Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners.
I am soooo sorry I haven't updated for awhile but some stuff happened with my family that required most of my attention these past few months. I had actually forgotten about this until this weekend when I checked my email. I will try to update more often than once every few months. Just please try to be patient and understanding because the family issues are still needing my attention. Thanks and please review. Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners.
Blair arrived at the hospital at the same time as Lily. Lily took one look at Blair and grabbed her hand and led her into the waiting room. Blair went to sit next to Nate while Lily spoke with Rufus. Nate was staring at the clock while clutching Serena's hand. Blair felt something nudge her wrist and glanced down to see Nate offering his hand to her for support. She grasped it as she looked to Lily and Rufus, who appeared to be in a heated discussion.
Lily backed away from Rufus, shaking her head sadly. She proceeded to sit next to Serena. Rufus' face shifted from grief to anger in a nanosecond. " I told you I do not want you here if you won't tell me where he is.", he screamed at Lily. Lily fixed her eyes to the floor as Rufus continued , " He tried to kill my son tonight, and you're still protecting him. He deserves to be in a jail cell for what he did, and if you won't tell me where he is, I'll find someone who will." Rufus turned to Nate and Serena, " Has he contacted either of you? ", he asked. When they both shook their heads no, he turned to Blair.
" Has he contacted you, and please don't lie to me. If Dan has ever meant anything to you, you will tell me the truth." Blair shook her head, " He called me after the paramedics left, but I didn't answer." Rufus sighed as the energy seemed to seep out of him, " I know you all care about Chuck, but he needs to face the consquences of his actions. What happened tonight was noone's fault but his. If he tries to contact any of you again please call the authorities." Blair felt tears well up in her eyes, " Rufus, I'm sorry for what happened to Dan. I know my part in this, and if something happens to him, I'll never be able to forgive myself." For the first time in three years, Rufus' eyes softened as he looked at Blair. "Blair, what happened tonight was not your fault. The blame rests on Chuck's shoulders and nobody elses."
" He was trying to goad Dan into a fight. He was telling Dan that you never loved him, that it was always going to be Chuck and Blair. Dan tried to tell him that he had already figured that out." Hearing that brought a fresh set of tears to Blair's eyes. " Dan gave his apologies to Chuck about the divorce and went to leave. When he did, Chuck hit him." Rufus glanced at Blair as he finished his recollection of the events. " The doctors said he would be in surgery for a few hours at least. You're welcome to wait, but I don't think it's a good idea for you to see him yet. These past few years have been hard on him. I'm not trying to make you feel worse than you already do, but you need to know who he is now."
Rufus' took the seat on the other side of Blair. " Losing you broke something inside of him. He's lost people before, his mom, Vanessa, Serena, but he's always bounced back, the same old Dan we all know and love. With you, he never bounced back, he just learned to adjust. He disappeared for awhile, and when we finally found him, we only became more worried for him. I am not going to lie to you Blair and tell you that I have never hated you. I have never hated someone as much as I hated you the day I found my face down in his hotel room with an empty pill bottle in one hand and his phone in the other. It was the day you and Chuck had announced your engagement. I remember calling 911 and waiting for what seemed like forever until they arrived. As they were putting him on the stretcher he stirred and he said to me, "Dad, don't let Blair find out. I don't want to be disappointed when she doesn't come. If something happens, please tell her it wasn't her fault. We just weren't meant to be." Rufus blinked away unshed tears as Blair felt her whole body go numb at the thought of Dan dying.
" I called Serena and the rest of the family once we got to the hospital. I told Serena what Dan had said, but she insisted on calling you. She thought you would want to know, so she tried your number but it had been changed. She got Chuck's number from Lily and he told her he would tell you. We all assumed he did because Serena got a text from you saying you wanted nothing to do with Humphrey and you wished he would leave you and Chuck alone." Blair felt anger radiate throughout her. " Chuck never said a word about Dan. If he had, I would've been on the next flight back here to be by his side." Blair squared her shoulders and looked Rufus directly in the eyes. " Rufus, I'm going to try to find Chuck. Will you please call me if anything changes?" Blair could see the understanding in Rufus' eyes. Yes, of course I will, but Blair please be careful. Dan would never forgive me if I let anything happen to you." Blair nodded to Rufus and turned and walked out the door. She had a feeling she knew exactly where Chuck was.