Disclaimer: I do not own Gossip Girl or Chuck and Blair. I just love them and ship them really really hard. They remain Cecily's property.
Thank you to all ten of you who reviewed my 1st chapter. I dedicate this chapter to you. I did read every single one of your reviews and I will make sure to reply to you if I haven't done so already. I hope to update pretty soon because my next chapter is completely outlined. I even wrote the major part of the dialogue. If you like this fic, let me know. I'll be more motivated to write the future chapters.
If you have a comment about my punctuation, believe me, I know.
Punch bowl of love for my beta Liz, DrHolland_GG. Go read her fic Pomp & Circumstance if you haven't.
Chapter 2
"Catching up with old friends, But you and Blair go ahead without me." Jack waved them off.
Chuck and Blair rode the elevator up to his suite once again.
"I can't believe we won all that money!" Blair exclaimed as she stepped off unto the landing of his floor.
"You did say we were going to show the world what a great force we are together." Chuck reminded her, "And tonight we did just that. It feels so good to win, doesn't it?" He declared as he slid the key into the door.
"It's a great endorphin rush." she concurred, "One of the greatest feelings I've ever experienced. Come to think of it, I didn't even need all the champagne I had tonight. This win was more buzz than I needed."
"You did have a lot of champagne tonight, huh." he remarked as he started to remove his tuxedo jacket to fold it over a chair.
"I was celebrating." she defended, closing the door behind her and stepping inside the suite. "I mean, we did win a lot of money. I couldn't believe we were winning all that money. And how did we manage to keep winning after the first fifteen rounds? I think that croupier must have been getting tired of paying us out. He did start to give me suspicious looks. I don't even know how I did it at the roulette table either." She rambled on enthusiastically.
"I guess our luck has really turned." she spoke up again after a minute, as she went to sit on a stool by the bar. Chuck was loosening his tie as he peered out the window. The lights outside flickered in the velvety blue of the night. It was quite a beautiful sight.
"We're back together and the universe didn't spontaneously combust." Blair joked and Chuck turned to warn her with one of his pointed looks, which she secretly adored. "Okay, maybe we're not back together." she quickly corrected her faux pas, "But we're working on it. And all that money we made tonight, I couldn't be happier than I am right now."
"I really don't see it as a question of luck. We've always been lucky." Chuck reasoned, "We were just standing in our own way the whole time because like you said, we were foolish and young. This…" he motioned his pointer finger in between them. "Doesn't mean we're back together, and we don't have to get there right now, Blair. But we're here, in a good place, after so many do-overs. Isn't that proof that you and I are lucky enough?"
"I wouldn't necessarily call that car accident luck. You did almost die, remember?" Blair countered and a sad expression overtook her face for a few seconds before she could shake the memory out of her head.
"Not saying we haven't had our fair share of ill fated encounters. I know what we've put each other through, but we're certainly luckier than most. Not everyone has the privilege to live the kind of life we live, or found what we've found in each other. And every single one of these experiences has been worth it if it means that we're here now. I'm ready to put the past in the past and move forward with my life. I should be angry with you, and I am, but it's in the past for me. And as for coming this far with myself, I consider myself lucky."
"I have so many regrets though, and I can't help it." Blair acknowledged.
"I know the feeling myself." Chuck offered as sympathy knowing the emotional conflict Blair was facing with herself at the moment.
"But you can see past all that. You think that we're lucky because…"
"Because we have the very best of the very best and we are the very best of the very best, and we don't have to apologize to the world for that. And what we have with each other is its own brand of special. I mean that in a very good way."
"What we have is a great love, but we're the ones who make it special." Blair insisted in the very next breath, "It's special because of who we are. Not everyone can be us, Chuck. This is why I could never give up what we have. And I'm glad you didn't give up either." she finished.
"True. Not everyone can be us. And it hasn't been particularly easy being us. Do you want something to drink, a scotch?" Chuck said switching the subject momentarily and moving up to fix one for himself behind the bar.
"Sure." Blair replied, resting her elbows against the marble island. Chuck placed two glasses on the counter as he started to pick out from a selection of different whiskeys, deciding which one he was in the mood for.
"But at this stage in my life." Chuck said resuming his thought again, "I realize I am who I was meant to be."
"This is who we are." Blair agreed, "And some people won't get it and that's fine."
Chuck nodded in agreement with her words.
"I guess we should really be drinking champagne since this is a celebration..." Chuck started to say but Blair quickly protested.
"I've already had enough champagne for the night. Scotch is good. It makes me feel more like a champion. That's what the pros drink."
Blair had a way of talking silly nonsense that endeared Chuck completely. He couldn't help but smile at her rationale.
"By the way, how did you make 200 thousand dollars on your first spin? I'm impressed. I can't believe you called a maximum. You don't even know how to play roulette."
"I'm very observant." she winked at him and earned another smile, this time smaller. "I saw a few people call maximums on high eighteen numbers. But I have to say it was totally random."
"What are the odds?" he wondered.
"In our favor, I guess. But I have faith this was supposed to happen tonight."
"I have faith you will find a way to come out of this thing with your father." she continued as she placed a hand over his. "If you can get a couple more big wins like this, I can picture you in your rightful place again in the fall. And I don't think you'll have trouble pulling what we did tonight off again tomorrow."
"It's a possibility." he answered hopefully, "Tonight we made enough money to earn our way into a really high stake poker game. I don't know if we're going to gamble the same money again tomorrow. We should wait for the next big opportunity." he explained, "Next time we can make double that money if we play well, or even triple - A couple millions, and we might get a head start. However, I'm not going to let myself get carried away."
"You won't." Blair assured him, "You have Jack with you. You two have the same goals. You'll check and balance each other."
"Right."
"Who would have thought these words would ever come out of my mouth?" she shook her head at the thought of Chuck and Jack's camaraderie. "Jack has really turned around, it seems. Even his hair is much different now." She emphasized.
"You seem disbelieving, but he has." Chuck agreed, "He's played me, but he's really been there for me, like family."
At that comment Blair felt her insides tighten and a wave of sadness engulfed her heart whole. Once upon a time, it had been her who was his family. She had professed to Chuck that she would always be his family, and then she had let him down, pushed him away and even told him that he wasn't welcomed to ask her for advice anymore, when he had only sought her out as a friend during his most recent ordeal with Elizabeth Fisher. She regretted saying that but that was all she could do for now. She couldn't take it back or fix it, like many other things she did. It was too soon.
"I'm happy for you." she told him candidly as she brushed the back of her hand over his. Chuck flipped her hand over and ran a finger down her wrist lazily, reveling in the softness of her skin.
The little signs of affection between them felt completely natural but still foreign somehow.
"Do you know where the next game will be?" she added a moment later, swallowing a lump down her throat.
"I don't know" Chuck responded, "But Jack will find out."
Blair was sincerely happy that Chuck and Jack had worked their problems out and were now joining forces in the same cause, at long last.
"To Jack!" She exclaimed dramatically, "We should make a toast. To Jack!"
Chuck nodded affirmatively.
"Pick one." he proposed to her.
Blair picked up a bottle of bourbon from the selection and handed it to Chuck. Chuck received the bottle from her and opened it to pour a generous amount in each glass. He raised his glass in the air, ready to clink to well wishes, waiting for her to do the same. Blair picked up her own drink and went to raise it in Chuck's direction for the toast. The glass slipped through her clumsy, impaired fingers, shattering on the floor with a loud noise. The liquid splashed all over her dress and pooled on the floor.
"Oh no!' Chuck gasped in horror rushing around the bar to Blair's side.
Blair was completely stunned at the scene she had just caused. She put one hand over heart, mouthing a horrified 'oh my god'.
"I'm really sorry about your dress. Damn it, I should have ordered champagne. It wouldn't have stained like that" Chuck apologized to her for good measure.
"No. It's okay. I'm sorry for the mess." Blair tried to assure him, "I shouldn't have had anymore to drink for the night. I need a washcloth to clean my dress. I don't want the stain to dry on it."
"Come; let me give you something to change into." Chuck offered, "Then maybe you can catch some rest. You must be exhausted from your day. You came all the way from Paris." He pitied.
Blair picked out his tone.
"You look pretty exhausted yourself" She countered, "Definitely look it more than me."
"I had an eventful evening." Chuck shot back feeling a little frustrated at Blair's slow walking pace, yet accusatory tone. "At least I'm kind of functional." He added jokingly.
Blair frowned at his comment and suddenly halted her step, deciding to stand at her position against the frame of his bedroom door, and refusing to step inside of it.
After Chuck's three attempts to budge her from the door went unsuccessful, he just walked past her into the room to stand in front of the mini dresser. He pulled open a drawer to retrieve the necessary items.
"Sepia or navy?" he announced coolly, turning to face her and holding two pairs of silk pajamas, one in each hand.
She remained encroached to the door, looking at him sternly, almost angrily but not quite. His question went unanswered.
He figured something he just did must have offended her. And he didn't know what to say not to make it worse. He walked up to her standoff position at the door.
"Sepia or navy?" he asked her again, this time softening his tone.
"I don't think I'm functional enough to make that decision." She replied challengingly, narrowing her eyes at him. However, a hint of a smile started forming on her face.
"What are you smiling at?" he demanded, his expression turning quizzical, though internally he released a sigh. "Are you playing one of your little tipsy Blair games?"
Being away from Blair for so long, Chuck had forgotten how moody she could be sometimes. And her moods can be a real test, so Chuck was planning to tread lightly.
"No." she responded, smiling a little wider. "I'm smiling because this is the navy pair I bought you when you helped me get an A on that Econ test. I can't believe you still have it." she gushed over the garment.
Blair felt a little flutter swim in her heart at the fact. She thought she instantly loved Chuck more in that moment.
"Even if I were offended, I do forgive you now." She said, tapping his nose and drawing a smile to his lips at the gesture.
"Believe it now." He replied, "It's one of my favorites." He extended the pajamas to her. She took the silky material in her hand and turned to walk towards the bathroom of his suite.
"I know my way." she assured him before he could open his mouth to speak. "I'll be right back."
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.
.
Twenty minutes later, Blair walked back into the bedroom. Chuck had changed out of his clothes into his own pajamas and was lying on his side facing the wall. He was completely silent so Blair didn't know if he were awake or not. Blair noticed a drink of water was placed on the table on her bedside. She took several gulps of the liquid to sober up before she climbed into her side of the bed.
"The dress is irreparable." She announced to him as she climbed in, testing if he was sleeping or not.
"I tried to dab it with a washcloth but I think I better take it to the cleaners tomorrow." She lamented her exasperation.
"I hate it when that happens." He spoke up, surprising her, his voice somewhat muffled by the pillow he was resting his head on.
"Me too." she whined in agreement. She moved a little behind him, throwing her arms across his waist tentatively. He didn't react to her closeness so she moved up some more until she was pressed against him.
"But I'm happy about this right now." she confessed contentedly.
He turned around in her arms and locked her gaze with his own. They stared into each other's eyes for a long, meaningful moment, just completely taking each other in. It had been so long since they shared this level of closeness with each other. It wasn't simply the fact that they were lying in a bed together, that, they hadn't done in a long time either. Not since the fall of Blair's 20th's birthday, but this closeness was way deeper than their physically proximity to each other. This closeness was the bare-your-soul-to-me type of closeness and they were reading it in each other's eyes, charged with the gravity of their emotional bond and sexual desires. And that particular closeness, they hadn't shared since before the Empire debacle. It was a rekindling.
"What's wrong?" he asked when he noticed moisture in her eyes.
"Nothing."
"Are you feeling better now?" he inquired, still a little concerned at her earlier state of mind.
"Yes." she replied curtly.
"But something is…" He persisted, wanting to know.
"Nothing." she swore again. "Just… this seemed so impossible before and now it's all happening. It's going to take me a while to get used to it again."
"Me too" he seconded. "But we're here now, so I don't even want to think about all those things that used to keep me up at night anymore. The spell is broken. You're here now and I just want to be in the present with you."
She nodded at his sweet words. She felt the same about him.
"Did you find the mouthwash?" he asked her after a moment of silence passed.
"I did" she replied, giving him a hint of her minty fresh breath.
"Good, minty." he replied
She lifted her arms to stretch a moment, wringing her neck on the pillow.
"Okay, now go to sleep. You're tired"
"No" she protested, "Suddenly being here with you, I'm not tired anymore. But, you go to sleep." She scolded him. "Don't tell me you're not exhausted, I saw you yawning earlier."
"When?" he asked incredulously.
"After our big last win at the blackjack table; Then again when we were waiting for the elevator; Then right before you poured me that bourbon. I did see a yawn escape your mouth."
"So now you're a stalker?" he questioned teasingly.
"You rubbed off on me, Bass." she replied equally amusing herself.
"That's not how I prefer to rub off on people."
"Oh God, some things never change." she feigned her disgust at his naughty suggestion.
"Now go to sleep." he warned her, "It's for your own good."
"Make me."
"Blair." he cautioned her teasingly.
"I'll need a little more coaxing." she taunted him.
"What? You want me to sing to you?"
She shook her head disapprovingly.
"You want me to tickle you?" he drawled sexily.
"Bass, I forbid you." Blair shrieked in anticipation, crossing her arms in front of her face in protest as she brought her knees up to shield her chest.
"Oh, you shouldn't have." Chuck teased her as he started to tickle her ribs. Blair squirmed on the bed as a fit of giggled seized her. She threw her limbs in the air, attempting to escape his grasp to no avail.
"Chuck, stop! I'll go to sleep." She finally surrendered.
Chuck had the biggest smile on his face as he withdrew his hands from Blair's sides. She was glowing with happiness, he couldn't help it.
"What?" he asked when he saw her looking at him in awe.
"You're so damn cute." She replied, thoughtfully picking out the word cute.
Chuck thought back to a couple of hours before when he had thought the same thing of her. He remembered thinking how offensive Blair would find that particular word "cute". And he thought he'd feel the same if it were used in reference to him. But Blair apparently could do no wrong. She was now lying in his bed using the very same word to describe him and he was actually content with it. However, he decided to keep that thought to him.
"What did you just call me?" He pretended he didn't hear her.
"Come on, turn around." she said, "I want to spoon with you."
"In that case, you turn around so I can be the one to hold you."
"No." she insisted, "I'm the one who wants to spoon you. So I should be the big spoon and you can be the little spoon."
"Hey don't ever call me little." He reprimanded.
"Big. Mr. Big." She replied in her sexy vixen voice, a giggle escaping her.
"That's more like it" he agreed as he pecked her lips gently. She kept her lips lingering on his a little longer before she pulled back. He turned around in her arms and Blair threw her arm over his hip as she fixed herself up behind him. She let her nose rest in his hair and her forehead against the top of his head. She sighed contentedly as did he. It felt so good to be back in each other's arms. Nothing else was uttered after that audible sigh and they fell into a deep peaceful sleep.
.
.
.
Blair stretched her arms over her head as she walked into the kitchen area of the suite the next morning. She didn't notice Jack sitting on a stool at the bar as she went to retrieve a bottle of water from the little pantry.
Jack cleared his throat and broke her out of her oblivion.
"Oh Jack!" she exclaimed, "You startled me."
"Morning." he bid her.
"Morning to you too." she returned, "I'm surprised you're up and sober this early. I figured you and your 'friends' took the party somewhere else after Chuck and I left."
"We did take the party a couple floors up." he informed her, "But once I was on a roll with the game, I didn't need that much alcohol. Little known fact, I actually prefer not to drink when I'm in the zone."
"I beg to differ." she joked, remembering how wasted she got the previous night while they were winning all that money. "I was telling Chuck, I can't believe we made all that money in one night."
"It seemed like you were a natural at that roulette table." Jack praised her gambling skills. "I guess Chuck and I have you to thank you for your generous contribution to our lump sum. You did pull in 500k in one seating." He reminded her.
"Oh, no thanks required." she blushed off the compliment. "Chuck and I are in this for good now. I need to prove it to him. I'm glad I was able to help out."
"I'm glad you came too." Jack told her sincerely.
"Thanks again for the call." She admitted gratefully as she approached the bar where he was sitting. "Chuck and I are in a good place now and we weren't before that call, so I guess I do have something to thank you for as well."
"I did it for my nephew." Jack tells her seriously, making sure she gets his point.
"I know how important you are to Chuck. And I hope it's for the best." he added, "He's already had to deal with enough hurt. I don't think he deserves anymore. Hey, I like to mess with him from time to time, but that kid needs a break."
"It's for the best." Blair assured him. "I admit I was playing games. But Chuck is the most important thing in my life. I faced losing that. I would never put myself in that predicament again."
"Well, then, make him happy. I'm sure you know how." Jack advised her.
"I will" Bair promised him "I will do my best."
"So what are you planning to do with all that money?" Blair asked him after she took a long gulp from her water bottle. She then moved to take a seat on one of the stools.
"We don't have a plan yet." He answered her. "This is Bart we're talking about. When we have enough money in place, we'll start thinking. We can't do this the easy way. My brother is not a negotiator."
"I see." Blair affirmed in understanding. "I know you have your differences, but I don't understand why he'd do that to you, especially after you helped him remain in hiding for three years."
"I'm doing this for Chuck more than myself at this point" Jack disclosed to her, "I accept the fact that Bart will never see me the way I want him to. But I watched Chuck build that company up even after everything he was put through for it."
"You mean everything with Elizabeth?" Blair inquired.
"I mean, just everything, all the stuff that happened ever since the death hoax. Elizabeth, Russell Thorpe, the sexual harassment scandal, and the deal he and I made about you. I know it's been very damaging to your relationship with my nephew. I want to apologize for causing it."
Blair didn't say anything back but she looked him in the eye for a brief moment and saw the sincerity of his apology displayed there.
"Bart wouldn't have anything to do with that. Would he?" Blair pressed on, suddenly her curiosity piqued.
"What do you mean?"
"I m just curious to know if Bart would have had anything to do with the hotel trade; It could have been another one of his tests, to see how much of a 'Bass' his son actually is. I don't really put anything past him."
"No. That was all me." Jack confessed solemnly. "I had let my jealousy for my brother get the better of me. But I do regret ever coming between you and my nephew. I shouldn't have been testing Chuck and Bart shouldn't be pulling those stunts either. You can really mess up a person like that. Chuck was always a better person than that." he reflected, "Which is why, I had to bring in Elizabeth to mess him up the way I needed."
"Elizabeth had me fooled too. I guess I never realized she did drive Chuck to that sick place." Blair admitted pensively, "Not that Chuck is blameless, but this does make a lot of sense. She really got into his head."
"But…If you were protecting Bart during that time, it doesn't make sense that you were pursuing his heir out of jealousy."
"I wasn't aware Bart was alive at that time." Jack confirmed. "Diana was the only other person who did. Bart got her escort business on the map. She owed him a favor. She only came to me when Chuck got involved in business with Russell Thorpe, wanted me to keep an eye out. Chuck and I have been on good terms ever since."
"I am pleased to hear that." Blair perked up with her congratulation.
"Oh, I'll be pleased to receive that save-the-date in the mail, one day too." Jack teased her knowing it would get a smile out of her. He picked up her hand daintily and placed a light kiss on her knuckles.
Chuck stood in the entrance to the kitchen area watching the scene between his uncle and Blair. It surprised him that his stomach didn't start doing flips at the sight of them sharing a moment. Normally, his blood would boil in anger at remembering that Blair and Jack shared a past. But now they were both two completely trustworthy allies and he didn't even mind the flirting, although he would prefer it if that was the last of it between them… Okay, well he did mind the flirting, but he decided to trust the two of them instead.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Chuck cleared his throat as he joined his uncle and Blair by the bar.
"No." Blair reassured him. "Jack and I were just talking."
"Just talking." Jack agreed right behind her.
"About?" Chuck inquired.
"You." Blair gave him a quick retort. She took one of his hands into her own and kissed it. "And a lot of others things, too. Good Morning" She added.
"Morning." He responded "Want to join me for breakfast?"
"I'd be happy to." Blair exclaimed as she got up from her stool to walk in the direction of the room.
Chuck and Jack both had amused expressions on their faces as they watched her go.
"But Chuck," Blair returned a minute later. "I don't have any clothes"
All three of them broke out in a huge laughter fest.
Jack was clearly enjoying himself too much. Chuck just looked at his uncle like he'd grown a second head.
.
.
.
"That's a pretty big deal, Blair." Chuck resumed his commentary, when the waitress excused herself after taking their orders.
"Very" Blair replied, smoothing down her dress on her lap.
Geraldine, one of the younger maids at the hotel had been terribly kind to go run the 'Dress Emergency' errand for Blair. She had returned with a yellow summery dress which fit Blair perfectly, along with some underwear and even a little straw hat. Both Chuck and Blair had given her doubly a generous tip for the success of the whole thing. They were extremely pleased with the finds. Blair was admiring the color of the dress as she spoke.
"I was initially surprised at the news." Blair confessed candidly. "I mean, it's my mother we're talking about. My mother has worked so hard to establish herself and this company, I really didn't expect her to hand it over to me, especially given where I am with school and my career at the moment. And I did consider not accepting the position right away, but I think, it could also be the best thing for me right now."
"Why's that?" Chuck wondered curiously.
"After the year I've had." Blair offered, "It's just what I need."
"I can understand…" Chuck started to say but Blair interrupted his speech.
"It's not just that either. It's a good step for my future. This is the age I have to start establishing myself. We both need futures. And I completely understand what you were saying that night at the Empire."
"I never really figured what I really wanted to do." She continued. "It's not so bad my mother figured it out for me."
"I always thought you'd end up in some kind of executive position." Chuck admitted to her. "You're just a natural at being the boss."
"One of the many reasons why you love me" She reminded him teasingly, "One of the many reasons why I love you too."
"So you're saying you love me because you get to boss me around?" He asked with a raise of his eyebrow. It was one of his I-can't-believe-I-love-you-this-much-you-crazy-person type of eyebrow raise.
"No." she scoffed off the silliness in his statement. "I'm saying I love you because you're a boss in your own right."
"When we were dating, you bossed Dorota around more than I did." She added to convince him of her point.
"As if that could ever compare to what Arthur had to endure." he countered her point.
Blair had to concede and broke down in laughter at the memory, as did Chuck.
The server approached their table and placed their orders in front of them. Blair was having her usual fruit and yogurt; she did order some French toast on the side. Chuck started off with his coffee and some scrambled eggs. He reached his fork over to her plate and lifted a blueberry into his mouth, humming while savoring the taste of the fruit. Blair just stared at him, blinking her eyes almost in disbelief, waiting for an explanation.
"What?" he demanded when her stare wouldn't budge. "You were not going to eat the whole thing anyway. Sharing is caring." He reminded her.
Blair rolled her eyes at his silliness and started to dig her fork into her fruit.
"But seriously." Chuck said as they were eating, "You will be the perfect fit at Waldorf Designs. Who better to carry on the name than The Waldorf herself."
"That's what my mother said." she exclaimed.
"Well then, your mother and I agree."
"And you are two of the people who know me best." Blair considered aloud.
"What about Bass Industries?" she asked, "Did you come up with anything while you were sleeping?"
"It's difficult, because we don't need just any plan." Chuck started to explain, "We need a plan to face Bart Bass. Everyone knows he's a titan. I may have had the privilege to observe him for eighteen years, but no one really knows what that man is thinking. The best way would be to get inside his head. But how?"
Chuck shrugged and Blair instinctively reached out a hand to soothe him.
"You'll figure it out." She assured him.
"I don't know. I'm just going to try and win as much money as possible. That's the best plan for now. If it doesn't work then we'll make another scandal. That'll boot him right out." Chuck declared to Blair's horror.
"Maybe all you need to do is talk to him again. Who knows if he was acting rationally?" She suggested hopefully.
"I know my father."
"Chuck, a scandal?" Blair pleaded.
"That's not what I would want either but it is our last option. My father doesn't care about me, Blair, and he isn't playing nice. Why should I be the one to play nice?"
"But he's still your father." Blair reminded him.
"That doesn't mean anything. A lot of people father children and it doesn't mean anything."
"He came back to give you blood, I think that means something."
"It'll only mean something if he wants it to." Chuck maintained.
"But you have to want it as well." Blair retorted.
"I wanted it for long enough" he admitted to her then, "I fought for him. I took down his enemy and the only way he repaid me was by breaking me down and telling me I haven't done enough, telling me I shouldn't love the person I love."
"I don't want to come between you and your father, Chuck." Blair said hesitantly, finally confessing her fear.
"You didn't. You haven't" Chuck assured her. "My father is the one who wants to come between us."
"I think you need to think about this. I don't want you to regret it."
"I will." He confirmed.
"So, what was Jack saying when I left to get ready?" Blair changed the subject.
"Something about Spain, we're going there next." He revealed to her surprise.
What about you? You want to tag along?" He inquired further when she gave him no indication of her plans.
"No." She said. "I'm going back home to Paris. I'll be in Eleanor Waldorf's school of career making this summer."
"I'm glad we worked everything out" she added gratefully after a moment. "I love you. I'm glad I don't have to go back home with my heart in pieces."
"We would only be torturing ourselves if we didn't give in one more time. I love you too. I believe you and I will work through this." Chuck said.
"I believe the same."
"How are we going to do this?" He wondered skeptically.
"Electronic communication, you call, I pick up. I text, you reply." She explained curtly. "I'll still write you a postcard if you want me to"
"You know what I'll have to say." He answered, batting his puppy eyes.
"Chuck Bass is a romantic. Who knew?" She teased him
"You do, Blair Cornelia Waldorf."
.
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I wrote the 1st chapter sort of one-shot style, and I tried to be careful to write this second chapter as another one-shot style to complete the 1st one-shot. I tried to give a inciting incident, a climax and a resolution in both chapters, just in case I become displeased with this fic and stopped writing, that it won't end in media res.
But my plan is to continue this fic. The first two chapters focused heavily on the Casino, gambling theme and the time frame is just a couple of hours into the next day. I do plan to move forward with this fic as a Chuck and Blair fic. Since, if I wanted it to simply be a Casino fic, I think the two chapters I wrote would suffice. But my goal is to move it forward. Next chapter I'm going to introduce a new story line along with addressing several things that were already established in these chapters. I hope I did give the Chuck and Blair "We're working on it" theme some resolution. I made them confirmed their ILYs at the end of both chapters so it's clear they both want this.
