Thank you to my beta and to all who replied last time. Keep it up!

-x-x-x-

Serena unlocked the door to Blair's apartment and switched on the lights. Nate pushed a reluctant Chuck in ahead of him.

"I should be at the hospital," Chuck said. He'd been forced out of the hospital, and each step he took had been a struggle ever since.

"The doctor said she wasn't going to be waking up until tomorrow morning so sleeping here is an infinitely better idea than sleeping on a chair in her room," Nate said.

"Mrs. Katz," Serena called quietly and an older woman came out of the back room. "Hi, I'm Serena. I think Dan told you we were coming?"

"Yes, I just got off the phone with him. I'm so glad Blair's going to be alright," the woman smiled.

"So are we," Serena dug into her purse for some money.

"Don't worry about paying me," Mrs. Katz said. "I already worked out something with Dan."

"You're a fan of my step father, right?" Serena inquired, "Dan said his father was going to autograph a concert poster for you."

"I met my husband at a Lincoln Hawk concert."

Serena smiled, "That's sweet."

"I'll be back tomorrow."

"Bye," Serena let her out and then turned back to the boys. "Chuck, come with me."

"Where?"

"Just come on," Serena took his hand and pulled him down the hall and into the nursery. "I think this meeting is long overdue."

Chuck stared at the two cribs by rear wall. He stopped walking and Serena turned to look at him when her hand extended behind her.

"Chuck," Serena said quietly. "It's okay."

"She's not here." Chuck shook his head. "Blair should be here for this."

"It's okay," Serena insisted.

Chuck walked closer and stood next to Serena. His breath caught as he took in the beautiful sight of his children fast asleep.

"Now this," she pointed to her right, "is Sabrina. I think you're gonna have a lot of trouble with boys once she becomes a teenager, Chuck, because as you can see she looks just like her mother. And this is Sebastian. Blair's already looking into military schools because when she looks at him, she sees you and we all know how much trouble you were as a teenager. Children, this is your daddy."

Chuck stared at them before he cautiously touched their stomachs. On contact his eyes slid closed and he managed a tremulous smile.

"Can I have a moment," he inquired as he marveled at the pair before him.

"Yeah, I want to change my clothes anyways," Serena said.

"I'm gonna call home. I don't know if my mom knows yet," Nate added his excuse.

"There's a phone in Blair's room," Serena told Nate before she turned toward Chuck again. "We're down the hall if you need us."

"Thank you," Chuck said. He waited until he heard Blair's bedroom door shut and the low murmur of Nate's voice before he looked back at his children. "Hello… Well, like Aunt Serena said I am your father. I know I haven't been there for you since the beginning, and I'm so very sorry for that. However, I promise to be there for you from now on. I'll be there when you need me and even when you think you don't. I cannot say this enough, but I promise."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Chuck tried to turn on the light in the small kitchen. He flipped a switch and light flooded from underneath a door at the far end of the kitchen. He crossed the room and pulled the door open, figuring it was a pantry or something. He found a set of stairs instead. He went down and found himself in another kitchen only this one was much bigger. He could see the dim glow of lights coming through a service window and went towards them. He pushed open a swinging door and found himself in Blair's café. He felt along the wall and found the switch. Flipping it on the room was flooded with light from overhead.

His eyes went to the register that was still open and then the table near the far wall. It still had teacups on it. He could see the yellow police tape across the door and he had to look away. When he looked back his eyes were drawn to the chalk outline on the floor where Eleanor had fallen. He stepped around the counter and stopped when he saw the blood.

He couldn't stand. He couldn't even feel his legs as he sank to the floor. Tears were running down his face and all he could think about was what had caused that blood stain.

Someone had shot his beautiful Blair. Some vile monster had hurt the love of his life in the most savage way possible. Whatever he had to do, he would see to it that the demon paid for his crime.

Chuck was sobbing uncontrollably as his finger felt the stickiness of the dried blood, Blair's blood.

"Chuck," Nate's voice spoke tentatively. "You shouldn't be in here."

"Crime scene, right," Chuck said in a gasp through his tears. "Can't disturb it."

"This is where it happened," Nate looked around in disbelief. Aside from the two pools of blood, the cafe looked like the type of place he could see himself spending time drinking coffee, listening to music, and pretending to study. "Blair did a great job with this place. Serena showed me before pictures of this place. It was a monstrosity before she worked her magic."

"She does a great job with whatever she sets her mind to," Chuck stated as he looked at his fingers that were smudged with blood. He looked up at the windows that said Thayer's.

"I've always thought so," Nate smiled a little.

"Especially our children," Chuck added.

"Chuck, come back upstairs," Nate urged as he hauled Chuck to his feet. "You shouldn't be in here. Everything's too raw right now."

"Everything has been too raw for months," Chuck grumbled as he allowed Nate to lead him back to Blair's apartment. He didn't even think about it as he stepped into the nursery again as if drawn by some magical force.

Serena looked over her shoulder. She'd been standing by the cribs. "I knew I should've locked the kitchen door."

"I want to hold them," Chuck told Serena as he stepped closer to look at the infants. Both had their eyes open and were staring back at him intently.

"Alright," Serena nodded. "Take a seat in the rocking chair." She picked up Sabrina and placed her in the crook of Chuck's left arm before she picked up Sebastian and put him in the crook of his right arm. "You okay?"

"Yes," he nodded as the warmth and weight of the pair overwhelmed him. "How did Mommy manage for so many months on her own? You two weigh a ton."

"Did you want me to take one?" Serena asked quickly.

"No," Chuck shook his head. "I'm fine."

"Okay," Serena nodded. Then she backed away until she was standing in the doorway. She turned and watched from the doorway unwilling to leave them alone just yet. She tilted her head to rest against the doorframe. She felt Nate join her a moment or two later.

"All the lights are off downstairs," he said quietly.

"Thanks," Serena smiled as she continued to watch from the doorway with a soft smile on her face. She reaches for Nate's hand and the familiar spark is renewed as their fingers lace together.

"Nate," Serena said quietly.

"Hmm?"

"I love you, too."

Nate looked at her with a startled expression before he leaned in and kissed her cheek softly.

Serena smiled at him before she looked back at their friend. The children were giggling at something Chuck had whispered and Chuck was smiling for the first time in nearly a year. "Chuck, do you want me to make up the couch for you?"

"If you don't mind, I'll be heading back to the hospital to be with Blair. Will the two of you be able to stay with Sabrina and Sebastian?"

"Of course. But you need sleep, too," Serena reminded him gently as she lifted Sabrina from his arms and returned her to the crib.

"I'll sleep at the hospital," Chuck assured her as he gingerly lowered Sebastian into his. The twins fell asleep instantly.

"I'll call you a cab," Nate said as he gave Serena a soft look and then walked from the nursery to Blair's kitchen. Chuck and Serena followed. "Do you want me to come with you," he asked after making the arrangements.

"No, stay and help Serena," Chuck responded. "She'll need all the help she can get. She has about as much experience with children as you do."

"And you're Mary Poppins," Nate responded sarcastically. "Until today have you ever even held a baby?"

"No fighting," Serena said before Chuck could utter a word. "There will be no fighting until Blair is awake and able to fight with us."

Chuck pushed his way towards the children's nursery again to kiss the sleeping foreheads before he left them for the evening. "Mommy and Daddy love you," he whispered as he kissed each of their tiny hands.

Serena watched him go and then sank onto the couch. Nate locked the door behind Chuck and sat next to her. He put an arm around her and she leaned into him.

"She has to be alright," Serena whispered.

"She's Blair Waldorf," Nate told her softly as she buried her face into his chest, savoring the familiar warmth against her cheek. "She'll be just fine."

"Chuck grew up with two fears. One: That he would never be good enough for his father and two: that he would turn into his father. The first one we can't do anything about anymore."

"And the second one won't happen," Nate said. "Whatever we have to do, we'll keep him from becoming Bart."

"I was in the room when she gave birth. I was wearing scrubs and holding her hand and listening to her curse like a sailor on leave. But when it was over, there were these two new people in the world. She looked so exhausted but so happy," Serena said with a smile as they both leaned back against the couch. "She needs to be there for them Nate. She needs to be there for all three of them."

"She will," he tried to reassure her, "We need to have faith in her, and in Chuck. He's going to do whatever it takes to see her through this."

"He's Chuck Bass. He's not God."

"He's as close to God as we're going to get," Nate chuckled slightly. "He will move mountains if he has to, if it means getting Blair well."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Chuck opened the door to Blair's room and slipped in quietly. The only sound was the beep-beep of the heart monitor. He was both disturbed and comforted by the sound. But the only thing he saw was the girl lying in the bed.

He set down the peonies next to her bedside as he sat down in the chair. "Hello, Beautiful," he whispered as he kissed her forehead softly and took her hand in his. "I'm sorry I wasn't waiting when you got here. Serena took me to meet our children. They're beautiful. Sabrina looks just like you. I think I'm gonna have to build a moat our home when she becomes a teenager.

"And Sebastian, he's going to be a little chip off the old block. He's going to keep us on our toes.

"I saw the cafe. It's a little messy right now but we can get it cleaned up. I'm proud of you, Blair. It's a great place. Though your choice in employees needs some work. Dan Humphrey, Blair? Really?

"Please don't leave me," he pleaded with her, "I won't know how to be a father without you. I don't know how to be a decent human being without you. Everything good in me is you.

"You said you'd always be my family," he reminded her. "Well, we have a family Blair and we need you to be okay. I know it's going to hurt, but I will be there with you. I'm done running away from us. It has and always will be you and me, Blair."

He felt Blair squeeze his hand slightly. Her eyes were still closed but it was a positive sign.