Hey guys! I know, it took quite a while for this update but I've not much time at the moment to write. Though, I going to write the last two chapters of this story soon and I'm already working on a sequel. So please add me to your author alert list and read the other pieces I wrote to.
Special thanks to my beta Holly! You're amazing.
And of course I'd like to thank everyone that's still stuck with this story!
"What?" Chuck asked when he got closer to Lily.
"Yes. You heard right. You father had an accident. When he was inspecting one of his sites, he fell. And he's not very well, Chuck. You need to come home." Lily explained.
"When did this happen? Why didn't you call?" Chuck hissed. He was confused. Was he worried? Was he angry? Probably both. His father couldn't be hurt, could he? He was the big bad Bart Bass. Chuck just couldn't imagine that his father could be weak.
"And you should come too, Nate. Given to everything, maybe this is the opportunity that will make things work." Lily suggested.
Nate's stomach tightened at Lily's comment. Ever since his mom had brought up the issue, Chuck and him avoided that topic completely. They decided to ignore it and continue their friendship as it was. The idea of being blood related to each other was still kind of – well, weird.
Nate nodded though.
"Okay then. Please go, grab your things, I'll call the pilot." Lily declared.
"You're here with the Bass Jet?" Chuck asked in disbelief. It was a business week and he knew very well that the plane was constantly used from Monday to Friday. And it was a Tuesday.
"Yes, Chuck. I didn't want to book commercial. That just would have cost time." Lily returned.
Blair, Serena and Eric made their way upstairs.
"Lily, how serious are his injuries?" Chuck asked. He was still frozen in place. Nate still sat at the table.
"Chuck, when I left he came out from of surgery. He was okay. Not good but stable. They put him in an artificial coma until tomorrow. So the sooner we get back, the sooner you can see him and stay with him when they wake him up." Lily explained.
Nate nodded and went upstairs in order to pack his things.
"And you just left him there alone?" Chuck asked in disbelief. Anger built up inside of his stomach.
Lily shook her head. "No, Anne promised to stay with him. And , believe it or not, Dorota offered to stay in the hospital as well. I think she really misses people around her since Blair's gone and Eleanor more in Europe than at home."
Chuck hesitated a second before he nodded and followed the others upstairs. 'He has a kid with Anne, so they liked each other somewhere along the way' Chuck thought to himself as he opened the door of his and Blair's bedroom. Blair had already laid four suitcases on the bed and floor. Open, so that she just could throw things in them. And that she did. She grabbed everything haply and threw it in the suitcases.
"Blair, we'll need days to sort my things from yours." Chuck mentioned her behavior.
"No we won't. That will take Dorota just a few hours when she's unpacking in my house." Blair returned nonchalant.
"Your house?" Chuck lifted an eyebrow at her.
"Yes, Chuck Bass. You're not going to stay in the Palace when we get back. You need a home. And I couldn't call the apartment 'home' if you're not there. So you'll stay with me." Blair explained her plan just like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"I don't think so." Chuck replied.
Blair stopped her activity and turned her gaze to his. "Why not?"
"Well, I don't think that Eleanor would approve of that. And I also don't think that Lily would be fine with this." Chuck returned as he started to throw the clothes haply in the suitcases, just like she did before.
"I don't care, Bass. You'll stay with me. Your daddy is ill, you need someone who bolsters you and I don't think that Lily can do that. But I can." Blair said firmly.
Chuck eyed her again in curiosity. "Is that so?"
Blair's eyes met his. "Yes, Chuck. That is so. I will stand by you through anything because I love you."
Chuck pulled her in an embrace in no time and gave her a butterfly kiss on her lips. She smiled at him. The love and the worry he saw in her eyes were overwhelming. "Thank you, Blair."
Blair pulled back and frowned a bit. But the very next moment she smiled again. Chuck was confused but let it slip right now. When they finished packing, there were only five last pieces still hanging on the door. It was the white silk dress, Blair's two dancing dresses and the two they'd borrowed from Isabella.
"Blair, what about your dresses?" Chuck asked.
Blair looked at him. "They belong here. Well, at least mine. The other two we've to bring back before leaving."
Chuck just nodded. He didn't know why exactly he got so impatient but he wanted go back to NY as soon as possible.
He took all four suitcases at once and carried them downstairs. Blair just shook her head at him before she hung the white dress and her 'work clothes' in the closet.
Five minutes later, all of them sat in the two cars Lily had ordered to bring them to the airport after a little stop by at Jose's house.
Meanwhile in New York.
As soon as Lily called, Anne ran off to the hospital. She now sat next to Bart's bed, holding his hand while he laid there in a coma. 'This is Lily's place. She should be here. She's his wife.' Anne flinched at the word as she thought about it. She still didn't know how to explain to Nate that she filled for divorce. An immediately divorce that was. For every common person this would be something impossible. But not for the Vanderbilt family. They were in high positions in every relevant political office on the Upper East Coast and had very powerful friends.
Sitting there playing Bart's wife was wrong in every way, but right now, Anne was lucky to have something to distract herself from sitting alone in the empty house or doing the garden. Even if the view in front of her broke her heart a bit.
After their quick visit at José's the NJBC, Eric and Lily sat in the Bass Jet that was headed back to New York. Chuck had given all the money they got from José back to him.
"Nate, where do you want to stay when we're back? I guess you don't want to be at the Archibald house right now?" Blair said.
Nate looked at her. He hadn't thought about that so far. "No idea." was his short reply.
"Well we could get a hotel room." Serena suggested.
"Nonsense. You have your rooms at home Serena. Nate can have the guest room. I'll tell Cece that I need it." Lily interrupted.
"Oh, no, Lily. You can't kick your own mother out. He'll stay at our house. Chuck will be there, too so that shall be fine!" Blair cut her off.
"No, he'll stay with us. Grandma will understand." Serena snapped at her.
"You can't kick your grandmother out, Serena." Blair snapped back in disbelief.
"Oh, you would know, huh? You never had one!" Serena fired back.
Blair didn't reply. She just shook her head and looked out of the window.
"That was a low blow, Serena." Chuck said.
"No it was not!" Serena tried to defend herself.
"Yes it was. And I'd love to stay at your house, Blair." Nate mentioned.
Blair turned her gaze to him and beamed. That made Serena pout. Eric rolled annoyed with his eyes.
"Why do the two of you always fight out of the blue?" Eric asked annoyed.
"THAT is something I try to figure out for years now, Eric darling." Lily cut in. "But now, rest. All of you. We've a long day ahead."
All of them stayed quiet. Blair snuggled into Chuck's chest. Serena curled up in a ball, pouting, leaning away from Nate. Eric and Lily just rolled their eyes at them. About two hours later they'd be back in the city they fled from just several weeks ago. And the idea of this haunted them in their dreams right now.
At the airport.
"Blair, Serena, Eric. The car over there will take you home. Chuck, Nate, we're going to the hospital now." Lily said as she tried to handle the situation easily.
"No Mom! I want to go with Nate." Serena returned.
"And I want to be there for Chuck." Blair added and made a serious face. Chuck grabbed her hand and pulled her closer.
Everyone turned to Eric. And he took a look around. "There's no way I'm going home alone now. We're all going to the hospital. Bart's my stepfather after all."
Lily sighed and nodded. She wasn't in the mood for fighting right now.
Meanwhile in the hospital.
He stood in the middle of a large grass field. On his right, there were trees, on the left a lake. He heard giggling. Her giggling. "Come and catch me, Bartie." She ran across the field in her long white gown, her beautiful long dark brown hair flying around her while she did. He couldn't help but follow her. When she ran towards the trees and he couldn't see her anymore, he called her name. She didn't answer. But when he reached the trees, he saw her standing there. Her back facing him. He walked slowly closer to her. "Misty." he whispered. She turned around. She held a bundle of white sheets in her arms. Suddenly some muffled cries came from the bundle. Misty looked at the bundle and then at him. "You promised!" she said sadly. "You promised you would take care of him! Where's my baby boy, Bart?" she added angrily. "You said you'd never let him down. What did you do to him? Where's my baby, Bart? Where's Charlie?" the halo started to speak louder. She got furious - he could see it in her eyes. She let the bundle drop and nothing disappeared. Bart called her and walked to the bundle. When he lifted it, the baby was gone. Only the white sheet and the baby blue pacifier Misty had bought when she learned that she was pregnant, was left.
"Mr. Bass! Mr. Bass! Calm down please!" a very nervous nurse held him down and talked to him while a young doctor put something in his IV.
"There he is." the doctor smiled at him as Bart opened his eyes and stopped shivering. "Mr. Bass, I gave you some sedatives. You obviously had a nightmare but you can't move around so much right now. The broken leg and ribs won't heal that way, okay?"
Bart nodded slowly. If he would be okay, he'd yell at that guy for talking to him like a five year old.
"It's okay, Doctor. I'll watch him now." a familiar female voice said.
"Anne?" Bart turned his gaze to met hers. "Where's Lily?" he asked confused.
"Hello, Bart." Anne smiled lovely down at him. "Lily went to bring the children home. Should be here soon."
Bart looked at her confused. He remembered the accident, the emergency room, Lily crying and then everything went black. And now he wakes up and finds his wife gone and himself in an awkward situation with his old college sweetheart. 'Great'. Bart mumbled to himself before he scowled at the ceiling.
When Lily arrived at the hospital with the kids, she told Serena, Eric and Blair to wait in the hallway in front of Bart's room before she pushed Chuck and Nate into the door.
"Bart, you're awake!" Lily squealed delighted.
"Yes I am." Bart returned nonchalant. Chuck took a few steps closer to his father's hospital bed.
When Bart spotted Chuck next to him, the strangest thing ever happened to Chuck. Bart used his good arm to pull him closer in a hug. "Welcome home, Charlie."
The people in the room froze at once in their places. When the doctor came in the very next moment, Chuck looked at him as he just had saw a ghost.
Chuck pulled back in pure horror. "Doctor, are you sure there's no brain damage?"
"CHUCK!" at least three voices shouted at the same time.
"I'm fine, son. Is it so bad for me to be happy to have you back here? Actually the two of you." Bart said and nodded to Nate. Nate gave him his usual natefused look.
"No, you're not fine." Chuck replied.
Bart scowled at him. "And what makes you think that way?"
"You're nice. You were never nice and you sure as hell were never happy to see me before, so." Chuck whispered angrily.
"May I speak to Chuck alone for a minute, please?" Bart asked and Lily, Anne and Nate nodded before leaving the room.
Bart sighed before he turned his gaze to his very confused son.
"Look, Father, I know the accident must have been a shock for you, so it's okay. Just…it's okay. You don't have to be like 'Oh my god, I just died and have now to make everything right'. I mean, it's okay. I'm used to it. I don't want you to get sentimental only because you think you have to." Chuck explained as carefully as he could.
Bart nodded. "Charles, I know this comes as a shock for you. I know you think it's just a reaction the shock, but it's not."
"Well, then what?" Chuck asked impatient.
Bart sighed again and hesitated for a moment. "Before you were born, I had to promise your mother something. Something I did not do very well for the last nineteen years. But I'd like to do it right, if you're up for it and if you can forgive me."
Chuck frowned.
"I know we left things quite messy when I left Cuba. I know I owe you an explanation and if you still want it, I'm going to explain it right now." Bart added.
Chuck nodded slowly.
"Well, take a seat. This might take a bit longer." Bart started. Chuck slowly turned around, grabbed the chair Anne sat on earlier and took the place right next to his father's bed.
"Before you were born, things got a bit rocky with your mom, that's why the Anne incident happened. I am ashamed of that. But I can't make it go away. But then, I really tried to get closer to your mother again and it worked out. We were fine. But when the due date moved closer, the doctors saw something. They knew, and we knew, there could be complications when your mother would give birth to you. Although she insisted on a natural birth, no c-section. Believe me, I begged her every day for it but the doctors said that the risk were even. She had a blood coagulation dysfunction. And so I had to promise her something. Whatever happened to her, I'd choose you over her and take care of you as good as I could. I chose you but I was never the father I wanted to be for you. I'm sorry for that. But the true reason was never that I blamed you for what happened. I blamed myself. She lay there, on that table, in pain, giving birth to the child I wanted so badly and then she died. And you, you look like her. Every time I look at you, I see her. And it hurts. I'm sorry, I know this is so unfair to you, but I miss her Chuck. You have no idea how much. But I do love you, son. And I'd choose you again."
Chuck swallowed hard. He rose from the chair and started to walk through the room for a while before he was able to speak. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"
Bart tried to sit up but gasped in pain as he tried. Chuck made two big steps before he reached Bart and pushed him down again carefully.
Bart searched Chuck's eyes with his. "I dreamt of her."
"You dreamt of her?" Chuck asked in disbelief.
"Yes I did." Bart whispered.
Chuck shook his head a bit, he couldn't understand how this could possibly change everything in a second. Bart must have dreamed of his mother more than once in all these years.
"She lectured me." a sad smile came to his lips. "She said I broke my promise and she's right Chuck. I should have been a better father. I can't change the last years but I can change myself. What do you say?" he raised his right hand to shake Chucks. It took a moment before Chuck bend down to hug his father. Something he couldn't remember ever doing it before. It was a very genuine gesture and both of them knew that all the bitterness and frustration about each other could be left behind if they really wanted it to.
"Chuck would you do me a favor and send Nathaniel in? I've to talk to him for a minute in private, too." Bart asked and Chuck nodded before he went out.
The others were waiting in front of the room when Chuck came out.
"Nate, he asked if you'd come in for a minute. He wants to talk to you alone." Chuck announced and Nate nodded before he pushed past Chuck in the room.
Blair eyed Chuck carefully. He met her gaze and smiled a bit. She walked over to him and he pulled her in a tight embrace.
"You okay?" Blair whispered.
Chuck felt a tear running down his cheek. "I am now." He answered before he kissed her softly on her forehead.
"You asked to see me." Nate sighed as he closed the door behind him.
"Yes, I did. Please have a seat." Bart offered.
"No thanks. I prefer to stand." Nate replied nonchalant and Bart nodded.
"Okay. Nathaniel, look, this conversation isn't easy for both of us. You're mother dropped this bomb just two months ago and since then you've been aboard and to be honest, I'm not sure if we'd had this conversation even if you'd have been here. But I want to let you know, that I will take responsibility for you as a father. Especially now that the Captain is in prison for the next fifteen years. "
Nate cut him off now. "Look, thanks but no thanks. I think it's the best to keep this as the secret that it is. When it comes out, we're just hurting people. Chuck, my Dad, the rest of my family. Maybe I will change my mind one day, but right now, I just want to forget that information as much as possible. Okay?" Nate demanded. It wasn't a question, it was a statement.
Bart nodded.
"Now I'll go and get the other people out there and we'll pretend that everything is fine, yes?" Nate added.
"Fine by me." Bart answered.
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