Of course, it takes Serena to calm her down again, asking if Dorota hasn't noticed the so-called changes. Dorota, nods, irritated: "Yes, it is old Miss Blair then new Miss Blair, like it was old Miss Serena, now new Miss Serena..." Serena accepts that, and simply states the facts: "Blair is at a party right now alone with some very bad people. We just want to help her. Please." Dorota stares.

Nate and Vanessa meet at the Bedford Gallery that same evening, and he reassures her that, though William is strong of will, so too is he. He promises nothing will change, and kisses her, but they are interrupted by the buzzing of his phone: Trip, summoning him to a late meeting with their grandfather. He claims that he's busy, on a date, and sends his love and apologies. Vanessa's pleasure shades itself to guilt and she immediately suggests that he go to his grandfather. "But we're eating pierogies!" he smiles, and she promises him they'll eat them this summer, the real thing, in Warsaw and Moscow and Budapest. He smiles dimly. "Summer Pierogie Tour '09!" and they laugh, because their undeniable chemistry has always located itself somewhere far from conventional humor or cleverness. He thanks her, kissing her and standing up to leave, reminding her of the reception tomorrow. "Have fun," she says, and stews once he is gone.

She fills her days and nights with business and now
She finds she cannot sit silently or still
And we don't notice that her cheek is glistening
And we are close but still there's distance

Serena and Chuck run to the door of the strange townhouse, and Serena presses the button impatiently, again and again. A little girl answers the door, and Chuck immediately assumes the worst, for which -- given his recent storylines -- we cannot blame him: "Looks like Polanski's in town." Worriedly, he shoves past the presumptive child whore and into the house, where Blair is fully dressed and throwing herself on a strange man's mercy. Chuck says her name, and as she's staring at him in confusion, the man offers her a handkerchief for her tears: "Miss Waldorf, as I was saying, I met with you as a favor to your headmistress, but Sarah Lawrence cannot accept someone who has hazed a teacher."