Chapter Three: Did I Miss Something?

"If you don't believe in ghosts, you've never been to a family reunion."
Ashleigh Brilliant

.

"Mom?" Eve choked out.

And it was like the moment between heartbeats. The space where nothing happened. Where the blood slowed in your veins, your breath caught and your mind spun into that huge blank space of unreality.

"Hi – Hi, Sweetheart," Blair managed to get out, along with a smile.

Anything further seemed to catch in the teenager's throat as she watched her mother through huge, brimming eyes and an indescribable expression.

"Evie," her father moved towards her instantly, while Blair and everyone else seemed rooted to the spot, inwardly cursing the moment he decided to turn his phone to silent before this 'discussion' took place.

"You're – you're really here," the younger brunette stated.

All her mother could do was nod.

"This is insane," Eve declared. "This – I don't know what's going on here, but – I can't deal with this right now, I – I need to go."

And the teenager promptly turned on her heel and walked out.

She had just picked up her keys from the dash, and was juggling the numerous bags in her grasp while trying to wrestle with the button for the elevator, when a hand on the wood paneling stopped her.

"Don't take another step," her father's firm voice instructed.

His daughter turned her head slowly round to face him.

"What've I told you about driving when your emotions are awry?" Chuck questioned sternly, prying the keys from her grasp.

She nodded, looking down, and replied, "I know, I'm sorry, I just – it's a shock, you know?"

She met her father's eyes, and saw that his face had softened at the edges, though worry still etched its way into certain places.

"Take the limo to Christopher's, and I'll be over to pick you up soon," he told her.

She offered him a grateful smile and he took it, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her forehead.

"We'll talk about this together when we're home."

Eve nodded and did as she was told, leaving the apartment under her father's ever-watchful eye.

.

Blair turned to Serena at this; questions in her eyes.

"Christopher Kingston. Her boyfriend," was the simple reply.

The brunette raised her eyebrows at this. "And Chuck's ok with them?"

"As ok as he'll ever be," Eric answered, with a wry smile. "He's good for her, and he looks after her, and Chuck couldn't ask for anything more for Eve. The boy loves her."

"Chuck can't say no to her anymore than he could to you," Serena expanded.

That small remark caused a pang in Blair's chest as a stream of memories flooded her conscience. He'd loved her so much.

"And besides, she tried to keep it a secret when it started; which only succeeded in Chuck inviting Chris over for dinner and demanding to know what his intentions were with his daughter."

"Was quite amusing to say the least," her brother quipped, and the siblings shared a reminiscent smile.

"And she drives?" Blair asked then, with a raise of the eyebrow.

"You can blame your best friend for that one," Chuck's voice broke in.

"Serena?" the brunette turned to look between the two, as Chuck walked into the room and joined them once more.

"Yes, somehow convinced me to buy Evie a car for her Sweet Sixteen," he rolled his eyes at this and sent a look at the grinning blonde. "And to have her learn to drive stick too, of all things. I swear you're trying to relive your childhood through her," he directed at his sister with a mock-exasperated sigh.

The blonde simply rolled her eyes and clucked her teeth at such a suggestion.

"Now I can't get her out the damn thing," he ended, sending a pointed look at his sister, who continued to beam at him in return.

"Then what was all that about just there?" Blair questioned. "Why did you make her take the limo?"

It was Chuck who spoke: "As much as I enjoy this share-and-care tête-à-tête we're currently indulging in, let's go back to our previous discussion, shall we?"

Eric had cleared his throat and Serena had averted her gaze and neither response had gone unnoticed by Blair, but she decided to pick her battles, and right now, this one wasn't going away.

She drew herself up and met her husband's steady gaze as he questioned, "What are you doing here? And don't say you've come back, I want to know why you're back, and what your intentions are?"

"I already told you why I'm back, Chuck. I missed you, both of you," she reiterated. "And as much as I know you're loathe to believe me," she shot him a look, "It's the truth. I missed you, and I felt it was the right time to come home."

"Right time for whom, Blair?" Chuck demanded. "Because up until you arrived here, we were doing quite well on our own."

"And I'm sorry for ever putting you in that position of doing it alone, Chuck; believe me, but I can't change the past. All I can do is try to be there for you, both, now," Blair told him.

Chuck eyed her for several long moments before dragging in a breath, and relenting, "I have a temperamental teenage daughter to deal with, and questions that won't cease to be answered until we talk, properly. I'll have my secretary call and set up a time for you to come by."

He turned to his siblings at that, effectively dismissing her.

"Serena, Eric, I'll see you both at dinner tomorrow night… Blair," his tone was clipped as he acknowledged her with a dip of the head.

And with that he turned and walked swiftly out of the room.

"Right," Eric clapped his hands together. "Now that I've successfully managed to prevent you two from killing one another, I have activities of my own to partake in. So, if you'll excuse me, I shall see you soon."

And with a bow of the head, he too left the room.

"So, you're back!" Serena exclaimed after a few tense moments of silence.

Blair just looked at her friend like she had two heads, and nodded, "Yes, Serena, I am."

"Well, this is cause for celebration then, no? How about we drop by my house, I can tell Dan what's going on and then you and I can celebrate your illustrious return. What do you say?"

"If we must," the brunette returned.

"Excellent!" Serena replied and immediately hooked her arm through Blair's leading her out the door.

She had a sneaking suspicion her best friend wasn't as blissfully happy to see her return as all that, but she decided to just go with it for the moment.

.

"Mom!" was the call as soon as the door shut behind them, and a figure bounded into the room, continuing on, "You'll never guess what I just read! It said Eva's mom was back and – Oh"

The little boy's face fell somewhat as his wide brown eyes settled on the two figures before him. He blinked, slowly.

"Hi," he offered feebly.

"Caleb," Serena smiled down at her son. "You remember your Aunt Blair; Uncle Chuck's wife?"

The brown-haired boy nodded, and after casting a quick glance at his mother only to see the brief, stern look she sent him, he struck out his hand and politely greeted her with: "Nice to see you again… Aunt Blair."

Blair nodded, and took his proffered hand, giving him a small smile as she did so. "Likewise, Caleb."

And just then the sound of a door slamming against its hinges behind them rang through the air, followed closely by the ranting: "I can't believe she'd do that! I mean, it's not enough that she's spouting lies as she plays stalker to us day-in-day-out, she has to rehash one of the worst moments in our lives too!"

"Come on," a young male's voice joined her then. "You know what she's like. And besides, no one likes anything better than to see one of us lose it – Eve and you provide the best entertainment. And you know they'd do anything to see her fall again – It kills them that she's not constantly on uber-bitch autopilot… Not like someone I know."

That sly addition was followed by a dull thump and a muttered response of, "Oh, give over, already."

At that, an absolutely irate teenage girl burst through the threshold with a boy of similar appearance trailing behind her.

The long-haired blonde stopped short on sight of the two women standing next to her little brother, and her twin pulled up next to her; non-identical in all but their eyes.

"Oh," was the male's response to this, echoing his younger sibling mere moments prior.

His sister, however, already had her hand secured tightly on her hip, perfectly styled eyebrow raised, and expectant look on her face as she stated scathingly, "So, Gossip Girl was right then."

"For once," her twin muttered by her side.

"You really are back," she concluded, surveying the elder brunette in a completely apparent manner.

Blair nodded, and acknowledged, "Hunter. Melissa."

She took a step forward and smiled at them both, hoping for some transference from their mother's mood to theirs.

"You've grown quite a bit since I last saw you," she commented conversationally.

"Yes, well that's what tends to happen in three years. People grow up," Melissa told her, giving her a pointed look.

Serena broke in then, standing beside Blair and saying, "Alright, alright. That's enough. Now Blair is back, and it is not for you to judge the reasons for this or what happened in the past."

The blonde, gave her two eldest children a sharp look.

"She is one of my oldest friends, the mother of your best friend, and she is still your Aunt," Serena continued. "And whether you like it or not, you will show her the respect she deserves."

"Pfft. Whatever," Melissa blew off, waving a dismissive hand as she drifted by them. "Let me know when Eve's forgiven you the Prodigal Mother act, then maybe I'll treat you with a bit of respect."

"I apologize," Serena told her best friend. "Mel tends to be – difficult at times."

Blair nodded, understanding, and said nothing of it.

She raised her head then and was met the deep blue eyes of her best friend's eldest son.

"She's only difficult when circumstances need her to be – she's not ready to deal with another Eve Bass Meltdown, not when E's been doing so well lately," Hunter said, with too much resignation for a boy so young; a jaded look on his face.

At that he tossed his mother his cell phone, and walked by them to join his sister.

Serena looked down at the screen, and involuntarily released a gasp at the words, and the photo accompanying them as her eyes scanned over the screen:

Word has reached my ears of a certain member of old royalty gracing our very own Met steps: Queen B that is; the original Queen of these parts, and mother of our very own Heiress E.
Watch out people, we all know what happened last time there was a sighting of Blair Waldorf.
I advise walking to your destination today; the streets are alive with the sound of E's tires a-screeching.
Don't say I didn't warn you.

You know you love me.
XOXO
Gossip Girl

And underneath the caption was the horrific image of a destroyed black Mercedes convertible, or what was left of it at least, anyway. The windscreen was shattered, colored red, the bonnet and side crushed beyond recognition and amidst it all a small head could be seen; hanging limply off to the side, hair mangled, and face contorted under bloody slices of skin.

"I tried to tell you it was bad," a small voice mentioned then.

The blonde let her hand fall from her mouth to ask her youngest, "Where did you see this?"

The nine-year-old shrugged. "It's all over the internet."

"Oh God," Serena let out.

"What?" Blair questioned. "Serena, what is it? What aren't you telling me?"

"Caleb, go and play in the other room," the blonde instructed her son.

"But – " the boy tried to protest, but cut himself off at his mother's warning stare and slinked off out of the foyer.

Serena strode over to one of the couches in the nearest seating area and sat down, followed moments later by Blair, who took a seat across from her.

"Serena," she caught her best friend's attention, grabbing her hands. "What's wrong?"

"Last year, something happened," the blonde started. "To Eve."

"What? What was it? Was she ok?" Blair rattled off the questions, frantic for an answer.

Serena shook her head, bowing it momentarily as she explained. "There was an apparent sighting of you in Connecticut. And Nate was nowhere to be found."

The brunette gave an audible intake of breath, "But I wasn't – We didn't – "

The blonde nodded. "I know, but it was reported that you had been seen on home soil; first on Gossip Girl, then on other sites. Chuck couldn't get through to Nate to confirm or deny it, though he suspected it was false Intel. Eve tried to play it all off under an air of nonchalance, but she couldn't last long. And when she started getting constantly hounding at school, she tore out of there."

"Oh God," Blair breathed out. "Please – tell me nothing bad happened to her."

Serena shook her head once more; her eyes shining with unshed tears. "Mel went after her, but she lost her in the traffic. She called Chuck, but before he could even make it down there – Nate appeared later that day, went straight to Chuck's office to apologize for any misunderstandings and to tell him he'd been visiting his mother all day in the Resting Home which was why he was unreachable, but – " the blonde took another direction. "It was too late. The damage was done."

Blair already dreaded what was to come, but there was no way to stop it, no way to undo the past, the blonde was right; the damage was done.

Serena met her best friend's eyes as she told her tearfully, "Eve ran a red light and was hit full force from the side. The car rolled over three times before it came to a stop in the middle of the junction – She didn't wake up for three days."

Blair had track lines down her own cheeks then, crying for her little girl, because if she'd been there, she would've been able to protect Eve; if she'd been there, it would never have happened in the first place.

"But she's ok now, isn't she?" the brunette managed to choke out.

Serena nodded. "It took a while, but she recovered, and she's ok, yeah. She's been ok, for a while."

The memories were fading in her best friend's eyes, Blair could see, but she still retained that solemn look.

"So I'm sure you can understand everyone's trepidation at your return, B," the blonde said to her. "We each have our reasons, but at the end of the day, we're trying to do what's best for Eve."

She nodded, looking more repentant than ever. "I'm sorry."

Serena moved to her side, and took Blair in her arms as she cried mascara tears into her best friend's chest, breaking down with the words.

"I'm sorry. Oh God, I'm so sorry."

.

TBC…

A/N: The second line in this, was inspired by a small section in the book 'Marshmallows for Breakfast'

Apologies if you feel this story's moving too slowly or whatever, but I want it to be quite well-rounded, and besides, I can't just jump into the B/C/E stuff – gotta flesh it out a bit before hand, get some substance to use and whatnot ;)

Also, figured I'd add in a nextgen Gossip Girl for moments like this, and to add a little spice in in later parts no doubt ;)

Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think – means a lot!
Steph
xxx