A/N: A fluffy fic for your reading pleasure. This was a Christmas gift for my dearest friend Michelle. Hope that you enjoy!
The lights were twinkling while the music played softly in the background. The tree was lit, presents piled all around it and the penthouse smelled amazing. Blair smiled to herself as she looked upon the scene that she had set.
"It looks fabulous, Blair."
Blair turned to face her husband, a smile on her lips as she leaned forward to kiss him. "As if Blair Bass would ever do anything that wasn't fabulous."
"That is true, very true." Chuck smiled down at her before wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "When can we expect the chaos to begin?"
Blair laughed. "They should be here any minute now. I'm going to go see how Dorota is doing with Jocelyn and Alexander." She kissed him once more before heading down the hallway to her children's room.
She stood in the doorway just watching Dorota with her babies. Jocelyn and Alexander were only two and more than a bit of a handful. She knew that it was hers and Chuck's fault for spoiling them, but they wanted their children to have everything that they wanted since they'd been unsure if they'd ever be able to have children in the first place.
She and Chuck had married on New Year's Eve almost ten years ago when they'd been only 21, not even done with college. They'd tried for years to get pregnant and the two times prior to the twins she'd miscarried. It had put undue stress on their marriage and she'd often wondered how they'd made it through those years.
"Mama!" Jocelyn squealed as she launched herself across the room at Blair. The toddler threw her arms around her mother's legs while Alexander struggled against Dorota who was trying to dress him.
"Are they giving you problems again, Dorota?" Blair scooped Jocelyn up into her arms before settling next to Dorota. "Alexander, let Dorota get you dressed." She paused. "Or do you not want to be allowed at the Christmas Eve party?"
"No! Me wanna go!" Alexander stomped his foot, his face wrinkled up.
"Then you had better behave young man." Blair softened her words with a smile and a pat on the head. "You have to look presentable in order to go to the party."
"Aunt 'Rena and Unca Nate?" Jocelyn looked up at her, big brown eyes wide with excitement.
"Yes, baby. Aunt Serena and Uncle Nate will be there with Tyler, Lucas and Addison." She set Jocelyn down on the floor. "Let me get a look at the two of you."
Jocelyn was dressed in a red frilly dress, a headband in her hair and looking so much like she had at that age that it made her smile. Swinging her gaze to Alexander she couldn't help but thinking how much he looked like his dad. He wore a pair of khakis, a button down shirt and a bow tie because God forbid she didn't put him in a bowtie. He so much wanted to be like his father that he always had to have the damn bowtie on which never failed to make her laugh.
"Well if the two of you don't make a pretty picture." Blair smiled as Dorota patted her hand. "Go home Dorota. I'm sure that your family would like to see you tonight."
"Thank you Ms. Blair." Dorota smiled before scurrying from the room.
There was a noise in the front room of the penthouse that signaled the arrival of Serena, Nate and their children. Her babies perked up, both sprinting from the room. Blair stood slowly, straightening her dress before following her children at a more leisurely pace.
"Well there she is." Nate swept her into a hug, kissing her cheek before pulling away. "We were wondering where you were when these little monsters came barreling down the hallway." He grinned as he pulled both Jocelyn and Alexander into his arms. "How are you little monsters doing today?"
Jocelyn leaned over, kissing Nate on his cheek. "Unca Nate! Missed you!"
Not to be outdone Alexander laid a smacking kiss on Nate's cheek. "Me's too! Love you!"
"Love you too, monsters." Nate grinned before setting them down when they began to squirm in his arms. He rolled his eyes at her before pulling Serena away from where she was talking to Chuck.
"Serena." Blair smiled at her friend for a moment before pulling her into a hug.
They had been through so much over the last ten years, so many fights and so many make ups. But in the end they'd managed to stay the best of friends. They didn't get to see one another nearly as much as either would have liked, despite the fact that they lived only four blocks away from one another. Their lives were so busy between work and children that their friendship was often put on the back burner.
Serena had done more for her than she deserved. Blair hugged her tighter before releasing her. She owed her children to her best friend and there was no way that she could repay her for that. She and Chuck had been on the verge of a divorce after the last miscarriage when the doctor informed them that there was no way that she would be able to carry a child to term. It had broken her heart and it had broken their marriage. She had shut down completely and she had been able to feel Chuck drifting away. They never spoke about that time in their marriage as they'd both done things that had been unforgivable.
But then Serena and Nate had stepped in, playing the peace keepers that they had always been between her and Chuck. And Serena had suggested the most outrageous thing, but a way to save them and their marriage. Serena had suggested that she become a surrogate for them, allowing them to have the child that they so desperately wanted. Having already had two boys of her own she knew what to expect and wanted nothing more than to make her friends as happy as she and Nate were.
At first she and Chuck had been very against the idea of Serena carrying their children because you heard horror stories all the time about how a surrogate would get too attached to the children that they carried and even though Serena was her best friend Blair had been deathly afraid that something would happen and she'd try to take her child from her. Now she could admit that it had been an irrational fear, but it had overwhelmed her at the time. But finally Serena and Nate had worn her down and she'd agreed to allow Serena to be their surrogate.
It had come as a shock that she would be having twins. They'd only expected one child and were getting two, it had been one of the happiest days of their lives because both she and Chuck knew that there was no way that they would be able to have another child. Jocelyn and Alexander had been born perfect and she knew that they spoiled their children, but she didn't care. Then about three months after Serena gave birth to the twins she found out that she was pregnant again.
Now no matter what was going on in their lives they got together on Christmas Eve because they were family. It was a tradition that they had started the year after Nate and Serena had married three years after she and Chuck had married. Then the following year they'd added Tyler to the mix with Lucas following the next year. Now there were five children between them and it made for utter chaos, but Blair wouldn't have wished for anything else.
"Merry Christmas Blair."
"Merry Christmas, Serena." She pulled her friend in for another hug. "I've missed you."
Chuck laughed. "C'mon Nate, let's get a drink and leave the girls to their moment."
Serena rolled her eyes, grabbing Blair's hand and leading her to the couch where they could keep an eye on the kids. "So catch me up on your life. What have I missed?"
"Not much." Blair laughed. "I'm sure you know all about my work life since Nate can tell you about that." Blair and Nate had formed their own law firm after graduating from Columbia's law program. It was just another link between them and Blair had never questioned going into practice with Nate. "Besides that it's mostly been the kids and going to charity functions, which I must say I haven't seen you at lately."
"Work has kept me a little busy." Serena laughed. She was one of the most sought after models in NYC. Although she had traveled a lot before the kids she took mostly local jobs now so that she could be near the kids. "Plus they're so dull. I don't know how you stand it."
They talked for a bit before the cook announced that it was time for dinner. One thing about having five children at the table was that there was never a dull moment or a lull in conversation. The best part of the dinner for Blair was when her two year olds decided that they wanted to have a food fight with Serena's youngest.
But they were soon settled in front of the tree, the children bouncing up and down in excitement over getting to open gifts. It was another tradition that they had to exchange gifts on Christmas Eve. Blair settled in front of the tree drawing out gifts.
"Okay little ones, there will be no opening of presents until they have all been disbursed, understood?" Blair eyed Jocelyn and Alexander who were known for trying to open all the gifts, even the ones that weren't theirs, before all of the gifts had been handed out. When they nodded their little heads solemnly she almost laughed but began to hand out the gifts.
As was usual each person ended up with two gifts, even the adults as it was customary with them to allow the children to pick out a present for each person as well as their picking out a gift. Once all of the gifts sat it front of the correct person Blair nodded to the kids, letting them know that they could open them. She watched as they tore into the gifts, Serena helping Addison as she was still too young to open them herself.
Once the presents had been opened the children played with their new gifts while their parents sat and talked. They talked of nothing important, just enjoying one another's company. As the night grew later the noise of the children faded until there was no noise.
Chuck, Blair, Nate and Serena stood in the doorway of the room, smiles on all of their faces at the sight that lie before them. The kids had fallen asleep in the middle of playing, passed out on the floor. It wasn't the first time that this had happened and they knew it wouldn't be the last.
"I'm glad that they have each other." Serena smiled as she squeezed Blair's hand. "It's always good to have a friend to rely on."
Blair hugged Serena lightly. "Through thick and thin. Our kids will be there for one another like we all were for each other."
And with that the night was ended, Serena and Nate collecting their groggy offspring and leading them from the penthouse. Chuck helped Blair get Jocelyn and Alexander into their beds before they headed to their room.
Blair stood at the window looking out at the city when Chuck walked up behind her. "What are you thinking about?"
"About how lucky I am." A smile lit up her features as she turned toward him. "Thank you."
Chuck raised an eyebrow. "For?"
"For my life. If it weren't for you then I'd have no life, no love. So thank you."
Chuck laughed. "It should be me thanking you. You saved me more than once and before you I didn't know how to love." He leaned over and kissed her lightly. "I love you Blair."
"Love you too," she murmured as she laid her head on his chest. Never had everything felt so right in her life and she knew that this was how she wanted to spend the rest of her life.