*gets on knees*
*apologizes profusely*
*grovels at your feet*
*is so adorable you can't help but forgive me*
extra love to: pLei4fun (we'll see :), Sparkleyangel (you'll find out eventually ;), Chairville944 (so many mysteries hehe), .stark (thank you!), & alyxoxo821 (me too! it made me teary-eyed!)
Chapter 32: Islands
I don't have to leave anymore
What I have is right here
Spend my nights and days before
Searching the world for what's right here
-"Islands" The xx
"When do they back from Aspen?"
"Jesus, Carter," snapped Georgina, her eyes alighting in annoyance. "I've told you ten times already."
"I know." Carter hit his foot on the leg of the stool, creating a string of sharp raps as the dark alligator skin of his shoe met mahogany.
"Wait a second, are you nervous?" Georgina asked, watching his foot as it continued to tap tap tap against the barstool. She would have laughed at her companion if their situation was in any way humorous, which it wasn't. Obviously.
"No," he said, though a note of desperation broke out of his typical, casual drawl. "When the hell do they get back?"
"Two days," Georgina answered. "And before you ask, they've been gone for eight."
"Eight. Okay, eight. Two more days."
"You're sure you're all right?"
"Shut up, I'm fine," Carter growled, gesturing for the bartender to pour him another drink.
"Merry Christmas to you too." Two pairs of blue eyes met.
"It's Christmas?"
"Ho-ho-fucking-ho," she practically spat, curling her lips, painted a seasonal red, into a smirk. "Did you really not notice that the jolly old Saint Nick on 40th practically tried to molest me after I said merry Christmas?"
"I thought he was just hugging you because you look like you got runover by a reindeer."
"Hilarious." Georgina swatted his arm but opened her compact mirror to inspect her reflection regardless. Unfortunately, Carter seemed to be right - her concealer was ineffective in hiding the deep shadows under her eyes, her eyes themselves lacked luster, and her hair hung in a dull heap down her shoulders.
"You miss your kid, don't you?" She didn't answer. "Of course you do, but come on, don't you see? Once this is all over, you'll never have to miss the little squirt on Christmas ever again."
"Once this is all over," she whispered, staring at the untouched liquid in her glass. This version of her person was much more forgiving - the amber glow made her face look significantly less pallid, and her eyes were given a glimmer by the glare of the crystal.
"You know what? You could buy a minivan after this - yeah, a minivan, a blue one or something - and be a regular soccer mom. Damn, that'd be hilarious."
"A regular soccer mom who's also a murderess," she said grimly.
"Well, every soccer mom has her secrets. Moms do scary shit for their kids."
"I can't drive anyway," Georgina mumbled, mostly to herself, but Carter unsurprisingly interjected.
"So you'll learn. Say, that could be my Christmas present to you - driving lessons! I'll find a driving school, and you'll be licensed in a week max," he concluded, a smug grin on his face.
"And my gift to you will be a nice, long stay at the Ostroff Center."
"You really think I'm crazy?"
"I know you are."
"Well," he said contemplatively, "you're spending your Christmas with me when you could be spending it with anyone in New York."
"You don't even know when Christmas is, and even after figuring out it was today, you are content to talk about killing people," she argued in a low but heated voice. "You're ahead by miles in the race toward insanity."
"And yet you're still here."
"You want me gone? Fine," she snapped, grabbing her purse and slipping the chain over her shoulder. "I'm leaving."
"Slip Santa Claus a Ulysses for me, would you? A Ben Frank if he agrees to put me on the nice list." If the slammed door was any indication, Santa wouldn't be receiving another penny.
...
"Mm, merry Christmas, Bass," Blair murmured, folding into Chuck's arms, completely sated.
"And a very merry Christmas to you...Bass." Blair laughed into the crook of his elbow.
"Our parents are going to kill us."
"Maybe me. They wouldn't hurt a pregnant woman," he mused. "At least, I don't think they would."
"They'll wait until I after I have the baby. Then they'll kill me."
"Hey," he argued, poking at her stomach playfully as she giggled, "what about Serena and Nate? They have a share in the responsibility as our marriage's witnesses, wouldn't you agree?" Blair thought a moment before pulling the covers up around her chin and reaching for the spare fur blanket.
"Those two wouldn't know how to be devious or deceitful if we gave them the manual. Unfortunately, I think we'll have to face the music on our own with this one."
"But aren't accomplices considered equally as culpable for a crime?"
"They could plead that they were inebriated when making the decision to help," Blair said, "which would relieve them of some responsibility; plus, it throws out premeditation." Blair could feel Chuck smirk into her bare back, and she twisted her head to face him. "Was that supposed to be a test?"
"You're going to make an amazing lawyer, Blair," he said sincerely, locking eyes with her, his beautiful wife, the mother of his unborn child. "I love you."
"I love you too," she said, smiling, as she lifted a palm to his cheek. "And yes, I'm glad I've finally chosen a career path. After talking my way out of that snafu at the ski lodge with Nate, I knew it was my calling."
"I still can't believe our dear Nathaniel punched a security guard."
"The creep was trying to feel Serena up. What would you have done?"
"Ah, and now I'm getting my test," he sighed as Blair laughed. "Well, if it had been you, I don't think I would have needed to do anything - I've gotten my fair share of slaps, smacks, and kicks to the shin over the years, so I can attest to your fire below."
"If you're expecting an apology-"
"Please. I know better. And as for Serena..." He trailed off, smirking. "I could have just sent you over, couldn't I?" Blair rolled her eyes.
"That lazy, huh?"
"I was mainly referring to the fact that my physical capabilities begin and end with this." He flipped her body over so that he was hovering overhead and pinned her small wrists down to the bed. Blair looked up at him, breathless, her eyes sparkling with happiness.
"You know, I wasn't hoping for a sporty child, anyway."
...
"They got married." Bart said it cooly, solidly, seemingly without a trace of emotion, but Lily knew him well enough to notice the little things - the way his voice was a pitch higher than usual, the way his eyes had a shine to them, the way his mouth perked up just the tiniest bit on the word "married." He was pleased.
"They WHAT?" Eleanor gasped, her glasses teetering on the bridge of her nose.
"Serena and Nate were the witnesses; they must have gotten a marriage license before they left."
"I can't believe my baby would get married without me there," Eleanor said, frowning in disappointment.
"No doubt they simply wanted to avoid the media circus that surrounds a society wedding," Cyrus put in logically, "especially with Blair's pregnancy." He grabbed Eleanor's hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "I'm sure they'll let you throw them a party when they return, dear."
"Well, they better," she said snidely, "or they'll face the wrath of Eleanor Rose." Lily, who was seated on the chaise lounge across from Eleanor, chuckled quietly before tightening her woven Missoni wrap around her shoulders. Its hues of olive green, yellow, and pink were outside of her typical palette, but she had been in a good mood lately - not that Rufus was helping in that regard. He was incessantly hovering, hardly ever leaving the penthouse, and she could not, for all the Louboutins in the city, understand his obsession with knowing every detail of her life. "Husband" did not equate to "human diary," but Rufus seemed to be under the impression that it did.
"Bart," said Lily, addressing the only standing figure in the room, "how do you even know any of this?"
"You think after that accident I was going to let them leave the state without any sort of supervision?"
"And do they know about your hired eyes and ears?"
"Of course. Charles has had people keeping an eye on Blair for years."
"Excuse me?" Eleanor screeched, attempting to rise from the couch despite Cyrus's attempts to restrain her. "I cannot be the only one who finds this discomforting."
"Blair is aware of it as well. She's far too intelligent and observant not to," Bart said, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "Honestly, Eleanor, you can't be that surprised. Bass men look out for their women." He cast a pointed look in Lily's direction. "Which I'm sure some people in this room can attest to."
"Oh yes, I remember the days of the bodyguard brigade," she said, shaking her head in amusement. "They're much subtler now though, so thank you for that."
"Yet you've still managed to notice them?" Bart asked, his light blue eyes widening. "I really thought they'd slip under your radar this time."
"Not much slips under my radar anymore, which I believe I owe a lot to Charles, so thank you for that as well." Bart laughed deeply and nodded in agreement.
"Hey, the kid turned out okay. He did end up with Blair, after all."
The parents couldn't help but smile proudly at that one.
...
Serena was half-asleep in the hot tub, her blonde head leaning against Nate's shoulder and the snowflakes dotting her black lashes with white.
"It's not Christmas anymore," she said quietly, a pout on her face. "I hate the day after Christmas."
"Why?"
"All the magic sort of...disappears as soon as the clock strikes midnight," she explained. "The anticipation is on Christmas Eve, the excitement is on Christmas day, and the disappointment that it won't come again for 364 days starts up at 12 o'clock sharp." She sighed dramatically after taking a weary glance at her phone. 12:02 A.M.
"Serena, we're naked. In a hot tub. In Aspen," Nate argued. "Plus, it's snowing. I'm not sure what kind of magic you're talking about, but this is about as good as it gets for me."
"I know how it could be better," she said with a sly smirk, turning to loop her arms around Nate's neck.
"Making magic of our own, hm?"
"All night, Natie."
Two hours later, they were tangled together on the couch, drinking hot chocolate and still unclothed.
"How's December 26th going for you now?" Nate asked, rubbing his foot against hers. She laughed as his toes tickled the skin of her heel.
"It's been magical, thank you." She kissed the chocolate mustache he was sporting off of his face and repeated his question back to him.
"Mine has been perfect. In fact, I think this would be a perfect scene for one of Disney's fairy tales."
"Um, Nate? You do realize that Disney movies are made for like six-year-olds, right?"
"Come on, they're not just for six-year-olds! Finding Nemo happens to be one of my favorite movies, and Ellen as Dory was genius, okay?"
"Yes, and a scene of us naked on the couch would fit right in," said Serena sarcastically. "Or maybe something in the hot tub to go with the whole underwater thing?"
"It could be like grownup Disney, you know? Like how they spelled out "sex" in the stars in The Lion King."
"Is that true?" she asked skeptically. "Because I always thought-"
"Yeah, it's true! Do they have Netflix here, because-"
"Nate, they have Netflix anywhere there's internet."
"That's it, we're watching it," he decided, opening his laptop and placing it on top of his massive pile of blankets. Serena laughed at his enthusiasm.
"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen you this determined."
"There are some in Aladdin too, and Pocahontas and The Little Mermaid and..."
"And this is shaping up to be a long night in a much different way than I expected," Serena muttered to herself as Nate went on, a smile on her face nonetheless.
...
Underneath and unexplored
Islands and cities I have looked
Here I saw
Something I couldn't overlook
I am yours now
So now I don't ever have to leave
I've been found out
So now I'll never explore
Until next time - xoxo