Your Halo Has A Screw Loose, Angel

Summary: Blair raises the stakes…

Author's Note: I think some of you guys' suggestions for what happens next might be better than what I actually wrote, but bear with me. ;)

Ch. 10: Will B Play With Herself?

Chuck ordered himself to walk, not run, at a leisurely pace to Blair's apartment to inform her of his success. So focused was he on not appearing like an excited puppy dog when he arrived, that he completely forgot he had a limo at his disposal that would have gotten him there much faster and left him far less out of breath. When the elevator door finally opened to her floor after what seemed like an eternity, Chuck walked in to find Blair sitting expectantly on the couch, nervously wringing her hands. Was she waiting for him? Chuck could hardly contain his self-satisfied glee, but opted to give Blair a moment to prepare herself instead of gloating like he was wont to do. He stepped back into the elevator and called out from inside, "Honey, I'm home!"

This time, when he stepped into the foyer, a very different picture greeted him. Blair was stretched out across the couch, with her cream lounging robe draped over her slender figure like so much Chinese silk, reading the latest issue of Vogue. She looked like an angel, if angels were actually the Devil himself in disguise, and it was all Chuck could do to keep himself from ravishing her then and there. Wouldn't want Eleanor to walk in, he reminded himself quickly. Eleanor Waldorf did not have the highest regard for Chuck or his family, probably because of that time Chuck flushed Blair's perfectly healthy goldfish down the toilet as a joke when they were 10. Or maybe just because Bart Bass was too nouveau riche for her tastes. Apparently, she couldn't stand the thought of anyone pulling themselves up by their own bootstraps. What was your money worth if you weren't born into it, right?

Blair literally counted to ten in her head before she deigned to raise her eyes to meet Chuck's. "Yes?" She asked dismissively, as if she hadn't spent the last three hours waiting hand and foot by the door, simultaneously praying for and dreading his arrival.

"I spoke to Nathaniel," he announced, keeping all emotion out of his voice. Where would the fun be in telling her straight out? She got to pretend she hadn't been expecting him, but there was no way he was going to let her get away with not caring about the outcome of his conversation with Nate.

"Oh," Blair nodded. "How nice for you." Her brain was buzzing with the different possibilities, but she bit her lip to prevent any of her questions from escaping. She had played by Chuck's rules long enough (3 hours was far longer than she'd ever played by any rules other than her own, in fact)—now it was her turn.

Chuck smirked and turned back towards the entrance. "I thought you'd be interested to know how it turned out, but I guess I was wrong." He started walking to the elevator, but with slow, deliberate steps. Blair would obviously stop him before he pressed the button to leave. He waited for a few seconds before stealing a glance in her direction, but she was studiously absorbed in an article about Kate Bosworth's effortless chic. He groaned inwardly—Blair Waldorf was going to test his endurance like no girl he had ever known.

Blair heard the elevator ping and then slide shut. She exhaled sharply, a little dismayed that Chuck had just walked out on her without a second thought. She thought about running out after him, but that would defeat the whole purpose. "Damn it," she whispered softly.

"You've got to get better at this, sweetheart," Chuck teased, popping out from behind the sofa and surprising her with a swift kiss on the neck.

Blair rolled her eyes, but didn't mind losing as much as she thought she would. "Just tell me what happened before I snap off your pretty head."

Chuck described their conversation and Blair hid both her growing excitement and that mild sinking sensation rather well. The way Chuck was going on about Nate's trust and friendship did not bode well for her fantasy world. You know, the one where she and Chuck became the UES power couple that took everyone—especially Nate Archibald—down in flames. She pushed her uncertainty to the back of her mind, and replied in a brisk tone, "I'm glad you and your lover boy had some quality time before you have to burn that bridge again."

His jaw actually dropped, "W-what are you talking about, Blair?" He heard himself stutter but couldn't stop it from happening. Somehow he had let himself believe Blair would drop the revenge act because she wanted to be with him. Was he really that dumb?

"Oh, come on, honey," she responded with a saccharine sweetness she did not feel. Panic was rising in her throat. She refused to relinquish her crown to effing Hazel, and for some reason she felt that meant Nate had to go down. Chuck would never be able to take Nate's place as king unless the latter were completely out of the picture. Her friends (once they were her friends again, that is) would never accept it. "You know everything Nate has put me through. He has to pay for the damage he's done. And you're going to make sure of it."

Her words made Chuck's blood run cold. "So that's what this is, huh? You're still using me to get your precious Nathaniel back." His jaw clenched and there was a hateful fire mixed with absolute despair in his eyes. How many times could he fall for the same damn thing? Seething with disgust and rage, he headed for the exit as fast as he could.

Oh, shit. She tried to explain that it wasn't like that at all, but part of her knew Chuck was right. He was always right, because he knew her too well. She'd just done it again, hadn't she? She couldn't stop trying to force her life back into the 'perfect' shape it once held. She had Chuck now—more importantly, she wanted him—but the control-freak part of her wanted to make sure she could still have Nate, too. Acting quickly to ameliorate the situation, Blair tried to stop him from walking out. "Chuck, please, I didn't mean it like that…" She reached out and grabbed his arm, but he wrenched himself away. She shut her eyes then to steel herself against his next move. It was time to close herself up again and pretend none of this mattered, except as a small obstacle on her way back to the top.

"I can't believe I ever thought you could care about anyone other than yourself," Chuck spat out. "You're more of a cold-hearted bitch than I am." With that, he stepped inside the elevator and went down to the lobby, ignoring the burning sensation in his eyes, as Blair's final words rang out in his ears:

"You better hope Nate can help you fight, because this means war, Chuck Bass!"