"Yes," Blair said, answering her phone in a singsongy voice. "Blair Waldorf speaking."

"I know you're speaking," came the response. Humphrey. "I did dial your number."

"Who gave you my number?" Blair asked, spinning around in her desk chair. "Nate or Serena?"

"Both, actually. I take it that they didn't buy the fact you left after they did?"

"No. Something about their credit card bill showing a very expensive meal. It was worth the try."

"Nate called me the next day," Dan told her and she tried to imagine where he was. She closed her eyes trying to listen for background noise and heard none. Maybe he was in his apartment? In that worn armchair that he barely left on Christmas Eve. Or maybe he was in the bookstore, no customers around to bother him. "Blair, did you hear me?"

Blair snapped back into reality, she really was zoning out a lot recently, "Sorry, can you repeat?"

"I was just saying that Nate asked me how the date went. I was wondering if Serena grilled you equally."

"Yes, it was very amusing. It was all, what did you order? What did you have to drink? How was the waitstaff? What should I tell them to take as a tip?"

"Funny," Dan replied, "Nate asked me all those same questions."

"Yes, they are both very practical that way," Blair laughed. "No, Serena asked me all the normal questions after shoving her friend in the line of a firing squad."

"I'm the firing squad?"

"Yes, of course. Don't you think?"

"I would say that I was more like bait and you were a shark."

"I am not a shark, Humphrey. More like an innocent dolphin."

"Did you know dolphin's have this sonic radar thing that can tell them where to attack on a shark? Not so innocent," Dan countered. "But, fine. You can be a dolphin. I'm still the bait."

"You were not the bait. I was the bait," she argued, moving from her office to her living room and draping herself on the couch. "And Serena and Nate were the cruel fisherman throwing me out to sea."

"And then what?"

"An attractive fish just happened to be waiting there. The fish, of course, in cahoots with the fishermen."

"An attractive fish, huh? Can fish be attractive?"

"They can certainly be unattractive."

"Well, then, I'm glad I am of the attractive variety."

Blair laughed, "This is a metaphor, Humphrey. I didn't say you were attractive."

"So, you don't find me attractive, Blair?" Dan countered.

"Anyways," she changed the subject, ignoring the flash of warmth running through her body. "Serena was very glad I did not run from the date, however I told her it was the last one."

"Last date?" Dan said, suddenly sounding alarmed.

"Last blind date," she answered.

"Good," he replied. "What are you doing tonight, Waldorf?"

"I have plans," Blair lied easily. She couldn't come off as too available, she thought, especially since he knew she was available enough to be free on Valentine's Day.

"Yeah, well, good… me too."

"Really?"

"No," he confessed. "What about tomorrow night?"

"You are so eager," she laughed. "How about I call you later in the week? I might actually swing by the bookstore sometime during the week as I need a new something to read and I have yet to have the pleasure of using my key afterhours."

"Well, knock on my door if you come by."

"I will," Blair told him. "I should go. It was nice speaking to you."

"You too, Blair. I'm looking forward to seeing… or hearing from you this week."

Blair clicked the End Call button on her phone and sighed, pressing the phone against her chest. Even though she was flushed with a certain happiness, Blair wasn't sure she was ready to be vulnerable or if she was ready for a round two of whatever they had.

Blair held the little girl to her chest, snuggling with her goddaughter as Serena fluttered around her. "Serena, why am I here? Am I being your babysitter for the night and I just don't know it?" Blair held Ava away from her and started talking in a baby voice, "Not that I mind one bit, Ava. Not one bit. You are the cutest little thing I've ever seen."

"Just for the moment. I wanted to see you before Nate and I went to Paris for a week," Serena said, grabbing a shirt from her closet and holding it to her before tossing it on the ground. "And I wanted to talk to you about Dan."

"About Dan?" Blair asked, raising her eyebrows before tapping Ava on the nose. "Your mommy is crazy, did you know that? Did you know your mom is off her rockery?"

"Come on, Blair," Serena sighed heavily, emerging from her closet with a stack of clothing. "Dan told Nate that you had tentative plans for last week and he hasn't heard from you since then. You told me you had an amazing time on that date."

"I said I had a good time," Blair corrected her, sitting on the bed and lifting Ava up. "Your mom is crazy and hears things."

"Stop using my daughter as a distraction," Serena said sharply. "I wouldn't have helped Dan with his Valentine's Day date plan if I thought you were going to run from whatever the two of you are starting."

"We're not starting anything," Blair said, protesting. The little girl in her arms started to giggle as Blair made a face. "I just don't think it will work."

"Why?" Serena questioned, shoving the last bit of her closet that she could into her suitcase. "We need to move to Ava's room. I need to pack her stuff."

"You should just buy her a whole new wardrobe in Paris. She'd be the chicest baby on the Upper East Side," Blair said, standing and following Serena into the baby's room and taking a seat in the rocking chair. "Why are you so zoned in on this Dan thing? Is your married life getting boring?"

Serena laughed, "Stop trying to change the subject. My marriage is fine. I just don't know why you are pushing Dan away after he went through all that trouble for that date."

"So I should automatically fall for him because of that?" Blair said, rocking the chair and holding Ava to her chest.

"You are being so stubborn, Blair. Just tell me what it is or at least tell Dan what it is so he doesn't sit around waiting for your call. I have a couple of friends who think he is very attractive and wouldn't mind a date with him. Should I set them up with him?"

"Yes," Blair said before taking a sharp breath in. "No, I don't know. I don't know, Serena. I just feel… ugh, butterflies in my stomach around him. I hate it."

Serena stopped fussing around and turned to her best friend, "So, you're afraid."

Blair shook her head and then bit her bottom lip. "Maybe. I don't like this… vulnerability shit. I felt like absolute shit after New Year's. I don't like giving someone that power."

The blonde walked over to her, crouching down next to her, "Hey, that's a legitimate fear. But you know he regrets that and probably would never do anything so stupid like that again. You can't just lock yourself up because you're afraid to be hurt. And you know Dan, he's a decent guy. He won't hurt you, and if he does I'll kill him."

Blair laughed, shaking her head. "Fine, I'll call him."

"Yay," Serena practically squealed. "How great would it be if you two got married and have kids for Ava to play with?"

"Woah, woah," Blair said, putting her hand up. "Stop that. I said I would call him."

Serena smiled, before reaching down to take her daughter who was now asleep. "See, Blair, you'll be a wonderful mom."

"You're going to make me sick, Serena, and you're going to make me choose to not call him."

In the end, Blair didn't call him. She did one better and showed up on his doorstep with a bottle of wine.