Title: The World Didn't Stop
Author: Shelby
Summary: Time stops for no man—Not even Chuck Bass. The world stops for no one—Not even Blair Waldorf. But that doesn't mean you can't catch up with both. Chuck/Blair One-Shot. Post Season 3. Some Season 4 Spoilers, but not many.
A/N: I wrote this with a bit of sad background in mind.
XOXOXOXOXO
Prologue
When Harold Waldorf died the world stopped—or it should have. One girl did though, his daughter. Blair Waldorf received the news calmly. She didn't utter a single word and only turned away from her mother. And at the time no one realized it, but that was the last time for a very long while that she would ever do either again.
XOXOXOXOXO
One Month After Harold Waldorf died.
Eleanor Waldorf-Rose's Home
Eleanor watched as the doctor came out of Blair's bedroom. He was going to bear bad news. She could see it on his face. He walked up to her grimly and shook his head sighing. That meant there had been no change.
"I'm very sorry," the elderly man offered his condolences. Though it wasn't for the death of the woman's ex-husband, but her now seemingly lifeless daughter.
"Why won't she talk? Or even acknowledge anyone is there sometimes?" Eleanor asked feverishly. She moved towards the doctor as if to attack in a panic. Cyrus luckily grabbed onto her and held her back. Slowly, she calmed some, but not much.
"People deal with loss in different ways, Mrs. Rose. I have seen many patients fall silent after a death in the family, but at least in my profession not for this long. I have contacted other doctors and found similar cases to Blair's. From what I've heard, sometimes the person never speaks again. It's not that they can't, but just that they won't. It will be up to Blair. There's really not much you, I, or anyone else can do," the doctor explained with a solemn sigh. He shook his head; unhappy he couldn't help the couple that stood before him.
"So even if I put her in therapy—?" The mother looked to him with hopeful eyes. It was diminished instantly.
"What good would therapy be if she won't talk to a therapist? My guess is you will have better luck surrounding her with people she knows. I would tell friends and family anytime they can stop by and give it a try to do so," he nodded.
"Thank you very much," Cyrus replied. He shook the man's hand while his wife turned to ice. Once the doctor was gone, he touched her back.
"It's funny, isn't it? I've seen my daughter hold Serena's hair when she was spilling her guts out in our bathroom, Blair held Charles when his father died, and don't even get me started on Nathaniel's family drama—yet none of them come for Blair," Eleanor stated.
"Everyone is trying to get it together, Eleanor. They were at the funeral. No one knows how to approach her right now, most of all Chuck. Given what has happened with them in the past—" Cyrus tried to reason.
His wife turned around and snapped. "Yes, well he certainly has time for that little French bitch of a girlfriend he replaced Blair with, doesn't he?"
Yes, Eleanor knew about Eva. How? Chuck brought her to the funeral. She traveled with Lily's mixed clan like Blair had the day of Bart's. It was the first time she learned how to be protective of her daughter.
Cyrus said nothing. He only sat down on the couch and patted the spot next to him. Eleanor took her place, but didn't at all soften. If Blair refused to go through the stages after someone died then she surely would, staring with anger.
XOXOXOXOXO
Five Months after Harold Waldorf Died
Eleanor Waldorf-Rose's Home
Everyone had gathered for a meeting. Everyone had come around, except for Chuck in Eleanor's eyes. She couldn't deal with much more. The anger was over and now she just felt tired. Their situation had even worn on Cyrus.
"I can't take care of her anymore," Eleanor told everyone. She crossed her arms, shaking her head sadly. Her daughter was still unresponsive. She couldn't even get Blair to eat anymore.
Dorota stepped forward. She nodded, "Ms. Eleanor, I—"
"Dorota, don't be ridiculous. You have a husband and child now. I would never ask nor allow you to do such a thing," the other woman cut her down immediately. Even the maid didn't know the true weight of the job she wanted to take on.
"Then who do you ask?" Dorota furthered. She was more than worried about her Miss Blair. She saw her sitting right in front of them, but she was different. Blair didn't even act like she knew they were there. She only stared forward, completely mute.
Eleanor took one hard look at her daughter. On the verge of tears she vastly spoke, "I'm afraid I'll have to put her into the Ostroff Center. They can take care of her there; make sure she gets all the nutrients she needs. And this way we can visit her when we wish since it's so close." She tried to make it sound positive, but they all knew it could never be.
"You can't put her in that place," Chuck objected as he entered the room. Most turned to him, but others looked in hope that Blair would look up. She didn't. He stopped in front of her. His expression said it all—he hadn't thought it'd been so bad. He only came to see her when no one else knew he was there. It was hard though. When she didn't respond, he usually had to leave. It was late hours in the night that he saw her, sneaking out of his bed and climbing into hers.
He tucked a curl behind her ear and his hand slid under her chin. "Hey Blair, you okay?" Chuck asked softly. She didn't respond. Her eyes just stared right past him, completely blank.
"Chuck's right. I hated it there," Eric agreed. He was ready to hold up his scarred arms to prove it. The place had only depressed him more. If his mother hadn't let him come home, he would have attempted suicide again.
"You can't put Blair in there. She'll just think we abandoned her," Serena practically shouted. She knew Blair's mother was about to speak, but didn't want to let that happen.
Lily sighed, trying to calm everyone, "Charles, Eric, and Serena please stop. Eleanor is Blair's mother. She will do what she feels right."
"We don't even know if she'll realize she's there. She hasn't acknowledged us in over five months," Nate said. He knew no one else would.
Serena shook her head in disbelief. "Don't talk like that Nate," she scolded.
"Why not? At least I'm being honest," he returned. None of them were. He couldn't even stand having his own best friend in the room. He didn't deserve to be there.
Chuck shot up. He glared, "Shut up, Nathaniel. Blair would hate you for just wanting to dump her there." He motioned down towards her. Unlike the others, he addressed her still. It was because he hadn't been there to adapt to doing otherwise.
"I don't, but who are you to talk? You think if Blair does know what's going on she wants you coming to see her when you still go home every night to Eva or your whores? She wouldn't want that. She would hate you for it. So I hope she doesn't know what's going on for her sake. I'd rather her be in a state where you can't hurt her anymore," Nate spat. He had been holding it in for so long. In other words, he had not stood by anyone, but Blair at the funeral.
"That's enough, Nate," Lily cut in. She knew Eleanor would go off soon too. The situation was tense. Everyone wanted someone else to blame.
Nate didn't listen though. He was pissed. He carried on, "Do you realize the last time you spoke with the real Blair it was to show her you fell in love with another woman? And afterwards she told me she guessed she wasn't special anymore. Personally, I would have thought she understood that when you sold her for a hotel."
Chuck took a dangerous step forward and clenched his fist. "Why don't you just go to he—"
"Oh my God, Nate look!" Serena gasped. She grabbed hold of him and pointed down to Blair.
Nate and everyone else's eyes widened when they realized she was staring straight at him.
He bent down, ignoring a jealous Chuck and touched her cheek. "Blair?" he asked sweetly. She didn't respond, but only turned away from him.
Serena was still ecstatic though. In her mind it fixed everything. She nudged Nate. "She looked at you. Eleanor she knows we're here. She looked at Nate," she told Blair's mother as if she hadn't been in the room to see it herself.
Eleanor sighed, "Then tell her to do it again, Serena. She won't."
When everyone was too scared to step up and do what Eleanor said, finally Eric did. He bent down to her level and spoke just loud enough so she could hear.
"Blair, look at me. It's Eric, remember?" he asked.
"Come on, B," Serena prayed.
Everyone waited in silence. The people in that room stopped for a few moments, but the world didn't. Only Blair Waldorf did.
Eleanor shook her head dejectedly, "I told you. I'll make arrangements tonight."
XOXOXOXOXO
Seven Months after Harold Waldorf Died
Chuck Bass's Penthouse
Chuck came back into his penthouse bedroom. He had just seen Blair. She wasn't doing well at the Ostroff Center. It was around four in the morning. He had gone and snuck in around one. Sometimes he went in the day, but his girlfriend was starting to give him a hassle. That was why when he looked up to see her waiting for him—he wasn't surprised.
"I don't see why you're awake. You know that I always slip back in," Chuck said. He took off his tie; yes he dressed up for Blair, and threw it on the dresser.
Eva sighed, "Chuck, you know that I love you. And I have tried to be more understanding about this for you than I ever would for anyone else, but I can't take anymore of it. You have to let her go. This isn't normal. It isn't fair to us, to me." She stood up and put a hand to her heart.
Chuck snapped in frustration, "I can't let her go. She never gave up on me. I can't give up on her." He didn't expect Eva to understand. She was sweet and the most understanding person, yet he knew she wouldn't. No one could ever comprehend Chuck and Blair, but Chuck and Blair.
Tears of desperation welled in her eyes. She shook her head. "It's different. You pulled out of it. She hasn't. I know that you loved her and I've never tried to replace her, but you said it was our time now. We're going on seven months and you still leave in the middle of the night to sleep with her. I know you sneak into her room at the center and just lie there with her. It isn't normal," Eva stressed.
He closed his eyes and tried to calm down. Then he looked up at her and held up his hands. "Eva, please don't ask me to choose between you and Blair. I can't do it," Chuck told her. And she didn't know it, but it was because Eva wouldn't have liked whom he would choose.
She didn't give up though. The blond moved forward and touched his arms. It was the most contact they had in months. "Yes, you can. And that's why I'm asking it. Please, just try. Just stay here with me, away from her. Move on with your life with me, without her," Eva begged.
Chuck stared at her for a long time. Eva was there to keep him from falling apart about Blair. Blair couldn't do that for him anymore. But he couldn't just write her out of his life. But he needed someone to take over her job—keep him going.
"I'll try," he said. She hugged him and sighed in relief. He remained stiff though. It felt like the world stopped, but it didn't.
XOXOXOXOXO
Eight Months after Harold Waldorf Died
Chuck Bass's Penthouse
"Okay Eric, hurry before Eva gets back. Tell me how she's doing," Chuck urged. The moment his girlfriend left the house he always had Eric over. He was the only one who still went to see her on a regular basis. Chuck however, hadn't seen her since he told Eva he wouldn't. He tried a couple times, but she always woke up and asked him where he was going.
Eric shook his head sadly, "Not any better, worse in fact. She stopped eating again. They hooked her up to an IV. But she takes it out in the middle of the night. This morning they found her in the bathtub, the water cold as ice. She was still blue when I got there." He closed his eyes, pained by the sight forever burned in his bran.
Chuck frowned and got worked up. He stood, "Why isn't anyone watching her at night? When I was there I—"
"I know. I thought it too, but the doctor's say it isn't likely," Eric cut him off. There was no use in feeding anyone false hope anymore—even someone who seemed to need it as bad as Chuck.
"But what if it is? What if this is her way of saying she wants me there?" Chuck asked hopefully. Maybe if he just went back then Blair would be okay again.
"Or it's her way of saying she knows you chose Eva and her actions are how she feels about it." Eric couldn't help, but sound a tad bitter. He wasn't pleased with the way the situation had turned out. Perhaps he saw some of himself in Blair when he was in his dark place and that was why he cared so much—or maybe it was that when they were younger she had always been more of a sister than even his own.
Chuck scoffed and rolled his eyes, "I didn't choose Eva. I would never choose anyone over Blair, I—"
"You what, Chuck?" a familiar voice said from behind him.
Chuck turned around and came face to face with his girlfriend. He shook his head and spoke nervously, "Eva, it wasn't what it sounded like. Just listen, I—"
"I heard what you said. There's no getting around it. You said you would never choose anyone over Blair," Eva spat. She was at her breaking point.
"I'm here with you," he reminded her.
She pulled away from him as if he burned her though. "Only physically, but mentally and emotionally you'll always be with her! No matter what I do you love that-that half-dead zombie more than me!" Eva screamed.
"Don't talk about her like that. This isn't her fault," Chuck defended.
She rolled her eyes and shook her head hastily. "There you go again! Sticking up for her! God, I wish she just were dead! Then at least you might be able to move on!"
Chuck grabbed hold of her roughly and eyes turned livid. He shouted, "Don't say that! Don't you ever say that!"
Eva raged right back though. "Why not? She's killing you and you can't even see it, you can't even see what she's doing to me. All you see is her!"
"Then get out! Go back to Paris!" Chuck snapped. He didn't care anymore if she left. All she had been was a shoulder to lean on—nothing more. So that was it. In the morning Eva was gone and Chuck set out to return to Blair.
XOXOXOXOXO
The nurse smiled at him when he walked in. "Charles, how nice it is to see you here again. We were beginning to worry you had forgotten about Blair," she greeted.
"I'll never forget about Blair, Mary. Can I go in and see her?" Chuck responded. All of the women behind the desk clearly wanted him there. That wasn't positively a good thing though.
"Of course, but I must warn you. She isn't doing well today. I couldn't even get her to eat and she kept pulling out the IV. Doctor said we have to put it in once she goes to sleep," she explained. She then motioned him in with her hand.
"Oh okay," Chuck said, barely audible. It hadn't been the news he wanted, but then again—it never was.
XOXOXOXOXO
Chuck walked in and saw her. She was far skinner than before. Blair sat on the bed and stared at the television. She didn't move or blink. He knew that she was aware he was there though. He sat down on the bed, knowing he'd have to do all the talking.
"Hey, Waldorf," he greeted. At first he grinned, but then stopped. The situation wasn't meant to be playful. It was sad. He felt like he let her down. "I know you think I forgot about you, but I didn't," Chuck swore.
Blair didn't respond.
"Eva and I broke up. She's on her way back to Paris."
Blair didn't respond.
"Eric told me you weren't doing too good. Do you realize you could freeze to death?"
Blair didn't respond.
"You're not going to acknowledge I'm here, are you?"
Blair didn't respond.
"That's fine. I understand you're mad at me, but I'm not leaving."
Blair didn't respond.
"I brought you some apology gifts. I know you won't look at them though so I'll bring them up to you," Chuck sighed. It was a grim pattern. He took the specially made Tiffany's headband from the bag and put it in front of her face.
"Here, I'm hoping this can—"
Blair grabbed hold of the headband, yanked it from his hands, and threw it across the room. Then she turned to him and smacked him straight across the face. She breathed heavily, but still did not utter a word.
He stared back at her in utter shock. "Blair, I'm sorry, but I—"
She slapped him across the other cheek.
He touched it, knowing the next might cause his lip to bleed. Her eyes told him what he had planned to say wasn't good enough and neither was a gift—even if it was from Tiffany's.
"I don't know what to say…"
Blair raised her hand again, but he caught it. She fought against him and grunted. Then she screamed, "I hate you, Chuck Bass! I hate you so much! I needed you and you abandoned me! You weren't supposed to do that! All of them were, but not you!"
She punched his chest until she finally broke down into tears. Her small frame collapsed and she landed in his embrace. He stroked her back and nodded.
"I know, baby. But I'm really sorry. I'll make it up to you. I promise. I won' leave you ever again. I'll take care of you. I'll do anything I have to. I'll stand by you through anything because I love you," Chuck swore.
She pulled back, tears still streamed down her face. He waited, afraid that she'd look past him and never speak again. That meant she'd never forgive him. So he'd take anything she said. That would give him hope.
Blair looked him straight in the eyes.
"Prove it."
XOXOXOXOXO
Epilogue
Time stops for no man—Not even Chuck Bass.
The world stops for no one—Not even Blair Waldorf.
But that doesn't mean you can't catch up with both.
XOXOXOXOXO
A/N: I know this was different, but I hope some of you enjoyed it. Like I said, I wrote it pulling from some of my own feelings on a sad and personal background story. That is why at some parts I could really express it and others I needed to hold back. In my opinion, that should make it more real to what it's telling though right? I hope so. Review with your thoughts.
P.S. I'm sorry since it seems quite a few of you on here are going to support Eva being a real relationship with Chuck, but I can't. For me she is just showing he's weak, not strong. I see her as someone he's leaning on after getting shot—just like he has Blair every other low point in his life.