Starting Over: rewrite

Inheritance

"Well, now he's back, and he's... he's different." Blair looks down. I know it's been so hard for her to open her heart to Chuck and for him to crush it by denying he loved her.

"He's grieving B; it's going to take him time to be the Chuck you knew." I tell her.

"B! E!" Serena squeals as she sees us. We run and hug each other.

"Oh, I missed you so much."

"Not as much as we missed you." Blair says to her.

"How is our favorite niece?" Serena asks.

"Sweet as ever." I pull out my phone and show her photos.

"She is gorgeous, E."

"And so well mannered. I swear I can't believe she is part Baizen." Blair comments, and I hit her shoulder in a teasing manner.

"Hey, did uh Jack ever find Chuck?" Serena asks.

"Yeah, what was left of him. I'm surprised they made it through customs. Chuck's body odor could have given a  contact high to half of Manhattan." Blair rants on. "S, E, I have to tell you both something." She looks seriously at us both. "I did something so stupid."

"Like what?" I ask her.

"Hey." Dan greets Serena and wraps his arms around her.

"Seriously?" I comment as Blair, and I take a step back.

"Oh, hey. This is my news. When I was in Buenos Aires..."

"A postcard would have been fine." Blair cuts her off. "I'm really happy for you. I'm gonna go vomit now." Blair leaves.

"Happy New Year." Dan says, and then he looks at me. "Hi, Ella."

"Poor choice Serena. Poor choice." I tell her.

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Blair's POV

Seeing Chuck wasting away is killing me inside. But I have to pull myself together for this meeting with The Colony Club. I need to secure my future, but all I can focus on is Chuck. I put all of the mess behind me, and I get myself presentable. I descend the stairs seeing Serena and Ella looking at me, concerned. "B, is everything okay?" Serena asks.

"We came as fast as we could." Ella adds.

"Fine." I lie. "False alarm."

"Wait, what happened?" Serena asks, not buying it.

"Chuck." I answer. "He's holed up at Victrola in some Jim Morrison downward spiral. Sad in a way. Luckily, it's not my concern."

"B." I look away from my best friends.

"Thank you both for coming." I hear the elevators open. "Dorota! I think my guests, The Colony Club are here!"

"Wait." Ella grabs my hand. "If you think Chuck is really in trouble, then we need to help him."

"We're all he has. You are all he has." Serena reminds me.

"He doesn't want my help." The elevator dings, and the members exit and hand Dorota their coats.

"So that's just it?" Ella says to me. "You're going to abandon my brother for some stuck-up society bitches?"

"Those bitches as you call them, are helping me build a life. All Chuck can do is destroy one. I'm not abandoning Chuck. I'm just saving myself." I defend. "Now, if you both will excuse me." I turn my back on them, knowing this is crushing them, but I have to think of myself at this moment. "Hi, ladies. So glad you could make it. Come on." I look back and see Ella and Serena giving me a disapproving look. I shake it off and plaster a fake smile on my face. Dorota got the women comfortable with tea and cookies as we sat in the living room. "I've always felt The Colony Club exemplified the highest ideals of character. Public service. I frequently feed the ducks in Central Park." I list off, and they don't seem impressed. "And read to blind children."