My first AU story. It's a Blair/Chuck/Georgina love triangle, that's going to be pretty angsty, and deal with some serious issues.

Background: Blair is still a bitch, but definitely nicer than canon-Blair. She and Chuck dated in high school. Chuck was less rebellious, as he dated Blair when he was a teenager. Bart still died when he was 17. Serena and Nate are high school sweethearts, and she and Chuck are step-siblings. Carter and Georgina are also step-siblings, and the six of them form "the gang". Georgina is mean and bitchy, but not as manipulative, as she is friends with the central characters.

I own nothing.


CHAPTER ONE

"But you didn't have to cut me off,
Make it like it never happened and that we were nothing.
I don't even need your love, but you treat me like a stranger
And that feels so rough."

Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye

2006

The party was in full swing when Chuck and Blair arrived. The room was filled with their graduating class, all of them excited about the end of school. Blair spotted Serena at the bar, and kissed her boyfriend on the cheek before she rushed over to her best friend.

Nate approached Chuck, and clapped him on the shoulder. "Here you go, buddy," he said, handing him a tumbler filled with scotch.

"I can't tell you how relieved I am to know that I'll never have to step inside that school, ever again."

Nate frowned. "Are you really not going to college?"

Chuck shrugged. "Not full-time. I'm going to some business classes. I inherited my share of Bass Industries when Bart died," he swallowed thickly at the thought of his father's recent passing, "and I intend to become the great businessman, I know I can be."

"Well, good for you, man. At least one of us knows what their doing with their life."

"What are you talking about? Carter has ambitions; he's going to backpack through Europe, in search of the world's greatest pot."

Nate laughed. Carter certainly had plans; he just wasn't convinced that they were going to help Carter mature in any way.

"Besides, I'm pretty sure Blair's got it figured it out," Chuck continued, a hint of anger in his tone.

"What do you mean?"

"Roman's friend at Vogue Paris offered her an internship. She thinks I don't know, but I saw the letter on her desk last week."

Nate grinned. "Oh, my God! That's huge! She's gotta be excited."

Chuck nodded. "Yeah, I don't doubt that she is. I just wish she had told me - this is a big decision."

"Couldn't you go with her? Work at the Bass Inc. hotel in Paris?"

Chuck hadn't even considered this, but he had to admit, he liked the idea. If he moved with her, he could work for Bass Inc., and build a life with her. Of course, it would mean that he would have to leave the majority share of Bass Industries in Lily's hands until he returned New York, once Blair's internship was over, but that was a small sacrifice, if it meant that he could stay with her.

He made a beeline for Blair, who was still chatting with Serena at the bar, but his path was blocked by Georgina.

"Hey, Chuck. Have you got a twenty dollar bill?"

He sighed, and retrieved his wallet from his pocket, before taking out twenty dollars for her.

"You know, you really shouldn't do that shit, Georgie. It fucks people up; you could kill yourself."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, dad." She snatched the bill from his hand. "I'll pay you back!" she shouted, as she walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

He looked over at Blair, who was now watching Georgina with a disapproving look in her eye. His arms wrapped around her waist and he kissed her neck.

"Hey, I need to talk to you."

She giggled as he nuzzled her neck. "Chuck, don't be rude! I'm talking to Serena."

Serena laughed and stood up from her bar stool. "It's fine. I need to go find Nate, anyway."

Chuck winked at her. "Later, sis."

Blair turned in his arms and looked up at him with big, curious eyes. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I know about your internship," he saw her pale, and she braced herself for a rant about her lying to him, "and I want to come with you, to Paris."

Her eyes opened wide in shock. "What?"

He smiled at her reaction. "I want to come with you. I'll buy us an apartment, and I can work at the Bass Industries Paris hotel, while you complete your internship."

Her brow furrowed and her body tensed, in his arms. "No, you can't do that, Chuck."

"Why not?"

"Because!" she yelled, the volume of her voice less powerful due to the loud music that was filling the room. She sighed, and lowered her tone. "Because, you can't just turn your back on your company. That's what it is now: it's yours. And you should be looking forward to starting this new chapter in your life. Not running away to Europe with me."

"I'm not running away, I just want to be with you," he insisted, not liking the direction in which the conversation had taken.

She cupped his face in her hands and smiled sadly. "I know. And I want to be with you, too. But I'd never forgive myself if I held you back."

He shook his head. "You wouldn't be holding me back," he protested. "This is my choice."

Blair kissed him softly and rested her forehead on his. "I love you, Chuck, and I'm sorry, but this is how it has to be."

Chuck yanked her hands away from his face and glared at her, with cold, dark eyes. "Are you breaking up with me?"

"Chuck, please-"

"How can you do this? I fucking love you! I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

She bit her lip as her eyes filled with tears. "I'm so sorry."

He barked out a short laugh and pulled himself away from her. "Yeah. Whatever." He turned away from her, walking into the crowd of dancing teenagers. "Have a great time in Paris! Don't get too lonely out there."

She quickly wiped away the tears from her cheeks, before anyone could see them, and stared into the crowd until she could no longer see him.


Nate and Serena had taken a distraught Blair home, and Georgina and Carter had offered to go in search of Chuck, to make sure he wasn't drinking himself to death. Not one of their friends knew about Blair's internship, and Blair had to admit, that she worried about their reactions when Chuck, inevitably, told them.

The step-siblings found him at a bar on the Upper West Side, an hour later. His bleary eyes told them that he'd had a few, but he wasn't nearly as drunk as he could be.

"You okay, man?" Carter asked, taking a seat beside him.

"She's gonna leave. She's just gonna leave, and she didn't even tell me."

Georgina, on his other side, frowned in confusion. "Leave? Where is she going?"

"She got an internship at Vogue Paris," Chuck explained. "She leaves next week."

Georgina stiffened and looked down at the bartop. "No, you've got it wrong. There's no way she'd leave without telling us."

"It's true. She's going. And she didn't say anything."

"Maybe she was nervous. Didn't want to see our reactions," Carter suggested.

"Don't make excuses for her," Georgina snapped. "How could she do this?"

Chuck swirled his scotch around, paying no attention to Georgina, who was standing up from her stool and pulling on her jacket.

"Where are you going?" Carter asked.

"To see her. I want an explanation."

Chuck's head snapped up. "No," he said, firmly, grabbing her arm. "You're not going to say anything to her."

Georgina glared at him and removed his hand. "Yes, I am, and you can't stop me."

Carter didn't even try to stop his step-sister. He knew it was a mistake to try and intervene, when she was on the warpath.


"Blair!"

Georgina watched as Blair descended the staircase, clearly nervous about what she had to say to her.

"Hey, G," Blair offered, weakly.

"Cut the crap, Blair. What the hell are you doing?"

Blair lowered her eyes to the floor. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"How could you hurt him like this?" she yelled. "He fucking loves you! That guy has never loved anything, never been loved, until you two found each other. Why are you throwing it all away?"

"I'm not throwing it away," Blair insisted. "I'm doing what's best for him. He'd only regret it, if he followed me."

Georgina's eyes narrows. "Does he get a say in this?" Blair said nothing. "What was your plan, Blair? Did you really think you could just leave, without telling any of us?"

"If I had told you, you would have tried to make me stay, and I would have listened. I would have felt guilty for leaving all of you... for leaving Chuck."

"We want what's best for you. We're your best friends." Georgina crossed her arms across her chest. "I can't believe you think we'd try and hold you back."

"I know you wouldn't try," Blair said, "but any conversation I would have had with you, would have made me feel awful about leaving."

"You know what you should feel awful about? Breaking Chuck's heart."

A tear slipped down Blair's cheek. "I'm doing this for him. High school's over, and we need to think about college and our careers. Right now, we're just getting in the way of each other's futures."

"You are each other's futures." Georgina sighed. "Why can't you just agree to let him come with you? I mean, an internship for a high school graduate, only lasts a year at the most, right?" Blair nodded. "So, you can spend a year in France, and then you'll be back in New York by next summer."

Blair shook her head. "It's not that simple."

"I don't understand."

"I've applied to the American University of Paris. I'm planning to attend when my internship is over."

Georgina blinked. "I can't believe what I'm hearing." Blair looked up at her, confused. "So, your moving to a different country permenantly?"

"Only until college is over," Blair reasoned.

"That's at least four years, Blair!" she yelled. "Does Serena know?"

"I told her tonight. She was happy for me."

Georgina scoffed. "And what about me? Were you ever going to tell me?"

Blair shrugged. "I don't know. I knew you'd react this way, so I was hoping that Serena would tell you instead."

Georgina laughed. The sound was loud and harsh; it was cruel, and it made Blair flinch.

"You're a coward, Blair." Blair wanted to defend herself, but Georgina kept going. "Well, good riddance, is all I can say. It seems like we'd all be better off without you, if this is how you're going to treat us. Chuck really dodged a bullet this time."

"Don't say that! I love you guys. I love him! I'd never want to hurt you."

"Too late," Georgina snapped. She turned and walked to the elevator, her hands shaking with anger.

"Georgina, wait!" She ignored her and entered the elevator. "Please stop! We can't leave things like this."

"Yes, we can, and we will. My friendship obviously doesn't matter to you, so you no longer matter to me. Don't contact me ever again, and don't contact Chuck, either. You've hurt him enough, already."

The elevator doors closed and Blair sank down to the floor, her back against the wall. At that moment, Blair wasn't sure if she'd ever see her again.

She would; six years later.


2012

"I want you to be on your best behavior tonight, Chuck," Serena told her step-brother, as they sat in his limo.

"I can't promise anything."

Serena narrowed her eyes. "If you ruin my night I will kill you, Bass. I don't care if you're my brother or Nate's best man."

Georgina laughed and Serena turned to her. "Same warning to you, G. I think you should lay off the wine tonight; I don't want a fight at my engagement party."

Georgie rolled her eyes, and leaned back against Chuck. "I don't even understand why you invited her."

"Because she's one of my best friends," Serena said, an edge to her tone. "And in case you've forgotten, she used to be yours, too."

Nate linked his fingers through hers and spoke into her ear. "Calm down. You're supposed to be enjoying yourself."

Serena took a deep breath and squeezed her fiancee's hand. She turned back to the couple and smiled. "Let's just have a good time tonight."

Blair waited nervously by the bar. She had arrived early so there was no chance of Georgina bitching her out for being late. It also allowed her to see Chuck for the first time in six years, without being surprised. She didn't want to lose her composure, the first time she laid eyes on him, and that was less likely to happen if she kept her distance.

Serena and Nate entered first, looking just as in love as they had in high school, except now there was a huge rock on her finger. She watched her best friend search the room with her eyes, desperate to find her. She decided not to help her, and wait for Serena to spot her in the busy restaurant. The more time she had to prepare herself, the better.

Of course, nothing could prepare her for what happened next.

He walked through the entrance, his head held high, and an air of authority surrounding him. It had always been this way; even in high school. He radiated power, and it was one of the things that attracted her to him in the first place.

His suit was perfectly cut, and very expensive, and his hair was kind of messy, but still styled. The man she saw was everything her high school sweetheart had wanted to be, and it made her chest swell with pride. She tried to ignore the hardened expression that she could see on his face, even from this vantage point, because she was pretty sure that she was the cause of it.

That thought alone made her stomach turn. She had wanted to come back and find all of her old friends, happy and successful; content. She knew this was true of Nate and Serena, and possibly Carter - who had yet to arrive - but Georgina had always been a wild card, and she could see that her leaving had done a real number on Chuck.

Serena finally found her, and ran to the bar, a grin lighting up her face. She threw herself at Blair, and they held each other tightly. She hadn't seen her in over year - when she last visited her in Paris - and as she hugged her, she felt Serena's cheerful disposition fill her with optimism. Maybe things would be okay, after all.

"I missed you so much, B!"

"I missed you, too."

After pulling his reluctant fiancee away, Nate hugged her, too.

"It's good to see you, Blair."

The easy reunions out of the way, Blair pulled back and looked to Georgina and Chuck. She could see their hands clasped together and she swallowed the bile in her throat. Serena had told her that they were together, but seeing it with her own eyes, made her feel sick.

"Hello, Chuck."

He nodded curtly, only briefly meeting her eyes. Georgina refused to look at her, her eyes focused on the artwork adorning the walls. Blair didn't even bother with a greeting; she knew it was a lost cause.


They took their seats at their table and ordered drinks, while they waited for the other guests to arrive.

"Who else is coming?" she asked Serena.

"My mom, Rufus, Eric, Carter; some people I work with, and Nate's colleagues."

"Are you sure they'll all fit?"

"Serena's not stupid, Blair. She would have made a reservation for the appropriate amount of guests."

Blair jumped at Georgina's bitchy tone. She had hoped that she would ignore her all night, but it seemed as though Georgina had come to dinner, with her claws out.

"Right. Sorry."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chuck give Georgina a pointed look, before taking her hand in his on top of the table. She suddenly found the embroidery on her napkin very interesting.

"Can you stop being such a bitch?" Chuck hissed, as Lily and Rufus - the last to arrive - took their seats.

"I'm sorry," Georgina apologized. "I don't know how to act around her."

Chuck rubbed his thumb along the top of her hand. "I know, but everyone is here now, so you don't even have to speak to her."

They both watched as Carter leaned down and embraced her, happy to see her again, after all this time.

"Fucking Judas," Georgie muttered. "He said he was on our side."

"There are no sides," Chuck argued. "They're friends. Get over it."

She let out a short, sharp laugh. "Oh, yeah. 'Cause you'd know all about getting over it, right?"

Chuck glared at her. "Whatever, G. I'm going to get a drink." He excused himself from the table and walked to the bar.


He could have asked the waiter to get him a scotch, but he wanted to be alone, away from the table. Georgina was pissing him off, and he could see that everyone was on edge, waiting for a fight to break out.

As he sipped at his drink, Blair came to sit down on the stool next to him.

"What do you want?" he asked, voice monotone.

"To talk. I was on my way to the bathroom, but I saw you here, alone, and I thought now would be the best time."

"I don't want to talk. Not you."

He saw her flinch at his tone in his pereferal vision, but he couldn't find it in him to apologize for sounding so angry. He was angry - he was furious - and he didn't give a fuck if she knew it.

"Fine. Whatever you want," she said, quietly. "I just hope we can move past this, Chuck. I've really missed you, and... I'm sorry."

He exhaled harshly through his nose and closed his eyes. Her words didn't make him feel any better, they only made him angrier. She had no right to tell him she missed him.

When he opened his eyes, her seat was empty.


Georgina had watched Blair's attempt at making conversation with Chuck, with narrowed eyes. Serena gave her a warning look when she excused herself to go to the bathroom. She knew her too well, and could see that she was ready for a confrontation.

She entered the bathroom, and waited by the hand-dryer's, for Blair to exit her stall. The petite girl looked shocked when she saw her standing there, but quickly masked it with indifference and walked to the sink to wash her hands.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Stay away from him, Blair."

Blair looked up at her, feigning innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about. You'll have to be more specific."

She wasn't putting up with her bullshit. "You left, and it hurt him. It broke him. And in the destruction that you left behind, we found each other." She stepped closer to her, leaned against the counter. "I love him, and he loves me. Nothing's going to change that. Not even you." Blair visibly swallowed. "You can't come back after six years and expect everything to be normal, because a lot has changed."

"I know it has," she insisted. "I'm just trying to make ammends."

"I don't care about your motivations for coming back," she said, her voice raising in volume. "I just want you to know, that if you fuck up my relationship, I will destroy you."

Georgina had left the bathroom before Blair had time to respond. Honestly, she wasn't sure what she would have said.

She splashed her face with some cold water and touched up her make-up, before heading back out to the table. When she took her seat, Georgina was running her fingers through the back of Chuck's hair, as she chatted with Lily. No one would have guessed that she had just confronted Blair in the bathroom, only minutes ago.


The rest of dinner was uneventful, with the exception of his step-mother telling a boderline-racist joke, after a little too much wine, and a tipsy Nate messing up his short speech, when he attempted to thank everyone for coming.

Chuck and Georgina were the first to leave. He kissed Serena on the cheek and discreetly slipped some money into her hand. She looked down at it, confused.

"I know you said you were paying for the table, but I drank like a fish tonight. I felt that I owed you at least part of the check."

She rolled her eyes and hugged him. "I'll see you tomorrow, at brunch."

Georgina had fallen alseep on his shoulder on the ride back to his penthouse, so he kept his arm firmly around her waist as they ascended in the elevator.

"Was I okay tonight?" she asked, sleepily, her words slightly slurred. "I tried to be good."

He smiled and kissed her temple. "It was shaky at the beginning, but you did good. I'm proud of you."

She smiled and kissed his neck. "I'm proud of you, too. It couldn't have been easy for you."

"It was easier having you there," he admitted.

He began pulling off his tie and unbuttoning his shirt, as soon as he entered his apartment. Georgina slipped out of her heels and dress, and into something more comfortable. He poured himself a scotch as Georgina removed make-up and brushed her teeth in the bathroom.

She joined him on the couch a few minutes later, looking more relaxed than she had all night, in her nightgown and glasses.

"What are we watching?" she asked, snuggling into his side.

"Breaking Bad. I've had it on my Netflix queue for weeks."

As they sat there in the domesticity that now came so easily to them, Chuck wondered if Blair's leaving had actually been a good thing. If she hadn't left, who knows if he and Georgina would have dated. It probably wouldn't have happened, and honestly, the idea of never being with her broke his heart. Of course, he hadn't always felt this way about her, but she had become a huge part of his life, and he wouldn't change that for anything.

"I love you," he murmured, pressing his lips to her hair.

"Love you, too," she mumbled back, fighting sleep as she lay against his chest.

No, he wouldn't change it at all.