Sticks and Stones/Skulls and Bones

Summary: In the wake of his father's death, Chuck Bass discovers that he is an heir to membership in a secret society. The society provides him with a mentor, to help him rebuild his life. Chuck also enlists the help of Blair, as his membership process becomes more difficult. With Blair helping him, will Chuck emerge with his heart intact? (Chuck/Blair, Serena/Nate)

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Sticks and Stones/Skulls and Bones

Disclaimer: I do not own Gossip Girl. I am just a dreamer, who wishes that Chair would happily get together. Since we don't get a Gossip Girl Valentine's Day special from the CW, we can create our own. I must confess that I have a great fondness for Brooklyn; some of my happiest memories have been made there.

If you like this storyline or even if you don't, send me a review.

Blair left the limo with a longing glance towards Chuck. What had started as a tense encounter, had evolved into a tender moment. She was still reeling from the news that Chuck would be attending Yale, in the fall. She had started to distance herself from him, because she wasn't sure that either one of them could handle what would happen when they were accepted to different colleges. After all, she had been able to predict that turmoil that destroyed Dan and Serena She and Chuck were not resilient enough to survive the drama caused by long distance relationships.

However, attending Yale together, was an entirely different scenario. It seemed as though Chuck were changing, for the better. If he were at Yale, he would have to accept responsibility for his academic performance. He would be surrounded by people who were destined to become America's future leaders. Even joining a secret society at Yale would be much more work than he was ever accustomed to. Blair gave a small smile, then signaled to Serena that she had arrived.

The drive to the address listed on his invitation was a bit of a lengthy one. He had given the invitation to Rodolpho, who started driving towards the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn. The building listed on the invitation appeared to be a church, but had a sign for the real estate agency, Corcoran. The company specialized in the sale of converted warehouses and churches, which were popular with some of Brooklyn's wealthiest artists.

Chuck emerged from the limo, but did not see anyone posted at the door. He attempted to open the door, but it was locked. His only option left was to use one of the large brass door knockers to bang on the door. After three knocks, a small wooden side panel opened, allowing one of the men inside to peer outside.

"State the translation", this man said brusquely.

"All glory and honor is his", Chuck said. With his statement, large doors opened, allowing him into what once was the outer sanctuary of the church. As he patiently waited, he continued to study the architecture that surrounded him. The building was beautiful; Corcoran always did a wonderful job with preserving the character of such structures. The irony of the situation was that he was always opposed to the concept of converting a former church into private residences or concert halls.

After a few minutes, the same guy who delivered the invitation, came out to greet him.

"Do you have your blindfold? If so, you have to put it on, now", he instructed.

Chuck tied the leather blindfold around his head and allowed the guy to lead him down what seemed to be a long hallway. The guy preceded to knock on the door of the room three times, then repeated the phrase that was asked of him. Next, he was led inside the room and asked to sit in a modest wooden chair.

"Charles, I cannot tell you how happy I am to see you here", said an extremely familiar male voice.

Chuck wondered who the source of the voice was, then asked, "Who are you? Why am I here?"

The man responded with, "Ah, Chuck, I guess I should stop having fun with you. You may take off your blindfold".

Chuck was amazed to discover that the man in front of him, was none other than Harold Waldorf. He had been invited to join this society, by Blair's father?

"I am sure you were expecting a different kind of party, weren't you? In the future, there will be grand soirées and lavish events. This organization can provide you with everything you have ever dreamed of. In return, we ask that you prove your loyalty to the society", Harold said.

A million questions swirled in Chuck's head. The first that he could articulate was, "Why are you the member interviewing me?"

Harold paused, then stated, "I am one of the few people in this society with a vested interest in your future. Besides, I was friends with your father; he would have wanted it to be this way".

"What kind of personal interests do you have regarding me, Harold?", Chuck asked.

Harold stiffened, then said sarcastically, "I am the interviewer, you are the interviewee. With that, I will start with the questions. What are your intentions regarding my daughter? From what I understand, you once described her as being similar to one of your father's horses. She was ridden hard and put away wet?"

Chuck began to shift nervously and felt very uneasy. "How could you know about that?", he questioned.

"Once again, I am the one asking the questions. What are your intentions towards my daughter?", Harold asked in a somewhat harsh tone.

Hesitantly, Chuck said, "I am not sure, sir. Don't get me wrong, I care about your daughter. We just never seem to see eye to eye. Then, we start to say or do hurtful things towards another. After that, we make up and everything seems wonderful. This cycle has been repeated more times than I care to admit".

"If you care about Blair, why are you here, right now? From what I understand, she is attending an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum, tonight. Why didn't you just join her?", Harold asked.

Chuck contemplated the question, then answered, "I knew that I wanted to join the society. Not coming to this meeting, may have jeopardized my membership. I can always try to catch up with Blair, later".

In that moment, Chuck realized that he and Harold were not the only people in the room. In the shadows, there twelve cloaked men emerged It seemed as though they had been waiting for him to confess something.

Harold said, "That is why we brought you here, tonight, Charles Bass. To test your loyalty. Today, you proved that you can be loyal to both my daughter and the society".

Chuck realized that Harold knew what he had done for Blair. Chuck nervously wondered how Harold, who was seemingly innocent in most ways, could have found out so much personal information about him. On one hand, he was fascinated; on the other hand, he was freaking out. For once, the tactic he often used with others was being utilized against him.

Harold continued, "By contacting the Dean of Admissions for Blair, you have proven that you can use your influence to help others. All of the men in this room have taken an oath, that they will use their power and wealth for the greater good of mankind. Congratulations, Charles. You have passed the first trial. You may now leave, but you cannot tell Blair that I was here". With no further words, Harold handed Chuck a file folder and left the room.

"Wait, Harold, where are you going? What am I supposed to do with this folder?", Chuck asked.

The guy who originally led him into the room stepped forward. "Mr. Bass, please put your blindfold back on. Any information you need, at this time, will be found in the folder", he said.

Chuck replaced his blindfold and followed the unnamed guy out of the building. Once outside, he removed it and turned around. The mystery guy had left, locking the doors to the building behind him. "That had been an interesting encounter", he thought. Honestly, he had expected the night to be a bit more exciting. At least, it was relatively early.

After waiting outside for a few minutes, Chuck realized that his driver was not nearby. As he was about to call Rodolpho, a phone call came in. The call was from Blair.

"Chuck, where are you? Some guy called me and told me that I needed to leave the gala, to meet you. When I went outside, your driver and limo were waiting for me. Do you know where we are headed?", she asked.

"No, but I think I may have been given a clue", he said. Chuck opened the folder, to find a city map, with a location circled. It appeared to be in Williamsburg; if his driver did not return, he would have to take a taxi. Chuck Bass would never take the subway, even if the "L" line was one of the cleanest. He told Blair, "I have a map; we are going to meet somewhere in Williamsburg. Stay in the limo until I arrive".

After further investigation, Chuck found an address on the back of the map, along with what appeared to be a riddle. It said, "58 N. 3rd St.: worshiped in Thailand, here it is a town".

Even though he usually spent most of his time in Thailand, intoxicated, he knew that many Thai people thought moneys were a sacred animal. He looked up the address on his cell phone; he and Blair were going to an establishment called Monkeytown. With this knowledge, he hailed a taxi and headed towards Williamsburg.

While he was riding in the taxi, he continued to investigate the contents of folder. In addition to the map, there was a small envelope and a slightly larger photo envelope .

Chuck opened the photo envelope, first. Inside, he found a photo that had to have been taken a year ago. He and Blair were together, holding hands, at a bar. Out of curiosity, he opened the smaller envelope. The smaller envelope contained a handwritten note, from his father.

The note read:

Dear Charles,

If you are reading this letter, I am probably not longer with you. Although, we had our differences, I want you to know that you are everything I have wanted in a son. My only concern with you, lies in your inability to maintain healthy relationships. As you may be starting to realize, drinking and womanizing leads to loneliness and heartbreak.

With hopes that you would attend Yale, I enlisted the help of Harold Waldorf. He is a stalwart Yale man and has only your best interests in mind. However, his only request is that you treat his daughter as respectfully as possible. Blair seems like an intelligent girl; she could prove to be a great asset. With Harold's help, I hope that you will find your purpose in life.

I have always loved you.

Sincerely,

Your Father