After Paris
By Wyndhamfan
Summary: The Upper East Side gang put aside their differences when one of their own is in danger. My interpretation of what happens after 3x22, and it ain't pretty.
Notes: This is my first Gossip Girl fanfic. What I enjoy from the show is the unique relationships in them - the friendships, the romantic ties and most of all family. So you'll see all of them here. I'm quite partial to C/B, so you'll get that here too - though I'm not much of a shipper fanfic writer; I like writing about characters, not about whether they'll be together or not with me. Nevertheless, I do hope you enjoy this tale and tell me what you think about it. Also, PS, I write in British English, so you'll see the odd spelling here and there; though I do try to keep the Americanisms intact :)
Prologue
Nathaniel Archibald hated formal functions, and disliked wearing the prerequisite suits that came along with them. But he especially detested attending these soirees when he wasn't speaking to his best friend or, to be more accurate, his core social circle, which included his ex-girlfriend and her best friend who also happened to be his ex-girlfriend. Though, he wasn't exactly sure why he wasn't on talking terms with Blair – it was just that one fight where he defended Chuck and Blair took that as a sign as a shift of allegiance. It was annoyingly high school.
And since fate and Nathaniel Archibald had a rather ironic relationship since back when, who else but Serena and Blair would get into the elevator at the Plaza Hotel when it opened its doors at the lobby.
Blair placed a bejeweled hand on her right hip and sighed heavily. "Great. First Serena. Now you?"
Right. Blair and Serena were having one of their fights. Though he thought that they made up a few days ago. Perhaps Gossip Girl got it wrong this time. Whatever. He couldn't keep up with their relationship cycles.
"And a 'hello' to you too," he drawled, clicking on the close button impatiently.
"Clicking on that button is not going to make the elevator go any faster, Nate," said Serena.
"Wasn't saying anything to you, Serena," he said. It was childish, but he wasn't feeling particularly mature tonight.
Serena rolled her eyes.
"And why are you heading to the Bass-cave tonight?" Blair said.
Yes, indeed. Just why was he heading to Chuck's penthouse? After all, he was still pissed off about finding out about him and Jenny two days ago, and yesterday they had a terse conversation which ended with him storming away from Chuck who only offered, "What can I say Nathaniel? It happened. I can't give her cherry back."
It was so crass, so Chuck, that he should have expected it, but he felt his blood boil anyway. But something in Chuck's eyes stopped him from giving him a black eye he so richly deserved. And he realised then that Chuck hadn't meant it, and that he had said it so that Nate would get angry with him. It was one of Chuck's crazy mind games; Nate didn't get it, and he didn't want to play, so he left.
But he was here now because he realised that he was a fucking hypocrite who had no right to judge Chuck for being an utter idiot when heartbroken. And he was also here because there was an alarm ringing persistently inside of him, warning him that not all is right with Chuck Bass. And despite how annoyed he was with him, he just couldn't ignore that.
Since returning from whatever European destination he had been holing in for the whole summer, Chuck has not been himself. Oh, he tried to put up a good front – and by that being his old, irreverent and uncaring self – but he got progressively bad at it as the weeks went by.
Still, Nate didn't ask Chuck why he ended up returning from Paris with, of all people, Serena and Blair, or most importantly, why he went "offline" in summer, only to resurface with a few text messages to him and Lily around August. He thought Chuck would inevitably unburden himself to him as he usually did in due time.
But it never came. Instead, Chuck became more and more withdrawn; he became, as Gossip Girl coined it, the "hermit of the Plaza". If not for Lily, who planned a series of galas and parties to welcome him back, not many in New York would know that Chuck Bass was in town. Chuck was like this once before – the dark days after Bart Bass died – and Nate wasn't sure if Chuck could survive another round of self destruction.
"I should be the one asking you this, Blair," he finally said.
"I'm here because Serena insisted that we make a pit stop at the Plaza to remind Chuck that he has a gala to attend. And, might I remind you, S, we have something called cell phones to do that."
The excuse was flimsy, and they all knew it. Nobody made Queen B do anything. Not even Serena. Blair tried hard to look like she didn't care, but Nate could see the turmoil and concern written all over her body – the tense shoulders, the way she kept fidgeting with her hands.
Serena flung her hands upwards in frustration. "And how many times have I told you that he wasn't answering his calls?"
"That's his MO, S. When he broods, he ignores. Just leave him a message already," she said.
But when the lift doors opened, Blair was the first to go through its doors. She hesitated in front of the door of the suite, however. She turned around and gave Serena a haughty look.
"If he's with one of his $1 women, I'm not going to forgive you for exposing my eyes to them," she said bitingly.
He rolled his eyes, stepped past her, and knocked on the door.
No response.
"Chuck, open up. I know you're in there – the front desk said that you didn't leave all day."
No answer.
He was getting worried.
Serena rapped her knuckles on the door. "Chuck? Open up!"
She sounded … frightened. More anxious than she should be … he frowned. Serena had been behaving weird lately – spending all that time with Chuck when she couldn't stand to be more than a few hours with him before. He thought it was her sisterly instincts kicking in, but this was something more.
He tried the doorknob, and to his surprise, it opened.
Serena pushed ahead of them hastily, calling Chuck's name. She turned left – presumably to Chuck's room. Blair followed quickly after her.
It was quiet. Not a sound, not even the tell-tale sounds of a living being, except for the too-loud steps of his breathing. He felt his heart picking up speed. This stillness … it didn't go with Chuck Bass. Chuck was always doing something, moving, making some kind of commotion.
Somehow, perhaps it was instinct, he made his way to the guest room on the far right of the suite. The door was partially open, and he pushed it open slowly.
He wasn't sure what to make out of it at first. But when he realised what he was seeing, he felt his blood turning cold. And he froze, just froze.
They say you will know what kind of person you are when you're faced with the direst situation possible, and Nate realised then that he was a person who just stopped when confronted with something his mind couldn't handle.
So, he was still staring when Blair appeared at his side.
"There you are. Chuck's not in his room. What are you staring at?" she asked, annoyed.
Then her eyes shifted to the bed, and she went still.
"Chuck?" she whispered. Then, her voice rose in fear. "Chuck?"