Tonight's episode was just so fabulous (I live in Canada) that I had to write something about it. Just as a warning, this hasn't been beta read yet. :(

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Vienna

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You are five when you meet Blair Waldor. She has short, dark chestnut hair set in perfect ringlettes with a little navy blue pinned on the right side. Her eyes are blue, like the sky and your favourite teddy bear. She's neither quiet, nor loud, but she's bossy and she knows what she wants.

That same year, you meet Nate Archibald. Nate is short, shorter than Blair and yourself, and he has stubby little fingers and a mess of light brown hair. He's a little shy, and sometimes just sits there twiddling his thumbs.

One day, during recess, the three of you decide to play house, along with Serena, Blair's pretty blonde best friend. Blair, liking to take charge at an early age, assigns the roles.

"Serena, you will be the baby," she says, happily. "I will be the mommy. Chuck," she pauses and smiles at you and you feel your little five year old heart skip a beat, "You will be the dog."

You frown. The lowly dog?

"Nate will be the daddy." She grins and grabs his hand and Nate smiles back shyly, pleased.

"Blair, I want to be the dad!" You protest. She rolls her eyes and shakes her curls.

"No, Chuck, Nate is older, therefore, he is the daddy." She grasps his hand tighter. "Come along, darling," she says, the perfect immitation of her mother. "Let's find Serena!"

And you trail along, scoffing and planning to run away first chance you get. Then they can chase after you, because a lost dog in New York must be a big deal.

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You are eight when Blair and Nate first begin dating. Blair is still pretty, but her hair has gotten longer and she's wearing small rhinestone barrettes in her hair instead of bows. Nate's grown taller, so he and Blair are the same height, and he's not as shy as he once was.

You don't really mind this new couple. As a matter of fact, you spent an entire art class going back and forth between the two of them, delievering messages and statements on their behalf. By the end of lunch, they were dating.

They hold hands and Nate puts his arm around her. You go to the strange blonde in the corner, who is constantly observing and scribbling in her notebook, and the two of you take bets on how long it will last.

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When you are all fifteen, your schools get together to perform classic dances. Your first is the tango.

It's not a difficult routine, but it's one that's diffinitely made for only two. Nate is late. So is Serena.

So you pair up with Blair, much to her dismay. You twirl and strut across the floor, and she looks at her feet and scoffs, irritated. But you love it. You two actually look great together, actually work fantastically together. All eyes are on the two of you and it's awesome.

Nate finally arrives, looking flustured. He smiles and waves at Blair.

Serena arrives a moment later, and Blair's smile falls ever so slightly. The teacher has no choice but to pair them up.

But later, on the sly, Nate slides up to you and whispers something to Blair and whisks her away, and the teacher does not even notice. And you're stuck with Serena, something you'd normally kill for, but not today.

You're actually a little disappointed.

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You are seventeen when you realize that you lost the bet made with the strange blonde a long, long time ago. They've become a packaged pair. For years, they've been NateandBlair, not Nate and Blair. They're destined, or so everyone says, and it irks you so much it's sickening, but you let it slide. Let them make fools of themselves. Fun is where it's at and you know better.

Blair's gorgeous now, with long hair and blue eyes. She wears hairbands and make up and tight dresses and is so stunning, it's hard to look away.

But it's at that same age, that Nate breaks Blair's heart for the first time. It won't be the last, you think, but it's diffinitely the first. Nate dances around Blair, he dances around Serena, and the three of them are stuck in some hopeless tango that is obviously only meant for two, if only Nate would pick a partner.

And so she confides in you. You and she start spending more time together, and before you know it, you've become accustomed to having her around. And it's hard to admit that, especially to yourself, but you do. You're falling in love with her and damn, it's scary.

But if you've learned anything from the eroctic romance novels your mother kept hidden under her bed; love is always worth it. So you put your heart on the line, you step forward and take a chance. She tells you to forget it.

And your pride gets a little bruised, and your heart a little scratched, but you're not finished yet. Nate is still too caught up in his own world and Blair is moving on, slowly, and then one day maybe she'll be yours instead.

But Nate and Blair have always been a pair, and it's not long before Nate starts missing her. And it's not long before Blair starts giving in.

And then at Cotillion, you catch them kissing and you know. There's really no room for you in their messed up little equation, their little dance, their little package.

It's always been that way, and it always will be.

So you pack your bags and head off to the airport. Seems like the lost dog in New York wasn't a big deal after all.