Mr. Charles Bartholomew Bass,

Harold Waldorf and Eleanor Waldorf-Rose would like to invite you to join and celebrate the engagement of

Carter Baizen,

To,

Blair Cornelia Waldorf,

At the plaza hotel for Brunch on the 19th of January.

Wow, it was like a punch in the gut. Even though he'd expected it or at least expected something like it , it was so much worse because rather than hearing it many months after the marriage had merged and there was nothing or at least, less he could do, now Chuck had the option she was so blatantly giving him.

The invitation to him was not from Harold Waldorf nor Eleanor Waldorf-Rose and it was not to celebrate her engagement with her nearest and dearest, instead it was screaming, "If you don't come here and stop me, I'll do it, I'll marry him and I'll leave you behind."

A part of him wanted to go against her, not allow her to be so embedded in his brain, another part wondered if maybe, just maybe he was thinking way too much into this, that it was an innocent invitation, nothing more, nothing less.

But the very last part, the essence of Chuck reminded him that this was Blair Waldorf, who prided herself on embedding and a lack of innocence.

With a groan he picked up his cell phone scrolling down to the Bs until he passed an impressive amount of Beckys, a good amount of Belles, and a few Bernices, there she was, in capital letters and all: BLAIR. W. The same as it had been since forever.

He hesitated, wondering what he actually was going to say, and then somehow, he pressed that tiny green phone and before he could hang up-

"Bass," she sighed, seemingly bored, when in reality she was clearly enthralled. "To what do I owe this displeasure?"

"Well precious," he said the pet name so dangerously there was no way it could be misconstrued as affectionate. "I received the delightful invite; I'm touched you put me on the best guest list of the year." He smirked as he scrunched said invite into a ball.

"Please Bass, that invitation had nothing to do with me, you can take it up with my father," she said is such a cheery voice she felt nauseous. "Is that it?"

"Blair well, yeah..I guess it is," he lied not as smoothly as he would have preferred. "For your information, this right now, is my R.S.V.P." He hung up, running his fingers through his hair aggressively.

She really knew how to get to him, how to make him want to kill any man who had ever tried with her, not just out of bitter jealously, but to save them from the drug that she was.

UES'ers,

Blair Waldorf and Carter Baizen have officially announced their engagement,

All I can say is YAWN.

It took what…four weeks of "dating" for this dull fest and we were bored from week one, cant imagine how B's holding up and I can't help but wonder what a certain Bass-hole has got planned?

Because if we know Chuck and I think we do, there's no way he's going to take this one lying down...well at least not unless B's lying down with him….

Text me with the deets.

XOXO

-Gossip Girl.

The blast was followed by another text, this time from Serena.

C, Come to my moms place at 4pm, for dinner, everyone's coming, Carter wont be here so come plz,I need you to talk to B, thnx, S xo

Of course she did, Serena was kind hearted but when it came to the serious stuff she'd never been as good as him or Blair, they were the same and understood one another like no one else, on that thought he tossed his phone on his bed turning to the bathroom preparing to shower, shave and surprise.

XOXO

Blair was definitely out of her element, somehow Serena had convinced her of an oh so fabulous idea: having dinner as a family, because Blair had 'always been family'-quote on quote and Blair usually would have been pleased but she knew better than anyone that one catch came with a Van der Woodsen family meal and that was their extra add-on family members one of whom she wasn't too excited to be seeing.

"I can't believe you did this," Blair pouted, arms crossed stiffly like a grumpy five year old. "You know I couldn't turn down dinner with Lily right there, way to play me, S."

"Blair your twenty years old, you can't get away with pouting at me anymore," Serena poked her nose playfully getting a small smile out of Blair. "And I thought it would be nice to get everyone together, Nate's coming, Eric, Jenny, Dan, without Chuck would have felt wrong."

"I suppose your right," they both turned as the elevator dinged and the man in question entered. "Though I may change my mind." She spoke through a false smile that wasn't even close to reaching her eyes.

"Chuck," Serena smiled genuinely. "So glad you came, I'll get you a drink." Serena gave him a brief nod, signalling it was time for that talk.

"Thanks sis," he drawled, turning to Blair his eyes scanning from her long bare legs to her perfect curls. "May I have a word, Blair?" He motioned to the study, holding the door open for her.

"Fine, but I'm going to personally kill Serena," she frowned and rolled her eyes once inside. "What's the problem Bass?"

"I just need to know," his smirk vanished, replaced by an expression even she couldn't read. "Is this bull shit engagement thing for my benefit, you know to shove the fact you started screwing him a week after we broke up under my nose?"

"Of course not Charles," she rose her eyes from staring at her shoes to his angry eyes. "It's not bull shit; it's simply what I want."

"Classy of you Blair, four weeks and your engaged, I mean I've heard of shot gun weddings but surely you draw the line before Carter Baizen gets to fertilize you-"

"I am not pregnant you ass," she all but yelled. "I feel insulted you would even assume that."

"No I feel insulted," he rubbed his palm over his face tiredly. "If this isn't because you have a Baizen spawn in the oven then it's just to mess with me, your mad at me, he's always hated me, perfect way for you both to get me, right?"

She stood there facing him, mouth ever so slightly ajar in shock, but also in desperation, what was she to say now he'd found her out.

She'd lie, of course.

"Don't be ridiculous Chuck, me and Carter we've always been close and when we got together it just clicked…and we…" her eyes shifted scanning his expression. "Why do you even care, you broke up with me?"

"I didn't break up with you, you thought you couldn't trust me, I thought I couldn't trust you, so I said we should take some time apart and guess what Blair you did a fantastic job of showing me I was right," he spat. "A week after…nice."

"I was hurt and confused, Carter was nice to me," she all but whispered as she sat down in the large worn brown leather desk chair. "Sorry…I…"

"I don't care Blair, I really honestly don't, but I'm just letting you know now that if you marry him, I will make it the most painstakingly awful marriage known to man," he said with a wink. "So think about that before you lie your way through your vows, kitten."

"I will not conform to you-"

"Then I look forward to your brunch," he crouched in front of the chair and leaned in closer and closer toward her until she was pushed as far back into the chair as she could go, his breath and smell and stare surrounding and fogging her, he grazed her lips barely with his own, stroking his thumb across her cheekbone softly before turning her face and kissing her cheek tenderly, then pulling back to look at her. "You look good by the way Waldorf."

Blair gave him a small wave and a wry smile, she watched as he turned and walked out, with her drink clutched firmly in one hand before she released the long breath she had been holding in.

She was so officially in trouble.