Chapter 10

Chuck couldn't figure out why in the first few hours of being back in the city his first stop was Columbia. He should have been helping Eva get acquainted in the suite or catching Lilly up on his life post-Prague. The last place he should be was with her, and yet, there he was. As he watched her angrily walk away, he couldn't help but think that it felt like the last time he'd see her walk away from him again. It wasn't that he didn't think he'd piss her off again. He would. He was Chuck Bass. Pissing Blair Waldorf off was etched into his inner core. However, in the past, when he pissed her off and she'd leave fuming, but she'd always give him a quick glance back with that adorable smirk on her face-the smirk that said, "We're not done yet, Bass." This time-Blair didn't turn around. She had changed. He was scared of that change.

Chuck searched his pockets as his cell phone suddenly vibrated. "Hello?" Chuck answered; his frustrated tone not easily disguised. "Charles, dear, please tell me you'll come by for dinner later. Serena tells me you've brought a friend home with you. We'd love to meet her." Chuck frowned. He wasn't in the mood for social niceties, but he also knew that he owed Lilly a conversation-an apology at best. "Are you there? I know you're probably worried I'll try cooking again. Don't worry. Rufus plans to make his famous chili, and I promise to stay clear of the kitchen during the process." she laughed nervously, obviously afraid that Chuck truly would say no to her invitation. He let out a sigh, "Sure, Lilly. Of course, I'd love to bring Eva to dinner. Tell me first though. Who all will be attending dinner?" he was really hoping she'd just say Eric. He hadn't bee in the mood for Serena as of lately. He knew she'd be overbearing and critical of Eva. "Well, let's see...there'll be Rufus, Eric, Serena...and I'm hoping she'll invite Nate. Although I have to tell you, the two of them have been acting quite strangely lately. You'll have to help me figure out the Nate/Serena current enigma." she mentioned with honest concern. "Great." Chuck tried to sound enthused, but he couldn't say he'd really be looking forward to whole situation at hand. "We'll see you tonight then." he said before closing his cell phone, motioning for his limo driver to go on without him. Ever since Prague and Paris, he didn't know why but taking a limo seemed quite gaudy. He much preferred walking through the city. Besides, he needed time to clear his head of thoughts of Blair picking cotton with her southerner ten years down the road.

Back in the suite, Chuck watched as Eva spritzed herself with perfume, ran her fingers through her hair, and slipped on her ballet flats. She really was naturally beautiful. He loved the fact that it took her ten minutes to freshen up for outings. He was used to two hours with...he didn't even want to think of her name. "So, will Lilly like me? What do I need to do to win over your mother?" Chuck cringed. He couldn't blame Eva for not understanding the family tree yet. It wasn't like his family life was anything close to perfect, but he had to admit the sound of Lilly being called his mother wasn't exactly a punch to the gut either. Lilly was far more the mother than he'd ever had before, and he was grateful for that. "Just be yourself. You're beautiful-inside and out, and Lilly will pick up on that in no time. She's a great judge of character. You two will hit it off, no doubt." he tried to reassure her as they approached Lilly's hand-in-hand. Eva looked up at him smiling that angel smile of hers. "Charles, I want you to know how happy I am here with you. I know I just got here, and it's too soon to be saying things like this. But, before, thoughts of coming to the city with you terrified me. Now though, that I'm here, I feel at home. I feel at ease, and I know it's because I'm here with you. Thank you for inviting me into your life-your real life...thanks for finally letting me in." He stopped, grabbed her face roughly...with much more passion than he or she was used to, and kissed her-hard. "Take that you "southern bell," he was thinking to himself when he heard a familiar voice...when he heard her voice.

"Well, well, Bass, I'd say get a room, but I already know you have one," Blair chided, "and a new roommate too. Eva, you poor soul. How did he ever talk you into it?" she laughed, teasing. Eva-still blindly unaware of Chuck and Blair's past, giggled, "Are you kidding? I've got it made with this one. Breakfast in bed, movie nights, and dinner dates too. You girls know how to train your friends right." Blair's expression couldn't be disguised. The fact that Chuck and Eva were able to have a freakin' normal relationship really irked her. At that comment, Chuck smiled that signature, "I'm an ass" smirk of his and whipped around to see none other than Blair with the damn cotton picker. "Yeah, Chuck and Eva-holding hands, Chuck and Eva-watching movies. We do have it made, don't we babe?" he was really pushing Blair's buttons now. He watched as her jaw clamped down tight, furious at where the conversation was going. He had to admit-seeing her jealousy-seeing her react in this way was the biggest turn on he'd had in awhile. A long while. "Anyway, what are you doing here, Blair?" Chuck accused. Blair smirked at her own signature bitch move, "Actually, my date, Sam and I, were going to go out for drinks and dinner, but Serena invited us to Lilly's. Apparently, there's trouble in paradise with Nate, and to avoid a relatively awkward dinner, she wanted her best friend by her side. What are YOU doing here?" she asked him accusingly. "Well, it looks like our dinner party increased by two then. Lilly invited us." he said in a more serious tone. "It's the first time since...well it's the first time since I've been back that I'll have seen her." he confessed hoping Blair would take it easy on him just this once. He really did owe Lilly a good night of reminiscing.

As Sam held the door opened for the three others to enter Lilly's building, Blair couldn't shake the fact that despite what an ass Chuck had been to her since he'd returned to the city, she was genuinely happy for him to take this opportunity to make things right with Lilly. For tonight, she'd surrender, but there was always tomorrow.

As the foursome entered Lilly's loft, all threw their arms around Chuck welcoming him home. Blair smiled as she watched Lilly and Eric almost topple over-an effect of the big bear hug they'd given him as soon as he walked through the door. She gazed across the room at Sam who was currently fixing her a martini at the mini bar. Gah. He really was beautiful and such a gentlemen. As he approached her with her martini, his smile widened. "So, Waldorf. You think I can round up a beer? I'd love a Corona Light." he admitted casually-his eyes searching the mini bar area once again, hoping he'd simply missed it before. Blair couldn't help it. She tried to hold in her laugh because at this point, it might be too early to laugh at his obvious southern drawbacks. In her attempt not to laugh, she let out a god-awful snort that could have been heard for miles. She drew back instantly-horrified by how incompletely unsexy the sound was-this was her first date with him. What was her problem? Almost cringing at the thought of him finding her unsexy, she looked at him with a look of embarrassment. Sam laughed sincerely...kindly...grabbed her in a hug and assured her, "Gah, Blair. You're even sexy when you make pig noises! Not many girls can say that!" he laughed out loud again. "Well, Mr. Worthington, you would know...considering you probably have pigs as indoor pets back on the ranch!" she joked, poking him in the ribs. She could used to this playful banter. Playful felt good to her heart. "Now, how about I ring room service and get you that beer!" she added, pulling him playfully to follow her to the intercom system.

As the two walked away, Sam wound his fingers around Blair's-his thumb tracing circles around her palm. She looked back at him...almost unable to breath. They passed the "Chuck Bass Fan Club" still surrounding their idol, when she heard Eric say, "So, brother, what's it like to stare death straight in the face and survive it all? Only Chuck Bass could kick death's ass!" he cheered Chuck on with his praises. Chuck paused before answering. It seemed like minutes passed. His voice quavered. "Honestly...and I know I run the risk of sounding quite feminine here," he shook his head already embarrassed by his next comment. " But in that moment, all I could think about was the reason I needed to live-the memory of what my life might be like again if I could just kept breathing." Eric hoping for some gruesome remark as to how Chuck survived the pain and gore, fell silent with Chuck's somber comment. As Blair and Sam strode past the two's conversation, she couldn't help but steal a glance at Chuck as she overheard his heartfelt reply. Of course, as always-like magnets, his eyes met hers instantaneously, and like magnets pulled apart forcefully, both parties reverted their eyes in opposite directions as quickly as they were initially connected.

After a lot of catching up and many martinis, glasses of wine, and uh...bottles of Corona were consumed, Rufus and Lilly announced, "Dinner, everyone! Rufus Humphrey's famous chili is coming right up. Just come on in the dining room and find your places." As everyone sat down at the table with garden salads and chili, they all dug right in. Chuck remembered Blair mentioning earlier that Nate and Serena were having some sort of issue, and he suddenly felt bad for the whole night focusing merely on his return. He looked across the table at his best friend, Nate, and suddenly, his heart was pained. For he could tell by looking at him, that Hurricane Serena was at it again.

"So, Nathaniel," Chuck urged. "What's life been like in the city for you without your best friend to keep you out of trouble?" Nate looked up from the chili he'd barely touched and laughed icily. "Well, since I had a few contacts over the summer to keep me busy, let's just say, there wasn't much down time on my end. Oh yeah, thanks again for your help in the matter." Nate replied with fake optimism. Chuck frowned. He had forgotten all about leaving his black book for Nate. "Good riddance." he thought to himself. After all, his sexual urges and desperate tendencies were at the root of he and Blair's ultimate demise. At the same time though, he suddenly felt extremely guilty, pulling Nate into a life like his own old one had been. Chuck found it hard to even comment in return. His throat seemed to tighten up.

Blair knowing that this "relatively new" Chuck was blaming himself for Nate's behavior over the summer, piped in the conversation, "Well, Nate. Some say summers exist for such "contacts" to take place. Although, quite frankly I've never been a fan of this behavior myself. However, lucky for you, Serena shared this disastrous tendency with you this summer...only of course, her contacts rode vespas and waited tables in downtown Paris." Her eyes quickly flickered to Chuck's. "Coming from the source in which you received your contacts, I'm sure they rode many a man in their day and waited only for enough time to get paid full asking price before leaving."

Nate and Serena looked at her with, "What the hell, Blair?" looks on their faces. "Oh please," Blair went on. "My point was simply that both of you acted like fools over the summer, but before that, you were two fools in love. Chuck and I saw how good you two were together...we all did, and you can get that back now. Quit playing games already. You two belong together." Everyone at the table silently agreed with her comments, and Nate and Serena were able to finally look at each other with slight smiles too.

Chuck didn't like the way Sam was looking at Blair. So what-Blair was good with words, and she was able to coerce people into doing the opposite of what they intended with one bat of her eyes. The look Sam had in his eyes was a look of admiration. He used to have that same look as she finagled her way out of anything, and it pained him to see another man with that same look in his eyes. Then he watched as Sam removed his hand from the table and reached down obviously reaching for Blair's own hand under the table already. Upon his touch, Blair jumped slightly, startled by the embrace. She looked up at Sam with that, and suddenly a smile-not an "Eat your heart out Chuck Bass," smile, but a sincere smile that proved she not only didn't care that Chuck Bass was in the room but anyone else either-the smile taking over her entire face let him know that as far as Blair was concerned, Sam was the only other person in the room. Damn that southerner! As Chuck tried to keep his attention away from her for the remainder of dinner, he couldn't help but steal glances towards her from time to time especially when conversation led to Blair informing the table about her prerequisite law courses. He was impressed that she took a stand against her mother-against the world-that assumed Blair Waldorf would be molded into a fashion mogul just like Eleanor. He was impressed that she was taking her courses so seriously, and he couldn't help but laugh as she mocked the "dinosaur" of a professor who taught one of her classes. As the table finished laughing at Blair's lighthearted banter, he caught himself still smiling in her direction-a sad smile of realization-because he knew that this was the start of the happiness she deserved. The happiness that only flickered briefly in their relationship before he ruined it all one betrayal at a time. Happiness looked good on her. "Damn. What doesn't look good on her anyway?" he silently questioned as he took in her appearance for the eighteenth time tonight. She was wearing a strapless, long, silk navy and pink printed dress...large golden hoop earrings, and her hair was wavy. He liked her new natural look...but mostly in that moment what he liked best was the way that when she talked, she'd occasionally push all of her hair to one side of her neck leaving the opposite side completely naked. Gah, he loved her neck. He reverted his eyes back to the group at the table, half-listening to Serena's attempt at showing off her French. As he eyed Blair once again again while Rufus began another corny joke, he saw a sudden change in demeanor out of the corner of his eye. It was Eva. Although, she'd been blinded to any old feelings brewing between he and Blair before, it was obvious that what she currently saw was something she didn't want to see again. "If you'll excuse me, please." Eva interrupted Rufus' joke before the punchline, "Lilly. Rufus. I enjoyed the meal. Serena. Eric. It was good to see you." She smiled politely at everyone at the table, but ironically, Blair was left out of the departing goodbyes.

Well, well, well. Looks like Rufus's jokes can't even smooth over the current issues arising at the Van Der Woodsen's dinner tonight. Spotted: E leaving dinner rather hastily, her chili barely touched...did Rufus leave out an important ingredient or is there something else missing here?

XOXO Gossip Girl