A little Gossip Girl story what might have happened if Chuck and Blair's little affair never got discovered in high school but much later…
There were two hundred vases of snow white Tiger Lily's sat on top of two hundred tables topped with hand four hundred thread count Egyptian cotton sheets
There were two hundred vases of snow white Tiger Lily's sat on top of two hundred tables topped with hand four hundred thread count Egyptian cotton sheets. The hall was filled with candles, tall thin church candles made by the same company who makes the candles for the Vatican. The New York Philharmonic Orchestra was playing beautifully as Blair smiled broadly at the guests below as they chatted amongst themselves and sipped the 3,000 champagne. She barley knew half the people here, most of the guests were familial acquaintances or business associates of someone or another. Her mother was talking endlessly about her new Fall line with the Chairwoman of the Yacht Club, her and father and Roman were observing the scene for themselves and it appeared whispering sweet nothings to one another. She spotted Kati and Iz surveying people's outfits and judging them ruthlessly. Then finally through the crowd of unfamiliar faces she saw him, her fiancé, he was talking to one of his fathers many contacts, most likely striking up a new deal for development. He looked up and locked eyes with Blair and smiled broadly at her, his perfect smile glimmering in the candle light. He was everything a girl could ask for; charming, well-mannered, kind, good looking, rich; he was perfect in every way. As Blair looked out on her perfect party, at her perfect fiancé and at her perfect priceless diamond ring she realised she had finally achieved everything she had dreamt of since she was six years old, she had made her dreams come true. She should have been ecstatic, overjoyed but she wasn't. She felt numb, like she was a ghost floating though her life the way it should been lived not the way she wanted it to be.
"Where are you?" Serena asked nudging Blair in the back and handing her a glass of champagne.
"What?" Blair said taking a sip.
"You were like a million miles away."
"Sorry just got a lot on my mind, so much to do you know." Blair said trying to clear her head.
"Don't worry Blair you have been planning this day for as long as I can remember everything will be perfect! I mean tonight is amazing and its only the rehearsal dinner, tomorrow is going to be incredible." Serena said smiling. "Oh my god Blair do you realise this time tomorrow you will be married? That's so crazy!"
"Yeah I know it's all happened so fast, we were only engaged five months…"
"Well technically its five months, but in reality its more like sixteen years and five months!" Serena said with a laugh. "I mean you have been planning your wedding to Nate since you were six years old."
Blair forced a laugh, "I know its crazy right."
"I'm only kidding; it's so great for you guys. I guess when you find the one you know." Serena said gently stroking Blair's arm.
"Exactly." Blair said taking another drain of her drink.
"That's how it felt when I met Dan…I just knew he was the one. When we're together its like we're the only two people in the whole world, like we don't need anything but each other." Serena continued as she gazed at Dan across the room.
Blair felt her eyes beginning to become teary, "Excuse for a moment S just need to go check something with the caterer."
Blair sped off before Serena could say another word about how great it was to find the love of your life. She snuck out into the kitchen area and grabbed another glass of champagne, downing it in one. She found a quiet spot away from the hustle of the kitchen and sat down for a moment. She felt as though she was suffocating upstairs with all those people congratulating her on her perfect wedding, she felt like a fraud. It wasn't perfect, it wasn't horrible either, it was nothing at all. Serena was right Blair had everything she wanted since she was six, but she wasn't a little girl anymore and the foolish dreams of a child are very different from the desires of a woman. Blair knew what she wanted, what she needed but she also knew it was impossible for her to have it. So she settled, settled on the false dream she fought so hard to get, the dream she was so unwilling to risk that it cost Blair her true happiness.
After about ten minutes Blair took a deep breath and braced herself as she launched herself back into the party. She floated through the crowd smiling politely and mingling with the usual Upper East Side elite. She was talking to yet another Wall Street tycoon when she felt a strong arm grabbed her round the waist.
"Sorry but could I possibly just steal my fiancé for a moment." Nate said whisking Blair away from a dreadfully dull conversation. He took her to the dance-floor and they swayed slowly to the string quartet. "This is crazy its our rehearsal dinner for our wedding and yet I barely know any of these people and I feel as though I haven't seen you all night."
"I know but it's the price we have to pay for the price our parents are paying for the wedding, they foot the bill and we make pleasantries with practical strangers." Blair said laughing. "It will all be over tomorrow, no more wedding stuff."
"I cant wait to call you my wife." Nate said as he held Blair close.
"Me neither, its all I've ever wanted…to be Mrs. Nathaniel Archibald." Blair lied.
"That sounds so amazing, after tomorrow nothing will ever come between us I promise." Nate said kissing her gently.
"I beg to differ." Said a drawl voice beside them.
"Oh my god." Blair said under her breath.
"Chuck!" Nate yelled excitedly as he let go of Blair and hugged Chuck. "What are you doing here man? I thought you said you were tied up in Tokyo?"
"Are you crazy I couldn't let my best friend get married and not be there!" Chuck said smiling broadly at Nate but still not acknowledging Blair was even there.
"I'm so happy you're here man you have no idea, I mean my dad stepped up for best man when you said you couldn't come but it means everything to me that you're here." Nate said beaming at his best friend.
"Easy there Nathaniel people might start to think its our wedding if you keep talking like that."
"Blair isn't this great!" Nate said turning to Blair.
"Its fantastic." She said unconvincingly.
"Come on you guys say hello properly, hug! Its been years since you two have seen each other." Nate said pushing Blair and Chuck together. Slowly they embraced, it was awkward and uncomfortable but Nate was too happy to notice. "Hey do you wanna drink?"
"Sure…scotch." Chuck replied.
"You haven't changed a bit!" Nate laughed, "Hey dance with Blair and I'll go find Serena and Humphreys and we can all catch up together okay?"
Chuck nodded as Nate ran off happily into the distance. he turned to Blair who was still frozen in her spot.
"Don't worry…" she mumbled, "You don't have to dance with me."
Chuck shook his head, "I'm a gentleman Waldorf I would never leave a damsel in distress." He said taking her hand in his and pulling her close again. "I'm sorry I should say Archibald now really."
Blair said nothing she just danced, doing her best not to meet his eyes. She could breathe in the scent of him; scotch, cigarettes and aftershave, it was as if she was eighteen again.
"I thought you weren't coming."
"I changed my mind, its not just a woman's prerogative you know." He whispered in her ear.
"how have you been?" Blair said trying to force some kind of normal conversation.
"Lets not do that Blair, small talk and pleasantries have never been our greatest skill." Chuck said spinning her out and back again. "You don't have to worry I'm not here to ruin your big day. Your secret…or should I say our secret is safe with me."
Blair was speechless.
Chuck spun her out once again, "You'll get your fairy tale ending, the butterflies are dead." He said as he dipped her back as if from some old Hollywood movie.
The crowd around them broke out into applause as Chuck brought Blair back up to her feet. She had no idea what made her say it;
"Yours might be…mine aren't." she said before running off the dance-floor and back to her kitchen hideaway.