Chapter 35: Double Crossed

Blair uncrossed her ankles and re-crossed them. She was well masked in a hidden corner of the busy lobby. She checked her phone again. Chuck should be here in few minutes. Everything was set up. All she needed to do was wait. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She glanced up, and noticed Andrew Tyler slipping through the elevator door. She stood, intending to approach him, but perhaps there had been a change of plan. Why hadn't Chuck warned her? She paced the length of the lobby. She really didn't appreciate this last minute re-write.

She stepped out of the building, intending to call Chuck, but not wanting to be overheard by over-interested hotel guests. As her feet hit the pavement, she spotted Chuck stepping out of his Limo. At least she wouldn't have to track him down.

"Chuck, Chuck, I wish you had told me earlier that you were having your PI take the pictures. I told the girls you would be doing it."

"I am. What are you talking about?"

"Andrew Tyler. I saw him get into an elevator. You didn't send him?" This wasn't good.

"I didn't send Andrew anywhere."

They looked at each other in mutual confusion. What was Andrew's connection to this takedown? Why would he be interfering with their plan?

They rushed up to the room. Lingerie was laid out on the bed, but the girls were gone.

"Lola! Ivy!" Blair called out, with the empty hope that they were hiding somewhere.

"Where could they have gone?" Chuck asked. Chuck slumped onto the bed. He had that look on his face, that look that indicated he was putting pieces together.

Blair fished her phone out of her pocket. It was buzzing with a new text from Lola. It was short. 'Andrew - Mansion'. She handed the phone to Chuck. He stared at the words and nodded.

"I think I know what happened," he whispered. "I have to call my father."

She watched as he called Bart and exposed the course of recent events, along with his suspicions.

Blair's breath caught in her throat as she listened to Chuck's explanation. It was Andrew the whole time. He had been behind the attempts at Bart's life. Damn! They had trusted him.

At the mansion, they were escorted to Bart by two of Bart's security personnel. Bart was on the phone, but excused himself quickly from the call.

He smiled at them. "If we can prove you're theory, Charles, it could save me."

Chuck masked a smile, and nodded at his father.

"It's time," one of the security men said. "Follow me."

They walked down a hallway to an oak paneled library. Andrew was there with Ivy and Lola, presumably looking for Bart.

The security guards took Andrew by the arms, restraining him. Bart took a step towards the man, who was struggling, a glint of terror in his eyes.

"Surprised to see me," Bart said. "So you found out that I was still alive."

"Leave us," Chuck dismissed the guards and the blondes. Blair stood next to Chuck, watching him watch his father.

"You were the last person I saw before the accident. You got out the car right before it happened."

"When Blair told me she saw you at the hotel earlier, I started thinking. It wasn't a competitor who tried to kill him."

"It was you," Bart accused.

Andrew cringed. "You hired me to gather intel on Nevins, and I did. A lot of it. He found out, and threatened me and my family. It was either you or them, so I turned. I told him I would work for him. I told him where you would be, in the car. And he told me when to get out."

Blair froze at the name Nevins, her face draining of color. She knew that name. But she couldn't remember how she knew it. This was important. There was more to this situation. She wished she could ask Chuck. But, of course, this wasn't her Chuck, the one whose experiences matched her own.

"Did you get all of that?" Bart called.

The district attorney and two cops stepped into the room. "Every word."

Andrew dropped his head, and cops escorted him out of the mansion, leaving Bart, Chuck and Blair alone in the library.

"I guess now that the police know the truth, you'll be sticking around." Chuck said, his voice cracking.

Blair watched as Chuck and Bart embraced. She could feel Chuck's relief. She had to go, and let them figure out what to do next. As soon as the two men let go of each other, she caught Chuck's eye, letting him know that it was time for her to leave. He nodded, and she slipped out.

She texted some directions to Serena from the car. She had a plan.

Serena was waiting for her in the bathroom, with a laptop, a scanner, a notebook and a pen.

"So," Serena said. "This must be some plan."

Blair nodded. "We're going to use Gossip Girl to take me down. I'm going to make it very clear that I despise Dan. If I can't say it to his face, I'm going to get Gossip Girl to do my dirty work."

Serena raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"You're going to email Gossip Girl pages from my diary."

"Your diary is in code."

"Of course it is. I'm going to provide a decoded version."

Serena nodded. "And you're going to forgive me for such a transgression. Gossip Girl will be sure to mention that I'm responsible. She's always wanted to drive us apart."

Blair nodded, as she started to scrawl fictitious pages. "Of course, I'll forgive you. I'm very magnanimous."

"What if you don't forgive me? At least not for a while. I have a few avenues I'd like to pursue, and it would be easier if publicly we weren't friends while I tried."

Blair's heart skipped a beat, and she looked up from her writing. "If you really think it's best."