances.

Serena visits him on his third restless night.

'She left the hospital yesterday,' she tells him as he pours himself a cup of dark coffee. 'I don't know what to do Dan. She doesn't want to talk about what happened.' She reaches out for him and buries her face into his chest. He hesitates at first but holds onto her, unsure of what else to do.

'You just have to wait,' he says, but he can't tell if he's trying to convince Serena or himself. They stand there for a while, Serena's tears soaking his shirt. He thinks of Blair and how easily she can fall into her denial mode. He had thought that she might at least open up to Serena, but the blonde showing up at the loft shows him otherwise. He pleads for Chuck to wake up; the only thing that could possibly cause Blair to break down her walls.

'Dan,' Serena says vulnerably and pulls her head away from his chest, but still holding onto his arms like she can't let go. She's staring into his eyes then, and her face comes closer to his as she closes her eyes. It all becomes slow motion as he pulls away slightly and watches the way her eyes fall as she looks away dejected.

'Listen Serena,' he starts, trying to reason to her, 'I know you're feeling helpless at the moment. But we can't do this.'

'Do you love her?' she asks him softly.

'I do,' he replies, surprised at how sure he sounds and feels about it.

'She doesn't feel the same way Dan. You know she has Chuck and Louis. She doesn't need you to make—'

'I know,' he interrupts. 'I know she doesn't feel the same way. I know she will never feel the same way. But that doesn't mean that I can just forget how I feel,' he tries to explain.

'I guess I know what you mean about unreciprocated love,' she says softly to herself.

'I'm sorry Serena,' Dan apologises.

She leaves shortly after, just as disheartened as when she entered. Dan feels an ache in his heart when she closes the door behind her, realising that this must be the official end that is the saga of Dan Humphrey and Serena van der Woodsen. She had been such a large part of his life in the past; Serena had been his first love. But that feeling no longer exists.

He finds it difficult to think of a time when everything had been about Serena and Blair wasn't a significant part of his life. And yet, he wouldn't take back his time with Serena.

It's strange how love can feel so unique with a different person.


He's lying in his bed fully awake, even though it's past midnight, when he hears soft knocking at his front door. He wonders if he should answer it, thinking it might be a robber checking if anyone is present in the building they're about to burgle. Dan's hand is already turning the knob to open the door when he realises that opening the door to a criminal might not be the best idea in the world.

He's shocked to find an impeccable (but when is she not) Blair Waldorf standing in his doorway. He rubs his eyes, thinking that he actually must have fallen asleep.

'You said not long ago,' she starts with an apprehensive voice, 'that when I lost everything...' Blair looks away, holding back tears that are threatening to fall.

'You'll still have me,' he finishes for her, opening the door more widely so she can step in.

She walks in and takes a seat on his couch on the spot he now reserves for her as he makes her a cup of chamomile tea. He joins her shortly after, making sure to keep his distance and not invade her personal space. She leans closer to him on her own accord though, resting her head on his shoulder, and he can't help the way his heart jumps at the contact. He stays calm though, holding onto her like she could disappear in any second.

'Louis is gone. He left when I told him about Chuck. And I've lost a baby I never truly wanted,' she tells him as she clings into his shirt.

He draws patterns on her back, hoping that it'll sooth her. 'You're Blair Waldorf,' he says reassuringly, 'you'll get through this.'

'That's the thing,' she says, leaning back. 'Everything I've lost; it's because I'm me. It's just the way the universe comes around because of all the horrible things I've done in the past.'

'And what about everything else?' he asks her. 'What about how you've helped everyone you've cared about? You've done nothing to deserve what's happening Blair. It's just...' he pauses, trying to find the right words to say.

'It doesn't matter,' she says, ignoring his words of encouragement. 'I was going to take Louis' baby and be with Chuck. And I took advantage of both of them. What if Chuck never wakes up? It'll be my entire fault.' Her eyes are pleading with his, her overwhelming shame and guilt filling the air.

'You did nothing wrong. None of this is your fault. You were only following your heart.' She nods at his words, trying to convince herself that what he's saying is true.

'Chuck will wake up,' he tries to say with confidence, and he truly believes it. If he's sure of one thing, it's that Chuck Bass loves Blair Waldorf. And Dan is convinced that there is no way that Chuck would give up on her happiness.

'Thanks Humphrey,' she whispers and leans back into him.

'You can't lose sight of who you are,' he says into the darkness, hoping that she'll listen.


In a hospital bed on the other side of the city, a pair of dark eyes slowly open, adjusting to the dim light of the night.