Here's Chapter 2 of Touch My Hand.

Yes, I know it's short.

But still. It took me three hours to get it right.

It had to be short, because I was running out of ideas for a makeup chapter. It's a makeup chapter because I'm going back to school, therefore I would have limited time to write and work on my stories. I just thought the readers would appreciate a little teaser chapter before I go on a five-day hiatus.

Enjoy. :) & thank you for the reviews.

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s does some snooping

"Gosh, Chuck, I'm sorry," Serena frowned, almost sobbing. She uneasily tossed the scotch Chuck had given her inside her glass. Chuck's back was turned to her, sitting on a red leather ottoman in Bart Bass' home office, his head bent, his eyes scrutinizing the fine scotch in his own glass, watching the ice melt. Serena, meanwhile, was laid back on the ottoman's matching divan, her black knee-high boots still on and her legs draped lazily over the furniture, although she was anything but relaxed.

Chuck had just finished recounting everything that happened between him and Blair during her absence in his office, the day after his disastrous rendezvous with Blair Waldorf. He didn't say anything in response to her.

"You can take my Chanel coat back," Serena offered gallantly, even though it made such a hole in her heart to even think of it.

"No," he protested. Chuck took a long swag of scotch. "It was a gift. Please, keep it."

Serena nodded, even though her mind couldn't really process Chuck's generosity, despite his loss. "Sure." She rose from her divan, and took a long stride to reach Chuck on his ottoman. She crouched down in front of him, his eyes studying her as she moved. Serena leaned forward, and with the hand that held her scotch glass, she used her knuckles to loosen up his tight jaw. Serena angled herself even closer to him balancing herself with her elbow on his knee.

She was so focused in analyzing his face, his expression, his eyes, searching. They both remained speechless, motionless, until Serena's free hand snuck up on Chuck's arm and snatched his drink from him.

"Hey, give it," he half-heartedly ordered.

"Come on, brother dear. Get up!" Serena snapped back, tugging at his sweater sleeve after depositing the scotch glasses back on the wet bar counter. "This isn't how you're supposed to be. You're Chuck Bass. Even after a major disappointment, my stepbrother – the one I know and, yuck, love – would come up with another plan, and the second time around he would make sure it was failsafe."

"I am losing my touch, Serena," Chuck sighed, lying down on the oversized ottoman and staring at his deceased father's office ceiling. "That first plan was poorly planned and poorly executed. It was overly unsatisfactory."

"I've learned from experience – and believe me, I have tons of that – that you work best when you work alone," she reasoned, "or when you work with Blair. I was the flaw in your plan this time."

"Stop it, sis," Chuck growled. He got up from the ottoman and strode behind Bart's desk.

She pounced right in front of him, clenching his face in her hand, leaning across the table so that she was face to face with him.

"You stop it. I refuse to let this happen. I refuse to let you and Blair deprive each other of the happiness you both deserve with one another," Serena fumed. Her blue eyes were cold and hard, and intense. "You have to work it out with her, Chuck. You just have to. I don't think either one of you could last long without the other." Serena's expression softened. "You belong with her, Chuck. I can't imagine the world any other way. You're Chuck and Blair, Blair and Chuck, remember?"

Serena took off her grip on Chuck's face, and pulled back as he fell on Bart's chair.

"I'll be in my room if you need me."

Before she headed to the safe sanctuary of her bedroom to uncover the mystery the torn pieces of paper inside her bag pocket held, she crossed the hall from Bart's office to Eric's room.

As part of sisterly nature, she nonchalantly entered without knocking. Her little brother wasn't on his bed, the bathroom door was wide open, and a pile of final exam reviewers were untouched on his desk. Eric's sock-sheathed feet were resting on top of his sofa. Serena plucked his earphones off, as she had done many times before, and smirked as his blue eyes popped open by the sudden loss of sound.

She locked his eyes with hers, and commanded, "Keep an ear out for Chuck, alright? I have a feeling he'll be locking himself up in Bart's study all night. Be alert for suicidal noises. If there is any, I'm just in my room."

"I doubt Chuck's suicidal, despite yesterday's heartbreaking events," Eric laughed.

"How'd you know?"

"Gossip Girl."

"Ah. Of course," Serena sighed. "Just, go in and check up on him if he doesn't come out soon," she pranced towards the door. "And make sure he comes down for Mom's dinner."

With Eric briefed, Serena let out the breath she'd been holding as she made her way to her room. She gathered her materials on her bed, and painstakingly took the pieces of the letter out of her bag. She put them together easily, as Blair had made straight neat tears. After taping the back, Serena flipped it over and read.

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HAHAHA. No, I am not going to tell you what the letter says. It's for Chuck & Serena's eyes only (since Blair never read it).

But don't worry. There are more important things to the story than the letter. Like, say, CHUCK & BLAIR.

I have a favorite word. It starts with an R, and ends with an S, which in this case, signifies that it is in plural form.

You guessed right! REVIEWS. :) Don't forget to leave them!