Dan knocked on the door to Paul's apartment. He could hear voices on the other side; the party was still going on, obviously.

At last, the door opened, and Dan was faced with a guy he didn't recognise.

"Hello?"

The guy was looking at him blankly.

"Uh, hi. I'm Dan Humphrey. I'm looking for a friend..."

The guy was already shutting the door in his face. "Sorry, this is a private party."

"No, look, I really need to get in there."

Dan tried to hold the door open, in vain. The guy wasn't interested.

"Paul Hoffman invited me!" he attempted. "I'm writing the script for his next play?"

The guy stopped, rolling his eyes, and opened the door again. Looked at him critically.

"You?"

Dan frowned. How was he back to being judged, yet again? He'd almost forgotten what it felt like. He'd actually thought he'd escaped all that, Chuck and Blair being the exception.

"Yeah, me. I wrote the Lady Gaga thing for the cabaret?"

At that, the guy's face relaxed. "That was you? That was impressive."

"Thanks," Dan grinned. Wait, he had to get to Blair. Focus. "Can I come in now?"

The guy moved aside, shrugging. "Sure."

Dan followed him into the room.

It wasn't particularly full.

Dan didn't recognise any of them. Although he hadn't particularly socialised with many of the Tisch kids, anyway.

He scanned the room, searching for Paul or Blair.

No sign of them.

That couldn't be good.


Blair sat on the bed as the room blurred around her. She couldn't think straight any more, much less concentrate on what Paul was saying.

"Baby, are you ok?"

The voice was distorted, distant. Baby?

Suddenly he was with her on the bed, his hands all over her.

He didn't smell good, not like Chuck. His cologne was nasty.

"Baby?"

"Uhhh..."

"Come on, lie down." He was pushing her back on the bed now, and the room tilted alarmingly.

And she suddenly couldn't breathe because he was leaning on her, on top of her.

She tried to find her voice, tried to ask him to get off, but his hands were still on her, holding her down, touching her far too much, far too close, and her thoughts were all jumbled...

"Hey, man! What are you doing?"

Blair had no idea where that voice had come from, or what was going on anymore.

But she wanted the weight off her. She wanted this creep to stop touching her.

And then, suddenly, it eased, and there were raised voices, but she couldn't work out what was being said. And then she saw a flash of flannel. Humphrey?

His face, blurred but just recognisable, swam into view. And it was a surprisingly welcome sight.

"Humphrey," Blair slurred. "Humphrey, I think you were right. I think I owe you an apology. Because you know what? Paul may not be gay."

Dan could only just make out what she was saying, her speech was so jumbled, but he caught the last bit. He sat her up, supporting her.

"It's ok," he chuckled, worried she was going to throw up. She looked very white. Her skirt was hitched up, hair tousled, eyes wide and unfocused.

If Dan had got there a moment later...He repressed a shudder, concentrating on keeping her conscious.


"Hey, what are you-"

Chuck shoved past the person at the front door, forcing it open, not bothering to give an explanation or even ask to come in.

He made no attempt to search the front room, either - they wouldn't be with other people - but headed straight to where he judged the bedroom was.

He burst in, and all he saw was Blair, clearly out of it, on a bed, and someone holding her. And then he had no control over his actions.

"Get your hands off her!" he snarled, seizing the person's jacket and hauling him off with all his strength, throwing him onto the floor like a rag doll.

It was only when the person gasped, winded, "Chuck - it's me!" and Blair mumbled, "Humphrey?" that Chuck realised it was Dan.

Oops.

Ignoring the injured Humphrey, his gaze landed instead on the guy attempting to sneak out of the room.

"Oh, no you don't," he hissed, and grabbed him by the lapels.

He forced him up against the wall, bringing his face close, eyes blazing.

"If you ever lay one finger on her again-"

"What's going on? Who are you?" They were interrupted by the two guys that had just arrived, alerted by the commotion.

They looked at their leader in alarm, at the clearly dangerous guy that had him pinned against the wall.

"Your worst nightmare," Chuck growled.

And he punched Paul, hard. "That's for the disgusting things you said about my girlfriend."

He punched him again. "That's for giving her a roofie." The two other Tisch kids could only watch, horrified. Chuck punched him a third time. "That's for touching her."

Then, when Paul was bent double in absolute agony, Chuck kneed him in the groin.

"And that's for thinking you would ever have a shot with Blair Waldorf."

Chuck tossed him into the floor, disgusted, and turned his attention to Blair.

Dan was helping keep her upright.

Chuck picked her up, easily, wrapping her in his arms.

She was barely with it any more.

Dan helped him get the door, and they swept past the stunned Tisch kids.

"Who the hell do you think you are-?" one of them spluttered, but Chuck and Dan silenced him with a single glare.

"He's Chuck Bass," Dan informed them flatly.

And they left.