Disclaimer: I do not own Gossip Girl or its characters.

Chapter 13: All is Fair in Blair and War

"Dan! DAN!" Blair shouted running through the loft door. She could hardly contain herself. She had just received her letter of internship at W magazine!

"What's wrong?" Dan asked concerned walking out of his bedroom.

Blair ran over and jumped in Dan's arms.

"I got it! I got the internship! They want me to start next Monday!"

Dan picked Blair up and spun her around in excitement.

"I told you! Nothing to worry about! You didn't even have to send the second round of faxes." Dan joked. Blair glared but then turned it into a smirk.

"What about you? Have you heard from The New Yorker yet? Blair asked. Dan shook his head and frowned.

"I think I turned everything in too late. They had a lot of really good applicants this year I heard. I went to one of my professors because he knows one of the editors there really well, and he confirmed they had already chosen their interns."

"Dan? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't want to say anything because I knew how nervous you were about W."

Blair suddenly felt bad. He had been so focused on her feelings and she had no idea what was going on with him.

"Dan I want you to be able to tell me things like that. Please don't be afraid to."

"I know I just didn't want extra stress on your plate."

"You are not stress! Dan! I want you to be able to come to me about anything. You don't have to go through anything on your own anymore. You are always there for me, so let me be there for you."

Dan was touched by her words and ran his hand through her hair and kissed her softly.

"I want you to be there for me too. I'm sorry, I guess I just forgot what it was like to have someone care like that."

Blair knew what Dan meant. She had watched Serena disappoint Dan over and over again while Dan had hung in there only to be left broken hearted in the end. She herself had begged Chuck to let her in over and over again and every time she felt they took a step forward he would always do something that made them fall 3 steps behind.

"I know what you mean. I had forgotten too until you came along."

Dan looked down and smiled at Blair.

"I promise from now on I will let you know what's going on in here," Dan pointed to his head and then to his heart, "and in here."

"Thank you." Blair smiled. She stood on her tippy toes and gave him a quick kiss. "So how are we going to get you an internship? I could call my mom, but she doesn't really know about us yet."

"Yeah we should wait until she and Cyrus are back from Paris to drop the news, not over the phone."

Blair nodded in agreement.

"What about Lily? She has a lot of contacts and I'm sure she would love to help one of her kids since Serena and she aren't talking still."

Dan's face lit up.

"You never miss an opportunity do you?" He laughed.

"Not when it's mine to gain, or yours in this instance." She smiled.

"Have I ever told you how truly brilliant you are?" Dan grinned pulling Blair closer to him. She blushed slightly.

"Once or twice, but I'll never tire from hearing it." She beamed. Dan laughed.

Suddenly their phones went off in unison.

"It's Gossip Girl probably blasting about Ben and Serena or you and me." Blair sighed.

She grabbed her phone and flipped it open. Dan watched his girlfriend's face go from annoyed to angry.

"What's wrong?"

"Juliet is back in town!" Blair practically growled. Dan grabbed his phone and looked for himself. The picture showed Juliet getting out of a cab with bags in tow.

"And it looks like she plans to stay a while." Dan sighed. "Blair we need to be careful about this. Serena obviously has forgiven Juliet and is ready to shack up with Dan, but…"

"I don't forgive as easy?" She finished for him. Dan could hear the anger in her voice still and knew he should approach carefully.

"I can already see the scheming wheels turning in your head." He answered.

Blair sighed heavily and rubbed her forehead in frustration taking a step back from Dan.

"I just hate how she walked away without any consequences! She nearly kills my best friend and gets off without even a slap on the wrist? The only reason I backed down was because Serena protected her and felt guilty for Ben being in prison but that still doesn't excuse Juliet!"

Dan understood Blair's frustration and agreed with it, but neither of them could change Serena's mind once it was made up. That was something they both knew.

"I agree, but what can we do? And not to make things worse, but now that Ben is living at the loft, it's only a matter of time before she shows up and we are face to face with her."

Blair wanted to scream at the reality of Dan's words.

"I can't do it Dan. I can't be nice and civil to her." Blair said shaking her head.

"Even if it's what Serena wants? Because let's face it, you know she will want to embrace Juliet."

The thought made Blair sick and she groaned.

"Serena may have forgiven Juliet, but I will make sure she knows all is not forgotten."

"What are you going to do?" Dan asked hesitantly. This was the part of their relationship he still wasn't sure how to handle.

"I was thinking a good cornering would do for now. Will you back me up?"

"I will always have your back." Dan smiled.

"Good because my plan involves some of your stealthness."

"Is that even a word?"

"Did you know what it meant?"

"Yeah but..."

"Then it's a word."

"I'm not arguing then."

"Smart move Humphrey. There is hope for you yet." Blair smirked stepping forward and looping her arms around Dan's neck.

"So I shouldn't suggest we look the word stealthness up in the dictionary?" Dan teased.

"I would watch it Dan. I was in a pretty good mood and when I came over here and…" Dan cut Blair off with a kiss. She pulled back with a laugh.

"Excuse me, but I was in the middle of a sentence." Blair scoffed.

"Oh! Didn't anyone tell you? There is a new rule in the loft." Dan smirked. Blair saw the humor in his eyes. She turned her head slightly and squinted looking him up and down with suspicion.

"And what new 'rule' is this?" Blair asked running her hand down Dan's chest.

"You are not allowed to be in this apartment no longer than 10 minutes without me kissing you." He smiled. Blair couldn't help herself and laughed.

"Then don't let me stop you."

Dan grinned and kissed Blair again pulling her closer against him. The kiss, like all there others recently, quickly intensified and deepened to the point where Dan had Blair back up against the wall of the dining room. Dan grabbed her hips and lifted her so that she was straddling him, then pinned her against the wall with his weight. Her skirt gave him easy access and he slowly and gently slid his hand up her leg and under. Blair gasped into Dan's mouth as this thumb started to massage her inner thigh.

"Dan…Please…" Blair whispered. Her head was spinning and all she could think about were Dan's hands.

Dan captured her mouth again and started to move his hand farther up her leg but stopped at the sound of voices at the door.

"Shit!"

Dan quickly carried Blair into his room and threw her on his bed, shutting his door, just in time before Serena and Ben came in the loft. Dan peeked out the door to see Ben and Serena in a bit of a dispute, probably over the Gossip Girl blast about Juliet. He turned around to see a flustered Blair lying on his bed. She looked like a beautiful mess with her skirt hiked up, blouse half undone and flushed skin.

"We have not had the best luck have we?" Blair whispered with a sigh.

"I wish I lived alone again. I could have taken you up against that wall!" Dan cursed. Blair's breath caught at the thought.

"A fantasy of yours Humphrey?" She teased. Dan jumped on the bed and Blair yelped.

"One of them." He teased back settling himself between her legs. Blair decided she liked this side of Dan very much. He leaned down and kissed her gently, pressing into her lightly at the same time. The sudden pleasure made her moan into his mouth. He pulled back from her lips and grinned. Blair looked at him and frowned smacking his shoulder.

"Why did you stop?" She groaned. "Usually when a girl makes that sound it mean keep going."

"I'm just taking in the moment." Dan laughed. He smiled and lifted his one hand to brush Blair's hair off her forehead. "You here with me letting me kiss you and hold you. It feels so surreal."

Blair felt butterflies swarm her stomach. The way Dan was looking at her and holding her—it was so intimate and real. Never in her life had Blair ever thought that she would let Dan Humphrey get this close to her physically but he had also broken down the barriers and walls around her heart and slowly was starting to capture it beat by beat. Blair Waldorf was falling in love with Dan Humphrey. The truth in that statement made her feel vulnerable, but with Dan, Blair felt oddly safe. She reached up and traced his lips with her fingers.

"Leave it to you to get all sentimental when things are really starting to take off." She sighed dramatically but Dan saw the hint of a smile on the corners of her mouth.

"What can I say? I'm a Humphrey. We are sentimental beings." He smirked. Blair rolled her eyes and ran her hands down Dan's back and pulled him down while she pushed up, recreating the pleasure from earlier. "Blair…" Dan moaned pressing his forehead against hers.

"What about physical beings?" She teased.

"Yeah that too." He answered quickly, then captured Blair's mouth, pushing into her middle harder this time.

The pleasure from her middle spread throughout Blair's entire body fueling her passion and need for Dan. She reached up and grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled, sending him over the edge. This time he grinded into Blair rolling his hips slowly, while deepening their kiss, driving Blair crazy in return. She reached down and pulled Dan's shirt off and over his head, while he worked the rest of her buttons on her shirt, freeing the black laced bra underneath. Dan attacked Blair's neck finding her spot right below her ear, while reached behind her to unclasp the black lace straps but he was having a difficult time of it. Suddenly Blair started to laugh. Dan stopped and looked at her confused.

"Dan. It's a front clasp."

"Oh! Yeah that would make sense." He said amused. The front clasp was right in front of him. He looked down at her and laughed too. Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

"Dan? Is Blair in there?" Serena asked awkwardly. Dan sighed heavily and dropped his head. Blair tapped his bum signaling him to move off her, which he did with a growl.

"I'll be out S. Just give me a sec?" Blair answered.

"Thanks." Serena said hesitantly.

"We cannot catch a break!" Dan moaned falling down onto his bed while Blair put her shirt back on.

"Honestly though Dan, I didn't really want our first time to be with Serena and Ben out in the living room where they could hear everything." Blair frowned. Dan scooted off the bed and wrapped Blair in a hug.

"Why not?" He tempted kissing her neck.

"Dan!" She yelped smacking his shoulder. Blair didn't want to admit it but she loved that Dan wanted Serena to hear them. She couldn't help but to be a little sensitive to the fact that Dan and Serena use to date, in fact, it was one of the reasons that had kept her from jumping him sooner. Blair felt that Serena would always one up her at times and Blair didn't want to be second best to Serena with Dan.

"What? It's one of my fantasies." Dan said running his hand under her shirt.

That made Blair's knees go weak, but she knew that Serena was waiting for her.

"Later." She forced herself to say. "I just want our first time to be ours and not shared with anyone."

Dan broke away and looked at her sincerely but then smiled slyly.

"Now I guess I should leave it to you to get all sentimental when things are really starting to take off?" Dan joked. Blair smacked his shoulder again but smiled.

"What can I say Humphrey? Your sentimentalness is wearing off on me." She sighed.

"Again is that a word?"

"Did it make sense to you?"

"It is totally a word."

XXXXX

"You want me to leave town?" Chuck asked confused.

"It's the only way for my plan to work." Juliet smiled taking another sip of her wine.

"Since when did you have a plan?" Chuck glared.

"I came up with it on the flight over."

Chuck ran a hand over his face in frustration.

"My plan will work just fine. It's what I hired you to do." Chuck ordered, but Juliet just laughed.

"You hired me because I'm good, and when it came down to it, I was able to even fool Blair. So let me do my job. Trust in what you have invested in Chuck. If you have me go through with your original plan Blair will see right through it and know you're involved. She knows you Bass. Which we are not off to a good start by the way. Having dinner at The Empire is not exactly secretive."

"We are in private quarters." Chuck argued.

"There are people serving us. People who could talk or take a picture."

"They are my staff. I trust them."

"Wow Chuck Bass actually trusts someone?" Juliet mocked playfully.

"I get your point. What exactly did you have in mind?" Chuck asked impatiently.

"If you don't want Blair to suspect you at all, it would help if you are out of town. More specifically somewhere very warm with lots of beach tan beauties. And make sure Gossip Girl gets some pictures. Blair has to think that you don't care about her and Dan."

"But she will think I care anyway. I usually run away when I'm upset or don't want to face something. She will think I still love her."

"Well better that she thinks you still love her and not have anything to do with the trouble that will occur, then for you to stay here and have her suspect you in the sabotage."

Chuck liked where Juliet was going with this.

"So say I leave. What will you do?"

Juliet smirked.

"I will show up on Ben's doorstep broke, kicked out of school, and too ashamed to go back home to mom."

"But Ben's doorstep is Dan's." Chuck argued.

"Exactly." Juliet beamed.

Chuck thought for a moment and then grinned.

"You are worth every penny." Chuck smirked.

"Thank you." Juliet smirked back.

"What will you do if Dan has a problem with it?"

"Well Ben will want to help me, which means Serena will want to help me. And if Serena wants to help me then Blair and Dan, who are probably looking for Serena's approval at this point, will have to be okay with it. If I play the situation perfectly I can't lose. And besides doesn't Blair like to keep her enemies closer Chuck? I know she hates me."

"It could work. Then you would have direct access to everyone."

"But I have to be careful. I know Blair will be out to get me, but all I have to do is wait for her to jump me and expose it to Serena and Ben, which will confirm my innocence more."

Chuck leaned back into his chair.

"You have this figured out. I'm impressed." He flashed a smile.

"Just let me do my job." Juliet smiled standing up from the table. "You should leave ASAP. I'll let you know when to return and collect your prize."

Chuck loved the sound of that.

"Very well." Chuck rose out of his seat. "But I should warn you that I will have you watched, and if I hear you are failing, I will return and there will be consequences."

"Relax Chuck. I'm not going to fail." Juliet patted his chest and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before turning to leave. "Have a nice flight."

XXXXX

Thank you for reading and for the reviews! Keep them coming! I love reading them! I know that some of you are anxious for Dan and Blair's story line to move faster but please remember that patience is a virtue! Hahaha! I believe for something to be right, it has to happen in its own timing! Thank you to everyone and know that I will be a crazed writing machine! Sorry that I haven't updated as fast. Work has been super busy! And I hope everyone is freaking out just as much as I am about last week's episode!