AN: Wow! Wow is all I have to say! I just want to take a second first and right off the bat thank everyone who recently read and reviewed (as well as favorited and followed). It's almost overwhelming to see just how many views this story has gotten since I posted the last chapter not even 48 hours ago! And I believe the last chapter got the most reviews I've ever received for a chapter! I'm am truly baffled by the response and definitely appreciate the response this story is receiving!

As a huge thank you to you all, I'm posting the next chapter a bit earlier than usual (as you know I usually post late Monday/early Tuesday and late Friday/early Saturday)

Last chapter was summer in Paris and now we're moving forward to about a month later as it's Blair and Serena's first week at Columbia!

"Wow, you're looking sharp this morning," Nate remarked as he walked into the kitchen and grabbed himself a cup of coffee only to run into Chuck sitting at the table, sipping his own coffee while reading through the morning's newspaper dressed in one of his usual business suits. "I'm guessing you're officially off bedrest and heading into BI first thing to smooth things over from the summer?"

"Off bedrest and feeling much more like my old self, however I'm not heading over to the office – you know Lily has that all under control," he reminded his roommate. "Nathaniel, tell me a bit about this Hamilton House at Columbia – I know you're a member."

"Um, well yeah... but it's kind of a private, exclusive club... a secret board of alumni approve a list of potential new members at the beginning of each semester and if one wishes to join, they have to seek out the keymaster to see if they get a key," Nate explained. "I wouldn't be surprised if Lily was on the board though – I recall Serena once saying her mother was a member at Brown."

"Fascinating..." Chuck said, not looking up from his paper. "So if one is approved for membership, all they have to do is receive a key from the keymaster and they're in?"

"Yeah... but what does this have to do with anything? Are you interested in joining or something? I think it's only a college thing, Chuck," Nate told him.

"Well, that's good to hear as I'm sure you'll be seeing me around campus," Chuck smirked at his best friend.

"Chuck... what are you talking about? You can't seriously be considering going to college – I thought all that was beneath you? Didn't you once tell Serena that for people like us a college degree is just an unnecessary accessory?"

"I did."

"So then why..." but then it dawned on him as he watched Chuck's smirk turn into a Cheshire sized grin as he watched him connect the dots. "Blair starts at Columbia today."

"Does she now? I hadn't heard..." Chuck lied not so innocently.

"Chuck, no – Columbia is Blair's turf. Give it a rest already!"

"Whatever do you mean, Nathaniel? When the Dean heard the idea of a Bart Bass Memorial possibly being constructed on campus, as dear old dad was such a donor to the school financially, she loved it, however she suggested perhaps I get myself acquainted with the campus as well," Chuck informed him innocently enough.

"Chuck... while that may be your alibi for why you're on campus, I know as well as you do that this is about you getting Blair to take you back," Nate called him out. "Look, don't take this wrong way, but you know how your father was always ruthless when it came to business?" he asked Chuck, receiving a nod in response. "Okay, well... you're just as ruthless when it comes to love! I swear, you don't know when to stop," Nate laughed.

"I'm not giving up this time, Nathaniel," Chuck told him. "I know her and I are supposed to be together."

"Yeah and I know it too. And so does Serena... and if it helps, I'm positive Blair does too except she's just choosing to be in denial," Nate stated.

"Which is why I can't give up yet – I need her to realize and admit it too," Chuck confessed. "And I've come to the conclusion that if I can't be with her, then I'd rather have her despise me than forget about me completely... although if I can get her to quit living in denial and actually acknowledge her true feelings for me... that would be preferable."

"So you've decided to be a pain in her ass instead and the best way to do that is to make yourself unavoidable..." Nate said as he came to Chuck's conclusion.

"Exactly," Chuck grinned again.

"Man, she is going to KILL you if she sees you anywhere near campus!" Nate exclaimed as he thought about what Chuck was saying.

"Good. That will mean my plan is working," he smiled devilishly.

"Just be sure to leave me out of whatever it is you're planning," Nate requested.

"Of course," Chuck assured him as he finished his coffee. "Need a ride to campus?"

"Can you believe this place? It's so much nicer than NYU... I really feel good about this!" Blair declared as her and Serena strolled along Columbia's campus, taking in the sights during a break between classes. "What about you though, S? You do have an ex-boyfriend loose here..."

"Oh I wouldn't worry – Nate and I are still friends, even if he has moved on and is dating some gorgeous blonde named Juliet," Serena assured her.

"Oh please – you are Serena Van der Woodsen! We've been on campus for just one morning and I'm positive there's a frat house full of guys already fighting over you," Blair joked. "Don't worry – my jealousy issues are as over as surf fabrics for evening wear. Besides, we still have our Divide and Conquer strategy from Paris," she reminded her as they came to a stop.

"Alright, but where will our new meeting ground be? Hot and Crusty will certainly not do after Cafe Louis-Philippe," Serena remarked.

"No... but Hamilton House will," Blair said with a big smile as she led Serena towards the rumored house.

"So they do have a Columbia chapter!" Serena exclaimed. "You know, I always suspected Nate was a member but he would never fess up."

"He was right not to!" Blair gasped at her. "Their membership is so restricted it makes Soho House look like a Halfway House."

"So then how do we get in?" Serena wondered curiously.

"Incoming students are selected by an anonymous board of alumni," Blair began to explain. "If you dare to think you were chosen you have to find the keymaster on the first day of class – either a key or white-hot shame awaits you."

"Well then, let's go receive our new accessories," Serena grinned as she skipped alongside Blair.

"Right this way, S," Blair beamed as she led them to the entrance and they walked right in.

Blair looked around in awe as Hamilton House was everything she could have ever imagined it to be, including a waiter doling out Mimosas.

"Wow... and here I thought college was going to be so different from high school," Serena remarked as they stood in the hallway.

"Who in their right mind would want that?" Blair shot back as she continued to take it all in. She felt at home.

"I'm sorry, but this is a private club – no has-beens allowed," they heard a familiar voice declare from the stairs as they both turned to see none other than Blair's former minion Penelope.

"Penelope?" Serena gasped in genuine surprise to see a familiar face. "Good to see you too – long time!"

"Clearly standards have slipped if you're a member here," Blair quipped at her. "To whom should I speak to have you removed once we get our keys?"

"The wall," Penelope stated as she pointed to a painting. "My great-aunt – she was a founding member."

"Ah, nepotism," Blair sighed. "That explains it. Now, if you don't mind would you please direct us to the keymaster and then get me some cashews? I'm famished."

Reluctantly Penelope pointed across the room.

"Those two?" Blair remarked excitedly as she recognized Zoe and Jessica. "Oh we are sooo in!" Blair declared as they began walking across the room.

"Oh no, it's her," Serena stated as she spied Nate's new girlfriend Juliet sitting in front of the girls they thought were the keymasters.

"You know the keymaster?! That's perfect!" Blair squealed.

"Well... maybe..."

"We're here to get our keys," Blair informed Juliet as they approached her. "I'm Blair Waldorf, this is Serena Van der Woodsen."

"We've met," Serena added for good measure.

"I'm sorry? We have?" Juliet asked, puzzled.

"At Dan Humphrey's the other night, with Nate," Serena reminded her.

"Oh, right... Serena," Juliet tried to recall as she took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm sorry ladies... but I don't have a key for either of you."

"What? How is that possible?" Blair asked, completely baffled. There was no way she didn't get into Hamilton House. Something wasn't right.

Just then, the sound of various phone notifications went off all around the room. It was Gossip Girl.

Most of her first post of the school year was just a rundown of everyone's summer vacations, making note of Chuck's shooting and Dan and Georgina's new-found parenthood, however the last bit was what caught Blair's attention.

And what about Serena and Blair? It seems our girls have started their new college careers at Columbia with a social call to Hamilton House. Too bad neither of them made the cut.

"I'm sorry ladies, but this club is for members only," Juliet stated as she finished reading the blast on her phone.

"Great, we'll just be on our way," Serena politely smiled as she pulled an astonished Blair along with her. "Come on, B – let's go."

"How could something as prestigious as Hamilton House not want us, S? I just don't understand!" Blair wondered in complete disbelief as they walked along the campus courtyard.

"I don't know B, but there's other things we can do," Serena suggested.

"Such as...?"

"Martha Chamberlin has a guest lecture series starting soon and I hear spots are filling up fast," Serena stated as she pulled a brochure off the social bulletin board they were now standing in front of. "What do you say, B? Powerful woman... it's right up your alley!"

"I do strive to be a powerful woman, S..." Blair commented as she thought it over. "Alright, let's go sign up," she smiled as they headed inside to the office.

"Excuse us, but where do we sign up for Ms. Chamberlin's lecture series?" Blair inquired at the office window. The woman pointed at the long line they just so happened to skip past. "Oh," Blair stated in disappointment as she debated going to the end of the line. "You know, S, maybe this is just what I need... a new school year, a new start, a new me and no..."

"Chuck?" Serena interrupted her though process as she saw her step-brother exiting from the office just across the hall, walking smugly towards them.

"What are you doing here?!" Blair exclaimed as he approached them.

"Go Lions," he smirked as he held up a packet of admissions documents.

"No! That's impossible!" Blair cried out as she smacked him in the shoulder. "Even for you – Columbia is MY territory!"

"Is it now? Because I'm pretty sure the dean just extended me the courtesy of auditing a few classes," he began to explain. "You see, we felt it was important that I got a feel for campus life before breaking ground on the new Bart Bass Memorial Rotunda."

"What?!" she gasped in horror at the thought of being at the same school as him once again, having to see him on campus daily.

"It's a building with a circular ground plan... usually covered by a dome..."

"I know what a rotunda is, you idiot!" she snapped at him. "What is it you really want?"

"I thought I was pretty clear about that last we spoke in Paris – quite simply, you. But since I realize that isn't going to happen, then I figured why not get under your skin? It's better to be hated than forgotten, isn't it Blair?" he smirked at her as he watched her purse her lips in rage. "What's wrong, sweetheart? You didn't happen to have trouble getting into... what is it called? Hamilton House?" he taunted as he revealed a little silver key from his pocket and dangled it in front of her.

"You Basstard! You're the reason I didn't get in! I knew there had to be some explanation for why there was no key for me!" she shrieked at him as she tried to grab the key from him but he kept it just out of her reach.

"Just remember Blair, I got your transfer pushed through to get in here, I could just as easily get it taken away," he grinned as he pocketed her Hamilton House key and proceeded to walk away.

"Well the good news is we at least know you actually did get in," Serena reminded her as she watched her best friend fume. "Now to figure out what happened to mine..."

"In time, S... in time," Blair told her as she took a place at the end of the line.

"I can't believe Chuck's on campus..." Serena thought out loud.

"I know, right? I can't believe him... but whatever, I think I might just have a battle plan," Blair declared as she continued to look through the Martha Chamberlin brochure. "It seems that Martha takes a student assistant when she lectures... and that's my card – that position will be my own private island against the storm that is Chuck Bass."

"Ms. Chamberlin's largest client to date?" Blair's new minion Jessica quizzed her as they walked along campus to Ms. Chamberlin's temporary office the next day.

"The National Rifle Association – she created the Mama Bears campaign and increased female membership by a third," Blair answered correctly.

"And the cherry pie?" New minion Zoe asked as she carried a homemade cherry pie Blair had made Dorota bake first thing this morning.

"Her first major success was branding a cherry pie recipe for 'Better Homes and Gardens'," Blair quickly answered correctly again.

"How do you get from 'Better Homes and Gardens' to the NRA?" Jessica pondered as they approached their destination.

"It's a short trip, believe me," Blair told her as she spotted Martha Chamberlin just coming out of her office. "Ms. Chamberlin! I'm Blair Waldorf, I'll be in your Psychology of Business lecture series," Blair warmly introduced herself to the icon.

"Well, nice to meet you, dear," Ms. Chamberlin happily greeted her. "I'm not having office hours yet-"

"Actually, I was hoping we could discuss the assistant position," Blair interrupted her as she grabbed the pie from Zoe. "You see, I'm a big fan."

"I'm sorry but unfortunately the position has already been filled," Ms. Chamberlin reluctantly informed her.

"What? By who?" Blair couldn't help but wonder. And then she spotted him, strolling out of the office, wearing that damn signature smirk of his.

"No!" she gasped in complete horror at her sudden misfortune. "Ms. Chamberlin, whatever Mr. Bass here has told you, I can assure you that he has no real interest in your lecture series – I doubt he even knows who you are!"

"Uh... thank you?" Martha said, not quite sure how to react to such a statement.

"On the contrary, Blair – once I decided to rebrand The Empire, there was only one name on my list," he informed her with a mischievous look. "We can talk more as I walk you to your limo, Martha."

"Thank you, Charles," Martha said before she turned back towards Blair. "Good day, Ms. Waldorf and if you have any questions regarding my lecture series, Mr. Bass will be happy to answer them."

"Happy indeed," he devilishly grinned. "But actually, as it turns out, Ms. Chamberlin's series is over-enrolled... you didn't make the cut – sorry, Blair," he told her as he continued to grin once Ms. Chamberlin was out of earshot. "Mmm... I almost forgot how much I enjoy your pie," he teased her as he leaned over and took a whiff of the cherry pie in her hands.

Annoyed at him beyond belief, she pushed the pie up into his face. He stood there in shock as he didn't expect her to bite back.

"Now you can enjoy it all you want, Basshole!" she hissed as she stormed off down the hallway. He might be winning the war for the campus but she couldn't help feeling a little satisfaction at the sight of him with pie all over his face.

"S? Where are you headed off to?" Blair inquired the next day as she descended the steps in the penthouse only to see Serena on her way out.

"To campus – my professor agreed to meet with me during office hours," Serena informed her as she grabbed a light jacket.

"Good for you! We definitely can't let the men of our past define us – they want us to lash out, lower ourselves to their level... but it is our job to remain civilized," Blair calmly stated.

"Oh, so you're going to let Chuck have the assistant position then?" Serena curiously asked her.

"S, I said 'civilized', not 'lobotomized'," Blair reminded her as Ms. Chamberlin stepped off the elevator. "Oh Ms. Chamberlin, so good of you to come!" Blair greeted her. "Earl Grey, if I'm not mistaken?" Blair inquired as she led her guest over to the living room where Dorota had just set up a tray with tea and scones.

"What is going on?" Serena wondered as she watched Blair in awe.

"It better not to know," Dorota quietly assured her. "Plausible deniability."

"Oh, B! Real quick, before I leave - did I tell you I found out what happened with my Hamilton House key?"

"No, S... but please, make it quick," Blair muttered under her breath.

"Turns out, I got in too like we thought, only Juliet was keeping my key from me because she was jealous of my history with Nate – can you believe that? And I only found out because my mom and multiple members of Bass Industries are on the alumni selection committee! Isn't that great?"

"Yes, S – that's wonderful," Blair stated with annoyance as she quickly tried to usher Serena out.

"And when I told her that Chuck had been holding your key hostage she immediately did what she could to get you another one!" Serena squealed as she pulled out both their keys from her pocket, handing one over to Blair. "See you at the house party tonight?"

"Of course, S... now please, go!" Blair urged her as she practically shoved Serena into the elevator before turning her attention back to Ms. Chamberlin. "Now, Ms. Chamberlin... where were we?" she asked with her fake society smile.

"Ms. Waldorf, the only reason I agreed to meet with you is because your mother and I have crossed paths on occasion and I felt it was a professional courtesy," Ms. Chamberlin informed her.

"Oh? Did you know that my mother remarried? Amazing man," Blair was quick to speak.

"Your point?"

"I was sorry to hear about your unfortunate divorce a few years ago," Blair began.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You and I both know that power is quite possibly the greatest aphrodisiac... except of course when women have it," she continued. "Your ex-husband for example. I mean, the nanny? How cliché!

"I'm listening..."

"My step-father has surrounded himself with people who are not intimidated by a woman's success... one of the partners at his firm is exceptionally attractive," she said with a smile. "I don't mean to sound forward, but I would love to introduce you at the Hamilton House party tonight!"

"Well I was going to be at the party anyways so..."

"Well then I'll make the call. That is... of course assuming that the assistant position hasn't already been filled?" Blair pressed her.

"Let's just say... that nothing is set in stone," Ms. Chamberlin told her with a smile.

"Pardon the interruption, but you have an important call," Blair announced as she approached Ms. Chamberlin later that evening at the Hamilton House reception. "Blair Waldorf – I'm Ms. Chamberlin's new assistant," she introduced herself to the group Ms. Chamberlin was conversing with.

"Confident I see..." Ms. Chamberlin remarked as she stepped away with Blair.

"When destiny calls? Always," Blair retorted with a smile. "Especially when it arrives right on time... nothing says soul-mate like punctuality!" she grinned as she led Ms. Chamberlin across the room. "Ah, over there," she stated as she pointed out a figure in a blazer adorned with a lavish red scarf whose back was turned towards them. ""Shall we?"

"Beautiful scarf," Martha couldn't help commenting as they slowly began walking.

"Well, as we work together you'll come to find that your tastes are my tastes," Blair beamed. "Guess who..." she sang as she approached Ms. Chamberlin's date, only to be caught off guard by the fact that her date was a woman.

"Hi, I'm Sam," the woman introduced herself to Martha. "I must say, Blair did not do you justice!"

"I know the feeling..." Martha responded, a bit put off by the surprise. "You thought this was my special someone?" she turned and asked Blair.

"No," Blair quickly replied. "That is... unless..."

"What? Since I'm such a powerful, career-driven woman who intimidates men that I must be a lesbian?" Martha quipped.

"No! This was NOT the date I set up!" Blair cried out in frustration. "He was an intellectual property lawyer who does pro bono work helping kids sue Hollywood for stealing their Twitter ideas!"

"Then I suggest you see if he needs an assistant – my lecture series is full. Forever," Ms. Chamberlin informed Blair. "Great scarf, by the way," she complimented the woman before walking away, leaving Blair to stand there completely dumbfounded as to what had just happened.

She no sooner began looking around to find Serena when a certain Basstard wearing a familiar red scarf caught her eye, pausing to grin at her wide and smug like a Cheshire cat before he went about his way.

Once she got over the initial shock that it was him who interfered with her plan she quickly took off after him.

"Where is Martha's date!" she yelled as she ripped the scarf off his shoulders once she caught up to him in a hallway.

"Penthouse suite at The Empire with a woman I assure you he won't want to be leaving until morning... maybe afternoon depending on his cardio," Chuck told her as he fought back the urge to laugh. He loved how easily he could rile her up.

"I was going to play nice... you think I don't have a Plan B?" she revealed to him.

"Plan B? Pray do tell – what could be more cunning and devious than Date Night?" he teased her.

"I had Dorota get chummy with Martha's maid who came over from one of her sweatshops in the Philippines," Blair informed him. "If I have to, I'll blackmail her for the position."

"Really, Blair? An illegal maid scandal? Nobody's cared about those in years," he pointed out.

"Yeah, well... a lesbian switcheroo doesn't make you Blackwater!" she snapped at him.

"The switcheroo was just for fun. The IRS agent standing by to crawl up Martha's audit is not," he told her.

"A tax fraud setup? They give away Girl Scout badges for that!" Blair declared. "I have her prenup – it has details!"

"I have the nanny!" Chuck yelled back. "She has pictures! Martha's ex is in them – so is Martha. Turns out it was a threesome until the nanny turned it into a twosome!"

"Oh my god! You students are psychotic!" they both turned as they heard Martha's exclamation from behind them. "Tell the Dean I quit – I have better things to do with my time."

"What a shame... It sounded like a great series." Chuck sighed. "Well, if you'll excuse me... I've heard great things about the Make-Your-Own-Pizza bar," he told Blair with a smirk as he made his way past her.

As Blair caught up with Serena later in the evening in the main room, she wasn't too surprised to find that it was Juliet who helped her out of her own mess for the evening. And while she wanted to hear all about it, just then her attention was drawn to the figure sitting on the leather sofa in the adjoining study room holding a glass of scotch in his hands.

"Excuse me, S," Blair pardoned herself as she noticed Juliet waiting nearby to have a word with Serena. Which was fine as she figured she'd take this opportunity to get to the bottom of things with Chuck without Serena's curiosity getting in the way.

"What are you still doing here?" she directly asked him as she approached. "I lost the assistant position and now the entire faculty thinks that I'm just as crazy as you. You've made your point – can't you take your little celebration elsewhere?"

"If you think I take tonight as some sort of balancing of the scales... I don't," he told her as he remained seated. "I'm not trying to make a point, Blair. This is just a warm-up," he stated. "Whatever you want, wherever you want it... I'm going to be right there also. I meant what I said – I'm not stopping. Who knows my limits?"

"Chuck... forever being a thorn in my side won't make either of us happy," she told him.

"Maybe not you... but I'm quite enjoying myself," he smirked.

"The only thing you that will make you happy you lost the moment you let that little Brooklyn trash into our bed," she shot back at him. "Although perhaps that was the best thing for me because it helped me come to terms with the fact that we are over. Forever."

"If that's the truth, then why haven't you told anyone other than Serena what happened? Not your family or you minions... or Gossip Girl..." he pressed her. "If you really don't care about me like that anymore such as you claim, then it's obviously not to protect me..."

"You wouldn't!" she gasped. "That revelation would result in mutual destruction... you may be homicidal but you're not suicidal!"

"A man with nothing to live for is capable of anything," he reminded her as he got up to leave. "Try to enjoy the rest of your evening," he whispered with a smirk as he leaned in towards her ear, causing her heart to flutter on the inside and her body to slightly shutter on the outside at his breath so close to her skin. He smiled to himself as he of course noticed her subtle reaction - he noticed everything and her reaction had told him his instincts were right. No matter what she claimed, he knew she still felt for him.

As soon as he got outside to his limo he immediately pulled out his phone as an idea occurred to him.

"Veronica? Do you still work with Tim Gunn?"he inquired to the woman over the phone. "I need to get an interview for someone who will be applying to Parsons... Perfect..." he grinned as the next step in his plan was being set in motion. "Her name is Jenny Humphrey – I'll text you her number. Thanks," he said before hanging up.

He climbed into the vehicle and relaxed against the plush leather seat, continuing to grin as he pictured the look that would be on Blair's face the moment she found out that Little J was back in town. He could hardly contain his excitement over the amusement he knew he would soon be getting out of this. Not only would Jenny get her comeuppance for the mess she caused them last spring, but Blair would also soon learn that a Bass always gets his way.

AN: Any guesses on how Jenny's return for a day will be different?

With no Eva storyline, this chapter and the next was a bit of a challenge to rework as Chuck's reason for getting under Blair's skin is obviously different, but another shout out to Maeve (aka LimosAndPeonies107 formerly ChuckLuvsBlairBass) for helping me figure out my angle!