Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.
"Can you get Charlotte ready to go?" Chuck inquired as he instructed Blair to dress in her warmest outfit as he woke her on Christmas morning. He was already dressed in his warmest wool suit. His expression was sad and full of pain. "I need to run an errand. I should be back in twenty minutes."
"Wait, where are you going?" Blair inquired as she padded along behind him in her bare feet, her silk robe billowing out in her haste as she followed him as he went to the coat closet to pull out his warmest wool jacket.
"Please, do as I ask. I promise to answer all of your questions soon," he asked with pleading eyes.
"It's Christmas morning," she reminded him, "And more specifically, it's Charlotte's first Christmas morning. You can't leave."
"Trust me," he requested as he kissed her softly as he hit the call button on the elevator. She looked into his eyes to see a twinge of sadness in them that told her not to push further, but do as he asked. She knew that look too well. She merely nodded as she watched him step onto the elevator. He blew her a kiss as the door closed. Blair struggled to keep a hold on her emotions as she went to get herself dressed before she woke Charlotte.
As promise, Chuck returned twenty minutes later and guided Charlotte and Blair to the elevator after they bundled up in their warmest coats. Arthur was waiting patiently at the door of the limo as he waited for the family to climb in. Chuck nodded his thanks before he slid in, taking Charlotte from Blair as the door closed before they took off.
Chuck was mostly silent as they drove towards their destination, smiling as warmly as he could muster at Charlotte when she tried to coax a smile from his lips. She was such an intelligent child when it came to reading her father's feelings, and she was usually very good at pulling him from his sour moods.
Blair gasped audibly as the scenery turned familiar as the limo turned into the cemetery.
"Chuck," she spoke softly.
"I wanted to wish them a Merry Christmas," he choked out as the limo stopped. Arthur had two Christmas wreaths and a bouquet of yellow roses in his hands as he opened the door. Chuck passed Charlotte to Blair as he got out of the limo and took the floral arrangements from Arthur before he helped Blair from the vehicle. He handed Blair one of the wreaths, "For Cyrus."
"Let's go see him first," she requested as she managed to link her arm with his as she led him around his parents' graves and towards the grave of the warm, generous caring man that she had loved so dearly. They paused as they approached the familiar headstone. Blair carefully set the wreath down in front of the stone as she knelt down with Charlotte in her arms. She proceeded to introduce Charlotte to the man that she would never know and explain how important he was to Blair. After a few moments, Blair stood up and turned towards Chuck and allowed him to pull her towards his parents' graves.
After placing the wreath at his father's grave, and the flowers at his mother's, Blair handed Charlotte to him and tried to stand back to allow him a few minutes with his parents. Chuck took her hand and kept her close, his eyes pleading with her to not leave him at that moment.
"Merry Christmas," Chuck spoke as he fought to even his quivering words, "I've never said those words to either of you before . . . I brought Charlotte with me again, and this time I also brought Blair. I've never officially introduced you to the women who has my heart so completely, so here goes." He took several deep breaths as he tried to sum up the courage, as if this was the most difficult task in the world for him to accomplish. Blair understood his nervousness and smiled at him in encouragement. "Mom, Dad, this is Blair Waldorf . . . Bass. Blair, these are my par . . .ents." His voice quivered.
She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze as she spoke. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"She's really good for me," Chuck spoke to his parents, "She is truly my equal in every sense of the word. I could not ask for a better partner in life than her. She and Charlotte are my greatest motivators and supporters. I am truly the luckiest man in the world."
Blair gave him a radiant smile as she wiped away a few of the tears that fell down his cheeks.
"I've been doing a little soul searching since the last time I was here. I've realized that I've spent too many years blaming myself for things that were beyond my control, hated myself for what I thought I had did. Mom, I wish with all my heart that you had lived to see me grow and to hold your granddaughter in your arms. I'm finally ready to accept that I didn't kill you. What happened on my birthday was horrible, but it wasn't my fau . . . lt.
"Dad, for too many years, I hated you for what you did to me. Hated how small and weak you made me feel. Now I realize that you were the weak one. I appreciate how hard it was for you to lose Mom the way you did, and how easy it would be to just close yourself off to avoid all of the pain and heartache, but I also know what it is like you hold your child in your arms and have them look up at you with such awe and amazement, as if you are the greatest hero in their life. It was your choice to make, and you made the wrong one. For that I feel sorry for you. You missed out on some of the most wonderful emotions in life.
"I'm finally ready to let go of the anger . . . ready to let go of the sorrow and pain. This is the season of giving, so I have one gift to give to you Bart Bass, the first one I've ever truly given you . . . forgiveness. I forgive you for all of the hurtful things you did and said, and the things you didn't say or forgot to do. I love you, and I know somewhere deep down you loved me . . . you had to. If you are capable of loving Mom, which I know you did, I know you had to love me too.
"Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad," he stated after he took a few cleansing breaths, "I promise that I will continue to visit you, and bring Charlotte and Blair with me. I'll keep you both in my heart."
Blair looked at him to see although he had tears in his eyes still, he was smiling, a genuine smile like none other she had seen before. He kissed his hand and placed it on first his mother's headstone and then his father's before he turned towards her with an extended hand. She kissed his gloved hand and gently nudged him towards the limo. "I'll be there in a minute."
He nodded as he kissed her cheek softly and left with Charlotte who he was now tickling and laughing with as he always did.
"Bart Bass, for too many years, I've cursed your name, vilified you in my mind for what you did to your son. You could have been the luckiest man in the world if you had given yourself a chance to know what a wonderfully strong and courageous man he was capable of becoming," she hissed once she knew Chuck was out of earshot, "But today you are responsible for the greatest Christmas gift he has ever given me, so like your son I forgive you. I forgive you for all the hurtful things you did and said to him, all of the things you didn't say or forgot to do for him.
"Evelyn, I wish you could have known your son. He is such a wonderful man, so kind hearted, generous, determined, and full of so much love that I didn't know was possible . . . all strengths that I know he got from you. Thank you for taking the risk that you took to bring him into this world. I'll never be able to thank you enough," Blair stated as she wiped her own tears as she removed her glove and kissed her hands as her husband had before her and placed it against both of his parents' headstones.
When she turned, Chuck was standing a few feet away with his arms stretched out to her. She was a mess of tears as she tumbled into his arms, both crying softly as the relief washed over them. For too long, Chuck's pain had been a part of their lives. That was ending today.
"Come on," he smiled as he wiped her tears softly with his lips as he caressed her face gently, "It's Christmas. We have a penthouse full of people waiting to celebrate with us."
Blair nodded as she allowed him to guide her to the awaiting limo and Arthur holding their daughter in his arms as she giggled at whatever he was telling her. Upon seeing her parents approach, Charlotte reached out for them. Blair took her from Arthur as she thanked him for taking care of her, albeit briefly.
"You okay?" Blair inquired as she snuggled into him as the road back to their penthouse. Charlotte was sleeping on Blair's shoulder.
"Better than okay," he spoke softly so that he wouldn't wake Charlotte as he rang his fingers through Blair's hair, sifting her curls with his fingers. "I can't even put into words the feelings that I'm having right now."
"How much of what I said did you hear?" she inquired.
"I didn't hear you cursing out my father," he assured her, "I only heard what you said to my mom."
"How do you know I was cursing out your father?" she pressed.
"You would have said anything else in front of me and Charlotte," he replied as he kissed her cheek softly.
"You aren't the only one with anger issues towards your father," she responded defensively.
"I know," he assured her as he spoke against her temple, "It had to have been as hard on you watching me go through all that I went through as it was on me to go through it."
"I wouldn't go that far," she replied, "You've had a pretty rough road, and I wasn't a party to all of it."
"You saw enough to get the general gist," he stated, "It's all behind me now. I'm not so stupid as to believe that I won't be sad or angry about my father ever again, but the worst of it is behind us."
She turned and kissed his cheek.
"Charles, Blair, we've been waiting for you," Lily stated as the trio stepped off the elevator. Everyone was already there sitting in a semi circle around the tree drinking apple cider like the two cups on a tray that Dorota presented to them.
"Dorota, you are a guest in our home, have a seat," Chuck instructed her as he took the tray out of her hands and nodded towards a vacant seat, "Unless you'd like to accept my offer of employment."
"I heard that Charles," Eleanor chimed in.
"I promise that when Dorota finally caves to my wishes that you will be well compensated and a suitable replacement will be found," Chuck responded with a laugh as he winked in Eleanor's direction. Dorota took pause as she appeared to be processing the new information that she had been given.
"How long as everyone been waiting?" Blair inquired as she struggled to remove her coat with Charlotte in her arms as Chuck stepped into the kitchen to relieve himself of the tray he was carrying. Nate quickly stood up and took Charlotte in his arms.
"Not long," Nate responded as he bounced Charlotte up and down a few times.
Blair's eyes went wide as she caught sight of the large assortment of presents under the tree. "I thought we weren't exchanging gifts this year."
"They're all for Charlee," Serena chimed in.
"Good lord!" Blair exclaimed as she took a closer inspection of the mound of presents.
"You sound surprised, Sweetheart," her mother laughed merrily, "Charlotte is Upper East Side royalty. Of course, she is going to be spoiled."
"Perhaps we over did it just a touch," Lily conceded, "But it's been almost two decades since any of us could shop for an infant. It's just as fun as I remembered it to be."
"And the toys they have now days," Nate chimed in, "I wish we had a fourth of what is currently out there. I couldn't stop even when I knew I should."
Chuck returned to the living room with the two mugs of cider one of which he handed to Blair.
"What's different?" Nate inquired as he studied his best friend's appearance.
"What are you talking about, Nathaniel?" Chuck inquired as Charlotte reached out for him. Blair took his cider from him as he grabbed Charlotte.
"You look different," Nate stated as he continued to studied Chuck's appearance, "Did you get a hair cut or something?"
"No," Chuck shook his head.
"Nate's right," Serena stated as she saw what Nate did, "Did the two of you . . . in the limo?"
"No, we didn't," Blair rolled her eyes, "We had Charlotte with us."
"Where did you go this morning? Church?" Lily inquired.
"Close," Chuck replied. He looked to Blair to determine how to proceed. Her looked told him it was his choice. "I took Blair and Charlotte to the cemetery so that we could wish Cyrus and my parents a Merry Christmas."
Eleanor's eyes teared up immediately at the mention of her deceased husband. Blair noticed and walked over to give her mother a comforting hug.
"You've resisted going in the past," Lily stated as she touched Chuck's shoulder.
"Things are different now," Chuck responded as he eyed Charlotte who was trying to inhale his silk shirt as she looked up at him with her beautiful brown eyes. "Blair and Charlotte have taught me the importance of family."
"Still, something is different," Nate insisted as he continued to study Chuck.
"Nate's right. You seem happier, lighter, freer," Serena added.
"I am," Chuck nodded as he pulled his shirt free. He smiled at the wet spot Charlotte had left. "Thanks to my wife and my daughter."
"Charlee made out like a bandit this year," Blair stated as she laid her soundly sleeping daughter in her crib as Chuck climbed up onto the bed to take in the view.
"It was inevitable," Chuck smirked as he watched Blair cover Charlotte with her favorite blanket before she climbed into bed and curled in next to him. "She's the trailblazer. She's the first Bass-Waldorf grandchild. She's the first non-judgemental breakfast club offspring. With all of our bottomless bank accounts and her adorable smile, she was bound to get the toy store you kept joking about."
"Do you think she knows that today is any different than any other day?" she inquired as she stared at the crib. From the bed they could see directly into the crib to see Charlotte was as sound asleep as she had been for the last hour that Blair had held her as they sat in front of the fireplace.
"Probably not," Chuck shook his head as he rhythmically ran his fingers along the length of her arm, "But the only thing that matters this year is that we know that today is special. I have a feeling she'll be more aware next year."
"I've been giving Christmas a little bit of thought," Blair stated, "We've spent most of our Christmases together traveling to exotic locations. Christmas in New York is such a magical place. We should keep this as our tradition."
"You know you won't get any argument from me," he grinned, "I've loved this time of year since you first introduced me to it. It was important for me to give that to Charlotte. I would love to continue it each year."
"Good," Blair smiled as she rolled so that she was on top of him. "How about I got put on my costume while you move Charlee into her bedroom so that we can have a little us time."
"How about we just remove all of our clothes and have a little us time," he amended as his hands closed around her waist as he searched out the hem of her blouse, "Charlotte is perfectly fine where she is, and as much as I loved that costume on you last evening, I love you just as much without it."
"You love that costume," Blair pouted as she stuck out her bottom lip, "That costume has been one of the few traditions that we've had together."
"I love the costume because I love the woman in it," he explained as he lifted the silk over her head, "I don't need a costume. I just need you."
"Such a wonderful line," Blair smirked as her lips ascending upon his.
"It's not a line, Beautiful," he grinned as her hands divested him of his silk shirt the fastest way she knew how, she tore it to pieces. "Always such a little minx in the bedroom. God, I love that about you."
"It's your fault," she giggled in between kisses as his hands found their way into her hair as he devoured her lips, "You created me."
"For which I thank my lucky stars every day," he released her lips to speak for a moment before he pulled her to him again.
"This Christmas has been perfect," Blair grinned.
"This life has been and will continue to be perfect," he amended.
And so we end another journey into the lives of Blair and Chuck. Stay posted. You all know another journey will begin shortly. Don't forget the review and ideas.