A/N: So just as promised, I'm back for the weekend. I know this will probably be one of the less popular chapters, since it was more focused on Blair's development rather than Bleth's relationship, but I felt that it was necessary to show the ways in which Blair is growing because of Seth's influence. Worked in a small Dair reference there, just for old times' sake. Thanks for giving me the liberty to explore other characters for the past two chapters...I had fun getting it out of my system! Now the next few chapters will be focused solely on Bleth's relationship, as promised. There is also something that is highly anticipated happening next chapter...so...come back soon! :) :) :)

REVIEW ME PLEASE! I look the constructive criticism - really, I do!

Blair had been feeling uneasy all morning since her talk with Taylor. True, she had gotten what she wanted by doing what she did best – blackmail. She guessed that by now, Taylor had probably already "broken up" with Seth, and that Seth would be by her side again, where he belongs. Still, there was something unsettling about the entire debacle, and she couldn't help but wonder whether Taylor's words had any merit.

She was still lost in thought when a familiar voice sounded behind her.

"Hey stranger, where have you been all day? Missed me?" Blair spun around and saw Seth, looking as cute as ever, with his trademark lopsided smile plastered on his face. She examined his expression carefully, looking for signs of rejection or disappointment, but there were none to be found.

"You seem cheerful," Blair remarked, testing the waters. "So, does that mean everything is going well with Taylor?" Her voice rose slightly at the mention of her name.

Seth hesitated for a moment before answering. He took a step closer to Blair and took both her hands in his, speaking in a gentle voice. "Look, Blair, if it makes you upset that I'm working with her, I could just tell her I'm not interested."

Blair looked up, surprised. "You would do that?"

Seth patted her on her head affectionately and kissed her forehead. "Of course I would, silly. To be honest, it was nice to get involved and have my ideas heard for once, but none of that is worth making my princess upset." He cupped her cheeks and ran his fingers through her hair, which made Blair's heart melt into a pool of helpless mush. They stood there for a while, their foreheads touching, while Blair contemplated what to do next.

"It's alright, Seth. It doesn't bother me that you're working with Taylor," she finally said, speaking slowly, surprising herself by what she was saying.

"It doesn't?" Seth asked with the same amount of astonishment in his voice.

"No, it doesn't," Blair said lightly, sticking her nose up in the air. "As long as she keeps her paws off you, and you two keep it strictly business, I have no problem with you becoming vice president of the student council. It would be good for us – a true queen deserves someone who is as much a leader as she is. So I hereby give you permission to work with her."

Seth bowed down exaggeratedly and kissed her hand. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Blair narrowed her eyes at him and gave a small smile in spite of herself, and began to relax as they chattered over their plans for dinner. Pleased with herself over her small act of charity, Blair remained immersed in a cheerful mood for the rest of the morning. Of course, knowing her luck, all of that went downhill the moment she came face-to-face with Taylor Townsend just as she was waiting for Seth to get out of class to join her for lunch.

"I see…just can't wait to meet Seth after class so you can congratulate him on not being on the student council anymore, can you?" Taylor said coldly, crossing her arms.

"For your information, I've already talked to my boyfriend this morning, and have given him my full support for being on the student council. He knows he has my back. Consider it my personal favor for you. You should know better though, than to try anything else with him, or you can be sure that I won't let you down as easy," Blair informed her, barely bothering to even glance at the girl.

Taylor stayed silent for a moment, obviously taken by surprise. "I guess someone had a dirty conscience after our talk this morning," she finally uttered. "What happened? Did I strike a chord with what I said about you dragging Seth around like a poor puppy?"

"No, but I just realized you're much too pathetic for me to pay any attention to. You can have Seth, if you think playing on his ego will really get him to magically fall in love with you. He'll soon realize that you're just using the student council as an excuse to get close to him, and will leave your desperate ass on the curb where you'll be left all alone. I'll just stand by the sidelines and be prepared to swoop him up in my arms and console him when you're done doing whatever it is you're planning to do," Blair replied curtly, examining her nails.

"Blair?"

The sound of his voice made her blood run cold. Blair spun around and saw Seth, who had just come out of his Calculus class. She didn't know how much of the conversation he had heard, but judging from his expression, he was not at all pleased to see her. Before Blair could say another word, Taylor leapt towards Seth, taking a hold of his arm.

"Seth! I'm sorry! I didn't want to come between the two of you, but it seems that Blair really has it all wrong." She pulled out her cell phone from her purse, showing him the doctored picture of her and Seth that Blair had recovered earlier. "She sent me this photoshopped picture of us, and threatened that if I didn't kick you off the student council, she would tell everyone that I made this and that I was obsessed with you. I just came here to tell you your post had been revoked…but it wasn't what I wanted." Taylor hung her head and placed a hand on her heart. "I really didn't want you to find out this way. I'm sorry, Seth."

Blair was so impressed by Taylor's quick thinking that she was rendered completely speechless. She looked up at Seth and waited for his response.

"Taylor, do you think you could excuse us for a moment?" Seth mumbled. It sounded more like a statement than a request. Taylor slowly glided away, like a snake who had just finished with its prey. The two were left completely alone, with Blair still unable to find the right words to correct the situation. She was still trying to decide whether she should go with defensive, or honest, or just plain silent, when Seth finally spoke up.

"So, are you going to say anything?"

"What do you want me to say? I'm sorry? It's not true? She's really in love with you and I'm not just an obsessive-compulsive insanely jealous girlfriend? Nothing I say right now will change your mind about how you see me right now, so I'll just save myself from further humiliation," Blair spluttered through her tears. God, why on earth was she crying over Taylor Townsend? This was nothing compared to what she had been put through by Gossip Girl back at home. Yet, the frustration she felt at not being able to let Seth know how she really felt hurt like nothing she had felt before. She bit her lip in attempt to control her sudden spill of emotions.

Seth took a step towards her, and to her surprise, hugged her closely, rocking her in his arms. "You're right, Blair. Nothing you say will change my mind about how I see you. You're a crazy, vengeful, manipulative schemer, who's afraid of losing me. That's what I love about you. And I'm not going anywhere, so you have nothing to worry about. Hey – look at me," he urged her, lifting her face by her chin and forcing her to look him in the eyes so she would see his sincerity. "Let's forget about this, okay? Get some ice-cream, skip class for the rest of the day, watch Breakfast at Tiffany's for the fifty-sixth time – I'm cool with that."

Blair laughed through her tears, sending spit flying in Seth's direction. Alarmed, she quickly reached up to clean his face for him. "Why do you have to be so nice to me?" she whined, feeling frustrated but grateful at the same time for having such a perfectly understanding boyfriend, who refused to judge her despite all of Taylor's dirty tricks.

"I thought that was in our contract that I signed the moment I decided to be Blair Waldorf's boyfriend," he joked, pulling away from her in anticipation of her response.

"It was," she answered, poking him hard in the chest with her finger. She reached up and gave him another warm hug, allowing herself to sway for a moment in his arms. After a good five minutes, she finally separated herself from him, and released a full breath of air.

"Okay, there's something else I have to do," she told him, running her fingers through her hair to make sure she still looked okay. "I'm going to handle things with Taylor – the adult way."

"You could always just ignore her, you know," Seth offered, scared for Taylor's sake of what would happen next. "I know you don't like her, but she's really not as terrible as you think. Maybe you just need to give her a chance."

"Please, I have a reputation to maintain. She threw that chance away the moment she decided to start a war with me. No one messes with Blair Waldorf and expects to get away with it. Waldorf women are not cowards, and I'm not just going to stand there and let her think that she can walk all over me, especially not after I let her win on the student council elections. But I promise – no manipulation, no dirty tricks. Nothing but the truth." She reached up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before rushing down the halls to find her posse. She had a plan – she just needed the right people to execute it.

"So, you're saying that you want to sabotage the entire school assembly at the precise moment where Taylor officially gets sworn into office? And I thought you promised Seth you would do this the adult way," Summer pointed out skeptically. Blair was known for her crazy ideas, but this sounded like one that would involve the principal's office.

"Relax, no one is getting in trouble. And by that, I mean not with Seth, either. We're just going to show everyone the truth, that's all. I already got my minions to gather all 1,358 numbers at Harbor. All we need now is a confession on tape. Can I count on you for that?" Blair asked airily.

Summer sighed and rolled her eyes, which Blair knew counted as a yes. She gestured for Summer to hide behind the lockers as she heard Taylor approaching down the halls in their direction. The assembly was set to start in just under an hour, and Blair knew she had little time to waste. To her surprise, she heard another set of footsteps, following close behind.

"Really, Taylor. I don't even know why you ask me to come to such pointless events at your school. Don't you know I have Cardio Bar today with the girls?" a woman's voice asked crossly. Uncertain of how to cope with the sudden twist of events, Blair ducked behind the lockers as well, taking a place beside Summer. Blair motioned for Summer to keep quiet, and the two continued to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"Mother, it's my inauguration! Can't you just be happy for me, like a normal mom?" Taylor pleaded in a childish voice.

The woman gave a small laugh. "Please, Taylor, don't be so dramatic! You're the president of the student council, not the United States. And anyway, judging from how you look today, I don't think you care much for this assembly, either. Look at you! That blouse is a monstrosity! And your hair! How many times have I told you that highlights are not for chubby girls?" the woman exclaimed indignantly.

Blair and Summer shared a look, and Blair shuffled uncomfortably in her spot. She hated this feeling that was flooding over her, but despite all her efforts to repress it, the sentiment came rushing back. She decided to count to ten before making a move.

"Sorry, mom," Blair heard Taylor mumble in a small voice.

"Sometimes I don't even know why I bother. You should really learn from that Blair Waldorf girl, you know. Did you take my advice about being friends with her? You really need a positive influence like her in your life. That girl spells class – all the moms of Newport are talking about her. Really, Newport could do with some spicing up from Manhattan," Taylor's mother rambled on.

"I've tried. She doesn't want to have anything to do with me," Taylor answered.

"Well it's no wonder! I mean, look at you! What self-respecting girl would wear pinstripes for her inauguration? It's a disgrace to the family name! I'd be surprised if you even had one friend at this school!"

That was when Blair decided that she had heard enough. She gritted her teeth and stood up, grabbing Summer by the wrist and dragging her along with her.

"Hi, Taylor!" Blair called out in the friendliest voice that she could manage. Bracing herself, she reached out to give Taylor an affectionate hug, to make it more convincing. The older woman looked as if she had just been slapped across the face, and took a step back to take in what was happening.

"H-h-h-hi Blair, Summer," Taylor stammered in fear. "What's going on?" She almost winced in anticipation of the humiliation that she was sure Blair Waldorf would bring her right in front of her mother.

"Nothing, we were just wondering whether you needed our help for anything last minute before your big speech. We're so excited for you! Aren't we, Sum?" Blair elbowed Summer sharply.

Summer immediately snapped to attention. "Right! Of course we are, Taylor, our pal. So happy," Summer exclaimed forcefully, clapping her hands together.

"Of course, it wasn't really a surprise to anyone, considering you're one of the most popular girls at school," Blair added, putting her arm around Taylor's shoulder.

"I am?" Taylor asked in amazement.

"She is?" Taylor's mother echoed. Even Summer couldn't help but gape at Blair, her jaw slightly open.

"Oh! And you must be Mrs. Townsend! Forgive me for forgetting my manners. I'm Blair Waldorf, one of Taylor's friends here at Newport. She's told us a lot about you."

Taylor's mom looked star-struck as she shook Blair's hand. "Oh, has she? Taylor hasn't told me that you two were friends."

"Yes, we are." Blair took a step closer to the woman and looked directly into her eyes. "Taylor's been telling us about the way you belittle and disrespect her. I know your type, Mrs. Townsend, you're just like those Upper East Side moms who try to control their daughters' lives because you've clearly lost control of your own. You think you can feel better about what a mess you've made of yourself by trampling on your daughter's self-esteem, and by bringing her down with you. It's pathetic, but not at all uncommon." Taylor gasped loudly beside her, and Summer covered her mouth with one hand in disbelief as well.

Taylor's mom's face turned bright red in a mix of rage and embarrassment. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to, young lady?"

"I know perfectly well, Mrs. Townsend. I wouldn't get too angry if I were you. Those lines are already taking over your face. Wouldn't want to wear down the Botox before it runs its due course," Blair remarked with a smile.

The older woman narrowed her eyes at her. "You're not going to get away with this, you little brat! Just wait until your parents hear about this!"

Blair rolled her eyes. "Please. My legal guardian is my housekeeper – which means she's also my employee. Have fun trying to explain to her in Polish what a bad girl I've been," she offered.

Desperate, the woman turned her attention back to her daughter. "Taylor, you come with me right this instant." Taylor shrunk back in fear, and hid behind Summer. She looked to Blair pleadingly, as if begging for her rescue.

"Leave her alone. You can't scare her with us here." Blair turned back to glance at Taylor's expression. "You know what? Better yet, apologize."

"What?!" Taylor's mom was now shaking with fury.

"You heard me. She deserves an apology," Blair said abruptly.

"You must be out of your mind, child! Parents don't apologize to children! I'm her mother, she has to obey me," the woman said in a shrill voice. "Taylor, I'm counting to three, and if you don't come with me, I swear you're going to regret it."

Taylor remained quiet for a second, then looked to Blair for courage. She swallowed hard, and replied in a small voice, "no."

"You think you can just hide behind your friends, don't you? I swear, you're going to regret it! I'm going to take away your car! Your allowance! Your phone, everything!"

"I said NO, Mother!"

Taylor's voice was so loud that all three of them were taken aback. Blair stepped out of the way, seeing that Taylor was now able to speak for herself.

"Blair's right. You treat me like dirt because you hate what you've become. But it's not my fault that Dad's left you. I'm sick of being your punching bag, when all I've wanted was for you to accept me and to be proud of me." She turned back to look at Summer and Blair, who were looking at her with encouragement. "I think I'm going to stay here with my friends. You can go home or go to your Cardio Bar, if my inauguration is too insignificant for your busy schedule." With that, Taylor grabbed the two girls by their arms and walked away, leaving her mother standing alone in the halls.

The three of them walked silently together, arm-in-arm, towards where the assembly was to be held.

"Really, Summer? Our pal?" Blair finally said, breaking the silence. The three burst into fits of laughter. They were still laughing about the look on Mrs. Townsend's face when they saw Seth running towards them, looking frantic.

"There you are! Everyone's waiting for you, Taylor! We thought you'd bailed on your own inauguration!" He stopped when he realized that the three of them were walking together, arms linked. "Did I miss something here? Blair…what did you do?" Seth asked suspiciously.

Blair let go of Taylor's arm and gave Seth a kiss. "Nothing you should be concerned about. Just girl talk, right Taylor?" she asked her brightly.

"Right!" Taylor answered just as cheerfully after taking a deep breath. "Alright, I should go. Don't want to keep the crowd waiting. Are you coming, Seth?" she asked, looking a bit uncertain. She glanced at Blair's reaction, trying to gauge whether or not Seth would still be her vice president.

Seth examined Blair's face carefully. "In a bit, Taylor. You go first, I'll follow. I'll just be standing there looking pretty, anyway," he added, waving at Taylor. Taylor mouthed the words "thank you" to Blair before rushing off.

"Soooooo, are you going to tell me what that was all about? Or is this going to be another one of your mysteries?" Seth asked, taking Blair's hands in his.

"Let's just say I realized that we have more than you in common," Blair teased.

"Oh, so now she has me? Are you girls going to take turns with me now that you're all friends?" Seth joked.

"Ew!" Blair and Summer exclaimed in unison, pushing his head roughly.

Blair cleared her throat and spoke in a more serious tone. "Anyway, you were right. I just needed to get to know her. I know where that girl is coming from, that's all," she said with a small smile, reflecting on her own mother, who never ceased to be critical with her.

"Blair Waldorf, look at you! Getting all soft on me! Where's the Original Gangster Blair I knew from before, huh?" Seth asked affectionately, nudging her.

"You turned her into a giant marshmallow!" Summer said with a laugh.

Seth embraced Blair tightly and planted a kiss on the top of her head. Blair wrinkled her nose in false disgust. "Mmmm…Summer's right. I'm losing my swag with you. Can't even execute an original Blair Waldorf scheme without letting my feelings get in the way."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it. I like this side of you. Shows that you're not invincible after all," Seth said earnestly.

"I'm not, Seth. That's another thing I wanted to talk to you about. I know I call myself queen, and walk around the school as if I'm above everyone else," Blair paused as Summer stifled a laugh. "But in reality, I have my weak spots, too. I never want you to think that I treat you as any less than me, because that's not what I think. If anything, you inspire me to be a better person, and you've allowed me to see myself in a more positive light. Thank you for that," Blair said softly, nuzzling him with her nose. Summer cleared her throat loudly behind them.

Blair moved her head away from him slightly. "You'd better go, vice president. Wouldn't want to miss Taylor's epic speech about how she's going to change the world one student at a time," Blair said sarcastically.

"Have I told you lately how wonderful you are, Blair Waldorf?" Seth asked dramatically, swooping her up in his arms and swinging her around effortlessly. Blair let out a girly scream as she felt her legs leave the ground. Summer gagged in the background and gave Seth a push as the three friends ran towards the school hall, just as the crowed erupted into cheers to welcome Taylor Townsend as the official president of the Harbor school student council.