A/N: So I haven’t had much time to write thanks to the new school year, but this chapter was quite a dozy, the longest one yet. And I’m not really sure how I did so I hope আপনি enjoy.
    Plus for those of আপনি asking about the darling future NJBC and when they’ll be back. The answer is that in the পরবর্তি chapter they’ll প্রদর্শনী up again. And cause I kind of write these based on what pops into my mind and there’s really no plan, if আপনি have any suggestions then please let me know.
THANK আপনি FOR READING!!!! AND PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!

    It had been 2 hours since the nurse brought Lily into Eric’s room. Telling her how they’d stitched up his wrists and how lucky it was that Blair came when she did, otherwise he would’ve হারিয়ে গেছে too much blood.

    Blair hadn’t moved since she’d gotten to the hospital. Sitting in the waiting room she couldn’t tear her eyes away from herself. The blood on her shoes, knees, shirt, and covering her arms.

    “Blair,” the rough, but somehow still soft voice broke her out of her trance. She could tell he’d been drinking, his hair was messed up and there was a slight glaze over his eyes.

    “Chuck. আপনি came?” she asked, trying to seem unaffected, but it was hard to miss the way her voice cracked at the end. Immediately he sat down পরবর্তি to her, and when her eyes went back down to her blood soaked hands he stood up.

    “Come on,” he gestured for her to get up.

    “What?” she snapped, looking confused.

    Without thinking he grabbed her wrists and pulled her up and into the bathroom. Blair was still too shaken up to put up much of a fight, but when he turned on the water and started washing off the blood she asked, “What are আপনি doing?”

    “Helping you,” he answered immediately, looking up at her with a now much আরো sober look.

    After they had finished wiping off as much blood as possible they walked out into the waiting room to find Nate standing against the wall.

    “Nate!” Blair called out as she ran into his arms and he gave her a comforting hug, as Chuck looked away. He was saved when Lily came walking down the hall. “Have any of আপনি seen Serena? She needs to be here,” she got out through her tears.

    Chuck and Blair both shook their heads but Nate answered, “She’ll come back soon.”

    Lily nodded before hurrying back to the room. As soon as she was gone Blair and Chuck zoned in on Nate.

    “How do আপনি know that?” She snapped. When he didn’t answer she continued. “What do আপনি know, Nate Archibald?”

    “It might’ve been mentioned last weekend…” he trailed off.

    “Continue, Nathaniel,” Chuck ordered.

    “They ব্যক্ত that she left town after…” he glanced at Blair before mumbling. “… to think about stuff. And they ব্যক্ত that this is why she came back.”

    “She knew?” Blair responded. “She knew this would happen and she still left?” she was practically yelling now.

    “She had a lot of stuff going on and she needed time to work everything out!” Nate started yelling back.

    Blair didn’t say anything as she quietly put up her mask again and headed down the hallway. Leaving a very worried Chuck and Nate behind, they both awkwardly stared at each other before sitting down.

*******

Blair knocked softly on the door before walking in. “Hey Eric. Where’d your mom go?” she ব্যক্ত softly.

“Off to make arrangements about where I’m going to be moved to probably,” Eric whispered back, still tired from the lack of blood.

“Well that’s Lily and the অগ্রদূত der Woodsen name for you.”

Eric laughed harshly, “Oh I know.”

“Listen Eric. I know that আপনি must be having a hard time, but just know that I’m here for you.”

Eric looked up from the bed. “I think that might be the nicest thing you’ve ever ব্যক্ত to me.”

“Well I may not act like it all the time, but আপনি are like a brother to me. Plus if I listen to your problems আপনি get to listen to mine too,” she laughed, attempting to lighten the mood, beaming when she saw Eric break into a smile.

“Oh, this ought to be good,” he answered.

They descended into a comfortable silence, the only sound was the beep of Eric’s হৃদয় monitor. Blair spoke a মিনিট later, “What would আপনি think if I was with Chuck?”

Eric practically choked on air as he started gaping back at Blair, expecting her to start laughing and say this was a joke অথবা something, but she looked serious, a little embarrassed but still serious. “Umm…. I… Are আপনি two together?” he decided to say.

“No! I’m with Nate!” she ব্যক্ত loudly. “I was just… ugh! Never mind,” she practically yelled as she stopped talking. After a few মিনিট of trying to avoid Eric’s wondering eyes she stood up. “I’m going to go now Eric, but I’ll come visit আপনি soon.” She gave him a wide smile before walking out of the room, talking to neither Chuck nor Nate as she left the hospital.

*************

It was now Thursday. Serena had yet to come প্রথমপাতা and Blair was ignoring both Chuck and Nate. She had spent every দিন after school with Eric, the two of them had become very close, talking about everything, although Eric was smart and never mentioned the Chuck মতামত again.

She had just finished visiting Eric as she walked out of the room and bumped into Chuck. “What are আপনি doing here?” she asked.

“Well, the same thing as you, I assume. I’m visiting Eric,” he ব্যক্ত with a large smirk on his face.

“But… why?” she stuttered, trying not to make eye contact with him.

“If I do recall, he’s going to be part of my new family soon. And what kind of brother would I be if I didn’t come see him.”

“How come I’ve never seen আপনি here then?” she accused, now looking up to meet his eyes, finding that she couldn’t look away.

“I assumed that আপনি didn’t want to see me,” he then paused while he shamelessly looked her up and down. “Do you?” He asked softly, his eyes burning into her skin.

Before Blair could speak both of their phones went off. They both quickly opened them up, পাঠ করা the newest Gossip Girl blast.

Spotted: S at Grand Central, bags in hand. Is our bad girl, back for good? Why has she returned?

She slowly looked up at Chuck who was still looking at his phone. When he looked up she stated, “I have to go home. I have a paper to write.” And without looking back she ran out of the hospital.

************

Blair had spent the entire morning trying to think through what was going to happen and what she should do. And as she walked through the courtyard at school she had it all decided. As she walked towards Serena, the blonde turned and immediately open seeing her ran away. This is gonna be harder then I thought, she huffed as she headed to class.

As Serena tried to get away from Blair she inadvertently bumped into Nate. Shit, she thought as he started talking. “Serena you’re back,” the hope evident in his words and his face.

“Yeah, I am.” She ব্যক্ত trying to keep a hard face. When Nate reached out to hold her hand though she pulled back. “Nate, don’t.”

“But before আপনি left… I thought…”

“I didn’t come back for you. You’re Blair’s boyfriend,” she tried to reason with him.

“But I’m not always going to be. That isn’t how everything’s supposed to go.”

“Maybe. But it’s how it is now,” she stated firmly as she walked away, tears clouding her eyes as she hurried away. Bumping into someone, her bag spilling across the floor.

“Oh, I’m sorry…” she heard the guy apologize. She didn’t say anything and barely registered the sweet boys face as she gathered her stuff and left. Not noticing that the boy was calling after her, as she had left her phone.

*********

    “Nate!” Blair called out during lunch. Neither of them প্রদর্শিত হচ্ছে much enthusiasm as they turned to each other, but Blair pasted on a smile nonetheless. “I was thinking that we should go out to ডিনার tonight. অথবা maybe a club.”

    “Umm… don’t আপনি think…” Nate started but stopped when Blair held up her hand.

    “It’s to talk about everything. Despite what আপনি might think I have thought about stuff a lot. Which is why I think we should invite Serena and Chuck along. আপনি take care of getting Chuck there and I’ll bring Serena,” she quickly walked off, ignoring Nate’s surprised expression.

    “Hey Chuck,” Nate ব্যক্ত hesitantly as he had finally found him leaning against one of the courtyard walls, smoking. Why am I even doing this, he thought as he lit up, leaning right পরবর্তি to him.

    “Blair wants to go out tonight,” Nate mentioned casually.

    “And আপনি are mentioning this to me why?” Chuck drawled out angrily.

    “She wants আপনি to come,” Chuck quickly turned his head at this piece of news.

    “She what?”

    “Yeah. Serena too. Apparently she wants all four of us to talk.”

    “Sounds আরো like she has a plan,” Chuck stated as he stared back out across the courtyard. “But it sounds interesting. I’m in.” And with that he put out his light and walked off.

***********

    This better work, Blair thought as she pulled out her phone, leaving Serena a message about her plans for this evening.

    Dan Humphrey was walking down the hall when he felt the girls phone buzz in his pocket. One New Voicemail. I can’t believe I’m doing this, he thought as he walked up to her in the courtyard after school.

    “Um… excuse me? আপনি dropped your phone earlier. আপনি have a new message, but I didn’t see who it was অথবা listen to it অথবা anything,” he rambled, silently cursing him for অভিনয় so idiotic.

    “Oh my god! আপনি found it! Thank আপনি so much!” She beamed as she grabbed her phone from his hand. Then she looked up at him as if she expected something. Then he caught on.

    “Oh, sorry, I’m Dan Humphrey. It’s um… really nice to meet you.”

    Serena seemed to pause, and her smile flickered as she heard his name. But soon she was beginning to walk about with a final. “I’m Serena অগ্রদূত der Woodsen. Nice to meet আপনি too! And thanks Dan! I’ll see আপনি around!”

**********

    This is it, Blair thought as she sat alone at Butter. The other three seats at the টেবিল were empty. They better প্রদর্শনী up. The first person she noticed দ্বারা the splash of blond hair moving across the room. When she reached the টেবিল Blair stood and gave her a hug.

    “Serena! It’s so good to see you! I didn’t see আপনি all day! Here come sit পরবর্তি to me,” Blair beamed, Serena’s initial hesitation vanished as her drink arrived and Blair only seemed happy to see her.

    “…And his name was Dan Humphrey! Remember last weekend when they mentioned the Humphreys! Well apparently I’m going to তারিখ him, but then he’s my stepbrother. So now I don’t know if I should তারিখ him অথবা like be বন্ধু with him,” Serena rambled on. They’d been talking for the past half ঘন্টা about this and that. The boys had still yet to প্রদর্শনী up.

    “Well it’s not going to be incest for a couple of years. So if আপনি think he’s cute আপনি should go for it,” Blair ব্যক্ত as she sipped her cocktail. Freezing as she saw the two guys walking towards their table.

    “Sorry we took so long,” Nate ব্যক্ত as he gave Blair a quick চুম্বন on the cheek and sat down পরবর্তি to Chuck. “So, what did আপনি bring us all here for, Blair?”

    “I told you, to talk,” Blair smiled back at him. And with that she continued talking as though this whole night wasn’t awkward at all. Then after a few minutes, she paused. “I think we should play a game. Who’s up for ‘I Never’?” She beamed. When no one else ব্যক্ত anything she took it as a confirmation and continued. “Nate how about আপনি go first.”

    Nate continued staring at Serena as he had been doing most of the night, thinking things through. He seemed to make a decision as he silently mouthed, ‘Sorry’, to Serena. “I’ve never cheated on my girlfriend অথবা boyfriend.” And he took a large sip of his drink.

    Blair froze as everyone else at the টেবিল turned to look at her. “I’m sorry Blair,” Serena ব্যক্ত quietly.

    Blair was still staring at her plate, but she looked up, a blank expression on her face. “I don’t know why I thought it’d be different this time. Get out,” she screamed at Nate and he quickly stood up and ran out of the now packed club.

    “Blair,” Serena whispered again.

    “I ব্যক্ত get out, Serena. Leave,” she ব্যক্ত forcefully, glaring at Serena as she left the restaurant. Her gaze then fell to her plate.

    “Do আপনি want me to leave too,” Chuck ব্যক্ত after a long pause.

    “No,” she whispered, then she looked up at him and stated. “But I do want a drink.”

    Chuck smirked, “Coming right up.”
    
**********

    “Why do আপনি think I go to NYU? Oh no, what if I fail my SAT’s!” Blair gasped.
    “Please, you’re the smartest kid in the class. Whatever it was Yale was stupid for turning আপনি down,” he started at her.

    Blair found herself leaning towards him as she whispered, “I think you’re going to make an amazing CEO.”

    He grinned, “Really?”

    Blair nodded, leaning অগ্রবর্তী to place a soft চুম্বন on his lips. A মিনিট later they both pulled back. Without saying a word Chuck stood up, pulling Blair with him, and walked with her out of the club and into his limo.

    When they got in Chuck quickly looked Blair in the eye and stated, “Listen, I don’t want to be your rebound. So I know that আপনি haven’t thought about us, but if…”

    Blair cut him off, “Haven’t thought about us? Of course I have! Every single day…”

    “And?” Blair responded দ্বারা crashing her lips against his.

    As Chuck eventually pulled Blair onto his lap he got out between kisses. “You sure?” Blair responded দ্বারা স্নেহ চুম্বন him and beginning to work on the buttons of his shirt.