Author's Note: SPOILER WARNING FOR GOSSIP GIRL SEASON TWO IN THIS NOTE! I'm not a Chuck/Blair fan, by any means, at all- Like, the relationship kind of makes me cringe- but, they were intense in these past two episodes. And if there was any other relationship I could ship besides Dair, it would be Derena! But rest assured, Dair is still my number one! What did everyone think of the season two episodes though? I want everyone's opinions! Enjoy chapter twenty-one (sorry it's a mammoth chapter!). Reviewing is always appreciated!

Chapter Twenty-One
"This town is colder now
I think it's sick of us
It's time to make our move
I'm shaking off the rust
I've got my heart set
On anywhere but here
I'm staring down myself
Counting up the years
Steady hands,
Just take the wheel
And every glance is killing me
Time to make one last appeal
For the life I lead."
-OneRepublic

It would have been asinine for anyone attending Constance Billard or St. Jude's to think that the Winter Formal was actually going to be held at either school. It was an event for Upper East Side high-schoolers- therefore, it was paid for by the parents of said Upper East Side high-schoolers. And because it had been planned by the very picky senior girls on the Constance Billard student council- and because the school didn't actually have to pay for it- they insisted it be held somewhere chic and elegant. So, of course it was somewhere exactly that- elegant, modern, and incredibly expensive. Somehow, they managed to book themselves the rooftop eventspace of the Tribeca.

Had Dan not received a flyer, promoting the Winter Formal, like the rest of the schools' students, he would have assumed it was going to be held in one of the school gyms. But the ice-blue paper had told him otherwise. So, Tribeca it was. But because Dan had refused to take a limo, he had to take the subway all the way from Brooklyn, to the Upper East Side, in a suit. Better yet, he had to walk to The Palace from the subway stop, go up to Serena's family's suite, and make small talk with her mother while he waited for his date to be ready.

Poor baby.

"Is your sister going to the formal, Dan?" Serena's mother asked as they stood awkwardly in the living room of the suite.

Dan's lips twitched into a fraction of a smile, as he said, "Yeah- She took a limo with a group of her friends."

"How nice," Lily van der Woodsen replied politely.

They stood in silence for a few moments, and Dan contemplated stabbing himself with the chopsticks in the woman's hair, hating the awkward silence, and dreading the whole evening ahead of him.

That was when Serena walked into the room. She was dressed in a floor-length dress, made of candy-pink silk. It was empire-waisted, with an intricately woven bust, and a skirt that fell around her in waves of softly pleated fabric. Along with this dress, Serena wore her hair in an elegantly messy ponytail, with strands of hair framing her face. She looked beautiful, he wasn't going to deny that, but his heart ached when he thought of the fact that she was his date, and Blair wasn't.

Serena smiled at him, shyly, as she walked into the room, holding a white, fur capelet in her hand.

"Hey," she said, and he caught sight of the small, diamond, chandelier earrings that were dangling near her throat.

He tried to smile, feeling like he was playing a part, "You look beautiful," he told her.

Her smile widened and she slipped on her fur capelet, buttoning it at the throat. Grabbing a pink and white clutch, she hooked her arm through Dan's and steered him toward the door, calling, "Bye Mom, see you later!"

They entered the hallway and Serena began chattering away excitedly- about hanging out with Blair and Nate when they arrived, about dancing all night, about how she hadn't seen Blair's dress, and how she didn't mind that they were taking a taxi.

That was when Dan realized just how long the night was going to be.

Blair was pacing around her bedroom when her cell phone rang.

"Hello?" she whipped the phone to her ear.

It was Nate: "Hey Blair, uh- we're downstairs... Did you want me to come up?"

"No!" she responded- almost too quickly- hastily masking her nervousness with a laugh. "I'll just be right down."

Blair hung up and began to pace again. She made her way over to her closet and stepped inside. Flipping the light on, she scrutinized herself in her full length mirror.

She had finally found a dress at a designer boutique, hidden between a bookstore and a bank. The dress was long, stopping at her ankles- a dress that was reminiscent of a Greek goddess. It was sheathed in a way that made it drape, but carefully enough to show her figure and not look like it was made from a bed sheet. On the contrary, it was made of rough silk, the deepest purple she could have ever imagined, look elegant and lush. And with it, she wore silver stilettos, and a diamond-studded silver band in her hair, fixed behind the carefully French-rolled sides of hair, pinned to the back of her neck as a intricately, delicate bun. She felt put-together, but did she look beautiful enough to get through the night?

Finally, she took a deep, shaking breath, nodded to herself, forced a smile, and switched off the light. She grabbed her metallic clutch and a little shawl designed by her mother, and hurried out of the apartment. Her mother was in her office, talking about a shoot with her assistants, and she didn't even realize Blair was leaving until the elevator had hummed to life. And once inside the lift, Blair had to give herself a pep talk.

What does it matter if Dan will be there? You don't even have to see Dan, she began shaking at the very thought of him. It doesn't matter if this was the night you were going to reveal everything to everyone- you're not doing that now, so there's no reason to feel so fucking nervous!

But she couldn't help it- she was trembling with anxiety, and she was sure her throat was tightening, because she couldn't breathe, and she felt as if she was going to throw up.

She reminded herself that she could leave if she wanted. She had to tell herself that she probably wouldn't even see Dan all night. Just because he was going to be there with Serena- she could ignore them both.

"Good evening, Miss Waldorf," Peter the doorman said when she arrived on the ground floor and he opened the door for her. "You are looking very beautiful this evening- More so than usual."

His kind words didn't ease the tension building up in her body, but she tried to give him a smile.

As she exited the building, and he walked across the sidewalk with her, to open her door, he asked, "Is Mr. Dan in that limo, waiting for you?"

Blair froze, and Peter looked at her questioningly, with his hand on the handle of the limo door.

The doorman had seen them together. The doorman knew Dan. She felt sick, like the heavens were sneering down on her, trying to screw her over, and watch her flinch. She was almost tempted to tell Peter about what happened with Dan- to get someone's advice. Instead, she just shook her head and attempted another smile.

"No, not tonight," she managed to say.

"Well, tell him I said hello the next time you see him," Peter replied with a polite smile, opening the door for her.

She just gave him a charming little nod and slid into the limo.

Blair's senses were immediately bombarded. The limo reeked of alcohol and cigars, and there was smoke wafting into her face from Chuck's stub of a Cuban. Horrible rap music was pumping through the speakers, causing the seats and floor to vibrate, and for her head to throb. She looked around, past the champagne flutes littering the floor and the cigarette butts lying around, to the people within the limo itself. Nate was sitting beside her, smiling nervously in a tux. On the side seats were Chuck, Kati, Isabel, and Chuck's date- some girl named Irene, from Connecticut. They were already drunk and sloppy and annoying, singing loudly, dancing in their seats, falling over one another, and generally pissing Blair off. She gave them all an impatient smile, that fell from her lips within seconds, and settled into her seat.

"Are you okay?" Nate leaned in and asked, and the music was loud enough that no one else heard.

With her arms folded over her chest, she snapped "I'm fabulous- Chuck, would you mind tapping on the driver's window and telling him we're ready?"

Chuck did knock on the glass, asked the driver to go to Tribeca, and, finally, they were on their way.

Although the very thought of Dan made her stomach twist, Blair was curious and obsessed, so, she shouted over the music, "I thought Serena and Dan were coming with us in the limo?"

"Yeah- Serena said Dan didn't want to take a limo or something," Nate shrugged as he leaned in and said this close to her face.

Blair couldn't help but note the fact that he smelled like pot, and his eyes were glassy.

Nate seemed to be happy though, he was smiling easier now, and his body wasn't so tense. Though Blair wasn't one to get high, she had no objection to alcohol.

"Chuck, do you have anything stronger than champagne?!" she shouted.

He gave her one of his leering looks and produced a bottle of vodka from the little refrigerator in the backseat. "You don't mind if it's chilled, do you?" he asked.

Blair grabbed the vodka, "I don't care if it's fucking frozen," she snapped, spinning the top off and taking a long swig from the cool glass bottle.

Well, that's one way to ensure the night is fun. Although, I don't think she has the same idea of fun as the rest of us.

When Dan and Serena arrived at the eventspace of the Tribeca, they were shocked by a display of white... Everywhere. The floor was covered in a dusting of sparkly white snow. The tables were covered in white linens. Icicle lights hung from the ceiling, twinkling on and off. White Christmas trees were set up around the space, adorned with silver baubles and tinsel. Silver menorahs were also placed on several times, glimmering with bleached-white candles. Huge snowflakes sparkled from where they hung from the ceiling. Everything was wintry and white.

Dan almost wanted to comment on the fact that it was only the beginning of December, and the holiday decorations were a little overkill- it hadn't even snowed yet. But he kept quiet. He felt like the comment would have been something Blair would have found amusing. Serena, on the other hand, was a totally, completely different story.

"Omigod! Look at those little candles!" she gushed. "And those Christmas trees!"

Why did she always find everything so wonderful and perfect? It was great sometimes, but other times it was ridiculous.

"Let's find a table!" she smiled brightly, grabbed his hand and pulled him to a table in the corner of the room, near the window-wall that offered a panoramic view of the city skyscape.

Everyone was already at the formal- and the majority of them were already on the dancefloor- except for Nate, Chuck, some of Serena and Blair's friends, and Blair herself. They sat at the table silently, looking around awkwardly, trying to figure out something to do or say. It was almost painful. Dan cleared his throat.

Serena sighed, "I wonder where Nate and Blair are."

Good question.

"Do you want to dance?" Serena asked suddenly, as if she had just had an epiphany.

Dan looked at the dancefloor. It looked about as tempting as a lava pit.

Frowning, he said, "Not right now- But you go on if you want to."

"No!" Serena laughed. "I'm not going to leave you here! I'm not in that big of a mood to dance anyway."

Dan nodded to himself.

"Dan! Serena!"

The two turned and watched as Jenny approached them, dressed in a dark green dress, with her hair hanging around her face in loose waves. She was grinning as she sat down at their table. Dan could have hugged his sister. He was sure he had never been so happy to see her in his entire life.

Smiling, he said, "Hey, Jen. Having fun?"

"A blast!" she enthused. "Are you guys going to dance?"

"In a little," Serena replied. "Your dress is great! Where'd you get it?"

Just as his sister was replying- that's when he saw her.

Blair walked into the eventspace on Nate's arm, causing Dan to feel as if he had been punched in the gut. She was in an elegant and sweeping dress of a deep, royal purple, and her hair looked delicate and regal, swept up and pinned back. In her hand, was her shawl and her clutch, and she peered around the room, as if looking for someone. Dan was sure he had never seen her- or anyone, for that matter- look so elegantly beautiful, and she quite literally took his breath away.

Too bad she's on someone else's arm.

Blair didn't realize she was scanning the crowd for Dan, until Nate asked, "Looking for someone?" teasingly.

He had no idea what he was even asking.

Blair was beginning to feel the buzz of the alcohol, working its way to her brain, and she smiled pleasantly at him, her eyes misty and bright. Turning to look through the crowd again, she spotted Serena waving them over frantically from a table on the outskirts of the main floor. Beside her, at the table, was Dan. He was dressed in a tux, looking every bit as handsome as Cary Grant, except completely familiar and wonderful. He was staring at her though, with his eyes still and his mouth hanging open a little. Without thinking about it, Blair dragged Nate toward the table, making eye contact with Dan the whole time.

"You guys are finally here!" Serena said happily, her face broken into a grin.

"Yes, we are," Blair said, forcing a cheerful smile. "Have you guys been here long?"

Dan replied before Serena could, "Not too long," he said it coldly.

Blair swallowed.

Do you just want to end us, and act like it never happened?

Dan's words echoed in her ears, and her palms went sweaty. She let go of Nate and draped her shawl on the back of a chair at the table. Clutching her purse in her hands, she smiled and said, "Excuse me for a moment- I need to use the restroom."

As she walked away, Dan briefly wondered if she was going to throw up.

But when she got into the bathroom, she managed to keep her lips pressed tightly together. She went through her bag with shaking hands, grabbing her lip gloss and slicking the wand over her lips. The other girls in the bathroom were giggling and talking shrilly, and Blair wanted to snap at them and tell them to leave. She maintained her composure though, pretending to fix her hair and smooth out her dress, while she really tuned the girls out and tried to regain some form of confidence and control over herself.

Dan.

She thought about him, and her heart nearly broke.

That was when realization set in. She didn't care if Dan had kissed Serena. Whether he had the same feelings for her or not, she still loved him and she wanted him to know. Staring at herself in the mirror, she decided that she would tell him everything tonight- she wouldn't leave one thing out. She would tell him about the Nate and Serena plot she had had, about how she felt differently about him now, about how she was sorry, about how she loved him. Somehow, she would drag him away from everyone else and she would tell him everything.

Good luck with that one.

By the time Blair arrived back on the main floor, dinner was already served. She made her way back over to the table where Nate and Serena were (of course) happily eating their gourmet meals. Dan, on the other hand, was staring at a plate of very little food, looking as if he was contemplating throwing the chicken out the panoramic-view windows- or at Serena and Nate, who were laughing and talking loudly.

Blair sat down in the free seat, where a plate of salad greens and plain chicken was waiting for her.

"I hope you don't mind that I got your food for you," Nate said, looking proud of himself.

Attempting a smile, Blair said, "It's fine. Thanks," and she began to poke and prod the chicken with her fork.

Dan watched with mild irritation as Blair played with her food. He didn't know if it was Nate getting Blair's food, or the way they had walked in together, arm-in-arm, but Dan was getting increasingly annoyed. Maybe it was because Serena and Nate were so blatantly flirting, or maybe it was because he just couldn't stand the misunderstanding and secrecy in his and Blair's relationship. Whatever the reasoning behind it, he found himself too angry to eat, too confused and annoyed to swallow the food he was cutting up and stabbing, too angry with Blair to actually be able to worry about her. Instead, he settled for mutilating the poultry in front of him, absently listening to Serena and Nate's chattering, wondering what Blair was thinking about.

"Blair, does your dad still make that amazing lemon-pepper chicken?" Serena gushed, her eyes wide with wonder as she sawed at her meat. "That stuff was amazing."

Blair looked up, "Yes, he still makes it," she said, as if Serena was a moron for even questioning it. "He made me some last week," she put in absently.

"Was that before or after I got there?" Nate wondered, innocently enough.

Blair felt the heat rise to her cheeks- did Dan know Nate had come for a visit in France?- and said, "After you had left."

And just like that, something in Dan snapped.

"That's right," he said, trying to keep the acid out of his voice. "Serena mentioned that you went to stay with your dad last week- How was it?"

Blair looked at Dan carefully, knowing full-well that he was angry, that there was a double meaning behind his words. Slowly, she said, "It was just fine, thanks."

"You know- it's kind of funny, but Jenny and I were talking about some Audrey Hepburn movie the other day, and it reminded me of Blair visiting her dad in France," Dan said, as if it was the funniest coincidence in the world.

Serena smiled, "What movie?"

Narrowing her eyes at Dan warningly, Blair listened as he continued.

"You know, the one where Audrey's character is having an affair with her best friend's boyfriend, and they get to a pivotal point in their relationship and Audrey runs off to France," he gave Blair a sweet-enough smile, feeling as if all the hostility he had held toward their secret affair was rushing to the surface now.

Serena knotted her eyebrows, "How does that remind you of B?"

"Oh, well, she goes to Lyon- that's where your dad lives, right Blair?" he met her eyes.

She knew exactly what he was doing. He was trying to snub her in front of everyone- to unleash his pent-up anger in front of a crowd- without anyone even realizing, except her. All her confessions of love were forgotten for the time being as her forced smile turned to a look of disgusted shock. She wouldn't allow him to do this, he wouldn't get away with it.

With a carefree smile, her eyes blazing, she said, "That wasn't an Audrey Hepburn movie- you must be thinking of Marilyn Monroe."

"No, I'm sure it was Audrey," Dan said easily enough, his eyes bearing into hers across the table.

"I'm sure you're thinking about that movie with Humphrey Bogart- the one where he's having an affair with his girlfriend's best friend, and he drives her away to Lyon because he goes totally insane with accusations and moronic little tricks in public!"

Dan's eyes flickered across the table and he smirked, "No. I'm sure it was the one with Audrey being a little control-freak."

"Audrey's not a control-freak. Humphrey was just being a moron," she smiled sweetly, with a victorious look in her eyes.

Serena cut in, "What movie are you guys even talking about?"

Dan and Blair stared at each other.

"Can't remember the name of it," Dan said stoically.

Blair shrugged, forcing a light laugh, "Me either."

The table descended into silence again- this one was even more awkward- stranger than the rest. At this point, Serena and Nate had an inkling of an idea that something was going on between Blair and Dan, but no one would say anything about it. Instead, Blair and Dan sat, staring at each other, playing with their food no longer. Blair new he was angry, and she felt so destroyed because all her plans of confessing the truth to him were ruined- she didn't even feel all that triumphant for standing up to herself where his little snubbing was concerned. And Dan was convinced that Blair was just being her usual self- a self-righteous bitch who had to be in control. They still loved each other, somehow, but, it was as if things were coming to a head.

"Would you excuse me?" Blair stood up again, grabbing her shawl and her clutch, marching across the dancefloor, and up the stairs that led onto the roof.

All she wanted was some peace and quiet, and she knew she wouldn't find that in the bathroom.

Well, she's definitely not going to find peace back at that table. She won't lack for a whole lot of quiet though.

Back at the table, Dan, Serena, and Nate had fallen into an awkward silence. Things were so visibly strained, that Dan couldn't bear to look at either of the two. He settled for moving the silverware around the table, allowing Blair's jibe about 'Humphrey Bogart' to settle in his mind. And even though he wasn't looking directly at anyone, he saw Serena look over at Nate, out of his peripheral vision, and it made his already volatile anger increase tenfold. Nate and the blonde stared at each other, alienating Dan to the other side of the tension-barrier, as if he was the one guilty of creating such horrible awkwardness.

Well, he kind of is?

"Blair was probably right about that movie," Serena said, trying to be helpful or something. "She knows everything Audrey Hepburn."

Dan almost wanted to laugh out loud at her oblivious ignorance.

Turning her happiness to maximum capacity, she gushed, "We should dance!"

The last thing he wanted to do was dance.

"Maybe in a little- I'm not feeling very well," he replied.

Serena's face fell for a moment, clouding over with confusion and angst. Of course Dan felt bad for being such a horrible date and kind-of boyfriend, but what could he do? He loved someone else, and she just happened to be the blonde's best friend. He wanted to tell Serena the truth- to take away the disappointment from her eyes- but that would involve hurting Blair and betraying her trust. And even though he was furious with the brunette, he knew he couldn't betray her that way.

Nate, attempting to be the knight in shining armor, suggested, "I'll dance with you, Serena."

And just like that, Serena's face switched back to ecstatically happy. "You don't mind, do you Dan?"

"No, go right ahead," he said easily, and the two stood up, making their way onto the dancefloor.

Dan could only endure five minutes of watching the pair bump and grind to some obnoxious techno-charged rap mix, before he had to look away. He tried to focus more carefully on refolding the napkins around the table, but he found his thoughts were trailing back to Blair. Where was she now? Was she okay? Had he really upset her with his slight outburst? Did she think they were over? The last question made him a little anxious. Yes, he was angry- but he didn't want things to end between them until he knew for sure that she would ignore his ultimatum.

Without contemplating it, he stood up and walked across the room.

He was going to find Blair, and he was going to give her his ultimatum- no matter what the circumstances were.

Author's Note: Eeeeeeek! I'm so sorry I ended it on a slight cliffhanger! I had intended on having all the drama of the Winter Formal packed into one chapter, but if I did that it would be about twenty pages long, and everything would be rushed and empty. So, I've split it into two chapters. The next chapter will be up fairly quickly! Hope you liked it!