CHAPTER 36: LIES AND CONSEQUENCES
(Disclaimer: I do not own Gossip Girl or its characters.)
"You are a fucking lair."
Dimitri looked up from his desk to see Georgina standing in his office door way.
"Excuse me?" He asked removing his glasses.
"I just called Gloria to ask her if our new passports had come in yet…" Georgina started walking slowly into the office.
"Georgina…" Dimitri tried to interrupt knowing where this conversation was going.
"…but she claimed that you had told her not to order the fake ids and passports."
She stopped in front of his desk. Arms folded, her gaze searing into him. He cleared his throat.
"Yes. I canceled the order. I…"
"Chicago was supposed to be a pit stop on the way to paradise with our son!" Georgina glared leaning into his desk. "A 'fresh start' I think is how you sold it to me. A place where we could start over and get away from all this bull shit!"
"I understand that you are angry, but I can explain." Dimitri tried to reason calmly seeing Georgina's fuse shortening.
"It better be a damn good explanation because as we speak Dan, Blair, and Cyrus are on their way to Chicago."
Dimitri nodded. He had expected this.
"It will be handled."
"What does that mean?" Georgina frowned at him.
"First let me explain about the passports." Dimitri changed the subject. He gestured for Georgina to sit. She hesitated in protest but finally sat down, her glare still permanently on him. "3 hours before we were to rescue our son from the Humphreys, I received a call from my father…"
"Your father?" Georgina gasped. "But I thought…"
"He is alive." Dimitri sighed.
"In Russia?" Georgina successfully guessed. Dimitri nodded.
"My mother as well."
Georgina unfolded her arms and leaned forward on her elbows taking this news in.
"I am happy for you." She smiled at him. "I know how much it pained you…but what does this have to do with our passports? With our plans of the future?"
"This city use to be my fathers. In his prime he owned this city." Dimitri stood walking to the window that gave him a view of the city. "And for him I plan to take it back."
Georgina closed her eyes, trying to keep her tears at bay. She knew what this meant. Family was everything to Dimitri. When he thought his parents where gone, she and Milo were the only thing that mattered to him, but now with his father and mother back in the picture—Dimitri's view on family loyalty had changed. She didn't doubt that he didn't love her and Milo, but the path he was choosing was going to be a self-destructive one—a path that wouldn't and had never ended well for any Mafia man or their family. She opened her eyes and looked up at her soon to be husband still glancing out the window at the city of Chicago. Her heart…she could feel it breaking, but cleared her throat and smiled instead.
"Did he ask you to?"
He turned and looked at her.
"He didn't come right out and say it no."
"But he implied?" She pushed gently.
"Yes." Dimitri nodded looking back at the window. "He said that if it was safe he and mother could return. We could be a family again."
Georgina stood from her seat and walked over to the window, slinking her arms around his waist, laying her head against his back, taking a deep breath smelling his cologne and male scent. She felt him start to relax in her embrace.
"Why didn't you tell me?" She whispered against his back.
"I was afraid that you would stop me from getting Milo." He turned around, his hand brushing her hair out of her face. "I knew that you were willing to give him up to keep him from danger. I thought if I told you the change in plans that you would prefer him to stay with the Humphreys."
She sighed heavily, letting her head lean against his hand.
"You wouldn't have been wrong in those thoughts…I would have considered it." She answered truthfully. "But I hate that you didn't give me the chance to make that decision. That you took that from me—that you didn't trust me."
"I thought if I could get here to Chicago, and show you how I could take charge and keep us safe, that you would be more willing when I…"
"…when you finally would decide to tell me the truth?" She finished for him.
"You're angry. I understand." Dimitri frowned. "I just…"
"Didn't trust me." She finished for him again.
"Georgina…"
"If this is going to work then from here on out I need you to be completely honest with me—no more half-truths and secrets. We are a team. Where you go I go, and whatever path is taken, we walk it together no matter what." She lifted her hands and placed them on his face, her eyes meeting his. "I am yours and you are mine. You know me and know already that I don't like this path, but I love you and will support you in this decision and trust you. I only ask that you trust me as well."
Dimitri's eyes glazed a little at her words. It was the most emotion she had seen from him yet, and it softened her heart.
"You have my heart and my trust." He spoke lifting her hand to his lips. "I am sorry that I…"
"Shh…" She stopped him. "That's the past. What are we going to do about the current present? Dan and Blair won't stop coming for Milo."
Dimitri sighed in agreement.
"I agree. That's why they won't make it to Chicago."
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Blair had never enjoyed flying. It had always made her uneasy. She never could completely relax and the bad weather outside wasn't helping. The jet jumped again making her stomach queasy. Readjusting herself in her seat she glanced over at Dan who was sound asleep on the couch. She couldn't blame him. If she could she would be sleeping right now.
"Are you ok Blair?"
Blair looked up at Cyrus who had just poured himself another scotch.
"I'm fine." She smiled. "Thank you again for flying us out so quickly when our flight got cancelled."
Cyrus chuckled and waved her off taking a seat in his chair across from her and Dan.
"That's what a private jet is for."
The jet rocked again and she could hear the thunder booming.
"Are you sure that…"
"Clark and Roberts have flown this private jet in worse conditions." Cyrus assured her for the fifth time.
"Right…"
Cyrus picked up his book and began reading while sipping at his scotch. Blair couldn't help but notice it was his 3rd one since they boarded the plane. She had never seen him pour a 3rd.
"Cyrus?"
He looked up from his book and smiled.
"Yes dear?"
"How do you know this Detective?"
"Sergeant." Cyrus corrected her closing his book. "Sergeant Voight."
"I've never once heard you talk about Chicago. Neither has mom. She was surprised as much as we were that you…"
"I grew up in Chicago." Cyrus interrupted. "I never mentioned it because…well I was a different person back then."
"Different?"
"I…" Cyrus hesitated looking at her. She felt he was deciding how much to tell her.
"It's ok Cyrus." She soothed leaning towards him in her chair. "Everyone has something in their past they are ashamed of. It's human."
He laughed at her words and took another sip of his scotched. A part of her wondered if he would be telling her anything at all if he hadn't poured the 3rd.
"I know you look up to me Blair…but the person I was…the mistakes I've made…what I've done…"
She stood and walked over to him, taking a seat next to him.
"I wasn't your biggest fan in the beginning. When you started dated my mom I hated you—I schemed to get rid of you!" She laughed. He laughed too.
"It was a pretty good scheme too, but I was onto you."
"Exactly. You saw right through my childish schemes, beat me at my own game and won my heart in the process."
He looked at her and smiled, taking her hand in his own.
"No one was more shocked than your mother."
At this they both laughed.
"You are a good man Cyrus." Blair said looking directly into his eyes. "Everyone makes mistakes and has things in their past that they wish they could go back and change, but it doesn't mean that you are that person today. If there is anything that I have learned in my life, it's that we are all capable of positive change and we evolve. If you would have told me in high school that I would end up married to Dan Humphrey…"
"Hey now…" Dan grumbled from the couch sitting up rubbing his eyes.
"Well hello to you too sleep head." Blair grinned at her sleepy husband. He grinned back before gaping his mouth into an enormous yawn. The plane shook and dropped again making Blair shriek. Cyrus squeezed her hand and balanced his drink trying not to spill any of it.
"Folks!" The copilot emerged from the cockpit. "We are going to make an emergency landing at a small airport just outside of Chicago. This storm is a little stronger than we like."
"If you think it best." Cyrus nodded but his grip tightened on Blair's hand making her wince. The man smiled back and shut the door disappearing into the cockpit again.
"Ouch." Blair gasped pulling her hand from Cyrus's. Dan looked at them confused. "Cyrus?"
"That man…" Cyrus started putting his drink down. Blair and Dan looked at him confused. Blair could see the color starting to fade from his rosy cheeks.
"What is it?" Blair asked, forcing herself to keep her tone calm. Dan stood and walked over to them.
"Debbie?" Cyrus called out looking to the back of the plane where his private stewardess had disappeared to an hour before.
Dan and Blair looked at each other confused.
"I'll get her." Dan volunteered starting towards the back, but Cyrus grabbed his arm yanking him back.
"No!" He whispered violently.
"What's…" Blair started but Cyrus covered her mouth and looked up at the cockpit. More specifically the camera above the door. He turned his head away from the camera and looked at Blair.
"Debbie has been gone about an hour." Cyrus started in a hushed tone. "She usually comes back every half hour or so to check on me—and that man who just checked on us is not Roberts or Clark."
Dan gulped nervously and Blair felt her stomach drop.
The fasten your seatbelt sign started to flash, and the plan shifted into a descend.
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Erin tilted her head to the left and right stretching and shifted in her seat again. She glanced over at Voight who hadn't said much since they had gotten to the airport. He wasn't usually much for words, but his demeanor had her red flags raised.
"So what's the deal with you and this Cyrus guy?" She broke the silence.
He looked to the left and right, as if someone would be listening then looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
"I've known all your old 'friends' and I've never heard of him."
"He was before you."
"Did you grow up with him?"
"Why all the questions?" Voight glared at her.
"Just curious." Erin shrugged looking up at the arrival screens.
"Yeah well he's not worth your time, or mine." Voight sighed.
"Then why…"
But before she could ask her question Voight's phone went off.
"Yeah?" Voight answered.
She waited and watched as Voight's expression went from annoyance to concern.
"What were their last known coordinates?" Voight demanded.
"What's going on?" Erin asked.
"Text them to me—Erin and I are on our way but send Antonio and Halstead. We'll need back up."
He hung up and started to move towards the exit.
"Voight?"
"Their jet went off the grid."
Erin followed him without another question.
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Dan opened the back door to the stewardess's room and found Debbie lying on the floor.
"Oh my God…" He knelt down pulling her into his arms.
"Dan?" Blair entered behind him and then gasped. "Is she…?!"
"Debbie?!" Dan shook her lightly.
Cyrus pushed past Blair and knelt down next to Dan checking her vitals.
"She's dead."
"Oh my god… OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!" Blair started gasping.
"But how?!" Dan demanded looking at Cyrus.
Cyrus looked around and then picked up a glass on the counter, sniffed it, and then examined the fragments of particles floating on the bottom of the glass.
"Poison if I had to guess." He frowned looking down at the young lady, lifting his hand to close her eyes. "Oh Debbie…"
The plane jerked in a sudden slant announcing their final descend. Dan looked up to see Blair holding onto the wall for dear life, tears streaming down her face. He jumped up and pulled her into his arms leading her to the stewardesses seat strapping her in, then went back over the door slamming it shut and locking it. It wasn't much but it was the only barrier they had between them and whoever was in that cockpit, and if he had to guess Dimitri had something to do with this.
He looked around for something—some kind of weapon. His eyes locked on the kitchen area. He ran over stumbling as the turbulence started to rock the little jet. He ripped drawers open until he found some knives.
"Cyrus!"
Cyrus looked up and took the knife Dan handed to him.
"Get a hold of something Dan were about to hit the ground!"
Dan nodded grabbing ahold of a closet rack and braced himself.
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"What tipped them off?" Erin asked as their vehicle raced along the road, sirens blaring.
"NYPD found two pilots dead—the pilots that were supposed to be flying the Humphrey's jet. They tried to make contact but the plane just went off the grid."
"You think the Markov Family…"
"I know they are."
Erin reached down and felt the gun at her hip, knowing that very soon, she would be using it. She hoped they weren't too late."
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It was the most violent and turbulent landing Blair had ever been through. She fought to keep her eyes focused on Dan—to make sure he was ok—but with the lights flashing and the plane shaking she must have hit her head because the next thing she remembered the plan was still and silent. No longer could she hear thunder and the pounding of rain. She fought hard to open her eyes and felt a sting. She reached her hand up to her head feeling a sticky slick substance and looked down to see the dark red blood. She panicked looking up, fighting her throbbing head to focus her sight in the small dark room.
"Dan…"
She meant to yell, but all that came out was a whisper. He wasn't at the closet—she could see that now. Her panic quickly started turning into fear.
"Dan!" She managed to strangle out a little louder. She heard a grunt come from behind her and started fumbling with her seat belt to get free. She turned to see him lying on the ground behind her.
"DAN!" She screamed dropping to the floor and crawled over to him.
When she reached him she could see he was a bloody mess. Not only was his head bleeding, but his left eye was starting to swell shut, and she was pretty sure his left arm was broken. She used all of her strength and shifted him into her lap. He half grunted, half screamed.
"Blair?" He whispered.
"It's ok. You're going to be ok." She soothed running her hand through his thick black locks. She saw his lip curl in a slight grin. He reached up and grabbed her hand squeezing it weakly.
"Are you ok?" He asked concerned.
"I'm fine." She dismissed his worry.
"But you're bleeding." He frowned reaching up towards her head. She shoved his hand away.
"Not as bad as you are. I think you broke your arm."
"And Cyrus?" Dan asked changing the subject.
Blair gasped—how could she have not thought of him until now?! She searched around the room until she saw Cyrus curled up under the table near the front of the small room next to Debbie's body.
"Cyrus?!" She called out.
No answer.
Suddenly the fear was back, welling up inside of her again.
"CYRUS!"
She shifted Dan off her lap and crawled over to her father in law, pulling and shoving Debbie's body aside. When she turned him over she screamed.
"Blair!" Dan called out trying his best to get to her.
"No no no no NO NO NO NO NO! CYRUS!"
Dan forced his head up and focused through the pain to see Blair kneeling next to Cyrus. The knife Dan had handed to him moments before they landed was plunged into his chest.
"Oh my god…" Dan gasped fighting even harder to crawl over to Blair, but before he could reach her, the door to the room opened.
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