Author's Note: Happy New Year to you all. I hope you all had some good holiday fun and got to enjoy yourselves. It's been a while, so I have to admit that it took me a while to get back into the swing of things. So I hope you enjoy the chapter and I look forward to your feedback on the chapter. Don't forget to check out the Author's Note in the next chapter with a bit of a sneak peek in what to expect of 2013 from Rise to Power.

Author Question: Has anyone been to the Bahamas? if so can you give the places to stay at or things to do?

Campaign 400 Progress= If going for 400, 253 more to go. If going for 500, 353 more to go.


Quaternary: Rise to Power

Chapter Eight- Mommy Dearest


Stepping off the elevator, Dan looked around the office to see that no one had made it in yet, which gave him ample time to enjoy the quietness. Heading towards his designated office space that Alessandra had set him up with, Dan stopped off in the kitchen to get a quick cup of coffee before proceeding on to his office. Closing the door behind him, Dan stared on at his lap top that he had sitting on the desk as if it were waiting for his arrival all day long. Taking a deep breath, Dan sighed in frustration as he ran his hand through his hair before he felt the vibration of his cell phone. Peaking at the caller identification on his phone, Dan clenched his eyes as he hated to avoid Eleanor's calls but he didn't have the heart to deal with her pending request she had made of him. Putting his book bag on the floor, Dan walked towards the desk and slowly took his seat in front of the computer screen. Taking a few moments, Dan went right in as he felt the only way to conquer the beast was to just write.

Keep on moving to the first rays of dawn

Keeping it on till the day stays strong

Keepin till the night time blazes on

All along I keep singing my song

I said, this phase is always

Sometimes I get so crazed

But just know that I'll always stay

'Cause you're my life through the haze

Smiling proudly at his mock drawing of The Empire, Carter quickly rose from his seat as he hoisted the picture up on the wall in the office at Victrola. With his arms folded, Carter imagined the greatness that could ensue with the possibilities of The Empire, so much so that his visions were beginning to feed in to his drive that only craved for his idea to become a reality. Sitting and staring at the picture, Carter knew that he had to make this come to life, he had to go for it but he knew before he took this journey he'd have to make sure he knew where Chuck stood in all of this. Reaching back to grab his phone off the desk, Carter sent a quick text to Chuck.

Carter: Meeting Victrola. URGENT!

It's time for a champion

Soothe the soul of the land

Mend the heart from the sea and the sand

'til the sun comes up again

Jotting down the notes as the Professor spoke, Blair found that she was doing the repeated action of looking up to see what was on the board then down to her paper to jot down her notes. Once the teacher had eased up, Blair was relieved to see that they had reached the end of the notes. Leaning back in her chair, Blair breathed a sigh of relief as she wasn't sure that her hand could take anymore. Blair felt like it was just her luck to end up with a teacher that preferred to collect notes that were hand written so he could see that the students were actually paying attention to what he was saying. Blair thought that she would at least get some sort of bonding moment with her fellow classmates but still found that she was still amongst the least liked in the class. Seeing the teacher's assistant begin to pass out the tests from last week, Blair began to gather her stuff together before she got up from her seat. Walking down the steps towards the head of the class, Blair grabbed her test after a few moments of waiting. Looking on at the grade, Blair stood in shock as she looked on her first good college grade that she had earned and received.

Reach for the sky

Keep your eye on the prize

Forever in my mind

Be my golden sunshine

It's raining in your mind

So push them clouds aside

Forever by my side

You're my golden sunshine

Sipping her coffee as she walked through the halls of the school on her way to class, Jenny looked on in awe as she read the pages of indie fashion blogs by one of the students. Stopping short of her classroom, Jenny laughed as she immediately took her phone out and went to the blog and immediately left a comment of praise on the blog. Just as she began to put her phone away, Jenny quickly received a text from Chuck. Pausing for a moment, Jenny leaned up against the wall as she was a bit intrigued to talk with Chuck, even it was just through text message.

Sunset I let myself down

Found the ground beneath my feet gone

No more words were there to speak

On that day my song was born

Never meant to leave you all alone

Said I'd be your shelter from the storm

Now your clothes have all been torn

Kingdom sacked attacked and dethroned

Opening up the door, Tyler buttoned up his shirt as he quickly tried to black out the latest hook up or slip up with Georgina. Grabbing her shoes off the floor, Georgina poked her head out to look down the hallway to make sure the coast was clear of his neighbors that had been complaining about all the noise they had been keeping it up the past few days. What was Tyler's attempt to make it a one night stand for her benefit, Tyler couldn't help but feel disappointed at his lack of restraint. Dashing out of the apartment, Tyler watched as she headed out of the building before he just leaned up against the door frame. Cursing himself for being so weak, Tyler forced himself to put it out of his memory and move to the next part of the day that would hopefully not include Georgina.

Reach for the sky

Keep your eye on the prize

Forever in my mind

Be my golden sunshine

It's raining in your mind

So push them clouds aside

Forever by my side

You're my golden sun


Leaning back in his chair, Dan looked on nervously as he watched Alessandra pace the floor with his latest piece of work in hand. Nervously playing with his hands, trying to focus on something other than the fact that Alessandra was reading his latest attempt to write a decent story; Dan would pay to hear the thoughts running through her head because his mind was just going in every direction possible. Finally reaching the final page of the twenty page preview of his work, Alessandra read with much attention as she possibly could before she turned to face Dan slowly. Leaning forward, Dan waited with much anticipation as he wore this look on his face that seemed more pleading than ever to hear her thoughts. Walking towards the desk, Alessandra put the paper down on the desk before she took a seat.

"So what'd you think?" Dan asked as Alessandra took a moment to access her thoughts

"….I think you're….you need help" Alessandra slowly stated as Dan just huffed in disappointment "I think you need to clear your mind or do something drastic to spark another surge of writing such as this one…" she began to suggest

"But produce something better" Dan concluded

"Well in not so many words, yes" Alessandra agreed hesitantly as she could see how disappointed Dan was "Is everything okay with Blair?" she asked

"Yes, everything is fine" Dan replied

"How about the family?" Alessandra asked "How is Jennifer and Rufus?" she asked eagerly as Dan looked at her strangely

"What are you doing?" Dan asked

"I'm inquiring about your life. I'm trying to see what is ailing you because I'm not understanding what is going on with you" Alessandra told him as she tried to appeal to him

"My life and my relationships are okay" Dan sighed "It's just not easy to produce another book that is a quote, unquote hit after Insider" he said

"We're not asking you to write another tell all Dan" Alessandra said

"I know. I know. I just feel like maybe I'm trying to reach the same level of success like Insider. I mean let's face it, this book will be my real debut into the literary world" Dan said

"Which I understand, but right now you're living off the success of Insider. So much so that it's bought you lee way that the execs don't usually give people" Alessandra sighed

"What do you mean?" Dan asked

"It means that you need to deal with whatever is blocking you from delivering a story because the execs aren't going to wait around any longer. They want a story, and a good one" Alessandra told him

"I always enjoy our talks. They leave me more…depressed" Dan smiled sarcastically as he leaned back in his chair

"Take the day off, get rid of the distractions for your own sake and for your career's sake" Alessandra sighed before she made her way out of the office, leaving Dan alone with his thoughts. Processing what Alessandra told him, Dan nodded in pure agony before he laid the side of his face down on the coolness of his desk.

"Why me!?" Dan groaned


Walking along with the flow of the student body foot traffic, Blair walked over towards the food cart to get what she thought was a decent muffin. The stinginess of the handler to give her the biggest blueberry muffin left her a bit astounded, but Blair figured it was a battle not worth fighting with the little like she received on the campus from her earlier debut. Picking at her muffin, Blair showed a look of disgust as she didn't factor in the eventual staleness at the piece she picked off. Walking towards the waiting Humphrey that sat in the courtyard, Blair took her seat beside Jenny as she just huffed and puffed about her muffin. Doing her homework as they sat, Jenny couldn't help but put a pause to her working period to incur what was going on.

"If you don't like it, you can throw it away" Jenny told her

"I can't. My budget doesn't allow me to do such a thing" Blair replied

"Oh, that's right. You're in middle class living now" Jenny teased "How is that going for you?" she asked

"I have to remind myself that love is important above all else…." Blair began to say

"What's your head really saying?" Jenny quickly asked

"I want to organize a planned kidnapping of your brother so I could have a shopping spree without his judgmental eye in tow" Blair quickly replied as Jenny just laughed

"I'm sure you can manage some sort of lavishness on your so called budget" Jenny reasoned

"Let's put it this way, I have caviar taste but a Target budget that can afford it" Blair replied "Plus, I have this whole guilt when I contemplate buying something expensive because I supposedly have to consider Dan in my decision making now" she said

"Well there is a way you could cure that" Jenny told her

"How?" Blair asked

"The traditional get a job way" Jenny suggest

"I'd swear the Humphrey's would be a prime suspect of being Gossip Girl if there was true logic behind it, but since there isn't any, I presume you to be insensitive to my pain" Blair replied

"Even if one bit of logic was correct in that assumption, I wouldn't martyr myself up in such a fashion as Gossip Girl did while I was in high school" Jenny replied "But I think this is the answer to your problem. You want the luxuries, now you just have to earn them the old fashioned way, the way in which your parents were able to" she said

"I'm not opposed to the idea. I mean I kind of figured that I would have some job that would allow me to reach my corporate savy mind" Blair said as she thought to herself

"Good. Maybe you could work as a clerk in the student union" Jenny suggested

"Yeah, I'm not seeing corporate success in scanning books while picking my nose when I think no one is looking. I want to see the ladder, so I know the levels it takes to overthrow the higher ups" Blair said

"Okay that is something you shouldn't say on an interview. Takedowns is not a shining quality on a resume" Jenny quickly replied "We'll find something that is Blair like" she told her "But again, minus the takeovers" she added once more so that Blair understood

"Job searching. Wow, I feel all tingly inside and strangely saddened by the prospect" Blair said

"You're seeing that whole working at the Student Union, aren't you?" Jenny asked

"Yes, it's horrifying me. That's not one of the job options. Make sure that's not one of the job options" Blair quickly told her with much nervousness on her face.


Taking his coat off as he entered the club, Chuck looked on as the girls finished up the final touches on their rehearsals before tonight's show. Watching for a moment, Chuck was torn away by the vibrations of his cell phone. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Chuck sighed as he looked on to see that it was his mother calling. Certain that she was calling for business reasons, Chuck put the call to voicemail before he tucked it back into his pocket. Heading towards the office, Chuck saw Carter sitting at the desk with his feet up on the desk so that he was at a maximum comfortable level that was sure to annoy Chuck. Tossing his coat on to the couch in the office, Chuck rolled his sleeves up as he walked over to pour himself a drink at the mini bar they had in the office.

"You demand me, I'm here. What is it that is so called urgent?" Chuck asked as he looked over at Carter

"I need an answer" Carter quickly cut to the chance as Chuck looked at him with a bit of confusion "I need an answer about The Empire. I gave you ample time to give me an answer but I can't wait anymore, we can't wait anymore" he told him

"I see, have you sought any other resources?" Chuck asked

"No, you're my business partner and I want this to be our opportunity" Carter told him "Chuck, if all goes well with The Empire, we could possibly cast our ballot for the Maxwell with this" he said

"And how do you figure that?" Chuck asked as he sipped on his drink

"Victrola's profit margins are rising to where our earnings are just unbelievable from where we first started off at. Adding the element of The Empire mixed with Victrola, we could make our Metroplis, to where the business world has no choice but to put us in the running for The Maxwell" Carter reasoned

"You sure you should have high hopes with your loyalties?" Chuck asked with a bit of smirk

"I'm not doing anything to hurt the Waldorf's but the title is vacant, and we've worked hard enough to be considered" Carter said "My loyalties remain, but this is my job" he said before a silence came between them as Chuck took a moment to think "So what do you say? Are you in or out?" he asked once more

"I'm in" Chuck said after a few moments

"Yes!" Carter declared happily "This is going to be major. You just single handedly signed on to our biggest success" he said

"Let's not put cart before horse, we still have to work with contractors and do permits that are legit. Everything about this operation needs to be legit" Chuck said

"Absolutely" Carter agreed "In fact, we need to throw a party. We need a big ass party to lament the fact that Baizen and Bass are embarking upon The Empire. We could advertise the pending business venture, drum up backers financially, get extra heads in for Victrola, get a stocked bar going. There is no other way we can celebrate but do this" he said

"And somehow I knew you'd find a way to mix in partying" Chuck said

"You could use one, you and the wife could use one" Carter told him

"What makes you say that?" Chuck asked

"Because you've been all mopey and pathetic since the last time we video chatted over the holidays. I personally think that if it comes down to the wife and mother, you have to go with the wife" Carter said

"And that very reason proves that you have no idea about what you're talking about" Chuck laughed

"You can't have sex with your mother. Less in case you have incest in your family, otherwise that's….yeah, that's still disgusting. You need to get sex from your wife and this party could be a means to do just that" Carter told him

"I'm not using this party to get my wife to sleep with me" Chuck replied

"Because staying at separate places is doing wonders for you. Either you have become so involved with Bass Industries that they've sucked the horny out of you or you simply have a great porn collection that leaves you smoking a cigarette satisfied" Carter concluded

"Stop talking about my sex life!" Chuck groaned

"You're getting some my friend, I will see to that" Carter laughed as he made his way out of the office. Shaking his head at Carter's antics, Chuck once again felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Sighing as he pulled the phone out, Chuck looked on at the caller identification before he answered.

"Yes" Chuck answered the phone

"Thorpe is here. Now where are you?" Elizabeth asked

"I have other work mother. I was tending to future business, but I will be there in a few moments" Chuck said

"Oh, is this business having to deal with the rumors of an Empire that you've been toiling with?" Elizabeth asked

"Yes, very much so. An Empire that I intend to be a part of with Carter" Chuck said as he looked over at the picture of the mock up drawing of The Empire. Looking at the picture, Chuck couldn't help but smile as he looked on proudly at his future investment that would surely put him in the presence of the elite businessmen of New York.

"By all means, every person should want to be behind a success in the making" Elizabeth replied as the thought became intriguing to her.


Sitting in the bed, Blair scrolled through the job listings on the lap top as she couldn't help but scoff at a few. Going through all the listings, Blair found that finding her perfect job wasn't an easier task like she had suspected because most of the jobs wanted applicants with degrees all ready. Letting out a sigh as the ones that she thought were perfect for her, were simply unattainable as she in the process of trying to get a degree. Coming out of the bathroom in just his pajama bottoms on, Dan wiped what water was left on his body. Noticing that Blair was in deep concentration as she sat on the bed with the laptop in her lap, Dan looked on at the screen for a bit as he was a bit shocked.

"What are you up to now?" Dan asked as he hung the towel up on the bathroom rack

"I'm looking for a job" Blair sighed as Dan walked over towards his side of the bed to get in

"How did we logically get to this conclusion?" Dan asked as he got comfortable in his spot in the bed "What plan is in tact?" he followed up by asking

"I want more money" Blair replied as she closed the laptop to put to the side

"Blair, we agreed…" Dan began to say

"No, I'm not complaining. I just want to buy the things I want without feeling guilt over going past our assigned budget. Jenny suggest that…." Blair began to say

"Okay, this just got worse. My sister is the mastermind behind this?" Dan asked

"Is it so unnatural for me to want a job? I mean look at you, you have a job" Blair stated

"No, it's not unnatural. It's actually something I thought would have to be forced upon you but I'm glad to see that you're progressing" Dan smiled as he rested his head against his pillow "Plus, at the moment I'm not liking my job" he said

"Why?" Blair asked as she laid on her side to face him after turning out her lamp on her side "What's going on?" she asked

"I wrote something today, thinking that maybe it would lead the path to this book that would appease Arthur and keep my soul in tact. Alessandra didn't like it and she just thinks I'm distracted" Dan told her as he laid on his side to face her

"Did you write that story about the boy and the kite?" Blair asked

"….the kite had a symbolic meaning!?" Dan emphasized

"Do you honestly think that's what you should emphasize? You never even owned a kite?!" Blair said

"It's the only thing that keeps coming to me. This kite and this boy" Dan reasoned as he laid back on his back "It's crap, I know" he sighed

"It's not crap. It's just that you can do better than this kite and the boy. On this one, I can't help but agree with Alessandra on this one. Surely you can come up with some teen angst to fill the pages of a novel, I mean look at your high school career" Blair said

"I don't want to keep writing about high school. I don't want my writing career to be that of the author that keeps writing about high school elitest groups" Dan said

"Not to sound like one of those elitest, but we did help you get recognition" Blair joked as Dan just looked at her "Look something else is going on, I can feel it. It's like your stressing more" she said

"It's not easy writing a book" Dan pouted

"Which I can conclude with the whole pout face you have going on, but it's not like your not capable of doing it. You just need to clear your mind because you've never had this type of writers block" Blair said as Dan just let out a deep sigh before covering his face "Are you scared about something? Are you dealing with something else? What's got you like this?" she asked after a few moments of silence came between them

"I guess you could say fear" Dan said as he turned to look at her "I have so much fear that I'm not even sure what is right and what is wrong" he sighed

"Dan, whatever is going on in that head. I assure you that once you deal with it, you will be great and this book will be great" Blair smiled as she caressed his cheek softly

"So just deal" Dan sighed as Blair moved closer towards Dan to rest her head on his chest

"Get rid of all the distractions" Blair added as Dan knew there was no running from what life was clearly putting in his path.


Making his way up to the hostess, Chuck sighed as he mentioned who he was here to see. While the hostess fumbled around trying to finding a menu along with where his desired party was sitting, Chuck scanned the restaurant to immediately spot his mother in laughter. Hoping that his mother wasn't telling one of her stories that had little meaning but to show how abstract her thinking was, Chuck quickly bypassed the fumbling waitress and made his way over towards the table. Laughing and talking as if they were some chummy high school friends, Chuck looked on up close and personal to witness it for himself. Noticing his appearance, Russel Thorpe, immediately turned his attention towards Chuck before extending his hand out to greet Chuck. Getting up from her seat, Elizabeth watched the two of them greet each other before she quickly kissed Chuck on the cheek much to his dismay.

"Mother" Chuck griped as they all took their seats "So I take it that you all have been discussing business" he said as he placed his napkin in his lap before he nodded to greeted the other associates that Russel had with him

"We were actually talking about Russel's daughter, Raina. It appears her holiday excursions have lead her to come to New York for Christmas. I was simply tell him how delayed plans are sometimes the best" Elizabeth smiled

"I wasn't aware that you had a daughter?" Chuck asked

"Yes, she's sight unseen because she's running a division of Thorpe on the west coast. We've always been opposites, even on what parts of the country we prefer to be on" Russel smiled

"Well the holidays are something to look forward to" Chuck smiled "I do hope that after the holidays pass profits will be better and rising for us both" he said

"I happen to think it will. Numbers up from our last quarter, there's no way they can go down at this rate" Elizabeth said

"And that is the mind of an optimist" Russul laughed

"But in all seriousness, I've gone over the margins and the gains with our sales, we are sure to see a twenty five percent increase" Chuck said proudly

"Which I have discovered for myself, and I have to say that makes me a happy man to know that I'm getting richer" Russel smiled as he sipped on his champagne "I hear you have other business ventures coming your way" he then brought up

"I do indeed" Chuck replied

"Russel is well versed in the hotels" Elizabeth said "He has many friends that dabble in some of the most beautiful hotels, you'd think they were monuments by the stature" she smiled

"I've heard" Chuck said

"So much so that I think you two will work well together on this Empire" Elizabeth said as she took a sip of her wine while Chuck couldn't help but look at his mother strangely

"Boy, you two have been talking" Chuck laughed as he signaled the waiter to pour him a glass of champagne "I think you're well aware of the fact that I co-own Victrola with Carter Baizen" he said

"I am. You two have managed to find a gold mind for a starter company" Russel said

"Yes, in which is quite lucrative" Elizabeth smiled "Charles knows business like he knows English. So much so that I think it'd be a brilliant idea for Russel to play a part in the Empire" she said

"It's a welcome idea but I'm sure you've got your hands in everything else to bother with a mere idea" Chuck said as the waiter sat his filled glass of champagne down in front of him as he hoped that the topic would change

"Russel has agreed to help" Elizabeth smiled "You see, the best thing about the merger of Bass and Thorpe is free access to business advice" she said

"Consider our business ventures to be mutual in every sense" Russel smiled cunningly as he took a sip from his champagne

"It's all business Charles, smile" Elizabeth said as she looked on at Chuck, who seemed to not be pleased as the true meaning of this meeting had managed to reveal itself but Chuck could do little to revolt against it.

"Celebratory events will take place this upcoming Saturday" Chuck informed Russel

"Good, I'll be sure to be there" Russel said

"This is exciting, I can see the final mock up now" Elizabeth smiled excitedly "This will be of legends" she said before reaching to take a sip of her champagne


Hearing the sounds of the birds chirping outside of her window, Eleanor slowly opened her eyes to see that Dorota had yet to make her way in to open the curtains as it remained dark in her room. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Eleanor looked over at the clock to see that it was seven in the morning. A quick thought of relief to know that Cyrus had made it to Chicago all right as she recalled her late night phone call with him, Eleanor was ready to take on the day with a bit of ease. Getting out of the bed slowly as any quickened pace would cause her to throw up, Eleanor took each step with much ease and caution. Sitting up on the side of the bed, Eleanor gathered her strength before she rose to her feet. Glancing over towards the sitting area of the room, Eleanor was caught off guard to see Dan sitting in the chair as she quickly became startled.

"Jesus, Dan. You scared me" Eleanor said as she tried to catch her breath

"Good, then I got your attention" Dan said as he quickly got up from his seat to walk over towards the curtains to open them up

"Okay" Eleanor answered awkwardly "Do you mind giving me a few moments? I need to go through the tasks of grooming of the day" she said

"Why'd you ask me?" Dan quickly asked nearly cutting off what she was saying

"What do you mean?" Eleanor asked

"Why'd you ask me to help you with the will? Why are you even doing a will to begin with" Dan asked as a silenced lingered between them

"Because I figured you'd be the least likely to not go into a melt down over the request" Eleanor said "I just want to do this as a simple task that needs to be done" she said

"Done for what? Have the doctors said anything new?" Dan asked

"No, I just want to do this on my own" Eleanor said

"You were like this business tycoon for years upon years, nothing made you do it then?" Dan questioned

"Look if this is a problem…" Eleanor began to say

"There's no problem" Dan quickly replied as they looked at each other skeptically

"I suspect there is one because it would explain why you've avoided coming by the house these past couple of days since my request" Eleanor said "Is this a problem?" she asked

"What do you expect me to say? You're asking for my help in making a will, for an event if you should die. I'm not exactly eager to get to that" Dan replied

"No one has mentioned that" Eleanor said "It's a simple act that needs to be done for years or even days to come, should something happen" she said as a moment of silence came between them

"I stopped by the library this morning. Did a bit of research" Dan said as he turned to get his book bag to pull out his notebook of notes

"So glad to see that you've thought it over" Eleanor said sarcastically as she looked on at the papers Dan had with him

"I couldn't exactly do this stuff in front of Blair, I wasn't even sure I wanted to" Dan sighed

"What made you change your mind?" Eleanor asked

"I wasn't exactly going to turn you down. I don't like it but I'm not going to let you do this on your own" Dan told her as they seemed to have shared a moment "No lawyers. You and me, no one else" he told her

"No lawyers" Eleanor agreed before Dan got up from his seat "Where you going?" she asked

"You need to that whole grooming thing, remember" Dan said as he walked out of the room while Eleanor just laughed to herself. Closing the door behind himself, Eleanor stood in the silence for a few moments as she just thought to herself. Looking down at her attire, Eleanor couldn't help but realize she had on one of the dreadful pair of silk pajamas she could ever imagine. Messing with her hair, Eleanor felt like a mess as she sulked into the bathroom.

"I feel like a mess" Eleanor groaned


Moving about in the kitchen, Jenny did her best to remember what she needed as the last thing she needed to forget was an essential item. Running back into her bedroom to check the computer for an e-mail she was expecting, Jenny sighed as she was met with a rejection that did little to help her spirits. Hearing the sounds of feet shuffling about, Chuck groaned as the sunlight hit heavy on his face to wake him. Slowly moving about in the bed, Chuck looked back to see Jenny staring on at the computer screen as if she was wishing something to appearing. Moving to prop himself up on his forearms to look on at his wife to see the mess that she had become in a matter of minutes of being up. Hearing that Chuck was up, Jenny turned to face him as she was a bit surprised to see that he was up.

"What?" Jenny asked as she couldn't help but notice that Chuck was giving her that face

"Nothing. You just seem like your eager to get something" Chuck replied

"I'm actually waiting for a reply on a message I sent. It's taking a bit longer than I expected" Jenny sighed

"Anything that I could help with?" Chuck asked "You know since I'm clearly in debt to you for your act of late night generosity" he laughed softly

"Speaking of that, what made you opt for the loft other than the penthouse? Did Elizabeth encourage this in any way?" Jenny asked

"I needed to get away from business. Elizabeth as we dub her, she's keying on business for the holidays as opposed to the trappings of cakes and other frilly things that the holidays should bring out" Chuck said

"So I take it that Thanksgiving didn't spark that tradition you were seeking?" Jenny asked

"Thanksgiving was actually good. We sat around the table and ate the bready thing…" Chuck began to say as Jenny just laughed at his description of it

"Stuffing" Jenny said

"Yes, and the macaroni. That was all good until Business Weekly managed to creep it's way onto the table. We made jokes about it…it was actually a good holiday" Chuck said

"See, you had your tradition" Jenny smiled

"It would've been better if you were there, I want my traditions to be with my wife" Chuck said "How long are we going to do this?" he asked

"Do what?" Jenny asked as she sighed

"You here and me there" Chuck said "I got the point, you want our privacy. I want that too, but we can't work through anything with you being here" he said

"Chuck…" Jenny began to say after a few moments of silence. Just as she was ready to crack, Jenny was torn away from her train of thought by the sounds of persistent knocking at the door. "I'll be right back" she said as she went to go answer the door. Opening the door, Jenny could only smell the scent of Chanel pass her by as sounds of babbling went about.

"Okay, so I clearly can't work retail. Working at Macy's isn't as appealing as I once thought it could be, and mind you that I thought that after one wine too many. I refuse to do boutique work with only commission to live off of, so therefore, about forty percent of my job listings disappeared quicker than Mariah Carey's movie career. Avon, that seems….I get this disturbed feeling when I think about selling and trying to convince someone to by a watered down product that you could most likely find a pharmacy store on a late night binge run. I feel like this list is just like pick the worst of the worst" Blair babbled just as Chuck made his way out of the bedroom with his shoes in hand "Oh look, an actual married couple" she then stated as she looked over at Chuck

"Waldorf" Chuck greeted Blair as he sat down to put his shoes on

"I…I washed your jacket because it had a stain on it" Jenny told him as she moved past Blair to go get the jacket that was hanging up in the laundry room

"Oh, thanks" Chuck said as he got up to meet her half way while they awkwardly looked on at each other "Can we talk later on?" he asked

"She can't, she'll be busy helping me" Blair chimed in to say as both Chuck and Jenny turned to look at her "But then again, I'm sure I can enlist the help of Dorota" she said

"I kind of did say I was going to help Blair. We're sort of trying to find her a job" Jenny told him

"A job?" Chuck asked a bit surprised "That's…that's a miracle at work" he laughed

"I am overhearing your conversation, which means I heard that stupid ass remark you made" Blair chimed in

"You could come back again tonight" Jenny told him as Chuck turned to look back at her

"Or we could actually move forward in this, maybe even celebrate" Chuck said

"Yeah, celebrating that you live apart from your wife is nothing you should celebrate and have it fall into the realm of normal…" Blair began to say

"As you were saying!" Jenny said raising her voice so that she could drown out Blair's criticisms

"At Victrola we're having a celebration for a new business venture that Carter and I are planning to embark on" Chuck said

"Are you talking about Empire?" Jenny asked excitedly

"Yes, we agreed on yesterday and now we're going all in" Chuck smiled as Jenny couldn't help but beam with excitedness

"I'm so happy for you two. Carter and you work well together that this only made sense to do together" Jenny smiled

"Yeah, well we want to make a big announcement on it this Saturday" Chuck told her "You both are in fact invited" he said as he looked over at Blair

"So nice of you. Now I hate to break up this awkwardness, but I really need her attention so that we can get to our task of the day" Blair said

"I'll or I'm sure all, including Dan and all…." Jenny began to fumble with words

"Jen" Chuck smiled trying to put her back on track from the babbling

"I'll be there" Jenny smiled as they smiled on at each other for a few moments before his cell phone alarm began to go off.

"Well I have to get going but I'll see you tonight" Chuck said as he gathered his things to leave the loft "Waldorf" he said in passing before he left. Giving Jenny a look, Blair couldn't help but acknowledge what she just saw between the couple.

"Don't start" Jenny quickly said as she tore her reverie away from Chuck's exit path toward Blair's watchful eye. Walking towards the kitchen, Blair quickly followed behind.

"Don't you think it's time you two stop the distance. I mean the only real way to work through this Elizabeth problem that you guys are having" Blair quickly said

"I'm not getting into this with you" Jenny said as she scurried about in the kitchen

"You don't have to, I just saw it for my own eyes. I mean honestly, what's the problem? How is you being here and him being there improving the situation let alone fixing your marriage?" Blair questioned as Jenny found herself to be stooped in Blair's line of questioning. Hearing the ding sound to let her know that she had an incoming e-mail. Taking this opportunity to avoid any line of questions, Jenny ran into her room to check her e-mail to see the desired message she had been waiting for.

"I think we may have something" Jenny said as she finished reading through the message.

"What?" Blair asked a bit confused as to what Jenny was reading

"Your perfect job" Jenny said as she looked over towards Blair with a smile coming across her face.


Breathing a sigh of relief, Tyler was relieved to finally catch some bit of a break from yet another useless staff budget cut meeting. With his article on The Sparks being such a hit, since the intrigue of the takedown of the Waldorfs, Tyler saw his employment as a guaranteed with little threat to him being laid off. Tyler hated to know that his job was guaranteed under any circumstance put in by either Georgina or because of sympathy for being a Waldorf. It hadn't taken people long to identify him as a Waldorf, but Tyler was glad to see that he was getting the full Upper Eastside treatment, to everyone he was still beneath them as he alluded all the qualities of the middle class. Seeing the mayhem of what looked like to be another party on the way in Victrola, Tyler took a seat on one of the barstools as Carter made his way towards the bar.

"You're becoming one of my usual customers" Carter said as he began to move around in the bar area

"News is crap these days. The moment it perks up, consider me gone" Tyler said "I'll have the usual" he said as Carter began to mix the drink for him

"So where is the brunette I saw you with the other day?" Carter asked as Tyler became a bit alarmed

"Brunette? What are you talking about?" Tyler asked nervously

"Uh, I think her name was…Chutney, Courtney or something like that" Carter guessed

"Oh" Tyler said breathing a sigh of relief "Yeah, I'm supposed to be meeting her for lunch here" he told him

"She likes Victrola. I all ready like her" Carter smiled "Keep her, she has great taste" he added as Tyler just laughed "I also want to inform you that Saturday is a must come. We have a big announcement that I'm sure will be newsworthy for you and yours" he said

"Hence the party setup?" Tyler asked

"Yes, hence the party set up. It will be a memorable night that you should most likely be a part of" Carter told him just as Georgina made her way inside of the club. Relieving herself of her coat, Georgina walked over towards the bar to take a seat "Bring Courtney, hopefully that's her name, she'll definitely love the surprise" he said as he began to walk from around the bar before he quickly stopped "Oh, and you're not invited….so yeah" he quickly told Georgina before he once again went on his path towards his office.

"Like I expected to go anyway" Georgina muttered before she looked over at the bartender "I'll take a vodka on the rocks" she said before a silence came between Georgina and Tyler "So are you and Courtney coming to this event?" she then asked after a few moments

"I don't think that's something we should talk about" Tyler replied

"Why?" Georgina laughed "I clearly have no problem with sharing" she laughed

"And this is where I leave" Tyler quickly said as he got up from his seat to leave while all Georgina could do was laugh at his quick departure to avoid her.


On the drive over towards this desired location that Jenny was taking Blair to, Blair couldn't help but get more nervous by the minute. In her mind, Blair had envisioned that they'd be pulling up at a grand department store that was in need of good organizational skills and dictatorial like skills. Once they seemed to pass every possible job location Blair had in mind, Blair's hopes began to diminish along with the speed of the taxi. Pulling up in front of the warehouse, Blair just stared on in horror as she could only hope that Jenny was playing a joke on her. Getting out the taxi, Jenny looked on at the warehouse for a few moments while Blair sauntered out behind her. Jenny wore a smile as she looked on at the secluded lot that seemed to be her hidden gem hidden within New York while Blair tried to piece together what part of hell Jenny had brought her too.

"C'mon, let's go inside" Jenny told Blair before Blair quickly grabbed on to Jenny's arm

"Are you sure this isn't a prank or something? Are you testing me?" Blair asked frantically as she wore a distraught look on her face

"No, why?" Jenny asked as Blair looked around

"Because of….this. Us being in this. Not exactly the this I thought I would be coming to" Blair said as Jenny just shook her head and dragged her along inside of the warehouse. For the most part when they walked in Blair was put somewhat at ease to see that it wasn't some abandoned warehouse like she had pictured it to be. Jenny looked on as Blair inspected the place while she just took a seat on top of one of the workstations. Observing all and around, Blair couldn't help but feel like she was truly being put to the test with what she was seeing. Looking over at Jenny with a bit of disgust and disbelief, Jenny laughed as she hopped off the workstation.

"April!" Jenny called out

"Wait, what?! People live in here?" Blair quickly questioned as she rushed over towards Jenny in fear of what creature may come out

"Yes, well no" Jenny reasoned "Just calm down" she told her

"You're telling me to calm down as we stand in what is a semi abandoned warehouse!" Blair snapped at her under her breath as the brunette girl came out of the office to join Blair and Jenny.

"Hey Jenny" April said as she shifted the catalog books she was holding in her arms "Is this the applicant you talked about?" she asked as she looked over at Blair

"Yes, this is Blair Waldorf" Jenny said as April attempted to extended her hand towards Blair but found the stacks of catalogs falling to the floor in between them

"Sorry, I've always been a klutz" April said as she went to picking up the catalogs "So what's a brings a Blair Waldorf by here?" she asked

"Insanity and peer pressure" Blair muttered to herself as Jenny just gave her a look

"I just never pictured you to come here" April said as she looked up at Blair from the floor

"Apparently never did I" Blair replied "So what exactly do you do here? And how exactly do you two know each other?" she asked

"April and I go to school together" Jenny replied

"As in the fashion and design institute?" Blair asked

"Yeah, April is sort of like a genius in the unseen eye" Jenny smiled on at her friend

"I wouldn't say a genius so much" April said as she began to blush as she began to laugh nervously and before she knew it she snorted to everyone surprise.

"How so in the genius department?" Blair asked as she broke the awkward silence

"April, care to share your magic?" Jenny asked as she looked over at April

"Well, it's all in the catalogs. I like to keep the old and the new ones over the years. I buy pieces to make them fit trending style or I do a mix generator to create a new one, fusing together the old and the new" April said as she walked over towards her workstation to show the two

"So basically you're like a stylist?" Blair asked

"Well….yes" April replied

"She has this blog that is amazing. She basically talks about the history of an item and why it has such an importance in modern trends. Then she has this thing of dress a celebrity, which is funny" Jenny laughed

"I've never heard of it? This blog" Blair said as she tried to understand what she was hearing

"Garm. My blog is called garm" April replied nervously

"Garm?" Blair asked "Is it like an acronym?" she asked

"Generated accessories with retail management….I just left the with out" April replied

"Okay, I'm just having a hard time understanding why you need employment of any sort?" Blair asked

"April works for her family" Jenny replied

"Yes, my father, Bill Zellers, he runs…." April began to say

"Only one of the most prominent jewelry designing companies. You're father designed my dream wedding ring. What he can do with diamonds and pearls is just an eye orgasm" Blair replied

"What's an orgasm?" April asked a bit confused as Blair looked at Jenny with a bit of shock

"That's besides the point. The point in this scenario is that her father wants her to take over the reigns of the business, so he has her handling the company outreach…" Jenny began to say

"And the only problem is that you're not reaching anyone because you're doing the whole Garb thing" Blair concluded

"It's Garm…..but if you feel fit to call it Garb, that's fine" April interjected nervously

"So this is a decoy job to keep the ruse up" Blair said

"All you'd have to do is copy down my thoughts and e-mail to the actual person that presents it at the board meetings and stuff" April said "I can't do the whole public speaking thing, so I just…I rather not" she said

"But you're letting someone else claim your thoughts" Blair said

"Essentially yes, but my main focus is running Garm" April said "I just asked Jenny to help me find someone that could help, I never dreamed that the Blair Waldorf would be the one she'd have to help because let's face it….you're what every girl wants to be or at least in high school" she said

"High school? We went to high school together?" Blair asked

"Uh…well" April began to say

"The pay is good Blair. All you have to do is copy and do the minimal inventory of stacking the catalogs" Jenny said

"Fifteen dollars an hour even" April quickly chimed in

"….yeah, I need to think about all of….this" Blair said hesitantly as she couldn't help but notice April gawking at her like she the Queen Bee all over again at high school looking down at her subjects

"Well the job is pretty much vacant…since I'm kind of not known too well, so it'll be here waiting for you" April smiled which only made Blair feel uncomfortable.


Tapping his pen nervously on his notepad, Dan looked on as Eleanor sat across from him in her office. For a few moments she'd go on about the things she considered her prized possessions in her time, but the task of what to leave to whom was the very thing that caught her up. At times Dan felt as if Eleanor was getting lost in the reverie of all that she had done, comparing it to the circumstances of today that didn't allow her to go back to rebuild and to make amends. With each moment, Dan wanted to prove his point and show that he could sit through a session that clearly felt like her swan song with her grips on living. Getting up from her seat, Eleanor walked over slowly to pour herself a glass of water while Dan took this opportunity to question why he was doing this again.

"I think we should cover the assets that have some bit of value. I mean trade in value to where a monetary gain could be had" Eleanor suggested as she turned to face Dan

"Yeah, sure" Dan sighed as he leaned forward in his chair

"I don't feel it right to leave Cyrus much, not because I don't love him, I do. I just…I want to make sure you guys are okay. I'm certain he'll understand" Eleanor said her thought aloud

"Cyrus doesn't strike me as a guy that really cares about what he can gain from you at this point" Dan said sarcastically "With the flying back and forth for doctors appointments and all" he muttered under his breath

"Then there's Harold. I think the ex receiving something is a bit much…" Eleanor began to say

"Why are you doing this?!" Dan quickly stated "I mean honestly, why are you doing this?" he asked

"I told you why" Eleanor said after a few moments of silence

"Yes, but you're…you're sitting here and talking like this is so casual. Like making a will is so natural" Dan exclaimed "I mean you're having like some perverse thrill with this to where it's nauseating" he told her

"Well I'm sorry to upset you" Eleanor replied

"No, you're not upsetting me but you're just being oblivious to what your asking of me" Dan exclaimed "You're asking me to basically help you concede the fact that you're going to die" he said

"I didn't know this was bothering you. Dan…you agreed to do this, I just assumed, I thought you were the only one…" Eleanor tried to reason

"I can't write. I've tried to write, every time I've tried to sit in front of a computer screen, I can't write a single word that can be somewhat decent because all I keep thinking about is how worried I am about you and the only thing I'll be writing will be your will" Dan told her

"You don't have to write the will, I just thought that you would be able to handle this" Eleanor said

"I'm not. I'm really not, I just lost a mother. I think you forget that at times, but I lost a mother. Now you…" Dan began to say

"My intention was to never…" Eleanor said

"I don't blame your intentions. I just question that the reason you sought me to write this will was because you imagined that if I could come to terms with you accepting death then I'll be able to help Blair and Tyler accept it as well" Dan said "I mean if Dan can accept this, then surely everyone else can, right?" he questioned in a bit of disbelief

"That was never my intention" Eleanor tried to defend herself

"It never was but that's what it came across as. I can't write this….I can't do this, this is one distraction I can't deal with" Dan said as he got up and began to gather his things

"Dan. Daniel, can we talk about this?" Eleanor asked as she followed behind "What distraction?" she questioned

"And then let's not forget the fact that Blair thinks everything is fine. Blair doesn't even know about this….I'm lying to my girlfriend about the state of progress on her mother" Dan said as he quickly turned to face Eleanor "Do you know what this will do to her?" he asked

"I know" Eleanor replied after a few moments of silence came between them

"Then you should know why I can't help you with this" Dan said "I lost a mother, though we weren't as close as I wanted, I lost a mother. I don't want that for Blair" he said before he boarded the elevator.


Watching the microwave clock dwindle down to it's final seconds, Blair breathed a sigh of relief as she opened up the microwave to pull the popcorn out. Applying her desired condiments on the popcorn, Blair did her own private taste test to the hopes that it met her satisfaction. In the back of her mind, Blair knew that this popcorn would never reach the standards of Dorota like popcorn but Dan had ensured that it could with much practice and since he made Dorota promise to only help in emergencies, Blair's usual lifeline had ceased to be useless. Pouring the opened up bag of popcorn into the bowl, Blair quickly discarded of the bag before she headed out of the kitchen with her bowl in hand to see Serena flipping through the channels as she lay stretched out on the sofa. Grabbing a handful of popcorn to stuff her mouth with, Serena laid back on the sofa as Blair sat in the available spot on the sofa.

"I think the popcorn is supposed to come during the movie" Serena said

"The movie was horrible. I had to preoccupy myself with something" Blair replied

"Hey, you said you'd keep an open mind to Katherine Hepburn" Serena replied

"My mind was open with the opening credits then closed once she started to speak" Blair replied as Serena just laughed

"How did you job search go? Jenny was supposed to have found your perfect job" Serena said as Blair just groaned

"Oh, let's not even talk about that" Blair groaned "The job is like some cover job for the girl who doesn't want daddy to know her true profession. This girl, June, I think true desire is to be a stylist as opposed to inheriting a billion dollar jewelry company" she said

"What's wrong with that?" Serena asked "Not everyone loves what their parents do, much less want to inherit it. Look at Chuck" she said

"Okay, first of all, Chuck coup d'etat his way into that CEO position. Chuck and Carter have Victrola to fall back on, which isn't a bad fall back on job" Blair replied

"What exactly is the cover though?" Serena asked

"I would do or copy her work for someone else to present while doing inventory of all her catalogs she collects" Blair replied

"How much is the pay?" Serena asked as she reached over to get a sip of her water

"Fifteen" Blair reluctantly replied before Serena spit out her water

"B, are you serious?" Serena asked "That's a good thing" she said as she wiped her mouth

"I don't do covers Serena. I feel all Al Capone-ish if I take this" Blair said

"You're the furthest thing from Al Capone….though you would be highly organized for a criminal gangster" Serena said as she derailed on her thought "You could actually pull off the crime boss thing, your original work of Georgina was masterful at best" she added

"Thank you. Thank you very much" Blair said imitating Elvis Pressly

"B, this job is as about as good as it can get for you" Serena told her

"Well I'm hoping for it to get better" Blair replied just as Dan made his way inside of the house

"Hey Serena" Dan sighed as he relieved himself of his coat

"Hey Dan" Serena replied as the girls went mum on the topic of jobs

"Katherine Hepburn night, Serena must've picked" Dan said as he noticed the movie pick the girls were watching

"And this is the part where I go because I refuse to subject Katherine to such cinema snobs" Serena said as she got up from her seat to walk over to grab her coat "B, take the job. Dan stop looking stressed" she told them before she left as Blair just laughed at her friend. Looking on at what was the apparent frustration on her boyfriends face.

"Is this a popcorn fixer upper?" Blair asked as she held the bowl up

"No, popcorn can't ease this" Dan sighed as a silence came between them for a few moments "What's this about your job?" he asked

"It's really nothing that takes precedence. I'm still on the looking trail" Blair said as she put her bowl of popcorn down before getting up to walk towards him "I would much rather focus….on you" she said as she took a seat on Dan's lap "What will help the writer?" she asked

"This is not one of those situations either" Dan said as he was unable to hide his intrigue of what she was attempting while trying to convey his frustrations over another failed day. Unbuttoning his dress shirt, Blair made sure most of her attention was on him.

"We should cover the first chapter" Blair whispered as Dan did his best to stay strong though she was making it difficult

"No, I think…" Dan coughed nervously "I think I have a pretty good idea of what I want out of the first chapter" he said as she continued moving her hands about

"Mind sharing?" Blair asked as she looked him dead in the eyes "I'm dying to know Mr. Humphrey" she said as she took his shirt off of him before tossing it to the side, tracing his neckline as he felt his walls trying to stand firm under her caress

"It's about…it's about a boy. The typical, same old" Dan replied nervously

"Okay, well what about chapter two? Surely you haven't started on that yet" Blair said as she got up from his lap to pull him up with her

"Blair" Dan sighed as he protested "C'mon, I have to work. I hardly got any work done and I have this feeling like I'm going to be writing all night long" he complained as Blair dragged him into the bedroom before relieving herself of her shirt

"I'm ready for an all nighter. I'm thinking along the terms of an all night occasion" Blair told him as she began to kiss his neck

"I think…Blair, I have to tell you something" Dan told her as she continued her before she placed her hand over his mouth to stop him from speaking

"Nope…we have work to do" Blair said as she began to undo the button on his pants "Don't you want to be inspired?" she smiled devilishly before she kissed him slowly and passionately

"We need to talk" Dan said in between kisses as the clothes began to shed between them before they finally fell back on the bed. Ripping away from her lips, Dan pushed his boxers down as he position himself in between her legs. Feverishly they kissed before Dan pressed his forehead up against hers as their heartbeats slowed a bit "Tomorrow we talk" he breathed

"Sure" Blair quickly replied before she quickly captured her lips with his. Breaking away from her lips, Dan began to kiss her neck as he slowly thrust inside of her. Pinning her hand back, Dan continued his motions as the soft moans felt like they were ringing in his ears as if they were loud.

Rolling on top of Dan, Blair pushed his hands back as he leaned up to kiss her while he pushed down the straps of her bra. Pushing him back on the bed, Dan moans as he feels how wet Blair is for him as she slid down on his hardened member. As her thrusts increase in speed, Blair start to pant before she leans down to press her lips against the base of his neck, sucking slowly on the skin. Blair begins to feel the vibrations from his throat as Dan lets out another groan. Unable to take her sweet kisses, Dan cups one of her butt cheeks, rubs it slowly and then spanks it out of pint up sexual frustration from being under her control. Pushing deeper and deeper into him, Blair bit down on her bottom lip as she weathered the wave of orgasms she was experiencing. Moans escaping them to where it filled the air before they both finally reached their climax. Collapsing into his arms, Blair rested her head peacefully against his chest.


Pouring the last of the cereal into the bowl, Chuck looked on at the box once more to come to the full understanding of why Jenny liked the wonders of cereal so much. Grabbing the milk, Chuck poured the milk into the bowl before he quickly put it down to begin eating the sugary goodness. Chomping down on the cereal, Chuck took a few moments to decide if he liked it or just ate it because it was the only thing available to him. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Chuck sighed as he looked on to see that he had over twenty messages from his mother while over thirty e-mails that he was sure was from the board members. Coming into the kitchen to see a half awake Chuck going through his phone, Jenny couldn't help but laugh.

"I hate Cheerios" Chuck said as he continued to munch on the food while Jenny just smiled as she walked over towards the fridge

"Cereal is your friend. Not all gourmet breakfast is a necessity in life but if you must have something, have Captain Crunch" Jenny said as she grabbed the box of Captain Crunch to show him "Breakfast of champions" she declared as he just laughed

"I could scramble you some eggs, cook the bacon and it'd be more appealing than this" Chuck said

"You don't even know how to cook eggs let alone how to burn bacon" Jenny laughed as she poured her bowl of cereal. Enjoying the quietness and the peace of the moment, Jenny and Chuck gave a few glances at each other as they hoped to catch the other off guard while they weren't looking "Why are you here?" she asked with a bit of laughter

"Should I not be here?" Chuck asked

"No, you should. I like…I like that you should or you want to" Jenny fumbled through her words before Chuck leaned over to kiss her sweetly on the lips. Surprised to feel his lips against hers, Jenny slowly melted in the kiss.

"I miss that. I miss you" Chuck whispered after breaking the kiss

"I never told you to stop" Jenny replied before Chuck attempted to kiss her once more before Jenny blocked him "No, I meant that I never told you to stop kissing me…you just stopped" she explained

"I thought I just was trying to kiss you" Chuck replied

"You were, but you weren't…and I need for us to have the kisses, the talks, the everything we used to be" Jenny told him "I don't want to sound like a teenage love story, but we were that. At one point, were we?" she asked

"The asshole with the heart of gold, I think we've covered that along the way" Chuck said "But we're not teenagers anymore. We're adults with adult like problems and hopefully adult like solutions" he told her

"I still…I still love you. Regardless of me being here or there, I still love you" Jenny replied hesitantly as Chuck looked at her for a few moments with a big smile

"You still love me…that's good" Chuck smiled with a bit of a smirk

"Don't do that. Don't do the whole smug I'm Chuck Bass thing, it's annoying" Jenny laughed "What do you mean that's good?! You're supposed to say more than that" she replied

"What am I supposed to say?!" Chuck laughed

"Uh, I don't know…something that will make me swoon and forget how crappy these past couple weeks have been. You should inspire me to have sex with you, that's the goal" Jenny replied

"….I still do" Chuck said "I still love you, you know that" he said as Jenny just looked at him for a few moments

"Tell me that like you mean it, don't say it because it's fitting to say it right now" Jenny teased

"Oh, God. There's no winning" Chuck laughed "I love you. I love you. I love you. I even love that you still love cereal and constitute as real breakfast" he told her

"I'm not inspired" Jenny quickly replied

"Then that's a good then because at least we're getting back to the root of things. You were highly uninspired when you first met me" Chuck told her "Do you still think I'm looking at my phone too much?" he asked with a bit of a laugh

"I've come to accept that is your permanent function. Bass and phone in hand, sort of hand in hand" Jenny teased him before he quickly pulled her into a kiss as she just laughed against his lips.

"Will I see you tonight?" Chuck asked against her lips as he softly kissed her lips "Dressed up, ready for a celebration" he asked

"Yes" Jenny laughed

"Will I see you later tonight? Undressed and ready for a celebration" Chuck asked as he began to kiss her neck.

"Possibly" Jenny laughed as she wrapped her arm around his neck before Chuck pulled back to look at her.

"Yes" Jenny and Chuck both replied as they nodded in agreement with each other because for the first time they were feeling like they were getting back to how they used to be.


Standing in front of the dresser mirror, Dan adjusted the cuff links on his dress shirt before he looked up at his reflection in the mirror. Glancing down at his cell phone to see that Carter was texting him, Dan just laughed to himself as only Carter could manage to hype up a party before even stepping foot in the building. In the back of his mind, Dan couldn't help but recall the events, in which found him helping Eleanor writing the will to her ending days request. Just as he got lost in his thoughts, Dan was torn out of his reverie by the soft kisses Blair was placing on his neck. Immediately flashing a smile to show his contentment, Blair rubbed the sides of his shoulders before she turned to show him that she needed him to zip her up.

"So do you have any idea what this big celebration is going to be about?" Blair asked as he zipped her up

"My guess is something to do with this business venture he's been harping on, but who knows what tonight could bring" Dan said as she slowly turned to face him

"Whatever it is, we'll have fun. Enough fun to feel inspired to write whatever comes to mind" Blair told him as she caressed his face "I hardly think I was much help last night…" she began to say

"No, you were…you were much, and pleasurable help" Dan smiled "I guess I need to tell you what I should've told you last night" he then sighed

"Oh, yeah. I forgot" Blair remembered as Dan prepared to tell her before he was cut off by the sudden ringing of her cell phone "Sorry, it's Nate. I told him we would ride over with him to Victrola" she said as she answered the phone before walking off "Hey Nate" she began to say

"And the distraction continues" Dan sighed before running his hand through his hair while breathing a sigh of frustration


Show you off, tonight I wanna show you off (eh, eh, eh)

What you got, a billion could've never bought (eh, eh, eh)

Getting out of the taxi, Tyler looked across the street to see the main attraction that was Victrola. Of all the night he had been there, Tyler could feel that tonight was bigger than anything by Carter's standards. A few tidbits had been leaked about what the big celebration was really about, but Tyler figured that the element of surprise might actually be a good thing. Looking back inside the car, Tyler put his hand out before the dainty hand grabbed on to his as he assisted her out of the car. The girl smiled on at Tyler as he couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy with how much she thought of him, when he himself felt like he wasn't deserving nor did he truly seek the love that his heart had once lost so tragically. Walking towards the laid out purple carpet that was a substitute for the infamous red carpet, Tyler held on to Courtney's hand as they looked around at the scenery before them before his eyes glanced over at Georgina. As usual, Georgina was where she shouldn't be but he was beginning to see that Georgina had a knack of not caring that she was the villain in town. Tearing away from his eye contact with her, Tyler continued to walk inside with Courtney in tow.

We gonna party like it's 3012 tonight

I wanna show you all the finer things in life

So just forget about the world, we're young tonight

I'm coming for ya, I'm coming for ya

Sitting at the bar, Serena bopped along with the music playing in the back ground as it was a pleasant getaway from all the deep thoughts and self analyzing that her therapist had her doing. Tonight was all about having fun and being young above everything else. Pulling her phone out, Serena checked the basketball scores on the Barcelona league so that she could keep track on the game that was going on at the same time. Coming up towards her with four shots of tequila in hand, Nate gave her assigned pair while he put his down in front of him while she quickly put her phone back in her pocket. Toasting to the night, Nate and Serena knocked back their drinks as they went in for another.

Cause all I needIs a beauty and a beat

Who can make my life complete

It's all about you,When the music makes you move

Baby, do it like you do

Cause...

Holding hands as they entered the club, Dan could see scantly clad girls at every turn that he took. Greeting each guest with a glass of champagne, Dan couldn't help but smile nervously as he found the excessive attention that was placed on him had to do with Carter for some reason. Looking down the line, Carter waited for his friend with two bottle of champagne in hand as he wore the biggest of smile like he was glad to welcome his friends to his castle of amazement. Coming to a stop to take in the sight, Dan found that the girls were slowly converging around him before Blair quickly got them through the submarine of girls.

"Classy much" Blair told Carter as she walked up towards him while dragging Dan along

"Yay, you're here" Carter replied sarcastically before Blair gave a fake smile to Carter then proceeded to take the bottle of champagne out of his hand

"Cheers and congrats" Blair told him "We share tonight. You can have him now, I have him later. He can't write anything so inspire him to write a chapter not a death sentence caused by one of your half brained ideas" she told Carter as she looked from him to Dan

"Why do you get later? I may want to hang out with my bud tonight" Carter reasoned "Us hanging out could inspire him to write a classic Huckleberry Finn classic" he said

"Because I may want to do other things you just can't do with him tonight" Blair said as Dan nodded in agreement

"Can I have my bottle back?" Carter asked

"This, this is my inspiration for the evening. Drink up boys" Blair smiled before she leaned in to give Dan a quick kiss on the lips then turned to walk off into the crowd while Dan watched on at her every movement

"She may have the champagne, but she doesn't have the Cuban cigars…" Carter began to say before Dan saw Blair walk over to them

"None of these" Blair said grabbing the cigars before she once again walked away leaving Carter shocked

"You could've said something" Carter told him "She's freakin everywhere" he pouted as Dan just laughed at his friend.

Body rock, girl, I can feel your body rock (eh, eh, eh)

Take a bow, you're on the hottest ticket now, oh (eh, eh, eh)

Finishing up his conversations with his friends, Chuck looked down at his watch nervously as he began to wonder where Jenny was. Everyone was still managing to come with only an hour into the big night, but none of them seemed to matter more than to see Jenny's face. Walking towards the office, Chuck figured he'd pass the time by doing a bit of work while waiting. Looking over to see Elizabeth with Russel Thorpe chatting away in the corner, shaking his head, the last thing that Chuck wanted to worry about was his mother. Heading inside the office, Chuck sought his escape as a necessary thing to avoid anything his mother may be talking up with Russel. Opening the door, Chuck was surprise to see a trail of candles led to a lingerie wearing Jenny. Closing the door behind him as he entered inside further, Chuck couldn't manage to keep his eyes off of the sight before him.

"It's later, right?" Jenny asked with a bit of a laugh as Chuck walked up towards her

"To hell if it is" Chuck replied as he walked up to her before he quickly captured her lips with his. Picking her up to sit her on the desk, Chuck broke the kiss as she quickly began to undo the buttons on his dress shirt. Kissing savagely, Chuck and Jenny made the most of their time together as it was apparent how long it had been since they had been together sexually, which only made things more intense and pressing as the top of the desk served as their lovemaking surface.

We gonna party like it's 3012 tonight

I wanna show you all the finer things in life

So just forget about the world, we're young tonightI

'm coming for ya, I'm coming for ya

Taking a sip from his drink, Dan made his way down the staircase as he could hear the crowd erupt with the cheers as the headliner of the burlesque show was beginning to take the stage. As he walked down the staircase, Dan was surprised to see Bart entering the club. Finally glancing over at Dan, Bart walked towards Dan as the two awkwardly greeted each other while Dan was sure that Elizabeth was in the crowd somewhere.

"Daniel" Bart greeted

"Bart" Dan replied "You came to support Chuck?" he asked

"Word is that tonight is a big night. Celebration even. Should I not be here?" Bart asked

"No, no. You should be here" Dan told him "I think he might actually like it" he told him

Cause all I needIs a beauty and a beat

Who can make my life complete

It's all about you,When the music makes you move

Baby, do it like you do


Wrapping her arm around his neck, Blair playfully kissed Dan on his face as they laughed along with their friends. With all the fun they were having with their friends, Dan couldn't help but feel like his mind was slowly being taken off of the matters at hand. Blair and Serena shared laughter as they could help but tease the boys on their obvious like of the scantly clad girls that pranced around. Getting up from his bar stool, Dan loosened up his grip around Blair's waist as he took the intermission break as his sign to grab another round of drinks for the group. Walking over towards the bar, Dan massaged his head before he placed his order in to the bartender, which he was sure was going towards the comp'd drinks that Carter had set up for him. Just as he turned to look back at the group, Dan saw Carter walking towards him.

"Relax on the drinks my friend, I need you sober for my big news" Carter replied as he stood beside Dan

"I plan to be sober, don't worry. I can't wait to hear this announcement of what I think I all ready know" Dan laughed "So you're going all in? you're going after the vaunted Empire" he smiled

"It seems to be" Carter smiled "But you have to act surprised when I tell it" he quickly added

"Congrats. I'm proud of you, I mean you've proven to show that you're quite the business man and along with Chuck for that matter, even more astonishing" Dan told him

"Thank you, I try" Carter laughed "I'm just glad to have finally moved forward with this idea. I feel like it's been haunting me for the past summer and to have it become a reality….it's going to mean a lot to see the final product" he said

"I bet" Dan replied

"Then you could write my review of the hotel, you know since you need some inspiration lately" Carter teased "What's going on with that? You hit a wall or something?" he asked

"Something like that" Dan sighed "Alessandra told me that the execs aren't liking the fact that I put the first book on the backburner for a book that isn't even written. They want pages in one week" he said

"And can you deliver on that?" Carter asked

"At this point, no. I can't deliver on anything because every time I try to sit down and write, a million different things pop up in my mind that pulls me away from the process of trying" Dan said

"Would sex be one of them?" Carter asked "Waldorf may think she's helping you, but in the feminine selfishness that is kicking in" he said

"Sex isn't my problem" Dan replied as he looked over to see Blair laughing with Serena as it only became more apparent how hard it was to keep this secret from her "My problem is Eleanor" he said

"Okay, that just presented a very disturbing image" Carter replied

"No, not like that. Get your mind out of the gutter" Dan replied as he hit Carter on the arm "I'm talking about the fact that….Eleanor wants me to help her write a will" he said

"Oh….is she, is she getting worse?" Carter asked with concern

"She says she isn't and the doctor says that her progress is still the same, so I can't determine. She wants this for her own sake" Dan said

"What's wrong with that?" Carter asked

"She's conceding to death!?" Dan replied in disbelief

"She's conceding to her own wishes" Carter said "So what? Because she has breast cancer, she has to make decision that evoke positive emotions for those around her, so they can feel comfortable" he questioned

"No, that's not the point. She's asking me to do something that is basically the beginning stages of death or thinking you will" Dan replied

"Everyone thinks they may die, everyone will die. If I go out an do a will, does that mean I concede to death now?" Carter questioned "She asked and you agreed, you didn't have to but you did. If you feel uncomfortable then that's your personal feelings but it's not like she's waving the white flag because of it" he said

"Why do I feel like you don't understand where I'm coming from?" Dan questioned "I feel like you're missing what I'm trying to convey" he said

"I get what you're trying to convey, I just think you're missing what she's trying to convey" Carter said "She's sick, she knows that. You don't have to remind her of it, you don't have to be her cheerleader telling her to fight all the time, she knows because she's the one fighting the battle, not you. Your opinion isn't the only one in this scenario, factor hers in" he said

"What about Blair? I have to take into account what she'll think of this" Dan said

"That's something you have to grasp my friend, being the good boyfriend or being the hero, it has its ups and downs. You want to be honest and be all the things that this person wants you to be but sometimes having a secret isn't a bad thing. Sometimes doing what is right isn't as black and white as it appears to be. Eleanor came to you, so as hard as it may be for you, I think you can hold off on not telling Blair for a few days or until Eleanor is ready to" Carter told him "Think about that. Now if you will excuse me, I have to celebrate…me" he told him as Carter pulled a cigar out of his pocket before Dan quickly grabbed it to snap in half

"None of these" Dan replied as he handed the two halves to his friend before he walked off

"Both of you are pure evil!" Carter declared


Putting her drink down as she laughed, Blair excused herself from the table where she sat with Nate and Serena. Making her way through the crowd as it was only a few minutes until the big announcement was to be made and she was sure that Carter wanted everyone huddled up together in the V.I.P. area. Walking past the office, Blair immediately noticed Chuck and Jenny leave the office adjust their clothing. Coming to a stop to take in the sight of what was clearly an office hook up. Turning to give Jenny a quick kiss once he was finished getting dressed, Chuck walked off towards the stage while Jenny finished the minor buttons on her dress. Turning to walk, Jenny was caught off guard to see Blair standing there looking at her with a smirk on her face.

"I see you've reunited in every sense" Blair smiled as she walked up to Jenny

"Uh…yes" Jenny replied

"Good for you. I mean you'll have to do better to hide the lace strap on your leg, but good for you" Blair laughed as Jenny immediately began to tend to her strap

"Oh, God" Jenny groaned embarrassingly "Thanks, if Dan would've seen this he would've had a cow" she sighed

"No, he would've had a conniption" Blair laughed "I'm actually glad I found you…not in this indecent way, but I'm glad I found you" she said

"Oh" Jenny said as she continued smooth her dress out

"About the job" Blair told her as Jenny seemed eager to hear her response on the matter "I appreciate you helping me, really I do. I just don't think having a cover job is for me" she said

"I get that" Jenny said "I just think that this a good opportunity for you" she said

"How? I'd be covering for a girl that doesn't want daddy to find out what she's really up to" Blair reasoned

"Yes, on the surface it looks bad but…I just thought you wanted to be back in the fashion world, be around the creativity of it from the beginning point" Jenny said

"I do want to back in the fashion world but not behind a beard" Blair said

"Maybe so, but there is an opportunity in this….you just have to take your opportunities and make the most of them" Jenny said

"So you think I'm making a mistake?" Blair asked

"No, I don't want to tell you what to do. I just…I want to help you Blair. Regardless of high society you are, I think you have a passion that is universal to everyone but you just have to see that even in the weirdest of ways or places, others speak the same language as you" Jenny told her "But regardless, I said I will help you find a job and I'm sticking by that" she said as she walked towards Blair to give her a hug

"Do you think you could get me a corporate job in the fashion industry, Anne Hathaway, Devil Wears Prada style?" Blair asked

"That means you'll have to backstab and conform….well you speak high society fashion so fluently, but we've both seen the movie" Jenny replied

"Her dresses were cute" Blair reasoned "You know after the conformity" she said as they both just laughed

The drum roll erupted within the club that let everyone know the moment they had been waiting for had now finally come upon them. The dancers gathered around the stage, which only brought all eyes towards them in a grand fashion that only Carter could think of. Walking back towards Dan, Blair and Jenny joined the rest of the group as they looked on at the curtain slowly rise on the stage to reveal Sam in between Chuck and Carter. Cheers and clapping rang loudly in Victrola as the two co-owners walked towards their mics that were waiting for them while the rest of their friends cheered them on.

"Thank you. Thank you" Chuck told the crowd as he tried to settle the crowd

"Thank you guys" Carter said waving to the crowd as they slowly settled down

"Carter and I want to thank you all for coming out tonight…" Chuck began to say

"And drinking all our alcohol" Carter added as the crowd laughed "But most importantly we're just glad you're here" he said with a bit of laughter

"As you know, we've made the big hoopla over a big announcement that will be taking place in just a few moments. Thank you all for being such a great crowd!" Chuck cheered

"But nonetheless, my partner and I. My co business owner in this great establishment have come to another venture that we hope that you guys will take in and love like you have Victrola" Carter said

"I admit that I was a bit skeptical at first but with much nudging from Carter, I've come to see that….we're about to make history here people" Chuck smiled

"So without further notice…" Carter said as Sam walked back towards the drawstring to get ready to pull it for the unveiling "We give to you guys, the next greatest gem that New York will have to offer for those near and far….we give you The Empire" he said as Sam revealed the final drawing to showcase to the crowd as the crowd erupted in cheers. Standing up to cheer for the boys, their friends cheered along with the rest of the crowd as they truly were happy for them both. Glancing over at Bart, Dan smiled on at him as he could see that Bart was truly proud of his son in this moment for being the business man that he had always wanted him to be, even though he had to do so away from him. Turning back to look at the stage, Dan looked on to see Elizabeth run up to hug Chuck as they celebrated for a few moments while another man trailed behind her.

"These boys will not let you down" Elizabeth said as she quickly took the mic "I have complete faith that these boys will be prized nominations for the pending Maxwell award" she said as the crowd continued to clap excitedly "With the guidance of Russel and Thorpe Industries, The Empire will be New York's own Empire" she said after a few moments, which caused a bit of confusion for those closest to the boys.

"Mother" Chuck said as he stepped next to her as he tried not to scold her under his breath. Looking over at Chuck, Elizabeth smiled once more at Chuck before hugging him. Making eye contact with Russel, Chuck felt like in their own they had managed to destroy a moment that should've been victorious for him but instead revealed his handlings of the matter that was sure to upset Carter.


After a few moments had passed, Chuck quickly ushered his mother off the stage as they headed back stage to escape the crowd. Not much had been said but it was clear to Elizabeth that Chuck was highly upset with her actions on stage. Stopping short of the dressing room, Chuck paced the floor as he ran his hand through his hair trying to access how upset he was. Walking towards the dancers dressing room, Chuck quickly instructed the girls to leave and work the floor so that he'd have some bit of privacy with his mother. One by one, the girls scattered down the halls of the back stage area before Chuck could finally see that they were alone. Looking around once more, Chuck wanted to make sure that Elizabeth's apparent shadow was nowhere to be found since she seemed to be joined at the hip with Russel these days.

"What's your deal with him?" Chuck quickly asked his mother

"What? With who?" Elizabeth asked

"Why are you so insistent to cater to Russel Thorpe?!" Chuck asked angrily "Was that really necessary for you to make a big public spectacle on stage for the benefit of Russel getting acknowledged?" he questioned as Elizabeth was caught off guard by the questioning "Answer me!" he yelled becoming frustrated

"He's trying to help you Chuck!" Elizabeth yelled in response

"I'm helping him!" Chuck replied "I'm doing this to protect what you believe to be is a danger for my father. I'm protecting my father but yet I feel like you have some agenda in all of this" he yelled "Do you? Do you have an agenda against me?!" he questioned as a silence came between them before Carter made his way back stage to see the two

"I'd think you'd be in the office because the normal person would be in their office, but not you. Not you the weasel, the backstabber" Carter said as she glared on at Chuck "Did you include Russel Thorpe in on our deal, our business?!" he asked angrily as Chuck looked at his mother for a final time, realizing he had to answer the questioning but defend their necessary actions

"He's part of Bass Industries, and this is a Bass Industries project" Chuck reasoned

"No, this isn't Bass Industries. This is Baizen and Bass, however crappy the title, this is our project not Bass Industries and it's vultures" Carter replied

"You should be thankful" Elizabeth said "You will be taken seriously now that you have Russel Thorpe behind you" she said

"Ma'am, with all due respect. Stay out of this" Carter told her as Jenny slowly made her way back stage "You screwed me over" he said glaring at Chuck

"I didn't…I put this under Bass Industries because we'd get more financial support…" Chuck began to say

"We don't need financial support. If you had listened to me, you would know that I had financial backing from a family that is the originators of the casino set up" Carter yelled

"Illegal I'm sure" Chuck replied as Carter laughed in disbelief

"Oh, spare me. You don't get to throw that in my face because while you were running and stealing daddy's company, I was making this all come to life. I was out there making it possible for us to be taken seriously as businessmen, otherwise, I was doing all the work while you just rode in on your white horse trying to take credit" Carter said

"This is a business and I made a business decision" Chuck replied as Carter just laughed once more before he finally punched Chuck in the face, causing him to fall to one knee

"Chuck!" Jenny called out as Elizabeth immediately tended to her son

"You're not taking The Empire from me" Carter said to Chuck "I'll fight you tooth and nail, but this is mine. I made you, not the other way around….don't forget that" he said before he reached in pocket to pull out tissue paper to throw in Chuck's direction before he walked away.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Jenny questioned Chuck as he rose to his feet with the assistance of Elizabeth

"Oh, God. Not now Jennifer, can't you see your husband is in pain!" Elizabeth griped

"Did you go behind Carter's back with this deal?" Jenny asked ignoring Elizabeth

"Your husband needs you to show concern not complain!" Elizabeth yelled before Chuck ripped away from his mother's embrace

"My husband is a grown man, fully capable of talking when your hand is not so far up his ass to where he spits out your crazed thoughts and apparently your actions now" Jenny replied sternly to Elizabeth before she turned her attention back to Chuck "Did you or did you not go behind Carter's back?" she asked

"This is business Jen, I made a business call…" Chuck reasoned

"No, you made her call. You did as she told you" Jenny quickly interrupted "This, this here is our problem. You're mother!" she said as she pointed towards Elizabeth

"I'm his mother! Do you honestly think he would choose you over me?! I gave him birth!" Elizabeth replied angrily

"Yes!" Jenny yelled "I expected him to choose me because I am his wife. I am the person that believed in him and defended him when no one thought he was worthy of being defended. I was there for him, I didn't run away even when I had enough cause to do so" she as she looked at Chuck with tears welling up in her eyes "But now it's you two, against the world. Screwing over those who stood by you…Carter stood by you and this is what you do to him, you chalk this up as Bass Industries?! No, this is her. It's always been her" she exclaimed

"Jenny…" Chuck began to say as she backed away before she eventually turned to leave. Standing, looking on as she walked away from him yet again; Chuck felt himself slowly breaking inside as the sight was becoming hard to see.

"She'll destroy you" Bart said making his presence known as Chuck slowly turned to face his father

"And here we go" Elizabeth sighed as she rolled her eyes

"You're mother, you're Elizabeth. She'll destroy you" Bart said

"Not now" Chuck sighed

"Mark my words, she'll destroy you and will think nothing of it as she does so" Bart said "But as always, you have to learn the hard way…and you will lose your wife in doing so" he said "Congratulations son" he said in a bittersweet tone before he turned to leave.


Making their way inside of the house, Dan and Blair quickly relieved themselves of their coats. Giving Dan a quick kiss on the lips, Blair yawned as she walked towards the sofa. Flopping onto the sofa, Blair got relaxed in her spot on the sofa while Dan rolled up his sleeves as he walked towards her. Picking up her feet, Dan placed her feet on his lap as they just sat in silence for a few moments. Finding that he wanted to be closer to her, Dan laid down beside her, which made their positioning on the sofa a bit more interesting since the sofa wasn't big enough but that didn't seem to matter to them. Turning to face Dan, Blair entangled her legs with his as they just looked on at each other.

"I could write about you. Why not go out on something I'm passionate about?" Dan reasoned before he sighed

"I'd like that for my ego purposes but you could do better" Blair said as she rested her arm on his side "I don't think you have a problem, I just think you have a case of trying to be perfect" she said "I might even be your distraction that you speak of" she told him

"You're the furthest thing from my distraction, you're my reason" Dan said as he rubbed the side of her arm

"Well maybe this blockage of writing is trying to lead you to a deeper meaning or something" Blair told him

"What do you mean?" Dan asked

"You want people to love your book, you want them to appreciate your true talents beyond Insider. Which is all good, but I think that you're a storyteller and if Simon and Schuester don't see that then that'd their fault. You have a way of seeing things that makes me envious" Blair told him

"Through a boy and a kite" Dan laughed

"Maybe. Or maybe that boy and a kite have a deeper meaning than you think because if I remember correctly, someone else devoted their works to a boy" Blair said as Dan took a moment to think "It's funny how our parents leave those bits and pieces in us, even when we think we have no trace of them in us" she said before she leaned forward to kiss him on the forehead

"Maybe" Dan told her as a silence came between them "Are you employed?" he asked

"Would you like me to be?" Blair asked with a bit of laughter

"I want you to do whatever makes you feel better. If you need more money than I can give, then by all means, get your money" Dan teased as Blair playfully hit him on the arm

"I didn't do it for that" Blair laughed "I just…I felt like it was the fitting thing to do. The thing that would help me get back to my passion of fashion" she said

"And what was wrong with this job?" Dan asked

"It was a cover. Some girl doesn't like the job that daddy wants her to do" Blair said

"And she's paying you?" Dan asked "How much?" he asked

"Fifteen. Then she wants me to do inventory on her catalogs, it all just isn't what I thought. I wanted a job that I could be proud of" Blair said

"Well, I understand where you're coming from…but I must say that sometimes a job isn't exactly the one you want, it's all about serving the purpose" Dan told her

"But you should like it, right?" Blair asked "I mean this is the very place you're planning to work at for some odd amount number during the day, so why not be comfortable or even like it" she said

"Some people have luck in doing so, finding that job but it's all about serving the purpose" Dan smiled as he was falling asleep

"Could I be rich again with this job?" Blair asked with a bit of laughter

"Uh huh" Dan nodded as Blair just watched him drift off into his slumber before she leaned in to kiss his forehead once more. Watching him sleep, Blair just caressed his face as it didn't take much for her to feel content while she was with him because anything with him would make her heart flutter with joy.


Getting out of the taxi, Tyler held the door open for Courtney as she made her way out of the car. Letting out a breath of air, Tyler could see the coldness of the night as he breathed out. Closing the door behind Courtney, Tyler and Courtney began to walk towards her apartment building once Tyler had paid the driver. Not much had been said between the two but Tyler was sure that Courtney was running the option of whether or not to invite him inside or to just call it a night but hope he'd ask for another date. It had been some time since Tyler had done the official dating, when he was so used to the first date that nothing ever came after but with Courtney he felt like he was trying to get beyond his usual. Stopping short of the building doorway, Courtney immediately turned to face Tyler as she wore a smile from ear to ear.

"So tonight was interesting" Courtney smiled "I liked seeing your friends" she said

"Well they're friends or people through association. They're more of my sisters friends" Tyler said

"Blair, right? That's your sister?" Courtney asked

"Yes" Tyler replied "We're not the typical brother and sister, nor will we ever try to be" he laughed as a silence came between them

"I had a great time" Courtney told him "You're definitely not the guy I thought, which is a good thing. You're a great guy" she smiled as Tyler smiled back at her but could feel a bit of himself feel uneasy with the high expectations she had of him. Leaning towards him, Courtney softly pressed her lips against his for a few moments before backing away slowly away from him "Care for a nightcap?" she asked sweetly

I can do what I want,I'm in complete control

That's what I tell myself!

I got a mind of my own,I'll be alright alone

Don't need anybody else!

I give myself a good talking to

No more being a fool for you

I remember how you made wanna surrender!

Climbing the final step of the staircase, Chuck stopped at the head of the staircase to look on at the loft. His attention shifted towards the bottom of the door to see that there was a bit of light coming from inside that let him know that Jenny was still awake. Taking a deep breath as he gripped on tight to his tie that he had loosely in his hands, Chuck walked towards the door. Preparing himself, Chuck slowly rose his hand to begin to knock on the door before him. Taking a few moments, Jenny answered the door to see that Chuck was standing on the other side.

"Come home" Chuck replied simply as the silence lingered between them while she just folded her arms

"I can't" Jenny replied as she let out a sigh

"Okay, this is getting ridiculous. I do something or don't do anything, regardless I'm the bad guy. I made a business decision that was within the best interest…" Chuck began to defend himself

"Of who? Who was it in the best interest of because it sure as hell didn't look to be in the best interest of Carter. So who?" Jenny quickly questioned

"I'm not going to apologize….and we shouldn't let business effect our marriage" Chuck began to reason

"You know, for a moment, I was beginning to think or see that we had a glimmer of hope. One shred of hope that our marriage get back to what we wanted it to be….but now I realize I can't live off of what I want things to be, I have to start seeing it for what it is" Jenny told him "And I'm not sure I can what we are anymore…can you?" she asked

"I see it, I'm the only one trying to" Chuck replied

"….I filed for legal separation" Jenny told him to his surprise as the silence continued between them "I need more from us because if not…I might have to start seeing what really are, which is beginning to look like the end" she told him "Darren should be by to discuss the manner with you tomorrow" she quickly told him before she backed away to close the door on a stunned Chuck.

Damn your eyes!

They're taking my breath away

For making me wanna stay

Turning the lights on in the office, Blair walked in towards the computer to take her seat. Immediately going to the internet page, Blair typed in the word G.A.R.M as she searched for it the search engine to only pull up over twenty million listings that had the word in the title. Taking a chance on luck, Blair clicked on the third option before she was immediately taken to the website page. Observing the page a bit, Blair began to realize that it was in fact the page of Jenny's friend. Bringing her feet up in the chair, Blair read the articles that were posted in the older archives as she spent most of the night going through the website pages that it had to offer.

Damn your eyes

For getting my hopes up high

Making me fall in love again!

Damn your eyes!

Taking a seat at the bar, Carter quickly looked over at the bartender to pour him his usual drink. Looking down at the countertop aimlessly, Carter sighed in frustration as he ran his hands through his hair. Reaching down into his pocket, Carter grabbed his cell phone as he immediately placed it on top of the countertop. Loosening up his tie, Carter began to go down his list of contacts as he landed on one that seemed to grab his attention. With the suspicions he was having of Chuck, Carter began to question where Chuck's loyalties lay in the matter of The Empire, which made him feel more inclined to protect himself above all else. Though he hated to have that mentality against Chuck, Carter knew above all else, business was business. Building up the courage, Carter quickly hit the call button on the phone before he quickly put the phone up to his ear.

"Hey, it's me" Carter said "….I have a business proposition for you" he said

Always the same,You say that you'll change

Somehow you never do!

I believe all your lies

The look in your eyes

You make it all seem true!

I guess I see what I wanna see,Or is my heart just deceiving me

With that look I know so well,

I fall completely under your spell!

Shielding his eyes away from the sun of Upper Eastside, Dan held onto the straps of his book bag. Entering the lobby of the penthouse, Dan greeted the staff before he stepped on to the elevator. It didn't take long for Dan to find himself up in the penthouse but it was the search for Eleanor that had him a bit worried. Realizing that today was Dorota's day off, Dan walked around the downstairs just calling out for the woman before he quickly ran up the staircase. Tossing his book bag onto the floor, Dan ran into her bedroom as he quickly scanned the room to finally see that she was on the floor in the bathroom. Rushing to her side, Dan immediately propped her up to see if anything was wrong as his heart nearly beat out of his chest with worry.

"Are you okay? Are you fine? Do you need me to call the doctor?" Dan asked out of fear nervously

"No, no. I'm fine" Eleanor laughed softly as she sat up against the bathtub

"Are you sure? We can go to the hospital, I can have Henry bring the car around" Dan told her immediately

"I don't…I can't" Eleanor said as she began to wipe her mouth

"Were you throwing up?" Dan asked

"Had treatment yesterday. The doctor says I'm doing fine and continue to fight" Eleanor laughed softly but conveyed so much weakness in her eyes that Dan could tell she was forcing it. Sitting in silence for a few moments, Dan took this time to truly look at the woman as he accessed her condition, putting her feelings before his or anyone else, Dan just focused on what she wanted.

"…she talked to Blair" Dan finally spoke as Eleanor looked over at him with a bit of confusion "Her last conversation was with Blair. Every now and then I wonder about what our last conversation would've been if I would've put my pride aside to talk to her but I'll just never know. Going up to Hudson, I finally saw that I was in her thoughts, she did think about me in her own way….but still, I'll never know what we could've talked about to this day to where I felt at peace" he said as he busied his hands with play with the loose strand on the shaggy bathroom mat "But now, I can't get out of my head…when is our last conversation going to be. How will our last conversation? How will it be? Will you be proud or disappointed with me?" he said as tears began to well up in his eyes as he spoke "…in a way, I wanted to help you but the more I thought about it, I didn't…because then I'd be conceding to the fact that you could die someday, and I'm not ready to get to that, I don't want to accept that" he told her as they both shed a few tears in their moment of honesty

"I can assure you that nothing you ever do will make me upset or disappointed with you. I worry about you, it's part of the whole loving you" Eleanor smiled through the tears as her tears began to come more frequently with the silence that came between them "I'm so tired. I feel so tired that my body just hurts….I'm just so tired" she broke down into sobs before Dan crawled towards her to where he pulled her close to him to comfort her.

"Whatever you want, we'll do it. Whatever you want" Dan whispered to her as he rocked the sobbing Eleanor back and forth with him "Whatever you want" he continued to tell her

Damn your eyes!

They're taking my breath away

For making me wanna stay

Damn your eyesFor getting my hopes up high

Making fall in love again!

Damn your eyes!

Looking on at the notes that were in her notepad, Blair moved along fluently with the foot traffic of the rest of the student body as she went to her next class. Looking up from her notepad, Blair glanced over to see April as she moved about handing out flyers to students as they passed. Making eye contact with April, the two girls shared a moment as they each respectively went their separate directions. Bringing her hand up, April waved on at Blair, thinking that she would wave back but before she could get any clear indication of what Blair's response would be, their shared eye contact was blocked by the crowds of people that cut their vision off of each other.

Fall completely under your spell

Damn your eyes!

Taking my breath away

For making me wanna stay

Putting his money down on the counter, Tyler waved over to Carter to let him know that he was preparing to leave. Tucking his looses dollars away in his pocket, Tyler got up from his stool as he began to walk over towards the exit. Making his down the small street, Tyler looked up to see Georgina coming his direction with a bit of a smirk on her face as they approached each other. Stopping a few feet away from each other, Tyler stood before her while she relieved herself of her gloves.

"How'd normal go for you last night?" Georgina asked him as he just stood in silence

"She's a nice girl" Tyler said breaking the silence as if he wanted to point out the obvious difference between Georgina and Courtney

"Nice is good, but it's boring as hell" Georgina replied "Look, I don't expect you to love me or me to love you, I don't believe in any of that crap period because at this point you don't need that. You ever question why we keep happening?" she asked

"Bad choices. Insanity" Tyler quickly replied

"No, because I don't expect anything from you. I get you, whether you see it or not, I do…better than anyone. Somewhere in your past, you probably had some tragic event happen to you that made you shut down from any emotion of wanting to love or to be loved because in your heart you believe you're not worthy of love. You and I, we speak the same language and regardless of the nice girls you try to date to appease everyone, to keep them from noticing that you're barely living because everyone and anyone that has some semblance of your past is gone or away, you keep going to this darkness in you. That darkness is your safe haven, it's where you think you deserve to be for some unknown reason" she said as she slowly began to back away from him into the alley as all he could do was follow her every word because even though he hated it, she spoke directly to his situation because she did understand

"I'm nothing like you" Tyler said as Georgina rested up against the wall

"Yeah….you are. Your damaged goods" Georgina whispered to him as she leaned in close to him, tracing the outline of his face with her nose. Trying to fight the urge that was coming over him, Tyler pushed her hands away as he just lowered his head "You don't have to be anything with me" she continued to whisper as she seduced him more and more while he tried to fight against it. Their lips grazed against each other before Tyler finally built up the courage to look her dead in the eyes. Shutting off the thoughts that were running rampant in his head, Tyler muttered to himself as he slowly leaned in before Georgina met him halfway to capture his lips with hers. Moving in fluent motions, Tyler and Georgina kissed feverishly as his hands began to hike up her dress while she tugged away his belt. Rubbing his arousal, Tyler ripped away from her lips as he took a few moments to access how much the pleasure was taking over him to where he felt like he was blacking out. Quickly and abruptly, Tyler turned Georgina around to where she was pressed up against the wall while he made quick motions of pushing her underwear to the side. Their breathing so heavy, Georgina reached back to slide his pants and boxers down a bit while he hoisted her up a bit to his liking. Rubbing her intensely, Georgina pushed against his hardened member, begging for more as they fought against each other wants. Plunging his hand into her shirt to hold one of her breasts as he embraced every part of her that made her a woman, Tyler quickly removed his other hand from the moist region before pinning one her hands up against the wall. Not wasting any time on politeness or the fact that they were in an alley, Tyler plowed deep inside of her as he began pound away feverishly.

Damn your eyes

For getting my hopes up high

Making me fall in love again!

Damn your eyes!


Music/Lyrics Used In This Chapter

Matisayahu- Sunshine

Justin Beiber- Beauty and a Beat

Alex Clares- Damn Your Eyes