A/N: This post was one of the easiest to write. One more post till Chuck explains everything but there are a few clues in here. I hope you like this one, it has plenty of Tabitha moments. Trosev thank you. I hope to have another post up at the start of the week. Krazy4spike I'm sorry I confused you, I guess Chuck has felt she was his for a while but when she got hurt he was so worried he said what was on his mind. I hope this chapter clears up some of your confusion. Wrightangal I wrote Chuck the way I thought he would be if he grew up. Thanks. Amxoxo thanks you. Thanks, Tabitha will be fine, I am bit attached to her. Everything is coming out in the next post, which I am working on now. Bluck2nite thank you, I'm glad you liked the prayer. I feel like Tabitha changed Chuck for the better. Leah607 I feel so honored, thank you so much. Seher143 here's the update for you. Pty do you think I could do anything bad to Tabitha? Next post I promise you everything will come out. CBBW3words8letters thank you. Ziah thank you so much for reading all thirteen in one go. That's incredible. I hope your job isn't too stressful. I know a lot of people thought at the start it would turn out that Tabitha was biologically Chuck's but what you said is what I thought too. Thanks for review. Hope you get some time to yourself soon.

Ok read and review lovely people.

Chapter twenty two: A Stich in Time

Chuck arrived at the hospital and rushed into the Emergency Room. He pressed the button to gain the attention of somebody. "I'm Chuck Bass, I got a call about Tabitha Waldorf" Chuck demanded from the receptionist when she arrived, "where is she? Is she ok?"

The receptionist typed into the computer, "are you her next of kin?"

"Yes, why else would I be here?" Chuck snapped clutching his forehead, "I'm sorry, she's never been in the hospital before."

The receptionist smiled, "first child?"

Chuck nodded. The receptionist put her hand on top of his, "I have five, it does get easier. Stiches are a monthly occurrence in our house. She is in room twenty. Down the hall to the right,"

"Thank you", Chuck said as he rushed down the hall. He quickly looked at the numbers as he passed until he came to twenty. He opened the door and saw Tabitha crying with her teacher trying to comfort her.

"It really hurts," Tabitha cried "I want my Mommy."

"She'll be here soon," Chuck said as he walked over to the bed and took Tabitha's hand, "she just got caught up at work." He rubbed Tabitha's hand with his thumb, "can I do anything?"

"Stay with me please?"

"I'm not going anywhere." Chuck promised, he looked up at the teacher, "I'm Chuck Bass. What happened?"

"Tabitha was running around and she tripped. She cut hit head on the jungle gym. We tried to get her Mom but her phone was off. You were the next person on the list."

Chuck sat on the edge of the bed, "thank you for staying with her. I think her Mom should be here soon. She had a business meeting."

"Well I am going to go and leave you in peace."

Chuck looked up at the teacher, "thank you. I think she will be off for a couple of days."

"Understandable, I hope you feel better soon Tabitha."

Chuck unbuttoned his jacket and sat down beside Tabitha. He wrapped his arm around her, "don't tell anyone but you scared me."

"I'm sorry."

Chuck laughed, "it's ok. I think I am supposed to be scared when you fall. Someone told me it will happen a lot, so I think you need to wear a helmet or something."

"You are silly Mr Chuck."

Tabitha rested her head against Chuck's chest, "when can I come home?"

"Soon, I think the doctor just needs to check you over. Then we can watch cartoons and eat dinner in bed."

"Awesome."

The nurse opened the door and walked to the end of the bed, picked up the chart. Tabitha looked at her, "I'm going to eat dinner in bed when I go home."

"Wow you are so lucky, your Dad must spoil you." The nurse smiled, "I'll be back to check on you soon."

Tabitha watched her and frowned, "Mr Chuck, she called you my Dad."

"Yes, she did." Chuck said staring in front of him, "it was…."

"Kind of cool. I've never had a dad before."

"I've never had a daughter before, you think you could be my daughter?"

"Sure and you could call me Tabs or Tabbi, like Mom does."

"I would like that Tabs. Very Much", Chuck smiled at her. "What do you think your Mom will think about me being called Dad?"

"Doesn't Mom already know you are my Dad?" Tabitha asked, "isn't that why we live together?"

Chuck thought about that for a moment, he was always open with Tabitha, he had never lied to her, and he didn't think he should start lying to her now. Especially not about something so big. "No we live together because you and your Mom needed a home. Your Mom and me used to be friends but then she left. When she came back you both moved in with me. How could I put this?" Chuck thought for a minute before sitting up and facing Tabitha, "I am not your Dad yet but I would really like to be."

Tabitha looked at him like he had two heads, "how?"

"Well I guess if you call me Dad and then we sign some papers and make it official, if your Mom is ok with that."

"Dad do think she will be ok with it?"

"I hope so" Chuck said looking up, "I think we are about to find out."

The door opened and Blair rushed into the room, "Tabs, are you ok?" Blair kissed Tabitha gently on the head repeatedly, "you scared me."

"Yes, Dad was here with me."

Blair furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Chuck, "dad?"

"Yes Dad." Tabitha answered pointing at Chuck, "he's my Dad now."

Blair looked at Chuck, and he smiled back at her and nodded. Chuck stood up and walked over to the window, to give the girls some space. He could see Blair's head working overtime after the Dad comment. He waited for a moment and then he saw her smile at him. Chuck Bass finally had everything he wanted, he had a family.

A nurse came into the room, and asked Blair to move. She walked over to Chuck. He kissed her on the head, and pulled her towards him. They both watched as the nurse checked Tabitha's wound. Tabitha engaged into a deep conversation with the nurse, telling her what had happened. Blair was convinced she was embellishing quite a lot but she kept her opinion to herself.

She rested her head on Chuck's shoulder, "I was mad at you", she murmured, "I didn't want to speak to you so I turned my phone off. I'm sorry."

Chuck rubbed her arm with the tips of his fingers, "that's ok, I deserved it. I really had to leave the other night. If I could have got out of it I would have."

"I know. You don't have to explain yourself to me."

"Blair I will explain everything to you, but this is not a conversation to be had in a hospital. We can talk about it when we get out of here."

"Ok," Blair sighed, "so Dad?"

"Yes, the nurse called me her dad. I asked her to be my daughter, and said maybe we could look into it being official. What do you think?"

Blair lifted her hand and turned Chuck's face round to face her, "you already are her Dad. The DNA might not say it but everything else does."

Chuck leaned down and kissed her on the lips, "today has been one of the most stressful days of my life. I don't think I could go through this again."

Blair laughed, "you probably will. Several times. I remember one time when Tabitha was about eighteen months, she fell and had to have a scan. I had never been so scared in my whole life. She just kept saying it hurts, I felt so useless. Once I heard she was going to be fine I did a runner from the hospital and had to leave the state."

"Why?"

"I had no money to pay the medical bills. We were in Kanas at the time, we went from there to Atlanta. From then I always made sure I had an emergency fund. Until about eight months ago when she had the stomach flu. That cleaned me out."

Chuck pushed a strand of hair away from her face, "you don't have to worry about money again." He kissed her lips three times and then pulled away, "Kanas?"

"I liked Kanas, there was a place called Manhattan, it was like a Disney version of here. I have always wanted to go back there but I was scared I would get arrested."

"We can go one day. I'd like to see some of the places you lived."

Blair laughed, "No you really wouldn't"

The nurse turned back to Blair and Chuck, "Ok Mr and Mrs Bass, Tabitha looks fine, you can take her home now."

Chuck stood up and walked over to the bed. He took his jacket off and wrapped it around Tabitha before picking her up. She giggled, "they think Mom is called Bass."

Chuck whispered in her ear "I think that would be pretty cool, but don't tell her that."