Hello! Okay, so I recently discovered a book series many of you have probably already heard of/read. I just read the Jessica Darling series. The characters are not really like our GG characters, and yet Jessica Darling and Marcus Flutie reminded me of Chair. I think it centres on seeing two people who are meant to be together, and in fact the last book gave me hope, because after three years of being apart they bump into each other, both realize that connection is still there… and go for it. This is really CB like to me, because I want to bash their heads together. Actually I want to bash the writers' heads together, but I digress. I think the beauty of CB is that… They're meant to be together. I think that's what's so tiring. Everybody knows it, but it's just getting drawn out. Like the writers think they can't write them together. I will not be bored. I loved so much of season three. I would hug it and any season like it. Now I'm rambling and I'm sure some of you are cursing me for spoiling Perfect Fifth. Read the series. It's awesome. Here we go…

"Why are they coming here?" Harry asked indignantly at the breakfast table the next morning.

His mother sat at the end reading the newspaper and sipping her coffee. "I'm sorry… I'm trying to remember when it was decided that you got a say in who I invited to lunch?" Blair looked over the paper at her son. "Oh, that's right. I own the house. It's my call."

She went back to reading but couldn't miss the slightly grumbled. "It's Dad's house too."

"Yes, and when your father chooses to return he will have a say in who comes over… I may not listen, but he can voice his opinion. Until he's here… this is a totalitarian regime. Please feel free to consider me you dictator."

Bart shared a scowl with his brother and took an angry bite out of a bagel. His brow furrowed as he chewed. Still not looking at either boy Blair made them a suggestion.

"Since you are so against the company I'm choosing to keep… perhaps you might like to spend the afternoon at your grandmother's? I'm sure Rufus would love to have you boys join him in a sing-a-long again. You both remember the words to Hotel California I'm sure?"

Both boys shivered in remembrance of a night at their grandmother's when her husband had made them sit by the fire for hours while he sang "old favourites".

"Thank you, Mother, but we'd like to stay. This is our home."

"Hmm?" Blair said noncommittally.

Harry looked over at his brother and they shared a nod. A minute later Harry asked if they could be excused, which they were, and it was up to Harry's room they went.

"She's going to be pissed." Harry commented as he paced his floors like a general. Plots were running through both their minds and he met his brother's eyes. "We have to be ready."

At twelve o'clock the father and daughter arrived promptly. The Bass boys flanked their mother's side, staking their claim. Violet merely smiled at them, and yet they could see the determination behind her eyes.

They all headed into the formal sitting room and Blair had tea served.

"Please, enjoy. Lunch should be ready shortly." Blair imparted.

"Mother?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"May we go and… play until lunch is served?"

"Harry, we have company."

"I meant Violet too."

"Very well."

Violet had kept quiet, because it had been her plan to lure the boys away so that her father had time alone with Blair, time to woo. Violet hadn't expected this, she had thought it would be like luring bears away from honey to get the Bass boys away from their mom, and she should have been happy, but the ease of this situation had her on edge. Plus she wanted to be there to ensure her father said all the right things. She still smiled brightly at Blair as she cautiously followed the boys out of the room. They went up the huge stairway and down the hall to Harry's bedroom. None of the children dropped their guard, and yet they kept up the guise of a play date.

"What do you want to do?" Violet asked innocently. "Board game?"

"How about Hide and Go Seek?" Harry offered with a smile.

"Really?" She derided. "Are we five?"

"He almost is." Harry said with a tilt of his head to his brother. "What's the problem? You're not scared are you?"

She didn't want to fall for this… but she couldn't bring herself to back down from a challenge. "Of course not."

"Good. We'll even hide first."

"Fine. I'd always rather be the predator than the prey." Violet said with a snide smile that grew when she saw Harry's eyes narrow.

"Rules are you can't leave the house, everything else is fair game. Start counting."

Bart looked at her and Violet rolled her eyes. "I won't peek."

The Bass boys took off together but separated. Harry took to the attic while Bart made his way to a hall closet. As she reached 100 Violet opened her eyes and went Bass hunting. She headed straight for the stairs to the attic because she'd heard his clod like gate all the way up. Reaching the top of the stairs she paused. The attic was huge and filled with more forgotten items than you'd think the Basses would have. There were old figures Blair's mother had used to make clothes, and racks of Eleanor Waldorf designs. There were sofas, tables, old beds and endless places to hide. It could have taken forever to search… but Violet had seen the footprints in the dust on the floor, the footprints that led her straight to a large trunk.

Bart crept up the stairs as was the plan, which was to lure Violet into the furthest reaches of the attic where Harry would come out of hiding, double back and out of the attic and lock her up there. Harry had even deliberately stomped going up the stairs so that there would be no doubt where she should look for him. However, Bart realized their plan had gone awry when Violet started hefting heavy books, and old sculpture and even a chair onto the lid of the trunk his brother was hiding in it.

It didn't take Harry too long to figure out what was happening, but it was still too late. He tried to push open the lid, but it wouldn't budge. Damn.

He kept his voice calm as he spoke. "Violet?"

"Yes, Harry?" She responded in kind.

"What are you doing? The point is to find me, not lock me up?"

"Really? Because if I had to guess… You were planning on locking me away weren't you?"

"Perhaps."

"Well than I guess it's too bad for you that I'm smarter."

"I wouldn't say that. You seem to be working the most idiotic plan I've ever heard of… so how smart can you be?"

"Smart enough to get what I want." She said defensively, hating his knowing tone.

"You're never going to have her. She's our mom."

"There's no reason that she can't be mine!"

"I'm sorry, I don't speak crazy, so I don't know how to talk to you right now."

"I'm going to tell her you tried to lock me in there. She already knows about you and the gum… I'm going to cry. And she's going to sooth, and bond with my Dad, and they'll be married before Christmas." Violet declared rapidly because she was just starting to get the idea that he might be right.

"Good luck with that."

"Boarding school! I'll have you sent to boarding school!"

"To do that you have to win, and that isn't happening!"

Still lurking in the stairwell, Bart's mind raced with what to do next. All he could think about was keeping Violet away from their mom until Harry could talk to her first. This was getting out of hand. She was their mom and Violet couldn't have her. Then he got an idea. He ran to his parent's room and riffled through his mother's bedside table. He smiled as he found what he was looking for and then rushed back to the attic.

"Well, since you seem to be engaged… I should head back downstairs… to the soon-to-be happy couple." Violet said triumphantly.

She was so caught up that she didn't hear Bart creeping up behind her. Which was why she was caught off guard when he slipped a pair of handcuffs onto her wrist, put it through the posts of the bed frame she was standing next to, and then latched it to his own wrist.

"What are you doing?" Violet said incredulously and with wide eyes.

"Winning." Bart smiled.

You would have thought the adults downstairs would have heard her scream. They didn't. After a futile struggle, and a great deal of threats of violence, Violet collapsed onto the bed, saying nothing. Bart carefully sat down next to her. Silence descended for long moments.

"Is everyone alive out there?" Came from inside the trunk and after nothing but silence. "Hello?"

"No one is dead." Violet said quietly.

"Good to know… Although, I have missed being an only child." Harry didn't need to see Bart to know he was scowling.

It grew quiet again.

"You don't know what it's like." Violet finally said.

"What?" Harry asked, glad to have something to take his mind off of wondering how much airflow he was getting.

"To not have a mother. You don't even appreciate the one that you have… she's perfect."

"She's ours." Harry reminded her.

"Why? Because she gave birth to you? We have everything in common. And we're girls. Mother's should brush their daughter's hair, go shopping with them… teach them about… everything."

"We go shopping with our mom." Harry pointed out. "And she's brushed our hair."

"You know what I mean."

"Maybe. And maybe we'd share her with a sister… but you're not our sister."

"I could be. It everything works the way I want it to… you'll have to share her."

Both boys still thought she was crazy, but Harry tried to explain.

"You made a mistake." He told her.

"No I didn't."

"Yes, you did." Harry said honestly. "You think that if you get her alone with your dad long enough, she'll fall for him, marry him and be your mother. But that can never happen."

"Why?"

"Because of our Dad. And maybe that's it? You don't know him… so you've never seen them together… so… you don't know that they belong together. It's true love." Harry quoted what he had heard almost his whole life and what he also believed.

"There's no such thing as true love." Violet said, truly believing it.

Harry smiled in the dark of the trunk and mused. "Maybe you're not as like her as you think."

"What do you mean?"

"Mom is a fairytale person."

Beside her Bart nodded in agreement.

"Then… my dad can be her new Prince." Violet declared as she struggled to hold onto her plan.

"What part of, 'she loves our dad' aren't you getting?"

"Your dad is gone."

"So? He'll be back."

"You don't get it." Violet said with a bitterness no ten year old should have.

"What don't I get?"

"When a parent leaves, they don't come back. I used to wait by the door for my mom to come back, sometimes all night. I'd bring my pillow and blanket and lay in the foyer waiting. My Dad finally told me one day that she wasn't coming back. You shouldn't be waiting either."

It hadn't crossed either Bass boy's mind that their father might be gone for good. They still knew without a doubt that he would come home to them. This assurance made Harry feel bad for the girl.

"I'm sorry." Harry said softly. "I'm sorry your mom never came back… But our Father will. He can't stay away. We're a family."

Harry couldn't see her, but Bart could, and he couldn't take his eyes off her. Violet was crying. Huge tears chased down her cheeks. He didn't say anything but he reached up and gently wiped them away. Violet's eyes locked on this little boy who spoke so little, but she could tell what he was thinking. He was sorry. Sorry that her family wasn't like his. Violet looked away, sorry that her family wasn't like his too.

What seemed like hours past and all the children almost fell asleep stuck where they were, but a sharp voice snapped their attention.

"What exactly is going on here?" Blair and Violet's dad stood at the top of the stair.

Not quite believing what they were saying they moved further into the attic and Blair looked down at her youngest son handcuffed to a bed with a girl.

"I'll ask again… what is going on here?"

"That's what I'd like to know." A new voice filled the room and sent shivers down Blair's back as she spun around.

"Chuck!"

TahDAH! Okay, so… should I tell you this? The next chapter will be almost all CB. I'm going to endeavor to make up for the draught I've given you. Hopefully you will forgive me after I've written it. Having said that… my computer appears to be on its last legs. I think. Keep your fingers crossed.

Oh, and I would just like to thank all the savechuckandblair people for reminding us that yesterday was the Limoversary! Sometimes it feels like being a CB fan is torture… but it's worth it for this couple. Any other show… I would have dropped by now. But I can't give up on CB. I just can't. Hopefully that isn't my downfall. (Blair quote ish!)