Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.

My apologies for taking so long with this chapter. To make amends, here's an extra long chapter.

Enjoy!

Chuck couldn't force himself to sleep in the morning after returning home his week away. Even with Blair snuggled into him, he found himself wide-awake well before his usual routine. He got out of bed, knowing that his restlessness would wake his wife.

He never appreciated his shower more than that morning as he washed his trip away. He loved the familiar water pressure. He loved seeing Blair's shower things hanging next to his. He loved the feel of the familiar plush towels against his skin as he dried off.

"You're up early," Blair greeted him as she wrapped her arms around his naked body when she found him preening before the mirror, "I thought you'd be asleep for hours more."

"Anxious to start my day," he paused for a moment to savor the feel of her warm body pressed up against him, even through the thin fabric of her nightgown.

"Anxious to feel like the rock star to your children," she ran her fingers along the hair of his chest.

"You have absolutely no idea how much I missed them," he replied.

"How about me?" she pressed her head against the curve of his back, "How much did you miss me?"

"I'll be showing you exactly how much I missed you when we are alone for the evening," he turned in her arms so he could take in her gorgeous features.

"You could give me a preview right now," she pointed out while she lifted her nightgown over her head.

Chuck growled when his eyes racked along her nude body.

Blair let out a shriek of surprise when he spun her quickly towards the bathroom vanity and lifted her onto it before he attacked her, mauling her with his hands. "God, I missed you."

"No talking," Blair hushed him with her hands to his lips. "Put those lips to better use."

Chuck dove in, pouring himself into her, showing her exactly how torturous the time away from her was for him.


Chuck was sipping on an espresso in the dining room, reading the morning paper, when the first of his children wandered in, Aiden. It took the little boy a moment to figure out what exactly he was seeing. His face went from droopy and tired to positively thrilled in the blink of an eye.

"Daddy!" Aiden hollered while he ran straight for his father's chair, climbing up his father and throwing his arms around his father's neck before Chuck had a moment to react.

"I missed you, Sweet Boy," Chuck held his son tight.

"Missed you more," Aiden stated as he continued to hold onto Chuck's neck as tight as he dared.

"Let's see that eye, Buddy," Chuck requested as he patted his son's back.

Aiden loosened his hold on his father's neck for a moment so that his father could inspect his battle wound from a few days prior.

Chuck cupped his son's face in his hands so that he could gently turn Aiden's head to get the best view. "My poor little boy," Chuck winced as he kissed his son's injured cheek gently, "Does it still hurt."

"A wittle," Aiden nodded with an adorable little pout.

"A wittle," Chuck repeated with a slight smile. He loved how his son mispronounced words when he was tired. "How come you're up so early?"

"I wake up, not in Mommy bed. Didn't know why?" Aiden shrugged as he turned in his father's arms to position himself in his father's lap. Chuck had a feeling that none of his children were going to let him out of their sight for most of the day.

"I carried you to bed last night when I got home so I had someplace to sleep. You and your sibling were hogging the entire bed," Chuck informed his son as he poked him playfully in the ribs, "I had nowhere to sleep."

"Can I sleep with you and Mommy tonight?" Aiden inquired while Chuck reached for his son's breakfast and put it within easy reach.

"No," Chuck responded quickly, "You and your siblings are going to stay with Grandma Lily tonight."

"No," Aiden moaned as he bounced up and down in Chuck's lap to accentuate his protest, "I stay home with you."

"You're going to have so much fun with Grandma," Chuck explained to him, "Mommy and I are going to do boring grownup things. You don't like that."

"No," Aiden moaned as he continued his bouncing, "I stay home with you."

"We are going to have all day to spend together," Chuck assured him, "And we're going to have so much fun, and then you get to go to Grandma's and have even more fun."

"You come with," Aiden stated as he wrapped his arms around Chuck's neck again.

"Someone has to stay at home with Mommy," Chuck pointed out.

"Mommy has Dorota," Aiden shot back, "You come."

"I see the rock star treatment has begun," Blair chuckled as she came into the dining room to see Aiden hanging on his father.

"Mommy, Daddy come with me to Grandma's tonight," Aiden informed his mother.

"Oh really," Blair responded as she looked to her husband with intrigue.

"Aiden," Chuck scolded his son, "I have not agreed to that. You can't just tell people that something is going to happen because that is what you want to happen."

"Daddy, no go," Aiden stated as he hugged his father impossibly tighter.

"I think we've found a flaw in our plan for this evening," Chuck told his wife as she bent down to kiss them both.

"Daddy!" Charlotte squealed as she entered the dining room and took up residence on her father's other knee and began kissing his cheek over and over, "I missed you."

"I missed you too," Chuck replied as his arm went around his daughter's waist as he tried to maintain his balance on the chair while Aiden refused to give an inch of the space he'd already claimed. Things were going to get interesting when Brice appeared.

"Daddy going with us to Grandma's tonight," Aiden told his sister.

"Aiden Harold Waldorf-Bass," Blair scolded her son, "What did Daddy just tell you?"

"I want Daddy to come to Grandma's," Aiden shot back.

"For heaven's sake, enough," Blair groaned, "Daddy is not going with you to Grandma's. Daddy just got home from a very long trip. He's very tired. He wants to spend all day with you, but he'll also need to go to bed early tonight. You don't want Daddy passing out on you because he's so exhausted, do you?"

"No," Aiden pouted.

"Then we'd better let him get the rest he needs," Blair stated as she held out her arms to him. Sure enough the worry that settled into Aiden's brain had him nearly leaping into his mother's arms. Blair made a mental note to keep that trick in her arsenal. That could certainly come in handy at some other point.

"Did you get us presents?" Charlotte asked as she insisted on her father's full attention as she turned his head towards her.

"Of course," Chuck nodded, "I wouldn't dream of returning home without at least one suitcase full of presents for my three little angels."

"Yay," Charlotte cheered, "Presents now, please."

"Not yet, Sweetheart," Blair spoke up.

"But I said please," Charlotte whined.

"Which was very polite of you," Blair replied, "But Brice is still sleeping. We have to wait for him."

"I'll go wake him," Charlotte stated as she hopped off her dad's lap.

"Nope," Chuck replied as he caught his daughter's arm just before she was out of reach, "We don't wake people up in this family just so that we can open presents."

"Unless its Christmas morning and Santa has come to visit," Blair added.

"But Dad," Charlotte whined.

"You can wait," Chuck assured her as he lifted her back onto his lap.

"No, I can't," Charlotte pouted.

"Two children, two pouts," Blair chuckled, "Not bad for your first morning back. You're picking up right where you left off."

"How about we start deciding what we are going to do today?" Chuck suggested, "After your riding lesson, of course."

"Horseys!" Aiden exclaimed with excitement. He quickly jumped down from his mother's lap and began imitating a horse as he had done on the first morning he'd gone with to Charlotte's lesson.

"You each get to chose one activity," Chuck added, "But it has to include the whole family."

Charlotte was just about to throw out an idea that would exclude both of her brothers before Chuck threw a curveball into her plan. She sat silent for a few moments to come up with alternative.

"Intrepid," Aiden called out jubilantly, "Want to see the planes." He switched from imitating horses to planes as he flew around the room, making himself dizzy and nearly running into a nearby wall.

"Not again," Charlotte sighed in annoyance. Whenever Aiden got to pick an activity, it was always the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.

"He gets to pick whatever he wants," Chuck whispered in her ear, "I said we all had to be included. I didn't say we all had to enjoy it, but my princess will go along without a fuss. Understood."

Charlotte nodded at her father's gentle but stern warning.

"I want to go to the Museum of Modern Art," Charlotte proclaimed.

"Van Gogh calling again," Blair correctly assumed. As much as Charlotte complained about Aiden being unoriginal with his selection, she wasn't any better. Blair had lost count as to how many times Charlotte asked to go see the Van Gogh exhibit.

"Yep," Charlotte nodded, "And I can guess what Brice wants to do, go to the dog park with Barty and play fetch."

"You're probably right," Chuck nodded as Barty bounced in on cue.

"Daddy's home, Barty," Aiden exclaimed as the dog trotted across the dining room and rested his head against Chuck's thigh.

"Looks like humans aren't the only ones that missed you this week," Blair noted as Chuck rubbed behind the family dog's ears.

"How many walks did Nate miss?" Chuck inquired as he hunched over and allowed Barty to lick his face in greeting.

"Three," Blair replied, "But in his defense, he had valid reasons, and yesterday he wasn't needed as Brice wore his dog out during the picnic in the park with Eric and Magnus."

"You got to see Uncle Eric and Magnus yesterday," Chuck tickled his daughter's sides, "How lucky are you? How are the newlyweds?"

"Not so newlywed," Blair replied. "Eric was telling me they'll have been married two years this winter. It seems like just yesterday that we all flew out to Vermont for their wedding."

"Time flies," Chuck observed as Charlotte finally extracted herself from his lap and began eating her own breakfast. "Did you have fun with Uncle Eric and Uncle Maggie?"

"Maggie played catch," Aiden stated, "I wore my glove."

"Did you catch all the balls that Maggie threw you?" Chuck inquired as he pushed Aiden's breakfast towards his wife so that their son would start to eat. He was always the slowest of the trio.

"Almost," Aiden frowned, "I dropped a couple."

"That's okay," Chuck assured him, "Everyone drops a few balls here and there, even the best players."

"Even you?" Aiden's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Even me," Chuck nodded.

That news blew his son away. To all three of his children, he was more than their idol, he was a hero. He could do no wrong in their eyes. Charlotte was getting to an age where Blair and Chuck felt comfortable sharing some of the more innocent dark pieces of their childhood, but those dark tales did not diminish the special glimmer in her eyes as she looked at her father.

"But maybe not Mommy," Chuck added after a moment.

Blair rolled her eyes as her husband winked at her. A quick glance at her watch told her that Brice needed to wake up and start getting ready for the day or they'd all be late to the stables.

"I'll go wake him," Chuck read his wife's mind as he rose up from the table.

"Why does Daddy get to wake Brice, but when I wanted to do it I get the look?" Charlotte pouted.

"Because Daddy's reason for waking up your brother are for more than just so you can open presents," Blair responded calmly, "Hurry up with your breakfast you two. We will not be late for Charlotte's riding lesson."

"Yes, Mommy," the two responded in unison.


"Brice, Buddy, wake up," Chuck spoke softly as he rubbed his son's back as he slept. He'd found his son sound asleep laying on his stomach, one arm hanging over the bed, his mouth wide open. Those mornings that Chuck slept in, this was how Blair usually found him.

Brice began mumbling in his sleep as he burrowed underneath the covers.

"Come on, Little Man," Chuck tried to coax him from his sleep as he continued to rub circles into Brice's back, "We have a big day ahead of us, but you have to wake up so we can start it."

"No," Brice moaned as Barty came bouncing into the room. Brice's trusty companion began pulling away Brice's comforter so he had nowhere to hide.

"You're better than Lassie, boy," Chuck laughed as he patted the dog's head, "Come on, Brice, up and at 'em."

"Dad," Brice moaned softly as he stretched himself out, the smile wide on his face.

"Hi there," Chuck smiled.

"I missed you," Brice responded as he sat up and hugged his father tight.

"I missed you," Chuck replied.

Barty barked happily as he watched the joyful reunion.

"Come on, Brice, time to get ready for the day. Charlotte has her riding lesson this morning, and then we are having a day of fun, all five of us," Chuck explained.

"All six of us," Brice corrected as he nodded towards Barty.

"Just the five of us for a little while," Chuck told him as he pressed his forehead to his son's, "They don't allow dogs at the stables. Charlotte and Aiden have picked their activities for the day. You get to do the same."

"Park with Barty," Brice responded instantly.

"You three are very predictable," Chuck replied as he lifted Brice out of bed, "Get dressed. You can eat your breakfast in the limo on the way to Charlotte's lesson."

"Okay," Brice replied as he disappeared into his closet.

Chuck realized that he wasn't anymore ready for the day than his son, so he headed for his bedroom to change. He stepped into the room just has Blair dropped her robe.

"You planned that," Chuck immediately stepped in behind her, wrapping his arms around her naked body.

"Coincidence," she gasped as he palmed her breasts.

"It's never a coincidence when I happen upon you in the nude," he told her as he nipped at the nape of her neck.

"In this case it is," she replied, "We don't have the time for what your hands are trying to instigate."

"I can be as quick as lightening," he vowed.

"Be that as it may," she chuckled, "You may be quick, but I prefer thorough. Later, I promise."

"I'm holding you to that," he chuckled as he tweaked her nipples before he released her.


"Horsey," Aiden proclaimed as he was carried through the stables in his father's arms. He'd already broken free from his mother and tried to enter an open stable door and surprise a horse. Chuck wasn't about to let that happen a second time. He made sure his grip was extra firm.

"Do you want a horsey like your big sister?" Chuck inquired when they emerged from the stables to take a seat in the bleachers to watch Charlotte's lesson.

"Maybe," Aiden shrugged his shoulders in a noncommittal way.

"Let me know when you make up your mind," he chuckled as he sat himself down on the metal bleacher and put Aiden on his knee.

"How long does this last?" Brice whined while he played the video game that Blair had given to him to keep him occupied.

"An hour," Chuck responded, "Just like the other two times you watched this week."

"Why did I have to come along?" Brice continued to whine, "I've never had to come with before Dad went out for his stupid business retreat."

"Today is a family day," Blair responded before Chuck could give his two cents, "And we are doing things as a family."

"Charlee's not here," Brice pointed out, "She's out there on her high horse."

"We are watching Charlee's lesson," Blair stated calmly, "And when she's done, we're going to continue to do things as a family."

"This should count as Charlotte's activity for the day," Brice replied.

"But it doesn't," Blair replied, "So I guess you'll have to make the best of it."

"This is so boring," Brice sighed.

"Boring, boring, boring," Aiden began to sing out as he parroted his brother.

"Enough of that, Buddy," Chuck stated as he covered the mouth of his youngest before he turned to address his elder son, "Brice, if you don't want to watch, you can go sit in the limo and wait."

"Fine," Brice replied as he abruptly left the bleachers and made his way to the limo.

"What was that all about?" Blair inquired.

"Brice mad at Mommy," Aiden chimed in.

"What? Why?" Blair gasped.

"Miss practice," Aiden replied, "Talk to man instead."

"Does that make sense to you?" Chuck scratched his head in confusion as he tried to figure out what Aiden was trying to say with the limited vocabulary he had.

"As we were leaving for his baseball practice yesterday, the owner of the stables showed up to talk about Charlotte," Blair explained, "I didn't want Brice to be late for practice so I sent him on ahead with Eric and Magnus. I was only ten minutes behind. I only missed about two minutes of actual practice."

"Brice mad at Mommy. Brice mad at Mommy," Aiden began to sing out.

"Such the little parrot today," Blair stated as she took her turn in covering his youngest son's mouth.

"Go talk to Brice," Chuck encouraged her, "Aiden and I will wait for Charlotte."

"Thank you," Blair gave him a grateful smile as she kissed Aiden's head and then her husband's lips before she followed her son.


"Alright, Brice, let it out," Blair commanded her son as she slid into the limo only moments after he was able to get comfortable, "If you're mad at me, tell me now."

"I'm not mad," Brice shook off his mother's suggestion.

"That's not what your little parrot of a brother says," Blair replied, "He might be little, but he doesn't make this stuff up. He mostly repeats what he hears, so how about we skip the part where you pretend that nothing is wrong."

"It's always about Charlotte," he pouted, "Even when it's my day, someone comes to say she did something wonderful and the focus goes right back to her."

"I think you're exaggerating," Blair replied, "I spoke with Mister Huxley for ten minutes about Charlotte, and then it wasn't even mentioned for the rest of the day. You wanted to go to the park yesterday with Barty, so we took you. We try to make sure that we do activities with each of you. We don't try to favor one child over the other. If that is how it felt yesterday or any other day, then I'm sorry."

"Charlotte is the princess," Brice continued to pout, "She's Dad's favorite."

"Dad doesn't have favorites," Blair corrected, "And neither do I."

"That's not true," Brice snapped, "Aiden got to sleep in bed with you all week. You never let me or Charlotte sleep with you."

"If Dad was home, Aiden would have slept in his own bed," Blair responded, "The only way to get Aiden to sleep while Dad was gone was to sleep in bed with me. If that was the only way to get you to sleep, then you could have slept in the bed with me and Aiden all week."

"I hate being the middle child," Brice threw his hand held game across the limo, "I'm never the first to do anything, and I'm never the last. I'm always second."

"You're the first boy in the family," Blair offered, "That's a pretty big first. You're the first to have a dog. You're the first to play baseball."

"So," Brice shrugged.

"Sweetie, you may be the middle child, but you are just as loved as both Aiden and Charlotte," Blair assured her.

Brice shrugged once more as he maneuvered around in the limo to retrieve his game only to find that it had broken when it was tossed across the vehicle.

"We'll buy you a new one," Blair gave him a sympathetic smile.


"So, Brice is…" Chuck prompted Blair later that evening as they sat down to a romantic meal complete with dripping candles and red peonies.

"Suffering from middle child syndrome," Blair sighed as she explained her conversation with him from earlier, "I don't understand what is triggering this. We spend just as much time with him as we do Charlotte and Aiden, don't we?"

"We certainly try," Chuck nodded as he reached for her hand and kissed it lightly.

"I'm so happy to have you home," Blair sighed as she held her hand to his lips for longer than was necessary.

"I'm happy to be home," he replied, "This was the longest week of my life."

"I think you're being a little dramatic," she rolled her eyes.

"I don't think so," he shook off her suggestion, "I didn't sleep more than four hours. I sat in dull meetings for several hours each day, was forced onto a golf course against my will, and had to make small talk with members of an executive team that I'm not all that impressed with."

"You didn't actually play golf, did you?" she chuckled. The thought of her husband swinging a golf club and trying to hit a small, white ball was probably the most unlikely activity he could ever participate in.

"No," he shook his head, "I just drove around in a golf cart in my plaid pants and pink polo shirt that only I'm able to pull off, but my point was that it was against my will. Meanwhile, my family was home, carrying on without me."

"You were one hundred and seventy percent missed," Blair replied, "I was greeted with those long faces of our children each morning, and I swear that even that dog was pouting while you were away."

"If I never have to attend one of these retreats again, it will be too soon," he sighed.

"So does that mean you're canceling all future retreats?" Blair inquired.

"I'm canceling all future retreats that I am required to participate in," he replied, "I can't be gone for another week, not with the children as young as they are, not with my wife as beautiful as she is."

"So if the children were older, and I was less beautiful, you'd have no problem being gone for weeks at a time," she gave him a menacing glare.

"I've been married long enough to know not to answer that question," he chuckled.

"Smart man," she smiled.

Chuck leaned in for a kiss just as the elevator chimed.

"Who the heck could be interrupting us tonight?" Blair inquired as she tightened her robe around her waist before she went to see who had the audacity to interrupt them.

"I'm sorry, I know what I'm interrupting, but Dan and I had a huge fight. I couldn't go to Lily's," Serena stated tearfully as she stepped off the elevator, "I didn't know where else to go."

"What's wrong, S?" Blair inquired as she engulfed her best friend in a hug as Chuck handed her his linen napkin to wipe the mascara tear streaks off her best friend's face.

"He found out that I slept with someone else," Serena admitted tearfully, "He kicked me out. He says that he can't even stand the sight of me anymore. He wants a divorce."

"Oh, S, I'm so sorry," Blair stated as she hugged her friend again.

"God, I really messed up, B," Serena sniffed as Blair guided her into the living room where they took a seat on the sofa. Serena's head came to rest against her bestie's shoulder as she continued to sob. "I should have listened to you."

"I'm so sorry," Blair stated as she rubbed her friend's shoulder as her own tears began to fall.

"Did you need anything?" Chuck offered, not knowing what else he could do.

"Scotch, on the rocks," Serena replied.

"That I can do," Chuck nodded as he left the room to retrieve her drink. Knowing Serena as well as he did, he poured her a double and brought it back to her.

"Thanks," Serena gave a pathetic attempt at a smile as she accepted the glass and took a long gulp.

"What are you going to do now?" Blair inquired.

"I don't know," Serena sighed, "I guess find a good divorce lawyer. We had a prenup, but I guess that's null and void now due to my infidelity. God, this is going to get ugly. I can just see the headlines now. Yet Another Van der Woodsen Divorce, Now it's Serena's turn."

"That's a little long for a headline," Chuck thought out loud before he could silence himself.

Both Serena and Blair glared at him.

"Look, there are ways to keep this quiet," Chuck offered.

"Not when the details get out," Serena shook her head.

"It can't be that bad," Blair offered.

"I haven't been completely honest with you," Serena replied, "The other guy is not some random person that I met. He's someone that you know…quite well actually."

"Well it's not Chuck," Blair replied with a slight laugh. Serena winced at the suggestion. "It's not Chuck, right?"

"No," both Serena and Chuck shook their heads quickly.

"I wouldn't have the energy," Chuck reminded her.

"Good," Blair let out a sigh of relief, "You had me worried for a minute. It's not Nate, is it?"

"No," Serena shook her head, "I wouldn't do that to Vanessa."

"Then who could it be?" Blair looked at her best friend curiously.

"It's Jack," Serena blurted out.

"Jack," Blair repeated as she looked to her best friend with confusion, "Jack who?…Oh, God, not Jack Bass!"

"Yes," Serena nodded.

"Have you lost your mind!" Blair exclaimed, "Do you know all the awful things that he's done over the years? He tried to hurt your mother. He tried to steal Bass, he…"

"I know, but he's different than that now," Serena nodded, "Jack has been so kind to me. He really listens to me. He…"

"Stop, I'm going to be sick," Blair interrupted her, "Jack Bass is nothing but an opportunist that preys upon women when they are at their most vulnerable. I should know. I was one of them."

She heard Chuck wince at the thought.

"No, he's different, he's changed," Serena shook her head, "He didn't even want anything to happen that first night. He just brought me back to his hotel room to talk. I kissed him first. He tried to keep me at bay. I kept persisting. I seduced him."

"Oh, God, it's still going on," Blair realized, "You're still seeing him."

Serena could only nod.

"What the hell is Jack even doing in town?" Blair snapped at her.

"He says he's here on business," Serena replied.

"He's not here on Bass business," Chuck stated, "Every exec in the company was with me in Phoenix."

"He says that he doesn't work for Bass Industries anymore," Serena stated, "He has a new job. He's working with a venture capital firm. He says he's kind of doing what Richard Gere did in 'Pretty Woman'."

"When did he quit Bass?" Blair looked towards her husband.

"News to me," Chuck shrugged, "He was still in Australia the last I checked, but it's been awhile since I even cared to look."

"He wouldn't go after Bass again, would he?" Blair gulped nervously.

"It would be hard for him to succeed," Chuck laughed confidently, "Bass isn't exactly a candidate for a takeover. It would require entirely too much capital."

"Then I wonder what he's up to," Blair thought out loud.

"He's not up to anything," Serena insisted, "I told you that he's changed."

"Tonight is not the night to figure this out," Blair sighed, "S, do you have a place to stay this evening?"

"I'll probably just go to a hotel or something," Serena replied.

"That's silly," Blair stated, "You can stay in our guest room."

"No, I shouldn't," Serena shook her head, "You've been apart for a week. You're in sexy lingerie. I've interrupted enough as it is."

"S, the guest room is all the way down the hall. You won't hear a thing," Blair assured her as she motioned her down the hall. "Fifth door on the left. If you need anything, Dorota's room is across the hall. She should be back in a couple of hours. Chuck and I are going to finish our meal and then turn in."

"You won't even know I'm here, I promise," Serena vowed as she made her way down the hall.

Blair sighed as she followed Chuck back to the dining room where their meal had gone cold.

"Let's just skip the food," Blair suggested as she reached out for Chuck's hand, "I'm not as hungry for food as I am my husband. We can get snacks later if you get hungry."

"You'll get no argument from me," Chuck replied as he lifted Blair into his arms and brought her to their bedroom where he made love to her many times through the night.

TBC…