So this is a story I've been working on for almost a year now on and off. Originally it was set post season 3, it has now adapted to be post season 4. It is a Chuck and Blair future fic in which Blair went back to Chuck after the events of the season 4 finale then ran off before deciding 4 years later to come home. This is the prologue before i post the first chapter. Hope you all enjoy it.

Also: I'm having some trouble naming a male OC that will be in this fic. He's Southern, brown hair, blue eyes, comes from money, and is really smart (last name Davenport). I have a poll on my profile with some of my ideas so take it and let me know what you think.

ETA: I listened to 9 Crimes by Damien Rice on loop while writing this chapter.

Rated: T as per usual. I'll bump it up to M when necessary.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Thanks as always to my wonderful beta, ggff-fan.

Prologue: The Little Black Box

Chuck was looking down at the small square box in his hand, the same square box he'd been looking at for what had felt like hours. He turned it over in his hands feeling the velvet casing, mostly soft under his fingers. His thumb hit a spot particularly worn, reminding him of the way he'd held this box for every second of every day for so long. He'd been scared to let it go; scared it would mean the end. He would sit and stare at its contents as though they were the only thing left in the world and in many respects they were.

It had been a long time now since he'd last touched the box, longer still since he'd last opened it; maybe close to two and 1/2 years since he'd clasped it in his hand. He remembered the day he'd misplaced it; after all how does one forget they day they lose something that had become a continuation of themselves?

He'd been running late getting to the office, missing the beginning of a board meeting that was critical - not that he even remembered what the meeting was about now - to his success in rebuilding Bass Industries. Chuck shook his head, smirking slightly at the thought.

He'd been shuffling through everything in his office trying to find one particular paper. If he could just find that one paper the meeting wouldn't be a total disaster. So he'd searched every drawer, every shelf and every file only to remember that he'd given it to his secretary the day before to run copies.

He didn't realize that he'd dropped the black box in his search until halfway through the board meeting. The moment the realization had hit him his heart had stopped, his mind clicking off - there was nothing more important than that box.

He'd excused himself, immediately rushing back to the office where he proceeded to turn everything on its head looking for his misplaced appendage; when he couldn't find it he proceeded to do the same to his penthouse, his limo, practically his entire hotel.

What if she came back and he didn't have it? He couldn't lose it, couldn't lose her. At the time, Chuck couldn't begin to comprehend the fact that he already had. When he recognized that it was well and truly gone, every emotion he'd been holding in for the past year and a half collapsed in on him.

All his confidence that she was sure to return, all his strength in knowing they were meant to be, dissolved and in that moment he was ruined. He'd become the disaster everyone else had expected from the beginning and cried harder than he had the night of his father's funeral.

For months after that he'd hired PI's whose sole assignment was tracking that particular ring, trying to find it's whereabouts, waiting for it to come up at auction or be passed through the black market. Nothing was ever found.

Turning the box in his hands now, Chuck fiddled with the opening, tracing it back and forth but not pushing, never pushing. It was ironic that today was the day he'd found it, ironic that today when his hand had been digging in a drawer he'd knocked something small - a pen- and it had rolled out of reach. Apparently this particular drawer was missing its back, upon reaching further to grab the pen, he'd felt the brush of soft velvet.

Immediately his hand had recoiled, surprised at the texture. After a moment's pause, he'd returned his hand, wrapping his fingers around the black box that had once been knocked from the same drawer as the pen, only to be left to balance on another small beam.

Why today? Why had he found the box today when he hadn't seen it in years? It was true that he preferred the computer and rarely used the many drawers of the desk, but today he'd needed to look at an old account, today he'd dropped the pen while withdrawing a paper, today he'd found the box.

Chuck couldn't stop staring at the box, his mind was completely blank and he was lost in the box; lost in why it had chosen today of all days to be found. Time passed but he had no concept of such. It was like this that Nate found him late that evening, still sitting in his desk chair staring down at the box in his hands.

"Man, why is it so dark in here?" Nate asked, recoiling slightly as he walked into Chuck's office. He had plans with Chuck at six for a game of pickup basketball and he'd never showed. Nate had only come to the office because Chuck wasn't answering his phone.

Chuck didn't look up from his hands, didn't once break his stare; in fact Chuck didn't even acknowledge Nate's presence.

Stepping forward into the room Nate began to grasp that there was something seriously off with the situation, something completely abnormal. "Chuck, what's up? Why are you just sitting there?" When Chuck still didn't answer Nate began to feel frustrated. "Seriously, I'm not going to shut up until you tell me so you might as well get it ov-"

"She's back." Chuck spoke, interrupting Nate.

Nate shrugged, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. Chuck's voice sounded darker than he'd heard it in years, it wasn't the voice of the Chuck Bass he knew, it was the voice of a different man; a man with more problems than the world could supply solutions. "Who's back? Do you mean Gwen? I thought she wasn't getting back until next week."

Chuck shook his head deliberately. "No, not Gwen. She's still in Italy." Chuck finished, his thumb once more finding its way to the worn spot of the box. He squeezed the box lightly, not enough to open it, just enough to create a little bit of tension as Nate patiently waited. "It's Blair. Blair's back." Chuck finished, still not meeting Nate's inquiring gaze.

Nate's mouth went dry as he stared at his best friend, his eyes finally drifting down to what lay in Chuck's hands. For a moment his heart froze, Blair Waldorf was back in Manhattan, after all this time Blair was back. Running a hand over his head, Nate sighed in exasperated astonishment. "Whoa." He spoke lightly, now looking everywhere but at Chuck. When his eyes once more rested on the shadowed figure of his friend he spoke again. "So what does this mean?"

Chuck's head popped up automatically as he was drawn from his thoughts. "What do you mean?" He asked, his voice still dark but now infused with curiosity.

Narrowing his eyes, Nate walked towards Chuck's desk. "What do I mean?" Nate repeated disbelievingly. "You can't seriously be asking me that. This is Blair we're talking about. The love of your life, your savior, your destroyer. The girl who tore your heart out when she left." Nate paused noticing that his hand was clutching his chest as he'd become impassioned by his speech.

Slowing his voice, Nate calmed down. "So for the second time, what does this mean?"

This time as Chuck spoke he sat the small black box down on his desk. "Nothing. It means nothing."

"Chuck-" Nate started, ready to shake some sense into his friend. He knew Chuck, knew that Chuck would put up a strong front but this changed everything.

Chuck's eyes connected with Nate's for the first time in the conversation as he cut him off. "No Nathaniel, it really means nothing."

Nate could barely withhold a gasp, struggling to manage as he realized that Chuck wasn't simply saying that out of anger, or grief, or some misguided belief that he couldn't give in first, for once it seemed as though he truly meant it.

Hope you liked it :) Review and let me know what you thought and I'll try to have the next chapter up soon.

xoxo - Kate