Blair awoke, blinded momentarily by the ray of sunlight struggling to break through the curtains. Sometimes Blair felt like this too. She felt as if she was trying to let herself shine through, but all that could become of her attempt would be a few sparks seeping through the cracks. It had all started two weeks ago. Blair had finally come face to face with the responsibilities she'd be faced with once she was the wife of Prince Louis. She felt powerless, as if all her decisions were being made by Louis and his family. Princess Sophie had been great and more than approving of the marriage, but she was the one who was making all the important decisions of the royal wedding.

Blair sighed and thought to herself: Wasn't this the exact reason I couldn't be with Chuck? I wanted to make a powerful woman of myself before I was known as a powerful man's partner. Except this is worse, I can't even pick out my own wedding dress. Blair silently reprimanded herself has she remembered that it was useless to wish for Chuck. Chuck was the love of her life, but not exactly her future. With Louis she found happiness and opportunity.

"If two people are meant to be together, eventually they'll find their way back".She whispered the words quietly to herself. Chuck and Blair had found each other again: The night that she had been kidnapped by Russell Thorp, who was now in a 50 year sentence for jail. She remembered the night clearly: the heroic rescue, the Bat Mitzvah, and lastly the heartbreaking goodbye. She knew very well that Louis would treat her right. Though he might not spark up the same feelings that Blair had with Chuck, it was the right thing to do.

Dorota walked in, carrying the tray of breakfast delicacies that she knew Blair would be too nervous to eat.

"Are you ready for the big day?" Dorota smiled reassuringly. Though, her eyes showed that she definitely wasn't ready to let go of the girl that she had raised since Blair was a baby.

"Don't worry Dorota. I'm still staying in Manhattan until I graduate from Columbia. Louis will be travelling back in forth." Blair smiled. Secretly, she was glad that Louis wasn't making a permanent residence in New York. This would give her more time to spend time with friends and maybe even Chuck. Blair missed Chuck. He had spent the summer with his best friend, Nate Archibald, and after he returned to the Upper East Side, he was too occupied preparing the grand opening of his new hotel which took place less than a week ago. Blair had been eager to drop by and congratulate Chuck at his success on expanding his own empire apart from Bass Industries, but her wedding rehearsal was the same night. Blair still had suspicions that Louis had scheduled the rehearsal on the same date. Louis was aware Chuck and Blair had major history, and he accepted that. But, he was still uneasy when it came to anything that had to do with Chuck.

"Dorota knows that Miss Blair will remain in Manhattan, but…" Dorota stopped to smile proudly at the woman Blair had become. "I wish you and Prince Louis the best of luck today." Dorota was to be a bridesmaid along with Blair's best friend Serena, the maid of honor, and Louis's cousin, Elise. The flower girl was to be Dorota's beautiful Anastasia, who was barely two years old. The best man and ring barrier were a few of Louis's relatives that Blair met only a week ago. Blair knew better than to ask Louis that Chuck be a part of the wedding. The wedding was to take place at a church in Manhattan. After much discussion, Louis and Princess Sophie decided that a wedding in New York would be something different, and that way the people who attended would actually be friends and family of Blair and Louis, and not just important people that no one actually knew. Again, Blair had no say in where the wedding would be.

Blair still wondered whether Chuck was to attend. She had made an RSVP exception for Chuck, but he had yet to confirm whether he was coming. Blair, still hopeful, made sure that his name was on the guest list if he were to show.

At that moment, Serena opened the door and smiled. "Blair!" she went over and hugged her best friend. "Oh, I can't believe you're getting married today!"

"Me neither." Blair sighed. She looked around. She needed to escape. "Dorota, get my coat, I'm going to The Empire."

Serena and Dorota both looked at Blair disapprovingly. "B, you're getting married today. Do you think it'd be fair to Louis if he stopped by and you're not here because you're off seeing Chuck?"

Blair frowned. "I'm going to see Chuck because I'm getting married today. Do you really think he's going to want to see me when I'm married to someone else?"

"B, he gave you his blessing."

"Oh please S, you and I both know Chuck's blessing is as good as your blessing if Dan was to marry that Brooklyn disaster." Blair rolled her eyes.

"So what, you're going to The Empire so Chuck can talk you out of it? Because you know him better than anyone else and you know he's going to find a way to keep you from marrying Louis."

Blair scoffed. "I can't believe you would think me and Louis's relationship is that breakable."

"I didn't say that! We all know Chuck and what he's capable of. He is the most persuasive man in the whole of Manhattan." Serena replied, genuinely concerned about her best friend. "B, I would hate to see you or Louis get hurt because of something Chuck said."

Blair sighed and checked her phone. "I have to be down at the church in 20 minutes anyway. See you S." She gave Serena a last hug before departing.

...

Nate fixed his tie as he glanced in the mirror. "So you sure you're not going to the wedding?"

Chuck looked up, "You know I can't Nathaniel. I've actually been thinking…I might spend some time away from Manhattan for a while. Take a trip around Europe again."

"Chuck." Nate looked incredibly concerned. "You just opened your new hotel. You can't just leave it."

"The only reason I bought that building was because I thought it'd take my mind of Blair. But I can't appreciate it like I do The Empire. I was hoping you could keep the hotel nice and running until I sell it to a suitable owner."

"Sure…if that's what you want. But if you're leaving for Europe shouldn't you at least go to the wedding and say goodbye to Blair and everyone else?"

"You know Blair, she'll find a way to stop me, and it'll just give me false hope that she might not marry Louis." Chuck smiled sadly. He supposed that the worst hurt of all was knowing that she loved him, yet that they couldn't be together.

"Blair loves you and everyone knows it. I wouldn't blame her for wanting to keep you around."

"But does she ever think what it's doing to me?" Chuck complained, "Nathaniel, I can't just sit around allowing Blair to come to me whenever she needs an escape. The worst part is, I don't mind being used as long as it means I get to see Blair." Chuck was obviously referring to the many times Blair had come to the Empire, furious that yet another wedding decision had been made without her consultation.

"Chuck, she's not using you. You're her friend, and that's what friends are for."

"Nevertheless, I won't be attending. Tell Blair I wish her the best with the Prince." Although Chuck had accepted the fact that it was selfish to keep Blair for himself, it still pained him to realize that Blair was truly marrying another man today.

"Alright Chuck, see you." Nate waved a final dismissal before departing for the wedding.

Chuck sat thinking for a minute. After making up his mind he picked up his cell phone and dialed a number "I need a private jet to Prague. This afternoon." He refused to sit around secretly hoping the wedding would fall through.

...

Blair sat by the vanity, staring in the mirror and playing with her curls. Though Princess Sophie had protested that Blair wear her hair in a stunning up-do, Blair managed to convince the Princess that she wanted to wear her hair in curls. Blair smiled as she looked at herself, her hair in the same style that she had worn in her Constance days. She wanted at least one memory of her old self on her wedding day.

There was a knock at the door, and Blair, who wasn't expecting anyone, looked toward the door curiously. Could it be—?

"Hi Nate." Repressing her disappointment that it wasn't who she wished it would be, Blair still smiled. It was nice to have an old friend around.

"You look beautiful as always." Nate complimented. He never failed to be the perfect gentlemen.

"Thank you." Blair laughed. "Funny how four years ago everyone thought it'd be us walking down the aisle."

"Yeah…things change too fast." Nate said.

"Is he….?" Blair didn't finish her question.

"No." Nate shook his head. "I don't really think he's up for watching the love of his life marry someone else." He said it with such a casual tone you'd think they were talking about classes at Columbia.

Blair sighed. "I figured. But one can still hope right?"

Nate hesitated and finally said what he came to say "Don't marry Louis."

"Nate…"

"This isn't just about the fact that Chuck's my best friend, this is about what's right." Nate didn't know why, considering he took no part in this love triangle, but he just couldn't let Blair marry Louis. "The Prince…he's great. But, do you really want to be in France 20 years later, a prince's wife, bored out of your mind and yearning for a good scheme?"

"Nate, this isn't about that. Louis treats me right."

"Blair, you and I both know you aren't the kind of person who settles."

Blair stood up, instantly offended. "I am not settling. I'm getting my fairytale!"

Nate shrugged. "You'd be a liar if you said you're still hoping that he's coming." And then he left.

...

Chuck looked around the penthouse of the Empire. It was the place he had called home for two and a half years. He didn't know when exactly he was coming back, but he knew he would be spending quite some time in Europe. Thinking he had everything packed, he made his way toward the elevator. Suddenly, Chuck ran back towards his safe, swearing under his breath that he had forgotten it.

He opened the safe to reveal a few documents and piles of cash. He reached towards the cash, but instead pushed it aside to reveal the little black velvet box. Chuck had no idea what he would do with it, but he knew he couldn't just leave it here. He winced as he thought: if Dorota hadn't gone into labor, if Nate hadn't—no. He wouldn't take a trip down What if lane. It hurt too much. He carefully placed the ring in his coat pocket, and left the penthouse.

...

Louis smiled as he saw his fiancé and soon-to-be wife.

"Blair, you look lovely, but isn't the bride not to be seen by her groom until the ceremony?" It was true. Blair was a sucker for traditions. But this most definitely could not wait for the ceremony.

"Louis…" Blair began, and Louis knew what was coming next. He hadn't spent a whole summer with her in France for nothing.

"Is it Chuck?" Louis frowned with distaste as the name left his mouth.

"Yes…well, no. It's us. I love you Louis, but I'm also marrying you because I know that it's safe. That you can't hurt me. And lately I've been thinking if the reason why you can't hurt me is because I don't love you enough for you to do so." The words were harsh, Blair thought, but it was the only way she could get it out.

Louis frowned "But what if your reasoning is incorrect?" Blair could see that he was hurting, and she knew it was completely unfair for him to love her so much yet her not return the feeling. She sighed. It would be pointless to pretend like in the future she would somehow develop strong feelings for Louis. She knew very well someone had already taken that role in her heart.

"Well…" Blair took a deep breath, quoting the words that had run through her mind so many times before. "If two people are meant to be together…eventually they'll find their way back."

Louis sighed. He knew it was pointless to argue, Blair had already made up her mind. And no matter how much he loved her, she would never feel the same way. So he stood still, closed his eyes, and let her kiss him on the cheek one last time. When he opened his eyes, there was a flash of white and she was gone.

...

Blair tapped her foot in the elevator impatiently. She knew it was wrong to just leave Louis and all her friends and family, but she had to find him. Blair fought the feeling of guilt as the elevator stopped at the penthouse.

"Chuck?" Blair winced as she remembered the last time she had come to the penthouse in search of Chuck. She had found him, and they had what seemed to be the perfect evening until all hell broke loose when Dan Humphrey had punched Chuck. Blair tried not to think about what Chuck was about to do before he was hit by a Humphrey.

Blair went to the kitchen and found a note on the refrigerator:

Nathaniel-

Left for Europe early. All business info in the safe. You know the combination.

-C

Blair looked at the note in despair. And though Blair and Chuck weren't together, and weren't exactly what you'd call friends, she thought that Chuck would find it in himself to say goodbye. He was running again. She knew that when Chuck couldn't handle the amount of emotion he was faced with, he dropped everything and made a mad dash for it. This was not an exception.

Blair wasted no time and she ran, still in her wedding dress, to go call a cab.

Serena couldn't believe it. It wasn't like Blair to just leave. But then again, nothing Blair did that had to do with Chuck was what she would normally do.

She quickly picked up her phone and dialed Blair's number.

"Oh S." the phone was picked up on the first ring. "I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else." Blair sighed and Serena knew exactly who Blair had been waiting for to call.

"B, where are you? There are guests here, and I don't exactly know what I'm supposed to say to Eleanor."

There was a quick silence. "Well, you might as well tell her the truth."

"And what is the truth exactly?"

"That I was in love with Chuck all along. And even though I love Louis, I just can't imagine a chuck-less future." Blair sighed again. "Listen S, I'm almost at JFK. Call me later and we can meet up at the penthouse or something."

"Alright B." But before Serena had finished her sentence the line had gone dead.

...

Blair got out of the cab, not knowing exactly what to do next. She knew where to go. The Bass Jet had its own lane. Blair remembered the first time she had been there: on her way to Tuscany, waiting to be accompanied by Chuck Bass. It was also one of the first times he had run from his feelings.

She rolled her eyes as she was forced to take an airport go-cart infested with common people germs in order to make it to Chuck on time. Blair had called Arthur not too long ago who said that Chuck had a plane scheduled to go to Tuscany at 3:00 p.m. It was now 2:48. Blair frowned as she sat in the go-cart. But somehow, it was worth it if it got her there in time.

...

Chuck loaded his bags onto the jet.

"Ready Mr. Bass?" The pilot asked. In reality, Chuck was in no way shape or form ready. But at the same time, he couldn't stay in New York. He couldn't bear to wake up the next morning and see all the headlines: Upper East Side Princess marries Parisian Prince. It was front page news, and Chuck knew that he would instantly grab a bottle of his favorite scotch upon reading the articles.

Chuck sighed and nodded, getting onto the plane.

"Chuck!"

Chuck closed his eyes. He hadn't had an ounce of alcohol today, and yet the voice was still there.

"Chuck!" It was louder now. He supposed this was his last memory of her before he left.

"Mr. Bass…" Chuck opened his eyes and the pilot gestured towards the pristine girl running towards him, a long train of pure white (though it now had noticeable stains from running around New York) trailing behind her.

Chuck refused to believe it. By now Blair should've walked down the aisle, they should've said their vows, and she should be dancing with her prince. She was supposed to be living her fairytale, not running after the big bad wolf.

"Blair." He said, still in shock. He was wondering whether he should believe that she was actually there. That it was actually his Blair coming towards him a big grin on her face.

"I made it. I got here on time." Both knew there had been times when they were not so fortunate, and Blair had arrived late.

"Blair" Chuck repeated. He finally accepted the fact that the plane hadn't crashed and he was now in some time of heaven. "You're here."

"I'm here." She said. "I didn't marry the prince. I couldn't."

"Why?" Chuck closed his eyes, putting all his hope in the answer that he wanted to hear so badly.

"Because I love you." She said. The answer was so simple. But the way Blair said it, it was as if she was stopping Chuck from leaving her father's funeral again.

"But your fairytale…" Chuck refused to hope. He knew if he hoped anymore his heart would shatter.

"I don't need my fairytale." Blair shook her head. "Not when I have you."

Chuck didn't know what he was waiting for. He jumped off the plane and picked the love of his life up, kissing her with such longing. After he finally put her down he mentally thanked himself for not forgetting the tiny box. He pulled out the black velvet box, the one that had nearly taken a part of a proposal, been stolen, found, and then returned to him again in a train station. He knew that it was fate that the ring had found its way back to him.

"Blair…" he began. Suddenly thoughts ran through his mind. What if the timing's not right? What if it's too soon? What if she says—

"Yes." Blair smiled.

"I didn't…you didn't let me…" Chuck smiled a foolish grin. He didn't care if she didn't let him finish. He only cared about the answer.

"Well, last time you tried to say something that didn't exactly work out." Blair rolled her eyes, but you could spot a tinge of hurt in them.

"I'm so sorry…" Chuck began.

"I know."

"Do you forgive me?"

"Well, Bass," Blair laughed, "I did agree to marry you, didn't I?" She flashed him a smile, and he returned with a casual smirk, though he was much happier inside.

"Yes you did. You're mine now, Waldorf." And Blair had never wanted to hear any other words more.

And so they found their way back, and lived happily ever after.