Hi again. New update, this time it's a bit longer.

Before we go any further there's one thing I should clarify – this story will definitely be Chair-themed. If you don't like the two of them together here's where you want to leave.

This story will also include negative traits of all characters featured, along with the good traits. I don't enjoy writing (or reading) stories where one or more characters are flawless and none will be treated that way. Also keep in mind that none of the characters see things from a completely objective viewpoint. One character presenting a situation a certain way means that's how that character views the situation. It's not necessarily the objective truth nor does the character necessarily have all the facts.

With all that said... Hope this chapter will be enjoyable =)

"You should be careful" Dan said, watching Blair unpack her bags in her old room forty-five minutes after he arrived at her penthouse.

In spite of the situation at hand Blair had a content smile on her face as she lifted a cashmere sweater from the bag on her bed. She was barely listening to Dan, caught up in the memories of what had happened only thirty minutes before when Nate, Chuck and Serena had gotten ready to leave. Chuck had been waiting for the other two, leaned against the wall in a casual manner. Blair had looked up at him and their eyes had met for real for the first time in four years. It had lasted only a second, maybe two, but it had felt like an eternity and Blair replayed the moment in her mind over and over while Dan talked.

There had still been a connection there. It was unmistakable. When her eyes met Chuck's it was clear to both of them that whatever had once been between them it was not over, no matter how time had changed them.

"I will always love you."

Words that had been spoken between two overly dramatic twenty year-olds four years ago. Words that were easily said and probably frequently said but often turned out to be mere words when you looked back on them later on in life. Not so between Blair and Chuck, she knew that when their eyes met. She had always known it but she knew it now with more certainty. She still loved him and he still loved her and they always would feel that way. In the brief moment when their eyes met there was only the two of them, the other three in the room ceased to exist. Even Blair's dilemmas vanished for a brief moment. Chuck was there. Together with Chuck she could find a solution to any problem.

"Why do I get the feeling you're not listening?" Dan said, running a hand through his hair.

"You have my full attention" Blair lied serenely and folded a skirt.

"Good because I think you're taking a huge gamble asking Chuck to take part in all this" Dan said. "Blair you cannot risk him finding out about the child."

"He has a right to know Dan" Blair said. "I never intended on keeping Sebastian from him forever. You know that. You know I was going to tell him but there was always a reason to put it off until I had put it off for far too long."

"Yeah, did you stop to think that maybe it's fate that you haven't been able to tell him yet?" Dan said.

"Fate would not give me his son and then go out of its way to make sure he never knows about it" Blair pointed out. "Before I go back to France Chuck is learning the truth."

"Blair I'm serious, this is a bad idea" Dan said, stepping closer. "You don't even know anything about his life these days or who he is."

"True" Blair said. "But no matter who he has become he will always be my Chuck at heart. You don't know him like I do Dan. All you see is the negative."

"All you see is the positive."

"I'm well aware of his faults" Blair argued. "I just don't think that his whole character can be defined by his worst moments. You wouldn't be much of a catch yourself if we defined you by any of your low points. None of us would be."

"Some people's low points are worse than other's" Dan mumbled. He then shook his head. "I don't get it, what are we even doing here trying to keep your secret hidden if you're going to tell Chuck everything anyway?"

"Protecting Sebastian from the media exposure" Blair pointed out. "Avoiding dragging the Grimaldis into this mess even further. Besides, I want to tell Chuck on my own terms."

Dan began to comment on this but Blair wasn't listening. Her mind was on Chuck. At first she had thought it was necessary to keep the truth hidden from him until this whole thing had blown over so that he would focus on the task at hand but after the look they had shared she felt differently. If one look could have that affect on her then there was no doubt in her mind that she and Chuck were intended for one another. He loved her still, as much as she loved him, she did not doubt it for a second. She dared to hope again for a future for them. But in order for them to have such a future Chuck needed to know the truth as soon as possible. She couldn't begin to reform a relationship with him and then tell him about their son after a few weeks. He had to know right from the start or their foundation would be shaken.

Plus, she thought, he was in his full right to be furious with her for keeping the truth hidden. The sooner he learned the truth the better the chances of a less angry reaction. And this was Chuck Bass after all. Knowing that this whole gathering of troops was in the interest of protecting his son would only make him more ardent in getting the situation dealt with. Even if he was mad at Blair he would still do everything in his power to protect the child.

"I should stay here while this is going on" Dan said, bringing her back to present. "You shouldn't be alone."

"Don't be ridiculous Humphrey" Blair said. "I'm fine."

"No really, I think I should stay. Keep you company."

"Dan. I'm not exactly in the mood for staying up late watching movies."

"Come on, it's been years since that was all there was to our friendship."

"Maybe so" Blair said, wanting to be alone so she could flee into the fantasy she was beginning to build in her mind. "But you're staying with your dad. Now shoo. I intend on taking a hot bath and going to bed early and you're not invited to either event. Tomorrow is a busy day and I need to be ready for it."

Dan looked skeptical but nodded. He walked over and gave her a quick hug, which surprised her a little, and then left. The moment he was gone her mind was back to Chuck. Thinking of him made being without her son more bearable and she walked to her bathroom to draw a bath, daydreaming of what life could be like if she and Chuck were reunited and the two of them could have a life together with their son.

Serena and Nate had dutifully agreed to arrange to take time off from work and school until Blair's crisis had passed. Chuck had made no such agreement and Blair had not expected him to. If Chuck wanted to go to work he would go to work and if Chuck felt he needed time off he would take it without a moment's notice. He was the boss after all.

Blair went to visit him at his office in his new hotel Champion located on the Upper East Side. She had been awake for hours that night thinking about how she would tell him about their son. In the morning she had decided she would tell him right away, no putting it off any further. Serena, Nate and Dan were all showing up at the penthouse to talk strategy and divide labor around eleven so she had two hours to go to Chuck's office and talk to him.

She was let in immediately, which she had expected to be even if he was busy. His office was beautifully furnished in a combination of white and black, with white walls and carpet making it seem bright and even more spacious than it already was. Chuck was rummaging through binders in a bookcase when she walked in and he looked up with an apologetic smile.

"It's nine-thirty in the morning" he said. "I thought role-call was at eleven."

"It is…" Blair said. "There's something I need to talk to you about first."

"I'll be with you in a second, I just need to find a file…"

Blair nodded and walked further inside the large office, enjoying the way it felt to be in his presence. While she waited she entertained herself by taking a good look around. For the most part the room was strictly business. Large bookcases, a large desk, a thick black rug on the floor and a couple of ergonomic chairs. These details didn't interest her much. What caught her interest were the details that were of a more personal nature.

On one of the walls Chuck had hung two movie posters. When they were kids they had all said they would have movie posters in their offices someday because movies were cool. Chuck had apparently stuck to that plan. One of the posters was "Casablanca" and the other "Alien". A very random combination indeed. Blair walked closer and studied the "Alien" poster.

"Nice huh?" Chuck commented, glancing up at her. "Not exactly what people expect to find in the office of a person like me. It helps take people off guard and feel more relaxed. That way they are more easily manipulated. That one actually isn't mine, it's-"

"Bart had it, right?"

"How did you guess?"

"It's not a guess. I remember seeing it in his office when we were kids. I thought it was so beautiful with that glow and all… So I watched the movie. Didn't sleep for like a month."

He chuckled and it made her smile. Then he muttered a curse under his breath and grabbed another set of binders to start eyeing through them. Blair decided not to say anything else at the moment but once he had found his file she would jab him about the lack of a "Terminator" poster. When they were kids he had often said he was going to have a poster from that movie in his office when he was an adult, for no other reason than that the movie was awesome but too much of an action flick to be considered office material.

She walked slowly around the room, getting a good look. She walked around his desk and her eyes landed on one of the few framed pictures he had. It was a headshot of the endoskeleton from "Terminator" framed as if it were a portrait of a family member. The sight greatly amused Blair but her laughter died instantly when she noticed the picture sitting next to it on his desk. It was of him and a woman, taken during a vacation. They were both sporting swimwear and sat together on a sun chair, Chuck having his arm around the woman and she taking the picture. They smiled brightly at the camera and there was no doubt that she was looking at a picture of a happy couple.

Suddenly she wanted to be anywhere else but in this office. Chuck had a girlfriend. A girlfriend he seemed happy with. She had known it was a possibility yet it hurt so bad to see it proven. He had a girlfriend he vacationed with, took pictures with, put pictures of up in his office. Blair felt sick, ready to lose her breakfast. She couldn't have him, someone else already did. She glanced over at the flower in a pot in the corner of the room and briefly wondered what Chuck would say if she actually did throw up into it.

Chuck walked over and tossed a file down on the desk.

"At last" he exhaled. "Thought I'd never find it."

Blair said nothing. Her mouth had gone dry and she wasn't sure she could find anything to say. At least not without betraying her sudden gloominess. She walked away from the desk and parked herself in front of the posters, looking at them without seeing them. Anything was better than looking at him right now, or at his desk for that matter.

Chuck looked up from his file.

"I'm sorry. There was something you needed to talk to me about?"

Blair felt a strike of panic. She couldn't tell Chuck about Sebastian. Not in her present state of mind. Not when there was a girlfriend to consider.

"No" she backtracked. "I mean… I just stopped by to see if I could convince you to take time off like the others are doing. You know, until this is over."

He studied her with entertainment and interest. He knew she was lying. She knew he knew she was lying. Damn him and his ability to tell when her eyes didn't match her mouth.

"You still intrigue me every time we meet Waldorf…" he said smiling. "I wonder what changed your mind about bringing up whatever you wanted to bring up." Then he shrugged. "Have it your way. If there's nothing else I'll see you at eleven, I suppose. If you'll excuse me this file needs my attention."

Blair walked out of the room with complete composure. The moment the door closed behind her she started running, needing to get away from that office as soon as possible.

Their early lunch assembly forced her to take her mind off the pain she had been in since seeing the picture in Chuck's office. She wouldn't have minded curling up on her bed feeling sorry for herself but there were things going on that were more urgent than her heartbreak. Whether or not she could be with Chuck again and even him finding out about Sebastian could wait. Right now it was more important to keep the news of Sebastian's existence from ending up posted online for everyone to see.

Still she wasn't very keen on seeing Chuck right now. She almost wished he would call or text and tell her something had come up and he wouldn't be able to make it today. She needed his assistance but she really didn't want to have to see him and know that he belonged to someone else. In her heart he was her Chuck and she had never been able to stomach it when he dated other women. It was even more difficult now when he was the father of her son.

Slowly and dejectedly she walked down the stairs when she heard people arriving. Serena's and Nate's voices could be heard playfully bickering about something. Blair didn't bother putting on a smiling face for them.

"Aw, B" Serena said when she spotted her. "You look so sad. Don't worry, we'll have this thing sorted out in no-time."

"Not everything can be easily sorted out" Blair sulked and slumped on the couch.

"We'll try our best, okay?" Nate said and sat down next to her, giving her an encouraging smile. "When our group has gathered forces when have we ever failed, huh?"

The elevator rang and Chuck walked out with a displeased face, followed by Dan who didn't look much happier. They had arrived at the same time and reluctantly shared an elevator up. Chuck took off the hat he was wearing and twirled it in his hands, taking a seat on the divan and throwing one leg over the other.

"How about lunch before we get things started?" he said.

"Really?" Dan questioned. "We have a big problem on our hands and your concern is getting something to eat?"

"The mind works better with carbs" Chuck said.

"Yeah, like carbs are what Serena and Blair go for in a meal" Nate snorted.

"Whatever, fine, order something" Blair said sullenly, waving a hand dismissively. "Call Dorota. She's on her way over, she can bring the food with her."

Dan grabbed the landline phone sitting on the coffee table and dialed Dorota's number. Serena suggested Italian food and nobody protested. He walked into the kitchen and Blair got up from her seat and followed him, realizing she had made preparations. She came back with a large white pad on a stand and multiple markers.

"We need to organize" she said. "Our goal is to find something we can use to blackmail this sucker right back and to find out what's really behind all of this. No chance in hell he's blackmailing me over gossip just for shits and giggles." She drew two columns on the pad, one for each goal, and used a blue marker for one and green for the other to keep them separated. "Let's hear it people. Any brilliant ideas?"

"About goal number one," Chuck said, putting his feet down on the floor and leaning forward, "why don't I just give a call to one of my PIs and they'll look into it? Actually that can cover goal number two as well."

"No!" Blair said sharply. "No PIs. That would be too obvious. He would expect that."

"So?" Nate said, almost chuckling. "It's not like he would be able to do anything about it. And it's not like the PI is going to knock on his door, introduce himself, reveal his profession and then ask to hear all the dirt. They're usually more discreet than that."

"Yeah" Serena said. "I don't see how we could snoop things out better than a professional. Why do all the work ourselves if we can just pay someone to do it better?"

Blair frowned, twisting her fingers again. She couldn't send Chuck's PIs to do the work. They would undoubtedly find out what the secret in question was and then definitely tell their Bass boss. She couldn't let that happen until she was ready to tell him herself. She needed people she could control better.

"This is far too sensitive a matter to let Chuck's random cop-rejects handle it" she said.

"Mike quit the force by his own choice" Chuck said, leaning back again.

Then his phone rang with "White Light Moment" as the ring tune which surprised Blair. She had never heard him use ring tunes other than the standard ones. He fished the phone out of his pocket without looking to see who it was and answered it. Blair intuitively concentrated to hear his end of the conversation even though Serena was saying something at the same time.

"We just got here so this might go on for a while" Blair heard him say. "Yeah… Yeah I can do that. Sure. Or rather I'll have Alice fix it. Okay. Me too. Bye."

Alice was the name of his secretary, that much Blair had picked up on earlier that morning. He put his phone away again and Nate raised an eyebrow.

"Something going on?" he asked.

"Business as usual" Chuck said casually. Then he turned to Blair, who was busy trying to determine if the caller had been his girlfriend or not based on the fact that it had been a non-standard ring tune and he had known who it was before answering. His voice saying her name brought her back to reality.

"Honestly Blair this whole thing sounds weird. What exactly are the perks to us handling this ourselves?"

"I didn't realize you had all become so boring over the last four years" Blair said. "When presented with the opportunity to dig up some dirt and orchestrate a good old-fashioned takedown I thought the three of you would be eager to get on board. Instead it seems you have all become middle-aged since I left New York."

"Not middle-aged" Nate said. "Just… more grown-up."

"If you're not going to help then just get out" Blair cried, feeling slightly desperate on top of missing Sebastian and being heartbroken over the discovery that Chuck was seeing someone. "I'll find a way to handle it myself. Or almost by myself. At least Dan will stick around and be more helpful than-"

"Relax" Serena said in a soothing voice.

"Want one of my downers?" Chuck offered.

"No" Blair snarled. Then she sighed. "I'm sorry. I know I'm a bit of a mess right now… It's just that this is very important to me and I don't feel comfortable handing it off to private investigators. It can't be that difficult to do some snooping, can it?"

"Well we can't do it sitting around in here" Chuck said. "First of all we need to have a starting point."

"This guy Malcolm works for an online publication" Blair said, writing it down on the pad.

"I know the one" Serena nodded. "I actually have it bookmarked."

Nate and Blair shot her annoyed looks.

"What?" she said with a shrug. "Like you guys don't enjoy gossip so long as it's about other people."

"How about starting with his workplace?" Nate suggested. "Online magazines still have offices. Find out if anyone else knows about his scoop."

"I doubt anyone does" Blair said. "He wants the three million for himself so he wouldn't tell anyone else there about it. Though you're right about checking out the site. It's a good place to start digging dirt."

"So how do we get started on that?" Serena asked.

"Through connections" Chuck said. He rose from the divan as Dan walked back into the room. "Cancel lunch Humphrey. Meeting is adjourned until this evening."

"What?" Dan asked. "What did I miss?"

"You really want to pull on that thread?" Chuck asked dryly.

"I'm not following either" Serena said.

"We need connections before we can do anything else" Chuck explained. "In order to get connections I need to do some research. I do that best on my own without the four of you looking over my shoulder."

"Exactly how do you plan on doing this research?" Dan questioned.

"Meet up with me at seven" Chuck said, walking to the elevator. "I'll text you the location when I know the location."

"But…" Blair began before being cut off by her phone. She frowned and looked at it, wondering who was annoying enough to bother her right now, but when she saw that it was her mother calling she almost forgot she had company. "Okay great, see you at seven" she mumbled to the others, hurrying towards the upper floor to talk to her mother and her son in private.

"Boy was she in a hurry all of a sudden" Nate commented.

"Coming Nate?" Chuck asked, already inside the elevator. "Sis? Humphrey?"

Nate stepped on the elevator but Dan was already heading for the stairs to join Blair upstairs. Serena frowned and took a few steps closer.

"Dan?" she said. "Where are you going?"

"Upstairs" he said, then realized that it probably seemed weird that he would stick around while the others left. "To… to talk to Blair. About something."

"Actually…" Serena said. "I would like to talk to her. You stayed behind last night. My turn today."

Dan glanced up the stairs. He was almost certain Blair was on the phone with Sebastian and he couldn't let Serena walk in on that conversation.

"Well uh…" he began, looking bewildered. "Uhm, well, there's…"

"Dan?" Serena said in a questioning tone.

"Are you guys coming or what?" Nate asked, sticking his head out the elevator.

"You boys go ahead" Serena said without breaking eye-contact with Dan.

Dan's mind worked a mile a minute to try and come up with a good excuse to delay Serena for at least a few minutes, buying Blair some time on the phone with her child. Realizing he couldn't come up with anything non-suspicious on the spot he decided to not give excuses for Blair's solitude and instead distract Serena.

"You know, we really haven't seen each other much over the last year…" he said, walking closer to her. "I can't get over how weird that feels." He ran a hand through his hair. "I barely know what you're up to these days."

"You seem a lot more up to date with Blair's endeavors" Serena remarked.

"Yeah, well…" Dan said and shrugged. "You know, she was the only one who didn't hate my guts after the book came out. Well, Nate didn't… but he had his hands full with that train-wreck he calls roommate."

"Look, I'd love to catch up" Serena said. "Just not right now okay? I need to speak to Blair for a moment."

She walked past him. Reacting on impulse he reached out his hand and grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"Hey wait!" he said.

She gave him a look that was both surprised and annoyed but before either one of them could say anything the elevator rang and Dorota stepped off, in a foul mood and struggling with three large bags.

"Food and equipment here" she said. "If that is all for day then…" She trailed off when she noticed that the only people present were Serena and Dan. Then she huffed. "Oh. So I must hurry to gather things but then hardly no one here, not even Miss Blair."

"Shit, I forgot to tell you, we won't need the food" Dan said, letting go of Serena's arm.

"Oh" Dorota snarled. "Is typical. Miss Blair barely call or write in years and now make me run errands and not even be here."

"I think I'm gonna go" Dan said, eager to get out of the crossfire and figuring Dorota would keep Serena occupied for a little while longer.

"Dan!" Serena said but he was already walking on the elevator. She groaned and turned to Dorota. "Here let me help you with all of that."

"Perhaps I feed Italian food to ducks in Central Park" Dorota griped.

Serena took the bag with food from her and did her best to smile soothingly.

"We're sorry Dorota, we didn't mean to make you hurry and then leave before you got here" she said. "The boys are off doing some research and-"

"What Mister Nate and Mister Chuck and Dan do I don't care" Dorota said, still in a bad mood, putting the other two bags down on the kitchen counter. "Is what Miss Blair do that upset me. I practically raise her then she leave country and barely make call for three years."

"You know Blair" Serena said. "She probably missed you so much that it was easier to not call you so often."

Dorota muttered something in Polish, not sounding the least bit convinced. Serena grabbed some cutlery and smiled again.

"I'm going to take this food upstairs to Blair and once we've eaten we'll come down and see what else you brought" she said.

Dorota didn't look much happier but didn't say anything further, in Polish or English. Serena walked up the stairs with the food and used her foot to push Blair's bedroom door open. She stopped on the threshold, surprised to find Blair sitting slumped on her bed looking miserable.

"B?" Serena said softly.

Blair jumped slightly and quickly turned her head in Serena's direction before looking away again. She used the back of her hand to wipe the tears from her cheeks, hoping Serena would pretend not to notice them, and faked a smile. She hated being away from Sebastian, hated it with a passion, and hearing his little voice telling her about what he and Grandma' and Cyrus had done during the day made her ache to be with him. She wished she could tell Serena everything, wished she already knew everything. Yet it was better to keep the secret for now. Chuck ought to know before anybody else did.

"B…" Serena said again. "Is everything alright?"

"Fine" Blair claimed. "Everything's great. Given the circumstances. I thought you guys all left."

"I stayed…" Serena said hesitantly. "I wanted to talk. If that's okay."

"Sure."

Serena smiled a little.

"I brought food."

"You mean Humphrey forgot to call Dorota and cancel lunch" Blair concluded and laughed a little.

"The good part is Dorota got five different orders since she wasn't sure what everyone would want" Serena said, putting the boxes of food down on the dresser. "What do you feel up for? We've got cannelloni regular, cannelloni chicken, lasagna… Okay she didn't get very different orders, it's all some form of pasta, but at least you get to choose between the three mentioned, pasta pesto and pasta carbonara."

"Give me the pesto" Blair said, switching positions so that she was sitting cross-legged on the middle of the bed.

Serena grabbed two of the boxes and came over to sit down next to Blair.

"Shoot!" she exclaimed. "I forgot something to drink."

"Dorota!" Blair called.

"No, not a good idea" Serena said. "Dorota is not pleased. I'll go get something. You've got stuff in the fridge, right?"

She left the room before Blair could answer. A few minutes later she was back with a bottle of sparkling water and the girls started eating, not saying much at first. Blair wasn't sure what to say to Serena these days. Her secret felt like a huge burden. It was difficult to pretend like her son didn't exist. She knew that when Serena did find out about Sebastian she would be very upset that Blair had said nothing and especially upset that she kept silent even when presented with the opportunity to tell all. All Blair could do was hope that Serena would understand that she needed Chuck to know first. She wasn't quite sure how she would explain having let Dan in on the secret and not Serena but hopefully she would be able to make Serena understand.

"B…" Serena said when she was halfway through her meal. "What's been going on? Over the past four years I mean. You just… took off. I was supposed to come to Monaco and help prepare for the wedding but once the wedding was cancelled it was like you cancelled our friendship at the same time. I know I too took off once without a word but… not for four years."

"A lot has been going on" Blair said. "I needed to stay away for a while. I needed to sort some things out."

"You don't sort things out by running away, trust me on that."

"I'm learning that the hard way" Blair sighed.

"I wish you would tell me what this big secret is" Serena said. "I told you my biggest secret. Whatever this is about it can't be worse than killing someone."

"It's a lot more complicated than the Pete thing" Blair said. "I just… I need to tell someone else everything before I can tell you. "

"I don't follow."

"I will tell you everything S, I promise. When the time is right."

"Blair did I do something?" Serena asked. "Because as far as I can tell I was the one with a reason to be mad at you, not the other way around. Why is it that you have been the one keeping secrets from me?"

"The secret is not just mine" Blair said.

"Is this all about Dan?" Serena asked, less friendly now.

"What? No."

Serena looked skeptical but said nothing further on the subject. Blair finished her lunch and wished things wouldn't feel so awkward. She had missed Serena terribly over the years but she had known she couldn't tell Serena without having told Chuck. He deserved to know first.

"I wonder where Chuck plans on taking us tonight" Blair mused, just to make conversation. "Does he still own the Empire?"

"I doubt the Empire is where we're going" Serena said.

Neither of them said anything else. Blair found herself wishing Serena would leave. She'd rather be by herself right now than with someone whose presence made her feel guilty. Luckily Serena didn't stay for long after they had finished eating and Blair was left alone to wonder some more about Chuck's relationship and whether or not it was serious.

Chuck texted everyone an address shortly after six and they all met up at seven. The location turned out to be a nightclub, the kind where you could hear the music out in the street. Exactly the kind of place they had all thought was really cool when they were in their early teens and now thought were loud and obnoxious.

"Why are we meeting here?" Dan wondered. "Wouldn't it make more sense to rally someplace where we could carry out a conversation? Or did you just want a drink?"

"If sitting around plotting was the goal tonight then meeting at Blair's penthouse would make the most sense" Chuck pointed out with a small smile. "This field trip is for other purposes. Come on, let's go inside."

"You could have warned me we were going to a noisy hellhole" Blair complained. "I wish I had brought earplugs."

"Mea culpa" Chuck said merrily. "I had not realized you now frown upon the things you used to enjoy a mere eight years ago."

"Eight years is a long time."

He walked up to the bouncer who gave him a nod and without a word let the five of them walk right in, ahead of the dozens of people standing in line. Once inside the music was deafening and the sight of lightly clad twenty-one year-olds annoyed Blair. This didn't seem very productive. Chuck had better have a good reason to bring them here. To make matters worse the song that was playing when they entered was "White Light Moment". By now Blair was convinced the person who had called Chuck earlier in the day was his girlfriend and hearing the song Chuck had as a ring tune when she called put her in a spectacularly bad mood.

"You really know how to pick them" she shouted to Chuck over the music. "The DJ at this place is as outdated as your phone."

He just smiled and made his way through the crowds, counting on the others to follow him. Nate leaned closer to Blair and shouted in her ear.

"It's his girlfriend's favorite song! Try not to insult it!"

The confirmation that the song was tied to the woman Blair had seen on the picture made her wish that they were heading for the bar where she could find something suitably strong to drink. Preferably a whole bottle. Since she left New York four years ago she had barely touched alcohol except for a glass of wine now and then but right now getting herself drunk seemed like a very pleasing way to spend the evening compared to being sober and aware that Chuck had a girlfriend, and one with lousy taste in music to boot.

Chuck did indeed stop at the corner of the bar and waited for the others to catch up. He put his arm up on the bar and leaned casually against it.

"See that pretty blonde bartender behind me?" he said loudly, hoping the others could hear him over the music.

"What about her?" Blair asked sullenly.

"She's moonlighting."

"What's her day job?" Dan asked.

"It so happens that she's an intern by day at the very same online magazine where our buddy Malcolm works."

"How did you figure that out?"

"I have my ways."

"Do you think she knows anything if she's just an intern?" Serena asked with a frown.

"She might know more than she's aware" Dan said.

"Exactly" Chuck nodded. "If nothing else we can always have some other use of her. Insight to Malcolm's schedule, how the chain of command works, perhaps even get access to his computer or calendar or something along those lines."

"So what is the plan?" Dan asked. "We just walk up to her, order drinks and casually ask her all about the magazine and its employees?"

"We don't do much of anything" Chuck said. "Nathaniel! Put those baby blues to work."

Nate walked past them and up to the part of the bar where the blonde bartender was serving a young woman a cosmopolitan. Dan frowned.

"Great. I see you've finally corrupted Nate" he said to Chuck over the noise of the music.

"What, are you kidding?" Chuck scoffed. "None of Nate's current conduct is my doing or by my encouragement. It's all natural talent."

"He's really going to get information out of her by flirting?" Serena asked, looking displeased. "That's your brilliant plan?"

"I never said I had a brilliant plan" Chuck countered and turned his head to order a scotch from a male bartender. "I never even said I had a plan."

"What's the problem S?" Blair asked. "So long as we get information out of her does it really matter much how we get it? If Nate wraps her around his little finger then things will just be that much easier for us."

"We get a source of information…" Chuck said, taking a sip from his scotch. "Nate gets to scratch his itches… Win-win."

"Yeah, except for the girl" Dan pointed out. "What does she get out of it?"

"Well if she doesn't approve of Nate's bedroom tricks then she can just dump him" Chuck shrugged. "Perhaps they can just be friends? Ladies, care for something to drink?"

"Get me something with a lot of alcohol in it" Serena sighed, clearly not in a good mood.

"I think I'll pass" Blair said. In spite of her strong urge to drown her sorrows she decided it would be wiser to stay sober and clear-headed.

Chuck handed his scotch over to Serena and ordered a new one for himself. Serena took the tumbler and gulped down a large sip. She leaned against the bar and glanced over at Nate who had already won the bartender's attention.

"How long do you figure this will take?" Blair asked.

"Patience Waldorf" Chuck said. "He can't very well start prying right away. First he'll have to take her home."

"I seriously object to this" Dan said. "How is it okay to use that girl this way?"

"All is fair in love and war" Chuck shrugged.

"If he's not going to get any information out of her right now then do we all really need to be standing here?" Serena asked. "Won't our time be better spent planning step two?"

"We have nine days, sis" Chuck said. "No need to rush. Let's hold off until morning and see what Nate can find out."

"So… We all just gathered here to watch Nate pick up some blonde?" Blair said. "Couldn't the two of you have handled that alone?"

"I'm growing a bit tired of this negativity" Chuck said, his previous smile gone.

"Sorry, but I hate places that play music this loud" Blair griped.

"Fine, we'll get out of here then."

He walked past her into the crowd. She noticed how people seemed to be parting automatically to make way for him. He had an authority about him, something he hadn't had when he was younger, at least not this strong. She found it very attractive and in the back of her mind she wondered if Sebastian would have that quality when he was grown.

"Come on B" Serena said, eager to leave.

Blair cast a glance back at Nate who now had the bartender laughing at something he had said. She then followed Serena and Chuck, feeling Dan's hand on her back as they made their way through the crowd with a little more difficulty than Chuck had had.

"So now what?" Serena asked once they were all outside.

"We go home, get some sleep, see each other tomorrow?" Dan suggested.

"I'm hungry" Serena said.

"Dave is bringing the limo around" Chuck said. "You can come along with me and I'll have him stop by the restaurant of your choice."

"Wow" Serena said. "You're not hurrying home?"

"Nobody's home at either one of my homes" Chuck said with a slight smile and stuck his hands in his pockets. "I've got time to spare and I could go for something to eat."

"Count me out" Dan said. "I should try to get some work done before tomorrow."

"No one ever counted you in" Chuck said.

"B you wanna come?" Serena asked.

"She really should get some rest" Dan said.

"I asked B" Serena said testily.

Blair wasn't all that hungry. Going straight home sounded like a decent option but she wasn't sure what she would do at home all alone. She couldn't talk to her baby on the phone since Italy was six hours ahead of New York. Perhaps she should go home with Dan and watch a movie. She glanced from Serena to Dan to Chuck, who was looking at her with interest. She made up her mind. Coming along for something to eat meant spending some more time in Chuck's company and even though that hurt a bit at present it was a little like being closer to Sebastian.

"Something to eat would be nice" she said. She gave Dan a pat on the shoulder. "See you tomorrow Humphrey."

The limo drove up and Chuck opened the door. The girls got in and he shot Dan a look that made it clear he was not being offered a ride home before getting in after the women and closing the door. Dan watched them drive off and frowned, worried that things might get out of hand real soon. How long would Blair be able to keep her secret if she spent more time with Chuck than absolutely necessary?

They got a table at a quiet restaurant. Serena ordered a drink and a salad, a combination which didn't seem too smart in Blair's opinion. Blair settled for just the salad, leaving the drink no matter how much she felt she needed it. Chuck refrained from commenting on their light meals and ordered a steak even though he said he had eaten dinner just two hours before.

"I ate some Chinese take-out at my desk" he said. "Basically just stomach-filler. I need some proteins."

"Suit yourself for skipping lunch" Blair teased and felt a bit better when he smiled warmly at her.

The meal turned out to be just as awkward as lunch had been. Serena was in a foul mood and said very little, gulping down her drink and insisting on ordering another one even though she was getting tipsy. The minute her salad was finished she was out of her seat and over by the bar, flirting wildly with a cute guy in a cheap suit. Blair watched with eyebrows raised and turned to Chuck who was calmly eating his dinner as if there was nothing wrong in the world.

"Is this… typical of her these days?" Blair asked.

"Which part? Eating light, drinking heavy or flirting wildly?"

"The last two. I thought she was all grown up and serious nowadays."

"She gets this way every now and again" Chuck shrugged, leaning back in his chair with his wine glass in his hand. "Some things never change. Not sure what set it off tonight."

Blair looked over at Serena who had her hand on the cute guy's arm, laughing at something he said. It was downright depressing having grown this far apart from her. Whatever it was that bothered Serena tonight Blair was probably one of the last people she would confide in. She sighed and looked down at her salad, absentmindedly stirring her untouched glass of water with a toothpick.

"You okay?" Chuck asked.

"Yeah…" Blair lied. "I wish I didn't feel so distant from S. A lot seems to have changed while I've been gone."

"Why did you stay away?"

She looked up at met his eyes. He was now looking at her with a combination of curiosity and irritation. She nearly recoiled when he leaned back over the table and took another bite of his dinner. His eyes were still on her, waiting for an answer.

"I couldn't come back here after the engagement ended" Blair said evasively. "I was just so embarrassed and I was worried I would be stalked by paparazzi and my picture would be everywhere along with headlines mocking me for not ending up with Prince Charming. It would be too humiliating."

"Makes sense" Chuck said.

"And… I don't know. I wasn't sure how long I should stay away and then it seemed like there wasn't much tying me back to New York. I no longer had college, I no longer…" She trailed off. She had no longer had Chuck but she couldn't say that. "Somehow I just ended up staying longer than I had planned and the longer I was away the harder it seemed to come back."

Chuck nodded slightly and finished his dinner, neatly arranging his knife and fork on the plate before washing the last bite down with a sip of wine.

"Things have changed" he said. "Question is, will you stick around to catch up?"

"What do you mean?"

"Once we've averted your crisis will you be getting on a plane and once again turning our fearsome foursome into a trio?"

She smiled slightly.

"Once I get everything here sorted out I have every confidence that I will be sticking around" she said.

He nodded thoughtfully.

"You know, I've been wondering how come you haven't stayed in touch with me or Nate or Serena but you've been best pals with Dan Humphrey of all people. Why would anyone subject themselves to his company for any stretch of time if it's not necessary?"

"Be careful Bass" Blair warned. "You have no idea what he's done for me. He's been a good friend. I don't take kindly to people badmouthing my friends."

"Alright then. Forget I said anything." He emptied his glass and sat it down on the table. "Better get started on all that catching up with the rest of us if you're going to stick around."

He smiled and Blair wanted to believe that he was smiling because he was happy to hear she was staying. Little did he know that not only would she stay in New York; she would bring their son over to America and introduce him to his father. Blair was not the only one who had a lot of catching up to do.

Serena ended up leaving with the guy she had been flirting with. Chuck offered Blair a ride home and they sat together in the back of his limo, both looking straight ahead at first, feeling a touch awkward. Neither one of them could help thinking about their most memorable limo ride together. After a few minutes Chuck turned his head briefly towards her before looking straight ahead again. She turned to look at him seconds later. This was repeated twice before they both started to chuckle.

"Some things never change, do they?" Blair said. "What is it now, ten years with the same limo? I think you're supposed to trade them in after just a year or two and get a newer, cooler model."

"I like this one" Chuck said simply.

Feeling nervous Blair started digging through her purse, hoping to find a lipstick, her phone, anything she could occupy herself with. She was in dire need of distraction. Sitting so close to him, just the two of him in his limo, made her feel things she definitely shouldn't. Not when he had a girlfriend. She wished with all her heart that said girlfriend wasn't real, that it was something Chuck had conjured up in order to see if she would be jealous. She wanted him, badly. Not just for herself but for her son. Sebastian deserved to have a real family and Blair had been denying him one for far too long.

"Blair" Chuck said softly.

"What?" Blair said shortly, looking up at him.

"We're here."

She looked surprised. Then she realized that the limo had stopped.

"Oh…"

In a rather ungraceful fashion she fumbled to find the door handle. Once her hand was on it she paused and looked at Chuck again. He had a slight smile on his lips and was looking at her in a way she enjoyed. She wanted to stay for just another moment and pretend that there was no girlfriend. She was completely unprepared when the driver opened the door from the outside and as a result she nearly fell out the door. Luckily she was able to find balance before she embarrassed herself and she hoped Chuck hadn't noticed. She thanked him for the ride home and stepped out of the car.

"Hey Waldorf!" he called after her.

She stopped and turned. He had scooted closer to the door and was leaning forward so they could see each other better. She expected him to say something along the lines of "see you tomorrow" but he said something else.

"God, how I've missed you."

The comment was so unexpected it made her jaw drop. He had barely gotten the words out before the driver slammed the door shut and lifted his cap to Blair before heading back to the driver's seat. She stood there for a few seconds, too surprised to walk inside even though it had started to rain and she was getting cold. Then a smile spread across her face and for the first time since that morning she felt good. She walked inside, wishing she could call Sebastian but he was asleep and besides, she couldn't gush to her son about what his father had just said.

In the back of the limo Chuck sank back against the leather seats and closed his eyes. He hadn't intended on saying what he had said; it had just slipped out. He couldn't take the words back and he knew he didn't really want to. Unfortunately, having said them could make things complicated.

He reached over and picked up a handkerchief that had fallen from her purse when she was rummaging through it. He let his fingers play with it, finding it a touch endearing that she had had it embodied with an S. Clearly she hadn't forgotten her best friend even though she hadn't contacted her much.

He lifted the handkerchief to his nose and breathed in deeply. It smelled of her. One of his favorite scents. He smiled to himself and for the moment forgot all about the fact that he was on his way to his girlfriend. When that thought hit he told the driver to take him to the place he shared with Nate instead. He balled up the handkerchief and put it in his pocket. Blair might not need it back right away. He could hold on to it for a little while.

So that was chapter three.

Now… There are a few things I would like to say regarding reviews.

Reviews don't need to be positive. I love getting positive feedback but I don't expect people to like everything I write, or every aspect of a story they enjoy. What should not be included in reviews are negative comments towards other reviewers. I've said before that unsigned reviews will be removed if they are bashing towards other reviewers, or towards me or the story. For the time being I have disabled anonymous reviews alltogether.

That being said, the vast majority of reviewers are both kind and respectful whether they are giving positive feedback or not. I really appreciate you guys and you are more helpful to me than you know. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts!

Thanks for reading this chapter! I'm going on a mini-vacation now so I don't know when I will be updating next. Hopefully before September but we'll see.