Stepping off the last step of their townhouse's staircase, Blair couldn't help but smile as she spied her husband on the floor of their main sitting room, dressed in a fitted light blue and white small checkered woven shirt and what appeared to be a pair of dark denim jeans rolled at the ankle with a tan leather bomber jacket, leaning on one elbow, their son – also dressed in jeans and a similar woven shirt - sitting across from him, an array of crayons spread out between them on the rug as they each worked on a coloring book.
It was little moments between father and son like this that pulled at and warmed her heart as no one outside their family ever got to see this side of Chuck Bass: loving and devoted father. Part of her had to wonder if perhaps part of the reason Chuck didn't mind doing such simple and mundane activities such as this with Henry was because it gave him a chance to relive a childhood he never got to have. Knowing that if she continued to stand there, quietly watching the two of them, her hormones would get the best of her causing her to have to redo her makeup. She decided it would be best to get on with her day and leave the two to their own private Lost Weekend.
"My car is here - I'm meeting up with Serena for the day," she announced as she took a step forward, making her presence now known.
"Are you planning on telling her the news?" Chuck inquired, knowing she had purposely been avoiding Serena all week since the blast went out and they had returned home.
"Maybe... if it comes up. We'll see," she casually replied, still unsure if she was ready to confirm the rumor just yet. Once Serena knew, odds are everyone would know. "I hope you have more in store for today than just coloring," she remarked, changing the subject as she was just itching to get any clue as to what Chuck had in mind for a day just the two of them.
"Oh believe me, I have plenty in store," Chuck smirked as he kept his focus on finishing the picture before him. "We're just waiting for you to leave first."
"Oh?" Blair pried as Dorota helped her slide into her coat. "And why is that?"
"Nuh-uh uh," Chuck tsked, knowing exactly what she was trying to do. "Hen, remind your mother – what's the number one rule of Lost Weekend?"
"What happens during Lost Weekend stays lost," Henry recited without missing a beat as he colored away.
Blair merely rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"Well in that case, just don't get too lost," she stated as she approached both her boys, crouching down just enough to playfully rumple Henry's hair. Chuck leaned up to meet her halfway for a kiss. "I mean it," she sternly added with a whisper towards him before standing back up. "G-rated."
"Of course," Chuck grinned back at her. Oh he'd keep it G-rated of course... but that didn't mean she'd necessarily approve of everything he had planned for the day if she only knew. "Love you – tell sis I say hi."
"Love both of you too and I will," she called over her shoulder as she accepted her handbag from Dorota and made her way towards the front door.
"Love you too, mommy! Bye!" Henry called out as he quickly finished up his picture.
Chuck stayed there on the floor, by his son, carefully listening as the door shut behind Blair, the sound of her heels clicking down the concrete front steps and onto the sidewalk. Moments later he could faintly hear a car door closing.
"Alright Hen, now that mommy's gone – go get your jacket," Chuck ordered as he sat up and got to his feet.
"Which one, daddy? My peacoat?" Henry wondered as he got up and began to proceed to the coat closet in the front hallway.
"I had something else in mind... look in the back of the closet," Chuck insisted as he stood out in the hallway, anxious for his son to find his first surprise of the day.
He wasn't disappointed when he heard the boy gasp a moment later, clearly having found it.
"It's just like yours!" Henry exclaimed as he hurried back out, quickly slipping into a similar yet smaller version of the tan leather jacket Chuck was wearing. "Does this mean..." his voice trailed as his eyes lit up, realizing what the leather jacket meant.
"I only gave Arthur one order today before dismissing him – he already texted me, the F4 is parked out back and ready to go," Chuck announced as he stepped around his son, reaching into the closet and pulling down a set of helmets hidden away on the top shelf, handing the smaller one off to the boy.
"Yes!" Henry squealed in delight, practically bouncing in place.
"Remember though – not a word of this to your mother and you have to wear the helmet – she'll kill me if something happened and she found out you weren't wearing one," Chuck quickly reminded him as they proceeded down the other end of the hall and through the kitchen, out the back door and around to the side alley, where the bike was parked.
"Hungry?" Chuck questioned as he sat his son on the bike before climbing on behind him. Henry nodded in response, his small voice muffled by the helmet. "Hold on tight," he ordered before flicking down his own helmet's visor and kick starting the vehicle, causing it to suddenly roar and then purr as they slowly rode down the alleyway before coming out onto their street, heading downtown to their first destination of the day.
Blair was sitting in the back of the town car she had ordered for the day, flipping through the morning's fashion pages as they sat in traffic on Central Park West. Blair to admit, she wasn't thrilled that Serena had insisted they meet at the loft in Brooklyn however when Serena said she needed her interior decorating advice, Blair reluctantly agreed. She could only hope and pray that Dan wasn't there though.
As she began to turn to page six, she couldn't help noticing a motorcycle whizzing by. She could have sworn the tan leather jacket the man was wearing was oddly familiar... and the child riding with him, wearing a similar jacket... she shook her head in disbelief. As far as she knew, Chuck's bike had been sitting in storage since at least spring if not last year and he hadn't once mentioned it.
She sat back in her seat, her attention turning back to the newspaper as she told herself Chuck wouldn't dare to take it out now for the first time in forever, let alone with Henry – he'd know full well she'd kill him for even thinking about it.
"Hope you're ready to get your fill of chocolate," Chuck declared as he lifted his son off the bike and sat the tot down on the sidewalk before pausing to fish out some change for the parking meter.
Henry stood there, wide-eyed as he looked to see where they were.
"I thought mommy forbid this place!" Henry stated as he waited for his father.
"She did," Chuck nonchalantly confirmed as he dropped the last of the necessary coins into the meter. "However... mommy's not here and it's our Lost Weekend," he reminded the boy with a wink. "C'mon," he insisted as he took his son by the hand and led him towards the restaurant.
"Good morning and welcome to Max Brenner's, Mr. Bass... and young Mr. Bass," the host greeted them both with a smile as they entered the establishment. "We have a table waiting for you, right this way," the man directed them, leading the way.
"Thank you, Mark," Chuck responded, slipping the man a generous tip. "Remember, not a word of this gets back to the Missus," he whispered.
"Of course, sir," the host spoke with a smile. "May I start you both off with something to drink?" he inquired once Chuck and Henry were both seated.
"Earl grey for me and Hen... what would you like?" Chuck asked his son.
"Um..." Henry began to speak, only to pause, unsure as to what he could get away with.
"First time?" the host questioned. Henry nodded immediately. "May I suggest something from the Secret Chocolate Menu," the man spoke above a whisper as he slid Henry the special kids menu. "The Kid's Shaken Milk Chocolate in an Alice Cup tends to be a favorite."
"Daddy?" Henry questioned, looking for the go-ahead.
"Anything you want today, Hen," Chuck reminded him. "Go ahead."
"That sounds good," Henry agreed, giving the host confirmation.
"Excellent," Mark the host stated as he jotted down the order. "I'll go get those for you if you'd like to take several moments to look over the menu."
"So much chocolate..." Henry remarked as he glanced at the menu and then around the restaurant itself. "Daddy, what are you going to get?" he wondered curiously, almost overwhelmed by all his options. He had never had the opportunity to indulge in so much chocolate and sugar for breakfast before.
"I'm thinking the sugar waffles," Chuck responded as he too took some time to look over the menu. Henry nodded in acknowledgment. "I know I said you could get anything you wanted – but do try to pick something with fruit and not completely smothered in chocolate, okay? I'd hate for you to get a stomachache before our day's hardly begun," he reminded him. Once again Henry nodded in agreement.
"Waffle Trampoline Nets sound good," Henry remarked as he seemed to come to a decision. Glancing across at the kids menu, Chuck noted that it was one of the few options that wasn't overloaded in the decadent dark syrup.
"That does sound good," Chuck agreed, giving Henry the go ahead.
Once their drinks had been served and orders had been taken, the two Bass boys sat there across from each other, Henry began to color with the crayons that had been provided for him. Chuck watched as his son diligently worked, pausing every so often to take a sip from his milkshake.
"Hen, there's something I need to talk to you about," Chuck hesitantly started, knowing he needed this conversation out of the way sooner rather than later. "Last weekend... I had to take a little trip. You remember how your mother and I explained that I'm an alcoholic, right?" he attempted to refresh his young son's memory. Henry nodded in acknowledgment. "Okay, well... every so often I have to go visit my doctors."
"Like for a check-up?" Henry wondered as he tried to understand.
"Exactly – for a check-up. So they can see how I'm doing," Chuck went on. "And my doctors just so happen to be in Switzerland so until they give me the all clear, every month or so I will be gone for a weekend when I go see them." He paused for a moment, giving it a chance to sink in for Henry. "And you know I sometimes have to travel for work," he spoke again a moment later. "Granted, I don't have anything on the schedule currently, but I will eventually in the future, requiring me to be gone for a few days here and there... sometimes maybe even a week or so at a time." He could see the look on his son's face as he contemplated what he was being told.
"But you're the boss - why do you have to go? Why can't the people just come to you?" Henry asked, his expression hardening as he tried to make sense of it all.
"True, I am the boss... however sometimes it makes a better impression when you go out of your way to meet with someone. It shows you have an interest in them and their business and their culture... plus sometimes when we're building in a different country I have to go and see the location to know just what we're dealing with and check in on the property to make sure things are operating how they should," he explained, much to his son's dismay. "But Hen, I need you to understand that when I go on trips like that... I'll always come back, okay? I promise. I'm never leaving you guys, despite your mother's best efforts sometimes, and you know why?"
"Why?" Henry curiously wondered.
"Because I love you and your mother too much. I can't function without her - I'm not me without your mother - and whatever would I do without you?"
"And Monkey!" the boy added, reminding his father of their furry family member.
"And Monkey," Chuck agreed with a slight laugh. That dog had gotten him through more rough patches than he cared to admit. Despite being roughly ten years old, they figured (as Humphrey wasn't quite sure how old the dog actually was when he had gotten him from the shelter), he sure managed to keep up with a five year old quite well, the two nearly inseparable at times. "But Hen, do you understand? I know last summer was rough and you were probably feeling hurt and upset, but know that I'll always come home. Always. You don't need to worry or fear that I won't because I promise you, I will," Chuck stressed, hoping Henry would understand and take it to heart.
"Okay, daddy," Henry decided a moment later, accepting what his father had told him. "Pinky promise?" he insisted, leaning up on the table, elbow on it as he extended his small pinky finger across the table, towards his father.
"Pinky promise, Hen," Chuck swore, linking his own, larger pinky finger around the boy's. "I mean it."
"Breakfast is served," a waiter announced as he appeared with two dishes of food, promptly placing one in front of them each, causing father and son to break apart. "Enjoy!" the man exclaimed before retreating. Henry's eyes widened in awe at the decadent plate before him. Chuck could only smile his rare genuine smile as he watched. Blair would be livid if she only knew and the day was still young.
"Knock, knock," Blair announced as she stood in the doorway of the Humphrey Loft peering around the corner, hesitant to set foot inside.
While Dan had once purchased an apartment in the same building as Serena's mother, Blair was completely baffled when Serena announced they were moving back into the loft. Dan had cited sentimental reasons, as Rufus and his band were regularly back on tour often opening for other nostalgic acts and he had been planning on selling the place, however she had a feeling Serena had agreed in yet another attempt to make Dan happy and prove to him that Brooklyn wasn't beneath the Upper East Side lifestyle she had been born and raised in.
"B! Come in!" Serena exclaimed as she made her way across the main living area of the loft, greeting her best friend with open arms.
"What's the design emergency?" Blair wondered as she cautiously stepped further in, keeping her eyes peeled for Dan. She had been successful in avoiding him ever since her return to the city just over a month ago. It was one streak she wasn't looking forward to breaking any time soon.
"Well... I don't want to jinx it just yet... but I met with my doctor last week... and we're going to try IVF!" Serena squealed, unable to contain herself. "He said that may increase our changes immensely!"
"Oh my god! S! That's great news!" Blair gasped in genuine surprise as the girls shared a warm embrace. She thrilled for her best friend as well as for herself – perhaps Serena being pregnant would be just what it took to get Dan off her back and forget about that one mistaken night. "How soon?"
"Hopefully soon... I'm waiting for Dan to get on board..."
"Dan's... not on board?" Blair pried, confused. She thought having a child was something they both had wanted.
"He is, it's just... trying to find a time for us both to go to the clinic together... he's been busy shopping around his stories..." Serena excused.
"I see..." Blair remarked, still remaining suspicious. While she was thrilled for her best friend, the fact that it didn't sound like Dan was all too anxious to get the process started – having known from past experience that when he really wanted something he'd do be sure to at least try and go for it, whether he succeeded or not – was a bit concerning. "Speaking of Dan... is he... here?" she wondered. As much as she wanted nothing to do with him, she reluctantly accepted the fact that she might just have to use her powers of persuasion to talk him into getting on the IVF train with Serena.
"No, Rufus is in town for the weekend between shows – he went to visit with him for the day," Serena informed her.
"So there was no design emergency?" Blair questioned. "I mean... you didn't have to drag me all the way across the bridge to tell me that... we could have just met for lunch..."
"No, no. I know... I was actually wanting to get your opinion..." Serena began as she led Blair across the loft. "Do you think we could convert this space into a nursery?" she asked as she pulled back the sliding door that divided the two smaller rooms of the loft, one of which was the room Dan and Serena shared, the other being Jenny's former room which had later been converted into an office and a guest room. "I mean we'll have to find somewhere to move Dan's writing desk..."
"Personally... if it were me... I wouldn't dare raise a child in Brooklyn. Might I suggest a bigger place, such as... anywhere not in Brooklyn or the Five Boroughs – preferably somewhere on the Upper East Side? Perhaps in your mother's building once again?"
"B, we're not moving – this is Dan's childhood home... being here means a lot to him," Serena firmly reminded her.
"Well then I guess we could make it work," Blair sighed, giving in to Serena despite knowing better.
"Great! Let's go look at wallpaper and flooring samples," Serena squealed, anxious to get to work on her latest project. Blair rolled her eyes as she followed Serena back outside. She could only hope her best friend wasn't getting her hopes up too early. It would make the news of her own pregnancy that much harder on her.
"So son... where to next?" Chuck asked Henry as they strolled out of Max Brenner's after having their fill for a late breakfast. Not really having a set agenda for the early afternoon, Chuck had hoped his son would pick somewhere, anywhere not too embarrassing, were they to be spotted by local paparazzi or worse – Gossip Girl minions.
"Oohh, can we go to Coney Island, daddy?" Henry excitedly asked as Chuck sat him back on the bike, the thought having popped in his head as he saw an advertisement for the infamous park on a nearby news vendor cart.
Chuck inwardly groaned as he personally was never a fan of theme parks. Coney Island was one of the last places he ever wanted to set foot in, never being one fond for tourist places such as that.
"Alright," he sighed as he hopped on the back of the bike behind Henry, knowing he had to agree to it. This was their Lost Weekend and he did tell Henry he could ask for anything within reason. He could only hope no one who knew who they were would see them there.
"Ana likes hot dogs," Henry suddenly announced as he sat down at one of the park's picnic tables to eat his own for lunch.
"Oh?" Chuck curiously wondered as he too sat down and watched his son with a raised eyebrow. He couldn't understand how the kid was still hungry after all he had eaten for a late breakfast. Henry nodded in confirmation. "You seem to have taken quite an interest in Ana lately I've noticed..."
"She's my friend. And I like her," Henry merely shrugged as he went to take another bite of his hotdog. "But daddy? Can I tell you something?" the boy hesitated for a moment between bites.
"Of course, Hen – you can tell me anything," Chuck tried to assure him.
"Lindsay Ellington likes me too... she says she's going to marry me someday but daddy... do I have to? She's bossy and always telling me what to do," Henry revealed. Chuck tried to hide his laughter at the five-year-old's biggest dilemma but slightly failed.
"No, Hen of course not. You're only five, you have at least another thirteen years before you have to worry about that and I'm sure Lindsay Ellington will have moved onto some other boy by then. Not to mention you're Henry Bass – you don't have to do anything you really don't want to."
"Good," Henry remarked, pleased by his father's answer. "Cuz I like Ana."
"You know, she is about four years older than you, right Hen?"
"So? Mommy's older than you..."
"Only by a few months," Chuck muttered under his breath, realizing he wasn't going to win this argument with his son. "What is it that you like about Ana?"
"She smells good," Henry simply replied, his mouth full of hot dog.
Oh god, Chuck couldn't help thinking to himself as he silently laughed. His son was only five and already taking after him: an early interest in girls (even if his interest was completely innocent right now), a penchant for older women and the allure of a woman's signature scent. Give him another seven years or so and Chuck realized him and Blair were going to be in trouble if they weren't careful.
"Did you have a crush on mommy when you were little?" Henry piped up a moment later, drawing Chuck's attention back to him.
"I wouldn't call it a crush..." his voice lingered as he once again thought back to the first time Nate had introduced them years ago. "I was always intrigued by her though... her wit, her charm... her natural, classic beauty... she was different from all the other girls and stood out. As we grew up and grew closer as friends I realized how much I really did care about her. She had captured my attention and eventually gave me butterflies every time I saw her..." he reminisced.
"Ana gives me butterflies... but she only thinks of me as a little brother though," Henry sadly grumbled.
"Well you never know, by the time you're older – much older," Chuck stressed. "Things might change. Your mother and I were friends since we were about your age however she had the biggest crush on Uncle Nate for years and years... but right before she turned seventeen she started to see me differently," he explained without going into too much detail for a five-year-old.
"What changed?" Henry curiously inquired.
"I'd like to think she wised up, but I don't know... I think maybe she saw potential in me that she hadn't noticed before... that I was a better match for her than Uncle Nate ever was or would be... that she realized we were fated to end up together..." his voice trailed as he too wondered. "I think... more than anything, she realized that she could trust me," he admitted as he thought back to that fateful first night of theirs. "Next surprise starts at two-ten – anything you still want to do here before we head out?" Chuck questioned, abruptly changing the subject before he once again got lost down memory lane.
"Um... can we do the bumper cars again? I wanna drive my own car this time!" Henry excitedly announced.
"If they'll let you," Chuck remarked, remembering there was a height requirement for single riders.
"I'm Henry Bass – I can do anything I want," Henry was quick to remind his father, who couldn't help chuckling.
"True, however... I suppose the question I should have asked is if you're sure you can reach the pedals," Chuck clarified as they both stood and began walking hand in hand towards the aforementioned attraction.
"Oooh B, what about this one?" Serena anxiously asked as she paused flipping through the pages of the portfolio she had been looking through, her finger tapping on one of the images as they sat in front of one of the coffee tables of the interior design studio Lily had recommended.
"That's... quaint," Blair managed to remark, a bit put off by the Bohemian nature of the selection.
"You sound so thrilled," Serena commented with an eye roll as she lounged back into the couch they were sitting on.
"Sorry S, it's just... not my style," Blair pointed out as she flipped through a separate portfolio, gaining ideas of her own.
Sitting there, looking at nursery themes with her best friend, she had realized she hadn't put much thought into what she wanted to do for her own unborn child's impending nursery. Granted they wouldn't know for another couple of weeks what they were having and she did still have several months before a nursery would need to be finished but still... she had been so preoccupied with Chuck's return and then fashion week and then his check-up... the thought had been completely lost to her.
"Ooh this is nice," Blair pointed out, turning the book so Serena could see. It was simple yet elegant – regal almost with white furniture, pastel elements and chiffon accents. "We could do lilac for a girl..." her voice trailed as she thought about it. Chuck would easily go along with that.
"That would be nice... for you, but we're looking for me, remember, B?" Serena spoke up, causing Blair to regain her focus. "Unless... B... is there something you want to tell me?"
"What? I... no," Blair flustered, quickly closing the book but not before making a mental note of the name of the design. "My, look at the time – it's already almost one... why don't we go get lunch, S?" she promptly suggested, deciding to change the subject.
"Yeah okay, let me just flag someone down... see if I can't take one of these home with me to look over later since someone wasn't much help," Serena joked as she began looking for someone who worked at the studio. Blair sat back, sighing in relief at having dodged that bullet. While Serena was distracted though she did quickly reopen the book she had been looking through, jotting down more information before Serena could notice.
"Daddy, did Grandpa Bart ever take you to baseball games when you were little?" Henry excitedly asked as they took their seats in the stands of the Met's stadium.
While Chuck had easily procured reserved seats in one of the shaded boxes, the owner's son all too happy to make it happen for the Basses, Henry insisted they sit closer to field, specifically along one of the baselines as the father of a boy at school caught a fly ball last week and it was all the kids could talk about.
"He did, on occasion," Chuck confessed. It was somewhat true, however most of the time they would sit in one of the boxes, Bart talking business with the other men nearby or on his phone the entire time, while Chuck would sit there bored, watching the game alone.
"Your Grandpa Bart preferred hockey though – we'll have to go to a Rangers game sometime," he decided as Henry shook his head excitedly in agreement while stuffing a bite of cotton candy into his mouth.
Even though Chuck nor Blair never actively mentioned Bart (or Elizabeth for that matter) to Henry, the boy on occasion would innocently question what things were like when his father was a child, genuinely curious. Not wanting to push his inquiries aside nor make him feel guilty for asking, coming up with an honest although not too detailed answer was often a strategic challenge as Chuck preferred not to divulge too much of his bleak childhood anymore than necessary to his son.
"Do you think sometime Tegan could come to a game with us?" Henry asked once he swallowed his mouthful of food. "He's never been..."
"I guess we could, but don't you think Tegan would want to go to his first game with his own father?" Chuck pointed out to him. He had been robbed too many times of spending time with his own father as a kid, he didn't want to be the reason someone else missed out on an opportunity with their own child – he knew he would be upset if someone else had had firsts like this with Henry instead of him.
"Yeah... but his daddy works too much and never has time to take him and he really wants to go," Henry sadly explained as they watched the players on the field warm up. "Even his stepdad is too busy."
Chuck's heart sank when he heard that, having experienced that as a child far too much. It was the sole reason him and Blair went out of their way as much as they could to make sure Henry always came first. Sure there were times, such as last weekend, where they simply couldn't, but overall, their family always came before work. They both refused to be like their parents in that regard and while it was true, their children would be spoiled beyond belief just as they both were growing up, it was different.
Thinking back about it as he broke open a peanut shell, as a kid, Chuck tagged along to more games with Nate and The Captain. Jealousy would run through him as he watched how his best friend and The Captain interacted together, Nate's dad actually caring and taking an interest in his son. He would extend the same attention to Chuck as well, however it just wasn't the same. Nate would be enjoying the game with his father just as Chuck longed to do so with his own. It was why he considered that signed baseball that Carter Baizen stole to be one of his most prized possessions back in the day – it was from the only game that Bart actually tried to be a father to him, taking an interest in the game with him and then after taking him down to the field and clubhouse to meet the players he had bought the ball from the club owner as a token of his appreciation for being so accommodating that day. It was one of the few good memories he actually had of his father.
"We'll see, Hen," was all the answer he could give. Not wanting another child to go through the hurt that he had, he made a mental note to speak to Tegan's father. They ran in similar business circles. If Chuck could make time for Henry, there's no reason Tegan's father couldn't do the same for his own son. Perhaps maybe it was something the four of them could do together next season?
As he sat back in his seat, Chuck had to admit, Henry choosing to sit down here was a better idea – the temptation for an alcoholic beverage out of habit lessened as the walking vendors only served cheap draft beer which was something everyone knew he loathed. Nate and Dan were the only ones he knew that could ever stomach it.
"You know, I was a little surprised when you said you were free for the day," Serena confessed as she took a bite of her salad.
"Well when the boys are away..." Blair sung as she went to take a sip of her tea.
"Ha, true – I take it Henry doesn't let Chuck out of his sight any more than absolutely necessary?" Serena guessed, knowing it was most likely true. Blair nodded in confirmation. "Speaking of which, how's everything going at home? It must be weird being under the same roof again – have you let him back in the bedroom or is my brother still banished to the guest room?"
"S, we've been sharing a bed since our last night in the Hamptons. You know I hate sleeping alone," Blair remarked with an eye roll.
"Oh wow, I didn't realize things were going so well that fast... but you two haven't... you know, yet... right?" Serena was hesitant to ask for fear of getting too much information in return.
"I held out for two weeks," Blair admitted, a smirk forming once Serena gasped in surprise.
"No! You didn't! B! Make him work for it!"
"Oh I did... believe me, for him – it was work," Blair grinned again, knowing how uncomfortable dishing about her sex life with Chuck made Serena, even after all these years.
"Well you are being careful though, right? The last thing either of you want right now is another child... I mean, with everything you two have been going through... it just doesn't seem like a great idea, with Chuck still going through recovery..." Serena pointed out, not realizing she just confirmed part of the reasoning for Blair keeping her pregnancy a secret.
"S, he's always going to be going through recovery! There is no cure alcoholism and addiction," Blair was quick to remind her. She was slowly beginning to realize that whether they had another child now or ten years from now, Chuck would always still be a recovering alcoholic.
"Well yeah, okay, but I mean like, he's fresh out of rehab and focusing on that, right?" Serena continued to speak. Blair couldn't help falling silent, a guilty look crossing her face as she subtly eyed her stomach. "Oh my god! B!" Serena squealed in excitement. "The Gossip Girl blast last week... Is it true?! Are you really?!"
"S..."
"Oh my god! That's... that's..." Serena stumbled on her words, too surprised to put her thought into words.
"Stupid, I know..." Blair sighed, almost ashamed.
"No, B – that's amazing!" Serena finally blurted out. "Does he know?"
"Of course he knows," Blair sharply replied with another eye roll.
"But how did this happen?" Serena immediately asked, genuinely curious about the details.
"Well Serena, when two people have sex without thinking-"
"Nevermind, I know that!" Serena stopped her with a wave of the hand. "But like when? How far along are you?"
"We figure about four, five months..." Blair shyly confessed.
"Wow, already? So it happened like right before he left?"
"We figure around that time, yes..." Blair nervously admitted. It technically was the truth – as this child had have been conceived either soon before or right after Chuck had left for rehab.
"B! I'm so happy for you!"
"Really? You're not upset?" Blair questioned, starting to feel a little bit relieved that if Serena was upset, she definitely wasn't showing it.
"Of course not! I mean, I might be a little jealous as Dan and I have been trying for months with no luck and clearly you two weren't necessarily trying for another but still... I'm going to have a little niece or another little nephew to spoil!" she happily beamed. "And who knows, maybe this will be the perfect distraction for Chuck, something new for him to put his focus on..."
"Perhaps... or drive him to drink..." Blair mumbled quietly to herself as she thought of all the controversy surrounding this pregnancy.
"I hope it's a girl!" Serena squealed once more as she gleefully pulled Blair in for a hug. "Does mom know?"
"I don't know... I don't think Chuck's told her yet... we haven't exactly been telling everyone just yet..."
"Why not?" Serena wondered as she stuffed her face with another piece of bread.
"Well for numerous reasons... one, I was a little scared of your reaction," Blair meekly informed her.
"B... I told you, I'm happy for you two," Serena assured her as she gave her hand a squeeze.
You wouldn't be if you knew the rest of the story... Blair thought to herself as she paused.
"Plus with Chuck just being out of rehab... well, others might have the same reaction you did before you just found out and I really don't feel like having to deal with that public backlash from strangers in addition to people we actually know... my mother included..." Blair went on.
"You haven't told your family?" Serena asked, puzzled.
"Not yet. And given some of the things she said during Fashion Week... I'm not exactly eager to tell her either..."
"B, she's your mother. And she adores Henry – can you imagine if you have a girl how over the moon she would be, making original dresses..." Serena's voice trailed as she could just imagine the fuss being made over her future niece now.
"Yes, yes – I get it, S, you want it to be a girl. Believe me, I wish this one was a girl as much as you do."
"How does Chuck feel about it?"
"He's... fine with it..." Blair answered to the best of her ability. While multiple children was something they had discussed, both agreeing they didn't want Henry to be an only child – they both knew from their own childhoods just how lonely it could be - Chuck hadn't said much this time around other than he'd love, accept and raise it as his own being that it was her child regardless of who the father was. But of course she couldn't tell S that.
"Is he hoping for a girl or another boy?" Serena continued away with the questions.
"S!"
"Henry has you both wrapped around his little finger... can you imagine Chuck with a Daddy's Girl?" Serena laughed at the idea. "I so hope you two have a girl..." her voice trailed once more as she tried to picture Chuck Bass with a daughter like Blair. Her thought was soon interrupted though as both their phones chimed, alerting them to a new text notification.
"Speaking of Henry having Chuck wrapped around his little finger... Chuck Bass spotted at Coney Island!" Blair couldn't help laughing as she read the headline of the latest Gossip Girl blast.
"Haha! Wow... Chuck at such a tourist-y place... I can't say I'd ever think we'd see the day he visited there!" Serena couldn't help snickering. "If he's this bad with Hen, he's going to be sooo screwed if you two have a little girl! I can't wait!"
"I so hope someone got a photo – Gossip Girl is offering a cash reward for photographic evidence to confirm the story," Blair laughed in amusement as she put her phone away, the waiter having arrived finally with their entrees. She had to admit, even though she wasn't ready to reveal her pregnancy to the whole world, telling her best friend their news – even if it wasn't the full story – felt like at least a small weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
Chuck sat alone in the bleachers, watching the show on the field in between innings as Henry had gone down to crowd around the dugout with several other children all eager to interact with the players when an all too familiar voice spoke up from beside him.
"Hey, is this seat taken?"
"Jack?" Chuck questioned, surprised to see his uncle suddenly there. "What are you doing here?" he wondered as he sat a little straighter in his seat.
"Saw on Gossip Girl you were spotted across the river, I just had to come see what that was all about..." Jack informed him as he helped himself to the seat beside his nephew. "The Mets, eh?"
"Henry and I are having a Lost Saturday," Chuck spoke matter of factly, his attention now drawn to watching his son, confirming he was still by the dugout. While he had grown to trust Jack to some degree over the years, because of his relationship with Georgina Chuck was always sure to keep his senses heightened whenever there was the possibility she might be nearby as he knew better than to put anything past her. Especially when she had set her mind on something like Blair had warned him several weeks ago.
"Is this what sober you has resorted to? Kiddie-friendly Lost Weekends?" Jack wondered in awe. "Wow... how the mighty have fallen..."
"Seriously, Jack – why are you here? I find it hard to believe you came all this way across the bridge just to annoy me," Chuck seethed, wishing his uncle would just get to the point already, considering he hadn't heard from him since their last interaction at The Palace office when he had first returned to the city.
"What? Can't a guy spend some quality time with his favorite nephew and great-nephew?" Jack innocently questioned as he leaned back in his seat. Chuck wasn't buying it though as he turned and looked at him skeptically. "Alright, alright... Georgie sent me on a mission," he finally confessed.
"A mission? What are you now, her errand boy?" Chuck jabbed in retaliation for earlier. "What was it you were just saying, Uncle, about how the mighty have fallen?"
"Laugh all you want, but she is one helluva woman," Jack was quick to respond. "You know... she's really not so bad once you get to know her..."
"Believe me, Uncle, I've known Georgina more than I'd care to recall and yes, she really is that bad... terrifying if you will... or did you forget that little detail?" Chuck reminded him, only to immediately regret having brought it up.
"No, no... I haven't forgotten. I just recall that we agreed to never speak of certain... one night stands ever again. That is unless... you really wanna play that game? Do you really wanna go there, Chuckie, because I would just looooove to gush with you over what an amazing time I had with-"
"Stop," Chuck instantly halted him, not wanting to hear her name roll of his tongue like that.
"Good. Because as amusing as I'm sure the story is, I'd rather not think about Georgie as your sloppy seconds just as much as I'm sure you never want to be reminded of who banged in New Year's 2009 with me," Jack declared.
"Enough! That's my wife and the mother of my children," Chuck snapped, refusing to let that particular trip down memory lane occur. "Now, just what 'mission' did the she-devil send you on?"
"Funny you should mention Blair being the mother of your children – plural - as I guess that kind of confirms what I was going to ask," Jack replied only for Chuck to look at him questioningly, willing him to get to the point already. "We saw the Gossip Girl blast, about her dress last week... so she's really knocked up again, eh?"
"If you meant to ask if she's pregnant, yes. She is. But we're not making it public yet," Chuck confirmed the rumor.
"And just why is that? Gossip Girl pretty much put the idea out there..."
"Because with me just out of rehab, she's concerned about what everyone will say," Chuck confessed only to realize too late what Jack would take from that bit of information.
"She's embarrassed by you? Oh, wow! That's a good one!" Jack laughed in amusement. While he did feel a bit bad for his nephew's plight, he had to admit, of all the things Chuck had done in his lifetime for Blair to be embarrassed by... finishing rehab being a reason was pure irony.
"She's not... embarrassed..." Chuck quietly spoke as the idea of her being embarrassed by him was starting to sink in.
"I am soooo glad I'm sterile and don't ever have to deal with pregnant hormonal women," Jack declared as he tried to stop laughing.
"What, no kids in your future plans with Georgina?" Chuck inquired, genuinely curious. Jack and Georgina had been together for roughly seven years. It was the longest relationship anyone could recall either of them being in and the fact that there seemed to be no end in sight was all still a surprise to them.
"She doesn't want anymore and not that it's any of your business, nephew, but I got snipped years and years ago – unlike you, I didn't want to run the risk of having any little Basstards running around or some nameless whore coming after me for child support," Jack confessed.
"And yet you're supporting Georgina Sparks and her bastard child..."
"Milo's different," Jack immediately went on the defensive, almost as if he actually cared about the kid. "And he's older – I missed all the diapers and middle of the night crying and the whining... babies and small children are not part of the Jack Bass lifestyle."
"I said that once years ago too..." Chuck's voice trailed as he thought back to his own wild lifestyle before everything with Blair happened over a decade ago.
"Yeah, but let's face it – once Blair entered the picture all that changed. I read all about her Who's the Daddy scare of '08... and then in 2011 when you found out that schmuck prince was her baby daddy and not you... only you still promised to take care of it regardless..." Jack recalled. "It may not have been part of your lifestyle at the time, but we both know having a family with Blair was something you secretly dreamed about since you were nearly seventeen. And now twelve years later... here we are."
"Daddy! Look! Some of the players signed my mitt!" Henry excitedly announced as he came running back towards their seats just a few rows behind the dugout.
"That's really neat, Hen," Chuck feigned enthusiasm for his son, as he knew the boy was quite proud of himself, despite the fact that Chuck had offered to get him a signed ball yet Henry turned the opportunity down, saying it wasn't the same as catching a foul ball and then getting it signed.
"Wait til I tell the boys at school!" he declared before noticing the man to the other side of his father. "Hi Uncle Jack! What are you doing here?" he asked, puzzled.
"Hi to you too, Henry! And I heard you and your daddy were spending the day on the small island so I thought I'd come check on you two, make sure you were staying out of trouble," Jack responded to the kid, acting overly friendly.
While everyone knew Jack was regularly present around Georgina's son, seeing him behave like a friendly human being around children was a foreign concept Chuck had still never gotten used to. Jack had never treated him like that when he was kid, although perhaps maybe it was the fifteen year age difference between the two that made Jack treat Chuck like an unwanted kid brother instead of them having a typical uncle/nephew relationship.
"We are!" Henry happily informed him. "I get to pick dinner after the game... oh and earlier we went to Coney Is-"
"Hen!" Chuck firmly interrupted him, not wanting to deal with the teasing that would ensue from Jack at the mention of him setting foot in Coney Island. "What is the first rule of Lost Weekend?"
"What happens during Lost Weekend stays lost between us?" Henry questioned, wanting to make sure he got it right.
"Exactly," Chuck confirmed with a smirk.
"You on Coney Island... god I hope someone got a picture and sent it in to Gossip Girl..." Jack remarked with a chuckle.
"Well if it hasn't been posted already..." Chuck pointed out, relived that it appeared no one had, despite the unverified blast a little bit ago.
"Hey Henry, if you need a suggestion for dinner... I hear there's this great place called McDonald's... there's one on almost every corner... you'd love it!" Jack suggested with a devilish grin, beginning to plant the idea into the kid's head purely for his own enjoyment.
"Really?" Henry wondered as his eyes began to get big.
"It's a great place – I'm sure your daddy would enjoy taking you there," Jack stated with a smirk of his own. Chuck promptly turned and began to glare daggers at his uncle for mentioning the dreaded fast food chain. Having been accustomed to quality food his entire life, he honestly couldn't stomach the greasy imitation burgers that most fast food joints had to offer. The smell alone had almost made him sick when Blair was pregnant with Henry and once developed a random midnight craving for the unhealthy concoction.
"Daddy, can we go to... Mc.. Donalds...?" Henry's small voice lingered as he tried to make sure he was pronouncing it right.
"We'll see, Hen – I kind of had some place else in mind..." Chuck answered, trying to think of something else to change the subject to, however Jack had beaten him to it.
"So, Hen... your daddy tells me you're going to be a big brother soon – you excited?"
Shit, Chuck thought to himself as he took in a deep breath, closing his eyes and rubbing his brow in frustration. This was one subject he hadn't planned on bringing up just yet and especially not without Blair being present.
"Really?! I am?! Daddy, is that true?" Henry eagerly questioned.
"Damnit, Jack... we hadn't told him yet," Chuck muttered under his breath. "Hen, your mother and I were waiting on telling you until she was further along... but yes, yes you are," Chuck admitted, not wanting to lie to him.
"Wow! I'm going to be a big brother?! Am I getting a brother or a sister? Can it be a little brother? I can share my toys with him... and my clothes... but not my bowties, those are mine... and teach him how to swing and go down slides and wrestle with Monkey..." Henry began to ramble, a trait he clearly picked up from his mother.
"Hen, Hen slow down," Chuck spoke, attempting to calm his now overly excited son. "Thanks, Jack..." he muttered once again.
"Hey how was I supposed to know you hadn't told the kid?" Jack quipped in defense.
"Hen, we don't just get to choose if it's a boy or a girl," Chuck tried to explain. "And even if you have a sister, you can still share your toys with her and teach her all those things too..."
"Yeah... but girls are gross," Henry declared immediately before pausing to correct himself. "Well, except for Ana..."
"Ana? Who's Ana?" Jack curiously inquired, his attention having been captured.
"My friend. She and Leo and Christopher come over and play with me sometimes on the weekends while Dorota is there helping mommy," Henry began to tell him.
"Wait, wait – Dorota's kid? You like Dorota's little girl?" Jack questioned with disbelief only for Henry to nod in confirmation. "Your kid is in love with the help!" Jack began to snicker having quietly remarked to Chuck so as not to embarrass the kid.
"Be nice, he's only five... and you know Dorota's always been family to Blair. The kids are practically cousins." Chuck whispered back as he jabbed his uncle in the side with his elbow.
"Alright, alright," Jack surrendered while still laughing, only to pause when his phone began to beep. "It seems I'm being summoned by one of my favorite MILFs," he announced as he began to stand.
"Jack," Chuck immediately hissed, not thrilled by the term his uncle had chosen to use in front of his son.
"I'm sure you can guess who another favorite is..." Jack began to taunt only to receive the death glare from his nephew. "Alright, alright – my mouth is shut. I'll see you both later," he declared as he began to shuffle out of the row and back to the aisle.
"Bye Uncle Jack!" Henry was quick to call after him, completely oblivious to what had just happened.
"So, Hen... about dinner," Chuck spoke up, quickly regaining his son's attention.
"Hen, take a quick bath and get in bed – it's getting late – I'll be up to tuck you in shortly," Chuck called after his son who had already begun to race up the stairs after they had entered the townhouse from the backdoor and through the kitchen. He nearly froze in his tracks however, a helmet in each hand, as he crossed the foyer on his way towards the front closet and spied Blair lounging there on the couch in the sitting room, already ready for bed wearing a rose silk slip nightgown and matching robe, a fire crackling in the fireplace before her.
"Is that... a new jacket he's wearing?" she spoke up, addressing him before he had time to think his next move through.
"It is," he admitted, knowing better than to deny it.
"And are those... helmets in your hands?" she inquired further as she stood to get a better look, a hint of suspicion in her voice.
"Perhaps" Chuck feigned innocence with a shy grin, knowing full well he had been caught red-handed as she approached him.
"Chuck Bass! Did you really take your five-year-old son out on a ride on that... that contraption?!" Blair snapped in disbelief that he actually would do such a thing.
"Relax, he was fine – I made sure he was perfectly safe the whole time," Chuck casually told her as he momentarily turned from her to put the helmets away in the closet.
"You know how I feel about that bike!" she called after him, still standing in the hallway.
"I know perfectly well how you feel about riding on it," he smirked back at her having re-emerged from the closet and now standing right in front of her again.
"That... was once... okay maybe twice... or a handful of times I don't remember exactly... but it was completely stationary and parked in the penthouse of The Empire!" Blair quickly spoke, a bit flustered as she recalled a memory or few of some of the fun they had had together on the back of Chuck's beloved bike years ago.
"How was the day with my dear ol' sister?" Chuck questioned as he sat down on the couch, motioning for her to join him.
"Exhausting," she sighed as she sat down again and leaned backwards into his embrace, allowing herself to relax. "I forgot how much energy Sunshine Barbie can have... if it wasn't so late when I got back I would have taken a nap... what did you two end up doing today?"
"Ah, ah, ah..." Chuck reprimanded her. "If anyone knows the rules of a Bass Lost Weekend it's you," he was quick to remind her. "What happens during Lost Weekend stays lost." Secretly he just didn't want to tell her that their son had gotten him to set foot in Coney Island, knowing full well she'd never let him live it down not to mention she'd demand pictures for proof, sad to have missed such a sight.
"Fine, but I hope it was fun for Henry and G-rated..." she questioned with a slight raise in her eyebrow as she turned to get a good read of his face.
"Of course," Chuck confirmed as he began gently stroking her arm with his fingers. "So... how is Serena? You two talk?"
"We did," Blair spoke matter of factly.
"And?"
"And... she's hoping to start IVF soon," Blair informed him, purposely skirting around the topic she knew he was waiting to hear her mention.
"That's good for her... I guess..." his voice trailed, growing impatient. "Anything else?"
"She... knows," Blair sheepishly admitted.
"Knows?" Chuck curiously questioned, wondering just what precisely she had told her. "Knows what exactly?"
"That I'm pregnant," Blair confessed with a deep sigh.
"Good – it's about time you started telling people," Chuck remarked, relieved.
"I guess..."
"Blair, it's going to be a little odd when suddenly we have another addition to our family in a few months and no one – including our families – knew," he pointed out to her. "Unless... are you... embarrassed?" he had to ask, Jack's comment from earlier in the day now haunting him.
"What? No... I'm not embarrassed by you, Chuck – don't even think that! I'm just... I don't know, a little insecure...? Given the circumstances surrounding this pregnancy and all," she quickly confessed, not wanting him to think she could possibly be embarrassed by him. "I guess we could tell our families... although God only knows how my mother will react... and of course Henry... they say only children sometimes struggle to welcome a sibling into their lives..." her voice trailed as she thought about it.
"I think he'll be fine," Chuck declared confidently.
"Oh? What makes you say that?" Blair wondered, now suspicious.
"He... may have found out this afternoon," Chuck sheepishly responded, knowing she wasn't going to be thrilled by the news.
"Chuck!"
"It wasn't my fault – Jack showed up, asking questions and before I knew it he was asking Henry out of the blue if he was excited to be a big brother!"
"And?"
"He's hoping for a little brother – apparently girls are gross,"Chuck informed her. "Except for Ana," he clarified.
"And his mother!" Blair added, a bit taken aback.
"Of course." Chuck quickly stated. "But I think he'll be fine. And besides, he's around Ana, Leo and Christopher enough, they're practically siblings..."
"I suppose... Funny he's pushing for a brother – Serena is hoping for a girl. She's dying to see you with a little Daddy's Girl," Blair told him with a grin.
"I don't doubt she is," Chuck spoke with a laugh at the thought. "So does this mean I can finally tell Lily? You know it's only a matter of time now before my dear sister accidentally blabs the news to her."
"Fine, if you must... but tell her to keep it on the down-low - I'd prefer to tell my mother when I'm ready," Blair requested, not quite sure how she was going to tell her.
"As you wish," Chuck assured her, his arms around her pulling her tightly to him as she turned to face him with a smile, his lips gently brushing against hers, lingering for a moment before they separated.
As he sat back in the couch with her, comfortably watching the fire burn, he couldn't help the small smile on his lips as he began to imagine himself with a little girl, most likely the spitting image of her mother just like Henry had resembled him.
AN: In addition to my usual shoutout to M (scarlett2u) for being such a wonderful sounding-board and Beta, I also wanna give a shoutout to Shawn (SnowedinNJ) for suggesting Max Brenner's for Chuck and Henry's brunch outing - feel free to Google it as it definitely sounds like a chocolate-lover's paradise and if you ever need advice for all things NYC-related, Shawn is definitely one to go to!
Regarding Chuck's bike... did you know that throughout the series there are at least 3 different bikes spotted in The Empire penthouse in addition to the Ducati he rides at the beginning of season 5 when their in California. I decided to go with the Agusta F4 model that is spotted more frequently.
As for Chuck's casual wear... let's just say Chuck's version of casual that we see throughout the series is what most would consider Business Casual - I don't think casual wear is in his vocabulary lol... The leather jacket he's wearing is like the one we see him wearing in episode 5x01, and the jeans look was inspired by promo photos for season 2 where it's the cast paired together (C&B, S&D, N&V) walking through a hallway and in an elevator - that's about as casual as I think we'll ever see Chuck getting as clearly he doesn't wear jeans often (save for trying to pass as poor in Paris).
This chapter was pure fluff - I wanted to do something showing Chuck being a father to Henry as well as give B a chance to interact with S - I could see them still being close as they get older but of course also being busy with their own lives as we saw in season 6, having to make time for each other.
I meant to post this at the beginning of the month, however RL interfered and working retail management we're now into our busiest time of the year so my online presence got sent to the back burner as I'm sure some of you may have noticed! Next 2 chapters I'm just waiting for edits to come back and hopefully I'll be able to post them soon - get ready though as things are about to get shaken up!
Until next time,
XoXo