Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.

Thank you everyone for the encouragement. Your words mean more than you could ever know.

"Welcome to Paradise," Chuck smiled as he took her hand as they stepped off the plane to a small private island that was their destination. He was greeted with the same view the pictures promised. He only hoped that the island home replicated the pictures as well as the small runway.

Everywhere Blair looked, she was surrounded by tropical trees and scrubs and absolutely nothing else. Exotic birds were singing in the distance. The only thing that remotely resembled civilization was the runway beneath their feet that was just long enough to allow his private jet to take off and land.

"Tell me where we are right now," she demanded as she stomped her heel on the pavement in annoyance.

"That actually depends on you," he smiled at her impatient little tantrum, "I'm assigning you the task of naming this little plot of land."

"You're speaking riddles right now that are not appreciated. Where the hell are we? And no cryptic answers this time," she demanded.

"We are currently standing on the runway of a small island which was once considered an uninhabited part of the Caribbean, but has been recently acquired by yours truly," he explained.

"You brought me to an uninhabited island," she groaned, "Do you know me at all?"

"I said it was once considered an uninhabited island," Chuck repeated, "It hasn't been for quite sometime. I bought it from some recently bankrupted Hollywood mogul. I assure you that it's been furnished with lavish accommodations suitable enough for my snobbish fiancée."

"I am not a snob," she hissed as she stomped her foot again.

"Yes, you are," he laughed as he pulled her into him, "It's one of many things that I love about you. You're as much of a snob as I am."

"Chuck, we're in the middle of some Caribbean jungle, now is not the time for backhanded compliments," Blair glared at him.

"Come with me," he requested as his hand went to the small of her back.

"Why, are you going to feed me to some giant rodent?" she snarled at him as she resisted his encouragement to move forward.

"Where is this foul mood coming from?" he inquired as he stopped his prodding and turned to stand before her, "Today is supposed to be a day of joy."

"I'm just tired," she admitted as she rubbed at her eyes that she'd been fighting to keep open for most of their journey, "I haven't slept well in a few weeks. . . months actually."

"There is a cozy bed waiting for us," he encouraged her forward again.

"We don't have to walk there, do we?"

"No," he assured her as he pointed towards the golf cart waiting for them complete with a driver near the runway.

"Good," she sighed in relief, "Otherwise I'd be insisting that you carry me. I guess I'm more tired then I thought."

The chivalrous bone in Chuck's body kicked in as he picked Blair up in his arms and carried her towards the awaiting golf cart. Her exhaustion won out as she was asleep before they even made it to the cart.

"Welcome, Mister Bass," the golf cart driver greeted him as Chuck situated himself in the cart with Blair in his lap. Chuck nodded in acknowledgement of the words but said nothing for fear that he'd awaken his beauty. The driver seemed understanding as he drove off without another word through the jungle and towards the luxurious home the previous owner had built.

Chuck was greeted by the matronly caretaker at the front door that reminded him slightly of Blair's trusted Dorota. She didn't say a word as she motioned for Chuck to follow her towards the master bedroom.

As he walked in to the bedroom the bright sunshine flooded the room, but the highly efficient maid reached for a remote and pressed a button that lowered the shades, leaving the room in complete darkness as Chuck lowered Blair to the soft bed.

"Thank you," Chuck whispered softly as he followed the caretaker to the bedroom door.

"Will you be needing anything at this moment?" the woman inquired.

"No," Chuck shook his head.

"Dinner will be at seven," she smiled. "And Mister Bass, welcome to the island."

"Thank you . . ." Chuck struggled to remember the name on the contract he'd signed. It was the one condition that the bankrupted Hollywood producer had insisted on; that his island staff stay employed.

"Yvechelle," the woman prompted him, "And it was my husband, Tomas, that drove you here."

"Yvechelle," Chuck repeated, "Thank you."

Blair awoke several hours later to complete darkness. The only familiarity she had at the moment was the warm body at her side. She smiled widely in relief that the events of the day hadn't been an intensely vivid dream. "Chuck," she whispered softly as his strong arms pulled her in tighter to his body as he continued to sleep. She let out a giddy giggle as her fingers played with the ring at her finger, her mind repeating the scene in which he'd shocked everyone they knew with the romantic declaration. The shock was increased tenfold when she'd uttered her simple reply, "Yes!"

"Are you awake, Beautiful?" Chuck mumbled softly as he nudged his nose into her neck to inhale her familiar scent.

"I just woke," she replied as her hands went to his forearms and caressed them softly. She was convinced she was in heaven. This moment felt too perfect for the world she was used to. "How long have we been asleep?"

"A few hours," he spoke against her earlobe after checking the time, "We still have an hour until dinner."

"I need light," Blair responded, "I need to be able to see you."

"Don't move," he whispered before he left the bed to retrieve the remote he remembered their caretaker leaving near the bedroom door. After hitting a few of the wrong buttons, the slides covering the windows rose to showcase the beautiful view of the ocean that they had before them. The sun had started it's decent for the day and cast everything within their view in an exquisite orange glow.

Chuck returned to the bed just as Blair sat up to take in the magnificent view. "Incredible," was the only word she'd managed to utter as the tears filled her eyes.

"Those are happy tears, I hope," he gulped nervously as he wiped at the first tear that fell.

"This is real, isn't it," she smiled with a slight nod. "This isn't some fantastic dream in my head, this is our new reality."

"Yes," he replied as he gathered her into his arms and allowed her to cry softly against his shoulder. All the pain and misery of so many wasted months had taken their toll on both of them. While neither one was naïve enough to believe that the rest of their lives were going to be perfect, this was a definite turning of the page for them.

"I missed you so much," she cried out, "So much that it hurt to breath at times."

"I know the feeling," he nodded as his hands ran rhythmic patterns along her silk covered back.

Silence filled the room. What had once been uncomfortable now put them at ease. They were back to those unspoken thoughts that they'd shared so often during their relationship.

"Would you like the tour?" he inquired.

"Maybe later," she sighed as they relaxed back against the soft pillows and watched the waves as they crashed against the shore though they heard no sound through the soundproof glass. "Those doors open, don't they?"

"Yes," he nodded as he rose to his feet once again and opened them so that the oceanic sounds could fill their room.

"That's better," she smiled as she relaxed against him again when he rejoined her. After a few moments a panicked though entered her mind. "Chuck, I have no clothes, nothing at all to change in to."

They'd left in a hurry. He'd allowed her to change out of the gifted ball gown her prince had her wearing that day, but didn't allow her time to pack anything else. At the time, he was still worried that she'd be changing her mind and wanted her out of New York City before she could. Now they were in paradise and had nothing but the clothes on their back.

"I'll send the jet back to New York to get some clothes," Chuck replied after a few moments of thought, "Do we trust our best friends to pack appropriately?"

"I don't trust Serena with much of anything at the moment," she grumbled. The hurt feelings of the past few months quickly surfaced. Serena had dissolved into her own little world, making no room or time for Blair. That she'd been at the engagement party that day was mostly out of obligation, and the sour expression she wore had not been appreciated.

"Blair, she loves you. She just wanted you to be happy," he tried to play peacemaker.

"She was being spiteful because of what happened between me and Dan . . . which meant absolutely nothing to me by the way."

"Part of that past we're putting behind us," he nodded, though her assurances weren't as calming as they were meant to be.

"What about you and Nate?" Blair pondered.

"Things have gotten better," he replied as he rubbed at his hand. It was the fist fight he'd had with his best friend that was the catalyst to seek help. Nate's face was most likely still as bruised as his own fists, but he was also the first person to greet him when he'd left Ostroff.

"But that should all be behind you two now," Blair replied.

"Hurt feelings are hard to get over," he replied, "As is a bruised jaw."

"Since neither of us is too keen on our best friends packing our bags, do you have any other brilliant ideas?" she inquired as she changed the subject quickly.

"Just one," Chuck replied with a mischievous glint in his eyes, "How would Dorota feel about rifling through my unmentionables?"

"She didn't seem to have much problem when she was washing them when we stayed at my mother's during our exile from the Empire," Blair replied.

"She wore latex gloves whenever she touched my laundry," Chuck replied, "As if she was going to get a communicable disease just from touching them."

"She was pregnant then," Blair laughed, "She was irrational."

"She didn't wear the gloves when handling Nathaniel's laundry, and he was at higher risk than I was at the time. I'd been with you all year while he'd gone through my black book twice," Chuck replied.

"I'm not going to explain the inner workings of a pregnant woman," Blair smiled, "Trust me, she'd be happy to do it."

"While I doubt she'd jump in so enthusiastically, she does seem to be the only valid option," Chuck nodded, "Why don't you call her and make the request while I call the flight crew and give them their instructions?"

"Before I do that, how long do you plan on us staying on this island?"

"As long as you'd like," Chuck responded.

"Forever has a nice ring to it," she smiled.

"Have her pack for a month," Chuck advised her, "Our caretaker can see to our laundry if necessary."

"A month it is," she smiled as she retrieved her phone and made the call. Chuck smiled as he took care of his own business. He loved seeing the smile on her face and knowing that he was the one putting it there. It was far better than the tears he'd been causing.

"Is there anything else you'll be needing this evening, Mister Bass?" Yvechelle inquired as she took away their dinner dishes after a delectable meal on the waterfront veranda.

"No, that will be all," Chuck replied.

"Thank you for a lovely meal," Blair smiled, "It was delicious."

"You're very welcome. I'll see to it that your bed is turned down before I retire for the evening," Yvechelle bowed slightly before vanishing from sight.

"She's very discreet," Blair commented as she rose from her chair to sit in his lap.

"One of her many qualifications," Chuck nodded as his arms entwined around her waist, "One of which she is also a gourmet cook. That meal was excellent."

"Let's go for a walk along the beach," Blair suggested as her hand began massaging the back of his neck softly.

"It's nearly sunset," he told her as he twirled a lock of her hair around his finger, "I wouldn't want us to get lost on the island if we're out after dark."

"Then we'll leave a light on," she smiled as she began batting her eyelashes as she moved in closer to whisper in his ear, "Please, Chuck."

Those two simple words were Chuck's undoing. He could resist nothing when she spoke to him in her husky sexy voice. He was helpless to do anything except nod his head as she rose to her feet and pulled him along with her.

Chuck freed himself for a moment to turn on the porch light to guide them home after the sunset, but quickly returned as she was removing her stilettos. "Take off your shoes and socks," she told him as he took his first step onto the sand.

"Why?" he inquired.

"Why wouldn't you?" she shot back, "It's your sand. Don't you want to feel it squishing between your toes?"

"I don't think squishing sand between toes is as exciting for guys," he told her.

"Quit being such a guy, and just do it," she glared at him with her hands on her hips.

Chuck couldn't help the laugh that escaped as he bent over to remove his shoes and socks. Everything that he loved about their relationship was coming back, including the trivial bickering they did back and forth.

As his toes sunk into the sand she began smiling, "See, doesn't that feel good?"

"It's sand, Waldorf," he told her.

"It's your sand," she replied, "Don't you feel the magic of it?"

"I feel the magic of being here with you," he replied as he snagged her around the waist and brought her into him. Her arms automatically went around his neck as she held him close.

"This feels right," she said for the second time that day.

"This feels like home," he added as he kissed her shoulder softly.

Blair's eyes slid closed as she savored his words. It was a simple expression that spoke volumes. He'd never felt as if he had a home before her. He'd uttered the phrase once before, and it reduced her to tears. She felt herself on the verge again that evening.

"Shall we walk," he suggested as she began to sniffle slightly. She nodded quickly as he took her hand and led her down towards the surf.

"I've done a little thinking," Blair replied as he thumbed the ring on her finger, "I think we should hold off on a wedding for a little while. I want to enjoy being engaged."

"Whatever you'd like," he nodded, "Whether we're married a month from now or ten years does not matter to me. I simply like knowing that we have a future together."

"I'm not waiting ten years," she gasped, "I'm thinking after college, maybe a year or two after that, but no more."

Chuck merely nodded. "Will you be wearing an Eleanor original when you walk down the aisle?"

"I haven't even given that any thought," she replied.

"You had your wedding to Louis all ready planned out," Chuck challenged her.

"Because I wanted to get it done and over with before I had time to think it through. In the back of my mind, I knew what I was doing was wrong, but I desperately needed something good in my life," she explained.

"I understand," he nodded, "I wasn't happy about it, but I understand what drew you to him. He made you feel like a princess. It's how I should have treated you. I failed. I won't again."

"We're going to have our bumps," she told him, "We're not going to have a perfect life. I'm okay with that because at the end of everyday I know that you love me, and without a doubt I know I love you."

"You weren't in love with that prince, were you?" he realized.

"I wanted to be," she nodded, "Because it felt so good to be with him, but no I wasn't."

"Is it wrong for me to be happy about that?" he inquired.

"Yes," she smiled, "And no."

"Let's take a seat and watch the sunset," he suggested as he stopped walking suddenly.

"But I'll get all sandy," she pouted.

"I'll take one for the two of us," he offered as he sat down and pulled her off balance so that she fell into his lap.

"Such the gentleman today," she laughed as she maneuvered in his lap so that she could see the sun set. "This is the end to what has been a perfect day."

"Blair, I want to take this reunion slow," he told her, as the sun's descent seemed to gain speed.

"What does slow mean to you?" she inquired. "The last time you said that was at your father's wedding to Lily, and we ended up in bed before the reception ended."

"This time I mean slow," he replied.

"We're here in paradise. Are you seriously suggesting no sex?" she gasped in surprise.

"I'm not necessarily suggesting no sex for the entire duration of our stay," he told her, "But for the moment, yes, I'm suggesting no sex."

"Who are you, and what have you done with my Chuck?" she turned to look at him, eyeing him as if he'd grown a second head.

"We may very well go back to the house and have our way with each other, but we've complicated our relationship enough. If we're going to get this right, we have to do things right," he explained as their eyes stayed locked together.

"Agreed," she nodded as the sun slipped beyond the horizon.

"We missed the sunset," he sighed as he pressed his forehead to hers after spotting the sun had vanished for the day.

"There will be another one tomorrow," she smiled, "And if we miss that one, there is another the day after that, and then the day after that. They're all guaranteed now."

"Don't say that," he shook his head, "If I have a guarantee of a tomorrow, I'll take this day for granted. I don't intend to do that anymore."

"Let's go back to the house," she suggested, "We can finish our walk tomorrow in the daylight, and I'm a little sleepy."

TBC. . .

I want to take a quick moment to address something. I have a very dear friend that deals with a family member that is bi-polar on a daily basis, so by no means am I trying to make light of such a difficult disease. I could never begin to fully comprehend what she goes through on a daily basis. I hope to treat this with the sensitivity that it is due.

Having said that, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the rest of the story to come.