Author's Notes: This is my first Gossip Girl fan fiction. When (if) you review, please let me know how I did in terms of the characterisations and Americanisms. I'm Australian - so I just want to make sure I have the right words for everything. Thank you for reading my story! It's not a one-shot, and there's more to come. This story will closely follow the storylines of the episodes from 'Seventeeen Candles' to 'Much "I Do" About Nothing'.

Disclaimer: Anything you recognise is not mine.

Chapter One: Running an Errand

Casting a nervous glance to his left and right, Chuck Bass entered the destination for his final errand before Blair Waldorf's seventeenth birthday extravaganza that night. A jewellery store. He was half-laughing to himself as he strode purposefully towards the counter. It was true that he had money: the Bass name was synonymous with money. It wasn't as though he didn't belong in his current surrounds. He did. They all did. She especially did, he thought. Of course she would register here.

The whole point was, Chuck had never bought a girl any sort of jewellery. He'd bought himself a pinky ring, countless pairs of cufflinks and the occasional tie pin, but not girl jewellery. Women's jewellery. For a girl. Ugh. Buying a girl any jewellery screamed commitment, in Chuck's opinion. Everything always meant more to a girl. Every gesture a guy could make had some grand meaning in the scheme of things. And didn't she already have everything she wanted? What else could she possibly -

"Might I be of any assistance, sir?" The clerk, a woman in her seventies with white hair, eyed him suspiciously. Her name tag read 'Nancy'. Chuck started, his train of thought derailed.

"Yes. Nancy -" he trailed off, wondering if he really was going to carry out this final errand. He nodded to himself, straightened up, and began again. "Nancy. Yes. I'm here to examine the birthday registry for a Miss Blair Waldorf."

Nancy's face lit up with recognition. "Oh yes, she was in here just today. She's registered for some absolutely beautiful pieces. There are some divinely gorgeous earrings, and a stunning ruby ring, I believe."

"Would I be able to look at the complete list?" Chuck asked.

"Oh, of course. If you'll just wait a moment, I'll look it up on our system. I'll be right back." She left, and Chuck stooped awkwardly, leaning auspiciously over the countertop, drumming his fingers on the clear, no doubt recently-polished, glass.

"All right, sir, here we are. This is the registry for Miss Blair Waldorf. It is itemised according to price, lowest to highest." Chuck took the list from the clerk, barely scanning the first three pages of the four-page list. Turning to the final page, his eyes dropped to the last item on the list.

ERICKSON BEAMON DIAMOND TEARDROP NECKLACE, price on request.

"Nancy, I'd like to purchase the last item on the list. The diamond necklace," Chuck clarified, trying to get his words out quickly before he could take them back. The clerk's expression turned into one of shock. "But, sir, the price -"

"The price doesn't matter. I'm Chuck Bass."

"Well, all right then. You must hold quite a torch for this young lady," Nancy commented. Chuck didn't want to respond, and Nancy seemed to sense his unease.

"All right, so, the diamond necklace. It's a lovely item. Would you like it gift-wrapped?" Nancy seemed a little flustered.

"Yes, please," he responded. Nancy retrieved the necklace from another glass cabinet, along with a black velvet box to hold it. She skilfully set the necklace into place on the velvet inlay, closed the lid, and wrapped Blair's gift. She shook out a paper bag bearing the name of the store, popped the now-wrapped present inside as gently as possible, and handed the bag to Chuck.

"She's going to love it," Nancy enthused. Chuck nodded. Blair might love this necklace, but she definitely wasn't going to love the giver.

Nancy went on to say, "As is the custom with our registries, should Miss Waldorf enquire about the registry, she will find out that the necklace has been purchased. However, she will not know who it was that purchased it."

SPOTTED: Chuck Bass ducking in and out of a jewellery boutique in the UES. We saw the shopping bag. If it's not for himself, who is it for? Of course, a certain UES princess celebrates her seventeenth birthday tonight. Maybe it's a favour on behalf of her Prince Charming, to throw our B off the scent? I don't know about you, Upper East Siders, but there's a scent I'm picking up on - the scent of a scandal.

After arriving home from his errand, and after a visit from Nate, which resulted in his friend nearly seeing the bag containing Blair's gift, Chuck set the bag from the jewellery store on his nightstand, then flopped down onto his bed. All of a sudden, he was exhausted. It didn't help that he hadn't slept at all the night before.

When he woke a couple of hours later and rolled over to look at the time, the first thing he saw was Blair's present. He groaned and flipped over again, so he wouldn't have to look at it. It was exactly what she wanted, but he was definitely not the person she felt she should be receiving it from. Of course, he definitely wasn't the person she felt she should have been losing her virginity to, either, thought Chuck wryly.

"But never mind all that," Chuck said out loud to himself, flipping back over and winning a staring contest against the bag. The nail marks Blair had left on his back during their escapades in his limo seemed to throb on cue. "Let's review the situation. She's not a virgin because of me. She didn't lose it to Nate..."

Oh, damn it. Nate.

"So I give her the necklace, and then what do I do?" Chuck asked the bag. It gave no discernable answers. It looked like Chuck was just going to have to grit his teeth, give Blair her damned necklace, and find the answers for himself.