Chapter 71

The Christmas Holiday season went on full blast then as both Chuck and Blair planned for their company's Christmas parties which they hosted at the Palace Hotel. The cookies from Eleni's were a big hit even if Blair had to chuckle to herself now every time she saw a cookie shaped like the Empire State Building, after the private joke she and Chuck shared about the building.

Finally Christmas day arrived and what a day it was for the family since their two children were actually old enough to enjoy the holiday celebrations. The two young parents were eager to share with their children everything they'd gotten them, so they woke them up early to take them downstairs. Once they were downstairs, they gathered them around the tree showing them all of the gifts, decorations, and food that was available. It all seemed like a magical time for the family.

Soon though the sight of the unopened gifts became too much of a distraction, so eager to proceed, they soon dug in to everything they had purchased for each other and the children and my what the gifts they were, from clothes, to toys, to gadgets, and more. Blair loved the clothes, perfume, lingerie, and jewelry that her husband Chuck bought her, as well as a few things he claimed were 'from the children.' Chuck loved the clothes, gadgets, cologne, and so forth that Blair had purchased for him, as well as items Blair had purchased for him which she said were 'from the children' as well.

The children themselves loved the toys and gifts their parents gave them by beginning to play with them right away. Matt was soon playing with his Chuck & Friends talking truck, kicked around with the portable foot piano, and was soon driving around in the toy Jaguar Chuck had purchased as a promo for purchasing a full size XK7 for himself. Meanwhile, Tatum loved playing with her Belle doll, tea set, dress up clothes, and other toys she'd gotten for Christmas, as her mommy, Blair helped her.

After awhile, the children wore down a bit, so that the nanny's helped put them down for a nap, while Chuck and Blair themselves relaxed with Dorota's annual eggnog, bundt cake, and Christmas grog. As the children were napping, Chuck lay back and made a sly suggestion.

"Hmm...do you remember what you said about the piano, darling?"

"What? That you were afraid that it would break the next time we tried to christen it again, like the last time?" she teased.

"Well yeah that...but no, I'd meant the other piano. The large one we saw at FAO Schwarz..." he suggested.

"Oh that you'd teach me how to play it? And knowing you Bass, I'll probably be creatively." she mused.

"Indeed...So I got the piano...I'm game if you are." he mused.

"Mm...I'm game...but first I want you to wear what I bought you for Christmas." she challenged.

"I accept. So what do you want me to wear? Hugo Boss? Lord & Taylor? Polo? Ralph Lauren?" Chuck asked as he began to casually sift through his new clothing items.

"No, no...none of those...you know what want." she mused.

"You can't mean those boxers you purchased..." he asked skeptically bemused.

"Yes...the Santa Claus boxers, Chuck Bass. I want to see you actually wear them, my hot, sexy Santa." Blair teased, curious to if he'd go for it.

"Hm...perhaps...but you have to put on that little number I gave you..." he suggested, trying to up the ante a little in his favor.

"Mm...fine then. We'll just see who's the better player." she laughed as she grabbed her newest lingerie from La Pearla, which Chuck had given her for Christmas and hurried off to a bathroom to change into it, as Chuck grabbed the boxers she'd given him and did likewise.

A few minutes later, both emerged into the living room wearing their robes, shutting the door behind them to give them a bit more privacy as they decided to do it. Removing their robes, they both stepped up to the large portable piano keys their son had technically received, and teasingly stood at the side waiting to begin.

"All right Blair, how much do you know?" he asked her.

"Only a little bit...but only on a regular piano...You'll have to show me the rest." she nervously laughed.

"Fine. You know what the notes are don't you?" he asked.

"Yeah I think so. I have taken piano lessons before, Chuck." she replied.

"All right. Good. Then all that you have to remember are your notes and part of your chords, because then its easy. All you have to do is...oh shit...uh that's not right." he swore as he tried to remember exactly how to play what he wanted to play.

"Hmm..not so easy, is it dear?" she asked, bemused.

"No...uh there must be something wrong with this keyboard." he mumbled frustratingly.

"If you say so Chuck.."' she said nonchalantly.

"I do. Yeah now I remember." he said as he began to reluctantly play out a tune as she stood watching his effort.

"Eh something like that...come on and try it for yourself over here." he encouraged her, although she was still a little reluctant.

"All right, but if this ends up on Gossip Girl and we're made the laughingstock of the Upper East Side...I am holding you to blame." she teased.

"Eh, I don't think so...if our son's fit at the toy store didn't do it...neither will this." he mused as he held out his hands and coaxed her onto the keyboard.

The two of them played around with the keyboard a bit, while Christmas music played in the background. They tried to pick out a few Christmas tunes too...but weren't great at it, and so Blair just kept laughing at the two of them. Finally, they became a little tired trying to nearly dance around on the keyboard, so Blair ended her stint by walking over to Chuck and giving him a hug.

They hugged for a moment, as she angled her face toward his and said "Thank you for the piano and lesson, Chuck Bass. You do surprise me sometimes. I love you, darling." as she then gave him a kiss.

They kissed for a bit longer, until Chuck pulled back and mused "Mm...I love you too, Blair...but we're not done with the lesson...not by a long shot. You're gonna learn a version of 'Up On The Housetop' you'll never forget." he seductively mused as he pulled her down on the floor and began to recite the lyrics in a very sensuous way.

"Mm...you know this song can very dirty...if taken this way..." he mused as she lay back and he began kissing his way down her body, while peeling away her lingerie.

"Up on the house top...reindeer pass..." he said as he kissed her breasts, belly, pausing briefly to pet her cunny, then give a little kiss.

"Out jumps good ol' Chuckie Bass..." he teased as he pulled his cock out of the fly of the red velvet Santa Claus boxers Blair had given him.

"Down through the chimney with lots of toys all for little Blair's Christmas joys..." he drawled as he positioned himself at her core and thrust in, as she gasped.

"Ho ho mm...who wouldn't go? Up on the housetop with some luck...down through the chimney with bad Santa Chuck..." he mused as she gasped, chuckled, and seductively moaned.

"First comes the stocking of little Blair, Mm...bad Santa fill it there...Give her a 'dolly' that laughs and cries. One with your devilish dark brown eyes..." she seductively purred as he growled in agreement and pumped himself, thoroughly filling her as they both started to come...or at least he did.

And thus they went on with a few of their own more creative verses to 'Up On The Housetop' as they made love...and quite the interesting tune...rolling around on top of the floor piano. Eventually then they collapsed together in a fit of seductive chuckles, as they lay curled up beside the piano and fell asleep.

They had only rested together like that for maybe half an hour, when they woke up to realize that their children had found their way back into the living room and were wrecking havoc on it as their parents had been asleep. Wrapping paper had been strewn around the room again, as well as most of the children's toys. Somehow Matt's toy truck had ended up six feet up their Christmas tree, and now their son was even walking around wearing a Santa hat and Chuck's discarded sexy Santa Claus boxers, as he marched around saying "Me Santa, mommy! Ho ho ho! Me Santa, daddy! Ho ho ho!"

"Uh...Matt, come here I need those back..." Chuck said as he started to reach for his son, who an away shouting "No!"

"Yes...you better come back because Santa needs them son..." he said, slightly more gruff as he wrapped himself in a blanket, but that did not work and soon Chuck was naked walking around the room trying to find his son so that he could get his boxer shorts back.

"No!" the boy yelled as he playfully tried to get away...but then turned around and asked "Daddy nakee? Why daddy nakee?"

"Uh...Daddy was pretending to be Santa Claus for mommy...and his costume fell off..." Blair tried to explain to her skeptical son.

"Daddy Santa? Ho ho ho?" their son asked.

"Yeah something like that..just give me back my costume son...and I'll give you a present." Chuck tried to negotiate a deal, but it wasn't easy.

"Nooo...Me Santa! Ho ho ho!...Ow! Waaah!" the boy laughed and tried to escape his father, but his costume fell down and so did he, tripping on the floor and causing him to cry like the two year old he was.

Chuck scooped his son up, handed him to Blair to take care of, then slipped his boxers back on, as Blair laughed an said, "Oh Chuck, the sight of you and your nakedly manly bod running around the room trying to get your costume back was one of the funniest Christmas memories I'll have for a long time. Its a good thing I captured it with my phone..." as she showed him the brief video.

"Ha ha well at least you got my good side. You won't release it on the internet though, will you?" he laughed, but turned serious with his question.

"No Chuck Bass, this is for my entertainment only." she laughed as she shut off the phone and went to soothe their son as well as their daughter, who were both crying by this time.

As Blair was caring for the children, Chuck slipped a robe back on top of himself and relaxed back in his recliner chair. It was then as he watched his wife and children, that Chuck decided to spring the surprise on Blair he'd planned ever since he saw the item at the toy store, as he grabbed a radio controller and turned it on.

Blair was minding her own business, taking care of the children, when suddenly something crawled out from under the wrapping paper that caused her to let out a blood curdling scream, much to her husband's enjoyment. "Aaahh! Ch-Chuck...we need to call the exterminator! NOW!"

"The exterminator? Why?" he pondered nonchalantly.

"Because I saw a huge ass spider crawl out from under the tree...and I think it almost bit our daughter!" she panicked.

"Oh really? I don't see anything..." he mused.

"Don't laugh, Chuck, I swear I saw a spider! I think someone's tarantula escaped into our house. Unless...you didn't buy a pet tarantula for our children, did you?" she asked cautiously.

"Hm...maybe I did...what would you think?" he mused.

"I'd...I'd..." she stammered, then saw the tarantula again, seemingly dancing as it crawled across the carpet toward their curious daughter who picked it up and started to put it in her mouth. "No no no, Tatum! The spider might bite you! And if he did...you don't bite him back!" Blair panicked as she pulled the spider out of her daughter's hands, causing her to cry, risking a spider bite herself, when suddenly she examined the arachnid and gasped in annoyance. "A TOY? I was flipping out over our daughter Tatum being bitten by a toy? Chuck Bass...I could just..." she fumed, as she went over to cuff a laughing Chuck Bass.

Suddenly the young couple was interrupted by one of the servants walking into the living room to inform them that their guests had arrived, and much to their horror, Lily & Rufus and Serena & Nate and Chuck's grandmother Alexis walked into the messy living room, which had wrapping paper and toys everywhere...including a talking dump truck that began to talk and move saying "I'm Chuck!" every time a loud noise was made.

"My my...it looks like somethings never change." Alexis haughtily said as she perused the disastrous room. "The servants must be shirking in their duties."

"Sorry for arriving a little early Charles, Blair, but you did say the mid-day dinner would be at noon?" Lily said as she glanced at the room, then back at the young Bass family.

"Yes...you're correct! Everything will be ready in a bit...why don't you wait in the sitting room while we...finish getting ready." Blair suggested as she tried to play hostess and shuffled everyone out of the room, with Chuck close by on her heels as they left the messy living room to the hands of the servants.

Blair had Chuck making a few calls to some of their non-residential staff members and even the housekeeper service from their hotels to come in and clean the living room, although he grumbled that it would cost him time and a half getting hotel staff to come to their house...but they did. Meanwhile, both Chuck and Blair were in a flurry trying to get ready at the last minute so that they'd be presentable for their family dinner in their home, as the children's needs were seen to by the nannies.

Finally at about 1:30 PM, the entire family were ready to sit down for their extended family Christmas Holiday dinner, with the young Bass family finally looking their best. The dinner went superbly for the main courses and all went well, until dessert was presented. At that, Lily mentioned aloud "I thought I'd bring a special treat for us all, but especially the children. This was something Rufus said his children loved when they were young...a special cheesecake from Juniors with a picture of Norman Rockwell's Santa Claus on it!" she gushed as she had one of the servants present the special cheesecake she'd brought along.

Most of the adults were impressed with the lovely cheesecake, but when the children saw it, Matt and Tatum burst into tears, much to the embarrassment of their parents.

"My don't your children like cheesecake, Charles, Blair?" Lily gasped.

"No...it's just that they've had some incidences with Santa Claus lately...but it's nothing..." Blair stammered as she tried to excuse her children's behavior.

"Children afraid of Father Christmas? I never!" gasped Alexis, though she was haughtily bemused indeed.

The rest of the evening passed without incident with everyone having a good time exchanging gifts, advice, and memories. It was a good visit for all and made them glad for their family such as it was, and everyone who was included. After seeing everyone's needs and seeing that they had rides home, the young family retired upstairs, where they relaxed, examined the gifts they'd received and reminisced about previous holidays, childhood and otherwise, eventually falling asleep.

~o~o~o~o~

Later that night, at about 2:30 AM, Blair was woken up by Chuck whispering in her ear, playfully nudging her awake. Begrudgingly she sighed "All right love but make it quick...I think I have a headache..."

"Ha ha...quit faking Waldorf, I have another type of surprise for you. Do you remember what you said earlier about going sledding?" he whispered.

"Yes...?" she asked curiously.

"Well get dressed, I've already told the nannies to get the kids ready. We're going in about fifteen minutes." he laughed.

"Fifteen minutes? Chuck, you can't be serious! It's...two thirty in the morning? Are you daft?" she gasped in shock as she checked the clock.

"Not in the least. Of course if you forgot how to have fun, darling, then be my guest and stay home." he mused as he dressed into a ski suit he'd once purchased from Eddie Bauer on the off chance they'd go skiing someday.

"I too still know how to have fun, just watch me dear...All right now where's my ski pants?" she mused as she collected her designer winter ski wear and eventually made it downstairs.

The children were already down there, sleepy but warmly dressed. Chuck then ushered his family out to the limousine where they all climbed in to take a ride. Blair had no idea where Chuck planned to take the family, considering that since they were wealthy they could even go to Aspen or Vale without incident, since nothing would surprise her. They did go someplace that had decent sledding, but it wasn't even outside the city.

"Central Park, Chuck? Really?" she asked skeptically.

"Yes? What did you expect, the Alps?" he teasingly asked.

"Well..." she paused.

"Hm...sorry to disappoint you lover, but this is the best I can do on the spur of the moment, but I'll make it up to you on New Years. I promise." he mused in the little boy lost way that always got to her. "Anyway, when I was a kid and wanted to go sledding, this was my favorite place to go...so come on Mrs. Bass...have fun with me...please." he begged as she saw even in the dim light then the pleading in his eyes, as she consented.

Chuck positioned the sleds he'd found, on the hill as he yelled "All aboard. Everybody in!" There was a wild scramble as the family climbed onto the sled in a wild tangle of limbs. Blair thought it was good to see her husband, Chuck, striding through the unbroken snow like a kid again as she kept track of the children so that they wouldn't fall off.

They sailed down the hills together, sometimes all piled together like a big Bass family sandwich, while other times they rode down two at a time with the children as they giggled, cooed, and crowed. While at other times Chuck and Blair just rode the two of them together themselves, laughing as they held each other each taking turns being in front. On their final pass that night, the couple slid to a stop at the bottom, with Chuck rolling them together off the sled, giving her a little kiss in the process.

When he tried to pull her up, Blair playfully winced. "It hurts a little."

"What hurts, your ass? Or did I hurt you?" he asked playfully concerned.

"No. Happiness." she laughed as she pulled him down to her and gave him a playfully seductive kiss as they held each other in the snow a little reveling in their time together and the surprising qualities one finds in a partner sometimes.

~o~o~o~o~

About a week later, Chuck surprised his wife Blair again by taking her for a ride in his corporate helicopter that landed them at the Caesar's Resort in the Poconos, the place where it had all started back nearly three years before. They spent the day trying out the ski slopes skiing and snowboarding, though neither were very good. Then that evening they retired to their room, the same one they'd first had with the Champagne Glass jacuzzi and everything.

As Blair was relaxing in the tub with a bottle of her favorite champagne, Chuck entered bearing gifts, just as before. This time instead of just the strawberries he'd brought that first time, he also brought along Pierre Hermes macaroons, truffles, oysters, and a variety of other treats.

As they relaxed together in the tub, Chuck nonchalantly asked her "Well Blair...here we are three years later...back to where we started. So if you could do it all over again, are you still pleased with your choice to accept my proposal?"

Blair thought back on her life of being Mrs. Charles Bartholomew Bass for the past nearly three years. From their sudden wedding, parenthood, and the many adventures they'd had in those past three years and suddenly realized what she wanted to say.

"Darling...there may have been a few things I would've changed in the past three years...but most importantly choosing you and your proposal is a choice, and the life we've made together is a choice I'd never regret...my sexy husband, Charles Bartholomew Bass...Though there's one thing I am still adamant about..." she purred from across the tub.

"Oh really? And what is that?" he seductively mused.

"I still want my strawberries and macaroons, Bass...so give them to me..." she commanded.

"Ah temper temper. As before love, you'll have to get them yourself." he suggested as she slid across the tub towards him.

They wrestled a bit for the food, as he let her grab a few of them, but he caught her and drew her close, as she felt his sexy naked body against her's and mockingly gasped. "I see somethings never change!"

"You're damn right...and they never will. We're Chuck and Blair, always have been...and always will be. You should have remembered that..." he seductively mused.

"Oh you know I do Chuck Bass...you know I do..." she purred as she succumbed to his kiss, his body, and the tenacity that would make them the epic couple they always would be.

The End