This chapter marks the return to the installments where I borrow from the show. I'll leave it up to you to guess the episode ;) I don't know how many more chapters like these I will be doing, but at least a few from season two are on my list of candidates.
A number of people have asked me why Grace's surname is Waldorf and not Bass. My own reason for going with Waldorf is that where I'm from babies get their mother's last names by default so it seemed natural to me that the baby would be a Waldorf when Blair and Chuck aren't married. The in-story reason is an agreement Chuck and Blair made (mentioned in a previous chapter) that they would name the baby Bass if it turned out to be a boy, and Waldorf if it turned out to be a girl. Hope that answers your question =)
"I can't believe I'm actually here!" Blair gushed as Chuck met up with her on Yale's campus. "It feels like coming home."
He smiled at her excitement. Her interview was in an hour, and judging by the looks of her she was more than prepared. He hadn't seen her look this great in a while. She was wearing makeup for the first time since the first day of school, her hair hung loose down her shoulders and when he saw her dressed up in prim and proper clothing he noticed that she had lost quite a lot of her pregnancy weight already. Her figure wasn't back to normal quite yet, but if it wasn't for the baby sleeping in her carry-cot which Blair held firmly with both hands, nobody would have guessed she had given birth only a month ago.
"While I'm giving my interview you will stay here on campus with the baby, agreed?" she said, taking her eyes off the surroundings for a moment to look at Chuck.
"Or I could just take her back to the hotel, get her away from the crowds."
"I don't want her to be too far away" Blair said. "Just stay close. In fact, stay put. Exactly where I leave you. Don't go wandering off with her."
"You do realize that I am capable of watching my own child for more than fifteen minutes at a time?" Chuck said.
"I will have a much easier time concentrating if I know exactly where she is."
Chuck didn't bother arguing any further. They walked together through the campus, trying to ignore all the people who stared at them and the baby. After a while Grace began to fidget and Blair stopped underneath a tree to lift her up from the carry-cot.
"I'm curious…" Chuck said. "You've never changed a diaper in your life. How are you planning on getting through the weekend?"
"It's not a weekend, it's one night" Blair argued. "And, Dorota made me practice every time she needed changing yesterday. It's completely gross but Yale is worth it."
"Let's just hope she won't need changing while she's with me" Chuck said. "I wasn't too good at it at that parenting class."
"Well she's been fed and changed already, so hopefully she'll make it until after my interview is done" Blair said, gently bouncing the baby. "Otherwise I'm sure you'll be able to find some dimwit female student who would just love the chance to help you out with such a beautiful little baby."
Chuck sat down on the grass and stretched out. He wasn't actually worried. Blair would be leaving in thirty minutes, and shortly thereafter his nanny for the day would arrive. He had paid one of his father's servants, who had three kids of her own, to look after the baby for a while during the day. Hopefully Blair wouldn't find out about it.
When it was time for Blair to leave she put Grace back in the carry-cot and checker her appearance in the mirror she had in her purse. Chuck wished her luck and watched her go. He then impatiently waited for Emma, babysitter du jour, to show up.
Twenty minutes after Blair had left for her interview he walked alone through campus, waiting for the Skull and Bones to grab him. He didn't have to wait for long.
Blair looked up and arranged her face in what she hoped was a charming smile when Dean Berube opened the door and shook hands with some other girl he'd just been interviewing. To her delight Blair noted that the girl hardly seemed like Yale material. There was something quite public school about her. Not classy enough.
The dean turned to Blair and returned her smile.
"Miss Waldorf" he said. "Shall we?"
"Yes certainly" Blair said with her sweetest voice and got up from her chair.
The dean held the door open for her and she walked inside, taking a seat where he instructed her to. Dean Berube took a seat on the edge of his desk and held up the essay she had sent along with her application. She had written it before she even knew she was pregnant, and now she couldn't help but wonder if it would have been better or worse if she had written it after she found out about the baby.
"I have to say your application is most impressive, Miss Waldorf" Dean Berube said. "There's just one thing I'd like to know."
Blair swallowed. Here's where he would ask something that would lead to her talking about the baby.
"Tell me something about you that isn't in that packet."
Blair hesitated.
"Not in there?"
"Do you like to drive racecars? Can you cook authentic Szechuan?"
Blair was at a loss for words. Was he kidding?
"Well, truth be told…" she began, not really knowing what to say. "Cooking and driving is rather far down on my list of priorities at present. But as my application clearly shows, I am very much invested in a variety of activities. My extracurricular activities really do speak for themselves."
"Yes but what do you do outside of all of that?"
"I stay at home" Blair said frankly, giving up on trying to figure out what the dean wanted to hear. "With my month-old daughter."
She cringed inwardly. Dean Berube looked floored.
"Your… month-old daughter?"
Blair forced the smile back on her face.
"I'm aware that I haven't mentioned her anywhere in my application" she said. "I sent it in before I was even pregnant, you see. But as you can clearly see my grades have not been affected at all. I have worked very hard to make sure of that."
The dean looked skeptical. She wanted to slap herself for wording it like that.
"Of course, without neglecting my daughter. She comes first." Blair swallowed. "And so does school. The two sort of… come together."
Now she was sure she cringed outwardly. What the hell was she even saying? She wasn't making any form of sense whatsoever.
"I see…" the dean said, clearly not seeing at all.
"What I mean is… Having a baby girl only made me more motivated to get a good education. I want to set an example for her, and secure her future. She is my extracurricular right now, my main preoccupation outside of school. I study and I take care of my baby and… and being a parent has really taught me so much about responsibility." She felt like a complete moron. "And tradition."
"Huh" the dean said, eyeing her skeptically. "And your… husband… is supportive of your desire to study?"
Blair felt like she was going to be sick. Why did she have to mention tradition? Her baby's parentage was not exactly traditional in the way that Yale would approve of.
"We haven't gotten married" she simply said, hoping he wouldn't ask any further questions about the father.
"Well is your boyfriend supportive of your desire to study at Yale?"
Realizing she might as well just come clean Blair prayed that the smile would still look genuine as she spilled the next sordid detail.
"We're not together anymore" she said, knowing that sounded like a tacky teenage pregnancy cliché but at least it was better than 'we were friends with benefits'. "We're still very good friends though, and yes, he is supportive. He knows that Yale is my passion and my dream and he agrees with me that coming here to study will benefit both me and our child." She made her smile a touch wider. "But enough about him. I assure you, that being a mother will not be a hindrance. In fact, I believe it will be an asset. I am more motivated now than I have ever been before and I believe that every step along the way since I first found out about my daughter has helped me to grow as a person, and has taught me many valuable lessons."
She steered the conversation over to her passion for Yale and the fact that her father was an alumni, anything she could think of that would impress the dean and take focus off of the fact that she had a baby and that the baby might get in the way of school.
To her relief it seemed like the dean was actually listening with some interest, and for a second she began to believe that she had managed to charm him into thinking about her as Blair, as a possible student at Yale, and not a young mother.
Then an uncomfortable look came over his face. She paused and tried to figure out what was wrong.
"Dean Berube… is there something the matter?" she asked.
"You're, uhm…"
He gestured towards her chest and then looked away. Blair looked down and almost groaned audibly. This was just fantastic. She was lactating, and had leaked through her cardigan. Far from how she had wished to make an impression. There was no way the dean would forget her now, the girl with breast milk on her clothes, but in all likelihood all it would make him think of was how she should probably be staying at home with her baby instead of going to study at a place like Yale.
"Dean Berube I am most sorry" she said, desperately trying to think of a way to cover herself up, or clean the milk off. "This almost never happens! I nursed her just over an hour ago, and… I'm really sorry. I feel completely mortified."
The dean got up and walked over to the other end of the room where he picked up a Yale sweater. He handed it to Blair without looking at her, and she gratefully put it on, even though she had a feeling he thought she was violating the grand blue sweater by leaking breast milk all over it.
"Tell me, where is your daughter now?" the dean asked her.
"She's here on campus" Blair said. "With her father. She's in good hands."
"Chuck Bass" a voice said as the hood was lifted from Chuck's face. "Heir to Bass Industries. Champion of the legendary Lost Weekend. Rumor has it you've slept with more Maxim covers than John Mayer."
"And better, I might add" Chuck smirked, earning a chuckle from most of the gathered college boys.
"If our intel is correct you're our prime candidate from next year's class" the Skull and Bones leader continued. "Except one small detail…"
"There's nothing small about me" Chuck retorted dryly.
"It appears you have left the playboy party lifestyle behind you to stay home and change diapers" the leader smirked. "Skull and Bones is not the Babysitter's Club."
"I have a daughter" Chuck confirmed. "What of it? Does it upset you to know that my virility has been proven while yours may still be doubted?"
"It just seems a shame that someone with such an excellent resume should tarnish their record with something as banal as being stuck with a kid in high school."
"The kid is no concern of yours" Chuck said. "My lifestyle changes if I say it changes. Laying low on the party scene this past month has been a choice."
"See that's what worries us" the leader said. "Has Chuck Bass gone soft and decided to cancel his ascension to greatness in favor of cooing with a bastard baby?"
"If I had, you wouldn't have been able to get me here" Chuck retorted.
The leader smiled. Chuck was getting the feeling that he was merely teasing him, attempting to make him feel humble and in a position where he needed to suck up to these college brats. He knew they wanted him, but they didn't want him to think he had a smooth sailing ahead. Chuck could barely contain a grin. They were hardly masters of manipulation.
"As I said before, kids out of wedlock aside, you appear to be clear-cut Skull and Bones material" the leader continued. "But we don't take anything on hearsay. We need to know firsthand if you're as good as you're advertising. And if your recent sidetrack into parenthood is going to be a distraction."
Still with a smirk on his face Chuck stood up and looked at the guys around him.
"Well, I come prepared. How about a little private party to kick things off?"
The leader shared a look with one of his sidekicks and smirked right back at Chuck.
"What did you have in mind?"
Blair stepped out of Dean Berube's office and hurried for the nearest restroom. Once she got inside she pulled the Yale sweater off and inspected the damage in the mirror. She nearly cried when she saw that she was lactating on both sides, like some damn milking cow. She grabbed some paper towels and shoved them into her bra, in a futile attempt to have at least some of it dried off.
She stared at her face in the mirror and wanted to just disappear from the face of the earth. True she had been able to cover the dark rings under her eyes with makeup, and her hair was perfectly styled, and for once she didn't smell like baby vomit. But all of that had been for nothing as her body had betrayed her and probably grossed the dean out completely.
Now all she wanted to do was retire to the hotel room she had gotten for the night and nurse the baby. Hopefully after Grace had eaten she wouldn't be lactating through the clothes she had to change into.
She got out her phone and sent a quick text to Chuck.
"Where R U?"
After a few minutes she got an annoyingly ambiguous answer.
"On campus."
Growling with frustration she stuffed some more paper tissues inside her bra, ignoring how uncomfortable the paper was against her sensitive skin, and then put the sweater back on. Chuck had better show up as soon as possible with the baby, so she could nurse her.
She walked back out into the hallway and headed for the exit, cursing to herself over how she would never get into Yale now. The best she could hope for was the dean encouraging her to apply again when her child was older.
She hadn't gotten far when her phone rang. Thinking to herself that it had better be Chuck she answered with a quite annoyed: "Yes?"
"Miss Waldorf?" dean Berube's secretary said on the other end.
It took Blair a second to gather her wits and find her words.
"Yes…"
"The dean would like to invite you to his house for an intimate gathering this evening."
"A… An intimate gathering?" Blair stuttered.
"That is, if you are available."
"Oh yes!" Blair exclaimed. "I've never been more available in my life! It would be my honor to attend!"
She hung up the phone and practically skipped for joy on the spot. Things could not have gone so terribly if she had been invited to the gathering. Now all she needed was to make sure Grace was fed, and that she had somewhere around fifty pads in her bra to soak up any renegade milk, and she would be all set.
But first she had to find Chuck, and thereby find the baby. She walked outside and hurried down the path in front of her. She found Chuck almost immediately, at the exact spot where she had left him, leaned against a tree with the baby sleeping in the carry-cot by his feet.
"Chuck!" she exclaimed. "Thank God you're where you're supposed to be. We have to go, I need a change of clothes."
"Change of clothes?" Chuck echoed. "Don't tell me Yale has a casting couch."
"Very funny. Actually I need a change of clothes because I was stupid enough to sleep with you and then I had a baby so now I'm leaking through my clothes. In front of the dean no less. You have no idea how humiliating that was."
She picked up the carry-cot and hurried down the path towards where her car was parked. Chuck followed her, curious to hear how things had gone.
"So you messed up your interview? Because of that?"
"Actually I didn't. In fact I think it went quite well. Dean Berube saw that I am strong-willed and dedicated and that motherhood works in my advantage."
"Are we still talking about your breasts?"
"Oh for crying out loud. Stop being such a perv and listen. I need you to look after the baby tonight."
"No can do, sugar" Chuck replied. "I've got plans."
"Cancel them. I've got plans and they outrank yours."
"Says who?"
"Says the fact that I've already put my future here at risk my pushing your offspring through my privates so you're going to make it up to me."
"I will make it up to you tomorrow" Chuck said. "Tonight I'm busy."
"I am talking about something that is crucial to my future. And by extension, to Grace's future."
"Coincidentally, my plans will also be of service to her."
"Chuck please" Blair said as they reached the car. "The dean invited me to the gathering at his house tonight."
Chuck paused.
"You got an invitation?"
"Yes. And you know how important that is."
He hesitated. He had spent too much time and energy planning for this. He couldn't just drop it like a hot potato. But this was Blair's chance, and she was right, she was hindered enough as it was. On a selfish note he didn't want her to go to Yale, he wanted her to go to whatever school he went to so that they'd be in close proximity to one another. On another note he wanted her to have her dream. He knew she had worked for it and he knew it would make her happy.
"You should brush up on George Sands" he said and opened the car door for her. "In case the dean asks follow-up questions."
She gave him a smile that was 'thank you' enough. She got in the car and he followed, wondering how the hell he was going to get out of this one.
That evening Blair arrived at his hotel room with a sleeping baby and an excited smile. Chuck couldn't help but smile back at her.
"Nice outfit" he said. "Conservative, yet youthful, and the black really helps hide the baby weight."
"Did you just call me fat?"
He chuckled and held out his hand for her to hand over the carry-cot. Blair's smile had faded somewhat but she handed the baby over and adjusted her purple headband.
"She's been fed and changed, there's an extra diaper in the bag, and since she spent the last two hours screaming at the top of her lungs I think she's also quite tired" she said. "Enjoy."
"Have a great night" he said before closing the door.
"Oh I intend to" he heard her reply before the door closed.
"So do I" he mumbled to himself.
He put the carry-cot down on the large table and checked his phone for any new messages. He then went and changed into something more fitting for the evening, including a bowtie with tiny skulls on it, casting a quick glance at the baby to see if she was still asleep before he ran a comb through his hair.
Fifteen minutes after Blair had left there was a knock on the door. He hurried over and opened the door to a somewhat disturbed Dorota.
"Mister Chuck you said emergency" she said. "I come at once. What is wrong? Where is Miss Blair?"
"Oh she is out for the evening" Chuck said. "I called you here because I needed someone to sit with the baby while I go out."
"Why did not Miss Blair call?" Dorota asked suspiciously.
"I'd love to stay and chat but you're five minutes late" Chuck said, checking his watch. "Baby's been fed and somehow changed, don't tell Blair you were here, I've got to go."
Before Dorota could protest he was out the door, off to his Skull and Bones gathering. All he needed to do was make sure he would get back before Blair did. An educated guess based on the baby's feeding habits told him he had roughly two hours.
Twenty minutes later he found himself back where he had been earlier that day, except this time instead of the room being in complete darkness it was suggestively lit for a party. His kind of party. A party that would show them once and for all that if there was one thing Chuck Bass had not done it was gone soft.
He had to admit he was disappointed in the locale. Especially the throne which the leader sat upon. A throne? Really? Well at least these fellows were predictable. The girls he had brought were clearly pleasing them. He couldn't help but wonder if this was their first experience with anything orgy related. And they thought they had anything to teach him.
Of course their leader refused to be overwhelmed. Chuck had known it wouldn't be that easy. He was curious to hear what the real test would be. Not that it really mattered to him whether or not they found him worthy, but he was starting to get the urge to really show them who was the master here.
The leader walked slowly over to him.
"You still need to prove your loyalty" he said.
Chuck's face remained unchanged. Whatever they wanted, he hoped they weren't pathetic enough to drag the baby into it.
"We want Nate Archibald" the leader said. "We know you're tight with him."
Chuck laughed. So much for their intel. A simple visit to Gossip Girl would have told them that Nate and Chuck had barely spoken in about nine months, and while these guys hardly were the types who frequented high school gossip blogs Chuck knew that if you googled his name, or Nate's for that matter, Gossip Girl would be one of the top hits.
"We know he's on campus" the leader continued.
"Archibald's not worth your time" Chuck said, not really caring about the whining from these guys about how the Captain had cost them this and that.
"Pull him in" the leader said. "Take him down. You've got one hour. You want in? You'll bring us Archibald."
Well that seemed simple enough. Not much of a moral dilemma there. Chuck signaled to one of the guys to turn off the music. Then he got out his phone and called Nate's number, hoping he would pick up. He did, but he didn't sound too happy.
"Always the sunshine, Archibald" Chuck said. "Don't tell me you're not enjoying your stay here at Yale."
"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm actually leaving tonight" Nate said on the other end. "Apparently Archibalds are no longer welcome at Yale. Vanderbilt or otherwise."
"Look before you leave there's something I need to talk to you about" Chuck said. "Are you still on campus?"
"On my way off campus. This place called Mike's bar. I need something suitably strong, and I need it away from here."
"Great, I'll meet you there."
"Why would I meet up with you anywhere?" Nate snorted.
"Because I have to tell you something."
"Where are you now anyway?" Nate asked.
"Doesn't matter. I'll be there in fifteen minutes."
"I ran into Blair earlier" Nate said. "She told me the baby was with you. You're doing a hell of a job parenting. Were you planning on bringing the baby to the bar?"
"None of your concern" Chuck said. "Just meet me. For old friendship's sake."
"Fine" Nate said. "But you're paying for my drinks."
"Fine, just stay put."
"Okay."
He hung up and Chuck looked up at the Skull and Bones guys.
"It's done. Let's go."
He walked outside together with the Yale boys. Now all he had to do was find a suitable Nate substitute and he could be back at his hotel room sending Dorota off within the hour. Dan Humphrey was on campus, he would be a satisfying sacrificial lamb. Nate would probably be furious that he had called and asked for a meeting and then not shown up, but it was the better alternative. Nate would probably thank him later, and if he didn't, well things couldn't get much frostier anyway.
An hour and a half later Blair walked back into the hotel, still trying to figure out how the evening had really gone. Dean Berube had seemed impressed with her answer to his question, and she had done her very best to charm and impress every important person in the room. But she had found herself distracted, wondering how Chuck was doing with the baby. She had never been away from Grace for more than two hours in the past, and she was constantly fighting the urge to call him and check up on the baby.
She knocked on his door, eager to see her little girl again. When he didn't open she frowned. Was he out? It was far too late to be taking the baby out for a stroll. She knocked again, more forcefully, but still no answer. After counting to twenty without hearing any sign of movement on the other end of the door she opened her bag and started searching for her phone. Just as she was about to call him he opened the door.
"Sorry" he said. "Bathroom."
She made a disgusted face as if he had shared too much information and walked inside as he held up the door.
"How was your evening?" he asked her.
"Good. I think."
"Was the dean impressed with your answer to his question?"
"Only time will tell I guess" Blair said. "Where's the baby? Has she been good?"
"I guess…"
He hadn't remembered to ask Dorota before he herded her out the door less than fifteen minutes ago. All he had been focusing on was making sure she left before Blair got back from the party.
Blair walked over to Grace and smiled down at her.
"Did you have a nice evening with Daddy?" she asked.
"Look, if you don't mind…" Chuck said. "I'm kind of tired and I'm planning on leaving early tomorrow."
She looked up.
"Of course." She picked up the carry-cot and walked to the door. "Thank you Chuck. I really mean it."
"There's nothing to thank me for" he said modestly and shoved his hands in his pockets. "She's our responsibility, is she not?"
Blair smiled sweetly at him. He hoped to God that Dorota would keep her mouth shut. He had threatened to send one of his PIs to dig up dirt on her and use it against her if she didn't. And he hoped Nate wouldn't call him while Blair was still there. He was far from sure Nate would call at all, but in case he did he wanted Blair gone. As far as she knew he had been in the hotel room for the past two hours with the baby, and he didn't want to shatter that illusion.
"Say goodnight" Blair said, either to him or the baby.
"Goodnight" he said.
She gave a little wave and then she was gone. He threw himself down on the bed and sighed. Tonight had been a little too stressful.
The next morning Chuck waited just long enough that he knew the Skull and Bones boneheads would have woken up and gathered the troops to try and ambush him. He then casually strolled out the door and awaited the ambush. It took roughly five seconds. A whole group of them came up to him, a few of them grabbing a hold of him so that their mighty leader might speak and intimidate.
"Looks like someone messed up last night" the leader said and made a face. "You sent us after the wrong guy."
"It may have been the wrong guy for you, but it was the right guy for me" Chuck said, not the least bit phased.
"You'll pay for this when you get here next year."
"Oh I'm not coming here next fall" Chuck said, amused that they hadn't figured this out yet. "Those girls I brought to the party last night? They witnessed some pretty incriminating acts with their lipstick cameras."
He watched with satisfaction as they began to realize who was really in charge here. He hadn't been completely dishonest with Blair the day before. This would be helpful to Grace in the future too. He could get whatever favors he wanted for his daughter and these guys would have to comply.
"You may be the future leaders of America but you are now under the control of Chuck Bass. I own you. Looks like Daddy's in charge."
After he left the gang in his wake he walked over to his car, where he found Nate waiting. Unsurprisingly his old friend didn't look too friendly at present.
"Sorry about last night" Chuck offered. "I would have texted you, but you know… I ended up getting my hands full with the baby."
"Did you?" Nate said. "Because as I recall you weren't with the baby last night."
"Look I'm sorry. Ride back with me and we'll talk in the car."
"Not on your life. You never had any intention of meeting up with me last night, did you? You were just using me to further your own agenda."
"What?"
"I know what you did to Dan" Nate said. "What did you do? Did you promise those frat boys my head on a platter to get in to their secret society? And then give them Dan instead?"
"If so then what's it to you?" Chuck asked. "Those guys were coming for you and I saved your ass. You should be thanking me."
"For what? Sending them after Dan?"
"Seemed good to me. Besides, since when do you care about humdrum Humphrey anyway? He's nothing. He's less than nothing."
"I actually think he's pretty cool" Nate replied.
"Shows how low you've sunk" Chuck said after a moment's pause. "I didn't have to save your ass at all last night. I still did. That should count for something."
"No, you didn't have to come here to try and court the Skull and Bones, but you still did. You know, I actually thought that you would grow up a little with everything that's happened" Nate said. "Clearly I was mistaken. Running around trying to get into secret societies when you have a baby to look after? That's real mature Chuck."
"So is bolting on the girl who might be carrying your baby" Chuck shot back. "At least I showed responsibility before we knew whose she was."
"Please" Nate scoffed. "You haven't changed a bit."
He walked off, and Chuck saw him go up to Dan and put his arm around his shoulder. Trying to tell himself that it didn't matter, Chuck got in the car. He was eager to get the hell away from Yale as soon as possible.
So that's my version of their visit to Yale =) Next chapter... aftermath. Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season, and if you want to get me something for Christmas then how about a review? ;)