Hello, everyone! Frak. I adore Blair Waldorf. She stole his shoes. (I know that was like 2 episodes ago… but I wrote that before I'd written the chapter… so you'll forgive me right?) Incase I've never said it… when I picture Adam, I picture Jackson Rathbone. I don't know why. I've only seen Twilight once, but that's how I picture him… but not so weird and pasty. Oh, and to everyone that hates when I add flashbacks… sorry you can't skip it. It's useful information on the story I'm imparting this time. I promise! Here we go…
Blair sat at the table, the end of her pen tapping so rapidly on the table Dorota poked her head into the room to frown at the damage it might be doing to the finish. Blair scowled right back and waved her away. She was stressed. She was a bride and all brides were stressed, especially when they weren't sure how they'd gotten to the morning of their wedding. Staring blankly at her checklist for the day she thought back to the time two weeks ago that had sent her down this path. It had started out as a day to remember, what with it being Charlie's christening, and she had been enjoying rubbing two things in Chuck's face; Adam as her date for the event, and going around Chuck and making Dan his godfather. She'd had the day planned to the heartbeat, but by the end that was shot to hell.
Flashback
"It was perfect!" Blair squealed, grabbing Serena's arm and pulling her into the elevator.
"It was a beautiful ceremony." Serena smiled.
"Forget the ceremony. Did you see the look on Chuck's face when the minister called Dan up to stand as godfather?! I haven't see him looked that shocked since the whatever."
"Good to see you're taking the highroad, B…"
Blair rolled her eyes at her friend as the elevator doors opened to her apartment, and she walked out with a decided skip in her step. Serena followed, and couldn't help but be impressed by the flowers that adorned the home for the party. She had to give it to Blair; she did perfect better then anyone else.
The apartment was soon flooded with friends and family. Eleanor, Cyrus, and Harold held court on a sofa passing around Young Master Bass between them, as Ramon took pictures. Jenny and Eric sat at the piano, commenting on the room. Lily and Rufus made Dan and Serena promise that sharing a godchild would be the closest they ever came to sharing a child. Nate slipped into Blair's office with a part-time actress/part-time cater-waiter. Blair and Adam mingled with their guests, her arm never leaving his when they were in sight of the father of the guest of honour, who slouched in a chair nursing a scotch.
As the party drew to its height, Cyrus declared the need for music, and before Blair could shut them down; all her parents were not only dancing, but also encouraging other couples to hit the makeshift floor to, as Cyrus called it "the magic of Buble."
Straightening his tie as he re-entered the party, Nate came up short as he saw that the rather boring family gathering had turned into something of a rager… a rather elderly rager, but a rager none the less. Spotting Serena leaning against a pillar and nursing a glass of wine, he slid up beside her.
"Has Dance, Dance, Revolution been Blair approved?" He grinned.
"Judging by the way she just downed her glass of Dom… Probably not." They both laughed a little harder as they caught Blair snagging yet another glass from a passing waiter.
"Heartbroken over not making it to godparent status?" Serena asked as she saw Jenny pull Dan out onto the cleared living room floor.
"Hmm… I had a feeling I shouldn't hold my breath. Spite trumps sentiment with Blair every time." Nate commented wryly, nudging her arm and pointing to Rufus and Lily now slow dancing to the beat.
They both smiled watching the floor, and Nate's looked over again to see Blair's reaction, and laughed harder. Serena sobered as she in turn looked at Chuck. Following her gaze, Nate looked at his friend who sat off to the side with his sleeping son in his arms. Chuck didn't look at the dancers. As always he had eyes only for one.
"Do you think Adam knows Chuck will always be in her life?" Nate asked her, the only other person that knew the former couple so well.
"Because of Charlie?"
"No. Because they're a package deal. They're Blair and Chuck, Chuck and Blair. I learned a long time ago, that those two were bonded… before Charlie, before marriage, hell, before they were Chuck and Blair. I've known them since we were preschool… and they've been locked onto each other since day one."
"I don't think this thing with Adam is that serious."
"For all their sakes, I hope you're right." Nate shook his head. "Enough of the serious talk. Care to dance?"
Serena gave him that infectious smile of hers and took his offered hand. "I'd love to… because after Blair finds out what you did with that cater-waiter in her office… you might not be dancing for a while…"
Blair stood off to the side, her brow creased in disbelief. If she didn't love them so much, she would have had security see them out of the building. Roughly. Just then her father broke away from Ramon, who was soon dancing with Dorota, and pulled Blair's resisting self into a dance. She gave up fighting him and let him twirl her around the room, like he had when she was seven, the second he smiled with "Dance with me Blair-bear."
She was so busy laughing, she missed the anxious look Adam threw across the room to Chuck, and she sure as hell missed the calculated nod her ex sent back. As the song came to an end, she was still breathless as Adam pulled her away from her father and before she knew it he was down on one knee, proposing in front of everyone. If they had been alone she could have shot his proposal down with ease, it was too soon, and the small fact that while she told herself she had feelings for Adam, she wasn't sure they warranted this kind of commitment. But then, in a fraction of an instant, against her will her gaze slid to Chuck. With him it was the opposite; she felt too much. Anger, rage, and something else that she didn't want to think about. So then, with a smile on her face, she answered Adam.
"Yes!"
She wouldn't acknowledge, even to herself, that the joy she felt in that moment came, not from the engagement, but solely from seeing the instant of agony that flashed in Chuck's eyes.
End of Flashback
"Earth to Blair?"
Blair's head snapped up as she finally heard Serena talking to her.
"Sorry?"
"We have to start getting you ready…" Serena said, growing concerned about her friend.
"Right!" Blair over smiled. "Let's go!"
The rest of the day passed in a flurry, and before she knew it Blair stood in front of her full-length mirror, appraising herself and her dress.
"I do make a beautiful bride…" Blair drawled before taking a long sip from her martini.
Just then she heard a commotion in the hall, and she walked to the door in time to catch Adam's voice and Dorota telling him it was bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.
"I need to see her! It's important!"
"It's all right, Dorota." Blair said, wearily looking at Adam.
Adam was brought up short at the sight of Blair, and they both ignored the angry stream of Polish Dorota let out as she headed down the hall to get herself ready. Following Blair into the room, Adam started nervously pacing. Blair coolly finished her drink and poured herself another, before offering one to Adam. He shook his head and she took a seat in the high-backed chair in the corner. Blair said nothing. She waited.
"I can't do this!" He burst out.
"Excuse me?" Her eyes narrowed. "Our guests are arriving at the Frick. The wedding is in a couple of hours. Don't think for a moment that I'll be as tactful as a Carrie… Leave me at the alter and I'll make it hurt."
Adam flinched at the threat, but soldiered on. "That's just it! I don't want to leave you. Blair, I love you!"
"Good to know." Blair said, not giving an inch.
"There are things about me you don't know… there are things I need to tell you." Adam managed before letting his confession out. "A few months ago, before I knew you, I had some trouble… gambling trouble. I'd dug myself this whole… I couldn't go to my father, especially since I was finally gaining ground at work and his respect. I figured I could pay it off, and no one would have to know… but then… they wouldn't take my payment plan. They told me my ticket had come due. I thought I was done. I thought they were going to tell my firm… Kill me… Or worse, tell my dad. I didn't know what to do… I was sitting in a bar, killing off the better half of my liver… when I was approached."
Adam paused, looking at her for a second before going on quickly. "I didn't want to take his money, but I didn't know what else to do… and what he wanted me to do seemed so easy... It was before I knew you. Before I loved you! Once I did, I tried to tell him the deal was off… but he wouldn't let it go!"
"Chuck." Blair bit out quietly, not really needing confirmation.
"Yes! He wanted me to leave you at the altar today! But I can't do it. I won't do it!" Adam said adamantly.
Blair didn't move. She hadn't since his diatribe had started, and she stared vacantly ahead of her. Coming to kneel in front of her, Adam took her hand.
"I want to be your husband, Blair. I love you, and I wanted to start our life together honestly. So I came here to tell you… and now I'm going to the wedding. The past doesn't matter. Chuck doesn't matter. We're what matters… I'll be waiting for you at the end of the aisle like I promised."
Standing he moved closer to her and placed a kiss on her cheek.
"I'll see you at the ceremony." He vowed.
Blair sat where she was, looking and feeling like a Queen made out of ice.
Two hours later, two men waited for one woman. One stood in front of their friends and family, waiting for the woman he loved, so he could commit himself to her. The other sat alone staring out over the city he practically owned, drinking heavily to curb the churning in his gut as waited to hear if this phase of his gamble had paid off.
As the minutes ticked by, both men waited.
TahDah!
Okay, incase anyone was wondering, the Frick is this beautiful museum in Manhattan. There's this indoor courtyard that I could have sat in for hours. I set the wedding there. I have to admit I'm not fancy by any stretch of the imagination and usually end up anywhere but the posh areas… But this place was beautiful.
Side note- To all my fellow Canadians… HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
