A.N: I wanted to try to write a more villainous Chuck. Yet somehow his sweet side (in later chapters more so) emerged heavily.
Change in their bios that will be further explained: Blair/Serena are eighteen (and are their last year of high school), Nate is twenty, and Chuck is twenty-two in the beginning of this fic. Chuck and Serena/Eric have been sibling for years Lily having married Bart when the children were younger. Also Nate and Chuck were educated in a boarding school for boys. Also Blair is a estranged from her father. Out of all the character's Blair is the one who is a bit different than the show even still I tried my best to model this off of her character as close as possible.
January 2009
The Great Recession emptied the bank accounts of many victims and some criminals from Wall Street. Certainly the Upper East Side was feeling the pain of the Stock Market losses. It seemed as if everyone was suffering somehow. In the UES this was shown in the materialism of the upper society. Girls in class who always wore the latest season were instead wearing last winter's coats. Boys who lavishly spent money on watches and cars they never drove lessen their spending. Families who once rented entire islands and yachts were vacationing instead in their second home in the Caribbean or in the Hampton. While others were selling all their second homes at a loss. Surely no one was suffering for food but it was clear to those in St. Jude and in Constance School for Girls who was part of the extremely wealthy one percent and those who slowly falling into the upper middle class. Sadly, for Blair Waldorf she was stumbling into a whole new different class bracket.
Almost four years ago her father left her mother and her with little extra income. Blair still extremely prideful and she often bit her lip as Serena, her best and dearest friend paid for their expensive meals and for clothes whenever her allowance ran out. She even went on vacation with the family now for three years with all her expense covered. The VanderWoodsen-Bass family were not hurting for money. In fact, she heard Charles Bass, or Chuck exclaimed how much cheap land he was going to buy up now. Apparently her suffering and many others were good for his business. Yet, Blair was able to keep her head held high. She was determined to go to college and enter a career that would restore her family name without retreating to her father. Once upon a time Harold Waldorf was her favorite person in the world but it was many years since she thought that.
September 2004
Blair listened to her parent's arguing constantly these days but she now zoned them out. Putting headphones on and sitting down to try to think of ways to oust the juniors who were currently the 'queens' of the school. She was only a freshman but she knew she had what it took to be in charge of the social hierarchy. In fact, she just wished her parents would divorce. P's parents had split and she got two of everything. Blair was already mapping out the two vacations, two Christmases, and two closets she would have in Manhattan. Surely it would not be that bad and could help her status because double closets meant more clothes and the buying of affection. But today was her mother's opening fashion show in New York and they were all to attend. She even managed to get three friends, Serena, Iz and Peneolpe tickets. She only invited Iz and P so they could awe and ah over her mother. As much as she did not get along with her mother she knew her mother' dresses were usually amazing. Eleanor left without them to the show in order to go over last minute details.
Once inside with her friends and her father she instantly forgot about all the marital problems her parents were having. She was thirteen young almost fourteen and free on a Friday night. Laughing and gossiping with her friends she never knew the night would turn out as it did. Her mother show was a disaster. The editor and chief of Vogue walked out halfway apparently bored with the designs. Even Blair could see her mother had heavily borrowed on last season and on other designers. Even the quality of the material going out on the runway looked a bit cheap. Angry and wanting to leave and depending on the Waldorf car service to take her and friends home she went in search for her father. Her friends were all with her as they searched backstage. It was chaos but she found someone who told her they saw her father walking toward the sample room where the clothes were housed before the show. So friends in tow she went searched desperate to leave not wanting to hear P's jibs about the show anymore.
Opening the door, the young Blair was mortified to come face to face with her father as some male model humped him from behind. Not knowing what more to do them scream. Her friends were stunned into silence. Discovering one's father is gay is shocking to say the least but discovering the person you were closest to in the world keep such a secret was too much to bear. Her scream alerted others and her mother was soon in the room. It was beyond embarrassing when her mother began to speak.
"Oh, dear you found out your beloved daddy is a homo, Ha! Yes, yes he has screwed every model that has ever worked for me. Certainly now you see why you have no siblings," Eleanor said slurring as she stomped into the room. She was obviously drunk. She began laughing pointing at her husband. "Your zipper is still down dear but there is not much to see there which is probably why your father likes to take it up" Eleanor begin to say but her words were cut off by Blair's embarrassed wretched sob.
The tears were already falling down her face by the time Harold who quickly redressed began to apologize. Serena grabbed her best friend and took her out of the room before saying Blair was staying at her house. The damage was done by that point however. So the girls left in a yellow cab. Even Penelope was silent as she held Blair's hand in the cab telling her that it was all going to be okay. As child of divorce she had nothing by sympathy for Blair.
The next day Harold begged to speak to Blair. She loved him more than anyone in the world and she would not hold his preference for men against him. She just wanted him to be honest with her.
"Blair, I am so sorry you had to discover my situation like that," he was clearly uncomfortable.
Trying to please her father like any good daddy's girl she hugged him. "I love you and I always will."
"I will always love you too. You are the best thing in my life," he told her and Blair happily expected his praise. "I am moving out today."
"Oh okay," Blair said a bit stung but understanding that their parents divorce needed to happen.
"To France. Roman and I have been eyeing a vineyard in the South of France. You can practice your French," he said with a teasing smile.
Roman? Her father had a serious boyfriend? They were leaving New York Sure New York city had always been her home but France was chic and she did love the air in Southern France.
"That sounds lovely daddy. But what about your job?" she asked. He was a lawyer for investment capital company and a damn good one at that.
"I am retiring. I am in love for the first time in my life and I want to enjoy that before I have a full head of greys," he joked.
"In love. Really? With Roman? Can I meet him?" Blair asked cautiously. She wanted to meet this so called love of her father's life. Was it was that young model from last night. He was closer in age to her than her father. Surely this was a midlife crisis.
"Yes. I am so happy you are okay with this. After last night… I am so sorry that you had to see that with your friends..." he trailed off his cheeks reddened with shame. Blair knew the gossip and jabs were going to be tough but she was going to France. Those girls, sans Serena were behind her. New York was behind her.
"I have some things I need to do but we will talk more okay. We are taking the seven o'clock flight out tonight. Bye Blairbear" he hugged her tightly and peppered the top of her head with kisses. He even cried a bit. She was sure he was happy that she understood his sexual orientation so well.
So Blair began to pack quickly. She knew she could not pack everything in a measly two hours but with Dorota's help she packed at least three weeks' worth of clothes figuring the rest could be shipped over. Going over a list of what she wanted to retain and give away with Dorota she then called her best friend to let her know that there was hardly time to say goodbye but she promised her best friend that could come and visit. By five o'clock she waited in the foyer. Her father had left that afternoon and had returned and she was worried. She called him but it went straight to voicemail. Finally, a quarter to six her mother entered the foyer. She looked tired and depressed. Blair felt sorry for her mother. Surely it was not her fault her father was gay. Still her mother callous remarks from last night did still hurt even if she was obviously drunk.
With a quick look at Blair's luggage amassed in the foyer Eleanor's eyebrow furrowed.
"Dear," her voice was even and hesitant. "Are you going somewhere?" she asked.
"With Daddy to France," Blair answered finally stopping pacing and glancing her cellphone. "The plane leaves at 7. I don't know where Daddy is at."
"Blair he is leaving with Roman. You are staying in New York with me," she said cautiously afraid of hurting Blair's feelings.
"What? No… Daddy said…" she recollected the conversation. He did say we. Certainly he meant Roman, himself and her. He wouldn't leave her. They were close. She did not misunderstand him.
"But he hasn't even packed," she said. She was home all day and her father took nothing out of the penthouse.
"He did last night. While the show was ongoing. Movers came in and took his stuff, dear," Eleanor explained as she sat on the steps. Panicked Blair not believing her mother took off running up the steps into her parent's room. She quickly assessed the closet. His side was empty. It was like he was never there.
Running back to her mother with a wild look of confusion she needed answer.
"But he said we. I know he did…. How could he leave me?" she asked with watery eyes. Blair was surprised to find her mother hug her tightly. Blair knew this meant he probably planned this for weeks maybe months to have all this sent up quickly. When did he buy a vineyard she wondered. He planned to skip on her for months probably.
"He left us Blair," Eleanor said and Blair began to sob.
"But what did I do. Does he not want me?" the broken girl asked her mother. Eleanor for the first time in a long while put her own hurt aside and let her daughter cry out.
"Nothing you did. You are the perfect daughter. I love you so very much Blair and I am sorry that me and your father did not obviously handle this correctly. He wanted to talk to you alone and promised to explain everything. I thought he would have but it seems he mislead you or you misunderstood. But Harold has made plenty of promises to me in the past that he easy broke. I hoped he would not make promises to you he never had intended to keep."
Angry and embarrassed that her father left her Blair went to sleep after a long talk with her mother. Blair cried together for the lost of her father. It was the next day mid-afternoon when she finally woke up. She discovered her father had left her a voicemail. It seemed like he was informed of the so called confusion that occurred yesterday.
"Blair I am sorry that you thought you were coming today. I only met that I hoped you were visit. Roman and I are starting our lives together. I wanted to be free of my past life- not that I mean you are my past life. Of course not dear. I just need some time to be Harry Waldorf the man not the father if that makes any sense. Please call me back."
He wanted to be free of his past life? Well he would never again have to worry about being a father again. Angry her father's voicemail only made her further hurt. Where was the man she idolized? She never picked up a phone call or listened to a voicemail, his gifts were sent back unopened. She was done with him.
It was three months later that a carrier came with documents from her mother's lawyer. She knew it was the divorce proceedings. Harold Waldorf had an airtight prenup and was been even stingier with his money since all his communications to Blair were unsuccessful. She knew from her mother that he was taking it out on her but Blair refused to swayed and Eleanor said she was not going to force her. However, Blair would have to understand this meant a tighten budget and certain luxuries were not to be afford. Still Blair held her head high and said her father was dead to her. All she would have of him was the Waldorf trust his father, her grandfather made for her to be opened at 21. It totaled at 15 million dollars. Her love for her beloved grandfather who was now past was the only way she knew she tolerated that money but she could not open it for another 6 years without her father's approval. She knew he would not approved of her opening it to give her mother some so rather the Waldorf women were going to have to do without the Waldorf money for a while but were still going to somehow figure out how to function with the grace and class of a Waldorf women.
So the Waldorf women scrimped and saved. They threw less parties and went on no vacations but they still were well respected and admired by the Upper East Siders. Waldorf designs had bounced back after that horrible show and her mother was expanding the business. Money wise things were approving before the recession. But Blair the once hopeless romantic's heart was shattered by her father and what felt like his abandonment. Even Eleanor encourage her to reach out to Harold as Blair grew but Blair steadfastly refused. She even went as fear to lock herself in her bathroom when he came to New York to surprise her for her 16th birthday. Crying out behind her locked door she begged her mother to send him away. Harold hearing for himself the pain he brought to his daughter finally stopped attempting to reach out. The ocean between them grew as the time past.
So when Blair turned 18 in her senior year at Constance she thought all was well in the world. She was accepted to Columbia University early decision having washed herself of her father's dreams of Yale. Serena and her were determined to enjoy the rest of their senior year. The recession had tricked down into their lives of their friends but Blair was not ready to find her mother, who she was incredibly close to at this point in tears one day after school. In was the beginning of January. People were still wishing each other Happy New Year but Blair's vision at 2009 being special came crashing down that day.
"Mom?" she asked concerned. It had been four years since the divorce and her mother had not been this sad since then.
"Blair everything is gone. They are going to seized the penthouse," her mother sobbed. Looking at the table she saw all the paperwork, excel sheets, and figures on her mother's laptop that was piled up before her mother. "I was keeping it from you but it is to the point where I don't know what to do anymore."
Eleanor explained how much of their saving were taken away by a Ponzi scheme on Wall street, and recession had lowered the value of stock in Waldorf Designs, and it was such a bad time for the male line expansion. Blair knew they have the lavish account some of her friends did the past four years but she did not need for much. She still brought high end clothes less of it and with Serena's help Blair was still one of the most stylish and fashionable girls in Constance. She needed to be as Queen. Before unused clothing would just sit in her closet now Blair only purchase clothing were they really suited her or for an occasion. They still ate out on occasion but they had to let go of the other full time maid and cook but they still had Dorota. But she never expected her home to be taken from her. Feeling faintish she took a seat.
"You can use my college fund. I will defer for a year. By time we will have this sorted. And I can apply for scholarship and stuff for the difference," Blair said.
"Blair," he mother said taking her hand. "They already seized your college savings and we had the tuition for your freshman year transferred over to my account to begin paying for your expenses. My lawyers are fighting with the bank now to stop them from taking the rest of it."
"But… how did this happened?" Blair asked confusion.
"I borrowed against the penthouse to Men by Waldrof Designs last year. Since that failed and there was no revenue I can't pay off the loan. The savings are gone because of the pronzi scheme and the stocks we had are devalued and taking them out now would be a loss," she explained to her daughter. "Without 20,000 by the end of the month the bank is coming in and valuing our processions to be sold at auction."
Twenty thousand dollar surely her mother had jewelry she could trade in valued that high. "Mom what about your wedding ring?" Blair asked hesitantly. Her mother never wore it but it was still a sore subject.
"Its gone, a few months ago. I already sold it. I was able to keep the creditors at bay for two months with it. And I wanted you to have a good Christmas."
Shocked that this was occurring for so long Blair was once again feeling hurt by her parent lack of trust in her. Why did they always hide things from her? She was capable, wasn't she?
"I need to go," Blair mumbled as she stumbled out of the room her breathing became harder.
She walked out to the elevator clutching her last season Chanel handbag wrapping the Marc Jacobs coat that was one of her Christmas gift tighter around her. She supposed if they lost the house at least the Jacobs coat would keep her warm.
Let me know what you think of the story. No Chuck yet. We will met him in the next chapter. I needed to set the stage for the reason why Blair is broke.
Also, this I think the most dramatic story I have written as of yet. A lot of twist and turns will occur. ;)
Please review.
