A/N Greys anatomy is on right now so I'm posting this before i go to watch. I am deeply sorry for the wait but it took some plot refinement to get to this point. I hope it doesn't dissapoint! (hey a rhyme!)

Chapter 9

It appears every year in the pile of mail the maid brings in and sets on a silver tray, carrying it to the breakfast table. The cream square envelope juts out from the normal long bills and business letters just the same every year, but it's the reactions from the inhabitants of the Upper East Side that can vary from overjoyed to outraged.

The Ritz Carlton Christmas Children's Benefit.

It is the swankiest and snootiest party of the year only because no one from the Upper East Side throws it, therefore the belle of the ball is up for grabs. This ball rivals the celebrity costume ball that appears in the all papers with the opulence used to out do one another.

That reason alone was why Blair Waldorf squealed upon her family's invitation sitting gracefully atop the mail stack.

"Blair, what's the matter?" asked her mother indifferently. Blair brushed it off and used her nail to open the crisp coating of paper and extract the thick invitation as if she was digging for the prize inside the cereal box. Blair's mother obviously didn't approve.

"Blair, stop that, you'll ruin your nails!" she called, finally showing some inclination she was aware of her daughter's existence.

"Well, I have to get them done again anyway because the Ritz Benefit is here!" Blair shrieked with joy. She ran over the sparkling letters granting her admission to the most buzzed about event all season.

Blair's mother read over her shoulder and patted it when she finished.

"We must go dress shopping darling, I want you to be a show stopper," she said as she climbed the stairs. Blair paid no mind and kept her eyes glued to the invite with greedy glee.

The ball is also the one of the most refined events of the season also because no Upper East Side wasp throws it. The people are under the heavy observation of politicians from Washington, chic Parisian designers, and a dazzling array of celebrity guests. Only the richest and highest contributing moguls of New York were invited to join in on the festivities. There was no room to make a scene; ergo why Chuck tried to stuff the letter into his robe at breakfast that morning.

"Charles what is that?"

Fuck.

His mother stuck out her hand expectantly and continued to munch on her fruit salad. Chuck sighed and slapped the envelope into her hand dramatically.

"No need to make a scene, honey," she said as she took the letter opener from the maid. Chuck didn't have to look at his mother to sense her eyes lighting up like Blair's at the new Marc Jacobs boutique. Maybe his mother wouldn't want to go. Something might come up or possibly the prospect of seeing her ex-husband might turn her off the idea.

"Well isn't this fantastic, I'll be able to properly announce my return," she sang. That's what he'd been afraid of. The last thing he needs is his mother reviving old enemies. There are certainly plenty in this city, and the majority of them will be congregating at this godforsaken ball. Let's just hope she doesn't have anything to wear so she can leave him be for at least an hour.

"I'll need a new dress for this," she said to her breakfast audience. Chuck smirked into his pancakes. Thank God. Maybe he'd call Blair and see if she's going. He'd have to warn her that his mother will be prowling the dance floor at least. He owed her that much.

"You'll be accompanying me as you need a new suit too, Charlie," his mother cooed, rubbing his stiffened shoulder.

Double fuck.

Blair stood in her closet with dainty fingers poised and dangled her scarlet red strapless gown from the 'special' hook. She arranged the shoes she'd bought underneath the cascading fabric and decided the necklace Chuck had given her would go perfectly with the ensemble. Perfect was what this party was all about. Not even a party, a ball.

As she stood at the jewelry case atop the center shelf in her closet, she faintly heard the door to her room open and snap shut just as faintly as she heard the soles of fancy Italian shoes crunch the carpet beneath them. A smile overcame her face as she felt him close in on her and she tried to look like she was doing something, but she'd forgotten what she was even looking for. Her mind was clouded with Chuck.

His arms snaked around her middle from behind and he dropped several hot kisses onto her exposed shoulders. Her head fell lax to the side, giving him room to ignite her senses. His fingers played with the top of her skirt and so distracted by his ministrations she was thrown off guard when he picked her up bridal style.

Her squeal brought a smug smile to his face. She returned it and tangled her newly manicured fingers in his charcoal hair. He rushed them over to her bed and gently laid her down as he kicked off his shoes to hover over her. She let her nose graze his before he ducked down to continue on her neck and collar bone.

Blair moaned as she threaded her fingers through his hair and she felt his lips curl upwards against her skin.

"I saw your dress…and I couldn't help but imagine…how sexy you'll look…with deliciously bare shoulders…" he breathed between kisses and Blair giggled.

"Well you will just have to wait," she ordered, lightly shoving him off of her and flat on his back beside her. She flattened the creases in her skit and Chuck cupped her face, drawing her to him and hoping to entice her with his kiss.

He managed to get his tongue into her mouth before she denied him once again.

"Keep it in your pants this time, Bass, I have lunch with Serena," she said tauntingly. Chuck groaned and fell back into her pillows causing her scent to engulf his head, which was like falling into a field of lavender and vanilla.

"Come on, Waldorf, I spent the entire morning with my mother. She made me try on suits," he whined. Blair shot him a disdainful look. "And she made me come out of the dressing room and show her each one."

"Chuck, bringing up your mother is not the way to get me to jump you. If anything it makes me wonder how many genes she gave you and if our children could get branded with some of them," Blair snapped. Chuck raised his eyebrows at the mention of children. He didn't quite know what to think himself. Blair quickly recovered at his suggesting expression. "If and when we have children, which, if even fathomable, is far from this point in time."

She turned to grab her purse off of the vanity and then held the door open for Chuck who was looking too irresistible on her bed with his shirt untucked and his hair tousled. She had to harness every fiber of her being to keep herself from jumping on the comforter with him.

"Fine, but next time you need a fix of Chuck Bass don't come knocking on my suite…," he gave her a devilish stare that made her weak in the knees for reasons she rather not explore. He stood and finished saying, "with any clothes on or else I won't let you in."

Blair shoved him out the door with an eye roll and finished gathering her things before she opened the door again to face none other than the ass she thought she'd gotten rid of.

"I thought Dorota sprayed for vermin already," she said, pushing past him and into the hall.

"Clever, but I have a more serious matter to discuss with you if you'd give me a second of your oh-so-precious time," he said as he followed her down the stairs. Before she could reach the elevator, he grabbed her arm and spun her around, not meaning to, flush against his chest. Blair was breathless.

"Okay, so…go ahead I guess," she said as she remained glued to her desire.

Chuck tucked a stray hair behind her ear and said, "I wanted to warn you that my mother will be coming to the Ritz Benefit. I know how you like to avoid making a spectacle of yourself so I thought I'd at least warn you before said spectacle occurred."

Blair distanced herself from Chuck.

"So, what should we do?" she asked. Chuck shrugged.

"I suppose just go about our evening avoiding her as much as possible. I can't really keep a leash on my mother, although she likes it literally but not figuratively, so she'll do as she pleases," he mused. Blair wrinkled her nose at the image forming in her mind, but shook it as Chuck lifted her hand in his and kissed her knuckles tenderly.

"Thanks for the warning," she said with an affectionate smile.

Chuck nodded and they both decided to ride the elevator down for a change instead of pressing the emergency break and riding something else.

At long last, the ball arrived. The grand ballroom of the Ritz Carlton was teeming with life and glitter. Red and Gold streamers billowed from the ceiling creating the illusion of it being higher than it actually was and the sheer curtains were woven with red and white lights. Wreaths hung merrily from calculated locations on the walls and everywhere you looked, something glittered back at you.

Blair surveyed the room with the satisfaction that she was hotter than any of the other girls in the room. It wasn't perhaps the most refined choice but it was classy and it made her look astounding. Her creamy skin attracted quite a few eyes as she floated through the pockets of people in her red glory. Her hair was half up half down and it contrasted wonderfully with the scarlet in her dress and the snow white skin that seemed to go one forever. Or at least that's what Chuck Bass thought.

She saw him and he actually felt his throat tighten as she moved towards him. Sooner than he thought, she was in his arms and pressing a light kiss to his lips lovingly.

"You clean up nicely, Bass, not a shirt tail out of place," she commented. Chuck smirked.

"What can I say, I love to surprise people, but these clothes look much better on the floor," he whispered and Blair swatted his wandering hand away.

"Not now, here comes my mother!" Blair hissed and assumed a more respectable position.

Eleanor Waldorf strode up to them with a plastered forced smile. "Hello, Charles, you look nice," she said. She looked at their clasped hands and breathed a laugh. "Well, this is…unexpected, but I suppose I approve. You make a wonderful escort, Charles." With that she glided off into the ocean of party guests all green and red and gold and silver.

Blair had to suppress a laugh of disbelief and said, "That was incredibly strange, but it is my mother, who knows how that twisted brain of hers functions." Chuck nodded and offered to get some drinks for the two of them as Serena approached with Brooklyn boy. He'd rather not get into that messy web he'd woven with the less fortunate Humphrey family.

He found a champagne tray floating above the crowd and as the waiter lowered the tray, Chuck saw Nate's serene face appear across the rims of the glasses.

"Um, hey Chuck," he said awkwardly, forgetting he was supposed to get some champagne. Chuck, however, did not forget. He plucked his two glasses from the serving tray and gave a hell of a stare to Nate before sulking off into the crowd. Nate shrugged and grabbed two glasses himself before taking off in the opposite direction.

Nate found his mother and lightly interrupted her conversation with some senator to give her the glass. She thanked him graciously and Nate was once again left without a purpose in the middle of a very stuffy and unforgiving party. Naturally, he went into the bathrooms to relieve himself of the suffocating people.

He'd only walked into the bathroom for a second before he heard Blair's name.

"Yeah, well I feel bad for the kid, Blair, right? She's dating Bart's son."

"But not for long I'm guessing."

It was two men talking as they washed their hands. Obviously they knew the people under speculation and most likely they would know him, so he slid into a stall and kept hidden with ears open.

It wasn't long before his eyes bugged out of his head.

"Drink up, Blair, you look a little winded," Chuck said, handing Blair her champagne. Blair thanked him and calmed down from her laughing fit with Serena. Brooklyn had disappeared, thankfully.

"I'm not winded, I'm actually enjoying myself. You should try it," Blair said with a genuine grin as Serena whispered more girly nonsense into her ear.

Across the room, Eleanor approached the refreshment table and reached for a caviar canapé only to bump hands with someone.

"Oh, I'm incredibly sorry, I…" she began, but when Mrs. Waldorf locked eyes with the stranger she retracted her hand as if bitten by the small pastry puff.

"Well, look who it is?" the stranger bit. Eleanor smiled nervously and wrung her hands.

"Now, Emily, can't we handle this another time. I wouldn't want to cause either of us embarrassment tonight…"

The late Mrs. Bass scoffed, "Oh really? You didn't seem to have a problem embarrassing my family before!"

"Emily…please…"

Nate was tearing through the crowd looking for Chuck. He had to know, at least before his mother found Blair's mother.

He saw Chuck leaning against the pillar as Blair danced with a congressman. Nate ignored the look of total admiration on his best friends face as he slid up next to him.

"Chuck, I have something to tell you, please listen to me, just this once!" he pleaded and Chuck looked over at him with disgust.

"What knowledge could you have that would be of any value to me?" Chuck sneered. Nate grabbed Chuck's shoulders, annoyed and determined, and whispered the news into his ear. He watched as Chuck's expression tightened to worry and anger.

"Chuck, man you have to…"

"…find Blair. Yeah, I know."

"Emily, I have to find my daughter, now is not the time…" pleaded Mrs. Waldorf, but Mrs. Bass persisted.

"Who are you to tell me when it's okay to lash out on you? You brought this on yourself, you little…"

But the quick thinking elder Waldorf had already joined the crowd of lively partygoers who were crowding towards the dance floor as the waltz began echoing through the ballroom.

She spotted Blair on the dance floor with the congressman and gave a tiny elegant sigh. She was almost in the clear.

Blair laughed as Congressman Brown or Browning or whatever his name was twirled her around the floor like a precious ornament. She was sure everyone was jealous. Whoever he was, he was highly revered and very wealthy.

Her joy was short lived, however, as Chuck Bass invaded her dance abruptly.

"Chuck, what are you doing? Do you know who that was?" she growled, but Chuck held her closer as they flew across the floor.

"No, and neither do you. Now listen to me, Blair…"

"Blair!" Eleanor called out from too far a distance to be heard. She tried to move closer through the throng of people to reach her lifeboat of a daughter. She soon quickened her pace as she saw Mrs. Bass barreling through the helpless guests from across the room, making a beeline towards her.

"Blair!" she cried again, just reaching the edge of the dance floor in the direction Chuck was twirling Blair towards.

"Chuck, what is it? You're not making any sense!"

Chuck swallowed and continued, "Remember when your father…betrayed your mother with the model?"

Blair nodded painfully and confused but nodded none the less.

"Well, your mother decided to retaliate so…"

But as the two neared the edge of the dance floor, he felt someone rip Blair from his arms and another someone pulling him backwards. Both their names were being called and other words lost in the squabble.

A small clearing was made for the now foursome as heated Mrs. Bass and frightened Mrs. Waldorf surveyed the scene.

"Charles, what did I tell you about this girl?" she snarled. Chuck stood, breathless, at a tennis match looking from his mother to Blair to her mother and to Nate who'd suddenly appeared to help out it seemed.

"Blair, darling we have to leave…"

"You are not going anywhere, Eleanor, I am not through with you!"

"I'm not dealing with this here, I will not cause a scene!"

"Look around! It's too late for that!" Mrs. Bass shrieked and waved her arms wildly.

Chuck pulled Blair into his embrace as their mothers fought.

"What's going on?" she whispered, clearly shaken as she clutched his jacket collar.

"Blair, have to tell you…" he began yet again.

"Don't walk away from me, Eleanor, you can't hide from this forever!"

"Your mother…" Chuck continued, caressing her frightened face.

"I refuse to acknowledge my private business here with such an audience!" Eleanor shouted.

"Well then let's make it public!" Emily screamed, and Chuck turned on his mother.

"Mother don't…!" he yelled, but the words already slipped from her lips.

"Eleanor, you slept with my husband in some feeble attempt to avenge the death of your own marriage and prove god knows what to your husband!"

Chuck's arm around Blair tightened when he felt her entire body go rigid. The room reverberated silence as a huffing Mrs. Bass stood threateningly facing a mortified Mrs. Waldorf.

Blair's face went as red as her dress and she looked, glassy eyed, at her mother in horrified disbelief. Eleanor only gave a sympathetic plead for mercy as she pulled her daughter from Chuck's hold and they were separated once again as she was pulled limply into the stunned silent crowd. As soon as Chuck's side began to cool with Blair removed from it, he rounded on his mother. Dragged her by her arm, he removed his atrocity he called family from the center of attention and slowly, life filtered back into the crowd.