And They Finally Cross That Thin Line

Disclaimer: I've begged and begged but all they've given me was Blair's headbands and Chuck's favorite scarf.

Summary: Eleven years after their first meeting Dan and Blair are both still living in New York with successful careers and… in a steady, loving relationship. But how on earth could this happen to two people that couldn't have hated each other more? This is their love/hate story from beginning to end. Obviously this story will include many AU moments but majority of the plot will remain canon and everyone will stay in character (to the best of my ability). So this chapter takes place in 1x04- Bad News Blair. Anything directly quoted from an episode will appear in bold (with one quote from 3x18).

Year Two: Say The sad truth of Blair Waldorf's life was that no matter how perfect she tried to be, no matter how perfect she actually managed to be she would never be perfect enough for her mother. At Blair's kindergarten graduation she sung her first solo. Her mother was not there. She didn't want pity; it was simply a fact she accepted early on in life. There was always someone, something, somewhere more important for Eleanor Waldorf.

That was why on the morning of the final photo shoot when her mom told her, "Darling, I have some bad news. Terri, that fool of a photographer, thinks we need to go in a different direction with a model", Blair was disappointed but not surprised.

Blair wiped her eyes quickly, preventing even a single tear from falling over this. It was no big deal she was an amateur and her mother needed a professional, someone better than her.

She picked up her phone clicking the speed dial number for Serena. Her answering machine clicked on and Blair couldn't help but feel relief. The thought of trying to explain to perfect Serena, who had no idea what rejection felt like, that her own mother didn't want her for the photo shoot made Blair ache inside. Over the machine it was easier to mask her hurt and embarrassment.

"Now that I think about it, maybe we should crash the shoot anyway. See who they replace me with. Make fun of the skinny b****h."

Skinny. Blair tried not to think about that. She knew exactly where that kind of thinking led and she refused to go back there. She couldn't, wouldn't. But the thought was there like cancer multiplying and infecting everything else. Maybe if she was thinner she would still be in the photo shoot.

-XOXO-

The comforting truth of Dan Humphrey's life was that no matter how many mistakes he made his mother would always think the world of him, would always support him.

That was why when he realized his mother wasn't ever coming back from Hudson, that her leaving had little to do with her art, that she wasn't as perfect as he had always built her up to be he was so disappointed and confused. She was leaving them, leaving him, for Hudson.

He knew he had to explain to her, tell her how he felt about all of this but he just kept making excuses why he should wait.

On the subway though heading to some photo shoot he was supposed to see Serena at, he made the decision to put all his mother drama out of his head for the day. He wasn't helping himself or anyone else obsessing about all the things he should've said.

-XOXO-

"You've got to be kidding me!" Blair said in disgust.

Serena was already here, in front of her, giggling and bouncing around like an airhead, like the "professional model" her mother choose over her own daughter. And then the hurt was almost overwhelming to the point Blair wasn't sure she could breathe. Her mother choose Serena too. Of course, Serena went right along with it all too happy to leave Blair standing in the background as always.

Blair's fantasy of her perfect year, perfect life was crumbling all around her and she blamed Serena. It just wasn't right. Blair worked for her throne, her figure, her grades, her boyfriend, her attention. But Serena just waltzed in and everyone was mesmerized. Even her mother. Her mother.

Blair turned and stalked away, betrayed again. It was beginning to seem like a trend.

-XOXO-

"Blair! Blair?"

Dan stopped in the hallway, hidden from the view of the two girls, at the sound of Serena's plaintive tone. He couldn't help but feel a certain amount of exasperation as he wondered what they were fighting about now. Curiosity overrode his other emotions though so he stayed put and listened.

Blair ranted at Serena. From everything she was saying it sounded like this wasn't Blair's photo shoot anymore but Serena's.

Serena finally spoke up trying to defend herself but Blair wasn't listening.

She exploded with so much fury that Dan figured this was an accumulation of years of pent-up emotions, "Because you take everything from me! Nate, my mom! You can't even help it! It's who you are!

Her voice cracked on the last words. Dan felt the same pang of pity for her he felt twice now. Only just last night had he officially decided Blair was no more than a spoiled, stuck-up Upper East Sider. It seemed she was always making him change his opinion of her. She was too much to put a label on. He should have known his dad was right.

Dan waited hopefully for Serena to speak up, to defend herself, to say it wasn't true but she said nothing. The thought flitted across his mind that what Blair was saying was true. He himself knew very well that wherever Serena went she was the center of attention.

When he heard Blair start stomping down the stairs it was too late to disappear. He cringed as she rounded the corner praying she wasn't too angry that he was listening.

"Great," Blair hissed as she shoved past him. It was a better reaction than he had anticipated.

He still wished he hadn't seen her though. The pain he had seen in Blair's eyes for that second as she passed was startling. He knew it would be hard to ever see her again as that package of girly evil.

Dan stayed still waiting to see what Serena did. A vague stab of disappointment hit him when she just ran up the stairs.

-XOXO-

Blair turned the corner and stood still, listening. The silence came as a relief, no one had followed her. She sunk to the ground, like a puddle. She sat there stone still, frozen. She had planned on leaving, stomping all the way of here but she suddenly couldn't bear the thought of going home and waiting for her mother. More than anything, Blair wanted to confront Eleanor, to tell what she thought. Instead, she sat, thinking about what she would say if she did.

-XOXO-

"Look Dan, Blair's mom basically tricked me into coming here because she didn't want Blair. How do you tell your best friend something like that?" Serena demanded, her voice cracking with pain.

Dan looked away, guiltily. He had to stop judging; it was a terrible habit. Still, Serena had one thing wrong. Blair didn't need Serena to tell her what her mom had done, she already knew. That, at least, Dan knew.

He walked away from Serena, deep in thought, back to the maze of white hallways. When he finally found her sitting at the end of the hallway, he realized it had never even occurred to him that she might not still be here. She was leaned against the wall, gaze focused on the ground, with her legs tucked underneath her. He felt for this side of Blair, the part she never let anyone see, the part he kept accidentally stumbling on. She was a sad girl and he had a hero complex.

He walked toward her wondering if this was a bad idea. Dan had a feeling he could help though. Turned out it didn't matter if you lived in the Upper East Side or Brooklyn, mothers were the same everywhere.

Halfway there she looked up. Her eyes shone with unshed tears as she lifted her head to look at him.

"Serena sent you here to talk to me?" she asked softly, a little accusingly, a little hopeful.

Their entire conversation is defined not by what they say but by everything they don't say. It works for them, the sarcasm and the mockery right now, so they keep that up while letting their eyes say everything they aren't ready to say out loud.

"Believe it or not, I actually came here myself," Dan explained, staring down at her.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay," his eyes admitted to her.

"Why? You hate me," Her eyes betrayed her hurt, but her mouth kept up the façade, "Normally I wouldn't be this close to you without a tetanus shot."

"Look, Blair, you're not, I don't think you're that bad of a person. And I know that this doesn't really have anything to do with Serena," Dan tried to convey with just his heartfelt stare.

She looked down then back up at him. "How do you know?"

"You have to let me explain," he prompted.

Her eyes slid to the side motioning to the wall beside her. "Go on then, sit."

He grimaced, accepting her invitation, and sat down against the wall beside her. Dan cleared his throat and finally put audible words to their conversation.

"My, uh, my mom kinda left us a couple of months ago. Only my, my dad and my sister don't really see that 'cause she told us she had to go away for the summer to, um, to follow her dream of being an artist. But it's not summer anymore," Dan paused and, for the first time since he started his story, glanced at Blair. She was clearly listening.

He continued, "And she's still up there. That's all she seems to care about right now. Everytime I go to see her, I tell myself, this time I'm gonna tell her what I think, this time I'm gonna look her in the eye and say, 'Either come home or leave for good.' And so there I was just the other day sitting across the table from her," He heard Blair swallow. He knew she would understand the purpose of his story. After all, they both had the same problem; neither could say what they needed to say.

"Looking her straight in the eyes and I didn't say anything," he finishes finally.

"Why not?" she asks.

The words hung between them unanswered for several moments. It's almost rhetorical question because he knows that while she might have asked him she's asking herself the same question. Why couldn't she tell her mother how she felt? Dan gave her the truth and hoped that it helped her somehow. "Uh, I don't know. But I wish I had because even if it didn't change anything she'd know how I felt."

Blair sucked in a breath and her gaze went to the ceiling. It was clear she was holding back tears. Seconds, minutes passed as they sat there silently trapped by their fear and hurt and regret. Blair dropped her head back down, her chocolate curls falling in her face. She caught his eyes.

"I don't know if I can tell her."

Dan held eye contact with her, challenging her almost. "I will if you will."

She nodded her head, barely, agreeing. He stood up slowly, brushing his hands off on his jeans before offering her his hand. Blair wrinkled her nose and ignored his hand pushing herself off the ground without his help. Their moment, whatever it was, was over.

Dan rolled his eyes but refrained himself from commenting as he moved out of her way. She strode past him determination emanating from every step. At the end of the hall, before she turned the corner, Blair stopped. Dan held his breath, waiting, watching her.

"Thank you." The words slipped from her mouth quickly and quietly just before she disappeared around the corner.

-XOXO-

"…but if my company had lost this deal because of you, I'd never forgive myself," Eleanor admitted selfishly.

"I hope you never do," Blair hissed, walking away from her mother's excuses and non-apologies.

Humphrey was right. Things would be more difficult between her and mother now. But, at least, Eleanor knew how Blair felt.

-10 Years Later-

"Daniel!" Eleanor exclaimed happily, beckoning him into the sitting room where she and Blair sat on the sofa drinking coffee. He sauntered in casually, smiling at the mother and daughter.

"Blair tells me you helped her choose my gift. Thank you," Eleanor said gratefully.

"I thought you deserved a little credit," Blair greeted him.

"I think she dragged me into every jewelry shop in New York," Dan laughed, addressing Eleanor. He leaned down giving Blair a quick kiss before settling into the arm chair across from them.

"How did it go with your mom?" Blair questioned eagerly.

"The tickets to that art gallery were a great idea but she was disappointed that I didn't bring you with me. I had to remind her that it was Mother's day after all, and you were spending the day with your mother," Dan explained, rolling his eyes.

Blair laughed at him but he knew she took the compliment seriously. He still remembered how nervous Blair was the first time he introduced her to his mother. The truth was even Dan hadn't expected it to go as well as it had judging by his mother's prejudice to all things Upper East Side. But despite it all the two became quite close.

"She was welcome to join us for dinner," Eleanor told Dan.

"I'm sure she would've loved that but she's doing something with Jenny tonight," Dan explained.

"Well, then I'm glad you could at least be here," Eleanor said congenially. She had always been fond of Dan and his dry wit.

"Hon, why don't you let Cyrus know we're going to start dinner. He's in his office," Eleanor instructed Blair.

"Sure," she agreed, getting up gracefully.

"Today was nice, mom," Blair said before flitting out of the room.

Eleanor stared blankly into space for several moments. Slowly, still deep in thought, Eleanor began speaking, "I was not a good mother for so many years."

Dan cleared his throat nervously and scratched the back of his head. This was dangerous ground. "No, you weren't. But you've been a great mother for a while now. I think those bad years made you an even better mother. Blair forgave you a long time ago."

"But there are certain things I will never be able to forgive myself for, certain moments I never should have missed," Eleanor remarked sadly.

-XOXO-

Blair stood out of her mother's view. Cyrus had already been in the dinning room setting the table so she had been come back to get them only to hear this conversation.

"Dan, Mom!" Blair warned them, entering the room.

"Cyrus is at the table already. Come on," she said in an impatient tone. As she beckoned both of them forward, she pretended to take no notice of the serious atmosphere in the room.

Dan led the way with Eleanor and then Blair following behind him. Just outside the kitchen Blair grabbed her mother's arm, holding her back.

Eleanor stopped and looked at her curiously. "What is it?"

Blair peered into the kitchen at Dan who was shaking hands with Cyrus and joking about something. She smiled.

"Someone several years ago helped me understand that it was important to let people know how you felt. I want you to know that I love you," Blair said earnestly.

Eleanor stared at her daughter, tears welling up in her eyes. She was so grown-up and mature. She nodded in understanding.

To Anyone Who Cares: I'm not sure how feel about this chapter yet especially since it's such an important one, the first canon Dair moment. I hope you like it! Thank you so much gilmoregossiplover, Bella012, Anon Wolf, Dair fan, Gaialy, lady adore, tamilnadu09, Megatron2.0, princetongirl, Jess, charmedtomeetyou, perfangel5655, annanakaka, 22 Umbrellas, slimkay, arkra, BimboBoop, kinseyjo, paperback, bwlm2011, abbeygarden, 23bNrAuLcEaYs, tracey, A True Dreamer, nisha80, Anonymous, chris9017, Starstruck23, and for all the people who favorited or alerted. Sorry, it's been so long the end of the school year is always so hectic. Next one should be faster.