Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.
"Blair, this place is incredible," Nate stated as he took a seat in the lounge chair next to Serena after changing into his swim shorts. He'd had extra helpings of the lunch that the caretaker had prepared, so he was only now joining them.
"Don't tell me, tell Chuck. He found this place," Blair replied as she looked towards the umbrella set up on the beach where Chuck was laying under it with his son. She'd check on them a few minutes ago. They were both sound asleep.
"You'd never suspect that he has any disorder with the way he's handled things this past year," Serena observed as she followed her best friend's eyes, "He's a different Chuck, a gentler Chuck, but still Chuck. I don't know if it's the medication or if it's just because he maturing now that he's a father."
"It's both," Blair replied, "Throw in a healthy dose of happiness. I've never seen Chuck smile so much as he has in the past six months."
"This past year," Nate amended, "Since your wedding actually."
"He's not cured. He'll likely never be cured," Blair sighed, "Down the road we may have to deal with an outburst…a setback, but for right now we're savoring these moments of tranquility."
"When are you going to tell him?" Serena inquired as she watched her friend caress her stomach softly. There wasn't the telltale bump yet, so Blair still felt comfortable in the bikini.
"Tell him what?" Nate asked.
"That she wants a divorce," Serena glared at him.
"What!" Nate exclaimed, "You're not serious, are you?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Blair rolled her eyes, "I don't want a divorce. I'm pregnant."
"What!" Nate exclaimed again.
"Keep your voice down," Blair hissed, "I'd like to be the one to tell him."
"How could you be pregnant already?"
"I'm not going into the birds and the bees lecture with you," Blair rolled her eyes, "It's possible and it happened."
"How pregnant are you?" Nate asked.
"She doesn't really know," Serena chimed in.
Nate began to ask further questions. Blair didn't have the patience to answer them, so she left her chair to join Chuck and Luca under the umbrella. Chuck's eyes opened slightly when he felt her presence.
"Archibald annoying you already?" he muttered softly.
"It's the one thing he excels at," Blair replied as she snuggled close to him.
"Do I need to have the foot in mouth talk with him again?" he asked groggily.
"I'd rather you have the take foot out of mouth talk with him," she replied as she began rubbing circles into his back with her finger.
"I'll have that discussion with him after dinner," he assured her.
"I was thinking that we'd go to the hot springs after dinner," she stated as he rolled over slightly to look to her.
"But we'd miss Luca's first island sunset," he replied.
"When would you like to go?" she inquired.
"Right now works," he replied, "This handsome thing is sound asleep. He'll hardly know we're gone."
"Then let's go," she replied as she rose to her feet and brushed off the bit of sand that had attached to her leg, "I'll tell Serena and Nate that they are on Luca Patrol."
Chuck nodded as he gingerly scooped Luca into his arms and got to his feet. "Mommy and I will be back soon," he whispered softly as he kissed Luca's forehead just before he handed him over to an anxious Serena. According to her, she never had enough quality time with her nephew when his parents were around because Luca preferred to be in the arms of his parents when they were an option.
"So many memories," Blair sighed as they approached the hot springs hand in hand, "And all of them good."
"Are you talking about the island or just these springs?" Chuck inquired as he slowly eased himself into the hot water as his body adjusted to the warm temperature.
"I suppose both are true," she mused as she sat at the edge of the springs and swung her legs into the water. Chuck maneuvered so that he was between her legs.
"So we've been married for almost a year now," he stated as he brought her left hand to his lips, "Any regrets?"
"Absolutely none," she shook her head as her hands came to rest against his shoulders, "Any for you?"
"Zero," he shook his head in imitation of her, "This has easily been the happiest year of my life. Granted it doesn't take much."
"Anything that you would do differently?" she inquired.
"In the past year, no," he shook his head, "The many years before that, I've lost count of all the things I'd like to change, but we're not going there."
"No, we're not," she agreed.
"So you brought me here to the spot where we physically reunited," he smirked, "Was it your intention to get me all alone just to reminisce about the past year?"
"No," she bit her lip nervously, "I have something to tell you. I wanted to get you alone because I don't know how you'll take it."
"Tell me what?" he inquired as his hands began to caress her thighs gently as he mentally prepared himself for her to reveal her news. He didn't want to appear too eager in case she wasn't happy about this.
"I don't know how it happened," she began as she bit her lip nervously, "Well, I guess I know how it happened, but I can't believe that it actually did. Luca is still so young."
"Blair, you're talking in circles," he interrupted her, "Just tell me what you need to tell me."
"You already know, don't you?" she realized as she looked deep within his eyes.
"That you're pregnant, yes," he nodded.
"How could you know?" Blair gasped, "I haven't told anyone other than Serena. That blonde didn't rat me out, did she?"
"No," he shook his head.
"Then how could you know?" she pressed, "I barely knew, and it's my body."
"I know your body better than I know my own," he explained as he continued to caress her outer thighs, "There have been subtle clues. I missed them when you were first pregnant with Luca because I didn't know there was a possibility. We both knew there was a possibility this time."
"Don't be mad at me," she demanded as her eyes began to tear, "I didn't mean for it to happen."
"I'm not mad at you," he quickly assured her, "Why would you think for a moment that I would be? I have just as much to do with this as you. If we follow your logic from before, I'm probably more to blame."
"How do you figure?" she eyed him skeptically.
"I have overzealous sperm, don't I?" he smirked.
"You're really not mad?" her eyes turned skeptical.
"Not at all," he shook his head.
"I don't know how we're going to manage," she began to ramble on, "Luca will be toddling around by the time this baby is born. We'll have two sets of diapers to change, two mouths to feed, two bath times to coordinate…"
"And we'll figure that all out," he assured her, "We may have to hire that nanny you've been resisting, but we'll figure it out. Even if we don't, people raise two children this close in age all the time."
"Since we first got engaged you have been the most wonderful man in the world to me," she sighed as the relief began to wash over her, "I don't know why I thought you'd be mad about this."
"There is still that demon inside me, Blair," he reminded her, "I try to keep him at bay the best I can, but he's still there."
"There's no demon, Chuck," she shook her head, "Being bipolar does not make you the devil. Yes, we will have to deal with the possibility of symptoms for probably the rest of our lives, but I wouldn't trade you for anyone else in the world, even one of those perfect fairytale princes. You're real, Chuck. You're real to me, and you make me and Luca so happy."
"You and Luca make me so happy," Chuck chimed in, "Happy Anniversary, Blair."
"You're a few days early," she pointed out.
"But the gift that you've given me today couldn't possibly top anything you have planned for the actual day, so I say we celebrate it early," he replied.
"Then yes, absolutely," she chuckled, "Happy Anniversary, Chuck."
He rose up higher in the water to pull her closer to him as he dipped in to kiss her. Blair's legs closed around his waist as she allowed him to pull her into the water where they made love to celebrate their wonderful news.
"So glad you made it back when you did," Serena replied as she unloaded her nephew into Chuck's awaiting arms, "This little thing just woke up. He's fussy, possibly hungry, and definitely needs a diaper change."
"Some godmother you have turned out to be," Chuck grumbled as he brought Luca into the house to change him, chatting animatedly with him as he went.
"So," Serena prodded Blair, "Did you tell him?"
"Tell him what?" Blair inquired as she walked towards the spread of snacks the ever efficient Yvechelle had set out for them.
"You know darn well what," Serena exclaimed.
"I didn't have to tell him," Blair replied, "Somehow he just seemed to know. I don't know how he does it, but he's more in tune with my body than I am."
"Why aren't you that in tune with my body?" Serena inquired as she backhanded Nate's shoulder.
"Because he's Nate," Blair chimed in, "Be thankful if he remembers your birthday."
"That's what I have Chuck for," Nate quipped, "To remind me of those present worthy holidays beforehand."
"Pathetic," Serena rolled her eyes.
"I definitely traded up when I involved myself with Chuck," Blair concluded as she eyed her ex-boyfriend.
"You get no argument from me," Nate shrugged.
Chuck returned a few minutes later sans his son.
"Did you forget something, Buddy?" Nate inquired as Chuck snagged Blair around the waist as he stepped in behind her.
"Yeah, isn't there a baby around here somewhere?" Serena chimed in.
"Give me some credit," Chuck laughed as he held up the baby monitor he'd attached to the belt loop of his shorts, "He wasn't as rested as you claimed. He's fast asleep."
"Is it wise to let him sleep that much?" Serena inquired, "Will he sleep tonight?"
"He'll be fine," Chuck replied, "And if not, I'll happily stay up with him."
"You're such a good dad," Serena replied, "Who knew you had that ability in you?"
"Who indeed," Chuck laughed.
"Congrats on baby number two," Nate chimed in.
"Thank you," Chuck replied as his hands wrapped around Blair's waist, his fingers tapping a happy beat against her abdomen.
"That's some powerful sperm you must have there, Bass," Nate chuckled, "You've knocked Blair up twice in less than eighteen months."
"Never are you to mention sperm and Chuck in the same sentence ever again," Serena groaned.
"How about we mention Nate's sperm?" Blair suggested, "How about you knock up my best friend already so we can have play dates?"
"Heck no," Nate shook his head vigorously, "I think we'll live vicariously through the two of you for the time being."
"Such the chicken," Blair rolled her eyes, "Weren't you the one that almost forced your grandmother's engagement ring onto my finger back in high school?"
"That was my parents," Nate insisted, "I finally put my foot down on that."
Chuck nearly fell over as he laughed at his friend's statement.
"Either way parenthood is not in my near future," Nate insisted as he looked nervously towards Serena for a moment, "Is it?"
"The only positive test around here would be Blair's," Serena assured him.
"So what do two people in love do all day around here?" Nate inquired as he quickly changed the subject.
"Whatever we want," Blair replied, "We're completely cut off from the world. Enjoy it."
"When you say totally cut off, does that mean we don't get cellular reception?" Nate gulped nervously.
"Sorry, Nate, no Gossip Girl blasts for you," Blair chuckled.
"Seriously!" Serena gasped in surprise.
"How do people live without cellphone reception in this day and age?" Nate frowned as he looked longingly at his phone as if he'd just lost his best friend.
"We get reception here," Chuck whispered in Blair's ear.
"Shhh," she hushed him, "Let's see how long we can keep up this ruse."
"So when is this famous sunset the two of you keep raving about?" Serena inquired.
"About an hour or so," Chuck replied as he looked towards the horizon to see how high the sun was, "Luca should be up from his nap by then. We'd hate for him to miss it."
"He's a baby, Chuck," Serena pointed out, "He doesn't care."
"But his mother does," Chuck responded, "This was one of the promises that I made Blair just before we left the island a little over a year ago, to come here often and to share it with our family. I refuse to break such a promise."
Blair wrapped her arms around him and kissed him soundly on the lips.
"I'm going to check on Luca," Blair whispered into his ear, "Make sure the sun doesn't set without us."
"I'll stop the world from spinning just for you," he winked.
Blair turned to see Serena slapping Nate's shoulder as she walked into the house to retrieve her son.
"Ouch," Nate winced as he rubbed at his shoulder, "What was that for?"
"For never saying things like that to me," she replied, "Would you grow a romantic bone already?"
"None of those romantic bones around my son," Chuck quipped.
"Look who's awake," Blair announced as she returned a little later with her son in her arms, his eyes wide. He reached out for his father immediately.
"Are you ready for the sunset, Luca?" Chuck inquired as he bounced him up and down as he walked him down to the beach, plopping himself in the sand with Luca in his lap. Blair quickly followed along, her arms around Chuck's shoulders as they cuddled.
Nate was about to follow, but Serena pulled on his arm to halt him.
"Let them have this time to themselves," Serena replied, "We can catch our sunset tomorrow. For now, we can have our own private time in the bedroom."
Nate nodded as he followed like an eager puppy.
"He's getting so big," Blair marveled as Chuck lowered his son so his toes were dipping in the sand. The new sensation was quite the thrill for Luca as he was kicked his feet back and forth with an excited giggle. Sand was being kicked up in every direction. "He's going to start walking soon."
"That will surely keep us busy," he chuckled, "There is so much that he can get into at the manor. It's going to be a full time job following him around."
"I don't know if I'll be able to keep up," she sighed, "Remember how I waddled around when I was pregnant with him."
"If you can't, I'll pick up the slack," Chuck assured her.
"Mommy's having another baby, Luca," Blair cooed as she rained kisses along his face, "You get to have brother and sister soon."
Luca giggled as he tried to hold off his mother's playful assault.
"He's such a lucky little boy," Chuck stated, "He has the most beautiful and attentive mother. Now he gets to have a sibling to play with. What more could a little boy ask for?"
"Not much," Blair smiled, "Especially since he has such a handsome and equally attentive father."
"I'm going to jinx myself, but I'm not sure our life could get much better," he replied as he touched her chin lightly, guiding her lips to his.
"Well, we deserve this happiness," she smiled, "I love you."
"I love you too," Chuck smiled as he kissed her again.
"Now, let's enjoy this sunset," Blair stated as she pointed towards the setting sun. Luca's eyes followed his mother's finger. He watched the sun with intrigued eyes as he continued kicking at the sand with his toes. Chuck's hands caressed Blair's stomach. Her fingers entwined with his.
Blair and Chuck both sighed happily as the sun disappeared. Life was perfect, but soon it would get even better.
The End … Epilogue to follow.