AN: This has got to be the longest chapter that I have written for this story so far. Again, thank you so much for all you guys who have read and reviewed. There seems to be more Alex/Chuck fans out there than N/B-shippers. Haha. I myself am turning out to be one but let's not forget about N & B, okay? I know I promised to write a chapter about Dan & Serena's date but I figured, who would wanna read that now when other major things have happened? Guys would wanna know what happens to Alex and Chuck! Haha. So anyways, here it is.
I changed the rating from T to M and you'll find out later as you go along. Tell me what you think about it. If you have any comments and suggestions, feel free to say what you want to express. Dan and Serena's date will be in the next chapter, I promise. Honestly, I have a hard time starting to write it since I'm not really a D/S fan but anyways, I want to please my readers.
Enjoy! READ & REVIEW PEOPLE! Tell me what you wanna see in future chapters.
Alex woke up with a throbbing headache. She looked down at her now fully dressed self but she was more shocked to see that she was on a plane ride and she has no idea where it's taking her. She wanted to scream but couldn't because she felt her mouth too dry. She heard someone approach her from behind and was frightened to see…
She tried to hide her fear and glaring at the person standing next to her seat, she demanded in a fierce tone, "Where the hell are you taking me?"
"Leave us," Chase ordered the flight stewardess who was holding a tray with brunch for Alex. After passing him the tray, she hurried to leave in order to give them privacy.
"Eat," he then demanded her, passing her the salad and French toast.
She tossed everything to the side and coldly said, "I'm not hungry." Her stomach grumbled and she really was thirsty. "Where the hell are you taking me? Why am I here?" Her throat was stinging with every word, trying to sound vicious and cutting.
He rushed to her side and glowered at her. She sat back, fearing that he might hit her again. "You should know what you did. I'm taking you back home."
With that, he turned away and left, leaving her more confused and scared than ever. What does he mean by that? Is he taking her back to Madrid or LA? Does her family know about her abduction? Were they the one responsible for what's happening to her? Why would they even do that to her in the first place? More questions were rushing into her mind and she felt utterly helpless at her current situation. She thought about what Chuck could be doing right now. Was he worried about her or was he still upset with what happened between them this morning? She then silently scolded herself for thinking about him at this hour of distress.
Her stomach grumbled once again and she suddenly felt nauseous. She wanted to give up her God forsaken life and jump off the plane at that instant but all she could do was watch the clouds pass her by and hope that everything's going to be okay, even if it looks far from it.
He took a quick shower and got dressed after he woke up, not bothering to have breakfast. Thirty minutes later, he was knocking at Alex's door and there was no response. He has called her up for about a hundred times and left her dozens of messages. Her boutique was still closed and he had also checked every place where she could be at that time but he still could not find her.
So he went to the police and reported to them that she has been missing since morning. When they told him that she should have been missing for at least twenty-four hours before they perform an actual search and rescue operation, he threw an angry fit at them saying, "Don't you know who she is? She's the daughter of Prince Alberto and Princess Sofia of Spain. You will all be damned if you don't find her any time soon! I will make sure of it."
The police escorted him back to the hotel, where she had been last seen. The management gave them the security tapes from last night until this morning. He felt uncomfortable with the other men in the room seeing her standing outside the hotel in nothing else but her negligee and strappy shoes on. She was shivering from the cold, rubbing her palms together trying to produce heat to no avail. A strong sense of guilt and regret came over him from having seen the footage. She must have been standing there for about ten or fifteen minutes while he was being such a stupid prick in his suite. If something really bad happens to her, he prayed to all the Gods that nothing ever did, he would not know what to do.
The BMW black SUV he has seen drove away once he got outside this morning stopped in front of her. The windows to the right opened and he saw a man calling to her, telling her to get in. He wasn't able to look at the man's face thoroughly so he asked the security guard to play it back in slow motion. The man was stern-looking and he must be about in his late thirties. The fact that Alex had gotten in the car willingly and without any reluctance meant that she knew who the man was.
The lieutenant asked him why she had left the hotel dressed that way. Judging from the way he was questioning him, he must have thought that Chuck had tried to force himself on her and that was what made her promptly leave not even minding to get properly dressed first.
Chuck crossly explained what really happened, not wanting to give out the details about the real reason why she left. "She's my girl friend, okay?" He cringed at what he had so blatantly said and went on explaining, "We were fighting and she walked out on me. I tried to talk to her and make her stay since it was really late for her to go home but she had been too stubborn and left anyway."
Apparently, the entire staff of police was aware of high society news, latest rumors and gossips about royals and such tidbits. One of the men said in disbelief, "But from what we know, Princess Alexis is currently engaged to a Turkish heir… Chase Bektas is it?"
Rolling his eyes at the guy's comment, he said, "They broke up, okay? Geez, man. Are you really here to do your job or dig deeper into our personal lives?" Only Chuck Bass can address an officer 'man' and not 'sir' without being reprimanded.
They were all skeptical at this information so they continued asking him questions about the "argument" they had last night, since when did they start going out, how did they meet, etc. instead of trying to come up with a solution to find Alex.
Blair woke up feeling fully-rested and revitalized. Her agent called her earlier to inform her about what's on the itinerary for today. She was expected to arrive at the Club House at exactly eleven-thirty this morning to have brunch and play a friendly tennis game with the bigwigs of a prominent advertising company. After taking a shower, she got dressed in an Eliza Audley black and white tennis dress pairing it with white Lacoste tennis shoes, tied her hair in a high ponytail and applied light make-up on her pale face. Before going out, she checked her reflection one last time in the mirror, put on a pair of diamond stud earrings that Nate had given her before their anniversary, and fastened a Technomarine watch around her wrist.
The car was already waiting for her in front of the hotel. Fifteen minutes later, she got out of the vehicle, headed to the restaurant, introduced herself properly to the VIPs and got seated next to Mr. Fred Paxton, the head of the company. There was an empty chair to her left.
Everything was going on well until… Surprise, surprise!! It was no other than Carter Baizen who came dressed in khaki shorts and a classic light blue Ralph Lauren polo shirt carrying a gym bag, rushing towards their direction, expressing his apologies for arriving late, telling them that he was only informed on such a short notice. Mr. Paxton shrugged at his tardiness and motioned for him to take a sit next to Blair's.
"Ms. Waldorf, this is Mr. Baizen." Mr. Paxton gestured to Carter and then to Blair. "Mr. Baizen, Ms.—"
Carter waved his hands in front of him, saying, "Please, Mr. Paxton. That won't be necessary. Blair and I… we used to go to the same school together. I was only a few years ahead of her." He extended his right hand to his superior for him to shake. "And please do call me Carter."
Mr. Paxton took his hand firmly in a brief handshake. "Well, in that case, do call me Fred."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir." Carter politely said, taking his place next to Blair's. She discreetly rolled her eyes and moved her chair a few inches away. He smirked at her intense repulsion at him.
She gritted her teeth when he turned to her side, winking at her. Just when she was extremely convinced that she wouldn't be seeing him again, the odds have proved her wrong.
Eight hours later, the private jet finally landed in Madrid, Spain. Once they got off the plane, Chase stepped off first, followed by Alex and the bodyguards. He motioned for them to leave him and Alex for a while. He just received a call from England about Chuck Bass reporting to the police about Alex being allegedly kidnapped.
When they were finally alone, he turned to her and spoke, handing her a cellphone, "Call him. Tell him to stop looking for you and that you're fine." He gave her a threatening look, she shuddered. "Just press the call button. I'll give you a minute."
She hated herself for allowing herself to get scared of him because between the two of them, he should be the one who should be frightened and intimidated and not her. He was a nobody here while she was the daughter of Prince Alberto, the first in line of succession to the Spanish throne.
Should she rejoice at the thought of Chuck looking for her or not? (Because that connotes that he really cares about her.) On the other hand, it doesn't really matter now since she was back home and that implies not having any control over her own life. Doing what she was told to do, she pressed the call button and waited for Chuck to answer the phone. Chase was watching her the entire time; his eyes were cautious and wary.
Chuck Bass was still with the police and this time they were at a car rental agency downtown. The officers interrogated the clerk behind the desk and they were informed that the black BMW SUV used to pick up Alex this morning had been leased three days ago to a certain Giovanni Rousseau. That information still did not give them any lead about Alex's whereabouts.
He was beginning to lose hope when all of a sudden, his cellphone rang and he answered it immediately not minding to check who the caller was. "Alex? Is that you? Are you—" He practically yelled, his voice was filled with concern and relief mixed with agitation.
"Yes, it's Alex and I'm fine but listen, don't worry about me, okay? What I said last night… I meant it. I don't want to see you again, ever. Do you understand?" Her tone was detached and indifferent but her face showed otherwise. Hearing his voice again made her feel better, stronger even and the truth is she badly wants to see him again.
Chase gesticulated for her to finish the call at once, smirking at how effortless it had been to manipulate her.
Chuck could tell that something was terribly wrong with the way she was talking to her. Sure, she must still be angry at him and he finds it odd that she'd be calling him out of the blue (he was, of course, relieved that she did) but there was something off about everything. She sounded helpless, weak and quite possibly, scared. "Where are you?"
She replied in a whisper, telling him, "I already left England." Her eyes grew wider as Chase moved closer her. She hoped that Chuck had been able to hear her last words ("for home") before Chase snatched the phone from her, pulling her away towards the limo.
After that, Chase took care of other matters (telling the police that Alex was back in Spain and not to let Chuck know, warning them about not letting it get out to the press and directing them to stay away from the entire issue.)
The official residence of the Spanish Monarch is the Royal Palace of Madrid. However, the royal family actually resides at the Palacio de la Zarzuela on the outskirts of Madrid, northwest of the city centre. She gazed at the all too familiar surroundings on the way home. The entire limo ride had been awful and unbearable. Neither of them had spoken a word. The tension was blatant in the air.
Fifty minutes later, she was ushered by the servants into the 3, 125 square meters palace built within the La Zarzuela palace grounds. Chase and his bodyguards had left after dropping her off. Maybe he was intimidated and frightened after all, she supposed. Her brothers never liked him but did not do anything to oppose her relationship with him since the Bektas family and hers have close ties together.
She knew that her brothers (she was the youngest child and only daughter) are still looking out after her when she had left Spain to "study" in the US. It was actually more about self-discovery, finding out who she really is, following her dreams, being free to explore her environment and knowing what's out there in the real world. But anyways, that's just another story.
Her brothers have designated a bodyguard to follow her around but she refused to accept, reasoning out that she wanted to live a normal life as much as possible, away from watchful eyes. They may have continued to keep an eye on her, she was still aware of the watchful eyes even from fifty feet away, but she doubts that they'd know about the physical and verbal abuse she had to endure from her ex. Chase would hit her on areas of her body, where bruises and marks won't be visible. In front of others, he would appear as the perfect gentleman, the perfect boyfriend but behind closed doors, his true colors were revealed. He turns into a despicable monster.
That was one of the reasons why she didn't tell anybody. People would find that hard to believe because to others, they were the perfect couple. Even if she showed the bruises on her stomach as proof, she thought that people would tell her that it was her fault to begin with, letting herself remain in that situation for so long. If that had been the case, being in the presence of such violence, one time was enough to make you leave. But she had chosen to endure the pain for such a long time so somehow, she only has herself to blame.
She was also too ashamed to ever admit it. How was she supposed to say, "Yes, I'm a battered girlfriend" to her family and friends? What will that say of her family? That they have let her get into that situation? That they have let her get stuck in a tormenting and destructive relationship? That they did not do anything to prevent it from happening? It wasn't like she/they have any idea that any of this is going to happen.
Everybody in the real world thinks that she has a charmed life. Everything was handed to her on a silver platter at the expense of her freedom. She never felt genuine happiness at all from having been confined to a world filled with pretentiousness and restrictions. Once again, she felt trapped back into that "charmed" life she had been able to escape from before.
Her room still looked the same but it seemed strange to her, somehow. Isabella, the woman who has taken care of her since she was a young child has grown another year older with her graying hair and wrinkles and lines on her once soft face. She still has the same look of kindness Alex has gotten to know over the years nonetheless. Her nanny smiled at her, it looked more concerned than convivial but the princess knows that she was happy to see her.
Isabella took a step closer to her and brought Alex into her arms. The latter has broken down into sobs and the former pats her back gently. She didn't need to say anything to explain what she's going through because Isabella acknowledges and understands her sorrow and distress.
The endless, rhythmic thwack of a tennis ball was nearly putting Blair to sleep and, making an effort to keep her eyes open, she forced herself to at least pretend to concentrate on the game. Her earphones were snuggled loosely on her ears and she was pressing the next/previous button every now and then, browsing through a hundred choices for the perfect song to better her mood. She sighed and leaned on the bench after hearing the first two lines of Incubus' Wish You Were Here. Since she had taken Nate's Ipod by mistake in a haste to pack her things, all she could choose from were songs by Incubus, Coldplay, Radiohead, Lenny Kravitz and the likes. Not that they were bad but she wanted something more upbeat not overtly sentimental or depressing.
On the court in front of her, Mr. Paxton was umpiring a game between his business associate Richard Dibble and Carter. Standing at the end of the court near Richard, Mr. Paxton made a crossing gesture with his arms. "That ball was out!" he shouted. "Out! Sorry, Chardie."
"Don't worry. I'll still beat the bastard…," Richard Dibble gasped, throwing the ball up into the air and smashing his racket against it.
Carter only smirked at Richard's attempt to show off confidence. He hit a forehand that whizzed by Richard and, throwing down his racket, declared himself the winner. In a moment, the three men came strolling over to her, and Blair stood up, hoping that the day's tennis activities were finally over. Maybe she could go back to the hotel, get a drink and hang out by the pool.
Blair gave them a wan smile as they approached her.
"We've got the court for another hour," Richard said breathlessly. "Who wants to play next? Blair?"
"You know I don't play tennis," Blair said, and before she could suggest that they call it a day, Mr. Paxton interrupted her. With a scolding "Never too late to learn," he said, "Carter, you've got to give her lessons."
"I'm not very athletic…," Blair began helplessly.
"That's not very true. From what I remember, Blair used to be the captain of Constance's Lacrosse team. Didn't you join the swimming team at one point?" Carter pointed out.
Why did she have to join each and every extra-curricular activity there is in high school? Blair asked no one in particular, mentally whacking herself. She shook her head in response to Carter's comment and said, "It was Serena who tried to join the Swim Team back in freshman year and besides, Lacrosse and Tennis have different set of rules and mechanics so maybe next time we could."
"But you're already dressed the part. Tell you what. Let's play a game of tennis. You win; I leave you alone... forever." Carter said challenging her and in a low voice loud enough for only her to hear. He finished with saying, "I win, you go out with me tonight,"
Blair has never backed down from a challenge but she was aware of her lack of tennis skills. Games and sports were never her cup of tea. She walked towards him, raising her left eyebrow at him with her right hand on her waist and said in a confident glee, "You're gonna lose."
Mr. Paxton and Richard were both amused to the squabble going on between Carter and Blair. Mr. Paxton then excused himself and told them that he was going to take a break and Richard followed suit so they were the only ones left in the court. Blair and Carter only nodded, still standing close to each other.
"Didn't you notice my superior tennis skills? I kicked Richard's ass in the game with such ease," Carter said arrogantly, handing her his tennis racket.
She hoped that Lady Luck was on her side that day and as she marched towards the left side of the court, she gripped the racket firmly on her hands letting all the anger and hatred she felt towards Carter build up. She was always better at sports when she was fuming. When Carter was already standing opposite her in the other side of the court, she snarled, throwing the ball up into the air and smashing her racket against it. It went over the net in a swift motion and fell on the ground the same second Carter reached for it. He glared at her and yelled, "That's not counted! I wasn't ready yet when you served the ball." Yeah sure, she was definitely not athletic or competitive.
She gave him a defiant stare and smirked. She dribbled the ball twice, throwing it up into the air, and then hitting it as hard as she could. The ball went over the net back and forth at both sides of the court. Blair earned the first score. 15-0.
Twenty minutes later, they were both breathless and panting but Blair was already heating up. They were both tied at 30-30 at the third round. She hurried towards the ball to hit it with all her might. The ball was thrown back at him at a speed of must be 200 miles per hour, Serena Williams would've been proud. It stopped and hit his nose creating a loud whack sound. The momentum was so unbelievably strong, it made him fall on his back knocking him "unconscious", the sound of the fallen racket following after.
Her mouth opened wide in awe and shock. She released the racket from her grip and rushed immediately to his side. She knelt down and tugged at his shirt, calling out his name, waking him up. "Carter! Wake up!"
Sixty seconds later which seemed longer than that, his eyes finally opened. She let out a sigh of relief, helping him sat up. "You idiot! Whatever happened to your superior tennis skills?" Her 'I despise Carter' self was back again and she lightly slapped his arm. She groaned and resolved, "I'm getting you some ice."
But before she was able to stand up, he grabbed her arms, she fell on her side and he instantly flipped over her so that she was now lying under him. Sure, the impact of the ball hitting him earlier was so strong and his head was still aching and all that but he took advantage of the fact that he was still taller and stronger than her petite frame. Her arms were supporting her upper body so that she was sort of sitting up with her legs extended while he was above her. "Get off of me!" She demanded, practically shrieking.
He crashed his lips into hers aggressively. She blinked three times, too stunned to move or do anything but pulled away. When he was already trying to further deepen the kiss, she kicked him on his stomach. After finally breaking away from him, she stood up, swallowing hard and wiping her mouth with her hands. She then gave him a hateful look before walking away from him. She passed by Mr. Paxton and Richard who were on their way back to the court, seemingly ready for another game. She muttered some incomprehensible words to them, excusing herself to the ladies room. The two men were surprised to see Carter still lying on the floor.
"Oh shit! Shit! Shit!" Blair cursed pacing back and forth at the small space inside the restroom. Stupid Carter and his silly games! She thought and looked at herself in the mirror, biting her lower lip in shame. She opened the faucet and splashed water on her face to freshen up and calm herself but it was all in vain. Her heart was still beating out of her chest and she was almost absolutely certain that she hates Carter more than she hates Jenny.
Carter rose once he saw Mr. Paxton and Richard heading towards him. He briefly told them about what happened while he and Blair were playing tennis. He then excused himself, saying that he needs to get some ice for his head and nose and asked which direction Blair went.
He slightly opened the door and saw Blair washing her face, nobody else was inside. He entered and locked the door behind him. They stared at each other for about five seconds before he walked to her, pushing her on the wall. She glared at him and he pinned both her hands on the wall. She struggled from his touch and he moved his face closer hers. She struggled some more and he brushed his lips against the side of her lips. She could feel his heavy breathing and eyebrows lightly touching her skin and he could feel the loud beating of her heart.
Somehow her mind lost control of her actions and she let him crash his lips into hers once again. This time, she didn't pull away and instead, she kissed him back. The kiss was all about wanting and lust. She shouldn't have been too enraged at him, now she was letting out all her anger and frustrations in another way. Their tongues were playing games with each other. She grabbed his hair tightly, hurting him a bit, he groaned. He bit her lower lip as payback and she pulled his hair forcefully, hurting him more. He kissed her neck rapidly while she leaned back. He ran his hands on her mid thigh while sucking her left ear, bringing chills to her spine.
His hands moved to her hips and he carried her, settling her on the cold sink. She spread her legs wider so that he was standing between her legs. He ran his left hand to her side while his other hand caresses the small of her back up to the nape of her neck while kissing her again. This time it was gentler and softer than their furious kisses before. She instantly wraps her arms around his neck, rubbing her feet up and down his legs. He lets her do that for a while and then he stops to stare at her now messy ponytail and flushed face. You still look beautiful, his eyes tell her but he didn't say that out loud. Saying something would totally ruin the moment.
She gazes back at him, wondering what his next move would be. But instead of waiting, she brought her closer to him, kissing him hungrily. She tugged his shirt and skillfully took it off, revealing his bold chest and muscular arms. He smiled proudly at his well sculpted body; his gym membership seems to be worth it. He replaced his smile with a naughty grin, running his hands on her legs going higher and higher until it reaches the strap of her thong. She lifts up her butt and he pulls it down. He smirks at the underwear in his hand and carefully places it on top of his shirt lying on the side. She laughed quietly, 'being a Victoria's Secret model has its perks.' They seemed to be communicating their thoughts telepathically.
It was his turn now. She unbuttons his shorts, zipping it down, feeling him get harder at her touch. His khaki shorts fell off the ground and she let her eyes fall on his hard on. He checks the door knob again if it was locked and if there were windows opened. The idea of getting caught adds more thrill to their escapade. Seeing that there was none, he helps her take off her dress. She stops and poses sexily for him, he lets his eyes wander on her almost naked body. Wiggling her right foot, she touches his erection with it, teasing him. He wonders how and when she had taken her shoes off.
The elastic band tied around her hair was torn. She shakes her head, her brown curls falling over her shoulders reaching her waist. He grabs her hair and pulls her into another kiss as he fondles her breasts. She was trying too hard not to moan but she allowed a small sigh to escape her lips. He unhooks the strap of her bra and then buries his face on her chest, sucking each nipple hard while she busily scribbles circles on his back with her fingers. She wraps her legs around his waist and he settled her again on the wall.
He went inside her, pushing her with an amount of force so strong that she had winced in pain. She bit her lower lip to stop herself from making any noise as he pumps harder and harder, until he runs out of breath but still that doesn't make him stop. He was reaching his climax and she wraps her right leg around his left leg tighter. She orgasms right after him. He leaned on the wall next to her, still panting heavily. Their breaths were in rhythm but they both have smiles plastered on their faces, from the excitement and rush the deed has given them.
She got up and started getting dressed followed by him. Looking at their disheveled appearance in the mirror, she runs her hands through his hair, combing it. He straightens out her dress. She wipes a lipstick mark off his mouth. He waves her underwear in front of her. They both burst out in laughter. When they were both convinced that they couldn't do anything to remove the smell of sex in the air, she walked out first and when the hallway was clear, he followed her outside.
"That doesn't change anything between us. I still despise you," she said walking away from him, acting as if nothing has happened. "But uhm, nice catching up."
Mr. Paxton and Mr. Dibble were both engaged in their game when she got back. She sat on the bench, took her iPod and put on the earphones. She noticed that her other earring was missing so she went back to the ladies room to find it, ignoring her ringing phone.
Nate called Blair to follow up but after his third attempt, he figured that she was busy with work so he just left a text message saying that Jeremy, Rico, Wesley and Mike were over at the loft. He called them earlier and half an hour later, they were all drinking beer (Nate was drinking coke) and eating pizza while playing pool.
"Blair's not answering her phone?" Jeremy asked, handing him a bottle of beer and a roll of joint.
He declined both and said, "No, man. She's a hard working girl." It was already his turn so he aimed at the black ball and hit it. He missed, the guys laugh.
"Whatever happened to the 'it's all about the angles' guy I know?" Rico asked in a mocking tone, imitating Nate's serious face while giving this advice to him before.
He laughs it off and said, "Even masters make mistakes."
"And he doesn't even drink now," Mike added. "Blair sure has turned you soft."
"If I were her man, I would," Wesley said with a smirk.
Nate's expression changed and Jeremy noticed so he suggested, "Well, she's gone for now so better make the most out of it." Nate finally gave in and took the bottle of beer from his hand this time and gulped briskly.