Title: Can't Turn Back

By: Myra

Status: Incomplete [5/?]

Summary: "The first rule of life is to reveal nothing, to be exceptionally cautious in what you say, in whatever company you may find yourself. If you have a secret, you have only to whisper it to your dearest friend with the strictest injunction that it will go no further, and within half a day the story is all over town, and when you do make what would seem to be a perfectly sensible remark, you will find it reported in the most grotesque form, thus incurring no end of criticism to rebound upon you." - Elizabeth Aston

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 your wonderful Beta-ing! - to Isab and Jessie for the encouragement. And to the girls over at CBthePP because you guys are awesome.

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 5: And then There Were Two

Silent tears ran down Blair's cheek as retold her story to Chuck. She hoped that Chuck would understand where she was coming from, but the expression on his chiseled face said otherwise. She glanced at Serena, who stood there with a somewhat smug expression. Blair wanted to understand Serena, she did, but she couldn't. If Serena was able to forgive her deadbeat father—who abandoned her at the age of 4—then why on earth couldn't she forgive her long-time friend?

She quickly wrapped up her story and began to explain, or at least try to explain who Edward Charles Waldorf was.

"Five years ago, I ran into Nate," she started. Chuck's eyes narrowed but he didn't say anything, Serena however did.

"You talk to Nate?" there was softness to her tone. It was obvious that the blond-hair beauty still held a soft spot for the Vanderbilt heir.

"I work for him actually," Blair mumbled.

Chuck gave her an incredulous look. "Work for him?" he spat out angrily. "Even after what he's done to me?"

"Nate never actually told me the details that surrounded your fallout," she admitted. "He simply said that a misinterpretation was the cause of the demise of your friendship."

Chuck scoffed, "Misinterpretation? The Vanderbilt's sued me; he just stood there and let it happen. What am I missing that could construe this as a misinterpretation?"

Blair looked stricken, how could she defend Nate when he was obviously wrong? Better question: How could she get these two former friends together so that they could sort out their differences? She thought ruefully, she should be taking her own advice and making peace with Serena.

"That's what he told me," she said timidly. "I asked him once, but that's all he'd tell me."

"How is it that I have no knowledge of Nathaniel's work status?" Chuck asked carefully.

"William Vanderbilt is protecting the firm that Nate owns," Blair said simply. There was no reason to give more Chuck more information on Nate's firm. He would use that power to destroy Nate and she couldn't let that happen since she was a partner at the firm.

"Are you and Nate involved," Serena asked accusingly. Blair rolled her eyes, as if she would play that mistake over again. Besides Serena had no claim on Nate.

"Please, Nate and I realized that ship has sailed. Besides Nate has a fiancé, I don't do…" She stopped herself, remembering a very important fact. Serena wore a wounded facial expression while Chuck looked amused. She quickly regretted saying anything.

"I could have sworn that married men were your specialty," Chuck retorted sarcastically.

"Chuck, the day of your wedding," Blair began to explain, "I was going to tell you about the abortion, but… I saw you and all I thought of was being with you."

"You were at Chuck's wedding?" Serena asked stupidly and Blair nodded her head.

"After I left," she continued, "I swore to myself that it would be the last time I would come back because you were happy with someone else. Someone that could make you smile again and who was there when I couldn't be. I had no ties in this city. A couple months later… Chuck I wanted to call. But I didn't want you to hate me."

"What are you saying Blair?" he asked softly.

"On March 15, 2019, I gave birth to Edward Charles Waldorf," Blair answered through her tears, "A beautiful, 7 pound, healthy baby boy. He's your son."

All the color drain from Chuck's face, and Blair thought that he would pass out. Serena also stood there motionless. It was awhile before the trio spoke again.

"I can't be here," Chuck said quickly. He pushed passed Blair and was out the door with Serena trailing behind him. Blair fell to the floor and let out a huge sob.

"Chuck," Serena yelled as she tried to catch up to Chuck. He ignored her and continued out the doors of the Palace. She lost him as soon as he entered his limo. Everything was a mess and the only person who could fix it was completely and utterly broken herself.

Serena needed two things at that very moment: a drink and Nathaniel Archibald. The first she could get, but the second now seemed impossible. Everything that Blair had told her was too much to take in. She hated Blair with a passion, but she also cared for her former-best friend. She didn't realize it at the moment but she needed Blair, needed her friend back. And even though they might never be like they once were, they would still be there for each other.

She roamed the streets of Manhattan before she finally reached her temporary home at the Basses penthouse. She walked into the penthouse and saw that the living room was turned upside down; in fact the whole house looked like a disaster.

Serena gasped as she saw Chuck on the floor of the living room in tears. She quickly rushed toward Chuck's side. He was mumbling something about Melanie and some fight they had earlier. He reeked of scotch. She frowned; she couldn't have been gone that long.

"She destroys my house, lies to me, and then accuses me of having an affair," Chuck spat out. Serena waited for Chuck to continue but he just sat there and drank his scotch.

"That bitch doesn't know how good she's had it," Chuck said after awhile. "I will ruin her."

This time Serena didn't know who he was referring to: Melanie or Blair.

"Come on Chuck." She tries to lift him up, like he used to with her in their younger years. Granted, he is a lot heavier than her.

She finally manages to get him to his room, so that he could sleep off his buzz. When she's done with Chuck, she ventures into his penthouse, inspecting the damage. Melanie might have been tiny but she was vicious when she wanted to be.

Serena took one final look around and headed up for bed. Tomorrow would be interesting.

Chuck wasn't in the penthouse when Serena woke up. He had gotten up earlier that morning and gave the maids, the butler, and the doorman explicit directions that Melanie Coarsen-Bass (technically she was still considered a Bass) was not allowed on premises. He also told the maids to tidy the house up a bit.

Chuck walked out of the doors of the Empire Hotel and wound up at a small restaurant. It was near walking distance of the hotel and he rather enjoyed the breakfast menu. He really just needed to get away from all the needless drama. From Blair, to Melanie, then back to Blair, and then back to Melanie. These women would be the death of him.

He tried to ignore everything and focus his attention on his son; a son he hadn't known existed until yesterday evening. So naturally he didn't notice the brunette that sat right across from him.

"Fancy meeting you here," Georgina Sparks greeted him then sat directly across from him.

Chuck glanced over and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "What is it Whore-gina?" He asked nonchalantly.

"I heard that a certain someone was back in town," she mentioned casually. Chuck pursed his lips and refused to respond. Georgie took his lack of response as a 'yes' and added, "Isn't this what you wanted? For Blair to come home?"

"She not staying," he bit back. The waiter came by and left quickly after.

Georgina nodded her head. "Don't you think it's time to let her go?" she asked. "Far be it from me to meddle in your business, but seven years and she shows up out of nowhere. She wants to see you just to tell you that she's not ever coming back?"

"You don't know what she's been through," he gritted his teeth.

She chuckled, "What about Melanie? I mean I hate the bitch, but she still is your wife."

"She lied about her pregnancy," he said absently. "She was never pregnant. We're getting a divorce as soon I get the papers drawn up."

"You move fast," Georgie said lightly. "This should be good news, have you told Blair?"

"I didn't know you care," he smirked and Georgie slightly rolled her eyes.

"I don't," she deadpanned. "But you've been obsessing over her for the last couple of years, you would think by now that you two would be hitched and popping out a couple of kids."

Chuck clenched his jaw.

"Imagine that, Blair Waldorf with kids," she scoffed.

"Blair would make an amazing mother," he snapped. Georgina gaped at him before smiling brightly at him.

"And how exactly would you know that?" She asked.

Serena's morning consisted of remembering where she was and how she got there. She wasn't drunk from the night before, so she had no reason not to remember what happened last night.

She lay there idly when her cell rang. She recognized the ring tone.

It was her ex-beau, the one that slept with the casting director. She rolled her eyes and surveyed the room. It was one of the few that Melanie hadn't destroyed.

She wondered what happened between Chuck and Melanie. She knew that she lied to him and that she accused him of having an affair. But that was not giving her much to go off of.

Her cell continued to ring, until Serena decided to silence it. No more drama for the next couple of hours, she promised herself.

"Mom, mommy," Ari tried to wake Blair from her slumber. She muttered something incoherently and rolled to the other side.

"Mom, Auntie Casey on the phone," he tried once again. She reluctantly rolled over and took the phone from Ari's hands.

"Good morning," she said as she placed the cell phone on her ear.

"Well technically, it's good afternoon," Casey joked but there was no humor in her voice. There was an awkward silence that followed and Blair knew something was off.

Casey muttered something, but Blair couldn't understand.

"Case, what is it? What's wrong?" she questioned her best friend, "Is it Eddie? Is he ok?"

"Eddie's fine Blair, really. It's actually about Nathaniel and me," Casey said shyly and Blair waited for her to continue. "We've set a date."

"You don't sound happy, at all," Blair noticed.

"I love him, I do," she paused momentarily. "I'm just not certain he loves me the same way."

"Sweetie," Blair began, "Nate loves you. What would make you think otherwise? Has he said something?"

"Not in so many words or any for that matter. I just feel like he's hold back, like there's something he wants to tell me but he won't," Casey continued, "B, I wish you and Ari were back. I know I said you need to take care of your business in New York, but I need some reassurance that it'll only be me and him."

"Have you talked to him?" Blair asked thoughtfully and she took Casey's silence as a 'no'.

"When you've talked to Nate give me another call," Blair instructed and hung up. She placed the same device on the table stand next to her and looked at Ari. All he could do was stare blankly and wait.

"Mommy are you ok?" he asked finally.

"Ask me again tomorrow," Blair replied softly and he nodded.

"Do you want to see the city?" she asked changing the subject entirely.

Ari nodded. Who knows if he'll ever see it again?

As he began to get ready, he started to wonder why his mother looked so sad since they'd come to New York. He wonders if that man from the day before had hurt her in some way. He wondered about the other woman's voice and the sobs.

Then he came to the conclusion that none of it mattered because in a few days he would be back home and he would never have to hear about New York or the bad people in it. It would only be him, Blair, Eddie, Uncle Nate, Auntie Casey, and his grandparents.

For right now, he would be with his mother enjoying every minute they had together.

TBC...

A/N: Ok, so here's a favor I need to ask you dear readers (you know besides reviewing). I know after taking forever to update and I need a favor (mouths: 'Sorry'). I just what to ask if Nate should stay with Casey or Serena. I know they're not the focus but that triangle is bound to come out and I would like some feedback on that :) Please and thank you!

A huge thank you to:

L stands for love: Sorry it took forever with the UD, between laptop crashing, distraction, and no muse are to blame. But Eddie will be brought up and let's see if baby Eddie will play a pivotal role in bring his 'rents together :) Isa: Well just think of it like this Blair didn't look like she was gonna say anything, so Serena was. Family's family they come first. :) No that was Westie, wrong story. I told you this. I did and you've already reviewed. Yre: The dots will connect so that everything will ultimately make sense. Thank you for the review :) Wrighthangal: So, so sorry on the late-UD. I don't how riveting the chapter was but I hope you enjoy. Dulwich: Thank you :) I'm gonna see how long I can keep the OMG factor, not in this particular chapter, but in the one that follow :) Lilaznbunny: Thank you! HnM skinnys: Hopefully you enjoyed the chappie :D batgirl2992: If I say yes, would it really be a spoiler? Thank you for reviewing, I'm trying my darnest to get chapter 6 written asaic (as soon as I can). Yes, Serena choosing her family on in this fic because she's seen firsthand how destroyed Chuckie was after B left. Thank you :) Chemromance98: Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter and I suck for making people wait so long.