Wow! So I never ever intended for it to take me this long to update. I'm so sorry about that, but my life got really hectic at the end of the school year and moving back home for the summer has been, well, interesting lol. Summer job hunting is this bum economy has been occupying my time (and it's a painful process).
I was so happy with the Gossip Girl season finale! C and B finally had their happy ending :)
This chapter brings my very first fanfic to a close. I hope you've all enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. I couldn't have done this without my wonderful beta, Ellie. She's been so amazing and helped me so much with my writing.
I have a couple ideas for new stories that I'll begin working on soon. Eventually I may even write a sequel to this one (if you guys are interested... let me know!).
Please read and review! I know I've left you guys hanging for a while, but I'd really love to hear your opinion on how everything is wrapped up. The title for this chapter is borrowed from The Fray's "Where The Story Ends" and the italicized lyrics at the end of the story come from Coldplay's "Till Kingdom Come."
Chapter 9 – "Where The Story Ends"
"Chuck! Don't you dare come in this room! The last thing we need is any more bad luck today!" The soon to be Mrs. Bass ordered through the heavy wooden door at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
For the life of me, I still couldn't figure out why Blair had insisted on getting married in this church. While it was an architectural wonder and conveniently located across the street from The Palace, neither one of us was Catholic. Hell, neither of us really followed any religion. But as soon as I had slipped the engagement ring on her finger she began prattling on and on about getting married at St. Patrick's. I quickly learned that trying to talk her into another venue was impossible. Queen B always gets what she wants; and everyone else, her king included, knows that any effort to change her mind is futile. And today my queen was utterly displeased. The wedding of her dreams was on the brink of disaster… thanks to a priest who had very suddenly come down with a horrible stomach flu.
"Blair, everything's going to be fine," I attempted to assure her.
"Fine! How the hell is everything going to be fine? Our priest is tossing his cookies in the bathroom as we speak!" she snapped.
"I've got my people working on it. Considering the number of Catholic churches in this city, I'm sure it won't be long before they find us a priest." My entire personal staff was busy calling every Catholic church in the five boroughs. They would find someone. I was sure of it, because I offered a hefty raise to the first person to find my bride a priest.
"We're supposed to be getting married in twenty minutes! There are over 300 guests expecting this wedding to start in twenty minutes! Twenty!" she screeched.
I once again attempted to assure her that everything would be just fine, but I was failing miserably. She launched something heavy at the door when I suggested that we'd just be fashionably late.
"Mr. Chuck! Mr. Chuck! Everything okay! Mr. Greg found a priest and sent car to bring him here!" Dorota rushed over to me, informing me of the good news excitedly. Apparently it would be my personal assistant going home with the raise.
"See, Blair, I told you everything would be fine," I reiterated. Dorota hurried back down the hallway, chasing after Bella and Drew. Our flower girl and ring bearer were far more interested in playing tag in the hallway than performing their required wedding duties. Then I heard Blair sob on the other side of the door.
"Blair? Are you okay?" I turned the doorknob slowly and peeked inside. She had her back to me, but I could see where she had ripped open a pack of tissues and was dabbing delicately at her eyes with them.
"You're not supposed to see me before the wedding. It's tradition," she lectured. Ignoring her, I closed the door and made my way toward her, wrapping my arms around her waist.
"We've never really been very traditional." I chuckled. She turned in my arms to face me, the layers of her strapless, hand-beaded ball gown, one of Eleanor's creations, swishing with her movements. The Erickson Beamon necklace rested on her neck. She was always beautiful, but today she was absolutely stunning. And today, she would officially be mine.
"That's true," she agreed, laughing a little, but her eyes still glistened with tears.
"So what's wrong? We'll have our perfect wedding, there's no reason for those tears," I told her, kissing her forehead gently.
"I'm not crying because I'm sad. I'm crying because… everything's perfect." She smiled before kissing my lips tenderly.
She pulled away and continued, "I was going to wait a while to tell you… but I have news."
"News?" I asked.
She picked up something on the table beside us and held it in her hand.
"We're having a baby, Bass." She grinned. I glanced at the object in her hand, a white stick with two little pink lines clearly visible of the indicator.
"We're having a baby," I repeated. It took a minute for me to fully comprehend her words.
"We're having a baby!" I said again, this time more enthusiastically. I cupped her face with my hands and pressed my lips against hers. Ten years ago, the idea of being someone's father would've terrified me, but today it was the most amazing news I'd ever heard. Someone cleared their throat and I looked up to find Eleanor and Lily peering in the room from the hallway.
"The priest will be here shortly. Charles, you need to go take your place," Eleanor explained.
"Of course," I answered. But before I left, I turned to Blair and kissed her again.
"I love you," I whispered in her ear as I placed my hand over her stomach.
She smiled as she whispered back, "We love you too."
I was making him nervous. The grip Chuck had on my hand tightened with every anxious tap of my Marc Jacobs flats on the hideously colored carpet. With the amount of money Dr. Warren raked in from the Upper East Side's expectant mothers, he could certainly afford to redecorate this outdated atrocity of a waiting room.
"Mr. and Mrs. Bass, Dr. Warren will see you now," the nurse announced. I walked with Chuck, our hands still joined together, to the examination room. Today was our first sonogram, it was the first time we'd get to hear the baby's heartbeat.
We were both silent as I slipped into the hospital gown and lay down on the examination table. My fingers tapped furiously as he moved to stand beside me.
"Everything's going to be fine," Chuck told me, placing a protective hand over my belly. He'd been telling me everything was going to be fine for three months now. But given my miscarriage in high school and the miscarriages I suffered after Bella, I was just so terrified of something going wrong. I didn't think I would ever get over it if something happened to this baby, so I followed Dr. Warren's orders to the letter; I took pre-natal vitamins and ate every bite of the healthy meals Dorota prepared for me. Hell, I'd even started going to a pre-natal yoga class with Serena twice a week. Chuck and Dan swore that Serena and I had secretly coordinated our pregnancies, but it was pure coincidence.
"I know," I choked out. These damn hormones! They were making it increasingly more difficult to keep my cool. He placed a sweet kiss on my lips as Dr. Warren entered the room and greeted us. We chatted for a few minutes about how everything was going. I'd wanted to strangle that doctor when he commented on how big I was for only being three months along. I knew that was a good thing, it meant the baby was healthy. But it was still a blow to my ego to be reminded of the fact that slowly but surely I was growing to resemble a beached whale. And it didn't help when that husband of mine actually chuckled at the Dr.'s comment. But one icy glare in his direction and I could see the panic in those chocolate eyes of his, as he began furiously backtracking; reminding me that I was as beautiful as ever. Finally chitchat was over, and it was time for what we'd really come for. The doctor squirted the clear jelly over my stomach and began moving the sensor around. I held my breath, waiting for the steady pace of my baby's heartbeat to soothe me.
"Hmmm… that's surprising," Dr. Warren muttered.
"Surprising?" Chuck and I blurted out at the same time. I could feel the fear start to course through my veins.
"Here," He moved the sensor over and the steady lub-dub noise filled the room. Only… there wasn't just one heartbeat… but two joining mine.
"Mr. and Mrs. Bass, I'm happy to tell you that you're expecting twins," Dr. Warren explained, and showed us on the monitor where both babies were positioned. I felt tears start to prick at my eyes, relief finally washing over me as the two strong heartbeats continued on.
"Twins!" Chuck smiled and I could just imagine the thoughts running through his mind. He was probably congratulating himself on knocking me up with not one baby Bass, but two.
"Congratulations," Dr. Warren told us both and he shook Chuck's hand. When we returned to the limo, Chuck actually hugged Arthur.
"Twins!" he'd told him, a proud and un-characteristically goofy smile on his face.
As we rolled through the city streets, Chuck's ever present hand returned to my belly.
"Go ahead, I know you're dying to say it." I smirked at him.
"Say what? That Chuck Bass is just so damn good in bed, he got you pregnant with two babies, instead of just one?" He smirked back.
"You're ridiculous." I laughed. I wouldn't bruise his ego by reminding him that the father's talents in the bedroom had nothing to do with the occurrence of twins.
"No, Mrs. Bass, I'm irresistible," he insisted as he grasped my face, moving so my lips met his. I moaned deep in my throat, and I could feel him grin. Damn, he was irresistible. I thought I heard him growl as we continued our steamy make-out session, but I soon realized it was actually my stomach.
"Chuck, I'm hungry," I told him as he nibbled on my neck.
"Mmm…" He muttered back as he continued to leave a trail of kisses along my neck. It was a sensation I was thoroughly enjoying, but then my stomach growled again loudly.
He pulled back. "You're really hungry?" he asked.
"That's what I just said!" I rolled my eyes at him.
"Oh," he frowned.
"What did you think I meant?" I asked him, my eyebrow rose in curiosity.
"I thought… you were hungry for me," he answered, with a cocky smile.
"Steak first, ravishing later," I told him, placing a peck on his lips.
Chuck rolled down the divider separating us from Arthur. "Arthur, call the Palace and tell them to have our usual table ready. My babies want a steak," he explained, rubbing circles on my belly.
The school bell rang, signaling the end of the day, as I stood by the gate of Bella's elementary school. All the nannies eyed me closely; it was rare to see a stepfather actually picking up their child in the Upper East Side. Usually Dorota would be here, waiting patiently for Bella and her sandy curls to appear, but today was a special occasion.
"Chuck!" I heard her call, as the swarm of children began descending the front steps of the Dalton school. She rushed over to me, and I pulled her in for a hug.
"Did you hurt your hand?" She asked, eyeing the splint on two of my fingers.
"I broke my fingers," I explained to her. Well, technically, Blair had broken my fingers. Today I learned it was very dangerous to tell Blair Bass, while in labor, to squeeze my hand as hard as she needed to. I had no idea how hard that actually was until I'd heard my own bones crack.
"Where's Dorota?" Bella asked as she examined my fingers closely.
"Dorota's at the hospital with Mommy," I answered.
"Did the babies come?" She asked, wide-eyed and excited. She was ecstatic about becoming a big sister, and had been anxiously awaiting their arrival all these months with us.
"Yes, the babies and Mommy are all doing fine, and they want to see you," I told her, a genuine smile spreading across her lips. She gripped my hand, the one without my broken bones, as we crossed the street and hopped into the limo. She was literally bouncing up and down the entire ride to the hospital, so excited to finally meet her little brother and sister. We finally arrived at the hospital and made our way to Blair's room. Bella peered nervously inside, and smiled at her mother.
"Come in, sweetie," Blair told her, and Bella hurried to her mother's side, gazing at the tightly wrapped blue blanket in her arms. Dorota smiled as she handed me the squirming pink bundle she'd been holding, and my daughter's dark eyes stared up at me.
"Bella, this is your baby brother, Cameron," Blair told her.
"He's so little." Bella giggled.
"And this is your little sister, Victoria," I told her, as I sat down in the chair beside Blair's bed, my little girl relaxing in my arms as she snuggled closer to me.
"Do you want to hold her?" I asked, and she quickly nodded. I motioned for her to come closer, and pulled her to sit on my lap. Very carefully I placed the baby in her arms, and helped her support her little sister's head. Victoria seemed upset by the movement and let out a loud wail, which of course only encouraged Cameron to join in.
Bella quickly began to soothe her sister. "Don't cry, Tori," she told her, and soon the baby relaxed and her tiny fingers wrapped around Bella's pinky.
"Tori, I like that," I told Bella, and glanced up to see Blair smiling back at me as she gently rocked Cameron in her arms.
After a few hours of familial bonding, including visits from Blair's parents, Lily, a very pregnant Serena, and Dan, the hospital was quiet. My children, with their matching tufts of dark hair, were fast asleep in the nursery. I had stood there for a while, watching the rise and fall of their little chests, for never in my life had I seen something so fascinating. But the events of the day had left me tired and weary, and I made my way back to Blair's room. When I'd left her to check on the twins, she'd been fast asleep, but she was awake now, propped up in bed.
"There you are." She yawned and rubbed her eyes. I climbed into bed next to her and she rested her head on my shoulder.
"They're fast asleep," I told her.
"That won't last long. They'll be waking me up at all hours of the night when we get home." She traced lazy circles on my chest, her eyes drooping a little.
"Waking us up," I corrected her.
"You're going to get up at 3 in the morning with me?" she asked, doubt evident in her voice.
"Of course I am," I answered without any hesitation. I fully intended to be the father I never had growing up, and that meant being there for everything, every step and misstep along the way.
Blair gazed up at me. "I love you, Chuck Bass."
"I love you, Blair Bass," I told her, placing a kiss on her lips as she drifted off to sleep in my arms.
"Mom, how do I look?" Bella asked, spinning around in her flowing, champagne colored cotillion gown. Half of her sandy colored loose curls rested on her shoulders, while the others were pulled pack from her face. She was sixteen and absolutely stunning.
"You look gorgeous," I told her, trying not to let her see the tears rising in my eyes. My little girl was all grown up. Well, she was almost grown; she was a junior at Constance.
"Really?" She grinned, twisting the Vanderbilt ring around on her right ring finger. Nate had given her the family heirloom for her sixteenth birthday, and she wore it everyday. Nate wasn't exactly father of the year, as he had missed so many important milestones in her life and had let her down more than a few times, but she would always forgive him. Bella was far more forgiving and kind than I ever was.
"Yes, really!" I assured her. I made my way over to my jewelry box, carefully opening the bottom drawer and searching for a very specific piece of jewelry.
"Well, Tori, what do you think?" Bella asked, as she struck a pose for her little sister.
"You know you look pretty! You just want Derek Baizen to notice!" Tori teased, as she cuddled Holly, a full-grown cat now, close. Tori's dark waves, the same color as Chuck's, shook as she giggled.
"Shhh! Don't let Chuck hear you! He can't stand Derek!" Bella shushed her as I found the diamond necklace and carried it towards my eldest daughter.
"Derek just reminds him of himself at that age," I explained. Chuck was in denial. He refused to believe that our little Bella was growing up, and that she was dating. More specifically that she was dating Derek Baizen, who had a reputation nearly as notorious as Chuck did all those years ago.
"You're letting me wear your Erickson Beamon necklace?" Bella asked, stunned. She had begged me to wear it to various events before, but I'd denied her requests. This was one piece of jewelry that was so precious to me; it couldn't just be loaned out for some random event. But tonight my daughter would enter the Palace ballroom as the lead debutante, and just as I did, the Erickson Beamon necklace would rest on her neck.
"Of course. I wore it to my cotillion, you'll wear it to yours, and one day Tori will wear it too," I explained, as she pulled her curls out of the way and I clasped my most beloved piece of jewelry securely on her neck. She turned to face me, a genuine Bass grin across her lips. She may have been an Archibald by birth, but she'd been raised in a house full of Basses, and her mannerisms proudly flaunted it. A knock on the door interrupted our little family moment.
"Ladies," Chuck peeked in the door, "We've got to get going or the lead debutante is going to be late." His eyes grew wide as he saw Bella. "Bella… you look… you look beautiful… like your mother."
"Thank you," Bella replied as she rushed over to her stepfather's side to hug him.
"But Daddy's not here yet," Bella frowned, flipping open her cell phone to check for missed calls.
"I'm sure he's just running a little late," I tried to assure her. I would strangle that Archibald if he let Bella down tonight. The girls were to be presented to society by their fathers before their dates escorted them to the dance floor. Bella would be so embarrassed if Nate wasn't there for the presentations.
"I'm sure your mother's right. I'll go call him now," Chuck assured her too, but before he left he motioned for me to follow him. My long satin, black dress brushed along the steps as I walked with him.
"No! Take the shot! Take the shot!" I could hear Cameron yell at the television in the living room. 9 years old, and my son already knew far more about basketball than I'd ever know in my lifetime. Chuck loved taking him to Knicks games, Cameron looking like a mini Chuck clone as they sat side-by-side, courtside, of course.
"Nate, I don't give a damn if there's a crisis in D.C. You have to be here tonight, you can't let her down," Chuck scolded Nate on the phone, his free hand balled into a fist.
"Let me talk to him," I told Chuck, and he handed the phone over.
"Nathaniel Archibald, if you're not going to make it, you need to call your daughter right now and tell her that yourself. Don't leave Chuck and me to do your dirty work," I snapped, as Nate begged me to just tell Bella he couldn't make it. Cameron must have heard me, because he suddenly appeared, a serious expression on his face that perfectly mirrored his father's. Chuck cleared his throat, and motioned towards the staircase, where Bella and Tori were standing. Bella clutched Tori's hand, as they walked towards us together.
"It's okay, Mom," Bella told me, though I knew she was lying. I gave her the phone.
"Father," she greeted, quiet for a moment as Nate spoke to her. "I understand, it's alright really," she finally answered. Chuck and I frowned at each other, because it was evident from the expression on her face that Nate's absence was absolutely not okay with her. Bella snapped the phone shut after saying her goodbyes, and held back the tears that were welling up in her Archibald blue eyes. Tori reached for her sister's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Bella turned to her and smiled lightly, then pulled her in for a tight hug, and then turned to Cameron and ruffled his dark locks.
"We better get going," Bella mumbled.
"Wait! Let me get family photo!" Dorota scurried in from the kitchen, camera in hand. She quickly took several shots of the five of us, even Bella, flashing out best Bass grins.
"Now come, Miss Tori and Mister Cameron, let's bake cookies," Dorota told her two youngest charges after our little family photo shoot had ended. The twins excitedly began arguing over what type of cookies to make as they rushed to the kitchen.
"Save me some, you two!" Bella called after them, and they giggled as they promised they would.
"Dorota, Serena's nanny will be dropping off Charlotte in a little bit for her sleepover with the twins," I reminded my beloved maid before she hurried after Cam and Tori. Charlotte was Serena and Dan's youngest. Charlotte and the twins were joined at the hip, and Serena and I jokingly called them the three musketeers.
The ride to the Palace was longer than usual because the neighborhood was overrun with other limos and town cars also making their way to the event. When we arrived a crowd of photographers began wildly snapping photos of the three of us.
"Mr. and Mrs. Bass!"
"Miss Archibald!"
"Won't the king and queen give us a smile?"
The last call got my attention. Chuck and I had been dubbed the king and queen of New York in the write up about our wedding in The Times. Ever since then, anytime we appeared on the society pages they'd always refer to us as the king and queen. It was a title the both of us secretly loved. I grinned at my husband and he grinned back, wrapping an arm around my waist as we allowed our public a few good shots. But we soon made our way inside with Bella, walking with her to where the other debs were being placed into position for their presentations.
"Bella! You look beautiful!" Lily, who was serving as the cotillion chairwoman quickly moved to hug her.
"But, where's your father? We're going to start the presentations in a few minutes, and you're first," Lily informed her, a worried expression marring her features. Bella hesitated for a moment, but then a smile spread across her lips.
"Don't be silly, my Dad's right here." She linked her arm with Chuck's. Chuck grinned proudly at her, and I couldn't help it, but tears started to prick at my eyes.
"Of course," Lily smiled back, and the worry disappeared from her face. "Let's get you two in place, Derek's already taken his," she explained. I could see Chuck tense at the mention of Derek, and Bella and I couldn't help but laugh at his reaction.
"Alright you two, I'm off to find Serena and Dan," I kissed my daughter on the cheek and placed a quick peck on my husband's lips before making my way off to the balcony.
"Blair!" I heard my best friend call and I made my way through the crowd to the front of the balcony where Serena and Dan had saved me a place.
"Oh, Bella looks gorgeous!" Serena gushed, as she came into view.
"And Drew looks so handsome!" I complimented. He was escorting Julia Nichols, Kati's daughter, and Bella's best friend. He'd grown into quite the good-looking young man. Lily greeted the audience and began the presentations.
"Isabella Anne Archibald, daughter of Senator Nathaniel Archibald and Blair Bass. She is presented tonight by her stepfather, Charles Bass. She hopes to follow in her mother's footsteps and attend Yale's prestigious school of business, and upon graduation join her stepfather at Bass Industries. She will continue to live on the Upper East Side and dedicate her time to children's charities."
Derek Baizen quickly appeared, and bowed before Bella and Chuck. Bella gave her stepfather a quick kiss on the cheek before courtesying and moving to link her arm with Derek's.
After all the presentations had been made and the debutantes had their customary first waltz, everyone was free to join them on the dance floor.
"There you are, Mrs. Bass." Chuck grinned when we were reunited.
"Dance with me, Mr. Bass?" I asked. The band began playing an old song I used to like.
Still my heart and hold my tongue
I feel my time
My time has come
Let me in
Unlock the door
I never felt this way before
"Always," he replied as he took my hand and led me to the dance floor. We twirled around the dance floor, whispering the latest gossip to each other.
And the wheels just keep on turning
The drummer begins to drum
I don't know which way I'm going
I don't know which way I've come
Hold my head inside your hands
I need someone who understands
I need someone, someone who hears
For you I've waited all these years
For you I'd wait 'til kingdom come
Until my day, my day is done
And say you'll come and set me free
Just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me
I heard Bella laugh and turned my head to see her dancing with Derek. He was a dead ringer for a young Carter Baizen. His hair was just a few shades darker and skin just a little more tanned.
"I'm going to say something," Chuck started, a stern expression suddenly coming across his face.
"About what?" I was confused by his sudden mood change.
"Do you see where that boy's hand is?" Chuck huffed, motioning over to Derek.
"Since when is Chuck Bass a prude?" I joked.
"He's basically cupping her ass in public!" He hissed, his forehead creased in concern.
"His hand is no lower than yours is," I insisted.
"That's different! You're my wife, and she… she's…" he struggled to find the right words.
"She's your little girl," I finished for him. "You still think of her as the five year old you have to rescue and protect from the world, but she's growing up."
In your tears and in your blood
In your fire and in your flood
I hear you laugh, I heard you sing
I wouldn't change a single thing
And the wheels just keep on turning
The drummers begin to drum
I don't know which way I'm going
I don't know what I've become
"I know." He sighed.
"And before you know it, we'll be at cotillion with Tori and Cam. And she'll be dating someone you don't approve of, and he'll be dating someone I don't approve of." I laughed, but it was true. The twins were growing up so fast.
"Oh no, Mrs. Bass, I have seven years before we'll be here with the twins. And who says I'll allow any boy near my Tori?" Chuck half joked, with raised eyebrows.
"Well you can't let Cam date, and not allow Tori to do the same," I insisted.
"Cam's a boy, that's different," Chuck grumbled.
"Chuck Bass! That's sexist!" I huffed. His hand resting on my lower back inched a little lower.
"And you're sexy," he smirked as he crushed his lips against mine. I would have to fight him on my daughter's future right to date later, because the only thing on my mind was his irresistible lips. I pulled away from him for a moment.
"Do you have the key to the suite with you?" I gazed up at him with hooded, love-drunk, eyes. Chuck and I kept his old suite at the Palace for when we needed to get away, just the two of us.
"Of course," he replied, a wicked smirk spreading across his lips as he grabbed my hand and led me out of the ballroom, to the elevator. We quickly hopped in the elevator and he pulled me close to him, kissing me as he hit the button for the eighteenth floor.
"I just love how you think, Mrs. Bass," he mumbled against my lips.
For you I'd wait 'til kingdom come
Until my days, my days are done
And say you'll come and set me free
Just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me
The End.