A/N: Wow. That response was just ridiculous. I wasn't sure if this would gain a strong following and I am so happy/relieved that it did. I really enjoy writing this so I am glad that you equally enjoy reading it! So..enough of me talking and more of Chuck and his Bassness ;-)

Decisions

It had been three days and Blair had not heard a word from Chuck Bass. He had told her he would be in touch and with each passing day she found herself torn between thinking it a shame and a blessing. Ever since she had ran after him that night she thought it a bit of a mistake. She was a politician's daughter, after all. What right did she have to go off with some B-rate mobster? It would be a slap to society. It would be a slap to her father.

She decided it was a good thing that Chuck Bass had not contacted her. A good thing, indeed. He had probably found a new pretty thing to lust after and she would no longer shame her family. In the end, they both benefited.

She was languishing in the sitting room when a knock on the door drew her from her thoughts. She rose from her seat and hurried to the door. To the sound of the pitter-pattering of her feet she foolishly wondered if the door would reveal Chuck Bass. With her thoughts very much in this direction she opened the door and her hopes deflated like a pin-pricked balloon when she found the plain, ordinary mailman.

"Ms. Waldorf," he said, tipping his head in greeting. He handed over the mail and she gave him a tepid thanks as she closed the door. Atop a stack of newspapers was a cream envelope addressed to her and she felt her stomach stir as she set down the rest of the mail and gingerly open the envelope. Out slid a folded piece of paper and she opened it carefully as if something might jump out.

Be at Lawry's at 7:00

She closed the letter quickly and shoved it in her pocket. Although she was alone she looked around guiltily and the scrap of paper felt as heavy as a rock in her pocket. She didn't understand why she felt so guilty. It was not as if she would heed the invitation. With time she had seen the silliness of her hasty action. A woman of her standing did not escape to Vegas. It simply was not done. Even more so, they did not escape with notorious mobsters. She pulled the letter from her pocket and crumpled it in her palm. She threw it into the garbage and threw in her banana peel from breakfast for good measure. She would not be seeing Chuck Bass.

CHAIR-CHAIR-CHAIR

"Tonight is the night," Nate said, looking across the street once before crossing. Chuck was a step behind him but did not even glance at the oncoming traffic as he followed his friend. It was as if he thought the mob controlled the traffic, as well. "I still am having trouble remembering how you convinced me to come with."

"Let's face it, Nathaniel. You are nothing without me."

They stopped at a corner and cars rolled by. "I keep you straight, Bass. Without me you'd be running after every young doll you saw."

Chuck never argued with someone when they were right.

"You think that doll of yours will show up tonight?" Nate asked.

"Without a doubt. That girl is easy as pie to read. All she wants is to call the shots for once."

"And you'll let her?" Nate asked incredulously. "I mean, Chuck..."

"To a degree I will," Chuck reasoned. "Besides, she'll be good entertainment. Until the next one, that is."

"The next one?"

Chuck grinned. "Nathaniel, my boy, there is always a next one."

CHAIR-CHAIR-CHAIR

Blair sat across the dinner table from Harold and watched him calmly cut off a piece of steak and place it in his mouth. His usual precision was evident as he left not a fiber of meat clinging to the flesh before bringing it to his mouth. He chewed methodically and smiled slightly when he caught her gaze.

"Would you like to say something, dear?"

"Oh, no," she said, looking sheepishly at her plate.

"Eat your steak, Blair. I can't have you getting too thin on me. A man doesn't want to marry a bag of bones."

Blair bit her tongue to keep herself from speaking back. It was always marriage talk with her father. Everything she did fed off somehow into her becoming some man's wife. A knock on the door sounded behind her and Harold smiled expectantly before rising from his seat. She didn't bother to turn because she knew exactly who would be at the door. Sure enough, Harold returned with a rather pale Ronald whose skin had the oddest pallor. Harold gestured to the chair beside Blair and said, "I'll go tell the cook to make you a plate."

She regrettably watched her father disappear. She looked back to Ronald and he was gazing at her so intently that it made her jump. "Blair, there is something that I must discuss with you."

"Yes?"

"As you know, your father has graced me with a fairly well-establish place in his firm."

She nodded.

"Well, considering my economic situation I have started thinking about what would be best for my future. As you probably know, I am rather fond of you and..."

Oh no, she thought. This all sounded very much like talk of love. And talk of love with Ronald could only lead to one thing and it was something that she was not prepared nor willing to touch on. With every word he seemed to be edging closer and she gasped as he clumsily backed the chair up and dropped onto one knee.

"Oh dear," she breathed out.

"Blair, will you marry me?"

Her answer was clear in her mind and it was most clear to him as she jumped form her chair and dashed out. Her father had been waiting at the door and grabbed at her arm.

"Blair, what are you doing?"

She wrenched her arm from his grasp and hurried from her home. The truth was, she didn't know what she was doing. She was running away from her childhood home, all she had ever known and the path before her was terribly hazy. With her father on her heels she hailed a taxi and climbed in just before he reached her. She turned in the seat as the car drove away and watched his form grown smaller and smaller in the distance.

"Where to?" The driver asked.

She turned back around in the seat and was suddenly gripped with fear. What in the world was she doing? She didn't have clothes or money. She would only end up returning home to her father and Ronald, a life of boring functions and menial conversations. It would be back to the daily grind, the uneventful daily grind.

Unless-

"Where to, miss?" the driver repeated.

Without hesitation Blair said, "Lawry's, please."

It was 5:57 when the host took her to a table and she nervously looked around for Chuck, her nerves mounting with each passing minute. She worried at she was too late, although the letter had specified 6:00. Even worse, she worried that Chuck had forgotten about her, that her accepting the invitation had satisfied his conquest. At 6:05 a man approached.

"Blair Waldorf?" She nodded. "Come with me."

She followed him out the back to a limo and the door opened to reveal a man that she also recognized from the papers. She knew him as Nathaniel Archibald, one of Chuck's business men. She carefully climbed in and sat beside Chuck who was seated at the back of the limo, looking at home among the plush seats and decanters of liquor.

"You came," he said smugly.

"I nearly didn't," she answered in like. "You got lucky. It was either this or marriage."

"Marriage?" Nate asked. "She was more tied down than you thought, Chuck."

"I see you didn't bring luggage," Chuck noted. Blair, having felt a bobby pin slip, reached up and fixed it as she said, "It was a bit of a hasty exit."

"Your wardrobe and such can be remedied in Vegas," he supplied.

"Yes," she answered, her hands dropping to her lap as the reality of her choice settled. "In Vegas."

CHAIR-CHAIR-CHAIR

They took the private plane and as the country passed below them Chuck asked her about the marriage she had escaped. He seemed to be even more thrilled at her coming with this new development. He saw it as him almost serving as the protector. She had almost been locked in a marriage and his off-the-cuff invitation was her escape.

"He was exactly who my father wanted," Blair said. "Someone he could control."

"Your father's a smart man," Chuck conceded. He didn't agree with the man's actions but he couldn't help but coolly admire the complete ease in which he seemed to orchestrate those around him.

"He's smart but oblivious to everything around him," Blair said.

"So, not that smart," Nate said, garnering a small grin from Blair.

"He thinks everyone loves him. He has this vision of him being the beloved politician but he doesn't have the facilities to achieve it." She paused for a moment and added, I love my father, I do. But he will never be a politician and he will never control me. Not again."

The plane began its descent and she glanced out the window. Even in the air she could see the rich expanse of Las Vegas and felt something hum within her. She felt alive-albeit nervous-for what she was about to face. Nate saw the slight hesitation on her face and said, "You'll be taken care of, don't worry."

She figured he was referring to monetary means but she felt her head nod and cheeks blush regardless.

The plane touched down and as they climbed out Chuck left first and then offered her his hand as she descended. The feel of his skin against hers made her shiver slightly. They walked from the tarmac and made their way toward the city. She had seen pictures of Vegas during the day, all flashing lights and spinning roulette wheels. At night, it was entirely different. The flashing lights glowed and what during the day was simply colorful became positively technicolor. Energy pulsated at every corner, every stop. She glanced at Chuck as they walked and all the angles of his face were illuminated by the harsh glow of the casino lines. She felt eyes follow her, follow the curves of her tight dress. Chuck felt it too and protectively put his hand on the small of her back as if he were leading her forward.

"Watch that hand, Bass," she told him lightly.

"Surely," His eyes travelled to her bottom. "I have a nice view."

As they walked down the strip a woman in a tight dress sidled up to Nate and placed a smooth hand on his chest as she cooed, "Looking for a ride, baby?"

He chuckled uncomfortably and said, "Another night, maybe."

"Whatever you say, baby," she cooed, reaching into her cleavage and pulling out a card. "You call me if you want anything."

Nate stared at her retreating form in awe as Chuck laughed. "Welcome to Las Vegas."

A/N: Next chapter, major Vegas baby! I am kind of (read: extremely) excited to write all of these Vegas scenes. It should be a fun ride :-D

Please review! Your feedback was AMAZING last chapter but I think we can do even better ;-)