The Mission XOXO
/ I promise you'll get some Derena action in the next chapter. Also, I'm extremely sorry for the poor editing. I'll be mindful of it from now onwards./
"Blair Waldorf, oh sorry I mean Bass. I didn't expect to see you. Has the groom lost interest in you already?" Georgina waltzed into the apartment without so much as a knock.
"Dan you should keep the door shut, you don't know what kind of filth might enter if you don't." Blair quipped.
"Like Chuck, I've lost interest in you too. What's the next scope Dan?"
"Carter Baizen." Dan finally emerged from behind the kitchen counter.
"Carter Baizen?" Georgina asked, intrigued. "Now this is going to be interesting. That guy is known for worming his way out of impossible situations. Ah. I can almost hear the battle cries. I've always wanted to go up against him."
"This leads me to believe you have nothing better to do in life." Blair remarked.
"As opposed to you, who is just lounging in some guy's apartment?" Georgina shot back.
"Guys. The target here is Carter. I just got off the phone with Nate and there seems to be something odd going on with the Baizens. Nate thinks that Carter is here to cover it up."
"Archibald is on board?" Georgina asked incredulously. "Now this is really interesting."
"Alright, here is the plan. Nate is already digging around for whatever it is Carter is hiding. Georgina, you are in-charge of following him around." Blair ordered.
"And what does the leave the two of you with? Time to make out? Oh please, don't think for a second I am going to let you free load."
"I am not freeloading. I'm making sure Serena stays as far away from Carter as possible. And Dumbhrey is going to dig up dirt from the past."
"So we're going all out, now are we?" Georgina finally cracked a full fledged smile that was so characteristic to her villainous persona.
The dinner was tomorrow and Serena hadn't even begun the preparations. She had wasted time in pointless worry about what might have happened between Blair and Dan and now she was running short of it.
If it was a party emergency, Blair was a go-to. Maybe talking to her would put Serena's mind at ease. Blair was married after all, she wasn't going to engage in an extra-martial affair.
"B! Where were you yesterday?"
"Shopping emergency. A lot happened. Anyway where are you?"
"Um. Chuck said you-"
"Forget that motherchucker! "
"Blair, is everything okay between you two? Did Chuck do something?"
"No. Now stop badgering me!" Blair yelled.
"Ah okay. Sorry. Maybe this is a bad time to call. Get back to me when you're free?"
Now that turned out horribly. There was only one other person who excelled as a hostess the way Blair did- her mom.
"Serena, dear how are you?"
"In a bit of an emergency." Serena said cheekily.
Her mother walked her thought all the steps of last-mintue party planning. At first, Serena panicked, hearing numerous orders from her mother in one go. Lily Van Der Woodsen liked to micromanage everything. Needless to say she expected perfection from everyone, especially Serena.
Serena was exhausted just from hearing the instructions. How was she possibly going to execute it all?
Serena spent the whole day running chores and decorating. She followed everything her mother told her to the last detail. As she worked, she wondered why she came up with the bright idea in the first place. She was sure she wasn't even going to manage getting up tomorrow, let alone entertains guests- not just guests, arch enemies.
Wanting a break she tried Blair again but she couldn't reach her. Nor could she reach any of her other friends. Serena wondered if something was wrong. It could have been that they were merely busy, but that's hardly the case in UES.
A phone call from Eric was all she needed to get her morals up. Eric, upon first hearing the guest list was shocked. He reminded her what a big mistake she was making but also how brave she was for going through with it.
"The footage is going to cost you more than just couple of grands Mr. Baizen."
"I don't think you know who you are talking to." Carter leaned in. "That video is going to be destroyed whether you have knowledge of it or not." His expression unraveled nothing.
"You can act indifferent, but we both know how important that tape is for you."
Carter scoffed. "Like I said, that video will be destroyed. Willingly or unwillingly. Now I think you know which option benefits you."
"Seventy thousand. That is my price."
"So you've chosen. I thought you were smarter than that." Carter promptly turned around and left.
For a guy with his reputation, Carter was a little too careless. Sage thought to herself. She had caught the whole ordeal on camera without so much as lifting a finger.
"There you go." Sage kept her phone on Nate's table, a small smirk lingering on her lips.
"What is that?"
"A lead on the Baizen case. I overheard him taking to a guy from The New Yorker. Have a look. You can thank me with dinner later."
Having looked at the video Nate looked up at Sage, impressed. "We need to get our hands on that video."
It was the second day of Blair's absence. She made no attempts to contact Chuck but did keep him updated via Dorota.
He was sure this was her way of lashing out at him for leaving her on their vacation. He thought Blair, out of all people new the importance of doing business. Apparently he was wrong.
He set out to make it up to her. After all Chuck Bass was all about grand gestures.
Georgina managed to Follow Carter to a hotel where he was allegedly reported to meet a business client.
She would soon find out that the client was none other than Cliff Hardman, a well known business tycoon. The man had made a name from himself by starting out as a diamond merchant, and now was part of one of the ruling families of New York. Carter Baizen was a shipping heir. It wouldn't take a genius to put two and two together.
The conversation between the two had just began and Georgina was listening intently. The two seemed to be on excellent terms, so it was safe to assume that the deal was half way finalized.
In the middle of the meeting, Carter stopped mid-sentenced and ushered the waiter over and the next thing Georgina knew, the waiter was walking directly towards her.
"Ma'am, the gentlemen over there wanted to convey a message for you. He wishes to let you know that he is well aware of your presence and it is best you left." Georgina gave her best clueless look and continued with her drink. But by the time she could do something, Carter and his partner were long gone.
Did Carter honestly think he could lose Georgina so easily? She was successful in finding him again. This time, she made sure that he wouldn't get a whiff of her.
"Yes, Dad the deal went well." pause. "No, he hasn't even heard it, no one will... No I haven't gotten the tape yet...I know, I know..." Carter was visibly frustrated. It was rare to see anything but smugness on the man's face, and certainly very rare to see him worried. Carter was always keen to keep up his indifferent facade. He wouldn't be so blind as to give other people the chance to analyze him.
Dan stifled a yawn. His back felt stiff and his eyes droopy. Beside him on the couch sat Blair, going through her phone. Both of them had been reading Gossip Girl posts in hopes that they would find dirt on Carter. Indeed he was a shady guy but he was great at covering up his tracks. Even though Dan had spent year writing about the guy and keeping a track on him, he still felt amazed my the gossip as he reread the blog.
"He would make a great serial killer." Dan mused.
"Don't worry Humphrey, I'm pretty sure he's killed a person or two." Blair checked the time and made her routinely trip to the peep-whole. "Still here and no sign of Baizen."
"Wouldn't it be easier to just go to her place? You have been ridiculously checking the peep-whole and stalking her in the market place. She doesn't have x-ray vision, she won't figure out your... Situation" Dan waved his hand, indicating Blair's pregnancy.
"Don't question my antics!" Blair's gaze dropped to the floor. "I can't face her. We turned a new leaf this year. I wanted to be honest with her, but right now I just can't."
Dan gave her a gentle look before continuing his work.
Dan squinted at the caller ID, not being able to believe he was getting this call in the first place. "Chuck?"
"Have you seen Blair." He skipped right through the niceties.
"Ah. Um... No. Check with Serena."
"Do you think I'd be calling you if she was with Serena?"
"Good point. Sorry though, I don't know where she is." Chuck cursed under his breath before ending the call.
"You should really go and talk to Chuck."
"I don't ever recall asking for your advice." Giving him one final look she stood up. "I think we're done for the day."
Oh her way down, Blair almost had the misfortune of running into Serena, who tired to call out to her but Blair did not react. Eventually Serena realized she might have made a mistake and went about her way.
Serena, for a minute thought she saw Blair, but maybe she was wrong. The girl had given no reason to the name being called out.
"Blair!" Someone from behind yelled. But the girl Serena had mistaken for Blair did not respond. Turning around to get a glimpse of the speaker Serena found a very concerned Dan.
"Dan?" She caught his attention. Upon seeing Serena, Dan looked shocked as if he hasn't expected her to be there, which was strange since she lived in the building.
"Serena, hi."
"Was-was that Blair that stormed out just now?"
Dan took a moment to respond. A moment too long, thought Serena.
"Yeah no. I thought it was her...Chuck called me telling me she had been awol so.."
"Again?" Serena looked horrified. " How did I not know?"
"Chuck couldn't reach your phone. You seem busy today." It was more than a comment. It was a latent accusation that was born out of jealousy.
"There is something off with Blair. And I have been too preoccupied with the dinner thing to even notice." Serena didn't want to neglect her best friend like she had done in the past. She had been on both the receiving and giving end of the neglect. Things could easily spiral out of control when you aren't looking and given the predatory nature of the world they lived in, Serena and Blair needed to have each others backs.
"Serena, it's okay. I'm sure she knows you're there for her."
"How could you possibly know that Dan?" Dan out of all people wouldn't make such hasty remarks. Not without president. Naturally the question was laced with suspicion and it didn't go unnoticed by Dan.
"Because, no matter how many times you two fall through, in the end you are always there for her. You didn't hesitate when she asked you to help with Bart. She trusts you. And she is bound to know that you care for her."
"I thought you didn't believe in the kinship of upper east siders anymore."
"I didn't say I don't find your melodramatic dynamics any less ridiculous. It's still pathetic how you try to destroy each other for the hell of it, time to time. But even I know what you two care a lot for each other."
The words triggered a mix of emotions. It was true, Blair and her had a lot of kinks in their relationship. They had tried to annihilate each other, more times than she cared to admit but Blair was a sister to her. They had been friends since grade school and they had become so habitual to one another they had become family. Serena cared for Blair as much as she cared for Eric.
Dan's words challenged this liaison but Serena was also aware of the fact that they were meant to comfort her.
"How are you any less different Dan? Your intentions of coming and living with me were so pure either."
"I never said I was any different." Dan spoke with indifference. His gentle look had now transformed into a cold, uninviting one.
"Then what gives you the right to criticise us? I would get it if you were standing on some higher moral ground. But right now you are just one is us, putting yourself on a pedestal."
One of us, had never felt like more of an insult. Dan was left thinking as Serena left.
She was right. When he wrote his book, he was an outsider exposing the shady ways of rich men covered-up by the glitz and glam. He wanted the world to see past the expensive exteriors and into the tar-like hearts of the ruling families of Manhattan. He promised himself that he would do all that it takes to make it happen.
He didn't realize that he had become the very person he was trying to expose.
Dan had always wanted to be a part of their world. Not because he yearned for money or the fame that came with it. It was because he yearned for a blonde haired girl he had met when he was seventeen. All of it felt pointless now that she had escaped thought his finger tips.
