Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.
This is a sequel to 'The First Day of the Rest of His Life', but the story stands on its own if you haven't read it.
Happiness in Unexpected Places
His eyes were fixated on his wedding band. His foot was tapping nervously. Familiar faces gathered around to offering their heartfelt congratulations and well wishes. He tried to accept them with the eagerness in which they were given, but his brain wouldn't allow the any emotion other than the fear he felt.
"You okay, Buddy?" Nate asked as he sunk down next to his best friend. He didn't miss the terror in his friend's eyes.
"Yeah," Chuck responded. It was the same response he had been giving to anyone who asked the question. It was becoming his automatic reply to most questions.
"Thinking about your mom?" he concluded as he watched Chuck twist his ring around his finger. Nate couldn't believe the transformation that had occurred in Chuck over the years. He was once the most irresponsible ladies' man, and now he was the most committed husband that anyone could ever meet.
He hardly even looked at another woman, at least for too long. He was still Chuck Bass after all. He still appreciated the beauty of the female form, but he found that none could live up to the perfect that was Blair Waldorf-Bass.
Chuck nodded as he ran his hands through his hair as he left out a shaky breath. He had been thinking a lot about her in the last three months. He tried to image what she would be like had she lived. Would the smile in the photographs change any in real life? Would the twinkle he saw in her eyes appear less special?
He also thought about how his life would have been so much happier and fuller. The only thing that saddened his was the idea that he probably wouldn't know Blair, Nate or any of the Manhattan elite. Evelyn Bass would have insisted that he have a normal childhood . . . public school, summer camps in the wilderness, homework at night, and chores on the weekend. He would have learned responsibility at an early age instead of it be thrust upon him before his eighteenth birthday when his father unexpectedly died.
"How's Blair?" Nate inquired.
"Cursing up a storm, last I checked," Chuck sighed as he rubbed his tired neck, "She kicked me out about ten minutes ago. Eleanor and Serena are with her."
"She'll be okay," Nate tried to assure her.
Chuck nodded as he had every time someone tried to assure him of that fact. He wanted to believe the words, but he was a pessimist at heart. Blame it on his upbringing, but he always anticipated the worst happened. Perhaps that is why he was such a successful businessman. His life had mostly taught him about heartache, it had only been in the last eight years that he had truly known happiness. Eight years may seem like a lot of time to most, but to Chuck the years flew in a blink of an eye. He lived in fear that any moment it would come crashing down. There was a monster in his stomach that told him that day was that day.
"Chuck," Serena's voice called out to him. The effect was the same as dousing him in ice cold water. His heart froze. His eyes full of pure terror. Serena smiled at him warmly. "She wants to see you."
"I don't know if I can do that," Chuck responded as he looked at his two closest friends. Together they all made up three fourth of the nonjudgmental breakfast club. On most days, Chuck would have smirked at the brief memory of the first time those words had graced Blair's lips. Today wasn't one of those days.
"We'll be right there with you," Nate offered as Serena rubbed his back in an attempt to comfort him. Chuck agreed with a nod as Nate slung his arm around his shoulder and urged him forward. Serena followed close behind. All eyes in the room were on Chuck as the trio disappeared.
"Take a deep breath," Serena urged him his pace slowed as they approached Blair's room. Eleanor saw them through the window and came out to hug Chuck.
"The poor man looked as if a train had run him over," she mused.
"She's doing great, Charles," Eleanor whispered into his ear, "It won't be much longer."
"Come on," Nate urged his best friend forward as Serena pushed the door open.
"Hey," Blair reached out for him as her eyes lit up at the sight of him.
"Hey," he mumbled in response as he covered the distance between them in two large steps, taking her hand into his as he kissed it lightly. Her hair was piled high on top of her head, she had no makeup on, and she was sweating from exertion, but to Chuck she still looked breathtaking "You look beautiful."
"You are lying," Blair laughed, "But it's sweet of you to say so."
"How are you feeling?" he inquired.
"I'm fine," she assured him. She knew this day was going to be the scariest for him. She had done her best to shield him from it as much as she could. This was the day he was sure everything was going to go wrong. "Everything that has happened up to this point is totally normal."
Chuck looked around the room hoping to see either a nurse or a doctor that could confirm her story, but they had both stepped out for a few minutes. Chuck knew he should have hired a private doctor and nurse for this day. How could they leave her alone at this moment? What if something went wrong?
"Chuck, look at me," Blair demanded as his eyes began to glaze over in panic. He made himself focus on her.
"Nothing is going to happen to me," she tried her best to reassure him.
"I'm sure that is what my mom said too," Chuck replied as tears filled his eyes.
"We've talked about this, Chuck," Blair reminded him. "Your mother's pregnancy was more complicated right from the start."
It was true. From the moment, Blair had told him she was pregnant, he had made it his mission to discover what happened to his mother the day she had given birth to him and ultimately given her life for him. Her uncovered medical records detailed her difficulties from as early as the sixth month of her pregnancy, but had been a high risk pregnancy right from the start. She was put on bed rest as seven months and then into the hospital at eight. Two weeks later, Chuck was born, and she died.
Chuck nodded his head in understanding. Blair's pregnancy had been smooth sailing up to that point. Of course, she had suffered through the morning sickness for the first few months, but that was all away from his eyes. She didn't tell him she was pregnant until after she finished the first trimester. Even then she only told him because she was beginning to show, and he appeared to have taken notice.
Chuck was thrilled to become a father. He didn't outwardly show it, but he loved the idea of being a father to Blair's child. He wasn't ready to be a father when they were first married, but over the course of their first year of wedded bliss, the conversation began to drift towards having children with more regularity.
The one part of the pregnancy that had scared the hell out of him was the actual day Blair would give birth. She understood his concerns. She asked him if he wanted to be in the room during the delivery, but he quickly dismissed the idea. She didn't press him further.
When she had gone into labor early that morning, it was Serena that she called to take her to the hospital instead of calling Chuck at the office. Serena went with her to the Lamaze classes, and the doctor's appointment. Chuck insisted on a written report from the doctor each time she went which he had reviewed by one of the best medical specialists money could buy.
Chuck wouldn't allow himself to stand on the sidelines during this joyful time. He took her shopping to all of the exclusive bouquet baby stores, plunking down cash whenever she stopped to admire something for more than a few moments. He insisted carrying every bag out of the store so she wouldn't have to lift a finger.
Every time she got a craving for some insane food, he went out himself to get it, even in the middle of the night. He could have just as easily called their private chef, but he insisted on handling it personally.
Blair hadn't know about his detective work until just a few weeks earlier. She had been 'nesting' and found the file folder on his study desk labeled with his mother's name. She had insisted they sit down as soon as he returned work that evening to have the discussion that they both had been avoiding for the eight and a half months prior. She listened to every fear and insecurity that he had and did her best to assure him she would be okay.
Despite all of her assurances, she knew that she couldn't shield him from this day. She had kicked him out of the room after a series of extremely painful contractions when the panic on his face began to become more and more evident.
The really painful contractions seemed to have subsided for the moment at least, and she wanted to assure him that the earlier contractions were completely normal.
"Have you decided what type of ring you'd like?" Chuck inquired as he kissed her hand as he attempted to focus on something other than his current panic. He had been reading up on pregnancy from the expectant father's perspective. Upon reading of 'push' presents for the mother, Chuck insisted on doing that for Blair. She was decidedly against it, but she finally relented when he mentioned the idea of jewelry. He knew that she was a sucker for anything sparkly.
"Does it have to be a ring?" she groaned as a contraction suddenly kicked in. She reflexively gripped his hand tighter as the pain overtook her. The panic returned to his eyes as Serena went to the other side of Blair's bed to coax her through the pain. Chuck stood up suddenly and was about to make his escape from the room. Blair kept her tight grip on his hand as she continued to breathe through the pain, shaking her head to tell him that she didn't want him to go just yet.
Nate was at Chuck's side trying to get his friend to calm down by practicing the same type of breathing that Blair was currently using. As her breathing became easier, so did his.
"You okay?" Chuck asked as he sat back down. Serena and Nate stepped away from the pair and into a corner of the room where neither Blair nor Chuck could see them, but they instinctively knew that they had to be nearby for the next contraction. Serena held up two fingers to Nate to indicate the contractions were coming two minutes apart.
"Better now," Blair responded as she reached out to touch his face softly, "Thank you for staying with me through it."
Chuck nodded as he leaned into her touch, closing his eyes as he reveled in the overwhelming sensations.
"I wish I could be there to help you through this," Chuck stated as he kissed the inside of her palm, "I just don't have the strength for it. I'll be more of a distraction."
"It's okay," she assures him as she reaches for the necklace she has around her neck. On the chain is her wedding ring. She could live without the engagement right through the last few months of her pregnancy, but she couldn't part with her wedding ring under any circumstances. She had refused to take it off even as her fingers began to swell more and more until he came up with the compromising chain. "You'll be with me the entire time."
Another contraction overtook her suddenly. Blair wasn't ready. It wasn't time yet. She should have had another minute. Serena was by her side as a string of curse words escaped Blair's lips that would cause even the most seasoned sailor to blush.
Nate left to get the doctor. They were getting close, he could tell.
"Chuck, you have to leave now," Blair told him once the contraction had subsided. She knew this was happening as soon as the doctor came back. He wanted to refuse, to shake his head and tell her he would be brave enough to stay, but he couldn't. Instead he kissed her forehead, professed his undying love for her before he allowed Nate to pull him from the room. He blew her one last kiss as the door closed.
"What the hell is taking so long?" Chuck asked as he paced the room. Nate had taken him away from the standard waiting room so that Chuck could be away from the prying eyes. After a bad experience with allowing Eric to see him, Nate cut off all visitors to Chuck until they would receive the news that Blair and the baby were okay.
"Chuck, it's been an hour," Nate stated as he looked at his watch, the same watch Chuck had given him as a gift for being his best man, "These things take time."
"Can you go ask for another update?" Chuck snapped as he motioned towards the nurse's stated that was on the other side of the wall where they were.
"They updated us three minutes ago," Nate insisted, "Calm down."
"Calm down! The love of my life is in there having my child and perhaps dying, and you want me to calm down!" Chuck yelled out. He had finally said it out loud, what he had been dreading hearing since he was a small boy and was told by one of the many nannies he had throughout his childhood how his mother died.
"You have to believe that Blair is going to be okay," Nate insisted as he got into Chuck's space pushing a finger roughly into Chuck's chest to make his point. "She a Waldorf for crying out loud. They don't go away unless they choose."
"She's not a Waldorf, Nathaniel. She's a Bass," Chuck stated as he finally broke down into tears, "She's my Bass. She's my entire world. I won't be able to live without her."
"You won't have to try," Nate stated as he embraced him, allowing him to completely fall apart in his arms.
"Chuck, there's someone that is eager to meet you," Serena stated as she entered the room with a small child in her arms. Chuck wiped the tears that clouded his vision. Serena came in closer and put the child in his arms. He held it awkwardly at first, afraid that he would break the little thing. Serena smiled as she helped him adjust to the warm presence in his arms, "It's a girl."
"She's beautiful," Nate responded as he took in the little girl. She was the perfect mixture of Blair and Chuck. His dark penetrating eyes, her sweet nose and lips. Even less than a few hours old, she seemed to have Chuck's intense stare down, the one that seemed to be able to see right into a person's soul.
The little girl cooed in his arms and fell asleep instantly as if she knew how safe she would always be with him.
"Blair," Chuck asked as he looked up at Serena suddenly. Tears still filled his eyes, but they were happier tears than they had been with Nate moments earlier.
"She's fine," Serena assured him as she gently rubbed his back, "We waited until the doctors were able to perform a thorough exam and were sure before we to told you."
"Can I see her?" Chuck asked as the little child wiggled a little in his arms.
"Of course," Serena responded with a bright smile as she helped him stand with the child still securely tucked into in his arms. He walked awkwardly afraid that if he moved the slightest bit in the wrong direction, he would crush the delicate angel in his arms.
Blair was asleep when Serena held the door open for Chuck. The sound of the heart monitor beeping rhythmically killed the monsters that had taken up residence in his stomach. Once he was safely seated, Serena pulled Nate out with her so that the new family could have time to themselves before the friends and family ascended upon them.
"If it isn't daddy and his little angel," Blair smiled as she opened her eyes to see Chuck sitting in the chair next to her bed, whispering something that she couldn't make out.
"She's so little," Chuck marveled as he reached for her little hand. The awkwardness he originally felt was slowly subsiding with each passing moment he spent with her.
"She didn't feel so little thirty minutes ago," Blair responded sarcastically, smiling at the adorable picture the pair made. She quickly reached out for the camera that Serena had thoughtfully left near her bed and took the picture before Chuck could spot the camera.
"Are you okay?" Chuck asked as he eyes locked with Blair's.
"Completely healthy," Blair responded as she reached for a piece of paper, "I have a note from the doctor."
He laughed as he recognized the scribbled handwriting of her obstetrician.
"Are you okay?" Blair asked as she saw the bloodshot eyes and bruised knuckles on his hand.
"I am now," Chuck nodded as he continued to play with the tiny hand that was trying to grip his finger.
Blair looked at him, waiting patiently to explain the hand. She could figure out the bloodshot eyes.
"Eric," he responded regretfully as he nodded towards his hand, "He came in to see how I was doing. I think he was trying to lighten the mood with a joke. I'm not too sure what he said, but it was the wrong thing at the wrong moment. Before I knew it my fist connected with his jaw."
"Is he okay?" Blair asked.
"I think so," Chuck nodded with a slightly devilish grin, "A male nurse came to his rescue. They're downstairs in the cafeteria getting coffee. I think he's going to be thanking me for the bruise in a few days."
Blair let out a breezy laugh.
"She needs a name," Blair stated softly as the little girl opened her eyes to look into his. Blair smiled at the connection they had already begun to form.
"Which one will it be?" Chuck asked as he looked at her expectantly. They had been arguing about this for weeks. They finally came to the conclusion that Chuck could decide if it was a boy, and she could if it was a girl.
Blair studied the pair for a few moments as she tried to make up her mind.
"Charlotte Evelyn Bass," Blair pronounced, "Charlee for short."
"Bass-Waldorf?" Chuck countered, "We can't have her forgetting her feisty mother."
"Waldorf-Bass," she sighed as she yawned.
"Thank you for naming her after my mother," Chuck responded as his lip quivered slightly as he tried to smile. Blair nodded as she put her head back and closed her eyes. The exhaustion was finally catching up with her. She fell asleep while listening to Chuck laying over the rules of being a Bass. The last thing she heard before she fell asleep was, "And you won't be dating anyone who wears a silk scarf. Ask you're mother, they are nothing but trouble."
Chuck looked at the two women who had taken over his life. How could he have ever let himself believe something this perfect could be terrifying? First, he ran from his love of Blair, then he almost suffocated from the fear of her having this child. Happiness truly did come in the most unexpected places.