Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.
Posted as an alternative to tonight's episode. Enjoy.
"Queen B at the library," a voice taunted Blair as she sat quietly pouring over medical textbooks, "Something is out of place here."
"Yes, you," Blair responded with annoyance, "Go away, Georgina,"
"What exactly are you hoping to find?" Georgina inquired as she turned over several of the medical textbooks, "Trying to diagnose your own neurosis?"
"Yours actually," Blair replied, "I'm torn between dissociative identity disorder and schizophrenia. I'll let you pick."
"Doesn't the blushing bride have better things to do with her time than read from silly textbooks . . . unless perhaps you really are researching your own neurosis," Georgina eyed Blair curiously, "Is that why the prince dumped you and you latched on to Chuckie so quickly, and then just up and disappeared for a few weeks?"
"You caught me. There never was a prince," Blair responded without missing a beat, "I made him up in my head and got everyone to believe my sad little story, even Chuck. I twisted everything around to get him to propose to me, and it worked like a charm. I have to keep up the charade. I'm here doing the necessary research, so I can keep perpetuating this lie until I get that big, fat Bass ring on my finger and then bleed him dry. Oh wait, that's what you would do or already did."
"Fine, don't tell me," Georgina shrugged, "I'll figure it out, and when I do I'll make sure that its during the most inconvenient time for you."
"Good luck with that," Blair replied as she snatched the book out of Georgina's hand and added it to the stack on the table that she had already arranged.
"Hey, B, are you almost ready to go?" Serena inquired as she found Blair returning her books to the librarian's desk, "You should see the romantic novel selection they had. I could have spent days just reading through all the titles."
"Trashy romance novels, sounds appropriate for the Madam of the Upper East Side. You know that Hollywood madam made a boatload of money selling her story. You should do the same. Perhaps one day you'll be able to buy a full dress," Georgina replied as she observed the high cut and ample cleavage put on display by Serena's wardrobe choice that day.
"I will after you," Serena rolled her eyes in reply, "After all, you taught me everything I know."
Georgina left in a huff, upset that her appearance didn't have the desired effect on either woman.
"Are we going to have to send her to bible school again?" Serena inquired as she handed the librarian the stack of books she intended to check out.
"I wouldn't punish religious people with that," Blair scoffed as she motioned towards Georgina who was doing her best to make as much noise and disturb as many people as she possibly could.
"So what are we going to do about her?" Serena pressed.
"Ignore her," Blair replied, "There isn't anything that she can do that will wreck my current happy existence."
"This is Georgina, Blair," Serena reminded her, "She's her own one woman wrecking crew."
"It's ten days until the wedding," Blair stated, "Let her take her best shot, but the wedding will proceed as planned. I guarantee it."
"For the record, I'm worried," Serena stated.
"Noted," Blair replied, "Now let's go shopping so I can honestly tell Chuck that we spent the day shopping like we had planned."
"You were the one that got sidetracked by the library that we passed by," Serena pointed out.
"You're the one leaving with a humongous stack of trashy romance novels," Blair responded with an eye glanced towards the books.
"I wouldn't call 'Madam Bovary' trash," Serena stated defensively as she held up the classic novel.
"I stand corrected," Blair replied as she took the book out of her friend's hand, "Can I read this when you're done?"
"Yeah, if you check it out yourself," Serena replied as she snatched the book out of Blair's hand and returned it to her pile.
"Chuck, will you talk some sense into your fiancée?" Serena demanded as she and Blair returned to the suite loaded down with their purchases from their afternoon of shopping.
"That depends on what type of sense I'm expected to talk her into," Chuck replied as he began to unload Blair of her shopping bags after greeting her with a kiss.
"We ran into the Spawn of Satan this morning at the library. I think she's fishing around and up to her usual no good. Blair's not worried," Serena explained, "I know for a fact that Georgina is bored with her life. You need to be on my side here because she's going to try and cause trouble for the two of you."
"You're really not worried?" Chuck inquired as he eyed Blair skeptically, "Have you forgotten all the ways that we plotted against her? Of course she's going to be looking for payback at some point."
"Let her try," Blair stated confidently, "No matter what she tries to do, we are getting married in ten days."
"We have skeletons in our closet, Blair," he reminded her, "Things that neither of us would like to get out."
"Like what?" she challenged him.
"My diagnosis," Chuck responded quickly as his eyes narrowed.
"Oh," Blair sighed, "I guess I didn't think about that. I didn't really see that as a secret that we are keeping."
"It's not as if it's a national secret, but I'm not intending to broadcast it. We live a high profile life, full of labels beyond the designers on our clothes. Bipolar is not a label I intend to wear," he explained, "I'd prefer to keep this between us and our family and close friends."
"You're right," Blair replied, "There are certain things that could be used as ammunition for Georgina, but I still don't see much point in worrying about her. Beyond her stalking us, there isn't any way that she'd find out."
"This is Georgina," Serena chimed in, "She's not above stalking or even breaking into the office of Chuck's doctor if it means getting some usable dirt on the two of you."
"Then we'll just have to get our own usable dirt on her," Blair replied, "And Chuck happens to employ one of the best private investigators in all of New York. Getting dirt on someone as filthy as her should not be that hard."
"Now will you let me hire a bodyguard for you?" he inquired.
"You are being ridiculous," she told him as she patted his cheek a few times in warning, "No bodyguard."
Chuck growled in displeasure as his forehead pressed against hers.
"The concern is touching," she told him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "You are getting so many bonus points for trying."
"I don't want bonus points," he told her as she molded herself against his body.
"Are you sure?" she smirked as she fiddled with his tie, "They buy certain things that I know you like."
"Ugh, get a room," Serena rolled her eyes as she disappeared into her room with her purchases and stack of books on loan from the library. She had no intention of leaving her room for the rest of the afternoon or evening. She could already tell that Chuck and Blair were in one of their moods.
"How was your day?" Blair inquired as they retired to their bedroom, "Did things go okay with your therapist?"
"About as well as it could go," he sighed, "I'm still crazy."
"You're not crazy," she scolded him, "Did you pick up that literature like I asked you to?"
"Yes," he nodded towards the bed where the pile of pamphlets were laid out for her to view.
"Thank you," she stated sweetly as she skipped towards them.
"Blair, hold on a minute." Something Serena said earlier suddenly clinked in his head. "Why were you and Serena at the library?"
"What?" Blair inquired as she spun towards him with one of the pamphlets regarding his illness in her hands. "What a weird question to ask?"
"Serena said that you ran into Georgina at the library. What were you doing in the library? You're not enrolled in Columbia this semester, so there is no reason that I know of that would put you there."
"I wanted to read up some more on my pregnancy," she tried to cover.
"With Serena nearby, no chance," he scoffed, "How about we go with the truth? It's obvious from your attempts to dodge the question that you think whatever it is that you were up to will upset me, so let's just avoid the dance and get on with the argument. It will make the sex hotter anyways."
"I was reading about your disease," she explained, "I'm so in the dark about this. I wanted … needed to know more so that I can be prepared. I didn't plan on going to the library when Serena and I left this morning, but when the opportunity presented itself, I took it. I'm not even going to apologize if it upsets you because now I feel better informed, better prepared. You made it sound like these pills that you take are the magical cure all of this disease, but they're not. You can still have episodes."
"I can still have episodes," he conceded.
"You knew that," she concluded, "Why didn't you tell me? Why did you make me think that as long as you take your medication each day that you'll be just fine?"
"Because that is what I am wishing for," he slumped against the bed, "I have hurt you in every conceivable way. I know what risks these episodes pose to you. I almost forced myself on you. I put my hand threw a glass window. I beat up my best friend. The entire world would be justified in turning their back on me, yet here you stand ready to tackle this with such determination. Why are you doing this? Why are you subjecting yourself to this?"
"Because I love you," she stated simply as she crossed the room to stand before him, caressing his face gently, "Whatever the risks, I'm willing to face them because this man that is standing before me right now is the man that I fell in love with."
"Why is it so damn simple?" he groaned in frustration, "We have both made this relationship so frustratingly complicated. How can it now be so simple as that we love each other? That wasn't enough before."
"It is now," she replied, "We thought it was supposed to be more complicated, but we were wrong. We're going to have our ups and downs. Surely somewhere along the way we'll end up hating each other again, but that does not mean I will ever give up on you or us."
"What if we fail?" he choked out.
"Then we'll do it in spectacular fashion," she replied as her arms wrapped around his neck, "Because I will not let you go without a hell of a lot of fire and brimstone."
Chuck's lips crashed against hers with such force that she knew her lips would be swollen the next day. She didn't care. All she cared about was the man in her arms as they began stripping away their clothes of the day.
TBC. . .
So I hope the build up to this chapter was worth the wait.