AN: Hey guys! I'm back from my vacation and as promised I've brought the goods. Also, there's a non-spoiler footnote with my thoughts on Eclipse.

LisaLevine: Rock star! Hell yeah! Welcome aboard Lisa and thanks for sharing your thoughts. Although I am team biter the finale sort of redeemed Chuck for me. (Jenny aside, because she doesn't count.)

Shake That Thang: Boo York! Lol. Hmm Perhaps you're right. I do try to keep Blair's reactions as canon as I can but your opinion is welcomed. Personally, I think she's been through so much already with Nate and her dad that it almost softens the blow. Plus, she was never as obsessed with Edward as Bella. (Well she was but not outwardly.) I think with Blair, she all about putting on appearances and fooling herself into thinking she's over it. Thanks for the feedback though. Please keep it coming.

Review= Preview!

Music:

Wild Young Hearts- The Noissettes

And While the City Sleeps I won't weep Because I couldn't keep My boyfriend

We love it and we leave and we watch it burn

Damn these wild young hearts

February 2006

The young socialites bundled their coats around them as they made their daily stole through the Upper East Side to Constance. The newly rehabilitated Van der Woodsen was sporting her scant blue skirt and rebelliously wrinkled white shirt. Her angel hair and easy smile could inspire an American rock song.

Blair Waldorf was looking her usual self these days; Her navy blue uniform was pressed, her skirt- brief but made marginally appropriate by her bright red leggings, her white shirt crisp and her black head band perched perfectly atop her honey streaked locks.

A car honked in the streets as it past them and she inhaled the cold and gritty New York air with an appreciative smile.

"I love, New York in February."

Serena scanned the panorama of frosted metal, sludge, and throat hacking passer-bys. Everything seemed much too gray and industrial for her taste.

"Why? What's so special about February- besides, agh, Valentines day?" The blonde shuttered.

Serena hated Valentines day. It was the cozy window-side dinner she had always been on the outside looking in on. She could only grouch and suppress a curmudgeon pout as girls like Blair Waldorf fettered their boyfriends to their right hands while flouncing around town showing everyone what thoughtful gifts they got and what romantic plans they had. It was nauseating to be sure. Her only comfort was that she would not be alone in her hater-fest.

"Now that I'm finally single, I realize just how selfish Edward was," she heard her friend say.

-And here they were again. Another Edward spiel.

"All he cared about was his family and his stupid sense of guilt."

Serena had no idea how that constituted as selfish but she was not going to interrupt her friend when she got like this. She could only be glad that she was using name so freely which could only mark good things in her mind.

"And all that brooding- gah! A girl wants Romeo not Hamlet!" Blair shouted exasperatedly.

Serena could only shake her head and roll her eyes.

They made it to their ritual steps outside of the Mets with Blair in seemingly high spirits. Her faithful trio, Penelope, Isobel and Nelly were there waiting as usual with yogurt in hand and gossip ready. They greeted her eagerly and she took her rightful place atop the steps among them while Serena, the odd girl out of their dubious plots, and proud of it stood, leaning against the rails trying to angle her long legs towards the faint sun.

She sighed contentedly.

Her eyes scanned the area just in time to catch the other lanky blond come trolling up the stairs, carrying a Starbucks coffee in one hand and a garment bag draped over the other arm. As if she were scaling a great mountain, she panted and whined with every step until she reached them. Serena smiled sympathetically- a weak smile while the evil trio snickered.

"Well if it isn't little Jenny Humphrey" Blair announced in amusement and a very insubordinate Jenny rolled her eyes and all but threw her venti macchiato at her. The socialite made a face but allowed it. She could hardly keep up with Jenny and her moodiness. First racoonish eyeliner and harajuku extensions and now that ever present scowl on her face like she was auditioning for a punk girl band in the seventies.

The brunette took a sip of her coffee and looked up at the girl as if surprised to see her standing there. "Yes?"

The Jenny/Blair dynamic had gone through quite the whirlwind the past year with Jenny, first the trusted lap dog, then the betrayer who flaunted her elevated status and proximity to Nate in her absence, and finally the lap dog again. She had gone through the Blair bitch project in its entirety; She had been dethroned- publicly, harangued to subservience, judged, tested, and judged again and now the poor girl had no fight in her to do anything other than Blair's bidding. Especially since Blair had such leverage over her.

In her absence she'd gotten an internship at Waldorf designs- thus resulting in her taking orders from both Waldorf's day and night. Blair held her future in her relationship with her mother in one hand- which she desperately needed to keep in tact as it was almost fashion week and she was hoping her subservience would land her a more hands on role and in her covering for the fact that Jenny had practically dropped out of school to pursue a career in design.

"Bye Jenny," Penelope called in a sing-song voice as the statuesque blonde slumped down the stairs- being careful not to let the dress in her hand touch the floor.

"Such an unpleasant girl," Blair scoffed, staring after her momentarily then shrugging. Her attention flitting to her friends.

"What are we doing this weekend?" she asked, seemingly at the group but looking over at Serena whose eyes flitted to Blair's cohorts in quick panic. Blair caught her look and narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Um… family…thing…dinner…" she mumbled incoherently and looked away.

Clearly she was being brushed off – no doubt for Serena's shady dealings but she was willing to overlook it for now. "Oh, so you're having a dinner with Lilly and Bass that apparently lasts three days," she said, in that deadpanned sarcasm her friends had come to know the past month. "How nice."

Isobel and Penelope quickly piped in with excuses. "Oh we have to- - appointments-family—date with- so and such."

"Fine." Blair turned to her last hope, "I don't suppose you have plans too, Nelly Yuki."

The girl's eyes widened. "Uh-no- I mean yes. I'm going out of town- ouch." Penelope had pinched the girl's arms and she continued quickly with, "To Alaska."

"Seriously? Alaska?" Nelly Yuki was the worst liar of them all and Blair knew it.

"Er yes…" Even Penelope and – were rolling their eyes.

For a moment Blair just stared at the raven haired girl with her thick framed glasses. As if challenging her with her eyes she arched an eyebrow expectantly, but the girl only flustered and looked down at her yogurt.

"Fine," Blair conceded. Alaska it is.

Everyone was looking away awkwardly but Blair wasn't going to let their BS break her stride. Besides, she loved a good mystery and she would no doubt get to the bottom of whatever it was they were up to, before lunch. But right now, it wasn't worth the effort.

She pushed off from the steps and stood with her folder in one hand, coffee in the other. "Whatever, I'm going to class," she announced and started walking down the steps and towards Constance. Her friends soon flanked her sides- eager to appease her with their trifling gossip. She smirked, secretly as they strutted through the UES.

It's good to be the queen.

Even with her lightened locks, sly smiles, and biting sarcasm there was something off and dark about Blair that intrigued those around her. At first it was attributed to the breakup but as the weeks passed, that pathetic era of her life was all but forgotten by the haut ton. Instead what they saw was a new Blair who was seemingly sharper and more on her game than ever before. She roamed around the school effortlessly commanding respect and subservience as well as a bit of fear- which wasn't altogether new. What was new was her air of déjà vu, her morbid sarcasm, and an edginess about her as if at any moment she would change her face, crouch down on all fours and pounce.

Needless to say, Blair had no problem re-establishing her place at the top of the food chain.

By lunch she'd traded her head band for her Nancy Drew spy kid, set on discreetly foiling whatever her friends where up to. It did not bother her that they were lying to her. No, what irked her was their lack of imagination. Alaska! Family dinners! Did they think she was completely daft?

Alas, she spotted Nate across the courtyard, sitting at a bench with his legs stretched out. Chuck was sitting with him, only on top of the table, his hawk shaped eyes watching her in high amusement as she approached them. Ignoring him, she fixed her eyes on Nate and gave her most winning smile.

He glanced up at her, nervously and straightened up in his seat. "Uh, hey Blair."

Her grin widened. This was going to be easy. Everyone knew Nate couldn't lie his way out of a paper bag. He never inherited the Archibald flair for politics.

"Hello, Nathanial," she breathed out in a sing-out voice that caused Chuck to narrow his eyes- only slightly before granting her his full profile as he looked away, pretending to peruse the freshmen girls.

"Do you know what I was just thinking?" she announced in a calculated manner, "You and I never hang out anymore. Isn't that strange- one of my oldest friends… What are doing this weekend?"

The corner of Chuck's lips quirked. No one ever said subtlety was Blair's forte.

"Oh um…Chuck and I are em… doing guy things this weekend," he explained rapidly and Chuck, hearing his name welcomed himself into their conversation.

He smirked and let his eyes rake over her leisurely. "Aren't you going to ask me for quality time?"

"No." She rolled her eyes.

"Mm…pity…"

Blair cocked her head to the side and gave him a stringent look. "Chuck, does your depravity know no bounds."

Chuck's smile widened into a dimpled grin. "None."

"Whatever- cut the crap, the both of you."

"What crap?" Nate chimed in guiltily. "We're busy this weekend."

"Really?" Blair said disbelievingly, arching a brow at them. Nate's eyes darted to Chuck who only started grinning at Blair like a Cheshire cat.

"So that's you story and you're sticking with it, hm" She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. If they thought she wasn't getting to the bottom of this they were sadly mistaken.

"Afraid so, Blair," Chuck chimed in, the heaviness of his tauntingly low voice startling her a little. His bored expression morphed into full grown mischief at her discomfiture.

"Unless you want to use your feminine wiles to coax it out of me."

Quite used to Chuck's smarmy ways, she ignored him.

"Well whatever it is, I know you're covering for someone." Suddenly a strange through hit her and her dark eyes widened. "Oh for heaven's sake. Serena's killed someone- again."

"Blair, don't be ridiculous-"

Blair interrupted Nate with a dramatic sigh. "Fine, keep your little secret. I have more interesting things to do with my time anyway." With that she spun around on her heels and stormed out of the courtyard in true diva fashion. All that was missing was a clap of thunder and the climactic, 'don don don'.

"Seriously man, what's the deal with you two?"

Chuck turned from watching Blair storm off to find Nathanial scowling at him.

"Whatever do you mean, Nathanial?"

"Dude, I don't care just please figure it out because its getting rediculous. I do not want to deal that drama again."

Chuck shrugged and slid up from the table, turning to face Nate with cool eyes and ennui in his voice. "Nathanial your concern is warming but unnecessary." His lips curled into a semi smirk. "Unlike some, I know how to handle Blair."

Blair found herself sitting in bed- Indian style, on a Friday night with absolutely nothing to do.

Her friends had all abandoned her to go do God knows what with whom. Not that she could bring herself to care that they were keeping something from her. It was more their lack of imagination that troubled her. They could've at least coordinated on their lies.

She tumbled down into her pillows and stated up at her ceiling.

A weekend alone with her thoughts. Wonderful. She shut her eyes and groaned.

When she looked up, Chuck was standing over her with his hands in his pockets, looking casually amused. Was she shocked to see Chuck Bass standing at her bedside wearing a buttoned down suite and scarf and looking as if he'd just come from a board meeting? Not as surprised as she should have been.

"How many times must I talk to Dorota about letting you in my house?" She propped herself up a bit and effected a mixture of boredom and annoyance.

"I can't help it if she has a soft spot for me." he shrugged. "She is a woman after all."

"What do you want, Chuck." She demanded, eyeing him warily from her position which quite unintentionally had morphed into an inviting pose.

He took her in, silently for a moment- the way she angled herself gracefully across her bed like Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra. One would half expect man servants to arrive to fan her with palm branches. He smiled slightly, in general approval of the scene before him and his eyes twinkled with mischief.

"That's a dangerous question, Blair."

Blair scoffed and rolled her eyes.

His grin widened slowly. "I'll let you know why, but you're not going to like it."

"Out with it, Chuck, you can't manipulate me anymore. You have no power here."

"Ouch. That hurts Blair."

"Good."

He dug his hands deeper into his pockets and shrugged. "I think I've been slightly descent towards you for the past couple months."

"Slightly," she agreed.

"You should feel honored," he smirked, "Very few people actually receive that privilege."

Alas, his brazen audacity amused her. She felt that strange feeling of a wide and genuine grin.

Strangely enough, Chuck had been on his best behavior since she'd been back. She wasn't sure if had anything to do with her breakup, or his personal hand in destroying her life in Forks, or pity, but for the first few weeks he gave her space- practically ignored her. She merged back into fold without so much of a snarky comment from him.

He acknowledged her with a mere nod at school, conversed sparsely with her when among their friends.

But now that she was back on top of things it seemed he was ready to drop that whole façade. But Even Blair had to admit, she missed their sparring. It as warm and comforting as chocolate, yet equally as taboo.

"What is it Chuck," she conceded, slightly wearily. "I thought you and rest of New York had plans this weekend." Plans that didn't involve her.

"Blair, please tell you're not buying that lame story," Chuck said, disapprovingly. "I know that small town hasn't completely robbed you of that sharp mind of yours."

The brunette cut her eyes at him. "Of course not. I'm merely tolerating you all for now."

Chuck smiled appreciatively. "Good."

"Wait." She sat up completely and rose up to meet his eyes, "You wouldn't be here to tell me what it is you're up to, are you?"

"Possibly."

Blair crossed her arms. "And what exactly am I supposed to give you in exchange?" She just knew that he was here to try to manipulate her some way.

"Save it, Blair, I highly doubt you'll be giving me anything after what I tell you. Now sit."

Blair's mouth fell a bit at his tone but she remained defiantly still, slightly shocked at his insolence.

He seemed a little annoyed at her then, eyeing her with a combination of boredom and martyrdom as if asking himself, "Why me?".

"What is it?" she asked, her voice sobering.

"Blair do you not know what month this is? What important event takes place…?"

"Valentines day?"

Chuck sighed in irritation. "Think scholastically for a second."

She wasn't too pleased with him taking that tone with her but she rummaged through brain nonetheless. Exams- no. Graduation- no. Midterms- done. Application- sent…

Suddenly the blood seemed to drain from her face and she felt cold fear.

"Yale," she said, hesitantly.

"Mhmm," he encouraged as if spoon feeding a child.

"Interviews."

He nodded. She processed- choosing her words tentatively.

"You're telling me that…" She choked over the words, "S-erena, Nate, Nelly, all my friends…you.. are all going to New Haven this weekend."

He nodded.

"On invitation."

Again he nodded.

"To interview with admissions"

"Well, technically, I'm just going to get and intimate acquaintance with the student body. But yes, that's what I'm getting at."

Chuck allowed her to stumble backwards into her bed, sitting at the edge with her mouth agape.

"But," her eyes were calculating, "But… I haven't gotten…"

"Your invitation," Chuck finished for her calmly.

"Anything."

Chuck watched her for a moment as if calculating something himself. "Odd."

She only clasped her hands together and eyed the floor and Chuck was pained to see her looking so small and fragile. He exhaled a martyred sigh and trudged over to her, swooping down to retrieve her phone from beside her, and scrolling through her phonebook.

She began to protest but he held out his hand, apparently now calling someone. She could hear the faint ringing and for some strange reason it prompted her to whisper.

"Chuck, what the hell are you doing," she hissed.

With the phone to his ear and with an extremely condescending voice he said, "Calling your uncle. Try to keep up Blair- Oh hello, Mr. Swan."

Realization struck. When she'd applied for Yale she had been a lot of things, a 4.0 student, naively dating a vampire, and most of all, living in Washington. Suddenly she felt the urge to wrest the phone from his hand and she acted on it.

She didn't want to hear him say it. Her nerves would not allow it. Either way it went her future could be completely destroyed or she had no time to prepare for her one on one with the dean in less than 24 hours which would result in the above.

Anticipating this, Chuck coolly swatted her away and resumed his casual chat with chief Swan.

"Yes…she is right here." Blair pouted defiantly and his eyes twinkled with mischief. "Uncle Charlie says, hello," he said smarmily while wiggling his eyebrows in a lascivious fashion. She knew it was beneath her but she flipped him off anyway.

"Actually Mr. Swan I was wondering if you've received any mail for Blair lately."

Chuck's expression was blank. He wasn't speaking and it was driving Blair insane. He gave brief not then turned his back to her. Blair felt her stomach clench. Her breathing became shallow but of course Chuck wasn't paying any attention to her.

What the hell? Does he or doesn't he have it?

"- Just a friend, sir," she hear him say. "I assure you."

What? She moved in front of him and waved her hands. He only shrugged and mouthed, "He's looking for it."

"A few weeks ago? –Sure, I'll wait," he said and Blair thought she was going to go insane.

Chuck, already bored with the sound of rustling objects and papers took advantage of Blair hysterics to watch her pout and pace the room, picking up pillows and tossing them about- and looking very much the crazy beautiful girl he'd come to know and respect.

And there he was, despite his infamy, coming to her aide. Not that Blair would see it that way. She was far too fixated on shining white knights. In a way it amused him- how the seemingly indestructible Blair was ever drawn to these shining prince charming types who had no idea what to do with her.

"What was your name again," the man gruffed- papers still rustling.

"Chuck Bass."

He grunted but left the matter at that. "Found it," Charlie announced, "New Haven, right. Yeah it's been lying under a stack of papers for over a month now. Hold on, let me…"

Chuck kept a steady eye on Blair as papers unfolded and her uncle read its contents. She was crossing her arms and scowling at him with a brow arched in expectation and he smiled, remembering how much he'd missed that expression.

"Alright, I'll pass that along. Thank you, Swan." He shut her phone and slid it into his pocket then he smirked and stalked towards her.

"What did he say?" She eyed him warily; afraid to show that was afraid of what he might say. His smirk widened to a grin.

"He said congratulations. It seems you've got Yale."

Her loud sigh of relief interrupted him. He had her at 'congratulations' and she had crossed the room in an instance and threw her arms around him in appreciation.

Chuck loved women- all women, black women, white women, high end hookers, and society sluts alike. The brief comfort they provided had a way of making him feel enveloped in something soft and good. But Blair made him feel something different entirely. Strangely, aside from the part of him completely focused on sex, Chuck never saw Blair as woman. Instead what he saw was his equal- cold, cunning, and impenetrable and he'd always respected her for it.

It had always been this way. Blair was always the aloof and frigid girlfriend to his best friend and he had been merely tolerated by her for Nate's sake. It wasn't until that night at Vitriol, when Blair was at her lowest did he see through the porcelain grin and cold dark eyes. He saw a women who was dark and almost a severely fucked up inside as him and he allowed himself to want something that didn't belong to him and probably never would.

But it didn't stop her from always entering his mind. Or the fact that it felt good to touch her, even chastely like this when she was cleaving to him like some hero- making consider doing good things more often. He was waiting for her to realize who she was holding and push him away- break whatever hold she had over him, but she didn't. He ventured to run his hands along her waist and she allowed it- no, encouraged it even, a soft purr escaped her lips and she arched her back.

She looked up at him and he knew if he wanted to, he could have her right there. He could finally get her out of his system.

"Blair," he said in that rasping heady voice before stepping away from her. "You probably have a lot to do… so I'll let my self out."

"Fine," she said distractedly and he wondered if he was reading too much into her actions. Was she inviting him or was she merely forgetting whose chest she was snuggled against?

"You're the only person who's always there for me, Chuck" She murmured distantly.

Always? Chuck wasn't sure about always? Maybe he'd been there when she needed him once or twice. But he saw no reason to be getting carried away.

Enough of this, his throat was scraping for Scotch. Perhaps more brusquely than he meant to, he pushed her off of him. She blinked several times, looking at him as if he was the one acting ridiculous.

"I've done my good deed for the day," he announced his detached manner; "I suppose I'm done here."

And then he tuned on his heels and left. He regretted it instantly though he told himself there was nothing he could do about it.

It wasn't his fault Blair was always falling for these hero types that had no idea what to do with her, and getting burnt for it. Meanwhile if she would just stop flitting and stay still enough for him to figure out what the hell he wanted to do with her…

Where was his flask when he needed it? At the foot of her steps, Chuck decided he was in dire need of a drink, a woman, and something stronger to clear his head.

She spotted him from the top the staircase, standing at her foyer and gathering his coat.

"Chuck?" she cried out. He paused in the midst of letting himself out and turned to her- his face looking dark and pensive. He opened his mouth but she was at his side before he could think of words to tell her.

"You're acting weirder than usual. What the hell is your problem?" She tilted her head up at him with concern in her eyes- despite the harshness of her words.

His eyes wouldn't meet hers- those eyes- so wide and full of expectations he wasn't sure he was ready to fulfill. Wasn't sure if he was even capable.

"I have to go, Blair-"

"So suddenly!" Her voice was shrill and anxiety ridden. Eyes were flitting across his face rapidly. But Chuck knew Blair and he knew that she had good reason to be on edge when people left her suddenly. He knew better than to leave her anxious.

In the midst of slipping on his gloves and angling for the door he paused and looked down at his hands and moving them as if he were holding his future words and weighing them.

She called his name, "Charles," harshly and his eyes snapped up to hers.

"Listen Blair, it's been swell but I need to be alone to think," he said, his voice thick syrupy.

"Okay?" she watched him tentatively. He then took a bold step towards her. His sable leather thumb grazed her cheek. If she wasn't so stunned by the intimacy of his touch she would have surely swatted it away.

"But I think I already know," he murmured and the next thing Blair knew he had kissed her- so brief yet lingering enough for her to feel his warm mouth on hers, moving with deliberate slowness and brevity all at once.

She had half a mind to slap him if- if it didn't feel so impossibly good- to connect, to plug in- with another human being. He tasted of scotch and depravity and he smelled of women- always. And here she was feeling- good, and lightheaded, and strange- over Chuck Bass.

He pulled away so quick she had to wonder if it even happened. It wasn't until she had to open them did she realize she'd closed her eyes to begin with and he was standing there with his coat and Burberry scarf looking like- well- Chuck Bass; Billionaire, womanizing, metro sexual, omni sexual, deviant,- there was a point here I know it- with that slightly dazed look on his face. She had no word for that look on his face except it was something akin to the look he'd given her when he chose to unveil his plans for a bar to her and only her and she, the master of all taste—of course, had given him her sound approval.

Blair felt the urge to do something familiar- like slap him, call him a man whore, and to tell him to take his deviance elsewhere. So she did. A loud clap rang out as she slapped him- hard, for the both of them and set her face in a deadly scowl for good measure.

He actually had the nerve to smirk, rubbing his hand over that familiar sore spot on his cheek and grinning wolfishly like the devil himself.

"Out!"

Giving her a knowing smirk, he simply shrugged and began to let himself out, sauntering the whole way like the malevolent bastard he surely was.

Then he paused. He halted the door and gave a yet bewildered Blair one last lingering look and said, "I'll see you in New Haven."

Eclipse (Spoiler Free):

So I just saw Eclipse at the midnight showing and here's my two cents. I loved it! It was easily the more accessible of the 3 movies in that it had wayyy more to offer to the audience- Back stories (yay), more lines for the Cullens, action!, snarky humor, and an even better Edward. I'm so impressed with Rob's new approach to Edward. He comes across as an actual man from the 20thcentury trapped in a teens body here than ever before. Not to mension he was actually light and funny. And the Bella/Edward scenes were pure delights. You get to actually see them enjoying each other's company instead of just sulking and worrying all the time and you realize just why you like these two as a couple. Though I will always put Twilight above the rest, Eclipse was right up there. I loved Bella here too- she reminded me of Twilight Bella, back in character and less of her awkward K-stew self.

Jacob….sigh. I adore Taylor, I really do but homeboy cannot act his way out of a paper bag. God, he ruined ever single scene for me. He had the most to work with, being the hot and dangerous contender for Bella's affection, but brought nothing to the table. It was very soap opera for me. His scenes just came off as cheesy and unintentionally silly. Plus he comes off as VERY young and winy- which makes it difficult to buy his "chemistry" with Bells. That being said, Taylor's such a nice guy in real life and I think better him for this role than some random d-bag actor… even if he's ruining the series… (I've said this b4; they should've gotten that fire guy from Sky High to play Jacob. Just sayin…)

What did you think? Feel free to chime in on your review.