Title: Can't Turn Back

By: Myra

Status: Incomplete [3/?]

Summary: When all is said and done, family is all we have left. We need them to get through the day –to remind us that there is someone looking after us. They protect us when someone tries to hurt us.

Disclaimer: I own this laptop… And this plot. And some OCs... But I swear that's it! Also changing the set up to my stories.

Thank You's (additional thank you's at the bottom): Robin for checking this little fic and for the encouragement :D And thank you Jessie and Isab for being your awesome selves

WARNINGS: Abortion and depression, heavy implication of Dangina, Serena bashing (sort of), Georgie defending Blair, Dan/Chuck friendship, Nate/Chuck enemies, at least 4 OC (Melanie Coarsen-Bass, Casey Abbot, Arthur 'Ari' Rose, and Edward 'Eddie' Charles Waldorf), baby!Milo is Dan's son. I don't how much of season 3 and season 4 that I will use be warned. Actually, it's mostly AU.

Can't Turn Back:

Chapter 3: The family that stay together…

All Melanie Coarsen wanted was for Charles Bass to be in the palm of her hands. When she married him, she was so sure that she had him. It was obvious that he was taken by her. Maybe it was her devilish smile or the way she moved, but she definitely had him. At least, she hoped she did. There was an ever-constant fear that Blair Waldorf would come and snatch him away.

Oh yes, she knew all about Blair Waldorf. She knew that Blair had runaway without a trace and that not even the Great Charles Bass could find her. She was forever thankful…

Her thoughts were immediately interrupted by one of the maids. She announced Serena's arrival and proceeded to go to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Serena walked in with such poise and grace—it was hard to imagine that she was once a ditzy socialite from Manhattan. Serena now appeared in fashion runways for top designers; although her life was anything but bliss.

"Serena," Melanie greeted her sister-in-law. Serena walked towards Melanie and hugged her tightly.

"Mel, how are you?" Serena had grown fond of Chuck's little housewife. They sat right across from each other.

"Irritated," Melanie admitted, "bored, frustrated, oh the list goes on. Charles is hardly home and you are always working. It is getting very lonely around here. And those darn maids are so annoying."

"Well at least you have the baby to keep you company," Serena reminded her. Melanie rolled her eyes, but made no comment.

"So tell me Serena, how's the beau?" Melanie realized that it was easier to talk about Serena's lackluster love life than her own life. After all, it was hard to keep up with Serena's short time flings. Serena was either dating an Italian model, or a European stud.

"Ex-beau," she reported back, "Apparently he was so focus on getting a spread in Italian Vogue that he slept with the creative director—who just so happen to be a man."

"Ouch, what did he say when you confronted him?" Melanie asked.

"Nothing, because I just flew out of Italy as soon as I found out." Melanie shook her head. In all her years of knowing Serena van der Woodsen, she believed that Serena was a coward. That she would rather run than to face her fears. But Melanie would never tell her that directly. No, that would be too rude.

"Well you can stay here as long as you want," Melanie said brightly.

Just then, Chuck finally walked towards the doors. Melanie stood up to greet her husband, but he just moved past her looking directly at Serena.

"Serena, my office now." Serena immediately got up and followed him. She glanced back giving Melanie an apologetic face. Melanie sat back down and looked completely and utterly baffled. What the heck was going on in her house? She needed to speak to Chuck as soon as he got through talking with Serena.

Chuck sat behind his office desk and Serena stayed standing. After moments of silence, he spoke in low whisper, "Did you know?"

"Know what? Chuck what's going on?" she asked. He rubbed his hand behind his neck unable to understand his current situation between Blair and Melanie. .

"About Blair?" Serena frowned and shook her head.

"Blair? She's gone Chuck—and I think she made it pretty clear that she's not coming back." She did not mean for it to come out so harsh, but Blair had abandoned her. Someone she considered family. Blair was ungrateful and inconsiderate to leave her. She may have done the same thing once long ago, but at least she came back.

"That's where your wrong, sis," Chuck closed his eyes.

"She's back?" she whispered. Serena sat in the closest chair and gaped at Chuck, "How do you know she's really back? I mean it could just be someone else."

"She didn't die; she just temporarily fell out of radar," Chuck added casually. Serena continued to stare at him as if he had gone mad.

"Temporarily? She has been out of our lives for nearly seven years," she said nastily, "How do you justify that? Better question how do you know this Chuck?"

"Had an encounter with her," he said tentatively.

"You what?" Serena restrained the tears that threaten to fall. She shook her head, "You know what, it doesn't even matter. She gone out of life, she made that decision a long time ago."

"You don't what she's been through," he snapped.

She perched her lips. "Chuck, she left you. How can you defend her? Does she know how much you were hurting after she left? Does she know…?"

"Serena," he scolded.

"No, she doesn't know what happened after she left. It's about time you let her go. You have Mel and the baby. Let her go," she pleaded.

"I can't," he shook his head, "She means too much…"

"Chuck, listen to yourself. What about Melanie and your son? Don't they mean anything to you? Where do they fit into this mess?" In retrospect, what Serena said made sense, but Chuck was too stubborn to admit it. Letting Blair go? He didn't even want to think about it.

"Where is she?" Serena asked him.

He muttered the 'The Palace.' He hardly noticed when Serena had walked out of the office. There was so much to think about. He sat there, uncertain of his next move. Blair was within his grasp. He could see her, feel her, be with her. But at what cost?

"You mind telling me what's going on?" It was Melanie. She was always so nosy and so amazingly irritating. How can someone so small be so frustrating?

"I had business with Serena," he mumbled nonchalantly, "It was on a need to know bases."

"Need to know bases? What does that even mean?" She screeched.

"Melanie, relax. All this stress…" He didn't get to finish because Melanie interrupted him.

"Don't you dare patronize me, Charles. All this stress? Well I wouldn't have so much to stress about if you were home more often. Or if you would just talk to me. But nothing. I get a heap of nothing."

Melanie took a seat on the chair across from Chuck and sobbed hysterically. Chuck wasn't surprised by Melanie's temper tantrum. He couldn't comfort her because she would just shove him away. There is something very wrong with their relationship. Eventually after time had pass, Melanie had stop crying. She always did.

"Chuck," she said softly. She hadn't called him Chuck since the day they met. Chuck insisted that she call him 'Charles'.

"Chuck what's happening to us?" her voice was small, "I'm trying so hard, but lately… I just feel like you don't care anymore. Did I do something wrong? Please tell me so I can fix it."

Chuck heart sank.

He gulped and stood up, walked around his desk and knelt beside her. Chuck took both hands and held them.

"I'm here now," he pursed his lips, "I know I haven't been around much, but from now on it'll be different. I promise." Melanie's eyes lit up.

"Really?" He nodded. Maybe it was time to let it go. Blair would always be a memory. She would always haunt his dreams and nightmares. This is what he had to do: for Melanie and his son. If Blair was so ready to let him go, he'd have to let her go too.

"I'll stay today and we can decorate the baby's room." Chuck said half-heartedly. Melanie smiled brightly. 'If only he knew' she thought to herself. She continued to smile because she had won.

"Why don't we just go upstairs and watch a movie," she suggested instead. Chuck smiled lightly and nodded. They stood up at the same time. Chuck walked out first, unbeknown to him that a smirk had formed on Melanie Coarsen-Bass.

Serena quickly walked out of the penthouse and rushed out to The Palace. She wanted to see for her own eyes that Blair had return. Oh, she would give her a piece of her mind. How dare she return? She was so furious with Blair; she didn't notice that the cab had stopped. She quickly snapped out of her own little world and got out of the cab. She braced herself as she entered The Palace Hotel.

"Miss Van der Woodsen, welcome," the doorman greeted her. She smiled back in acknowledgement, "Same suite as always?"

"No I'm actually wondering the suite Ms. Blair Waldorf is staying in. You see she just got back and we have some catching up to do." She badly lied. It would be curious to see if the doorman actually believed her.

He nodded and gave her the suite number, "Ms. Waldorf is staying in suite 1812."

"Thank you," She manages to pull away walking toward the elevator. 'Had she no shame? How dare she do that to Chuck?' Serena thought bitterly. She walked in and felt the air become dense. Did she really want to see her? Was there any reason to go up there? But Serena's mind was made up and as she stepped out of the elevator—she wasn't sure of what she was going to say to Blair Waldorf.

After what seem endless hours of waiting Serena finally knocked on the door waiting for Blair to answer the door.

"Chuck, I told…" Blair said as she opened the door of the suite, " you that… You're not Chuck."

"How very perceptive of you, Blair," Serena said as she barged in nearly knocking Blair in the process. Blair stared at Serena unsure of what to say.

"I'm guessing that…"

Again Blair was unable to finish her last thought because she was once again interrupted by Serena, "Yes, Chuck might have mentioned something earlier."

"What else did he say?" Blair looked pass Serena making sure that Ari was still asleep. She was worried for Ari safety rather than her own.

Serena said nothing and wandered the hotel suite that formally belonged to her step-brother Chuck. She stopped when she noticed the small child on the king size bed. She walked closer and Blair followed directly behind her.

"What's his name?" Serena assumed that this was the reason Blair left Manhattan in a hurry. She was having Chuck's baby.

"His name is Arthur Cyrus Rose," Blair said calming, "Aaron was his father, he died in a plane crash when Arthur was two. And to make matters worse Ari's mother took off when he was a day old. I'm his legal guardian."

Serena refuses to look at Blair. Why was it necessary for her to leave the comforts of her home? They, meaning Chuck and Blair, could have taken care of Arthur and raised him as their own. Much to Serena's irritation this did not solve any mystery of where Blair was, who she was with, or why she had left home.

"I told Chuck enough," Blair continued unfazed by Serena's lack of response, "He knows why I left and…"

"You told Chuck enough?" Serena turned to face Blair, "Doesn't he have the right to know all the truth, instead of bits and parts that you decided to leave out?"

"You don't…" Blair tried to defend herself.

"What I know is that you hurt him. You have no idea what he had to go through after you were gone," Serena argued back, "You have no idea the damage you did."

"I would feel better if we did not have this discussion in front of Ari, even if he is asleep," Blair reasoned with her and Serena nodded. They didn't walk too far, just a safe distance from Ari; in fact they were still in the suite.

"What are you hiding, Blair," Serena asked. Blair looked up and sighed. This was going to be a long night.

"Where do I begin?"

"I think the beginning sounds reasonable." Serena said sternly. Blair shook her head this was definitely going to be a long night. She just hoped that Serena could forgive her and understand the choice that she had to make. Because if Serena couldn't forgive her there was no way that Chuck would.

TBC...

Thank you to everyone who reviewed on the last chapter :)