I could make you happy, make your dreams come true.
Nothing that I wouldn't do.
Go to the ends of the Earth for you,
To make you feel my love
To make you feel my love
-Adele
She gave it to him on a Friday. It was rather suiting you see. He told her he loved her on a Friday. He married her on a Friday. Their son and daughter were both born on a Friday. Their fiftieth anniversary was on a Friday. So you see it was rather suiting. And Blair Bass was always one for clichés.
She walked up to him her curls flowing freely and her arms at her sides. Age had changed her. Her face held the same poise it had at seventeen, but wrinkles had long since taken the place of smooth skin. Her body was still delicate, still petite, but heels had long since been replaced with flats. She adamantly said that she would never become one of those trashy old women, who try to stay young way past their time. And she had upheld that notion. She knew she only had to be beautiful for one person. And her beauty never ceased to astound him.
When he saw her his eyes flashed as he took her in. The sight of her visibly undone him. Several times it almost brought him to tears. This was one of those times. He supposed it was the fact of what age had done to her. He knew when she looked in the mirror she wanted to be young again. He knew she wanted to go back to when they had all the time in the world and it felt like their love was infinite. But to him age had only made her stronger and given her a sense of grace that was unattainable for most women. She was his person. His great love, his everything really. And to him their love would always be infinite.
She sat down next to him admiring the many pictures surrounding his desk. The one of him and Henry at Henry's college graduation. He had his arm draped around Henry and his smile showed everything. It showed the pride he felt for his son, it showed the success Henry had achieved, and more than that it showed his triumphs as a father.
Her mind flashed back to the day Henry was born. She had just gone through eight hours of hell. But it was worth it just to watch Chuck gaze down at the baby lying in her arms like his entire world had suddenly came into focus. She had softly smiled and squeezed his hand and whispered, "We should name him Henry." He had looked at her and questioningly said, "Like Henry Prince?" She had gazed into the depths of his eyes and whispered, "There really is no one better." He had reached down and softly kissed her. She had smiled contentedly, the kiss had said everything. She then whispered, "It's settled then our son will forever be, Henry Charles Bass."
The one of her and Audrey playing Breakfast at Tiffany's when Audrey was five. The pearls dangled loosely around both of their necks. She was leaning down and kissing Audrey's cheek as Audrey squealed in delight.
She felt a sudden burst of pride when she remembered his refusal to get a nanny. Henry had been almost a year old and she thought the stress was going to kill her and one morning she lost it. She woke up early and starting throwing pots and pans around the kitchen in a frenzy mixed with crying and screaming. He had come down stairs, looked at her and laughed. She had thrown a pot at his head and screamed that she was hiring a nanny. He had immediately started shaking his head and wrapped his arms around her and whispered, "I did not marry a quitter. And Blair Bass never gives up. You can do this." And so she had. They both had.
Then there was the one of the four of them at Audrey's wedding. Audrey looked breathtaking in a beautiful, strapless white gown with intricate beading. Henry was dressed to the nines in a black tuxedo. He wore the same suit as Henry, but instead of a tie there was a bowtie. She wore a pale pink dress with lace adorning the sleeves. Audrey and him had identical smirks. But then again Audrey was always her father's daughter. She and Henry both had the same poised smile and soft brown eyes. But then again Henry was always his mother's son.
She closed her eyes and flashed back to one of their weekly family dinners. Every Thursday through hell or high water they had a family dinner. It didn't matter what was going on, what they were doing, or what plans they had. That dinner was sacred. That particular dinner sixteen year old Audrey had walked in with a bloody lip. Chuck was the first to notice. And he had stood up angrily and demanded Audrey tell him what happened. She said that some guy she had been seeing at the time had gotten mad at her and punched her. Blair could not stop the tears from flowing and wrapped her arms around Audrey. Her little girl. Henry's eyes had flashed and he had made to move towards the door. Chuck looked like he might punch the wall. His little girl. Time had stood still for a moment. Henry broke the silence and had said, "Audrey, who is this asshole, I will teach him a lesson. I am Henry Bass and no one gets away with doing that to my little sister." Audrey looked torn. Before anyone could say anything Chuck said in a menacing tone, "Henry you will do no such thing. This boy will get more than just beat up. We will destroy him. No one messes with the Basses." Audrey smiled through her tears. Henry gave his father a look of utter admiration. And Blair out right smirked in satisfaction. That boy got everything he deserved, courtesy of the Bass family.
Reality came back into focus and she reached for his hand and whispered, "Chuck I have something for you."
He raised his eyebrows suggestively and said, "Age never did slow you down."
She smacked his arms and said, "Bass not everything has to do with sex. Actually I wrote you a letter."
His smile dropped from his face and he forced his eyes to meet hers as he said, "Blair this better not be what I think it is. The doctor said-"
Her expression hardened slightly as she breathed, "It's not. This letter is more than that and you need to hear this."
He sighed and took the sealed envelope from her and took in his name written in calligraphy on the front. He opened and began to read.
Chuck,
They say when you love someone the world seems to stop. It comes to halt and everything else becomes a non-essential. For me that statement held a unique truth to it. Irrevocable some may say. When I fell in love with you the world did not stop, it ceased to exist. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. At least about anything that wasn't you. As much as I tried to deny it, to destroy it, to forget about it nothing changed. My feelings were set in stone. I couldn't stop loving you any easier than I could stop breathing.
I remember the exact moment I fell in love with you. It is not what you would think. It was not after we had sex in your limo. It was not at my seventeenth birthday party. It was not when you gave me the Erickson Beamon Necklace. It was in a courtyard on a fall day. The leaves were changing I distinctly remember the slight breeze in the air. Fall was at the height of its time and I felt like my world was lying at the edge of the cliff. And one wrong step could crash it all down to the fiery pits of hell. Isn't it funny now how wrong I was? I remember I had my arms wrapped around Nate and we were kissing and out of the corner of my eye I saw you. And for a second the world seemed to stop and reality crashed down before me. And at that moment I knew I loved you. I couldn't tell you why if you asked me a thousand times. We never had that seeing a stranger across a crowded room cliché. But I realize now that real people make their own fairytales. And we built ourselves one hell of a fairytale.
There are several moments in people's lives that define them. For me all of my moments seem to happen with you. I think that is because you are my other half, you complete me. What is me is you. And time has only made us stronger.
Our wedding day was one of those moments. It was not what I expected. But it was so much better than that. I would not change it for the world. I had questioned my love for you numerous times before. But on that day I never did. Not for a second. And when you said the vows that tied you to me. I did not feel like I was being shackled to you, like I did with Louis. All I felt was free. All of felt was perfection.
Audrey's birth was one of those moments. Like you she was born with complications. I never told you this, but I kept my eyes on you the entire time I was in labor, even when I passed out near the end my gaze rested on you. You were so strong. And when I saw you hold Audrey in your arms for the first time I saw someone you might love just a little more than me. And I was so proud of you.
Eleanor's death was another one of those moments. I was a mess. I cried for days. I could say whatever I wanted about Eleanor when she was alive, but in truth I loved her almost as much as I love you. I constantly needed her approval and when I finally got it, she was just gone, but you held me together. You told me I was better than that. You told me I was stronger than that. You gave me everything and more. And I love you for that.
Our fiftieth anniversary was one of those moments. It was so fitting that it was in the same reception hall as Bart and Lily's wedding. And as I watched you get up and give another speech about love and life seventy three years later reality ceased to exist and I was seventeen again. I was young and beautiful and so utterly in love with you. We were falling in love with each other before we even knew what love was. And then I realized how far we had come. We had gone from the boy to the man and the girl to the woman. Our love had grown from a garden to a forest. And the tears streamed down my face before I could stop them. We had both found that person who completed the other. We had found it with each other. No one and nothing could compare.
The last moment was when I found out I was sick. You clasped my hand and looked at me. I saw the fear in your eyes, but you said the only words I needed to here. I love you. You didn't say I would get better. You didn't deny it. You accepted the reality of the situation we were faced with. And that is what truly defines the boy from the man. The boy runs away, the man faces his problems head on. And you Chuck Bass are the bravest man I ever knew.
You see we have a love that could move mountains. It is cracked, it is flawed, but it is so beautiful. And I would never change it for anything. No one else could possibly understand what we have because it is utterly unique. The only ones who will ever understand it is ourselves. And that Chuck Bass is our true legacy. I love you, always have, always will. There is no need for goodbye because if I know one thing for sure I will see you on the other side. And that will be our forever.
I love you so much.
Yours truly,
Blair
When he reached the end of the letter he looked up at her. Tears glistened in the corners of his eyes and she reached over and with a dainty finger and wiped them away. She half smiled and cocked her head to the side and brought his lips to hers.
Even after 66 years there was still fire.
He rested his head against hers and breathed in her scent.
She looked at him and absentmindedly said, "We did good Chuck didn't we?
He smiled a touched the ends of her hair as he whispered, "We did Blair, we really did."
fin.
A/N
This is my hope for future C&B. I really hope you guys liked it. Please send me a review with your thoughts, you never know I might write another tribute oneshot. Anyways reviews, thoughts, feedback?
