Wow! This was a long chapter! I hope you guys enjoy it.

I just want to thank everyone who has been reviewing the story so far, and for those of you who have been reading it as well. I'm sorry i haven't taken the time to respond to each review individually but i've been busy with a lot of stuff and then trying to get this chapter out which turned out to be longer than i expected. Anyway here's a collective "THANKS" to all of you :-)

Enjoy this chapter. I changed the words around in the final section. If you notice it's very similar to the prologue except for a few adjustments and some words added. So for those of you who were confused, i started to story with their separation (The Saddest Goodbye Chapter) and then the next chapter was three months earlier so i went back in time to say how they met, how they got together, and now with this chapter, how it was that they came to the point of having to say goodbye to each other. Anyway, any questions still feel free to ask me. Happy readings and review please :-)

xoxo



****

Summer romances begin for all kinds of reasons, but when all is said and done, they have one thing in common. They're shooting stars, a spectacular moment of light in the heavens, fleeting glimpse of eternity, and in a flash they're gone.

****

"You are amazing Charles Bartholomew Bass," Blair whispered against his ear as he held her close and they watched the fireworks display go off across the water. There was a huge crowd around them, but they felt as if they were the only two people sprawled out on the grassy knoll.

"Why thank you. And you, Blair Waldorf, are beyond amazing. You're everything I could've ever asked for and so much more."

Blair snuggled closer and drank in his unique scent, a scent she had gotten more than accustomed to, she had actually become addicted. Now she, Blair Waldorf, prided herself on being one of the only remaining Upper East Siders without any vices, be they alcohol, drugs, sex or any other terrible thing out there infecting today's youth. But she had to admit than even she was lusting and craving after this man like no one she'd ever met before. He had consumed her, body and soul, her body beckoned her to take a step further, to discover a little bit more with each passing day. But Blair maintained a semblance of control. She ignored the voice inside her head. She ignored the hot blooded desire coursing through her body. She ignored that almost painful ache that not became her bedtime companion every time Chuck dropped her off at home with a deep and passionate kiss to seal the date of the evening.

She didn't know when exactly things had turned out this way, when exactly it was that she'd stopped being annoyed and offended by him, and had actually started to fall into his spell. She'd figured it was around the time he gave her a goodnight kiss after their first date.

They'd only been seeing each other for a little over two weeks, and she was already intoxicated by him. She had only been dating him for two weeks and she was already seriously contemplating the possibility of losing her virginity to him. Not only that (not that that wasn't bad enough as it was), but she was also considering the idea that she might have actually fallen in love. Head over heels, over the moon, in too deep, going goo goo and gaa gaa love. She couldn't believe it, she didn't want to believe it. Most of all she didn't want to trust it. Love, and the tragedies of love were all too present in the world around her. Love was a fairy tale she had learned to erase from her dreams as the people around her failed and became miserable at love.

Chuck's hands slid lower and rested comfortably on her waist. Usually she'd feel uncomfortable and embarrassed about her weight and her body, but in these past few days Chuck had made her feel more beautiful and more desired than any other person had ever made her feel. In these past few days Chuck had turned her into a new woman, a proud, adored, complemented entirely too much and spoiled just enough woman. And also a slightly hot and bothered one. Slightly? Blair you actually contemplated self-servicing yourself. Who are you kidding?

Her inner musings caused her to blush furiously, making her glad that the dark night and colorful fireworks display provided camouflage for her.

"I bet I can guess what your thinking..." Chuck murmured against the crook of her neck, sending shivers up and down her spine.

"Yeah...?" Blair whispered, struggling to suppress a moan. Good God woman, you're going to hell. You horny, obsessed trollop.

"You're thinking about how much you love me already," Chuck teased as he placed a soft kiss against her bare shoulder. Blair laughed quietly as she turned in his arms.

"You're right," she agreed seriously. Her dark eyes met his and she caught the shock that spread through his gaze. A shock he quickly recovered from.

"Do you now?" he asked cockily as he pushed her hair back against her face and ran his hands down her back.

"I do. I love you so much already."

Chuck stared at those deep dark chocolate eyes. Those dark doe eyes that had mesmerized him even more in these past few days. Dark eyes that he seemed to lose himself in. Dark eyes that wrapped around him and caused his heart to palpitate fervently, his palms to break out in sweat, his soul warm with a burning fire unlike anything he'd ever felt.

They'd only been going out for two weeks. Two weeks and he was gone. He knew it would be like this. From the moment he'd seen her all those months ago in school. From the moment he'd actually spoken to her in Central Park, he knew she would be the one he would never forget. He knew she would be the one he would never be able to let go. He wanted her, all of her. He desired her with a searing desire that scared him. It actually frightened him to feel so much so soon. But deep down he had known all along. Deep down these feelings had been threatening to spill over. All it took was a simple look, a gentle touch, and a ravaging kiss to push him over the edge.

"Blair...I love you too." Dark eyes met dark eyes. Glazed, unshed tears blurred both visions. They both felt it, how perfect it was, how right it was. And at that moment, they both knew they wouldn't be able to live without each other.

--xoxo--xoxo--

Two weeks later

"I want to show you something."

Blair looked up into those familiar eyes and smiled. "Really? What do you want to show me?" she asked as she wagged her eyebrows suggestively. Confidence has made you depraved Waldorf. Shame on you.

"Mind out of the gutter, babe. I've got a surprise for you," Chuck responded softly as he took Blair's hand in his and led her to his car. "Come with me."

Ten minutes later they were parking in front of The Palace as Chuck cut the gas and turned to her.

"You're bringing me to your place? Not exactly a surprise, Bass." Blair eyed the magnificent structure before her and couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Chuck's typical idea of a surprise was a visit to the Empire State Building, or historic landmarks across the city, walks across the Brooklyn Bridge, ferry rides out to Liberty Island. All things she had grown up around but never truly experienced. Chuck had given her a lot of firsts.

"Ah, but wait. We'll be alone tonight," Chuck corrected and winked over at his lovely girlfriend. Stepping out of the car, he opened Blair's door and led her into the building and up to the penthouse that housed his father and stepmother.

"Alone? Really?" Blair asked as she noticed the quiet and darkness that surrounded her as she stepped through the doors of Chuck's apartment.

"Really. And that's not the entire surprise," Chuck continued as he took the lead through the hallways that led to his bedroom.

A nervous feeling overcame her as she realized they were actually alone and Chuck was leading her to his bedroom.

"Close your eyes," Chuck turned and whispered to her as they reached the door to his room. He smiled at her and kissed her gently, placing his hand softly to cover her eyes and opening the door.

Blair held her breath as she walked into the room, not knowing what to expect, too nervous thinking about the intimacy surrounding them. Get a grip Waldorf. He told you to get your mind out of the gutter remember?

Releasing his hold on her hands and removing his hand from over her eyes, Blair felt Chuck move behind her and place his hands gently on her shoulders. His soft lips pressed tenderly against her left cheek as his mouth grazed across her face and reached her ear.

"Happy Anniversary...."

Blair opened her eyes and smiled at the quaint dinner table before her, with lighted candles and glimmering silverware. It wasn't exactly a dinner table, more like an ottoman on floor level that Chuck had transformed into a table, with pillows thrown across the rug covered floor to serve as seats.

Turning slowly to face him, Blair smiled up at him and shook her head in confusion. "Anniversary? Our one month anniversary was four days ago," Blair reminded him. They had gone to Coney Island that night and held a bonfire on the beach. He should've remembered that.

"I know silly. But this is the anniversary of when I first realized you were the one for me."

Blair still looked confused and Chuck laughed. Kissing her on her pert nose he guided her over to the pillows and motioned for her to sit. Blair took off her shoes and sat down on the floor, the smell of something yummy permeating the air as she sat closer to the covered dishes before her.

"How so?" Blair asked as Chuck took the seat opposite of her.

"Well, exactly two months ago I spoke to you in the Central Park. Remember that? When you blew me off and hurt my soul?" Chuck teased as he placed a hand over his heart and smiled devilishly.

"Oh hush," Blair laughed as she placed her napkin on her lap and opened the lid on her plate.

"McDonald's. I made it myself," Chuck laughed as Blair frowned at the display before her.

"Ah. Impressive indeed. Bon apetite," Blair giggled as she pulled the wrapper off her burger and dug in with fervor.

They ate their "gourmet" meal in relative silence, Chuck turning on soft music in the background, both filling in the silent air with mundane talk about people they knew, family issues, and plans for the upcoming days.

"Let's watch a movie," Chuck suggested as they finished their meals. Blair agreed and walked over to the bed. Taking a seat Indian style at the foot of the bed, Blair waited for Chuck to join her as he popped in a DVD and then returned to the bed.

"Blair...what are you doing? Come lay down with me," Chuck said as he threw himself against the plush covers and pillows and threw off his shoes and socks.

Oh God, Blair silently thought to herself, panic tearing through her. She wouldn't be able to help herself if she laid next to him.

"Blair..." Chuck asked confused as movie began to play on the screen.

"Right," Blair said hurriedly as she pulled herself up on the bed and laid down next to him. She placed her head awkwardly against his chest and tried to force her body to relax.

"Relax, babe," Chuck said, sensing the tension in Blair's body against his. "We're just watching TV."

"I know. I'm stupid really," Blair said chiding herself as she snuggled closer and forced herself to concentrate on the movie and not the warm body against her.

--xoxo--xoxo--

"So where are Bart and Debbie?" Blair asked into the quiet bedroom. They were laying in silence and darkness, the candles having burned out long ago, the movie having finished a short time after.

"Rome. My dad had a business meeting to attend there with some clients. And of course Debbie ever the panicky watch dog..."

Blair laughed huskily against his neck, running her hand across his chest and down to his stomach.

"Do you want to spend the night?" Chuck asked her quietly, a deeper meaning to his question apparent to them both. They'd both been fighting it, denying themselves the physical aspect of their relationship. Chuck had been struggling to control himself since the night of their first kiss. From the moment he'd seen her the night of their first date.

Blair had been fighting the temptation just as long. Her better judgment and shyness preventing her from even asking or initiating the next move. Not daring to even speak of the next step in their relationship.

She slowly nodded her head against his chest and felt him relax underneath her.

They laid there in silence, neither one sure of how to proceed, neither one sure if they could bring themselves to make the next move.

Come on Bass what are you waiting for? She's just agreed to spend the night. Why the hell aren't you ravaging her the way you've been wanting to from the moment you first laid eyes on her? Chuck quietly fought with the voices in his head. He couldn't just ravage her. It was Blair. It was Blair and him. She was the woman that he loved. The first woman he had ever loved. Sure he'd been with other women before, but nothing had ever come close to this. He'd never felt anything for them other than a physical attraction. This would mean so much more. And he was afraid.

"Chuck..." Blair murmured shyly against his chest. "Kiss me."

The quiet request broke down his reserve as he felt his body instantly respond. Here she was, the woman he'd loved more than life itself, the woman who had stolen his heart in a shorter time than he'd ever imagined. Blair had just asked him to kiss her, she'd asked him to make the move. She'd given him invitation to take the next step.

Blair crawled closer to his mouth and placed her face inches away from his. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," Chuck said as he brought his mouth up those last few inches and broke past the barrier.

It was tender. It was gentle. It was everything she'd ever imagined it would be. There was pain at first, but it was a pleasant pain. It was a pain that told her she was now a woman, that the man she loved had claimed her as his and only his. She loved every moment of it. Every warm breath against slick skin, every slippery grasp on hips and back. She loved the feel of his weight on top of her, the way his face contorted in pleasure as he glided gently in and out. A foreign pleasure began to invade her senses and made her mind clear of every thought except for the thrusting sensation of his hips against her own, of his manhood dipping inside of her.

She felt her body becoming hotter, her breath came in shorter pants. She was moaning, groaning, whispering his name against his shoulder. Chuck grunted and growled quietly deep in his throat. He could feel her tight around him. The sounds coming from her mouth exciting him beyond belief. He felt himself slowly losing control. He was losing an inner battle to draw out the moment. She was so tight, so warm, she was vibrating, writhing beneath him. Her small hands and nails clawed and gripped his shoulders and back.

And then she was there.

Her breath caught, her voice quieted. On a soft purr she clutched his butt violently as her body bucked and shifted beneath him. The quick jerks of her movement drove him insane, and with two more pumps he allowed himself a hot release into her inviting body.

--xoxo--xoxo--

Two weeks later

"I forbid you to continue seeing that boy."

Blair felt her heart drop at the sinister sound of her mother's voice sitting across the table. "What?" she asked on a shaky breath.

"You heard me, Blair Cornelia Waldorf. I know you've been philandering around with that Charles Bass boy, and I'm telling you right now that I will not tolerate it. It has been going on long enough and I'm not just going to continue to sit back and watch you ruin your life." Her mother looked her up and down furiously as she took a sip of her black coffee.

"Ruin my life? How am I ruining my life?" Blair asked indignantly. Her mother had never shown an interest in her life before, and now she wanted to control who she dated?

"He's a Bass. That family is no good. They're are not worthy of a Waldorf. You are made for something more, Blair. I'll be damned if I allow you to ruin your good name and status by dating that young man. God only knows what his intentions are with you!" Her mother finished more vehemently.

Blair's cheeks reddened as thoughts of the night she'd spent in Chuck's arms crossed through her mind. Quickly masking her reaction, she turned deadly eyes at her mother. "You can't tell me who I can and cannot be with. I love him."

Eleanor laughed darkly. "Love? Love? Blair don't be ridiculous. You're only a child. You don't know what love is. Love for you is just a passing emotion that riles your hormones. But once the phase passes you realize that what I've told you is true. And I'm telling you now, you and that boy, you're over. I don't want to hear that you've been running around with him anymore."

"You can't stop me from seeing him. How could you even think that I'd let you control my life? You've never even been there for me!" Blair shouted, tears threatening to fall. She knew her mother. She would not rest until what she wanted was done.

"I can't stop you? I can't stop you? You must have lost your mind! Obviously that boy's already infected you with his bad influence. You can say goodbye to him, Blair. You're not seeing him ever again and that's final!"

"You can't stop me!" Blair fought back, feeling herself falling apart before her mother's dangerous eyes.

Eleanor's face turned a shade of purple Blair had never seen on a human being before. "Blair Cornelia Waldorf. You will get your things packed. I won't tolerate this. Be ready in the morning. You'll be leaving New York." Eleanor stood and walked over to the archway of the dining room.

"Leaving? What do you mean I'm leaving? I'm not going anywhere! Besides, school's about to start in a few weeks. I can't leave now."

"Say goodbye to your friends. And say goodbye to that boy for all I care. You're leaving tomorrow. First thing. And don't make me drag you out of here because so help me Blair, I will carry you out of here myself!"

Blair sat silent and in shock. She allowed the tears to spill over as she heard the door to her mother's room slam shut and thunder across the house.

She had to call Chuck.

--xoxo--xoxo--

"How can you agree with her?" Blair shouted at Chuck as they sat in the darkness of the New York night, seated in the same seat they had shared the first time they'd met in Central Park.

"I'm not saying I agree with her, babe. I'm just saying you need to do what she says," Chuck said quietly, desperately trying to find a way to keep Blair here with him, but knowing that it was impossible.

"But she's sending me to France! She's sending me to live with my father! How can you be OK with that?" Blair asked. Her heart was breaking. She expected him to fight for her. She wasn't expecting this. Never this.

"I'm not OK with it! I love you damn it!" Chuck shouted back.

"Don't say that to me! If you loved me you'd find a way to make me stay!"

"Blair don't you dare question what I feel for you. I do love you. I just don't know what I can do to keep you here."

"Chuck...please..." Blair whispered quietly. She knew what he said was true. There was nothing he could do, nothing she could do, nothing they could do.

"Blair I'm so sorry. I'll go find you. I'll go get you in a few weeks."

"It's hopeless," Blair said after a few minutes of silence. "It'll be the same situation. I won't be able to come back. She'll find out if I leave France. She won't stop until she finds me again."

"I love-"

"Don't. Don't say it anymore. It hurts too much," Blair sobbed against his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her tears into his skin.

They remained that way for what seemed hours. As he felt her tears subside he brought her silky lips up to his own and kissed her with a tenderness that was filled with more than just his love for her. It was filled with fear, with heartbreak, with agony.

"I do you know," Chuck whispered softly as he pulled away from Blair's tempting lips.

"Yeah. I know. I do too," Blair answered quietly, finding it hard to speak with the knot forming in her throat.

"Promise you'll come back for me." It wasn't a request, nor was it an order. There was fear in his voice, an uncertainty that had never laced his words before.

"I promise. I'll come as soon as I can." They both knew it was a lie. They both knew that the time would be long, and the distance between them would make this difficult.

Chuck released his hold on her and stood back. The tears were flowing freely, drenching her face and ruining her impeccable makeup, but he didn't seem to notice and she didn't seem to care.

"We should go. The longer we stay here, the harder it will be to let you go," Chuck said as he bravely fought to keep the tears at bay.

Blair nodded in agreement, but she held on to his hand tighter. "I can't believe this is where it ends," she murmured, knowing she was prolonging the pain but not willing to let him go just yet.

"Hey. No. Don't say that. This is just the beginning. You'll see. We'll find each other again. We always do. Me and you, we're meant to be Waldorf. I promise you that." Chuck wiped the tears from her eyes and took in her face one last time.

Taking her hand in his own, he walked her back to the front of her building, the heaviness in the air make it hard for either one of them to breathe. "Your mom will get over this. And when she does, you'll come back. And I'll be waiting for you. I'll always be here waiting for you," Chuck said sadly as he cupped her cheek in his hand and failed to smile down at her.

Blair simply nodded.

"Take care of yourself over there. Don't forget about me...I'll miss you," he choked out as the last word made his voice catch.

"Me too... And I'll never forget about you. I'll be in touch as often as I can," Blair assured him.

Chuck simply nodded.

"I'll be seeing you." Blair squeezed his hand and took his lips once more.

He let go of her hand as he pulled away from her salty lips.

She let go of her heart as he walked away from her, leaving her heartbroken and alone.