I'm about to do something I never do: refer to a Brooklynite by name. But Lonely Boy's BFF, or "Vanessa" as she likes to be called, deserves a little love given all she's been through. I hear her brush with the dark side was not a robbery gone wrong, but a well planned attack to protect a reputation. But since the Humphrey's have no reputation to speak of and this "Vanessa" doesn't have many friends, who's reputation could it be? And who is the protector? Well I know who my money's on. Care to take a wager? XOXO, Gossip Girl.

He hadn't even gotten her a gift. No flowers, no teddy bear, no balloons. She loved balloons.

And where was her scotch. She was sure he'd bring some. Pure malt to be sure.

And what was that talk about the future. What future? He was Chuck Bass after all. She liked him, more than liked him, and her body could not deny that she wanted him, badly…but a future? They hadn't even had a date, not a real one anyway.

Plus, he bolted. She knew it, he knew. He fled, got scared, or disgusted, or something. Vanessa wasn't sure, but she knew he had bolted. Could she really blame him? She wasn't looking so good, and her competition was Blair Waldorf after all.

The journey back to the Humphrey loft was a long one, each bump in the road made her wince in pain. Bruised ribs hurt more than she had ever though they would. On top of that her skin was sore, her body tender, her throat on fire, and her eyes swollen. She pretended it didn't hurt, but of course it did, and pretending could only take her so far.

"Ahhhh," she let out as the cab bounded out of another pothole.

"He could you please slow it down?" Dan asked the cabbie from behind the plexi-glass. The cabbie ignored him, eager to get on to his next fare.

"It's ok," Vanessa reassured her best friend. "It doesn't really hurt."

Dan nodded knowingly. There was no lying to a Humphrey, Vanessa knew that.

"We'll get you home and get you to bed."

"It's cool, I don't need to you fawn all over me."

"I'm not, I'm just trying to…"

"I know you are and I appreciate it, but I could have survived at my own place."

"Without your mom around?" Dan asked as the cab pulled up to the curb. "I think not."

Rufus was waiting on the sidewalk to greet her and help her inside. Jenny was nowhere in sight. Vanessa couldn't help but wonder if she was with Nate. Stupid Jenny. Stupid Nate. Why had she let that happen? Why hadn't she fought for him?

The day Chuck found her and Nate hugging in the gallery was the day Vanessa revealed to Nate that she still had feelings for him, real feelings, that refused to go away. She wasn't even sure if it was true, but she had to see how he felt about her. Vanessa had been hoping her declaration would shock Nate into realizing she was the girl for him, but his sheepish smile and darting eyes told her he wanted to run, just as Chuck had run. It was a never-ending string of fleeing guys: Dan, Nate, Chuck. So they hugged, without words, and then she kissed him.

Lying to Chuck was easy. Telling him it was a goodbye kiss just slipped from her lips. Telling Nate later that she had reassured Chuck everything between the three of them was fine, was equally done with ease. Vanessa was turning into a Blair in training, attempting to juggle two guys. It wasn't that she wanted them both, it was that she was afraid of getting left behind. One was better than none and she hated that feeling.

But which one did she like the best? The answer was obvious and it made Vanessa feel terrible for having tried to play a game that was out of her league in the first place. But the damage had already been done.

That night she was preparing to close the gallery, cleaning the service area and finishing paperwork, there had been a late arrival. A man in a business suit, unthreatening, unfortunately overlooked. Vanessa let him wander about, knowing that big-wig art buyers kept their own timelines, and that if she wanted a sale she would have to play by his rules.

Too bad he wasn't a buyer…and too bad he didn't live by any rules she knew of.

The attack was swift, Vanessa was sure it wad not meant to be violent, just scary, as if the sight of some assassin-type man would shock her from past behaviour. Because that was what he wanted, what he told her. But she refused to listen. Instead she screamed, kicked, threw. She made a bad situation much worse, and it plagued her thoughts as she got out of the cab and wrapped herself in Rufus's hug.

If she had just left it alone, left Chuck alone, would all this be happening now?

Lying snuggly in Dan's bed, wrapped in comforters with a heating pad on her stomach and a cool cloth on her forehead, Vanessa only had time…time to think of what had been done.

She told the police and Dan and Rufus that it was a robbery gone wrong. Told them all that she had fought and had gotten beat. She lied.

After the words slipped out she wasn't sure where they had come from, wasn't sure what good lying was going to do. Perhaps she was protecting him, but why? He would never know the difference. Never know the truth.

Jenny silently entered the room, but she wasn't stealthy enough for Vanessa. They caught each other's eyes and Jenny smiled.

"How you feeling?" Jenny asked.

"Fine."

"I figured," Jenny said sitting on the edge of the bed. "People always say fine."

"Do they?" Vanessa asked.

"Are you mad at me?" Jenny asked suddenly.

Vanessa wondered if she was. Was she mad that Jenny and Nate had kissed? Had liked one another? Maybe still liked one another? Could she be mad at someone for following their desires? Their heart?

No.

Vanessa wasn't mad anymore, because she now understood.

"I'm not mad."

"Are you sure, because…"

"Jenny, I'm not mad. We like the same guy…liked the same guy. What are we gonna do right?"

Jenny seemed taken aback. It was the first time either had confessed any mutual feelings for Nate, but the way Vanessa saw it, honesty was the only way to go in a situation such as this.

"And Chuck?" Jenny asked.

Vanessa was shocked. "Chuck? What about Chuck?"

"Dan told me you wanted him there, with you, in the hospital." Jenny moved in closer to Vanessa taking her cloth and turning it over, so the cold side was pressed down on her skin. "I just thought it was weird that you would want him."

"I don't want him!" Vanessa shouted.

"Woah. Ok, that wasn't weird."

Vanessa almost laughed, but stopped herself because she knew it would only cause more pain.

"I wasn't implying that you wanted him, wanted him," Jenny reassured.

"I know," Vanessa said softly.

"Is it ok that we both like Nate? I mean, is it ok that two friends like the same guy?" Jenny asked now laying next to Vanessa, as if tying to receive a reassuring hug.

"Is it ok for one guy to like two girls?" Vanessa asked.

Jenny was silent. Vanessa slowly raised her left arm and slid it around Jenny's shoulders. It was the best her body could do. Jenny leaned into the hug and they lay silent until Vanessa fell asleep.

When she awoke the room was dark and empty. She was all alone. Vanessa wanted to call out for someone, wanted to tell them that the dark scared her, in a way it had never scared her before. She wanted to scream, but then the door opened and Dan was there.

"You're awake," Dan said as he flipped the light switch on.

"Mmmmm, yeah, finally," Vanessa replied.

"You needed it," Dan told her and she only nodded in agreement.

"I want to tell you something," Vanessa blurted out.

Dan pulled up his desk chair and sat down. He looked her dead in the eye, it made Vanessa uncomfortable, but she dared not tell him.

"I wanted to tell you…I wanted you to know…" Vanessa stammered tying to think of how to say what she needed to say. "I wanted to say…thank you. For everything you have done."

"Sure."

"I did."

"I believe that you want to thank me, but I believe there's something more," Dan said.

"You do know me," Vanessa relented silently.

"I do."

"Maybe we can talk about it later," Vanessa said.

"Sure thing," Dan replied.

He left the light on and the door open as he exited. He really did know her. Vanessa wanted to tell him her secret, wanted to tell him how she felt about Chuck, and how Chuck would hate what she had to say. She wanted to relinquish her fears, but was afraid if she did they would be the wrong fears.

Was it worse to be afraid of the dark, of the shadows? Or to be afraid of how Chuck would react when he heard her news?

What was she doing? She was making herself crazy with this. Someone had to know. Someone had to know that Bart Bass was planning something big, something that required the girl from the wrong side of the tracks to be out of the way. Someone had to know that Mr. Bass had gone a step too far.

Leaving the loft was easy. Rufus had been at the gallery, cleaning up she was sure. Dan was sleeping and Jenny was…well, wherever Jenny went when she wanted to get away. Escaping was easy; walking down the street was the hard part. Every part of Vanessa's body ached in pain, but she needed to continue, needed to make it there. She needed to hail a damn cab.

As the elevator doors opened Vanessa gave herself one last motivational push and entered the apartment. She had been there before, too many times for her liking actually, but she swore this time it was for the right reason.

"What are you doing here?" Blair asked.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this," Vanessa said, "but I need your help."

Chuck felt the vibration of his cell phone in his pants pockets and quickly pried it out. He was hoping it would be Vanessa, or Blair, or anyone who would let his mind stop thinking about the events of the previous day. He never imagined it would be Vanessa and Blair together. There on the Gossip Girl site was a picture of Vanessa, decked out in a thick hoodie and sunglasses entering the Waldorf apartment building. What was going on?

It looks like new alliances are about to be made. Word on the street is poor, lonely "Vanessa" is about to get her revenge, but who is the target? Well, I hear he's rich, powerful, and not likely to go down. A war is brewing in New York, and for once the Queen B didn't start it. But will she help win it? You tell me. XOXO, Gossip Girl.