AN: I'm sorry this took so long to get out. I wrote half of it and then mock exams came up and I busted my ass to try get good grades for those. But now I'm back and hoping to write more. This chapter focuses on Cotillion and is a chapter I've had planned out from the very start of this story. I hope you enjoy and please review. I always appreciate reviews and take them into consideration.

Chapter 11: What a Debutante Wants

Hey Upper East Siders,

Well, it looks like you've used my Thanksgiving Dinner break to your advantage, but worry not. I'm back and ready to find out and expose everything you've bee up to.

Spotted: O, with a blonde on his arm. Just when we thought he was becoming Lonely Boy 2.0, too. Good job keeping things interesting, O. Speaking of which, L has a new girl on his arm every night while his BFF, N seems to be staying in. Queen C is up late plotting, but that isn't the reason you'd want to be staying up, is it? Seems K's been racking up quite a phone bill, while M hasn't been spotted since his mysterious departure for Amsterdam. And what of H? Frequent Ostroff visits tell us he's trying to win back the queen of his heart, A.

Stacey Wallace was never promised anything.

On her fifth birthday, her father had kissed her on the forehead, handed her a neatly wrapped present and said that he'd seen her soon. To this day, she hadn't seen him. He lied, but he'd never promised. Or maybe his definition of 'soon' differed from everyone else's.

Growing up, she had never been promised wealth or a legacy or a business to be handed down to her. Her mother, her grandparents had all hoped for the best future for her and did what they could to help her accomplish it, they had never promised her anything.

She was never promised early entrance into Yale, a full semester before she was due to graduate and she'd never been promised amazing grades and a full ride to Yale, via a fund that Carter Baizen had decided to leave his daughter. But it had happened. She was now set to have the bright, happy, successful future she'd never been promised, but had always longed for.

Yes, Stacey had never been promised anything...until now.

Until two weeks ago when she'd received a call from a mysterious man named Milo ("Who names their kid that?" she'd thought), who had promised her quick cash and a way into her father's old world. She hadn't wanted it at first. For the first time, she'd actually had something going for her. And then Milo promised her something she'd always told herself she didn't want.

Her father's location.

And despite everything in her that told her she didn't want or need her father, a part of her ached to find out the truth about everything. Why he left, why he left the fund, why he kept running away from everyone who he was supposed to care about.

So she agreed. She'd come to New York and awaited his instructions.

And then he vanished. Saying nothing of where he would be or how to contact him, she'd left him many voicemails and messages, but it was all in vain. And then there was Oscar...and then there was Henry.

Henry, the handsome, somehow still incredibly suave while drunk boy she'd met on her last night as a waitress at a bar in Connecticut. The night had been laced with a hint of sadness, though. It had cemented how different things really were, living off Daddy...the father who she told herself she hated for leaving's money. It hadn't been much, really. Just sex at it's core. There had been feeling, but it wasn't for the other person involved.

Still, she had to wonder why he acted as if they never met. True, she had never said otherwise but it was a Thanksgiving dinner with people she didn't know. He hadn't really expected her to point out that he was lying, had he? He had been drunk, for sure, but he had seemed so...tense.

She left a message on Milo's phone, asking (more demanding, really) where he was, why he wasn't replying, what she was supposed to do and where her father was. She had many questions and she was feeling like he'd pulled a bait and switch.

"Hey, shot in the dark," Oscar greeted with a straight up question as he saw her at the coffee shop. "Would you like to attend the ball that is the epitome of everything my father hates about the Upper East Side, with me?"

"Hello to you too, Oscar," she rolled her eyes with a smile. "And what are you on about?"

"Cotillion," he said more flatly. "It's not really my thing but my sister is making her debut into society and my mom and Nate are expecting me to go...I figured, why not go with the one person who could make the night even slightly more enjoyable."

"You flatter me," she mused in a deadpan.

"Is that a yes?"

"Sure." It wasn't like Milo was going to reply soon. Why not have some fun with Oscar? She wanted to ask about is father, but she would never be one to judge the relationship between a father and son. She hadn't even seen her father interact with...

"Great, pick you up at six then," he smiled.

"Sound good," she smiled. "So tell me, are you going to be attending in a hipster t-shirt?"

Charlotte Bass did not surrender. She did not concede what she wanted to a person who wasn't a Bass. She was like a four star general (with better hair, obviously) who had won every battle, leaving the field victorious and unscathed.

But it wasn't surrendering if maybe she wanted it too. Maybe...yes, she did want it.

And that was why she was standing outside the Archibald Penthouse, awaiting to speak to someone who wasn't her best friend. She'd texted Kayla in advance to see whether she'd be home, but her friend was off wreaking havoc in the city by herself. The doorman knew her well and she went straight up to the top floor to concede.

The housekeeper had brought her to Nick, who was in his room. She could see an open history textbook on his desk and a bag of his lacrosse gear sticking out from under his bed, but other than that the room was pretty neat. He was sitting on his bed, slumping lethargically, with an X-box controller in his hand, eyes fixed on the screen.

She knocked twice on the door, before making her presence finalized. "Hey."

He set down the controller almost immediately and looked at her. "Kayla's not home."

"I know," Charlotte nodded. "Can we talk?"

He shifted his jaw a little bit. "What about?"

"Don't play games, Archibald," she spoke, sternly. "May I interrupt this precious game of yours?" she mocked.

"You're terrible at apologies," he muttered.

"That's because it's not an apology," Charlotte retorted as she walked in and took seat on his bed. Nick, turned of the game and straightened his back. "Look, about what you said...before," she spoke with caution. "I guess, it wouldn't be the worst idea in the world if you took me to Cotillion."

"Is that all you have to say?" he furrowed his brow.

She sighed. "Look, you told me...a lot, that day. I just needed to process it," Charlotte sighed. "You know what my relationships with guys are like and...it's all for fun. That way things don't get boring," she tried to gather herself. "But maybe...maybe we wouldn't be boring."

Nick couldn't help a smile rising to his face, playing on the corners of his lips. He could see she was stepping out of her comfort zone and the thought that it was for him made his heart beat a little louder in his chest.

"Are you saying you want this to go official. You and me?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Because maybe with you...the boring stuff wouldn't be boring."

He let a chuckle escape him as she laughed lightly and inched closer to her. "Charlotte, will you go to Cotillion with me?"

"I'd love to," she smiled. Without another word, he pressed his lips onto hers and there was an all too familiar feeling of happiness that went through them. One thought echoed in both their minds as Charlotte's hand became tangled in his blonde hair and she seemed to grow more comfortable in the surface of the bed.

'It had been way too long since the last time this happened.'

Henry took two steps into the Bass home before he saw Lucas, still in a bathrobe, ushering out a girl to the door. It was a Saturday, but Blair had to dealt with last minute changes at the atelier, while Chuck had to finish up deals Jack had meant to be closing (Jack had decided to jet off to London with Georgina at the last minute).

"Late night, brother?" Henry smirked as Lucas hit the final stair, about to escort his lady friend, a girl his own age but from a neighboring school, out.

"You could say that," Lucas smirked back.

"Wow," the girl examined him. "You're Henry Bass. You are like...so epic."

"Good to see there's some truth in advertising," he nodded with a light chuckle.

"Okay, Hannah," Lucas led his date towards the door, hastily. "That's enough. I'll see you, then."

Once she was out the door, Henry followed his younger brother to the kitchen, where he helped himself to a croissant left on the counter.

"I take it you're not actually going to see her again," Henry double checked.

"She doesn't even have my number."

"This seems to be happening to you a lot, recently," Henry mused as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "More than usual."

"Apparently having a business venture into Bass hotels at seventeen will do that for you," Lucas grinned. "I've been having word of the Lost Room spread through underground channels. Everyone's begging for an in on New Years's Eve."

"I thought it was hotel guests only," Henry questioned, before connecting the dots in his head and smirking. "You realize they're going to build a shrine to you at Bass Industries the day after it opens."

"I'd actually prefer a statue," Lucas smirked back.

"Of course you would."

"What about you?"

"I'm good either way."

"No, I mean," Lucas made a small gesture with his head. "Female...relationship...issues."

"Too pedestrian for you to just say 'girl problems' , Luke?"

"Well that implies there is a current...romantic relationship going," Lucas explained. "Is there?"

"Define romance," Henry sighed.

Lucas licked his lips and finished off what was left of the croissant. "I'm sorry to hear that man."

"Well it's hard to get romance in rehab," Henry shrugged.

"Yeah, well," Lucas shrugged back, before fetching himself a glass and helping himself to some of the scotch on the top cabinet. "She came here for Thanksgiving didn't she?"

"Does that really spell romantic?" Henry questioned, snagging the glass of scotch and smirking. Lucas rolled his eyes and obtained another glass to replace the one Henry had taken. "Besides, Dan Humphrey almost ruined the whole dinner."

"True." Both Bass boys proceeded to take a sip from their respective glasses of scotch. "Well, not that I'm a big romance guy," Lucas began to speak. "But I do know women," he spoke causing Henry to chuckle, not because it was untrue, but because he realized his hedonistic little brother was about to give him relationship advice.

"What do you suggest?"

"Well...women are suckers for nostalgia," Lucas answered nonchalantly. "You can't be romantic in rehab? Bring her somewhere reminiscent of your romance."

Kayla took a step with James. The music went rhythmically as she followed the steps. James was a good dancer, he was handsome too and he came from a well respected family who lived on Park Avenue. Father was a Wall-Street man, mother threw wonderful parties. He was a good guy, but he was not the person she had in mind to escort her.

Not that she would have acted upon who she wanted to be escort. Would she?

Her train of thought was broken a phone went off in the background. She recognized the ringtone as he own and quickly apologized to James, and to one of the observing and glaring committee members, promising haste as she raced to her purse, retrieved the phone and answer the call.

"Hello."

"Bonjour, Kayla," came the voice that she had waited the last two days to hear.

Not that she was keeping track or anything.

"I'm sorry I haven't been able to call recently. I've been swamped in London," he replied, sounding genuinely sincere.

"It's fine," she replied. "I get it...So how are you?"

"I'd be better if you were with me," he replied.

Kayla couldn't help a smile coming to her face. "That's sweet. When will you be back?"

"I'm hoping by tomorrow," Antoine said. "I can't wait to see you."

"Trust me, the feeling's mutual," Kayla smiled as one of the committee observers called out to her loudly.

"Miss Archibald!"

"Who was that?" Antoine asked.

"Uh, nobody," Kayla answered. "I have to go, but I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Of course, I'll see you then."

Kayla hung up the phone, uttered a quick apology and hurried back to James, who was waiting patiently for the final dance practice, as the music played once more and she began to move with the rhythm. Though her mind began to wander as she couldn't see Charlotte. Cotillion had always been something they'd planned together and her best friend was nowhere in sight.

"Guess who?" Henry greeted as he stepped into her room at the Ostroff Center. The staff knew him so well by now, he didn't even have to say who he had come to see.

"Hi, Henry," she smiled and kissed him on the cheek, which pleasantly surprised him. "What's up?"

"Well, Cotillion is happening tonight," he began, charmingly. "How would you like to be my date?"

She chuckled and smiled. "Cotillion? I don't know Henry," she said, though her tone indicated differently to her tone.

"Come on," he replied, easily. "It's Charlotte's debut and I know she'd appreciate it if you were there."

"Charlotte?"

"And me," he admitted, still confident. "Don't you remember your Cotillion," Henry smirked, knowing his trump card had an effect on her.

"I remember," she nodded, her voice laced with nostalgia. She was newly seventeen, wearing a beautiful dress and Henry had escorted her, looking handsome as ever. That night had always had a special place in her heart. "Pick me up at seven, then?"

"Of course," he smirked.

"Actually, I, there's something I have to tell you," she said. "After Cotillion, okay?"

"Why not now?"

"It's kind of a surprise," she answered.

Henry was never one to back down. But he had already won in her agreeing to go to Cotillion and with Milo's blackmail and Stacey still in town, he felt it best not to push his luck. "Okay," he conceded. "I'll see you tonight then, alright?"

Lucas was right. Nostalgia was a lady killer.

Charlotte Bass had never felt more like a princess as she descended the staircase of her home. Her dress was long and flowed in a dark purple shade (she was her father's daughter after all) with black lace lining the top sides. Her heels were also black, with just a hint of silver and her hair was worn down, allowing her curls to fall naturally.

Blair looked like she was about to cry. Chuck just looked in awe. Even Lucas looked a little impressed with his baby sister.

"You look beautiful, sweetheart," Blair looked like she was trying to hold back tears of joy. She quickly blinked back any tears to avoid messing up her makeup and smiled and her daughter.

Once they had arrived at the Cotillion venue, the Bass clan went to obtain a good view of the stage with the Archibalds. Oscar had come with Stacey, his apparent date and was actually dressed up for once in a suit. Henry joined shortly after, with Ashley in tow, they both looked happy, but Henry still made sure he was on the opposite end of Oscar.

Kayla and Charlotte went all giggly as they gathered by the stairs, their respective escorts on the other side. Kayla was one of the first to be called, so she was placed a few people ahead of Charlotte, dressed in pale blue and silver heels. Her escort stood opposite her.

He noticed she was a bit...elsewhere so he double checked. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Fine," she plastered a smile on her face.

A few paces behind, Charlotte stood across Nick, who went for one over the standard Cotillion look. His tux was black, like everyone else, but so was the shirt he had underneath, his vest was grey and his tie was white, instead.

"Not bad, Archibald," Charlotte smiled at him. "You look good."

"So do you."

"Hello and welcome," the announcer began to speak. "To the annual Dispensary Cotillion and Debutante Ball."

There was applause as several photographers were armed with their cameras at the ready.

The announcer began rolling off names.

"Miss Kayla Elizabeth Archibald," the announcer spoke as Kayla lifted her dress a little so she would step on it as she stepped up to the platform. "Daughter of Nathaniel and Serena Archibald,"

Her escort, James, was dressed in a traditional black and white tux stepped up and smiled charmingly as he looked at her.

"…Escorted by Mr. James Cartwright."

They parted, as he took his place next to the three other escorts and she took her place next to the two other debutantes.

Kayla took the arm of her escort as they walked forwards, to the end of the runway. They smiled as a photographer flashed a picture. Kayla smiled, she really was having a good time, despite a gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach that she wanted to be on someone else's arm. James was a good guy,from a respectable family with no bad blood with either the Archibalds' or the Basses. And tonight that would be enough.

Two more escorts were called out before Charlotte stepped up to the front, Nick just opposite her; they were both sharing a smile.

"Miss Charlotte Rose Bass," Charlotte stepped up onto the platform. "Daughter of Charles and Blair Bass. Escorted by Mr. Nicholas Archibald."

The blonde boy stepped up to the platform next to her, she didn't even wait, quickly placing her hand on his arm, both smiling, as their families looked more than a bit surprised. They walked to the end of the runway, just as they were approaching the end, she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear:

"Kiss me."

She didn't need to tell him twice. Once they reached the end of the stage, he pulled her in for a kiss, pulling her deep into his arms, her hand pressed against his cheek as half a dozen flashes proceeded to go off. This more than shocked their family members present. When they finally pulled away, just as they were about to take their place with the other announced couples, Charlotte whispered:

"Public enough for you Archibald?"

To which, he just grinned.

Once the other debutantes and escorts had been announced, Nick gladly took Charlotte's hand on the dance floor as they danced to the music playing in the background. The band sang as instruments played in the background as Charlotte and Nick shared their dance together.

"I was...not expecting you to do that," he admitted as they turned.

"Well, I thought if we would go public…where better than our debut into society."

"I like the way you think," he replied, pressing closer to her, her lips about to meet his, when a familiar voice cut in.

"I hate to interrupt, Lovebirds," Lucas smirked, dressed in his sharpest. "But there are family matters that are dying to be discussed." His tone was laced with smarmyness, but Charlotte could tell that he too was surprised.

Stepping away from the dance floor, Charlotte, still holding Nick's hand as they approached Chuck Bass at the bar, Blair was standing by him and Serena and Nate stood slightly to the side.

"This…" Chuck trailed off, half-empty glass of scotch positioned in his hand as he downed to rest of it. "When did this..." he slammed down the glass onto the counter. "No more limo, Charlotte."

"I thought Harry Lockwoode was escorting you," Blair interjected, quickly placing her hand on her husbands arm in an effort to calm him as he ordered another glass of scotch.

"Yes, well...Nick offered to escort me instead," Charlotte explained. "And given how things were...I just thought..."

"When did this start?" Nate asked.

"A while ago?"

"How a while ago?"

"A few weeks."

"That long?" Chuck put down his second glass of scotch.

"We've been keeping it under wraps," Nick admitted.

Chuck was speechless, he was half paralyzed with shock, the other with...fatherly protective anger. That was a thing. Seeing her father's expression, Charlotte quickly jumped to her defense.

"Daddy, remember that conversation we had the other day?"

And then it all made sense. "Yes," he answered cautiously. "But I didn't know that Nicholas was the boy."

"Well he is, Daddy," she said firmly, but with an edge of softness. "I really care about him."

Chuck's expression softened slightly. "If he makes you happy, Char," he gestured to Nick. "But if you ever hurt her-"

"I won't, Mr. Bass," Nick spoke with pure sincerity in his voice. "I promise."

"Good. Because if you do-"

"Why don't you guys get back on the dance floor?" Serena suggested quickly.

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea," Blair added, but she shot a quick look to her daughter. one that said 'we are so talking about this later.'

The new couple hurried back on, brushing past Lucas who shot his friend a look similar to the one Blair had just given her daughter. There was much to talk about, but tonight was going to be fun for them.

Once first dances for all the debutantes had finished, the dance floor was free to be occupied by...basically whoever wanted to be on it. So while some drank and others took to the floor, everyone seemed occupied.

"Okay, you can say it," Ashley admitted with a small smirk as she held Henry's hand and they danced lightly to the music.

"Say what?" Henry played dumb.

"This...this was a really good idea. Coming to Cotillion, that is."

"Hey, I would never try to force you to have fun," he smirked, charmingly. "So what was that thing you wanted to tell me?"

"That," she began. "I'm being let out of the Ostroff Center."

Henry suddenly stopped. "What?"

"Dr. Matthews thinks I'm good to go, fully recovered and...well, I can be released tomorrow."

"That's...that's amazing, Ash," Henry smiled.

"Yeah."

That was all he heard as she leaned in and kissed him. In that moment, they both felt like they were sixteen again at their own Cotillion, but right after, a sense or reality shifted, they were older now, smarter, more mature. They would do it right this time, no more stupid excuses.

When they finally pulled away, Ashley spoke.

"Let's do it right. No more excuses this time."

He smiled and nodded. "No more excuses."

As their eyes locked with that of the other, Henry found himself lost in the moment, his mind temporarily forgetting about Milo's threats to destroy his relationship, they would get to that later...and when they did, he would face it. He would be stronger than Milo.

Neither of them noticed Oscar Humphrey squeezing his way past the dancers, a glass of champagne in his hand, on his way to meet his date.

"Hey," he greeted her with a smile, handing her a glass of champagne. Oscar was more of a few-beers-while-playing-pool type of guy himself, but it was Cotillion after all and Stacey should have a taste of it. She wasn't going to be in the city forever.

"Thanks," she smiled.

Oscar noticed just how beautiful she was, sure he knew she was attractive when she had first spilled coffee on him, but dressed up...with that smile on her face. It seemed to hit him out of the park.

Temporarily finding himself in awe, he opened his mouth.

"You, ah...If you're bored, you don't have to ah...so how do you find Cotillion?"

"It's...different," she admitted. "We don't have this sort of thing in Connecticut, it's all so...extravagant," Stacey paused. "This is the first time I think I've ever seen you in a suit."

"I'm not really a fan," he admitted, with a sheepish smile. He was dressed in a standard three piece suit, blue shirt, black jacket and pants.

"I think it looks good on you."

"Well, you look...great tonight," Oscar replied, beating himself up on the inside. He was a writer and he couldn't think of a better word than great? "Fantastic, even."

"Thanks," she replied, as she set her glass of champagne down on a nearby table. "Um, do you...should we dance?"

"I'm...not really much of a dancer," he admitted. "But, I can hold your hands and we can...um, sway...to the music."

She chuckled lightly, reaching out her hand to accept his invitation. "Okay, that sounds good." As she was about to take his hand, her phone went off with a single buzz. She apologized and opened the message.

Had to go out of town for a bit. Will me back after the holidays. Stick around.

-Milo

"What is it?" Oscar asked as he saw her crease her forehead.

"No one, it's nothing important," she put her phone back and took his hand. "Shall we?"

The evening began to draw to a close as people went home, debutantes and escorts parted ways. Nick and Charlotte were almost inseparable and Kayla told her friend she expected a full recount of how she started a romantic relationship with Nick. It seemed like Henry and Ashley were leaving together and Oscar seemed to be getting very close with Stacey.

Kayla couldn't help but sigh at the fact that it seemed the people closest to her all got to be with the one person they wanted to be with tonight, except her. It wasn't Antoine's fault, he hadn't chosen to be called to London at the last minute via his father's orders. James was a gentleman, but he wasn't really the person she wanted to spend the evening with.

Nate and Serena had headed home a little earlier to relieve the nanny of looking after baby Lucy and Nick seemed a little occupied with Charlotte, despite Chuck's best efforts to keep them from public displays of affection, at least in front of him, with Blair telling him to relax a bit.

The Basses were on their way to make a departure, with Nick. She had intended just to stay a bit longer and have the town car pick her up later, just to soak in the moment of Cotillion. Kayla had heard stories of her mother's own Cotillion and was just happy her own had gone off without a hitch.

Just as she had decided she would leave, a familiar voice called her attention.

"Excuse me, mademoiselle," she turned around to find a huge smile coming to her face. "I hope I'm not too late."

"Strangely enough, you have perfect timing," she replied. "When did you get in?"

"Just now. I had no idea I missed this, I would have loved to escort you."

"It's fine, there was a whole...arrangement, before hand, it's no big deal."

"Well...I still wish I could have been here," he took a step closer to her. He was dressed in nowhere near his finest, but it was still somehow formal enough. "May I have this dance?" he extended his arm.

"There's no music, Antoine," she replied, even though she took his hand and he spiun her round. Apparently, royalty really knew how to dance. It wasn't long, but she quickly found herself in his arms, and pressed her lips against his.

In that moment, the world was theirs.

What neither of them noticed, was a figure who had slipped back in to recover an item and saw the two together.

AN: Again, apologies for the time it took to get this out but I hope it was worth it. This is a chapter I have been planning for a while, so I hope that you enjoyed it. Please leave a review, I always take the time to read every one of them and the worst thing for an author is silence, so I would really love to know what you think.

Till next time (which hopefully is soon).