**this is my first ff, please leave constructive reviews**

Growing Up and Moving On as the Basses

Chapter 1

Blair sat in her wedding bliss with Chuck's arm around her as anecdotes about the recently revealed Gossip Girl were being exchanged all around her. At first she was fuming about Humphrey running the site that ruined her as much as she used it to ruin others. He know all the dirty little tips about Blair, and Gossip Girl was the only thing besides Chuck that could get under her skin and irritate her until she had a full blown Waldorf meltdown.

Her anger festered and itched and she wasn't sure if she wanted to punch Dan, or simply scream at him until her voice ran dry. But all of those negative thoughts were dissipated by a comforting squeeze on her left shoulder and a soft kiss on her forehead. Chuck knew she was angry, infuriated with Dan Humphrey but his simple little show of affection reminded Blair that it didn't matter anymore, and it wouldn't matter if either of them had anything to do with it.

Just then the elevator chimed and out walked her mother-in-law and mother with little bags of what seemed to macaroons, while two deliverymen wheeled the food and champagne in to the kitchen to be prepared for the reception.

"We're back!" Lily said with a gleeful tone hoping to move people into a mood of celebrating the couple that always should have been together instead of discussing Dan's "Final Chapter" which seemed to be putting an unwanted tension into what seemed to be a cheery room.

"Blair and Charles could we see you in the kitchen for a moment," Eleanor added.

"Of course," Blair said moving to get up and away from this conversation about high school scandal. Chuck moved to get up behind her, and the two sauntered (like the Basses do) into the kitchen.

"So here is what Lily and I decided, of course, if you two have any objections we can see what can be done, but with the intentions of not giving you an evening to run we wanted to ensure the perfect dinner. So, the caterers will be in over the next half an hour and the speakers from the Van Der Woodsen penthouse will be delivered so you two can at least share a dance to for your mothers cry over." Lily nodded at the end of Eleanor's little speech and said,

"But we need to decide is what to do with you all from know until cocktail hour. It's three o'clock now, so everyone can either leave and come back or-"

"Yes, lets do that mother." Blair interrupted. It wasn't that she didn't want her family or friends around. She just wanted an hour or two with her husband. Both Lily and Eleanor gave the couple a smirk and nodded.

"We will go tell everyone the plans, meanwhile you two drink something, you look like you have been out in the desert for days without water or food." Eleanor said. It was probably the lack of sleep or the emotional exhaustion from the past thirty-six hours.

"I will let you know when the coast is clear" Lily said with a mischievous look and then hurried out of the kitchen and into the living room.

Chuck let out a breath Blair didn't realize he had been holding. He wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled at her.

Blair moved her face closer to his and stared into his dark chocolate eyes. The warmth between the two of them was comfortable and perfect. Not dangerous or scary like it had been once, but secure. The feeling like the warmth wasn't leaving and never would. Chuck leaned in a kissed her. She met is mouth with the same excitement and joy she had been holding in since they left the courthouse free of any charges. No more pacts or petty lovers. Just them. His tongue slid into her mouth out of habit but she didn't find it gross or perverted as she had once thought. It was natural and what she wanted from the man that had her heart completely.

Their lips parted and both of them smiled again, but Chuck's face wasn't portraying the Blair-we-need-to-have-sex-right-now-or-I-will-expl ode face she had expected. Instead it was staring at hers, wanting to say something but too lost in love to form the words. After a few moments he started to speak.

"Blair… I know we are going to have two hours to ourselves but I really want to wait until tonight. I think we are going to need some rest not only to actively entertain our guests but because you know just as well as I do that we will not be sleeping much tonight".

"I completely agree. We will go upstairs and rest and I will call over to Tom Ford to get you a new suit for tonight. Mother has an original she showed me and I think considering it's a ravishing purple it would be perfect to change into for our reception."

Chuck smiled. He loved her more than anything. He could tell she was just as tired as he was and nodded to her words. He knew she was going to want to change out of her dress, and had already had his suit in her closet upon the decision of a reception at the Waldorf penthouse.

"No need, I have one here already, with multiple purple collaborations that you can match to your ravishing dress. Now let's go watch our guests go and assure them that we will be here this evening and won't be leaving for a honeymoon so quickly."

The two then waltzed hand-in-hand out of the kitchen to say good-bye to their friends that would be seen later for the real celebration.

Once Serena and Nate were gone and Lily had convinced Eleanor that the rest of the planning like the perfect gifts and where to get a last minute cake could be bought from, could be done at the Van Der Woodsen penthouse, Chuck and Blair were alone.

Blair squeezed his hand. She hadn't let go of it more than twice since the wedding and wasn't planning on letting go any time soon. She was surrounded by complete bliss and didn't want Chuck out of her sight. She had finally caught the uncatchable Bass and after years of heartbreak and denial she was now a Bass too, and wouldn't change it for the world. She looked at his perfect face and felt her knees go weak at the idea of spending the rest of her life with him. Whether Chuck noticed or not, his next movement was romantic and a complete Chuck Bass move.

Blair found her self being swept off the floor and into his arms. He held the train of her dress so he wouldn't trip as he carried his wife up the stairs and into Blair's bedroom.

"This is you being carried across the threshold, because I doubt I will make it upstairs like this tonight with you looking as beautiful as you do right now." He said. She let out a rare Blair Waldorf giggle. Something only Chuck had ever heard. Like music to his ears he kissed her cheek as he laid her down gently on the bed.

They both sat on the bed and slowly took off the clothes they had been wearing. Once free of the confining wedding clothes, they closed the blinds and lay down on the bed. Blair cuddled up against Chuck and put her head on his chest. She loved listening to his heartbeat. It was strong and sure, like it had never been dangerously close to alcohol poisoning, drowned in drugs, left to die somewhere on a street in Prague, or even revived after their terrible and almost Princess Diana-like car accident. She knew that to some extent it was beating for her. He had always said that her love kept him alive. She had broken his heart many times, and listening to it beating proved she hadn't really ever broken it enough to drive him away completely or actually kill him and that was why they were together in this moment and forever.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her up into a protecting hug. No one was ever going to hurt Blair. He would never hurt her again. He promised himself to keep her safe no matter what, because it was what felt right.

The two shifted until they were wrapped perfectly together. They drifted off to sleep with an alarm set to wake up and get ready for the reception. Although it was never meant to be so, happiness was on the menu for them and the two of them ate it up. The love and warmth was tangible in the room as the two lazily slipped into a perfect nap, resting up for the rest of their lives together.