"I have bad news," Blair said, her finger mindlessly tracing the rim of her coffee mug, her eyes darting across the cafe as she tried to figure out if she recognized anyone. She wasn't prepared for the news of her imminent move to Brooklyn to be broadcasted yet.

"Are you okay?" Serena asked, reaching over the table for Blair's hand.

Nate looked at Serena and back at Blair, "I'm sure you guys will get back together, Blair. I'm sure whatever you did, Dan will forgive you."

Blair looked at Serena and then Nate and then back at Serena. "What?"

"You and Dan?" Serena asked, taking her hand back and looking quizzically at Nate. "You broke up? You called us for an emergency meeting and we just assumed that you two…" Blair was shaking her head violently and Serena trailed off.

Nate nodded, "So you're still together?"

"Yes, we are still together. Honestly, though, I'm offended you just assumed that it was my fault had this phantom break up occurred. Why would it automatically be something I did?"

Nate held up his hand and started counting off reasons, "Well, you ran away from him when he said he loved you. You broke up with him when he gave you a key to his apartment."

"We just thought," Serena said, hitting Nate gently in the side, "that since you asked Dan to move in together that you were going to eventually, maybe, do something you would regret."

Blair scrunched up her face in spite, "That's real nice, guys."

Nate and Serena shrugged their shoulders in perfect unison and Blair wondered how long they sat at home and practiced that move. "We were just worried that you were on the verge of doing something before thinking," Nate continued his wife's thought.

"Do you both just think for each other?" Blair asked, building up a defense. "There's no I thought, it's just we thought."

"Well, we discussed this before you got here," Serena said, lifting her mug to her lips and taking a sip. "And don't you know that when you get married, you can only have one brain?"

"We chose to keep Serena's," Nate smirked. "She was always the smarter of the two of us."

"You're too sweet," Serena said, turning her head to give Nate a quick peck.

Blair scoffed, "Stop. This is about me and my crisis."

"If you didn't break up with Dan, and it doesn't look like you are dying… how big of a crisis could it be, Blair?" Serena asked.

"I'm moving to Brooklyn."


It had taken some convincing for Blair to agree to even look at the apartment. Dan had, at first, laughed for at least five minutes thinking about Blair living in Brooklyn but when he had been sent pictures of the apartment, he had to agree with the real estate agent that, at least by looking at it, it was perfect. Blair had been astonished that she had forgotten location on her list of demands. She had remembered number of bedrooms, no carpet, the floor she would want to live in but she had forgotten to cross off locations outside of Manhattan, and now she was paying the price.

Dan tried to trick her into looking at the pictures, knowing that it was a time sensitive deal and if they didn't look and decide fast that someone else would swoop up their perfect apartment. Blair held steady for a couple of days until she finally caved when Dan started to pout when he was around her. She knew it was an act, he would get over it if they didn't live there, but she decided that maybe it wouldn't be so bad to just look at the apartment. If she looked then she could compile a list of reasons why they shouldn't live there.

It wouldn't be the sellers though.

The sellers were a couple who had been married for 50 years and were finally making a permanent move to better weather and lower cost of living.

It wouldn't be the price.

For the location, the size and the amenities, the price was absurdly low. The real estate agent had told Dan and Blair that the sellers had a similar list of what they wanted in a buyer and for the right buyer, they were willing to make the apartment a steal. After all, they had no children of their own and when they eventually passed, the money they would make from the sale would be no good to them.

It wouldn't be the apartment.

Blair swore when she walked around the apartment. With every new room came a new choice profane word. Fuck. Shit. Damn. She knew she was getting sucked in when she walked into the renovated bathroom and she could picture herself getting ready there. She knew she was in over her head when she walked into the bedroom, which had great natural light, and she could picture where the bed would go and the closet that she would take. Blair knew she was in love when she walked out on the balcony and saw the skyline of Manhattan.

It was, as the real estate agent kept repeating, perfect.

"But it's in Brooklyn," Blair said, resting her back on the wall when the real estate agent walked out of the apartment to give them time to think. "I don't think I can live in Brooklyn."

Dan nodded but she could see the frustration running through him as he balled his hands into little fists. "So, we will find somewhere else, I guess."

"You really love it," Blair stated. In all of her thoughts about buying an apartment with Dan, she never thought that she would be the one needing convincing. She thought they would find something just out of their price range, at least Dan's set price range, and she would have to spend her precious time bargaining with him that it was worth it. Reality was that she was the one with her heels in the ground, stubborn because of the fact it was in Brooklyn.

"I do," he nodded, looking out the window. "But if you don't, then it's not worth me trying to convince you. I know you, Blair, you're stubborn. If your mind is made up, then it's not worth me trying to convince you that Brooklyn is just of a nice place to live than Manhattan."

Blair bit the inside of her cheek, trying to sort out her thoughts. If she didn't love the apartment, it would be easier. It was just that one tiny detail that was keeping her from jumping up and down with joy that their search was over.

"What are the odds that we find something like this in Manhattan?" Dan asked, turning his head to look at her. So he was going to put up a fight, Blair thought. "You had no complaints about anything on the walk through, Blair. You even have complaints about your own apartment."

"Brooklyn," she repeated as though it explained everything.

Dan sighed, "Okay. Let's call Carlene back in here and let her know that it's not for us." Dan started to walk towards the door before Blair grabbed his arm. "What?"

Blair took a deep breath, "Do you think I would need to buy an entire new wardrobe to live in Brooklyn?"

"What are you saying?" he asked, searching her face and trying to figure out if she was joking.

"And do you think my furniture that I already have is going to go with the apartment or will we need to get new things?"

"Are you serious?"

"Dan, it's perfect," she said after a pause. "We won't find anything in Manhattan that is this perfect in the price range you've created."

"So…"

"So, let's do it. Let's put in an offer."

Dan put his hands on each side of her face and kissed her, "You know I love you."

"I know," she smiled slightly, tapping his nose with her index finger. "Maybe they won't accept our bid," she said, her voice slightly hopeful as they crossed the room hand in hand to tell Carlene they wanted to buy it.


"Brooklyn?" Serena and Nate shared a glance before bursting out into laughter.

Blair furrowed her brow, "Stop laughing. It's not funny."

Nate put his hand over his stomach and tried to take a breath, "Sorry, Blair, but you in Brooklyn?"

"It's not that we find it funny," Serena tried to explain, "actually, no, that's it. You've been complaining about Brooklyn's existence since I've known you."

"Well, it's reputation has certainly improved since I was younger and the apartment is beautiful," Blair rambled, looking between the married couple and trying to figure out which one to murder first. She needed their support, since ever since she signed the papers she had been having regrets, and they just kept laughing. "You two need to stop laughing or Ava will end up with no parents."

Nate stopped first, looking at Serena who still struggled to get it together. "Are you serious? Like actually serious, Blair?"

"Yes."

"Well, then," Nate started, looking to Serena to try and fill in for him but she shrugged in return. "I don't think I'd ever see the day. Blair in Brooklyn."

"I don't think it's that hard to think about," Blair said defensively. "It's a beautiful apartment and if things don't work out, I'm keeping my Upper East Side apartment."

Serena narrowed her eyes, "Why would you do that?"

"Just in case," Blair said trying to sound nonchalantly. "Oh come on. You both assumed we broke up just five minutes ago. You know I'm not the best in stable relationships. I would like to have a fall back plan."

"We also assumed that you would get back together with Dan," Nate argued. "Why don't you just rent your apartment?"

"I'm thinking about it but you know I would be a very picky landlord. I don't think anyone would be up to my standards."

"We didn't think any apartment would be up to your standards," Serena started.

"Or any boyfriend," Nate continued, "and look at you checking off both boxes."

Blair crossed her arms, "You know you guys are being zero percent helpful with my crisis."

"It doesn't sound like a crisis, B," Serena smiled, picking up her coffee mug.

"I think the only crisis is that you're going to have to take the L."

"I would never step foot in public transit, Archibald," Blair scoffed, taking a sip of her coffee. "But I'm sure you guys can tell me how it is when you visit."


"How'd they take it?" Dan asked from behind the counter as Blair walked into the bookstore.

Blair rolled her eyes as she walked over, "They laughed. I'm not sure even now if they think I'm being serious."

"Well, I laughed when I heard perfect apartment for Blair Waldorf in Brooklyn."

"Maybe if I hate it, we can have a long distance relationship."

"Where are you moving?" he asked, raising his eyebrows, and leaning forward, resting his elbows on the counter.

"Back to my apartment."

Dan laughed, "I don't think living in different boroughs count as a long distance relationship."

"It counts for me," Blair responded. "You should close early. We're supposed to get snow soon so no one is going to come in."

"And do what?"

"I want to go take measurements of our place."

'I like the sound of that."

"What? Measurements? Do you want me to say it slower?" she joked before elongating the word again, "Meaassureeements."

"Yes, that word. It's my favorite word in the Dictionary."

"What a boring favorite," she teased. "Thank God you have better taste in women than you do in words."

"Yes, thank the Lord that I have taste when it counts." Dan stepped out from behind the counter and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her cheeks. "Our place."

"Oh right, those words," Blair said, walking and slightly dragging him to the door to the stairs leading upstairs. "I guess it has a ring to it."

"You know what else has a ring to it?" Dan said, his lips against her ear. "Brooklyn."