Secondary Characters in this Chapter:
- Katherine - Works at the Waldorf's as the chef, fairly close with Blair, acts as an aunt for her. Has too children Alyssa (Aly, Lyssa) and Tyler (Ty) who are very close with Dan (through babysitting) and Blair (through Katherine).
- Cameron - Waiter from Maritza's, very close with the Humphrey's. Has an interest in both Jenny and Eric.
Waldorf Penthouse, New York
24th December 2007
"Dan!" Dan smiled as Alyssa ran straight behind him using his body as a shield against her Nerf gun wielding brother. Taking a hit straight to the forehead he exaggerated the hit falling to the ground as if he were really dying. It tool everything in him to keep a straight face as he heard Tyler's gun drop to the floor in shock.
Rushing forward Tyler ignored his gun as it fell, moving to check over Dan worried about possibly hitting him in the eye or something more drastic. As he moved closer he realized a beat too late what Dan had planned. Shrieking loudly he laughed as Dan latched onto his ankle dragging him to the ground and began ticking him.
"I see they got their Christmas presents early." Dan's sentence was directed at Blair and she smiled at the fact that even though she hadn't had a chance to announce her presence at all in the last few moments since he'd arrived, he'd known she was there.
Gliding over to the bunch she picked Tyler up off Dan and ushered Alyssa over. "Bridge to Terabithia's set up in my room, why don't you go up and keep Eric entertained."
Alyssa and Tyler both hugged Dan once before disappearing up the steps their joy filled voices echoing through the house followed by a thud as they tackled one another on the upstairs landing.
Dan picked himself up off the floor dusting himself off before he wrapped his arms around Blair pulling her back flush against him as he pressed a kiss to the back of neck. Her perfume enveloped him, her hair ticking her his cheek as he smoothed his thumb over her clavicle. He listened was Blair sighed serenely before closing her eyes. Fishing around in his pocket he felt the cool metal against his finger. Pulling the chain out, he draped it around her front before clasping it and replacing her hair around it. "Merry Christmas Blair."
Blair lifted her hand and delicately touched the oval locket. She traced the engraving on the back lifting it up until she could see the words that her mind had been unable to make sense of simply by touch. "Numquam periit amor." Blair's eyes watered as she examined the antique locket. "Love never dies." Her whispering tone wavered slightly as she tried to control her emotions long enough to express to Dan how amazed she was by his gift. Blair knew every inch of Dan's room and every piece of possible family heirloom it contained, and this was definitely not inventoried in her mind. "Where on earth did you get this?"
Dan rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, was it too much to ask that she just be grateful and not ask about how he acquired it. Shuffling his feet he took a deep breath before meeting her eyes. "You remember the elderly couple - Hannah and Chris - in the lift with us during the masquerade ball?" Blair blushed but nodded remembering the trouble she'd had reigning in her hormones for just that small incredibly awkward moment of time. "Well when I was on my way back up after the ball finished, Chris asked me to hold the lift, he'd finished pestering Dexter and was headed back upstairs a victor. Anyway we were in the lift as he was telling me their award winning novel worthy story, he gave me the locket. He said that Hannah wanted me to have it and that I would know when it was the right time to give it to you." Dan smiled as he recalled that there was no doubt in either of their minds that Blair was going to be on the receiving end of their gift.
Blair's eyes watered as she realized just how long Dan had kept it skillfully hidden from her waiting until the opportune moment. Her eyes wandered over to the clock as it chimed upon the hour and she turned in his arms smiling brightly up at him. His lips descended upon hers and she found herself lost in all that was Dan Humphrey.
Dan reacted first moving only a hairbreadth away and blinking in an attempt to clear his mind of the lust filled fog. "Happy anniversary." The words were whispered against her bruised lips, his breath fanning her face as he pressed one more tender kiss to her lips before taking two full steps back. "Now what do you need me to do."
Blair internally scolded herself, the doctors and the soon to be arriving guests when the reply that popped into her head was 'me' and with great disappointment she pushed her lust down. She honestly couldn't wait to get him alone tonight and celebrate their anniversary in a proper manner. "I um... I need you to... just uh..." Blair was saved from further humiliation when from her right the elevator doors opened and her father and Roman spilled out, Roman scowling down at the crutches as he did so. While from the left the room rapidly filled with staff preparing to cater the Waldorf Christmas Eve party.
She watched as Dan repositioned himself behind her well aware of his problem. The fact that they were medically prevented from finishing what they had started for so long meant that every little action continued to have an even greater affect on their ever mounting arousal. Glancing down at Dan's hand, she noticed his nails roughly digging into his palm as the other hand remained encased in her own.
Smiling slightly as his tight grip loosened somewhat, Blair sighed in bliss as he stepped further into her, this time a gesture of intimacy as opposed to using her as a shield. As her eyes scanned around the room she felt her jaw drop open in shock as one bright red headed girl that stuck out the most amongst the others - not because she didn't look model appropriate but rather it was a much too familiar face, her blue eyes shining as she took in the gloriously decorated Victoria Secret inspired tree. "Mel?"
An awkward chuckle filled the room as Mel turned and tried to position the pink Christmas hat on her head so that it stayed in place, her sparkling eyes showing guilt and the tiniest sliver of fear. "Hey Guys, surprise! Merry Christmas." Her smile though slightly forced was still partially sincere and she hoped they - Blair - wouldn't be too mad.
Blair crossed the room brushing Mel's hand out of the way as the red head continued and failed to keep the hat in place. Grabbing one of her own bobby pins that had been holding her fringe back, Blair simply repositioning he headband so it did what she wanted, before turning to reassess Mel's hat. "So you won't come to work for me in the kitchen but you'll work for my mother dressed like that?" Clucking her tongue in disapproval, she weaved the pin through Mel's hair as she tried to figure out what drove the girl in front of her to make such nonsensical choices.
Stepping back Blair smiled at the way the hat looked after, actually managing to complete the look as opposed to the 'cheap whore' thing she had going on moments before despite her looks. "Okay your good as long as you don't throw your head around too much and it'll hold."
"Aww. Well there goes my night of fun." Mel's sarcastic comment did nothing to cheer Blair up as she instead focused on her father who was once again fussing over Roman. Noticing Blair's drop in enjoyment, Mel's brow furrowed as she stepped forward trying to figure out what was wrong with her friend. However as her lips parted to speak she caught her supervisors eye, the disapproving glare leaving no room for misinterpretation. Shooting Dan a look, Mel quickly moved away from Blair hoping her friend's loyal boyfriend would be able to succeed, picking up her tray Mel sighed in defeat before and heading back to the bar-like set up in the kitchen.
"Roman how's your leg?" Dan walked towards the older man gesturing him towards the lounge knowing the last thing most people wanted when they were injured - especially an injury that is not as serious as it was made out to be by Harold - was their over attentive partner to be constantly fluttering around to check if their okay. Sure enough Roman quickly - well as quickly as one can on crutches - shuffled over and dropped gracefully onto the lounge. Seeing Harold look over at his daughter Dan smiled slightly hoping that this would give him the time he needed to actually talk to Blair.
Blair smiled in thanks as Dan looked her way. She moved forward and wrapped her arms around her father in a pre-apologetic hug. She knew that having Freddy show up would undoubtedly cause her father some distress but she needs to know for sure whether Roman would jump ship or not because despite how annoying Blair found her father's obsessiveness when someone is injured, it's something that she is certain will never change. So if Roman was going to be on the receiving end of that then he better well deserve it. Ushering her father over to the chaise opposite Dan and Roman, she kept her father trapped in conversation until the first guests began to trickle in.
Dan switched spots with Harold as he came to keep an eye on his injured partner as more people continued to fill up the room. Placing his hand over hers, he felt her rigid stature relax somewhat as she placed on her mask as the bored daughter of the woman who was throwing the party as opposed to the hurt daughter of a man she hadn't seen in nearly a year. A man who was too wrapped up in his partner to notice how his actions were affecting her. "It's okay to hurt Blair."
Blair shivered slightly as Dan's breath caressed her ear, she knew part of it was from the ghost memories of him doing that while partaking in other memories, but more importantly she knew it was her body's way of telling her she was hurting more than she was letting herself feel. Blair shook her head trying to keep her emotions from overwhelming her. It was not okay to hurt about this. It was selfish of her to feel like this.
For her to hurt about this meant she still had some claim to her father when it was obvious that just like her mother they had been traded in for Roman. Exhaling loudly she grabbed a flute from one of the passing caterers, sipping the bubbling liquid and trying to ignore the pain in her heart, instead she focused on Dan's fingers slipping between her own as he'd tried to help her to the best of his ability.
xoxoxoxo
Lily sighed as she looked around the room eyeing Serena pouting in the corner as Dan and Blair conversed quietly on the chaise, their hands brushing as their gazes remained locked. Eric had told her excitedly that he was going over early to help Blair with a project and Lily had been more than pleased. She was incredibly grateful that despite the constant shifting that went on with Serena and Blair's relationship, Eric had remained close with the brunette. However Serena's reaction when she'd been informed of Eric's whereabouts, after she'd arrived home with nothing to do and hoping to spend some 'quality' time with her brother, had been record breaking. Lily had been left mouth agape as she watched her daughter behave like a five year old as she stormed off in a huff muttering about Blair having everyone worshiping at her feet and had been in a bad mood since.
She'd noticed Blair's behaviour tonight would occasionally switch back to what it had been before Dan had appeared in their lives - a cold disinterest as she surveyed the crowd. Lily wondered what was going on with the young girl but every time she thought of going over, Dan would say something to thaw her and Blair would smile gratefully at him. Making an educated guess, Lily figured Harold's reappearance in New York was probably not going according to Blair's plan. Glancing over at Eleanor she watched as the woman sipped from her champagne and hoped she was simply imagining the excessive alcohol the other woman was consuming. Though they had drifted further apart in this last year, it pained Lily to acknowledge just how much her friend needed her help and more importantly how hard it was for her to give it.
Setting her guilt aside, she noticed a sliver haired man walk up to Eleanor, a gift in his hands and a hopeful smile on his face. Her own smile grew at the sight and she wished this man would be able to give Eleanor the hope and strength she herself was too cowardly to impart.
Her phone buzzed to life beside her and she slipped from the party hoping to go about unnoticed. Upon her return she noticed that while the majority of the people in the room had altered who they were talking too Blair and Dan managed to maintain an air about them which was discouraging others from interacting with them.
Realising she had yet to see her youngest, Lily glided over to the Blair and Dan successfully gaining their attention. Sparing a glance at the locket resting against Blair's chest, Lily couldn't help but marvel at the antique. Dan's hand against her own shook her from her thoughts as she glanced at Blair and pretended not to see the glistening in her eyes. "Have either of you seen Eric?"
Blair brushed her hand under her eye grateful that she'd caught the tear that had uncontrollably fallen down her cheek, somehow Lily's simple question had made the dam break and she could tell she was about to start fighting a loosing battle.
"Yeah he's up in my room. I'll go with you and check on Lyssa and Ty." Making sure her hair covered her face she squeezed Dan's hand before standing up and steadying herself by grabbing his shoulder slightly. Ignoring the questioning look Mel sent her, she led Lily up the stairs, felt Lily's hand squeeze her shoulder gently in support as they continued in silence relishing the quiet that the second story provided. Blair knew she had about a minute before Dan came up and needed to check that all the decorations were finished and out of sight, lest it ruin the surprise.
Pushing open the door to her room, she couldn't help but laugh at the sight before her. The glue sticks were abandoned and Eric, Alyssa and Tyler were under the covers of her bed tears streaming down their faces as their eyes remained glued to the screen. Grabbing the remote she had the decency to pause the movie before speaking. "Firstly those lids better be on, Dorota will kill you if you get glue on that comforter. Secondly are you done because Dan'll be up her in less than a minute."
Alyssa tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, blowing into one of the tissues before looking up at Blair, her red rimmed eyes flashing with excitement. "We finished about fifteen minutes ago, everything's packed up in that box."
Not even sparing a glance at the box Blair swept over to the bed, tucking herself in between Alyssa and Tyler, wrapping her arms around the two as they leaned further against her. Focusing on them she tried to ignore the clenching in her heart as she noticed Lily brush her hand over Eric's forehead pushing his hair back as she pressed a kiss to his freshly exposed skin. He wriggled in false displeasure, the smile that slipped through giving him away.
Lily knew that Eric would be fine to get himself home but at the moment she wasn't in the mood for a party and she had no intention of ruining this for Eleanor. Her eyes shone with pride as she watched Blair interact with the two children, she always knew it was worth the pain to try and get past Blair's abrasive outer barrier and this scene alone furthered her belief.
Crossing to the other side of the bed, she kissed the side of Blair's head wishing her a Merry Christmas, stroking the girl's hair once before she exited the room. The sounds of the movie resuming covering her cough in a desperate attempt at fighting her laughter when she found Dan was waiting on the other side of the door just as Blair had predicted.
After taking another moment to compose himself after saying goodbye to Lily, Dan tentatively entered the room unsure of what he would find. He definitely did not expect to find the four of them tucked into Blair's bed, tears gathering in all their eyes with previous tear trails staining all their faces - Blair's obviously from those few traitorous tears she'd been able to prevent. Turning to look at the screen he noted that they were up to the scene with Jess' breakdown in the forest. Raising an eyebrow in Eric's direction he watched as the boy huffed before pausing once again and wiping his eyes, not a trace of embarrassment in sight.
"What?" Eric's sharp, sarcastic tone startled Dan more than it should have. Ignoring Dan's surprise Eric continued on, not willing to be judged for connecting with the story. "You'd have to be dead inside to not cry." He paused momentarily, gesturing to the screen as if trying to get Dan to understand just from the paused image. "It's just so sad and no matter how many times you watch it, you hope the ending will be different, you get your hopes up when you hear Jess' name being called, only to be crushed once again."
The three others nodded in agreement as they motioned for Dan to be quiet as they watched the end. Understanding the cathartic nature of a good cry, Dan agreed lying across the end of the bed, resting his head on his arms. He was not surprised when he felt Aly, Ty and Eric place their feet on his back, while Blair curled into his side resting her head on his stomach. His hand curled around a strand of Blair's hair the familiar silkiness providing him a sense of peace as he slowly felt his eyes closing in spite of himself. He was well aware of the sniffle that escaped him as he tried to contain the tears that the small snippet of the movie were reducing him to.
Blair watched as Dan's breathing evened out as the credit's started rolling. She smiled slightly as she wiped the tears off his face. She heard Katherine quietly enter the room, glancing over at the lot of them with a fond smirk on her face. Smiling the woman she thought of as an aunt, she allowed herself to be pulled into a hug, which was quickly joined by Lyssa and Ty.
Whispering so as to not wake Dan she wished them all a 'happy holidays' promising to tell them of how much Dan liked his gift. Katherine had a mischievous gleam in her eye that told Blair that Katherine knew Dan's present was more than just the 'snow'. Running her hand across Blair's cheek, Katherine smiled warmly before ushering her kids out of the room.
Eric moved closer to the end of the bed, speaking to Blair as he tugged on his shoes. "I'll go set everything up and text you when it's finished, it'll probably take at least an hour though. But you can go whenever after that." Wrapping his arms the girl who was basically his sister he allowed himself to commit this moment to memory, wanting something to hold onto should he ever feel as alone as he once did. Shaking the depressing thoughts from his mind he smiled warmly at Blair, laughing slightly as Dan let out a quiet snore. "I'll see you both tomorrow."
Scooping the box of Blair's desk, he grabbed the laptop and his own bag, leaving the room, the door shutting slightly. Eric was surprised as he realised that he'd all but forgotten about the party, scanning the room for Serena, he sighed in relief as he noticed she was no longer in attendance, which hopefully meant she'd decided to take her negativity somewhere else for the holidays.
Blair ran her hand through Dan's hair once more, kissing him on the forehead before she grabbed the comforter and tucked it around him so he stayed warm. Pressing a featherlight kiss upon his lips as she noticed him smile in his sleep - a smile which somehow became a smirk under her lips though he still remained asleep. As she stepped back she felt him turn towards her, his frown deepening with each further step she took, until he shifted the blanket so that it was under his nose at which point her perfume that she had no doubt was infused into the blanket soothed him.
Moving out of the room, she slipped silently through the small crack in her otherwise closed bedroom door, closing it even further behind her. Smoothing her hair down and wiping under her eyes to get rid of any running eyeliner or mascara she plastered a smile upon her face, descending the stairs once again, never noticing the blonde eyeing her now closed bedroom door with interest before quietly peeking her head in.
Serena watched her best friend descend the stairs, her confusion only growing when she noticed Dan sleeping peacefully in Blair's bed, apparently happy snuggled under the blue comforter that Blair never let anyone - even Serena herself - use. Yet the fact that Dan hadn't hightailed it out of the room with a screaming Blair behind him was something that Serena figured went beyond good ol' Christmas charity.
Chewing her lip in puzzlement she decided that staying at the party would probably leave her with more questions than answers. She was slightly put off when she noticed that Blair was too engrossed in her phone to notice that she was firstly walking down the stairs and secondly leaving the party. There was once a time where Blair wouldn't have left Serena's side for a moment and though Blair was her best friend, it had been nice to know that even her best friend knew how important she was to the party. Even if it was egotistical of her, Serena longed for those times.
Slipping past the man exiting the lift she pressed the lobby button, the doors closing just in time for her to hear Eleanor exclamation of 'Freddy?!" She had no doubt that Blair had a hand in whatever drama was about to unfold. A small bitter voice pointed out in her mind that if Blair was involved odds were Dan was as well. Something that did not sit well with her.
Leaning back against the cool wood, Serena couldn't help but be glad that she was escaping the Waldorf drama of the night. As the wind whipped her face and taxis honked each other in the Christmas night traffic, she thought about going home before realising she wouldn't be able to sleep without talking out her confusion revolving around Dan and Blair with someone. Someone who wouldn't think she was crazy and certainly someone who believed Dan and Blair were not at all suited to each other. Despite the current tension surrounding a certain sandy blonde haired boy, there was only one other person who she could think of at this moment in time who would understand and that was Vanessa Abrams.
Outside the Palace Hotel, New York
24th December 2007
Lily sighed in relief as she rounded the corner, the Palace now in view. She scowled down at her boots in annoyance, her frustration for them culminating as she flexed her frozen toes and felt the blister that was bound to be on her pinky toe rub against the edge again.
When she'd left Eleanor's she'd looked at the walk home as a good chance to reflect while the cool weather cleared her mind. However a few blocks later, her toes were not only frozen but her feet were throbbing from the pain. Pushing forward she found herself seconds away from the gate and quirking her eyebrow as she noticed a familiar person stretching next to a Christmas tree.
Jenny scowled in Cameron's direction annoyed at his sweet idea. "You know, when Blair and I came up with this plan, I didn't know that it would entail robbery."
Cameron flicked her on the shoulder, taking a moment to massage the muscles in her back knowing it would make her more inclined to agree with the final aspect of the plan. They all knew how much it would mean to Eric to have a Christmas tree and with the latest development of Serena's spontaneous gift to Dan, they knew this would easily suffice as a gift for her as well. "Hey! I left a donation… well Blair gave me enough money to leave a donation. So it was more of a rescue than a robbery." Cameron gestured to the tree currently lying on the ground, nudging it with his boot to make his point. "You know, those abandoned trees would just be kicking it after Christmas. And this tree we have here will be loved and admired." He could admit to himself that attributing the characteristics of an abandoned kitten or puppy to a tree wasn't the best comparison but it got his point across. And apparently it got Jenny to stop complaining.
Glancing at the gates they wondered once again how they were supposed to get it past Dexter. Jenny hadn't had much interaction with the cranky man but even she knew their plan they had wasn't that great and had very little chance of success. A voice startled them from their contemplating as they tried their best to appear innocent.
"Jenny…" Pausing momentarily Lily looked over to the boy with floppy hair, she took in his features trying to figure out why he looked so familiar. Her brow puckered in concentration until it clicked. "Oh, you we're the waiter at Maritza's. Sorry I didn't get your name."
"It's Cameron, ma'am." Cameron tipped his invisible hat letting his father's southern accent slip in as he smiled up at her.
Lily couldn't help but feel dazed as the boy turned his charm on her, there was no denying his dazzling blue eyes could probably get most people to do whatever he wanted without asking too many questions. "Well Cameron it's good to see you again. Call me Lily." Bending down slightly to examine the tree that was clearly meant to be a Christmas Tree once it was all decorated up, she chuckled softly as she saw Jenny elbow him in the side, gesturing for him to turn down the charm. "Now what are you doing with this tree?"
Jenny cleared her throat slightly. "Yeah, ehm, they don't allow Christmas trees inside... which is why we're out here…" Jenny shrugged hoping she could leave it at that before she had to reveal their pathetically bad plan out loud.
Cameron seeing that Jenny was refraining from using their best chance at actually getting this harebrained scheme to work, decided he would literally and figuratively nudge her in the right direction. Placing his hand at the small of her back he pushed her further towards Lily hoping the other woman would be willing to help. "…which is why Jenny is about to ask you for a favour."
Lily smiled knowingly at the pair as she eyed the tree before peering around the two and noticing Dexter perched at his desk his eyes running over the mountain of paperwork in front of him. Running her hand through her hair she could help the laugh that reverberated through her before she began speaking. "Ah, does it involve distracting Dexter and sneaking into the elevator?" She watched as Jenny blushed and looked down slightly before shaking her hair out of her face and peering up at her from behind her lashes, her eyes filled with hesitance.
"Why, would that work?" Jenny's voice was soft as she moved in closer, figuring that if the dangerous glint in her eye was anything to go by, Lily had a plan. One that might just make this turn out to be the best Christmas she'd had in a while.
"No, never." Lily paused needing them to understand that any other plans they might have in the future were not going to work if they involved sneaking past Dexter. She sometimes wondered if the man was actually human. "He has the eyes of a hawk and he takes his job very seriously."
"So I've noticed." Cameron stated in agreement as he watched Dexter's head snap up from his desk before he strode forward and began screaming at a little girl who had been skipping through the lobby, tripped over a bag the 'baggage guy' had been handling and as such was currently sporting a nasty cut on her knee and her forehead that was already starting to swell and bruise. Yet the man just kept on yelling, stunning the girl into silence.
Lily clucked her tongue at the spectacle he was making. She turned back to the two teenagers and noticed their pleading eyes. Sighing in acceptance she motioned them forward, turning towards the back of the Palace. "But Bobby at the service entrance… I think he can be bought."
Jenny and Cameron both broke out into full blown mischievous and excited grins. They started following Lily before they realised that the tree was still needing to be carried. The grins immediately slipped off their faces as they grumbled about the injustice of child labor - even if they had been the ones to 'rescue' the tree.
Lily chuckled as she watched them walk forlornly back to the tree. Her laugh was cut off as she felt a soft hand on her shoulder. Turning she smiled lightly as her eyes traced Rufus' apologetic face. Shrugging in acceptance, of his non-verbal apology she grabbed his hand, that one gesture full of promise and the knowledge that they still had a lot to talk about.
His arm wrapped around her shoulder pulling her into him as his lips met her temple. Releasing her far too early for his liking, Rufus slipped his hand into her own, squeezing it once before taking a step forward.
"Do you need some help?" Jenny jumped in surprise as she heard her father's amused voice. Cameron quickly gave Rufus a hug, wishing him a Merry Christmas as he watched the man who was much like a second father to him, immediately begin to help them lift the tree without even asking why they had a tree in the first place.
Lily beaconed them forward again, her smile firmly in place as she recalled the phone call she'd received that had prompted her early departure from the Waldorf's.
Lily paced in front of the bar, ignoring the way her hand drifted towards her phone. Her body betraying her mind and wanting her to call Rufus. Grabbing a flute off a passing caterer's tray, she watched as the red headed girl, looked back at her as if to check she was okay. Before the girl wondered over to Dan and Blair, subtly speaking to them as she served them. Lily's eyebrows puckered in confusion as she watched the girl walk away but not before placing her hand on Blair's shoulder and squeezing it reassuringly.
Sipping at the flute, she looked down surprised to see that it was already empty. Frowning at herself as her hand once again drifted to her phone, Lily rolling her eyes before she placed it down on the table next to her, determined to forget about it. Just as she turned away it began vibrating, flashing up the name of the one person she'd been too scared to call in a few weeks. Unable to help herself she snatched up the phone, flipping it open without a second thought. Unfortunately her ability to speak failed her and she listened hoping he'd say something. A minute or two of silence passed between them before she cleared her throat and tried again. "Hello?" Lily cringed as she realised how hopeful her voice had come out.
There was silence on Rufus' end, the sounds of Brooklyn the only thing that reassured her that he was still there. She heard him exhale and her heart jumped into her throat preparing herself for whatever he was going to say. Slipping up the stairs and into the bathroom she flicked both locks before perching on the edge of the bath.
"Hey, it's me." Her pulse raced as she finally heard his soft voice, the uniquely Rufus tone soothing her more than it should be able to. Her eyes watered slightly as she waited for him to continue, needing him to continue.
Leaning back against the door, her shoulders slumped as the exhaustion of keeping away from Rufus since the night of the Debutant Ball hit her. It had taken everything in her to stay away and to see him look at her, talk to her with such disappointment - all the more with Alison right next to them, had hurt. Badly.
"Hey." Her voice wavered as she tried to gain control over her emotions.
"Oh Lil." She could picture him running his hand over his face as the words left his lips. She knew he'd be perched on the fire escape, looking over the city as if it would provide him with the answers they both so desperately needed. "I… How did we get this bad?"
She knew he was technically speaking to himself, but felt the need to respond anyway. "I don't know. I was- I am scared. I've been remarried five times, been in countless relationships, but it was always you. It's always been you and it just took me a while to actually realise that. But you had Alison and I know you're in a rough patch but you were happy. You had a life, a life away from me and everything that comes with that. And despite what you say, I know you Rufus. And I know you are hurting."
Lilt took a deep breath trying to level her voice as she wiped her traitorous tears "Hurting after the end of your marriage. Hurt that she betrayed you. Hurt that I betrayed you. But I can not be there, as a stand in. As a reminder of what could have been. It's either all in or all out. It's up to you." Lily paused, blinking her eyes rapidly to prevent the shedding of the army of tears that has flooded her eyes. "I'll be at the Palace all night. Otherwise, Merry Christmas Rufus."
Hanging up she allowed a small sob to escape her before grabbing a handful of Blair's makeup pads and fixing up her makeup. Sighing as she slipped out the door and continued back down to the main party. Eyeing her daughter she figured she needed to find Eric and say goodbye. Seeing the silver haired man still pursuing Eleanor and knowing it was premature to get her hopes up, she still against all odds she made a slight Christmas wish knowing if there was one thing she hoped the most this Christmas it was that Rufus and her would finally talk.
"Good evening, Ms Van der Woodsen. How are you?"
Lily blinked as she registered Bobby smiling at her. She watched as his eyes widened as he took in the three trailing behind her. "Very well Bobby. Merry Christmas. How is everything at home?"
Rufus watched as the man smiled in a way that only a father who is incredibly proud to be a father can. It's as if with one simple question the world made sense again, as if everything was right in his life. Bobby beaconed them all forward, pulling out his wallet to show them photos of his three year old boy and his new baby girl. Rufus wrapped his arm around Jenny's shoulders, pulling her to him and placing a kiss on the crown of her head as he remembered the first time he was allowed to hold his baby girl, she'd been so small and so pink and now she was all grown up and well she still had a lot of pink.
Jenny snuggled further into her father's embrace, knowing he was in the middle of one of his 'moments'. Placing her hand on the crook of Cameron's elbow she smiled at the sense of family she felt wash over her. Bobby blabbered on for a while about all the new things his kids were doing - the fact that his son had just managed to form his first bedtime story that was somewhat followable, while his wife and daughter had just come home from the hospital the other day.
Looking up at the man who had the brightest smile she'd seen in a while on his face despite the fact that he had to work on Christmas Eve - in the service entrance of all places - Jenny decided that's what presents should be about, giving another person a sense of joy even if it's just for a brief moment.
Cameron watched as the man turned his back to them and resumed speaking with Lily as they walked right passed him. Surprisingly Bobby didn't need money, he just wanted someone who actually cared enough to listen to him talk about his kids and embrace the holiday spirit. Despite that Cameron pulled out the hundred left from Blair's money and slipped it into Bobby's pocket as he passed silently wishing him a Merry Christmas.
Waldorf Penthouse, New York
24th December 2007
Eleanor huffed as Harold paced in front of her, the vein in his forehead pulsing with each intake of breath. "I'd wish you would just slow down for a second and let her be." Twirling a strand of her hair in frustration, Eleanor placed her hand on her ex-husband's shoulder trying to get him to stop. "You're going to get more grey hairs if you don't relax."
Harold glared at Eleanor before bringing a hand to head as if to prevent any colour from leaking. "I just can't understand why Blair would do something so cruel! And to Roman… who was nothing but kind to her." Harold released a breath of air as his confusion temporarily sidelined his anger, before he looked to Eleanor pleadingly.
"It isn't Roman Blair is lashing out at… it's you." Eleanor sighed as she stepped around to face Harold needing him to understand what he'd done wrong, how much he'd hurt not only her by bringing Roman over but Blair as well. She knew ultimately Blair was dealing with this relatively better than Eleanor figured she would but she still wasn't coping as well as she suspected Blair herself thought she was.
"She was hoping for spending time with you all alone… and then you show up at her doorstep…" Pausing once again she tried to figure out the best way to describe Roman without causing herself the pain of calling him Harold's partner. "…with your lover." The wind escaped her as she tried to ignore what the bitter taste on her tongue. She knew she hadn't handled the whole surprise guest thing all that well, but Roman was right - they were friends once and she had trusted him unconditionally, something which meant calling him something as low as Harold's lover had caused unexpected guilt to flare within her. Pinching the bridge of nose she pushed all her feeling aside determined to have this resolved as quickly as possible. "Without a word of warning! How did you expect her to react?"
Harold walked over to the bench leaning heavily against it before slouching on the stool, his body hunched in confusion as he tried to understand exactly how he'd let things get so out of control. His Blair-bear had been in pain and he had not noticed at all. "Well, I hoped that when we were together we would all... work out. I suppose that was pretty naive." Harold scrubbed at his face, the look of despair he wore made him look at least 10 years older.
"Blair learned scheming from her mother and unrealistic dreaming from her father." Pausing in sympathy, she once again remembered how grateful she was to Dorota as Eleanor was unsure of how Blair would have turned out had it not been for the other woman, who would have given her a sense of stability that unfortunately neither she nor Harold had effectively provided. "She tries really hard to act all grown up but don't you be fooled... she's still a little girl... who needs her daddy."
xoxoxoxo
Blair wiped a tear as she curled up on her bed next to Dan. It had been surprisingly easy to escape the party since no one her age was in attendance and Serena had disappeared without a goodbye. She sighed as Dan's arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her in tighter. Unable to fight it any longer, she let her tears silently fall the only other proof of her distress was the slight shaking of her shoulders. Closing her eyes she curled her fingers into his shirt, anchoring herself against him as she drifted into a light slumber.
Dan stirred as he felt a body shaking under his palm. Rubbing his hand across her soft flesh, he inhaled Blair's perfume before pushing himself into actual consciousness. He didn't remember falling asleep nor did he remember the others leaving but he knew despite how much Blair loved Eric, Alyssa and Tyler, the odds of her allowing them to see her in this state was slim to none.
Sure enough when he blinked his eyes open he was met with a relatively empty bed. What worried him was the fact that Blair was now crying in her sleep, her small body curled against him as if she needed to be shielded from the world. Running his hand down her back, he set about waking her up, trying to ascertain how long she'd been here for. Judging by the growing tear-stained patch on his shirt, he figured it had been a while. The fact that her soaked eyelashes lifted with difficulty as she awoke furthered his conclusion.
His words were soft against the crown of her head as he waited patiently for her distress to ease somewhat. "What happened?"
Blair's sobs became somewhat vocal when she realised she'd woken Dan up. It wasn't honestly that much of a surprise given not only how much of a light sleeper he was but the fact that he was impossibly tuned to her emotions. Yet there was a sense of failure about the fact that she couldn't even cry without somehow screwing it up. Wiping her nose on the tissue Dan passed her from the end of her bed, she gave him a watery smile knowing maybe he'd be able to make sense of what she was unable to. "Teddy showed up."
Dan rubbed a hand across her back reassuringly. Moving their positions to one he knew would be more comfortable for her, he realigned himself horizontally at the end of her bed before shifting Blair so she was lying with her head on his stomach, her expressive brown eyes filled with an indescribable amount of guilt and pain that he never wanted to see there again. As it was he was berating himself, he should have stopped her earlier. He'd found other stuff out about Roman in the background check - his unfortunate experience with braces in his late teens and early twenties, his stunt in rehab for numerous drug addictions, he was arrested for urinating on a cop car - in all fairness all of this was in the aforementioned braces period but that didn't mean that Blair had nothing to go on. He'd seen her make her opponent cry at the fact that they'd forgotten to cross a 't' in a thank you letter they'd sent her. He should have stopped her before she got Freddy involved. He should have known she'd get hurt. He should have-
"Stop." Blair's words were soft as she reached a hand up and ran her fingertips along Dan's jaw. "It wasn't you're place to try and stop me. I asked you to do something and you did it, regardless of the consequences. It's my fault. I shouldn't have contacted Freddy. It's just…" Blair's breath stuttered again as she tried to wipe the image from her mind. "You didn't see his face. The disappointment." She felt Dan's fingers twine through her hair, gently carding through it, the actions soothing her instantly. "I didn't ask for him to bring Roman here. He didn't have to deal with a drunken Eleanor the last two days. How did he not notice? How could he not have seen how bad this decision was? I spent Christmas at Roman's last Christmas - granted he wasn't there for more than two days but that's beside the point. How someone lives says a lot about the person, I already knew who he was I didn't need him here to prove that he truly loved my father."
Dan opened his mouth to speak, but quickly snapped it shut when she looked at him as if daring him to continue. Moving his hands to her forehead he began massaging her temples as she resumed speaking.
"Roman and I spoke after Freddy left. I owed him a bigger apology than I owed my father." Blair fiddled with her lace hem, her eyes shutting as she struggled to rein in her emotions. "They bought a vineyard you know. A few miles from Roman's old house. It's apparently lovely. And their commitment ceremony's is in a few months. Roman was hesitant to tell me since he said my father was supposed to talk to me about it but he said that since I'd directly asked him he couldn't lie." Threading her fingers through one of Dan's hand she brought it down to rest against her cheek, his cool extremities providing a much needed relief on her flushed face. "He's a good man, Roman is. I knew that back when he was just my mother's model. Hell, even Eleanor knew that. But it's like there's no more room for me in my father's life anymore."
"Oh Blair." Harold's pained voice floated over to them and Dan made to untangle himself knowing this was a conversation he probably had no right being a part of, yet with each move he made to get up, Blair just held on tighter.
Harold locked eyes with Dan before gesturing for him to relax that he might as well stay. Harold had a feeling that anything they said would later be relayed to Dan so the boy might as well stay. Perching on the end of the bed, he stroked the side of Blair's face hoping she'd at least hear him out. "Please forgive me, Blair. I should have told you I was bringing Roman."
Looking down at his knee he picked at loose thread knowing that he couldn't say what he needed to say while looking at her face. "I knew that having him here would be hard for you…" Hearing her intake of breath tugged at his heart knowing that admitting to the selfishness of his thoughts was only going to cause her more pain. "But I love you so much and I love Roman and I was hoping if we were all thrown together, that something… perfect would happen and that you would love him too."
Blair took a deep breath trying to stabilize her voice. Having already moved away from her father's hand upon his confession, she simply retreated further into Dan, needing his support to tell Harold of what her main hope for his visit was. "I was gonna convince you to move back to New York, with Roman. I knew it would be hard on you with people's judgment but I figured surely you'd do all that for me, but… you bought a vineyard... in France… with Roman. And the commitment ceremony? How long have you been planning that one?"
Harold's head bowed even more - though it hadn't seemed possible at the time - and Blair had her answer. Betrayal flashed white hot through her, she didn't understand how her father and her had gone from having such a close relationship to one where she wasn't even aware that he was this serious with Roman, especially after only knowing the man for two years and being with him for less than one. Sure occasionally she got lost in the romantic ideals of the heart wanting what the heart wants - she and Dan were a perfect example of that, but logically she couldn't wrap her head around that level of commitment, even more so since it appeared to be coming at the cost of her own relationship with her father.
Dan ran his thumb across Blair's wrist hoping she understood that Harold hadn't intentionally sabotaged their relationship. Seeing her starting to close off, he listened as her breathing evened out far too soon a sign that she was simply pushing everything down. Going against any tactical instincts that a boyfriend must have when dealing with his girlfriend's father, Dan looked up and glared at Harold hoping he'd get the hint.
Stepping back momentarily at the intensity of the look on Dan's face, Harold shook his head reminding himself that while he might be hesitant to admit his plan had backfired so spectacularly, Blair needed him. "Sweetheart, there is always room for you. No matter where I am, no matter who I'm with." Pressing a kiss to her forehead he touched the disk behind his back cautiously still unsure of whether to present her with the gift or not. "Roman and I are about to head off but before we left there's still one more tradition we have yet to fulfill."
Dan smiled as he watched Blair move with more purpose than she had since stepping into her bedroom. Her lips were not quite a smile but far from the quiver they had been. Resting his hand on the small of her back, he gave her a slight push so she was sitting fully up to share this last moment with her father.
"Now, here… this is part of your Christmas gift." He watched as Blair examined the wrapped CD with growing curiosity before she grabbed her laptop from her desk and curled up at the head of her bed, resting her feet on Dan without giving it a second thought. Harold hummed quietly to himself filing the information away as he sat down next to her, squeezing her shoulder once in reassurance before allowing her to press play.
Dan watched the emotions flitter across Blair's face with each changing picture, to him that was far more important than whatever was on the CD. He watched every intake of breath, watched her level the quiet hysteria undoubtedly building inside of her as she answered with a voice just shy of robotic that luckily Harold appeared to pick up on.
"Your house in France. It's very nice, Daddy. I'm sure you and Roman will totally enjoy it." Blair's eyes prickled again as she tried to remain focused on the fact that her father was happy and that he and Roman actually have a furnished house - a beautiful one at that - instead of the glaringly obvious fact that he was actually gone now, a whole other continent away. That he wasn't going to be able to drop everything and cuddle her when she needed it. Feeling an increase of pressure on her foot she allowed her eyes to glance over the top if the screen and saw Dan massaging her foot gently, his own brown eyes kind, reassuring and understanding. Her father's intake of breath caused her eyes to flick over to him as he murmured quietly, obviously timing the words with the changing pictures.
"And so will you, because this…" He listened as Blair gasped as she took in the victorian styled room in front of her. "is your room."
Blair is words were soft and reverent as she reached out as if to touch the furniture. The image in front of her proof that she would forever remain a part of her father's world in France. "It's beautiful." Smiling as the picture zoomed in on a portrait of Audrey matching the one she had presently hanging above her, she hugged her father's side, touched beyond words that he had included her in his own piece of heaven.
"We had it decorated just for you." He heard her chuckle as she caught sight of the fluffy fur-ball of a cat in Roman's hands. "His name's Cat… it was Roman's idea." Blair's eyes flickered to his and he winced at the guilt in her gaze, he'd caught Roman before he'd journeyed upstairs and was well aware of Blair's apology and her reasoning behind it, and while he was still disappointed in her that didn't mean he wanted to be the reason her beautiful features were twisted in guilt. "So, Merry Christmas, sweetheart." Lifting himself up from the bed he clasped Dan on the shoulder in farewell as he passed. Turning as he opened the door, he looked back to Blair who was looking significantly happier. "We're hoping that you'll spend the whole summer with us."
With that Harold departed the room, leaving the two in a comfortable silence. Slowly Dan began moving up the bed until he was able to rest his head comfortably on his shoulders and watch the photos as she flipped through them again.
"The whole summer…" Blair's words were whispered, almost disbelievingly as she focused on what her father had told her. Her fingers curled through Dan's own as she gathered her thoughts. Realising she had months to deal with her father's offer but only a few more hours alone with Dan, Blair gathered her phone noting the 'all clear' text from Eric.
Dan's puzzlement only grew as he noticed Blair's lips quirk at the corners. Her hand was warm in his own as she squeezed tightly - almost as if she was making sure he was still there. Regardless of his confusion, Dan helped her into her warm coat, the cut accentuating her petite frame. "Where are we going?" The words slipped out before he realised he had said anything, watching the glint in her eyes shine again, he groaned realising not only was he not going to receive an answer but Blair was going to keep him in the dark even longer since he questioned her.
A/N: First time doing a secondary character summary at the start, let me know whether it made a difference or not.
~ Gabz