Summary: Just divorced, Chuck thinks that all is said between him and Blair. But why does she show up at his doorstep at night? Future fic.
AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed and put this story on alert! Your guys are my inspiration! Special thanks to my beta Sam! Couldn't do it without you!
Way Back Into Love
Chapter 2: Dinner Invitations & Hallways
Chuck was annoyed. He wasn't in the mood for this. He wasn't in the mood to see either of them. But he had promised it to Lilly. And she had promised that she would leave him alone for at least a month if he attended tonight. Even if it seemed like a fair trade – a few hours of this in exchange for a month of freedom – he'd still rather sit at home drinking and smoking himself to death slowly.
Leaving the elevator he noted with relief that Lilly had kept the dinner party small. Just family. Like she had promised. No family he was related to by blood, whatsoever. No. Just a bunch of people that were somehow related to him by marriage.
Putting on a polite smile he walked towards his stepmother, who immediately greeted him with an air kiss on each cheek.
"I'm so glad you could make it, Charles."
He nodded. "And I'm not here empty handed. The best wine I could find in my stock."
After handing her the bottle he stepped further into the room. "Good evening everyone." He greeted before sitting down on the couch next to Eric. Across from them sat Nate and Jenny in a disgustingly tight embrace. In the corner of his eye he could see Serena and Dan fiddling around in the kitchen with Rufus.
One big happy family, he thought cynical. He and Blair had avoided these kind of dinner invitations in the last few years. Mainly because they couldn't stand how nauseatingly happy everybody acted. It felt like they were the big failures because they couldn't get through the first course without starting to argue. Feeling like a failure wasn't all that new to him. It had nagged on her, whatsoever.
So, one day, they'd just agreed to no longer RSVPing to any kind of cozy family dinners.
"How you're doing Chuck?" Nate asked his best friend. "With the divorce and everything..."
"Splendid, Nathaniel. How is the ... you know ... breeding coming along?" He questioned back, motioning to Jenny's very pregnant stomach.
He knew that he had just provoked a storm. Within seconds they were all excited telling him about the last ultrasound.
Hearing stories about things growing inside of Jenny's uterus might have not been his favorite, but still better than talking about her.
Chuck had no idea how he had done it, but somehow he had managed to keep up a interested facial expression while the couple in front of him talked about nursery's, OB-GYN's and the pros and cons on c-sections and epidurals.
A breath of relieve escaped him anyway, when Dan walked towards them, asking them to sit down at the table, because dinner was ready. He had never been more happy to see Humphrey in his life.
Through dinner he was thankful for the easy-going small talk Rufus and Lilly were keeping up. And although he'd do hell to admit it, but he was actually enjoying himself.
"Isn't that were Blair is vacationing right now?" Lilly asked her daughter all the sudden.
The punch had hit him in the middle of the main course during a harmless talk about the Mediterranean sea. He choked on his wine.
The blonde just gave her mother a small nod, looking uncomfortable to say the least.
"What on earth is Blair doing on a greek island?" Chuck probed glancing at his stepsister intensely.
"Relaxing." Serena replied, a little to quickly. "She rented a house there and is planning to stay for a while."
"Is that so. I'm just surprised. She didn't even mention it to me the last time I saw her."
"I don't think you have the right to being kept updated about her life, anymore," Serena spat.
"You're right," he returned. "She really should be allowed to spend my money in whichever way she pleases."
"Don't talk about matter's you clearly don't understand." Serena threw him yet another nasty look across the table.
Up until now Chuck had only assumed that something was off. But now, after his ex's bff being over defensive, he knew that she was definitely hiding something. However, he didn't think family dinner would be the appropriate place to start an inquisition. It was none of his business anymore. It had stopped being his business when he and Blair had signed the divorce papers.
---
Feeling exhausted through and through, she closed her eyes trying to maybe get some sleep. But she wouldn't come to rest. The surgery was scheduled for tomorrow morning. Well actually – she looked onto her watch – today. In less than five hours.
After talking to the doctor – which was actually suppose to calm her – she felt more nervous than before. She had talked to her long and urgently. With the purpose to get her soothe her and take away her fears. Blair knew she was the best. She wouldn't have it any other way. But none the less all those words flew through her head. And she wasn't able to get rid of them.
She wanted to get out of here. She wanted to not have cancer. She wanted her life back.
Laying here, alone, inside of this strange sterile hospital she couldn't help, but feeling terribly lonely. Serena had left several hours ago. But not without promising her one more time that she would talk to absolute nobody about this. Could she even complain about being lonely when she wanted nobody around her?
Now that was not entirely true. She would've liked it to have the people she loved around her, but Blair refused to be the victim. Which was exactly what she would turn into, the very moment it would come to anyone's knowledge. They'd treat her like a raw egg. Just like Serena treated her already.
Blair wouldn't allow it. If it was up to her not even her best friend would know. Serena had found out by a coincidence. Being careless for just a once had been enough. She'd left her calendar laying around openly with the appointment for the biopsy written into it. And with the doctors business card attached to it, it wasn't that much of a mystery. Dr. Victoria Parker, M.D. Oncologist & Breast Surgeon
Sighing she got up from bed, stepping outside onto the hallway. Maybe she would find a nurse, who could give her a sleeping pill. Blair had only been here for a day and already knew she disliked this hallway, disliked everything outside of her private room. Well actually she even disliked the room.
But the hallway was the worst. Because here, she would meet other patients. Other women with cancer. And that was something that frightened her to her guts. Cuz she was giving those women the same fake smiles, sympathetic looks and pitiful eyes she never wanted for herself.
"You need help, sweetie?" Blair shrieked a little as their suddenly stood someone behind her.
She turned around, spotting a friendly smiling woman behind her. Maybe fortyish. Taking the red head scarf, she was wearing, into consideration, Blair assumed she was a patient as well.
All the sudden she wished to have her hair pined up. It felt strange. She kind of felt guilty although she didn't know why.
Somehow she managed to smile awkwardly. "I'm trying to find a nurse."
"Oh, at night they're in the common room. Just down the hallway, next to the elevators."
"Thanks." Blair nodded and started to walk in the described direction.
"... but I doubt you'll get the sleeping pill you're looking for," the woman called after her. "It's past two o'clock in the morning. They usually don't give them to you past midnight... Something about not being properly awake in the morning and sleeping through the whole next day."
"Is that supposed to be a bad thing?" Blair spoke her thoughts out loud.
The woman laughed and held out her hand. "I'm Hannah."
"Blair." Hesitantly she shook the other womens hand. She hadn't planned to make any social contacts around here.
"So you're having surgery tomorrow?" Hannah asked.
She nodded: "How do you know?"
"Well, you actually still look healthy. Which rules out you having surgery or any other treatment yet. I have my fair share of experience around here. I've been on and off treatment for four years now. Ovarian cancer. Just had a hysterectomy. Now I'm getting another round of chemo."
The casual way that woman talked about all of this to her – a complete stranger - amazed and scared Blair all at once. She always felt her throat closing up when she wanted to say the words breast cancer out loud. Let alone any words that indicated the removal of her breast.
"What about you?", Hannah wanted to know. "I'm guessing... cervix?"
"Breast." Blair responded mutely.
"Really. You seem a little young for that."
"Well then I'll just tell the cancer to come back in ten years." The younger woman snapped back. Was that supposed to make her feel special?
"I didn't mean--"
"I don't really care, to be honest. I'm going to bed now. Good night."
She turned on her heel and stepped back into her room, without giving her opponent a chance to reply anything. Okay, that had been mildly unfair. But she just didn't feel like chit chat and bonding with a strange woman.
Neatly she she hung up her robe moving towards her bed. One step away from her bed she stopped. Eyeing herself in the full length mirror. Yes, she really did look healthy. There was nothing about her that would give as much as a clue about the ticking bomb within her. She actually looked quite attractive in her silk nightgown.
Beautiful. That had been Chuck's words. God you're beautiful. A little more than twenty four hours ago.
It seemed odd, that even though he had no idea why she had come to him last night, he had managed to find the perfect words for her. Making her feel more desirable than she had ever felt before in her life. Just like she'd needed him to make her feel. It was someone she would be holding on for the rest of her life.
She let the nightgown slip to the floor and she studied her naked figure. What would she look like with only one breast? Her right nipple covered by her hand she tried to imagine it. Accidentally her fingertips came across the lump. She sighed. The lump. It didn't hurt, like she'd imagined. It wasn't even all that big. Maybe as big as a walnut. Hard to picture that something of that size could change her life so dramatically. Or even end it, for that matter.
Putting the nightgown back on she got back into bed. Blair just laid there, above the covers, staring at the ceiling. Knowing she wouldn't sleep a wink until the anesthesia would be induced.
To be continued
AN: Okay, I know not as long and dramatic as the previous chapter, but still, let me know what you think! Reviews are always loved!