Disclaimer: Don't Own, Don't Sue.

A/N: This is unbetaed so all mistakes are my own. I don't write fanfics often, but I felt really inspired by the Dair plot line. And I possibly have a second part forming in my mind, so feedback is both welcome and much appreciated. I hope you enjoy!

xxx

She's holding onto the small, black leather bound notebook as if his life depends on it.

The fingers of her right hand are curled tightly around its spine, as she presses it to her chest. She's standing, perfectly still, in the middle of the corridor. Still staring at the two huge swing doors that he's just been rushed through, lying unconscious on a gurney, surrounded by an urgently talking swarm of doctors and nurses. Rushed through the doors where a nurse informs her that she's no permitted to follow. Nor can she be told anything about his condition, no matter how intimidating her glare or demanding her tone is.

I'm sorry honey. I know you must be real worried about your boyfriend, but we're only allowed to give that information to family members. I promise you that we're doing everything we can for him. You're just gonna have to wait.

She doesn't bother to correct her.

xxx

They were coming back from a party when it happened. One he'd goaded her into going to in the first place. Where she spent most of night at making snide comments, despite the fact she was secretly enjoying herself. Then he insisted on escorting her back to her room afterwards.

'You can never be too careful, Waldorf.'

They were almost on her corridor when they heard a girl on the stairwell yelling at some arsehole to let her go. And, like the good knight in shining armour he is, Humphrey had hurried to her rescue.

On the next level they'd found some scraggly blond girl being pinned to the wall by a frat boy twice her size. When Humphrey had asked the girl if she was ok, the frat boy told him to fuck off and mind his own business. When Humphrey told him to let her go, he repeated his first reply. So Humphrey replied in turn with his fist.

He was still making sure the girl was alright when the frat boy managed to half drag himself off the floor and tackle Humphrey. In a flash, Humphrey had lost his footing and tumbled backwards down the stairs, flaying arms doing nothing to prevent the fall. He'd landed in an unnatural heap at the bottom.

She remembers hearing someone screaming his name as he fell and rushing to his side. In retrospect, it had must have been her, but she doesn't recall it. She does remember yelling for someone to ring an ambulance when she discovered that his breathing was shallow and he wouldn't wake up.

As the paramedics carried him away, she saw that his phone and notebook had fallen out of his jacket and were lying unceremoniously on the ground. Without thinking, she'd snatched them up before running to join him in the ambulance.

xxx

Now she's standing in a hospital, which stinks so strongly of antiseptic that she'll probably still be able to smell on her skin for days afterwards. And she's done feeling useless. Blair Waldorf is nothing if not proactive. So she grabs his phone from her pocket and proceeds to call the only family member he has left in the country.

To say Jenny is shocked to find Blair calling her from her brother's phone is an understatement, but Blair soon shuts her up when she informs her of what's happened. That she know it's serious but no one here will tell her how serious. And then she orders Little J to get back here as straight away and she doesn't care how she does it.

Next on the list is Serena, who she is currently in Italy with the rest of the Humphrey-van der Woodsen clan. But instead of spending quality time with her family, her giggled answer and the faint male voice in the background, leads Blair to conclude that she's busy spending quality time with someone else. Trust S to be having a fling with some vesper-driving, Italian idiot when someone else is in trouble.

Serena tells her that this isn't a good time for her to talk. Blair retorts that this isn't a good time for her either, but she needs her to inform Rufus that his son is in the hospital. Serena is halfway through a gasp when Blair abruptly hangs up.

A short time later, Rufus calls her back. She tells him the little she knows and which hospital they're at. He lets her know that Lily is arranging to have the Bass plane fly them back as soon as possible.

She can't get hold of Nate.

She can't care less about Chuck right now.

And it seems Vanessa is refusing to answer any calls coming from Dan's phone; Blair doubts a call coming from her phone will remedy this. She decides that, at this current time, it's unwise for her to leave V a voicemail.

Then there's no one left to call. So she sits down and stares at the doors. She waits and clutches the notebook so firmly that her knuckles turn white and the spine digs into her palm.

He can't die like this – it would be such a Humphrey way to go.

xxx

At some point the scraggly blond turns up. Blair clocks her out of the corner of her eye, sheepishly making her way over. An over protective male-type in tow this time. A little to late to be of any use.

How is he?

Her words are hesitant. Blair fixes her with a sterns gaze, making no effort to put her at ease, as she tells her she doesn't know. The girl starts to apologise. Blair cuts her off by interrogating her about the bastard Humphrey saved her from. Unsurprisingly, the girl didn't know much. But Blair believes that she has enough information to get started. She lets the girl apologise a few more times and express how grateful she is before dismissing her. The guy she's with looks annoyed at Blair's words, but the girl shakes her head at him and gently leads him away.

Blair occupies her time by planning out ways to make the bastard suffer. How much is all dependent on Humphrey.

xxx

The nurse eventually reappears. Lets her know he's been moved to a private room. He's stable, but hasn't woken up yet. And she can see him now if she likes. Blair just nods in reply and follows the nurse down the corridors.

They enter a private room, devoid of personality and perfectly clean, and he's lying there in a bed. If she didn't know any better, she would assume he was sleeping. But the beeping of the heart monitor dissolves any illusions he could be. The nurse points to the call button and tells her to use it if she needs anything, then with a supposedly comforting squeeze on the arm, she's left alone again.

And she has no idea what she's supposed to do.

If this was a movie, then Blair would be compelled to sit beside his bed and hold his hand tightly in hers, as she anxiously waited for him to come round. However, they hardly ever touch when they're both conscious (unless Blair is man-handling him) and she feels it some what perverse to start now. Like she would be violating his trust by taking advantage of his unconscious state.

What Blair really wants to do is shout at him to stop being so pathetic, but she doesn't think that will help anyone given the situation. Instead she selects the arm chair which is farthest away from him, moving a bit more for good measure, and settles into it.

Before the beeping can drive her mad, she finally decides how to pass the time until Humphrey wakes up or someone conscious chooses to join her. She opens up the notebook she's still holding and begins to read it allowed.

Blair's only on the third line when she spots a mistake he's made and, with a sigh, she lets him know what it is. Of course, Humphrey gives no acknowledgment that he's heard it, leading Blair to feverishly search for a pen. When she eventually finds one (amongst his neatly folded clothes no less), she makes herself comfortable in the chair again and writes down her correction. Then she continues with her reading, only pausing to note down a criticism or a comment, which she informs him of as she writes.

You're going to have to wake up sooner or later Humphrey. The longer you lie there, the more work I'm going to find for you to do.

She's worked her way through a lot of the scrawl when Jenny bursts through the door, followed by closely Nate. Blair decides to save questioning why he's shown up with her for later. She tries not to show the full extent of her irritation, as she quickly conceals the notebook within her coat pocket before either of them spies it. Humphrey helpfully provides the misdirection to accompany this slight of hand.

Blair curtly interrupts Little J's string of 'oh my god's by demanding to know what the doctors have said. Apparently the fall caused some swelling in his brain, but that's since reduced and the doctors are confident that he'll regain consciousness soon. And to top it off, he's covered in bruises and has sprained his right wrist. But there's nothing life threatening. And it's not a matter of if he'll wake up, just a matter of when.

Nate's frowning at Blair slightly as Jenny relays the information, but neither of the girls seems to care; Jenny's attention is fully occupied by doing her sisterly duty and Blair just glares right back at him. When he asks the blond if he can get her anything, Blair orders a coffee. And, although his concerned face is once again replaced with a frown, he leaves without protest to fetch her one.

After he's left, Blair directs her gaze out of the window, as if transfixed on the world outside. In reality, she is carefully observing Humphrey and his sister's reflections. And Jenny does all the things Blair is unable to do; she holds Humphrey's hand, she encourages him to wake up, she starts to cry.

When Nate returns, coffee in hand, he tries to engage Blair in conversation. Tries to find out more about what happened. All he gets in return are short answers. Eventually he gives up trying to talk to her (or at her), so he moves on to comforting Jenny and jokingly threatening Humphrey with what will happen if he doesn't wake up soon. Blair just continues staring out the window. A hand placed inconspicuously in her coat pocket. Fingertips memorising the wrinkles of the leather.

At some point, Jenny falls asleep and so does Nate in the chair beside her. Blair stays awake. If Humphrey is going to continue being dramatic then he should at least have an audience.

xxx

It's well into the next day when the rest of the Humphrey-van der Woodsen family appears.

Blair watches as they rush to Humphrey's bedside, completely unaware of her sitting there in the background. They all look worried and stressed – Serena has barely dried tears on her face.

Unoriginally, Humphrey begins stirs when his greatest love gently touches his hand. His sister and ex seem determined to knock him back into a coma, as they leap at him and pull him into a tight hug. When she hears his half moan-half laugh, she knows she's not needed anymore.

She's just outside the door when she feels a hand grasping her elbow and she turns to find Rufus. He tells her that she doesn't have to leave and she doesn't reply. He makes the same expression as his son when he wants to mention something but doesn't know how to broach the subject. Instead he settles for thanking her for looking after his son.

Blair gives him a nod in return and swiftly leaves.

xxx

It's been half a week and Blair hasn't seen Humphrey since she'd left the hospital (although she's been informed by several sources that he's doing well). Anyway, she hasn't had the time to keep checking up on Humphrey; she's been busying destroying the frat-boy-bastard's world. Not only has she managed to get him expelled from NYU, but she's found several other girls that he's assaulted in the pass.

Blair's ready to make sure that he gets everything he deserves.

There's a knock at her bedroom door, causing her to raise an eyebrow. She's not expecting anyone – in fact she remembers deliberately instructing Dorota that she's not to be interrupted. A frustrated sigh escapes her lips as she contemplates the possibility it's Serena, here to tell her again how she's released that her and Dan meant to be together for ever.

Without waiting for a reply, Dan Humphrey's face suddenly appears around her door.

And he seems to take her stunned silence as an invitation to enter.

Um, hi.

All she can do is stand beside her bed bewildered and stare at him. Just standing in her room, with that stupid semi-grin on his face, as if he hadn't recently gotten out of hospital. Then she realises that he's looking at something behind her. She follows his gaze and her eyes land on the notebook sitting on her bedside table. His notebook.

He takes a step forward and she quickly snatches it up and holds it possessively. Now it's his turn to raise an eyebrow. Her usually perfect mask fails her; she can feel a blush slowly creeping into her cheeks. All of a sudden, she thrusts the book in his direction and tells him that she's added some constructive criticism.

Constructive criticism?

It the way he slowly says it, with amusement dancing in his voice and a bemused look on his face, that makes her throw the notebook at him. Followed by a shoe. And a pillow. And then whatever else lies within her reach.

Just to irk her further, he manages to dodge every one.

Each missile is used to punctuate a statement she's yelling at him. Blair is consumed with rage; all the anger she's bottled up, all the things she wanted to scream at him in the hospital, come pouring out. How could he have been so stupid? Why does he have to go round protecting everyone?

Dan's decides that he's going to end up getting hurt if he keeps his distant, so he hurries over to her and wraps his arms around her. Allowing her to continue to rant and rave into his chest until she has no fury left.

When was the last time you slept?

She hadn't realise how drained she's feeling until he asked that. She hasn't had the time to. Blair moves away slightly and, before he can back away too, she grasps his hand. And lead him to the bed.

He lets her; Humphrey has always been good at following her lead.

They curl up together on top of the sheets. She faces away from him, but she can feel the warmth coming from his body and his breath tickling the skin on her neck. And finally, she can let herself sleep.

xxx

He's still there in the morning, still holding her close as he sleeps. She rewards him with coffee and croissants, which she leaves him to eat alone at the table. It doesn't take much effort to find his notebook sitting on her bedroom floor. Carefully, Blair picks it up and holds it close one last time.

Humphrey is waiting for her in the hallway when she comes back down. She hands him the notebook and dismisses him. Instead of leaving, Dan takes a step closer and cups her face in his hand. He murmurs a 'thank you' against her forehead and follows his words with a whisper of a kiss.

Then he turns and leaves her just standing there watching him go. The expression on her face is a perfect mixture of annoyance and confusion.

Although, there is one thing she is certain of; she's glad there's still a Dan Humphrey in her world.