Unexpected.
A/N: Chuck/Vanessa fic. After tragedy occurs, Chuck finds comfort in someone he didn't expect.
Chapter 1: A Small Thank You
At the moment, the last thing Chuck Bass wanted was to be able to be found. Just a month and a half ago, he had heard the news about his father, and frankly, he was tired of being asked if he would be okay. He was tired of being watched by Blair, Nate, and Serena as if he was going to snap again. Undoubtedly, the first few days were excruciating. He HAD snapped, and he didn't have a problem admitting that. He had done and said things in his time of anger and despair that he would regret, but everyone understood all the same, and didn't hold it against him, which he appreciated. However, Chuck had gone through his stages of grief and depression. He had accepted the fact that his father was no longer in his life, but with his mother in a better place(hopefully). Of course, the pain would always be there, but having people constantly asking him if he was well or if he needed anything was annoying. Naturally, Chuck decided to go to the last place people would look for him or bother him. A dingy, old, bookstore in Brooklyn. That is where Chuck was now, reading, and idly watching people pass by through the windows. Blair had called him three times, Nate twice and Serena once. He chose to ignore their calls and put his phone on silent. Though he knew his friends meant well, Chuck just wanted to be alone. As Chuck continued reading, he heard the bell above the door sound as someone entered. He looked up from his table in the corner to see Vanessa walk towards the front counter and speak to the owner. She hadn't seen him sitting by the window but as she finished conversing with the bookstore owner and turned around to leave, she spotted him. "Chuck?" she asked and walked over to him. Chuck closed his book and set it aside with a small smile. "Stalking me now?" he asked her. Vanessa rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here, in this old bookstore? You do realize you're in Brooklyn, right?" Chuck smirked. "I wanted to be a commoner for a day. What are you doing here?" Vanessa eyed him suspiciously. "There's a book I'm looking for that's about filming. I've looked everywhere else and they're not in stock, so I thought I'd try here, but no luck." Vanessa looked away from him and out the window, then looked back at him. "I heard about your dad….." Chuck stood up from his seat then and interrupted her. "How are you and Nate?" Vanessa caught on and knew Chuck didn't want to talk about it. She and Nate had been going really well lately, but she got the feeling Chuck wasn't that interested and just wanted to change the subject, so she simply replied "We're fine. Um, I was actually gonna walk back home, it's a nice night out. If you wanna come…you know, there are a lot of crazy people out there..." Chuck observed Vanessa. She was the only person who wasn't on his back ever since his dad's death and for this, he was grateful, though he would never tell her that. "I suppose my driver can take a break." Vanessa smiled slightly and walked out of the bookstore and Chuck followed. As they walked a bit past the bookstore, Chuck grabbed Vanessa's arm lightly. "I forgot something in the bookstore. Wait here." Vanessa waited for about one minute and saw Chuck come out of the bookstore and walk towards her. "Let's go." As he and Vanessa walked through Brooklyn, they talked about everything and nothing at all. She never mentioned his father, never asked if he was going to be ok or if there was anything she could do. One of the things he liked about Vanessa was that she didn't push a subject, she didn't push at all. They said their goodbyes and Vanessa thanked him for walking her home, though he knew she had never planned on walking home. She could see his need to be away from chaos for tonight and she had helped him do so for as long as she could. As he walked away from the Humphrey building, Chuck realized he hadn't had a moment of peace like this since before the death of his father. Chuck liked that feeling. He called his driver, and when he was on his way home, Chuck started dialing.
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The next day, as Vanessa walked into the Bedford Avenue Gallery to start work, she noticed a small wrapped package with her name on it waiting for her at the counter. "What's this?" she asked Rufus, as he walked to the front."Some guy came in here and said it was for you. He didn't say who it was from." Vanessa smiled curiously and ripped the wrapping paper off and once she saw what it was, her smile changed into a confused expression. It was the book she had spent all day looking for yesterday. "Film Directing: Shot by Shot" by Steven Katz. Vanessa's brows furrowed. She had not mentioned she was looking for a filming book to anyone, only Chuck, but he couldn't have sent this, she had never told him the name of the book. As Vanessa studied the book, a moment from yesterday came to her mind. A moment when Chuck had told her to wait outside of the bookstore because he had forgotten something. She realized then, that Chuck never forgot anything. He had gone back inside to ask the bookstore owner what book she had been looking for. For the first time that day, Vanessa smiled a smile that reached her eyes.