A/N: Another update. I must apologize. It has come to my attention that several things in the last few chapters have been completely unrealistic and just don't make sense. This whole story started out badly and now that I've become so obsessed with tSotW and am just more inspired to write for that, this fic has suffered. But I cannot blame it on that. There are only a few chapters left in this fic, and in those few chapters I shall try to justify and make right my mistakes. Please message me or comment in your review is something is off kilter. Thanks again. You've been great. =)

Ch.21—Burning Rescue

"Chuck."

He turned his face to her, zeroed in on the tape that she held in her hands. His eyes looked up to hers slowly. He saw fear written all over his face and wanted to wipe it all away, to tell her nothing had happened, but in reality something had happened, whether he had enjoyed it or had an ulterior motive…or not.

"Please tell me this is not what I think it is."

"What do you think it is?" he scoffed, trying to ignore the increased pain that shown on her face. Her eyebrows narrowed and he couldn't tell if she was more sad or angry.

"Why don't you tell me?" she countered, grinding her teeth. "Are you cheating on me with that bitch on here, or not?" He shook his head as if her words were ridiculous, but he knew she didn't take his gesture as anything more than his frustration.

"Of course you would think the worst of me. You always have."

Now she was mad, he knew. They were falling into Georgina's trap of getting mad at each other, of not working things out and letting all the anxious topics she had thrown in their faces get to them. Somehow he couldn't help but provoke the flurry of feelings inside of him. He had been scared and worried and just about to give up so much since the exact moment he had finally found Blair, as carried away in their bliss as they had been.

"Chuck," she sighed. "Just tell me."

He remained frozen, hated the way her voice softened as if she pitied him. Somewhere in him he sensed that she was just as agitated as he and everyone else in the situation but it was as if a clouded mist had come over his senses and everything dissolved into anger. It only increased when she laid her hand on his arm, squeezing it gently so as to encourage him. He snapped away.

"Talk to me," she pleaded. When he still said nothing, she folded her hands across her chest. "Fine, don't tell me what's on this tape. Just let me assume the worst. That'll make everything all better," she spat. He turned to look at her, his eyes like fire. His heart sank at her words but his face was hard as iron and he could not make himself go soft and become human for her.

He turned away again and she rolled her eyes, scoffing. "You're never going to tell me anything, are you? You'll never confide in me about anything."

His eyes drifted to the floor but he didn't dare look at her.

"You know, when everyone thought the worst of you, I always defended your stubborn, ignorant ass," she sneered. "Now I know it was a mistake to begin with." She got up in a huff and crossed the room. He wanted to go after her so badly, tell her off he had felt ever since they'd reunited and how miserable he was now that everything was going wrong and he was now reaffirmed with his father's doubt in his abilities. There was no respect. Everything was breaking all around him, and he would not be a lazy ass wimp who succumbed to confiding in people, even those he loved. Not that he would ever tell her now.

His hatred for Georgina gnawed at him like an angry wolf and he became irritatingly restless, but he did not move from his spot on the couch, far away from Blair's distant form by the door. Her arms were across her chest still and she was shaking her head, angry at their transaction. He couldn't blame her, but his mind and his soul wouldn't let him make her his highest priority. He did not have the strength.

About half way across the room sat Dan and Vanessa avoiding each other's gaze. Every once in awhile Dan would look up and glare at Vanessa, shaking his head. She would gape and then narrow her eyes. But neither would speak and then their fingers would just pinch into the skin of their shirts as they focused their attention intently on the carpeted floor beneath which they sat.

"You were way out of line, Vanessa," he ground out finally. "Everything would've been fine if we had just stuck to Chuck's plan."

"I said I was sorry," she ground out, though with more fervor. "And besides, everything would not have been fine. Clearly she was aware of the plan all along and just played along to get at us!"

Dan scoffed. "That woman will say anything to scare us into believing she has all the power. She's evil."

Vanessa rolled her eyes. "Obviously," she muttered.

"This is ridiculous!" Eric suddenly said, marching over to the front door into the suite. "We're being held captive because the door is locked?!" he shrieked. Everyone's eyes widened as they walked him stalk across the room.

"Now, now, honey," Lily tried to soothe him, reaching out her hands as though to calm him. His eyes flashed to hers though, full of fury and she pulled back her hands instantly. Never before had she seen her son looking so angry.

"No, mom," he scoffed. "We've been in here for at least three days and not even attempted to get out? All Amelia did was taunt us!"

Lily sighed, shaking her head and pressing her forefinger and thumb to the creases on her forehead. "We're locked in dear."

"But we've never even tried to get out!" he nearly shouted, gaping. Chuck sighed, leaning back into the couch as if the young boy was suddenly making sense.

"What do you suggest we do?" he eyed him skeptically.

"I suggest," he spat, "that we try and open the door." His eyes narrowed. Chuck's eyes were peering into his intensely but that didn't stop the boy from turning away from all their scared, questioning eyes and moving towards the door. Blair, who was practically next to the front door made to reach out her hands and stop the younger Van der Woodsen that was so very determined to get them all out of there and that they had all clearly just been brainwashed in thinking there was no way out.

Just as he marched over to the door though, he passed the counter on which Georgina's purse sat. In all his fury, he accidentally knocked it onto the floor and though he was hardly altered by the new occurrence, Blair's scared voice calling out for him to stop made him halt. He turned around slowly, suddenly feeling a very eerie atmosphere settling in, almost like a fog that had snuck up during the night. He couldn't hear a single other person breathing, except for Blair whose breaths seemed to have gotten heavier and faster.

Amongst many other things that had tumbled out of Georgina's purse was a loaded gun and three more bullets that lie around it. Everyone sat paralyzed by the sight. They had felt incredibly stupid and yet so in shock as to not even move when Eric had proposed they at least try the lock on the front door. No weapons had been visible before, and even Georgina had stated that she held no weapons over them so the police would not have evidence to charge her for kidnapping should any of them escape.

Bart blinked, and then shook his head in an anxious fervor. "Eric, pick it up!" he demanded. He would have gone over and picked the gun up himself but Eric was closest, and they would need the weapon as soon as possible. They could most definitely use it against Georgina as a threat to let them all go. Of course, if the door wasn't actually locked, it would make things even easier.

Eric was almost to the gun when clanking heels were heard in the small hallway and Georgina Sparks emerged from the shadows. "Well, well, little Van der Woodsen, quite a find you have there," she said, her eyes sparkling, as she snatched the gun out of his trembling hands before he could get a good hold on it. "Sorry," she said, turning around to all of them. "I guess I lied," she chuckled, moving towards the door.

Blair's eyes narrowed at her but she took no need. "It's all about you, isn't it Blair?" she asked, her voice lowering a tad in annoyance. Blair blinked, unsure of her meaning and how the question had suddenly popped up when nothing of the sort had been directed towards her. Georgina turned away and reached just above the door to a black box that quite surprisingly none of them had noticed before, probably had dismissed it as a security camera of some sort. Though now they all felt quite stupid for not taking more notice of the details in the room.

"All I wanted was to be Serena's best friend again," her pristine smile shown across her face as she looked at Blair eyeing the big red numbers counting backwards from fifty-nine minutes. "I wanted Party Serena back, because only she's the fun one."

Blair's eyes lowered back to Georgina's. She gulped, though a controlled anger was now boiling in her at the words against Serena pouring out of her kidnapper's mouth.

"Now you'll all have to pay with your lives," she said simply. She leaned in towards Blair who surprisingly didn't rear her head back at the sudden movement. "I believe I'm the bitch here, Blair. And after you're all gone," she shrugged, moving away again, "It won't matter what pathetic little reign you've held in Manhattan." She sighed contently and turned back for the hall. She stopped once and looked back at Eric.

"Oh, and Eric?"

He turned and looked at her hesitantly.

"You can go ahead and try unlocking the door if you wish, but one incorrect move and this whole suite will blow up in your faces, leaving you as ash." She smiled. He swallowed hard, wondering if she were even human.

"What about you?" he asked. "Won't you die too?"

She continued to smile. "Well, where there's a will, there's a way. Nobody destroys Georgina Sparks." He was speechless as she walked down the short hall again and retreated into the bedroom. He, along with everyone else, was aghast and the recent events. What confused them all enough was the fact that Georgina was implying she had a way out should the bomb go off, which granting the count down on the small box, gave them less than an hour. That could only mean there was some other way out of the suite.

The only problem was trying to find it.

A loud noise sounded off from just outside the hotel room and everyone's eyes flashed to the door. They all feared for the worst – that the bomb was about to go off early. It was only by some miracle that they had managed to rip it off of the wall. Chuck, Dan and Bart had spent the entire time trying to figure out how to turn it off with no luck. The girls searched the suite, careful to avoid Georgina's room, for some sort of way out. Though the thought that the exit out was through Georgina's room remained an ever constant dread in their minds, and one that was plowing through at a furious rate, hardly letting them think of anything else. Ben and Amelia remained at their place on the far side of the room. No one had paid them any attention and their own situation with each other was enough to prevent them from thinking outside of their heads, even at a time as critical as this. Now that the bomb was off the wall, Eric was studying every aspect of the five supposed locks crossing over the suite door. His hope was that they were no longer connected in any way to the bomb now being analyzed on the counter from which Georgina's purse had spilled over from.

"Police!"

Eric backed away from the door, all of them did, though Ben and Amelia finally came to their senses and made to go down to a hall into Georgina's or the other room in which to hide themselves.

"There's a bomb!" Eric yelled to the men outside the door before, he hoped, they would bust through. "And there are…locks," he finished lamely, cursing himself for not realizing sooner that locks would not matter when the life-saving men broke through the door.

"We know!" they called back. "Get as far away from the door as you can! We're coming in!"

Dread filled all of them, but they did as they were told. A bomb is a bomb, and they knew it would spread father than half the room's space. Still they said nothing and moved to the opposite wall, stumbling over things in their path.

A loud noise was heard and the door was thrust open. It was a lucky none of them were hit by it and made unconscious. After at least ten policemen came Nate and Serena, rushing to Blair's side. Serena was nearly crying over her best friend and what could have happened. Nate went over to Chuck, hugging him like they had gone through the experience more times to count. Chuck didn't push him away and made a subtle attempt to smile afterwards.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Chuck nodded, feeling time would come later to talk about the details, though making a mental note to maybe have it forgotten and left undealt with.

"All right! Everybody out!" one of the policeman shouted. They all rushed out. Some had done so already and were escorted to the elevator by the hotel manager who was just about losing his hair over what was happening. He apologized profusely to everyone coming out of the room, but they didn't seem to notice his existence. Only Lily, even in her fury, turned towards him and told him that he was not to blame.

"What about the bomb?!" Blair called suddenly. Chuck turned her around and guided her into the elevator though, suddenly very aware that they were out of harm's way.

"The policemen disposed of it," he said quietly. She blinked.

"What?" she asked in disbelief. "How is that even possible. None of you could figure it out."

He sighed impatiently. "I think they've had a little more experience than the three of us, Blair…" he muttered. For the moment she gave up and settled into the elevator, her eyes closing as she leaned her head back on the wall, grateful that she had survived what very well could have been her second death in less than five days.

Overhead Georgina's scream was heard, along with the sound of a single bullet firing off.

……………………

Twenty-four hours later, the Bass limos had successfully dropped off everyone at their prospective homes and suggested a little rest and relaxation for all of them. Lily, Eric and Serena had been dropped off first, Dan and Nate followed soon after. Hardly a glimpse of any of them was seen moments after they had even exited the vehicle. Now the only individuals that remained in the solitary Bass limo, besides the limo driver, was Bart Bass, his son, Chuck, and Blair Waldorf.

None of them said a word to each other, especially Chuck and Blair. Chuck hadn't even tried to speak to her once since his successful convincing of getting her into the elevator the day before. All of them were so very worn out over all that had happened, but the silence was unusual. The first time he'd delivered her from harm's way they couldn't keep their hands off each other, and now they were as silent as mimes. It was a miracle that they even glanced at each other from time to time.

He knew it was over between them, but he had hoped some sort of civil closure could be gathered. It never came though, and he decided it was his lot in life for things to fail him and that he would end up so terribly alone, without even a successful business to be proud of and known for as his father had.

Blair Waldorf left the limo wordlessly, without even a thank-you except to the driver. He had not been the one to save her from near death in the clutches of Georgina Sparks, Chuck thought, but the anger flitted away almost instantly. She had thanked him in so many ways throughout the last few days. Now that such awkwardness had sunken down on them, he could not expect her to put herself out there again.

"Son," Bart's voice came out from the shadows. Chuck's eyes flicked to his. "I apologize for my behavior earlier. It was uncalled for."

Chuck's lips parted.

"You are not to blame for any of this. I want you to know that. You did the honorable thing. You tried to save us all, and though you were only partially successful, you still succeeded in showing the qualities of the man I am sure you are bound to become." His lips slid into a thin line with a tiny quirk up at the corners. It was the closest to a smile Chuck knew he would ever get from him. Suddenly the sunken feeling he had in regards to Blair vanished, and he felt a great lightness fill him at the approval of his father.

"T-Thank-you, Father," he stuttered, blinking away his clumsiness. What came next surprised him even more. Bart slid over, and pulled his son to him, gripping his arms around Chuck's back tightly.

"I love you, Charles." He pulled back for an instant. "I just want what's best for you."

Chuck was gaping, but he nodded, everything going numb. Perhaps the most awful of situations can bring a certain beautiful reward to them in the end. This was all he could have ever hoped for. He had been struggling for his father's affection and love his entire life. Even if things outwardly changed from this moment on, he would know that it was not in vain that this happened. There was a purpose to it all. He would have to suffer through losing Blair as anything, and also the post-trauma he'd have to endure from the whole experience, but he'd gained such great knowledge and admiration from his father, who was proud of him.

He had never known a greater joy.

A/N: So, crappy length again, I know. XD But hopefully things are more realistic and understandable now. Please tell me if it's not. I'll do my best to fix it in these final chapters. We'll figure out more about how the police came around and the bomb was stopped and what all happened with Georgina, Ben and Amelia soon. Worry not. Oh, and this is definitely not the end of CB. I'm insane about them, so I wouldn't let it all end. ;p Please review! =D