Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.
Back to regularly scheduled programming: This picks up just after Mister Mom.
"Daddy, I want to go with you and Brice!" Charlotte whined as she and Blair prepared to leave for their day of shopping with Serena. She was in the middle of her newest meltdown. Blair and Serena were waiting patiently for Chuck to defuse the bomb he'd set off when he kissed Charlotte goodbye. Had Blair simply been allowed to take her daughter from the penthouse, Charlotte would have been fine, but Chuck's insistence on saying goodbye to his little girl had been the catalyst.
"Don't you want to go with Mommy to get some pretty dresses?" he inquired as he was knelt down in front of his two and a half year old princess.
"No," she pouted.
"Sweetheart, you don't like the museum," Chuck reminded her. He and Blair had taken Charlotte to the Museum of Natural History on several occasions, and they always left after twenty minutes. The first thing she always saw was the large dinosaur fossil, and it scared her to death. She was usually screaming at the top of her lungs as they hurried out of the building. "Remember the dinosaurs give you nightmares."
"I don't care," she folded her arms as she appeared to be holding her ground.
"Mommy is going to get ice cream later," he tried to bribe her with a sweet treat.
"No," she whined as she started jumping up and down.
Chuck could hear Serena's laughter in the background. "Something amusing, van der Woodsen?"
"I'm sorry, but she's just so much like her mother," Serena bit her lip to keep her laughter at bay. She was fighting a losing battle. She burst out laughing as Charlotte stomped her foot to get Chuck's attention, her little shoe tapped loudly, echoing in the entryway.
"How about you go with Mommy today, and then tomorrow, we'll have a day all to ourselves. ? We can do whatever you want?" ." he offered up a compromise.
"That's a dangerous thing to say, Bass," Blair chimed in. Charlotte's tastes, even at two and a half, were incredibly expensive like her mother. She was likely to pick the most expensive activity she could think of.
"How about it, Princess?" he inquired as he took her tiny hands into his as he gave her his most charming smile, undeterred by Blair's warning.
"Okay," Charlotte responded reluctantly.
"I can't believe that worked," Serena whispered to Blair as Charlotte turned to take her mother's hand as they stepped into the elevator.
"He'll pay for it tomorrow," Blair responded as Charlotte turned to wave to Chuck as the doors slid closed.
"Okay, Little Man, it's just you and me today," Chuck stated as he went into his son's bedroom and picked him up out of the crib. Brice had been down for his morning nap, but woke up almost as soon as Chuck's first word left his lips.
Brice gave his father a tiny smile that warmed Chuck's heart as he grabbed a hold of one of Chuck's fingers and brought it into his mouth. He was getting into the phase were everything he could get his hands on would end up in his mouth.
As Chuck prepared the diaper bag to take with for their excursion, he talked to his son as if they were conversing back and forth. "What do you think, Brice, are you feeling stroller compatible today, or should we leave it home?
"Just like your sister, of course, you're not going to sit in your stroller. Are five diapers going to be enough?
"Of course not, adding a sixth just in case."
After tossing in a few toys and an extra change of clothes, just in case, he was ready for his day with Brice. After calling for a limo, having given theirs to Blair to use for the day, he brought Brice down to the lobby.
"Good morning, Mister Bass, Little Mister Bass," the doorman stated as he tipped his hat as he held the door open.
"Beautiful day, is it not," Chuck sighed happily as he looked out over a wonderfully bright blue sky as he took his usual tip out of his pocket and handed it to the doorman.
"That it is," the man nodded as he scrambled to open the limo door for Chuck.
"I think you'll enjoy today as there is a lot to observe, but if you get scared, you let me know and we can leave," Chuck told his son as they walked into the museum. Brice's eyes immediately connected with the large tyrannosaurus fossil that greeted them. Chuck held his breath, waiting for the blood-curling scream that he was used to hearing when he brought Charlotte, but there was only intrigued silence. As he stepped in closer, Brice's eyes widened further as he scanned each bone. Soon his lips curled into a wide smile. He was clearly in his element. There was no fear as Chuck moved about the various rooms as he read off each plaque to his son.
When Brice showed signs of fatigue, Chuck called for the car, and they left. In contrast to when Charlotte left somewhere she was having the type of fun Brice appeared to be having and threw a fit, Brice merely put his head on his father's shoulder and fell asleep. There was no drama whatsoever.
"Back to the penthouse, Mister Bass?" his driver for the day inquired as he opened the door for him.
Chuck thought for several moments. He wasn't ready for his day with his son to end just yet, so he began searching his brain for any possible excuse to extend their outing. "What time is the Yankee's game today?"
"I believe it's an afternoon game," the driver replied after a quick moment of thought.
"What do you think, Little Man?" Chuck inquired as he caressed his sleeping son's back softly, "Does a game of baseball interest you?" Brice gurgled in his sleep to provide his father with an answer.
"Yankee Stadium then, Sir?" the driver asked.
Chuck nodded as he stepped into the limo and settled his son against his chest. He marveled at how different his two children could be. Charlotte would still be throwing the mother of all tantrums. Brice slept soundly. Charlotte begged for attention all day. Brice didn't seemed to care one way or another. He merely needed a clean diaper and regular meals. Charlotte was constantly filling the house with her ever increasing vocabulary, laughs, screams, and cries. He loved his little girl more than anything, but keeping up with her changing moods could be exhausting. It was nice having a day away from all of that drama.
Knowing that he'd already given up his tickets to that day's ballgame, Chuck went to the ticket booth and purchased a general admission ticket. After a quick stop at the gift shop, Brice looked like a true Yankee's fan in the baby hat, bib, and baseball glove.
Brice woke at first pitch and never took his eyes off the action once. When the crowded roared, so did Brice. Chuck had a feeling this was going to be the first of many games he'd be taking his son to. He realized that he'd have to study up on the game to answer any questions his son would begin to ask in later years.
Chuck thought that three hours in the sun, watching a game that moved at a slow pace would bore his son, but Brice never once showed signs of fussiness. The activity around him provided enough of a sideshow to keep him thoroughly entertained.
After the final pitch, Chuck slowly made his way towards the parking ramp were the limo was surely waiting. He was mildly annoyed that he was kept waiting for several minutes, but Brice was kept entertained by the woman that passed by and cooed over his chubby little cheeks. Proving he was most definitely his father's son, he played the attention perfectly. Chuck wasn't sure whether the numbers he was being given were for himself or his son, but they'd be tossed into the first trash can could he could find when he returned home just the same.
"I'm sorry I'm late, Mister Bass," the driver apologized as he pulled up to the curb and quickly opened the door.
Chuck didn't say a word as he climbed in. He'd be talking with the fleet manager the next time he went to Bass for a board meeting, but for now he was focused solely on his son, who was finally starting to show signs of grumpiness as he rubbed at his eyes with closed fists.
"It's okay, Little Man," Chuck assured him as silent tears began to trail down his cheeks as Brice sat in his lap, "We're going home now."
Brice began crying in earnest as he burrowed his head in his father's chest. Chuck shifted him in his arms so that his head could rest against his shoulder. In no time at all, Brice was sound asleep.
Charlotte was playing with her dolls in the living room, the closest room to the entryway in eager anticipation of her father's return. The chime of the elevator was the greatest sound she'd heard all day. "Daddy!" Charlotte exclaimed as she tore through the hallway to the elevator to greet her father. She immediately attached herself to his leg. "I missed you."
"I missed you too, Princess," he told her as Blair came into the entryway, greeting her husband with a kiss before taking her son from his arms.
"I though you'd be home hours ago," Blair replied as she watched Chuck pick up Charlotte as the little girl threw her arms around his neck and gave him the greatest bear hug she could.
"Brice and I went to a baseball game this afternoon," he announced as he tried to loosen Charlotte's grip so that he could breath.
"How'd he do with that?" Blair inquired as she removed the hat momentarily to kiss the top of her son's head as she positioned him against her shoulder so his nap would continue.
"Nothing phases that kid," Chuck replied, "He loved the museum. He soaked in every room with a curious twinkle in his eyes. He fell asleep on the way to the ballpark, but as soon as the first pitch was thrown, he was wide-awake. He didn't miss one single pitch."
"Does that mean you're going to start using your season tickets instead of giving them all away every year?" Blair inquired as Charlotte tried to get her father's attention by raining kisses along his cheek.
"Perhaps," Chuck nodded.
"What's in the bag? Anything for your two favorite women?" she inquired as she eyed the extra bag in his hands.
"That depends," he smirked, "Did you buy me anything during your little shopping adventure?"
"Did we buy Daddy anything, Charlee?" Blair inquired as she tickled Charlotte under the arm to get her attention. She was too excited to see her father to pay her mother any attention.
"Yep," she nodded as she took a moment away from her kiss parade to answer her mother's question.
"Should we give it to him or make him squirm?" Blair inquired.
"Squirm," Charlotte called out as she threw out her arms to add an extra bit of excitement to her reply.
Both Chuck and Blair roared with laughter as Chuck began tickling her stomach. The commotion woke up Brice, and he let everyone know that he wasn't happy for the rude awakening.
"No cry, Brice," Charlotte reached across her father's body to pat her brother's back, "No cry."
"Awe, isn't that sweet," Blair smiled as she leaned over to kiss Charlotte's own chubby cheeks, "You are such a good big sister, Charlee."
Charlotte beamed with pride. "Present, please," she requested as she held out her hands expectantly in front of her father.
"Such the little princess," he chuckled as he set her down so that he could pull out the presents he'd purchased for her. "Here is a pretty pink baseball jersey and a pink dress and a pink hat and a pink headband and pink bracelet."
Charlotte's eyes went wide as she accepted her many gifts. She cared none for the fact that they had the logo of the Yankees on each item. All she cared about that they were pink and all hers.
"Oooo, pretty," she replied as she dropped the jersey, dress and hat to the ground and put on the headband and bracelet.
"What do you say to Daddy?" Blair prompted her daughter.
"Thank you, Daddy," Charlotte replied as she threw her arms around her daddy's neck as he knelt before her.
"You're welcome, Princess," he replied as he kissed her cheek.
"Bring these things into your room and then get Dorota to help you wash your hands for dinner," Blair told her.
"Okay, Mommy," Charlotte replied as she struggled to gather everything into her tiny arms and carry the items to her room.
"What did you do, Bass, buy everything pink that came in her size?" Blair giggled as she tried to peek into the bag to see what he'd bought her.
"More or less," he chuckled. "They had these onesies that I bought for Brice."
"Along with the little hat and bib he's currently wearing," she laughed.
"I bought him a little glove too," he proclaimed as he held out the little glove he'd fished from the bag, "I figured it's never to early to start playing catch with him."
"You're really looking forward to that, aren't you," she smiled.
"Very much," he replied.
"So what did you get me?" she inquired as she tried to snatch the bag out of his hand while still keep Brice from waking up again as he'd quickly conked out on her shoulder at Charlotte's earlier urging.
"Such a little princess," he teased as he leaned in and kissed her deeply while keeping the bag firmly out of reach.
"I beg your pardon," she replied as she pulled away, "Charlotte is the princess. I am the queen."
"How right you are," he chuckled as he tangled his fingers in her hair and brought her lips back to his.
"Present, please," she whispered against his lips as she mimicked her daughter by holding out her free hand expectantly.
"I knew Charlotte got that from somewhere," he chuckled as he pecked at her lips one more time before he reached into his bag and pulled out a pink Yankee baseball cap.
"Is that all?" she pouted slightly as he put the hat on her head.
"I have another present, but that will have to wait until the children are asleep for the evening," he chuckled, "And I'm hoping that you'll wear this to bed."
"Since when do you have a baseball fetish, Bass?" she chuckled as he adjusted the hat so that it was straight atop her head.
"Since I saw how sexy you make this ball cap look," he spoke smoothly, "I can only begin to imagine how much sexier you'll look in the cap and nothing else."
"How very unoriginal of you?" ," she rolled her eyes in mock boredom, "Is there anything that you buy me that doesn't have the goal of finding me naked at some point?"
"I'm sure there has been something over the years," he thought briefly but quickly gave up when nothing sprung to mind.
"Dinner is almost ready," she advised him, "Did you want to change first?"
"Shower first," he nodded, "It was a little warm in the sun with Brice in my arms."
"You kept him hydrated, I hope," Blair replied.
"This isn't my first day as a father, Blair," he reminded her.
"Go shower," she urged him, "I'm going to lay him down."
Chuck was about to make his exit when he felt Blair's hand slide into his khaki pant's pocket.
"If you want a quickie, Beautiful, you'll need to put down the baby first," he chuckled as he turned towards her expected to receive the beginning of her advances.
"What are these?" she inquired as she pulled her hand out of his pocket with a fist full of napkins with random phone numbers on them.
"I…ah…I can explain," he stuttered.
"Really, because I'd love to hear it."
"We had to wait for our car to come pick us up. Brice set out to prove that he has the Bass family charm. Women flocked towards him."
"So these phone numbers are for Brice and not you," Blair challenged him.
"They couldn't be for me," he chuckled, "I'm a happily married man."
"You are in so much trouble, Bass," she gritted out through clinched teeth.
"I'll take my punishment," he replied.
"Go take a shower," she rolled her eyes again, "And make it a cold one."
TBC...
Have to thank the usual suspects: my beta Lori2279 and of course, you the reader. I love all of you, and I would love to heard what you think of the newest chapter in my Blair and Chuck Saga.