AN: I wanted to do a special shout-out to nondescript. Your reviews not only make me warm and fuzzy, but they also make me analyze the story I'm telling. It's a great help in going forward, so thank you, thank you, thank you. And the thank yous continue for everyone who reviews, or even just reads this. It's become a kind of catharsis to get through my stressful last semester of law school. Now that the show is over, I can actually think positively on the characters & love story again. Also, I wanted to address FE again, since I was kind of vague before. Right now I'm thinking I'm going to finish up this story, and then move onto FE. I think if I try to write them at the same time I'll get burnt out. The pace I have going right now is working out. So, don't give up. The support for FE has been so overwhelming I promise not to leave you all hanging. I just recently went back and looked at the fanart, videos and overall appreciation you've all given me for that story, and I was once again overwhelmed. Big hugs to the entire CB fandom. We stuck in there, and we won. Okay, done now. ;)

YOU WERE MINE

Chapter 12.

SEVER

"You can't master your future,

if you're still a slave to your past."

- Unknown

Chuck didn't have to wait long for Carter to come sauntering into The Palace bar like he owned it. Carter's annoying swagger was one of the many things Chuck always hated about him. Even before the disaster with Blair, Carter had made himself unwelcome in Chuck's presence. He'd started sniffing around Serena during their senior year in high school until he swooped in on her when she was vulnerable after a bad break up with Nate. Chuck usually didn't buy into the protective brother bullshit, but Serena had needed time and space, not Carter breathing down her neck. Chuck still cringed to think of the depths Carter brought his sister too, before Chuck, Blair and Nate had to step in and pull her back. That's why Chuck found it so hard to believe that Blair had ever managed to see anything good in the guy. He was scrum, nothing else.

"Bass." Carter smirked as he slid onto the bar stool beside Chuck.

Chuck didn't respond at first. He found silence was an effective tool in making your enemy uneasy. People usually feared his silence, and in their haste to end it gave away all their cards. Carter started squirming, but was smart enough not to speak. Chuck wasn't sure what confessions he hoped to gain, but decided these games would take too long anyway. He finished his drink, and then reached for the briefcase beside him and slid it over to Carter.

"A present for me?" Carter laughed. "You really shouldn't have." Chuck said nothing, and waited while Carter opened it. For a minute, the mask fell and Carter's eyes shone with surprise. That was more money that he'd had in a long time, and a lot more than Chuck knew Blair owed him. It was a means to an end though.

"That's your fee for whatever help you've given, Blair. She mentioned she owed you, and I told her I'd take care it. I'm sure you'll agree that's more than enough for you to get out of this city, and never return." Chuck motioned to the waiter for his bill.

Carter slammed the briefcase shut, and glared at Chuck. "You think it's going to be that easy? You throw money at me, and I just disappear. Why should I play along?" Chuck didn't respond, and Carter just kept digging, doing his best to get a reaction. "Blair and I had a good thing. How do I know she won't come to her senses, and come running back to me. Hey, maybe I'll even get to play stepdaddy to that cute kid of yours."

Chuck usually wasn't an act first kind of person. He liked cold revenge, rather than hot violence, but some things couldn't be contained. He grabbed Carter by the collar of his shirt, and leaned in close. Carter smelled of cheap cologne and day old sweat. A disaster of a human being Chuck wouldn't mind wiping off the face of the earth.

"You'd be dead first." The conviction in Chuck's voice made Carter waver, and he shoved away from Chuck. His fingers starting drumming on the briefcase, and he glanced around nervously. He had enough sense to know Chuck Bass didn't make idle threats.

"You don't scare me." Carter was all bluster.

"I should." Chuck returned easily, and handed his credit card over to the bartender as he began to gather his coat. "Take the money Carter, and leave. Stick around, and interfere with my family and you won't like the consequences. I let you get away with it once. I won't do it again."

Carter finally nodded, realizing he was beat in every possible way. Blair had thrown him out, and now she'd sent her psychotic hubby to come do her dirty work. Still, Carter couldn't let Chuck Bass get the last word in.

"You know you'll never make her happy. You'll just drive her crazy again, and she'll leave you, or worse she'll finish the job she started before." Chuck stopped short, but didn't turn around. "I told her not to come back here. I told her you'd destroy her. I guess she's crazy after all."

Carter slammed the rest of his drink, gathered the briefcase, and swanned past Chuck out of The Palace. Chuck had to stop himself from reaching out, and punching Carter as he passed. It would just be another unneeded headline though, so he forced himself to calm down. Carter would leave town now, and Chuck could finally put that ghost to rest.

Parker convinced Blair and Mrs. Bainbridge to take him by Serena's foundation so he could say hello. Blair wasn't entirely comfortable with Parker's need to see Serena, but she couldn't say no so they headed in. The foundation seemed to be doing pretty well, which felt like another knife in Blair's back. The entire thing had been her idea. She'd come up with the idea, pitched it to Bart and Chuck, and gotten the go ahead. She'd been the one to bring Serena in as a co-partner, and for a while it had been a gratifying experience. Then her pregnancy had forced her to stay at home on bed rest, and after Parker… she'd just never been quite right. Serena had taken over the full reigns, and that had been that. Part of her wished Serena had crashed and burned, but he exact opposite seemed to have happened. Serena had completed their dream.

"Parks!" Serena spotted them immediately, and took off at an ungraceful run toward Parker, who was running to her as well. Blair nearly cringed when Serena scooped Parker up, and they acted like they hadn't seen each other in ages. "This is the best surprise of my day, actually probably my whole month."

Blair couldn't hang around in the background while everyone pretended they weren't staring at her, so she stepped up then. "We were in the neighborhood. You've done well here, Serena. It's almost exactly what I envisioned."

Serena's smile dimmed. "You left a great blueprint. I'd love to discuss it with you sometime, maybe you could-"

Before Serena could get out her pity offer, Blair waved it off. "I'm much too busy with Parker, and of course my Bass board seat. You seem to have it in hand. Bravo."

Parker started to squirm in Serena's arms, finally catching onto the tension but not understanding it. Serena let him down, and asked Mrs. Bainbridge if she'd escort him up to the office. She promised Parker there was a surprise in her bottom drawyer for him, and he took off running before another word could be said. A harried Mrs. Bainbridge trudged after him with an adoring expression.

"If you have something to say to me, Blair, then just say it." Serena wasn't hiding behind forced civility any longer. "I'd really hoped we could get past all this… bitterness."

Blair gritted her teeth. She hated when Serena acted all mature and understanding. It made Blair feel small and petty. Still, she couldn't quite get herself to put on her fake smile today. Seeing her foundation being run by Serena right after the confrontation with Georgina was too much.

"I'm not sure that's ever going to be possible." Blair answered back honestly. Her entire body radiated hostily, and Serena squared her shoulders in response. When they were growing up they were known for their dramatic temper tantrums. Sometimes they'd have the entire school at each others throats, taking sides, and bickering like the Blair/Serena issue was a world issue. Those wars always ended in peace treaties. Blair wished it could be that simple this time.

"Have I not tried to help you with Parker? You're living with him at the penthouse now. Do you really think that would have been possible if I hadn't interceded with Chuck? I'm not sure what you expect from me. Hell, I'm not even sure what you're mad about anymore." Serena was exasperated.

"I'm mad that you've been more of a mother to my son that I was ever allowed to be. I'm mad that I had to force myself into his life, and it took you this long to try and help me. I'm mad about a lot of things Serena. And I do appreciate you talking to Chuck, but that doesn't absolve you from letting all this happen in the first place."

Serena seemed taken aback, and Blair suddenly realized the entire room had quieted. No one was even pretending not to watch them now. Blair looked down self consciously, and cringed at the round of gossip that would soon be circulating. Everytime she tried to make herself look respectable, she did something that set her back. This outburst would just convince them all she was an evil witch after the kind, beautiful Serena.

Serena finally recovered herself, and pulled Blair into a small side office away from prying eyes and ears.

"I didn't let any of this happen, Blair. And I can't believe you think this is the first time I've tried to help you. I've been trying to help you from the minute you got sick. I begged you to get help, to talk to Chuck, talk to anyone, but you refused. I begged Chuck. I begged your mother. I let you consume my life for months, and yeah when you ran away I stepped in with Parker. I had to. No one else knew what to do. Chuck couldn't function. Your mother was wild with worry over you. I did what I thought you'd want, and I put Parker first. Then you came back and I did everything I could to help."

Blair had heard enough. "You gave up on me just like everyone else. You told me to go with my mother. You told me to give up on Chuck." Blair was practically screaming, but she didn't care anymore. This had been building for so long she didn't think she could stop even if she wanted to.

Serena was incredulous, and getting just as furious. "I told you to get help! I told you to give Chuck time, because I knew he was in a bad place. I never told you to give up. In fact, I was the only person who helped you see Parker through that time. I never tried to replace you or be his mother. I just tried to be the best aunt I could. I won't apologize for loving Parker, or loving Chuck or even loving you." Serena took a breath, and wiped at some run away tears. "God, Blair, I'm so sick of you always being the victim. You weren't the only one who got hurt. We all got hurt, and we all found a way to move on. I'm sorry that it took you longer. I really am. And when you came back this time, even the way you did, I was so happy. I thought finally," Serena took an emotional breath, but the tears kept coming. "Finally," she continued in a whisper, "everything can be right again…" She shook her head sadly. "I guess I was just a fool."

Serena started to leave, and Blair almost let her go, but something stopped her. She reached out for Serena's hand, and held her in place. Neither spoke for a minute, and Blair could feel Serena becoming impatient. She'd always been that way, and it made Blair smile.

"I want everything to be right again. I want to go back." Blair admitted, the admission ripped from somewhere deep inside her. Tears started tracing her own cheeks, and she didn't even bother wiping them away. She just knew that Serena would never tell anyone.

Serena sighed, and looked back to Blair. She turned Blair's hand over in her own, and traced her thumb over Blair's scar. Blair flinched, but didn't move.

"You can't go back." Serena's sadness echoed in Blair. "I don't think any of us can… Mistakes were made, Blair. I know I wasn't perfect. Maybe I should have gone with you to Europe, but I was afraid to leave Chuck. I was afraid of what would happen if he was alone. You had your parents, and he had Bart and my mother, and while Lily tried, she wasn't exactly helpful."

Serena released Blair's hand, and started pacing the room.

"I don't know, maybe I screwed up. I saw the walls going up in Chuck, and I didn't try to stop it. I was just grateful the pain was going away; he was starting to live again. For a while, I didn't know if that was even possible. He went through the motions for Parker, but he was empty."

"I suffered too. I called him. I begged him to let me come home again, to be a family, but all I got was silence and then divorce papers in the mail. You didn't call, Serena. You didn't … I expected you to be there, and you weren't. You were raising my son. How am I supposed to let that go when I see the proof of it everytime Parker's around you. You have a bond with him that I might never have. You were there when he first walked, spoke, smiled – I got none of that. No memories to cherish. I only have the awful ones. And I'm jealous and I'm angry and I just… I don't know how to stop feeling that way." Blair swiped at her wet cheeks, but it was useless. She was a complete mess.

Serena wasn't doing much better. She looked gutted, and part of Blair was glad, but another part of her just wanted to stop all the hurting. She wanted to forgive Serena, and be forgiven, and just have her best friend back. Real life never seemed to be that easy though. There were always jagged edges that poked out and cut you in the most inopportune times.

"I should have called." It was a pained admission. "I picked up the phone every day. I dialed your number… but I just… I didn't know what to say." Serena tried to look away, but Blair saw the shame in her eyes. "I didn't understand why your life with all of us wasn't enough. And it was hard to see you so…" Serena hesitated.

Blair knew what she wanted to say, and whispered in response. "Weak."

Serena nodded, and finally met Blair's eyes again. "You were always this force of nature, this fearless girl who could handle anything and anyone. I leaned on you, not the other way around… I didn't know what to do when the roles were reversed."

A knock on the door sounded before Blair could respond, and both girls quickly pulled themselves back together. When they opened it Parker and Mrs. Bainbridge were both standing there with curious looks on their faces. Mrs. Bainbridge quickly forced hers blank, but Parker wasn't about to let it go.

"Why're you crying?" He asked immediately as they walked out of the office.

Blair couldn't quite find her voice, so Serena took pity on her. One more thing she could give Parker, that Blair couldn't.

"Girl talk. You know what I tell you Parks, sometimes girls are just-"

Parker interrupted her, clearly having heard this before. "Drama, drama, drama."

Blair and Serena both burst out laughing, lightening the mood, and even Mrs. Bainbridge cracked an amused smile.

"That's right." Serena nodded proudly. "Alls better now though. Did you find your surprise?"

Parker's smile turned mega-watt at that, and he whipped out a huge rainbow lollypop already opened. That explained the multicolored smudges around his mouth.

"My favorite." He hugged Serena's legs tightly since he couldn't reach her arms, and Serena cuddled him in close for a moment, before releasing him. "Can you and Uncle Nate come over for dinner tonight?" Parker's mind was already onto the next thing.

Serena hesitated for a minute, glancing at Blair before shaking her head. "Not tonight little man. Uncle Nate has a boring business thing." Parker made a face, and Serena nodded. "That's exactly how I feel. I'll call your Dad though and set up another night. Okay?"

Parker reluctantly nodded.

"Why don't you let Mrs. Bainbridge clean you up a little bit, and then you guys should probably get going before I get in trouble with the boss for not working." Serena smiled at him sneakily.

He grinned. "You're the boss, S."

She pushed him in the direction of the bathroom, and Blair and Serena were left alone again.

"You could come for dinner," Blair interjected immediately. She knew Chuck would not approve of her cutting Serena out, and she wasn't even sure that was what she wanted. Parker's happiness relied on Serena, and Blair was determined to put that above everything else.

Serena shook her head. "You guys should probably settle in first before you jump into anymore family dinners. Besides, I have a feeling my mother already has something in the works. She's skeptical about the living arrangements, but she's a romantic at heart. Happily ever afters are her thing, especially after the tragedy with Bart."

Blair nodded. "I'll look forward to an invitation."

Blair started toward the door, but Serena caught her at the last minute. She looked hesitant to say whatever she'd stopped Blair for, and Blair felt dread in the pit of her stomach. She'd been through all the drama she could handle for one afternoon.

"No more soul-bearing, Serena." Blair begged.

"I just wanted to tell you that… You're Parker's mom, Blair. You're the central woman in his life, and whether you were here or not doesn't matter. You're here now. You're living with him, making things right with Chuck… you're gonna be here for so many firsts. It won't make up for what you missed, I know that, but it's … it's so much more, you know?" Serena looked at Blair hopefully.

Blair finally cracked a small smile. "You really think I'll last this time?"

Serena answered emphatically. "No doubts. And this time, I promise I'm here. Hell or high water, I'm here."

Parker and Mrs. Bainbridge arrived, and Blair left with them. Serena's words still echoed in her head though, and a wound that had been festering for years started to heal. Serena was right, you could never go back, but Blair was starting to believe you could start over. You could make things right if you really tried, and Blair wasn't going to stop pushing until she got it right.

Chuck arrived home to find the penthouse blessedly silent. He called out for Parker, and when he got no answer he figured they must still be out. He threw off his jacket, discarded his phone, and decided he'd take a long shower to wash away this day. Then he'd order out dinner, maybe Parker's favorite Italian place. They'd never had a family dinner just the three of them, but Chuck thought it might be nice. He knew Parker would love it, and it might just erase Carter from Chuck's mind all together.

He stopped short when he entered his bedroom to find Blair sitting on the floor with the carpet rolled back again, and a bucket of sudsy water sitting beside her. He glanced around for Parker, and was relieved when his son was no where to be found. Whatever crisis Blair was going through he couldn't let Parker see it. This entire scene made him nauseous.

"Blair…" Chuck broke her out of her reverie.

She turned around quickly, and nearly knocked the bucket over. After she righted it, and herself she refocused on Chuck. She could tell from the look on his face that he was concerned, perhaps beyond the concerned territory and into the totally freaked out one.

"Parker's with Mrs. Bainbridge picking up dinner and his favorite movie. I promised I'd watch with him tonight. They shouldn't be back for another thirty minutes or so…" She turned back to the spot in front of her, and zeroed in again.

Chuck hesitated in the door way for a moment, before he finished unbuttoning his shirt and throwing it on the bed. He silently watched Blair for a few minutes until he couldn't do it anymore, and locked himself in the bathroom. He stepped into his steaming shower, and prayed she would be gone when he came out. He didn't want to look at that fucking stain anymore, and he needed her to come back from whatever dark place she was in.

He took his time drying off, putting on some casual (for him) clothes, and then finally with no otherchoice entered his bedroom. She was still sitting there. A soapy sponge was in her hand, and it looked like she'd been working vigorously in his absence. The stain still remained though. All the scrubbing in the world couldn't erase that.

"I'll get new flooring if it bothers you that much." He offered helplessly. He'd said all he could that morning, and he wasn't willing to travel back to that time again. "I probably should have already, but…" He stopped, unsure why he hadn't ripped it up immediately. Maybe he'd needed that stain, a reminder of what she'd done, of the pain she'd caused. Anytime he started to forget he could always look at that and know he was doing the right thing. That seemed pointless now.

"No," she answered him a bit frantically, and started scrubbing again.

Chuck watched her for a moment, before finally dropping down beside her, and practically ripping the soppy sponge out of her hand. She fought him, and before he knew it the bucket had tipped over, sending sudsy water all over them and the floor. He slipped, and she fell down on top of him, still fighting for that damn sponge like a wild animal. He couldn't relinquish it though. It somehow felt too important. If he gave in then maybe she'd truly lose it. That fucking stain. He had to get rid of it.

"Chuck, I need it." She finally stopped struggling, and just hovered above him. She was a mess, hair wet and sticking to her cheeks. Tears and water mingled, and Chuck wasn't sure how she still managed to look appealing but she did. Maybe that was their problem. She always appealed to him. He'd never had the sense to deny her, which was why when she'd promised him she was okay with her hurting brown eyes and sad smile he'd believed her. He'd made himself believe her. He even wanted to give into her now, but he couldn't.

"You don't need it. You don't." He promised her. His own heart was beating a mile a minute, and he felt exhausted and out of breath. He tentatively reached up, and brushed the hair out of her face. Her eyes, Parker's eyes, stared back at him. All the hurt and sadness he'd ignored for so long was right there for the taking. She was letting him in, and he wanted to run.

"I do." She pleaded, but the resolution on his face finally did her in, and she sunk down into his body. She nestled her head into the nook of his shoulder, and twined her body around his. He was too stunned to react for a minute, but when she grabbed his arm and placed it around her he finally molded to her the way she seemed to want.

This was a familiar position to him. After they'd gotten married he'd wake up like this a lot. He and Blair would go to sleep on totally different sides of the bed, both confidant that they were not cuddlers. It was beneath them. But then sometime in the night they would gravitate toward one another, and wake up in a tangle. Blair always said it was him, and he thought she was probably right. His favorite part of the morning had been those quiet seconds before she woke when he could watch her, memorize her. Now he wasn't so sure. Maybe it had been Blair all along. Maybe she'd been reaching for him, and he hadn't realized it.

They laid like that for a while. Chuck kept expecting Parker to arrive home, and allow him a reprieve, but the clock just kept ticking. Blair's breathing evened out, but she wasn't sleeping and he couldn't either. They were covered in soapy water, and Chuck hated the feeling. He couldn't move her though, somehow sure she'd break if he did. So, he just laid there, wrapped around her, listening to her breathe, praying she was all right.

Eventually she started to stir. She didn't move completely away from him, but she did extricate her arms and legs. Finally they were just laying side by side on their backs, staring up at the ceiling. Her hand was resting right beside his own, fingers barely touching, but it was just enough to make him still feel connected to her.

"I have nightmares of this ceiling." She admitted.

He remained quiet, staring up at the same ceiling he slept under every night, but seeing it through her eyes. This was where he found her, laid almost exactly like this, staring blankly up at nothing. He'd been hysterical in his panic, too much blood, her eyes so hollow, Parker so loud… he'd never felt so helpless in his life. He kind of felt like that now, because here she was beside him, but he still didn't know what to do or say. Deep down he'd always been afraid it had been him. Something he'd said or done or hadn't done that had finally made her make that decision. He couldn't imagine what it was that made her believe a razor blade and oblivion was the answer, but he was her husband. He should have known. Part of him still needed to know, but he wouldn't ask her.

"I wake up in the middle of the night, and no matter where I am I think I'm back here, laying here… I don't know if I'll ever escape it, Chuck." She turned on her side, willing him to look at her, and it took everything in him to turn as well. Once their eyes locked she continued. "I'm okay. I'm better, and I don't want you to be scared that I'm just going to lose it again. I see a therapist, and I take care of myself… I know the triggers, and I know how to pull back, but this room… this room is like my nightmare. I wanted to wash it away, like maybe that would… like maybe I could fix it or something. But it wouldn't budge. It's ingrained."

"I'll replace it," he whispered.

"No," she shook her head, and wiped away an errant tear. "That's not fixing it. That's erasing it, pretending it didn't exist. I think we've both been doing that for too long."

Chuck understood where she was coming from, but he still hated it. He wanted to tear the whole fucking room down and start over. It felt morbid to him now, a trigger for them both that couldn't be diffused any longer. He knew every time he went to bed he'd look at the ceiling, and he'd have his own nightmares now.

"Let's move." He was surprised when the words left his mouth, but they felt right. This place was haunted, he could see that now. No matter how hard Blair tried she wouldn't be able to shake it, and he couldn't either. He saw it through her eyes, and he hated it.

"Chuck," she shook her head, "that's not going to fix it."

Chuck sat up, and turned to look down at her. "Maybe not, but it'll be better. It'll be a fresh start. This place was another life, Blair… I don't want to see it anymore."

Blair didn't know how to respond. She hadn't meant to come in there earlier, but that damn stain just wouldn't let her go. She'd been like a mad woman gathering the bucket and sponge, determined she could wipe it all away by the time Chuck returned. She wanted the floor to look the same. She needed this home to be the way it was before, before the stain. She'd failed.

"Where would be go?" Blair couldn't believe she was going along with this. It felt surreal and natural all at the same time. They'd had this same conversation years ago, right after she'd told him she was pregnant. His first thought had been to find a home for them, and that's when she'd known it would all be alright. She'd feared Chuck wouldn't welcome the baby news. Their relationship had always been complicated, but a child changed everything. All the walls Blair had fought against for so long just crumbled down. He opened himself completely to her then, welcomed her as his true family. It had been her grandest triumph.

"We can call a real estate agent. Of course, we'll stay in the area, but maybe it's time we expanded. We're even richer now than before." He said this playfully, and Blair finally cracked a smile. "You can redecorate."

Blair liked the idea of creating a new home for them, but her mind short-circuited when she thought about Georgina. Would this new home include a new bride? Would Blair just be a glorified nanny to Parker? Her mind started to spin again, and Chuck began frowning.

"What's the problem?"

Blair answered honestly. "Georgina."

Chuck sighed in annoyance, and dropped back to the floor beside her. He took a moment to answer, and she nervously waited. If he said Georgina was coming along Blair would balk. She had to. It would be a risk, she'd just moved in herself, but he couldn't think Georgina being around Parker was alright. In fact, Blair didn't want Georgina around anyone she loved.

"Georgina and I are re-evaluating our situation." He seemed confidant that would settle the issue, but Blair just stared at him. It wasn't enough. His irritation grew. "The wedding might not happen."

Blair still stared.

"Blair," he growled, "leave it alone."

Blair couldn't though. She needed to know where she stood, and what needed to be done about Georgina. Blair was confidant the wedding wouldn't happen. She wouldn't let it, but she needed some indication of where she needed to start. Operation get rid of Georgina was going into full effect, and she didn't care if Chuck knew it or not. She didn't intend to be subtle anyway.

"She thinks she owns you. She thinks she can upset Parker and get away with it. I don't like it." Blair could feel herself getting fired up. "And you know what, Chuck?" He shrugged back at her. "I can't believe you ever even let her into your life. There had to be plenty of suitable women you could waste time with, why a vicious bitch like her?"

Chuck groaned, clearly realizing he wasn't getting out of this. "Do you really think you have a right to question my choices, considering your own." Chuck gave her a pointed look, but she didn't back down.

"Carter and Georgina don't even compare. He cared about me. She cares about your money." Blair pushed herself into a rigid sitting position, and faced off against Chuck. "Don't deny it."

"Georgina's interests in me don't concern me. I intended to marry her for reasons of my own that certainly didn't include love. I've gone through that disaster already." Chuck's tone was cutting, and Blair finally flinched. His face fell, and he ran a tired hand through his hair. "I don't know why you push things like this."

"Don't you?" Blair whispered in return.

He looked back up, and met her eyes. "No." He was truly confused, once again feeling helpless and out of depth where she was concerned. He didn't understand how he could pin every one else down with so much ease, but never ceased struggling with Blair.

"I'm jealous, Chuck." It embarassed her to admit it, but he wasn't getting it. "Besides the fact that I truly think she's a horrible person, I'm jealous. You're engaged to her, and I hate it. She comes in here, and paws at you and I just… It makes me sick." Chuck stared back at her blankly, and Blair was finally fed up. "Nevermind." She mumbled, and pushed herself to her feet to leave. "I'll get some towels to clean up the mess."

"Blair," Chuck finally found his voice. She stopped at the door, but couldn't look at him. "I paid Carter off today. Probably ten times what you actually owed him."

Blair turned back in shock. "You did? Why? I told you I'd handle it."

Chuck looked away, and then finally forced himself to look back. "It makes me sick too I guess."

Blair smiled. It was inappropriate and she knew it, but she couldn't stop herself. She'd been waiting for a sign, any sign that Chuck still felt something for her beyond his desire to please their child. This was it. If he was jealous of Carter that had to mean he still cared, and if he still cared then she could make all of this work. She would make all of this work.

"Daddy!" Parker's voice echoed through the apartment as the door slammed downstairs.

"You should probably head him off. I'll get this cleaned up." Blair didn't wait for Chuck to respond, and headed into the bathroom for towels. Once she was sure she was alone she did a little twirl of excitement.

Hope.