Blair surveyed the approaching New York skyline under the rim of her Chanel sunglasses as her limo made its way out of JFK airport. She took a deep breath and thought about the reaction that would be waiting for her when she finally arrived home. It had been just over three weeks since she had run out on her wedding day with Chuck. They had taken the Bass private jet early the next morning and spent the past few weeks travelling around various European cities acting as if nothing had ever happened. But they knew their dream world couldn't last forever, Serena had kept Blair updated on the aftermath but it was Blair's mothers summons which had forced them to return to face the music.
"Nervous?" Chuck asked from the opposite side of the limo.
"No." Blair said still staring out the window.
"Liar." Chuck said taking her hand in his.
Blair turned to him and took her glasses off, "Fine. Maybe a little bit. I just hope everyone's done talking about the wedding now."
Chuck snorted, "Come on Blair we created the scandal of the decade I think it will take a lot longer than a month to be bumped from the Upper East Side gossip mills."
"Do you think we should have stayed?"
"No people needed time to process it, it was best not to be there for the backlash." Chuck said giving her hand a little squeeze. "We had to go."
"Argh…" Blair said tossing her head back. "I miss Europe…Paris, London, Madrid…" she said dreamily.
"Hey you were the one who wanted to come back. I was happy to stay there, spending our days having sex and drinking wine…"
"That doesn't surprise me. I had to come back; my mother's messages were becoming frantic even for Eleanor Waldorf." Blair said grimly. "I can't believe I have to go see her in a few minutes."
"So don't, ignore her." Chuck said simply.
"Ignore my mom? I can't do that, anyways all my clothes and my stuff is there…"
Chuck pulled her towards him, "So what? I'll buy you new stuff…come on Blair I don't know why we're bothering with all this mommy dearest crap, just come and stay with me at the Palace."
"No." Blair said firmly wriggling free from Chuck's clutches.
"Pray tell why not?"
"Like you said we've already caused enough scandal I think us 'shacking up' together would be too much." Blair said adjusting her skirt.
Chuck laughed loudly, "'shacking up'? Blair this isn't 1953 men and woman can live together without being shunned from society. The Upper East Side is made up of old drunks and gossips it's not an Amish settlement."
Blair scowled at Chuck for mocking her, "Maybe not but I would like to try and maintain at least a tiny shred of my reputation."
"Baby you're with me now, your reputations long gone." Chuck said as the limo came to an abrupt stop.
"Well here goes." Blair said taking a deep breath.
Chuck pulled her back once more, "Blair don't go." He purred in her ear as he kissed her neck.
"I…I have to…" Blair mumbled as she fought his hands away. "No stop! Bad Chuck!" she said pointing her finger at him.
Chuck flopped back against the leather seat folding his arms like a spoilt child, "What am I going to do all day?"
Blair rolled her eyes and moved closer to him pressing her lips down on his. Blair moved her arms roughly up Chuck's chest scratching at him causing him to growl, Chuck leant forward as if to pin Blair down but she quickly pushed him away. "You know what they say Bass absence makes the heart grow fonder."
Chuck looked at her furiously, "No fair!" he yelled as Blair hopped out of the limo and onto the sidewalk.
Blair felt as if her stomach was tied in knots as she stepped out of the elevator and back into the Waldorf household. Blair was worried about facing her mother but her fears were pushed out of her mind as a large pair of arms were suddenly thrust around her.
"Missy Blair, your back!" Dorota exclaimed with a slight squeal.
"Wow, at least someone's pleased to see me." Blair said genuinely touched by her maid's affection for her. "How have you been Dorota?"
"Okay, it's been very quiet without you here…just me and Miss Eleanor." Dorota said taking a step back and straightening her black uniform.
"Yes mother, is she here?" Blair asked scanning the hallway. "How mad is she exactly?"
But Dorota didn't get a chance to answer as a voice called from the bottom of the stairs, "Well, well, well I wondered when you were finally going to show your face." Eleanor said nastily walking towards her daughter.
"Mom, good to see you're as pleasant as always." Blair said with a fake smile. Dorota sensing the tension quickly escaped the line of fire.
"What do you expect after what you did?" Eleanor snapped. "You completely humiliated me Blair Waldorf!"
"You?" Blair asked perplexed.
"Yes! How was I supposed to look anyone in the eye after what you did to poor Nathaniel?"
Blair looked down at the floor, "How is Nate?"
"Don't you think it's a little late for your concern Blair?" Blair rolled her eyes as Eleanor crossed her arms. "How do you think he is, he's utterly devastated. What were you thinking?"
Blair took a dramatic breath flopping her arms at her sides, "I don't know, I'm sorry okay but I couldn't marry Nate. I know you wanted me to but I just couldn't."
"And why not?"
"I didn't love him." Blair said simply.
"Oh and you love Charles Bass?" Eleanor asked mockingly.
"Yes."
Eleanor shook her head, "No Blair you made a commitment to Nate and the Archibald's, we must put an end to this madness and try to sort this out somehow."
"For god's sake mother you're not listening to me! I don't love Nate, I can't marry someone just because you want me too!" Blair yelled.
"You are so selfish!" Eleanor said pointing at her daughter.
Blair snorted, "I'm selfish? You're the one who only ever thinks about herself! You've never once asked me what I wanted! You don't care about me!"
"That's not true…how can you even say that?"
"Because you don't! If you did you would have noticed just how unhappy I've been for the past three years! But you didn't…you just didn't…" Blair added faintly. There was a long silence then Blair said, "Look I came here to talk to you but you don't want to listen to me…so I'm going."
Eleanor looked hurt, "where?"
"Chuck's." Blair said simply as she turned to leave. "I'm going to live with Chuck."
Chuck sat in his hotel suite armchair lazily flicking through a magazine, it was one of Blair's girly fashion ones she had stuffed in his suitcase because hers was overflowing with all the shopping she had done on their trip. The magazine was pure nonsense, but Chuck was very much enjoying surveying the bikini section. He quickly thrust it aside as the suite door flew open and an irate and flustered Blair stomped towards him, practically launching herself onto his lap.
"Hey, hey what's up?" he asked as Blair settled herself on top of him, flopping her legs casually over the arm of the chair. "Was it that bad?"
"Yes." Blair said in a muffled voice as she buried her face in his neck, the smell of him was like a comfort blanket to her. Chuck sighed and brushed a handful of curls from her face.
"See you should have listened to me and just ignored her." he said slightly patronizingly.
"Argh! I wish I had, I mean if my mom is that angry at me can you imagine what everyone else will be like!" Blair said very dramatically.
"Why do you care what everyone else thinks?" he asked staring at her.
Blair shrugged, "Because I do."
"They're just people."
"They're not just people Chuck, they're the people. They're the people who make and break your reputation." Blair replied.
Chuck nodded, "True, but you're forgetting two very important things; firstly I'm Chuck Bass…"
Blair laughed, "And what's the second?"
"You're Blair Waldorf." He said kissing her intensely as she scooped her up in his arms.
Her long tresses fell against his face blinding him as he stumbled towards the bed with Blair in his arms. Chuck placed her on the bed gently and the kisses soon became more feverish, all Blair's worries faded away as Chuck touched her. He was like a drug, she couldn't get enough of him. Their tryst was soon interrupted by a pounding on the door. Chuck begrudgingly tore himself away from Blair and wandered to the door.
"Ignore it." Blair pleaded, her eyes brimming with desire.
Chuck wanted too, he wanted to return to her instantly and kiss her once more, "It might be my father, we don't need both our parent's angry at us."
Blair sighed and flopped back onto the bed as Chuck unlocked the door expecting to receive a similar parental welcome as Blair. But it was not Bart Bass on the other side of the door, it was someone quite unexpected and not nearly as welcome.
"Hello Charles." Rebecca said softly. "Can I come in?"