I was given the prompt "Disney World" from Ellen via Twitter and I loved it. The thought of Chuck and Blair having to endure the torture of the Magic Kingdom was too much fun to pass up. This was going to be a drabble but it was too long so I slotted it in here. It's set in the White Lies universe of course so it's young Henry, Cordelia and Ned. Hope you all enjoy it. Nothing belongs to me except the original characters.
"I still cannot believe that we are seriously going through with this." Chuck Bass strode into the master bedroom to find his wife carefully overseeing the packing of her Louis Vuitton trunk. "Disney World? I swear I break out in hives every time I think about it."
Blair Waldorf Bass looked up from her clipboard which contained a thorough list of all the things that needed to be packed. "Well in that case I'll add Calamine Lotion and Benadryl to the medicine list." She glanced at Dorota. "Can you see to that?"
Her trusty housekeeper nodded her head once. "Of course Miss Blair." She picked up her own clipboard looking it over. "I already have Benadryl but will add lotion."
Chuck rolled his eyes. He sat down on the edge of the bed loosening his tie. "They completely manipulated you. You do realize that don't you?"
Blair took a deep breath and silently counted to five before turning to face her husband. "And you do know I'm not stupid right?"
Dorota knew exactly where this was headed and excused herself quickly under the pretense of checking on the children and the nannies to make sure their packing was going according to plan.
Blair barely acknowledged her retreating housekeeper while continuing to glare at her husband. "You also know that yesterday when Cordelia was crying because her 'stomach was so empty'", she mimicked her daughter perfectly including the rubbing of her stomach, "and you indulged her with the milkshake from the Shake Shack before soccer that that was also manipulation." Blair tossed her clipboard onto the chaise next to her partially packed suitcase. "Don't let the big, brown eyes fool you."
Sighing she sat down next to her husband. "They had me and they knew it. Face it Charles, they outnumber us now. We don't stand a chance in hell."
The whole Disney World debacle, as Blair was calling it, was years in the making. Henry from the time he was three had been begging to go. It all started with his friend Nathan Reilley fresh from his trip to Florida and the Magic Kingdom. He told Henry all about meeting Buzz Lightyear and having breakfast at Cinderella's castle and Henry couldn't get enough. He wanted breakfast at the castle, Mickey Mouse ears and a plastic lightsaber.
Blair and Chuck being ever practical in their parenting decided the longing would fade. As the years passed they took him to real castles; Buckingham Palace, Versailles, the Taj Mahal and even the castle of the Sultan of Brunei. King Hassanal Bolkiah had personally invited them to come and pick out a pony from his private collection of thoroughbreds for Cordelia's third birthday. None of these fantastic, real places had quenched his desire for the magic that was Disney.
Cordelia herself was now on the bandwagon thanks to Aunt Serena and her many princess dress up nights with her niece. All Cordelia could talk about was meeting Belle and Sleeping Beauty. And now even Ned was in on the love of all things Disney thanks to Uncle Nate letting him watch the latest Star Wars movie three months ago on a random rainy day.
Chuck and Blair had managed to continue to stand firm on the no Disney trip stance until two weeks ago. Blair was being featured in Vogue for their women who have it all series which they were running in April. The interviews had been conducted a few weeks earlier and Vogue had arranged for Annie Leibovitz to photograph Blair with her family at the Bass townhouse. The magazine wanted a two page spread of the family for the opening of the article.
It was two weeks before Christmas and the children were particularly high strung with holiday excitement. The photo shoot had been set up in the playroom. Annie liked the idea of Blair being in the children's domain to show how even though she was the head of a fashion house she still had a playful side.
Annie had spent an hour with her team arranging the shot while Blair, the nannies and Eleanor who was in residence for the month for the holidays got the children ready. Waldorf Designs was launching a children's line that spring so Eleanor and Blair had decided that the children should be dressed completely in the line. Henry was not having it. Complaining incessantly about the choice his mother made for him while Cordelia started throwing a fit about the bow she was expected to wear. Meanwhile Ned was crying about the fact that most of his toys had been removed and he was unable to play with them.
Eleanor stood there with her arms crossed scowling at her daughter as Blair tried to coerce her children into good behavior.
"For goodness sakes Blair; they're going to rename this article 'how not to parent'", she leaned into her daughter and whispered, "I've heard Annie complain about unruly children in the past. You don't want to end up her next party anecdote do you?"
Blair bending over trying to dry Ned's tears looked at her mother over her shoulder and hissed, "What would you like me to do?"
Eleanor sighed in that fashion that only Eleanor could do. "I told you three were too many. It's why your father and I had only one; much easier to control."
Blair stood up with her hands on her hips turning to her mother. "Oh, that's great advice Mother. Which two should I give away? Hmm?"
Eleanor rolled her eyes and pushed back a loose strand of Blair's hair. "Don't be so dramatic. Do what all good Upper Eastside parents do; bribe them."
It was then that Henry, who was taking in every word, looked at his five year old sister and smiled. He leaned over whispering in her ear. "Disney World," was all he said and Cordelia's eyes widened and she smiled nodding her head her brown curls bouncing.
Annie poked her head into the hall at that moment. "Are we ready?"
Cordelia stomped her foot. "Mommy I want my pink sparkly headband," she demanded as she started her fake cry.
Blair forced a smile. "I just need two minutes."
Annie surveyed the children raising her eyebrows and then forced a smile at Blair. "Of course Mrs. Bass."
Blair turned to her eight, five and three year old children and clasped her hands in front of her. "Cordelia, you need to wear the silver bow it matches your outfit. Henry, I don't want to hear another word about what you are wearing and Neddie you can have all your toys back when we're finished." She reached out straightening Ned's Peter Pan collar. "Listen to Mommy if you three promise to behave for the next hour like the perfect children I know you can be we'll do something really special together. Okay?"
Henry eyed his mother. "Special? Like what?"
Cordelia was sniffling dramatically and Blair handed her a tissue. "What about Paris for New Years? Or we could get the boat and go sailing. Remember how much you all loved that this past summer?" She was nodding her head enthusiastically hoping to convince them.
Cordelia shook her head and Henry straightened his custom tailored dress shirt taking two steps towards his mother. "That's boring stuff we've already done." He folded his arms across his chest. "We want to go to Disney World."
Cordelia started to jump up and down clapping her hands. "Yes Mommy, Disney World. I wanna brush Belle's hair and dance with Prince Eric."
Ned, not wanting to be left out, jumped up and pretending to hold a lightsaber started to pretend battle an unseen opponent humming the Star Wars theme song.
Blair looked at her children and then back over her shoulder at her exasperated Mother and thought about Annie Leibovitz waiting in the other room and what stories she may tell about the Basses and their ill-behaved children and Blair broke. "Fine. All three of you behave for the next hour and we'll go to Disney for New Year's."
Chuck stepped into the hall at that exact moment. He heard the words Disney and New Year's and took in the expressions of his overjoyed children and relieved wife and knew this was not good. "Whoa. No…"
Blair cut him off immediately. "Disney for New Year's Charles if your children behave; it's done and we're going." She leaned in placing a kiss against his lips. He was in complete shock.
"Yes Charles, Disney!" Henry shouted as he ran past his father and into the playroom.
Cordelia giggled as she skipped out saying, "Mommy said so and she's the boss Charles."
Ned toddled over to his father lifting his arms up. Chuck leaned down picking him up still not totally comprehending the fact that instead of the New Year's Eve he had planned, which included a glamorous party followed by a private suite and making love to his wife till dawn, he was now going to be in literal hell.
Ned hugged his father tightly as he started to do his Darth Vader impersonation with deep breathing and all.
Eleanor gave him a shrug of her shoulders and a look that said "Just go with it."
So it was that the photo shoot went flawlessly with the Bass children being on their absolute best behavior and they were now packing to leave in the morning for Orlando.
Chuck sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm Chuck Bass I don't go to Disney World."
Blair leaned into him resting her head on his shoulder. "You do now. Think about the positive. We will have a suite all to ourselves for four whole nights alone; the children in the suite next door with the nannies. Just you and I having hours and hours of uninterrupted sleep."
He glanced down at her. "I was hoping you were going to say uninterrupted sex."
She lifted her head and kissed him as her hand slid up his inner thigh. "There's that too. And maybe one day the nannies and Dorota can take the children and you and I can have a spa day. Couples massages by the pool, facials and sauna." She cupped him through his dress pants.
Suddenly Florida was looking better and better. He kissed her as he pushed her back onto the bed. His hand slid up under her skirt. "Now that sounds like a trip I can get behind."
"I'd like you behind…" she didn't finish as their bedroom door banged open and in ran Cordelia. "Mommy, can I bring all my bathing suits? Jenna is saying only four."
Chuck removed his hand quickly from beneath Blair's skirt. He lifted his head. "You can bring whatever you want if you give Mommy and Daddy an hour of quiet time." She smiled as she turned to leave. "Shut the door," Chuck shouted at her back."
The door slammed and he looked down at Blair. "Now where were we?"
She pulled him down to her and kissed him and it all came back to him.
The next morning three black limos carrying the Bass family along with their two nannies, Serena, Jake (Dan refused to go to a place that was full of commercialism and represented everything wrong with America), Dorota, Vanya, Ana and Leo pulled up to Teterboro Airport. The stewardess, Janet, laughed as she helped get everyone settled that all they were missing was a partridge in a pear tree.
They arrived in Orlando and went directly to the Ritz-Carlton where they got everyone settled in their respective suites. They had valets, butlers and a private chef. Blair was overseeing the unpacking when Chuck came behind her wrapping his arms around her waist.
He kissed her neck. "I need you," he whispered against her ear.
Blair was about to turn in his arms when Henry and Cordelia burst into the room yelling for their parents. The two of them entered the bedroom.
"Mommy, Aunt Serena said we should be ready to go in thirty minutes." Henry's face was flushed with excitement.
Blair smiled at the two of them. There was something in both their expressions that was tugging at her heart. They were both so excited. She felt tears well up in her eyes.
"We'll be ready. Why don't you all go have a healthy snack before we go?"
Henry ran to his parents wrapping his arms around Blair's waist. "Thank you for bringing us."
Blair reached down running her hands through his hair. "You're welcome."
Chuck squeezed his shoulder. Cordelia followed Henry's example and hugged both her parents before running out the door after her brother.
Blair turned to Chuck. "They're so happy."
He shook his head. "Oh know its starting."
"What?" She wiped at her eyes.
"The Disney effect; you're getting that 'this is all so magical' look in your eye." He placed his hands on her hips. "I was going to suggest we stay behind and let the rest of them go."
Blair shook her head. "No. Don't you want to see their faces the first time they walk through the gate. Plus Serena has made all the arrangements with the VIP tour and all the character meetings; it'll be painless. I don't want to miss Cordelia seeing Belle for the first time." She kissed him and removed herself from his grasp heading out of the room.
Chuck sighed realizing he had lost his wife to the magic of Disney.
Fifty minutes later and it was Chuck wiping a tear from his eye as he watched his children gasp in awe as they entered the Magic Kingdom and headed down Main Street. Cordelia was literally jumping up and down at the sight of Cinderella's castle. She kept shouting "It's all real."
Their guides began to lead them through the park and Chuck realized he was giving his children something he had always been denied as a child; happy, family memories. Suddenly he couldn't fathom why they had been so reluctant to bring them. The next six hours were spent running around the park. Thankfully with the guides they never waited in any lines and things ran smoothly.
That night they had dinner in the Royal Suite and then a swim, baths and early bedtime so they could get up tomorrow and do it all over again.
Chuck was tucking Cordelia in after reading to her when she looked up at him and asked him if he could buy Disney World for her birthday present this year. Chuck smiled down at her pushing a chocolate brown curl behind her ear. He tried to explain how Disney World was part of a corporation so it would never be for sale.
She crinkled her forehead. "But you can get it if you want to Daddy because you're Chuck Bass."
Chuck laughed softly leaning down placing a kiss against her furrowed brow. "Even Chuck Bass has his limits sweetheart." He got up and pulled the duvet over her. "Sleep tight. Mommy will be in in a minute."
"Good night Daddy. I love you."
She was drifting off to sleep before Chuck could even respond.
That night after making love Chuck held Blair tightly in his arms kissing her temple. "I wanna thank you."
She glanced at him over her shoulder. "I was particularly good tonight wasn't I?" She smiled sexily at him.
He cupped her bare breast and squeezed. "You were but I wasn't talking about that." He kissed her. "I'm thankful you made us come. You were right it's so magical seeing their excitement."
Blair turned over onto her back pulling the sheet around herself. Chuck propped himself up on an elbow staring down at her. She reached up pushing his hair back. "Do you know what an amazing father and husband you are? You never say no to me or the children and you take such good care of us and love us so completely. I know we're safe and happy because of you."
He leaned down kissing her lips gently. He then pressed his forehead to hers. "It's because of you that I'm able to be that way." He kissed her one more time before lying back onto his pillow.
He pulled her into his arms and she laid her head on his chest. He kissed the top of her head. "I'm thinking we should cancel our spa day tomorrow and go with everyone to breakfast with the characters."
Blair smiled softly. "Are you falling under the spell of the Disney effect?"
He smirked as he reached over turning off the light. "Of course not; I just wanna see how hot Ariel is in person."
She groaned as she closed her eyes. "You're a pig."
He squeezed her tightly as he laughed softly. They drifted off to sleep within minutes.
The rest of their time at the Magic Kingdom was just that; magical and by the time they were leaving New Year's Day they were already planning a return trip. Chuck decided every minute was worth it to see his family so completely happy.
A/N I figured with Disney buying the Star Wars franchise this year they would definitely be marketing the characters and products by the time young Ned was three so that's why I've used it in the story.