She stepped out of the large glass building at 6:43am, a fake smile on her round face and thin short legs shaking in her designer boots. She was happy to be back, scared of who she'll see and then petrified about the baby mess. She had been barely gone two years and already she was needed back. Visiting Clara was one of her favourite things to do and she waited every year for them to visit her in France.

Blair Waldorf smiled turned genuine when she saw the faithful Bass driver, Arthur, leaning against a long black limo. It had been a while since she had seen a limo, longer since she had been in one especially this specific one. Arthur held the sleek black door open and Blair jumped in nervously, her hands feeling the smooth leather of the limo. It was cold but held a certain warmth to it, this was the limo she had lost her virginity in and it held more than that.

Chuck lost his first baby tooth here and got 500 dollars for it. His father didn't let him in the Bass Industries photo that year because Chuck couldn't help but want to show off his toothless smile. Nate had fallen in his first ever soccer practice and this is where Dorota cleaned and kissed it better. Serena smacked her head against the limo door as she was getting in in the middle of one of her rants about Lily's new husband and got her first and only black eye. Blair found her love for Audrey Hepburn, Chuck's late mother also loved her and left many of her movies in the limo. On the long drive to the Hamptons, all the NJBC had watched them together. Serena's black eye was swelling so she could barely see it, Nate fell asleep after two but Chuck and Blair sat and watched hours of them.

They were nice memories she told herself but that's all they were memories. These people were meant to be her everything but when she left, it was all such a mess. They would be her past, they would be distant memories that you smiled at when you remembered them, they were stories she would tell her future children. Blair was there for Lily, Clara and Rufus now, maybe for a few days but then she would leave for Paris again.

She knew she had to see Chuck again, it hurt when she read on Gossip Girl that they all had rekindled their friendship even after he had hurt her so bad. That's when Blair decided to be better, she had always been so involved in the Upper East Side that she hadn't seen the rest of the big wild world. Over the past few years, Blair had been in many different countries. She travelled, helping those in need around the world. A new fascination of hers was to draw the disaster around her then show the drawings to the world. Blair was good at what she did, it was a new talent that she recently had discovered and now couldn't get enough of it.

Blair pulled out her phone and read some of the past blasts of Gossip Girl, trying to refamiliarise herself with the Upper East Side. So much had happened over the past few years and where Blair was most of the time had no cell service. These quiet five minutes were for her and only her to become Blair Waldorf again.

Well my little pretties, it's been a boring week since our former Queen B left and I'm looking for some gossip. I got just that when it was confirmed by multiple sources that S and N have finally taken a long awaited break. Was B's departure too much or were they doomed from the start? Only time will tell XOXO

A king without a Queen is nothing but our king only needs his faithful court. N and C were seen having scotch at the Palace bar, has C finally gotten over our Queen? We will never know XOXO

Lonely boy and the Brooklyn trash were seen boarding a plane to the middle of nowhere at lunch, obviously it was business class. Ugh. Only five minutes ago I got a tip saying that S was seen being dragged by N and C from Victrola, poor S. Every good girl has a bad side. Let's wait for the claws to come out and really see that kitty. Meow. XOXO

Blair was worried now, she never really knew how bad it got. There had been a blast about a month after she left about Serena getting drunk and partying half naked infront of middle aged bankers but Blair thought it was to flush her system of it. The bad girl can't be contained unless you let it out a few times, Serena was okay. If that was true, why was there so many blasts about her former best friends getting drunk?

The car pulled down a street that was filled with more memories, Blair tried to look away but her eyes were stuck. One entrance to Central Park was very visible unlike when she was younger and some of the shops were new but it still looked excactly the same as she remembered.

There was a tree right at the front of the Central Park entrance that a ten-year-old Chuck had decided to climb to show he was just as much as a man as Nate, he made it surprisingly and Blair lost her bet. She had to wear full outfits of purple for a week, they weren't bad but she still loss to Chuck Bass.

" Chuck get down, you are going to hurt yourself!" Serena squealed, she didn't like Chuck at that point but she didn't want him getting hurt. When photos were taken there would be Chuck in a wheelchair or in a cast, Blair would hate it so Serena hated it.

" yeah come on, we can do whatever you want after you come down. I'll even wear a suit," Nate offered but Chuck wasn't having it, he was getting up this tree.

" I don't think he can do it anyway, I'll bet my wardrobe for a week on it that he'll come down a failure as always. You know I'm right." Blair said annoyed that he was taking up her time, they were meant to be feeding the ducks right now.

" oh how wrong you are, deal Waldorf," Chuck shouted down and before they all knew it, he was up the top of the tree comfortably. " well my dear little friend, purples a nice colour. I think you can wear it, all week as well." Blair scowled and walked off, nodding for her friends to come along to feed the ducks. She didn't care that Chuck was still up the tree, he deserved to be stuck up there. She hated him.

That coffee shop was where she and Serena had breakfast everyday before she became queen. They didn't care what they ate, she could briefly remember eating many chocolate croissants there and huge mugs of boy chocolate with extra cream. She could remember laughing and smiling because life was so much simpler then, it was just two teenage best friends eating simply breakfast together.

" B! I can't believe your Queen, it's going to be so much fun. We get to eat at the Met steps, you'll have all the boys crawling at your feet. It'll be so amazing." Serena giggled and three soccer players turned and looked at her. Clearly checking her out, Blair rolled her eyes. Why wouldn't anyone look at her like that?

" what if I can't do it, S? It so much easy being here just me and you then in the day Nate and Chuck tag along. I have an entire school to run, I can control us but I can't control all of them." Blair worried, biting her finger nails. Serena knew she did that when she was extremely nervous so she grabbed her hands to stop her.

" you are a queen, a beautiful strong independent queen. You will be amazing and this school will be at your feet before you can say 'off with her head.' This is your dream, live it and shape it to become perfect." Serena smiled at her best friend and they felt some warmth in their stomachs. They were friends, they didn't talk about dark and scary things but when they did it felt good.

" what if I need a king? I'm always stronger with my friends but there can't be two queens, Nate could be my king. It wouldn't be so hard to deal with the St Judes boys and I will always have a date for events." Blair tried to reason with herself more than Serena. She would have suggested Chuck but he was a dark knight, her dark knight. He could have everyone tending to his every need but he didn't want that, he used people when he needed them not when he wanted them. Nate was just easier to deal with than Chuck was.

" I can't say no to you, just think about it. Make yourself known as queen, let the people see how strong you are alone then add in a boy. Be a queen before a consort, show them the amazing Blair Waldorf I know. The girl who doesn't need a man to shake some shit up, the girl who gives you nightmares and daydreams." Serena nodded her head at her friend and Blair smiled accepting it, she was right. Serena always knew how to make her feel better, she only need her friends.

Blair wished that it was still true, it used to be. They used to be the people she depended through everything and then it all turned to shit. Serena left when Blair's parents had divorced and her father came out as gay because she had slept with her boyfriend. Blair forgave him and then he goes back Serena telling her he loves her. To escape, to free herself from the heartbreak she went to Chuck and slept with him. It lasted for a few weeks and then it all went wrong. Nate found out and left her, Chuck loathed her and left her. Serena came after her and for a few short years everything went bad.

Bart died. Three words, eight letters. The games and lies, betrayal and heartbreak. Then the words were said and hearts were fixed. For an short few months it was like a dream then Jack came back, forcing Chuck to trade her for the hotel. Then it was Jenny and then it was... it was awful. It was all so awful that she had run, run to Paris to stay with her father. She never regretted it and she never will. But that never stopped her from missing her old life with her old friends.

Serena, Nate and Chuck were walking through the cold halls of the hospital, finally leaving after a full day at that germ infested hell hole. Clara was with Rufus and Lily, probably cooing over Timothy. It had been only a few hours since the newest Humphrey was born but the stay at the hospital was almost a full two days.

" freedom is ours!" Nate joke yelled as the automatic doors swung over, welcoming them with fresh air. It smelt of the garbage and sewers of New York instead of the bleach and plastic of the hospital.

" stop being so dramatic, honey." Serena giggled at her husband, a huge smile crossing her face. They had been married for 12 years and still they were as close as ever.

" stop saying honey around me, I'm your brother and that's my best friend. The lovey dovey crap makes me want to be sick," Chuck stuck his finger to his mouth, pretending to be sick.

" it's been twelve years since we got married, get used to it Charles because I'm not gonna stop." Serena chatted, letting her arm out to hail a cab. The Bass driver was in use by one of Lily's guests and so Arthur was taken as well. Only the best for the guests of the best.

" we have to catch a cab. It public transport with seats too close and gum stuck under the chairs. It's completely

disgusting," Chuck scowled. He was a Bass, Chuck Bass at that, and Bass' don't take public transport. He had only done this once in his entire life and that had been an emergency. Blair had decided to take his limo and leave him in the middle of nowhere with only a god-obbsessed Georgina Sparks.

" stop thinking about her Bass, it's only going to make matters ten times worse." Serena chastised him in her gentle sisterly way but continued to jump in the cab. Nate withheld a chuckle and jumped in next to her, Chuck followed quickly afterwards.

" still wanna burn her stuff?" Nate hinted slightly. He really wanted to get over Blair, for all of them to get over Blair. Chuck need to move on with his life, Serena needed to stop feeling so guilty about failing her best friend.

" definitely, it's time." Serena nodded, holding back the tears. To distract herself she looked out the window but everything reminded her of Blair. The shops. The hotels. The restaurants. All of it was so Blair that even the street lights reminded her.

" it's been time for a while but we haven't known it. I'm over it now, it's time to leave the past in the past." Chuck battles with himself, his wind racing with thought after thought. He pulled out a flask from his jacket pocket and offered it to Serena after three large gulps.

" trying to get pregnant," Serena said, putting her hand up to push it away.

" so that means you aren't pregnant, a little drink won't hurt you." Chuck offered again. This time Serena glared at the silver flask until it got the better of her.

" fuck it, it's only for tonight." Serena laughed as she grabbed the flask, after taking the tiniest of sips she gave it to Nate.

" didn't think this would be our night but who wants drinks, video games and action movies?" Nate sighed, welcoming the burning warmth at the back of his throat. Nate was more of a whiskey man, he never got Chuck's obbsession with scotch.

" never thought I'd say this but Die Hard and Halo might be my best offer." Chuck chuckled, sipping down the rest of the scotch.

" it's your only offer and don't deny it. You have no other friends but us." Serena cackled. Grabbing her purse to pull out the money needed to pay the taxi, they were only two blocks away now.

" that's not my fault. It's yours." Chuck pointed at them both with his large pointer finger, his best friends couldn't help but break out into a laughing fit.

" how?" They both said between giggles, it was becoming extremely hard to breath.

" it was always Chuck come play video games with me or Chuck, Georgina and I are going partying, we need your finest joints." Chuck imitated their voices, getting Serena's surprisingly spot on. " I never had time to venture out to make new friends because you kept me busy."

" what about when you were with all of those girls? You could have had made new friends." Serena pointed out. She opened the door and paid the driver then jumped out.

" that was like the dentist or opticians. It's needed but not always wanted." Chuck informed them with his signature Bass smirk.

" you just compared your sex life to the dentist." Nate burst out laughing, doubling over onto his friend for support.

" shut up," Chuck snarled, opening the Empire glass front door to let the three of them in.

" I can't," Nate gasped through his broken breaths, Serena rolled her eyes at the stupidity of her husband.

" come on boys, we have some things to do." Serena stated, walking to the elevator with a skip in her step. It had been a long time since she had been this happy and she wasn't about to waste it.

"auntie B is here to save the day!" Blair joyfully bubbled as she walked through the doorway to Lily's hospital room. She had decided to give a visit to the new Humphrey and then take Clara home to spend some time together. She loved her niece and now she would love her nephew just the same.

" Blair darling, it's great to see you." Lily welcomed her with open arms, well, as much as she could open them without hurting her sides. She was just a fifty-year-old woman who pushed a very heavy baby out of a very sensitive part.

" Blair, it's great to see you," Rufus pulled her into a side hug that was a very common thing with them. Even though he was from Brooklyn and he was a Humphrey, he was accepted by her now. He had loved Lily and raised Clara well, he even understood her anger with Jenny.

" where is my little nephew? I can't wait to see little baby Timmy, I have waited long enough." Blair waved her hands in a frantic motion, as if she was in desperate need to hold the newborn.

" he's in the nursery, Clara is looking at him for five minutes. We knew that you would want to hold him so I've sent her down there to wait for you," Lily pointed to a sign that give directions to the nursery, Blair smiled at the help.

" I can't wait! I love babies!" Blair squealed and left the room.

The corridor seemed to go on forever and the elevator ride took longer. Finally the yellow corridor was in front of her and after a short walk the large glass window came into view. In front of the window was a dark teenager, little baby CJ.

" CJ, come and give your auntie B a welcome hug. I've missed my little peanut buttercup." Blair yelled to the dark haired girl who was becoming a woman more and more everytime she saw her.

" auntie B! Hi! Your the mystery person that's looking after me, this is gonna be great." Clara smiled for the first time in what felt like days. Blair loved that little smile, it reminded her of the time when she was hopeful. Before life happened to her she was just an innocent child. "don't call me that, Susan is down the corridor visiting her little sister and she can't hear that name. No one can."

" why my little peanut buttercup? Will it ruin your oh so important popularity?" Blair withheld a laugh as she looked down at the newest addition to the family. Clara nodded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "your mother is Lily Van Der Woodsen, daughter of Celia Rhodes, married to the former CEO of Bass industries. Your father even though I hate to say it, is a good singer and is recognised for his talent in Lincoln Hawk. Your sister is Serena Van Der Woodsen, wife of Nathaniel Archibald, owner of NJBC Designs. Your brother is Charles Bass, hotel owner and the youngest billionaire in New York. If a nickname could ruin you then if I sneeze I would never be talked to again."

" That's it though, we are built not by our personalities but by ours names." Clara sighed, staring at Timmy through the glass. He didn't know what was expected of him, he had life simple until his third birthday then reality hit.

" that's not true and you know it. Lily has made who she is through her name but she did things the Rhodes don't do. She married a man from Brooklyn and had three children with him. She adopted a man that wasn't even her stepson when she did. Serena built her own empire, she partied and did it all wrong but she did it. She created her own image and then recreated it. Charles is difficult, he is new money as they say. He was destined for Bass industries but instead took his own path and bought a hotel." Blair explained. She had been through this with Nate, he always thought they had everything handed to them. While some of that is true, love and affection is earned on the Upper East Side not given.

" I'm twelve years old and Serena is already talking me into finding a boyfriend but I know she means well. Nate wants me to meet his grandfather and Tripp and Maureen. Chuck wants me to take simple business classes for children and stay at Bass Australia for a weekend to learn the ropes. It's all too much. I can't talk to anyone else, just you." Clara sighed, leaning onto her aunt for support. Blair raised one dainty pale hand and began stroking Clara's dark locks.

" I was engaged practically from birth to this one boy I knew. It got so sick that I thought that that was my destiny, that I was only built to marry this boy. Turns out this boy didn't love the security as much as he said he did. He cheated on me with my best friend. While it hurt at the time, now I feel relief. I loved him and if I saw him again I probably would still feel a flutter of puppy love but it wasn't enough to build your life around. He's happy now and I'm happy." Blair retold the story that she knew so very well, it was her life story after all. " all I'm saying is that if someone tries to force you into a life you don't want then I'm going to stop them because I know how hard a planned life can be. I'm with you."

" they've picked a boy," Clara mumbled under her breath. Blair couldn't help but feel the heat rising in her blood.

" what did you just say?" Blair seethed, her cheeks turning a dark red.

" they've picked a boy. They aren't saying I need to be his boyfriend but you just know what they want me to do. Auntie S keeps telling me about Eddie Malyor and how I should take him to my first kiss on the lips party." Clara explained, turning her head from her baby brother to her auntie B.

" I'm going to kill them, where are they?" Blair snarled as she clicked her fingers. She was going to kill them and wouldn't feel bad about it.

" I don't know but it's not bad. They just want me to go to the dance with him." Clara tried to reason, she grabbed her auntie's hand to stop her from clicking her fingers.

" that's just the way it starts, they'll start wanting more and more when you get older. I can't let that happen to you. You are too young." Blair said calmy, her thumb reached up and softly rubbed Clara's cheek. " tell me where they are, I only want to help you."

" the Empire roof, they having dinner up there." Clara finally managed to choke out between tears.

" I'll be back, tell your mother I'll be back." Blair kissed her cheek softly and began storming out of the hospital.

"this is her heart, she always told me that when I wore it I always had her heart. She gave it to Marcus but said that it belonged to me so gave it back." Nate said as he held up the tiny silver heart over the large fire in a green bin. Dropping it in and watching it disappearing in the flames.

" I remember when she gave it to you. Her father bought it for her fourteenth birthday and said it was a symbol of his love. Blair told me that she wanted to share her love and three weeks before she gave it to you she told me. That girl was so excited, I can remember her face." Serena sighed against her adopted brother, taking a large swig of the bottle of scotch in her shaking hands.

" remember those little dimples she had when she was younger. She still has them now but when Blair was little they were so prominent. They made her look like a little porcelain doll." Nate added with an emotionless grin.

" no," Chuck coughed at the burning of his throat. "it was those curls that made me think of a doll, like the ones in all the royal pictures."

"I know the ones, Blair's father bought me one for my eighth birthday from one of his business trips. That doll was my prized possession because... you know... the man who practically raised me bought it." Serena smiled, leaning against the cold brick ledge of the roof. The cold air was calming and kept her drunken state from getting any worse than it was. "This was the first copy of Gone with the wind she had ever bought me. Blair was apparently educating me on the greater things in life and well, who could object when it came to Blair."

" the good old days of the one and only infamous Queen B. Audrey Hepburn movies continuously play in my mind everytime we are around Tiffany's. I'm scared if I get something wrong Dorota will come and whack me with a broom or something." Nate laughed, the drink was clearly getting to his head. Dorota has moved back to Poland with Vanya and their daughter Anastasia. They had two more children after that, twin boys called Aleksander and Leonardo.

" that broom, I think it left an indent on my forehead. Can you see a mark?" Chuck joked, raising one of his fingers to his head. " my thing is... um ... the slip she wore the night of Victrola. Blair gave it back to me the day I said I loved her. I can't have it anymore, it's too much."

He raised the slip, his hands shaking. The image of her dancing on the stage of Victrola flashing through his mind, the green light illuminating her soft features. Chuck could feel the sadness rushing through his body, the overwhelming numb feeling that he could never shake. The fire was burning high, the slip only a few inches above it.

" I wouldn't do that, I quite liked that slip." A voice piped up from the darkness. A voice that had been haunting him for years and years.

" Blair!"