This is a new story I am writing. It will be AU at times, but this is the Fan-Fiction world and I intend to use that to my advantage. This will be the longest chapter that I will probably write. It is to introduce you to the characters and story. I assure you that it is not a story from Dan's point of view, but of everyone's. For the first chapter however, it is heavily from his point of view. It is most definitely for Chair and Derena fans. Give it a go :)


Chapter 1:

Inside

When Dan Humphrey first entered Bart Bass's limo, like any normal person, he was excited and impressed. He had never been in a limo before, and the one he was entering screamed sumptuous luxury, with its royal size and sleek shine. The driver held the door open for him, and he stepped into it, turning one last time to wave goodbye to his mother and sister.

His mother, Alison, was moving to Hudson with his sister Jenny after a messy divorce from Dan's father, Rufus. Dan Humphrey was going to live with the Bass family.

It could not get more surreal than that.

There were two important reasons why Dan Humphrey had refused to accompany his mother to Hudson. The first reason was Dan's dream to attend an Ivy League school some day, and attending St Jude's in New York almost guaranteed that. Not that anyone from the school knew who Dan was.

The second reason was Serena Van der Woodsen.

In 9th grade, Dan had been invited to a party, which he quickly discovered was by accident through someone mistaking him for a lacrosse player. But it didn't matter, because once he got in, he wasn't leaving. All it had taken was a short conversation with the beautiful, charismatic Serena and he was smitten. But he was also incredibly self-aware, and he knew that Serena would never be able to be pulled away from her crazy world of wealth, parties and scandal long enough to be able to have a relationship with a guy who had Dan's average Brooklynite background.

After that, Dan had become slightly obsessed with the Upper East Side, because to him it was like something from Fitzgerald or Thackeray – teenagers acting like adults, adults acting like teenagers, guarding secrets, spreading gossip, all with the trappings of truly opulent wealth. And membership into this community was so elite you couldn't even buy your way in. It was a birthright – a birthright that Dan didn't have. And his greatest achievements would never earn it.

Dan decided that he had to find a way to get inside that world, no matter what it took. It was no easy thing, and he was still trying to find a method when the divorce happened. All he knew was that he could not move to Hudson.

"Mom, we can't leave New York. I can't leave New York" Dan had said when his mother told them her plans.

"I know sweetheart, but there isn't much else I can do. I don't know anyone that can take you in now that Vanessa moved away. Your father most certainly isn't an option" she sighed. Dan loved his father and his father loved him, but Rufus was a rock star who was never home long enough to actually care for him and Jenny. It was partially why his marriage with Dan's mother ended.

"Mom, it's not fair for Dan. His dreams and his life are here. Our family is already being taken away from us, don't take this from him too," Jenny cried, playing the child of divorcee card. She had taken pity on her brother, because she was the only one who really knew of his fascination with the Upper East Side. Unlike him, Jenny could make her life work in any city. Perhaps it was due to the fact Jenny attended a middle school in Brooklyn and she didn't really have a chance to appreciate this world that Dan had discovered yet. Dan smirked inwardly at his sister's ability to manipulate the situation. He had no idea where she had gotten that trait.

"There has got to be a way" Dan said. His mother studied him for a moment, and there was a flash of an undecipherable emotion in her eyes.

"Is this really what you want?" she asked softly.

"More than anything else" Dan replied. She smiled sadly at him, and nodded.

"Then I have a way."

Dan now sat on the leather seats of Bart Bass's limo pondering the absurdity of it all. His mother had told him in a vague tone that Bart Bass was an old friend of hers, and that he had offered to take Dan into his home. It was mysterious, and his mother could barely look at him as she informed him. All Dan knew of Bart Bass was that he had a son named Chuck Bass who attended St Jude's with Dan.

Dan had realized that this was finally it. His ticket into the Upper East Side world was through Bart Bass. Besides, maybe along the way he could figure out how his mother and Bart knew each other. So despite the puzzling nature of it all, Dan was feeling excited and intrigued, if a little nervous and apprehensive.

"You're letting what come live with me?" Chuck Bass asked in shock. His father had been away on a business trip in Shanghai for over a month, and he arrived only to tell him now that a kid from Brooklyn was coming to stay with them today.

"Don't be dramatic Charles" Bart said, rolling his eyes at his son impatiently.

"This is not a stray puppy father, it's a human being. You can't just spring one on me, did you even think of how this would affect my life?" Chuck argued in disbelief.

"What life? The one filled with sleeping around, drinking all day and barely attending school? Behaving like a complete imbecile without any focus is stupid and weak" Bart said coldly.

Chuck swallowed, glaring at his father. I hate you so much, he thought. Maybe he should have said it out loud, but what good would it do? His father probably didn't care anyway.

"What if this is all a scam?" Chuck said instead. "What if he is just using you for your money?"

"Daniel Humphrey is not a criminal mastermind like you Charles, I had him checked out. He's a kid who has nowhere to go, and the Bass's are going to open their home to him. I expect you to take him under your treacherous wing" Bart said firmly. Chuck realized then that this was all for an image. His father could care less about this Brooklyn kid as long as it made him look good to his investors.

"The press will love this" Chuck said sarcastically, before storming into his suite.

"Where are you going?"

Chuck turned around and said defiantly, "To lock up all my Rolex watches in the vault."

Bart sighed impatiently, and Chuck rolled his eyes.

"Where do you think I'm going? The guy is going to need a place to sleep isn't he?" Chuck scowled, before pulling out his phone and turning his back on his father. "Roberto, I'm going to need the suite next to mine prepared."

Bart let out a small smile of pride at his son while he couldn't see, then walked towards the elevator.

Eventually Dan arrived out the front of the Palace hotel, the place where Bart Bass currently resided. Dan was struck by the detachment of the whole thing. Bart had sent his limo to pick up Dan instead of meeting the boy he was going to be taking in himself. It was almost like he had sent his assistant to pick up a coffee.

"He'll meet you in the lobby" the driver said, tipping his hat before moving to assist the bell-hop with Dan's bags. Dan rushed forward to help them, but they waved him off. He stared at them helplessly for a moment, until he heard a familiar giggle.

Dan turned around to see Serena Van der Woodsen herself watching him with an amused smile, perfectly fitted jeans and all. He stared at her in speechless awe, which tended to happen to a person when they were in the presence of someone that they had over-analysed in their head billions of times.

"That's probably the first guest that I've ever seen try to help with the bags" she said with another giggle, then studied him curiously.

"Who are you?" Serena asked him, and he nearly died on the spot. He struggled to think of something witty to say, because the last time they had spoken he had been a bumbling idiot.

"Whoever you want me to be" Dan choked out. Oh God, did I really just say that? I cannot pull that off. What made me think that I could pull that off?

Lucky for him, Serena looked even more amused and laughed.

"Okay" she replied, raising her eyebrows with a smile, "so what are you doing here? Seriously."

Dan froze, still overwhelmed by the fact that he was finally speaking to the love of his life.

"My, uh family is moving to Hudson, and I didn't want to...you know, move with them, so Mr Bass took me in" Dan stammered. Serena stared at him in bemusement for another moment.

"You're their cousin from Boston, right?" She asked with a wink.

"Right" Dan murmured, completely enraptured by her.

"Serena" a deep, male voice said.

"Hey Mr. Bass" Serena replied, "I was just meeting your nephew!"

Dan turned around to be face with a tall, middle aged man with icy blue eyes.

Bart Bass.

While Dan was somewhat still impressed (or to put it more correctly, intimidated), Dan was struck by the sheer lack of emotion in the man's face. He was a cold-looking, giant wall of a person. Shouldn't one with such a huge wealth be full of life? Or perhaps that was the exact reason why Bart Bass seemed so emotionally-detached. There was no time or room for feelings when you had to maintain your hold on most of the Manhattan skyline. Dan had the urge to pull out his notebook and jot down these musings.

"Nephew?" Bart asked, looking only the slightest bit confused, as though he was an all-knowing person most of the time. Dan didn't doubt that he was.

He locked eyes with Dan, and Dan could only open and close his mouth like a complete moron. Great, he had been in their world for less than a minute and he was already feeling out of his league. Serena giggled, and it seemed to ease the confusing moment. She had already turned it into something that someone could one day look back on and laugh.

"I look forward to your mother's fashion show fundraiser tomorrow tonight" Bart said with a tight smile, seeming to forget the weird moment.

"Really?" Serena asked with a disbelieving smirk.

Bart opened his mouth to reply, when a male voice called out to Serena. Dan turned to see a petite looking, doe-eyed girl with chocolate curls standing near them, accompanied by a tall, intimidatingly perfect-looking blonde guy with blue eyes.

It was Blair Waldorf and Nathaniel Archibald. Dan had seen them around school all the time with Serena.

"Come on, let's go" Nate had called out.

Serena grinned at them, before turning back to Dan.

"Hey, you should come by, check it out. I mean, if you don't have other plans" she said with a winning smile. "See you!"

Dan stared after her as she walked away, completely star-struck. He would have joined the army if she had asked him to just then.

"You must be Daniel" Bart said, and Dan turned back to see him holding out his hand.

"Uh, yes sir" Dan said, clearing his throat and shaking his hand.

"You're in 10th grade at St Jude's like my son, Charles. I assume you'll be continuing to attend that school. Your grades are spectacular and you're at the top of your class. You scored in the 98th percentile in your SAT 1's. Are you thinking about college?" Bart said as he stared at Dan unblinkingly.

Dan was shocked. How did Bart Bass know all of this about him? His mother could barely list Dan's academic achievements. Dan had a strange feeling that he had been privately investigated. He was also struck by the fact that Bart had opened a conversation about school and college, as though Dan's future was all that mattered. Nothing about his hobbies, friends or family. Bart Bass really was the definition of all work and no play.

"Uh...yeah, I was hoping for Dartmouth or Yale, a school with a great writing program. The fact that I'm on a scholarship kind of helps with the grades" Dan mumbled.

"I understand. We're cut from the same deck, Daniel. I grew up with no money, my father was gone, my mother worked all the time. A smart kid like you has got to have a plan" Bart said without emotion, leading Dan into the hotel.

Dan nodded silently, taking in what he was saying. The words would have seemed inspirational had they not come from Bart Bass. The man seemed less "encouragement" and more "do it or be considered weak."

"I have an important meeting to go to, but my son Charles will show you where you'll be staying. The bell-hop will take you to him now" Bart stated, and turned to leave.

"Uh, wait!" Dan exclaimed, then felt sheepish when Bart turned around to look at him questioningly. "I just wanted to say thanks, this is awfully generous of you."

Bart nodded, accepting Dan's words silently, but something unreadable flashed through his eyes. He left abruptly after that, leaving Dan curious and confused.

"Excuse me sir, if you'll follow me" the bell-hop said, appearing at his side.

Dan followed him to the elevator, which took them up to one of the higher floors. The man led him to a room with the number 1812 on it.

"Mr. Bass is inside, just knock" he said, before leaving Dan alone in front of the door.

Dan sighed. "Here goes nothing."

He knocked on the door and shoved his hands in his pockets waiting. A moment later, the door opened to reveal Chuck Bass, flamboyantly dressed in purple and yellow, with neatly parted hair.

Chuck stared at him silently, eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Hey" Dan said.

"Hey" Chuck said after a moment of intense glaring. Dan wasn't sure what he had done to piss this guy off already, but he looked like he was ready to kill him. Dan caught something on the TV screen in the suite, looking over Chuck's shoulder.

"Is that the Matrix?" Dan asked.

1 hour later, Dan was sitting with Chuck as they watched the movie, because nobody's presence could come between them and watching the Matrix. Room service had brought up some over-priced food for them to eat as they sat in silence.

When the movie finished Dan turned to study Chuck curiously.

"Never pegged you for a Matrix fan," Dan said.

"Something I learned early on. Never watch 'A Clockwork Orange' when you're stoned. It takes your mind places it has no business going" Chuck replied with a smirk. Then as though he had just realized who he was talking to, he rolled his eyes and busied himself with the DVD box.

Suddenly, the door to the suite opened to reveal Bart.

"I see you two have met" he said sauntering in, briefcase in hand. "Charles, what are you doing inside on a Friday night? Why don't you show Daniel around?" he suggested, giving Chuck a pointed look before leaving as abruptly as he arrived. Chuck narrowed his eyes at his father's retreating back and headed to the bar in his suite.

"It's like the plague, only instead of vermin on my doorstep today, I got the human being" Chuck said in a cold tone as he filled up a glass with scotch.

Wow, way to make a guest who you invited into your home feel welcome Dan thought. He should of suspected this from Chuck Bass. From what Dan had observed of him, the guy seemed like an asshole at school, when Chuck actually chose to attend (which wasn't exactly often). Chuck didn't seem to talk to many people or have any friends, mostly leaning against walls with a permanent glare on his face and a cigarette between his lips like a true rebel.

To Dan, Chuck Bass was the mystery of the Upper East Side, because up until now Dan had only been fascinated with the more obvious and popular of Manhattan's elite; i.e. Serena, and her two close friends Nate and Blair. Chuck Bass was notorious, don't get him wrong, but he wasn't part of the in-crowd at school, and it was the mystery behind his dark deeds that contributed to his infamy.

Chuck was rich, richer than all of the students at St Jude's and Constance, but the means behind his abundant wealth was what set him apart from the others. He was new-money, which meant that he had no family background or standing that people could acknowledge and say defined him, the way they could with Nate Archibald and his Vanderbilt pedigree. All one could do was judge Chuck Bass on what he gave, which (aside from his reputation with women and shady exploits, and his regularly intimidating countenance) remained a mystery.

Dan swallowed, feeling more uncomfortable than ever, but he figured that this was one of his first chances at getting into the Upper East side world. He had to start somewhere.

"I know you probably hate me, and think that I'm a boring sheltered nobody" Dan began to say with a sigh.

"I don't think of you" Chuck drawled. Seriously, he had just met the guy. Although Daniel Humphrey's outfit and hair didn't leave much to the imagination about how much of a loser he actually was.

"Right, of course you don't. But uh, I've been thinking of me and-and, I've come to the conclusion that I need to get out my comfort zone. I need-I need to experience new things" Dan rambled, and swallowed.

"Are you gay?" Chuck asked. Dan paused awkwardly, because in all seriousness it did sound like a coming-out speech.

"Now that would be out of my comfort zone, but no. I'd like to experience the world of Chuck Bass" Dan said, and almost winced as he awaited Chuck's response.

Chuck had no choice, seeing as Bart had made it clear that he was to get seen in public with their new stray kitten or face another one of his "you're a disappointment" speeches. He was used to them by now, but it didn't mean he was in the mood to hear two in the same day. But Humphrey didn't need to know this.

"You're lucky I'm bored" Chuck stated, and grabbed his phone and wallet and headed out the door.

"Is that a yes?" Dan asked, bewildered and still feeling out of his league.

"Come on, before I change my mind" Chuck replied.

20 minutes later, Dan found himself with Chuck at some random bar.

Chuck glanced at the bartender, and a moment later a tray of 6 shots was brought to them. Dan chuckled in awe.

"You signal the bar tender and he sends over shots? What if I want a beer? Is there a wave I should know about?" Dan quirked with a chuckle.

"Shut up, Humphrey" Chuck said impatiently, pushing the tray of shots towards him. Dan studied them and took one, pushing the rest back to Chuck, only to have them pushed towards him again.

"I'm good with just one" Dan said.

"You're either in for the full ride, or you're out" Chuck said, cocking his head challengingly.

Dan sighed. "Pass me the shots."

Chuck suddenly leaned forward and opened his palm to reveal two white suspicious looking pills.

"The liquors just a chaser" Chuck whispered with a smirk, "go down the rabbit hole."

Dan's best friend Vanessa's older sister had once gone through a working out phase. She had looked fit and healthy all the time, but he remembered her telling him that the exercise never got easier because she constantly challenged herself. There was no getting used to it if one wanted actual results. And that's what Dan realized when Chuck offered him the drugs. He would either have to continuously be put to the test, or face not getting anywhere at all.

And so Dan took one of the pills and swallowed it with the help of the shot. He guessed he could say that he was rewarded slightly with the look of amusement on Chuck's face before he took one himself.

A few hours later, it was early morning and Dan and Chuck were walking to Chuck's suite.

"Who knew there was a sex club behind the White Castle? And beer before liquor..." Dan rambled in his high and drunk stupor. "How do you know so many twins?"

Chuck smirked and shrugged. "The twins find me."

"Well, look, I gotta admit, this ... this was awesome. We gotta do this again" Dan blathered on. Chuck rolled his eyes, yeah right.

"God my feet are hot, are your feet hot?" Dan asked.

"Why don't you take off your shoes?" Chuck suggested as they stood outside of his suite. Dan stuck out his bottom lip and shrugged as if to say "why not?" and proceeded to do just that. Chuck took his shoes off him.

"Goodnight" Chuck said.

"Wait...you never showed me where I'm staying" Dan said, confused, before realizing that Chuck didn't care. "I'm your guest" Dan tried, helplessly wasted.

"No, you're just a drunken idiot. My amusement for the night" Chuck said in a bored tone.

"Can I at least have my shoes?" Dan said, but Chuck ignored him and quickly entered his suite, shutting the door behind him and leaving Dan to stand there, shoe-less and clueless. Dan flopped on the ground after that, and promptly passed out.

Later that morning, Dan woke up with a pounding head ache and a sore back. He rubbed his face groggily and flattened his palm against the wall in support as he stood up, trying to get his bearings.

"Where am I again?" Dan mumbled to himself, then looked up to see the door with the numbers 1812 on them. "Oh, that's right" Dan growled, staring menacingly at the door.

"Sir, are you okay?" the bell-hop from yesterday asked, appearing out of nowhere. Dan blinked at him for a moment.

"Uh...no, not really. I haven't been shown to where I'm staying yet" Dan mumbled, rubbing his neck that had a kink in it. The bell-hop gave him a bewildered look. This had to be the strangest check-in that he'd probably had to deal with.

"Well, I put your luggage in 1813, just behind you there," he replied slowly, nodding to the door across from Chuck's suite. "I'll just open it with my universal key" he said, holding out a card up.

Dan nodded thankfully, and waited for him to open the door. As soon as he did, Dan mouthed a tired thank you before stumbling into the suite and crashing onto the bed. He fell asleep immediately, too hung-over to take in his new home.

Chuck blinked his eyes open, a pleasant smile on his face as he awoke from his dream. The sight of his father staring coldly at him wiped the smile off his face as he sat up abruptly.

"Do you want to tell me why my employee informed me of finding a lost Daniel this morning, claiming he didn't know where he was supposed to be staying?" Bart said furiously.

Chuck just stared at him unblinkingly.

"Charles, I gave you a simple responsibility and you treated it like a huge joke" Bart snapped.

"I treated this for what it was. A huge joke" Chuck drawled back carelessly.

"We'll see how much you're laughing when you attend every society event from here on out, including the fashion show tonight" Bart said, raising his eyebrow, and outrage immediately bubbled up inside of Chuck.

Saturday nights were his. He wasn't about to waste it away on some stupid prim and proper charity event when his time and money could be better spent on the various kinds of pleasures he sought out in darker sides of the city. Besides, everybody at those events seemed to avoid him at all costs, so he was left to observe alone in the corner.

"Or else what?" Chuck exclaimed defiantly.

"Do you really want to go there Chuck?" His father said with an icy smile, and Chuck sighed, clenching his jaw. Allowance cuts. His father was the only financial investor in his wild lifestyle, so either way Chuck was screwed.

Later that afternoon, Dan eventually woke up with a clearer head.

Chuck Bass was an asshole, that was certain. Pride completely shattered, Dan actually began to question if it was worth it anymore. He sat up and looked around at his room, and he had to admit that it greatly softened the blow of having to live near Chuck Bass. It was possibly bigger than the size of his loft in Brooklyn, with a bar and kitchen. Dan stood up and ventured into the bathroom, and discovered a shower and a huge Jacuzzi bathtub.

Yes, Dan could definitely learn to live with this. Plus Dan was already too intrigued by the mystery surrounding Bart Bass's connection with his mother to consider retreating. And most importantly, he was now on Serena's radar. Dan certainly wasn't about to disappear just when she finally noticed him.

Dan decided to shower and change, and to try and move on from last night. As he was putting on his shoes afterwards, someone knocked on his door. He opened it to find Bart standing there with an emotionless expression, as per usual.

"Daniel, I see you're up" Bart said impassively.

Dan just nodded, struck by how robotic the man could be.

"I apologize for my son's impertinence. He's...difficult to manage" Bart said stoically, as though he was apologizing for an incompetent employee.

"It's fine" Dan said, surprisingly feeling over it anyway. Besides, he had had a pretty exciting night despite the humiliating ending.

"The fashion show fundraiser begins in a few hours, the limo will be out front at 6 pm" Bart stated, then nodded in a goodbye and left.

That's right, Dan thought with a grin. I'm invited.

Several hours later, Dan was seated in a limo with Bart and Chuck headed to the event, and uncomfortable was too weak a word for how Dan felt in that tense, silent car ride. Dan wasn't sure if he could get used to this aspect of living with the Basses. Bart and Chuck were intimidating on their own, but together inside a limo when they were clearly in some sort of argument was completely unnerving to witness.

Dan was just glad that they didn't seem to aim their fire at him.

"Why are you coming anyway?" Chuck asked Dan rudely.

So much for not focusing on him.

"Daniel was invited personally by Serena" Bart drawled with a cold smile.

Chuck visibly swallowed, his father hitting a sore spot. He had lived in the same hotel as the wild party girl for the past few months and their parents were well acquainted through the Constance-St Jude's board, but she hadn't even spoken to him before, let alone personally invite him to an event. Chuck didn't care, because he partied harder than all of them on his own. But his father made him feel inadequate for not being able to actually befriend the people in their elite community. Well, fuck everyone Chuck thought, turning away to look out the window. Any attachments would mean he could lose someone, and he cared too much about himself to have to worry about that. He didn't need anyone and nobody needed him.

"Thanks again for the suit" Dan said a moment later, in an attempt to clear the air. Chuck just rolled his eyes in response.

"I'm surprised you found something that wasn't purple" Bart sneered mockingly to his son.

Dan was in shock. He and his father bantered around with each other, but Bart was downright bullying his son, playing on his weaknesses and mocking him cruelly. Chuck seemed to take all of it as though he was used to it.

What the hell am I living with? Dan thought.

They arrived at the event soon after that. Dan took in the beautiful looking people standing around, all with glasses of champagne in their hands and perfectly crafted smiles on their faces.

A waiter approached Dan with a tray of appetizers. "Mushroom-leek crescent? Crab and brie filo?"

Dan stared blankly at the waiter, and he heard a low chuckle behind him. He turned to see Chuck watching him with an amused smirk.

"Welcome to the dark side" Chuck said, strolling past him. Dan saw no other option but to follow him, but he was immediately accosted by a society matron, who asked him questions that appeared friendly but made Dan feel like he was being investigated.

Chuck was nursing a glass of scotch by the bar when Carter Baizen sauntered past him with his usual glare. Carter was an asshole and a moron, but for some reason all of the boys at school idolized and worshiped him, except for Chuck. Maybe that fact got on Carter's nerves a little too much, like Chuck was challenging the power he held in their little Upper East Side world. Chuck eyed him out, preparing for him to attack.

"Nice suit, queer" Carter said as he walked past him, then knocked into an approaching Dan. Carter glared at Dan and kept walking.

"Well, he seemed nice" Dan said brightly. Chuck shook his head at Dan, a tiny smirk almost appearing before it dropped all together and his eyes widened slightly at something he spotted. Dan followed his line of sight and spotted Serena (looking amazing in a gold cocktail dress), accompanied by Blair Waldorf.

Dan felt a surge of unreasonable jealousy rush through him. Was Chuck interested in Serena? It explained why he seemed so affected by the fact Serena had invited him personally tonight. 'Great,' Dan thought, 'living with the Basses was meant to help him get closer to Serena, not find more competition.'

"Who is that?" Blair asked Serena, spotting the dark haired boy accompanying Chuck Bass.

"Their cousin? Or something? I'm still trying to figure it out" Serena said with a giggle.

"Well, I'm going to find out" Blair said with a mischievous smile. After all, she prided herself on seeing the truth, as opposed to her blonde friend who enjoyed seeing the good in people. Blair Waldorf needed to know if anyone would be a threat to her perfectly ordered life.

Everyone was seated not long after that, awaiting the beginning of the fashion show. Chuck and Dan sat in one of the back corners, and Bart opted for a table with his business partners.

"Thank you all so much for coming" a blonde, elegant looking middle aged woman on the catwalk said through a microphone. "Every year we put on a fashion show to raise money for the battered women's shelter. It's a great cause, and it couldn't be done without any of your support and the support of Eleanor Waldorf and all of her great clothes. Enjoy the show."

The woman walked gracefully towards the back of the catwalk, only for Serena to appear in full make up and in an amazingly detailed blue dress. She kissed Serena's cheek with a smile, and Dan realized briefly that the woman must be Serena's mother, before he became completely stupefied by Serena walking fiercely down the runway. She strutted confidently, and the train of the blue dress floated behind her, giving the effect of a wave coming towards the audience. Dan felt breathless as he stared at her, because it wasn't just her beauty that struck him. It was the brightness in her smile and the way she seemed to captivate everyone. She didn't even seem aware of the power she held, looking as though she was just having a great time. Suddenly, she locked eyes with Dan and smiled at him in surprise, before turning to walk back stage.

Dan nearly passed out. Little did he know, Carter had seen this and glared, and that could only spell trouble.

He looked over at Chuck to see if he look as awed as Dan felt, but found him swirling his scotch around in his glass with a bored look, barely glancing at the stage. Perhaps Chuck isn't as into Serena as I thought.

But then, all of a sudden Chuck's countenance abruptly changed as he looked up at the stage. Chuck's eyes widened again and he leaned forward in his seat, with a foreign look of wonder on his usually impatient-looking face. Dan turned to look at the stage and saw Blair Waldorf posing elegantly. She was completely different to Serena, as she wasn't fiercely strutting the way her best friend had. Blair's movements were graceful like a dancer, and she had an almost mysterious smile on her face as she sauntered down the runway in a long red, figure hugging evening gown, hands resting gently on her hips. Dan supposed there was a beautiful class about her that reminded him of Audrey Hepburn, but she didn't make him feel overwhelmed the way Serena had with her flowing blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. He looked back at Chuck to see a serious, focused expression across his features as he continued to study the brunette on stage, unconsciously pulling at his suit jacket. As Dan watched Chuck take a sip of scotch, (still not take his eyes off the dark-haired girl) he realized with a shock that Chuck had been looking at Blair in interest earlier, not Serena. Dan was torn between relief and astonishment.

Backstage, Blair had just stepped off the runway when her mother approached her, looking flustered from dressing all of the models.

"Darling, I thought we had decided on the black dress? It's more forgiving. And you've worn your hair up, didn't we discuss how it was harsh on your angles?" she said, petting her daughter as though she was saying something doting. And just like that, the high that Blair had from walking the runway dropped.

"Thanks Mom, I'll keep that in mind" Blair said with a weak smile, and walked towards the bathroom. Blair stared at herself in the mirror for a long moment and sighed, looking towards the toilet bowl wistfully. Luckily, Serena burst in at that moment with glasses of champagne.

"Look what I stole" she exclaimed with a beam, and Blair laughed instantly. Her best-friend had that affect on her, even if she was often the reason for her insecurities.

Later on, Dan was in the bathroom adjusting his tie when Harold Waldorf, Blair's father, walked in. As Mr. Waldorf entered one of the stalls, Dan heard him clattering around in there and his eyes widened as he imagined all kinds of scenarios, but then Dan swore he could hear sobs coming from the stall.

What could he have to cry about? From what Dan had observed, Blair's family and life seemed perfect.

Dan narrowed his eyes in confusion before exiting the bathroom.

At the end of the night, Dan was waiting for the Basses near the entrance of the party when he was accosted by Blair Waldorf.

"Hey, our friend Kati is letting us use her- well her brother's- place for a party, as a celebration for all our hard work for charity. If you need a ride, or anything...I'm Blair" she said with a society smile and walking to a group of snooty looking girls standing near a limo. Dan did not trust the perfectly schooled act of friendliness, and he had the feeling she was up to something, but he had just been invited to another one of their parties. He wasn't about to say no, especially since it was likely that Serena would be there.

"We're leaving now Humphrey" Chuck drawled behind him. There was no way in hell Dan was not going to that party. But how to explain it to Chuck? Plus he needed a way home afterwards.

"Yeah, uh, we should go to that party at Kati's brothers place" Dan said.

"That's not for us" Chuck said, rolling his eyes and strangely enough Dan could see why it wasn't. People were afraid of Chuck, and they didn't know who Dan was. But it didn't mean that they couldn't change things around.

"Blair invited me" Dan said quickly, and was pleased with finally being able to faze Chuck.

"Really? She did?" Chuck asked, his tone and facial betraying his curiosity. Dan smirked inwardly.

"Us. She... she asked for you, actually" Dan lied, surprised at his sudden talent for manipulation. Chuck narrowed his eyes in mistrust, then glanced over at Blair and her friends who were still standing near their limo.

"Come on!" She called out, and her friends smiled and waved almost obediently.

"That makes no sense, but, yes, we should go" Chuck said slowly in an intrigued tone as he studied them. He waved Arthur, their driver, off and they walked over to the girls. Right before Dan got in, he spotted Serena getting into a car with Carter Baizen. He swallowed the lump in his throat and climbed into the limo, spending the rest of the ride mentally steeling himself, while Chuck sat silently in a corner studying the girls, mainly Blair, with a look of slight amusement and interest. He had never really seen any of these girls in a party atmosphere. This was Serena Van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf's inner circle at school, probably the only Constance girls that he hadn't banged.

Eventually they arrived, and scrambled into the elevator up to the party. Blair rushed forward first and hugged Kati, then set off on a mission to find her boyfriend, Nate.

Dan studied the party with interest, taking it all in. Champagne was everywhere, glasses and bottles of it. The newest Rihanna dance number pounded through the room as people mingled and danced with each other. Dan tried to decipher what had changed since the last party he had attended of theirs, and he found it. A secretive corner of guys were smoking pot, and a couple of them were snorting cocaine off a coffee table.

"Oh hey, cocaine. That's awesome" Dan muttered to himself. He leaned to one side to say to repeat Chuck's words from earlier to him. "Welcome to the dark side."

Chuck rolled his eyes and shoved him away, straightening his jacket. He was Chuck Bass, this lame party was nothing compared to his usually wild Saturday nights.

Serena was filling up a glass with champagne and Blair approached her, holding out her own glass for a refill.

"Look who I brought" Blair said with a impish smile, motioning to Dan. "I'm going to find out what he's up to."

Serena giggled and took a huge sip of her drink. "B, you're trouble."

Chuck was filling up a glass of champagne when he noticed Nate escorting one of Blair's minions outside, an arm wrapped around her waist. He stared after their figures in suspicion.

Dan, on the other hand, had just stumbled out of a bathroom after walking in on a threesome, and blinked to himself. He should really learn to knock.

"Hey" a voice said behind him. To his delight, he turned to find Serena standing there.

"Hey" he replied with a lop-sided smile.

"So, what do you think of the Upper East side?" she asked, still unsure of where he was from.

"It's nothing like where I'm from" Dan replied honestly.

"Hey Serena, it's your turn to deal!" Carter called out from a poker table that had been set up, then glared when he spotted Dan with her.

"You have no idea" Serena said with a wink, then walked away.

Dan stared after her, completely bedazzled yet again from another one of her 'party conversations' with him. He didn't see Blair Waldorf approach him until it was too late.

"Look who I found" she said with a little slur as she shoved him, accidentally spilling champagne on his (Chuck's, actually) suit. "Oops...so what's your name anyway?"

"Dan" he replied, leaning back from her in case she spilt some more on him, and holding her arms up.

Dan thought it wasn't possible to make Chuck hate him anymore than he already did, but then Chuck walked in on that scene. The look in his eyes was lethal as he jumped to conclusions, then turned to walk away.

Dan reached over and grabbed his shoulder, muttering to him, "It's not what you think. She's drunk."

"I don't care either way" he hissed back shoving him off, then snapping loudly "why don't you just go back to Brooklyn, I'm sure there's a really nice disease you could catch." He stormed off to the balcony area, leaving everyone to whisper about Dan. Serena looked up in concern from the table at the ruckus.

"Brooklyn? Ew" Blair said, everyone tittering with laughter around her as they looked at Dan. He sighed and looked around, feeling completely humiliated.

Chuck was smoking a joint, (his own, because there was no way anyone here had anything better than his) and staring out at the city as he tried to calm his nerves. He almost blew everything just then.

He lived for himself and no one else. It was what everyone expected of him and it was what he expected from himself. Chuck Bass doesn't give a shit about anyone.

Except Blair Waldorf, a little voice at the back of his head said. Shut up, shut up he berated inwardly. She's just a girl...an unfairly beautiful brunette goddess of a girl who he would give anything to know-Shut up mind, just shut up...please.

Chuck was reduced to taking another drag from the joint to quell the moan of agony that nearly came from him, when Carter Baizen gripped his arm, appearing out of nowhere.

"Go home, queer" Carter said menacingly. Chuck just stared at him unblinkingly, and that seemed to anger him further, shoving Chuck in the chest and motioning to a group of guys to surround him.

"I could have all of you destroyed by Monday" Chuck said threateningly as they began to close in on him, that seemed to make them back off slightly. The Bass power wasn't something to be questioned. Carter stood his ground however, and Nate suddenly approached them.

"Hey, what's up dude? You got a problem?" Nate asked. Chuck glanced at his unbuttoned shirt and the ruffled looking girl by his side.

"You tell me" Chuck replied, feeling anger bubble up in him on behalf of Blair.

Nate shoved him in the chest, and Chuck punched him, causing him to stumble slightly but remain upright. Carter immediately punched Chuck, and they both picked him up before he could retaliate. Chuck wasn't sure what they were going to do to him but he wasn't looking forward to it.

"Hey!" Dan shouted, rushing towards them. "Put him down."

"Or what, loser?" Carter sneered.

"Or this," Dan said, before punching him square in the jaw.

Dan and Chuck slumped into the limo, nursing their black eyes and trying not to groan in pain. They had lost the fight, which wasn't shocking considering they were outnumbered by most of the males there.

"I didn't think I could possibly humiliate myself anymore tonight, but apparently I could" Dan breathed out.

"For what it's worth Humphrey, you had my back. Never thought I'd say this, but thanks" Chuck replied with a real look of gratitude.

Dan chuckled to himself sarcastically. "Well that changes everything. My pride versus Chuck Bass's gratitude, I think that's an even trade."

Chuck just leaned his head back against the seat, almost closing his eyes.

"If my parents saw me now they'd kill me themselves for getting into a fight" Dan mumbled, throwing his head in his hands.

"Count yourself lucky" Chuck muttered.

"Lucky? How is it lucky that my parents would murder me?" Dan replied.

"My father doesn't care enough to get angry" Chuck said staring straight ahead.

"Yeah, I'm sure" Dan said sarcastically.

Chuck rolled his eyes. "Please, he expects this. He'll only be annoyed if he has to call his lawyer, but after that..." Chuck shrugged.

"Has he always been like that?"

"Since the day I was born."

"That's crazy, even Bart Bass doesn't hate babies. It's in our DNA; I think Disney did a study."

"He hated me."

"That doesn't make sense."

"It does if his beloved wife died because of me" Chuck said in a dead tone. There was a pause as Dan grappled with this information.

"What do you mean?" Dan asked after a moment.

"After I was born, she... wasn't the woman he married anymore" Chuck said slowly, swallowing.

Dan remained silent, putting two and two together and reaching the words "postpartum depression" in his head.

"I took her entire heart and soul from her in birth, and it was only a few years before she...ended it for herself" Chuck mumbled, closing his eyes tightly. Dan was speechless, and then he said the only thing that needed to be said.

"That's not your fault" Dan said firmly.

"Tell him that. Sometimes I swear he thinks I killed her" Chuck whispered. "Who knows, maybe I did?"

Dan was in horrified shock at how casually Chuck whispered the words. It was as though this was all something he had accepted long ago and nobody had convinced him otherwise. He felt a huge rush of sympathy, realizing that he had somehow discovered Chuck Bass's humanity.

"You didn't. These things can't be helped or stopped" Dan finally said, because he was certain that no one had ever told Chuck that. Chuck still didn't look at Dan, but he looked to be considering his words as his eyes moved from side to side in thought.

"Maybe" he whispered.

Eventually they arrived at the Palace. As they arrived just outside of their rooms, Chuck cleared his throat, turning to face Dan. "I'll get my doctor to look at you tomorrow. It looks like you got the harder brunt of the brawl." Chuck held out his hand to Dan, and Dan shook it.

"Thanks, man" he said with a grateful look.

"Any interest in watching another Keanu movie right now?"

And just like that, Dan Humphrey and Chuck Bass became friends.


Yes I know, it's kind of OC. But this story is for people who:

- Wished that Chuck and Blair had time to slow things down and get together at a steadier pace.

- Fell for Derena, especially after the finale.

- Actually enjoyed seeing Dan and Chuck become friends in the show.

- Wish that Bart and Chuck had some sort of real buffer between them and hadn't turned into enemies.

- Like Dan Humphrey

I also feel that I should tell you that this chapter was inspired by the OC, another television show created by Josh Schwartz. I borrowed dialogue and ideas for the story-line, in case anyone noticed. I will be writing in inspiration from different books, movies and TV shows throughout this whole story. I won't be using dialogue from Gossip Girl as frequently as I did in this chapter too. It will mostly be my own dialogue from now on. I have some really great chapters prepared, so I hope you'll review me and keep reading :)