A/N: These chapters will be pretty short. They can't get too long because there are technically two story lines going on at the same time. As some of you may have noticed, I don't have a beta so I have to edit it myself so I miss things sometimes. I was so happy to get all of your reviews. It really inspired me to keep this going now that I know people are enjoying it. I'm also glad that my connection between Evelyn and Blair was obvious. More of that to come. Also, about the time line. Chuck was born around '91 and I'm pretty sure that his mother was around 20 in 1989 according to one of the episodes I saw. I wasn't really sure about time lines and ages (though I'm assuming Bart was a little older than her) so I'mjust being vague and putting it in the late 80's. I'm also not going to mention any of the arson story that Dan found out in the second season. Its just easier that way. And there probably won't be any Jack because he and Bart are apparently about 10 years apart so there really wouldn't be any point.
Summary: Maybe that wasn't it. Blair had hid the tears from her mother many times but she could always tell. It wasn't just that Blair was her daughter, but Eleanor knew what it looked like when someone was crying over a Bass. It made her want to protect her daughter from the danger that Basses entailed. But then Blair would smile at her in that way that made Eleanor know it was real. This was real
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All characters and basis for characters are all taken from the genius that is Gossip Girl. No beta.
late 80's.
Evelyn clenched her eyes tight at the sound of the elevator dinging, alerting her presence. She hoped to God that her mother wasn't awake. It was well after midnight. She was aware of that.
She slung her heels off her feet so it wouldn't alert her presence.
"Miss Evelyn."
Her maid spoke softly to her and Evelyn knew that her mother was awake.
"Its alright," Evelyn said reluctantly. "I can face her alone."
Her maid nodded and took her leave.
"And where have you been?"
Evelyn winced and turned to greet her mother.
"Hello, Mother," she said politely.
"That's all you have to say?" her mother asked sharply. "It's 1:45 in the morning, Evelyn. You have rehearsal tomorrow. What were you thinking staying out all night?"
That I met the most infuriating man that has ever existed and I did everything in my power to destroy him.
"I guess I wasn't thinking," Evelyn spoke quietly.
"You guess?" her mother asked.
"No," Evelyn relented. "I don't guess. I know."
Her mother sighed. "Go to bed. We'll discuss this in the morning."
Evelyn held back her tears until she reached her room. She sat her her vanity and stared at herself. She was disgusted with herself. How did she get to be like this? It was repulsive.
She choked when she couldn't hold herself back anymore. She brought her hand to her throat watching the tears descend her high cheek bones.
And then she stopped. She couldn't let herself become this way. She couldn't let herself be weak. She cut back the tears, glaring at herself one more time and then got ready for bed.
"You can't tell me you're going to eat all of that," Evelyn's mother said darkly.
Evelyn sighed at the sight of her four pieces of fruit on her plate. She knew her mother wasn't waiting for an answer. She didn't want one. Evelyn just shoved her plate away.
"Will I see you at my performance?" Evelyn asked hopefully. She should never hope.
"I'm meeting with potential buyers today," her mother said, not even looking at her.
"Oh..." Evelyn said, trying not to look too dejected. Not that it would have mattered. Her mother wasn't even looking at her.
"You're going to be late," her mother said pointedly.
Evelyn knew all of this was just a lost cause. She might as well just get to the studio. Apparently her mother couldn't stand that her own daughter was in the same house as her. Typical.
"You have a nice day, Miss Evelyn," her maid tried to say soothingly.
Evelyn sniffed and smiled appreciatively as she entered the elevator.
She had to be dreaming. That just had to be it. It seemed that way because right as she exited her penthouse right onto the street, a black, sleek stretch limousine pulled up right beside her. This was ridiculous. The black tinted window rolled down revealing the one face she really didn't want to see at the moment.
"Ugh," Evelyn said in disgust. "How did you know I would be here?"
"I'm Bart Bass," he said simply as though it were an actual answer.
"What the hell does that suppose to mean?" Evelyn asked. She had never heard anyone use the use of their name as an actual reason for doing anything.
"It means that I'm Bart Bass. Get in," Bart said simply, as though there was no other alternative.
"Excuse me?" Evelyn said in disgust.
"I'd love to give you a ride."
Evelyn wasn't about to ponder the meaning behind the word "ride."
"I'm sure you would," Evelyn sneered. "Unfortunately, I'm not doing charity work today."
"Rough night?" Bart asked to her spunk.
"You would know," Evelyn said, still walking down the street with the limo tailing her, "not that its any of your business."
"Oh, I think it is," Bart said.
"And how would you figure that?"
"Because anything to do with your alluring self is absolutely my business," he said smoothly.
"And what did I do to deserve such an honor?" she asked sarcastically. "What's so special about me that gives me special treatment from Bart Bass?"
"Curiosity" he said, "to begin with. I honestly have never seen anyone not look at me when I was as... unclothed as I was when we first met."
"Then I pity all of those who were submitted to that," Evelyn said, proud of how this conversation was going.
For some reason, she liked that she could hold an intelligent yet slightly threatening conversation with someone, at the same time telling them to back the hell off.
"Don't torture me," Bart said, ignoring her last comment. Because that definitely didn't strike a nerve. "Just get in."
"Sorry," Evelyn said, not sounding sorry at all, "but I'm at the studio now."
The limo halted as Evelyn disappeared into the doors, leaving Bart without her presence.
Eleanor hadn't expected to see Bart Bass again. Really. Usually people who were stricken by the wrath of the infamous Evelyn knew when to back off. He definitely had a death wish.
"I have a proposition for you," he smirked.
present day.
"I have a proposition for you," Chuck Bass smirked.
Eleanor Waldorf-Rose blanched. To be quite honest, the resemblance was uncanny. It wasn't the same eyes or hair. No, Chuck definitely resembled his mother on that front. But the tone was all there. It was the same smirk and self assured drawl that was only a Bass trait.
"Chuck," Eleanor sighed. It was quite endearing, actually. She knew that Chuck wasn't the most reputable of people but he did have a charm about him. And Eleanor had promised herself she wouldn't be one of those mothers. The tyrannic mother who forbade her daughter to see someone just because he was new money.
Maybe that wasn't it. Blair had hid the tears from her mother many times but she could always tell. It wasn't just that Blair was her daughter, but Eleanor knew what it looked like when someone was crying over a Bass. It made her want to protect her daughter from the danger that Basses entailed. But then Blair would smile at her in that way that made Eleanor know it was real. This was real. And when Chuck Bass approached her to help him win her daughter back, she couldn't help but oblige. Because when a Bass set his mind to it, it got accomplished. Eleanor knew this first hand.
"I'm assuming its a good sign you're not kicking me out of your house," Chuck said charmingly. That boy was such a player. But he was at least trying to use his powers for good. At least that was what Eleanor was trying to convince herself.
"I can only assume you are referring to how my daughter never came home last night," Eleanor acknowledged.
"I wouldn't know anything about that," Chuck answered honestly. "But that's why I'm here. I..."
"Quite frankly, Chuck, "Eleanor said, "it really doesn't matter how much you care for her. She has to want to see you."
"Well I was hoping you could help me with that," Chuck said lamely. He didn't do well with these sorts of things.
"Whatever you said to her last night--"
"That's just it," Chuck said. "I said something that I completely meant. And she still ran away from me. She always runs away from me."
"I don't know what you want me to do about it."
"I just need to see her," Chuck said. If she didn't know any better, it sounded like he was pleading. But then again, she knew Basses too well. She knew it was better for her to offer them her assistance, then them go and screw everything up even more.
"Is that all you're eating?" Cyrus asked kindly at the breakfast table.
"I'm not hungry," Blair mumbled.
She was glad her mother wasn't here for this part. She could tell if her eating habits were even the slightest bit difference her mother got frighteningly paranoid. She had no idea why. It was the strangest thing.
"You came home late last night."
"Dorota's a traitor," Blair snapped.
Cyrus just chuckled at Blair's outburst. She was quite the spitfire. He never had to wonder why the Bass boy came around at all hours of the night, trying to persuade Dorota up the marble staircase. Only once had he succeeded, but that didn't stop him from coming back constantly. It drove Eleanor insane.
The parents might feign obliviousness, but it was all very obvious how much Chuck and Blair used to leave the public eye at those dinner parties.
"You're going to be late," Eleanor said, coming into the kitchen already in her business attire.
Since Blair had come home from school for the summer, she was quite aware of her mother's watchful eye over her eating habits. That also meant every other week, going to therapy. Doctor's orders. It was ridiculous.
"Will I see you at Lily's thing tonight?" Blair asked hopefully.
"I don't know," Eleanor said distantly. "I'm meeting with potential buyers today..."
She looked to see the dejected look on her daughter's face and realized she was doing it again.
"Cyrus will be there," she assured her, "and I can probably finish up early."
She liked that relief flooded her daughter's face. She wasn't about to point out the fact, either, that considering Chuck was Lily's legal adoptive son, he would also be attending. But she knew that already.
Walking out of the penthouse Blair knew immediately something was amiss. She had to be dreaming. That just had to be it. As she walked right onto the street, a black, sleek stretch limousine pulled up right beside her. The black tinted window rolled down revealing the one face she really didn't want to see at the moment.
"Hello, Lover," Chuck smirked.
"What makes you think you can just roll up here?" Blair snapped immediately. "I'm mad at you, remember?"
"Doesn't seem that way to me," Chuck answered.
"What makes you say that?"
"You would have thrown your clutch at me already," he grinned.
Blair huffed. He was totally right. He was always right. He knew her way too well.
"How did you find me?" she asked finally, still walking while his limo crept beside her.
"You mean in front of your building?" he asked snarkily.
"Don't try to be cute," she said angrily.
"Oh, I don't have to try."
Blair rolled her eyes. "What I meant was how did you know where I was going today?"
"I'm Chuck Bass."
Of course. The usual response. Jackass.
"Get in," he said.
"I suppose this is the part where you tell me that you'd love to give me a ride," Blair retorted.
"You know me well."
"No," Blair responded. "You just need more material."
"Right," he seemed to agree. "Let's go over that when you get in here."
"I'm afraid not," Blair said. "I'm already here."
Chuck looked after her in dismay as Blair disappeared, leaving Chuck without her presence.
Blair was greeted by the sight of Dorota as the elevator doors opened. She checked her phone. She didn't suppose Eleanor would be displeased that she was out this late. It was summer and she was an adult. That didn't stop Dorota's reproachful look.
"Miss Eleanor awake," Dorota said warningly.
"Don't worry, Dorota," Blair sighed. "I've been facing my mother for two decades now. I can take it."
Blair stepped onto the tiled floor, not bothering to take off her shoes to hide her approach.
"Its late," her mother commented.
"Its only one," Blair said.
"Where were you?" Eleanor asked.
"Does it matter?" Blair asked suspiciously. She didn't like how her mother was suddenly taking an interest in a life that she didn't seem all that enthralled with for the past 15 years.
"Were you with anyone?" she asked.
"What do you mean?" Blair asked, suspicion peaking.
"Chuck came by a couple days ago," Eleanor commented. "I was wondering..."
"No," Blair said shortly. "Always no."
"Why?" Eleanor asked.
"Does it matter?" Blair asked again. "I can't help but wonder why you're suddenly taking an interest."
Eleanor sighed. "Blair..."
"You talked to him?" Blair asked vulnerably. Eleanor smiled. It was a Waldorf Women trait to go from a fiery temper one minute, to completely sobering the next.
"Yes, I talked to him."
"Good," Blair snapped. "Then he knows to stay away."
Eleanor wasn't about to correct her daughter that she was once again betraying the girl closest to her to help a Bass in need.