It was Blair who took Chuck home that night. One-Shot set at the end of 2x14

A/N: I Don't Own Gossip Girl... Yet?!
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I'll Be There

"He should go back to Lily's"

"He'll take off again; you've got a better chance keeping an eye on him at the palace"

"…Just so you know, I don't trust you"

"All I want is what's best for my nephew, and as for trusting me, do you really have a choice? Now if you'll excuse me Blair, I have two blondes waiting for me back inside."

"What!? I thought you were taking Chuck back, who's going to look after him?"

The limo started to rev as they heard Chuck mindlessly thump his fist on the window next to his head.

"Well Blair, you'll always be there" He said in a slightly amused and mocking tone.

"I'll be back sometime tomorrow, make sure the door stays locked and you hide the keys." And with that, he walked back into Victrola, waving carelessly at Blair as he turned.

She stood there on the sidewalk, completely speechless. Jack Bass really was a bastard.

She heard Chuck thump again; this time the notice was noticeably duller. Blair thought the worst as she clambered into the limo. Sure enough, diagonal from her Chuck's head had hit the window and he was now hunched over and mumbling incoherently.

"Oh God"

The ride to the palace was not pleasant. All the good times they shared in this very limo, those memories were rapidly being squashed by the sight of Chuck barely able to hold his head up, so drunk that he was falling off his seat faster than Blair could lean over to catch him, retching repeatedly and stinking of hash, tobacco and stale liquor along with rotten notes of cheap perfumes.

He lolled forward once more as the limo pulled to a stop outside the hotel. This time, Blair was able to see him lurching and she caught him before he hit the floor. He clung onto her, digging his fingers into her as he desperately nuzzled into her embrace.

"Oh Chuck" the tears were coming again.

Slowly she managed to get both of them out of the limo, he still clung to her and she struggled under his weight to get them to the elevator.

Once inside he slumped to the floor. Blair pushed the button to his suite and the doors shut.

She looked down at him, crumpled and pathetic. His eyes were not focussed, but still he reached out for her.

"We're nearly there Chuck"

He mumbled something incoherent and reached his arm further, tugging on the hem of her coat.

She knelt down in front of him, and took his face in her hands.

"What is it?"

The elevator sounded as it reached the 18th floor.

"Don't go" he said, retching in between.

"I'm not going anywhere, I promise" she stood up again and with great difficulty raised Chuck from the elevator floor. With one arm slumped over her shoulders she opened the door to the suite and gently pushed him inside. The smell was the same. Hash, tobacco, liquor and convenience store perfume.

It looked as if the cleaners hadn't been in for days. Bottles were strewn everywhere, cigarette butts on the floor, even the carpet was slightly singed in places. She noticed his clothes were strewn everywhere, he was no longer meticulous and as evident by what he had worn to school that morning, he could care less about his appearance for the time being.

"God, what's happened in here" she muttered to herself.

"You'd leave if I told you" he moaned as he slumped over on the bed.

"I think we're past that Chuck" grabbing a bag out of the kitchenette she went from one end of the suite to the other, picking up bottles, food scraps, cigarettes and condom wrappers that littered the floor and made the expensive suite look and feel like a hovel.

She heard an almighty retch from the bed, and dropped the bag, rushing over to Chuck.

He was gagging furiously, his body rejecting whatever toxic mixture of drugs and alcohol he had consumed that day.

Once again, she managed to stand him up and struggle to the bathroom where she set him down and brushed back his hair as he was violently sick into the toilet.

He began to sob in between each heave, shivering. Blair was behind him, her grey coat around his shoulders, gently stroking his hair out of his eyes and hugging him to her.

"I'm so sorry" another heave from his near empty stomach.

"Shhh."

"Blair"

"Shhh"

She couldn't say anything; she wouldn't let him see her cry.

He turned around suddenly and saw her. The bloodshot eyes, the tears streaming down her face, and her cheeks flushed.

He began to sob again as he clung to her.

It was truly disturbing to see Chuck Bass regressed to such an infantile state. But Nate was right, she was maternal whether she liked it or not. She couldn't leave him, puking his guts out into a ceramic bowl. She couldn't turn away as he tried desperately to stand on his own two feet, before losing balance and falling, and she couldn't help but love him as her heart filled with every grasp and grab he made to feel her warm embrace.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better" he groaned, face now buried against her chest. He lifted his head looking up at her as she gazed at him with melancholy adoration. He tried to lean up and capture her lips, but she was too quick, brushing his hair back and kissing him on the forehead instead.

He looked at her, eyes still unfocused but slightly hurt and confused.

She stroked his face with a sad smile.

"Do you realise how bad you smell right now?"

He groaned as she slowly got up off the floor, pulling his arms from around her and making sure he was seated and stable.

She sniffed, wiping a stray tear away from her eye and straightening out her dress and beret.

"I'm going to order you some room service, and you'll eat it"

He looked up at her with a lazy smirk

"Only if you eat with me"

"Fine. While I'm doing that, I'll have run you a bath and I expect you to at least pass for basic personal hygiene standards by the time I get back"

"only if you…"

"Chuck" she said sternly, walking over to the tub and turning on the taps. She poured the designer bath gels into the running water, found a bar of soap and placed it on the side, then turned off the water as the tub had filled.

Walking over to him, she began to remove his jacket.

"Well I know you can't resist me Waldorf, and even in this state! That's something to remember for the future…"

Done with the jacket, she made quick work of his tie and shirt, ignoring his drunken comments as she removed his shoes.

"I trust you know how to do the rest" she stood up, clutching every article of clothing minus his pants.

"But Blair, you know that's my favourite part" he was eyeing her as he reached to undo his belt, stumbling slightly.

"I'm going to go burn these now…" and with that, she left the room shutting the door behind her.

An hour later, Blair was praying Chuck hadn't drowned when he suddenly emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel.

"Here" she said from the bed, throwing him a pair of cashmere pyjama pants and turning quickly as he put them on.

"Do you need any help?"

"No, I think I can walk now."

He came to sit down next to her, leaning forward and putting his head between his knees.

"Thankyou"

"For what"

"For putting up with me"

"Barely Chuck, barely" she sighed as she leaned over and hugged him crouched figure.
"And for telling me" he looked up at her cautiously. She ignored it and got up off the bed.
"The foods coming up in ten minutes" she fidgeted with her dress again.

"Do you want something to wear?" he said to her, watching carefully.

"I think I'll be fine without leftover whore clothing thankyou"

He rolled over to one of the bedside drawers and pulled out a soft grey sweater dress and a pair of black tights.

"You left these here ages ago, like, the week before kiss on the lips when you and Nate crashed here"

She took them awkwardly.

"Thanks Chuck" leaving the room to get dressed.

When she came back, room service had been and gone, there were trolleys of food everywhere and Chuck had passed out again without her there to keep him conscious.

"Jesus Chuck" she climbed onto the bed and crawled over to him, gently slapping each side of his face.

He inhaled sharply and sat up, still nauseous.

"Come on, you need food." He was still groggy, eyes struggling to keep open.

She took a bowl of gnocchi and speared three pieces on her fork.

"Come on, you love this stuff"

He was looking at her again, his eyes deep and lips twitching as if words were to burst out at any second.

"Fine, we're doing this my way then" she moved so sit behind him and pressed the fork to his mouth. Obediently he opened and chewed the pasta. She speared some more pieces and raised the fork again, this time he didn't budge.

"You're turn"

"No, I hate gnocchi, it's like every carbohydrate ever rolled into a non-threatening pasta shape"

"You promised" he turned to look at her and slowly took her other hand in his.

She sighed in defeat and put the fork in her mouth.

"Happy? Now come on"

They went through two bowls of pumpkin gnocchi, a platter of fruit, six pieces of chicken, two dinner rolls and three grilled cheese with truffle oil. They sat in complete silence, alternating bites and Chuck still held her hand and she moved the fork mechanically from the plate to her mouth to the plate then to Chuck. He toyed with her fingers, moving her hand around to rest on his chest, his face and his heart, kissing it every so often. Blair sat behind him, methodically counting and placing into order everything that was entering her mouth.

Chuck was ready to pass out again by the time they were done. She let him lie back; moving to his side and watching him drift off. Their eyes were locked as Chuck began to fade. It was around three in the morning and she too, was ready to sleep off the disastrous day that had been.

"I'm sorry" he muttered, his eyes starting to close against his will

"I know"

"Promise you won't leave me"

"You know I won't"

"Blair, I-"

"Stop now. Just go to sleep"

She kissed him on the forehead and lay back; he rolled over to nuzzle into her once more, his arms wrapped protectively around her and his head nestled into her chest.

Blair did not sleep that night. She loved him yes, would never leave him of course, but she was still not certain that drunk Chuck and sober Chuck were on the same terms and she would not be left in the middle of the night with a note ever again.

He felt a slight shift in weight, but he was too out of it to react. His head spun and hurt. His mouth tasted horrible and his joints were stiff. Rolling over slightly to inhale that comforting scent once more, he was startled to notice the form he was searching for was no longer with him. If he had the strength, he would getup, find her, and force her to stay with him like she had promised. He could here a strange noise coming from somewhere in the suite, a pained noise distorted by the echo of the bathroom tiles.
He faded in and out, then something weighed down the bed and pulled him back across, making sure he was wrapped around her once more.

"Where did you go" he muttered, eyes still closed and inhaling deeply.

"Nowhere important, I'm here now. Go back to sleep"

Clutching her tighter, he did.

p.s. how incredible was the ledge scene!

damn that Jack Bass, I'm all on the edge of my seat for next weeks episode lol.

Enjoy and Review! xoxo