Brutal Honesty

Chapter 4. Best laid plans… are easy to ruin

There was only one way of Chuck finding out who the girl was who caused all this ruccus. Serena and Blair had been blown to bits, Nate had gotten the verbal beating of a lifetime, according to Nate Dan had gotten a preaching not of this world and he wasn't sure who else had been put in harms way. No, her name was Katie. Not harm. He smiled to himself in the limo and buzzed down the window.

"We're taking a detour," he said. "I'd like to stop by Lily's house for a quick visit."

"Sure, Mr Bass."

It was time he met the Hudson girl.

"No, he cannot, and I will not-" Jenny said loudly, exasperated. "Katie, there is one thing about me and Nate that you don't seem to understand-"

"I understand just fine, Jen. Nate cares for you, more than he will admit right now. And you need to be strong, go back to Hudson and just wait it out. The Gossip Girl blast doesn't reach Hudson in the same way," she said sympathetically.

The elevator dinged and Katie looked over Jenny's shoulder. She saw a pair of beige pants and a shirt walking towards them. Jenny looked at Katie, panic in her eyes.

"Jenny, you're home?" his voice drawled. Katie looked at his handsome face and his way of moving. Man, this guy was some piece of work.

"Short week, long weekend," Jenny blurted out.

"Ah, I see." He turned his eyes on Katie and looked from Jenny to Katie. "And who might you be?" he asked in a velvety voice. Hoho, if she hadn't known better!

"Katilin. Corrigan. And you're the fish."

Chuck's eyes widened and Jenny suppressed a snicker.

"Charles Bass," Chuck corrected. "A pleasure, I'm sure."

"Bass is a fish," Katie pointed out and smiled a sarcastic smile while pulling her hair up.

Chuck just stood there for a moment not knowing what to say. "True enough." He could give her that one. He sat down by the breakfast table. "So, how long are you staying Jenny? I think Blair might want to know…"

"We met Blair the other day," Katie said with a small and somewhat evil smile.

He liked her. "Did you now?"

"Yeah," Jenny said meakly. Katie wanted to reach across the table and slap her back to her senses. But that wouldn't be any good, and wouldn't work, as long as the fish was around.

"It was nice to meet you, Fishy, but Jen and me, we got places to go, people to see." She got up from the table, waiting for Jenny to react. "Come on," she said, putting a firm hand on Jenny's shoulder.

"What people?" Chuck asked, just as they were about to go up the stairs. Jenny finally snapped out of it and smiled down at him.

"Poor people, people who work in thrift shops and love used clothes. Wanna come, Chuck?" she asked pointedly.

"No."

Katie laughed. "We didn't think so."

Jenny was getting dressed when the door opened and she shreiked. Katie glared at the person opening the door, her back to Jenny in the normal fashion and her head tilted in annoyance at the cold eyes on the other side.

"Sorry," he said, and then he looked Katie over. "May I borrow you for a moment?" he asked her, and she looked over her shoulder at Jenny who was hiding behind a curtain.

"Go. Maybe I can change in peace," she said hurriedly.

Katie laughed. "Fine."

She shut the door behind her, pressing her back against it and looked at Chuck. "What do you want?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing," he said slowly.

"Okay," she cut off. "What is it you think you know?"

He chuckled slowly. "Oh I don't think I know anything, Corrigan." His voice was hard as he spoke her name, it was pointedly, like it was the only name that counted. Her heart sank.

"Damn you," she said softly. "How could I not have seen this coming?" She shook her head. "Of course. Now, what to you want?"

"I want-" and he thought about it for a good long while. "You."

"Denied."

He laughed.

"I don't think you understand, Kaitlin, I wasn't asking for a date. I'm just telling you. And since I know all about your brother-"

"Leave him and my sister out of this!" she growled, taking a step towards him.

"Your sister, I only heard of a brother," he said in a slightly different tone.

She looked away. "She's dead," she said in a quiet voice. But then she looked up and anger blazed in her eyes. "But with the sick things you people do to each other, I wouldn't be surprised if you tried throwing her in my face. I happened to love my sister a lot, and I won't be hurt by anything you say about her. She was confused but never did anything wrong."

He nodded. He knew what it felt like to have someone die on you. To just disappear and not think twice of the people left behind. He looked her over again, this time she looked different to him. She wasn't just a firecracker. She was... vulnerable. She was tougher than Blair, nowhere near as mean and she had an inner fire that he couldn't wait to explore a little better.

"My brother is in the army now, Bass, even petty theft isn't that bad if you compare it to some of the things you've done, I'm sure of it. And my sister's..." She swallowed hard. "Suicide, she had already been unstable for months, years even, and when our mother got re-married and our brother enlisted, she just couldn't, couldn't fight anymore."

His eyes seemed to soften and she shook her head.

"You had nothing on me?"

"You sound surprised," he said sweetly. "I may seem cold as a fish to you Kaitlin, but-"

Jenny opened the door, looking at the scene in front of her. Katie looking vulnerable and Chuck looking sweet. She was about to say something when Chuck's phone rang.

"Saved by the bell," Katie breathed and took Jenny's hand to pull her away from Chuck, who looked as stunned as ever.

"Oh my god!" Jenny laughed as the elevator doors closed. "Katie!"

"Don't Jenny. I thought he was gonna throw my sister in my face, and I let my guard down. I was stupid."

"He looked at you like you were human!" Jenny said incrediously.

"He did not."

"He did too!"

They entered the foyer and Jenny walked backwards, calling out somewhat loud "Chuck and Katie, sittin in a tree – K-I-S-S-I-N-"

"Gee, what do we have here?" Blair said, her voice putting ice in both of the girls veins. Katie turned and glared at her.

"We were just leaving," she said and quickly walked past both her and Serena.

"Not so quick," Blair said, catching Jenny's arm in a tight grip. "You and your friend might have the boys fooled, Little J, but we know you're here to de-throne whoever you can."

Katie started laughing hysterically."De-throne?" she squeaked, holding her stomach she was laughing so hard. "Oh my god, you are such- such a dramaqueen," she panted, looking at Blair with pure amusement. "De-throne? This isn't a kingdom, Blair, this is a city made up of islands and people, steel and concrete and bodies buried deep within constructions you wish there wasn't bodies in. Get a grip!" she snapped. "And that blast was so immature!"

She slapped Blair's hand, the one holding Jenny's arm, and stepped in between them.

"You really think you're different from us?" Serena said in a condesending tone.

"No. I don't think I am different. I know I am." And then the stare-off began. Serena's eyes held Katie's and neither of them seemed to be able to budge anytime soon.

"Kait," Jenny said softly.

"Gimme a minute," Katie said, not taking her eyes off Serena.

Jenny had seen alley cats do this when she'd lived in Brooklyn, she never thought people did it until she came into the world of the Upper East siders. But what surprised her was the confidence Katie had here. Like she... belong, like it was her place in life to put these other people in place.

"Who are you? Really?" Serena hissed.

"Your worst nightmare come to life?" Katie snickered with a stern look."But do you really want to know?"

Serena nodded, them still not looking away.

"My mother designed that dress," she said, pointing to Serena's dress. "And my father probably manufactured some part of that phone, there, Blair." Jenny looked at Blair, who's phone was being tapped at as Katie spoke.

"WHAT?" the blond and the brunette exclaimed, Serena looking away from Katie to look at Blair, their words echoing around the foyer.

Jenny laughed. "God, you two are so stupid."

"You're a society kid?" Chuck's voice echoed along with the laugh of Jenny.

"No," Katie said, looking at Chuck. "I grew up in Hudson. My parents just happened to be good at what they do."