Gossip Girl: Real School
This is a snapshot of a moment in time a conversation between a seven year old Chuck and his dad! Please read and review and tell me what you think. I am thinking about adding other snippets of conversations as other stories. It could be Au I don't know. Just Bart and Chuck
Bart frowned as the small child opened up his home office door after a soft knock and slowly walked towards him. He was dressed very neatly in khaki slacks and a lavender shirt that was perfectly pressed and tucked in. His dark hair was slicked back on his head, making him look (decades older), and his steps were very small almost kitten like as he made his way closer to Bart.
Chuck promptly took a seat in the chair facing his father's desk and he was now just sitting there, silent, and almost preternaturally still, looking at Bart with those murky almond eyes that were almost exact replicas of his mothers. It was almost intimidating
Bart suddenly felt himself being overcome for; it was not uncommon for the kids' very presence to sometimes consume him. When Charles was around Bart often felt as if he could hardly breathe.
When he looked at his son he couldn't see any of himself in the boy . All he saw was her. And it made his stomach churn, and he didn't know what to say, and he didn't know how to be around the child without feeling that way! Which was why he'd tried to be away from his son as much as possible?
Bart shook his head clearing his mind, his forehead crinkled for a moment before straightening out and retiring to its usual stalk expression.
"May I help you?" he asked the seven years old. He found himself perplexed when his son shook his head in the negative.
"No" the boy whispered and he pulled his small legs up onto the chair before bending them underneath his small body.
Bart cleared his throat and turned his attention back to his paperwork. "Why don't you ask your Nanny to fix you a snack or something" Bart suggested softly and yet the boy did not move it was as if he'd said nothing at all.
"What are you doing daddy?" The small boy asked after a beat making Bart flinch. He hated it when Charles called him daddy but it seemed that no matter how often he told the boy to refer to him as father, the boy never did.
Bart placed his papers down on his desk and leaned back in his chair exhaling sharply. He closed his eyes briefly and opened them again. Charles was still sitting there wide eyed peering at him as if he was mesmerized by his every move.
"And you're sure? there is nothing you want to discuss with me?" Bart asked softly opening the floor so that Charles could get whatever was obviously on his mind off.
Bart watched slightly amused as the boy turned his head to the side in contemplation." Well, actually" he started softly and Bart pursed his lips and prepared himself for whatever outrageous thing his son might have come up with this time.
"I was thinking… and after thinking. I decided that I no longer want to be homed schooled. I want to go to real school" the little boy said
Bart sighed" Real school "he repeated his voice a whisper. The idea of his son leaving the house everyday unattended by his own personnel scared him more then he would have liked. He liked knowing what his son was doing and who he was with all times. It gave him comfort
"And you came up with this all on your own?" Bart asked. He could believe it because his son was really smart and always came up with things on his own, but he did not want to. He liked keeping Charles close and private. After all he hardly ever allowed Charles to leave the house for fear that something would happen to him and because of fears about past events.
When Charles was born word had gotten out somehow that his mother had died while giving birth to him. The paparazzi had swarmed the hospital to get the first glance of the motherless child and the widowed billionaire single father.
Bart had been able to kill the story after some threats and with the influence of his money but he still feared that the boy would be attacked somehow if he was allowed to leave the house or that he would find out information about events that he did not want him to know yet. As it stood now, most of New York had no idea
The idea was almost paralyzing Bart, making it hard to think. "Son, I think that as of now home school is appropriate" he said softly hoping his son would put up no further argument.
That was apparently hoping for too much, for a small frown came over the boys face and the boy snarled at him before continuing on" But daddy," he insisted. "I am the only person my age in the whole world that doesn't go to school." He sounded so sure and Bart felt a smile come over his face.
Charles could be rather persistent when he wanted to be. He was so much like her, (his mother had been the same way and when she couldn't get her way, she'd often fall into the same expression Charles was now wearing on his face at this very moment).
"Charles I assure you, there are lots of students that are home schooled" he said softly. The boy seemed to sink into himself. He was sad Bart realized and at that very moment Bart felt his heart sink. He'd wanted nothing but the best for his son but it seemed as if his best intentions and tendency toward over protection were now doing the boy a great disservice.
Bart cleared his throat and he stood up from his chair and walked closer to the boy. "Come on" he said as he began walking towards the door and Charles jumped up quickly and followed his father.
Bart led Chuck down the hall and towards the kitchen. He reached down quickly and scooping up his small seven year old son into his arms and then sitting him on the big stool right in front of the massive table.
"Why do you want to go to real school?" he asked the kid softly as he moved away from the stool and over to the huge pantry looking for cookies which he quickly found and placed in front of the boy.
Chuck cocked his head to the side once more and thought about how he should answer the question. He bit his lip and took a bite of his cookie before turning his piecing gaze back on his father.
"I was watching Television today and I saw all these children my age running around, playing together" he started then stopped. He placed his cookie down on the table and focused his gaze on it.
"They were so happy …. They were at school and I thought if I went to school I could feel like that." The boy said his voice was soft and it cracked at the end. Charles eyes were shinning and his lips were trembling and it made Bart's throat not up.
Bart knew it was a reason he had not wanted his son watching television and now television had filled the boys head with all these ideas and his son wanted to leave the protection of his home so that he could feel good. The very idea made Bart feel bad.
Bart didn't know what to say. He had been silenced by a seven year old. He had had no idea that his son had been so lonely and now that he did he wanted to rectify the situation.
"I'll tell you what, I'll think about it." He said before turning and exciting the kitchen as quickly as possible.
He made his way back to his office and began calling his contacts. He had so much to do. He had to find the best school. He had to get Charles a personal Limo and a driver; he had to find bodyguards who could guard from a distance and be trusted.
He had decided, that even though the very idea freighted him that, he would allow Charles the freedom of school but he still felt the need to protect his son in any way he could.