"Ruby, we need more shots!" Vanessa said, leaning over the bar. "2 shots. Jenny is cut off."

"I just had one!" Jenny whined, propping her elbows on the bar and placing her chin in her hands.

"And it was pure orange juice, my dear," Ruby said, placing shots in front of Dan and Vanessa. "These two," she pointed at them, "can pass as 21. You, my itty bitty pretty one, can not."

Jenny rolled her eyes, "You know, I've gotten into bars before."

"You have?" Dan asked, looking appalled. "What bar? I'm going to call the police and tell them they are letting in underage girls."

"Oh, really?" Ruby said, shooting him a glance. "And what do you call yourself?"

The bar was crowded, the night before Thanksgiving was basically a drinking holiday, even though most college students were at home with their families (and this was primarily a college bar, even if Ruby didn't like to admit it) there was a big crowd waiting for drinks at the bar. Vanessa, Dan and Jenny had taken seats all the way at the end and Ruby was getting to them when she could, which was not very often, which meant that their night of debauchery was turning into a night of sobriety. Probably for the best, at least in Dan's eyes.

"Ruby, before you go, can you make us like… three drinks each?" Vanessa said, batting her eyes at her older sister. "You've given us two shots and one beer, I don't even have a slight buzz."

"And that is worrying," Ruby said, pulling out some glasses from under the bar. "Drink these and then get out of here. You are hogging up my bar and you aren't even tipping me."

Vanessa laughed, grabbing the glasses, "Isn't being my sister a tip enough?"

"Hardly."

Jenny let out a deep breath, "If I can't drink here, I'm leaving. This is lame. I, also, knew that was just orange juice."

"Don't leave, Jenny!" Vanessa said. "We'll chug these," she handed one glass to Dan and pressed his hand up so that the glass was against his lips, "and then we'll head somewhere else. What bars have you gotten in to before?"

"Vanessa, she's still in high school. Maybe we should let her call it a night."

"And ruin my night with the dynamic duo of the Humphrey siblings? No way. Why don't we just grab a bottle and drink and Ruby's?" Jenny wasn't paying attention at this point, having her phone up and trying to take a selfie. "Jenny?"

"What? Oh, well, actually… I told some of my friends I would just meet up with them." She put the phone down, "I mean, you guys could come… I guess."

"We'll just stay here," Vanessa said, slumping in her chair. "You're going to regret this, little J, when I'm not at Thanksgiving tomorrow."

"Ugh," Jenny said, sliding off her chair, "don't remind me that I just have Dan to hang out with. What kind of holiday is that?"

"The best kind," Dan said, reaching over and messing up her hair.

Jenny gave Vanessa a hug and a kiss on the cheek before she turned, waving above her head as a goodbye to Dan as she left the bar.

"She's growing up too fast," Dan said, taking a sip of his drink.

"Aw," Vanessa said, reaching over and grabbing his cheek between her thumb and index finger."

Dan swatted her away, continuing to drink whatever Ruby had made them.

"Hey, Ruby," Vanessa shouted at her sister who was half way between them and the other side of the bar. "Do you have cards?"

Ruby put up her index finger, finishing with the customer she was helping before grabbing a deck of cards from below the bar. "Here. Where'd Jenny go?"

"She couldn't take that you refused to serve her. You're such a hard ass, Ruby," Vanessa laughed.

"That is my middle name."

Ruby went back to tending customers and Vanessa turned in her seat to Dan, "Ever play drinking war?"

"Drinking what?"

"You know the game war? You drink every time you lose."

"That sounds like the worst idea ever, Vanessa."

"I know," she said, with a twinkle in her eye, "that's why it's the best idea ever."

"Come on, Dan," Vanessa said, stumbling behind him as they got out of the cab. "I know I told you it was a good idea before but I think I was lying. This is a terrible idea."

"Why?" Dan said. "Blair said she wanted to see me."

"Like three hours ago. When you were still sober."

Dan glanced at his phone, just realizing now that it has passed from the night before Thanksgiving to the morning of Thanksgiving. When did that happen? "I think it will be fine. I'm barely drunk."

Vanessa started to laugh, holding her stomach as she bent over. "Yeah, okay, Dan."

"What!" he said, swinging around to face her. "I am. I'm barely drunk. Look, look what I can do." Dan placed his finger on his nose… well, he attempted. His finger landed midway between his nose and his cheek. "Okay, fine, maybe not sober but then again, I'm not driving."

"Dan, I'm telling you as your friend that this is a bad idea. Let's get a cab and go back to Brooklyn."

Dan shook his head, "We are already here. I'm going to go in." Dan glanced up at the brownstone townhouses, "Vanessa, can you read the numbers?"

"No," she said, walking towards him and tugging at his sleeve. "We should go back, Dan. Let's just finish the night at your place watching a dumb movie and waking up to breakfast in bed from Rufus."

"What bed?"

"Your bed, dummy."

They had used to, used to being the operative word, share his bed during high school. His head being at one side of the bed and hers at the other. It had never been anything more than a friendly sleepover but, and maybe it was the alcohol talking, he could hear a hint of something else in her voice tonight. Or maybe that was him thinking about Blair. His thoughts were getting all jumbled up.

He shook his head, a little too violently as he had to rub his temples to stay upright, "You can go back. I'm going to go see Blair."

Dan reached in his pocket and grabbed his phone. Closing one eye, he scrolled through his contacts until he got to Blair's number.

"Blair? I can't hear you?" Dan said, pressing his fingers against his free ear. "No, I'm outside. I know, I'm a little late. Traffic, am I right? Blair? Blair? Can you come outside?"

Dan looked at the phone, pulling it away from his face, "I think she hung up on me."

"Great," Vanessa said, rubbing her arms trying to stay warm, "Can we go now?"

"No," he said,shaking his head. "Blair!" he yelled, pressing his hands against his cheeks in an effort to be louder. "Blair!"

"Dan," Vanessa said, pointing, "Your phone is ringing."

"Oh," Dan said, laughing slightly before accepting the call. "Blair? I can hear you now."

Blair made a small sound on the other line, "Dan, what is it? I was in bed."

"Oh, did I wake you? You're at home?" Dan pulled the phone away from him for a second, "She's at home."

"I know, Dan," she rolled her eyes, "I can hear you."

"Right," he said, nodding, and then pressing his phone to his ear again.

"Who are you talking to, Dan? Are you in the party? What is going on?"

"Vanessa. I was talking to Vanessa. We got a couple of drinks and then we came straight here. Why are you already home?"

"It's midnight, Dan. I need to sleep. I have to bake in the morning."

"Don't you want to see Vanessa?"

"Dan, I'm going to hang up now. Can you get yourself home?"

"Can we get home?" Dan asked Vanessa, clumsily covering the mouth piece of his phone. Vanessa rolled her eyes as an answer. "Yes, Vanessa said we can get home."

"Great. I'm super glad Vanessa can get you home," Blair said, an edge filling out her sleep filled voice. "Dan, I know you probably won't remember this, but do you realize it's embarrassing to tell your friends that your boyfriend is coming and then he doesn't show up?"

Dan shuffled from one foot to the other, "Do you want me to come over?"

Blair let out a sharp laugh, "What? No. I want you to go home and sleep off whatever you clearly drank. I texted you hours ago to tell you I was going home and not to bother. I'm already getting text messages telling me a homeless man was screaming my name outside of the house. I'm guessing that was you."

"Possibly," Dan said, sheepishly.

"Great. Good night, Dan."

Dan looked at his black phone screen. "I don't think that went well," he said, sobering up.

"I told you this was a bad idea," Vanessa said, sitting on a stoop. "The cab is going to be here in a minute."

Dan groaned, his head pounding as he looked at the clock on his phone. 5 AM. The worst part of drinking, he decided, was the early morning wake ups when all he wanted to do was crawl under his sheets and forget. Speaking of forgetting, for being as drunk as he was, he was surprised to find all of the bad memories of last night come rushing back to him. He supposed that was what happened when the rest of your night was filled with thinking about it.

He knew it was too early to call Blair, but he had a gnawing pit in the middle of his stomach that was growing. Except maybe that wasn't from the guilt. Dan rushed up, his head spinning as he did, and rushed to the bathroom.

When he returned to the bathroom, teeth and hands thoroughly cleaned, he then noticed the body of someone else in his bed. Dan groaned, making his way out to the kitchen instead where his dad was already sitting, coffee and paper in hand. Dan reached out his hand for the coffee.

"Rough night?" Rufus said, reluctantly giving up his own cup.

"Just a bit."

"You look it. You should shower," Rufus said, pulling back and wafting the air.

"I might pass out in it."

"At least you would be clean," Rufus laughed to himself.

"That's actually zero percent funny," Dan said, lying down on the couch and covering his face with a pillow.

"You know what's not funny? I told you not to have Blair sleep over. I realize that's being old fashioned since you are at school, but not under my roof."

"What are you talking about?" Dan groaned, sitting up. "Dad, that's not Blair. It's Vanessa."

Rufus narrowed his eyes, "I don't care who it is. I think you are too old to be having platonic sleepovers at this age. And why is Vanessa in your bed? What would Blair think of that?"

"I think she wants me to go to hell right now," Dan said, pressing his palm against his forehead. "I think this would just be an addition to the list of grievances she has against me in a 24 hour period. A 12 hour period, really."

"You know what I hear is good for when you screw up?"

"Is this one of your infamous words of wisdom?"

"Apologies."

"Why are you apologizing to me?"

"I wasn't. That was my Rufus word of wisdom for the day."

"Great, Dad. Super job. What a shocking revelation into the world of adult dating?"

"Since when are you an adult? And, I must say, I love that you keep your sarcasm about you when I just heard you getting sick in the bathroom. Today, on Thanksgiving, I am thankful for my always gracious son."

"You are such a comedian. Wake me up when it's the proper time to call someone to grovel for their forgiveness," Dan said, shutting his eyes.

Rufus chuckled, "I'll wake you up at 9:07, then. I always find an apology right at 9:10 goes over the best."

Dan rolled over to his side, "Whatever, dad. Just leave me here to die in peace before Blair slaughters me."

"Okay, but remember, sincerity is the most-"

"Dad!" Dan mumbled into the cushion. "I'm serious."

"And I'm serious when I say- don't puke on my couch."