A/N:I wrote this story three years ago, back when the TV show was nonexistent and there were only the books. I wasn't able to finish this, and after three years I finally am, just for the sake of closure (and nostalgia.) Since I was three years younger and therefore stupider, please forgive the grammar, spelling or any other inaccuracy in the five previous chapters. To sum up where I come from (and to orient those who are not familiar with the books) this story is set post Nothing Can Keep Us Together, that is, Blair, Nate, Serena and the rest of the gang have graduated from high school. Blair had just met Marcus and he invited her to go visit him in London. Vanessa and Aaron have broken up (yes, in the books Vanessa isn't that freak hippie with stringy hair but rather a pretty awesome character and she hooked up with Blair's step-brother.) Dan had just stepped out of his disillusionment as a one-time vocalist for The Raves, a popular band in the GG universe, and is eager to get back to Vanessa, who is now more playful and liberated thanks to her newfound friendship with Blair. As usual, Nate's epiphany came too late, and now Blair has (apparently) moved on to a better and British version of him, while he (apparently, again) is stuck pining and helpless, like what he was in the brief time he and Serena hooked up. Of course the next book, Only In Your Dreams, turned out differently from this story. Anyway, if any of my readers from three years ago happens to read this last chapter, thank you for reading the story and tolerating my bad grammar. Sorry for making you wait this long for an ending. You guys are the best! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Gossip Girl franchise.

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An unlikely couple

Erik woke up to the sound of the shower hitting the cold marble floors of the Plaza Hotel's bathrooms. He glanced at his phone and saw that Serena had left a message; she was eating his share of waffles and his left over box of Lucky Charms. A black mini dress along with strappy Jimmy Choos whom he knew was Blair's littered the floor. Blair was on her way to England; what were her shoes doing on his hotel room floor?

"Jesus, my head is killing me," he heard a voice say. He remembered that he had gone here with a tan, short haired chick.

Vanessa stumbled into the air conditioned room wearing only a towel. Her head was killing her and she hated the fact that one of the most expensive hotels in New York didn't have complimentary aspirin.

Yes. Because the Plaza Hotel prides itself in bringing in drunk guests.

She turned her attention to the bed where a blonde man with a killer body was smirking in her direction. "You're Serena's brother," she said awkwardly. She slept with Serena's hot older brother?

"And you must be Vanessa," Erik replied. He eyed her head to toe. He vaguely recalled Serena telling him that Blair had taken another girl under her wing, and Blair sure did do this girl well. Besides leaving some of her designer castoff shoes at her onetime Brooklyn apartment, she treated Vanessa to a whole body make-over after she'd heard that her new friend V had broken up with Aaron. Vanessa was probably too drunk to argue. Her hair had grown in soft, raven wisps, her once vampire pale skin was a healthy tan, and traces of eyeliner was still evident in her face. "You know what the cure is for that pounding hangover?"

"What?" Vanessa asked, sitting at the edge of the bed. Erik inched himself closer to her and smiled.

"Hair of the dog," he answered before kissing her. Soon Vanessa's towel joined her DKNY mini dress and Blair cast off Jimmy Choos.

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Existentialist in love

Camille rolled her eyes. If this guy quoted one more line from Goethe, she was going to throw her coffee into his face and drive her motorcycle into his puny frame. This guy was once the lead singer of The Raves. She thought he would be cool and edgy like Damien Polk, whom she happened to meet when she did a photo shoot with his wife, Monique. Dan was depressing and getting less attractive by the minute. She raised her hand to call attention to the waiter at the deli.

"...so I just went for it, you know?" Dan droned on, his hands shaking, having drank his sixth cup of strong, black coffee.

Now only if he were as hardcore as his coffee.

"One lives but once in this world, as Johann said," he laughed, "I even refer to him as Johann now, amazing."

"I'm going to the ladies' room," Camille excused, stopping herself from stabbing his pathetic Chuck Taylored feet with her spiky boots.

Dan sighed. Camille was great, but she didn't talk much about anything he liked. She only started talking when he told her that he'd gone to Riverside and that he was subject to the everyday torture of Chuck Bass and his monkey, Sweetie. He decided to call Vanessa and hope she wasn't pissed for blowing her off.

"Vanessa?"

"Dan?" Vanessa said, out of breath. "Why are you calling me?"

"Listen, I'm sorry—"

"I'm kind of busy right now," she said, followed by a stifled sound he thought he'd heard before.

"The arrows of Love are various," he started, remembering one of his favourite elegies from Goethe, "and our hearts suffer—"

"I'm hanging up," Vanessa said, her voice a pitch higher. Then Dan heard a voice from the background that seemed to explain her behaviour.

"Who is that, V?"

Stunned, Dan ended the call and finished the rest of his coffee. He curled his fists; dark blue veins poked from underneath his snow-like skin in anger. His eyes started to water. Camille took her place at the table and noticed the change in him. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"Fuck it," he said, standing up. He left a couple of crumpled dollars on the table. "I'm going to The Strand," he walked out, leaving Camille bewildered and slightly thankful. He knew that books would make him feel better; he was glad this part of his life didn't change.

If he's not careful, those just might be the only things he goes home to.

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A good morning indeed

"Thanks for having me over," Aaron said, grabbing Serena's last piece of waffle. "Eleanor's having a fit. She finally noticed that Blair's growing up." He noticed Serena beaming, her smile unfaltering as she finished the rest of her banana. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing. I'm absolutely perfect!" Serena chirped.

Not that the rest of the world hasn't noticed.

"Nate's heading to the airport right now to chase after Blair," she gushed, "and Blair's flight is postponed! It's like that episode of Friends! Isn't it romantic?"

"But Blair already left," Aaron said.

"What?" Serena frowned.

"I just received this text from her," he said, showing her his cell phone.

Just got on the plane. Give my love to S! Don't think I haven't noticed the way you looked at her last night ;)

xo, B

"What does she mean by the way you looked at me last night?" Serena asked.

Aaron quickly snatched his phone away. "Uh, nothing," he replied, blushing. "Anyway, that's not the point. Nate might not have gotten to her in time."

"Oh no," Serena said, quickly dialling Nate's number. "Hello? Nate?"

"Serena," he answered, his voice slightly muffled. "I can't talk right now."

"Oh sweetie, I'm sorry," Serena pouted. "Talk to you later, okay? We're here if you need us."

"Uh, okay," Nate answered, his voice wavering.

"How is he?" Aaron asked.

"He said he couldn't talk," Serena answered. She sighed mournfully. "I still believe they're going to wind up married, though."

"Really?"

"Of course," Serena continued, "they're Blair and Nate. They've already planned the rest of their lives together—"

"—well, at least Blair has—"

Serena glared at him playfully. "All they need to do is figure out the present."

"And that's why they need our help?" Aaron questioned, wondering if Blair would thank them or skin them alive for messing with her personal life. He had to agree with Serena though; from the moment he met Blair, it had always been Nate, and it made perfect sense that it should always be him.

Serena laughed, throwing her perfect head with her gorgeously flowing gold mane back. "After breakfast," she winked.

"After breakfast." Aaron repeated, taking a grape from the plate.

"So," Serena started, walking over to Aaron and sitting on his lap. She put her arms around him as he smirked at her quizzically. "How exactly did you look at me last night?"

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Goodbye, bonjour!

"Trading that first class seat for two economy ones en route to St. Barts was the best idea you've had," Blair giggled as she leaned for a short kiss.

"I know how much you love the sun," Nate answered, linking his hands in hers. The economy class was cramped and noisy, with noisy kids and alcoholic fortysomethings who occasionally slipped bottles of vodka into their bra populating the surroundings around them. Nate didn't care; it was like only he and Blair existed in the world. Still, he thought, as the big balding man with a ridiculous hat hit his arm for the nth time as he made his way to the lavatory, it would have been more perfect if they had managed first class seats.

You can take the boy out of the UES, but you can't take the UES out of the boy.

Blair bit her lip sexily. "Do you know how much I love you?"

"How much?" Nate asked daringly.

"This much," she said, as she kissed his cheek, "and this much," as she kissed the tip of his nose, "and this much," as she, finally, kissed him passionately on the lips. Other passengers be damned if they felt uncomfortable with their PDA. As far as she was concerned, she was going on her honeymoon.

Don't you have to kind of get married first?

"I love you too," he grinned, their hands still clasped together. She put her head on his shoulder as the airplane took off.

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Hey people!

Whoever said that goodbyes were endings? They're only beginnings waiting to be continued! Yes, you weren't able to seal the deal with that hottie you met last night at B's party. But he has your number right? And thanks to your fantastic memory, you know that he walks his dog at four in Sheep Meadow at Central Park. A little lipgloss and a meek "Oops!" might get you the summer fling you want!

Your email

Q: Hey Gossip Girl,

I'm heartbroken and alone for the summer. The woman I love has dumped me for someone more agile. What do I do?

-sadpoet

A: Dear sadpoet,

Get a tan and those vintage Ray-Ban aviators. Find someone hotter than your ex, then make your summer a little bit hotter! Nothing nurses a broken heart better than a better girl in a sexy nurse's outfit. Go for it!

-GG

Sightings

E running out of the Plaza Hotel to get more... supplies. V braving the Barney's lingerie department. S and A playfully sharing an ice cream sundae. Aww, how cute and boring! C fitting a Louis Vuitton leash on that poor monkey. D grabbing the 'help wanted' sign off of the window of The Strand. Something to spice our hot summers a bit more: B and N are MIA again. As if we didn't expect this. Who knows where they are, or what they're doing. I'll find out soon enough...

You know you love me,

Gossip Girl

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Of course we want to know how it went down

Blair ran, waving her ticket. "I have it, I have it!" The attendant smiled at her sympathetically, and Blair frowned. "I'd missed it, haven't I?" Blair wanted to scream at the attendant for being so idiotic and not letting her in the first place. She was Blair Waldorf, after all, and the tilt of her chin alone should get her in anywhere. However, Blair couldn't shake that queasy feeling that this was a sign. After last night with Nate, she had been nervous and fidgety on the way here. Not even her cheerful demeanour could fool Aaron, her step-brother of a couple of months.

I can still run after your cab if you want :)

She took care to phrase her reply in the most neutral way possible.

Big fat shopping bags, A. See you in August! xo

She calmed herself down and sat on one of the cold plastic airport chairs. She decided to call Marcus to let him know that she'd taken a later flight; she imagined him carrying a bouquet of roses, waiting for a girl that would not come through the gates. Well, not yet anyway.

"Blair?"

Blair turned around, pressing the 'end' button on her phone. There was Nate Archibald, in his glittering green-eyed god-like glory, looking at her as if she was the fucking ghost of Christmas past. His hair was in disarray, which made her want to reach out and run her hands through it. And forget Marcus. And live happily ever after.

"You're not," he panted, "on the plane."

"Yeah, well," Blair fidgeted with her ruby ring, "I'm taking the next flight out. Marcus will be waiting for me."

"You're still going," he said, frowning.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, standing up.

"I don't know," he answered truthfully.

"Oh," she said, with a tinge of disappointment. "Figures. It's always shades of gray with you, Nate."

"Listen," he started, "There's a lot of things I don't know yet. I don't know where I'm going to college, I don't know if I'll be playing lacrosse. I don't know if I'll major in geology or business. I don't know where I put the Hugo Boss suit my father bought for me for graduation, but I remember precisely where I put that moss green sweater when I gave it back to you a couple of nights ago. I'm not like Marcus whose whole life is already paved out in front of him. I don't have an innate compass, I don't have a map. All I know is that I love you so much, and if I let you get on that plane, I'll be losing you forever. I love you, Blair, and the only future I have ever envisioned is with you."

Blair looked at him, unable to say anything. Here he was, at nine in the morning, professing his love to her in an airport waiting room. This was not the scene she had in mind. What did Nate think this was, a sitcom?

Wouldn't life be much easier if it were?

"Miss Waldorf?" the attendant asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. "A plane en route to Indonesia will be stopping by Britain for refuelling. If you really want to make your time, we'd be happy to accommodate you on that flight. First class, of course, but that is," the attendant faltered, seeing the young man's face she was conversing with fall, "if you want to."

Blair turned around. "Alright. I'll follow," she replied, and the attendant nodded politely, flashing an apologetic smile at the young man.

"I'm sorry," Blair said, walking over to him, placing a delicate arm on his cheek, "I—I'm sorry." Blair leaned in to kiss his cheek, but somehow got entangled in his lips. He kissed her passionately; he could feel salty tears flowing down her cheek. He held her tightly.

"You don't want to go," Nate whispered, kissing her again.

"I don't want to go," she repeated, after a breath, giving in.

"You want to stay here with me," he said, looking at her intently.

Blair nodded. "I want to stay here with you," she said, her voice breaking. She leaned in for another kiss and buried herself in his strong arms.

"I love you," he whispered into her hair, and he couldn't help but smile.

Blair giggled. "I love you too, Nate."

She pulled away and wiped the traces of smudged mascara off of her eyelids. "It's such a shame to waste a perfectly good first class ticket, though," she mused, holding his hand.

Nate glanced back at the departure board. A destination printed on it flashed, catching his eye. "I know just what to do," he said, pulling her with him. "You do have your sunblock with you, right?"

"What are you up to?" Blair asked mischievously. Nate grinned at her, kissing the top of her forehead. As Nate handed the ticket to the attendant, Blair couldn't care less where they went or what they did. She was with Nate, finally, and that was all that mattered.

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