Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.
"I guess it's my turn to hold down the fort," Chuck helped his wife pack a bag for her trip. He was much more understanding about Blair's need to leave than she'd been when she was in his position, but then again, her reason for leaving was much better. There wasn't anything either of them wouldn't do for their family, all of their family.
The children were hard at work on the newest poster to send off their mother.
"Fortunately you know the drill," she placed several items into her suitcase.
"It doesn't mean we'll miss you any less," Chuck assured her while handing her his computer bag, "Password is still BurlesqueBlair16."
"I don't know how long I'll be gone," Blair gave a heavy sigh while accepting the computer.
"If you're gone through the weekend, after Charlotte's lesson we'll fly up to Maine to stay with you," Chuck assured her, "Dog and all."
"You're going to have bedmates all week," she warned him with a Cheshire grin.
"Maybe I'll have a shot at getting some sleep," he ran his fingers through his hair.
"Snuggle with Aiden," she rubbed his chest affectionately, "He's the best cuddler of the trio."
Dorota came in with fresh laundry Blair added to her suitcase.
"What are you doing about Jack?" she inquired once Dorota had left them alone again.
"Calling in some favors and running Jack out of town," Chuck replied, "He's losing his cushy new job thanks to some incriminating photos of him with a female companion, who was not Serena, doing lines of cocaine."
"Turn about is fair play," Blair recalled similar pictures of her husband which found their way into the papers courtesy of Jack many years earlier. It was long before they'd become the rock solid pair they were.
"Keeping with tradition, he's been sticking his hands into the corporate cookie jar."
"Embezzling again?" Blair gasped.
"He never learns," Chuck shook his head, "This time family can't and won't save him. As a favor to me, the authorities are waiting until Serena is out of the picture, but the minute the wheels of the jet lift off, Jack's being given some shiny new bracelets."
"Is the embezzlement charge legitimate or did you take liberties with his accounts?" Blair raised a curious brow.
"I'm not the embezzler in the family," he assured her, "I would do anything to protect my family, but only what is inside the law."
"I had to ask," she sighed in relief before turning to close up her suitcase.
"You'd better say goodbye to the children," Chuck lifted her suitcase off the bed and rolled it towards their bedroom door.
"This is hard, isn't it?" she frowned.
"Nearly impossible," Chuck confirmed, "You have a much better excuse than I did. The children understand you having to help Serena. They didn't understand a business trip I didn't want to attend in the first place."
Aiden quickly attached himself to Blair's leg when she came into the entryway.
"I'm going to miss you too, Sweet Boy," Blair pried him away from her leg and lifted him into her arms.
Aiden's arms squeezed her tight around the neck. "I wove you, Mommy."
"I love you too," she kissed his cheek, "You're going to be a good boy for Daddy just like you were for me, aren't you?"
Aiden nodded his head, which remained buried in the crook of her neck.
"I'll call you every night," Blair vowed when Chuck lifted Aiden into his arms.
"We made you this," Charlotte proclaimed as she handed her mother a pretty poster.
"It's beautiful, Charlotte," Blair kissed her daughter's forehead, "I have the three most talented children."
"We love you," Charlotte hugged her mother tight.
"I love you too," she pulled Brice in to hug them both together, "I'll be home as soon as I can. You're all going to have so much fun with Daddy, and I'll want to hear all about it when I get home."
"With presents," Charlotte chimed in.
"With presents," Blair chuckled, "I love my materialistic daughter so much."
"So much like her mother," Chuck chimed in as Aiden hugged his neck tight.
Blair hugged her children tight, kissed their cheeks, wiped away the few tears to have fallen, and then gathered her belongings and the newly gifted poster her children had presented her.
"Be good," Blair told them all one final time as she stepped onto the elevator. She waved and gave her bravest smile until the doors slid closed. She released a sad sigh when the elevator descended.
"Who's up for ice cream?" Chuck asked his children when they turned towards him to display matching pouts.
"Daddy, what's wrong with Serena?" Charlotte asked her father.
"We told you, Sweetheart," Chuck reminded her, "She's been very sad for a long time, and she's started doing things which were hurting her. She's going away to get help to stop doing that."
"Is it drugs, Daddy?" Charlotte asked, "We learned about them at school."
"Yes, Peanut," he confirmed.
"Drugs are bad," she informed her brother who hadn't yet been taught the same lesson.
"They are very bad," Chuck confirmed.
"Is Aunt Serena bad then?" Brice chimed in.
"No," Chuck knelt down to look them all square in the eyes, "She made a bad choice, but that does not mean she is a bad person. We've all made bad choices, even me."
"Did you do drugs, Daddy?" Charlotte asked.
"Yes, I did," he told them honestly, "It was a very bad decision I now regret."
Charlotte and Brice didn't bat an eyelash. If Dad had made the bad decision, then it was okay Serena had.
"Ice cream," Aiden chimed in, removing the seriousness of the discussion.
"That's a good idea," Chuck tickled his youngest child's tummy, "Charlotte, Brice go get your shoes. How about we go to the aquarium and then get ice cream?"
"Yay!" the children cheered as they scampered off.
"Aiden, can you find your own shoes?" Chuck returned his youngest son to his feet.
"Yes, I a big boy," Aiden informed his father before he darted off.
Chuck smirked and waited patiently for his three children to return. Their children were so easily entertained. An afternoon outing with one of their parents and the promise was sugar was all it took to keep them happy. It was such a foreign concept to the way he and Blair were raised.
Ready to go, Aiden took his father's hand as they loaded themselves into the elevator. All three were talking animatedly about the things they wanted to see at the aquarium.
"Look at the handsome family," Jack's sarcastic voice cut through the children's excited banter when they emerged from their building.
"Into the car you three," Chuck ushered his children into the limo.
"You're a member short, Nephew," Jack pointed out, "I saw her leaving with a bag. Did she finally wise up and leave you?"
"Hardly," Chuck shut the door so his children didn't hear the exchange. He wanted his children to have zero contact with his poisonous uncle, "I find it disturbing that you're lurking outside my building. I thought stalking was beneath you."
"I was waiting for my beloved," Jack tried to explain his presence, "I was hoping she was visiting."
"What's the matter, Jackie?" Chuck snorted, "Did you lose track of your mark?"
"She's not a mark," Jack insisted, "Whether you approve or not, Serena and I have a relationship."
"It's you and me, Jack," Chuck pointed out, "I don't believe for a minute Serena is any more to you than a way to further whatever twisted agenda you're working. With any luck, she'll come to her senses soon enough. When she does, I can promise you will come nowhere near her or the rest of my family ever again."
"You sure talk big, but it's a free world, Nephew," Jack laughed, "I can go where I please whenever I please."
"We'll see about that," Chuck muttered before climbing into his vehicle.
"Jack's looking for Serena," Chuck informed his wife during their first video chat later that evening. Blair had already conversed with their three children. With any luck, they would all be in bed by the time Chuck was finished talking to his wife.
"What did you tell him?" Blair inquired.
"Nothing," Chuck responded, "I figured it would be best to give Serena some time to separate from everything."
"She's going through detox right now," Blair informed him, "It's going to be a few days before Lily and I can see her."
"How'd she take the checking in process?" Chuck inquired.
"She did pretty well," Blair replied, "Better than I thought actually. Even though we practically forced it on her, I think she was ready for her spiral to end. I think she's ready to get back to her real life."
"Jack won't be waiting when she gets back," Chuck replied, "The authorities are in the process of wrapping up their investigation. I would expect him to be in jail by the end of the week."
"Did you and the children have a good day?" Blair abruptly changed the subject. She didn't want to talk about Jack anymore.
"After our encounter with Jack, we went to the aquarium in Battery Park and then for pizza and ice cream. As always, those activities are a big hit," Chuck smirked.
"They get the pizza love from you," Blair cringed, "I just don't understand America's love of it."
"It's the cheesy goodness," Chuck laughed, "Perhaps your palate is a bit more refined than the average person. Our children should enjoy some of life's simpler things, like pizza."
"As long as I don't have to eat with them," she replied, "I prefer the more complex flavors our chef prepares for us."
"Which is one of the many reasons I love you," he stated.
"I should get to bed," she sighed.
"So should I," Chuck nodded.
"How many bedmates will you have this evening?" she asked him curiously.
"Just Aiden for now," Chuck conceded, "You were right about him not being able to sleep while I was gone. Apparently he needs us both to be home to sleep in his own bed. He's already informed me we were bunk mates for the evening."
"He's a good little cuddle buddy at night," Blair told him.
"Since I can't have my usual cuddle buddy, perhaps snuggling with him with be a suitable alternative," Chuck replied.
"If only I had a suitable alternative," she sighed deeply.
"If you check your suitcase, I tossed in a little something," he responded cryptically.
"How could you?" Blair was stunned by his reply, "I closed the suitcase myself."
"Trade secret," he smirked as she ran to open her suitcase and rifle through her belongings. She quickly returned with one of their youngest son's teddy bears.
"Isn't Aiden going to miss this?" Blair hugged the bear tight.
"He has a dozen more, so I doubt it," Chuck shook his head, "In the off chance he does, he'll be comforted in knowing it's keeping his lonely mother company."
"It won't sing me any lullabies, but maybe I'll have a chance to get some sleep," Blair caressed one of the bear's furry ears.
"Don't worry about a thing here," he replied, "I have their schedule already programmed into my phone, and lots of people on standby if I run into issues.."
"I'm not worried," she assured him, "You can handle things as well as I can. Don't forget on top of Charlotte's riding lessons, she also starts her summer ballet tomorrow. Aiden has two play dates set up for this week, and Brice is going sailing with Nate and the captain. He gets sea sick, so make sure you get him some Dramamine."
"Everything is under control," Chuck assured her, "Just focus on Serena."
"I like focusing on the children," she replied, "Then I don't have to worry about Serena and her problems."
"The problems aren't just going away because you aren't focused on them," Chuck reminded her.
"I know," Blair pushed away her tears.
"It will get better," Chuck assured her.
"I hope so," Blair nodded as she grabbed a tissue and dabbed her eyes.
"We'll get through this," he added.
"Hopefully without any black eyes," Blair laughed.
"No promises," he laughed with her, "Good night, Beautiful."
"Good night, Handsome. Sleep well."
TBC…
