Epilogue

One Week Later

Blair smiled over at her best friend as she helped her pack up for her summer trip. This was the first time that the two was able to hang out together since the wedding what with finals and wrapping up the semester at school. Blair hadn't even had the opportunity to ask about what was going on between Serena and Dan. From what she was able to piece together was that they broke up at the wedding after Humphrey confessed to doing unmentionable things with Whore-gina. Blair mentally rolled her eyes, leave it to Humphrey to screw up the best thing that could ever happen to him.

She sighed happily as Serena spoke, "So…Tuscany with Chuck? Sounds romantic…minus the Chuck part."

Blair nodded as she folded up another item to put away in her suitcase with a smile. Everything was going perfectly with Chuck. They were on the same page on their relationship and Chuck even suggested for them to go on this trip together before accompanying her to France for the summer so she could spend time with her father. Blair had to admit that she was looking forward to exploring the city of love with the man she loved. She smirked over at Serena's look on her face at the mention of Chuck and refrained from laughing at Serena's dramatics as she offered her hand for the silk scarf in the blonde's hand.

"Yes, he wanted us to have a week alone without interruptions before we went on to Lyon to spend the month with my dad and Roman before he has to come back here for his guys trip with Eric and his father. We're also using the private jet," She beamed with a shrug as Serena continued to help her pack.

"Don't want to have to go through pesky airport security," Serena teased as she waved a pair of La Perla thong and bra set in her hand to Blair.

Blair smirked as she took them as she responded, "Oh, don't worry. I'm gonna frisk him."

Blair laughed as Serena screeched in outrage, "Oh! B., gross!"

Blair shrugged as she tossed the items in the corner of her last bag, "What can I say? He brings out the worst in me. And weirdly, I think I bring out the best in him. Everything has been so perfect lately."

"Is that why you're driving yourself to the airport?" Serena asked nonchalantly, not meeting her best friend's gaze.

Blair tilted her head to the side at the passive aggressive question and picked up a top to pack as she explained, "He wanted to see his dad before he left. Besides, we're taking the helicopter to Teterboro," Blair paused as she grew a bit agitated as she put the last item in her bag, "I have to sit in the jump seat so that I can tell the pilot if I have any thoughts on his flying."

"Oh B.," Serena said with a sigh as she stood up from Blair's bed and stood beside her, giving her a light shake as she asked, "What's it going to take to get you to relax?"

Blair glanced over at her best friend with an impish grin as she answered without hesitation, "Chuck."

Serena again screeched in outrage, resulting in Blair laughing as she watched her go on, "Oh! God! My ears are bleeding! Make it stop!"

The duo laughed together as the zipped up the bag. Knowing that her time was running out, Blair decided to inquire on Serena's happiness, "You gonna be okay? Alone all summer without your best friend who always gets you out of trouble?"

Serena smiled softly, "Yeah. I'm looking forward to staying out of trouble for a while."

Blair looked down at their joined hands as she raised her eyebrows in question, "Have you talked to Dan?"

Serena paused before looking away and answering, "No. Not since the wedding. It's for the best. For him, for me." Blair looked at her fiend in silent concern as the blonde shook her head and laughed as she assured her, "I'm fine."

Blair nodded softly, deciding to not push. She'll keep in touch during the summer to make sure that Serena was truly okay, but if she wasn't ready to talk about it yet, Blair wasn't going to force her to either. "Well you know how to reach me if there's ever a time that you're not fine. I'll only be a phone call away. Day or night."

Serena smiled and the two hugged tightly, "Thanks, B. Now, I do believe that it's time for a certain someone to head out to catch her flight."

"And you'll be right," Blair responded as she called for Dorota to help with the bags as Serena walked her out.

xoxo

"Yeah, I'll be taking off soon," Chuck spoke to Nate on the phone as he walked around his suite, packing up the last of his items as he waited for his father to come by, "I wanted to catch my dad before I left, see how the honeymoon went, catch a glimpse of a man in love."

"Well, why don't you just take a look in the mirror, Chuck? Taking Blair to Europe, huh? Things are getting serious." Nate teased.

Chuck laughed as he nodded, making sure that he didn't forget anything, careful to make sure that he didn't accidentally knock over the bouquet of roses onto the floor as he responded, "Yeah, with the constant interruptions around here, I thought it would be a better idea to be completely alone for a while and my dad's jet was going to Italy on business. Blair was already going to France and invited me along since Harold and I hit it off so well at Christmas."

Chuck smirked as he shut his bag and asked the obvious question about Nathaniel's own love life, "So…are you planning to spend the summer sweating it out in Brooklyn?"

"Uh, I think my time across the bridge is over," Nate said with a light laugh.

"Nathaniel, what happened with you and Punky Brewster?" Chuck asked, knowing that Blair would want details when he mentioned it later. She'd been firm in her belief that the two wouldn't even make it to the summer and now he had a debt to pay. Not that he wasn't looking forward to it, he may even feel the need to repeatedly pay it over and over again.

"Vanessa's a great girl, but I have too much going on right now," Nate responded lightly, obviously not too heartbroken over it.

Chuck glanced over at his door as it opened, revealing his father finally returning. Chuck smiled as he wrapped up his phone call, "It is what it is. Listen my dad's back, and I have to head out. I'll talk to later?"

"Alright. Bye," Nate responded before the call was disconnected.

Chuck checked the time on his phone after he hung up as his father asked, "Who was that?"

"Nathaniel, he wanted to say his goodbyes before I head out," Chuck looked up at his father with a grin, "I see that you are in fine spirits for a newlywed. Marriage looks good on you father."

Bart placed his hands in his pockets, "I'm glad you think so, it feels good on me."

"I just wanted to see you before I disappeared for the summer," Chuck explained as he put his phone in his pocket, "I'm glad you had a good trip."

"I hope you have a good trip too. You deserve it," Bart spoke firmly with a look of pride in his eyes, "And, I must say, I'm proud of you."

Chuck looked down at his shoes as he shrugged off Bart's praise even though inside he relished in it as he looked back up at his father, "Dad, my best man speech was a week ago, and it was nothing."

"Polite? Modest? You really are growing up," Bart continued on as he just looked at his son.

"Let's not get carried away," Chuck joked lifting his hand up to stop the runaway train before him, "I plan on holding onto my youth for as long as possible."

"Sometimes that choice isn't up to you," Bart tried to explain.

"That's the great thing about Blair. She knows me, and she still loves me," Chuck smirked at the concept.

"I can tell she's been a great influence on you these past several months. Forcing you to learn about responsibility, sacrifice, being faithful, taking into account somebody else's feelings, not just your own," Bart said softly as he walked around the suite as he mused almost to himself.

Chuck found himself frowning a bit as he listened to his father's words. Had he really changed that much? With his devotion to Blair these last several months had he become something that was entirely not Chuck Bass without even realizing it. It felt as if there wasn't enough oxygen in the room as Chuck forced to maintain his steady breathing, shielding his inner panic.

"I like to think that he already possessed those qualities long before I came along," a voice corrected from across the room, causing the Bass men to look towards the voice, "He just needed someone to be willing to see it." Blair smirked as she walked further into the room as she sat her purse down on the coffee table as she walked over to her boyfriend.

At the sound of her words and the sight of her standing there in front of him, saving him from his father's expectations and his own insecurities, Chuck felt that he could finally breathe again and found himself smiling at his incredible girlfriend as Bart responded, "In that case, I stand corrected."

Blair nodded softly as she refused to break eye contact with her boyfriend as he asked, "What are you doing here? I thought we were meeting at the helipad?"

"We were, but I missed you and I figure that I could catch you here before you left and we could get a head start on our vacation," Blair answered happily, glad that she made the last minute decision. From the look on Chuck's face when she walked in, it looked like if she didn't he would have been scared off by his father's words.

"I like the way you think, Waldorf," Chuck teased as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

Just then the group was greeted by more guests; Lily came in laughing with her companion beside her as she greeted everyone and made introductions, "Oh! There you are, Bart. This is Amelia. She's been helping me with the apartment renovations."

Chuck pulled Blair to press against him as Bart made his way over to his new wife, "Great. Nice to meet you." He turned over to Chuck and Blair nodded to them both, "Have a great trip, and Chuck don't forget about our guys' trip with Eric in August."

Chuck nodded, "I won't. I'm actually looking forward to it." And Chuck meant it. He was surprised when Bart mentioned the trip again before he left for his honeymoon with both him and Eric, wanting to take the time to actually spend some time together.

Bart nodded again, "Me too. Blair, always a pleasure."

"You too, Mr. Bass, Lily," Blair said with a polite smile as the newlyweds waved goodbye as they left with that Amelia girl trailing behind them, giving a lingering look to Chuck as she went. Blair was not happy with that and decided to nip that in the bud by simply turning in her boyfriend's arms and taking his lips with hers hungrily, to which he returned eagerly as he pulled her even closer.

Blair slowly broke the kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck happily as he asked, "And what was that for? Not that I didn't enjoy it."

"I just love you; do I need any other reason?" Blair asked with a seductive smile.

"No you do not. Shall we get out of here?" Chuck asked with a smirk, very much aware of the real reason behind the impromptu make out session.

"One question before we leave?" Blair asked and Chuck nodded in return as he kept his arms wrapped around her waist happily, "Are those for me?" she asked, referring to the bouquet of flowers sitting amongst his things, her tone and her facial expression obviously revealing that she was not impressed with the arrangement.

Chuck looked over his shoulder at the flowers and frowned as he realized that she was right to be unimpressed. A dozen long-stemmed roses? What was he thinking? "Originally, yes, but now I realize that I must have briefly forgotten who was girlfriend."

Blair sighed in relief as she pulled away from him as he picked up the flowers and threw them away, "Thank god. For a moment there I was questioning your taste, Bass. Red roses are so cliché."

"Can you find it in your heart to forgive me? I'll buy you better ones once we land in Tuscany," Chuck offered with a smirk as the bellman came into the room to take the bags down to the limo.

Blair sighed dramatically, "I guess, with some incentive, I can be persuaded."

The two shared a smirk as the made their way down to the lobby and oversaw their bags being placed in the trunk before the slid into the back of the limo that started it all so many months ago take them to their destination. The two spent the time going through New York traffic with a continuation of their heavy make out session that started up in Chuck's suite. Blair wasn't kidding when she said she wanted to get a head start on their vacation together, and she had to admit that this was worth giving up the jump seat for to enjoy this time alone.

"Did you mean what you said earlier?" Chuck asked softly, focusing his full attention on their laced hands.

Blair looked at him and nodded silently, "I meant it and I believe it. All those things that your father said about sacrifice and taking other people's feelings into account…over these past couple of years I've seen you already showing those qualities before you and I were even together. You've helped me through my parents' divorce, Serena and Nate's betrayal, not to mention my own eating problem. You've been my rock through it all without once asking for anything in return. Seeing that part of you, is it any wonder how I fell in love with you?

"We haven't even mentioned this past month where you've helped with Serena and her Georgina crisis and when you helped Nate and Carter played him. You take care of us all and you don't ask for any credit, in fact you sweep it under the rug to never be mentioned again."

Chuck looked up at her and shrugged it off, "Because it was nothing."

"It was not nothing, Chuck Bass," Blair refuted, "Through these actions and so many more that I have not mentioned you've shown how much you care for those you choose to allow around you. Loyalty is not something that you can buy, and I only hope that I've been able to show you as much loyalty as you've shown me."

Chuck smiled softly and kissed the palm of her hand, "You have. By standing by me at Cotillion and continuing to do so in the face of everything else that has happened. I love you, Blair Waldorf."

Blair leaned close to him, kissing his lips gently before whispering against them, "I love you too, Chuck Bass."

Chuck returned her kiss and pulled her close as he deepened the kiss hungrily, wanting nothing more than to recreate their first time in the back of that very same limo. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be despite how much Chuck would have liked to continue, Arthur informed the couple that they had arrived not too much later. Chuck reluctantly let Blair go so she could know if it was a complete lost cause to attempt to claim the jump seat. He smirked as he watched her leave the limo as he tried to gain some kind of control. Even if someone had already claimed the seat, Chuck already made the decision to make sure that the person would be more than happy to let Blair have it anyway.

Blair walked over to a guy in his mid-twenties, from the looks of him, who was looking at a landing helicopter and asked him politely as she caught him looking her over, "Excuse me. Is that the Bass helicopter?"

"No, it's not here yet," he responded as he stood up straight from leaning against the town car behind him and slipped his blackberry into his pocket as he asked, "Are you on the Bass Marketing team, too?"

"No, I'm a guest of Chuck Bass," Blair responded with a haughty smile as she put her hand on her hip.

"If he's anything like his father, he must be…terrifying," he responded with a smile.

"He's not all bad," Blair assured as he continued to give another once over, "He is taking me to Tuscany."

"That's romantic," he said with a nod as he continued to ogle Blair, stroking her ego at his obvious interest, "So where is he?"

"I'm right here," Chuck spoke softly, appearing as if from now where as he wrapped his arms around Blair's waist, resting his chin on her shoulder, "Just making sure that everything was in order. What did I miss?"

"Nothing much. Turns out the helicopter isn't here yet," Blair responded with ease as she watched the guy from marketing start to squirm a bit.

"And you were worried that you wouldn't get the Jump seat," Chuck teased as he gave her a gentle squeeze and kissed her cheek affectionately.

"Mr. Bass," the marketing guy tried to gain his attention as he offered his hand for a shake, "I'm Patrick Wiles, I work for your father."

Chuck just simply looked at Patrick's offered hand, not moving to take it as he spoke firmly, "Patrick. I'm sure you enjoy working for my father very much. It must be an amazing opportunity for you; it would be a shame for it to end so abruptly….wouldn't you think?"

Patrick released a nervous laugh, "It would, sir. But I hear you about the jump seat. I have this thing about flying, and it makes me feel more…"

"In control?" Blair asked, "Yeah."

"I'm sure that you'll find a way to get through the flight from the back though, right Patrick?" Chuck asked, his meaning very clear that the seat was claimed as the trio saw their helicopter land for them.

Patrick quickly nodded, "Yeah. Yeah, I'll be fine."

Blair smiled at Patrick's eagerness to please his boss's son, "In that case, let's go get our seats then."

Chuck nodded and walked with her over to the helicopter, helping her into her seat after kissing her lips briefly, making it very obvious that she was his. Blair didn't mind at all the show of possession since she was doing the same thing earlier with that Amelia girl. It actually made the butterflies in her stomach flutter even more at the sight of him feeling the need to keep other prospects away. As long as he knew that the only one she was interested in was him. As he slid into his seat behind her with a playful wink, Blair took a deep breath. They survived the school year and now looked to a full summer together as a couple and it was already looking to be one heck of a summer.

They say a leopard can't change his spots, but some things do change. The path not taken can become a road trip…being grounded can lead to something ground-breaking…

And whether they're sweating it out on the sultry sidewalks or cooling their heels in the Hamptons, no one does summer like New Yorkers.

Grab your shades and your sunblock.

This one looks like a scorcher.

Until then, you know you love me.

x.o.x.o,

Gossip Girl

A/N: Officially the end! 210K words in 6 months, with 112 reviews, 28 favorites, 71 followers, and over 30,000 traffic views for this story! It has been on wild ride and I feel so proud of myself to have made it to the end. Thanks to you all for your encouragement, I have fulfilled my New Year's resolution of writing my first Fanfic and you made it so much fun!

I hope that I did you proud with the Epilogue and I cannot wait for when I post the sequel so make sure you favorite me as a writer so you'll know when it's available! The plan is to start posting it in late August, early September and I'll be writing as much as I can this summer after I do my summer class work. So feel free to shoot me a PM on ideas for it, I'd love to hear from you all and I hope I made the ending worth the ride and I love you all!

Have a great summer!

-Plei4fun