A/N: I'm glad you guys are so enthusiastic about this fic! That's wonderful & does lovely things to my ego. ;) I feel though that I must inform you CBers of a quite important fact, so you aren't taken by surprise when it happens and feel ripped off or something. DB ARE going to happen in this story. The whole fic is a giant quadrangle, though admittedly Louis doesn't last that long, since it starts post 5x10. lol. But I'm taking into consideration all the speculations I hear regarding coming events, along with spoilers and promos, everything. I would like very much to not get flames when I get to the DB part in my story (which will be a long while off), since they are going to last for more than two seconds. I am still very against them and very pro-CB. I just find addressing all the coming issues will help me cope with them when they inevitably appear on my TV screen, hopefully to a lesser degree. Heh. You have been warned.

*NOTE TO DB'ERS (if you are reading this story): I really appreciate all you Dair fans for taking the time to read the first draft DB scene I posted. It means a lot to me that you would take the time to do so, since most of you will probably not read this fic and you know it's coming from an obsessed CB writer for a CB story. I try to be as objective as possible when writing fics, and it means a lot that you didn't flame me and just gave me your honest opinion about how well I wrote DB for a future scene. Thanks again. =)

*I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

…

Ch.1—It Isn't Decent

Three Months Earlier…

The quiet beeping woke her. That, and the gentle prodding she felt on her arm. Someone clearly wanted her attention. She opened her eyes and took in the small hospital room, feeling very out of it and tired. She turned her head to see Serena looking into her eyes with concern. That was when she was reminded of some sort of pain on her forehead. She lifted her hand, which suddenly felt very heavy and pressed her fingers against it.

"Oh, B, don't—"

Blair's eyes widened when she saw her fingers stained with blood.

"S…?" She turned her head to look at her best friend, demanding answers. Serena sighed.

"You were in a car accident."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "You told me this."

She nodded. "Five minutes ago. I think you forgot."

Obviously.

"It's probably the meds," Serena continued. "The doctor thinks you may have some broken ribs as well."

Blair winced, halfway to the cup of water on the mobile table beside her bed.

"Ah, so that's what that sharp pain is." Her hand recoiled from where it was, and slowly she brought her arm back, placing it over her ribcage.

Serena stood to her feet. "I'll get the doctor, see if I can get you some more meds."

Blair bit her tongue, struggling to sit up while maintaining some sort of pressure on her ribs. She nodded to Serena's suggestions.

"Yes, do that," she ground out.

"Oh, B, no, don't do that." She grabbed the remote on the table beside the cup of water and pressed a button. Blair froze and then relaxed, realizing with satisfaction that her bed could be lowered and lifted up with the touch of a button.

Once she had gotten to what she deemed the best available position, she smiled and looked at her best friend appreciatively. "Thanks, S."

Serena nodded.

"Now, please, an icepack or something." She waved her off. Serena cracked a smile and let herself out of the room, closing the door behind her.

With her best friend out of the room, Blair allowed herself to relax further into the bed. The pain wasn't too bad now, and she was very content with the fact that the remote could not only adjust the bed, but it could also call in the nurse and turn on the television. She sighed lightly when she realized she had no use for either of those pleasantries at the moment.

She closed her eyes, briefly wondering if she would fall asleep and have to be told what had happened to her again. She guessed not. The pain nagged at her, even if it had lessened since she'd found this new comfortable position. An image flashed before her eyes.

"…as much as I love you."

Her eyes opened suddenly. Her heart beat rapidly and she gasped. She forced herself to calm down her nerves when she noticed how the lines jumped on the heart monitor. She put her hand on her chest and told herself to take long, deep breaths.

"Where's Chuck?"

Serena nearly dropped the sealed bag of ice she was carrying. Of course she'd expected this question sooner or later. She'd just hoped for later. She needed more time to prepare her best friend for this massive burden. Slowly, she made her way into the room and shut the door behind her. Instead of handing the ice pack to Blair, she set it on the table within reach.

"S…" she said warningly. Serena could almost hear the tears in her voice. It felt like she too was about to burst. Her throat felt like it might close up, even hours after she'd first hear the news.

Blair watched her friend very closely, analyzing her every move and trying to prepare herself for whatever she might say. The worst alternative was of course death, but she only let her consider that option for a heartbeat. The lines on the heart monitor would be off the charts if that was the case. She would not let herself live through that dreadful news.

But what else could it be?

Serena drew up a chair beside her bed and prepared herself with a few deep steady breaths. She took Blair's hand in her own.

"Just tell me," Blair demanded. She swallowed hard, putting a brave face on. "This is Chuck. You know I can't stand being in the dark."

She forced a smile. "He hasn't woken up yet, B." She stroked her hand soothingly.

Blair's brows furrowed, as if confused. "What do you mean?" She turned her head too fast to look at the clock and then back into those wary blue eyes. "How long has it been?"

She forced a smile. "I'm sure he'll wake up soon."

"Serena." Her voice hitched.

She sighed. "He lost a lot of blood."

Her head fall back against the pillow. Her eyes closed. She could feel the beginnings of tears wetting her eyelashes and dripping down her face.

"Hey, hey, I'm sure he'll be alright," Serena said quickly, moving her soothing hand up her best friend's forearm and down again, trying to spread her warmth and calm her down. She tried to ignore the beeping coming from the heart monitor.

"How long?" she demanded.

She sighed. "A few hours."

Blair opened her eyes.

"As long as you've been here."

She turned her face away, unwilling to face what was staring so blatantly in front of her. The truth was cruel. She regretted asking for it.

"It was bad when we got here…" she admitted, deciding to go with the all-or-nothing route. "He was in critical condition. We heard you were awake, but there were doctors and nurses running through the hall…" She bit her bottom lip, remembering. "He's stable now though. He's alive."

Shaking a little, she turned to look at her best friend again. "If he wasn't, I wouldn't be here."

She didn't know how to take those words, so she just sat watching the traumatized brunette in silence. She was trying so hard to be brave, taking deep breaths in the most subtle way possible.

"I want to see him."

"You can't."

"S—"

"The doctor won't let any of us see him. Soon though." She stroked her hand soothingly.

The room spun around her. It was more than she could take. She cried a little, hardly noticing how it became louder and more violent without her consent. She was losing her breath and clutching at her body because it hurt. Doctor's orders beat everything, no matter how much she wanted to ignore it and force her way into that room. The truth was she'd need assistance. Just sitting up in bed had been an ordeal. And if no one else was allowed in, then she in her wounded state surely wouldn't make it in without being caught. She didn't even know where his room was.

She heard the beeping get louder and then darkness enveloped her.

…

Nate looked at her, condemnation clear in his eyes. She tried to avoid his gaze, but it was impossible. She'd already been pushed out of the room enough so that she could focus solely on that.

"You told her."

She sighed loudly. "I couldn't not tell her."

"She's too fragile right now. We told you not to tell her."

"Nate, it's Blair." Her eyes grew soft and serious, needing him to see how dire the situation had been and how desperate she'd been to escape her best friend's questing eyes. "And it's about Chuck." Her voice broke. "You know I couldn't keep it from her."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You could have waited." He moved across the waiting room and found a chair. Serena sat down beside him. Dan remained in a seat on the far side of room, looking lost and staring into space. Rufus held Lily who was still the basket-case of tears she'd been when she'd first heard the news. New tears sprung up every time she was reminded of the state of her step-son.

"I can't believe this happened," Serena whispered. "They were finally getting their happy ending."

Nate nodded wordlessly.

"I always knew she'd choose Chuck," she added thoughtfully.

Dan shifted for the first time in an hour.

Nate said nothing. There was no point in reminiscing over Chuck and Blair's relationship. None of them wanted to give in to the worst-case scenario, especially since they'd have to console Blair regardless and that would be difficult for all of them. Seeing her cry was the hardest. Hearing it for the first time just before Serena exited her room – or rather, was roughly "escorted" out – had shook them to the core. What was happening was obviously horrible, but it was an even more intense reality check when they were reminded of how much worse Blair felt with all of it, not to mention her physical trauma.

"Is Blair okay?" Lily asked suddenly, as if she'd just noticed Serena back in the room.

She nodded. "Yeah, she's fine." Her mother clearly had not heard Blair's crying or been aware of the nurses and doctors rushing in. "Just a little unsettled." Lily relaxed again.

Nate turned his face to look at her accusingly again. She ignored it. She was feeling guilty enough already.

Dan got to his feet, deciding his throat was dry from all his invisible crying and screaming at the world. He crossed the room and went down the hall to retrieve some water. It was just his luck that there were no more paper cups beside the water jug.

He felt a presence come up behind him just as he was about to return to the waiting room. Suddenly, he was face-to-face with Louis Grimaldi. He thought they'd just each force a sympathetic smile or perhaps a concerned momentary stare and return to where they'd been before, but he was not so lucky this time. Louis hadn't come over for water or to share his grief. He looked angry, and his target was Dan Humphrey.

"Louis," he attempted a gentle beginning, wondering still if he could slip away. He was suffering just as much as anyone else here. He loved the girl, and on top of being physically broken, her heart was in pieces. Knowing Serena, she probably hadn't told her the whole truth either. Maybe because it was only speculation at this point. It was too soon to tell. For Blair's sake, and for everyone else's –heck even for his, he hoped the speculation was wrong.

"This is your fault."

"Excuse me?" he asked, flabbergasted.

"If you had stayed put, Blair and I would have worked things out and she wouldn't be here right now. Serena told me she was with you at your loft."

He was very tempted to scoff. Instead, he crossed his arms across his chest and went on the defense. "She was with me. And she was safe. She didn't need you coming to fight for her. She didn't want you to fight for her."

Louis shook his head and scoffed, trying to squash his guilt. "You cannot possibly think you had nothing to do with this," he said, ignoring the state he and Blair had been in.

"I didn't." Louis stared at him hard. "What I do know though," he said, looking at him determinedly and feeling more in control than he had since he'd first gotten the horrible news, "is that before the accident Blair was happy. With Chuck," he emphasized, walking past the bitter prince back into the waiting room.

The receptionist at the desk offered a paper cup to Dan. If circumstances had been different, he would have laughed at the irony. At first he refused it, a little shaken from Louis's accusations, but when she showed him that there was already water inside he accepted it with a forced polite smile. They were all getting good at those.

…

A/N: I was contemplating having flashbacks throughout the whole first part of the story of what happened during the three months before the story technically starts, but since I had this all start on the day of B's wedding, I figured this was a safer route. As you can see, this fic will be a long one. ;) Please review! =D