First off – I wanted to say how glad I am that you guys like this story. I thought it was interesting that some of you really like Gwen and some of you really like Austin (and some liked both). The goal was to make them at very least acceptable to all of you in that I needed everyone to be able to picture Blair with Austin and Chuck with Gwen for this fanfic to work. This chapter is a little shorter than most I write but it was the appropriate stopping place for this – something I think you'll agree on. As promised there will be present time CB interaction.

To my reviewers: flipped, LitPrincess2787, Imortalrunes, CarolinaGirl21, wrighthangal, Stella296, Kadlin, SouthernBelle88, GGfan73104, GGfanficfan09, Rf, LovelyLydia, mrszoull, and Sw33theart21. Sorry if I didn't respond to your review – this week has been super busy for me and I thought you'd rather have another chapter than my response

Thanks of course to my fantastic beta ggff-fan!

Chapter 2: Home Isn't What It Used to Be

Blair sighed as she looked up at her old home. She hadn't stepped inside the doors of this building since the day she left New York almost four years ago. She'd visited people, her parents mostly, but always out of the country, well almost always. Her mind started to drift to one of the two exceptions of the rule - the one that had ended particularly disastrously. But the sight of Serena entering the building startled her out of her reverie.

Sometimes it surprised her that Serena was still living there so long after she'd left, other times it made complete sense; that was just Serena. Though Blair had a sneaking suspicion that Serena wouldn't be living there much longer, the last time she'd talked to the blonde - to tell her about her engagement - Serena had indicated that it wouldn't be long before she'd be getting engaged as well.

Inhaling deeply, Blair waited only a moment more before exiting the ride she'd chartered from the airport and walking into the building she'd once called home. She watched as the doorman's eyes lit up with surprise.

"Ms. Waldorf, it's good to see you again." Mr. Jamison spoke, a smile emerging on his face. "It's been too long."

Blair smiled at the old man who'd been holding doors for her since before she could walk. "I couldn't agree more Mr. Jamison." Walking on inside, Blair made her way to the elevator, taking in the changes that had been made to the lobby only briefly - she'd have time for that later. Right now she needed to see Serena.

She exhaled as she rode the elevator up to the apartment. She was both excited and nervous to see Serena, currently the excitement was winning out but the nerves were still there. She knew she was going to get it handed to her for staying away for so long - especially since no one had known where she was.

Stepping into her foyer, Blair spotted Serena immediately. The blonde must have gotten the glass of water she was holding from the kitchen because she was walking into the foyer just as Blair was, only she wasn't paying any attention - some things never change.

"Hey S." Blair said softly as she came to a stop about ten feet away from her best friend.

Serena's head snapped up and the glass she was holding slid right through her hands crashing to the floor. "Blair?" She questioned, her voice airy, her eyes wide as though she'd seen a ghost. Blair smiled at her friend and Serena went rushing across the room, enveloping her in a tight hug. "OHMYGOD I didn't know you were coming! Is Austin with you?" She asked, the words pouring from her mouth as she held her best friend to her as tightly as she could.

Blair slowly extracted herself from the hug, allowing her purse to slip to the ground next to her roller board. She pursed her lips slightly, wondering just how to tell Serena what had happened. But it seemed her explanation wasn't meant to be as Serena noted a particular fixture missing from Blair's ring finger.

"B, where's your engagement ring?" Serena asked, her excitement dwindling to skepticism.

Still pursing her lips Blair felt her eyebrows furrow in concentration. She still wasn't sure where to start. Serena wasn't supposed to be her first stop, doing this the other way around would have been so much easier.

Becoming worried at Blair's lack of response, Serena took her friend's hands in her own. "Is everything okay? Is that why your home? Did Austin call off the engagement?"

As Serena continued to ask questions Blair finally exhaled read to speak - she had to be otherwise Serena would probably get the wrong idea. "I called off the engagement." She could tell Serena was about to ask more questions so she held up her hand. "I called off the engagement because I realized I'm still in love with Chuck. I never fell out of love with him and I couldn't marry Austin knowing that I'd never actually given my relationship with Chuck a chance to work out." A smile appeared on her face as she spoke; she couldn't believe how ready she was for all of this to be over so she and Chuck could finally try to be together again, couldn't believe it had taken so long for her to get here.

Serena's expression went from one of concern, to confusion and finally to worry. "Oh, wow. That wasn't what I was expecting."

Blair shook her head a small smile on her face. "I mean really Serena you should know well enough by now, no matter what happens Chuck and I always come back to each other." Blair spoke her words certain.

Serena couldn't help but notice the look in Blair's eyes. It was the Prince Charming look she always used to get when she talked about what her wedding to Nate would be like when they were kids. The look she had when she thought that she could marry Louis, the look when she was single-mindedly focusing on one thing as though her focus alone would make it true. Blair was on cloud nine right now and Serena had no idea how she'd gotten there; at the same time there was a certain desperation in her eyes, one Serena couldn't quite place. "Blair, it's been four years, four long years. How do you know that you're even still in love with Chuck? Neither of you are the same people you used to be."

"Oh come on, S. We're Chuck and Blair, Blair and Chuck, we're inevitable, we're magnetic, we're meant to be and we always will be." Blair said definitively.

Serena exhaled. "You left him B, you ran out without a word. It crushed him, you can't just sweep back in and expect things to go back to normal."

Blair smiled. "I know S, I do. I have a lot to make up for and I fully intend for him to put me through my paces but in the end he'll remember that we're inevitable." Sighing, she smiled. "I need to see him though, he needs to know I'm back. I stopped by the Empire on my way in but they told me he hasn't lived there in years."

Serena was becoming consumed by concern for a very different reason than she had been when she'd first realized that Blair wasn't wearing a ring. Both times it was out of concern for Blair's heart but this concern was much scarier because if Blair truly believed what she was saying, her heart was about to be shattered. "Chuck and Nate have the top floor of the New Yorker now." She spoke her words slow and deliberate.

Blair furrowed her brows as she lifted a shoulder. "Why? The Empire was Chuck's baby."

Inhaling Serena chose her words carefully. "Chuck moved out of the Empire after coming back from the Hamptons two summers ago." Pausing awkwardly she wasn't sure how to say what she had to say. "He still owns the hotel but the New Yorker is his baby now."

Blair felt a slight twinge of disappointment that something so symbolic of their relationship wasn't a part of Chuck anymore but she wasn't surprised that the change had occurred two summers ago. For the second time that day Blair's mind began to drift back to that summer, the one she'd decided it would be safe to visit the Hamptons, it was early, no one was supposed to be there yet, but someone was. Once more she pulled herself from thoughts of that summer and back to the present. "Oh well, I hate to run when I've just gotten here but I've waited so long for this, I really don't want to waste any more time."

Serena swallowed, trying to think of the best way to do this but honestly she was never all that great with situations like this. Saying the first words that came to mind Serena prepared herself for Blair's reaction. "You didn't wait for him B, do you honestly think he's just been waiting for you?"

Blair looked at her curiously, Serena was hiding something or at very least avoiding telling her something. Or perhaps this was Serena's way of trying to tell her something. "What are you trying to say S? Is there another woman in Chuck's life?" Even as Blair asked she couldn't hide her smirk. It wasn't a serious matter to her. No woman had ever been able to keep Chuck from coming back to her and none ever would. When Serena nodded Blair just shrugged. "Don't think I'm surprised S, I'll have her gone in a week."

Serena shook her head, beginning to feel angry at Blair's arrogance. "You don't understand. She's been in his life for a long time now. It's serious."

"Yeah, he thought he was serious about Eva too and we all know how that turned out. And don't even get me started on Raina..." Blair refused to listen to Serena's nonsense - Chuck was Chuck and she was Blair and now that she had realized what she should have known all along it was only a matter of time before she had him back. "Now, hush about this girl of his and tell me how I look. Is this outfit worthy of his first sight of me in tw...four years?" Blair asked spinning, almost not catching herself. It wasn't that Serena couldn't know about that May in the Hamptons, that wasn't it at all; it was more that was something she really treasured, something she wasn't ready to share publically.

Serena sighed, sometimes Blair was incorrigible and Serena couldn't help her if she wouldn't let her. "You look beautiful." She spoke truthfully, Blair was in for a rude awakening when she saw Chuck but there was nothing Serena could do if Blair refused to listen.

A few minutes later, as she watched Blair leave, all Serena could think was that Blair was different since the last time she saw her. Last Christmas, Blair had been so excited about her relationship with Austin, excited about where it was going, sure that he was going to propose. She was so mature, so grounded; but now there was a new light in her eyes, a fire she hadn't seen in a long time. It was still the Blair she remembered from last Christmas but the spark that Serena hadn't noticed was missing was back.

Chuck groaned as he looked over the papers spread in front of him. He wasn't supposed to do work today, it was supposed to be his day off; but apparently the CEOs of Fortune 500 Companies don't get days off because his secretary had brought over a stack of briefs right at eleven that had everything to do with an old account that he needed to look into reopening. It was already looking like he was going to have to go into the office and he wasn't particularly happy about it.

Sighing he took another large gulp of coffee, usually it would have been scotch but today he needed the caffeine. This was going to be a long day. It was days like these that made him glad he'd had the home office added onto the penthouse. What was one more room after all? And honestly he got more use out of it than probably any other in the large penthouse that encompassed the entire top floor of the New Yorker. Nate had his own suite of rooms amongst them; even Gwen had a couple for her use alone though she didn't technically live there.

Studying the page before him he was forced to stop, pause and reread a few lines as he thought he caught a whiff of something he hadn't smelled in a long time. Shaking his head Chuck ignored it, for some reason this account must be making him nostalgic. That's when he smelt it again. This time it was the automatic tightening of his pants and the rush of his heart that really caused the pause. Certain he was mistaken; Chuck began digging into the brief again. This time when he stopped he couldn't deny it. There was an unmistakable scent of Chanel Allure in the air. The only woman he'd ever known to wear that was the last person he would expect to see.

Chuck tried to shake the scent, tried to focus but couldn't as it seemed to be growing stronger. Finally unable to put it off any longer Chuck looked up expecting to see a maid standing in the doorway - presumably a maid who'd tried on one of the guests' perfumes. What he saw made him drop the pen from his hand and caused his stomach to plummet.

"Chuck." Blair spoke walking into the room. "How are you?" She asked relishing the rather startled look on his face, not realizing immediately that while startled he didn't actually appear happy to see her at all.

Chuck couldn't withhold a gasp at the vision before him. Glossy brown curls, skin slightly tanned, sparkling brown eyes that held an impossible innocence, full red lips, tantalizing neck, a perfect red dress, lovely legs clad in sheer stockings, ending in feet slipped into a pair of Manolos. Every inch of the girl standing before him was perfection; evil, soul-devouring perfection. And just like that his awe at seeing her turned to anger. "What are you doing here?" He asked, voice low as he ignored her question.

Blair pouted slightly, she'd known this wouldn't be a cake walk. "Aren't you happy to see me? If I remember correctly last time we saw each other you couldn't get to me fast enough . . ." She grinned coyly as she drew up memories of that summer in the Hamptons, the one they'd kept between them.

"Don't." Chuck spat lifting his hand. The last thing he wanted right now was a walk down memory lane with the devil incarnate. He'd been completely thrown off guard by her presence. He was never supposed to see her again. That was the plan. Not after everything that had happened. "And I repeat what are you doing here?"

Blair shrugged, smirking a little. "I'm in town, thought I'd stop by and say hello."

"Why?" Chuck asked with a shrug, his voice cold as ice. "You have no reason to think I'd want to see you."

Blair rolled her eyes. "Come on Chuck, you can drop the act. I can tell you're happy to see me. . ." She spoke seductively as she pointedly looked at the tent in his pants. She could tell that Chuck was trying to make this difficult for her - she supposed she deserved it but she knew he couldn't hold out for long, his body would never let him.

Sighing Chuck sent a rather heated glare her way. "I can't control certain reactions my body might still have to you." He spoke, his words slow and measured. Leaning back in his chair, he crossed his arms in an almost defense position. His body was reacting in a host of strange ways, all he could think was that it must be in shock. "When are you leaving?"

"Not until after you talk to me." Blair said sincerely as she walked closer. "There's so much I need to say." Looking into Chuck's eyes she searched for something, anything to reassure her that he wasn't lost to her but they were distant. The warmth that was always there for her wasn't. Clearly things were worse off than she thought. She decided then that it might be time to start making herself vulnerable - after all that's probably what Chuck was trying to force her to do. "I know I hurt you before, but if you give me a chance I can make it up to you." She spoke, eyes bright and honest.

Chuck shook his head, as he was filled with what he could only perceive as a strange blend of anger and fear. It caused a strange shiver up his spine as he realized that she wasn't getting it. She'd done this to them, he'd tried to save them; it had been her decision to destroy them; every time it had been her decision. Now that he was happy, now that he'd forgotten her, she had no business walking back into his life with all of her broken innocence and shattered perfection. Who did she think she was? Waltzing in here like this and expecting him to want to . . . he didn't even know what she wanted from him and honestly he didn't care. "Allow me to clarify, when are you leaving my city and going back to wherever the hell you've been for the past four years?"

Scoffing, Blair raised her eyebrows, even as she ignored the shot of pain to her chest at his cruel words. How dare he say such a thing, this city had always been theirs even when they weren't together it had been theirs. Not confident enough at the moment to say just that she settled for a lesser statement that would still call to mind what she meant. "New York isn't yours Chuck." She walked towards him until she could lean against the side of his desk, until she was close enough to touch.

Shrugging Chuck remained seated, his body had finally begun to adjust to her presence and he was finding now that it wasn't quite so difficult as he'd thought it would be. The fear from earlier was gone because his heart remembered more than he'd guessed it would. His heart remembered well the agonizing pain from before and it wasn't even racing. "Fine, stay as long as you like; but if you don't mind I'm busy." He spoke gesturing to the door.

Exhaling Blair tried to push the sinking feeling in her stomach away. Moving even closer to Chuck she stopped only a pace away from him readying herself for the potential reaction as she leaned forward and placed her arms on either side of his arm chair. Either Chuck would throw aside this pretense of being impartial to her or he would potentially be angry at her. She'd come in thinking that he would be happy to have her home, back with him where she belonged but so far things hadn't gone as planned. "Chuck, I'm here for good. I'm not going back."

Chuck couldn't prevent the jerk of his head in her direction as she poised herself over him. "Your life's not here anymore Blair, why would you do that?" Chuck spoke truly confused. She'd created her own life, her own world, one that no longer included him and he'd done the same.

"I came back because I missed you, I came back for you." Blair explained, her thumb on her left hand almost unconsciously twisting her ruby ring around as she held form.

A million thoughts ran through Chuck's head all at the same time but none of them penetrated through to change what he'd say next. "You shouldn't have." Chuck spoke his voice cold, unfeeling. "I got over you a long time ago - it's been years."

"Chuck, I know you don't want to be the weak one, I know you don't want to seem like you caved too quickly to me. I know you need to make me work for it and I'm willing to do that. For you." Shaking her head as though to say Chuck was being silly, Blair reached out a hand only to withdraw it as she watched him move away almost imperceptibly. Remembering her earlier conversation with Serena, she felt a chill sweep over her.

"No Blair." Chuck interrupted, uncrossing his arms and rising. "I'm not doing this for appearances, I don't play those games anymore. I've grown up and I've moved on."

Scoffing, Blair crossed her own arms, entering what she considered to be a power stance for her. "Please, are you referring to that girl you've been seeing? You can't honestly think that she compares to what we had."

Surprise flickered over Chuck's face at the realization that Blair knew more than he'd expected but he recovered quickly. When he spoke it was the absolute truth, there was no need to use control on his voice, no need to hold back; he almost felt sorry for her. "Had Blair. What we had is over. When I said I was with someone else, I didn't say it to hurt you, I said it because it's serious. Now forget this little fancy of yours and go home. I don't mean home as in your Park Avenue penthouse, I mean home as in wherever you've been living because there's nothing left for you here."

Chuck didn't waste time deciphering the expression on Blair's face, instead he moved around her. "I have a meeting to get to, I'm sure you can show yourself out." He spoke before walking around her, leaving her standing there alone in his apartment.

Blair stood frozen for only a moment, waiting until the elevator doors shut before she fled the apartment. She needed to speak with Serena immediately to decide her plan of attack. Chuck might think he was interested in this other girl, that what they had was special, but Blair had every intention of showing him that nothing compared to ChuckandBlair. All he needed was a little time to get over his anger that she'd run out on their relationship and everything would be fine. Besides, for him she had all the time in the world.

Spotted: Blair Waldorf back in NYC for the first time in ages! Words cannot convey my excitement. She hasn't even been here 24 hours and it seems as though the drama has already begun. As happy as I am to have her back in town it sounds like that sentiment wasn't returned by a certain Bass. What's the matter C? Not still in love with the one time love of your life? Either way B had a rude awakening this afternoon – just wait until she meets Gwen. That's one showdown I can't wait to see. Looks like things finally got interesting again and you know I'll be here to fill you in just like old times.

you know you love me

xoxo
Gossip Girl

So there we go I know some of you will not be happy at the cold shoulder that Chuck gives Blair but that's why I should you a bit of what each of them have been up to the past couple of years first. A lot has happened to each of them, a lot has changed and Blair left Chuck four years before. This is the last chapter before the prologue as I'm sure you can tell.

A lot of this fanfic is plotted out but I'd love to hear your ideas or predictions or just your thoughts on the chapter in a review!

xoxo
kate