(**I threw this together last night after watching yet ANOTHER re-run of gossip girl. Look what I'm driven to do, create my own plot, fulfill my own gossip girl fantasies! Please R&R if you like it and if you don't, please be constructive. **)

Thanks & Enjoy!

Chapter One and Only

I was wearing my black Jimmy Choo North Sandals the first time Chuck Bass told me he loved me.

The strappy, leather ones - with the silver zipper just above the heel. God those were wonderful shoes. Of course, I never wore them again – oh, it's nothing to do with that sentimental crap, the shoes themselves were just never the same. I can see that I'm already getting ahead of myself, let's try this again, shall we?

I was wearing my black Jimmy Choo North Sandals the first time Chuck Bass told me he loved me. We were in his suite at the Palace with thirty of our closest friends at, which Chuck had referred to as, 'his party to end all parties.' One week from the start senior year, summer coming to a close and everyone back in the city sporting new tans, new wardrobes and even a few nips and tucks. Serena and I had just polished off a second bottle of Chateau Margaux (after pouring most of the first all over each other during our drunken wine fight). The giggles were coming out and all around me; I noticed the clothes were coming off. The massive Jacuzzi, elevated in the centre of the room, was the hotspot that night.

Serena pushed the straps of her caramel sheath off her shoulders and let the beautiful dress drop to the floor before carelessly kicking it aside.

"Let's go swimming Brei!" she grinned, her pretty green eyes sparkling with mischief.

Well it's much more fun to swim in your underwear when you're Serena Van Der Woodsen, let me tell you. She stood before me (bouncing back and forth on her bare tip-toes, no less) looking like a bloody super model. Her loose blonde waves cascaded over her shoulders and past her elbows, nearly concealing her slinky gold bra. She was the epitome of goddess and she just really didn't care.

She was Serena Van Der Woodsen, I was Aubrei Whitewold, and we were going swimming in our underwear. (Or so I was firmly told just before she tugged my scoop-neck, ivory caftan right over my head, exposing my own sexy set of lingerie.)

"Pretty!" she cooed, fingering the lacy strap on my white bra. She regarded it with a critical eye, already trying to figure out where I'd bought it and if I'd somehow managed to go shopping without her.

"Frederick's of Hollywood, four weeks ago, 20% off, you were off getting chai lattes." I muttered, stooping down to pick up the flimsy material and drape it on a chaise, careful to not let it wrinkle.

Once my OCD ceased to distract me, I stood up quickly, my face warming under my ownf insecure realization that I probably looked quite awful, bending over in my underwear to fold our dresses. The moment passed quickly as I was already being dragged through the room in a blur by the ever-determined, water nymph who is my best friend.

Please don't misunderstand. I bear no more insecurity than the next seventeen-year old and I'm not a troll by any means. I actually turn quite a few heads. I stand just under 5'6", I wear my naturally dark-reddish hair in long waves and boys seem to love running their fingers through it. One thing I can appreciate is my blue eyes, which I find can get 'those boys' to do just about anything for me. And for that, I don't mind my fair skin – it seems to compliment my dark hair and lashes anyway. I even wear the same size as Serena, it just seems my qualms over my own body image seem to intensify when I'm hanging out half-naked with a bunch of my half-naked classmates while Serena can't help but bounce around in utter perfection. Not to let that get in the way of my fun, I managed to swipe a gold bottle of tequila off the bar as we staggered past, en route to the Jacuzzi.

"Now that I see you ladies have made yourselves more comfortable, allow me the pleasure of complimenting you on your indecent choices tonight." Chuck Bass purred, swiftly taking the tequila bottle from my hand and pouring the amber liquid into a tumbler. He flicked his gaze over to Serena, taking in her gold bra and matching thong.

"I thought it was open bar, Bass." I protested. My head was already buzzing, but he'd interrupted me on my third sip from the bottle, splashing some across my neck and shoulder in his haste to grab the bottle.

"Tell me - when you dressed this evening, who, did you imagine, would be removing them?" he directed his question to Serena, but his eyes met mine as he presented me with the glass full of tequila instead.

Serena rolled her eyes and shoved him, her other hand still tugging on mine.

"Pace yourself Whitewold." He murmured to me, before I was pulled right past him.

We made our way up the three steps to the enormous Jacuzzi and people quickly moved aside to allow us room. I moaned in delight when I slipped my right leg in. The hot water and pumping jets felt amazing. Or maybe it was the tequila. I'm pretty sure one complimented the other. With the help of Serena, I lifted my left leg over and sat on the edge of the tub.

She was waist deep and drinking from my tumbler until she noticed the tequila on my arm.

"Brei, you're oozing tequila!" she giggled moving in front of me unsteadily. I braced her with my arms and she leaned in to lick the tequila off my body, much to the pleasure of the boys nearby who whistled appreciatively.

It tickled like crazy and I squealed with laughter, knocking us both sideways into the water. Somehow I'd managed to salvage the tequila and when we stood up, soaked from head to toe. I clinked glasses with Nate Archibald and downed it in one gulp while Serena bowed ever-so-gracefully to our audience.

Then all hell broke loose.

It would appear that Blair's favourite enemy decided to make an appearance and after half an hour of flirting shamelessly with Nate in the Jacuzzi, Blair had had enough. Of course, this was not news to me when I witnessed the ever-so-lady-like Ms. Waldorf swan- dive into sed Jacuzzi, taking the bitch in question, down with her. Blair emerged from the water first, still in her classic white shift, which was now pretty much entirely see -through. Her hair hung in wet ringlets and she was attempting to remove her shoe when a pretty girl with cropped blonde hair, wearing nothing but skimpy red bikini bottoms, surfaced from under the water shrieking obscenities at her. Blair was seconds away from knocking this girl with her expensive black pump when Nate quickly jumped between them in attempt to save Blair from manslaughter charges. Somehow, Serena and I were also dragged into this and I can somewhat remember Serena shoving the blonde girl off onto some redhaired guy and demanding he get her out of here. I later learned her name was Naomi Stroff and that she and Nate had spent the summer together in the Hamptons while Blair was visiting her father in Paris. Of course there was nothing going on between them, of course nofthing had happened up at the Hamptons all summer….of course.

Back to all hell breaking loose.

While Nate had stepped between the girls and Serena managed to do some damage control, nothing was done yet to calm Blair's rage over her boyfriend and 'his harlot' as she had called it. There was no consoling Blair and as quickly as she'd jumped on the girl, she turned her anger to him.

"How could you be so awful to me? She was draped all over your arm!" She spat at him in disgust.

"Blair, Nate didn't even touch-" I started. It really wasn't my business. But I couldn't help it.

"You would defend him." She replied hotly, not even bothering to look at me.

"Blair, come on, let's get you dried off." Serena pleaded shooting me an apologetic look. She threw her arm around Blair and tried to propel her to the edge of the Jacuzzi.

I bit my tongue, but I took a step toward Nate's side and looked at him, wondering what he would say to her.

Before he could say anything, she'd shrugged off Serena's arm and pointed her finger at him.

"We are through, Nate Archibald. Through!" She yelled, before Chuck Bass finally arrived on scene. He and Serena coaxed her out of the tub and disappeared into another room.

How quickly it was forgotten and the party was back on. Someone threw Nate a beer and I was left looking quite confused (remember I did not have the back story to this and was full of tequila and wine).

Nate smiled down at me and quickly realized my swaying back and forth had nothing to do with the pounding music.

"Let's get you out of here, kid." He wrapped a strong arm around my waist and hoisted me out of the pool and steered me toward the bathroom.

Chuck strolled out the door just as Nate was about to open it. He took one look at me and held the door for us, not bothering to leave, but at least closing it behind himself.

"I told you to pace yourself Whitewold." He shook his head at me while Nate sat me down on the bathtub edge and looked at me in concern.

"No, I'm fine. I just need a hot shower." I assured them both, squeezing my eyes shut to keep the room from spinning. I was pretty sure Chuck was not all-too concerned.

"I'll go find her clothes." He said in a bored voice, rolling his eyes in obvious disappointment.

"Go find Blair." I told him, standing up a little shakily, my head felt so dizzy.

"Are you sure?" he asked, trying to decide if he should leave me alone.

"We haven't had a bath together since we were six years old, I'm pretty sure there are some laws against that, even if we aren't fully related." I said wryly, gripping the shower door and mustering a half-smile. "Just come get me when we're ready to go."

He tousled my wet hair and made me promise not to slip and die in the shower. Our father would never forgive him.
I was halfway through the steamiest sobering shower of my life, when I realized my discarded bra and underwear were soaked and as far as I knew, Chuck had not returned with my clothes. I hurried to rinse my hair and finish up. I peeked around the shower door to find Chuck snorting a line off the black marble counter near the sink.

He looked up when he heard the water shut off and motioned to my ivory caftan hanging beside the shower. Before leaning over the bathroom counter to snort his other line.

I yanked the dress off the hook and threw it over my head before he could turn around, though I suspect he caught a glimpse of something , by the smirk on his face.

"I found your shoes too," he stooped to pick them up and I sat down on the bathtub edge to put them back on. "Allow me." He drawled.

I rolled my eyes at him but couldn't help but smile. He delicately lifted my right foot and proceded to slide it into the shoe.
"Even high as a kite, you are still quite charming, Bass." I watched his fingers with the complicated straps, he did not fumble while clasping them. He was Chuck Bass, after all.

"Even without underwear, you are quite classy, Whitewold." He replied, lifting my left foot a little higher than necessary, allowing my hem to creep up to my thighs.

I glared at him and pulled my short dress tightly around my legs. Before I could give him a piece of my mind, he'd pulled me to my feet.

Unfortunately this required me to balance, which was difficult to do, considering I was still drunk, and I toppled into him. He steadied me easily and I wondered how the host of the party could be sober still.

I looked up at him and caught the shifty edge to his red-rimmed eyes. Ah, it would seem the party host opted for something a little stronger than tequila tonight. For a brief moment, I took in his handsome features. Strong chiseled jaw, dark brown eyes, arrogant smile and god he smelled wonderful.

Oh there goes the tequila. Straight to the brain. I knew I should have pulled away, but booze has the amazing ability to turn thoughts into hormones. I gave him a tight hug instead and told him he was my favourite person 'ever'. How original.

Chuck snickered into my hair. "Your 'favourite person ever', my god did you drink the bar?"

"Too much tequila." I mumbled into his hard chest.

"I tried to salvage my bottle, at the very least give you a glass." He replied. I felt him lift me onto the counter and I opened my eyes in shock at the cold marble on my bare legs. Goose bumps pricked my skin instantly.

I don't know if it was the cold, but it suddenly dawned on me what his real intentions were. Chuck Bass is nobody's nurse maid.

"I am not sleeping with you, I am not that drunk, so you are wasting your time." I crossed my arms and gave him my best 'stern look'.

"You're quick to make assumptions. Perhaps you could accept that I am being nice out of charity, or some loyalty to my best friend?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Nate asked you to babysit me?" I demanded, genuinely hurt. I really hated when he pulled 'big brother' out in front of our friends, it was embarrassing.

I caught my reflection in the large mirror behind him, my blue eyes were wide and my cheeks flushed in embarrassment. My long dark hair hung in wild tangles down my shoulders, not concealing enough of what my thin dress was revealing. The marble counter was cold enough to prick my nipples through my dress, which had caught Chuck's attention.

"He didn't use those exact words. However he expressed his usual concern, which nauseates you and me both." Chuck grimaced at the reminder that he was essentially 'babysitting.'

I hopped off the counter and used the edge to steady myself when my heels clicked loudly on the tile floor. The sudden movement made me nauseous, I bit my lip and forced myself away from the counter and toward the door.

"Well thanks ." I snapped over my shoulder, thoroughly irritated. I don't know if I was embarrassed about being a chore to someone, or that Nate had asked that I be taken care of. Probably both.

Chuck grabbed my arm before I could reach the door. He pulled me so our faces were quite close. "Nate doesn't realize you're all grown up." His voice was hoarse.

"I know."

"It is quite apparent you've, blossomed, into a very …attractive-"

"Alright, knock it off."

He kissed me anyway. Softly, on the mouth. I'm not even sure he was sober enough to realize his charm was not working on me. What possessed him to do it anyway, I have no idea.

I instantly moved my hands to his chest to push him away. Admittedly, he is a wonderful kisser. Even if he is too high to realize what he's doing to me. I've kissed enough guys to know how bad it can be. This wasn't bad. At all. God this felt good. Why hadn't I pushed him away? He ran his fingers gently down my backside and continued to kiss me. This would be so weird when we saw each other again, wouldn't it? I mean, Nate would kill him. If he found out. Well, Chuck wouldn't make it weird, he does this all the time…right? I stupidly realized that I'd been kissing him back, rather passionately, pretty much giving him an open invitation to do with me what he pleased. His hands roamed my body now. Not really touching me inappropriately, but somehow managing to drive my hormones wild. We were full on making out up against the sink when I finally pushed him away. I was actually lightheaded and short of breath. He had just as quickly moved his warm lips to my neck…and collar bone…

"Enough." I breathed.

To his credit, he pulled back instantly and met my gaze. His eyes were heavy lidded and his lips were slightly apart. Shock maybe? Do girls turn him down, ever?

"Really, is that what you want." He wasn't asking me, he was prepared to give me exactly what I wanted. But there was no way, I was going to want it….no matter how bad I wanted it.

My hesitation was enough to convince his delusional mind that I wanted him to continue my eventual undoing. He pulled me close and this time he did not kiss me softly. I think I actually moaned aloud when he traced my tongue with his. Oh hell. I wrapped my arms around his neck and caved. Let's see how far this goes before I scream for help. He willingly pulled his mouth from mine this time, only to continue where he left off at my neck. I gripped his wrist when he nibbled my earlobe. I actually shuddered. I wanted to feel embarrassed but somehow he seemed pleased by my reactions, they aroused him more and he continued his ministrations.

That is until the beautiful Serena crashed through the door, desperately heading for the toilet. I jumped in surprise, barely catching a glimpse of the blonde whirlwind heading in our direction. The inevitable end to a night of too much tequila was about to happen. I removed myself from Chuck's embrace but he only pressed right himself up against me, his arousal definitely one hundred percent now evident.

"I love you." He mumbled into my neck, pulling on my left should strap.

Oh I bet he does.

Unfortunately Serena did not make it very far and instead fell to her knees and threw up on my beautiful Jimmy Choo sandals. This got Chuck's attention and he lifted his head finally taking in the scene around us.

He groaned in disgust, pulling away from me rather quickly, trying not to step in anything. He hollered for Nate and called something to me over his shoulder about getting towels. Right, because a bathroom doesn't have enough towels already.

I sighed and looked down at Serena. She stared up at me with a dazed expression on her face.

"I love you too." She told me, before keeling over once again.