Chapter Five: Motherly Advice

"Charles, my darling. What brings you here?" Lily asked descending the stairs to her penthouse apartment.

"I was hoping for some motherly advice." He said kissing her quickly on the cheek and passing her a glass of scotch he had in his hands. "I'm not keeping you from anything, am I?"

"No, not at all." she said heading for the couch to sit down. "What is troubling you, my dear?"

"Blair called me-"

"Oh thank God! Serena has been worried sick about her." Lily said cutting Chuck off quickly.

"I went to see her." Chuck said sitting down next to Lily on the couch.

"Where is she staying?"

"With Dan, at the loft." Chuck said before taking a sip of his scotch.

"With Dan?" Lily asked frowning a little. "I didn't think Blair liked the other side of the bridge."

"I'm assuming she wanted to go somewhere Louis would not expect to find her." He said swirling his scotch in my glass before taking another sip.

"How is she?" Lily asked, sensing the pain and agony in his voice,

"She's distraught. She came to my therapy session yesterday …and I think seeing the changes that I've made for her on her behalf, has confused her. She doesn't know whether she should marry Louis anymore. I think she is having second thoughts about the wedding, Lily."

"Did she tell you that?" Lily asked frowning a little.

"She asked me if I could love Louis' baby."

Lily gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. "What did you tell her?"

"I told her that she was confused…that her hormones were acting weird and that she wasn't thinking straight."

"Charles…" Lily said shaking her head. "You have been in love with this girl for five years! I would have thought this would have been, what was needed for you two, to realise that you are meant to be together!"

"I have always known that. But I don't think Blair has." Chuck said miserably before finishing his scotch.

"Blair loves you much more than you give her credit for." Lily said squeezing his arm reassuringly. "Blair was practically begging you to give her a reason not to marry Louis! She wanted to know that she and her baby would be okay…that you would love and support her with raising her child. She doesn't want to raise the baby alone Charles; if she breaks it off with Louis, because she doesn't love him…she still needs options and reassurance…being a single mother is hard work."

"I will always be there for her to support her with regards to her child."

"I know that and so does she. But she is not only after your support, Charles. Blair loves you. She has never stopped loving you. She doesn't belong with Louis and just because she is having his baby, doesn't mean she should marry him…that's why she is having second thoughts and cold feet-"

"Louis can offer her everything she's ever wanted." Chuck said cutting Lily off. "She just needs some time for that thought to resurface in her mind."

"Charles, you know that is not true." Lily said shaking her head. "The only thing Blair has ever wanted is you. Louis may be able to give Blair everything else she's wanted…the fairy-tale, the princess title, the big palace…but he will never be you. And Blair will never be satisfied with second best Louis when she has her heart set on her true love, Chuck Bass!"

Chuck smiled a little. "Do you really think I could make her happy?"

"Are you kidding me?" Lily said laughing and throwing her hands up in the air. "Everyone knows you can! You two are soul mates…its destiny…you are meant to be!"

"I've hurt her too many times." Chuck said shaking his head in disgust.

"This time will be different, Charles. You have really turned into a beautiful young man. I'm so proud of who you've become and I know your father would have been so proud of you." Lily said squeezing his arm gently.

"I don't know about that. He always thought I was soft." Chuck mumbled.

"I believe Bart is looking down on you with admiration." Lily said smiling. "So the question is… can you love Louis' baby?"

"Yes…If it means being with Blair…" Chuck said nodding. "…I always used to think that if Blair and I had any problems having children, we would adopt. She really would make the most gorgeous mother …and I didn't want anything stopping us from having a family of our own."

"Well…raising another man's child is similar to adopting." Lily said smiling. "You will make the most gorgeous and generous father, Charles. Blair and the baby would be so lucky to have you! I know that I am only your step-mom on paper…but I have always loved you and thought of you as my own." Lily said squeezing his hand.

"I love you Lily Humphrey," Chuck said bringing her hand up to his lips and kissing it. "you are the closet thing I have to a mother…and I couldn't have asked for a better one."

"I love you too, Charles." She said standing up and pulling him into a tight hug. "Now go and tell Blair the truth, before she worries herself to death!"

Chuck laughed and headed for the lift. "Thanks for the chat. I knew I would feel better talking to you."

"What are mothers for?" Lily laughed before wishing him luck.

xx

"Serena?" Louis asked, pulling open the door to the apartment suite he was staying at. "What are you doing here?"

"Louis, I'm sorry to disturb you so late. But I have news about Blair. Can I come in?" Serena asked.

"Of course! How is she? I have been worried sick about her. She won't return any of my calls, messages or emails! Has something happened to her?"

"No, nothing like that." Serena said walking towards the couch and sitting down.

"Then? What is going on? I am her fiancée and she is keeping me in the dark! She is making me the laughing stock of the whole world! The press are having a field day with this news! Where is she?" he asked pacing the living room floor. "Is she with Chuck? I bet she is with that bastard!"

"No. She is not with Chuck." Serena said shaking her head. "She is with my friend Dan and I need your help getting her back. You see, I'm in love with Dan….he used to be my ex- boyfriend and I want to get back with him… but Blair is in the way."

"Dan? Is he the one that wrote the book about Blair?" Louis asked frowning.

"Yes. See Dan thinks he is in love with Blair…which is the biggest joke!" Serena said rolling her eyes. "They kissed like.. once!"

"They kissed?" Louis asked quickly. "When was this?"

"Oh, sorry. This was before she was dating you. But my point is… Blair may not be in love with him, but her being around Dan, is not good for the both of us! Dan is a really sweet guy…he is caring, supportive and loving…and Blair might fall for him, if she spends enough time with him! And now that she is living there…."

"I see what you mean. Come, you must take me to her now. I must convince her to come back to me."

xx

"Blair….please say something!" Dan said, bending down in front of where she was sitting on the couch and taking her hands in hers. "

"Oh. My. God… Dorota was right." Blair said finally, pulling her hands away from Dan's.

"Dorota?" Dan asked a little in shock. "What- uh- what was she right about?"

"She said that you were in love with me!" She said standing up and starting to pace the room. "This was a mistake! I should have never come here!"

"Blair…" Dan said, trying to reach out for her arm.

"No, Humphrey." Blair said stepping back. "Did you find Serena and talk to her?"

"She wasn't at your place and Lily and dad did not know where she was…what- what does this have to do with what I told you?" Dan asked nervously running his hands through his hair.

"So you never spoke to her, then?" Blair asked, trying her hardest to recover from the shock of Dan's confession. "…Then she doesn't know anything about what you've just told me?"

"Blair, I tried to find her…to tell her the truth-"

"It's better this way." Blair said breathing a sigh of relief. "Despite what you say or think, Humphrey…Serena is your soul mate! You are not in love with me-"

"-Blair," Dan said cutting her off.

"No, let me finish. " Blair said holding up a hand. We kissed one time…get over it. I think it's adorable that you have a little crush on me but, I'm pregnant, carrying another man's child and in love with Chuck Bass…my life is complicated enough! I don't need to have you, come along and act like my saviour… like my knight in shining armour, by talking about choices and options…I'm already messed up, enough as it is. I'm carrying Louis' baby…but I'm in love with Chuck…I'm engaged to Louis…but I want to be with Chuck! That's all I need help with. Help me make the right decision for my baby's happiness…for mine. I love you as a friend, Humphrey and I'm so lucky to have you. But I can't see us as anything else. In fact, the thought actually repulses me…sorry!"

"Has this got to do with Serena? Because if you are worried what she would think…"

"No, Dan." Blair said shaking her head. "I like you as a friend and that is all! God, if I had known how you felt for me… I wouldn't have come here in the first place!"

"So we are just friends?" Dan asked a little disappointedly.

"You belong with Serena, Dan. You don't belong with me. If we dated we would drive each other insane in two minutes! We have no chemistry…we don't even get along…all we do is bicker and fight all the time, not to mention that we hardly even like each other!" Blair said laughing a little.

Dan's lips formed a small smile.

"You are really sweet Humphrey and I am so thankful to have you in my life…as a friend…but I think I shouldn't have come here. I'm going to call Dorota to come and pick me up…I think I should go home."

"Blair, no." Dan said reaching out for her hand to stop her. "Don't go. I like having you here. Besides,I could use the company…I get bored and extremely lonely without Vanessa here." He said laughing nervously. "If you're leaving because I scared you away, I'm sorry…but I won't mention you and me in the same sentence again."

"I think its best I went home. Serena knows that I am here now and she will probably tell Louis, because she is mad at me."

"She wouldn't do that." Dan said shaking his head.

"Besides, I can't hide from him forever!" Blair said rolling her eyes. "And since Chuck doesn't want my baby… I guess I should try to make things work with Louis…he loves me at least."

"Can't you at least stay for tonight?" Dan asked hopefully. "It's late and Dorota is probably at home with her baby. Besides, when I went past your place to look for Serena, I saw a ton of paparazzi camping out for you. Stay for tonight and then tomorrow, if you still want to go home…you can. Plus Waldorf, you owe me a movie if I remember correctly, before you feel asleep…Roman Holiday?" Dan said hitting her gently with a cushion from the couch.

Blair sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine. But you're making the popcorn, Humphrey." Blair said sitting down on the couch and flicking on the TV.