A/N: Goodness. It's been too long. I am finally finished my sophomore year at college, so summer has officially started. I will have more time to write. I promise (I hope). Here is a long chapter to make up for my absence.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Gossip Girl or any of its characters.


Three weeks had passed since the day they found out they were expecting twins. Although still nervous – and rightfully so – they allowed themselves to feel excited. During the first few weeks, anytime Dan would talk or ask about something regarding her pregnancy, twins, or kids in general, Blair would quickly end the conversation. Dan both shook his head in amusement and quietly understood at her thoughts that talking about it would somehow jinx it. Finally one night, Dan walked into their bedroom and was greeted by an exhausted but cheery Blair.

"Hey Dan?" Blair said, resting one of their many newly-bought baby books on her lap. She watched him sit down on the edge of the bed and slip off his shoes.

"Yeah?" he asked, turning to her.

"Do you want to find out what we're having?"

He rested the shoe on the ground and sat still for a moment in shock. She wanted to talk about the babies. "Huh. I hadn't really thought about that yet." He took off his other shoe. "Do you want to find out?"

She bit her lip in thought for a moment. "I don't know!" she said finally, smiling widely. "Part of me wants to wait and find out. It's one of the greatest secrets in life, you know?"

He nodded, grinning widely too. "Yeah."

She met his eyes and somehow smiled wider. "But also...I think it would fun to find out soon. So we can pick names and design their nursery. I feel like with twins it would just be a little easier to know what they are."

"True," he agreed, nodding his head. "How about this?"

Blair waited for him to continue.

"How about we find out, but keep it a secret from everyone else?" he proposed, liking the idea more and more.

Blair's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh! That would be so fun! We can just keep their nursery locked, so no one will figure it out."

"Exactly," he said, moving to sit next to her on the bed. "And besides, I've sort of liked keeping them a secret from people. I like that we're the only ones who know."

Blair wrinkled her nose and smiled. "Me too." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "So it's settled. We will find out but keep it a secret from everyone else."

"Sounds good," Dan decided, pressing his lips to hers and feeling relieved that he didn't need to avoid the subject anymore.

::

The next morning, Blair opened her eyes and immediately felt...off. Over the past few days, she had felt a shift of something within her, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was. This morning, however, as she sat slowly up in bed, she knew exactly what was going on. She had been relieved that morning sickness hadn't saturated her system quite yet. For some reason, when she had walked out from getting the ultrasound, she assumed she would be overwrought with every symptom under the sun. Now that she was a week away from the second trimester, she considered herself lucky that she skipped that whole phase. Exhaustion had taken over from the start, but other than that, she felt relatively normal. Besides the hour nap she needed in the afternoon, she had a surprising amount of energy. Still, she took it easy and never overdid anything. And coming from the wave of nausea that rolled through her stomach this morning, she would continue doing just that – taking it easy.

After daintily walking to the bathroom and using it, she walked over to the corner chaise to fetch her robe. After tying the belt around her midsection, she realized it was unnecessary pressure and only made her stomach feel worse. As she walked towards the door, she swiftly untied it, not caring that the open robe showed her silk nightie. She took each descending stair at a snail's pace, knowing that one fast movement would not be good.

Despite her queasy aura, she fell easily into a smile when she saw Dan standing by the stove, humming a random melody. She stopped in the doorway of the kitchen, both to watch him silently for a moment, and also to settle her stomach after her walk from the bedroom.

"Morning," she said quietly, walking over to sit behind their new island. Also in the weeks since the doctor's appointment, they had installed their new kitchen. The entire room was bright and airy, with light bouncing off the new white cabinets and glass tile backsplash. The walls were painted a light grey, standing warmly against the white cupboards. Blair had planned on bringing in cheerful yellow and green hues in the fabric and future artwork. Rufus had already promised to bring them through the gallery to show them some of the finest artwork, and Blair had already framed some of her best photographs.

Dan faced her, turning his back to the stove. "Morning," he said in slight surprise, not expecting her up for a while. "I thought you would sleep in some more." He quickly glanced at whatever he was cooking – she purposely didn't inhale through her nose – and then looked back to her.

"I woke to use the bathroom and felt too sick to try and fall back asleep," she shrugged, running a hand over the gorgeous white marble countertop. It felt cool and smooth against her skin, dampening her nausea for a moment. The plate Dan placed in front of her, however, brought it right back. Nausea seized her system and Blair slipped off the counter stool, running swiftly to the sink and emptying her stomach. Dan met her quickly, standing behind her and holding back her hair. He reached over and ripped off a paper towel, handing it to her once she finished. She cringed, wiping her mouth and tears threatened to leak from her eyes.

Dan looked at her cautiously. "You okay?"

She swallowed and took a deep breath, giving a whisper of a nod.

"Are you going to get sick again? Want to sit down?" he asked, placing a hand on the small of her back.

Blair stayed silent for a moment, as if speaking would set her off again, and eyed her counter seat hesitantly. "I think I'm going to stay here for a few minutes."

Dan gave the smallest of smiles and turned to open the fridge. Thirty seconds later, he faced Blair again, noticing immediately that she was in the exact same position; she hadn't moved an inch. He handed her the cup he had just poured into, smirking at her curious look. "Ginger ale," he said without her asking. "I had a feeling morning sickness would start soon. I picked some up the other day."

Blair gave an appreciative smile and took the cup, taking a small sip and inwardly shoving away the horrifying fact that she was drinking soda. The liquid went down easily, and she was thankful to get rid of the awful taste in her mouth. "Thanks," she said after swallowing another sip.

"So I guess eggs are on the 'do not eat' list now," Dan lightly teased.

Even as he said the word, Blair turned towards the sink again. She took a deep breath, before saying, "Please do not even mention eggs. In fact, throw them all away." She leaned her elbows against the edge of the sink and rested her forehead in her hands.

Dan fought a smile and did as he was told.

An hour later, Blair was dressed and ready to leave. Even though she occasionally took the subway into the city, there was no way in hell she was taking it today. She had decided on a simple dress, knowing nothing would be tight around her stomach. The dress wasn't as form fitting as she usually wore, and she was thankful that it was winter. She could hide her barely-there bump under her winter coat.

Dan drove them both into the city, deciding to drop her off before he went to his publisher's office. As Blair sat in their Audi convertible she couldn't help but smile widely. They would soon need another car, as two car seats would never fit in this one. She couldn't wait.

The drive was smooth sailing until they left Brooklyn.

Today was the day that every bad driver in Manhattan got together and drove recklessly throughout the city – the very same day that Blair's morning sickness started. Blair gripped the armrest and glared at Dan, hoping her venom-filled eyes translated, "Make it stop, or pull the fuck over." Fortunately, they were right around the corner from the Archibald's. Blair had never been so happy to see a dirty sidewalk, practically racing out of the car.

Dan stood in complete shock as he watched Blair Humphrey (née Waldorf) throw up in a public New York City trashcan. Although a small part of this was amusing, he really did feel awful for her. She had spent years overcoming her impulse to make herself sick, and now when she didn't want to, she had no choice. He hoped the morning sickness would let up soon so she could enjoy the pregnancy she worked so hard – and waited so long – for.

After handing her a water bottle and tissues from the car, he pulled her into a (light) hug. "Just remember," he said, mumbling into her hair, "this will all be worth it." He pressed a kiss on the top of her head and pulled away to look at her. Although a little pale, she looked just as beautiful as she would on any other day. Serena would never know what had just happened.

"I know it will be," she said in the most convincing voice she could muster. She grimaced. "I need to start carrying a toothbrush around," she chuckled. "Or mints."

"I'll pick some up today," he said, kissing her forehead.

"Thanks. You should go, I don't want to make you late," she said, still wrapping her arms tightly around him.

"Okay. Have fun. I'll call you when I'm done."

"Okay," she answered, turning her cheek so he could kiss it. That was another annoying thing about morning sickness– she couldn't kiss him.

"Love you."

"Love you more," she answered. After he drove away, Blair turned towards Serena's building and took a deep breath. For the first time all morning, she felt a little better. Hopefully that would continue, because she really didn't have the energy today to come up with excuses as to why she went running to the bathroom every second.

The day before she had turned eleven weeks, signaling just one more before they told anyone. Serena was absolutely clueless to their infertility struggles, and if Vanessa had any hint to whether they were pregnant (after all, she did know they were doing IVF), she didn't show it. All of their friends had been incredibly busy the past few weeks, much to Blair's relief, and so they really didn't need to cover anything up. Not that Blair minded; like Dan, she loved knowing they were the only two people who knew.

The elevator opened into Serena and Nate's apartment and Blair found her friend right away. She was sitting gracefully on their couch flipping mindlessly through some fashion magazine. "Hello S," Blair said cheerfully, announcing her presence.

Serena looked up from her read, "B! I didn't even hear you come in!" She stood and went to meet her. Blair, however, pretended to not see her friend's attempted hug, taking a seat on the couch opposite of Serena's instead. She also ignored the look of confusion that spread across Serena's face. Hugs and morning sickness do not mix.

"So, S, what have you been up to lately?" Blair asked, setting her purse on the ground.

Serena set her magazine on the coffee table and sat down again. "Lots of work stuff. I've had a shoot practically every day." She wound her hair in a twist and pulled it to the side. "What about you? I feel like I haven't seen you in forever. Anything exciting going on in the Humphrey household?" Oh, Serena. Always so lovingly clueless.

Blair's mouth twisted into a smile. "Nothing too exciting."

Serena raised her eyebrows. "Don't even try that B! What aren't you telling me?"

Blair sighed. Why can't I just tell her now? "Nothing, S. Except you must come see our new kitchen. It looks amazing."

Serena eyed her suspiciously, but didn't press any further. "Okay. Maybe Nate and I can come over for dinner tomorrow night. Are you guys free?"

Blair bit her lip in thought. After what happened earlier, she had a feeling meal times would be a challenge. The last thing she wanted was a repeat of this morning in front of Serena and Nate. However, she and Dan had practically ignored them the past couple weeks. If they continued, their friends would start to really believe something was up.

"Dinner sounds great. We're completely free," Blair smiled.

Serena matched it. "Perfect! Okay, let's talk about Vanessa's bachelorette party."

::

Blair soon realized this morning sickness business would be a rollercoaster ride; by the next morning, she felt so much better. The second she woke up, she didn't experience the same off feeling she had the day before. She was able to sleep in some, so her energy was high, and it was a Saturday, which meant Dan would be home all day. After changing into comfortable clothes, Blair padded downstairs to find her husband sitting with some coffee and the newspaper. Blair smiled as she walked over to Dan leaning down to kiss him softly.

"Morning," he mumbled against her lips.

"Good morning," she chirped, before giving him another quick kiss.

Dan raised his eyebrows, amused. "Someone's in a good mood this morning."

Blair beamed. "I don't feel sick this morning!"

Dan gaze traveled down her body. She looked like a completely different person since yesterday. She had color in her face, her smile was blinding – she looked radiant. He couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face when he noticed her outfit. She had thrown on a flowy cotton skirt, and paired it with a tight fitting shirt. It was the first day that he could really tell – through clothing – that she was pregnant. Her bump was small, but it was definitely noticeable.

Blair caught his gaze and raised an eyebrow. "See something you like?" she asked with a flirty smile.

"Always," Dan said, standing to wrap his arms around her waist. He leaned in to kiss her, and when he pulled away, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Actually, today is the first day I can tell you're pregnant."

Blair's eyes widened and she pulled away. "What?" she gasped, running away towards the bathroom. She turned to the side and looked at her profile in the mirror. There was definitely a bump.

"Blair, you do realize you are going to get much bigger. You look beautiful. Please do not worry about your weight." His tone was slightly begging, and he sounded worried.

Blair, immediately realizing how she had come off, turned to Dan. "Oh!" she said, placing a hand on her stomach. "Dan, I don't care about gaining weight. For the first time, I want to. It's not that."

Dan looked confused. "Then what is it?"

Blair let out a laugh. "Serena and Nate are coming over for dinner, remember? I can't look pregnant. We have to hide this for at least another week."

"Oh," Dan said, sighing in relief. "Don't worry about that. You don't look pregnant."

"I thought you just said–"

"No," Dan chuckled. "To anyone else you don't look pregnant. To me...you do," he said, wrapping his arms around her to pull her close.

Blair raised her brow.

Dan smiled. "By this point, I've memorized every inch of you. Just like I was able to tell when Pierre cut your hair two inches shorter because he wasn't paying attention."

Blair's eyes narrowed. "I'm still bitter about that."

Dan smirked. "I know you are."

She wrinkled her nose and smiled. "I really look pregnant?"

Nodding, he leaned in to kiss her. "Yup. It suits you."

"Good," she smiled.

"You know," Dan started, "We could tell Serena and Nate tonight. I mean, they are our best friends after all. It may be kind of nice to tell them first."

Blair was silent for a moment, in thought. "I suppose. But the thought of telling people too early still worries me," she shrugged.

Dan sighed. "I know. But they're our best friends. If something were to happen, they would be there for us– without a doubt."

Blair nodded, agreeing. "Okay. If they notice my bump, or my non-alcoholic drink and ask, we'll tell them. If not, we'll wait. Deal?"

"Deal," Dan said, kissing her.

"Okay. Let's figure out what we're making tonight."

::

Later that evening – after food shopping, cooking, and cleaning (again) – they were ready for their little house warming dinner. Blair had ended up wearing a dress with a wide belt that hid her secret well. Dan, once again, could tell. But he didn't dare let that be known; she had been a nervous wreck about it all day.

Still not feeling sick, in fact, the complete opposite, Blair didn't bother waiting for Nate and Serena to start eating. She immediately began munching on the vegetable spread Dan had set out on the kitchen island, quickly realizing she had a craving for only cucumbers. She made herself comfortable on one of the stools, forgoing the dip, and instead just eating it raw. Dan watched in amusement as the cucumber pile dwindled to a point where he had to wash and cut some more before their friends had even arrived.

Before Blair could start on the second helping of cucumbers, a knock sounded at the door. Blair accompanied Dan to greet their guests, giving hugs all around. Serena immediately begged to be given a tour of the house, as it had been months since she had last seen it. Both she and Nate were impressed by the progress that had been made, and they would be lying if they said they didn't see the benefits to living in a large Brooklyn brownstone. Serena's favorite room was the kitchen, which is where all four friends ended up at the last stop of the tour. Blair took drink orders herself to avoid curious questions, and while the mozzarella and basil stuffed chicken was in the oven, they sat around the kitchen island, catching up.

The conversation was easy and enjoyable, each couple telling stories from their recent weeks. Everything was going so smoothly, until Dan opened the fridge and Blair caught a whiff of something she didn't want to think about.

Blair took a deep breath and slipped off the stool quickly. "I'm sorry, but if you would excuse me." In a flash, she turned and disappeared into the bathroom. The sound of retching was unmistakable as it carried through the air, and Dan's heart dropped.

He saw Serena's face fall and knew exactly what she was thinking. "I'll be right back," Dan said, getting up to trace Blair's steps. He opened the bathroom door to find his wife sitting on the floor, back against the wall, with her eyes closed.

Before he could even ask if she was okay, Serena's voice came instead. "B, how long has it been since you relapsed?" She and Nate were now standing in the doorway.

This made Blair's eyes snap open in shock. "What?" she asked breathlessly.

Nate continued, "Blair, whatever is going on, there's people who can help you. Dan loves you, we love you. Why are you doing this to yourself? Aren't you happy?"

At this, Blair started to laugh.

Serena and Nate looked at each other, even more worried now. Nate was the first to acknowledge Dan, by giving him a 'What the hell?' look.

"B, why are you laughing?" Serena finally asked, wanting answers.

Blair was still giggling. "Because this is the happiest I've ever been." She looked at Dan with blinding, but tired, smile. Wordlessly they said, to hell with it.

She took a deep breath and then looked at her waiting friends. "I'm pregnant."

Serena's jaw dropped, and Nate just stood there blinking.

"We had the same reaction," Dan said laughing, thoroughly enjoying watching them.

"You are?" Serena asked in disbelief.

Blair smiled and nodded, her eyes meeting Dan's again. Serena and Nate stood frozen in place silently, so Blair jumped at the opportunity to speak. "I am feeling much better. So why don't we go into the living room, and fill you in on the details. But first, let me go take off this uncomfortable outfit. This belt is killing me and doing nothing to help my nausea," Blair said, standing up slowly.

They all waved her off, completely understanding. When she returned to the living room five minutes later, she was dressed just as nicely, but looked much more relaxed. Now that Serena knew, Blair looked completely different to her. It wasn't totally obvious that she was pregnant yet, but despite getting sick only moments before, she was absolutely glowing.

Once Blair sat down next to Dan, she started the story.

"Well, it's been quite a long road to get here," Blair said quietly, resting her hand over Dan's.

"Really?" Nate asked.

Dan nodded. "Yeah, we actually tried for over a year, and nothing was happening."

Serena took in a breath. "Over a year?"

"Yeah. And so we had some testing done about four months ago. And...uh..." Her quavering voice trailed off. She didn't know if it was the hormones or something else, but talking about that day at the beach still did her in. She had felt so empty that day – despite feeling more love for Dan than ever before.

Dan noticed how emotional she was getting. "You okay?" he asked with his eyes.

Wiping away a tear, she gave a small smile and nodded, squeezing his hand for extra measure. She turned her attention back to her friends. "The test came back and it said that my fallopian tubes were blocked. And that was the reason why we weren't conceiving."

"Oh my gosh," Serena said quietly. Nate just stayed silent, unsure of what to say.

"It's okay now. It was really hard at first," Dan told them, but looked at Blair all the while. "That's why we disappeared for a bit. Just took time to ourselves."

"I feel terrible that we didn't notice anything. We had no idea," Nate said, turning to Serena.

Blair gave an appreciative smile. "It's really okay. We didn't want to worry people. It was something private. And besides, there's a happy ending."

Serena broke out into a grin and held in a squeal.

Nate, on the other hand, still looked confused. "Wait. I thought you couldn't conceive? What happened?"

"Well we had two options: Blair could get surgery to fix the problem, or we could do IVF," Dan answered.

"Oh my god, B! You had surgery?" Serena gasped.

Blair let out a small laugh. "No." She looked at Dan, suddenly feeling nervous to give this last truth away. He squeezed her hand this time. "We did IVF."

"Are you serious?" Serena asked in shock.

"Completely. We went through the whole process. And it was successful," Blair said, beaming.

"This is crazy," Serena said, shaking her head. "On one hand, I'm absolutely thrilled for you two. But on the other hand, I'm heartbroken that it took you so long; that you had to go through all of that. I mean, are you okay?"

Blair sighed. "To be completely honest, no, I wasn't okay. But the sting of infertility has slowly dampened. It's more of the constant worry that makes me sad. It took us so long to get here, and now that it's finally happened, I can't stop worrying that something is going to go wrong. That's why it took us so long to tell you."

"How far along are you?" Nate asked.

"Eleven weeks and two days," Dan said proudly.

Serena's eyes widened. "ELEVEN WE-"

"Serena," Nate's warning tone cut her off. "They told us when they felt comfortable telling us."

"Yes," Blair said, smiling at Nate. "We did. But there's actually more to it."

Dan smiled wide. "We're having..."

"...twins," Blair finished with a grin.

This time, both of their jaws dropped. "What?" they both exclaimed.

Blair and Dan could only laugh at their reaction. And when question after question tumbled out of their mouths – about names and gender and ultrasound pictures and how the hell did you keep THIS from us? – she could only smile until her cheeks hurt.

And by the end of the night, as Blair got into bed next to Dan, she couldn't help but feel so...relieved. About finally letting out their secret. About how happy their best friends were for them. And about how excited she was to tell the rest of their friends and family.


A/N: Still with me?

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