Howdy! Are you bracing your self? I haven't slept well since I watched the preview last week. Now, just to answer a request I hear repeatedly… about my chapter lengths. I'll take it as a complement that some of you want them to be longer, but… it's probably not going to happen. 90% of my stuff her is about 2000 words per chapter. I write what's in my head till it comes to its natural end. If I tried to write more it would sound forced, and you all would then think I suck. I don't want to suck. You don't want me to suck. Let's avoid the suckage and keep to the 2000 wordish range. Deal? Here we go…
Blair walked sedately along the path to the pond, her eyes trained on her son, who was giving Dorota a run for her money. He hadn't wanted to sit in his stroller, and like many in his genetic line, Charlie Bass had gotten his own way. So now the toddler half ran, half stumbled towards the pond and the ducks with his Dorota pushing the empty stroller and being hot on his heels. As for Blair, a great deal of her focus was on trying to master her usual steps and not waddle like the nine months pregnant woman she was. Finally getting to her bench by the pond, she carefully sat down, but cringed at the fact that no matter how hard she tried her legs just wouldn't cross over each other. With disgust she folded the silk of her dress and placed her purse carefully on her lap as she crossed her ankles. The wind blew her loosely curled hair, and after the long winter if felt wonderful. Cleansing.
She felt him before she saw him sit down next to her. She inclined her head ever so slightly in greeting just enough to catch his nod. Wordlessly they watched their son as Dorota gave him pieces of bread, and both startled when he charged a Canadian Goose, and the majestic bird charged back, sending Charlie screaming into the arms of Dorota. Relaxing back against the bench, they did smile when their boy hurled a chunk of bread at the bird from his protected spot.
"That's your son." Chuck teased.
"I was about to say the same thing to you."
"You know what they say about great minds…"
It was then that Charlie glanced over and saw his father sitting on the bench.
"Dada!" He bellowed as he fought to get down.
Chuck's mouth shot up on one side the way it did when he was truly happy, and right now it was all for his son, who tripped and stumbled all the way to his father. It was Blair's favourite smile, but she wasn't about to tell him that. Finally getting to him, Chuck lifted Charlie into his arms, and the boy quickly wrapped his small arms around his father's neck, hugging tight. Chuck shut his eyes for a brief minute, gently patting his back, before pulling away a little to look him in the face.
"Hi!" Charlie smiled at him.
"Mr. Bass." Chuck smiled in greeting, and it grew when he saw Charlie glow at being called by his formal sir name. The two talked on about ducks, and bowties, and pointing out the buildings that were theirs in the skyline that blocked in the park.
For the first time since seeing his father, Charlie looked over at Blair and smiled. "Mine, Mama! All stuff mine!" Which caused his parents to chuckle.
Blair straitened the lapel of Charlie's jacket and smiled at him. "Yes, Charlie, all the buildings are going to be yours… and your sister's."
"No! Mine!" Charlie scowled.
Chuck smiled. "How about… those are your buildings, and I'll buy Gwendolyn her own?"
Charlie looked like he thought about it, but he was more likely trying to figure out what a sister was, or who the hell Gwendolyn was, then whether he was okay sharing his buildings.
"Now…" Chuck said, gaining Charlie's attention. "Why don't you go get those ducks…"
Chuck put him on the ground, and Blair gave a slight nod in signal to Dorota, and the maid called out to Charlie. "Charlie! Come. You feed ducks!"
"I no Charlie!" He yelled as he started towards her. "I Mr. Bass!"
Blair rolled her eyes and looked over at Chuck. "Great. I'm sure that's going to go over well at his playgroup."
She was about to go on to say that he was going to have to buy up the rest of Manhattan to keep things even, but just then her daughter rolled inside of her before sending a sharp kick into what felt like her kidney. She tried not to wince, but was clearly unsuccessful, as Chuck instantly leaned forward, his arm coming to her shoulder.
"Are you alright?"
"Fine." Blair said softly shaking her head. "I think your daughter is making sure her claim to the skyline is made."
Chuck seemed to relax, but his eyes were on the huge swell of Blair's stomach. "She's moving?"
"Like a fashioniesta at a Barney's sale." She smiled, and on impulse grabbed his hand, placing it on the side of her belly where the baby had last kicked. For a second there was no movement, and Blair started to worry she'd made a tactical error, when her daughter came through with two tight kicks into her father's hand before rolling over.
Chuck looked at Blair in awe. "She's strong."
"She's a Waldorf woman." Blair said in answer to the obvious.
Chuck laughed warmly and Blair smiled back, but then became very conscious of the fact that the baby was no longer putting on a show and Chuck's hand was still resting intimately against her.
Yanking her eyes away, she looked over at Dorota who was chasing Charlie as he ran towards a group of ducks by the water's edge.
"If he ends up in the pond, I'll see that you're sent back across it!" Blair shrilled at her maid.
Three days later, Blair's water broke. As per the contract, she called Chuck and he picked her up in his limo, and the headed to their private birthing suite at Lennox Hill Hospital. Within a few hours Blair was settled in a room with Egyptian cotton sheets, and peonies on every surface. Everything had been done to her exact specifications, except for one thing, and the growing pain that ripped from her back across the hard swell of her stomach, reminded her of exactly what was missing. Panting, sweating, and feeling WAY more paint then she had planned for with this labour. Had Blair been more with it, she might have noticed Chuck's quick fingers and focus on his Blackberry, but she didn't. She looked at the doctor as the woman finished her examination.
"Everything looks good, Ms. Waldorf. The baby is fine, and you're about 6cm dilated."
"Great…" Blair said as another contraction took her over. "Gold star for me… But where the hell is my epidural?"
The doctor glanced nervously over at Chuck, and Blair turned sharp eyes on her ex.
"Chuck…" Just then a haggard looking man appeared in the door and Chuck quickly got up and shook his hand.
"Marty." He said with a nod. "Thanks for coming. I know it's late."
Warning bells were going off in Blair's head like a four alarm fire in a fire station.
"Chuck…" She said finally able to catch her breath as the contraction receded. "Why does that anesthesiologist look like a civil servant?"
Chuck turned and smiled at her, the determined glint in his eyes letting her know that she had a right to be on edge, and given her current predicament she wasn't altogether sure that she could fight him right now. As he walked towards her she realized that had been his plan all along.
"This is his honorable Martin Grapper, and he's going to marry us."
"You must be referring to you and the doctor, because I'll marry you again the day I move out of Manhattan." She shot back.
The doctor took that as her cue to step out of the room. She didn't know how many ethical rules were about to be broken, but she knew she didn't want to witness it.
Chuck placed a hand on either side of her shoulders and leaned in to whisper against her ear. "Then we better pack our bags… because you're doing this."
"I will NOT!" Blair snapped, her hands coming up to shove at his shoulders, trying to get him to move away.
"Fine." Chuck smiled, moving away from her to sit in his chair by her bed. He stretched his legs out, and folded his hands across his chest, smiling larger as the increased beeping of a machine indicated another contraction was headed her way. "So, how do you like natural childbirth…"
"I hate you!" Blair gasped fighting him and the contraction that was so strong it made her want to die.
Even though Chuck felt the panic grow inside of him at seeing her in so much pain, he didn't let his concern show on the outside. He was doing this for them. He had to take this risk. She was stubborn and in her current vulnerable state this was the best chance he had at breaking her will. It was still entirely possible that she would thwart him. He held his breath.
"There's no pre-nup." Blair managed, trying to point out the flaw in his plan, and half growled at him. "I'll take you for half your empire in the next divorce."
Chuck leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, and looked her dead in the eye, sensing victory. "I'm willing to bet there won't be a next time."
The never-ending contraction finally started to fade away, and she ripped her eyes off of his. She realized her hands were tightly fisted on the blankets and she tried to relax her grip. She was planning on ignoring him, but then she heard that damn beeping again, letting her know she was about to be taken over all too soon by the next pain. She knew she had to get something out.
"You've never apologized… This doesn't mean that I forgive yo—" She cut herself off as the pain hit, stronger than any that had come before.
Chuck nodded, still not wavering.
"Fine!" She agreed caving to his coercion.
The certificate was signed, and the ceremony was quick, the doctor and the missing anesthesiologist acting as witnesses. The judge looked slightly amused as he snidely asked the newlyweds if Chuck wanted to kiss his bride. Blair was about to warn him that she'd bite him if he tried it, when his hands slid into her hair and his hot mouth slanted across hers. He pulled back before she could think, and signaled for the epidural. Minutes later, a nurse helped Blair lean back against the pillows, and she sighed in relief at the pain being gone. Able to focus again, she looked at her new/old husband, and she couldn't miss the triumph in every line of his face.
"You really are an ass, you know…"
Chuck smiled pulling something from his pocket. He took her left hand and slid the wedding band she hadn't seen since having it messaged to him after the divorce, back onto her finger. She fought the tears that welled in her eyes, and she ran her right index finger over the band, as if she could feel the words engraved on the inside. 3 words, 8 letters. She couldn't look at him, and soon she didn't have to as the doctor came in to check her, and told her she was fully dilated and it was time to push. Blair was still angry, but it felt right when Chuck came to her side, taking her hand and supporting her in the way she'd wished for the last time. She realized that couldn't matter right now, because right now he was there for her and their daughter as she was bring her into the world. It seemed to take forever, but finally Blair managed to push the baby from her body.
"It's a girl!" The doctor confirmed.
And Blair fell back with relief and joy. With half opened eyes she was lit with seeing the total happiness on Chuck's face as he cut the cord and took his hastily blanketed daughter into his arms. It was exalting, and it was everything she'd ever wanted. Chuck couldn't take his eyes from the baby, but as he moved back to Blair's side he smiled at his wife.
"She's perfect."
"Of course she is. She's ours…" A sudden wave of exhaustion swept into Blair, and she couldn't keep her eyes open.
"Blair?" Chuck asked, thinking she must have fallen asleep.
The splash that echoed off the floor a split second before all the monitors started sending alarms through the room was his first signal that she wasn't just sleeping. Medical staff rushed in, and Chuck was pushed out, but not before he saw the large pool of Blair's blood eating up the tile. It seemed like everyone in the Hospital was in her room, and that as the door slammed shut he was completely alone in the endless hospital hallway. He fell back against the wall as if kicked, and nothing seemed real. This couldn't be happening. It was then that he felt the restless stirring and mewing in his hands. Panting he looked down at the tiny baby he held at a distance in his palms, and for a moment, the harshest of moments, he felt a flash of near blinding hatred for his daughter, and it shook him to his core. Shaking he pulled her more securely against his chest, and with trembling lips he gently kissed the crown of her head, as he vowed that no matter what happened, he would blame her for nothing. Nothing that happened next would be her fault.
"Mr. Bass…" Chuck looked up to see a young nurse standing by his side, and she offered to take the baby to the nursery and get her checked out. Still unable to speak, Chuck nodded, kissed his daughter again, and handed her to the nurse. Alone, he sank to the floor, listening to the chaos in the other room, and waiting to hear his love's fate.
TahDAH! Okay, you know what I hate? When you get a song stuck in your head, and you CANNOT get it out. It's made even worse when you don't know all of the words. Right now? Raindrops keep falling on my head. Ba-ba-bada-bada-ba-da-da! Something-something-something-bed!" Get the picture? It's not a pretty one in my head right now.
PS-A Canadian Goose is a majestic bird… but also evil. They will snap at you and try to take you out.
PPS-According to word count this is 2540 words. That's more than 2000! See how I adore you all! Oh, and I know, I know, there are going to be at least 3 of you who tell me you saw the whole ending coming.
