A/N: Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. It really puts a smile on my face to know that people enjoy what I've written. I'm sorry that it has taken a while for me to update, but my family was in town and then it took some time to get motivated to write again. Certain spoilers were killing my will to write, but then I decided that everyone else might need some C&B fluff too.
I do not own anything.
Chapter 4
The next few weeks flew by for the newlyweds. Blair was very busy with her classes at Columbia; she had to write two term papers and she was studying non-stop for her finals. Her goal was to make the dean's list, which meant she needed to ace all of her classes. Chuck, on the other hand, wasn't quite as busy at Columbia, he was only auditing his classes, but things at the Empire were extremely hectic because of the holidays fast approaching. Manhattan was always bursting with people between Thanksgiving and New Year's, which meant the hotel was fully booked and Chuck was a content, albeit exhausted businessman. On top of all that, he was looking for a new place to live, and he couldn't seem to find the right one. Nevertheless, just because the time went by quickly didn't mean that it was uneventful.
December 19th
"I'm whisking you away tomorrow, so pack your overnight bag Mrs. Bass," Chuck said excitedly into his phone. He couldn't wait to get Blair away from the city for the night. They had both been so busy lately between school and work, and an uninterrupted romantic night, just the two of them, was exactly what they needed.
"What's the occasion?" Blair asked, pretending that she didn't know the significance of the date. She had a feeling that Chuck was planning something for their anniversary, but she was beginning to have her doubts as he hadn't mentioned anything about it until now.
"It's our one month anniversary tomorrow, as if you didn't know. We are escaping the city and going to Vermont. Just you and me, with a bed, a blanket, and a fireplace to keep us warm. No interruptions. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"
"Absolutely. I can't wait," Blair sighed. "Now I just need to think of a reasonable excuse to tell Serena. Any ideas?" She was having difficulty coming up with explanations to justify her increasingly frequent disappearances. Blair and Chuck had been sneaking around for the past two weeks and have yet to be caught by Serena or Nate. Nate was easy to avoid because Chuck and Blair did not spend much time at the Empire and the time they did spend there was not at his penthouse. Chuck had partially moved into a smaller suite in his hotel and Blair had only been there a couple of times since Bart's two-year mark. Serena was a little more complicated to evade, as she still lived with Blair and she was starting to notice that Blair was 'busy' more often lately. She wasn't completely lying about being busy because Blair was preoccupied with her studies towards the end of the semester, but what Serena didn't know was that Chuck had been slipping into Blair's room at night 2-3 times a week. They had even stayed at the Palace twice under the precedent that she was studying late at the library. Now that classes were over, Blair didn't have that to use as an excuse anymore, so she was fumbling with reasons not to be around Serena.
"Don't worry. I've talked to Dorota and we've come up with a pretty good cover story," Chuck calmly explained. "You are going to be babysitting Ana while Dorota and Vanya have a date night. Ana has been a bit fussy lately, so Dorota would prefer that you stay at her place because Ana will feel more comfortable in her own environment. Believable, huh? How could Serena not buy it?" he questioned her teasingly.
"Pretty good, Bass. Although, I'm sure that Dorota deserves full credit for this one. You never would have thought of babysitting on your own."
"Yes, I acknowledge that Dorota was instrumental in the development of the concept. Without her, I have the feeling that Serena might not be in the dark about us still," he chuckled. Chuck was thinking of one morning in particular. He was asleep in Blair's bed after staying over and was awoken by Dorota's scream and the crashing of the breakfast tray. It turns out that Dorota did not appreciate the site of Chuck's bare bottom which Blair had unknowingly revealed when she moved the covers as she got up to shower, and she started cursing loudly in Polish. The commotion drew Serena's attention and she stumbled towards Blair's room, frantic that something was wrong with Blair. Lucky for Chuck, Serena was rubbing her eyes and was quite not awake yet, giving him just enough time to grab the comforter and nestle under it so that he would remain undetected by Serena. When Serena questioned Dorota about her tirade, she simply replied that she clumsily tripped over the chair leg and dropped Miss Blair's breakfast. Serena must have believed her story because she quickly returned to her bedroom mumbling about how tired she was and Chuck didn't hear from her again that morning. Dorota, on the other hand, made her presence known and started whacking Chuck with a pillow once Serena was out of sight.
That was image that greeted Blair as she exited her bathroom dressed in her robe with her hair wrapped in a towel, and she couldn't help but laugh. Upon hearing Blair, Dorota glanced over, scandalized and said "I see Mr. Chuck's Bass ass" while at the same time Chuck peeked out from under the covers and gave Blair an innocent look, trying to convey to Blair that he was sorry he got caught. Both of their responses, as well as seeing Dorota holding a pillow over Chuck's half naked body, caused Blair to erupt into a fit of hysterical giggles so much so that she had tears forming in her eyes. Chuck soon joined in Blair's laughter, realizing how ridiculous the scene must look, and he gestured for her to climb back into the bed with him. Dorota stood there dumbstruck, but soon softened when she saw Chuck put his arm around Blair, kiss her chastely on the cheek, and whisper 'good morning' in her ear, while Blair's body melted into his.
"I come back later," Dorota said to no one in particular as she scooted out of the room, leaving Chuck and Blair in private. Ever since she saw how happy Blair was with Chuck that morning, Dorota has been staunch supporter of their secret relationship, helping them in whatever way she could.
The next day, Blair and Chuck met up at the helipad before taking the jet out of the city. Upon landing in Vermont, Chuck and Blair hopped into a waiting SUV and drove to a cabin that Bart had bought years ago, one that Chuck had only been to a few times. He had contacted the staff the previous week and arranged everything for their visit. He knew how much Blair loved the holidays, so he had them set the cabin up for Christmas, with a tree for them to decorate together. They weren't sure if they were going to be able to spend Christmas with each other, so Chuck thought they could have their own celebration early this year and establish some traditions that the Waldorf-Bass household would keep for years to come. Chuck was a little embarrassed to admit it, but he was really looking forward to future Christmases with Blair. In the past, he and Bart never really had any family traditions during Christmas, but he was certain that with Blair their future holidays wouldn't be like that. He envisioned them full of holiday cheer, Blair going over-the-top with decorations, food, and festivities.
They entered the picturesque cabin, which was set on mountainside surrounded by the snow-covered trees, and Chuck was relieved to see that everything was as he had hoped. His attention was then brought to the large tree in the main room when he heard Blair squeal, "Chuck, this place is perfect! There's even a Christmas tree!"
"Yeah, I thought that we could decorate it later," he said and couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. Blair was practically dancing around the room, checking out every aspect of the cabin, and seeing her so happy made Chuck feel warm all over. "But first, I want to show you the master bedroom," and he picked her up, threw her over his shoulder, and quickly ascended the stairs.
A couple of hours later, Chuck and Blair were roused from bed by the ringing of the landline phone. The only people who knew they were there were the temporary staff and Chuck couldn't understand why they might be calling now. Reluctantly, Chuck climbed out of bed, threw on his boxers, and answered the phone. "Hello…Yes…This is unacceptable, that is why I am paying you... Well then you need to find me an alternative…What do you mean that is not possible?...Do you know who you are talking to?...No thank you, we'll be fine on our own."
Meanwhile, Blair had also gotten out of bed and wrapped herself in her robe. She quickly grabbed her phone to check her messages, hoping she would have time to scan them before Chuck caught her. They had promised to shut out the outside world, but she was just too anxious. Today was the day they would notify her about the internships and she desperately wanted to know if she had any offers. When she glanced through her messages, she was pleasantly surprised to see that she had multiple offers, but importantly, she had the two she really wanted. "Yes!" she proclaimed softly and she swiftly turned off her phone when she heard Chuck slam down the house phone.
"Bad news?" Blair questioned him, while she discretely tossed her phone into her bag. She then made her way over to him.
"You could say that," Chuck sighed. He wrapped his arms around Blair and kissed the top of her head. "The chef that I hired to cook us dinner has come down with a cold and won't be able to make it. It looks like we are going to have to cook for ourselves or have something delivered," he said with a dejected look on his face.
"That doesn't sound too bad," she said with a smile, trying to cheer him up and make him realize this isn't the end of the world. "We'll get take-out, what are the choices?"
"You just had to ask, didn't you?" he scoffed. "The only real option around here is pizza," and Chuck watched as Blair's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Pizza? Ugh, do you know how much fat and how many calories are in pizza?" Chuck's only response was a nod. "Maybe we can just cook for ourselves. It can't be too hard - I've helped Daddy and Dorota bake pumpkin pie before. Let's see what the cabin is stocked with," Blair replied brightly, trying to be optimistic about their current situation. Then she grabbed Chuck's hand and dragged him into the kitchen.
After scouring the refrigerator and pantry, they decided to cook filet mignons with fingerling potatoes and broccolini for dinner. Blair was responsible for the vegetables and Chuck was in charge of the meat, because he said, "that's the man's job." The first time they sat down to eat, the steaks were browned on the outside but still very raw in the middle, the potatoes were undercooked, and the broccolini was a tiny bit overcooked. The second time they sat down to eat, each with a glass of cabernet sauvignon, the meat still wasn't cooked enough, the potatoes were fine, but the broccolini was cold and soggy. The third time they sat down to eat, the bottle of cabernet sauvignon was more than half empty, the meat was thoroughly charred and tough, the potatoes burnt, and the broccolini inedible. This was when Blair threw up her arms and declared, "I give up."
"What do you want on your pizza?" Chuck asked with a sigh as he grabbed the phone.
"Pepperoni and extra cheese," she quickly answered and he gave her a skeptical look. "Well, if we're going to eat badly, let's be really bad!"
"I think we both know some other ways to be really bad, Blair," he purred back at her, his lips attacking her neck. "And don't worry Mrs. Bass, I know exactly how we can work off those extra calories."
"You're heinous Bass!" she proclaimed loudly but secretly loved the perverted ideas that were now in her head. "Now get on the phone and order that pizza – I'm hungry!"
A couple of hours later, after the pizza was consumed and the tree decorated, Chuck was sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace with his back against with sofa, Blair nestled between his legs, and a cashmere blanket was the only thing wrapped around their naked bodies. Earlier they had exchanged anniversary gifts. Blair had given Chuck a simple platinum chain so that he could always wear his wedding ring close to his heart, "I know its not very masculine, but I also know you hate not wearing your wedding ring so I thought this might be a help," and Chuck replied by kissing her passionately and whispering, "I love it and I love you." Chuck's gift for Blair was a small album filled with pictures from their wedding, "I know its not perfect or very professional because I put it together myself, but I wanted you to have this to remember what I consider the most important day of my life," and she responded by returning his fiery kiss and murmuring, "It is perfect and I love you too." Now, they sat together in silent bliss, feeding each other cheesecake and savoring the moment before Blair interrupted, "Chuck, what do you see when you look into our future?"
"Are you asking if I think we are going to have a house with a white picket fence and 2.5 kids running around?"
"No, I mean in a few, say three years, what do you think we'll be doing?"
"Well, we'll still be married obviously, and I am hoping that in a couple of years everyone else will be privy to that fact too, or at least to fact that we're a couple. You'll have just finished Columbia by then, so we'll probably both be settling into our careers. Maybe talking about starting a family, but only talking since we'll both still be pretty young – you 23 and me 22. And I know we'll be in love and happy," Chuck said with a smile and he tightened his hold on Blair while kissing her cheek.
"You are so sweet. But I guess what I am wondering is, what do you see me doing? What do you think my career will be? This is one way that we're different. You've already started your life as a successful businessman, running your clubs and the Empire, and you seem to really love it. Although if I'm being honest, I've always pictured you taking back the reigns at Bass Industries and running the company yourself. Myself, I'm just not sure yet. I love being your wife, but I want to be more than that."
"Blair, don't you see that you already are so much more than simply Mrs. Chuck Bass," and he took her face in his hands and looked her straight in the eyes. "What you need to do is find something that you are passionate about."
"Besides you?" she quickly interrupted with a flirtatious look on her face.
This made Chuck laugh softly, "Yes, something besides me," and he cupped her face and kissed her lips before proceeding. "For me, I just kind of fell into this path and it feels right. I can't really picture myself doing anything else and I don't want to. Well, except maybe running Bass Industries. I've been thinking about it a lot lately, especially since we got married. It's my legacy, the Bass family legacy which is now yours too. So I spoke with some members of the board and we've agreed that I will take over at Bass Industries in a few years, after I've learned the ropes and I've finished at Columbia. I actually really like it there and I'm going to enroll full-time in the business program."
"Seriously?" she looked at him full of wonder but also with a hint of sadness in her eyes. Her tone softened and she said dejectedly, "I can't believe you didn't tell me any of this."
"Blair, I wasn't trying to keep any of this hidden from you," his face displayed the honesty with which he spoke. "Its all been happening so fast. I mean just last week they decided to consider my time at Bass Industries as credit hours, kind of like an internship. They are also going to count my work at the Empire and the classes I audited towards my degree. Of course it took a bit of persuading, but I think having the future CEO of Bass Industries as one of their students swayed them. I've been trying to find the best time to tell you all of this, but it just never seemed to appear. I'm sorry about that, but please know that it was not my goal to keep this, or anything else, a secret from you."
"I believe you Chuck," and she quickly kissed his lips. She couldn't be mad at him about this, considering she hadn't mentioned anything about her potential internships to him. "Wow, this is really great. I'm quite surprised but I am so proud of you for doing this. Are you sure though?"
"Yeah, I am sure. The board thinks it would be best if I had a college degree, and I've been enjoying the classes at Columbia more than I ever thought I would. We are still attempting to negotiate my admittance into the accelerated MBA program, but the school wants to wait and see how I handle the next semester. So I may need to take you up on some one-on-one tutoring Mrs. Bass to help me impress them with my vast intelligence." This comment earned him a chuckle from Blair. He then turned slightly more serious, "You, Blair, can be whatever you choose to be. You're so smart and determined, and once you decide what you want your career path to be no one is going to be able to stop you. That being said, I've always pictured you becoming a lawyer or working in the business world, maybe in marketing."
"Really?" she questioned, her voice unsure. "You don't think I'll go into fashion?"
"No, I don't see you working in fashion, maybe on the business side of things but not the creative side. Don't get me wrong, you have a fantastic sense of style, but you've lived with Eleanor's criticisms your whole life and I have a feeling you want to break free from her hold on you. Going into fashion wouldn't let you do that. Still, if you want a career in the fashion world I know you can do it and I would support you 100%."
"Truthfully, I don't want career in the fashion industry. I feel like everyone assumes that I will because I'm Eleanor Waldorf's daughter, even though it's not what I want. I've been thinking about law school and haven't ruled it out, but I'm just not sure," she shrugged and started to sound insecure. "There is something that I've been considering, something that I think I would really enjoy, but I'm not sure what type of career opportunities are out there and how people will react to the decision. Everyone has so many expectations of me, myself included, that I feel like no matter what I decide it still won't be enough."
"Blair, you have to be selfish and not worry about what anyone else thinks. You should do something that makes you happy, do what is best for you. If you are happy with yourself as a person, everything else will fall into place. Just trust yourself," Chuck said to Blair with an encouraging tone while gently stroking her arms, hoping that he could instill in her the confidence she needed to make the right choice for herself, regardless of other's opinions.
"Art history. I want to major in art history. And I've been offered internships at Christie's and Sotheby's, both of which would offer unique insights into the art world and the art market," Blair started getting more and more excited as she spoke, especially when she saw the approving grin on Chuck's face and not a shred of disappointment. She had not shared this with anyone before and she found talking to Chuck about it made it more real. "Also, both places have master's programs which would give me an edge in pursuing a career in the art world, even from the business side. Plus, if I'm still interested in law, Columbia's law school has a special program in which you can focus on the aspects of law that relate to art. Do you think I'm crazy?" she asked as she saw Chuck smiling brightly and laughing tenderly.
As Chuck listened to Blair talk, he watched as she transformed in front of him. There was something in her eyes as she spoke, a sparkle that has been missing for some time. She reminded him of the old Blair, who was so focused, passionate, driven, and alive. The girl who disappeared when Yale was taken away from Blair, the girl who was lost when Blair was a freshman at NYU, the girl who spent part of the past year hiding afraid of being true to herself. Now she was back with a vengeance and he couldn't be more elated. "Not at all," he chuckled and pulled her into a deep kiss to show her that he meant it.
"You don't think it's a cop-out, do you? I know it isn't the most glamorous or powerful career, but I really love the idea of working in the art world. This summer I spent a lot of time in the various museums in Paris, and it strengthened my desire to study art history. When I came back to Manhattan, I looked into the career prospects with an art history degree and started pondering being an art dealer, and what better place to do that than at a world-renown auction house," the enthusiasm in her voice as she spoke was undeniable. She had clearly thought this through and this is what she wanted to do.
"I think it sounds perfect for you. And it is in no way a cop-out. I think you know how much impact those auction houses have on the art community, they are quite influential. I bet it can also be a pretty glamorous job as well. You would not only be surrounded by beautiful works of art and extremely rich people, but they both have locations in the most fabulous cities in the around the world. So the only real question left is what's it going to be, Christie's or Sotheby's?"
"I'm not sure, but I have until December 30th to make my decision," Blair stated matter-a-factly, but then she turned slightly bashful again. "You aren't too disappointed, are you? This isn't the career most people are going to expect of Chuck Bass's wife. Ugh, I'm sure that I'm never going to hear the end of it from my mother about this."
"I could never be disappointed in you, especially not about this. I think people are going to extremely impressed that I have such an intelligent and amazing wife, and they will probably ask for advice and help regarding potential art transactions. As for Eleanor, you need to be more afraid of her finding out that we are married than this. This will be a walk in the park compared to that," and she scoffed at this because she knew he was probably right. "I'm so proud of you Mrs. Bass," and he kissed her again eagerly until she turned her body around to straddle him and whispered into his ear, "How about some real dessert now?"
Two days later Blair was frantically searching her penthouse, looking everywhere for her mother's diamond tennis bracelet, the one she 'borrowed' for her wedding. She hadn't seen it since then, although she was certain she didn't leave it on the yacht. She has a distinct memory of Chuck peppering her with kisses starting at her wedding ring and continuing all the way up her arm to the nape of her neck while they were on the plane. She remembers staring at him as he kissed the inside of her wrist and she saw the glistening of the diamonds near his lips. Now, her mother was going to be here soon and she needed to find the bracelet before Eleanor noticed that it was missing.
"Argh!" Blair let out an uncharacteristic scream and Serena came running into her room.
"What's wrong Blair?"
"I can't find my mother's diamond tennis bracelet anywhere. I've been looking everywhere for it and nothing! I can't believe I lost it – she's going to kill me," Blair proclaimed anxiously.
"What does it look like? Maybe I can help you look for it. When was the last time you saw it?" Serena questioned. She hated seeing Blair so on edge and she knew that Blair was nervous about her mother coming to stay with them over the holidays.
"It's a diamond bracelet Serena, what do you think it looks like?" Blair snapped with a sarcastic tone. She wasn't in the mood for Serena's pestering.
"Okay, I was just trying to help."
"I know, I just can't believe I lost it," Blair murmured apologetically. She was not only thinking about Eleanor's wrath but the bracelet was also very special to her because she wore it during her wedding. When she regained her composure she continued, "It's Harry Winston. It's stunning, with alternating brilliant round and baguette diamonds in a platinum setting. I borrowed it about a month ago."
As Blair was describing the bracelet, Serena suddenly remembered the diamond bracelet they found on the Bass jet coming back from California, just about a month ago. It couldn't be the same one, Serena thought although the description fit perfectly. Why would Blair have been on the Bass jet recently? The flight attendant mentioned that Mrs. Bass was the last woman to fly on the plane, and when she checked with Lily, she said that the bracelet wasn't hers. Maybe the flight attendant was wrong or misspoke or she wasn't working when Blair flew on the jet, because she certainly would have known Blair's name from all the times she traveled with Chuck while they were dating. But what if it was the same bracelet? What did that mean? Did Blair go somewhere on the Bass jet not too long ago? With all of these thoughts running rampant through Serena's brain, she decided the best thing to do would be to ask Blair if the bracelet was hers.
"Blair, I found a diamond bracelet just after the Thanksgiving break. I'll go get it - maybe it's the same one?" she asked with a not-so-subtle grin. Serena's curiosity was getting the best of her. She darted into her own room, grasped the diamond bracelet they uncovered on the plane, and quickly returned to Blair's bedroom.
As she opened her palm to display the bracelet, Blair's hands went to her face and relief flooded her body. "That's it!" she screamed and threw her arms around Serena. "You are my savior – I love you S! Thank god you found it!" and she bolted from the room to her mother's so she could put it back before anyone knew it was gone. Blair didn't notice the look of shock and confusion on Serena's face. Serena was speechless. She was trying to comprehend all of the repercussions of this revelation. Blair and Chuck had gone on a trip together recently and not told a soul, somewhere that Blair would feel the need to wear her mother's very expensive and elaborate diamond bracelet, instead of one of her own. Suddenly, Serena was brought back to reality by Blair's voice as she asked, "Where did you find it, S?"
"Oh, it was between the cushions on the sofa," she replied, still somewhat in a daze. That's when she decided she needed to talk to someone who knew just about as much about Blair and Chuck as she did. When she got back into her room, she quickly pulled out her phone and dialed. "Hey Nate, I know we aren't exactly speaking at the moment, but are you busy? Can I come over to talk to you about something, about Blair and Chuck?"
As Serena entered the penthouse at the Empire, right away she noticed it looked different. There were a few boxes littered around the place and when she glanced into Chuck's room, it looked barren. There were more boxes on the bed and the closet was mostly empty. She knew Chuck had a tendency to take off without a word, but he usually didn't take the time to pack beforehand. Besides, this wasn't packing for a trip, this was packing for a move. So when Serena walked into the main room she immediately asked, "Is someone moving?"
"Oh hi Serena, you're here," Nate tried to sound casual as he looked up from his video game. "Yeah, Chuck's moving out. Actually, he's staying in another suite for now, and I guess he'll move the rest of his stuff out when he finds a new place."
"When did he decide this? I spent Thanksgiving with him and he didn't say a word about moving out and finding a new place," a baffled Serena questioned Nate.
"I think it was a pretty quick decision. He told me his plans on the anniversary of Bart's death, so the beginning of December. He said that he couldn't stay in this penthouse if he wanted to have an honest chance of a future with Blair. He's changed, you know. Ever since the Saints and Sinners party he's been acting with a purpose, trying to be a better person for Blair."
"Well, that's why I came over, to talk about Chuck and Blair, and you've already given me some interesting information. Have you seen the two of them together at all? You wouldn't happen to know if they took any recent trips together?"
"Like I just said, Chuck has been staying in a different suite for a few weeks now, so I obviously don't see much of him. We hang out once in a while, but between finals and his job, there hasn't been much time."
"Well what about before that?" she quickly interrupted. "Do you know if he went anywhere just before Thanksgiving?"
"Funny that you should ask that," Nate chuckled, a little surprised that she asked about those specific dates. "Chuck did disappear for a few days right after his party. He said he needed to get away because of what happened between him and Blair. Why do you ask?"
"I went to California with Eric and Elliot to visit colleges the day after Thanksgiving and we took the Bass jet. On the flight back, we found a diamond bracelet on the plane and it turns out it belongs to Blair, well Eleanor actually."
"So what. Blair and Chuck went on trips all the time when they were together. She probably left it on the plane a long time ago," Nate said as if this was the most logical thing in the world.
"No, she borrowed the bracelet from her mother recently, about a month ago, and she was freaking out when she couldn't find it this morning. Nate, do you think that Chuck and Blair went away together and didn't tell any of us about it? Where would they go that they would want to hide it from us? And why would she need such a fancy piece of jewelry for the trip? Do you think its possible that they are still sneaking around? Have you seen them together at all? Think hard," she demanded as she finished her rambling line of questioning. Nate looked at her as if she had grown a second head and he couldn't help but laugh.
"That's an interesting theory you have Serena, but you need to calm down," Nate said and he patted her shoulder in an effort to get her to relax. "The only time I've seen Chuck and Blair together was on the anniversary of his father's death. He told me they spent the day together, even went to the zoo, and that night I walked in on them here having dinner." Then Nate's eyes went wide when he remembered their interactions that evening in the penthouse. "And they had a food fight, covered each other in chocolate cake, whipped cream, and strawberries."
"You're kidding right," she retorted. "We are talking about Chuck and Blair."
"Serena, I felt like I had entered the Twilight Zone, it was so surreal. They ran around the penthouse, throwing food, and trading witty barbs with each other. Honestly, they were being completely silly and I don't think I've ever seen either of them look happier, they were both smiling and laughing." Serena was completely flabbergasted by Nate's story. This didn't sound anything like Chuck and Blair, but when these two got together you never knew what was going to happen. Nate got Serena's attention when he spoke again. "Chuck's been pretty open about his feelings towards Blair and I know he wants to get back together with her, so why would he be sneaking around? It doesn't make sense."
"Unless it was Blair's decision to keep their rekindled relationship hidden," Serena said in an instant, as if she had just discovered a hidden treasure.
"Maybe," Nate sighed. "Chuck did say something about Blair wanting to make a name for herself before she could be his girlfriend. If no one knows that she's his girlfriend, then she would still be able to do that."
"It does sound like something Blair would do, and Chuck would probably go along with it to make her happy. With a bit more detective work, I bet we would know for sure," she said with a mischievous smirk on her face.
"What do you have in mind? Neither one of them are going to tell us anything. Those two can keep secrets better than anyone else I know."
"Perhaps we could force the issue."
"I'm listening."
"Well, both Blair and Chuck are going to be at my mother's Christmas party tomorrow night. We could arrange a date for Chuck, because we've noticed that he's been a bit down lately after the break-up with Blair," she said with fake sympathy.
"Serena, you are pure evil. I think you've been living with Blair for too long," but at the same time Nate was grinning from ear-to-ear.
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow night," and Serena turned and left the penthouse. As soon as she stepped outside, Nate picked up his phone, "Kristen, what are you and Amy doing tomorrow night? I've got a really great friend who I think Amy should meet." At the same time, Serena opened her phone and dialed, "Hey Abigail, its Serena. Do you have any plans for tomorrow evening? Because my mother is having a Christmas party and I would love for you to meet my step-brother." Chuck and Blair wouldn't know what hit them.
Meanwhile, across town, Eleanor and Cyrus were settling in at the Waldorf penthouse. They had spent the past couple of hours fussing over Ana and catching up with Blair. Jetlag was starting to creep up on them, so they decided that they would take an early night. Before going to bed though, Eleanor needed to make a quick phone call.
"Hello Lily, its Eleanor."
"Oh Eleanor its so good to hear from you. How is everything in Paris? Are you still there or are you back in NY?"
"Paris is wonderful, such a beautiful city during the holiday season. Cyrus and I just arrived in NY a few hours ago, we wanted to have a couple of days before Christmas to settle back in, become accustomed with time change," Eleanor said while stifling a yawn.
"Well you two are still coming to my party tomorrow night, correct?" Lily inquired.
"Of course. Actually that is why I am phoning. Would it be an inconvenience if we brought an additional person with us?"
"Not at all. Is Aaron going to be joining you?" Lily couldn't think of anyone else that they could bring with them.
"No, Cyrus and I have arranged a blind date for Blair," Eleanor said with a small giggle. "We'll be having dinner prior to your party and we thought it would be nice if he could attend your party as well."
"Oh," Lily immediately thought of Charles, and she wondered how would he handle seeing Blair on a date with someone else. Still it would be impolite to not allow Blair's date to attend. "That will be fine Eleanor. I'll see you tomorrow evening. Goodnight."
"Thank you Lily, and goodnight to you as well."
As soon as Lily hung up the phone with Eleanor, she began to mull over some way to ease Chuck's probable pain when Blair came to the party with a date. She decided to best option would be to keep him occupied by arranging a date for him as well. Flipping through her contact list, she saw the name of the girl she had in mind and instantly dialed the number. "Hello Amelia, this is Lily Humphrey however you may remember me as Mrs. Bart Bass. You helped renovate our apartment a few years ago…No I am not looking to redecorate anytime soon. I was wondering if you had any plans for tomorrow evening…Great. I am throwing a Christmas party at my place and there is someone that I would like for you to meet…Trust me, he's a true gentleman…Okay, it starts around 8pm. Do you remember the address?...Thank you and I'll see you tomorrow," and as Lily closed her phone a smile spread across her face.
Later that evening, Blair and Serena were sitting in Serena's room painting their toenails and planning their outfits for Lily's party the next evening. Serena was subtly probing Blair about her love life, but Blair was extremely tight-lipped about everything. Finally, Serena said the one name that caused all of Blair's walls to fall down.
"So, my mom said that Jenny is going to be at the party tomorrow night," and Blair's head turned so quickly she surely got whiplashed. The happy look that was on Blair's face earlier was gone, replaced by anger and despair.
"I wish that raccoon-eyed little slut would leave and never come back to this island," she said with venom in her voice. "I understand she is Lily's stepdaughter, but can't we just put all the Brooklyn trash back in Brooklyn for one night and have a proper Upper East Side Christmas party! You may have to keep an eye on me tomorrow and make sure that I do not commit murder, although I am sure that some people might worship me for eradicating that vile creature from this earth!"
"Calm down Blair. Together we'll have plenty of fun and we won't need to interact with her at all. Who knows, maybe she'll stay in her room the whole night," Serena said, trying to placate Blair. She hadn't seen Blair this worked up since her war with Chuck.
"I think I'm going to go to bed now Serena. I'll talk to you in the morning," and Blair left the room before Serena could say another word.
After she undressed and climbed into her bed, Blair picked up her phone and called Chuck. She had given herself some time to calm down because she knew it was in the past and everything between her and Chuck was great now. Still, she needed a little reassurance.
"Hello Mrs. Bass, to what do I owe the honor?" Chuck drawled into the phone. "I thought you would be busy with Eleanor and Cyrus tonight?"
"They were tired from the jetlag and went to bed early. Chuck, are you still going to Lily's party tomorrow night?" and he noticed that there was a hesitance in her voice. He began to wonder if something had happened with Eleanor.
"Yes. I was thinking that we might manage to sneak off into the coat closet for a bit and no one will know the wiser," he said, trying to cheer her up.
"Fine," she replied coldly. "Okay Bass, here's the deal. I trust you, I really do. And I am trying really hard not to be the jealous and controlling wife, but I just can't help it."
"What's going on Blair?" interrupted Chuck. He didn't understand what he could have done to bring this on.
"Serena told me that Jenny is going to be at the party tomorrow night," and Chuck finally knew what this was all about. "Every time I see her or someone says her name, I can't help but think of the two of you and my body fills with rage. I know she meant nothing to you, but it still really hurts knowing the two of you were together," Blair said with a sniffle as she started to cry.
"Blair baby, I am so sorry about that and if I could go back and change the past I would. But I can't," he said with regret. With a soft voice he continued, "I love you, only you Blair. You are my wife and I do not want anyone else. Tell me what I can do to make this better, so that it doesn't hurt so much," it was a desperate plea that left Chuck's lips.
"You're doing it right now," and her voice relaxed as she spoke. "And I love you too. I'm sorry that I'm having such a hard time getting over this."
"Its understandable Blair. You have nothing to worry about, I only have eyes for you," he purred through the phone.
"Good," and she let out a small laugh. "Oh, and Bass, I don't want you to go anywhere near that disgusting little tramp. If you do, I hope you like me in flannel because that will be all you see me in for the foreseeable future," she said with her classic Blair Waldorf spunk.
"Yes dear," he chuckled. Sure Blair could be a bitch, but she was his bitch and he loved her all the more because of that.