Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.
"How did your board meeting go?" Blair inquired as Chuck came home after his last day in the office before the holidays. She and Charlotte were waiting to greet him as he stepped off the elevator. He had told the board during the meeting that he was stepping down as CEO, at least temporarily. He looked as if he had taken quite a beating.
"About as well as I expected," he grumbled as he took Charlotte out of her arms and held her tight as Blair leaned in as kissed his lips gently. He felt relief wash over him finally as he held Blair tight against him as Charlotte rested her head against his shoulder.
"I'm sorry," Blair responded as she kissed his forehead as she allowed him to hold her close. She could feel the tension in his body melt away. She knew he was going to have a difficult day when he told her of the boarding meeting that morning before he left for the office and his plan to announce his impending leave of absence.
"I can use some good news, if you have any," he requested as Charlotte used that moment to reach up and touch his lips with her tiny fingers. He smiled widely as he began to gnaw gently on the extending fingers playfully which drew a giggle from his daughter and a wider smile from himself.
"Better?" Blair inquired as she felt all of his tension melt away.
"Absolutely," he nodded as she began pulling him towards the dining room and the dinner that was waiting for them. Chuck knew Blair had already fed Charlotte so he set their daughter in her playpen near the table before they sat down. He could tell instantly that Charlotte didn't want to be apart from her parents by the fact that she began fusing.
Blair gave Chuck a look to tell him that their daughter needed to stay in her playpen as they had dinner. He kept glancing over at Charlotte who was pouting with her bottom lip sticking out.
"Chuck," Blair warned as she felt him caving to Charlotte's game.
"Look at that face," Chuck replied as he motioned towards Charlotte as he removed his napkin from his lap.
"She needs to stay in her playpen," Blair scolded him as she felt him moments away from rising to his feet to retrieve their daughter. Her hand came to rest on his knee to keep him in place. "She has no problem staying in her playpen when it's just the two of us during the day. She has you conditioned to cave to her every wish."
Charlotte began crying when she realized that Chuck was not coming to her rescue. Tears were flowing down her chubby cheeks as she locked eyes with Chuck who was staring at her helplessly. Every fiber of his being was screaming out to go to his daughter, but Blair's hand on his thigh was holding him in his place.
"I'm sorry, Blair, I can't do this," Chuck stated as he lifted her hand off his leg and rose from his chair and crossed the room to pick up Charlotte who's arms were outstretched in anticipation of him lifting her from the playpen. "She has me whipped just as her mother does. Does she need to learn to sleep in her crib and stay in her playpen, absolutely, but I cannot sit back and let her cry when it is within my power to make it all better. You know me better than that."
Blair nodded as Chuck sat back down with Charlotte in his lap as he returned to his meal. He struggled with having to hold Charlotte while trying to eat, but he didn't complain. He knew better than to expect sympathy from his wife when he was doing something that displeased her.
"The decorators will be here tomorrow morning around nine," Blair stated when she finished her meal and watched Chuck as he continued struggling to finish his with Charlotte in his arms, "And Ms. Barrett called to confirm that we would be meeting her at eight thirty for our private audience with Santa."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Chuck asked nervously as he bounced Charlotte up and down on his knee. "Charlotte doesn't do well in strangers' arms and if you throw in a Santa suit, a foam stomach, and a fake beard, that could sent her over the edge."
Blair knew Chuck had a point. It hadn't been often that Charlotte was in the arms of strangers, but when she was she would scream at the top of her lungs. Even when Blair and Chuck were around to assure her that she was okay, her lungs still received an excellent workout.
"She'll be okay," Blair tried to sound positive as she reached out and took a hold of Charlotte's hand. Charlotte looked towards her mother and leaned over as if she wanted her mother to pick her up. Blair decided Chuck had fumbled enough with his meal and decided to relieve him of their daughter.
"And if she's not?" he pressed.
"We'll have screaming pictures of her on Santa's lap to show off for eternity," she shrugged as Charlotte grabbed a fistful of Blair's hair and tugged gently. Blair gently pried Charlotte's fingers open and pulled her hair free. Charlotte didn't hesitate in grabbing another fist full and yanking a little harder. Chuck tried to bite back a laugh, but wasn't successful as he quickly stood up and retrieved a toy from Charlotte's playpen for her to play with. He shook the rattle as he held it out for Charlotte to take, but she was more interested in Blair's hair at the moment.
"Perhaps I should cut my hair short until she gets a little older," Blair thought out loud as she continued to fight with her daughter over her curls.
"Don't you dare," Chuck gasped as he looked at his wife with a stunned expression on his face. His stomach did a little flip of disgust at the mere thought of her beautiful curls disappearing for any length of time. "Charlotte, stop pulling on your mother's hair."
Charlotte turned towards her father with a curious expression. Being that she was only three months old there was no way that she could have known that Chuck was scolding her, but she didn't pull on Blair's hair any longer.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Chuck verbalized his doubt once more as they stepped out of their limo early the next morning. Charlotte was bundled up in her warmest winter coat, but underneath she was wearing the most adorable red velvet dress with white silk tights and white patent leather shoes for her photos with Santa. Her ensemble was finished off with a small silk flower headband in her hair, an early Christmas present from her father that he thought too adorably perfect to pass up.
"I'm not positive," Blair conceded as she took Charlotte into her arms as Ms. Barrett stepped out of the store to great the family.
"Mister and Mrs. Bass, it's a pleasure to see you again," Ms. Barrett stated eagerly as she extended her hand towards the pair.
"Likewise," Chuck nodded politely. In truth, he vaguely remembered the woman from so many years earlier. "This is our daughter, Charlotte."
"You are so adorable," Ms. Barrett stated as she grasped Charlotte's outstretched hand, "And so lucky to have parents who will arrange a private audience with Santa."
Charlotte giggled on cue.
"We're all ready for you," Ms. Barrett assured Blair and Chuck as she motioned for them to follow her, "And Mister Bass, that you so much for such a generous donation to our charitable foundation."
"You're welcome," Chuck nodded, "Always happy to help out a worthy cause." He had no clue what charity Ms. Barrett was talking about. Eugenia had arranged the morning with Santa and told him that a charitable donation would smooth the way. He authorized the wire transfer from his personal account faster than Eugenia could call the bank and make the arrangements.
Chuck and Blair followed Ms. Barrett into the store and towards Santaland. The memories of their first trip so many years earlier to meet Santa began flooding back. He happily rang the bell as they stepped across the gateway into the North Pole before he took Charlotte from Blair. He could have swore that the Mrs. Claus that greeted them was the same one from years before, and he was positive that it was the same Santa that had tried to feel up Blair because as soon as Blair and Chuck stepped into Santa's cottage, the jolly fat man held up his hands for Chuck to see. Chuck burst out laughing at the memories.
"Okay, Charlotte, now you're going to be sitting on this nice man's lap. He promises to keep his hands to himself. You be a good little girl, and smile for the pictures," Chuck encouraged her. It was a wasted pep talk because as soon as Charlotte was in Santa's lap, her lungs exploded with a shrill cry that had both Blair and Chuck cringing. Chuck quickly picked her back up and attempted to quiet her down.
"Watch, Mommy," Blair stated as she plopped herself down on Santa's lap. Chuck maneuvered Charlotte so that she could see what Blair was doing as Blair smiled for the picture that the elf was setting up to take. By the time the flash died out, Charlotte had settled down and was looking at Blair with intrigue. Chuck took a deep breath as he stepped back towards Santa and tried to return Charlotte to Santa's lap. She didn't even wait for her rear end to make contact with the jolly man's lap before she opened up with another blood curling scream.
"Charlotte," Blair sighed as she took her from Chuck's arms, "Watch Daddy sit on Santa's lap."
"Blair," Chuck glared at her.
"Charlotte needs to see Daddy sit on Santa's lap," Blair replied as she bit her lip to keep from bursting out in laughter.
"Not going to happen," Chuck grumbled.
"How can you expect Charlotte to sit on Santa's lap and smile if her daddy won't even do it," she snickered.
"Charlotte can sense sarcasm," Chuck warned her.
"Don't you want the picture of Charlotte on Santa's lap to remember this perfect Christmas we are trying to give her?" Blair stated as she swayed back and forth with Charlotte in her arms.
Chuck sighed with the realization that Blair had a point. He turned towards Santa as he shrugged his shoulders. "Same deal as last time . . . hands to yourself."
Santa nodded as Chuck took his turn.
"Smile, Daddy," Blair stated as he waited for the elf to take his picture. He forced a smile just before the flash went off. All the while Charlotte was watching him intently. Chuck stood up and reclaimed Charlotte once more before he took a deeper breath as he lowered Charlotte into Santa's lap. He held his breath as Charlotte squirmed but didn't start fusing.
Chuck knelt down in front of Charlotte but out of view of the camera and encouraged her to smile so that a picture could be taken. When she spotted the camera her eyes lit up as she began to giggle. The elf was fortunate enough to capture the moment.
"That's my girl," Chuck stated as he lifted her off the jolly man's lap and kissed her cheek eagerly.
"How about a family picture with Santa," the elf suggested. Chuck turned sharply and scowled at the poor young woman.
"That's a lovely idea," Blair laughed as she nudged Chuck towards Santa, "Do it for Charlee."
"That is so unfair," he groaned, "You know I'll do anything for her."
"I know," she smirked as she sat him down on one of Santa's knees as she perched herself on the other knee and smiled at the camera. Chuck begrudgingly smiled along with her and tickled Charlotte in just the right place to get her to smile as well. The picture turned out perfectly and would eventually be framed from posterity.
"How do you keep talking me into these things?" Chuck inquired as he glanced over Blair's shoulder to see the photograph that she was admiring while he held Charlotte firmly in his arms. Even he had to admit, despite his displeasure of the situation, the family portrait was perfect. He was even tempted to contact his assistant to have it sent out to their family and friends as their Christmas card, but fortunately his better judgment won out and his phone stayed in his pocket.
"Because there isn't anything that you won't do for me or Charlotte," Blair stated proudly as she slid their picture inside the bag so that he wasn't tempted to snatch it away from her.
"Mommy has a point," Chuck told his daughter as she reached out with her little fingers and pressed them into his face. The little girl giggled as she massaged her father's face. Both Blair and Chuck began to laugh along with her.
"We should have had children years ago," Chuck told his wife as she began to bundle their daughter in her winter coat as they prepared for their window display tour before they left the store. "I don't know if I've ever smiled or laughed more over a three month period as I have since Charlotte was born."
"I don't remember of a time when you've smiled or laughed this much either," Blair agreed as she leaned in to kiss him before she lowered Charlotte into her stroller. As if on cue, Charlotte began fusing and squirming as she tried to roll out.
"She doesn't like that stroller one bit, does she," Chuck realized as he loosened the belt and pulled his little angel free.
"First the play pen during dinner, now the stroller at Macy's," Blair sighed in defeat, "Chuck, she's going to fix it so that she's in bed with us for the rest of her life if you don't stop caving to her every whim."
"Charlotte is not allowed in our bed," Chuck spoke with determination as he locked eyes with his daughter as if to inform her of that very thing. There were few places in the world that he would never allow his daughter to go . . . to jail, to the truly vial places he frequented during his hard partying days, and their bed.
"Good to know that some boundaries are being set," his wife replied. She knew she would receive his infamous glare in response, but she said it anyways perhaps in hopes of it. It was rare that she ever saw his displeasure anymore. After all, their wasn't much in their life that there was to be displeased with.
"Ready for a morning of window display viewing?" Chuck asked his daughter.
Leave it to her husband to make his baby talk voice sound sexy, Blair thought as she began to follow Chuck and Charlotte out of Macy's to their first window display of the morning.
"Do you think she's warm enough?" Chuck inquired as he looked from Charlotte to Blair halfway through their two mile trek through the window displays. The New York air was crispy, but not as chilly as he remembered during their tour years earlier.
"She's fine," Blair replied as she rolled her eyes at how overprotective Chuck was of their daughter.
"Are you sure?" he pressed as he brushed his lips against Charlotte's forehead, making sure that she still felt warm.
"She has more layers on that the two of us combined," she rolled her eyes again, "She's fine. She's probably overheated because of all the layers you insisted upon."
"Do you think?" he responded with his voice full of panic.
Blair laughed out. He glared at her in response.
"I'm not going to apologize for spoiling my daughter, nor constantly worrying about her well being. Every decision that we make will affect her later in life. I will not screw this up," he spoke with determination.
"Charlotte has been the happiest and healthiest child since she was born. She is also the luckiest little girl in the world that has a daddy like you that cares so much for her. It's inevitable that we will make mistakes along the way, every parent has, but we are doing our very best to give her the type of life that you and I always wanted, which is two parents that love her so much and are involved in her life," she insisted.
"I can't mess this up," he replied as he kissed Charlotte's hand softly, "I've messed up so much in my life, but I can't mess up this."
"You won't," Blair assured him as she rose up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek gently. She looked to her daughter and began nodding. "Isn't that right, Charlee? Daddy is doing an excellent job with you." Charlotte began mimicking her mother as her head began to bob up and down.
"She's not really agreeing with you, you know," he smirked as he watched Charlotte giggle along with her mother, "She's just mimicking what you're doing."
"Because she knows I'm right," Blair responded as she reached up and tickled Charlotte's neck. Charlotte turned in to Chuck to protect herself from Blair's assault.
"I love my life," Chuck marveled as Charlotte looked at her father with her large doe eyes. As his eyes locked with hers, he knew that he would never be able to refuse her anything. He knew he had to be firm and set boundaries because she would not live the out of control life that he and Blair had, but she was going to be spoiled. She was going to be given anything that she ever wanted.
"And we love you," Blair stated as she caressed his face with her gloved. He bent down to let her kiss him like he sense she wanted.
"Charlotte needs a nap," Blair announced as they rode the elevator to their penthouse after their walking window display tour. Charlotte's eyes had lit up upon viewing each different display, but as they rode home in the limo she began to fuss.
"After we show her the North Pole," Chuck responded. Blair could see the eagerness in his eyes. Although the naughty Mrs. Claus costume was still part of their holiday tradition, they hadn't done up their home like the North Pole since their first Christmas together. She made a mental note to get the costume out of one of their closets.
"You've been looking forward to this since you won our bet, haven't you," Blair laughed.
"I just remember how magical that Christmas was, and I cannot wait to give that to Charlotte," he replied as Charlotte's eyes began to flutter closed. Her head was already resting against his shoulder. She was out before the elevator door opened to their home.
"We'll show her later," Blair stated as she took their daughter from his arms and carried her into her bedroom as Chuck stuck out his bottom lip to pout. As he looked around he could see that the decorators had managed to top their creation from years earlier. Everything was done on a grander scale, which made sense as Chuck had told his assistant to spare no expense. Instead of one evergreen tree in the main room, there were three. Santa's workshop had three times the bags of toys. Charlotte had her own room dedicated to the gifts that Chuck had already purchased for her along with her own Christmas tree. In each themed room there were life size figurines to match. There was only one thing missing, the Christmas tree in their bedroom.
Blair began to rant about the blatant oversight, but Chuck paused her from calling the decorators to complain. "That was my doing," he assured her. Blair looked at him in confusion. "There is one additional thing that I want to do with Charlotte that you and I didn't do that first Christmas we spent together . . . We are flying to Vermont tomorrow and picking out a tree. After a night in a cozy little inn that Eugenia found for us, we will be returning to New York to decorate our very own tree."
"I've never decorated a tree before," Blair responded as her eyes lit up in excitement.
"Me neither," he smirked, "Eugenia assures me that it is a piece of cake. She's already had the ornaments purchased . . . but that's tomorrow. Right now, we have our sleeping little angel a few rooms away and a soft inviting sleigh bed just a few feet away. Any ideas on how we should take advantage of that?"
Blair raised an eyebrow suggestively before she pulled on his necktie and brought him towards her.
"That was my idea too," Chuck agreed just before their lips found each other.
TBC . . .