United Amidst A Great Divide Ch.15 - Charleston, South Carolina
Hey guys! I'm so so sorry for the super long wait between updates...school is no fun! I just wanted to say thank you for all of the favoriting, alerting, and especially the reviews! I appreciate every single one of them, so thanks so much! Also, it's pretty late and I just wanted to update as soon as possible, I didn't really read over the last part, so forgive me for any mistakes! Enjoy!
Chapter 15 - Charleston, South Carolina
Chuck stared out the clouded, salt water spattered porthole even after the last traces of the Southern coast faded from his eyesight. Nate had instructed him to remain unseen and unheard while he and his father tended to the rest of their little hoax, so it was both fortunate and unfortunate that Chuck had many different thoughts to occupy his mind.
Blair lied asleep on one of the small bunks in the cabin, having yet to wake after closing her eyes the previous evening. Chuck had also been stealing glances at her when he was not looking out over the sea, and wondering when she would wake. He had definitely taken notice to her increased sleeping habits, but he could only excuse them as being a reaction to their trying experiences.
He continued to watch over her and some minutes later a murmur of what seemed like discomfort broke the relative silence in the room. Blair turned to her side, before abruptly sitting up on the edge of the bed, breathing heavily.
“Blair? Are you well?” Chuck hesitantly questioned, cocking his head as he watched her face lose all of its color within a matter of seconds.
She did not give him an answer; instead she looked at him for a few moments and then vomited all over the worn wooden floorboards beneath her feet. Rushing to her side, Chuck gathered her long hair in one hand to avoid more of a mess and massaged her back with the other, while she coughed and retched until she could scarcely breathe.
“Breathe, Blair.”
Chuck was gently lowering her head down and trying to calm her, but the waviness in her vision was making it quite impossible. She heaved again and in an out of character display she made a very unflattering sucking noise, before spitting onto the floor. Chuck was astounded and it made him want to laugh as he pet her back, he never thought he would see the day when Blair Waldorf would purposely ignore the notion of being a lady.
“Sorry…” Blair mumbled, and then let herself fall back onto the bed.
Chuck gave her a small smile as he moved her loose hair away from her forehead. His fingertips skimmed her flesh, which was cool and moist, and a shade of sickly white. He had not thought to tell her that a journey at sea was not always a pleasant one.
Blair’s brown eyes appeared even darker while she looked up to Chuck’s sympathetic face. She felt like her head was close to splitting open and she did not think she would really mind at all. The nausea was unlike anything she had ever dealt with, even considering her first few bouts with morning sickness. She hated the ocean already.
“It should pass. You’ll get used to being on the water.” Chuck tried to reassure her and truly hoped that he was correct, or else the coming days were sure to be hellish for her.
It was her own fault that she had not told anyone and while she should have felt grateful for Chuck being so patient with her, all she was really starting to feel was aggravation. Blair strongly believed that Chuck was well above the average intelligence of most men she had encountered in her life, but she had to wonder how someone could be so doltish as to not recognize the various signs of pregnancy. Obvious events had occurred - many times - and how he had not figured it out was beyond her.
With a purse of her lips, Blair answered with the nicest words she could muster. “I guess you’ll find out, won’t you.”
Before the subtle chill in her voice could fully register in Chuck’s mind, Blair was already turned away from him, huddling into the itchy wool bedding. She could not sit by and pretend she was just seasick with the mood she had found herself in; it would be too tempting to blurt everything out in frustration.
Chuck’s hand hesitated above Blair’s shoulder for a fraction of a second and then retreated back to his own knee. He was a little confused. But he certainly knew better than to pester a disgruntled woman. He studied the relaxed profile of her face and immediately decided that he wanted it to stay that way; he would let her sleep as long as she pleased.
While taking a deep breath in and then sighing it out, Chuck peered down at the disgusting puddle that Blair had left him to clean. His thoughts wandered to his antebellum lifestyle, where under no circumstances would he ever have done such a task for himself let alone another person. But it was a sign of the times for him; he had changed immensely over the course of the war, just as most people had been forced to do in the South. Although he could only appreciate the transformation as it seemed that he had not only come out unscathed, but he had acquired surprisingly good fortunes along the way. Even if one said good fortune had just thrown up all over their cabin moments before.
Rising from Blair’s side, Chuck busied himself with trying to find some type of cleaning implement, when suddenly there was a light knock on the door. Only two people knew of the room’s secret occupants, so as the door slowly began to creak open it was obvious whose face would appear.
“She’s not taking well to the ocean, I see.” Nate laughed from the doorway, with his usual ill-timed attempts at humor. His eyes scanned the area of floor beside his friend’s feet. “Maybe I could have my father send down some peppermint tea for her, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”
Chuck stood in the middle of the cabin, the irritated expression he wore was his only greeting to Nate and his stance alluded to all of the amusement that he was not finding in the comment. He was a little too tense to deal with Nate’s antics and before he could give himself a reason to stop, he rushed the blonde through the threshold and cunningly pinned him against the wall behind.
“You better have damn well told your father that she isn’t some filthy whore!” Chuck spat viciously, forgetting his longtime loyalty to his friend for the sake of Blair’s name. His fingers twisted and curled into the blue fabric lapels of Nate’s overcoat, increasing the pressure with which he was pushing him into the solid surface.
Nate gave a nervous laugh as he frantically searched his friend’s dark eyes with uncertainty, hoping that he was not being as serious as he appeared. “He - he means no harm, Chuck. She’s perfectly safe!”
Chuck took a moment to reflect and his grip loosened. Of course Blair was safe, because he would be there to gut any man who dare get near her, let alone touch her in any way. He eventually let his hands fall to his sides again and the breath that Nate released was clearly heard.
Although it seemed that without Chuck’s fists in such close proximity to his face, Nate was feeling bold and his next words were hissed in a tone of disbelief. “What is so special about her that it causes such a reaction!?”
“Nothing that I would expect you to understand…” Chuck tossed back dryly. If only he knew exactly why himself, then maybe he would have been willing to explain.
*****
“What could I do to make you smile?” the man lying beside Blair quietly asked with honest curiosity, while he walked his fingers along her forearm and they lied in the dim, candlelit room.
The question in itself nearly brought on the hint of a smile, but it also brought a bittersweet reminiscence of an effortless happiness. Chuck had wondered the same question the morning after their first kiss and at the time things had been complicated for each of them, and through each other they had been able to forget for awhile. They had laughed and made love while stuck in the limbo between escaping reality and eventually having to confront it again. It had seemed perfect, but somewhere along the way their separate troubles had become woven together so tightly and created an even greater issue, and now their lives could not be so easily disentangled from one another.
“Blair?” Chuck whispered, trying to gently focus her attention.
“Oh…I’m sorry, I was just thinking.” Blair answered, still sounding absent and caught amongst her thoughts. What could he do? Love her? Marry her? Save her like he had already done so many times before?
Chuck gave her a soft smile, bringing his hand to cup her jaw. “I just feel as if I haven’t heard you laugh in such a long time. You are sick, I know, but I feel like…oh, I don’t know…”
“Well, I’ve not felt like myself lately either,” offered Blair. Chuck’s voice had trailed off with uncertainty, but his intentions were not lost.
Her long lashes swept down to her cheeks, as Blair closed her eyes to avoid the contemplating stare that was upon her. She wished she had courage enough to tell him, but instead she would be content feeling the touch of his hand as it moved down her ribcage.
“You have lost so much weight…” Chuck suddenly stated, making Blair’s eyes glide open in silent shock over what he had just said.
Her voice was a weak, faint whisper. “What?”
“You are not as full as you used to be,” he observed aloud and his palm soon found the curve of her breast. Nonchalance was apparent in his tone and as she nervously watched him study her body, Blair could feel stubborn tears trying to surface from the painful irony. “But do not worry, sweetheart, we’ll fatten you up when we get to Charleston.”
Blair was close to choking on her tongue as she swallowed repeatedly, wanting the tightness in her throat to leave her. She did not know how he could speak like that, like they would continue to remain together once they finally reached the East coast. And atop the disbelief was the knowledge that maybe he was trying to offer her something that she knew she could not accept.
She wanted to tell him to stop speaking, that she wanted to rest. But moments later he was whispering to her again and saying all the things that he thought would put her at ease.
“And you will never have to walk anywhere ever again. I’ll buy you the best carriages and the most beautiful, strong horses in the South.”
Blair swiftly turned to her side, before Chuck could see the array of emotions coming over her face. And instead of slipping down her cheeks, her tears ran over the bridge of her nose to eventually run across her temple and into her dark hair. She just could not understand why he would talk of such a lavish lifestyle when they had no true obligations to one another.
“What’s the matter?” Chuck swiftly inquired, for he had abruptly found himself staring at the back of the petite brunette’s head.
“I just - I just don’t want to speak about this anymore. I don’t feel well.” Blair said in explanation, her voice remaining even despite the ache in her windpipe and the initial stutter. If he was a true gentleman, then he would not press any further - and she knew he was.
After tenderly petting the hair above her ear down to its ends, Chuck pressed a light kiss to her temple and nestled his face into the nape of her neck. Blair allowed his hand to linger on her shoulder and after a few moments she moved her own to touch his fingers, letting him know that it was alright to wrap his arm around her waist and hold her close.
It seemed like hours before Blair had spent all of her tears while Chuck slept soundly against her back. Her eyes felt as if sand had collected beneath their lids, yet sleep would not come. She knew she needed to rest, if not for her own sake then for the unborn child she was carrying. So, she forced her eyes to shut and kissed the backs of Chuck’s knuckles, where they were clasped with her hand under her chin. It was just too difficult to relax into sleep when it would only bring her closer to the inevitable.
*****
A few days had passed aboard the ship and once again Chuck and Blair had found themselves lurking about in the night, with Nate as their guide.
“You are going to feel so much better once you arrive in the city. It’s beautiful, and the sea breeze is always refreshing.” Nate genially informed, while he helped Blair into a heavy coat he had found for her and began closing up the buttons. She stood facing him, seeming somewhat dazed as she held his bicep to steady herself against the rocking that would never cease.
“Mhmm…” she agreed, although doubtfully. She felt like every muscle in her body was tense and quivering with sickness and exhaustion, and it only worsened as she tried to stay on her feet.
Nate examined her gaunt, chalky complexion with empathy, a result of having spent many days stricken by seasickness himself. “I’m sorry that you were not meant for the sea. We would have loved to have you as our little sailor in blue.”
Chuck’s face turned to one of disgust as he tied the laces of his boots and listened to his longtime friend attempt to liven Blair’s spirits. But upon hearing her half hearted answer, he could not help but hide a victorious smile.
“Nate, you know how I hate this color, I just can’t take it.” Blair stated robotically, yet her sense of humor was still present despite her feeble condition. Nate slid the last button into place and grinned amusedly at her response; her relationship with his best friend was still quite mysterious, but he was beginning to realize why this woman had so easily been able to charm Chuck.
“No one can tolerate such a vulgar color, well, at least no one with proper upbringing and taste.” Chuck spoke haughtily as he stood from the edge of the bunk and moved closer to the petite brunette and the taller blonde man. “Besides, if she is anything, she is a little soldier in grey.”
Blair was too miserable to care, but Nate could not deny the words and nodded in full agreement. “I’m afraid you are correct, Chuck. Now should we get her back to land?”
*****
After another set of strategic maneuvers and parting favors from the Captain, the newly formed trio was several hundred yards off the shore in one of the ship’s smaller vessels. The lamp lights on the wharves seemed to be far off in the distance, but it was only a trick of the soft haze; their destination laid just a few oar strokes away.
Chuck and Nate each held an oar, and they rowed in time with one another to fight the constantly uneven surface of the ocean. The moon was not visible in the blackish blue sky, leaving the men to trust their military honed instincts to correctly reach the stretch of fine sand ahead of them.
Blair kept her arms crossed over her chest, warming her hands in the too long sleeves of the jacket. She was beginning to feel small in the entire situation and all she could do was listen to the repetitive swirling of the water, like it was the seal on her fate. She would have liked to been able to have Chuck’s hand holding her own, lightly squeezing her fingers in that way that made her feel safe even if that had not been the purpose.
Suddenly, Blair was gasping into the wind. Her eyes had been staring at the nothingness that seemed to go on forever without the presence of the sun, when Chuck took her hand in just the manner she had been thinking of.
“Almost there now, just a little further,” he whispered in assurance, as if she had not already known. But it was exactly what she needed to hear - his voice. And although she hated that such insignificant things now charged her emotions at the most inopportune of times, she did not try to stop the glassiness that gathered in her eyes. It was not like her two companions would notice in the darkened night anyway.
“This is it, Chuck!” Nate abruptly spoke, and Blair’s head swiveled to take in the decreasing amount of feet between the boat and solid ground. The nausea that had plagued her entire stay on the navy ship had not lessened, but it had become rather tolerable and Blair was thinking that she could take more, so long as she did not have to step foot on the beach.
Nate had taken up the oars and Chuck had easily stepped to the boat’s side and then leapt into the shallow water immediately below, without Blair hardly being able to take notice.
“Come on, Blair!” Chuck said, nearing a yell. Maybe it was the excitement of finally feeling his home beneath his feet or the urgency to see Nate off that caused it, but it could not have mattered, not when the sound of waves smashing was drowning out his voice.
The water was cold when Blair’s boots finally plunged into it and even though it reached to just her waist, it still sent faint twinges of fear through her body. She knew she was in no danger, but it brought on an odd sensation that she would most likely never forget.
Nate tossed out the bag that contained whatever had been salvaged of Chuck’s possessions along the way and the smile was evident in his voice when he shouted, “That’s the last of you, Charles! Now, take care of yourself and take care of her!”
His caring words made Blair smile as well; she would always remember the great risks he had taken for Chuck, and for her, someone he had never known before. “I don’t know how to ever thank you, Nate, but just promise me that someday you will come home.”
“I promise I shall try!” Nate laughed, and a part of his mind told him that one day he would probably follow through with the pact.
Stepping forward and grasping the bow of the boat, Chuck leaned in towards his best friend to show his sincerity as he said, “Thank you, Nathaniel. If ever you need anything, you know where I am.”
The exchange between the men was nearly impossible to see with the lack of light, but Blair could have imagined the grave expression on Chuck’s face as he spoke. He was always true to his word, he could be stubborn and even cruel sometimes, but he was honest.
Nate gave a swift, understanding nod to the meaningful statement, which Chuck also mirrored before giving the bow a shove back into the ocean.
“Goodbye!” Nate shouted, just his dark silhouette slightly visible as he started towards his father’s ship once more.
“Goodbye!” Both Chuck and Blair answered back in unison, eventually letting their voices die off to nothing but the natural sounds around them.
Once Nate was out of sight, Blair was suddenly consumed with her own thoughts and it was not until Chuck gently pulled at her hand that she realized that they were still standing in several feet of water.
“Let’s get out of this water…” Chuck suggested, slinging his bag over one strong shoulder.
They trudged through liquid that was making their clothing cling to their legs as they tried to move. Blair followed obediently, keeping her fingers linked between Chuck’s knuckles and enjoying the sensation of the water becoming shallower and shallower, until they finally walked onto the crushed shells of the beach.
“My father’s home is only a few miles from this beach,” informed Chuck, almost breathless in his enthusiasm. Blair was attempting a reply, but before she thought of anything reasonable warm lips were pressed upon her own in an open mouthed, passionate kiss. A kiss which made her powerless to do anything but surrender.
When Chuck had finished devouring Blair’s lips, his hands had made their way to the sides of her face, holding her closely in place. “Come on, Blair…” he whispered, and then suddenly he was practically dragging her over the sandy ground and through beach grass. Her mind was running in many different directions, but Chuck’s excitement was like that of a little boy and Blair could only find it endearing.
After they had left the shore, Chuck was leading Blair through unfamiliar streets and alleys. They were not like those of New Orleans, they were cleaner and although completely deserted, they still seemed more comfortable and inviting. The city was relatively untouched by the war and it was certainly noticeable when compared to other regions of the country.
Soon they had made their way to an obviously upper class neighborhood, and Chuck was becoming more exhilarated with each step. Three streets lamp passed overhead and then their walking ceased in front a large, multistoried townhouse constructed of pale reddish bricks; complete with two verandas surrounding most sides of the building.
Chuck stood for a moment, silently scrutinizing the house’s features while the brunette by his side was beginning to shiver from the combination of soaked clothing and nerves. Maybe he was looking for differences or for things that were recognizable, but whatever it was, Blair could not have exactly known. He had never been one to speak much about his past, his lifestyle, or even his family, so as he led her up the manicured walk her stomach turned with uncertainty.
Chuck attacked the door knocker first, and when no one in the darkened home took immediate notice he pounded at the solid wood surface with his fist. Finally, after minutes of trying, a male house servant cracked open the door just far enough to see who would be calling at such an hour of the night. It took only seconds for the individual’s face to light up with realization before he hurriedly threw the door open, creating a way for his younger master to enter his home.
“Master Charles, we haven’t -”
“Give me this.” Chuck commanded as he took the lit candelabra from the man’s hand. He did not mean to sound so gruff, but he was not concerned with discussing how his family had not seen him in several years. All he could think of was Blair and her hand quivering within his own.
He used his only light source to navigate the foyer, and was glad to find the table and pair of chairs that he remembered, still in their places. Placing the candles on the table, Chuck guided Blair to one of the chairs, quietly telling her, “Here, Blair, sit down.”
Blair was unsure of everything around her and of what was going to happen, but it eased her worries a bit when Chuck kneeled on the floor before her and held her hands. He was just about to speak again, when suddenly another light was illuminating the room and a feminine voice cut the silence with surprise and urgency.
“Chuck!?”
Next chapter we'll be meeting some different characters, and things will get a bit eventful! Thanks for reading! :)