A/N: I'm trying to get on track with these but it's pretty difficult, annoyingly, so I'm going to have to promise that instead of finishing by Christmas I'll finish by New Year's Eve. I hope that deadline is more achievable for me, haha! So anyways, this is just a quick snapshot of Blair on Christmas Eve when she's about 13, with hints at Blair/Nate, and a one-sided Chuck/Blair. It also foreshadows a future event that happens in the show, can you guess what it is?

ADVENT

stocking

It's only six on Christmas Eve and Blair has already been staring at the three large stockings, all for her and hung traditionally as she requested over the fire, for exactly one hour and 13 minutes. Her main Christmas presents from Mom and Daddy don't appear until Christmas morning under the tree, because they are of course delivered by Santa (even if she's only pretending to believe in him now), but those from Serena, Chuck and Nate are placed ceremoniously in the stockings the second she receives them. The stockings are otherwise filled with gifts from forgotten aunts and uncles, from other school friends and from her mother's work colleagues.

Blair's painted her nails in gold, straightened and then curled her hair and tried on two outfits to wile away the boredom but now there really is nothing left to do but sit and stare. So she does, crossing and uncrossing her legs as her eyes flick between the three stockings and the clock. Surely it wouldn't be too terrible to open one tonight? Just one? Blair frowns speculatively. They probably wouldn't even notice.

The next dilemma is which to choose. There are five wrapped in brilliant crimson that can only be from Serena- they have a strict set of rules. Serena gets her four things from The List and then is allowed to pick Blair one item of her own choice. Last year it was a pair of Converse that Blair wouldn't have been seen dead in usually but turned out to be pretty comfortable- but only for around the house. No. She couldn't choose any of Serena's- her parents, her mother, especially, knows a lot about the rules and would realise immediately that one of the five crimson gifts was missing.

So perhaps Nate's? He's given two this year, one less than last year but hopefully of equal value to her. The purple scarf last year had been very useful- but the colour purple had faded with the last winter season and this year it is all about green. The shape of one of the boxes looks promising- atop The List is a watch Blair spotted in Tiffany's. Blair decides to leave Nate's until tomorrow, because at least that means she will have one wonderful gift to open that she won't have to pretend to like.

Which leaves- Chuck. Never to be outdone, there are six gold and silver wrapped presents in Chuck's stocking, each neatly labelled and tied with green ribbons. The fact there are six makes it an easy decision- she can pretend to her parents that he got her five like Serena and the one she opens tonight will be just enough to tide her over until she opens Nate's in the morning. She picks a largish box at random and starts to carefully peel away the paper- only to find another cardboard box. She allows herself a small smile before opening the second box- to reveal a third. And then a fourth. Blair is no longer amused as she pulls yet another box out of the fifth- but this is different. It's aquamarine blue. It's exactly the right shape. It's Tiffany's.

The diamond encrusted watch gleams as she opens the lid of the box and she quickly closes it again in shock. Chuck? Bought her that? The item at the top of The List, the only thing she really did want this Christmas? For a moment she is spellbound while the watch winks at her, feeling a rush of love for her long time friend. Then she remembers that Nate has bought her the exact same thing and she rolls her eyes while repackaging the Tiffany's box inside all the other boxes and taking it up to her room. She stows it in the bottom of her wardrobe, hoping to forget about it.

In the morning, Nate's present is the one she chooses to open first. It's a purple cuff bracelet.