Chapter 14-
Dan looks down at the last box of his belongings that he's taking with him from the loft. He's leaving a lot in the loft, things he believes belong here, like his bed and a few books. He can't help but feel that the loft looks so empty, in the way that a hotel room feels empty. It's got all the necessities one needs to live for a few days, but no comforts and no evidence that people actual live there. It makes him sad.
His dad honks from the road and Dan knows he has to head down soon. He closes the door of the loft and hands over a set of keys to a somber looking Jenny. After Dan had told them about his plan they had all decided that it was best they keep it. It would serve as a hideout for all the Humphreys to go to when they needed to run away from the Upper East Side and its inhabitants.
Jenny remarked that it would come in handy for when the Vanderbilts came to town around Christmas.
Seems like no one wants to part with the loft.
As Dan and Jenny climb into the van ready to embark towards Dan's new domicile on the Upper West Side Rufus looks over and asks Dan, "Are you sure about this?"
Dan looks over at his dad, "Too late now Dad, I've already paid for the brownstone. Time for me to move on. If anything I can give the loft to Paul when he gets older, or I can give him the Brownstone and I can move back here."
Rufus looks over Dan and nods and starts the van up.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Dan is putting his home together. Well actually he's putting his library together. It's the only thing he's managed to do in the 4 hours since he left the loft. Jenny rolled her eyes and said it was typical that Dan would choose to make sure that his books were dealt with first.
Jenny and Rufus left 2 hours ago. Rufus was meeting Lily for a charity event with Eleanor and Cyrus and Jenny was going home to a "special" dinner that Nate had cooked up for her.
"Nate cooks?" Dan asked skeptically.
Jenny looked at him with a wry look, "yeah well Hamburger Helper comes with directions, so yeah….. Oh God! Please don't let it be Hamburger Helper again!"
Dan is lost in his thoughts as he's putting away his books. Thinking of the loft and how lonely it looked as he closed the door. He fights the urge to abandon the Brownstone for the night and head back to the loft.
There is no point to him being here tonight after all. Dan is picking Paul up from school to bring him to the Brownstone tomorrow.
But Dan just sighs and continues to put away his book.
He doesn't hear the front door open or the expensive heels clunk up the staircase of his brownstone.
It's only when Blair speaks does he realize he's not alone.
"You know Humphrey, the Upper West Side may be a huge step up from Brooklyn but you still can't just leave your front door unlocked."
Dan turns on his heels surprised and finds himself facing Blair standing in the doorway to his library.
Blair walks into the room and walks past him to the window overlooking the street below.
"You know, I just don't know if I can feel safe letting Paul stay here if you're just going to leave an open invitation at your front door for any passerby to come into your home. Oh and your doorbell doesn't work either." She says still watching the road below.
"What are you doing here Blair?" Dan asks confused.
Blair turns to him, a worried look starting to creep onto her face, "You gave me the address…. You said I should come… Nevermind." She says flippantly and starts to cross the room to head back to the road she was just watching.
Dan realizes that she's leaving and grabs her hand, "No, I mean, I just, I gave you the address to this place weeks ago…. I never thought you would come here, I've tried calling you and you refused to talk to me."
Blair looks down at the hand covering hers. "You were right Humphrey" she sighs "I can't keep relying on Dorota forever, and regardless of how awesome Paul is, I'm sick" her voice wavers, "and I need help with him at times and Dorota has offered to come by every day to make sure Paul and I don't live in squalor so…."
Dan allows a grin to grow slowly on his face.
Blair starts to get uncomfortable and retracts her hand.
Dan puts down the book that was in his other hand, "C'mon I'll give you the grand tour." He nods his head towards the doorway and starts walking out.
Blair follows Dan all the way down the stairs to the first floor.
"This is the first floor. There's a front room here as you can see, fireplace, yadda yadda yadda, I'll let you worry about how this room looks." He walks ahead and turns right, "This is the kitchen."
Blair looks around the kitchen and gives a little nod of approval. Dan has to keep himself from rolling his eyes.
He starts walking towards the left, "This is the dinning room, and out those French doors is a little fenced in yard, nothing big, but Rufus has plans for a vegetable garden for himself and Paul."
Blair peeks out the French doors. The yard is nothing spectacular but it seems to get just the right amount of light and she can envision Rufus's vegetable garden, near the big tree towards the back which she suspects is a Norway Maple. Blair starts to feel herself getting excited as she envisions Paul in that little plot of green that he can call his.
Dan starts to lead her upstairs and to the first door at the back of the hall. He opens the door lets Blair walk into it, "This is going to be Paul's room" Blair walks into it and heads to the window. She's now overlooking the little yard that she had just looked at from the dining room.
She gives a satisfied nod before Dan pulls her back out in to the hallway. He goes passed the room next to Paul's room and points out a bathroom on the left, "Paul's bathroom" he says shortly.
"Dan, what about this room?"
"Just hold on, I want to show you this first."
He opens the door to the third room on the middle floor of the brownstone. "This I figure can be your office, study…. Or play room for Paul if you want."
Blair walks around the room trying very hard to look unimpressed.
When she looks back at Dan he has a sly smile on his hand, "C'mon Waldorf, let me show you your room."
He goes back to the room next to Paul's room and opens the door. Blair finds herself walking into the largest room on the level.
"Nice" Blair says perfunctly.
Dan smiles wide at her, "I haven't shown you the best part" and opens the double doors in the room.
Blair's eyes widen and her mouth drops. She can't help it. She finds herself looking at what is on one side a huge walk in closet and on the other side a bathroom.
"Impressive huh?" Dan says looking at it proudly, "I knew it would be the one thing that would impress you in this house."
"It's… It's huge!" Blair says looking at the walk in closet.
"Yeah well, the former owners were a couple with a child. Somewhere in the marriage they decided that they couldn't stand each other and so instead of separating and divorcing like normal people, the wife moved to the second floor and renovated a room and decided to use the spare room next to it as a walk in closet. They sold the house because the kid went off to college… odd people really" Dan rambles.
Blair takes in the place and can't help but be impressed by Dan.
It used to marvel her how well he knew her, especially since they had spent so much time hating each other. But Dan had always been observant and she internally chides herself for not giving him more credit.
She clears her throat, "So, where do you live?"
Dan leads her upstairs. It opens up to a living area that takes up most of the floor.
"This I suppose will be the living area/den." He turns down the hall "The bathroom is on the right and my room is next to it" he pushes in the door to his room and Blair looks in. It is the smallest room in the house, which isn't saying much, most of the rooms were large for New York Brownstones yet Blair can't help but look at him surprised.
Dan takes her down the hallway to the room that she had found him in earlier. "This is my study/library."
Blair looks around and realizes that it is definitely a Humphrey study. There are bookcases built into the walls and there is a fireplace near the door to the room. She can imagine a chair there where Dan Humphrey will spend many a cold night in front of a fire reading some pretentious book.
"I have to admit Humphrey" Blair says turning to him slowly, "You've done better than I thought you would."
"Well I'm glad you approve Waldorf."
"But what's up there?" she points to the stairs going up from the hallway.
"You wanna see?"
Dan leads her up into a sun room and out onto the Garden Terrace. He walks over to the railing and looks out at the city.
Blair joins him, "I suppose this will have to do" she says.
"You think you and Paul can slum it with me on the Upper West Side?" Dan snorts.
"What wouldn't a mother do for her child." Blair responds.
"You definitely deserve some sort of recognition for the sacrifice you're making."
Blair just turns her back to the railing and leans against it.
"Tell me what you're thinking" Dan says softly, noticing the shift in Blair's mood.
"Just thinking about how sad the Penthouse is going to be without myself and Paul there…. You know my mom thinks this is a good idea" Blair scoffs, "But I can't help but feel sad that I won't be living in that Penthouse anymore. My mom and Cyrus are going to stay at their place… I just I dunno, I know it's been empty while I was away for the most part but, Paul has been there and now it's even more significant to me. It's stupid, I know…"
"No, it's not stupid Blair." Dan says softly.
Blair looks at him and gives him a small grateful smile.
"What do you or Eleanor plan on doing with it?"
"Keep it. I figure when Paul is staying over at his grandparent's place I can always run back there to get away from you." Blair says scrunching up her nose, "Or maybe I'll leave it to Paul when he gets older."
Dan starts to laugh.
"What's so funny Humphrey?"
"Nothing Waldorf, just glad you came around."
They both turn and watch skyline from the garden terrace in silence.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Blair and Paul move in a week later, just in time as Paul starts up school. It seems to be working out well and Dorota comes by in the mornings as she and Blair had agreed upon. Dorota does leave though about an hour or hour and a half after Paul gets home from school which is a great improvement from her later hours she kept at the penthouse.
It takes some getting used to, but Dan starts to enjoy having Dorota at the Brownstone. He realizes that Dorota and her family are family to Blair and Paul and having her here is something that calms Blair and helps keep Blair manageable. Dorota is always there to intervene when Blair gets angry at him. Dan doesn't think Blair will ever know how to live without her and he realizes that he's not sure if Dorota will ever know how to live without Blair. The thought saddens him.
He also loves waking up in the morning and walking down to a breakfast Dorota has cooked up. After all these years she still remembers how he likes his eggs and how strong he likes his coffee. He keeps telling her she doesn't have to but she just pish poshes him and mutters something like, "Mr. Dan, you must eat. Need strength, we never know when Miss Blair will get angry and you will need strength." She says while winking at him.
One thing Dan can't get used to though is Dorota making his bed in the mornings. He keeps telling her that he doesn't want her making his bed. Mostly because he doesn't feel right having her make his bed. He has no issue about her making Paul or Blair's bed, but for him, it just doesn't seem right. He tells her and she always agrees not to, but he always seems to have a freshly made bed every morning. Even when Dan stays home to work on a novel or article, she somehow sneaks into his room stealthily and makes it. He begins to suspect that she may have once been a part of some Polish spy ring and teases her saying he's going to write a book about her, a sleeper agent placed in the homes of New York's elite by an international spy syndicate to report back on what offshore accounts those silly American socialites keep their money stashed away in.
Dorota says if he writes it, it will be his best novel to date.
Yeah, Dan can't help but enjoy having Dorota around.
And at this moment Dan can't help but wish that Dorota was here to iron his suit for him.
He's getting ready to meet Blair and Paul at Paul's school for a "Welcome to the first grade" night where the students and their parents get to meet the teachers and discuss goals for the year.
This is a big deal for Dan seeing as to how this is his first one and he's excited to be a part of this. However, Dan let the time slip past him as he was working on an article he was writing for Nate's paper (just a guest spot he sometimes did).
His phone goes off alerting him to a text message, he already knows its Blair asking where he is.
Where are u Humphrey? We've been waiting ten minutes and Paul is asking for you.
Dan double times it and eventually manages to get to the school just in the nick of time. Blair sees him in the hallway and starts to march towards him with Paul following. Dan looks to Paul and Paul throws him a sympathetic look. Blair is angry.
"Really Humphrey? All that talk about how this was important to you and you can barely show up on time?" Blair lectures him under her breath while smiling at the other parents around her.
"I'm sorry Blair, I was working on a piece for the NYspectator and lost track of the time. Hey buddy, I'm sorry it took me so long to get here" Dan says as Paul slips his hand into Dan's.
"It's okay Dad, you got here on time, that's all that matters."
"No it doesn't!" Blair says under her breath again as she politely nods to one of the teachers that passes by them.
"Hey, I can admit that I should have been here and that it won't happen again. How about I make it up to you Paul? Gelato afterwards? On me of…" Dan is cut off as he offers up his peace offering.
"Blair? Blair Waldorf?" a voice behind them exclaims.
Blair and Dan both turn around and see Isabel Coates standing in front of them.
"Isabel" Blair says politely through clenched teeth.
"And Dan Humphrey?" Isabel says confused. "Both of your kids go to this school? What a coincidence." She exclaims sweetly, though Dan can see that she can't fathom how any of Dan's offspring would be able to attend this school.
Blair turns to Paul, "Paul, why don't you go off and see if you can find any of your friends hmm?"
Paul looks a Dan and at Blair and nods. He runs off in the direction of his class and Blair turns her attention back to Isabel.
"Yes Isabel, OUR son, Paul, he attends this school" Blair emphasizes the word our and Dan looks at her surprised.
"Wait? What? You and Dan Humphrey had a child together?"
Blair sighs exasperated, "Believe me Isabel, even I can't believe it sometimes."
And there she is again, the Blair that Dan is used to being around. Something about being back in a school setting seemed to bring out the original gangster Blair. He can't help but feel nostalgic.
"So are you two married? I would think I would have at least read about it in the spectator" Isabel asks confused.
"No" they both answer quickly. They look at each other. Blair gives him an annoyed look.
"No, we are not, but we're both committed to raising Paul in the best environment we can manage" Blair answers diplomatically.
Isabel looks them over and crosses her arms, a smug smile growing on her face.
"Well Blair, we really need to catch up! I mean the last I heard of you, you had married a prince and not too long after the honeymoon he divorced you. Wow that was quick! You must have broken some kind of royal record with that one!"
Dan watches as Blair's face tightens and her jaw ticks. He can't help but be a little glad that Blair's anger at him has been diverted and all her malice is directed towards Isabel, though he does feel sorry for the poor soul. It seems as though she has forgotten what Blair could be like.
"Annulled actually" Blair says tight lipped. Then she plasters a smile on her face, "But let's not talk about me! Let's talk about you! Last I heard you had gotten married to a wonderful heart surgeon and then walked in on him in bed with his male colleague a few years after the wedding. Oh Isabel! I wanted to call you and offer you my condolences. B-T-W, the man your husband left you for, GORGEOUS! I'm just so thankful that Gossip Girl had found you irrelevant by then or else you know that would have been plastered all over the internet. But really Isabel, I had meant to call you because I felt so mortified for you, but for some reason it kept slipping my mind."
Isabel flinches as Blair finishes, just as she's about to respond Blair quickly starts talking before she can get a word out.
"Oh! That's right! The reason why I kept forgetting to call you is because, while I realized that your name sounded familiar, and your face looked familiar, I just couldn't place who you were. Somehow I had forgotten all about you! But you can't hold that against me, seems like everyone else did as well."
Dan steps in, feeling sorry for Isabel and that he can no longer stand to watch this girl get ripped apart by Blair anymore.
"Come on Blair, Paul's waiting for us."
Blair looks him over and slips her hand into the crook of his elbow.
"After you Humphrey" she says as they walk away and she turns her head to flash Isabel a triumphant smile.
"Whew, geez Waldorf, that was… impressive" Dan admits.
Blair looks at him from the corner of his eye and pats his arm.
"You can't honestly say its surprising now can you Humphrey?"
"No, I can't… I must admit, it feels nice to see you be… well you sometimes."
Blair looks at him with a small smile, "Really? I never thought I'd hear you say something like that. Well I can say for me, it felt…"
"It felt?" Dan asks
Blair inhales deeply, "Exhilarating."
Dan grins the whole time they are sitting in front of Paul's teacher.
XOXOXOXOXOXOX
Dan has to admit living with Blair has been great. Greater than he expected. He thought that they would be fighting more often and sometimes they do, but they're never serious and Dan usually leaves the tiff feeling satisfied. Blair was always able to match him intellectually. He's thinking about a disagreement he had the night before in line at a café when he runs into one of the women he used to sleep with after Blair left NYC.
"Hey Dan! How have you been?"
Dan looks up and sees a familiar redhead with two cups of coffee. "Um, Claudia, wow, good. How have you been?"
"Pretty good, I'm actually really busy right now and have to run, but how about we meet up sometime and catch up?"
"Uhh sure."
She smiles broadly, "Great is tonight okay?"
"Ummmmm…"
"Oh come on Dan, you can spare a few hours to catch up with an old friend can't you?"
"Yeah, yeah. I mean… okay, where?" Dan answers feeling uneasy.
"The old Italian restaurant you used to take me to, do you remember?"
"Yeah sure, um…. 7ish okay?"
"Sure, I have nothing planned at 7."
"Great Dan, see you tonight!" She yells back as she runs out the door.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Dan can't help but feel uneasy about meeting up with Claudia. They didn't end badly, well, they couldn't end because they never really started. She was just someone who frequented his bed for a time being after Blair had left New York.
He can't figure out why he's so uneasy about meeting up with her. When he tells Blair to order take out for him and Paul she asks why he won't be joining them for dinner. For whatever that Dan can't understand he has a hard time telling her that he's meeting up with Claudia. He does however, giving Blair full disclosure which is another thing he can't understand. Why he feels he needs to be so honest with her.
Blair acts a little odd after he tells her.
"You're not jealous are you?" Dan teases.
"Please Humphrey, don't flatter yourself! I just want to remind you to not make too much noise when you get back home from meeting up with your old girlfriend. I have an appointment tomorrow to receive some chemo and I'd like to get as much rest as I can."
"Oh, I forgot about your appointment tomorrow, I promise I won't make any noise getting back into the house."
"Make sure that you don't" Blair says as she turns and heads up the stairs to join Paul in the living area.
"You know Blair, I can cancel, I mean it's not important that I go."
Blair turns around and looks at him. He watches as her face softens and she sighs, "No Humphrey, go out, enjoy yourself, you've been such a great help these past few weeks, you deserve it." Blair says with a genuine smile but Dan can't help but notice a twinge of sadness in her voice.
"Are you sure? It's really not a big deal if I don't go."
Blair waves her hand dismissively, "No, go Humphrey! I'm going to enjoy the few hours I can get Paul all to myself."
Dan watches her as she jogs up the stairs.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Dan is sitting at a restaurant across from Claudia.
She's even more beautiful than Dan remembers yet Dan can't help but will time to go by faster so that he can get back to Blair and Paul.
They catch up and Dan tries his best to converse with Claudia, but he can't help but keep going back to his phone and texting Blair.
How's Paul?
Fine Humphrey, we're watching a movie.
What movie?
Paul chose Spaceballs.
Great choice!
I suppose, really I can't figure out your dvd collection Humphrey. How can you have Philadelphia Story next to Spaceballs?
Claudia interrupts him, "Important text messages?"
"Yeah, you know work stuff, keep talking, I'm listening. Anyhow you know how Alessandra likes to keep me working in hopes I will write the next great American novel."
She looks at him with a look of understanding and he feels guilty that he's lied to her. He doesn't know why he doesn't tell her about Blair and Paul. It's not that he's hoping to go home with her tonight, it's just he feels like that's something she doesn't get to be a part of, why tell her about it, nothing will happen and it's obvious that she's not interested in what's been going on in his life as she keeps bringing the conversation back to the time they had spent together and all the "great times" they had.
Dan politely nods and gives her a small smile but their time together is the last thing from his mind. At this moment he can't help but wish he was at home sitting next to Paul and watching as Blair rolled her eyes at them as they laughed at the movie.
His phone alerts him to a new text message and he sees that Blair has sent him a photo of her and Paul eating popcorn on the couch.
Paul's trying to teach me to catch popcorn in my mouth, however I'm not as good at it as he is. I tried to pick up most of my failed attempts though I'm afraid Dorota might have some extra work to do. LOL.
"Something funny?" Claudia asks.
Dan looks up, "I'm sorry, what?"
"You're grinning from ear to ear, I'm just wondering what Alessandra could have said that could make you smile so much."
"Oh, it's nothing really, just a funny story that happened around the firm…. You know, what, I'm going to turn this phone on vibrate and set it down, no more text messages." Dan says as he turns his phone over and places it on the table.
Claudia beams at him.
"I'm happy to have your attention."
They talk through dinner and though Dan was initially distracted, he does manage to have a good time. There really isn't much to not like about Claudia, she's very agreeable. Perhaps too agreeable.
Eventually Claudia gets up from the table and leans over seductively. "I'm going to go powder my nose and how about after you and I go back to my place and have some… desert." She says suggestively.
"Oh Claudia… I" Dan starts but she interrupts him.
"Don't answer now, just think about it while I'm gone. Try not to think about what Alessandra probably wants you to come in early for tomorrow, just think about what I'm offering" she ends with a seductive smile and her eyebrow raised.
"Okay, I will…. I think I'm going to go visit the men's room as well." Dan says stammering as he gets up and walks away.
He doesn't notice the brunette that was sitting at the table next to him listening in on his conversation. No one notices as she gets up to walk to the bar and quickly picks up the phone that Dan had left on the table.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Claudia is already sitting at the table by the time he gets back.
He walks up to her already rehearsing the excuse he has for not joining her back at her apartment.
Just as he sits down he notices Georgina walking towards their table.
Oh no he thinks, this can't be good.
"Dan! Sorry to barge in on your dinner but I wanted to return your phone back to you, thanks." Georgina says handing his phone back to him.
"You took, you took my phone Georgina?" Dan asks incredulous.
"Well, you left it on the table for anyone to grab. Tsk tsk Dan, you should know better, especially after what happened at Cece's wake." Georgina says flashing him a dazzling smile.
Claudia, clearly uncomfortable tries to intervene, "You took his phone?"
Georgina finally looks down at Claudia, "Think of it more as safe keeping. I was merely making sure my friend's phone didn't get swiped by some other patron or busboy."
"Oh! You're Dan's friend?" Claudia asks.
Georgina gives her a patronizing smile, "You can say that. I'm Georgina Sparks."
Claudia offers her a hand, "Nice to meet you Georgina, and I..."
Georgina cuts her off, "Don't matter!" Georgina turns her attention back to Dan leaving a stunned Claudia with her hand extended. Dan starts to put his face into his hands.
"B-T-W Dan, Blair wants you to stop by somewhere and see if you can get some eggs for breakfast tomorrow morning."
"Blair? Who's Blair? And why does she want eggs for breakfast tomorrow?" Claudia demands.
Georgina exhales loudly and turns back to Claudia, "Blair is the woman that Dan has been texting the whole time he's been sitting here with you. She's the mother of his son."
Claudia snaps her eyes back to Dan, "What is she talking about." She asks.
"She's the mother of my child yes, but it's not like that, we're just roommates"
"Oh Dan, let's be honest! Blair is a former girlfriend of Dan's. In fact one of the two major loves in Dan's life. She was his muse for Inside, you know Clair Carlyle. Anyhow they had a love affair that ended badly with Blair leaving New York City. Dan wrote two scathing books about her, one that got published and one that he never published. The book he never published is personally my favorite it really is a great work of nonfiction Dan but I can understand you not publishing it out of fear as to how Blair might react. You see, he was very truthful in his portray of her and didn't make any attempt in concealing who he was portraying when he named her, Blair Waldorf. Anyhow, needless to say he never really got over her and when she showed back up in New York years later with his 5 year old son that he never knew about… well you can understand can't you?"
Claudia looks at Dan for a moment and Dan just looks at her helplessly. She quickly gathers her purse and pushes her seat back. "You're a prick Dan."
Dan watches as she storms out of the restaurant. He can't help but feel grateful and weary of Georgina. Grateful because she managed to get Claudia to leave, weary because Georgina has taken Claudia's seat across from him and is flagging down a waiter.
"A glass of your house white please" Georgina says smiling sweetly. When she finally turns her attention back to Dan she flashes him a friendly smile that Dan doesn't believe for a second.
"Okay first of all, why were you looking in my phone, secondly, how do you know about that book and what it's about, thirdly, whatever you've got working in your head I want no part of." Dan says firmly.
"Dan! Is that anyway to talk to an old friend?" Georgina says sweetly. The waiter brings her a glass and she immediately orders a second and takes a long swig as he walks away to get her a second glass.
She sets her half empty class down and looks at him, her smile gone now. "First, I looked through your phone hoping I could find Chuck Bass's number. Secondly, I'm Georgina Sparks! Of course I know about your book and what its' about, I know you're passwords and where you hide the key to your loft. Thirdly" she pauses and gives him a serious looks, "you're going to help me with what I have cooking in my head, and if not there will be consequences."
"I don't take threats lightly Georgina"
"And I don't give them out lightly Dan." Georgina says as she takes another swig of her wine. "You know that Phillip finalized our divorce. What you may not know is that I didn't get much of an investment from that dimwit. While he may not be the brightest bulb, his lawyers are unfortunately. Anyways, now that I'm free and have nothing to show for the 6 years I was with Phillip except a trust fund for Milo that can't be accessed until he's 18 I've been looking at New York's finest eligible bachelors. As you know, Chuck Bass has recently gone through a divorce too, but most importantly, he's got an entire empire, one that he is expanding across the nation as we speak. I want Chuck Bass, and I want your help Dan Humphrey."
Dan looks at her incredulously, "No. No. I may not be Chuck's biggest fan, but even I wouldn't do that to him."
"Oh you will after you find out what I plan on doing if you don't" Georgina says slyly.
"There is nothing you have on me that could make me help you with that. I mean Chuck is a lot of things, but insane is not one of them. Even if I did help you he would never fall for you."
"Nothing I have on you Dan? Didn't we just discuss the book you had never published?"
Dan looks at her alarmed. "You wouldn't" he growls.
"Dan, do you realize who you're talking to? Of course I would, and your friend Vanessa Abrams demonstrated for us all how easy it was to make sure you got published and put on a bestseller list even without your consent."
Dan looks at her speechless.
"I wonder now Dan, I mean Blair seems to have forgiven you for the portrayal of your sophomore novel; however, I don't know how she will react this time. I'm pretty sure she won't be so lenient when she realizes that you wrote about all her insecurities, her malicious ways, her feelings of being not worthy, and her eating disorder for everyone to read… I suspect she may buy a ticket for her and Paul back to Paris to die." Georgina ends smugly.
Dan can feel himself panic a little. It's not an unlikely situation. Dan knows that he was very hard on Blair in the novel, way harder than the one he published after she left. The possibility of Blair taking Paul back to Paris and Dan having to see Paul only on visits terrifies him.
"It wouldn't work anyways Georgina, he's with Raina Thorpe last I heard and they're happy."
"Really Dan, this is Chuck Bass we're talking about. When has he never sabotaged a relationship that he was happy in? You'll figure it out."
Dan looks over at her for a few minutes then signals the waiter for the check.
Georgina pouts, "But I wanted another glass of wine"
"I'll pay for the two you put on my tab, but the next one is on you Georgina."
Georgina looks up at the waiter and rolls her eyes, "He used to be chivalrous"
The waiter looks down at Georgina captivated. Dan doesn't blame him, Georgina is beautiful and there's no way this waiter can know how mentally unstable she is.
Dan pays his checks and starts to leave the restaurant. Georgina looks up to him as he walks past her.
"Good catching up Dan, I will be getting in touch with you soon!"
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Dan stops by a convenience store and picks up some eggs. He's very careful to be quiet as he walks in the door and while he puts the eggs in the refrigerator. As he takes his shoes off he notices Paul's shoes thrown haphazardly by the door. He sighs as he bends down and repositions them so they fit nicely within the shoe rack.
One less thing for Dorota to do when she comes in tomorrow morning.
As he handles Paul's shoe he starts to think of what may happen if Blair does read Dan's unpublished work about her. He can't bear the thought of not having Paul in his life every day and decides that he is going to do everything within his power to make sure that doesn't happen. It sickens him to think that he will be helping Georgina, but he has no other choice.
Normally he would turn to Blair for help in dealing with Georgina, however he knows he can't turn to Blair this time without disclosing what Georgina has hanging over his head. If he tells her she would probably leave anyways.
As he heads up the stairs to his room he passes the den where he finds Paul and Blair sleeping on the couch together. The TV and DVD player are still on and he goes over to turn them both off as silently as he can manage.
However Blair still manages to stir.
"Mmmm, Humphrey, what time is it?"
"Around midnight."
"Oh? That great of a date huh? Must have spent a lot of time catching up."
"Not exactly. Let's get you and Paul back into bed." Dan says as he gathers Paul up in his arms.
Blair sleepily follows him down the stairs and watches as he tucks Paul into bed. She then turns and starts to head down to her room but loses her balance and trips.
Dan is at her side immediately and finds herself in Dan's arms looking straight into his eyes as he starts to help her back to her feet. She can't help but notice that Dan's eyes look sad.
"Are you okay?" Dan asks.
"Yeah, guess I'm a little more sleepy that I thought. Got a little dizzy and lost my balance that's all."
Dan follows her to her room and helps her get into bed. He looks down at her again and Blair can't help but notice that something is bothering him.
"Dan are you okay? I mean, is everything alright? You seem troubled." Blair asks.
"Just tired Blair, I'm just tired. Goodnight. Wake me up tomorrow morning when you get up, I'll drop you off at your doctor's appointment and take Paul out for some gelato." Dan says as he walks out of her room and closes the door.
Blair turns over ready to succumb to sleep again but thinks about Dan as she falls into deep slumber. She's pretty sure his date didn't go as expected. She feels sorry for Dan. He's been great to her and Paul and he deserved to have a good time, but she also can't help but feel a little glad.
Blair falls asleep with that last thought on her mind.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
So I really wanted to get this out sooner, but unfortunately my summer session kept me incredibly busy. I have some time off between the end of my summer session and the start of my fall semester and I hope to get a chapter out then.
Again, really appreciate the reviews and you all enjoying the story.