Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.
"Go show him off," Blair encouraged Chuck once they were settled back into her private room. Blair was fighting with all her might to keep her eyes open, but she knew it was a losing battle. As soon as a moment of quiet hit, she was going to be out.
"We'll stay with you," Chuck shook his head.
"Go," Blair insisted, "Our family is itching to see him. I'll be alright by myself. Just don't take too long."
"We'll be right back," Chuck assured her as he kissed her forehead as he took their precious angel with him into the waiting room.
Blair relaxed further back against her bed as her fingers caressed her earrings, the earrings from Chuck's mother that he'd given her on their wedding night. Looking to the ceiling, she muttered a simple, "Thank you." And then she was asleep.
The waiting room erupted with excitement as Chuck entered the room with his son.
"Oh my god!" Serena exclaimed as she rushed to his side to take her first peek. She would have demanded to hold her nephew except he was crying, "He's so cute."
"Charles, he's perfect," Lily added as she reached for and kissed her grandson's tiny little hand, "He's so tiny."
"How's Blair?" Eleanor asked as she kissed the little boy's other hand.
"Exhausted," Chuck replied, "But that's to be expected after nearly fourteen hours of labor. She did great."
"What's his name, Charles?" Harold inquired as he peered over Eleanor's shoulder to get his first glimpse.
"We haven't gotten round to that yet," Chuck admitted, "Blair's so tired. We'll get there. Our goal is to have a name before we leave the hospital. I figured Blair would want a little sleep before we make such an important decision."
"As long as you two settle on something before he graduates from college," Nate quipped as he wrapped his arms around Serena as he looked over her shoulder. He could tell she was itching to have the baby in her arms, but the constant cries continued to keep her at bay.
"You'd better get him back to his mother," Eleanor coaxed Chuck back to Blair's room. Serena's face turned to a pout, but Eleanor's tone was not to be ignored, nor did Chuck want to be away from Blair for a moment longer. "She won't want to be away from her son for too long."
Chuck returned to Blair's private room just as the baby began to settle down. His wife was sound asleep with the most peaceful smile on her face. He felt his heart soar as his love for her rose to heights it didn't know existed.
"You and I are the luckiest men in the world," Chuck whispered to his son as he made himself comfortable in the chair next to Blair's bed, "We have the most beautiful woman in the world, and she cares for us as no one else ever will."
His son looked at him with his chocolate eyes. Chuck found himself sucked in to their familiar depths. His son had Blair's eyes.
"So what are we going to call you?" Chuck asked his son, "Do you have any ideas? Any requests?"
He watched as his son gave a healthy yawn as his eyes drifted closed.
"I guess that's a no," he laughed softly, "That's okay. Mommy and I will come up with something. I promise you won't be named Baby Boy Bass for the rest of your life. We'll arrive at some sort of compromise."
The little boy fell fast asleep as Chuck cradled him in his arms, wrapping the tiny hand around one of his fingers. He probably should have been as exhausted as Blair and his son. He'd been getting less sleep than Blair for months, but he didn't feel tired. If anything he felt more awake and alive than he had in years.
Blair's nap didn't last more than an hour as the cries of her son woke her abruptly, though she didn't mind. The smile she slept with was still on her face as the nurse came in to announce that it was time to give breastfeeding a try.
Chuck waited until Blair was situated before he handed their boy off.
The nurse was very patient with the instructions she gave Blair. It took a few minutes and a bit of coaxing, but Blair's first attempt to feed their son was a success. The nurse gave a reassuring smile before she vanished from the room.
"This feels weird," Blair stated as she looked into Chuck's eyes, "Nothing like I thought it would."
"What were you expecting?" he inquired as he took a seat at the end of her bed and caressed her leg gently through the blanket.
"I don't know," she replied, "But different than this."
"How are you feeling?" Chuck inquired.
"Like I just pushed a watermelon out of my body," she replied, "Sore and stretched out, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
"Ready for more children already, huh," he smirked.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," she laughed. The movement caused their son's lips to fall away. Blair panicked for a moment. Chuck shifted on the bed to help her, sitting behind her and rubbing her shoulders softly as she resumed feeding her son.
"He needs a name," Chuck replied.
"He doesn't look like a Linus, does he?" she sighed at the realization that her hopes of naming him after Humphrey Bogart's character in "Sabrina" were suddenly dashed.
"Doesn't look like a Henry either," Chuck added, as he crossed the "My Fair Lady" reference from their list.
"He doesn't look like any of the names on our list," Blair frowned, "He deserves a special name, one that doesn't come from a movie."
"Any thoughts?"
"How about Caden or Cassius or Miles or Winston?" she inquired, as she ticked off a few of the backup names she'd come up with just in case they ran into this very scenario. Yet even as she said them, none of them felt right.
"Lucas," Chuck offered.
Blair face suddenly lit up in excitement, "Luca."
Chuck knew what that look meant. She wasn't getting an Audrey movie reference. She was getting something even better, the name of one of her idol's sons, but he couldn't deny how well the name fit their son.
"Luca fits," Chuck nodded, "Luca Harold Bass. Are you making this your final answer?"
"Yes," she nodded, "We agreed that I had final say because I went through all the work of bring him into the world, so Luca Harold Bass it is."
"Welcome to the world, Luca," Chuck replied as he caressed his son's head before he kissed Blair's cheek.
"Chuck, would you rub my back?" Blair requested.
"I'll rub anything you want me to. You have earned it," Chuck stated as he began his gentle massage, "You were fantastic in the delivery room. I'm so proud of you. You didn't even threaten me or my manhood."
"Perhaps not out loud," she sighed, "But I promise you that I was thinking it."
"Justifiably so," he chuckled.
"Chuck, I hope it's okay if Luca is the only gift I gave you for Valentine's Day," she replied as she looked at the clock to see they were many hours past midnight on the day after Valentine's Day, "Even if it was a few hours delayed."
"You never have to give me another gift every again no matter the holiday," he stated, "You certainly couldn't top this one."
Luca's lips fell away.
"Is that it?" Blair inquired as she looked to Chuck, "Does that mean he's done?"
"You're asking me?"
"Well I don't know," Blair stated.
"I know less than you," he reminded her, "Maybe we should try that burping thing we read about. Maybe he's just run out of room in his tiny tummy."
"How do we do that?" Blair asked.
"You just put him on your shoulder and pat his back, don't you?"
"Who knew that feeding an infant could be this complicated," she sighed as she gingerly picked Luca up and placed him against her shoulder. She patted his back gently a few times until they heard a little hiccup. Along with the hiccup came some of the milk that dribbles down her bare shoulder. "Ugh," she cringed, "This must be what those burp rags are for. Chuck, wipe that off."
"With what?" he asked as he looked for something that could work.
"Your sleeve for all I care, just get it off," she demanded. Luca started to fuss at Blair's sudden agitated state.
"Calm down, Blair," Chuck tried to soothe her as he wiped the spit up off of her, "He reacts to you. He feeds off your emotions just as he did when he was inside of you."
Blair took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself down.
"Why don't you try feeding him again?" Chuck encouraged her.
"Maybe I should try the other breast," Blair pondered, "They won't get lopsided if he drinks more out of one than the other, will they?"
"I'll pay for breast augmentation if they do," he assured her.
"I don't want breast augmentation," she replied, "I also don't want lopsided boobs."
"I'm sure they will even out," he told her as she shifted Luca to her other breast. It took a bit more coaxing, but soon Luca was sucking away again. "Lucky little boy. I hope you enjoy those breasts. I promise he'll never find any better."
"Chuck," she shook her head in amusement.
"So I've been very patient," Serena announced herself as she barged into Blair's room as Chuck and Blair were in the middle of a lesson from one of the nurses about how to bathe their son. Luca was eighteen hours old, and she still hadn't had the privilege of holding him. She wasn't going to stand for it any longer. "I want to hold my nephew right now."
"Sorry, S, it will have to wait," Blair replied, "When bath time is finished, I have to feed him, and then Chuck is taking him to get circumcised."
"No," Serena moaned, "That's not fair. All the grandparents have held him. It's time to extend the courtesy to the aunts and uncles."
"You'll have to wait," Chuck replied as he patted Luca dry.
"This is so unfair," Serena huffed as she plopped herself down in the chair near Blair's bed, "He's going to be cranky after that."
"You might have to hold him when he's cranky if you want to hold him," Blair stated as she and Chuck continued to keep most of their attention on Luca. Both parents were grinning ear to ear as they bantered with Serena, though the smiles were directed more towards Luca than any amusement they felt about Serena's current tantrum.
"But he's cranky and he won't let me hold him very long," Serena continued to pout.
"Some godmother she's going to be," Chuck shook his head in amusement as he handed Blair a diaper.
"Godmother, really," Serena cheered up immediately, "You're going to make me Luca's godmother."
"Unless you know of another best friend that Blair has," Chuck replied, "Maybe we should give Gossip Girl the honor?"
"The hell you will!" Serena exclaimed.
"Language," Blair turned to scold her best friend, "We are PG now remember."
"Sorry," Serena apologized quickly.
"There, all clean and dry," Blair proclaimed as she scooped up Luca into her arms and cradled him close to her chest, "Now you just need a full belly, don't you, Luca?"
"Did you want some privacy?" Serena asked as Blair settled into the chair that she'd vacated for her.
"It's okay," Blair assured her, "I don't mind if you stay. Now if it was that boyfriend of yours, his backside would be booted right out the door."
"I can't get over how tiny he is," Serena stated as she held Luca's hand as he began his feeding.
"He wasn't all that tiny yesterday," Blair replied.
"Are you still sore?" Serena inquired.
"God, yes," Blair nodded, "But I'd do this again in a heartbeat if this is the payoff."
"Luca is quite the charmer," Serena replied. Though trying to come up with an example of his charm was difficult. She hadn't seen him do much besides cry and sleep, but she was a proud aunt nevertheless.
"Like his daddy," Blair smiled as she locked eyes with Chuck, who was standing a few feet away.
"I wouldn't go that far," Serena rolled her eyes, "This little cutie is a heck of a lot more handsome than his good for nothing father."
"I'm good for something," Chuck replied, "That little cutie wouldn't exist without some sort of contribution from me."
"So you got lucky once," Serena shrugged.
"Behave," Blair scolded Serena, "He played an important part in this little one's existence. He deserves the credit he's due."
"Fine," Serena sighed as she turned towards Chuck, "Thank you for contributing your sperm."
"You're very welcome," he chuckled.
"I have so many questions," Serena replied as she bent forward and kissed Luca's hand.
"Not now, S," Blair groaned, "I don't have the energy."
"Fine, I'll write them down," Serena replied, "Then we'll have a girl's night."
"It's going to be a long while before we can do that," Blair replied, "I'm planning on breastfeeding Luca for at least the first three months."
"I can be patient," Serena replied.
"Since when," Chuck snorted in amusement.
"Fine, I'll learn," Serena shot back.
"While you figure that out, I'm going to bond with my son over something that you women just can't fathom," Chuck replied as he lifted Luca into his arms after pulling out a burp cloth from their bag and positioning it on his shoulder.
"Jock itch?" Serena theorized.
"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response," Chuck stated as he positioned Luca against his shoulder and rubbed his back gently.
"Bring him back as quick as you can," Blair smiled at him as she buttoned up.
"As quick as I can," he vowed as bent over to allow Blair to kiss the top of Luca's head before he brought his lips to hers. "I'll guard him with my life."
"I know," Blair smiled as she caressed his chin as he turned to leave.
"Here you go, Mister Bass," the nurse handed his son back after his procedure. Chuck had been pacing back and forth since he'd handed his son off. It was a simple procedure, but Chuck couldn't help his worry. He was going to be one of those fathers that hovered.
Chuck could tell by the sounds of Luca's cry that he wasn't happy. It amazed the new father that he was already starting to tell the difference in the cries he was hearing. All cries sounded the same to him in the rare occasion he'd found himself around babies in what felt like an entire lifetime ago.
"Did he do okay?" Chuck inquired as he cradled Luca in his arms.
"By far the best baby we've had in quite awhile," the nurse appeared to be humoring Chuck.
"That's my boy," Chuck proclaimed as he brought Luca back to Blair's private hospital suite.
"He sounds upset," Blair frowned as Chuck entered the room where Serena had stayed to keep the new mother company as they waited through Luca's procedure. Luca was still crying his little lungs out.
"You men are so sensitive about your private areas," Serena replied.
"I'm not even going there," Chuck replied as he lowered Luca into his mother's comforting arms. As eager as he was to have a new son, Luca didn't seem all that eager to have him for a father. In the day and a half they'd had together, it was rare that Luca wasn't crying in Chuck's arms, and it frustrated the hell out of Chuck.
"I know that was unpleasant," Blair cooed to her son as he snuggled in, "But you only have to go through that once in your entire life. Daddy says he doesn't even remember it, so I know you won't either."
"He's so cute," Serena exclaimed as she snatched up his hand and kissed it, "You just want to eat him up with a spoon."
"Cannibalism is frowned upon," Chuck replied.
"Not literally," Serena rolled her eyes.
"Do you want to try holding him?" Blair offered.
"He's still crying," Serena pointed out the obvious.
"Then you won't be the reason he starts up," Blair replied, "He's a good cuddler."
"I'll wait," Serena waved Blair off.
"All right, but you're the one whining about not holding him," Blair stated.
"Fine, I'll hold him," Serena stated as she slid forward in her chair and prepared to accept the hand off of her nephew.
Blair transferred Luca into Serena's arms and helped Serena adjust so that his head was properly supported.
"I'm going to break him," Serena stated after she held her nephew for a few minutes. His cries had lessened but hadn't subsided, and he was starting to squirm.
"Then for heaven's sake give him back," Blair gasped as she quickly reclaimed her son.
"I was kidding," Serena pouted as her arms were now bare.
"You can't say things like that to me," Blair replied as she settled back into her chair with her son held tight to her chest. She wasn't going to give Serena another crack at it.
"Mama Bear is very protective of her little cub," Chuck explained to Serena.
TBC. . .
So Baby Bass has a name. I hope you all like it. I went back and forth for quite awhile trying to come up with the right one. I even have a list that I added to and crossed off. Luca caught my attention, but I almost changed it. I honestly didn't know that one of Audrey Hepburn's sons had that name until a month or so after I'd first tried out the name. Needless to say I changed my mind and kept it.
I have to thank my beta Lori2279 for her help. I also have to thank you all for still reading this.