Chapter 13-
Paul comes home three days after Blair's Dr.'s appointment.
Blair and Dan go to the airport together to welcome him back.
Paul comes running to them bounding of energy with a haggard and tired Eleanor and Cyrus behind him.
Blair hugs Paul and then hugs Eleanor.
"Good lord mother, you look awful."
Eleanor looks down at her daughter irritated, "Thank you Blair." She sighs, "I do wish they would bring back the concorde services, it really takes much too long to get across the pond."
Blair just rolls her eyes and watches as Paul tells Dan all about Paris.
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Paul brought back a few souvenirs for his parents from Paris. A new Louis Vuitton scarf (probably something Roman picked out) and a fountain pen for Dan.
Unfortunately Paul also brings home a cold, which he does share with his mother.
Blair finds herself knocked off her feet by the cold so she has Dan take Paul for a few days. She tells him to drop him off Thursday evening, she should be feeling better by then.
Unfortunately she's not, but she's ready to have Paul back and doesn't want to spend another lonely day with only Dorota to tut around her.
Late Thursday evening Blair hears the ding of the elevator bell announcing their arrival.
They find Blair in her bed.
"You look hideous Waldorf" Dan says, smirking at her door as Paul jumps into his mom's bed.
Blair throws him an icy glare and then smiles sweetly at her son.
"How was your dinner darling? I do hope your dad was able to bring you somewhere worthwhile."
Dan can't help but smile and shake his head. How is it that these people keep insisting that living in Brooklyn means one is destitute. "We had a good time tonight Blair. I wish you could have been there."
"Yes well, it's probably best I wasn't. Considering how sick I was, I can just imagine what health department condemned hipster deli you chose." Blair retorts, still irritated with his earlier assessment of her appearance.
"I'm sorry I made you sick, mom." Paul says.
Blair looks back down at Paul. "Don't you worry about it hun, I'm fine, really I am. Just a little bug, nothing to be worried about."
Dan comes into the bedroom and finally stands in front of her. "Should I get Paul ready for bed?"
"No Humphrey, you can go back to your borough. Dorota can help him get ready for bed."
Dan's eyes widen incredulously, "You mean she's still hear? Good lord Waldorf, I'm sure there are labor laws against that!"
"She wanted to make sure he made it back from Brooklyn safely. I'm not the only one that worries for our son while he's in your neighborhood. Really Humphrey, you have a son now, can't you find a better neighborhood?" Blair says further annoyed.
Dan crosses his arms and smiles smugly at her "You know, Paul told me he really likes Brooklyn. I told him that I wasn't surprised, considering there was a time when I couldn't keep his mother out of Brooklyn."
Blair opens her mouth to retort but comes up with nothing.
Dan takes his cue, smiles, salutes and turns on his heels to head back to Williamsburg.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
The buzzing of Daniel Humphrey's phone awakens him from his dream. He was dreaming of Blair Waldorf again. He's almost thankful to be brought out of the dream.
When he looks at the caller id he's confused. It's Dorota.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Dan, Sorry to wake you, but Paul is asking for you." Dorota says frantically.
Dan sits up immediately when he hears the emotion in her voice, "Dorota, what's going on? Is everything okay?."
"Miss Blair got really sick. We took her to hospital Mr. Dan, she…."
"I just saw her about an hour and a half ago! She seemed fine."
"She had fever, fever got worse. While I was getting ready to leave I check Blair one last time. Very hot and sweating. Doctor say she's going to be okay, but Paul is asking for Mr. Dan."
"What hospital are you at?" Dan says, already up and pulling on some pants.
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5 minutes later Dan is in the back of the cab silently wishing the driver could just warp to the hospital.
The idea of Blair and Paul living with him returns to him. He thinks it over as he chews on his thumbnail.
It makes sense, no more shuttling Paul between Brooklyn and the UES. That and he can be there in case Blair takes a turn for a worst.
He's so lost in his thoughts it takes the cab driver two times to get Dan's attention.
"Sir! We're here."
Dan snaps his head up, mutters thanks and pushes the man 40 dollars. "Keep the change."
He darts out of the cab and runs into the hospital.
A nurse directs him to the floor that Blair is on. He wanders the hall looking for her room.
"Dad?" an unsure voice says behind him.
Dan turns on his heel surprised.
This is the first time Paul has called him dad.
"Is my mom going to die?" Paul says with the saddest eyes Dan has ever seen.
Dan drops to one knee and gathers his son in his arms.
"Where's Dorota?" Is all that Dan can choke out.
"I'm here." He turns around and see's Dorota standing behind him.
"How is she?"
Dorota sighs, "Good, stable. They are going to keep Miss Blair here for few days because she has fluid in lungs." When she finishes her sentence her voice quivers a bit and Daniel can see how tired she is and how hard this is for her.
"Dorota, go home, I'll take care of this from here. Go to sleep and I'll take care of Paul and Blair, don't worry" Dan says as reassuringly as he possibly can.
Dorota refuses at first. They all go into Blair's room and she only leaves after Blair snaps a dismissal at her.
Blair looks over at Paul. "I'm sorry Paul, I'm so sorry."
Paul climbs into her bed and lays with her silent.
She looks at Dan with eyes that are asking for help.
Dan takes a seat next to her bed and takes her hand.
"Hey." He says.
"Hey" she replies.
"How are you feeling?" Dan asks, grasping for some way to start a conversation with her.
"Wonderful" she says sarcastically.
"I can take Paul back to the loft and get him to whatever he needs to do tomorrow. Or I can bring him here bright and early in the morning."
Paul looks up at his mom and Blair looks back at her son. She uses her other hand and smooth's the hair out of his eyes.
"That would be great Humphrey" Blair says softly.
They sit like this. Silently looking at each other.
Eventually a nurse comes in and announces that visiting hours are over and that Blair needs to rest.
Dan leans over and presses a small kiss at the top of Blair's head.
"Rest up Waldorf, we'll be back tomorrow morning, I promise."
She turns her face away and Dan is sure she's about to cry so he hurries himself and Paul out of the room.
He tells himself it was more out of courtesy for her, knowing she never liked to cry in front of people, especially middle class kids from Brooklyn, but really, he does it because he's afraid of how he will feel watching her cry, he was never good at being objective and distant while Blair Waldorf cried.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Paul is bounding down the corridors of the hospital, "Dad hurry! I wanna be there when she wakes up!"
Dan is following behind Paul, balancing Rufus's waffles that Paul insisted they bring to Blair. He said Rufus's waffles made his mom better the last time she was in the hospital.
Dan is about to tell Paul to slow down but decides it would be futile.
Dan thinks about the night before as he follows his son.
He spent most of the night up. Chuck called him asking how Blair was and kept Dan on the phone for a good 30 minutes. He wanted to know everything. How she looked, how her spirits were, why she isn't taking calls, does she need him? Did she ask for him? She's supposed to be getting better, she needs to take care of herself more, and so on and so forth. He ends the call telling Dan, "You know she can't keep doing this. She shouldn't be living by herself with only Paul, I just don't understand why she doesn't move in with Eleanor and Cyrus."
Dan sighed, "I know".
They ended the call after that. It is the longest phone conversation Dan has ever had with Chuck.
Dan also spent most of the night mulling over the idea of living with Blair and Paul. Of course he knows that he can't live on the Upper East Side, he's seen how hard it's been for Rufus, but he also knows that Blair will never agree to live in a loft in Williamsburg. He's going to have to find some kind of compromise…. Oh and convince Blair that cohabitating with him will be good for Paul.
Cohabitating, that's all, two people who are linked together only as mother and father doing what's best for their child.
He tosses and turns thinking of what would have happened if Dorota had left earlier or if she had gotten sicker later and Paul had been there by himself. He can't bear the thought of it just being Blair and Paul anymore.
Paul runs into his mom's room and stops cold. Blair is still sleeping but she has an oxygen mask on and Paul looks terrified. Dan comes up behind him and puts a protective hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry Paul, she's only sleeping."
Paul looks up at Dan timidly and takes his hand.
"Should I wake her up?" Paul asks in a small voice.
Blair starts to stir. She opens her eyes and her eyes focus on Paul and Dan. She smiles weakly.
"Hey there! Is that waffles I smell?" she says groggily.
Paul walks up to his mom slowly "Are you okay?"
She pushes off her oxygen mask, "I am now."
They are interrupted by a nurse. "Looks like you guys got here before I did."
They turn and see a bubbly nurse at the door, "Ms. Waldorf, I'm here to assist you in your morning routine, I'm sorry but your guest are going to have to wait outside until we get through them."
Dan and Paul wait outside the door, a privacy curtain is drawn and Paul sighs. He sits on the chairs outside the room with the box of waffles in his lap.
Dan sits down next to him and puts an arm around him. He looks up and is surprised to see a frazzled Serena coming down the hallway, Louis Vuitton carry on still on her shoulder.
She looks worried, but as soon as Paul sees her she lights up.
"Aunt Serena!" Paul says and runs up to her. She brings him into her arms and carries him, burying her face into his head of hair.
Dan has always thought it hilarious that Blair allowed Paul to grow his hair out. After all Blair had spent so much of her time critiquing Dan's hair and calling him a muppet.
Serena turns her attention to Dan, "I came as soon as I heard, how is she?"
Dan smiles reassuringly and embraces her, "She's stable and fine, they're keeping her here to monitor her. She's got some fluid in her lungs, but other than that, it's nothing like last time." Dan says into her hair.
She pulls back and bites her lip, "Can I see her?"
"Yeah, they're just doing some morning routine with her, as soon as they're done we can go in."
Serena sits in the chair that Dan had been sitting in earlier. She keeps Paul company and entertains him with her stories about California as Dan keeps looking into the room.
Eventually, after what seems like an eternity, the curtain is pulled back and the nurse comes out smiling, "She's ready for you all now."
Dan walks in and Blair is sitting upright in her bed, the oxygen mask now replaced by nasal cannula. She brightens up when she sees Serena behind Dan.
"S! What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in California!"
"I figured you getting yourself admitted into the hospital was just another one of your schemes to get my attention B." Serena says giggling, "I just had to come."
This makes Blair laugh and Dan is incredibly grateful that Serena is there. Besides Paul, Serena is the only one who can make Blair laugh when she's feeling down, and right now, Paul is a bit pensive.
Eventually they all sit around Blair's bed and start to dig into Rufus's waffles.
They keep Blair company for a few hours.
"So when are they discharging you B?"
"The nurse said I should be able to go home tomorrow morning, barring nothing unexpected comes up." Blair replies.
"What time? I can be here for that. I can bring Paul as well" Serena says looking at Dan.
Dan looks down at Paul and nods his head. "Yeah, you can pick him up at the loft. I have to meet with Alessandra tomorrow around 9 am anyways."
"Great!" Serena squeals, "Then we can spend all day at the Penthouse. I'll help you take care of Paul and you can let me go through all the FABULOUS clothes and shoes you acquired while you were living in Paris." Serena ends giggling.
Blair smiles widely. "Help yourself to any of my clothes… If you can fit them S." Blair teases.
They carry on like this all morning. Eventually the time zone change catches up with Serena.
"S, go home, go get some sleep. I expect you well rested to take care of me and Paul tomorrow."
Dan looks at Serena, "C'mon, we'll go with you, I need to stop by and thank Rufus for the waffles."
Serena nods her head and then turns to Blair and hugs her.
"Love you B."
"Love you too S."
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
It's been a month since Blair was discharged.
Dan has been looking for homes. He's found one on the Upper West Side which he thinks is a good compromise between him and Blair. Of course he hasn't run any of this by Blair. He knows he should.
He was hoping that Serena would stay longer and she could help convince Blair that moving in with Daniel Humphrey of Brooklyn is a good idea. Unfortunately he never even got the chance to tell her about what he was planning.
She left a week after Blair was discharged. She had to get back to California and back to Darren, the producer that Serena is madly in love with.
Dan smiles thinking back to the dinner before Serena left. The dinner when she told everyone about Darren. Lily of course was not too pleased with the thought of her daughter running off to join a much older man who worked in Hollywood. She even commented that Serena was just looking for validation with all her daddy issues in pursuing Darren and that it wouldn't last.
Needless to say, Serena spent that last night at Blair's penthouse.
It would be easy for Dan to just roll his eyes and blow Darren off as yet another man in Serena's ever long list of loves; however Dan thinks that's not the case this time. It's different this time. He's pretty sure that this time, it's for real and he's happy for Serena. He'll always love her, but not in the way he did when he was 16. Somewhere along the line she became family, though he will never think of her as his sister. That would just be disturbing.
Dan begins to get ready for the afternoon. He's excited and nervous. He's putting an offer on the 5 bedroom brownstone on the Upper West Side he's been eyeing. It's been on the market about two weeks and he's really hoping he can get it, it's in a great neighborhood and it's still close to Paul's school, which he will be starting in two weeks.
After Dan finishes his breakfast he shoots Blair a text.
Have u dropped off Paul his lessons yet? Do u have a few hours to spare?
Just dropped Paul off. Have a few hours, what do u have in mind?
How about Coffee? I have some news I want to share.
If it's a sequel or prequel to your second novel, I'm not interested Humphrey.
Haha, no, I assure you it has nothing to do with my truthful and scathing autobiography of Blair Cornelia Waldorf, the Tyrant of the Met Steps.
Hmmmm that could be your next best seller. Anyhow, I can meet u. Where and when?
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Dan is waiting at a café in Brooklyn for Blair.
She walks in and he watches her. Watches as she scans the café looking for him. He watches as her brow starts to furrow as she can't find him and then a look of recognition passed over her face as her eyes met his.
She hurries over to his table and sits. "Humphrey"
"Waldorf" he replies. "Surprised you agreed to a café in Brooklyn. I thought it would have been harder than that."
Blair gives him a wry look, "Well my immunizations are up to date so I figured I could venture out here for a short visit."
A server comes up to Blair. "Can I get you anything?"
"Order what you want, it's on me." Dan Humphrey.
"Oh, big spender! Well since you're buying, I suppose all I can get is a small coffee. Small Coffee and a Apple Turnover please." Blair says sweetly to the waitress.
Dan rolls his eyes.
The waitress returns with two cups of coffee and an apple turnover.
Dan is blowing into his cup when Blair finally quips up.
"So what did you want to tell me?"
"Oh, well, I'm buying a house."
Blair almost chokes on her coffee. "Seriously? Where? Why? What about the loft?"
"I thought you hated that loft" Dan says smiling.
"Nevermind that Humphrey! I'm only asking because you're sentimental attachment to that squalid tenement is every bit apart of you as your flannel shirts are. Just because I don't care for it doesn't mean I can't be curious."
Dan sighs, "I'm still going to hold onto the loft. I don't think I'll ever be able to let it go. I suppose I'll turn it into a writer's studio/music studio for my dad. If Jenny wants to work on her designs there she can… I suppose I'll just hold onto it and turn it into some kind of Humphrey workspace."
Blair nods at him, seemingly satisfied with this answer. "So where are you buying? And why? Are you asking me for advice? Because the real person you should be asking is Chuck. Fashion and delegation are my domains Humphrey, not real estate."
"Well, it's a brownstone on the Upper West Side, I've been in it, it's in fantastic shape, close to Paul's school, it's just time for me to grow up and move into an actual home. Besides, as much as Paul tolerates Brooklyn, he's your son after all. He spent the first 5 years living with you in luxury. I don't think he'll ever fully get used to Brooklyn, not as a place where he can really flourish or get comfortable… at least not for a long time."
Blair smiles at him, "Yes well, Paul is definitely a product of the Upper East Side. Forcing him to slum it with you, albeit it just on the weekends has to be tiring for him" Blair says smugly, then her eyes soften, "it's really great of you to move closer to Paul's school. It'll make the commute between us shorter."
"Yeah, well…. Actually the real reason why I'm buying it is because I want you and Paul to move in with me."
This time Blair actually chokes. She ends up having to spit the bite she had just taken of her turnover into her napkin.
She looks at Dan confused and reaches up to feel his head, "Did you fall out of bed this morning Humphrey and hit your head?"
Dan swats her hand away, "No! Stop that!"
Dan watches as her face turns to stone, "So then I must have some kind of auditory sensory side effect from my medication, because I'm pretty sure you just asked me to move in with you, and I can't honestly believe that you would want that "Blair crosses her arms.
"Listen Blair, just hear me out. I'm thinking of Paul. I mean this can't be easy for him, being shuttled between us."
"People do it all the time Humphrey! It's called divorced parenting!" Blair retorts.
"But still, I mean, you're really sick Blair, I could be there to help you take care of Paul, especially while you're still on Chemo. Admit it Blair, you could use some help."
"Humphrey" she scoffs, "In case you haven't noticed, I've raised Paul on my own for the past 5 years and I've done a stellar job of it. The past year I've done it while going through chemo, I think you severely overestimate how relevant you are to my wellbeing. You don't have to worry cabbage patch, Dorota.."
"Dorota!" Dan interrupts, "Christ! Yes let's talk about Dorota! Dorota has a family Blair, a family! That means a husband and children, and you're 27! How much more of her life does she have to devote to you? You don't even know how terrified I was that night you went to the hospital thinking about the what-ifs. What if Dorota had left earlier, what if you had gotten sicker later? I can't bring myself to imagine how terrified Paul would have been at the Penthouse alone with you that sick. Dorota can't be there for you forever Blair!"
Blair shoots daggers at him with her eyes.
"Blair please, I…. I just want to be there more in Paul's life…. I'm not trying to fight with you, just think about it please."
Blair closes her eyes, "I understand why you think it's a good idea but ultimately I don't think it will work." When she ends her sentence she opens her eyes to look at him.
"Look, I know what you're saying. But don't you think we could put aside our differences for our son? I mean, I'm not asking you to be my girlfriend, I'm asking you to be my roommate. Let me be there for Paul."
Blair sighs, "Humphrey, we may not hate each other anymore, but we're two incredibly different people. It just wouldn't work out. C'mon, I'm Madison Avenue, you're… Williamsburg." Blair ends with a look of disgust.
Dan rolls his eyes, "Really? Cause I remember a time when our differences didn't matter and we focused on the MANY similarities we had."
"And look how bad that ended?"Blair reminds him. "We have similarities, sure, and we have a great kid together, but that's not going to make for a happy home."
"Look, I found a great place which I think I have a very good chance of getting. It's the closest to a compromise of our worlds as I can get to."
Blair returns her attention to her cup of coffee, signaling to Dan that this conversation is over.
Dan finds himself getting irritated.
"You haven't even seen the place yet!" Dan exclaims. "Look, the thought of being verbally abused by you every day is not exactly something I'm looking forward to. But I'm thinking of Paul. Like I said, it can't be easy for him to constantly be shuttled back and forth between us. Can you honestly sit there and tell me that you don't ever wish there was someone else there to help take care of him. Blair you're not well."
"DON'T tell me about MY health Humphrey!" Blair's voice starts to raise.
"Goddamnit Blair! Will you lower your voice! Why are you always trying to fight with me? Why is it so hard for you to accept any kind of help from me?"
Blair opens her mouth to reply, but closes it quickly.
Dan gives up. He scribbles an address on a napkin and tosses it her way.
"Thanks for coming by Waldorf. Here's the address of the place. I'm heading over there at noon to make my offer on it. Come by if you want."
He tosses a few bills on the table and leaves the café. As he heads out the door he turns and watches as Blair reaches over and balls the napkin in her fist.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
She doesn't come by that afternoon to look at the place. Not that Dan was really counting on it. He hoped but he knew that she would never make it that easy for him.
Later on that night his real estate agent calls him to tell him the owner of the Brownstone accepted his offer. He thanks the agent and tells him he will meet with them later on in the week. Final arrangements, closing, handing over the keys. Dan can't help but feel a little more grown up.
He looks around the loft sadly, knowing that his days are numbered here. Even if Blair never agrees to it he still plans on living in the brownstone, though he will always hold onto the loft.
Blair…. As he thinks about her he sinks to his couch feeling miserable. He can't understand how she's gotten under his skin again.
As he walks to his room he passes Jenny's old room. He stands in the doorway thinking of the time they spent here.
Then his stomach drops. Oh yeah, he's going to have to explain to Jenny and Rufus why he's buying and moving to a Brownstone on the Upper West Side.
Oh well, he thinks, he faced down Blair Waldorf earlier today, this should be cake right?
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Hey all! Okay so I know that some of this may seem a bit rushed and what not. Bear with me. I'm really trying to finish this story. But I have a lot more to go. I wish I had all the time in the world to devote to it because at this point, I'm kind of writing the story as it comes to me and having a lot of fun with it. I pretty much have the ending written, but I have a lot of story to tell before I can get there.
So yeah, these are coming out whenever I can manage them. I would love to spend a lot of time really working and writing these chapters, but alas, time is a luxury I don't have and, well if I did try to devote a lot of time to it I'd get a chapter out every 6 months.
Thanks to everyone that reviews. I really appreciate it. There are a handful of you that have been following this story from the beginning and I can't tell you how ecstatic I am that I've been able to keep you interested in it this long!
I really love reading all of your reviews and I'm so thankful that you all like it. Again, thanks so much for your encouragement, they do actually pull me away from my studies and force me to sit in front of my desktop trying to type out a worthy chapter.
As always, no clue when the next chapter will be out and I do apologize if the chapter does seem choppy and rough, to tell you the truth, I'm not entirely pleased with it but I needed to work through it to get to where I want to end up.'
Again, Thanks for the reviews and for reading!
Ciao!