Author's Note: All right guys, this is it; last chapter. Do Dan and Blair get back together? Does the story end in them walking away, happy with what they had but still not together? Oh, yes, I'm evil, and you will have to read and find out. P.S. Sorry it took forever to update this!

Chapter Twenty-Six
"Love don't come so easily
This doesn't have to end in tragedy
I have you and you have me
We're one in a million
Why can't you see?
I'm waiting, waiting for nothing
You're leaving, leaving me hanging
When did your heart go missing?
I treat you like a princess
But your life is just one big mess
When did your heart go missing?"
-Rooney

Because of Blair's stint on Friday- concerning the fact that she used the thank you speech to apologize to Dan and tell the whole school that Gossip Girl didn't know what she was talking about- granted her two days' worth of suspension from Constance. It's not as if she had done serious damage, but the appearance of the school- in the respect that Mr. Hettinherr now looked as if he had no control over his students- had been compromised, and that was almost worse. But the punishment was hardly something to endure. The worst part was probably her mother's initial anger.

"Blair, what were you trying to accomplish?" she had asked as Dorota served their dinner that night.

The brunette just stared at her mother, knowing full-well that she could never properly explain.

Shaking her head, Eleanor said, "I get you this superb tutor to help your SAT scores, and- Do you think Yale is going to appreciate a two day suspension?"

"Mom, it was only for digressing in a thank you speech!" she laughed. "Give me a break."

"You embarrassed Constance and St. Jude's in front of a serious benefactor!" she rolled her eyes. "You embarrassed yourself in front of all your peers-"

Cutting her mother off, Blair said, "I'm not embarrassed."

Eleanor gave her a pointed look that said, 'You should be.'

"Mom, would it change anything if I told you I needed to do it?" she leaned forward, allowing the passion to light her eyes.

"What do you mean you needed to do it?" she demanded unfolding her napkin and laying it across her lap.

Blair looked away from her mother for a moment, before saying, "My life at Constance is unbearable right now- And, the only guy I've ever truly loved thought something...." she trailed off. "Mom, he needed to know the truth- the whole school did."

"What, Nate?"

This actually made the brunette laugh out loud.

And then her face clouded over, and she frowned, "Mom."

"What?" Eleanor replied, beginning to stab her salad with her fork.

"You-You threatened the Captain," she managed to say. "You got him to make Nate date me- even though he doesn't even love me anymore."

Only faltering for a moment, her mother said, "Blair, I only-"

"Did you do it or not?" she demanded, her voice getting harder.

Eleanor set her fork down, "Yes, I did it." She continued as Blair opened her mouth to speak, cutting her off, "But I was only doing it because I had your best interests at heart! I saw you that day when I came home and you were crying- miserable in your bed."

Blair thought back to the day her mother had promised her everything would be all right. She was so fully aware of where she got her manipulative control now that it made her cringe a little.

"I just wanted to do whatever I had to make you happy," her mother said sadly. "In retrospect it could have been handled differently- but I promise you, I was only thinking of your happiness."

Staring into her mother's eyes, Blair realized that she wasn't making it up; she truly and honestly regretted how it had turned out, but she had been hoping for the best.

Smiling subtly, Blair said, "Mom, I appreciate that- but- I mean, we both need to learn how to step back and let things happen."

Eleanor smiled and rolled her eyes good-naturedly, "Yes we do."

They sat in silence for a moment, with Dorota now courteously out of the room.

"So, if Nate isn't who you were talking about, then who?" she asked.

Blair felt the smile pushing her lips upward before she could stop it. The mere thought of Dan made her want to laugh with glee and curl her toes happily.

"You don't know him- but Mom, he's great," she said.

The rest of Friday night had been spent in the kitchen, sharing peanut butter ice cream and gossiping with her mother about her life. She recounted her whole history, from finding out that Nate and Serena had had sex (way back in September), to plotting against them, using Dan, and then falling for him. Her mother had listened intently and given the proper interjections here and there. It wasn't until she had finished explaining everything, that her mother had told her that she had had no idea what was going on in Blair's life, and was glad that she now did. At that point, she congratulated her daughter on getting suspended and had actually said, 'Damn Yale if they don't accept you anyway- That was absolutely necessary.' She now felt as if she had broken the shell of a barrier- the one that had kept her from her mother. And so, she felt as if another layer of negativity was sliding off of her existence and into oblivion.

Jenny made it known to the world of the Humphrey household that Blair had publicly apologized to Dan, Friday night at dinner.

Tiredly, Dan had said, "Jen, could we not, maybe?"

"She apologized in front of the whole school?" Rufus asked, putting his glass of lemonade down, surprised.

"And she got suspended!" Jenny said triumphantly.

Rubbing his eyes, Dan shook his head, "I really don't want to talk about this."

And he was being completely honest. He had gone through the rest of the school day with the thought of Blair's public apology at the forefront of his mind. People passed him in the hallway making kissing sounds at him, making comments alluding to Blair's apology and their affair, so it was impossible for him to not think about it. Whereas, he had been so angry with her and had so easily brushed her off as the Upper East Side bitch he had always thought she was, she had gone and done just what he never expected of her. He thought she had used him- had used him and faked some kind of love for him because she was a sick, twisted bitch. Then, she had announced that she was sorry, that she loved him, in front of the entire junior class. But he didn't know what to do. It wasn't so easy that he could just turn around and say, 'Oh, of course I forgive you- let's be together for real now!' He still had his doubts. Did he want to be with someone who would use someone that way, even if she was sorry afterward? Could he even believe her apology? He didn't know, and he didn't want to think about it at all.

"That's pretty epic, Dan," Rufus said.

Giving his father a reproachful look, Dan said, "Epic or not, I'd rather we talked about something else."

The table fell silent.

Then, Jenny said, "I think I'm Team Blair now, though."

Rufus laughed out loud; Dan gave her a dirty look.

By the time Friday arrived, Blair had run out of things to help distract herself from thinking of Dan. She had gone to work with her mom and dealt with irritating models, and she had helped Dorota clean the house and cook over the weekend. But when Monday rolled around, she found herself sitting around her room, bored and anxious. The unnamed cat was jumping and batting at her rumpled comforter, hissing at her anytime she tried to pet the thing. Without even the little pet as a distraction, she sat back and sighed- because she knew it was only a matter of time before Dan entered her thoughts and demanded her attention.

Turning in her bed and looking across her room, out the window, she caught a glimpse of her clock. Dan would be in his Creative Writing class, right before lunch.

The apology she had made in front of the school slid into her mind, making her turn again to stare at the ceiling.

Dan, I am so sorry. It started off as one thing- but, I promise you, it ended up so different than I had ever intended. I just want you to know that I do love you, and I'm so sorry for hurting you.

Blair winced.

It had been almost four days. How long would it take for Dan to accept her apology if he was going to? Swallowing, she tried to push the thoughts out of her mind. He wouldn't ignore her apology. He wouldn't. Dan was too much of a gentlemen. He would at least tell her that he couldn't forgive her- that he wasn't so easily won over. And that would be fine, but Blair just wanted something from him! But- what if this was his form of punishment? What if his silence and ignoring her was his way of paying her back for lying to him. She felt her throat close up, fear making her stomach twist.

She would have to take this into her own hands.

Getting out of bed- and startling the cat in the process- she crossed the room and pulled a piece of stationary out of her desk. With a pen from the same drawer, she scrawled out a quick note on the paper and folded it into four halves. She left it on her desk while scrambling into some stockings, a skirt, and a BCBG top. Shoving her feet into some Marc Jacobs clogs, and throwing her cape-jacket over her shoulders, she grabbed her bag and the note and hurried out of her room and downstairs.

The ride over to Brooklyn was long, but it gave her time to think.

She would give the note to Dan, and what he decided to do with it would determine his stance on her apology. Whether he forgave her or not- well, she would know by midnight.

When the driver pulled up to the Humphrey's building, Blair's stomach knotted. She told the man to wait, and got out of the car on her own, crossing the sidewalk to the door in only a few strides. She entered the elevator, worrying for the first time. What if Mr. Humphrey wasn't even home? What if Dan was home for some reason? Swallowing back her worries, she shook herself a little and smiled her signature smile of confidence. She could do this.

Pressing the buzzer down with shaking fingers, Blair waited.

When the door opened, her smile faltered, only slightly.

"Blair Waldorf," Rufus said simply, surprised.

"Hi Mr. Humphrey," Blair said, trying to regain her confidence.

He peered at her, "Can I help you with something?"

"I was just wondering if you could give something to Dan for me," she said, reaching into her bag and holding out the note. For a moment, she wished she had put it in an envelope.

Rufus looked down at the note, then back at Blair, before taking it. He smiled, "Of course I can."

She seemed to breathe in relief, saying, "Thank you."

He nodded, "Of course."

And then she smiled one last time, turning to leave.

"Oh, Blair?" Rufus called.

Blair turned, right before taking a step away.

He smiled amiably, "I hope Dan comes to his senses too."

Genuinely and easily smiling now, Blair nodded again, and then left.

Dan got the note from Blair, via his father, after school, and he read it over and over:

Dan,

I don't know if you forgive me or not, but either way, I'd like to talk to you. If you could, please meet me at Washington Square Park tonight, under the arch.

I'll be waiting there from eight to midnight. No RSVP necessary.

Blair

This gave him a deadline that he wasn't sure he could cope with. Did he forgive her? Did he trust her enough to forgive her? After what she had done to him- after what she had used him to accomplish with Serena and Nate? His pride was wounded, and his dignity was standing in his way. Also, his common sense was screaming at him. He should never have fallen in love with Blair Waldorf, he should have known. Regardless, he was in love with her, and he wasn't sure whether or not he could not forgive her. She had admitted it to the whole school, she had told the truth and apologized in front of everyone. Was that a valid enough excuse for him to allow her back into his life? Was that a strong enough excuse to forgive her?

He still didn't know.

By the time midnight was close to rolling around, Blair was freezing. Washington Square Park was dark and deserted, and the temperature was plummeting every few seconds. She was afraid that any minute, she was going to get caught in the proximity of a drug deal, and that she would get shot or mugged by some low-class gangsters. But she wasn't going to leave. She didn't care if she froze, or if she had to fight some muggers away with her Fendi bag- she was going to wait for Dan until exactly twelve o'clock.

Suddenly, a familiar fear clutched at her heart.

What if Dan didn't show up at all? Or what if he showed up and told her he didn't forgive her? She shuddered, not sure how she would deal with either scenario. Instead of facing the possibility of the future, head-on, she thought of Breakfast at Tiffany's- of Charade- of the things that made her happy and kept her distracted.

Somewhere in the distance, a car beeped several times, and she turned, staring thoughtfully at the arch behind her. In the light of the moon, the marble of the structure looked ghostly and effervescent, stark against the darkness of its surroundings. Looking up, she took in the intricate carvings all over the arch- the curlicues and precise lines- and sighed. If she focused on the arch alone, she almost felt like she was on the Champs-Elysees. Closing her eyes, she pretended that the sounds of traffic and people- not far off- were all Parisian, and that she simply stood under the Arc du Triomphe. She was miles and miles away from Greenwich Village, and she had nothing to worry about.

A car passed, emitting an old Justin Timberlake song through its windows.

Opening her eyes, Blair sighed. The song disappeared, but the magic was still broken. She couldn't deny it. There was no escaping her problems.

Fishing around in her bag for her phone, she pulled it out and looked at the front screen.

12:10 A.M.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she looked around.

The park was still empty.

A sob rode up her throat before she could catch it, and she pressed her eyes closed, turning and leaning against the arch, feeling more defeated and alone than before. Whereas, eleven minutes ago, there had been a hope, there was now nothing. Dan hadn't shown, and that was all she could think about. Nothing else seemed to matter.

She didn't allow any tears to seep out of her eyes, and she managed to keep the sobs down, but she was shaking frantically in the cold night air, feeling dejected and hopeless.

Sighing deeply, she looked at the traffic around her.

Without warning, the sound of hurried footsteps approached, growing louder and louder, one by one. Turning slightly, Blair caught sight of Dan as he walked under the arch, out of breath and rushing. When he caught sight of her, he stopped. Staring at him, as if seeing a ghost, Blair was speechless.

"Sorry," he said, his breath coming out in puffs of steam. "The subway crowds were a bitch."

She continued to stare at him, unsure of what to do or how to react.

"What, do you take back your apology?" he asked, smirking.

Blair tried to speak, but she could only open and close her mouth.

He raised his eyebrows, waiting, looking entirely amused.

"I-I thought-" she stammered. "Y-You- You forgive me?"

Dan took a step closer to her, putting his arms around her waist, "Why do you think I'm here?"

Feeling her heart swell and thrum happily, Blair said, "I thought you wouldn't- I thought you still hated-"

"I was angry," he clarified. "But can you blame me?"

She looked down, not speaking.

"Blair, I'm still angry that you used me- But I don't think you would make up something like what you said in front of the junior class- just for shits and giggles," he said.

She remembered what she had said at the assembly and smiled slightly.

"So, I'm willing to work past what happened," he told her. "As long as we don't have to be a secret anymore."

Gazing into his eyes unabashedly, Blair shook her head and smiled, saying, "We can tell the whole world if you want."

He smiled and leaned in closer, saying, "I love you."

"I love you too, Cabbage Patch," she replied, closing the space between them with a kiss.

Reunited and it feels sooooooooo good!

This just in, Queen B and Lonely Boy, spotted kissing and making up under the arch in Washington Square Park. Once you get over the fact that, yes, B actually went to Greenwich Village, we can bask in the fact that all the tables have turned. I only wonder what S and N think about all of this? And what does this mean for the hierarchy of the UES as we know it? Well, only time will tell- and I'll be here to reveal the unfoldings first. As for now, what's next for B and D? His and Her's towels? Joint applications to the Ivies? Jewel-studded MetroCards or shared personal chauffeurs? And if this relationship does become official, is it going to last? We shall my pretties, we shall we.

You know you love me,
XOXO Gossip Girl

Author's Note: Fail? Win? Let me know! We've reached the end of 'When it Rains, it Pours,' and now we only have the epilogue! Thanks for reading and reviewing! Next chapter will be up soon!