A/N: It seems I have a knack for post-ep fics. This is a continuation of how the episode ended, showing us something that should've happened as well. Oh, and I don't own them, even if a personalised Chuck would be lovely.

"I can't believe you're not even defending yourself."

Chuck saw the contempt written all over Blair's face. Nate stood by, judging him quietly and evidently taking her side. Serena and Dan simply watched the scene unfold, not sure what to think or say.

"Lie to my face! Blame someone! Say something!" Now there was a pleading tone in her voice and in her eyes he could see that she wanted it to be wrong. She wanted it to be a misunderstanding, wanted him to say that it wasn't how it seemed. But that would've meant ruining everything so he kept his mouth shut.

"Our prom queen is... Blair Waldorf!" When Blair heard Penelope's voice, Chuck could see her face brightening up. This was her moment with Nate.

Chuck stood on his balcony, looking over New York. But he didn't see the bright lights or the vibrant traffic. The only thing he saw over and over again was the look on Blair's face when she was announced prom queen. The sheer joy of it had been worth all the trouble Chuck had gone through.

Of course he had made sure Blair didn't get the dress she had sent to dry cleaner's or the corsage, the lousy limo Nate had picked out and the Ritz suite. This was her fairy-tale night and she deserved to have her fairy-tale ending.

And Blair had looked beautiful in that dress. She was a princess in essence and he was no prince. But for her, he would do anything.

Chuck didn't hear the knock on the door or the opening of it. He heard nothing except for the music, still ringing from the ball and saw nothing but Blair's enamored smile at Nate.

"Why did you do it, Chuck?"

He could hear her voice so clearly as if she had been there. He closed his eyes, reveling in the softness of her voice.

"You know, you could turn around."

Startled, he did so and there she was. Still dressed in that dress and wearing the tiara but her face was rather impatient than smiling and there was a sadness underneath it all.

"Didn't hear you come in."

"Obviously."

They looked at each other and a million words passed between them. They didn't need to say them out to understand.

"Serena told me about the ballots. Thank you."

He chuckled. "You came all the way down here to thank me? I thought you'd be enjoying the pleasures of the Plaza penthouse by now. With Nathaniel."

Instead of saying anything, she opened her purse and withdrew the key.

"Yes. The perfect night. How did you know?"

"Let's just say I was enough of a distraction one time to see the scrapbook."

He saw the briefest glimpse of a smile forming on her face.

"Nate and I broke up."

"What, again? How many times do you need to break up with someone to understand what's good for you?"

Chuck couldn't believe it. She just wouldn't learn.

"I wanted to have the perfect prom with my high-school boyfriend, with my first love. And I did. But then I realised that Nate would always be just that. My high-school boyfriend. My first love. But high school's over."

She looked sad for a moment and Chuck felt the overwhelming urge to just hold her. But he forced it down, as well as the deliciously painful feeling trying to break out of his chest.

"And that's also the reason why I came here. I want to know why you did all these things. Why do you care?"

He didn't know what to say. His head told him to lie, told him to say he doesn't care, that it was another one of his games. But, like the last time at the bar, there seemed to be a second, meeker voice inside him, telling him to just tell her the truth. Chuck decided to take the middle way.

"I did it because I thought you deserve to be happy on the night you've been waiting for so long. And since I had the means to do it, it was no big deal."

But it seemed like she didn't believe it. She stepped closer, still holding the key between her fingers and looked straight into his eyes.

"So you're saying this was a game? You could make my scrapbook come alive and you simply chose to do it because you are such an altruistic person? I don't believe it, Chuck."

Blair paused for a second but when he didn't say anything, she continued. "I told you I didn't want to be a game any more, Chuck. Why didn't you tell me about the ballots? I asked you to say something, to defend yourself. It might've ended differently if you had pulled yourself together."

She wasn't going to let it go this easily.

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to get the wrong impression. I didn't want Nate to accuse me once again of trying to steal you. I was sick of that game."

"You can't steal something you already have."

And then Blair did something Chuck hadn't been expecting. She stepped really close to him and wrapped her hands around his midsection, placing her head against his shoulder. It caught him off-guard and at first he didn't know how to react. But his hands had a way of their down and he returned the embrace.

It was a strange and new feeling for them both. Not that they hadn't touched each other before but the intimacy of the embrace was not lost for them. This wasn't like their usual, passionate caressing during sex but somehow it was even better.

Chuck couldn't contain the tender feeling inside him anymore. "I do care, Blair. But it would be better for the both of us if I didn't. I don't know the first thing about relationships, or fairy-tales or making you happy."

Her response was so quiet, he wasn't sure if he heard correctly. But then she lifted her head and looked straight at him.

"You know me, Chuck. And that's all that matters."

He wanted her to know that he cared more than he could show. "Blair, you should know that I l..." He cursed himself for not being able to say it out loud.

But she didn't mind. Instead, she smiled and said, "I know."

And he realised that she had known it all along.