Title: Houston, I think we have a problem.

Character/pairing: Chuck/Blair, Dan/Blair friendship implied (I wrote Chuck/Blair fic, how did that happen?)

Disclaimer: yada! yada! yada!……Gossip Girl does not belong to me, not making any money from writing fanfic.

Warnings: AU. Unbetaed, read at your own risk.

Notes: This is set sometime in the future, when Blair and Dan are students at NYU


It was the resounding tinkling laugh from across the room that alerted Chuck to the fact that there might be a problem.

Blair had decided to spend the day with him in the office. For the past few weeks, Chuck been busy overseeing so many projects that he rarely left the office, which meant they hardly saw each other. He remembered Blair muttering something along the lines of, "If mountain does not come to Mohammed, Mohammed will come to mountain", when she had invited herself to his office. He wondered what that was about.

While Chuck was busy working away at his desk, Blair was on the phone. The problem was not the fact that she was on the phone; after all it kept her busy while he was working. The problem was who she was on the phone with. Blair had been on the phone with Humphrey for the past thirty minutes.

What did one have to say to Humphrey for thirty minutes? In addition, the continuous laughter she elicited every second (while speaking to Humphrey) was making the hairs on his back stand up.

Chuck decidedto snuff out his misgivings; this was Humpty Dumpty after all. It was silly to even entertain that train of thought. But his callous heart reminded him that he had gone from Nate's sidekick (who had been below her radar) to it's epicentre in a matter of mojitos, burlesques sequences at the Victrola and happy hour at the back of a sleek black limousine.

He continued to try refuting that that train of thought but it was unrelenting, and it reminded that Humphrey bagged Serena. He convinced himself that Humphrey backing Serena was as a result of a lucky streak, and Serena having a thing for poor pretentious artsy types. Serena was like Lily; they enjoyed giving to charity.

He tried to snap out of it the third time, but his mind was on overdrive now and it reminded that Humphrey had done something he had never been able to accomplish, sleeping with a faculty member. Miss Carr was…snap, he didn't know anything about Miss Carr, he had never met her. But the guys at school said she was a hotty and could pass for Blair's older, but poorer sister.

For the final time that afternoon Chuck tried to snap out of it, but his resistance was futile. His treacherous heart reminded him that Humphrey was a sneaky bastard, who pretended to be an angel of mercy only to con you out of valuable secrets when you were at your most vulnerable. In addition, wasn't there a time Blair went to Humphrey for love advice?

He also remembered thatshe had referred to Humphrey as a human being; that was practically akin to foreplay in Chuck's book.

He got up from behind his desk, pushed his hands in his pockets nervously and walked up to were Blair was sitting daintily (on the chocolate colored leather sofa) at the opposite end of the office.

"Blair…why don't I take you out for drinks; you must be bored out of your mind sitting here while I work," said Chuck, putting on his most earnest voice.

Blair spoke into the phone telling Humphrey to hold; she glanced up at Chuck in that suspicious way of hers and arched an eyebrow.

"No can do Chuck, I've already made plans."

"Well, cancel them"

"No!"

"No?"

"Chuck, thirty minutes ago you told me you had back to back meetings. So, I made alternate plans."

"With whom?"

"With Dan", she said indifferently in a no brainer kind of fashion. The name Dan seemed to floweffortlessly from her lips; Chuck wondered when Humphrey (aka Cabbage patch) had become just Dan?

"Cancel! I'm sure Humphrey is used to people cancelling on him, so, you cancelling shouldn't faze him."

She continued to view him suspiciously and then her face took up an amused look that Chuck thought looked comely on her.

"I'm not a stop along the way when you feel like it, I am thedestination." Blair said as she promptly dismissed their conversation and returned to her telephone call.

Chuck was stumped and had no words in rebuttal. He returned back to his desk grudgingly and glared at the phone placed delicately against Blair's petite ears, willing it to self destruct.

A few minutes later Blair picked up her bag and bid him goodbye; the phone was still attached to her ear. As Blair made her way out of his office, Chuck noticed that she walked with a pep in her step.

Chuck started to think "how quaint", but cautioned himself and made a disgusted face and thought this must have something to do with the recent Humphrey infestation.

He got up from behind his desk, walked towards Blair and made a grab for her unoccupied arm.

"Blair let's do dinner tonight, just the two of us. I've missed spending time with alone you." He said in a pleading voice.

"Ok", responded Blair as if humouring him.

She opened the door and was about to exit his office when he yelled, "I'll send the driver to pick you up at seven."

Sure, see you at seven then", she replied and exited the office.

Blair got into a cab after leaving Chuck's office and made her way back to NYU, where she was meeting Dan for coffee. The phone was still nestled against her ear and now that Chuck was out of sight (and earshot), she said gleefully,

"Humphrey you are a genius. I can't believe Chuck fell for it and is now taking me out to dinner tonight."