Disclaimer: I only own the story specific characters I created. The originals belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.

"I was beginning to wonder if you were going to leave me hanging," Eddie greeted her with a relieved smile when she joined him at the helipad atop the Bass Industries building. "It's a bit chilly up here."

"Sorry," she gave him a quick kiss, "I was having lunch with my dad. I couldn't very well say I needed to leave so we could steal away for the weekend."

"Fair point," he laughed and ushered her towards the helicopter.

Charlotte helped him settle in while the pilot revved up the engines. She could see the nervousness in Eddie's features.

"Daddy has the best pilot in New York," Charlotte reassured Eddie when the pilot lifted them from the helipad. She grasped his hand while they flew over the famed New York skyline. "Pretty incredible, isn't it."

"Amazing," he agreed.

"I wish I remembered the first time I was able to appreciate it," Charlotte replied.

"How old were you when you took your first helicopter ride?" he asked.

"I was just a baby," Charlotte replied, "Dad says I cheered when the chopper left the helipad. I then pressed myself up against the glass and looked out in total bewilderment. I probably slobbered all over the glass."

"Flying never bothered you?" he asked.

"Never," she shook her head, "Mom's not altogether thrilled with it, but as long as it's the Bass jet she's okay. She knows my father spares no expense when it comes to the upkeep of the jet flying his family."

"He spares no expense with anything relating to his family," Eddie replied.

"True enough," Charlotte laughed. She let Eddie enjoy his first ride to the Hamptons. His appreciation for all the things she'd just accepted in life as givens was refreshing.

"You aren't kidding about this place being a castle," Eddie gazed upon the Bass family's summer retreat for the first time after a short ride from the helipad to the Bass family estate.

"I even had my own tower as a child," Charlotte laughed and pointed towards a specific window, "Daddy built me a playroom up there when I was a child. Once I locked myself inside and pretended to be Rapunzel. Mom about lost her mind because no one had a key, and I refused to open the door. When they finally got me out, Mom made the staff remove the lock so I couldn't do it again. I don't know if I've ever seen, or heard rather, my mom so panicked as she banging away at the door. We all laugh about it now, but she was really mad I even had the option to lock myself in. She wouldn't speak to Daddy for three days.

"Must have been a long three days for your dad," Eddie snorted.

"And your mom," Charlotte added, "She probably bought out every flower store in Manhattan. The flower fairy threw up at my parents' penthouse. It was ridiculous. As a little girl, I loved it. It was my own personal play land."

"Did the flowers work?" Eddie asked.

"No, it was when Dad graduated to jewelry she caved," Charlotte laughed.

"When do the tours start?" he glanced around when they first stepped inside.

"You think you're being funny, but they used to give tours of this place," Charlotte handed her luggage to the caretaker who quickly made her presence known, "It was way before my parents owned it, but Grandma Lily talks about when she took a tour here as a young girl."

"Your life is…"

"Awesome," Charlotte offered when he fumbled for an appropriate description, "Come on, I'll show you around. Janette, Mister Fraser will be staying in the Dior Suite."

"Of course, Ms. Bass," the caretaker, Janette, nodded, "I'll make sure the room is prepared. Will you be dining here or in town?"

"Here tonight," Charlotte glanced towards Eddie, who was apparently making himself a bit dizzy as he glanced at the lavish surroundings.

"I'll let the chef know," Janette disappeared.

"Ready for your tour?" Charlotte linked her arm with his.

"The Dior Suite?" he asked.

"Mom named all the guest rooms after famous fashion brands of the past," Charlotte explained, "The Dior Suite happens to be the closest to my room."

"You mean you don't have a suite of your own?" Eddie gasped in mock horror. "You were so deprived."

"Keep it up, Buddy," Charlotte poked him in the ribs, "I'll make you sleep out on the beach tonight."

"How about that tour?" he cleared his throat.

Charlotte showed him the ins and outs of the home, even the tower she'd once locked herself in.

"Who needs the beach," Eddie laughed, "You could entertain yourself in this home for weeks."

"Hopefully I won't need to," she frowned.

"You going to wait out the entire investigation here?" he asked.

"Maybe," she shrugged, "Still trying to figure out my plan of action, and there is only so much shopping a girl can do before she gets bored. How about a walk on the beach?"

"It's a bit chilly out," he reminded her.

"I'll wear a sweater," she smiled.

"Lead the way," he extended his hand to her.

"An expression which will be exceedingly useful to you this weekend," she smiled.

After donning warmer clothes, they set out for the beach. With the shorter days, the sun hung low in the sky. They walked along the beach for a while hand in hand, just enjoying the sights and sounds of the waves crashing against the shore. They returned to the shoreline in front of the family estate when the sun began to set.

Eddie sat himself on the beach and pulled Charlotte into his lap, his arms around her to keep the chill away.

"Thanks for coming with me," Charlotte spoke softly, "I'd just be mopping around the estate if you weren't here."

"It's my pleasure," he kissed the patch of skin exposed on her neck.

"I'm facing potential ruin at work, yet this feels like one of the most special times of my life," she grasped his hands and made a production of entwining each of their fingers together, "Am I making too much of this thing between us?"

"No," he shook his head slightly, "I feel it too."

"Feel what?" she turned towards him slightly.

"Like I'm finding the missing pieces of me," Eddie caressed her cheek tenderly, "The piece I didn't even know I was missing. This shouldn't make any sense. I've known you for most of my life, but I'm only now realizing how well we fit…When I heard yesterday about what you were being accused of, it felt like a knife stabbing me in the heart. It felt like it was happening to me. Even if you had done what they accused you of, I would have fallen on the sword for you. If it comes to…"

"Don't you dare," she pressed her fingers to his lips, "You're not sacrificing your career for me. We'll deal with what happens when the decision is made. Right now I want to focus on you and me and this amazing sunset."

"Deal," he kissed her fingers and returned his gaze to the falling sun and the plethora of colors it brought with it. When the last of the rays illuminated Charlotte's face, reality Eddie like a ton of bricks. He was in love with her.

When the sun's disappearing act was complete, Charlotte rose to her feet and offered him a hand up. Rather than accept her help, he tugged her back to him. She landed on him with a shriek. He began tickling her relentlessly, drawing out laughter which sounded like church bells to his soul. Somehow she ended up on her back with him above her, her arms pinned at her sides. A rush of affection ran through him. His lips descended upon hers.

"We'd better get dressed for dinner," Charlotte caressed the contours of his face, cast in shadows by the exhausting light.

"Is dinner a formal affair in the Hamptons?" he teased.

"No, but I don't feel like eating the sand on our clothes," she replied.

Eddie nodded and helped her to her feet. They took a few moments to brush the sand away before making their way inside. They separated reluctantly to dress for dinner.

Dinner was quiet. The pair seemed lost in their own thoughts.

After dinner, Charlotte pulled him towards the fireplace already roaring thanks to the efficient staff in residence. They curled up together, with Eddie tucked in behind her, his arm possessively around her waist.

"You were quiet at dinner," Charlotte played with the fingers of his left hand.

"I have some things on my mind," he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Anything you want to share?" she asked.

"I've been thinking about what's happening between us," he replied, "Is this even something you're looking for right now? You've just finished college. You're starting your career. Is a serious relationship something you even want?"

"I told you I'm not a fling kinda girl," she reminded him.

"Charlotte, I could easily let myself get extremely serious about you," he admitted, "Before I go down that road, I need to know if it's something you're even interested in."

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't," she stated, "I'm not going to lie. A serious relationship is the last thing I expected right now, but it doesn't mean I wasn't open for it. These things can creep up on a person. They certainly did for my parents. I didn't think I'd ever find something even close to what they have, but when we're together, when I'm in your arms, when you're kissing me, I'm thinking for the first time maybe I can."

"Do you believe in soul mates?" Eddie asked.

"I believe in the possibility of soul mates," she replied, "I also believe not finding your soul mate doesn't mean you can't be happy. Believing that doesn't mean I was ready to stop looking yet."

"And now?" he asked.

"I'm think I might need to stop looking because I found him when I was too young to remember first meeting him," she smiled.

"My mom has this picture of the two of us," Eddie stated, "You are in your christening gown. Justin wanted nothing to do with you, thought you probably had cooties or something. My mom was holding you and gushing over you. I was curious as to what the fuss was about. I remember looking at you and thinking for a baby you were kinda cute. Then Mom suggested I hold you, and I did. I'd never held a baby before. Mom helped me get comfortable with you and then stepped back to take a picture. I remember thinking how protective I felt of you.

"The feeling never went away. Justin always wanted to chase you off when you wanted to tag along. I never let him, even though he was older and bigger than me and probably would beat me up when we got home.

"As we got older, I would always ask Mom what you were up to. I tried to convince myself it was only curiosity and an innocent older brother type of question, but I never asked about Brice or Aiden, never once. Naturally when I asked about you, Mom would fill me in on their activities, but I don't remember them the way I do yours.

"If this is too fast for you, Charlotte. Tell me now. Tell me before I completely lose myself in this."

"I think we're already there, Eddie," she caressed his face, a gentle smile gracing hers, "I think we're already lost in this. Whatever this is between us, I'm ready because I don't want to give it up."

"We're crazy, right?"

"Certifiable," she laughed, "I have one request though."

"Just one?" he asked.

"We go slow," she replied. "I know it's a crazy request to make when we're up here, and we're all alone."

"For you, I can go slow," he kissed her temple, "And it's not a crazy request. It's an honest one. I love that you feel comfortable enough with me to make such a request."

"When do we tell our families?" Charlotte asked. "I mean my mom and dad already know, and so does your mom, probably your dad too, but eventually we'll have to tell my brothers and your brother, and then Grandma Lily and Aunt Serena and Uncle Nate and…"

"Christmas," Eddie stopped her from rambling before she could list every member of her extended family, "We'll tell everyone at Christmas."

"That's less than two months away," Charlotte pointed out, "God, what are we going to do about Thanksgiving?"

"Justin and Abigail will be home. Mom will probably want a quiet dinner at their place as sort of a welcome home," Eddie stated.

"Oh," Charlotte frowned.

"It's not like I don't want you there," Eddie quickly realized his mistake.

"It just wouldn't be the quiet dinner your mom wants," Charlotte stated, "No, it's okay. We're probably having dinner with the entire dysfunctional Bass/van der Woodsen/Waldorf clan anyways at my parents' place. It's fine."

"Char…" he tried to smooth things over.

"No, really, it's fine," Charlotte replied.

"Hey," he turned her chin so she was looking at him, "I would love nothing more than to spend every holiday with you, but if we're waiting until Christmas to officially announce our relationship, we're going to have to spend Thanksgiving apart."

"Yeah," she nodded reluctantly.

"We could have our own dinner together later that night," he suggested, "Leftovers are half the fun of Thanksgiving."

"I've never had a leftover," Charlotte admitted.

"What!" he gasped.

"I think the leftover holiday food was always donated somewhere," Charlotte replied.

"Then you're long overdue," he responded, "How about we have the dinners with our families separately, and then we meet at your place with leftovers."

"What would we do with these leftovers?" Charlotte asked, "Daniella has holidays off, and I have no clue how to cook anything. I did not have the culinary interest Aiden did. The most I've ever done in the kitchen was decorate sugar cookies with Dorota, and I remember making a really big mess when Brice and I got into a flour fight. Dorota was not happy with us."

"I imagine not," he chuckled, "Flour is a pain to clean. Don't worry about the cooking. I'll take care of that for us."

"You can cook?" she asked.

"We didn't all grow up with a housekeeper and chef on speed dial," he reminded her, "I've been known to get my hands a bit dirty in the kitchen. Besides leftovers aren't exactly cooking. It's more like reheating."

"No matter what it is, I'd better stay away from it, or I'd likely burn down the building," Charlotte replied.

"We'll make sure to have a fire extinguisher handy," he laughed.

"You have yourself a deal," she smiled.

"How about a few hints on holiday gifts?" he requested.

"We need to shop for each other," Charlotte suddenly realized, "Oh, I'm not good with gift exchanges. Ask Aiden and Brice, I'm really bad at it."

"I can always use some new ties for the office," he chuckled.

"You can't go wrong with jewelry," Charlotte offered up her own suggestion, "It doesn't have to be anything extravagant. I know your pockets aren't nearly as deep as mine."

"That almost sounds like an insult, Bass," he teased.

"It's not," she shrieked, thinking she'd offended him until she caught the twinkle in his eyes. When she realized he was joking she settled back into his embrace.

"And I'll have you know, my pockets are deeper than you think," he replied, "Your father pays me well. All my expenses while living abroad were covered by the company, and I'm by no means living extravagantly now. I'm staying with my parents for crying out loud."

"You are?" she turned towards him suddenly.

"You didn't know?" he asked.

"No," she shook her head, "I guess I just assumed you had your own place…Why don't you have your own place?"

"Do you know how much decent places cost in Manhattan?" he replied.

"Honestly no clue," she shrugged, "I couldn't tell you what my dad paid for my place or how much all the renovations cost him."

"Such a princess, you are," he teased her again.

"Stop it," she scowled at him, "Yes, I'm spoiled, but I'm not spoiled rotten. I know how lucky I am. I could easily have given in to society and just married some rich Wall Street goon, and then spent my days shopping up and down Fifth Avenue. Instead I chose to have a career…we'll see how long that lasts."

"You're going to be back at Bass sooner than you think," Eddie tried to reassure her.

"My point is, I could never be happy with that 'traditional' Upper East Side life," Charlotte stated, "Aunt Serena has that life, and I think it's boring."

"You think your aunt is boring?" he asked.

"I love Serena. She's been always been there for my mom, and mostly for me too, but she's never really had much direction. She's flitted from one relationship to the next. Her goal in life always seems to be how to get a headline on Page Six, and she's very good at it," Charlotte replied. "When I was pretty young, she went to rehab for the first time. It was the first time I realized not all the adults in my life had their lives put together. When she came home, she was different. I honestly don't know if she ever really recovered from it all. She'd take these long trips to exotic locations and come back engaged. She walked down the aisle a couple of times, and I either the flower girl or a junior bridesmaid. Eventually she stopped getting married and just kept getting engaged. She probably has enough diamonds for her own crown by now."

"Do as I say, not as I do," he quoted the famous expression.

"Something like that," she nodded, "As much as I love her, she's never been anything like a role model for me."

"Who is your role model?" he asked.

"My mom," Charlotte smiled, "She has it all. She has the great marriage, a career she loves, and she somehow managed to have a healthy relationship with her children in an environment where nannies are the norm…what about you? Who was your role model?"

"You're going to laugh," Eddie replied.

"Why? Is it someone super embarrassing?" she teased.

"It's your dad," he stated, "The way I've always known him, he could do no wrong. I told my mom when I was seven or eight that I wanted to be just like Chuck Bass."

"You know Chuck Bass was once a curse in New York City," Charlotte pointed out.

"Didn't find that out until much later," Eddie stated, "Oddly learning some things from his…colorful past helped. I targeted in on being the businessman like him, not the ladies' man."

"Come on," she nudged him with her shoulder, "You had some flings in London."

"Are we to the point where we discuss our relationship histories?" he asked.

"Yes," she bobbed her head eagerly, "So spill."

"Well, you know about Heather. She's probably the most serious relationship I ever had. We met senior year of college. I met her at a frat party. She'd had too much to drink, and I made sure she got home safely. Apparently gentlemen are a dying breed because for the next couple of weeks, she would call or stop by to thank me and bring me things. I'm not going to lie. I was flattered, and she was easy enough on the eyes."

"You dated her for several years, so clearly there was more going on than just her being easy on the eyes," Charlotte glared at him.

"It was always more serious for her than me. When she started talking about moving to London so we could start planning for our future, I had to take a hard look at our relationship. She wasn't the woman I wanted to spend my life with, so we ended things."

"Do you miss her?" Charlotte asked.

"Not really," he shook his head, "After Heather, I dated, and yes, I had a few women I dated more than once, but they were never as serious as Heather because I knew I was coming back to New York. I didn't want to get into another complicated relationship where another woman would have to give up their life and move across an ocean for me…Your turn."

"Well, there was Devon," Charlotte replied, "And Evan, he was my first serious boyfriend. Evan and I dated on and off through most of my time at Constance. There was a time where I was convinced he was going to be it for me. His grew up in a similar manner to my father. His mother was a disaster. She floated in and out of his life. The first time we dated, she ended up overdosing. Thankfully she pulled through, but she needed a lot of therapy and never fully recovered. I wanted to be there for him as much as I could, but I realized he wasn't going to have the time for me, so we broke up. A few months later, we got back together. Then we broke up. The pattern kept repeating. The one common thread though was I was most attracted to him when the rest of his life was falling apart. I guess I was trying to turn our relationship into one like my parents had. Evan's a good guy, but he's not my dad. It wasn't fair to him to keep the pattern going. We still converse back and forth, but he's super busy with law school now."

"Anyone else?" he asked.

"Well, there was a guy between Evan and Devon, but he was more of a rebound guy. He wasn't anyone really worth mentioning," Charlotte replied, "He was into me more for the bank account potential than because he had any true feelings for me. I saw right through that."

"So three guys?" he asked.

"Well four now," she smiled, "Four is a good number I think. Mom only had four, well five, sort of."

"Five, sort of?" he repeated in confusion.

"You know about my uncle, Nate. She also dated this Lord guy from London, some creepy guy who was in love with his stepmother or some such nonsense," Charlotte explained, "It's not exactly a highlight for my mom, and then she had a very brief fling with my dad's uncle, Jack, before she hooked back up with my uncle, Nate."

"Your mom dated Jack Bass, that lowlife who's in jail?" Eddie asked.

"I wouldn't call it dating," Charlotte replied, "It's complicated. It was certainly a low point for her. Maybe one day I'll tell you all the details, but it doesn't need to be revisited today. There was also this guy named Carter, but again it was a fling, nothing serious."

"Okay," he nodded, "So four guys."

"Yes, four guys," she laughed, "Is that not enough?"

"I forget sometimes that you're a few years younger than me," he responded.

"Does that bother you?" she asked.

"Does it bother you?" he countered, "Char, I'm nearly thirty."

"I'm twenty-three," she responded, "So what if we have seven years between us. Lots of people get married all the time with significant age differences. It can still work."

"You're talking about a very adult decision," Eddie responded, "There is an entire world out there for you to discover."

"Couldn't I discover it with you?" she laid her head against his shoulder.

"I would love to discovery it with you," he caressed her shoulder, "I just wouldn't want you to settle."

"Are we moving too fast?" Charlotte asked.

"Doesn't feel like it to me," he smiled.

"Me either."

"It's getting late," he kissed her temple, "How about we turn in and discuss our future tomorrow?"

"Yeah," she rose to her feet and turned to offer him a hand up.

Once he rose to his full height, he ascended on her lips, devouring her. Charlotte released a yelp of surprise but quickly reciprocated. They pulled away breathlessly. Eddie was the gentleman when he walked her to her bedroom door.

"Good night, Charlotte," he pressed a sweet kiss to her lips.

"Good night, Eddie," she replied.

Charlotte tossed and turned in her bed for quite awhile. She glanced at the clock. Her brother would just be starting his day. She chanced a call.

"Char, it's got to be two in the morning," Brice answered on the second ring, "Is everything alright?"

"I couldn't sleep," Charlotte replied, "I needed someone to talk to, and I knew you'd be up. Is this a bad time?"

"No, it's fine. I was just taking Barty for a walk through the vineyard. Mom said you flew out to the Hamptons to get away from everything for a bit," Brice replied, "Too quiet for you?"

"Something like that," Charlotte sighed, "How's Colette?"

"As amazing as always," Charlotte could practically see the smile as he gushed about his girlfriend.

"When's the wedding?" Charlotte teased.

"I'm not biting, Char," Brice laughed. Though it was inevitable that he'd marry his girlfriend of four years, neither of them were in a hurry to make their engagement official. They were both still finishing up school, and then they had to make some major decisions about where they wanted to settle down. "How about we talk about your love life…is there even one to talk about?"

"Ouch," Charlotte replied, "Trying for a below the belt strike. I'll have you know I am seeing someone, and if you come home for Christmas, you'll even meet him."

"Is this some sort of trick to get me and Colette to visit for the holidays?" Brice asked, "Did Mom put you up to this?"

"She really wants you to come home, but no, this isn't a trick. I really am seeing someone, and it's getting kind of serious," she admitted.

"How did you even have the time to meet anyone? Dad says you've been working sixty hours a week since you started at B.I.," her brother challenged her.

"It's kinda complicated," Charlotte hesitated, "Come home for Christmas, and I'll explain."

"Colette and I are already making plans," Brice admitted, "Think you could handle two houseguests and a dog for Christmas. I don't think Colette would feel comfortable staying with Mom and Dad."

"If it means seeing Barty again, I'm all in," Charlotte responded eagerly, "I'll make sure Daniella has a room made up for you."

"Char, seriously, are you okay?" Brice asked, hearing something in her voice.

"Not really," she admitted, "At least not about what happened at work. Brice, I didn't do anything wrong."

"I know you wouldn't, Charlotte. It's not in you to do what you're being accused of," Brice assured her.

"Dad's really mad. I'm afraid his anger at the situation might make things worse," Charlotte admitted, "He wants to fire the person or people who made the allegations, and I know it's going to end up in litigation if he does. That's press Bass doesn't want especially when the layoff notices go out regarding the acquisition."

"Hacking up another company, huh," Brice concluded.

"It was being horribly mismanaged," Charlotte replied, "I think we were being generous with our cuts. I could have easily cut seventy-five percent of the workforce I reviewed, but Dad said fifty, so I stuck with fifty."

"Do you like the work, Char?" Brice asked.

"I really do," Charlotte confirmed, "I think I was even doing a good job."

"Do you see yourself at Bass for the next thirty to forty years of your life?" he pressed.

"I've told you before how much I wanted to work at Bass, work with Daddy, and I had hoped you. You chose a different career path, and that's okay, but Bass is in our blood, Brice," Charlotte replied.

"Whether it is in our blood or not, if it will not make you happy, Dad would want you to find what does," Brice countered.

"I have a lot to learn, but that's part of the challenge," Charlotte stated.

"I just want to make sure my big sister is happy," he replied, "So this guy…"

"Come for Christmas and I'll tell all," Charlotte shut down his questions.

"He'd better treat you right," Brice responded, "I'm not above hopping on a plane to teach the guy a lesson if he doesn't."

"Same goes for you, Buddy," Charlotte countered, "If I hear from Colette you're being a butthead, I'm on a plane to straighten you out."

"A butthead," Brice hooted with laughter, "You've never called me a butthead…ever."

"There's a first time for everything," Charlotte snickered.

"If you need to talk, call me day or night. I don't care about the time," Brice responded.

"Thanks, Little Brother," Charlotte felt herself smiling.

"I love you, Char," he offered.

"Love you too, Butthead," she laughed.

They disconnected the call, and Charlotte returned her phone to her nightstand. After another half hour of tossing and turning, she ventured into the hallway.

The door to the guest bedroom Eddie was sleeping in creaked when she opened it. The noise startled him awake. "Char, are you alright?" he sat upright upon recognizing her in the doorway.

"I couldn't sleep," she admitted, "I didn't mean to wake you. I'll leave."

"Come here," Eddie held out his hand to her. He slid over and made room for her on the bed. "Want to talk some more?"

"No," she shook her head slightly, "What I want to do is sleep, but it's just not happening. Do you think I could stay here with you for a little while…at least until I feel tired?"

"You're more than welcome," he reclined back. Charlotte tucked herself in next to him, her head cradled against his shoulder. She could hear his heart beating.

"When I was little and couldn't sleep, I would gather up all my stuffed animals and put them around my bed. I was convinced they would protect me from whatever monsters were under there, and it always did the trick. Sometimes I wish I could go back to those days. Life was so much simpler then," she admitted.

"I'm probably not as sufficient as an army of stuffed animals, but I'll protect you, Charlotte," he offered.

"I know," Charlotte smiled.

"Try to get some sleep," he suggested.

Charlotte nodded. The rhythmic beating of his heart eventually lulled her to sleep.

Eddie watched her for quite awhile. He could make out her features in the moonlight streaming through the window. There were moments when he couldn't believe the beautiful woman in his arms was the same little girl he grew up around. In other moments, he couldn't believe it had taken him this long to see how truly beautiful she'd always been.

TBC…