Merry Christmas Readers. I thank you for reading and I want lots of replies for my Christmas present. I thank my beta for putting up with me.

Blair stared at the ceiling of the bedroom. Chuck was beside her, and she could tell that he wasn't asleep yet from his breathing.

She was worried.

He hadn't said much since he'd come home from dinner with Eric, and she could literally feel the tension in him.

She had a feeling she knew what had happened as she sat up in bed and turned the light on. She felt his eyes lock onto her.

"Eric told you, didn't he?"

"Told me? Did he tell you?"

Blair put her hand to her forehead and sighed, "He confided in me when I flat out asked him why he didn't seem to want to go home lately."

"When did he tell you this?" Chuck pressed, his eyes searching hers as he sat up.

"About a week before the fundraiser," Blair admitted. "And before you ask, I didn't tell you because Eric asked me not to."

"I don't care what he asked you to do," Chuck snapped, "My families' physical well being is at stake. You should have told me as soon as you found out."

"And run the risk of Eric never coming to either of us when he needed help ever again, I don't think so," Blair shook her head. "I know they're your family and I know you want to protect them. Eric is coming to you now, and what you need to do is be there for him instead of being angry at me."

"You of all people know how much family means to me. You had a duty to tell me."

"Don't take that high and mighty tone with me, Bass," she snarled. "I did what Eric asked me to do. I honored the request of my 'brother'."

"He's not-"

"Yes, he is. Do you have any idea how many weeks on end that he and Serena pretty much lived in my house while Lily was trying out one marriage or another? The only time he didn't come to me was when he was locked up in the Ostroff Center. If you try and turn that around on me, please keep in mind that I didn't know it was him, and I have never forgiven myself for not being there when he needed someone."

Chuck took a deep breath as he began to calm down. "I have a solution, but I need to run it by you first. Eric doesn't feel safe at Lily's right now. You and I are pretty much sharing one room now, which leaves us with a spare room. Perhaps Eric could come stay with us until Lily can get Rufus to seek treatment."

"If you think that you can get Lily to agree to that, I have no problems with it," she said quietly. "You do realize that if he comes to live here, we're going to have to convince him to tell Serena what's going on." She turned so that she could put her chin on his shoulder and picked up his hand in hers.

"For as long as we can, I think we should keep Serena out of this," Chuck told her, "Eric is over here all the time as it is and Serena hasn't gotten suspicious yet. Besides she has her own issues right now as she deals with the reemergence of Nate's psycho ex, Juliet."

"Juliet seemed friendly enough to me the one time I met her," Blair stated in confusion.

"Just wait," Chuck replied, "Give it a little time. Nate will remember why he broke up with her the first time, and we'll get to watch her fly off the handle a second time."

"I thought she dumped him," Blair said. "At least that's what Serena said."

"It was complicated," Chuck responded, "Nate was forcing the issue because he hates to be the bad guy at the end of relationships."

"God, tell me about it," Blair rolled her eyes. "I am pretty sure if I hadn't told him that I didn't need him that night, he never would have done anything."

"I am glad you did," Chuck smiled at her, playing with her fingers.

"Me too," she smiled softly as the night of their first interlude played around in her mind.

"Blair, they're my family as much as you and the twins are," Chuck started.

"I know and I shouldn't have told Eric I wouldn't say anything but I did lay down the law with Lily. She can see the twins as much as she wants but they're not going over there until Rufus gets some help."

"I'll speak to Eric tomorrow," Chuck told her as he caressed her shoulder softly.

Blair nodded and turned Chuck's face to hers before she gave him a soft kiss.

"You were accused of having a stone heart for so many years, but you really have the kindest soul of anyone I've ever met."

"I just needed someone to unlock my heart," he told her gently as he kissed her lips softly once more.

Blair smiled at him as she traced his jaw line gently, "I'll go with you when you talk to Lily."

"Thank you," he whispered as she traced his lips with her fingers.

"Chuck, we don't just have boundaries," Blair reminded him as she recognized the look in his eyes. "I have restrictions, remember?"

"I remember," he nodded, "No sex, but I can still enjoy the taste of your lips. Can't I?"

"Yes," Blair nodded. "But I don't want to torture either of us anymore than we already are."

"Torture is inevitable," he groaned softly, "But it is a sweet torture that I'm willing to endure."

"We should go to sleep. We have a long day tomorrow and if Lily refuses than we are going to have to call in reinforcements."

"We should sleep," he agreed, "But I've never been one for sensibilities when a beautiful woman is lying at my side."

"Chuck, I'm being serious," she laughed lightly.

"I know and I really wish you weren't."

"Well, if it's that tough for you, I can go sleep in my old room," Blair said as she went to swing her legs over the side of bed. Before she could get very far, Chuck snagged her around the waist.

They were both laughing as his lips found hers.

=x=x=x=x=x=

Blair and Chuck got off the elevator at the van der Humphrey apartment and walked towards the living room. Blair glanced at Chuck and saw the apprehension on his face. She slipped her hand into his and squeezed lightly as reminder that he wasn't doing this alone.

He took a moment to kiss her hand softly as they found Lily at the dining room table going over invitation options for a benefit she was organizing.

"Lily," Blair said to announce their presence.

"Blair, Charles," Lily looked surprised. "Did I know you were coming over?"

"No," Chuck replied, "It's a surprise visit."

"A happy surprise at that," Lily smiled as she hugged each one in turn, "Did you bring those adorable children with you?

"Sorry, Serena and Dorota claimed them for a godmother/godchild afternoon," Blair said. "Next time."

"Eric said you and he had a lot of fun the other night," Lily said as they moved to the sofa. "You took him to that Italian restaurant he likes so much."

"Is that what he told you?" Chuck laughed. "Yes, the chicken marsala was excellent. I highly recommend you give it a try, but as part of a girls night out."

Blair scolded him with a look.

"I'm not sure-" Lily looked a bit confused.

"Don't ask Lily," Blair shook her head. "But Eric is why we're here. Is Rufus home?"

"No, he went to the gallery for the afternoon."

"Good," Blair sighed in relief. This was going to go much better if he wasn't here. "Chuck and I have something important that we wanted to talk to you about."

"Is everything alright," Lily looked worried.

"You know that Eric told me what's been going on," Blair started. "He told Chuck the other night."

"Oh," Lily said. "Charles,-"

"Don't defend Rufus right now, Lily," Chuck shook his head as he interrupted an explanation that he didn't want to hear.

"Right now our main concern is for Eric's safety, and he's made it clear to both of us that he doesn't feel safe here right now," Blair began their discussion.

"That's absolutely ridiculous," Lily exclaimed, "He's perfectly safe here with Rufus, as am I."

"Lily, where's the vase that was in the front hall," Blair asked never looking away from her. "I believe that was one of the few wedding gifts from William's mother that you actually kept after the divorce, wasn't it? You said you'd be giving it to Serena when she got married."

"I bumped into the table and it fell off," Lily covered quickly.

"Lily, we all know that's not true," Chuck chimed in. "You don't need to cover for Rufus."

"He's just upset," Lily said. "It's a bad patch."

"One that you shouldn't deal with by yourself. You won't tell Serena. You won't tell Dan. I'm willing to bet you gave Eric hell the other night when you found out he'd told me," Blair shook her head. "You can't keep this quiet forever."

"It's not forever. When Rufus works through his issues, we'll put it all behind us," Lily responded.

"And when will that be," Chuck pressed, "Eric says he's only getting worse. Today it's a crystal vase, tomorrow it's your skull or Eric's skull. You have to do something about this, Lily."

"He's not violent, Charles."

"Yet," Blair amended. "Lily, you have to face facts. Rufus is not going to get better without help."

"You two are making far too much of this," Lily replied. "Eric is just being overly dramatic."

"That may be," Chuck said. "But Eric doesn't want to be here right now. We've agreed to let him live with us."

"Absolutely not," Lily said.

"We aren't here to ask your permission," Chuck responded.

"No, he's seventeen and still a minor. He's not able to make this decision on his own, and I will not let him leave this house," Lily held firm as her face began to flush in anger like neither had ever seen.

"He may be seventeen and still a minor, but he's old enough to know when he doesn't feel safe somewhere and right now he doesn't feel safe in this house," Blair told Lily gently, reminding herself that this was still her best friend's mom and the only grandmother her children had left. "Lily, don't make us take drastic measures."

"Lily, this isn't about you right now," Chuck added, "It's about Eric. He's been shuffled around all his life from one place to the next of each of your marital whims, never once has he felt unsafe like he does right now."

"He is my son," Lily got up from the couch.

"And that's not going to change," Blair told her. "You can spin this anyway you want. Tell people that Rufus and Eric aren't getting along. To give him some space Eric's going to move in with Chuck and me for awhile so you can all have some breathing room. But if you wait until Rufus is so out of control that Eric's calling the police, which is exactly what I told him to do the next time, there's no hiding this. Do you really want to end up on page 6?"

"How dare you two play the high and mighty card with me," Lily snapped.

"Lily, nobody has hit rock bottom as well as I have," Chuck chimed in. "I know what Rufus is feeling, all the anger and pain. I couldn't pull myself out of that pit without help."

"I don't recall you seeing a therapist," Lily snarled.

"Therapy doesn't work for everyone," Chuck replied, "And it isn't even what we're suggesting. Rufus needs help in whichever way works, but ignoring what's going on is not the solution."

"Lily, Eric said yes to living with us," Blair said. "That says something."

"He said yes," Lily echoed.

"He said yes," Blair repeated.

"And if you don't let him come with us, I'm calling Serena and Dan and Cece and whoever else I think might want to know about this and telling them what's going on," Chuck said. "Like Blair said, right now you can spin this whatever way you want. But if you don't let us at least help Eric, I'm telling the family."

"I don't appreciate you threatening me," Lily growled even though Chuck and Blair could see that their words were sinking in.

"That's not my intention," Chuck replied, "I'm just trying to make you see the severity of the situation."

"He said yes," Lily said again. Then she looked at Chuck and Blair, "Be good to him."

"You have our guarantee," Blair replied, "And an open invitation to stop by whenever you'd like."

"I think I'll give him some time. Tell him to call me when he's ready to see me," Lily said. "Excuse me if I don't show you out. I suddenly want to take a nap."

Lily left the room before either of them could stop her.

Chuck made a move to go after her and Blair grabbed his hand, "Think how you'd feel if it were Sebastian. Would you want meaningless comfort right now?"

"I suppose not," Chuck conceded, "I feel horrible about this."

"As do I," Blair agreed, "But we're doing what is best for Eric."

Chuck checked his watch, "School's about over for the day. Let's go get him and tell him the news."

Blair nodded and she and Chuck got to their feet. They walked to the elevator hand-in-hand. Chuck shot a look towards the master bedroom, "Do you think she'll be alright?"

"I do," Blair nodded. "I think this is what she needs."

"Thank you for doing this with me," he replied as he kissed her forehead as they waited for the elevator.

"No thanks are necessary," Blair smiled at him. "It'll be nice to have Eric around again."

"And keep me in check," he laughed softly as her arms came around his neck as she held him close.

Blair smiled as they got into the elevator, "You know you did the right thing, right?"

"Is this what it feels like when the right thing feels wrong even though it's right?" he inquired.

"I'm not really sure," she raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Could you repeat what you just said?"

"Never mind," Chuck shook his head and pulled Blair closer as they rode down in the elevator. "We'll think about it later."

"As I lay in your arms tonight," she replied suggestively as she began nibbling on his Adam's apple.

Chuck could only groan at the feelings she was stirring inside him that he knew he had no outlet, for at least a few months.

"Tease," he mumbled.

"Yes, I am," Blair said. "But you cannot say I'm not a fun tease."

"Hmm, I love you," he hummed as the elevator chimed and they were forced to separate to maintain a respectable distance as they left the building.

"Yes, I love you, too," Blair nodded as they got out in front of the building. "But I think your watch is slow because Eric's here already."

"Eric, your timing is impeccable," Chuck stated, "Blair and I just came from speaking with Lily."

"You did," Eric looked nervous.

Blair disentangled herself from Chuck and went to Eric's side, "We did and if you still want to live with us, it's okay."

"Thank you," Eric responded, his voice, eyes and body posture grateful for the news, "I owe the two of you, big time."

"A few nights of babysitting and we'll call it even," Blair assured him.

"Deal," Eric hugged Blair and then put his hand out to Chuck who surprised him by giving him a hug.

"Your safety is very important to me," Chuck told him, "I hope you know that you can come to me with any problem that you have. I will always be there for you."

"I won't forget this time," Eric nodded. He'd missed having a big brother who could actually take care of him. Dan was okay if you wanted to talk about books but Chuck was there for things that weren't always a lot of fun.

"C'mon. If we hurry we might be able to catch Serena and Dorota in the park with the twins and Ana," Blair smiled.

"I should go start packing," Eric frowned.

"Nonsense," Chuck responded, "Trust me, you want to see those chubby cheeks right now. They'll pull you out of the funk you're in."

"Besides," Blair hooked arms with Eric, "your mom may have said yes, but she's still upset. We should give her some time before you start to pack."

Eric nodded as he stepped into the waiting limo.

"Tell me again," Chuck said as he pulled Blair towards him to halt her entrance into the car.

"It's the right thing to do," Blair repeated. "And I love you."

"I love you," he sighed as he hugged her quickly before they joined Eric in the vehicle.

-d-d-d-d-d-d-

"Thank you again for letting me stay here," Eric smiled apprehensively.

"Nothing to thank me for," Blair said as she opened up a box marked 'movies'. "It isn't the first time you've crashed with me, remember?"

"I know," he sighed, "But I thought that when my mother married Rufus that the days of invading your living space were behind us."

Blair pushed the box aside and then put an arm around Eric's shoulders and rested her chin on the shoulder closest to her, "You know what's happening right now isn't your fault right? Just like Jenny wasn't your fault and just like your mom's screwed up theories on what marriage means isn't your fault. And as for invading my living space, you are always welcome."

"Some days this all gets to be too much," he sighed, "But having you, Serena, Chuck, and everyone else that care about me makes this a little easier."

"It's not a charmed life we lead," Blair agreed.

"I know my mom's not really fine with this," Eric said. "Are you sure you want to alienate her?"

"Your mom needs to try and remember that while Rufus is her husband, you are her baby," Blair said. "If something happened to you because she was unwilling to make Rufus face his problems, she'd never forgive herself. In the long run, she'll understand."

"You think so," Eric asked her.

"Yes, I do," Blair nodded. "Now, can you tell me why you have Eight Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter?"

"It was Rufus'. Dan cleaned out the loft and dropped some of his dad's stuff by. I never watched the show but the book's funny," Eric said picking it up and pointing. "The one about having a shotgun, a shovel, and five acres behind his house could be Chuck."

"Don't you dare give him any ideas," Blair scolded him, "Sabrina is going to have a difficult enough time dating as it is. Besides, there will be no guns in my home."

"How are things going between you and Chuck?" Eric inquired as he unpacked his clothes into the empty dresser and closet Blair made available for him.

"We're okay," Blair nodded. "It's kind of nice being with him without actually being with him, if you catch my meaning."

"You and he haven't . . ." Eric drifted off in embarrassment.

"We have boundaries, and I have restrictions."

"But still, this is Chuck Bass we're talking about. Boundaries and restrictions are usually mild irritants."

"Yes, well I think my dying of a heart attack in the middle of things might put the restrictions front and center."

Eric began laughing, but stopped short at the serious expression on Blair's face. He realized she was being serious.

"God you really did almost die," he said as he sat back down next to her. "How close was it?"

"Another inch or two and Chuck would be a single father."

"Are you surprised at how well Chuck has adapted to fatherhood?" Eric inquired as he looked to change the subject. His life was somber enough at the moment. He didn't want to think about what could have been.

"Yes and no," Blair said. "Yes, because his own mother wasn't there to give him siblings so he wasn't used to kids and no, because I know his ambition was to be better than Bart at everything, including being a human being."

"Does he change diapers?" Eric asked curiously.

"He's rather good at it, believe it or not. He just needed a little practice."

Eric found this bit of trivia hysterical and was nearly doubling over with laughter.

"Hey, what's going on," Chuck stood in the doorway.

"How long have you been home," Blair asked as she got up. "I didn't hear the elevator."

"I just got home," Chuck responded as he stepped in and kissed her cheek softly, "I had to check in on the children first. Eric's laughter brought me in."

"He was surprised to find out that you're quite adept at diaper changing."

"That's supposed to be our little secret, Beautiful," he told her with a little snort of anger.

"Give me a break," Blair said quietly. "I just wanted to make Eric laugh."

"Don't expect me to demonstrate," Chuck warned his brother as his arm snaked around Blair's waist.

"Don't worry. My imagination is quite good," Eric assured him.

"Well, I'm gonna get dinner," Blair said. "Think I'll order in tonight. Any requests?"

"Burgers and fries," Eric said.

"Sounds good to me," Blair nodded. "Chuck?"

"Whatever the two of you would like," Chuck responded.

"Okay, I'll go order. Eric, did you want to keep your movies in here or out in the living room with the entertainment center?"

Eric shrugged his indifference.

"We'll figure it out later," Blair said. "See you both in a bit." She left the room and was followed by Chuck, who shut Eric's door behind him.

"How's he doing," he asked after she'd ordered.

"About as well as expected," Blair replied as she sat in his lap at his encouragement. "I wish this didn't feel like a routine to him."

"Lily's choice of father figures for Serena and Eric has always been questionable. I suppose we all thought that with Rufus she'd finally found a stable male role model for him."

"Even the most stable of individuals can lose it when life throws them a curveball like what Rufus has been thrown," Blair replied.

"Doesn't excuse his behavior," Chuck chimed in.

"I'm not," Blair shook her head. "But think about what you'd do if something ever happened to one of our children."

"I don't know what I'd do," Chuck admitted. "And I hope I never have to find out."

"Me either," Blair sighed as she laid her head on his shoulder. "I think underneath it all Eric feels like he's abandoning Lily."

"He's doing the right thing - the safe thing. Lily can't see it right now, but if Rufus is breaking things, violent physical outbursts could be next. I just hope she gets him help before it gets that far because if I see a bruise by Rufus's hand on her, we'll find out what I'm capable of."

"Chuck, please, keep the children in mind before you do something you cannot undo," Blair requested gently.

"You all are never far from my mind," Chuck promised her. "But she doesn't deserve to have no one in her corner."

"I know," Blair nodded. "What do you think about maybe telling Dan?"

"How do you think Humphrey will handle this?" Chuck inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know," Blair shook her head. "Dan's grieving too but not to the extent Rufus is and he's got Jonathan to concentrate on. Then again, Dan's his son. Shouldn't he be informed about this?"

"I'll let you make this decision," Chuck responded, "You know him far better than I ever care to."

"Let's get Eric's opinion before we decide on anything."

Chuck nodded as he ran his fingers through her hair.

Blair's fingers ran along his lips. "I haven't properly welcomed you home yet today."

"Properly still has to wait a few months," Chuck teased.

"You know what I mean," she smirked.

"By all means, welcome me home," he encouraged as their lips gravitated towards each other.

Blair smiled as she kissed Chuck sweetly, her hand on the side of his face. When she pulled back, she whispered, "Eric was surprised to hear we're not having sex."

"I'm sure most people are surprised we're not having sex," he chuckled lightly.

"Yes, but Eric didn't know how close it came to going to other way with me," Blair said. "You and Serena were the only ones who knew the extent of my injuries."

"Which is always in my mind when I have thoughts of pushing further. That and the promise I've made to you to go at your pace."

Blair smiled at him tenderly, "You really are a great guy, you know that?"

"With you," he replied as he nuzzled her neck softly.

"Good things come to he who waits," Blair whispered.

"And I know from experience that it will be worth the wait," he smiled, "You always have been."