Hello again! Sorry this update took a little longer. Real life intervened.

Thank you for all the new reviews! I am so happy you are continuing to enjoy. I have planned for there to be about 2 or 3 more chapters for each universe before the final chapter. I hope you to continue enjoying to the end. Thank you all!

**B**New Year's Eve**B**

The room was brightly decorated, and the crowd was happily drinking and dancing about. Blair sipped on her champagne and watched the ebb and flow of the crowd. If someone had told her a year ago, hell, six months ago, that she would spending New Year's Eve in Brooklyn, watching Nate Archibal and Dan Humphrey playing beer pong against two random girls clad in matching bedazzled Hello Kitty dresses, she would have called the Ostroff Center herself to have you committed. Yet here she was, and even more, she was enjoying herself.

"Oh come on man! You can't just give up like that!" Nate whined.

"I can and I am. You are you on your own. I can't drink anymore. Besides, midnight is only like five minutes away." Dan clapped Nate on the back and started to walk away. Nate turned his attention back to his opponents who giggled and waved flirtatiously at him. Dan turned back to Nate, "Yeah, I think you'll be fine."

Blair smiled as Dan made his way over to her, a champagne glass in each hand. She had initially been reluctant to come to the party. She had been increasingly busy networking, collaborating with other writers, and finalizing layout concepts, in addition to preparing for her final semester of school. She had originally planned on spending the evening in her bedroom, going over an interview she had gotten with, god help her, Vanessa Abrams concerning a recent project she had contributed to concerning the importance of the arts in schools, and reading a few chapters of one of the books focused on in her American Literature class, a recommendation by Humphrey of course. Serena had different ideas. She thought Blair should get out and enjoy herself. When Blair initially refused, Serena insisted- Blair, if you don't go, I'm going to tell everyone about your secret music collection. I'm really curious how the people you are working with for your magazine centered around high brow arts and culture would feel knowing that "What is Love?" and "Truly Madly Deeply" are in your top 25 played songs on iTunes? Blair decided she could find the time to make an appearance.

She gratefully took the glass Dan offered her and asked, "Do you think Nate ever tires of being a stereotype?"

Dan laughed and said, "Not everyone can be as focused on their twenty year plan as you. There is something to be said for enjoying the moment and living life."

"So says the guy who asked for a subscription to The New Yorker, a moleskin, and a pack of pencils for your ninth birthday."

"Have you been talking to my sister?" Dan asked and eyed her.

Blair smirked and shrugged her shoulders.

"Ok, yes, I have always known what I've wanted to do, yet I'm the one who can come to parties without Serena blackmailing me."

"How did you know that?"

Dan smiled devilishly and began to softly sing, "I want to stand with you on a mountain. I want to bathe with you in the- Ouch! Stop pinching me!"

She tightened her fingers momentarily before releasing his arm. "If you think about telling anyone what you know, just remember, I know where you keep your spare key."

Dan rubbed his arm, laughed, and started hummimg. He was saved from a second assault when the crowded room began counting down from twenty.

19...

Blair looked around her. She saw Nate and one of the girls, fingers entwined, holding their glasses to the ceiling. Nate whispered something into her ear and she leaned closer to him.

14...

Dan poked her in the shoulder. "Come on." She smiled and joined in on the count.

12...

She was reminded of the last few months events-the betrayal, the hurt, the confusion. It had been one of the worst years of her life and she was thankful it was almost over. But some good things had come out it. She no longer was sitting around, waiting for things to happen to her. She knew exactly what she wanted in her career, and she was making it a reality. Instead of Bass Industries fundraisers and galas, she was attending Humphrey and Archibald sponsored parties, and enjoying it. She looked at Dan's cheerful face and thought of their new friendship. No, the year hadn't been all bad.

3...

The thrill of the crowd was contagious, and she felt her body filling with excitement.

2...

She saw Nate wrapping his arms around his new acquaintance.

1...

The room raised their glasses to ceiling in celebration. Blair didn't hesitate to follow suit.

Happy New Year

Voices cried out, party favors shot glitter and confetti on everyone, and a speaker began to pour out "Auld Lang Syne." Blair set her glass down and began clapping with others.

"Happy New Year, Blair." She turned and saw Dan looking at her, a soft smile on his face. She saw his eyes sparkling with joy and excitement. She never had paid attention to his eyes before. They were dark and intelligent, but right now they were also bright and cheerful.

"Happy New Year Dan." His smile grew and she noticed how full and soft looking his lips were. She looked at him for a moment longer before grabbing his lapels and pulling his lips towards her. There was a moment of hesitation on his part, before he wrapped one arm around her waist and his other hand tangled in her hair. She opened her mouth a little and let the kiss deepen. Her left hand begin moving up. Her thumb graze his jaw and she could feel it working, moving the mouth that was covering hers, controlling the tongue that was dancing with hers. The hand finally found its resting spot on his neck, where she let her fingers play with the small curls nestled there. Her right hand tightened its grip on his jacket and tried to pull him closer. The sounds of the room quieted until all she could hear was her own pulse beating so loudly that she was convinced Dan could hear it too.

A nearby dancing couple bumped into the kissing pair, drunkenly giggled, and danced away. The incident had been quick, but it had been enough to break Blair out of the moment. She stepped away, grabbed her purse of the table, and turned to leave.

"I have to... I need to go. I've got a lot of work to get through."

"Blair, wait." He put a hand on her arm, and she felt goosebumps form.

She quickly pulled away. "Sorry, Humphrey. I have to go. It was a great party, thank you for the invite. Tell Nate I'll call him later." She rushed out of the room and the party before he could say anything else.

She lay her in be that night and tried to rationalize her outrageous actions- a momentary lapse in judgment brought on by the merry atmosphere, the holiday excitement, her adrenaline, the champagne! Yes, it was definitely because of the champagne. Never mind the fact the she hadn't even finished her second glass. It had absolutely nothing to do with his eyes or his lips or how his shirt pulled across his chest or how when he laughed, her stomach knotted. No, there was most definitely nothing more to this than heightened emotions, hormones, and a ridiculous rash action, which is why when she fell asleep, she was most definitely not dreaming of brown eyes, messy curls, heartwarming grins, and experienced kisses.