Disclaimer: Own nothing.

Author's Note: The beautiful Holiday Monster got me so my apologies for not posting this chapter as quickly as the last two. Hopefully now that things have settled down I will be much quicker to update my stories. I try to thank everyone review personal, but I want to send out a mass THANK YOU to everyone who has favorited, reviewed, and/or alerted to this story. Also, I am backed up(due to the holidays) on getting my PMs answered, but I promise I will get to those tonight. I'm so sorry for taking so long!

Of course, this chapter is about CPKs. The suggestion for it was made by so many and I had to respond.

Annnnd, I know some of you may not like this but this chapter isn't M - there was just too much going on to add that in as well. Sorry, but I hope you still enjoy it!

As always; HUGE thank you to ivorykeys09 for beta-ing this chapter AND for getting this dang thing off the ground. She's seriously the reason this chapter doesn't suck completely. Thank you!

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Cedric

"Dan has a Cabbage Patch Kid and there is nothing wrong with that, but he has this thing about having him show up at the strangest of times. Yes, I suppose Cedric is one of Dan's redeeming qualities."

A kiss on the cheek was innocent. A kiss on the cheek was how most of the Upper East Side greeted one another even if you were pleased to see the one you were greeting. A kiss on the cheek was nothing more than a simple exchange to acknowledge the other's presence. A kiss on the cheek was certainly not something that got tongues wagging. A kiss on the cheek did not evoke jealous emotions to arise.

Unless that kiss on the cheek was from Chuck Bass given to Blair Waldorf.

Then that gesture might as well be a loaded gun to the temple. That sort of gesture got tongues wagging, eyebrows rising, and jealous glares from the masses. The gesture was no longer innocent and it was no longer a simple greeting. No, Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf never had an interaction that was nothing less than complex, manipulative, and sexually driven. The two were like magnets and the attraction usually left a line of causalities in its wake; usually Blair's pride and heart being at the forefront of those causalities.

"Merry Christmas, Blair."

His voice was low and deep, something that had once made her heart race and anticipation course through her. His hand had reached out to touch her bare shoulder as he leaned in and pressed his lips to her cheek, lettings his fingers linger longer than usual. He smelled like his typical cologne and aftershave, mixed with the Upper East Side decadence. His attire was nothing less than impeccable; always overdressed for the occasion. His raven hair swept just so and his cheekbones just as defined as ever.

There had been a time when that was enough to allow him to lead her into a backroom and have his way with her, but those days had long since past. Instead, the typical things she would notice within seconds of his appearance weren't important anymore. In fact, Blair couldn't remember the last time Chuck Bass had been considered an important staple in her life. Of course, he would always be a leading character in her past. But her present no longer had anything to do with him and neither did her future.

She simply felt nothing.

There had once been a time when all she felt was excitement, then that turned into hurt, and then hope. But hope has a funny way of disappearing back into hurt after awhile. Hurt was not becoming on Blair and she had spent most of that time being a vindictive bitch, but fortunately that phase disappeared with the rest of her Chuck "feelings" and she was left with nothing but indifference toward him. Of course, it was a shallow indifference; if she spent too much time thinking over all that had happened between them the bad certainly overshadowing the good she would feel angry. But anger did nothing but make her and others she cared about miserable. No, she'd stick to her indifference towards the man who caused her so much torture throughout high school and college.

Blair tilted her head slightly to allow him to kiss her, thinking nothing of it. She waited for him to pull back, looking down at her with those dark, smoldering eyes that once made her knees buckle. She unconsciously began to tap her Cartier engagement ring against the crystal in her hand, smiling at the comfortable weight it presented on her finger. She gave him a pleasant smile and lifted her champagne glass up to his, clinging them together.

"Merry Christmas, Chuck."

There was a moment of silence as if Chuck had expected her to continue their conversation. Like he was searching for some sort of sign from her that he could continue his subtle, but flirtatious actions. No such sign was given and Blair glanced around the room, smiling at some of the other guests until she spotted one she had yet to greet this evening.

"Excuse me," She smiled up at Chuck, reaching to platonically touch his arm before walking past him, "Glad you could make it to our holiday party."

Chuck gave a strong nod, hiding his surprise just as well as normal. He turned to watch her walk toward a couple of women off on the other side of the room as he sipped his champagne. Sure, it had been years since their on-and-off relationship had officially ended, but he had always figured there would be a soft spot in Blair for him or she'd at least have a hateful response to his appearance but it was worse than that. She was completely neutral. She didn't even flinch when he went to kiss her cheek, she didn't even have a sharp intake of breath. She simply greeted him like any other guest.

Unfortunately, Chuck's eyes weren't the only ones to follow Blair as she walked away from her ex-lover and his interpretation of their short encounter was completely off from what it actually was.

Dan had been standing with a group of guys from work when he saw Chuck Bass exit the elevator and immediately have a commanding presence in the room. His stomach sank. Of course Chuck Bass would be invited to this Christmas Party; what was an Upper East Side party without the infamous man-whore character? Dan should have known when he and Blair had signed the contract to this place that he was also signing up for a lifetime of status appearances and New York Times' worthy parties. Normally he didn't argue; she was worth it.

Dan had tried to convince Blair that she didn't have to invite him, but Blair insisted they invite everyone of importance in their social circle. Blair was a Waldorf after all. She wasn't going to commit "social suicide" by not inviting certain people. Dan had grudgingly agreed and simply made a vow to avoid him, but that was a foolish vow because it wasn't Dan he'd be most prone to search out. No, it would be the female occupant of this penthouse.

When he saw Chuck approach Blair he tried to remain fixed in his own conversations, but the interaction was too intriguing and he couldn't pull his eyes away. His stomach churned when saw Chuck reach out a caress Blair's shoulder and then lean down to kiss her cheek. Even when he pulled back Dan thought he was standing far too close and with Blair's back to him he couldn't tell what she was saying. The interaction didn't last very long and Chuck was left standing alone in the entry way, watching Blair, as she went to other party guests.

Damn, and of course Blair had to be wearing a beautiful, structured plum colored cocktail dress that hugged all of her curves. He could practically read Chuck's mind as he finished off his champagne with one strong gulp. He finally removed his eyes from the direction Blair had went and sauntered off into the crowd of other party goers, leaving Dan to glare at the place where he'd once been standing. His fiancée looked amazing and normally he wanted everyone to notice. But when it came to Chuck he wished Blair would wear an oversized curtain every time she came near him.

And the way she suddenly tapped her engagement ring against the flute in her hand. What did that mean? Was she regretting say 'yes' to his proposal only three months earlier? He felt his stomach twist in knots. She was easily the best thing that ever happened to him and the mere thought of her rethinking her decision to marry him was enough to send him into a dark depression. He groaned and took a sharp drink.

Dan tried to shake off the jealousy feeling that was dwelling within him. He knew he was being completely irrational, but there was just something about Blair and Chuck that dug deep with him. Maybe it was because he had seen how drawn they were to one another once upon a time, or the fact that everyone – including him at one point – had expected them to finally be on for good. Either way, Dan was not the jealous type until he came to Chuck Bass. He turned back toward his friends and tried to get back into the conversation, but soon enough he made up a reason to excuse himself into the nearby kitchen.

Blair's smile was immediate when she saw him round the corner. She had just only slipped into the kitchen herself to grab some more champagne and as much as she hated to admit it, she was glad to have a moment of quiet. She adored throwing parties, but sometimes it all became so overwhelming that she needed a moment. The fact that Dan had rounded the corner made the moment of peace that much better. She gave him a shameless one over as he walked toward the counter. He looked so handsome in a Johnny Cash style suit, sans a tie, and the black shirt that he'd left several buttons undone at the top.

"Enjoying yourself?" She asked, nursing her drink.

"Um, yeah," He nodded, sitting his drink down on the island of their large kitchen, "How's Chuck?"

He nearly kicked himself when the question came out. Jealous Dan was rearing his ugly head. Blair watched him for a moment, looking slightly confused at his question. She glanced around as if he was leering from a nearby doorway, but then she looked back at Dan and shrugged.

"Fine, I think," Blair walked toward the island, leaning across from where Dan stood, "Why? Is he acting strange?"

"I don't know, you tell me," Dan's eyes were cold on hers and it became very obvious to Blair what he was getting at.

She gave a small, cynical laugh and shook her head, "You're kidding me, right? You aren't seriously jealous over one little conversation? It wasn't even a full conversation!"

"Blair, don't make it sound like it was just a conversation with any normal guy on the street," Dan was being irrational and he knew it, but jealousy tended to do that to a person, "It's Chuck Bass, we're talking about, he doesn't have casual conversations with Blair Waldorf."

"You might be right," Blair's voice began to get louder as her frustration grew, "But I can have 'just a casual conversation' with Chuck Bass. You are obviously blowing this way out of proportion. You knew he was going to be here…did you expect me to ignore him? That would be pretty rude, don't you think?"

"Considering who it is; no not really," Dan placed his hands on the marble countertop to lean forward, as if they were about to face off, "And what was that about suddenly taking notice of your ring while you're talking to him? Regretting your decision to marry me?"

"My God, Humphrey," Blair threw her hands up in frustration, "It's been almost four years since Chuck and I broke up, two of those years I've been in love with you. Think your jealousy moment is a little late?"

"Well, with your track record of on-and-off I wouldn't know," Dan knew he shouldn't have said it the moment it came out of his mouth and by the defeated and hurt expression on her face he knew he had crossed a line.

"Go to hell," Her eyes were misty as she started to walk away, but turned around to look at Dan one more time, "And just so you know; I wasn't regretting anything, I was thinking just how thankful I am that you could know all of my flaws and still want to marry me."

With that she disappeared to join the holiday masses.

He watched as she walked away, her heels clicking against the tile the only noise he was left with in the kitchen. He sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. He'd really done it this time. Jealous Dan didn't make an appearance all that often, but when he did he certainly knew how to fuck up a good night. And if there was one thing that made him appear it was a new dose of Chuck Bass in their lives, but Dan couldn't even blame Chuck for this argument. This was entirely his fault and he knew it. He looked toward the darkened doorway for a moment longer.

If there was one thing Dan had learned about Blair over the years it was that her exit from a room told him exactly what he needed to do from that point on. For example, if she stormed out of the room still yelling at him he would do best by just avoiding her for a couple hours while she calmed down. If she made him leave the room he better leave the damn penthouse because all hell was about to break loss. And if she walked out of the room looking the way she did that night he better have a pretty smooth speech prepared when he chased after her.

"God damn it, Chuck," Dan mumbled, finishing his drink and heading back to the party he now wished – more than ever – had never been.

When he entered the room he immediately spotted his fiancée standing with several women, her best friend included, laughing as though nothing had happened. Typical Blair. That woman could put her emotions on a tighter lockdown than the crown jewels. He took in a deep breath and decided it was best to just follow her example. There would be plenty of time to remove his foot from his mouth after the guests left.

"Thanks for coming," Blair grinned, walking her best friend to the elevator, "I'm positive. I don't need help cleaning up – that's why I have Dan."

Serena leaned and kissed her friend on the cheek before waving one final time. Blair waited until the door was closed to turn and head back into the penthouse. Dan had been waiting for this moment all night, so when Serena finally left, with much coaxing from Nate, he gave a small sigh of relief. He stood in the now empty entryway expecting Blair to turn around and talk to him, yell at him, anything but give him the continued cold shoulder. He welcomed any interaction.

But Blair obviously did not.

She walked past him in the entryway as if he were nothing more than a floor lamp and headed toward the stairwell. She didn't even glance back as she ascended the stairs. Dan watched her until she disappeared and then heard a door slam. He inwardly groaned.

He had really done it this time.

The knock on the door was quiet, but in her silent surroundings it was hard to miss. Blair looked up from her place in their library and waited for Dan to walk in. She wanted nothing more to get over this argument, but she was hurt and felt like the man she had given her heart to with very little reservation didn't trust her. That was like a punch to the stomach. She had spent the entire party avoiding Dan, but the entire party counting down the seconds until the guests would finally leave. She played a silent game of tug-of-war with herself as to where this night could end up; they could either scream at each other until the revelation came out that Dan truly didn't trust her or it could blow over.

The latter seemed very unlikely. Dan Humphrey and Blair Waldorf were never really the "blow over" type of couple.

She quickly wiped her eyes to make sure the evidence of her emotions was gone and watched the door. She knew Dan, he didn't need to be ushered in, he'd just walk in. But the door didn't open for a while. Instead another knock came from behind the door, but still Blair remained quiet. Finally she saw the doorknob twist and slowly the door began move forward. Blair expected to see her fiancé standing in the doorway, but instead there was only the small tomato-shaped head of an infamous Cabbage Patch Kid poking out from the doorframe.

If Blair hadn't been so confused she might have laughed, but instead she simply watched the yarn covered head and waited for whatever it was Dan had planned.

Nothing happened. Obviously he was waiting for a sign that she was willing to play along. Dan was waiting for her "cease fire" moment, as he so lovingly liked to put it.

She cleared her throat and leaned forward onto Dan's desk, "Cedric."

"Dan is a real ass," Dan's voice came out from behind the wall in a scratchy, high-pitched tone, "But he does love you, you know."

Blair grinned, glad that Dan couldn't see her at the moment, and shook her head, "Is that why he sent a doll to do his apologizing for him?"

"That's cold, Waldorf, real cold," Dan tilted Cedric's head in disgust, "I'm a Cabbage Patch Kid not just some doll. But no, he didn't send me to apologize – I'm just he's shield. I recover from a book to the head much quicker than he does."

Blair smirked, "Well tell him I'm unarmed – for now."

She watched as Cedric slowly slid down the doorframe and Dan came out from behind the wall, still looking quite solemn. Dan saw that even though amusement played on her lips, the hurt expression was set in stone in her eyes. There was a moment of silence between them. Dan had played out so many different speeches in his head and they had all ended up with him making excuses for his behavior. There wasn't an excuse for his behavior so he wasn't about to pretend there was and he figured a simple "I'm sorry" wasn't enough. He was just about to open his mouth when Blair's voice stopped him.

"Do you trust me?"

It was the wind was knocked out of him when he heard her question and saw the totally vulnerable expression on her face. To say he felt terrible wouldn't even begin to explain how bad he felt. He had managed to make Blair believe that he didn't trust her and he knew just how unstable that made her feel. He couldn't move quick enough as he stepped forward - letting Cedric fall to the floor - and pulled her close to him.

"With my whole heart," He spoke confidently, looking into her eyes as she searched his for any sign of hesitation, "I was a complete ass and there's no excuse how I acted – or for what I said. It was just so obvious the kind of reaction Chuck wanted to get from you –"

"But he didn't get it," Blair interrupted, "He hasn't gotten that kind of reaction from me since I realized you were the one I wanted. Chuck hasn't even been an afterthought since that day."

Dan's heart began to race at Blair's confession. It wasn't very often that she told him just how much he'd changed things for her, but every time she did it was like he was hearing it for the first time. He wanted to give the grand sort of apologize with an explanation of why he had acted the way he did, but when it came right now to it there was no sound explanation.

"I am sorry, Blair," Dan's voice was soft and he reached up to push a strand of hair away from her face, "I was being childish and well, just ridiculous, but when I think, even foolishly, that there's a chance I could lose you I lose all common sense. You're everything to me. I can't lose you. Plain and simple."

"And you won't," Blair finally wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled herself flesh against him.

"Good, does that mean you forgive me?"

"Not quite," Blair leaned up to bring her lips to his, "But you have all night to continue to convince me."

"Sounds like an excellent plan," Dan started to deepen the kiss before Blair quickly pulled away from him and reached down to pick up a nearly forgotten Cedric.

"Um, I really think three's a crowd in this situation, Blair," Dan looked slightly amused and confused at her sudden attention to the object.

"Ugh, Humphrey, always such a dirty mind," Blair smirked before turning it into a warm smile as she looked at Cedric, "Well played with pulling Cedric in for reinforcement."

"Gets 'em every time," Dan walked up behind Blair, wrapping his arms around her.

"I miss Francesca," Blair ran her fingers through worn yarn of Cedric's hair, "I still don't think we should have paid those movers for losing our things."

"One thing, Blair, a Cabbage Patch Kid," Dan kissed her bare shoulder, "I'm pretty sure that doesn't merit a free move."

"Well it should merit something," Blair protested.

"Okay, fine, we'll call them after the holidays and complain," Dan caved, "But for now lets put Cedric down so I can continue my apology."

"Hmm," Blair quickly tossed Cedric onto a nearby couch and turned in Dan's arms, "I suppose you do have a lot of apologizing to do."

The sun woke Blair with its bright glow before she turned in her entanglement of sheets, trying to avoid the inevitable morning that was outside. She reached out to find her fiancé, but instead was met with a lot of extra space. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking several times to remove the sleepy blur. That was when she saw the familiar small tomato-shaped head of a Cabbage Patch Kid.

"Merry Christmas," Dan's voice was soft as she looked toward the edge of the bed where he sat.

Blair slowly sat up, wrapping the sheet around her naked upper half. Her eyes went back toward the Cabbage Patch Kid that leaned against Dan's pillow. Her hair was brown, pulled into a ponytail with a purple ribbon. She wore a dress to match her bow, but her shoes were yellow to match a familiar headband that sat at her head.

"I had her made last week," Dan leaned closer to Blair as she examined the Cabbage Patch Kid. He reached out to hold up the doll's left arm, "Cedric decided he needed to propose to her so she didn't feel so left out while you're planning."

Her eyes went to the yellow piece of yarn sown over her ring finger and the rhinestone attached to replicate an engagement ring. She couldn't help but laugh as she picked her up, "Cedric moves fast."

"When you know, you know," Dan smiled, "What do you think?"

"She's perfect," Blair grinned, leaning forward to kiss Dan firmly on the lips.

"I'm glad you like her," Dan looked back down at the Cabbage Patch Kid in her arm, "What's her name?"

"Lanie."

Dan grinned at the obvious reference to The Landlord, "Get dressed, I made breakfast."

"You made breakfast," Blair raised a curious eyebrow.

"Okay, I bought breakfast," Dan stood up from their bed and started toward the door.

"Good, because Lanie and I really don't want to start off Christmas with burnt toast."

Never fear the M chapters will make a return next time!

NOW it's your turn: Thoughts? Suggestions of D, E, F, G?