A/N: I'm so happy that you guys are still into this story. Maybe it seems like I say that a lot, but I take so long updating and it's just nice that people are still interested.

Summary: "I'm sure it doesn't compare to a passionate night of being loved by Chuck Bass."

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. Characters are all Gossip Girl and their respected affiliates. Thanks to suspensegirl for her beta-ing skills.

Blair lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling. Nate's arm was slung around her waist as he slept deeply. She knew this wasn't so much a sign of affection as it was a subconscious act. She had been staring at the ceiling for hours into the night and she still hadn't solved any of her problems.

What she really had hoped to accomplish was resolve her feelings in the whole situation. Now she felt more lost than ever. She had slept with someone who she wasn't even sure was her boyfriend or not, and it wasn't the first time this had happened in the past couple of months.

She felt more disgusted than ever. Being with Nate used to be so right. Now she would give anything just to feel… something. But watching Nate's lightly tousled hair in the middle of the night, all she felt was confusion.

One thing was for certain; she would rather die than do a walk of shame in the morning. Having a current one was the best option.

Gently, Blair eased herself out from under Nate's arm and slid to the floor. She pulled on her wrinkled dress and the remains of her dignity before one last look at him.

It just wasn't the same. She knew it was no one's sole fault. Things hadn't been the same since Nate's mistake, and she had reciprocated with one of her own. But there was no going back now. She made her bed and now—quite literally—she had to lie in it.

But that didn't mean she had to face those depressing facts currently. With one last look, she slid her shoes back on and closed the door behind her.

They had been sitting in silence for a long time. Serena's drink lay untouched before her as they sat across from each other, a table separating them.

"You've been staying here alone?" Serena finally asked.

"Eric's here."

"But Mom isn't."

"You know her," Chuck said. "It's not like she isn't coming back."

"You weren't here over the holidays," Serena noted.

"Were you looking?" Chuck asked cheekily.

"I don't know what I'm looking for anymore," Serena said cryptically.

"There's clearly a reason why you're here," Chuck said. "And why we've been quiet for three hours."

"I needed to get home," Serena said. "But I realized there really isn't a home to come to."

"I'm not the one to come to for that."

Serena smiled lightly. "We both know what this is about. You stayed with the Waldorfs' for the holidays."

"It's a lonely time for people," Chuck said quietly.

"And you spent it with my best friend."

"I spent it with my best friend," Chuck corrected her.

"Who conveniently cleared out the moment I got here."

Chuck couldn't stand the small talk when Serena was being purposely evasive. He had to ask the question.

"What are you doing here?" he finally asked.

"I know you heard me," Serena said. "That day I was there."

"So?"

"I don't have to pretend you don't know what I did."

"Why are you telling me?"

Serena looked at him directly. "Are you mistake-free?"

Blair was relieved she had crossed campus without any notice. It was winter and she was in a fashionable dress with even more fashionable and impractical shoes. She was so relieved to get back to her room that she opened it without a second thought.

She stood in the doorway, taking in the image of Sloane and her boyfriend intertwined beneath the covers.

"Blair." It was the only thing Sloane could say that wasn't already evident.

"No," Blair said. "It's my mistake. I should have realized that I would need to knock in my own room."

It didn't make a difference to her. Instead of backing respectfully out of the room she closed the door behind her and walked inside.

"Nice to see you too, Blair," Princeton said without missing a beat. But he extricated himself from the bed, luckily having enough clothes to be modest. "I'll be outside."

Sloane smiled uncomfortably.

"A heads up would have been nice," Blair said as Princeton left the room.

"Sorry," Sloane said. "I wasn't exactly expecting it."

"Well, I'm happy for you," Blair said. She knew that she didn't sound it, but that had nothing to do with Sloane and her newest development. "I know you've been feeling that he's been distant."

"It turns out his intentions were good," Sloane said. "And where have you been all night?"

It was the last thing Blair wanted to address, but that subject was unavoidable at this point.

"Losing every ounce of self respect I was sure was already gone," Blair said begrudgingly

"So make-up sex with Nate," Sloane clarified.

"If you can call it that."

"What would you call it?" Sloane asked. "I'm sure it doesn't compare to a passionate night of being loved by Chuck Bass."

"Love had nothing to do with it," Blair snapped.

"You know what I mean."

"And maybe you didn't know what I meant when I said I didn't want to talk about it."

"Wow," Sloane said, ignoring her friend's antagonism. "It must have been really good if you can't forget about it after being with your own boyfriend."

Blair just threw her an annoyed look. Anyone else would have been wise enough to drop the subject. But she and Sloane had always been too alike to back down from each other.

"If it helps, Serena isn't around to ruin it," Sloane suggested.

Blair sighed. "That's what worries me."

"What are you doing?"

Chuck and Serena had been sitting at the breakfast table for several minutes without a word between them.

"You really get to the point," Serena replied.

"We were rarely in the same room even when my father was alive," Chuck said. "I haven't seen this much of you in the past year."

Serena picked at her plate delicately. It must have occurred to her. The situation that they were in was strange to say the least and Chuck knew there was a certain reason why she was here.

"To be honest," Serena said, "I wanted to give Blair and Nate room to get back together."

Chuck couldn't help but narrow his eyes suspiciously. He didn't doubt that Serena's intentions were good. Then again, that was what the road to hell was paved with.

And it all seemed so strange. They weren't the closest of siblings and suddenly they had more in common than anyone.

Every syllable was loaded.

"So they've reconciled," Chuck said slowly.

"No thanks to me."

"Blair and your relationship won't be as easy to repair," Chuck concluded.

"I know," Serena sighed. "One of the many reasons I came back."

"And you think I can help you?" Chuck asked.

That's really what it came down to. Serena may have been reformed, but she wasn't stupid. And neither was he. Chuck knew that Serena's plan wasn't only to avoid Blair.

It was to enlist him.

Serena really cared about her best friend's happiness. It wasn't something that was unfamiliar to Chuck. Strangely, he knew what it was like to be selfless.

That didn't mean that he had been employing it lately.

For some reason, Serena thought she would actually get somewhere with Chuck.

"I think it was the best option," Serena said. "And I think that Tyler can."

"You think Tyler can help you?" Chuck reevaluated. "He's a Waldorf. He doesn't want anything to do with you."

"Waldorfs have loyalty in spades," Serena said. "This isn't a scheme. This isn't some complicated thing. I know Tyler loves Blair. And though everyone on the Upper East Side knows your feelings towards Blair, I'm hoping you have nothing better to do."

"Feelings." That was the only word he held on to.

"You hate her," Serena clarified. She eyed him suspiciously.

"Right."

He was losing it.

"You said it wasn't a scheme," Chuck said.

"I think they can work things out," Serena said. "Now if you don't mind, I've had a very exhausting semester."

Chuck watched her trail up the stairs to her old room.

"Fucking your best friend's boyfriend will do that to you."

Serena didn't bother answering.

"Hey."

Once again Blair had to curse herself again for her lapse in judgment. She didn't know what she expected to happen when finally giving in to her adolescent ex, but she was sure shame and awkwardness wasn't what she had in mind.

Nate was easy. It was easy to go along and just float with him. She definitely hadn't imagined doing a walk of shame and avoiding him in the quad. But after all her mistakes, this wasn't what she wanted.

She turned towards him with a forced smile.

"Nate."

She was sure that he couldn't see the difference.

"I've been trying to get a hold of you all day," he said warmly, taking her elbow. Blair expertly slid away without causing alarm.

"I had class."

"Oh." She could tell that disturbed him. "That early in the morning?"

Blair sighed. She couldn't be delicate anymore. She didn't know if she ever could.

"I was worried."

"Listen, Nate—"

"I just don't understand," Nate said. "I thought I was doing everything right."

"It's not your fault," Blair said. "I just—"

"Serena."

That's what it always came down to.

"You don't have to," Blair said. "I just had a class."

"I want to explain—"

"Don't," Blair said. "Just don't."

"How can we move on if we don't talk about this?"

"You don't have to move on from anything," Blair said. "I do. If you say you're telling the truth, then I believe you. I'm sure you have no feelings for her anymore."

"I don't have feelings for her," Nate acknowledged. "I just feel like we haven't had closure."

"Get all the closure you want," Blair said. "It seems that you're suddenly so interested in it. But don't bother."

"Blair."

"I don't want to know," Blair said. "I really don't."

Watching her walk away, Nate knew that was what really worried him.

Sitting at the kitchen table, Tyler couldn't help but feel a wave of disgust. Eleanor had embraced Serena the moment she entered the penthouse and he felt immediate loyalty towards his sister flare up in his chest.

Whatever Blair had been going through, he understood that it could never really matter. Not between siblings. Especially when the leggy Marilyn that had destroyed his sister's life was sitting in his house like she lived there.

Serena was not his sister. She was not his mother's daughter. Before it seemed appalling to him that Blair and Eleanor could never just overlook everything, but the truth of it was, he knew what it was like. He knew what it was like to have such a tense relationship with a parent. And he knew Eleanor was treating Serena the way she never treated her own daughter.

Eleanor had always been cold towards Blair because she was the firstborn and she didn't want her daughter to be a failure. But it wouldn't kill her to actually show some affection. Especially since Serena was gaining all the affection that was due to Blair.

Except from him. Tyler would never allow that. He and Blair were connected and he would never allow anything to come between them.

He shoved himself away from the table.

"Tyler." It was the first time Eleanor sounded the least bit disapproving of him. For some reason, he found it invigorating. "Serena's here."

"I noticed," Tyler said before heading down the hallway.

He had pressed the number one on speed dial before he turned the corner.

"Hello?"

Blair's voice sounded surprised.

"Hey." He hadn't realized how much he had missed her.

"Tyler," Blair said slowly. "I didn't expect you to call."

"I just wanted to hear your voice," Tyler said. "You have no idea what it's like over here."

"I know," Blair said warmly. They always knew. "I missed you too."

"I'm just glad you picked up this time."

"What do you mean?"

"When you talked to Chuck," Tyler explained. "You just hung up."

There was silence on the other end.

"Blair."

"Sorry."

But he knew that wasn't all there was to it.

"We're blood," Tyler said. She didn't need to say it for him to know something was wrong. "Tell me what happened."

"Nate slept with Serena."

She finally said it. But they both knew it was too late.

"I figured," Tyler sighed. The truth was out. "She's here."

Blair paused. "Where?"

Tyler couldn't help but smile. There was that prickly sister he loved.

"At home," Tyler said simply.

But before he could continue he heard a creak of the door and Serena stood before him.

"Can we talk?"

That was Serena in an essence, he supposed. She was always interrupting, always where she wasn't supposed to be, always taking away from others without a thought.

Tyler realized his sister hadn't said anything in a long time. "Blair?"

There was that flare again. Serena was in his house and scaring away his sister. His protective tendencies were paramount. Blair wasn't the only bitch.

But something stopped him. He knew that Blair was only half there anyway and he couldn't talk to her about it with the statuesque blonde standing right there.

"I'll call you back."

He hated himself for hanging up. But Serena sat on the couch across from him and he could only deal with one crisis at a time. He longed desperately to talk to his sister for the first time in months, but he didn't know where anyone stood anymore.

"What do you want?" Tyler asked bluntly.

"Obviously you aren't my biggest fan right now," Serena said.

"Perceptive," Tyler sniped. But Serena was smiling.

"You're so much like her."

"Can we not turn this into a talk about sibling similarities?"

"She won't talk to me."

"I can't imagine why."

"I slept with Nate."

"I know," Tyler said darkly. "That was the point of the sarcasm."

"Of course you do," Serena allowed. "You and Blair have a bond that I don't think I even have with my brother."

"Not even Chuck?" Tyler taunted.

"Not even Eric."

"That was mocking."

"I know," Serena said. For the first time, she sounded defensive. "Blair's my best friend."

"Was," Tyler took relish in saying.

"I just wanted to know," Serena said. "Is there anything I can do to fix it?"

"Not fuck her boyfriend?" Tyler asked pointedly.

"I see whose side you're on," Serena smiled in acknowledgment.

"Do you expect any less?" Tyler asked. "Blair is my blood. She takes priority. Always has, always will."

"What if it was your best friend?"

"Meaning?"

"If you had to choose," Serena said, "you would choose Blair every time."

"I don't know what you mean."

"I hope so," Serena said. "Because if you do, you know you're just lying to yourself."

"What are you talking about?" Tyler asked. It was random and confusing and sudden. But really, he was disconcerted by the fact that some of it made a little bit of sense.

There was something on Serena's face that was conflicted. Tyler knew she was always about doing the right thing. She never wanted to hurt anyone. But she was Serena. She always felt with her heart and less with her head. She couldn't see when she was hurting people sometimes—even her best friend.

"Nothing," Serena finally said.

"Then what?" Tyler asked. "Trying to lecture me on morals?"

"I just want her to forgive me."

Tyler didn't quite believe Serena. He knew that was her one true desire. But there was also something else tugging at her conscience. He just didn't know what it was.

"Then why are you talking to me?" he asked.

"Because part of me thinks that what I did was too horrible to forgive."

"Maybe it is."

"Would you?" she asked. "Forgive?"

"I don't have a boyfriend," Tyler said smartly.

"Fine," Serena acquiesced. "What if your best friend slept with someone they had no right?"

There was something. Tyler could either accept it or just take it as it sounded—a hypothetical situation. But he just wasn't sure anymore.

He couldn't think about it.

"Or maybe you think he's just not capable," Serena said. "After all, that's what Blair thought of me."

"He's capable," Tyler knew. They both knew whom they were talking about. "I just hope he would never do that to me."

"If he did, I'm sure there's a reason," Serena said.

He could ignore it. He could just pretend.

"You're talking like this isn't a hypothetical situation anymore," Tyler said slowly.

"If he ever did," Serena amended.

"Then tell me," Tyler said coolly. "Why did you do it?"

Blair never liked it in Nate's room. Maybe that had something to do with it. Sitting there and being summoned by the boy who cheated on her wasn't exactly the way she wanted to spend her time at all.

And she knew.

She knew that he wanted to talk and she knew it could only be about one thing.

Serena.

"Five minutes," Nate promised as he took a seat across from her.

"When is your roommate getting back?" Blair asked distractedly.

"Blair," Nate said, attempting to refocus her attention. "Just let me explain."

"Explain away," Blair replied.

"It was a one-time thing," Nate promised. "I was in really bad shape. I couldn't talk to anyone else. She was just there. She listened and she didn't judge and I just needed to talk to someone. It was a really hard day for me."

Nate paused to gauge Blair's reaction. She just looked at him blankly.

He took a deep breath and dove in.

"My dad is being put away for embezzlement and fraud."

He stopped and looked into Blair's eyes.

"Nate," Blair finally said. "I really don't care."