Blair rubbed her eyes, willing her body to sleep an extra few hours as she had opened them briefly to see complete darkness outside of her bedroom window. Unraveling herself from a sleeping Dan, she gave up her hope of falling back to sleep and quietly gathered her things. Maybe it was for the best. They had technically fell asleep before midnight and if she snuck out now, maybe she could prevent him from seeing her until she was walking down the aisle.

Tip toeing out of the room, Blair walked to their kitchen and started their coffee machine while weighing the pros and cons of following this particular tradition. If she was being completely honest with herself, she liked the idea of marriage more than she liked the idea of a wedding. She liked the idea that after today, they would be joined legally as one. A completed entity, Dan and Blair. However, as normally showy as she was, she was not enjoying the thought of speaking vows that are meant for one person in front of a crowd.

She had talked to Serena through the last few months, asking for her thought on her wedding and what she would have done differently, and what stuck out to Blair was how little Serena remembered. She remembered walking down the aisle, seeing Nate's face, but the rest was a blur of crowd mingling and pleasing, going through the motions and then a lot of alcohol. Blair could do without two of the three of them. She had planned her wedding carefully since she was a child, practicing with her dolls, but now on the morning of the big day, she was feeling anxious for the wrong reasons.

Pre-wedding jitters.

Blair turned her head to the shuffles of footsteps. "I guess this tradition really won't be seen through," she said, taking her mug from under the machine and grabbing another from the cabinet for Dan. "Did I wake you?"

"I've been off and on all night," Dan said, running a hand through his hair. He walked up to her, giving her a swift kiss on her forehead, and opening the fridge. "Maybe it's a bad idea to drink coffee," he said even as he removed the milk from the fridge to put in his coffee. "Maybe we should be focusing on trying to get some sleep. I don't see the night ending early."

"And I don't suppose we can slip away with out being noticed."

"I think being the guests of honor kind of ruins that chance," Dan teased, pouring the milk into his cup before handing it to Blair. "Why are you up?"

"Nerves?" Blair said, leaning against the counter. "I don't know, my brain won't shut off."

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "Want to call off the wedding, elope and retire somewhere tropical?"

Blair sighed, "That sounds lovely but I think we would have some very unhappy people if we chose that route. I'm just getting overwhelmed by the wedding traditions."

Dan cocked his head to the side and squinted at her, "You're saying you are overwhelmed by traditions?"

"Believe me, I can't believe it either."

"Exactly what tradition? Marriage as a whole…" Dan trailed off, looking at her expectantly over his cup.

Blair rolled her eyes dramatically, "I still want to marry you, Dan. Not that tradition."

"Okay, then… maybe the walking down the aisle part? We could probably get your dad and Cyrus to carry you down. Maybe it's not too late to rent a procession and hoist you up on a chair." Blair laughed and Dan continued, "Or maybe the tradition of the ring exchange? I hear anklets are really making a come back according to Jenny. Do you want to give me your ankle to measure and I can see if I can find a jewelry store able to turn your ring into one?"

"That's utterly disgusting," Blair shook her head. "I would never be caught dead wearing an anklet." She shivered at the word. "No, it's just… I don't know. I'm kind of wishing we just chose the simple route and did the 'I Blair, take you Dan, to be my lawfully wedded husband' route instead of the personalized vows route."

Dan raised his eyebrows, "Did you procrastinate writing how much you love me and all the demands you have for me as a husband?"

"Yeah, I'm just going to wing it when I get up there. Maybe I'll make some joke about how you will always have to buy me ice cream when I'm feeling down."

"Never heard that one before."

"Never," she shook her head as she laughed. "No, I just… I write, I don't speak in public. Maybe if they were just projected over us, I'm just getting a bit shaky at the idea of having to tell all these people why I love you and what I, as a wife, will do for you. There is no mention of for sickness and in health, I should warn you now, because as soon as you even get a cold I will be filing for a divorce."

Dan put his hands over his heart and stumbled backwards as though he had just been hit by something, "That hurts. Well, just know that I made no mention of for richer, for poorer. I will find a new trophy wife if anything happens to your, and now our, money."

"I didn't realize you were so shallow, Daniel Humphrey," Blair teased, stepping towards him and resting her forehead on his chest. Dan placed his coffee mug down on the counter and rubbed her back with his knuckles. "Maybe we should just practice them here."

Dan kissed the top of her head, "You just want to break all the rules today, Blair. When did you become such a rebel?"

"It must be the Brooklyn taking over my good UES values."

"UES and values, now that's a joke I should write into my vows."

"Ha ha," Blair said very seriously before pulling away and looking up at him. "So, what are your thoughts? Practice run?"

"Blair, I will do anything to make this day the best day of your life thus far," he said without a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "if that will put your mind at ease, we can go through our vows."


"Serena?" Blair called, opening the front door slightly. It was just past 9 30 now and there was breakfast plans and then hair and make up and then getting to the venue… to say the day was packed was an understatement. Blair let herself in, dropping her bag on the chair near the door and walking in to the Archibald's living room and plopping herself on to the couch. Dan and her had taken their coffees back to their bedroom and fell back asleep quickly. Blair had woken around 8 to cold coffee but Dan's arm around her. It took all her willpower to leave the cocoon of the bedroom.

"Hey Blair," Nate said, walking in to the living room with a mug.

"I hope that's for me," Blair said, smiling sweetly from her spot on the couch.

Nate looked down at his mug and then back at Blair and looked resigned to his fate as he held the mug over to her. "It's your day."

Blair bounced her shoulders up slightly before taking a sip of the coffee. "How much cream do you put in this, Nate?" she said, scrunching up her face in distaste. She took another sip, trying to ignore the sweetness of the liquid. "Where's your lovely wife?"

"Dropping off our daughter at her mother's for the morning so she can devote her entire day to the queen, like a true lady in waiting."

"I feel like you are saying that trying to make me feel guilty and it won't work."

"You underestimate how well I know you if you think I would believe you could feel guilt on your big day," Nate said, smiling sheepishly as he took a seat in the arm chair. "I thought you were supposed to come back here last night."

Blair raised her eyebrows at the slight suspicion creeping into Nate's voice. "I was," she started before deciding she didn't owe him an explanation, especially since what he might be thinking was so preposterous that it was laughable. "Change of plans," she said flippantly.

"So, how was Chuck?" Nate said, not meeting her eyes. She almost appreciated the way he was dodging the subject of where she slept in such an obvious way.

"Oh fantastic," she said, raising the cup to her lips and taking a sip. "We decided I should call off the wedding and run off together. I just came to let you and Serena know, maybe you could pass the message on to Dan."

Nate shook his head, his hair falling slightly into his eye. "Blair, that's not funny."

"Neither is your suspicion," she countered.

"I'm just doing my job of best man," Nate said, his tone light as he smiled at her. "I didn't actually believe that you did anything."

"Sure, sure," Blair said, looking down at her nails. She had painted them in an array of colors before she left, trying to make sure that her original choice was what she wanted to go with. She had originally chosen a classic red but now looking down, she was thinking more of a neutral, beige tone would match nicely with her dress and flowers. "Well just so everything is clear, you can call Dan and ask him where I slept."

"I told you that she went back to Dan's," Serena floated in to the room before she emerged herself, her blonde hair swept up in a messy bun and she was still wearing sweats. "Nate was up almost half the night worrying that there was some funny business happening. I tried to remind him how hard it was to get you to agree to come here in the first place. I knew as soon as you sent us away that you were going straight back to Brooklyn."

"Fine, you win," Nate said, laughing, and held his hand out to his wife. Serena took it and Nate gazed up at her, "Will you do be the biggest favor, my love?"

"What?" Serena asked.

"Can you please get me a cup of coffee while you are up?"

Serena dropped his hand, "Get one yourself."

"I did," Nate argued, watching his wife cross the room to sit next to Blair. "She's drinking it."

"It's my day," Blair said innocently.


Blair fussed with a stray hair that had somehow gotten loose of all the pins and hair spray currently holding her up do in place. She felt a hand swat her own away and glared up at whoever had the audacity to touch her now perfectly manicured hands.

"Stop touching it," her mother said, glaring right back down at her as she took the seat next to Blair on the couch.

The hired help, as Blair took to calling them, were fussing about the remaining members of the bridal party and now all Blair had left to do was wait. She was the one who insisted on going first so she could make sure she looked great before bothering with the rest of them but now she sitting anxiously about waiting for everyone to get done. Blair starting picking at the skin around her thumb nail and felt her mother's hand once again slap hers.

"Ouch," she said, emphasizing the word as she narrowed her eyes and turned her face away from her mom.

"Do you want to walk down the aisle with the red fingers from all the picking you are doing?" her mother asked.

"I just want to get it over with," Blair huffed, crossing her arms across her chest and trying to sink into the couch.

"Sit up straight," her mother ordered, "or you will ruin your hair. This is why I told you to go last. I knew you wouldn't be able to handle the waiting."

"I would have been like this waiting for everyone else to get done."

"Yes, but we could have fixed the damages you are currently making by having you go last."

Blair turned her head to her mom, "I'm just trying to distract myself from the stomach cramps I am currently having from nerves and stress. I'd rather have skin peeling than getting sick on the dress. Lesser of two evils."

"You aren't going to get sick," Eleanor said, her voice softening. Blair felt her mother's hand glide across the back of her robe and she bent over, resting her forehead in her knees. "You're just nervous, it's completely natural."

"This is different," Blair said, shaking her head albeit gently so her hair didn't fall. "I honestly feel like I'm two seconds away from locking myself in the bathroom. I don't have butterflies in my stomach, I have full on bulls running around in there."

"Blair, sweetheart," her mother said, sighing gently. "everyone gets like this before a big moment in their life and this is arguably bigger than anything you have done so far in your life. Serena, come here, please."

Blair lifted her head, resting her chin in her hands as she stayed hunched over in the couch. "Serena, did you feel like you were going to get sick all over the aisle before you married Nate?"

"Of course," Serena said, grinning. "As your father shared my big day, you wouldn't know this, but I spent most of my morning prepping by yelling that they better have buckets ready." Serena hopped into the last seat on the couch next to Blair and flung her arm around Blair's body. "Don't worry, B, if you get sick at least your day will be memorable."

"That's not even a little bit funny, S," Blair said, moaning. "What if I trip?"

"You won't," Eleanor reassured her.

"You might," Serena countered, "but I'll be right behind you and I'll scoop you up. You are the most graceful person I know under pressure, this is going to be a breeze for you."

Blair groaned, covering her eyes with her hands, "This is not a pressure that I'm used to."

"You can't see me but I'm rolling my eyes at you," Serena said as she gave Blair's shoulder a firm squeeze before using it as leverage to stand up from the couch. "Blair Cornelia Waldorf, you need to pull it together. You are worrying about things you can't predict and won't come true so get off your ass and have a mimosa to celebrate with me and your future sister-in-law," Serena said, pulling Jenny over from where she had been overseeing the make up of Penelope. "Or I will call Dan and tell him that his soon to be wife has lost her Waldorf glow and I refuse to let her get married."

Blair nodded, hitting her thighs with her hands as she stood up, "I'm only standing up because of the promise of alcohol. My stomach still feels like it is doing flips."

"If you weren't nervous, Blair, I think I'd be more worried. Look at you," Serena said, pushing Blair towards the kitchen, "you are showing signs of being mortal."

"I wouldn't go that far," Jenny said with a teasing edge before following the two friends into the kitchen.