Okay a slight change of pace, tell me what you all think, thanks again to everyone who reviews or has done!

Saturday morning. When Blair woke up the house was peacefully quiet. She felt calm and euphoric for no reason in particular. She smiled, she and Nate were going out for lunch, then shopping with Serena and dinner with daddy. Perfect.

She weighed herself and did her homework in her pyjamas. Everything seemd lighter and easier today. She got ready to go out, and when Nate called she didn't pretend to still be getting ready like some girls did, she just let him curl his arm around her shoulders and went with him.

They talked, it felt like they hadn't talked in years. Nate seemed clearer and sharped today too. She only realised just now that it had felt like she was scrabbling through smoke fug to reach him, the air between them was cool and fresh. She watched him in the restaurant like she normally did, and he didn't look around him, he focused on her, and when he laughed, he tipped his head back a little and the edges of his eyes creased like crinkly crisps. Blair saw other girls in the restaurant looking at him with hungry eyes, but he didn't return their gazes.

"So, how did that essay for french go? I know you were worried about it."

She smiled and swallowed, "Aced it."

He laughed a little, "I don't know why you're always worrying about school, you've never failed a class in all these years I've known you, apart from," he paused, mock serious, looking at her earnestly, "7th grade netball. Flunked it."

She giggled and sat back, "Hey, you know that still hurts, why would you bring something like that up when you know the pain it caused me." She pretended to be in a huff for a few minutes and let him cajole her back to him.

"Seriously though, you shouldn't be worrying, I'm the one who should be worrying! I'm failing chemistry so badly right now."

"Whatever! You could totally pass it if you stopped letting Chuck take you outside for "fresh air" before class. And if Mr Pieser hadn't moved that kid from Brooklyn away from you."

Nate raised his eyebrows, conceding defeat, "Yeah, I think he's onto me, though Humphrey never figured it out."

They both laughed, Nate had cheated shamelessly from that kid all year and he'd never guessed.

"Speaking of, how is Chuck?"

Nate rolled his eyes, "Last I saw him last night, he was eyeing up some ballerinas, so god knows."

"Don't you think it's hilarious that he never just finds someone normal to sleep with? They always have to be really weird!"

"Remember the time he got wasted at Bungalow and tried to pull some off-duty cop."

"Oh god, we had to bail him out . . ."

"And that drunk was sick on my favourite loafers!"

Blair giggled, it had been funny, "If I was your mom I would've gone crazy!"

"My mom didn't care, she just bought me another pair! It was me who was upset, I loved those shoes."

They fell silent for a moment, Blair's hand lay on the table somewhere close to the salt and pepper, Nate slid his accross and interlocked his fingers with hers. Blair looked up and met his eyes.

He stroked her hand with his thumb, "And I love you."

Blair smiled and looked at their hands, she wanted a photo of them, they fitted together so perfectly, "I love you too."

-----

"So B, how are you enjoying it?" Serena held a short, jersey, orange affair up against herself.

"Ugh. No. You look like a bowling alley hooker. Enjoying what?" She stood up in front of the mirror and admired the navy blue silk shift dress she was wearing, she took a quick peek at the price tag - $1,300 – pocket money.

"Being queen!" Serena came up behind her with a long gold chain necklance and put it on Blair, "You have to buy this."

"You think?" Blair stood on tippy toes and shuffled round 90o, "It's good I guess, a lot of pressure, I wasn't really execting it."

Serena raised her eyebrows.

"Okay, so it might be just about the most amazing thing ever."

The both giggled. "Try the next one on."

Blair obeyed.

Serena pulled a bar of chocolate out of her bag and rested her head against the way, closing her eyes, "God,Kati and Iz are driving me crazy!"

"I know what you mean. We know their friends, why do they need to match."

"Maybe we should just start referring to them as Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, see if they stop."

"What do you think?"

Serena looked up, Blair was in a tea green dress, with lace at the collar and wrists. "It's . . . nice."

Blair raised her eyebrows and laughed, "Yeah, if I was sailing up on the Mayflower!"

Serena snorted with laughter and chocked on a bit of chocolate, Blair had to laugh – she looked ridiculous. "That's funny – you should remember that."

"Yeah, for whatever my mom tries to dress me up in next." She put on a fake Russian accent and turned around suddenly and comically, putting her hand on her hip and exaggerating the pose, "How's Klaus?"

Serena still had chocolate in her mouth, she put her hand over it, "No idea." She swallowed, "He and Lily broke up. She's gone to some therpeutic spa upstate to "externalise her issues". Whatever."

"Can you get this zipper?"

Serena walked over to unzip it. "She was a bit upset actually, I might have to start calling her mom again when she gets back."

"Probably for the best."

Serena shrugged, "All done."

Blair stepped out of the dress, "Come on, let's go get the blue one."

They went down to shoes next, arms linked, which was a bit awkward because Serena seemed to have shot up another few inches in the last few weeks, but they made it work.

"Have you eaten?"

"Yeah, with Nate."

Serena asked for a pair of gold strappy platforms that Blair wouldn't have been seen dead in in her size and Blair asked for some red patent heeled brogues.

"How was it?"

"Really good actually, things felt right today. I'd missed him"

Serena nodded and began to buckle the straps of her shoes. "I know what you mean."

"You do?"

"Yeah, he's been a bit weird recently, is everything okay with him?"

Other than him cheating on me? Wanting you? "Yeah, I think so, I don't know though, maybe his family, the Captain can be a little . . ."

"Yeah totally, or his mom, she scares me." Serena finished with her shoes and turned to face Blair and lowerd her voice, "Whenever I speak to her I always think it's like the only part of her face that's real is her eyes, like they're in a cage and she widens them and it's like "Help I'm stuck!"" Pause. "But maybe it's just the botox."

Blair exhaled loudly, "Or the valium."

"Ugh, I forgot about that. Sucks."

"Pretty much, I don't know, I don't like to bring it up, y'know?"

"Yeah, I guess."

-----

"Blair-bear!"

Blair's father stood up and opened his arms when she walked in, other diners looked over their shoulders and miled indulgently. Blair gave him a little peck on each cheek, European-style and nodded to her mother as she sat down. Her mother smiled stiffly and took a glug of her gin and tonic.

"Hey mom." She smiled to her father, "How was work?"

"Dull, dull, dull! Your mother's day was better – tell her Elle."

"We're launching a male line."

"Oh wow, mom, congratulations!"

Eleanor turned to Blair's father, "With Roman Quincampoix as the male muse.

"Oh parfait!"

Eleanor rolled her eyes. Blair glanced between her parents and remembered their fight, her mother muttering Roman, her fathers unexplained absence two nights ago. She pushed it all to the back of her mind.

"So, Madame Bombardier totally loved my Camus essay!"

"Ah mon chérie, I've always loved all things French" Eleanor snorted, Harold ignored her and continued, "And it seems you do as well."

Eleanor interjected – "I though Camus was Algerian?"

Haroled smiled tightly, "Well French Algerian Elle."

Blair switched again, "I think Nate's failing Chemistry, I was thinking of tutoring him?"

"How accomadating of you!"

Eleanor regarded Harold's benevolent face coldly, then, "Yes, most accomadating, but I'm not sure if I want you doing it, you're busy enough as it is, what with school and your extra-curriculars and your friends and Nate."

"Now Elle, I'm sure Blair can manage, can't youu baby?" He held her chin and looked into her eyes, "You get more and more beautiful every day my darling. It'll break my heart when we have to send you off to Yale."

Eleanor reached across to the bread basket and took a roll and began to butter it. "About that, have you spoken with Dean Roberts Harold?"

"Blair and I will be attending a cocktail party at the alumni house with him next month."
"Next month sounds .. . perfect."

Pause.

"So daddy, tell me about when you were at Yale, I want to hear it all again."

Eleanor rolled her eyes, "Waiter!"