Title: Cross My Heart
Pairing: Blair/Chuck
Rating: T
Summary: "Spotted: B & C leaving JFK airport with more than matching clothes. Is that a gold ring on your ring finger, B? And it seems that C has one too. Could it really be? Are our former queen and UES's notorious playboy...married?"
Disclaimer: As always, I don't own Gossip Girl.
A/N:Woooo! I'm back again. It took awhile, aye? Anyways, thank holidays! Sadly, there's only either one or two chapters left after this one, but a BIG GIGANTIC THANK YOU again to everyone who reviewed or alerted. This story could not have been written without all your support! A great thank you to Sarah too for beta'ng :) Hope you guys enjoy...sorry it's a bit short, though.

Ohh, one more thing...can anyone tell me what happened in the last ten minutes of Season 2, Episode 11 (The Magnificant Archibalds) and 12 (It's A Wonderful Lie)? My internet screwed up when I tried to watch the ep's so I've only seen half of both. Thanks!

“Hello! Earth to Blair!”

“Ow S!”

“Oh, so you are still with us,” Serena quipped as Blair rubbed her bruising arm. “You’ve been staring at that portrait for nearly an hour.”

“Well, it’s a very interesting artwork.”

“Since when were half naked sumo wrestlers interesting?”

“Obviously, Serena, you have no creative intuition…it’s, uh, a masterpiece on the male physique,” Blair stammered, taking a much needed sip of her juice.

“Alright, eww. That has got to be the most disgusting thing you have ever said. Come on, liven up. We’re at a party!”

“You call this a party?” Blair said, raising her eyebrow at the middle-aged women surrounding Lily, each of them gushing over the presents she opened. “It’s seems more like a Botox-fest.”

“Blair, I’m sure only twelve of the women here have had Botox.”

“There are only fifteen women here! And three of them include you, your mother and me,” Blair snapped, waving her glass in the air.

“Okay, either you have major PMS or there’s something on your mind,” Serena said, leading Blair by the arm out of the Bass living room. “Although I’m pretty sure I’ve got an idea what’s turning you into the Grouch.”

“Well, why don’t you tell me about my problems then, oh mystic mind reader,” Blair replied.

“Alright then, two words: Chuck Bass.” Immediately, Serena felt Blair’s grip on her arm tighten and knew that Blair was still riled by her stepbrother’s disappearance. For a week now they had heard no news from Chuck, only a few words from Bart explaining that his son was away for ‘business’ and would return home in a matter of weeks. None of which Blair believed as every time she encountered Bart, he would shift his eyes past her, greet her civilly and then leave. Something was definitely up.

“You didn’t have to mention his name,” Blair scoured, taking a seat on a kitchen stool and watching as Serena went to the fridge, pulling out a tub of ice cream. “Great, make me feel worse by trying to fatten me up.”

“Well, if you don’t want some, you don’t have to have any…but look, it’s your favorite flavor: crème de caramel, and it’s 97% fat free,” Serena enticed, holding the open tub under Blair’s nose. “Mmm, smell all that deliciousness…”

“I swear, Serena, the Basses are corrupting you,” Blair growled, grudgingly taking a spoon from Serena and digging it into the ice cream. “You used to be such a good child – oh, wait, I’m choking.”

Serena shook her head at Blair’s antics and took a spoonful herself, letting the sweet flavor dissolve in her mouth. “So, will you admit you miss him, yet?”

“I think you’re confusing me with someone else. Actually, that can’t be true because no one misses Chuck Bass,” Blair said, in her ‘matter-of-fact’ way.

“Who said I was talking about Chuck?”

“Well, unless you’re talking about some other asshole that broke my heart then I’d like to know, because I wouldn’t mind sticking my heel up his ass.”

“Just like you’d do to Chuck?” Serena laughed.

“No, he’d just enjoy it,” Blair replied as Serena began coughing, nearly choking in the process.

“Eww, the last thing I’d like to hear about when I’m eating ice cream is Chuck and his sex antics. I’ll probably never be able to look at ice cream again.”

“Hmm, he’s probably with seven women, right now. One from each continent,” Blair mumbled, taking no notice of Serena staring dejectedly at her spoonful of ice cream and sighing as she threw it into the kitchen sink. “They’re probably all doing–”

“Blair, don’t even finish that sentence!” Serena cringed, trying to picture rainbows and kittens – anything that would remove the image of Chuck doing vile things from her imagination. “Listen, B, I’m sure he’ll come back soon.”

“This is Chuck we’re talking about.”

“Yes, the same Chuck who absolutely loves and adores you.”

Blair stuck her spoon into the tub and sighed softly, saying quietly, “Not anymore. If he did leave because of Nate and me, then he’ll hate me forever.”

“Come on, Blair, we don’t know why he left. Don’t be so hard on yourself and besides, it’s probably as Bart said. Chuck’s just gone to do some business for him and will be back before you know it,” Serena reasoned, but Blair could detect the doubt in her best friend’s voice.

“Then why hasn’t he called or answered any of our messages?” Blair said annoyed.

“You know Chuck. He can be a little diva when he wants to be.”

“Who can be a diva?” said Lily, tottering into the room, her hands carrying her protruding baby bump.

“No one,” Blair muttered as she moved from her place, allowing Lily to sit down.

“You really shouldn’t be walking, Mom,” Serena badgered, but Lily shook her head, replying proudly, “I’m perfectly fine, darling. Although, I think your little sister is proving to be a little diva herself. Honestly, if she kicks me one more time, I’m going to hold a restraining order against her.”

“Well, being the daughter of Bart and Lily Bass is definitely going to double her fighting spirit,” Serena joked. “Don’t tell me you’re already sick of the attention you’re receiving outside.”

“Of course not, Serena,” Lily laughed. “I just wanted a glass of water. Brooke’s on the water diet now and as you can imagine, it’s all gone now. I just need a refresher,” Lily replied as Serena instantly took out a glass and began pouring for her mother. “You’ve been pretty quiet, Blair. I noticed you earlier and you’ve barely cracked a smile.”

Blair let out a heavy sigh.

“It’s Charles, isn’t it?” Lily asked, taking the glass from Serena and drinking it completely. “Another one please, darling. But Blair, you should know that Chuck will come home soon.”

“But when? Do you know where he is?” Blair asked, hoping for an answer, but Lily shook her head, replying, “I may love Chuck as if he were my own, but I respect whatever he tells Bart personally. However, Blair, despite what Chuck’s going through, I know he cares about you deeply.”

Blair looked down at the floor, a smile tugging at her lips when she noticed a puddle of water underneath Lily’s legs. “Oh, Mrs. Bass, be careful, you might slip on the – oh, shit!”

Both Lily and Serena looked down at the mess on the ground, repeating exactly what Blair had said.

“MOVE! BABY COMING THROUGH! I SAID MOVE!” Serena yelled at an elderly woman passing by as she and Blair rushed Lily to the front desk of the hospital, followed by a crowd of gushing socialite women, each yelling out different methods to control the contractions that Lily had began to experience.

“Serena that was rud – oww!” Lily winced in pain as she threw her hands to her stomach.

“Oi!” Blair shouted at a passing intern, who seemed quite taken back by the extravagant women surrounding him. “This lady is in labor! She needs a doctor now! Help her!”

“Get Doctor Daley! She’s my doc – OWW – get drugs instead!” Lily cringed as the baby continued its descent into the world.

“Listen, Mrs., just come with me and I’ll get someone in contact with Doctor Daley soon. As for the rest of you women, er, just talk about Prada, I suppose?” the young intern said, still baffled by the sight before him. He took over Blair’s position in supporting Lily and, with the help of Serena, managed to sit her into a wheelchair, wheeling her down the corridor.

“Blair, call Bart and Eric and Chuck!” Serena yelled out as she disappeared with her mother. Blair nodded her head and whipped out her phone, sending three simultaneous messages to the men, but she paused on the last text, deciding instead to call the person personally.

“Please answer, please answer,” she muttered as the dial tone rang, only to be disappointed by Chuck’s voicemail. “Chuck, I know you’re there! Answer me, damn it! Lily’s in labor, so unless you want to know where your sister is being born, you better stop being an ass and call me!”

Blair hung up and stared at her phone, wondering if Chuck would get off his high horse and ring, when suddenly her prayers were answered and she found Chuck’s name blaring on the screen.

“Where is she, Blair?” was the first thing she heard as she put the phone to her ear. No hellos, or ‘how you doing?’ simply ‘where is she?’ For a second, Blair had the urge to tell him that they were somewhere in the slums of Brooklyn, but hearing Chuck’s voice for the first time in a week made the reappearance of the one – well, second – thing that she loved to hate: the butterflies.

“I, uh,” Blair stammered, but as he repeated his question once more, she swallowed the hurt she was carrying and stated amicably, “Mt Sinai,” before hanging up. Damn Chuck Bass! Even when he wasn’t present, he still had her panties in a twist. It was as if though he had some unexplainable ‘hold’ over her. She hated it. No, loved it. No, HATED it. No, LOVED it. She loved it. Blair sighed as she leaned against the wall, waiting for the first to arrive. She loved it and she loved him. That ungrateful bastard who just happened to be Chuck Bass.

“Gah!” Blair exclaimed. She couldn’t take it anymore. All this waiting was beginning to stress her and the last thing she needed now was to develop wrinkles. Deciding to leave behind the ageing beauties, Blair strode down the corridor into the maternity ward, finding herself surrounded by screaming women and babies. Everything smelt of spilt milk and baby food.

“Excuse me,” Blair said to the receptionist at the front desk, “I’m looking for Mrs. Bass. She came in a while ago.” The receptionist pointed to a hallway and Blair thanked her politely. As she made her way down the hallway, Blair couldn’t help but peer into the rooms she passed, all of them filled with a new mother cradling her bundle of joy. It amazed Blair that one tiny object could be so loved. She hoped that one day she would be able to experience the joys of motherhood, but as for now, she was perfectly happy being baby-free. Finally, she heard Lily’s screams further down the hallway and quickened her pace until she reached the room where Lily was in, sitting upright in a bed with beads of sweat running down her face and a panicked Serena, squeezing onto her mother’s hand.

“Get this baby out of me!” Lily shrieked behind her gritted teeth, whilst the nurse tried to control her.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Bass, but you haven’t fully dilated yet. You’re nearly there, though,” the nurse said, a little taken by surprise by the sight of Blair standing in the doorway, gawk-eyed at the pain Lily was going through even though she hadn’t given birth yet. “I’m sorry, Miss, but unless you’re family, I’m going to have to ask you to leave the room,” the nurse stated firmly, sending Blair a stiff glare.

“Oh, well, I’m,” Blair began to mutter, but a voice from behind her said strongly, “It’s all right. She is family.” Blair had no need to turn around as Bart Bass stepped into the room, a faint smile on his face as he nodded at her politely. He walked towards his wife and took her hand in his, kissing it softly as he muttered, “It’s all right. I’m here.”

And that’s when Blair finally understood. She was part of their family, whether she liked it or not. Despite everything that had happened with Chuck, Bart still considered her his daughter-in-law and as did Lily when she yelled at Blair to ‘stop being a stick and to get her butt into the room’. As Blair stood by Serena’s side, a smile erupted on her face as she consoled Lily, telling her that everything would be all right. And it would be, Blair promised to herself. She was part of their family and nothing was going to change that. Not stupid Chuck or anyone. She was a Bass.

“Well, now the party can start.”

Speak of the devil …