Firstly i want to apologize because i have very little knowledge of the American school system so please forgive me if the following makes no sense what so ever. Basically to me the season finale of GG took place at the end of what i believe is called Junior year (the kids are 17 turning 18 and are about to start the last year of high school) and this fic begins then during the first semester of Senior year and has flashbacks of the previous Summer break (which I'm led to believe lasts at least two months or so) so that's how the time line goes in this! If your confused or just have questions or anything don't hesitate to ask.

Secondly, flashbacks take place in bold.

Thirdly enjoy and leave a comment if you liked it, this is my first attempt at the Gossip Girl fandom so iId love to read what you all thought of it!

Thanks!


She's a virus of fresh starts
Puts you to bed with a pounding heart
An insomniac snowflake
She enters the party like a flurry from outside
With eyelashes like whirlwinds

Oh Delilah, I'm doing all that I can
Oh Delilah, not to fall for your outstretched hand

-Delilah, Desa

-------------------

'One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.'

Blair stood facing the white ceramic bowl, her foot tapping the floor impatiently. How long was Serena going to take to leave the god damn bathroom?!

"B! Hurry up we are soooo late. It's only the first day back I seriously need to make a good impression if I want any chance of getting into a decent college!" The blond shook her mane and teased up the top as she pouted in the mirror.

"Well sorry Miss Goody two shoes, looks like Dan's geekiness is starting to rub off, the old S I knew and loved was up for skipping at the drop of a hat."

Serena rolled her eyes at her reflection, "And the old B I knew and loved was never late too class, what are you doing in there anyway?"

Despite her best effort Blair cracked a smile, "Just go ahead I'll be like two seconds it's that time of the month."

"Ewww thanks for that piece of information" Serena mumbled under her breath before lazily picking her books up from the marble counter, "have fun in unisex gym loser! I'll see you at lunch!"

As she heard the door shut Blair relaxed against the cubicle, she slid down until her face was level with the toilet she leaned forward and heaved; it was a ritual she had perfected many years ago.

Ten minutes earlier

Nate stood awkwardly as Jenny slid her arm through his, the eyes of every girl in the circle seemed to follow the action and it made him increasingly uncomfortable.

He felt as though Jenny thought, or was at least trying to imply to the group around them, that they were an item. His jaw tensed when one of the girls giggled and another sent a glare at someone behind him. And when he heard Serena Van Der Woodsen whisper, "Just ignore them." He couldn't bring himself to face the person he was sure Serena had been talking too.

But he didn't have too because at that same moment Serena stormed past the group her hand clasped within Blair's and he wasn't sure which girl was holding on the tightest. He tried not to watch as they approached Chuck who merely sent them both a nod and then followed behind like some kind of skulking bodyguard.

The next person to join the trio was Dan, smiling widely at his girlfriend he picked Serena up lightly as he kissed her good morning. Nate noticed Blair drop Serena's hand and lower her gaze to the floor. He nearly stormed over there himself when Chuck put a hand around Blair's shoulders too nudged her forward out of her trance.

He knew they weren't dating, because the fight they had at Chucks party last month had confirmed that so he couldn't understand why they would hang out knowing how much it hurt him too see them together.

Over the summer he had heard about the new foursome. Jenny had told him how Dan and Blair had started hanging out at Chuck and Serena's parents' new billion dollar mansion. He desperately wanted to know the details but he found himself refraining from asking Jenny because as much as Blair had seemed to change in the last month, so had Jenny. His gaze was drawn back to her now as she tugged him towards the first floor hallway of her school she licked her lips suggestively and quirked her eyebrow so that her eyes held a hint of mischief, he shook his head apologetically, "I've got Davidson first period, after last year he'll kick my ass if I'm late on the first day back."

If Jenny was annoyed she didn't show it, "Watevs, find me at lunch biatch." She let out a giggle that sounded identical too the one he'd heard Blair use and he couldn't stop himself from physically tensing as Jenny kissed him on the cheek.

Jenny's eyes traveled to the other side of the quad and she smirked at Blair who was watching from the stairs adjacent.

As soon as she sat down on the gym bleachers Blair felt a tap on her shoulder,

"You okay Waldorf?"

She rolled her eyes and sent Dan a smug grin, "I'm fine but could you not touch the Ralph Lauren polo with your grubby hands, Humphrey."

Dan glared back but Blair could still sense the concern as he jumped down to sit beside her, "If you want too tell me my sisters a bitch I give you full permission."

Blair burst out laughing and sound was genuine for the first time in a long time, it caught the attention of Nate who had been picked for the volley ball team first and had not notice Blair arrive late.

He hadn't known for sure whether she was taking this class, the new unisex sport elective offered between their schools, but he had a feeling she might. Blair was normally captain or vice-captain (if Serena was on the team) of the Constance Billard school squads. She hated sports but they look "good on college transcripts".

Nate frowned when he realized she was on the bench, he looked around and noticed that Jenny was serving for the girls team with the captain's sash tied around her waist synching her dress in the middle as if it was a couture gown.

Things really had changed.

"Well she is you know, even Vanessa won't talk to her anymore… she says that Jenny has 'morphed into a mini-version of Lindsay Lohan.'"

Blair rolled her eyes, "Vanessa's probably said that about me a million times."

"Hey! Don't sell yourself short. You're much classier than Lindsay your like… a mini-version of Paris Hilton."

"Gee thanks" she deadpanned and swiped his bottle of water; she took a long gulp taking a little bit of pleasure in the look of protest, annoyance then defeat on Dan's face. Over the summer she'd grown kind-of sort-of-maybe fond of Dan Humphrey. He was a nice guy, even if he had the dress sense of a grandpa and smelled like pork, she could forgive him for that because he had forgiven her for so much more. Despite their many differences at the end of the day he loved Serena, and so did Blair and that's why they inevitable had to get along.

The beginning of Summer

Blair knocked cautiously on the front door of the Bass-Van Der Woodsen mansion. She hadn't talked to Chuck after he dismissed her at the bar a week ago, and she didn't plan too. The things he said cut her so deep she couldn't keep anything down for the next few days. And that's when she realized that it was back.

The disease.

This time she felt like she had to fight it on her own because Serena and her mother had enough to worry about, they didn't need anymore excuse to pity 'poor fragile Blair' who relapsed just because her boyfriend dumped her and someone who she considered a best friend practically disowned her. As the door swung open she suddenly had the urge to puke again but fought it down as the person ushered her in,

"Serena wanted me too answer the door before the maid did, Chuck Senior hired some Mexican lady who can't speak a word of English and she knows how much you hate having to spell things out for the help."

Blair stared at Dan's mouth as he spoke a million miles a minute, "Did I just say 'the help'?" He shook his head and took her coat from her, "I think I'm turning into a wasp."

Dan took the expensive black Chanel trench coat and shoved it roughly into the nearest door. Blair mockingly sighed, "I don't think they are going to hire you at the Ivy, Humphrey."

He let out a goofy grin, "I was wondering when you would be back to your old perky self…Follow me, Waldorf."

He led her towards the kitchen where Serena was covered from head to toe in flour, "What are you doing?" Blair asked amused at her best friends' appearance and slightly annoyed, how was it possible that no matter what Serena did she always looked gorgeous doing it. Blair never could capture that natural 'allure' as her mother put it.

"Hey B! I'm making a cake, doesn't it look delicious?!" Serena thrust out a bowl of cake mix that resembled dog shit.

Blair grimaced, "Sure does. What's the occasion?"

"My birthday."

She spun around with a feeling of horrible anticipation, to face the person who had entered the room.

Chuck sat glumly at the entrance to central park, he had asked Nate too met him there; he wasn't sure what he was expecting to happen. But he was beyond fucking annoyed; nobody socially cut Chuck Bass the way Nathaniel Archibald had over the summer.

He rejected every phone call Chuck tried to make and because of Nathaniel's anger towards him Chuck noticed other friends within their social clique had taken it upon themselves to ostracize him and exact revenge that was deserved, the wolves had finally turned on the alpha male.

Gossip Girl was quick too report that Chuck Bass was kicked out of Clint Westwards infamous once-a-year poker night before he even entered the room undoubtedly taking delight in his down fall and then Jenny Humphrey had personally told more than half the girls at Constance Billard that he had genital herpes, and because of her sudden social ladder climbing most of them believed her.

But her day would soon come; if not by his hands then by Blair's he knew she would take care of little J eventually. He comforted himself with that thought as one girl laughed in his face when he propositioned her.

Blair Waldorf.

There was a name at the beginning of summer he never wanted to utter again.

The Beginning of Summer; A French Affair.

Chuck smirked at Blair as he approached the drinks tray, he mixed himself a scotch on the rocks, "Thanks sis, but you didn't have to order me a whore... I think that's usually a brother-to-brother sort of thing."

Serena let out a disgusted gasp, "Chuck!"

Blair squared her shoulders turning to face him, "Can I talk to you? Alone." She motioned for him too follow her out onto the patio but before he could react, his date Cecelia came pouncing through the door, "What iz takin' so long Chuccce?" Her French accent was light and airy and she walked so gracefully Blair almost thought she was floating.

"Sorry mademoiselle I was just greeting my guests for the festivities tonight." Chuck moved towards the raven beauty sending her a flirtatious smirk, "have you ever met Blair Waldorf, Cece?"

Before Chuck could bask in the jealousy he was secretly hoping Blair would display when she discovered he was hooking up with one of the most famous models in France, Cece moved out of his grasp and launched herself on Blair, kissing both of her cheeks with enthusiasm, "Oh iz Miss Waldofff, I 'ave wanted too meet zee for zo long! You're mother's fashion time is tre magnific!"

Blair smiled widely and tried to act modest, "Oh you've herd of Waldorf designs?"

"'Eard of it?! People has been praising it across Pariee. I would be 'eever zo happy to wear it in a show myself one day."

"Really?" Blair tired not too smirk too hard, "Well hopefully I'll hear it for myself when I visit my father in the fall."

"Oh Miss Waldoff are you coming to Pairee? You must stay and party with me!"

"Well this was such a nice little meeting I hate to cut it short" Chuck grabbed Cecelia by the wrist and attempted to pull her out the door and upstairs too his bedroom, she twisted around and called over his shoulder, "You must introduce me to your mother before I depart Miss Blair!"

Blair nodded and smiled in amusement as Chuck grumpily dragged his protesting date away from them.

"Well she was nice!" Serena commented as she pulled the chard remnants of the cake mix from the oven, "Yeah she was..." Dan agreed poking the black mess, "and normal…I thought only psychopaths willingly hooked up with Chuck."

"Hey!" Blair protested as Serena burst out laughing, "Oh I didn't mean..." but Dan didn't get too finish his sentence, Blair poked out her tongue and threw a handful of flour in his face.

Against his better judgment Chuck had come to depend on Blair over the summer, not only as a friend but also as the only other person who knew how he felt and understood why. When she came crying to him after Nate had rejected her, his first instinct had been to lash out, to make her feel as much pain as she had made him feel. But at the end of the day... it just wasn't satisfying.

And there was nothing Chuck Bass liked more than too be satisfied. To his horror, Chuck began to realize that he had never been more satisfied than he was at the beginning of junior year… when he was scheming social destruction with Blair Waldorf and hanging out with his best friend, Nathaniel Archibald. There was nothing he wouldn't do too have that feeling back, nothing.

So now they were trying to re-build their lives, Chuck and Blair, and although he was as much of an asshole as he was before all of this had happened he just couldn't hurt Blair anymore, because judging by the amount of food she consumed at lunch, she was busy enough hurting herself.

But more importantly neither of them wanted to hurt Nathaniel Archibald more than they already had… because Blair loved him so much and in Chuck's own twisted way he loved both of them so much more.

Blair noticed his argyle scarf from a mile away, "Sitting alone with a trench coat on in central park? How perverted old man of you."

"Funny." Chuck commented regretting the hostile tone, he was glad she had found him because he did look pathetic sitting all alone, but disappointed she had not been Nate.

"He didn't come?"

She tried to ask the question as though she didn't already know the answer.

Chuck merely shrugged, "Whatever it's not like I really needed him anyway."

"Yes you do," Blair took her hand into his "We both do."

"Chuck?" Her voice was muffled by his coat as she saddled in next to him,

"Hmmm?"

"Do you ever regret it?"

"What? Not taking you back after it all happened?"

Blair opened her mouth to say, 'No do you regret ever betraying Nate in the first place?' but instead nodded into Chuck's shoulder because she was intrigued to hear the answer.

"No. Because you belong to Nathaniel and I had no right trying to take you from him in the first place... You belong together."

Blair stared at the ground for a moment before finally replying,

"No. People don't belong to other people."

He sighed wanting to argue that Blair and Nate's relationship was the proof that some people just belong together but instead nodded glumly; feeling the need to comfort her he placed a friendly kiss on her forehead.

Jenny stopped at a dead halt; she squinted trying to make out the two figures on the park bench. Taking out the phone Hazel had leant her which was a much more sophisticated and expensive version of the one her mother had brought her for Christmas she took an image of the scene before her. She searched excitedly through her contacts until she found the one she was after. Taking a sip of her starbucks Jenny thanked her lucky stars she suddenly had a craving for a whipped mochachino after Nate blew her off for lacrosse practice.

Nathaniel wiped the sweat from his brow and removed his soaking wet shirt, his muscles were still buzzing from the adrenaline of a good long practice he was in better shape physically than he had ever been and he supposed he ironically had Chuck to thank for that. He imagined his sleazy face on every lacrosse ball he smashed. Nate reached for his towel looking forward to a long hot shower, before he manage to reach it through the blue light of his phone caught his attention.

"Afternoon Upper East Siders, does Gossip Girl have some juicy dish for you all? You bet your starbucks she does! Finally the confirmation we had been searching for, photographic evidence of the Waldorf-Bass relationship,"

A picture of Chuck kissing Blair affectionately on the head as they cuddled closely on a bench loaded onto the screen.

"Ahh how sweet, young lovers meeting in central park. Despite the denial from both parties at Chuck's party over the summer it looks like fallen Queen B may have found a new King after all."

Nate threw his phone down, startling his team mates who were also in the process of getting changed. He grabbed his sports bag not bothering with a shower and called his driver; he had to get out of there before he did or said something that he would regret.

The Middle of Summer;

Party Planning

"I can't believe you've been planning this party for a whole month," Dan said raising his eyes from his novel.

Chuck clucked his tongue, "This isn't just a party Brooklyn it's a 'Chuck Bass event'."

Blair laughed from her spot on the sofa, and Serena nudged her leg, "You can't talk. You plan a party for a friggen year!"

Dan and Serena both giggled at that while Chuck and Blair tried to look mildly offended.

"Why is that so ridiculous? Just because we don't roast pork on our balconies and invite who ever stumbles into our hallway." Blair sent a glare at Dan, "One bad party can spell the end of your social popularity in the Upper East Side."

Dan blurted out, "Well it's not like you have to worry about that anymore." and Serena leaped over the sofa to the chair he was sitting on to silence him but it was too late.

The room was dead silent and Serena was dreading the fight she knew would erupt between Blair and her boyfriend. But too everyone's surprise Chuck let out a hearty laugh breaking the tension, "True. I suppose that gives me license to do whatever the hell I want. And invite who ever the hell I want."

Blair perked up at that, "So Vanessa can come?"

Chuck groaned, he had no idea why Blair thought Vanessa was so cool, she clearly wasn't he had a medical grant for genital herpes in his name to prove that.

"I suppose. If she really must."

"Oh awesome!" Blair clapped, "this is going to be so much fun!"

Serena and Dan shared a look that said otherwise.


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