AN: As always, thanks for the reviews/favorites/follows/hits! And while reviews are always appreciated, everyone knows that's not why you write =)
I do apologize if it feels like this story feels very Chuck-centered lately, but that was a risk I knew I was taking having cut the Dair and Blouis storylines that mainly occupied Blair while Chuck was dealing with the Thorpes on his own. Without Dair/Blouis happening, there's really not much else for Blair to focus on at the moment aside from her classes and being supportive of Chuck in his battle against Russell Thorpe when she's not playing hostess.
That said, if you like Louis... well... you'll probably hate me for this chapter, however if you dislike him... I hope you'll be quite pleased!
This chapter jumps a few weeks from the last one to the end of March.
"Blair!" she heard Chuck holler from the foyer of the penthouse as she laid on top of the bed flipping through the latest issue of Vogue.
"In here!" she called out. Moments later he burst through the door that was already ajar.
"Care to explain this?!" he growled from the doorway.
"Mind elaborating what exactly 'this' is?" she questioned nonchalantly before looking up from her magazine to see the day's society pages held up in his hand.
"This!" he barked as he came forward just enough to toss the section of the paper on the bed next to her.
Looking down, she spied a spread of photos from her afternoon with Prince Louis of Monaco yesterday. And then she noticed the headline.
"Why the hell does it say that my fiancee is trading me in for the Prince of Monaco?!" Chuck demanded to know, his eyes narrowing into slits of a jealous rage.
Blair sighed and rolled her eyes as she sat up on the bed. "Chuck, you have nothing to worry about," she tried to assure him.
"Then why is your afternoon out with him yesterday news to me today?" he hissed.
Once again she rolled her eyes. "Because I knew you would act like this if I told you."
"So it's better for me to find out by reading the newspaper instead and getting a taunting blast from Gossip Girl?!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air in frustration. "So much for everything we've learned about communicating at counseling..."
"Again, Chuck... you have nothing to worry about – I'm not interested in him and as far as I'm concerned, you're stuck with me," she grinned, trying to lighten his mood a little.
"Then why are you seeing him again?" he wondered. "And why now? How long have you kept in touch with him? Or have you been in touch with him this whole time since last summer?"
"Chuck, what else have we learned in counseling? If you'll calm down for just one second and quit making accusations I'll explain," she told him as she waited for him to pull himself together. "I'm only spending time with him because my mother asked me to," she began to explain after a moment. "If you must know, she's back in town from now until the wedding and is currently designing some custom-made gowns for his mother and sister for some upcoming event. Knowing Louis and I had met and gotten along well in Paris last summer, she asked if I could do her the courtesy of showing him around the city for a bit this week while she got things underway with his mother and sister. It's spring break – Serena is off jet-setting, you're busy with work... I had the entire week free and I honestly didn't think it would be an issue."
Chuck let out a sigh of relief.
When he had first gotten the Gossip Girl blast that morning as he rode the elevator downstairs he thought little of it – Gossip Girl had been known for instigating drama amongst their social circle for years, especially when things were going smooth and everyone was happy. For all he knew the picture she had chosen could have been doctored or from last summer. But then when he began flipping through the newspaper on his ride to the office and saw the pictures on the society page... he knew he had to go back and question her about it.
"That's it?" he asked calmly as he sat down on the edge of the bed near her. "You're just aiding your mother in a business deal?"
"Yes, that's exactly it," she said softly as she reached over and ran her fingers through his hair. "He's just a friendly acquaintance, Chuck – nothing more," she assured him as she leaned over and pressed her lips to his with his lips returning the favor.
"Good," he stated as he wrapped an arm around her, drawing her closer to him.
"I realize I should have told you what was going on and I'm sorry that you found out through the newspaper. I am however meeting him for lunch again later today at Cafe Boulaud – if it makes you feel any better, I can arrange for us all to have dinner together this evening," she suggested as she felt him begin to trail kisses down her neck and along her shoulder.
"Dinner sounds good," he murmured as he continued to lay kisses on her flesh.
"Then I'll tell Dorota to start making arrangements for tonight at mother's... something elegant... catered of course, with the good china..." she rambled on, trying not to get too flustered by his lips against her skin. "Chuck... aren't you going to be late for work?" she breathed, closing her eyes and savoring the moment, knowing he had to leave soon and that he really didn't have time for one of their usual rendezvous right then.
"I'm already late," he uttered between kisses. "And besides – I'm the boss... anything important at the office will wait," he added with a smirk as he scooped her up and positioned her back down on the bed, loosening his tie before climbing down on top of her.
"Hey, man – got a minute?" Nate asked later that morning as he stopped back upstairs.
"I'm actually on my way out," Chuck hurriedly informed him as he gathered up his things to take with him to work. He knew he had agreed to dinner later that evening, however he couldn't wait til then to confront the royal pain in his ass, knowing full well his fiancee was meeting him for lunch. While Blair swore he was nothing more than just an acquaintance and that she was merely helping out Eleanor, Chuck had seen the pictures in the paper and he knew Prince Louis was interested in more than just Blair's company around the city during the day. He trusted her completely but had absolutely no trust in him.
"It'll just take a second," Nate insisted.
"Fine, what is it, Nathaniel?"
"I just saw Raina meeting with your uncle Jack this morning," Nate blurted out at once.
"What?" Chuck snapped, shocked by the news. "What's she doing with him?"
"Maybe... I should let him explain," Nate hesitantly announced as Jack came stepping out of his room.
"Hello there, nephew," Jack grinned as he saw Chuck begin to scowl.
"You brought him up here?!" Chuck growled at Nate, annoyed beyond belief that he would do such a thing.
"Just hear him out," Nate urged his best friend.
"Fine, what do you want?" he snarled at his evil uncle, a bit relieved that Blair was already gone.
"It's true, Raina did bring me to the city, and while her proposition was a bit messy I reached out to her father to get to the bottom of why she had brought me here – Chuck, he's after something, something you're keeping here that he could use to destroy the family business, which we both know I don't want to happen as much as you do," Jack quickly explained.
"There's a security tape from the night of the fire, I assume that's what he's after as it would appear that Bart caused his wife's death – he's seeking justice," Chuck stated.
"Yeah, however the implications on a dead man are limited – we're the ones that would take the hit if he gets it and goes public," Jack pointed out to him. "While it may be on the other side of the world, I like my job, to some extent, and would rather not have to start over completely at my age," he confessed. "Any ideas on what we do?"
"Actually... I do have one – can you lure him to the site of my new hotel? Make him think he's getting exactly what he wants – we'll stage a scene, give him an opportunity and then swoop in to crush him," Chuck decided at once.
"I knew he'd know exactly what to do," Nate smiled at Jack, knowing he had been right.
Chuck stood inconspicuously outside the restaurant for a few minutes, watching his fiancee and the Prince of Monaco interact. He watched as Blair genuinely laughed at something Louis had said and watched her blush as the Frenchman said something else. When Blair excused herself to go to the restroom Chuck decided he would make his move then.
"What do you think you're doing?" Chuck asked when he approached Louis at the table.
"Ah, garcon... my date and I would very much like some more champagne if you don't mind," Louis requested without even looking.
"That's nice – be sure to let your waiter know when he arrives," Chuck growled. "Again, what do you think you're doing?" he asked as he sat down in Blair's empty seat and helped himself to a piece of her food.
"Excuse me – that is my date's..." Louis started.
"She's not your date," Chuck bit back.
"Just who do you think you are?!" Louis demanded to know.
"Chuck Bass – the love of her life... and her fiance," he stated, placing emphasis on the word fiance. He was now staring daggers at the royal.
"Ah yes... I recall reading something about that not too long ago," Louis smiled as he relaxed a little in his seat.
"What are you smiling about, Frenchman? Or did you forget – she bailed on you and your ball last summer because she wanted to be with me," Chuck was quick to remind him.
"That may be so... and she may be your fiancee - for now - but we'll see how long that lasts," Louis grinned as he took a sip of his drink. "I'll woo her back soon enough – what girl would pass up the opportunity to be a real Princess?"
That was all the confirmation Chuck needed.
"She would never settle for being a Princess when I can make her feel like the Queen of Manhattan that she is," Chuck retorted. "This is our city – I suggest you tread lightly while here and head back across that ocean where you belong as soon as your business here is done."
"Are you threatening me?" Louis asked in amazement at how bold Chuck was being.
"Consider it a warning," Chuck casually replied.
"I'm royalty – you can't touch me," Louis chuckled in amusement.
"And I'm Chuck Bass – watch me," Chuck stated matter of factly.
"Chuck?!" Both men turned their heads at once in the direction of Blair's voice as she approached the table. "What are you doing here?" she questioned curiously as she smiled seeing him there.
"I was just in the neighborhood and thought I would pop by and say hi," he lied as he rose from her seat and pulled her into a kiss. He noticed the royal stood as well. "Besides, I missed you," he confessed once their lips pulled apart. He noticed a smile form once again on her lips.
"Well, I wasn't expecting to introduce you both until dinner tonight, but I take it you've officially met?" Blair inquired.
"Not formally," Louis informed her.
"Well then, Louis this is my fiance Chuck Bass, and Chuck this is Louis Grimaldi, Prince of Monaco," Blair made the introductions as the two men reluctantly shook hands, faking a warm greeting for her sake. "Will you be joining us?" she turned to Chuck, hoping he would say yes.
Once he gets to know him, he'll see there's absolutely nothing to worry about, she told herself.
"Unfortunately I can't, my love – I need to be heading back to the site of the new hotel... I'm sorry," he added regretfully as he placed a kiss on the top of her chestnut curls, eying the royal the entire time. He smiled as Blair closed her eyes and he watched Louis squirm. "We're still on for dinner tonight?" he questioned.
"Yep! Seven o'clock – don't be late, you know how mother hates that," she reminded him.
"Of course, dear," Chuck smiled as he leaned in to give her a chaste kiss on the lips, feeling her press her lips against his before pulling away. "I'll see you then," he smiled at her before he turned to leave. "Enjoy your lunch," he added, smirking at Louis over his shoulder.
That went well, he thought to himself as he walked down the sidewalk to where he had left Arthur waiting with the limo out of sight. He could only hope the royal had gotten the message loud and clear that Chuck Bass was not one to be toyed with and that Blair was his.
Just to be safe though, Chuck pulled out his phone and promptly dialed his PI Mike.
"Mike... need you to do me a favor – dig up some dirt on Louis Grimaldi... yes the Prince of Monaco. And make sure it's something good that can be used against him if needed. Get me something before seven and I'll double your usual pay," he stated before hanging up.
Chuck waited alone in his make-shift office at the site of his new hotel noticing that it was just after five o'clock.
Where's the party... he wondered to himself as he took another sip of scotch. He had no sooner swallowed it when he saw Jack approaching him.
"Your attempt to destroy me will have to wait – I have a meeting," he informed his uncle, giving him a questioning look as he wondered if everything was in place. With a subtle nod, Jack confirmed it.
"I'm not doing anything," Jack proceeded. "Except getting you the help you need..." Jack told him as he watched Chuck stagger towards him, leading one to believe he was already drunk. "Whoa, whoa... a little unsteady, are we? It's okay – it's understandable that you'd succumb to substance abuse after all you've been through... an aunt who conned you into believing she was your mother just to scam you for profit, a stepmother who cut you out of your own company and of course your fiancee – the love of you life – gallivanting all over town now with a prince who's monarchy is smaller than Manhattan-" But before Jack could bring up anything more Chuck punched him square in the jaw.
"You're forgetting my uncle who made me choose between my legacy and the love of my life!" Chuck snapped at him.
"Ah yes... Blair did jump at the chance to sleep with me... what's it been? Three times now if I recall correctly?" Jack taunted him as Nate approached.
"Hey, hey, hey! What the hell is going on?! Get ahold of yourself!" Nate shouted at Chuck as he tried to pull him off Jack as he had lunged at him after that last comment, feeling he was taking things a little too far. "Stick to the plan," Nate whispered in his ear as he threw him back a bit from Jack.
"Look who rode in on his high horse, Nathaniel, to tell me I told you so," Chuck pointed out to his best friend.
"I'm here to help you and make sure you're okay," Nate tried to calm him down, realizing just how quickly things had escalated between Chuck and Jack. Suddenly he had a feeling that maybe this was a bad idea, the two of them attempting to work together for once.
"I don't need your pity! Get out of the way or get hurt!" Chuck yelled at him.
"Now you're threatening me?! God, Chuck... maybe you do need help..." Nate sadly told him.
"Which is why I've brought it," Jack announced as he motioned for several orderlies from the Ostroff Center to approach.
"You can't be serious!" Chuck scoffed at Jack. "After everything you've done I'd have to be insane to not want to beat the crap out of you!"
"Yeah, well they have experts who'll decide that," Jack said to him. "Now, you either go with these gentlemen or I'll call the cops and file a civil suit against you."
"Sorry man, you should go – it's the only way," Nate urged him, trying to sound convincing as he knew Russell was somewhere nearby.
"Nathaniel, you're making a grave mistake," Chuck convincingly tried to warn him. "Hey! Don't touch the suit!" he barked at the orderlies who were attempting to escort him. Considering what time it was already, he still had to attend dinner tonight with Blair, Eleanor and the Royals and wasn't sure if he'd have proper time to change before then at the rate this was going.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa – sedate him if necessary now," Jack reminded the orderlies as they took Chuck away with Nate trailing behind. "Oh and I guess you won't be needing this!" Jack called after Chuck as he held up a keycard to Chuck's penthouse that he had left on the desk.
"Think he bought it?" Chuck asked as Jack joined him and Nate in the back of his limo after the Ostroff Center vehicle had already left.
"Guess we'll find out soon enough," Jack declared as he made himself comfortable while they watched Russell quickly get into his own vehicle and take off towards The Empire. "Drinks in the lobby to give him ample time before we head on up?" he suggested as they slowly pulled out of the parking lot.
"Gentlemen," he heard Russell Thorpe address Nate and Jack as they stepped off the elevator first. "What brings you here?" he questioned, curiously.
"Well I live here," Nate reminded him at once.
"As do I," Chuck spoke up as he finally approached from behind them both.
"What the hell is going on?" Russell demanded to know.
"Divine Intervention... that is, if you consider Satan divine," Chuck remarked as he glanced over at Jack.
"Hey, you got in one good punch," Jack retorted.
"It was a long time coming... and you took it too far," Chuck made sure to point out to his uncle.
"Jack reached out to me to help," Nate spoke up.
"You see, as much as I love to screw with my nephew, your using me to do it... it just didn't sit right," Jack casually admitted to Russell Thorpe.
"So that tape you just put in your jacket pocket..." Nate began to question him.
"I knew you didn't just want to read your cheating wife's love letters," Jack called him out.
"All that was in that box was evidence against my father – even if you went to the authorities, the implications on a dead man are quite limited. Jack and I would be the ones that would take the biggest hit and well... neither of us want that," Chuck stated.
"So we played follow the leader," Jack continued. "Unless you're into arson porn, there's obviously something else of interest on that tape."
"Bart murdered my wife and I will take my story to the press," Russell declared as he proceeded to push past the three of them only to be greeted by several security guards stepping off the elevator.
"First you'll stay for the viewing," Chuck announced as Russell realized he was trapped.
"The time code is after my father left the building," Chuck remarked as he paused the security footage they were now viewing which showed Russell being the last one to leave the building. "You're the one who locked the doors..." he spoke to Russell. "My father didn't set the fire that killed your wife – you did," he stated in complete disbelief as Nate sat there shaking his head.
"So can we just call the cops? I'm hungry and all you seem to have are olives and hallucinogenic mushrooms... some wife Blair will make..." Jack commented from the kitchen.
"Check the cabinets," Chuck told him from the living room as he rolled his eyes.
"You have to believe me – it was an accident," Russell pleaded with Chuck and Nate. "Bart and I were partners. I had proof that he was planning the fire so when I found out that he was sleeping with Avery... it was the perfect setup – I was trying to keep my family together."
"By killing the mother of your child?" Nate scoffed, feeling horrible for Raina at that moment.
"I swear to you, I thought it was Bart in that building," Russell confessed. "I knew no matter what I said, he would never let Avery go. It sounds crazy but... I still loved her."
"And she still loved you," Chuck sighed as the story sounded all too familiar to him. "I read the letter she wrote to my father, ending things."
"That letter was for me," Russell informed him. "Bart called and said we needed to talk, that I should meet him at the building... that was when I decided that he wouldn't be leaving."
"That's what Avery and my father were arguing about on the tape?" Chuck gasped, shocked to learn that his initial take on things were wrong. "She wanted to tell you in person that she loved him."
"Yeah, Chuck, there's nothing in these cabinets so unless we're close to the end of this sob story, I'm just gonna order room service, okay?" Jack declared as he popped his head around the corner.
"Fine, whatever," Chuck quipped, getting annoyed with Jack's antics.
"Your father and I made an agreement – I would keep the proof of his involvement in the fire a secret, I would give him the company, the insurance money, and go back to Chicago and he would say that he was responsible for the accident – he always felt guilty about Avery being there," Russell explained.
"Gah, I can't choose my entree with Hallmark Hall of Fame playing in the background – I'm calling the cops already," Jack decided as he came marching into the room, reaching for the phone.
"Please!" Russell cried out as he snatched the phone from Jack's hand. "I'll pay," he offered to Chuck. "I'll give you Thorpe Enterprises – anything you want! However I can't let Raina find out what I did."
Chuck thought it over for a moment before motioning to Russell that he should hand over the phone.
"I'll give you the same deal he did," Chuck finally decided.
"Oh, hey, girls – c'mon! Can we at least get my airfare out of this deal?" Jack whined.
"I'll let you borrow the jet!" Chuck snapped at him before turning back towards Russell. "Get out of New York and never come back."
"Thank you," Russell spoke as he quickly grabbed his jacket. "If Raina ever found out... I don't know what I'd do."
"You know, your dad was a nasty son of a bitch, but I never thought for a second that he'd actually gone O.J.," Jack admitted to Chuck once Russell had left and Nate had retreated to his room.
"Well, thank you for using your evil powers for good this time," Chuck told him as he poured them each a drink.
"Eh, it was selfish really... and besides, I didn't want anyone else playing with one of my favorite punching bags," Jack smirked at him.
"They do say that dysfunction is best kept in the family... I guess it's true," Chuck remarked as he took a sip of his drink.
"Hey so, does the jet come equipped with Mindy and Tatiana?" Jack couldn't help but ask.
"I suppose it can..." Chuck laughed, shaking his head at how some things just never change.
"I know I don't say it often, if at all – but you really are the best nephew!" Jack stated as he gave Chuck a firm pat on the back.
"Speaking of which, I never did get to thank you for the blood transfusion last summer," Chuck started.
"Thank me? By the time I had gotten a hold of Elizabeth and made arrangements I learned they had already completed the process," Jack admitted as he took another sip from his glass.
"You didn't supply the blood?" Chuck questioned, confused.
"Are you kidding?"Jack exclaimed. "I have Hepatitis C – they don't let me donate... surprisingly though, my time with Pamela Anderson has yet to slow me down – I'd like to think that I'm the Magic Johnson of Hep-C," he grinned.
"But if you didn't, and it wasn't Elizabeth or Charlie..." Chuck thought quietly to himself.
"Your guess is as good as mine, nephew," Jack stated as he finished his drink and sat the glass down.
"Hey Chuck, I just ran into your PI downstairs..." Charlie called to him from the foyer as she walked into the penthouse with Chuck's PI Mike trailing behind her. She stopped dead in her tracks though the moment she set foot in the living room. "Jack?" she spoke, completely shocked and baffled.
"Ahh... my other favorite punching bag," Jack quietly remarked to Chuck.
"What?!" Chuck quipped at him, not quite sure just what his uncle meant by that comment.
"Hello Charlie," Jack smirked at her from across the room.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded to know as she carefully approached Jack and her brother.
"Just helping out my favorite nephew..." he devilishly grinned at her.
"Chuck is your nephew!?" Charlie gasped in disbelief.
"Wait, you two know each other?" Chuck wondered, just as surprised as she was.
"Unfortunately..." Charlie groaned as she rolled her eyes.
"But how..." Chuck tried to fathom when she would have met Jack.
"Aunt Elizabeth," she sternly reminded him.
"Oh, right..." Chuck remarked as he remembered Jack was seeing Elizabeth for some time before him and Charlie knew of each other's existence. "But, wait - Jack you knew I had a sister?!" Chuck asked his uncle, curious as to why Jack had never said anything before.
"Guilty as charged, however it wasn't my place to inform either of you," Jack quickly admitted to them both. "I must say though, finally seeing you two next to each other... the resemblance is quite uncanny! Although..." Jack paused before continuing as he leaned a bit closer to get a better look at them both. "Yep! She has Bart's eyes and Chuck, you have Evelyn and Elizabeth's. Funny how that worked out!"
"Wait, so Jack is your uncle Jack?!" Charlie asked once more just to be sure, getting a nod from both of them. "I never knew his last name was also Bass - all this time I thought he was just another scumbag dating my evil aunt."
"Ouch Charlie, that hurts..." Jack mocked her as he pretended to cling to his chest in pain.
"You tried to help her steal my trust fund!" Charlie snapped at him.
"True..."
"And you tried to seduce me!" she yelled at him once more.
"Just to get at your money – it was nothing personal, sweetheart..." he confessed as he reached to pour himself another drink.
"He once drugged Blair in an attempt to date rape her," Chuck offered up.
"Oh my god! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Charlie screamed at Jack.
"How much time do you have?" Jack once again smirked at her as he casually took a sip of his drink.
"This is all fascinating, however Chuck – I thought you were on a deadline, not to mention the information I have... it's also time sensitive," Mike interrupted.
"Yes, actually... what do you have, Mike?" Chuck asked as he turned to his most trusted PI.
"You're never going to believe this, but I fear that fiancee of yours might be in over her head without knowing what she's gotten herself into," Mike proceeded to tell him as Chuck took a seat with him on the couch.
"What did you find?" he questioned, curious as to what could possibly be so bad about the Grimaldi heir.
"Let's just say... I wouldn't leave him alone with her any more than you already have – frankly, I'm surprised nothing has happened already this week," the PI stated as he handed over a folder full of documentation which Chuck immediately opened and spread out along the coffee table.
He no sooner began looking through everything when his eyes widened in horror. He needed to get to the Waldorf's immediately.
While he was sure nothing would happen with her mother, Dorota and his mother and sister there, he didn't want to risk Louis cornering Blair somewhere alone in the penthouse. He knew Blair would refuse any advances Louis made towards her, but clearly Louis wasn't one to take no for an answer.
"I... I have to go," he stammered as he quickly got to his feet and began heading out. "Jack, Charlie – don't kill each other while I'm gone. Nate's in his room if either of you need anything," he told them both as he hurried to get his coat on. "And Jack, thanks again for your help today."
"Anytime, nephew! Does this mean I get an invitation to the wedding?" Jack grinned as he playfully waved goodbye.
"Goodbye, Jack!" Chuck called out over his shoulder as he stepped onto the elevator, refusing to answer that question.
"So, Charlie..." Jack started once it was just the two of them left. "It's been awhile since your aunt kicked me out – had I known you were staying with brother dearest here I would have made sure this little family reunion happened much sooner. How ya been?"
"Ugh, forget it, Jack," Charlie scoffed as she proceeded towards Nate's room to see what he was up to.
"Blair? Is everything alright?" her mother asked as they all sat down at the table, minus Chuck.
"I'll be right back – I'm just going to call and see what's taking Chuck so long," she told her mother as she got up to excuse herself.
"Where are you!" she hissed into the phone as she stood in the foyer.
"I'm on my way – there was some pertinent information Mike took forever to get to me, but I'm almost there," he assured her.
"Fine, but hurry – mother's about to start dinner without you," she snapped at him.
"Blair – wait!" he called out, trying to stop her from hanging up right away.
"What?"
"Where's Louis?"
"Right now?"
"Yes."
"I don't know, at the dinner table I would guess... oh wait, here he comes... Chuck, I've got to go, I'll see you when you get here," she hastily told him.
"Blair no – don't-"
"It's rude to keep everyone waiting – hurry up and get here!" she barked as she hung up the phone.
"Blair, is everything alright?" Louis asked as he gently approached her.
"Yes... Chuck's just running late... now I'll have to hear about it from my mother... she hates it when people are late," Blair informed him.
"I'm sorry... I recall him saying he would be here..." he said as he softly stroked her upper arm. "Seems he lied to you again..."
"I wouldn't call it a lie... it merely is what it is," she sighed.
"Blair, come back to France with me this summer – you left so abruptly last summer we never got to finish seeing the sights together..."
"Louis... you know I can't – I'm engaged. Chuck and I are getting married in June... perhaps we'll visit sometime?"
"Why settle for him, Blair, and this city when you could be the Princess of Monaco?"
"Princess?" Blair's eyes widened at the thought. "But Louis... I don't feel that way about you. While I'll admit, the thought may have crossed my mind a few times when we were courting last summer, I chose Chuck, Louis – I love him-"
"But why? After everything you told me last summer that he had done to you... I could give you simple happiness..."
"I've found that simple gets boring and I've found my happiness, Louis," Blair told him as she turned to walk away.
Where was Chuck?
"Please Blair, let me show you how good simple can be," Louis pleaded as he grabbed her by her hand and slowly brought it to his lips as he began to trail kisses up along her arm.
"Louis, please stop," Blair requested as she rolled her eyes and attempted to pull her arm away from him.
"No, Blair... let me show you," he whispered seductively as he slid an arm around her waist, pulling her into him as his lips continued trailing along her skin and up her neck while his other hand began pulling at the fabric of her dress near her thigh.
"Louis, stop!" Blair cried as she tried to push him off her.
Just then she felt a set of strong, familiar hands pull her away from Louis, out of his grasp and out of the way.
"She said stop," she heard Chuck growl as he narrowed his eyes while grabbing the lapels of Louis' sport coat. "I thought I told you to tread lightly," he leaned in and whispered to the Prince.
"Get your hands off me!" Louis yelled as he attempted to throw Chuck off him.
"Now you know how it feels to have someone unwanted invade your personal space much like you just did to my fiancee!" Chuck barked back at him.
"Charles!" they heard Eleanor exclaim as her, Dorota, Louis' sister and mother all rushed into the foyer from the dining room to see what all the commotion was about.
"What is going on here?" Louis' mother demanded to know. "Who is this!"
"I'm Chuck Bass, the love of her life," Chuck declared. "Anyone else is just wasting their time,"` he added, eying Louis as he reached behind him and took Blair by the hand, finally turning to check on her. It was then that he noticed her shaking, clearly emotional over what had nearly happened had he not arrived when he did. "It's okay, I'm sorry I was late, but I'm here now," he assured her as he put an arm around her, pulling her close to him. He noticed the tears threatening to fall from her eyes.
"Yes... here to continue hurting her time and time again," Louis quipped.
That was it, Chuck had had enough. Clearly the royal pain had no idea just how far they had come since last year.
Without thinking, Chuck released his arms from around Blair and turned and swung at Louis, his fist making contact with Louis' face, sending him backwards, stumbling towards the floor.
They heard all the women gasp in horror at the sight.
"This is how you treat royalty?!" Princess Sophie harshly asked Eleanor. "You allow your daughter to consort with such hooligans – I ought to tell the press about this, see to it that your company goes under!"
"And I'll tell them how your highness nearly attempted to force himself on an engaged woman," Blair spoke up as she finally found her voice, still clinging to Chuck though for security. Eleanor gasped at the revelation.
"Who's to say you weren't asking for it?" Louis' sister Beatrice interjected. "For all we know, you led him on all week, coming onto him now and your lover walked in and acted out in a fit of jealousy!"
"She told him to stop, several times," Chuck hissed at her with narrowed eyes. Rage was flowing through him like venom.
"Our word against yours – and who do you think everyone will believe?" Louis' mother reminded them all.
"Us," Chuck quickly responded. "And the long list of other women my PI has come up with that will also come forward saying Prince Charming here tried to force himself on them too."
"You're resorting to empty threats?" Princess Sophie demanded to know. But then she turned to face her son and noticed the look of worry on his face. "It's not true, is it?"
"They were paid off..." Louis quietly admitted as he averted his eyes from his mother and hung his head in shame.
"And each of them didn't know there were others," Chuck pointed out. "All it takes is one to come forward and the rest will too – proof of your payoffs will only confirm you demanded their silence. You'll be an embarrassment not only to your family but your family will be an embarrassment to your country."
"What do you want from us?" Louis' mother sighed.
"Leave Manhattan – tonight," Chuck demanded. "Eleanor will ship you your gowns as soon as they're completed, you will wear them to whatever event they were meant to be worn at and you will gush over her custom designs to the press – understood?"
The royals nodded in agreement.
"You have one hour to get your belongings and be on your way to the airport, otherwise we start making phone calls and tomorrow's headlines will be rewritten," Chuck continued.
Without another word, Louis, his mother and his sister were gathering their items from a grinning Dorota and being ushered into the elevator.
"This is all my fault," Eleanor began. "I shouldn't have insisted you occupy him for me this week while I was busy with the Sophie and Beatrice..."
"Mother, you had no way of knowing," Blair assured her as she let go of Chuck and approached her mother who quickly embraced her. "I didn't even know... although I guess I should have seen the signs that he was being a little more friendly than friends normally are..." she trailed on.
"I'm so sorry, dear..." Eleanor cried as she held her daughter tightly.
"It's okay, mother – I'm okay... nothing happened."
"And if anything did, he'd be dead," Chuck added. "I'd make sure of it."
"Charles... thank you so much! If you hadn't been here..."
"Don't mention it," he stopped Eleanor from continuing. "Blair, shall we head home?" he asked, extending a hand to her. She managed to get out of her mother's embrace, nodding as she took his hand and led him over to the coat closet to retrieve her coat and purse.
"Thank you," she whispered once they were in the elevator as she held onto his arm and rested her head against it.
"Keeping you safe from creeps like that is my responsibility," he said solemnly. "I knew something wasn't right with him, so of course I had it looked into."
"I'm glad you did – I forgot how ruthless royals could be... they would have destroyed my mother's company and everything she worked for..." Blair sighed.
Royal Family Flees Manhattan read the headline on the article in the newspaper the next morning.
Chuck couldn't help but grin as he read it while sipping his morning coffee on the couch. Blair was still fast asleep in their bed, worn out from the emotional trauma she had gone through the previous night.
"I read the article – do I even want to know what you did that made them leave so fast?" Nate inquired as he strolled over to the fridge from his room and began pouring himself a glass of orange juice.
"All I did was defend my fiancee and her mother's honor," Chuck smiled. "Whether or not it got a bit physical and blackmail was involved... well... that's a whole 'nother story," he smirked at Nate.
"Well considering I don't see any unusual marks on you and the fact that they're gone, I'm assuming you won?"
"When do I ever lose, Nathaniel?" Chuck let out a little laugh.
"When you give in and let Blair win," Nate retorted with a laugh of his own. "We all know you bend at her every beckoned call."
"Well it is a King's duty to protect his Queen," Chuck smiled. "And that's exactly what I did."
AN: Next chapter will conclude the Thorpe drama *finally* and a character we haven't seen in awhile (any guesses as to who?) makes a return, stirring up some drama for awhile! Again, thanks for reading - we've reached 50 chapters with this one and just recently passed 55k views on this story - that's awesome and I'm so appreciative of those that have been reading and reviewing since the beginning as well as those of you that joined this Chairytale a bit later =)
Next chapter will be up early next week (probably around Tuesday!) and I'm pretty proud of how it's coming along, as I've been fleshing out the draft I wrote months ago.
