A/N: Okay this is probably my most favourite chapter I have ever written from any of my stories. Not only is it the longest but I just had a blast writing it and I hope you will all enjoy it as much as I did!
Blair patiently sat on the chaise in the foyer of the Waldorf penthouse. She was dressed in her ruby red silk Stella McCartney dress. It was strapless and came up a little above her knee. It hit all her best assets. She had put her chocolate brown curls into a loose side bun. The make-up had been kept light but fun at the same time. Blair had decided to put a little gold eye shadow on to match her accessories. Her gold Dior clutch rested on her lap. Where is he? If he's going to bring along the creature from the black lagoon then he could at least pick me up on time!, she thought.
Her gold Dries Van Noten pumps tapped impatiently against the marble floor. I can't be le late for this! This is my best friend's rehearsal dinner and I promised everything would be alright. How can everything be alright if I don't show up! Ugh, I'm turning into freak out Serena, she thought. Blair sighed and closed her eyes. As if of on cue, the elevator doors dinged. Blair opened her eyes and saw Nate entering the penthouse in his finest Huge Boss black suit with the light blue Lacoste tie she had bought him last week. He smiled when he saw her.
"You look beautiful. Sorry for keeping you waiting. I couldn't find my other shoe."
Blair giggled and got up from the chaise. She walked over to Nate. If she had been barefoot she would have been a foot shorter than him, but since the pumps gave her a little bit more height, a kiss was easier to give. She gently pressed her MAC glossed lips against his. They separated and Blair grabbed her Waldorf original peacoat and slipped it over her outfit. Nate smiled and gently placed his hand on the small of her back and they walked toward the elevator.
The two walked out of the elevator when it stopped at the ground floor and headed outside into the cold night air. A limo that Nate had rented waited on the curb. Nate opened the door for Blair as she stepped in. Everything was perfect until her eyes fell on Carter Baizen, who was sipping champagne inside. He grinned when he saw Blair.
"Hey Blair. You sure look nice in that dress."
Blair forced an appreciative smile.
"Thank you."
Nate climbed into the limo and sat beside Blair. He shut the door. Blair grabbed his hand and put it on her lap. He looked up at her and smiled. She did the same. Now if Carter tried to even look at her, Nate would be at her side. He was no Chuck but he was good enough.
The limo started up and the conversation was silent. Nate looked out the window at the passing buildings. Carter kept swirling what was left of his champagne in his glass. Blair played with the hem of her dress. No one looked at each other and no one spoke.
Nate couldn't bear to look at Blair that much. She was beautiful and innocent. Innocent enough not to hurt him. But what if Carter was right. What if Blair didn't want to be with Nate and was only with him because that was what was supposed to happen. Blair and Nate were supposed to be together forever. He couldn't help but think of what he had done with Blair. He had used her. But what Blair was doing to him was far worse. Carter had said that she had hit on him yesterday. Would Blair do something like that? And what about that message Gossip Girl had sent. Blair and Chuck were hanging out a lot more now. This shouldn't be happening. Blair is with me and she's supposed to be happy. I mean she is happy, right? he thought.
His thoughts were interrupted by Carter clearing his throat. Blair and Nate both looked over at him. He smirked.
"The place where I'm supposed to be is coming by pretty soon."
Blair went back to fiddling with the hem of her dress. Carter always did annoy her. He was far more annoying than Nate was when he was drunk. A drunk Carter was just worse. The limo stopped a few moments later. Blair looked out the window. They were in front of the New York Museum of Anthropology. Blair raised an eyebrow. Why on Earth would Carter come here?, she thought. She looked over at Nate and saw that he wore the same expression as she was wearing on her face. He turned to look back at Carter. His earlier expression had gone and had now changed to a joyous one.
"Well have fun man. I mean the New York Museum of Anthropology isn't exactly my cup of tea, but whatever floats your boat is fine with me."
Carter let out a chuckle.
"I'm not going inside, I'm just meeting a friend here. We're going to hit up the town."
Nate smiled and opened the door. Blair scooted over so Nate could move over also as Carter climbed out of the limo. He leg gently brushed Blair's knee and goosebumps formed over her body. Her expression was blank. Even if it was just an accident, it would haunt her for a few hours. Carter stood in front of the open door. He smiled.
"Thanks for giving me a ride, man."
Nate smiled his million dollar smile and replied.
"No problem."
Carter's eyes dashed over to Blair. She didn't look his way but he knew he was undressing her in his perverted mind. Her back was straight and her hands were gripping her clutch. She just wanted Carter to shut the door and walk away. But he didn't. Not just yet. Not after he spoke to her.
"Bye Blair."
Even though it wasn't much, how he said her name scared her. It was as if it was a clue of what he would try to do to her. She gulped and unwillingly brought her eyes to meet his. She plastered her best fake smile and said her goodbye.
"Bye Carter."
He smiled and shut the door. Thank god, thought Blair. The limo started up again. Nate put his arm around Blair and brought her closer to him. She smiled and rested her head carefully on his shoulder so she wouldn't mess up her hair. Nate noticed the small bumps on Blair's pale skin.
"Are you cold?"
Blair looked up at him and then followed his gaze to her arm. The goosebumps were noticeable. Blair smiled and looked back at him.
"Yeah just a little chilly. I'll be fine."
Nate smiled and went back to looking out the window. Blair kept her head up. Her goosebumps quickly started to disappear. Nate and Blair stayed seated in the moving vehicle until it stopped a few minutes later. The driver got out and opened the door for the couple. Nate stepped out first and fixed his jacket and then held his hand out for Blair. She grabbed it delicately and they both walked toward the Palace hotel where Lily had insisted the rehearsal dinner shall be. Blair and Nate walked through the doors of the hotel and walked over to where the ballroom was. They walked through the grand doors.
There was light blue, white and baby pink everywhere. Serena had chosen the wedding colours fearing what ever her mother picked out would be too sophisticated and uptight for Serena and Dan's big day. There was a huge dining table set up so everyone would be at the same table. Sort of the same thing during the Van der Bass rehearsal dinner years before. A waiter came by and took their coats. Nate placed his hand on Blair's back and they walked toward the familiar crowd. Blair immediately saw Dan and Serena. No one could have missed them, they were the center of attention.
Serena's eyes lit up as she saw Blair. She walked quickly over to her best friend and embraced her at once. Blair laughed and hugged her back. They separated. Serena looked stunning in her yellow Anna Sui knee length dress with a halter. Her golden locks fell on her shoulders. She had nice orange eye shadow on and her orange Jimmy Choo's were to die for, but her best accessory was her smile. It was beautiful and sincere. Nothing better could be needed. Dan stood awkwardly. Nate and him shook hands and talk about the weather. Serena couldn't stop smiling.
"B what's wrong with me?"
Blair giggled.
"Nothing, your just in love."
Serena laughed. Serena looked past Blair and saw the arrival of a few more quests. She sighed and looked back down at her petite best friend.
"We have to go and greet some more guests, but I'll see you later."
Serena grabbed Dan's hand and half dragged him to go greet some more of Lily's socialite friends. Nate and Blair went to mingle a little more. They ran into Kyle, but he seemed a bit distracted. Next they spoke briefly with Bart. Blair had made up and excuse to get her and Nate out of there. Talking with Bart was never a casual thing. Blair saw Eric, Sharon and Evan greeting people. Evan seemed to be hanging out with another boy his age. Probably some kid who's going to be inheriting a publishing company when he's older, thought Blair.
"Attention. Dinner is now being served. Please find your name and sit where you have been asked to sit."
Once the waiter had left, everyone went to go find their names. Blair found her's real fast. It was near where Serena and Dan were seated. Serena leaned close to Dan and whispered in his ear.
"Did you make sure that they are sitting beside each other?"
"Yeah. Surprisingly, I feel good about bringing them back together. Is that weird?"
Serena laughed.
"Don't worry. That's exactly how I feel."
They both looked at Blair. Nate was on her right. She didn't look at the name tag for the person on her left. It's probably just a friend of Lily's, she thought. On Nate's right sat Vanessa. She was wearing a black one strap dress. It probably wasn't designed by a somebody but it was good enough for her and it made her look gorgeous. Beside her, Jenny was seated. Even though she had been booted out of the wedding party, she was still allowed to come to the wedding and the rehearsal dinner. Eric, Sharon and Evan sat across from everybody else and beside Lily and Bart. Kyle sat near Dan. Suddenly, foot steps were heard approaching.
Everyone looked up. Nate's eyes became angry. Serena and Dan smiled. Jenny looked away. Vanessa smirked. This could be interesting, she thought. Blair looked up and her eyes locked with Chuck's as he walked toward her. She glanced at the seat on her left. The name tag read Chuck Bass. Blair silently cursed herself for being so dumb for not reading the name tag. The footsteps grew closer and pretty soon the sound of a chair being pulled out was heard. Everyone else had gone back to their conversations that that been in earlier. Blair sat stiffly. Nate didn't seem to be talking that much either. His seat wasn't exactly the best place to be seated either.
Blair tried not to look to her left, which wasn't made easy because her hair was up and her side bun was on the right which was Nate's side. She tried not to think of Chuck in his jet black Armani suit, his light pink dress shirt with a few buttons at the top unbuttoned. His hair was uniquely him, messy yet sophisticated. Stop it Blair. Stop looking at him, she thought. She noticed the champagne glass in front of her. She grabbed it delicately and took a little sip. She felt a hand graze over her right thigh. She stiffened. Who the heck is that?, she thought. She looked over at her right. Nate was smiling at her. Blair let out a small laugh. She had completely forgotten he had been seated there. He leaned in closer and whispered in her ear.
"How about after dinner, we go and get a suite and leave all of our problems for one night?"
Blair forced a smile but nothing came out of her mouth. How could she possibly talk about having sex with the guy she was supposed to love when the guy she did love was sitting on the other side of her. Blair looked Nate in the eyes.
"How about tomorrow night?"
Nate raised an eyebrow. Why did she keep turning him down so much recently?
"But we'll be on a plane heading for Croatia by then."
Now it was Blair's turn to be confused. Why would we be on a plane to Croatia? Did I miss something?, she thought. Nate noticed her confused expression and sighed.
"Don't tell me you forgot."
"Well do you want me to lie and say no that I haven't forgotten about something that doesn't make any sense right now? Why are we going to Croatia?"
Nate sighed. He angrily looked away from her. Maybe she is cheating. She can't even fucking remember that we're supposed to go sailing in the Mediterranean. She doesn't' even give a shit. Why should she when she doesn't even want to be with me, he thought. Blair decided to ignore him. He just needed some time to cool down. The food had been served and Blair had dug into her oysters. Nate had ate his crab in peace. Neither of them looked at each other. Vanessa ate some of her shrimp and looked up and saw Nate's angry expression.
"You alright Nate?"
He looked up at her. It had felt like forever since he had looked into her blue eyes. She gave him a warm smile. She had missed him. He put down his fork and smiled at her.
"Not really."
"Would you like to talk about it?"
Nate was about to answer yes when he remembered that Blair was sitting beside him and probably would hear what he had to say. He caught his breath and his voice drifted from his mouth.
"Yeah, but could we talk after dinner?"
Vanessa nodded her head and smiled. From where they were seated, Serena and Dan watched the scene unfold. Even though they were the guests of honour, they couldn't stop watching their friends. Serena impatiently waited for Blair to talk to Chuck or vice versa, but they hadn't even glanced in each other's direction. Serena sighed and whispered into Dan's ear.
"Why aren't they talking?"
Dan took a bite of his shrimp and swallowed it before replying his fiancée.
"I guess they just need time. I mean they can't just talk with Nate beside them. Everything will be fine."
"But how can Nate and Vanessa talk so openly and laugh at each other's jokes with Blair sitting beside them. This doesn't make any sense."
"Well Vanessa is outgoing and a risk taker and Nate takes a few risks too. Chuck and Blair put up walls and they won't exactly talk about feelings in public."
Serena sighed and nodded her head. Her Tiffany golden earrings shook as well. Dan smiled and kissed the top of her head before resuming to eat his meal. Serena sighed and stared at her oysters. She was half way done her meal, when a thought ran across her mind. She couldn't help but smile. She leaned over to Dan and whispered.
"Desert is coming up."
Dan looked at her with a confused expression. What could possibly be exciting about desert. Well except for the fact that it is probably the best part of the meal, he thought. He leaned toward Serena and whispered back.
"Yes. What about it?"
Serena's grin had not wavered.
"Desert is supposed to be shared by two. And I do remember telling the caterers where one of the deserts had to be."
Dan smiled at her. She was radiant when she was happy because it was genuine. That was a lot more he could say about than they other Upper East Side women he knew.
"Did my fiancée get into some mischief tonight?"
Serena giggled softly so only Dan could hear. He loved her laugh. It's one of the things she wasn't afraid to show.
"Just a little."
They finished their meals and sipped their champagne all the while making some dinner conversation. Seven minutes later, the plates were cleared and the deserts were brought in. Desert was a small cheese cake in the shape of a heart. There was light pink frosting on the heart with white icing writing. It simply read Love.
Blair and Chuck looked as one cake was placed between them. They looked at one another. Neither of them had expected this. Blair looked over at Nate. He and Vanessa were already eating and having a good time. Blair picked up her fork. Chuck had his fork ready as well. They didn't make any eye contact. His voice was the only thing she heard.
"You can eat first."
Blair sent him a small smile before dipping her fork in and putting a little piece of the cheesecake in her mouth. Chuck did the same. It melted in their mouths, like how they melted into each other's kisses. The kept alternating while they ate. Blair would get a piece and put it in her mouth then Chuck would do the same.
Blair's fork went for a piece. Chuck seemed to go for the same piece and the only sound came from their forks clinking against each other. Clink. Blair looked up. Chuck looked at her. His voice filled the air.
"Um, you can go first."
Blair looked at the cake then back at him.
"No it's alright. You can. I'm full anyway."
She placed her fork on a napkin. Chuck took another piece of the cake and ate it before he too put his fork on his napkin. Blair looked at him with a confused expression. Chuck just smirked.
"I wasn't that hungry either."
Blair couldn't help but smile. Butterflies flew carelessly in her stomach. Something she wished she could feel every second of her life. She felt her cheeks redden, so she looked back down at her empty plate. Chuck kept smirking.
Serena and Dan watched their little exchange. Serena looked at Dan with a huge grin on her face. He smiled back.
"Dare I say it, but I haven't seen the Upper East Side couple from hell happy in a long time."
Serena smiled and put some of the cheesecake on her fork and brought it over to her fiancé's mouth. He opened it and devoured the cheesecake. He beamed at Serena. She smiled back. She just knew nothing could tear them apart. She had found her soul mate.
After everyone had finished desert, guests got their glasses of champagne and made their way around the room. Vanessa and Nate had gotten away from the table, but Blair hadn't really noticed. She had gotten her glass of champagne and walked around the room, leaving Chuck alone at the table. She walked over to Eric and Sharon. She smiled at them.
"Hello you two."
They turned around a greeted Blair with wide grins. Eric was fitted in his grey pin-stripe Dsquared suit with a dress shirt from Hugo Boss. Sharon looked like a celebrity in her royal blue Givenchy dress, which sinched at the waist. Her hair was put into a ponytail and showed off the diamond necklace displayed on her neck. Her Celine stilettos added more flare to her outfit.
"You look beautiful Blair."
Blair smiled.
"Thank you. As do you."
Eric looked at Sharon and hugged her closer to him. He felt as if no one existed when he was around her. Like nothing in the world could make her let go of him. He turned his attention back to Blair.
"How did you enjoy desert?"
He tried to hide his smirk, which older step-brother Chuck had perfected for him, but Blair saw right through it. Her cheeks started to redden, but the new couple noticed right away. Eric couldn't help but burst out what he was thinking.
"I knew it. You and Chuck had your little eye-sex moments."
Blair gasped and playfully hit Eric's arm. Sharon laughed. Blair and Eric had always seemed like siblings and always treated each other the same way. Cocky and sassy. Eric pretended to look hurt.
"Come on Blair. Don't hurt the observer."
Blair laughed. She seemed to be having a better time without Nate at her side. Suddenly, she heard a ding from her purse. She excused herself from Eric and Sharon's company and went to check the message she had received on her phone. It was from Jenny.
So when should I come over to your place? Don't worry, I'll make sure no one sees me.
Blair rolled her eyes. As much as she didn't want to work with Jenny, she knew she needed her help. Jenny knew Carter a whole lot better than she did. And it was going to take a whole lot to get rid of him. She texted back.
How about a twelve thirty? -B
Sure. See you then.
Blair just closed her phone and put it back in her clutch. She heard a pair of heels clicking along the floor. She turned around and saw Serena with a big smile on her face.
"You seem happy."
"Well why wouldn't I be when I just a saw a couple that is madly in love with each other share a cheesecake."
Blair felt her jaw drop. She knew Serena had to have had something to do with her and Chuck sharing the cake. She knew she should be angry at her best friend but she felt thankful. Thankful that she and Chuck actually could talk in public. But it hadn't been as subtle as she had hoped. If only Nate hadn't been there. Speaking of Nate, where was he?
Vanessa and Nate were on the other side of the ballroom. They laughed and sipped their champagne. Nate couldn't even remember the last time he had a good time. Their laughter soon cooled down. Vanessa looked into his deep blue eyes.
"I missed you Nate. I missed hanging out with you."
He nodded and looked down at his champagne. He looked at his feet when he spoke.
"I missed you too."
Vanessa nodded her head and sipped her champagne.
"So why are you with Blair?"
Nate sighed. He hadn't wanted to talk about that with Vanessa for obvious reasons. One of those reasons was awkward conversations. He looked into her eyes.
"I love her and she loves me."
"Just because you two love each other doesn't mean your in love with each other. I love Dan, as a friend but nothing more."
"Vanessa your not getting it. Me and Blair belong together and that's just how things are."
"Do you know what I think?"
Nate sighed.
"Sure. What do you think, Vanessa?"
"I think that you and Blair are just using each other like you did in the past. Sure you two love each other but you both know if you two got married you wouldn't be truly happy. You're both using each other to trick yourselves that you don't want to be with someone else, but it's not working that well."
Nate clenched his jaw. She was right. He didn't want to admit it, but she was right. He and Blair would never be happy with each other. They'd make great friends but never lovers. He looked back at Vanessa.
"I think your right."
Vanessa smiled.
"I know I am."
Nate took a sip of his champagne.
"But for now things are the way they are and I can't change that. Tomorrow, after the wedding and reception, me and Blair are going to Croatia to sail around the Mediterranean. I promised her a few days ago and I keep my promises. Maybe we will fall in love there."
Vanessa shook her head in disagreement.
"You can't just plan stuff to fall in love Nate. It's either there or it isn't!"
Nate sighed.
"I better get going. I need to drop Blair off."
Vanessa tried to hide the sadness in her eyes, but she couldn't. Nate looked at her before walking away. He felt his heart breaking. He quickly spotted Blair. She was sipping some champagne and talking to Kyle. He smiled and causally walked over to where they were.
"Hello Kyle."
"Hey."
Nate turned to Blair. She sipped her champagne.
"Ready to go?"
She looked at him and smiled.
"Um yeah. I'll just go grab my coat."
She gave Nate a quick kiss and said her good bye to Kyle before heading out to find a waiter to get her coat. She walked toward the table and ran into Serena and Dan. She smiled at them.
"I guess I'll see you two tomorrow. You know when you are married and have a huge wedding."
Serena giggled. Dan simply smiled.
"Well it wouldn't be a wedding without our favourite Waldorf."
Blair smiled.
"That's very touching coming from you Cabbage Patch."
Serena looked at Blair.
"Where are you going?"
"Home. Me and Nate were leaving and I was just getting my coat."
"You have to leave now?"
"Yes. I don't want to be tired for your wedding, now do I? Besides, you two need to get some sleep tonight. Away from each other. It's bad luck."
Serena smiled.
"We know."
Serena and Blair gave each other a quick hug before Blair disappeared to go find a waiter. Luckily, one who wasn't carrying any drinks was walking past her. She smiled.
"Excuse me?"
The waiter turned around.
"Yes Miss. May I help you?"
"Yes I was actually trying to get my coat. A waiter earlier took it for me and I'm not sure where it is. Can you get it?"
"Yes Miss. What did it look like?"
"It is a black peacoat. It's a Waldorf original."
The waiter nodded his head and went off to get Blair's coat. Blair stayed put and waited for him to return. She looked around. Some guests had already left. Her eyes caught Chuck's. He was standing near a pillar with a scotch in his hand. She couldn't look away. She wanted to run over to him and kiss him hard, but that just wasn't going to happen.
"Miss is this your coat?"
Blair turned around to look at the waiter who was holding her coat. She took it and gave him a gracious smile.
"Thank you very much."
He smiled and walked away. She slipped on the peacoat and looked at where Chuck had been. He had left. Blair sighed and went to find Nate. Fortunately he was easy to find. They said a few more goodbyes before exiting the hotel and stepping into the limo. They didn't look at each other or talk to one another. They each had a different person on their mind.
The limo stopped in front of the Waldorf building fifteen minutes later. Nate got out first and helped Blair. They walked silently inside the building and took the elevator to the penthouse.
They got out of the elevator. Blair turned around and faced Nate. She plastered a smile.
"Good night Nate."
He managed to smile back.
"Good night Blair."
He leaned in and kissed her soft lips. It was nothing more than a peck. They separated and gave each other a warm smile before Nate headed for the elevator. He pressed the call button. As he waited, he looked over at Blair.
"I love you."
Blair gulped but managed to find her voice.
"Love you too."
He smiled and walked into the elevator. They both knew that either one of them hadn't meant it. Blair whipped out her phone and walked over to the couch. It was twelve twenty-one. She still had time before Jenny arrived. She found his name and started to text him.
I liked seeing you tonight. I miss you -B
He responded almost immediately.
Me too. So what are you up to tonight? -C
Nothing. Just going to bed. -B
And planning to get rid of Carter Baizen with the help of Jenny, she thought.
Well sweet dreams princess -C
You too -B
She closed her phone and couldn't wipe the smile off her face.