Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.
"Why is Chuck the one that gets to take you shopping?" Serena pouted as she spoke to her best friend by phone the morning she had called to invite Blair on her first trip to buy things for the baby. Blair happily declined as she had already planned on going with Chuck that day after he returned from his brief, but necessary, trip to his office that morning. Eugenia had already called Blair to assure her that he was leaving shortly so they could spend the day together as they had planned.
"He wants to be a part of this pregnancy," Blair shrugged, "You get the doctors' appointments and Lamaze classes, which start next week by the way, I hope you haven't forgotten."
"I haven't," Serena assured her as she quickly jotted down a note to herself to cancel the dinner date she had set up the previous evening with a man she met at some random bar. Blair was doing her a favor. She could already tell the man had no real potential for a lasting relationship which she was longing for, and had for a few years since Blair and Chuck first announced their long overdue engagement.
"Anyways, he is so eager for this adventure that he could hardly sleep last evening. He kept waking me up all night long . . ." Blair explained as she flipped through one of several Parisian baby catalogues that her father had sent her with items circled that he was hoping to purchase for his first grandchild. Roman and Harold were due to arrive in New York City in just a week for their extended stay. They had already decided that it would be a wise investment to purchase their own penthouse as now that they were becoming grandparents they would want to be visiting much more often than they currently did.
"Stop, don't want the details, remember," Serena cut her off.
"I was going to say because of his tossing and turning," Blair chuckled at her best friend's paranoia that she was going to slip in some detail of her sex life with Chuck. She knew how it turned Serena's stomach, so she happily agreed to not go into details. It was best for all parties involved, as she preferred her bedroom activities to be kept private anyways. Chuck wasn't quite as protective of their escapades, as he frequently regaled various details to Nate. She knew he mostly did it to tease his best friend and gently remind him who she had chosen.
"Not what I was expecting, but okay," Serena mumbled as she sighed gratefully.
"I'm not going to deny Chuck this experience. He's been doing so well through these last three months," Blair stated. She was just starting her third trimester, and she was beginning to understand what everyone said about being uncomfortable while pregnant. While she had been showing for two months, she felt as if she suddenly exploded when she hit the six month mark. There was no doubt now in anyone's mind that she was pregnant.
"I can understand that," Serena sighed in disappointment.
"But I won't stop you from doing any shopping for the baby on your own," Blair added. It was a forgone conclusion that the baby was going to be a spoiled rotten little prince or princess. He or she was going to have Chuck Bass as a father. If they had even a smidge of the influence over him that Blair had, he would not be able to deny their child anything.
Serena laughed out at Blair's remark. "I'll keep that in mind."
Blair heard the elevator door chime. She figured correctly that it was Chuck returning from the office so she quickly ended the call with Serena before she waddled to greet him.
"How was the office?" Blair inquired as she leaned in to greet Chuck with a kiss as he set his cell phone and briefcase on the table in the entry way.
"Fine," he shrugged as he pulled her closer and deepened their kiss as his fingers tangled in her hair. She never failed to marvel at the fact the he still found her attractive even with the extra weight she was now carrying. She felt like a blimp on a good day, but he still had the same lustful stare as he always did when they made love which was still a daily occurrence. "There was just some paperwork that needed to be overnighted to Japan that required my signature first."
"Anything interesting?" she inquired. His work was branching out into more fashionable pursuits within the last year, so she was always curious when he was in the middle of a new acquisition.
"Nothing really," he shook his head as he touched her belly as he smiled widely. Their child responded to the touch by kicking around in her stomach. Chuck's smile widened as he felt the movements. "How are my two favorite people this morning?"
"Excited," Blair replied as her eyes lit up.
"I told Eugenia that I wouldn't have my cell phone on for the rest of the weekend, so you have my undivided attention," he added as he made a showing of turning his cell phone off for her to witness.
"Good," Blair grinned as she leaned in and kissed him again as a reward for his attention which she always loved to be the center of, "Are you ready to go?"
"Are you?" he prompted her as he glanced up and down her body, "You're forgetting a vital piece to your ensemble."
Blair looked at what she was wearing and frowned. "What are you talking about? I'm all ready to go."
"Shoes, Sweetheart," he prompted her as he kissed her lips softly.
Blair looked to her feet, with where only mild difficulty to view, to see that the flats she had intended on wearing were not on her feet. She rolled her eyes at how flighty she was becoming and made her way to their bedroom to slip into the shoes.
"Better?" she inquired as she returned with her shoes on her feet and her handbag in her hand.
"I'd be a little better if your shoes actually matched," he chuckled as he looked to her feet to see she had on two different flats. While they were the same color, one was peep-toed while the other was not.
She groaned in frustration as she turned back towards their bedroom, preparing to waddle back once more. Their bedroom felt like a hundred miles away at the moment. She didn't know how she was going to manage to shop all day as they had planned.
"Let me," he reached out to stop her. He moved much quicker than she did, and he could guarantee that he'd get matching shoes on her feet. "Peep-toes or close toe?"
"Close toe," she sighed gratefully. Chuck looked at her feet quickly to get a closer view of her shoe before he dashed off in search of it's mate.
Chuck returned moments later with the correct shoe in hand as he knelt down to help her slip into the shoe.
"I feel just like Cinderella," Blair chuckled as he slipped the shoe onto her foot. "It's a perfect fit."
"We are a perfect fit," he added as he stood up and kissed her softly.
"Before we start our shopping, can we have lunch first?" Blair inquired as they strolled towards the elevator hand in hand.
"It's not even ten-thirty in the morning yet," he stated in disbelief as he looked at his watch.
"Your child is hungry," she pouted as she rubbed her belly. She knew exactly what to say to him to get him to bend to her every desire.
"Where would you like to go?" he sighed happily. Her eyes instantly lit up as he caved quickly to her wish. She couldn't really have been expecting him to turn her down.
"I'm in the mood for pizza," she announced. Chuck's eyes went wide in surprise. The Blair Waldorf he knew and loved never ate pizza. It was such a common food to eat that she felt was beneath her.
"What kind of pizza?" he chuckled lightly as they stepped into the elevator their fingers still entwined together. His thumb was now rubbing circles over her rings which alwasy drew a smile to his face. How could the reminder that she was his in every way bring about any other emotion. That one bit of knowledge made his entire world feel complete.
"I'm thinking spinach and anchovies and pineapple," she stated happily.
Chuck's jaw dropped in disgust. "I think we're ordering separate pizzas."
"Doesn't that sound yummy?" Blair responded as her eyes twinkled at the order she was concocting in her head before her lips turned into frown at his reaction.
"Listen to yourself, Blair," he replied, trying to hide his amusement, "If you weren't pregnant, would spinach, anchovies, and pineapple sound good together on anything."
"This isn't some weird pregnancy craving," she snapped.
"Just like pickles and ice cream weren't last night," he nodded. He was careful to not show any hint of amusement or sarcasm. His brain was screaming for him to shut up completely, but he couldn't help but try and prove his point. "And ketchup on your waffles wasn't the day before that." The look of disgust on their chef's face as she defiled one after another of his tasty creations night after night was priceless.
"You don't know what you're missing," she huffed.
"Mood swing number one," he mumbled to himself. It was a game he had begun playing with himself whenever they spent the day together since her hormones started to go all out of whack as her pregnancy progressed further. He would count the number of times her mood would shift. His record so far had been twelve, but he had a feeling that record would drop quickly. He could tell she was already in one of those moods.
"What was that?" Blair snapped.
"Nothing," he responded quickly, while mentally cursing himself for saying anything out loud.
Blair's foul mood didn't last any longer than the walk from the elevator of their building to the limo that was waiting for them. She was happily humming as she waited for Chuck to climb in beside her.
The waitress at the pizza shop that Arthur, their long time driver, had suggested looked at Blair with horror as she ordered her pizza. She had changed her mind about the pineapple and instead wanted chocolate sauce on top. Chuck quickly handed the young woman fifty dollars to stop the lady from gaping at Blair any further for fear another mood swing would ensue. He didn't want the poor woman to have to be a victim to his wife's hormones. He was just becoming used to them himself.
"Where did you want to go first?" Chuck inquired as she dove into her pizza with gusto once it had arrived. The pleasurable sounds she was making as she ate turned his stomach ever so slightly, but he said nothing as he ate his garden variety sausage and mushroom.
"I was thinking Macy's first," she announced as she offered him a bite of her pizza to taste. He politely refused as he took another quick bite of his to settle his stomach, which was turning queasier by the moment. "Then we'll have to go to Bloomingdales, and Saks, and Bergdorfs, and of course all the toy stores like FAO Schwartz. Serena also mentioned that there were a few baby stores off of Fifth Avenue that we should try."
"We may need to spread this shopping adventure out over several days, if you want to hit that many stores. We only have so many hours in the day and our credit card limits are only so high," he teased.
Blair gave him a scowl of disgust. Mood swing number two was starting to build.
"What are you saying?" Blair snapped, "That I plan on maxing out our credit cards with purchases for this child."
"That is exactly what I'm saying," he nodded innocently, "You and I both have expensive tastes. Of course we'll want our child to have the finest of everything."
"Oh," she stated cheerfully as she polished off her pizza.
Chuck coughed to cover up the laugh that threatened to escape. He knew better than to react to her surging hormones. He'd likely set off World War III if he wasn't careful.
"I think perhaps we have done enough damage to start," Blair announced as they left FAO Schwartz. Chuck was loaded down with so many bags that he had lost count, and two of the sales associates had to follow him out with their arms also loaded. Arthur was chuckling in amusement as he quickly unloaded the bags from his boss's arms before he helped the eager sales associates. He'd already had to make three trips to their penthouse to drop off the purchases they'd already made.
"I have to agree with you," Chuck nodded as he opened the vehicle door for her to slide in. He'd survived six hours of shopping and fifteen mood swings. He wasn't sure which feat was the larger accomplishment, but she was happy with how the day had gone so perhaps that was the feat he should be celebrating.
"I had so much fun today," Blair stated as she leaned against him once he settle in beside her.
"As did I," he assured her as he kissed her forehead. Blair sighed in happiness as she snuggled closer to him. He could tell that she was getting tired by the way she was nudging her head against his shoulder, so he raised his arm around her and allowed her to bury her head into him as she fell asleep instantly. He reached up slowly to lower the glass partition to address their driver. "Arthur, drive around the city for awhile while Blair naps. She's had a busy day, and I don't have the heart to wake her just yet."
Arthur nodded in understanding as Chuck slid the partition back up.
Chuck loved to watch her sleep, especially since she became pregnant. The way her eyes fluttered as she dreamt with the slightest hint of a smile on her face warmed his heart. She didn't have nightmares anymore as she had during the first few years of their relationship. Now she only had happy dreams, mostly about them, but lately they had been about the child that they were having.
She started mumbling, nonsensical things that he couldn't make out, but she had the same smile on her face still so he didn't find reason to worry. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep with her.
"Chuck," Blair mumbled as her eyes fluttered open. Chuck had woken up moments earlier and was trying to figure out how long he had been asleep. "Where are we?"
"Still in the limo," Chuck stated as he brushed the hair away from her eyes, "We both feel asleep."
"I'm hungry," she replied. Chuck groaned internally at the thought of what she could possibly want to eat. He was hoping for something that resembled a normal meal. "Will you call our chef and have him prepare dinner?"
"What would you like?" Chuck inquired as he held his breath.
"I would like beef tenderloin and roasted vegetables," she replied.
"As you wish," he replied as he reached for their car phone after remembering that he had left his phone on their hall table.
"And can he put peanut butter on top?" Blair added hopefully as Chuck called their chef with their dinner order.
Their chef groaned into Chuck's ear as he heard the additional request Blair had made before he promised to do as she asked. Chuck knew better than to vocalize his amusement as he then directed Arthur back to their building.
TBC. . .
