Disclaimer: I own nothing except a great love for CB and the many inhabitants of the UES

A/N: Wow can't believe that Feb is just about over and it's been so so long since I've been able to get a new chapter up for you guys. No excuses to be made besides technical difficulties galore and wayyy too much homework and work period…Yea so beyond that I have absolutely no excuse and should be locked in my room (with a certain someone whom we all know and adore ;) ) Alas the story wants its way and I have so much more coming up for guys. So no more long stretches of silence from my end. Things are definitely picking up for C/B and company in this story and I think you'll enjoy it…so I'll just shut up and let you get to reading the newest chapter. As always thanks so much for the reviews from the last chapter…your words and thoughts mean a lot to me. I'm still loving it and wish work and school wasn't an issue so that I could spend my days daydreaming CB (wait do that anywell) er well hammering out this story…which is also always in my head. Shutting up now ;). Love you guys. Much love to my girls and big kiss to my Wifey.

Also, extra special thanks to Nes for the last minute assist...really really wouldn't have been able to get this up without you ;)

Chapter 15ஐ

"How?" Vanessa asked.

How? She wanted to know how. No apologies. No denials. Well that was something at least. Carter had lied through his teeth for a good five minutes before he'd finally admitted to screwing Nate's wife. Serena had called him the minute she'd gotten home with the kids. All three still knocked out and her mother's words playing a loop in her brain.

Earlier when she'd first arrived at his apartment, he'd welcomed her at the door with his shirt still hanging open and half-empty wine glasses sitting on the coffee table. He'd had that look in his eyes that she recognized all too well, as if he'd just gotten off and wanted more. She didn't need to see the rumpled sheets on his bed to know just why he wore such a satisfied smile and his hair stuck out on every end. He'd been busy with his company whoever she was while their son fought sleep and Serena.

She'd rolled her eyes as he murmured words of glib flirtation and told him to just hand over Alex's bear so that he could get back to his "guest." Only his guest was long gone.

"Sorry, I'd introduce you but you just missed her." He'd said. "But if you'd like to keep me company that'd work just as well. Seeing as how she'd still be here if you hadn't called. Ruining my evening and all."

She hadn't even dignified his words with a response or given a second thought to the identity of his lover. The woman she'd just missed out on having a possibly awkward conversation with. Didn't think about Carter's words again until returning to her mother who still held a sleepy Alex. Her little boy, bleary-eyed and restless had quieted down by time she'd come back to the limo.

Alex'd reached for the bear, snagging it from Serena's grasp without a word in Serena's hands without a word and curled against his grandmother's chest.

"And thank god for that." Lily had smiled, "You're going to have to get Robbie a twin, darling. That was just pure torture for both you and Alex. One he can keep at Carter's and another for your apartment."

Serena had nodded. Head lolling against the headrest and eyes shut as she'd enjoyed the blissful silence in the limo. Her mother's words fell like a bomb into that moment…obliterating everything.

"What was Vanessa doing here? I could sworn she said something about making plans with her family." Her mother had asked, humming to her sleepy grandson with one arm around his bear and his free hand tangling in her hair. His small hand clenching and unclenching as his light eyes, drooped further and further with each passing second.

At first her mother's words didn't reach beyond the layer of exhaustion and the chaos of the day, but then they'd sunk, making everything snap into place.a moment for a mother's words to sink in and then everything else had snapped into place. Dan forgotten for once as the pieces all came together, making a horrible kind of sense. Vanessa and Carter. Damn them both. She'd spent the entire night wanting to hit them both. Seeing Vanessa now…she didn't regret slapping the other woman.

"Serena, how did you find out….did Carter…"Vanessa stopped looking away, tears spilling from her dark eyes. She dropped her hands away as if willing Serena to have another go at her.

"No. Carter didn't say a word. Crazy but I think he was protecting you." Serena said, "Does Nate know it's Carter?"

Vanessa turned on her with narrowed eyes, brushing furiously at her tear-stained cheeks. "Of course not. You can't tell him."

"Actually, I could, but I think that it would be much better coming from you." Serena told her, not bothering to hide the loathing in her eyes.

"Serena, please."

She felt the bite of remorse and started to relent but couldn't back down. Not when it came to Nate. He needed to know the truth. "I'll do it if you can't."

"You don't get it. This is my marriage you're talking about with…and don't get holier than thou with me, Van der Woodsen. You're not lily-white innocent. I know you've slept with married men before. Evan Peterson. Jerry Gibson. And those where the ones after Alex was born, right?"

"I didn't know Evan was married until it was too late and Jerry's divorce has been finalized for months. And for the record we're not talking about who I happen to be sleeping with…we're talking about you." Serena said.

"Back off, Serena. I swear to god."

"What are you going to do? I'm not backing off. I'll give you time to do it, but you're telling Nate the whole truth and that's it. You should've thought about your marriage before you went to bed with someone else."

The dark-haired woman backed away, hands fallen at her side. Her expression despairing. "I'll…Don't…" She cleared her throat, nodding jerkily. "You're right. He has to know. Just give me some time. Okay? Please."

Serena was quiet. She nodded after a moment, ducking her own head. Dammit she didn't want to know this. She didn't want to be a part of the reason why Nate got hurt again. But he had to know. Secrets like this had a tendency of coming out at the worse possible time. Vanessa would be doing herself and everyone else a favor if she got things out into the open now. "Fine. I won't say anything but you're going to tell him, Vanessa. The sooner the better." Serena reached in her bag and pulled out the container of Kleenex that she kept handy for Alex.

"Right." She sniffed, taking the blonde's offering and dabbing at her nose. "Thanks. Listen. I need to get out of here. Could you stay…I mean wait here with Dan. I know he'll want to see you when he comes back from getting the CT."

"Vanessa, wait." Serena called out as the other woman started to walk away. "What exactly happened to Dan…no one's really given me all the details."

"He got mugged. His attacker clocked him good and took all of his stuff…wallet. Cell phone. They even took his coat and shoes."

"Really?"

"Yeah, crazy, right?" Vanessa told her. "Anyway, he made it back to the brownstone and he's lucky if he doesn't came away from this with pneumonia. Just wait with him would you…he hasn't had the best of nights and then he put up with me and Nate earlier…don't ask."

"I'll stay."

"Thanks." Vanessa said and started to turn away. "Serena. I'm just really. Really sorry."

"I know. But I'm not the one that you should be apologizing to…am I?" Serena reminded.

"I don't think he's ready to hear it."

"Well, tell him again and keep saying it until he's ready." The brunette nodded at her words and turned without speaking again, leaving Serena standing there. The nurse watching their byplay glance away as Serena looked over. The blonde looked heavenward and walked over to the woman. Great. "Hi, I'm Serena Van der Woodsen. My friend was brought in a little while ago. Dan Humphrey…I was told that he was getting a head CT."

The nurse glanced through her files and then nodded. "He is. You'll have to wait down the hall until the doctor finishes up with him and then I'm sure the doctor will tell your 'friend' that you're here." The woman looked her over speculatively, probably figuring that Serena and Vanessa's "fight" had been over Dan. Nope she was more than six years late on that one.

"Thank you." Serena started down the hall, her heels clicking against tile. Once she reached the waiting room she pulled out her cell phone. Still no returned calls from either Chuck or Nate. Jerks. She fired off a quick text to them both, letting them know that she was downstairs waiting for Dan but she'd by no means forgotten or forgiven the hell they'd put her through. She didn't let them know that…only that she wanted to speak with the both in the morning…

God, but she was getting sick of hospitals. She wondered if it was a little cosmic payback for being such a bad friend and not visiting her bestie for weeks before she finally woke up. Well, okay once. One in a matter of weeks. Now it seemed as if everyone she knew was ending up on their backs in someone's ward. Jenny…Blair and now Dan. Enough already. More than enough.

~ஐ~

Despite his earlier intentions, Nate ended up waiting around for the detectives. He and Chuck figured that he was better off sticking around and playing up the story of being an old friend, stopping by to grab some things that Dan wanted for his night in the ER. Nate would've been long gone if not for the fact that Williams had given the detectives his damn name and would end up telling the detectives just how Nate had talked his way into Dan's hotel room. And Nate needed a damn good reason for doing that that didn't result in him admitting to handing police property over to a damn reporter.

So there he was, with the detectives, feeding them the story that he and Chuck had settled on. They'd make sure that Dan backed up every bit of it when pressed. He waited with them as they waited for the crime scene guys to arrive to take prints but who knew what they'd pick…problem nothing with the amount of traffic the hotel room saw on a weekly basis. Everything from an endless stream of guests and hotel staff whose fingerprints would be all over the place. Still crime scene investigators arrived dusting for prints and bagging everything they could.

Nate was asked to run through his story just once. After that he was free to leave but figured he was better off hanging around…on the very unlikely chance that they stumbled across something that he'd missed, he'd wanted to be there. That and he didn't really want to head back to the hospital. To do what? Sit there and avoid looking…talking to the woman he'd married. No thank you. He'd take the room full of guys, bitching about the late hour and the bullshit they'd put up with after spending the day with their in-laws.

Time seemed to dragged on as the techs worked slowly, not wanting to miss anything. He went back and forth, mentally battling the nagging urge to head back over to the hospital, but that last text from Serena pretty much put the brakes on any attacks of conscious or sudden urges to forget good sense. It was one thing to spend the rest of the night or morning rather expending excess energy into not talking to Vanessa, but Serena on a rampage being thrown into the mix…no thank you. He'd leave that task for Chuck.

Almost two hours after he'd arrived at the hotel, Nate left with no more answers than he'd arrived with. He didn't bother calling Chuck again. His friend hadn't wanted anymore late night calls, saying he thought Blair seemed distracted and upset enough without him taking off for a dark corner every twenty minutes. And he wondered how Dan was faring but he figured that he'd have to go through Serena or Vanessa. Instead for the few hours before dawn, Nate dragged his sorry self back to the Bass apartment, feeling already half asleep before he even set foot off the elevator.

The place felt entirely too empty. Far quieter than if any of the Basses had been home at the moment. Granted his goddaughters would've been in bed long ago but the place still felt…less. He was going to miss it, but Nate was pretty sure that Chuck would want a little space for his family when they brought Blair home.

Going back the Brownstone was out of the question and no way was he moving back in with his mother. Serena would probably put him up for a while….then again she might not be talking to him after tonight. 1812, it was to be, then. That place used to be a haven of sorts…it could be again. His marriage was over.

Nate rolled over trying to get comfortable, sleeping coming on the heels of that definitive thought. Somehow offering him a calm, a peace that he hadn't felt in days. They were through, a voice whispered in his head and then he thought nothing at all as his exhaustion took him in and obliterated all else.

~ஐ~

Morning dawned in the UES…the former royal four of Constance and St. Jude's slept on. Curled in dreamless worlds or those filled with images of what-could-have-been. Babies and Birthdays. First breath and lists of babynames unused. Dead fathers. Broken promises.

For once, ringers turned silent and doors left undisturbed the UESers slept on…as dawn brought to them an whole new set of circumstances and decisions to be made…offering possibilities that hadn't been fathomed, hoped for or dreaded when they awoke in their collective beds the previous morning.

No this morning they slept on. Recovering from the draining events of day's past. Morning arrived with Serena squirming in her sleep, trying to get comfortable in the chair she'd pulled up at Dan's bedside, some hours before. Only a few floors away the newly reunited King and Queen of the UES, lay intertwined in sleep, dreams, and one another. Neither noticed when the dark-haired woman came to stand outside of Blair's door, peering inside at the private picture that they made, her smile calculating and cell phone in hand.

"Make it good." She said simply, and the hurried on about her way as a gaggle of doctors rounded the corner. She ducked her head and started to turn back when she noticed Blair's parents taking up the rear. Guess the lovebirds were about to get their wakeup call…poo she'd wanted to do it. Oh, well.

Not too far away, Nate received quite a different wake-up call than the one his two friends were getting at that very moment. He didn't budge at the first quiet knock. Or even the second.

"Mr. Nate." The bedroom door inched open. Dorota had learned, years before never to burst into a room in the Bass household or let her charges hear her coming. With the twins, she needed to employ stealth or else she wouldn't know what new havoc they were brewing until it was too late for anything more than damage control. She hadn't been sure what to expect from Mr. Chuck when she'd first moved in. He'd finally moved into his own place with the twins after Evie and Kat's first birthday and Dorota had gone with them.

She hadn't known what to expect. Mr. Chuck walking around in his birthday suit. Nope, never happened. The man owned silk pajamas in every color known to man. Not that she was complaining. Mr. Chuck was good papa. He never stay out at all hours or bring strange women home. At first she knew that he'd indulged, spending nights away whenever the twisns slept overnight at the old Van der Bass apartment or with their Aunt Serena, but those times had trickled away. Like Miss Lily, Dorota had worried for her employer. He missed their girl as much as she did. More. So much more, but now her Miss Blair was awake and everything would be okay. Her charges, the twins and the unruly parents would be just fine.

Now Dorota found herself worrying for Mr. Nate. She poked her head inside, eyes focused on the painting across from the bed. "Mr. Nate."

"Hmm." The thing under the sheets grumbled but didn't stir into full wakefulness.

She tried again but received the same response. Resigned, Dorota kept her eyes focused on that painting and reached out blindly as she moved towards the bed and shook him away. He woke up with that same befuddled that used to worry Dorota all those years ago, before Miss Blair began spending so much time with Chuck Bass. At first she hadn't been sure about that development but then she saw how Mr. Chuck make her little girl smile.

The man in front of her now had grown up, but still he hadn't been the one for her Miss Blair. She tried to imagine him as papa to Kat and Evie. Those girls loved their Uncle Nate but were very much like their mama in how much their adored their papa. They were Daddy's girls like her Miss Blair, through and through. No everything had worked out for the best. Mostly. She sobered, remembering the reason she was interrupted, Mr. Nate's much needed rest.

"Dorota? Everything okay?" Nate asked.

The maid said simply, "You have guests."

Nate looked up at her blankly for another moment. Sleep still wrapped around his mind like a thick, heavy blanket. At first his thoughts ran to Vanessa. And then Serena. He quickly discounted both. Serena would've burst in on him and let him have it for last night. His wife. What would be the point? All that needed saying had been spoken already. He suddenly remembered his last clear thought. The fact that his marriage was at its end.

Nate waited for the panic. The wrongness in those words and felt nothing. It didn't feel right. He was just damn tired.

"They insist you come down and speak with them, Mr. Nate." She told him. Dorota hurried from the room before he could throw the blankets from his legs.

Shit. Not the wake up call that he'd been expecting but the wheels in his mind began turning as he pushed himself up from the bed. He didn't follow Dorota as she left but headed for the bathroom. Taking his time as he cleaned himself up, he had a pretty good idea who would be waiting for him. He left the guess room and walked to the stairs, listening as Dorota's quiet voice echoed throughout the empty apartment.

Still no twins. No Chuck. Nate paused at the top of the stairs, watching the men below. His Lieutenant and Detective Miller. Obviously word had gotten back to them about his late night activities and Dan's "mugging." Nate knew he should be worried. Worried about the repercussions if they found out about his side investigation with Dan and Chuck. They'd wanted him to pump Chuck for as much information as he could and bring every bit of it back to Miller.

He'd been giving Miller daily reports on their progress which left out the now very definite connection between the present fires to the one that'd haunted the normally unflappable Bart Bass. As a matter of fact, his reports to Miller had been pretty damn flimsy since that hadn't known anything for certain until, Humphrey's little field trip almost ended with him dead.

Nate didn't move for a moment, watching the two men as they studied their surroundings. Miller appeared positively bored, while Lieu couldn't have looked more pissed at having to leave his bed so early the day after Christmas. Then again, the lieutenant always wore that expression. Always.

He didn't feel intimidated. He wasn't at the precinct, in their offices playing their game. They were in his world. Nate took comfort in that fact as he prepared to lie his ass off if necessary. Lie and indulge in the lingering tells that his best friend still too great joy in pointing out. He'd gotten better over the years, especially when the moment called for it and this was certainly one.

A boyish smile curving his mouth, Nate cleared his throat claiming their attention as he descended the stairs. "Lieutenant. Detective." He tipped his head in greeting, "Gentleman."

"Archibald." The Lieu retorted, his usual hard-ass expression firmly in place. "Your wife told us we'd find you here."

They'd stopped by the brownstone. Of course they had. Great. Just as much as he didn't want his personal business to become fodder and a conversational piece for his family, he didn't want the private details of his life floating around the squad room. He couldn't see the Lieu running off to share the bit of gossip but Nate didn't really know Miller all that well. Shit the last thing he wanted was for the entire station to know and then it floated back to his grandfather, so that the old man could take that as license to meddle in his life.

The last thing he wanted or needed these days. Dorota left them after they declined the offered coffee and refreshments. Nate was sure that he knew where she was headed as she stepped onto the elevator, her gaze lingering suspiciously on the other two men.

"Nice digs, Your brownstone. This place." Miller commented, his gaze sweeping the room again.

"Not mine."

"Yeah, we know." Lieu shoved his hands in his pockets, not bothering to look around again. Instead he studied Nate through narrowed eyes that never seemed to miss anything. "Where is your old friend, Bass, anyway?"

At that look, Nate worked even harder at not letting any of the cracks show. He relied on truth as much as he could. "Chuck is at St. Vincent's."

"Oh, yeah? He and Dan Humphrey as tight as that? Why don't you have a seat, Officer Archibald? Cause there seems to be quite a few things that you didn't pick up on at the academy."

"Sir, I don't know what you…"

"Plant your fucking ass, Archibald." Lieu said, "Sit your ass down and think real goddamn hard about what's important to you. Your career. Or protecting your friends and don't give me that bullshit innocent act. You disrespect me…the badge and yourself when you do it…so like I said. Sit the fuck down."

Nate forced his hands to unclench and his polite, almost submissive expression remained firmly in place. "Of course."

~ஐ~

"All these years and I never knew that you snored." Were the words that served as Serena's greeting as she straightened. Her body and cramped muscles roared in protest, retaliating for the hours that she'd spent turning and twisting herself into a knot, searching for rest in that stupid chair. She looked across Dan's slumbering form to the younger, blonde woman sitting on the other side of his hospital bed.

"Jenny."

"Hey." Dan's little sister smiled. Not her usual, full-throttle grin of innocence and sweetness that she'd somehow been able to hold on despite years in the cutthroat fashion business. Serena guessed that all that time navigating the world of "mean girl" politics at Constance had been a good thing after all. That smile was dimmer now. More strained and who could blame her, she'd lost her home and her business in one fell swoop.

Serena's eyes flickered to the white bandages covering a large portion of Jenny's right arm and her hand. "Hey, should you be down here? I thought they had you on lockdown or something."

"Not anymore. They aren't worried so much about infection anymore." Her good-natured smile fell away as she glanced down at her bandaged hand. Jenny shook her head, as if to shake off the sudden bout of melancholy and self-pity trying to sink into her with sharp teeth. Instead she glanced over at her big brother, still asleep, his face darkened, purpling with bruises in some places and the rest seemed far paler than usual. Her delicate features crumpled.

Serena was on her feet and hurrying around to the other side where Jenny sat huddled in a wheelchair. "Don't cry. Dan's going to fine. The ER doctor just wanted to keep him overnight for observation. That's all."

"I know. I know. My dad told me when he was here earlier." Jenny told her. "He got the call from Vanessa after he dropped my Mom off for her flight. She told him about the mugging."

The mugging? Of course. The boys' story seemed to be making the rounds already. She'd planned to ask him all about it, during the night, once the doctors had been done. He'd been out of it and Serena had just felt this overwhelming relief that he was okay, and she couldn't exactly interrogate him with the ER doctor lingering in the room. Of course he'd fallen asleep the moment they were a lot, further thwarting her plans. At first she'd been sure that he was faking it. But watching him, her eyes taking in the livid bruise at his temple and the already purpling of his jaw. Besides that he was still sporting the bruises from his initial run-in with Chuck.

How had they gone from trading blows and upholding their longstanding—distaste for one another to covering for one another. Working to some mysterious end that had the boys all scrambling and lying their asses off about some mugging.

"He wanted to stay until Dan woke up but then hotel needed him to collect the rest of Dan's stuff."

Serena frowned, suddenly feeling lost. "What? Why would he need to do that?"

"You don't know. Of course not, you've been here with Dan. The police think that whoever mugged, had his room key…they think maybe it was addicts or something and they went to Dan's room looking for valuables and ended up just trashing the place." Jenny told her.

No way did that sound like any mugging she'd ever heard of. They hadn't taken the money and dumped Dan's wallet but actually took the chance to go to the hotel. It just didn't up for Serena. It was past time for answers. She looked to the bruised unconscious man in front of them. "Jenny, Listen I'm going to head upstairs for a bit and look in on Blair." And corner her brother while she was at it.

The younger woman's expression brightened. "I heard she was here. Everyone was buzzing with the news that a coma patient woke up after five years…I didn't make the connection until this morning when one of the nurses mentioned her by name." She sighed, "Though they were more so talking about the dark-haired hottie who wouldn't leave her room all night. Chuck, I presume."

"That'd be the dark-haired…hottie. I guess." Serena rolled her eyes.

"Well tell them both that I said hi and I'll try to come up later."

"I will. Tell you're brother that I'll be back down to check on him. Okay?" She reached out, squeezed the young blonde's uninjured shoulder in reassurance. With that she left, determined to get some answers out of Chuck, even if she had to pull out the big guns. Namely…Blair.

~ஐ~

"We know about the files that you checked out of archives. Want to tell us what the hell that was about." Miller said, once they were all sitting down. The two older men sat across from him, eyeballing his every nuance of his movements and expression.

That in mind, He said as truthfully as he could, "I did. I wanted to look through some cold cases. I've been thinking that once I take the detectives' exam that I might ask for a transfer."

Not exactly a lie. He and Vanessa had discussed the possibility after the shooting. Then again after the first positive pregnancy test.

"So instead of helping Miller here or working on the stack of cases sitting on your desk---cases that I fucking assigned to you to, you just took it upon yourself to try something new." Lieu said. "It doesn't fucking work like that, kid. Not by a longshot. I think you're shitting me and I swear to god…I'll have your ass on obstruction of justice if I find out that you've been anything but straight with us on this."

"Listen to him good, Archibald." Miller threw in, "You've already got the taint of your father's past following your career…you try pulling a fast one and that could be it. You first and last loyalty has always gotta be to the truth. To the job. If you can't handle that, well then maybe you should just hand over your weapon and badge and save us the trouble."

Nate forced himself to hold the other man's gaze. He was quiet letting them watch as he visibly reined in the anger he was feeling, the resentment of his father's past sins never being far off. This…this was what he wanted to save his best friend from facing. The sins of the father coming back around again and again. That was the last thing that Chuck or the twins needed hanging over their heads. He cleared his throat, "I assure you both that I love being a cop like nothing else I could have imagined doing with my life. I would never…never disrespect myself or my badge by betraying any oaths I've made. Not when it comes to this job." Or his lifelong friendship, he added silently.

His lieutenant nodded, seeing something in Nate's bearing and expression that seemed to satisfy him. At least for the moment. "Fine. The minute you get something bearing on this case…you call me. You call Miller. You hear me, Archibald?" The man spoke quietly.

Nate nodded jerkily, "Of course."

"Good." Lieu turned on his heel, leaving Nate alone with Miller as he headed for the elevator.

Miller pinned him with a hard searching look. One that he would've expected from his lieutenant, not the man who'd been affable enough in the days that he'd known him. He didn't speak but tipped his head and followed the other man who waited for him.

Nate didn't realize that he'd been holding his breath until the elevator doors closed and air rushed from him. Shit. Shit. Too close. Shit.

Lieu had seemed satisfied but Miller. The detective would be watching him. Probably watching all three of them. They needed to get this done. He hoped that Dan was feeling up to a little walk down memory lane. They needed to get back to the house he'd found yesterday. Their first real lead in linking Bart's connection. He started back up the stairs to get changed so that he could head over to the hospital. He needed to talk to Chuck and Dan, so that they could figure out their next step.

~ஐ~

There was something seriously wrong with her. In the past the idea of all these people fawning over her and wanting every bit of her attention would've been just the thing, but she was just annoyed.

The stream of visitors had started shortly after her parents arrived with the doctors, breaking into the bubble that she and Chuck had isolated themselves in. Well at least when he hadn't been rushing off to answer his cell phone. In actuality that hadn't even last long. At some point after they talked into the deep December night, he'd climbed back into bed with her.

Granted she was over the moon to be awake and see faces like those of Cyrus and Roman, who'd accompanied her parents on this visit. But they were just the start of things. Old friends and business associates of her parents arrived. As did old faces from school. Apparently her 'miraculous' recovery had been featured on the local news and the society pages. Dredging up the details of her young life and managing to link back to Chuck and their girls.

Salacious bits of death, betrayal, drugs, and teenage pregnancy. Nothing sold quite scandal and the old "friends" stopping by to visit. Hazel arrived with her husband, appearing genuinely concerned and happy to see her up and awake. She offered Blair all the gossip on B's former minions. Blair couldn't believe it when Nelly and Penelope arrived, their expressions curious. They'd both been ejected from Blair's court when their attempted coup d'étate failed miserably. Blair's pregnancy had been outed and Serena had stood with her, putting down the attempt to take the crown that a large part of her had stopped caring about.

Blair didn't care anymore. She just wanted them gone. All of them. Chuck and her parents had disappeared with the doctors to discuss the next phase of her treatment. Which she couldn't get behind. If there were any discussions going on about her future the why in the hell was she being excluded.

She forced a smile for Penelope, pretending to listen as the other woman gushed about her fiancé, a French Count, Comte de Valois. Blair wasn't jealous. Not even for a moment. She was a little bored actually, despite Cyrus and Roman's best efforts to engage the other women in conversation.

Finally it was Cyrus who called a halt to the proceedings and ushered her old "friends" from the room, citing the need to keep Blair from getting overly excited, which Penelope simply loved.

"Thanks." Blair said once they were gone, breathed out in relief, flashing Cyrus a grateful smile.

"Anytime, my dear. Anytime." Her stepfather told her.

"Blair, I am going to grab some food for everyone…anything special you would like."

Ice cream. She was suddenly craving ice cream. Blair shook her head of the renewed memory that had come to her the night before. She wanted ice cream and she wanted Chuck to bring it to her. She bet that the nurses wouldn't be able to get it away from him this time. Blair shook her head at the image in her mind of Chuck as he was now, trying to smuggle the cold treat in under his overcoat. She laughed softly. "No thank you, Roman."

The dark-haired Frenchman bent to deliver a smacking kiss on her cheek. Then he was gone, leaving her with Cyrus. The little man she'd come to adore during his lightening quick courtship of her mother and their marriage. He'd tried to help her in Roman's absence when she'd told Eleanor about her pregnancy. Once she'd decided on adoption, the man had helped her find a reputable adoption attorney and the people who would raise her unborn child. He'd been understanding and all the things that she'd wanted her mother to be during that horrible time. Once she changed her mind, he'd taken her side, getting right into the middle of things—arguing with Eleanor.

He'd been the one to follow her to Lily's that night she left the Waldorf-Rose apartment for the last time, bringing the luggage that she'd started packing, not even bothering to wait for Dorota who her mother had threatened to fire if she further encouraged Blair's "jaunt into insanity." Cyrus had visited her in the hospital days later when Lily and Serena had been given orders to ensure that Blair follow the strictures of her complete bedrest. Her mother hadn't even called. She knew that the woman had probably pumped Cyrus and later Dorota who visited the Van der Bass apartment almost everyday. Still it'd hurt that she didn't even merit a phone call from her own mother.

"How are you holding up?" He asked her now.

Blair sighed, "Honestly? I'm feeling the least bit overwhelmed."

"Quite understandable, my dear." Cyrus said, sitting down beside her. He cleared his throat. "You and Chuck seemed to have passed the night quite comfortably. And Eleanor told me that you finally met the girls. Let me just say that I had the pleasure of seeing their recital and spending much of Christmas Eve with them…those girls are an absolute treat."

"They are, aren't they?" Blair smile, glancing over at the picture she'd confiscated from Chuck's wallet. She wanted more pictures. More moments with her daughters. New images and experiences to make up for what she'd missed. To get that though she needed to get out of that damn hospital bed. Where in the hell were Chuck and parents? It felt like they'd been gone forever. "Cyrus. Um, do you think that maybe you could find my…" Chuck "mother and find out what's happening."

He seemed more than happy to do just that. Rushing off, looking excited that she'd asked for her mother.

She welcomed the sudden peace and silence as she was left alone. But it was nothing like what she and Chuck had had during the night. Now it was to figure out the big question of "what now." With her rehab. The girls. Her life. And—Chuck.

~ஐ~

They'd been in Chambers' office for the better part of an hour, going over the details of Blair's treatment and her transfer back to the private hospital for Blair's rehab. The various tests had come back with nothing remarkable…making Chuck wonder more and more about McCarty's possible involvement in Blair's return.

He'd been wondering the best approach to alert Chambers, but he wasn't sure what to say. Harold had been on his side up until now but would probably take exception to the idea of his daughter being given an experimental drug. Of course Chuck hadn't given her the goddamn meds but he'd looked into it…involved Blair in McCarty's side effect ridden project.

So lost in his thoughts. Chuck was barely aware of Chambers getting to his feet. He and Harold left the room together.

Chuck frowned, "Where are they going?"

The woman at his side frowned, studying him through curious eyes. "Dr. Chambers had another patient he needed to check on and Harold had a few more questions to pester him with so he followed the man."

Well, there went his chance. He glanced at his watch and was getting to his feet. Maybe it was for the best. Chambers had said that all of Blair's tests looked good. There'd been no traces of his foreign drugs…nothing questionable in her bloodwork. The doctor hadn't asked them anything about Blair's treatment at the private hospital.

Shit. After all of the talking and planning they'd just done…maybe it wasn't such a good idea to send her back there. If McCarty's drug had somehow gotten to Blair then it would've been at that hospital and he couldn't exactly spend every waking hour there with her. He still had the girls and the company to look after. Fuck.

"Charles, I've been thinking." Eleanor said, pulling him back.

Her words sank in, bringing a wry, humorless smile to Chuck's face, "Now if that preface isn't unsettling. Please do continue. What fresh havoc had you decided to wreck?"

"Funny," Eleanor rolled her eyes, "I'm serious, Charles."

"As am I." He said, he motioned for her to continue. "Shock me."

"Fine. I've decided that I'm moving back to New York. Effective immediately."

His suspicions from Christmas Eve reared up again. Dear Eleanor always searching out the silver lining…when it came to her career. So she figured that with Blair awake that she could avoid the shitstorm that he'd rained down on her ass when their war first began.

"Now, Charles. Don't look at me like that. My exile was fine before…"

"It wasn't an exile."

"You ran me out of town." She said.

Chuck threaded his hands, "I didn't run you anywhere. You could've stayed in New York. You left your grandchildren. Your daughter to resurrect a carrier that was over and now you think that you can use Blair…use my daughters to have your way in this. Lady, don't say that I didn't warn you because…"

"It's not like that. Yes, I left. I've regretted nothing more in my life than missing these past five years watching Kat and Evie grow. And being able to spend those weeks before all of those started…being with my daughter. I didn't respect her wishes…and she moved out…she ran to Lily. Then I made matters worse and gave her baby away." Eleanor said, dabbing at the corners of her brimming eyes. "I don't want to miss anymore time with any of them. And that….that is the truth. Do what you will with it and my company?"

Chuck studied her expression a bare second before she shut down on him completely. Gathering herself and glaring at him with Blair's eyes. Damn. He didn't need this. Eleanor's questionable intentions on top of everything else.

Before Chuck could say anything, there was a knock on the door and Cyrus stuck his head in. "Chuck, hello again." His smile slipped a little and worry took it's place. "Is everything all right."

"Just fine, my darling." Eleanor was on her feet, offering him a bright smile. "I was just telling Charles what we discussed last night."

"And…" His eyes drifted to Chuck's cloudy expression.

Looking away from them both as they fell quiet. Waiting. He cleared his throat and got to his feet. "I'm sure that Blair would love it."

"Excellent." Cyrus chuckled, his face lighting up as he hugged Eleanor and then pounced on Chuck before the younger man even saw it coming. Which he totally should have. The little man had quite a grip as he squeezed, leaving Chuck to bring his dangling arms up and return the man's embrace. He avoided looking at Eleanor's smiling face.

It seemed like forever before she cleared her throat, stepping in to Chuck's rescue. "That's quite enough, sweetheart."

"Yes, of course." Her husband said, stepping away from Chuck who backed up once. Twice. Casually putting the chair between himself and Cyrus Rose. He'd forgotten how much the damn man enjoyed hugging people. Blair had not so secretly loved/hated it. Eleanor was literally smirking when he glanced her way.

"Did you enjoy your visit with Blair?" She asked her husband.

"Naturally. Though she was getting a wee restless towards the end. She wanted to see you…and as for you, young man. I passed your sister on the way here. She seemed to be looking for you."

Of course she was. Great. Just Effing great.

"I told her that you all were meeting with Blair's doctor." Cyrus told him, "Guess she went to keep Blair company in the meantime."

Panic. That's what he felt. Serena didn't know anything but she had endless questions and the last thing Chuck wanted was for her was get B asking those same fucking questions. Just great. Calmly, he said "Well, I guess we'd better head back then and check on Blair and my dear sister."

Eleanor nodded and the threesome trooped from the room. Chuck did his best to keep pace with the other two and not hurry or run. Serena didn't know anything. Not unless Humphrey had broken. Fuck he didn't want Blair involved. Not in this. He trusted her with everything he was but he couldn't bear for his father's old secrets to get out. Not yet. And the fires. She had enough to worry about without wondering what or who closest to him, the arsonist would try targeting next. Serena. Damn it. Not a word. Not one effing word, sis, but he worried that he was too late in his silent demand.

TBCஐ

A/N: I've got the next one coming to you guys this weekend. The rest of this story can't wait to be told and I'm superexcited. Hope you guys enjoyed this. As always let me know what you're thinking. Nothing but love guys.

Courtneyஐ