Chapter 10-
Blair shows up at the release party for Dan's new book. It's held at an old speakeasy in Brooklyn. Blair remembers it as the very one that Chuck had tried to save during one of Blair's schemes against Vanessa.
The book is Dan's first real adventure outside of fiction. It's about Brookyln's old bars and a lot of it is centered on this speakeasy. Which is why it's the venue hosting his release party.
Blair's eyes immediately lock in on Serena's and she walks up to her.
"Blair! So glad you could make it. Isn't it amazing? I'm so proud of Dan!"
Blair smiles, "Yes it is."
Serena doesn't say anything and leads Blair deeper into the release party. Saying hi to everyone and introducing her to a lot of the New York's literary elite.
Blair looks around and spots Rufus and Lily. Blair makes eye contact with the senior Humphrey and he finds himself unable to hold her gaze and breaks it quickly.
Good, Blair thinks. She can't help but have felt vulnerable the last time they had encountered each other and is glad that she has the upper hand in this exchange.
"Rufus" Blair says verbally acknowledging him.
"Glad you could make it Blair" Rufus says not really looking at her.
Blair just gives him a small smile.
Lily, realizing the tension between Rufus and Blair tries to mitigate the situation.
"I can't believe Dan was able to get this book done. This has to be the longest he's ever worked on a project, well, barring Inside."
Rufus smiles down on his wife, "I got to read a small excerpt a while ago, it's brilliant. A fitting tribute to the local history that makes up Brooklyn. I really think this is Dan's best work."
Blair starts to look around the bar for Dan. Seeing as to how this is his party for his book she would like to congratulate him.
Blair spots him and notices a woman besides Dan and she can't help but feel a pang of jealousy. They are deep in conversation and Dan has hand his resting on her hip. He seems to really be enjoying her company and conversation. This must be Dan's date, his plus one Blair thinks with a great deal of annoyance.
She quickly turns her head away; making sure no one can catch her staring at Dan Humphrey and his lady.
Then she meets eyes with the last person she would have expected at this party. Or maybe she should have, considering her tendency to crash parties.
Georgina gives her a megawatt and very plastic smile, "Blair."
Blair can't help but shudder at the way her name rolls off of Georgina's tongue. Blair finds herself looking for an open window, something she can push Georgina out of.
"What are you doing here Georgina" says a voice behind her.
Serena is standing behind Blair looking fierce, like a Viking ready to defend the small brunette in front of her.
The irony isn't lost on Blair. Blair was always the one defending Serena, ready to take someone down for hurting the girl that Blair had loved so much all her life. She smiles a little to herself in spite of having to face Georgina.
"Really Serena, can't old friends say hi to each other?" Georgina says rolling her eyes.
"Blair doesn't need any of the crazy you tend to bring around you."
"Not to worry Serena, I know all too well what Blair can take and what she can't"
Blair narrows her eyes, "What do you want Georgina."
Georgina returns her gaze to Blair and says softly, "I just wanted to see you, I'd heard about.."
Blair closes her eyes, not wanting to hear about her condition, especially from Georgina.
"What is she doing here?" she hears Dan's voice demand behind her.
When Blair opens her eyes she finds herself surrounded by Serena, Dan, Jenny, Chuck, and Nate.
Georgina smiles at everyone "Wow! The whole gang is back together again! Just like old times eh? Anyways, I just wanted to fill you in with what's happened since you've been gone! So much has happened in your absence, where to start?"
"Oh! I know, let's start with Serena first. I don't know if you subscribed to the NYSpectator while you were in Paris but did you get to read that one article Serena wrote about you? We're here celebrating Dan's foray into non-fiction but I must say the most accomplished writer of history is Serena. She wrote about you leaving Manhattan and how New York was better for it, that with one less vindictive socially conscious girl the men and women of New York's elite could breathe a little easier. Granted she didn't name you in the article, but everyone in Manhattan knew who she was talking about. That article really made her popular, did you realize Blair? That Serena's career really took off after her scathing re-write of your history with her? Looks like all that time she spent with Humphrey rubbed off and she decided it was worth her while to write about her friends. Though I must admit Serena, nothing you've ever written since has been QUITE as provocative or generated as much interest."
"Georgina, that's enough." Dan steps in.
Serena is looking at her shoes and Blair can't help but feel a little stunned. Yes Blair had been awful, but it wasn't like Serena to be vindictive and to air her dirty laundry.
"Oh but Dan! I'm only getting started!" Georgina says wide-eyed. She then turns back to Blair, "You probably didn't hear about Dan's MANY exploits after you left."
"He really didn't take much time to get over you. He dated almost every woman he crossed paths with, even the one he's with now. Really Humphrey? Bringing your ex-girlfriend to meet your baby's mommy? Well I suppose we can't expect much, you are from Brooklyn after all. Come to think of it, I think, barring Jenny and Lily, you've slept with almost every woman in this room." Georgina says darting her eyes to Serena and Blair. "Not bad for lonely boy from Brooklyn, now tell us Dan, Cause I'm dying to know, who did you think was the better lay? The Waldorf? Or the Van Der Woodsen?" Georgina asks smugly.
Blair can't help but flinch. She had always suspected AND expected that Dan had seen other women after her but to have it flung in her face by Georgina was something else.
Dan looks at Blair, looks at the woman he was talking to earlier, then down at the ground.
Finally Blair intercedes, "Why are you here Georgina? Don't you have a kid to take care? Someone in your life that actually wants you around? Goodness knows there's a reason why you weren't invited here, and you want to know why? It's because you're irrelevant!"
Georgina's eyes go wide as Blair says this.
Blair can't help but feel energized and continues on, "It's been a long time since you were actually apart of this world, so I can't for the life of me figure out why you are always weaseling your way back into a group of people who can't stand you. You can't possibly be that obtuse. Let me spell it out for you. We've all become so accustomed to you, so your schemes and games are useless here. NO ONE wants you here Georgina, really, it's pathetic and I feel embarrassed for you." Blair ends with her trademarked condescending Queen B smile.
Everyone is staring at Blair as she finishes. Blair grabs Serena's hand and walks away from the group.
Serena starts to apologize to Blair about the article and Blair stops her.
"Really Serena, I'm not going to hold that against you. Anyways I won't let anything Georgina says tear us apart, especially after I've just repaired what I did before." She says squeezing Serena's hand. Serena looks at her and smiles gratefully.
"Well at least we know this party is worthwhile, I mean for Georgina to go through the trouble of crashing it and trying to wreck it" Serena says with a grin.
Blair looks back at Georgina and watches as she retreats back to the streets of Brooklyn. She shakes her head thinking about how formidable Georgina was.
XOXOXOXOXOXO
Rufus is walking around talking to everyone about Dan. Blair can see the amount of pride that shines in his eyes for Dan and she can't help but feel a little sad.
They have such a great relationship, always there for each other and always supporting each other. She knows that Dan and Jenny both draw a lot of their strength from the support their father gives them.
Blair can remember a thanksgiving years ago where she found Jenny Humphrey crying because she had fought with her father.
Blair had begrudgingly admitted that she was lucky and that she was in fact jealous of the fact that Jenny and Dan had a father who cared and loved them so.
Blair doesn't hold anything against her parents, they lived in a very different world than the Humphreys, but she can remember her mom being annoyed with the burdens that came along with having a young daughter, especially one as demanding as Blair.
She had always vowed that Paul would never long for his parents the way Blair had.
Eventually a band starts to play some music. Blair goes and sits at a table and watches as a few people dance.
Chuck comes and takes the chair across from her.
"You look beautiful Blair" he whispers in that deep husky way that used to drive her mad in her youth.
She looks at him from the corner of her eye and gives him a terse, "Thanks."
He looks down and smiles to himself.
Blair looks over at him and smiles small, "Remember this place? I remember you and Vanessa working hard to save this place."
Chuck grins at her, "I do. You know Joe Kennedy was attached to this place."
Blair just looks around at the bar with an approving glance. "Yes well, it certainly does hold a certain level of charm. I'm glad that Dan's book will help in preserving spots like this."
Chuck starts to trace the grain in the wood on the table.
"I'm going to be leaving soon."
She looks up confused.
"So soon? You're usually one of the last ones to leave these events! Unless, you've managed to talk a pretty waitress into accompanying you." She teases, "Really Chuck, I would have expected by now that all the catering companies had warned their employees."
He throws a smirk at her and she's about to razz him about his taste in the hired help when he reaches for her hand and holds it up to his cheek.
"I'm leaving New York."
"But New York is your home." Blair says alarmed.
"You know that I've been expanding Bass Industries, I'm moving beyond New York. I want to make an empire across the country… Business calls Blair. I would be willing to stay though…" He adds and looks at her hopefully.
She withdraws her hand from his and starts to finger the beading on her dress, "Chuck, I… you know that can't happen."
Chuck looks off at Lily and Rufus, "Because you need a man in your life, because you need someone who will care for you. I know I'm not that man and I know that we can't love each other the same way we did as kids. I'm going to change that Blair. I'm going to get away from New York, from all of my vices so I can become the man you want and need."
Blair looks at him sadly, "Chuck… How many times do we need to go down this road? You're fine the way you are, there's someone out there for you, and it's just not me. Someone will love you for all your faults; I know there's someone out there for you Chuck."
"You mean like how Humphrey was for you?" He adds bitterly.
She's startled at the mention of Dan and looks around the room for him. She finds him and she's a bit dismayed that he's watching them intently. He doesn't look mad, but he doesn't look happy either.
She looks back at Chuck and tells him softly, "Yeah, like the way Humphrey was for me."
Chuck looks away angrily.
This time she reaches for his hand, "Chuck, I don't want to hurt you. I do love you, and I really did love you…. Completely, in my own way. It was a passionate, all-consuming love, but it wasn't healthy. I could fall back into that so easily, how could I not? It would be so easy to be Chuck and Blair, Blair and Chuck all over again. Only… it wouldn't be, it would be Chuck and Blair and Paul.."
"I would love Paul as my own you know this." He says to her.
And she doesn't doubt it.
"I know Chuck, but it just can't be. I don't want to hurt you, but, I don't want to be with you Chuck." she says as gently as she possibly can.
Chuck exhales loudly, "Wow. You were always the most honest one out of us, brutally honest I may add." He says with a sad smile.
Blair tries to give him a warm smile, "I'm sorry Chuck."
He looks at her, "Don't be. It's one of your most amazing qualities…. Along with a few others." He adds with a devilish grin.
Blair throws back her head and laughs. "So is it too late to buy up stock in Bass Industries?"
"Supporting my enterprise? Maybe you should wait to see how it rides out first, I mean, how can we be sure that the rest of the nation is ready for Chuck Bass?" he says in his teasing, husky voice.
"I have no doubt; you are your father's son after all." Blair reassures him.
Chuck sits there for a few more minutes, "Yeah I guess I am…. I'm as unlucky in love as he was" he says mournfully as he watches a tender moment between Lily and Rufus.
Blair feels her heart breaking. Chuck always meant to make himself worthy of the people he loved. Blair understood this all too well. She had spent so much of her life doing the same. They were really the same people and for all their good intentions in proving themselves worthy of people's love, they always did it the wrong way and ended up hurting the ones they were trying so hard to please.
"Chuck…"
He interrupts her with a grave looks, "I love you Blair, I will love you till my dying breath."
She looks away and nods, "When are you leaving? I'd like to see you off."
He turns to her, "I'd rather you not Blair, let the goodbyes stay here."
She nods slowly and understands. Chuck spent a lot of his time saying goodbye to people he loved. Why draw this one out? She can feel herself wanting to cry but manages to choke down the sob in her throat as she watches him walk up to Dan to congratulate him on the book.
He leaves a short while after and Blair can't help but feel a bit bereft, as if there is something missing. Which she knows what it is, a Chuck shaped hole in her heart.
She sits there for a while, lost in her memories of Chuck. The Limo, the time he showed up at her 17th birthday party and started to bare his heart to her, the Cotillion. There were bad moments in their time together, a lot of bad moments, but the good moments were amazing. They outshone the bad, which was why it was so hard for the both of them to say goodbye to each other.
She's so lost in her thoughts she doesn't notice Dan Humphrey taking the chair that Chuck was sitting in earlier.
"That was impressive, the way you dealt with Georgina" he says breaking her out of her reverie.
She gives him a smug smile, "It's just like riding a bicycle again Humphrey, just like riding a bike."
Dan rolls his eyes but she can't help but notice a shadow of a smile on his lips.
She remembers what Georgina had told her Dan's many conquests and her stomach drops a bit.
"So where's your date?"
Dan looks at her guiltily, "She left… Blair I… We're not…"
Blair turns to him annoyed and puts a hand up to stop him, "Really Humphrey, you don't need to explain. I really don't need to know about what call girl you're shtupping."
Dan's eyes go dark, "She's not a call girl Blair. She's actually works at the publishing firm I'm attached to."
Blair waves her hand dismissing his argument, "Whatever Humphrey, all I'm saying is I don't care. And I was being facetious, I know you can't afford call girls, and I don't know of any service that would willingly send out their employees to some drafty loft in Brooklyn."
Dan just looks at Blair and Blair can't help but feel good. She loves having the last word, especially with Humphrey. He was always so good with the tit for tat with her.
"So what did you and Chuck have to talk about?" Dan says, obviously wanting to change the subject.
Dan watches her face fall a little, "Chucks leaving New York."
Dan looks surprised, "Leaving? Why?"
"Because unlike SOME people, he sets his sights on the far horizon, rather than look out the windows of his consignment store furnished loft and longingly gaze at the Brooklyn Bridge and day dream about blondes who live out of their reach." She says exasperated.
Dan just looks away and doesn't say anything.
Blair leaves it at that.
Dan starts chuckling and she looks over at him. He's watching Serena dance with Jenny to some song the band is playing, she's being silly, but Serena can't help to look nothing but beautiful and endearing, even as she tries to goof around. She feels a little stab in her heart when she sees how happy he is as he looks at her.
She can't help but wonder if perhaps Serena was one of those many conquests Dan had in Blair's absence from the Upper East Side.
The thought saddens her and she resigns herself to the fact that they probably had. Dan was Serena's first love and for Dan, well, Serena was his first love but she was more than that. He worshipped her, there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for her and there were many times that he had put himself in dangerous situations for her. Serena had a strong hold on Dan Humphrey's heart, she always would.
Blair remembers the many arguments they had when they were together about this. Blair was always ready to hear the worst. That in a moment of weakness Dan and Serena hooked up or that Dan had come to his senses and decided that he wasn't going to put up with Blair anymore. That he would be returning to the radiant blonde he had idolized so much in his youth.
Blair would never admit it to Dan but that was one of the reasons why she never read any Gossip Girl blasts or any of the Gossip columns concerning Manhattan's elite while she was in Paris. She was terrified of seeing a blast detailing Dan and Serena's eventual hook up or even marriage. That would have devastated her.
She turns her head away from the dance floor, not wanting anyone to see the jealousy that is written all over her face. She hates that she feels this way and knows she shouldn't. After all, she has no claim to Dan Humphrey. Whatever claim she had she threw away, in favor for a childish vendetta against his kid sister.
"Why don't you go out there Humphrey? Go dance with her" she says nodding her head towards Serena.
He looks at her surprised, "Obviously you've been away for far too long Blair, and I suppose you can't remember how lacking I am in the dance department."
She chuckles to herself, "You were AWFUL Humphrey! I remember feeling so sorry for Serena at Prom."
"Why aren't you dancing Blair? I remember you always forcing Nate or myself to dance with you at these galas."
"Nate was a great dancer, and you… well we all remember how awful you were at Dorota's wedding, oh my poor feet" She grimaces as she relives the memory in her head.
"So go out there and dance Blair."
"I'm not feeling well Humphrey" she says to him.
She looks out at the dance floor longingly and Dan feels himself soften up again.
They sit there silently. Watching the people dance in the little space they have between the bar and the tables. Occasionally Serena tries to get Blair to dance with her, "C'mon B! It's a party!"
"It's in a bar! In Brooklyn!" Blair yells back at Serena while laughing.
Serena walks away pouting, but she knows that she won't be able to convince her otherwise.
Blair then remembers something and reaches into her purse. She pulls out a card and a wrapped gift and hands it to Dan across the table.
Dan looks at her surprised, "What's this?"
"Oh come on Humphrey, you know I'm not tacky to not get you a congratulatory gift for your book!"
Dan sits there stunned and looks at the envelope. He opens it.
"Paul made the card. He's pretty upset with me that he can't be here tonight, but you know a bar is not the ideal place for a 5 year old." Blair says while smiling and shaking her head.
Dan is speechless. He has a hard time talking. He clears his throat.
"Oh wow. I'm… I'm so happy he thought of me. The card is amazing, I don't even…."
Blair just smiles brightly at him, "He's really thoughtful, I know Humphrey, I did my best to make sure his manners reflected the Upper East Side address he now occupies."
Dan can't help but smile at the way her face lights up when she talks about Paul.
"Well, open the gift! That one is from me. You know congratulations… nothing big." She says. She doesn't know why she suddenly feels so nervous.
He knows what it is just by the shape of it, but his breath hitches when he opens it.
"The Stranger, Albert Camus" he reads the cover out loud.
Blair leans across the table smiling. She opens the front cover and points out something.
He's not looking at what she's pointing at, he just stares at her stunned.
"Look! First Edition. I had Harold and Roman scour all of London for it on a weekend trip they took. So really you should be thanking them."
"Blair… I don't know what to say" Dan says softly.
Blair finally looks at him and their eyes meet. They can't seem to break away and it doesn't seem like any of them are breathing. She starts to feel uneasy at the way he's looking at her. Or maybe she feels uneasy at how she's staring at him, she can't tell.
"…. Usually people say thank you." Blair whispers.
"Thank you." Dan whispers.
"Now what could you two be whispering about?" comes the bubbly voice of Serena.
They both look up and see the radiant blonde beaming down at them as well as Jenny glaring at them and Rufus looking worried.
Blair sits back in her chair.
Dan clears his throat, "Blair got me an English first edition of Albert Camus's The Stranger and Paul made me a card to congratulate me."
Rufus looks the card over and glances at the book, "That was awfully nice of Paul. It really is a great card. He must get his artistic skills from your mom Dan."
Jenny is finally able to wrestle Dan away from the table and away from Blair. Blair spends the rest of the night sitting at the table feeling confused about the moment she just had with Dan.
She leaves that night and wrings her hands in the back of her town car, worried that she may be falling for Dan Humphrey again.
XOXOXOXOXOXO
Dan has decided that since Paul wasn't able to come to the party he would throw a little get together at the loft that Paul could be a part of. Rufus, Lily, Jenny, Nate, and Serena are already there by the time Blair walks in with Paul.
They're late because Paul is in a bad mood. He didn't get his afternoon nap in and is making sure his mother knows just how tired he is.
Blair makes him come anyways, "We have to go Paul. Don't you want to congratulate your dad in person?"
Paul scuffs his shoes on the floor, "I already made Dan a card, can't we go another other time?"
Blair can't help but feel bad for Dan as he tries his best to make Paul happy at the party. But Paul won't have it.
Blair decides she's going to let Dan handle this. It's his turn to have to deal with Paul when he isn't being amazing and is instead being downright rotten. She turns her head to hide the little smile she has on her face as Dan looks up to her, his eyes imploring her to help.
She walks over to Serena, Nate, and Jenny.
"B!" Serena says warmly as she embraces Blair.
"I didn't think you were coming Blair, I thought it was just gonna be family only." Jenny says staring at Blair blankly.
Blair gives her a tight lipped smile, "Now what kind of mother would I be if I just let my child go to Brooklyn alone? I'm too afraid someone may call Child Protective Services."
"Now, now ladies, its Dan's party, let's not make an ugly scene." Nate says while giving Blair a hug.
Blair hugs him back and says in mock horror, "Scene? When have I EVER made a scene Nate?"
"Ha Ha Blair" Nate says dryly as he puts an arm around Jenny.
Blair just gives them both a dry smile and turns on her heel.
She starts to walk over to Lily and she can't help but feel better about herself.
After her encounter with Georgina, Blair is starting to feel more like herself. Granted she never wants to be the girl that destroyed Jenny Humphrey again, but she's enjoying letting her claws out a little.
"Blair! Now that blouse on you is just darling! Where did you get it?" Lily exclaims.
"It's from my mother's new collection, she let me have it, I'm sure it'll be released here shortly." Blair explains to Lily.
"Actually, that's a blouse that I designed." Says Jenny's voice behind her.
Blair looks over her shoulder at Jenny, "Really? I would have never guessed that you would have designed this. I mean with it not having any kind of black or leather in it you can understand why I didn't put you and this blouse together. I must hand it to you Jenny Humphrey, you're skills have greatly improved under the tutelage of my mother, bravo."
Jenny gives her a small smile, "I'm going to take that as a compliment Blair."
"And you should" Blair emphasizes with false sweetness.
She turns back to Lily and sees Rufus has joined them, listening to the exchange between Blair and Jenny.
"Blair" Rufus says politely. But his eyes show her that he's angry at her. Angry that Blair is still trying to make Jenny feel small.
Blair can't help but feel a little ashamed of herself.
"Hello Rufus" she says cautiously.
Lily noticing the tension between Blair and Rufus can't help but ask, "Alright that's it! What is going on between you two? The past few weeks you have been avoiding each other and when two interact it's like watching a tense exchange between South Korea and North Korea! What is going on?"
"Nothing" Rufus and Blair snap at Lily at the same time.
Blair collects herself and smiles at Lily, "Really Lily, nothing." She turns to Rufus and Jenny, "Rufus you look well, and Jenny, you really did a great job with this blouse, I wouldn't be wearing it if the quality was any less than superb, and that is a genuine compliment."
Jenny and Rufus stare back at Blair with wide eyes.
Blair smiles at them, "Now if you'll excuse me, I believe I should go and rescue Dan from Paul's bad mood."
She walks off leaving triumphant and leaves behind a stunned Jenny and Rufus. Lily shakes her head and smiles. She knows that something is not right between Rufus and Blair, she just wishes she knew what it was.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Rufus raises his glass at the dinner table.
"I'd like to give a toast to Dan, for his extraordinary book, and I'd also like to say thanks to Blair for bringing my extremely handsome and equally talented grandson Paul."
Everyone cheers to this and Blair can't help but smile when she sees Paul smile at his grandfather.
The rest of the dinner passes on but Paul fidgets in his seat.
"Paul, you're manners!" Blair scolds him softly.
Paul just looks down at his lap.
Any attempts at making Paul talk are futile and Blair knows that she needs to take Paul home. But she feels bad knowing how eager Dan was to celebrate with Paul. She tells herself that after desert she will take Paul back to the penthouse to get his well-deserved sleep.
Paul however doesn't make it to desert and his behavior deteriorates.
"Stop it Paul! You know better than to act like this when you are a guest in someone's house!" Blair scolds him loudly.
"Blair it's okay" Dan says softly.
Blair throws him a look that would have had him taking a step back in his younger years.
"No it's not! I didn't raise him to act like this." She turns to Paul, "You need to behave! Tell everyone you're sorry! This is your family after all!"
Rufus chimes in, "Maybe he'd feel a little more at ease and like we are family if you didn't hide him from us for 5 years."
Everyone in the room stops.
Blair's eyes are wide and she's still turned to Paul. Everyone watches as she sharply inhales.
Dan already knows however this ends, it's not going to be well.
Blair's anger was never loud and explosive like a volcano; it was controlled and precise, like a pressure cooker and you could almost see the damming words forming in her head.
She turns towards Rufus and narrows her eyes.
"Well, maybe you shouldn't have given me the idea to run Rufus."
Rufus's eyes go big.
Paul realizing the shift in the room tenderly takes his mom's hand and stares down the Humphrey's with her.
"Wait what?" Lily asks.
"Yeah, what do you mean Blair?" Dan asks very confused looking between Blair and Rufus.
Blair flippantly says, "Ask him." Then she turns to her son, "I'm sorry Paul, we can leave, and we're going now!" and storms out of the loft with a very scared looking Paul following.
XOXOXOXOXOXO
Blair has already put Paul to bed and she's ready to get herself into her own bed when she hears the ding of the elevator.
She walks down the stairs thinking that perhaps Dorota has come back to grab something she might have left.
She stops half way down the stairs as she sees the familiar mess of dark curly hair waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs.
He looks upset and watches her as she descends the rest of the stairs.
"Dan, it's late and Paul's already sleeping…"
"Why didn't you tell me" he interrupts her angrily.
She crosses her arms, instantly defenseless, "When should I have told you Dan? Anyways it doesn't matter."
"Doesn't matter? I didn't get to see my son for damn near 5 years, didn't even know he existed and you're going to tell me it doesn't matter?"
"Yes Humphrey! Why does it matter? Whoever gave me the idea to run doesn't matter, because I'm the one who did it! And how was I supposed to tell you? 'Hey Brooklyn, long time no see, sorry about destroying your sister, here's the son you never knew existed, play nicely now! Oh and by the way, your dad who you idolize so much, can be quite an ass, he threatened me and told me to leave New York.'" She ends mockingly.
"Aren't you even sorry for how difficult this is for us? For Rufus, for me, for Jenny, for Paul?" Dan shouts.
"I can't count how many times I've apologized to everyone since I've been back and I'm not going to do it anymore. I've let you all tell me how horrible I am and was but it ends here Dan! Remember YOU shut your door on me! It wasn't the other way around! This is hard on you? Think of how devastating it was on me! To run away from everything and everyone I loved? And you think you can come to my house and yell about how difficult this is for you and I will continue to accept the role of villain? Fuck you Dan!" Blair yells back at him.
"My sister almost died because of you" Dan shouts hoarsely.
"Mommy?" comes a voice from the top of the stairs and Blair whips her body around to see a very tired and confused 5 year old boy watching her. "Did you hurt Aunt Jenny?"
Dan watches as Blair's face crumples and she holds back tears. She looks terrified and vulnerable and Dan feels some of his anger slip away.
"Yes, I did. I was a very bad person before and I hurt your Aunt Jenny, I'm really sorry baby." Blair whispers.
Paul looks down at his mom and doesn't say anything.
"That's why I'm here, to make things better for you, for her, for everyone" Blair says as she starts to go up the stairs.
Paul watches as his mother makes it up the stairs, "I'm going back to sleep." and turns and runs back to his room and closes the door on her.
Blair stands outside of his door for a while and then heads back down the stairs. Dan stands there waiting for her.
"Do you want any tea?" she asks not looking at him, exhausted by what had just happened.
"Yeah" he replies.
He follows her into the kitchen and leans against the counter as she makes tea. He doesn't say anything to her until she puts a cup in front of him.
"Where you ever planning on coming back or telling me?" he asks softly.
He watches her shoulders slump and she looks at him with the most defeated look he's ever seen on Blair Waldorf's face.
"I tried to call you a couple of times but I lost my nerve. Then I thought I'd email you, but I could never seem to hit send." She takes a sip, "Regardless of what you may think Humphrey, it really wasn't easy for me."
"It wasn't easy for me either when you left" Dan whispers.
"I know just how hard it was for you when I left Dan." Blair says bitterly, referring to what Georgina had said at his release party.
Dan looks down and he's not sure why he feels so guilty about that. "Blair I don't want to fight with you. I'm sorry about what my dad said, he should have never done that and you should have never run."
Blair puts her head into her hands and Dan's afraid that she may have started crying.
Just as he's about to reach out to her she looks back at him wearily, "Dan, I'm tired. I'm going to bed. Let yourself out whenever you're ready to leave."
He watches her walk all the way up the stairs and into her room. He stands in the parlor for a few more minutes thinking about what had happened that night. Eventually he sighs and heads towards the elevator.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
My sincerest apologies in the delay in getting this chapter out guys. Really I am so sorry. I do read the reviews and I did have to sit back and agree that Blair was a little ooc….. dare I even say, a little pathetic? So I had to rewrite chapters. This one was excruciating because I changed it so many times. In fact I'm really not happy with the way it ends but I can't think of another way to end this chapter. And to tell you the truth, I have many more chapters to rewrite hahahaha so I've given up on this chapter.
I know a lot of people may not like how much time I spent on Chuck and Blair but let me assure you, I am definitely a Dair shipper but I do have a great deal of respect for Chair and think that they should be handled respectfully. I hope I don't get too many negative reviews for it. *fingers crossed*
Enjoy guys and thanks for reading. I'm going to continue working on this, but who knows when I'll get the next chapter out.